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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofyorkcouOOprow
HISTOR Y
OF
YORK COUNTY
PENNSYLVAISTIA
By GEORGE R. PROWELL
CURATOR AND LIBRARIAN OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF YORK COUNTY;
MBMBKR OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY; MEMBER
OP THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATED
VOLUME I
CHICAGO
J. H. BEERS & CO.
1907
Contents.
Page Page
CHAPTER I. CHAPTER XV.
Organization of the County — Topography — Geol- Pennsylvania Line, Pulaski's Legion and Armand's
ogy — The Indians i Legion at York — Quartermaster's Posts in
York County 214
CHAPTER n.
Indian Conferences of 1721 and 1722— Keith's CHAPTER XVI.
Newberry Tract 17 British and Hessian Prisoners — Baron and Bar-
oness Riedesel at York 225
CHAPTER HI.
Springettsbury Manor— Blunston's Licenses 35 CHAPTER XVII.
Associators — Muster Rolls and Pensioners 242
CHAPTER IV. • '
Border Troubles— The Chester County Plot— CHAPTER XVIII.
Colonel Thomas Cresap 68 Continental Congress at York— First National
Thanksgiving — A r t i c 1 e s of Confederation
CHAPTER V. Adopted— Proceedings in 1778 288
The Boundary Line — Digges' Choice — Manor of f^uATDTrD vtv
Maske — The Temporary Line — Mason and
Dixon's Line 68 Alliance with France — Death of Philip Living-
ston— Baron Steuben at York — The Conway
CHAPTER VI. Cabal— Gates-Wilkinson Duel— Members of
Pioneers and Pioneer Life 98 Congress 313
CHAPTER VIL CHAPTER XX.
Early Highways— Roads, Ferries and Bridges 106 Whiskey Insurrection 340
CHAPTER VIIL CHAPTER XXI.
Friends or Quakers 106 War of 1812— Rendezvous at York 341
CHAPTER XXII.
Mexican War — York County Soldiers 349
CHAPTER IX.
The Scotch-Irish 128
CHAPTER XXIIL
' ' The Civil War— Camp Scott — Regimental Muster
The Germans-Mennonites-German Baptists- Rolls-Confederate Invasions of 1862 and 1863 353
Dutch and Huguenot Colony — Early Marriages
and Baptisms 128 CHAPTER XXIV.
CHAPTER XL
Emergency Troops — Confederates at York and
Wrightsville — United States Hospital at York.. 402
The French and Indian War 147
CHAPTER XXV.
CHAPTER XII. Battle of Hanover— The Monument 425
The Revolution — First York County Troops — Bat- „„ _„„ v^-irr
^1 J. T Tit CrlAr i r.K AA.V1.
tie 01 Long Island 157
The Spanish- American War 451
CHAPTER XIII. CHAPTER XXVII.
The Flying Camp — Battles of Fort Washington, m ^ j at r a7 1 ^
„ ■ . i, . '^ ' Noted Men of York County 454
I renton and Prmceton 177
CHAPTER XXVIII
CHAPTER XIV. „, „ , , ,, T,
The Bench and the Bar 477
Battles of Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown and
Monmouth— Major John Clark— G e n e r a 1 CHAPTER XXIX.
Henry Miller — Colonel Thomas Hartley 191 The Medical Profession 515
(v)
CONTENTS
Page _ Page
CHAPTER XXX. CHAPTER XLIV.
Educational 538 City of York— ^Military and Fire Department 780
CHAPTER XXXI. CHAPTER XLV.
The Printing Press 549 City of York— ^larkets, Inns Hotels 794
CHAPTER XXXII. CHAPTER XLVI.
Political — Post Offices — Census Reports S59 u 1 r xj o
^ ■'•'^ Borough of Hanover 807
CHAPTER XXXIII.
CHAPTER XLVII.
Slavery in York County — The Underground Rail-
"1 Cross Roads — Dallastown — D e It a — Dillsburg —
Dover — East Prospect — Fawn Grove — Felton —
CHAPTER XXXIV. Franklintown— Glen .Rock— Goldsboro— Jefifer-
Turnpikes— Canals— Railroads— Telegraph — Tele- son— Lewisberry— Loganville 855
phone 599
CHAPTER XLVIII.
CHAPTER XXXV. :Manchester— New Freedom— Railroad— Red Lion
Storms and Floods — Weather Observations 621 — Seven Valley — Shrewsbury — Spring Grove —
nTj wTTu Y\-\-\'T — Stewartstown — Wellsville — Windsorville —
Winterstown — Wrightsville — Yoe — York Ha-
Distilling and Tobacco Culture 628 ven— York New Salem 896
CHAPTER XXXVn.
City of Y'ork — Early History 633
CHAPTER XLIX.
Township History — Carroll — Chanceford — Codorus
CHAPTER XXXVIII. —Conewago— Dover 939
City of York — Before and After iSoo 646 CHAPTER T
CHAPTER XXXIX. Fairview— Fawn— Franklin— Heidelberg— Hellam—
City of York— Religious History 676 Hopewell— Jackson— Lower Chanceford 966
CHAPTER XL. CHAPTER LI.
City of York— Schools, Societies, Libraries 724 Lower Windsor— Manchester and East ^lanchester
CHAPTER NTT — !Manheim — Monaghan — Newberry — North
Codorus — Paradise — Peach Bottom 1008
City of York — Visits of Famous Men 738
CHAPTER XLII. CHAPTER LII.
City of York— Banks and Manufacuring 749 Penn— Shrewsbury— Springfield — Springgettsbury
— Spring Garden — Warrington — Washington —
CHAPTER XLIII. West Manchester— West Manheim— Windsor
City of York — Public Enterprises 770 York 1058
Illustrations,
List of Portraits in Volume I.
Page
Atlee, William Augustus 486
Bailey, Daniel D 868
Barnitz, Charles A 566
Barnitz, George Augustus 806
Black, Chauncey F 458
Black, Jeremiah S 454
Custer, General George A 430
Cochran, Thomas E 506
Durkee, Daniel 486
Eichelberger, Captain A. W 850
Farnsworth, General Elon J 430
Fisher, Robert J 488
Franklin. Walter 486
Franklin, General William B 388
Gibson, John 4qo
Glatfelter, Philip H 912
Grumbine, William 854
Hampton, General Wade 438
Hancock, John 290
Hartley, Colonel Thomas 212
Helb, Frederick poo
Henry, John Joseph 486
Kilpatrick, General Hugh Judson 430
King, George 762
Krall, John 1092
Kurtz, William H 768
Lafean, Charles 766
Landes, John 1078
Latimer, James W 492
Laurens, Henry 296
Lee, General Fitzhugh . . •. 438
Lichtenberger, Samuel 1020
Livingston, Philip 322
Mayer, John L 504
Mayer, Rev. Lewis 466
McLean, James 804
Miller, General Henry 204
Niles, Rev. Henry E 704
Quay, Matthew S 470
Rebman, Dr. George A , 930
Ross, James 472
Small, George 664
Small, Philip A 654
Small, Samuel 674
Small, Samuel, Sr 660
Small. W. Latimer 670
Smith, James 338
Smith, S. Morgan 758
Stuart, General J. E. B 438
Weiser, Erastus H 508
Wells, Abraham 920
Wiest, Peter 802
Wilhelm, Artemas 1064
Young. Hiram 556
Young, John S 834
List of Views in Volume I.
Page
Action at Wrightsville. June, 1863 416
Adjournment of Continental Congress at York 302
Almshouse cS^
Battle I\Ionument at Hanover 448
Bird's-eye view of York 7^0
Centre Church, Fawn Township 974
Centre Square in 1820 630
Christ Lutheran Church in 1800 686
Continental note printed at York 308
Cookes house 216
Court House =76
Court of Honor in Centre Square in 1899 790
Eichelberger High School 826
Eighty-seventh Regiment at the Battle of Win-
chester 364
Emmanuel Reformed Church, Hanover 826
Figure of Justice in Colonial Court House 648
First Presbyterian Church in 1790 700
First Stone House in York County 1072
Fi/rst York County Jail 644
Flax Brake 92
Geological Map 4
George Street north and south from Centre Square, 778
Globe Inn 648
Hartley, Colonel Thomas and wife 740
Headquarters of General Wayne 216
House built in 1745 at Hanover by Colonel Richard
McAllister 812
i\Lap of York County 2
JNIarket Street east and west from Centre Square. . . 774
Monuments, Smith, Livingston and Soldiers 330
Moravian parsonage 740
Newberry Friends' Meeting House 110
Residence and law office of James Smith 312
Residence of Baltzer Spangler 1072
Residence of INIajor Clark 308
Seal of the Borough of York 644
South from rear of St. John's Episcopal Church... 652
Spinning wheels 92
Springettsbury Manor 26
St. John's Episcopal Church 700
Tearing up the Weldon Railroad 382
U. S. Treasury Building 312
Warrington Friends' Meeting House no
West Market Street from Centre Square in 1820... 638
Western entrance to York in 1844 652
View of York in 1850 714
York Collegiate Institute 730
York County Academy 728
York Friends' Meeting House 1 14
York High School 7-^6
Zion Reformed Church 686
M^ip of
York Coumty
PENNSYLVANIA.
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HISTORY
OF
YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Organization of York County — Adams
County Formed — Topography — Geology
— The Indians — Aboriginal Occupation —
Indian Traders.
Chester, Bucks and Philadelphia were
the three original counties established at
the first settlement of the Province of
Pennsylvania, under the direction of its
founder, William Penn. These counties
were organized within two months after
the arrival of Penn in America, under the
charter granted him by Charles II, King of
England, March 4, 1681.
By the treaty of 1718 with the Indians,
the western boundary of Chester County
was not definitely established until the erec-
tion of Lancaster County from Chester, by
act of May 10, 1729. There were then no
authorized settlements west of the Susque-
hanna, within the present limits of York
County. As far as the treaties with the
Indians were instrumental in establishing
county boundary lines, the Susquehanna
was the western limit of Chester County
before 1729.
At the conclusion of the Indian treaty in
1736, the limits of Lancaster County were
extended indefinitely westward. It in-
cluded all of the present counties of York,
Cumberland, Franklin, Adams, and Dauphin
and a large portion of Berks and North-
umberland. The Indians, then being peace-
ful, the fertile lands west of the Susque-
hanna were soon occupied by immigrants
and in a short time hundreds of industrious
farmers were clearing the lands and plant-
ing their crops. In a few yeav^ a number
of petitions were presented to the Pro-
vincial Council, signed by influential citizens
of " Lancaster County, west of the Susque-
hanna," asking for the erection of a new
county. The causes of these early petitions
for the formation of a new county were ow-
ing to the rapid increase of the population
west of the river, troubles and difficulties
that arose among settlers, and the long dis-
tance to the Lancaster court, where a re-
dress of grievances might be obtained.
The first petition was presented
York in 1747, but it was unheard. In
County 1748, a strong and urgent request
Formed, was made, whereupon favorable
action was taken and on August
19, 1749, the act obtained the official sanc-
tion of James Hamilton, deputy governor
of the Province, and York County, the first
west of the Susquehanna River, and in
order of date the fifth in the Province of
Pennsylvania, was formed. The county
from which it was detached had the historic
name of Lancaster, after a shire on the west
coast of North England. East of Lanca-
shire is the grand old district of Yorkshire,
rendered memorable by the War of the
Roses, its magnificent cathedrals and castles
of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries,
and for its ancient manufacturing city of
York, where the first English Parliament
assembled in 1160. It has been for a long
time and is today the largest county of
England. By the unanimous consent of the
petitioners for a division of Lancaster
County in Pennsylvania, and the commis-
sioners who formed the division, making
low water mark on the west side of the Sus-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
quehanna the boundary line, York County
was named after Yorkshire, in England.
The town of York was laid out and named
eight years before this event.
The commissioners named in the act to
carry out its provisions and lay off the new
county were Thomas Cox, of Warrington
Township; Nathan Hussey, of Newberry;
John Wright, Jr., of Wright's Ferry; George
Swope, of York, and Michael Tanner of the
vicinity of Hanover. The first three were
English Quakers. The others were Ger-
mans. They all became court justices.
Tanner was the first leader of the German
Baptists in York County.
The boundaries of York County, as then
formed, which included the present county
of Adams, according to the Act of Assembly,
embraced " all and singular the lands lying
within the Province of Pennsylvania, to the
westward of the river Susquehanna, and
southward and eastward of the South
Mountain to the Maryland line, and from
thence eastward to the Susquehanna." The
northern boundary line was not definitely
established until after the erection of Cum-
berland County, which was also formed
from Lancaster, by act of March 27, 1750,
and named after a maritime county of
northern England.
York County, when first formed included
Adams County and contained 1,469 square
miles, or about 950,000 acres. In 1749, the
year of its formation, it had 1,466 taxable
inhabitants, with an entire population of
about 6,000. In 1750, there were 1,798 tax-
ables, and in 175 1 there were 2,043 taxables
and an entire population of over 8,000. This
will illustrate how rapidly immigration into
the county took place, as the increase of
population in two years was 33 1-3 per
cent. Immediately after the close of the
Revolution, in 1783, by an action of the
county court, the township assessors were
required to take an enumeration of the peo-
ple in their respective districts. According
to their reports, the county in that year
contained a population of 27,007; of this
number 17,007 lived within the present
limits of York County. There were in ad-
dition to this, 657 colored slaves.
By an act of Legislature passed
Adams January 22, 1800, Adams County
County was formed out of York, with an
Formed, area of 548 square miles. It
was named in honor of John Adams, who
was' then President of the United States.
This reduced York County to its pres-
ent area of 921 square miles. York
County is in the shape of an irregular
quadrangle, with Mason and Dixon's line
for the base, a distance of forty miles, and
is the fourth in line westward of the south-
ern tier of counties, with Lancaster and
Dauphin on the east and southeast, the state
of Maryland on the south, Adams County
on the west, and Cumberland- and Dauphin
on the north. The Susquehanna River
washes the eastern boundary from the
mouth of the Yellow Breeches to the Mary-
land line, a distance of fifty-five miles. The
western boundary line from the southern
line north eight and a half miles is an exact
meridian; from thence Beaver Creek and a
public road form a winding line northwest-
ward -to a point on the South Mountains,
where York, Cumberland and Adams meet.
From here the boundary is a due northeast
line along a ridge of the South Mountains
to the Yellow Breeches Creek, continuing in
nearly the same direction along the many
bends of this stream to its mouth at the
Susquehanna, two miles below the city of
Harrisburg.
TOPOGRAPHY.
The topographical features of York
County consist principally of easy-rolling
hill and valley surface. The county be-
longs to the open country of the great At-
lantic plain, with an average elevation of
about 500 feet above high tide at Philadel-
phia. A ridge of the South Mountains en-
ters the northwestern corner of the county
and terminates above Dillsburg. A spur of
these mountains extends across Fairview
Township and down along the Susque-
hanna. Enclosed within the different
smaller ridges are the fertile Redland and
Fishing Creek Valleys, composed of the new
red sandstone and red shale formations.
Round Top 1,110 feet above sea level, and
its quiet neighbor. Knell's Hill, are isolated
peaks of basalt or trap formation, in War-
rington Township. The Conewago Hills,
isolated ridges of South Mountain, termi-
nates at York Haven. Above Wrights-
ville, to the mouth of the Codorus Creek,
extending westward to near the Harrisburg
Pike, is a woodland ridge of white sand-
INTRODUCTION 3
stone, known as Hellam Hills. Between from altitudes measured by practical geolo-
this elevation and Conewago Hills there is gists of the two different state surveys, and
a wide extent of red sandstone. still others from the profiles of railroads.
Pidgeon Hills in the western part of the The following is a table of elevations of
county, are of elliptical formation. The various points in the county above mean
southeastern portion of the county contains tide at Philadelphia:
slate ridges and hills, and extensive quar- p^^t
ries are worked in Peach Bottom Township, Round Top i,i lo
yielding roofing slate of the very best qual- ^^^,<; o| Round Top '605
ity. The Martic Ridge crosses Lancaster Mount Roya.\ ..... .. .....'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'..'. 547
County. Its western extension passes Conewago Hills, highest point 800
from the Susquehanna to the vicinity of Wei^J^.jiiy '^^
Jefferson. The southern and southwest- FrankUntown .......'...'.'..'.. .'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 580
ern sections of York County are undulat- Emig's Mills 550
ing, containing here and there woodland Lewisbefrv 60?
hills. York (Centre' Square) ......'.'.'.'..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.['. 385
Conewago Creek and its branches. Little Webb's Hill 880
Conewago, Bermudian Creek and Stony imie^sviu" ..!!!.!!'. './! 680
Run, drain the northern and western por- Loganville ....]..... 734
tions of the county. Codorus Creek with Jefferson 600
•. , , , i, ^, , ^, ^ , Hanover (Centre Square) 601
Its two branches, flows through the central Mar.vland line south of Hanover 820
part, past York. Muddy Creek with its Dallastown 656
two large branches drain the southeastern S'"*"""^^ Soo
=" r awn Grove 810
section. Castle Fin 190
York Countv has the shape of an irregu- ^'e^ Park 812
lar quadrangle. It borders on Maryland ^■■>a"^^''"e 210
and lies on the parallel of latitude, 39 de- XORTHERX CENTRAL R.\ILROAD
grees, 43 mmutes, 26.3 seconds (Mason and Baltimore 000
Dixon's line), and extends northward nearly Parkton ^20
to Harrisburg, or about 15 minutes above New Freedom 827
the fortieth parallel, which passes through G\en Rock ...... ..'.'.'.'..'.'..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'..'.'.'. --i
Emigsville, three miles north of York. The Hanover Junction 422
county is crossed by the meridian of Wash- Qi"t|eitej.'s ^^
ington, and with reference to that line, its Tunnel^'i^.. ....................'...'.....'..'. .....'. 299
extreme eastern and western points are in York. Junction with FredericK Division of P. R. R. 366
longitude 45 minutes east and 10 minutes MoTru Wolf'.':::.;.'.':.'.'.'.'.':;;: :;:';:'.';;.': ' ■'::' lit
west. York County extends along the Summit No. 2.. ........ .......................... 466
Maryland line about forty miles, bordering Conewago Bridge 289
on the counties of Harford, Baltimore and y^dsb^r".[[[[\y.\\\\\\V.[\y.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 30I
Carroll. It adjoins on the north and west Aliddletown Ferry 307
the counties of Cumberland and Adams, the ^.^''^''^'i, R"" v ' ■ ' ^09
1 , . r 1 • 1 r 1 , r iV 1 New Cumberland •!I2
latter of which was formerly a part of York
County. It contains an area of 921 square PENNSYLVANL\ RAILROAD, FREDERICK
miles. The Susquehanna Jliver flows for DIVISION.
nearly fiftj^-five miles along the eastern Wrightsville 257
boundary, and the extreme eastern point of ^p'''^" • 348
^,- , , . , ^r -1 Hiestands 427
Its southern boundary is about fifteen miles York (depot) 366
north of Havre de Grace, at the head of Codorus Creek 357
Chesapeake Bay. Ws'"'' '' 1^^
The accompanying tables and Spring Forge ::;::;;;;;: JS5
Elevations, specifications of ahitudes above Menges' I\Iill 455
, , 111- • . Iron Ridge 406
the ocean level Ot many points Railroad Crossing, Hanover Junction and Gettys-
in \ ork County were gathered from dif- burg R. R. crosses at grade 607
ferent sources, many from observations with Hanover 599
. -^ , - , , Littlestown 619
transit or barometer, some were gathered State Line 540
4 HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The levels on the line of the Frederick The geology of York County is extremely
Division Pennsylvania Railroad were copied complex. It contains some of the earliest
from a profile in the office at Philadelphia, formations and some of the latest, so faulted
The datum is mean tide at Baltimore. and folded, so much eroded and fractured, as
to obscure the geological succession. The
HANOVER AND BALTIMORE RAILROAD. problem is not yet fully solved. However,
^!.""^ since the publication of the State Geologi-
VaUevTunction 74i ^^^ Reports, closer study of local and related
Black Rock 79° deposits and the discovery of fossils in the
Glenville /oi limestone formation have resulted in exten-
Porte?" ...................■.■..■■■■..■■■■■■■■ 510 sive changes in the geological map of York
Hanover (depot) 600 County. Strata that were erroneously, or
Abbottstown 4d7 provisionally, placed have been definitely
located, mamly m the Cambrian.
YORK AND PEACH BOTTOM RAILROAD. Some reference, however brief, should be
Susquehanna River 85 made to the dominant mineral constituents
Peach Bottom grade -. 118 ^j^^^^ ^^ j^^^j^^ ^^^ various Strata be-
Bangor summit S'l , °, . . ^ , , , ,.
Delta 435 fore the formations themselves are dis-
Bryansville 241 cussed. Now whilst there are a number
woodbuie :; •;:;::■;;;:;:::;:::::::::;::::: : 304 of different minerals found in York county,
Bruce •• 33i the great geological formations are essen-
Muddy Creek Forks 366 tially composed of Only five elemental sub-
Laurel °'^' 411 stances. These have furnished the ma-
Fenmore 434 terials, in one form or other, from which
Brogueville 47° ^}^g varied rock beds and the soil have been
Felton 530 , . ,
Windsor 598 derived.
Springyale 734 Silica is the most abundant mineral.
Red Lion 900 gjiica. It results from a union of oxygen
Dallastown 0^7 , •,• , ,
Ore Valley 570 and Silicon, two elements that go
Enterprise .^31 to make Up about seventy-five per cent, of
iSig'Garden'::::;:::::::'.::::'.'.'.'.'.::'.:;;: :'.;:: 43? the entire earth's crust, (ciarke, science,
York" 372 Jan. 5, 1906, p. 16. ) Sandstone, sand, flint,
„^,„_. ,_„,,.,. . ^,xTAT quartz and quartzite are but some of the
SLbQLEHA.NAA CAISJAL. ^ ^ , ,.,.,.
, , common names under which it is every-
The elevations here given are estimated above mean , , t jj-*.- ^ -^
jjjg gj " where known, in addition to its preva-
Havre de Grace ooo lence under these simple forms, it is often a
State Line 68 q}^[q[ constituent in a variety of very impor-
Peach Bottom (on canal) 'o^ ^ ^ i ^ "
Muddy Creek 121 tant compounds.
Slate Tavern 130 Silica combined with aluminum
iVicCalls Ferry 117 Alumina, forms alumina, or clay. Alu-
York rurnace 141 . , -i- • ' ,
Shenk's Ferry 152 mmum, after Silicon, is the next
Lockport 163 most important element. It contributes
SS^Scanai):::::: :::::::::::::;::;::; S ^^out eight per cent, to the buik of the
earth s crust. Slate, argillite and shale are
By a comparison of all the above tables some of the common and widely dissemi-
it will be observed that the elevation of nated rocks of which it is an essential con-
nearly all points in the southern part of the stituent.
county is higher than in the northern part. Though less abundant than either
_ ., Iron, silica or alumina, iron in some of its
GEOLOGY OF YORK COUNTY. compounds is universally repre-
Prof. A. Wanner, superintendent of sented. It is nature's pigment. In some
schools of the City of York, has made a form or other it is widely disseminated
diligent and careful study of the geology of throughout this section. The characteristic
York County. The following article was red color of the upper end of York County
prepared by him specially for this work: is due to the presence of iron; so is the less
liii^yiii
INTRODUCTION
prevalent green of the chlorites, shales and
schists of the lower half.
Carbon, oxygen and calcium
Limestone, unite to form limestone. The
determining constituent is cal-
cium. Magnesia is another mineral often
combined with it. The presence of car-
bonate of magnesia, in varying quantities,
gives to the local formation the name of
dolomitic limestone. About three and
one-half per cent, of the earth's bulk is cal-
cium.
It is unnecessary to add to the previous
list of minerals because the geological for-
mations under discussion are almost wholly
composed of silica, alumina, calcium and
iron.
The geological formations of the earth,
for convenience and study, are given appro-
priate names. These placed in the order
of succession, reading from below upward,
follow :
Quaternary Period, or
Cenozoic Era. . -{ Pleistocene Epoch.
Tertiary Period.
Mesozoic Era.
Paleozoic Era. . -:
Cretaceous Period.
Jurassic Period.
Triassic Period.
Permian Period.
Carboniferous Period.
Devonian Period.
Upper Silurian Period.
Lower Silurian Period.
Cambrian Period.
Archean and Algonkian Eras.
The oldest rocks, those from
Algonkian. which, of course, have been de-
rived all later formations, are
called Archean. They are essentially com-'
plex, highly crystalline, and of more or less
uncertain and varying structure. Whilst
none of these come to the surface in this
region, yet to the transition beds of clas-
tic rocks, the Algonkian, lying immediately
above, have been referred the oldest rocks
of York County. These compose the un-
derlying floor upon which all subsequent
formations have been laid. The lowest beds
of the series are exposed along the Susque-
hanna river, just above McCall's ferry, in
the form of a broad anticlinal arch, extend-
ing across the county in a southwesterly
direction. Upon both sloping sides of this
roof-like floor, have been deposited the
gneissoids, slates and schists characteristic
of Upper and Lower Chanceford, Hopewell,
Fawn and Shrewsbury townships.
Where the Susquehanna river crosses
these beds of crystalline rocks, above and
below McCall's ferry, they have remarkably
withstood the eroding action of the water.
Great irregular masses and huge bosses ob-
struct the channel and make this part of the
river exceedingly picturesque.
To the Algonkian formation also belongs
a small area at the foot of the South Moun-
tain in Franklin Township.
The next oldest rocks laid down
Cambrian, on the Algonkian are the Cam-
brian. They comprise a broad
belt extending across the central part of the
county on both sides of the included lime-
stone ribbon passing through AVrightsville,
York and Hanover. The northern limit of
this belt is very conspicuous because of the
red soil that marks the beginning of the
Trias. On the south the Cambrian and the
Algonkian so merge into each other and
are represented by rock structurally so com-
plicated as to make it difficult to draw the
line of contact. It has not yet been sat-
isfactorily determined.
The Cambrian belt, without attempting
to give its insufficiently defined base, and
naming from below upward as it spreads
out over the county, is composed of chlorite
schists, the Hellam quartzite, slates, sandy
and calcareous layers, capped by the York
limestone. (Walcott Bulletin U. S. Geol-
ogy Survey, No. 134 — The Cambrian Rocks
of Pennsylvania.)
To it is also referred the greater part of
Peach Bottom Township, with its roofing
slate and related deposits. In fact all that
remains of the county, with the exception
of the Triassic area to be next located and
the possible marl bed north of Dillsburg,
probabl}^ belongs to the Cambrian.
The Hellam quartzite, so called
Quartzite. because it predominates in the
township of that name, is the
most durable member of the series. Owing
to its great hardness and composition it is
but little altered and decomposed either
through mechanical or chemical action.
Above it, on elevated ridges, the less en-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
during shales, slates and limestones were
long ago disintegrated and carried away,
leaving the quartzite boldly projecting, as in
the Hellam hills. The same property is ex-
hibited in the rapids at Chickies, where the
Susquehanna River forces its way through
and over the obstructing ledges of quartz-
ite.
The limestones are exceed-
Limestone. ingly variable in composition.
Some sandy layers, on expos-
ure, soon decompose, disintegrate and min-
gle with the soil. Other layers are suffi-
ciently durable to furnish good material for
building purposes.
A peculiar and persistent member, ex-
posed just east of the old fair grounds in
York, at Stoner"s quarry, Hellam township,
in Wrightsville, between the pike and
school house, and elsewhere as it extends
across the county, is a brecciated limestone
conglomerate. Irregular blocks of lime-
stone, more or less angular, and varying in
size from a few inches to several feet in
diameter, are cemented together in a lime-
stone matrix. Charles D. \\'alcott. Chief
of the United States Geological Survey,
thinks the included fragments of the intra-
formational conglomerate, as he names it,
were largely transported and dropped by
shore ice.
After the Cambrian, in York
Trias. County, there is a great break in the
geological succession of formations.
Chronologicall}' speaking, between the
Cambrian and the Trias, or New Red Sand-
stone, should come great deposits of the
Silurian, the Devonian and the Carbonifer-
ous periods. They do occur elsewhere in
our State, and yield all the oil, the gas and
the coal of Pennsylvania. Here the Trias
lies immediately above the Cambrian, in un-
conformable contact, and covers nearly the
whole of the upper part of the county. The
Northern Central Railroad cut at Emigs-
ville exposes the oppositely inclined strata
of the two formations as they come to-
gether, strikingly presenting their uncon-
formability. It is also shown, but less con-
spicuously, at other localities.
To put it differently. York County, with
its well baked lower and upper crusts, but
with nothing between them, may be called
appropriately a deceptive geological pie.
The Trias is essentially made up of l^eds
of red shale, red sandstone and quartz con-
glomerate, characteristics of the formation
elsewhere, with extensive areas of trap.
Igneous rocks of imknown age,
Igneous but certainly of a later period than
Rocks. the rocks in which they occur,
played an important part in the
formation of York County. They occur
sparingly in a few dikes in the older forma-
tions. One of these, less than one hundred
feet wide, is exposed just west of Stony
Brook, in the railroad cut. The contact
lines between the plutonic rock and the in-
cluding limestone are well defined. A
slightly raised ridge, covered with detached
fragments, rounded and weathered " iron
stones," marks the trend of the same dike
southward. It can be traced to within a
short distance of Glen Rock.
Extensive dikes and sheets of plutonic
rocks characterize the Triassic beds. Ele-
vated ridges and hills denote the presence
of trap because of its great resistance to dis-
integrating forces. This is well illustrated
in the steepness and prominence of the
northern end of Hill Island, in the Susque-
hanna River, just above Goldsboro: also in
the picturesque and turbulent falls of York
Haven, where the river cuts through a broad
dike.
Various estimates of the length
Scale of of time required to produce the
Geological diiterent geological formations
Time. have been made by eminent
geologists and physicists. Con-
clusions are drawn from many sources and
of course results widely differ. A recent
and very conservative estimate, fully as re-
liable as any other, is given in the follow-
ing table (Walcott Am. Assn. Adv. Science,
VSI. 42. 1893) :
, Period. Time Duration.
Cenozoic, including Pleistocene 2,900,000
IMesozoic 7,240,000
Paleozoic 17,500,000
Algonkian 17,500,000
Archean 10,000,000
According to the above estimates about
17,500,000 years elapsed after the Cambrian
was elevated above the ancient sea before
the Triassic deposits were made. The
lower half of York County is older than the
upper by just that many years. Then came
the Triassic uplift, and, the red soil area.
INTRODUCTION
the remaining part of the county, appeared.
During the entire period the Cambrian area
was exposed to erosion and the changes
due to the action of natural forces. The
later formation, in like manner, though for
a relatively shorter period, has been eroded
and greatly modified. Strata that now ter-
minate in the surface, in some cases ex-
tended originally to an altitude of several
miles. The formations least liable to de-
composition and disintegration, were less
rapidly eroded. They crown the eleva-
tions.
The soil and its fragmental stones, gener-
ally covering the stratified rocks beneath,
represent a very little of the detritus of the
ancient surface. The rest was carried
away : it went to add to the thickness of
some other part of the earth's crust.
The characteristic Cambrian
Paleontology, fauna is well represented by
numerous specimens from
the limestones, shales and quartzites. (Wal-
cott, U. S. Geological Bulletin, No. 134;
Wanner, Proceedings AVash. Acad. Sciences,
Vol. 3, pp. 267-272.) Trilobites, as proven
by the abundance of fossil remains from nu-
merous localities, were the most widely dis-
tributed and well represent the predomi-
nating type of life that animated the Cam-
brian sea of York County. In addition to
trilobites there were echinoderms, brachio-
pods, gasteropods and pteropods. Their
remains, or rather, the impressions made
by their remains, in the rocks show that
some parts, at least, of the ancient Cambrian
sea during favorable periods, abounded in
life. The macerated and fragmentary char-
acter of the fossils often makes identifica-
tion difficult and leads to the conclusion
that the fauna will be further enriched with
the discovery of better specimens.
The Triassic beds contain the
Reptile tracks of reptiles, together with
Tracks, fragmentary remains of their
bones and teeth. The tracks
(Wanner, Penna. Ann. Geolog. Report,
1887, pp. 21-35) on ^ sandstone slab found
west of Goldsboro have been referred by
Hitchcock to birds, dinosaurs, reptiles and
amphibians. (Proceedings Boston Socy.
Nat. Hist., Vol. 25, 188, p. 123.) Occa-
sional fish scales and a few fossil mollusks
testify to the presence of other forms of
life.
In the shales are found the im-
Flora. pressions of plants and trees repre-
senting equiseta, ferns, cyads and
conifers. (Wanner and Fontaine, Triassic
Flora of York Co., Pa., 20th Annual Report
U. S. Geological Survey, pp. 233-255.) Both
brackish and fresh water marshes extending
over considerable areas of the upper part
of what is now York County, supported the
strange and often gigantic forms of life that
gave to this period the appropriate name of
the Age of Reptiles.
In the older formations of the
Economic county, are occasional veins of
Features, white quartz. Some years ago,
when the demand existed, a few
of these deposits were worked and the stone
taken to flint mills and crushed. A larger
supply of flint came from the fields and hills,
from which the largest stones scattered
about were collected.
The Peach Bottom slate, from the
Slate, lower part of York County, is un-
excelled. It is known everywhere.
The rock, owing to its composition, is what
is called a mica slate. The beds originally
marine deposits, cemented together, have
been exposed to enormous pressure and
have been so metamorphosed as to include
in their texture overlapping scales. These
make the slates not only strong but elastic.
Slate, in order to be of commercial value,
must not only be a fine grained rock of
even texture, but must possess more or less
perfect cleavage. These are structural
requisites that exclude rocks possessing all
the other properties of slate, such as compo-
sition, color and hardness. Some of the
schists in other sections of York County
are essentially of the same composition as
the Peach Bottom slate, but they lack the
physical properties and are therefore value-
less.
Around the borders of the
Iron Ores, limestone areas years ago nu-
merous iron ore deposits, prin-
cipally limonites, were extensively and prof-
itably worked. Since then the discovery of
equally good and better ores; easy of access,
often in close proximity to coal, has so much
cheapened the cost of the raw material as
to render mining in this region unprofitable.
The upper part of the county, around
Dillsburg, yields better ores than the south-
ern belt in the form of red hematites and
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
magnetites, but the same influences that
have closed the ore banks elsewhere in the
county, have operated against the mines
in this section.
However the unprecedented increase in
the demand for iron will eventually exhaust
present sources of cheap supply. Even
should new localities yielding good ore easy
of access, be discovered, the day of scarcity
will be put ofif only a little longer.
The limestone, as previously
Limestone, stated, on account of the pres-
ence of magnesia, belongs to
the dolomitic variety. Such limestone,
when sufficiently rich in magnesia, is used
as a flux in the reduction of iron ores.
Changed into lime and used for building
and other purposes, it sets slower than pure
lime. Many prefer it for that reason. It
furnishes the foundation walls of nearly all
structures erected within the limestone belt,
and is occasionally used for entire buildings.
New quarries are being opened, old ones
more extensively worked ; and the erection
of modern kilns and stone-crushers testifies
to an ever increasing demand for the York
County limestone. Elsewhere there seems
to be the same increase. The out-put of
limestone for 1904, in the United States,
was valued at $22,178,964, and in 1905 at
$26,025,210. The increase for the year was
greater than that in the value of any other
stone.
Good sand for building purposes, is ob-
tained from different localities.
Clay and shales furnish an abundance of
good material for the brick kilns.
Trap, notably at York Haven, has been
extensively quarried and used under the
name of " granite." Many abutments and
bridge piers in the county are constructed of
this stone. The rounded surface fragments
of trap, known as " iron stones." reveal the
trend and width of the underlying dike.
The brown stone of the Trias is
Brown quite generally and effectively used
Stone, in houses and barns throughout
the red sandstone region, but it is
not to any great extent sent elsewhere.
Numerous quarries, some on an extensive
scale, have been opened to uncover and de-
velop a deposit of good color and uniform
structure that could be relied on to furnish
stone of different sizes in paying quantities.
There is no known reason whv this forma-
tion which contains the celebrated brown
stone of Hummelstown, across the Susque-
hanna River, should not carry similar or
equally valuable layers in York County.
(U. S. Geological Report.)
Deceptive and illusive stains on Triassic
rocks, of both the green and blue carbon-
ates of copper, serve to stimulate the search
of the prospector for a paying deposit of the
ores of that metal.
Likewise occasional traces of coal
Coal, in the red shales and sandstones en-
courage the belief that paying veins
of that mineral may exist somewhere be-
neath the surface. In some localities ex-
ploitation pits have been dug always with
disappointing results. A close observation
of the numerous exposures, along roads and
streams, particularly along the Susquehanna
River, shows the folly oi such expenditures.
For there is no need to dig to ascertain the,
character of the difterent strata. In the
sections so exposed can be seen the succes-
sive layers of the whole formation rising up
to the surface, often at an angle of as much
as thirty degrees, presenting fairly well the
composition and peculiarities of the difter-
ent strata.
A typical deposit exists, or did exist re-
cently, just south of York Haven, between
layers of standstone. It is in the section
exposed to view from York Haven up the
Conewago Creek to the railroad bridge and
occurs not far from the latter.
The vertical bank to the west of the track,
cut to make way for the road bed, shows
the geological succession for some thou-
sands of feet. In it are several very insig-
nificant coal deposits. The largest is a sec-
tion of an elongated lens, visible for about 20
feet. Its greatest thickness is three inches.
But the occasional exhibits of such traces
of coal, nowhere encourages the belief that
larger veins exist. The reverse is the case.
In addition to references already given,
other sources frequently consulted were
United States Geological publications, the
State Reports containing the geological
work done in this section and the Geology
of York County by Dr. Persifor Frazer, as
published in The History of York County,
John Gibson, Historical Editor, 1886. Dr.
Frazer worked out the geolog}' of this sec-
tion and in the report just cited has pre-
sented, with more or less detail, in a very
INTRODUCTION
complete manner, the results of his field
work. Analyses of minerals, ores, etc., to-
gether with a geological map of the County,
accompany the report and are invaluable for
reference purposes.
THE INDIANS.
Indian implements, relics so-called, sug-
gest at once the inquiry what tribe made
them and how were the}^ used.-" A knowl-
edge of certain tribes which resided or had
their villages in a locality answers in a gen-
eral way the first question ; the second is
more difficult and may never be solved.
The Indians dwelling on the islands and
east shore of the Susquehanna River adja-
cent to York County, first known to the
white men, were called by the Tucwaghs of
Maryland, themselves being Nanticokes,
Susquehannocks. The word Susquehan-
nock was first heard by Captain John Smith.
Philologists accept the meaning, applied to
a people, as " Dwellers at the Falls." The
habitations of this tribe stretched along the
lower part of the river from Harrisburg to
the Octoraro Creek. About 1650-1665 they
seem, to have been driven from their sites of
ancient occupancy. None of the Indians
ever spoke of such expulsion, but historians
refer to a battle or series of contests be-
tween the Susquehannocks and an invading
body of Massawomeks or Senecas and Cay-
ugas. Their principal villages were at
Conewago, Columbia, Little W^ashington,
Pequa and Hill Island. There were also
several villages used during the fishing sea-
son only, as the Indian Steps village.
At the time Penn came to the Delaware,
1682, there were apparently no Susquehan-
nock Indians residing on our part of the
river. The Conestogas alone were men-
tioned. The mystery of the Conestogas is
that they were of uncertain ancestry as well
as tribal name and described in early rec-
ords as " Seneca-Susquehannock-Cayuga-
Iroquois-Conestoga Indians." They dwelt
back from the river, north of Conestoga
Creek. They called their town the " New
Town." This possibly was the remnant of
the Susquehannocks which escaped the Sen-
ecas when they invaded the shores of the
lower Susquehanna at what is now Washing-
ton in Manor Township, Lancaster County.
In the year 1697 or 1698 the Conestoga
Indians appeared in Philadelphia accom-
panied by a delegation of strange Indians
who 'called themselves Shawanohs. These
besought the Penns to allow them to come
into the Province and reside there. It was
agreed that if the Conestogas would guar-
antee their good behaviour and at all times
have a watch over them, they would be per-
mitted to occupy the "deserted posts along
the Susquehanna River." The Shawanohs
came and settled at the mouth of the Pequa
Creek, and Decanoagah (Columbia) in then
Chester County. They dwelt permanently
at these points and also occupied the neigh-
boring islands. In 1701 the Conestogas
and Shawanohs again appeared in Philadel-
phia accompanied by representatives of a
strange tribe from the head streams of the
Potomac, called in their language Kana-
whas or Piscataway Indians. In ours, they
were called Ganawese, the same word, and
by contraction in the latter days of their
residence, after they had made abode at
Conewago, was Conois or Conoys. The
Ganawese were first permitted to settle in
the Tulpehocken Valley, Berks County, the
Conestogas and Shawanese jointly guaran-
teeing their good behavior.
From the earliest times there seems to
have been a close relationship existing be-
tween the Susquehanna River Indians and
those dwelling on the Potomac. In fact
the country comprising York and Adams
counties seems to have been if not a mutual
at least a contiguous hunting ground. No
large towns were seated in it. It -was the
wild range they roamed over during their
hunting seasons. The route to these hunt-
ing grounds, as stated by the Conestogas,
Shawanese and Kanawha Indians in their
complaints to Philadelphia lay along the
York Valley from Wrightsville to the South
Mountains. Obstruction of this route was
the chief cause of Indian objection to Ger-
man settlements in Hellam Township, and
Maryland occupation at Conojehela (Five
Mile Level). By reason of these extended
hunting trips is accounted doubtless, the
eventual incoming to Pennsylvania of the
Shawanese and Ganawese. While York
County had no large villages distant from
the river there are, nevertheless, evidences
that our larger streams and springs
were all dw^elt by. Three causes explain
this. Indian polity frequently produced
outcast families. These separated from the
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
main tribe and secreted themselves remote
inland. Others from choice, there being
striking examples of varying moods among
the Indians, withdrew from tribal fellow-
ship and built their teepees in hidden places,
apart from the beaten trails. Every tribe
had a number of out dwellers. Furthermore
the evidences of crude stone tools found
around all springs along a water shed are
the remains of night camps at halting spots
on journeys to or from the hunt or warpath.
The makers of York County stone imple-
ments, such as arrows, spears, knives, celts,
totems, hoes, axes, skinners, mortars, pes-
tles, plummets, besons. beads, etc., were
Susquehannocks, Conestogas, Shawnee and
Conoy Indians. These relics are not dis-
tinguishable from thousands of other speci-
mens that exist in the Susquehanna Valley
and deposited on its islands and bottoms by
New York and Virginia aborigines, during
that uncertain period of intercommunica-
tion up and down the river before the white
men came. It must not be lost sight of,
that the Susquehanna was the high water
way between the north and south. It must
also be understood that the word Susque-
hanna in one of its interpretations means
" the stream which falls toward the south."
Being a composite Iroquois and Lenape
word, it is significant that the rivers of the
Iroquois — the St. Lawrence, Mohawk and
other streams of that countrv — t^ow north
and east.
The southern Indians also made many of
the specimens found along the water
courses of York County, particularly in the
south and west parts. The names of our
streams are nearly all Seneca, Mohawk, or
Iroquois words, as Conewago, Conowingo,
Conestoga and Codorus, which the writer
believes to be a corruption of Kydaross, a
Mohawk stream, flowing into Lake Saratoga.
The solitudes of York County, during the
Indian period, are set forth in the map ac-
companying " Early developments west of
the Susquehanna," facing page 26. The
map mentioned was designed by Robert C.
Bair, who has also written the introduction
to this article.
ABORIGINAL OCCUPATION.
Prof. Atreus Wanner of York in a lecture
before the Historical Societv of York
County, February 26. 1903, treated local
stone implements found by him under the
title " Aboriginal Occupation of York
County," as follows :
To what extent York County was inhab-
ited prior to its occupation "by the first
white settlers, must always remain an
open question. There is nothing under
the head of tradition that will bear even the
most superficial investigation. Historians
for want of data can do little more than give
us a glimpse of conditions prevailing at the
time of first contact between the red and the
Avhite races — a situation, probably, very
well summarized in the following from a
History of York County : " It was, as it
appears from the Indian complaints, pre-
ceding its settlement, a hunting ground, or
in the way to hunting grounds, nearly all
woods, and claimed by the Indians to have
been expressly reserved for them by Wil-
liam Penn. The original settlers here
found immense tracts of land entirely de-
nuded of timber by the annual fires kindled
by the Indians, for the purpose of improv-
ing their hunting grounds."
In order to arrive at some conclusion
based upon indisputable evidence, I col-
lected from the fields themselves, in a se-
lected locality, whatever remains of pre-
historic occupation could yet be found.
The search was systematic and covered an
area extending about three miles, in all di-
rections, from York as a centre. The yield
has been a surprise both in the number
and variety of specimens. All were col-
lected on the surface since 1882, no
burial places having been discovered. The
absence of unique and large specimens, as
well as the fragmentary condition of
much that was found, is fully accounted
for by the fact that many of the fields have
been cultivated for more than a hundred
years.
In describing the collection, since the
aborigines were of necessity early in life
and always hunters and w^arriors, it is ap-
propriate to place first those specimens used
in war and the chase.
Enough whole and broken spec-
Projectile imens of lanceheads, spearheads
Points. and arrowheads were found to
represent the ordinary sizes and
shapes. They range from five inches to
INTRODUCTION
less than one inch in length, and, generally
speaking, are not very symmetrically flaked.
This, however, is partially if not wholly ac-
counted for by the properties of the miner-
als out of which they were fashioned.
These are, in the order of occurrence, rhyo-
lite, white quartz, calcareous argillite and a
local fine grained quartzite. Flint, jasper
and chert, so generally selected wherever
available because of excellent flaking prop-
erties, are together represented by only a
fraction of one per cent of the entire collec-
tion. Quartzite is sparingly in evidence,
being a dif^cult mineral to flake ; argillite
constitutes about eight and white quartz
thirty per cent. These three minerals are
local. Rhyolite. a volcanic product, was
the preferred rock out of which was made
sixty per cent of the collection numbering
over seven hundred projectile points.
These minerals will be referred to again un-
der the head of rejectage.
It is difficult to identify stones
Cutting fashioned for cutting pur-
and poses since they conformed
Perforating to no special shape. Most of
Implements, the projectile points and
some of the larger flakes hav-
ing good cutting edges, mounted at the end
of short handles, as was the practice, would
have made typical knives. A few large
specimens bearing cutting edges, the result
of flaking, easily grasped in the hand, were
probably unhafted knives improvised for
the occasion and then discarded. Whilst,
inferentially, a number of the specimens
were cutting implements, proof of such use
is difficult to furnish.
Another class of artifacts, at first sight
taken to be finished arrowheads, or rejects,
of various shapes, both roughly worked out
and fineh' finished, have points that were
worn smooth by rotation in some hard sub-
stance. Of these six specimens were
found. All are abraded but a short distance
above the extreme point and were evidently
applied to drilling holes in stone. These
and other stone drill heads that I have col-
lected elsewhere in York and adjoining
counties, were it not for their worn points,
would be classified as arrowheads. There
seems to have been no specialized form for
drill heads. Possibly an arrow taken from
the quiver, twirled in the hand, or rotated
bv a cord, occasionallv furnished a conveni-
ent drill. The primitive form described by
Dr. \V. H. Holmes, in " Anthropological
Studies in California," doubtless illustrates
the drill used here.
In all drills having stone ends, the ex-
treme point, rather than the sides, did the
cutting. Enlargement followed the use of
a larger drill point. The six specimens in
the collection, with the exception of one of
agate, are made out of rhyolite.
Stone axes are conspicuous and
Axes, easily recognized objects. For that
reason it is an unusual piece of good
luck now, in this thickly settled and long
cultivated section, to find one. It is the
common practice in this part of the country,
about once a year, to gather from the fields
the larger stones and fill up waste places, or
more frequently to haul them out and throw
them into the " chuck " holes of the public
road. I have found more than one axe in
a stone pile, and in one instance recov-
ered a beautiful specimen from a roadside
mud-hole into which it had been thrown
with other stones from a neighboring
field.
Often axes found along the Susquehanna
river, particularly the larger ones, have
grooves extending around only three sides
of the stone ; one of the two narrower sides
presenting an unchannelled surface. More-
over these grooves frequently extend
obliquely across the specimen, so that when
hafted one side of the axe formed an obtuse
angle with the handle.
In the limited area under discussion, five
axes were found; six others from the same
territory were located. One specimen,
weighing but one and one-half pounds, is
encircled by two grooves one inch apart.
All are comparatively small and wholly en-
circled by straight grooves. They are, with
one exception, made out of trap and its
associated baked and indurated shales, ma-
terials found in situ in the immediate vicin-
ity.
]\lullers are more in evidence than
Mill pestles. They are somewdiat ir-
Stones. regular water worn stones, gener-
allv quartzites, from one to three
pounds in weight. Held in the hand they
were rubbed over the larger flat stone be-
neath, on which Avas spread the substance
to be reduced to meal. Some of these mull-
ers have their edges battered and one side
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
slightly indented by a pit mark, results of
use as hammers or nut crackers. The side
worn smooth by rubbing over the under mill
stone — mealing stone — is usually convex.
No under mill stones were found. The rea-
son is apparent. Because of their large
size and flat shape they were long ago
broken up, or carried awa}' to be laid in
foundation walls. Mullers were found in
eight different places.
A number of fields yielded ham-
Hammers, merstones, mostly quartzites,
with unmistakably battered
edges. Occasionally one bears a single
shallow pit-mark, and very rarely two in-
dentations, opposite each other, as though
intended for thumb and forefinger. Some
of them containing shallow pit-marks were
probably used in cracking nuts. The nut
was placed in the cavity and then cracked.
Such use of these stones at the present time
amongst the Indians is described by Dr. AV,
H. Holmes.
Eight localities have yielded
Pots and fragments of steatite pots. These
Pottery, specimens bear the usual tool
marks and are identical in com-
position with the steatite vein exposed just
below the state line in Harford County,
Maryland.
Six dift'erent localities have produced pot-
sherds made of clay, sand and pounded
quartz. The original vessels represented
by these pieces were evidently shaped in
containing grass or other basket work as
proven by the closely placed symmetrical
indentations on the fragments.
A few celts, of the normal triangu-
Celts. lar shape, with sharpened edges,
were found. Whilst there is some
doubt as to the exact use' to which they
were put, as stated by Morgan, their world-
wide range and remarkable similarity es-
tablish their utility. They were often
hafted in a sheath of bark, or skin, and em-
ployed for a variety of purposes for which
now axes, hatchets, chisels, knives and
scrapers are better tools.
Certain specimens of like shapes.
Gorgets usually bearing similarly placed
and perforations, are supposed to
Totems, have been decorative stones, in-
signia of office in some secret or-
der. When found in graves they are often
in such a position as to prove that they
were worn over the breast, or at least were
so placed at the time of interment. Their
exact significance is conjectural, but be-
cause of the resemblance between speci-
mens from widely separated localities they
are interesting. Three very fragmentary
specimens made out of slate are all that this
locality produced.
A triangular prism of slate, four inches
long, containing two conjoined perforations
at each end, is probably a bird totem; a
very rare find for any part of Pennsylva-
nia.
Winged stones containing a perforated
body, found throughout the entire region of
the United States and called " banner
stones " by the late S. S. Haldeman, are
now better classified as ceremonial imple-
ments. The type form, very little deviated
from in numerous specimens, rarely made
of any mineral but slate, beautifully
wrought, by its very persistence proves that
it was one of the most significant and val-
ued possessions. Its unknown use is sup-
posed to have been closely identified with
some important ceremony.
Five localities have yielded fragmentary
specimens of these ceremonial stones.
Without further description, it may be
stated, in a general way, that the collection
presents an almost unbroken series of ar-
tifacts. A few of the specimens are unique
and very interesting, notably the double
grooved axe and the bird totem, but, as a
whole, their chief value centers in their tes-
timony to the prehistoric occupation of this
immediate section.
The materials of which the specimens are
fashioned, with the exception of rhyolite,
jasper, fiint and steatite are found within
the limited area methodically searched.
White quartz outcrops in projecting veins
in the country rocks and also occurs in loose
pieces that have weathered out. It is com-
mon throughout the southern half of the
county. Trap is found in dikes and in de-
tached and rounded fragments. It forms a
large part of the upper half of York County.
Rhyolite is obtained not far distant. Dr.
W. H. Holmes discovered and has described
extensive aboriginal quarries of rhyolite in
the South mountain, some forty miles west-
ward. Jasper, identical in composition and
structure, outcrops near Reading where
prehistoric quarries have been located.
INTRODUCTION
13
Flint nodules are sparingly mixed with
other water worn pebbles in the bed of the
Susquehanna river, having been brought
down from the glacial drift mantle covering
the northern half of the state. A belt of
steatite crosses the Susquehanna just below
the state line and extends across the south-
eastern corner of Pennsylvania.
But all this does not prove that any of
the specimens described, or others made out
of local minerals, were fashioned here.
Mere presence of, or nearness of, material
will not establish the fact of manufacture of
implements at the place where found. But
I have other evidence to submit, convincing
proof, upon which to locate places of manu-
facture and settlement. Associated with
the finished specimens in many localities,
are flakes and rejectage, waste materials,
resulting from the manufacture of articles.
As might have been expected the per cents
representing minerals composing this waste
agree with those given under projectile
points. The rejectage is almost wholly rhy-
olite and white quartz; about seventy per
cent of the fdrmer and twenty-nine of the
latter, the remaining one. per cent represent-
ing all other materials. Argillite is not in-
cluded because flakes of that mineral are not
found owing to decomposition under at-
mospheric conditions ; even the larger forms
of argillite, as projectile points, usually have
all flake marks obliterated through weather-
ing.
The preponderance of rhyolite is easily
accounted for. It can be better flaked than
any other local mineral. White quartz, be-
sides being much less easily worked, is often
weakened by cross fractures. Failures of
white quartz, partially wrought into projec-
tile points, but thrown aside because of ap-
parent defects, are more numerous than
those of rhyolite.
Occasionally, over a small space, flakes of
white quartz, or of some other mineral, will
be found exclusively, as though the ancient
stone-worker, for a time at least, confined
himself to one material.
The limited area selected was used as a
base, a starting point, for investigations car-
ried on throughout the county and other
parts of southeastern Pennsylvania. Other
valleys in our county show that very much
the same conditions prevailed there. Re-
jectage, in varying quantities, is found al-
most everywhere along the principal water
courses, proving more or less permanent oc-
cupancy at some time. The fields about the
mouths of runs tributary to larger streams
are most productive. The more elevated
land and hills are practically barren. Of
course the valley of the Susquehanna and
the river islands are richer in remains than
other places in this region. But the differ-
ence is one only of quantity and not of kind ;
artifacts and rejects are identical.
In reaching conclusions as to character
and duration of occupation, based upon col-
lections such as made here, allowance must
be made for agencies that have exposed or
buried aboriginal remains. Streams have
been greatly changed by the erection of
numerous dams. The entire absence of
specimens along such a changed water
course is misleading. They may have been
deeply buried under accumulating sediment.
Sometimes an overflow, washing the sur-
face of a newly ploughed area, may carry
away the soil to the depth of cultivation.
Over the hard sub-soil will be scattered the
stones, artifacts and rejectage that other-
wise would have been imbedded in a foot or
more of soil. In that event such a place is
popularly assumed to have been an ancient
battle ground and the presence of so many
projectile points thus accounted for. The
conclusion is unwarranted. In my investi-
gations. I have specially studied a number
of supposed battle fields in this locality and
invariably find the presence of other arti-
facts than projectile points in proportionate
abundance, particularh^ stoneworkers' chips,
thus establishing the existence there, in the
remote past, of a settlement.
One is not able from a study of prehis-
toric remains collected in York and adjoin-
ing counties to separate occupancy into pe-
riods or to recognize different tribes. In fact
the remarkable similarity in implements,
weapons and rejectage from the middle part
of the Atlantic coastal plain strikingly sug-
gests close contact. And yet very interest-
ing evidence to the contrary seems to be
found in the composition of the pottery
from the Conoy village-sites. Within the
historic period the " Ganewese " Indians,
later known as the Conoy Indians, were per-
mitted to occupy several places on the left
bank of the Susquehanna river, within the
adjoining county of Lancaster. From 1705
14
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
to 1708 their village-site was located about
four miles below Columbia on or near the
land now occupied by Little Washington.
Subsequently from 1708 to 1743 they settled
on the Conoy creek near its mouth just be-
low Bainbridge.
Fragments of Conoy pottery, from both
sites, contain pounded unio shells. That
characteristic alone enables one to locate
the sites of their villages for the other and
older pottery from this section is made of
clay, sand and broken stone, usually quartz,
but contains no shell fragments.
The addition of pounded shells very much
improved the pottery and if there was close
contact, as there seems to have been, along
the coastal plain, it is difficult to account for
the absence of shell pottery throughout this
part of the Susquehanna river region.
Communication with tribes west of the
Appalachians seems to have been very
slight. The almost exclusive use of local
materials and the absence of chert and flint,
favored flaking minerals, far superior to
anything found here, and so widely distrib-
uted throughout the Alississippi valley, are
significant. It shows almost complete sep-
aration.
Taking all the evidence into consideration,
the unmistakable conclusion is reached
that the valleys of York County were per-
manently occupied by the aborigines. Suc-
cessively, doubtless, different places were
selected as the abundance or scarcity of
game and fish made a change of location de-
sirable. There may not have been any very
large settlements except along the Susque-
hanna, in which contingency the period of
occupation of this section must have ex-
tended over a very long time.
The Susquehanna river was evidently the
great highway from which came those who
ascended its tributary streams to find suit-
able village-sites along the lesser water
ways. Rudely fashioned shelters, covered
for the most part with matted grasses and
bark, were erected. A small part of the
forest was burnt over, trees were barked
with stone axes and killed and in this par-
tially open space their primitive crop of
maize was grown. A journey of a few daj^s
brought them to the soapstone quarries
where they made their soapstone pots. An
equally short trip to the South mountain
took them to the outcrops of rhyolite.
Here they quarried the stone, rudely
chipped it into blanks, so-called leaf shaped
implements, suitable for the flaker's art.
When a sutficient quantity had been fash-
ioned, they returned to the village-site,
bringing back the blocked out material to
be specialized into the future supply of
knives and projectile points.
From the quantity of rejectage found
along our streams, throughout the county,
the conclusion is inevitable that this part of
America was longer inhabited by the abo-
rigines than is generally supposed.
INDIAN TRADERS.
The eastern bank of the Susquehanna
from the site of Harrisburg to the head of
Chesapeake Bay contained many Indian
trading stations, established there early in
the history of Pennsylvania. These sta-
tions formed a picket line along the frontier
of the province. They were moved west-
ward with the tide of civilization. During
the colonial period of our history, Indian
traders exerted a strong influence in mould-
ing public sentiment. In the main they
acted fairly with the Indians, and carried
on a prosperous business with the Red men
occupying the present area of York County,
and the region farther to the westward.
The provincial assembly enacted numerous
laws regulating trade with the Indians.
The pioneer Indian traders along the
lower Susquehanna were French Canadians.
They first located on the banks of the
Schujdkill and the Brandywine, and later
took position along the Susquehanna. The
first of these interesting personages in the
colonial history of Pennsylvania was Mar-
tin Chartier, who moved from the eastern
part of Chester County, and built a trading
post at the site of Washington Borough, a
few miles below Columbia. He married an
Indian squaw, and thus gained friendship
with tribes who lived along the Susque-
hanna River, and as far west as the Poto-
mac. At this time the fur bearing animals
were quite numerous along the streams.
Chartier bought furs from the Indians and
sent them to Philadelphia where he got high
prices for them. He died at his Susque-
hanna trading station in 1708, and left his
property to his son, Peter Chartier, who
married a Shawanese squaw, of a tribe that
had recently settled nearb}'. Peter Char-
INTRODUCTION
15
tier sold his trading station and the land
that he had acquired to Stephen Atkinson in
1727, and moved to the mouth of the Yel-
low Breeches Creek, at the northwestern
end of York County. Later he moved to
Cumberland County, and during the French
and Indian War went over to the Frencii
with the Shawanese Indians.
Peter Bazaillon, another French Cana-
dian, first settled as a trader on the Schuyl-
kill. He then moved to East Cain Town-
ship in Chester County and resided near St.
John's Episcopal Church, which was built
by his wife, Martha. Although his resi-
dence was in Chester County, he maintained
a trading post at Paxtang, below the site
of Harrisburg. In 1719, a patent was
granted to his wife for seven hundred acres
of land in Donegal Township, a short dis-
tance below the Conoy Creek, and adjoin-
ing the Conoy Indian town. Peter Bazail-
lon died at a great age in 1740, and was
buried at St. John's Church, as was also
his wife, who survived him several years.
James LeTort, another early French Can-
adian, settled at the mouth of the Conoy
Creek, opposite York Haven. He moved
to the spring near Carlisle which bears his
name, and he is said to have been the first
settler within the Cumberland Valley. From
there he moved up the Susquehanna to
Northumberland, where the north and west
branches unite, and there established a
store.
Edmund Cartlidge, a Quaker, opened a
trading station with the Indians at the
mouth of the Conestoga Creek about 1710.
Several Indian conferences were held at his
house.
But the Indian trade was far too profit-
able to be left in the control of a few French-
men. The Scotch-Irish now began to work
their way to the frontier, and they also be-
came Indian traders.
James Patterson, an enterprising
James Scotch-Irishman took up lands
Patterson, and opened a trading station in
1 717, along the northern l^ound-
ary of Conestoga Manor, a short distance
east of Washington Borough, in Lancaster
County. Soon after he established his trad-
ing station, Patterson obtained a license to
take up several hundred acres of land on
the west side of the river, on and around
the site of East Prospect Borough in Lower
Windsor Township. This fertile region
was then called the Conojohela Valley, a
beautiful name which should be restored.
Patterson carried on an extensive trading
business with the Indians as far west as
the Potomac River. He kept his pack
horses on a large tract of cleared land in the
present area of Lower Windsor Township.
During the border troubles with Maryland
settlers, he was among the first to be af-
fected. Colonel Thomas Cresap and his
followers came up the river in 1730, and
built a log fort on the west side of the
river, four miles south of W^rightsville, and
killed some of Patterson's horses. Patter-
son obtained a warrant from Justice John
Wright and secured the arrest of a man by
the name of Lowe, a leader of the Cresap
party. Lowe was arrested and taken to the
Lancaster jail, where he was afterward res-
cued by a party of Marylanders. These
troubles between the Marylanders and
Pennsylvanians increased and entirely broke
up Patterson's Indian trade on the west
side of the river, and caused great loss to
him. His son James was taken a prisoner
and confined in Cresap's block house for a
short time.
In 1735, before the termination of these
troubles, James Patterson, died at his
home, on the east side of the Susquehanna.
To his son, James, he gave three hundred
acres of land along the Conecocheague in
Cumberland Valley. He was the father
of Colonel William Patterson, who settled
on the Juniata at Lewistown, and became a
prominent officer in the French and Indian
W'ar and the Revolution. William's son,
Robert, married Sarah Shippen, daughter of
Robert Shippen. James Patterson left an-
other son, Thomas, and three daughters,
one of whom married Captain Benjamin
Chambers, of the Revolution, who founded
Chambersburg.
Peter Allen, an Indian trader, settled at
the site of Marietta in 1718. He continued
to trade with the Indians for several years,
and then sold his land to Rev. James Ander-
son, who about 1740, started what is known
as Anderson's Ferry, across the Susque-
hanna at Marietta. Anderson sold his prop-
erty to W^illiam W^ilkins, who with his
brother, Robert Wilkins, became prominent
Indian traders. \\'illiam W'ilkins moved to
Cumberland County, where he died, leaving
16
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
three sons, James, Robert and William.
The descendants of William and Robert
Wilkins, after the Revolution, moved to
Pittsburg, where one of them, William
Wilkins, became a president judge of the
courts. The tow^n of Wilkinsburg vv^as
named in his honor.
Lazarus Lowry was a prominent
Lazarus Indian trader. He came from
Lowry. the north of Ireland and settled
at Donegal near Marietta, in 1729.
He opened his trading post in 1730, and ob-
tained a license to trade and sell liquor by
retail. Owing to the fact that intoxicating
drinks had a fascination for the Indians, a
law was passed by the province a few years
later, prohibiting their sale to these people.
Lazarus Lowry made trips as far west as
the Ohio River and traded with the Indians
on an extensive scale, exchanging goods
from his store for valuable skins and furs,
which he sent to Philadelphia. He accumu-
lated considerable property at Donegal and
died in Philadelphia in 1755. His four sons,
James, John, Daniel and Alexander Lowry,
succeeded him as Indian traders.
Colonel Alexander Lowry en-
Alexander gaged in the trading business
Lowry. in 1744; at first with the In-
dians west of the Susquehanna,
embraced in the region of Cumberland and
York counties. He learned several Indian
tongues, and often engaged in sports and
games with the red men, in order to gain
their friendship. He was probably better
acquainted with the local tribes in York
County than any other person among the
early settlers. Colonel Lowry who after-
ward commanded a battalion of soldiers in
the Revolution, established a trading post
at Carlisle when the town was founded in
1751. Later he had an Indian trading post
at the site of Pittsburg and several times
traveled as far west as the Mississippi River.
He continued to trade with the Indians for
a period of forty years. Meantime he
served as a member of the Pennsylvania
Legislature, and late in life was a state sen-
ator, and also a member of the State Con-
stitutional Convention of 1790. He died at
Donegal in 1805. at the age of eighty-two
years. Colonel Robert Lowry, a descend-
ant, late of Pierre, South Dakota, was for
many years superintendent of the United
States land office at Pierre.
John Harris, an Englishman, who
John settled at the site of Harrisburg in
Harris. 1705, was one of the most noted
Indian traders of the Susquehanna
region. He opened a trading station and
built a block house soon after he obtained
his first permit to locate in this vicinity.
Harris purchased skins and furs in large
quantities from the Indians on both sides of
the Susquehanna, up and down the stream.
He opened a ferry across the river in 1730,
and it was chartered by the Province of
Pennsylvania in 1753. John Harris was on
friendly terms with the Shawanese Indians,
who lived on both sides of the river. On
one occasion, a band of drunken Indians
came along and demanded rum of him.
When he refused to give them the rum, they
captured him and tied him to a tree and
would have tortured him, had he not been
rescued by some friendly Indians who came
to his assistance from the region above and
below the mouth of the Yellow Breeches
Creek. His son, John Plarris succeeded him
in conducting the store, and afterward be-
came the founder of the city of Harrisburg.
In 1763, a party of twenty-three Indian
traders from eastern Pennsylvania, under
the leadership of Colonel Alexander Lowry,
made an expedition into the western coun-
try with a long train of pack horses, carry-
ing goods and merchandise. The object of
this expedition was to reopen trade with the
Indians of the Ohio Valley. This trade had
been ruined during the French and Indian
War. They started at Wright's Ferry, and
extended their trip westward over the road
that Braddock had taken on his expedition
against Fort Duquesne. When Colonel
Lowry and his party of traders reached the
region now embraced in Washington
County, in the extreme southwestern part
of Pennsylvania, they discovered that Pon-
tiac, the great Indian chief of the Ohio Val-
ley, was on the war path with many war-
riors. A band of hostile red men attacked
the traders, captured their valuable goods
and merchandise and appropriated them to
their own use. The entire valuation of the
goods taken and destroyed is estimated in
the Provincial records of Pennsylvania at
£80,000, or about $215,000. It was a finan-
cial calamity to most of these enterprising
men, only a few of whom ever afterward re-
covered their fortunes.
INDIAN CONFERENCES
17
CHAPTER TI
INDIAN CONFERENCES
Conestoga Conference of 1721 — Keith's
Newberry Tract — Conestoga Conference
of 1722.
CONESTOGA CONFERENCE OF 1721.
The rights to lands west of the Susque-
hanna had not l:)een purchased from the In-
dians until 1736 when a conference was held
at Philadelphia with the chiefs representing"
the Six Nations. Lancaster County was or-
ganized out of Chester in 1729, when its
boundaries extended indefinitely westward,
including the present area of York, Lan-
caster, Adams and Cumberland Counties.
In fact, according to the Indian purchase as
recorded in the minutes of this conference,
the boundary of Lancaster County extended
west to the "setting" sun." As early as 1721,
the settlers east of the Susquehanna cast
longing glances across the river, desiring to
have the first opportunity to take up the
lands in the rich valleys west of the river,
then covered by a primeval forest and occu-
pied by roaming bands of Indians. Accord-
ing to early records, the territory now em-
braceci in York County, was the favorite
hunting grounds for the Susquehannock,
Conestoga, Conoy and Shawanese- Indians,
who lived in small towns at different places
along the Susquehanna from the site of
Harrisburg to the mouth of the river.
Sir William Keith, a Scotch no-
Sir bleman of rank and station, as-
William sumed the duties of lieutenant
Keith. governor of Pennsylvania in 1717,
one year before the death of Wil-
liam Penn, who then resided in England.
He had previously served as surveyor-
general of customs under Queen Anne, for
the southern colonies, and then resided in
Virginia. Keith was popular with the col-
onists and, while on a visit to Philadelphia,
was entrusted by the Pennsylvania Assem-
bly to carry an address of greeting to
George I, expressing joy upon his accession
to the throne of England. It was the suc-
cess of Keith's career in America that
caused William Penn to select him as his
lieutenant-governor, who, when he came to
America in May, 1717, was clothed with all
the powers of a governor of the Province,
although he was expected to receive in-
structions at stated times from Penn him-
self, who was then growing old. Governor
Iveith served from 1717 to 1726. The early
part of his administration was crowned with
success and he grew very popular with the
majority of the settlers. He established a
court of chancery which continued until
1735. It is claimed that he was the only
governor before the Revolution who es-
poused the cause of the common people.
He ordered the first paper money to be is-
sued in the Province. His success in treat-
ing" with the Indians was almost equal to
that of William Penn.
In 1721 and before, a trouble had arisen
between the Indians of Pennsylvania and
those of Virginia. This trouble threatened
to disturb the peace of the Province and
eventually to cause a collision between the
settlers and the aborigines. In order to
avoid this. Sir William Iveith paid a visit
in April, 1721, to the Governor of Virginia,
with whom he formed an agreement, which
would confine the Indians on the north and
the south of the Potomac to their respective
sides of the river. Keith's visit to Virginia
was made with great ceremony, in order to
cause an impression on the Governor of a
neighboring province, and to increase the
influence of Pennsylvania with the Indians.
He was attended by a company of seventy
horsemen, well armed. Upon his return to
Philadelphia, he was welcomed at the upper
ferry on the Schuylkill by the mayor and
aldermen of that city, accompanied by two
hundred of the most prominent citizens.
The confederation of the Five
Meets the Nations of Indians at this
Indians at time, had their headquarters
Conestoga. in central New York. The
chiefs of the tribes composing
this confederation were notified by Iveith
that an agreement had been made with the
Go\'ernor of Virginia. He invited these
chiefs to Philadelphia to ratify these agree-
ments and to settle difficulties which the In-
dians had with white settlers along the Sus-
quehanna. The Indian chiefs refused to go
to Philadelphia, but they agreed to meet
Governor Keith and his associates near the
mouth of the Conestoga Creek, a few miles
south of the site of Columbia. At this place
a small band of Conestoga Indians had set-
tled for a considerable time. Here Gover-
t8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
nor Keith met the Indians July 6, 1721. He
was accompanied by James Logan, who
came to this country with Wilham Penn,
and was now secretary of the Province; Col.
John French, the sur\-eyor: Richard Hill,
Caleb Pusey and Jonathan Dickinson.
James LeTort and John Cartlidge, who had
a knowledge of the Indian language, were
also present as interpreters. Six Indian
chiefs had wended their way down the Sus-
quehanna to attend this council. Three of
the five nations were represented. Ghesa-
ont and Awennool were sent by the Seneca
tribe ; Tannawree and Skeetowas by the
Onondagoe tribe ; and Scahoode and
Tchehuhque by the Cayuga tribe.
AVhen Governor Keith arrived at Cone-
stoga„he proceeded to the cabin of Captain
Civility, a noted Indian interpreter, where
four chiefs of the Five Nations called upon
him. Keith said he had come a great way
from home to bid them welcome, and that
he hoped to be better acquainted and hold
a further conference with them. Through
their interpreter the Indians said that they
also had come a great wa}' to see the Gover-
nor and speak with him, and that they
would have come here before, but that the
faults or mistakes of some of their young
men had made them ashamed to show their
faces.
The council between Governor
Makes a Keith and the Indians took place
Speech. the following day, July 6, under-
neath a large tree at the Cone-
stoga village near the Susquehanna. After
they were seated in a semi-circle, in imita-
tion of former councils with the Indians
held by William Penn, Governor Keith
arose and spoke to the Conestoga Indians
in part, as follows :
'T have recently returned from Virginia,
where I wearied myself in a long journey
both by land and water, only to make peace
for you, my children, that you may safely
hunt in the woods without danger from Vir-
ginia and the many Indian nations that are
at peace with the government. But the
Governor of Virginia expects that you will
not hunt in the Great Mountains on the
other side of the Potomac River, since it is
a small tract of land which he keeps for the
Virginia Indians to hunt in, and he prom-
ised that his Indians shall not any more
come on this side of the Potomac, or behind
the Great Mountain this wa}- to disturb
your hunting. And this is the condition I
have made for you, which I expect you will
firmly keep, and not break it on any con-
sideration whatever."
On the next day, July 7,
Ghesaont's Ghesaont, in behalf of the Five
Speech. Nations, replied to the Gover-
nor in a long speech. The
substance of this speech as reported by the
Secretarj' of the council, states that they
were glad to see the Governor and his
council at this' place. They had not forgot-
ten William Penn's treaties with them, and
that his advice to them was still fresh in
their memories. He complained that white
traders up the Susquehanna ill-treated some
of their young men and called them dogs.
They resented this treatment and said that
their brothers, the white people, should not
compare them with such creatures.
Then laying a belt of wampum down
upon the table, he said that all their disor-
ders arose from the use of strong spirits
and rum which had been furnished to them
by white traders, and desired that no more
rum be sent amongst them. Then present-
ing a bundle of dressed skins he said that
the Five Nations faithfully remember all
their ancient treaties and now desire that
the chain of friendship between them and
William- Penn's subjects may be made so
strong that none of the links can ever be
broken.
He then presented another bundle of
dressed skins and observed that "a chain
may contract rust with lying and become
weaker, wherefore I desire that it may now
be so well cleaned as to remain brighter
and stronger than ever it was before." He
presented another parcel of skins and said:
"In the firmament all clouds and darkness
are removed from the face of the Sun, so
we desire that all misunderstandings may
be fully done away; so that when we who
are here now shall be dead and gone, our
whole people, with our children and pos-
terity, may enjoy, the clear sunshine of
friendship with you forever, without any-
thing to interpose or obscure it." He pre-
sented another bundle of skins and said :
"We look upon the Governor as if William
Penn were present. We desire that in case
any disorders should hereafter happen be-
tween our young people and yours, your
IXDIAX CONFERENCES
19
people should not be too hast\- in resenting
any such acciilcnt, until our council and
yours can have some opportunity to treat
amicably upon it, and so to adjust all mat-
ters so that the friendship l^etween us may
be in\iolably preserved." He presented a
small parcel of skins and continued: "We
desire that we may now be together as one
people, treating one another's children
kindly and affectionately on all occasions.
We consider ourselves in this treaty as the
full plenipotentiaries and representatives of
the Fi\-e Nations, and we look upon the
GoN'crnor of Pennsylvania as the great King
of England's representative, and therefore
we expect that everything now stipulated
will be made absolutely firm and good on
both sides." He now presented a bundle of
bear skins and said, that "Having now made
a firm league with Governor Keith such as
becomes brothers, we complain that we get
too little for our skins and furs so that we
cannot live by our hunting. We desire you
therefore to take compassion on us and
contri\e some wa}- to help us."
On the 8th of July, the Gover-
The nor and his council, at the
Governor's house of John Cartlidge, near
Reply. Conestoga, having advised
upon and prepared a proper
present, in return for that of the Indians,
which consisted of a quantity of stroud
match coats, gunpowder, lead, biscuit, pipes
and tobacco, the Governor made his speech
in reply to that of the Five Nations, from
which the following extract is made :
"As to what you ha\'e said of trade, I
suppose that the great distance which vou
live from us prevented all commerce be-
tween us and your people ; we believe those
who go into the woods and spend all their
time upon it, endeavor to make the best
bargains they can for themselves: so on
your part you must take care to make the
best bargain you can with them, but we
hope our traders do not exact too much, for
we think that a stroud coat or a pound of
powder is now sold for more buckskins
than formerly.
"Beaver is not of late much used in Eu-
rope, and therefore does not give so good
a price, and we deal but very little in that
commodity. But deer skins sell very well
amongst us, and I shall always take care
that the Indians be not wronged, but except
other measures be taken to regulate the In-
dian trade everywhere, tlie common meth-
ods used in trade will still be followed, and
every man must take care of himself; when
I l)uy anything from our own people, if I
do not give them their price, they will keep
it, for ^ve are a free people. I am sensible
that rum is very hurtful to the Indians; we
have made laws that none should be carried
amongst them, or if any were, that it should
be staved and thrown upon the ground, and
the Indians have been ordered to destroy
all the rum that comes in their way. But
they will not do it: they will have rum, and
when we refuse it they will travel- to the
neighboring provinces and fetch it. Their
own women go to purchase it, and then sell
it amongst their own people, at excessive
rates. I would gladly make any laws to
prevent this that could be efTectual, but the
country is so wide, the woods are so dark
and private, and so far out of my sight, that
if the Indians themselves do not prohibit it,
their own people, there is no other wav to
prevent it. For my part, I shall readily join
in an_v measure that can be proposed for so
good a purpose."
Sir William Keith having accomplished
the purpose of his visit to the Conestoga
Indians, returned home, July 9. At this
time, he was at the height of his power and
influence and lived in baronial st3de in a
large mansion at Horsham, situated in
Montgomery County, a short distance
northwest of Philadelphia. William Penn,
having died in England in 1718, Keith's
powers as lieutenant governor were some-
what curtailed by restrictions interposed by
the widow of William Penn, and later by
her three sons, John, Thomas and Richard,
who succeeded as the proprietors of Penn-
sylvania. AA'hile AA'illiam Penn lived, under
proprietary right, there were several man-
ors laid off in the eastern part of the Prov-
ince as well as in Lancaster County, east
of the Susquehanna.
KEITH'S NEWBERRY TRACT.
.\ great deal of interest has always been
attached to the first authorized surveys
west of the Susquehanna. Robert C. Bair,
of York, having made a diligent study of
Keith's Newberry Tract, his investigations
on this subject are herewith given in full:
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
To John Grist belongs the distinction of
being the first white settler in the unbroken
forest west of the Susquehanna in this prov-
ince. The first survey by authority was
made on the lOth and nth days of April,
1722. It was made by Jacob Taylor and
James Steel, deputy surveyors of the pro-
prietary of Pennsylvania. Sir William
Keith being Governor, and in a peculiar
way interested in this survey, it was origi-
nally called "Keith's Mine Tract" and sub-
sequently "Newberry."
The facts pertaining to and
The Draft the causes for this survey
Discovered, weve all matters of record, but
no draft of survey was known
to exist of it. indeed, the location of the
tract or tracts had long been forgotten and
become involved in doubt and uncertainty.
Ah old draft was accidentally identified by
the writer in 1898, while classifying the gar-
ret records of the York Coimty Court
House. An unmarked and unexplained
draft in the old court files attracted atten-
tion; it contained lines of the Susquehanna
as making a grand bend in its course from
the northwest to the southwest, an unusual
curvature for this river, and only existing
at one point on the lower river shores, op-
posite Chiques, at the new town of Mari-
etta, Lancaster county. Comparison with
the original survevor's notes of Newberry
Tract clearly identified the draft as being
that of the long lost Newberry. Later dili-
gent search discovered a similar but mani-
festly older unidentified fragmentary draft
of this tract in the Department of Interior
at Harrisburg.
The facts surrounding this stirvey are in-
teresting and herewith as fully as possible
set forth. The border warfare which dis-
turbed for a number of years Maryland and
Pennsylvania prior to the survey of Mason
and Dixon Line was carried on within the
bounds of this survey.
Land west of the Susque-
Searching hanna early in 1722, so far as
for Minerals, the proprietary surveyors
were concerned, was terra
incognito. Information had come to the
land office at Philadelphia, and particularly
to Governor Keith, that copper was to be
found west of the Susquehanna. The Gov-
ernor, a shrewd and enterprising Scotch-
man, who had been made Governor largelv
for his abilities to develop the natural re-
sources of Pennsylvania, soon began to take
active steps toward the utilization of these
resources. Several things done by him
never met the approval of the proprietary,
as examples, this Keith copper mine survey
and his having secretly placed the New
York Germans from Schoharie in the Tul-
pehocken Valley (1723) of his own motion
and without permission of or having first
purchased the land from the Delaware In-
dians. These acts of themselves caused
much irritation and afterwards received
open condemnation before the council from
the secretary of the province, James Logan.
Sir AVilliam Keith, of enterprising mind,
was among the first to erect iron works in
what is now Chester or Delaware counties
during his administration, 1717-1726. Noti-
fication that copper was supposed to exist
in Chester county and elsewhere in the
province, and his alert interest, occasioned
suspicion in the Council against Governor
Keith as it had against his predecessors, for
they had all been active in locating and
prompting mineral lands. This was early
and so generally manifest that theproprietor
himself, then in England, wrote to his trusty
friend and secretary, James Logan, in 1708,
"Remember the mines which the Governor
(Evans) yet makes a secret, even to thee
and all the world but himself and Michelle,
pray penetrate the matter and let us see the
ore in as large a quantity as thou canst."
It was this Michelle who first drew atten-
tion to mineral lands west of the Susque-
hanna.
Lewis Mitchel or Michelle was a roving-
prospector. By his own account he was a
native of Switzerland sent by the canton of
Berne to the colonies to locate a site for a
Swiss settlement. Newbern, North Caro-
lina, was selected by him. In connection
with this work he was a mineral prospector,
having tramped through North Carolina,
Virginia, and into Pennsylvania by way of
the forks of the Potomac, through the Sus-
quehanna Valley to Philadelphia. His sev-
eral visits to the Conestoga Indians upon
the Susquehanna and his mischievous per-
suasions, led numbers of the younger In-
dians to join him in his ro\'ing researches.
This being contrary to the provincial policy,
he was afterwards called before the com-
missioners of property and peremptorily
INDIAN CONFERENCES
ordered to desist as to l)oth liis Indian en-
gagements and his general movements, or
vacate the province. This was the same
Mitchell, W illiam Penn referred to in his
Logan letter and taken in connection with
subsequent events, which we are about to
relate, it makes plain that the note on the
Minute Book of Property in the Interior
Department respecting the purposes of the
Newberry Survey west of the Susquehanna
was founded on selfish personal interests in
acquiring mineral rights in that section.
--\t a council held at Philadelphia, .Vpril
i6, 1/22, Sir William Keith, the Governor,
spoke as follows :
"Upon some information I lately received,
that the Indians were like to be disturbed
by the secret and underhand practices of
persons, both from INIaryland and this place,
who under pretence of finding a copper
mine, were about to survey and take up
lands on the other side of the river Susque-
hanna, contrary to a former order of this
government : I not only sent up a special
messenger with a writ under the lesser seal
to prex'ent them, but took this occasion to
go toward the upper parts of Chester county
myself, in order to locate a small quantity
of land unto which I had purchased an orig-
inal proprietary right. And understanding-
further upon the road, that some persons
were actually come with a Maryland right
to survey lands upon the Susquehanna, fif-
teen miles above Conestoga, I pursued my
course directly thither, and happily arrived
but a very few hours in time to prevent the
execution of their design.
"Having the surveyor general of this
province with me in company, after a little
consideration, I ordered him to locate and
survey some part of the right I possessed,
viz: only fi\'e hundred acres upon that spot
on the other side of the Susquehanna, which
was like to prove a bone of contention and
breed so much mischief, and he did so ac-
cordingly upon the 4th and 5th days of this
instant April, after which I returned to
Conestoga in order to discourse with the
Indians upon what had happened. But in
my way thither, I was very much surprised
with a certain account that the young men
of Conestoga had made a famous war dance
the night before and that they were all go-
ing out to war immediately. Thereupon, I
appointed a council to be held with the In-
dians next morning in Civilit_\-'s Cabin, the
minutes of wliich I carefully took myself."
At a meeting of the Commission-
The ers of Property held in Philadel-
Survey. phia on the i6th day of April, 1722,
the following minute is recorded:
"i6th day of the second month. Anno
Domini, 1722, Present, President Richard
Hill, Isaac Norris and James Logan. The
Commissioners having some days ago been
informed that the Governor, (Sir William
Keith) was gone toward Susquehanna and
had taken Jacob Taylor with him, which
gave them some apprehension of a design
he might have on a parcel of land on the
other (west) side of Susquehanna, where
was supposed to be a copper mine, where-
upon they thought it expedient to send
James Steel with a warrant under their
hands and seals, dated the 5th inst., directed
to himself and Jacob Taylor, authorizing
them to survey and lay out for the use of
the trustees (till the mortgage money and
interest due thereon should be paid and the
property then revert to the heirs and de-
visees of the late proprietary) the quantity
of two thousand acres of land, enclosing
within the lines of survey the land whereon
is supposed to be the copper mine.
"James Steel accordingly set out with the
warrant and met with Jacob Taylor at Cone-
stoga, who readily accompanied him over
the Susquehanna, wdiere, after some oppo-
sition made by one, John McNeal, by the
Governor's express order, as he said, they
proceeded on the survev on the loth inst.
and finished the same on the iith. A re-
turn whereof dated April 5th. 1722. is pro-
duced."
By virtue and in pursuance of
Return of a warrant from Richard Hill,
Survey. Isaac Norris and James Logan,
proprietar}' agents for the pro-
vince of Pennsylvania, dated the fifth of
April. 1722. to us directed, we do hereby
certifv that we did actually survey and lay
out on the loth and nth days of the same
month for the use in the said warrant men-
tioned a certain tract of land, situate on the
southwest side of Susquehanna river, be-
ginning at the mouth of a branch opposite
to the Sawaiina Indian town and a little
below the settlement made by John Grist
and running up the same on the several
courses thereof one thousand and fifty
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLYAXIA
perches to a marked wlaite oak standing on
a bank of a small meadow near the said
branch, from thence running b}- a line of
marked trees northwest nine hundred
perches to a corner white oak standing in
the woods near the head of a branch which
runs into Susquehanna river opposite to the
lower part of James LeTort's plantation;
thence down the said branch by the courses
thereof, three hundred and twenty perches
to the river : thence down the same, fifteen
hundred perches to the place of beginning,
containing two thousand acres.
JACOB TAYLOR,
JAMES STEELE.
It will be observed that the Minute of the
Board of Property above cited states that
"James Steele met with Jacob Taylor at
Conestoga." Steele did not overtake him.
In the light of after discovery this state-
ment confirms the fact that Jacob Taylor
was coming or had come from some point
beyond Conestoga. The fact is, he had al-
ready been on the west side of Susquehanna
and surveyed five hundred acres for the
Governor. Of this sur^'ey there is no date
when made, warrant, return or draft, yet
found. Doubtless there is no record in ex-
istence. Keith stated at one time that the
survey was made on April 4th and 5th.
Keith's five hundred acres were included
Avithin the two thousand acre survey of
Newberry Tract. That this was a fact ap-
pears in a rude, imperfect, preliminary draft
in Department of Internal Affairs, made
two months later, June, 1722, for the Gov-
ernor when he was planning Springettsbury
Manor surve}'. The Governor at that time
knew the lines of his own five hundred
acres, having been with the surveyor, but it
seems he either did not know the metes and
bounds of Steele and Taylor's survey of
April II and 12, 1722, or, if he did, ignored
them and boldly named the northwest coi^-
ner tree of his own five hundred acre tract
as a known corner and directed that it be
made one of the Springettsbury corners in
order that it might be distinctly designated
and associated thereafter with the first
trans-Susquehanna warrant and survey
made on behalf of the Proprietors and
Springett Penn. It seems that by so doing
he intended to show thereby that he had
carefullv excluded his own personal five
hundred acre preemption from the Manor.
\\'hate\-er the cause may have been for pro-
tracting this last mentioned imperfect draft,
made either by John French, Francis Wor-
ley or James Mitchell, it never had any im-
portance in the Land Ofifice other than it has
preserved for us in the absence of all other
written information the exact location of
Governor Keith's secret survey.
The Philadelphia Court House
Early erected 1707, where the Pro-
Highways, vincial Council met in all its
deliberations, stood in the mid-
dle of High (Market) street west of and
fronting on Second street. (The State
House, Independence Hall, was not com-
pleted or occupied until 1734.) From the
old Court House on Market street James
Steele on horseback took his departure for
Conestoga. The route lay by the Chester
Valley, through the Gap, (where Pennsyl-
vania Railroad now crosses the Pequa and
Octoraro divide) thence into Pequa Valley
to Strasburg, crossing the Big Conestoga
Creek near mouth of the Little Conestoga
at James Hendricks and John Hendricks
places. The distance was about seventy-
five miles due west from Philadelphia,
through woods, over a rough and stumpy
bridle path. This interesting old road was
marked as early as 17 10 on the Palatinate
German draft. A public road was ordered
bv council to be laid out and opened on the
Conestoga trail in 1718. This road was
called the King's Highway or Conestoga
road. From the earliest use of it to the
present day it has been known in Lancaster
county as the Long Lane. It is the Long-
Lane that had no turn. The country
through which the highway ran in 1722 was
thinly settled by Swiss German Mennon-
ites. The elevation of the ground over
which it ran adapted it naturally as a trail
between the Susquehanna and Delaware.
It was over this route the Indians passed to
and fro long before the coming of the set-
tlers of Pennsylvania.
According to the draft
Boundaries of and return of survey,
Newberry Tract. Taylor and, Steele began
at the mouth of AVhite
Oak branch. This creek is now called
Kreutz Creek, in Hellam township, a Ger-
man form of the word "Grist," after John
Grist, the first squatter or settler on its
banks. Grist to the German ear sounded as
INDIAN CONFERENCES
23
"Christ." "Kreutz" is tlie name also of one
of the oldest German churches in the
Kreutz Creek Valley. Kreutz in the Ger-
man language is "the cross." The stream
was undoubtedly named for John Grist.
The 1050 perches line by the courses of
the creek is generally that along which now
runs the York and Wrightsville Railroad.
The post marking this distance fixed the
first corner at or near what is now "Stoner's
Station" in Hellam township, York county.
The northwest line, 900 perches, runs to a
corner at the head of a small stream near
ore lands, in Hellam township, one mile
from the river. The line continues by this
small stream, 320 perches, and comes to the
river at a point opposite and above the
mouth of Chickasalunga Creek. The course
then follows the bank of the river 1,500
perches to the point of beginning.
The old draft at York does not indicate
John Grist's settlement. The draft in the
Department of Internal affairs identities the
habitation of John Grist and Captain Bea-
ver, an Indian. The draft in the York Court
fixes Captain Beaver's place about where
the Pennsylvania Railroad Station now
stands at AVrightsville, and a number of
wigwams, called Indian huts, are located on
the same draft further up the river at the
site of the present iron furnace and extend-
ing toward the high hill opposite Chickies
Rock.
CONESTOGA TREATY OF 1722.
Governor Keith's visit to the Indians at
Conestoga in June, 1721, produced a strong
impression upon the minds of the aborigines
whom he met. The chiefs of the Five Na-
tions who had been present at this confer-
ence, told of its success to their people.
The Conestogas and other local tribes along
the Susquehanna River seemed to look upon
the lieutenant-governor with almost the
same favor and regard which they had en-
tertained for William Penn. It has often
been stated that the Indians never forgot
a treaty or an agreement, if white settlers
treated them with proper regard. Knowing
of this excellent characteristic of the red
men, and already learning of the encroach-
ment of Maryland settlers on lands west of
the Susquehanna, Keith determined to se-
cure a right and title to a part of these
lands. He laid this plan for the purpose of
securing this title before he went to the
conference at Alban\'. New York, to meet
Cayuga chiefs, who had ofl'cred some ob-
jection to the conclusion of the conference
he had held with the Indians at Conestoga
in 1721.
It must be clearly understood that Wil-
liam Penn and his heirs always purchased
the rights from the Indians before they set-
tled on lands on the frontier of Pennsyl-
vania. The area of country west of the
Susquehanna was still in the possession of
the Indians and remained so until the treaty
of 1736, when at the conference with the
Indians at Philadelphia, a clear title was
procured by the heirs of William Penn, the
region west of the Susquehanna "west to
the setting sun."
The trouble concerning the border line
between Maryland and Pennsylvania had
begun in Chester County, soon after the
earliest settlements. The boundary line
was a bone of contention from that time
until the Temporary Line was run between
Maryland and Pennsylvania in 1739. Even
the completion of this line did not settle the
difSculty, for it continued until Mason and
Dixon's line was run from the Delaware
River west to the Allegheny Mountains, in
1767-8. Governor Keith had frequent con-
troversies with Governor Ogle, of Mary-
land, with reference to the encroachments
of the Marylanders on lands situated in the
southern part of Lancaster County. These
Marylanders were already attempting to
make settlements west of the Susquehanna,
in the present area of York County. Feel-
ing assured that he could obtain the con-
sent of the small tribes of Indians along the
Susquehanna to lay off a large manor, as
the proprietary's one-tenth, he proceeded
to Conestoga, earlj? in June, 1722. Here he
called together the Conestogas, the Shaw-
anese, who lived farther up the river, and
the Ganawese, afterwards known as the
Conoys, who lived above the site of Colum-
bia. He had authority from the heirs of
William Penn to lay off a manor west of the
river for the benefit of Springett Penn, the
favorite grandson of the founder of Penn-
sylvania and son of Richard Penn.
The conference w-ith the
Keith Addresses local tribes of Indians
the Indians. first met on June 15. It
was near the banks of the
Susquehanna on this occasion, that Sir W'il-
liam Keith, with persuasive eloquence,
•2-1
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
commended the Indians for their \-irtues.
praised them for what they had ah-eadj'
done for \^"illiam Penn and his heirs, and
obtained their consent again to cross the
river and make a survey of 70,000 acres.
The entire speech of Governor Keith and
the response made by the Indian chief, are
productions of so much interest, that they
are given in full, and read as follows;
Friends and Brothers — You say you love
me because I come from your father, Wil-
liam Penn, to follow his peaceable ways,
and to fulfill all his kind promises to the In-
dians. You call me William Penn, and I
am very proud of the name you give me ;
But if we have a true love for the memory
of William Penn, we must show it to his
family and to his children that are grown
up to be men in England, and will soon
come over to represent him here. The last
time I was with you at Conestoga, you
showed me a parchment which you had re-
ceived from William Penn, containing many
articles of friendship between him and you,
and between his children and your chil-
dren. You then told me he desired you to
remember it well for three generations, but
I hope you and your children will never
forget it. That parchment fully declared
your consent to William Penn's purchase
and right to the lands on both sides of the
Susquehanna. But I find both you and we
are likely to be disturbed by idle people
from Maryland, and also by others who
have presumed to survey land on the banks
of the Susquehanna, without any powers
from \\"illiam Penn or his children to whom
they belong, and without so much as ask-
ing your consent.
I am therefore now come to hold a Coun-
cil and consult with you how to prevent
such unjust practices for the future, and
hereby we will show our love and respect
for the great AA'illiam Penn's children who
inherit their father's estate in this country,
and have a just right to the hearty love
and friendship of all the Indians promised
to them in many treaties. I have fully con-
sidered this thing, and if you approve my
thoughts, I will immediately cause to take
up a large tract of land on the other side of
the Susquehanna for Springett Penn, the
grandson of AA'illiam Penn, who is now a
man as tall as I am ; for ^^'hen the land is
marked with his name upon the trees it
will keep ofi the Marylanders and every
other person whatsoever from coming to
settle near you to disturb you. And he
bearing the same kind heart to the Indians,
which his grandfather did, will be glad to
give you any part of his land for your own
use and convenience ; but if other people
take it up they will make settlements upon
it and then it will not be in his power to give
to you as you want it.
Those who have any wisdom amongst
you must see and be convinced that what I
now say is entirely for your good, for this
will effectually hinder and prevent any per-
son from settling lands on the other side
of the Susquehanna, according to your own
desire, and consequently vou will be secure
from being disturbed by ill neighbors and
have all lands at the same time in your
own power to make use of. This will also
beget a true hearty love and friendship
between you, your children, and the great
AA'illiam Penn's grandson, who is now lord
of all this country in the room of his grand-
father. It is therefore fit and necessary for
you to begin as soon as you can to express
your respect and love to him ; he expects
it from you according to your promises in
many treaties, and he will take it verj'
kindly. Consider then, ni}' brothers, that
I am now giving you an opportunity to
speak your thoughts lovingly and freely
unto this brave young man, AA'illiam Penn's
grandson: and I, whom you know to be
yoiu- true friend will take care to write
down your words, and to send them to
England to this gentleman, who will return
you a kind answer, and so your hearts will
be made glad to see that the great AA^illiam
Penn still lives in his children to love and
serve the Indians.
The council was continued on the next
day, the following being the minutes of that
meeting: —
At a council with the Indians held at
Conestoga, June i6th, 1722.
Present :
Sir AVILLIAM KEITH, Bart., Governor.
Col. John French «& Francis AA'orley,
Esqs.
The Chiefs of the Conestoga, Shawanese
and Ganaway Indians : Smith and James Le
Tort, Interpreters.
SPRINGETTSBURV MANOR
Francis Worley'
Whereas ttre^^
settled on the
'J'lie Indians spoke in answer 1)y
Tawena's Tawena, according to tlie in-
Reply. terpreters, as follows : —
They have considered of what
the Governor proposed to them yesterday;
and think it a matter of very great import-
ance to them to hinder the Marylanders
from settling or taking np lands so near
them npon the Susquehanna. They very
much approve what the Governor spoke,
and like his Council to them very well, but
they are not willing to discourse particu-
larlv on the business of lands lest the Five
Nations may reproach or blame them.
They declare again their satisfaction with
all that the Governor said yesterday to
them in council ; and although they know
that the Five Nations have not yet any
right to these lands, and that four of the
tribes do not pretend to any, yet the fifth
tribe, viz. : the Cayugas, are always claim- with the Indians that a sufficient quantity
To Colonel John French
& James Mitchell, Esqs
three Nations of Indians
North side of the Ri\er Susquehannah, in
his ^Majesty's Peace & under the protec-
tion of this Government, viz. : The Cone-
stogas. The Shawanese, and The Ganawese,
are very much disturbed, and the Peace of
this Colony is hourly in danger of being
broken by persons who pursuing their own
private gain without any regard to justice,
have attempted and others do still threaten
to survey and take up lands on the South
West Branch of the said river, right against
the towns and settlements of the said In-
dians, without any right or pretense of
authorit)^ so to do, from the proprietor of
this province unto whom the lands un-
questionably belong. And whereas, it is
reasonable and agreeable to former treaties
ing some right to lands on the Susque-
hanna, even where they themselves now
live ; wherefore, the)' think it will be a very
proper time when the Governor goes to Al-
bany to settle that matter, with the Ca-
yugas, and then all parties will be satisfied.
They ask the Governor whereabouts and
what quantity of land does he propose to
survey for Springett Penn. It is answered,
from over against the mouth of Conestoga
Creek up to the Governor's new settlement,
and so far back from the river as no per-
son can come to annoy or disturb them in
their towns on this side.
They proceed and say. That they are at
this time very apprehensive that people will
come when the Governor is gone to Albany
and survey this land, wherefore they earn-
estly desire that the Governor will immedi-
ately cause the Surveyor to come lay out
the land for AA'illiam Penn's grandson to se-
cure them, and they doubt not but the Gov-
ernor's appearance and conduct afterwards
at Albany will make things easy there.
CHAPTER III
SPRINGETTSBURY MANOR
The First Survey — The Re-survey — Bio-
graphical— Blunston's Licenses.
THE FIRST SURVEY.
Copy of warrant for Survey of Springetts-
bury Manor, Sir \\m. Keith, Bart, Governor
of the province Pennsylvania, &c.
of land upon the south west side of the
river Susquehanna be reserved in the pro-
prietor's hands for accommodating the said
Indian Nations when it may hereafter be
thought proper and convenient for them to
remove their settlements further from the
Christian inhabitants.
And lastly, AVhereas, at a treaty held
between the Indians and me at Conestoga,
the 15th and the i6th days of this instant.
They did earnestly desire and request me
forthwith to cause a large tract of land
right against their towns upon Susque-
hanna, to be surveyed and located for the
proprietor's use only; because, from his
bounty of goodness, they would always be
sure to obtain whatever was necessary and
convenient for them from time to time.
These are therefore, by virtue of the
powers wherewith I am entrusted for the
preservation of his Majesty's peace in this
province and wnth a due and perfect regard
to the proprietor's absolute title and un-
questionable rights to authorize, impower
and command you, the said Colonel John
French, Francis Worley and James Mitch-'
ell, with such of the neighboring inhabi-
tants as you shall thilik fit to call to your as-
sistance immediately to cross the River
Susquehanna, and to survey or cause to be
surveyed, marked and located the quantity
of 70,000 acres or thereabouts, in the name
and for the use of Springett Penn, Esq..
26
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
which shall bear the name and be called The
Manor of Springettsbury, Beginning A'our
survey as near as you can upon the south
west bank of the river Susquehanna, over
against the mouth of Conestoga Creek ;
from thence by line ^^'. S. W. distance
ten miles more or less ; thence by line N.
W. by N. twelve more or less ; thence by
line E. N. E. until you meet with the upper-
most corner tree of my settlement called
Newberry; from thence S. E. b S. along my
head line until you come at my southern
corner tree in the woods ; from thence
down the side line of mj- land E. X. E.
until you come at. the river Susquehanna,
and from thence by the said river's side
unto the place where you first begin, which
line will be fourth side of the said survey,
and wdien it ,is done, and finished, you are
to make a return thereof upon the back of
this warrant unto the Governor and Coun-
cil of Pennsylvania: For which this shall be
unto you, the said Colonel John French.
Francis AVorley and every of you, a suf-
ficient warrant, power and authority.
Given under my hand and seal at Cone-
stoga, the i8th day of June, in the 8th year
of our Sovereign Lord George I, Annoq.
Dom. 1/22.
Signed, W. KEITH.
To his Excellency the Gover-
Report of nor and the Honorable Coun-
the Survey, cil of Pennsylvania.
]\Iay it please 3'our Excel-
lency :
In obedience to the within AA'arrant to us
directed, AVe did, upon the nineteenth and
twentieth days of this instant, June, begin
and complete the survey of the Manor of
Springettsbury upon the river Susquehanna
in manner following, viz.: from -a red oak
upon th'e said river (by a run's side called
Penn's Run) mark'd S. P.; west south-west
ten miles to a chestnut (by run's side
called French's Run) mark'd S. P.; from
thence north west and by north to a black
oak mark'd S. P. twelve miles: from thence
east north east to Sir A\'illiam Keith's
western corner tree in the woods eight
miles; from thence along the south east
and north east lines of the said Sir AVil-
liam Keith's tract called Newberry into
the river Susquehanna again, and from
thence along the river side to the place of
beginning. The whole containing seventy-
fi\-e Thousand five Hundred and twenty
acres, according to a Plan thereof hereunto
annexed, all which is humbly submitted by
Y'r Excellency's
Most humble and obedient Servants,
John French, '
Fran. AVorle, '^''
Ja. Mitchell.
At Newberry, June 21, 1722.
The exact positions and
Boundaries of boundary lines of the orig-
Springettsbury inal Springettsbury Manor,
Manor. were never thoroughly un-
derstood or marked on any
maps of York County until the year 1898.
Robert C. Bair, a member of the York
County Bar, upon examining some official
papers and records in the county Court
House, and at Harrisburg, was enabled to
describe and identify the exact position of
the manor as first laid out by Sir AA'illiam
Keith in 1722. These boundary lines are
designated by the following description
gi\en b}' Mr. Bair: "Beginning opposite
the mouth of Conestoga Creek at a run
called Penn's Run (Lockport Run, in
Chanceford Township) and running thence
southwest by west ten miles by French's
Creek (a stream flowing into Muddy Creek
near Felton). Thence northwest bj^ north
twelve miles to a point in Manchester
Township north of York. Thence north-
east by east eight miles to uppermost cor-
ner tree of Governor Keith's Mine or New-
berry Tract. Thence along the southeast
and northeast lines of said Mine or New-
berry Tract into the Susquehanna again,
and from thence along the river side to the
place of beginning, containing 75,500 acres
according to a plan thereof hereto annexed.
Signed at Newberry, June 21, 1722."
Hon. John Gibson, Presi-
Controversy dent Judge of the York
About County Courts, prepared the
the Survey, following exhaustive state-
ment, relating to Springetts-
bury ]\Ianor :
The proceedings of the treaty of Cone-
stoga were communicated to the Provincial
Council on the 2nd of July, 1722. But that
body declared that so far as they concerned
or touched with the proprietary afifairs they
were not judged to lie before the Board,
which acted as a council of state, and not as
commissioners of property.
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Map Illustrating text of Early Surireys iVe^i
Ottiffi, 7fot*rf c. aa/r
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SPRIX'GETTSBURY MAXOR
Colonel French, one of the sur\e\oi"s,
who executed the warrant, then vmdertook
to vindicate the conduct of Sir A\'illiam
Keith to the Council, stating that "the war-
rant specified his true reasons; and that it
was. imder all the circumstances, the only
effectual measure for quieting the minds of
the Indians and preserving the public
peace." The warrant and survey could not
be returned into the land office at that time;
for it was said, that the land office continued
to be closed from the death of A\'illiam Penn
in 1718 until the arrival of Thomas Penn in
1732. Nor does it appear that they were
ever filed in the land office at any subse-
cjuent period. (Penn vs. Kline. 4 Dallas,
405.) But it is elsewhere said: "It has gen-
erally been supposed that the land office
was closed from the year 17 18. when Wil-
liam Penn died, until the arrival of Thomas
Penn in the year 1732. It may be suggested
that there were other reasons wh}' the sur-
vey was not returned into the land office at
that or any other time. The warrant itself
was not issued from the land office, but un-
der the private seal of Gov. Keith, at Cone-
stoga. The land had not been purchased
from the Indians, the office was not open
for the sale of them, and it was out of the
usual course to grant warrants for unpur-
chased lands. The Council on the report of
the proceedings seemed cautious about it.
and refused to interfere further than to per-
mit the warrant, and return of survey to be
entered on their minutes." Although Colo-
nel French defended the proceedings, be-
cause the facts and circumstances recited in
the warrant were truly stated, "and in his
opinion of Springett Penn. in whose name
the warrant was issued, was the late pro-
prietor's heir-at-law, and whatever turn the
affairs of that family might take to resettle
the property and dominion of the province,
he did not conceive this measure would be
interpreted or deemed to the prejudice of a
family for whose service it was so plainly
meant and intended. But although the land
was out of the purchases, as the Indians
consented to the survey, the measure itself
cannot but be considered as having been
founded on the soundest and wisest policy,
and Sir AVilliam Keith conducted himself
with great zeal for the proprietary interest."
(II Smith's Laws, note.)
The grant to ^\'illiam Penn
Origin of the of March 4. 1681, contained
Penn Manors. se\cral powers to erect
manors. On tlie iith of
July, in the same year, he agreed with "the
adventurers and purchasers" in England,
who were interested in his grant and the
settlement of the province on certain "con-
ditions and concessions." The ninth of
these was, that "in every one hundred thou-
sand acres, the Governor and Proprietary,
by lot, reserveth ten to himself which shall
lie but in one place." The name of "manor"
was given to these portions of reser\-ed land
in its genuine legal sense. The nineteenth
section of the charter empowered hiin. "his
heirs and alienees, to erect manors, with a
court baron and view of frank pledge (or
court leet), to be held by themselves, or
lords of other manors, and e\-ery person
erectinsr such manor, shall grant lands to
any person in fee simple, to be held of the
said manor so as no further tenures shall be
created, but further alienations shall be held
of the same lord and his heirs of whom the
alien did then before hold."
And such seems to have been in William
Penn's own mind when on his last visit he
gave a paper agreeing to give land on a quit
rent, "holding of the said manor, and under
the regulations of the court thereof when
erected." (Sergeant's Land LaAvs. 196.)
He empowered the commissioners of prop-
erty to erect manors, with jurisdiction
thereto annexed. But the Commissioners
declined exercising the power, which would
have been repugnant to the freemen of the
province. Afterwards in judicial opinions,
the manors were construed to mean such in
legal sense with its court and train of feudal
appendages. It was held to mean a portion
of the country, separated from the rest, so
as to be open to purchasers on "common
terms" or to settlers. Whatever was
granted was by special agreement in the
several manors. It was originally intended
that title should be given by warrant and
survey, but titles afterward grew by settle-
ment and improvement. This practice be-
came prevalent from 1718 to 1732. They
were to be consummated by payment of the
purchase money and issuing" of a patent.
The warrant fixed a price and time of pay-
ment, and when there was no warrant, the
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
price at the time was to be paid, which was
called "on common terms." The most of
the country ^ was opened through the land
office, but this did not include proprietary
tenths or manors.
THE RE-SURVEY.
After the controversy with Mar3'land was
settled, by the final agreement between the
proprietaries, James Hamilton, Governor of
Pennsylvania, on the 21st of May, 1762, is-
sued his warrant for the re-survey of the
Manor of Springettsbury, which was duly
returned into the land office of Pennsyl-
vania in 1768, where it has since remained,
and is now on record at Harrisburg. By
this surve}' the manor was found to con-
tain 64,250 acres. It e.xtended westward
from the Susquehanna nearly fifteen miles.
bounded by a north and south line west of
the dwelling plantation of Christian Eyster.
and east and west lines -about four miles
distant north and south of York. The
town had been laid out for the proprietor's
use in 1741, as within the limits of a manor,
and licenses to settle had been issued as
early as 1734, and grants confirming titles
within it had been given by the Proprietary.
Thomas Penn, in 1736. It had been recog-
nized as a manor, but there was no record
of the same. It acquired the name in 1768,
if not before. The lines to be surveyed bv
the warrant then issued were specially di-
rected.
Two principles \vere early settled, name-
ly, that no sales were to be made, no settle-
ments permitted, until the Indian title
should be extinguished, and that no title
could originate but by grant from William
Penn. He and his descendants were trus-
tees by virtue of the concessions and agree-
ments for such individuals as should acquire
equitable rights to particular portions of
land. They erected an office, reserving the
right to appropriate one-tenth of the whole
to themselves, for their private and indi\'id-
ual uses. No right could be acquired except
by agreement with the proprietaries. In
grants of lands to purchasers, the only dis-
tinction was, that the lands not reserved
were sold at stated prices, and those re-
served, that is within the manors, were sold
by special contract. Although settlements
had become notorious within it, and licenses
were issued and titles conferred by grant,
the appropriation of the Springettsbury
Manor was not sufficiently notorious, prior
to the warrant of survey of 1762, to effect
with constructive notice subsequent pur-
chasers and settlers. The warrant of 1762
affected all persons with notice of the ex-
istence of the manor. The judicial difficul-
ties arose from the fact, as alleged, that the
survey of Sir William Keith, in 1722, was
without authority, and that sur\'ey was
never returned to the land office.
The questions involved did
Webster and not arise until after the Rev-
Clay as olution, and Pennsylvania
Attorneys. had become a sovereign
state. The cases in which
these titles are investigated, both arising
in the County of York, are Penn's Lessee
vs. Ivline, reported in the fourth volume of
Dallas Reports (page 404), and in Kirk and
Another vs. Smith, ex-demise of Penn, re-
ported in the ninth volume of ^^'heaton's
LTnited States Supreme Court Reports
(page 241). In this last case the counsel
for the plaintifT were Daniel Webster and
Henry Clay, and the counsel for the defend-
ant were the Attorney-General, William
A\'irt, and John Sergeant, and the opinion
was delivered by the Chief Justice, John
Marshall. The following is the warrant in
that case :
Pennsylvania, ss. : — By the Proprietaries.
Whereas, Bartholomew Sesrang, of the
County of Lancaster, hath requested that
we would grant him to take up 200 acres of
land, situated between Codorus Creek and
Little Conewago Creek, adjoining the lands
of Killian Smith and Philip Heintz, on the
west side of the Susquehanna River in the
said county of Lancaster, for which he
agrees to pay the sum of 15 ll^s. 10 s. cur-
rent money of this province, for e\-ery acre
thereof. These are therefore, to authorize
and require to survey, or cause to be sur-
A-eyed unto the said Bartholomew Sesrang,
at the place aforesaid, according to the
method of townships appointed, the said
quantity of 200 acres if not already surveyed
or appropriated ; and make return thereof
into the secretary's office, in order for fur-
ther confirmation; for which this shall be
your sufficient warrant ; which survey, in
case the said Bartholomew Sesrang fulfil
the above agreement within six months
from the date hereof, shall be valid ; other-
wise void.
SPRIXGETTSBURY MAXOR
Gi\eii umler mv hand and seal of tlie land
office, b\- virtue of certain powers from the
said proprietaries, at Philadelphia, this
eighth day of January, Anno Domino, one
thousantl seven hundred and fortv-tvvo.
GEORGE THOMAS.
To William Parsons,
Surveyor-General.
The warrant of re-survey of
Warrant Governor Hamilton set forth :
for "That in pursuance of the
Re-survey. primiti\'e regulations for laying
out lands in the province, Wil-
liam Penn had issued a warrant, dated the
I St of September, 1700, to Edward Pen-
nington, the Surveyor-General, to survey
for the proprietor, 500 acres of evexy town-
ship of 5,000 acres ; and generally the pro-
prietary one-tenth of all the land laid out,
and to be laid out : that like warrants had
been issued by the successive proprietaries
to every succeeding Surveyor-General ; that
the tracts surveyed, however, are far short
of the due proportions of the proprietary ;
that therefore by order of the then Commis-
sioners of property, and in virtue of the
general warrant aforesaid to the Surveyor-
General, there was surveyed for the use of
the proprietor on the 19th and 20tli of June,
1722, a certain tract of land situated on the
west side of the river Susquehanna, then in
the county of Chester, afterward in Lancas-
ter, and now of York, containing about 70,-
000 acres called, and now well known by the
name of the manor of Springettsbury ; that
sundry Germans and others, afterward
seated themselves by leave of the proprietor
on divers parts'of the said manor, but con-
firmation of their titles was delayed on ac-
count of the Indian claim; that on the nth
of October, 1736, the Indians released their
claims, when (on the 30th of October,
1736), a license was given to each settler
(the whole grant computed at 12,000 acres),
promising patents, after surveys should be
made; that the survey of the said tract of
land is either lost or mislaid ; but that from
the well-known settlements and improve-
ments made by the said licensed settlers
therein, and the many surveys made around
the said manor, and other proofs and cir-
cumstances, it appears that the said tract is
bounded east, by the Susquehanna; west by
a north and south line west of the late dwel-
ling plantation of Christian Eyster, called
Oyster, a licensed settler; north by a line
nearly east and west, distant about three
miles north of the present great road, lead-
ing from Wright's Eerry through York, by
the said Christian Eyster's plantation to
Monockassey; south by a line nearly east
and west, distant about three miles south
of the great road aforesaid; that divers of
the said tracts and settlements within the
said manor, have been surveyed and con-
firmed by patents, and many that have been
surveyed, remained to be confirmed by pat-
ents, for which the settlers have applied ;
that the proprietor is desirous, that a com-
plete draft or map and return of survey of
the said manor, shall be replaced and re-
main for their and his use, in the Surveyor-
General's office, and also in the Secretary's
office; that by special order and direction, a
survey for the proprietor's use was made by
Thomas Cookson, Deputy Surveyor (in
1741), of a tract on both sides of the Co-
dorus. within the said manor, for the site
of a town, whereon York has since been
laid out and built, but no return of that
survey being made, the premises were re-
surveyed by George Stevenson, Deputy
Surveyor (in December, 1752), and found
to contain 4363^ acres."
After the recital, the warrant directed the
Surveyor-General "to re-survey the said
tract for the proprietor's use, as part of his
one-tenth, in order that the bounds and
lines thereof, may be certainly known as as-
certained." James Tilghman, Secretary of
the land office, on the 13th of May, 1768,
wrote to John Lukens, Surveyor-General,
to proceed with all expedition on the sur-
ve}', and make return of -the outline of the
manor at least. The survey was accord-
ingly executed from 12th to the 13th of
June, 1768, and the plan was returned into
the land office and also into the Secretary's
office, on the I2tli of July, 1768, containing
64,520 acres, a part of the original tract of
70,000 acres, having been cut of¥, under the
agreement between Penn and Baltimore, to
satisfy the claims of Maryland settlers.
This is known as Hamilton's Survey.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JACOB TAYLOR, a land surveyor and
surveyor-general of the Land Office under
the province of Pennsylvania at Philadel-
30
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
phia, No\-ember 26th, 1706, to October,
1733-
JA]\IES STEELE, a deputy surveyor, of
Philadelphia, and receiver general of the
Land Office under the province of Pennsyl-
vania, lanuary ^oth, 1714, to December,
FRANCIS WORLEY, appomted a Jus-
tice of the Peace of Chester County and
chosen a member of the council at Phila-
delphia July 4th, 1718. He resided in
Hempfield township, within the manor of
Conestoga, near the Conestoga Tndian
town. He afterwards removed to Man-
chester township, now in the county of
York, and died Tulv. 1/68. leaving to sur-
\-ive him eight sons^ndtwo daughters, yiz. :
Tl^iniel^ Jacob, Nathan, Henry, Samuel,
James, Francis, Thomas, Mary, wife of
Peter Sh'ugart, and Lydia, wife oi George
Eichelberger.
JAMES MITCHELL was a Justice of
the Peace for Chester county and dwelt in
the township of Donegal, now the county
of Lancaster, appointed in the year 1722.
He was also a surveyor. In 1722 he was
appointed one of the commissioners to sur-
vey the original Springettsbury manor on
the west side of Susquehanna. In 1723 he
and James LeTort held a treaty with the
Ganawese. Nanticoke and other Indians at
Conoy (Bainbridge, Lancaster county).
James Mitchell owned and resided upon a
farm which lay south of John Galbreath,
between Marietta-Mount Joy Turnpike and
Little Chiques Creek. He died 1747, lea\--
ing the following children: James, Alex-
ander, Thomas, AA'illiam, Jean, Rachel,
Mary. Margaret. .
When the temporary line was run be-
tween Pennsylvania and Maryland in 1739,
James Mitchell, of Donegal, w-as one of the
assistants to the commissioners of the two
pro\-inces. He was elected a member of
Assembly for the years 1727, 1744 and 1746.
In the year 1741 he was elected sheriff of
Lancaster countv.
COL. JOHN' FRENCH, of New Cas-
tle, was an early survej^or and enjoyed the
confidence of the Proprietor. He was de-
scribed as active and influential, being a
person of integrity, reputation and ability.
He was one of the Supreme Judges in the
New Castle County court of Appeals. He
was delegated June 8, 1710, to a treaty with
the Indians at Conestoga. He was fre-
quently sent on missions to the Conestoga
Indians, accompanied either by the secre-
tary of the province, James Logan, or by
the Governor. He was a member of the
Provincial council at Philadelphia, 1717-
1727. He was one of four men appointed
to administer one of the four great oaths of
office to the Governor, Sir AVilliam Keith.
Bart., upon his arrival from Great Britain.
Governor Keith was inaugurated June ist,
17 17. John French administered the fourth
oath "Due Observation of the Acts of
Trade." In 1717 he was commissioned
"Chief Ranger and Keeper of the Marches
of Pennsylvania."' A particularly import-
ant undertaking was assigned him wdien
sent to the Conestoga Indians to inquire
into the facts pertaining to the first killing
of an Indian by a white man in the province,
namely — John and Edmund Cartilecfge,
traders, for killing an Indian at a place
three days' journey from Conestoga. He
was able to appease the Indians and suc-
cessfully secured the Cartiledges in the jail
at Philadelphia. He was divested of all
power and authority under the government
and dismissed from the council board
March 29, 1727, for "disregardful expres-
sions of the proprietor and his charter and
for underhand practices in detriment there-
of," and died the following year.
JAMES LETORT, according to Cun-
ningham, was a French Huguenot; accord-
ing to Evans, a French Canadian. He was
a member of the French settlement on the
Schuylkill, north of Philadelphia, and dwelt
there with his wife, Ann LeTort. He is
first mentioned in 1693 as Captain Jacques
LeTort. The Colonial Records, Vol. 2,
page 100, say "He lived in Pennsylvania
from his infancy." Living among the In-
dians he early acquired a knowdedge of
their language and was useful to the gov-
ernment as an Indian agent and interpreter.
He was trading in the valley of the Susque-
hanna prior to 1700. He dwelt from time
to time near the mouth of Pequea creek,
trading with the Shawnese at that place,
and also with the Susquehannock or Cone-
stoga Indians, whose village was a few
miles north above the mouth of Conestoga
creek. He lived at Conoy, 1700, near the
village of the Kanawha or Ganawese, wdio
were the same as the Conoise Indians. In
SPRINGETTSBURV M AX( )1
31
the year 1701 lie left the province and went
to Canada; returning in the spring of 1703.
He probably made this journey by the
waterway of Susquehanna. According to
an old map, 1701, by Isaac Taylor, he had
a trader's store among the Shawnese at the
forks of the Susquehanna, opposite the In-
dian town, Shamokin, (Sunbury). He was
granted a large tract of land, 900 acres, on
the banks of the Susquehanna, north of the
Chickasalunga creek, now Marietta, Lan-
caster county, on the draft of "Newberry,"
called "LeTort's Plantation." He migrated
as an Indian trader to the spring in Cum-
berland valley, afterwards called for him
"Le Tort Spring," (Carlisle) as early as
1731. For further information see Colonial
Records, Vol. i, pages 299, 396, 435. Vol.
3, pages 188, 202, 210 and 295.
JOHN HENDRICKS AND JAMES
HENDRICKS, with Tobias Hendricks,
sons of James Hendricks, Quakers, first set-
tled in the township of Conestoga, at what
is now Rock Hill, formerly Postlewaites,
Lancaster county. The ford on Conestoga
creek was at the mouth of a small run on
the Hendricks property where the old trail
to Philadelphia went from Conestoga In-
dian town. James Hendricks, the elder,
kept an ordinary at this point. John Postle-
thwait owned it after the Hendrickses mi-
grated west of Susquehanna. It was on
this same tract, while owned by Postle-
thwait that the first Court House, or rather
place where court was held, and the first
jail of Lancaster county, was erected. This
was prior to the selection of a stie for the
city of Lancaster. About 1726 John Hen-
dricks, his wife, Rebecca, and James, his
father, removed to the west side of the river
and settled at a point on the river now
known as the upper part of Wrightsville.
John, with Joshua Minshall, was one of the
chief participants in the Cresap border
warfare, 1729 to 1738. James seems to have
been a sympathizer with the Cresaps.
John afterwards removed from the towai-
ship of Hellam into the adjoining township
of J^Ianchester, York county, and settled on
a tract of land adjoining Francis Worley.
He sold this land, 150 acres, in 1742, to
Jacob Garber and moved into the adjoining
township of Dover, where he died January
21, 1749, leaving" to survive him four sons,
James, John, Francis and William. Tobias
Hendricks, the ancestor of Vice-President
'IMiomas .\. Hendricks, settled on the west
side of the river in East Pennsboro town-
ship, now Fairview and Newberry, York
county. Tobias afterwards dwelt in the
Cumberland valley along the great road
where he'kept an ordinary a few miles west
of Harrisburg. He died in Cumberland
county.
The following warrant on behalf of John
Hendricks, James Hendricks and Joshua
Minshall is interesting as it indicated what
was even then called primitive methods re-
garding grants to the specially protected
lands west of Susquehanna. Nothing like
this warrant appears elsewhere among the
Pennsylvania records. It is inserted here
as an explanation for certain conditional
grants made by Samuel Blunston in his own
name in form of deeds under a certain
twelve hundred acre survey made in that
section, but as this survey is not defined,
and there seeming to be no draft or drafts
of it in existence, its location is only known
as generally being at the foot of Kreutz
Creek valley extending from the river west-
ward :
"WHEREAS, upon the application of John and
James Hendricks and some others, inhabitants of Penn-
sylvania the Commissioners of Property did in the year
1728 order Samuel Blunston to lay out a tract of land
of twelve hundred acres lying on the west side of Sus-
quehanna opposite to Hempfield ; which land was then
settled by the said parties, and is now in the possession
of the said John Hendricks and of Joshua Minshall.
who hold in right of the said James Hendricks ; and it
appearing to me that the said John Hendricks and
Joshua Minshall are settled upon the said land by reg-
ular surveys — ordered to be made in the year 1728 of
which I approve and will order a patent or patents to
be drawn for that share of the land laid out to the said
John and James Hendricks to John Hendricks and
Joshua Minshall as soon as the Indian claim thereon
shall be satisfied — on the same terms other lands in the
countv of Lancaster shall be granted.
Philadelphia. 20th March, 1730. THO. PENN."
Witness, John Georges.
JOHN GRIST settled in Hempfield
township, Lancaster county. The name as
it appears on the patent book of Pennsyl-
vania is Greist, alias Krist or Crist.
John Grist was the first wdiite squatter on
lands w^est of the Susquehanna. He was
forcibly removed therefrom about the time
of the survey of Sir William Keith's tract
and confined at Philadelphia for the offense
of entering, unpurchased Indian lands.
About 1738 John Grist settled on two
hundred and ninety-eight acres in the west-
ern part of York county, as described in
32
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
waiTants of July 2t,, 1742, and October 25,
1747, land being on Bermudian creek in
Manchester township, in the county of Lan-
caster adjoining lands of Samuel, William
and Richard Cox.
CONESTOGA, an Indian town in ^Nlanor
township, Lancaster county. This was the
\-illage of the last remnant of the Susque-
hannock or Conestoga Indians. They called
it their new town, although they were dwel-
ling there prior to 1682, and sent from that
place to the great treaty at Shackamaxon
on Delaware, their King Canoodaghto and
his wife, Ojuncho, with others. The old
town of these Indians was on the river at
Conejohalla (Washington and Creswell,
Lancaster county), where they had a stock-
aded fort. Between the A^ears 1635 to 1675,
the exact time being in dispute, the Seneca
and Cayuga Indians came from the lakes of
New York and almost exterminated the
Susquehannocks. After this defeat they re-
moved four miles from the old town, inland,
behind Turkey Hill, and founded the new
village where Penn found them. There-
after they are called Conestogas, although
the uncertainty of their exact title is in-
dicated in treaty papers and deeds, for
in these thej^ are frequently named as
Seneca-Susquehannock - Cayuga - Iroquois-
Conestoga Indians.
Conestoga Indian town was situated
about eight miles southwest of a small In-
dian village at Lancaster and the same dis-
tance southeast of a Shawnee village at Co-
lumbia, Decanoagha. The Conestogas
dwelt back from the river east about two
and a half miles and north of the mouth of
Conestoga creek about the same distance.
The site of their town was happily located,
with an eastern and southern exposure in
a grand sloping depression behind the river
hills. Numerous springs and streams, In-
dian Tom run being the largest, with other
natural protective advantages, made the
place an Indian's ideal abode. Finally,
1762, all the inhabitants of this town were
brutally slaughtered at Lancaster by armed
white men from Paxtang in and around
Harrisburg.
SHAWNEE, or SA WANNA TOWN.
Columbia, Lancaster county. This village
was located under the shelter of the high
bluff called Chickie rock. It was an im-
portant village, being the main point to
which the Shawanese of the south were as-
signed by William Penn when they made
application to remove from North Carolina
into this province. The place seems to have
been called Deckanoagha. Professor S. S.
Haldeman, the archaeologist, excavating on
the site of this old village, discovered their
rock retreat, as he designated it, and from
which were taken many specimens of stone
and bone relics. The grave or burial
ground of this village was located at the
foot of what is now Locust street. When
excavations were made for the Philadelphia
and Reading railroad depot the writer was
able to secure a fine specimen of shell and
skull bead from one of the graves. The
Sawicka-Salunga creek referred to on the
original draft of Keith's Newberry is the
Chickasalunga. \Miether at the tiine this
stream had two names or not it is now im-
possible to state, but the variation is prob-
ably to be accounted for as a misnomer,
there being another Shawnee word —
Suickasalunga, Sawicka-Salunga.
BLUNSTON'S LICENSES TO LANDS.
In 1734 a title originated, which in con-
troversies concerning the Manor of Spring-
ettsbury, became the subject of judicial in-
vestigation. The land on the west of the
Susquehanna not having been purchased
from the Indians, no absolute title, irregular
or otherwise, could be given according to
the established usage and law. But the dis-
pute was existing with Lord Baltimore,
concerning the boundary of William Penn's
charter and the Marylanders were extend-
ing their settlements up the Susquehanna.
On the nth of January, 1733-34, a special
commission was given to Samuel Blunston,
a resident on the banks of the Susquehanna,
to encourage the settlement of the country,
and most of the titles over the Susquehanna
originated in the licenses issued by him, to
settle and take up lands on the west side of
the river. Not because the land office was
at that time closed, as has been generally
conceived, but because the office could not
be opened for those lands wdiich were not
yet purchased of the Indians. He issued
many licenses from January, 1734, to Oc-
tober, 1737, by which he promised patents
on the usual terms, when the purchases
could be made from the Indians. The first
license issued by Samuel Blunston was
SPRINGETTSBURY MANOR
33
dated the 24th of January, 1734, and the
last on the 31st of October, 1737, all of
which, and they were numerous prior to the
nth of October, 1737, were for lands out of
the Indian purchase west of the Susque-
hanna. These grants the proprietors were
bound to confirm, being issued by their
express consent, as soon as the)- purchased
the land from the natives, upon the clearest
legal principles, as expressed in the case of
Weiser's Lessee vs. Moody. (11 Yeates,
27.)
This title was always recognized, and
after the purchase made in 1736 the pro-
prietary confirmed the licenses by regular
warrants. They were likened by some to
locations, by others to warrants. They
had all the essential parts of a warrant, ex-
cept in the single circumstance of the pur-
chase money not being previously paid.
They contained a direction to make a sur-
vey, equally with a warrant, and it was the
constant usage of surveyors to make sur-
veys under them, in the same manner as
under warrants and such surveys were ac-
cepted in the office. (Lessee of Dunning
vs. Carruthers, II Yeates, 17.)
In the case of Penn's Lessee vs. Kline
(IV Dallas, 405) it is said, "In order to re-
sist the Maryland intrusions, encourage-
ments were offered by Sir William Keith,
and accepted by a number of Germans, for
forming settlements on the tract, which had
been thus surveyed; and in October, 1736,
Thomas Penn having purchased the Indian
claim to the land, empowered Samuel
Blunston to grant licenses for 12,000 acres
(which were sufficient to satisfy the rights
of those who had settled, perhaps fifty in
number) within the tract of land, commonly
called the "Manor of Springettsbury,"
under the invitations of the governor. But
in addition to such settlers, not only the
population of the tract in dispute, but of the
neighboring county, rapidly increased." In
1736, Thomas Penn was in Lancaster, and
signed warrants taken under Blunston's li-
censes. The number of Germans who had
formed settlements on the tracts is else-
where mentioned as fifty-two. In Cal-
houn's Lessee vs. Dunning (IV Dallas,
120) the inception of the plaintiff's title de-
pended upon an extract from the record of
licenses or grants by Blunston, dated
March, 1735, which was merely a minute in
these words : "John Calhoun, 200 acres on
Dunning's Run, called the Dry Spring, be-
tween Jacob Dunning and Ezekiel Dun-
ning." A number of ejectments were
brought for tracts of land, lying in York
county, in all of which the general question
was, whether the land was included in a
tract called and known by the name of a
proprietary manor duly surveyed and re-
turned into the land office, on or before the
4th day of July, 1776. The titles of the
lessers of the plaintiff, to the premises in
dispute, were regularly deduced from the
charter of Charles the Second, to William
Penn, provided there was a manor called
and known by the name of Springettsbury,
duly surveyed and returned, according to
the terms and meaning of the act of the 27th
of November, 1779. (I Smith's Laws,
480.)
On the trial of the cause already men-
tioned, evidence was given on each side to
maintain the opposite position respecting
the existence or non-existence of the Manor
of Springettsbury, from public instruments,
from the sense expressed by the proprieta-
ries, before the Revolution, in their warrants
and patents; from the sense expressed by
the land warrants and patents issued since
the Revolution ; from the practice of the
land office, and from the current of public
opinion. The general ground taken by the
plaintiff's counsel was: First, That the land
mentioned is a part of a tract called or
known by the name of a Proprietary Manor.
Second, That it was a Proprietary Manor
duly surveyed; and third, that the survey
was duly made and returned before the 4th
of July, 1776. The defendant's counsel con-
tended: First, That Sir William Keith's
warrant, being issued in 1722, without au-
thority, all proceedings on it were abso-
lutely void, and that neither the warrant
nor the survey had ever been returned into
the land office. Second, That Governor
Hamilton's warrant was issued in 1762, to
re-survey a manor which had never been
legally surveyed, and was in that respect to
be regarded as a superstructure without a
foundation. Third, that the recitals of Gov-
ernor Hamilton's warrant are not founded
in fact, and that considering the survey in
pursuance of it, as an original survey, it was
void as against compact, law and justice,
34
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the proprietor should assume, for a manor,
land settled by individuals.
The licenses granted by Thomas Penn,
in 1736, to about fifty-two settlers, in differ-
ent parts of the first, as well as second sur-
vey, in which this is called the Manor of
Springettsbury was strongly relied upon to
show that, even at that early period, it had
acquired this name. The tenor of the war-
rants afterward granted for lands within
this manor, varying from the terms of the
common warrants, marked this manor land.
There was testimony to show that the west
line of this manor was always reputed to go
considerably beyond York to Eyster's.
As some of the persons interested in the
ejectments brought for lands in Springetts-
bury Manor had purchased from the Com-
monwealth, and it would be entitled to all
arrears of purchase money if the proprietary
title should not be established, the Legisla-
ture had authorized the Governor to employ
counsel to assist the counsel of the defend-
ants. After the decision of the case of
Penn's Lessee vs. Kline, the Legislature
appointed James Ross and James Hopkins,
Esqs., to take defense in the next ejectment,
Penn's Lessee vs. GrofT, (IV Dallas, 410),
which was tried in the April term, 1806, and
upon the same charge, the same verdict was
given. The defendant's counsel, having
tendered a bill of exceptions to the charge
of the court, arrangements were made to
obtain a final decision of the Supreme
Court, upon a writ of error. It appears,
however, from the journals, that the Legis-
lature was not disposed to interfere any
further, and terms of compromise were pro-
posed and accepted by the parties. The
resolution appointing Ross and Hopkins,
counsel for the inhabitants of Springetts-
bury Manor, was passed March 31, 1806.
(P. P., 682. 8 Bioren, 474.)
The proprietary manors were
When reserved by the Legislature
Proprietary to the Penns after the Revo-
Titles lution, while their title to all
Ended. other lands in the province
was divested in favor of the
Commonwealth. The royal grant of the
Province of Pennsylvania to William Penn
was an absolute one, and the quit rents
reserved by him and his heirs, on the aliena-
tion of lands therein, became their private
property. Bv the Revolution and conse-
quent change of government, the proprie-
taries lost their right of preemption of un-
purchased land, in which the Indian title
was not extinguished. The grant to Penn
was in free and common socage; but the
Revolution and the act for vesting the es-
tates of the late proprietaries in the com-
monwealth and for the opening of the land
office, passed in 1779 and 1781, abolished all
feudal land tenures, and rendered them
purely allodial in their character, even as to
lands held by the late proprietaries in their
private capacity. At the commencement of
the war of the American Revolution, the
proprietary went to Great Britain, where he
remained, and in the year 1779, the Legis-
lature of Pennsylvania passed the act "for
vesting the estates of the late proprietaries
of Pennsylvania in this commonwealth."
It was held, however, in the courts, that the
lands within the lines of the survey of the
manor were excepted out of the general
operation of the act, and were not vested in
the commonwealth. The powers of govern-
ment and rights of property were always
kept distinct, the former being exercised by
the General Assembly, and the latter by
means of an agency, constituting what is
called a land office. After the Revolution,
the proprietaries had a land office to receive
purchase money of lands and grant patents.
The commonwealth did not receive the pur-
chase money of lands included within the
limits of manors, nor grant patents for
them. There were, in fact, two land offices.
The act of investiture contained the follow-
ing:
"x^ll and every estate of those claiming
to be proprietaries of Pennsylvania, to
which they were entitled on the 4th day of
July, 1776, in, or to the soil and land con-
tained within the limits of said province,
together with royalties, etc., mentioned or
granted in the charter of said King Charles ;
the Second shall be, and they are hereby
vested in the Commonwealth of Pennsyl-
vania.''
There was nothing in the act of 1779,
which would lead to the opinion that the
legislature was actuated by a spirit of hos-
tility against the Penn family. The great
object of the act was to transfer the right
to the soil of Pennsjdvania from the pro-
prietary to the commonwealth. This was
the great and national object. In addition
BORDER TROUBLES
35
lo the private estates of tlie family, to
manors aetuall)- siir\'eyecl and to the quit
rents reserved on the lands sold within the
manors, 120,000 pounds sterling are be-
stowed on the family amongst other con-
siderations, in remembrance of the enter-
prising spirit which distinguished the
founder of Pennsylvania. The line of par-
tition between the commonwealth and the
Penn family was to be drawn. It was
proper that the commonwealth, and Penn,
and the people of Pennsylvania, should be
able distinctly to discern it. (^larshall C.
J., 9 \\"heaton, 267.)
To have suilered the Penn family to re-
tain those rights, which they held strictly
in their proprietar}' character, would have
been inconsistent with the complete polit-
ical independence of the state. The pro-
vince was a fief held immediately from the
Crown, and the Revolution would have
operated \-ery inefficiently toward complete
emancipation, if the feudal relation had
been suffered to remain. It was therefore
necessary to extinguish all foreign interest
in the soil, as well as foreign jurisdiction in
the matter of government. (Gibson, J., 7
Sergeant and Rawle. 188.)
\\'e are then to disregard the Revolution
and these acts of Assembly as emancipating
every acre of soil in Pennsylvania from the
grand characteristic of the feudal system.
Even as to the lands held by the proprieta-
ries themselves, they held them as other
citizens held under the commonwealth, and
that by a title purely allodial. The State
became the proprietor of all lands, but in-
stead of giving them like a feudal lord to an
enslaved tenantry, she has sold them for
the best price she could get, and conferred
on the purchaser the same absolute estate
she held herself. ( \A'oodward, J., 8 A\'right,
501.)
Among the proceedings of the Supreme
Executive Council, January 25, 1787, ap-
pears the following: "A letter from Tench
Francis, Esq., requesting the delivery of a
number of counterparts of patents for
lands within the Manor of Springettsbur}-,
granted by the late proprietaries of Penn-
sylvania, now in the keeping of the secre-
tary of the land office, was laid before the
council: and on consideration, an order was
taken that the secretary of the land office
be authorized and instructed to deliver to
John Penn and John Penn, Jr., or their
attorne}', counterparts of all such patents
for lots within the Manor of Springetts-
bury as upon examination shall appear to
be entered into the Roll's office, taking their
receipt for the same." And on September
22. 1788, the following appears: "A me-
morial from John Penn, Jr., and John Penn,
by their agent, Anthony Butler, containing
a brief of their title to the i\Ianor of Spring-
ettsbury lying north of the city of Philadel-
phia, was read together with several inclos-
ures ; the memorial and inclosures were put
into the hands of the committee appointed
upon the petition of Thomas Britain and
others."
All the titles of lands in the borough of
York are derived from the Penns. The
quit rents were reserved and paid. The
agency for the Penns was in the hands of
John Cadwallader, of Philadelphia, and the
local agent was Charles A. Barnitz, and
afterward David G. Barnitz. The last pur-
chase of lands within the bounds of the
Manor of Springettsbury was made by
David Keller, of Windsor township, in 1858,
the title to the piece of land before that
being only one of occupancy by his father.
This occupancy, however, inured to ail of
his heirs as tenants in common.
CHAPTER IV
BORDER TROUBLES
Mission of Hamilton and Georges — The
Chester County Plot — Colonel Thomas
Cresap.
The history of York County, by reason of
the disputed proprietary claims, was in-
augurated by disturbances which invoh-ed
its first settlers in serious difficulties. They
had settled themselves in one of those un-
fortunate sections of country known to all
history as border land. The persons who
came west of the Susquehanna in quest of
new homes, as citizens of the province of
Pennsylvania, soon found that there were
other claimants of the soil upon which they
had planted themselves, coming here under
the authority of the government of the
province of Maryland. The broils and riots
which followed in the wake of those who
had first cleared the forests and sowed their
36
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
crops on this side of the river, filled the
annals of that period with protests and re-
monstrances, criminations and recrimina-
tions, affidavits and counter aiifidavits, un-
paralled in the archives of any other govern-
ment. AVhile it is our duty, as Pennsylva-
nians. to maintain the rights of the founder
of this commonwrealth, it is equally our duty
to examine fairly the grounds upon which
his rival proprietor on the south disputed
these rights, and made claims of his own.
The people who are embroiled in differ-
ences of the character exhibited in the docu-
ments and traditions of that period, are not,
as a general rule, to blame, especially in an
age when the sentiment of loyalty to rulers
made them regardless of the rights of
others, in behalf of those who were ready
and willing to protect them in their out-
rages. The blame must rest with those in
authority, who could have no cause for en-
couraging unlawful claims, much less for
the assertion of them by violent measures.
In all frontier settlements there are fierce
and reckless men who are eager to carry
out, by any means, what they conceive to be
the will of those in power, of whom they
are the partisans. It is a remarkable feature
in the details of those early disturbances, in
which the interests of the rival proprietaries
clashed, that the Governors of each prov-
ince for the time being apparentl)^ believed
and relied on the ex parte statements of
their partisans on the one side or the other.
It is not the Cresaps, and the Higgenboth-
ams, whom we are accustomed to consider
as marauders and disturbers of the peace, or
the A\'rights or Blunstons, whom, on the
other hand, we consider the conservators of
the peace, but those to whom was commit-
ted the government of the respective colo-
nies, and the welfare of his Majesty's sub-
jects therein, who are properly to be made
the subject of animadversion, if they failed
to use all the means in their power to re-
strain the evils existing, or from a spirit of
partisanship closed their eyes to the real
causes of those evils. The details of these
disturbances and the mutual grounds of
contention between the proprietaries are
too tedious to relate. But a narrative of
such incidents as led the respective pro-
vincial governments into the bitter contro-
versy, may not be without interest to our
people, especially to those who dwell in the
locality •where the occurrences took place.
The first complaint as to in-
Governor trusions on the west side of the
Gordon's Susquehanna, after the agree-
Letter. ment of 1724, appears in a let-
ter from Governor Gordon to
Governor Calvert, on the 14th of Septem-
ber, 1 731:
I am further creditably informed that some per-
sons of Maryland, having obtained grants of land
from youi" offices, have pretended to lay them out
over the river Susquehanna, where our Commissioners
would never allow an)' survey to be made, not only on
account of our agreement with the Indians, but also of
that made with INIaryland. Yet some of 3'our people
have pretended to large tracts thereof, which some, 'tis
affirmed, lie many miles further north than this city of
Philadelphia, and have further had assurance even to
offer them to sale to some of our inhabitants, without
making, on their parts, any scruple of the situation.
'Tis now some months since I heard the rumor of this,
but very latelv I have had a much fuller confirmation
of it.
To which complaint there was the fol-
lowing repl}' from the Governor of Mary-
land :
"As to what you mention of our people taking up
lands high up the river Susquehanna, I shall endeavor
to enquire into it as soon as possible, till when I must
beg leave to defer any further answer on that head."
(I Archives, 294.)
It would appear from this that whatever
settlers there were over the river at that
period in the territory, now the county of
York, were ostensibly there without the
knowledge or consent of either government.
The sequel will not bear this out. The com-
plaint came first from the Indians to the
government of Pennsylvania. A letter from
Samuel Blunston, of the 3d of October,
1 73 1, contains a message from Captain
Civility to Governor Gordon, that "the
Conestoga Indians had always lived in good
friendship with the Christian inhabitants of
Pennsjdvania, and have behaved themselves
agreeable to their treaties with them. That
AVilliam Penn had promised them they
should not be disturbed by any settlers on
the west side of the Susquehanna, but now,
contrary thereto, several Marylanders are
settled by the river on that side, at Conejo-
hela. And one Cresap particularly, is very
abusive to them when they pass that way.
And had beat and wounded one of their
women, who went to get apples from their
own trees. And took away her apples.
And further said, that as they shall always
take care their people do us no hurt, so they
BORDER TROUBLES
37
also expect we shall protect them." (I
Archives, 295.)
This incident, trivial as it may
Complaints seem, introduces and exposes
Against the character of the principal
Cresap. participant, on the side of
Alaryland, in our border trou-
bles. In this same Jetter it is said, in a post-
script, "that James Logan had said he
should be glad if Cresap could be taken,"
and Samuel Blunston writes, "we have now
just cause to apprehend him for a breach
of the law in entertaining and protecting a
bound servant, belonging to one of our peo-
ple, and threatening to shoot any person
who shall offer to take away said servant.
If you think it will be of any service to the
government to have him taken, he believed
it may be done." According to an affidavit
of Thomas Cresap, made by him on the
29th of January, 1732, he had lived on the
west side of the Susquehanna river since
the loth of March, as tenant of Lord Balti-
more, by virtue of his lordship's grant and
patent. He was the owner of a ferry oppo-
site a point on the river called Blue Rock.
The incident which occasioned his affidavit
requires mention, because it first drew the
governors of the rival provinces into angry
controversy. He made oath that one day,
about the last of October, he heard the re-
port of three guns at the Blue Rock, the
signal usually made by people who want to
come over, the river. That he and Samuel
Chance, who was a laborer with him, went
over the river, and that he saw two men
and a negro whom he took into his boat.
He then details an assault upon him, that
after a struggle they threw him into the
river, out of his depth, and went away with
his boat and his servant, and that he was
rescued from an island after night by an In-
dian. He complained to a magistrate in
Pennsylvania, Mr. Cornish, against the
men, and when he demanded a warrant the
magistrate inquired where he lived. He
said he was an inhabitant of Maryland, a
tenant of Lord Baltimore, upon which the
magistrate told him he knew no reason he
had to expect anj^ justice there since he was
a liver in Maryland.
It appears, however, that the magistrate
granted Cresap his warrant, and that the
men were apprehended and bound over to
court, and were indicted, convicted and
fined for the assault. This deposition was
sent to the Governor of Maryland, and a
full account of the matter was also sent to
Lord Baltimore. Governor Ogle sent a
copy of the deposition to Governor Gordon,
and complained in his letter of the saying
b}' Cornish, that he knew no reason why
Cresap had to expect justice there, since he
was a liver in Maryland. And that Cresap
was in great fear of other injuries from the
behavior of the magistrate and other cir-
cumstances, and tliat some Indians said
they were offered a good reward by John
Cartlidge, of Conestoga, to drive Cresap
and his family off his land and burn his
house. The affidavit of Cresap also stated
that a great number of horses and mares,
which were claimed by James Patterson and
others, inhabitants of Pennsylvania, had
been very injurious and troublesome to him
and his neighbors, in throwing down their
fences and destroying their corn. This
matter of the horses becomes important,
because of another incident arising out of
the killing of the horses, which led to the
arrest and incarceration of persons on both
sides, and my Lord Baltimore became a par-
ticipant in the scenes that were enacted on
this border land of ours. To the letter of
Governor Ogle, Governor Gordon replied,
among other things, that "Cresap, believing
himself aggrieved, applied to one of our
magistrates, telling him that he was an in-
habitant of Maryland. In which application
it must be owned that he had a large share
of assurance, for Justice Cornish lives more
northerly than Philadelphia, and Cresap's
dwelling, by his own description of the Blue
Rock, cannot be less than live miles north-
ward. That justice had been administered
in Pennsylvania, and that as to the fray, the
government was in no way concerned in it,
unless justice was denied, which was not
the case. "For 'tis plain the whole amounts
to no more than that a quarrel happened
between Cresap and some others in Penn-
sylvania, which he thinks lit to call Mary-
land."
It appears from this and
Maryland throughout the whole contro-
Intruders. versy, that the Pennsylvanians
continually resented the intru-
sions of the Marylanders into their territory,
above a designated line, while on the other
hand the ^Iar\'landers, with the connivance
38
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
of tlieir government, refused to recognize
that line and collisions occurred necessarily
incident to settlements under such conflict-
ing claims. The lands about the Codorus
and Conewago were attractive, as Gover-
nor Gordon wrote in the course of the cor-
respondence, "and some Maryland gentle-
men cast their eyes on those lands made
valuable by the neighborhood of our in-
habitants, and it suited their purposes to
settle such persons there as would intimi-
date Pennsylvanians. and give some coun-
tenance to their claims." In the year 1729,
Charles Carroll, as appears by a petition of
his, about the time of the commencement
of our border troubles, located a warrant
of 10,000 acres on the vacant lands lying on
Pipe Creek, and Codorus and Conewago
Creeks, and lands contiguous, according to
the accustomed method used within his
lordship's province. This location was in
possession of the surveyor of Baltimore
County and was renewed from time to time.
Charles Carroll states in his petition that,
apprehending some cultivation made during
the former location, which the said warrant
could not effect, he had obtained a special
warrant to take up the same on express
terms. About the 14th of June. 1732, he
and John Ross went to view the lands, the
better to inform themselves how to finish a
survey of the same, and on the 21st of that
month they came to the house of John Hen-
dricks, on the Susquehanna River. The
complaint of Carroll was that Avhile they
were at Hendrick's house several persons
came there with a warrant from Justice
Wright to arrest John Tradane. of the prov-
ince of Maryland, resident at Monocacy.
and which they were told was intended to
try whether they would interfere, by object-
ing to the power of Pennsylvania. But they
took no notice of the proceedings. Carroll
complained that John Wright, Jr., a son of
the Justice, had said "that in case the hom-
iny gentry hindered their executing the
warrant, they themselves should be put in
prison, and that the best of their hominy
gentry in Mar3dand should not get them
out, and that if the Governor were there
they would serve him in the same manner;
that they would teach them to come to take
their lands, and that neither they nor their
Marylanders should come there to make a
hominv countrv of their lands." He com-
plained also, he said, of other reflecting and
abusi\e language to that purport. The
complaint of Carroll also set out that one
James Patterson, who came over, said that
all the lands thereabout belonged to the
Penns. That James Logan advised the peo-
ple of Pennsylvania to stand up manfully
against the Marylanders, and that Patter-
son said, for his own part, he would fight to
his knees in blood before he should lose his
plantations on either side of the river. Car-
roll asked him if ever he had a patent under
Penn for his plantation or the lands he
claimed, or had a warrant for taking it up,
to which Patterson answered that he had
neither warrant nor patent, and Carroll
then said that Logan's advice was danger-
ous. This memorial of Charles Carroll was
presented for the purpose of praying pro-
tection from the ^Maryland government in
executing his warrant, and settling the
lands, as they, the petition said, would have
to repel force b}^ force.
James Patterson had been set-
James tied, according to Governor
Patterson. Gordon, on Springettsbury
Manor, for several years, but
because it was a manor he had no patent.
Patterson had a plantation on this side of
the river, but resided on the east side. He
had, it appears, a number of horses neces-
sary for carrying goods and skins in his
trade with the Indians. Some of the family
of John Lowe killed his horses, whereupon
he came in the night time with a warrant,
and the sheriff's posse, to arrest two of
Lowe's sons. Daniel and William Lowe.
But they also seized John Lowe, the father,
and he, being brought before Justices
Blunston and AVright. and nothing appear-
ing against him, was discharged. Affidavits
made by John Lowe and Thomas Cresap
were sent to Governor Ogle, representing
the arrest to have been made with great
violence. In Cresap's affidavit it is repre-
sented that Patterson had said he would
let them know that they were prisoners of
Pennsylvania. Cresap said that if Lord
Baltimore would not protect them in their
rights and land, they, the inhabitants of the
west side of the river, must appeal to the
King. To which Patterson answered "that
they had no business with the King, or the
King with them, for Penn was their King."
Such were the representations sent for
BORDER TROUBLES
39
the grave consideration of the proprietary
and authorities of Maryland. John Lowe,
in his afiiidavit, represented that the party
came in the dead of night and arrested him
in hed, and violently dragged him on the
ground and over the river on the ice and
kept him in custody the remaining part of
the night. The consequent struggle arising
from the resistance to the arrest was made
the ground of complaint for riot in Mary-
land. The affair was communicated to
Lord Baltimore, and a letter was received
from him by Governor Gordon. As this
letter came from a person of such dignity,
and as it contains his own opinion of his
rights, and his claim to obedience in this
particular, it is given in full :
Annapolis, Dec. 15th, 1732.
Sir — By the enclosed precept, founded upon informa-
tion given upon oath to a magistrate here, you will see
that a most outrageous riot hath lately been committed
in my province, by a great number of people calling
themselves Pennsylvanians. It appears by the same
information that some of your magistrates, instead of
preventing or discouraging these violences, countenance
and abet the authors of them ; whether with or without
the approbation of your government, you best know.
For my own part, I think myself in honor and justice
obliged, and I am determined, to protect such of his
majesty's subjects who axe my own tenants, in all their
rights, and therefore, to the end the persons com-
plained of may be punished, if upon a fair trial they
shall be found guilty, I desire that they or such of them
as can be found in your province, may be sent without
loss of time into this, as the only and proper place,
where the fact with which they are charged is cogniz-
able, and where my officers will be ready to receive
them, particularly the sheriffs and justices of my coun-
ties of Baltimore and Cecil. I also desire that such of
your magistrates as shall appear to have encouraged the
commission of these or any other violences in my pro-
vince by the people of Pennsylvania, may be punished
for their abuse of authority, and that you'll favor me
with a categorical answer to these my just demands by
this bearer. Your Humble Servant,
Baltimore.
Addressed thus : To his Excellency Patrick Gordon,
Esq.. at Philadelphia. (I Archives, 393.)
The letter enclosed a precept for the ar-
rest of the persons concerned in the alleged
riot. Lord Baltimore was then at x\n-
napolis, and was of course acquainted wnth
the location of the scene of this affair. Li
a subsequent letter, he speaks of it as
having taken place in the province of Mary-
land.
At a meeting of the Pro-
The Report vincial Council held at Phila-
of Wright delphia on the 9th of January,
. and I733. the Governor ac-
Blunston. quainted the Board with the
letter of Lord Baltimore, to-
gether with a report of the affair from
Wright and Blunston. The statements of
this report are material to the consideration
of the question regarding the claims of the
respective provinces, to allow settlements
within the territory west of the river Sus-
c|uehanna, and north of Philadelphia. The
substance of it is as follows:
In the year 1729, when the county of
Lancaster was formed, the southern bound-
ary was, by the order, to be Octorara Creek
and the province of Maryland, and includ-
ing the inhabitants, to lie open to the west-
ward. But as the line between the prov-
inces was never run nor the exact bound-
aries known, no authority was claimed over
those few families settled to the northward
of Octoraro, bj' or under pretense of Mary-
land rights. They remained undisturbed,
though many inhabitants of Pennsylvania
lived some miles to the southward of them.
At that time there were no English in-
habitants on the west side of the Susque-
hanna River, in those parts, for, about two
years before, Edward Parnell and several
other families who were settled on the west
side of the river near the same, at a place
called by the Indians Conejohela, were at
the request of the Conestoga Indians re-
moved by the Governor — the Indians insist-
ing upon the same to be vacant for them.
But about two years since, Thomas Cresap
and some other people of loose morals and
turbulent spirits came and disturbed the In-
dians who were peaceably settled on those
lands from whence Parnell and the others
had been removed — burnt their cabins, and
destroyed their goods and drove them
away. The former settlers were good citi-
zens of Pennsylvania, and before Cresap
and his company none had settled by a
Maryland claim, so far to the northward by
nearly thirty miles. These men would fly
to our laws for redress against their own
party, and they who had fled from their
creditors into this province when creditors
would pursue them hither, would cry Mary-
land. They disturbed the peace of the gov-
ernment, carried people out of the province
by violence, took away guns from friendly
Indians, tied and made them prisoners
without any offense given, and threatened
ill who should oppose them. They killed
the horses of such of our people whose trade
with the Indians made it necessary to keep
them on that side of the river for carrying
40
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
their goods and skins, and assaulted and
threatened to look after them. That this
usage obliged James Patterson to apply to
them for a warrant to apprehend and bind
to the peace the two young men who had
been most active, Daniel and William
Lowe, and they were dismissed on security
for their good behavior and appearance at
court. They then say, that if they had sup-
posed the issuing of their warrants would
have given the least offense to Lord Balti-
more, or that he would have looked upon
those persons as his subjects and under his
protection, they would have represented
the case to the Governor and waited his
direction. (Ill Col. Rec, 470.)
AVith this report they sent affidavits
which were read before the board. The
affidavits showed that Patterson was in-
formed that his horses were killed near
Lowe's plantation and that his sons said
they would kill all the horses that came
upon that land, and would tie and whip all
he should send over thither. The constable,
Charles Jones, to whom the precept was
directed, having formerly met with resist-
ance from these people and fearing new in-
sults, for Thomas Cresap and his associates
had threatened to shoot any officer who
should come into those parts to do his duty,
though he only took his staff himself, yet
he thought it necessary to have a suitable
strength, took in all nine men with him.
Amongst them were only three guns, and
these not loaded, serving only as an appear-
ance of defense. They went quietly to the
house of Lowe, the father, and the door
being opened apprehended Daniel and Wil-
liam Lowe, his two sons. They made no
disturbance but what was occasioned by
the resistance of the prisoners, and those
who came to their relief. That Lowe's
house, where his sons were taken, is several
miles more northerly than Philadelphia
(which appears by a well known line that
had been run about forty years since on a
due west course from the city to the Sus-
quehanna, in order to a more certain dis-
covery of the country) and that there are
about 400 people living more southerly
than Lowe's house who pay taxes in the
county of Lancaster, and have always
acknowledged themselves inhabitants of
Pennsylvania.
The council having fullv considered the
said letters and affidavits and remarking on
the style and manner of Lord Baltimore's
letter, which they conceived too perempt-
ory, were inclined to think that his lord-
ship had left room for no other answer than
barely to acquaint him that the supposed
riot was committed within the reputed and
known bounds of Pennsylvania; and conse-
quently not cognizable by him. Lord Balti-
more, in a letter of the -isth of February,
1733, says "that it is the first instance in
his majesty's plantations, when rioters and
people levying war against any of his sub-
jects, have been denied to be delivered up to
the government in which the offense was
committed, on proper application, and such
I make no doubt mine will appear to have
been in due time." These facts appear
upon the records of the Provincial Council,
and are of no importance historically,
except so far as they bear upon the conduct
of the government in relation to them. The
excited state of the parties immediately
concerned in these quarrels is manifested
by their violence of language. Conse-
quently we find the depositions on either
side laying stress on words used. Several
witnesses deposed that they heard Cresap
say, that if the sheriff of Pennsylvania or
any other officer from thence, came to take
any person on the west side of the Susque-
hanna River he would shoot them, for they
had pistols and guns and would use them in
their own defense. And with regard to a
higher person in authority it was deposed
that Cresap said he had been at Annapolis,
and in council Lord Baltimore assured him
that as he had received money for the land
on which Cresap lived, he would defend him
from the proprietor of Pennsylvania, al-
though Lord Baltimore did believe that
when the division line between the prov-
inces was run, Cresap's lands would fall in
Pennsylvania. But until that line was run,
he would protect him, and thereupon gave
him a commission of the peace, as a magis-
trate for the county of Baltimore, and with
it gave him a strict charge to apprehend
any person coming out of Pennsylvania,
bearing arms, or committing the least
offense whatsoever, and be sure to take no
security of them but such as were free-
holders in Mar3-land. (I Archives, 356.)
On another occasion Cresap said he had
been at Annapolis since the arrival of Lord
BORDER TROUBLES
41
Baltimore, had been very kindly received by
his lordship, and had got his commission to
be a Justice of the Peace, and added that
his lordship would never execute the agree-
ment made between him and the proprie-
tors of Pennsylvania, because they had
cheated his lordship by imposing a false
map of the country upon him, and that his
lordship would rather choose to pay the
£5,000 forfeiture, mentioned in the agree-
ment, than comply with the terms of it.
And that he, Cresap, had heard this at
Annapolis from gentlemen of note there.
(I Archives, 375.)
At a meeting of the Provincial
Governor Council, held at Philadelphia on
Ogle's the 14th of February, 1733, the
Letter. Governor informed the board
that he had received a letter
from the Lieutenant-Governor of Maryland,
enclosing one from Lord Baltimore, by
Avhich it appeared that his lordship, not-
withstanding what had been written to him,
continued to insist on the demands made in
his former letter, of delivering up those
persons concerned in the execution of the
warrant issued against the sons of John
Lowe. In this communication Governor
Ogle says : "His lordship cannot but be sur-
prised to find your magistrates are justified
in issuing warrants for the appreliension of
persons in his lordship's province before the
lines are run and bounds settled, which are
stipulated by the articles to be done, and
that probably such may fall within the gov-
ernment of Maryland, when the lines are
run. If this is the case, his Lordship thinks
it should not be so useful and necessary to
name commissioners or to run the line
intended by the articles, since every magis-
trate may, on the one hand, take upon them,
though no lines are run, to distinguish the
bounds and each government protect
them." (Ill Col. Rec, 481.)
The Council expressing their surprise
that Lord Baltimore should, without taking
the least notice of what the Governor had
written to him, have thought fit to insist on
the former demands in so peremptory a
manner, came to the unanimous resolution
that for the reasons contained in the said
letter, his Lordship's demand is by no
means to be complied with, and that the
same should be signified to his Lordship in
very plain terms. And they directed.
among other things, the Governor to say, in
his letter to Lord Baltimore, that the
offense was only cognizable in Pennsyl-
vania, the place where it was done, and that
his Lordship may be assured that this gov-
ernment shall have such a strict regard to
do impartial justice between all its inhabi-
tants, that John Lowe, if the case be as he
represents it, on a proper application, may
depend on being redressed in due course of
law. That the demand of his Lordship was
not a sufficient reason for delivering up a
freeman of Pennsylvania to be tried in
Maryland. That those persons were as
independent of Maryland as were his of
Pennsylvania, and though his principles and
those of the greatest part of the inhabitants
of Pennsylvania, allowed of no force, except
that of the civil magistrates, yet, being pro-
tected by his Majestj^'s wisdom and justice,
we apprehend no danger from the different
principles and superior strength of Mary-
land.
We have now come to a tragic incident,
in these unfortunate disturbances, which
had the effect of prolonging the unpleasant
attitude of the rulers of the rival provinces
toward each other, and after a continued
voluminous and acrimonious correspond-
ence, and further disturbances, resulted in
the arrest of Cresap and his being held for
trial. According to a letter from Samuel
Blunston to Thomas Penn, proprietary, on
the 30th of January, 1734, on information
that Cresap and several hands were to be at
John Hendricks' to square logs for a house
and build a float for the ferry, John Wright,
with Sheriff Emerson and others, went over
the river with intent to proceed against
Cresap and his party for forcible entry.
The workmen were arrested and committed
to jail. An attempt was made to arrest
Cresap at his house, and one of the sheriff's
men was shot in the leg, from the effects of
which wound he died. The unfortunate
man who was shot was Knowles Daunt,
and it appeared from the affidavits that he
was killed by Cresap. Blunston wrote that
they were extremely concerned at this rash
and indiscreet procedure, not knowing
what use might be made of it, for they
heard that Cresap had set out for Maryland,
and would doubtless give a relation far
beyond the truth, and that it was possible
the government of Marvland might write to
42
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANL\
our government about it. "Pray don't fail
to let us hear from thee at our court, for we
seem to be much at loss how to proceed
against them we have taken, as well as
what to say of the madness of the other."
(I Archives, 410.)
A letter came from the government of
Maryland, as was expected, and some
extracts may not be uninteresting from the
ensuing correspondence, bearing on the
controversy. Governor Ogle, February 24,
1734: "It has always been my constant aim
and view to prevent all disturbances as
much as possible, having always hopes that
the quiet and peaceable behaviour of our
people, would, at least, induce those under
your government to follow their example,
and for this reason, notwithstanding the
repeated violences committed against his
Lordship's tenants on the borders, I have
given them frequent orders not to offer the
least injury to any person whatsoever, but
when defending themselves against any
unjust attack, which may be made upon
them. What gives me the greatest con-
cern is that these people were headed when
they came over the river by two persons
acting as magistrates under your commis-
sion, Mr. AVright and Mr. Smout. For
now that things are come to that pass that
magistrates, at the head of a parcel of des-
perate fellows, come out of one province
and attack in the night time a magistrate in
another, where blood is shed. Nobody can
tell what dismal consequences may follow
it, if not prevented in time. Therefore, I
hope you will show that discountenance to
your magistrates which ma}^ effectually dis-
courage others from committing the like
offenses. I do assure you I have ordered
Mr. Cresap, (by whose hand the death of
the person is supposed to have happened)
into the custody of the Sheriff of Baltimore
County, that he may be forthcoming at the
next assizes to be held for that county, on
the first Tuesday of next April, in order for
his trial, and I hope for the satisfaction of
justice you will give official orders to com-
pel any witnesses under your protection to
be at the assizes for the discovery of truth.
I am afraid we should but ill answer
His Majesty's gracious approbation of us,
if we neglect to take the most proper steps
in laying before His Majesty the unsettled
condition of our confines — making applica-
tion to our proprietors on this head, and
pressing them to procure His Majesty's
directions herein." (I Archives, 414.)
Governor Gordon, March 8,
The Case 1734: "It is with a very deep
of John concern that I observe com-
Hendricks. plaints arising and multiply-
ing, and that you stem to
charge this pro^•ince with a prevailing
humor to rioting. . . . John Hendricks had
for several years past, and I think for some
years before any settlement was attempted
in these parts by any parties from Mary-
land, been seated on the west side of the
Susquehanna, about four or five miles
higher up the river above those since made
by Cresap and his associates, and had
obtained a grant and survey for the land on
which he now dwells, and where he has
lived peaceably until Cresap took it into his
head, with divers others, to enter upon the
possession of Hendricks, and when they
were desired to leave the place, and desist
from their unlawful attempts, the owner of
the lands was insulted and menaced by
Cresap, and such as he thought fit from
time to time to encourage in their proceed-
ings. This occasioned complaint to our
magistrates, who took care to have the best
council and advice how to proceed. . . .
Accordingly, the magistrates went over,
and when they came to Hendricks' land,
they found eight men at work, whom I am
sorry you call his Lordship's tenants,
felling and squaring his timber, and build-
ing a house within 100 j^ards of Hendricks'
door. ... I am really troubled to find you
saying in your letter that I know that
Cresap is one of your magistrates. I assure
you, sir, that I did not. I know that he has
generally been said to be. From our
knowledge of him we have no reason to
consider him other than an incendiary or
public disturber of the peace of both gov-
ernments, and the main cause and prompter
of all late contentions that have happened
between us, and indeed the first placing of
him there has always appeared to us not
easy to be accounted for. I cannot compre-
hend in what sense their (the magistrates)
going out of one province into another is to
be understood, for I never yet heard it
alleged that Susquehanna River was a
boundary between Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania. Nothing can be more certain than
BORDER TROUBLES
43
that their boundary on the north of the one
and soutli of the other, must be a due east
and west line, and therefore the opposite
parts of the shore of that river must neces-
sarily be both in the same province.
"To my great trouble I am to observe
that I received a melancholy letter from
John Hendricks and Joshua JNIinshall, dated
from the gaol at Annapolis, with copies
signed by your Sheril¥ of their commitment
by yourself and some members of your
Council, dated the second day of last month,
that is three days before the date of your
letter, and in this commitment I find the
true allegations against them are for having
disparaged his Lordship's title, that is,' in
other terms, as may well be supposed, that
they asserted their right to their own set-
tlement under Pennsylvania, about ten
miles by our computation more northerly
than Philadelphia, where neither his Lord-
ship nor any for him then made, unless it
be now done, any claim whatsoever. We
have also heard of the manner of taking
them, viz. : that the Sheriff of Baltimore
County, with above twenty men, armed
with guns, pistols, swords and cutlasses,
traveled up thither to apprehend two men,
who were quietly following their business
on theic plantations. 'Tis said also, that
this is done by way of reprisal, and to intim-
idate, that is because our magistrates, in a
most peaceable and legal manner, removed
a forced and most unjust entry, you must
make a prisoner of the man upon whom that
force was committed, and over whom you
can claim no manner of right. . . . There
must be some certain known limits for the
exercise of pow-ers of government, without
which his ^Majesty's subjects cannot pos-
sibly be secured in their persons or estates,
such known limits as we alwa3rs had till
now within these two years, for the pro-
prietors had by mutual agreement con-
cluded an absolute determination of all dis-
putes and differences on these heads, with-
out any regard to which one Cresap has
been authorized, or at least countenanced,
with a pocket dial, as divers persons of
credit have afifirmed, to scatter and plant
pieces of Maryland and his Lordship's ten-
ants, as they are called, where he and they
please, and the removal of these abuses, in
a legal way, is called rioting. His Majesty's
peaceable subjects are hurried off' their
rightful settlements into distant prisons to
the danger of their health and lives, and
now in the springtime, to the irreparable
injury of their families, who depend for
their bread on their labor and care. This
further shows the absolute necessity of
applying to his Majesty, without any delay.
... In the first place calling for a repara-
tion of this last injury to Hendricks and
Minshall, and that Cresap may be delivered
to receive his trial in this province, in which
he perpetrated the murder. I must earn-
estly beseech you that we may concert
some certain, just and equitable measures
for preserving peace between his Majesty's
subjects in both governments." (I Arch-
ives, 417.)
MISSION OF HAMILTON AND
GEORGES.
Thomas Penn, proprietary, on the 14th of
May, 1734, informed the Council that the
business then to be considered by them
related to some very unneighborly proceed-
ings of the province of Maryland, in not
only harassing some of the inhabitants of
this province who live on the border, but
likewise extending their claims much fur-
ther than had heretofore been pretended to
be ]\Iaryland, and carrying off several per-
sons and imprisoning them. That some
time since they carried off" John Hendricks
and Joshua Minshall from their settlements
on Susquehanna, and still detain them in
the jail at Annapolis. The proprietor said
he intended to make use of the opportunity
of Hamilton's going to Annapolis (Andrew
Hamilton, Esq., who was to appear for the
prisoners), to press the Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor of Maryland to enter into such meas-
ures as should be most advisable for pre-
venting such irregular proceedings for the
future, and as he designed that his secre-
tar}^, John Georges, should accompan}'
Hamilton, he had drawn up instructions for
them. Whereupon the Council desired
that credentials be granted for the purpose
mentioned. (III. Col. Rec. 542.)
Hamilton and Georges made their visit
to Maryland, and on their return made a
full report to the proprietor. (III. Col.
Rec. 547.) Hamilton attended the Coun-
cil, and made a narrative verbally of the
proceedings had in the Provincial Court of
!\Iarvland against those who were carried
44
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
off prisoners from this government, and the
arguments he had advanced for obtaining
their discharge. Hamilton and Georges re-
ported that they arrived at Annapolis on
the 20th of May about sunset. Soon after
coming to their lodgings they went to speak
Vk^ith John Hendricks and Joshua Minshall
in prison, but were not suffered to see them
until the next morning, when, going again,
they were after some time admitted to the
speech of the prisoners, who gave an ac-
count of their uneasiness in a most un-
wholesome prison ; as likewise the best ac-
count they could of the several charges
alleged against them. They waited upon
Gov. Ogle, and delivered him a letter from
the Lieutenant-Governor of Pennsylvania,
and acquainted him that they were sent to
concert proper measures for the peace and
good neighborhood between the two gov-
ernments, and to desire a discharge of four
of our inhabitants who were imprisoned at
Annapolis. To which he was pleased to
answer that he was ready to cultivate
any measures with the government of
Pennsylvania which would answer that pur-
pose; and at the same time took occasion to
say that our inhabitants were imprisoned
for much greater offenses than probably
they were aware of. To which they
answered that the}' had no other way of
coming at the knowledge of the cause of
their imprisonment but by their several
commitments, and by those, as they con-
ceived, there seemed scarce a color for such
proceedings as had been taken against
them. They added, further, that supposing
the offenses were -really committed, and as
great as his excellency was pleased to al-
lege, yet the place where they were com-
mitted, as well as the place where the men
were taken, was clearly beyond all the
former claims of Maryland, and therefore it
was their opinion the men were very hardly
dealt by.
Gov. Ogle began to enumerate the many
abuses the inhabitants of Maryland had
suffered from those of Pennsylvania, and
that since his accession to the government
of Maryland, he had taken all possible care
to be entirely on the defensive side, and was
resolved to continue so, but at the same
time he could not suffer Lord Baltimore's
right to be so violently encroached upon,
and his character so publicly aft'ronted
within his Lordship's own government.
"For," added he, "we claim no bounds but
what are given to his Lordship by the ex-
press words of his charter." However, he
expressed his willingness to enter into any
reasonable measures for preserving the
peace ; and to show his readiness, proposed
their meeting him in council, the next day,
about ten o'clock, at his own house, to
which they readily agreed. And then he
was pleased to invite them to dine with him,
which they did accordingly. They reduced
to writing the heads of what they were to
propose, and on the day appointed they met
Gov. Ogle, and he said to them that he was
glad to find our government seemed at last
To agree to what he had long ago proposed
in his letters to the Governor of Pennsyl-
\ania, to lay their unhappy misunderstand-
mgs before his Majesty, and in the mean-
time forbear making anjr encroachments
upon one another, which he thought was
the most likely way for preserving peace
among the people; yet he fixed upon
nothing certain by which the jurisdiction of
the respective governments could be known.
The Governor proposed that they ought to
join without delay in representing to the
King the unsettled state of the two prov-
inces, and the necessity of his Majesty's
mterposition.
They finding this method of
Hendricks treaty was not likely to pro-
and duce any certain conclusion,
Minshall delivered to his Excellency a
Arrested. written representation, which
set out the complaints on the
part of Pennsylvania: That under the agree-
ment of 1724 and that made in 1732, most
careful provision was made for the ease and
quiet of all his Majesty's subjects, whose es-
tates or possessions should be affected by
the same, and that the description of the
southern boundaries of Pennsylvania might
be very nearly discovered without new
actual surveys, notwithstanding which two
of his Majesty's subjects, to wit, John Hen-
dricks and Joshua Minshall, inhabitants of
Lancaster County, settled upon lands le-
gally surveyed and patented to them under
the proprietors of Pennsylvania, on the west
side of the river Susquehanna, had been
taken at their homes, which were at least
eight miles to the northward of Philadel-
phia, and about twenty-three miles to the
BORDER TROUBLES
45
northward of the line agreed upon by the
aforesaid articles to be the northern bounds
of Maryland, which line runs near the
mouth of Octoraroe Creek, to the north-
ward of which Maryland has never exer-
cised any jurisdiction, except over thirteen
families, that is known to Pennsylvania, till
within two or three years, about the time
when an absolute boundary was agreed
upon by the proprietors, though Pennsyl-
vania has maintained its government as far
southward as the mouth of the said creek
for above these thirty years.
In the afternoon they endeavored to
speal* privately with Hendricks and Min-
shall and the two "Rothwells, who were in
prison. The jail was so noisome they could
not go near it, but taking with them gentle-
men of Maryland, they prevailed with the
Sheriff to speak with them at his own house.
They inquired particularly into the manner
and cause of their commitment. They all
gave the greatest assurances that they had
never spoken any time of Lord Baltimore or
his government that they could remember;
that they never had any conversation with
any one about Lord Baltimore or his gov-
ernment but upon their own plantations,
and Hendjicks and Minshall insisted that
no person could swear any such thing
against them, unless Cresap should be so
wicked, who had threatened to ruin them.
They applied themselves how they should
get Hendricks and Alinshall into court, who
had been committed by the government and
Council. They attempted to get a habeas
corpus and consulted on the law Mr. Calder,
who gave his opinion of the difficulties he
apprehended they might meet with in the
defense of the prisoners, which led them
into thoughts of employing some other
eminent gentleman of the law, who by his
credit with the people and acquaintance
with the practice of the court might be able
to do the prisoners some service. But to
their great disappointment they found them
all engaged on the side of Lord Baltimore.
At least there was none could be prevailed
on against him. When their paper was pre-
sented. Gov. Ogle went on to enumerate all
the differences that had happened upon the
borders of the two governments since his
coming to Maryland. He alluded to the
affair of Patterson and Lowe, and the great
abuses he said had been committed in mani-
fest contempt of Lord Baltimore's govern-
ment upon Cresap. All these he aggravated
in such manner as if he had been speaking
to men who had never heard of them before.
They thought it necessary to show that they
were no strangers to these facts, and were
not to be imposed upon by such a repre-
sentation, and answered him as had been
represented Isy Gov. Gordon.
Gov. Ogle declared that Hendricks and
Minshall were under prosecution in the Pro-
vincial Court, which was then sitting, and
that he would not interpose but let the law
take its course. So they parted that day,
after which time Gov. Ogle troubled himself
no more about the formality of a Council.
The Governor delivered to them an answer
in writing to their representations, in which
he desired them immediately to join with
him in an application to his most gracious
Majesty. In considering this paper they
were not satisfied that it was proper for
them to agree to join in such representation,
but rather that the proprietors themselves
or their lieutenant-governor should do so,
and they concluded upon a paper which they
delivered Gov. Ogle at his own house on
the 24th of May. The Governor received
them without any form and with civility, as
if nothing had passed the day before, and
promised them an answer by the next morn-
ing. In this paper they said they were now
.ready to agree upon any bounds that should
be judged reasonable for limiting the pres-
ent jurisdiction of the two governments
without prejudice to the rights of the pro-
prietor thereof, and that proclamation
should be issued to forbid all persons within
the respective governments from making
any new settlements near the borders under
the severest penalties. And that they were
ready further to agree to remove any new
settlements that had been made upon such
bounds as should be agreed upon, lest the
same may disturb the quiet of their govern-
ments, until the boundaries be actually set-
tled between the proprietors themselves or
until his Majesty's pleasure be known there-
in. And as they were well assured that a
representation to his Majesty would be most
agreeable to their government, they did not
in the least doubt that their proprietors, or
their Lieutenant-Governor, would readily
join with the Right Honorable, the Lord
Proprietor of Maryland, or himself, in such
46
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
a one as may best conduce to put an end to
the misunderstandings which have arisen
between the governments by reason of the
present uncertainty of the respective bouna-
aries. To this Gov. Ogle answered that he
had beheved that they were invested with a
suiificient power to agree to any reasonable
proposals for accommodating the pres-
ent disputes, and preventing any of a like
kind for the future, and upon that hope had
offered the particular methods mentioned in
his letter of the 23d inst. as very reasonable
and the most proper for those desirable
ends. But since he perceived by their paper
that they thought themselves not sufficient-
ly authorized to join with him in his just
and reasonable propositions, he hoped that
on their return they would receive more
ample powers for their agreement with him.
Hamilton and Georges then said, in their
report, that they saw from their first waiting
on Gov. Ogle, they had no reason to expect
any success in the business they were sent
to prosecute, and that they saw plainly by
his last paper that Gov. Ogle was resolved
to avoid doing everything that might pre-
vent any further differences upon the bound-
aries, and observing the ill use that he made
of their saying that their proprietors or
lieutenant-governor would readily join in a
representation to his Majesty, and that he
had construed those words into their think-
ing themselves not sufficiently qualified to"
join with him in what he calls his just and
reasonable propositions ; in order to remo\e
that objection, they drew up a paper and
delivered the same to him on the 27th of
May, which would have been delivered
sooner but they were obliged to give their
attendance at court when the case of the
prisoners was under consideration. That
paper said they were ready on the part of
Pennsylvania, at the same time that they
agree upon some reasonable boundaries for
limiting the jurisdiction of the two govern-
metits, to join with his Excellency in a just
representation to his Majesty of the uncer-
tainty of the present boundaries between the
two governments, occasioned by not execut-
ing the articles of agreement solemnly en-
tered into and concluded between the Right
Honorable, the Lord Proprietor of Mary-
land and the Honorable the Proprietor of
Pennsylvania, in May, 1732, and to pray his
Majesty that he would be graciously pleased
to interpose and enjoin the execution of the
said agreement according to the true intent
and meaning thereof, in such manner as his
Majesty should please to direct. After this
they heard no more from Gov. Ogle, though
they stayed till the 30th of the month.
In the meantime they made the most
pressing instances to the Provincial Court
to have our people discharged. But that
could not be granted lest it should be under-
stood as giving up his Lordship's right to
the lands in cjuestion, as appears by the min-
utes of these men's case taken at the hear-
ing. Though being denied any relief for the
prisoners by the Provincial Court, and Gov.
Ogle having taken no notice of. what they
said or proposed in their paper of the 27th,
they thought a longer stay could be of no
purpose and thereupon they resolved to rep-
resent Gov. Ogle a just reason our gov-
ernment had to complain of the unreason-
able proceedings of Maryland, and the abso-
lute necessity they were under to take
proper measurers for the protection of his
Majesty's subjects under the government of
Pennsylvania, and accordingly on the 30th
of the month they drew up a memorial. But
the Governor, Ogle, being said to be indis-
posed that day, they waited on him the next
morning and delivered it to him, which he
received, and, without reading it, desired his
compliments might be made to Mr. Gordon
and to those that he knew at Philadelphia,
and wished them a safe return. In this
memorial they enumerated the refusal of the
court to discharge the prisoners and that
they had used all means in their power to be
in some measure relieved from those in-
juries and violences done to the inhabitants
of Pennsylvania, and to procure the concur-
rence of the government of Maryland in
measures to preserve the peace. It was
therefore hoped that none who entertain
any just notions of the rights of mankind
will blame the government of Pennsylvania,
if they take proper measures for protecting
his j\lajesty's subjects under their jurisdic-
tion, from the outrages frequently commit-
ted upon them by the people of Maryland,
and by dutiful representation of their great
patience under those public abuses implor-
ing his iNIajesty's most gracious interposi-
tion, and for the meantime should the gov-
ernment of Pennsylvania, whose principles
are well known to be against all force, and
BORDER TROUBLES
47
who next to liis -Majesty's protection have
no means to defend themselves but the au-
thority of the several magistrates, to be laid
under a necessity for their own safety to
avoid what may be deemed unneighborly or
to give trouble or uneasiness to his Ma-
jesty's subjects, pretending themselves to be
under the government of Maryland. " We
do declare that it will be entirely to your
Excellency's not joining" with us in some
reasonable and equitable measures for pre-
serving the peace amongst his Majesty's
subjects inhabiting near the boundaries of
the two governments, and the unreasonable
confinement and prosecution of our inhabi-
tants who were without all question taken
by your officers within our government of
Pennsylvania, and for that reason had they
really been guilty of any offense ought to
have been discharged."
Gov. Ogle, May 30, 1734: "It is to be
wished there had never been a distinction
made in your provinces between the power
you have as Governor in other respects, and
that in affairs relating to your land office.
For the managers of that office not being-
restrained by the Governor, they themselves
had liberty to make what encroachments
they pleased, from which alone, I will ven-
ture' to say, all the riots and disturbances
have arisen amongst the borderers of the
two provinces. I had the most sensible
pleasure when I received your letter of the
14th of this month, wherein you require me
to receive Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Georges, as
duly authorized on behalf of your govern-
ment to concert with us such measures as
might effectually secure peace till such time
as the division lines shall be run, and our
boundaries indisputably fixed, the ultimate
and only certain means of putting an end to
all these most disagreeable contentions, or
at least till such a time as his Majesty's
pleasure is known therein, but to my great
surprise I found these two gentlemen so far
from agreeing to any settlement whatever
for preserving peace upon the border till
such time as the division lines be run and
his Majesty's pleasure known therein, noth-
ing would content them but the actual run-
ning of them directly contrary to the very
purport of your letter, and to our duty as
Governors, which obliges us to join heartily
and sincerely in preserving peace in the
meantime that the dispute as to our lines is
laid before his Majesty, from whose known
wisdom and justice we have all the reason
in the world to expect a just and equitable
determination. As to that humble and
dutiful application, I proposed to be made
jointly to His Majesty to bring all our dis-
putes to a speedy hearing, their behavior
was so extraordinar)^ that I shall not take
it upon me to set it forth in any words of
my own but refer you to their own papers
for information." (Archives 434.)
On the 17th of August, 1734, the House
of Representatives made a representation
to Gov. Gordon that they had been cruelly
disappointed in reasonable hopes that all
disputes about the bounds of the provinces
of Pennsylvania and Maryland were at an
end. They hoped that people who had set-
tled and improved lands under the grants
of the proprietor of Penns3dvania and with-
in the constant reputed bounds of this prov-
ince, and who have never owned any other
authority but the government of Pennsyl-
vania, ought to be protected in the posses-
sion of their freeholds until it shall appear
by some legal decision or determination by
some other authority, and as this province
knows no other force but the lawful power
of the civil magistrate, they requested that
the Governor would be pleased to give di-
rections to the Magistrates and other offi-
cers of the government that will exert them-
selves in the protection of the people of this
province by a diligent execution of the laws
against riots and tumults and for the pre-
servation of the peace within their respect-
ive jurisdictions. This was accordingly
done by the Governor. (I Archives, 566.)
During the year 1735 there were many
outrages perpetrated under the lead of
Cresap, who had been commissioned a Jus-
tice of the Peace for Baltimore County, and
made a captain of the Maryland militia.
On the 1st of July, 1735, he, with men, wo-
men and boys, advanced, and with drums
beating, invaded the premises of John
Wright, one of his Majesty's Justices of the
Peace, and although Cresap declared his
intention to be to fight Pennsylvanians who
had come over the river, Wright as a Jus-
tice commanded them to keep the peace at
their peril, and that he would proceed upon
his lawful business unless prevented by
force, and by his firmness deterred them
from proceeding to hostilities. The deposi-
48
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tioii of John Wright to the foregoing facts
was taken in the Supreme Court of Penn-
sylvania, on the 24th of September, 1735,
Daniel Dulaney, Esq., Attorney-General of
Maryland, being present. Dulaney asked
whether Thomas Cresap and his people did
not assist Wright in carrying ofT his grain,
to which he answered that Crseap, with
those who were armed, being gone out of
the field, the persons to whom the wagons
belonged offered readily to assist in carry-
ing it to the side of the river, since they
said they were disappointed in carrying it
where it was first intended. (I Archives,
465-70.) On the same occasion there was
taken before the Supreme Court, a deposi-
tion to the following facts : That on the 23d
of September, a party of Marylanders had
set upon Robert Buchanan, Sheriff of Lan-
caster County, and rescued some debtors
under arrest, beat him and took him pris-
oner. This was brought before the council
who expressed their resentment, and a de-
mand was made on the Governor of Mary-
land to set him at liberty, a reward was
offered and a warrant issued for the arrest
of the rioters. (Ill Col. Rec, 612-14.)
Another aggression was an attempt to
survey lands, by one Franklin, along the
river side, on the 6th of May, 1736. He
took a course up the river with an instru-
ment, and there were men carrying a chain.
Cresap accompanied them with twenty men
armed. Robert Barber, a Quaker, who was
at the house of John Wright, demanded by
what authority the land was surveyed, and
was answered by that of Lord Baltimore.
Barber said that the land had long ago been
surveyed and returned to the land office at
Philadelphia. Cresap said he had orders
from Gov. Ogle in person to raise the
militia and guard the surveyor from Penn-
sylvanians. Franklin said, "My business is
to follow the orders of the Governor of
Maryland, to survey all the lands from the
Susquehanna to the Codorus." (I Arch-
ives, 489.)
The affidavits of several Germans show
the wrongs to which they were subjected
b}^ reason of these surveys. Baltzer Spang-
ler, in the beginning of the year 1733, by
virtue of a grant from the proprietaries of
Pennsylvania, built a house on a tract of
land lying on Codorus Creek about twelve
miles westward from John Hendricks. He
refused to have his land surveyed by Cresap,
who pretended to have an order from the
Governor of Maryland. But Cresap sur-
veyed it to one John Keller, who came and
settled thereon. Afterward the Governor
of Maryland and the surveyor of Baltimore
County told Spangler, in the hearing of
many people, that Cresap had no authority
to survey lands, yet he was deprived of his
land and improvements. Frederick Ebert
removed from the east side of the river, and
took up a tract of land near Codorus Creek,
cleared and improved it and sowed a field
of wheat with intent to build a house and
settle thereon. In May, 1736, the surveyor
Franklin, with Cresap and others, came and
surveyed the land to one Ffelty Shultz, and
threw down the fence and destroyed the
corn, and deprived Ebert of his settlement.
Michael Tanner, by virtue of a proprietary
grant, dated September 17, 1734, settled on
a tract of 200 acres of land, six miles south-
westerly from John Hendricks, and built
and improved upon the same. Thomas Cre-
sap, pretending to have an order from the
Governor of Maryland, came into the neigh-
borhood and surveyed upward of forty
tracts of land for Germans living in those
parts. Tanner refused to have his land sur-
veyed by Cresap, who thereupon conveyed
the land, with buildings and improvements,
to Daniel Lowe, who, with his family, came
and dwelt in the house, although about the
month of September, 1735, the Governor
of Maryland and the^ Surveyor-General told
Tanner that Cresap had no authority to sur-
vey lands. (Archives, 522-5.) Many Ger-
mans, however, were induced to accept of
the Maryland warrants and surveys, but not
finding things as agreeable as they antici-
pated under the new proprietary, they re-
volted and acknowledged allegiance to
Pennsylvania.
At a meeting of the Pro-
The Revolt vincial Council held at Phila-
of.the delphia, August 24, 1736, the
Germans. President, James Logan, ac-
quainted the Board that he
had been informed by Samuel Blunston that
the German people who, with others had
gone over from this side of the Susque-
hanna River to the west of it, had been pre-
vailed on by some agents from Maryland
to acknowledge the authority of that prov-
ince, and had through a consciousness of
BORDER TROUBLES
49
their mistake, voluntarily and unanimously
signified to him and other magistrates of
that county, their fixed resolution of re-
turning to their obedience to this govern-
ment, and acknowledging its just jurisdic-
tion in those parts where they are settled,
for that they were become truly sensible
they of right belonged to Pennsylvania.
Blunston related that immediately after the
County Court at Lancaster, which was held
the first week of the month, some of the
most principal note amongst those Ger-
mans came over to him and told him that
the whole body of the people, except Cre-
sap, and his relations, who were but three
or four men, were come to an unanimous
resolution of acknowledging their obedi-
ence to this government, and returning to
their true proprietors. He advised them to
act openly and above board, and that if
they were thus resolved, they should di-
rectly and in plain terms make it known to
the government of Maryland with their
reasons for their proceedings ; that there-
upon a letter was prepared for that pur-
pose, which was signed by about sixty
hands and dispatched to an officer in Balti-
more County to be forwarded to the Gov-
ernor of MarylandT At the desire of those
Germans, the magistrates of Lancaster had
two constables amongst them for the bet-
ter preservation of the peace. The four
men who adhered to Cresap seized Charles
Jones, one of the constables, and were
hurrying him away with an intention to
carry him off", but, being warmly pursued,
they Ifed and left him. It was given out
that the Sheriff of Baltimore County was
to be up with a number of men on Monday
(the 23d), and that the Sheriff of Lancaster
had apprised him of some other motions on
the west of the Susquehanna, and was
taking horse to meet him to concert proper
measures on the occasion. The Council
were of the opinion that those people be-
coming sensible of their past mistake, in
being induced to own the authority of
Maryland over those parts which lie so
■very far, viz.: about twenty miles to the
northward of the limits of this province,
ought to be taken notice of, and on their
making proper submissions should be again
received. On September 7, 1736, a letter
was laid before the Board from the Lievi-
tenant-Governor of Maryland in regard to
this revolt. (IV Col. Rec, 58. )
Gov. Ogle: "This trouble is occasioned
by the inclosed, the original whereof came
to my hands a few daj's ago, subscribed
with the names of fifty or sixty persons,
who some years since importuned me for
the grant of lands under the authority and
government of the lord proprietary of
Maryland. They were so successful in
their applications that I directed and em-
powered them to settle and improve the
lands under the government of this prov-
ince, and which the}^ have from that time
held and enjoyed subject to his Lordship's
dominion and authority. But now they
seem to think fit and resolve, by a most ex-
traordinary kind of illegal combination or
association, to disown their obedience to
the government from Avhom they received
their possessions, and to transfer it to the
government of Pennsylvania. Whatever
reasons I may have to be assured of this
proceeding taking its rise and accomplish-
ment from the encouragement and preva-
lency of some magistrates of your govern-
ment, and others pretending to act under
the countenance and authority thereof, yet
I must own my unwillingness to believe
those who have the honor of the adminis-
tration of the government of Pennsylvania,
would permit or support a behaviour so
contrary to all good order and rule of the
English Constitution, as must necessarily
involve the subjects of his Majesty in strug-
gles and contentions, inconsistent with- that
peace and happiness his ^Majesty so glori-
ously endeavors to maintain and preserve
amongst others, as well as his subjects."
(IV Col. Rec, 60.)
The paper transmitted with this letter is
as follows: "Sir: The oppression and ill
usage we have met with from the govern-
ment of Maryland, or at least from such
persons who have been impowered thereby
and their proceedings connived at, has been
a treatment (as we are well informed) very
different from that which the tenants of
your government have generally met with,
which, with many other cogent reasons,
give us good cause to conclude the Gover-
nor and magistrates of that province do not
themselves believe us to be settled within
the real bounds of his Lordship's dominions.
50
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
but we have been seduced and made use of,
first b}^ fair promises and afterward by
threats and punishments, to answer pur-
poses which are-'at present unjustifiable and
will, if pursued, tend to our utter ruin. We,
therefore, the subscribers, with many
others, our neighbors, being become at last
truly sensible of the wrong we have done
the proprietors of Pennsylvania in settling
on their lands without paying obedience to
their government, do resolve to return to
our duty, and live under the laws and gov-
ernment of Pennsylvania, in which province
we believe ourselves seated. To this we
unanimously resolve to adhere, till the con-
trary shall be determined by a legal deci-
sion of the disputed bounds, and our honest
and just intentions we desire may be com-
municated to the- Governor of Maryland, or
whom else it may concern. Signed with
our hands this eleventh day of August,
Anno Domini, 1736."
There was read at the
The Invasion meeting of the Council on
of the the 7th of September, the
Three Hundred, examination of Francis
Kipps, of Mar3dand, mas-
ter of a sloop then lying in Susque-
hanna River, taken September 4, 1736.
That on Thursday last, the 2d in-
stant, in the evening, being in Bal-
timore County, he saw Col. Hall, a
gentleman of that county ; at the head of a
considerable number of men on horseback
armed with guns, marching toward the up-
per -part of the said county, that passing
near to Col. Hall, he asked him familiarly if
he was going to fight, to which Hall an-
swered he was going on peaceable terms.
That crossing Susquehanna, near the
Northeast Iron AA'orks, he came the same
evening into Cecil County, where he under-
stood by common report that the march of
these men, under Col. Hall, was to give
possession to one Cresap of a plantation of
one Wright ; that if the same could not be
done peaceably they were to use force.
That he heard the militia of Cecil County
were summoned to meet together. On the
8th of September, the Governor laid before
the Board a letter, written by the direction
of Samuel Blunston, giving the following
account :
That after the Sheriff of Lancaster, and
some people with him, who were gathered
together on the report that an armed force
from Maryland was coming up into those
parts, had waited some time and were dis-
persed, the Sheriff of Baltimore County,
with upward of 200 men, under the com-
mand of several military officers, arrived on
Saturday night last, the 4th of this month,
at Thomas Cresap's, and on Sunday, about
noon, came in arms on horseback, with
beat of drum and sound of trumpet, to the
plantation of John Hendricks. The Sheriff
of Baltimore, and several of those officers
went that afternoon to the house of John
AA'right, Jr., now the site of AA'rightsville,
where about thirty inhabitants of Lancaster
were assembled, and demanded the Ger-
mans, of whom some were then in that
house. The Sheriff of Lancaster had sent
a written message desiring to know the
reason of their coming in that hostile man-
ner to threaten the peace of the province,
to which they had returned answer that
they were not come to disturb the peace of
the province of Pennsylvania but to sup-
press riots, and keep the peace of Baltimore
County. Justice Guest, one of the number
from Maryland, appointed 10 o'clock next
da}' to speak with some of our people, but
about 5 o'clock on Sunday evening, the
multitude from Maryland left Hendricks
with great precipitation, and returned to
Cresap's. On Monday the Sheriff of Lan-
caster sent another message in writing, re-
quiring them to peaceably depart, and offer-
ing, if any of them would meet the magis-
trates of the- county with some other per-
sons, who were on this occasion assembled
with him, and endeavor amicably to settle
the unhappy differences at present subsist-
ing, that they should be received civilly.
To this message the Sheriff of Lancaster
had returned to him a threatening and inso-
lent answer. Soon after this one John
Wilkins, an inhabitant of Lancaster County,
who had gone down toward Cresap's, was
taken prisoner on pretense of his having
been in a former riot, and sent under a
guard to Maryland. The magistrates of
Lancaster sent a letter to reclaim him, but
they refused to receive the letter. It was
reported that the Governor of Maryland
was waiting in Baltimore County, and was
expected up in those parts, on Susquehanna,
with considerable more force. The Sheriff'
of Lancaster had got about 150 people to-
BORDER TROUBLES
51
gether at Joliii \\'i-ight's, Jr., where they
liad ct)iuinued since Sunday evening". No
hostilities had been yet committed, e.xcept
in taking Wilkins ; but the Marylanders had
sent word to our people to take care of their
bntTs. The inhabitants, though unprovided
witli arms and ammunition, yet endeavored
to defend themselves and such of his Ma-
jesty's peaceable subjects as fled from tlieir
houses to them for refuge. (IV Col. Rec,
63.)
Benjamin Chambers deposed that some
time in the month of September, 1736. prep-
arations were making by training" and
mustering" the militia of Baltimore County,
Md., in order for their marching" into Lan-
caster County to dispossess of their settle-
nients sundry families. Benjamin Cham-
bers was the founder of Chambersburg,
then being twenty-three years of age.
These depositions were taken under the
authority of the Provincial Council, and
were transmitted to the agent of the prov-
ince in London, in support to the petition
to his Majesty. He was employed by the
magistrates to go into Baltimore County to
discover what was intended by the extra-
ordinary motion of their troops. When he
came to the borders of Maryland, he was
informed that the place of their muster was
near the plantation of Col. Nathaniel Rigby.
at the upper part of Baltimore County, and
repaired thither. He was taken into cus-
tody and kept during the time of the mus-
ter, and held twelve hours, in which he
observed a general discontent among the
common soldiers. Col. Rigby called for the
muster roll, and upbraided the men with
want of duty to the Governor's orders, and
thereupon picked off a number of them out
of his company, and commanded them, on
the penalty of £50, to meet at the same
place next Friday with arms and twenty
charges of powder and* balls each man, to
march up Susquehanna River to a place
called Conejohela, where East Prospect
borough now stands. Col. Rigby said it
was very strange that a Quaker govern-
ment should offer to resist or oppose Lord
Baltimore, for that his Lordship's province
of Maryland extended six miles higher or
more northward than the plantation of
John Hendricks, which lies on the west side
of the said river, where on the Sunday fol-
lowing he saw the several troops or com-
panies which came up from Maryland, with
drums beating and trumpets sounding, were
mustering or exercising in the field of the
same plantation, from whence, upon the
appearance of some men in flats coming
o\er the river from the other side, the
troops returned to Thomas Cresap's. (I
Archives, 519.)
Robert Barber, one of the people called
Quakers, affirmed on the nth of Septem-
ber, that on Sunday last several of the in-
habitants of the province of Marjdand, to
the number of about 300, all armed in a
hostile manner, under the command of sev-
eral officers of the militia of Maryland, with
beat of drum and sound of trumpet,
marched up to the house of John Hen-
dricks. (This house was a short distance
west of the site of Wrightsville.) Some of
the magistrates of the county of Lancaster,
being at the house of John Wright, Jr., a
small distance from the said Hendrick's
house, demanded of Col. Edward Hall, who
was said to be the commanding officer, the
reason of his and the said company's com-
ing up there in so hostile a manner. Col.
Hall told the magistrates that they had no
orders to treat with any of the magistrates
of Lancaster County; that it was by the
Governor of Maryland's order they came up
there, and that thirteen companies of
militia of Maryland were mustered, and that
twenty men with officers were tak'en out of
each company, and he refused to give any
further account. That several of the inhab-
itants came to the magistrates very much
terrified and complained that some of the
aforesaid company of armed men had
forcibly broken into their houses and
threatened to burn them, and took from
them several pieces of linen.
John Ross deposed that he was dis-
patched with a written message to the
Sheriff of Baltimore County, who was said
to have come up with the militia, to know
the meaning of this extraordinary proced-
ure of the people of Maryland, and setting
forward, with James Patterson for his
guide, he met, within a mile and a half of
\\'right's house, a body of men on horse-
back to the number of about 300, armed
with guns, cutlasses, and some with pistols,
marching with beat of drum and sound of
trumpet. He saw several persons, who
were called officers of this militia, or com-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
manders, whose names he afterward learued
were Edward Hall and Nathaniel Rigb)',
called Colonels, and Peca and Guest, called
Captains. William Hammond, Sheriff of
Baltimore County, was with them. He de-
livered his message to Col. Rigby, who ap-
peared to be the principal person ; Rigby
told him they were marching" forward to the
house of John Wright. Thomas Cresap,
who was with the militia, seized Patterson,
telling the Sheriff of Baltimore that he was
a £50 chap, and bid the sherifif look in the
proclamation and he would find Patterson's
name there. The militia, marching on with
beat of drum and sound of trumpet in a
war-like manner, came to the plantation of
John Hendricks, and sent a message in
writing to the Sheriff of Lancaster. Some
of the militia officers came to Wright's
house and desired to speak with some Ger-
mans, Michael Tanner and Peter Gardner.
But these people, declaring their appre-
hensions that the Marylanders were come
to carry them away, because they would
not acknowledge the jurisdiction of Mary-
land in those parts where they were settled,
the officers were told they could not see
them. But the Germans sent a message to
them in writing. Ross went to the house
of Hendricks after the militia was come
there, and saw several of them with their
swords drawn at the door of the house.
Toward evening a considerable number
of people, of Lancaster County, came over
the river in three flats, whereupon the mili-
tia of Maryland beat their drum, and, as he
believed, intended to stand to their arms,
for they marched toward the river in a body,
but after firing a blunderbuss, they thought
fit to retreat to the house of Thomas Cresap.
The Sheriff and Col. Rigby refused to meet
the magistrates of Lancaster in conference.
Ross saw several of the militia cutting bars
of lead and making bullets, and, enquiring
what use they intended for them, he was
told they were to shoot Pennsylvanians.
The militia of Maryland marched about
noon to the houses of Joshua Minshall,
Mark Evans, and Bernard Weymont. One
of the militia found means to decoy one
John Wilkins, an inhabitant of Lancaster
County, who was seized and carried to
Cresap's, from whence they sent him,
bound, under a guard, to Maryland. It was
pretended AA'ilkins was one of those for
whom a reward was offered by proclama-
tion. The people of Lancaster County,
who were met at Wright's house, being
grown numerous, and resolving to stand
upon their defense, the militia of Maryland
did not think fit to attack them, but sep-
arated in two bodies, one of which went
with the sheriff to the houses of some Ger-
mans, where they took some linen and pew-
ter on pretense of public dues owing to the
government of Maryland. The other body
went toward Maryland. (I Archives, 525.)
Daniel Southerland deposed that he was
at the house of Thomas Cresap, when the
300 men who came up from Maryland were
there. That the men who were called the
soldiers blamed Cresap very much for the
disturbances that had happened in those
parts, and they did not think they were
obliged to go fight with the people of Penn-
sylvania in Cresap's behalf. To which
Cresap swore, and said that they were only
afraid of their mothers' calf skins, and that
it was Lord Baltimore's right he was main-
taining, and he disregarded all of them, for
he had the Governor of Maryland's orders
for what he did. Cresap called Col. Hall,
who commanded the 300 militia from Mary-
land, a coward for not suffering him to fire
with a blunderbuss upon the people of
Pennsylvania, who were coming over the
river in a flat toward the Marylanders, who
were in arms. He affirmed that Lord Bal-
timore would soon be over in Maryland,
and then he would drive all the Pennsyl-
vanians to the devil, and the court in Phila-
delphia would be called in Lord Baltimore's
name.
The invasion of the 300 of the Marvland
militia is a remarkable incident of the bor-
der troubles. It was made after consider-
able preparation. William Hammond, the
sheriff of Baltimore County, de^clareti- "that
the people of Baltimore 'County are not
come to disturb the peace of the inhabitants
of Pennsylvania, but to assist and support
me in preserving his Lordship's peace, and
our fellow tenants, his Majesty's subjects,
in their possessions." Yet, before leaving,
they despoiled the houses of the Germans
on pretense of public dues. They also
threatened to burn them. Michael Tanner
talked with them, and they promised, if the
Germans would return, a remission of their
taxes till they were grown better able to
BORDER TROUBLES
53
paw and tliat they should be better used for
the future. Tanner was to give an answer
for his countrymen in two weeks, "but, at
the end thereof, it was threatened, if they
(hd not comply, the Governor would come
up with a greater number of armed men,
turn them out of doors, and bring up others
with them, such as would be true to him,
whom he would put into their possessions."
(IV Col. Rec, 69.)
In the course of the proceedings there
was an answer of the Germans to the Gov-
ernor of INIaryland, in which, among other
things, it is said : "that being greatly op-
pressed in their native country, principally
on account of their religion, the}- resolved,
as many others had done before, to fly from
it. That, hearing mttch of the justice and
mildness of the government of Pennsylva-
nia, they embarked in Holland for Phila-
delphia, where, on their arrival, they swore
allegiance to King George, and fidelity to
the proprietors of Pennsylvania, and their
government. That, repairing to the great
body of their countrymen settled in the
county of Lancaster, on the east side of the
Susquehanna, they found the lands^ there
■generally taken up and possessed, and
therefore some of them, by licenses from
the proprietors of Pennsjdvania, went over
that river, and settled there under their
authority, and others, according to a com-
mon practice then obtaining, sat down with
a resolution to comply as others should
with the terms of the government when
called on, but they had not been long there
till some pretending authority from the
government of IMarvland, insisted on it,
that that country was in that province, and
partly by threats of actual force, and partly
by very large promises, they had been led
to submit to the commands of that govern-
ment. That first one ]\Iorris Roberts, pre-
tending to be a deputy surveyor under
Maryland, came and run out lands for them,
after which Cresap told them those surveys
were not valid, but that he had authority to
lay them, out; then one Franklin (who
took pay of them, but it proved all a sham.
for he understood nothing of the surveyor's
art.) Yet, notwithstanding all these im-
positions, they had neither grant nor war-
rant, nor would any of those surveyors, real
or pretended, give them one line of a cer-
tificate, plot or draught, nor had they any-
thing whatexer to claim by, and as any of
those who came to survey were obliged or
otherwise they, at their own will and pleas-
ure, turned the possessors off and put others
'in their place. . . . Now, this being
our case, that on the one hand we are per-
suaded in our consciences we are clearly
within the Province of Pennsylvania, and
therefore cannot but expect to lose our
possessions and improvements, if we now
pretend to hold them under the Lord Bal-
timore, and, on the other hand, from the
military force lately sent against us from
IMarvland, we are threatened to be treated
by that government like rebels and enemies
to our Gracious Sovereign, King George,
to whom we have sworn allegiance, if we
do not, against those manifest convictions
of our consciences disown the right of the
proprietors of Penns3'lvania to what we
truly believe belongs to them, and resist the
authority of that government, which, were
we resolved to do, yet we should not be
able. We offer it to the Governor's consid-
eration whether the treating of a parcel of
conscientious, industrious, and peaceable
people, like rebels, for no other reason thau
liecause we cannot own a jurisdiction
within the limits of which we very well
know we cannot, where we now are. possi-
bly be seated, and because we are convinced
of the mistakes we had been fully led into
bv the false assertions of persons of no
credit." (I Archives, 492.)
A petition, signed by forty-
Petition of eight Germans, was trans-
the Germans, mitted to the President and
Council at Philadelphia, ask-
ing that their errors in settling under the
government of JNIaryland be imputed to
want of better information, and praying to
be received under the protection of our laws
and government, whereupon the Board
unanimously declared that those German
people be received under the protection of
this government, and encouraged in their
fidelity to it by all proper and prudent
measures. And on the 17th of September,
1736, they issued a proclamation setting
forth the late invasion from Maryland, in
violation of his Majesty's peace, and just
rights of the proprietors and people of this
province, to the great terror of the inhab-
itants, and directing the sheriffs of the re-
spective counties of the province, and par-
54
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
ticulaiiy of Lancaster, where these late
commotions had happened, to hold them-
selves in readiness with the posse of their
'respective counties for the preservation of
his Majesty's peace and the defense of the*
just rights and possessions of his subjects
within the same. (I Archives, 71.)
The following paper was also presented :
Whereas, we, the subscfibers, are informed it hai
been asserted that the late resolutions of the Dutch in-
habitants on the west side of Susquehanna River, to put
themselves under the protection of the government of
Pennsj'lvania and submit to the laws thereof, was oc-
casioned by the prevalenc}' and influence of the magis-
trates of Lancaster Count}', Do voluntarily and solemnly
declare that we were chosen and appointed by the afore-
said Dutch inhabitants on the west side of Susquehanna
River, opposite to Hempfield, to apply in our own and
their behalf to the magistrates of the said county, that
we might be received as subjects of this government, as
we believed in our consciences it was our duty ; and we
do further solemnly declare and affirm that this associa-
tion and return was made of theirs and our own mere
motion and free will, without any previous persuasion,
threatening or compulsion from the magistrates of the
said county, or any other person in their behalf, so far
as we know ; and that the letter signed by the in-
habitants aforesaid to be communicated to the Governor
of jNIaryland. was written at their own request and ac-
cording to the instructions given.
Subscribed the 13th day of Sept., 1736.
Henry Hendricks,
Michael Tanner.
In the letter from President Logan, of
Pennsylvania, written by direction of the
Council, September 18, 1736, to Governor
Ogle, it is said : "And first we must observe
you are pleased to say, these people impor-
tuned you for the grant of lands, under the
authority and government of the Lord Pro-
prietor of Maryland, but the success you
mention they were favored with consisted,
not, it seems, from your words, in any grant
of lands, but in your directions only that
they should settle and improve the lands
under the government of that province, so
that all they obtained by this was that they
should acknowledge the jurisdiction of
Maryland over lands on which we find
divers of them had entered by authority of
the Land Office of Pennsylvania, and as
subject to its government, paid their levies
to the county of Lancaster, wherein they
had been seated, and to which it is impos-
sible Lord Baltimore either can or ever
could justly pretend any manner of right.
The real merit, therefore, of this it seems,
consists in putting them on transferring
their obedience from their rightful landlord
to another, to whom they stood in no rela-
tion. That we might be the better a1)le to
answer your letter we have waited not only
till we could hear of the event of the military
expedition of your forces of about 300 men
in arms, sent up, 'tis said, against those
people, and for some_ other unjustifiable pur-
poses, but also that we might with more
certainty be informed from whence these
settlers were, and how and when their set-
tlements had been made. On the last of
these we find that they are generally of
those Palatines, who a very few j^ears since
transported themselves from Holland to
Philadelphia, and made themselves subjects
to his Majest}', King George II, under this
go-\'ernment ; and 'tis affirmed, they were so
far from importuning you for any grant of
lands that they were, by very indirect prac-
tices of some emissaries or agents, pretend-
ing authority from Maryland, seduced from
their duty, and imposed on to believe they
were situated within the limits of the Lord
Baltimore's jurisdiction, but what applica-
tions such persons might make in their
names we know not. . . . Your pro-
ceeding, in sending up such an armed force
on this occasion and their invading the pos-
sessioy of others, where you never had the
least pretense of claim, either in law or
equit}', must indeed prove astonishing to
every man who hears of it, and has any just
notion of the English laws, and the privi-
leges of an English subject: but as we shall
not here enter into any expostulation on
that head (tho' we might properly ask
where five or six men going without any
manner of arms, or so much as a stick, in
their hands, into Maryland, to try their
challengers' prowess at boxing, was tAvice in
a certain letter called levying war, what
terms you would think fit to bestow on this
march of such numbers so accoutered?)
W& think it incumbent on us to acquaint
you, that as we are assured the government
of Pennsylvania is vested with equal or like
powers with that of Maryland, though it
has hitherto with great patience waited for
the decision of the grand dispute in Britain,
which it is manifest your Lord Proprietor
endea\-ors to delay, yet now, on so flagrant
an insult as this last step of yours, we can-
not but think ourselves obliged to put his
Majesty's subjects under our care, on meas-
ures to prevent the like invasions for the
future. For this province, especially those
parts, are filled with people of more spirit
BORDER TROUBLEvS
than to brook such treatment, and if any
mischief ensues on their opposition to your
attacks, you cannot but well know who
must be accountable for it. But further,
while all these contentions are owing solely
to your own projections to carry your Lord
Proprietor's pretensions into lands that not
only never had been in possession, but can-
not possibly fall within jSIaryland, and for
which, for ending all disputes, he had in the
most solemn manner renounced all claim
to, and to set these pretensions first on foot
at a time when the execution of the agree-
ment was in agitation, and to continue them
while the whole afi'air is under the cogni-
zance of that high court, the Chancery of
Great Britain, these we say, carry with them
such accumulated aggravations and are so
far from admitting the possibility of a justi-
fication by color or varnish of words what-
ever, that none but your enemies can be
pleased with such conduct." (IV Col. Rec.
78.)
THE CHESTER COUNTY PLOT.
The difficulties concerning the boundary
lines between Maryland and Pennsjdvania
began when the first settlements were
made. They originated in Chester and
Lancaster counties and the bordering coun-
ties of Maryland, as early as 1720. AVhat
was known as the "Chester Count}- Plot"
originated with adherents of the Governor
of Maryland in Chester county. It was
their purpose to drive the early settlers on
Springettsbury Manor away from their
habitations which they had built on the val-
uable lands of Kreutz creek and Conodochly
valleys, then known as Grist valley and
Conodochly valley.
At a meeting of the Provincial Council,
held at Philadelphia, on the 23rd of Novem-
ber. 1736, "the president acquainted the
board, that a discovery had lately been
made of an association or engagement en-
tered into by several persons living in or
about Xe'w Garden, in the county of Chester.
who. having received some encouragement
from the Governor of Maryland and others
in authority there, had undertaken to oust
by force of arms those German families set-
tled on the west side of the Susquehanna
within this Province, against whom the late
hostile preparations of iNIaryland were in-
tended, and to possess themselves of their
plantations, which they proposed to draw
lots for, and. acknowledging to hold them
in right of the proprietary of Maryland,
they were to defend those possessions
against this government. For this end
arms and ammunition were provided and
lodged at the house of one Rigby, in Balti-
more County, and everything was in readi-
ness for carrying their design into execu-
tion. On making this discovery, a warrant
was issued, by one of the provincial judges,
for apprehending several persons concerned
in this unlawful association, particularly
Henry Munday, who from the information
given, appeared to be one of the principal
persons in conducting it, and such care and
diligence had been used in executing said
warrant, that Munday was taken at his
house that very day, when he expected a
rendezvous of the party, and had sundry
papers relating to the conspiracy lying be-
fore him. and several letters to persons in
]Maryland on this subject, just finished and
ready to be forwarded, all of which were,
with himself, secured." Edward Leet, an-
other of the persons embarked with him in
this design, was likewise apprehended, but
Charles Higginbotham, a principal person
in it, had escaped.
Among the papers found with IMunday,
was an application signed by thirty-one per-
sons, stating that "being informed that
there is some vacant land and plantations
near Susquehanna River, that were settled
by some German families, and that the said
lands were by them located by warrants
issuing from the land office in the Province
of JNIaryland, as of the right and property of
Lord Baltimore ; and that since the German
families have disclaimed the right and prop-
erty of Lord Baltimore and hath taken um-
brage under the heirs of Penn; that we are
informed that the absolute fee and right to
said land is within the limits and bounds of
Lord Baltimore's patent or charter; that the
Lord's chief agent hath and doth give en-
couragement for the resettling the said va-
cant plantations and land. We therefore,
pray and request, that you will in our behalf
and stead intercede with the Governor and
agent to settle us in such vacant land or
plantations, and we shall all be willing to
pay such fee or rent charge as his Lordship
usuallv demands, and we shall with our
lives and fortunes defend the same, and be
56
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
subject to the laws of his province, and
defend his right, for which service. Sir, we
shall be all your very much obliged."
There was a list of names of several per-
sons ranged in three columns, with the fol-
lowing certificate signed by Governor Ogle,
of Maryland : " AVhereas application hath
been made to me by Henry Munday, Ed-
ward Leet and Charles Higginbotham, and
forty-nine persons by them mentioned, I
have given instructions to Thomas AVhite,
deputy surveyor, to lay out, and in the
names of the said persons, two hundred
acres for each person."
There was a paper signed by Munday
addressed to Messrs. Betties in these -words :
" November the 14th, 1736. If instructions
can be sent to Captain Cresap to return
some of the names of the vacant plantations
reserving eleven of the best, which is the
number of the third column, then every per-
son that appears to draw hath his equal
chance."
"Captain Cresap sent for the parties to
come to draw the lots by next Saturday."
Henry Munday, when he was arrested,
voluntarily offered to a member of the
Council, to make a full declaration under his
hand of all that he knew of the affair. His
statement, was, that in September, 1736,,
Rev. Jacob Henderson and Squire Tasker,
of Maryland, lodged at the house of William
Miller, where he met with Thomas Thomp-
son, brother-in-law of Henderson. Thomp-
son applied to Henderson for advice in set-
tling a plantation. Parson Henderson re-
ferred to Tasker, who wrote to someone in
Maryland to show some plantations near
the Susquehanna, and John Starr and Wil-
liam Downard joined with Thompson and
received the land. John Starr went back
to Annapolis and procured from the Gov-
ernor of Maryland an order to settle him-
self, and the others concerned. That he
was informed the plantations of the Ger-
mans on the Susquehanna had become va-
cant by their disowning the government of
Maryland, John Starr had made a visit there
and to the Governor of Maryland, and was
shown by Cresap a very large tract of good
land, wdiich was enough to supply several
families, and that the Governor would
order 200 acres to be surveyed for each per-
son at four shillings quit rent, and costs of
surve}' and patent. That he would main-
tain them in possession and give them a
lawful right, and assured them that the land
was within the limits of Lord Baltimore's
charter. Munday went to Annapolis to see
Governor Ogle, wdiere he met Edward
Leet and Charles Higginbotham, and joined
in procuring an order to the surveyor of
Baltimore county to survey 200 acres for
them and forty-nine other persons named.
Munday said he never proposed to settle
upon any tract of land settled by the Ger-
mans, but to seat some uncultivated land.
The council was not satisfied
Leet's with the statement of Henry
Testimony. Munday, and examined Ed-
ward Leet, who related that
^lunday came to him with a petition signed
by several persons for land wdiich Leet de-
clined to sign ; that a few days after Charles
Higginbotham came to him and acquaint-
ing him that there were to be some lands
laid out in Maryland, asked him to go with
him to Annapolis, to which he agreed, want--
ing to take up some land for himself and
others. They with others set out for Mary-
land. They went up the east side of the
Susquehanna to the ferry, late John Emer-
son's, over against Thomas Cresap's house
on the west, and crossing the river, went to
his house. In the morning they took a
view of the lands in the neighborhood of
Cresap's, and five of them, with one Lowe,
w^ent to view the lands where the German
people were settled who were said to have
revolted from Maryland. They came to
Annapolis on Saturday, the 30th of October,
and went to Governor Ogle with Cresap.
The Governor said he intended to dispos-
sess the Germans who were settled there,
and for that end he was sending up arms,
and would very soon give the necessary
orders to the sherifif. He would give 200
acres to each and defend them therein. He
gave the names of Samuel Blunston and
John Wright, for the apprehension of whom
the Governor offered a reward of one hun-
dred pounds for one and fifty pounds for
the other. Higginbotham said he knew
one of them, and had no doubt he could ap-
prehend him. Cresap received on board a
sloop a considerable quantity of fire-arms,
powder and ball, which were to be carried
to Baltimore county to be used in dispos-
sessing the Germans, who had revolted
from ]\Iar^dand. Three drums and two
BORDER TROUBLES
57
trumpets were sent by land by certain Ger-
man men who were with them. When
Munday came, he appeared to be dissatisfied
with Higginbotham for being there before-
iiand. The Governor said, in a month's
time, he would cause possession to be given.
Leet, apprehending difficulty, laid aside, he
said, all thoughts about the matter.
In this matter, John Coats de-
Coats' posed that Henry Munday in-
Deposition. vited him to go over the Sus-
quehanna about seven miles to
settle on Soo acres of land, taken up by
Maryland, on which eight German families
were settled, whom the Marylanders would
dispossess if they did not sell their interest
and be gone. And that iNIaryland would
give arms to all such members of the
Church of England as would settle the said
land to defend themselves against the in-
habitants of Pennsylvania. That the land
would cost the survey only, and Munday
was to have a gratuity. Jeremiah Starr
deposed that Thomas Thompson told him
that Jacob Henderson, Commissary of
Maryland, had by letter recommended him
to Thomas Cresap, to be shown land on the
west side of the Susquehanna, and Thomas
Thompson, John Starr and A\'illiam Down-
ard went and were shown the land which
was settled by German people, and Thomp-
son chose for himself a certain piece
whereon was a settlement and a corn-mill,
and that John Starr told him that he went
with Cresap to the Governor of Maryland,
who granted him and his friends the land,
and if they would be true subjects to Lord
Baltimore, he would defend them, and pat-
ent the land at four shillings an acre, they
paying only survey fees. Henry Munday
proposed a way of gaining the lands, and it
was resolved that the militia of the govern-
ment should be ready about the end of the
month to take and give the possession to
Munday and his friends. William Miller
deposed that Jacob Henderson and Benja-
min Tasker were at his house and advised
him where persons should settle on land
west of the Susquehanna which was settled
by the Germans, and invited persons in
Chester county to come and live in Mary-
land.
On the 29th of November, 1736, a letter
was addressed to the magistrates of Chester
countv, in Ijehalf of the council:
"The seasonable discovery of the late
wicked design, which from the encourage-
ment of four unkind neighbors of Maryland
was set on foot and upon the point of being
carried into execution, for ousting by force
of arms those German families settled on
the west side of the Susquehanna within
the unquestionable bounds of this province,
and the apprehending of some of the per-
sons who were principally concerned in pro-
moting within yoiu' county the association
for this purpose, having for the present, we
hope, defeated the evil intentions of those
who by such practices would have intro-
duced the utmost confusion and disorder
among his Majesty's subjects of this gov-
ernment, we have had it under consideration
in what manner those disturbers of the pub-
lic peace ought to be proceeded against."
Thereupon the magistrates of Chester
county were directed b)^ the Council to call
before them as many of the associators as
they could, and to take their examinations
apart, and such as were disposed to live for
the future in due obedience to this govern-
ment, might, on submission, and on being
bound on recognizance, be discharged with-
out persecution.
The following document concerning the
"Chester County Plot" was obtained from
the court records at West Chester and con-
tains the names of many of the German
settlers west of the river in 1736:
County of Chester, ss :
The grand inquest for our Sovereign
Lord the King, upon their oath and affirma-
tion respectively do present that Henry
Munday, late of the county of Chester, sad-
ler, and Charles Higginbotham, late of the
same county, laborer, contriving and with
all their might purposing and intending the
peace of our Sovereign Lord the King
within the province of Pennsylvania, said
Majesty's just and lawful authority which
of right his said Majesty's liege subjects
ought to bear and exercise as much as in
them lay to impugn, due and legal, said ad-
ministration of justice within the same prov-
ince to hinder, and his said Majesty's faith-
ful subjects with great fear and terror to
have associated to themselves divers other
persons of evil name, fame and conversation
to the number of forty and upwards, the
twenty-fifth day of October in the tenth
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
George the Second by the grace of God of
Great Britain, France and Ireland, King
defender of the faith, etc., and divers other
days and times as well before as after at the
township of London-Grove in the county of
Chester within the jurisdiction of this court
in pursuance of their wicked and unjust in-
tentions aforesaid and being united and con-
federated together between themselves
wickedly and unlawfully did conspire and
combine with armed force and with a mul-
titude of people in hostile manner arrayed
into the lands and tenements of the Honor-
able John Penn, Thomas Penn and Richard
Penn true and absolute proprietaries and
governors in chief of the province of Penn-
sylvania, countv of Lancaster on west side
of the Susquehanna within the province of
Pennsylvania then in the quiet and peaceful
possession of Christian Crawl, Henry
Libert, Jacob Huntsecker, Alethusalem
Griffith, Michael Tanner. Henr}- Stands,
Martin Shultz, Jacob AA'elshover, Paul
Springier, Andreas Felixer, Ulrick Whist-
ler, Nicholas Booker, Hans Steinman, Con-
rad Strickler, Caspar Springier, Michael
AValt, Peter Kersher, Reynard Kummer,
George Hans Pancker, Frederick Leader,
Michael JMiller, ]\Iartin Weigle, Hans Henry
Place, Tobias Fry, Martin Fry, Peter Stein-
man, Henry Pann, Henry Smith, Jacob
Landis, Henry Kendrick, Tobias Rudisill,
Jacob Krebell, Michael Springle, Jacob
Singler, Philip Ziegler, Caspar Crever, Der-
ick Pleager, George Swope, Michael Krenel,
Thomas May, Nicholas Brin, Kilian Smith,
Martin Bower, George Lauman, Martin
Brunt, Michael Allen, Christian Enfers, and
Nicholas Cone, tenants occupying and hold-
ing the same lands and tenements under the
honorable proprietaries of the province of
Pennsylvania aforesaid, unlawfully and un-
justly with force and arms, etc., to enter and
them the said Christian Crawl, Henry
Libert, etc., =i= * * ^nd Nicholas Cone
from their quiet and peaceable possession
aforesaid with an armed force in hostile
manner to expel, eject and remove and the
same Christian Crawl, Henry Libert * *
* and Nicholas Cone so being expelled
and ejected from the possession of the lands
and tenements of aforesaid against them the
said Christian Crawl, Henry Libert =^ * *
and Nicholas Cone and against all persons
whatsoever claiming or to claim the said
lands and tenements by, from or tnider the
said proprietaries of the province of Penn-
sylvania aforesaid, violently and with an
armed force to keep, hold and maintain and
the persons of them the said Christian
Crawl, Henry Libert * * * and Nich-
olas Cone with force and arms, etc., to
arrest and imprison in high violation and
contempt of the laws in disinherison of the
said honorable proprietaries to the great
terror and disturbance of 'his Majesty's sub-
jects, inhabitants of the said county of Lan-
caster to the evil and pernicious example of
others in the like case delinquents and
against the peace of our Sovereign Lord the
King who is now in his crown and dignity,
etc. J. Growdon
Endorsed "Billa Vera." per
a Dno. Rege.
"Henry Munday."
Test. Edward Leet sworn.
COLONEL THOMAS CRESAP.
Colonel Thomas Cresap, one of the brav-
est and most audacious of the Maryland
settlers, figured prominently in the conten-
tions about rights to lands in Springetts-
bury Manor and southward. He became
the leader among the Maryland invaders
until the temporary line was run between
the provinces of Pennsylvania and Mary-
land in 1739.
Colonel Cresap was born at Skipton,
Yorkshire, England, in 1702, and came to
Maryland when fifteen years of age. In
1732 he gave his occupation as that of a car-
penter. He settled at the mouth of the
Susquehanna, where he engaged in boat
building. In 1725 he married Hannah
Johnson, whose father, Thomas Johnson,
March 24, 1725, had surveyed to himself
Mount Johnson Island, at Peach Bottom
Ferry. Cresap soon after went to Virginia,
but he was not long there before an attempt
was made by a dozen or more persons to
drive him away while he was engaged in
hewing timber for his dwelling. He de-
fended himself and cleft one of his assail-
ants with a broad-ax. He then returned to
Maryland, and took out a patent for a ferry
over the Susquehanna river at the head of
tide-water, at or near what is now Bell's
Ferry, which must have been near the ter-
minus of the voyage of Captain John Smith,
of Virginia, up the river in 1608. A\^hile
BORDHR 'I'ROUBLES
59
there his restless and ro\-ing spirit led him
to visit the rich valleys thirty miles farther
up the right bank of the river, now in Hel-
lam and Lower Windsor townships, and re-
ported the state of affairs there to Lord
Baltimore, who contemplated as early as
1721 to extend the northern boundary of
his province on the west side of the Sus-
quehanna to the northern limits of the
fortieth degree of latitude. Gradually a
few settlers from Maryland moved up to
Conojehela (incorrectly Conodochly) val-
ley. They were aggressive to Pennsylva-
nia settlers near them. It was not the
policy of Baltimore or his followers to pur-
chase lands from the Indians; they drove
them away by force of arms, and hence we
find that the Maryland settlers treated the
Indians on the west side of the river with
cruelty. They had no person capable of
holding the ground they had taken against
the Indians or the followers of Penn, who
were on the alert to prevent Baltimore from
getting a foothold upon this disputed land.
Cresap came up to Conojehela valley in
]\Iarch, 1730, and built a blockhouse upon
the banks of the river, at the mouth of the
Cabin creek, four miles below AVrightsville,
near the site of Leber's mill. In the same
year he took out a Maryland patent for
several hundred acres of land near the Sus-
quehanna river and for "Blue Rock Ferry"
at the same place. In 1731 Cresap was
commissioned a justice of the peace for
Baltimore county. In 1735 he took out a
Mar3'land patent for a group of islands' at
the Blue Rock Ferry, called the "Isles of
Promise." General Jacob Dritt afterwards
became the owner of these islands, which
were later sold to John B. Haldeman.
At this time Cresap had at least two and
perhaps three of his children with him, the
eldest being about nine years old. Mean-
time, his wife and children resided with his
cousin, Daniel Lowe, who drove one of the
German settlers from his place in Kreutz
Creek valley, near the Codorus. Colonel
Cresap's education was limited, but he be-
came a land surveyor, and v/as of great
servic," to Lord Baltimore in .extending the
western boundary of Marjdand from the
source of the south branch of the Potomac
due north, which added at least one-third
more territory to Maryland.
On the 25th of September, 1736, the jus-
tices of thei Supreme Court issued their
warrant to the sheriff" of the county of Lan-
caster for the apprehension of Thomas
Cresap, for the murder of Knowles Daunt,
and other high crimes and misdemeanors.
At a meeting of the Council,
Arrest of held on the 27th of November,
Cresap. 1736, the president laid before
the board a letter from Lan-
caster county, brought by messengers, who
gave an account, that in pursuance of the
•warrant issued by the provincial judges for
apprehending Thomas Cresap, he had been
taken with four others, who abetted him in
resisting the sheriff. One of them was
committed to the jail of Lancaster county
for a crime charged against him there, and
Cresap and the three others were brought
to Philadelphia. The. letter stated that the
magistrates, upon considering the danger
wherewith those parties of that county ly-
ing on the west of the Susquehanna near
Thomas Cresap's settlement, were threat-
ened, if he should be joined by those who
had lately entered into a combination for
dispossessing the Germans settled there,
and likewise having understood that he had
applied to Colonel Rigby, ajustice of Mary-
land, for more arms and ammunition, they
judged it absolutely necessary to apprehend
Cresap. Sheriff Samuel Smith of Lancas-
ter, had called to his assitance twenty-four
persons, and had gone over the ri\'er on
Tuesday night, November 23rd, in order to
have Cresap taken by surprise early the next
morning. But Cresap with six men, se-
cured himself in his house, and stood on his
defense. He fired on the sheriff" and his
company. The sheriff" set fire to his house,
and Cresap, still refusing to surrender, at
length rushed out, and after some firing, in
which one of his men was killed, he was ap-
prehended. The magistrates reported "that
nothing but absolute necessity and the pres-
ervation . of so many innocent families,
whose ruin seemed to be determined upon,
could ha\e obliged the people to proceed
to such extremities in taking this man; that
his behavior has since showed that he will
stop at nothing to gratify his resentments,
and therefore, unless strict care is taken, it
may justly be apprehended that he will at-
tempt either firing the prison or an}' other
desperate action, that he can find means to
compass."
6o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
George Aston, of the county of Chester,
in the province of Pennsylvania, saddler,
aged about fifty 3'ears, being one of the
people called Quakers, upon his solemn af-
firmation, according to law, did declare and
affirm that, upon some conversation hap-
pening between Thomas Cresap, Robert
Buchanan, and this affirmant on the road,
in sight of the city of Philadelphia, that
Cresap said, "Damn it, Aston, this is one of
the prettiest towns in Maryland. I have
been a troublesome fellow, but by this last
job I have made a present of the two prov-
inces to the King, and that if the}^ found
themselves in a better condition by the
change, they might thank Cresap for it,"" or
words to that effect.
Philadelphia, December 3, 1736, taken be-
fore me, Clement Plumsted, Mayor.
On the representations of the magistrates,
the Council ordered that Cresap should be
put in irons and closely confined in the most
secure place, but supplied with what was
necessary. It was left to the judges to
proceed against, him and the others taken
with him, agreeably to law. On the 8th of
December, 1736, a message was brought
from the Assembly, and finding that the
government of Maryland had not shown
any real disposition on their part to enter
into amicable measures for preventing fur-
ther diiTerences between the two govern-
ments, the House had come to a resolution,
that an humble address should be prepared
and transmitted to the King, praying his
royal interposition for putting a stop to
these disorders. The petition of the Presi-
dent and Council, and of the General As-
sembly of the province of Pennsylvania, to-
gether with sundry affidavits about the ap-
proaching of Cresap and the association for
dispossessing the Germans on the Susque-
hanna, were transmitted to the Iving, after
the meeting of the Council on the nth of
December, 1736.
About 1739 Cresap again moved
Removal beyond the frontier and took up
to about 2000 acres of land in
Maryland. ^laryland along Antietam creek
where he established a store
and Indian trading post. He accumulated
a large quantity of furs and peltries and
shipped them to England, and the vessel
was captured by the French and he lost
everything. He moved farther west within
two miles of Cumberland, where he again
embarked in the Indian trade until the
French and Indian war, when he raised a
company of rangers. He had a number of
skirmishes with the Indians and stood his
ground, manfully assisted by his sons. He
was elected a representative for a number
of years from ^^■ashington County to the
Maryland legislature. When the French
and their savage allies attempted to wrest
the entire territory west of the Allegheny
Mountains from the English, he and his
sons at their own expense raised two com-
panies of volunteer soldiers. Col. Cresap
became a very large land owner. He be-
came totally blind a few years before his
death. He died at his home in Allegheny
County, Md., in 1790, aged eighty-eight.
His first wife, Hannah Johnson, during
"Cresap War" in York County, frequently
mounted a horse and rode with the mounted
militia in battle array, with a sword by her
side. And when Cresap's stronghold was
surrounded by militia from Donegal, she
knew how to handle a musket: she never
manifested any fear, but superintended the
construction of a house, and the building of
some flats, in the absence of her husband at
John Hendricks", now the upper end of
A^'rightsville, where forcible possession had
been taken of Hendricks' plantation by
Cresap. And while there she saw a flat
filled with armed men crossing the river.
She mounted a horse and sounded a bugle,
and rode rapidly -to Cresap's block house,
three miles and a half further down the
river, and returned at the head of the
militia.
Thomas and Hannah Cresap
Cresap's had five children — three sons
Descendants, and two daughters — as fol-
lows : Daniel remained in
Washington Count}', Maryland, became a
large land owner and a celebrated hunter as
well as farmer. He was about fourteen
years of age when the family left York
County. By his first wife he had one son,
Michael, who commanded a company in
Dunmore's war in 1774, and was afterward
colonel of militia. The late Capt. James
Cresap of the United States Navy, was a
lineal descendant of Daniel Cresap. Gen-
eral Ord, who was placed in command of
Richmond after the capitulation in 1865,
BORDER TROUBLES
6i
was a lineal descendant of Col. Thomas
Cresaj).
Thomas, second son of Col. Cresap, was
killed by an Indian — whom he killed at the
same instant. He left a widow and one
child.
Michael Cresap, the yonngest son of Col.
Cresap, succeeded his father as an Indian
trader in Western Maryland, near the
present site of Cumberland. In 1774, he
commanded a company of militia and
marched against the Indians in West Vir-
ginia who were reported by Dr. Connolly,
commandant at Fort Pitt, to be in hostile
array against the whites. The report that
these Indians were on the war path, seems
to have been untrue, and during Cresap's
absence from his troops, they attacked the
Indian settlement near Wheeling and killed
the family of the celebrated Indian chief,
Logan, and others. In 1775, Michael Cre-
sap raised a company of volunteer riflemen
and marched through York to Boston.
Soon after he entered the American army,
he took sick, and died in New York.
At a meeting of the Council
Mission of held at Philadelphia on the 6th
Jennings of December, 1736, Mr. Bord-
and ley, a gentleman of Maryland,
Dulaney. attending without, with a mes-
sage for the President and
Council, was called on and acquainted the
President that he was sent by Jennings and
Dulaney, who were just come to town from
Annapolis with their compliments to the
President and Council, and to acquaint
them, that, having received some com-
mands from the Governor of Maryland,
they desired to know when they might
have an opportunity of waiting on the
President and Council. (IV Col. Rec, 115.)
Jennings and Dulaney on the next day, at-
tending, delivered an open letter from the
Governor of Maryland. Their mission was
occasioned by the burning of Cresap's
house, and his arrest wnth other parties, on
the 24th of November, as the letter of Gov-
ernor Ogle alleged, in Baltimore County.
Jennings was the secretary and Dulaney
the commissary and Attorney-General of
^laryland. The letter represented the
transaction as cruel and barbarous, and re-
c|uested the assistance of the government
of Pennsylvania to bring the actors to pun-
ishment. A paper was drawn up by them
and delivered to the Council to the same
effect, and demanding that Cresap should
be released. The answer to Jennings and
Dulaney stated that the government of
Pennsylvania never acknowledged the place
of Cresap's settlement to be in Maryland,
and recited the attempts to oust the Ger-
mans; that Cresap was arrested on a charge
of murder, and that unless the go\-ernment
of Maryland thought fit to enter into some
eft'ectual specific measures with them, it be
represented to his Majesty to interpose his
royal authority. To this Jennings and Du-
laney replied that the right and title of Cre-
sap was founded on a grant from Lord Bal-
timore many years before the agreement;
that the agreement was never carried into
execution and the validity of it was under
the consideration of the High Court of
Chancery. They discussed the act of the
Germans in disowning the jurisdiction of
Lord Baltimore, and alleged that Cresap
acted in self-defense, and that to two gentle-
men sent from hence offers were made
which were rejected.
In consideration of the paper of Jennings
and Dulaney, which referred to former pa-
cific overtures on the part of Maryland, the
Council recurred to the' transactions at An-
napolis with Hamilton and Georges in May,
1734, by which it appeared that, though the
Governor of Maryland often used the ex-
pression of pacific measures, what was pro-
posed was dilatory and impracticable, and
the proposal of this government of agree-
ing on some limits to which, for the preser-
vation of peace, jurisdiction would extend
with a salvo to the right of either proprie-
tor, till the dispute between them should be
fully ended, was evaded and declined. The
answer to the deputies was based on this
view, December 14, 1736: 'Tf your Gover-
nor will agree upon some certain bounda-
ries to limit the jurisdiction to the respec-
tive provinces, without prejudice to the
right of either proprietor, until the whole
dispute shall be ended, or upon any other
reasonable measures by which his Majesty's
subjects may enjoy peace and no longer be
harassed in their persons and possessions,
we shall cheerfully come into any methods
that can be proposed, consistent with the
laws and common justice." It was also
said "that the Germans who yearly arrive
here in great numbers, whollv ignorant of
62
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the English langxiage and the constitution,
were obliged, on account of our too near
northern neighbors, the French, whose lan-
guage many of them understood, not only
to swear allegiance to our sovereign but, as
a further tie upon them, promised fidelity
to our proprietors and this government, a
practice only used with them and no
others."
There resulted a very voluminous cor-
respondence, but there is in it merely a re-
capitulation of mutual claims and com-
plaints. Jennings and Dulaney informed
the President, on the i6th of December,
that they were just setting out on their re-
turn and delivered a paper to him, in which,
in reference to the preceding claims, they
say: "You are pleased to mention that this
government obliged the Germans only to
enter into an engagement of fidelity to your
proprietors; we apprehend the allegiance
they swear to our sovereign cannot need
the force of an engagement to yoiu" proprie-
tors to prevent their desertion to the
French, and therefore we are at a loss to
comprehend why the Germans are dis-
tinguished from all other nations by the re-
markable distrust your government has of
their fidelity."
The Maryland commissioners
Malicious had also charged President Lo-
Charges. gan with having promised that
Cresap's accomplices should be
bailed, and then not performing it. The
Council, in considering the last paper deliv-
ered to the President by Jennings and Du-
laney, were some of them, of the opinion
that the unmannerly and malicious reflec-
tions in it should receive a proper answer,
but the next day, December 21, they con-
cluded that what ought to be said should be
represented to the Governor of Maryland.
In regard to the question of bail, it appeared
that it had been referred to the judges, who
held them not bailable. (IV Col. Rec,
146.)
The reply of the Council to the letter of
Governor Ogle, crediting the mission of
Jennings and Dulaney, after referring to the
papers, proposed a joinder in effectual
measures to preserve the peace until the
royal pleasure could be known. In the
meantime, on December 11, 1736, by the
concurring action of the Assembly, a peti-
tion was drawn in the name of the Presi-
dent and Council and the General Assem-
bly to the King.
On the 1st of March, 1737, there came a
letter from the Governor of Maryland, dated
24th of December, 1736, requesting the
Governor of Pennsylvania to state precisely
what were the concessions they were willing
to come into. This letter was not received
for ten weeks after its date. The postmas-
ter, on being examined said "that the letter
had been received last night, and that three
mails had come from Annapolis since
Christmas." The Council were of the opin-
ion that whatever reason the governor had
for antedating his letter or keeping it back,
as he declined making any proposals, it was
proper on this call from Maryland to make
proposals of peace. (IV Col. Rec, 158.) A
letter was therefore written to Governor
Ogle on the 5th of March, 1737, in which
reference is made to the committing of hos-
tilities since the date of his letter, and since
continued by his new captain, Higgin-
botham, and his crew, reciting" the injuries,
and proposing that all those in arms should
immediately retire as a preliminary. The
fixing of certain limits was proposed for
the purpose of jurisdiction, and no new set-
tlements were to be suffered, save by the
same families that were then in possession
of the lands they held or claimed before,
and no person whatever in or near those
parts should on either side be molested on
any cause or pretense arising from their
disputes or the proprietary claims. On the
nth of March, 1737, Gov. Ogle wrote that
"the point is, which of the two governments
is in the wrong by refusing to come into
reasonable measures, to prevent disorders
on the border. The proposal to Ham-
ilton and Georges was, that the application
be made to the King to fix the boundaries
and new settlements be prevented. You
seem willing not to oppose; but that all
those who first took up their lands under
this province may be allowed to acknowl-
edge this government, only those coming
into your province to inhabit it, and going
over Susquehanna to seek for settlements,
were either forced or decoyed by Thomas
Cresap, or others, to submit to this govern-
ment, ought certainly to be left to those to
which they first belonged. ... I am
persuaded you did not intend to include
within that exception the Germans, who
BORDER TROUBLES
63
settled under this government on Susque-
hanna, and who, by a most extraordinary
method, pretended to become Pennsylva-
nians." He proposed to meet Mr. Logan
anywhere, half way between Annapolis and
Philadelphia.
In reply to this a letter was writ-
Logan's ten to Governor Ogle, March 22,
Reply. 1737, by James Logan under the
advice of the Council, showing
the impracticability of his proposal. Those
inhabitants who at first entered on their
possessions under Maryland, should, till the
boundaries were settled, be allowed to
acknowledge that government. And all
such as entered on their possessions under
this government, should, in the same man-
ner, be allowed to acknowledge it. And all
the inhabitants subject to the late dispute,
should be exempt from taxes. Taxes to be
assessed and account kept of them, and no
further settlements be made in those parts.
To this letter. Gov. Ogle responded on the
29th of March, 1737: "You say you will
now, in full terms, express your meaning,
which is, that those inhabitants who at first
entered on their possessions under the gov-
ernment of Maryland, should, till such time
as the boundaries should be settled, or till
we shall receive orders and directions from
a superior authority for establishing peace,
be allowed to acknowledge this govern-
ment ; and all such others as entered on
their possessions under your government
should in the same manner, be allowed to
acknowledge it. In answer to which I can
truly say, that I always thought this just
and reasonable, that all my endeavors and
proposals tended to come into this very
agreement, which, if you have done, I am
convinced it would effectually have pre-
vented all the mischief that has happened
since that ineffectual conference we had
with Hamilton and Georges. . . . But,
besides that, such an agreement as this for
the public good can never be too plainly
and clearly avoided; let us consider the per-
sons you propose to be excepted, and the
reason for so doing.
"The persons are those who have been
the subject of the late contentions and dis-
putes begun some time in August last, and
the only reason that I can conceive for it
must be that these same persons, not liking
our forty per cent poll and other taxes, took
it into their heads to renounce all obedience
to this government in a formal manner by a
paper under their hands. If they had not
made this revolt, as they themselves call it,
I presume their being excepted more than
others would not have been mentioned; so
that this being the only reason, the best way
for you to judge of the goodness of it will
be to turn the tables, and suppose the same
case should happen to yourselves. Sup-
pose a number of your inhabitants, touched
with a tender regard for the Church of Eng-
land and the support of its ministers, should
all of a sudden renounce your government
in the same formal manner that these peo-
ple did ours for contrary reasons, pray what
would your government do in such a case?
Would you think such a renunciation of any
validity, or would you proceed against them
according to the laws of your province ?
Whatever you would think reasonable for
yourselves to do in that case, we only desire
you to grant us the same indulgence. To
do as one would be done by is a maxim so
very just and reasonable that it is to be pre-
sumed that nobody can dispute it. And this
is all we desire of you in the case before
us."
Reference was made in the letter of
President Logan to the committing of hos-
tilities by Higginbotham and his crew,
pending the negotiations and correspond-
ence between the provinces, but to these
Gov. Ogle made no response. The letters
of Samuel Blunston to the Provincial Coun-
cil contain a full statement of these trans-
actions, and, therefore, must be cited in
order to obtain a full understanding of the
trials of the German settlers here.
Charles Higginbotham, one
Outrages of the ringleaders in the eject-
Committed, ment plot above related, hav-
ing escaped, became more
formidable than his predecessor, Cresap, in
acts of violence. He was appointed by Gov.
Ogle, a Justice of the Peace and a Captain
of Militia. At the head of about twenty
men he came up to the settlements of the
Germans, and it appears by the letters of
Samuel Blunston in December and January,
1737, "being daily strengthened by runaway
sei^vants and others of desperate circum-
stances, they threatened to attack some of
the Dutch people seated there," and many
outrasres were committed and forcible arr
64
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
rests made, and they plainly intended to
oust every person who refused to acknowl-
edge the authority of Maryland. They
broke open the Germans' doors with axes
and carried persons off. On account of
these outrages the wives and children of the
Germans taken and several other families,
went over the Susquehanna for refuge, and
according to Blunston, all the settlements
on the west side would be speedily deserted
unless a sufiicient force would be set on foot
to protect them and to apprehend Higgin-
botham and his party. So grievous were
the complaints of injury that he asked the
advice of the Council on the 9th of Janu-
ary, 1737, whether it would be more eligible
to order the removal of all those wdio were
seated under Pennsylvania on the west side
of the Susquehanna, than to use further en-
deavors for their defense, since it was ap-
parent that blows, and bloodshed in all
probability would ensue.
The Council, considering the distress and
hardships to which the Germans were at
that severe season exposed, were of opinion
that it was not consistent either with the
honor or safety of this province to remove
those of its inhabitants who were seated
within its unquestionable bounds, since
such an act might be construed a cession
of those parts of Maryland, who would not
fail thereupon to take possession of them;
and in all probability, from such an encour-
agement, would endeavor at further en-
croachments in pursuance to their late ex-
orbitant claims. On the contrary, it became
the government, in support of its authority
and in the just defense of his Majesty's
peaceable subjects in it, to raise and support
a force sufficient to oppose those violators
of the peace and of his people's rights, and
to seize and secure them that they may be
brought to justice, the conducting of which
force ought to be in the sheriff of the county
and officers. And on the 20th of January it
was ordered that the sheriff of Lancaster be
called upon to raise a sufficient number of
men of his county to be disposed in such
places on the west side of the Susquehanna,
under proper officers to be by him deputed,
as may prevent further disorders, and that
the sheriff with his officers and assistants
exert their utmost endeavors for preserving
the peace, protecting the inhabitants, and
use all legal means in their power for ap-
prehending Pligginbotham and his associ-
ates, and all others who have been or here-
after shall be guilty of committing any acts
of violence within the said county." It was
repeatedly pressed in advices from Lan-
caster "that some gentlemen of credit and
authority should be sent up into that county
by whose encouragement and countenance
a greater furtherance might be given to
such measures as should be found necessary
to be concerted for the preservation of his
Majesty's peace and the protection of the
inhabitants from those outrages to which
they have of late been exposed." On the
25th of January, 1737, two members of the
Council, Laurence and Assheton, were pre-
vailed upon to take that trouble. It was
recommended to them, "to use their best
endeavors and give such orders as they
should judge not conducive for carrying
those measures into execution."
Thomas Laurence and Ralph
Report of Assheton, on their return from
Laurence Lancaster, on the 8th of Febru-
and ary, reported that they met the
Assheton. Justices and Sheriff of that
county, and that fifteen men
had been gotten together to observe the
motions of Higginbotham and his party,
and to prevent their further attempts on the
inhabitants. That he had gone toward An-
napolis with his prisoners, and the others
kept themselves shut up in their guard
house or fortress. That their wdiole force
consisted of about twenty-five men. The
number of men to assist the Sheriff had
been increased to twenty-eight, and Solo-
mon Jennings was made deputy, and he and
his men were so stationed as to be able to
prevent any further violences. They said
the country had conceived such a resent-
ment that many had offered their services
to march directly to their fortress and take
them. (IV Col. Rec, 153.)
At a meeting of the Council on the ist of
March, 1737, a letter from Samuel Blunston
set forth that Higginbotham's garrison was
then about the number of thirty. That
Higginbotham had offered to purchase
some of the Dutch people's improvements,
b)^ order, as he gave out, of the Government
of Maryland, and that he had also told some
of them if they would stand neutral and not
hold by either government, they should re-
main unmolested. That many having been
BORDER TROUBLES
obliged to lea\e their houses, it was not
without the utmost difficulty their families
had been able to subsist themselves that
winter, and if on the approaching season,
they should be prevented by a continuance
of such violences from putting in a spring
crop, they must either perish, remove, or
submit to jNlaryland. That provisions were
extremely scarce, and the keeping of the
Sheriff's assistants together on the west
side of the Susquehanna very expensive.
They had few or no opportunities of falling
in with Higginbotham's gang, who for the
most part kept within their guard house,
where the Sheriff would not consent that
they should be attacked. By a letter a few-
days before to Thomas Penn, it appeared
Higginbotham's party broke into the house
of Joshua Minshall in Kreutz Creek Valley
early in the morning of the 12th of Febru-
ary, surprised him in bed, and carried him
off prisoner. They were pursued by some
of the Sheriff of Lancaster's people, who
had no notice of this action till some hours
after it had happened, but the gang had got
to their guard house before they could be
overtaken, and there it was not thought
proper to attack them. On the 17th of
March, 1737, some of the people from the
garrison went to the house of Martin
Shultz, between AVrightsville and York, and
took by force a cask of eight gallons of rum
and two of his horses and conveyed them to
their place. A letter written about this
time by Blunston gives a graphic picture of
the unfortunate state of affairs in this por-
tion of the province. He says : "\Ye had
given repeated orders to the Dutch to keep
together and stand on their defense." He
then relates the incident of six men getting
a grave ready for a child. Higginbotham
and his company came upon them and
seized and carried them through the woods
and it w^as said that they were to be con-
veyed to Annapolis. The persons taken
were JMichael Tanner, Conrad Strickler and
Joseph Evans. He says : "This unhappy
incident has so terrified the rest that they
have all left their homes and are come over
the river so that there was none left on that
side but women and children, except
Joshua Minshall and John AYright, Jr., at
the site of Y'rightsville they keep garrison,
expecting every day and night to be at-
tacked. This is the present state of affairs
o\er the ri\-er, to which, if we add that the
ice is in continual danger of breaking, so as
to render the river impassable for some
weeks, make things look with but an in-
diff'erent prospect. Before this happened,
if the sheriff" had gone over he might have
had thirty or forty Dutch to assist him, but
now he has none but wdiat he takes with
him if he can go over."
At a meeting of the Council on
Distress the 4th of April, 1737, the Presi-
of the dent acquainted the Board that
Germans, several of the Germans who had
suft'ered outrages from the
Maryland gang from the west of Susque-
hanna had come hither to represent their
great distress. Higginbotham and those
under his command had continued to carry
on their violences and would neither suft'er
the people themselves, their children, nor
those hired to plow the grounds, to raise
corn for the sustenance of their families.
They took away the horses employed in
this necessary work and said the Governor
of Maryland ordered it. They carried off
several young lads from plowing, and de-
tained them in their garrison to give secur-
ity to work no more or be sent to jail. Some
of the people carried to Annapolis let out on
bail were told if they did not work for
others they forfeited their recognizance.
Notice was given to the women that three
days would be allowed them to carr}- their
goods out of their houses, otherwise they
w-ould be turned out. The number of the
rioters had increased, and infested the
neighborhood in small detachments. Their
insolence and cruelties were so great that
the inhabitants were reduced to deplorable
circumstances, it being evident that not-
withstanding the negotiations of peace now
on foot, between the two provinces, Hig-
ginbotham and those with him were re-
solved to distress the poor people to such a
degree as to oblige them to quit their places
that others may enter upon them according
to the promise and expectations given them
bv the Governor of Maryland. The num-
ber of those whom the sheriff of Lancaster
had kept on the west side of the Susque-
hanna for a restraint on Higginbotham's
gang had lessened and had not been of the
service that was expected. The Council
observed that as both governments were
then treating on measures for establishing
66
HISTORY OP YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
peace, and the Governor of Maryland con-
tinuing in his several late letters, to make
ample professions of 'his sincere inclination
to that end, it could scarcely be supposed
without highly reflecting on that gentle-
man's honor and candor, that those late
violences were carried on by his authority
or with his knowledge. His letter was
again read, and the essential parts of it,
particularly that where he seems to insist
that the Germans, without any proviso or
stipulation for them, should be left to his
government to be taxed or dealt with as
they should think proper being largely
spoken to, the President was desired to pre-
pare a draft of an answer to Mr. Ogle. This
answer of Mr. Logan recapitulated the cor-
respondence on the subject, and made the
proposal that a preliminary, namely, the ap-
pointment of persons to adjust the matter
be at once put in execution, and that com-
missioners meet on the spot and determine
by the strictest and most just inquiry, who
of those inhabitants entered on their pos-
sessions under the one or under the other
government. It is noted the fact that he
had made no answer to the complaints
about Higginbotham, and that since the
receipt of his last letter accounts had been
received of shocking barbarities committed
upon that unhappy people.
Upon considering what was represented
by Blunston, the Council were of the opin-
ion that the people ought by all means to
maintain possession of their houses and
plantations; that a proper number of people
should be lodged in the house late of John
Hendricks to defend it against any attack
and the sheriff be called upon to give all
legal assistance. On the 8th of April, 1737,
as to those Germans who had come there
to pray advice in their present distress, the
Council were of the opinion that as they
came first into this province to settle, they
were highly to blame in going over to the
other side of the Susquehanna, and there, in
contempt of this government, taking up
land under Maryland and acknowledging
themselves subjects or tenants under it;
that some of them had not only enlisted
under Cresap, but had assisted him on all
occasions when called on, and particularly
that the party who took Mr. Buchanan, the
late sheriff of Lancaster, was mostly made
of their people ; that when they thought of
returning to their obedience under this gov-
ernment, if Gov. Ogle's word is to be taken
for it, who expressly charges them with it,
and as for encouraging them in it, their
only inducement was their hopes of living
more easily under us, in being freed from
the forty per cent, poll and other Maryland
taxes. That instead of defending them-
selves against the force which had been sent
to apprehend them, they had thrown that
charge wholly upon this government, who
had been put to great expense on that ac-
count. That if the Marylanders should
proceed to turn them off their plantations,
as there is now no possibility of opposing
but by open war and bloodshed, their fami-
lies must be sure no otherwise to give way
to it than as they are forced, and if that
should prove the case, as it is hoped it will
not, care will be taken to order other places
for their settlement, on their paying a rea-
sonable consideration for the same, and that
we must wait for a suitable redress from
the wisdom and justice of our Gracious Sov-
ereign, whose orders for putting an end to
all these disturbances have been long since
humbly applied for, and may now- in a
short time be expected. (IVCol. Rec, 195.)
On the 15th of April, 1737, a letter from
Gov. Ogle retaliated as to violences, by
charges of cruelty to Cresap and others : "I
shall put into immediate execution every-
thing that lies in my power to prevent' the
renewing of your hostilities. I shall leave
wholly to yourselves, such as first settled
under your government, and shall not look
upon such to be Marylanders at present, as
settled and held under this government."
Throughout this curious and voluminous
discussion, there was, on either side, a plain
determination to maintain the German ele-
ment of the contention as peculiarly subject
to their own control. Pennsylvania was
willing to have an investigation into the
settlements of each individual, believing
that the exceptions were as to an original
settlement under any other title.
Maryland, on the other hand, would per-
sist on claiming the whole body of the re-
volted Germans as their tenants and sub-
ject to taxation as such. Consequently the
reply to the letter of Gov. Ogle, of the 15th
of April, proposed the appointment of a
commissioner by each province to ascertain
who of the settlers "first entered on their
BORDER TROUBLES
67
lands uiulei" the one, and under the other
go\-ernment,"' when the commotions began,
before August, 1736.
On the 29th of April, 1737, the
Mission of Council considered it advisable
Preston to send to Annapolis two per-
and sons, who should, in a personal
Kinsey. conference with the Governor,
press him to an explicit and de-
termined answer to the proposals that ac-
companied the concession made on the part
of this province and accepted by him. Two
members, Samuel Preston and John Kin-
sey, were appointed for the occasion. An-
other letter was prepared and sent to Gov.
Ogle. It was proposed that the levying of
taxes be deferred and that the forces on
either side be withdrawn and that commis-
sioners be appointed. The House of Repre-
sentatives was called together and a mes-
sage delivered to them from the President
and Council, that notwithstanding all legal
means in their power, and those at a very
considerable expense, had been used to put
a stop to the violences on the west side of
the Susquehanna, yet there was a continued
series of those abuses. The House hoped
that it would be known, and that they
should always be ready to do what is ne-
cessary for supporting the government,
while the measures taken are consistent
with the peaceable principles of the people
they represented.
A letter of instructions was prepared for
Samuel Preston and John Kinsey, the com-
missioners. According to the report made
by Preston on their return, they were re-
ceived civilly and dined with the Governor,
and had a personal conference with him.
They were called before the Council and
had reduced their offer to writing. After
correspondence between them, articles were
acceded to by both governments.
Objection was made to the appointment
of commissioners. It was contended on the
part of Pennsylvania, that this was neces-
sary to determine who settled under each
government, but on the part of Maryland
that it might be determined by them and
Preston and Kinsey, as by commissioners.
The former alsd contended that it was ne-
cessary to examine those who were settled
and others. In the personal conference
touching the manner of determining who
settled on the lands in dispute under each
government, Gov. Ogle told them that he
thought it would be easy to distinguish
them by name in the articles. He said an
answer to two or three plain questions
would determine it, as to whose they took
the land to be at the time of first entry. To
whom they had paid their taxes ? He fur-
ther said that the Germans entered on the
land on which they are under them, but
were prevailed upon by threats and persua-
sions of some of the magistrates of Lan-
caster to renounce their government. He
was answered, "that matter was very dif-
ferently represented to us; that one of us
had an opportunity since our coming there
of inquiring of one of those Germans, who
declared that on their first entry on the
lands in question, they looked upon them as
belonging" to the proprietors of Pennsyl-
A'ania, but that Cresap, pretending an au-
thority from the government unless they
would suffer their plantations to be sur-
veyed by him as belonging to Maryland.
That being strangers, who had the right to
avoid being dispossessed, they permitted
him to make surveys, expecting a confirma-
tion of their possessions from the govern-
ment of Maryland. And we understood
that they, having been disappointed in this
respect by the government of Maryland,
and their having afterward been fully as-
sured the lands belonged to our proprietors,
occasioned their voluntaiy application to
our magistrates for protection from our
government, and that they were not induced
thereto by any threats or persuasions
whatsoever." Preston and Kinsey pro-
posed that if there was difficulty as to the
appointment of commissioners they might
agree upon other articles. This Gov. Ogle
declined, urging that it was necessary first
to distinguish the persons who settled
under each government. They were called
no more to confer with the Maryland Coun-^
cil. They dined with Benjamin Tasker, one
of the Council and Lord Baltimore's agent,
and on their return to their lodging, found
a paper for them, and being informed the
Governor was gone out of town the Council
separated, and they left Annapolis. (IV
Col. Rec, 210, 223.)
x\s in the former treaties, so in this, the
Governor of Maryland insisted that the fail-
ure of the negotiations was owing to the
want of power of information in the com-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
missioners, and that when his just offers
would be communicated to the government
of Pennsylvania, it would give proper pow-
ers and instructions for perfecting the same.
CHAPTER V
THE BOUNDARY LINE
The Royal Order of George II — Digges'
Choice — The Manor of Maske— The
Temporary Line — The Line at Peach
Bottom — Agreement of 1760 — Mason
and Dixon's Line.
THE ROYAL ORDER OF GEORGE II.
The controversy which had arisen be-
tween the governors of Pennsylvania and
Maryland, and their subjects, was owing to
a misunderstanding in reference to the
boundary line. This trouble had begun
about 1725. It culminated in the attempts
of the Marylanders to drive the Germans
from Springettsburg Manor and other parts
of York County, which was claimed by the
subjects of Lord Baltimore as disputed
ground. The Maryland authorities had
encouraged their people to occupy this ter-
ritory. According to his charter, Penn's
province was to be bounded on the south
by the circumference of a circle whose
centre was New Castle and whose radius
was twelve miles in length, to be drawn
from north to west till it reached "the be-
ginning of the fortieth degree." From this
point of contact, the boundary line was to
extend directly westward five degrees of
longitude. Lord Baltimore's charter made
the northern boundary of Maryland extend
west from that part of Delaware Bay
which "lieth under the fortieth degree of
latitude." The Baltimoreans contended
that the words "lieth under" were to be
taken literallj^ as if a huge figure 40 lay
over sixty geographical miles ; that their
grant extended over the land between the
39th and 40th parallels. The Penns held
that the words "beginning of the fortieth
degree," in their charter, likewise had refer-
ence to the entire space between the 39th
and 40th parallels ; that the 40th degree
began at the 39th, just as the first degree
may be said to begin at the equator. The
width of a degree, therefore, was in dispute.
on account of the unfortunate expressions
in the two charters. Lord Baltimore, by
virtue of his charter, also laid claim to the
whole peninsula between the Chesapeake
bay and the Atlantic ocean north of a line
drawn across from W'atkins' Point.
The dispute dragged its weary length
through more than eighty years. Three
English sovereigns had to do with the vex-
atious question. The proprietors had a
few interviews in America, but parted as
secret enemies, especially after they had
discovered that the fortieth parallel did not
pass through New Castle, as had been sup-
posed, but much farther north. With Lord
Baltimore it was territory; with AVill;am
Penn it was water frontage on Chesapeake
bay. The latter once offered to buy suffi-
cient territory of Baltimore to get a port on
the bay, but met with a refusal.
The controversy west of the Susque-
hanna had become so bitter that it threat-
ened to cause riot and bloodshed. It was
of so much importance, that it received the
attention of the King of England. For the
purpose of settling this dispute and prevent-
ing further collision, he took up the matter
in council, and then issued, what is known
in colonial history, as the Royal Order of
King George II.
The boundary line between the provinces
which was provided for in the agreement
of 1732, was not run on account of the
objections of Lord Baltimore, and the con-
sequent suit in equity. The active and
acrimonious correspondence between the
governors of the two provinces went on,
and overtures for fixing a boundary were
made by Pennsylvania, without effect. Gov.
Gordon and President Logan, by advice of
the Council, proposed to have a provisional
line run, but it was rejected by the Mary-
land authorities. They made mutual ap-
peals to the king. The matter was referred
to the Lords of Committee of Council on
Plantation Affairs, and before them the
proprietors and their counsel came to an
agreement that the peace and tranquility
of the province might be preserved until
such time as the boundaries could be finally
settled. This agreement was approved by
the King, and His Majesty was pleased to
order that the respective proprietors do
cause the said agreement to be carried into
execution.
THE BOUNDARY LINE
69
At tlic court at Kensington, on the 25tli day of May,
173«-
PRESENT :
The King's Most Excellent Majesty.
Archbishop of Canterbury, Karl. of Selkirk,
Lord President, Earl of Islay,
Lord Steward, Earl Fitz Walter,
Lord Chamberlain, Viscount Lonsdale,
Duke of Bolton, Viscount Torrington,
Duke of Devonshire, Lord Harrington,
Duke of Newcastle, Mr. Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer,
Earl of Scarborough, Sir Charles Wills,
Earl of Grantham, Henry Pelham, Esq.,
Earl of Cholmondeley, Sir Charles Wager.
Upon reading at the Board a report from the Right
Honorable the Lords of the Committee of Council for
Plantation Affairs, dated the 4th of this instant in the
words following, viz. :
Your Majesty having been pleased by your orders in
Council of the 17th of March, 1736, 1737, and the 21st
of July, 1737, to refer unto this committee several peti-
tions from the President, Council and General Assem-
bly of the Province of Pennsylvania, and likewise from
the Governor and Council, and the commissary and
clerg)' of the Province of Marj-land, which petitions
represent (among other things) that great disorders
and outrages have been committed upon the borders of
the said respective provinces, and humbly praying j-our
Majesty's most gracious interposition and commands,
for the preservation of the peace, on the said borders
until the boundaries of the said province shall be finally
settled and adjusted. The lords of the Committee of
Council did, on the 29th of the said month of July, take
the matter of the said complaints into their considera-
tion, and, therefore, reported to your Majest\' what they
thought most advisable for your Majesty {o do, in order
to prevent the further continuance of the said disorders
and to preserve peace and tranquility on the said bor-
ders, until the boundaries should be finally settled. And
your Majesty having approved of what was proposed
by the said report was pleased, by your order in council
of the 8th of August, 1737, to direct as follows, viz. :
" That the governors of the respective provinces of
Maryland and Pennsylvania, for the time being, do not,
upon pain of incurring his jMajesty's highest displeas-
ure, permit or suffer any tumults, riots, or other out-
rageous disorders to be committed on the borders of
their respective provinces. But that they do immedi-
ately put a stop thereto, and use their utmost endeav-
ors to preserve peace and good order amongst all his
Majesty's subjects under their government inhabiting
the said borders. And as a means to preserve peace and
tranquility on the said borders, his Majesty doth hereby
enjoin the said Governors that they do not make grants
of any part of the lands in contest between the pro-
prietors respectively, nor any part of the three lower
counties commonK- called Newcastle, Kent and Sussex,
nor permit any person to settle there, or even to at-
tempt to make a settlement thereon, till his Majesty's
pleasure shall be further signified. And his majesty is
further pleased to direct that this order, together with
duplicates thereof, be delivered to the proprietors of the
said provinces, who are hereby required to transmit the
same forthwith to the governors of the said respective
provinces accordingly. That since the issuing of the
said order your Majesty hath been pleased to refer unto
this committee an address of the deputy governor, and
of the upper and lower Houses of Assembly of the
Province of Maryland, relating to a continuance of the
said disorders, and also two petitions, the one in the
name of John, Thomas and Richard Penn, Esqs., pro-
prietors of the Province of Pennsylvania, praying your
Majesty's further pleasure may be signified relating to
your Majesty's afore recited order in council of the l8th
of August, 1737, and the other in the name of the agent
of the said Province of Pennsylvania, complaining of
fresh disorders committed by the inhabitants of Mary-
land against those of Pennsylvania, wherefore the lords
of the committee did, on the 23d of February last, pro-
ceed to take all the papers relating to the complaints
made by each of the said provinces into their con-
sideration and were attended by counsel on both sides,
and likewise by the proprietors of the said provinces,
and the counsel desiring that some reasonable time
might be allowed the proprietors to confer together, in
order to come to some agreement amongst themselves,
so that the peace and tranquility of both provinces may
be preserved until such time as the boundaries can be
finally settled. The lords of the committee thought
proper to comply with such, their request. And being
again this day attended by all parties, the counsel ac-
quainted the committee that the proprietors of each
province had accordingly met and agreed to the fol-
lowing propositions, viz. : " ist. That so much of his
Majesty's order in council of the i8th of August, 1737,
as orders the governors of the respective provinces of
Maryland and Pennsylvania for the time being, do not,
upon pain of incurring his Majesty's highest displeas-
ure, permit or suffer any tumult, riots or any other
outrageous disorders to be committed on the borders
of their respective provinces, but that they do immedi-
ately put a stop thereto, and use their utmost endeavors
to preserve peace and good order among all his
Majesty's subjects under their government, inhabiting
the said borders, do stand in force and be observed.
2d, That there being no riots that appear to have been
committed within the three lower counties of New-
castle, Kent and Sussex, on Delaware, it is therefore not
thought necessary to continue the latter part of the said
order in council, as to the said three lower counties,
but that the same former order in council, so far as
relates to the said three lower counties, be discharged
without prejudice to either of the proprietors, as if the
same had never been made.
3d, That all other lands in contest between the said
proprietors now possessed by or under either of them
shall remain in the possession as they now are (al-
though beyond the temporary limits hereafter men-
tioned) ; and also the jurisdiction of the respective pro-
prietors shall continue over such lands until the bound-
aries shall be finally settled ; and that the tenants of
either side shall not atone to the other, nor shall either
of the proprietors or their officers receive or accept of
atonements from the tenants of the other proprietors.
4th, That, as to all vacant lands in contest between
the proprietors, not lying within the three lower coun-
ties and not now possessed by or under either of them,
on the east side of the River Susquehanna, down so far
as fifteen miles and one quarter of a mile south of the
latitude of the most southern part of the city of Phila-
delphia, and on the west side of the said River Susque-
hanna, down so far south as fourteen miles and three-
quarters south of the latitude of the most southern part
of the city of Philadelphia, the temporary jurisdiction
over the same is agreed to be exercised by the proprie-
tors of Pennsylvania, and their governor, courts and
officers, and as to all such vacant lands in contest be-
tween the proprietors and not now possessed by or
under either of them on both sides of the said River
Susquehanna, south of the respective southern limits
in this paragraph before mentioned, the temporary
jurisdiction over the same is agreed to be exercised by
the proprietor of Maryland, his governor, courts and
officers, without prejudice to either proprietor, and until
the boundaries shall be finally settled.
5th, That the respective proprietors shall be at free
liberty to grant out, on the common and usual terms all
or any vacant lands within the said Provinces of Penn-
sylvania and Maryland in contest between the said pro-
prietors (that is to say within their own respective sides
/"■
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
of the said several limits mentioned in the last forego-
ing paragraph). For the which lands and the profits of
the same also each proprietor shall account to the other,
who may be adjudged to be the proprietor thereof, upon
the final determination of the boundaries between the
two provinces.
6th, That all prisoners on both sides on account of
being concerned in any riots or disturbances relating
to the bounds, or for any act or thing done thereat, or
for any other act touching the rights of either said
provinces in relation to their bounds, be forthwith re-
leased and discharged on entering into their own re-
spective recognizance in a reasonable sum to appear and
submit to trial when called upon by further order from
his Majesty.
7th, That this be declared to be a provisional and
temporary order to continue until the boundaries shall
be finally settled, and be declared to be without preju-
dice to either party.
8th, That his Majesty be most humbly moved to dis-
charge so much of the order of the iStli of August, 1737,
as varies from the agreement, and that the several other
petitions of complaint now depending before his
Majesty in council, relating to any disturbances, may
be withdrawn by the respective petitioners.
To which propositions the proprietors of each prov-
ince signified their consent before the committee and
declared their readiness to carry the same into
execution, if your Majesty shall be pleased to approve
thereof; and" the committee, considering that the agree-
ment may be a proper expedient for restoring peace and
tranquility between the said provinces, and for prevent-
ing any of the like disturbances for the future, do there-
fore agree humbly to lay the same before your Alajesty
for your royal approbation.
His Majesty this day took the said report into con-
sideration, and in order to preserve peace and trancjuil-
it}' between the said provinces, and to prevent any like
disturbances for the future, is pleased, with the advice
ofi his privy council, to approve of the said agreement
entered into between the proprietors of the said respect-
ive provinces; and his Majesty is hereby pleased to
order that the proprietors of the said respective prov-
inces of Maryland and Pennsylvania do cause the said
agreement to be carried into execution ; whereof the
said proprietors, and all others whom it may concern,
are to take notice and govern themselves accordingly.
J. A. Vernon.
This Royal Order, as will be seen, pro-
vided that as to all vacant lands in contest
between the proprietors . . . "not now
possessed by, or under, either of them, on
the east side of the River Susquehanna,
down so far south as fifteen miles, and one
cjuarter of a mile south of the latitude of
the most southern part of the city of Phila-
delphia, and on the west side of the said
River Susquehanna, down so far south as
fourteen miles and three quarters of a mile
south of the latitude of the most southern
part of the city of Philadelphia, the tem-
porary jurisdiction of the same is agreed to
be exercised by the proprietors of Pennsyl-
vania, and their Governor, Courts and offi-
cers, until the boundaries shall be finally
settled." The agreement of 1732 fixed the
iDOundarv on the line of latitude iifteen
miles south of the southern part of Phila-
delphia, and provided that titles to lands
granted by either, and which were "cleared,
occupied and possessed" before the fifteenth
of Ma3^ 1724, should be protected. The
date, of these settlements appears to have
been fixed by the date of the agreement
made in London between the proprietors
on the 17th of May, 1724, "that no surveys
should be made on either side in the dis-
puted places till the boundaries should be
fixed, for which a time was limited." The
agreement of 1724, protected only occupiers
of land at that time, and since it prohibited
all new grants and settlements it was rea-
sonable to expect that the agreement of
1732 would not protect grants and intru-
sions in violation of it. And so it was writ-
ten in the agreement of 1732. So the mat-
ter was viewed by Gov. Gordon in his let-
ter to Gov. Ogle, June 15, 1732, "we have
always understood here and so did your
immediate predecessor, his Lordsliip's
brother, on our treating on that subject,
that the same convention should subsist till
the matter was further accommodated, all
which, notwithstanding the numerous set-
tlements rnade by those who forced them-
selves upon us from Ireland and Germany,
has been so punctually observed by our
office, that there has not been one survey
made, as is affirmed to me, by order of that
office, within the limits which it is con-
ceived Maryland either could or would
claim." This view was ratified by the royal
order. In pursuance of this order of his
Majesty in council "provisional and tem-
porary limits" were run between the
provinces'.
DIGGES' CHOICE.
On January 14, 1727, John Digges, an
Irish nobleman of Prince George's County,
Maryland, obtained from Charle's Calvert,
the fourth Lord Baltimore, a grant for
10,000 acres of land upon part of which the
Borough of Hanover is situated. When
Lord Baltimore gave this grant, the land
was thought to be in his own province.
This original title to the land was given
twelve years before the temporary line was
run between Maryland and Pennsylvania,
and nine years before the heirs of William
Penn had purchased from the Indians the
rights to lands west of the Susquehanna
THE BOUNDARY LINE
River. Under Lord Baltimore's grant John
Digges was empowered to " locate said
grant on whatsoever unimproved lands he
pleased within the jurisdiction of his lord-
ship." By the advice and under the direc-
tion of Tom, a noted Lidian chief, after
whom Tom's Creek, in Frederick County,
Maryland, is named, John Digges took up_
by virtue of the grant, 6,822 acres, embrac-
ing the whole of Penn Township and part
of Heidelberg, in York County, and parts
of Conewago, Germany and Union Town-
ships, in Adams Count}^. The warrant
granted to Digges was renewed by Lord
Baltimore in 1732.
A few of the first settlers on Digges'
Choice were Catholics, who started, in 1730,
what became known as the Conewago Set-
tlement in the vicinity of Hanover. Among
the earliest of these settlers was Robert
Owings, who took up a large tract of land
a short distance northwest of the present
site of McSherrystown.
There were a few adventurers
Digges' who crossed the Susquehanna as
Titles. early as 1727. Some Scotch-
Irish settlers had taken up land
in the southern part of York County under
Maryland grants as early as 1733. At a
meeting of representatives from the prov-
ince of Pennsylvania, held with the Indians
from the Five Nations, at Philadelphia, in
1736, the heirs of W^illiam Penn purchased
the title to a vast extent of country west
of the Susquehanna. The first authorized
settlements west of the river had been made
by authority of Samuel Blunston, the agent
of the Penns, who resided at Wright's
Ferry, now Columbia. Blunston issued his
first license in 1734, but as the Indians west
of the Susquehanna were peaceable, a few
settlers crossed the river before 1730. The
charter granted to Lord Baltimore gave
him the privilege of authorizing settlements
in parts of western Maryland before the
Indian title west of the Susquehanna was
obtained by the Penns.
In 1730 Andrew Schriver emigrated from
Philadelphia County and took up a valuable
tract of land a short distance east of Littles-
town, near the site of Christ Church. In
1 73 1 Adam Forney and 'other German set-
tlers procured from John Digges a bond of
agreement for lands on Digges' Choice.
Some of these, including a colony of thir-
teen families from Eastern Pennsylvania,
])assed across the present area of York
County into the Shenandoah valley in Vir-
ginia, where they took up land among the
earliest settlers of that fertile region.
The following is a copy of the bond of
agreement given by John Digges to Adam
Forney in 173 1 :
Know all men by those presents that I. John Digges,
of Prince George's County, in the Province of Mary-
land, Gent., am held and firmly bound unto Adam For-
ney, of Philadelphia County, in the Province of Penn-
sylvania, farmer and tailor, in full and just sum of
sixty pounds current money of Maryland, to which
payment well and truly to be made and done, I bind
myself, my heirs, executors and administrators, firmly
by these presents. Sealed with my seal and dated this
fifth day of October, Anno Domino, 1731.
The condition of the above obligation is such that
if the above bound John Digges, his heirs, e.xecutors or
administrators, shall and will at the reasonable request
of the above Adam Forney, make and order by suffi-
cient conveyance according to the custom and common
usage of the Province of Maryland, a certain parcel of
land containing one hundred and fifty acres, already
marked out by the above named Adam Forney, near a
place known by the name of Robert Owing's Spring,
and on the same tract of land where the said Robert
Owings now dwells in the Province of Maryland, then
this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full
force and virtue in law.
JOHN DIGGES.
Sealed and delivered in the presence of us,
George Douglass.
Johann Peter Zarich.
Among the early settlers on
Early Digges' Choice were, Robert
Settlers. Owings, Adam Forney and his
son Nicholas, Peter Zarich, Da-
vid Young, Andrew Schriever, Adam Mil-
ler, Adam Messier, John Leman, Valentine
and Conrad Eyler, Henry Sell, Martin Kitz-
miller, Jacob and Derrick Youngblood,
Peter Raysher, Charles Jones, Peter Young-
blood, George Evanaar, Matthias Marker,
Peter and William Oler. Jacob Banker,
Peter Welby, Herman Updegraf, (shoe-
maker), Peter Schultz (blacksmith), Leon-
ard Barnes, Peter Ensminger, Matthias
Ullery, William Loyston, John Martin
Inyfoss, Martin Brin, Abraham Sell, Adam
Buedinger (Bittenger) and son Nicholas,
Thomas Lilly, Martin Buyers, Martin
Ungefare, John Counts, John Morningstar,
Ludwick Schreiver, Michael Will, Peter
Middlecauf and Dr. Henry Null.
According to the statement of the late
Hon. Abraham Schriver, president judge of
the Frederick County Court, his paternal
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ancestor, Andrew Schriver, one of the
earliest settlers between Hanover and Lit-
tlestown, was a native of Alstenborn in the
Electorate Palatine, Germany, and immi-
grated with his family to this country in
the year 1721. landing at Philadelphia,
after which they moved to the neighbor-
hood of Goshenhoppen, near the Trappe on
the Schuylkill, where they made their home
for some years.
Before leaving German}-, he obtained a
certificate of character, such as was given
to most of the early immigrants, belonging
to the better class of people. The certifi-
cate reads as follows: "That the bearer of
(or person showing) this, Andrew Schriver,
citizen and inhabitant of this place, and his
wife, Ann Margaretha, whom he has with
him, profess themselves to be conformable
to the pure word of God of the Reformed
Church, and until now assiduously observed
the outward duties of Christianity, in at-
tending our public worship, receiving the
holy sacrament, and otherwise, as far as is
known, have been irreproachable in their
conduct, I attest. And whereas, the said
man and wife, with their children, after
having borne many adversities, are about
to turn their backs on their country, and to
go (God knows where) into a strange coun-
try. I would therefore recommend them to
a willing reception, by the preachers and
elders of said Reformed Church, whereas
they may show these presents.
Alstenborn, Oberants Lantern in the
Electorate Palatine.
(Seal) JOHN MUELLER.
May 13th, 1721."'
In the spring of 1733, being then 21
years of age, Andrew Schriver married Ann
jMaria Keiser, and the following spring
moved to the Conewago settlement, taking
up lands on " Digges' Choice," four miles
west of the site of Hanover, near Christ
Church.
In moving to Conewago, Andrew Schriv-
er's step-brother, David Yung (Young),
came with him and helped him clear three
acres of land which they planted in corn,
and Young then returned home. During
this clearing (about three weeks) they
lived under Young's wagon cover, after
which Andrew Schriver pealed elm bark,
and made a temporary hut, and by fall built
a cabin. The wag-on that brought him to
this place, passed through what is called
Will's Bottom.
There was no opportunity of obtaining
flour nearer than a grist mill close to Lan-
caster. One hundred acres' where he lived,
later known as the Basehore Mill property,
were the first he bought and they were paid
for with one hundred pairs of negroes'
shoes, that being the price agreed upon
with John Digges, the owner, of whom he
soon after bought more land, which was
paid for in money. At the time of his set-
tlement in Conewago, the nearest neighbors
Andrew Schriver had were the family of
Adam Forney, living where the town of
Hanover now stands. For a long time the
public road from Wright's Ferry to the
south came by Andrew Schriver's house,
and when he settled here there were a few
Indians in the vicinity. They were friendly
and smoked the pipe of peace with the
white settlers. His brother, Ludwig
Schriver, David Young, Middlekaufs, the
AVills and others followed in a few years
and settled near him.
jManjr of the citizens of this region who
now enjoy the comforts of peaceful homes,
can trace their ancestry in the names of
these pioneers.
Admiral AVinfield Scott Schley, who was
born at Frederick, Md., in 1839, ^s a lineal
descendant of Andrew Schriver. With the
rank of Commodore he was placed in com-
mand of the Flying Squadron on duty in
Cuban waters during the war with Spain,
and was in immediate command at the
destruction of Cervera's Spanish fleet off
Santiago. July 3, 1898. He won fame and
distinction as a naval officer in this great
battle and soon after was raised to the rank
of admiral.
An interesting document now
A Penn in the possession of the York
Warrant. County Historical Society, is a
land warrant granted to George
Evanaar and signed by Thomas Penn, Oc-
tober 5, 1738, one year before the temporary
line was run between Marjdand and Penn-
sylvania. This document reads as follows:
Whereas George Evanaar, of the County of Lan-
caster, hath requested that we would grant him to take
up one hundred acres of land situated at Conewago,
adjoining Adam Forney and Nicholas Forney, in the
said County of Lancaster, for which he agrees to pay
to our use the sum of fifteen pounds, ten shillings cur-
rent money of this province for the said one hundred
THE BOUNDARY LINE
71
acres, and the yearly quit rent of one half penny ster-
ling for every acre thereof. This is therefore to author-
ize and require you to survey or cause to be surveyed
unto the said George Evanaar at the place aforesaid,
according to the methods of townships appointed, the
said quantity of one hundred acres, if not already sur-
veyed or appropriated, and make return thereof into
the secretary's office, in order for further confirmation ;
for which this shall be your sufficient warrant; which
survey in case the said George Evanaar fulfil the above
agreement within six months from the date hereof
shall be valid, otherwise void. Given under my hand
and seal of the land office, by virtue of certain powers
from the said proprietaries, at Philadelphia, this fifth
day of October, Anno Domino, One Thousand Seven
Hundred and Thirty-eight.
THOMAS PENN.
To Benjamin Eastburn, Surveyor-General.
Sa3's Judge Gibson, in the His-
A tory of York County, published
Maryland in 1886: On the i8th of April,
Patent. 173-2, there was surveyed in
virtue of the said warrant by
Philip Jones, Deputy Surveyor,- under
Charles Calvert, Esq., Surveyor General of
the western shore of the Province of Mary-
land, a parcel of land said to lie in Prince
George's County, called Digges' Choice, in
the backwoods, the quantity of 6,822 acres,
and the same was returned into the land
office, by sundry courses, from one place of
beginning, viz. : At three bounded hickories,
and one bounded white oak, and one
bounded wild cherry tree, standing at the
mouth of a branch, which is commonl}^
known by the name of Gresses' branch,
where it intersects with Conewago, and
running thence north. The remaining
courses and distances are not given. Jones'
certificate and return were accepted and re-
corded, and thereupon a patent issued to
John Digges, bearing date the nth day of
October, 1735, at the annual rent of 13
pounds, I2s, I id, sterling, payable at Lady
Day and Michaelmas.
The southern boundar}- of the tract fell
four miles to the northward of the tem-
porary line as run and returned in 1739,
agreeably to the royal order. Digges re-
mained in quiet and undisturbed possession
thereof. But numbers of foreigners coming
into these parts, and lands thereby rising in
value, he, by petition, on the 15th of July,
1745, applied to the office at Annapolis,
under color of some error in the survey, for
a warrant to correct those errors, and take
up the contiguous vacancy, and he obtained
a warrant requiring the surveyor of Prince
George's Countv to add anv vacant land he
could find contiguous to the patented tract.
In pursuance of this warrant, there was sur-
veyed on the 1st day of August, 1745, a
parcel of vacant land contiguous to the
patented tract, containing 3,679 acres, for
which he paid a new consideration, and on
the iSth of October, 1745, a patent issued
for the same.
It appears, howe\'er, that John Digges
had applied for a warrant to the land office
of Pennsylvania. On the i8th day of July,
1743, Secretary Peters wrote to Thomas
Cookson, Surveyor for Lancaster County,
in which county this land was then situated,
that Digges had an irregular piece of land
at Conewago, by a Maryland survey, and
had applied for such a quantity, all around
it, as might bring it within straight lines,
but upon such terms as the secretary was
not willing to grant a warrant. However,
Cookson might, at Digges' request, survey
for the use of the proprietaries so much as
he required, the price to be left to them. On
the 20th of April, 1744, Digges wrote to the
secretary from Little Conewago, that he
had waited at that place to have his lands
run round that the vacancy might be re-
served for the proprietor's use. Cookson
proposed it now in a different manner, but
assured him he should ha\-e the preference
of an}' vacancy adjoining, with a request not
to grant to any other person until he
marked and made known his lines. The
further correspondence, in relation to this
matter, shows that the Germans settled
about Conewago Creek, on the lands
claimed by Digges, had contracted with him
for the purchase of their plantations and re-
ceived bonds for the consideration money.
They had ascertained b}^ computation, that
the extent of his claim was more than his
patent contained, and the}^ requested him to
have his lines marked, which he refused to
do. They procured an attested copy of the
courses of his tract from the land office at
Annapolis, and. though opposed by him, a
surveyor ran the lines sufficiently to show-
that several plantations he had sold were
without the bounds of his Maryland patent.
John Digges' application to
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania office was in
Survey. I743. which seems not to
have succeeded. He then,
in 1745, obtained a warrant of resurvey
from the ]\Iarvland office and took in bv it
74
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the plantations left out in the original sur-
vey, including several tracts for which war-
rants had been granted by the proprietaries
of Pennsylvania, some of which had been
patented. Digges, however, contended that
he had only marked the true courses of the
land that had been granted to him, and he
proposed the sale of the lands included in
his resurvey. The people complained, and
wanted a Pennsylvania surve3ror to ascer-
tain and mark the lines. Cookson wrote
that it would pa}^ the proprietors to have
this done. There was no doubt about the
resurvey taking in lands not included in his
first survey, but Digges contended that his
original warrant was for 10,000 acres of
land and he had located it, and that the
mistakes of the surveyor, in not including
all his settlements, and giving him his full
quantit}^, should not deprive him of his
original right of claim and possession by
virtue of his Maryland warrant.
The facts were these (as appeared after-
ward in a judicial determination of the
question in the case of the lessee of Thomas
Lilly against George Kitzmiller, before Jus-
tices Shippen and Yeates, of the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania, tried at York in
May, 1791) : The instructions of Lord Balti-
more to Charles Carroll, his agent, dated
September 12, 1712, showed the mode of
assigning warrants, wherein he directed
that in each surve}^ the boundary alone
should be marked, and the courses and
distances specified in the return of the sur-
vey, as the fairest mode and the best calcu-
lated to prevent civil suits. It appears that
Edward Stevenson, Deputy Surveyor of
Maryland, did not return the survey actu-
ally made by him on the ground. The
10,000 acres were really contained within
the lines of the lands run by Stevenson, in-
cluding the lands in question, and upon
making his plate and finding the figure to
be very irregular, he got displeased and
declared he would not cast up the contents,
or return it in that form, and then he re-
duced a number of lines into one, struck off
five or six angles in different places, and
made a new plate of the whole tracts differ-
ing from the courses and distances run on
the land. Of 270 courses contained in the
field notes, which were for several years in
his possession, he left out about 150 of
them, and these notes were afterward de-
livered to John Digges, the patentee. The
irregularity of the tract, it will be remem-
bered, is mentioned in the Pennsylvania ap-
plication and Digges' claims were not with-
out foundation, and all his land would have
been secured to him under the Pennsylvania
system of making proprietary surveys.
That is, trees were marked, and where there
were no trees or natural boundaries, arti-
ficial marks were set up to distinguish the
survey. " The Maryland surveys," as the
court said, " were merely ideal, precisely
fixed on paper alone. No trees ■ were
marked except the beginning boundary."
Lord Baltimore's instructions of 1712
showed his intentions, and that he was in-
fluenced only by the courses and distances
returned. The survey was ambulatory, not
confined to a certain spot of land, but was
governed by the variation of the compass
and was continually shifting. The courses
and distances returned formed the survey,
and determined on an exact measurement,
the particular lands granted as often as they
were run. The courses and distances were
alone binding on the proprietor and conse-
quently on the patentee. Any circum-
stances shown could not establish a title to
lands without the limits of the original sur-
vey as returned. Settlers could have
bought lands from Digges even within the
resurvey and acquired title by possession
and improvements, but all this had now
been judicially determined. Unfortunately
for Digges, his resurvey had been made
after the Royal Order, and was ineffectual
as against the Pennsylvania settlers. There
were other facts that gave color to his claim
at the time.
John Leman, Sr., first settled on
Disputed the lands in controversy under
Titles. John Digges. He declared to
Digges, in 1752, that he had set-
tled on the same under a Pennsjdvania
right. But in the year 1736 he had agreed
with Digges for 100 acres of land and had
received orders from him to his agent to
survey the same. John Leman, Sr., con-
tinued there for some time, and had a son
born on the land, and afterward sold his im-
provements to Martin Kitzmiller, who, in
1738, came to live on the land. In 1733
Robert Owings was directed by John
Digges to lay out and dispose of sundry
parcels of land, which he did. The lines
THE BOUNDARY LINE
run did not extend beyond the limits of the
first survey, and the lands laid out for John
Leman and others were really in the origi-
nal sur\-ey of Digges' Choice, except a few
corners, and Edward Stevenson actually
omitted part of the lines run by him.
Thomas Prather executed the warrant of
resurvey, and the orders from Digges were
to run the old lines as nearly as possible,
and to survey the 10,000 acres which were
actually included in the lines run by Steven-
son. In fact, then, the land had been lo-
cated under the warrant by a proper sur-
vey, and, therefore, John Digges addressed
to the governor of Maryland a remon-
strance on complaint of disturbances made
by him on the border, contending that the
surveyor omitted lines actually run by him
and settlements made by him within his
tract. In this remonstrance he complained
that Nicholas Forney _and Martin Ullery
had trespassed on part of his land and de-
stroyed the growing timber, for which he
had sued them. These men, at Digges" suit,
were arrested by the sheriff of Baltimore
County, and were rescued by Adam Forney,
father of Nicholas.
It appears by a letter of Adam Forney's
on the 25th of April, 1746, that the sheriff
took his two prisoners to the house of
Adam Forney, who asked him by what
authority he arrested these men, and
offered to be bound for their appearance at
court if they owed any money. The reply
was that they should give their bond to
Digges for the land or depart from it.
Adam said that the men had taken up the
land five years before from the proprietaries
at Philadelphia and it had been surveyed for
them. He ordered the two men to return
to their habitation. The sheriff drew his
sword and Forney's part}' drew theirs,
whereupon the sheriff and Digges fled.
(Pennsylvania Archives, Series i. Vol. 2, p.
686.) » Consequently in the month of Feb-
ruary. 1747, Adam Forney was arrested at
his house by an under sheriff", and posse,
from Maryland, armed with clubs, and was
carried off to the Baltimore jail, for resist-
ing offfcers of the law. This raised a ques-
tion of jurisdiction. Secretary Peters
wrote to Thomas Cookson to go to Adam
Forney, with papers directed to Mr. Calder.
who was to defend him " at the Supreme
Court in a writ served on him manifestlv
within this province, and as the affair may
greatly aft'ect our proprietor, the whole will
turn on this single point — whether the place
where .\dam Forney was arrested be 'or be
not within our province." He then says
that Forney must take along with him two
witnesses, at least, to Annapolis, who could
swear that the place where he was arrested
was within our province, and at some
distance from Digges' Choice. The ex-
penses were to be paid by the government,
which also undertook to pay the lawyers.
He further wrote that the attorney-general
could not go to Annapolis, but he had given
all necessary directions to Mr. Calder. The
letter to Calder stated that as John Digges
had thought proper to execute a writ of the
Supreme Court of Maryland against Adam
Forney, within the jurisdiction of this prov-
ince, Richard Peters desired to retain Cal-
der for Adam Forney, and would send by
the first good hand two pistols. Mr. Tilgh-
man was also to be retained. These law-
3'ers were to defend Adam Forney in such
a manner so that there might be an appeal
to the King in council. It turned out, how-
ever, by the witnesses who were to be se-
cured for Forney, and who were reported to
be intelligent men who spoke English well,
that the spot which Adam Forney and his
son occupied was actually within Digges'
old survey and patented land. The engage-
ment of Calder, therefore, on behalf of the
proprietaries of Pennsylvania, was re-
scinded, and Forney, after a rebuke, was left
to defend his own case.
Another incident in this case may be no-
ticed. At a meeting of the Provincial
Council, held at Philadelphia, on the 17th of
March, 1748, it was reported by an express
from Thomas Cookson that Adam Forney
was shot dead by a drunken Indian, as he
stood at his own door. The Indian was
seized and taken before Justice George
Swope, at York, and there detained until
the governor should give orders as to what
should be done wdth him. The trouble
arose from the fact occurring within the
lines of Digges' patent, and the attorney-
general had to be consulted on the question
of jurisdiction. In the meantime the report
was contradicted. Forney had been shot
but recovered, so nothing further was done.
In 1749 a petition was presented to Gov-
ernor Hamilton, signed by Henrv Sell and
76
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
thirteen others, praying for relief. They
were inhabitants of the Conewago Settle-
ment and Digges had threatened to sue
them, unless they would pay him lOO
pounds, Mar3dand currency. He had mort-
gaged his land to Charles Carroll and Squire
Dulaney, and they represented themselves
in danger of being carried to Marjdand, and
there confined and be obliged to quit their
plantations. (Pennsylvania Archives, ist
series. Vol. 2, page 28.)
These troubles continued to
Shooting disturb the settlers on Digges'
of Dudley Choice and claim the attention
Digges. of the Governor and Council,
without any result, until the
killing of Dudley Digges, which occurred
on the 26th of February, 1752. In conse-
quence of this disaster John Digges pre-
sented a petition to Benjamin Tasker,
President of Maryland, representing that
his son had been murdered within the limits
of that province b_v Martin Kitzmiller, his
son Jacob and others of his family, and that
the 27th day of April had been appointed
for the trial at York. This was communi-
cated to Governor Hamilton, of Pennsyl-
vania, who answered that he had " carefully
examined into the unhappy affair and had
found that Jacob Kitzmiller had killed the
deceased, Dudley Digges, to the northward
of the Temporary Line," and " that he is
now imprisoned at York to receive his trial
for an offense committed in Pennsylvania.
There was a mistake as to the time of the
trial, and on the claim of jurisdiction. It
was requested that the trial should be de-
layed a reasonable time." The reply of
President Tasker contains an elaborate
argument in behalf of the Maryland claim
to jurisdiction, and enclosed affidavits as to
the facts already mentioned about the set-
tlement of John Leman and the surveyor,
Robert Owings. The Council on the 27th
of September, 1752, after hearing, debating
and considering the premises, were of the
opinion that the possession of Digges or his
tenants, at the time of the Royal Order, of
the land where the crime was committed,
was not held by any warrant or patent, and
notice was given President Tasker that the
court for the trial of the case would be held
at York, on the 30th day of October, where
persons authorized by the Maryland gov-
ernment mav lav before the Grand and Petit
juries all legal proof of jurisdiction. On
the 30th day of October, 1752, the attorney-
general of Maryland, H. Darnall, appeared
and made a petition to the Judges of Oyer
and Terminer and Jail Delivery, then sitting
at York, stating that by the authority of the
President of Maryland in council, he at-
tended the court and was expressly charged
to insist that the trial of Jacob Kitzmiller
be held in Maryland, where the act was
committed and not in Pennsylvania. With
this argument — that the aforesaid Dudley
Digges was killed at a place surveyed under
a Maryland warrant before the date of the
said Royal Order of 1738, and possessed
under a Maryland right, and that no atone-
ment or other pretext of Martin Kitzmiller,
or any other person or persons after the
date of said order, will prevent or take away
the right of the said Proprietor of Mary-
land, or can in the Jeast hinder the force,
effect and operation of his Majesty's most
gracious intentions. (Penna. Archives,
Series i, Vol. 2, p. 93.)
Gov. Hamilton had been furnished by
President Tasker with exemplified copies of
the warrants, surveys and patents which
had been granted to John Digges, and it ap-
peared that the place where Jacob Kitz-
miller killed Dudley Digges was in a tract
of vacant land that lay to the northward of
the Temporary Line and which had been
granted to Digges in the year 1745, in ex-
press violation of the Royal Order. These
exemplified copies were by order of the
governor produced at the court of Oyer and
Terminer, held by the Supi'cme judges, at
York, at the trial of Jacob Kitzmiller and
his father, who were thereupon acquitted.
It appeared from the evidence that the
killing of Dudle}^ Digges was an accident.
At least the doubt as to willful homicide
was sufficient to acquit. It was occasioned
by an attempt to arrest Martin Kitzmiller
at the suit of John Digges in a Mafyland
affair. This was resisted and in struggle
for a gun, held by Jacob Kitzmiller, it was
discharged and fatally wounded Dudley
Digges. (Penna. Archives, ist Series, Vol.
2, pages 76-83.) By the admitted construc-
tion of the Royal Order the territory within
the limits of Digges' patent, although four
miles north of the Temporary Line, was
under the jurisdiction of Maryland. Hence,
in this case, the act committed being in ter-
THE BOUNDARY LINE
17
ritory outside of his patent A\as under the
jurisdiction of Pennsylvania.
The shooting of Dudley Digges
Results in 1752 was one of the lament-
of the able incidents of the settlement
Homicide, of this region, and it served not
only to excite animosity among
the settlers under Penn and Lord Balti-
more, but also between the two govern-
ments which then represented those two in-
terests. (Those who desire to learn the pre-
cise use which was made of it, can find much
on the subject in Vol. 2 of the Pennsylvania
Archives, and Vol. 5 of the Colonial Rec-
ords.) The Digges were from Prince
George's County, Maryland; the Kitzmil-
lers were Germans, and were naturalized
citizens of the Province of Pennsylvania.
Jacob Kitzmiller, the emigrant, arrived in
this province not later than the spring of
1736. Martin Kitzmiller built a log mill on
the Little Conewago in 1739. It soon be-
came one of the best known mills west of
the Susquehanna, as it was on the line of
the old provincial road from Philadelphia
through Lancaster and York to Virginia.
He enlarged it with a brick addition in 1755.
Between these two dates occurred the
tragic event which so seriously disturbed
the relations of the two provinces. Exist-
ing documents show that Kitzmiller got a
warrant for this land from the Penns in
1747 and a patent from them in 1759; and
that with the exception of one year, it re-
mained in the occupancy of the family for
106 years, or down to 1844. There was no
doubt of the fact of the killing. There was
the usual difference about the circum-
stances. Maryland authorities denounced it
as ' cruel murder," as a ' wicked act,' as due
to ' old Kitzmiller's artifices ' to get pos-
session of land known at the time to be
taken up and held under Maryland, and to
his ' practices,' which gave Digges an ex-
cuse for using force, and they resolutely de-
manded possession of the bodies of the
prisoners that they might be tried in Mary-
land. The Pennsylvania authorities refused
to consider the act ' cruel murder ' in ad-
vance of a 'legal trial;' held that the act
was committed to the northward of the
Temporary Line and within the jurisdiction
of Pennsylvania; and said that if done
within the limits of Digges' right to lands,
that fact being capable of proof by actual
survey, the Court at York would consider
all " legal proofs to show that the jurisdic-
tion belongs to the Lord Proprietor of
Maryland," and would either hold or sur-
render them, according to such proof. This
court was so held, in the fall of 1752, in a
private house in York. The attorney-
general of the respective provinces attended
— Tench Francis for Pennsylvania, Henry
Darnall for Maryland. The Chief Justice of
the Province of Pennsylvania presided, the
two associates assisted. The secretary of
the province, Richard Peters, also attended
and was a witness. Immediately on his re-
turn to Philadelphia, Mr. Peters wrote to
the Penns in England a full account of this
noted trial.
John Digges was a lineal de-
Digges' scendant of Sir Dudley
Descendants. Digges, who lost his life in
the service of King Charles
I, of England. Edward Digges, son of Sir
Dudley, was one of the early governors in
the Province of Maryland. William, the
son of Edward, settled in Maryland. Ig-
natius Digges, one of the sons of William,
was the father of John Digges, who ob-
tained the M^aryland grant for 10,000 acres,
afterward decided to be in Pennsylvania.
When he obtained the grant he paid 184
pounds and 19 shillings as pre-emption
money, a yearly rental of 13 pounds, 12 shil-
lings, II pence, in silver or gold. Ignatius
Digges was a brother-in-law of Charles
Carroll, of Maryland. Charles Carroll was
an uncle of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,
signer of the Declaration. The latter was
therefore a cousin of John Digges.
John Digges soon after he obtained his
grant, settled upon his land and built a
house along the present line of the Hanover
and Littlestown turnpike, known at present
as the Stoner farm, where the Conewago
Creek crosses the turnpike. Soon after his
son Dudley was killed in 1752, John Digges
seems to have returned to Maryland, where
he died intestate about 1760. He left to
survi\'e him, three sons, Edward, William
and Henry. Edward, his oldest son, was
his heir-at-law. When Edward died in
1769, in accordance with the wishes of his
father, he bequeathed to his two brothers
each one-third of all his property in Mary-
land and Pennsylvania. The other third of
his estate descended to his son, John
78
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Digges, his daughter EHzabeth, who mar-
ried AA'ilfred Neale, and Eleanor, who died
unmarried. (Edward Digges' will is re-
corded in St. Mary's County, Maryland.)
In 1775 William Digges, Henry Digges,
brothers of Edward deceased, and Wilfred
Neale and Elizabeth, his wife, and Eleanor
Digges, transferred by a deed in trust to
Henry Neale " with divers other tracts of
land in Maryland, all that tract of land
called Digges' Choice, situated in York
County, Pa." On April 15, 1776, Henry
Neale sold the entire right of the heirs of
John Digges, the elder, to Jesse AVharton,
his heirs and assigns forever. (This trans-
action is recorded in Book D. A'V., folio 521,
St. Mary's County, Md.) October 25,
1778, Jesse AVharton sold to Thomas Lilly
all rights and titles of the heirs of John
Digges in the tract known as Digges'
Choice.
THE MANOR OF MASKE.
Between 1736 and 1740 settlements were
made on a large tract of land in the western
portion of the county of York, laid out for
the proprietaries' use, and named the
Manor of Maske. AVhen the provincial
surveyors arrived for the purpose of run-
ning its lines, the settlers upon it, not un-
derstanding, or not approving the purpose,
drove them off by force. Some of the set-
tlers had taken out regular warrants,
others had licenses, and some were there
probably without either. As a result, the
lines were not run until January, 1766, and
the return of them was made on the 7th of
April, 1768, to the land office.
The manor as then svu^veyed was nearly
a perfect oblong. The southern boundary
line was 1,887 perches; the northern 1,900
perches; the western line, 3,842 perches;
the eastern, 3,954. The manor was nearly
six miles wide, and about twelve miles long.
The southern boundary was Mason and
Dixon's line, and the northern was about
midway between Mummasburg and
Arendtsville, skirting a point marked on
the county as Texas, on the road from Get-
tysburg to Middletown. It did not quite
reach the Conewago Creek. The manor
included the sites of Gettysburg and Mum-
masburg, the hamlet of Seven Stars, and
probably McKnightstowm, all of the town-
ship of Cumberland, except a small strip of
half a mile along the Marjdand line, nearly
the whole of Freedom, about one-third of
Highland, the southeast corner of Franklin,
the southern section of Butler, the western
fringe of Straban, and a smaller fringe on
the west side of Mount Joy. Gettysburg is
situated north of the centre, and on the
eastern edge of the manor, and is thus
about five and a half miles from the north-
ern, and seven and a half from the southern
boundary. The manor was separated by a
narrow strip on the west from Carroll's
Tract, or " Carroll's Delight," as it was
originally called, and which was surveyed
under Marjdand authority on the third of
April, 1732. It was patented August 8,
1735, to Charles, Mary and Eleanor Car-
roll, whose agents made sales of warrants
for many 3rears, supposing that the land lay
within the grant of Lord Baltimore, and in
the Count}' of Frederick. As originally
surveyed Carroll's Delight contained 5,000
ax;res.
A special act of Assembly was passed on
the 23d of March, 1797, relating to the
Manor of Maske. It recited that " certain
citizens had settled themselves and made
improvements on the lands comprehended
within its limits previously to the warrant
issued for the survey of the same, and with-
out notice that any such measure was in
contemplation," and as doubts had arisen
whether the said survey was regular, " and
the said settlers and inhabitants in whose
favor the said exceptions might have been
urged, waived the same, and had agreed or
are in treaty with, and ready to conclude a
purchase for John Penn and Richard Penn,
Esqs. Therefore, to remove any uneasi-
ness in the minds of the said inhabitants
that the committee may claim the land to
encourage agriculture and improvement,
by sending titles free from dispute and re-
move any prejudice against the rights de-
rived from the late proprietaries, the lands
marked by the survey of the manor in the
month of January, 1766, shall be free and
clear of any claim of the Commonwealth."
In 1800 all this territory was included in
the new County of Adams.
The Manor of the Maske was originally
settled by an intelligent class of English
speaking people who came to this region
direct from the north of Ireland. The
names of these earlv settlers can be found
THE BOUNDARY LINE
79
in the article on the " Scotch-Irish " in this
\oiume.
THE TEMPORARY LINE.
The surveys of Keith's Newberry Tract
of 1,400 acres and of the original Springetts-
bin-y JNIanor of 70,000 acres in 1722 were
made by authority of the Province of
Pennsylvania before the boundary line be-
tween Pennsylvania and Maryland had
been decided upon. In 1727 John Digges
obtained a patent to survey a tract of 10,-
000 acres around the site of Hanover. He
gave bonds of agreement to early settlers
until he was empowered to grant deeds to
lands upon his tract known as " Digges'
Choice." The settlement on this Maryland
grant and the encroachment of Marylanders
on lands in the southeastern section of the
county gave rise to contentions.
December 5, 1738, Governor Thomas, of
Pennsylvania, reported to the council of
his province that he had received a letter
from Governor Ogle, of Maryland, on the
26th of November, informing him that he
had appointed Col. Levin Gale and Samuel
Chamberlain to run the line agreed upon,
and confirmed by His Majesty's order, as
provisional and temporary limits between
the two provinces, and that he had ap-
pointed Lawrence Growden, Esq., and
Richard Peters, as commissioners, and
Benjamin Eastburn, as surveyor, on the
part of Pennsylvania, to join them in run-
ning the said line.
From the report it appears that the Com-
missioners met on the 5th of December,
attended by the Mayor, several Aldermen
and some of the principal citizens of Phila-
delphia, when the southern part of the city
was ascertained, to the satisfaction of the
Commissioners on both sides, by the
declaration of the Mayor and Aldermen, by
the original draft of the city, by the situa-
tion of the dock, and other natural marks,
and by the testimonies of several aged in-
habitants, all concurring that a certain post,
then showed the Commissioners, stood in
the most southern part of the city.
It was agreed to settle the varia-
The tion of the compass by fixing a
'Work meridian line by an observation to
Begun, be made when the pole star above
the pole and the first star in the
tail of the Great Bear under the pole should
be in the same vertical circle, or in a per-
pendicular line, one above the other, and a
meridian line was carefully fixed according
to that rule and being tried by a theodolite
in the possession of Benjamin Eastburn,
the variation was found to be 5 degrees 25
minutes. They commenced to run the line
with a westerly variation of 5 degrees 25
minutes and the line was run to a fence be-
longing to Israel Pemberton, about two
miles from the place of beginning.
They met again on the 12th of April, and
the surveyors and chain carriers were quali-
fied by oath or affirmation. They tested
instruments at the post where they had
begun before, and found the theodolite of
Eastburn to have the same direction and its
variation unchanged, and on the ne.xt dav,
the 13th of April, met at Israel Pember-
ton's fence, and all parties being satisfied,
by the marks that were left on that fence
and on the trees near it, that that was the
place where they left off on the nth of De-
cember, the surveyors proceeded on the
line. On the 22d of April, at a distance of
thirty-one miles due west from the place of
beginning, it was agreed that the line was
now run enough to the west for avoiding
the large waters of Brandywine and Chris-
tiana Creeks, and that the surveyors should
begin to set off the south line of fifteen
miles and a quarter. Then a dispute arose
concerning the manner of measuring the
fifteen miles and a quarter. The Commis-
sioners of Maryland insisted that the line
should be run on the surface of the earth,
without any allowance for the unevenness
thereof, and the Commissioners for Penn-
sylvania insisting that the said line should
be an horizontal line, that is to say, that
the altitude of the hills should be taken and
a full and just allowance made for them.
Both parties refused to run the line in any
other manner than wdiat they had proposed.
The Commissioners of iNIaryland declared
their resolution to proceed ex parte. On
the next day being of the opinion that a
separation of the Commissioners and the
running of two dift'erent lines would be at-
tended with all the evil consequences for
the prevention whereof his Majesty granted
his order, it was at last agreed that the line
should be run on the surface, and that an
allowance of twenty-five perches should be
made for the altitude of the hills.
So
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
On the 4th of May, 1739,
Reach the the surveyors proceeded on
Susquehanna, the west line to a field in
the possession of Robert
Patterson, at the distance of about a mile
and a half from the River Susquehanna, and
on information that there was no place on
the western side of that river, but what
would give great difftculty to the surveyors
in measuring the half mile north, it was
judged proper to set it off, and measure it
at this place, that there might be no delay
to the work on that account, and accord-
ingly the surveyors ^et off and measured
160 perches due north, and then returned a
due west line and proceeded thereon to a
distance of about a quarter of a mile from
the river. On the next day, the surveyors
proceeded on the west line and ran the
same to the western bank of the Susque-
hanna, to a hickory tree which was ordered
to be marked with four notches on each
side, and it was agreed that the west line
down so far south as fourteen miles and
three-quarters of a mile south of the lati-
tude of the most southern part of the city
of Philadelphia, should begin at that hick-
ory tree. On the 6th of May, Levin Gale
informed the Commissioners that he had,
since he came to Philadelphia, on this line,
received an account of the death of a son,
and that by a special messenger, he had
just now received a further account that
one of his daughters was dangerously ill,
and his wife and family in very great dis-
tress on that occasion, and proposed an ad-
journment to a further day, for that he was
rendered incapable to give such attention
to the proceedings on the temporary line
as his duties required, and therefore de-
clared he would proceed thereon no fur-
ther, and Chamberlain declared that he ap-
prehended he had no authority to proceed
otherwise than in conjunction with Gale,
and likewise declined going further with
the line. AVhereupon the Commissioners of
Pennsylvania said that, as Colonel Gale had
on Friday, the 27th of April, received the
account of his son's death, and as they were
then apprehensive it would affect him so
much as to render him incapable of pro-
ceeding on the line, and might occasion
separation of the Commissioners, they had
at that time written an account of it to their
Governor, requesting his further orders in
case it should prove as they feared, and had
received an answer from his honor, that he
had sent them a new commission (in case
of a separation of the Commissioners) to
proceed ex parte to finish the temporary
line, for that the peace of the government
depended thereon. They, the Commission-
ers, therefore declared that they could not
adjourn, but as they judged it absolutely
necessary for the peace of both govern-
ments, that the line should be forthwith
completed without any delay, and as they
had a commission for that purpose, they
would proceed ex parte and continue the
west line, so run as aforesaid to the marked
hickory tree, on the western bank of the
Susquehanna, and extend it from that tree
as far as the peace of the government shall
make it necessary.
The minutes of the proceedings of the
Commission of both provinces while in con-
junction, show that on the daj^ before the
separation of Gale and Chamberlain it was
unanimously agreed that the west line
down so far south as fourteen miles and
three-quarters of a mile south of the lati-
tude of the most southern part of the city
of Philadelphia, as mentioned in the King's
order in council to be the temporary limits
between the two provinces on the other
side of the Susquehanna should begin at a
certain hickory tree on the western side of
the said river, marked for that purpose by
order of the said Commissioners, with four
notches on each side.
The Pennsylvania Commis-
The sioners and the surveyors,
Survey making that hickory tree the
Completed, place of beginning, did, on
Tuesday, the 8th day of May,
run a due west line toward the River Poto-
mac, with the very same instrument and
variation of 5 degrees 25 minutes with
which the line on the east side of the Sus-
quehanna, in conjunction with the Mary-
land Commissioners, was run, and causing
trees that fell in or near the line to be
marked and blazed in the very same man-
ner as Avas observed in that line. The sur-
veyors proceeded day by day, and extended
the line to the top of the most western hill
of a range called the Kittochtinny Hills,
distant from the place of beginning about
eighty-eight statute miles. And as this hill
was one of the boundaries of the lands pur-
THE BOUNDARY LINE
8i
chased by the honorable proprietaries from
the Indians in 1736, and no persons were
permitted to settle beyond that range of
hills, they judged the line to be run far
enough to settle the jurisdiction of the two
provinces, and to answer all the purposes
of their commission, and therefore ordered
the surveyors to end there, and several trees
to be marked with the initial letters of the
names of the honorable proprietaries, as is
usual at the close of boundary lines.
The Commissioners wrote, the 6th of
May, 1739, to Governor Thomas, that the
Maryland Commissioners, joining with
them, ascertained the lines to all intents
and purposes, and made it impossible for
Lord Baltimore ever to controvert it so far
as it is run, or to propose any other method
of running the remaining part than that
which is taken by them. They gained no
perches at the end of the west line, so that
the line at the distance of fourteen miles
and three-quarters from Philadelphia, on
the other side of the Susquehanna, was but
fifty perches more north than the end of the
Jersey line. Colonel Gale, as Chief Justice,
had given them a warrant directed to the
sheriff and constables of Baltimore County
and Prince George's County, to take up any
persons that should offer to disturb them,
and had promised to send the Governor's
special protection to a place at the distance
of thirt}'' miles off by a special messenger.
(I Archives, 556-575.)
THE LINE AT PEACH BOTTOM.
The point or corner on the west bank of
the Susquehanna, to which the surveyors
ran on the 5th of May, 1739, described as a
hickory tree, and marked with four notches
on each side, and from which it was unani-
mously agreed that the west line down so
far south as fourteen miles and three-quar-
ters of a mile south of the latitude of the
most southerly part of the city of Philadel-
phia should begin, is now in the State of
Maryland, the temporary line at that
point having been fixed seventy-two
perches more southerly than the present
boundary line. This is ascertained from
several deeds and surveys (furnished by the
late Levi Cooper, of Peach Bottom Town-
ship), from which it appears that a tract of
land, called the Paw Paw Bottom, extend-
ing along the Susquehanna River — 449
perches — was sur\'eyed on the 25th of De-
cember, 1753, to* Alexander McCandless,
and for which a patent was granted to him
on the 31st of May, 1760, recorded in Phila-
delphia. This tract of land, after the death
of McCandless, was conveyed by his execu-
tor, James McCandless, to Thomas Cooper
and John Boyd, by deed of the 7th of Feb-
ruary, 1767, containing in acres of land
situated in Peach Bottom Township. Ac-
cording to the patent, the tract began at a
marked hickory in the Temporary Line on
the Susquehanna River, and running from
thence by the said line, north eighty-five de-
grees west, thirty-one perches to a marked
hickory corner of land, patented under
Maryland, called Cooper's Addition, thence
by several courses and distances north to a
marked black oak, a corner of land patented
under Maryland, called Elisha's Lot, thence
by several courses and distances north to a
marked walnut tree, and by a tract of land
patented under Maryland to John Cooper,
called the Deserts of Arabia; thence to two
poplars on the Susquehanna River, and
down the river by the several courses
thereof 499 perches to the place of begin-
iTing — the hickorjr tree on the temporary
line.
Adjoining this land of McCandless, there
was surveyed to Robert Gordon, on the 22d
of July, 1 77 1, a tract of land of which Wal-
ter Robinson was entitled to part. The
draft of this land thus describes the lines :
Beginning at a point corner of land of Alex-
ander McCandless along the Province Line,
north eighty-eight degrees, west 133
perches, and on the south along the Tem-
porary Line, north eighty-six degrees, west
ninety-three perches, and between the
Province and Temporary Lines south
ten and a half degrees, east seventy-
two perches adjoining the property of
Alexander McCandless. By the sur-
vey of George Stevenson, made the 20th
of December, 1753. from the Temporary
Line, which is fixed by the hickory tree
corner, there is a course north twenty de-
grees, east fifty-eight perches to the sup-
posed Maryland Line. And in a draft made
bv Thomas G. Cross, on the 3d and 4th days
of April, 1874, of the land patented to Mc-
Candless, the course and distance from the
Temporary Line to Mason and Dixon's
Line are north twentv-one degrees, east
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
fifty-eight perches. The discrepanc}' here
may be owing to the uncertainty of the
position of the temporary line. Tlie older
draft is to be preferred because the hickory
for the beginning of the Temporary Line
was then a fixed point, and since then the
Pennsylvania Canal has been constructed
along the river, erasing that corner.
The Temporary Line, from the course of
it, as compared with the fixed boundary
line, would cross the latter before it went
beyond the limits of York County. The re-
port of the Commissioners as above given,
says, " that they gained no perches, so that
the line on the west side of the Susque-
hanna was but fifty rods more north than
the end of the Jersey line."
The Maryland surveys were very early
made and lands patented. The Deserts of
Arabia and Elisha's Lot were situated re-
spectively one and two miles above the true
boundary line.
From the fancy of the early settlers in
that section, or by Maryland custom, per-
haps, names were given to the respective
tracts of land taken up, such as those men-
tioned, and Morgan's Delight, Noble's
Craft, Jones' Chance, AValter's Disappoinf-
ment, Cooper's Pleasant Hills, Eager's De-
sign, Mary Lot, Buck's Lodge Right, Stall-
worth Right, Croomay's Intrusion, and
other names, assigned possibly by public
opinion of the venture.
The completion of the Temporary Line
in 1739 to the top of the mountain which
formed the western limits of Cumberland
County, did not end the controversy be-
tween the provinces of Maryland and Penn-
sylvania. John Digges, who had been given
a grant of 10,000 acres around the site of
Hanover, in 1729, had given bonds of agree-
ment to numerous settlers upon his tract.
Maryland titles had also been given before
1739 to lands now situated in the southern
part of York County. These titles were the
cause of constant trouble which continued
until Mason and Dixon's line was run in
1768. Even within the region of Spring-
ettsbury Manor, disputes arose in reference
to land titles.
Nicholas Perie was one of the
The Germans who had been con-
Case of firmed in the possession of his
Nicholas land by a grant from Thomas
Perie. Penn, in the year 1736. This
grant recited that sundry Germans had
seated themselves b}' lea\-e of the pro-
prietor on lands west of the Susque-
hanna River, within the bounds of the
]Manor of Springettsbury, and that a con-
firmation of the persons seated on the same
for their several tracts had been delayed by
reason of the Five Nations, which had been
released by deed of the i ith of October,
1736, and Nicholas Perie had applied for a
confirmation of 200 acres ; Thomas Penn
certified under hand, that he would cause a
patent to be dra\vn for the land, on the
common terms, so soon as the quantity
should be surveyed and returned. Perie
had been arrested by a writ issued out of
the Supreme Court of Maryland, for refus-
ing to hold this land under Lord Baltimore,
and on the arrival of the Royal Order, was
discharged on his recognizance, at the same
time that Cresap was set at liberty at Phila-
delphia, by virtue of the said order.
Charles Higginbotham, in the year 1748,
made claim to the land in the possession of
Nicholas Perie ; that on the 2d of May, 1737,
there had been surveyed to him, by order
from the land office of Maryland, a tract of
land on the north side of the Codorus
Creek, by metes and bounds containing 172
acres. On the 5th of May, Lord Baltimore
confirmed by patent the land to Higgin-
botham. At the hearing before the Prov-
incial Council, it appeared that Higgin-
botham had never been in possession, nor
any under him, and that he had never seen
the land, but that Perie was arrested on the
tract and carried to Annapolis jail for refus-
ing to hold under Lord I5aItimore, though
his land was surveyed by a Mar3dand war-
rant. Colonel AVhite . testified to having
made surveys at the instance of some Ger-
mans who had obtained warrants from the
land office at Annapolis, but did not re-
member ever to have seen Perie. The Ger-
mans, he said, after the survey of their
lands refused to pay for them, being as they
pretended within the Province of Pennsjd-
vania, and Lord Baltimore gave him direc-
tions to return the surveys of those lands to
any person who would apply for them.
Captain Higginbotham applied and Colonel
\Miite returned the survey of this land to
his use, and the patent issued. The council
on the nth of April, 1748, were unani-
mously of the opinion that the Royal Order
THE BOUNDARY LIXE
53
absolutely, under the facts of the case, re-
strained them from dispossessing Peine, and
so Go\-ernor Ogle was informed by letter.
AGREEMENT OF 1760.
The provisional arrangement under the
order in 1738, \vas simply for the preserva-
tion of the peace between the provinces.
The pending proceedings in chancery re-
sulted, May 17, 1750, in the decree of the
Lord Chancellor, that the agreement of
1732 shall be carried into specific execution.
The Commissioners appointed by each
party under this decree met on the 13th of
November, 1750, and agreed on a centre in
Newcastle. Delaware, from whence the
twelve miles radius were to proceed. But
a dispute arose concerning the mensuration
of these twelve miles. The Commissioners
of Lord Baltimore alleged that the miles
ought to be measured superficially. The
Penn's Commissioners alleged that consid-
ering the various inequalities of the ground,
such radius could not extend equally, con-
sequently from them, no true arc of a circle
could be found, and insisted upon geomet-
rical and astronomical mensuration. Thus
the proceedings of the Commissioners
stopped and they wrote to their respective
principals for further instructions relating
to that point.
In the meantime, Charles Calvert, the
fourth Lord Baltimore, died, and was suc-
ceeded by his son, Frederick, and there
were further proceecVings in chancery,
bill of review and supplemented bill. At
length, on the 4th of July, 1760, the final
agreement between the proprietaries of
Pennsylvania and Maryland was executed.
It recites the original charters to Lord
Baltimore and William Penn, and refers to
the very long litigation and contest which
had subsisted from 1683, and the many
orders in council pronounced relative
thereto. The agreement of the loth of
May, 1732, is given at length, and the de-
cree of the Lord Chancellor and other pro-
ceedings. And after its long recital says :
" A\'hereas, the parties to these presents,
Frederick, Lord Baltimore, and Thomas
and Richard Penn, have come to an ami-
cable agreement in manner as hereinafter
mentioned," and then proceeds to describe
and make provisions for fixing the circle
and running the line, and provides for the
attornment of the tenants and occupiers of
the lands under the respective proprietors.
This agreement of 1760 was enrolled in
chancery in England. The original is now
deposited with the secretary of the Com-
monwealth of Pennsylvania.
MASON AND DIXON'S LINE.
The Commissioners appointed under this
last agreement met at Newcastle, Delaware,
the 19th of November, 1760, and entered
upon their duties. From November, 1760,
to the latter part of October, 1763, the
Commissioners and surveyors were labor-
ing in attempts to trace out the radius of
twelve miles, and the tangent line from the
middle point of the west line across the
peninsula. As late as the 21st of October,
1763, no practical solution of this problem
had been eflected, though there was a close
approximation to the true tangent. On the
22d of October, 1763, the Pennsylvania
Commissioners informed the ^^laryland
Commissioners that they had lately re-
ceived a letter from the proprietors of Penn-
sylvania, dated the loth of August last, ac- ,
quainting them that they and Lord Balti-
more had agreed wath two mathematicians
or surveyors to come over and assist in
running the lines agreed on in the original
articles, who were to embark for Philadel-
phia the latter part of August, and that
their arrival might soon be expected. On
the 1st of December, 1763, the articles of
agreement were read between Lord Balti-
more and Thomas and Richard Penn. and
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, ^\ilo
superceded the former sur\-eyors in the
marking out of the boundary lines. They
immediately entered upon their duties, and
were employed in tracing and marking the
lines until the 26th of December, 1767,
when they were honorably discharged.
To ascertain the most southern point of
the city of Philadelphia, the Mayor and Re-
corder, and two of the city regulators, on
the 3d of December, 1763, went with the
Commissioners and iMason and Dixon to
the street called Cedar or South Street, the
south side of wdiich street the Mayor, Re-
corder and regulators informed the Com-
missioners to be the southern boundary of
the limit of the city. By which information
and a view of some old deeds of lots bound-
ing on Cedar Street, and of a plate of the
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
city, the Commissioners were satisfied that
the north wall of a house, then occupied by
Thomas Plumstead and Joseph Huddle,
was the most southern part of the city of
Philadelphia. The latitude of the north
wall of this house was determined by Mason
and Dixon from astronomical observations,
in 1764, with a zenith sector, to be 39 de-
grees, 56 minutes, 29.1 seconds. The point,
fifteen English statute miles due south of
that parallel, was computed to be in latitude
39 degrees, 43 minutes, 18 seconds. This
was computed b_y Colonel Graham, in 1850,
from knowledge of the dimensions and fig-
ure of the earth to be in latitude 39 degrees,
'43 minutes, 26.3 seconds. From the north-
ern extremity of the said due north line, a
line was to be run due west, continuing
upon a parallel of latitude until the western
limits of Maryland and Pennsylvania should
respectively be reached, which, in the case
of Pennsylvania, was defined to be five de-
grees of longitude west of the .Delaware
River. On the 24th of November, 1764, the
Commissioners agreed that the post set up
by Mason and Dixon, and by them marked
west, shall be deemed and accounted fifteen
miles south of the parallel of the most
southern bounds of the city of Philadelphia,
and that Mason and Dixon shall be in-
structed immediately to proceed in running
the west line directed by the articles from
the said post until it reaches the River Sus-
quehanna, where an observation shall be
made b}' them, and stones shall be set up
and marked with the arms of Lord Balti-
more on the one side and the arms of the
proprietors of Pennsylvania on the other,
as the articles require and direct.
On the 17th of June, 1765,
The Line the Commissioners gave
West of the Mason and Dixon instruc-
Susquehanna. tions to proceed with the
running of the west line
westward of the Susquehanna as far as the
provinces of Maryland and Pennsylvania
were settled and inhabited. The consent of
the Indians had to be obtained to the line
being continued. On the i6th of June, 1767,
Sir William Johnson, his Majesty's agent
for Indian affairs, had obtained the consent
of the Indians to the tracing of the west
line to its western extremity, that is to say,
till it should reach to a distance of five de-
grees of longitude west from the River
Delaware. On the i8th of June 1767, the
Commissioners, in giving the surveyors in-
structions for continuing the west line,
cautioned them in regard to a conciliatory
and proper conduct toward the Indians. On
December 25, 1767, the surveyors had ex-
tended the parallel of latitude to the
distance of 230 miles, 18 chains, 21 links
from the beginning of said line, and 244
miles, 38 chains, 36 links from the River
Delaware near to a path called the Indian
war-path, on the borders of a stream called
Dunham's Creek, but that they were pre-
vented by the Indians deputed to attend
them by Sir William Johnson from continu-
ing the said line to the end of five degrees of
longitude (the western limits of the Prov-
ince of Pennsylvania), which in the latitude
of the said line they found to be 267 miles,
58 chains, 90 links — the said Indians alleg-
ing that they were instructed by their chiefs
in council not to suft'er the said line to be
run to the westward of the said war-path.
Colonel Graham notes that, from better
knowledge of the dimensions and figures of
the earth, the five degrees of longitude
should be computed to be equal to 266.31
miles, or 266 miles, 24 chains, and 80 links.
On the 26th, the Commissioners approved
the conduct of the surveyors in desisting
from running the parallel upon the opposi-
tion made by the Indians ; and they agreed
to discharge Mason and Dixon from their
ser\-ice, they having finished the lines they
had been sent over by the proprietors to
run.
The final report of the Commissioners
was made to the proprietaries of the two
provinces on the 9th of November, 1768, in
which, among other things, in reference to
the due east and west line fifteen miles due
south of Philadelphia, they reported that
they had extended the same 230 miles, 18
chains, and 21 links due west from the place
of beginning, and 244 miles, 38 chains, and
36 links due west from the River Delaware,
and should have continued the same to the
western bounds of the province of Pennsyl-
vania, but the Indians would not permit it.
They marked, described and perpetuated
the said west line, by setting up and erecting
thereon posts of cut stone about four feet
long and ten or twelve inches square, at the
end of every mile, from the place of begin-
ning to the distance of 132 miles, near the
THE BOUNDARY LINE
85
foot of a hill called and known by the name
of Sideling Hill, every five miles stone
having on the side facing" the north the arms
of the said Thomas Penn and Richard Penn
graved thereon, and on the side facing the
south, the arms of Frederick, Lord Balti-
more, graved thereon; and the other inter-
mediate stones are graved with the letter
P on the north side and the letter M on the
south side. These stones were prepared in
England, and sent over as the line pro-
gressed. Thirty-nine of them were placed
along the southern boundary of York
County, and are mostly well preserved.
They were of that species of limestone
known as eolite.
The country to the westward of Sideling
Hill being so very mountainous as to render
it in most places extremely difficult and ex-
pensive, and in some impracticable, to con-
vey stones or boundaries, they had marked
and described the line to the top of the Alle-
gheny ridge, which divides the waters run-
ning into the Rivers Potomac and Ohio;
they raised and erected thereon, on the tops
and ridges of the mountains, heaps or piles
of stones or earth from about three feet and
a half to four yards in diameter at the bot-
tom, and from six to seven feet in height;
and that from the top of the said Alleghen}^
ridge westw-ard, as far as they continued the
line, they set up posts at the end of every
line, and raised around each post heaps or
piles of stones or earth.
During the administration
Commissioners of \\'illiam F. Johnson,
Appointed. elected Governor of Penn-
sylvania in 1849, commis-
sioners were appointed by the Gov-
ernors of the States of Pennsyh'ania,
Delaware and IMaryland to ascertain and
refix the boundaries where those states
join each other. Joshua P. Eyre w'as ap-
pointed on the part of Pennsylvania ;
George Read Riddle, on the part of Dela-
ware ; Henry G. S. Key, on the part of
Maryland, and Lieut. Col. James D. Gra-
ham, of the United States Topographical
Engineers, was detailed by the ^^'ar Depart-
ment at the request of those states for that
particular service. In their report they say
that they saw that much science and many
intricate mathematical problems were in-
volved, that not only required the talents
of men as Commissioners distinguished in
the annals of our country, and surveyors to
carry out the agreement of the proprietary
governments of 1760, but finally enlisted
the services of those distinguished mathe-
maticians, Mason and Dixon. The report
of Col. Graham, from which the preceding
account is gathered, presented a general
view of the scientific operations of Mason
and Dixon, and of their predecessors, in
tracing the various lines which constitute
important portions of the boundaries of the
states. He investigated the notes of Mason
and Dixon, which were in the archives of
the State of Maryland.
The boundary Commissioners and Col.
Graham proceeded to the northeast corner
of Maryland, or point of intersection of the
due north line w^ith the parallel of latitude
fifteen miles south of the parallel of the
most southern limit of Philadelphia. This
point is in a deep ravine, on the margin of a
small brook and near its source. The stone
monument, with the arms of Lord Balti-
more and Thomas and Richard Penn graven
thereon, which had been placed by Commis-
sioner Ewing, by order of the Board of
Commissioners in 1768 to designate this
point, was missing. From the tradition of
the neighborhood, it appeared that some
years ago after it had fallen nearly prostrate
from its place, owing to the encroachment
of the stream, upon whose margin it stood,
some individual had taken it awa}' for a
chimney piece. A stake was found firmly
planted in the ground, which they were in-
formed by the neighbors near by occupied
its place. In examining" the tangent and
curve the report sa}'s : "With a radius of
twelve miles, such a curve is so flat that it is
difficult in walking over ground intersected
with forest timber, fences and other ob-
structions to distinguish without the aid of
instruments the deflections of the lines con-
necting monuments on its circumference
nearly a third of a mile apart." An impres-
sion prevailed in the neighborhood that the
stone originally planted at the point of in-
tersection of the due north line w'ith the arc
of the circle of twelve miles radius, cor-
responding" with the true point of junction
of the three states of Pennsylvania, Mary-
land and Delaware. Avas also missing. The
true position of the lost monument was
found, and they marked and perpetuated it
bv planting a new monument. In making
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the exca\-ation at the depth of about three
feet below the surface a cut stone unmarked
was found of precisely the same form, di-
mensions and quality as the unmarked stone
on the arc of the circle, and at the intersec-
tion of the circle with the due north line.
In turning to the proceedings of the Com-
missioners under the dates of the 17th and
1 8th of June, 1765. it was found that such a
stone was placed by them to mark that
point. It was not until the year 1768, that
a second stone, marked with the arms of the
proprietaries, was also placed at that point.
It was within the memory of the neighbor-
ing inhabitants that the stone which stood
at this point in a tottering posture, to within
a few years of 1849, bore the arms, so often
described, upon it. The unmarked stone of
1765 had, says the report, probably been
buried at the base of the one bearing the
arms, when the latter was placed at the
same point by Commissioner Ewing, in
1768. The evidence afforded by the disin-
terment of the old stone showed that the
point fixed upon was the northeast corner
of Maryland, corresponding with that origi-
nally established by Mason and Dixon. The
new stone remarking this important point
was planted with its base resting on each,
about five feet below the surface of the
ground, and its top rising about two feet
above the ground. It is of cut granite and
of the following dimensions, viz. : about 7
feet long, and squares 16 by 18 inches. It
is marked with the letter M on the south
and west sides, and the letter P on the north
and east sides. Under this letter, on the
north side the date 1849 is engraved in deep
cut figures.
There were striking dis-
Discrepancies crepancies between some of
Observed. the measured distances in
1849 and those of Mason
and Dixon. In regard to Delaware,
an impression prevailed among her citi-
zens that a considerable portion of
her territory had been abstracted by
the curtailment of her rightful radius of
twelve miles around Newcastle. It was de-
termined that the actual length of the radius
or distance from the spire of the court house
at Newcastle (the centre of the town) to
the same point on the curve as marked by
the old monuments, should be accurately
ascertained by triangulation. The records
of the U. S. Survey Office afforded dis-
tances, and the accuracy of the Mason and
Dixon Survey was closely tested. The ra-
dius of twelve miles had been determined
by the simple method of measuring over the
surface of the ground with a surveyor's
chain, for which purpose a vista was opened
through the forest as the work progressed.
(The line is stated to have been measured
horizontally — the hills and mountains with
a sixteen and a half foot level; and the vista
cut through the forest eight yards wide,
was " seen about two miles, beautifully ter-
minating to the eye in a point.")
It was a surprise that the length of the
radius should have been so correctly ob-
tained by such a method. The report says :
" There must have been, by mere chance, a
compensation of the errors incident to such
a measurement over so great a distance."
For it appears that the angle formed by the
north line and the radius from Newcastle
was so near a right angle, that the mark or
post was declared the true tangent point,
but the angle was never actually measured.
The report further says : " the tangent stone
stands on low ground, very near the margin
of a mo'rass, known by the name of Cat
Swamp. Looking from thence to the east,
the ground is pretty flat for half a mile, and
then it rises by a rapid ascent to the ridge
running northward from the summit of
Chestnut Hill, distant one mile. This ridge
entirely shuts out the view of the whole
country to the east of it from the tangent
stone and must, at least, have limited the
view of the radius when the angles it
formed with the tangent and north lines
were measured by Mason and Dixon.
Those angles were then probably affected
by whatever errors in direction may have
arisen in running ele\'en miles from New-
castle."
It was then ascertained that the tangent
line did not form a right angle with the
radius of twelve miles drawn from the spire
of Newcastle Court House to the point oc-
cupied by the tangent stone. The angle, at
the tangent stone formed by these two
lines, differs 8 minutes 32.9 seconds from a
right angle. It was found by computation
that the small deviation of 46.5 seconds in
direction, or thirteen feet, one and one-half
inclies, from a straight line at the end of
eleven miles in running this radius from
THE BOUNDARY LIXE
87
Newcastle Court House, would be sufficient
to produce the difference in the measure-
ment of the angle at the tangent post, sup-
posing the view to the east to have been
limited to the distance of one mile, as it evi-
dently must have been from the nature of
the ground. " Even this is indicative of a
very small error in direction in tracing this
radius, when we reflect that it was pro-
longed through the forest by ranging staves
or poles in line one beyond another, as the
sur-\-eyors ad\-anced with their work ; a
method, so inaccurate for tracing a straight
line that we are surprised it should have
been resorted to in so important an under-
taking. This was not, however, the work of
Mason and Dixon, but of their predecessors,
who were less versed in science and the use
of the higher order of geologic instruments
than were Mason and Dixon."
The arc of the circle west of
The Arc the due north line and the
of the radius terminating in the tan-
Circle, gent stone, were traced and de-
termined correspondent with one
and the same centre, by the surveyors
under the agreement of 1760 and those
of 1849, that is to say, the spire of
the ' court house at Newcastle. The
decree of Lord Hardwicke, of 1750, touches
these two points, and the position of Cape
Henlopen. The discrepancies in regard to
the arc of the circle west of the due north
line and the angle formed between the
radius and the peninsular or tangent line, at
the tangent stone, cannot be attributed to
any difference respecting the centre of the
circle. The radius run out by the surveyors,
in 1761, indicated by a line drawn from the
spire of the court house in Newcastle, to the
position to the tangent stone, should be re-
volved about the centre of its circle (the
spire aforesaid), through an arc of 8 min-
utes and 34 degrees and one-tenth of a sec-
ond to the south, and then produced two
feet, four inches westward, and the line
called the tangent line, should be revolved
westward about its southern extremity, at
the " middle point " of the Cape of Henlo-
pen line through the inappreciable angle of
one minute 2 seconds, and then these two
lines would meet at right angles, at the
distance of 157.6 feet southward from the
present position of the tangent stone. The
slight variation thus required in the azimuth
of the tangent line [jroxes the surprising ac-
curacy of its direction as determined by Ma-
son and Dixon, and how truly it divided the
provinces, in accordance with the articles of
the ancient agreement, as far as it extended,
which is given by Mason and Dixon in
their notes of survey to be 81 miles, 78
chains and 31 links, or 17.2 yards less than
82 miles. The cord of the arc of the circle
west of the north line should have begun at
a point 157.6 feet southward of the present
position of the tangent stone, and have
ended at a point 43.7 feet north of the
present position of the stone set by Mason
and Dixon, and the Commissioners of their
day, to mark its termination, and constitut-
ing now the point of junction in the three
states.
The report says : " It is our opinion that
the stones on the arc, west of the north line,
stand as originally placed." The tangent
stone could never have been moved from its
original position, and that stone and the in-
tersection stone remain in the positions
given to them by the surveyors in 1765.
They both stand upon their proper lines of
direction, which would have been scarcely
preserved had they been removed by mis-
chievous interference. The tangent stone
stands precisely upon the same right line,
wnth the three monuments to the southward
of it on the tangent line, and the intersec-
tion stone stands as truly on the north line.
Those who believed that the tangent stone
had been disturbed in its position because
of the fragments of stone of a similar char-
acter which for some time lay strewed at its
base, were not carried so far back by tradi-
tion as the period when this point was
marked by two similar stones engraved
alike by the arms of the proprietaries,
and placed side by side, " the better to
distinguish and ascertain the tangent
point."
" The fragments, w4iich we were told of
while engaged in the reconnoissance were
the remains, no doubt, of the missing com-
panion of the one we found a little inclined
in posture, but firmly planted in the ground,
it was when taken up, unbroken and perfect
in form." In 1764-65, from the tangent
point. Mason and Dixon ran a meridian line
northward until it intersected the said
parallel of latitude at the distance of five
miles, I chain and 50 links, thus and there
88
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
determining and fixing the nortlieast corner
of Maryland.
In 1765 Mason and Dixon described such
portion of the semi-circle around Newcastle,
as fell westward of the said meridian or clue
north line from the tangent point. " This
little bow or arc," reaching into Maryland,
" is about a mile and a half long, and its
middle width about 116 feet; from its upper
end, where the three states join, to the fif-
teen mile point, where the great Mason and
Dixon's line begins, is a little over three and
a half miles ; and from the fifteen mile cor-
ner due east to the circle is a little over
three-quarters of a mile — room enough for
three or four good farms." This was the
only part of the circle Mason and Dixon
ran. The report of Col. Graham says the
error in the curve of Mason and Dixon is
not one of moment as regards extent of
territory, as it abstracts from Delaware and
gives to Maryland only about 18.78 of an
acre. Their long west line or parallel of
latitude we have had no occasion to test,
except for a short distance, but the great
care with which their astronomical observa-
tions, contained in the old manuscript, were
made, leaves no doubt of the accuracy of
that part of their work. " The want of a
proper demarkation of the boundaries be-
tween states is always a source of great in-
convenience and often of trouble to the bor-
der inhabitants; andit is worthy of remark,
that as our survey progressed and wdiile
making the necessary oft'sets to houses on
the east of the north line, we discovered
that there was an impression among many,
that the boundary of Delaware extended up
to the north line, from the junction to the
northeast corner of Maryland. AV. Smith, a
gentleman who had once served as a mem-
ber of the Legislature of Delaware, resided
(1850) a full half mile within the state of
Pennsylvania, measured in the shortest di-
rection from his dwelling house to the circu-
lar boundary. \Ye find also, by careful
measurement, that Christiana Church is in
Pennsylvania, full one hundred yards west
of the circular boundary. The dwelling
houses of J. Jones, Thomas Gibson, Thomas
Steel and J. McCowan were all within the
bounds of Pennsylvania, according to our
trace of the circle from computed elements."
Under the auspices of the Royal Society
of London, in the vear 1768, the length of a
degree of latitude was determined by the
measurements of Mason and Dixon, and as-
tronomical observations made from them.
The degree measured 363,763 feet — about
68.9 miles. The dift'erence of latitude of the
stone planted in the forks of the Brandy-
wine and the middle post in the west penin-
sular line, or the amplitude of the celestial
arc answering to that distance, has been
found to be i degree, 28 minutes, 45 seconds.
Mason and Dixon were allowed 21 shil-
lings each per day for one month, from
June 21, of the last year, and the residue of
the time, 10 shillings and 6 pence each per
da}^, for the expenses, and no more until
they embarked for England, and then the
allowance of 10 shillings and 6 pence ster-
ling per day was again to take place, and
continue until their arrival in England.
The amount paid by the Penns under these
proceedings from 1760 to 1768 was 34,200
pounds, Pennsylvania currency. The com-
pass used by these distinguished surveyors
is in the land office at Harrisburg.
The proceedings had for fixing the
boundary line were approved and ratified by
the King, by his order in council on the i ith
day of January, 1769. A proclamation to
quiet the settlers on the part of Pennsyl-
vania bears date the 15th day of September,
1774. The Provincial Council had for some
time represented to the Governor the abso-
lute necessity of establishing by an ex parte
proclamation, the lines of jurisdiction be-
tween the province of Alaryland, and the
province of Pennsylvania, according to lines
and boundaries agreed upon, run and
marked by the Commissioners. But this
proclamation was met with opposition, on
the ground of the minority of the then Lord
Baltimore, and by order of the King, the
proclamation was withdrawn. Governor
Penn represented in a letter to the British
Secretary of State, that the people living
between the ancient temporary line of juris-
diction, and that lately settled and marked
by the Commissioners were in a lawless
state, and that his partial extension of juris-
diction had quieted disturbances and given
satisfaction to the people.
On the 7th of January, 1775, a letter was
received from the Earl of Dartmouth, Secre-
tary of State, which says that " the letter of
Governor Penn stated the case respecting
the boundarv line between Pennsvlvania
THE BOUNDARY LINE
89
and Maryland, in a very different light from
that in which it was represented to me and
the King; confiding in your assertion, that
the extension of the jurisdiction of Pennsyl-
vania up to line settled and marked by the
Commissioners, had been so far from
having the effect to disturb the peace of his
subjects and occasioning violence and
bloodshed, that it had quite a contrary ten-
dency, and given universal satisfaction, is
graciously pleased to approve the arrange-
ment made by your proclamation of the 15th
of September, and to permit you to recall
that issued on the 2d of November."
Proclamation was accordingly
The issued on the 8th of April, 1775,
Boundary extending jurisdiction to these
Line boundaries. In 1781, Commis-
Completed. sioners and surveyors were
appointed to run the boundary
line between Pennsylvania and Virginia.
They were directed to continue the line
from the extremity of Mason and Dix-
on's line twenty-three miles west, that
is due west five degrees of longitude from
the Delaware River, and then run a merid-
ian line till it strikes the Ohio. This line
was extended in 1782.
Archibald McLean, deputy surveyor for
York County, who, during the Revolution,
resided at the northeast corner of Centre
Square, assisted in running the boundary
line between Maryland and Pennsylvania.
In 1760 John Lukens, of Philadelphia, sur-
veyor-general of Pennsylvania, and Archi-
bald IMcLean were chosen to serve on the
commission appointed under the agreement
between Lord Baltimore and AA'illiam Penn.
They were engaged in this work in 1760 and
1761, and probably up to the time that
Mason and Dixon were employed to under-
take surveying in 1763. Archibald McLean,
who was a skilled surveyor and possessed
an extended knowledge of mathematical
science, was employed by the Commission-
ers to aid in running the line from the Sus-
quehanna to Dunkard's Creek. In this
work, Moses McLean was the commissary
for the surveying party. Two of the chain
carriers and assistant-surveyors of this
part}^ w^ere brothers of Archibald McLean.
In 1781, when Pennsylvania and Virginia
decided to continue the boundary line, its
full limit westward to the Ohio, both Archi-
bald McLean and John Lukens were ap-
pointed surveyors. Before the work was
begun, Lukens resigned the appointment
and the actual running of the line was per-
formed by Archibald McLean, until the sur-
veying party met armed resistance at Dunk-
ard's Creek, which now passes through the
eastern part of Green County. The opposi-
tion had come about on account of a differ-
ence of opinions entertained by the people
of the two states. In order to adjust these
difficulties, the State of Virginia appointed
Colonel Joseph Neville, in August, 1782,
who, together with y\rchibald McLean,
completed the provisional line to the south-
west corner of Pennsylvania. It w^as not
until 1783 that a permanent boundary line,
as now marked, was astronomically de-
termined by a new set of commissioners,
who made elaborate -simultaneous observa-
tions of the occultations of Jupiter satellites,
in order to determine the longitude of the
western extremity of the line. James Madi-
son, of Virginia, served on this commission,
under whose direction this line was com-
pleted in 1783. David Rittenhouse, the
famous astronomer of Philadelphia, repre-
sented Pennsylvania on this commission.
At this time Thomas Jefferson was gov-
ernor of Virginia.
In 1887 the Commissioners of
The York County, authorized by_ the
Report Legislature of Pennsylvania, com-
of 1887. pleted an examination of the stones
marking the boundary between
Pennsylvania and Maryland, to the western
boundary of the county. They started at
Peach Bottom, where stone 24 is located.
They went along on foot 41 miles. No. 24
is a short distance from the line bridge. No.
23 is in the Susquehanna River, having on
it an iron plug, marked with a ring. No. 25,
a five mile stone, has two coats-of-arms.
They are oolite, a variety of limestone
formed of round grains, like small fish eggs.
The following is the report presented of
the condition of these stones in 1887:
Number 24, good; 26 filled up one foot
above ground ; 27, good ; 28, good ; 29, neecfs
straightening: 30, 31, good; 32, split and
broken off': 33 to 40, good; 40, not found;
41, 42, good; 43, broken to pieces; 44, good;
45, lower end broken off, lying down; 46,
47, good; 48, used' as a door-step; 49,
broken and mutilated; 50, shipped to Balti-
more; 51, broken: 52, 53, 54, good; 55. 56,
90
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENXSYLVAXIA
broken and in a grist mill; 57, good; 58,
good; 59, lying flat; 60 to 64, good.
For nearly a hundred years, from 1681
to 1768, a constant rivalry existed between
the colonies of Maryland and Pennsjdvania,
between the partisans of Lord Baltimore
and William Penn. The neighborhood of
this line was a theatre of riot, invasion and
bloodshed. The grant of land given to
Lord Baltimore was to extend to the 40th
parallel of latitude ; that of Penn to extend
northward three degrees, and westward
from the Delaware River.
It was a constant matter of dispute be-
tween the heirs of these two men as to the
exact position of the dividing line. Penn-
sylvania claimed the line was south of the
parallel of Philadelphia. Marylanders
claimed that the line was between fifty and
sixty miles farther north. On this claim
they sold tracts of land to settlers, who
came in, as far north as the position of
^^'rightsville. On Penn's claim settlers
bought lands much farther south.
Mason and Dixon's line lies in latitude 39
degrees, 43 minutes, 23.6 seconds, about
eleven miles due north of the village of
Churchville, thirteen miles north of Belair,
Maryland. The line runs due west. If pro-
longed westward, Mason and Dixon's line
would divide nearly equally the states of
Ohio,. Indiana and Illinois; cut the northern
portion of Missouri oft"; very nearly be the
dividing line between Kansas and X^e-
braska ; run through the northern part of
Colorado and Utah; divide Xevada; cut off
the northern portion of California and strike
the Pacific Ocean below San Francisco.
Although this line extends only between
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Vir-
ginia, previous to the Civil AVar, it is known
to political history as the boundary line be-
tween the slave states of the south and the
free states of the north. All states south of
this line were known during the Civil war
as " Dixie."
CHAPTER VI
PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE
The Primeval Forests — Clearing Lands —
. The Pioneer Home — Frontier Farming
— Domestic Animals — The Old Time
Harvest.
The inhabitants who first gazed upon the
primeval forests west of the Susquehanna
hunted the \\ild animals that roamed and
sported in their dense shade, and caught the
fish which were abundant in the winding
streams, and whose squaws raised small
patches of corn and beans, were Indians, a
dark, copper-colored race, whose origin and
history previous to the settlement of the
whites in this section will be found else-
where in this work.
From the time of the earliest settlements
made west of the Susquehanna, York
County contained three distinct classes of
people. Among the first to enter the
county with permits to locate land were the
English Quakers, nearly all of whom set-
tled north of the Conewago Creek; some of
them settled in the Redland and Fishing
Creek Valleys as early as 1734, and a large
number of them the following year. They
migrated thence from Chester and Lan-
caster Counties. A )'ear later Warrington
Township, which then included Washing-
ton, was settled by people of the same re-
ligious society. A few located in Man-
chester. The Quakers obtained free grants
for land from the Penns upon which to build
their nTeeting houses. One of these is
standing in the village of XTewberrytown,
one midway between the last named town
and Lewisberr}', and a third in Warrington,
one-half mile from Wellsville. Monaghan,
which included the balance of the terri-
tory in York County north of the Cone-
wago, was at first populated by the
Scotch-Irish, the same class of people
who settled Cumberland County, and that
portion of York now embraced in Adams
County.
A large number of the early settlers were
Germans, who populated the fertile valleys
of the central, western, and southwestern
parts of the county, beginning their settle-
ments as early as 1734. There were a few
English located in and around York. They
were either Friends or members of the
Church of England.
In the southeastern portion of the
countv, in the Chancefords, Fawn, Peach-
bottom and Hopewell, a colony of sturdy
Scotch-Irish located, commencing their set-
tlements contemporaneously with the Ger-
mans and the English above them. Some
of them had settled there and obtained
lands under Maryland titles a few years
earlier.
PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE
Dense forests of valuable oak,
The chestnut, walnut, hickory, pop-
Primeval lar and ash timber covered the
Forests. hills and valleys of York County
when the whites first came.
Alany of these the ax of the industrious set-
tler soon felled, in order to clear the land to
sow his crops, while the red man of the
forest was his neighbor. Some were hewn
into logs to construct cabins ; the chestnut
and the oak to build fences ; the walnut for
making articles of household furniture. A
large forest of primitive trees is now almost
a curiosity to the prosperous York County
farmer. If there be one, some avaricious
individual is on the alert to purchase it, and
fell the grand old trees for gain. An occa-
sional large white oak, a tree which lives the
longest in this section, is seen here and
there on the farms of judicious husband-
men, who will not permit any one to " touch
a single bough." There are still a few
chestnut trees standing along the fences
and roadsides, under whose boughs our an-
cestors rested their weary limbs during
the harvest noon, and later in the sea-
son their children, dressed in homespun
and linsey-woolsey, gathered the precious
nuts, while on the alert for the wolf and
the de^r.
The introduction of the charcoal forges
and bloomaries, and tanneries were the
cause of cutting down hundreds of acres of
timber land, which one hundred years of
undisturbed growth could not now re-
place.
In York County, agriculture be-
Clearing gan with the Indians — with the
Lands. squaAv, who tilled the soil in a
primitive manner. The Indians
cleared patches of land along the streams
and fiats b}^ girdling and burning down the
trees, scratched the ground with sticks,
and used sharp stones to hoe the corn and
beans which they planted, and in the fall,
the cornstalks were burned with the weeds.
Long, hard stones, used as pestles, and con-
cave ones used as mortars, have been found
along the Susquehanna, upon the islands in
that stream and in various parts of the
county. These were used in grinding the
corn into a coarse, meal, from which the
corn cake was made. The corn patches
were thus kept clear of obstruction by burn-
ing, except in some places the scrub oak.
which the ordinary fire would not kill.
These the white settlers dug out when they
commenced to till the soil.
^^'hen the first white settlers crossed the
Susquehanna, they found here and there
along the streams a few patches of
land that had been cultivated by the In-
dians. The great York Valley extended
from the river southeastward to the Mary-
land line. In this valley were some marshy
spots called by the German immigrants
" Holzschwamm " and " Grubenland." Tra-
dition points out one of the Indian fields in
Fairview Township, near the Yellow
Breeches Creek, where the Indians of the
Shawanese tribe for a long time had a vil-
lage. The Redland Valley around Lewis-
berry had one. They were found in the
central part of the count}^ along the Co-
dorus and other streams. The earliest set-
tlers pointed them out to their descendants
in the Chancefords, the Hopewells, the
A\^indsors, Peach Bottom and Fawn Town-
ships.
Some of the streams during the wet sea-
son broadened and produced marshes. A
large portion of Paradise and Jackson
Townships were composed of swamps, in
which grew tall hickory trees. The region
they covered is now fertile and productive.
Smaller swamps of a similar character ex-
isted around the present towns of York, and
Hanover, also in AVest Manchester, Hel-
1am, Heidelberg, Spring Garden and other
townships. There were natural meadows
where tall grasses matted themselves into
a thick, compact sod. These were the
deer pastures which the Indians loved to
visit.
In the limestone region through the cen-
tral part of York County heavy timber
covered most of the land with occasional
meadows and swamps. Lighter woods
covered the southern belt of the country
and the sandstone regions in the north.
There were, however, many places in all
sections of the country where the native
ash tree, elm, shellbark and black walnut
contended with the sturdy oak and the
spreading chestnut for size and pre-
eminence. The progress of the mechanical
arts soon demanded the trunks of these
monarchs of the forest, until now they are
rarely seen, and but few are growing to take
their places.
92
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Most of the first settlers in
The America belonged to the mid-
Immigrant die class. They were artisans,
Farmer. traders, farmers and mechan-
ics. Those who came to York
County were largely farmers of three
different nationalities, — English, German
and Scotch-Irish, each of whom coming
from a different country, had their own pe-
culiar modes of tilling the soil. Some of
these people had remained for a time in
Chester and Lancaster Counties ; especially
was this the case with the English Friends
and the Scotch. Many Germans and Swiss
came direct from their native lands to York
County. Religious persecution and interne-
cine wars were largely the cause of their
emigration. Hence they came to America
with noble aims and, generall}^, were of high
moral character. There may have been ex-
ceptions, but the immediate prosperity that
attended them faithfully illustrates that
they were thrifty and industrious. Great
wealth in European countries, then, was
rare, except among the nobility. The gen-
try and the warrior did not emigrate, but
the working and business classes did. Some
of them were not farmers when they came
here, but the necessity of the case made
them farmers. They were a class of men
who were to work out a great problem in
the new world. Neither a feudal system
nor a nobility interfered ; exevy man was
lord of his own domain in Pennsylvania, and
this is what gave character to the agricul-
tural classes so early in our history.
The Germans brought with them large
" iron bound chests." Nearly every family,
if they could be afforded, had one of them.
A few of these old chests can be seen yet in
this county among their descendants. They
were filled with homespuns and some of the
most important household utensils. One,
two, or more covered wagons, sometimes
belonging to the immigrants, but more fre-
quently the property of settlers in eastern
counties of a kindred nationality, brought
their fellow-countrymen to their place of
destination, west of the Susquehanna. In
these wagons, including household articles,
were stored some of the most essential im-
plements of agriculture, such as the wooden
plow, the scythe, the hoe and the sickle.
The settlement of a few German colonies
can still be located in York Countv. The
Scotch-Irish brought the ox-team, the
horse and the most essential implements.
J\Iany of the first Quakers rode from Ches-
ter County on pack-horses ; the grown and
half grown came on foot. Some of the most
active went ahead, when passing into an
entirely new section, with axes to clear
away obstructions. There were in places
fallen trees and hanging vines, streams to
cross and deep morasses and savannas 'to
wade.
Where, to whom, or to what peo-
First pie among the white settlers be-
Farms. longs the 'honor of breaking
ground for the first farms in York
County, the truthful historian cannot now
chronicle. Immigrants located nearly at the
same time in all sections of the county, and
took possession of chosen tracts of land so
rapidly from the period between 1734 and
1736, that many farms were laid off between
those dates. The Scotch-Irish selected
their homes in the lower end of the county,
and in the Marsh Creek country (now
around Gettysburg) on land with similar
characteristics to that of the places of their
nativity.
The Friends and the Germans, upon emi-
grating, frequently sent their representa-
tives> ahead to locate land. The Germans
natural!}' selected such land as was similar
to that from which the more prominent of
them came, and hence they fell heir to most
of the limestone region, although, as the
land warrants show, there were many Eng-
lish who took up land in the valley of the
Codorus. They did not long remain in pos-
session of them. Much of the land was
taken up by English speculators, who, soon
after the first settlements were made, dis-
posed of their rights at a profit, to the Ger-
man immigrants, who came flocking into
this county from 1740 to 1752, in large
numbers. There were as many as 2,000
Friends located in the upper end of the
county, in Fairview, Newberry, Warring-
ton and adjoining townships before 1760;
and they were nearly all farmers, largely
from Chester County and Newcastle
County, Delaware.
Most of the settlers had some money,
with which, after getting the proper war-
rants, they located lands of their own selec-
tion, or purchased them from surveyors, at
a very small cost per acre. Much land of
THIS WHEEL WAS USED TO SPIN FLAX HANKS AND
TOW INTO THREAD. IT WAS OWNED BY THE
HACKERT FAMILY IN YORK, AS
EARLY AS 1780
WOOL WHEEL AND REEL OWNED BY ANCESTORS OF
RACHEL BAHN IN HELLAM TOWNSHIP.
AS EARLY AS 1775
A FLAX BRAKE MADE FOR THE KELLER FAMILY
NEAR HANOVER. IN 1800
I
PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE
93
the lower townships was taken up in 400
acre tracts. Some of the settlers of the
limestone regions took up large tracts, but
as a general rule, nearly all land purchased
by settlers was taken up in 100, 200 and
sometimes 300 acre tracts. The tradition
that the ancestors of people now living.
took up 1,000 or more acres, is nearly al-
ways at fault, and cannot be verified by the
records in the land office. The early sur-
veyors and speculators owned many tracts
in York County. Among them were
Thomas Cookson, survej'or, of Lancaster;
Edward Shippen, of Philadelphia, and Jo-
seph Pidgeon, a surveyor of Philadelphia
County, after whom the " Pigeon Hills "
were doubtless named. George Stevenson,
the intelligent Englishman who for sixteen
years was clerk of the courts, prothonotary,
register and recorder, all in one office,
owned at one time as much as 10,000 acres
in York County, much of which he fell heir
to when he married the widow of Thomas
Cookson, of Lancaster. But the Fates were
not propitious with him, for he lost it all by
some mishaps, and died poor, in Carlisle,
just after the Revolution. Michael Tanner,
an intelligent German Baptist, one of the
commissioners who laid off York County
and afterward located at Hanover as the
first justice of the peace, was a very large
land owner.
The land in the lower end, then contained
many spots of scrub oak, which were left
unburned by the Indians, who annually set
fire to patches, on some of which they had
cultivated corn and beans; and some pos-
sibly used as hunting grounds were burned,
yet this tradition is of doubtful authenticity.
It is far more natural that the Indians
burned patches of land for farming pur-
poses, and such is the opinion of the earliest
writers of intelligence.
The " York Barrens," which covered a
large extent of territory in the lower end,
became noted in the annals of York County,
long after the period of experimental farm-
ing. Much land in the Chancefords, Hope-
wells, Fawn, Peach Bottom, and parts of
Codorus and Manheim, after being cleared
of timber, for two or three years produced
fair crops of wheat, barley, spelt or corn.
It then became poor and would not readily
grow these valuable cereals. Rye could be
cultivated longer on these lands; finallv it
ceased to yield profitably, and tlien nothing
but buckwheat could be made to grow with
satisfaction. It was long known as a great
buckwheat country. When certain culti-
vated tracts became sterile, they were de-
serted, and new tracts cleared and culti-
vated. This is what gave rise largely to the
name "barrens." In the southwestern
townships the Germans learned to call them
" barns."
The first settlers always located
The near some spring or gentle running
Pioneer stream of crystal water. Springs
Home, were plenty and nature's drink was
pure and wholesome. For a few
days the covered wagon served as a home,
often for more than one family, especially
for the women and children. The spread-
ing branches of a large tree afforded shelter
until the log cabin, occasionally a stone
house, could be built. A few red men
visited them and exchanged furs and other
articles. Until 1756, during the French and
Indian war, their ravages were never
feared and the few that remained were on
friendly terms with the whites.
Hard and patiently did the settlers go to
w^ork, Avith coats ofif, arms bare, and sweated
brows, to fell the trees and hew the logs for
their future homes. Logs were split,
notched and appropriately arranged, and
then each settler assisted his nearest neigh-
bor to do the heaviest work. The women
who endured this new life were not idle. In
homespun clothing and plain white caps,
with the open air for a kitchen, and a few
collected stones for a hearth, after the cus-
tom of the gypsy of the present day, they
swung, with chain and hooks, the pots and
kettles brought from their native land, and
prepared the heartily relished food. A
large log, a huge rock, or the " end gate " to
the emigrant wagon served as a table.
Sometimes a huge white oak or chestnut
was cut at a proper height, around the
stump of which these humble sons of toil
gathered to partake of their frugal meals,
until better accommodations were provided.
The men ate first; the women and children
came last. Thanks were silently offered
and there was but little profanity. The
children wandered into the near woods to
observe the new attractions, but not too far
from the cabin, lest the voracious wolf or
some imfriendlv Indian might cause alarm.
94
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The timid deer and the sporti^'e squirrel
were frequently added to the larder, and
delicious fishes which the aborigines so
much loved to catch, were abundant in the
Susquehanna, the Codorus, the Conewago
and in all the streams. The table of the
early settler was frequently supplied with
fish, easily caught. The iron fish hook was
a necessary article for the emigrant, as was
his flint lock gun. The spade and the hoe,
necessary tools for the settler, were first
brought into requisition, and soon a small
patch was cleared and dug and planted with
seeds and bulbs, some of which had been
brought from across the ocean.
Much timber was split into rails for
fenrey to enclose the newly cleared tracts.
The underwood was " grubbed," dragged
on heaps and burned, and a large flame from
them was a common sight. There were no
matches to light them as now. " Punk "
and the flint stone were commonly used to
ignite wood, or else live coals were brought
from the open fires of a neighbor's cabin.
The age of stoves had not arrived in York
County. The era of forges and furnaces
came later. Then, as the season progressed,
the old fashioned wooden plow, drawn by
the heav}^ draught horses or a pair of oxen,
slowly turned up the soil, most of which for
ages unknown, had been undisturbed. It is
strange to think that the world existed so
many thousand years without her inhabi-
tants even knowing of the richness of the
treasures in the western hemisphere. Limbs
of trees tied together first served as har-
rows to level and pulverize the soil. For a
few years the same plow was used by two
or more farmers. The crops were planted
or sown by hand, and covered by a hoe or
brushwood. The soil being naturally fer-
tile, crops grew abundantly without fertiliz-
ers, and to the frontiersman the first har-
vest was a great delight.
Many of the Quakers came to York
County on pack horses and some of the
first wagons they used were made here en-
tirely of wood. The wheels were sawed
from the thick trunks of the " gum tree " or
the tough " buttonwood." A few of these
settlers brought their wagons with them.
Spelt, wheat, barley and rye were first culti-
vated. They were cut with a sickle,
threshed with a flail, and among the earliest
settlers the chafi^ was separated from the
grain by both being placed on a linen sheet,
of which two persons took hold, and tossing
the contents up in a current of air, a gentle
breeze would blow the chaff away andleave
the precious grain. Corn was shelled with
the hand or by flail. Wheat or corn was
ground the first year or two in a " pioneer
mill " — a mortar hollowed in the end of a
log, or a stump, in which it was ground, In-
dian fashion, with a pestle. Soon after the
small grist mill, run by water power, was
constructed. The log house when com-
pleted was about 10x15 ^^^^ and seven feet
to the roof, at first covered with heavy bark,
and, after the first year's crop, was carefully
thatched with straw. There was no cellar.
On the garret or " loft," as it was called,
was stored the grain of the first year's crop.
The next winter was spent by the husband
in clearing more land, and taking care of his
horse, cow, pigs, and sheep, which were ex-
pected to huddle together, and live har-
moniously in one common stable. The wife
would " ply her evening care " in front of
the blazing hearth, on which the glowing
" back logs "' furnished both light and
heat.
Before the first settlement of
Frontier York County agriculture had a
Farming, fair foothold in this province, the
domestic animals had been put
into use, and all the cultivated plants grown
in the mother countries had been tried on
American soil. Corn, to the early York
County settler, was a new plant, native to
America, and cultivated in a small way b)'
the aborigines. Hemp, cotton, rice, spelt,
oats, millet, lucerne, flax, rape, rye, oats,
barley and buckwheat were all cultivated
for a time in York County. The raising of
some of these cereals was soon discon-
tinued. Hemp was cultivated a long time,
and the old-fashioned " hemp mill " is still
remembered. It was cultivated in York
County as late as 1830. Flax and its valu-
able product were known much later. The
linsev-woolsey made from linen and woolen
thread was used by our ancestors as an ar-
ticle of clothing".
This experimental farming of our ances-
tors was so successfully tried before the
Revolutionary period, that, since then,
the introduction of few plants, except
sorghum during the Ci\'il ^^'ar, can now be
named.
PIONEERS AND PIOXEER LIEE
95
Tlie following advertisement,
Grasses which appeared in the Penn-
Introduced. syhania Herald, published
then in York, dates the suc-
cessful i;itroduction of clo\'er seed into
York County :
Those farmers who would wish to improve
their land and stock, and put money in their
purses bv cultivating that valuable new article,
CLOVER, would be supplied with SEED by
applying to the subscriber, or to Samuel C.
Updegraff, in said town.
February 14, 1792. CALEB KIRK.
The first seed sold at a rate of what now
is equivalent to $20 a bushel. Owing to the
dry season of 1838, the following year it
sold for $20 a bushel in York County and
for $17 during the Civil war.
Red clover and timothy, native grasses of
Europe, were not grown much in Pennsyl-
vania before 1800, except by experiment.
About this date their introduction became
general. In some sections of York County
they were never successfully grown until
after the era of commercial fertilizers. The
German scythe could not cut them well,
which caused the introduction of the Eng-
lish scythe. These new grasses grew well
on upland regions. They were found to be
,better food for domestic animals than the
native meadow grasses. Timothy grass
seems to have been introduced into this
country by Timothy Hanson, an intelligent
Quaker. He sowed a few quarts of this
imported seed on his farm near Dover, Del.
His Quaker neighbors were pleased with
the success of his experiment. The next fall
these neighbors purchased some of Timo-
thy's seed. It grew well on all the farms
and the Quakers continued to call it Timo-
thy's seed, which in after years became
known as timothy grass.
Spelt and barley held sway in York
County for nearly a century, when they
gave way in the decade between 1820 and
1830, to red-wheat and the blue stem wheat.
The ears were smooth. Many varieties of
wheat have since been cultivated with suc-
cess.
The cows brought here first were
Domestic long-horned, hooked backward,
Animals, many of them of brindle color.
They were a large sized, clean
limbed animal. Short horned cows were
not introduced until 1830, Devons much
later, and Jerseys since the Civil war. Long
wooled sheep were raised at an early date.
Many farmers during the Revolutionary
period owned from ten to twenty of these
animals. Merino sheep were introduced
from Spain soon after 1800. Previous to
the settlement of America, the domestic
animals of Europe fed on natural pastures.
The grasses were not cultivated as they are
now. The artificial seeding to grass only
became common in Europe and America to-
ward the close of the eighteenth century.
There were many kinds of grasses indi-
genous to this section, but they were not
well suited for pasturing purposes ; hence
domestic animals deteriorated. The faith-
ful horse and the ox, both of which were
used for farming, as well as the milk cow,
deteriorated in form and size, and became
smaller than their progenitors. The native
Indian corn was found to be wholesome and
nutritious food for them, and greatly coun-
terbalanced the eflfect of the grass food.
During the colonial period, the products
of agriculture and of the forests constituted
the principal articles "taken to market;"
first conveyed from our county to Philadel-
phia and Baltimore on pack horses and af-
terward on rudely constructed wagons.
Since 1870 the fattening of cattle for market
has become a very important business.
Thousands of them are sold annually in the
town of Hanover and shipped to Baltimore
and Philadelphia. In the fertile lands
around York, and in many sections of the
county, farmers find the fattening of cattle
a profitable business.
The fields were ploughed in
The Old " lands " by several furrows be-
Time ing thrown together. In harvest
Harvests, time two or foiu" reapers would
take a " land." The harvest sea-
son was a time of great enjoyment. Neigh-
boring farmers assisted one another. Ten,
fiftee'n, and sometimes as many as a hundred
reapers, both men and women, with the
sickle, worked in one field as a gay, livel}''
company. Before the introduction of the
cradle, tradesmen and townspeople all tem-
poraril}^ dropped their vocations and went
to assist in harvesting. On the farm of
George Hoke, in ^^'est Manchester, in 1828,
there were 102 men and women, reaping in
one field with the sickle. They soon cut the
strain of that field and went to another.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
About the same time near by, Peter Wolf
had fifty-four reapers at work. They
passed along like a moving battle line. It
was an interesting sight. A good reaper
could cut forty-two dozens of sheaves a day.
The German scythe, made of malleable iron,
sharpened by hammering the edge on a
small anvil, called the " dengeln stock," was
used for mowing. The whetstone was car-
ried by the mower with a horn containing
water mixed with vinegar. For cutting
spelt, rve and wheat the sickle was almost
universally used until about the beginning
of the war of 1812, or possibly five years
earlier, when the grain cradle came into use
in York County, and in the country in gen-
eral. The sickle was extensively used for
cutting rye at a much later period.
As soon as a tract of land was
Fruit cleared and the young fruit trees
Trees, could be obtained, an abundance of
apple, peach, pear and cherry trees
were planted by the pioneer settlers. In no
country did they grow more luxuriantly
than in the native soil of Southern Pennsyl-
vania. Winter apples, " cherry bounce,"
" apple jack," and " peach brandy " soon be-
came plentiful. The " snitzings " and " ap-
plebutter boilings " were parties where
mirth and hilarity reigned.
There were no large barns be-
Big Barn fore the Revolution such as are
and Second seen now by the hundreds, in
House. York County. The first ones
were either log or stone. After
a few years, as saw-mills became established
along the streams, the huge trunks of the
oak and the walnut were sawed into scant-
lings and boards, and settlers then began to
construct large buildings. Rye, the only
winter grain that produced well at first, was
A^ery useful. Its straw was used for
thatching roofs, for making bee-hives and
bread baskets. A well-made straw roof
lasted many years.
The second house built was two stories
high, of stones or logs, with weather-
boarding. Many of them had a large chim-
ney in the centre, after the German custom.
The English and Scotch custom was to
build chimneys on the outside of the house,
one at each gable end. They were made of
stone or brick. Among the wealthier classes
large buildings were erected about the year
181 2, and even earlier. In York at a very
early day, there were a few large dwelling
houses with massive doors, wide halls and
easy stairways. Some of the wood-carving
was beautifully done, showing artistic work-
manship.
The amount paid for land by the
The Value first settlers in York County
of Real varied in accordance with its
Estate. natural fertility and the timber
that was found upon it. The
immigrant obtained a warrant from the
heirs of William Penn, giving him the privi-
lege of taking up land that had not already
been purchased. Some of these warrants
specify that a tract of 200 acres or more was
often granted to a settler for the amount of
five shillings, more or less, per acre. Some
of the most fertile lands were originally sold
by the proprietaries at prices ranging from
five to ten dollars per acre. When the
Revolution opened in 1775, the best farming
land lying near towns sold at the rate of
thirty to fifty dollars per acre. In 1781, ow-
ing to the depreciation of Continental cur-
rency and the paper money issued by the
State of Pennsylvania, as a result of the
war, good farming land was sold as high as
$200 per acre. This estimate is based upon
the value of paper money, which soon after-
ward became totally worthless and most of
it was never redeemed either by the state or
the government. There were several in-
stances in which farms were sold in York
County about this time and paid for in con-
tinental money. The holder of this money
in 1783 had neither farm nor credit, for his
monev then was worth no more than the
weight of the paper upon which it was
printed. In many cases bankruptcy fol-
lowed.
All farming lands and real estate in this
county and throughout Pennsylvania
reached a high valuation in 1814. This was
the result of the enactment of a law estab-
lishing forty state banks. This caused an
enormous circulation of paper money,
eventually worth in coin onh' about one-
fourth of its face value. Governor Snyder
had vetoed this bill, creating the banks, but
the bill was passed over his veto and became
a law without his signature. Money circu-
lated freely everywhere throughout the
state and its abundance caused enterprising
citizens to formulate plans for laying out
new towns. Some of these became perma-
PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE
97
nenl \illages or boroughs in tliis county,
wliile otliers were only " paper cities."
Among those laid out at this period familiar
to the reader were Jefferson, Franklintown,
New Market, Siddonsburg and Liverpool,
now Manchester borough. Some of the
towns laid out during the fluctuations of the
Pennsylvania currency from 1814 to 1816
were Sowego, Georgetown, Millerstown
and Jacobstown, and the old town of Man-
chester. It would not be easy for the reader
at present to locate the sites of any of these
" paper cities." When the collapse came in
monetary matters in this state, their pros-
pects of future greatness ended.
Land reached its highest valuation in this
county during the Civil war and down to
the year 1880. Farms situated near the
centres of population then sold as high as
$300 per acre. Land remote from towns
brought $100 or more per acre. The war
and the extravagant modes of living after
it had ended, caused a depreciation of all
the paper money, even the " greenbacks,"
as the national currency was called. During
the year 1864 a gold dollar was worth $2.65
in national currency and a bushel of wheat
sold for $2.50. Money was abundant every-
where and in general all industries pros-
pered. The financial crisis beginning in
1873 spread all over the United States and
reached its climax in York in 1877. For a
period of several months during that year
only one large manufacturing establishment
in York was in operation. After the re-
sumption of specie payment, which went
into effect by an act of Congress in 1877,
there was a gradual rise in the price of farm
lands. But at no time since then have the
fertile lands of York County been sold at so
high a figure as during the ten years suc-
ceeding the Civil war.
Most of the virgin soil after it
Fertilizers. Was cleared of timber by the
early settlers was fertile and
productive. The farming land did not need
a fertilizer to grow good crops. Manure,
the best of all fertilizers, was the first to be
used by the York County farmers. A com-
position known as " plaster," containing
ammonia and other ingredients, was intro-
duced soon after the beginning of the nine-
teenth century. It came into general use in
Pennsyh-ania a few years later. Lime was
used for plastering houses and for mason
work, many years before its virtues were
known to generate the necessary sustenance
in the soil, and furnish it to the roots of the
growing crops. In 18 17 it was experi-
mented with in Hellani and Spring Garden
Townships, but it was not much used in the
county on the land until about 1828; by 1830
it was put into general use. The conserva-
tive opinion of many farmers prevented
them from applying it for many years after,
and those who did use it were at first ridi-
culed -as foolish and visionary.
Societies and associations for the diffu-
sion of knowledge and the growth of the
physical sciences, especially chemistry and
geology, about this period, led to great de-
velopments in agriculture. From that time
forth agriculture began to be studied as a
science, and lime became very extensively
used. Bonedust, guano, phosphates, and
other artificial fertilizers have been used in
great abundance in York County, and seem
to produce especially good results in slate
and shale lands. The rotation of crops
began with the introduction of lime.
The threshing machine, succeed-
Threshing ing the laborious methods of
Machines tramping with horses and
and pounding wdth the flail, was a
Reapers, great curiosity. At first only
the wealthy farmers bought
them. Laboring men and many farmers
opposed their introduction, which they con-
sidered an innovation injurious to the in-
terests of the poor man. It was not many
years, however, before all enterprising
farmers used them, and the laboring man
found his task much easier. The same dis-
■ cussions arose when other labor-saving
machines were invented. " Taking bread
out of the poor man's mouth " was the cry.
It is quite probable that the ancient Egyp-
tian could thresh and clean his grain, three
or four thousand years ago, as well as the
York County farmer could before the intro-
duction of the threshing machine, when
from ten to sixteen bushels per day were
what one man could thresh out with the
flail. By treading with horses, he could
possibly treble this amount. Then came the
horse power, threshing first one hundred,
then three hundred or more bushels of
wheat per day; finally the steam thresher,
travelling from farm to farm, and thresh-
ing 600, 800, and sometimes over i,ooo
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
bushels in a day, or 50,000 bushels in a CHAPTER VII
year.
The double toothed, turning grain rake EARLY HIGHWAYS
and hay rake succeeded the common hand
rake about 18^8, and continued in use until _ , _, , „ , ^^ . _ . ,
1870. The modern sulky rake, a still ^arly Roads-Early Femes-Bridges
greater improvement, has since been
used. The old Colter plow gave place to
the much easier running plow of recent
date.
All the small cereals were, for an entire
century of the history of agriculture in York
County, sowed by hand and " harrowed or
plowed in." The grain drill came into use
in 1843 or thereabouts, and has, like many
other implements, undergone changes since.
Perhaps the greatest triumph and the one
which created the most curiosity among the
farmers, was the invention and successful
use of the mower and reaper. If a farmer
purchased one of these all his neighbors for
miles around went to see it operate. The
McCormick and the Hussey reaper and
mower were the first to be used in this
county, introduced in 1853. Various other
kinds soon were purchased in Hanover,
York and Dover. Reaping machines, like
threshing machines, had been devised cen-
turies before in a crude form, but it was not
until the time of the great World's Fair at
London, in 1852, where the American
machinery attracted so much attention, that
they came into prominent use. From 1852
to 1855 their distribution was immense, and
their manufacture very profitable. In 1853
Conrad Moul, of Hanover, began manu-
facturing the " Hussey " mower and reaper,
but he sold his first reapers of the Hussey
patent in Hanover in 185 1. From 1853 to
1870 he made a large number of them in his
shops at Hanover. Ilgenfritz and White, of
York, the next year made the " Atkins."
The following year Flickinger Brothers, of
Hanover, began making the " Dorsey " and
Reuben Hoffheins, of Dover, his own in-
vention in 1857. A few years later he
moved his shops to York. The McCormick
was invented and tried in 183 1 and the
Hussey reaper in 1833. These were the
first American machines. A noticeable fact
is that Obed Hussey, the inventor, was a
descendant of Nathan Hussey, who was one
of the commissioners to lay off York
County in 1749, and one of the first Quaker
settlers in the county.
Indian trails extended across York
County from east to west and from north to
south when this territory was occupied by
the aborigines. Many years before white
settlers had crossed the Susquehanna, there
were routes for pack horse travel across this
region to Maryland and Virginia, both of
which provinces were partially settled
before 1736, when the heirs of William
Penn purchased the lands of his province
west of the Susquehanna. Although the
Quakers began their settlements in the
northern part of York County as early as
1734, and the Scotch-Irish first occupied the
southeastern section about the same time,
and the Germans began their authorized
settlements around York as early as 1733,
there is no record of an};- public highway
being laid out west of the Susquehanna
until 1739. The first settlers of this region,
some of whom came in wagons, but most
of them on horseback, cut their own roads
through the dense forests to the places
where they made a selection of land for
permanent settlement.
It was during the year 1739 that
Monocacy under the authority of the Lan-
Road. caster Court this route, long
known as the Monocacy Road,
was opened upon the petition of numerous
settlers west of the Susquehanna in the
present limits of York County. The view-
ers to locate this important road were
Joshua Minshall, Francis Worley, Henry
Hendricks, Christian Crawl, Michaef Tan-
ner and Woolrich Whisler. The road
began on the line between the lands of John
^^'right, Jr., and Samuel Taylor (now
Wrightsville) ; thence west 500 perches,
south 72 degrees, west 562 perches to
Crawl's run, south 70 degrees, west 430
perches to a marked white oak, west 76
perches to Canoe run, south 68 degrees,
west 454 perches, west 994 perches to west
branch of Grist (Kreutz) Creek, west 544
perches to Little Codorus (Stony Run),
west 684 perches to Big Codorus (York not
3'et laid out), continuing westward across
EARLY HIGHWAYS
99
Perrin's run one and a ([uarter miles soutli-
west of York, three-cjuarters of a mile far-
ther to Springer's field, one and a half niiles
farther to the " point of a steep hill," thence
west to Loreman's run, to Christian Eys-
ter's land (near Wolf's church), to Nicholas
Croucher's run, to west branch of Codorus
Creek, to John Link's Run by the " Bar-
rens " to Conrad Low's plantation, west
four and a half miles to Adam Forney's
land (now the site of Hanover) ; thence
nearly due southwest by Kitzmiller's mill,
on Conewago Creek, to the provincial line
between Pennsylvania and Maryland. The
entire length of the road was 34 miles, 290
perches. It soon became a prominent high-
way of travel to the south and southwest.
This route was taken by General Wayne on
his trip with his brigade of American sol-
diers on their way to Yorktown, Virginia,
during the Revolution, and the route taken
for transporting Hessian and British prison-
ers to Maryland and Virginia during the
same war; also the course of St. Clair and
^^'ayne in 1792, on their way to Ohio to
quell the Indian troubles there. During the
war of 1812, when the British army occu-
pied W^ashington and was threatening
Baltimore, immense trains of wagons, con-
veying cotton from Alabama, Georgia, Ten-
nessee, and other points in the south, used
this route on the way to Philadelphia and
New York. It was the first road laid out
within the present limits of York County
under the authority of Pennsylvania.
A petition of citizens of Manheim and
Heidelberg, 1766, sets forth that "the road
from Conewago settlement (now Hanover)
to Baltimore town was laid out thirty years
before, or in 1736, by order of Baltimore
County Court, before the temporary line
between the two provinces had been run,
and this was then thought to belong to
Maryland; since the running of which line
there is about ten miles on north side of
line of as useful a road as perhaps any in
the province of Pennsylvania, and not on
record in this province." Henry Slagle,
Esq., Michael Tanner, Richard McAllister,
Casper Reineka, Christian Millheimer and
Marks Forney were appointed by the court
to view the road that it might be recorded.
It began at the dwelling house of Michael
Carl, north of Hanover, and extended
nearlv due south over the line of the
present Hano\er and Baltimore turnpike.
Being laid out in 1736, it was the first road
in the county.
At the November session of court at Lan-
caster, in 1741, a number of inhabitants
near Codorus Creek petitioned for a road
the nearest way from " the new town on
the Great Codorus (York) to William
Smith's patented land under Maryland."
Smith's land was ten miles and thirty-nine
perches south of York. The wishes of the
petitioners were granted, and the court ap-
pointed Woolrich Whisler, Michael Krei-
ger, Michael Tanner, Michael Rolke, Adam
Miller and George Copel to view and lay
out the road. Their report was confirmed
in February, 1742. The road began at the
Spanish oak on Smith's land, extended
nearly due north by way of Woolrich Whis-
ler's mill, which was about two and one-
fourth miles south of York, and must have
been one of the first mills in the county.
From thence it extended to the " end of the
street, leading to the place intended for a
court house in the town of York,' and join-
ing the road to John Wright's ferry." This
road was laid out the year after the found-
ing^ of the town of York and corresponds
to the present Baltimore and Maryland
Line turnpike.
On the 4th day of 'Sla.y. 1742, in answer
to a petition, Robert McClure, Benjamin
Chambers, Hance Hamilton, Patrick Car-
son and A\'illiam Bayley were appointed and
soon afterward laid out a road (the report
of which was confirmed), extending from
AValnut Bottom, now in Cumberland
County, across Yellow Breeches Creek at
the present site of Lisburn, through Fish-
ing Creek Valley, to Nathan Hussey's
ferry, near the site of Goldsboro. Its entire
length, according to draft, was thirty miles.
During August of the following year the
report of John Noblet, Joseph Bennet,
Joseph Green and James Crawford was con-
firmed, laying out a road " seven and thret-
fourth miles in length, from Nathan Hus-
sey's ferry to Thomas AVilkin's ferrj^, over
the Susquehanna below the mouth of Cone-
wago Creek."
Upon receiving two petitions signed by
many citizens from the I^Iarsh Creek settle-
ment (Gettysburg) and vicinity, William
Ruddock. Richard Proctor, John Sharp,
Benjamin Chambers and James Ruddock
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
were appointed to view and lay out a road
to York and Lancaster. It was soon after
opened and corresponded very nearly to the
route of the present York and Gettysburg
turnpike.
The following- petition is for the
Newberry first public highway southward
Road. to the town of York. It was long
known as the "Newberry road" :
The humble petition of the inhabitants of Newberry
and Manchester, and others of the west side of the Sus-
quehanna river to the honorable bench, the justices now
sitting at Lancaster, most humbly showeth.
Whereas, We, your humble petitioners, having great
need of a wagon road to Yorktown, therefore we humbly
pray the honorable court that we may have a road laid
out the nearest and best way from John Day's mill to
the said Yorktown, and we, your petitioners, as in duty
bound, shall pray.
10 mo., 12 da., 1745-
Nathan Hussey Robert Hodgin
John Day John Hussey
John Garretson Charles Jonas
Joseph Bennet John Snell
Peter Stout Bartholomew Alaul
James Frazer Adam ^Miller
"Thomas Rogers George AUbright
Patrick Carson George Swope
Andrew Rodgers.
This road started thirteen miles north
from York, at John Day's mill, crossed the
townships of Newberry and Manchester to
York. It passed William Ewing's *mill
eight miles from York. John Day became
the first president court justice of York
County. He was a Quaker; Nathan Hus-
sey, also of the same religious faith, became
one of the commissioners to lay ofif York
County in 1749.
Upon the petition of sundry inhabitants
of Warrington, Monaghan, Dover and
Manchester Townships for a road from
Isaac Rutledge's mill to the town of York,
the Lancaster Court appointed Francis
Worley, Matthew Lambert, Peter Cook,
Baltzer Knetzer and Henry Clark to view
and lay out the road. They made their re-
port to the court, which was confirmed at
the October Quarter session, 1747. The
r^ad began at Rutledge's mill on the Yellow
Breeches (the first mill in that section).
From that point to Street (Straight) Hill,
in Warrington Township with devious
courses was ten miles. It continued from
thence across Conewago Creek and the
high ridge above Dover to York, and cor-
responded nearly to the present road
through Dover, Wellsville and Dillsburg
and ^^'hat is since known as the State road.
In 1748 a joint petition, with many sign-
ers of the " townships of Hellam and Done-
gal, was presented to the court at Lancaster
for a road from Anderson's ferry (Marietta)
to join the road from John AA'right's ferry
to York." On the petition all the names of
the signers from Donegal are Scotch-Irish,
except two of Hellam. German. The
viewers appointed to open the road were
George Swope, John Kelly, Lazarus Lowry,
Martin Schultz and James Patterson. The
road was surveyed and opened by order of
the Lancaster Court, April, 1749.
In 1748 there was an effort made to
secure connections by road by settlers in
the vicinity of Dillsburg and York Springs
to Harris' Ferry, the site of Harrisburg;
and a petition was sent to Lancaster, bear-
ing date February 17, 1748. of which this is
an e.xact copy :
The West Side of Susquehanna.
To the Honorable Court of Quarter Sessions held at
Lancaster the first Tuesday of February, 1747-8.
The humble petition of part of the inhabitants of the
west side of Susquehanna humbly showeth that as we
have been obliged to work at and repair roads which we
have had no beneiit of, and as we have never had any
roads laid out for our benefit we humbly desire the favor
of the honorable bench to allow us a road to be laid
and by order of court from John Harrise's ferry to
William Wireman's mill, nearest and best way that can
be found, and we, your petitioners, shall ever pray.
jNIatthew Dill James Dill
Thomas Kenton Thos. Dill
John Rood I\Iatthew Dill, junior
James Hamelton Andrew Miller, junior
Tho. Cambell Matthew Rutledge
Robert Johnston Henerey Willson
James Betty Wm. Rutledge
George Brandon John Harris
James Carruthers Isaac Rutledge.
Andrew Miller. A\'illiam Trindle, Henry
W^ilson, Thos. Dill, Jas. Robinet, John
Beals, were appointed viewers with power
to any four to act.
This " AVilliam Wierman " mill of 1747-8
is, no doubt, the present John W. Wierman
mill, which has been uninterruptedly in the
family for at least one hundred and sixty
years. It is on the Bermudian, about one
and a quarter miles east of Gettysburg and
Harrisburg State road.
The following is a petition for what after-
ward became the first road from the south-
east toward York. It was the last of the
roads laid out by authority of the Lancaster
Court :
EARLY HIGHWAYS
To the Worshipful Justices of the County of Lan-
caster now sitting in the Borough of Lancaster :
The petitioners having frequent occasion to go to the
town of Xew York (meaning the new town of York)
and no roads being made amongst us, it is very difficult
for your petitioners to travel, especially in the winter,
for reason of the swamps and savannahs, that is be-
twixt us and said town of York. Therefore, we, your
petitioners, humbly crave that your worships would be
pleased to grant an order for laying and making of a
road from John Xelson's ferry to the aforesaid town of
New York.
Therefore, your petitioners pray that your worship
would be pleased to take the petition into consideration,
and order your petitioners what you shall think proper,
and your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall pray.
j\lay Sessions, 1749.
Daniel Laverty John Nelson
Paul Martin Alex. Nelson
John Campbell ^Morton ^IcHafFey
Edward ^lahon Finley Gray
Manasa Lamb James AlcCartley
Thomas Carson Benjamin Saylor
John Carson Daniel Johnston
William Buchannan ' Thomas Johnston
Charles Caldwell James Anderson
Hugh Ross William Anderson
Matthew Long George Baughman.
The names of these petitioners are all of
English or Scotch-Irish origin, except the
last, which is, doubtless, German. They
were some of the earliest settlers, having
only been living there a few years. The
petition asks for a road from Nelson's, later
McCall's, ferry to York. Action was taken
by the court during the May sessions of
1749. and Charles Caldwell, John Campbell,
Robert Smart. \\'illiam Buchannan. Robert
Morton, and Xathaniel ]\Iorgan appointed
to view and lay out the road. Their report
was made and confirmed at the next session
of the Lancaster Court. Its courses and
distances nearly correspond to the present
Peachbottom public road.
The honorable petition of the people, the inhabitants
on the branches of the Bermudian, in Monaghan Town-
ship.
To the Honorable, the Court at Lancaster, now sit-
ting, we, your humble petitioners, take leave to inform
you of our great disadvantage we labor under, for want
of a road being made or opened from our settlement
to Yorktown, it being our nighest and best w'ay to Lan-
caster and Philadelphia, our places of market, and like-
wise our court. We humbly petition your court, that
you would grant us an order from your court to open
said road sufficient for wagons to travel between Archi-
bald jMc.\llister'5 mill to York, and that you would ap-
point such men as you see best as prospectors and over-
seers of said road. We, remembering the favors
granted to us by your honors already, comfort ourselves
in the hope of your granting in this favor, and we, as in
duty bound, shall ever pray.
April 7. Anno Domino, 1749.
John Griest :\Iatthew Dill
Andrew Miller Tho. Dill
Henry Wilson Wm. Underwood
Charles Coulson John Hendricks
Thomas Petit
Caleb Hendricks
John Jcsper
James Hendricks
John Powell
James Petit
Edward How
Joseph Dennis
John Douglass
John Lease
.ALatthew Mellon
Edward Robbards
Richard Co.x
.Alexander Underwood
Jacob Beals
William Beals
Samuel Cox
.Abraham Nesbitt.
John Brandon.
This petition being made the same
Under year that York County was formed,
York the Lancaster Court deferred the
County matter, whereupon a similar peti-
Courts. tion. which was the first presented
to the York Court upon its organi-
zation after the erection of the county,
was granted, and the road ordered to be
opened from " McAllister's mill on the Ber-
mudian Creek to the town of York." The
viewers were John Beales, William Cox,
John Griest, Abraham Lerew, John Lease
and James Petit. This route is the one at
present known as the " Shippensburg road."
McAllister's mill w'as in the present area of
Adams County. The names were all
signed in well written English.
The next road in order of time
From the across the South Mountains
Mountains through the present area of
to York. Adams County to York is that
from the headwaters of the
Opossum Creek southward and then east-
wardly through (then) Tyrone and Read-
ing Townships to York. It was petitioned
for in Januar}', 1749, b}^ " inhabitants of
Tyrone, Straban and places adjacent, who
asked for a road from Victor King's mill, on
Conewago, to the road leading from Pa-
tapsco to Adam Forney's " (Hanover).
The viewers appointed were Robert Owins,
James McA^'illiams, Victor King, William
Proctor and John Koontz. Almost every
trace of Victor King's mill has disappeared.
In Howell's map of 1792 it is marked as on
the south bank of the Conewago a short
distance east of the mouth of the Opossum
Creek, within the present limits of Straban,
and east of the road from Tyrone to Hunt-
erstown. AMien the movement became
known it excited opposition, especially from
;\Ienallen Township, whose inhabitants
made, in November, a formal remonstrance.
They set forth that they had heard that " an
order for a Grate road had been obtained
which does not begin at any public or
proper place or any \\-ays convenient to the
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
inhabitants." They further set forth that,
having had a " town's meeting " concerning
it, they can find nothing to the advantage
of the township in having the road where
it now is. They earnestly " crave a re-
view." The sio-ners were:
Robert AlcConaghy
Robert Moor
Walter Carson
Francis Beatty
Charles McBride
James Parker
James Smith
David Watson
John Lorans
William Simpson
John Blackburn
Thomas Baldwin
John Gilliland
Samuel McFeran
Samuel McConaghye
Henery Thompson
James JMoor
John Wright
L. McCowm
John Mickle
Wm. Moor
John Furgison
Robert Moor, jr.
William Dunwoody.
A review proposed a change of starting
place. Instead of beginning at Charles Pid-
geon's, in the mountain near Opossum
Creek, it was to begin near the " Quaker
meeting house in Menallen," which was
then southeast of the present site of Centre
Mills, where a Dunkard meeting house now
stands. This change was resisted, and at
the April Court, in 1750, remonstrants set
forth that the road laid out from the head
drafts of " Grate Conowago and Possum
Creeks by William Proctor and associates
to the Susquehanna was a good road,
neither hilh' nor swampy." They further
stated that on a review " the new road laid
out, vacating part of the former and start-
ing near the Quaker meeting house in Men-
allen Township, is carried through swamps
and is stony ; and that it is not in the power
of the petitioners to support it." The
signers of this were :
John Morton
James Wilson
Richard Proctor
John Gilkey
Michael Wilson
Alexander Maghon
Thomas Mo row-
John Sadler
Thomas Bracken
Will. Young
Joseph Jolly
John Simons
John Wilson
Jesper Wilson
Isaac Sadler
Richard Sadler.
In response to this, James Murphy, Sam-
uel Deeson. Richard McAllister, John
Douglass and John Griest were appointed
viewers, and the road reported by them was
ordered cut and cleared. The " courses and
distances " of the line finally adopted have
not been found, but there is every indication
that the road began in the mountain, and
struck the jNIonocacy road within a mile and
a quarter of York. It ran through the
present townships of Menallen, Butler, Ty-
rone, Reading, and Hamilton, by Centre
]\Iills, Heidlersburg and East Berlin. It
ran considerably north of the site of Victor
King's mill, from which it is to be inferred
that the " Menallen " remonstrants were
substantially successful in their struggle.
As this road touched the Cumberland Val-
ley several miles farther west from Carlisle
than the preceding, there was not much
promptness in connecting with it. And a
connecting road was not ordered till 1755
and not opened until 1762. It thus appears
that all the roads opened up to 175 1 ran
towards York; that the Potapsco road was
the only one which led to Baltimore south-
ward ; and that the only way through this
territory from Carlisle to Baltimore was by
York. This continued for several years
longer to be the situation in this county.
Upon the petition of Joshua Lowe and
others, a road was laid out in April, 1750,
from his ferry, at what is now York Haven,
from Lancaster to Shippensburg. It passed
through the site of the present villages of
Newberry, Lewisberry and Lisburn. In
early history it was a prominent route of
travel. In 1794 some of the soldiers, going
to quell the Whiskey Insurrection in West-
ern Pennsylvania, passed over it.
In 1 75 1, the year after Cumberland
Carlisle County was formed out of Lan-
Road. caster, the inhabitants in the
vicinity of Carlisle presented a peti-
tion to the courts of York and Cumberland
Counties. The petition reads as follows :
1751, April 25. Inhabitants of Middleton Township
represent in favor of a road leading from the land laid
out for Carlisle town on Letort's Spring in Middleton
Township, to Wakely's (or Moore's) Gap, in the South
Mountain, and thence through the said gap as far as the
County of Cumberland extends.
The' inhabitants of York County have in pursuance of
an order of court opened a road from McAllister's mill
to York and propose to have it extended through the
gap aforesaid till it meet the road above mentioned and
petitioned for.
That it will be absolutely necessary to have a road
from the County of Cumberland to York. Your peti-
tioners conceive that the above mentioned will be the
nighest and most convenient that can be had for the
benefit of the inhabitants in general.
Thomas Pottan
James Smith
George Ross
Joseph Clark
G. E. Cowin
James Biggs
Robt. Miller
John }\Iitchell
James Young
Samuel Mifflin
William Edgelly
James Kirkpatrick
Robert Campbell
John Denniston
James M'Leer
Ezekiel Dunning.
EARLY HIGHWAYS
103
John Calhoon. Jno. Smith, Thos. Wilson, James
Wakely, James Moore, and John McKnight appointed
viewers — with power to any four to act.
In January, 1752, Nathan Morgan,
Peach John Griffith, Alexander Wallace,
Bottom Hugh W'hiteford and Archibald
Road, ^\'hite were appointed to " view
and lay out a road from Peach Bot-
tom ferry, so called, to York." They re-
ported at the June session of court that,
after viewing said road, are of the opinion
that there is necessity for such road; but
the season of the year being so unfit for
taking courses and distances, and being a
very busy time for the farmers, they asked
to have the return of the report made at
next session of court. The same year the
order was granted to open a road to York
to join a road from Chanceford to same
point already laid out. A temporary private
road was laid out from Peach Bottom ferry
to join the Ashmore ferry road, in 1749, to
York under the authorities of the Lancaster
Court before the formation of York County.
The road above mentioned, extending
south from York to Smith's patented land,
was declared " to be crooked and hill}^ and
a good Avagon road was needed over more
level ground." A petition was presented to
court in 1765 to extend it to " the tempo-
rary line toward Joppa and Potapsco."
Joppa, now a small village on the Gunpow-
der river, a few miles east of Baltimore,
was then the most important town in Balti-
more County, and the county seat.
The same year, 1752, a road was laid out
from George Crogan's place, near the
mouth of the Yellow Breeches Creek to
Cesna's fording place by Frazer's mill, on
same creek ; length three and one-third
miles. A road was petitioned for in 1752 to
pass through Newberry and Warrington
from Frazer's mill through the gap in the
mountain to intersect the road leading from
Rosebury's mill to York between the creeks
of Beaver and Conewago. Henr}- Willis,
Allen Robinet, John Farmer, Thomas
Heald, and Joseph Bennett viewed and
opened it.
Jacob Miller and sundry inhabitants in
and around York petitioned for a road from
his mill to York. The mill was situated
about one mile northeast of York.
In 1753, the inhabitants of A\'arrington
and Paradise secured the opening of a road
from " Christoplier Flussey"s mill, in \\ ar-
rington, to John Lane's mill, and from
thence through the Pidgeon Hills, so as to
fall in the road that leads to Potapsco."
Pidgeon Hills were named after Joseph
Pidgeon, an English surveyor from Phila-
delphia County, 'who assisted in laying ofif
the first townships in York County. Po-
tapsco is now Baltimore.
Alexander McCandless, Nathaniel Mor-
gan and Hugh Whiteford, in 1753, laid out
a road from Robert Morton's plantation, in
Chanceford, toward Rock Run and the tem-
porary line. Upon the petition of Peter
Wolf and sundry persons, the Monocacy
road was changed from its course in 1754,
to avoid hills, at a distance five miles west
from York, where it forks with the Marsh
Creek road.
In September, 1754, Conrad Holzbaum,
Baltzer Spangler, Henry Hendricks and
Hugh Low presented to the court at York,
Patrick Watson, president justice, a report
of a road review from York, through the
townships of York and Shrewsbury to the
temporary line between the provinces of
Pennsylvania and Maryland. The length
of this road, according to their survey, was
eighteen and three-quarter miles. Begin-
ning " at the court house door " it extended
nearly in a due south direction. The report
was confirmed.
Abraham Burkholder established a ferry
across the Susquehanna in the year 1762.
In 1766 he petitioned for a road from his
ferry " to AVilliam Nicholson's mill, at the
forks of Muddy Creek, and thence to the
road leading to Potapsco." The viewers
were Thomas Scott, David Kirkpatrick,
John McCall, William Edgar and \\'illiam
Gemmill. A road had been laid from Ste-
venson's ferr}^ (now McCall's) to Read's
mill, thence to Leeper's mill, about ten
years before.
In October, 1765, " a bridge road was
opened from Nicholas AVierman's mill to
the great road leading through Warrington
from Carlisle to Baltimore, and along said
road to the old Friends' meeting house road
and along said meeting house road unto
Rev. Samuel Thompson's meeting house."
In 1767 a road was opened in Chanceford
from " John Finley's tavern house to Jacob
Grove's mill, lately erected."
The same year a road was opened from
I04
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the " Brogue tavern to Nicholson's mill at
the forks of Muddy Creek, thence to tem-
porary line." by David Kirkpatrick, Thomas
Scott, John McCally, AVilliam Gemmill,
Benjamin Johnston and James White.
A petition in 1768, of divers inhabitants
of Shrewsbury and Codorus stated that " a
road, formerly made by ourselves, which
led from Maryland road to the mill of
. Christian Meckley, was stopped up by
Peter Seis and others." A¥illiam Ehrhart,
Frederick Fishel, Michael Geiselman, Peter
Runk, Killian Divinger and Moses Lawson
were appointed b}' the court to open the
road.
The inhabitants of Fawn and Chance-
ford, in 1768, stated in petition, that " they
needed a road from Samuel Leeper's mill,
which is now fitted for merchant work, and
has on hand a quantity of flour;" the road
to begin " at the great road leading from
York to Peach Bottom ferr}'; to pass be-
tween Roland Huss and James Hill to said
mill, and from thence to provincial line,
where James Webb lives."
On motion of James Smith, Esq., on
Canal behalf of Caleb Lowe and others,
Road, viewers were appointed April, 1768,
to open a road from Lowe's ferry
(now York Haven) to intersect the road
leading from York to Carlisle." This after-
ward was known as the " Canal road."
The petition of sundry inhabitants of
Newberry and Dover, July, 1768, appre-
hended that " a road from James Rankin's
house to Great Conewago, at or near a place
called the wolf pit, and from thence to a
ferry on the Susquehanna would be useful."
AA'hereupon the court appointed James
Welsh, Esq., John Garretson, Sr., Henr}^
\ Entzminger, Joseph Hutton, Peter Sneider,
and Ellis Lewis to open the road. It was
laid out in October. Its length was sixteen
miles." It began at Lewisberry and ended
at New Holland, on the Susquehanna.
Petitions in 1769 from a number of
" Quakers of the' townships of Newberr^^
A'Varrington, Huntingdon, Tyrone and
Menallen, were presented for a road leading
westward through the different townships
mentioned, for them to pass and repass to
and from their different places of worship ;
to begin at McGraw's mill, thence along by
the meeting houses at Huntingdon (York
Springs), and AA'arrington, and to intersect
the road leading from Lowe's ferry to Car-
lisle, at or near the Newberry meeting
house." This road was' opened by John
Blackburn, Ellis Lewis, Charles Coleson,
Robert Nelson, and James Rankin. It
terminated near the present village of New-
berry. A petition of sundry inhabitants of
York County was presented to court, Janu-
ary, 1769, for a road " for the passage of
large wagons from Tate's ferry and Wil-
liam Willis' mill into the great road from
Carlisle to York near Widow Noblet's
house, which would be some miles nearer
for the Baltimore trade."
The same year a petition was presented
for division of Chanceford and Windsor
Townships, and from parts of both to form
a new township, to be called Rossel Town-
ship ; not granted.
In April, 1769, the inhabitants of Hel-
1am, Windsor and Chanceford requested
that a road be made from Hellam Forge, at
the mouth of the Codorus, across said town-
ships toward Rock Run and Baltimore and
join the road already laid out to John Fin-
lej'^'s tavern. Viewers were appointed and
the road opened. It is still known as the
" old Baltimore road."
In 1769 citizens of York and surrounding
townships asked for the opening of a road
in behalf of Thomas Usher and Joseph
Donaldson, who, " at great expense, had
erected a merchant mill on the land form-
erly owned by Zachariah Shugart. near
lands of David Jameson, Esq., Henry
Spangler and Michael Hanks. This road
would be of great advantage to the town of
York. The road was opened.
In 1769, in answer to many petitions in
behalf of James Cooper, who had built a
merchant mill near Peach Bottom, a road
was opened from the ferry to said mill.
James Dickson, at April session, 1769,
stated that " he had contracted with com-
missioners and built a bridge across the
Little Conewago, at Henry Sturgeon's
house, for 100 pounds, and to uphold the
same for seven years ; at the same time had
the verbal promise of the commissioners
that they would not see him at a loss, for
they said that it would be wrong to let one
man suffer by the county. Accordingly
they told him to lay his bill of expenses
before the grand jury; that nevertheless he
had not vet obtained redress." The court
EARLY HIGHWAYS
105
appointed six men to view the bridge,
wliose report was favorable to tlie con-
tractor, and the court ordered the county
to relieve him. It is doubtful if a con-
tractor would be so favored now.
In July, 1770, a road was opened from
Yonerstown (Dover) to George Ilgenfritz's
mill, in Dover Township, b}^ Michael
Quickel and others.
The same year a road was opened from
Hellam iron works, at the mouth of the
Codorus, to York.
EARLY FERRIES.
Although the title to lands west of the
Susquehanna was not purchased from the
Indians until the year 1736, ferries were es-
tablished across the river before that date.
John Harris, an Indian trader, who w'as
stationed at the site of Harrisburg, opened
a ferry across the Susquehanna at that place
in 1733. It was a very important crossing
for the early immigrants who took up lands
in the Cumberland Valley and extended
their settlements down into the Shenan-
doah.
In the year 1730 John AVright, an influ-
ential settler at the site of Columbia, ob-
tained a charter for a ferry between that
point and the York County side. This, too.
was an important ferry in colonial days and
until the completion of the first bridge
across the river, between Columbia and
AA'rightsville, in 1814. The members of
Continental Congress crossed at this ferry
in September, 1777, when the seat of gov-
ernment was changed from Philadelphia to
York, owing to the defeat of the American
army at the battle of Brandywine. During
the whole period of the Re^'olution it was
a regular crossing place for troops from
Maryland, Virginia and the south in their
movement to join the American army under
Washington in the Jersey campaigns. In
the latter part of December, 1778, about
4,200 British and Hessian prisoners of war,
who had been captured with Burgoyne at
Saratoga, were brought across the river at
this ferry, when they were transferred from
Boston to Charlottesville, Va., to prison
pens at the latter place. Large flat boats
were used, which conveyed a hundred or
more persons at one time. These boats
were propelled across the Susquehanna
with their heavv loads bv means of long
poles, which reached to the bottom of the
stream while a pilot at the rear guided the
boat. General Lafayette and Baron Steu-
ben, on their way to York, during the Revo-
lution, crossed here, and Washington also
crossed in a large ferry boat in 1791, when
on his way from Mt. Vernon to Philadel-
phia, and also in 1794, on his return from
the Whiskey Insurrection in Western Penn-
sylvania. For a century or more this
crossing place was known as Wright's
Ferry, in honor of the Quaker, John
AA'right, who first opened it.
Anderson's Ferry, extending from
Marietta to the York County side, was
opened about 1730, and was extensively
used in colonial days and later by travelers
going from Southern Penns3dvania to
Reading, Easton and New York. It was
later known as the Glatz Ferry, and termi-
nated on the western side at the pictur-
esque point now known as Accomac. An-
other early crossing place nearby w^as
known as Vinegar Ferry. Farther up the
stream and above the falls at York Haven,
Joshua Lowe obtained a patent for a ferry
in 1737. Many of the early Quaker settlers
crossed here. During the Revolution it
was known as Rankin's Ferry, and in 1794,
a regiment of Pennsylvania troops crossed
here on their way to the Whiskey Insurrec-
tion. Near the site of Goldsboro, extending
across the river to the Dauphin County
side, Nathan Hussey opened a ferry as early
as 1738. He was a leader among the first
Quaker settlers, and one of the commis-
sioners to lay off York County in 1749. The
first band of Quaker settlers west of the
Susquehanna crossed the river at this point,
in 1734, and took up lands in Newberry
Township. This ferry was later moved
farther up the stream and has since been
known as Middletown Ferry.
Robert Chambers established a ferry
across the Susquehanna terminating on the
York County side below New Cumberland,
in 1735. Many of the Scotch-Irish settlers
in the Cumberland Valley crossed the river
here. For the through travel from the
south this ferry was used extensively
before the Revolution. AVilliam Chesney,
a patriot of the Revolution, for many years
owned a ferry which crossed the river below
New Market^ and died there in 1782, leaving
a large estate in York County. The ferry
io6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL\
was then purchased by ^Michael Simpson,
who had served as a Heutenant and later as
a captain in the Revokition. After the war
he was a brigadier-general of militia and
died at his ferry house below New Market
in 1813. When the Susquehanna bridge
was built at Harrisburg in 1816 this ferry
was discontinued.
Col. Thomas Cresap, an influential settler
in Maryland, owned a ferrj- at the mouth
of the Susquehanna as early as 1724, and
shortly after married the daughter of
Thomas Johnson, ^^•ho had established a
temporary ferry at Peach Bottom. AVhen
Cresap laid his plans to dri\e the Germans
from their settlements in the valleys east of
York, he obtained a Alaryland patent for
the Blue Rock Ferry, which was about four
miles south of Wrightsville. This ferry
was continued after the border troubles had
ended, and was later known as the Myers
and the Dritt Ferry, being owned after the
Re\-olution by Capt. Jacob Dritt, who was
drowned in the Susquehanna, while at-
tempting to cross when the wind was high
and the water turbulent. A ferry extended
across the river at York Furnace for many
years. The river is narrow at this point.
Ashmore's, afterwards Nelson's, and still
later McCall's Ferry, was the most impor-
tant crossing place over the Lower Susque-
hanna for a century and a half. It was
opened about 1740. Peach Bottom Ferry
was opened under a Pennsylvania patent in
1738, and during the days when the lumber
interests along the upper Susquehanna were
most extensive, this was a very important
crossing place.
BRIDGES.
The first bridge in York Count}' extended
across the Codorus Creek at Market Street,
York, and was built in 1743. A legal record
entered in January, 1768, petitioning for a
new stone bridge, says, " The old bridge of
wood at High (Market) Street is much de-
ca3'ed; the sills are rotten, so that it is
dangerous to cross with heavy wagons."
In the same year a stone bridge was built
at this place. A wooden bridge across the
Conewago, be3'ond Dover, was built in 1768
and a stone bridge at the same place in 181 1.
Under an act of the Legislature approved
April 2, 181 1, a state appropriation was
made to assist chartered companies in the
erection of bridges across the Susquehanna
at Harrisburg, at Northumberland and at
McCall's Ferry. They were all built by
the noted engineer, Theodore Burr, the in-
ventor of the " Burr Bridge Plan." The
Harrisburg bridge was commenced in 1812
and completed October, 1816, at a cost of
$192,138. The part of the bridge nearest
the city was taken away b}' the flood of
1S46, and a second bridge at a subsequent
flood. Mr. Burr and his son, after com-
pleting the Harrisburg bridge, commenced
the construction of the one at McCall's
Ferry, which cost $150,000. During its
short existence, it was considered a re-
markable structure, but was taken away by
the ice flood of 1817. Theodore Burr, who
was born at Torringford, Conn., in 1762.
and 1789 married the granddaughter of
Captain Cook, the great English navigator,
died at Middletown, Dauphin County, No-
vember 21. 1822, while superintending the
erection of a bridge across the Swatara at
that town.
A bridge was built across the Susque-
hanna at York Furnace in 1855, and taken
away by the flood the next year.
Tlie first bridge across the Susquehanna
between AA'rightsville and Columbia was
completed in 1814. It was 5,690 feet long,
a little more than a mile in length. It was
removed by an ice flood in 1832. The
second bridge was a covered wooden struc-
ture placed on twenty-three stone piers. It
was destroyed by fire by a regiment of
Pennsylvania troops at Columbia on the
evening of June 28, 1863, to prevent Gor-
don's brigade of Confederate soldiers from
crossing the stream at Wrightsville to the
Lancaster County side. This bridge had
been used from the year 1838 to the time of
its destruction by wagons and carriages and
by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
for several years passengers were trans-
ported across the river in flat boats. In
1869 the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
built a third bridge across the river at this
place. This structure was blown down and
removed from its piers by a wind storm on
September 30, 1896. This also had a drive-
wa}' for carriages and wagons and a track
used by the railroad company for passenger
and freight trains. The fourth bridge is
5,375 feet, or a little more than a mile, in
length and was built by the Pennsylvania
FRIENDS OR QUAKERS
107
Railroad Company in 1S97, at a cost of half
a million dollars. It rests upon two abut-
ments and twenty-five piers, each 200 feet
apart.
CHAPTER VIII
FRIENDS OR QUAKERS
Origin of the Society — Immigration to
America — Early Settlement of York
County — Newberry Meeting — Warring-
ton Meeting — Fawn Meeting — Menallen
Meeting — York Meeting.
'I'he Society of Friends arose in England
about the middle of the seventeenth
century, at a time of considerable religious
commotion in that country. They were
first called Quakers in derision, by Justice
Bennet, because George Fox, the founder
of the society, bade him and his associates
to tremble at his word. They accepted the
name so far as to style themselves " The
people called Quakers," in all their early
books of record. Faith without formula
was their cardinal principle, for they
adopted no creed and believed in the con-
trolling influence of the " inner light,"
which is given to every man.
Among the early members of this Society
was William Penn, a man of trained intel-
lect, gifted in speech and a courtier in man-
ner. He was a son of a distinguished
admiral in the English navy, and both he
and his father were always on terms of
intimacy and friendship with the royal
family. Penn became interested in the
emigration to New Jersey and then decided
to found a Quaker colony according to his
own ideas. He inherited a claim of sixteen
thousand pounds, due by the crown to his
father, and King Charles II, who never had
much ready money to pay his debts, was
glad to settle this account by granting him
forty thousand square miles of land west of
the Delaware River. In commemoration of
Penn's father, the King gave to this princely
domain the name of Pennsylvania. In 1682
the proprietor himself with one hundred of
his chosen followers, crossed the Atlantic
and on the banks of tlie Delaware founded
the city of Philadelphia. The same year,
under spreading branches of a large elm he
met the chiefs of various native tribes of
Indians and made a treaty of peace and
friendship with them that was never sworn
to and never broken.
In his first relations with untutored red
men of the forest he impressed himself so
deeply upon them that the name of Penn
for many years was so great among the
Indians that to be one of his followers was
at all times a passport to protection and
hospitality among them. In the language
of the historian, Bancroft, " while every
other colony was visited, in turn, by the
terrors of Indian warfare, no drop of
Quaker blood was ever shed by a red man
in Pennsylvania." Soon after the landing
at Philadelphia, Penn laid off the three
original counties of Chester, Philadelphia
and Bucks. Then he sent an emissary to
treat with the Five Nations of New York,
who by right of conquest some years before,
claimed the title to lands now part of Cen-
tral Pennsylvania. But a little band of
Indians called the Conestogas, who stayed
along the Susquehanna a few miles south
of the present site of Columbia, claimed
that the other Indians had no right to make
a treaty conveying lands west of the Sus-
quehanna. Then AVilliam Penn visited the
Conestogas and in the presence of their
chiefs, unfolded the deed of parchment, laid
it on the ground before them and with the
gentle words of a loving parent, said : " The
lands along the Susquehanna shall be in
common between my people and your
people, and we will dwell in peace together."
In 1722, four years after the death of Penn,
Sir AA'illiam Keith, governor of the prov-
ince, came west of the Susquehanna and
had surveyed two thousand acres of land
at and above the present site of Wrights-
ville, which he called his " Newberry tract."
The same year, after getting permission
from the Conestoga Indians, he surveyed a
tract of seventy thousand acres for the use
of Springett Penn, the grandson of the
founder, and he named it the " JNIanor of
Springettsbury." Soon afterwards the fol-
lowers of Penn, in large numbers, located on
lands north of the Conewago Creek and ex-
tended their settlement into Adams County.
Thev at once organized religious meetings.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
built houses of worship, and estabhshed
schools. When York was founded in 1741,
some of them located here. Three of the
five commissioners who laid ofif York
County, in 1749, were English Quakers,
and a majority of the early court justices
and members of the Assembly from York
County were of the same people.
The Quakers played a great part in the
earl}^ history of Pennsylvania, and for
nearly a hundred years — up to the time of
the Revolution — they had a controlling in-
fluence in the Provincial Assembly. The
political changes resulting from the war re-
moved them from power and they never
afterwards regained their former position.
They held their own in Philadelphia for
half a century after the Revolution, and
through their enterprise and thrift made
that city the greatest business center on
the continent, and the metropolis of the
Union, a proud position which she held until
1850. It is only within the last decade that
the city has begun to recover from the
effects of the retirement of the people who
created her early reputation.
In the increase of membership the
Friends as a religious Society have not kept
pace with other denominations with which
they were so closely allied two hundred
years ago. In some of the western states
the liberal Quakers, who have instituted
modes of religious worship more like other
churches, are growing in numbers and in-
fluence. A recent report of the Society
places the entire membership in this
country at one hundred and fifty thousand,
a greater number than there were in
America at the close of the Revolution.
Persecutions were continued
Immigration with more or less severity
to America. until the accession of AYil-
liam and Mary to the throne
of England, when an act of toleration was
passed in 1689. Prior to this, however,
many Friends had sought a home for re-
ligious liberty in America, and when Wil-
liam Penn established his colony in 1682, it
was but natural that a large number should
have been attracted here. The settlement
at first near the Delaware River, largely
by Friends, gradually extended backward,
and though the Scotch-Irish and Germans,
after thirty years, began ^to pour into the
country, the Friends wielded the political
power of the Province of Pennsylvania for
more than seventy years. At length, when
others by unjust treatment had aroused the
savage nature of the aborigines, and the
mother country had become involved in a
war with France, the pressure brought to
bear upon the province by England and the
neighboring colonies was too great for a
continuance of a peaceful policy; warlike
measures must be enacted, and yielding to
the inevitable, several Friends withdrew
from the halls of legislation in the Penn-
sylvania Assembly, leaving their places to
be filled by those not opposed to war.
Friends were among the first
Migration settlers in York County, and
to York they came from New Castle
County. County, Delaware, then a part
of the " Territories " of Penn-
S3d\'ania, and the southern part of Chester
and the eastern part of Lancaster Counties.
We naturally think of them as coming up
to York County by the rich valleys of the
Pequa and the Conestoga to their new set-
tlements on the " west side of the Susque-
hanna," and in tlie northern part of York
County, extending their settlements west
into what is now Adams County. ' AA'hen
Friends ;migrated from one place to
another in which they wished to locate,
permission was granted by the meetings to
which they belonged, and the record of it
was placed on the minute books. Among
the first emigrants who came to this county
are recorded the names of Garretson, Day,
Cox, Bennet, ■ Lewis, Hussey, Frazer,
Hodgin, Carson, Davison, Elliot, Mills,
Key, Smith and Underwood. John Day
built the first mill in the northern part of
the County before 1740. It was twelve and
one-half miles north of York. He became
the first president justice of the York court.
Nathan Hussey opened a ferry in 1736, near
the present village of Goldsboro. At that
point some of the early Quaker emigrants
crossed the Susquehanna. John Wright,
who obtained authority from the Lancaster
County courts to establish a ferry, at the
present site of Columbia, and who named
Lancaster County, and afterward for six-
teen years was president justice of the
county court, was a Quaker, and many of
his Society, as well as Germans and Scotch-
Irish, crossed the Susquehanna at this ferry.
Another prominent Quaker was Samuel
FRIENDS OR QUAKERS
109
Blunston, tlie agent of the Penns, who
granted permits for lands west of the Sns-
Huelianna for several years, and had a con-
trolling influence in the settlement of York
County, from 1733 to 1737. He lived at
John Wright's ferry. John \\'right, Jr.,
located at the present site of Wrightsville.
Nathan Hussey, Thomas Cox and John
Wright, all Friends, became three of the
five commissioners who laid oi¥ York
County in 1749. Few people now living-
have a correct idea of the number of Friends
who migrated to and resided in York
County a century and a half ago. About
1810 the western migration fever began to
draw them awa}-, and hundreds of them
helped to establish new meetings in Ohio,
Illinois, Iowa and other points. Much
earlier than that many of them moved to
North Carolina, Virginia and western Penn-
sylvania.
The organization and sub-
Plan of ordination of the meetings
Organization, of the Friends are as fol-
lows : One or more meet-
ings for worship constitute one preparative
meeting; one or more preparative meetings,
one monthly meeting; several monthly
meetings, one quarterly meeting; several
quarterly meetings, one yearly meeting,
which is an independent body; yet the
different yearly meetings maintain more
or less of correspondence with each
other.
The preparative meetings are held
monthly, and generally in the week prior
to the regular monthly meeting, for the
preparation of reports and other business,
to be presented thereat.
The monthly meetings are the principal
executive branch of the Society for the
exercise of the discipline over the members,
and keep regular voluminous minutes of
their proceedings as also records of births,
deaths and marriages. " Indulged " meet-
ings for stated periods are held by sanction
of monthly meetings, but all meetings
subordinate to, are established permanently
by authority of the quarterly meetings, and
these in turn by the yearly meetings.
NEWBERRY MEETING.
The first members of the Society of
Friends settled in York County in 1734, lo-
cating in the Eastern parts of ^Manchester
and Newberry Townships and in the Red-
land Valley around the site of Lewisberry.
They obtained authority from the Sadsbury
meetings in Lancaster County to organize a
preparative meeting in 1738. Religious ser-
vices were held first in the houses of mem-
bers. A log meeting house was built at the
site of Newberrytown in 1745.
The original Newberry meeting land,
which is in the present village of Newberry-
town, consisted of a hexagonal tract of 42
acres and 61 perches, surveyed April loth,
1767, to John Garretson and Joseph Hutton,
in trust for the Society of Friends. Infor-
mation about the earl}' meeting houses is
ver}' meagre, but the first building, which is
said to have been of logs, was probably
erected on this tract. The old burial ground
in the eastern part of Newberrytown is all
of the plot that is now owned by the So-
ciety. The remainder of the land and the
meeting house, which, according to the in-
scribed stone in the west gable, was erected
in 1792, was sold about 181 1 by authority of
a special act of State Legislature, and the
meeting Avas removed to another location
about two miles west of the town, midway
between New'berrytown and Lewisberry.
Here a stone meeting house was built on a
five acre lot sold to Jesse W^ickersham and
George Garretson, in trust for the Society,
by Samuel Garretson and Alice, his wife, by
deed of loth mo. 4 da., 181 1. In 1898 the
meeting house was re-covered with a slate
roof and thoroughly repaired. The grave-
yard presents a well kept appearance
and is enclosed by an iron fence. Oc-
casional services are held in this meeting
house.
" The Newberrj' community," says Al-
bert Cook Myers, in his excellent work en-
titled " Immigration of the Irish Quakers
into Pennsylvania," " received a consider-
able body of the Irish Friends, but not so
large as did Warrington and Menallen.
Some of these who settled at Newberry
were: Timothy Kirk and his sons, Jacob,
Timothy, Caleb, Ezekiel, and Jonathan
Kirk ; Robert ^^'hinery, originally from
Grange, probably near Charlemont ; Robert
]\Iiller and his son. Samuel: George Boyd,
Joshua Low, Joseph and John Hutton, \\'il-
liam \\'ilson, and several members of the
Hobson family."
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
At Sadsbury 'Monthly meeting.
»y , jNIarch 7, 1739 : " There being divers
IViewDerry families of Friends of late settled on
Meeting the west side of the Susquehanna,
Pprorrjt; 5°™*^ °f '1^*="^ '''^^'^ produced certifi-
JXCLU1U&. ^gjg^ pj jj^j^ meeting from Kenett
meeting, where they formerly dwelt,
there being four mentioned in one certificate bearing the
date February 10, 1738, viz. : Xathan Hussey, Ann, his
wife ; John Garretson and Content, his wife ; John Day
and Ann. his wife ; Christopher Hussey and Ann, his
wife, and another certificate from the same place bearing
the date May 4, 1738, recommends Joseph Bennett and
Rebecca, his'wife, all of whom this meeting receives in
membership with us.
•• The friends of that settlement being desirous of a
toleration from this meeting to keep meetings of wor-
ship every first day and fourth day of the week for six-
months time, which request is granted."
9-5-1739: "The new meeting settled on the west side
of the Susquehanna, having had some time past a tolera-
tion from this meeting to hold meetings of worship
every first day and fourth day of the week, and the
time being expired, at the request of several of them,
being in this meeting, friends allow them twelve months
longer to be held as before."
6-5-1745: "Andrew Moore. Calvin Cooper, Jonas
Chamberlain and Thomas Bulla are^ appointed to visit
the meetings on the west side of the Susquehanna, to see
how they fare in the truth, and report to next meeting."
8-7-1745: "Friends expressed their satisfaction in re-
spect of a visit made to friends on the west side of the
Susquehanna."
At Concord Quarterly Meeting. 9-ii-i745'- " Leacock
(Sadsbury) Monthly Meeting concurring with the
friends oil the west side of the Susquehanna who con-
tinue their request of having a meeting for worship and
a preparative meeting settled among them, in regard
■ thereto this meeting appoints our friends, John Smith,
John Baldwin, Jacob Way, John Way, Joseph Gibbons,
William Levis and Robert Lewis, to give those friends a
visit and consider how far they may be able to keep up
a meeting with reputation; as also to view and judge of
a suitable place to build a meeting house on, and make
report thereof at our next meeting."
12-10-1745: "The Friends appointed at the last quar-
terly meeting to visit Friends on the west side of the
Susquehanna report they gave those friends a visit,
and after some time spent and consideration had on the
affair, do judge as it appeared to them that the Friends
of Newberry and those of Warrington may keep up a
meeting for worship, as also a preparative meeting with
reputation, and Leacock monthly meeting continuing
their approbation of the affair, this meeting agrees that
the Friends of Warrington build a new meeting house
for worship on the land agreed on when Friends were
there, and to keep their meetings of worship on every
first and fourth day of the week, and that Warrington
and Newberry have liberty to keep one preparative
meeting until further order."
At Sadsbury monthly meeting, 1-3-1745-6: "The re-
quest that went to last quarterly meeting was granted,
i. e., that Newberry meeting has liberty to hold meetings
of worship every first day and fourth day of the week,
as Warrington has on every first day and fifth day of
the week, and those two meetings to make up one pre-
parative meeting, to be held at each place turn about."
2-7-1746: "Newberry preparative meeting recom-
mends John Day and William Garretson for overseers
in that meeting, which is approved in this meeting until
further order."
At Warrington monthh' meeting, 2-9-1771 : "This
meeting received written answers from each of our pre-
parative meetings except Newberry; and it appears that
the care of this meeting towards that meeting is neces-
sary, which is left under consideration until next meet-
ing."
4-13-1771 : " William Garretson, William Underwood,
William iMatthews, William Willis, William Penrose,
John Griest and Peter Cleaver are appointed to attend
Newberry preparative meeting and give such assistance
as they may be enabled to do."
5-11-1771: "Four of the committee appointed to at-
tend Newberr}' preparative meeting report they did and
that the cause is not yet removed ; this leaves the case
of that meeting under consideration until next meeting."
7-13-1771 : " Newberry meeting continued under care
of a committee."
12-14-1771 : "The former committee is continued to
visit Newberry preparative meeting and William
ivjiatthews. William Penrose, William Nevitt, William
Willis and Herman LTpdegraff are added to their assist-
ance ; and this meeting also appoints them to visit Men-
alien and Huntingdon preparative meetings and make
report to next meeting."
5-9-1772 : " Part of the committee appointed to visit
Newberry preparative reports that they have performed
that service, and also reports that the}' decline to answer
the queries, as they apprehend it will cause a breach of
unity amongst them, which is to be hinted in the report
to the quarterly meeting for their advice and assistance."
6-13-177-: "Agreeable to the request of last meeting,
part of the committee from the quarterly meeting at-
tended this meeting, and after some time in deliberation
on the affair, advised the meeting to appoint a com-
mittee to sit with Newberry and Huntingdon Friends at
their preparative meetings, preceding the quarterly
meeting, which is left under consideration until ne.xt
meeting."
10-10-1772: "Three of the committee appointed to
visit Newberry preparative meeting, reports that they
have performed that service and also report that they
are of the mind that a visit of solid Friends would be
of benefit to that meeting, therefore this meeting ap-
points William Willis and Benjamin Underwood, Ann
Steer and ^liriam Hussey to sit with them at their next
meeting and make report to next meeting."
1-9-1773 : The case of Newberry meeting left under
solid consideration.
7-8-1775 : "Some Friends living a considerable dis-
tance from Newberrj' meeting, near Yellow Breeches, re-
quest to be indulged with holding a week-day meeting
at the house of William Maulsby."
This place was in what is now Fairview
Townsliip. At the last session of the
monthly meeting, Isaac Everett, Peter
Cleaver, John Garretson, Sr., Joseph Elgar,
John Underwood, Record Hussej' and Wil-
liam Underwood were appointed to sit with
them at the place proposed to hold said
meetings and report. Of the female mem-
bers of the committee were Mary Chandlee,
Jane Taylor, Joanna Heald, Ann Penrose,
Hannah Cadwalader and Martha Everett.
A favorable report was granted to allow
them to hold a meeting on the fifth day of
each week, except the day of Newberry pre-
parative meeting, which they were urged
to attend. William ^Matthews. Ellis Lewis,
Herman Updegrafl", Timothy Kirk, A\"illiam
Garretson, AA'illiam Penrose were asked to
attend their meeting at William ?^Iaulsbv's
WARRINGTON FRIENDS' MEETING HOUSE
FRIEND^' Ml.l. IIM. HOUSK, M-.W BEKRVTOWN
' i
H
FRIENDS OR OUAKERS
liouse whenever conx'enient. Of the female
members Hannah Matthews, Sarah Kirk,
Lydia Updegraff, Ann Penrose, Mary
Chandlee, Rebecca Machlon and Miriam
Hussey were appointed to meet with them
and join the male Friends appointed to that
service.
A discussion arose about building" a meet-
ing house near the residence of Widow
Maulsby in what is now Fairview Town-
ship, the religious services having before
been held in her house. In 1780 the meet-
ing was changed to the house of Samuel
John, near the same place. This meeting-
was held at this place because the Newberry
meeting house was not central enough for
all members. It continued at the house of
Samuel John until 6- 12- 1784, when a com-
mittee consisting of Joseph Updegraff, Wil-
liam A\'illis, Elisha Kirk, Joseph Elgar,
Peter Cleaver, AVilliam Kersey, James
Thomas, William Underwood, Daniel
Ragan, Benjamin Walker, Hannah Willis,
Ruth Kirk, Deborah Thomas and Hannah
Matthews reported that in their judgment
.this "indulged" meeting "would best be
discontinued and Friends in that locality
meet in the old Newberry meeting house.
It would thus tend to the preservation of
unity but recommend the building of a
meeting house at a more central place for
the body of Friends."
9-13-1794: Newberry meeting stated that
there was but one surviving trustee, Samuel
Garretson. James Wickersham and Ezekiel
Kirk were then appointed.
12-19-1810: Newberry preparative meet-
ing desired to sell land where old meeting
house is bviilt, and purchase other in a more
central place, whereupon Jesse Wickersham
and George Wickersham were appointed
trustees, who were also reqviested to secure
the passage of an act of Legislature to sell
the land connected with the old meeting
house.
4-23-1823: Joel Garretson and Jesse
Wickersham were appointed trustees of
Newberry burying ground.
In 1830 Job Hoopes and Benjamin Gar-
retson became trustees of meeting house
property.
5-21-1840: "Newberry Friends informed
the monthly meeting that they have en-
closed a graveyard at the new meeting
house, and propose closing the former one,
it being full."
In 1848 Thomas Garretson was appointed
trustee. A proposition to discontinue this
meeting in 1855 was Avithdrawn.
WARRINGTON MEETING.
The Warrington meeting, in \\'arrington
Township, about nine miles southwest of
Newberry and midway between the present
villages of \A^eIlsville and Rossville, was
regularly established in 1745, and a log
meeting house erected the same year on a
tract of 29 acres and 156 perches, " near the
land of Stephen Eyles (Ailes) on a branch
of Conewago " Creek. A warrant, dated
July 5, 1745, was issued for the land to be
held in trust for the Society of Friends, but
owing to an irregularity, the land was later
b}' proclamation, declared vacant and after-
ward granted by patent, dated i mo. 22 da.,
1767, from John Penn, Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor, to AA'illiam Garretson, William Un-
derwood, William Penrose and Peter
Cleaver, in trust for the Society, the con-
sideration being 9 pounds, 12 shillings and
9 pence. The following list contains the
names of some of the original members,
who contributed toward paying for the land
warrant and survey :•
We, the subscribers, knowing the necessity of public
worship, and being destitute of a piece of land to set a
meeting house, do, each of us, unite to pay the respective
suras under written, in order to get a warrant for
twenty -five acres of land adjoining Stephen Ailes' land,
as witness our hands.
John Earl ss.
Alexander Underwood ... 3s.
Thomas Cox 5s.
Joseph Garretson Ss.
William Garretson 5s.
Christopher Hussey 5s.
James Frazer 4s.
Hall Cox 3S.
Samuel Underwood 3s.
Thomas Cook 3s.
Richard Wickersham 3s.
William Underwood 3s.
Peter Cook is. 6d.
Received of Thomas Cox. two pounds, eight shillings
and six pence in order to take out a warrant for twenty-
five acres of land on a branch of Conewago, near
Stephen Ailes'.
6-20-1745. THOMAS COOKSON.
In 1769 a new stone meeting house was
built near the old one. In 1782 it was found
necessary to enlarge the building to almost
double its original size in order to ac-
commodate the quarterl)'- meeting, and a
stone addition was made to the north end.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The following year the old end was thor-
oughly repaired and given a new floor and
a new roof. With the exception of a slate
roof and other repairs, effected in 1888, the
old structure remains substantially as it was
in 1782, and is still surrounded by a strip of
the primitive forest. On account of the
emigration the regular meeting was dis-
continued about the middle of the nine-
teenth century, and now meetings are held
on only one first-day each year.
" A large number of Irish
Irish Friends," says Albert Cook My-
Friends. ers, " made their way to the War-
rington settlement. Among them
were Thomas Wilson, from Grange, near
Charlemont, in 1748, a little later removing
to Fairfax meeting, Virginia; Thomas
Blackburn, from Ball3'hagen, County Ar-
magh, in 1749; the brothers George, John
and AVilliam McMillan, from Nantmeal,
Chester County, 1750; John Marsh and sons
John, Joshua, Jonathan and William, also
from Nantmeal, 1750; Peter Marsh, brother
of John, from the same place and same date ;
AA'illiam Nevitt, a minister of the Society,
from Moate, County \A"est Meath, 1751;
William Hutton, from New Garden, Chester
County, 1751; Samuel Hutton, from Exeter,
Berks County, 1753; Nicholas Steer, from
Sadsbury, 1759; John Boyd and son W^il-
liam, from Sadsburj', the former in 1765,
and the latter in 1754; James Love, from
Sadsbury, 1761 ; Francis and Thomas
Wilkinson, with their mother, Elizabeth,
widow of Joseph Wilkinson, from Chester
County, in 1 760; Francis Hobson, from
Ballyhagen, County Armagh, 1764; Aaron
Coates, from Bradford, Chester County,
1767; William Pillar, from Grange, near
Charlemont, 1767, returning to Ireland
1769: AVilliam Chandlee, from Deer Creek
meeting, Maryland, 1773; Peter Milhous,
from Chester County."
AVarrington monthly meet-
Warrington ing, composed of Newberry
Monthly and AVarrington preparative
Meeting. meetings, was established by
authority of the quarterly
meeting. In 1747 Sadsbury meeting ap-
pointed a committee to visit Friends west
of the Susquehanna. A favorable report
was made by this committee, 9-9-1747, and
liberty granted to organize the meeting
" for discipline and the affairs of truth."
The first monthly meeting was held 10-9-
1747. AA'illiam Underwood was chosen
clerk. The AA'arrington meeting house was
nearly a central point of the settlement of
Friends in the northern part of this county
at that time, hence it was decided to hold
the monthly meeting there, although it was
sometimes held at Huntingdon (York
Springs), and frequently at Newberry. The
AA'arrington monthly meeting, 4-12-1783,
agreed to pay 100 pounds toward building
an addition to AA'arrington meeting house,
which was ordered to be brought to the next
monthly meeting.
In 1793 Newberry meeting recjuests that
the monthly meeting be held in their meet-
ing house. Jesse AA^ickersham, Edward
Jones, James Thomas, Benjamin Under-
wood, Peter Cleaver, Samuel Garretson,
Jonathan Marsh, Joseph Garretson, Thomas
Leech, James Bean, John Cleaver, Cornelius
Garretson, Thomas McMillan, AVilliam
Nevitt, Benjamin AA^alker, Ann Marsh, Ann
McMillan and Margaret Underwood were
appointed to report whether this request be
granted. It caused great discussion. Eze-
kiel Kirk, James Hancock, Miriam Hussey,
Deborah Thomas, Ruth Bane, Jane Hus.sgy,
Abigail AA'hinnery, Sarah AA^illiams, Anna
AA'ickersham and Sarah Thomas were added
to the committee. In 1794 they report that
they " could not unite in sentiment with said
request." In 179S- once every three
months, the AA^arrington monthly meeting
was ordered to be held at Newberry meet-
ing house. In 1805 it was ordered by the
quarterly meeting that the monthly meeting
be held alternatel}- at Newberry and AA^ar-
rinsrton.
Warrington
Meeting
, Records.
At Warrington monthly meeting,
2-16-1748: Friends of Warrington
meeting request to have a preparative
meeting settled among them, and
Friends of Menailen request to have
their meeting settled ; the requests
are gone in the reports to the quar-
terly meeting.
At quarterly meeting, 3-9-1748 : The Friends of War-
rington meeting with the approbation of their quarterly
meeting, request that they may have the liberty of keep-
ing a preparative meeting among them, which this meet-
ing allows until further order.
At Warrington monthly meeting, 4-13-1782: A com-
mittee is appointed to make additions and repairs to
Warrington meeting house to accommodate the quar-
terly meeting.
11-13-1784: The committee appointed to repair this
house and build the addition, requested that some
Friends might be appointed to settle with them. There-
fore, James Hancock, Harmon Updegraff, Jacob Wor-
FRIENDS OR QUAKERS
"3
ley, Joseph Updegraflf and Samuel Miller arc appointed
to that service, to report to next meeting.
8-13-1785: Report:- — We, of the committee appointed
to settle the accounts with the trustees who were ap-
pointed to have the care of building the addition and re-
pairing of Warrington meeting house, met, and after
examining the accounts find that all the meetings have
paid in their quotas except Warrington, which is yet
behind the sum of 8 pounds, i shilling and 8 pence,
which is due to Benjamin Underwood; and it appears
that there yet remains the further sum of 9 pounds, 12
shillings and 8 pence, due from the monthly meeting to
him, the whole amounting to 17 pounds, 14 shillings and
4 pence. Signed by James Hancock, Joseph Updegraff,
John Marsh, Harmon Updegraff, Samuel Miller.
6-8-1793: Warrington preparative meeting informs
that they apprehend it may be needful to appoint an
additional number of suitable Friends as trustees for
the land belonging to their meeting, as three of the
former are deceased ; this meeting therefore, after con-
sidering that case appoints Benjamin Walker, Thomas
McMillan, Joshua Vale and John Cleaver to that trust.
9-7-1805: As there has often appeared a dilificulty with
Warrington preparative meeting in raising money neces-
sary for the purposes of the societj-, under consideration
of which this meeting appoints Samuel Garretson, Sam-
uel ^Miller, Thomas McMillan, Robert Vale, John
Cleaver, William Edmundson, Elisha Cook, James Bane
and Isaac Kirk to apportion the members of that meet-
ing as justly and nearly agreeable their circumstances
as may be, and make report to next meeting of their
care therein.
2-20-1822: Warrington preparative meeting submits
the following proposition to this meeting : propose that
the families of Friends in the western end of that par-
ticular meeting be indulged with a meeting for worship,
which being considered this meeting appoints Jesse
Wickersham, Thomas Leech, Zephaniah Underwood,
Aaron Frazer, Samuel Garretson, John L. Garretson,
Thomas McMillan, Willing Griest and Amos Griffith to
unite with a like committee of women" Friends, Hannah
Leech, Phoebe Wickersham, Ann Garretson. Sarah
Cook, Ruth ^McMillan, in considering the subject and
report their prospects thereon to ne.xt or a future meet-
ing-
5-23-1822 : The committee on the subject of an in-
dulged meeting requests assistance ; this meeting there-
fore adds Xathan Thomas. Thomas Garretson, Daniel
Cookson, John S. Garretson, Jacob McMillan, Joseph
Taylor, John Cleaver, and Joseph Garretson, Sarah
Cookson, Anne Griest, Susannah Cleaver, Deborah Grif-
fith, Martha Vale, Sarah Walker and Anne Wickersham
to that meeting.
6-19-1822: The committee on the indulged meeting
report they cannot unite in believing the time is j'et come
for a division of Warrington meeting,
3-18-1830: John Cookson and Cyrus Griest are ap-
pointed trustees for Warrington meeting house and land
in the room of Benjamin Walker and John Cleaver, de-
ceased.
4-22-1835: Warrington preparative meeting proposes
Jacob Mclilillan and Asabel Walker, trustees for War-
rington meeting house and land in the room of Thomas
McMillan and Joshua Vale, deceased, which is concurred
with and they appointed to the trust.
3-21-1839: Daniel Garretson, Solomon Griest and
Joshua Griest are appointed trustees for Warrington
meeting house property in the room of Cjrus Griest,
Jacob McMillan and John Cookson.
5-18-1843: John Cook, Sr., and William Armitage are
appointed to have care of Warrington graveyard and
funerals, those formerly appointed having removed.
5-18-1854: William Cadwalader, Asabel Walker and
George W. Cook are appointed, on request of Warring-
ton meeting, to have care of the graveyard and over-
sight of funerals.
4-23-1856: William Cadwalader is appointed trustee
for Warrington meeting house property in room of
Daniel Garretson.
FAWN MEETING.
At a western quarterly meeting, held at London
Grove, Chester County, 8-15-1763, Deer Creek, Md.,
monthly meeting mentions that a few families of Friends
settled in Fawn Township, York County, were desirous
of having the privilege of holding a meeting, having
selected a spot of ground on which they designed to
build a meeting house. Thomas Jackson, Thomas Bar-
ret, Joshua Brown, Thomas Carlton, William Sanborn,
William Swayne, and Isaac Whitelock were appointed to
visit them and make a report.
11-21-1763: The committee reported: That, having
met and viewed the place purposed by them to build a
meeting house on which place being not yet secured
and the winter season approaching, they are of a mind
that it is best for this meeting to defer granting their
request until the spring; yet that Deer Creek monthly
meeting may allow them the same liberty as formerly,
and have a watchful eye over them to see whether they
maintain the privilege granted them with reputation,
whith report was signed by all the committee, and being
twice read and considered, it is particularly recom-
mended to Deer Creek monthly meeting to make a close
inspection how the Friends of Fawn Township keep up
their meeting the ensuing winter, and make report
thereof hereafter to this meeting,
2-20-1764: The case of the Friends in and near Fawn
Township in York County is still continued under the
care of T)eer Creek monthly meeting.
There is no further mention of this
monthly meeting in the minutes of western
quarterly meeting up to 5th mo., 1779.
In Levi K. Brown's brief account of the
meetings, belonging to Baltimore yearly
meeting, 1875, it is stated that :
"This meeting, a branch of Deer Creek monthly meet-
ing, was probably held as early as 1780, then a branch
of the Gun Powder monthly meeting. In 1790 the first
meeting house was built, and in the fifth month, 1792,
the preparative meeting was started. In 1S70 there were
thirty-four families and parts of families. Total, 100
members. ^Midweek meetings fourth days, at 10 o'clock
summer, 11 winter. It probably never belonged to Gun
Powder meeting.
At Warrington monthly meeting, 1-8-1785, Our
Friend, Ruth Kirk, in a solid manner, expressed a con-
cern that hath for some time attended her mind to at-
tend a little meeting of Friends in Fawn Township, and
to visit the families belonging to it. And our Friend,
Hannah Willis, having expressed a freedom to go with
her, which, being considered in this meeting, there ap-
peared a uniting therewith, and Josepn Updegraff ap-
pointed to accompany them therein."
The Fawn meeting house is located in the
village of Fawn Grove, in Fawn Township.
First day and fourth day meetings are
regularly held and a regular organization
kept up.
HUNTINGDON MEETING.
About nine miles southwest of \\'arring-
ton, in Latimer, now Huntingdon Town-
114
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ship, Adams County, originally York
County, is Huntingdon meeting house,
situated on a wooded ridge overlooking
Bermudian Creek, some two miles southeast
of the borough of York Springs, formerly
Petersbvu"g. Unauthorized meetings were
held in the neighborhood as early as 1745,
for at Sadsbury monthl}' meeting, 9 mo., 4
da., 1745, William Garretson was directed
to read three papers of acknowledgment
" at Huntingdon meeting." These meet-
ings evidently con\'ened at the house of
John Cox, where nearly all the early mar-
riages are known to have occurred. The
meeting was not regularly established until
1750. The meeting land, consisting of a
rectangular tract of five acres, called
" Zion," was conveyed to trustees of the
meeting by William Beals, by deed of' 12
mo., 9 da., 1766, and was part of fifty acres
granted to Beals by the proprietors' war-
rant of June 24, 1763. The present edifice,
erected in 1790, has recently been covered
with a slate roof and otherwise placed in a
good state of preservation, but regular
meetings have long ceased to be held.
MENALLEN MEETING.
The first location of Menallen meeting
was about seven miles west of Huntingdon,
on the east side of Opossum Creek, in Men-
allen, now Butler Township, Adams County,
originally York County. 6 mo., 4 da., 1746,
Sadsbury monthly meeting " tolerates the
Friends of Menallen to have meetings of
worship to be kept on First Day and Fifth
Day until further orders." 2 mo., 16 da.,
1748,. " Friends of Menallen request to
have their meeting settled," and later in the
year the meeting was regularly established.
The meeting land, consisting of 20 acres and
153 perches, was not granted until May 26,
1788. It is not known when the first edifice
was built, but Nicholas Scull's map of the
state shows that one had been erected as
early as 1758. In 1838 the original site was
abandoned: the old log meeting house was
taken down, removed about three miles to
the northwest and rebuilt in a more con-
venient place, near Flora Dale, about one
mile south of what is now Bendersville. In
1884 the old log house gave way to the
present brick building, erected to the rear of
the former one on a plot of 84 perches, pur-
chased in 1871. The meeting is still well
attended, and with the exception of Fawn
meeting, in the southeast corner of York
County, is the only surviving meeting of the
original York County.
In its early years Menallen meeting was
distinctively an Irish meeting, the majority
of its members being from Ireland. Among
them were John Blackburn, judge of the
York County court in 1764, county treas-
urer in 1759 and 1766, and member of As-
sembly; Daniel Winter, William Delap,
Joseph Hewitt and son George, from Bally-
hagen meeting. County Armagh; John
Wright, from Castleshane, County Mona-
ghan; John Morton, from New Garden,
Chester County; Thomas Nevitt, from
Sadsbury; William Newlin and Moses Har-
lan, son of George, from Chester County;
George Wilson, Solomon Shepperd and
Jacob Hinshaw, from Grange, near Charle-
mont ; Robert Mickle, from Dublin ; and
Francis Hobson, Jr.
YORK MEETING.
'Vhe Quakers were among the earliest set-
tlers in York County. Most of them located
north of the Conewago Creek, extending
their settlements westward into the present
area of Adams County. After the erection
of York County, in 1749, a number of in-
fluential Quakers moved to the vicinity of
York, when it became the seat of justice.
Among them were Nathan Hussey, Wil-
liam Willis and John Day, who became the
first president justice of the county courts.
In 1754 they obtained permission of the
Warrington monthly meeting to hold an
" indulged " meeting in York.
The original meeting house, which is yet
standing, is located on West Philadelphia
Street, between Beaver and Water Streets.
Meetings are still kept up, though the
Society is very small at present. The east-
ern part of the lot on which the meeting
house stands was purchased in the year
1765, from Nathan Hussey and his wife,
Edith, for the use of the Society of Friends.
During the following year the eastern part
of the present building was erected. The
records give the following named persons
as contributors :
Nathan Hussey 15 pounds.
William Willis 15
Joseph Updegraff 15 '"
Joseph Garretson 12
William Matthews 12 "
FRIENDS' MEETING HOUSE, YORK
I
'
ij
FRIENDS OR QUAKERS
ii.S
Herman UpdegrafF 12 pounds.
Jesse Flakner.
James Love.
John Collins.
Joseph Collins.
In 1773 the western portion of the lot on
which the meeting house is built was do-
nated to the Society of Friends forever.
Ten years later the western division of the
present meeting house was added. By this
time the membership had greatly increased.
Warrington monthly meeting included the
preparative meetings of York, Newberry,
Warrington, Huntingdon and Menallen.
.\niong the leading preachers who con-
ducted services in York meeting house
during the days of the past were Peter Far-
nell, Margaret Elgar, William Matthews,
deputy state surveyor; Elisha Kirk, Ann
Jessop, Jesse Kersey, and Thomas W'ether-
ald. Characteristic of all Friends' meeting
houses, records of births, marriages and
deaths of this one were carefully kept, as
well as minutes of regular meetings. They
are still in existence, except those taken
away with the flood of the Codorus in 1817.
Job Scott, one of the most celebrated
preachers of the Quaker faith, made a tour
of America, visiting the different meetings
of his Society. In 1790 he came to York
County. The following is from a journal
published by him the same year:
'■ Coming north from Virginia, I had very
good meetings in the meeting houses at
Menallen, Huntingdon (Adams County),
Newberry, Warrington, and York; at each
of these places to my great satisfaction. At
York I had three meetings and remained
some days. I formed a good opinion of the
town. On the 6tli day of the first month,
1790. I went to a place called Wright's ferry,-
on the Susquehanna River, where I had
good meetings at the house of the Widow
A\'right."
The York meeting house was built on
lots Nos. 175 and 176 of the town of York.
They were patented by Thomas and
Richard Penn to Nathan Hussey, 1763, and
by him deeded to W'illiam W^illis, Joseph
Garretson, Herman Updegraff, as trustees,
" for the use of the Society of the Friends
forever." In 1764 the York " indulged "
meeting became a meeting for worship, but
ordered " to remain members of the New-
berry preparative meeting as before." The
meeting house was completed in 1766, and
in 1767 the York preparative meeting
established. In 1783 York meeting re-
quested to have afternoon meetings on
First days to begin at the third hour, which
was granted, desiring " that Friends of that
meeting may take their children and families
with them to meeting." In 1784 they re-
quested that a monthly meeting for dis-
cipline be settled among them, which was
granted.
EARLY MARRIAGES.
Robert Hodgin, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, carpenter, and Theo-
date Seal, widow of Joseph Seal, were mar-
ried 5-29-1740, at a meeting at John Day's
house in Manchester, with the following
witnesses :
Rebecca Bennett, Anne Hussey,
Hannah Fincher, Nathan Hussey,
Mary Cox, John Hussey,
Rebecca Cox Christopher Husse}',
Esther Davis, Content Garretson,
Anna Garratson, Ann Day,
Martha Garratson, John Day,
Sarah McAnabley, Thomas Fioland,
Elizabeth Price, Peter Worrall,
Margaret Carson, Thomas Cox,
James Clenison, John Noblet,
Francis Fincher, Ann Noblet,
Joseph Bennett, Ann Hussey,
William Garretson, Margaret Hussey,
Joseph Garretson, John Garretson,
William Griffith, William Cocks,
James Moore, Samuel Cocks,
Thomas Riley, John Bailey,
Jacob Youngblood, James Ashton,
William Baley, Charles McAhele,
James Baley, Patrick Carson.
James Frazer, of Manchester Township,
in Lancaster County, and Rebecca Cox,
daughter of Thomas Cox, of Manchester,
were married 8-22-1740, " in a public and
solemn assembly of the aforesaid people,
and others met together at the house of \\\\-
liam Garretson, in Manchester, in the
Countv of Lancaster." W' itnesses :
Eleazer JNIires,
Joseph Garretson,
Joshua Kenworthy,
Francis Fincher,
Edward Mullenaex,
William Griffith,
Andrew Rogers.
Christopher Hussey,
John Garretson,
Joseph Bennett,
John Earl,
Samuel Underwood,
John Noblet,
Charles Phillips,
William Garretson,
Daniel Early,
George Alford,
Ann Cox,
Thomas Cox,
Alexander Frazer,
Mary Cocks,
Alexander Fraizer,
Isaac Cox.
John Cox.
Rebecca Bennett,
John Fincher,
Nathan Hussey,
Mary Cox,
Ann Noblet,
Content Garretson,
Theodate Hodgin,
Alary Craig,
.\nne Wakelin,
Esther Garretson,
Rebecca Rogers,
Jane Fincher. "
ii6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Thomas Davison, of AA'arrington, in the
County of Lancaster, blacksmith, and Sarah
Eliot, daughter of Sarah Farmer, of Man-
chester, spinster, were married 9-9-1743, at
a public meeting house in ^Manchester.
Witnesses :
Joseph Bennett,
John Noblet,
Patrick Carson,
Thomas Leech,
Peter Stout,
Anne Hussey,
Content Garretson,
Theodate Hodgin,
Rebecca Bennett,
Jane Carson,
Anne Day,
Mary Carson,
John Davison,
Sarah Farmer,
Benjamin EHot,
Jacob EHot,
Jolin Farmer,
John Day.
Alexander Fraizer, of Pennsburj' (now in
Fairview Township), in Lancaster County,
yeoman, and Phoebe Eliot, of Manchester,
were married 10-10-1743, at a public meet-
insr house in Manchester. AA'itnesses :
Joseph Bennett,
Nathan Husse}',
John Da}'.
William Garretson,
Thomas Leech,
Edward AluUenaex,
Patrick Carson,
James Bennett,
Edmond Fitzizaurice.
John Noblet,
John Garretson,
Mary Garretson,
Sarah Davison,
Marv
Rebecca Fraizer,
James Fraizer,
Isaac Eliot.
Benjamin Eliot.
Jacob Eliot,
Abraham Eliot.
Rebecca Bennett.
Content Garretson,
Naomi Garretson.
JNIartha Garretson,
Susannah Mills.
Catherine Eliot,
Jane Carson,
Carson.
Moses Key, of Newberry, in the County
of Lancaster, laborer, and Susannah Mills,
of the same township, spinster, were mar-
ried 3-23-1744, at a public meeting house in
Newberrv. AA'itnesses:
Rebecca Bennett,
Ann Hussey,
Content Garretson,
Jane Carson,
Susannah Hussey,
Nathan Hussey,
John Day,
John Garretson,
Joseph Bennett.
Patrick Carson.
William Bennett,
Isaac Bennett,
Nathan Hussey, jr.,
John Day, jr.,
Robert Mills, jr.,
Robert Mills,
Mary ]\Iills.
Joseph Garretson, of AA'arrington Town-
ship, yoeman, and Mary Mills, of Newberry,
were married 7-25-1745, at Newberry meet-
ing-house. AA'itnesses :
Jonas Chamberlain,
John Earl,
Thomas Cook.
Robert Hodgin,
Calvin Cooper,
Thomas Prowell,
-Andrew !Moore,
John Noblet.
Francis Fincher,
Hannah Fincher,
Joseph Heald,
i\Iartha Garretson,
Naomi Garretson,
Anne Husse}',
Content Garretson,
Mary Garretson,
Rebecca Bennett,
Robert Alills,
Nathan Hussey,
John Garretson,
William Garretson,
Christopher Hussey,
John Day,
Nathan Hussey, jr.,
Samuel Cox,
Susannah Hussey,
Mary Co.x,
Thomas Bulor,
Benjamin Eliot,
Patrick Carson,
Joseph Key,
John Dav,
Sarah M'ills,
William Bennett,
Abraham Noblet,
Isaac Cox,
Mar:
Thomas Cox,
Elizabeth Willy,
Mary Hussey,
Sarah Bennett,
Isaac Bennett,
Ann Day,
Sarah Cook.
Susannah Ke}-,
Jane Carson,
Moses Key,
William Cox,
Olive LTnderwood,
Jane Underwood,
Joseph Bennett,
Mary Carson,
Mary Davison,
Phoebe Frazer,
Sarah Farmer,
faret Stout.
Isaac Cox, son of Thomas Cox, of AA^ar-
rington, and Olive Underwood, daughter of
Alexander Underwood, of AA^arrington,
were married at AA'^arrington meeting 9-27-
1746. (Names of witnesses not copied.)
AVilliam Smith, son of John Smith, de-
ceased, of AA'arrington, and Jane Under-
wood, daughter of Alexander, of the same
place, were married 8-9-1747 at AA'arrington
meeting. AA'itnesses:
Rebecca Bennett,
Mary Garretson,
Joseph Garretson,
Samuel Cox,
Thomas Cox,
Isaac Cox,
William Griffith,
Joseph Bennett,
John Wright,
John Co.x. sr.,
John Cox, jr..
Benjamin L'nderwood,
Solomon Shepherd,
William Ferrall,
Peter Cook,
Alexander Underwood,
Joseph Smith,
William Underwood,
Rebecca Bennett,
Mary Garretson,.
Olive Cox,
Anne Hussey,
Mary Garretson,
Margaret Carson,
Sarah Mills,
Hannah Co.x,
John Pope,
John Beals,
Richard Co.x,
Thomas Cook.
Samuel Cox, son of John, of Huntingdon,
and Hannah AA'ierman, daughter of AA'il-
Jiam, of Huntingdon, were married at Hunt-
ingdon meeting 8-22-1747. (AA^itnesses'
names not copied.)
Robert Vale and Sarah Butler were mar-
ried in AA^arrington 8- 10- 1748. He was
born in London, was an excellent classical
scholar. They became acquainted on board
the ship while immigrating". In a note
Robert A^ale says, " when he came to York
County, it was a wilderness of woods, and
Indians came to see them after their mar-
riage."
AA'illiam Beals to ]\Iary Mullineux, lo-i-
1749.
Nathan Hussey, Jr., to Susannah Heald,
2-26-1749.
FRIENDS OR QUAKERS
117
John Garretson to Jane Carson, 6-22-1749.
William Osborne to Rebecca Cox, 10-5-
^750.
Benjamin Underwood to Susanna Gnest,
daughter of John Griest, 7-1-1750.
There are recorded in one of these books
296 marriages, extending from 1747 to 1849.
In this list the name Garretson occurs 45
times; Griest, 25 times; Grii^th, 18 times;
Hussey, 17 times; Updegraff, 20 times;
^^'illis, 10 times; Vale, 21 times; Wright, 10
times; Wickersham, 18 times; Mills, 10
times; Morthland, 7 times; Cook, 25 times;
Blackburn, 25 times; Hammond, 6 times;
Kirk, 13 times; Penrose, 7 times; Cadwal-
ader, 17 times; Atkinson, 15 times; Cleaver,
10 times; Marsh, 6 times; Jones, 7 times;
McMullin, 19 times; Underwood, 20 times;
Thomas, 10 times; etc.
The following is a list of the
Marriages marriages at York meeting, as
at York. far as recorded :
John Cope, of the borough of
Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster, son
of Caleb Cope and Mary, his wife, and Mary
Updegraff, daughter of Harmon Updegraff
and Lydia, his wife, 9-13-1786.
Daniel Ragan, of York Town, in the
County of York, and Ruth Worley, widow
of Francis Worley, late of the same place ;
11-14-1787.
Joe Willis, of the borough of York, son
of AVilliam Willis and Betty, his wife, the
latter deceased, and Hannah Jessop, of the
same place, daughter of Thomas, deceased,
and Ann: 12-12-1787.
John Bentley, of AA'arrington, son of John
and Tamer, deceased, and Susanna Jones,
of the borough of York, daughter of John
and Elizabeth; 10-22-1788.
Josiah Jordan, of Manchester, son of
Janies, deceased, and Charity, and Lydia
Miller, of Manchester, daughter of Solomon
and Sarah, deceased; 6-17-1789.
Ellis Cleaver, of Gwynedd, son of Ezekiel
and Mary, deceased, and Elizabeth Miller,
daughter of Solomon, of the borough of
York, and Sarah, deceased; 4-7-1791.
Caleb Bracken, of the borough of York,
son of James, deceased, and Mar)', and Re-
becca Miller, of the borough of York,
daughter of Solomon and Sarah, deceased;
8-14-1793-
Jonathan Jessop, of the borough of York,
son of Thomas, deceased, and Ann, and
Susanna Updegraff, of the same place,
daughter of Joseph and Mary; 4-6-1794.
Thomas Walmsley, of Byberry, Philadel-
phia County, and Ruth Kirk, of the borough
of York, daughter of Solomon and Sarah
Miller, and widow of Elisha K. ; 6-5-1794.
She died 6-18-1798, in her forty-seventh
year; a minister about twenty-three years.
Alexander Underwood, of Warrington,
son of John, deceased, and Mary, and
Rhoda Updegraff, of York, daughter of
Harmon and Lydia, deceased; 10-22-1794.
William Farquhar, of Pipe Creek, Fred-
erick County, Md., son of William and Ann,
deceased, and Lydia Willis, daughter of
William, of York County, and Betty, de-
ceased; 12-8-1796.
Harmon Updegraff, of the borough of
York, and Susanna Mills, of the same place,
widow of AN'illiam ]\Iills, late of Lancaster
County; 1-14-1801.
Thomas Conard, of the Northern Lib-
erties, of Philadelphia, son of Matthew and
Mary, deceased, of Philadelphia city, and
Sarah Welch, daughter of William and
Hannah, of the borough of York; 9-9-1801.
W^illiam Farquhar, of Frederick County,
Md., son of Allen and Phoebe, deceased, and
Sarah Updegraff, daughter of Joseph and
Mary, of the borough of York; 10-7-1801.
Thomas Leech, of Warrington Township,
son of Thomas and Phoebe, and Hannah
Garretson, of East Manchester, daughter of
Cornelius and Margaret, deceased; 2-10-
1802.
John Worle}', of York County, son of
Jacob and Ann, and Elizabeth Coats, of the
borough of York, daughter of Aaron, de-
ceased, and Mary; 7-6-1803.
Daniel Hains, of Frederick County, Md.,
son of Nathan and Sofia, deceased, and
Rachel LTpdegraff, daughter of Ambrose
and Elizabeth, deceased, of York County;
10-28-1806.
Timothy Kirk, of York Town, son of
Timothy and Mary, of Harford County,
Md., and Edith Kirk, widow of Eli, and
daughter of Joseph and Susanna Updegraff',
deceased; 3-16-1808.
Samuel Jeff'eris, son of William, deceased,
of Pennsj'ivania, and Priscilla, and Lydia
Cope, daughter of John, deceased, of York
borough, and Mary; 9-13-1809.
Amos Griest, of York, son of Joseph, of
Latimore, Adams County, and Rebecca, and
ii8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL'\
Phoebe Swayne of York, daughter of
James and Hannah, deceased; 10-18-1809.
Mordecai Williams, of Warrington, and
Mary Holland, of York Town; 3-14-1810.
Samuel Cook, of Warrington, son of
Samuel and Ruth, deceased, and Sarah Gar-
retson, daughter of Cornelius, of Anne
Arundel County. Md., and Margaret, de-
ceased ; 4-17-181 1.
Amos James, of Baltimore city, son of
Thomas, deceased, of Harford County, Md.,
and Ann. deceased, and Mary Cope, widow
of John, and daughter of Harmon' Upde-
graff, deceased, of York, and Lydia, de-
ceased; 6-12-1811.
John Gillingham, of Baltimore city, son
of James and Elizabeth, of same, and Mar}-
Updegraft, daughter of Joseph and Mary, of
York, the former deceased; 9-21-1814.
Benjamin Garretson, of Newberry, son of
Samuel and Alice, deceased, and Orpah
Smith, daughter of Samuel, of Spring Gar-
den Township, and Ruth; 8-13-1823.
Obadiah Dingee, of Lampeter, son of
Jacob and Elizabeth, deceased, of East
Marlborough, and Hannah Welch, daughter
of William, deceased, and Hannah, of York ;
12-11-1823.
Phineas Davis, of York, son of Nathan
and Mary, deceased, of Grafton, N. H., and
Hannah Taylor, of York County, daughter
of Libni and Sarah, of Clearfield County,
Penna. ; 11-15-1836.
This meeting was established in
York 1786 and ordered to be held " on
Monthly the fourth day of the week pre-
Meeting. ceding the second first day of
each month, and known as the
York monthly meeting." The first meet-
ing was held on the fifth day of the seventh
month, 1786. Persons appointed to the
meeting were Edward Jones, James Han-
cock, John Garretson, Benjamin Under-
wood, John Marsh, AVilliam Nevitt, Samuel
Cookson. The women appointed were
Miriam Hussey, Elizabeth Cook, Sarah
Williams, Ruth Cook, Lydia Garretson. and
Hannah Kirk. William Kersey was ap-
pointed clerk of the meeting in 1786, and
John Lone, overseer. Elisha Kirk succeeded
as clerk, and Joseph Updegraff overseer.
AVilliam AA'elch was appointed in 1786 to re-
cord births and deaths. Harmon Updegraff
was appointed elder in 1787. Thomas Owen
in 1814. and Amos Farfjuhar clerk in 1814.
In 1793 this meeting was informed that a
number of Friends had settled at AA'right's
Ferry, and permission was granted them to
hold " a meeting for worship;" Jacob AA'or-
ley, Caleb Kirk, Jonathan Jessop and John
Love were appointed to visit the Friends at
AA'right's Ferry and assist them in 1797;
Jonathan Jessop was appointed clerk of the
York meeting in 1797, "in room of Elisha
Kirk, who died."
The meeting at AA'right's Ferry, in the
house of Andrew Moore, was continued
until 5-8-1798.
The following death records were re-
ported at dates named ; " Our esteemed
friend. Hannah AA'illis, an elder, departed
this life 5-10-1798. AA^illiam AA^illis, an
elder, died 9-25-1801, in the seventy-fourth
year of his age. Hai-.mon Updegrafif, an
elder, died 5-20-1811, aged seventy-three
years. Joseph Elgar, a minister, died 7-13-
181 1, aged eighty-one years. Ann Love, an
elder, died 8-14-1821. Margaret Elgar, a
minister, died 3-29-1821, in the eighty-
second year of her age."
NOTES FROM RECORDS.
Johanna Heald died 1781, in what is now
Fairview Town'ship. She was a noted
Quakeress preacher.
In 1779, sixteen acres of land were pur-
chased on Avhich to build a school house.
The trustees appointed were Ellis Lewis,
John Garretson, AA'illiam Lewis and James
Kingsley. This school house was built at
Lewisberry, which was then a hamlet in
Red Land Valley.
James Thomas was a highly esteemed
preacher in 1795.
Edward Jones was an estimable gentle-
man and highly respected preacher. After
the removal of the Newberry monthly
meeting farther west he lived in the old
Newberry meeting house. He was thrown
out of a carriage and his leg was broken,
7-29-1823. and died soon after, aged eighty-
three years.
Peter Cleaver, who came from Upper
Dublin. Philadelphia County, was for thirty
years a clerk of AA arrington and Newberry
monthly meeting. AA'illiam Underwood
was clerk from 1747 to 1775. Susannah El-
gar. Isaac Everett and Abel Thomas were
noted preachers in 1780 and before. During
the latter part of the Revolutionary period
a,-<J —
FRIENDS OR QUAKERS
119
Abel Thomas visited Friends in North
Carolina, and afterward acted as a guide to
Gen. Greene in his retreat northward across
that state when pursued by Cornwallis. He
afterward passed through the British lines
to remain with Friends, and protect them
during the war. Many friends had emi-
grated from York County to that state
years before.
John Day was appointed elder of New-
berry meeting in 174S, and Peter Stout was
made overseer the same year.
Thomas Wilson, John Blackburn, Wil-
liam Delap, Daniel Winter, Patrick Carson
and others, located in York County, 1736,
coming from Calahagan, Ireland.
Henry Clark built a sawmill in Warring-
ton, 1748. He came from Chester County.
He sawed the timber for the new court
house at York in 1753. Aaron Frazer pro-
duced a certificate from Newark meeting
and located in York County, 1748.
The following is a form of marriage
certificate used in 1780:
Whereas, William Squibb, of the Township of War-
rington, and County of York, in Pennsylvania, son of
William Squibb and Sarah, his wife, and Jane Morth-
land, of the township and countj' aforesaid, daughter of
William Alorthland and Ruth, his wife, having appeared
before several monthly meetings of the people called
Quakers, at Warrington, and declared their intention of
marriage with each other, according to the good order
used amongst them ; and having consent of their parents
and parties concerned, their proposal of marriage was
allowed by the said meetings. Now these are to certify
whom it maj' concern, that for the full accomplishment
of their said intention, they, the said William Squibb
and Jane Morthland, appeared at the public meeting at
Warrington, in the County of York, on the twenty-
fourth day of the second month, in the year of Our Lord
One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty. And then
and there, in the said assembl}', the said William Squibb
taking the said Jane Alorthland by the hand did in a
solemn manner, openly promising with the Lord's assist-
ance, to be unto her a loving and faithful husband, until
death should separate them. And then and there, in the
same assembly, the said Jane Morthland did in like man-
ner declare, that she took him, the said William Squibb,
to be her husband, promising with the Lord's assistance,
to be to him a loving and faithful wife until death
should separate them.
And moreover, they, the said William Squibb and Jane
Morthland, she, according to the custom of marriage,
assuming the name of her husband, did then and there
.to these presents set their hands.
WILLIAM SQUIBB,
JANE MORTHLAND.
And for a further confirmation, we, whose names are
also here imderscribed, who were present at the
solemnization of the said marriage and subscription,
have, as witnesses, thereunto set our hands the day and
year above written.
William Squibb William Underwood
William IMorthland .\lexander L''nderwood
Ruth Morthland Rebecca Morthland
Robert Morthland
Robert Squibb
John Marsh
Joseph Bradley
Mary Squibb
Jane Yarnell
Mary Godfrey
Sarah Thomas
Martha iNIorris
John Marsh
Robert Vale
George Newcomer
Jacob Underwood
Benjamin Walker
Ruth Walker
Rebecca Co.x
Rutli Underwood
Benjamin Underwood
David Cadwalader
Sarah Cadwalader
Joshua Vale
Jonathan Mash
Margaret Lerew
Miriam Hussey
Sarah Williams
William Garretson
John Vale
John Godfrey.
Most of the early Friends who set-
tled in York County were an excellent
class of people, and carried out the mode of
discipline of the society in respect to war,
intemperance, marriage, etc.
The following notes will illustrate a few
points and will doubtless l)e read with in-
terest :
Patrick Carson, a Scotch-Irish-
Random man, though a member of the
Notes. Society of Friends, in 1748,
" passed the lie "" on Thomas
Cox, a fellow-member. This caused a dif-
ficulty. John Day and Richard Wickersham
were appointed to bring them to "terms of
peace." They were obliged to go to
Chester County, where the trouble origi-
nated. Upon their return, Patrick was
made to subscribe his name to an apology,
which he did in order to remain in " friendly
unity with the society," but afterwards " he
regretted to believe that his allegations
were true."
Joseph Bennet, 7-10-1748, signed a docu-
ment as follows : " I acknowledge with
great sorrow that I was overtaken with the
effects of spirituous liquors in the harvest
field, reaping for John Rankin in Red Land
Valley (Lewisberry) last harvest. It was
a hot day. I drank more than I should have
to drive out the sweat to make me in better
capacity to follow my work, but it pro-
duced the contrary effect, so that I was for
a time light in the head and talked foolish.
AA'ishing to remain in unit}' with the
Friends, I hereby acknowledge my error."
Thomas Cook was reproved in 1747 by
Newberry meeting for drinking spirituous
liquors, and John Day was appointed to
oversee him.
Richard Carson, in 1765, was required to
acknowledge in public at meeting " his
great error for having a fiddling and danc-
ing party at his house."
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
A certain member was disowned by the
Society for failing to pay a debt to Joseph
Hutton, in 1758.
Joseph John, a member, was made to
apologize for his error " for running off
with and marrying a woman that some one
else intended to marry."
John Blackburn and John Pope, in 1755.
joined the forces from York County to quell
the Indian troubles along the northern and
western frontier. They were the first to
A'iolate the laws of the Societj' of Friends.
According to the principles of the great
founder of Pennsylvania, the Indians were
to be treated with, and not quelled by force
of arms. A committee was appointed to
persuade them " in love and amity that they
might see the error of their way." These
two men, however, would not yield. John
Blackburn afterward became one of the
president court justices of York County, and
during the Revolution was one of the first of
the Friends to join the American army.
Thomas Noblet appeared before New-
berry meeting, 8-21-1756, and said: "I ask
pardon for not keeping the principles of
truth, and giving way so far to the enemy,
to enlist as a soldier, contrary to the good
order kept among the Friends, for which I
am very sorry."
Abraham Noblet entered the military
service during the French and Indian war.
A committee was appointed by the monthly
meeting to treat with him and endeavor to
bring him to a sight of his error. He
acknowledged his error after retiring from
service.
Armael Fincher, 6-8-1758, signed the fol-
lowing document :
Dear Friends : — Whereas I have been educated in the
way of truth among the Society of Friends, but for
want of keeping to the principles thereof, in my own
heart, have gone far astray, being much surprised as to
the reports of the Indians being in the neighborhood, I
took my gun in order to defend myself, for which I am
sorry, and give this for the clearance of truth. I hope
to be more careful of my conduct in the future.
Henrv Underwood enlisted as a soldier
in 1756. He afterward at meeting acknowl-
edged it to be " a great wrong to bear arms
against his countrymen, and kill them."
Plenry Clark, on 2-18-1758, acknowledged
his great wrong in being overtaken with
strong drink, and got his gun to defend
himself against the Indians, " whereof I am
sorrv and ask to be foro-iven."
Abraham Noblet acknowledged his error
in being married " by a priest to a woman
not a member of the Society of Friends."
He appeared at A'Varrington monthly meet-
ing and made an apology, which by order of
meeting was to be read publicly at the New-
berry preparative meeting by Joseph Ben-
net, and Noblet re-instated in meeting,
which was done.
Francis Fincher and AA'illiam Bennet had
to submit to a public censure in meeting
" for drinking too freely and using bad
words." Samuel Underwood and William
Griffith were appointed to treat with them.
James McGrew, in 1757, acknowledged
his error " for taking too much drink while
with others and singing improper songs."
John Powell asked permission of War-
rington meeting to go to New Garden,
Chester County, " to take a young woman
for a wife," in 1749. Granted.
John Griest produced a certificate from
Concord, Chester County, 1759, and located
in AA'arrington.
John Willis became a member of New-
berry meeting in 1756.
John Rankin, 10-7-1771, bought a slave,
which was contrary to the rules of Friends.
Timothy Kirk, William Lewis, William
Penrose and John Hancock were appointed
to treat with him, but their report was un-
favorable and he would not concede his
error. John Rankin afterward became a
colonel in the Third Battalion of York
County Associators, during the Revolution,
but in 177S became a tory. An attempt was
made to capture him, but by aid of his slave,
Ralph, he escaped and went to Long Island.
He afterward sent an order manumitting
his sIa^'e. Col. Rankin and his brother, Col.
AA'illiam Rankin, were quite influential
during the earh^ part of the Revolutionary
period.
Jedadiah Hussey, who lived in Warring-
ton about 1800, could lift a barrel full of
cider to his mouth and drink out of it.
JESSE KERSEY, an eminent minister of
the Society of Friends, was born in York,
eighth month, fifth day, 1768. His father,
A\'illiam Kersey, who was clerk of the York
and \\'arrington meetings, was married to
Hannah Bennett, daughter of Joseph Ben-
nett, one of the first settlers in the vicinity
of Lewisberry, this county. Jesse Kersey
went to Philadelphia in 1784 to learn the
SCOTCH-IRISH
trade of potter, and while following that
occupation was a constant and devoted
student of sacred literature. In 1789 he be-
came a teacher in Chester County; in 1790
was united in marriage with Elizabeth
Coates, moved to York, and pursued his
trade until 1794. The following year he
traveled a distance of 1,700 miles in three
months, through Maryland, Virginia, and
North Carolina, and until 1804 spent most
of his time traveling in America, visiting
Friends' meetings and preaching. In the
latter year he visited England and Ireland,
returned home in 1805 and became a prom-
inent preacher of the Philadelphia yearly
meeting. In 1814 he visited the south
under a concern in especial relation to
American slavery and the mode of deliv-
erance from its evil consequences. Upon
his return he visited President Madison, to
whom he presented his views on this sub-
ject, and was received by the president with
great cordiality. He then continued his
travels through Virginia, holding" meetings
and discussing the question of human bond-
age. On account of his kind and persuasive
manner he was treated courteously even by
his strongest opponents. He continued to
preach until his death in Chester County, in
the fall of 1845. Jesse Kersey was a man
of remarkable purity and simplicity of char-
acter, and is declared " to have gone to his
grave with the benedictions of many
thousands who knew him, and without the
enmity of one living being." He was a man
of extraordinary endowments, and one of
the ablest and most eloquent speakers
among the Society of Friends. Immense
congregations always greeted him on his
travels, for his fame had gone before him.
There was a dignity and nobleness about
him that always commanded respect and
gave evidence of an exalted aim.
Says an able writer, " no more gratified
and impressive powers of sacred eloqvience
have been heard in America or England
than those which proceeded from the lips
of Jesse Kersev."
CHAPTER IX
SCOTCH-IRISH
Immigration to America — Customs and
Habits — Scotch-Irish in Lower End —
Migration Westward — Marsh Creek Set-
tlement.
The Scotch-Irish were Scotch and
English people who had gone to Ireland to
take up the estates of Irish rebels confis-
cated under Queen Elizabeth and James I.
This same James, who was King of Scot-
land as James VI., encouraged his Presby-
terian subjects to emigrate to Ireland and
occupy the confiscated lands. The migra-
tion was numerous, and began in the early
part of the seventeenth century, about
seventy-five years before the founding of
Pennsylvania. Towards the middle of the
same century the confiscation of Irish lands
by Cromwell increased the emigration to
still greater proportions, and after this
many Englishmen joined the movement.
These people, English and Scotch, who
occupied Ireland in this way have usually
been known in England as Ulstermen, and
in America as Scotch-Irish, and are, of
course, totally different in character as well
as in religion from the native Irish. Even
those who came to Ireland from Scotland
were not Celtic Scotch, but people of
English stock who had been living for many
generations in Scotland, so that neither the
name Ulstermen nor the name Scotch-Irish
is at all descriptive of them.
They became famous in history for their
heroic defence of Londonderry against
James II. They were more thrifty and in-
telligent than the native Irish. They took
the land on long leases, and began to make
it blossom like a garden. They were, how-
ever, soon put to a severe test by the perse-
cutions of Charles I., who, after coming to
the English throne in 1625, attempted to
force the Scotch people in Scotland and Ire-
land to conform to the Church of England.
At the same time the native Irish rose to
expel the Scotch, and succeeded in killing
a few thousand. So between their two per-
secutors these settlers,. already sturdy from
their race and religion, were not without
the additional discipline of suffering and
martyrdom.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Many of them immigrated to
Immigration America, especially when the
to America. long leases on which they
held the Irish land began to
expire. The movement began about the
year 1700 and continued for forty or fifty
years. Some of them went to Maryland
and a great many went to Virginia, where
they still constitute a distinct element in the
population. In Virginia, as elsewhere, most
of them sought the frontier. In fact, in
colonial times, they could be found on the
whole American frontier from New Hamp-
shire to Georgia. They did not, however,
all settle along the frontier of Pennsylvania.
Many of them remained in the southeastern
portion of the province, settling in Phila-
delphia and the southern parts of Chester
and Lancaster Counties, where they soon
took position among the leading citizens of
that region. A colony of Scotch-Irish took
up the valuable lands at Donegal, north of
Columbia, in Lancaster County. Another
body of bold frontiersmen settled at Paxton,
below the site of Harrisburg.
AVhen the land west of the Susquehanna
was purchased from the Indians by a treaty
made with the Five Nations in 1736, the
Scotch-Irish migrated across the river in
vast numbers. As early as 1742 many of
them located in the western part of York
County, now included in the County of
Adams. This was known as the "Marsh
Creek settlement," and its people were
among the most enterprising west of the
river. Meantime, as will be mentioned in
the succeeding pages of this chapter, many
Scotch-Irish crossed the Susquehanna at
the Peach Bottom ferry and took up lands
in the southeastern section of York
County, beginning as early as 1733. The
Scotch-Irish also flocked across the Susque-
hanna at Harris's Ferrv and took up the
fertile lands then known in the Colonial
Records as " The Valley of the Kittatin-
ney," and later as the Cumberland Valley.
Within a few years this productive region
Avas populated almost exclusively by intelli-
gent Presbyterians, who had come to Penn-
sylvania from the north of Ireland. Some
of these extended their settlements into the
northwestern part of York County, where
they formed the Monaghan settlement
around the site of Dillsburg.
Being asked by the proprietaries of Penn-
sylvania to occupy the frontier, the Scotch-
Irish eagerly accepted the invitation. They
were not quick to follow the precepts of
William Penn or practice his method of
treating with the Indians. They preferred
the musket to the pipe of peace, and as a
result of their bold antagonism to the red
men, they helped to bring on the border
warfare, which caused considerable blood-
shed among the settlers in central Pennsyl-
vania, even before the French and Indian
war, which spread consternation through
all the interior parts of the province. Even
James Logan, a Scotch-Irishman himself,
while serving as secretary of the province,
made the declaration that " there are too
many Scotch-Irish on the frontier already,
who incite the Indians to warfare, and cause
abundant troubles to the authorities of the
province."' The stream of migration passed
through Cumberland County and the west-
ern part of York County into Virginia,
where many Germans and Scotch-Irish
early in its settlement occupied that long
and fertile region known as the Shenandoah
Valley.
A\'hen the French and Indian
Their war opened, the people of this
Patriotism, race in Pennsylvania were
quick to respond to the call
for troops. These American soldiers
having had experience with Indian warfare,
even taught the British regulars how to
fight the aborigines. There were two com-
panies of York County troops in the battle
near Fort Duquesne, where Braddock was
defeated, in 1756, and another company of
si-xty men from York County were among
the bravest of the soldiers who, under Gen-
eral Armstrong, defeated the French and
Indians at Kittanning, a short distance
northeast of Pittsburg, on the Allegheny
River.
When the Revolution opened in 1775. the
Scotch-Irish from the Marsh Creek settle-
ment, southeastern and other sections of
York County, were among the first to offer
their services to establish a new country,
" conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created equal."
They came to York, organized themselves
into military companies and marched to
Boston immediately after hearing of the
Battle of Bunker Hill. In the picturesque
costume of their hunting dress, these
SCOTCH-IRISH
123
courageous frontiersmen attracted the at-
tention of all the American soldiers around
Boston, and they were the first to olifer their
services to Washington in order to find out
the position of the British redoubts on
Breed's Hill, near where the battle had just
been fought. Two companies of Scotch-
Irish from York County, in 1775, joined the
expedition to Canada, and during the whole
period of the Revolution their patriotism
and their valor were shown in all the cam-
paigns that won triumph to the American
cause and gained the freedom of the United
States.
It is not easy to describe in detail the
home life of the early Scotch-Irish in Penn-
sylvania or in any part of the new world.
They did not leave behind them church
records so exact and carefully prepared as
did the Quakers or Germans, but their suc-
cess and their achievements in the broad
field of American enterprise and develop-
ment shine brightly on the pages of Ameri-
can history. So far as their home life can
be portrayed from traditions which have
come down from several generations, and
from such eminent authorities as Dr.
Joseph Doddridge, who spent most of his
life in central and western Pennsylvania,
many of the settlers of this race were a
rollicking, roystering class of people.
Sydney George Fisher, of Phila-
Customs delphia, who has written much
and of interest relating to the history
Habits. of Pennsylvania, has the follow-
ing" to say in reference to some
of the customs and habits of the Scotch-
Irish in colonial days :
" The settlers dressed in what was called
a hunting shirt, a garment something like
a frock coat, reaching half down the thighs
and belted around the waist. The bosom
was made large, and lapped over a foot or
more, so as to be used as a sort of knapsack
for carrying provisions. There was a cape
on the shoulders, which was usually
fringed. The belt carried a hatchet, scalp-
ing knife and bullet-pouch. Moccasins
were worn instead of shoes. Some of the
men dressed their legs, like the Indians, in
a breech clout, which left the thighs and
hips bare, and in this costume they often
went to church.
" Their wedding ceremonies were char-
acteristic, and show the state of their
civilization. These frolics were the delight
of young and old, and were the only gather-
ings at which there was not the labor of
reaping, log-rolling, building a cabin, or
planning some scout or campaign. The
wedding company assembled at the house
of the groom's father prepared to march, so
as to reach the house of the bride by noon.
They were dressed without the aid of a
store or tailor within many miles, and their
horses were also unaided by either black-
smiths or saddlers. As they marched in
double file along the narrow trail they were
apt to be ambuscaded by surprise parties,
who sprang out and fired to alarm the
horses. As the cavalcade neared the bride's
house, two of the young men usually
started on a race to bring back the whiskey
bottle, which was standing ready for them.
The victor seized it and returned to pass it
around among the company.
" The wedding dinner was beef, pork,
venison, and bear's meat, and if table knives
were scarce, the scalping knives were
drawn from the belt and used. Immedi-
ately after the dinner, the dancing com-
menced, and was kept up until the next
morning. As soon as one became tired an-
other stepped in to take his place. Who-
ever stole of¥ to get some sleep was hunted
up, dragged out on the floor, and the fiddler
ordered to play ' hang on till to-morrow
morning.'
" Among such people a word was quickly
followed by a blow, and quarrels and fight-
ings were frequent. But in these en-
counters no weapons were used. They set-
tled all their difificulties with their fists ; and
a man who was clearly no match for his an-
tagonist was allowed to employ a friend to
fight for him. There was no assassination,
none of that murderous shooting at sight,
which has become so common on the
frontiers of modern times.
" The laws passed by the colonial Legis-
lature, sitting in Philadelphia, of course ap-
plied to the frontier. But the distance made
it difficult to administer them, and in most
cases impossible. The people became a law
unto themselves, had their own customs,
and administered their own punishments,
which usually consisted of a flogging, ad-
ministered with a hickory stick by the per-
son aggrieved or by the neighbors who
knew about the of¥ense. AVhipping was
124
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
also resorted to as a torture to force con-
fessions of guilt.
" Besides that relic of the Middle Ages,
the people showed their nearness to the old
civilization of Europe by their songs and
tales. Lore-telling was popular, and Jack
the Giant-Killer and romances of knight
errantry were favorite stories. Their songs
were mostly ballads of Robin Hood. They
enjoyed themselves through their hospi-
tality, which was boundless, and their
friendships, which were ardent. They were
fond of sports, running, wrestling", and
jumping, and when they had enough am-
munition they shot at mark.
" After the year 1755, all these people,
men, women and children, lived in a con-
tinual state of war with the Indians. There
were few boys so young that they could not
fire a rifle throvigh a port hole, and few
women who could not cut bullet patches
and carry water. It was a wild life and a
rough one, but it had its compensations.
The people were hardy, vigorous and full of
strong animal enjoyment. They were mas-
ters of their own destinies. Every one was
a Jack-of-all-trades, his own blacksmith,
his own carpenter, his own cooper, his own
gunsmith. He himself, as well as his wife,
wove the linsey cloth which they wore.
Nor was it altogether a monotonous life.
The continual excitement of fort}' years of
war, and the rapid development of the
frontier, the growth of new settlements, the
varied exertion required, left little room for
sameness. Men grew old early from the
privations and hardships, but they never
complained that life seemed dull."
It has been too much the
Distinguished custom of the orators of
Men. the Scotch-Irish Congress
of the United States to laud
the ^'irtues and achievements of their an-
cestors. This fault might also be attributed
to the members of the Pennsylvania Ger-
man Society in relation to their ancestry.
The conservative writer of history there-
fore is more reserved in his words of com-
mendation, but the marks of the progress
of this race and of her representatives in
York Countv are evident, to any one who
studies in detail the annals of the past.
There were three United States Senators
born in York Count3^ all of Scotch-Irish
ancestr}'. Down by the l^orough of Delta,
James Ross was born in 1762. After his re-
moval to western Pennsylvania he became
an eminent lawyer and distinguished states-
man, serving nearly eight years in the
United States Senate. James Monroe,
President of the United States, delivered a
speech in Pittsburg, at a meeting presided
over by Senator James Ross, in 1817.
Turning toward the presiding officer, while
facing a large audience, the president gave
credit to James Ross for having made an
eloquent speech before the United States
Senate, in 1802, which caused President
Jefferson to favor the purchase of Louis-
iana.
Somewhere in Hopewell or Fawn, Sena-
tor John Rowan, who became otie of the
early settlers of Kentucky, first saw the
light of day, in the year 1773. He won fame
and distinction in his adopted state, which
he twice represented in the United States
Senate. In a small home in the village of
Dillsburg, Matthew Stanley Quay was born
in 1833, the son of a Presbyterian clergy-
man. He was a man of brilliant intellect
and remarkable mental vigor. Few men in
American history ever equalled him as a
political leader. The achievement which
won him most success as a statesman was
his strong advocacy of a protective tariff,
which is claimed by most writers of eco-
nomics, aided in building up the industrial
interests of the Keystone state.
In the sphere of the law, few men in
Pennsylvania equalled James Ross and
Hugh Henry Brackenridge. The last
named was born in the lower end of York
County, and became a distinguished jurist,
and one of the Supreme Court judges of
Pennsylvania. Ellis Lewis, born at Lewis-
berry, York County, who became chief jus-
tice of this state, was descended from a ma-,
ternal ancestor of Scotch-Irish birth.
A brief reference to three great Pennsyl-
vanians of Scotch-Irish birth may seem en-
tirely appropriate. Their work and their
achievements have given lustre to the pages
of history. These men were Thomas Mc-
Kean, John Bannister Gibson and Jeremiah
S. Black, each of whom became a chief
justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsyl-
vania. For a quarter of a century, Judge
Black was a citizen of York Count}-. He
died near York in 1884 at the age of J}^.
John Bannister Gibson, one of the greatest
SCOTCH-IRISH
125
of .\nierican jurists, was born in Perry
County and was a lifelong friend and associ-
ate of Jeremiah S. Black. They served to-
gether on the Supreme bench of Pennsyl-
vania. Their decisions rank high in the
legal literature of this country.
In September, 1899, the people of York
County celebrated the Sesqui-Centennial.
At a meeting held in the York Opera House
on this occasion, Robert C. Bair, of York,
delivered an address on the " Scotch-Irish,"
of which the following is a part :
Scotch-Irish are said to have been in the
southern part of York County as early as
1732, but there is no record to show just
where they were or who they were. Sam-
uel Blunston, Penn's agent at ^^'rig•ht's
Ferry, wrote in 1732, " there are about 400
inhabitants in the Barrens," a name then
given to the southeastern section of York
County. Some of these were Marylanders.
A singular fact is noticeable in the oldest
drafts and surveys in the Chancefords,
Peach Bottom and Fawn. They indicate a
prior right in some other man, but the land
warrants under Penn are silent on that
point. So that it would seem the former
occupant had acknowledged Lord Balti-
more. The oldest warrant under the Penns
yet found bears the date " October 16, 1741,
to Daniel McConnell, on Indian Rock Run,
by \Vidow McMurray's, near Muddy Creek,
over the Susquehanna." On part of this
tract, the John Scott part. Rev. Eleazer
Whittlesey, in 1750, erected the first Pres-
byterian church west of the river and from
it almost immediately sprang Chanceford
and the Slate Ridge churches. Chanceford
church was founded by Eleazer Whittlesey,
March i, 1752, but never had a title to its
lands until May 25, 1767, when James
Leeper, John Findley, Rowland Hughes.
Ephraim Farr, and William Morrison, as
trustees, secured a grant for four acres from
John Penn.
" Guinston Scotch Presbyterian church,
founded in 1754. has the same record. In
the year 1750 Patrick McGee settled on a
tract which he called ' Gwin's Town.' On
March i, 1755, James Cooper took up an
adjoining tract, which he called ' Hopewell,'
and on which tract a new log church had
been erected. The church had no title to
the land on which it stood, nor had Cooper
until twelve years thereafter. May 20, 1767,
when a warrant was issued to him at Phila-
delphia. Guinston ne\-er took title from
Pennsylvania, and in order to put the mat-
ter forever at rest " James Cooper, by a cer-
tain deed-poll, bearing date April 23, 1773,
did grant and convey to the trustees,
Thomas Curry, James Wallace, Guin Alli-
son, Andrew Fulton, Alexander Moore,
John McClurg, John McNeary, George
Campbell, John McCay, and John Stewart,
two acres on which the old Scotch meeting
house stood."
It is not possible to name all
Scotch-Irish the Scotch-Irish who came
in the into the lower end of York
Lower End. County, but many can be
enumerated, and the approx-
imate time indicated at which they crossed
over from Lancaster County.
Among the families settled in Chanceford prior to
I759- were Hugh Ross. John McCall, William Mc-
Carthy. John Campbell, William. George and John
Buchanan, Robert Morton, Robert Smith, John Howard,
William Smart. James Anderson. William Douglass,
William Wilson. William Thompson. Thomas Carson,
Edward McMachon, Joseph Wasson, Finley Gray, Na-
thaniel and David Alorgan. Patrick AIcGee, William
McComb, Guin Allison. John McNeary. David !McKin-
ley, ancestor of the president, and John and Stephen
!McKinley. John Finley. William Morrison, John
Mitchell, Elias Alexander. David Jones. William Fuller-
ton, Henry Robinson. John Matthews. James Evans,
Francis Houlton, Rowland Hughes, Robert Whitley,
John Nelson, Alexander Fulton, Lawrence McNamara
and Charles Coulston.
Those arriving before 1770, as follows: John Andrew,
William Adams. Charles Bradshaw, Robert Blaine,
Ezekiel Barnett. George Crist. Elias Cowan, William
Dougherty. John Dougherty. Alexander Downing. James
Duncan, James Elder. John Fullerton. James Forsythe,
William Gabby, James Hamilton, John Hilt. Charles
Humes, John Hooper, Robert Hooper. George Henry,
Thomas Johnston. I\Iatthew Kilgore. Thomas Kelley,
Walter Little. Dr. Isaac Lidley, John ^McJNIullin. Alex-
ander ^IcAllister, John McDowell. Richard McNuIty,
William Alarlin. John !Marlin. John Morrow. James
JNIartin, John McCullough. Henry McWhorer. John Mc-
NuIty. John McCIurg. Robert Marlin. Robert ^Maughlin.
William Nichol. Samuel Nelson. Samuel Parker. Samuel
Poak. James Proter. James Patterson. Nicholas Quig-
ley. Thomas Ramsay. John Reed. Joseph Reed, William
Reed, James Spear, Daniel Sinclair. Charles Stewart,
John Stewart. Gavin Scott, James Sprout. Robert Shaw,
Allen Scott. William Steel, Moses Wallace, Thomas
Wilson.
The Scotch-Irish in Fawn Township prior to 1770
were : William Adams. Thomas .-Mien. James
Buchanan. James Blair. William Blaine. Henry Cowgel.
William Clark. Benjamin Cunnyngham. Archibald
Cooper, John Carson. Richard Cord. Patrick Caldwell,
John Day. Robert Duncan. Robert Donnal. George
Elder. Samuel Eakins. Alexander Ewing. Robert Gib-
son. James Gordon. Jacob Gibson. Robert Hazlet.
Samuel Leeper. John McComb. Thomas Matson. Wil-
liam jNIcKinley. James AIcKinley. Matthew McCall,
Alexander McCandless. James McMullin, Edward Mani-
fold, John McComb, William McConnell, Thomas Neel,
126
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL\
George Nichol, John Payne, George Payne, James
Parker, Robert Rowland, Joseph Ross, Patrick Scott,
William Reed, Cunningham Sample, Thomas Steel,
John Taylor, John Wilson, William Wallace, Archibald
Wright, Robert Modral.
The Scotch-Irish in Hopewell Township prior to 1770:
Guin Allison, John Anderson, James Anderson, Robert
Aikens, Andrew Boyd, Alexander Creighton, Henry
Craig", James Criswell, John Duncan, Samuel Dixon,
Samuel Ellit, William Edie, William Edgar, Andrew
Findley, Archibald Gillen, William GemmiU, John Gem-
mill, John Gibson, William Giffen, Samuel Harper,
Robert Jamison, William Ligget, James Mitchell, Joseph
Manifold, James McKissock, James McElroy, John Mc-
Cleary, John Maxwell, James Maffet, Richard McDon-
ald, Thomas McKee, John McAllister, Hugh Nelson,
Archibald Purdy, Alexander Ramsay, Thomas Ray,
David Stone, Andrew Thompson, Elconer Torbert,
William Vance, James Wallace, John Wilson, James
Wilson. William Wilson.
The list has been expanded,
Migration though all are not included, of
Westward, the early people in the sections
named, because they have left
land marks in the place of their settlement
that will never perish as long as the in-
fluences of their early churches and their
multiplying children uphold on the old
homesteads the principles and faith of their
ancestors. From these settlements project
footpaths to the wider world into the
boundless wilderness. The main direction
is plain by which they came, as if it were
this migration that put the Scotch-Irish
stamp on at least five states. The first
movement was toward the southwest,
which halted at Marsh Creek in Adams
County. The other routes diverged, one
leading into North Carolina and Tennessee ;
another into the Genesee valley. New York ;
the third into western Pennsylvania, and
from all these a converging set of lines
touching in central Ohio. Wherever the
Scotch-Irish went they laid long founda-
tions for state government.
There seems to have been a close bond
between the Scotch-Irish of Harford
County, Maryland, clans in New York state
and those of York County. The Rev. John
Cuthbertson, one of the most noted Presby-
terian preachers the early history of the
church had in Lancaster and York Counties,
would make from Octoraro, and the log-
church in Chanceford, trips to Walkill, Ul-
ster County, New York, where he would
preach for three or four weeks at a time.
His journeys led him to visit and preach
among those who had left the east and
gone as far west as Pittsburg. The diarv
of this early preacher is preserved in the
Allegheny city library.
In the year 1755, when King George
transported the French Canadians from
Nova Scotia, the provincial Assembly of
Pennsylvania yoted sixty thousand pounds
for the purpose of distributing the poor
Canadians among the people of the several
counties. When debarked at Philadelphia,
they were assigned, according to the popu-
lation, to the diilerent townships. The
Germans received their quota, but it seems
the Scotch-Irish eitlter did not receive, or
else would not accept any of the Nova
Scotians. What was the cause of this is not
clear. It is probable the spirit of liberty
among the Scotch-Irish, which abhorred
white bondage, had much to do with it.
The Scotch-Irishman never submitted to
servitude himself or held the seven year
claim on any man's labor. With all this,
however, he believed in negro slavery. The
wealthy among them had slaves. They
tenaciously held on to them. After Penn-
sylvania had abolished slavery, the Scotch-
Irish of the lower end and those in Adams
County held on to their property. The
archives of York court contain many writs
of habeas corpus, together with interesting
depositions, by which it appears the slave
holders among the Scotch-Irish held on
until the law released the slave. They had
from two to three black servants, and it is
a striking fact that the masters invariably
fixed their own given names upon their
negroes.
Grier Hersh, of York, at the Scotch-Irish
Congress, held at Harrisburg, read a paper
on " The Manor of the Maske." The fol-
lowing is an extract from that paper :
The most important Scotch-
The Irish migration to York
Marsh County was the " Marsh
Creek Creek Settlement," of which
Settlement, the present town of Gettys-
burg is the centre. As it was
the policy of the Penns to push the Scotch-
Irish to the frontier, and as the land at the
foot of South Mountain resembled to some
extent that of the north of Ireland, it was
but natural that many of the early settlers
should take up lands in this locality. These
early settlers seemed to have crossed the
Susquehanna at Harris's Ferry and came
throup-h the South Mountains to what was
SCOTCH-IRISH
127
tlien the western part of Lancaster County
and from 1749 to 1800 embraced in York
County. The name of this settlement is
taken from Marsh Creek, a small stream.
This district gave to the county of York
many of its prominent men in civil and mili-
tary matters, in early days. Called upon in
their early history to do active service
against the Indians, they became inured to
all sorts of hardships and were a thoroughly
self-dependent and aggressive people. As
early as 1736, a goodly number of Scotch-
Irish had settled here, upon the invitation
of the Penns, to take up lands upon "com-
mon terms." During that year the pro-
prietaries had determined on surveying for
themselves a manor in this territory. They
did not look with favor, for some reason,
upon the first Scotch-Irish settlers. Finally,
in 1741, an order was issued for the survey
of a manor to be called " Manor of Maske,"
of \\'liich order the following is a copy:
Pennsylvania, ss. :
(Seal) By the Proprietaries:
These are to authorize and require thee to survey or
cause to be surveyed a tract of land on the branches of
iMarsh Creek, on the west side of the River Susque-
hanna, in the County of Lancaster, containing about
thirty thousand acres, for our own proper use and be-
hoof, and the same to return under the name and style
of our Manor of Maske, in the County of Lancaster
aforesaid, into our Secretary's ol^ce, and for so doing
this shall be thy sufficient warrant. Given under my
hand and the seal of our Land Office at Philadelphia
this eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord,
one thousand seven hundred and fortv-one.
THOS. PENN.
To Benj. A. Eastburn, Surveyor-General.
The matter must have been determined
upon at an. earlier date than the issuing of
the order, as Zachariah Butcher writes
about that date as follows ;
" I was designed about two weeks ago to
have laid out the manor at Marsh Creek,
but the inhabitants ha\-e got into such
spirit that it is as much as a man's life is
worth to go among them ; for they gather
together in conference, and go about armed
every time that I am anywheres near about.
They fairly resolved to kill or cripple me,
or any other persons who shall attempt to
lay out a manor there. Yet, if the honor-
able proprietary shall think it fit to order
such assistance as shall withstand such un-
reasonable creatures, I shall be ready and
willing to undertake the same with my ut-
most endeavors. As soon as I come back
from X'irginia I am going there on an ur-
gent occasion."
The name " Manor of Maske " takes its
origin from an estate in Yorkshire, Eng-
land, of Anthony Lowther, who married
Margaret, sister of William P^nn.
The term " Marsh Creek Settlement "
has been applied to all of the settlers within
the Manor of Maske. There was, however,
another Scotch-Irish settlement, known as
the "Great Conewago Settlement," which
was some miles to the east of Gettysburg,
and near the town originated by Captain
David Hunter, which bears his name
(Hunterstown). So closely and intimately
were the people of these two settlements
connected in all matters of historical in-
terest that in speaking of the Marsh Creek
the Great Conewago settlement is included.
The first church in the Marsh Creek dis-
trict was in the vicinity of " Black's Grave-
yard," a short distance west of Gettysburg,
near McPherson's Spring, and is known in
history as the Upper Marsh Creek Church.
It was built in 1747 of logs. It had low,
long, double-sash windows. The: date of
the erection of this church is fixed from the
fact that Hance Hamilton, Robert McPher-
son, Samuel Edie and John Buchanan,
trustees, applied for a warrant for one
hundred acres of land in Cumberland Town-
ship, May 25, 1765. They stated that a
meeting house was erected by said congre-
gation on the tract of land of one hundred
acres in the Manor of !Maske " about
eighteen )'ears ago," which fixes the date
of the erection of the building at 1747.
The early pastors of this church in order
were, Revs. Joseph Tate, Robert McMordie,
James Lang, Joseph Rhea, Samuel Ken-
nedy, Robert Huey and John Black.
The Lower Marsh Creek Church was
built about 1761, and in all probabilit}^ grew
out of the " Old Side and New Side con-
troversy," the Lower Marsh Creek Church
containing the " New Side " men, and the
Upper Marsh Creek Church the " Old
Side " men.. The first pastor of this church
was Rev. Andrew Bay, afterw-ard a chaplain
in the French and Indian war.
The following is a list of names
Names of of such persons as settled and
Early made improvements in the
Settlers. Manor of jMaske between the
years 1736 and 1741 :
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
William JNIcClellan, ]\Iay, 1740; John Fletcher, June,
1739; John McDowell, April, 1741 ; John McFerran,
May, 1741 ; Robert Fletcher, May, 1741 ; William Mc-
Ferran, ^lay, 1741 ; Samuel Gettys, near Rock Creek,
May, 1740; John Steel, September, 1740; Hugh Scott,
September, 1740; Daniel AIcKeenan, September, 1740;
George Kerr, October, 1740; Samuel McColock, JMay,
1741 ; Alexandei- Stuart, April, 1741 ; Robert Smith,
April, 1741 ; Robert Johnston, April, 1741; Samuel
Pedian, JNIay, 1741 ; Samuel Agnew, j\Iay, 1741 ; Alex-
ander JNIcNair, April, 1741 ; John Millar, April, 1741 ;
Henry Pearson, April, 1741 ; Thomas McCleary, May,
1740;' James Thompson, May, 1741 ; William Stevenson,
Mav, 1741 ; Henry Rowan, June, 1739; Quintin Mc-
Adams, April, 1741 ; Robert McNiel, April, 1740; Joseph
Clugston, April, 1741; John McGaughy, April, 1741 ;
Henry Cotton, April, 1741 ; Duncan McDonnel, April,
1740; Wm. McCreary, April, 1740; Rev. Robert Anan,
May, 1741 ; Jean Gibson, May, 1741 ; George Sypes,
April, 1741 ; James Ferguson, September, 1741 ; Hugh
Ferguson, September, 1741 ; William Gibson, October,
1736; Robert Gibson, October, 1736; John Hossack,
March, 1740; Benjamin McCormick, October, 1736;
Duncan Evans, October, 1736; Samuel Gibson, October,
1736; Joseph Moore, March, 1740; David Moore, March,
1741 ; Hugh Woods, March, 1741 ; Robert Long, Sep-~
tember, 1739: William Scott, April, 1741 ; Thomas
^Martin, May, 1741 ; John Stuart, April, 1741 ; John
Kerr, April, 1741 ; John Cishinger, April, 1741 ; James
Orr, May, 1739; Wm. Boyd B. Smith, March, 1740;
John Boyd, March, 1740; Thomas Hossack, March,
1740; Edward Hall, March, 1741; John Linn, April,
1740; John Scott, May, 1740: James Walker, May, 1740;
Thomas Latta, May, 1740; John Buchanan, May, 1740;
Walter Buchanan, September, 1739; Matthew Dean,
May, 1740; William Erwin, September, 1739; James
Erwin, September, 1739.
Thomas Tedford, ALay, 1740 : Widow Margaret
Buchanan. May, 1740; Robert Brumfield, September,
1739; James Agnew, May, 1741 : Mary McMullen, May,
1741 ; John Little, May, 1741 ; Robert Creighton, June,
1739; James Innis, May, 1740; John Carson, April, 1741 ;
Hugh Dunwoody, April, 1741 ; Thomas Douglass, May,
1740; James Reed, August, 1738; Alexander Poe, April,
1739; Hugh Davis, April, 1739; Jacob McClellan, May,
1740; Thomas Shanon, September, 1740; Thomas Mc-
Cracken, September, 1740; the heirs of John Craige,
deceased, or Col. Hance Hamilton in trust for said
children, April, 1739; John Brown, May, 1741 ; Samuel
Brown, May, 1741 ; Samuel Edie, Esq., March, 1741 ;
David Parke, JNIarch, 1741 ; John Parke, March, 1741 ;
James Craige, May, 1741 ; David Dunwoody, April,
1741; Robert Linn, April, 1740; William Smith, April,
1739; John Stuart, Alarsh Creek, March. 1741 ; the heirs
of Henry McDonogh, deceased, April, 1739; Samuel
Gettys for land on Middle Creek, May, 1740 ; William
Ramsey, May, 1740; James Wilson, May, 1741 ; James
Russel, May, 1740; John Russel, May, 1741 ; James Mc-
Naught, May, 1740; Archibald Morrison, May, 1740;
Closes Jenkins, May, 1740; James Biddle, May, 1740;
the heirs of Robert I51ack, deceased, March, 1738;
Alexander McKeen, March, 1738; Hugh McKeen,
March, 1738; Myles Sweeney, March, 1741 ; the heirs
of Thomas Boyd, deceased, !\Iarch, 1741 ; Thomas
Nealson, March, 1741 ; Samuel Stevenson, May, 1741 ;
James Hall, April, 1741 ; Adam Linn, May, 1741 ; Robert
McKinney, May, 1740; William , April,
1741 ; Andrew Levenston, May, 1740; Charles McMul-
len, Ma}', 1740; Alexander McKeen, Hugh McKeen and
Samuel Edie, Esq.. guardians in trust for the minor
children of John iMcKeen, deceased, March, 1738; John
Simple, May, 1740; James McDowell and Charles Mc-
Mulling, guardians in trust for the minor children of
John Darby, deceased, March, 1740; Joseph Wilson.
March, 1738; William Quiet, Sr., April, 1741 ; William
Quiet, Jr.. April, 1741 ; Samuel Paxton, Sr., March,
1741 ; Thomas Paxton, March, 1741 ; John Paxton,
March, 1741; Samuel Paxton, Jr., JNIarch, 1741; John
Reed, November, 1740; David Frazier, March, 1738;
Quintin Armstrong, April, 1741 ; John Murphy, April,
1741 ; John McNeit, March, 1740 ; Mary Reed, Sep-
tember, 1740; the heirs of John Beard, deceased, Sep-
tember, 1740; John Armstrong, April, 1740; Andrew
Thompson, May, 1741 ; John Leard. September, 1739;
William jNIcKinley, April, 1741 ; ALargaret Young, April,
1741 ; Hannah Lesley, April, 1741 ; Robert Black, May,
1740; Gabriel McAllister, April, 1741 ; Alexander
Walker, April, 1740; James McGaughy, April, 1740;
Andrew Herron, April, 1740; James Orr, April, 1739;
Moses McCarley, April, 1739; John McNea, April, 1741 ;
Elizabeth Thompson, April, 1741 ; Col. Hance Hamilton,
April, 1741 ; Col. Hance Hamilton for a tract of land
adjoining land of John Leard and Thomas Hosack, on
Conewago, April, 1741.
CHAPTER X
THE GERMANS
The Palatines — Mennonites — German Bap-
tists— Dutch and Huguenot Colony —
Early Baptisms and Marriages.
The Germans were among the first to
take up lands west of the Susquehanna.
Palatines, German Baptists and Mennon-
ites all arrived about the same time. The
Palatines were largely representatives of
the Lutheran and Reformed faith. In the
succeeding pages, a separate story is given
of the immigration and settlement of each
of these three classes of German people, to-
gether with a small colony of Huguenots.
THE PALATINES.
The Palatines were thrifty and indvts-
trious people who lived in the lower regions
of the Rhine. Situated on both sides of that
noble river, between Bavaria and Alsace,
and extending from above the city of
Speyer northward to near Cologne, the
Palatinate was as fair a land as all Europe
can show. The burghers of its cities were
wealthy merchants. Its fertile fields and
vine-clad hills brought competence and com-
fort to its people, and sent abundance of
grain and wine to other countries of
Europe. Religion and education were so
well diffused that there was no other people
of their day to whom in these respects the
Palatines stood second. The situation of
their native country, the highway from
France into the heart of Germany, together
with its beauty and fertility, made it a
Nal)oth"s vineyard to Louis XIV. whose
aml:)ition was colossal, whose absolutism
THE GERMANS
129
could ill brook denial, and whose rapacity
recoiled from no extreme of cruelt}'. His
schemes and plots made life a burden to the
Electors Palatine. Charles and his son
Charles Louis. The death of the latter in
1685 without issue ended the Zimmern line
of the Electorate, and the succession passed
to Frederick, of the house of Newburg. The
moment of transition seemed to Louis
auspicious to his plans. He at once laid
claim to the Palatinate in the name of his
brother, who married the sister of Charles
Louis. The claim was opposed by Holland,
Austria, Ba\-aria, Prussia and other smaller
German states, which, under the leadership
of the great \A'illiam, organized the Grand
Alliance and prepared for war.
King Louis, with the double purpose of
wreaking vengeance on the Palatinate — a
vengeance made more bitter by the asylum
■ there given to the Huguenots, whom the
Revocation of the Edict of Nantes had
driven into exile, — and also of making the
country untenable for his foes, sent an army
of 50,000 men, with orders to its commander
to ravage the province with fire and sword
and to make the land a desert. The invasion
took place in winter. The French went
through the length and breadth of the
country, destroying cities, burning villages,
stripping the people of their possessions,
compelling them to pull down their walls, to
stand by and see their wealth perish in the
flames, killing such as endeavored to save
anything from the ruins, and then driving
them to the fields, there to perish with
hunger or cold.
In the following spring the peasants were
forced to plow under their crops. The
whole land was filled with mourning. Many
were killed. Others were starved or frozen
to death. Li one day the Elector, standing
on the wall of Manheim, counted twenty-
three villages in flames. The ferocity of the
war and the sufferings of the people cannot
be adequately described. To this day their
monuments remain in the ivy-covered ruins,
which give so much beauty and charm to
the hills among which flows the Rhine. It
is needless to follow the course of the war.
For a few years the people had rest, and
then in 1693 another invasion brought on
another wave of widespread misery. Then
it was that the beautiful castle of Heidel-
berg was reduced to that condition which
makes it the most picturesque ruin in
Europe.
But a few years had elapsed, far too few
for the Palatines to retrieve their losses,
when the outbreak of the war of the
Spanish Succession dragged them once
more between the upper and nether mill
stones. This war. lirought on by Louis, in
prosecution of a claim to the Spanish crown
for his grandson Philip, — a claim opposed
by the same Alliance with the addition of
England — was begun in 1701 and drew out
its miseries and cruelties for thirteen long
years. Most of the fighting was done in
Spain and Germany, but the Palatinate
came in for a full share of tlie tribulation. It
furnished both armies a pathway. ]\Iany
times they went back and forth, leaving
wretchedness in their trail. At length, in
1707, Louis despatched an army to repeat,
so far as possible, the rapine of twenty years
before. \\'ith this the cup of misery was
full, and at once began that remarkable
exodus, which in the next four decades
brought so many thousands of the Palatines
to America.
It needs to be noted also that to these
afflictions by war was added as an expelling
power, a religious trouble, which amounted
to a little less thain persecution. Early in
the Reformation period the Elector Palatine
gave his allegiance to the doctrine of Ge-
neva. His country became a stronghold of
the Reformed faith, and under his patronage
was published that oracle of the Reforma-
tion, the Heidelberg Catechism. There was,
however, a strange variation in the Elec-
toral faith. For one hundred and thirty
years no two successive Electors were of the
same faith. Lutheran and Reformed princes
succeeded each other in regular alternation;
and, according to the spirit of the age, each
prince desired to bring his people into that
communion which had secured his own ad-
hesion.
The court religion was constantly chang-
ing from Geneva to Wirtemberg, and back
again, while many annoyances and dis-
tresses to the people were the consequence.
Finally John William, the second prince of
the house of Newburg, the Elector at the
time of the Spanish war. deserted both Re-
formed and Lutheran, and adopted the
ancient faith of the Church of Rome. He
was a man of piety, but narrowness of mind,
I30
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
and endeavored to constrain his people
towards the Roman communion. Then the
Palatines began to look for a land of peace
and freedom.
In 1708, the year after the last French in-
vasion, they began to come to the British
colonies in America. The minutes of the
Board of Trade in London addressed to
Queen Anne, set forth • that certain "dis-
tressed Palatines, who had been dri\-en out
of the Palatinate by the cruelties of the
French," forty in number, with one Joshua
Kocherthal. a Lutheran minister, for their
leader, had made an application to the
Board for transportation to America.
Shortly afterward fourteen others were
added to this number ; and it would appear
that the entire fifty-four constituted a
pioneer band, on whose fortune and report
depended the action of thousands of their
countrymen.
The Queen received the pe-
First tition. An order was given
Immigration, to send them to New York
in the same ship that carried
Lord Lo\'elace to the government of that
province ; the new governor being charged
by the Queen to do all in his power for the
comfort of the Palatines. Arriving in New
York late in the summer of 1708, these Ger-
man immigrants were planted sixty miles up
the Hudson, at the site of the present city
of Newburg. A tract of 2,000 acres of land
was given to them, and the community by
patent from Governor Hunter was erected
into the Parish of Newburg.
Kocherthal, having settled this pioneer
band at Newburg, returned to his native
land, that he might organize a larger emi-
gration of the people of the Rhine. The
success of his efforts was made evident to
the English government. The roads lead-
ing northward from the Palatinate swarmed
with the moving multitudes. Thousands of
them arrested their journey in Holland, and
there settled to add their numbers and vir-
tues to those of that sturdy little republic.
Soon afterward about five thousand flocked
to London for the purpose of gaining per-
mission to come to America, and by October
there were 15,000. There were not inns
enough to lodge them, and had these been
found, the people had not the money to pay
the reckoning. The government pitched
one thousand tents along the Thames for
them. They were very poor, because they
lost all by the ravages of the French. The
Queen allowed from the public purse six
pence a day to each Palatine and issued
briefs to the churches in many parts of the
kingdom, calling for offerings to the support
of this benevolence. It is estimated that
this support cost the English government
$650,000.
There were no provisions yet made for
their shipment to America. Some of these
Germans enlisted in the English army and
about 2,800 migrated to Holland. Late in
the year 1709 about 700 of these Germans
crossed the Atlantic to the mouth of the
Neuse River and formed a settlement at
New Berne, North Carolina, where some of
their descendants now live.
About the same number, in the autumn of
1709, came with Governor Spotswood to
Virginia and settled in the upper regions of
the Rappahannock River, giving to the set-
tlement the name of Germanna, near which
was fought, in the Civil ^^'ar. the famous
battles of the Wilderness. Governor Spots-
wood opened iron mines for the employ-
ment of these people, some of whom after-
wards migrated to the Blue Ridge moun-
tains and even across them to the Shenan-
doah Valley.
Robert Hunter, who was appointed to
succeed Lovelace as royal governor of New
York, determined to lay plans for the
transportation of about 3.000 Palatines,
then in the city of London. The depressing
conditions of the time demanded that the
poor of London should receive the benefi-
cence bestowed upon these German emi-
grants. Governor Hunter's proposition to
transfer them to the central part of New
York was received with enthusiasm by the
city of London. About the same time.
Peter Schuyler, Mayor of Albany, and
Colonel Nicholson, of the provincial army,
appeared in England for the purpose of
securing aid and protection for the people
of New York from the incursions of the
French and hostile Indians from Canada. In
order to produce a good .effect upon the
English cro\vn. they took with them five
Indian chiefs. A well-founded story has
come down by tradition through gener-
ations of descendants that when these In-
dian chiefs observed the condition of the
unfortunate Germans, on account of in-
THE GEiniAXS
131
ternecine wars in their nati\-e land, took
pity upon llieni and ottered the Oueen 20,-
000 acres of valuable land in the \alley of
Schoharie, central New York.
h'arly in January, 1710, the expe-
The dition of 3,000 immigrants left
New London for the Xew World. It
York was transported in ten ships, two
Colony, of which were war vessels. One
of the war vessels carried Robert
Hunter and his train of attendants. After
a long" and tedious \-oyage, during which the
Germans experienced many hardships, nine
of the vessels landed safely at Governor's
Island, in the harbor of New York, during
the month of June. One of the vessels of
this fleet, the frigate Herbert, was wrecked
on Block Island, which accident was woven
into a sad but beautiful story entitled "The
Palatine," by the great American poet,
Whittier.
\\'hile the expedition was crossing the At-
lantic, a distressing fever caused the death
of about 600 of the German immigrants, and
about 2,400 encamped on Governor's Island,
in New York harbor, where they remained
about four months waiting to be transferred
to their place of destination. For the ad-
ministration of local government in this
colony, seven magistrates were appointed
among themselves. John Conrad Weiser
for ten years was the leader of this colony.
About the same time a commission was dis-
patched to the Schoharie Valley to inspect
that region and report its adaptability for
settlement. When this commission re-
turned the different members reported ad-
versely to the migration, whereupon Gov-
ernor Hunter accepted a proposition of
Robert Livingston for the German colonists
to settle upon 6,000 acres of the Li\'ingston
Manor, on the east bank of the Hudson,
about one hundred miles from New York.
About 200 of the German colonists re-
mained in New York, 1,200 on the Living-
ston Manor, and the balance on the west side
of the Hudson at Saugerties, where many
of the descendants now live. The plan of
Governor Hunter to settle the Germans in
this region for the purpose of making tar for
his own province from the pine trees along
the Hudson was not successful. He had re-
ceived only 8,000 pounds from the English
government to further his plans and had
advanced about 25.000 pounds of his own
money for the same purpose. After two
years the experiment proved to be a failure,
for they had only produced sixty l^arrels of
tar during that time.
The Germans now grew to be
The dissatisfied and clamored to be
Schoharie sent to the promised land
Settlement, along the Schoharie, desig-
nated as their future home by
the Queen of England. They sent a dele-
gation of their own members, of whom Con-
rad \A'eiser was the leader, to the Schoharie.
Soon after their return about two-thirds of
their number traveled through deep snow,
and in March, 1713, the two companies into
which they had been divided, were united
again in the valley of their hope, and became
the first white settlers in that region. Ob-
taining a deed from the only owners, the In-
dians, they set themselves to building-
houses and breaking the soil. Although
they lived in harmony with the natives, the
troubles of these settlers came from another
source. About six months after their oc-
cupancy of this region, Governor Hunter
granted patents to seven men of his own
province, covering the lands on which the
Palatines were now living. The oppressive
methods of the new land owners, known in
the history of New York as "patroons,"
proved to be disastrous to the interests of
Conrad Weiser and his followers. This op-
pression was continued until 1720, when
Robert Hunter returned to England and
was succeeded by Governor Burnet.
The Rev. Sanford H. Cobb, of Alljany,
who has carefully studied the history of
these Germans while in New York, gives an
exceedingly interesting account of their
transfer from that region down the Susque-
hanna to their settlement in Pennsylvania.
He says :
"The new governor set himself to appease
the difficulties, but found that the legal
rights of the patentees and the stubborn
sense of wrong in the Palatine breast ad-
mitted, for the most of them, of removal to
a new location as the only remedy. For this
purpose he issued a grant, buttressed by an
Indian deed to lands upon the Mohawk,
stretching for twenty miles westward from
Canajoharie and reaching north and south
of the ri\-er as far as the settlers wished.
About the same time as the issuance of this
grant there occurred in Alban\' a great
132
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
council with the chiefs of the Six Nations
and the governors of New York and Penn-
sylvania. Governor Keith, of Pennsylvania,
while attending this council, learned of the
troubles of the Palatines and otTered them
an asylum in his province, assuring them
of secure houses and kindly treatment,
telling them of the happy fortunes of a small
band of Germans who had recently come to
Pennsylvania and had settled about sixty
miles west of Philadelphia. Thus two
avenues were opened. But each involved a
third removal and the surrender of all the
labor of ten years.
"About one-third of the people, conclud-
ing that to compound with their oppressors
was better than such removal, made terms
either by lease or purchase of the lands
which already were their own. The re-
mainder were about equally divided, one
part for the Mohawk and the rest for Penn-
sylvania. The former settled themselves
along that river and for years constituted a
strong frontier against Indian and French
attack, and founded i^ourishing commu-
nities.
"Of those who made choice of
Conrad Pennsylvania, Conrad W'eiser was
Weiser. easily the leader. During the
Schoharie struggle his father,
John Conrad, had gone to England to make
a fruitless appeal to the crown. He re-
turned after live years, broken in health and
spirit, and the son, Conrad, succeeded to the
leadership. Young Conrad was twelve
years old when the Palatines left their
native land, was educated by his father, who
had been a magistrate in the Palatinate, and
early showed the possession of qualities of
a high order, quick intelligence, a deep re-
ligious sense, a logical mind, a strong will,
sound judgment and great executive ability.
In his youth at Schoharie he spent much
lime with the Indians, learned their lan-
guage and secured their friendship. This
familiarity proved afterwards of immense
benefit in Pennsylvania, where he became
intimately associated with provincial affairs,
and in all dealings with the Indians was the
counselor and agent of the Governor. He
was also associated with Franklin in educa-
tional and other colonial interests, and took
a leading part in the founding and extension
of the Lutheran Church in Pennsylvania.
There are indeed few names in the colonial
history of that province more worthy of
honor than that of Conrad \\'eiser.
"The Pennsylvania contingent left Scho-
harie in two parties, one in 1722, and the
other the next year. Following the stream
southward for a few miles, they struck an
Indian trail over the mountains to the upper
waters of the Susquehanna. There they
constructed canoes and batteaux for the car-
riage of most of the company and their
goods, while some of the men keeping near
the river drove before their horses and cat-
tle. A Schoharie legend recites that, in the
following year, twelve of these horses found
their own way back to the Schoharie, their
souls lusting after the rich clover of its
meadows. Having made their boats, the
greater portion of the company embarked
upon the peaceful river and quietly floated
down its course through the wilderness of
lower New York, unpeopled, save by wan-
dering" Mohawks and Delawares, through
the beautiful Wyoming Valley, forty years
before Connecticut made its first token of
occupation and settlement."
They came down the North
Come Down Branch to Fort Augusta,
the near the site of Sunbury,
Susquehanna, where this stream enters the
Susquehanna. At this point
tradition says, bands of peaceful Indians
welcomed them. Tribes of Shawanese oc-
cupied the alluvial lands on both sides of the
stream, at Paxtang on the east side, and at
the mouth of the Yellow Breeches on the
west side. Here floating down the stream
in their fiatboats and canoes,- the Germans
observed the Susquehanna spread out more
than a mile in width like an open bay.
When they arrived at the site of Middle-
town, on the east bank of the river, they
turned their canoes up the placid waters of
the Swatara, along whose banks could then
be seen small settlements of Conoy and
Conewago Indians. The signs and symbols
of these worthy Germans, in all 33 families,
were recognized and received with favor by
the red men of the forest. So these pious
Germans passed onward to their place of
destination. They moved on up the
Swatara to its upper waters and then
crossed over to the fertile region of the Tul-
pehocken, now embraced in Berks and
I^ebanon counties. This land had been se-
cured from the Indian chief, Sassouan. A
THE GER.M.\XS
13.1
few years after the arrival of these Germans
at Tulpeliocken a number of them migrated
to ^'ork County.
'I'he liberal system of g'o\-ern-
Penn's ment in the provinee of Wil-
Invitation. liam Penn was the cause of en-
couraging" Germans from the
Palatinate, most of whom belonged to the
Lutheran and Reformed Churches, as well
as the Mennonites from Germany and
Switzerland and the German Baptists from
the upper Rhine, to cross the Atlantic and
seek refuge in Pennsylvania. They first
settled in Philadelphia in 1683, and the
stream of immigration from Germany con-
tinued from that date until 1760. Between
1705 and 1727, a large number of Germans
settled in New Jersey. The interest which
\\"illiam Penn had in West Jerse}^ led him
to purchase the territory now embraced in
Penns}'lvania. Having three times visited
the Palatines and other Germans in the
Fatherland, Penn invited them to come to
America, and this invitation helped to cause
the immigration -which continued for more
than half a century. The Mennonites, who
settled at Germantown in 1683, were the
first to arrive. A colony of the German
Baptists, or Dunkers, settled at the same
place in 1719. Meantime, the Mennonites
pressed forward and took up the rich lands
of the Pequea Valley of Lancaster Count)^
as early as 1709.
After 1716 there was a rapid immigration
of Palatines, representing the Lutheran and
Reformed Churches, landed at Philadelphia.
Most of them were of the peasant class and
moved within the present limits of Mont-
gomery, Berks, Northampton and Lancas-
ter Counties. A Reformed Church was
founded at Goshenhoppen, in Berks County,
in 171 7, and Lutheran Churches were
founded at Trappe and other parts of Mont-
gomery County about the same time. At
this period in our colonial history, the In-
dians were li^-ing on peaceful terms with the
whites, and these German settlers moved
forward toward the Susquehanna. The
largest immigration took place between
1730 and 1750. In 1747 Governor Thomas
estimated that there were 120,000 of these
people within the Pro\-ince of Pennsyl-
vania. After the year 1727 the masters of
vessels arriving at the port of Philadelphia
were required to have all the German im-
migrants sign their names before landing.
'IMiese original documents are now in the
recoril ilepartment among the archives at
Harrisburg. In 1856, I. D. Rupp published
in book form the names of 30,000 Germans
who landed at Philadelphia between the
years 1727 and 1776, when Penn's province
became a state.
The charter granted to
West of the Lord Baltimore permitted
Susquehanna, settlements in the valley of
Monocacy, where Freder-
ick now stands, as early as 17 12, and a num-
ber of Palatines located there during that
year, while still others crossed the Potomac
into the Shenandoah Valley as early as 1731.
Germans were among tlie earliest to cross
the Susquehanna, beginning their settle-
ments in the valley of the Kreutz Creek and
Conojohela, in 1730. They could secure no
rights for settlements until 1733, when
Samuel Blunston, an English Quaker and an
agent for the Penns, issued licenses for
white settlers to cross the Susquehanna and
take up lands within the present area of
York County. During the succeeding
three years, at least one thousand Palatines
settled in the Codorus Valley. They
founded the first Lutheran Church on the
site of York in 1733. About the same time
a Reformed congregation was organized at
Kreutz Creek. The Germans began to set-
tle on what is known as Digges' Choice,
around the site of Hanover, as early as 1731,
taking up lands under Maryland titles.
The land west of the Susquehanna, ex-
tending to the eastern slopes of the Alle-
ghany Mountains, was purchased by the
Penns from the Indians in 1736. From that
time until 1749, when York County was
organized, there was a continuous stream of
migration into York County. Many of
these people came directly from the Father-
land, while others migrated from the eastern
counties of Pennsylvania. A few of them
w^ere Mennonites and others Dunkers, but
a large majority were Lutherans and Re-
formed. They brought with them the cus-
toms of their native land, as well as the
church and parochial schools.
Hon. John W. Bittenger, in an address
delivered at the time of the Sesqui-Centen-
nial of York County, in 1899, paid the fol-
lowing tribute to the worthy Germans who
settled this region :
134
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
"As William Penn, the great apostle of
peace and toleration, sought a home in the
new world and founded Pennsylvania,
where he might worship God according to
the dictates of his own conscience, so the
Germans of the Palatinate and other parts
of Germany, at the invitation of Penn, came
to seek a new home in his province, many
of them in York County, for the same laud-
able purposes and in hopes and expectations
of finding a retreat, a peaceable settlement
therein. How they grew in numbers; how
by acts of charity and good will, they lived
in peace with their Indian neighbors ; how
they established and maintained their plain
but comfortable homes; built churches and
school houses ; defended their possessions
against Maryland intruders and compelled
recognition of their rights ; defended their
country's flag, its honor and liberties on
every Ijattlefield ; improved their lands and
developed their resources ; how they were
largely instrumental in the establishment
and maintenance of good goxernment. are
all matters of history.
"As early as December i6, 1774. at a
meeting called at the Court House, a Com-
mittee of Safety for the county was elected,
having among its members men of familiar
German names: Henry Slagle, George Eich-
elberger, George Koontz, Simon Copen-
hafer, Michael Hahn, Baltzer Spajagjer,..^
David Messerly, Nicholas Bittinger, Jacob
Doudel, Frederick Fischel, Michael Doudel,
Casper Reinecke and Henry Liebhart.
These and other Germans of York County
stood by the great cause until our indepen-
dence was obtained and then devoted them-
selves to the civil achie\'ements that fol-
lowed.
"It is our duty to recount their virtues,
laud their distinguished services to their
country, their great achievements in peace
or war, to honor their names and cherish
their memories, for an honored ancestry is
to worthy descendants their richest in-
heritance."
THE MENNONITES.
The ^lennonites were among the early
settlers in the territorj' of York County.
Under the leadership of Michael Tanner,
Mdio, in 1749, was appointed one of the com-
missioners to lay ofT York Countjr, this class
of religionists began to settle in the south-
western section of the county as early as
1738. They took up the rich farming lands
to the east and southeast of Hanover, first
securing land titles from the authorities of
Marjdand. A few of them settled between
York and the Susquehanna River.
The religious body known as Men-
Their nonites has a disputed origin.
Origin. They took their name from Menno
Simon, who had been a Roman
Catholic priest and first organized them in
Germany during the year 1540. Some au-
thorities state that they were descendants
of the Waldenses, a class of people who
suffered persecution in France and parts of
Germany. Another authority reports them
as Anabaptists.
In their religious beliefs the Mennonites
opposed war, would take no oaths, no part
in government, were opposed to a paid min-
istry, premeditated sermons, high education
and infant baptism, the doctrines and be-
liefs to which they still adhere. These peo-
ple, who were similar in their religious faith
to the Quakers, had been invited to come to
America by Gust^vus Adolphus, of Sweden,
and settle with his own subjects on the
banks of the Delaware. A few of them
came as early as 1662.
A\^illiam Penn, whose mother was of Hol-
land-Dutch ancestry, paid a visit to Holland
and the lower parts of Germany in the year
1761, preaching the doctrine of the "inner
light," or the motives and influences that
guide the hearts and consciences of men, a
faith in harmon}' with that of the followers
of Menno Simon. In 1677 Penn made a
second visit to Holland and Germany,
where he encouraged the forming of
colonization societies. The Mennonites
had been driven up and down the Rhine by
persecution for a century and a half, and
they were now willing to brave the dangers
of the sea to find a haven of rest beyond it.
In 1683 Jacob Telner, of Crefeld, a town
on the Rhine just outside of Holland, or-
ganized a company of Mennonites for the
purpose of transporting them to America.
He had come to Pennsylvania a few years
before and selected a site as a future home
for his people on the banks of the Delaware,
a short distance north of Philadelphia.
Francis Daniel Pastorius, a
Founded noted scholar, arrived in
Germantown. Philadelphia August 20,
THE GERMANS
135
1683, and soon afterward founded Ger-
mantown with thirteen families of Cre-
felders. in all thirty-three persons. Wil-
liam Penn was present when the frame
work of the first two-story house was built
in Germantown, and partook of a Mennon-
ite dinner at the "raising." Other immi-
grants began to arrive and the village of
Germantown, then six miles from Philadel-
phia and now part of the city, became a
prosperous settlement.
In 1719 another class of religionists
whom Penn had invited to his province
first landed in America and took up their
abode with the Mennonites around German-
town. These people were the German Bap-
tists, or Dunkers, who, in the main, held the
same religious beliefs as the Mennonites
and Quakers. They came to Germantown
under the leadership of Christopher Sauer, a
man of fine education, and who became the
original publisher of German books in
America.
A colony of eight families of Swiss
In the Mennonites arrived at Holland,
Pequea set sail for America, and in 1709
Valley, took up lands in the beautiful
Pequea Valle}', in Lancaster
County, being the first white settlers to
clear the lands and cultivate the soil of that
region. They were the pioneers of a large
immigration of these worthy people, who
soon afterward occupied the fertile valleys
immediately east of the Susquehanna.
Having come to this province at the invita-
tion of \Mlliam Penn, these Swiss Mennon-
ites lived peaceably with the Indians, who
still had their villages along the Susque-
hanna and its tributary streams. They
came under the leadership of John Herr,
who has numerous descendants in the
counties of Lancaster and York.
These people being pleased with their
new surroundings in the primeval forests of
Pennsylvania, decided to send the good
tidings to their unfortunate friends in their
native land. Martin Kendig was chosen to
return to Europe, and the next year he came
back to Pequea. the leader of a new band of
Mennonites. In 1717 another band of
Swiss Mennonites came to the Pequea Val-
ley and settled themselves on lands sur-
rounding those owned by their brethren
who came before them. In 1726 a much
larger immigration, to avoid religious perse-
cution in their native country, crossed the
ocean and at last found a safe harbor in the
land of Penn.
By the year 1732 there were sev-
In York eral hundred of these people
County, living in the fertile valleys of Lan-
caster County. In 1733, when
the Blunston grants were given, permitting
settlers to cross the Susquehanna, some of
these Swiss Mennonites w-ere among the
earliest to locate in the limestone region
east of York, and the fertile country of
Heidelberg, Penn and the adjoining town-
ships east and southeast of Hanover. They
brought wnth them the Bible and other re-
ligious works from the Fatherland, and
soon after their arrival founded a church in
the vicinity of Menges' Mills, and one along
the York Road, known as Bear's Meeting
House, three miles southeast of Hanover.
These settlements were made before the
red men of the forests had given up these
hunting grounds and moved westward
ahead of the white emigration. The de-
scendants of these early Mennonites still
occupy the fertile lands taken up by their
ancestors nearly two centuries ago.
THE GERMAN BAPTISTS.
The followers of Alexander Mack,
founder of the German Baptist Church, be-
gan to settle in York County as early as
1738. One colony of these people took up
the fertile lands in the southwestern portion
of this county, settling there about the same
time that the people of the Mennonite faith
began to locate in that region. The Bermu-
dian settlement, in the extreme western
part of York County and the eastern part
of Adams County, was composed almost
entirely of German Baptists.
In colonial times there seems
Christopher to have been three leaders
Sauer. among the German people in
Pennsylvania. These per-
sons were Christopher Sauer (Sower), the
leader of the German Baptists, Michael
Schlatter, a remarkable missionary among
the German Reformed settlers, and Henry
Melchoir Muhlenberg, one of the founders
of the Lutheran Church in America. In
many respects Christopher Sauer was the
most progressive German in .\merica in his
day. He first settled on a farm in Lancaster
County in 1724. He went to Germantown
136
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
in 173 1, and in 1738 began to publish an
almanac, which was widely circulated and
exerted a powerful influence over the Ger-
man people of Pennsylvania for more than
half a century. It appeared every year from
1738 to 1798, the last numbers being pub-
lished by his descendants. Sauer also
began the publication of a religious and
secular journal in 1739 and in 1743 he
printed the first Bible which appeared from
the press in America, except a portion of
the Scriptures printed by Eliot at an earlier
date, made for the Indians of Massachusetts.
This edition of the Sauer Bible was limited
to 1,200 copies. Two other editions were
issued at a later date. Copies of the first
edition are very rare. During his life time,
Sauer published many books, and his print-
ing house was continued by his descendants.
The Ephrata community, in Lancaster
County, a body of Seventh Day Baptists,
also followers of Alexander Mack, estab-
lished a printing press in 1745 and pub-
lished a large number of books in the Ger-
man language. One of these, known as the
"Martyr's Mirror," was the largest book
printed in America before the Revolution.
It may be interesting here to give
Origin the origin and early history of the
of the German Baptist Church, their
Church, emigration to Pennsylvania and
their settlement west of the
Susquehanna.
The German Baptists, as a church, body,
originated in Germany in the year 1708.
They usually call themselves "Brethren"
and their church the "Brethren Church."
They are sometimes called "Dunkers," from
the German word "tunken," meaning to
baptize or dip. This name originated in
Pennsylvania during their early history
here. They do not recognize the name
Dunker, or Dunkard, as appropriate to
designate their church body. The origi-
nators of this denomination in Germany met
and held meetings among themselves for
social worship, but the regular Protestant
clergy soon caused the secular authorities
to interfere. At this time, in 1695, ^ mild
and lenient Count ruled over the province
of Wigenstein, in North Prussia, where
liberty of conscience was granted. To this
place, although a poor, rough country, went
many, who were aroused by a religious
awakening and who desired to consult
among themselves as to church discipline
and ecclesiastical polity. This province was
soon known as "the rendezvous of the
Lord's people." Those who collected there
were first called Pietists, and all worshipped
together. They then commenced to call
themselves Brethren. One of the guiding
points of their discipline was found in the
book of Matthew, which says : "If thy
brother trespass against thee, go and tell
him his faults between thee and him alone."
But to fulfill this injunction they needed
some church order and they began to seek
for the footsteps of the primitive Christians.
The mystery of water baptism appeared to
them a door of entrance into the true
church, which they so earnestly sought, but
they could not at once agree as to form.
Finally, in 1708, eight of the most truth-
loving of them agreed to enter into "a cove-
nant of good conscience with God by taking
up all the commandments of Jesus Christ
as an easy yoke, and thus follow him as their
faithful shepherd."
Those eight persons were George Graby
and Lucas Vetter, from Hesse-Cassel;
Alexander Mack, from Schriesheim, and his
wife, Anna Margaretta; Andrew Bonny,
from Basle, Switzerland, and his wife, Jo-
hanna, and John Kipping, from Wurtera-
burg, and his wife, Johanna. These eight
persons "covenanted and united as brethren
and sisters of Jesus Christ," and thus
formed the nucleus of a church of Christian
believers. They claimed, after careful in-
vestigation, that according to the commands
of Christ the primitive Christians "were
planted into his death by a three-fold im-
mersion in the water bath of holy baptism,
being in exact harmony with the New
Testament." Trine immersion was con-
sidered by them the only correct form of
baptism. Being prepared for the ceremony
of baptism, they went along the little stream
called Aeder, in Germany, and he upon
whom the labor had fallen baptized the
leading brother and he in turn baptized the
rest. In a few years there were large con-
gregations gathered in ^wartznau, in the
Palatinate and in Marienborn. Persecution
soon followed them. These unfortunate
ones found refuge under the king of Prus-
sia. Among the prominent workers in the
church in Germany about 1715, some of
wliose descendants now live in York
THE GERMANS
137
County, were John Henry Kalclesser, of
Frankenthal; Christian Liebe (Leib), of
Ebstein; Johanna Nass (Noss), of Norten;
Peter Becker, of Dillsheim; John Henry
Trout and several brothers; Heinrich Hol-
sapple and Stephen Koch, of the Palatinate.
This religious body suffered
Come to great persecutions in parts of the
America. Fatherland. Some fled to Cre-
feld, Prussia, from thence to
Holland, thence to the province of Fries-
land, in the hope of finding an asylum of
peace and safety, but were everywhere dis-
appointed until they "turned their faces to-
ward the land of Penn," where this entire
religious body soon emigrated. Twenty
families first emigrated, with Elder Peter
Becker at their head, in 1719, and settled in
the vicinity of Germantown, Pennsylvania.
In 1729 thirty more families came over
under the leadership of the celebrated Alex-
ander Mack, who- himself was a noted
evangelist and a descendant of the Wal-
denses so well known to history. Settle-
ments of them were soon formed at Skip-
pack, Montgomery County, Oley, in Berk^.
and Conestoga, in Lancaster; all under the
care of preachers Mack and Becker. In
1723 the church held a first election in
America and chose Conrad Beissel, a minis-
ter, and John Hildebrand, a deacon, both
to serve in Lancaster County. In the lan-
guage of an old record, "Conrad Beissel got
wise in his own conceit, had an idea that
Saturday was the Lord's day, secured a
number of followers, and in 1729' organized,
at Ephrata, the German Seventh-day Bap-
tists," who were afterward known as a dis-
tinct church body. In 1732 Beissel or-
ganized a monastic society at Ephrata. The
churches at Ephrata, at Conestoga, and one
in Chester County attracted so man\^ set-
tlers that land became high. So numerous
members of the Brethren Church, as early
as 1736, began to migrate to what is now
York County. Some went down into
Maryland.
The first church in York
Conewago County by the Brethren was
Church. organized in 1738, "twenty
miles west from the town of
York, on the Little Conewago." This was
in the vicinity of Hanover. The district
embraced by the church included a large ex-
tent of territorv east, north and northwest
of the site of the present town of Hanover.
It will thus be seen that the German Bap-
tists were among the earliest people to form
church organizations in York County.
Among the early members who organized
this church, in 1738, were Eldrick, Dier-
dorff, Bigler, Gripe, Studsman and others.
Among the prominent members of this con-
gregation in 1770 were Jacob Moyer and
James Henrick, preachers ; Hans Adam
Snyder, George Wine, Daniel Woods,
Henr}' Geing, Joseph Moyer, Nicholas
Hostetter, Christian Hostetter, Rudy
Brown. Dobis Brother, Jacob Miller,
Michael Koutz, Stephen Peter, Henry Tan-
ner, IMichael Tanner, John Moyer, Jacob
Souder, Henry Hoff, John Swartz. The
wives of all these persons named w^ere also
members of this church. The unmarried
members were Barbara Snyder, John Geing,
2\Iaud Bowser, George Peter, Hester Wise,
Christian Etter, John Peter Weaver, Bar-
bara Bear, Elizabeth Boering, Grace Hymen.
Their first preacher was Daniel Leather-
man, Senior. He was followed by Nicholas
Martin, Jacob Moyer (Meyers), James
Hendrich (Henry), etc.
In 1 741 there was another church or-
ganized in the limits of what was then York
County, "on the Great Conewago, about
fourteen miles west from the new town of
York." This was the same year York was
founded. jMany of the members of the
church lived in the present territory of
Adams County, in the vicinity of the vil-
lages of Abbottstown and East Berlin.
Among the first members of this organiza-
tion were John Neagley, Adam Sower,
Jacob Sweigard, Peter Neiper and Joseph
Latshaw. Their first elder was George
Adam Martin, who was followed by Daniel
Leatherman, Jr., and Nicholas Martin. The
following were the members in 1770:
George Brown, preacher; John Heiner,
Peter Fox, Anthony Dierdorft', Nicholas
;Mo3'er, ManassehBrough, Michael Bosser-
man, David Ehrhard, Daniel Baker, Abra-
ham Stauffer, Henry Dierdorft", John Burk-
holder, Andrew Trimmer, Eustace Rensel,
Peter Dierdorft', Barnett Augenbaugh,
John Neagley, Michael Brissel, ^^'elty Bris-
sel, JMatthias Bouser, Laurence Baker,
Philip Snell, Nicholas Baker, Jr., Adam
Sower, Adam Dick, Henry Brissel, David
Brissel. Henry Radibush, George Wagner,
138
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
George Reeson, and their wives. The un-
married members were Peter VVertz, Ann
Mummert, Christian Fray, Samuel Arnold,
Mary Latshaw, Catherine Studabaker,
Nicholas Baker, Marillas Baker, Sarah Bris-
sel, Jacob Miller, Rudolph Brown. The two
organizations alread}' described were known
as the Conewago Churches.
There was another congrega-
Bermudian tion organized within the
Church. present area of Washington
Township, "fifteen miles from
the town of York," called the Bermudian
Church. The first constituents of this
organization separated from the Cloister
Church, at Ephrata, Lancaster County, in
1735, and organized in 1738 in York County.
Many of them were Seventh-day Baptist,-..
The church was considered an ofifspring of
Ephrata, but for a while they worshipped
witli the Brethren. Some of the founders c^f
it were : Philip Gebel, Peter Beissel, Henry
Lowman, Peter Miller and George Adam
Martin.
Some of the prominent persons who com-
posed its membership in 1770 were: Fred-
erick Reuter and wife, Daniel Fahnestock
and wife, Peter Henry and wife, Paul Troub
and wife, Dietrich Fahnestock and wife,
John Cook and wife, Peter Bender and wife,
Melchoir AVebber and wife, John Lehr and
wife, John Messerbach and wife, George
Reiss (Rice) and wife, George Neiss (Nace)
and wife, Benjamin Gebel (Gable) and
wife, Philip Beissel and wife, Baltzer Smith
and wife, AA'idows Dorothy and StaulTer,
several families by the name of Frick, from
whom descended Henry C. Frick, of Pitts-
burg; John Bentz, wife, daughter, and four
sons ; John Miller, wife, and two sons ; Peter
Beissel, wife, son, and two daughters. This
list includes both Seventh-day Baptists and
Brethren. Later in the history of the
church the Seventh-day Baptists, or "Sieben
Tager," as they were called, maintained a
separate organization, but as a church
ceased to exist in this county about 1820.
Some of the members about that time were
Frederick Reider, Jacob Kimmel, Michael
Kimmel, John Meily, Samuel, Daniel, and
Boreas Fahnestock, and others.
The "Codorus Church was or-
The ganized in the Township of Co-
Codorus dorus, eleven miles southeast of
Church. York, in 1758," and soon after
numbered in its membership about forty
families. The first elder of this church
was Jacob Danner, a son of Michael
Danner, a prominent man in the early
history of the county and one of the five
commissioners appointed to view and lay ofif
York County in 1749. Jacob Danner,
Heinrich Danner and their father were
among the most intelligent of the first Ger-
man emigrants west of the Susquehanna,
and figured very prominently in their day.
Jacob Danner was a poet of no mean repu-
tation. About the year 1750 he and Rev.
Jacob Lischy, of York Reformed Church,
engaged in a vigorous religious controversy.
The manuscripts containing Danner's argu-
ments were written in verse in his native
German language. Jacob Danner moved to
Frederick Count^^ Md. The controversy
showed considerable ability on the part of
l)oth clergymen.
Prominent among the first members of
the Codorus congregation, in 1758, were
Rudy Yunt, Peter Brillharth, John Brill-
harth, Henr}' NefT and wife. After Jacob
Danner went to Maryland, Henry Neff was
called to the ministry and remained pastor
until after 1775. He was highly appreci-
ated by his people, and kept careful official
records. Some of the other members of this
church, in 1770, were Jacob Tillman, wife
and daughter; Jacob Spitler, wife and two
daughters ; Jacob Neiswanger and wife,
Anna Neiswanger, and Elizabeth Seip,
George Beary and wife, John Harold and
wife, AA'illiam Spitler and wife. Christian
Eby, Wendell Baker and wife, Michael
Berkey and wife, George Etter and son,
Matthias Sitler and wife, Susanne AVeltner,
Catherine Beightley.
The celebrated Baptist preacher, Morgan
Edwards, of Philadelphia, visited his Dun-
ker Brethren in York County in 1770 and
afterward wrote an interesting report of
their prosperity here.
Being non-resistants in principle and in
church discipline, the first who emigrated to
York Count)^ had no difficulties with the In-
dians. During the Revolution most of them
took the oath of allegiance.
"The annual conference was held first in
York County in 1789 on the Great Cone-
wago." The following named elders or
bishops were present: Daniel Leatherman,
Martin Urner, Jacob Danner, Heinrich
THE GERMANS
139
Danner, Jolm Funk, Jacob Stall, Heinrich
Xeff, Conrad Brombach, Daniel Utz, An-
dreas Eby, Samuel Gerber, Herman Blasser,
Jacob Basehor, Abraham Oberholtzer.
Some of these may have been visitors from
Lancaster County or Maryland.
The Bunkers, or Brethren, were so
numerous in York and Adams Counties that
a second meeting of the conference was
held on the premises of Isaac Latchaws in
1819, when the following named elders or
bishops were present: Benjamin Bauman,
Samuel Arnold, Daniel Stober (Stover),
Daniel Gerber, Christian Lang (Long),
Jacob Mohler. John Gerber, John Stauffer,
Benjamin Eby, John Trimmer, Jacob
Preisz (Price), Daniel Reichardt, Fred-
erick Kline, Daniel Saylor, the ancestor of
D. P. Saylor, a prominent minister of the
church who recently died. Nearly all these
elders then lived in York and Adams
Counties.
The services in general down to about
1810 were held in private houses, barns and
schoolhouses. They now have plainly con-
structed but comfortable meeting houses.
Nearly all the congregations of this de-
nomination have meeting houses. The
County of York is now divided into three
districts. The upper Codorus district has
within its limits four meeting houses,
namely — Black Rock, in Manheim Town-
ship ; Jefferson, near Jefiferson Borough ;
^^"ildasins, four miles southeast of Hanover,
and Beaver Creek, near Abbottstown. The
bishop or elder of this district is Henry
Hoft, of Black Rock. The preachers are D.
N. Bucher, of Abbottstown; Joseph Price, of
Black Rock; Aaron Baugher, Jefferson;
David B. Hoff, Edwin Miller, of Black
Rock; Moses ^Murray and David Hoff.
THE HUGUENOTS.
The following article relating to the
Dutch and Huguenot colony on the Cone-
wago was read before the Historical So-
ciety of York County, in the year 1905, by
Re\-. A. Stapleton :
The history of this colony is perhaps the
most remarkable in the annals of Pennsyl-
vania. In fact, we know of no other set-
tlement in the United States having such
unicjue characteristics.
The people composing this colony were
descendants of the Dutch (Hollanders) and
French Huguenot settlers of New Jersey.
The locality from whence they came was
Hackensack and Schwallenberg, in Bergen
County. In the early records of the Dutch
Reformed Churches of these places, the
reader who wishes to carry his investiga-
tions further will find the family records of
most of the colonists. The colonists, who
numbered probably over one hundred
families, did not come to York County in a
body, but gradually, during a period of
twenty years prior to the war of the Revo-
lution. They located mostly in ^It. Pleas-
ant and Straban Townships, now in Adams
County.
A remarkable feature of the colony was
its mobility. Its people were restless, and
for over half a century continued to break
up into smaller bodies, founding new set-
tlements on the distant frontiers. This dis-
integration continued until about 1800, by
which time but a comparatively small num-
ber of the "Jersey" families remained on the
Conewago.
A large number of these colonists, as
well as their descendants, attained distinc-
tion as soldiers, statesmen and promoters in
almost every line of human activity.
Prominent examples of these are Alexander
J. Cassatt, President of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company ; Thomas A. Hendrix,
Vice-President of the United States during
President Cleveland's first term ; Daniel H.
Voorhees, late United States Senator from
Indiana, and Senator Banta.
As already noted, the planting of the
Dutch and Huguenot colony in York
County embraced a period of many years.
It would be interesting to know who its pro-
moters were and what special inducements
were held out to the Jersey people, to trans-
plant themselves to this region. That it
was the outcome of a well-defined scheme,
and under the direction of promoters is
quite probable. In the absence of complete
records on this interesting subject we are
obliged to prepare its history from various
sources.
An examination of the official
Where records of York County shows that
They from 1760 to 1770 there was a
Came considerable influx of colonists
From. from New Jersey. Manj^ of them
were well advanced in years at the
time of their settlement here, as mav be
I40
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL'\
noted in their wills and other mortuary
papers on file in the York County Court
House. From the recently published rec-
ords of the Schwallenberg Reformed
Church we gain a knowledge of their family
history, and also that they intermarried.
Among the first of the Jersey colonists to
locate in York County was James Petit,
whose ancestor was one of the early Hugue-
not refugees to New Jersey. As early as
1740 James Pettit possessed a considerable
estate on the Conewago. He died in 1771
at an advanced age. Abram La Rue, who
died in 1757, and Adam de Gomois, Hugue-
not pioneers from New Jersey, were among
the earliest settlers, and no doubt had much
to do with the subsecjuent influx.
Some of the leading families of the colony
were ;
David Demorest (Demore) was born in
173 1, and died in 1808. He was a descend-
ant of a Huguenot refugee of the same
name, born in Beauchamp, France, in 1620,
and who came to New York in 1663 because
of religious persecution.
Frederick Banta was the grandson of
Prof. Epke Banta, a Dutch colonist who
died at Schrallenberg in 1719.
John Bodine, who died at Conewago in
1776, at a very advanced age, was the
grandson of the Huguenot refugee, Jean
Bodine, who died on Long Island, New
York, in 1695. In 1794 George Brocaw
died, whose ancestor, Pierre Brocaw, a
French refugee, located in New York prior
to 1680. Audri Ridett died in 1776;
Michael Le Boob, in 1781 ; Adam de Goma
in 1772; Cornelius Corsine, in 1786; Peter
Corsine, in 1779; Peter Montford, the pro-
genitor of a noble family, died quite aged
in 1769. George BrinkerhofT, who was born
in 1719, died in 1810. A marble shaft marks
the resting place of this patriarch in the
cemetery of the colonists on the Conewago,
near Hunterstown.
Francis Cazart (Cassatt), ancestor of
Alexander J. Cassatt, President of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, was born at Mill-
stone, Somerset County, in New Jersey, in
1713. He was a grandson of Jacques Cazart
and his wife, Lydia, French refugees, who
came to America in 1657. He was married
prior to 1740 and had children as follows:
Peter, one of the early colonists of Ken-
tucky, where he was killed by the Indians
during the Revolution; Magdalena, born
1741; David, born 1743; Jacob, born 1751;
Stynte, born 1755; Elizabeth, born 1757, and
Francis, Jr., who went to Kentucky. Fran-
cis Cazart was very prominent in the affairs
of Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary
period. His sons likewise shared in the
struggle for Independence. In 1776 he was
elected a member of the Provincial As-
sembly, and was a member of the committee
that framed the first constitution of the
state in 1776. He died sometime after 1787,
at which time he divided his estate among
his children.
It is worthy of note that a considerable
number of the descendants of Francis Ca-
zart attained distinction in various walks of
life. Among others were David, born 1768,
died in 1824, and Jacob, born 1778, died
1839; both were sons of David, the eldest
son of Francis. David Cassatt, Jr., was a
lawyer of ability. At an early day he lo-
cated at York, where his daughter, Isa-
bella, married Samuel Small, Sr., member of
the firm of P. A. & S. Small. For many
years he was one of the leaders of the York
County Bar and held various offices of
responsibility. His remains repose in the
graveyard of the First Presbyterian Church
of York. Jacob Cassatt, the brother of
David, Jr., was also a lawyer and citizen of
Gettysburg. For many years he was quite
prominent in the politics of the common-
wealth and was a recognized leader in the
legislature at the time of his death.
Dennis Cassatt, who was a brother of
Jacob and David, died sometime prior to
1824, leaving an only son, Robert, of Pitts-
burg, who was the father of Alexander J.
Cassatt. Many of the descendants of Peter
Cassatt (son of trancis, the Pennsylvania
pioneer, and who was killed by the Indians
in Kentucky in 1780) are widely distributed
in the west.
From a valuable article on the
Names of history of the Dutch and
Early Huguenot colony of York
Church County by Rev. J. K. Demorest,
Members, of Gettysburg, we are able to
reproduce the membership list
of the Dutch Reformed Church of Cone-
wago, prior to 1775. The names given are
males, and supposedly heads of families :
THE GERMANS
141
Aelsdorf, John,
Aaten, J.
Ackcrman, Ilciiry,
Ammcrman,
Anderson,
Banta, Samuel,
Banta, Albert,
Banta, Henry,
Banta, Abraham,
Banta, David,
Banta, Peter,
Bise, Daniel,
Bedan,
Burnet, George,
Brocaw, Peter,
Brocaw, John,
Brocaw, Ferdinand,
Brocaw, George,
Blank,
Brunner, Abraham,
Bayard, George,
Breen. Phil,
Breen, Jeremiah,
Bogart,
Bergen,
Benner,
Brower, Abraham,
Brower, John,
Bodine, John,
Bodine. Abraham,
Brinkerhoff, George,
Brinkerhoff, Jacob,
Brinkerhoff. Ralph,
Brinkerhoff, Luke,
Brinkerhoff, William,
Brinkerhoff, Henry,
Brinkerhoff, John,
Clark.
Carmine, Peter,
Cole.
Cazart, Francis,
Cazart. Peter,
Cazart. David,
Cozine, Peter.
Cozine, Cornelius,
Cozine. Gerritt,
Cozine, John, _
Crownover, John,
Crownover, Cornelius,
Coshon,
Chamberlain.
Commingore.
Cover, Isaac,
Cover, John,
Cover, Daniel,
Durye,
Dates, ■
Durboraw,
Dennis, John,
Ditmans,
Henry,
Dunn, Samuel,
Dubois,
Demorest, David,
Demorest, Samuel.
Demorest, Cornelius,
Demorest. Albert,
Demorest. Garrett,
deBaum, Joseph,
de Mott.
de Baum, Abraham,
de Baum, Isaac,
de Graff, Michael,
de Graff. William,
de Graff. Abraham,
Dorland, Garrett.
Ditch. William.
Hichim. Richard.
Fontein, Charles,
Fontein, Thomas,
Freer, James.
Griggs, William,
Harfen,
Hutson,
Haal.
Hulick, Isaac.
Hulick. Ferdinand.
Hols. John.
Hoff. Abraham.
Houghtaling. Hczckiah,
Herris, Daniel,
Manners, Baldwin,
Hoagland,
Houts, John,
Houts, Christoffel,
Jewel. William.
Jewel, Cornelius,
Jansen (Johnson) Thomas
Jansen. Abraham.
Jansen. Andrew,
Karmigal. Peter,
Kline. Henry.
Klopper. Cornelius,
Ketcheon. Richard,
Kipp. John.
Kipp. Bernard.
Kneff. John.
Krace.
Leaschells, George,
Learamer.
Lea Grange.
Van Neues,
Vanderbilt, -
Van Orden,
Vauncst,
Leittel, Henry,
Leott, Cornelius,
Midday, Ephraim,
Myers,
Mark, Michael,
Masden, Peter,
Montford, Francis,
Montford, Peter,
Montford, Jacob,
Montford, Laurens,
Nevins, Martin,
Owens, William,
Oblenius, John,
Parsell, Isaac,
Parsell, Richard,
Peter, Peter,
Peter, Garrett,
Ringland, Joseph.
Ringland, Phares,
Ringland, John,
Remsen.
Sloot, Benjamin,
Stag, James,
Schamp, Joseph,
Striker, Henry,
Sickles,
Sebring, George,
Smock, Jacob,
Smock, John,
Smock, Bernard,
Snedicker, Christian,
Snyder,
Speden,
Terlume,
Te Moth, Isaac,
Titsworth, Mark,
Titsworth, Isaac,
Van Dyke, John,
Van Dyke, Peter,
Van Cleef, Isaac,
Van Aarsdale, Abraham,
Van Aarsdale, Simon,
Van Aarsdale, Garrett,
Van Aarsdale, Luke,
Van Aarsdale, John,
Van Aarsdale, Isaac,
Van Dine, Dennis,
Van Sant, Peter,
Van Hues, Cornelius,
Van Harlinger,
Van Shaak,
Van Horn, Michael,
Van Riper,
Van Voost,
Van der Veer, Henry,
Vantine, Thomas,
Vantine, Charles,
Vorhees, Ralph,
Vorhees, Cornelius,
Vorhees, Aaron,
Vorhees, Garrett,
Wykoff,
Wcstervelt, Jacob,
Westervelt, John,
Westervelt, Abraham,
Williamson, David,
Williamson, William,
Williamson, George,
Williamson, Frederick,
Yeurv, Benedict.
The members of the Conewago
A colony early established a congre-
Pioneer gation of their own faith, the
Church. Dutch Reformed, which has the
distinction of being the only
church of that denomination west of the
Susquehanna River before 1800. A house
for religious worship was erected near the
present site of Hunterstown. soon after the
establishment of this colony. The church
records begin in 1769. The congregation
was under the care of the New Brunswick
classes of the Dutch Reformed Church.
The first regular pastor was Rev. John M.
Van Haling, from Millstone, New Jersey,
who was a relative of the Cassatts. The
second pastor was Rev. John Leydt, of New
Brunswick. New Jersey, who was succeeded '
b}' Rev. Cornelius Corsine, who died in
1788. Rev. Corsine was followed by Rev.
George S. Brinkerhoff, who began his
labors in 1789, and was the last regular
pastor.
A\'hen Brinkerhoft assumed charge of the
congregation, the colony was already
greatly weakened by removals and no
longer able to support a minister. He ac-
cordingly accepted a call, in 1793, to Sem-
pronius, in New York, where a great many
of his parishioners had located, and where
he died in 1813.
In 1817 a few of the surviving colonists
petitioned the Pennsylvania Legislature for
permission to sell the church and land con-
nected with it. The proceeds of the sale
were expended in the erectioii of a massive
stone wall surrounding the cemetery of the
colony. In this historic burial ground, now
much neglected, sleep the patriarchs of this
colon}-; their children became common-
wealth builders, and bore a conspicuous
part in the history of this great nation.
142
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The reader will be interested in the dis-
persion of the Conewago colonists and their
re-location elsewhere. Before taking up
this subject, however, the question natur-
ally arises, why they did not remain here?
To this query no satisfactory answer can be
given. They were restless, adventurous and
intensely patriotic. During the Revolution
they furnished a number of men who fought
for independence. A considerable number
became prominent, among them Francis
Cazart, Abraham Banta and John Chamber-
lain. Three of the colonists were captains
in active service, namely Simon Van Ars-
dale, William Houghtaling and George
Brinkerhoff.
From various sources it is learned that
these people planned to form a new county
with the town of Berwick (now Abbotts-
town) as the county seat. It is possible
that the adverse treatment they met with
in this venture created a dissatisfaction
which eventually led many of them to sell
their lands, most of which was fertile and
well situated, and remove to virgin soil. As
early as 1774 they had sent agents to Ken-
tucky, \\'ho located a tract of ten thousand
acres near the present town of Pleasantville,
in Henry County. During the Revolution a
considerable number of these people re-
■ moved to their new possessions in Ken-
tucky. Among the first families to migrate
thither were Henry Banta and his numerous
sons, some of whom were heads of families ;
several sons of the pioneer Cassatt, Voor-
hees, Durye, Dorian, Hendricks and Mont-
ford. The colonists became associated with
the Kentuck}' pioneer, Daniel Boone, and
did valiant service for the new common-
wealth.
In 1780 the Kentucky colonists petitioned
the Congress for permission to organize
their settlement for the proper administra-
tion of law and the better security of their
lives and property. In 1795, the colonists
having organized themselves into a congre-
gation, petitioned the classes of New Bruns-
wick, New Jersey, for a minister of their
own faith with the result that Rev. Peter
Lebach was sent to minister to their spirit-
ual wants. Rev. Lebach was a native of
Hackensack, New Jersey. He remained
their pastor for upwards of half a century,
dying in 1858 at the age of 85 years. Several
decades after the establishment of the
original colony in Kentucky they located
another colony on the Salt River, in Mercer
County, and still another in Shelby County,
Kentucky.
At a later period the Kentucky colonies
formed settlements in Darke County, Ohio,
and Johnson County, Indiana. These
colonists early foresaw the opening of
western New York for settlement in conse-
cjuence of the ceding by the Six Nations of
their lands to the government. In 1793
they sent a prospecting" party to that region,
who located a fine tract of land at the outlet
of Owasco Lake. Upon securing the land,
the shareholders lost no time in occupying
it, so that by the following year a consider-
able number had already disposed of their
properties on the Conewago and removed
thither. Among the emigrants to this new
point of location were Jacob, Ralph and
George Brinkerhofif, sons of the Conewago
pioneer, already mentioned ; Thomas and
Andrew Johnson, Abraham Bodine, Charles
Vandine, James Dates, Isaac Purcell, Jacob
Leyster and George Brocaw. (In 1797 they
erected their first church, wdiich was re-
placed by a more substantial structure in
1827.)
In conclusion I may be per-
Their mitted to add a few notes
Descendants, regarding a few eminent de-
scendants of the Conewago
colony. Hendrick Banta had twenty chil-
dren, nearly all of them sons, some of whom
were soldiers in the Revolution, while Hen-
drick was a member of the committee of
observation for York County. The whole
Banta family went to Kentucky at the close
of the Revolution. Among the celebrities
of this family was Albert Banta, -who re-
moved from Kentucky to Indiana. He was
identified with many of the early interests
and movements of that commonwealth. A
descendant is David Banta, of Franklin, In-
diana, for many years a judge but later dean
of the law department of the State Uni-
versit}^ He is the author of a number of
books of permanent value. A. B. Banta, of
Harrodsburg, Ky., is one of the best known
men of that state.
Several of the Voorhees family
Noted have attained distinction. Daniel
Men. AA\ Voorhees, nick-named "The tall
sycamore of the Sangammon," was
born in Indiana in 1828; member of
THE GERMANS
143
Congress from 1861 to 1865, and from 1869
to 1871; United States Senator in 1877 and
thereafter many years. He figured prom-
inently in national affairs.
Probably the most noted descendant was
Thomas A. Hendricks. He was born in
Ohio in 1819, but early in life moved to In-
diana among his kindred. Notwithstanding
his conservatism, his integrity and probity
were recognized by all, regardless of party
lines. In 1863 Ire entered the Senate of the
United States and thereafter was the
political leader of his state until his death.
He made an unsuccessful run for vice-
president in 1876 with Samuel J. Tilden at
the head of the ticket. His second run for
the olifice in 1884, with Grover Cleveland,
brought him the second highest honor
within the gift of the American people.
The River Brethren, sometimes
The River known among themselves as
Brethren. "Brethren in Christ," is a sect
that originated along the Sus-
quehanna River, in Conoy Township, Lan-
caster County, in 1786, and soon after a con-
gregation was formed in York County. The
authentic history of this sect is rarely given.
There have been published accounts which
claimed to trace the origin to Germany in
the year 1705. This statement has been
published time and again in encyclopedias,
but it is nevertheless, inaccurate.
The name is sometimes confused with the
United Brethren (jNIoravians) and the
United Brethren in Christ.
The first services which afterward led to
the organization of the River Brethren,
were held in the house of Jacob Engel, a
Alennonite, who lived near Bainbridge,
Lancaster County, and who afterward be-
came the first bishop of the new church
body. A temporary organization was ef-
fected in 1776. It was not then fully deter-
mined to form a new denomination. In
1784 the celebrated e\-angelist, Martin
Boehm, conducted a noted revival in Done-
gal Township. Among the many who lis-
tened to the great preacher were six men :
Jacob Engel, above mentioned ; Hans
(John) Engel, John Stern, Samuel Meigs
and C. R. Rupp. The other cannot be given.
These men met frequently for prayer and to
search the Scriptures. After many meet-
ings they concluded that trine immersion
was the only legal mode enjoined by the
Scriptures. They went to George Aliller, a
minister of the German Baptist (Dunker)
faith, and asked him to baptize them, but
told him they did not wish to join his
church. Upon that condition the right of
baptism was refused them by the Dunker
minister. They then, in imitation of the
Brethren, cast lots along the shore of the
Susquehanna and one of them drew the
proper ticket; whereupon he baptized the
others and one of them in turn baptized
him. From documents written at the time
and still in existence the facts herein given
were obtained. This interesting ceremony
took place in 1786. Jacob and John Engel
and C. R. Rupp became the first ministers of
the denomination. This sect has, ever since
its origin, been entirely distinct from the
Dunker Brethren. The sect, in 1880, had
about eighty ministers, 100 congregations
and 9,000 members in the United States,
mostly in southern Pennsylvania, Ohio, In-
diana and Kansas. Their religious services
were conducted originally in the German
language. At present English is much used.
As a class these people are strictly non-
resistant, but upright and honorable in the
highest degree. There are about three hun-
dred families of the sect in Lancaster
County and in York County.
This religious sect worships in private
houses and barns, for the members are op-
posed to the erection of meeting houses and
churches. Their love feasts, annually held,
usually across the river, are eventful oc-
casions.
Rev. John Casper Stoever was the pioneer
clergyman of the Lutheran Church west of
the Susquehanna. He traveled over a large
extent of country, performing his mission-
ary duties and kept an accurate record of
baptisms and marriages. His earliest
records begin in 1735, six years before the
town of York was founded. Pastor Stoever
was the founder of the first Lutheran
churches west of the Susquehanna, and the
congregation formed at the site of York in
1733 was known as the "Evangelical Luth-
eran Church on the Codorus," and the one
at Hanover as the "Evangelical Lutheran
Church on the Conewago." The word
Conojohela was the Indian name for the
valley, incorrectly called the "Conodochly."
The Kreutz Creek region was a short
distance east of York.
144
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
EARLY BAPTISMS.
Robert Hueston.
Pnrlnmo Huestoii, Sarah, born April, 173s; bap-
\^OUorub. jjggj October 21, 1736. Evidences
Jacob Rudisill and wife, Elizabeth.
Hueston, Andrew, born September 18, 1739; baptised
Ma3' 20, 1740. Evidences Andrew AIcGill and wife,
Mary.
Daniel McLoughh-.
McLoughly, John, born February, 1735; baptised
October 21, 1736. Evidences John Heorkin and
wife, Bregille.
Joseph Ogle.
Ogle, Mary, born April 15, 1735; baptised June 20,
1735- Witnesses Andrew McGill and wife, Mary.
John George Hanspacher.
Hanspacher, i\Iarie Eva, born July 26, 1740; bap-
tised September 18, 1740. Sponsors Valentine
Shultz and wife, Marie Eva.
Daniel Early.
Early, Catarina, born April 18, 1740; baptised Sep-
tember iS, 1740. Sponsors Baltbasar Knertzer and
wife.
John Hearken.
Hearken, Eleonora, born March, 1740; baptised
September 18, 1740. Sponsors, Tobias Hanspacher
and daughter, Rebecca.
John Philip Ziegler.
Ziegler, Anna Christina, born September 7, 1740 ;
baptised September 18, 1740. Sponsors, Jacob Zieg-
ler and Agnes Schmidt.
Gottfried Manck.
Manck, Eva Marie, born September 22,, 1740; bap-
tised October 29, 1740. Sponsors, John Heinrich
and Eva Catarina Israel.
Heinrich Schultz.
Schultz, Fredericka, born November 13, 1740; bap-
tised November 24, 1740. Sponsors, Michael Walck
and wife.
Paul Burckhart.
Burckhart, Marie Magdalena, born October 13,
1740; baptised November 25, 1740. Sponsors,
George Schwab, Jr., and wife.
Mathias Schmeisser.
Schmeisser, John Michael, born November 21, 1740;
baptised November 25, 1740, Sponsors, John George
Schmeisser and wife, Barbara.
Jacob Baerling.
Baerling, Jacob Conrad, born November 16, 1740;
baptised November 25, 1740. Sponsors, Lau and
wife, Anna Kunigunda.
John Frederick, born April 3, 1742; baptised April
6, 1742. Sponsor, John George Hesset and wife,
Anna.
Dieterich Mayer.
Mayer, Anna Margaretha, born November 2, 1740;
baptised November 26, 1740. Sponsors, Philip Zieg-
ler, Jr., and Anna Margaretha.
William Welsh.
Welsh, John Peter, born October, 1740; baptised
April 5, 1741. Sponsors, Jacob Welsh and wife.
John Dietrich Ulrich.
Ulrich, Rosina, born December 28, 1740; baptised
April 5, 1741. Sponsors, John Adam Rupert and
wife, Anna Barbara.
John Funck.
Funck, Catarina, born March 5, 1741; baptised April
5, 1741. Sponsor, Catarina Loewenstein.
John Wolf.
Wolf, Elizabeth, born December 9, 1740; baptised
April S, 1741. Sponsors, Carl Eisen and wife.
George Loewenstein.
Loewenstein, Maria Elizabeth, born November 27,
1740; baptised April 5, 1741. Sponsors, Daniel
Diehl and wife.
Tobias Heinrich.
Heinrich, John, born March 9, 1741 ; baptised March
29, 1747- Sponsors, Jacob Wolf and wife.
Erasmus Holtzappel.
Holtzappel, B., born August 25, 1740; baptised May
17, 1 741. Sponsors, John Adam Rupert and wife.
Weirich Rudisiel.
Rudisiel, Anna Johanna, born December 28, 1740;
baptised May 17, 1741. Sponsors, Jacob Ottinger
and Anna Johanna Igsin.
Jacob Welsh.
Welsh, John Jacob, born May 20, 1741 ; baptised
June 26, 1741. Sponsors, John Jacob Ottinger and
Hannah Jost.
Martin Bauer.
Bauer, a son (name wanting), born May 2, 1741 ;
baptised June 26, 1741. Sponsors, John Peter Wolf,
Jacob Welsh and Veronica baseler.
Leonard Knedy.
Knedy, Isaac, born July 2, 1741 ; baptised August
20, 1741. Sponsors, Isaac Laudenbusch and wife.
Jost Mohr.
Mohr, Eva Catarina, born July 3, 1741 ; baptised
August 20, 1741. Sponsors, Marx Heus and Eva
Catarina Iserlin.
Joseph Beren.
Beren, Frederick, born July 20, 1741 ; baptised
August 20, 1741. Sponsors, John Frederick Baseler
and wife, Veronica.
Michael Ivrueger.
Krueger, Elias. Sponsor, Alichael Rausch.
William Morgan.
Morgan, Elizabeth, born January, 1741 ; baptised
August 20, 1741. Sponsors, Christian Croll and
wife, Elizabeth.
Ulrich Buehler.
Buehler, Susanna, born February 17, 1741 ; baptised
August 21, 1741. Sponsors, George Backer and
wife.
Jacob Ganneiher.
Gannemer, Anna Maria, born February 17, 1741 ;
baptised August i, 1741. Sponsors, Ulrich Buehler
and wife.
Albinus Beyer.
Beyer, Maria Sophia Margaretha, born August 7,
1741 ; baptised September 27, 1741. Sponsors, John
Nicholas Kau and wife.
Nicholas Koger.
Koger, John Jacob, born September 4, 1741 ; bap-
tised September 27, 1741. Sponsors, John Jacob
Weller and wife, Barbara.
Christoph Kauffeld.
Kauffeld, John Christoph, born July 15, 1741 ; bap-
tised October i, 1741.
Maria Elizabetha, born July 15, 1741 ; baptised Oc-
tober I, 1741. Sponsors, I\Iichael Rausch and Eliz-
abeth Rausch.
Adam Simon.
Simon, Andreas, born November 16, 1751 ; baptised
November 25, 1751. Sponsors, Andreas Kuertzel
and wife, Dorthea.
John Adam Lucas. .
Lucas, Maria Elizabetha, born November g, 1751 ;
baptised November 25, 1751. Sponsors, Daniel Dieb
and wife.
John George Frosh.
p Frosch, Johannes, born December 16,
\^OnewagO. j„22; baptised February 4, 1733-
Sponsors, John Morgenstern and wife.
Frosch, Catarina, born July, 1735 ; baptised Novem-
ber 5, 1735. Sponsors, John George Kuntz and wife,
Catarina.
Frosch. Marie Elizabetha, born September 2r, 1738;
baptised November 25, 1738. Sponsors, Jacob Kuntz
and wife.
THE GERMANS
145
Theobaldt Young.
Young, JMarie Barbara, born September i, 1734;
baptised May 22, 1735. Sponsors, Anna Barbara
Josin.
Young, Catarina, born 1736; baptised June 18, 1737.
Sponsors, John George Kuntz and wife, Catarina.
Young, Anna Marie, born February 2, 1739; baptised
June 6, 1739. Sponsors, Andreas Schreiber and
wife, Marie.
Andreas Schreiber.
Schreiber, John Theobaldt, born .-\pril 28, 1735;
baptised May 22, 1735. Sponsors, John Theobalt
Young.
Andreas Herger.
Herger, Andreas, born August 22, 1734; baptised
May 22, 1735. Sponsor, Andreas Schreiber.
Herger, Catarina, born January 24, 1739; baptised
April 19, 1739. Sponsors, George Kuntz and wife,
Catarina.
Herger, Anna Margaretha, born November 21, 1740;
baptised April 5, 1741. Sponsors, George Spengel
and wife.
Herger, Johannes, born October 24, 1742; baptised
November 23, 1742. Sponsors, John Morgenstern
and wife.
Peter Ohler.
Ohler, Andreas, born September 22, 1734; baptised
May 22, 1735. Sponsor, Andreas Schreiber.
Johannes Lehman.
Lehman, Johannes, born April 22, 1734; baptised
INIay 22, 1735. Sponsor, John Theobaldt Young.
Conrad Eckert.
Eckert, Johannes, born April 22, 1734; baptised May
22, 1735. Sponsor, Peter Mittelkauff.'
Eckert, Anna Dorthothea, born November 11, 1738;
baptised June 16, 1739. Sponsor, Ursuls Ohlerin.
Peter Mittelkauff. •
Mittelkauff, Catharina, bom February 6, 1735 ; bap-
tised May 22, 1735. Sponsors, John Theobaldt
Young and wife, Catharina.
Mittelkauff, Leonhardt, born January 23, 1739; bap-
tised April 19, 1739. Sponsor, John Leonhardt
Bernitz.
Casper Bergheimer.
Bergheimer, Anna Eva, born September 30. 1734;
baptised May 22. 1735. Sponsor, Anna Eva Kuntz.
Bergheimer, John Ludwig, born December 8, 1735;
baptised April 27, 1736. Sponsors, John Ludwig
Schreiber and wife.
Bergheimer, Johann Leonhardt, born November 13,
1737; baptised May 2^, 1738. Sponsors, John Leon-
hardt Bernitz, John Morgenstern and wife.
Bergheimer. Marie Elizabetha. born May 23, 1721 ;
baptised June 25, 1741. Sponsor, Marie Elizabetha
Morgenstern.
Christoph Schlaegel.
Schlaegel, Heinrich, born July, 1735 ; baptised No-
vember 5, 1735. Sponsors, Henry Schmidt, John
George Kuntz and wife.
Jacob Kuntz.
Kuntz, John George, born October, 1735; baptised
April 27, 1736. Sponsors, John George Frosch and
wife.
Ludwig Schreiber.
Schreiber, Catarina, born JNIarch, 1738; baptised May
23. 1738. Sponsors, John George Kuntz and wife.
Schreiber, Anna ^largaretha, born November i6,
1740; baptised April 5, 1741. Sponsors, Andreas
Schreiber and Anna Margaretha Diehlin.
John George Schreyer.
Schreyer, John George, born February 24, 1739 ;
baptised April I, 1739. Sponsors, John George
Soldner and Anna Marie Immler.
Johannes Wildensinn.
Wildensinn, George Carl, born January' 6, 1740;
baptised May 29, 1740. Sponsor, George Carl Bar-
nitz.
Ludwig Suess.
Suess, John Leonhardt, born March 10, 1740; bap-
tised May 20, 1740. Sponsor, John Leonhardt Ber-
nitz.
Suess, Marie Salome, born ; baptised May
20, 1740. Sponsor, Marie Salome Mittelkauff.
Edward Davies.
Davies, Martha, born February 2, 1740; baptised
]\Iay 20, 1740. Witnesses, George Kuntz and wife.
John Adlan.
Adlan, Mary, born March 19, 1740; baptised May 20,
1740. Witnesses, Edward Davies and Juliana Mor-
genstein.
Frantz Klebssaddel.
Klebssaddel, Marie, born February 17, 1740; bap-
tised May 20, 1740. Sponsors, Christian Schlegel
and wife, Marie.
Johannes Joho.
Joho, Marie Christina, born March 14, 1740; bap-
tised May 22, 1740. Sponsors, Janeslaus Wechtel
and Marie Christina Baumann.
Joho, Eva Catarina, born May 26, 1741 ; baptised
June 25, 1741. Sponsors, Wentzel Buchtrueckle and
wife.
Henry Hendricks.
Hendricks, Jone, born October 6, 1739; baptised
May 22, 1740. Sponsors, Adam Mueler and wife,
Christina.
Martin Schaub, an Immersionist.
Schaub, Anna, born 1724; baptised May 21, 1740.
Sponsors. Philip Kintz and wife.
Philip Morgenstern.
Morgenstern, Johannes, born June 16. 1740; bap-
tised June 30, 1740. Sponsors, John ;\Iorgenstern,
Johann Ebert and Catharina Kuntz.
Jacob Stambach.
Stambach, Marie Catharina, born September 22,
1740; baptised September 22, 1740. Sponsors, John
George Kuntz and daughter, Marie Catharina, and
Marie Elizabetha IMorgenstern.
Simon Mueler.
Mueler. Anna Marie, born August 21, 1733; baptised
September 30, 1733. Sponsors, Bernhardt Haessel
and his wife.
Mueler, Christian, born September 8, 1734; baptised
March 30, 1735. Sponsor, Christian Kampi
Simon Mueller.
Mueller, Christina, born AL\v i, 1740; baptised Sep-
tember 19, 1740. Sponsor, Christina Nosseler.
Johannes Heim.
Heim, John Casper, born September 9, 1740 ; bap-
tised September 19, 1740. Sponsor, Casper Kuehner.
John Geembel.
Geembel, William, born December, 173S ; baptised
September 19, 1740. Sponsors, Michael Carl, Ed-
ward Davis and Eve Morgenstern.
Nicholas Kee.
Kee, Anna Margaretha, born March 9, 1741 ; bap-
tised April 5. 1741. Sponsors, Jacob Beerling and
wife, Anna Margaretha Euler.
Martin Ernst.
Ernst, Eva, born December 26, 1740; baptised April
5, 1741. Sponsors, Andreas Herger and wife, Eva.
William Wilson.
Wilson, John, born November 6, 1740; baptised
April 5, 1741. Sponsor, Philip Morgenstern.
John Owen.
Owen, William, born March 28, 1741 ; baptised April
S, 1741. Sponsors, Daniel Schlaegel and sister, Cat-
arina.
William Morphew.
Morphew, Henry, born May 25, 1740: baptised April
5. 1741. Sponsors, Christoph Schlaegel and wife.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Jacob Jungblut.
Jungblut, John Jacob, born March 13, 1739; baptised
November 13, 1739. Sponsors, Leonhardt Bernitz,
Casper Kuehner, Anna Catharina Kuntz and Hanna
Jungblut.
Heinrich Devis.
Devis, Catarina. born January 6, 1741 ; baptised May
18, 1741. Sponsors, Peter Shultz and wife, Cata-
rina.
John Jacob Khind.
Kkmd, John Adam, born February 11, 1741 ; bap-
tised j\lay 8, 1741. Sponsors, John Adam Soil and
Catarina Elizabeth Speugel.
John Birdman.
Birdman, Catarina. born April 20, 1741 ; baptised
May 18, 1741. Sponsors, Elias Daniel Bernitz and
his wife, also Catarina Berghoester.
Antonius Heuteler.
Heuteler, John Mathias, born September 19, 1738;
baptised October 16, 1738. Sponsors, John Mathias
Maercker and wife.
Heuteler, Antonius, born April S, 1741 ; baptised
May 18, 1741. Sponsors, Speugel and Magdalena
Winterbauer.
Sebastian Winterbauer.
Winterbauer, Marie Susannah, born 173S; baptised
1738. Sponsors, Heinrich Vadis and Susannah
Heissmahn.
Winterbauer, Sybilla, born August 30, 1740; bap-
tised May 18, 1741. Sponsors , Michael Schaeufle
and JNIarie Sybilla Weiss.
Frederick Tranberg.
Tranberg, Christina Barbara, born September 29,
1740; baptised Jime 25, 1741. Sponsors, Christian
Loefel and Anna Christina Baumann.
Nicholas Layenberger.
Layenberger, John George, born June 13, 1741 ;_bap-
tised June 25, 1741. Sponsors, John George Kuntz
and Catarina Baulinger.
Frederick Kreuter.
Kreuter, Anna Margaretha, born May 15, 1741; bap-
tised June 25. 1741. Sponsors, Conrad Euler and
his wife.
Casper Schnridt.
Schmidt, George Jacob, born June 10, 1741 ; baptised
August 21, 1741. Sponsor, Jacob Baerliner.
Marx Biegeler.
Biegeler. Anna ]\Iarie, born March 30, 1741 ; bap-
tised August 21, 1741. Sponsors, Andreas Hill and
Catarina Kuntz.
Frederick Shultz.
Shultz, Julia Catarina, born September 6, 1741 ;
baptised September 29, 1741. Sponsor, Juliana Cat-
arina Morgenstern.
Abraham Hauswirth.
Hauswirth, John, born September 25, 1741 ; baptised
October 28, 1741. Sponsors, Johannes Morgenstern
and wife.
John Martin Kitzmueller,
Kitzmueller, John Jacob, born February 28, 1731 ;
baptised April 19, 1731. Sponsor, John Jacob Kitz-
mueller.
Kitzinueller, Johannes, born October 15, 1734; bap-
tised December 2-j, 1734. Sponsors, John Jacob
Kitzmueller, Sr., and his wife.
Kitzmueller, John George, born October 29, 1738;
baptised November 30, 1738. Sponsors, John Kuntz
and wife.
John Heinrich Cassel.
Cassel, John Jacob, born October 7, 1743; baptised
March 9, 1735. Sponsor, John Jacob Beuskert.
Cassel, Catarina, born October, 1738; baptised Jlay
3, 1740. Sponser, Catarina Weymueller.
John Michael Carl.
Carl, Anna Marie, born February 2, 1738; baptised
Conojohela.
February 7, 1738. Sponsors, Andreas Carl and wife,
Anna Marie.
Carl, Marie Catarina, born September 24, 1739;
baptised November 13, 1739. Sponsors, Marx Birg-
ler and wife.
Casper Schmidt.
Schmidt, Marie Elizabetha, born November 8, 1742;
baptised November 23, 1742. Sponsors, Daniel
Schlaegel and Marie Elizabetha Morgenstern.
Frederick Heinrich Gelwicks.
Gelwicks, Catarina, born December 21, 1735; bap-
tised February I, 1736. Sponsors, Jacob Verdreiss
and Catarina Euler.
Gelwicks, Catarina, born December 11, 1737; bap-
tised May 23, 1738. Sponsors, Elias Daniel and
Anna Eva Kuntz.
Gelwicks, George Carl, born September 16, 1739;
baptised November 13, 1739. Sponsor, Geoi-ge Carl
Barnitz.
Thomas Crysop.
Crysop, Daniel, born February 28,
1728; baptised July 21, 1735. Evi-
dences, John Killis, Thomas Parry
and Francis Foy.
Crysop, JMichael, born August 16, 1729; baptised July
21, 1735. Evidences, Philip Ernest Gruber, Andrew
^IcGill and Elizabetha Low.
Crysop, Thomas, born February 28, 1733; baptised
July 21, 1735. Evidences, Joseph Ogle, William
Kanely and Mary McGill.
Crysop, Robert, born January 17, I73S; baptised July
21. 1735. Evidences, Robert Paul, John Low and
Charlotta Fredericka Gruber.
Crysop, Elizabeth, born January 19, 1737; baptised
August I, 1737. Evidence, Veronica Baseler.
James Moor.
Moor, Theodota, born ABgust 28, 1734; baptised
June 21, 1735. Evidences, John Killis and Mary
Shepherd.
William Canaan.
Canaan, Charity, born December 24, 1728 ; baptised
June 21, 1735. Witnesses, Nicholas Josee and Mary
McGill.
Canaan, Lasenbury, born September 19, 1732 ; bap-
tised June 21, 1735. Witnesses, Thomas Crysop and
Francis Fo\'.
Canaan, John, born January 19, 173S ; baptised June
21. 1735. Witnesses, Parry, William and Elizabeth
Low.
Robert Canaan.
Canaan, Benjamin, born March 22, 1732; baptised
June 21, 1735. Witnesses, Wil Nolten, William
Canaan and Francis Foy.
Canaan, Francis, born September 23, 1733; baptised
June 21, 1735. Witnesses, William Low and Francis
Foy.
Canaan, Robert, born November 9, 1734; baptised
June 21, 1735. Evidences, Robert Paul, Thomas
Parry and Francis Canaan.
John Low.
Low, Elizabeth, born June 16, 1726; baptised June
21, 1735. Sponsors, George Warren, Sara Ogle and
Hannah Crysop.
Edward Evans.
Evans, Edward, born August, 1731 ; baptised August,
1735. Evidences, Thomas Queer, John Low and
Elizabeth Low.
Evans, Daniel, born November, 1732; baptised Au-
gust, 1735. Evidences, Philip Ernest Gruber and
wife and Daniel Low.
Evans, Samuel, "born October, 1734; baptised Au-
gust, 1735. Evidences, William Low, William Mor-
gan and Francis Canaan.
Evans, Rachel, born February, 1730; baptised Au-
THE GER^[AXS
147
Codorus.
gust, 17^=;. Evidences, Thomas Crvsop and Eliza-
beth Grufl.
Jacob Harrington.
Harrington, Sarah, born May, 173S; baptised Au-
gust, 1735. Evidences, Christian GroU and Char-
lotta Fredericka Grubcr.
John Morris.
TTT-f-iit^ Morris, , born 1732; baptised
^reui/: Xovcmber 27, 1740.
Creek. Morris, Jane, born 1734; baptised Xo-
vember 27, 1740.
.Morris, Wilham, born 1736; baptised November 27,
1740. Witnesses, Christian Groll and wife, Eliza-
beth.
Morris, Mary, born in 1738; baptised November 27,
1740.
Morris, John, born in 1740; baptised November 27,
1740. Witnesses, Peter Gaertner and wife.
Philip Bentz.
Bentz, Christian, born March 30. 1741 : baptised May
19. 1741. Sponsors, John Christian CroU, John
Jost Sultzbach and Barbara Weller.
Ulrich Buetzer.
Buetzer, John Christian, born December 18, 1740;
baptised June 26, 1741. Sponsors, John Christian
CroU and wife.
EARLY MARRIAGES.
April I, 1735, ^lartin Frey and JMaria
IMagdalena Willheut.
August 15, 1735, Nicholas Koger and
Maria Elizabetha Willheut.
November 21, 1737, Philip Ziegler and iMargaretha
Schmidt.
November 21, 1737. George I\Iever and Christina Zieg-
ler.
January 17, 173S, John George Ziegler and ]\Iargaretha
Hamspacher.
April 22, 1738, John Hannthorn and Frances Low.
i\Iay 22, 1738, John Jacob Scherer and Philippia Hauck.
JNIay 22, 1738, John George Wolf and Anna ]Maria
Schmidt.
February 15, 1739, Jacob Welsch and Elizabetha W'olf.
May 25, 1739, Alichael Mueller and Gertrude Gruen.
June :5, 1739, Johann Michael Koerber and Elizabetha
Ktaepper.
June 18, 1739, Moritz Mueller and Dorothea Beyer-
stall.
April 17, 1740, Isaac Rautenbusch and Magdalena Frey.
May 22, 1740, John George Schmeiser and Barbara
Stambach.
September 22,. 1740, Albinus Beyer and Anna Maria
Steutz.
October 29, 1740, Carl Eisen and Rebecca Hamspacher.
April 5, 1741, John Martin Nannsperger and Marga-
retha Nuesch.
August 20, 1741. Jacob Otlinger and Anna Johanna
Josie.
August 20, 1741, George Adam Zimmerman and Anna
Maria Motz.
.•\pril 7, 1742, Michael Mueller and Barbara Stucker.
July 31, 1742, Philip Linn and Catarina Buschfeld.
July 31, 1742. Godfrey Frey and Margaretha Linn.
November 24. 1742. John Causseler and ^laria Cata-
rina Pfleuger.
November 24, 1742. John Bichszler and Magdalena
Krohbiel.
November 24, 1742, Carl Thiel and jMaria Elizabetha
Ehrhardt.
March 13, 1743, John David Schaeffer and Anna Cat-
arina Simon.
October 27, 1755, Michael Lentz and Catarina Kauff-
man. York.
Februarv 15, 1755. Johannes Hav and Julianna Maul.
York.
Conewago.
June 18, 1739, Philip Morgenstern
and Maria Eva Kuntz.
i\Iay 22, 1740, Johannes Dierdorff
and Margaretha Ehrhardt.
September 19. 1740, Johannes lucngling and Marga-
retha Elenora Beuckert.
September 19, Friederich Kreuter and Anna Barbara
Euler.
November 25, 1740, John Waters and Sarah Hopkins.
April 5, 1741, James Hinds and Margaretha Skarl,
Great Conewago.
December 14. 1741, John Michael Biegler and Susan-
nah Reuscher.
December 14, 1741, John George Ulrich and Catarina
Sell.
October 24. 1742, Thomas McCarthv and Margaretha
Dill.
February 11, 1772. Amos Jones and Anna Jordan.
August 20. 1740, Balthazar Schoen-
r"^^,^i^Uialo berger and .\nna Margaretha Zwickel.
L^onojoneia. .^p^.^ ^^ j„^_ Anthony Hinds and
.\nna Canaan.
CHAPTER XI
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
Braddock's Expedition — Benjamin Franklin
at York — Attack on McCord's Fort —
Forbes' Expedition — Colonel Hance
Hamilton.
The earliest inhabitants of York County
lived on peaceable terms with the Indians
and without fear of invasion by the western
tribes for a period of twenty years after
they took up the fertile lands of this
region. So long as the Indians remained
quiet along the eastern slopes of the Alle-
ghany Mountains, this life of our fore-
fathers was almost ideal. The forests were
abundant with game, the streams were well
supplied with the choicest lish, the native
soil yielded large crops, while the hickory
and chestnut trees produced great quanti-
ties of nuts, and wild fruits were found
everj'where.
In 1752 trouble was brewing along the
western frontier. The people of Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland and Virginia were looking
wistfully across the Alleghany Mountains,
and in 1750 the Ohio Company, formed in
England for the purpose of colonizing the
country along that river, surveyed its banks
as far as the site of Louisville, Kentucky.
In 1753 the French crossed Lake Erie and
built forts at Presque Isle, now the site of
Erie, at Le Boeufif, a few miles below, and
at Venango, still farther south on the Alle-
gheny River. The Governor of Virginia.
Robert Din\\-iddie, was much annoved at
148
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the French invasion and sent a young land
sur\-eyor, twenty-one years of age, already
familiar with the Indians and with wood
craft and noted for courage and judgment,
to warn the French not to advance any far-
ther. The name of this young man was
George AA^ashington. His difficult task was
splendidly performed, but the French did
not heed the warnings of AVashington. The
most important point on all that long-
frontier was the place where Pittsburg now
stands. It was the main entrance to the
A^alley of the Ohio and for a long time was
called the " Gateway to the AA'^est." It was
the object of the French to keep the Eng-
lish colonists from getting through this
gateway. They wished to keep all the in-
terior of the continent for themselves. So
in the spring of 1754, while a party of
English were building a fort on the site of
Pittsburg, a stronger party of French came
and drove them ofi and erected a defence of
their own, which they called Fort Du-
quesne.
A battalion of 300 Virginia
AA/^ashington troops was already on its
at Fort way to Fort Duc|uesne under
Necessity. George AA^ashington as lieu-
tenant-colonel. A detach-
ment of 1,600 French and Indians was sent
to attack AA'ashington. On hearing of the
approach he retreated to Great Meadows,
in Fayette County, where they erected Fort
Necessity. The enemy approaching, a
dropping desultory fire was kept up on both
sides during an entire dav. At nightfall the
Virginians accepted terms of surrender be-
cause their ammunition w^as nearly ex-
hausted, their provisions consisting of a
little bacon and two barrels of flour. The
next day, July 4, 1754, they were permitted
to pass out of the fort with the honors of
war to AA'^ill's Creek, near Cumberland,
Maryland, and from thence marched to
Alexandria, Virginia. The French and In-
dians returned in three days to Fort Du-
quesne.
On hearing" of the disaster at Fort Neces-
sity, Governor Dinwiddle, of Virginia,
planned another expedition to rendezvous
at AA'ill's Creek and proceed from thence to
attempt the recapture of Fort Duquesne.
He wrote to Governor Hamilton, of Penn-
sylvania, asking for three companies of
troops from his province. The Pennsyl-
\'ania Assembly then seeing the necessity
of an aggressive warfare in the western
frontier, voted the sum of 15,000 pounds for
that purpose. At this juncture a band of
friendly Indians crossed the Allegheny
Mountains to Augwick, afterward Fort
Shirley, near the present site of Hunting-
don, wdiere Col. George Croghan, the
famous trader, was in command of other
Indians favorable to the English cause.
They requested that the Assembly would
take care of their women and children while
the warriors went out to meet the enemy.
Conrad AA'eiser, the noted Indian inter-
preter residing at Tulpehocken, near Read-
ing, was sent to Fort Shirley, where he re-
ceived assurances of friendship from the
Delawares, Shawanees and their allies in
that region. He reported that many of the
settlers had been selling liquors to the In-
dians, and demanded that this practice be
discontinued.
In the fall of this year, Robert
Plans to Hunter Morris succeeded
Drive Out Hamilton as Governor of
the French. Pennsylvania. Governor Mor-
ris was induced by royal
authority and by the proprietors of the
pro\'ince earnestly to recommend to the As-
sembly the defence of the province from
the designs of the French and their Indian
allies, not alone by the grant of money, but
by the organization of a militia, the
purchase of arms, wagons and military
stores and the establishment of magazines.
The Pennsylvania Assembly, in answer to
the royal requests, appropriated 25,000
pounds for the purpose of carrying on the
war. Of this amount 5,000 pounds was
subject to the immediate need of the pro-
posed expedition to Fort Duquesne.
Early in the year 1755 Colonel George
Croghan, Colonel James Burd and Adam
Hoopes were appointed commissioners by
the Pennsylvania Assembly to plan a road
through the Cumberland Valley and across
the Alleghany Mountains for the transpor-
tation of supplies and the movement of the
troops. They made a preliminary survey as
far west as AA'ill's Creek.
Sir John St. Clair, a Scotch baronet, a
soldier of experience in the army, w-as sent
by the British government to acquaint him-
self with the condition of affairs on the
\\'estern frontier of Pennsvh'ania. As his
FREX'CH AXD IXDIAX WAR
149
position was to lie the (juartermaster of the
proposed expedition to Fort Duquesne, he
proceeded with Governor Sharpe, of Mary-
land, to Will's Creek, near the site of Cum-
berland, antl then returned to .\nnapolis.
BRADDOCK'S EXPEDITION.
Sir \\'illiam Pitt, then the Premier of
England, persuaded the King to send Gen-
eral Edward Braddock, an of^cer of distinc-
tion in the English army, to this country to
aid in driving the French from our western
frontier. On February 20, 1755, Braddock
landed at Alexandria. V^irginia, with two
regiments of British troops, commanded re-
spectively by Colonels Dunbar and Halkett.
George \\'ashington volunteered to join the
expedition as an aid on the general's stalT.
Several thousand provincial troops were
ordered to be raised from Pennsylvania,
Maryland and Virginia. Meantime Sir John
St. Clair visited York, Lancaster and
Carlisle to ascertain the condition of affairs
in this section of the country and find out
the attitude of the people toward the expe-
dition against Fort Duquesne. He met the
commissioners, Croghan. Burd and Hoopes,
in the Cumberland Valley and complained
that the delaj^ in the opening of the road
across the mountains had proved of great
disadvantage. He found fault with the
Pennsylvania Assembly because the road
had not already been opened. He did this
when he discovered that the Quaker mem-
bers of the Assembly w-ere opposed to war
and this opposition he believed had been
disseminated among the Dunkards, Men-
nonites and other German settlers both east
and west of the Susquehanna. Feeling the
responsibility of the duty to which he was
entrusted by the English government he
stormed like a lion and even declared to the
commissioners that instead of marching
against the French he " would in nine days
march his army into Cumberland County,
Pa., to cut the roads and press into use
horses and w^agons." This attitude of St.
Clair toward the Pennsjdvania settlements
did not, however, meet the approval of Gen-
eral Braddock. who had moved his troops to
a place of rendezvous at Frederick, Mary-
land. He reprimanded St. Clair for his
audacious conduct and put himself in direct
communication with the Assemblv.
Benjamin Franklin, who was
Benjamin then the leading spirit in that
Franklin body, and wdio had urged the
at York. .\ssembly to furnish money to
carry on the war, held a confer-
ence with Braddock and assured him that
Pennsylvania had appropriated 5,000
pounds to support the army. There was a
feeling in the Assembly that the English
troops under Braddock should have landed
at Philadelphia and moved westward
through Pennsylvania. This was, in part,
the cause of a lack of interest in the cam-
paign by the Assembly. This was also a
cause wdiy Pennsylvania had not already
matured plans to provide wagons and
munitions of war for Braddock. Virginia
and Maryland were expected to furnish the
wagons, but these colonies had thus far ap-
propriated very little money for the cam-
paign against the French. Franklin now
learned that Braddock had only twenty-five
wagons to transport his stores and baggage
across the Alleghany Mountains. He
needed 150 wagons and Franklin came to
York and Lancaster, and sent his son Wil-
liam to Carlisle, for the purpose of procur-
ing wagons and pack horses. He widely
circulated copies of the following proclama-
tion through York and the adjoining
counties :
To the Inhabitants of the Counties of Lancaster, York
and Cumberland.
Friends and Countrymen :
Having been at the camp at Frederick a few days
since, I found the General and officers of the army ex-
tremely exasperated on account of their not being sup-
plied with horses and wagons, which had been expected
from this province as most able to furnish them; but
through the dissensions between our Governor and
Assembly, money had not been providec! nor any steps
taken for that purpose.
It was proposed to send an armed force immediately
into these counties, to seize as many of the best wagons
and horses as should be wanted, and compel as many
persons into the service as should be necessary to drive
and take care of them.
I apprehended that the progress of a body of soldiers
through these counties on such an occasion, especially
considering the temper they are in. and their resentment
against us, would be attended with many and great in-
conveniences to the inhabitants ; and therefore more wil-
lingly imdertook the trouble of trying first what might
be done by fair and equitable means.
The people of these back counties have lately com-
plained to the Assembly that a sufficient currency was
wanting: you have now an opportunity of receiving and
dividing among you a very considerable sum; for if the
service of this expedition should continue (as it's more
than probable it will) for 120 days, the hire of these
wagons and horses will amount to upwards of thirty
thousand pounds, which will be paid you in silver and
gold of the king's money.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The service will be light and easy, for the army will
scarcely march above 12 miles per day, and the wagons
and baggage horses, as they carry those things that are
absolutely necessary to the welfare of the army, must
march with the army and no faster, and are, for the
army's sake, alwaj'S placed where they can be most
secure, whether on march or in camp.
If you really are, as I believe you are, good and loyal
subjects of His JNIajesty, you may now do a most ac-
ceptable service, and make it easy to yourselves ; for
three or four such as cannot separately spare from the
business of their plantations a wagon and four horses
and a driver, may do it together, one furnishing the
wagon, another one or two horses, and another the
driver, and divide the pay proportionately between you.
But if you do not this service to your king and country
voluntarily, when such good pay and reasonable terms
are offered you, your loyalty will be strongly suspected.
The king's business must be done ; so many brave troops
come so far for your defence, must not stand idle
through your backwardness to do what may reasonably
be expected from you; wagons and horses must be had;
violent measures will probably be used ; and you will
be compelled to seek for a recompense where you can
find it, and your case perhaps be little pitied or regarded.
I have no particular interest in this affair; as (except
the satisfaction of endeavoring to do good and prevent
mischief) I shall have only my labor for my pains. If
this method of obtaining the wagons and horses is not
likely to succeed, I am obliged to send word to the
General in fourteen days, and I suppose Sir John St.
Clair, the Hussar, with a body of soldiers, will immedi-
ately enter the province, of which I shall be sorry to
hear, because
I am, very sincerel}' and truly.
Your friend and well-wisher,
B. FRANKLIN.
About the same time Franklin wrote and
circulated the following letter :
Lancaster, April 26, 1755.
Whereas 150 wagons with four horses to each wagon
and 1,500 saddle or pack horses are wanted for the ser-
vice of His Majesty's forces about to rendezvous at
Will's Creek ; and his Excellency, General Braddock, has
been pleased to empower me to contract for the hire
of the same; I hereby give notice that I shall attend
for that purpose at Lancaster from this time till next
Wednesday evening ; and at York from next Thursday
morning till Friday evening, where I shall be ready to
agree for wagons and teams or single horses on the
following terms, viz. :
1st. That there shall be paid for each wagon with
four good horses and a driver, fifteen shillings per diem ;
and for each able horse with a packsaddle or other sad-
dle and furniture, two shillings per diem; for each
able horse without a saddle, eighteen pence per diem.
2dly. That the pay commence from the time of their
joining the forces at Will's Creek, (which must be on
or before the twentieth of May ensuing) and that a
reasonable allowance be made over and above for the
time necessary for their traveling to Will's Creek and
home again after their discharge.
3dh'. Each wagon and team, and every saddle and
pack horse is to be valued by indifferent persons, chosen
Ijetween me and the owner, and in case of the loss of any
wagon, team or other horse in the service, the price
according to such valuation, is to be allowed and paid.
4thly. Seven days' pay is to be advanced and paid in
hand by me to the owner of each wagon and team, or
horse, at the time of contracting, if required; and the
remainder to be paid by General Braddock, or by the
paymaster of the army, at the time of their discharge,
or from time to time as it shall be demanded.
5thly. No drivers of wagons, or persons taking care
of the hired horses, are on any account to be called
upon to do the duty of soldiers, or be otherwise em-
ployed than in conducting or taking care of their car-
riaees and horses.
6thly. All oats, Indian corn or other forage, that
wagons or horses bring to the camp more than is neces-
sary- for the subsistence of the horses is to be taken for
the use of the army and a reasonable price paid for it.
Note. My son, William Franklin, is empowered to
enter into like contracts with any person in Cumberland
County.
B. FRANKLIN.
Nothing could have better answered the
purpose intended than these documents.
St. Clair had served in a Hussar regiment
and wore a Hussar uniform on duty in
America. AVithin two weeks 150 wagons
and teams, and 259 pack horses were on
their way to Braddock's headquarters. The
owners said that they did not know Brad-
dock, but would take Franklin's bond for
payment, for the money would come from
the amount lately appropriated by the
Pennsylvania Assembly. Sir John St. Clair,
the quartermaster, came to York and Car-
lisle and procured 1,200 barrels of flour
from the Cumberland and York County
grist mills and had them conveyed to the
headquarters of the army.
Late in the month of May,
Braddock's Braddock completed the or-
March ganization of his army at the
and present site of Cumberland,
Defeat. Maryland, and from that
point started on his expedition
to Fort Duquesne in three divisions, num-
bering in all 3,000 troops. St. Clair started
from Cumberland with 600 men to cut the
road and the armj^ followed. Braddock ar-
rived at Great Meadows, near Fort Ne-
cessity, where he made a fortified camp and
left Colonel Dunbar there with 800 men.
The main army crossed the Monongahela
River and was within ten miles of the fort
when heavy firing was heard in the
front. The attack was so sudden and the
fire so galling that the advance guard fell
back upon the main army, throwing it into
confusion. The ranks were seized with
terror and disorder prevailed. The officers,
conspicuous by their uniforms and being
mounted, were picked off by the accurate
aim of the savages, so that there were soon
very few of them to give commands. The
regulars, unfamiliar with the Indian custom
of fighting, huddled together like frightened
FRENCH AXD IXDIAN -WAR
sheep, while the orders of such officers as
had not fallen fell unheeded on their ears.
Braddock fumed with rage and flew from
rank to rank. Every endeavor to force his
men into position proved abortive. Four
horses were shot under him, and mounting
a fifth he strained every nerve to retrieve
his ebbing fortune. His subordinates gal-
lantly supported his eftorts, but the regulars
could not be brought to charge. The better
skilled provincials wanted to fight like the
Indians did, from behind rocks and trees.
"Washington and Halkett appealed to Brad-
dock for permission to do so, but he re-
fused and with the flat of his sword drove
the provincials into the open road. The
army was soon completely routed, but
Braddock would not yield. Strong in the
point of discipline, his soldiers fell palsied
with fear but without thought of craven
flight. At last when every aide but Wash-
ington was killed or wounded and most of
the officers sacrificed, Braddock abandoned
hope of victory and ordered a retreat. Jtist
as he was about to give an order, a fatal bul-
let felled him from his horse. His troops
flying precipitately from the field aban-
doned him. Not even the offer of gold de-
terred them. Braddock, in disgust, re-
signed himself to his fate. At last one of
his aides, himself wounded, and two pro-
vincial officers, managed to carry him from
the field. Four days later he died and^ was
buried in the centre of the road which his
army had cut and soldiers, horses and
w^agons passed over the grave to save the
body from savage dishonor.
Colonel Dunbar, commanding the sur-
vivors, after destroying his ammunition and
most of his provisions, moved back to Cum-
berland and later to Philadelphia, where he
spent the winter.
The French and Indian war in America
now took different form, and expeditions
were sent for the reduction of French forts
in Nova Scotia and later Forts Ticonderoga
and Crown Point, in New York. During
the following two years expeditions were
carried on against Quebec and other points
in Canada.
The retreat of Colonel Dunbar to Phila-
delphia with the remnant of Braddock's
army left the whole western frontier of
Pennsylvania unprotected. The inhabitants
w'est of the Susquehanna then began pre-
cipitate flight through Cumberland and
York Counties to the eastern side of the
river. Many of them crossedat the present
site of \\'rightsville.
A large body of hostile Indians
Hostile congregated on the Susque-
Indians hanna, thirt)' miles above Har-
Come ris' Ferry, now Harrisburg.
Eastward. John Harris, on October 20,
1/55' wrote to the Governor
that hostile Indians lurked in the vicinity of
Shamokin, now the site of Sunbury. He
further stated that a messenger had arrived
at his ferry and reported that two white set-
tlers had been killed by hostile Indians of
the Conewago tribe, who carried away four
women, the wives of settlers. This new'S
brought consternation to the inhabitants of
the upper end of what is now Dauphin
County and the lower part of Cumberland.
These inhabitants, he said, were fleeing
across the Susquehanna into Lancaster
County and the peaceable Indians around
his ferry were excited by the movements of
the white inhabitants, who were deserting
their houses and crops in the field. The
news of the threatened invasion from the
upper Susquehanna region and also that
hostile bands were moving through Cum-
berland County, spread dismay throughout
every section of A'ork County.
Meantime bands of hostile Indians who
had formerly been friends of the settlers
pressed into the Cumberland Valley from
whence the white inhabitants fled in dismay
east of the Susquehanna. The settlements
at the Great Cove, in the extreme south-
western part of the valley, now in Fulton
County, were destroyed and the inhabitants
killed or taken captive. After this startling
event almost the entire Cumberland Vallej^
with its abundant crops, was deserted and
the Scotch-Irish settlements at Marsh
Creek, near the site of Gettysburg, became
the frontier. The Indians, encouraged by
their success, at the same time pushed their
incursions into the northern part of
Dauphin and Berks counties and even to
the Delaware river in Northampton county.
During this crisis of affairs in
Excitement the province, the cold indiffer-
in York ence of the Legislative As-
County. sembly aroused the deepest
indignation of the patriotic
inhabitants of Pennsvlvania. Public meet-
152
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ings had been held in York, Lancaster and
Berks Counties for the purpose of petition-
ing the Governor and the Assembly to aid
them in preparing for an armed resistance.
George Stevenson, who had been sent here
in 1749 to take charge of the court records
when York became a county seat, wrote to
Richard Peters, at Philadelphia, the follow-
ing letter, describing the condition of affairs
in this region :
By the expresses which, I suppose, more than daily
come to your hand from tlie frontier parts of this prov-
ince, you can conceive the horror, confusion and dis-
tress with which every breast is filled ; all possible
attempts have been made here to stockade the town, but
in vain. On receipt of the Governor's summons, I dis-
patched the sub-sheriff to David McConaughy's, know-
ing that Captain Hance Hamilton was over the hills. I
doubt he will not go down, his family and neighbors
being in such consternation.
I am informed John and James Wright did not go.
We have sent down a petition by the bearer signed in
about a quarter of an hour. Whilst we were }'et signing
it, we received the express from John Harris, a copy of
which we have sent to the Governor, together with a
letter, five of us have made bold to write to him on this
important subject. I beg you will use your influence
with the Governor and INIr. Allen, to whom I made free
to write two da}S ago.
On November i, 1755, the following peti-
tion was sent from York to Robert Hunter
Morris, Governor of Pennsylvania:
We received sundry accounts lately, all concurring in
this, that a numerous body of Indians and some French
are in this province, wdiich has put the inhabitants here
in the greatest confusion, the principal of whom have
met sundry times, and on examination find that many
of us have neither arms nor ammunition.
Herewith we send a copy of an express just arrived
from John Harris's Ferry, by way of James Anderson,
with intelligence that the Indians are encamped up the
Susquehanna within a two days' march of that place
and it is probable, before this comes to hand, part of
these back counties maj' be destroyed.
We believe there are men enough willing to bear arms
and go out against the enemy, were they supplied with
arms, ammunition and a reasonable allowance for their
time, but without this, at least arms and ammunition,
we fear little of purpose can be done.
If some measures are not speedily fallen upon, we
must either sit at home till we are butchered without
mercy or resistance, run away, or go out a confused
multitude destitute of arms and ammunition and without
discitjline or proper officers, or an)' way fi.xed on to be
supphed with provisions.
In short, we know not what to do, and have not much
time to deliberate.
As the Company which goes from this town and parts
adjacent, tomorrow, to the assistance of the inhabitants
on our frontiers will take almost all our arms and
ammunition with them, we humbly pray your honor to
order us some arms and ammunition, otherwise we must
desert our habitations.
We have sent the bearer express with this letter, and
also a petition to the Assembly, which our people were
signing when the express came to hand.
We humbly hope your honor will e.xcuse this freedom,
which our distress has obliged us to use, and beg leave
to subscribe ourselves.
Honored Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
GEORGE STEVENSON,
HERMAN UPDEGRAFF,
THO.AIAS ARMOR,
JAMES SMITH,
JOHN ADLUM.
On November 5, George Stevenson wrote
to Richard Peters :
We have sent fifty-three men, well equipped, from this
town last Monday, 2 o'clock P. M., and a doctor, some
medicines and what ammunition we could spare to
Tobias Hendricks' to join the main body of English
Tories on the most needful part of the frontiers. Mr.
Adlum is with them. Captain Hance Hamilton is gone
toward Conigogeeg last Sunday with a company. Rev.
Andrew Bay with and at the head of another company.
We are all aloft and such as have arms hold themselves
ready, but also they are few in numbers. Forty men
came here yesterday willing to defend, and had but three
guns and no ammunition, and could get none here,
therefore went home again ; we are all here yet, how
long God knows ; six families fled from their homes,
distance about fifteen miles, via Conewago, last night.
The last came into town about daybreak this morning.
A few of us have pledged our credit for public services ;
if we are encouraged we will stand until we are cut off;
if not, some of us are bound to the lower parts of
Maryland immediately, if not scalped by the way.
Herewith you have another of our petitions to the
Assemblj', all I shall say about it is that the biggest
part of its signers are Mennonites, who live about
fifteen miles westward of York.
At this period of the war, the Catholic in-
habitants of York, Cumberland and Lan-
caster Counties were accused of entertain-
ing sjanpathies with the French because
both were of the same religious faith.
There were then 189 German and Irish
Catholics in York county under the pastoral
care of Rev. Matthias Manners. Governor
Morris, of Pennsylvania, hearing of the al-
leged defection among the Catholics of York
County and Frederick County, Maryland,
sent emissaries to investigate the report.
There is no evidence that any of these
Catholics aided the French in this war.
It was now decided by the au-
York thorities of the province to
County erect a chain of twenty-five
Military forts along the eastern slopes
Companies, of the mountains from the
Dela\\-are River at Easton ex-
tending in a southwestern direction to the
Pennsylvania line at Cumberland, Mary-
land, for all parts of the northwestern and
western frontiers were now threatened by
incursions from the hostile Indians and a
few of the French. The organization of
FRENCH -VXD IXDIAX \\AR
153
militia companies was encouraged. Rich-
ard Peters, secretary of the Province of
Pennsylvania, in 1756 reports the following
organized military companies in York
County : Captain Isaac Saddler, Lieutenant
Archibald McGrew, Ensign William Duf-
field, and sixty private men; Captain Plugli
Dunwoodie, Lieutenant Charles Mc^Mullen,
Ensign James Smith and sixty private men;
Captain James Agnew, Lieutenant John
Miller, Ensign Samuel Withrow and sixty
private men; Captain David Hunter, Lieu-
tenant John Correy, Ensign John Barnes
and 100 private men ; Captain Samuel Gor-
don, Lieutenant ^^'illiam Smiley, Ensign
John Little and 100 private men ; Captain
Andrew Findley, Lieutenant \\'illiam Gem-
mill, of Hopewell Township, Ensign Moses
LaAvson and 106 private men ; Captain A\'il-
liam Gibson, Lieutenant \\'illiam Thomp-
son, Ensign Casper Little and fifty private
men; Captain Francis Holton, Lieutenant
Joseph Ross, Ensign John McCall and 100
private men.
Fort Granville, which had been erected
near the site of Lewistown, in the Juniata
Valley, was guarded by Lieutenant Edward
Armstrong and a small band of Pennsyl-
vania soldiers. This fort was attacked July
22, 1756, when the commander and several
of the soldiers w^ere killed and a part of the
garrison, including some women and
children, were taken across the Alleghany
Mountains to Fort Kittanning, then the
headquarters of the Delaware Indians.
Fort Kittanning was situated on the Alle-
gheny River, about forty miles northwest
of Pittsburg, where the town of Kittanning
now stands. Immediately after Braddock's
defeat, in. 1755, Hance Hamilton, the first
sheriff of York County and one of • the
original settlers of ]Marsh Creek, organized
a company and marched with it to the west-
ern frontier of Cumberland County. After
the completion of Fort Lyttleton, in the
present limits of Bedford County, Captain
Hamilton commanded the garrison at that
place of defence. Other companies were
then organized for active service by Rev.
Thomas Barton, the rector of the Episcopal
Church at York, Carlisle and York Springs ;
Rev. Andrew Bay, pastor of the Presby-
terian Church at Alarsh Creek; Dr. David
Jameson, physician at York, and Thomas
Armour, one of the court justices.
On April 2, 1756, a band of
Indians hostile Indians attacked Mc-
Attack Cord's, Fort, situated on the
McCord's banks of the Conococheague,
Fort. along the Xorth ^Mountain,
within the present area of
Franklin County. This was a private fort
where the settlers of the vicinity assembled
for protection and safety. The Indians set
fire to the fort and killed or carried into
captivity all the occupants, twenty-seven in
number. Captain Alexander Culbertson, of
Cumberland County, Captain Benjamin
Chamliers, from the present area of Frank-
lin County, and Captain Hance Hamilton,
with a company from York County, de-
termined to avenge this horrible deed by
marching in pursuit of the Indians. Hamil-
ton was then at Fort Granville. He sent
nineteen of his men, under Ensign David
Jameson, to join Culbertson's command,
which now numbered about fifty men. Cul-
bertson met the Indians at Sideling Hill,
and a fierce conflict took place which lasted
two hours, during which time Culbertson's
men fired twenty-four rounds at the enemy.
From the report given by an Indian who
was captured, the savages lost seventeen
killed and twenty-one captured. The loss
among the provincial troops was nineteen
killed and thirteen wounded. The names of
the killed from Hamilton's company were
Daniel McCoy, James Robinson, James
Peace, John Blair, Henry Jones, John ^Ic-
Carty, John Kelly, and the wounded were
Ensign Jameson, James Robinson, William
Hunter, Matthias Ganshorn, \\'illiam
Swailes, James Louder, who afterward
died of his wounds.
On April 4, two days after the disaster
at McCord's Fort, Captain Hance Hamilton
wrote to Captain Potter. In this letter he
stated that the report had come to him that
Dr. Jameson was killed. He requested that
word be sent at once to Fort Shirley for Dr.
Hugh Mercer, afterwards a general in the
Revolution, and Dr. Prentice, of Carlisle, to
proceed at once to the scene of the disaster
to take care of the wounded.
Immediately after the defeat of
A Petition the provincial forces at Mc-
to the Cord's Fort the frontier coun-
Governor. ties of York and Cumberland
were in danger of incursions
from hostile Indians. ]\Ianv settlers crossed
154
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXNSYLVAXL\
the Susquehanna to places of safety. Others
assembled at York, which was fortified for
defensive purposes, and companies of home
guards were organized for protection.
About this time a large number of repre-
sentative citizens of York County, which
then included Adams, signed a petition ap-
pealing to the Governor of Pennsylvania
for aid and assistance. Most of the signers
were Scotch-Irish or English Quakers.
The following is a copy :
To the Honorable Robert Hunter Morris, Lieutenant-
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province
of Penns)"lvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent
and Sussex upon Delaware :
The petition of the inhabitants of the town arid countj'
of York : —
Most Humbly Showeth,
1. That your petitioners are sensible that your honor
has left no measure (in j'our power) untried for the
protection of our lives and liberties from the outrages
of barbarous and savage enemy.
2. That your petitioners hoped their sufferings were
at an end when a chain of forts were erected along the
frontier for their defence.
3. That notwithstanding this, skirmishes are made,
murders and captivities daily committed upon the re-
maining inhabitants, who held their possessions in the
most imminent danger; in hopes of seeing more happy
days.
4. That all our prospects of safety and protection are
now vanished, by finding one of our best forts upon the
frontier burned and destroyed ; and the men who bravely
defended it carried into barbarous captivity — and the
rest of the forts liable to the same fate which may un-
happily be the case before this can reach your honor's
hands.
5. That as the County of Cumberland is mostly
evacuated and part of this become the frontier, the
enemy may easily enter, and take possession of provi-
sions sufficient to supply many thousand men and be
thereby enabled to carry their hostilities even to the
metropolis. Whereas the security of tliese provisions
for the service of his ^lajesty's forces which may be
sent against Fort Duquesne may save an expense of
many hundred pounds for the carriage 'of provisions
from more distant parts.
Your petitioners therefore most humbly pray, that as
your honor has cheerfully embraced every opportunity
of delivering us from our miseries, your honor will also
recommend our complicated distresses to the Right
Honorable the Earl of Loudon, who, upon knowing our
truly deplorable condition may be graciously pleased to
take some measure to ease our calamities ; perhaps to
command the recruits now raised in this province for
the Royal American Regiment, to be forthwith sent to
our relief, whilst the provincials now in pay may go
against the enemy to avenge our bleeding cause ! x\nd
your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray, etc.
James !Murph}'
John Carrell
Nathaniel McCoy
Richard Saddler
Isaac Sadler
John Sadler
William Young
John Danil
John Wilson
Jesper Wilson
Edward Hatton
Leonard Hatton
Thomas Collens
John Duffield
John !McKinley
Thomas Holmes
John Holmes
David Brown
William King
Victor King
James King
Samuel Steel
Samuel McCall
Abraham ^NlcCarter
Isack i\IcKinle
Robert Dickson
John Scott
Michael Anderson
James iMcKroson
Allend Endsly
James Dixson
William Boll
William McCreary
Hanes Cealear
William Ross
William Walker
Francis Betey
Hendrey Donely
John Crooks
Samuel iNIaclay
William Caldwell
John Brown
James Hamilton
Robert Miller
Robert Hamilton
John Smith
John Bo}-d
John Gray
Adam Smith
Samuel Smith
Arthur Miller
Thomas Bracken
William McGrew
Archibald iNIcGrew
William Duffield
Alexander Brown
John iNIcGrew
John Dunbar
John Healy
Robert Walker
John Hunt
Isac JMeans
Thomas JNIurray
William Miles
IMichael Willison
James Wilson
Joseph Dodds
Robert Thompson
John Dickson
Samuel Dickson
John Gilleland
James Dickson
Samuel Dickson
William Carney
Matthew Knox
John Boll
David Watson
Francis Battey
William Biggor
George Latimor
David iNIaxwell
William Finey
William Guffock
John Peterson
Matthew Elder
Andrew Shanen
John Mitchell
William Parkison
John Carnahan
John Townsly
Jonathan Lesley
John Galbreath
"Patrick Cochren
James Moore
Neil McNeighton
Jackson Nelle
John Jamison
William Smith
John iNIaxwell
John Foods
William Foods
David Ritchie
John Jones
Efran Hodge
Robert Hutton
John Hutton
Richard Saddler, Jr.
Robert Boner
William Saddler
Richard Chesney
John Scogdon
Hugh Robson
Nicholas Bishop
William Irwin
Wilham Hamilton
George Leviston
Samuel Houlsworth
William Dickson
Samuel Dickson
John Carrol
James Carrol
David Wattson
Gill Watson
William Campbell
John Wilson
Henry Black
William McCreary
John Reade
William Boyl
John Hodge
Patrick Hanna
William Love
Mickel Drumgold
John Burns
John Murphy
Arthur i\IcConeme
John Con
John Brown
William Cupper
John Larance
Rev. Thomas Barton
Samuel Thomson
Robert McMurdie
Patt. Watson
Allexander Love
AUexander McCarter
Richard Brown
Robert Farrier
Andrew Thomson
John Colbreath
George Love
George Black
Andrew Thompson
William Simpson
James McWilliams
Samuel Miller
Samuel Cooper
William Cooper
William Bards
George Leekey
Thomas Kneeley
John Ewens
Henry Stevenson
Anon Torens
William Wattson
James Hornor
John Killbrath
Robert Black
William Bar
James Geerey
James Hall
Henry Montieth
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
155
John Montietli
William Mauglilin
William Boyd
Benjamin Bcley
Joseph Beley
Robert Moore
John Abbot
Thomas Kcinton
Alexander Wliite
William Lindsay
William Hill
Robert Hill
William Wilson
Samuel Wilson
Thomas Neeley
John David
William Davison
John Grist
William ^loore.
In the fall of 1756 it was de-
Indians terniined by Governor Morris
Defeated to send an expedition against
at Fort Kittanning, the headquarters
Kittanning. of the Delaware Indians. It
was at this place that the
prisoners from Fort Granville had been
taken. Colonel John Armstrong, of Car-
lisle, a brother of Lieutenant Armstrong,
\vho was killed at Fort Granville, was en-
trusted with this command, which included
the companies of Captains Hance Hamilton,
Hugh Mercer, Edward Ward and James
Potter. Armstrong started from Fort Shir-
ley, near Huntingdon, on the last of Au-
gust and arrived before Kittanning on the
night of September 7, without being dis-
covered by the enemy. On the following
morning he destroyed the Indian village
and fort, aird rescued the prisoners. About
forty Indians were killed and a number
wounded. This was considered a great
victory for the provincial forces and con-
vinced the Governor and the Assembly that
the American troops understood warfare
against the Indians better than the regulars
sent by the British crown. In the attack on
Fort Kittanning, Colonel Armstrong re-
ceived a wound in the shoulder, which was
dressed by Dr. David Jameson, of York,
who had accompanied the expedition as a
surgeon. Captain Hugh Mercer, who after-
ward became the bosom friend of Washing-
ton, and was killed at the head of his
brigade at the battle of Princeton in the
Revolution, was also among the wounded.
Captain Hance Hamilton's company of
Scotch-Irish from York County did most
\aluable service in the battle of Kittanning.
FORBES' EXPEDITION.
Sir \\'illiam Pitt, the premier of the
English government, now determined to
wrest Fort Duquesne from the French.
Brigadier-General John Forbes, an English
officer of high reputation as a soldier, was
appointed to command the expedition.
Seven thousand fi\-e hundred British and
American troops were raised for this pur-
pose ; of these 2,000 were recruited from
Pennsylvania. Forbes arrived at Philadel-
phia in April with his British regulars. He
proceeded to Carlisle and arranged for a
place of rendezvous at Bedford. These
Penns3dvania forces were composed of three
battalions. The first battalion was com-
manded by Col. John Armstrong, of Car-
lisle, the hero of Kittanning; the second
battalion by Col. James Burd, of the Brad-
dock expedition, who resided below Harris-
burg; the third battalion by Col. Hugh
Mercer, the distinguished soldier who had
been wounded at Kittanning. Manj^ of the
York County troops served in the first bat-
talion, of which Hance Hamilton was lieu-
tenant-colonel. Dr. David Jameson, of York,
who displayed ability both as a soldier and a
surgeon, was major of the second battalion.
Rev. Andrew Bay, of Marsh Creek, was
chaplain of the third battalion, of which
James Ewing, residing near Wrightsville,
and who became a brigadier-general in the
Revolution, was adjutant. The following
named persons from York County com-
manded companies in Forbes' expedition :
Captains Robert McPherson, Archibald
McGrew, David Hunter and Thomas Ar-
mour.
The Pennsylvania troops raised for the
Forbes expedition east of the Susquehanna
crossed the river, passing through York and
Cumberland Counties to Carlisle and from
thence moved to Raystown, now Bedford,
where they were joined by the Virginia
troops under Washington.
When Forbes arrived at Raystown with
his army, in September, 1758, he was car-
ried in a litter, as he was already prostrated
by the illness that shortly afterward caused
his death, but his head was clear and his
will firm, and he retained command of the
expedition. After Bouquet's disastrous
reconnoissance the army reached Loyal-
hannJl on November 5, and it was decided to
pass the winter there, when news of the
weakness of the fort induced Forbes to push
forward. Passing the field where the bones
of Braddock's men lay unburied, the expedi-
tion finally reached Fort Duquesne on No-
vember 25. The fort had been blown up
and abandoned bv the French on the
is6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
previous day, and A\'ashington's men
marched in and took possession. Forbes
renamed the place Fort Pitt (now Pitts-
burg), in honor of A\'illiam Pitt, who had
planned the campaign, and, after concluding-
treaties with the Indian tribes on the Ohio,
returned to Philadelphia, where he died
shorth'- afterward. He was noted in the
army for his obstinac)', and was nicknamed
" The Head of Iron." His expedition to
Fort Duquesn'e ended the French and In-
dian war so far as Pennsylvania was con-
cerned. The Indians gave no further
trouble to our northern and western
frontiers until the 3'ear 1778, during the
Revolution.
COLONEL HANCE HAMILTON, a
noted soldier of the Provincial army in the
French and Indian ^^■ar, was an early
Scotch-Irish settler west of the Susque-
hanna river. He was a bold and audacious
frontiersman and soon l^ecame one of the
most influential citizens of York county. He
landed at New Castle, Delaware, with other
Scotch-Irish immigrants and about 1732
took up lands near the site of Wrightsville.
About this time a thrifty Scotch-Irish settle-
ment was being made at Marsh Creek, near
the site of Gettysburg. Here Hance Ham-
ilton located about 1739 and became a
leader of tjie Scotch-Irish. In 1750 he was
a candidate for the office of sherif¥ of York
county. This was the first election for that
office. He represented the English and
Scotch-Irish settlers, while Richard McAl-
lister, who afterward founded Hanover, al-
though of Scotch-Irish birth, was a candi-
date of the Germans. At that earl_y date all
the voters of York county, which then in-
cluded Adams, cast their ballots in the court
house at York. It was a bitter contest be-
tween the opposing factions and required
the decision of the Provincial authorities to
decide that Hance Hamilton should be com-
missioned as the first sheriff of York county.
He was re-elected to the same office and
after his retirement engaged in agricultural
pursuits and owned a grist-mill in INIenallen
township, now Adams county. His place
of residence, together with his Scotch-Irish
neighbors, was near the western frontier
when the Indian depredations began in
1753. Having inherited a military spirit,
Hance Hamilton organized a compan}' to
defend the homes and firesides of these
pioneers. After the defeat of Braddock in
1755, he continually trained his company for
military service and in 1756, after a line of
forts had been constructed. Captain Hamil-
ton marched with his companj- to Fort Lit-
tleton in Bedford county. He was a com-
mander of this fort in 1756 and upon hearing
of the disaster at McCord's Fort went to the
rescue of the Provincial troops there and
wrote a description of the disaster. In
1756, Hance Hamilton commanded his com-
pany of York county troops in the expedi-
tion under Colonel Armstrong and aided
that officer in defeating the French and
Indians at Fort Kittaning. In 1758 he was
promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel
of the First Battalion of the Pennsylvania
foot soldiers in the Provincial army which
participated in Forbes' expedition against
Fort Duquesne. After the close of the
French and Indian war Colonel Hamilton
continued his occupation as a farmer and
miller retaining his interest in the public
afifairs of York count}? until the time of his
death, February 2, 1772. His will was ex-
ecuted four days before his death and his
estate is valued at 3000 pounds Pennsyl-
vania currency, or about $8,000 in coin.
He owned six negro slaves, which were sold
at public auction in 1773. He left ten chil-
dren, none of whose descendants reside in
York or Adams counties. His children
were Thomas, Edward, Harriet, Sarah,
iNIary, Hance, Gawin, George, John and
AA'illiam. One of his sons studied medicine
under Dr. John Boyd, of Lancaster, and in
1768 was one of the earliest graduates from
the University of Pennsylvania. In his will
he left to his son, Thomas, a pair of silver
mounted pistols valued at 30 dollars, to his
son Hance, he gave a pair of brass barrelled
pistols and holster valued at 5 pounds ; one
silver-mounted sword valued at 10 pounds;
one silver medal valued at 5s. ; to his son
Gawin, a silver snuff box, valued at 2
pounds ; and to his son George, a long gun
valued at 2 pounds, los. George also re-
ceived a pair of silver buckles appraised at
I2S., and John a silver watch appraised at
5 pounds, los. Hance Hamilton was a man
of enterprise, great force of character and
activity in public affairs. Hance Hamil-
ton's remains lie buried in Evergreen Cem-
etery, at Gettysburg, and are marked b}? a
head-stone of slate.
THE REVOLUTION
157
YORK COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTION.
CHAPTER Xn
THE REVOLUTION
First York County Troops — Thompson's
Battalion — Expedition to Canada — Sixth
Pennsylvania Battalion — Battle of Three
Rivers — McClean's Company — Grier's
Company — Miles' Regiment — Albright's
Company — First Pennsylvania Regiment
— Battle of Long Island.
In 1774 the difficulties between the King
of England and the thirteen colonies were
not adjusted by the appeals made to the
King and Parliament. As the result of this
condition the first Continental Congress
with representatives from the different
colonies, met in Philadelphia in September
of that year. This Congress sent a decla-
ration of Rights to the King, but it was un-
answered. Soon afterward Massachusetts
assembled a Provincial Congress and began
to form troops and collect military stores to
oppose by armed resistance what was
termed the tyranny of the English govern-
ment. Gen. Thomas Gage, who had
fought under Braddock in the French and
Indian war, was in charge of the British
troops at Boston.
On the evening of April 18,
Concord 1775, Gage dispatched 800
and regulars to Concord, a few
Lexington, miles northwest of Boston, to
capture the army stores there.
On their way they found a party of armed
yeomanrj' on Lexington Common. A
British officer ordered them to disperse and
as they remained motionless his soldiers
fired, killing seven men, and then proceeded
to Concord. By the time they reached
Concord most of the stores had been re-
mo\ed. In a sharp skirmish, the British
regulars were defeated, and as they marched
back toward Boston, hundreds of farmers
advanced upon them, firing from Ijehind
walls and trees after the Indian fashion.
The British lost nearly 300 men, and though
reinforced, narrowly escaped capture. This
was the beginning of the Revolutionary
war.
On the loth of May, 1775, the second
Continental Congress assembled in Phila-
delphia and on the same day Ticonderoga
and Crown Point, on Lake Champlain, were
captured by patriots from the Green
Mountains and Connecticut Valley, under
Ethan Allen and Seth Warner.
The tocsin of war had now been sounded
and American troops began to assemble in
the vicinity of Boston. These men had
come from farms and workshops and, al-
though untrained as soldiers, were eager
for armed conflict with the British foe.
Meantime reinforcements had arrived from
England. General Gage was succeeded by
Sir William Howe, who now commanded
10,000 men, and on June 17 the famous bat-
tle of Bunker Hill was fought. z-\lthough
the Americans were defeated, the moral
effect of the battle was in their favor.
At this time the American forces around
Boston were composed of undisciplined
troops. The news of the conflict at Lexing-
ton and Concord soon spread from Massa-
chusetts to Georgia. It aroused a spirit of
patriotism that prevailed throughout the
country during the entire period of the war.
Continental Congress had taken charge of
the assembling of troops in Massachusetts
to oppose the British forces of Sir William
Howe, and now supported active measures
for a war against the mother country. On
June 14 this body of patriots adopted a
resolution that eight companies of trained
riflemen from Pennsylvania, two from
Maryland and two from Virginia be raised,
and as soon as organized should be marched
to the army under AA'ashington at Cam-
bridge.
A military spirit had existed in Pennsyl-
vania and the adjoining colonies since the
French and Indian war. Companies had
been organized in nearh' all the centres of
158
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
population. The men who composed these
companies were trained hunters and skilled
marksmen so that when their patriotism
was aroused, these sturdy pioneers were
quick to respond to the resolution of
Congress and the appeals of their fellow-
countrymen in New England.
When the news of Lexington and Con-
cord reached the county seat at York it was
soon transmitted to every section of York
County. A similar spirit pervaded the
neighboring counties of Pennsylvania. One
of the eight Pennsylvania companies was to
be recruited in York County. Each com-
pany was officered with a captain, three lieu-
tenants, four sergeants, four corporals, a
drummer and sixty-eight' privates. The
captain was to receive twenty dollars per
month: a lieutenant, thirteen and one-third
dollars ; a sergeant, eight dollars ; a cor-
poral, seven and one-third; a drummer the
same ; pri\'ates, six and two-thirds. All
were to find their own arms and clothes.
FIRST YORK COUNTY TROOPS.
The sturd)'' yeomanry of this section of
Pennsylvania were ready for the emergency.
Local militia companies had been organized.
At this period there were three armed
companies in the town of York. From the
militia of the county it was decided to select
the requisite number of officers and sixty-
eight riflemen to form a company. Recruit-
ing began at Marsh Creek, at Gettys" tavern,
now the site of Gettysburg. Some men
came from the Monaghan settlement, where
Dillsburg now stands, and still another
sc^uad was recruited in the southern part of
the county. These men, ready to enlist in
the cause of American Independence, came
to York, where the company was organized
jwith Michael Doudel as captain ; Henrv
Miller, first lieutenant; John Dill, second
lieutenant; James Matson, third lieutenant.
On receipt of the instructions of Con-
gress the York County committee, which
was made up of such sturdy patriots as
James Smith, Thomas Hartley, George
Irwin, John Kean, Joseph Donaldson and
Michael Hahn, immediately assembled and
took steps to prepare the company for the
front. Everything was done with, the
greatest expedition. So many men wanted
to enlist that there were more than the
officers were authorized to accept.
" I'll take only the men that can hit that
nose at one hundred and fiity yards," said
young Lieutenant Miller, as he chalked a
small nose on a barn door.
Horatio Gates, recently appointed adju-
tant-general of the army and who had
chanced to arrive in York from his home in
Virginia on his way to headquarters, de-
cided it would be unwise to refuse the en-
listment of such courageous men. " They
will make soldiers," he said.
The committee appointed to provide the
necessaries for the company did their work
so well that in a few days a company of lOO
men was completely armed and equipped
for the field without a farthing being ad-
vanced from. the Continental treasury.
" The spirit of the people on this oc-
casion," wrote the local committee of cor-
respondence to Congress, " gave the com-
mittee encouragement. The men seemed
actuated with the greatest zeal and thought
themselves honored in having their names
enrolled among the sons of libert}' who are
to fight for their country and in defense of
their dearest rights and privileges. The
only uneasiness they feel is that they are not
this moment at the scene of action. From
the spirit of the soldiers we entertain the
most flattering hopes that they will prove
servicable to the cause of liberty and reflect
honor on this county. The principal people
here have caught the spirit of the honorable
Congress and in their small circle have done
ever3'thing- in their power to animate their
neighbors to stand forth in this day of
despotism and resist the arbitrary and un-
just measures of Parliament with all the
power which heaven has given them. And
we have the pleasure to inform you that
their labors have not been in vain and that
the county is ready to strain every nerve to
put into execution any measures which the
Congress may judge necessary to our com-
mon defense. The officers are men of
whose courage we have the highest opinion.
The captain has behaved very well on this
occasion and has done all in his power by
advancing money, etc., to forward the com-
mon cause."
It' would be interesting to record the en-
tire muster roll of this band of patriots.
The official records being defective, all
that can be here given are the fol-
lowing:
THE REVOLUTIOX
159
Armor, Robert
Armstrong, George
Beverly, John
Bettinger, Christian
Brown, John
Qimpbell, Thomas
Chirk, John
CHne, William
Cooper, William
Dougherty. George
Douther, John
Evans, Abel
Ferguson, John
Graft, Robert
Griffith, John
Halbut, Joseph
Kennedy, Richard
Kennedy, Thomas
Captain,
MICHAEL DOUDEL.
First Lieutenant.
HEXRY iMILLER.
Seeond Lieutenant,
JOHN DILL.
Third Lieutenant.
JAMES MATSON.
Corporal.
WALTER CRUISE.
Privates,
Lelap, Daniel
Lewis, Abram
JIcAlister, John
jNIcCrary, John
McCurt, John
Minshall, Joshua
Mill, James
JMoore, Edward
Ramsey, David
Russell, William
Shields, Alatthew
Staley, Jacob
Start, Andrew-
Sullivan, Patrick
Sweeney, Isaac
Tanner, Tobias
Taylor, John
Turner, Cornelius
The form of enlistment to which e\-ery
one of these volunteer soldiers appended his
signature before leaving York reads : " I
have this day voluntarily enlisted myself as
a soldier in the American Continental army
for one year, unless sooner discharged, and
do bind myself to conform in all instances
to such rules and regulations as are, or shall
be, established for the government of said
army."
According to the diary of Rev.
Leave John Roth, pastor of the ]Mora-
for vian Church at York, Captain
Boston. Doudel and his companj^ attended
religious services at Zion Re-
formed Church on the morning of July ist.
They listened to a patriotic sermon de-
livered by ReA'. Daniel A\'agner, the pastor,
who enjoined them " to keep God before
their eyes continually and then they would
be assured of his guidance and protection."
At I o'clock in the afternoon, this band of
one hundred American patriots started out
East iNIarket Street on the long march to
join the army under AA'ashington at Cam-
bridge.
In answer to the resolution of Congress
for eight companies from Pennsylvania, the
recruiting of men took place in the other
counties of the Province. One company
was raised in Northampton County, com-
manded by Captain Abraham ^Miller; one in
Berks County, Captain George Nagel; one
in Bedford County, Captain Robert Clug-
gage ; one in Northumberland, Captain
John Lowdon ; two in Cumberland, which
then included Franklin, commanded by
Captain James Ross and Captain Matthew
Smith. In all, there were nine companies
from Pennsylvania, one more than re-
quested b}^ Congress. By order of Conti-
nental Congress and the Pennsylvania As-
sembly, they were organized into what was
termed by General AA'ashington in organi-
zing the army, " Colonel Thompson's Bat-
talion of Riflemen from Pennsylvania."
THOMPSON'S BATTALION.
Col. AA'illiam Thompson, who was as-
signed to the command of this battalion,
was a native of Ireland, born in 1725. He
settled in Cumberland County early in life
and during the French and Indian war had
commanded a company of mounted
frontiersmen. A\'hen the Revolution opened
he was a surveyor residing at Carlisle. The
following is the field and staff of this bat-
talion when organized on its arrival at
AA'ashington's headquarters :
Colonel — AVilliam Thompson.
Lieutenant-Colonel — Edward Hand.
Major — Robert McGaw.
Chaplain — Rev. Samuel Blair.
Adjutant — David Ziegler.
Quartermaster — Frederick Hubley.
Surgeon — AMlliam AIcGaw.
Surgeon's Mate — Christian Reinecke.
Pay ^Master — David Harris.
Commissary — John Biddle.
AA'agon blaster — Adam Egle.
The officers of this famous battalion of
riflemen were the first after General Wash-
ington to receive commissions from Con-
gress, and these patriots from Pennsylvania
were the first troops west of the Hudson
and south of Long Island to join the
American army under the commander-in-
chief at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The
York riflemen, after crossing the Susque-
hanna, passed through Reading and Bethle-
hem, reaching New York before any other
Pennsylvania company, and proceeded to
Boston, arriving there July 25. At this time
there were 10,000 British regulars in Boston
under Sir AA'illiam Howe, and others were
on the wav from England.
i6o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Continental Congress was
Washington now in session behind closed
Takes . doors in Carpenter's Hall,
Command. Philadelphia. On June 15
Thomas Johnson, a delegate
from Frederick, Maryland, and afterward
the first governor of Maryland, nominated
George Washington for commander-in-
chief of the American army. John Adams,
in an eloquent speech, seconded the motion,
and \^''ashington, who was then a member
of Congress from Virginia, was unani-
mously chosen. He started for Boston on
horseback June 21, and, while passing
through New York city, June 25, received
the news of the battle of Bunker Hill. He
arrived at Cambridge July 2. The next day
he took formal command, drawing his
sword under an elm tree which a few years
ago was appropriately marked. At this
time there were 14,500 New England troops
equipped for duty around Boston, but ac-
cording to an official statement they had
only nine rounds of ammunition to a man.
Washington at once organized these raw
troops into divisions for drill and discipline,
and began to lay siege to the city of Boston.
The arrival of the troops from Pennsyl-
vania was enthusiastically received by the
patriots of New England. The evidences of
the courage and fortitude of the riflemen
from York and their willingness to join in
the struggle for American liberty is shown
by the following" extracts from Moore's
Diarv of the Revolution:
York
Troops
in
Action.
July 25, 1775. — Capt. Doudel, with his
company of riflemen from York, Penn-
sylvania, arrived at Cambridge about one
o'clock today, and since has made pro-
posals to General Washington to attack
the transport stationed on Charles river.
He will engage to take the transport with thirty men.
The General thinks it best to decline at present ; but at
the same time commends the spirit of Captain Doudel
and his brave men who. though just arrived after a very
long march, offer to execute the plan immediately.
July 30, 1775. — Last Friday the regulars cut several
trees and were busy all night in throwing up a line of
abatis in Charlestown Neck. In the evening orders
were given to the York county riflemen to march down
to our advanced post in Charlestown Neck, to endeavor
to surround the advanced guard and bring off some
prisoners, from whom we expected to learn their design
in throwing up their abatis in the Neck. The rifle com-
pany divided and executed their plan in the following
manner: Captain Doudel with thirty-nine men filed off
to the right of Bunker Hill, and, creeping on their
hands and knees, got into the rear without being dis-
covered. The other band of forty men, under Lieu-
tenant Miller, were successful in getting behind the
sentinels on the left, and were within a few yards of
joining the division on the right, when a party of reg-
ulars came down the hill to relieve their guard, and
crossed our riflemen under Captain Doudel as they were
lying on the ground in Lidian file. The regulars were
within twenty yards of our men before they saw them
and immediately fired. The riflemen returned the salute,
killed several and brought off two prisoners and their
arms, with the loss of Corporal Cruise, who is supposed
to have been killed as he has not been heard of since
the affair.
August 9, 1775. — The riflemen from York county have
annoyed the regulars very much. By a gentleman who
left Boston yesterday, we hear that Captains Percival
and Sabine of the Marines, Captain Johnston of the
Royal Irish, and Captain LeMoine of the train, were
killed Monday. Captain Chetwyn, son of Lord Chet-
wyn, is mortally wounded. The number of privates
killed this week we have not heard. The' regulars have
thrown up a breastwork across the neck at the foot of
Bunker Hill to protect their sentries and advance
guards.
Frothingham, in describing Thompson's
battalion and other riflemen from the south
in his " Siege of Boston," says :
" The riflemen from Pennsylvania at-
tracted much attention. They had enlisted
with great promptness and had marched
from four to seven hundred miles. In a
short time large bodies of them arrived in
camp. They were remarkably stout, hardy
men, dressed in white frocks, or rifle shirts,
and round hats, and were skillful marksmen.
At a review, a company of them, while on
a quick advance, fired balls into circular
targets seven inches in diameter at a'
distance of 250 yards. They were stationed
on the lines and became terrible to the
British. The account of their prowess was
circulated over England."
Corporal Walter Cruise, mentioned
A in the above extract from Moore's
Local Diary, was a member of Captain
Hero. Doudel's company from York. He
was taken a prisoner to the British
camp. So many of the officers and privates
of the royal arm}? had fallen under the un-
erring aim of the Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Virginia riflemen that Cruise, being
one of the first of them to be captured, be-
came the object of their resentment. The
British finally sent him to England to be
tried on certain charges, where a curiosity
had been aroused to see, in his frontier
costume, one of the riflemen of whom they
had heard such wonderful stories. After a
term of imprisonment he was taken before
the mayor of London, but that magistrate,
finding no crime charged against him, of
which he could take cognizance, released
THE REVOLUTION
i6r
him from custody. Artliur Lee, of Virginia,
the secret agent in London for the Ameri-
can colonies, upon hearing of Cruise's re-
lease, sent for him and after congratulating
him upon regaining his freedom, deli\ered
Cruise a package of papers.
" These papers are of the greatest mo-
ment to the liberty of our country. Can I
trust you to deliver them safely into the
hands ■ of General Washington and the
Continental Congress?"
" You can trust me," was the reply.
" Then I will secure a passage for you to
Halifax, the nearest and safest route to
America. For the cause of American
liberty yoti will guard these papers well,
and when you arrive in America, deliver
them as soon as possible to General AVash-
ington and the Continental Congress. I
can promise you that your country will not
forget your services."
Wishing him success on his mission,
Arthur Lee bade him farewell, and Cruise
was soon aboard a vessel bound for
America. On his arrival at Halifax, the
heroic corporal hastened with his valuable
despatches to New York, the headquarters
of the American army, where he delivered
them safely into, the hands of General
Washington, who immediately transmitted
copies to Continental Congress at Philadel-
phia, where the news was eagerly received.
An impression had been prevalent among
the American people that peace commis-
sioners would be sent to adjust the differ-
ences between England and the colonies,
but instead, the despatches brought by
Corporal Cruise informed them that the
King intended to send more English troops
and to hire German soldiers for the war in
America.
Nothing enraged the Ameri-
Declaration cans more than the arrival
of of this news nor urged them
Independence, more to declare indepen-
dence, than this hiring of
foreign mercenaries by the British govern-
ment. At length, in June, a motion was
made in Congress' by Richard Henry Lee,
a delegate from Virginia, " that these
LTnited Colonies are, and of right ought to
be, free and independent states." This
motion was carried on July 2 and the
Declaration of Independence draughted by
Thomas Jefferson and revised by a com-
mittee, of which he was a memljer, was
adopted July 4 at Independence Hall, Phila-
delphia.
Thompson's battalion of Pennsylvania
riflemen remained with the army under
Washington during the summer of 1775,
participating in the siege of Boston. Cap-
tain jMichael Doudel, who commanded the
company from York County, resigned his
commission on account of ill health and re-
turned to his family at York. Lieutenant
Henry Miller was promoted to captain.
This battalion was placed in the division of
General Charles Lee upon the organization
of the American arm}^ around Boston. It
remained in his command until August 20,
when it was transferred to General Israel
Putnam, encamped four miles from Cam-
bridge. On August 29, Lieutenant-Colonel
Edward Hand writes : " Our battalion
formed the picket guard of the two
thousand provincial troops who on the
evening of the 26th of August took posses-
sion of Ploughed Hill and threw up en-
trenchments, and on the morning of the
27th met with its first loss. Private Simpson,
of Captain Matthew Smith's company, who
was wounded in the leg and died there-
from."
Captain James AVilkinson, who, after the
Revolution, became commander-in-chief of
the army, joined Thompson's battalion at
Boston as a volunteer. In recording the
death of Private Simpson, he says : " The
young man was visited and consoled during
his illness by General Washington in per-
son and by most of the officers of rank be-
longing to the army. Every exertion b\'
surgeons was made to save him, and his
death became a theme of common sorrow
in an army of twelve or fourteen thousand
men."
An incident now occurred
Proposed which interested all the Penn-
Canada sylvania soldiers under Colo-
Expedition, nel Thompson. An expedi-
tion had been planned to in-
vade Canada. The story goes that this ex-
pedition was suggested by Benedict Arnold,
then considered a skillful soldier, who held
the commission of colonel in the army
around Boston. One thousand men were to
be detached and sent under Arnold through
the wilderness of Maine to Quebec. On
September 5 the company under Captain
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Smith, of Dauphin County, and the com-
pany under Captain Hendricks, of Cumber-
land County, were ordered to parade upon
the Boston Common, preparatory to join-
ing Arnold, and they united with his expe-
dition the following week. The story of
their experience in this campaign is given
in the history of the first expedition to
Canada, described elsewhere in this work.
The York riflemen under Henry Miller
were disappointed in not having the oppor-
tunity of joining Arnold on this expedition,
for they already had attained a high reputa-
tion as trained marksmen. A trouble had
arisen, however, in Thompson's command,
for some of his troops, including the York
Riflemen, had been lax in discipline, even
going" so far as to have released some of
their companions from the guard house, for
which offense they themselves were
punished. In order that idleness might not
be a bane to them, the commanding general
ordered that they should thereafter do all
camp duty the same as other regiments.
Obedient to the order, a strict discipline
was now enforced b}^ the company officers,
and a contemporar}^ letter states, "that
upon every alarm it was impossible for
men to behave .with more readiness or
■ attend better to their duty." On the 9th
of November, these men, who had already
been the first Pennsylvania troops to en-
gage the British in armed conflict, took
part in the skirmish at Lechmere's Point,
in sight of Boston. In describing this affair
the Philadelphia Evening Post of 1775
says :
" The British had landed
Valor of under cover of a fire from
Pennsylvania their batteries on Bunker,
Troops. Breed's and Copp's hills, as
well as from a frigate which
lay three hundred yards off the point. In a
high tide it is an island. Colonel Thomp-
son marched instantly with his men, and
though it was a very stormy day, they re-
garded not the tide nor waited for boats,
but took to the water up to their armpits,
for a quarter of a mile, and notwithstand-
ing the regulars' fire, reached the island,
and although the enemy were lodged behind
the walls and under cover, drove them to
their boats. Loss, one killed (Alexander
Creighton, of Ross' company) and three
wounded; British loss, seventeen killed and
one wounded."
The next day, accordiirg to official re-
ports, Colonel Thompson and his battalion
were publicly thanked by Washington in
general orders. General Washington's
army around Boston was increased in
numbers by the arrival of new troops
during the winter of 1775-6. Early in
March there were indications that General
Howe, the commander of the British forces,
was making arrangements to evacuate the
city, and on the 17th of March the siege of
Boston ended, when General Howe set sail
with his army for Halifax, in Nova Scotia.
It was this incident in American history that
gave rise to the humorous expression
" Gone to Halifax," After his arrival at
Halifax, Howe made arrangements for an
expedition against New York City.
Immediately after the departure of the
British, AVashington took possession of
Boston. Believing that the final destination
of Howe was New York, he began to move
part of his army toward that city, leaving
Boston in possession of New England
troops. He accompanied his army on the
march toward New York.
Colonel Thompson was promoted to the
rank of brigadier-general on March i, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Hand was placed in
command of the battalion, receiving his
commission as colonel from Continental
Congress, March 7. During the siege of
Boston, Walter Cruise, John Brown and
Cornelius Turner, of York County, were
taken prisoners. At this time Colonel Ed-
ward Hand reported that his battalion was
composed of six companies.
Hand's battalion, which now in
An official papers was called a reg-
Historic iment, had a standard of " deep
Banner. green ground, the device a tiger
partly enclosed by toils attempt-
ing the pass, defended by a hunter armed
with a spear (in white) on crimson field,
the motto ' Domari Nolo.' " Their uni-
forms were made of brown holland and
Osnaburgs, something like a shirt, double
caped over the shoulders in imitation of the
Indians; and on the breast in capital letters
was their motto, " Liberty or Death."
AVhen Washington discovered that Howe
was preparing to leave Boston, he sent
THE REVOLUTIOX
163
General Sullivan with Thompson's, now
Hand's, riflemen with Ave other regiments
to New York. They left Boston on March
14 and arrived at New York March 28. Ar-
rangements had been made for Sullivan to
reinforce the expedition against ^Montreal
in Canada, taking the place of Thomas, who
succeeded Montgomery after the latter had
been killed.
Hand's regiment, in which the
March York riflemen, under Captain Mil-
to ler, were now serving, was placed
Long under General Israel Putnam, who
Island, had been sent to New York by
^^'ashington to take command of
all the forces in and around that city and
await the expected arrival of the British
army from Halifax. April 5, Hand's reg-
iment was moved by order of General Put-
nam to Long Island, where it remained at a
station near New Utrecht during the re-
mainder of April and the months of ]May
and June, doing some good service.
On the 22d of April, 1776, General Wash-
ington said in a letter to the President of
Congress, " The time for which the rifle-
men enlisted will expire on the first of July
next, and as the loss of such a valuable and
brave body of men will be of great injury to
the service I would submit it to the con-
sideration of Congress whether it would not
be best to adopt some method to induce
them to continue. They are, indeed, a very
useful corps, but I need not mention this,
as their importance is already known to
Congress."
Congress had (withoitt the knowledge of
the commander-in-chief) passed a resolu-
tion, dated April 15, to recruit and re-enlist
the battalion and the independent rifle com-
panies attached to it, for a term of two years
unless sooner discharged. On the 30th of
June, the day when the time of those who
did not re-enlist expired. Colonel Hand said
in a letter, " Almost all the men discharged
today declare that they will stay to know
what the fleet will do," meaning the British
fleet bringing Howe's army from Halifax to
the harbor of New Y'ork. On the first of
July, 1776, the rifle battalion, recruited and
re-enlisted, entered on another term of
service as the First Regiment of Pennsyl-
vania in the Continental Line. Pennsyl-
vania troops thus formed the first regiment
of the regular army of the United States.
FIRST EXPEDITION TO CANADA.
Soon after the opening of the war at
Lexington and Concord, the conquest of
Canada was contemplated by the New
England leaders, but Congress was un-
willing to adopt measures except such as
were purely defensive in character. It was
only with reluctance that Congress had
sanctioned the garrisoning of Ticonderoga
in northeastern New York by Connecticut
troops. During the summer of 1775 it was
ascertained that Sir Guy Carleton, the
Governor of Canada, was about to take
steps to recover Ticonderoga, which had
been captured by Ethan Allen in May.
Congress also learned that the English had
intrigued with the Iroquois Indians of cen-
tral New York to harass the New England
frontier and the region along the Hudson
River. A\"ith this condition of affairs
Congress resolved upon the invasion of
Canada as a measure of self-defence.
An expedition led by General
March Richard ^Montgomery passed
to down Lake Champlain against
Quebec. Montreal. On September 12,
^Montgomery, with a force of two
thousand men, laid siege to the fortress of
St. John's, which commanded the approach
to ^Montreal. After a siege of fifty days St.
John's surrendered and Montgomery en-
tered Montreal nine days later. Meanwhile
A\'ashington. in command of the army at
Cambridge, detached one thousand infantry,
IMorgan's Virginia sharpshooters, and two
companies of riflemen from Pennsylvania to
advance through the forests of Maine to
Quebec. This expedition was in command
of Colonel Benedict Arnold, who is sup-
posed to have suggested it. Aaron Burr
served on the staff of Arnold in this expedi-
tion and at one time acted as a spy in the
garb of a Catholic priest. One of the Penn-
sylvania companies that went with this ex-
pedition was recruited in Cumberland
County and was commanded b}' Captain
A\'illiam Hendricks: the other commanded
by Captain Matthew Smith, had been raised
in the present area of Dauphin County.
Both of these companies had served in
Thompson's Battalion at the siege of Boston
and both contained some York County sol-
diers. Lieutenant ^Michael Simpson, who
afterward wrote the introduction to Hon.
164
HISTORY. OF YORK COUXTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
John Joseph Henry's account of this expe-
dition, was a lieutenant in Captain Smith's
company. He resided on the Simpson
Ferry property at X^ew Market in Fairview
Township.
Arnold's march, which was as difficiilt as
Hannibal's crossing of the Alps, was con-
ducted with great ability, but it was nearly
ruined by the misconduct of a subordinate
officer, who deserted with two hundred men
and the greater part of the provisions.
After frightful hardships to which two hun-
dred more men succumbed, on the 13th of
November the little army climbed the
Heights of Abraham, fronting Quebec. As
Arnold's force was insuiificient to storm the
city and the garrison would not come out to
fight, he was obliged to await the arrival of
Montgomery, who had just taken Montreal.
On the morning of December 31, Mont-
gomery and Arnold made a combined attack
on Quebec and each came near carrying" his
point, but in the assault Montgomery was
slain and Arnold wounded in the leg. The
enthusiasm of the troops was chilled and
thejr were repelled. Captain Morgan suc-
ceeded Montgomery in the temporary com-
mand but in a violent attack on the British,
he and his company were made prisoners.
With the failure of this desperate attack
passed away the golden opportunity for tak-
ing the citadel of Canada. Arnold remained
throughout the winter in the neighborhood
of Quebec and in the spring the enterprise
was taken up by Wooster and Sullivan with
fresh forces.
During the fall of 1775 Con-
Reinforce- gress asked that five battalions
ments for be raised in Pennsylvania to re-
Canada, inforce the expedition for the
conquest of Canada. When
these battalions were organized the first
was commanded by John Philip De Hass, of
Lebanon; the second by Colonel Arthur St.
Clair, of Westmoreland county, who had
seen service in the British army under Am-
herst; the third by Colonel John Shea, an
Irish merchant of Philadelphia; the fourth
by Colonel Anthony Wayne, a surveyor and
member of the assembly from Chester
county, and the fifth by Colonel Robert
McGaw, of Carlisle. January 4, 1776, Con-
gress passed a resolution that 'a sixth bat-
talion be raised in Pennsylvania, which was
recrtiited west of the Susquehanna. As
York county had no troops yet organized in
response to these various calls for the ex-
pedition to Canada, James Smith, a practic-
ing lawyer and chairman of the Committee
of Safety for York county, wrote the fol-
lowing letter :
James Smith to Benjamin Franklin and Robert Morris,
Esquires, and the Committee of Safety of Penn-
sylvania.
York, Pa., December 2:i„ 1775.
Gentlemen : — By the last night's post we received the
public papers, acquainting us of the resolve of congress
touching the raising of four battalions in this province
and desiring the committee of safety to appoint the com-
pany officers and recommend the field officers of those
battalions to the honorable continental congress.
The time limited for the appointment and recom-
mendation being fixed to the second of January it will
be impracticable for the meinbers of your committee in
this county to attend; in this situation of affairs the
Committee of Correspondence for York County hope
your board will not think it improper to trouble you on
that subject, well knowing that the great cause of
American liberty is our primary object and that every-
thing that may tend to forward that glorious cause
through whatever channel will not be unacceptable. I
am directed by the Committee of Correspondence for
this county to write to the Committee of Safety and in
the strongest terms to request that the board may
please to recommend Thomas Hartley, Esq., to be lieu-
tenant colonel of one of the battalions to be raised in
this province and in case that recommendation should
take place that the board will please to appoint David
Grier, Esq., to be captain ; John McDowell, lieutenant ;
William Nichols, ensign, of one company; Moses Mc-
Clean, captain ; Lewis Bush, lieutenant, and Robert
Hoopes, ensign, of another company in the same bat-
talion; and if a third company should be raised in York
county to please to appoint Bernard Eichelberger, cap-
tain or lieutenant as you may think best.
If the board should think this application not im-
proper in this situation and it should be agreeable to
them, the Committee of Correspondence here will exert
every nerve in assisting the officers to get their com-
panies filled in the most expeditious manner with the
best men and at the least possible expense to the public.
I am
Gentlemen
with great respect
Your most humble Servant,
To Benjamin Franklin & James Smith, Chair'
Robert ^Morris, Esq., and of the Com'e York Co.
the Committee of Safety of the
Province of Pennsylvania
at Philadelphia.
By the Lancaster post to be delivered as soon as
possible.
SIXTH PENNSYLVANIA BATTALION
AVilliam Irvine, a graduate of medicine
from the Universit}^ of Dublin, who settled
at Carlisle in 1764, where he practiced his
profession until the opening of the Revolu-
tion, was appointed to command the Sixth
Battalion. Colonel Irvine had served as an
officer in the British army in the war be-
tween England and France before he came
to this country. Thomas Hartley, then a
THE REVOLUTIOX
165
practicing lawyer at York, was made lieu-
tenant colonel; James Dunlap, niajpr; Rev.
William Linn, chaplain; John Brooks, ad-
jutant, and Robert Johnston, surgeon.
Immediately after the receipt of the news
from Congress asking for troops from west
of the Susquehanna, recruiting began at
York, in the lower end of York county, in
the Monaghan settlement around the pres-
ent- site of Dillsburg, at Hanover, and in
the Marsh Creek country around the site
of Gettysburg. In a short time two com-
panies were organized. One of these com-
panies was commanded by Captain David
Grier, a member of the bar, who had been
admitted to the practice of law at York in
1771. The other was commanded by Cap-
tain Moses McClean, son of Archibald Mc-
Clean, a noted surveyor of York who had
assisted in running ]Mason and Dixon's line.
Colonel Irvine's command, known in his-
tory as the Sixth Pennsylvania battalion,
was organized at Carlisle in ]\Iarch, 1776.
On the 226. of that month Colonel Irvine
wrote to John Hancock, President of Con-
gress :
"I am honored with your orders to march
my battalion to New York, which shall be
complied with, with all possible expedition.
Many of the arms are old, and want bay-
onets and repairs. However, I shall not
wait for bayonets, as I hope to be supplied
at Philadelphia or Xew York. I have been
obliged to purchase man}' rifles, but I pre-
sume they may be changed for muskets,
should the service require it; knapsacks,
haversacks, canteens, and many other ne-
cessaries which the commissioners promised
to forward for ni}' battalion, have not yet
come to hand. Though I do not mean to
wait for them, yet I think it proper to ac-
quaint you, as perhaps your further orders
may be necessary."
A few clays later Colonel Irvine left Car-
lisle with his battalion for the Canada cam-
paign. His command numbered 780 men.
The captains of the eight different com-
panies comprising this battalion were:
David Grier, Moses AlcClean, Samuel Hay.
Robert Adams, Abraham Smith, \\'illiam
Rippev, Tames A. A\'ilson and ' Jeremiah
Talbott. "
In accordance with a resolution of Con-
gress each company was to be composed of
sixty-eight men. one captain, one lieutenant.
one ensign, four sergeants and four cor-
porals ; privates to be enlisted for one year
at five dollars per month ; each private to be
allowed instead of bounty, one felt hat, a
pair of yarn stockings and a pair of shoes ;
the men to find their own arms ; the en-
listed men to be furnished with a hunting
shirt, not exceeding in value one and one-
third of a dollar, and a blanket, provided
these can be procured but not to be made
part of the terms of enlistment.
The Sixth Battalion under Colo-
Join nel Irvine arrived at Albany
Sullivan's ^lay 10, where it joined a part
Command, of A\'ayne's battalion from
Chester count}^ These troops
proceeded to Fort Ticonderoga on Lake
Champlain, where they embarked with Gen-
eral John Sullivan for St. John's. Here
they joined the Pennsylvania and other
troops, all of which were placed under com-
mand of General John Sullivan, a native of
Maine, who had held a command under
A\'ashington at the siege of Boston. He
was one of the eight brigadier generals first
commissioned by Congress at Philadelphia.
On June 2 he took command of the northern
army on the borders of Canada, succeeding
General Thomas, of Massachusetts, who
had died of smallpox near Montreal. W'il-
liam Thompson, who had been promoted
from the command of his battalion of Penn-
sylvania riflemen to the rank of brigadier
general, had been ordered from Boston in
April, 1776, to reinforce General Thomas
with four regiments which were afterward
increased to ten. He met the northern
army on its retreat from Quebec and as-
sumed the chief command when General
Thomas was sick, yielding it up on June 4,
to General Sullivan, by whose orders two
days later he made a disastrous attack on
the enemy at Three Rivers.
BATTLE OF THREE RIVERS.
The storj' of the battle of Three Rivers
is best told in a letter written by Lieutenant
Colonel Hartley, of York, to his personal
friend, Jasper Yeates, of Lancaster. This
letter dated at the camp at Sorel, three days
after the battle, June 12, 1776, reads as fol-
lows :
"Before the arrival of Colonel AA'ayne's
and Irvine's regiments under the command
of General Sullivan, Colonel St. Clair, with
1 66
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLVAXL\
a detachment of seven hundred men, was
sent down the river St. Lawrence about
nine leagues, to watch the motions of the
enemy and act occasionally. General Sul-
livan's arrival here was at a critical time.
Canada was lost, unless some notable exer-
tion was made; the credit of our arms gone
and no large number of our American
troops to sustain our posts. It was said
that the taking of Three Rivers, with such
troops as were on it would be of service. A
detachment under General Thompson was
sent down the river. The corps under Colo-
nel St. Clair was to join it, and if the Gen-
eral thought it expedient, he was ordered
by Sullivan to attack the enemy at Three
Rivers.
"We left this on the evening of the 5th
instant in several batteaux and joined St.
Clair about twelve o'clock at night. It be-
ing too late to proceed on to Three Rivers
the enterprise was postponed until the next
night.
"In the dusk of the evening of the 7th we
set off from the Nicolette with about fifteen
hundred rank and file besides officers. It
was intended to attack Three Rivers about
daj'break in four places. Thompson landed
his forces about nine miles above the town
on the north side of the St. Lawrence, and
divided his army into five divisions, Max-
well, St. Clair, Wayne and Irvine each com-
manding a division, and I had the honor of
commanding the reserve. Leaving two
hundred and fifty men to guard the bat-
teaux, the army proceeded swiftly towards
the town. I was to be ready to sustain the
party which might need assistance.
"The guards proved faithless and the
General was misinformed as to the number
of the enemy as well as to the situation of
the town. Our men had lost their sleep for
two nights, }'et were in pretty good spirits.
Daylight appeared and showed us to the
enemy. Our guides (perhaps traitors) had
led us through windings, and were rather
carrying us off from the post. The General
was enraged at their conduct.
"There were mutual firings. Our people
killed some in a barge. Our scheme was
no longer an enterprise. It might have
been prudent perhaps to retreat but no one
would propose it. AVe endeavored to pene-
trate through a swamp to the town and
avoid the shipping. A\'e had no idea of the
difficulties we were to surmount in the mire,
otherwise the way by the shipping would
have been preferred.
"We waded three hours in the mud about
mid-deep in general, the men fasting. We
ever}' moment expected to get through and
find some good ground to form on, but were
deceived. The second division under Colo-
nel Anthony AVayne, saw a part of the
enemy and attacked them. Captain Sanluel
Hay of ou'r regiment (Sixth battalion), with
his company of riflemen, assisted and be-
haved nobly. Colonel AA^ayne advanced,
the enemy's light infantry were driven from
their ground and the Indians in their fianks
were silenced.
"The great body of the eneni}',
A Furious which we knew nothing of.
Fire. consisting of two or three thou-
sand men, covered with en-
trenchments, and assisted with the cannon
of the shipping and several field pieces, be-
gan a furious lire and continued it upon our
troops in the front. It was so heavy that
the division gave way, and from the badness
of the ground could not form suddenly
again. St. Clair's division advanced but the
fire was too heavy. Part of Irvine's divi-
sion, especially the riflemen, went up to-
wards the enemy. I understood the army
was in confusion. I consulted some friends
and led up the reserve within a short dis-
tance of the enemy. McClean's and Grier's
companies from York county advanced with
spirit; McClean's men took the best situa-
tion, and within eighty yards of the enemy
exposed to the fire of the shipping as hot as
hell. I experienced some of it.
"Not a man of McClean's company be-
haved badly; Grier's company behaved well.
Several of the enemy were killed in the at-
tack of the reserve. Under the disadvan-
tages, our men would fight; but we had no
covering, no artillery, and no prospect of
succeeding, as the number of the enemy was
so much superior to ours. AA'ayne and
Allen rallied part of our men, and kept up a
fire against the English from the swamp.
The enemy, in the meantime, dispatched a
strong body to cut off our retreat to the
boats, when it was thought expedient to
retreat. Our General and Colonel Irvine
were not to be found ; they had both gone up
to the front in a very heavy fire. This gave
us great uneasiness but a retreat was neces-
THE REVOLUTION
167
sary. This could not be done regularly, as
we could not regain the road on account of
the enemy's shipping and artillery, and went
off in small parties through the swamp.
^\'ayne and Allen gathered some hundreds
together and I got as many in my division
as I could, with several others amounting
to upwards of two hundred.
"Wayne with his party, and I with mine,
tried several wa3's to get to our batteaux.
^^'ayne was obliged, not far from the river,
to march by seven hundred of the enemy.
He intended to attack them, but his men
were so much fatigued that it was deemed
unsafe. The enemy fired their small arms
and artillery on our men as loud as thunder.
They returned a retreating fire. Several of
the enemy were killed and wounded. We
came within a mile of where our boats were,
but our guard had carried them off. The
English had possession of the ground where
we landed. Their shipping proceeded up
the river, covering parties being sent to take
possession of the ferries we were to pass.
"Wayne with his party lay near the
enemy. I passed through a big swamp and
at night took possession of a hill near the
enemy. We were without food and the
water very bad. I mounted a small quarter
guard, fixed my alarm post, and made every
man lie down on the ground, on which he
was to rise for action in case of an attack.
I slept a little by resting my head on a cold
bough of spruce.
"Morning dawned (Sunday, June 9), and
I consulted our officers and men. They
said the}' were refreshed with sleep. It was
agreed to stand together, that they would
support me and effect a passage through
the enemy or die in the attempt. A little
spring water refreshed us more. The
necessary dispositions were made but we
had no guides. W^e heard the enemy within
a half mile of us, but no one seemed alarmed
so we proceeded and luckily fell in with
Wayne's track. We pursued it and over-
took him near the river Du Lac. This
made us upwards of seven hundred strong
and we agreed to attack the enemy if they
fell in our way to Bokie (Berthier), opposite
Sorel. We were sure they would attempt
the fort at Sorel before we could arrive, but
as we came up the English left the ferries
and drew all their forces back to Three
Rivers. Bv forced marches and surmount-
ing every difficulty, we got up, crossed the
river and arrived at Sorel, Monday after-
noon, June 10. We brought nearly twelve
hundred inen back with our party. Many
are yet missing, one hundred and fifty or
two hundred. Some scattered ones are
continually coming in so that our loss will
not be so great as was first imagined.
"Colonel A\'ayne behaved exceedingly
well and showed himself a man of courage
and a true soldier. Colonel Allen exerted
himself and is a fine fellow. Colonel Max-
well was often in the midst of danger. His
own division was not present to support
liim. He was also very useful in the re-
treat after he joined Wayne. Lieutenant
Edie, of the York troops, I fear is killed.
He was a fine young fellow and behaved
bravely. He approached the enemy's works
without dismay several times and remained
in the swamp to the last. He was in the
second engagement where it is supposed he
was killed. Ensign Hoopes of the same
company was wounded near the breast-
works when I led up the reserve. I cannot
say too much of his bravery. He showed
the greatest courage after he had received
several wounds in the arm. He stood his
ground and animated his men. He nobly
made good his retreat with me through a
swamp nearh' eighteen miles long. Sev-
eral of our regiment were killed. I appre-
hend between thirt}' and fifty.
"June 13. Last night a sort of flag of
truce came from the enemy. General
Thompson, Colonel AVilliam Irvine, Dr.
McKenzie, Lieutenants Edie and Currie and
Parson McCalla (of the First) are prison-
ers. They were taken up by some of the
rascally Canadians in the most treacherous
manner."
At the time of the battle of Three Rivers,
the British forces in Canada numbering
13,000 men, were under command of Sir
Guy Carleton, a noted soldier in the English
army, who had been appointed governor of
the Province of Quebec in 1772. He had
recaptured Montreal before the contest at
Three Rivers, where the British troops were
commanded by Sir John Burgoyne, the ill-
fated officer who, in 1777, surrendered his
entire army at the battle of Saratoga. The
American forces at the battle of Three Riv-
ers were composed entirely of Pennsylvania
troops, with the exception of a small de-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLVANIA
tachment from New Jersey. They fought
gallantly against great odds with all the ad-
vantages in favor of the enemy. It was the
first engagement of the Revolution on
American soil fought by Pennsylvania
troops. Although they did not succeed, the
battle proved again to the ministry and the
King of England that the American volun-
teers, fighting for liberty and independence,
were destined to rank in ability and achieve-
ment with the trained soldiers of Europe.
After the engagement at Three
Sullivan Rivers and the defeat of Arnold
Retreats, at ^Montreal, Sullivan began his
masterly retreat. He joined
Arnold at St. Johns, on the Sorel river,
which flows from the mouth of Lake Cham-
plain into the St. Lawrence.
"The rear of the army," says Wilkinson
in his "Memoirs," "with baggage stores,
reached St. Johns on June i8th, was em-
barked and moved up the Sorel the same
afternoon. After the last boat except Ar-
nold's had put off, at Arnold's suggestion,
he and Wilkinson went down the direct
road to Chambly for two miles, where they
met the advance of the British division,
under Burgoyne. They reconnoitered it a
few minutes, then galloped back to St.
Johns and stripping their horses, shot them.
Arnold then ordered all on board, pushed
olif the boat with his own hands, and thus
indulged the vanity of being the last man
who embarked from the shores of the
enemy. They followed the army twelve
miles to the Isle Aux Noix, where they ar-
rived after dark."
The head of Burgoyne's column entered
St. Johns on the evening of the i8th, and
Philip's advance guard on the morning of
the 19th. On the 19th general orders at
Isle Aux Noix directed the commands of
de Hass, Wayne, St. Clair and Irvine to
encamp on the east side of the island.
On the 2 1 St, Irvine's battalion met with
another heavy loss, as is detailed by a letter
from one of the regiment :
"Captains McClean, Adams and Rippey,
Lieutenants McFerran, McAllister and
Hoge, and Ensigns Lusk and Culbertson,
with four privates, went over from the Isle
Aux Noix to the western shore of the lake,
about a mile from camp, but within sight,
to fish and divert themselves. McClean
prudently proposed to take arms with them
but was overruled. Some Indians observed
their motions, and while they were at a
house drinking some spruce beer, the sav-
ages surrouiided them, killed Captain
Adams, Ensign Culbertson and two privates,
whom they scalped in a most inhuman and
barbarous manner, and carried ofif prisoners
McClean, McFerran, McAllister and Hoge
and two other privates. But a party coming
to their relief from camp aided Captain Rip-
pey and Ensign Lusk to make their escape."
The bodies of those killed were brought
to the Isle Aux Noix and decently buried
by W^ayne, who with a party followed the
Indians and recovered the batteaux with
the bodies.
Isle Aux Noix proved very unhealthy;
Wayne had sixty men out of one hundred
and thirty-eight taken down with sickness,
after their arrival there; and on the 24th of
June, de Haas and all his field officers with
a number of his men were sick. On the
25th, General Sullivan commenced moving
the army to Isle la Motte. Colonel Hartley,
with two hundred and fifty men of Irvine's
battalion, went by land, scouring the coun-
try, traversing disagreeable swamps, de-
stroying on the way the houses, mills, etc.,
of the traitor McDonald, who had deceived
them at Three Rivers.
On June 27th, at Isle la Motte
Gates in all the army took vessels and
Command, came to Crown Point, which
they reached on July ist.
General Gates arrived there on the evening
of the 5th, superceding General Sullivan,
and on the 7th at a council of war, it was
determined to remove the army to Ticon-
deroga. The battalions of de Haas, St.
Clair and AA'ayne arrived there on the loth,
the Sixth battalion under Hartley remain-
ing posted at Crown Point, where it en-
camped the balance of the summer and fall,
the sentinel regiment of Gates' army. On
the 20tli Gates brigaded his army, and the
four Pennsylvania battalions were consti-
tuted the Fourth Brigade, Colonel Arthur
St. Clair commanding; Edward Scull bri-
gade-major for the Third and Fourth bat-
talions. August 14th, Hartley's scouts
found the British still at St. Johns.
On the 6th of September, Hartley desired
General Gates to send to Crown Point,
either General AA'ayne's battalion or the
Second and he would defend it with them.
THE REVOLUTION
169
Gates gave him positive orders to retreat
if the British reached that point. The
British did not come, however, and on the
22d Irvine's regiment was still at Crown
Point — one lieutenant colonel, one major,
fot:r captains, five first lieutenants, three
second lieutenants, five ensigns, four stafif,
se\enteen sergeants, fifteen drums, and four
hundred and eighty-six rank and file. On
the nth of October, Hartley still main-
tained his post, having found in the woods
some cannon lost in the French war. With
great labor he had roads cut and transported
them to Crown Point, and had a battery of
six guns ready for the enemy not any too
soon, for on the same day the British at-
tacked Arnold's fleet on Lake Champlain,
compelling him to retire towards Crown
Point. On the 14th Hartley set fire to all
the houses at or near Crown Point and re-
tired to Ticonderoga.
The season was too far advanced for the
British to make any further progress ; after
threatening Ticonderoga they retired into
winter quarters. On the i8th of November
General Gates putting Wayne iii command
of Ticonderoga, proceeded to join General
Washington with the larger part of the
army, the three Pennsylvania battalions
whose time would expire on the 5th of Jan-
uary, agreeing to remain until they were re-
lieved by other troops. On the 29th of
November, the Second, commanded by_
^^'ood, numbered four hundred and twenty-
six officers and men ; Wayne's five hundred
and sixty-five ; Irvine's five hundred and
three.
On the 4th of December, AA'ayne writes
to the Committee of Safety :
"The wretched condition the battalions
are now in for want of almost every neces-
sary, except flour and bad beef, is shocking
to humanity, and beggars all description.
We have neither beds nor bedding for our
sick to lie on or under, other than their
own clothing; no medicine or other things
needed for them. The dead and dying,
lying mingled together in our hospital, or
rather hou^e of carnage, is no uncommon
sight. They are objects truly worthy of
your notice."
On the 24th of January, 1777, the
The Pennsylvania battalions left Ti-
Return conderoga with General \\'ayne
Home, for their homes. Irvine's battal-
ion under the command of Lieutenant
Colonel Hartley reached Carlisle on its
return March 15, 1777, where it was re-
enlisted for three years or the war as the
Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment of the
Continental Line.
Colonel Irvine, of Carlisle, who com-
manded the Sixth battalion in which the
York county troops served, was captured
at Three Rivers and carried a prisoner to
New York, where he was paroled August
3, 1776, but was not exchanged until May
6, 1778, when he resumed the command
of the Seventh Pennsylvania regiment. He
took part in various campaigns and was
promoted to brigadier general and after the
war served as a member of Continental
Congress.
William Thompson, who was captured
at Three Rivers, had commanded Thomp-
son's Rifle Battalion in front of Boston until
he was promoted brigadier-general and
joined the expedition against Canada. He
was held a prisoner in New York until
August, 1776, when he returned to Phila-
delphia on parole but was not exchanged
until 1778. He died near Carlisle in 1781,
aged 56 years.
Captain Moses McClean, who was cap-
tured by the Indians in this campaign, was
held a prisoner of war until March 27, 1777,
when he was exchanged. After the war he
moved to Ohio and died at Chillicothe, Au-
gust 25, 1810, aged seventy-three years.
Captain David Grier, who won a brilliant
record for gallantry at Three Rivers, was
promoted to major of his regiment October
25, 1776. He was made lieutenant colonel
of the Seventh Pennsylvania regiment,
which he commanded during Colonel Ir-
vine's imprisonment. In September, 1777,
he participated in battles under General
Wayne and was wounded slightly at
Chad's Ford and was also wounded in the
side by a bayonet at Paoli. Colonel Grier
practiced law after the war and was a prom-
inent citizen of York. He was a presiden-
tial elector at W^ashington's first election.
He died in York in 1791.
Lieutenant John Edie, who became a
prisoner of war at Three Rivers, was not
exchanged until April 10, 1778. From 1791
to 1798 he was editor and one of the owners
of the Pennsylvania Herald and General
Ad\-ertiser published at York, the files of
170
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
which paper are in the Historical Society of
York count}-. After the Revolution Lieu-
tenant Edie became brigadier general in the
state militia.
Lieutenant Abdiel McAllister, of Grier's
compan}^, who was captured at Three Riv-
ers, was the oldest son of Colonel Richard
McAllister, founder of Hanover, who com-
manded the Second regiment in the Flying
Camp.
CAPTAIN MOSES McCLEAN'S COM-
PANY.
The following is a complete muster roll
of Captain Moses McClean's company re-
cruited partly in York county and partly in
the present area of Adams county:
Captain,
;\IcClean, Moses.
First Lieutenants,
Eichelberger, Barnet.
Edie, John.
Second Lieutenant,
Hoge, John.
Ensign,
Hoopes, Robert.
Sergeants,
Ralston, Robert.
Smith, John.
^MiHigan, James.
King, Jolin.
AlHson, Robert.
Drum and Fife,
Conner. Patrick.
Stack, Richard.
Privates,
Adair, John Jayne, Aaron
Alhson, Robert Johnston, George
Atcheson, Edward Johnston, James
Barclay, Joseph Kelly, Edward
Blain, John Kennedy, Samuel
Blakely, George King, Patrick
Brown, John King, William
Campbell, William Kincaid, Samuel
Chesney, Thomas Limerick, Patrick
Cochran, William Long, Joseph
Conn, John Lynch, Patrick
Commoly, John i\Iahon, Charles
Crawford, Robert JNIadden, Timothy
Cunningham, David Maxwell, James
Cunningham, Patrick Meloy, Bartholomew
Dill, Thomas ^McEride. John
Dingley, William McDaniel, James
Duffield, Felix McDonald, William
Dunlap. John McDowell, John
Evan, William McFarland, Jacob
Entrican, William McGee, John
Faith, Alexander McGonagal, Neal
Gerard, Mathias McGuan, Patrick
Gibbons, Henry McKeeder, Owen
Graynor, Thomas McManery, James
Griffith. David McWiUiams, John
Hall, John Morgan, Christian
Hargie, John Mullen, Daniel
Heinerman, Michael Alurphy, Dennis
Hughes, William ]\Iurrav, Eneas
Xeedhani, Robert
Xelson, Thomas
Xolan, Luke
O'Hara, Dennis
Patten, John
Patterson, John
Robinson, John
Sample, William
Shugart, Eli
Simonton, John
Sloane, David
Smith, Patrick
Sullivan, Peter
Tibbens, Henry
CAPTAIN DAVID GRIER'S COM-
PANY.
Captain David Grier's compan)' came
from York, Hanover, the vicinity of Dills-
burg and the lower end of York county.
Its membership was almost entirely com-
posed of Scotch-Irish. The following is
the complete muster roll of the company :
Captain,
Grier, David.
First Lieutenant,
McDowell, John.
Second Lieutenant,
McAllister, Abdiel.
Ensigns,
Nichols, William.
Hughes, John.
Sergeants,
Walker, Andrew.
Knox, John.
Jeffries, Robert.
Hayman, John.
Corporals,
Lawson, James.
Mcllhenny, Feli.x.
Lethew, David.
Tomson, Ezra.
Drum and Fife,
Hamilton, James.
Wright, Mathias.
Privates,
Anguis, William Hoy, Thomas
Barnes, Patrick Jackson, Archibald
Baker, George Johnston, Robert
BacheldoT, Ebenezer Johnston, William
Barry, James Kelly, George
Beard, Robert Kelly. Thomas
Brian, John Leeson, James
Campbell, .\rchibald ^lason, William
Clemmonds, John Matthews, Jacob
Conn, Adam JMcCall, John
Conner, George McCoy, William
Conway, Charles McDaniel, John
Cooper, George McGowan, Samuel
Corrigan, Cornelius McKissack, Henry
Davis, David McJMeehan, i\Iichael
Dulany, Thomas McMullan, James
Dorce or Deis, John Mealy, Lawrence
Dougherty, Charles Murphy, Michael
Dougherty, John Murphy, Dennis
Esson, A'lexander O'Loan, Patrick
Falkner. John O'Niel, Peter
Frick, John Pearcy, John ,
Forsyth, Robert Price, James
Geddes, Joseph Quigley, William
Grant, Peter Redmond, Murtough
Guncager, Charles Robinson, James
Gyfinger, Charles Roney, Patrick
Harkins, James Russel. Joseph
Hickenbottom, Edward Scullion, Patrick
Hodge, Isaac Schregh, Peter
THE RE\"OLUTIOX
Shaw. Arcliibald
Shaw, James
Standley. Francis
Shivc. Phihp
Schuhz, Michael
Seidle, Peter
Schneider. John
Spencer, Edward
Stevenson, James
Swank, Baltzer
Swartz. George
Swartz, Peter
Taylor, John
Trees, Jacob
Wade, Joseph
Weaverling, Adam
Welch, Edward
White. Isaac
Wilkinson, William
Wilson, Joseph
Worley, George
Wright, Matthias
COLONEL MILES' REGIMENT.
The next troops to leave York to battle
for the cause of independence were led by
Captain Philip Albright, a prominent citizen
of the county. This company joined Colonel
^files' Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment, which
was organized March 5, 1776, in response
to a call of the State Assembly for 2,000
troops to defend Pennsylvania. Colonel
Samuel ]\Iiles, its first commander, was
then a resident of Philadelphia. He had
served with credit in the French and Indian
War under Braddock, and when peace was
declared, was placed in charge of a garrison
on the site of Erie. He raised his regiment
of 1.000 men and formed them into two bat-
talions within a period of six weeks and
rendezvoused at Marcus Hook, on the
northeast coast of New Jersey.
At this time the British army
Marches under Howe, which had evacu-
to Long ated Boston March 18, had not
Island. yet arrived at Long Island.
Colonel Miles drilled and dis-
ciplined his regiment for active service in
the field and on July 2 he was ordered to
Philadelphia, where the regiment was
thoroughly equipped. On July 5 he marched
with his command to Trenton and from
thence to Amboy. July 16 he joined Hugh
Mercer, who had been raised to the rank of
brigadier-general at the request of AVash-
ington, and placed in command of the Fly-
ing Camp, composed largely of Pennsyl-
vania troops. The British army was soon
to attack New York and on August 10
Miles was ordered to Long Island.
On August 12 Miles' regiment and Colo-
nel Samuel Atlee's battalion of musketry,
from Lancaster, were brigaded with
Glover's and Smallwood's regiments and
placed under the command of Lord Stirling,
an English officer who was made a briga-
dier-general in the American army. Stir-
ling's brigade took an active part in the
battle of Long Island, ser.ving under Gen-
eral Sullivan, commanding the left wing of
Washington's army. There are no minute
details of the part taken by Captain Al-
bright's company of York County troops ii>
this famous battle. The report of Miles, in
whose regiment Captain Albright served,
will be found interesting.
"On the landing of the British army on
Long Island, I was ordered with my rifle
regiment to watch their motions. I marched
near to the village of Flat Bush, where the
Highlanders then lay, but they moved the
next day to General Howe's camp, and their
place was supplied by the Hessians. I lay
there within cannon shot of the Hessian
camp for four da3's without receiving orders
from General Sullivan. I was stationed
directly in front of the village of Flat Bush,
but on the left of the road leading to New
York, where the Hessians were encamped.
The main body of the enemy, under the im-
mediate command of General Howe, lay
about two miles to my left, and General
Grant, with another body, of British troops,
la}' about four miles to my right. There
were several small bodies of Americans dis-
persed to my right but not a man to my left,
although the main body of the enemy lay to
my left. This was our situation on the 26th
of August. About I o'clock at night Grant
on the right and Howe on the left, began
their march, and by daylight Grant had got
within a mile of our entrenchments, and
Howe had got into the Jamaica Road, about
two miles from our lines. The Hessians
kept their position until 7 in the morning.
As soon as they moved the firing began at
our redoubt. I immediately marched to-
wards the firing, but had not proceeded
more than one or two hundred yards when
I was stopped by Colonel AA'illey, who told
me that I could not pass on; that we were
to defend a road that led from Flat Bush
road to the Jamaica road.
"I made a retrograde march, a distance
of nearly two miles through woods within
sight of the Jamaica road, and to my great
mortification saw the main body of the
enemy in full march between me and our
lines, and the baggage guard just coming
into the road. I had then only the first bat-
talion with me. The second was some
distance to the rear, and I directed Alajor
AA'illiams, who was on horseback, to return
and order Lieutenant-Colonel Brodhead, of
172
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
my regiment, to push on by the left of the
enemy and endeavor to get into our lines
that way. They succeeded, but had to wade
^ mill dam, in which a few were drowned.
I returned to the battalion and called a
council of the officers and laid three propo-
sitions before them ; first, to attack the bag-
gage guard, endeavor to cut our way
through them, proceed to Hell Gate and
then cross the sound; second, to lay where
we were until the whole had passed us and
then proceed to Hell Gate ; or third, to en-
deavor to force our way through the
enemy's flank guards into our line at
Brooklyn.
"The third proposition was
Colonel adopted, and we immediately
Miles a began our march, but had not
Prisoner, proceeded more than half a mile
imtil we fell in with a body of
se^•en or eight hundred light infantry, which
we attacked without hesitation. Their
superiorit}' of numbers encouraged them to
march up with their bayonets, which we
could not withstand, having none ourselves.
I therefore ordered the troops to push on
toward our lines. I remained on the
grounds myself until they had all passed me,
the enemy being then within less than
twenty yards of us. and by this means I
came into the rear instead of the front of
my command. AA'e had proceeded but a
short distance before we were again en-
gaged with a superior force of the enemy,
and here we lost a number of men, but took
Major Moncrieffe, their commanding of-
ficer, prisoner. Finding that the enemy had
possession of the ground between us and
our lines, and that it was impossible for us
to cut our way through as a body, I directed
the men to make the best of their way as
well as they could. Some few got in safe,
but there were 159 taken prisoners. I my-
self was entirel)'' cut off from our lines and
therefore endeavored to conceal mj^self,
with a few men who would not leave me. I
hoped to remain until night, when I in-
tended to try to get to Hell Gate and cross
the sound; but about 3 o'clock in the after-
noon was discovered by a party of Hessians
and obliged to surrender — thus ended the
career of that day." Lieutenant William
McPherson, of Albright's company, became
a prisoner of war and was held by the
British for more than a vear.
Colonel Miles' regiment, when organized,
had 1,000 men, rank and file. Of this num-
ber 650 entered the battle of Long Island,
in which about 50 were killed and wounded
and 159 taken prisoners. Captain Albright's
company lost in this engagement in killed,
wounded and prisoners, three sergeants and
twenty-seven privates. The responsible
position held bj' Miles in this battle is shown
in the report of Lieutenant-Colonel Brod-
head, of the regiment. On September 5,
1776, he wrote: "No troops could have be-
haved better than ours in this battle, for,
though the)' seldom engaged less than five
to one, they frequently repulsed the enemy
with great slaughter, and I am confident
that the number killed and wounded on
their side is greater than ours, notwith-
standing we had to fight them front and rear
under every disadvantage. I understand
that General Sullivan has taken the liberty
to charge our brave and good Colonel Miles
with the ill success of the day, but give me
leave to say, that if General Sullivan and the
rest of the generals on Long Island had
been as vigilant and prudent as he, we
might and in all probability would have cut
off Clinton's brigade ; our officers and men
in general, considering the confusion, be-
haved as well as men could do — a few be-
haved badly. Our men are getting very
sickly for want of blankets and clothing,
having thrown away those they had in the
engagement, which I fear they cannot be
furnished here."
In this battle ^Miles' regiment and Xtlee's
battalion suft'ered so severely that General
Washington ordered the three battalions to
be considered as a regiment under the com-
mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Brodhead until
further orders. Both these commands had
enlisted for fifteen months to defend the
state of Pennsylvania. As they were now
with the American army in another state.
Colonel Brodhead petitioned the State
Legislature at this time to know their
military relations, whereupon both com-
mands were turned over to the authority of
Congress. On September 19 the three bat-
talions mutinied and appeared on parade
imder arms. After this two hundred men
deserted, about thirty of them were kept
back by force. Those who deserted gave as
a reason a lack of sufficient clothing,
blankets, rations and pay, but the records
THE REVOLUTION
^73
seem to sliow tliat they liatl already been
paid in continental money, which had
greatly depreciated. Meantime, however, a
supply of clothing had been sent from
Philadelphia.
On October 5. Captain Al-
Re-organi- bright had in his company
zation. three sergeants, one drummer
^ and forty-six privates. On the
same day the Pennsylvania Council of
Safety ordered a re-arrangement of the
three battalions, and on the 25th of the
same month, ten of the companies of the
battalion ceased to exist by being consoli-
dated with others. On the same day Cap-
tain Albright's compan}^ and six others
were ordered to retain their captains.
These and the remnants of the other bat-
talions of the state troops followed the
fortunes of the Continental army. Part of
the regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel
Brodhead was present at the battle of Fort
Washington, November 16. The remainder
of the regiment accompanied Washington
in the retreat across New Jersey and took
I'art in the battles of Trenton and Princeton.
Late in the year 1776 a difiBculty arose
between Major A\'illiams, of Miles' regi-
ment, and Captain Philip Albright. The
major had made himself obnoxious in many
ways to the subordinate officers, with whom
he was not popular. Both Williams and Al-
bright explained their differences to the
Council of Safety of Pennsylvania, but the
luatter was 'never satisfactorily adjusted,
and Captain Albright resigned his commis-
sion on January 23, 1777.
The following is the roll of Captain Philip
Albright's company after the battle of Long
Island, taken in camp near King's Bridge,
N. Y., September i, 1776:
Captain,
Albright, Philip.
First Lieutenants,
Thomson, John.
Sheriff, Cornelius.
Second Lieutenant,
McPherson, William.
Third Lieutenant,
Stake, Jacob.
Sergeants,
Wilson, Thomas.
Tate, Robert.
Willey, James.
Geddes, James.
Quartermaster Sergeant,
Lytle, Andrew.
Drummer,
Harden, John.
Privates.
.\\\\. John. Lead, Conrad.
Barron, Robert. Leavingston, Jacob.
Beltzhover, Ludwig. Lutes, John.
Boned, Andrew. Malseed, Samuel.
Boyd, Alexander. McBroom, Henry.
Branon, William. McCay, James.
Brown, John. McCIughan, Hugh.
Burk, Michael. McCown, Daniel.
Busham, Jacob. McCown, Patrick.
Carlton, Edward. McElnay, John.
Conrad, George. McFarlane, James.
Croan, Henry. McGinish, Patt.
Crookham, John. McGuire, Bartholomew.
Cu-xel, James. McNeal, Daniel.
Dufiield, Rachford. Morrison, James.
Ferril, Hugh. Myer, Joseph.
Fink, Michael. Newman, Jacob.
Foster, Thomas. Reed, Hugh.
Glen, Patrick. Rinehart, John.
Gobin, Hugh. Rubart, Adam.
Gordan, James. Ryan, Christian.
Grearley, John. Ryan, Michael.
Gregg, John. Shadow, Henry.
Gregg, Robert. Smith, John.
Helm. George. Spangler, Charles.
Helsley, Jacob. Stockdel. Torrence.
Hendry, John. Stuart, David.
Hollan, William. Stump, Charles.
Hudson, John. Sturgeon, Robert.
Hutchinson, James. Swartz, John.
Jacobs, Johnathan. Trine, George.
James, William. Wampler, George.
Kennedy, Philip. Wells, Edward.
Kilean, Michael. Welshance, William.
Kilpatrick, Robert. Williams, Thomas.
Kilpatrick, William. Woods, Samuel.
Knee (Karee), Thomas.
CAPTAIN PHILIP ALBRIGHT was a
descendant of George Albright, who left the
German Palatinate and arriving in this
country settled in Philadelphia, and engaged
in commercial pursuits. He remained in
that city until 1740, when he moved to York,
then a part of Lancaster County, in which
county he had a number of valuable planta-
tions.
Captain Albright was the youngest of
three sons of George Albright, and received
his education at York in the school main-
tained by the German Lutheran Church.
Endowed with the usual German thrift, he
was able to save enough in succeeding years
to purchase the estate of the Rankin family.
This property was situated on the Codorus
about two miles below York, and consisted
of a large flouring mill and plantation.
Philip Albright made his home upon his
newly purchased plantation, having some
years previous married Anna Maria Ursula,
174
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
daughter of Johann Daniel Duenckle, a
German refugee and aristocrat.
When the tension with Great Britain be-
came keen, there was no more enthusiastic
partisan of colonial independence than
Philip i\lbright, and when the preliminary
steps were taken looking to the achievement
of that end, he was chosen a member of the
Committee of Observation, formed at York,
December i6, 1774. On March 19, 1776, he
was appointed captain of the First Battalion
of the Pennsylvania regiment under the
command of Colonel Samuel Miles. He fol-
lowed the fortunes of this regiment under
AVashington at the battle of Dong Island
and other engagements around New York
and in the Jersey campaign, during the
winter of 1776-7. As a result of difficulties
with Major Ennion Williams, Captain Al-
bright resigned his command on January
23, 1777. His retirement to private life,
however, was of short duration, for on April
5, 1778, while Continental Congress was in
session at York, he was commissioned
lieutenant-colonel of the Third Battalion of
York County ^Militia, David Jameson, colo-
nel. Five days after the date of his com-
mission, the battalion was ordered out to
guard the frontier against hostile Indians,
who had committed depredations in the
AVyoming Valley, and in central and west-
ern Pennsylvania.
At the close of the war, Philip Albright
returned to his family, with whom he lived
in considerable state and was highly es-
teemed by his fellows. In 1797, he lost his
wife. The same year, in recognition of his
services to his country, he was elected to
the State Legislature from York County,
and served tAVO years. Lieutenant-Colonel
Albright died April 2, 1800, "a warm friend
of his country," leaving a large estate, and
survived by two sons and four daughters.
One of his daughters married George Small,
father of Philip x\. and Samuel, founders of
the firm of P. A. & S. Small.
LIEUTENANT WILLIAM ^IcPHER-
SON, who was captured in the battle
of Long Island, was a son of Robert
McPherson, who served as a captain in
the French and Indian war, and com-
manded a battalion of York County
militia in the Revolution. He was born
near the site of Gettysburg, December 2,
1757, and at the age of 19 aided in recruit-
ing Albright's company, of which he became
second lieutenant. During the hottest of
the fighting in the battle of Long Island,
Lieutenant McPherson fell into the hands
of the enemy and was held a prisoner of war
near New York cit}' for one year. After the
war he became a prominent and influential
citizen of the Alarsh Creek country. He
represented York County in the ^tate
Legislature from 1790 to 1799, except in
1793. During the last year he served in the
Legislature, he secured the passage of a bill
to divide York County, and organize the
new county of Ad^ms, which was accom-
plished in 1800. He died at Gettysburg,
August 2, 1832, at the age of seventy-five
vears. Lieutenant McPherson was twice
married, first in 1780, to Mary Garick, of
Frederick County, Maryland, and second in
1793, to Sara Reynolds, of Shippensburg.
He was the father of fourteen children.
John B. McPherson, one of his sons, was
"forty-five years cashier of the Gettysburg
bank, the oldest financial institution in the
county. Hon. Edward McPherson, son of
John B. McPherson, was born in 183 1 and
"died in 1895. He was a representative in
the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Con-
gresses, and sixteen years clerk of the
national House of Representatives.
THE FIRST PENNSYLVANIA
REGIMENT.
The First Pennsylvania Regiment was
organized in the field at the. headquarters
of the army at Long Island, July 11, 1776.
]Most of the membership was composed of
re-enlisted men who had previously served
one year in Thompson's battalion. The
new regiment was placed in the command
of Col. Edward Hand, of Lancaster, with
Benjamin Chambers, of Franklin County, as
lieutenant-colonel, and Rev. Samuel Blair,
chaplain. Owing to a controversy James
Ross was not appointed major until three
months afterward. AVhen the regiment was
organized, the nine companies were com-
manded respectively by Henry Miller, Mat-
thew Smith, Robert Cluggage, James Ross,
Charles Craig, James Grier. David Harris,
James Parr and James Hamilton. The two
companies which had accompanied Arnold's
expedition to Canada had returned in time
to join the regiment when it was organ-
ized.
THE REVOLUTION
175
This regiment now entered upon
Under a career of drill and discipline
Sullivan preparing" for a contest with the
at Long British, whi(;h was expected to
Island. come soon after their arrival at
Long Island. General Sulli\'an,
under whom Thompson's battalion had
served in front of Boston, had now returned
from the expedition to Canada and Captain
Miller's company from York, with the First
Pennsylvania Regiment, was again placed in
Sullivan's command on Long Island. Gen-
eral Howe arrived with 25,000 troops at the
entrance of New York harbor early in
August, and was accompanied by his
brother, Admiral Lord Howe, with a resist-
less fleet. The American army under
Washington numb'ered less than 10,000.
General Israel Putnam commanded 5,000
troops at Brooklyn Heights and Sullivan,
under whom the York soldiers were serving,
had 4.000 men guarding the roads on Long
Island. August 27, Howe, with 20,000
troops, attacked Sullivan. With his great
superiority of force he was able to surround
the Americans and take more than 1,000
prisoners, including General Sullivan. Had
Howe attacked the works on Brooklyn
Heights he would probablj' have met with a
bloody defeat; but Bunker Hill had taught
him a lesson and he determined to besiege
the place instead of assaulting it. When
Washington perceived this intention he
withdrew the army, taking it across the
East River one dark, foggy night in such
boats and scows as he could collect. This
skillful retreat under the very nose of the
enemy was a wonderful achievement.
In the battle of Long Island Hand's regi-
ment took a conspicuous part. Lieutenant-
Colonel Chambers, of this regiment, in de-
scribing the engagement wrote as follows :
"On the morning of August 22 there were
nine thousand troops approaching us on
New Utrecht plains. The guard alarmed
our small camp and we assembled at the flag
staiif. We found our forces too small to
attack the enemy on the plain. A detach-
ment of the regiment under the command of
Captain Miller, of York, followed the enemy
with the design to decoy a portion of them
to follow him. The remainder of our regi-
ment was stationed along the woods near
Captain ^lille-'s detachment, which had
moved to a point 200 yards from the
British. But they decided not to attack
him. Captain JMiller then returned to the
regiment, which moved along the enemy's
flank. Our men now fired and killed several
Hessians. Strong guards were maintained
all day on the flanks of the enemy and our
regiment and the Hessians kept up a severe
firing with a loss of but two wounded on our
side. We laid a few Hessians low and made
them retreat out of Flat Bush. Our men
went into the town and brought the goods
out of the burning houses.
"The enemy nearly lost their field pieces.
A\^e could certainl}' have taken the cannon
had it not been for some foolish person
calling retreat. The main body of the foe
returned to the town and when our men
came back to camp they told of their ex-
ploits. Their stories were doubted by some,
which enraged our men so that a few of
them ran and brought away several Hes-
sians on their backs. This kind of firing by
our riflemen and theirs continued until 2
o'clock in the morning of the 26th, when our
regiment was relieved by a portion of the
Flying Camp, and we started for Fort
Greene to get refreshment, not having lain
down the whole of this time and almost
dead, with fatigue. AA'e just reached the fort
when the alarm guns were fired. A\'e were
compelled to return to the lines, and, as
soon as it was light, saw our men and theirs
engaged with field pieces.
"At last the enemy surrounded
A our advance guard, and then a
Spirited heavy firing continued for several
Contest, hours. The main body that sur-
rounded our men marched within
thirt)^ yards of Forts Brown and Greene ;
but when we fired they retreated with loss.
Our men behaved as bravely as ever men
did, but it is surprising that with the superi-
ority of the enemy our men were not cut to
pieces. They behaved gallantly, and there
are but five Or six hundred missing of the
2,500 comprising our brigade.
"General Lord Stirling fought like a wolf
and was taken prisoner. Colonels Miles and
Atlee, Major Burd, Captain Peebles, Lieu-
tenant Watt, and a great number of other
officers are also prisoners. Colonel Piper is
missing. From deserters we learn that the
enemy lost Major General Grant and two
brigadiers and many others, and five hun-
dred killed. Our loss is chiefly in prisoners."
176
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Colonel Hand, in his report of the retreat
after the battle of Long Island, said: "When
it was determined to evacuate Long Island,
General Mififlin, of Pennsylvania, told me
that Washington had honored him with the
command of the covering party and that our
regiment ^^'as to be employed in that ser-
vice. He then assigned us our several sta-
tions which we were to occupy as soon as it
was dark and pointed out Brooklyn Church
as an alarm post to which the whole force
was to repair and unitedly oppose the
enemy in case they discovered our jnove-
ments and made an attack in consequence.
My regiment was posted in a redoubt on
the left and in the lines on the right of the
great road below Brooklyn Church. Cap-
tain Henry Miller commanded in the re-
doubt."
Lieutenant-Colonel Chambers wrote:
"The Pennsylvania troops received great
honor by being chosen corps de reserve to
cover the retreat. The regiments of
Colonels Hand, Morgan, Shea and Hazlett
were detailed for that purpose. We kept up
camp fires with the outposts stationed until
all the rest were over. We left the lines
after it was fair day and then came ofY.
Never was a greater feat of generalship
shown than in this retreat — to bring off an
army of twelve thousand men within sight
of a strong enemy, supported by as strong a
fleet as ever floated our seas. We saved all
our baggage. General AYashington saw the
last troop cross over."
Writing to his wife, Captain
Captain Miller states: "Today, August 4,
Henry my company was reviewed by
Miller's General Washington, but owing
Account, to the heavy cannonading up the
river his stay was very short."
Again, on the 31st of the same month: "As
our regiments were sent only as an advance
guard to watch the movements of the
enemy and not for the purpose of making a
stand where they did, and as they were
brought into action by the great spirit
which prevailed among the Pennsylvania,
Marjdand and lower country troops, the
result of the battle could not be properly
called a defeat. We forced the enemy to
retreat three different times from their ad-
vanced posts, and their loss was greater
than our own. The retreat was conducted
in such a manner as would do honor to the
most experienced generals and army in the
world ; for it entirely disconcerted the de-
signs of the enemy to surround us. I had
the honor to be in the rear guard ; the sun
was up before I left the island. Governor's
Island was given up yesterday. We shall
leave New York in a few days, for this
place is too advantageously situated for the
enemy, and the possession of it will not
afford them an easy access to the back
country."
A contemporary writer states this addi-
tional fact: "Captain Miller, in this retreat,
was the last man to enter the boat, and that,
when they were pushed off and were sup-
posed to be out of danger, a heavy fog hung
over them. He stood up, hat in hand, and
gave three hearty cheers. This brought on
them a heavy volley of musketry."
After Washington had crossed into New
York city from Long Island, he placed his
army on the east bank of the Hudson in the
vicinity of White Plains. He abandoned
everything on Manhattan Island except
Fort AYashington. To defend this strategic
point he sent a body of nearly two thousand
troops in command of Colonel Robert Mc-
Gaw, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This officer
had been major of Thompson's riflemen,
which had marched from southern Pennsyl-
vania to Boston at the opening of the war.
Colonel McGaw had won distinction for
gallantry at Long Island and had merited
the promotion he received upon the recom-
mendation of the commander-in-chief.
AVhile presenting a front parallel to that of
Howe, frequent skirmishes occurred in
which the Americans were entirely success-
ful.
Hand's riflemen followed the
Hand's fortunes of the army under
Regiment AA'ashington on the east bank
in New of the Hudson. On October 12
York. Colonel Hand and his riflemen
assisted by Colonel Prescott, of
Bunker Hill fame, checked the advance of
the British at Pell's Neck, immediately after
they had landed from Long Island. Octo-
ber 23 Colonel Hand attacked two hundred
and forty Hessian chasseurs near East
Chester and routed them. In both these
skirmishes Captain Miller and his York
Covmty men took a conspicuous part.
At this juncture General Greene, with a
small force, garrisoned Fort Lee, upon the
THE REVOLUTION
177
Palisades on the west bank of the Hudson,
nearly opposite Fort Washington. Sulli-
van. Stirling and ^Morgan, who had been
captured at the battle of Long Island in
August, now rejoined the army after being
exchanged. General Charles Lee arrived
from South Carolina and was placed second
in command of the American army around
New York. A\'ashington had taken tip his
headquarters at White Plains, where both
armies were concentrating. The Americans
were placed in four divisions commanded
respectively by Lee, Heath, Sullivan and
Lincoln. On October 28 Howe attacked
Washington at \\hite Plains, where he lost
two hundred and twenty-nine men.
\\*ashington now moved up the river and
soon after had live thousand of his men
under Putnam cross to the west side of the
Hudson into New Jersey at Hackensack.
He sent Heath up to Peekskill with three
thousand men to guard the entrance to the
Highlands, and left Lee at North Castle
with seven thousand men. The enemy
greatly outnumbered A\'ashington at this
time. His entire army was credited with
nineteen thousand men, but the term of
service of many of them had expired, so that
his entire army did not exceed twelve
thousand efficient men to oppose twenty-
five thousand trained British and Hessian
soldiers. At a council of war now held with
his generals, W'ashington decided to retreat
across New Jersey, but Congress desired
that he should continue to hold Forts
Washington and Lee. The officious inter-
ference of Congress, an error of judgment
on the part of Greene, and the insubordina-
tion of Lee, occurring altogether at the
critical moment brought about the greatest
disaster of the war and came within an ace
of overwhelming the American cause in
total and irretrievable ruin. The story of
the disaster of Fort AA'ashington, where
York County lost at least six hundred
officers and men, is told in the succeeding
pages of this work in an article relating to
the Flying Camp.
CHAPTER NIII
REVOLUTION— Continued.
The Flying Camp — York County Regi-
ments— Battle of Fort Washington —
Washington's Retreat and Victory at
Trenton — Battle of Princeton.
In June, 1776, after the British under
General Howe had evacuated Boston
and were about to threaten New
York, Continental Congress issued a
call for troops to join Washington's
army. These troops, 10,000 in num-
ber, were to be enlisted for a term of
six months from the organized militia in
Pennsylvania, ^Maryland and Delaware.
Colonel }^Iiles' Rifle Regiment and Colonel
Atlee's Battalion of ^Musketry, state troops
already in the field, in all 1500 men, were to
be accredited as part of the quota from
Pennsyhania, which was expected to raise
6000 men. ]\Iaryland was to furnish 3400
and Delaware 600. This body of troops
after enlistment and organization became
known as the Flying Camp. By request of
\A'ashington, his personal friend. General
Hugh ^Mercer, a physician by profession and
a soldier by instinct, was selected as com-
mander with the rank of brigadier-general.
General Mercer was a native of
General Scotland, and in 1747, settled in
Mercer. Franklin County, Pennsylvania,
at the site of Mercersburg, where
he practiced medicine among his Scotch-
Irish neighbors. He had served with dis-
tinction in the French and Indian war under
Braddock, being severely wounded in the
shoulder at Monongahela, and received a
medal from the city of Philadelphia for his
bravery in this expedition. In 1758, he
commanded a regiment under General
Forbes against the Indians at Fort Du-
quesne. After the close of the French and
Indian war, he practiced his profession at
Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he became
a close and intimate friend of Washington.
The enlisted men of the Flying Camp
under the act of Congress, were required to
furnish their own arms, blankets, haversacks
and knapsacks. ^len, unable to furnish
their own muskets, were to be supplied with
arms which had been made by order of the
Assembly for the use of the militia. The
Pennsylvania Assembly adjourned in June,
178
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENXSYLVANIA
1776, without completing arrangements for
the organization of troops for the Flying
Camp. The Pennsylvania Conference,
composed of representatives from the com-
mittees of safety in the different counties,
met in Philadelphia during the latter part
of June. This conference considered itself
the only representative body in Pennsyl-
vania and made immediate provisions for
the enlistment of as many as possible of the
4500 men intended for the Flying Camp.
The conference appointed a committee of
twelve men representing the different coun-
ties of Pennsylvania to devise ways and
means for raising the 4500 men, and to in-
quire into all matters necessary for sending
them to the army.
In the apportionment Philadelphia cit)^
and county was to furnish 956 men ; Bucks
County, 400 men; Chester County, 652;
Berks, 666; Northampton, 346; Cumberland,
334; Lancaster, 746; York, 400. Colonel
Richard McAllister, the founder of Han-
over, then in command of a battalion of
militia, was a representati\'e from York
County on this committee. The Pennsyl-
vania Conference appointed Colonel James
Smith, Dr. Benjamin Rush and John Bayard
to prepare a draft of an address to the As-
sociators. James Smith was then a prac-
ticing lawyer at York and commander of a
battalion of militia in this county.
The address which Smith and
A Patriotic his associates prepared is sup-
Appeal, posed to have been written by
this ardent patriot, who shortiv
after signed the Declaration of Independ-
ence. The address reads as follows :
To the Associators of Pennsylvania :
Gentlemen : — The only design of our meeting to-
gether was to put an end to our own power in the
province, by fixing upon a plan for calling a convention,
to form a government under the authority of the people.
But the sudden and unexpected separation of the late
assembly, has compelled us to undertake the execution
of a resolve of Congress, for calling forth 4500 of the
militia of the Province, to join the militia of the neigh-
boring colonies, to form a camp for our immediate
protection.. We presume only to recommend the plan
we have formed to you, trusting that in a case of so
much consequence, your love of virtue and zeal for
liberty will supply the want of authority delegated to
us expressly for that purpose.
We need not remind you that you are now furnished
with new motives to animate and support j'our courage.
You are now about to contend against the power of
Great Britain, in order to displace one set of villains to
make room for another. Your arms will not be ener-
vated in the day of battle with the reflection, that you
are to risk your lives or shed your blood for a British
tyrant; or that your posterity will have your work to
do over again. You are about to contend for perma-
nent freedom, to be supported by a government which
will be derived from yourselves, and which will have
for its object, not the emolument of one man or class
of men only, but the safety, liberty and happiness of
every individual in the community. We call upon you,
therefore, by the respect and obedience which are due
to the authority of the United Colonies to concur in this
important measure. The present campaign will probably
decide the fate of America. It is now in your power
to immortalize your names, by mingling your achieve-
ments with the events of the year 1776 — a year which
we hope will be famed in the annals of history to the
end of time, for establishing upon a lasting foundation
the liberties of one quarter of the globe.
Remember the honor of our colonies is at stake.
Should you desert the common cause at the present
juncture, the glory you have acquired by your former
exertions of strength and virtue, will be tarnished; and
our friends and brethren, who are now acquiring laurels
in the most remote parts of America, will reproach us
and blush to own themselves natives or inhabitants of
Pennsylvania.
But there are other motives before you. Your houses,
your fields, the legacies of your ancestors, or the dear-
bought fruits of your own industry, and your liberty,
now urge you to the field. These cannot plead with
you in vain, or we might point out to you further, your
wives, your children, your aged fathers and mothers,
who now look up to you for aid, and hope for salvation
in this day of calamity, only from the instrumentality
of your swords.
Remember the name of Pennsylvania. Think of your
ancestors and of your posterity.
Signed by the unanimous order of the conference,
Thomas McKean, President.
June 25. 1776.
The formation of the Flying
Elect Camp, as directed by Con-
Brigadiers, gress, from such of the asso-
ciated battalions as volun-
teered for the purpose, required full organ-
ization, and a meeting was called at Lan-
caster, to which the militia of the state were
directed to send representatives. This
meeting, composed of the delegates from
the officers and privates of the fifty-three
battalions of Associators, convened on the
memorable Fourth of July, 1776, for the
purpose of choosing two brigadier-generals.
Colonel George Ross was chosen president
of the meeting, and Colonel David Clymer,
secretary. Colonel Mark Burd, Colonel
George Ross and Captain Sharp Dulaney
were appointed judges of the election. The
election was held and resulted in the choice
of Daniel Roberdeau and James Ewing, the
former having 160 votes and the latter 85.
Upon the announcement of this result, the
president immediatel)' declared Daniel Rob-
erdeau commander of the First Brigade and
James Ewing commander of the Second
Brigade.
Daniel Roberdeau was a nati\'e of the
THE REVOLUTION
179
Island of St. Christopher, and became a
prominent merchant of Philadelphia. In
1776 he was the colonel of a battalion of As-
sociators. In Alay of the same year he pre-
sided over a public meeting at Philadelphia,
which favored the Declaration of Independ-
ence. In that year he owned a privateer
which captured a prize of $22,000, which
money he turned over to the disposal of
Congress. In 1777 he was a leading mem-
ber of Continental Congress at York.
James Ewing was a citizen of York
County, residing on his plantation in Hel-
1am township, near W'rightsville. He was
then forty years of age. He had served as
a lieutenant in Forbes' expedition against
Fort Duquesne in 1758. In 1771-5 he was
a member of the General Assembly of Penn-
sylvania, and at the outbreak of the Revo-
lution became a member of the Committee
of Safety for York County.
On July 7, 1776, the pastor of the
A ^Moravian Church at York, made
Local the following entry in his diary:
Diary. "Strict orders came that all As-
sociators of this county should
hold themselves in readiness to march to
the front. In the following week they left.
"July 17 — Yorktown seems quite de-
serted on account of the departure for the
army of all men under fifty years of age.
Our young men had to leave for Jersey.
Ernst Schlosser, the three sons of Brothers
Rothrock, Brinkman, John Seifer's eldest
son, John Hoenrison, and, in short, the
most of the others who are under fift}^ years
of age, will have to march off in the next
few days. Several of our people, because
the town has been so emptied, have in addi-
tion to other persons been elected as mem-
bers of the committee ad interim, with a
guard given them day and night, in order to
maintain peace and quietness, and give
security against the plots of Tories. All
business is prostrated, all shops are closed.
How many prayers and tears will now be
brought before the Lord, by parents for
their children, by children for their parents,
by wives for their husbands.
■ "August — Numerous bands of soldiers
from Maryland, Virginia, etc., passed
through the town.
"September 4 — Our town has not re-
mained exempt from the prevailing unrest
'of the land. None of our communicant
brethren ha\-e been compelled to enter the
war, and those who were married and had
gone to Jersey, have again returned in the
first part of the week to their respective
homes. The young single men of our so-
ciety, of whom there are about ten absent,
have been drawn into the Flying Camp.
"In the beginning of September, some of
those who had gone to the front from here
returned. On the 28th of September, 1776,
Philip Rothrock returned from a visit to his
sons in camp near New York."
In obedience to the call for
The militia from Pennsylvania
Organization, to join the Flying Camp,
being formed in the State
of New Jersey, five battalions of Associ-
ators left York County in July, 1776. These
battalions passed through Lancaster and
Philadelphia, and then proceeded by water
to Trenton and from thence to the head-
quarters of the Flying Camp at Perth Am-
boy, arriving there late in July. At this
time, other battalions of Associators from
Pennsylvania and New Jersey arrived at
Perth Amboy, where General Mercer and
his brigadiers, Ewing and Roberdeau,
began the organization of the Flying Camp,
by asking volunteer enlistments.
The Convention of the State of Penn-
sylvania, on August 12, resolved to
add four additional battalions to the
Flying Camp. York County being re-
quired to furnish 515 men toward
making out the number of 2,984, the
amount of the four new battalions. On
the same day. Colonel George Ross, vice-
president of the con\-ention ; Colonel
Thomas Matlack, of Philadelphia, and
Colonel Henry Slagle, of York County,
were chosen commissioners to go to the
headquarters in New Jersey, to aid in form-
ing the Flying Camp. Before a complete
organization had been effected, the British
were threatening the city of New York.
Colonel Miles' regiment was sent to Long
Island, and the newly organized regiments
under Swope and McAllister, of York
County, were sent forward for active
operations in the field.
After the requisite number had been en-
listed. General Mercer issued an order,
August 19, authorizing the return to their
homes of the balance of the associated
militia. This patriotic band of soldiers was
i8o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
organized shortly after the Declaration of
Independence, when the political affairs of
the State of Pennsylvania were controlled
by the Provincial- Conference.
The British army under General Howe
was arriving on Long Island from Halifax,
Nova Scotia, where it had gone after
evacuating Boston. New York was in the
hands of the Americans and a battle
between AVashington and Howe was soon
expected at Long Island or in the northern
part of New Jersey.
YORK COUNTY REGIMENTS.
York County showed her loyalty to the
cause of independence by sending more
troops from the militia service than were
needed for her quota for the organization
of the Flying Camp. Two regiments had
been formed from the York County militia.
These commands were designated the First
and Second Pennsylvania Regiments of the
Flying Camp. The officers of the First
Regiment were: Michael Swope, colonel:
Robert Stevenson, lieutenant-colonel ; AA'il-
liam Bailey, major. It was composed of
eight companies with the following officers :
First Company —
^^ Michael Schmeiser, captain.
Zachariah Shugart, first lieutenant.
Andrew Robinson, second lieutenant.
AA^illiam AA'ayne, ensign.
Second Company —
Gerhart Graeff, captain.
Daniel AlcCollom, ensign.
Third Company —
Jacob Dritt, captain.
John Baymiller, first lieutenant.
Henry Clayton, second lieutenant.
Jacob Mayer, ensign.
Daniel Herrington, corporal.
Fourth Company —
Christian Stake, captain.
Cornelius Sheriff, first lieutenant.
Jacob Holtzinger, second lieutenant.
Jacob Barnitz, ensign.
Fifth Company —
John McDonald, captain.
AA^illiam Scott, first lieutenant.
Robert Patton, second lieutenant.
Ensign Howe.
Sixth Company —
John Ewing, captain.
AA'illiam Pavsley, ensign.
Se\'enth Company —
AA'illiam Nelson, captain.
James Todd, first lieutenant.
Joseph AA'elsh, second lieutenanr.
Ensign Nesbit.
Eighth Company —
Joshua AA'illiams, captain.
Jacob Brinkerhofif, ensign.
Soon after the organization, Colonel
Swope's regiment, with other commands of
Ewing's brigade, was ordered to garrison
Fort Constitution, afterward named Fort
Lee, situated on the west side of the Hud-
son River, above New York City. October
8, it contained }^y commissioned officers and
staff, 44 non-commissioned officers, and 359
rank and file.
The Second Pennsylvania
McAllister's Regiment of the Flying
Regiment. Camp, commanded by Colo-
nel Richard McAllister, was
composed of eight companies. Six of
these companies were recruited out of the
battalions of militia which had marched to
New Jersey from the various parts of York
County, and the territory now embraced in
Adams County. These companies were
commanded respectively by Captains Nich-
olas Bittinger, AA'illiam McCarter, AV. Mc-
Coskey, John Laird, Samuel AA'ilson and
John Paxton. Two companies from Bucks
County belonged to this regiment. Mc-
Allister's regiment was at Perth Amboy
October 8, 1776, when it contained 41 com-
missioned officers and staff, 43 non-
commissioned officers and 438 rank and file.
David Kennedy was lieutenant-colonel and
John Clark, who had previously served with
the first troops that left York for Boston,
was commissioned major.
Meantime, the battle of Long Island had
been fought and the British had taken
possession of New York City, which then
covered the lower part of Manhattan
Island. AA'ashington retreated to the
northern part of the island and then placed
his army on both sides of the Hudson. The
enemy held Long Island and Staten Island.
General Mercer, commanding the Flying
Camp, despatched McAllister's regiment to
attack a body of the enemy on Staten
Island, October 14. Major John Clark, in
his autobiography, says, "In the expedition
to Staten Island, I took a stand of British
colors of the Twenty-third Light Dragoons. «
THE REVOLUTION
I conimaiuletl tlie acKance of 500 riflemen
and tlie lirst Hessians taken, or rather
W'aldeckers, fell into m\- hands, about
sixty."
Soon after the Staten Island affair, Mc-
Allister's regiment joined tho brigade at
Fort Lee. At this time, Major Clark
selected 200 men from the" regiment to
guard the passes opposite White Plains. He
fortified his position and laid plans to pre-
vent detachments of Howe's army from
passing up the Hudson.
\\"ith the same detachment on November
9, at the command of General Greene,
Clark was sent to Dobb's Ferry on the east
side of the Hudson to protect the landing
of a quantity of flour for the American
army. A\'ith his accustomed sagacity,
Clark reconnoitered the situation and dis-
covered that the enemy to the number of
about 5,000 w^ere encamped nearby. He
reported that in his opinion, the British
were laying plans to cross the river and
attack Fort AVashington, situated in the
northern part of Manhattan Island.
Swope's regiment was stationed on the
New Jersey side of the Hudson to guard the
passes of that stream during the battle of
White Plains, fought on the eastern side of
the river, below Yonkers. Colonel Robert
McGaw, of Cumberland County, Pennsyl-
vania, with twelve hundred men, was placed
in charge of the defenses of Fort AVashing-
ton. General Greene, struck with the im-
portance of protecting McGaw, suggested
to the commander-in-chief that a portion of
the Flying Camp, then stationed on the
western side of the Hudson, should cross
over and assist Colonel McGaw in defend-
ing Fort AA'ashington. This fort was con-
sidered a strategic point, and General Howe
determined to attack it with a large force.
It was one of the most hazardous positions
defended by Pennsylvania troops during the
entire period of the Revolution. Ten
thousand regulars would have been re-
quired to successfully perform this. duty.
BATTLE OF FORT WASHINGTON.
In accordance with Greene's suggestion.
Colonel Swope's and a part of McAllister's
regiments crossed the Hitdson and joined
the Pennsylvania troops under McGaw in
defending the fort. November 15, the
adjutant-general. Colonel Patterson, of the
British army, was sent to summon the gar-
rison in Fort AA'ashington to surrender,
threatening at the same time, to "put it to
tlae sword," if the demand was rejected. At
this juiTcture, Colonel McGaw sent the fol-
lowing communication to General Greene:
"A flag- of truce came out just now from
King's Bridge. The adjutant-general was
at the head of it. I sent down Colonel
Swope. The adjutant-general would hardly
give him two hours for an alternative be-
tween surrendering at discretion or every
man being put to the sword. He waits an
answer. I shall send him a proper one.
You will, I dare say, do what is best. AA'e
are determined to defend the post or
die."
In response to this communication. Colo-
nel Swope, of York, deli\-ered the following
'remarkable document to the adjutant-'
general of the British army in accordance
with the directions of Colonel McGaw:
"If I rightly understand the purport of
your message from General Howe, com-
municated to Colonel Swope, this post is to
be immediately surrendered or the garrison
put to the sword. I rather think it is a
mistake than a settled resolution in General.
Howe to act a part so unworthy of himself
and the British nation.
"But give me leave to assure his E.xcel-
lency that, actuated by the most glorious
cause of mankind ever fought in, I am de-
termined to defend this post to the very last
extremity."
After learning the determination of these
gallant Pennsylvania troops, the British
decided to make the attack, the following
da}^ Early in the morning on the six-
teenth, the enemy's batteries from the east-
ern side of the Harlem River, opened fire
upon the commands of Colonel Baxter, of
Maryland, and Colonel Lambert Cadwalla-
der. of Pennsylvania, who held positions
without the fort.
jMeantime General AA'ashington, with
Greene, Mercer and Putnam, crossed the
river from Fort Lee to the vicinity of Fort
AA'ashington, and examined the position of
the American troops and reconnoitered the
movements of the enemy. These officers
then returned to Fort Lee, entrusting the
entire command to Colonel ]\IcGaw and his
heroic band of patriots.
About noon. General Kn}-phausen, com-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
manding the Hessian forces, began a
furious attack upon the north. Simulta-
neous attacks were made by Lord Percy on
the south, and Colonel Sterling and General
Matthews crossed the Harlem river and
moved on the fort from the east. The
British drove the x\mericans from their out-
posts and soon stood victorious upon the
hills overlooking the open fields around
Fort Washington. Near the fort severe
skirmishes took place and many of the Hes-
sian pursuers were slain. The defense was
gallant, but pike, ball and bayonet, used by
five thousand men, overpowered the weak-
ened patriots and they were nearly all
gathered within the ramparts of the fort,
but not until about i.ooo men had fallen
into the hands of the eneni}'.
General Howe sent an order
■ Surrender for surrender. Perceiving fur-
of the Fort, ther resistance to be in vain,
McGaw complied and at half
past one the British tiag was waving where
the Continental banner had been unfurled
defiantly in the morning. The entire gar-
rison, numbering" nearly three thousand
men, surrendered. Washington, standing
on the ramparts of Fort Lee with tears in
his eyes, saw the garrison in Fort Washing-
ton meet its doom, and the American ban-
ner torn down and replaced by the flag of
England.
When the attack on Fort AA'ashington
began about noon of November i6, 1776,
Swope's regiment was defending one of the
outposts some distance to the southeast.
His position was assaulted by the Hessian
troops under Knyphausen. Swope's men
fought gallantly, but being overpowered by
the enemy, were compelled to fall back. In
this movement they were flanked by the
British and Hessians and forced to sur-
render. Almost the entire command of 400
York County soldiers became prisoners of
war. Jacob Barnitz, a young man of
eighteen and a color bearer of the regiment,
was wounded in both legs by rifle balls and
was left on the field. The attack of the
enemy was violent and impetuous, and as
they approached the outposts of the fort,
the Hessians lost heavily in killed and
wounded from the well directed aim of the
Pennsylvania soldiers. Colonel McGaw's
loss in killed and wounded did not exceed
100 men, but almost his entire command of
3,000 men were compelled to surrender to
the enemy.
Colonel Thomas Hartley, in 1779, wrote a
letter stating that nearly 400 York County
troops, largeh^ from Swope's regiment and
partly from McAllister's regiment, had been
held in New York and Long Island as
prisoners of war; that at the expiration of
three years only fifty of the entire number
captured had returned to their homes. He
made this assertion to prove the loyalty of
the people west of the Susquehanna to the
cause of American indepeiidence, and fur-
ther claimed that York County had fur-
nished more troops for the army than any
other county in the thirteen original states.
These American soldiers were placed in
jails, churches, sugar houses and other
buildings, and held as prisoners of war for
many months, some of them not having
been released until three years after their
capture. The stories of their treatment if
they could be given in detail would rank
among the most sorrowful ever recorded on
the pages of history. They were given an
insufficient amount of food, were obliged to
remain in cold, damp rooms without any
privileges of outdoor exercise. Many of
these gallant sons of Pennsylvania died
from the horrors of British prison pens and
others contracted diseases from which they
never recovered. The treatment of the
British and Hessian prisoners by the
Americans formed no comparison to the
treatment of Colonel McGaw's men while
they were held prisoners in New York and
Long Island.
Owing to the absence of official doc-
uments, a complete record of the casualties
in Swope's and McAllister's regiments can-
not be given. From various sources of in-
formation the following facts have been ob-
tained. Among the prisoners captured at
Fort AA'ashington were Colonel Michael
Swope, jNIajor William Bailey, Surgeon
Humphrey Fullerton, Captains Michael
Smyser, Jacob Drift, Christian Stake, John
^McDonald, Henry Clayton, Henry Lewis,
Lieutenants Zachariah Shugart, Jacob
Holtzinger, Andrew Robinson, Benjamin
Davis, Lieutenants Clayton, Robert Patton,
Joseph AVelsh, Ensigns Jacob Barnitz,
Jacob Morgan and Jacob Meyer, and Adju-
tant Howe.
The following soldiers served in Captain
THE REVOLUTION
183
Stake's company and were taken prisoners
at Fort Washington: Sergeant Peter
Haack, Sergeant John Dicks, Sergeant
Henry Counsehnan, Corporal John Adluni,
David Parker, James Dobbins, Hugh Dob-
bins, Henry Miller, John Stroman, Christian
Stroman, James Berr}-, Joseph Bay, Henry
HofF, Joseph Updegraft", Daniel Miller,
Jacob Hake, Jr., Henry Shultz, William
Lukens, the mulatto cook.
The casualties of McAllister's regiment
as far as could be obtained were the follow-
ing: Captain McCarter, shot through the
breast and died five days after the battle ;
Captain Nicholas Bittinger, the ancestor of
the Bittinger family in York and Adams
Counties, held as a prisoner of war in New
York for several months ; Lieutenants W' il-
liam Young, Joseph Alorrison, Hugh King,
Shannon, Henry Bittinger, Ensign Thomas
Reed, Private Charles AVilson.
The battle of Fort Washington was
fought largely by troops from west of the
Susquehanna River from York and Cumber-
land Counties. About one-half of the en-
listed men of Swope's and McAllister's
regiments were Pennsylvania Germans who
fought gallantly before they would sur-
render the fort to the enemy.
Captains William Scott, John Jamison,
Thomas Campbell, Lieutenants Samuel
Lindsay, Henry Bear, Joseph Morrison,
John Irwin, John Findlay, Godfre}^ Myers,
Matthew Bennett, of York County, were
prisoners of war on Long Island, in August,
1778.
Among the soldiers belonging to Swope's
regiment, who died in New York prisons,
were Sergeants Peter Haack and John
Hicks ; Privates Hugh Dobbins, Henry
Hofif, David Parker. They were buried in
Trinity churchyard. New York, in the same
hallowed ground in which were interred the
remains of Alexander Hamilton and many
other noted Revolutionary soldiers. Cap-
tain McCarter, of McAllister's regiment,
who was mortally wounded at Fort W^ash-
ington, was also buried in Trinity grave-
yard.
Benjamin Davis, who served as lieuten-
ant in Captain Smyser's company, was held
as a prisoner of war during the whole period
of the Revolution. He owned a fulling mill
in York County and 186 acres of land. In
]\Iarch, 1781, he applied to the State of
Pennsylvania for a pension, stating in his
application that his property had been sold
to support his family during his long im-
prisonment.
John McKinley, of Lower Chanceford
Township, the great-grandfather of William
McKinley, served in the Sixth Battalion,
York Count}' Militia, and marched with it
to join the Flying Camp in 1776.
Gerhardt Graefif, a captain in the Flying-
Camp, was taken a prisoner at Fort W'ash-
ington, and died in captivity. Almost his
entire company became prisoners of war at
Fort Washington.
GENERAL JAMES EWING, who com-
manded one of the divisions of the Flying
Camp, was born in Manor Township, Lan-
caster County, August 3, 1736, of Scotch-
Irish ancestry. His father emigrated from
the north of Ireland to Pennsylvania in
1734. The son received a good education.
During Forbes' expedition to Fort Du-
quesne in the French and Indian war, he
entered the provincial service and was com-
missioned lieutenant. May 10, 1758. He
was a member of the General Assembly of
Pennsylvania from 1771 to 1775. At the
outbreak of the Revolution, he was on the
Committee of Safety for York County, and
on July 4, 1776, was chosen one of the two
brigadier-generals of I he Pennsylvania As-
sociators, out of which was formed the Fly-
ing Camp. He commanded one of the di-
visions of the Flying Camp in the campaign
around New York City during the year
1776. In December of that year, when
General W^ashington had planned an attack
on the British at Trenton, General Ewing,
in command of the Pennsylvania Militia,
was stationed at a point a few miles below
Trenton. It was intended that his division
of troops should cross the Delaware to New
Jersey on Christmas night at the same time
that Washington was crossing a short
distance above Trenton, where the stream
was narrow. Owing to the width of the
river below Trenton and the floating ice,
Ewing was unable to cross until after the
victory had been won at Trenton. General
Sullivan commanded a bod}^ of men near
Bristol, and was also unable to cross the
river on account of the obstructions. Some
days later, both these commands took posi-
tion in New Jersey and acted as a reserve at
the battle of Princeton. After the war,
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
General Ewing returned to his plantation in
Hellam Township, about two miles west of
Wrightsville, where he followed the occu-
pation of a farmer. His character, promi-
nence and ability won him recognition at
the hands of his fellow-citizens and he was
frequently called upon to serve in high posi-
tions of honor and trust. Immediately after
the war, he was chosen a member of the Su-
preme Executive Council of Pennsylvania
and was vice-president of the Council, a
position corresponding to lieutenant-gov-
ernor, from November 7, 1782, to Novem-
ber 6, 1784. The following year he served
as a member of the State Legislature, where
he was active in securing the passage of
laws relating to the material development
of the state. The state constitution of 1790
made the Legislature composed of two
bodies. Senate and House of Representa-
tives, and from 1795 to 1799, General Ewing
represented York County in the State Sen-
ate, being one of its most influential mem-
bers. It was during this period that he be-
came deeply interested in the navigation of
the Susquehanna River, advocating the con-
struction of a channel in the centre of the
river through the Conewago rapids and ex-
tending from Harrisburg to the Chesapeake
Bay. When the subject of making Wright's
Ferry the seat of the United States govern-
ment was discussed in Congress, he was one
of the strong supporters for the selection of
the west bank of the Susquehanna, at
Wrightsville, as the place for the national
government. General Ewing was a mem-
ber of the Presbyterian Church and was
prominent in the councils of that church.
He had served as vice-president of the State
during the same period that John Dickinson
was president, and when Dickinson College
was founded at Carlisle, in 1783, he was
chosen a member of the first board of
trustees of that institution. He died at his
home in Hellam Township, near the Sus-
quehanna River, March i, 1806, at the age
of seventv years.
COLONEL MICHAEL SAVOPE, one of
the heroes of Fort AVashington, was born at
York about 1748, son of George Swope, one
of the commissioners who laid off York
County in 1749. Early in life. Colonel
Swope became one of the most influential
citizens in the town and county of York.
He was elected coroner in 1761 : appointed
justice of the peace in 1764; judge of the
Orphan's Court in 1767; member of the
Pennsylvania Assembly from 1768 until the
opening of the Revolution; member of the
committee of correspondence at York in
1775, and the same year was chosen major
of the First Battalion of York County
Militia, commanded by James Smith, signer
of the Declaration of Independence. AATien
Smith became a member of Continental
Congress, Major Swope was elected colonel
of the First Battalion of militia. In the
summer of 1776, when the militia was called
into active service, Colonel Swope took his
battalion to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and
at this place recruited from the different
battalions of York County militia, the First
Pennsylvania Regiment in the Flying Camp,
whose history is given in the preceding
pages. At the battle of Fort Washington,
November 16, 1776, Colonel Swope was
taken prisoner, together with most of his
regiment. He, with other officers, was con-
fined in New York City until June 23, 1778,
when he was released on parole. His parole
was cancelled by special order on the 8th of
August, 1779, and he was required to return
to prison in New York, where he remained,
with some fellow-prisoners, until he was
finally exchanged for a British officer of the
same rank, at Elizabeth, New Jersey, Janu-
ary 26, 1781. He then returned to York on
foot, a distance of 170 miles. Before leaving
prison, the American agent, Lewis Pintard,
gave him a large supply of Continental
money to pay his expenses on his return
home. At this time. Continental money had
become almost ^•alueless, and Colonel
Swope exchanged seventy-five dollars in
currency for one in specie.
Colonel Swope first began business at
York as an inn-keeper. In 1783, two years
after his return to York from his experience
as a prisoner, he was assessed as a store-
keeper, with merchandise and real estate
valued at 1,119 pounds. He then had a
family of five persons. He owned silver-
ware to the amount of thirtj^-two pounds, a
pleasure carriage and one slave. In 1782,
he was commissioned one of the court
justices for York County.
Colonel Swope was first married to Anna
Maria, daughter of Casper Spangler, of
York. She died sometime before the
Revolution, In 1777, when Continental
THE REVOLUTION
185
Congress came to York, liis second wife,
Eva Swope, rented their home, on the south
side of \Vest Market Street, to John Han-
cock, president of Congress. This building
was then known as the President's house,
and the rental of it for the use of the presi-
dent of Congress, was paid by. the govern-
ment. Hancock resigned his office two
months after Congress came to York and
returned to Massachusetts. In February,
1778, when Baron Steuben came to York to
of?^er his services as an officer in the Ameri-
can army, he occupied the Swope residence
for a period of three weeks, with his retinue
of attendants. Meantime, he received the
commission of a major-general and pro-
ceeded to Valley Forge to drill the army in
the tactics he had learned while serving
under Frederick the Great of Prussia. In
1785, Colonel Swope removed from York to
Alexandria, Virginia. After going there,
his business affairs at York were conducted
by Colonel Thomas Hartley, who disposed
of his real estate.
COLONEL RICHARD McALLISTER,
who commanded the Second Pennsylvania
Regiment of York County Troops in the
Flying Camp, was born in 1724. He was a
son of Archibald McAllister, who came to
America from Scotland in 1732. About
1745 Richard McAllister moved from Cum-
berland County to the site of Hanover,
where he purchased a large tract of
land. On February 23, 1748, he married
Mary, daughter of Colonel Matthew Dill,
who commanded a regiment in the French
and Indian war, and whose son, Matthew,
founded Dillsburg. In 1750, Richard McAl-
lister was a candidate for sheriff of York
County against Colonel Hance Hamilton,
who resided near the site of Gettysburg.
The election was so close that it was con-
tested and the Provincial authorities com-
missioned Hance Hamilton. In 1763, Rich-
ard McAllister founded the town of Han-
over and soon became one of the leading
citizens of York County. In 1775 he was
elected a member of the Committee of Ob-
servation and Safety for York County. In
June of the same year he served as a repre-
sentative in the Provincial Conference,
which met in Carpenter's Hall, Philadel-
phia, and in January, 1776, he was a mem-
ber of the same body. In 1775 he was com-
missioned colonel of the Fourth Battalion
of York County Militia. During the fall of
the same year, he received the commission
as colonel of a battalion of Minute Men,
formed out of the militia of York County.
In July, 1776, when Congress issued a call
for ten thousand troops. Colonel McAllister
marched with his battalion through Lan-
caster and Philadelphia to Perth Amboy, N.
J. At this point, when the Flying Camp
was organized under the command of Gen-
eral Hugh Mercer, he was chosen colonel of
the Second Pennsyh-ania Regiment. Colo-
nel McAllister commanded his regiment in
the campaign around New York City and
led the expedition to Staten Island.
Later in the campaign. Colonel McAl-
lister's regiment took part in the defense
of Fort Washington, where he lost a large
number of troops who became prisoners of
war, including two of his captains. In the
campaign of 1776 he was present with his
regiment, under General James Ewing, sta-
tioned below Trenton on the Pennsylvania
side of the Delaware, when A\'ashington
captured the Hessians in Trenton on
Christmas night.
After the expiration of his term of service
in the Fl3'ing Camp, in 1777, McAllister re-
turned to his home at Hanover, and in
March of this year he was elected by the
General Assembly of Pennsylvania, county
lieutenant. This office required him to see
that the six different battalions of the
militia in York County, which then included
Adams, were drilled and disciplined ready
for service in the field when they were re-
quired to defend their state against the in-
vasion of the British foe. He was successful
in this position and on several occasions
issued calls for certain classes of the militia
to march from York County to the army
under Washington. During the years
1783-84-85-86, he was a member of the Su-
pi-eme Executive Council of Pennsylvania,
which, under the state constitution of 1776
to 1790, was the Executive Body in the state
government. During the years that he
served in this body, he was also a member
of the Council of Censors, whose duty was
to look after the interests of the confiscated
estates of Pennsylvania Tories. Colonel
McAllister early in lif2 took a prominent
part in the legal aft'airs of York County. He
was commissioned justice of the peace and
justice for the court of common pleas in
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
March, 1771. He was a member of the first
State Constitutional Convention in the year
1776, and on February 17, 1784, became
presiding justice of tlie York County
Courts. On June 30, 1791, he entertained
President Washington for a few hours
while passing through the town of Hanover
on his way to Philadelphia. He died at
Hanover at four o'clock in the evening, Oc-
tober 7, 1795. His remains were first buried
in the graveyard, belonging" to Emanuel's
Reformed Church of Hanover, of which he
was a member and one of the leading con-
tributors during its early history. About
1870 his remains were removed to Mount
Olivet Cemetery in the suburbs of Hanover,
where the}' now lie, and on every succeed-
ing Memorial day commemorative services
are held at this tomb by the. Grand Army
Post of Hanover. Colonel McAllister had
eleven children. His eldest son, Abdiel,
commanded a company in Colonel Irvine's
regiment in the first expedition to Canada,
in 1775, and during the campaign around
Philadelphia took part in the battle of
Brandywine, when this regiment was com-
manded by Colonel David Grier, of York.
Archibald McAllister, another son, born
1756, commanded a company in the battle
of Germantown, in 1777, and also in the
engagement at Monmouth, New Jersey, in
1778. Matthew, a younger son, born 1758,
became first United States district attorney
of Georgia, judge of the Superior Court of
the state and mayor of Savannah during the
war of 1812.
Colonel Julian jMcAllister, one of his sons,
commanded a regiment in the Union army
during the Civil war.
COLONEL MICHAEL SMYSER, in
early days written Schmeiser, who served
with distinction as a captain in the Flying
Camp, was born in 1740, a few miles west of
York. His father, Matthias Smyser, came
from Germany in 1731, at the age of sixteen,
and when he reached his manhood, became
one of the earliest settlers of York County
in the vicinity of Spring Grove. Michael
Smyser was thirty-five j^ears old when the
Revolution opened. He became one of the
early citizens west of the Susquehanna to
organize in opposition to the English gov-
ernment. He was one of a committee of
twelve from York County, who raised
money in 1775 to send to the inhabitants of
Boston, when the port of that city was
closed by the British. He joined the Conti-
nental army as a captain in Colonel Michael
Swope's regiment of York County Volun-
teers, and was captured by the enemy in the
engagement at Fort AVashington, north of
New York City, on the i6th of November,
1776. Several months of distressing im-
prisonment followed, during which time he
was unremitting in his efforts to alleviate
the sufferings of others, and bold and ani-
mated in the advocacy of his country's
cause. After his release and return home,
he was elected a member of the House of
Representatives of Pennsylvania from York
County, and from that time to 1790 was
seven times re-elected to the same position.
From 1790 to 1795 he represented his
county in the State Senate, being the first
person from York County to fill that posi-
tion under the State Constitution of 1790.
Here his warm attachment to our political
institutions enabled him to act with honor
to himself and his constituents. After the
war, he turned his attention to agricultural
pursuits, and kept a tavern a short distance
west of York. He died in the j^ear 1810,
and his remains are interred near those of
his father in the graveyard of the First
Lutheran Church of York. He left three
sons and four daughters, viz. : Peter, Eliza-
beth, Sarah, Jacob, Mary, Michael, Susan.
ENSIGN JACOB BARNITZ, who was
twice wounded at the battle of Fort Wash-
ington, was born at York in the year 1758.
He was the son of John George Carl Bar-
nitz, who came to this country about 1745,
first settled in Baltimore and later removed
to York. Jacob Barnitz grew to manhood
in his native town and was a boy seventeen
years old when the first troops left York to
join the American army at Boston. The
same year, he enlisted and trained with the
First Battalion of York County Militia
under Colonel James Smith, in Captain
Stake's company. He marched with the
battalion to New Jersey, and when Colonel
Michael Swope organized the first regiment
of Pennsylvania troops for the Flying
Camp, Jacob Barnitz, at the age of eighteen,
was made ensign or flag bearer, a com-
missioned officer with the rank of second
lieutenant. He participated in the cam-
paign around New York City, and carried
the flag of his regiment when the British
THE REVOLUTION
187
attacked Fort \\'ashington, November i6,-
1776. Colonel Swope was commanding the
outposts, and when he was driven back by
the approaching Hessians in large numbers,
the flag bearer was the target of the enemy's
balls. \Miile falling back toward the fortifi-
cations, Ensign Barnitz was wounded in
both legs and left on the field. He lay
where he fell during the night and the next
day, as the evening" closed, a Hessian
soldier approached and was about to bay-
onet him, when a British ofiicer, who
chanced to be near, took pity on him and
thus saved his life. He was then thrown on
a wagon and taken a prisoner of war to
New York City, then in the hands of the
British, where he remained fifteen months,
suffering from his wounds. After his ex-
change, 1778, he was removed on a wagon
from New York City to his home in York.
He partialh' recovered from his wounds,
and in 1785 was appointed register and re-
corder of York County, serving continu-
ously until 1824, a period of thirty-five
years. Ensign Barnitz, a name which he
always retained, carried a British ball, re-
ceived at the attack on Fort Washington,
for thirty years, but the shattered bone
lengthened, and in 1806 he was compelled
to undergo amputation.
Soon after the war he married Mary,
daughter of Archibald McLean, the noted
surveyor of York. Their eldest son was
Charles A. Barnitz, an eminent lawyer and
member of the Twenty-third Congress.
Their second son w^as Lieutenant Jacob
Barnitz, a gallant soldier of the war of 1812,
who bore a distinguished part as an officer
of volunteers at the battle of North Point.
Ensign Barnitz died April 16, 1828, at the
age of seventy years, and his remains now
rest at a spot north of Zion Lutheran
Church of York. Shortly after the close of
the war, under act of Congress passed June
7, 1785, he became a pensioner and received
up to the time of his death, the sum of $3,-
500, as a reward for his valor and patriotism
during the Revolution.
The British ball which he carried in his
leg from 1776 to 1808 was presented to the
Historical Society of York County in 1904
by his granddaughter, ^Nliss Catharine
Barnitz.
CAPTAIN JACOB DRITT commanded
a company in Swope"s Regiment. He was
made prisoner at Fort ^^'ashington, and
underwent a long captivity. A\'hen the lines
of the American forces were attacked by the
enemy, previous to the capture of the fort.
Captain Dritt, with a party of men chiefly
from his own company, was ordered in ad-
vance to oppose the landing of the British,
who came in boats across Harlem Creek,
below King's Bridge. He defended his
position with great bravery, until, having
lost a number of his men, and being nearly
surrounded by the Hessians on one side and
the British troops on the other, he retreated
into the fort with difBculty and was there
captured with the garrison. After the war
Captain Dritt resided on his plantation in
Lower Windsor Township, near the site of
East Prospect and was engaged in trans-
porting goods and merchandise in a large
ark down the Susquehanna River from its
upper waters. He kept up an interest in
military matters and about 1800 was com-
missioned a brigadier-general in the state
militia. He lost his life by an unfortunate
accident. On December 19, 1817, he
crossed the Susquehanna to the site of Lit-
tle AA'ashington and went to the Marietta
Bank, where he obtained five hundred dol-
lars. When he returned to the east side of
the ferry, where his son Colonel John Dritt
resided, the latter advised him not to cross
the river to his home. He was accompanied
by a young man named Griffith. They en-
tered a boat which was capsized in the mid-
dle of the stream when it came in contact
with a large cake of ice. Many fruitless
efTorts were made to recover the dead body
of the old soldier. Three months after the
drowning, the body of General Dritt was
found lying along the banks of the Chesa-
peake Bay near the mouth of the Susque-
hanna, by some colored slaves. The body
was identified by some silver shoe buckles
which he wore. His remains were interred
near the site where they were found.
CAPTAIN NICHOLAS BITTINGER,
who commanded a company in McAllister's
regiment, and was captured by the British
at Fort Washington, was born in Alsace,
Germany. He came to America with his
parents and became one of the earliest set-
tlers in the vicinity of Hanover. In 1743,
he was one of the cou.icil for St. Matthew's
Church, at Hanover, the second Lutheran
congregation west of the Susquehanna.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
During a vacancy in the pulpit, Nicholas
Bittinger was elected to conduct religious
services and read sermons. At the opening
of the Revolution, he was chosen a member
of the Committee of Safety for York
Count3% and in 1776, upon the organization
of the Flying Camp, took command of a
company of sixty-eiglit men. He fell into
the hands of the enemy at Fort Washington
and was held a prisoner of war for nearly
fifteen months. When Captain Bittinger
entered the service, he had reached the age
of fifty years. His eldest daughter was the
wife of John Clark, major of McAllister's
regiment. Captain Bittinger accumulated
considerable property, and at the time of his
death, in 1804, owned several farms a short
distance north of Hanover. His remains
were buried in the Lutheran graveyard at
Abbottstown. Several of his descendants,
including the late Rev. Joseph Bittinger and
Rev. John Ouiney Bittinger. became promi-
nent clergymen in the Presbyterian Church.
Hon. John W. Bittenger, president judge of
the York County courts, and Dr. Joseph R.
Bittinger, of Hanover, are also descendants
of Captain Bittinger.
WASHINGTON'S RETREAT AND
VICTORY AT TRENTON.
At the disaster of Fort Washington on
Noveml^er 16, 1776, York County suffered
its severest loss during the entire Revolu-
tion. Nearly six hundred ofBcers and men
had fallen into the hands of the British and
were held as pris.oners of war in New York
city and at different posts on Long Island.
The First Pennsylvania Regiment, in which
Captain Henry Miller's York County troops
served, had lost heavily at Long Island in
August of the same year. Captain Philip
Albright's compau}' had its ranks depleted
in the same battle.
The defeats of the American army around
New York city compelled Washington to
retreat across New Jersey in order to defend
the city of Philadelphia. Congress became
terrified and removed to Baltimore. The
term of enlistment of many of the troops
from Pennsylvania and New Jersey had ex-
pired, and desertions depleted the ranks of
nearly all the regiments then in the field.
General Charles Lee, second in command,
became disaffected toward the commander-
in-chief. AA"ashino-ton fell back toward
Philadelphia through Princeton and Tren-
ton, and on December 8 crossed the Dela-
ware with his entire army, numbering about
four thousand men of the eleven thousand
or more that crossed with him to New York
cit)' after the battle of Long Island.
Meantime Schuyler and Gates came down
from Central New York with seven regi-
ments and prepared to join him at head-
quarters at Newtown, Bucks County, a few
miles southwest of Trenton. General Israel
Putnam was put in charge of the defenses at
Philadelphia. At this time in the war,
both General Howe and Lord Cornwallis,
who had followed Washington to Trenton,
decided to return to New York, leaving a
small detachment of troops near Trenton,
believing that they could resist any attacks
of the shattered army under W^ashington.
During this dark period of the war
AA'ashington began to show the military
genius and self command that soon made
him loom up as the dominating personality
of the Revolution. He planned a bold at-
tack to capture the advanced posts of the
British at Trenton. The militia of the ad-
joining states was called out in the dead of
winter and in a few weeks he had a con-
siderable army stationed at different posts
from a point eight miles above Trenton on
the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware and
down that stream to Germantown, a short
distance from Philadelphia. He placed Sul-
livan at Bristol, a few miles above Philadel-
phia, with two thousand troops, formerly
commanded by General Charles Lee, who
had been captured at Elizabeth while on the
retreat across New Jersey.
General James Ewing, of York
General County, was put in command
Ewing's of a brigade of Pennsylvania
Command, and New Jersey militia with
instructions from Washington
to guard the Delaware from the ferry at
Trenton down the river to a point opposite
Bordentown, New Jersey. His force was
composed of the remnants of the Flying
Camp, which met such heavy losses at Long
Island and Fort Washington, and recruits
from the Pennsylvania and New Jersey
militia. Colonel Richard McAllister, com-
manding the second regiment of the Flying
Camp, was present with Ewing, but having
lost heavily in former engagements, now
had fewer than three hundred men.
THE REVOLUTION
\\'ashington took position nine miles alcove
Trenton at a point where the river is net
more than one hundred yards wide. The
British army was stationed in a semi-circle
with Trenton as the center of the arc.
Washington's plan was, by a sudden at-
tack, to overwhelm the British center at
Trenton, and thus force the army to retreat
to New York. The Delaw-are was to be
crossed in three divisions. The right w'ing,
2,000 men, under Gates, was to attack
Count Donop at Burlington ; Ewing, with
the centre, was to cross a short distance be-
low Trenton: while \\'ashington himself,
with the left wing, was to cross nine miles
above, and march down upon Trenton from
the north. On Christmas day all was ready,
but the beginning of the enterprise was not
auspicious. Gates, who preferred to go and
intrigue with Congress, succeeded in beg-
ging off, and started for Baltimore. Cad-
walader, who took his place, tried hard to
get his men and artillery across the river,
but was baffled by the huge masses of float-
ing ice, and reluctantly gave up the attempt.
Ewing was so discouraged that he did not
even trj- to cross, and both officers took it
for granted that Washington must be foiled
in like manner.
But Washington was desper-
Crossing ately in earnest, and although
the at sunset, just as he had
Delaware, reached his crossing-place, he
was informed by a special mes-
senger of the failure of Ewing and Cad-
walader, he determined to go on and make
the attack wath the 2,500 men whom he had
with him. The great blocks of ice, borne
swiftly along by the powerful current,
made the passage extremely dangerous, but
Glover, with his skilful fishermen of [Marble-
head, succeeded in ferrying the little army
across without the loss of a man or a gun.
Alore than ten hours w^ere consumed in the
passage, and then there was a march of nine
miles to be made in a blinding storm of
snow and sleet. They pushed rapidly on in
two columns, led by Greene and Sullivan
respectively, drove in the enemy's pickets
at the point of the bayonet, and entered the
town by dift'erent roads soon after sunrise.
Washington's guns w-ere at once planted so
as to sweep the streets, and after Colonel
Rahl and seventeen of his men had been
slain, the whole bodv of Hessians, 1,000 in
number, surrendered. Of the Americans,
two were frozen to death on the march and
two were killed in action.
Captain Henry Miller's company
York of the First Pennsylvania Reg-
Troops iment performed valiant services
at in this engagement. Most of
Trenton, the men in his command at
Trenton were the same soldiers
who had enlisted at York in 1775, and
marched with him to Boston. In referring
to the battle. Captain Miller wrote:
"General Stephen's brigade entered Tren-
ton and routed the Hessians. \\'ashington
desired our regiment to lead the advance,
which w^e did. We formed in line of battle
and advanced within sixty yards of the
Hessians without firing a gun. We moved
with such rapidity and determination that
we struck them with terror. The enemy
grounded their arms, and 919 Hessians sur-
rendered as prisoners of war."
Colonel Miles' Pennsylvania Regiment
served in Lord Stirling's brigade and took
a leading part at the battle of Trenton in
the capture of the Hessians. Miles him-
self was a prisoner of war in the hands of
the British, having been captured at the
battle of Long Island, nearh' five months
before. In this engagement the regiment
was commanded by Major ^^'illiams. Cap-
tain Albright's company of York County
troops had lost thirty men, or about half its
number in killed, wounded and prisoners at
Long Island. The company entered the
battle of Trenton with about thirty men,
who rendered valiant services in winning
this famous victory.
The new's of the victory at Trenton
spread rapidly. To convince the people of
what had happened, the Hessian prisoners
were marched through the streets of Phila-
delphia, and the Hessian flag was sent to
Baltimore to hang in the hall of Congress.
The spirits of the people rose -with a great
rebound, the cloud of depression which
rested upon the country was lifted, and hope
was again felt everywhere. Troops came in
from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the
New England men agreed to stay after the
expiration of their term of enlistment.
The blow struck by ^^'ashington fell
heavily upon the British. Even with their
powerful army they could not aft'ord to lose
a thousand men at a stroke, nor would their
I go
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
prestige bear such sudden disaster. It was
clear even to the mind of Howe that the
American Revolution was not over, and that
AVashington and his victorious army held
the field. Trenton must be redeemed and
thev determined to finish the business at
once.
After the defeat of the British
Movement at Trenton through the mili-
After tary genius of Washington,
Trenton. Lord Cornwallis, who had
gone to Xew York, returned
in haste to attack the American army. . De-
cember 30, A\'ashington recrossed the Dela-
ware and took post at Trenton, where he
was joined by Cadwalader and Mifflin, each
with 1,800 Pennsylvania militia. On the
morning of January 2 Cornwallis advanced
with 8,000 men upon Trenton, but his
march was slow.
As soon as General Washington had pro-
cured definite information of the strength
and position of the enemy, he sent out,
under Brigadier-General de Fermoy, a de-
tachment, consisting of his own brigade.
Colonel Edward Hand's Pennsylvania rifle-
men, and Colonel Hausegger's German bat-
talion, with Colonel Charles Scott's Vir-
ginia Continental regiment, and two guns
of Captain Forrest's battery, to harass the
enemy in every possible way, and to dispute
their advance as much as they were able,
that the impending battle might be post-
poned at least twenty-four hours. The
Americans posted themselves a short dis-
tance south of the village of Maidenhead,
with pickets up to the town. The British
outposts were about a mile north of Maiden-
head. This was the state of affairs on the
old Princeton road at the close of Xew
Year's day.
About this time the commanders of regi-
ments on the advance lines of the American
army, finding that General de Fermoy had
returned to Trenton in a very questionable
manner, determined to resist the advance of
the king's troops without further orders.
About 10 o'clock the first alarm gun was
fired by the American videttes. Colonel
Hand, with his splendid regiment of rifle-
men, Captain Henry Miller, of his command
being in charge of the skirmish line, con-
ducted the retreat to Trenton. Every
place which would even for a few moments
give shelter from which to take a steady
aim was taken advantage of and every part
of the road was disputed in all possible
ways. On one occasion so stubborn a stand
was made by the Americans that a check
was produced on the British advance. They
actualljr fell back and the patriots carefully
pressed toward them. At last, however, the
American detachment was driven to the
woods running along the south bank of the
Shabbakonk Creek, and here a severe skir-
mish commenced about one o'clock, and a
deadly tire was made upon the British
forces, throwing" them into considerable
confusion.
For a long time this conflict
On to was maintained with great
Princeton, vigor, and the battalions of
von Linsingen and Block, a
part of Colonel von Donop's original com-
mand, were drawn up in order of battle, ex-
pecting then and there to enter upon the
general engagement which they anticipated.
For fully three hours the gallant little
American force, somewhat protected by the
dense woods, harassed the red coats and
continually thinned their ranks with
musketry and artillery. Right well did
they carry out the plan of General Wash-
ington to consume the entire day, if pos-
sible, in skirmishing and so retard the
enemy's advance toward Trenton. Wash-
ington was well pleased with the all-day
running fight and begged the little party
not to yield until compelled to. A battery
of British artillery was soon afterward
brought into position and made every effort
to dislodge the American advance force.
X'early an hour was consumed before the
patriot band, unable any longer to sustain
themselves, began again to yield the ground
and retreat down the Brunswick road into
the village, having captured some twenty-
live or thirty men during the day. In this
way the last determined stand beyond the ,
town was taken, and as the Americans be-
gan to retreat, the advance party of the
British, about 1,500 men, again commenced
their march in column, the main army being
still a considerable distance in the rear.
The advance guard of Cornwallis's army
pressed on, driving the Americans before
them, and killing some, until they arrived
at the narrow stone bridge which spanned,
with but one arch, the Assunpink Creek.
The detachment of skirmishers which all
THE REVOLUTION
191
day long had hovered before aud around
the enemy, hastily, although with difficult}',
crowded through the passage at the bridge
scarcely sixteen feet wide. Colonel Hitch-
cock's brigade protected these weary men
as they filed across the bridge and took their
places with the main army. General Wash-
ington himself was on horseback at one end
of the bridge, overlooking the scene, and
by his personal exposure inspired his men
with courage and confidence. It was then
after 5 o'clock and rapidly growing dark.
With the light made by the firing, it could
be seen that the advance of the king's
troops, entirely unaware of the force now
before them, had pressed on until they were
within range of the American guns. They
made three fruitless efforts to reach and
cross the bridge, but found further pursuit
checked, and were unable to endure the con-
centrated fire. The effect of this fire upon
them was extremely uncertain, and doubt-
less will never be correctly ascertained, as
no mention of loss is made in any British
official reports. The loss of the American
army was small.
BATTLE OF PRINCETON.
Many of the British officers urged a gen-
eral and renewed attack, but the short win-
ter day was drawing to a close, and Corn-
wallis decided to wait until morning.
\\'ashington had spent the day with stub-
born skirmishing, for he had no intention of
fighting a pitched battle with his poorly
armed men, inferior in numbers to their
well-equipped opponents, who had received
reinforcements in the morning. He had
checked the enemy all day, and he had now
the night in which to act, so he set the men
to work on entrenchments, lighted camp
fires along the river bank, and having con-
vinced Cornwallis that he would be there
in the morning, he marched off with his
whole arm}' "at midnight, leaving his fires
burning. By daybreak he was near Prince-
ton, and moved with the main army straight
for the town, while Mercer was detached
with three hundred men to destroy the
bridge which gave the most direct connec-
tion with Cornwallis.
Toward sunrise, as the British detach-
ment was coming down the road from
Princeton to Trenton, in obedience to Corn-
wallis' order, its van, under Colonel ^law-
hood, met the foremost column of Ameri-
cans approaching, under General fiercer.
As he caught sight of the Americans, Maw-
hood thought that the}' must be a party of
fugitives, and hastened to intercept them;
but he was soon undeceived.
The Americans attacked with
General vigor, and a sharp fight was
Mercer sustained, with varying for-
Wounded. tunes, until Alercer was pierced
by a bayonet, and his men
began to fall back in some confusion. Just
at this critical moment AVashington came
galloping upon the field and rallied the
troops, and as the entire forces on both
sides had now come up, the fight became
general. In a few minutes the British were
routed and their line cut in two; one half
fleeing toward Trenton, the other half to-
ward New Brunswick. There was little
slaughter, as the whole fight did not occupy
more than twenty minutes. The British
lost about 200 in killed and wounded, with
300 prisoners, and their cannon ; the Ameri-
can loss was less than 100. The brave
General ]\Iercer died ot his wound.
CHAPTER XIV
REVOLUTION— Continued.
Campaign of 1777 — Battles of Brandy wine,
Paoli and Germantown — Washington at
Valley Forge — York Troops at Mon-
mouth— Major John Clark — General
Henry Miller — Hartley's Regiment —
Colonel Thomas Hartley.
The American army had been defeated at
Long Island and Fort \\'ashington, but
through the masterly skill of the com-
mander-in-chief, it had won decisive victo-
ries at Trenton and Princeton. In a brief
campaign of three weeks. AA'ashington had
rallied the fragments of a defeated and
broken army, taken nearly two thousand
prisoners and recovered the state of New
Jersey. By sheer force of military capacity,
he had completely turned the tide of popu-
lar feeling. His army began to grow by the
accession of fresh recruits. Newly organ-
ized regiments of the Pennsylvania line
joined him in the early part of 1777. These
192
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
included the regiments commanded b}^
Colonel Thomas Hartley and Colonel David
Grier, of York. Although the term of en-
listment of the Flying Camp had expired,
their places were taken by regiments of
Pennsylvania militia, including several com-
mands from west of the Suscjuehanna River.
Flushed with his victories at Trenton and
Princeton, AYashington defied the British,
and spent the winter in camp at Morris-
town, near New York City, then held by the
British. E\'en Frederick the Great, of
Prussia, the most famous military chieftain
of the day, in a public declaration, com-
mended Washington for his successful cam-
paign in New Jersey.
Although at one time threat-
Enlarging ened by the invading foe, Phila-
the Army, delphia still remained in the
hands of the Americans. From
December 20, 1776, to February 2"/, 1777,
Congress held its sessions in Baltimore.
In consequence of the alarming state of af-
fairs on December 2j. three days after as-
sembling in a three-story building on the
southwest corner of Baltimore and Sharp
Streets, in that city. Congress invested
Washington for six months with extraor-
dinar}' powers. It audiorized him to raise
and officer sixteen additional battalions of
infantry, three thousand light horse, three
regiments of artillery and a corps of engi-
neers, to appoint and remove oflicers under
the rank of brigadier-general, and take, at
a fair compensation, any private propertj^
needed for the maintenance of the army.
The British army under Howe remained
in New York City durmg the winter, while
Washington continued at Morristown.
Early in June, Howe laid his plans for an-
other campaign across New Jersey with the
ultimate purpose of capturing Philadelphia.
He left New York City with 18,000 men and
plenty of boats to cross the Delaware if he
reached that stream. AYashington, with
8,000 men, left his winter encampment at
Morristown and planted his arm}^ at Mid-
dlebrook, ten miles from New Brunswick.
A campaign of eighteen days ensued, con-
sisting of wily marches and counter-
marches, the result of which showed that
AA^ashington's advantage of position could
not be wrested from him. Howe being too
prudent to attack AA'ashington, abandoned
his plan and returned to New York.
Early in the same year Gen-
Howe eral Burgoyne, with an army
Approaches of 10,000 British and Hes-
Philadelphia. sians, was ordered to de-
scend the Hudson to New
York and thus separate New England from
the other states and divide the country in
twain. AA'ashington at first believed that
Howe would go to the assistance of Bur-
goyne, but early in July, leaving 7,000
troops under Sir Henry Clinton in New
York, Howe's army of 18,000 men em-
barked in 228 vessels and put to sea. Just
before sailing he wrote a letter to Burgoyne,
stating that his destination was Boston and
artfully contrived that the letter should fall
into AYashington's hands. But the Ameri-
can general, believing that he was going
southward, placed Putnam in the Highlands
with 4,000 men, and with the balance of the
arm)^, moved toward Philadelphia, which
he anticipated that Howe had determined to
capture. July 3, the British army was
sighted off the capes of Delaware. Fearing
that the river was carefully guarded, Howe
moved his fleet up the Chesapeake, and
after a sail of 400 miles, arrived at the head
of Elk River, near Elkton, Maryland, Au-
gust 25. On hearing this news, AA^ashing-
ton advanced to AYilmington, Delaware.
Immediatel}^ after landing, Howe issued a
proclamation of amnesty, but few of the
Americans sympathized enough with the
British to give them much assistance.
BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE.
Meantime AA^ashington's forces were in-
creased by the arrival of 3,000 troops from
Pennsylvania and adjoining states. He
now determined to oft'er battle, although he
had only 11,000 men to contend with
Howe's 18,000 trained soldiers. Brandy-
wine Creek was in the line of march from
Howe's position to Philadelphia. Wash-
ington placed his army at Chad's Ford, the
leading crossing place of this stream. It
was here the battle took place September
II, 1777, resulting in a loss of 1,000 Ameri-
can soldiers in killed, wounded and cap-
tured. The British loss exceeded that num-
ber.
In the battle of Brandywine, AA'ashington
placed the center of his army just behind
Chad's Ford and across the road. In front
of this center, he planted Proctor's artillery,
THE REVOLUTION
193
which was supported by a division of Penn-
sylvania troops under General Anthony
Wayne. Colonel Hartley, of York, had
command of the first brigade in this
division. Colonel Edward Hand, of Lan-
caster, having been promoted to the rank of
brigadier-general, the First Pennsylvania
Line, formerly Hand's regiment, was com-
manded by Colonel James Chambers, of
Cumberland, later Franklin County. This
regiment had in line at Brandywine many
of the same York County troops who had
fought under Captain Henry Miller at Long-
Island, Trenton and Princeton, Miller
having been promoted to the rank of major.
James Matson succeeded to the command
of the company. Michael Simpson, of York
County, was captain of another company of
this regiment. The Seventh Pennsylvania
regiment, commanded by Colonel David
Grier, served in Wayne's brigade. It con-
tained a large number of York County
troops.
Lewis Bush served as major of Hartley's
regiment, and some of its captains at
Brandywine were Benjamin Stoddard, Evan
Edwards, George Ross, Archibald McAl-
lister, Robert Hoopes and James Kenn)^
Captain McAllister was a son of Richard
McAllister, of Hanover, who had com-
manded the First Regiment of the Flying
Camp. Some of the lieutenants of Hart-
ley's regiment in this battle were Andrew
Walker, Joseph Davis, Isaac Sweeny, Henry
Carberry, James Dill, James Lemon, Martin
Eichelberger and William Lemon. Of this
list, Dill, Walker and Eichelberger were
from York County. At daybreak of Sep-
tember II, General Knyphausen, with 7,000
troops, drove in the advance of Wayne's
division, across the Brandywine at Chad's
Ford. General Armstrong, commanding
the Pennsylvania militia, occupied the ex-
treme left of Washington's army, and was
stationed on cliffs, a short distance south
of Wayne's position. General Greene, upon
whose stafif Major Clark, of York, was then
serving, commanded the reserves in support
of General AYayne's division. The right
wing of the American army, stretching two
miles up the Brandywine, was commanded
by General Sullivan. Lord Cornwallis, with
the left of the British army, crossed the
Brandywine in the afternoon a short dis-
tance up the stream and came in on Sulli-
van's right flank, when a terrible conflict
ensued. The artillery of both armies
opened with terrible effect, and the conflict
became general and severely contested. Sul-
livan was slowly pushed back, being over-
powered by the large British force, and De-
borre's brigade, stationed below him, broke
and fled in confusion. The brigades under
Lord Sterling and General Conway stood
firm. Meantime, Sullivan and Lafayette,
unable to rally the fugitives, went to the as-
sistance of Sterling and Conway.
The youthful Lafayette, whom
Lafayette Congress had just commis-
Wounded. sioned a brigadier-general, now
received his first baptism of
fire. In order to act more efficiently, he dis-
mounted, and while fighting in the line, was
wounded in the leg. At this juncture. Gen-
eral Washington, with the brigades of
Greene, Weedon and Muhlenberg, hastened
to strengthen General Sullivan, but they did
not arrive in time to prevent the retreat.
By a skillful movement, Greene opened his
ranks and received the fugitives and covered
their retreat, checking the advance and kept
the enemy at bay until dark.
Late in the afternoon. General Knyp-
hausen crossed the Brandywine at Chad's
Ford and made a violent attack upon
Wayne's division. Wayne held his position
gallantly and with his Pennsylvania troops
dealt a terrible blow upon the enemy. Hear-
ing of the defeat of the right wing, his gal-
lant Pennsylvanians who had fought so
bravely, were ordered by the commanding
general to retreat. In order to protect his
men, Wayne left the artillery in the hands
of the enemy and fell back to Greene, who
protected him from a rout. The militia
under the command of General Armstrong,
being posted about two miles below Chad's
Ford, had no opportunity of engaging the
enemy. During the succeeding night, the
defeated forces of General Washington re-
treated to Chester and on the following day
to Germantown, where they went into
camp.
William Russel, of York County,
Ensign residing at Abbottstown, lost a
William leg by a cannon ball in the battle
Russel. of Brandywine. In this engage-
ment he was the ensign for the
Third Pennsylvania regiment, and in 1779
Colonel Henry Miller and Major John Clark
194
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
requested the State of Pennsylvania to
grant Ensign Russel a certificate due to his
merit, and a pension because he behaved as
a good and dutiful soldier, and his wound
prevented him from receiving promotion.
Ensign Russel had served as a private in the
first company that left York for Boston,
July, 1775-
THE BATTLE OF PAOLI.
The battle of Paoli, memorable in the
annals of history, was one of the most im-
portant engagements of the Revolution, in
which York County troops participated. It
ended in the defeat of the Pennsylvania
troops under General Wayne, owing to the
superior force of the British. In this bat-
tle the troops from west of the Susquehanna
suffered almost as severely as those from
the same region who fought so bravel}^ in
the battle of Fort Washington, which took
place in November of the previous year.
The Seventh Pennsylvania regiment, com-
manded by Colonel David Grier, of York,
took a very prominent part in this battle.
In the Seventh Regiment were the York
County companies of Captain John Mc-
Dowell and Captain William Alexander.
The former had succeeded Captain Moses
McClean after he became a prisoner of war
in the first Canadian campaign, and the lat-
ter succeeded Captain David Grier, when
he was promoted to the rank of major, in
October, 1776.
The First Pennsyl\'ania regiment, which,
under Colonel William Thompson, of Car-
lisle, had won a brilliant record in front of
Boston, in 1775, and under Colonel Edward
Hand, of Lancaster, at Long Island, Tren-
ton and Princeton, was commanded by
Colonel James Chambers, of Cumberland
County, in the battles of Paoli and German-
town. In this regiment were the York
County volunteers who had marched to
Boston under "Captain Michael Doudel in
the summer of 1775, and later fought with
gallantry under Captain Henry Miller at
Long Island, AVhite Plains, Trenton and
Princeton. The company was now in com-
mand of Captain James Matson. Captain
Miller had been promoted to the rank of
major in the same regiment.
After the battle of Brandywine on Sep-
tember II, Washington's army fell back to
Chester and from thence marched to Phila-
delphia to defend that city from the ad-
vancing British under Howe. On Septem-
ber 16, Wayne's division of Pennsylvania
troops met a force of the British at the
Warren tavern, twenty-three miles south-
west of Philadelphia. The American troops
began the engagement with an impetuosity
characteristic of their commander, but a
heavy shower coming up prevented a con-
tinuance of the engagement.
AA'ashington now sent AVayne,
A with 1,500 men and four pieces of
Night cannon, to annoy the rear of the
Attack. British forces and attempt to cut
off their baggage train. General
Smallwood, with eleven hundred and fifty
Maryland militia, and Colonel Gist, from
the same state, with seven hundred men,
were ordered to unite their forces with
AVayne and act under his direction. After
a secret march Wayne, with his Pennsyl-
vania troops, occupied a secluded spot about
three miles southwest of the enemy's line.
Howe, hearing of this movement for the
purpose of cutting off his wagon train, sent
General Grey with a considerable force to
surprise AA^ayne and drive him from his
position.
"At nine P. M., September 20," says
General A'Vayne, " a farmer living near, in-
formed me before Colonels Hartley, Brod-
head and Temple, that the enemy intended
to attack me that night. I sent out videttes
to patrol all the roads leading to the
enemy's camp."
One of the videttes returned and notified
the general that the enemy was approach-
ing. General AA'ayne rfow commanded all
his troops to form, having previously or-
dered them to lie on their arms, ready for
any emergency. Then selecting the First
Pennsylvania and the light infantry, he
formed them on the right toward which the
attacking party was approaching. He re-
mained with this force, but owing to in-
feriority of numbers, was unable to contend
with the impetuous charge of the British,
who were ordered to use only bayonets and
give no quarters.
At this point in the attack,
A Colonel Humpton, commanding
Bayonet one of the regiments to the left.
Charge. failed to promptly obey AA^ayne's
orders. This delay proved fatal
and the brunt of the battle fell upon the
THE REVOLUTION
195
Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, tinder
Colonel David drier. Htnnpton's regiment
now fell back in confusion, the Maryland
militia failed to appear. The British troops
rushed on the Americans with great im-
petuosity, and obeying the commands of
their superior officers, forced the Pennsyl-
vania troops back at the point of the bay-
onet. The cry for quarters was unheeded.
The British bayonet now did its work with
savage ferocity. Wayne had been outnum-
bered and defeated. The morning sun
looked down from clear skies on a scene of
butchery, probably unparalleled in Ameri-
can history.
The American loss was not less than
three hundred in killed and wounded, many
of whom were from west of the Susqite-
hanna. About seventy became prisoners of
war. Colonel David Grier, of York, com-
manding the Seventh Pennsylvania, who
was conspicuous for his gallantry in this
battle, was twice pierced by a British
bayonet.
The news of the disaster, known as the
"Massacre at Paoli," brought sadness and
sorrow to many homes in York and Cum-
berland Counties. In a letter from Wayne
to General Washington, written the day
after the battle, he says, "I must in justice
to Colonels Hartley, Humpton, Brodhead,
Grier, Butler, Hubley and indeed every field
and other officer, inform your excellency
that I derived every assistance possible from
those gentlemen on this occasion."
Colonel David Grier, who com-
Colonel manded the Seventh Pennsyl-
David vania Regiment at Brandywine
Grier. and Paoh. had a brilliant military
career during the Revolution. He
was the son of ^^'illiam Grier, one of the
earliest of the Scotch-Irish settlers who
took up lands in the Manor of Maske, near
the site of Gettysburg, and was born there
in 1742. He received a classical education
and during his early manhood removed to
York, where he entered upon the study of
law with James Smith, who became one of
the signers of the Declaration of Independ-
ence. He was admitted to the bar in 1771,
and began the practice of his profession at
York. During the French and Indian war
he joined a military company which
marched against the Indians on the frontier
of Pennsylvania. At the opening of the
Revolution he Ijecame an ardent patriot. In
the fall of 1775 he recruited a company of
sixty men from York County, which was
assigned to the Sixth Pennsylvania bat-
talion. This battalion, under command of
Colonel William Irvine, took a prominent
part in the expedition to Canada. It was
present and suffered a considerable loss in
the battle of Three Rivers. For his gal-
lantry in action and his military capacity,
Captain Grier was promoted major of the
battalion, October, 1776. He returned with
his command to Carlisle. Later he was as-
signed to command the Seventh Pennsyl-
vania Regiment, with the rank of lieutenant-
colonel. When the British approached
Philadelphia, his regiment was placed in
Wayne's brigade, and with it Colonel Grier
took a conspicuous part in the battle of
Brandywine. At the battle of Paoli, as
stated above, his regiment was engaged in
the hardest fighting. While leading his
regiment, endeavoring to repel the British
assault, he was twice bayoneted, receiving
wounds from which he never recovered.
This disabled him for further militar}' ser-
vice in the field. After recovering from his
wound he was appointed to take charge of
the post at York, where he rendered efficient
service in the quartermaster's department.
After the war, he practiced law at York and
became one of the leading" citizens west of
the Susqirehanna. He was elected to the
General Assembly in 1783, served as a dele-
gate to the Convention to ratify the Federal
Constitution in 1787, and was chosen by the
Constitutionalists one of the first presi-
dential electors. Colonel Grier died at-
York, June 3, 1790.
THE BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN.
After the battle of Brandywine, A\'ash-
ington retreated toward Philadelphia and
encamped near Germantown, now the
northern part of the city. Although he
had suffered a serious defeat at Brandywine
on September 11, and the division of Penn-
sylvania troops under Wayne, had been
routed at Paoli nine days later, the com-
mander-in-chief was undismayed. W'ash-
ington's reserve power now asserted itself
in a masterh' way. Before leaving Phila-
delphia, Continental Congress had again
clothed him with extraordinary powers
which he used with discretionar}^ eft'ect. In
196
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
obedience to his request, measures were
adopted to increase the army. Continental
troops serving on distant stations were
summoned to his assistance and the mihtia
from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland
and adjoining states were called out.
Howe, following in pursuit of the Ameri-
can army, took possession of Philadelphia
immediately after it was evacuated. Antic-
ipating the approach of the enemy. Con-
gress had adjourned on the 23rd of Septem-
ber to meet at Lancaster on the 27th. Still
fearing the danger of an approaching
enemy, after holding one day's session . at
Lancaster, Congress adjourned to York,
where it remained nine months, holding its
first session September 30th. Meantime
Howe's army had taken possession of Phil-
adelphia and part of his forces encamped at
Germantown, ten miles north of Independ-
ence Hall. Admiral Howe, commanding
the enemy's fleet which had brought the
British army to the head of the Chesapeake,
before the battle of Brandywine, now de-
scended that bay and moved up the Dela-
ware to capture the force below Philadel-
phia.
Another battle was now imminent near
Philadelphia, and the commanding generals
for several succeeding days were engaged
in manouvering their armies to obtain an
advantageous position. After holding a
conference with his generals, A\'ashington
determined to attack the camp at German-
town. The morning of October, 4 was de-
cided upon as the time for the attack.
The main part of the American
Plan of army was encamped fourteen
Attack, miles northwest of the enemy.
On the evening of October 3rd,
AVashington took up the line of march to-
ward Germantown, moving in person with
the divisions under Sullivan and AVayne.
The Continental troops of York count)^
were serving under Wayne. On account of
the roads being rough, the advance of the
American army did not reach the outposts
of the enemy until sunrise, and the alarm
was quickly given to the British camp. Ac-
cording to the plan of battle, Conway's
brigade of Sullivan's division moved on the
right flank and General Armstrong with
1000 Pennsylvania militia, moved on the ex-
treme right of the American line for the
purpose of attacking the British left, over-
powering it and coming in on his rear. The
York county militia served in this command.
The divisions under Greene and Stephen
flanked by the brigade of McDougal, formed
the left of the American line for the purpose
of attacking the British right. The New
Jersey and Maryland militia moved on the
extreme left of the Americans, with the pur-
pose of turning the right of the British line
and coming in on the rear. The other bri-
gades under Stirling were held in reserve.
The battle opened by Conway's brigade
of Sullivan's division attacking the enemy's
picket line. This movement having been
already anticipated, was quickly reinforced.
Sullivan's entire division moved forward
and captured the enemj^'s baggage and
camp equipment. The Continental troops
rmder Greene and the Pennsylvania militia
under Armstrong failed to appear at the
time expected. AA^ayne's division was or-
dered to move toward the British left.
AA'ashington ordered a concentrated at-
tack of all his forces in line of battle.
Although the British regiments
Drove were hnng behind entrenchments
the and stone walls, the forces under
British A'Vayne and Sullivan, the centre of
Back, the American line, moved forward
with impetuosity and drove the
British regulars back to the main force at
Germantown. While retreating, the Brit-
ish took advantage of every dwelling house
or other building as a defensive fortress to
fire upon the advancing American troops.
One of these buildings, used with disastrous
eft'ect, was the large stone mansion of Ben-
jamin Chew, then chief justice of Pennsyl-
vania. Six companies of the 40th British
regiment under command of Colonel Mus-
grave, threw themselves into this building,
barricaded the doors and lower windows
and opened a murderous fire on the Ameri-
can troops from the roof and upper win-
dows. After leaving a regiment to guard
this house. General Wayne pressed onward
and with Sullivan continued the pursuit a
mile further through the streets of German-
town, while the reserve under Stirling fol-
lowed. In this onward movement, Wayne
used the bayonet in driving back the British,
in retaliation for the massacre at Paoli.
Conway on the flank, and A'Vashington, with
Nash's and MaxAvell's brigades, bore down
after Sullivan, and would have made the day
THE REVOLUTION
197
fatal to the British, had not Colonel Mus-
grave stationed himself in the Chew man-
sion. At this place \\'ashington halted with
his reserve and called upon ]\Iusg"rave to
surrender, which he declined to do. The
British opened fire upon Maxwell's brigade,
causing considerable loss of life. The delay
brought about by this affair gave Howe in
Germantown an opportunity to reform his
lines, and after a battle which lasted in all
two hours, he defeated the American army.
The British loss in this battle was 13 officers
and 58 men killed, 55 officers and 395 men
wounded. The American loss was 30 offi-
cers and 122 men killed, 117 officers and 404
men wounded, and about 50 officers and 350
men taken prisoners.
The cause of this defeat is attrib-
Cause of uted to the use of the Chew house
Defeat. as a fortification, and the con-
fusion which arose between the
divisions of Stephen and Wayne. Owing
to a dense fog and the incapacity of Stephen,
his brigade fired upon Wayne, mistaking his
troops for the enemy. This blunder ruined
the battle and gave the victory to the Brit-
ish forces.
The defeat of Washington at German-
to\^•n when it was hoped he would win a
victory, was a sad misfortune, to the cause
of American Independence. If he had de-
feated the enemy as he had done at Trenton
and Princeton, the war might soon have
been brought to a close.
Congress at York, eagerly awaited the
result of this battle. The gloom and de-
spondency which pervaded this body and
the entire thirteen states was removed after
hearing of the surrender of Burgoyne and
his entire army of 6000 men at Saratoga, on
October 19. two weeks after the defeat at
Germantown.
MOVEMENTS AFTER GERMAN-
TOWN.
After the battle of Germanto\\'n, AA'ash-
ington _ kept himself thoroughly informed
concerning the movement of the enemy in
and about Philadelphia. Colonel John
Clark, of York, who had served with dis-
tinction in the Flying Camp, and later as an
aide on the staff of General Greene, now
acted as chief of scouts for AVashington,
frequently bringing the commander-in-chief
important information. The weather had
already become severe. During the latter
part of November, Washington moved with
his little army to the village of White
Marsh, situated in one of the beautiful val-
le3'S of Montgomery count)-, sixteen miles
northwest of Philadelphia. After holding
a council with his subordinate officers, he
determined to go into winter quarters at
this place, unless the danger of the situation
required him to find a better location.
Continental Congress was now in session
at York, pervaded by the gloom and de-
spondency which had spread throughout the
country. AVhile Congress awaited with
eager interest the success of the campaign
of Gates against Burgoyne, who was then
attempting to come down the Hudson, cut
the country in twain and join the British in
New York, this body also looked with hope
and expectation to the important future for
the army under Washington and the defence
of the forts in the hands of the Americans
below Philadelphia.
On December 3, the British
The army, encouraged by its success
Affair at at Brandywine and German-
Chestnut town, moved out from Philadel-
Hill. phia. fifteen thousand strong, to
again attack the American
forces. General James Irvine's brigade of
600 Pennsylvania militia, in which the bat-
talion from York county served, was or-
dered to the left of the American line in the
vicinity of Chestnut Hill. Irvine engaged
the enemy and a lively skirmish ensued.
His militia bi'oke ranks at the first fire, ow-
ing to the superiority of the enemy's num-
ber. In this engagement which lasted but a
short time, the British lost twelve in killed
and wounded. Among the wounded was
Sir James Murray, a young officer serving
in a regiment of light infantry. AA'hile at-
tempting to rally his troops. General Irvine
had a horse shot under him, lost three fin-
gers by a bullet, and received severe bruises
in the head in falling from his horse to the
ground. Irvine was captured with five of
his men who were wounded. He was held
a prisoner of war in Philadelphia and New-
York until June i, 1781. From 1782 to
1793 he was major general of the Pennsyl-
vania militia, vice-president of Penns^dvania
and one of the first trustees of Dickinson
College.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
There was no further collision
The between the armies until De-
Skirmish cember 7, when Morgan's Penn-
at White sylvania and Virginia riflemen
Marsh. were ordered forward on the
right. They were supported by
^^'ebb's Continental regiment and Potter's
brigade of Pennsylvania militia. Colonel
James Thompson from York County, with
a battalion of nearly 300 men formed a
part of Potter's brigade in this engage-
ment. Colonel David Jameson, with a
battalion of about 150 men, was also
present. Morgan originally opposed the
advance of the enemy commanded by
Lord Cornwallis. Four British" officers
and three men fell before the unerring
aim of the riflemen. A\'ebb's regulars
and the Pennsylvania militia vmder Cad-
wallader, Reed and Potter, took a posi-
tion in a woods forming the left of the
American line. Here they offered a stub-
born resistance for a short time. When the
British advanced in solid column, the militia
opened a severe fire after which the Ameri-
can line broke and fell back in disorder. At
this time in the fight. General Joseph Reed,
who afterward served as president of Penn-
sylvania, was entreated by the militia to
rally them for action. AVhile attempting to
do this, his horse was shot under him, and
he narrowly escaped capture. Meanwhile,
Washington with his headquarters at White
Marsh, was preparing for a general engage-
ment. The severity of winter had now ar-
rived and the British retraced their steps to
Philadelphia. AVashington was surprised
at Howe's prompt retrogade, for the British
officers had boasted that they were going to
"drive Mr. Washington over the Blue
Mountains."
On December 10, a grand foraging party
of 3000 men, lead by Cornwallis, came up
the Schuylkill and attacked Potter's brigade
of 2000 Pennsylvania militia. Three regi-
ments of this brigade behaved gallantly in a
sharp contest with the enemy, but were
driven across the river by a superior force.
In this engagement the casualties were few.
After destroying several buildings and ob-
taining booty, the British returned to Phil-
adelphia, December 16.
On September 6, 1777. five days .before
the battle of Brandywine, Colonel James
Thompson reported in his battalion of York
County militia, then stationed at Wilming-
ton, Delaware, under General James Potter,
I major, 4 companies, 4 captains, 4 lieuten-
ants, 4 ensigns, 4 sergeants, 2 drummers, 2
fifers, and 121 men fit for duty out of a total
of 127.
On November 24, at Camp White Marsh,
near Valley Forge, Colonel Thompson re-
ported I major, 6 companies, 6 captains, 12
lieutenants, 6 ensigns, i adjutant, i quarter-
master, 24 sergeants, 4 drummers, 3 fifers,
or 202, fit for duty out of a total of 215.
On the same date. Colonel William
Rankin, at White Marsh, reported i major,
3 companies, 3 captains, 4 lieutenants, 3
ensigns, i adjutant, i quartermaster, 9 ser-
geants, I drummer, i fifer, or 78 fit for duty
out of a total of 81. Colonel David Jame-
son, at the same camp, reported 3 com-
panies, 3 captains, 4 lieutenants, 3 ensigns,
I adjutant, i quartermaster, 9 sergeants, or
70 fit for duty out of a total of 75.
On December 22, at the camp near Valley
Forge, Colonel Andrews reported i major,
5 captains, 6 lieutenants, 3 ensigns, i adju-
tant, I quartermaster, 13 sergeants, or 120
fit for duty out of a total of 165.
These militia battalions from York
County were a part of the force called out
before the battle of Brandywine, but did not
take part in that engagement. They were
present at the battle of Germantown and
the minor engagements at AVhite Marsh and
Chestnut Hill, in the militia brigades of
Armstrong and Potter.
Some of the casualties in Colonel
Hartley's Regiment in the battles of
Brandywine, Paoli and Germantown,
were : Lieutenant James Dill, Lieu-
tenant James Lemon, Sergeant AVilliam
Chambers, Sergeant John Rousden, Cor-
poral Anthony AA'all, killed ; Private George
Blakely, wounded and prisoner at Paoli, in
Captain Robert Hoopes' company; Privates
AA^illiam Cornwall, George Duke, John El-
liott, Joseph Finnemore, James Flin, killed;
Philip Graham, killed at Brandywine; Jacob
Houts, wounded at Germantown;. Chris-
topher Morris and John Shannon, killed;
AA'illiam Price, died of wounds.
WASHINGTON AT VALLEY FORGE.
No further offensive or defensive move-
ments were made by either army in 1777,
and December i7,A\^ashington with an army
THE REVOLUTION
199
of less tlian 10,000 men. depleted by the re-
cent engagements at Brandywine, Paoli and
Germantown, broke camp at White Marsh
and took up the march for Valley Forge,
near the site of Norristown.
The Pennsylvania Assembly which had
moved from Philadelphia to Lancaster
and held its sessions in the Court
House in Centre Square of that town,
was unfriendly to ^^'ashing•ton. It as-
sumed to be a patriotic body, but failed
to adopt measures to provide its own militia
in Washington's army, with shoes, stock-
ings and clothing. As the story goes, al-
though perhaps much exaggerated, the
blood stained marks of the Continental
troops were observed on the line of move-
ment from ^^'hite Marsh to Valley Forge.
This, however, was an unnecessary condition
of affairs, owing either to negligence or dis-
loyalty, for, says a trustworthy authority,
quantities of shoes, stockings, clothing and
other apparel were lying at different places
on the road between Lancaster and Valley
Forge. It is claimed that neither horses
nor wagons could have been procured to
convey them to camp. Congress at York,
now recommended to the state legislatures
to enact laws gi\-ing authority to seize
woolen cloths, blankets, linen, shoes, stock-
ings, hats and other necessary articles of
clothing for the army, wherever they might
be found, and sent to the relief of the sol-
diers.
On December 30, Congress renewed the
authority of Washington, giving him ex-
traordinary powers and further ordered him
"to inform the brave officers and soldiers of
the Continental army now in camp, that as
the situation of the enemy has rendered it
necessary for the army to take post in a part
of the country not provided with houses and
in consequence thereof to reside in huts;
Congress approving of their soldierly pa-
tience, fidelity and zeal in the cause of their
country, have directed one month's ex-
traordinary pay to be given to each ; and
are exerting themselves to remedy the in-
conveniences which the army has lately ex-
perienced from the defects of the commis-
sary and clothier's department."
After ^^'ashington took up his
Crooked headquarters at Valley Forge
Billet some of the Pennsylvania militia.
Tavern, under General Armstrong, re-
mained in camp at White Marsh as
a guard to watch the eneni3''s movements
during the winter. On account of age, de-
bility and long service in the French and
Indian war and the Revolution, Armstrong
asked to be relieved and returned to his
home in Carlisle, late in December, 1777.
The term of enlistment of some of the bat-
talions of Pennsylvania militia had also ex-
pired and they returned home until another
call demanded their services in the field.
General Potter, who had served in the
Canada expedition and in the campaigns in
New Jerse}' and around Philadelphia, asked
to be relieved from the service to turn at-
tention to his business interests in Cumber-
land county.
January 9, 1778, Colonel John Lacey, of
Bucks county, was promoted to the rank of
brigadier-general and given the command
of a brigade of militia with headquarters at
the Crooked Billet Tavern in Bucks county.
The object of AVashington in sending Lacey
there was to prevent the Tories from New
Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania from tak-
ing their produce and grain to Philadelphia
and selling them in that city. In this capac-
ity. General Lacey performed an important
duty. W'hen Howe discovered the motive
in sending the militia into Bucks county, on
j\Iay I, he sent a body of troops under Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Abercrombie, commanding
a regiment of light infantry, a squadron of
rangers and a detachment of cavalry to sur-
round Lacey and his men, and capture them.
An attempt was made to attack and surprise
the militia force, in the same manner that
General Wayne and his brigade had been
assaulted in September, 1777, at Paoli. The
approach of the British was a surprise, and
they nearly surrounded Lacey and his men
before they were ready to meet the enemy.
It was a night attack, and before the Amer-
icans could offer resistance, they endured a
formidable assault. In order to protect his
entire force from capture, Lacey ordered a
retreat, leaving his baggage behind. In
this affair the American loss was twenty-six
killed, eight or ten wounded, and fifty-eight
missing. It is stated on good authority that
some of the prisoners were bayoneted and
others burned by Simcoe's, Hovenden's and
James' Rangers, among whom were loyal-
ists who had joined the British cause. The
British loss was small.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
About February 7 of this year, one bat-
talion of York county militia, under the
command of Major Thomas Lilly, left York
to join the force under Lacey. They were
delayed by the bad weather and did not
reach Crooked Billet until the 23rd of the
month.
YORK TROOPS AT MONMOUTH.
The British arni}' evacuated Philadelphia
on June 18, and began the march toward
New York. Howe, who had commanded
the enemy's forces at Brandywine and Ger-
mantown and during the evacuation of
Philadelphia, was succeeded by Sir Henry
Clinton. On June 21, Washington left the
encampment at Valley Forge and crossed
tlie Delaware at Trenton, determining to
sirike the enemy at the first opportunity.
During the winter, the American forces had
been trained and disciplined under the
chrection of Baron Steuben, a soldier and
tactician who came to this country from the
court of Frederick the Great. Although the
American army had suffered hardships at
Valley Forge, the rank and file were in ex-
cellent trim. AVashington followed closely
in pursuit of the British and directed Gen-
eral Charles Lee to move forward and
attack the enemy's rear at Freehold, in
Monmouth County. Lee at first declined
this duty, and Lafayette, with a division of
troops composed in part o'f Wayne's brigade
ot the Pennsylvania Line, was ordered to
hang on the enemy's rear.
Lee, meantime, changed his mind and
claimed the authority to lead the detach-
m.ent, which he was unfortunately permitted
to do. He marched five miles in advance of
the main army to vigorously attack the
enemy. AA'hen he arrived within striking
distance, AA'ayne, with 700 Pennsylvania
soldiers of the Continental Line, was
despatched to attack the left rear. When
he approached the enemy, Simcoe's rangers
of mounted men dashed upon Colonel
Richard Butler's Pennsylvania regiment,
but were dri^-en back.
At this juncture, a combined
Battle of attack was made by the
Monmouth. British and the battle of Mon-
mouth was opened. The
enemy now became the assailants. AA^ayne
looked around in vain for a supporting
column of Americans. It was at this time
in the battle that General Lee had ordered
his part of the line to fall back. Dismay
and consternation followed, and to prevent
defeat, AA^ashington himself rode into the
thickest of the fight. After reprimanding
Lee, he ordered AVa3'ne to form his regi-
ments in line of battle, and check the assault
of the enemy.
Meantime, AA'ashington went to the rear
and brought up the main army. One of
AVayne's regiments, ordered to the front,
was the Seventh Pennsylvania Line, for-
merly commanded by Colonel David Grier,
of York, who had been wounded at Paoli.
It was now led by its original commander,
Colonel AVilliam Irvine, of Carlisle, who
had been captured in the Canada expedition
and lately released. The other regiments
were the Thirteenth Pennsylvania, com-
manded by Colonel AA/'alter Stewart, and the
Third, Colonel Thomas Craig. They were
aided by a Maryland and a Virginia regi-
ment. These gallant troops held the posi-
tion until the reinforcements, which made
up the second line of battle, arrived.
AA'ayne was stationed in an orchard with a
hill on either side. General Greene took
position on the right and Lord Stirling on
the left. General Knox, commanding the
artillery force, planted his guns on the hills
to the left, near Stirling's troops, and opened
on the enemy. The withering fire of
AA^ayne's command in the centre made a
further advance of the enem}?- impossible.
The British grenadiers, endeavoring to
pierce AVayne's line, were repulsed. At
length, Lieutenant-Colonel Monckton, at
the head of the divisions in which were sons
of many of the noblest English families who
had given tone to fashionable dissipation
while Philadelphia was in the hands of the
enemy, and Continental Congress at York,
harangued his men and led them on the
charge. He was repulsed by AA'ayne and in
the attack, fell mortally wounded.
Sir Henry Clinton, commanding the
British forces, now attacked the left under
Stirling, but was driven back by the artil-
lery. He then attempted to break through
the right, but was overpowered by Greene,
who was supported by a strong battery.
AA^ayne advanced from the centre and com-
pelled the British to retreat to their first
position..
Evening had now arrived, and the
THE REVOLUTION
Americans bivouacked for the night near
the enemy, who stole away before morning
had dawned, and left Washington in com-
mand of the field. Thus ended one of the
most brilliant victories of the Revolution.
It added laurels to the American arms and
increased the power and influence of the
commander-in-chief.
The First Pennsylvania Regiment at
Monmouth was in command of Colonel
James Chambers, who had led it at
Brandywine and Germantown. Henry Mil-
ler, who had left York in 1775 with the first
troops for Boston, was major of this
regiment. The company of York County
troops which had fought at Boston, Long
Island, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine,
Paoli and Germantown, were still serving
in the First Pennsylvania Regiment, but no
muster roll of it for 1778 has been found.
In this battle Captain John McDowell com-
manded Moses McClean's company, and
Captain A\'illiam Alexander, Grier's com-
pany, serving in the Seventh Pennsylvania
Line. These "were the two companies that
had marched with Irvine's regiment on the
first expedition to Canada, in the winter of
1775-
Jacob Stake, of York, who was first lieu-
tenant of Captain Albright's company in
Miles' regiment, commanded a company in
the Tenth Pennsylvania Regiment at Mon-
mouth. James Lang, of York County, who
had served as a lieutenant in Atlee's
Musketry Battalion, also commanded a
company in the Tenth Regiment. Joshua
Williams, of York County, commanded a
company in the Fourth Pennsylvania Regi-
ment under Colonel AVilliam Butler. Wal-
ter Cruise, of York, who was a corporal in
Miller's company and had been captured at
Boston in 1775, commanded a company in
the Sixth Regiment.
The following is the muster roll of Cap-
tain John McDowell's company in 1778:
Captain,
John McDowell,
First Lieutenant,
William Miller.
Second Lieutenant,
Robert McPherson.
Ensign,
James Milligan.
Sergeants,
Thomas Gainer,
Roger Gough,
Adam Linn.
Corporal,
William Manley.
Drummer,
Patrick Conner.
Edward Atchison,
George Blackley,
William Bradshaw,
Henry Cain,
William Campbell,
Thomas Chesney,
John Connelly,
Daniel Conner,
John Donnel,
Philip DuffieM,
John Dugan,
John Farming,
Henry Garman,
Samuel Gilmore,
John Hart,
Robert Hunter,
James Johnston,
Matthew Kelly, '
Andrew Kennedy,
Patrick King,
Michael Lennogan,
H
Privates,
John McCalloh,
Francis McDonnel,
Alexander ^McDonnel,
Neal McGunnagle,
Patrick McKeehan,
John Milton,
John Morrison,
Bartholomew Mulloy,
Dennis Murphy,
James Quinn,
Thomas Riley,
Michael Shawley,
Solomon Silas,
Diggony Sparks,
Richard Slack,
George Sullivan,
Marly Sullivan,
John Walch,
Edward Welch,
James Welch,
John Wekh,
endrick Winkler.
The following is the muster-roll of Cap-
tain William Alexander's Company in 1778:
Captain,
William Alexander.
First Lieutenant,
Samuel Kennedy.
Second Lieutenant,
Alexander Russell.
Ensign,
Robert McWheeling.
Sergeants,
William Gray,
John Smith,
Joseph Wade,
Matthew Way.
Corporals,
George Brown,
James Hamilton,
Joseph Rawlands.
Joseph Templeton.
William Anguish
James Berry
John Brannon
John Bryans
Patrick Butler
John Clemonds
Adam Conn
Cornelius Corrigan
William Courtney
David Davis
James Donovan
John Farrell
Henry Freet
William Guthrie
James Harkens
Richard Henley
Privates,
James Hutton
Jacob Leed
John McCall
Thomas McConn
Patrick McCormick
John McDonnel
John McGinnis
Patrick McGonaghy
Isaac Moore
Timothy Murphy
Patrick Nowland
James Price
Patrick Rooney
John Sommerville
John Stewart
William Wilkinson
George Worley.
The following is the muster-roll of Cap-
tain James Lang's Company, which served
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXNSYLVAXIA
in the Tenth Pennsylvania Regiment at the
battle of ]\Ionmouth :
Captain,
James Lang.
Sergeants,
Daniel McLean,
Thomas Filson,
Barny Shields.
Corporals,
John Smith,
James Tyre.
Drum and Fife,
Leonard Toops,
Andrew Cutler.
Daniel Powers
Samuel Green
John Smith
John Lockhard
Adam Truby
Daniel Hoy
Simon Digby
David Stinson
Henry Falls »
j..mes Sharplice
Andrew Carvan
John ;\IcBride
Thomas Whelan
Andrew McQuigan
James Duncan
Robert Hanna
Privates,
John Sulavan
William Stage
John Burnham
Hugh Bradley
Bartholomew Berrey
John McCarron
William Douglass
John Jones
Robert Holston
John Sigafuss
David Griffin
Edward Butler
Samuel Lessley
Lawrence Gorman
Abraham Hornick
Thomas Borland
Barnev Burnes.
The following is the muster-roll of Cap-
tain Jacob Stake's Company which served
in the Tenth Pennsylvania Line in 1778 at
the battle of Monmouth :
Captain,
Jacob Stake.
Sergea n ts,
John Wynne,
Samuel Edger,
John Ray.
Corporals.
Michael Elly,
Martin Sullivan.
Drummer,
John Jeffrys.
Fifer,
Martin Ashburn.
John Pierce
James ^McCray
Richard Coogan
George Montgomery
William Short
Jacob Stillwell
Nathaniel Webber
Timothy McNamara
Charles Fulks
John Gettiss
William Leech
Lawrence Sullivan
Samuel Dickson
James Pratt
John Funk
John Stammers
Privates,
Christopher Reily
John Chappel
William Williams
Edward Helb
Rudolph Crowman
Stephen Falkentine
Daniel Forker
Patrick Coyle
James McLaughlin
William Grace
Benjamin Toy
Thomas Moore
Malcolm Black
Patrick Collins
Richard Harding
George Webb
Bastion Maraquet.
CAPTAIN MILLER'S COMPANY.
The following is a return of Captain
Henry Miller's Company, on November 4,
1776. It was then serving in the First
Pennsylvania Regiment and formed part of
the rear column of AVashington's army in
the retreat across New Jersey to Trenton,
after the defeat at Fort Washington. This
company, under Captain ]\Iiller, took part
in the battles of Princeton and Trenton, and
when Henry Miller was promoted to major
of the regiment, was commanded at Bran-
dy wine and Germantown by Captain James
Matson. It took part in the battle of Mon-
mouth, and in 1781, still in the First Regi-
ment, marched under Colonel Richard But-
ler, with Wayne's Brigade of the Pennsyl-
vania Line, and was present at the surren-
der of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, in
October, 1781.
Captain,
Henry Miller.
First Lieutenant,
James Matson.
Second Lieutenant,
John Clark.
Privates,
William Allen John Line
Robert Armor Charles Liness
George Armstrong John McAllister
John Bell John McCray
John Beverly George McCrea
Christian Bittinger John McCurt
Richard Block Joseph McQuiston
George Brown James Mill
John Burke Joshua jNIinshall
Thomas Campbell Edward Moore
William Carnahan James Morrison
John Clark Patrick Murphy
Robert Conyers John Patton
William Cooper Patrick Preston
Thomas Crone Michael Quin
George Dougherty John Quint
John Douther Andrew Sharp
Able Evans John Shaven
Thomas Fanning Joseph Shibbey
John Ferguson Matthew Shields
William Goudy James Smith
Patrick Graft Jacob Staley
John Griffith Andrew Start
Thomas Griffith Alexander Stevens
Joseph Halbut Patrick Stewlan
Robert Harvey Matthew Stoyle
John Humphries Tobias Tanner
Richard Kennedy John Taylor
Thomas Kennedy William Taylor
John Leiper David Torrence
Abraham Lewis Timothy Winters
Edward White.
MAJOR JOHN CLARK, who rendered
valuable services at the battle of Monmouth,
was born in Lancaster County, in 175 1, of
English ancestry. He obtained his educa-
THE REVOLUTION
203
tioii in tlie schools of his nati\"e count}' anil
when about twenty years of age removed to
York. At the opening of the Revolution, he
was a student of law, but his professional
studies were interrupted by enlisting in the
army. July i, 1775, he was chosen third
lieutenant of the first military company
which marched from York and arrived at
Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it joined
\\'ashington's army. Lieutenant Clark
took part with his company in the skirmish
with the British at CharlestOAvn, a few days
after their arrival at Boston. For gallantry
in this alTair, he was promoted to the rank
of second lieutenant of his company, then
commanded by Captain Henry ]Miller. He
served as second lieutenant of IMiller's com-
pany in the hard fought battle of Long Is-
land, in August, 1776. This company then
formed a part of the First Regiment of the
Pennsylvania Line.
Lieutenant Clark was also conspicuous
for his gallantry at Flatbush, Long Island.
In September, 1776, he was chosen major
of the Second Regiment of the Flying
Camp, upon the recommendation of General
Hugh fiercer. This regiment, composed
entirely of Y^ork County troops, was com-
manded by Colonel Richard McAllister,
founder "of Hanover. October 15, 1776,
i\Iajor Clark participated with his regiment
in an expedition against the British on
Staten Island, and in this action commanded
the advance with 500 riflemen. He suc-
ceeded in capturing 60 AValdeckers or Hes-
sians.
Soon after this brilliant affair, ]\Iajor
Clark moved with his regiment up the west
side of the Hudson River and took position
opposite AX'hite Plains. Here he com-
manded a detachment of 200 men. With
these men he built fortifications to aid in
preventing Howe's army from crossing to
the west bank of the Hudson.
After the battle of Fort Washington,
when the American army retired from the
vicinity of New York, Major Clark com-
manded the rear of the retreating forces,
southward over the state of New Jersey.
He was present at the battle of Trenton
and after A\'ashington"s victory at that
place, which ended in the capture of Rahl
and 1,000 Hessian troops, ]\Iajor Clark re-
ported that he collected the trophies of
victory and held possession of the town.
while the other troops went in pursuit of
the enemy.
The following day, December 27, with
200 men, he marched in pursuit of a body of
British, commanded by General Stirling and
Count Donop, to Hidetown and Cranberry,
leaving the British in his rear at Princeton.
This was a bold and brilliant dash in the
cold weather of midwinter. At the villages
of Allentown and Cranberry nearby, he cap-
tured a large amount of British stores and
provisions, and at Hidetown surprised and
took prisoners thirty British officers. This
remarkable raid and its achievement -won
for him and his soldiers from York County
the plaudits of his superior officers, when
they returned to headquarters near Trenton,
^lajor Clark and his men were commended
for their bravery by Washington, Greene
and Reed. Washington presented Clark
with a British sword that had been cap-
tured in battle. Shortly after the battle of
Trenton the term of enlistment of McAl-
lister's regiment of the Flying Camp ex-
pired. The men \vere honorably dis-
charged and returned home. Major Clark
remained in the service, and was assigned
to duty under General Thomas Mifflin, who
was reorganizing the Pennsylvania militia
then in New Jersey and eastern Pennsjd-
vania. He was the only officer present at
Crosswicks, near Trenton, in January, 1777,
when General Mifflin made a strong appeal
to the New England militia to remain one
month longer in service. On the following
day General Greene dispatched Major Clark
on the important duty of discovering the
force and movement of the enemy under
Lord Cornw-allis, then advancing toward
Princeton, New^ Jersey. He soon returned
to Greene with the desired information and
then aided in forming an advance battle
line to meet the approaching British under
Cornwallis, at the opening of the battle of
Princeton. During the da}^ of the engage-
ment, Clark, as brigade major under Alifflin,
did valiant service in directing the artillery
into action.
AVhen the American arm}^ arrived at
Morristown, New Jersey, at the request of
\\'ashington he Avas made chief of staff to
General Greene, with the rank of major in
the Continental Line. His training as a
despatch bearer, and his success in leading
reconnoitering parties, made him a useful
204
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
officer to General Greene, who, next to
A'Vashington, was ranked as the ablest
soldier of the Revolution. While making a
reconnoissance with a small body of troops
to ascertain the position of the advancing
British under General Howe, at Brandy-
wine, Major Clark received a wound from
a rifle ball passing through his right
shoulder. He then returned to his home in
York, and after recuperating, joined his
command before the battle of Germantown.
In this engagement, while leading a small
detachment, he took prisoner Captain
Speak, of the 37th Light Infantry. Immedi-
ately after the battle, with a small scouting
party, he moved within sight of the British
line in order to ascertain the enemy's loss
and if possible, discover the future plan of
operations. He accomplished his purpose
with great personal danger, and communi-
cated to the commander-in-chief, not only
the losses of the British at Germantown, but
Howe"s plan of movement against the
American forces, after" the battle. These
facts enabled Washington to make such a
disposition of his troops as to gain ad-
vantage over Howe at White Marsh, a few
days later. He also recommended the de-
tachment of Smallwood's brigade of Mary-
land troops to Wilmington, Delaware,
which was re-captured by the Americans.
This movement resulted in seizing two of
the enemy's ships on the Delaware heavily
ladened with provisions and munitions of
war. For his brilliant achievements at this
period. Major Clark received the highest
commendation from his superior officers.
The wound which he had received at
Brandywine now compelled his retirement,
and he again returned to his home at York.
In January, 1778, together with Captain
Lee, of Virginia, known as "Light Horse
Harry" of the Revolution, Clark was called
to the encampment at Valley Forge to con-
sult with A^'ashing■ton about a proposed at-
tack on a detachment of Howe's forces then
at Darby, or the main body of the army in
and around Philadelphia. Both Lee and
Clark advised AVashington against any win-
ter attack of the British forces. At a coun-
cil of war a majority of the subordinate
commanders present were of the same opin-
ion. In appreciation of his ability as a sol-
dier, AA'ashington now offered to Clark
dift'erent positions of responsibility and
trust, but owing to the condition of his
health, he declined these proffered honors
and again returned to York, to recuperate
his, health. In recognition of what Clark
had done while in the army, AA'ashington
wrote the following interesting letter to
Henry Laurens, then president of Congress,
at York :.
"Headquarters, Valley Forge, Jan. 2, 177S.
"Sir: — I take the liberty of introducing Major John
Clark, the bearer of this, to your notice. He entered
the service at the cominencen'ient of the war and has
for some time past acted as aide-de-camp to ilajor-
General Greene. He is active, sensible and enterprising
and has rendered me very great assistance since the
army has been in Pennsylvania, by procuring one con-
stant and certain intelligence of the motions and inten-
tions of the enemy. It is somewhat uncertain whether
the state of the major's health will admit of his remain-
ing in the military line ; if it should, I may perhaps have
occasion to recommend him in a more particular manner
to the favor of Congress at a future time. At present, I
can assure you that if you should, while he remains in
the neighborhood of York, have anj' occasion for his
services, you will find him not only willing, but very
capable of executing any of your commands. I have
the honor to be, etc.,
GEORGE WASHINGTON."
After recei^-ing the letter to Henry
Laurens, President of Continental Con-
gress then in session at York, ]\Iajor Clark
was appointed auditor of the accounts
of the army under General AA'ashington.
He accepted this position February 24,
1778. He served for a period of two years
and then returned to his home. AVhen he
assumed the duties of this office the Treas-
ury of the United States had but small
deposits and Major Clark advanced the sum
of eleven hundred and fifty-two pounds of
his own money for one of the best teams in
America to secure and haul the outfit of the
auditors, their baggage and documents be-
longing to the officers, to the headquarters
of the army. During the battle of ]\Ion-
mouth, j\Iajor John Clark, of York, was
again called to his former position as an
aide on the staff' of General Greene. Here
he again succeeded in endearing himself to
his own commander and also the head of the
army. It was Clark who had carried the
orders for General Lee to make the first
attack, and his testimony was used when
Lee was afterward court-martialed and de-
prived of his command.
.The battle of Monmouth was the last en-
gagement in which Major Clark partici-
pated during the Revolution. Having
nearh' completed his legal studies before he
GEN. HENRY MILLER
I
THE REVOLUTION
205
entered the army he was admitted to the
bar at York, April 27, 1779, and spent the
remainder of his life as a practicing" lawyer.
During the second war with Great Britain
in 1812, he offered his services -for the de-
fence of his country. When the British,
under General Ross, approached Baltimore,
in 1814, Major Clark proceeded to that city.
He presented himself before the military
authorities of Baltimore with a letter from
James ^Monroe, Secretary-of-W'ar in Madi-
son's Cabinet, who recommended Major
Clark for his ability as a soldier in the Revo-
lution. He then offered General Smith,
commanding the forces at Baltimore, to
lead the advance and attack the British
when they landed at North Point, but the
duty had already been assigned to others.
After the defeat of the British at North
Point, General Smith tendered his thanks to
Major Clark for "the zeal and active ser-
vices he voluntarily rendered during his
stay at Baltimore and in its defence."
He continued the practice of law at York
during the remainder of his life. He re-
sided in a large home at the southwest cor-
ner of Market and Beaver Streets, which in
1906 was used b}' Adams Express Com-
pany. In personal appearance, he was
large of frame, of commanding presence
and military bearing. In 1818 he was a
candidate of the Federalist party to repre-
sent Lancaster and York Counties in the
Congress of the United States, but was de-
feated. After the Revolution, Major Clark
was in close and intimate relations with
General AVashington until the time of the
latter's death in 1799.
Major Clark was married early in life to
a daughter of Captain Nicholas Bittinger,
of Hanover, who commanded a company in
the same regiment of the Flying Camp in
which Clark served as a major. He had one
son, George Clark, and several daughters,
none of whom left descendants. The only
portrait of the major in existence, except a
drawing, was interred with the remains of
Julia Clark, his daughter, at her request, in
St. John's Episcopal Churchyard. Major
Clark died December 27, 1819, at the age of
68, and his remains were buried in St.
John's Episcopal Churchyard. He was
prominent in the ^lasonic Fraternity and
was a vestryman of St. John's Church.
GENERAL HENRY MILLER, of York,
who entered the army as a lieutenant, in
1775, served continuously until the year
1779. He was conspicuous for his gallantry
in the siege of Boston, at the battles of
Long Island, White Plains, Trenton,
Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown and
Monmouth. In all he participated in forty-
seven battles and skirmishes with the
British during the four years of his military '
service in the army.
He was born February 13, 175 1, at the
site of Millersville, Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania, where his father was a farmer
owning a large estate. After receiving a
good preparatory education, he went to
Reading, where he entered the law office of
Collinson Reed, and studied conveyancing.
In 1769, he removed to York, where he
began the occupation of a conveyancer and
continued his legal studies with Samuel
Johnson, one of the pioneer lawyers of Y^ork
County. AA'hen the Revolution opened he
espoused the cause of the colonists and be-
came second lieutenant of the York Rifle-
men, a company of 100 trained marksmen
from Y'ork County, who, on July i, 1775,
began the march to Boston, and joined
Washington's army at Cambridge, Massa-
chusetts, on July 25. Here they were as-
signed to Thompson's Battalion, the first
troops south of New Y^ork to join the
American army during the Revolution.
Their reputation for trained marksmanship
with the use of the rifle was already well
known. The troops who engaged in the
battle of Bunker Hill had used muskets.
Two days after the York Riflemen, under
Captain Doudel, arrived at Washington's
headquarters, at the request of Lieutenant
Miller, they were sent out to reconnoiter
the position of the enemy at Bunker Hill.
This was done with Washington's consent
and resulted in the capture of several
prisoners, from whom the position and
number of the enemy were obtained. Soon
after this event. Lieutenant Miller was
made captain of his company, and com-
manded it on the march toward New York.
He and his riflemen were conspicuous for
their valor at the battle of Long Island and
guarded the retreat of Washington's army,
which, through a fog, crossed to New York
City. Captain ]\Iiller, amid a shower of
2o6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLVANIA
bullets from the enemy, was the last Ameri-
can soldier to enter the boats.
He participated in the battle of AA'hite
Plains, and with a detachment from the
First Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line,
guarded the rear during Washington's re-
treat across New Jersey. At the battle of
Trenton the First Regiment, under Colonel
Edward Hand, formed the advance battle
line, and during that eventful Christmas
night of 1776 was the first to attack the
Hessians at their post. After the surrender
of 1,000 Hessians at Trenton, Washington
re-crossed into Pennsylvania. He then se-
lected Hand's riflemen, with Captain Miller
commanding his company, to lead the ad-
vance and attack the approaching enemy.
In the action which ensued Miller com-
manded the left wing of the regiment.
At the battle of Princeton, on the suc-
ceeding day, these riflemen were conspic-
uous for their valor and aided in winning
a brilliant victory. For his gallantry in
action, at the request of Washington, Cap-
tain Miller was promoted to major of his
regiment, and held this position at the bat-
tle of Brandywine. In the battle of Ger-
mantown his regiment formed a part of
Wayne's brigade, and aided in driving the
enemy toward Philadelphia, during the first
part of the engagement. Six days after the
battle, which resulted iji a British victory.
Major Miller wrote to his family at York:
"We hope to meet them soon again, and
with the assistance of Providence to restore
our suffering citizens of Philadelphia to
their possessions and homes."
During the winter of 1777-8, Major Mil-
ler remained in camp with his regiment at
Valley Forge. The arduous duties of army
life required him to spend part of the winter
at his home, recuperating his health. It
was during this winter that Continental
Congress held its sessions in York, and
AVashington lay in winter quarters at Val-
ley Forge.
On the march through New Jersey in pur-
suit of the enemy under Sir Henry Clinton,
in June, 1778, Major Miller's regiment
formed a part of the Pennsylvania division
commanded by General Anthony AA-^ayne.
In this, the last battle of the Revolution in
which Major Miller participated, he showed
the same coolness and bravery that he had
displayed on former occasions when he led
his York County Riflemen on to victory.
AA'hile commanding a detachment under
AA'ajme in the thickest of the fight, his horse
was shot by a cannon ball. He quickly
mounted another and rode forward, when
this horse was killed by a musket ball.
Mounting a third, he led his men onward
until the British were driven from the field.
For gallant and meritorious services at the
battle of Monmouth, Major Miller was pro-
moted to lieutenant-colonel of the Second
Pennsylvania Regiment in the Continental
Line, but owing to the condition of his
alTairs at home, as the result of four years'
service in the army, he held this position for
a short time only and then resigned. He
then turned his attention to his business
affairs at York. The pay he had received
as a soldier, in depreciated currency, did not
furnish him means enough to support his
family.
In 1780, he was elected sheriff of York
County, and served in that position for
three years. He represented York County
in the State Legislature in 1783-4-5. He
was appointed prothonotary in 1785, and in
the same year commissioned one of the
court justices for York County. He was
elected a delegate to the convention which
framed the State Constitution of 1790.
After the war, he became a brigadier-
general of the state militia, and in 1794 was
quartermaster-general of the United States
army in the AAHiiskey Insurrection in west-
ern Pennsylvania.
General Miller was appointed supervisor
of revenue for the State of Pennsylvania by
President AA^ashington, and served in the
same office under President Adams ; but on
account of his staunch adherence to the
Federalist part};-, was removed from the
office by Thomas Jefferson, when he be-
came President. Although he had reached
the age of 63, when the second war with
Great Britain began, he tendered his ser-
vices to the United States government, and
was placed in charge of the defence of Fort
McHenry. This occurred when the city of
Baltimore was first threatened by the
English, in 1813. Having still retained his
relations to his native state, when the militia
was organized he received the appointment
of brigadier-general. In 1814, when the
British appeared before Baltimore, he
served in the capacity of quartermaster-
THE REVOLUTION
207
general and \yas present at Baltimore with
the Pennsylvania troops, which had
marched there for the defence of that city.
His experience as an officer in the Revolu-
tion was of great advantage to the com-
manding officers at Baltimore, at the time
of the battle of North Point and the bom-
bardment of Fort McHenry. Before retir-
ing from service. General Miller received the
commendations of the military authorities
of Baltimore and the national government.
He retired to private life, residing on a
farm in the Juniata Valley, and in 1821 was
appointed prothonotary of the new county
of Perry. At the expiration of his term of
office, he removed his family residence to
Carlisle, where he died April 5, 1824, and
was buried there with military honors.
His family consisted of two sons and four
daughters. His son Joseph was a lieutenant
in the army, and died in the service, while
performing his duties as quartermaster at
Ogdensburg, during the second war with
England, and his son William was a lieuten-
ant in the navy, and died on board the
frigate "LTnsurgent," Captain Murray.
His eldest daughter, Capandana, married
Colonel Campbell ; his second daughter,
Mary, married Thomas Banning, a Mary-
land planter; and his third daughter, Julia
Anna, married David W^atts, of Carlisle.
His fourth daughter, Harriet, died unmar-
ried. There are no descendants of these
children now surviving, except those of
David Watts and Julia Anna ]Mille4-.
COLONEL THOMAS HARTLEY'S
REGIMENT.
Thomas Hartley, a member of the York-
County Bar, and a young man of rare at-
tainments, entered the military service in
the fall of 1775. Before hostilities had
opened between the colonies and the
mother country, he had commanded a com-
pany of militia from York and vicinity. The
fierce conflict at Bunker Hill in June, 1775,
stimulated his military ardor. When an ex-
pedition was planned against Canada in the
fall of 1775, he tendered his services to the
cause of American liberty. A regiment
composed of eight companies was organ-
ized, at Carlisle, from militia in the region
now embraced in York, Cumberland,
Franklin, Adams and Perry Counties. AVil-
liani Irvine, of Carlisle, was commissioned
colonel of this regiment and Thomas Hart-
ley, lieutenant-colonel, at the age of twenty-
seven. The part taken by the regiment in
the Canada campaign is told in a previous
chapter in this work. After the capture of
Colonel Irvine, in Canada, Hartley was
placed in command of the regiment and
brought it back to Carlisle in March, 1777.
Irvine remained a prisoner of war until
April, 1778. His command, which at first
enlisted for a term of one year for the
Canada campaign, re-enlisted, and in June,
1778, under the command of Lieutenant-
colonel David Grier, of York, was stationed
at Middlebrook, New Jersey, and in Sep-
tember at Trappe, in Montgomery County,
Pennsylvania. It joined Wayne's brigade
and took part in the battles of Brandywine,
Paoli and Germantown, as told elsewhere in
this history.
Thomas Hartley, while in charge of the
regiment at Ticonderoga, was commis-
sioned colonel, January 11, 1777. After the
regiment reached Carlisle in March of that
year, Hartley spent some time at York.
In December, 1776, Congress authorized
AA'ashington to raise sixteen battalions of
infantry for the military service from the
different states then forming the Union.
This resolution was adopted two days after
the battle of Trenton, which had been a sig-
nal victory for the^ American cause. Two
of these battalions were to come from
Pennsylvania. For this purpose Thomas
Hartley and John Patton, of Chester
County, were each commissioned colonel to
raise a regiment. In the absence of official
reports, it is difficult to give a detailed ac-
count of these regiments.
Colonel Thomas Hartley's regiment
joined AVashington's army, when General
Howe landed at the head of Elk River, in
September, 1777. All the available Ameri-
can troops were then concentrated in the
vicinity of Philadelphia. Hartley's regi-
ment formed part of the First Pennsylvania
Brigade in General Wayne's division. In
the battle of Brandywine, Colonel Hartley
commanded this brigade, which did valiant
service in the engagement, and lost heavily
in both officers and men. This brigade also
took part in the battle of Paoli, fought near
Philadelphia, nine days after the defeat at
Brandywine, and still under the command
of Hartley, participated in the battle of Ger-
208
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
mantown, October 4. After Germantown,
Hartley's regiment, which originally num-
bered 600 men from the different counties
of Pennsylvania, had in rank and file less
than half its original enlistment. Major
Lewis Bush was mortally wounded at
Brandywine, and Captain Robert Hoopes
was killed. Other casualties in this regi-
ment, in the battles of Brandywine, Paoli
and Germantown, were : Lieutenant James
Dill, Lieutenant James Lemon, Sergeant
William Chambers, Sergeant John Rousden,
Corporal Anthony Wall, killed; Private
George Blakely, wounded and prisoner at
Paoli, in Captain Robert Hoopes' company;
Privates William Cornwall, George Duke,
John Elliott, Joseph Finnemore, James Flin,
killed; Philip Graham, killed at Brandy-
wine; Jacob Houts, wounded at German-
town ; Christopher Morris and John Shan-
non, killed; William Price, died of wounds.
After the close of the campaign
Hartley's of the American army around
Regiment Philadelphia, in 1777, and when
at York. AVashington went into winter
quarters at Valley Forge, Colo-
nel Hartley returned with his regiment to
York, where it remained in barracks for two
or three months as a guard to Continental
Congress, then in session here. February
II, 1778, Congress passed a resolution or-
dering Michael Hillega.s, treasurer of the
United States, to issue a warrant for two
months' pay to Colonel Hartley's regiment,
then in York. On the same day another
resolution was adopted directing the board
of war to aid in recruiting this regiment.
On June 17, according to the diary of Rev.
John Roth, of the Moravian Church, a part
of Hartley's regiment left York for the
American camp near Philadelphia, having
in charge a number of English prisoners.
On June 25, at the request of General
Washington, Colonel Hartley reported with
his regiment at Valley Forge, just before
the American army had left the camp to
take the field in New Jersey. A few days
later Congress adjourned to Philadelphia,
which had been evacuated by the British,
then falling back through New Jersey to
New York.
In June, 1778, just before Con-
Wyoming gress left York for Philadel-
Massacre. phia, the settlers near Wilkes-
barre, in the Wyoming Valley,
in the northern part of Pennsylvania, heard
of the approach of a large force of Tories
and Indians under Colonel John Butler.
An appeal for help was made to Congress
as nearly all the able-bodied men were in
the Continental army. These hostile bands
approached suddenly, when Colonel Zebu-
Ion Butler, of the Pennsylvania Line, who
was home on a furlough, recruited three
hundred men t6 meet a force three times as
large. He met the enemy on July 3 at a fort
near the Susquehanna, a short distance
above Wilkesbarre, and here occurred what
is known to history as the Wyoming Mas-
sacre. Only fifty of Zebulon Butler's men
escaped. Those who did not fall in battle,
when captured were put to death by the
bullets of the Tories or the tomahawks of
the Indians. The depredations in the
Wyoming Valley continued and became so
heartrending that all the settlers fled.
■ The Wyoming Massacre was not the
only one in Pennsylvania in the war of the
Revolution. Immediately after that of
Wyoming, the wild precipitate flight,
known as the "Great Runawaj^," occurred
in the valley of the West Branch. All sum-
mer the scalping knife and tomahawk had
been doing their deadly work there, and
when the news of the massacre on North
Branch arrived, the West Branch above
Sunbury and Northumberland was aband-
oned by the settlers. Boats, canoes, hog-
troughs, rafts, and every sort of floating
things, were crowded with women and
children. The men came down in single
file, on each side of the river, and acted as
guards. Sunbury became a frontier town
and the site of Harrisburg, Paxtang, and
Middletown, were places of resort for the
unfortunate refugees. Bedford and West-
moreland counties and the country about
Pittsburg were likewise sorely afflicted at
this time.
The massacre of Wyoming,
Hartley which occurred on July 3,
Marches caused serious apprehension to
to General Washington and Con-
Sunbury. tinental Congress. At this time,
Colonel Hartley's regiment was
with AVashington's army in New Jersey,
and the' remainder performing guard duty
at Philadelphia. In accordance with a reso-
lution of the Pennsylvania Council of
Safety, Hartley's regiment was ordered, on
THE REV(3LUTION
209
Jul\' 14, to go to Sunljury, in Xortliumber-
land Count}', fifty miles above Harrisburg.
At the same time, the Committee of Safety
ordered the militia to be called out from
the counties of Northumberland, Lancaster,
Berks, Northampton, Cumberland and
York, in all about 1,800 men. These troops
were intended to guard the frontier from
the ravages of the Indians and Tories.
Four hundred and fifty troops from Berks
and Northampton were to repair to Easton ;
eight hundred and fifty from Northumber-
land, Lancaster and Berks to go to Sunbury,
three hundred from Cumberland and two
hundred from York County to join Colonel
Broadhead at Standing Stone, the site of
Huntingdon.
As the Indians continued to be very
troublesome "on the northern and western
frontiers of Pennsylvania, it soon became
apparent to the military authorities that
some offensive operations must be under-
taken, to punish the savage foe, or the in-
habitants of Central Pennsylvania would be
in imminent danger.
AA'ith this object in view, Colonel
Goes Hartley, in September, 1778, was
to sent from Sunbury, by the Board
Tioga, of AVar on an expedition to Tioga
Point, on the headwaters of the
North Branch, to destroy some of their vil-
lages and break up their places of rendez-
\'ous. His expedition was one of the most
memorable on record, and proved success-
ful. In October, 1778, after his return to
Sunbury, from this expedition, Colonel
Hartley wrote to Congress an extended ac-
count of it, which reads in part as follows :
"With a frontier from Wyoming to Alle-
gheny, we were sensible the few regular
troops we had could not defend the neces-
sary posts. We thought (if it were prac-
ticable), it would be best to draw the prin-
cipal part of our force together, as the in-
habitants would be in no great danger dur-
ing our absence. I made a stroke at some
of the nearest Indian towns, especially as
we learned a handsome detachment had
been sent into the enemy's country by way
of the Cherry Valley, New York. We were
in hopes we should drive the savages to a
greater distance.
"With volunteers and others, we reck-
oned on 400 rank and file for the expedition,
besides 17 horses, which I mounted from
m_\' own regiment, under the command of
Lieutenant Henry Carbery. Our rendez-
vous was Fort Muncy, near the site of Wil-
liamsport, on the West Branch, intending
to penetrate by the Sheshecunnunk path,
to Tioga, at the junction of the Cayuga,
with the main Northeast Branch of Susque-
hanna, from thence to act as circumstances
might require.
"The troops met at Muncy the i8th of
September, and when we came to count and
array our force for the expedition, they
amounted to only about 200 rank and file.
We thought the number small, but as we
presumed the enemy had no notice of our
designs, we hoped at least to make a good
diversion if no more, whilst the inhabitants
were saving their grain on the frontier. On
the morning of the 21st, at four o'clock, we
marched from Muncy, with the force I have
mentioned ; we carried two boxes of spare
ammunition and twelve days' provisions.
"In our route we met with
Endures great rains and prodigious
Hardships, swamps ; mountains, defiles
and rocks impeded our march.
A'Ve had to open and clear the way as we
passed. W^e waded or swam the Lycoming
Creek upwards of twenty times. I will not
trouble your honorable body with the
tedious detail, but I cannot help observing
that, I imagine, the difficulties in crossing
the Alps or passing up Kennebec River to
Canada in 1775, could not have been greater
than those our men experienced for the
time. I have the pleasure to say they sur-
mounted them with great resolution and
fortitude. In lonely woods and groves we
found the haunts and lurking places of the
savage murderers, who had desolated our
frontier. We saw the huts where they had
dressed and dried the scalps of the helpless
women and children who fell into their
hands.
"On the morning of the 26th, our
Drives advance party of 19, met with an
the equal number of Indians on the
Enemy path, approaching one another.
Back.- Our men had the first fire. A
very important Indian chief was
killed and scalped and the rest fled. A few"
miles further, we discovered where up-
wards of seventy warriors had lay the night
before, on their march towards our frontier.
The panic communicated and they fled with
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
their brethren. No time was lost ; we ad-
vanced towards Sheshecunnunck, in the
neighborhood of which place we took fif-
teen prisoners from them. We learned that
a man had deserted from Captain Spald-
ing's company at AVyoming, after the troops
had marched from thence and had given the
enemy notice of our intended expedition
against them.
"We moved with the greatest dispatch
towards Tioga, advancing our horse and
some foot in front, who did their duty very
well. A number of the enemy fled before
us with precipitation. It was near dark,
when we came to that town. Our troops
were much fatigued and it was impossible
to proceed further that night. AVe were
told that young Butler, who had led the
Tories at the Wyoming Massacre, had been
at Tioga a few hours before we came — that
he had 300 men with him, the most of them
Tories, dressed in green — that they were
returned towards Chemung, 12 miles off,
and that they determined to give us battle
in some of the defiles near it. It was soon
resolved we should proceed no further, but
if possible make our way to AVyoming. AVe
burned Tioga, Queen Hester's Palace or
town, and all the settlements on this side.
Several canoes were taken and some plun-
der, part of which was destroyed. Lieu-
tenant Carbery, with the horse only, was
close on Butler. He was in possession of
the town of Shawnee, three miles up the
Cayuga Branch, but as we did not advance,
he returned.
"The consternation of the enemy was
great. AVe pushed our good fortune as far
as we dare, na3^ it is probable the good
countenance we put on, saved us from
destruction, as we were ad\'anced so far
into the enemy's country, and no return
but what we could make with the sword.
AA e came to Sheshecunnunck that night.
Had we had 500 regular troops, and 150
light troops, with one or two pieces of ar-
tillery, we probably might have destroyed
Chemung, which is now the receptacle for
all villainous Indians and Tories from the
dift'erent tribes and states. From this they
make their excursions against the frontiers
of New York, Pennsylvania, Jersey. AA/'yom-
ing and commit those horrid murders and
devastations we have heard of. Niagara
and Chemung are the asylums of these
Tories who cannot get to New Y^ork. On
the morning of the 28th, we crossed the
river and marched towards AA'yalusing,
where we arrived that night at 11 o'clock;
our men were much worn down and our
whiskey and flour were gone.
"On the morning of the 29th, we were
obliged to stay till 11 o'clock to kill and
cook beef. This gave the enemy leisure to
approach. Seventy of our men from real
or pretended lameness went into the
canoes ; others rode on the empty pack
horses. AA'e had not more than 120 rank
and file to fall in the line of march. Lieu-
tenant Sweeney, a 'valuable officer, had the
rear guard, consisting of thirty men, besides
five active runners, under Mr. Camplen.
The advance guard was to consist of an
officer and fifteen men. There were a few
flankers, but from the difficulty of the
ground and fatigue, they were seldom of
use. The rest of our little army was formed
into three divisions. Those of my regiment
composed the first. Captain Spalding's the
second, and Captain Morrow's the third.
The light horse was equally divided be-
tween front and rear. The pack horses and
the cattle we had collected, were to follow
the advance guard. In this order we
marched from AVyalusing at 12 o'clock. A
slight attack was made on our front from a
hill. Half an hour afterwards a warmer one
was made on the same quarter. After or-
dering the second and third divisions to
outflank the enemy, we soon drove them,
but this, as I expected, was only amuse-
ment, and we lost as little time as possible
with them.
"At 2 o'clock a very heavy attack
An was made on our rear, which
Indian obliged most of the rear guard to
Attack, give way, while several Indians
appeared on our left flank. By
the weight of the firing, we were soon con-
vinced we had to oppose a large body.
Captain Stoddard commanded in front and
I was in the centre. I observed some high
ground which overlooked the enemy.
Orders were immediately given for the first
and third divisions to take possession of it,
whilst Captain Spalding was despatched to
support the rear guard. We gained the
heights almost unnoticed by the barbarians.
Captain Stoddart sent a small party towards
the enemy's rear. At this critical moment,
THE REVOLUTION
Captains Boone and Brady, and Lieutenant
King, with a few brave fellows, landed from
the canoes, joined Lieutenant Sweeney and
renewed the action there. The war whoop
was given by our people below and com-
municated round. We advanced on the
enenu' on all sides.
With great shouting and noise.
The the Indians, after a brave resist-
Enemy ance of some minutes, con-
Repulsed, ceived themselves nearly sur-
rounded, and fled with the ut-
most haste, by the only passes that re-
mained, and left ten dead on the ground.
Our troops wished to do their dut}', but
they were much overcome with fatigue,
otherwise (as the Indians imagined them-
selves surrounded), we should have driven
the enemy into the river. From every ac-
count, these were a select body of warriors,
sent after us, consisting of nearly 200 men.
Their confidence and impetuosity, probably
gave the victory to .us. After they had
driven our rear some distance, their chief
was heard to say in the Indian language
that w'hich is interpreted thus : 'My brave
warriors, w'e drive them, be bold and strong,
the day is ours." Upon this they advanced
very quickly without sufficiently regarding
their rear.
"We had no alternative, but conquest or
death. They would have murdered us all
had they succeeded, but the great God of
Battles protected us in the day of danger.
\\'e had four killed and ten Avounded. The
enemy must have had at least treble the
number killed and wounded. They received
such a beating as prevented them giving us
any further trouble during our inarch to
Wyoming (W'ilkesbarre), which is more
than fifty miles from the place of action.
The officers of my regiment behaved well to
a man. All the party will acknowledge the
greatest merit and bravery of Captain Stod-
dart. I cannot say enough in his favor. He
deserves the esteem of his country. Lieu-
tenant Carbery, with his horse, was very
active, and rendered important services till
his horses were fatigued. Nearly all the
other officers acquitted themselves with
reputation. Captain Spalding exerted him-
self as much as possible. Captain ^Iitrrow,
from his knowledge of Indian afTai^rs and
their mode of fighting, was serviceable.
His men were marksmen and were useful.
The men of my regiment were armed with
muskets and bayonets. They were no great
marksmen, and were awkw-ard at wood
fighting. The bullets and three swan shot
in each piece made up, in some measure, for
the want of skill. Though we were happy
enough to succeed in this action, yet I am
con\inced that a number of lighter troops,
under good officers, are necessary for this
service.
"On the third, the savages
Reaches and- scalped three men who
Wyoming, had imprudently left the gar-
rison at Wyoming to go in
search of potatoes. From our observations,
we imagine that the same party who had
fought us, after taking care of their dead
and wounded, had come on towards Wyom-
ing, and are now in that neighborhood. I
left half of my detachment there, with five
of m}' own officers. Should they attempt to
invest the place when their number is in-
creased, I make no doubt but they will be
disappointed.
"Our garrisons have plenty of beef and
salt, though flour is scarce at Wyoming. I
arrived here with the remainder of the de-
tachment on the 5th. We have performed
a circuit of nearly 300 miles in about two
weeks. A\'e brought off nearly fifty head
of cattle, twenty-eight canoes, besides
many other articles. I would respectfully
propose that the Congress would be pleased
to send a Connecticut regiment to garrison
A\'yoming as soon as possible. It is but 120
miles from Fish Kills, New York. I have
done all I can for the good of the whole. I
have given all the support in my power to
the post, but if troops are not immediately
sent, these settlements wnll be destroyed in
detail. In a week or less a regiment could
march from Fish Kills to Wyoming. My
little regiment with two classes of Lancaster
and Berks County Militia, will be scarcely
sufficient to preserve the posts from Nesco-
pake falls to ^Nluncy, and from thence to the
head of Penn's Valley."
The report sent to Congress from Sun-
bury by Colonel Hartley was received with
favor both by Congress and the Legislature
of Pennsylvania. For his success the execu-
tive council of the State extended to him a
unanimous vote of thanks. Immediately
after sending this letter to Congress, for the
purpose of guarding the frontier, he re-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
quested that "300 round bullets for three
pounders, 300 cartridges of grape shot for
the same bore, 1,000 flints, six barrels of
powder, a quantity of twine and portfire, a
ream of cannon cartridge paper," and some
other small articles be sent to Sunbury. He
said that they had eight cannon firing three
pound balls on the frontier, at Forts ]\Iuncy
and Antes.
Colonel Hartley remained in the military
service on the frontier with Sunbury as his
headquarters from October, 1778, until De-
cember of that year, when he was elected to
represent York County in the Pennsylvania
Assembly. Upon his retirement from the
military service. Continental Congress,
deeming the reasons for his resigning satis-
factor}-, bore testimony of their "high sense
of Colonel Hartlej^'s merit and services."
The commissioned officers of Colonel
Hartley's Regiment, in June, 1777, were the
following: Colonel Thomas Hartley, ap-
pointed January 10, 1777; Lieutenant-
Colonel Morgan Conner, appointed April 9,
1777; Major Lewis Bush, January 12, 1777;
Quartermaster John [McAllister, April 17,
1777; Adjutant Robert Ralston, January 16,
1777; Paymaster Thomond Ball, January
15, 1777; Surgeon Jacob Swope, January 15,
1777; Surgeon Tracey, February 5, 1777:
Captain Bernard Eichelberger, January 12,
1777; Captain AA'illiam Nichols, January 13,
1777; Captain Robert Hoopes, January 13,
1777; Captain Benjamin C. Stoddart, Janu-
ary 14, 1777; Captain AVilliam Ivelley, Janu-
ary 16, 1777; Captain Richard AA'illson, Feb-
ruary 15, 1777; Captain George Bush,
March i, 1777; Captain Archibald McAllis-
ter, x^pril 18, 1777; First Lieutenant Paul
Parker, January 16, 1777; First Lieutenant
James Forrester, January 23, 1777; First
Lieutenant Horatio Ross, January 24, 1777:
First Lieutenant James Kenny, January 25,
1777; First Lieutenant James Dill, Febru-
ary 5, 1777; First Lieutenant Count De
Momfort, March 23, 1777; First Lieuten-
ant Charles Croxall, May 25, 1777; First
Lieutenant John Hughes, June i, 1777;
Second Lieutenant Andrew Walker, Janu-
ary 12, 1777; Second Lieutenant Isaac
Sweeney, January 23, 1777; Second Lieu-
tenant Henry Carberry, January 24, 1777;
Second Lieutenant Alartin Eichelberger,
January 25, 1777; Second Lieutenant Wil-
liam McCurdy, January 26, 1777; Second
Lieutenant AA'illiam Clemm, May 26, 1777;
Ensign George Hillery, February i, 1777;
Ensign John McBride, February 2, 1777;
Ensign James McCalmon, January 24, 1777;
Ensign John Manghan, February 25, 1777;
Ensign Nachel Dorsey, May i, 1777; En-
sign John Stake, May 26, 1777.
COLONEL THOMAS HARTLEY.
Colonel Thomas Hartley was born in
Colebrookdale, Pennsylvania, September 7,
1748. His father, George Hartle}^, of Eng-
lish birth, was one of the early settlers and
a leading citizen of Berks County. In his
youth, Thomas Hartley displayed strong in-
tellectual endowments. He obtained his
preliminary education at a classical school
in Reading. In 1766, when eighteen years
of age, he removed to York, where he
entered upon the study of law with Samuel
Johnson, a relative of his mother, and one
of the early members of the York County
Bar. He was admitted to the practice of
law at York in 1769. Although still a young
man, he was one of the earliest citizens
west of the Susquehanna to espouse the
cause of the American colonists when their
rights were tread upon by the British
crown.
As early as 1774, two years before the
Declaration of Independence, Thomas Hart-
ley was chosen first lieutenant of a military
company at York, for the purpose of
making disciplined soldiers. In the summer
of 1775, he was elected lieutenant-colonel
of the First Battalion of York County As-
sociators. He now became an active and
zealous patriot and was chosen lieutenant-
colonel of a battalion of "Minute Men," se-
lected from the other five battalions of as-
sociators in York County. This battalion
was ready at a moment's notice for any
emergenc}^ that might occur between the
colonies and the mother country. In the
fall of 1775, he joined the expedition to
Canada and was chosen lieutenant-colonel
of Irvine's regiment, whose history is given
in the preceding pages. Upon his return
from the Canada campaign, he became lieu-
tenant-colonel of the Seventh Pennsylvania
Regiment. The remaining part of his mili-
tary career is given above.
After his retirement from the army, he
served as a member of the Pennsylvania
Legislature in 1779, meantime devoting his
COL. THOMAS HARTLEY
THE REVOLUTION
213
attentions to his law practice at York. He
was chosen a member of the Council of
Censors, in 17S3, to adjust the Revolution-
ary claims for Pennsylvania. In 178S, he
was elected a member of the first Congress.
The success of his career in the House of
Representatives for a period of twelve
years, is gi\en in the chapter relating to the
Representatives in Congress from York
County.
Although the last twelve years of his life
were devoted entirely to his professional
labors and to his brilliant career as a repre-
sentative in Congress, of which he was one
of the ablest debaters, he kept up his in-
terest in military affairs, in which he had
won distinction during the Revolution, and
in 1800, the last year of his life, was chosen
by Governor IMcKean. major-general of the
militia w-ithin the present area of York and
Adams Counties.
Colonel Hartley took part in more than
twent}' skirmishes and battles during the
Revolution. He was noted for military skill
and strategy, and always showed great
courage in battle. On account of his
achievements and his amiable personality.
General ^^'ashington entertained for him
the highest regard and aft'ection. The
authorities of Pennsylvania and Continental
Congress paid high tribute to his worth as
a soldier and to his sterling patriotism,
while serving in the army. He was highly
esteemed by his fellow-officers with whom
he was associated during the war for inde-
pendence. He died at York, December 21,
1800, at the early age of fifty-two, after
having nearly completed his sixth term in
Con*^ress.
:\IAJOR JOSEPH PROAVELL, of the
Xew Eleventh Regiment, Pennsylvania
Line, and a gallant soldier of the Revolu-
tion, was born in York County in 1753.
James Prowell, his grandfather, came to
America in 1705 w^ith the early A\'elsh immi-
gration, and settled on the Welsh tract in
the northern part of Chester County. The
children of James Prowell were Charles,
Mary and Thomas. Charles joined a
Chester County regiment at the advanced
age of sixty years, and was lost, either
killed or captured, in the first Jersey cam-
paign, during the Revolution. ]Mary was
married to Richard Buck, in the First
Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.
Thomas Prowell. the }-oungest son and
father of Major Prowell, was a prominent
farmer and iron manufacturer of Chester
County. In 1752, he was married in Gloria
Dei, known as Old Swede's Church, in the
southern part of Philadelphia, to Rachel
Grififith, a Quakeress from Chester County.
This ceremony took place shortly after this
church w;as transferred from the Lutherans
to the Episcopalians. Many of the relatives
of Rachel Griffith migrated wdth the early
Quakers, who settled in Warrington and
Newberry Townships. Soon after their
marriage, Thomas and Rachel Prowell
moved to AAarrington, where he purchased
a tract of land near the Conewago. They
remained in York County about three
years, and then returned to Chester County,
where the youngest son. Captain AA'illiam
Prowell, was born in I755- Thomas
Prowell died in 1765, leaving an estate of
412 pounds, in Chester County, of which
David Thomas and Joseph Coates were
executors ; and an estate of 336 pounds in
York County, of which Robert Nelson and
Peter Gardner were executors. His wnll be-
queathed ecjual shares to his wadow^ and two
sons, and named Rev. Owen Thomas as
guardian of his son Joseph, and Joseph
Coates guardian of his son AA'illiam.
Joseph Prowell Avas educated at the Uni-
\-ersity of Pennsylvania, and early in life
engaged in the iron business w'ith his
brother AA'illiam. At the opening of the
war for independence, he was a member of
the Philadelphia Light Plorse, afterward
known as the City Troop. This famous
cavalry company w^as present at the battles
of Trenton and Princeton in 1776.
On January 11, 1777, Joseph Prowell was
detached from the City Troop and com-
missioned a captain in Colonel John Pat-
ton's additional regiment of the Pennsyl-
vania Line, composed of men from Chester
and Philadelphia Counties. AA'ith this regi-
ment he took part, during that year, in the
battles of Brandywine and Germantown.
For his military skill and gallantry in action
Captain Prowell was promoted major of
his regiment January i, 1778. On January
13, 1779, Major Prowell was transferred to
the New Eleventh Pennsylvania Regiment,
whose command was assigned to Colonel
Thomas Hartley, of York. AA'hen it was
decided to send an expedition, under Gen-
214
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
eral Sullivan, against the Indians in the
Wyoming Valle}', in Pennsylvania, and
Cherry Valley, in New York, Major
Prowell commanded a detachment of the
New Eleventh Regiment, in all 200 men, to
lead the advance. He marched from Easton
and reached Bear Creek, about ten miles
south-west of ^^'ilkes-Barre, on the night of
April 19. It was now thought they were
out of danger from the Indians. Major
Prowell ordered that officers and men
should dress in their best apparel, their
arms be newly burnished, ancl everything
be put in order to present a fine appearance
upon entering the beautiful A\'yoming Val-
ley.
AVhen they reached Laurel Run, four
miles southwest of AVilkesbarre, they were
attacked by a band of Indians lying in am-
bush, when Captain Davis, Lieutenant
Jones, Corporal Butler and three privates
were killed. Owing to this surprise the
troops were thrown into confusion. Thej^
retreated a short distance and formed in
line of battle and succeeded in dispersing
the Indians, who fled after a few scattering-
discharges, and the troops entered the val-
ley to garrison the fort at AVyoming, where
the massacre had occurred some time
before. After the close of the war Major
Prowell became a shipping merchant in
Philadelphia, engaged in trade with many
foreign ports. On June 4, 1804, he took sick
while on board his vessel, which he landed
on the Barbadoes Islands, east of the AVest
Indies, and the same day made his will.
From this sickness he partially recovered,
landed at Philadelphia, and a few days later
added a codicil to his will, in his own hand-
writing: "at the house of my esteemed
friends. Captain James Josiah and his
estimable lad}^, near Philadelphia." There
he died on April 3, 1805, aged fifty-three
years. He was buried with "the honors of
war" by the City Troop of Philadelphia.
Major Prowell is remembered tradition-
ally as a bold, daring and fearless officer,
and had a romantic history. He partici-
pated in the sailors" troubles with the
pirates of the Barbary States, and afterward
owned large possessions in the Colony of
Dernaii. He owned a plantation called
"AVashington," in the Colon}' of Berbice,
and there assisted the British government
to c|uell an insurrection in 1803. The
executors of Major Prowell's estate were
David Lennox, of Philadelphia; Robert and
AA'illiam Pulsford, of London : and John
Douglass, of the Colony of Berbice — in each
of which places he had possessions.
CHAPTER NV
REVOLUTION— Continued.
The Pennsylvania Line at York — Execu-
tion at York — Pulaski's Legion — Ar-
mand's Legion — Quartermasters' Posts
in York County.
In February, 1781, Congress resolved to
send the Pennsylvania Line to Virginia for
the purpose of joining the southern army
under General Nathaniel Greene, then re-
treating northward through the Carolinas,
closely pursued by Lord Cornwallis. A de-
tachment of the British army under Bene-
dict Arnold and A'A^illiam Philips had landed
at Richmond and was threatening to invade
the State of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson
was the governor of that state and the
Legislature had removed to Charlottes-
ville.
The Penns)dvania Line, now under the
command of General Arthur St. Clair, was
ordered to rendezvous at York. It was
composed of two brigades commanded re-
spectively by Anthony AA^ayne and AA'^illiam
Irvine. The mutiny which had occurred in
December, 1780, while the Pennsylvania
Line was in New Jersey, had been settled,
largely through the influence of General
Anthony AA-^ayne, but many of the troops
had been discharged and had returned to
their homes. Early in January, 1781, six
regiments of the Line and Proctor's Artil-
lery, both much reduced in numbers, were
stationed at different places in Pennsyl-
vania for the purpose of recruiting. The
First Regiment, under Colonel Daniel
Broadhead, was sent to York; the Second,
Colonel AA^alter Stewart, to Yellow Springs ;
the Third, Colonel Thomas Craig, to Eas-
ton ; the Fourth, Colonel AA^iUiam Butler, to
Carlisle; the Fifth, Colonel Richard Butler,
to Reading; the Sixth, Colonel Richard
Humpton, to Lebanon, and the Artillery,
under Colonel Thomas Proctor, to New-
town. Other regiments were stationed at
1
THE REVOLUTION
:i5
Fort Pitt, in western Pennsylvania. Gen-
eral Irvine, of Carlisle, who had served with
credit in the Canada and New Jersey cam-
paigns, was assigned to superintend the re-
cruiting throughout the State, and General
\\'ayne was ordered to York. At this
juncture, Washington wrote to St. Clair:
'"Congress has determined
Washington's that the Pennsylvania Line,
Letter. except Moylan's Dragoons,
and other troops to the
westward, shall compose part of the South-
ern Army, and has directed me to order it
to join the army in Virginia by detach-
ments, as they may be in readiness to
march. You will, therefore, in obedience to
the above resolve, put matters in a proper
train to carry it into execution with all dis-
patch possible. You will now, in case cir-
cumstances should permit the detachment
under the command of Lafayette to proceed
down the Chesapeake, not confine yourself
to a single battalion of four hundred men,
as mentioned in mine of the 22d, but en-
deavor to send as many as possible by so
good and expeditious a conveyance.
"I think it essdntial that one of the
brigadiers should proceed to Virginia with
the first detachment that moves, and there
be ready to receive and form the remainder
as they come on. There may be greater
necessity of an officer of rank being at hand,
as the Line, from the late disturbances in it,
will liaA'e lost somewhat of its discipline.
General Irvine, being employed in superin-
tending the recruiting" business, the duty de-
volves upon General A\'ayne. I have writ-
ten to him on the subject."
In March, Lafayette proceeded from
Philadelphia with i,ooo New England and
New Jersey troops to Baltimore, whence he
moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In ac-
cordance with instructions, the different
regiments of the Pennsylvania Line at their
places of cantonment in this state, had been
increased in numbers by recruits. Prepara-
tions were then made to rendezvous these
troops at York. General Anthony AVayne,
who had already won distinction as a sol-
dier in several battles of the Revolution
and had displayed remarkable skill and
strategy in the capture of Stony Point on
the Hudson, was ordered to command the
first detachment to be sent to Virginia.^
Maj- 2, 1781, St. Clair wrote to AA'aj-ne :
"The parties from the several
Ordered regiments which are to compose
to York, the first detachment, have, orders
to march from the cantonments
to York, the moment the auditors have
finished the settlements, respectively. You
will, therefore, repair to York as soon as
conveniently may be, to make the necessary
arrangements and take such measures as
may prevent, as much as possible, any delay
at that place. You will please to take the
command of it upon yourself, and proceed,
by the enclosed route, to join General
Greene with all the dispatch that the nature
of the case will admit of. Should any oper-
ations of the enemjr render the passage at
Alexandria precarious, you are not to con-
sider yourself as bound by the route, but
will make choice of such other place to cross
the Potomac where it may be done with
safety, making as little detour as possible.
As several of the squads must pass through
Lancaster and there be supplied with pro-
visions to carry them to York, give atten-
tion to these matters in your way so as to
facilitate their march, and prevent disap-
pointment. I wish you a prosperous jour-
ney, and all happiness.
"You will please to favor me with an ac-
count of the return of the numbers you
march with, and direct the brigade quarter-
master to forward a return of the camp
equipage and utensils received by him. Let
me know, also, what number of arms were
sent on to York. If there is any surplus,
they may be stored and left under the care
of the commanding officer at that place, as
also any surplus of blankets beyond that
which completes the detachment."
The Pennsylvania Line at
Recruiting. York, under Wayne, was com-
posed of two hundred men
from the First regiment, 120 from the
Second, 80 from the Third, 160 from the
Fourth, 240 from the Fifth and 160 from the
Sixth. Wayne's force was formed into
three battalions, commanded respectively
by Colonel Richard Butler, Colonel AA'alter
Stewart and Colonel Richard Humpton.
Nine officers and ninety men with six field
pieces from Proctor's Fourth Continental
Artillery were added to the detachment.
This, together with recruits ' received at
York, increased his command to nearly a
thousand men. It was a long and tedious
2l6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLVANIA
business to reorganize the men and procure
the needed supplies for the expedition. In
the efforts to prepare them for the campaign
he was embarrassed by difficulties of the
same sort that had been encountered since
the beginning of the war. Recruits for the
expedition were scarce, the needed supplies
were not forthcoming, and the worthless
paper which was given to pay his men, it
was soon discovered would purchase
nothing in the way of the commonest neces-
saries. No allowance being made for the
actual depreciation of this miscalled money
below its nominal value, there was much
discontent on the part of the men to whom
it was offered. The result of this renewed
attempt on the part of the state to pay its
soldiers in nominal money, when it had
agreed to pay them in what was real, is
clearly expressed in the following letter of
AVayne, May 20, 1781 :
■'AA'hen I arrived at York there was
scarcely a horse or a carriage fit to transport
any part of our baggage or supplies. This
difficulty I found means to remedy by bar-
tering one species of public property to pro-
cure another. The troops were retarded in
advancing to the general rendezvous by the
unaccountable delay of the auditors who
were appointed to settle and pay the propor-
tion of the depreciation due them, which,
when received, was not equal to one-seventh
part of its nominal value. This was an
alarming circumstance. The soldiery but
too sensibly felt the imposition; nor did the
conduct or counsel of the inhabitants tend
to moderate but rather to inflame their
minds by refusing to part with anything
which the soldiers needed in exchange for
it, saying it was not worth accepting, and
that they (the soldiers) ought not to march
until justice was done them. To minds al-
ready susceptible to this kind of impression
and whose recent revolt was fresh in their
memory little more was wanting to stimu-
late them to try it again. The day ante-
cedent to that on which the march was to
commence, a few leading mutineers on the
right of each regiment called out to pay
them in real and not ideal money, they were
no longer to be trifled with. Upon this they
were ordered to their tents, which, being
peremptorily refused, the principals were
immediately either knocked down or con-
fined by the officers, who were previously
prepared for this event. A court-martial
was ordered on the spot, the commission of
the crime, trial and execution were all in-
cluded in the course of a few hours in front
of the line paraded under arms. The de-
termined countenances of the officers pro-
duced a conviction to the soldiery that the
sentence of the court-martial would be car-
ried into execution at every risk and conse-
quence. Whether by design or accident,
the particular friends and messmates of the
culprits were their executioners, and while
the tears rolled down their cheeks in
showers, they silently and faithfully obeyed
their orders without a moment's hesitation.
Thus was this hideous monster crushed in
its birth, however, to myself and officers a
most painful scene."
AA'hile General AA'ayne was in York he
occupied the building at the northwest cor-
ner of Market and Beaver Streets as his
headquarters. His troops were encamped
on the public common, now Penn Park.
Before he had finished the organization
of his brigade, AA'^ashington wrote :
"The critical condition of our southern
aft'airs, and the reinforcements sent by the
enemy to that quarter, urge the necessity of
moving as large a proportion of the Penn-
s)dvania Line as possible, without a mo-
ment's loss of time. Indeed I hope before
this, by the measures you have taken, all
the impediments to a movement will have
been obviated. I am persuaded your utmost
and unremitting exertions will not be want-
ing on this and every occasion of serving
your country so essentially, that they may
be ever crowned with success, that nothing
but propitious events may attend you on the
march."
May 26, AA^ayne's corps, much
Marches smaller in number than he had
to anticipated and by no means well
Virginia, equipped, began the march
southward from York.
Captain Joseph McClellan, who served in
this expedition, kept an interesting diary
describing the march from York to Virginia.
According to his record. General Wayne
and his troops began to march at 9 A. M.
of ]\Iay 26. On the evening of that day
they encamped along the hillside in Heidel-
berg Township, near the present site of
Menges' JMills. At daylight on the 27th,
General AA'avne ordered the drums to beat
tiil: coukes house un kimvs mill road, where the govern-
ment RECORDS WERE FIRST DEPOSITED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1777
■mn^MSTinmm'f^r*
HEADQUARTERS OF GENERAL WAYNE, AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF
MARKET AND BEAVER STREETS, WHILE HIS BRIGADE WAS EN-
CAMPED AT YORK IN 17S1
THE REVOLUTION
217
as a signal to take up the march. They
passed through Hanover and halted at Lit-
tlestown, a distance of fourteen miles.
Continuing the march. Captain McClellan
says : "We passed through Taneytown, and
halted upon the bank of Pipe Creek, being
fourteen miles.
"May 29. Marched at 9 o'clock, and en-
camped about 12 on the south bank of the
Monocacy, being fourteen miles.
"The troops took up the line of march at
3 A. M. and encamped on the S. W. of
Monocacy, 14 miles.
"May 30. Continued on the ground for
the men to wash and clean their arms.
Reviewed at 5 P. M. At 7 P. ]\I. we were
reviewed by General Wayne.
"May 31. ]\Iarched at sunrise; passed
through Fredericktown about 8, where
there were a number of British officers who
were prisoners of war. They took a view
of us as we passed through the town. Con-
tinued our march to the Potomac, at No-
land's Ferry, where we halted some time
for the artillery and baggage to cross. The
troops crossed in the evening^, and halted
one mile from the ferry and lay without
tents. It rained most of the night. In
crossing there were four men drowned by
one of the boats sinking. Our march this
day was 16 miles, besides crossing the ferry.
^^'e crossed the Potomac at Noland's Ferry
in bad scows. One sunk, in which one ser-
geant and three privates of our regiment
(First) were drowned."
June 7, with his force reduced
Joins to about 900 men as the result
Lafayette, of the long march, A^'ayne ar-
rived at Fredericksburg, where
he joined Lafayette, who had a force of
1,200 men. Before AVayne arrived in Vir-
ginia, Richmond had been burned by the
English under Philips and Arnold. The
State Legislature had moved to Charlottes-
ville, the home of Thomas Jefferson, who
was then the governor of Virginia. Preda-
tory parties were then scouring this state
and Jefferson, at his home, narrowly es-
caped being captured by a band of the
British under Tarleton. Lafayette and
Wayne commanded the onh' American
forces then in A^irginia. The object of
AA'ayne and Lafayette now was to check the
raids of the English detachments sent into
the interior of A'^irginia intent on robbery
and the destruction of military stores.
Meanwhile, Greene had re-
The treated northward through the
Surrender State of North Carolina, closely
of • followed by Lord Cornwallis.
Cornwallis. AX'ashington moved southward
from the vicinity of New York
with 6,000 men and the French fleet arrived
at the mouth of the Chesapeake. AVash-
ington united the forces under Greene,
Lafayette and AA'^ayne with his own army,
numbering in all 16,000 men, in front of
Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, while
the French fleet closed in behind and pre-
vented the enemy from escaping. The
siege and battle of Yorktown followed, and
on October 19, Cornwallis surrendered his
entire army. This was the last important
engagement of the Revolution.
EXECUTION AT YORK.
Samuel Dewees was serving as a fifer in
Colonel Richard Butler's regiment when it
was encamped at York. After the Revolu-
tion he resided in Maryland until his death,
about 1836. He served as a captain of
Maryland troops in the war of 1812 and with
his companj' helped to defend Baltimore
against the British, in September, 1814.
About thirty years after the Revolution he
wrote and published a book describing his
experiences in the war of the Revolution.
Captain Dewees was a witness to the shoot-
ing at York of four soldiers of the Pennsyl-
vania Line in 1781. He describes the un-
fortunate affair as follows :
"AA'hilst we lay at Lebanon a circum-
stance transpired worthy of notice, and
which I here record as a prelude to the
tragic event at York. A sergeant, who was
known by the appellation of Macaroni
Jack, a very intelligent, active, neat and
clever fellow, had committed some trivial
offence. He had his wife with him in camp,
who always kept him very clean and neat in
his appearance. She was washerwoman to
a number of soldiers, myself among the
number. She was a very well behaved and
good conditioned woman.
"The officers for the purpose of making
an impression upon him and to better his
conduct, ordered him to be brought from
the guard house, which done, he was tied up
and the drummers ordered to give him a
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
certain number of lashes upon his bare back.
The intention of the oilicers was not to
chastise him.
"^A'hen he was tied up he looked around
and addressed the soldiers, exclaiming at
the same time, 'dear brother soldiers, won't
you help me.' This, in the eyes of the
ofificers, savored of mutinjr and they called
out, 'take him down, take him down.' The
order was instantly obeyed, and he was
taken back to the guard house again and
hand-cuffed. At this time there were two
deserters confined with him. On the next
or second day after this, we were ordered
on to York, Pa., where, upon our arrival,
we encamped upon the common below the
town. Our three prisoners were confined in
York jail. In a few days after we arrived at
York, a soldier by the name of Jack Smith,
and another soldier wdiose name I do not
now remember, were engaged in playing
long bullets. While thus engaged some of
the officers were walking along the road,
where they were throwing the bullets. The
bullets passing near the officers, they used
very harsh language to Smith and his com-
rade, who immediately retorted by using
the same kind of indecorous language. A
file of men was immediately despatched
with orders to take Smith and his comrade
under guard and march them off to York
jail.
"In three or fovu- days after these
arrests were made, a sergeant of the
name of Lilly was offensive. He was
a very fine fellow and an excellent
scholar, so much so, that much of the
regimental writing fell to his lot to do,
and for which he received a remuneration in
some way. This sergeant having become
intoxicated, had quarreled with one or more
of his messmates, and upon some of the
officers coming around to inquire what the
matter was, found him out of his tent. The
officers scolded him and bade him to go into
his quarters. Lilly having been much in
favor and knowing his abilities and the ser-
vices rendered, was (although intoxicated)
ver}^ much wounded and could not bear to
be thus harshly dealt with and used lan-
guage of an unbecoming kind to his superior
officers. The officers immediately ordered
him to be taken to York jail.
"On the next day in the morning we beat
up the troop. After roll call, we were
ordered to beat up the troop again. The
whole line was again formed, and I think
the orders were, for every soldier to appear
in line, with his knapsack on his back. I
suppose that at this time there were parts
of three regiments, in all 800 or 1,000 men
lying at York, the whole of which was com-
manded by Colonel Anthony Wayne. The
whole body, sentinels, invalids, etc., ex-
cepted, when formed were marched to the
distance of about half a mile from the camp.
Twenty men were then ordered out of the
line and formed into marching order and all
the musicians placed at their head.- After
remaining a short time in a marching pos-
ture, the order of forward was given. We
were then marched direct to the jail door.
The prisoners, six in number, were then
brought out and their sentence, which was
death, was read to them.
"At this time it was thought that none in
the line save the officers knew for what the
provost guard was detached, but it appeared
afterwards that previous to the firing which
was the means of launching four out of the
six into eternity, the matter of rescuing
them was wdiispered among the soldiers, ■
but they did not concert measures in time,
to prevent the awful catastrophe which they
meditated, by an act of insubordination
upon their part.
"After the sentence of death was read to
the condemned soldiers at the jail door, we
then marched them out and down below
town, playing the 'dead march' in front of
them. AVe continued our march full half a
mile and halted on a piece of ground (the
Common) adjoining a field of rye which was
then in blossom. This was sometime in
the earlv part of May, 1781. After a halt
was made, the prisoners were ordered to
kneel down with their backs to the rye field
fence. Their eyes were then bandaged or
covered over with silk handkerchiefs. The
officer in command then divided his force of
twenty men into two platoons. The whole
was then ordered to load their pieces. This
done, ten were ordered to advance, and at
the signal given by the officer, which was
the wave of his pocket . handkerchief, the
first platoon of ten fired at one of the six.
Macaroni Jack was the first shot and in-
stantly killed. The first platoon was then
ordered to retire and reload, and the second
platoon of ten ordered to advance. AA'hen
THE REVOLUTION
219
the signal was again given. Smith shared
the same fate, but with an awfuhiess that
would have made even devils to have shrunk
back and stood appalled. His head was
literally blown in fragments from ofi his
body. The second platoon was then ordered
to retire and reload, whilst the first was
ordered to advance and at the same signal
fired at the third man. The second platoon
then advanced and fired to order, at Ser-
geant Lilh', whose brave and noble soul was
instantly on the wing to the presence of the
Supreme Judge, who has pledged himself
that he will do that w-hich is right. The
arms of each had been tied above their
elbows with the cords passing behind their
backs. Being thus tied, enabled them to
have the use of their hands. I ven.tured
near and noticed that ]Macaroni Jack had
his hands clasped together in front of his
breast and had both of his thumbs shot off.
The distance that the platoons stood from
them at the time they fired could not have
been more than ten feet. So near did they
stand that the handkerchiefs covering the
eyes of some of them that w'ere .shot were
set on fire. The fence and even the heads
of rye for some distance within the field
were covered with blood and brains. After
four were shot, we musicians with a portion
of the twenty men were ordered to march
and were then conducted up to the main line
of the army. After our arrival there, the
whole line was thrown into marching order
and led to , the scene of bloody death.
^\'hen the troops advanced near to the spot
they deployed off into double file and were
then marched very near to the dead bodies,
as also to those still on their knees waiting
the awful death that they had every reason
to believe still awaited them. The order
was for every man to look upon the bodies
as he passed, and in order that the soldiers
in line might behold them more distinctly in
passing they were ordered to countermarch
after they had passed and then marched as
close to them upon their return.
"The two deserters that w^ere still in a
kneeling posture were reprieved, the band-
ages taken from their eyes, then untied, and
restored to their respective companies."
COLONEL RICHARD BUTLER, of
Wayne's brigade, w^as born in York County,
April I, 1743: He was the son of Thomas
and Eleanor Butler, who came from Ireland
to America, and settled "near the Conewago
on the west side of the Susquehanna," in
the original area of York County. He was
educated in the classical school taught by
Rev. Mr. Allison in Chester County, and
then studied law. In 1764, he served in
Bouquet's expedition against the Indians
of western Pennsylvania. At the opening
of the Revolution, he was chosen major of
the Eighth Pennsylvania Regiment, and
soon after, lieutenant-colonel of Morgan's
rifles. He was present with the northern
army under Gates at the surrender of Bur-
goyne at Saratoga in October, 1777, and at
the battle of Monmouth in 1778. He soon
after became colonel of the Ninth Pennsyl-
vania Regiment, which he commanded at
the battle of Stony Point. He came to York
in the spring of 17S1, and commanded a
regiment of the Pennsylvania Line. In May
of that year, he marched with A^"ayne's
brigade to Yorktown, Virginia, joining
Lafayette's command at Fredericksburg.
While W'ith Lafayette's division near Wil-
liamsburg, Virginia, he attacked Colonel
Simcoe's rangers, gaining the advantage.
After the war, he settled in Carlisle, and in
1788 was member of the State Legislature,
from Cumberland County. In 1787, he was
agent for the Indian affairs in Ohio, and in
the expedition of St. Clair's campaign
against the Indians, in 1791, commanded
the right wing, with the rank of major-
general. When attacked early in the morn-
ing of November 4, he repeatedly charged
the enemy, received several severe wounds
and was finally killed. Butler County, in
western Pennsylvania, was named in his
honor.
Colonel AA'illiam Butler, his brother, was
lieutenant-colonel of the Fourth Pennsyl-
vania Regiment in the Revolutionary army.
In October, 1778, after the destruction of
AA'yoming by John Butler and the Indians,
he conducted an expedition from Schoharie,
w'hich destroyed the Indian settlements of
Unadilla and Anaguaga.
Thomas, another brother, was born in
Pennsylvania, in 1754. In 1776, while
studying law with Judge AVilson, of Phila-
delphia, he joined the army, soon obtained
a company, and w'as in almost everv' action
in the middle states during the Revolution.
At Brandywine, September 11, 1777, he re-
ceived the thanks of Washington on the
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
field for intrepidity in rallying a retreating
detachment. At Alonmouth he was thanked
by AVayne for defending a defile in the face
of a heavy fire, while Colonel Richard But-
ler's regiment withdrew. After the war he
retired to a farm, but in 1791, was made
major, and commanded a battalion from
Carlisle in Gibson's regiment, under St.
Clair, at whose defeat, November 4, he was
twice wounded. He became major of the
fourth sub-legion on April 11, 1792, lieu-
tenant-colonel commanding the Fourth In-
fantry on July I, 1792, and on the reorgan-
ization of the army on a peace basis, in June.
1802, was retained as colonel of the Second
Infantry, to which he was appointed on
.April I, 1802. In 1797 he was ordered by
President AA'ashington to expel settlers
from Indian lands in Tennessee, and made
several treaties with the Indians while in
that countr}^ He died in New Orleans,
Louisiana, September 7, 1805.
CAPTAIN THOMAS CAMPBELL, the
son of John Campbell, was born about 1750
in Chanceford Township, York County.
His father took up a tract of land at an
early da)', situated on the "Great Road lead-
ing from York to Nelson's Ferry." He was
of Scotch-Irish descent, and recei\-ed the
education accorded that sturdy race. He
was a farmer by occupation. AVhen the
Revolutionary struggle began, he enlisted
as a private in Captain Michael Doudel's
company, attached to Colonel AVilliam
Thompson's Battalion of Riflemen, in July,
1775. He served through the New England
campaign, and was commissioned first lieu-
tenant in the Fourth Regiment of the Penn-
sylvania Line, January 3, 1777. He was
severely wounded at Germantown, was pro-
moted captain January i, 1781, and retired
from the service January i, 1783. He was
one of the original members of the Pennsyl-
vania Society of the Cincinnati. Captain
Campbell was chosen a delegate to the
State Convention to ratify the Federal Con-
stitution in 1787; served as a member of the
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from 1797 to 1800, and of the Senate from
the York and Adams district from 1805 to
1808. He died at his residence in Mona-
ghan Township, York County, January 19,
1815.
The First Regiment of the Pennsylvania
Line marched with AA'ayne from York to
the surrender of Cornwallis. This regiment
then contained about twenty of ' the one
hundred men that had marched from York
to Boston and joined AA'ashington at Cam-
bridge in July, 1775. The muster roll of
this company will be found among the suc-
ceeding pages.
PULASKI'S LEGION AT YORK.
Pulaski's Legion, a body of mounted
lancers and infantry, was quartered in York
in March and April, 1779, coming here after
leaving the winter encampment in New
Jersey. These troops were commanded by
Count Cassimer Pulaski, a Polish soldier,
who led the insurgents during an insurrec-
tion in Poland. He had ten j^ears' experi-
ence as an otficer in his native country
before he went to Paris, where, in the spring
of 1777, he met Benjamin Franklin. Soon
afterward he sailed for Philadelphia and be-
came an aide on the staff of General Wash-
ington, with the rank of colonel. The first
action in which he took part was at Brandy-
wine. AATien the Continental troops began
to yield, he made a reconnoissance with the
general's body guard and reported that the
enemy was endeavoring to cut off the line of
retreat. He was authorized to collect as
many of the scattered troops as came in his
way and employ them according to his dis-
cretion, which he did in a manner so
prompt as to effect important aid in the
retreat of the army. Four days later, on re-
commendation of Washington, he was com-
missioned a brigadier-general and placed in
charge of the cavalry. He took part in the
battle of Germantown and engaged in the
operations under General AA^ayne, during
the winter of 1777-8. The cavalry officers
could not be reconciled to the orders of a
foreigner who could scarcely speak English,
and whose ideas of discipline and tactics
differed widely from those to which they
had been accustomed, and these circum-
stances induced Pulaski to resign his com-
mand in March, 1778, and return to Valley
Forge, where he was assigned to special
duty. At his suggestion, which was
adopted by AA^ashington, Congress, March
28, 1778, authorized the formation of a
corps, composed of sixty-eight light horse
and two hundred foot soldiers. This Legion
was recruited in Pennsylvania and Mar}'-
land, and soon after took part in several
THE REVOLUTION
actions in New Jersey. In the engagement
with the enemy at Little Egg" Harbor,
Pulaski was surprised by the British and in
a bayonet encounter, lost in killed and
wounded fort}- of his Legion.
In Februar}', 1779, Count Pulaski
Ordered was ordered to South Carolina to
South. join the army under General Lin-
coln. He rendezvoused his
Legion at York, encamping on the Public
Common. Count Pulaski, while here, occu-
pied quarters on the west side of North
George Street near Centre Square, and re-
cruited about twenty men from this county.
During part of the time that his Legion was
encamped at York, the Count was absent.
His subordinate officers did not enforce
rigid discipline, and some of the troops
scoured the country round about, foraging
for food and provisions. This brought forth
a bitter complaint on the part of the citi-
zens of York and the surrounding country.
Colonel James Smith, then a delegate in
Congress from York, wrote a letter to the
President of Pennsylvania in which he
described the misconduct of Pulaski's men.
He stated that "they forage indiscriminatel}^
and take whatever they want from the poor
terrified inhabitants, many of whom,
strongl}^ impressed by the terrors of mili-
tary violence in Europe, submit to the spoil-
ing of their goods and insult to their person
without complaining, while others resent it
in open clamor and complaint and will soon
probably redress themselves."
President Reed drew the attention of the
Board of War to the disturbances at Y^ork
and that body addressed Count Pulaski a
letter, which in part reads :
"We have the honor to enclose you a
copy of our letter and an extract of another,
relative to the conduct of your corps in your
absence. We hoped that all such grounds
of complaint had long since ceased. But as
those mentioned correspond with former re-
ports we cannot avoid giving some credit
to them. The complaints are of such a
nature as to demand a strict enquiry, at the
same time they should lead you and your
officers to maintain a stricter discipline in
the corps. We do not mean, however, to
delay the Legion on these accounts. Its
services are wanted at the southward,
whither we desire it may be marched with
all possible dispatch."
During" the month of April,
Killed at Pulaski began the march to
Savannah. South Carolina, arriving at
Charleston in May. He was in
active service in command of his troops
until October, 1779, when he was mortally
wounded during the siege of Savannah. He
was taken to the brig, \\'asp, where he died
as the vessel was leaving the harbor. His
remains were buried at sea. Among the sol-
diers from York County, who served under
Pulaski, were Frederick Boyer, 1778-1783,
resided in Y'ork County, 1835, aged eighty-
seven years ; Martin Miller, resided in York
County, 1835, aged seventy-one; Edward
Smith, died June 26, 1832, in York County,
aged seventy-six years.
The banner which belonged to Pulaski's
Legion is now in the possession of the
Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore. It
was in that city that he recruited his inde-
pendent command to the number of 300
men, and on July 29, 1778, he gave a public
review of his Legion to the citizens and
military authorities of Baltimore.
A'Vhile recruiting his Legion, Pulaski
went to the Moravian settlement at Bethle-
hem. Upon visiting the Sisters' house he
saw their beautiful embroidery and ordered
them to prepare a small cavalry banner for
his Legion. It was made of crimson silk.
Supposing that it had been presented to the
Legion by the Moravian Sisters, the noted
poet, Henry AV. Longfellow, made the
incident the subject of a poem, and at-
tempted to make it more eftective by the
introduction of cowls, altars and censers.
ARMAND'S LEGION AT YORK.
Armand's Legion was quartered at York
from December 25, 1782, to November,
1783. It was commanded by a noted
French soldier, who had served ten years
in the Guarde du Corps of Paris. He came
to America, volunteered in the cause of the
Revolution, Ma}'" 10, 1777, when he was
commissioned by Congress a colonel under
the name of Charles Armand, concealing his
rank of Marquis de la Rouerie. Congress
authorized him to raise a corps of French
soldiers in number not exceeding two hun-
dred. About one-half of his command, how-
ever, were Americans. Colonel Armand
was a spirited officer and did good service
throughout the war. He participated in the
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENXSYLVANIA
engagement at Red Bank, was with Lafay-
ette in New Jersey, and active in West
Chester County, New York, opposing the
forces of Emmerick and Barremore, the lat-
ter of whom he captured near Kings Bridge,
November 8, 1779. In February of the fol-
lowing year his command was incorporated
with Pulaski'-s Legion and both participated
in the southern campaign under Gates,
whom he severely criticized for his in-
efficiency at the battle of Camden. In 1781
he went to France to procure clothing and
accoutrements for his Legion, returning in
time to take part in the battle of Yorktown
and surrender of Cornwallis, in October,
1781.
In March, 1783, while he was with his
command at York, Congress commissioned
him a brigadier-general in obedience to a
request of AVashington. General Armand
was urbane and polished in manner, an elo-
quent and persuasive speaker, a gallant
leader and a man greatly beloved by his
men and his superior officers.
After the surrender of Lord Corn-
Came walks at Yorktown, Armand's
to Legion, composed of about 200
York. Dragoons, accompanied AVashing-
ton's army to the vicinity of New
York. ■ In February, 1782, Armand was
ordered to report to General Greene in the
Southern Department, and in December of
the same year, he came from Virginia to
York. AA'hile here, he met Colonel Thomas
Hartley, with whom part of his Legion had
served in the expedition against the hostile
Indians in northern Pennsylvania and
southern New York. Colonel Armand re-
mained with his Legion for a period of
eleven months. Before his departure, in
November, 1783, James Smith, Colonel
Thomas Hartley, Archibald McClean and
others, presented him with the following ad-
dress;
"Hearing that your Legion is about to be
disbanded, and that you will soon return to
your native country, we, the inhabitants of
York, in Pennsylvania, express to you the
high sense we entertain of the strict discip-
line, good conduct, and deportment of the
officers and soldiers of your corps, whilst
stationed amongst us for ten months past.
"AA"e return to you our hearty thanks, as
well for the service rendered to America in
the field, as for the attention you have paid
to the property and civil rights of the peo-
ple. Be pleased to communicate our senti-
ments to Major Shaffner, and all your
worthy officers, and assure them we shall
ever hold them in the greatest esteem.
"AA'e pray that you may have an agree-
able passage across the ocean, and that you-
may receive a just reward for your illus-
trious actions, performed in support of lib-
erty and the honor of the allied arms."
To these encouraging words Colonel Ar-
mand replied :
"I received your polite address of the
iSth, and from its impression on my feel-
ings, and of the officers and soldiers of the
Legion, I am truly happy in giving you our
united and most hearty thanks. If the
Legion has observed that good conduct,
which merits the applause you give it, I
conceive that in so doing, the)' have only
discharged their duty, and obeyed punctu-
ally the orders and intentions of His Excel-
lency, General AA'ashington, whose exem-
plary virtues, talents and honor, must have
raised ambition to some merit in those, who,
like the corps I had the honor to command,
placed all their confidence in him.
"Permit me to say, gentlemen, that sol-
diers cannot be guilty of misconduct, where
the inhabitants are kind to them, also are
attached to the cause of their country, and
so respectable as those of York. I think it
my duty to thank you for the good behavior
of the Legion whilst amongst you. for it
was encouraged and supported by your
conduct towards them.
"I shall only add, that although the
greater part of us will shortly return home,
the conclusion of the war rendering our
longer stay unnecessary, we shall be happy
again to join the army of America, if in
future our services should be deemed of
importance."
There were a number of soldiers in York
County who had served in Armand's Legion
during the Revolution. Among these were :
John Gottlieb Morris, surgeon, promoted
from surgeon's mate, died in York in 1808;
Leonard Bamagartel, resided in York
County in 1835; John Glehmer, resided at
York in 1828: Conrad Pudding, died in
York County in 1828, aged seventy-four;
Philip Shaffer, resided in York County in
1828: Lewis Shelly, died in York County in
1825; Conrad Stengle, died at York before
T?IE REVOLUTION
223
1826; Owen Cooley, York, ^Nlarch 25, ij'/j:
John Enrich, York, March 9, 1777; Adam
Branclhefer, York, February 26, 1777; John
Michael Koch, Jannary 25, 1777, died in
York County in 1849.
During the time that Armand's Legion
was in York his men were quartered in log
houses at the northwest corner of Duke and
Philadelphia Streets. One row extended
westward on Philadelphia and another
north on Duke Street. These properties
were then owned bv Mr. James Beck.
JOHN GOTTLIEB MORRIS, of Ar-
mand's Legion, who settled as a physician
in York after the Revolution, was born in
Prussia in the village of Redekin, near
IMagdeburg, in 1754. He received a liberal
education and also studied medicine and
surgery in one of the higher institutions of
Germany. During the latter part of 1776,
Dr. Alorris came to America, landing at
Philadelphia, where, after a careful exam-
ination, he was granted a certificate to serve
as a sm"geon in the Continental army. This
certificate was signed by William Shippen,
^\'illiam Brown and other noted surgeons
of that day. He was then a young man of
twenty-two, and is said to have possessed
rare accomplishments. \Mien Armand's
Legion was organized, in 1777. Dr. Morris
was appointed assistant surgeon to this
command. He accompanied Colonel Ar-
mand in both his northern and southern
campaigns. After the battle of Camden,
South Carolina, jMorris was made chief
surgeon of the Legion, which, in October,
1 78 1, was present and took part in the bat-
tle of Yorktown, Virginia, and witnessed
the surrender of Cornwallis and his entire
army.
At the close of the war. Surgeon Morris
settled in York as a physician and druggist.
In June, 1784, he married Barbara Myers,
of York. Dr. Morris was one of the early
members of the Society of Cincinnati, com-
posed of commissioned officers of the Revo-
lution. Charles A. Morris, his eldest son,
was a druggist at York for more than half
a century. He married Cassandra, the sis-
ter of Philip and Samuel Small. At his
death, he gave most of his estate to charity
and benevolence. Rev. John G. ]\Iorris, the
second son, was a noted Lutheran clerg}--
man, lecturer and entomologist, and served
as president of the ^Maryland Historical
Society. He was married to Eliza, sister of
Dr. Jacob Hay, Sr. He died at Baltimore in
1895, at the advanced age of 92 years.
George Morris, the third son, was one of the
early coal merchants of York, and died
unmarried many years earlier than his
brothers.
QUARTERMASTERS' POSTS IN
YORK COUNTY.
During the year 1778-9, when the Indians
and Tories were giving trouble along the
northern and western frontiers, posts were
established by authority of Congress at
Carlisle, York, Hanover, and Marsh Creek,
near the site of Gettysburg. Colonel John
Davis had been appointed deputy quarter-
master-general of the region west of the
Susquehanna, with headquarters at Carlisle,
which was the distributing point of army
supplies for the frontier. Colonel David
Grier, who had been seriously wounded at
the battle of Paoli, while in command of the
Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, was made
quartermaster at York ; Captain Alexander
McDowell, at Hanover, and Colonel Robert
McPherson, at Marsh Creek. There is no
complete statement of the different pur-
chases made at these posts during the years
named. Some of the original papers have
been procured, from which interesting
facts have been taken.
On May 14, 1778, Captain AA'illiam Nich-
ols, assistant quartermaster at York, wrote
to Colonel John Davis, that he had sent to
Carlisle two small teams and would send
another in two days. Captain Nichols
states that he had already received $45,000
for the department at York. On June 2,
1778, Colonel Grier reported the following
employes at his office at York : John Mc-
Pherson, clerk, whose salary was $60 per
month; Robert McPherson, jr., clerk, $60;
Henry Zinn, measurer of forage. $80; James
Shaw and Patrick iNlay, weighers of hay and
attendants at the public stables of the gov-
ernment, $80 each ; John Uley, express
rider, $90 and expenses ; and Francis Jones,
brigade wagonmaster, whose salary is not
given. On August 25, 1778, Colonel David
Grier received $12,000 from Colonel Davis
for use of the post at York. On September
12, 1778, John Pollock, of York, received
1,000 shingles, a quantity of nails and S20
224
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
spikes for use in repairing the government
stables at York.
Charles Lukens wrote to Colonel Davis
from AVashingtonburg to send a team to
York for oil and other articles. Captain
Alexander McDowell, in charge of the post
at Hanover, wrote, on April 30, 1779, to
Colonel Davis that pack horses were
difficult to procure around Hanover, but
that he had purchased nine. Captain Mc-
Dowell also states in his letter that "the
horses that were brought for the army
camps to winter at Hanover were looking"
well and fit for service. Forage is very
scarce. Oats and spelts can hardly be
bought at any price, owing to a frost during
the summer. Rye is scarce and sold at the
rate of five pounds per bushel. Oats or
spelts are worth at least $6 per bushel in
Continental money." He also asked Colo-
nel Davis to send him $10,000 from Carlisle
if Davis had "plenty of money on hand."
On May i, 1779, McDowell wrote that
he could procure only one team to go to
Fort Pitt, as "all the farmers are busy with
their summer crops, as the frost had caused
the destruction of the previous crops." On
May 17, Colonel Davis sent six teams to
Colonel McPherson to carry eighty-five bar-
rels of beef and pork to Fort Pitt. On May
28, Colonel Davis ordered Colonel Grier to
send from York to the American camp all
the horses, also the portmanteaus and pack
saddles. Colonel Grier was also to send
wagons to Carlisle to convey military stores
from that post to Pittsburg. On the same
day. Colonel Grier received $12,000 for use
at his post.
On June 4, 1779, Charles Lukens wrote
from Washingtonburg to Colonel Davis to
procure a team of four horses and a wagon,
and send it to Spring Forge, in York
County, to purchase "bar iron for the use
of the United States." This bar iron was
to be hauled to Philadelphia. On July 26,
he ordered Colonel Davis to send another
team to Spring Forge to procure bar iron
for the government. On August 7, Captain
McDowell asked the quartermasters' de-
partment at Carlisle to send him $10,000
for use at the post at Hanover. Some time
before, McDowell had sent to Carlisle for
the army, 216 tar pots for wagons, 104
army canteens, 109 pounds of lashing rope.
August 12, Captain McDowell received a
communication from the Board of Treasury
of the United States, asking him to forward
all \ouchers he received for furnishing
forage and wood for the use of Burgoyne's
army, then numbering about 4,000 men,
who were marched through Hanover and
camped there for the night, on their way to
Charlottesville, Virginia, as prisoners of
war, during the latter part of December,
1778.
Colonel Grier's report to the government
for the month of August, 1779, showed that
he had expended during that month, the
sum of 2,634 pounds in Continental mone}' :
to Francis Jones, wagonmaster of a brigade,
1,237 pounds; to George Messencope,
wagonmaster, 209 pounds ; George Moul,
for smith work, 215 pounds; John McAllis-
ter, for supplies, 151 pounds; Thomas
White, wagonmaster, iii pounds; and to
Jacob Probst, for ropes. 75 pounds. The
balance was paid in small amounts to differ-
ent persons for various purposes.
The official report for the month of Au-
gust, shows that Captain McDowell ex-
pended at his post at Hanover, the sum of
1,171 pounds, which he estimated an equiva-
lent of $3,124, showing that Continental
money then was worth about thirty cents
on the dollar in specie. Among the items
were the following: Colonel Richard McAl-
lister, for seven quires of paper, 15 pounds
or $42; John Hinkel, for smith work, 100
pounds; William Kitt (Gitt), for riding
express and expenses, 11 pounds; George
Boyer, for 296 pounds of beef, 75 pounds.
September 5, 1779, John McPherson,
clerk of the post at York, reported that he
had sent to the quartermasters' department
at Carlisle, fifty-one pounds of lashing rope,
for which he paid fifteen shillings a pound,
and 100 halter ropes, which cost seven shil-
lings and six pence each. He thought these
prices were high for the articles named, but
stated that more ropes and halters could be
obtained at York if needed, at these prices.
Quartermaster Grier, at York, November
I, reported the following stores on hand: 3
wagons, 9 reams of writing paper, 50 blank
books, 250 yards of linen, 50 bags, 159 can-
teens, 2 saddles, and 4 horses. In a letter
to the quartermaster-general at Carlisle,
Colonel Grier wrote that he needed for
use at his post in York, a good supply of
money for necessary expenditures. He fur-
THE REVOLUTION
225
ther stated that he would be required to
purchase a large amount of forage to keep
some cattle during the winter belonging to
the government.
Charles McClure, from the post at Car-
lisle, ordered two wagons to go to Ken-
nedy's mill, in York County, now near the
site of Gettysburg, for the purpose of con-
veying flour to Carlisle, and corn to Major
Smith's mill. In November, 1779, Colonel
Grier expended at his post in York, the sum
of 517 pounds.
April 7, 1780, four wagons were sent from
the post at Carlisle to procure, for the de-
partment, thirty-one barrels of flour at
Deardortt's mill, in York County, doubtless
a mill with that name near York Springs.
^lay 24. Colonel Henry JNIiller, then serving
as sheriff of York County, w-rote to the
quartermaster at Carlisle that the arrival
of twelve merchant vessels at Baltimore
caused a decline in the prices of all merchan-
dise in this region. In this letter he stated
that much depended upon the results in the
south, to which region the British army had
then gone, the seat of w'ar having been
transferred to South Carolina and Georgia.
The troubles with the Indians along the
frontier had been brought to an end. In the
summer of 1782, the post at York was dis-
continued. Besides the quartermaster-
general, Colonel David Grier, and his assist-
ant, John iMcPherson, the department at
York had in its employ two clerks, two men
in charge of the stables, and four persons
in the forage department.
John McAllister, acting commissary of
issues at York, in June, 1779, was charged
with malpractice and peculation in office
for having misused provisions belonging to
the government. He was accused by Jacob
Eichelberger and Major David Jameson, of
York, with having fed hogs with flour and
good biscuit "at a time when soldiers that
were on the march to the army w-ere in the
greatest need of flour for rations." McAl-
lister admitted part of the accusation and
acknowdedged that he had mixed water with
whiskey, a part of the government stores
in his possession.
Owing to these accusations, the question
arose as to continuing the commissary de-
partment at York, whereupon Jameson and
Eichelberger asserted that York "was a
great thoroughfare for troops, particularly
militia in marching from the southward to
the main army." They urged that another
commissary be appointed instead of ]McAl-
lister, for "it was thought proper when
Congress was here during the winter of
1777-78 to have a commissary of purchases,
another of issues, a quartermaster, town
major and a physician, which officers have
since been continued."
jNlcAllister appeared in his defence before
the Supreme Executive Council at Phila-
delphia, w'hen only part of the accusations
were proven. He remained in office a short
time and was then removed.
Robert Erwin, wdio. in 1780, had been
sent by \A'illiam Buchanan, commissary-
general of purchases, to take charge of the
post at Hanover, succeeded in the purchase
of a large amount of supplies in that region.
In April, 1780, he had on hand 4,500 pounds
of bacon, 4,500 pounds of pork, 10,000
pounds of flour, and 400 gallons of whiskey
and an amount of forage which he had pur-
chased for the government.
CHAPTER XVI
REVOLUTION— Continued.
British and Hessian Prisoners — The Re-
turn of the Prisoners — Camp Security —
Sergeant Lamb's Story — Baron Riedesel
— A Heroine of the Revolution — Dr.
John Connolly.
During the Revolution the British and
Hessian prisoners were sent to the interior
of the country, a long distance from the
scene of war. This was done by order of
Congress so that there might be no danger
that these prisoners would be set free by
raids from the British army. Lancaster,
York, Reading, Lebanon. Carlisle, Penn-
sylvania; Frederick. Maryland; AVinchester
and Charlottesville, \^irginia, were places
where large detachments of British and
Hessian prisoners were kept for several
months and some of them for two or three
years. Barracks w-ere erected in all of these
towns. They w-ere used as places of con-
finement and were carefully guarded by the
local militia. Officers were frequently quar-
tered in the county jails and other public
and private buildings. The York County
jail, then situated at the northeast corner of
George and King Streets, contained British
226
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
prisoners, generally officers, a large part of
the time from 1776 to 1780. Temporary
barracks were erected on the public com-
mon and private soldiers were confined
therein, during the early part of the war.
The place of imprisonment best known to
history in York County was situated in the
northwest corner of AVindsor Township,
near the village of Longstown. At this
place a large number of prisoners, part of
Burgoyne's arm)^ and other soldiers cap-
tured in the south, were imprisoned for
nearly two years, during the latter part of
the Revolution. In 1781, a contagious
fever broke out in camp, of which a large
number of prisoners died.
The first prisoners brought to York ar-
rived in March and April, 1776. During the
summer of 1775, General Montgomery, by
authority of Congress, led an expedition for
the capture of Canada. It was an ill-fated
campaign for this gallant soldier of the
Revolution lost his life in an engagement
with the enemy in front of Quebec.
In the engagement at St. Johns and
Chambley, in the vicinity of Quebec, about
400 British soldiers were captured. They
belonged to the Seventh Royal Fusileers
and the Twenty-Sixth Regulars, both
famous commands which had taken part in
seA'eral engagements in Europe. When
Congress heard of these captured of^cers
and men, it ordered that they be sent to
Lancaster. The detachment from the
Se\-enth Fusileers reached Lancaster, De-
cember 9, 1775, and the prisoners of the
Twenty-Sixth Regiment some time later.
Barracks had already been erected in that
town and the prisoners placed therein.
Some of the officers were quartered in
private houses under guard. Strange as it
may seem, the wives and children of most
of the officers and some of the men, accom-
panied the army to Canada and were also
captured and brought to Lancaster. There
were 66 women and 125 children with the
prisoners, during the early part of 1776.
Early in March, 1776, Congress ordered
that one-half the prisoners from the
Seventh Regiment be removed to York and
the rest to Carlisle.
Among the officers taken to
Andre Carlisle was the unfortunate
at Major Andre, then a lieutenant,
Carlisle. who had been captured in
Canada. After his release he returned
to the British army and was recap-
tured near Tarrytown during his alliance
with the traitor, Benedict Arnold. He was
then executed as a spy, Andre was im-
prisoned for a considerable time at both
Lancaster and Carlisle. In March, 1776,
when the officers and men of the Seventh
Regiment were ordered to York, there
were a few cases of smallpox here. When
they heard this news, the officers objected
to coming, but some of them were finally
brought to York. When it was discovered
that smallpox did not prevail to an alarming
extent. Congress ordered that one-half the
British officers belonging to the Twenty-
Sixth Regiment should be removed to York
and the rest to Carlisle.
Because the conduct of these
First officers at Lancaster had been
Prisoners reprehensible, they were re-
in York. quired to cross the Susque-
hanna and they remained in
York as prisoners of war for six or eight
months, till they were exchanged. A com-
plete list of these officers cannot be given.
Among the names revealed are the follow-
ing: Captains John Strong, James Living-
stone, and Andrew Gordon ; Lieutenants
Laurence Dulhanty, Edward Thompson,
Don McDonall and Edward P. AA'ellington ;
Ensigns Robert Thomas and James Gor-
don ; Captains Daniel Robertson, of the
Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment, and
Robert Chase, of the navy.
In July, 1776, a petition signed b}' nearly
all the above-named officers was sent to
John Hancock, then President of Congress
at Philadelphia. In this petition they com-
plained of ill-treatment and dissatisfaction
because they had been separated from their
men, who were left at Lancaster. They
further stated that they had signed a parole
which gave them privileges usually ac-
corded to all officers who were prisoners of
war. It seems, however, that they were
confined to their rooms at night and this
was the main cause of their complaint.
Their servants were also taken from them
by order of Congress. They asserted that
the local Committee of Safety was preju-
diced against them. They requested that
they be treated as gentlemen and given the
freedom usually accorded to prisoners who
had signed a parole. They were quartered
THE REVOLUTION
227
in taverns and private houses and if the re-
strictions as to their movements be con-
tinued, they preferred to be imprisoned in
the county jail. The real cause, however,
that the}' were not allowed to move about
the town during the night was that some
British prisoners at Lebanon had escaped
in the darkness of the night. The commit-
tee at York determined to keep a close
watch over these officers so that no oppor-
tunities were afforded them to escape, and
their requirements were enforced until the
officers were exchanged.
BRITISH AND HESSIAN PRISONERS.
The surrender of Burgoyne to Gates at
Saratoga, October 18, 1777, placed in the
hands of Congress, then in session at York,
the disposition of nearly 6,000 prisoners of
war. Sir John Burgoyne, the famous
British general, with a well-equipped army,
had passed up Lake Champlain from
Canada and down the Hudson, intending to
join Sir Henr}' Clinton at New York City.
After two unsuccessful attacks upon the
American army, under General Gates, he
fell back to Saratoga, where he surrendered
his entire army, including his two major-
generals, \Mlliam Phillips and Baron Rie-
desel. The former had commanded the
British troops comprising the right of Bur-
goyne's army, and the latter the German
troops on the left. An official report states
that 5,800 troops surrendered at Saratoga,
of whom about 2,400 were Germans and the
balance British. According to the terms of
the surrender, known in English history as
the "Convention of Saratoga," the British
and Hessian prisoners were to be marched
to Boston and from that port sent to Eng-
land. The British forces were placed under
command of Phillips and the Germans
under Riedesel, while the entire army on
this march was guarded by two brigades of
American troops. If any of these prisoners
desired to take the oath of allegiance to the
American government, they were permitted
to desert. About 100 Germans and nearly
the same number of British took advantage
of this opportunity before they reached
Boston. As the prisoners expected soon to
be released, strict discipline was enforced
and the best of decorum displayed while on
this march.
\\'hen these prisoners of war reached
Boston, the Hessian troops were quartered
on Winter Hill, near Cambridge, in bar-
racks, which had been erected by the
.\merican troops during the siege of Bos-
ton. The British troops were given rude
quarters on Prospect Hill, just outside of
Cambridge. The officers, who had signed
a strict parole, were treated little better
than the private soldiers. They were per-
mitted to find quarters in the small towns
and villages nearby. The captured army
was supplied with provisions and fuel that
were paid for by General Heath, the Ameri-
can commander at Boston, with Continental
money, and Congress insisted that Bur-
goyne should make his repayment dollar for
dollar in British gold, worth three times as
much. By the terms of the surrender, Bur-
goyne's troops were to receive pay from the
English government and be supplied with
provisions paid for by authority of Bur-
gojme himself. The Continental money at
this time being worth only thirty cents on
the dollar, a controversy arose about the
decision of Congress requiring Burgoyne to
pay this obligation in gold coin. Even Gen-
eral Heath, in a letter to Washington,
stated, "What an opinion must General
Burgoyne have of the authority of these
States to suppose that his money would
be received at any higher rate than our
own."
Congress, anxious to impose conditions
not likely to be fulfilled, demanded that
General Burgoyne should make out a de-
scriptive list of all the officers and soldiers
in his army, in order that if any of them
should thereafter be found serving against
the United States they might be punished
accordingly. As no such provision was con-
tained in the convention, upon the faith of
which Burgoyne had surrendered, he
naturally regarded the demand as insulting,
and at first refused to comply with it. He
afterwards yielded the point, in his eager-
ness to liberate his soldiers; but meanwhile,
in a letter to Gates at Albany, he had in-
cautiously said, "The public faith is
broken," and this remark, coming to the
ears of Congress, was immediately laid hold
of as a pretext for repudiating the conven-
tion altogether. It was argued that Bur-
go^-ne had charged the United States with
bad faith, in order to have an excuse for
repudiating the convention on his own part.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXNSYLVAXIA
On the 8th of January, Congress accord-
ingly resolved, "that the embarkation of
Lieutenant-General Burgoyne and the
troops under his command be suspended
until a distinct and explicit ratification of
the Convention of Saratoga shall be prop-
erly notified by the court of Great Britain
to Congress." As the British government
could not give the recjuired ratification
without implicitly recognizing the inde-
pendence of the United States, no further
steps were taken in the matter, the "public
faith" real!}- was broken and the captured
armjr was never sent home. By the end of
the year 1777, about 400 British prisoners
on Prospect Hill had deserted, but ac-
cording to records onlv 20 Germans es-
caped.
In March, 1778, General Bur-
Burgoyne goyne, on account of ill health.
Released, was permitted by Congress to
return to England. In order to
secure his release he was required to make
a deposit of $40,000 in gold or silver, and
this money was used for buying food and
supplies, to be procured in Rhode Island,
for the prisoners. After his capture and
release, he changed his sentiments toward
the United States. A^'hile still a prisoner on
parole he entered the British parliament
and became conspicuous among the de-
fenders of the American cause.
!\Ieanwhile, a fleet of vessels arrived at
Newport from England for the purpose of
transporting the troops to their native
country, but the fleet had to return without
them. Early in April a number of war
vessels appeared off the coast of Boston,
and as General Heath feared an attack from
the enem}', he had the British troops
removed from Prospect Hill, fifty-five miles
northwest to the village of Rutland, near
the present city of AA'orcester. On account
of the difficulty of obtaining provisions for
these prisoners, a long discussion arose in
Congress, still in session at York, as to
what disposition should be made of them.
AA'hile this discussion was in progress, the
barracks at York and Lancaster, in Penn-
sjdvania, were mentioned as suitable places
to cjuarter them. It was finally decided that
the British and Hessians should be removed
to Charlottesville, Virginia, where the
troops could be more readily supplied with
provisions than in ^Massachusetts.
About November i, General
Prisoners Heath gave orders that the
Sent British troops at Rutland under
South. command of General Phillips
should march in three divisions
to the south. The first division started No-
vember 10, and the others in two successive
days, under guard of Continental troops
and Massachusetts militia. Before the
British had left Rutland, they were paid in
coin recei\ed from Sir Henry Clinton at
New York.
The German troops at Cambridge,. under
an American guard, also began the march
in three divisions on November 10, in com-
mand of Baron Riedesel, it being arranged
that one division was always one day in
advance of the other. Before leaving Mas-
sachusetts, all the officers had to sign a
strict parole not to desert on the march.
As many of the British and Hessian officers
and some of the private soldiers had their
wives and children with them, when they
were captured at Saratoga, General Wash-
ington ordered that wagons be provided for
transporting the women and children to
Virginia. The Baroness Riedesel was ac-
companied by three little children, and her
diary describing this trip has been pub-
lished in the German and English lan-
guages.
The German troops had not received
money to support them on the march before
leaving Boston and no pay was sent them
from Sir Henry Clinton. In order to
remedy the difificulty. Baron Riedesel re-
turned to Boston, where he secured $70,000
in paper money on his own responsibility,
to aid in moving his troops.
The British troops passed through Mas-
sachusetts and Connecticut to Fishkill on
the Hudson. In a letter written December
10, at Sherwood's Ferry, on the banks of
the Delaware, Lieutenant Anbury wrote :
"General A\'ashington wa^ not without
apprehension that Sir Henry Clinton, then
at New York, would make eiTorts to retake
us, either by an expedition up the North
River, or our march through the Jerseys,
and therefore took every precaution to
frustrate any plan that might be concerted,
for upon the arrival of our army at Fishkill,
General Washington moved his army into
the middle of the Jerseys and detached a
considerable body of troops to escort us, so
THE REVOLU'riUX
229
\-ery apprehensixe was lie of a rescue, that
to each Ijrigade of ours they had a brigade
of armed men, who marclied the men in
close cohimns. As to the officers they paid
h'ttle attention, as we had signed a very
strict parole, previous to our leaving New
England. Now we have passed the Dela-
\\are. the Pennsylvania militia are to guard
us and the brigades that escorted us through
New York and the Jerseys return to Wash-
ington's army." When the British prison-
ers had reached Sussex in crossing the
state of New Jersey, Sir Henry Clinton sent
out a paymaster who paid off the troops in
British coin.
The three divisions of German troops
under Baron Riedesel also crossed the Hud-
son at Fishkill a few days after the British
had passed over. At this place, ^^'ashing-
ton paid them the compliment of his pres-
ence. He also gave them a strong guard
lest Clinton should carry out his threat of
releasing them by force.
Lieutenant Anbury made the
Arrive at following entry in his journal
Lancaster, after arriving at Lancaster:
"In our way hither, we crossed
the Schu}-lkill, over the bridge built by Gen-
eral Washington's army, when they were
encamped at Valley Forge. I imagine it
was the intention of the Americans that this
bridge should remain as a triumphal me-
mento, for in the centre of every arch is
engraved in the wood, the names of the
principal generals in their country and in
the midde arch was General \\'ashington's
with the date of the year the bridge was
erected. This bridge was built to preserve
a communication and to favor a retreat in
case they were compelled to quit their en-
campment. Our troops slept in the huts at
Valley Forge which had been constructed
by the Americans."
Lancaster at this time was the largest
inland town in America, containing a popu-
lation of nearly 4000. The inhabitants
were composed of German and Scotch-
Irish. ]\Iost of the houses had an elevation
before the door and they were entered by
ascending high steps from the street, re-
sembling a small balcony with benches on
both sides where the inhabitants sat and
took in the fresh air and viewed the people
passing. The town had considerable trade
with Philadelphia and New York. Among
its ]:)opulation were a large number of me-
chanics. There were three or four churches,
and the county court house in Centre
Square in which the Pennsylvania Legis-
lature had held its sessions when driven
out of Philadelphia the year before. Con-
gress had convened in this building one day
in September, 1777, and then adjourned to
York. The largest pipe organ in America,
which had been made at the town of Lititz,
was then in use in the First Lutheran
Church of Lancaster. Some of the officers
who went to see this wonderful piece of
inechanism sent descriptions of it to their
homes. The manufacturer had made every
part of the organ with his own hands. One
of the diaries states :
"The organ had not only e\ery pipe and
stop that is in most others, but it has many
pipes to swell the base which are of an
amazing circumference, and they are played
upon by the feet, there being a row of
wooden kevs tliat the performer treads on."
After bivouacking for the night around
the borough of Lancaster, the three
divisions of the British troops, com-
manded by General A\'illiam Phillips
and under a guard of se^"eral regi-
ments of Pennsylvania militia, and a
detachment of the Continental army, the
march was begun to the- Susquehanna river,
crossing at the present sites of Columbia
and AVrightsville. A regiment of the York
County militia joined the guard at AA'right's
Ferry, and Colonel Joseph JefYries. wagon
master for York County, furnished one hun-
dred wagons and teams with which he con-
\'eyed into Virginia the women and children
and the baggage belonging to both the Brit-
ish and German prisoners. ]\Iany of these
wagons were afterward pressed into service
by the state of Virginia. The advance
reached York on December 16. Lieutenant
Anbury made the following entry in refer-
ence to York :
"After we crossed the Susque-
Reach hanna. we arrived at York, which
York. was sometime the seat of Congress.
This is reckoned the second inland
town in America ; it is not nearly so large as
Lancaster, but much pleasanter, being sit-
uated on the Codorus creek, a pretty stream
which falls into the Susquehanna. This
town contains between two and three thou-
sand inhabitants, chiefly Germans, inter-
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PEXXSYLYAXIA
mixed with Scotch-Irish. Here was for-
merly more trade than in Lancaster, and
notwithstanding the troubles, it has still
more the appearance of it. As our division
came into the town at four oclock in the
afternoon, and marched the next morning, I
had but little time to make any particular
observations ; but in walking abovit I saw
the Court House and a few churches, which
are very neat brick buildings, and I re-
marked the houses were much better built
and with more regularity than at Lancaster.
Of the two. though York is considerably
less than the other. I should give it the
preference for a place of residence."
Along the entire line of march
Hessians from Massachusetts to Virginia
Desert. the guard of American troops
made no special efiforts to pre-
vent desertions among the prisoners. Lieu-
tenant Anbury says :
"It was with a view and a hope that the
men would desert, that Congress marched
us at this inclement season; numbers have
answered their wishes, especially the Ger-
mans, who seeing in what a comfortable
manner their countrymen live, left us in
great numbers, as we marched through
X'ew Y'ork, the Jerseys and Pennsylvania.
Among the numlDer of deserters is my ser-
vant, who, as we left Lancaster, ran from
me with my horse, portmanteau and every-
thing he could take with him. I did not
miss him till night, as I concluded he was
with the baggage wagons. The next morn-
ing I obtained permission from the officer
that escorted us, to return in pursuit of
him."
Rev. John Roth, pastor of the Moravian
church at York, recorded in his diary :
"Dec. i6. — To-night a party of the Con-
vention troops, the Hessians and others cap-
tured at Saratoga by Gates, arrived here
from X^ew England on wa}' to Virginia.
"Dec. 22. — The Convention troops which
arrived here on the i6th and 19th inst. left
for the south (Virginia).
"Dec. 24. — Numbers of Convention troops
are deserting on account of their being
badly treated b}- their officers. Some of
them attended our services and were atten-
tive and earnest."
The first division of British troops num-
bering 781, arrived in York, December 16;
the second division, numbering 873, on the
following day; and the third division, a body
of 923, on the evening of December 19.
There were in all 2577 British soldiers.
The Germans arrived in York in three
di^"isions. The first came on December 22,
and numbered 947. With this body were
a large number of women and children,
transported on wagons. The last two
divisions of German troops passed through
York, December 23 and 24, and numbered
935. There were in all 4459 British and
Hessian officers and men on this famous
march, as prisoners of war, to Virginia.
After leaving York, the pris-
Pass oners were marched in brigades
Through a distance of fifteen to twenty
Hanover, miles a day. There is a well-
founded tradition that the dif-
ferent brigades bivouacked on successive
nights along a hillside near Menges" Mills
in Heidelberg township, and proceeded the
next day through Hanover, halting again
for the night near Littlestown, in Adams
County. Till they arrived at Frederick, the
most delightful winter weather had favored
them on the march, but while encamped
around that town a heavy snow fell. This
was followed by extreme cold weather
which made it impossible for the brigades
in the rear to cross the Potomac, then cov-
ered with floating ice. After they had all
crossed that stream, the Virginia roads were
almost impassable. The top of the deep
snow was a crust but not suf^ciently strong
to bear the weight of a man, so that the
movement from the Potomac to Virginia
was the most difficult and distressing part
of the march.
The last brigade finally
At arrived at Charlottesville.
Charlottesville. Having started from Mass-
achusetts X^ovember 10, it
required two full months to complete this
march of nearly 700 miles. At Charlottes-
ville a rude village was built on the brow of
a pleasant ridge of hills, and gardens were
laid out and planted. Much kind assistance
was rendered in all this work bj^ Thomas
JefTerson, who was then living close by on
his estate at Monticello, and did everything
in his power to make things comfortable for
soldiers and officers.
General William Phillips, who was second
in command at Saratoga and who had been
in charge of the Convention prisoners on
THE REVOLUTIOX
231
the march to \'irginia and while in tlie bar-
racks at Charlottesville, was allowed to go
to New \'ork in the fall of 1779, on parole.
A\'hile in that city he was exchanged for
General Benjamin Lincoln, recently cap-
tured at Charleston, S. C. In 1780 Phillips
joined Benedict Arnold in an expedition
against Richmond. Predatory parties had
been sent out in the direction of Charlottes-
ville and fearing that Arnold and Phillips
might form an expedition for the release of
the prisoners, Congress decided in the fall
of 17S0 to remove them northward. In the
early part of October, the prisoners were
marched toward Winchester, in the same
manner that they had gone to Charlottes-
ville, two years before. The prisoners
were quartered at AVinchester for two
weeks and removed to Frederick, Maryland,
where they were held until Congress de-
cided where they should be taken. At this
place they occupied comfortable barracks
and the men were allowed many privileges.
The officers were quartered in the town and
plantations around. On ]\Iay 31, 1781,
these British oiificers and prisoners wit-
nessed the movement of the Pennsylvania
Line through Frederick. On July 31, 1781,
tenant Anbury wrote in his journal :
"We daily expect to remove
Move from this province on account
Northward, of the movements of Lord
Cornwallis' army, which we
understand is forming a junction with the
troops landed in Virginia, under the com-
mand of General Phillips and General Ar-
nold, and this state is not without appre-
hensions of a descent being made by the
King's forces. Therefore to impede this
progress, General Washington has detached
two strong bodies, one of Continental
troops, under the command of the Marquis
de la Fayette, and the other consisting of
the Pennsylvania Line, under General
\\'ayne. They passed through Frederick
last month, and appeared to be mostly
Scotch and Irish with a great number of
blacks. They were badly clothed, and so
extremely mutinous and discontented, that
their officers were afraid to trust them with
ammunition. I observed that they wore
black and white cockades, the ground being
the first color and the relief of the other.
On inquiring the cause, a very pompous
American replied, Tt was a compliment to
and a symbol of affection for their generous
and magnanimous allies the French." "
The British and Hessian prisoners greatly
diminished in numbers both by death and
desertion while at Frederick. Congress
finally decided to remove the prisoners to
York and Lancaster, in Pennsylvania. The
officers were separated from the prisoners
at Lancaster and sent to East \\'indsor,
Connecticut. Brigadier-General Hamilton,
in charge of the British troops, expressed
great displeasure on account of this separa-
tion which, he claimed, w^as in direct oppo-
sition to the agreement entered into at the
surrender at Saratoga, three years before.
THE RETURN OF THE PRISONERS.
The Convention prisoners removed late
in 1780 from Charlottesville to AA'inchester,
Virginia, and to Frederick, ^ilaryland, were
ordered by Congress in 1781 to be brought
to Pennsylvania. The British were to be
quartered at York and the Hessians at Lan-
caster. There were at that time about
3000 of Burgoyne's officers and men held as
prisoners of war. Joseph Reed, then presi-
dent of Pennsylvania, protested against so
many prisoners being brought into this
commonwealth. In response to President
Reed's protest, the Board of A\'ar asserted
that Congress had not changed its decision
and that Pennsylvania should make prepa-
ration to guard and sustain the prisoners at
such places in Pennsylvania as would be
most convenient. At this juncture, Gov-
ernor Thomas Lee, of Maryland, wrote to
President Reed that he had been informed
by Thomas Jefferson, governor of Virginia,
that the Burgoyne prisoners and other Brit-
ish captured at Cowpens, S. C were at
AA'inchester, March 12, 1781, on their way
to Pennsylvania, and the British prisoners
at Frederick, 800 in number, were to be sent
to York. On the same day that Governor
Lee sent his communication to President
Reed, the latter wrote a long letter to the
Board of War, in which he stated :
We acknowledge the receipt of your
Reed's fa'^'or of the 13th inst., caUing upon us
-- . . to prepare a guard of 400 militia and to
OppOSltlOn.supply provisions and all other neces-
saries for the convention troops, observ-
ing that though the Hon. Congress had
directed you to take measures for guarding and supply-
ing these troops after they arrive at their proposed
quarters that you have no other means in your power
to comply with this direction than by calling on this
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLVAXIA
state for that guard and those supplies. We are sorry.
Gentlemen, to inform you that in the present exhausted
state of our treasury we have little prospect of being
able to answer your expectations. We have computed
the monthly expense of feeding these troops and guards
at 8,960 pounds specie per month — the pay of the militia
and repair of barracks will also be considerable — which
added to the necessary advances daily making for the
sustenance of the prisoners already here amounting to
1,000 — to the recruiting and support of the Pennsyl-
vania Line daily increasing and wholly within the State,
the supply of the Continental Army, the artificers, inva-
lids, mechanics, and other dependencies on Congress,
will, we are persuaded, be a burden insupportable. And
we must acknowledge freely that we think it very un-
equal that when there are thirteen states in union all
the prisoners should be brought into one. We have
always endeavored to comply with requisitions when in
our power, but we do not see the least probability of
answering present expectations in their full extent.
Having already observed to our delegates in Congress,
the danger of adding to the dissatisfaction of the in-
habitants, especialh- from the influence of the German
officers, we need not touch on that head, though of a
very delicate and alarming nature. But in another view
the bringing these troops into the state must affect the
general interest. Should they cross the Susquehanna
we are fully persuaded much the greatest part of them
will be in New York in a few months ; they will find
so many friends and opportunities to convey them
thither that unless closely confined no precautions will
be sufficient to prevent this evil. Our militia in the
country are very badh' armed, so that if either through
scarcity of provisions, other discontent or impatience of
captivity these troops should resolve to serve the enemy
and prefer force to desertion w-e apprehend there is
danger of their effecting it. The high price of pro-
visions, of fuel and all other necessaries at Lancaster
and York will be an object also w-ell worth}- of con-
sideration, the rates of wood and other necessary
articles at Lancaster not differing materially from those
of Philadelphia. This will be our last representation on
the subject wdiich we have thought it our duty to make
— that should any bad consequences result we may
stand fully acquitted, having declared our opinion that
we shall not be able to provide for them with that
plenty or guard them in that security which the case
requires.
The Board of AA'ar then decided that the
British officers held at AMnchester and
Frederick should be "put on their parole"
and sent to Simsburjr, Connecticut, the Ger-
man troops should be held at AVinchester
and their officers put on parole at tha.t place.
The British privates and non-commissioned
officers were to remain at Frederick for the
time being. Colonel James AA^ood, of the
Continental army, who had the prisoners in
charge, was ordered by Congress to carry
out the plans already made for their dis-
position. Almost 1,000 unconditional
prisoners captured at Cowpens and else-
where in the south were ordered to the Lan-
caster barracks and the 3,000 Saratoga
prisoners to be retained for a time in Mary-
land and Virginia. At this time General
Philips, of the British army, who had been
exchanged, was then in command of 900
men who had either deserted or escaped
from the camp at Charlottesville. AA'ith this
force he had joined the traitor. Benedict
Arnold, in front of Richmond. Lord Corn-
wallis, with a large British army, was now
on his march through the Carolinas toward
A^irginia in pursuit of General Greene. As
the Board of AVar thought the scene of
hostilities in 1781 might be in Virginia, it
decided in May of that year that the prison-
ers held in Virginia and Maryland should
be forwarded to eastern ^Massachusetts.
Congress then ordered Pennsylvania to
furnish 5oo militia, which were to assemble
at York, and relieve the Virginia militia and
take charge of the prisoners to be moved
eastward under the superintendency of
Colonel James AA'ood.
The York County wagon-
Prisoners in masters were ordered to
Pennsylvania, have fifty or more wagons
at York. Major Bailey, of
York, commanded the militia assembled for
the purpose of acting as a guard to the
prisoners on their eastern movement and
under his direction the Virginia guard
was relieved and the local militia escorted
the prisoners to Lancaster, where they
arrived early in June, 1781. The British
were placed in the Lancaster barracks and
in camps on the public common in that
town. It was now decided by Congress to
ha\-e them remain in Pennsylvania. On
June 17, Major Bailey escorted from York
two divisions, one of 1,200 German and
Hessian prisoners, to Reading, and another
composed of 600 privates, 300 waiters and
about 300 women and children to Lancaster.
On June 27, President Reed, of Pennsyl-
vania, wrote, "The Convention and other
British prisoners to the number of 4.000 are
now in the State of Pennsylvania." He
therefore ordered out the militia of York,
Lancaster, Berks and Northampton Coun-
ties to guard them on their movement to
places where they were to be confined.
Colonel AA'ood, of the Continental army, in
charge of the prisoners both in Virginia and
after they came to Pennsylvania, wrote,
Jvnie 30, 1 781, that he had received instruc-
tions from the Board of AA'^ar to quarter the
British near York and the Germans at
Reading, but that he had not received
definite instructions as to the exact places
THE REVOLUTION
233
of confinement. President Reed tlien wrote
to William Scott, lieutenant of the York
County militia, to mark out a suitable spot,
well-wooded and watei^ed for the accommo-
dation of the prisoners to be quartered at
York, A place where the prisoners could
build huts, surrounded by a picket, was
designated. The local militia intended to
guard the prisoners, were to receive pay at
the rate of three and a half shillings a day
in coin. The Continental money was then
nearly worthless. On July 28, Lieutenant
^^'illiam Scott, of York Count}-, wrote to
President Reed :
Agreeable to your Excellency's orders I have
Camp found a place for the convention troops to
■M-„ encamp ; about four miles and a half south-
j east of Yorktown, which Colonel Wood had
York. approved as a suitable and convenient place.
I have also called the fourth class of the
militia, who have furnished upwards of one
hundred men to guard them. Colonel Wood is of the
opinion it will require near double that number until
the necessary works on the encampment are erected.
I have collected all the arms in York and Hanover,
which are not half enough for the guards. Therefore
have to request of the Honorable Council to send us
arms and ammunition for the use of the guards afore-
said.
The arms which our seven months' men carried to
Philadelphia last year (fort}'-three in number) were
delivered up in a house near the bridge on Water
Street, where clothing and other military stores were
then kept, but no receipts passed for them that I can
find.
Colonel Wood has called on me for ten or twelve
carpenters and for axes, spades, picks and shovels, for
building the huts and pickets. The carpenters and the
smiths who make the tools look to me for their pa\-;
have therefore to beg your Excellency's directions in
this matter, whether it is a county or continental charge
and how and when these people are to be paid and b\'
whom.
On August 2, 1781, Colonel James Wood
stated "I have fixed the British troops on
good ground, the property of a non-juror,
between York and Susquehanna, so as to be
very convenient to throw them across the
river in any emergency."
CAMP SECURITY.
The place selected by Colonel ^^'ood as a
cantonment for the prisoners was situated
in the extreme northeastern part of Wind-
sor Township, a short distance east of the
village of Longstown, and on the north side
of the road leading from Longstown to East
Prospect. At this place the British Con-
vention prisoners to the number of nearly
two thousand were brought back from Lan-
caster in August, 1781. They were required
to assist the carpenters employed by the
government in erecting a stockade and in
buiiding huts out of wood. This place was
known in Revolutionary annals as "Camp
Security" and is so designated in the gov-
ernment records.
After the prisoners had arrived at York,
Lancaster and Reading, the authorities of
Pennsylvania and Continental Congress, as
well, thought it possible that the British
forces under Lord Cornwallis might raid
into Pennsylvania for the purpose of releas-
ing these prisoners.
In March, 1781, General Greene had
fought the battle of Guilford Court House,
near Greensboro, North Carolina, with
Cornwallis, who then commanded 7,000
men. It was an indecisive battle and re-
sulted in Cornwallis moving to \\'ilmington
on the coast of that state. Greene returned
to South Carolina and after successive en-
gagements with the enemy, drove them into
Charleston and Savannah. Cornwallis
sailed to Hampton Roads and selected a de-
fensive position on the James River at
Yorktown, Virginia. In August, 1781, a
detachment of 2,000 of the troops from the
British armj^ under Cornwallis landed on
the banks of the Chesapeake near An-
napolis, Maryland. Meantime, A\'ashing-
ton, with an army of 6,000 men, marched
from the Hudson River through eastern
Pennsylvania and Maryland to join Lafay-
ette and Wayne, then concentrating near
Yorktown, Virginia.
The arrival of the 2,000 troops at
Militia Annapolis caused alarm at York,
Called Lancaster and Reading, and the
Out. authorities of Pennsylvania called
out the militia for defensive oper-
ations. Lieutenant ^^'illiam Scott, com-
mander of the York County Militia, put ii^to
service 200 light horse, a cavalry squadron,
and posted them in a chain west of the Sus-
quehanna, extending from York to Chesa-
peake Bay. In case the British landed at
the head of the Chesapeake these horsemen
were intended to convey the news with all
possible haste to the cantonments of prison-
ers at York and the other towns in Penn-
sylvania. At this period in the Revolution
there was considerable excitement in York
County and the adjoining sections of the
state. Fortunately, the appearance of
\\'ashington in Virginia caused a change in
the operations of the enemy, who now con-
234
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
centrated under Cornwallis at Yorktown,
where, in October, 1781, the entire British
army surrendered. Later in the year, and
during the spring of 1782, detachments of
prisoners from the army of Cornwalhs were
also brought to York and imprisoned in
huts erected a short distance east of the
stockade in AA^indsor Township, where
about 2,000 of Burgoyne's army were then
held, as described above. A description of
the prison pens near York, as they were at
this period is given in an abstract from the
diary of Sergeant Lamb, found further on in
this narrative. At this place most of the
British prisoners, brought here in 1781 and
1782, remained until the cessation of hostili-
ties was declared April 19, 1783, the eighth
anniversary of the battle of Lexington and
Concord.
So far as is known, few Hessians
Hessians were ever held as prisoners of
at war within the stockade or the
Reading, huts of the prison pen in AVind-
sor Township, in 1781-2-3.
There were a number of Hessians in
York in 1777. The German and Hes-
sian troops, about 1,200 in number,
were held as prisoners in Reading,
until the close of the war. On February 8,
1783, a letter was sent to General Riedesel,
instructing the Hessian and German prison-
ers to remain in America after they were set
free, if they so desired. In pursuance of this
letter, a large number of the Hessians who
had been captured at Saratoga, Long Island
and Trenton, remained in Pennsylvania,
where the}^ became industrious mechanics
or farmers. Quite a number of them settled
in different parts of York County.
Daniel Brubaker, a citizen of
Brubaker's Lancaster County, owned the
Petition. land four and a half miles east
of York where the prison pens
had been erected. In December, 1781, four
months after the arrival of the first prison-
ers, he sent a petition to General Benjamin
Lincoln, of the Continental army and the
Supreme Executive Council of Pennsyl-
vania, setting forth certain grievances. He
stated that he owned 280 acres near York,
for which he had paid 1,200 pounds specie.
This land had been selected as a place for
confinement for part of the British Conven-
tion prisoners that had been removed from
Lancaster. One hundred acres of this land
had been cleared. The persons employed
by the government in constructing stock-
ades and building huts, had cleared thirty
additional acres of timber, for which he had
received no pay. The guards had also used
nearly all the fall rails which enclosed his
cleared land. This had deprived his tenant
of the Indian corn on the land and the use
of his pasture. He further stated that he
did not want to say anything against Colo-
nel Wood, who had charge of the prisoners
and who regretted the condition of affairs
which had come about before that officer
had been placed in charge of the prison
pens. The petitioner acknowledged that
the prisoners could not be removed during
the inclement season, yet he requested that
all further waste or destruction of the tim-
ber or other property on his plantation be
prevented.
SERGEANT LAMB'S STORY.
Sergeant Roger Lamb, an educated Irish-
man, who was captured with Burgoyne at
Saratoga, wrote a work entitled "Journal of
the American War," which was published in
Dublin in 1809. He served in a regiment
of A\'elsh Fusileers and after his capture
accompanied the British prisoners to Bos-
ton, where he remained until the}' were re-
moved to Virginia. When these prisoners
were about to cross the Hudson at Fishkill,
on their march to the south. Sergeant Lamb
escaped to the city of New York, where he
was received with great affability by Major
Andre, who was acting as adjutant-general
to Sir Henry Clinton, commanding the
British forces in that city. In 1781 he
served in the Southern army and at the bat-
tle of Guilford Court House saved Corn-
wallis from capture.
In October of the same year he was cap-
tured with the British army at Yorktown
and soon after he escaped the American
guard and fled to Frederick, Maryland,
where he was again captured and placed in
the barracks in that town with other British
officers. After two weeks' imprisonment
there, he was sent to Winchester, Virginia,
where his own regiment, which had served
at the siege of Yorktown, was then quar-
tered in barracks.
"Part of the British troops remained in
Winchester until January, 1782," says Ser-
geant Lamb in his Journal, "when Congress
THE REVOLUTION
235
ordered us to be marclied to York, in, Penn-
sylvania. I received information that as
soon as I fell into ranks to march off, I
sliould be taken and confined in \\'inchester
jail, as the Americans were apprehensive
that when I got near to New York I should
again attempt my escape to that place ; I
^\■as advised by my officers to conceal my-
self until the troops had marched. I took
the hint and hid myself in the hospital
among the sick, where I remained until the
American guards had been two days on
their march with the British prisoners. I
then prepared to follow them, but at a
cautious distance.
"The troops arrived at York,
In Camp and were confined in a prison
Security, similar to the one at Rutland,
^Massachusetts, where Bur-
goyne's prisoners were held in 1778.
"A great number of trees were ordered to
be cut down in the woods; these were
sharpened at each end, and driven firmly
into the earth very close together, enclos-
ing a space of about two or three acres.
American sentinels were planted on the
outside of the fence, at convenient distances,
in order to prevent our getting out. At one
angle, a gate was erected and on the out-
side thereof, stood the guard house ; two
sentinels were constantly posted at this
gate, and no one could get out unless he had
a pas's from the officer of the guard ; but
this was a privilege in which very few were
indulged.
"About two hundred yards from this pen,
a small village had been built by prisoners
of General Burgoyne's army, who were al-
lowed very great privileges with respect to
liberty in the country. When some of my
former comrades of the Ninth Regiment
were informed that I was a prisoner in Lord
Cornwallis" army, and that I was shortly
expected at York, they immediately applied
to the commanding officer of the Americans
for a pass in mj^ name, claiming me as one
of their regiment. This was immediately
granted, and some of them kindly and
attentively placed themselves on the watch
for my arrival, lest I should be confined with
the rest of Lord Cornwallis' army. When I
reached York I was most agreeably sur-
prised at meeting my former companions ;
and more so when a pass was put into my
hands, giving me the privilege of ten miles
of the countr}' round wliile I beha\'ed well
and orderly. I was then conducted to a hut
which my poor loving companions had built
for me in their village before my arrival.
Here I remained some time, visiting my
former companions from hut to hut; but I
was astonished at the spirit of industry
which prevailed among them. Men, women
and children were employed making lace,
buckles, spoons, and exercising other me-
chanical trades which they had learned
during their captivity. They had very great
liberty from the Americans, and were
allowed to go around the country and sell
their goods; while the soldiers of Corn-
wallis' army were closely confined. I per-
ceived that they had lost that animation
which ought to possess the breast of the
soldier. I strove by every argument to
rouse them from their lethargy. I oft'ered
to head any number of them, and make a
noble effort to escape into New York, and
join our comrades in arms; but all my
eff'orts proved ineffectual. As for my own
part, I was determined to make the attempt.
I well knew from experience, that a few
companions would be highly necessary.
Accordingly I sent word of my intention to
seven men of the Twenty-third Regiment
who were confined in the pen, that I was
willing to take them with me. I believe in
all the British army that these men, three
sergeants and four privates, could not have
been excelled for courage and intrepidity.
They rejoiced at the idea; and by the aid of
some of Burgoyne's army, they were en-
abled under cover of a dark night, to scale
their fence and assemble in my hut. I sent
word of my intention to my commanding
officer. Captain Saumarez, of the Twenty-
third, and likewise the names of the men
whom I purposed to take with me. As my
money was almost expended, I begged of
him to advance me as much as convenient.
He immediately sent me a supply.
"It was on the first of March,
Escaped 1782, that I set off" with my
From party."
Prison. After Sergeant Lamb escaped
with his seven companions from
prison at York, he went to New York City,
where Sir Guy Carleton was then com-
mander of the British troops. After the war
he returned to Dublin, where he became a
teacher and author, and died in 1830.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANL\
BARON RIEDESEL.
Baron Friederich Adolph Riedesel, who
held the rank of a major-general in the
English arm}', commanded 2,400 Brunswick
and Hessian troops at the time of the sur-
render of Burgoyne at Saratoga. Both his
entire command and himself became prison-
ers of war on October 17, 1777. General
Riedesel was born in Lauterbach, Rhine-
Flesse, June 3, 1738. At the time of the sur-
render he was 39 years of age. Riedesel
studied law, but during the Seven Years'
AVar for German liberty served as an aide
on the stalT of Prince Ferdinand of Bruns-
wick. He acquitted himself gallantly in the
execution of an important commission at
the battle of IMinden. In 1767 he was pro-
moted to the rank of adjutant-general of the
Prussian army. Soon after the beginning
of the American Revolution, England,
having hired of the pett)^ German sover-
eigns 20,000 troops, of which 4,000 were
from Brunswick, Riedesel was given the
rank of major-general and placed in com-
mand of the Brunswickers. He arrived
with his troops at Quebec. Canada, June,
1776. The following year he joined Bur-
goyne on his unfortunate expedition, in
command of all the German troops. Rie-
desel wrote an extended account of his ex-
perience as an officer and a prisoner while in
America. This journal was afterward
translated into English. He passed through
York, December. 1778, in command of his
own troops as prisoners on their waj? to Vir-
ginia, and upon his return in 1779 remained
here a week with his wife, three children
and a retinue of attendants.
After the surrender at Saratoga, some of
the English officers were exchanged, but
few of the Germans. Riedesel wrote to
Howe, at Philadelphia, asking that a cor-
responding number of German officers be
exchanged, including General Specht and
Riedesel's own aides. The Baron remained
in command of his own soldiers and had
them undergo military drill every day while
in camp at AA^inter Hill, after their move-
ment to Boston, even though they had
given up their arms at the surrender.
After the prisoners learned that Congress
at York had decided not to recognize the
agreement at Saratoga, numbers of them
deserted. • There were, however, more
desertions among the English than the Ger-
mans. Congress sent an American named
Masserow as a commissioner, to Boston to
consult with the British and German officers
wnth reference to their exchange. Riedesel
alleges that Masserow accepted bribes; that
he received from 50 to 100 guineas each, for
recommending to Congress certain officers
to be exchanged. It is even claimed by the
Baron in his journal that Burgoj'ne himself
courted the favor of the commissioner and
through him obtained authority of Congress
for his own release by the payment of
$40,000, which was paid in provisions and
used for the maintenance of the American
troops and British and Hessian prisoners in
Massachusetts. By the order of General
Howe, ships were sent from Rhode Island
laden with flour and meat.
General Riedesel, through Commissioner
Masserow, petitioned Congress for permis-
sion to send to Canada for the baggage and
clothing of his troops, which was granted.
During the summer of 1778 the people of
Massachusetts, as well as the American
soldiers, tried to induce the prisoners to
desert. They succeeded best with the
British. By the 5th of April, 655 English
soldiers, 119 Germans, 41 Hesse-Hanau and
3 Brunswickers had deserted. Up to this
time not a single German officer had been
exchanged.
In November, 1778, arrangements' were
made to send the captured troops to Vir-
ginia. The American guard for removing
these troops was increased by the addition
of three regiments of the Massachusetts
militia. The light horse and artillery were
also increased. In May, American emis-
saries came into camp . and induced many
Germans to desert. By authority of Con-
gress circulars were distributed through the
camps of the prisoners to encourage both
the British and Germans to desert. During
the months of April and May the Bruns-
wickers lost 118 men by desertion.
In September a number of German
officers were exchanged, among them Chap-
lain F. V. Melsheimer, of the Brunswick
Dragoon Regiment.
After Congress decided not to accept the
conditions of the surrender at Saratoga, Sir
Henry Clinton, in New York, declared that
if the Convention troops were to be treated
like other prisoners, they must be supported
THE REVOLUTION
237
by their captors. General Heath, in com-
mand at Boston, received orders from Con-
gress at York tliat the British and German
prisoners should be removed to Charlottes-
\'iile, Virginia, a long distance away from
the theatre of war, and to a place where
provisions could more easily be obtained.
The prisoners were marched from Rutland
and Cambridge by the American guard in
the following order, starting November 10:
Each nationality formed three
Order di\-isions, and was attended b}- an
of American escort. The first Eng-
March. lish division, consisting of the
artillery, grenadiers, light infantry
and the Ninth Regiment under Lieutenant
Colonel Hill, and the First German division,
consisting" of the dragoons, grenadiers, and
the regiment Von Rhetz under Major Von
]\Iengen, were to start on November 10.
The second English division, consisting of
the Twentieth and Twenty-first Regiments,
under command of Major Forster, and the
second German division, consisting of the
regiments of Von Riedesel and Von Specht
and led by Brigadier-General Specht, were
to follow on the nth. On the 12th the third
English division, composed of the Twenty-
fourth, Forty-seventh and Sixtj^-second
Regiments, under the command of Briga-
dier Hamilton, were to follow. The third
German division, which was made up of the
battalion Earner, the regiment Hesse-
Hanau, and Hanau artillery, under Briga-
dier Gall, were also to march on the same
day.
General Riedesel says in his journal:
"The want of money was one of critical
importance in our position at that time. All
the of^cers who had money were obliged to
lend it for the use of the troops, who in this
manner received their pay in hard cash.
Those officers who were in need of money
had as much furnished them as was neces-
sary to procure horses, etc., for their long-
journey. Nor was this more than fair, as
several months' pay was due them. This
arrangement was somewhat of a help, it is
true, but not nearly enough to satisfy the
demands of all."
When the German troops arrived at
Salisbury, Conn., they received $70,000,
which Riedesel had borrowed on his own
credit from merchants in Boston. On No-
vember 28, the advance of the German
troops arrived at Fishkill, on the Hudson;
December 13, they were passing through
Bucks County, Pennsyh'ania, and on the
1 6th crossed the Schuylkill at Valley Forge.
On the 20th they crossed the Conestoga
Creek to Lancaster, where they rested one
day; on the 22d they crossed the Susque-
hanna at AA'right's Ferry and took quarters
for the night at York. On the 24th they
arrived at Hanover, where they rested a
day, passed through Littlestown on Christ-
mas day and on the 26th halted at Taney-
town, Maryland. The other brigades or
divisions of British and German troops fol-
lowed in succession, a day behind the ad-
vance.
On New Year's eve, 1778, the German
troops first stepped upon the soil of Vir-
ginia and on the 15th of January arrived at
their place of destination, near Charlottes-
ville, where they remained as prisoners of
war from January, 1779, until the fall of
1 78 1. The estimated number of British and
German troops who were marched from
Massachusetts through York to Virginia,
was 4,459. According to this statement
about 1,300 had deserted, for the descriptive
list shows that 5,800 had surrendered at
Saratoga in October, 1777.
In an account of the movement of the
troops from Boston to Virginia, William
Stone, the biographer of Riedesel, states :
"On this journey General Riedesel and
his family experienced much that was dis-
agreeable, and sufl:ered many wrongs from
the inhabitants, who were to a man in favor
of the cause of freedom. Some of them
scarcely would grant a shelter to the weary
travellers, even when extreme fatigue pre-
vented them from going a step further, and
it would have been still worse for them, had
not Madame Riedesel been in the party.
By her eloquence and patience, she knew
how to move these obdurate people.
"The passage across the Hudson in a
miserable skift' in the midst of stormy
weather, was attended with extreme dan-
ger; and competent judges who afterward
heard of it, could scarcely understand how
it was that it had been so successfully ac-
complished. The river having been safely
crossed, the party continued their journey
as far as the residence of an American
colonel, by the name of Osborn, to whom
Riedesel had a letter from Gates. Thev
2.^,8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
were received by him in a most friendly
manner, notwithstanding he was a great
enemy to the royahsts, as well as a very-
blunt man.
"The fact that General Rie-
Excitement desel did not arrive at Lan-
in caster on the 19th of Decem-
Lancaster. her, with the troops, was, per-
haps, a most fortunate cir-
cumstance; for the inhabitants were so en-
raged against him, that extreme measures
might have been provoked by his presence.
Among the silly reports that Avere circulated
and believed in those excitable times by the
people of Lancaster, was one to the effect
that the town of Lancaster and the sur-
rounding country had been presented to the
German general, by the king of England, and
that the general would soon arrive with his
troops to take possession. The excitement
was, therefore, great when the German
troops arrived; but as soon as the American
officers on the escort explained the true
position of afifairs, and the pitiable condition
of the troops was seen, many a good citizen
of Lancaster wondered how he could have
given credence to such a ridiculous rumor.
"Snow had fallen to such a depth that the
carriages of the general's party could
scarcely move. The coachmen, at times,
were obliged to take the horses from the
vehicles, and with the officers who escorted
the famil}^ ride on in advance, to break a
road. The provisions were exhausted, and
very often not a particle of food could be
had of the inhabitants even for money.
Baroness Riedesel and her children actually
suffered from sheer want, and this notwith-
standing her husband and his officers de-
prived themselves of everything, that the
women and children might be provided for.
Captain Edmonson, who, out of love for the
children, had accompanied the party, would
often ride to the huts, which were a little
off the road, and beg provisions of the in-
habitants ; but he generally returned from
a bootless mission.
"Soon after crossing the Hudson, General
Riedesel, accompanied by a few of his adju-
tants, left his family in order to overtake his
troops. It is not known definitely where he
met them, or indeed if he overtook them at
all. Only this much is known to a certaint3^
that the general waited for his family at
Colle, which is distant about two hours
from Charlottesville. Here he had hired a
house which he was occupying when
^Madame Riedesel and the children joined
him about the middle of February. The
party had been twelve weeks on their way,
had crossed six states, and had journeyed
six hundred and seventy-eight miles. The
house, hired by Riedesel at Colle, belonged
to an Italian, who, a few weeks later, moved
out of it, leaving it, together with a nice
little garden, to Riedesel and his family. '
During the summer of 1779, General
Riedesel built a house at Colle, which cost
him 100 guineas, but his family and he never
had the opportunit}' of occupying it. In
September of that year he received word
that he would soon be exchanged. After
putting the German prisoners in charge of
General Specht, by authorit}^ of Colonel
James AVood, the commander of the Ameri-
can guard, Riedesel left Virginia for New
York, accompanied by JNIajor-General Phil-
lips. Soon after his arrival there he was
exchanged and b}' order of Sir Henry Clin-
ton was placed in command at Long Island
with headquarters on what are now Brook-
lyn Heights. At the close of the Revolu-
tion, in 1783, he returned to Germany,
where he was given the rank of lieutenant-
general in 1787. At the time of his death,
in 1800, he was commandant of the city of
Brunswick.
A HEROINE OF THE REVOLUTION.
The wife of General Riedesel had a ro-
mantic history during the Revolution. She
followed the fortunes of her husband and
was captured at Saratoga when Burgoyne
surrendered. The Baroness kept a diary,
which was afterward published in the Ger-
man language. This journal was translated
into English and published in America in
1867. The story of her experience after
her capture reads like a romance of the
^liddle Ages. During her captivity, she
twice passed through York and on her
return from Virginia spent several days in
York with her three little daughters and a
retinue of attendants. A condensed story
of her experience is herewith given :
The Baroness Riedesel was present at the
first engagement at Saratoga and was near
her husband in the thickest of the fight. She
heard the rattle of musketrv. and the boom
THE REVOLUTION
239
'of cannon, and when the fighting ended took
care of the wounded. After the battle a
large calash was built to convey herself, her
three children, and her two servants, and
in this vehicle she followed the army in the
midst of the soldiers, who were merrily
singing songs and hurrahing \\ith a desire
for victory.
"^^'hile passing through the American
camp in my calash after the surrender,"
says the Baroness, "none of the American
soldiers cast at us scornful glances, even
showing compassion on their countenances
at seeing a mother with her little children in
such a situation, ^^'hen I approached the
tents, a noble looking man came toward me,
took the children out of the wagon, em-
braced and kissed them and then with tears
in his eyes helped me also to alight. His
tenderness toward my children and myself
inspired me with courage. He then led me
to the tent of General Gates, with whom I
found Generals Burgoyne and Philips, con-
ferring about the capitulation.
"I then learned that this noble
Dined man, who led me to the tent,
With was the American General
Schuyler. Schuyler, who had preceded
Gates in the command of the
American army. Schujder invited me to
dine at his own tent and I then learned that
this noble-hearted man was a husband and
father. I afterwards met his wife and
daughters in Albany. One of his daughters
married Alexander Hamilton."
The Baron and Baroness Riedesel mo\'ed
with the prisoners from Albany to Boston,
riding in their calash. They occupied a
comfortable home at Cambridge for a year
while arrangements were made to remove
the prisoners to Virginia.
The cause of this order was the declara-
tion of Sir Henry Clinton, then in command
of the British at New York City, that since
the Convention troops (those who sur-
rendered at Saratoga) were not acknowl-
edged as such, but looked upon in the same
light as ordinary prisoners of war, he was
no longer disposed to forward provisions to
them, or pay the' "exorbitant bills of the
Americans," consequently Congress must
maintain the prisoners itself. As the coun-
try in the vicinity of Boston was very de-
ficient in provisions, the Convention troops
were accordingly sent to Virginia, which it
was thought would be better able to furnish
the needful supplies.
The keeping of the German colors were
entrusted to the Baroness at Cambridge.
During the time she remained there she had
them concealed within a mattress. The
Americans thought they had been destroyed
at Saratoga, but some time later this mat-
tress was forwarded to Halifax, and when
the Baroness was set free, in 1782, she took
the mattress with her to her native land.
"In the month of November, 1778," says
the Baroness, "when the prisoners were
ordered to Virginia, my husband purchased
a pretty English wagon so that we were
enabled to travel easily with my three
daughters, Gustava, Frederika and Caro-
line. Gustava entreated Captain Edmons-
ton, one of my husband's adjutants, not to
leave us on the way. He gave his promise
and faithfully kept it. I traveled with the
arm}' on the wa}^ to Virginia. An old
Yager, who acted as driver, together with
the captain guided our vehicle over the
almost impassable roads. My provisions
and baggage were carried in a wagon which
followed the servants. Upon reaching the
Hudson River at Fishkill, we lodged at the
house of a boatman. After crossing the
river and going a distance, my husband,
children and both my maidservants re-
mained eight days at the home of Colonel
Osborn, a wealthy planter, in order to give
our troops time to cross the river, which, on
account of the scarcity of boats, was very
tedious. Our third stopping place after
leaving Colonel Osborn was at the house
of a German. At another time we had our
quarters for the night at the home of Colo-
nel Howe. Before we crossed the Blue
Mountains, in Virginia, we made a further
halt of eight days that our troops might
have time to collect again.
"Meantime such a great quantity
Down of snow fell that two of our
in servants were obliged to go
Virginia, before my wagon on horseback
in order to make a path for us.
On our journey through Pennsylvania.
Maryland and Virginia, we passed through
a picturesque country which, however, by
reason of its wildness, inspired us with ter-
ror. We arrived at Colle. near Charlottes-
ville, in the middle of February, 1779, where
mv husband, who had gone ahead with our
240
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
troops, awaited us with impatient longing.
My husband built a large house at Cole, two
hours' ride from the prisoners quartered at
Charlottesville. The house cost him one
hundred guineas. In the summer of 1779,
we received word that General Philips and
my husband, with their adjutants, had per-
mission to go to New York in order to be
exchanged. My husband handed over the
charge of the German troops to General
Specht. He then proceeded northward with
General Philips and I set out to meet him
at York, Pennsylvania. Before leaving Vir-
ginia, Mrs. Carroll sent me an invitation for
me to visit her at her home in Maryland. I
determined to accept her courtesies. She
resided near the town of Baltimore, which,
I was told, was very pretty and inhabited
by many amiable families. We remained as
her guests eight days and were hospitably
entertained.
"While moving toward York, Pennsyl-
vania, from Baltimore, we were overtaken
in a forest by a violent thunderstorm. A
trunk of a tree broke and fell between the
carriage box and the horses. Here we sat
fast aground, and could not stir from the
place, as none of our servants were strong
enough to move the tree from the spot
where it had fallen. In the meantime, it
thundered fearfully; the lightning struck in
several places round about us; and another
and larger tree threatened to crush us. I
could only urge the servants to disengage us
from the jam, but the coachman, who was
completely bewildered, assured me it was
impossible. At last, my little Gustava, who
was at that time only eight years old, said,
'Only unhitch the horses, and put them be-
hind the wagon, and you can draw it back-
wards." This suggestion was immediately
acted upon, and every one asked the other
why that idea had not occurred to thein
likewise.
"So finally we arrived happily at
The York, in Pennsylvania, where we
Baroness found my husband, who had
in York, been ver}' much worried about
us on account of the vivid light-
ning. A\'e rode through a magnificent coun-
try."
The "Memoirs" of Baron Riedesel says:
"Upon reaching York with General Philips,
whom he had met on the way, the Baron
found that his wife had arrived a few days
before him. After encountering many dan-
gers that brave woman, with her children,
had reached the place a few days earlier and
had thus had an opportunity of enjoying a
little rest, which she very much needed."
"From York," says the Baroness, "we
pursued our journey through beautifully
cultivated country regions and arrived
safely at Elizabeth, New Jersey. We ex-
pected to cross over to New York the same
evening and be restored to our freedom, but
while seated at dinner, an officer from
\\'ashington arrived with a letter ordering
us to return to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,
as Congress had refused to ratify the ex-
change. The eyes of General Philips, who
was by nature very passionate, fairly scintil-
lated with rage. In a fit of anger he struck
the table with his fist. I was like one petri-
fied and could not utter a word."
In obedience to the order, they returned
to Bethlehem, remaining there until the lat-
ter part of November, wdien they were
allowed to enter the British lines in New
York City. General Riedesel and his wife
remained there several months, and March
7, 1780, she gave birth to her fourth
daughter. Says the baroness in her diary:
"W'e had intended, in case it had been a boy,
to call the child Americus, which we now
exchanged for America." General Philips,
General Knyphausen and Colonel Wurmb
acted as sponsors at the baptism of the
child."
DR. JOHN CONNOLLY.
Dr. John Connolly, a romantic character
in the history of the Revolution, was held a
prisoner of war at York for a period of two
years. He was born in Lancaster County
in 1744, son of John Connoll}^ a surgeon in
the British service in America. His mother
was first the wife of James Patterson, the
noted Indian trader, at Lancaster, who,
after his death married as her second hus-
band, Thomas Ewing, father of General
James Ewing, of York County, who com-
manded a brigade in the Flying Camp.
Surgeon Connolly was her third husband.
Dr. John Connolly, their son, who was edu-
cated as a physician, was a man of vigor and
force. AMien the Revolution opened he be-
came a loyalist, and at the suggestion of
Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, went
to Boston, where he obtained a colonel's
THE REVOLL'TIOX
241
commission from General Gage, the British
commander at that port. Owing to his
alhance with Dunmore, who was also a
loyalist, Connolly was induced to raise a
regiment of Tories andlndians to be known
as the Royal Foresters. While passing-
through Hagerstown, Maryland, with a
single companion on his way to the western
frontier for the purpose of organizing his
command, he was arrested. His captors
found in his saddlebags his commission. He
was taken to Philadelphia and placed in
prison, ^^'hile passing through York, Con-
nolly recorded in his journal: "On the sec-
ond day after our capture we arrived at
York, where a committee decided that we
should be confined in a room in the county
jail, in which was a straw bed, little cover-
ing and no fire. The new-made soldiers of
York were then so fond of fife and drum
that they entertained us all night with this
music. The next morning, January i, 1776,
we were conducted to the tavern, where our
horses had been kept, by a military guard
with a drummer beating the Rogue's
Alarch. AMien the guard which brought us
here from Frederick started from York, the
people of the town and the soldiers ironic-
ally complimented us with many wishes of
a happy new year. Great numbers of the
inhabitants of York rode with us until we
arrived at Wright's Ferry, the home of my
half brother, Colonel James Ewing, who
diftered from me in political affiliation, for
he espoused the cause of the colonies. At
Ewing's request, I was allowed to walk on
the ice with him in crossing the Susque-
haona. After less than a year's imprison-
ment in Philadelphia, through my brother,
James Ewing, who had become a general in
the American army, I was released upon a
temporary parole and permitted to go to his
home in York County, where I was allowed
to go five miles distant for exercise to re-
cuperate my health. Here I was sent in
November, 1776, and remained two months,
when I was again remanded to prison, but
General Ewing again came to my rescue
and by his own bond I was, in the spring of
'^777' again permitted to live at his home
on parole. I continued in this happy situa-
tion from April 11 to October 14, 1777.
When Congress moved to York, the Board
of A\'ar, believing that I was plotting
against the government, had me placed in
the count}- jail at York, wJiere I was closely
locked up and all the former severity
against me renewed. The York jail was so
crowded witii British prisoners, permanent
and transient, that a contagious fever ap-
peared."
Connolly, being a physician, in May, 177S,
petitioned Congress, then sitting at York,
to relieve him and his associates from this
unsanitary condition of affairs. Among the
British prisoners who signed this document
with Connolly were Richard M. Stockton,
Charles Harrison, Asher Dunham, Robert
Morrison and Francis Frazer.
Five days later the Board of AA'ar, under
instructions from Congress, reported that
Thomas Peters, deputy commissary of
prisoners at York and Carlisle; Dr. Henry,
an attending surgeon, and Colonel Picker-
ing, a member of the Board of War, had
visited the York jail and found that the
statements made by Connolly and his asso-
ciates were exaggerated. They further
mentioned "that Connolly and six British
officers occupied two rooms in the jail, one
fifteen by twenty feet, and the' other nearly
as large; that they also had the pri\-ilege of
the jail yard, which was sixty yards long
and eighteen yards wide. This jail is used
as a place of temporary confinement for
passing prisoners and is not now crowded.
There are only nine privates in the jail,
and three of them are the officers' servants.
The jail is capable of holding one hundred
and sixty prisoners. Five of the soldiers
have light fevers, common to places of con-
finement, but their disorders are not con-
tagious or dangerous."
Dr. William Shippen, surgeon-general of
the army, while on a visit to York, had ex-
amined Connolly during his imprisonment
and pronounced him a hypochondraic and
not responsible for his statements. This
opinion was concurred in by Colonel Pick-
ering and the rest, but Connolly denied
these allegations and claimed he was treated
unfairly.
After Congress returned to Philadelphia,
in June, 1778, Connolly was admitted to
parole and sent to that city, but he was
afterward remanded to prison, where he re-
mained until nearly the end of the war.
After the close of the Revolution he
visited General Ewing upon his plantation.
On one occasion, in an unguarded monient.
242
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
when seated at the table, he boastfully made
the remarkable statement that the British
ami}' would yet come down from Canada
and conquer the United States. This as-
tounding remark exasperated Ewing, who
rose from his chair and seized Connolly by
the throat. The two men were separated
b}' the appeals of Ewing's wife. Although
holding opposite views during the Revolu-
tion and thereafter, there always existed a
bond of fraternal union between Ewing and
his half-brother. Even as late as 1798, in
an attempt to recover land that he owned at
the Falls of the Ohio River, Connolly at-
tempted to enlist some army officers in a
scheme to capture Louisiana and set up a
separate government in the West. The at-
tention of the President of the United States
was called to this plot and measures were
taken to prevent its execution. Connolly
died in Canada at an advanced age. He was
an adventurer throughout his whole life.
CHAPTER XVII
REVOLUTION— Continued.
Committee of Safety — Associators — Bio-
graphical — Historical Notes — Muster
Rolls — Pensioners.
In the year 1774, when the sentiment
spread throughout America in opposition
to the British government of the colonies,
committees of correspondence and commit-
tees of safety were organized. In May of
that year, Charles Thomson, by order of
the Committee of Safety of Philadelphia,
sent out circular letters to the different
counties of Pennsylvania, asking for the
sentiments of the inhabitants in relation to
the attitude of the mother country toward
the colonies. This letter also asked that
delegates should be chosen from York
County to attend a provincial conference to
be held at Philadelphia, June 15, 1774.
In response to this letter a meet-
First ing was held in York, presided
Meeting over by Michael Swope, who
in afterwards commanded a regi-
York. ment of York County troops in
the Revolution. This meeting
decided to concur with the sister colonies
in any constitutional measures in order to
obtain redress, and recognized the people of
Boston as "suffering in the common cause
of liberty." It was resolved that every
township in York County send delegates to
meet in convention on the 4th of July fol-
lowing. A committee of thirteen was then
appointed for the town of York. June 28,
the Philadelphia Committee of Safety
transmitted to the committee of thirteen in
York, resolutions passed by the Provincial
Conference assembled in State House
Square on June 18. This Provincial Con-
ference had recommended that the com-
mittees appointed in the different counties
or such number of them as thought proper,
meet in Philadelphia at the time the
Provincial Assembly should convene. On
account of the Indian disturbances, John
Penn, governor of Pennsylvania, had called
a meeting of the Provincial Assembly for
July 18. The committees of the several
counties thus assembling in Philadelphia at
the same time as the Provincial Assembly
met, could then frame and prepare such
matters for submission to the Assembly as
might be thought proper and expedient.
In accordance with this request, James
Smith, Joseph Donaldson and Thomas
Hartley were sent as deputies from York
County to the Provincial Conference, which
had been announced to assemble at Phila-
delphia on July 15, three days before the
Provincial Assembly met pursuant to the
call of Governor Penn. James Smith was
appointed a member of a committee to pre-
pare a petition to the Provincial Assembly
to appoint delegates to attend a Continental
Congress of representatives from all the
colonies in America. This Congress met in
Philadelphia, September 5, 1774, in Car-
penter's Hall. Among the members of this
illustrious body were George AVashington,
Patrick Henry, John Adams, Samuel
Adams, John Jay, and John Rutledge. This
Congress agreed upon a Declaration of
Rights, and after discussing other meas-
ures, adjourned to meet in Philadelphia on
the loth of May, 1775.
On December 16, 1774, the freeholders
of York County met at the Court House for
the purpose of electing a Committee of
Safety, which was composed of one or more
representatives from every township in the
county. The following is a list of the per-
sons chosen:
THK REX'OI.U'l'IOX
243
Henry Slagle,
Joseph Donaldson,
George Eichelberger,
George Irwin,
John Hnv,
Archibald McClean.
David Grier.
David Kennedy,
Thomas Fisher.
John Kean,
John Houston,
George Kuntz,
Simon Coppenhaffer,
Joseph JefFeries,
Robert McCorlev,
Michael Hahn,
Baltzer Spangler,.
Daniel Messerl\%
Xicholas Bittinger,
Michael Davis,
Jacob Doudel,
Frederick Fischol,
James Dickson,
William McClellan,
William Cathcart,
Patrick Scott,
Michael Doudel, "^ — ■
i\Iichael Bard,
Casper Reinecker,
Henry Liebhard,
John Maxwell,
George Oge,
John O. Blenes,
William Dill,
Henry Banta, Sr.,
William Kilmary,
William Chesney,
Francis Holton,
Peter Reel,
Andrew Finlev.
On December 17. the Committee met at
the Court House and organized l)y electing
James Smith, chairman: Thomas Hartley,
vice-president; John Hay, treasurer, and
George Lewis Lefler. secretary. At this
meeting the committee prepared rules for
the transaction of business, laid plans for
raising money to be sent to the unfortunate
people of Boston, whose rights had been
trampled upon by the English government,
and then adjourned until December 29. On
December 22, 1774. a letter was received
from the Committee of Safety in Philadel-
phia requesting that the local committees
in Pennsylvania send delegates to a
Provincial Convention to be held in Phila-
delphia, January 23, 1775, in order that
these delegates might discuss questions
relating to the common defence of the peo-
ple in Pennsylvania and the other colonies.
James Smith, Thomas Hartley, John Hay,
George Eichelberger, Joseph Donaldson.
George Irwin and Michael Smyser were
chosen by the committee to represent York
County in the proposed convention. When
this Provincial Conference met at Philadel-
phia, on January 22. they resolved that this
Convention heartily approved of the con-
duct and proceedings of the Continental
Congress, which had already held a ses-
sion.
In April, 1775, James Smith, chairman of
the Committee of Safety, addressed a
patriotic letter to the committee at Boston
and forwarded the sum of 246 pounds for
the relief of the suiTering people of that
city.
The term Associators was applied to
patriotic citizens of Pennsylvania who
banded together earlv in the Revolution to
protect themsel\-es against the alleged
t}-ranny of the English government, of
which they were subjects. The love of
liberty seems to ha\-e l^een inborn with our
ancestors before the struggle for indepen-
dence had begun. Persecutions in Europe
had led the Scotch from the north of Ire-
land, the Germans from the Palatinate, the
Pietists from Germany and Switzerland to
come to this province because its founder
had offered freedom of conscience and a
liberal government.
After the close of the French and Indian
war, peace and prosperity reigned through-
out York, Cumberland, Westmoreland and
Bedford, then called the frontier counties,
embracing all the region west of the Sus-
quehanna River. Within a few years York
and Cumberland had become densely popu-
lated, each containing about twenty-five
thousand settlers, who were clearing the
primeval forests, cultivating the valuable
lands and hunting the wild game which was
abundant everywhere.
As a result of the Indian in-
Expert cursions and their experience as
Riflemen, hunters, these sturdy pioneers
had become expert riflemen.
When they heard the news from New Eng-
land and the other colonies that measures
would be taken to resist the tyranny of
England, our ancestors in York County
were quick to respond. Militia companies
had been in existence before 1750, and three
companies from York County had partici-
pated as Provincial troops in the French
and Indian war. They had been sworn into
the British service to protect their homes
against the hostile invaders and finally
drove them back to the Ohio Valley.
The military spirit had decreased for
several years, until the patriots of York
County heard of the difficulties at Boston.
James Smith, the leading member of the
York Bar. in May, 1774, was sent as a dele-
gate to the Provincial Conference, which
was held at Carpenter's Hall. Philadelphia.
From the time he had heard of the disturbed
state of attairs in Massachusetts, James
Smith was one of the foremost in this prov-
ince to advocate armed resistance against
the mother country. He presented his
arguments with force and eloquence to the
Conference, which, however, adopted con-
ciliatory measures.
^44
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Immediately after his return to
The York, this ardent advocate of
First American liberty began the
Company, organization of the first mili-
tary company in Pennsylvania
for the purpose of opposing British oppres-
sion. James Smith was chosen captain of
this company; Thomas Hartley, first lieu-
tenant; David Grier, second lieutenant;
Henry Miller, ensign. The commanding
officer became a signer of the Declaration of
Independence and his subordinates all won
distinction in the American army. The
non-commissioned of^cers and privates
were composed of the leading citizens of
the town and county. They met regularly
for drill and discipline, being armed with
rifles for complete training in the art of war.
Meantime the first Continental Congress
had met at Carpenter's Hall, September 5,
1774, and although this body agreed upon
a declaration of rights, and sent a petition
to the king, it di,d not urge armed resist-
ance against the mother country. The mili-
tary spirit, however, was rife throughout
York County, which embraced the area now
included in Adams, and within a short time
other companies of Associators were
formed. On Februar}? 14, 1775, the local
Committee of Correspondence, at a meet-
ing held in the Court House at York, re-
corded that there were several companies of
Associators within the limits of the county
engaged in military drill and discipline
similar to the one at York. It further
stated that the commanding officers were
willing to disband these companies if their
existence was not agreeable to the com-
mittee. James Smith being chairman, de-
clared in open meeting and had it recorded
that the committee would not discourage
the martial spirit of these Associators
throughout York County, but on the con-
trary reported : "we are of the opinion that
said Associators if trained with prudence,
moderation and a strict regard to good
order, under the direction of a man of
probity and understanding, would tend
much to the security of this country
against the attempts of our enemies."
The news from Lexington and Concord
where the British had attacked the militia
of Massachusetts, stimulated the military
ardor of the Associators in York Count}-,
and it reached the highest point of tension
when these patriots heard of the battle of
Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775. Immediately
after the news was brought to York
County, the military company commanded
by Captain Michael Doudel, with Lieuten-
ants Miller, Dill and Matson, began the
march to join the patriot army under Wash-
ington around Boston. The career of this
company is told elsewhere in this volume.
The Revolution had now opened and all
of the thirteen colonies were in a condition
of rebellion. This state of affairs brought
about a meeting of the Pennsylvania As-
sembly, June 30, 1775, which by this time
had become a patriotic body. Many of
those in favor of the British crown had re-
tired. The Assembl}' approved the organ-
ization of Associators and passed resolu-
tions agreeing in case of invasion to provide
for necessary pay of officers and soldiers
performing military duty while in active
service. It recommended that the Board of
Commissioners and Assessors in each
count}' provide a number of muskets or
rifles with bayonets, cartridge boxes large
enough for twenty rounds, and knapsacks.
Three hundred were asked for the County
of York. Every county was requested to'
select a number of Minute Men equal to the
number of arms, and to be in readiness
upon the shortest notice to march to any
quarter in case of emergency.
Saturday of each week was set apart for
military drill. The average number of men
in a company was eighty, rank and file.
The company could not go outside of Penn-
sylvania without the vote of the majority of
the officers and men.
Immediately after the first company of_
^■olunteers under Captain Doudel and Lieu-~
tenant ]Miller began the march to Boston
to join the army under Washington, the As-
sociators began to organize for defensive
operations in case their services were
needed. A meeting of the local Committee
of Safety and officers of the Associators was
held in the county Court House at York,
July 28th and 29th, 1775. It was presided
over b}' James Smith. Under the authority
of this meeting, York Countv was divided
into five military districts.
The associated companies then
Battalions already formed in the town of
Organized. York and the Townships of
Hellam, A\'indsor, ^lanchester,
THE REVOLUTION
245
York and Codorus, were organized into the
first battalion of York County Associators
under the command of James Smith, as
colonel: Thomas Hartley, lieutenant-colo-
nel; Joseph Donaldson and Michael Swope,
majors.
The second battalion was formed from
associated companies in the region of what
is now part of Adams County, including the
Townships of Cumberland, Hamilton Ban,
Straban, I\lenallen, Mt. Joy and Tyrone,
with Robert jNlcPherson, colonel; David
Kennedy, lieutenant-colonel ; and Moses*
McClean and Hugh Dunwoodie, majors.
The third battalion was formed from as-
sociated companies in Heidelberg, Berwick,
Paradise. "Sh. Pleasant, Manheim and Ger-
many Townships, with Richard McAllister,
colonel; Henr}- Slagle, lieutenant-colonel;
John Andrews and Joseph Jeftries, majors.
The fourth battalion was formed from the
associated companies in Chanceford,
Shrewsbury, Fawn and Hopewell Town-
ships, with ^^'illiam Smith, colonel; Francis
Holton, lieutenant-colonel; and John Gib-
son and John Finley, majors.
The fifth battalion was formed from the
, associated companies in Dover, Newberry,
Monaghan, Warrington, Huntingdon and
Reading- To\A'nships, with William Rankin,
colonel; Matthew Dill, lieutenant-colonel;
Robert Stevenson and Gerhart Graeft,
majors.
At this same meeting for the or-
Minute ganization of battalions of Asso-
Men. ciators, under the authority of the
Pennsylvania Conference, a bat-
talion of Alinute Men was organized with
Richard McAllister, colonel; Thomas Hart-
ley, lieutenant-colonel, and David Grier,
major. This battalion was composed of five
companies, one from each militar}- district
of the county. Each company of Minute
Men was composed of a captain, two lieu-
tenants, four sergeants, four corporals, an
ensign, a drummer and sixty-eight or more
privates. These Minute Men were volun-
teers from the five battalions of Associators,
one company from each battalion. The
week following this historic meeting in the
provincial Court House at York, the differ-
ent companies were formed and banded
themselves together to be ready at a mo-
ment's warning to take the field in defence
of their rights and lilierties.
The Associators and Minute Men of York
County who had already subscribed to the
voluntary articles of association for de-
fensive purposes, and which were the first
prepared in any province or colony in the
country, accepted thirty-two articles of as-
sociation recommended by the Pennsyl-
vania Conference, August 12, 1775. These
articles provided for every contingency that
might arise to the troops if called into
active service. They were read in the
presence of each company, after which
officers and privates gave their solemn
attestation. The preamble to these articles
reads as follows ;
"We. the officers and soldiers engaged
in the present association for the defence
of American liljerty, being fully sensible
that the strength and security of any body
of men, acting together, consists in just
regularity, due subordination and exact
obedience to command, without which no
individual can have that confidence in sup-
port of those about him that is so necessary
to give firmness and resolution to the whole,
do voluntarily and freeh-, after consider-
ation of the following articles, adopt the
same as the rules by which we agree and
resolve to be go\'erned in all our military
concerns and operations until the same, or
any of them, shall be changed or dissolved
by the Assembly, or Provincial Convention,
or in their recess by the Committee of
Safety, or a happy reconciliation shall take
place between Great Britain and the
Colonies."
On August I, Colonel James Smith, com-
mander of the first battalion of Associators
and chairman of the Committee of Cor-
respondence and Observation for York
County, addressed a letter to the delegates
in Continental Congress from Pennsyl-
vania. This Congress had convened in
Philadelphia on May 10. on the day when
Ticonderoga and Crown Point had been
captured by Ethan Allen. As recorded in
the Pennsylvania Archives, Colonel Smith
asked an opinion as to how the committee
should proceed with those citizens who for
conscience' sake were opposed to bearing-
arms. The following- day. Michael Swope,
of York, who was a member of the Penn-
sylvania Committee of Safety, wrote to
John Dickinson, at Philadelphia, president
of the Committee. In this letter the writer
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
reports the success of a meeting held at
York in J^l3^; he asked that the officers
cliosen to command the companies of Asso-
ciators and Minute Men receive commis-
sions, thus giving them proper authority to
perform their military duties.
By this time in the histor)' of affairs
which brought forth the war for indepen-
dence there were fifty-three battalions of
Associators in Pennsylvania. It must be
understood that the incidents herein
described took place one year before the
Declaration of Independence, when Penn-
sylvania was still a province and the As-
sembly not acting under a constitution,
which was adopted in 1776, when this prov-
ince became one of the thirteen original
states.
On September 14, the local committee
from this county reported to Benjamin
Franklin and the Committee of Safetj' for
Pennsylvania, that the number of Associ-
ators in York County was 3,349. Accord-
ing to this report there were in July pre-
ceding nine hundred non-associators in this
county, who were opposed to bearing arms.
Meantime some of these had voluntarily
joined the military companies and became
loyal to the cause of independence. The
battalions in York County, according to the
committee's statement, did not contain an
equal number of men, but none of them had
fewer than five hundred. The first three
battalions were large enough for regiments.
The men appointed to command these com-
panies were generally efficient. The dis-
cipline of the companies was not all the
same, so this committee suggested if any
were to be called into service it would be
^\ell to call out those who were best trained
in the manual of arms and in military
practice.
It will thus be seen that the Associators
west of the Susquehanna were preparing
themselves for any emergency. The com-
pan)' that had volunteered early in July had
already won a record for courage and
marksmanship in Thompson's battalion in
AA'ashington's army, at Boston.
AA'hen it was decided by Continental
Congress, in the winter of 1775-6, to send
an expedition to invade Canada, two com-
panies were ordered to be recruited for that
ser\-ice from the associated battalions of
York Count}'. The response to this call
was prompt. AA'illiam Irvine, of Carlisle,
was commissioned colonel to organize and
command the Sixth Battalion of Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers, largely composed of
troops from west of the Susquehanna.
Captain Moses McClean recruited and com-
manded one of the companies from York
Count}^ which joined Irvine's battalion, and
Captain David Grier the other. The
muster rolls of these two companies and
the part taken by these troops in the first
Canada expedition will be found in the
chapter on that subject in this volume.
Thomas Hartley, a member of the York
County Bar, was commissioned lieutenant-
colonel of this battalion. He was then
twenty-six years of age.
The remaining troops all over
Committee York County continued to
of Safety. practice the manual of arms
with their flintlock muskets.
They were imbued with the military spirit
and continued to prepare themselves to
take an active part in the war which had
opened with so much energy and defiance
to the mother countrj^. Meantime a new
Committee of Safety and Observation was
elected by a popular vote throughout the
county. Only men interested in protecting
the rights of the colonies were chosen.
There were several members from each of
the twenty-six townships. The following
are the names :
jNIichael Swope,
James Smith,
Thoriias Hartley,
John Hay,
Charles Lukens,
David Grier,
Joseph Donaldson,
George Irwin,
John Kean,
William Lease,
William Scott,
George Eichelberger,
Philip Albright,
JMichael Hahn,
David Candler, .
Baltzer Spangler, ^'"'^
John Houston,
Thomas Armor,
John Schultz,
Christopher Slagle,
Andrew Rutter,
Peter Wolfe,
Philip Jacob King,
Zachariah Shugart,
John Herbach,
William Johnston,
John Spangler,
James Dickson,
Francis Cazart,
George Brinkerhoff,
John Semple,
Robert i\IcPherson,
Samuel Edie,
William McClellan,
Thomas Douglass,
John Agnew,
David Kenned}',
George Clingen,
George Kerr,
Abraham Banta,
John lilickle, Jr.,
Samuel McConaughy,
David ]\IcConaughy,
John Blackburn,
William Walker,
Richard McAllister,
Christian Graff,
Jacob Will,
Henry Slagle,
John Hamilton,
John Montieth,
Thomas Lilly,
Richard Parsel,
Charles Gelwix,
John jNIcClure,
William Shakly,
Frederick Gelwix,
John Hinkle,
THE REVOLUTION
•^47
John Hoover,
Patrick McSherry,
James Leeper,
Joseph Reed.
Patrick Scott,
James Edgar,
Benjamin Savage,
Andrew Thorr.pson,
Peter Baker,
Jacob Kasel,
John Wilhams,
William Mitchell,
Lewis Williams,
William Rankin,
James Nailer,
Baltzer Knertzer,
Henry Mathias,
George Stough,
Daniel Messerly,
John Xesbit,
Williaiii Wakely,
John Chamberlain,
Andrew Thompson,
Alexander Sanderson.
The British army, after having been
driven out of Boston by the Americans
under Washington, proceeded to Halifax,
Xova Scotia, ^^'hen Congress heard that
this army was about to threaten New York,
it asked for 2,000 troops from Pennsylvania.
A regiment under Colonel Samuel Miles
was organized at Philadelphia. One com-
pany was called for from York County.
This company was recruited from different
battalions of Associators and was placed in
command of Philip Albright as captain;
John Thompson, first lieutenant ; Cornelius
Sheriff, second lieutenant; William Mc-
Pherson, second lieutenant ; Jacob Stair,
third lieutenant. This company joined the
regiment in June and the story of its
service is given in the history of Colonel
Miles' regiment, found in this volume.
During the first years of the war, many
of the patriots of the Revolution were only
seeking for what they termed the rights of
the colonies, but as England was sending
more troops to this country for the purpose
of conquering the Americans now in the
field, the spirit of independence prevailed
throughout the colonies from New Hamp-
shire to Georgia. On July 4, 1776, by a
majority vote in Continental Congress, the
Declaration of Independence was adopted.
Pennsylvania was no longer a province
under the English government. She was in
the centre of the thirteen original states,
and when the war had ended was the key-
stone of the arch under which the American
troops marched when the\^ were mustered
out of service. Philadelphia was to become
the first seat of government of the new-born
Republic of the United States. The five
battalions of Associators in York County
continued to drill and discipline more fre-
quently than they had done before Congress
had declared the states free and indepen-
dent. They had company drill at the regu-
lar parading ground selected by the captain,
and twice a month all the companies of a
battalion met and drilled at one place under
the command of the colonel. The war spirit
was rife throughout the state of Pennsvl-
vania and in every section of York Countv.
The climax came when the Brit-
Called ish threatened to capture the city
Into of New York. Sir William Howe
Service, was now in command of the
enemy's troops and had received
many recruits from across the ocean. In
order to supply all protective measures pos-
sible, on July 5. 1776. the day after the
Declaration of Independence had been
voted upon, a committee of Congress held
a conference with the Pennsylvania Com-
mittee of Safety, and the field officers of the
five battalions of Associators then organ-
ized in Philadelphia. At this meeting reso-
lutions were adopted, urgently requesting
that the entire force of Associators in Penn-
sylvania, in all, fifty-three battalions, "who
can be furnished with arms and accoutre-
ments be forthwith requested to march
with the utmost expedition" to Trenton and
New Brunswick in the State of New Jersey.
These troops were to remain in the service
until a Flying Camp composed of 10,000
men could be organized in the field, and
placed under the command of General
Hugh Mercer, a bosom friend of Washing-
ton. On the same day. Congress approved
what had been done and "recommended to
the good people of Pennsylvania to carry
their purposes into execution with the same
laudable readiness which they have ever
manifested in supporting the injured rights
of their country." This news was soon
brought west of the Susquehanna and cir-
culated throughout York County.
There are no official reports which give
the historian the privilege of describing in
detail how these five battalions of associ-
ated militia from this county congregated at
their appointed places and began the march
toward Philadelphia and Trenton. Every
flintlock musket or rifle available was
brought into requisition and given to these
patriots who had answered the call of their
country for the common defence of the
nation, which had just declared its indepen-
dence.
^lichael Swope took command of
Going the battalion which had been
to the drilled by James Smith, who had
Front. Ijeen elected to Congress, and be-
248
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
came a signer of the immortal declara-
tion. Robert McPherson, who then re-
sided near the site of Gettysburg, marched
toward York with the Second Battalion.
Richard McAllister, who was also com-
mander of the Minute Men, came with the
Third Battalion from Hanover and vicinity.
A^'illiam Smith, wath the Fourth Battalion,
from the lower end of the county, crossed
the Susquehanna at McCall's Ferry and pro-
ceeded to Lancaster, where he afterward
met the other battalions on the march.
William Rankin came from Newberry and
adjoining townships with the Fifth Bat-
talion. If they all obtained firelocks and
the necessary equipment, there- were at least
2,500 professional men, tillers of the soil
and tradesmen, who crossed the Susque-
hanna and began the march to Philadelphia
and Trenton in the midsummer daj^s of
Jul}'. 1776, shortly after the Declaration of
Independence had been read in front of the
Court House at York.
"On July 7," says the pastor of the
Moravian Church in his diary, "strict orders
came that all Associators of this county
should hold themselves in readiness to
march to the front."
In answer to the call for troops, York
County responded with the five battalions,
the advance reaching Philadelphia July 16.
From thence they proceeded to Perth Am-
boy, near the city of New York, and during
the succeeding month two regiments were
formed out of these battalions of Associ-
ators. They composed the First and
Second Pennsylvania Regiments of the
Flying" Camp, whose history will be found
in another chapter of this book.
The Associators who had not
Proof of enlisted in the Flying Camp in
Patriotism, accordance with the act of
Congress, after receiving the
pay of troops in the Continental service,
were permitted to return home. It seems
that a sufficient number had enlisted for the
immediate demands of the army. The
object in calling the entire militia force of
the state for one month had a double pur-
pose. It supplied sufficient men for the
Flying Camp, and at that earh' period
proved the courage and patriotism of the
Pennsylvania Associators in the cause of
independence.
The Associators who returned home kept
up their organizations and continued their
military drill and discipline, expecting that
they might soon again be called into the
service. After the battle of Long Island,
which was succeeded by the disaster to the
American arms at Fort Washington, the
British held New York City. Succeeding
these events A\'ashington, with his depleted
army, retreated across New Jersey and
when Philadelphia was threatened by the
in\-ading foe, there was another call for
troops. The Pennsylvania Council of
Safety requested the Board of War to sta-
tion more troops for the defence of Phila-
delphia. The object of this move was not
only to protect the city against the invading
foe, but to menace the adherents to the
Crown known as Tories, who lived in Phila-
delphia and the surrounding country. It
was then ordered that two Virginia battal-
ions, the German battalion, four companies
of Marines, and 560 Associators from each
of the counties of York, Cumberland, Lan-
caster and Berks be called into the service
and placed under the command of General
Stephen for the defence of Philadelphia.
Thomas AMiarton, president of
Mifflin Pennsylvania, on December 23,
at issued an address which appealed
York. to every friend of his country.
^Meantime, General Thomas Mif-
flin, the "fighting Quaker" of the Revolu-
tion, was requested by the State Assembly
to make a tour of Pennsylvania. He made
speeches in every section of the state,
arousing the patriotism of the people by his
fascinating eloquence. He came to York
and also visited Carlisle. In both of these
towns he stirred up so much enthusiasm
that an early chronicler was constrained to
say "the quota from the hack counties was
easil}' raised." In fact the loyalty to the
union of states in the interior counties was
much more pronounced than in the city of
Philadelphia.
This alarming call was the result of the
defeat of Washington around New York
City and the retreat of his army across
New Jersey. The term of enlistment of
some of his soldiers had ended. The Flying
Camp, which had enlisted for the term of
six months, would end January i, but many
of this gallant band of soldiers were per-
suaded to remain in the service for a longer
time. AA'ithin a few davs, three thousand
n
THE REVOLUTION
249
Associators from tlie interior of Pennsyl-
vania arrived in the city of Philadelphia and
were placed in command of Cadwalader
and Ewing, then guarding the Delaware
River from Trenton to Philadelphia. Al-
though not active participants, they were
present at Trenton and Princeton, im-
portant victories in the American cause.
When it was feared the British would
again attack Philadelphia in the spring of
1777, the Supreme Executive Council, in a
proclamation of the 9th of April, after
stating the causes of alarm and calling upon
the people to prepare for defence, used this
language :
"This city has once been saved by the
vigorous, manly efforts of a few brave As-
sociators, who generously stepped forward
in defence of their countr}^: and it has been
repeatedly and justly observed, and ought
to be acknowledged as a signal evidence of
the favor of Divine Providence that the
lives of the associated militia in ever)- battle
during this just war have been remarkably
spared. Confiding, therefore, in the con-
tinuance of His blessing, who is indeed the
God of Armies, let every man among us
hold himself ready to march into the field
whenever he shall be called upon to do so."
With the passage and promulga-
State tion of the new militia law, the
Militia. Associated Battalions as such
ceased to exist. The days of the
Associators had passed away and the Penn-
sylvania militia came upon the stage of
action. It was naturally anticipated that
greater thoroughness in discipline would be
the result, yet this was never realized. Al-
though the militia served well in the cam-
paign around Philadelphia, September,
"^lll- yst their duties were afterward
chiefly confined either in protecting the
frontiers, standing sentinel while the back-
woodsman sowed his grain and reaped his
harvest, or in guarding prisoners of war.
The' influence of the Associators was never-
theless felt throughout the contest for in-
dependence.
At the next session of the Penns3-lvania
Assembly, a special act was passed relating
to the militia of the state. The act pro-
vided for the division of York County into
six districts for the purpose of keeping the
militia organizations in practice ready for
service. Each countv of the state was re-
quired to have at least 640 militia, armed
and equipped and ready for military duty.
The organization of the county
Militia militia was in charge of a lieu-
Organized, tenant and in each district a
sub-lieutenant was appointed.
This law went into force in INIarch, 1777.
Richard McAllister, w'ho had commanded a
regiment in the Flying Camp, was ap-
pointed lieutenant of York County. Hance
Morrison, Robert Stevenson, John Hay,
James ]McCandless and John Carson were
appointed sub-lieutenants. It was the duty
of the sub-lieutenants to carry out all the
provisions of the act and see that at least
640 men in his district between the ages of
18 and 50 should receive the proper military
drill so as to be trained in the art of war.
All persons enrolled who failed to be
present at muster without cause were fined
7 shillings and 6 pence. There were eight
companies in a district. Each company
was required to drill at least two days each
month. The companies met at regular in-
tervals for battalion drill. The militia
forces of the state were then placed under
the command of Brigadier-Generals John
Armstrong, John Cadwalader, James Pot-
ter and Samuel Meredith. In June, Arm-
strong was made the major-general and
James Irvine was appointed additional
brigadier, in August.
As early as April 25, 1777, President
AA'harton, by advice of Continental Con-
gress and the Board of War, ordered at
least 500 militia from the dift'erent counties
of the state to rendezvous at Bristol and
Chester, to be in readiness for the enemy if
they attempted to attack Philadelphia.
On May i, 1777, Colonel Richard McAl-
lister wrote to President A\'harton that he
had just finished dividing York County into
military districts. It was difficult to raise
the quota of 640 men required for each dis-
trict. He assured Mr. AA'harton that he had
not lost one hour in organizing the militia,
nor would he until the work was thor-
oughly done. On May 7, President Whar-
ton acknowledged the receipt of McAl-
lister's letter, assuring the latter that he
felt confident that he was performing his
dutv to his utmost abilit3^ He requested
that a report of the election of of^cers for
each battalion be forwarded in order that
commissions for these officers might be sent
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
to Colonel jNIcAUister for distribution. As
soon as he learned the movements of the
enemy, Wharton "stated that he would in-
form McAllister of the condition of affairs,
so that he might be able to furnish the
quota of men required from York County.
June 14, the Supreme Executive Council
of the state sent a circular letter requesting
the county lieutenants to forward to the
seat of war the militia of the first class, and
to have in readiness those of the second
class for active service.
Jul}' 4, McAllister wrote to
Trouble Presiden-t Wharton from Han-
in over, stating that he had great
Raising difficulty in getting the battalions
Troops, together for military practice.
Some of the officers elected were
unsatisfactorjr and others would not serve.
He stated that there was a lack of arms in
York County necessary for the troops either
for drill or active service in the field, and
urged that the state supply the necessary
arms. This worked against his ability to
forward the troops as rapidly as expected.
On July 28, Continental Congress, upon
receiving the news of the movement of
Howe's army from New York toward
Philadelphia, asked the State of Pennsyl-
vania to furnish 4,000 troops from the
organized militia within the state. Each
county was requested to send one class of
the militia.
It will be seen from these numerous calls
for troops the disturbed condition of affairs
in Pennsylvania during this crucial period
of the Revolution. Most of the militia of
York County at this time belonged to the
agricultural classes. Some of them were
Quakers, who, according to their religion,
were non-combatants. Still another class
were Germans who had sworn allegiance to
the government of England when they set-
tled in York County and other sections of
Pennsylvania. When General Howe landed
in New York after the battle of Long Island
he had offered a general amnesty to all
Americans who were willing to adhere to
the British crown. There were many Ger-
mans serving in the British army at this
period, and German emissaries were sent
out among the people of that nationality
throughout Pennsylvania, urging them to
oppose the militia laws. This caused a
great difficulty in York and other counties
of the state which contained German in-
habitants.
On August 28, 1777, Colonel Richard Mc-
Allister wrote to President Wharton that
there were dissensions among the Associ-
ators in the German townships near Han-
over. Two hundred freemen had assembled
at one place for the purpose of opposing the
draft of the militia for service in the field.
He continued by saying that he had lived
in peace among these people for twenty
years or more, and knew well their customs
and habits, but it was very difficult to in-
duce them to take up arms against the
covmtry to which they had sworn allegiance.
He said that notwithstanding the difficulties
he had encountered in the prosecution of
his duties as lieutenant of York County, he
had marched five companies to the front
fully armed and equipped, in answer to the
recent call, and would soon have three more
companies ready to take up the march for
the army. In this letter McAllister stated
that in two or three companies all of the
men were substitutes, except five or six.
He obtained substitutes for the sum of $40,
while in Cumberland County from $100 to
$110 were paid to induce men to enlist as
substitutes.
Early in the summer, Colonel McAllister
had received from the State of Pennsylvania
the sum of 1,000 pounds for the purpose of
carrying on his work and was charged with
the same. On August i, the sum of 3,000
pounds, or about $15,000, was sent to him.
This money was used to equip the soldiers
and to buy substitutes to take the places of
those who refused to enter the army.
Instead of crossing New Jersey and at-
tacking Philadelphia, as anticipated. Gen-
eral Howe set sail from New York and
came up the Chesapeake Bay, landing near
Elkton, Md., with an army of 18,000 men.
At this alarming period of the war. Presi-
dent Wharton, of Pennsylvania, issued a
proclamation to the people of the state
which in part reads as follows :
"The time is at length come in
Appeal which the fate of ourselves, our
to Arms, wives, children and posterity
must be speedily determined;
General Howe, at the head of a British
army, the only hope, the last resource of
our enemy, has invaded this state, dis-
missing his ships and disencumbering him-
THE REVOLUTION
self of liis heavy artillery and baggage, he
appears to have risked all upon the event of
a movement which must either deliver up
to plunder and devastation, this capital of
Peiinsyhania and of America, or forever
blast the cruel designs of our implacable
foe. Blessed be God, Providence seems to
have left it to ourselves to determine
whether we shall triumph in victory and
rest in freedom and peace, or by tamely
submitting, or weakly resisting", deliver our-
selves up a prey to an enemy.
"The foe is manifestly aiming, either by
force to conquer, or by strategem and stolen
marches to elude the vigilance of our brave
commander, declining a battle with our
countrymen, they have attempted to steal
upon us by surprise. They have been
liitherto defeated, but numbers are abso-
lutely necessary to watch them on every
quarter at once.
"The .neighboring states are hurrying
forward their militia, and we hope by rising
as one man, and besetting the foe at a
distance from his fleet, Ave shall speedily
enclose him like a lion in the toils.
"The Council therefore most humbly be-
seech and entreat all persons whatsoever, to
exert themselves without delay, to seize
this present opportunity of crushing the
foe. now in the bowels of our countn,', by
marching forth instantly under their re-
spective officers, to the assistance of our
great general, that he may be able to en-
viron and demolish the only British army
that remains formidable in America. Ani-
mated with the hope that Heaven, as before
it has done in all times of difficulty and dan-
ger, will again crown our righteous efforts
with success, we look forward to the pros-
pect of seeing our insulting foe cut off from
all means of escape and. by the goodness of
the Almighty, the Lord of Hosts and God
of Battles, wholly delivered into our
hands."
The first and second classes
At of militia had already been
Brandywine called out during the early
and summer of 1777. After the
Germantown. proclamation had been cir-
culated, the third class had
j been ordered to the seat of war. Similar
I calls were made from other counties in the
state. They marched to join Washington's
army near Philadelphia and were placed
under General .\rmstrong, who commanded
the extreme left of the American army at
the battle of Brandywine. Although not
acti\ely engaged in the battle. Armstrong
and his Pennsylvania militia remained on
the heights below Chad's Ford and were
witnesses to the battle. After the defeat,
Armstrong retreated to Chester and then
moved with \\'ashington to Philadelphia.
Li the battle of Germantown, the Pennsyl-
vania militia took a prominent part. They
behaved with gallantry in this engagement
as well as in the spirited skirmishes at
Chestnut Hill, A\'hite Marsh and Crooked
Billet Tavern. In the affair at White
]\Iarsh, Colonel James Thompson, of Hope-
well Township, who commanded a battalion
of York County men, was wounded and car-
ried oft the field on a horse by General
James Potter, then commanding a brigade
of Pennsylvania militia.
After the campaign of 1778, which re-
sulted in the victory at Monmouth, New
Jersey, the Pennsylvania militia west of the
Susquehanna was utilized in guarding the
northern and western frontiers from the
ravages of hostile Indians, Avho had been
incited by British emissaries to disttu-b the
quietude of white settlers in this region. A
battalion of York County militia, in 1779,
under command of Colonel Philip Albright,
was marched to Standing Stone, the site of
Huntingdon, Pennsyh'ania, and c^uartered
there for several months.
^^'hen the seat of war was transferred to
the South, and Pennsylvania was no longer
in danger of invasion by the British, the
state militia spent most of their time at
home, awaiting the result of the war.
When Burgoyne"s army was marched from
Boston to Virginia in December, 1778. a
regiment of York County militia took
charge of these 4.500 British and Hessians
and marched them to Charlottesville, where
they were held for three years. After the
return of these prisoners to Pennsylvania,
two or three companies of local militia, at
stated times, guarded about 1.800 prisoners,
kept in a stockade in Windsor Township,
four and a half miles southeast of York. In
1781, when Cornw-allis moved northward
toward Virginia and threatened to land at
Annapolis, ^laryland, and send a division
to release the prisoners at York. Lancaster
and Reading, a part of the militia force was
252
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
called out and stationed along the west
bank of the Susquehanna, under the direc-
tion of ^^'illiam Scott, who was lieutenant
for York Count}^
After the close of the war, in 1783, the
militia system was in force for more than
half a century.
COLONEL JAMES THOMPSON, who
commanded the first battalion of York
County militia at Germantown and White
Marsh, was born in Sadsbury Township,
Lancaster County, in 1745. He grew to
manhood in his native county and in 1773
was married to Lydia, daughter of Robert
Bailey. Soon after his marriage he re-
moved to the southern section of York
County, where he engaged in farming. He
became prominently identified with the
Round Hill Church, in Hopewell Township.
Shortly after the opening of the Revolution
he appeared before his brother, Andrew
Thompson, one of the court justices for
York County, and took the oath of alle-
giance and fidelity to the government of the
United States. He served as a lieutenant
in the Pennsylvania Line and was promoted
for meritorious services. In September,
1777, when the Pennsylvania militia was
called into active service to aid in opposing
the British army under Howe from its
approach to Philadelphia, James Thompson
was commissioned colonel of the First Bat-
talion of the York County trqops. This
battalion was placed in the brigade of
Pennsyhania militia commanded by Briga-
dier-General Potter, and served in the cam-
paign around Philadelphia during the fall
of 1777.
Colonel Thompson was severely wounded
in an action at ^Vhite Horse Tavern, near
Philadelphia, and was carried from the
field by General Potter, on the latter's
horse, to the brigade surgeon for treatment.
After recuperating from his wound. Colonel
Thompson returned to his home in York
County, where he served during the next
year as purchasing agent for the govern-
ment. In 1779 he was chosen a member, to
represent York County, in the Supreme
Executive Council of Pennsjdvania. Some-
time after the Revolution he removed to
Sadsbury Township, where, in association
with his brother-in-law, Colonel John
Steele, he built a grist mill and a paper mill
on the Octorara Creek. Thev conducted a
considerable business here for twenty years
or more. Late in life. Colonel Thompson
removed to the Chester County side of the
Octorara, where he died October 3, 1807,
at the age of 62 years.
MAJOR JOSEPH DONALDSON, of
York County, was a native of the Province
of Maryland, born August 16, 1742. He
located in the southern part of York
County, was an active and energetic A\'hig,
and formed one of the Committee of Cor-
respondence of the County, to succor the
Bostonians at the time of the going into
efifect of the "Port Bill." He was a dele-
gate to the Provincial Deputies, which met
July 15, 1774; justice of the peace from 1774
to 1776; member of the Provincial Confer-
ence of January 23, 1775; and member of
the Convention of July 15, 1776. He was a
major of the First Battalion of the Associ-
ators of York County, July, 1775, and was
in ser\'ice during the campaign of 1776.
On the 8th of November, 1777, he was ap-
pointed one of the commissioners to collect
clothing for the Continental army. Major
Donaldson died at York about 1790. For
ten years he was a partner with Wil-
liam Harris in the mercantile business at
the southeast corner of ^larket and Water
1 1 1" G C t S
COLONEL HENRY SCHLEGEL
(SLAGLE) was born in Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania, in 1735. His father, Chris-
topher Slagle, of Saxony, came to Pennsyl-
vania in 171 3, and the following year took
up a large tract of land on the Conestoga
Creek, and built a mill. Subsequently he
transferred his interests therein, and re-
moved, in 1737, west of the Susquehanna,
locating near the present site of Hanover,
now within the limits of Adams County, on
Slagle's Run, a branch of the Little Cone-
wago. Henr}' was one of four sons, Daniel,
Jacob and Christopher, and followed the
occupation of his father, a farmer and
miller. He was commissioned one of the
pro\-incial magistrates in October, 1764,
and continued in office by the convention of
1776. In December, 1774, he served on the
committee of inspection for York County;
commanded a battalion of Associators in
1779; was a member of the Pro\'incial Con-
ference of June 18, 1776, and of the subse-
quent convention of the 15th of July. He
was appointed by the Assembly, December
THE REVOLUTION
253
]6, 1777, to take subscriptions for the Con-
tinental loan: November 22, 1777, acted as
one of the commissioners wliich met at
New Haven. Connecticut, to regulate the
price of commodities in the states. He
represented York County in the General
Assembly from 1777 to 1779; appointed
sub-lieutenant of the county, March 30,
1780; one of the auditors of depreciation
accounts for York County, March 3, 1781 ;
member of the Constitutional Conx'ention
of 1789-90; commissioned by Governor
Mifilin, one of the associate judges of York
County, August 17, 1791, and continued as
such upon the organization of Adams
County. He represented the latter county
in the Legislature, sessions of 1801-2.
Colonel Slagle died at his residence, near
Hanover; his remains were interred in the
graveyard adjoining St. Matthew's Luth-
eran Church. The various ofifices held by
him show conclusively that he had the con-
fidence of the community. He was an
ardent patriot, a faithful officer, and an up-
right citizen.
.LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOHN
HAY, of the Revolution, was born in
Alsace, then in France, about 1733. His
father, John Hay, was a native of Scotland,
who, owing to the religious persecutions,
emigrated to the Province of Alsace, sub-
sequently coming to America, bringing
with him four sons, who settled in Phila-
delphia. Northampton, and York Counties,
Pennsylvania, and in Virginia. John Hay,
of York County, was naturalized April 11,
1760. He was one of the Provincial mag-
istrates ; a commissioner of the county from
1772 to 1775; member of the Committee of
Correspondence to send aid to the people of
Boston in 1774; of the Provincial Conven-
tion, June 23, 1775; First Lieutenant in
Colonel James Smith's Battalion of Asso-
cistors, December. 1775; member of the
Provincial Conference which met at Car-
penter's Hall, June 18, 1776; and of the
Convention of July 15, called by that body.
He was appointed sub-lieutenant of the
county ]\Iarch 12, 1777; resigning to accept
the oiifice of county treasurer in 1778, filling
that position almost uninterruptedly until
1801. He represented York County in the
Assembly in 1779, 1782, 1783, and 1784.
Colonel Hay was the owner of a large tract
of land in the immediate vicinity of York,
part of which subsequently became incor-
porated into the town and known as "Hay's
Addition." He died in April, 1810. His
son, Jacob, was a corporal in Moylan's cav-
alrv regiment of the Revolution.
COLONEL ROBERT McPHERSON
was the only son of Robert and Janet Mc-
Pherson, who settled in the western portion
of York County, in the fall of 1738 on the
"Manor of Maske." He was born presum-
ably in Ireland about 1730, and was a youth
of eight years when his parents became a
part of the well-known Marsh Creek settle-
ment. He was educated at Rev. Dr. Alli-
son's school at New London. Chester
County, Pennsylvania, which academy was
afterward moved to Newark, Delaware, and
became the foundation of the present col-
lege at that place. His father died Decem-
ber 25, 1749, and his mother September 23,
1767. In 1751 he married Agnes, the
daughter of Robert Miller, of the Cumber-
land Valley. In 1755 he was appointed
treasurer of York County. .and in 1756 a
commissioner of the county. The latter
office he resigned on accepting a commis-
sion as captain of the Third Battalion of the
Provincial forces. May 10, 1758, serving
under General Forbes on his expedition
against Fort Duquesne. From 1762 to 1765
he was sheriff of the county, and from 1764
to the begiiming of the Revolution was a
justice of the peace under the Proprietaries,
serving from 1770 as president justice of the
York County Court, and was re-commis-
sioned a justice under the first constitution
of the state. From 1765 to 1767 he was a
member of the Provincial Assembly and in
1768 was appointed county treasurer to fill
a vacancy. He was a member of the Pro-
vincial Conference which met at Carpenter's
Hall, Philadelphia, June 18, 1776; and was
one of the representatives of York County
in 1776, which formed the first constitution
of the State of Pennsylvania. At the be-
ginning of the War for Independence he
was commissioned a colonel of the York
County Battalion of Associators, and dur-
ing that and the following year he was in
active service in the Jerseys and in the sub-
sequent campaign around Philadelphia.
After his return from the field he was em-
ployed as the purchasing commissary of
army supplies for the western end of York
County. In 1779 he was one of the three
254
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
auditoi's of "confiscation and fine accounts."
From 1781 to 1785 lie served as a member
of the Assembly of the State. Colonel Mc-
Pherson was one of the charter members
of the corporation of Dickinson College,
and continued to act as trustee until his
death, on February 19, 1789. His son, Wil-
liam McPherson, served as a lieutenant in
Albright's Company, Miles' Regiment, in
the Revolution.
COLONEL MATTHEW DILL was
one of the first settlers in the vicinity of the
present ,|toiwn of Dillsburg. He was of
Scotch-Irish ancestry. During the troubles
immediately before the French and Indian
war, he was one of the five commissioners,
one of whom was Benjamin Franklin, ap-
pointed to make a treaty with the Indians
at the Croghan fort, which was located near
the Susquehanna, in the lower end of Cum-
berland County. He afterward took part
in the French and Indian war. In 1749 he
was one of the eight justices of the peace,
and justice of the Court of Common Pleas
of York County. He died before the Revo-
lution. His remains, together with those
of many of his descendants, lie in the family
graveyard a few hundred yards west of
Dillsburg, this county. His daughter mar-
ried Colonel Richard McAllister.
Colonel Matthew Dill, of the Revolution,
was a son of Matthew Dill. In October,
1764, he was appointed justice of the peace
and the Court of Common Pleas, under the
colonial government, and continued in the
same office upon the adoption of the consti-
tution of 1776. He served in the General
Assembly in 1777-8-9. During the year
1779 he was appointed sub-lieutenant of
York County, to organize the county
militia, and on March 30, 1780, was ap-
pointed one of the three commissioners to
seize the personal effects of Tories in York
County. For a short time after the Revo-
lution he was president justice of the Court
of Common Pleas.
MAJOR ELI LEWIS, son of Ellis
Lewis, who settled in Fairview Township
in 1735, was born in Redland Valle}^
January 31, 1750. In 1775 he became the
commander of a company of x\ssociators in
Newberry and Fairview Townships. In
1776 he marched with his company to
join the Fh'ing Camp. He was cap-
tured and held as a prisoner of war in
New York City and Long Island for sev-
eral months.
Major Lewis was a man of education and
in 1790, when Harrisburg was a small vil-
lage, he founded The Monitor and Weekly
Advertiser, the first newspaper at the state
capital.
After General St. Clair was routed by the
Indians in Ohio, he printed and published
in his newspaper, "St. Clair's Defeat," a
poem containing literary merit, which was
widely copied. In 1798 Major Lewis
founded the town of Lewisberry. Novem-
ber 10, 1779, he married Pamela Webster,
at Londongrove Friends meeting house,
Chester County. Major Lewis died at
Lewisberry, February i, 1807. The re-
mains of Major Lewis and his wife are
buried in the Friends graveyard at New-
berrytown. The spot has recently been
marked by a marble tablet and surrounded
by a stone wall. Among their children
were Ellis Lewis, who became chief justice
of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania;
W'ebster Lewis, physician at Lewisberry ;
James, a member of the bar and president
of the York bank ; Eli, president of tlie
First National bank at York.
COL.ONEL WILLIAM RANKIN, of
York County, of Quaker parentage, was a
native of England, his parents coming to
this country when he was very young.
Prior to the Revolution he was a justice of
the peace of the Province, and located near
the Susquehanna, in Fishing Creek Valley,
York County. Although a member of the
AA'arrington Monthly Meeting, he became
at the outset of the Revolution an ardent
Whig, and was chosen colonel of one of the
York County Battalions of Associators.
He was a member of the Provincial Confer-
ence of June 18, 1776, and of the Conven-
tion of 15th of July following. By the
latter body he was continued a justice £)f
the peace. The cause of Colonel Rankin's
defection has never been divulged, but
during the year 1780 he was detected in
holding a traitorous correspondence with
the enemy, and in March. 1781, he was
arrested and thrown into prison. He
escaped, however, from the York jail, when
President Reed issued a proclamation
offering a reward for his apprehension.
AN'ith his brothers, John and James, who
had also turned traitors to the Colonies, he
THE REVOLUTIOx\
255
went to England, but whether he died in
exile, we have not been able to ascertain
His property was partly confiscated, as also
that of his brothers, who had large landed
estates in York County, although, through
the intervention of influential friends, a
portion was saved to their descendants
who remained in this country. These
Tories were all compensated for their losses
by the British government.
HISTORICAL NOTES.
The following items arranged in chrono-
logical order, relate to interesting facts and
incidents of the Revolution :
In September, 1775, the Committee of
Safety for York County, of which James
Smith was chairman, sold to the Pennsyl-
vania Council of Safety, forty-nine quarter
casks of. powder, weighing 1,225 pounds,
and 3,770 pounds of lead, and a supply of
arms and accoutrements, receiving 559
pounds, 6 shillings, 1 1 pence. At this early
date, York contained a depository for
munitions of war, for soon after the Penn-
sylvania Council ordered the local com-
mittee to forward to Colonel Samuel More-
head, of Westmoreland County, 500 pounds
of powder, and 1,250 pounds of lead, for the
use of militia in that county. These trans-
actions took place nearly one year before
the Declaration of Independence, when the
affairs of the Province, then in a state of
rebellion against the mother country, were
controlled by the Pennsylvania Council of
Safety.
October 12, the local committee sent
from the magazine at York, 200 pounds of
gunpowder and 600 pounds of lead, to the
Committee of Safety for Northampton
County. About this time, James Smith
notified the people of York County that
they should not waste the powder and lead
for it would be needed to carry on the war
with England.
In December, Robert Morris, of Phila-
delphia, a member of the Continental Con-
gress, requested the Pennsylvania Council
of Safety to supply provisions for the
women and children of the British troops,
captured at St. Johns, Canada, and give
directions for their removal to Reading,
York and Lancaster. During the early part
of the war, most of the British officers and
many of the privates brought their wives
and families to this country.
January 15, 1776, Jasper
Gunsmiths Yeates, of Lancaster, reported
at Work. that the blankets engaged by
Mr. Hough, in York County,
for the public service, had been detained on
the west side, owing to the floating ice on
the river. Soon after the Revolution
opened, the gunsmiths began to make fire-
locks in every section of Pennsylvania, and
in April, 1776, the Committees of Safety for
York, Cumberland and Northampton Coun-
ties were each ordered to send fifty-six
flintlock muskets, the same number of
bayonets and powder horns to Philadelphia.
In June, Colonel William Rankin, of New-
berry Township, received 200 pounds, or
about $1,000, for rifles which he sold to the
Pennsylvania Committee of Safety.
Early in July, ten British prisoners of the
company commanded by Captain Campbell
were brought to York. These prisoners
were fed by Elijah Etting, when they first
arrived. He received three pounds, fifteen
shillings, for feeding them seven days
before they were put in permanent quar-
ters. July 15, Captain James Sterling re-
ceived $100 part payment for expenses in
marching British prisoners from Burling-
ton, New Jersey, to York.
September 25, Baltzer Spangler and four
other persons received in all forty-five dol-
lars for riding through York County to
notify the colonels of the militia battalions
to march to New Jersey. This was the first
general call for the militia of York County
to serve in the army. They marched to
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, near Long Is-
land, upon which the British army, under
Howe, had recently landed.
On September 30, Joseph Donaldson, of
York, succeeded Michael Swope as a mem-
ber of the Pennsylvania Council of Safety.
Colonel Donaldson immediately proceeded
to Philadelphia and assumed his duties.
January 13, 1777, York County furnished
4,000 bushels of grain as feed for horses in
the continental service. About the same
time, Joseph Pennell, assistant commissary-
general, reported that owing to the demands
for whiskey, by the use of small copper
stills, many of the farmers in Pennsylvania
were engaged in making this product. He
notified the authorities that if the practice
256
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
was continued the supply of rye and other
grains would not equal the demand. In
February, General John Armstrong, then in
command of a body of militia in the army,
stated that rye and much of the wheat
raised in Cumberland, Lancaster and York
Counties, in 1776, had been used in distil-
ling whiskey. "This condition of affairs,"
he said, "is alarming, because in a few
months, Pennsjdvania may be scarce in
bread for her own inhabitants."
The field officers in command of the
militia in 1777, were appointed by authority
of the State Assembly upon the recom-
mendation of the members from the differ-
ent counties. The members of the As-
sembly from York County then were
Archilaald McClean, Michael Swope, David
Dunwoodie, James Dickson, Michael
Hahn and John Read. March 11, Thomas
Nesbitt paid Michael Hahn, of York, nine-
teen pounds, seventeen shillings, for scab-
bards, furnished to the militia. At the same
time, Michael Eichelberger, of York, re-
ceived from Nesbitt, five pounds for lodging
servants of militia officers at York. Mich-
ael Hahn, who had been chosen to the
Legislature from York, served as paymaster
to the militia in 1776. He was succeeded,
September 16, 1777, by Lieutenant William
Scott.
April 25, 500 militia from York County
were ordered to proceed to the camp at
Chester. These troops were drafted in ac-
cordance with the militia law. In general
orders, June 13, 1777, at Philadelphia, the
detachment of the First Maryland Regi-
ment was ordered to parade at five o'clock
the next morning and escort prisoners to
York. September 5, Richard Peters, secre-
tar)^ of the Board of War, suggested that
the county lieutenants of militia for York,
Lancaster, Cumberland, Berks and North-
ampton Counties, furnish a guard for
prisoners held in or passing through said
counties, and also for guarding government
property.
There were Tories in York
Committee County, during the Revolu-
Appointed. tion, as well as in other parts
of the countr)^. The most
stringent measures were adopted by the
State Legislatures to check the growth of
disloyalty. For this purpose committees
were appointed in each county to seize the
estates of the disaffected and confiscate the
property. October 21, soon after Congress
came to York, William White, Robert
Stevenson, James Nailor, Matthew Dill,
William Chesney and John Ewing were ap-
pointed a committee for York County. No-
vember 8, Joseph Donaldson, George Ir-
win, Thomas Stockton, Frederick Gelwix,
Thomas Weems, John Nesbitt, Henry Cot-
ton, Jacob Staley, John Andrews and
Robert Smith were appointed commission-
ers to collect arms and accoutrements,
blankets, woollen and linsey-woolsey cloth,
linens, shoes and stockings for the army,
from the inhabitants who had not taken the
oath of allegiance and abjuration or who
had aided the enemy.
On October 15, 1777, Jacob Smearly was
paid 13 pounds, 15 shillings for making
irons for the prisoners of war.
November 19, 1777, the Council of Safety
ordered the civil authorities of Cumberland
County to provide 126 wagons, and of York
County 1 18 wagons for the purpose of re-
moving government stores to places of
safety west of the Susquehanna. This oc-
curred shortly after the battle of German-
town. The demands for wagons from the
different townships of York County . and
from York were as follows : Monaghan, 2 ;
AVarrington, 6; Huntingdon, 6; Reading,
6; Dover, 3; Newberry, 6; Manchester, 6;
Hellam, 4; York Township, 4; York, 2;
Hopewell, 2; Chanceford, 2; Fawn, 4;
Shrewsbury, 4; Windsor, 6; Codorus, 6;
Heidelberg, 6; Germany, 6; Paradise, 6;
Berwick, 4; Mountjoy, 3; Mount Pleasant,
3 ; Straban, 3 ; Tyrone, 4 ; Menallen, 3 ;
Cumberland, 3 ; Hamiltonban, 3 ; Manheim,
5-
October 20, Captain Joshua Williams
made information before a justice of the
peace of York County, charging Stephen
Foulke with concealing deserters from Wil-
liams' company. Justice Lees discharged
Foulke for lack of sufficient evidence.
January 9, 1778, Joseph Jeffries was ap-
pointed wagon-master of York County.
February 13, Captain Long, commanding
militia whose term had expired, was
ordered to convey British prisoners from
Lancaster to York.
General Washington, who had been
given by Congress extraordinary powers,
on February 17, 1778, ordered Lieutenant
THE REVOLUTION
257
Thomas Campbell, of ]\Ionaghan Township,
to return home and recruit one hundred and
fifty men for the army. March 22, the
Executive Council of Pennsylvania granted
an order in favor of Colonel Richard McAl-
lister, lieutenant of York County, for 3,000
pounds, or $15,000, to be given to William
Scott, paymaster of militia of York County.
David Watson received 1,500 pounds from
the same source, April 10, 1778, for the pur-
pose of purchasing" horses in the County of
York, for the Continental cavalr}^ Captain
Thomas Gourley, of the Ninth ; Captain
Nehemiah Stokely, of the Eighth; Lieuten-
ant James McCullough, of the Fifth; Lieu-
tenant Thomas Campbell and Lieutenant
Samuel Gray, of the Fourth Pennsylvania
Regiments, came to York County, in April,
to recruit soldiers to fill up the Pennsyl-
vania Line.
Robert Stephenson. James Marlar, AVil-
liam Chesney, Thomas Stockton, and
Thomas Lilly were appointed commission-
ers for York County, under the act of at-
tainder. James Edgar, a member of the
Pennsylvania Council of Safety, received
1,000 pounds in May, for the use of David
Watson in the purchase of horses. May
20, AVilliam Scott, paymaster, received
4,000 pounds to pay the militia then in the
service from York County. June 29, two
days after Congress left York, a large
number of refugees from the western
frontier of Pennsylvania arrived in York
on the way to Maryland.
August 10, Colonel Albright received
from John Hay, sub-lieutenant of York
Count}^, 112 muskets for use of a part of
his battalion on an expedition against the
Indians and Tories in the interior of Penn-
sylvania. These troops were sent to
Standing Stone, now Huntingdon, Penn-
sylvania.
On September 4, Elizabeth Shugart was
given a pass into the British lines in the
city of New York, for the purpose of visit-
ing her husband, then a prisoner of war on
Long Island, having been captured at Fort
Washington while serving in Colonel
Swope's Regiment, of York County. Sep-
tember 5, Lieutenant James Milligan was
ordered to recruit for the Continental army
in York County, and for this purpose to
receive pay from Richard McAllister, lieu-
tenant of York County.
James Elliot and a detachment of militia
were paid 8 pounds for services and expense
in disarming Tories, September 15, 1778.
"Ralph," a negro slave belonging to
John Rankin, of York County, petitioned
the Assembly for his freedom in September,
because his master was charged with being
a Tory and was then in the British lines at
Philadelphia. Ralph claimed his master
had freed him sometime before he had gone
to Philadelphia. Being unable to prove his
assertion, the slave was ordered to be hired
out. September 16, Paymaster William
Scott received $20,000 for the use of the
militia of York County. Colonel David
Kenned}', of York County, one of the com^
missioners to purchase clothing for the
army in the county of York, received
$12,500 for that purpose, October 10.
On February 9, 1779, Colonel
Wagons Joseph Jeffries petitioned the
for Council of Safety for money to
Prisoners, pay for wagons used in trans-
porting the British and Hes-
sian troops of Burgoyne's army from the
Susquehanna River to Virginia. March 22,
Colonel Richard McAllister received
$15,000 for the use of \A'illiam Scott, of
York County, paymaster of militia. May
14, York County was ordered to furnish
thirt}' wagons to transport provisions and
military stores to troops ordered to the
western frontier at Fort Pitt, now Pitts-
burg.
Archibald ^IcClean, of York, who had
served as a member of the State Assembly,
was appointed by the Supreme Executive
Council, July 14, 1779, to receive subscrip-
tions in York County to aid in securing a
loan of twenty million dollars for carrying
on the war, as authorized by Congress.
October 13, the Supreme Executive Council
called out three classes of York County
militia to guard the frontier and to join the
Continental armyi The state militia were
usually called out for sixty days. On this
occasion, Washington desired them to
serve one month longer. In answer to this
call, an additional bounty was to be re-
ceived. The officers and privates were to
receive eighty dollars in addition to the one
hundred dollars provided by a law already
passed.
March 30, 1780, AA'illiam Scott was ap-
pointed lieutenant of militia for York
^58
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
County to succeed Colonel Richard McAl-
lister, who had been chosen a member of
the Supreme Executive Council. Captain
William Scott was also appointed, April 3,
commissioner of purchase for York County,
under an act of Assembly recently passed.
The office of lieutenant of York County
was created by the Assembly in 1776. This
officer was required to organize the militia
throughout the county in which he lived,
and see that the different companies re-
ceived careful military drill and discipline.
He was also required to superintend the
calling out of the different classes of militia
for service in the field, and, if necessary,
was empowered to order a draft if there
were not a sufficient number of soldiers to
fill the quota as demanded. Captain Scott,
also commissioner of purchase at that time,
was ordered to purchase fifty tons of hay,
two thousand bushels of corn or four
thousand bushels of oats, and fifteen hun-
dred barrels of flour, and in accordance with
directions from General Washington, was
ordered to deposit forty tons of hay, two
thousand bushels of corn, one hundred bar-
rels of flour, two hundred and eighty gal-
lons of rum at York.
April II, 1780, Thomas McKean, then
chief-justice of Pennsylvania, wrote the
Council, that the sheriff of York County
had a prisoner who was charged with guid-
ing the British from Philadelphia to
Crooked Billet, in Bvicks County, where the
Pennsylvania militia were encamped. At
this place, in 1778, the British had surprised
the militia under General Lacey and routed
them. In April, 1780, General AVashington
recommended that 100 barrels of flour,
1,280 gallons of rum, 40 tons of hay and
4,000 bushels of corn be purchased and
placed among the militia stores at York.
May 27, purchasing agents were
Captain located in Pennsylvania at the
William following posts : Philadelphia,
Scott. Easton, Reading, Lancaster, Sun-
bur^^ Carlisle and York. On
June I, Captain AVilliam Scott received
from the Supreme Executive Council of the
State, $6,500 for the purchase of supplies
for the army. Under a special rule, the
Pennsylvania militia was to be composed of
fifty battalions, of which York County had
eight. In June, Major James Chamberlain
was appointed wagon master of York
County. Colonel Ephraim Blaine, of Car-
lisle, grandfather of Secretary of State
James G. Blaine, in 1780, as clothier-gen-
eral, reported that William Scott had suc-
ceeded Colonel Henry Miller as assistant
clothier-general of Pennsylvania. Miller
had been appointed in 1779. John Brooks
was then commissary of the government
magazine at York.
On June 26, Lieutenant Scott wrote to
President Reed that he had the promise of
600 barrels of flour from York County; had
purchased 170 sheep, 20 head of beef, but
was unable to procure much salt beef and
bacon, because they were scarce. These
provisions were intended for militia to be
marched to the frontier. He also said he
could send 100 militia to the front as soon
as arms could be procured from Philadel-
phia. The plans were changed upon the
arrival of the French fleet and the expedi-
tion to the frontier abandoned.
On July 15, one company of militia from
York County was ordered to Bedford, and
another to Westmoreland County to aid in
guarding the western frontier. Upon the
arrival of the French fleet in American
waters to aid in the cause of independence,
the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsyl-
vania ordered York County to provide 500
barrels of flour per month, for a stated
time, 500 bushels of forage per month, 25
wagons, 300 horses and 600 militia. These
supplies were intended for the soldiers and
sailors of the French fleet ; the horses and
wagons to transport the goods, and the
militia to act as a guard in transporting
them. The wagonmaster of each county
was to allow two work horses to remain on
each farm. In September, 1780, the sum of
$12,750 was advanced by the State of Penn-
sylvania for calling into service a part of
the militia of York County sent to the Con-
tinental army in the field.
Colonel William Scott wrote, August i,
1780, to President Reed, that he "paraded
one company of volunteers and ordered
them to march for Bedford: but they are to
set off this evening for Philadelphia under
the command of Captain James Mackey, a
gentleman who has served several years in
our army and was recommended to me by
gentlemen of my acquaintance, as one who
behaved with bravery. The company con-
sists of fiftv men exclusive of officers."
THE REVOLUTION
259
November 20, James Smith, of York, and
Henry W'ynkoop, of Bucks County, were
recommended for appointment as judges of
the High Court of Appeals for the State of
Pennsylvania. Thomas Armor, Sr., was ap-
pointed, November 25, collector of excise
for York County.
On January 30, 1781, Archibald
Money McClean received $1,500, to aid
for in recruiting men from York
Recruits. County for the first regiment,
Pennsylvania Line, which had
been ordered to rendezvous at York.
Three months later, McClean was granted
$5,000 to be used in paying bounties to
recruits and gratuity, then given to men in
service in the Pennsylvania Line.
After 1779 the seat of war had been
transferred to the South, where severe bat-
tles occurred at Savannah, King's Moun-
tain, Cowpens and other places. The valor
of the American patriots called forth
demonstrations of joy. General Greene
was then in charge of the Southern army.
Li February, 1781, Archibald McClean
wrote from York : "Upon the arrival of the
news from the South, a number of us met
and subscribed liberally for a 'feu de jo}^'
and also for a prudent treat for the return-
ing soldiers. \\'e also raised a fund to be
distributed among those whom we could
engage to re-enlist." He further stated
about twenty of the returning soldiers had
re-enlisted.
March 3, Colonel Michael Swope, of
York, and Colonel Henrj^ Slagle, of Han-
over, were appointed, under authority of
the Supreme Executive Council, to settle
with troops of the First and Tenth Regi-
ments of the Pennsylvania Line, then in
camp at York. Alarch 14, General James
Potter and 'Mv. Cunningham were ap-
pointed by the Supreme Executive Council
to confer with the members of Assembly
from York County, on the subject of the
reception of the British and Hessian troops
which were soon to arrive in Penns3'lvania
from Charlottesville, Virginia, where they
had been held as prisoners of war since
Januar}^, 1779. March 16, Colonel Michael
Smj'ser, Captain Moses McClean, members
of the Assembly from York County, and
Alexander Lowry. of Lancaster County,
held a conference with President Reed,
relatiho- to the movement of the British and
Hessian prisoners northward. They dis-
cussed the danger that would arise by
bringing so large a number, more than
3,000 foreign troops, into southern Penn-
sylvania.
These troops, however, were brought
soon after and placed in prison pens at
York, Lancaster and Reading, the officers
being sent to Connecticut.
May 16, General \\'ayne, then in York, in
command of the Pennsylvania Line, wrote
the President of Pennsylvania asking for
sixty head of cattle to be sent within a few
days for the use of the Fifth Regiment,
which would soon arrive. June 26, \\'illiam
Alexander was appointed paymaster of
York County militia to succeed Captain
William Scott. ]\Iajor James Moore was
appointed recruiting agent for the Pennsyl-
vania Line at Hanover.
November 28, Captain Wil-
McPherson's liam Scott 'wrote to the
Cavalry. state authorities that a com-
pany of cavalrjr had been
organized in the western part of York
County. Thirty men had enlisted at Marsh
Creek and half that number at Hanover.
He further stated that they had elected
William McPherson, captain: Robert Mor-
rison, lieutenant, and James Gettys, cornet.
It would seem that this company was
organized for the frontier service, for seven
months later, in June 1782, Captain Scott
wrote from York: "On Sundajr last. I re-
ceived the orders from Council of May 23,
and agreeable to the directions therein con-
tained, have ordered one-half of the Light
Horse and four classes of militia of York
County to hold themselves in readiness to
march at the shortest notice. I have also
taken an account of the public arms at this
town and find sixty-eight unfit for use,
which I have ordered to be immediately re-
paired. The gunsmiths inform me that
they will be all finished in a few days."
The gunsmiths in York then were Philip
Heckert. Ignatius Lightner, Adam Light-
ner, Jacob Letter, Jacob A\'elschantz,
Joseph AVelschantz, Sr., Joseph Welsch-
antz, Jr., and Conrad AA'elschantz.
December 22, the Supreme Executi\e
Council formed plans for recruiting the regi-
ments of the Pennsylvania Line. This was
two months after the surrender of Corn-
wallis at Yorktown, in Virginia, and these
i6o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
troops had returned to their native state.
York, Lancaster, Reading, Newtown, and
Carlisle were the places of rendezvous for
the regiments of these Pennsylvania troops.
Colonel Richard Humpton, commanding
the Second Regiment, was appointed to
superintend this recruiting service.
January 2, 1782, General Lincoln, of the
Continental armj^, reported that General
Hazen, commanding the regiment of Con-
tinental troops known as ."Congress' Own,"
had been appointed to guard prisoners at
York, Lancaster and Reading. The state
militia then guarding the prisoners were
discharged from the service. February 23,
Lieutenant Richard Johnston, of Hazen's
Regiment, was directed to march with his
company, then at York, to Bedford for the
defense of the frontier. Captain William
Alexander, lieutenant of York County, was
ordered to call out forty men from the
militia to guard the British, then in the
vicinity of York.
September 5, 1782, a company
To marched from York to Fort
Guard Pitt, the site of Pittsburg, to
the guard the frontier. This com-
Frontier. pany was composed of seventy-
eight men, rank and file. A
wagon also was sent to carry prisoners.
September 9, Captain Alexander was
ordered to call into service one lieutenant,
one sergeant, one corporal and fifteen men
to guard the prisoners in York. Twenty
days later these county lieutenants were in-
structed that the Continental troops on
their return from the western frontier
would take the place of the militia in guard-
ing prisoners of war in Pennsylvania. It
was then ordered that these lieutenants had
no further occasion to call out the militia
for frontier service since the British had
"called in" the savages and would give no
further trouble.
August 5, 1783, Jacob Smyser, of York,
wrote to the President of Pennsylvania,
"about 200 cattle perished in York County
last spring, and the crops for this year
failed. If the threatened attempts to en-
force collections of taxes be carried out, it
will be ruinous to the county. Few indi-
viduals will escape going to jail. Money
has very little circulation among our in-
habitants, as it has in other more forttuiate
and more populous sections. The mildew
and hail have destroyed many fields of grain
this year. Collectors of taxes have already
brought goods to York from a distance of
twenty miles in order to sell them in this
town, but met with no encouragement be-
cause no one would bid on the distrained
goods out of sympathy for the fellow-
citizens from whom the goods had been
seized." A few months later a riot oc-
curred in York as the result of tax collect-
ors seizing goods and merchandise from
delinquent taxpayers.
July 28, 1784, William Scott reported
that there were still in York, belonging to
the government, the following: 75 muskets,
20 bayonets, 8 cartridge boxes and 8 can-
teens.
Owing to the depreciation of the cur-
rency and the heavy taxes imposed for car-
rying on the war, it was often difficult to
carry out the provisions of the law and
certain officers refused to act. In 1778,
George Jacobs, of Paradise, refused to ac-
cept a commission as constable of that
township. William Park, of Monaghan
Township, was charged with non-compli-
ance with the law because he would not
serve a summons on one of his neighbors
for the collection of taxes. For the same
cause Matthias Hollowpeter, of AVarring-
ton Township, was indicted. He pleaded
guilty and "put himself upon the mercy of
his country" because he did not want to
distress his neighbors.
William Lukens, the colored
Brought cook, in Colonel Swope's
News to Regiment, in the Flying
Washington. Camp, was captured at Fort
Washington. He soon af-
terward escaped from his imprisonment
and went to Trenton, where he made shoes
for himself out of a cartridge box, given to
him by a Hessian soldier. When Washing-
ton crossed New Jersey from New York,
Lukens gave the general the information
that Hessians were garrisoned at Trenton.
As the story goes, this information was of
great value to the American army to lay
plans for the capture of 1,000 Hessian
soldiers under Colonel Rahl, at Trenton, on
Christmas night, 1776. After the war he
returned to York, where he lived the
remainder of his life.
THE REVOLUTION
261
Owing to the depreciation
A Special in the value of Continental
Commission, currency and the paper
money issued by the differ-
ent states of the Union, during the Revolu-
tion, there was a continual fluctuation in the
prices of goods and commodities bought
and sold. In order to prevent monopolies,
to regulate the price of labor, of manu-
factured products and of internal produce,
commissioners were appointed by the
legislatures of dififerent states to meet at
certain places. On March 26. 1777, the
states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia
appointed commissioners, who, according
to arrangements, met in York at the public
inn of A\'illiam White. The delegates who
convened here were the following: John
Sloss Hobart, Colonel Robert Van Rennse-
laer, of New York ; Theophilus Elmer,
Joseph Holmes, of New Jersey; George
Henry, [Bartram Galbreath) John W'hitehill,
Richard Thomas, Ua\'icl jlcConaughy, of
Penns}-lvania; Caesar Rodney, Lieutenant-
Colonel Thomas Collins, Colonel James
Lattamore, of Delaw^are ; Norman Bruce,
John Braceo,_HejiixjGTiffithj_jiiae.ph--Sim, of
-•T^fafyTandTXewis Burwell, Thomas Adams,
of Virginia; Thomas Armor, clerk.
These were representative men from the
states named and they remained in session
eight days. The commissioners could not
agree on definite measures. They, how-
ever, discussed matters in detail and passed
resolutions to be presented to the different
legislatures. In November of the same
year, commissioners from all of the thirteen
original states were appointed to assemble
at New Haven, Connecticut, to regulate the
prices of commodities. Colonel Henry
Slagle, of York County, was one of the
representatives of Penns\-lvania in that con-
vention.
At the opening of hostilities, in
Toryism. 1775, the people of Pennsyl-
vania, as elsewhere, were divided
in their sentiments as to the prosecution of
the w'ar. People of English birth who
favored King George w^ere Loyalists.
Later they became known as Tories. Those
who favored the war for independence were
called Whigs. The Quakers, in carrying
out their religious beliefs, were opposed to
taking up arms against their fellow-men.
In the eastern part of the state, many of
this class of people were ranked as Tories.
After 1776, very few of them were elected
to hold public ofHce. Those who joined the
army became the fighting Quakers of the
Re\-olution.
John AA'ebb, an intelligent citizen of New-
berry Township, was prosecuted because he
had opposed the Provincial Conference of
Pennsylvania, a body which succeeded the
Assembly, which was in part loyal to the
British government. A\'ebb was charged
with having threatened Continental Con-
gress and the of^cers of York County who
supported that body. He went so far as to
say that "within two or three days he could
lay the town of York in ashes."
Kilian Devinger and Andrew Miller, of
Shrewsbury Township, were found guilty
of treason, in April, 1779, for having pro-
cured names to a paper to agree not to
muster w-ith the organized militia of the
county. The paper, which they drew up,
bound those who signed it to aid in break-
ing open the county jail for the purpose of
releasing those who w-ere imprisoned bj' the
state authorities for not obeying the militia
laws.
At the October sessions of court, 1779,
Henry AA'atts, of York County, was indicted
for misprison and treason for having said,
"Yes, I am a Tory and I acknowledge it. I
am an old w^arrior and one of King George's
men. God bless King George ! Hurrah !
Here is health and happiness to King-
George and down with the rebels! I'll see
King George reign iiere yet in a short
time."
Joseph Smith, of the towai of York, in
1780, was found guilty of misdemeanor for
asserting that Continental money was
worth nothing and the paper money issued
b_v the state no better. He further said to
some patriots, "You have only eleven of the
thirteen states left and how long will you
keep Pennsylvania?"
Christian Pochtel, of Manheim Town-
ship, who was oft'ered twenty pounds each,
or about one hundred dollars in Conti-
nental money, for three oxen, refused the
offer, stating that he would not sell for
paper money because of its depreciation.
He oft'ered to sell them for fifteen pounds in
gold or silver. Frederick Leather, of
Dover Township, likewise refused to sell
262
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tour oxen if he were to receive payment in
Continental money. Frederick Young, of
Mt. Pleasant Township, now in Adams
County, also refused to sell his cattle.
These oxen were wanted as rations for the
Pennsylvania Line under General Wayne,
then encamped at York, before leaving for
the campaign against Cornwallis at York-
town, Virginia.
Samuel Keller, of York County, May lo,
1 781, was found guilty of misdemeanor for
saying to other parties that if the}^ could
"keep off the rebel collector of taxes for
two months, the King of England will con-
quer the country."
ROLLS OF ASSOCIATORS AND
MILITIA.
At the opening of the Revolution, in
1775, able-bodied citizens of Pennsylvania
formed themselves into military companies
and were known as Associators. Five bat-
talions were organized in York County.
No complete muster roll of these battalions
is known to be in existence. A large pro-
portion of them were found by Edward W.
Spangler, Esq., and first published in the
Spangler Annals, in the year 1896. The
original rolls were placed, by Mr. Spangler,
in the Historical Society of York County.
Printed copies of them will be found in the •
succeeding pages. After the state constitu-
tion of 1776 was adopted, the state militia
was organized out of the Associators.
Muster rolls of some of the companies from
York County serving in the Continental
Line appear in the preceding chapters.
The muster rolls of the militia companies
which follow were largely furnished by
Luther R. Kelker, of the Pennsylvania
State Library, at Harrisburg.
The First Battalion of York County As-
sociators was organized in 1775 by Colonel
James Smith, and included companies from
the town of York and the townships of Hel-
1am, Windsor, Manchester, York and Co-
dorus. This battalion marched, in 1776, to
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where part of
its rank and file enlisted in the First Regi-
ment of the Flying Camp, commanded by
Colonel Michael Swope, of York. In 1775,
Thomas Hartley was lieutenant-colonel and
Joseph Donaldson and Michael Swope,
majors. The following is a complete mus-
ter roll of seven of the eight companies in
1776:
Captain,
William Bailey.
First Lieutenant,
John Hay.
Privates,
John Brown, Abraham Kneisle,
Christian Beiding, Christian Kauffman,
Jacob Barnhart, Joseph Klepper,
George Beck, Daniel Keiser,
Wilial Brown, David Kuff,
Jacob Baub, Christour Lauman, J^
George Brionn, Frederick Laumaster,
Matthias Crauth, William Lange,
Diter Conn, Nathaniel Leightner, Jr.
William Clem, Jacob Lether,
Henry Counselman, Nathaniel Leightner,
John Claydt, Arthur McMann,
Jacob Crist, James MacCamend,
Abraham Danner, Paul Metzgar,
Jacob Doudel, - - John Mayer,
James Dobbins, Andrew Nonnemacher,
John Dicks, John Neit,
Jacob Daiwele, John Probst,
Hugh Dobbins, Thomas Rein,
George Erwin, Andrew Robinson,
Michael Edwards, Jacob Sprenkle,
Jacob Entler, Jacob Sheffer,
Diter Furth, Peter Schlemer,
John Fitz, John Schultz,
George Frey, Peter Streber,
Philip Grener, Andener Schettle,
Christian Greithler, Henry Schultz,
John Grever, George Stoll,
George Gulhiahr, John Shall,
Anthony Gyer, John Struhman,
Jacob Gron, William Stoot,
Seth Goodwein, John Schultz,
Philip Gross, Christian Strahman,
Jacob Grever. William Thomson,
Adam Grener. Jacob Vallydein,
Abraham Graufus, Henry Walter,
Thomas Hickson, Jacob Welshans,
Peter Hauer, Adam Wolf,
Philip Heckert, Joseph Welshans,
Jacob Hause, George Wilt,
George Haide, Philip Waldismaien,
Peter Hoke, David Welshans,
Francis Jones, John Welsh,
George Koch, Archibald M. Williams,
Henry Kiefer, Frederick Zeigle,
Baltzer Kneible, .Gottlieb Zeigle.
Captain,
Charles Lukens.
First Lieutenant,
Christian Stake.
Second Lieutenant,
Ephraim Sherrifif.
Privates,
Martin Eichelberger, Jr.
John Forsythe,
George Graham,
James Gorman,
Andrew Grobb,
Jacob Holtzinger,
Peter Haack,
Frederick Huber,
Frederick Houseman,
Thomas Hancock,
Thomas Irons,
.i>-
Joseph Adlum,
John Adlum, Jr.
John Brown,
John Blackburn,
Robert Bailey,
Charles Barnitz,
Jacob Barnitz, -=^ —
Peter Boos,
Martin Carman,
David Candler,
Isaac Davis,
Anthony Dougherty,
Godfry Lonberger,
THE REVOLUTION
263
Henry Myers,
William McMunii,
William Nitterfeld,
Jacob Obb,
Thomas Prior,
Robert Patton,
Robert Paisley,
David Parker,
James Robb,
William Skinner,
John Shultz, Jr.,
John Shall,
John Smith,
George Test,^i--
William Vaines,
John Willis.
Henry Bentz
(son of Philip),
Henry Brobeck,
George Beyer,
Frederick Bickel,
Valentine Brenneisen,
Daniel Barnitz,-=
Nicholas Brand,
Weirich Bentz,
Henry Bentz
(son of John),
John Beltzner,
Frederick Bringman,
John Counselman,
George Craft,
Herman Cookes,
Martin Crever,
George Carman,
Frederick Dambach,
John Dallman,
John Detter,
Hartman Deitsh,
Philip Entler,
Philip Gossler.
Andrew Hertzog,
Conrad Holtzbaum,
John Immel,
Cal>tain,
Rudolph Spangler.
First Lieutenant,
Peter Reel.
Second Lieutenant,
George Shuch.
Ensign.
Christopher Stayer.
Sergeant,
John Fishel.
Clerk,
George Lewis LoetBer.
Privates,
Christian Ilgenfritz,
Peter King,
Conrad Leatherman,
George Nebinger,
Luke Rose,
Joseph Rothrock, l^-^
Jacob Shuch,
Peter Swartz,
Christian Sinn,
John Shall,
Jacob Schneerer,
Daniel Spangler,
Abraham Sitler,
John Smith.
Simon Snyderj
George Snyder,
Francis Thomas,
Henry Welsh,
Joseph Weisang,
Jacob Wolf,
Henry Wolf
(son of John),
George Wolf,
James Wallace,
Henry Wolf, Jr.,
Matthias Zimmer.
Martin Brenneisen
Nicholas Bernhard
Joseph Boude,
George Craff,
James Clerck,
Jacob Durang,
Jacob Eichinger,
Jacob Funck,
John Flender,
George Fritzler,
George Fiarar,
John Fisher,
George Geesey,
Michael Graybill,
Ludwig Hetrick,
Finken Imfelt,
James Jones,
Cafitain,
George Eichelberger.
First Lieutenant,
Michael Hahn.
Second Lieutenant,
Baltzer Spangler.
Privates,
John Kunckel,
Michael Kopenhafer,
George Moul,
Casper Muller,
Jacob Miller,
James McCullough,
John Maguire,
George Myer,
Samuel Nelson,
Tacob Neuman,
John Pick,
Jacob Rudisill, Jr.,
Henry Rauch,
Anthony Ritz,
Michael Ruger,
Jacob Schram,
Jacob Schenk,
George Spangler,
Lorentz Small,
Jacob Schreiber,
Jacob Schneider,
Rudolph Spangler,
Stophel Shelley,
Nicholas Upp,
John Welsh,
John Werley,
John Wolfif,
Ludwig- Weisang,
Michael Weider,
Michael Welsli,
Frederick Voucc,
Henry Zimmerman,
Peter .
Peter Bentz,
Jacob Ersman,
John Frey,
John Gristy,
Jacob Graft,
Jonas Gastman,
John Gastman,
Jacob Gotwalt, Jr.,
Leonard Heindel,
George Henry Houser,
Jacob Herman,
George Henry Haupt,
Frederick Held,
Philip Hoffman,
Jonas Herman,
Nicholas Herrer,
Michael Heyd,
Jacob Huft,
Andreas Heid,
Amos Hershey.
Conrad Insminger,
John Kreibel.
Gotfried Konig,
George Koenich,
Simon Kopenhafer, Jr.,
Jacob Kauffman,
Andreas Kraft,
Reinhart Klein,
Peter Lang,
George Miller, Jr.,
Henry Noss,
Daniel Anthony,
Nicholas Anthony,
Henry Beyer,
Christian Bixler,
Joseph Bixler,
John Bixler,
Christian Bixler,
Jacob Bixler,
William Becker,
Jacob Bohn,
Nicholas Bohn.
Jacob Bohn. Jr.,
Stephen Beyer,
Jacob Beyer,
John Beyer,
Captain.
Simon Kopenhafer.
First Lieutenant,
Michael Schreiber.
Second Lieutenant,
Andreas Shinerd, Jr.
Ensign,
Jacob Gotwalt, Sr.
Privates,
Henry Ord,
Andreas Ritter,
John Reittinger,
P. Reittinger,
John Rentzel,
Christ Rentzell,
Jonas Rudisill,
Philip Rudisill,
Henry Ran, — — .
John Schwerd,
James Schinerd,
John Schreiber,
Peter Schultz,
Michael Sprenkle,
Hans Saal,
John Schram.
Jacob Schindel,
Frederick Schindel,
James Worle,
Jacob Worle,
Philip Wagner.
William Worle,
Daniel Worle, >'
Jacob Wagner,
John Wilt,
Samuel Wilt,
Valentine Wilt,
Philip Wintermyer,
Peter Winterrecht,
George Winterrecht,
Philip Weil.
Captain,
Jost Herbacli.
First Lieutenant,
Peter Shultz.
Second Lieutenant,
Baltzer Rudisill.
Ensign,
Michael Ettinger.
Priva tes,
William Bear,
Conrad Becker,
Henry Becker, Jr.,
John Beverley.
Peter Elenberger,
Alichael Ettinger,
Dewalt Gross,
Samuel Gross,
Stophel Grinwalt,
Michael Ginder,
Conrad Ginder,
Christian Heit,
John Heit,
George Heckler,
Casoer Knaub, Jr.,
264
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Jacob Klingman,
Frederick Klingman,
Philip Jacob Hoenig,
Valentine Kohler,
Joseph Kohler,
Jacob Knab,
George Klingman,
William Keys,
Valentine Kohlman,
Andreas Klein,
Christian Leib,
Ezra Lichtenberger,
George Lichtenberger,
Adam Lichtenberger,
Killian Lichtenberger,
Michael Loebenstein,
George Loebenstein,
John Miller,
Michael Melhorn,
George Miller,
Samuel Miller,
George Philip Mohr,
Adam Miller,
George Ringer,
Andrew Roth,
John Roth, Jr.,
Henry Roth,
Michael Ringer,
William Rennel,
John Reyf,
Conrad Snyder,
Philip Schweitzer,
Paul Storm,
Frederick Selcker,
Jacob Snyder, Jr.,
Adam Schenck,
John Seder,
Peter Sheaffer,
Jacob Schmitt,
George Welsh,
Jacob Weber,
Adam Wilt,
Yost Wahl,
Jacob Ziegler.
Jacob Behler.
Jacob Bear, Jr.,
George Bortner,
Daniel Bear,
William Becker,
Samuel Brenneman,
John Brodbeck,
John Bower,
Benjamin Brenneman,
William Brenneman,
Jacob Bear, Sr.,
Peter Castello,
Helfrey Craumer,
Nicholas Dehoff,
George Dehoff,
Peter Diskin,
Abraham Eberhart,
Wendel Eberhart,
Jacob Eppeis,
Frederick Frasher,
Adam Foltz,
Ulrich FoUoweider,
Jacob FoUoweider,
Frederick Fisher,
John FoUoweider,
Peter Gerberick,
John Gantz,
Jacob Greist,
Leonard Girkenh\-ser,
Peter Henning,
Ulrich Hoover,
Michael Henning,
Jacob Houser,
George H,amspacher,
Captain,
George Hoover.
Lieutenants,
Jacob Hederick,
John Sharrer.
Ensign,
Frederick Meyer.
Sergeants,
Samuel Glassick,
Laurence Rohrbach,
Theobald Snyder,
Michael Behler.
Corporals,
John Adarmel,
George Kaltreider,
Michael Lorick.
Privates,
George Hoover,
John Hoover,
Daniel Jones,
Theobald Kaltreider,
Thomas King,
Abraham Keller,
Peter Krebs,
George Krebs,
Ulrich Kneyer,
Leonard Kneyer,
Sanuiel Lorick,
Conrad Ludwig,
Henry Menche,
Henry Newcomer,
John Ott,
Christian Rohrbach, Jr.,
Frederick Roadarmel,
Jacob Roadarmel,
Henry Rohrbach,
Nicholas Rvbold,
William Ru'hl,
Matthias Rybold,
George Rybold,
Adam Rybold,
Henry Roberts,
John Ruhl,
Clementz Ruhl,
Martin Snyder,
George Smith,
Martin Sheyerer,
Matthias Smith,
Jacob Sharrer,
Zacharias Shug,
Michael Sheverer,
Henry Skiles, John Werner,
Christopher Snyder, Jacob Ziegler, Jr.,
Isaac Varnum, Jacob Ziegler, Sr.,
Richard Willart, Michael Ziegler.
Nicholas Weyant,
The Second Battalion of Associators was
organized in 1775 by Colonel Robert Mc-
Pherson, of Marsh Creek, and included per-
sons living in the present area of Adams
County. Part of this battalion enlisted in
the Second Regiment of the Flying Camp,
at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1776. The
ofificers at the time of organization, in 1775,
were Robert McPherson, colonel; David
Kennedy, lieutenant-colonel; Moses Mc-
Clean and Hugh Dunwoodie, majors. The
muster roll of only one company of this
battalion was preserved. The rank and
file of some of the companies enlisted in the
Seventh Pennsylvania Line, commanded by
Colonel David Grier.
Captain,
Hugh Campbell.
First Lieutenant,
William Lowther.
Second Lieutenant,
Robert McElhenney.
■ Ensign,
Simon Vanarsdalen.
Sergeants,
Joseph Hunter,
John Armstrong.
Corporals,
John McCush,
William Leach.
Drummer,
John Banta.
Fifer,
Andrew Little.
Privates,
Arthur Beaty, Jacob Swiser,
Hugh McLaughlin, John Cumingore,
William Duffield, Nathaniel Porter,
Samuel McManemy, Abraham Brewer,
Jacob Smock, Lawrence Monfort,
Francis Monfort, John Sage,
Benedict Yeary, David Casart,
Henry Little, John Willson,
William Carsman, Charles Timmons,
John McCance, Andrew McKiney,
Robert Stewart, Andrew Shiley,
Abram Banta, Frederick Shetz,
Joseph Weast, Henry Little,
John Hope, Peter Millar,
Benjamin Leach, Andrew Hunter,
Robert Barber, James Lyon,
James Hutchison, Nicholas Millar,
Charles Orr, Patrick Hogan,
Robert McGowan, Farrah Doran,
Thomas Orbison, Stephen Giffen,
Hugh McWilliams, James McCreary,
William McCance, Orbin Wence.
Amboy, September 17, 1776. Mustered
then, I captain, 2 lieutenants, i ensign, 3
Cornelius Cosine,
Alexander Wilson,
Alexander Bogle,
James McElhenney,
THE REVOLUTION
265
sergeants, 3 corporals, i drummer, i fifer,
34 privates.
Sixteen enlisted in the Flying Camp, 4 on
guard, I sick absent, i sick present, i on
furlough.
The Third Battalion of Associators was
organized in 1775 t>y Colonel Richard Mc-
Allister, of Hanover, who commanded the
Second Pennsylvania Regiment of the
Flying Camp, in which a large number of
his men enlisted at Perth Amboy, New Jer-
sey, in 1776. After the organization of the
state militia, in 1777, the Third Battalion
was commanded by Colonel David Jameson.
Parfof this battalion served under Jameson
at Germantown, White Marsh and minor
engagements in 1777. It was organized in
1775 out of the Associators in the town-
ships of Heidelberg, Berwick, Paradise,
Mt. Pleasant, Manheim and Germany.
Captain,
Jacob Beaver.
First Lieutenant,
Nicholas Baker.
Second Lieutenant,
John Bare.
Ensign,
George Lefeber.
Privates,
George Cause,
James Hines.
Adam Heindel,
Michael Holder,
Philip Hune,
Andrew Heins,
Lorentz Hersinger,
Laurence Heindel, Jr.,
Daniel Harkens,
Henry Heltzel,
JMichael Henry, Jr.,
John Imenheiser,
Jeremiah Johnson,
Anthony Keller,
Aaron Kephsnvder,
Michael Koffel'd,
Martin Kealer,
Frederick Lambert,
Christopher Landis,
Conrad Lookhoup,
John Leaphart,
Frederick Lebeknecht,
Conrad Lora,
John Landis,
Conrad Lever,
Philip Milhove,
Michael JMosser,
John Mude,
George !Maxfield,
Charles Means,
James Murphy,
Christopher Noble,
Adam Pauls,
Laurence Paul,
George Poff,
Nathan Phersize,
Henry Albright,
John Auber,
George Auble,
George Autick,
Conrad Brubaker,
Nicholas Bentz,
Michael Broocker,
Henry Bear,
John Byer,
Henry Byer,
Jacob Byer,
William Bradley,
George Beaner,
Michael Baymiller,
John Croan, Sr.,
John Croan,
Samuel Christ,
Jacob Dey,
Peter Ditty,
John Dellinger,
Henry Deethoff,
Jacob Dellinger,
John Douchki,
Michael Dush,
Nicholas Dey,
Ulrich Eleberger,
John Ebay,
Frederick Eaty,
Frederick Fitz,
Philip Fry,
John Gohn,
Philip Gohn,
Andrew Gilbert,
Philip German,
Michael Garious,
Francis Graff,
Michael Peterman,
Christian Rothfon,
George Rinehard,
Henry Ruby,
Joseph Reli,
John Rupert,
John Stair,
Peter Steap,
John Smith,
Adam Stentler,
James Strong,
Conrad Shaeffer,
Jacob Stakenar,
Peter Seacat,
Jacob Stromenger,
Jacob Strickler,
John Simson,
Philip Stees,
Peter Swartz,
John Shenberger,
Peter Treckler,
John Tome,
Paul Tritt,
Peter Tritt,
John Weber,
Peter Wambach,
George Woolpack,
Ulrich Weber,
Nicholas Young,
Michael Zimmerman,
Michael Ziegler,
Philip .
John Bush,
Wier Bentz,
George Boly,
Christian Betz,
Jacob Byer,
George Bentz,
Henry Breninger,
George Brown,
Nicholas Deal,
Peter Deal,
Samuel Detweiler,
George Deal,
Jacob Fleger,
Peter Foust,
Jacob Freed,
George Fliger,
Michael Fishel,
Henry Greenawalt,
John Gusler,
Christian Hogman,
Frederick Houshill,
John Immel,
Henry Jones,
William Johnston,
Jacob Keller,
Michael Kurtz,
Jacob Koch,
Conrad Kissinger,
Yogam Leaman,
Stephen Landis,
George Ley,
Peter Leman,
Jacob Lehman,
Captain,
Godfrey Fry.
First Lieutenant,
John Bushong.
Second Lieutenant,
George Spangler.
Ensign,
James Jones.
Privates,
Jacob Lefever,
Andrew Miller,
Jacob Morks,
Daniel Mosser,
John Minster,
George Michael Peter,
Peter Peter,
Edward Prion,
John Rode,
John Rankin,
Godfrj- Sumwalt,
Matthias Stuart,
Henry Stouffer,
William Sprenkle,
Christian Shewe,
Daniel Stouffer,
John Spangler,
Jacob Speck,
Jonas Spangler,
Christian Sipe.
Philip Spangler,
IMartin Speck,
Michael Spangler,
nenry Spangler,
George Swartz,
John Stuart,
James Shaw,
John Trychler,
Henry Wissendaul,
Peter Wolf,
Martin Weller,
Abraham Welshans.
Henry Bouch,
Henry Booser,
Henry Bonix,
Joseph Craft,
Abraham Danner,
Captain,
Peter Forte.
First Lieutenant,
Christopher Stoehr.
Second Lieutenant,
Andrew Hertzog.
Ensign,
Jacob Welshance.
Privates,
Peter Dinkle,
Lawrence Etter,
Jacob Ereon,
John Edward,
^Michael Edward,
266
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
George Fry,
George Fritz,
William Fondorow,
Jacob Fackler,
John Good,
John Gohoet,
Henry Hofe,
Vincent Infelt,
Isaac Jones,
Francis Jones,
James Kopp,
Francis Koontz,
Henry King,
Daniel Kiser,
John Kean,
Nathaniel Lightner,
, Samuel Leidy,
Frederick Lavimaster,
Godfry Loneberger,
George Mock,
William McMun,
Henry Myer,
James McCullock,
Alexander McKitrich,
Andrew Nunemaker,
George Nebinger,
John Peasley,
Matthias Pourt,
John Probst,
Abraham Pick,
George Peck,
Anthony Ritz,
Godfry Ream,
Thomas Ryon,
Anthony Rous,
Peter Rose,
James Smith,
Killian Small,
George Shook,
Jacob Sprenkle,
John Shultz, '
]\Iartin Shreader, '
Philip Shipe,
Peter Schlimer,
Frederick Tombach,
Joseph Updegraff,
Jacob Updegraff, Jr.,
Jacob Weaber,
Adam Wolf,-
William White,
Frederick Wver,
John Wolf, jr.,
David Welshans,
John Welch,
George Waldimyer,
Frederick Youse.
Henry Walter,
John Wolf,
Ludwig Weisang,
Jacob Welchance,
John Williamson,
John Alifred,
Henry Bentz,
Jacob Bahn,
Martin Breneisen,
Thomas Beltzhoover,
Leonard Benel,
Leonard Bensel,
Andrew Billmeyer,
Michael Billmeyer,
Frederick Bringman,
Valentine Breneisen,
John Biers,
Felix Conoway,
Alexander M. Gonagle
John Dubman,
Alexander Donaldson,
Philip Endler,
Samuel Fisher,
Martin Flinchbaugh,
Martin Flinchbaugh,
Samuel Fisher,
Martin Frey,
Adam Gardner,
Abram Gravious,
George Goodyear,
John Gorgus,
Philip Greber,
Philip Heckert,
Christian Hecketurn,
Andrew Hoffman,
Frederick Housman,
John Hickson,
George Hope,
Thomas Hickson,
Jacob Houck,
Samuel Koontz,
Captain,
Christopher Lowman.
First Lieutenant,
Ephraim Pennington.
Second Lieutenant,
John Fishel.
Ensign,
Charles Barnitz.
Priva tes,
George Kidy,
Michael Keller,
Henry Kyfer,
Martin Kearman,
Abram Knisely,
John Leisser,
Jacob Letter,
William Lanius,
John Myer,
Conrad Miller,
Michael Mosser,
Conrad Miller,
Michael Mosser,
Jacob Miller,
Edward McDermot,
Casper Miller,
Thomas Owen,
John Patterson,
John Pick,
Thomas Prior,
Peter Real,
Peter Real,
Christopher Slagle,
George Schlosser,
Jacob Snerely,
George Snyder,
Jacob Shook,
Jacob Snyder,
Matthias Sitler,
Jacob Schram,
Atram Sitler,
Peter Shitz, ^
Joseph Tott, ,y^
George Test,
Joseph Updegrafif, ,
Samuel Updegraff,
Aaron Arsdale, -
Andrew Brown,
Rendal Cross,
John Cadge,
James Cross,
John Eff,
Archibald Eason,
Robert Eakin,
John Fisher,
Bernat Fry,
Conrad Fry,
Paul Gier,
David Good,
Adam Gohn,
Robert Greenless,
Conrad Gyer,
Frederick Hamer,
Christopher Heindel,
John Handerson,
Adam Hindly,
Alexander Handerson
Craft Hermal,
Jacob Imsweller,
Jacob Imsweller,
Richard Jones,
Peter Koble,
Alexander Lewis,
John Lynck,
Christian Laundes,
Samuel Laundes,
Christian Lootz,
Henry Long,
William Ligget,
Henry Myer,
John Myers,
James McCavick,
James McNarey,
Henry Miller,
Michael Welsh,
John Wiles,
George Weller,
Henry Welch.
Captain,
Alexander Ligget.
First Lieutenant,
Robert Richey.
Second Lieutenant,
Robert Stuart.
Ensign,
Peter Fry.
Privates,
: Michael Miller,
Henry McGarrah,
Samuel McCowen,
Nathan McCoy,
Jacob Neff,
Melker Ortas,
Peter Offer,
Daniel Peterman,
Christopher Fetters,
John Peterman,
John Russel,
Peter Reisinger,
Henry Reineberger,
Thomas Robertson,
James Ross,
Jacob Ruby,
John Smook, Jr.,
Jacob Smook,
Philip Slifer,
Jacob Stegner,
George Smith,
Martin Slinger,
Barkley Sayler,
Stephen Slifer,
Baltzer Shenberger,
Andrew Slinger,
George Tyse,
Henry Teckert,
Henry Tyson,
Benjamin Tyson,
George Woolbeck,
Andrew White,
Philip Wambach,
Michael Wambach,
George Wambach,
Leonard Young,
William Young,
Abraham Young.
Henry Alt,
Michael Albright,
Felix Albright,
Peter Byer,
John Bushong,
JMichael Bettinger,
Jacob Bettinger,
Jacob Blymyer,
Christian Blymyer,
Henry Dolman,
George Ditterheffer,
Captain,
George Long.
First Lieutenant,
Samuel Smith.
Second Lieutenant,
Conrad Keesey.
Ensign,
Samuel Mosser.
Privates,
Henry Dome,
Bastian Erig,
Adam Fishel,
Henry Fisher,
Frederick Fliger,
Jacob Fliger,
Casper Fisher,
Adam Flinchbaugh,
Michael Grimm,
Peter Grimm,
Philip Grimm,
THE REVOLUTION
267
Yost Getz,
Jacob Geesey.
^lichael Harnish,
George Hardline,
Michael Hinico,
Jacob Inners,
Yost Kerchbard,
Jobn Kercbhard,
Bernard Kousler,
John Long,
Felix jNIiller,
Jobn ]Myer,
William JNIiller,
George Neaf,
Ulrich Neaf,
Andrew Pefferman,
Jacob Reman,
William Rigert,
John Reigert,
Peter Sprenkle,
Henry Snell,
Peter Sins,
Jacob Sebauld,
Nicholas Sins,
Jacob Shearer, Jr.,
Alartin Stook,
John Shoemaker,
Michael Sytz,
Conrad Shentler,
Christian Shetler,
Jacob Shearer,
Abram Swingwiler,
George Wilbelm,
.\icholas Waltman,
Ludwick Waltman.
Cal>taiii.
ilichael Habn.
First Lieutenant,
John Alinn,
Second Lieutenant,
Thomas Iron (Erion)
Ensign,
Christian Sinn.
Privates,
Frederick Aderhold,
Jacob Bernhard,
Nicholas Brand,
Peter Bear,
Charles Brooks,
John Bear,
George Craft,
John Collins,
David Candler,
Adam Cookes,
Michael Doudel, '^
Jacob Durang,
Jacob Eichinger,
Thomas Eaton,
Jacob Funk,
John Flender,
Adam Greber,
Martin Greber,
Jacob Gardner,
John Greber,
George Gees,
Christian Herman,
Ludwig Headick,
Christian Ilginfritz,
George Irvin,
Samuel Johnston,
John Kurtz,
Mr. Kenet}',
John Kunkle,
William Kersey,
Nathaniel Lightner,
William Long,
William Love,
James Love,
John Love, ^
Conrad Letherman, '
James ^McLaughlin,
George Maul,
John Albrecht,
Jacob Becker, Jr.,
Michael Carl,
Jacob Delong,
George Drev,
James McKea,
Paul Metzgar,
Peter ]\Iundorf,
Jacob Newman,
Frederick Pickle,
Enoch Pennett,
Jacob Rothrock, ""''
Christopher Sheeley,
Jacob Schriber,
Jacob Shaffer,
Jacob Shank,
Simon Snyder,
Baltzer Spangler,
George Shall,
Andrew Shetley,
John Shultz,
George Michael Spangler,
George ptull,
Rudolph Spangler, "-' "
John Shall.
George Stake,
John Shultz (hatter),
Nathan LTpdegraff,
Abram Updegraff,
A.mbrose Updegraff,
Jacob Upp,
William Welsh,
John Wall,
John Welsh.
^lichael Widener,
Francis Worlev, .;:, '
Henry Wolf,
Michael We\',
Andrew Welsh,
y^' George Wilt,
Philip Weltzheimer,
Matthias Zimmer.
Captain,
Daniel Eyster.
Privates.
Paul Drey,
John Eburr,
Herman Emerick,
Christopher Foulk,
George Foulk,
Matthias Frey, George Reber,
Carl Geiger, Michael Reider,
Jacob Geiger, Christian Reiff,
Christian Gerber, Henry Reiff,
George Gerber, Christian Reiss,
Christian Grieft, Conrad Reiss,
Henry Hefner, George Reiss,
Jacob Hefner, Michael Satler,
Andrew Helwig, Alelchoir Schaum,
Abraham Herb, John Scheiter,
Sebastian Herb, John Schuler,
Christian Hoch, Jacob Shaeffer,
Adam Huber, George Shiver,
George Huber, John Shiver,
Jacob Hueder, John Shiver (Shier),
Thomas Hunt, Philip Shiver,
Peter Kiefer, Daniel Sowasch,
Jacob Langalt, Henry Sowasch,
Abraham Lemritz, Valentine Starr,
Nicholas Lemritz, Adam Sweiger,
Jacob Long, Casper Werfel,
Nicholas Meyer, Philip Wanemacher.
Philip Miller, Adam Zidnier,
George Oberdorff. Anthony Zidnier,
Herman Oberdorff. Andrew Ziegler,
Jacob Pott,
The muster roll of the Fourth Battalion,
organized in 1775, cannot be found. This
battalion, composed of Associators from
Shrewsbury, Chanceford. Fawn and Hope-
well Townships, was originalh' commanded
by Colonel William Smith, with Francis
Holton, lieutenant-colonel; John Gibson
and John Finle)^ majors. The following is
the muster roll of one company from
Shrewsbury Township :
Captain,
Gideon Bausley.
First Lieutenant,
John Patrick.
■ — Seeond Lieutenant,
Peter Smith.
Ensign,
Conrad Taylor.
Sergeants,
John McDonald,
David Jones,
John Freeland,
John Cleek,
Corporal,
Anthony Miller.
Privates,
Jacob Alt, John Loran,
John Ball, James Marshall,
Stophel Baker. John :\Iiller.
James Douglas, Alexander Osborn,
Thomas Foster, John Orr,
Conrad Free, Joshua Pearse,
James Freeland, Nicholas Rodgers,
Michael Howman, Frederick Shinliver,
Sophel Heively, Postle Sheeling,
Adam Hendricks, Thomas Sparks,
Thomas Hunt, George Sword,
Jacob Hedrick, John Taylor,
John Hendricks, Stophel Wisehart,
Samuel Jones, George Waltmyer,
Michael Jordan, Aquilla Willey.
Nathan Jones,
268
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The Fifth Battalion of Associators was
organized in the townships of Dover, New-
berry, Monaghan, Warrington, Hunting-
don and Reading. It was originally com-
manded by Colonel AVilliam Rankin. The
following companies served in that bat-
talion :
Captain,
Michael Ege.
First Lieutenant,
Joseph Spangler.
Second Lieutenant,
James Liggit.
Ensign,
Reuben Pedro.
Second Sergeant,
Joseph Keeppers.
First Corporal,
Adam DantUnger.
Second Corporal,
Thomas White.
Pri'Z'atcs,
James Porter,
John Alsop,
George Batchler,
Edward Barton,
George Conrad,
William Chapman,
John Davis,
George Dashner,
Thomas Eisenal,
Michael Fissel,
Henry Fissel,
Tobias Heine,
Frederick Hovias,
Henry Krone,
Jacob Lishy,
Thomas Pussel,
Thomas Parker,
John Aby,
George Attig,
Henry Albrecht,
John Aber,
George Aber,
John Ber,
Henry Ber,
Hales Brit,
Michael Bentz,
Michael Baymiller,
IMichael Bennet,
Jacob Beyer,
Philip Beyer,
John Beyer,
Henr}' Beyer.
Jacob Berber,
Peter Breckler,
James Bruck,
Conrad Bulhans,
George Boner,
Michael Bricker.
William Critly,
Conrad Cara,
John Crone, Jr.,
John Crone, Sr.,
Amos Powel,
John Rose,
William Smith,
Andrew Stover,
John Steiner,
Peter Steiner,
Frederick Scepter,
Casper Stoner,
Michael Uhl,
Edward Woods,
George White,
Jacob Weston,
Stophel Weinmiller,
Stophel Zimmerman.
Captain,
Jacob Blester.
First Lieutenant.
Nicholas Beck.
Ensign,
George Lafeiber.
Privates,
Nicholas Day,
Jacob Day,
Michael Dast,
John Dauchge,
Jacob Dellinger,
John Dellinger,
Peter Dritt,
Peter Diete,
Henrjr Diethoss,
Conrad EUeberger,
John Frey,
Philip Frey.
Frederick Fitz,
Philip Gun,
Andreas Gilbert,
Philip Gun,
John Gon,
Frantz Graft,
Michael Garius,
Michael Henry, Sr.,
Michael Henry, Jr.,
Lawrence Hirschinger,
Matthias Hartford,
Michael Holder,
Daniel Herkens,
Anthony Heins,
James Heins,
Samuel Heist,
Adam Hales,
Lawrence Hales,
George Hass,
Adam Handel,
Lawrence Handel,
Henry Haltzel,
Philip Herman,
John Imsheiser,
Michael Kaflfeld,
Anthony Keller,
Martin Kuler,
Frederick Lambert,
Christel Landis,
John Landis,
Nicholas Leber,
Frederick Lieberknecht,
John Libhart,
Conrad Leber,
John Muth,
Jared Mines,
Jacob Meyer,
George Maxel,
Michael JNIoster,
James Murphy,
Philip Mulhof, Sr.,
Philip Mulhof, Jr.,
Christof Nagel,
Michael Peterman,
George Paff,
Joseph Reh,
John Rupert,
Henry Rupert,
George Reinhardt,
Christian Rathsban,
Peter Stab,
John Simden,
Jacob Stagmeier,
Jacob Strominger,
John Schmidt,
Adam Stantler,
James Shandon,
Jacob Strickler,
John Star,
Conrad Scheffer,
Peter Sekatz,
Peter Schwartz,
John Shenberger,
James Strang,
Jacob Thom,
John Thom,
Frederick Utz,
John Weber,
George WoUbach,
Peter Wambach,
George Wachtel,
Aaron Westsnyder,
John Weil, -—'
Ulrich Weber,
Nicholas Young,
Michael Ziegler,
Michael Zimmerman.
Captain Martin Shetter, who resided in
the vicinity of Lewisberry, York County,
commanded a militia company, which
served during part of the Revolution.
This company belonged to the present area
of Newberry and Fairview Townships, in
York County, and in 1782, its muster roll
was as follows :
Andrew Cline,
Thomas Winry,
John Weire,
John Cochenauer,
Philip Beacher,
George Miller,
Jacob Bear,
Ludwig Weire,
John Hencock,
Peter Zeller,
Abraham Shelley, Jr.,
Valentine Shiiltz,
George Strine, Jr.,
Frederick Zorger,
Philip Fettro,
James Hencock
First Class,
Frederick Weaver,
George Streine,
Joseph Cobele,
Joseph Oren.
Second Class,
Emanuel Beare,
John Finch,
John Hetrick,
Abraham Shelly.
Third Class,
George Mayers,
Andrew Miller,
Jacob Heidelbouch,
Jacob Forney,
Henry Strine.
Andrew Beadman,
Michael Roessler,
Jacob Heier,
Samuel Braton,
John Thaylor,
Thomas Miller,
Christian Baumgartner,
Peter Pence,
Henry Roessler,
Fourth Class,
William Rise,
Henry Bush,
John Heidelbouch,
James Hess.
Fifth Class,
James Love,
Matthias Zerger,
Michael Wagner,
George Bash.
THE REVOLUTION
269
Joseph Garretson,
Cornelius Garretson,
Daniel Densyl,
Emoss Lewis,
John Fettero,
Sn
xth Cla~ss,
Frederick Stine,
Abraham Stine,
Lorentz Wolf,
John Colgen,
John Breneman.
enih Class,
Herman Sneider,
^lichael Row, ^^^
Jacob Weier,
Joseph Fettero,
Henry Shiiltz.
'Jiih Class,
\Mlliam Barton,
John JNIathias,
Daniel Brua,
Peter Miller.
Alex. Threw,
Robert Torbert,
John Taylor,
William Thomson,
John Webb,
Hugh Whiteford,
Samuel Willson,
Benjamin Willson,
William Wallace,
John Williamson.
Henry John.
George JNIansberger,
Peter Densyl,
Michael Coppenhoefer,
Henrv Bauer,
Ei
Jacob Kaplor,
William Winry,
Jonathan McCreary,
John Hurst,
Adam Snider,
The Sixth Battalion of York County
Militia, organized in 1776, was composed of
eight companies. It was commanded in
^777-^ by Colonel AVilliam Ross, with
David Miller as major. The following is a
complete list of eight companies from
different sections of York County :
Caj^taiii.
Robert Armstrong,
William Bolentine,
Benjamin Bifet,
Samuel Bohanan,
Jonathon Burgess,
James Breckenridge,
James Buchanan,
William Clark,
Benjamin Cunningham,
Alex. Cooper,
Nicholas Cooper,
John Commins,
Samuel Cuning,
William Carkey,
William Coloin.
Hugh Crawford,
Thomas Cooper,
Richard Cord,
John Cooper,
William Cooper.
Patrick Downey,
John Doherty,
William Davis,
Isaac Davis,
James Edgar,
Robert Fliwen,
Hugh Faton,
Samuel Fulton,
Archibald Greeless,
Robert Glenn,
John Glendenon,
William Galougher,
James Galeagher,
James Heirs,
Joseph Henry.
Thomas Hawkins,
John Halbort,
Laird.
First Lieutenant,
William Reed.
Ensign,
David Steelt.
Privates,
Theophilas Jones,
John Lemon,
James Lard,
John Lewiston,
Abram Alickey,
Edward Morris,
James Milligan,
Thomas Morris,
George Mitchell,
John McCandless,
Thomas Matson,
^latthias Morrison,
Samuel Mclsaac,
James ]\IcCrone}r,
John Major,
William Mclleny,
Jacob McCulough,
Michael McMullen,
John Neal,
George Nicle,
Theodore Patton,
Pattrick Quigley,
William Rowen,
Jacob Reed,
William Russel,
James Robinson,
Andrew Rowen,
Joseph Ross.
Robert Rowland,
Thomas Steel,
William Snodgrass,
James Sample,
Josiah Scott,
Patrick Scott,
James Sims,
John Thomson,
John Tagert,
David Anderson,
John Anderson,
John Bohanan,
John Blosser,
Peter Bryfvigle,
Anthony Beaman,
William Boyd,
Henry Cunningham,
Henry Craig,
Robert Carswell,
Stephens Cornelius,
Jasper Clements,
Robert Dixon,
John Duncan,
George Egert,
Nicholas- Peeple,
Andrew Fulton,
David Gemmill,
John Griffith,
Evan Griffith,
Henry Householder,
Stophel Hively^
Jacob Householder,
James Hamilton,
Solomon James,
John Mclsaac,
James McAllister,
Robert McCay,
James McElroy,
First Lieutenant,
Isaac McKissick.
sSecond Lieutenant,
John Smith.
Ensign,
Thomas Dixon.
Privates,
Michael Morrison,
William Melurg,
William Neilson,
John Neilson,
Joseph Nowland,
, JNIartin Overmiller,
James Pegan,
Elisha Pew,
James Purdy,
Patrick Purdy,
David Proudfoot,
Robert Proudfoot,
Andrew Proudfoot,
Samuel Rosborough,
Adam' Reed,
John Smith,
William Smith,
Robert Swan,
Robert Straffort,
Jacob Sadler,
Samuel Smith,
James Steel,
Francis Sechrist,
Frederick Satler,
Andrew Thompson,
James Young,
Benjamin Yont,
Jacob Yost.
Jr.,
Robert Addair,
John Carker,
Philip Conol,
John Duncan,
Aaron Finley,
Samuel Fullerton,
William Fullerton
Robert Finley,
George Henr}',
Thomas Kirkwood,
Francis Holton,
James Henry,
William Henry,
William Johnson,
Patrick King,
James Kirk,
Joseph Kellit,
John Lusk,
James Lodge.
Samuel Martin,
John McMillon,
Alexander McAllister,
Robert Martin,
Henry McCormick,
Caftain,
Joseph Reed.
First Lieutenant,
Robert Smith.
Ensign,
Samuel Collins.
Privates,
Frederick McPherson,
William Mahlin,
William Martin,
Samuel McMichael,
Samuel Nelson,
Robert Nelson.
William Nichol,
Alexander Orr,
James Paterson,
William Patterson,
Samuel Peden,
David Patterson,
Benjamin Pedan,
James Robinson,
John Robinson,
James Ridgewav,
Hugh Reed,
Samuel Reed,
Rowlen Stevens,
William Tulerton,
i\Iichael Travis,
George Thompson,
John Wallace,
John Williams,
270
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Aaron Wallace,
Matthias Wallace,
William Wallace,
John Walface,
Moses Wallace.
James Agnew,
Robert Anderson,
James Anderson,
Nehemiah Armstrong
John Anderson,
Thomas Balden,
William Comon,
Patrick Colwell,
John Cross,
Joseph Cross,
Conaday,
William Douglass,
Patrick Douglass,
Matthias Ewen,
Samuel Elliot,
George Egart,
William Edgar,
William Edie, ,
William Godfrey,
David Hart,
Joseph Harrison,
James Harper,
James Hutchinson,
John Howel,
Charles Hay,
Frederick Kross,
William Ligget,
John JMcCulough,
Robert McDonald,
Robert McCleland,
Francis Andrew,
George Aurson,
John Buchanan,
John Buck,
William Bohanan,
John Conor,
John Cummins,
John Curry,
John Dougherty,
Hugh Dougherty,
Alexander FuUerton,
John Fullerton,
James Greer.
James Hill,
John Houge,
Thomas Johnson,
James Lord,
Samuel Deeper,
Patrick Masewell,
John McHarsy.
William Morrison,
John Morrison,
Captain,
Joseph Moffit.
First Lieutenant,
Andrew Warrick.
Second Lieutenaiit,
Samuel Moor.
Ensign,
James Wilson.
Privates,
Hugh McCutchen,
John Miller,
John Marshall,
Joseph Manifold,
William Morrord,
John McKitrick,
Benjamin Manifold,
David Manson,
John IMontgomery,
John McKell,
Alex. Ramz>',
John Ramz\',
Thomas Ra}-,
John Riche}^
Peter Roberts,
William Ramsay,
Daniel Robb,
Samuel Roe,
William Spitler,
Abraham Cinord,
John Shinard,
Andrew Sloan,
Alexander Thompson,
John Willson,
William Willson,
Samuel Watson,
James Willson,
Henry Wert,
William Willson,
James Willson.
Caftain,
John Reppey.
First Lieutenant,
John Colwell.
Privates,
David McCulough,
Alex. McCullough,
Matthew McCall,
Andrew McClery,
William McCullough,
Robert JNIcGill,
William McCleland,
John McClain,
Moses McWhorter,
Samuel Pollock,
James Parks,
John Ramsey,
Walter Robinson,
Samuel Ramsey,
Patrick Smith,
Samuel Stewart,
John Stewart,
Gavin Scott,
Robert Stewart,
Jacob Visage,
James Woran,
Robert Zeliss.
7
Captain,
Joseph
Reed (Ferryman).
Privates,
John Andrew,
John McCall,
Charles Bradshaw,
Michael McAnulty,
Robert Blain,
A. McCulough,
Abraham Barber,
Thomas Newton,
George Burkholder,
James Newton,
Alex. Cooper,
James Perron,
Samuel Caldwell,
William Quigley,
Alex. Downing,
Joseph Reed,
John Douglass,
John Reed,
Thomas Duncan,
John Reed,
James Downing,
Henry Robinson,
John Elder,
John Robb,
James Elder,
Alen Seath,
Robert Forsythe,
Hugh Sprout,
James Forsythe,
James Stewart,
John Gordon,
James Spear,
Robert Hill,
James Shaw,
William Hill,
John Stewart,
James Hill,
Daniel Shaw,
John Hill,
Archibald Shaw,
James Jolly,
William Smiley,
Joseph Jackson,
Samuel Sprout,
John Kelly,
James Sprout,
Joseph Kobb,
William Wedgeworth,
William Long,
Isaac Williams,
Robert McGhee,
Cornelius Ward,
John McKinley,
William Willson,
David McKinley,
Thomas Willson,
William McCalough,
Robert Walker.
Samuel McClurge,
Captain,
Thomas McNerry.
First Lieutenant,
William Adams.
Privates, l-^
Matthew Adams,
Michael Koon, ,>-^'
John Arnold,
Andrew Koon,
William Adams,
George List,
William Adams, big.
James McLaughlin,
William Adams, old.
Owin McLaughlin,
Henry Adams,
David McNarj-,
John Armstrong,
William McClorg,
Joseph Allison,
John Murphy,
John Buchanan,
John Oolrigfi,
Jacob Crowl,
William Owins,
Henrj' Crowl,
Richard Pendry,
George Cooster,
Robert Pendry,
John Cooster,
James Porter,
Philip Elis,
Nicholas Quigle\%
George Elis,
Adam Quickel,
John French,
William Reed,
Henry Fodd,
Casper Baylor,
Jacob Gering.
Nicholas Strayer,
Thomas Grove,
Jacob Spotts,
Matthew Hunter,
Jacob Sypher,
Adam Heener,
Charrles Stewart,
David Johnson,
Ceter Stoyler,
John Koon,
Andrew Stayley,
George Keener,
John Tinny,
Ludwig Keeth.
Jacob Weester,
Jacob Koon, I
Philip Winter.
The Seventh BattaHon of York County
MiHtia, organized tinder the state constitu-
tion of 1776, was commanded by David
Kennedy, colonel, with James Agnew, lieu-
tenant-colonel, and John AYeams, major.
THE REVOLUTION
271
The following is a complete muster roll of
this battalion for the years 1777 and 1778:
Captain,
John Myers.
Second Lieutenant,
Abraham Bolhnger.
Ensign,
Daniel Hamm.
Privates,
Peter Noll.
John Ott.
Stephen Peter. Jr.,
Stephen Peter. Sr.,
Michael Peter,
John Rudisill,
Christian Ruble,
John Rever,
Rohrbaugh,
Jacob Rodarmel,
Jacob Stambaugh,
Peter Stambaugh,
John Snell,
Henry Snyder,
Joseph AUender,
Jacob Abley,
William Brenneman,
Jacob Bealor, Jr.,
Henry Baker,
John Beigher,
Benjamin Brenneman,
Jacob Bealor.
Samuel Brenneman,
Joseph Brillherd.
Martin Barkhymer,
Helphrey Cramer,
Jacob Colier,
Nicholas Dehoff, ^^=_
William Frankelberger.
Ulrich Fulwider,
George Fenceler,
Martin Gistwhite,
Ulrich Hoover,
John Hoover,
Michael Hileman, j_
Lawrence Hileman.
Jacob Hofner,
Henr}' Kesler,
Jacob Keller. Sr.,
George Keller, over age.
Andrew Miller.
John Miller.
George Miller,
Jacob Miller,
Harry Stra^^er,
Zachary Shoe,
Francis Stritehoof.
Philip Stambaugh. Sr.,
Philip Stambaugh,
Christian Soabaugh,
-J^'Iartin Snyder,
Henry Shiles.
George Swartz.
Daniel Tones,
John Verner.
Frederick Waggmen,
George Warley.
Harry Warley, Jr..
Henry Warley. over age.
Nicholas Wyant,
Nicholas Bentz,
Jacob Byers,
William Bond,
George Conrad,
William Chapman.
John Dull,
Hugh Davis,
George Dashner,
Adam Dentlinger,
John Dicke, Sr.,
Thomas Evans,
John Everson,
Henry Frankelberger,
iNIatthias Firestone,
Samuel Freil,
Henry Fissel.
Michael Fissel,
Adam First,
Francis Huff,
Philip Fissel,
Henry Fissel, sadler.
Wendel Fissel.
^lartin First,
Captain,
Thomas White.
First Lieutenant,
Robert Jefferis.
Second Lieutenant,
John Jefferis.
Ensign.
Alexander Lees.
Privates,
Christian Hershey,
Joseph Hershe}',
Joseph Hershey, Jr.,
John Helzel.
Tobias Helzel,
John Horn,
Henry Horn.
George Hines.
Andrew Hershey,
Peter Hershe}',
Adam Huff, ,
Abram Koontz, ^
Thomas Hunt,
Joseph Keepers.
John Kinkennon,
Peter Koontz,
JNIichael Leckner,
Jacob Mooler,
Solomon Mooler,
Michael McCann,
Philip Miller,
Daniel Oaks.
Thomas Presel.
Christian Pregnier,
Valentine Runk,
Peter Rattz,
John Rose,
Christian Road,
John Simmon,
Philip Senif,
Frederick Septre,
Andrew Smith,
l\'Iichael Strawsbaugh,
Jacob Wire,
Daniel Wertz,
William White,
Jacob Wertz.
John Wertz.
Frank Wrinkler.
Christian Young.
William Anderson,
Jacob Alt,
John Beard,
Jacob Buzzard,
Peter Baker,
Jacob Brillhart,
Edward Barton,
Jacob Baker,
Daniel Bailey,
Michael Congle,
John Clink,
John Dicken,
George Dommine,
John Davis,
Henrj' Downs,
Amos Dicken,
Thomas Dicken,
George Eisenhart,
Urias Freeland,
John Freeland,
Michael Felter,
Christian Frey,
Michael Garveric,
Adam Hendricks,
John Hunt,
Michael Hubley,
Wendel Horst,
Isaac Hendricks,
Godleib Howman,
Jacob Headick,
James Hendrick,
Philip Herring,
Captain,
John Miller.
First Lieutenant,
Peter Smith.
Second Lieutenant,
John McDonald.
Ensign,
Acquilla Wyley.
Privates,
William Hendricks,
Michael Howman,
Nathan Jones,
David Jones,
John Klinefelter,
Daniel Kurfman,
John Keller,
Lawrence Klinefelter,
Andrew Krist,
Joseph Lowbridge,
Casper Lutz,
John Low,
Frederick Miller,
James Marshall,
Solomon Nonemaker,
Alexander Osburn,
George Peary,
William Patterson,
Frederick Rule,
Sebastian Shilling,
James Swinney,
Ulrich Sipe,
John Shyrer,
Jacob Seabaiigh,
John Shelle3\
Henry Shatter,
Joseph Turner,
George Waltimj'er,
Ambrose Wilcox,
Edward Wood.
Christian .
Adam Brener,
Jacob Bowser,
Christian Baker,
Noah Bowser,
David Baker,
Valentine Barkhy
Daniel Bowser,
Henry Baltzley,
Jacob Bower,
Abram Bowser,
Ulrich Bernhard,
John Bower.
John Brener,
Captain.
Peter Zollinger.
First Lieutenant,
Daniel Amer.
Second Lieutenant,
Joseph Baltzley.
Ensign,
Anthon}- Snyd.
Privates.
Jacob Baker,
John Brigner,
Gotlieb Brizner,
Nicholas Dillow,
Conrad Dull,
mer, Philip Emeck,
Peter Gise,
Nicholas Goip,
Wendel Gyer,
Henry Heiney,
Ludwig Heiner,
John Hidler.
Conrad Haverstock.
2/2
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
George Jacobs,
Henry Jacobs,
Philip Jacobs,
John Kell,
John Lane,
Jacob Long,
Henr\' Long,
Patrick McHailey,
Richard Mummett,
WiUiam Mummett,, Sr.
John Mummett,
WilHam Mummett.
Daniel Noel,
Bloss Noel,
John Naugle,
William Philebe,
Adam Player, Sr.,
Jr.,
Adam Pypher,
Adam Player, Jr.,
Peter Prigner,
Lawrence Rohrbaugh,
Daniel- Reinell,
Jacob Stifler,
Jacob Snyder,
Philip Swisegood,
John Titto,
George Tresler,
John Taylor,
Christopher Walter,
henry Walter,
Stophel Weymiller,
Frederick Walter,
Conrad Walk.
Captain,
John Erman.
First Lieutenant,
Daniel Peterman.
Second Lieutenant,
Michael Bush.
Ensign,
George Erman.
Conrad Alt,
Philip Appleman,
Matthew Allison,
Valentine Armspoker,
Earnest Alp,
Jacob Bailey,
John Brillhart,
Jacob Brillhart,
David Byer,
George Bailey,
Michael Bush,
Henry Byers,
Samuel Brillhart,
Bernard Blymyer,
Lawrence Cramer,
Baltzer Colier,
John Colier,
Charles Deal,
Adam Deal,
Gilian Dippinger,
Jacob Earhart,
Thomas Earhart,
IMichael Erman,
Henry Frey,
John Fry,
Martin Feigle,
Francis Grove,
- Casper Glatfelter,
John Grimes,
Henry Hess,
Jacob Hildebrand,
Nicholas Hope,
Felix Hildebrand,
Charles Hymes,
Martin Hart.
Peter Klinefelter,
Privates,
Jacob Koffelt,
John Klinefelter,
Henry Keller,
Christian Keller,
Andrew Low,
Tobias Miller,
Edward Musgrove,
^Michael Myer,
Andrew Myer,
Christopher Myers,
John Miller,
Henry Miller,
Ulrich Noyer,
John Olp,
Frederick Phenice,
Andrew Peary,
Nicholas Peary,
• Jacob Peck,
Christian Rush,
Abram Rever,
Lawrence Rose,
Adam Rose,
Conrad Swartz,
David Shaffer,
]\Iichael Shultz,
John Shyrer,
Joseph Sites,
John Stites,
John Stively,
Christian Stively,
George Seigh,
Philip Shaffer,
Thomas Tise,
Philip Taylor,
Matthias Trorbaugh.
Captain,
George Geiselman.
First Lieutenant,
Frederick Heiner.
Ensign,
Valentine Alt.
George Emick,
Jacob Fulwider,
Andrew Frederick,
Jacob Funhuver,
James Flowers,
John Grow,
Philip Hileman,
Jacob Henry,
Christian Hosier,
Joseph Hosier,
Michael Hofner,
Casper Hildebrand,
Henry Hildebrand,
Jacob Henry,
Jacob Kurfman,
Godfrey Klintinch,
Felix Klatfelter, ,
Michael Klatfelter,
Christian Klintinch,
Henry Klatfelter,
Valentine Lore,
Peter Low,
Anthony Leaman,
Henry Lise,
Peter Lise,
Jones Lordon,
George Low,
Michael Mitchel,
Christian Michael,
Emanuel Niswonger,
George Nyman,
George Piper,
John Pope,
Adam Pope,
Melchor Pypher,
Michael Peltz,
John Quarterman,
Michael Rose,
George Sliskman,
Henry Swartz,
Bernard Spangler
(son of Jonas),
Charles Sliuman,
Andrew Shietler,
Jilichael Shenk,
Jacob Shaffer,
Jacob Shyrer,
John Smith,
Abram Swartz,
Jacob Welshans,
Henry Wideman,
Jacob Winter,
George Walter,
Jacob Zieg-ler,
Bernard Ziegler,
Christopher Zimmerman.
Captain,
Jacob Ament.
First Lieutenant,
Andrew Parley.
Seeond Lieutenant,
Nicholas Andrews.
Ensign,
Adam Klinefelter.
John Byer,
Christian Brenneman,
Joseph Bigler,
Privates,
John Crowl,
John Dicken,
George Deal,
Philip Altland,
Samuel Arnold,
John Appleman,
John B}'er,
Casper Bentzley,
John Baker,
John Buse,
Warne Craver,
Matthias Craff,
John Deardorf,
Peter Deardorf,
John Fissel,
Adam Fissel,
Michael Frederick,
Peter Flager,
Jacob Fulgemore,
Adam Fultz,
Valentine Grove,
David Griffith,
David Griffith,
Jacob Howry,
Christopher Hyme,
John John.
Valentine Kulp,
Adam Krist,
Christopher Kemp,
Rudy Klinpeter,
John Kaltrider,
Philip Krist,
Christian Linbaker,
Matthias Mummert,
John Myer,
Peter Moore,
John Nelson,
Amos Powel,
Peter Puse,
Privates,
Ludwig Pope,
Michael Paulet,
Martin Rafflesperger,
George Rudy,
Jacob Road,
Abram Road,
George Road,
Matthias Stump,
Klinman Stoutsberger,
Peter Strine,
John Stopher,
Philip Stoofer,
Henry Spangler
(Rudy's son),
Henry Say,
John Sunday,
John Sharke,
Michael Sunday,
Jacob Stover,
Henry Spangler
(Jonas' son),
Jacob Swartz,
Bernhard Spangler
(Rudy's son),
Philip Shaffer,
Peter Torn,
John Tinkey,
John Trimmer,
Andrew Trimmer,
Jacob Tortoiseman,
Adam Walter,
Philip Wyland,
George Wallet,
Christian Wiest,
John Wiest,
Henry Whaler.
THE REVOLUTION
273.
Cdpttliil.
John Shyrrer.
First Lieutenant,
Jacob Headrick.
Second Lieutenant,
Frederick Myers.
Ensign.
Jacob Bear.
Privates,
Henry
William Keller
George Krapr,
John Livingston,
Henr\' Manke}',
Valentine Mickle,
James Moore,
James Moore,
Leonard Myer,
Henry Nycommer,
Philip Null,
George Portner,
Adam Rypold,
Xicholas Rypold,
George Rypold,
Henrv Rohrbaugh,
William Rule,
John Rule,
Ludwick Reighgle,
^lichael Shearer,
^lartin Shyrer,
Philip Snyder,
Dewalt Snyder,
George Smith,
^latthias Smith,
Leonard Sower,
Jacob Stake,
Henry Williams,
Jacob Warier,
Francis Weymiller, '
Sebastian Widman,
^lichael Ziegler, Sr.,
Michael Ziegler.
George Amspoker,
John Brodbeck,
Jacob Bear, Sr.,
Jacob Bailey,
George Beck,
Stophel Brigner,
George Baker,
William Baker,
Jacob Dates,
George Dehoflf,
Philip Emick,
Wendel Everhart,
John Everhart,
Frederick Fisher,
John Fuhvider,
Frederick Frazier,
Samuel Glassick,
John Gauntz,
Peter Garveric,
Frederick Hovice,
^lichael Hileman,
George Huver,
Peter Hiney,
Jacob Hess,
John Howser,
Peter Krapr,
Jacob Keller
(son of George)
Jacob Kessler,
Abram Keller,
Jacob Keller,
Andrew Kersh,
John Kline,
After the organization of the militia, in
1777, the following two companies belonged
to the Second Battalion, which included
men from difTerent sections of York
County :
Caf>taiu.
Emanuel Herman.
First Lieutenant,
William Mower.
Second Lieutenant,
John Brodrough.
Ensign,
Herman Hoopes.
Privates,
JIartin Ebert,
Christian Ebly,
Ebly,
Lenhart Ebly,
John Emig,
Conrad Eisenhart,
Christian Eyster,
Michael Finfrock,
Gottlieb Fackler,
John Fry,
George Ferror,
Stephen Finfrock,
John Gratz,
Isaac Gartman,
Isaac Gartman, Jr.,
Dietz Aniand,
Jacob Bauer,
Robert Bayley,
Jonas»Bott,
Jacob Bushong,
George Bott,
Jacob Bott,
]\Iatthias Detter,
Gabriel Derr,
Alichael Emlet,
George Eyster,
Elias Eyster,
George Eyster, Jr
Michael Ebert,
Philip Ebert,
Abraham Greenawalt,
John Graff,
Philip Heiges,
Jacob Hoke,
Jacob Herritz,
John Hoke,
Andrew Hoke,
John Hagner,
Lenhart Holtzapple,
John Haler,
Robert Inners,
John Inners,
Casper Ivoren.
Joseph Kreibel,
John Kurtz,
John Kauffelt,
Valentine Krantz,
Peter Link,
Lenhart Lecrone,
George Lecrone,
Michael Lau,
Jacob Meisenkop,
George Menges,
Peter Menges,
Andreas Meyer,
John Miller,
Ludwig Moll,
Simon Nirdmeyer,
John Oberdorf,
John Ottinger,
Jacob Odenwalt,
Jacob Ottinger,
Henry Ottinger,
Peter Ottinger,
John Oldham,
Valentine Oberdorf,
Dietrich Ruppert,
Gottlieb Riger,
Jacob Roemer,
Joseph Rothrock,
George Rothrock,
Jacob Rudy,
Adam Roliff,
John Romer,
Philip Stell,
Peter Sprenkel,
George Sprenkel,
Isaac Sterner,
Peter Sprenkle,
Jacob Schmeisser,
Henry Shultz,
Andreas Schneider,
Matthias Schmeisser,
Henry Weltzhoffer,
Weitzel,
Peter Wolff,
Conrad Weigel,
Martin Weigelf^^^
Sebastian Weigel,
Peter Weigel,
Philip Ziegler,
Killian Ziegler,
Jacob Ziegler,
Peter Ziegler.
Philip Benedict,
Peter Bang,
Peter Bentz,
Henry Decker,
Frederick Ehresman,
John Frey,
Jacob Gotwalt,
George Henry Houser,
Frederick Haeck,
Andreas Haeck,
Jacob Herman,
John Hearst,
John Humrichhouser,
Nicholas Hantz,
Simon Kopenhafer,
Adam Holtzapple,
Nicholas Krasz,
Godfrey King
Captain.
Simon Copenhafer.
First Lieutenant,
Michael Schreiber.
Second Lieutenant,
Andrew Smith.
Ensign,
'Jacob Gotwalt.
Privates,
Mustered.
Reinhart Klein,
John Kroll,
George Miller,
Conrad E. Menges,
Henry Ness,
Jacob Ness,
Henry Ort,
Henry Rudisill,
Jonas Rudisill,
George Romig,
Peter Schultz.
Ludwig Shindle,
John Schran,
Michael Wentz,
George Weiterecht,
Peter Weiterecht,
Valentine Wilt.
Jacob Ernst,
Andrew Ginigam,
Joshua Horten,
Jacob Huff.
Andrew Hershey,
John Herman,
John Lloffman,
Christian Kneisley,
John Kauffman,
John Kreibel,
Jacob Kauffman,
John Nesbinger,
jVof Mustered.
William Rieth,
Andreas Ritter,
John Schmidt,
Yost Stork,
James Schmidt,
Philip Wintermoyer,
Conrad Weikel,
Nathan Worley,
Jacob Worley,
John Willis,
James Worley,
Frank Worley.
274
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The following is a muster roll of Captain
Archibald McAllister's Company, in 1776,
then serving under Colonel Hartley. In the
fall of that year Hartley's Regiment joined
Washington's army near Trenton, New
Jersey. This company, under Captain Mc-
Allister, took part in the battles of Brandy-
wine, Paoli, Germantown and White Marsh
in 1777, and in 1778, they marched with
Hartley's regiment against the Indians on
the northern frontier:
Cal>taiu,
Archibald McAllister.
First Lieutenant,
Isaac Sweeney.
Sergeant,
John Lesley.
Drummers,
Patrick Conner,
John Elliot.
Privates,
John McBride,
John McDonald,
John McGichen,
William McGinness,
Henry McGill,
John McLean,
James McManamy,
Samuel McJManamy,
John Mahon,
Benjamin Missum,
Thomas Morrow,
Cornelius Murray,
Thomas Nicholas,
John Page,
Andrew Patterson,
Thomas Parker,
Patrick Roch,
Paul Terry,
Robert Thompson,
Christian Timbrooke,
Thomas Timpler,
Andrew Walker,
Andrew Webb,
Robert White,
Frederick Wolf.
Thomas Bissel,
Francis Britt,
George Britt,
James Burke,
James Burns,
John Carduss,
William Chambers,
John Clark,
Robert Clark,
Adam Clendennen,
James Crangle,
Charles Croxel,
George Cusick,
James Dill,
Lewis Denisay,
Robert Ellison,
John Falls, "
Henry Gardner,
Richard Harper,
William Hayes,
John Hendrick,
Thomas Herington,
Thomas Irwin,
Thomas Judge,
Matthias Kellar,
Dennis Leray,
Muster roll of the Fifth Company, Third
Battalion, York County militia, for the
years 1783-4:
Captain,
Peter Trine.
Lieutenant,
John Kneisen.
Etisign,
Peter Messerly.
Sergeant,
Jacob Stauch.
Sergeants,
Adam Hetzer,
John Wilth.
Privates,
Jacob Weigel, Daniel Rahauser,
Charles Mitman, George Romigh,
Baltzer Ham, Andrew Coder,
Andrew Gross, Joseph Sipe,
Michael Feyser,
George Croun,
Thomas Metzler,
Jacob Zimmerman,
Casper Bierbower,
Jacob Bowler,
Peter Stryn,
Walter Hughes,
Peter Thomas,
William Crage,
Eliser John,
John John,
George Geyer,
Jacob Hoffman,
Wendel Gross,
Jacob Ruthy,
Michael Gross,
Alex. Ramsey Cober,
Nicholas Hoffman,
George Stauch,
Michael Bennedick,
Philip Hoffman,
Frederick Beck,
Jacob Huber,
Michael Welty,
Jacob Welty,
Abraham Messerly,
Philip Bierbower,
David Ramsey,
George Ruthy,
Jacob Leydig,
Samuel Perck,
George Reedman,
Frederick Heck.
John Bowerway,
Jacob Herman,
George Eichholtz,
Folden Erdel,
Samuel Clerk,
Henry Ruthy,
George Levnninger,
Christian Heck,
The official ceport of the Third Company,
Fifth Battalion, York County militia, 1780:
Captain,
William Heaffer.
Lieutenant,
Conrad Haverstock.
Ensign,
Martin Berghimer.
Sergeants,
John Dressier,
Michael Dellow,
Henry Berghimer.
Corporals,
Philip Hering,
John Brenner.
Privates,
Andrew Young, Abraham Jacobs,
Philip Jacobs, Ludwig Heaffer,
Henry Stonesifer, John Mummert, t
Henry Ottinger, Jacob Becker,
Jacob Pause, Nicholas King,
Peter Gise, Christopher Speess,
George Fans, Wendel Henry,
Samuel Arnold, George Keentzer,
Peter Briegner, Henry Jacobs,
William Muinmert, John Hideler,
Daniel Amert, Henry Balsley,
John Dull, Daniel Bowser,
Peter Heaffer, Jacob Snider,
Wendel Gvger, ' Yost Hiner,
Frederick Eichholtz,
Adam Guntel,
Martin Ilgenfritz,
Frederick Miller,
John Rothrof,
Jonas Rothrof,
Daniel Lebach,
John Gross,
Jacob Smith,
Emanuel Sipe,
Philip Sipe,
Jacob Bender,
George Leyser,
Tobias Sipe,
Philip Quickel,
Anthony Bevenour,
William Reed,
Philip Rothrof, — ^
Jonathan Rauhauser,
George Huber,
Philip Miller,
Henry Gertner,
LUrich Derr,
Jonas Yonner,
Christian Hamm,
Matthias Henry,
Philip Wilty,
Jacob Gross.
Jacob Gilbert,
Jacob Miller,
George Shettle,
George Shnellbecker,
Matthias Eichholtz,
Andrew Sipe,
Barnhart Feyser,
Edward Brady,
William Ramsey,
Casper Cundel,
John Quickel,
Michael William,
Henn." Bowner.
f
THE REVOLL'TFOX
275
KiclKircl MuinnK-rt.
John Xaiigle.
Andrew I lavcrslock.
Henry Waiter.
John Bowser,
Conrad Dull,
Patrick Haley,
Philip Havcrstock,
Jacob Dressier,
Jacob Steelier,
Ludwig Hiner,
John Lchn,
Gotleeb Brccgner,
Xicholas Fickes,
Jacob Brenner,
(ieorgc Ox,
Abraham Scrff,
Robert Dougherty.
The following is a return of the Sixth
Company. Fifth Battalion, York County
militia, from Paradise Township, Septem-
lier I. 1781 :
Cat>tain,
Andrew Bolly.
LicutciianI,
John Stump.
Ensign.
Philip Wyland.
Privates,
Peter Dicrdorf.
Jacob Buiis.
Philip Christ,
.\dani Klinepeter,
Jacob Anion,
Xicholas Enders,
.\dam Walter,
John Kell.
George Wolled,
Peter Moore,
Peter Dewald,
Valentine Grof.
John Pawl.
George Roth.
David Baker,
Philip Wolst.
John Baker.
Jacob Stover.
Peter Thorn.
Philip Shafer.
Rudolph Klinepeter
George Bake.
Christopher Kamps.
John Buss.
John Dierdorf.
John Trimmer.
Andrew Trimmer,
George Rudy,
John Sherk.
John Wiest,
Abraham Roth,
Casper Goaks.
Jacob Stover.
John Fishel.
Henrv Fishel.
henry Sprengler,
JMichael Bouser.
Matthias Mummert,
John Stoufer,
Werner Graver.
Henry Spengler,
Bernhard Spengler,
Bernhard Spengler,
Christian Wiest,
Christian Linebaugh,
Jacob Roth,
Philip Altland.
Charles Hyme.
Henry Klinepeter,
Joseph Sunday,
John Wide.
Andrew Sunday,
Henry Fishel,
Adam Stover,
Michael Howry,
Henry Wahler,
Jacob Rensell,
David Griffy,
John Myer,
George Wide,
George Krazingher.
George Smith,
Martin Rafflesberger,
Christian Rafflesberger.
Peter Trimmer.
Thomas Louder.
William Louder.
Jacob Loser.
Ofificial report of Captain Shearer's Com-
pany. Fifth Battalion of York County
militia, in 1780:
Ca/'tiiin,
John Shearer.
Privates,
Jacob Bear, Frederick Fraser, Sr.,
Helfrey Gramer, Samuel Glasik.
George Krops. Deewald Shnider.
George Koltriter. Xicholas Ziegler.
^lichael Shultz. .Adam Ripold.
Michael Rose, George Gross,
Jacob Ziegler, George Amspoker.
Michael Ehrman. John Brodbck.
John Sower. Jacob Shearer,
Henry Kuhn,
John Keller,
Benjamin Lawson,
George Bortner, Sr.,
Jacob Keller Smith.
Daniel Bear,
Xicholas DahofF,
■Frederick William,
Ludwig Bortner,
Martin Shyrer,
X'icholas Ripold,
Abraham Keller,
John Werner,
Henry Wilhelm,
George Smith,
George DahofF,
Zachariah Shoe,
George Ripold,
John Rohrbaugh,
George Bortner,
Peter Henig,
John Gerberick,
Jacob Xoll,
George Huber.
Matthias Ripold,
Daniel Stouffer,
Frederick Fraser,
Philip Dahofif,
I lenry .Albrecht,
I'eter Ollinger,
Lugwig Rigel,
Jacob Kants,
William Ruhl,
Daniel Gramer,
Jacob Haderik.
Frederick Wilhelm,
Jacob Keller,
Jacob Ziegler,
John Eberhard,
John Gantz,
Benjamin Walker,
William Baker,
David Neal,
Jacob Kerker,
.Adam Foltz,
Peter Hah.
Return of Captain Thomas ^^'hite's Com-
pany of the Fifth Battalion, York County
militia, for the year 1780:
Caftain,
Thomas White.
Liautownt,
Lawrence Helman.
Ensign,
Francis Winkler.
Sergeants,
Edward Woods,
Christopher Weynemiller.
Ulrich Barnhard.
Sr.,
Christian Hershey,
Joseph Hershey, Jr.,
Peter Hershey,
Joseph Hershey,
Nicholas Pence,
Andrew Pence,
Michael Fissel,
Henry Fissel,
Henry Fissel, Jr.,
George Conrad,
Jacob Conrad,
George Gentzler,
Michael Miller,
Philip Stover,
Peter Alarc.x,
Peter Ratts,
Martin Plank,
Yost Waggoner,
John Joseph,
Michael Strawsbach,
David Griffith,
Philip Aleyers,
Daniel Shynaman,
Peter Sander,
Jacob Wantz,
John Dicks, St.,
John Dicks. Jr.,
Martin Foerst.
Peter Meinhart.
Privates,
Jacob ^Iarcx.
James Porter.
Hugh Fulton,
James Gregory.
William Blackburn,
.Andrew Ho fit,
Adam Hofif,
John Kilkanon,
John Wertz.
Valentine Runk,
Joseph Runk,
Adam Dentlinger,
John Simmons,
Leonard Getz.
Phillip Hofif,
Peter Wertz.
Henry Heltzel,
John Rose,
Abraham Horn,
Joseph Wilson,
John Fricky,
Elias Wood.
John Ortman.
Jacob Lischy.
George Krone.
John Hershey.
• Abraham Bollinger.
Francis Reamer.
Conrad Mole.
Return of Captain Lechner's Company of
York County militia, for the year 1780:
276
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Jacob Boeler,
Henry Skiles,
Jacob Aliller,
Samuel Brenneman,
Martin Sneider,
Henry Stambach,
Peter Kreps,
' George Werly,
Stephen Peter,
John Rever,
Michael jMiller,
Alexander Lees,
Adam Miller,
Abraham Bollinger,
John Ham,
Christian Noll,
Jacob Straithofif,
John Myer,
Ben Brenneman,
George Fransler,
Philip Stambach,
Jacob Wearly,
Adam Hoffman,
Daniel Wertz,
Captain,
Michael Lechner.
Lieutenant,
Henry Kesler.
Ensign,
Henry Karwer.
Clerk,
Christian Roarbach.
Sergeants,
Lorenz Roarbach,
Jacob Eppley,
Jacob Stambach.
Corporals,
Daniel Jones,
Jacob Hefner,
John Boelor.
Fifer,
Franz Straithof.
Drummer,
Frend. Fenes.
Privates,
Andrew Miller,
Daniel Ham,
Christian Huble,
William Becker,
Christian Brillhard,
George JMiller,
Ullrich Huber,
John Snell,
Henry Werly,
Jacob Noll,
Thomas Harreys,
John Weaver,
Jacob Boeler, Jr.,
Peter Stombach,
John Kline,
Lorenz Shultz,
Thomas King,
Jacob Kesler,
John Rudisill,
William Brenneman,
John Huber,
John Miller,
Christian Hefner,
Michael Peter.
Peter Weyand,
Nicholas Weyand,
Philip Reitz,
Bernhard Holtzapple,
Thomas Oldham,
Andrew Hoke,
Robert Lewis,
, Matthias Amend,
Simon Widmeyer,
Yost Strack,
Jacob Grofe,
Alichaet Crouss,
Edward Skemp,
Emanuel Herman,
Gabriel Derr,
^Matthias Smyser,
Peter Ottinger,
Casper Carver,
Jacob Ziegler,
Peter Widerecht,
Henry Cunningham,
Francis Jones,
James Dobbins,
Martin Life,
Sebastian Weigle,
Henry Shultz,
Henry Keifer,
Aiidrew Snyder,
Andrew Weier,
Philip Hoffman,
Peter Bentz,
Jacob Neass,
George Crantz,
Adam Hoke,
Jacob Smyser,
George Lecrone.
Henry Weltzhoffer,
Matthias Miller,
._^^ John Schram,
■-—^Francis Worley,
John Reisinger,
Philip Christ,
Samuel Redinger,
Elisha Kirk,
Peter Lau,
Gotlieb Fackler,
Martin Ebert,
Peter Alenges,
The following^ is a nmster roll of Captain Jacob Bott,
^ Peter Sprenkle,
Reinhart Bott's Company of York County
militia, from Manchester Township, 1780:
Captain,
Reinhart Bott.
Lieutenant,
Philip Ziegler, Jr.
Ensign,
Philip Ebert.
Clerk,
Killian Ziegler.
Sergeants,
John Dettemar,
Jacob Rudy,
Peter Hoke.
Corporals,
Andrew Ziegler,
John Ernst,
Henry Dettemar.
Privates,
John Haller, Michael Bentz,
John Emig, Philip Wintermeyer,
Adam Wolf, Leonhart Wizel,
Frederick Horn, Frederick Leonhart,
Jacob Worley,
John Willis,
Philip Heltzel,
Solomon Brown,
^Michael Ebert, Jr.,
Gotlieb Rieker,
Peter Lind,
George Sprenkle,
Joseph Graybill,
George Eyster,
jNIichael Lau,
George Eisenhart,
Martin Wizel,
John Hoke,
Stephen Finfrock,
John Herman,
Joshua Huddon,
JNIichael Sprenkle,
Bernhard Rudy,
Peter Wolf,
Elias Eyster,
Matthias Detter,
Diter Rupert,
James Worley,'
Andrew Hershey,
Frederick Eichelberger,
Peter Brenneman,
Herman Guckes,
Jacob Franekaberger,
George Feeman,
Matthias Keller,
Matthias Klein,
Christian Landes,
Casper Hammer,
John Jones,
Daniel Dippel,
George Meisenkoop,
George Finck,
Abraham Borger,
George Miles,
John Ebert,
Nicholas Hentz,
Everet Herr,
Anton Weier,
Philip Wolf,
Anton Raush,
JNIichael Speck,
Valentine Emig,
Frederick Huber,
Jacob Hentz,
Michael Finfrock,
Jacob Ottinger.
f
George Bott,
David Shad,
Jacob Kauffman,
Return of Captain Matthias' Company,
from Newberry Township, July i, 1780.
This company served in Michael Smyser's
Battalion of York County militia:
Captain,
Henry Matthias.
Lieutenant,
George Myers.
Ensign,
Charles Heyer.
Privates,
William Mackneley,
John Stone,
John Erss,
Stofel Bower,
Thomas Winere}',
John Whyer.
John Updegraff,
James Adams,
Thomas Eyeronss,
Joseph Ruppert,
George Syds,
George Bruaw,
George ?kliller,
Conrad Sheffer,
Martin Shutter,
Jacob Barr,
'I'llE RlCN'ol.L'TION
277
Jacob Gotwald. Jr.,
Henry John,
Samuel Ilenl,
Matthias Sorker,
Ludwick VV'hyer,
Better Meyer,
John Hunder,
WiUiani Nicholas.
Andrew Miller,
Abraham Shelley,
Valentine Shultz.
George Strine,
Jacob Heitelbaugh,
George Snyder,
Frederick Sorker,
Philip Fettrow,
Amos Lewis,
James Hengoge,
Andrew Baitmcn,
Jacob Xorberger,
John Hofmen,
George Bower,
Bastian Whycl.
Frederick Hover.
William l"i)degraff.
William Bratam,
Michael Ressler,
Guy Caneley,
Jacob Ruppert,
John Nicholas,
Philip Bence,
Micliael Fettrow,
The following" is a return of Captain
Wiley's Company, York County militia, for
the year 1780:
Captiiin,
Aquila Wiley.
Lieutenant,
Adam Hendrix.
Ensign,
Andrew Smith.
Privates,
Boston Shilling,
Frederick Humel,
Battcreck McMuUen,
Jolm Forey,
Casper Slietrone,
Jacob Forev,
rhomas Mi'ller,
.\ndrew Clync,
James Karmen,
Kl'ven John,
John Alenspoker,
Joseph Careson,
Cornelius Careson,
Daniel Densol,
David Ensmenger,
Christian Bomgerdner,
Henry Bower.
Samuel ^liller,
Jacob Stattessman,
George iMenspoker,
Michael Bollinger,
Jacob Meyer,
George Meyer.
John Bower,
William Remel,
Jacob Copier,
Robert ^Miller,
William Winery,
Frederick Stone,
Thomas Bonine,
Jonathan McTare\-,
Samuel Whew
James Wilgns,
John Millar,
Peter Smith,
John McDonald,
Peter Baker,
Daniel Curfnian.
Christian Keisey,
James Aloor,
William Wile,
Michael Clifelter,
Windel Hisa,
James ilarshal,
John Keller,
Jacob Ott,
George Waltimire.
Hennary Waggoner,
George Isahart.
Thomas Simyard,
James McTwina,
John Freeland,
Jacob Hederick,
Daniel Bailey,
John McMahon.
William Patterson,
Conrod Free.
Christian Crouse,
Frederic Millar,
Laurane Clifelter.
Jacob Coler,
Xehemiah L'nderwood
William Anderson,
^Michael Heman,
Henry Shaver,
Henrv Downs,
John Clifelter,
Jacob Bosard,
Adam Deal.
Isaac Hendrix,
Thomas Arms.
Solomon Xunemaker,
Jacob Mire.
Xicliolas Rogers.
Michael Kensler,
John Beard,
Adam Lukus,
Thomas Sparks,
Chrisley Lipe.
George Didenhaver.
Frederick Rule.
Francis Keiley.
John Millar. '
Xicholas Millar.
Charles Waltimire.
David Waltimire,
Adam Smith,
Isaac Low,
Paul Hivly.
Gasper Preathaver,
James Freeland.
Thomas Hendrix.
A part of the county militia were calleil
out to serve for three months or more at a
time to guard British prisoners at York,
during the years 1777-/8-79, and at Camp
Security, the British prison four miles
southeast of York, in 1781-82. The follow-
ing companies ser\ed in this capacity:
Captain,
George Long.
Lieutenants,
Christopher Elefritz,
John Fischel.
Sergeants,
George Moore,
Jacob Sprenkle,
John Willard.
Corporals,
Martin Kerman,
Seth Goodwin,
Philip Wagner.
Pri
Jacob Doederl}-,
John Dalsman,
George Fleager,
Philip Grim,
Peter Grim,
John Graham,
Michael Grim,
Jacob Houx,
Michael Kurtz,
Jacob Kook,
Edward Lostikel,
John Long,
Jacob Layman,
Edward Musgrove,
Henry Miller.
Martin JNIayer,
•a tes,
Forrest McKutchin,
Luke McLeese,
Peter W. Naught
(or McDonough),
Felix Miller,
Patrick Oloan,
David Parker,
Thomas Ryan,
Henry Ryschell,
Jacob Speck,
Peter Shoemaker,
John Wilhelm.
George Wilhelm,
Philip Wagoner.
Casper Williard.
George Zech.
Captains,
Christopher Lauman.
Daniel Doll.
John Agnew,
Jacob Bitner
Andrew Colhoon
Martin Fry
Jacob Graybill
Peter Glossbrenner
George Giess
Peter Hess
Christian Heckendorn
John Hubley
John Kock, Jr.
George Lutman
Henry Lanius
Charles Lauman
Ignatius Lightner
William Mim
John Pfliger
John Philby
Barny Smith
Henry Small
Laurence Shultz
Clement Stillinger
Jacob Waltimire
John Williams
Jacob Welsh
John Yous
Privates,
Hamilton Bagley
John Eichelberger
Henry Erwin
Jacob Forry
Joel Gray
John Hively
Stephen Harry
Jacob Heckert
Richard Hickson
Thomas Koontz
Peter Kurtz
Abraham Lightner
Peter Lightner
John Laffertv
Philip Miller"
William Mayson
Dr. Emanuel McDowell
Thomas McKinsey
William Norris
John Strebich
Dr. Daniel Shefer
George Stall
Michael Schreiber
John Shetly
Joseph Updegraff
Jacob Welshans.
278
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The followin'g is a muster roll of Captain
Samuel Fulton's Company of York County
militia, guarding the prisoners at Camp Se-
curity, in September, 1781 :
Captain.
Samuel Fulton.
Lieutenant,
Joseph Dodds.
Sergeants,
Alexander Thompson,
Alexander Smith,
Ezekiel Sinkey.
Corporals,
James Cowhick,
John Fatten,
James Hawkins.
Fifer.
Godfry Sidle.
Privates,
John Murfe}',
William McClellan,
Jacob McCoullah,
Andrew Miller,
]\Iichael Miller,
John Moser,
Henry ^liller,
John Owens,
John Oble,
Ludwick Ortt,
Robert Fenrey,
James Pollock,
Feter Fence,
Elisha Few,
Thomas Robison,
Mandevill Reed,
John Rodrof,
John Sineard,
Michael Simerman,
William Scarlet,
Joseph Stroup,
Feter Strayer,
Adam Swope,
Jacob Stigner,
Adam Shinbarger,
Jacob Taylor,
Eldrie Terr,
Joseph Thompson,
Stophel Writer,
Moses Wallace,
Charles Waltimier,
John Waggoner.
William Cooper,
John Cooper,
Brainerd Stroyner,
Thomas Ramage,
Alexander White,
William Sullivan,
Allen Torbett,
Thomas White,
John Hall,
Francis Boggs,
Fatrick Shannon,
Feter Reeser,
John Sullivan,
John Bowie,
John Williams,
Benjamin Coble,
John Sickleman,
James White.
Samuel Adams,
Joseph Alison,
William Adams,
Thomas Robison,
Samuel Barber,
John Beveard,
Jacob Balsley,
Christian Branaman,
Andrew Brown,
Michael Caricker,
Valentine Colman,
William Donaldson,
Joseph Delinger,
John Delinger,
Adam Darren,
Michael Edwards,
Frederick Eholes,
John Freland,
Alichael Flint,
rilichael Fedrow,
Jacob Freeze,
John Good,
-^JDavid Griffith,
John Gross,
Robert Hill,
Isaac Hendrick,
Daniel Hair,
Michael Henry,
Frederick Humble,
Mathias Kernes,
Fhilip Knop,
George Lecrone,
George Lininger,
William Mitchell's Company, December
20, 1776, Fifth Battalion, Colonel Matthew
Dill :
Captain,
William Mitchell.
First Lieutenant,
Joseph Eliott.
Second Lieutenant,
Henry Shaeffer.
Ensign,
Laurence Oats.
Sergeant,
John Lewis.
Privates,
Robert Torbett, William McLaughlin,
Nicholas Shotto, Daniel Williams,
Joseph McClellan's Company, September
10, 1778, Ninth Pennsylvania Line:
Captain,
Joseph McClellan.
Sergeants,
Daniel Vanderslice,
Hugh Hearren,
Samson Dempsey.
Corporals,
Samuel Woods,
Christian Young.
Drunnner,
George Stewart.
Pr
George Alfred,
Henry Harper,
George Fention,
Thomas Sumner,
Adam Coch.
Daniel Saliday,
Daniel Benhart,
Frederick Raimeck,
Jacob Fowles,
Laughlin Morrison,
Thomas Powell,
Francis Matthews,
Fatrick Rock,
Andrew Shaffer,
Robert Eagen,
James Haines,
James Young,
rates,
James Callahan,
George Shaffer,
John Connely,
Feter jNIager,
John Allison,
Robert Armstrong,
John Davis,
Michael Henderliter,
George Hister,
Simon Lauk,
Samuel Lewis,
Joseph Parker,
Thomas Rendals,
Nathan Roljerts,
Charles Stewart,
John Stewart,
Jonathan Thomas.
Isaac Sweeney's Company of the New
Eleventh, 1781 :
Captain,
Isaac Sweeney.
Lieutenant,
Septimus Davis.
Ensign,
William Houston.
Sergeants,
Thomas Wilson,
John Gray,
Fatrick Clemens.
Corporals.
Andrew J\Iiller,
Edward Blake,
John Smith.
, Drummer,
Robert Hunter.
Fifer.
John McElroy.
Privates,
George Carman, Andrew Kelly,
John Edgar, Roger O'Brien,
William Fields, Valentine Stickle,
Hugh Forsythe, Hugh Swords,
James Hines, William Wilson.
i
THE rp:volution
-79
Jolm Andrew's Company, April 30, 1779,
Tentli Battalion:
Colonel, '
John Andrews.
Adjulaiit,
William Bailey.
Quartermaster,
Robert Chambers.
Sergeant,
M. David Beaty.
Robert Galbreath,
John Hoult,
Christian Freet,
George Stope,
Philip Hounsley,
Nathan Grimes,
Abraham Houghtailen,
David Demorest,
Henry Buchanan,
William Coule,
Samuel McCush,
George McCans,
James Wier,
Privates,
Joseph Bogle,
Benjamin Whitely,
William Stragin,
William Reed,
John Sarsley,
John Slammers,
John Hoover,
Robert Wilson,
Alexander Bogle,
David Cassat,
William McGrer,
Robert Campbell,
John McCreesy.
The following is a list of York County
soldiers who served in the First Pennsyl-
vania Resfiment of Foot :
Michael Long,
Samuel Crawford,
Robert Campbell,
James Brown,
John Mollin,
Robert Garret,
Ulrich Faulkner,
William Kerr,
Charles Boyles,
Robert Magee,
Thomas Collins,
James Berry,
Jesse Lester,
George Sinn,
Mathias Crout,
James Robertson,
John Kimmins,
Jacob Harrington,
William Williams,
James IMcDonough,
James ^Nlclntyre,
Thomas McGee,
John A'lalone,
John McKinney,
Peter Geehan,
Samuel Woods,
Martin Hart,
George Corkingdate,
John Allen,
John Summerville,
Edward Butler,
Patrick Preston,
Timothy Winters,
Baltzer Barge,
John Campbell,
Edward Fielding,
Evan Holt,
James Dougherty,
John Vandereramel,
George Young,
John Whiteman,
John Unkey,
Daniel Johnston,
^Michael Jones,
Patrick Kelly,
Robert Keenan,
John Leonard,
Thomas Maltzer,
James Morrison,
James McLean,
William Welschance,
Peter Eversole,
William Morris,
Thomas Stewart,
Felix McLaughlin,
Edward Larder,
John McNair,
William Pilmore,
Thomas Winters,
John Gower,
John Callahan,
James Bradley,
Edward Blake,
Daniel Campbell,
Henrj- Crone,
Hugh Henley,
Thomas Hamilton,
Frederick Snyder,
^lichael Wann,
Peter Myers,
Michael Kurtz,
Samuel Allen,
George Albertson,
James Allison,
Hugh Henderson,
Patrick Ryan,
Peter McBride,
Thomas !Moore,
Thomas Katen,
W'illiam Bradshaw,
James Welsh,
Marty Sullivan,
Andrew Crothy,
John Fonder.
The following- soldiers from York County
served in different commands during the
Revolution :
Pennsylvania Artillery — John Benning-
ton, Michael Kyall, John Kelley, James
Ryburn, Frederick Leader, John Johnson,
Samuel Laughlin, Alexander Martin,
George Stewart, William Bergenhoff,
Robert Ditcher, Patrick Dixon, James
Baker, John Lochert.
German Regiment — Jacob Kremer, Jacob
McLean, John Richcreek.
Fourth Penns3dvania Line — Andrew
Crotty, George Seittel, John McMeehan,
Christian Pepret, Andrew Shoeman, John
Cavanaugh,AVilliam Smith, John Anderson.
Fifth Pennsylvania Line — John Deveney,
Anthonj' Leaman, Adam Shuman.
Sixth Pennsylvania Line — \A'illiam
Brown, Michael Weirich, Joel Gray,
Matthias Young, Ludwig Waltman.
Seventh Pennsylvania Line — John
Brown.
Ninth Pennsylvania Line — John Tate,
ensign ; Stephen Stephenson, Adam David-
son, captain; Samuel Jamieson, George
Heffelfrnger, Samuel Spicer, Leonard
Weyer.
Eleventh Pennsylvania Line — Robert
McMurdie, brigade chaplain.
New Eleventh Pennsylvania — Martin
Bloomenstine, Godlove Shaddow, John
Richcreek, Joel Gray, John Snyder, Robert
Casebolt, William Brown.
Thirteenth Pennsylvania — Matthew Far-
ney.
State Regiment of Foot — Captain John
Marshall, successor to Captain Philip Al-
bright; Robert Sturgeon, Patrick McGin-
nes, William AYelshance, John Awl, Joseph
Myers, Samuel Woods, Edward Carlton,
Terrence Stockdale.
At the Flying Camp, 1776 — Captain
Peter Ickes, Second-Lieutenant William
Young, Ensign Elisha Grady, Christian
Quiggle, Jacob Klingman, Patrick Gibson,
Henry Beard, Alexander Frew, George
Gelwicks, Charles Wilson.
The following is a list of commissioned
officers of the York County militia for the
years 1777-8-9:
Colonel James Thompson's Battalion at
Wilmington, Delaware, Sept. 3, 1777.
1st Co., Captains William Dodds, 38 men;
28o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
2d Co., Samuel Ferguson, 41 men; 3d Co.,
illegible; 4th Co., Thomas Latta, 31 men;
5th Co., John Laird, 32 men; 6th Co., Peter
Ford, 2"] men; 7th Co., John Myers, 18 men.
First Battalion, October i, 1777.
3d Co., Capt. Christian Kauffman, ist Lt.
John Shaffer, 2d Lt. Henry Smith, Ensign
Jacob Strehr; 4th Co., Capt. Daniel May,
1st Lt. Andrew Milhorn, 2d Lt. Henry
Yessler, Ensign Frederick Spahr.
First Battalion.
Col. James Thompson, 1778; Lt. Col.
Samuel Neilson, 1778; Henry Miller, 1779;
Major James Chamberlain, 1778; William
Bailey, 1779.
1st Co., Capt. AVilliam Dodds, 1778, John
Ehrman, '79; ist Lt. Nealy, '78, Fred.
Weare, '79; 2d Lt. Nealy, '78; Ensign Jos.
Dodds, '78, Peter Swartz, '79. Rank and
file, 104 men.
2d Co., Capt. David Williams, '78, George
Long, '79; 1st Lt. James McNickle, '78,
John Korehart, '79; Ensign James Reed,
'78, John Smith, '79. Rank and file, 78 men.
3d Co., Capt. John Shaver, '78, Michael
Hahn, '79; ist Lt. Henry Smith, '78,
Christian Zinn, '79; Ensign Jacob Miller,
'78, Peter Hank, '79. Rank and file, 95 men.
4th Co., Capt. Daniel May, '78, Peter
Ford, '79; 1st Lt. Andrew Melhorn, '78,
John Jeffries, '79; 2d Lt. Henry Yessler,
'78; Ensign Frederick Spaar, '78, Charles
Spangler, '79. Rank and file, 89 men.
5th Co., Capt. James Parkinson, '78, Peter
Imswiller, '79; ist Lt. James Fagen, '78,
James Cross, '79; 2d Lt. Alexander Nesbitt,
'78; Ensign John May, '78, Ulrich Sellor,
'79. Rank and file, 206 men.
6th Co., Capt. Benjamin Keable, '78,
Michael Kaufelt, '79; ist Lt. Henry Shaver,
'78, Philip Boyre, '79; 2d Lt. Lawrence
Oats, • '78; Ensign Michael Dush, '79.
Rank and file, 75 men.
7th Co., Capt. Francis Boner, '78, Ephraim
Penington, '79; ist Lt. George Robenet,
'78, Charles Barnet, '79; 2d Lt. John
Schrote, '78; Ensign William Brandon, '78,
Gotfry Lenhart. '79. Rank and file, 120
men.
8th Co., Capt. John O'Blainiss, '78; ist
Lt. John Polk, '78; 2d Lt. William John-
ston, '78; Ensign Benjamin Beaty, 'y^.
Rank and file. 106 men.
Second Battalion.
Colonel William Rankin, '77-8; Lt. Col.
John Ewing, '77-8, Moses McClean, '79;
Major John Morgan, 'y'j-'^, John Edie, '79.
1st Co., Capt. William Ashton,'77-8, Sam-
uel Cabane, '79; ist Lt. Malachi Steahley,
'TJ, Milkeah Shley, '78, William Hall, '79;
2d Lt. James Elliot, '77-8; Ensign John
Crull, ''j'j, John Carroll, '78, John Murphey,
Jr., '79. Rank and file, 91 men.
2d Co., Capt. John Rankin, '77-8, Thomas
Bigham, '79; ist Lt. Joseph Hunter, '7J-'&,
William McCay, '79; 2d Lt. John Ashton,
'77-8; Ensign Daniel McHenry, '77-8, John
Murphey, '79. Rank and file, 88 men.
3d. Co., Capt. Simon Copenhafer, '77-8,
Robert Bigham, '79; ist Lt. Michael
Shriver, 'jj-'i, William McMun, '79; 2d Lt.
Andrew Smith, '77-8; Ensign Jacob Gut-
wait, '77"8j John Sheakley, '79. Rank and
file, 60 men.
4th Co., Capt. Philip Gartner, 'yy, Jacob
Hiar, '78, James Miller, '79; ist Lt. John
Higher, 'jj, Adam Barr, '78, James Mc-
Kinley, '79; 2d Lt. Jacob Comfort, '78;
Ensign George Hiar, !78, Barabus Mc-
Sherry, '79. Rank and file, 66 men.
5th Co., Capt. Emanuel Herman, '78,
Thomas Orbison, '79; ist Lt. William
Moneyer, '"/•], William Momer, '78, Joseph
Hunter, '79; 2d Lt. John Rothrock, 'j"],
John Bodrough, '78; Ensign Harman
Hoopes, '78, Robert Wilson, '79. Rank
and file, 81 men.
6th Co., Capt. John Mansberger, '77-8,
James Johnston, '79; ist Lt. Henry Mat-
thias, '77-8, John McBride, '79; 2d Lt.
George Meyer, ''JJ-'^ ; Ensign Jacob Kepler,
'jy, Jacob Helpler, '78' John McBride, '79.
Rank and file, jt, men.
7th Co., Capt. Yost Herbach, '77-8, Wil-
liam Lindsay, '79; ist Lt. Peter Shultz,
'77-8, Robert Black, '79; 2d Lt. Baltzer
Rudisill,' '77-8; Ensign Michael Ettinger,
'77-8, Samuel Russel, '79. Rank and file,
50 men.
8th Co., Capt. AVilliam Walls, '77-8,
Thomas Clingen, '79; ist Lt. Henry Lee-
pert, '77-8, Joseph Brown, '79; 2d Lt. John
Jordan, '77-8; Ensign James Schultz, 'jy,
Jacob Sholtz, '78, John McLean, '79- Rank
and file, 56 men.
Third Battalion.
Colonel David Jamison, '78; Lt. Col.
JHE REVOLUTION
Philip Albright, '78, Michael Smyser, '79;
Major AVilliam Scott, '78, William Ashton,
'79-
I St Co., Capt. Jacob Beaver, '78, Rinehart
Bott, '79; 1st Lt. Nicholas Baker, '78,
George Philip Zeigler, '79; 2d Lt. John
Bare, '78; Ensign George Lefeber, '78,
Philip Eberd, '79. Rank and file, 106 men.
2d Co., Capt. Gotfry Fry, '78, Henry Mat-
thias, '79; 1st Lt. John Bushong, '78,
George Meyer, '79; 2d Lt. George Spangler,
'78; Ensign James Jones, '78, Charles
Hyer, '79. Rank and file, 65 men.
3d Co., Capt. Peter Forte, '78, John Mc-
M aster, '79; ist Lt. Christ Stear, '78, Wil-
liam Bennet, '79; 2d Lt. Andrew Hartsock,
'78; Ensign Jacob Welshance, '78, John
Mapin, '79. Rank and file, 66 men.
4th Co., Capt. Christopher Lowman, '78,
Philip Jacob King, '79; ist Lt. Ephraim
Penington, '78, Andrew Cross, '79: 2d Lt.
John Fishel, '78; Ensign Charles Barnitz,
'78, George Wolf, '79. Rank and file, 72
men.
5th Co., Capt. Alexander Ligget, '78,
Thomas Goald, '79; ist Lt. Robert Richey,
'78, George Ensminger, '79; 2d Lt. Robert
Stewart, '78; Ensign Peter Fry, '78, Wil-
liam Nailor, '79. Rank and file, 75 men.
6th Co., Capt. George Long, '78, Jacob
Comfort, '79; 1st Lt. Samuel Smith, '78,
George Meyer, '79; 2d Lt. Conrad Keesey,
'78; Ensign Samuel Mosser, '78, Elias Gise,
'79. Rank and file, 62 men.
7th Co., Capt. Michael Hahn, '78; ist Lt.
John Mimm, '78; 2d Lt. Thomas ,
'78; Ensign Christian Zinn, '78. Rank and
file, 75 men.
Fourth Battalion.
Colonel John Andrew, 78; Lt. Col. Wil-
liam AValker, '78, William Gillelan, '79!
Major Simon Vanarsdale, '78, John Iving,
'79-
1st Co.. Capt. John Calmery, '79; ist Lt.
William Hamilton, '78, Samuel Gillelan,
'79; 2d Lt. Joseph Pollock, '78; Ensign
Adam AA'eaver, '78, Nathaniel Glassco, '79.
Rank and file, 58 men.
2d Co., Capt. John King, '78, Robert
Cample, '79; ist Lt. James Eliot, '78, John
Bodine, '79; 2d Lt. Baltzer Tetrick, '78;
Ensign William Neely, '78, David Scott,
'79. Rank and file, 64 men.
3d Co., Capt. William Gilliland, 78, David
Stockton, 79; 1st Lt. Matthew Mitchell,
'78, John Riner, '79; 2d Lt. AVilliam Kel-
mery, '78; Ensign Nicholas Glascow, '78,
Elisha Gready, '79. Rank and file, 67 men.
4th Co., Capt. Samuel Morrison, '78,
Joseph Pollock, '79; ist Lt. Peregin Mercer,
'78, AA'illiam Hamilton, '79; 2d Lt. John
Armstrong; Ensign Stephen K. Giffin, '78,
Adam AA^eaver, '79. Rank and file, 64 men.
5th Co., Capt. John Mcllvain, '78, Josiah
Carr, 'tj; ist Lt. John Range, '78, Lewis
Vanarsdelin, '79; 2d Lt. Francis Clapsaddle,
'78; Ensign James Geary, '78, John AA'atson,
'79. Rank and file, 74 men.
6th Co., Capt. John Stockton, 78, James
Elliot, '79; 1st Lt. John Anderson, '78, AVil-
liam Neally, '79; 2d Lt. David Stockton,
'78; Ensign Elisha Grady, '78, Thomas
Prior, '79. Rank and file, 64 men.
7th Co., Capt. Samuel Erwin, '78, Andrew
Paterson, "79; ist Lt. AA''illiam Houghtelin,
'78, Abraham Fletcher, '79; 2d Lt. Henry
Forney, '78; Ensign AVilliam Reed, '78,
William Fleming, '79. Rank and file, 79
men.
8th Co., Capt. Thomas Stockton, '78,
James Geery, '79; 2d Lt. Daniel Mentieth,
'78 ; Ensign Andrew Patterson, 78, George
Sheakley, '79. Rank and file, 59 men.
Fifth Battalion.
Colonel Joseph Jeffries, 78; Lt. Col.
Michael Ege, '78, Francis Jacob Remer, '79;
Major Joseph Spangler, 78, Joseph Wil-
son, '79.
1st Co., Capt. John Mayer, '78, Thomas
White, '79; 1st Lt. Abraham Bollinger, '78,
Lawrence Helman, '79 ; Ensign Daniel
Hum, '78, Francis AA'inkel, '79. Rank and
file, 55 men.
2d Co., Capt. Adam Black, '78. Acquilla
AA'iley. '79; ist Lt. AVilliam Lindsay, '7^,
Adam Hendrix, '79; 2d Lt. David Jordan,
78; Ensign Robert Buchanan, '78, Andrew
Smith, 79- Rank and file, 60 men.
3d Co., Capt. AVilliam McClane,'78, Peter
Zollinger, '79; ist Lt. David Blyth, '78,
AA'illiam Hefer, Jr., '79; 2d Lt. Benjamin
Read, '78; Ensign AVilliam Hart, '78, Mar-
tin Berkhimer, '79. Rank and file, 64 men.
4th Co., Capt. David AA^ilson, '78, Michael
Leightner, '79; ist Lt. Robert Rowan, '78.
Henry Kessler, 79; 2d Lt. John Thomp-
son, '78 ; Ensign John Cotton. '']'$>. John
Ham, 79. Rank and file, 64 men.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PpXXSYLVAXIA
5th Co., Capt. Joseph Morrison, '78,
Henr}' Ferree, '79; ist Lt. James Johnston,
'78, John Snyder, '79; 2d Lt. John McBride,
'78; Ensign John Buchanan, '78, Michael
Snyder, '79. Rank and file, 59 men.
6th Co., Capt. William Miller, '78, Andrew
Paly, '79; 1st Lt. James Porter, '78, John
Stump, '79; Ensign Barnabas McCherry,
'78, Philip AYyland, '79. Rank and file, 59
men.
7th Co., Capt. Thomas Orbison, '78,
George Geishelman, '79; ist Lt. Robert
McElhenny, '78, Andrew Lau, '79 ; 2d Lt.
Joseph Hunter, '78 ; Ensign Robert Wil-
son, '78, Valentine Alt, '79. Rank and file,
60 men.
8th Co.. Capt. John Paxton, '78, John
Shorrer. '79; 1st Lt. James Marshall, '78,
Jacob Barr, '79; 2d Lt. AVilliam McMun,
'"/S, Helfrich Gramer, "79. Rank and file,
66 men.
Sixth Battalion.
Colonel AA'illiam Ross, '78: Lt. Col.
Samuel Nelson, '79; Major James Cham-
berlain, '79.
1st Co., Capt. Laird, '78, Peter
Speece, '79; ist Lt. AA'illiam Reed, '78, John
Swan, '79; Ensign David Steel, '78, John
Snyder, '79. Rank and file, 84 men.
2d Co., Capt. Casper Reineke, '78, AA^il-
liam Coulson, '79; ist Lt. Jacob Rudisell,
'78, Christian Keener, '79; 2d Lt. Simon
Clear, '78; Ensign EHas Davis, '78,
Matthew Dill, '79. Rank and file, 89 men.
3d Co., Capt. Alexander Nesbit, '79, Lt.
Charles Brouster, '79 ; Ensign Henry De-
walt, '78, Lazarus Nelson, '79. Rank and
file, 85 men.
4th Co., Capt. Frederick Kurtz, '78, An-
drew A'A^illson, '79; 1st Lt. Matthew Baker,
'yS, James Ouigly, '79; 2d Lt. Henry
M : Ensign Charles Vantine, '78,
AA'illiam Buns, "79. Rank and file, 85 men.
5th Co., Capt. Peter Ekes, '78, Francis
Boner, '79; ist Lt. John MuUin, '78,
Thomas Black, '79; 2d Lt. Jonas Wolf;
Ensign George Harmon, '78, Peter Zeigler,
'79. Rank and file, 84 men.
6th Co., Capt. Leonard Yenswene, '78,
AA'illiam Dodds, '79; ist Lt. John AA'ampler,
'78, Joseph Dodds, Jr., '79; 2d Lt. Jacob
Nucomer, '78; Ensign Ludwick Wampler,
'78, Adam Guchus, '79. Rank and file, 58
men.
7th Co., Capt. Andrew Foreman, '78, John
Oblanas, "79; ist Lt. Henry Sturgeon, '78,
John Polack, '79; 2d Lt. Richard Parsell,
'78; Ensign James McMaster. '78, Benja-
min Beaty, '79. Rank and file, 86 men.
8th Co., Capt. Abraham Sell, '78, Daniel
May, "79; 1st Lt. Jacob Kitsmiller, '78, An-
drew Milhorn, '79; Ensign Charles Grim,
'79. Rank and file, 66 men.
Seventh Battalion.
Colonel David Kennedy, '78; Lt. Col.
James Agnew, '78, Adam AAMUterode, '79;
Major John AA^eans, '78, Joseph Lilley, '79.
1st Co., Capt. Thomas Latta, '78, Simon
Clare, '79; ist Lt. Robert Fletcher, '78,
Frederick Eyler, '79; 2d Lt. Samuel Cobain;
Ensign Henry Shultz, '79. Rank and file,
69 men.
2d Co., Capt. Thomas AA'hite, '78, Michael
Carl, '79; ist Lt. Robert Geffries, '78, Adam
Hooper, '79; 2d Lt. John Geffries, '78; En-
sign Alexander Lee, '78, Henry Felty, '79.
Rank and file, 57 men.
3d Co., Capt. John Miller, '78, Conrad
Shorets, '79; ist Lt. Peter Smith, '78,
Henry Dewalt, '79; 2d Lt. John McDonald,
'78; Ensign Ouiller AVinny, '78, Anthony
Hinkel, '79. Rank and file, 60 men.
4th Co., Capt. Abraham Furree, '79,
Peter Solinger, '78; ist Lt. Daniel Amer,
'78. Christian Koenzan, '79; 2d Lt. Joseph
Baltzler, '78; Ensign Anthony Snider, '78,
John Smith, '79. Rank and file, 64 men.
5th Co., Capt. John Arman, '78, Henry
Moore, '79; ist Lt. Daniel Peterman, '78,
Henry Hohsteter, '79; 2d Lt. Michael Sech,
'78; Ensign George Arman, '78, Ulrich
Hohsteter, '79. Rank and file, 65 men.
6th Co., Capt. George Geiselman, '78,
Andrew Foreman, '79; ist Lt. Frederick
Hiner, '78, James McMaster, '79; 2d Lt.
Henry Sumrough, '78; Ensign A/'alentine
Alt, '78, Peter Foreman, '79. Rank and file,
63 men.
7th Co., Capt. Jacob Anient, '78, John
AA'ampler, '79; ist Lt. Alexander ,
'78, Adam Fisher, '79; 2d Lt. Nicholas An-
drews, '78; Ensign Adam Clinepeter, '78,
Christian Gehret, '79. Rank and file, 55
men.
8th Co., Capt. John Sherer, '78, Peter
Ikes, '79; 1st Lt. Jacob Hetrick, '78, Jonas
AA'olf, '79; 2d Lt. Frederick Mayer, '78;
Ensign Jacob Bear, '78, Alexander Adams,
■79. Rank and file, 70 men.
THE REVOLUTION
283
Eighth Battalion.
Colonel Henry Slagle, 'jS: Lt. Col. John
Laird, '79; Major Joseph Lille)^ 78, David
Wiley, '79.
1st Co., Capt. Xicholas Gelwix, '78, James
Maffet, '79; 1st Lt. Adam Hoopard, '78,
James Patterson, '79; 2d Lt- George Gel-
wix, '78; Ensign Henry Felt)^, '78, Alex-
ander Allison, '79. Rank and file, 86 men.
2d Co., Capt. Thomas Manery, '79; ist
Lt. Isaac AIcKissick, '78, Thomas Gowan,
'79; Ensign Thomas Dixon, '78, David
Douglass, '79. Rank and file, 62 men.
3d Co., Capt. Umphry Andrews, '79,
Joseph Reed, '78; ist Lt. Robert Smith. '78,
Elias Adams, '79; Ensign Samuel Collins,
'78, Allen Anderson, '79. Rank and file, 53
men.
4th Co., Capt. AA'illiam Gray, '78, John
Calwell, '79; 1st Lt. James Patterson, '78,
John Sinkler, '79; 2d Lt. Humphries An-
drews, '78; Ensign AVilliam McCulluch. '78,
James Logne, '79. Rank and file, 69 men.
5th Co., Capt. James Moffit, '78, Samuel
Fulton, '79; 1st Lt. Andrew AVarick, '78,
Moses Andrews, '79; 2d Lt. Samuel Moor,
'78; Ensign Thomas Allison, '78, Thomas
Dickson, '79. Rank and file, 64 men.
6th Co., Capt. John Rippy, '78, James
Edger, '79; 1st Lt. John Caldwell, '78, John
Campble, '79; Ensign John Taylor, '79.
Rank and file, 44 men.
7th Co., Capt. Joseph Reed, '78. Rank
and file, 59 men.
8th Co., Capt. Thomas McNerey, '78; ist
Lt. AVilliam Adams, '78. Rank and file, 54
men.
The following is a miscellaneous list of
soldiers from York County who served in
the Revolution : Samuel AA'^ay, Newberry
Township; AA'illiam Complin, Marsh Creek
settlement: Eli Pugh, AA^arrington Town-
ship; Hugh Mc]\Ianus, Monoghan Town-
ship, enlisted February 12, 1782; James
Brown, Marsh Creek settlement, enlisted
February 13, 1782; Matthew Robinson,
Bermudian settlement, March 3, 1782;
Andrew Guin, near James Moore's mill, in
York County, March 3, 1782; James
AA'alker, York County; John McClelland,
York County, in the Third Pennsylvania
Regiment ; John Hanna, near Tom's Creek,
April I, 1782; David Johnston, April 5,
1782; John Callahan, April 8, 1782: Thomas
AA'"est, Newberry Township, April 23, 1782;
Andrew Graham, Bottstown, June 26, 1782;
John AValter, born in AA^indsor Township;
John Hodgskin, York County; Hugh Mc-
Ellvaney, Tyrone Township, September 2,
1782; William Magahy, born in York
County, lived in Cumberland County; Wil-
liam Scarlett, Newberry Township ; Robert
Aliller, York, October 21, 1782; AA'illiam
Johnston, near Michael Ege's iron works ;
Daniel Gordon, Mt. Pleasant Township,
December 12, 1782; James O'Neal, Man-
heim Township ; John Walker, born in
Peach Bottom, last resided near Carlisle,
February 22, 1782; Thomas Benson, died
in York County in 1808; Jacob Cramer, re-
siding in York County in 1829; Matthew
Dill, died on Jersey prison ship; jNIartin
Doll, resided in York in 1829; Thomas Duff,
resided in York, 1821; Vincent Imfelt, re-
sided in York County in 1829; AA'illiam
Johnson, resided in York County, 1824;
Moses Keys, resided in York County in
1810; John McCowan, resided in York
County, 1819; Daniel Messerly, died in
York County; Jacob Myer, resided in York
County in 1816; Jacob McMillan, resided in
AVashington Township in 1812; Michael
Nagle, died on Jersey prison ship ; Robert
Peeling, sergeant, resided in York County
in 1820; Ryebaker, wounded in
service, resided in Dover Township in
1807; AA'^illiam AA'ilson, died in York County
in 1813.
PENSIONERS OF THE REVOLUTION
The following is a list of soldiers of the
Revolution from York County who be-
longed to different commands and received
pensions under act of 181 8:
John Clark, Alajor, received an annual
allowance of $240, and served in the Penn-
sylvania Line; he died April 27, 1819, aged
67; Jacob Cramer, private, served in
Hazen's German regiment, received an an-
nual allowance of $96; died May 19. 1832,
aged 78. Robert Ditcher, enlisted in the
spring of 1777, in the New York Continen-
tal Line, in 6apl_ain James_ Lee^s_company
of artillery then in Philadelphia, attached to
the regiment commanded by Colonel Lamb.
He was present and took part in the battle
of AA'hite Plains, Staten Island, Monmouth,
Mud Island and Germantown, and was sev-
eral times wounded; died January 10. 1832,
aged 78. James Hogg served from January
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
26, 1779, in the First Regiment of Mary-
land Line, commanded at first b}' Colonel
Smallwood, and afterward by Colonel
Stone. His company was at first that of
Captain Nathaniel Ramsay, and afterward
that of Captain Hazen; died January 3,
1824, aged 79. Frederick Huebner, private,
served in Armand's Legion, in the company
of Captain Barron, for the term of about
three years; died August 17, 1828, aged 76.
Jacob McClean, private, served in Colonel
Housegger's regiment, called the "German
Regiment," in the company of Captain
Benjamin AVeiser, from July, 1776, until
1779 r died February 18, 1824, aged 66.
Zenos Macomber, private, served in Colonel
Carter's Regiment from May, 1775, until
January, 1776, when he enlisted in Colonel
Bond's regiment of the Massachusetts
Line. Ser\'ing in this regiment about two
months, he was removed and placed in
General AVashington's foot guard, where he
served until January, 1777, when he enlisted
in General AA'ashington's horse guard in
which he served three 3^ears ; died in 1835,
aged 'j'j. Conrad Pudding, private, served
in Armand's Legion, in Captain Sheriff's
company, from the spring of 1781, until the
fall of 1783, when the army was disbanded;
died April 30, 1828, aged 74. Thomas
Randolph, private, served in the Seventh
Regiment of the A^irginia Line, commanded
by Colonel McClellan, in the company of
Captain Peasey, from 1775 to 1778; died
June 25, 1828, aged 87. Samuel Ramble,
private, served in the First Regiment of the
Virginia Line, under Colonel Campbell, in
the company commanded by Captain Moss,
during the last three years of the war ; died
July 28, 1830, aged -jz. Godlove (Dedlove)
Shadow, private, served' from the spring of
1776, until the close of the war in the
regiment commanded by Colonel ]\Ioses
Hazen, in the company of Captain Duncan;
died January 24, 1825, aged 69. Samuel
Spicer, private, served in the Tenth Regi-
ment of the Pennsylvania Line, under Colo-
nel Humpton, in Captain AA'eaver's com-
pany, for about one year before the close of
the war ; invalid pensioner, received an an-
nual allowance of $96 from March 4, 1789;
died in 1818, aged 81. John Schneider, pri-
Aate, served in Colonel Hartley's regiment,
Captain DaA'id drier's companv, from
November 11, 1775, until the end of one
year and three months. He afterward
ser\ed in the regiment commanded by Colo-
nel Haren, in Captain Turner's company
from the early part of 1777, until the end
of the war; died August 11, 1827, aged 76.
James Silk, private, served in the Maryland
Continental Lane; died in 1835, aged 84.
John Taylor, musician, enlisted in February,
1778, at Mt. Holly, New Jersey, in the com-
pany of Captain John Cumming^, and in
the Second Regiment of the New Jersey
Line, attached to the brigade commanded
by General Maxwell; continued in service
until October, 1783, when he was dis-
charged near Morristown, N. J. He was
at the battle of Monmouth, and at the
capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown; he
ser\-ed as a volunteer at the storming of
Stony Point, by General AA'ayne, at which
he was slightly wounded; died in 1835, aged
"jy. Michael VA'^eirick, served in the Sixth
Regiment of the Maryland Line under
Colonel AA'illiams and Colonel Stewart, and
in the company of Captain Rebelle, during
the last five years of the war ; died August
23, 1825, aged 71. Philip AA^agner, served
in the Virginia Continental Line ; died in
1835, aged 90. George Lingenfelder, served
in Captain Michael "McGuire's company, in
Colonel Brooks' regiment, of Maryland,
from June, 1780, until the close of the war.
At the battle of Erandywine he was severely
wounded; died in 1818, aged 59. Hiim-
phrey Andrews, enlisted in Chester County,
Pennsylvania, on January 26, 1776, for the
term of one year, in the company then com-
manded by Captain James Taylor, in the
Fourth Pennsylvania Regiment, com-
manded by Colonel Anthony AA^ayne.
From Chester Covmty he marched by way
of New York, Albany, Ticonderoga and
Crown Point, to Montreal, at which place
they met the troops under General Thomp-
son, who were returning from the battle of
Three Rivers. He thence returned with
his fellow soldiers to Crown Point, where
he remained until January 24, 1777, sta-
tioned between the two armies of Burgoyne
and Howe. Marching to Chester, he was
discharged on the 25th of February, 1777.
Andrews was engaged in a skirmish with
the British in November, 1776. He died in
18 18, aged 63. Jacob Mayer, enlisted in
York Comity, ser\-ed in Colonel AA'ayne's
regiment, in the company commanded by
THE REVOLUTION
28=
Captain James Taylo£ from February, 1776,
""Hio^fhe end of one year, when he was dis-
charged at Chester; died 1828, aged 67.
_"]\Iatthias Kraut served in the Tenth Regi-
ment of the Pennsylvania Line, commanded
by Captain Stout, from 1776, to the close of
the war. He died in 1818, aged 58. Jacob
Kramer, served in the regiment "com-
nTanded by Captain Housegger, and after-
ward by Colonel \\'eltman, in the company
commanded b_v Captain Eaulsell, and after-
ward by Captain Boyer. He served from
July 19, 1776, until July 19, 1779. He died
in 1818, aged 62.
The following soldiers from York County
Avho served in the Pennsylvania Line, un-
der an act of 1818, received an annual allow-
ance of $96, and Avere dropped from the roll
under act of May i, 1820:
John Brpwn, private, aged 69; Jacob Fit-
zer, private, aged 74; Abraham Gf^effw'alt,
private,- aged 62 ; Anthony Lehman, private,
served in the Fifth Regiment, under Colo-
_aei-^icGaiii, in the company of Captain
Deckert^^from February, 1775, to January,
'^777^ aged 67; David Ramsey, private,
served in the First Rifle Regiment, under
Colonel Edward Hand, the company under
Captain Henry Miller, from July i, 1775,
until June, 1776. Being then discharged,
he joined Colonel Harnum's regiment, and
was in service until taken prisoner at the
battle of Brandywine. He was present and
took part in the battles of Bunker Hill,
Long Island, Flat Bush, at one of which he
was wounded in the head; aged 71.
The following soldiers from York County,
who served in the Pennsylvania Line, under
act of 1818, received an annual allowance of
$96, and died at the dates named :
John Beatty, private, served in the Sixth
Pennsylvania Regiment, commanded by
Colonel Irwin, in the company of Abraham
Smith, from February, 1776, until February,
1777, died August 30, 1829, aged 74; John
Jacob Brown (Bauer), private, served in the
First Pennsylvania Regiment, commanded
by Colonel Chambers, in Captain James
Wilson's comp^any7 from September, 1774,
imtiTThe close of the war, died December 2,
1827, aged 82; William Brown, private, en-
listed at Philadelphia" in the autumn of 1777,
for the term of three years, in the company
commanded by Captain John Doyle, and
the First Regiment of the Pennsvlvania
Line commanded by Colonel Hand. He
was at the battles of Brandywine, Trenton,
Princeton, Monmouth, Stony Point and
Paoli, at the last of which he received sev-
eral wounds; served six years and was dis-
charged at Lancaster; died June 12, 1822,
aged y-j. William Cline, private, served in
Colonel Wayne's regiment, in Captain
Frazer's company, from December, 1775,
ro March, 1777; died January 21, 1825, aged
70. Matthias^ Ci:wit, private, served in the
Tenth Regiment, in a company commanded
by Captain Stout, from 1776, to the close of
the war ; Uie'd July 22, 1827, aged 67. John
Deveney, private, served in the Fourth
Regiment, commanded by Colonel_ Ajolliojiy
A\ ayne, in Captain Robinson's company,
from the fall of I/75, until the close of one
year, at which time he entered the Fifth
Regiment, in Captain Bartholomew's com-
pany, in whiclriTe' served until the close of
the war; died February 15, 1827, aged 69.
JohiT_peis, private, served in Captain David
Grier's company, in the regiment com-
manded by Colonel Hartley, from March,
1776, until the end of one year; died April
5, 1822, aged 66. Joel Gray, private, served
in Colonel Hartley's regiment, in the com-
pany of Captain Bush, from October, 1778,
until the first "of April, 1781; died October
9, 1820, aged -/-J. John Lockert, private,
served in Colonel Proctor's regiment of ar-
tillery, in the conTpany of Captain DufHe,
from June, 1777, until June, 1779; died June
I, 1830, aged 76 Matthew Liddy, private,
died April 24, 1830, aged 87. ' Christopher
New (Nerr), private, served in the Second
Regiment, commanded by Colonel Stewart,
under Captain Patterson, from April, 1777,
until January, 1780; died December r, 1826,
aged Ji. John Ohmet, private, served in
the Tenth T^egtmeiit, commanded by Colo-
nel Richard Humpton, in the company of
Captain Hicks, from May, 1777, until the
close of the war; died April 16, 1823, aged
65. AVilliam Smith, private, served in the
Second Regiment, under Captain Watson,
from February, 1776, until the close of one
year; enlisted in the Fourth Regiment,
commanded by Colonel AA'iHiam Butlex^ in
Captain Bird's c^mparTyl died July 4, 1821,
aged 71. Adam Schuman, private, served
in the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment, com-
manded by Colonel Richard Butler, in Cap-
tain AA'alker's company, commanded by
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXNSYLVAXL\
Lieutenant Feldman, from the spring of
1776, until the close of the war; died J\'Iay
16, 1823, aged 80. JVlichael Shultz, private,
served in Colonel Hartley's regiment, in
Captain Grier's company, from January,
1776, for the term of one year; died Feb-
ruary 8, 1834, aged "jy. Joseph Wren, mu-
sician, served in the Seventh Regiment, in
the company of Captain AA'ilson, from Jan-
uary, 1777, until the close of the war; died
July 9, 1827, aged 89. Lewis (Ludwig)
Waltman, musician, served in the Sixth
Regiment, commanded by Colonel Butler,
in the company of Captain Bush, from the
fall of 1777, for the term of three years and
a half; died August 8, 1822, aged 64.
Rhinehart Wire, musician, died July 7, 1827,
aged 70. Edward Smith, private, served in
Pulaski's Legion, died June 26, 1832, aged
76. Christopher Sype, musician, served in
the Pennsvlvania Line; died October 2,
The following soldiers from \orkCounty,
who served in the Pennsylvania Continen-
tal Line, were on the pension rolls in the
year 1835, under the act passed in 1818, and
received an annual allowance of $96 :
Thomas Burk, fifer, aged 74, served in
Tenth Regiment, commanded by Lieuten-
ant Colonel Hazen, from June, 1778, until
1781 ; W^illiam Bargenhoff, private, aged 87;
John Cavenough, corporal, aged 83 ; Martin
Doll, private, aged 79; Jonathan Jacobs,
pri\'ate, aged 70 ; Peter Myers, private, aged
74; ]\Iartin Miller, private, served in Count
Pulaski's Legion, in Captain Seleski's com-
pany for the term of eighteen months, aged
71; Michael Peter, private, aged 83; Philip
Peter Scherer, private, aged 76; Henry
Snyder, private, aged 78; Anthony Sloth-
our, "musician, aged 83; Valentine Stickel,
musician, aged 82; Michael AA'arner. musi-
cian, served in Captain Jacob Bower's com-
pany, from October, 1781, until October,
1783, aged 75 ; Andrew Young, musician,
aged 78; Henry Doll, private, served in the
First Regiment, under Colonel Stewart, and
in the company under Captain Shade, for
about one year, aged 78; Frederick Boyer,
private, served in the detachment under
Colonel Almon, from 1777 to 1779, when he
enlisted in a corps of cavalry under Captain
Selinski, and under the command of General
Pulaski ; served in the corps until nearly the
whole of it was destroyed, aged 83. John
Michael, pri\'ate, aged 91 ; Christian Pepret,
seYved in Colonel Butler's regiment^ -4h
Captain Bush's company, from the year
1779 until the close of the war, aged 83.
The following Revolutionary soldiers, re-
siding in York County, were placed on pen-
sion rolls March 4, 1831, most of whom re-
ceived an annual allowance varying from
$20 to $40 :
Jonathan Mifflin, deputy-quartermaster,
served in Pennsylvania militia, received an-
nual allowance of $425 ; aged 80. Adam
Wolf, lieutenant, served in the Pennsylvania
State troops, received an annual allowance
of $92, aged 84. John Datamar, ensign,
served in Pennsylvania State troops, aged
yy. Henry Feltz, ensign and private,
served in Pennsylvania militia, aged 76.
James Patterson, private, served in Penn-
sylvania militia, received an annual allow-
ance of $76, aged 80. Henry Baumgard-
ner, private, served in Pennsylvania' militia,
aged 76 ; John Bullock, private, served in
Maryland militia, aged 84; George Bailey,
private, served in Pennsylvania militia, aged
T^'y John Baker, private, in Maryland mili-
tia, aged 76; Heifer Cramer, private, in
Penns3dvania militia, aged 79; Joseph Croft,
pri\'ate, in Pennsylvania State troops, agifd
79; James Cross, private, in Pennsylvania
militia, aged 75 ; Michael Coppenhaffer,
private, in Pennsylvania militia; Andrew
Finfrock, private, in Pennsylvania militTa,
aged yj ; Henry Geip, private, in Pennsyl-^
vania militia, aged 78; George Goodyear,
private, in Pennsylvania militia, aged 82;
Philip Gohn, private, in Pennsylvania mili-
tia, aged yy; Henry HofT, private, in Penn-
sylvania militia, aged 74; Jacob JInnois,
private, in Pennsylvania militia, aged 82 ;
John Jacobs, private, in Pennsylvania mili-
tia, aged 80; George Ivrebs, private in
Pennsylvania militia, aged 80; Valentine
Kohler, private, in Pennsylvania militia,
aged 79 ; John Ixroan, private, in Pennsyl-
vania militia, aged yy ; Peter Grumbine,
private, in Pennsylvania Continental Line,
aged yT^ ; Christian Klinedinst, private, in
Pennsylvania militia, aged 76; John Lipp,
private, in Maryland militia, aged 88; Nich-'
olas Leber, private, in Pennsylvania militia,
aged 78; Frederick Leader, private", served
in artillery and infantry in Pennsylvania
Line, aged 74; Philip Miller, private, in
Pennsylvania militia, aged 83 ; Adam Pope,
y
THE REVOLUTION
private, in Pennsylvania militia, aged 68;
Daniel Pegg, private, in New Jersey militia,
received an annual allowance of $53, aged
78; Dewalt Rabenstine, private, in Pennsyl-
vania militia, aged jt^ ; Jacob Rudy, private,
in Pennsjdvania militia, aged 83; Matthias
Ritz, private, in Pennsylvania militia, aged
T7' John Stroman, private, in Pennsylvania
State troops, aged 78; John Schmuck, pri-
vate, in Pennsylvania militia, aged 78;
Adam Schlott, private, in Pennsylvania
militia, aged 72 ; Lewis Shive, private, in
Pennsylvania militia, aged 74; Tobias Sype,
private, in Pennsylvania militia, aged "]}, ;
John Stabb, private, in Pennsylvania mili-
tia, aged 75 ; Ludwig Swartz, private, in
Pennsylvania militia, aged 75; George
Switzen, private, in Pennsylvania mili-
tia, aged 71; Henry Tome, private,
in Pennsylvania militia, aged 80; Alex-
ander Thompson, private, in Pennsyl-
vania militia, aged 75; David AValtagmer,
private, in Pennsylvania militia, aged 75;
Philip AA'ambach, private, in Pennsylvania
militia, aged 59: John Welch, private, in
Pennsylvania militia, aged 92; Caspar Zegar,
private, in Pennsylvania militia, aged 81.
The following Revolutionary soldiers
were in\'alid pensioners residing in York
County :
Thomas Campbell, captain, received an
annual allowance of $240, June 7, 1785;
Andrew Johnson, lieutenant, received an
annual allowance of $60, February 15, 1812;
Jacob Barnitz, ensign, annual allowance
$120, June 7, 1785; George Benedict, annual
allowance $40, November 22, 1809; John
Cavenaugh, private, annual allowance $26,
September 4, 1794; Henry Slotterback,
private in Butler's regiment, annual allow-
ance $60, March 3, 1827.
The following is a miscellaneous list of
Revolutionar}' pensioners :
Robert Peeling, annual allowance $96,
died August 2, 1839; Frederick Stine;
Jacob Ginder, served in General Armand's
Legion: Dr. William H. Smith, surgeon
mate in Pennsylvania Line ; Captain
George Jenkins, served in Pennsylvania
Line ; Thomas Henderson, of Peach Bot-
-tom Township ; Jacob Doudel, served in
Pennsylvania Line, died September 21,
183 1 ; Philip Graybill, served in the Second
Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line, died in
1816; Philip- Miller, served in Colonel Gib-
son's regiment of the Pennsylvania Line,
enlisted for one year, in 1778; Philip Miller,
served in Colonel Stewart's regiment of the
Pennsylvania Line; Nicholas James, in
1849, aged 83; John Bryan, served in Ar-
mand's Legion until'the end of the war, dis-
charged at York ; Captain Andrew Walker,
served in Colonel Hartley's regiment of the
Pennsylvania Line, from 1776 to the close
of the war; Captain John Doyle; James
Bennett, sergeant in Proctor's regiment of
artillery in the Pennsylvania Line, died
May 12, 1824.
AVilliam Russel, of Franklin Township,
ensign in Third Pennsylvania Regiment ;
Samuel Spicer, private in Tenth Pennsyl-
vania Regiment ; Archibald Steel, officer in
First Pennsylvania Regiment; John Brown,
private in Captain Andrew Irwin's com-
pany in the Seventh Pennsylvania Regi-
ment, under Colonel David Grier; Samuel
Mosser, AA^'ashington County, private in
Armand's Legion; Christian Babst, private,
in Armand's Legion; Captain John Wamp-
ler, engaged seven months' men in 1780;
Barnet Slough, private in Armand's Legion;
AA^illiam Marshall, of York, private Arm-
and's Legion.
The names of the following Revolution-
ary pensioners were collected from the
records of John Morris, a notary public of
the Borough of York, and found in the
office of Register of AA'ills of the county :
Peter Tims or Tome, a private in Arm-
and's Legion ; John Boyle ; John Trie,
private Captain Bell's Company, Second
New York Regiment, Colonel Philip Cort-
landt; Peter Christian, private Armand's
Legion; John Michael; George Benedict:
David Kramer, private Armand's Legion ;
Ephraim Ferguson, shoemaker, private in
Captain Gibson's Company, Fifth Pennsyl-
vania Regiment; Andrew McFarlin, dra-
goon in Armand's Legion ; George Zinn ;
Thomas Johnson, lieutenant in Colonel
Cunningham's Battalion.
Richard Yarding, a corporal in Captain
Graeff's Company, Colonel Swope's Regi-
ment, March 27, 1782, received from the
county by order of the court twenty-five
pounds, or about $125, for services while a
prisoner of war on Long Island. He was
also allowed the pension of a corporal from
the county, beginning from the time of his
release on account of his disability.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
John Stead, a private in Colonel Hart-
ley's Eleventh Pennsylvania Regiment, was
severel}^ wounded at Paoli. In October,
1782, the court allowed him twenty-five
shillings per month on account of disability.
George Stewart, of Windsor Township,
must have been one of the youngest sol-
diers of the Revolution. He enlisted in
Captain Porter's company in the lower end
of York County, as a substitute, when, ac-
cording to an official record, he was utterly
incapable of carrying a musket. He was
sold as a substitute by his master, George
Shetter.
Robert Coney, a soldier of the Revolu-
tion, was born at York in 1758 and died De-
cember, i860, at his home in Hamilton
County, Ohio, at the age of one hundred
and two years. He had entered the army
under A\'ashington as a drummer at the age
of thirteen.
John Purnell, the last survivor of the
Revolution from York County, died at his
residence on South Street, York, May 22,
1863, at the age of ninety-eight. In 1777,
at the age of eleven years, he became a
cabin boy on board one of the war vessels
of Commodore Paul Jones, the founder of
the American navy, and is supposed to have
been with that officer when he won the vic-
tory over the British oft the coast of France.
Purnell was a pensioner from the year 1818
to the time of his death in 1863.
CHAPTER NVIII
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
Samuel Adams' Great Speech — John Han-
cock's Resignation — Laurens Chosen
President — First National Thanksgiving
— Articles of Confederation Adopted —
Proceedings in 1778.
In the summer of 1777 General Howe de-
termined to leave New York for the purpose
of attacking Philadelphia, the seat of the
LTnited States Government. He embarked
in July with 18,000 men. Finding that the
entrance to the Delaware River was well
fortified and that strong defenses had been
erected a short distance below Philadelphia,
he decided to enter Pennsylvania by sailing
up the Chesapeake. Owing to a stormy
passage, he did not arrive at the head of the
bay until August 25, when he landed at
Elkton, ^Maryland.
At this time General Washington with a
small army crossed New Jersey to defend
Philadelphia. A resolution of Congress
was passed, calling" out the militia of Penn-
sylvania, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
August 26, John Adams, of Massachusetts,
then a delegate in Congress and President
of the Board of War, wrote : "Congress
has been informed that Howe's army has
landed upon the banks of the Elk River.
The militia are turning out with great alac-
rity from Maryland and Pennsylvania.
They are distressed for want of arms.
Many have no arms and others only small
fowling pieces."
Washington now moved his army farther
south and on September 11 with 11,000
men, met Howe with his 18,000 British
regulars and Hessians at Chad's Ford on
the Brandywine, where a desperate battle
took place. AVashington was obliged to re-
tire from the field, but the defeat was so
slight that he was able to detain Howe for
two weeks on the march of only twenty-six
miles to Philadelphia.
During these stirring times when the
sound of the British guns was heard in
Philadelphia from the battle of Brandywine,
Congress resolved to remove the public
records to the interior of Pennsylvania and
select another place as a temporary capital
of the United States. It was hardly to be
expected that Washington with his small
force could defeat so large a body of the
enemy and on September 14, three days
after the battle, John Adams wrote from
Philadelphia to his wife in Massachusetts:
"Howe's army is at Chester, about fifteen
miles from this town. General Washing-
ton is over the Schuylkill awaiting the flank
of Howe's army. How much longer Con-
gress will stay is uncertain. If we should
move, it will be to Reading, Lancaster,
York, Easton or Bethlehem, some town in
this state. Don't be anxious about me nor
about our great and sacred cause. It is the
cause of truth and will prevail."
On the same day Congress resolved that
if obliged to remove from Philadelphia, >
Lancaster should be the place of meeting
and that the public papers be put in the
care of Abraham Clark, one of the members
from New Jersey, who was "empowered to
procure wagons sufficient for conveying
them and apply to General John Dickinson
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
289
or any other officer commanding" troops in
the service of the United States who is
hereby directed to furnish a guard to con-
duct the said papers safely to Lancaster "
September 17, Congress resolved that
"notwithstanding the brave exertions of the
American army, the city of Philadelphia
may possibly by the fortune of war, be for a
time possessed by the enemy's army "
It further resolved to grant to General
Washington, commander-in-chief, extraor-
dinary powers for sixty days with the au-
thority to suspend officers of the. army for
misbehavior, fill vacancies below the rank
of brigadier general, and take provisions
and other articles, wherever they may be
found for the maintenance of the army. He
was permitted to pay for these provisions or
give certificates for the payment of them,
and a pledge of the public credit was given
for the future settlement of such certificates.
Early on the morning of Sep-
Arrive at tember 19, when the members
Bethlehem, of Congress were in bed, they
received word through Alex-
ander Hamilton, then a colonel on the staff
of A\'ashington, that the British army was
in possession of the fords over the Schuyl-
kill. It was evident that the enemy would
be in possession of Philadelphia in a few
hours. At this time there were about thirty
delegates present from the different states.
Having adjourned to meet at Lancaster,
this body of patriots to avoid falling into
the hands of the enemy, started northward
to Bristol, twenty miles north of Philadel-
phia. The official papers of the Board of
War and the Board of Treasury had been
sent to Bristol some days before. They
were conveyed to Trenton, to Easton and
from thence to Bethlehem. The delegates
from the different states seem to have pro-
ceeded by the nearest route from Bristol
and arrived at Bethlehem, a distance of
forty miles, Septembei^ 22. In theevening
of the same day John Adams wlTITThe dele-
gates arrived from Easton with the official
papers guarded by fifty troopers and fifty
infantry.
A band of British Highlanders were then
imprisoned at Bethlehem. They were or-
dered to Lancaster and from thence taken
through York, to Virginia. Their place of
imprisonment at Bethlehem was turned into
a hospital for wounded soldiers, brought
there from the battle of Brandywine. Gen-
eral Lafaj^ette, who was also wounded at
Brandywine, was taken to Bethlehem where
he received surgical treatment. On Sep^
tember 23, many of the delegates attended
the children's meeting in the Moravian
chapel. After the services John Hancock
took up the service book used by the Mo-
ravian pastor, Rev. John Ettwine, and with
other delegates, examined it. The pastor
explained its use and read that portion for
the day containing the words "Whoever is
not for us is against us."
The members of Congress while at Beth-
lehem signed an official paper authorizing
the protection of the property of the Mora-
vians. They were John Hancock, Samuel
Adams, Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Har-
rison, Henry Laurens, John Adams, James
Duane, Nathan Brownson, Nathaniel Fol-
soni, Richard Law, Eliphalet Dyer, Henry
Marchant, William Duer, Cornelius Har-
nett, Joseph Jones and AVilliam Williams.
The libert}^ bell from Independence Hall
in Philadelphia, which rang out independ-
ence after the Declaration had been signed,
was brought from Philadelphia to Easton
and from thence to Bethlehem. Soon after-
ward this bell, now so famous in the history
of our country, was concealed for several
months in a Reformed Church at Allen-
town.
In accordance wjtli the resolu-
One Day tion of Congress, when it ad-
at journed at Philadelphia to meet
Lancaster, at Lancaster, the members at
Bethlehem proceeded to that
borough on horseback, arriving there on
the evening of Friday, September 26. At
this time the Pennsylvania Legislature had
moved to Lancaster remaining in session
there until June 20 of the following year.
Upon arriving at Lancaster, Congress as-
sembled in the Court House then situated
in Centre Square and began the transaction
of business. Several important letters
were read. One w^as received from General
Gates, then in command of the Northern
army near Saratoga. This letter dated
September 15, on account of the exciting
condition of affairs had been a long time
on the way. It was written four days be-
fore Gates had won his first victory at Sar-
atoga. A letter of great moment, dated
September 23, was received from General
290
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
AX'ashiiigton. This letter was written at
Pottstown whicli was then his headquarters
and stated the condition of his army after
the defeat of Brandywine, and the need of
arms and supphes. A resolution was then
passed instructing the Board of War "to
cooperate with General Washington in de-
vising and carrying into execution effectual
measures for supplying the army with fire-
arms, shoes, blankets, stockings, provisions
and other necessaries." The condition of
ail:'airs around Philadelphia at this period
was not encouraging to the Americans.
Although AA'ashington was receiving rein-
forcements there was still danger that he
had not a sufficient army to defeat the
enemv in a conflict which seemed inevi-
table. Lancaster was only sixty-eight miles
from Philadelphia and scouting parties of
the enemjr frequently approached the
borders of the county in which Congress
was assembled. The Pennsylvania Legis-
lature, then about to open its sessions at
Lancaster, had begun to grow discouraged
and disheartened by reason of the defeat of
our army at Brandj'wine and the capture of
Philadelphia by the British. Some of its
members were inimical to the cause of inde-
pendence and others were opposed to
Washington as the head of the army.
At the close of one day's session at Lan-
caster, held on Saturday, September i-j, the
following resolution was adopted : "Re-
solved, That the Treasury Board direct the
treasurer, with all his papers, forms, etc., to
repair to the town of York, in Pennsyl-
\-ania." Immediately after the passage of
this resolution, a motion was carried to ad-
journ to meet at York on the following
Tuesday at 10 o'clock A. M.
These illustrious patriots
Cross the whose acts and deeds have
Susquehanna, added lustre to the pages of
American history, wended
their way toward the Susquehanna in order
that the broad river might flow between
them and the enemy while they transacted
the affairs of the infant government at
York during the darkest period of the
Revolution. They crossed the river on flat
boats at A'Vright's Ferry and proceeded to
York. They rode on horseback, except
John Hancock, who traveled in a chaise,
and Joseph Jones, a member from Virginia,
who came here in the pri\-ate carriage of
General AA'ashington. The following let-
ter, written upon his arrival here, to the
commander-in-chief, tells an interesting
story :
York, Pa., September 30, 1777.
Dear Sir : I have your phaeton here, though I was
obliged to send for it after I left Philadelphia, being
put to route the night I received j'our letter. The bolt
that fastens the pole part of the long reins was lost,
some brass nails also gone and the lining much dirtied
and in some places torn. I will have these little matters
repaired and the carriage and harness kept clean and in
as good order as I can, which is the least I can do for
the use, though I would rather buy it, if you are not
determined against selling it and submit the price to
yourself or your friend, Colonel Harrison, who may
view it and pay the cash upon demand to your order.
The harness I observe is not matched, though the
difference is not very striking. Whether these hap-
pened at Philadelphia since you left it there or before,
you can judge.
When Congress assembled September
30, 1777, in the Provincial Court House,
which stood in Centre Square, York, from
1755 to 1841, it beheld the chief cities of the
country in the hands of the enemy and the
shattered army around Philadelphia retreat-
ing" before a conquering foe. York con-
tained 286 houses and about 1,800 in-
habitants. There were within the town
a dozen or more public inns or taverns, as
they were then called, at which some of the
members with difficulty secured lodging
and entertainment. A retinue of attend-
ants, including the troops of cavalry and a
company of infantry which had guarded the
transmission of the government papers,
also found accommodations at public and
private houses as best they could. The
members or delegates to Congress had
been elected by their respective states for
one year and received such compensation
as the state legislatures provided. The
amounts varied from three to eight dollars
a day in Continental money, then worth
about thirty cents on the dollar. The
Board of Treasury, presided over by El-
bridge Gerry, of Massachusetts, took up its
quarters in the residence of Archibald Mc-
Clean, at the northeast corner of George
Street and Centre Square. It was in this
building that Rlichael Hillegas, treasurer
of the United States, distributed during the
succeeding nine months, in accordance with
the resolutions of Congress, the deposits of
the government treasury. The Board of
AA'ar, presided over by John Adams, of
Massachusetts, held its meetings in the law
office of lames Smith, adjoining his
JOHN HANCOCK
President of Continental Congress when it assembled in
York, September 30, 1777
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
291
residence on the west side of South George
Street, near Centre Square. Different com-
mittees met in the building at the south-
west angle of Centre Square. The mem-
bers of Congress paid their own expenses
while here, except John Hancock, of Mas-
sachusetts, the president, who occupied the
house of Colonel Michael Swope, on the
south side of AX'est Market Street near
Centre Square, and his current expenses
were paid by authority of the government
out of the national treasury.
Daniel Roberdeau, of Philadelphia, who,
as a brigadier-general in the army, had
captured from the British a prize of $22,000
in silver and turned it over to the' use of
Congress, rented a house on South George
Street. Several of the members, including
John Adams, Elbridge Gerry, Samuel
Adams, Benjamin Harrison, and Richard
Henry Lee, lodged in his house. Other
members stopped at private houses and at
parsonages occupied by different clergy-
men of the town.
Congress held a brief session on
Opening September 30 and then ad-
Session journed until the following
at York, morning at 10 o'clock. The
controlHng power of the nation
was vested in one body, and during the
whole period of the war, until 1789, trans-
acted the business of the government with
closed doors. None but members and a
few government officials were permitted to
attend the sessions. Congress, however, at
this time, could only recommend to the
states what should be done. It had no
power to lay a tax upon the different states
or to order that soldiers should be drafted
into the army. At this time the new re-
public was composed of thirteen indepen-
dent states. The Declaration of Indepen-
dence, passed the year before, had not
created a perfect union and our fathers had
not yet "brought forth on this continent a
new nation." The Articles of Confedera-
tion, which had been discussed for several
months at Independence Hall, in Philadel-
phia, were now taken up for final passage.
It is interesting to state here
Where that the court house then used
Congress as the Capitol of the United
Met. States, had been built of brick
twentv-two vears before. It
was 55 feet long and 45 feet wide. The
main entrance, through double doors, led
from South George Street. The judge's
desk, at which the President sat, was at the
western end of the building. Back of this,
on a small pedestal, perched a plain image
representing a statue blindfolded holding
the scales of justice. Two rows of seats
for jurors extended along the walls to the
left and right of the judge's desk. Several
tables and desks rested on the floor within
the bar, immediately behind which stood a
large ten-plate wood stove with an eight-
inch pipe extending upward and then back
to the east wall. The rows of seats to the
rear of the bar inclined upward to the east-
ern end of the building. At the rear of the
court room was a small gallery reached by
\vinding stairs. There were six windows
on each of the sides facing north and south
George Street, and four windows each at
the east and west ends of the building.
Every window contained two sashes and
e\-ery sash 18 small panes of glass. The
second story of the Court House was used
for public meetings, entertainments and at
times for school purposes. In the original
Court House there were only two gable
ends, one facing east and the other west
Market Street. The gables facing north and
south George Street were placed there when
the Court House was remodeled in 181 5.
A bell had been obtained for St.
An John's Episcopal Church, on
Historic North Beaver Street, a few
Bell. years before. There was no bel-
fry on this church and no suitable
place to hang the bell, so it was hung on a
pole in Centre Square and there rung for
religious services and for town meetings.
A\'hen the news of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence was officially brought to York,
James Smith and Archibald McClean
ordered that this bell be put in the cupola
of the Court House. In response to notifi-
cation this historic bell was rung loud and
long for liberty and independence. After
the Revolution this bell was removed to the
cupola of St. John's Episcopal Church of
York, ^^■here it has since been used. A vast
crowd of people had assembled in Centre
Square and the Declaration of Indepen-
dence was read amidst great applause.
On Tuesday evening, Septem-
Hancock's ber 30, John Hancock wrote to
Letter. General Washington:
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
York, Pa., 30 September, 1777.
Sir : — Since my departure from Philadelphia, I have
to acknowledge the receipt of your favors. Congress
met on Saturday last at Lancaster and upon consulta-
tion it was judged most prudent to adjourn to this place,
where we now are and where we can prosecute business
without interruption and where your despatches will
meet us.
I have just now received by General Gates' aide-de-
camp. Major Troup, sundry letters, copies of which I
have the honor to enclose to you, by which it appears
that our affairs in the northern department wear a
favorable aspect and I hope soon to transmit you an
account of an issue to the contest in that quarter.
I wish soon to receive the most pleasing accounts
from you. We are in daily expectation of agreeable
tidings and that General Howe is totally reduced.
I beg leave to refer you to enclosed papers ; and am
with the utmost respect and esteem, sir.
Your most obedient and verv humble servant,
JOHN HANCOCK,
President.
Including President Hancock,
Delegates there were 25 delegates present
to on October 3, when they voted
Congress, on the resolution to refer to
General ^^'ashington the deci-
sion of priority of rank in the army between
Baron de Kalb and General Thomas Con-
^\■ay. Their names and the states they
represented are recorded in the journals of
Congress as follows: X'athaniel Folsom,
New Hampshire; Samuel Adams. John
Adams, Elbridge Gerry and James Lovell,
Massachusetts; Henry Marchant, Rhode
Island ; Eliphalet Dyer. William Williams,
Richard Law, Connecticut ; James Duane,
William Duer, New York : Daniel Rober-
deau, Pennsylvania ; Charles Carroll. Sam-
uel Chase, Maryland; Benjamin Harrison,
Joseph Jones, Richard Henr)'- Lee, Francis
Lightfoot Lee, Virginia; John Penn, Cor-
nelius Harnett. North Carolina; Arthur
Middleton, Thomas Heyward, Henry
Laurens, South Carolina; and Nathan
Brownson, Georgia. Only 11 states voted.
New Jersey and Delaware were not repre-
sented at this time. According to custom,
the votes were cast by states. New dele-
gates arrived at different times during the
succeeding nine months. In all there were
67 attending the sessions at York. There
does not seem to have been more than 35
present at one time.
October 4. Captain AA'eaver was voted
$2,000 for the purpose of defraying the ex-
penses of taking a band of British prisoners
from Lancaster through York to Virginia.
Colonel Richard McAllister, of Hanover,
lieutenant for York Countv, was ordered
by Thomas Wharton, President of the
Legislature at Lancaster, to provide thirty
men from York County to act as a guard
for these prisoners on their march south-
ward.
The commissary-general of purchases
^vas instructed to employ some one to take
charge of all the wheat in the several mills
near York for the United States. Washing-
ton was ordered to make provisions for
quartering the troops during the coming
winter. News of the defeat of the British
at Bennington by General Stark was re-
ceived and that officer was tendered a vote
of thanks. A letter was ordered to be writ-
ten to General Gates informing him "that
Congress highly approved of the prowess
and behavior of the troops under his com-
mand in their late gallant repulse of the
enemy under General Burgoyne at Sara-
toga." Two companies were raised to
guard the government stores at Carlisle.
The commissary-general was given the
power to seize and press into service
wagons, shallops and a store house, within
seventy miles of Washington's headquar-
ters. George Eichelberger, who had been
appointed deputy quartermaster at York,
was voted $2,500 for the use of his depart-
ment. He was directed to provide mem-
bers of Congress with the articles needed
for themselves, their servants and their
horses at cost. The different state legis-
latures were recommended to pass laws to
punish by death without the benefit of
clergy, anv person or persons found guilty
of burning or destroying government
magazines or stores.
The British entered Phila-
Medal for delphia, September 26, and
Washington, soon after proceeded to the
village of Germantown, six
miles north of the city. Washington
attacked them on October 4 at daybreak,
hoping to push their army against the
Schuylkill River and destroy it. The dar-
ing scheme almost succeeded, but victory
was turned into defeat by a sudden panic
among the Americans caused by an acci-
dent. It was a foggy morning and one
American battalion fired into another by
mistake. The news of the defeat at Ger-
mantown was brought to Congress by a
despatch bearer. Although the report of
the defeat was not encouraging, on October
CONTINENTAL CONCxRESS AT YORK
293
8 it was resolved "That the thanks of
Congress be given to General Washington
for his wise and well concerted attack upon
the en'emy's army near Germantown and
to the officers and soldiers of the army for
the brave exertions on that occasion;
Congress being well satisfied that the best
designs and boldest eft'orts sometimes fail
by unforeseen incidents, trusting that on
future occasions, the valor and virtue of the
army will, by the blessing of heaven, be
crowned with complete and deserved suc-
cess." Congress then ordered that a medal
of honor be presented to the commander-
in-chief.
The second day"s session of
Chaplains Continental Congress at York
White opened Wednesday, October i.
and Rev. Jacob Duche, who had
Duffield. served as chaplain, became a
loyalist and remained in Phila-
delphia. Rev. A^'illiam White, rector of the
United Parishes of Christ's, St. Peter's and
St. James' Episcopal Churches of Philadel-
phia, was elected chaplain. He spent part
of the succeeding winter in York, occupy-
ing rooms at the residence, on North
George Street, of Rev. John Nicholas
Ivurtz, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church.
At this time he was 29 years of age. In
1786 he became the first bishop of Pennsyl-
vania. Rev. George Dufiield, a native of
Lancaster County, and pastor of the Third
Presbyterian Church, of Philadelphia, was
elected associate chaplain. He was then 45
years old and one of the first clergymen in
America to advocate the cause of inde-
pendence. Before coming here he had
served as chaplain in the army and for his
intense loyalty to the patriotic cause, the
British government offered a prize for his
capture. A\'hile in York he was the guest
of Rev. Daniel Wagner, pastor of Zion
Reformed Church, who resided at the par-
sonage on the north side of East King near
George Street. Early in life Duffield had
been pastor of the Presbyterian churches
at Dillsburg and Carlisle.
By resolution Congress now decided that
the morning session should begin at 10 A.
'SI. and adjourn at i P. J\I. The afternoon
session began at 4 o'clock and continued
usually until 10 o'clock at night. The dis-
cussions on the momentous questions con-
sidered by this bodv were often carried on
in the form of conversations. Efforts at
oratory were rareh' attempted. On one or
two occasions, Samuel Adams made patri-
otic speeches like those he had delivered in
Faneuil Hall, Boston, before the opening of
the war. The flute-like tones of Richard
Henry Lee always interested his hearers
and commanded the closest attention. Pat-
rick Henry was governor of Virginia and
Thomas Jefferson, a member of the legis-
lature in session at Richmond. Benjamin
Franklin, still a member from Pennsyl-
vania, was United States commissioner in
Paris, endeavoring to secure the recogni-
tion of his government by King Louis NIV
of France.
Of the delegates to Continental Congress
during the entire period of the Revolution,
none were more zealous in legislating for
the prosecution of the war than Samuel
Adams, of Massachusetts. He was a man
of lofty patriotism and unbounded energy.
The English government blamed John
Hancock and Samuel Adams more than any
others for the origin of the war, and a re-
ward of $25,000 was offered for the capture
of either of them. Both Hancock and
Adams, if ever captured, were to be denied
pardon for their alleged treason to the
mother country. With Adams as the leader
of Congress while in York, the struggle for
liberty was simply a matter of life and
death. Success in establishing freedom
would send him down to posterity, honored
by all future generations ; failure pointed to
the prison cell and the ignominy of a rebel
doomed to the scaffold. Kverything seemed
dark and gloomy during the early days of
October, 1777, and some of the members
of Congress were ready to give up the
struggle in despair and accept the over-
tures of peace offered by the British gov-
ernment. About this time John Adams
made the following entry in his diary:
"The prospect is chilling on
Adams' every side, gloomy, dark, mel-
Soliloquy. ancholy and dispiriting. When
and where will light come
from? Shall we have good news from
Europe ? Shall we hear of a blow struck
by Gates against Burgoyne? Is there a
possibility that Washington may yet defeat
Howe? Is there a possibility that Mc-
Dougall and Dickinson shall destroy the
British detachment in New Jersey? If
294
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
Philadelphia is lost, is the cause of inde-
pendence lost?" Then he continues; "Xo,
the cause is not lost. Heaven grant us one
great soul. One leading mind would extri-
cate the best cause from the ruin that
seems to await it. We have as good a cause
as ever was fought for. One active, mas-
terly capacity would bring order out of this
confusion and save our country."
The affairs of the new born nation for a
time were controlled by a few men, who
met regularly in a caucus at the home of
General Roberdeau, of Pennsylvania, who
lived in a rented house nearly opposite
Christ Lutheran Church, on South George
Street. Many of the leaders in Congress,
including Henry Laurens, Benjamin Harri-
son, Dr. A\^itherspoon, Richard Henry Lee,
Elbridge Gerry and John and Samuel
Adams, lodged in this house. It was here
on one October night of 1777, that Samuel
Adams called a caucus. After obtaining
the views of the different members, some of
whom were very despondent, Samuel
Adams rose and delivered one of the most
eloquent speeches in American history, as
follows :
"Gentlemen : Your spirits seem
Samuel oppressed with the weight of
Adams' public calamities, and your sad-
Speech, ness of countenance reveals your
disc|uietude. A patriot may grieve
at the disasters of his country, but he will
never despair of the commonwealth. Our
affairs are said to be desperate, but we are
not without hope and not without courage.
The eyes of the people of this country are
upon us here, and the tone of fheir feeling
is regulated by ours. If we as' delegates in
Congress give up in despair, and grow
desperate, public confidence will be de-
stroyed and American liberty will be no
more.
"But we are not dri\-en to such straits.
Though fortune has been unpropitious, our
conditions are not desperate ; our burdens
though grievous, can still be borne : our
losses, though great, can be retrieved.
Through the darkness that shrouds our
prosperity, the ark of safet)^ is visible.
Despondency, gentlemen, becomes not the
dignity of our cause, nor the character of
the nation's representatives in Congress.
Let us then be aroused and evince a spirit
of patriotism that shall inspire the people
with confidence in us, in themselves and in
the cause of our country. Let us show a
spirit that will induce us to persevere in this
struggle, until our rights shall be estab-
lished and our liberty secured.
"We have proclaimed to the world our
determination to die free men, rather than
live slaves ; we have appealed to heaven for
the justice of our cause and in the God of
battles have we placed our trust. AYe have
looked to Providence for help and protec-
tion in the past ; we must appeal to the
same source in the future, for the Almighty
Powers from above will sustain us in this
struggle for independence.
"There have been times since the open-
ing of this war when we were reduced
almost to distress, but the great arm of
Omnipotence has raised us up. Let us still
rely for assistance upon Him who is
mighty to save. AA'e shall not be abandoned
by the Powers abo^'e so long as we act
worthy of aid and protection. The darkest
hour is just before the dawn. Good news
may soon reach us from the army and from
across the sea."
The patriotic fervor of the speaker on this
occasion, thrilled the small audience and
ga^•e them renewed energy in the passage
of legislation to aid in carrying on the war.
John Hancock, of Massachu-
Hancock's setts, who had served as
Resignation, president of Congress from
]\Iay, 1775, expressed a de-
sire to retire and visit his home in Boston.
He was now forty years of age. After the
Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770, he was
the head of the committee which asked for
the removal of the British troops and at the
funeral of the slain, he delivered an address
so glowing and fearless in its reprobation
of the conduct of the soldiery and their
leaders as to greatly offend the governor.
Hancock was president of Congress when
the Declaration of Independence was
passed, and the first to append his name to
that immortal document. In his youth he
had inherited a large fortune from an uncle
and at the opening of the Revolution was
the most extensive shipping merchant at
Boston. His fortune was estimated at half
a million dollars, he being probably the
wealthiest man in the L'nited States. On
account of his ardent patriotism he became
a leader in the cause of American inde-
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
295
pendeiice. October 25, 1777, a committee
of Congress reported that his accounts had
been audited and there was yet due him
$1,392, which was ordered to be paid. As a
presiding officer he was dignified, impartial,
quick of apprehension and commanded the
respect of Congress, but was not popular
with all his associates. Later in life he em-
ployed his large fortune for useful and
benevolent purposes and was a liberal
donor to Harvard College. AVhile presi-
dent of Congress at York, he incurred the
displeasure of some of. the leading members,
including Samuel Adams, who was of an
impetuous nature. Going out of the Court
House one day, Benjamin Harrison, of Vir-
ginia, suggested to Adams that he should
forgive John Hancock for his vanity.
Adams, in a fit of rage, quickly responded
"Yes, Harrison, I can forgive him and I
can forget him." After the war, however,
they became firm friends and it is an inter-
esting fact of history that Samuel Adams
succeeded in persuading John Hancock to
support the ratification of the constitution
of the United States, to which he was
originally opposed. When Hancock re-
tired from Congress at York, he delivered
the following address :
"Gentlemen : Friday last com-
The pleted two years and five
President's months since you did me the
Speech. honor of electing me to fill this
chair. As I could neither
flatter myself your choice proceeded from
any idea of my abilities, but rather from a
partial opinion of my attachment to the
liberties of America, I felt myself under the
strongest obligations to discharge the du-
ties of the ofiice, and I accepted the appoint-
ment with the firmest resolution to go
through the business annexed to it in the
best manner I was able. Every argument
inspired me to exert myself, and I endeav-
ored, by industry and attention, to make up
for every other deficiency.
"As to my conduct, both in and out of
Congress, in- the execution of your business,
it is improper for me to say anything. You
are the best judges. But I think I shall be
forgiven if I say I have spared no pains,
expense or labor, to gratify your wishes,
and to accomplish the views of Congress.
"yiy health being much impaired, I find
some relaxation absolutely necessarv. after
such constant application; I must therefore
request your indulgence for lea\'e of absence
for two months.
"But I cannot take my departure, gentle-
men, without expressing my thanks for the
civility and politeness I have experienced
from you. It is impossible to mention this
without a heartfelt pleasure.
"If in the course of so long a period as I
have had the honor to fill this chair, any
■expressions may have dropped from me that
may have given the least oft'ence to any
member, as it was not intentional, so I hope
his candor will pass it over.
"Ma}^ every happiness, gentlemen, attend
3'ou, both as members of this house and as
individuals ; and I pray heaven that
tmanimity and perseverance may go hand in
hand in this house ; and that everything
which may tend to distract or divide your
councils be forever banished."
Having retired from his high position as
President of Congress, John Hancock
started for his home at Boston. He passed
through Reading and reached Bethlehem
on the evening of November 2, stopping
over night in that borough at the Sun Inn,
a large stone building still in existence. An
entry in a local diary of that date reads :
"John Hancock passed through on his way
from York to Boston. He was escorted
hence by a troop of fifteen horsemen, who
had awaited his arrival. From him we
learned that our friend, Henry Laurens,
had been chosen President of Congress."
As New York was in the hands of the
British, he crossed the Hudson at Fishkill.
At this point he was met by William Ellery,
who had been elected a delegate to Con-
gress from Rhode Island. The latter,
describing this meeting, records in his
diary : "On our way to the Fishkill we met
President John Hancock in a sulky, es-
corted by one of his secretaries and two or
three other gentlemen, and one light horse-
man, returning from Congress at York-
town. This escort surprised us, as it
seemed inadequate to the purpose either of
defence or parade. But our surprise was
not of long continuance ; for we had not
ridden far before we met six or eight light
horsemen on the canter, and just as we
reached the ferry a boat arrived with many
more, all making up the escort of President
Hancock." Hancock, being re-elected, re-
296
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
turned to Congress as a member in May,
1778.
LAURENS CHOSEN PRESIDENT.
Henry Laurens, who succeeded Hancock
as president of Congress, was born in
Charleston, South Carolina, in 1724. He
had acquired a fortune in mercantile pur-
suits in his native city, and at the time he
was chosen president, was 53 years of age.
He visited London in 1774, and while in^
that city was one of thirty-eight Americans
who signed a petition to dissuade Parlia-
ment from passing the Boston port bill.
He returned to Charleston, and was chosen
as member of the first Provincial Confer-
ence of South Carolina. In 1776, he was
elected a delegate to Continental Congress.
Being a man of experience in public and
private affairs, he became a leader of Con-
gress soon after he took a seat in that body.
AN'hen John Hancock determined to resign,
Laurens was unanimously elected his suc-
cessor, November i, and presided over
Congress during the remainder of its ses-
sions at York and until December 10, 1778.
In 1779, he was appointed minister to Hol-
land to negotiate a treaty that had been un-
ofificially proposed to William Lee by Van
Berckel, pensionary of Amsterdam.. He
sailed on the packet "Mercury," which was
■captured by the British frigate "Vestal," of
twenty-eight guns, off Newfoundland. Mr.
Laurens threw his papers overboard: but
they were recovered, and gave evidence of
his mission. The refusal of Holland to
punish Van Berckel, at . the dictation of
Lord North's ministry, was instantly fol-
lowed by war between Great Britain and
that country. Mr. Laurens was taken to
London, examined before the Privy council,
and imprisoned in the Tower, on October 6,
1780, on "suspicion of high treason," for
nearly fifteen months, during which his
health was greatly impaired. He was ill
when he entered, but no medical attention
was provided, and it was more than a year
before he was granted pen and ink to draw
a bill of exchange to provide for himself.
But he obtained a pencil, and frequent
communications were carried by a trusty
person to the outside world, and he
even corresponded with American news-
papers.
A\'hen his son John appeared in Paris, in
1781, to negotiate a loan with France, Mr.
Laurens was informed that his confinement
would be the more rigorous because the
young man had openly declared himself an
enemy to the king and his country. It was
suggested that if Mr. Laurens would advise
his son to withdraw from his commission,
such action would be received with favor at
the British court ; but he replied that his
son was a man who would never sacrifice
honor, even to save his father's life. Laur-
ens received attention from many friends,
among whom was Edmund Burke. Twice
he refused offers of pardon if he would
serve the British ministry. While a pris-
oner he learned of his son John's death in a
skirmish in South Carolina, and on Decem-
ber I, 1781, he addressed a petition to the
House of Commons, in which he said that
he had striven to prevent a rupture between
the crown and colonies, and asked for more
liberty. He was soon afterward exchanged
for Lord Cornwallis and commissioned by
Congress one of the minist-ers to negotiate
peace. He then went to Paris, where, with
John Jay and Benjamin Franklin, he signed
the preliminaries of the treaty, November
30, 1782, and was instrumental in the inser-
tion of a clause prohibiting, on the British
evacuation, the "carrying away any negroes
or other property of the inhabitants." On
his return to Charleston he was welcomed
with enthusiasm and offered many offices,
which his impaired health forced him to
decline. He retired to his plantation near
Charleston and devoted his life to agricul-
ture. He died December 8, 1792.
Although AA'ashington had been
Gates' defeated at Brandywine and
Victory. Germantown, he gave Howe so
much trouble that the latter
could not send reinforcements to Burgoyne
at Saratoga. A force of 3,000 fresh troops
from England had been sent up the Hudson
from New York on the day the battle at
Germantown was fought. They arrived too
late to save Burgoyne's army from disaster.
He had crossed the Hudson on September
13 and six days later Benedict Arnold at-
tacked him at Bemis Heights and a des-
perate l)ut indecisive battle was fought
there.
The news of this engagement was re-
ceived by Congress September 30, the day
the first session was held at York. It was
HENRY LAURENS
Who succeeded John Hancock as President of Continental
Congress, while in session at York
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
297
brought by Colonel Robert Troup, an aide
on the staff of General Gates, commander
of the Northern Army. The letter con-
veyed by Colonel Troup from Gates to John
Hancock, President of Congress, stated the
engagement began with a brisk skirmish
early in the morning. This drew on the
main body of the enemy to support the
skirmishers. The action was continued
until the close of the day, when both
armies retired, with the advantage in favor
of the Americans. ..General Gates said in
his report to Congress at York, "The good
behavior of the troops on this important oc-
casion, cannot be surpassed by the most
veteran army. To discriminate in praise of
the ofScers would be an injustice, as they
all deserve the honor and applause of Con-
gress. The armies now remain encamped
within two miles of each other. Today I
wrote to all the neighboring states and
pressingly demanded the immediate march
of their militia. When proper reinforce-
ments arrive, I hope to give your Excel-
lency more interesting intelligence."
On October 7, Burgoyne
Burgoyne's risked another battle and was
Surrender. totally defeated by the Ameri-
can army. He retreated to
Saratoga, where he found himself sur-
rounded, and on the 17th he surrendered
what was left of his army, nearly 6,000 men,
to General Gates. The honor of the vic-
tory, however, is due to Arnold and Mor-
gan. Judged by its results, Saratoga was
one of the greatest battles of history. It
saved New York State, destroj^ed the
British plan of the war, induced England to
offer peace with representation in Parlia-
ment or anything else except independence,
and secured for us the aid of France. A
delay of ten days had taken place between
the last battle and the surrender, before a
convention or agreement for terms of sur-
render had been made between the two
commanding officers. It was finally decided
that Burgoyne's army, which became
known as the "Convention prisoners,"
should be marched to Boston. They were
afterward divided into small bands,
marched southward and held for a long-
period as prisoners of war in the states of
PennsA'lvania, Maryland and Virginia.
Some of them were kept at Lancaster and
York.
Colonel James Wilkinson, a
News young man of twenty j'ears, who
Brought was serving as an aide on the
to York, staff" of General Gates, was as-
signed the duty of bringing the
news of this brilliant victory and surrender
to Congress at York. He left Albany Oc-
tober 20 and reached Easton, Pennsylvania,
on the 24th, where he stopped one day.
Here he met Dr. William Shippen, the
director-general of the hospitals. The fol-
lowing day he proceeded toward Reading,
which he reached on the evening of the
■27th. A'Vhile at Reading, he dined with
Lord Stirling, of the American army, who
had been wounded at Brandywine. One of
the guests at the dinner was Major James
Monroe, afterward President of the United
States, and who was then recuperating
from a wound he had i-eceived at the battle
of Trenton. At this dinner, while in con-
vivial mood, after drinking too much
Madiera wine, Wilkinson revealed the plot
to remove AVashington from the head of the
army. This plot was known as the "Con-
way Cabal." Wilkinson also dined at Read-
ing with General Mifffin, where he met two
members of Congress from New England.
Meantime, heavy rains had fallen and the
Schuylkill River had overflowed its banks
so that the stream, according to Colonel
Wilkinson's statement, was impassable and
he remained at Reading three days. He ar-
rived at York October 31, but the news of
the victory at Saratoga and the surrender
of Burgoyne had reached Congress ten days
before he came. Military courtesy would
have required that General Gates should
have communicated this information to
A'Vashington, the head of the army, and
from that source it should have been trans-
mitted to Congress, but at this early date,
he showed his disrespect for his chief. On
October 21, according to the journals of
Congress, two letters were received by that
body giving notification of the surrender of
Burgoyne. One of these letters was sent
b}- General AVashington from his headquar-
ters near Philadelphia, and the other by
General Israel Putnam, from Fishkill, N.
Y'., so that they were informed of the vic-
tory before AA-'ilkinson arrived. The infor-
mation had been communicated to both
AA'ashington and Putnam by Governor
Clinton, of New York.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
AA'hen AA'ilkinson arrived at York, Han-
cock had resigned as President of Congress
and returned to his home in Massachusetts.
Charles Thomson, of Philadelphia, secre-
tary of Congress, acted as President until
November i, when Henry Laurens, of
South Carolina, assumed the duties of this
office, to which he had lately been chosen.
Finding that a change in office had taken
place, Wilkinson appeared before Secretary
Thomson and presented him the following
letter:
Camp Saratoga, Oct. i8, 1777.
Gates' Sir : — I have the satisfaction to present
Renorl- your E.xcellency with the convention
" of Saratoga, by which his Excellency,
Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, has sur-
rendered himself and his whole army into my hands,
and they are now upon their march for Boston. This
signal and important event is the more glorious, as it
was effected with so little loss to the army of the
United States.
This letter will be presented to your Excellency by
my adjutant-general. Colonel Wilkinson, to whom I
must beg leave to refer your E.xcellency for the particu-
lars that brought this great business to so happy and
fortunate a conclusion.
I desire to be permitted to recommend this gallant
officer, in the warmest manner, to Congress ; and entreat
that he may be continued in his present office with the
brevet of a brigadier-general.
The honorable Congress will believe me when I assure
them, that from the beginning of this contest I have not
met with a more promising military genius than Colonel
Wilkinson, whose services have been of the greatest
importance to this army.
I have the honor to be.
Your E.xcellency's most obedient and hvimble servant
HORATIO GATES.
His Excellency John Hancock, Esq.,
President of Congress.
"By an order of Congress,"
Wilkinson says Colonel Wilkinson in his
Before "Memoirs," "I appeared before
Congress. Congress, October 31, where I
was received with kindness
and treated with indulgence. After having
answered sundry questions respecting the
relative situation of the two armies before,
at and after the convention, the bearing of
which in some instances tended to depreci-
ate its importance; I observed that I had in
charge sundry papers to be submitted to
Congress, which required time for their ar-
rangement, and thereupon I was permitted
to withdraw.
"In the course of this audience, I thought
I perceived a disposition on the part of two
or three gentlemen to derogate General
Gates' triumph. I had been questioned as
to the practicability of making Burgoyne's
army prisoners of war, and had heard it
observed, that it would have been better for
the United States if that army had escaped
to Canada, where it would have been out of
the way; whereas the Convention would
merely serve to transfer it to Sir William
Howe, and bring Burg03'ne's whole force
immediately into operation against us on
the Atlantic Coast. As unreasonable as
these exceptions were, they merited con-
sideration, and I determined to exercise the
authority General Gates had given me, and
meet them by a message to be prepared for
Congress in his name. I consulted two of
his friends, Samuel Adams and James
Lovell, on the subject, to whom I had let-
ters, who commended the plan, and I made
a draft which they entirely approved.
"Having prepared and arranged the docu-
ments preliminary to the Convention, with
returns of the two armies, and of the ord-
nance and stores captured, I was again in-
troduced to Congress the afternoon of
November 3, by Mr. Thompson, Henry
Laurens having been chosen the president,
and delivered to that body a message from
General Gates."
This message discussed in detail the bat-
tle of Saratoga and the surrender of the
British army. It was accompanied by
various original papers relating to the Con-
vention or agreement between Gates and
Burgoyne when they decided upon the
terms of surrender.
On November 4, the day after Wilkinson
appeared the second time before Congress,
he wrote an effusive letter to Gates, ad-
dressing him as "My Dear General and
Lo^-ed Friend." In this letter he bewailed
the fact that there was opposition to Gates
among the members to Congress. He la-
mented that he had not yet been honored
with any marks of distinction and also
stated that he had met Mrs. Gates and her
son. Bob, while in York.
A proposal was introduced into Congress
two days later to present Wilkinson with a
sword. At this juncture Dr. John With'er-
spoon, a delegate from New Jersey, in his
broad Scotch, dryly remarked "I think ye'd
better give the lad a pair of spurs." An-
other delegate quickly responded "And a
whip so that he may bring official news
more promptly another time."
Colonel AA'ilkinson remained in York
until November 9. In the meantime he was
COXTIXEXTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
299
made a brigadier-general by brevet. He re-
turned to the Northern army, going by way
of ^^'ashington's headquarters. Twenty
years later Colonel AA'ilkinson was ap-
pointed to the head of the army of the
United States.
On November 4, Congress
Gates passed the following: Resolved,
Honored. That the thanks of Congress in
their own name, and in behalf
of the inhabitants of the thirteen United
States, be presented to Major-General
Gates, commander-in-chief in the northern
department, and to Majors-General Lincoln
and Arnold, and the rest of the officers and
troops under his command, for their bra\>e
and successful efforts in support of the in-
dependence of their country, whereby an
army of the enemy of 10,000 men has been
totally defeated, one large detachment of it,
strongly posted and entrenched, having
been conquered at Bennington, and another
repulsed with loss and disgrace from Fort
Schuyler, and the main army of 6,000 men,
under Lieutenant-General Burg03me, after
being beaten in different actions and driven
from a formidable post and strong entrench-
ments, reduced to the necessitj^ of surren-
dering themselves upon terms, honorable
and advantageous to these states, on the
17th day of October last, to Major-General
Gates ; and that a medal of gold be struck
under the direction of the Board of War,
in commemoration of this great event, and
in the name of these United States, be pre-
sented by the president to Major-General
Gates.
General AAashington was then informed
that it was the desire of Congress that the
forts and passes on the Hudson be regained.
For this purpose he was instructed to retain
Gates in the command of the Northern De-
partment. General Israel Putnam, then at
Fishkill. New York, with 2,500 men, was
ordered to join the main arm}? under Wash-
ington near Philadelphia.
On October 31, President
First Laurens appointed Richard
National Henry Lee, of Virginia ;
Thanksgiving. Samuel Adams, of Massa-
chusetts, and General Rob-
erdeau, of Pennsylvania, a committee of
Congress to draft a national proclamation
of Thanksgiving, the first in the history of
the American Republic. This historic
document was written at York by that emi-
nent Virginian, Richard Henry Lee, who
less than two years before had moved in
Congress, at Philadelphia, that "these
L'nited States are and of right ought to be
free and independent states," and himself
became one of the signers of the Declara-
tion of Independence. On November i the
committee appointed to prepare a recom-
mendation to set apart a day of public
thanksgiving, brought in a report, which
was taken into consideration and agreed to
unanimously. The proclamation is re-
markable in language and thought. Besides
breathing forth a spirit of lofty patriotism,
it also contains a deep and fervent religious
sentiment. Following is the proclamation
in full :
"Forasmuch as it is the indispensable
duty of all men to adore the superintending
providence of Almighty God, to acknowl-
edge with gratitude their obligations for
benefits received, and to implore such fur-
ther blessings as they stand in need of; and
it having pleased Him in His abundant
mercy, not onty to continue to us the in-
numerable bounties of His common Prov-
idence, but also to smile upon us in the
prosecution of a just and necessary war for
the defence and establishment of our in-
alienable rights and liberties ; particularly
in that He has been pleased in so great a
measure to prosper the means used for the
support of our troops and to crown our
arms with most signal success. It is there-
fore recommended to the legislature of
executive powers of these United States to
set apart Thursday, the i8th of December
next, for solemn Thanksgiving and praise ;
that with one heart and one voice, the peo-
ple of this country may express the grateful
feelings of their hearts and consecrate
themselves to the service of their Divine
Benefactor; and that together with their
sincere acknowledgments, they may join in
a penitent confession of their manifold sins,
whereby they had forfeited every favor ; and
their humble and earnest supplication may
be that it may please God, through the
merits of Jesus Christ mercifully to forgive
and blot them out of remembrance; that it
mav please Him graciously, to grant His
blessings on the government of these
states respectively and prosper the public
council of the whole United States ; to in-
300
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
spire our commanders, both bj- land and sea,
and all imder them, with that wisdom and
fortitude, which may render them fi^ instru-
ments under the Providence of Ahnighty
God to secure for these United States, the
greatest of all blessings, independence and
peace : that it may please Him to prosper
the trade and manufactures of the people
and the labor of the husbandman, that our
land may yield its increase; to take the
schools and seminaries of education, so ne-
cessary for cultivating the principles of true
liberty, virtue and piety, under his nurtur-
ing hand and to prosper the means of
religion, for promotion and enlargement of
that Kingdom, which consists of righteous-
ness, peace and joy in the Hoty Ghost. It
is further recommended that servile labor
and such recreation as at other times inno-
cent, may be unbecoming the purpose of
this appointment on so solemn occasion."
On November i. President Laurens
wrote the following letter to each of the
Governors of the thirteen states then in the
Lhiion :
York in Pennsylvania, Nov. i. 1777.
Sir: — The arms of the United States of America
liaving been blessed in the present campaign with re-
markable success. Congress has resolved to recommend
that Thursday, December 18, ne.xt be set apart to be
observed by all inhabitants throughout the United
States for a general Thanksgiving to .Almighty God,
and I hereby transmit to you the enclosed extract from
the minutes of Congress for that purpose.
Your E-xcellency will be pleased to take the necessary
measures for carrying this resolve into effect in the
state in which you reside. You will likewise find en-
closed certified copy of the minutes, which will show
your E.xcellency the authority under which I have the
honor of addressing you.
I am with great esteem and regard, sir, your E.xcel-
lency's most obedient and humble servant.
ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
ADOPTED.
As early as July. 1775, Benjamin Franklin
submitted to Continental Congress a draft
of. Articles of Confederation for the
thirteen Colonies. His plan limited their
\itality to a time when reconciliation with
Great Britain should take place, but if that
e\"ent did not occur, they should be per-
petual. Congress then had no trxed plans
for the future and Dr. Franklin's proposi-
tion does not seem to have been taken up
for discussion at that time. After the
Declaration of Independence was passed
and signed, in 1776, it was evident that
some agreement to bind the states together
more firmly was necessary. It was an easy
matter to declare the states free and inde-
pendent, but it was more difficult to form a
perfect union. Congress therefore decided
that a committee should be appointed to
prepare and properly digest a form of con-
federation to be entered into by the several
states. The committee when appointed
was composed of one delegate from each
state with John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania,
as chairman, and through him this com-
mittee reported a draft of Articles of Con-
federation on July 12, eight days after the
Declaration had been passed. Almost daily
discussions on this subject then took place
in Congress until August 20, when the
report was laid aside and was not taken up
until the following April. Meanwhile sev-
eral of the states had adopted constitutions
and Congress was recognized by the differ-
ent states as the supreme head in all mat-
ters of public finance and plans for the
prosecution of the war. During the next
six months the subject was debated two or
three times a week and several amendments
were added. After Congress removed to
York and began the \-igorous transaction of
business, discussions on the Articles were
continued almost daily from October 7
until they were passed, November 15.
During these discussions, animated
speeches were delivered and the conflicting
interests of the states were strongly
brought into view by the different speakers.
After a spirited debate, the Articles of Con-
federation were voted upon affirmatively.
The \-ote of Congress, passing these Ar-
ticles, directed that thej^ be submitted to the
legislatures of the several states for ap-
proval. According to the statement of
Daniel Roberdeau, a delegate from Penn-
sylvania, the Articles of Confederation as
passed at York, November 15, were sent to
Lancaster to be printed. After they were
printed. Congress directed that copies be
sent to the speakers of the various state
legislatures and laid before them for ratifi-
cation. They were accompanied by a com-
munication requesting the several legis-
latures in case they approved of them, to
instruct their delegates in Congress, to vote
for a ratification of them, which last act
should be final and conclusive. This com-
munication was in the form of an urgent
appeal for immediate and miited action.
COXTIXEXTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
301
and endeavored to show that the plan pro-
posed was the best that could be adapted to
the circumstances of all. A committee of
Congress, composed of A^'illiam Duer,
James Lovell and Francis Lightfoot Lee,
was appointed, November 29. to make a
translation of the Articles of Confederation
into the French language. This translation
was sent to Benjamin Franklin and the
other commissioners at Paris, who were en-
deavoring to secure a recognition of the
American Republic by Louis XYL King of
France.
The different legislatures felt the neces-
sity of a firm bond of union between the
states, yet they were sIoav to ratify the Ar-
ticles. Some of them could not agree on
the plan of representation mentioned in the
Articles, because under them each state was
entitled to the same voice in Congress
whatever might be the difference in popu-
lation.
The most objectionable feature, however,
was the plan to determine the boundary
lines of the states and the disposition of the
unsettled western lands still belonging to
England. On June 22, 177S, five daj^s
before adjourning at York to meet in Phila-
delphia, Congress proceeded to consider the
objections of the states to the Articles of
Confederation and after a careful consider-
ation of them, Richard Henry Lee, of Vir-
ginia, Gouverneur INIorris, of New Y'^ork, and
Francis Dana, of Massachusetts, were ap-
pointed a committee to prepare a form of
ratification. They reported the draft the
following day and it was agreed to.
Six states, ^Massachusetts, Con-
Articles necticut, Virginia, North Caro-
Ratified. lina. South Carolina and Georgia,
claimed that their "from sea to
sea" charters gave them lands between the
mountains and the ]\Iississippi River, and
one state. New York, had bought the In-
dian title to land in the Ohio Valley. The
other six states did not have "from sea to
sea charters" and so had no claims to west-
ern lands. As three of them. New Jersey,
Delaware and Maryland, held that the
claims of their sister states were invalid,
they now refused to adopt the Articles un-
less the land so claimed was given to Con-
gress to be used to pay for the cost of the
Revolution. For three years, the land-
claiming states refused to be convinced bv
these arguments, but the majority of the
states had instructed their delegates to sign
the Articles by July 9, 1778. At length,
finding that j\Iar3dand was determined not
to adopt the Articles till her demands were
complied with, the}^ began to yield. In
February, 1780, New York ceded her claims
to Congress, and in Januarj^ 1781, Virginia
gave up her claim to the country north of
the Ohio River. Maryland had now car-
ried her point, and on March 4, 1781, her
delegates signed the Articles of Confedera-
tion. As all the other states had ratified the
Articles, this act on the part of Maryland
made them law, and on Alarch 2, 1781, Con-
gress met for the first time under a form of
government the states Avere pledged to obey
and which Avas in force until the adoption
of the Constitution of the United States, in
1789.
October 17, Congress decided
Printing that the Committee of Intelli-
Press at gence be authorized to take the
York. most speedj^ and effectual meas-
ures for getting a printing press
erected in Y^ork for the purpose of "convey-
ing to the public the intelligence that Con-
gress may from time to time receive." The
chairman of this committee was Richard
Henr}' Lee, of Virginia, who, Avith his asso-
ciates, completed arrangements for the re-
moval to Y'ork of the Hall and Sellers
Press, AA'hich had been conA^eyed to Lan-
caster AAdien Congress left Philadelphia.
This printing press originally belonged to
Benjamin Franklin, Avho sold it to Hall and
Sellers, publishers of the "Pennsylvania' Ga-
zette." This paper, by authority of Con-
gress, Avas printed at Y''ork from the time
the press Avas brought here until June 27,
1778, AA'hen Congress returned to Philadel-
phia. The files of this paper for that period
are noAv in the State Library at Harris-
burg.
The Hall and Sellers press. Avhen brought
to York, Avas placed in the second story of
the building noAv standing at the southwest
corner of ]\Iarket and Beaver Streets, occu-
pied by the Adams Express Company.
During the Revolution this building was
the residence of Major John Clark, a noted
soldier Avho served on the staff of General
Nathaniel Greene. Besides printing the
PennsA'h-ania Gazette and a A-ariet}' of
pamphlets and documents for Congress,
302
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Hall and Sellers were authorized to print
a \'ast amount of Continental money.
The first Board of War to direct
New the affairs of the army, similar to
Board the War Department of today, was
of appointed in June, 1776. It was
War. composed of John Adams, Roger
Sherman, Benjamin Harrison,
James Wilson, and Edward Rutledge, five
members of Congress. This board, with
John Adams as president, was continued
until 1777. In November of that year, by
resolution of Congress, a new Board of
War, composed of three persons, appointed
to sit in the place where Congress held its
sessions. They were not to be members of
Congress and Thomas Mififlin, who had just
resigned as quartermaster-general of the
army. Colonel Timothy Pickering, adjutant-
general of the army, and Colonel Robert
Harrison, an aide on Washington's staff,
were appointed the members of this board.
They were to receive two thousand dollars
a j^ear. Colonel Harrison, the only personal
friend of \\'ashington in the board, declined
the appointment. On November I'j, Con-
gress decided to increase the number to
fi\"e members, and elected General Horatio
Gates, Joseph Trumbull and Richard
Peters.
Henry Laurens, President of Congress,
then wrote to General Gates, "I have the
pleasure of informing you that you have
been elected a member of the Board of War
and by the unanimous voice of Congress
appointed its president, a circumstance
thoroughly expressive of the high sense
which Congress entertains of your abilities
and peculiar fitness to discharge the duties
of that important office, upon the right
execution of which the safety and interest
of the United States eminently depend."
General Gates was allowed to retain the
rank and pay of a major-general in the
army and was not to be present at the meet-
ings when his services were demanded in
the field. The membership was now almost
entirely opposed to the interest of A\'ash-
ington, who had not yet loomed up as the
dominant personality of the Revolution.
The acting members of the Board of War
at this time were Timothy Pickering, of
Massachusetts, and Richard Peters, of
Pennsyh-ania. each of whom received two
thousand dollars a vear. General Gates
came to York in January, 1778, still bearing
the laurels of his victory at Saratoga.
Although the Board of
Appropriations. Treasury at this period
did not have a large fund
to its credit, the amount of money dis-
tributed by authority of Congress from its
\aults and different loan offices during Oc-
tober, the first month of its session at York,
exceeded one million dollars. An appropri-
ation of $352,000 was granted to Thomas
Mifflin, quartermaster-general of the army,
in accordance with his request of October
14. Of this sum, a warrant on the loan
office of the State of Connecticut for $50,000
was to be sent to the deputy quartermaster-
general at Fishkill, New York; one on the
loan office of the State of New Hampshire
for $50,000 was to be sent to the deputy
quartermaster-general at Hartford, Con-
necticut ; one on the loan office of the State
of Virginia for $50,000 was to be sent to the
deputy quartermaster-general at Williams-
burg, Virginia ; one on the loan office of the
State of New Jersey for $40,000 was to be
sent to the deputy quartermaster-general at
Easton, and one on the loan office of the
State of Pennsylvania for $60,000. The re-
maining $102,000 was to be paid General
Mifflin out of the treasury or monies in the
hands of the auditor-general.
The Board of War was voted $300,000 to
be sent to the paymaster-general for the use
of the army under AVashington, near Phila-
delphia. A warrant for $200,000 was or-
dered drawn on the loan office for the State
of Massachusetts in favor of Jonathan
Trumbull, Jr., deputy quartermaster-gen-
eral, for the use of the army on the Hudson
under General Horatio Gates. Other sums
advanced by Congress were $14,000 to
Colonel George Morgan for the public ser-
vice at Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg; $10,000
to John Baynton, deputy paymaster-general
at Fort Pitt; $3,000 to Ebenezer Hazard,
surveyor-general of the postoffice of the
United States; $10,000 by warrant on the
loan office of Pennsylvania in favor of AVil-
liam Henry, of Lancaster, for the purchase
of shoes and leather and for repairing con-
tinental arms; $10,000 to AA'illiam Bu-
chanan, commissary-general, to close his
accounts ; $20,000 for Continental troops in
Georgia, and $4,000 to George Ross and
Company, owners of ;\Iary Ann Furnace, in
§s5 i
I
I
I
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
303
part payment for cannon balls for the navy.
This last item has special local significance.
George Ross, of Lancaster, one of the sign-
ers of the Declaration of Independence,
owned Mary Ann Furnace. This furnace,
situated four miles south of Hanover, had
been erected in 1762 and made cannon balls
for the American army and navy in consid-
erable quantities.
In a letter written by Jonathan
Expenses Elmer, a delegate from the
of a State of New Jersey and dated
Delegate, at York, November 20, 1777, he
stated that he would leave York
in a few days, after which the State of New
Jersey would have no representation in
Congress, until new ones were elected by
the Legislature. In this letter, he mentions
the fact that it cost him 20 shillings, or
about $5.00, a day as expenses while at-
tending Congress. He said it cost him
sixty-five pounds to support himself and his
horse during the seven weeks he was at
York. He further stated that delegates
from other states received a salary from five
to eight dollars a day.
On December, i 1777, Congress
Lafayette passed a resolution requesting
a Major- that Washington place General
General. Lafayette in command of a
division of Continental troops.
Lafayette had recentl}^ arrived in this coun-
try from France for the purpose of aiding
the Americans in the war for independence.
He had inherited a dislike for the English
crown, for his father had been killed in the
French army on English soil, before the
son was born. Lafayette had left his young
wife and two children in France, to come to
America. He landed at Charleston, South
Carolina. From thence he traveled with a
retinue of attendants to Philadelphia, ar-
riving there shortly before the battle of
Brandywine. He was only twenty years of
age, when Congress, at the request of
Washington, promoted him to the rank of
major-general in the American army. On
the same day that this request was made,
Congress ordered that the Committee of
Commerce ship with all dispatch, 4,000
hogsheads of tobacco to the commissioners
of the LTnited States at the Court of France,
to comply with a contract made with the
authorities of that country.
This was a busy month for Congress. On
December i, it ordered that a warrant be
issued on Thomas Smith, commissioner of
the loan 9ffice in the State of Pennsylvania,
for $20,000 in favor of John Gibson, auditor-
general of Pennsylvania; that a warrant
also be issued on Thomas Smith for $50,000
to be sent to Dr. William Shippen, director-
general of the government hospitals in con-
nection with the army. The same day.
Congress ordered that a warrant be issued
on Michael Hillegas, treasurer of the United
States, with his oiTice at the northeast cor-
ner of George Street and Centre Square,
for the amount of $50,000, for the use of
Dr. William Shippen, in his department ;
ordered that $200,000 be sent to William
Buchanan, commissary-general of pur-
chases, for the American army; that $10,000
be sent to Benjamin Flower, commissar}--
general of military stores ; that $450,000 be
sent to Thomas Mifflin, quartermaster-
general of the army; the sum of $150,000
of this amount from the loan office in the
State of New York; and $100,000 each from
the loan offices of Pennsylvania and New
Jersey, and $100,000 on the continental
treasurer.
On December 2, the question of
John the retirement of John Adams
Adams from Congress came before that
Retires, body. He had ser\'ed continu-
ously as a delegate to Congress
since 1775, taking a verj^ active part in all
its deliberations. Adams seconded the
nomination of appointing Washington as
the head of the army, in June, 1775, and
made a forceful speech on that occasion.
For a time, he was the devoted friend and
supporter of the commander-in-chief. At
this period in the war he was more inclined
to favor the promotion of Gates. Late in
November, he wrote to a friend in Boston
that the money he received as a delegate to
Congress was hardly sufficient^ to pay his
hired man, whom he had engaged to take
charge of the affairs of his farm at Quincy,
Massachusetts. He had already left York
on horseback for Boston before Congress
had voted to send him as a special commis-
sioner or rather envoy extraordinary to the
Court of France. Benjamin Franklin, who
was still a member of Congress from Penn-
sylvania, was serving on the commission in
France in order to secure the alliance of
that government in the cause of inde-
304
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
pendence. Silas Deaiie, of Connecticut, had
pre\ioush'- been sent to Paris for the same
purpose, and Arthur Lee, of Virginia, who
had been the secret agent of the United
Colonies in England, had also been commis-
sioned to go to France for the same pur-
pose. Communications had frequently been
received from Franklin, with reference to
the hope of conciliating France in favor of
the infant republic. It was now felt neces-
sar}^ that a member of Congress should
proceed across the ocean and confer with
the American commissioner at Paris.
Adams was selected for that position, be-
fore he had determined to go to his home
in Massachusetts. He states in a letter that
after he had mounted his horse at York for
his journey home, Elbridge Gerry, of Mas-
sachusetts, told him that he would presently
receive a communication from Congress,
asking him to go to France. He knew
nothing definite about this matter until one
month later, when a courier arrived at
Portsmouth, Xew Hampshire, where
Adams, as a law3'er, was engaged in the
trial of a case in court. This messenger
came to the desk where he was sitting, and
communicated the news to him. On De-
cember 23, he wrote a letter to Congress
accepting the appointment of commissioner
to the Court of France.
The attitude of Adams toward General
Washington as commander-in-chief was
not understood. In a letter written from
York to his wife, in Massachusetts, shortly
after Gates' victory at Saratoga, he said, "if
there was any glory to the American army,
it could not -be attributed to the com-
mander-in-chief."
Before he had completed his ar-
Goes rangements to go to France, he
to was called upon by General
France. Henry Knox, chief of artillery in
the American army, and after-
ward secretary of war in Washington's first
cabinet. In answer to a query concerning
his opinion, Adams responded that Wash-
ington was an "amiable gentleman." This
reply did not satisfy Knox, who was a
bosom friend of Washington, and said, "If
you go to France as a special commissioner
from Congress, you should be an avoAved
supporter of the commander-in-chief of our
army." Before leaving Portsmouth for
England, Adams had expressed himself
more favorably toward A\'ashington. By
the time he arrived at Paris, Benjamin
Franklin had secured the endorsement of
the American republic by Louis XVI, of
France, who not only agreed to sign a
treaty of amity and commerce, but also to
send a fleet and army to aid the Americans
in fighting for their freedom.
The treasury now had very little money
in its vaults and Congress, on December 2,
appointed X'athaniel Folsom, of New
Hampshire; James Duane, of X^ew York,
and Francis Dana, of Massachusetts, a com-
mittee to make arrangements for securing
a loan. Before Adams had set sail for
France, Congress decided that he should
unite with Franklin in asking" the French
government to loan the United States
$2,000,000 sterling "on the thirteen United
States, for a term not less than ten years."
It Avas then decided to request the legis-
latures of all the states to make a law for
the collection of all colonial moneys and
bills of credit issued by the authority of
England before 1775, and that it should be
exchanged for continental money. The
sum of $3,100 was ordered to be sent to
Colonel George Morgan, commanding Fort
Pitt, at the site of Pittsburg, which was
then threatened by the Indians. Colonel
Thomas Butler, in charge of the armory at
Lancaster, was voted $1,800.
On December 3, Congress ordered that
$1,000,000 be issiied under the direction of
the Board of Treasurj^ and on the "faith of
the United States." These bills were to be
of the same tenor and date as those issued
X^ovember 7, 1777, to the amount of
$1,000,000. This money was issued at York
under authority of an act of Congress
passed at Philadelphia and does not bear
the impress of York upon it. The number
of 15,384 bills with the denomination of $3,
$4, $5, $6, $7, each, were issued, and the
number of 15,385 bills of $2, $8, and $30
each. On this day, Francis Dana, of Mas-
'sachusetts; Benjamin Rumsey, of Mary-
land, and Dr. Joseph Jones, of Virginia,
were added to the Board of Treasury.
Dana had been transferred to this board
from the Board of War. John Gibson was
voted $380 in favor of Lieutenant Allen for
conveying $300,000 to X^'orth Carolina. On
December 5, Francis Lewis, of X^ew York,
arrived and took his seat in Congress. The
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
305
sum of $70,000 was voted to James Mease,
clothier-general, for the use of the Ameri-
can army. The sum of $50,000 was voted
to Nathaniel Appleton, commissioner of the
loan office of Massachusetts, for the use of
the marine department of that state. Joseph
Clark was voted $50,000 in favor of the
marine committee of Rhode Island.
On December 8, James Lovell, of Mas-
sachusetts, chairman of the committee of
foreign affairs, was ordered by Congress to
request Silas Deane, one of the commis-
sioners at Paris, to return to America and
report to Congress. December 9, Presi-
dent Laurens was ordered to communicate
with the legislatures of Connecticut, New
York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and South
Carolina, asking that those states have a
full representation in Congress. On Sep-
tember 17, Congress had voted to General
Washington, extraordinary powers, for
sixty days, shortl}' before adjourning at
Philadelphia. On November 14, these
powers were renewed. On December 10,
this body urged that Washington should
take advantage of all the powers with which
he was entrusted, for the purpose of secur-
ing provisions and clothing in the region
where they were now in camp. The Ameri-
can army was then in camp at White
Marsh, fourteen miles northwest of Phila-
delphia. Thomas Smith, commissioner of
the Pennsylvania loan office, was ordered to
give the clothier-general $12,000 for the use
of General Wayne's brigade of Pennsyl-
vania troops, who had recently fought so
valiantly at Paoli and Germantown.
On December 11, Abraham
Barracks Clark, delegate from New Jer-
at York, sey, was sworn in as a member
of Congress. On this day.
Congress voted that barracks be erected in
York for the accommodation of troops, "as
may be from time to time stationed or de-
tained, either as guards or for the purpose
of equipment or discipline." December 12,
a letter from President Laurens was read
to Congress, in which he asked to be re-
lieved from the office of President because
of ill health. No action was taken on this
letter and Laurens was persuaded to re-
main in his office, although he was unable
to attend the sessions for several days.
On December 13, Francis Lewis, of New
York, William Ellery, of Rhode Island, and
Cornelius Harnett, of North Carolina, were
added to the Committee on Commerce.
General Thomas Conway, an Irish soldier,
who had received military training in
Europe, was appointed inspector-general of
the army. At the same time, he was raised
to the rank of major-general.
From the time Congress came to
Smith York, on September 30, to Decem-
Takes ber 16, General Roberdeau, of
His Philadelphia, was the only delegate
Seat. present from Pennsylvania. On
this date, James Smith, of York,
who had served during the year 1776 and
had signed the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, took his seat and was sworn into
office. Congress decided to meet twice a
da)^ On December 17, Rev. John Wither-
spoon, an eminent clergyman of New Jer-
sey, and president of Princeton College,
took his seat in Congress. Jonathan B.
Smith, another delegate from Pennsylvania,
took his seat in Congress.
Colonel Rawlins, of the army, and others
appeared before Congress and reported that
the American prisoners in the hands of the
British, in New York and elsewhere, were
being badly treated. It was also reported
that Sir William Howe, in command of the
British army at Philadelphia, demanded
that Congress or the states should furnish
the means or provisions for feeding the
American prisoners. General Howe had
refused to accept continental money for the
purchase of provisions'. Congress, there-
fore, asked that provisions be sent and not
money.
December 20, an amount of money ag-
gregating $600,000 was appropriated for the
use of AVilliam Buchanan, commissary-
general of purchases, for the southern,
eastern and northern departments of the
army, and $200,000 was voted to the State
of Connecticut for purchasing provisions
for the soldiers.
There were no sessions from De-
Batwell, cember 21 to December 27,
the when, on the latter date, a letter
Loyalist, from Rev. Daniel Batwell, rector
of the Episcopal churches at
Y'ork, Carlisle and York Springs, was read
before Congress. Owing to his declared
loyalty to the English crown, he had been
arrested, dipped in the Codorus Creek and
sent to the county jail. In the letter to
3o6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
Congress, he claimed that this imprison-
ment had impaired his health. He wished
to be set free on parole and go to his resi-
dence at York Springs. Dr. Henry, sur-
geon at the jail and for the prisoners, testi-
iied that Rev. Daniel Batwell "labors
under a complication of disorders and that
pure air and exercise are absolutely neces-
sary for his recovery." Congress passed a
resolution releasing the prisoner and per-
mitting him to go to his farm, providing he
would take the oath of allegiance to the
State of Pennsylvania; or upon his refusal,
was allowed to go with his family within
the British lines at Philadelphia. Some
time later, Mr. Batwell went to Philadel-
phia, and in the fall of 1778, was appointed
chaplain of a Tory regiment, serving in the
British army.
Benjamin Harrison, Jr., son of Benjamin
Harrison, delegate to Congress, was voted
$50,000 to be used by him, as deputy pay-
master-general for the troops of the State
of Virginia. Letters received from General
Washington, describing the condition of
his troops then going into camp at Valley
Forge, were placed in charge of the Board
of War on December 29. On the following
day, AVashington was re-invested with dic-
tatorial powers, which had been granted
him when Philadelphia was evacuated.
Colonel John Williams, of North Carolina,
was voted $5,898, for the purpose of paying
the officers and recruits of the several bat-
talions from the State of Virginia, quar-
tered at York, by order of the Board of
AA'ar. These troops were encamped on the
Public Common in the barracks recently
erected. They were performing guard
duty, during the winter months, while York
was the seat of government.
PROCEEDINGS IN 1778.
Sessions of Congress opened on January
I, 1778, with uncertain conditions for the
year. The British occupied Philadelphia,
under command of Sir William Howe; Sir
Henry Clinton was in command of the city
of New York ; Washington was in camp at
Valley Forge. The state militia, or at least
a large part of it, had returned home, await-
ing a future call to active service. Bur-
goyne's troops, nearly 6,000 in number,
were still held as prisoners of war near
Boston. During the year 1777, there had
been only one brilliant success to the
American arms. This was the capture of
the British army under Burgoyne at Sara-
toga. It was true, Henry Laurens, presi-
dent of Congress, had issued a national
Thanksgiving proclamation during the pre-
ceding month, but the condition of affairs
was still dark and foreboding. The success
of the British at Brandywine, Germantown
and Paoli was received with public favor in
England.
It was hoped by the patriots of
Seeking the Revolution that the victory at
Aid Saratoga and the capture of 6,000
From troops might influence some for-
France. eign power to recognize the
American government. England
and France had been involved in a war
which caused embitterment between these
nations. It was to Benjamin Franklin and
his associates at Paris, that Congress now
looked with hope. Could he obtain the
support of the youthful King of France,
Louis XVI? This was the subject often
discussed by the small body of American
patriots who were then holding the ses-
sions of- Congress in the Provincial Court
House at York. Very few tidings had yet
been received from Franklin, who had
already become a central figure at the Court
of King Louis of France. It required
several months for communications from
him to cross the ocean to Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, or Boston, Massachusetts, and
from thence conve3'ed overland across the
Hudson at Fishkill, New York, through
Bethlehem and Reading to the seat of gov-
ernment at York. Such was the condition
of affairs when Continental Congress
began its duties in January, 1778. There
were then about thirty-two delegates
present. All of the thirteen states were
now represented.
On New Year's da}^ the Chevalier de
Villefranche, a somewhat noted engineer of
France, decided that he would remain in
this country. He had served with a corps
of engineers in the American army, and
was now raised to the rank of major and
assigned to duty under the command of
Brigadier du Portail. A communication
from Baron de Kalb, a German nobleman,
who, upon the endorsement of Washington,
was created a major-general in the army,
was read ; also one from Lewis Casimer,
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
307
Baron de Holzendorf. It was the custom
of Congress to pay careful attention to
communications from distinguished for-
eigners and these were referred to the
Board of War for appropriate action.
Massachusetts usually had the largest
delegation in Congress at York, and on
January i, the credentials of John Hancock,
Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert T.
Paine, Elbridge Gerry, Francis Dana and
James Lovell were presented to Congress.
John Hancock, who had served as President
the first month of its sessions at York, did
not return until May. John Adams, al-
though re-elected, at this time was on his
way as a special ambassador to join the
American commissioners at Paris. Benja-
min Franklin, one of the delegates from
Pennsylvania, never attended the sessions
at York. During this whole period he was
in Paris.
On January 3, the sum of $200,000 was
appropriated for the use of Jonathan
Trumbull, Jr., as paymaster of the military
department embracing New York and the
New England States. He was the son of
Jonathan Trumliull, of Connecticut, known
to history as "Brother Jonathan." During
this month long discussions arose in refer-
ence to the agreement between Gates and
Burgoyne when the latter surrendered at
Saratoga. The sum of $62,000 was appro-
priated for a quantit}^ of sulphur, saltpetre
and lead purchased from Blair McClenachan
and James Caldwell, and deposited in care
of Leonard Jarvis at Dartmouth, Massachu-
setts.
January 6, Colonel James AVilkinson, who
had brought to Congress the news of the
surrender of Burgoyne and his army, was
elected secretary of the Board of \\'ar.
January 7, letters were received from Gen-
eral Washington and General Thomas
Conway in reference to a controversy which
afterwards terminated in what is known as
the "Conway Cabal." On January 8, the
sum of $1,000,000 of Continental money
was ordered to be printed under act of
Congress passed May 20, 1777. On Janu-
ary 10, a letter was received from General
Washington recommending Major John
Clark, of York, to the attention of Congress.
Major Clark had performed some brilliant
feats as chief of scouts in the fall of 1777.
^vhile the British army was in and around
Philadelphia.
On January 12, General Gates,
Sent General Thomas Miiflin and Colo-
to nel Timothy Pickering were ap-
Valley pointed a committee to visit the
Forge. American army at Valley Forge.
The vessels which had arrived
from England to transport the British and
Hessian troops to England, were ordered by
Congress to quit the ports of Massachusetts.
Congress decided to annul the agreement
made at Saratoga, and hold the soldiers as
prisoners of war. It was further resolved
that 1,500 American troops be ordered to
guard these prisoners then in camp near
Boston until the British vessels had left the
port.
On January 13, it was resolved that "Gen-
eral A'Vashington require of General Howe
passports for American vessels to transport
to Boston provisions for the use of the
prisoners of Burgoyne's arm}^, during the
time this army shall 1>e detained in Massa-
chusetts."
On January 14, Dr. John Houston, resid-
ing east of York near the Susquehanna,
obtained a warrant for pay as surgeon of
Colonel Donaldson's Battalion of York
County militia, serving under General
Mercer. The Board of War was voted
$350,000. The sum of $100,000 was to be
sent to Ebenezer Hancock, deput}' P^3'"
master-general at Boston, and $250,000 to
his assistant in the state of Rhode Island.
At the same time $750,000 was voted to the
Board of AVar, to be transmitted, $500,000
to AYilliam Palfrey, paymaster-general, and
$200,000 to AA'illiam Bedlow, his assistant
at Peekskill.
On January 15, it was resoI\-ed to pur-
chase 30,000 barrels of flour, or wheat
equivalent to be ground into flovn-, and sent
in different quantities to the towns of Lan-
caster, Reading, Bethlehem, Downingtown
and Pottsgrove. On January 16, it was re-
solved to borrow $10,000,000 on the credit
of the United States at an annual interest
of six per cent. On January 19, Captain
Ephraim Pennington, commanding a de-
tachment of York County militia, appointed
as guards to the public stores in the town
of York, was issued a warrant for the pay-
ment of rations.
3oS
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
On January 20, a letter was
Schuyler's read from General Philip
Letter. Schuyler, asking for a "speedy
inquiry into his conduct," Avhile
he was in command of the northern army
before he was superseded by Gates. Stu-
dents of history generally accredit Schuyler
with having laid the plans for the conquest
and capture of Burgoyne at Saratoga. He
was removed from his position b}^ a faction
in Congress before he had an opportunity
to show his militar}^ skill.
On Januar}^ 22, Congress resolved to emit
$2,000,000 of continental currency under
act of Congress passed May 20, 1777. On
the same day Congress took into considera-
tion an expedition to Canada under a plan
proposed by General Gates, president of the
Board of War. This plan was to place
General Lafayette in charge of the expedi-
tion. General Thomas Conwa}'' second in
command, and John Stark, the hero of Ben-
nington, brigadier-general.
On January 2t„ a committee of Congress,
composed of James Smith, of York ; AVil-
liam Ellery, of Rhode Island, and Eliphalet
Dyer, of Connecticut, was appointed to take
into consideration the wants of the army,
as reported by the military committee
which had visited Valley Forge. January
28, the auditor-general reported that pay is
due Captain Benjamin AVilliams, paymaster
of a detachment of several regiments of Vir-
ginia troops, then in York. On January
31, the militarjr committee that visited Vat-
ley Forge, reported the necessity of ap-
pointing" a quartermaster-general for the
army. The aggregate amount of money
voted to different departments of the army
during the last few days of January, was
about $500,000.
On February 3, Congress
Oath of passed an important measure
Allegiance, requiring ever}' oiScer who
held or would hold a commis-
sion or office from Congress to take the fol-
lowing oath :
"I do acknowledge the United States of
America to be free, independent and sover-
eign states, and declare that the people
thereof owe no allegiance or obedience to
George the Third, king of Great Britain,
and I renounce, refuse and abjure any
allegiance or obedience to him, and I do
swear or affirm that I will, to the utmost of
m}' power, support, maintain and defend the
said United States against the said King
George the Third, and his heirs and their
abettors, assistants and adherents, and will
serve the said United States in the office of
which I now hold fidelity, according to the
best of my skill and understanding. So help
me God."
On February 4, Congress resolved to ap-
point Monsieurs Goy, Pierre, Boichard,
Parrison, and Niverd, captains of artillery
in the continental army, and receive ap-
pointments of that command while in
America. On the following day a commit-
tee of Congress interviewed these officers,
then in York, in reference to promises made
by the American commissioners at Paris,
concerning their expenses until appointed
to service in the arm}^ On February 6,
Major John Clark and Matthew Clarkson
were appointed auditors for the army under
command of General AVashington.
General Horatio Gates, who had
Gates arrived at York, January 19, to take
in the position as president of the
York. Board of AA^ar, took up quarters
first in a public inn of the town. On
February 11, he asked for an appropriation
of $1,333 to pay the current expenses of his
aide-de-camp and secretary. Later General
Gates rented a private residence on the
north side of Market near AA'ater Street,
which he occupied until he left York, in
April, 1778.
On the same day. Colonel Hartley's^ regi-
ment, then acting as guard to Congress,
received two months' pay. February 16, it
was resolved to print $2,000,000 of Conti-
nental money. On February 26, Congress
took up the question of the exchange of
prisoners in accordance with an agreement
made between General AVashington and Sir
AA'illiam Howe, commanding the British
army in America. The plan proposed was
to exchange "officer for officer, soldier for
soldier, citizen for citizen so far as number
and rank will apply." ' It was decided by a
resolution that the several states be re-
quired "forthwith to fill up by draft from
their militia, or in anj^ other way that shall
be effectual, their respective battalions of
continental troops. All persons drafted
shall serve in the continental battalions for
their respective states for the term of nine
months." During the month of February,
RESIDENCE OF MAJOR JOHN CLARK AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF
MARKET AND BEAVER STREETS
SAMPLE OF CONTINENTAL NOTE, PRINTED IN 1778, ON THE SECOND
FLOOR OF MAJOR CLARK'S RESIDENCE
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
309
in various amounts, $1,325,000 \vere appro-
priated for the use of the army.
On March 4, 1778, Congress gave Wash-
ington power to "employ in the service of
the United States a body of Indians, not
exceeding 400." On March 5, the sum of
$2,000,000 was ordered to be issued under
the authority of the United States. On
March 6, Thomas Scott, member of the Su-
preme Executive Council of Pennsylvania,
and James McLean and R. White, delegates
from the State Assembly, then in session at
Lancaster, waited upon Congress in refer-
ence to the establishment of magazines of
commissary stores for the army, and also
on the subject of the British prisoners in
Virginia. On March 10, Peter Shultz re-
ceived $548 for transporting the baggage
of the York County militia, commanded by
Colonel Michael Swope, from Y''ork to the
army in New Jersey, in July, 1776. On the
same day, Martin Brenise, of York, re-
ceived $153 for attendance upon Congress,
from the first of December, 1777, to the first
of ]\Iarch, 1778, at one-third dollar per day,
and for ringing the bell, at two-thirds dollar
per day. On March 19, owing to the
threatened attack of Indians and Tories, 500
Pennsylvania militia were ordered to be
sent to Easton, Bethlehem, and Reading,
to guard the government magazines.
On March 23, John Spangler, George
Pentz and Jacob Lefever received pay for
transporting baggage of the Pennsylvania
militia, while on the way to the army.
Peter ^^'olf. tavern keeper, of AA'est Man-
chester Township, received pay for feeding
militia passing through York County.
March 27, Major John Clark, of York, one
of the auditors of the army, received $800
to pay contingent expenses of his office.
On April 4, $1,000,000 of conjii-
Pulaski's nental money was ordered to be
Legion. printed at Y'ork. General Wash-
ington was empowered to call
out 5.000 militia, from the states of Mary-
land, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, to re-
main in service for such time as he shall
recommend. On April 6, Congress voted
that the sum of $50,000 be advanced bj^ the
Board of War to Count Pulaski, who had
been made a brigadier-general in the Ameri-
can army. Every man who enlisted in his
command was to receive $130, including tLe
bounty money. Each trooper and member
of the light infantry was to receive one
stock, one cap, one pair of breeches, one
coat, two pairs of stockings, two pairs of
gaiters, three pairs of shoes, one pair of
buckles, spear and cartridge box. Each
trooper was also to receive a pair of boots,
a saddle, halters, curry-comb and brush,
picket cord, and pack saddle. Count
Pulaski came to York in 1778 and partially
recruited his legion here, before going
south. He was killed soon afterward in an
engagement at Savannah, Georgia.
On April 9, the question of Congress i"e-
moving to some other place was discussed.
The following Saturday was set as the time
to take into consideration the necessity of
going to some more convenient place. The
British still held Philadelphia, the State
Assembly was in session at Lancastei", and
not very friendly toward Congress, so the
subject of removal was not further con-
sidered.
On April 11, Congress voted
New unanimously to emit $5,000,000 in
Issue bills of credit on the faith of the
of United States. It was ordered
Money, that new cuts be made for striking
ofi' and printing them, and that
the form of the bills should be as follows :
"This bill entitles the bearer to receive
Spanish milled dollars, or the value
thereof in gold or silver, according to a
resolution passed by Congress at York,
April II, 1778." This issue is known to the
collectors of Continental money as the
"Yorktown notes." They are the rarest
specimens of Continental money because of
the successful attempt to counterfeit them.
For this reason Congress ordered a large
number of these notes to be destroyed.
It was ordered that the thirteen United
States be pledged for the redemption of
these bills of credit. The Franklin Press,
then in York, by order of Congress, was
used in printing Continental money. At
least $10,000,000, under a preceding act, had
been printed at York before the act of April
II, 1778, had been passed. At this time
paper money had greatly depreciated. It
was worth about thirt)^ cents on a dollar.
Before the war had ended, in 1783, Congress
had issued over $300,000,000 in Continental
money. In 1781 one dollar in silver as a
base was worth forty dollars in paper
monev. In 1783 the paper money was al-
3IO
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
most worthless. The go\'ernment never re-
deemed it.
On April 13, Colonel Thomas
Hartley's Hartley was given authority to
Regiment, raise a new regiment from
different parts of Pennsjdvania.
This regiment was to be organized to
march against the Indians and Tories who
had been committing depredations in
northern Pennsylvania and southern New
York.
April 15, Congress ordered that Major-
General Gates proceed to Fishkill, New
York, to take charge of the American
troops at that point, and prevent the
British in New York from going up the
Hudson. At this period General Gates was
still at York as president of the Board of
War," having succeeded John Adams, of
Massachusetts, as the head of that impor-
tant body.
On April 17, the sum of $1,500,000 was
advanced to Jeremiah Wadsmith, commis-
sary-general of purchases for the army.
On the following day Congress ordered the
Franklin printing press, then in York and
operated in a building belonging to Major
John Clark, at the southwest corner of
INIarket and Beaver Streets, to begin print-
ing $500,000 of Continental money, in ac-
cordance with an act recently passed.
On April 18, General Washing-
Overtures ton, at Valley Forge, wrote a
From letter and also sent important
England. documents to Congress. The
messenger arrived on April 20.
One of these documents purported to "be
the draft of a bill for declaring the inten-
tions of the Parliament of Great Britain as
to the exercise of what they are pleased to
term their right of imposing taxes within
these United States : and also the draft of a
bill to enable the King of Great Britain to
appoint commissioners with powers to
treat, consult and agree upon the means of
quieting certain disorders within the said
states." President Laurens appointed Gov-
erneur Morris, of X'ew York ; AA'illiam
Henrjf Drayton, of South Carolina, and
Francis Dana, of Massachusetts, a com-
mittee to examine these documents and
report to Congress. Upon its report to
Congress, this committee stated that it
could not decide whether these papers
emanated from England or whether thev
were prepared for the purpose of deluding
Congress, by some schemers in Philadel-
phia, which was then in possession of the
British. The members of the committee,
however, persuaded themselves to believe
that they were valid documents and came
by authority of Parliament, which body
would take into favorable consideration the
action of Congress upon them. They be-
lieved this statement because General
Howe "has made divers feeble efforts to set
on foot some kind of treaty, during the last
winter;" because the British supposed that
the "fallacious idea of a cessation of hostili-
ties will render these states remiss in their
preparation for war;" because, believing the
Americans wearied with war, they suppose
"we will accede to their terms for the sake
of peace;" that the cessation of hostilities
"will prevent foreign powers from giving
aid to these states ; that it will lead their
own subjects to continue a little longer the
present war; and that it will detach some
weak men in America from the cause of
freedom and virtue ; because the king, from
his own showing, hath reason to apprehend
that his fleets and armies, instead of being
employed against the territories of these
states, will be necessary for the defence of
his own dominions. Because the imprac-
ticability of subjugating this countrj^ being
every day more and more manifest, it is to
their interest to extricate themselves from
the war upon any terms." The committee
reported in detail what they termed the
weakness and insincerity of the British
crown, and concluded its report with a
masterly presentation of the question, writ-
ten in such forcible and elegant English
that it is herewith presented:
"From all which it appears
Cprnmittee's evident to your committee.
Report. that the said bills are in-
tended to operate upon the
hopes and fears of the good people of these
states, so as to create divisions among them
and a defection from the common cause,
now, by the blessing of Divine Providence,
drawing near to a favorable issue ; that they
are the sequel of that insidious plan which,
from the days of the stamp act down to the
present time, hath involved this country in
contention and bloodshed, and that as in
other cases so in this, although circum-
stances mav force them at times, to recede
CONTINENTAL CONCxRESS AT YORK
3"
from their unjustifiable claims, there can be
no doubt, but they will as heretofore upon
the first fa\'orable occasion, again display
that lust of domination which hath rent in
twain the mighty empire of Britain.
"Upon the whole matter, the committee
beg leave to report it as their opinion, that
as the Americans, united in this arduous
contest upon principles of common interest,
for the defense of common rights and
privileges, which union hath been ce-
mented by common calamities and by mut-
ual good offices and affections ; do the
great cause, for which they contend, and in
which all mankind are interested, must de-
rive its success from the continuance of
that union ; wherefore any men or body of
men, who should presume to make any
separate or partial convention or agree-
ment with commissioners under the crown
of Great Britain, or any of them, ought to
be considered and treated as open and
avowed enemies of these United States.
"And further, the committee beg leave
to report it as their opinion, that these
United States cannot, with propriet}', hold
any conference or treaty with any commis-
sioners on the part of Great Britain, unless
they shall, as a preliminary thereto, either
withdraw their fleets and armies or else, in
positive and expressed terms acknowledge
the independence of the said states.
"And inasmuch as it appears to be the
design of the enemies of these states to lull
them into a fatal ■ security, to the end that
they may act with a becoming weight and
importance, it is the opinion of your com-
mittee, that the several states be called
upon, to use the most strenuous exertions,
to have their respective quotas of conti-
nental troops in the field as soon as possible
and that all the militia of the said states
may be held in readiness to act as occasion
may require."
The proposition by Parliament to enter
into a treaty with the American states at
this time is suggestive. France was about
to declare war against England. Benjamin
Franklin, the American commissioner at
Paris, early in March, on behalf of the
United States, had already entered into a
treaty of Amity and Commerce and a treaty
Alliance with Louis XVL the King of
France. He had received the promise that
the French would not onlv recognize that
the United States had the right of belliger-
ency, but would also send a fleet and army
to aid in the cause for ;\merican ■ inde-
pendence. Some months later the fleet,
under Count d'Estiang, landed on the coast
of Rhode Island. Lord North, the prime
minister of England, had sent a communi-
cation to • Franklin at Paris, asking the
privilege of a conference with him on the
American war. Franklin responded to the
emissary, "Tell Lord North that America
has already gained her indepeiidence."
At this period New York
Washington's and Philadelphia were both
Determination, in the hands of the enemy.
Washington had been de-
feated at Brandywine and Germantown and
his small army was wintering at Valley
Forge. There were many Americans origi-
nally in favor of independence who had
joined the ranks of the enemy. Especially
was this the case in New Jersey, a part of
New York and eastern Pennsylvania. This
led the British emissaries who had been
sent to Philadelphia to believe that Wash-
ington and Congress would accept over-
tures of peace. But the general of the army
had written to Congress that if peace was
then decided upon it would not be lasting.
He asserted that he would keep his little
army together and fight the British in the
mountains of Virginia and Pennsylvania,
rather than accept overtures from the
British crown at this time in the war. Al-
though there was factional opposition in
Congress to Washington and there were
many people in the United States who felt
like accepting some kind of proposition
from England to end the war, the great
soldier now exerted his reserve power.
General Washington, in camp
Planning at Valley Forge, had begun to
a lay plans for a summer cam-
Campaign, paign against the enemy, still
quartered in Philadelphia.
Owing to the failure to make conciliatory
terms with Congress, there were evidences
that the British would soon leave Philadel-
phia. The state militia had been called out
to join in the campaign of 1778. On April
23, Congress resolved that extraordinary
powers vested in General Washington by
the resolutions of September 17, October 8
and December 10, 1777, be renewed and
extended to August 10, 1778. This gave
312
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
him control of the army with authority to
remo\'e officers for inefficiency, and pro-
mote officers for valorous deeds in military
achievements. It was at this period that
the star of fame of General Washington
began to rise, and so continued until it
reached its zenith at the surrender of Corn-
wallis at Yorktown, in October, 1781.
Charles Carroll, of Maryland; William
Duer, of New York, and John Banister, of
Virginia, were appointed a committee to
notify Washington of the resolutions of
Congress. On April 24, Nathaniel Greene,
then quartermaster-general of the army,
was voted $50,000 for his department. The
sum of $30,000 was voted to the state of
Mar3dand to aid in recruiting continental
troops.
As the summer campaign was expected to
be in New Jersey, it was ordered that the
Board of War take the most expeditious
measures for transporting provisions and
stores from the southern states across the
Chesapeake Bay. The states of Maryland
and Virginia were ordered to utilize the
armed galleys on the Chesapeake Bay in
transporting these provisions and stores
and that the galleys should be under the
command of an officer of the continental
line. The sailors of Pennsylvania were
ordered to Baltimore for use in manning
the gallej's.
On April 25, Roger Sherman, of
Sherman Connecticut, presented his cre-
Takes dentials and was sworn in as a
His member. He had served with dis-
Seat. tinction in the First Continental
Congress which assembled in
Philadelphia, in 1774. In 1776 he served
Jeft'erson and Livingston, which had
drafted the Declaration and presented it to
Congress for adoption. He was one of the
signers of that document. He was a valu-
able acquisition to Congress, which, accord-
ing to a yea and nay vote cast that day,
contained twenty-seven members. Roger
Sherman lived to the age of seventy-two
years, and died while a member of the
United States Senate from Connecticut.
On this day important communications
were received from General Washington.
General Heath, in command of the forces
guarding the Saratoga prisoners, then in
camp near Boston, reported an agreement
which he had entered into with General
Burgoyne in reference to the payment of
provisions for the British prisoners of Bur-
goyne's army. Congress discussed the
question, respecting an allowance to army
officers after the war. A motion was offered
and carried that the officers of the army
should be put on half pay. Later in the
war, it was decided to give them public
lands. Colonel Hartley, in 1785, was given
a large tract of land in the interior part of
the state, and Colonel Matthew Dill, in the
western part of the state. Some officers
accepted public lands as bountj' and culti-
vated them, while others never took ad-
vantage of this opportunity.
On April 27, Congress showed its
Silver appreciation of General AA^ashing-
From ton by giving him power to call
France, into his -council of war the com-
mander of the artillery. General
Knox, before making plans for the summer
campaign. An appropriation of $350,000
was made to Ebenezer Hancock, deputy
paymaster-general at Boston, for use in his
department. Congress ordered the Board
of AA'ar to give direction»to General Heath,
in command at Boston, how to bring to the
United States Treasury at York, the hard
money belonging to the government. This
resolution refers to the arrival at Boston of
$600,000 in silver from France. It was the
first silver loan of that government to the
United States. This money was put in
charge of Captain James B. Fry, who had
been a member of the famous "Boston Tea
Party." The wagon in which- this money
was brought to York, through Massachu-
setts, crossing the Hudson at Fishkill, and
passing through Bethlehem and Reading,
arrived at York in charge of two companies
of Massachusetts troops.
On April 28, by a vote of Congress, Gen-
eral Conway was permitted to resign his
commission in the armj^ Congress voted
$50,000 to Major Harr}' Lee to purchase
horses towards recruiting and equipping his
cavalry corps. The sum of $100,000 was
appropriated for the benefit of the state of
Maryland. April 29, Dr. Nathaniel Scud-
der, delegate from New Jersey ; George
Plater, from Maryland, and Thomas
Adams, of Virginia, were elected members
tf the marine committee to take the places
of delegates who were absent. Congress
appropriated $100,000 for the use of Colonel
UNITED STATES TREASURY BUILDING AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF
CENTRE SQUARE AND GEORGE STREET
RESIDENCE AND LAW OFFICE OF JAMES SMITH ON SOUTH GEORGE STREET
HIS LAW OFFICE WAS USED BY THE BOARD OF WAR IN 1777
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
313
Baylor, of Virginia, for the purpose of pur-
chasing" horses, arms and accoutrements
for Major Lee's cavalry. Benjamin Flower,
commissary-general of military stores, was
voted $100,000 for the use of his depart-
ment, and the sum of $350,000 was voted to
Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., paymaster, for the
use of his department.
On May i, a resolution was
Lee Returns adopted, excusing from the
to Congress, milita persons employed in
manufacturing military stores
and other articles for the use of the United
States. On this day, Richard Henry Lee,
who, in 1776, was appointed chairman of the
committee to draft the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, but on account of the sickness of
his wife declined in favor of Thomas Jeffer-
son, arrived in York and again took his seat
in Congress. He came with Congress to
York in September, 1777, and remained
about three months and together with
Benjamin Harrison, of Virginia, returned to
his home. Harrison was one of the ablest
men of the body and served on more com-
mittees than any other delegate. AVhile in
York, he suffered from a disease from
which he never fully recovered, and died at
the age of fifty-one years. Richard Henry
Lee was one of the most eloquent men who
served in Continental Congress.
The sum of $150,000 was appropriated
for the use of the state of Maryland. An
important resolution was adopted, appoint-
ing Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, Gouv-
erneur Morris, of New York, and Roger
Sherman, of Connecticut, a committee to
report proper instructions to be transmitted
to the commissioners of the United States
at foreign courts. The marine committee
was instructed to procure six of the best
and swiftest sailing packet boats, for con-
veying dispatches to and from France and
Spain and the West Indies.
The committee of commerce reported
that it had received from the Board of War
an invoice of articles, including medicines
to be imported from France, for the cam-
paign of 1779. On May 2, Nathan Sellers
was given $164 for making a fine mould to
be used in manufacturing paper for bills of
exchange and for his expenses in coming to
York and returning home. John Dunlap,
of Philadelphia, was appointed to continue
printing the Journals of Congress in place
of Robert Aitken. Brigadier-General Hand,
of Lancaster, who had served with distinc-
tion at Long Island and Princeton, and
was now in command at Fort Pitt, was re-
lieved at his own request.
CHAPTER XIX
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, Continued
Alliance with France — Death of Philip
Livingston — Baron Steuben at York —
Two Plans of Government — The Conway
Cabal — Gates-Wilkinson Duel — List of
Delegates — Congress Adjourns to Phila-
delphia.
The Declaration of Independence made
it necessary to seek foreign alliance, and
first of all with England's great rival,
France. Here Franklin's world-wide fame
and his long experience in public life in
England and America enabled him to play
a part that would have been impossible to
any other American. He was thoroughly
familiar with European politics. He had
learned the French, Italian, and Spanish
languages, and his fame as a scientist was
known throughout all Europe. He was
thus possessed of talismans for opening
many a treasure house. Negotiations with
the French Court had been already begun
through the agency of Arthur Lee, of Vir-
ginia, and Silas Deane, of Connecticut. In
the fall of 1776 Benjamin Franklin, at the
age of seventy, and Thomas Jefferson, at
the age of thirty-four, were appointed by
Congress as special commissioners to Paris.
Jefferson asked to be excused, but urged
that Franklin should accept the mission.
His arrival, on December 21, was the oc-
casion of great excitement in the fashion-
able world of Paris. France, at this time,
was an absolute monarch3^ ruled by Louis
Sixteenth, who had succeeded to the throne
three years before, at the age of twenty.
He had succeeded his grandfather, Louis
Fifteenth, who was king of France for a
period of fifty years. Louis Fifteenth had
succeeded his great-grandfather, Louis
Fourteenth, who had reigned over France,
as an absolute monarch, for a long period
of seventv vears.
314
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The court of Louis XVI, when
Franklin's Franklin arrived at Paris, was
Popularity, the most brilliant in French
history. Franklin at once
captivated this court by his great learning,
his plain habits and his fascinating man-
ners. Within a few months after his arrival
there, he was the most popular man in all
Europe. Even Frederick the Great, the
military genius of the continent ; Leibnitz,
the most distinguished scientist of Europe,
and Voltaire, whose remarkable endow-
ments had charmed many an intellectual
circle, could not vie with the sage from
America in popularity.
Although the French nation was then
heavily in debt, and two-thirds of the land
was owned by the nobilit}' and clergy, yet
through the influence of Beaumarchais, the
financial agent of France, and Vergennes,
the minister of foreign affairs, Franklin suc-
ceeded immediately in making a loan from
France for the United States to the amount
of two million francs, amounting to about
four hundred thousand dollars. The fol-
lowing year the sum of four hundred
thousand francs was sent across the ocean
to aid in the cause of American inde-
pendence. Besides these amounts the
French sent over a gift of nine million
francs, or nearly two million dollars, and
guaranteed the interest upon a loan from
Holland of two million dollars. In Febru-
ary, 1778, the sum of six hundred thousand
dollars, in silver coin, sent over by the
French government, arrived at Portsmouth,
New Hampshire. In all, Franklin had ob-
tained as a loan and by gift a sum of five
million dollars for the benefit of the infant
republic of the United States.
These triumphs at Paris, and the
A victory of the Americans at Sara-
Treaty toga, when the entire army under
Signed. Burgoyne became prisoners of
war, brought forth the alliance
with France. February 6, 1778, a treaty
was signed by the King of France, which
resulted in American independence. For
the successful management of this negotia-
tion, one of the most important in the his-
tory of modern diplomacy, the credit is due
to the genius of Franklin.
His name now became famous to every
citizen of France. His society was courted
by the nobility of that country, as well as
b}' all men of science and literature. His
home at Passy, then in the suburbs, but
now within the city of Paris, was a constant
resort for the most distinguished men of
France. About a month later, together
with the other two commissioners, he was
received by tlie king with imposing cere-
monies. The reception on this occasion
was one of the most brilliant scenes ever
witnessed in the fashionable circles of
Paris. Marie Antoinette, the beautiful and
accomplished queen, from this time forth
enthusiastically favored the republic of the
United States.
There were no cables across the
News Atlantic at this early day. Even
Brought steamships did not plough the
to ocean yet for half a century, but
York. it was desired to send the news
of these treaties to America with
all possible speed. Vergennes, the French
minister, ordered that the swift sailing ves-
sel. Mercury, be placed at Franklin's dis-
posal. Simeon DeSne, a young man then
in Paris, and brother of one of the Ameri-
can commissioners, was entrusted with this
important mission. He received the doc-
uments, signed by the King of France, and
with a letter addressed to Congress, from
Benjamin Franklin, and Silas Deane, left
the port of Havre and steered for Ports-
mouth, New Hampshire. He arrived there,
after a passage of two months. Reaching
Boston he called upon John Hancock, and
then proceeded on horseback, crossing the
Hudson River at Fishkill, New York. He
reached Valley Forge, on the evening of
April 30. After holding a conference one
day with General AVashington, he pro-
ceeded on his way westward, crossing the
Susquehanna at Wright's Ferry, and arriv-
ing in York at 3 P. M. in the afternoon of
May 2. This was Saturday. Congress had
adjourned for that week. Immediately
after Simeon Deane rode through Center
Square and stopped at a public inn, at the
southeast corner of George Street and
Center Square, Martin Brenise was ordered
to ring the bell in the cupola of the Court
House to call Congress together.
There was great rejoicing among all the
delegates, and the people of the town, for
the arrival of this news meant even more
than the decisive victory of the Americans
at Saratosra, and the surrender of Bur-
COXTIXEXTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
315
goyne. Rev. George Duffield, the chaplain
of Congress, who preached in Zion Re-
formed Church the following day, had a
large audience, and after offering up a fer-
vent prayer, referred in eloquent words to
the cheering news from across the ocean.
On Monday, May 4, the treaty
Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the
Ratified, treaty of Alliance were unani-
mously adopted by Congress
with great enthusiasm. Richard Henry
Lee, of Virginia; ^^■illiam Henry Drayton,
of South Carolina, and Francis Dana, of
Alassachusetts, were appointed a committee
to prepare a form of ratification of the
treaties. At the same time a resolution
was passed that "This Congress entertain
the highest sense of the magnanimity and
wisdom of his most Christian Majesty, for
entering into a treaty with these United
States, at Paris, on the 6th day of February
last; and the commissioners, or any of
them, representing these states at the Court
of France, are directed to present the grate-
ful acknowledgments of this Congress to
his most Christian Majesty, for his truly
magnanimous conduct respecting these
states in the said generous and disinterested
treaties, and to assure his Majesty, on the
part of Congress, it is sincerely wished that
the friendship, so happily commenced be-
tween France and these United States may
be perpetual."
Simeon Deane was voted $3,000 in con-
sideration of his faithful execution of a
most important trust reposed in him by the
commissioners of the United States at
Paris.
The following is a copy of the letter
which Simeon Deane brought from the
American commissioners at Paris to Presi-
dent Laurens and Continental Congress at
York :
Passy, February 8, 1778.
Sir : — We have now the satisfaction of acquainting
you and the Congress that the treaties with France are
at length completed and signed. The first is a treaty
of Amity and Commerce, much on the plan of that pro-
jected in Congress ; the other is a treaty of Alliance, in
which it is stipulated that in case England declares war
against France, or occasions a war by attempts to hinder
her comrnerce with us. we should then make common
cause of it and join our forces and councils, etc. The
great aim of this treaty is declared to be to "establish
the liberty, sovereignty, and independency, absolute and
unlimited, of the United States, as welf in matters of
government as commerce ;" and this is guaranteed to us
by France, together with all the countries we possess or
shall possess at the conclusion of the war ; in return for
which the States guaranty to France all its possessions
in America. We do not now add more particulars as
you will soon have the whole by a safer conveyance, a
frigate being appointed to carry our dispatches. We
only observe to you, and with pleasure, that we have
found throughout this business the greatest cordiality
in this court ; and that no advantage has been taken of
our present difficulties to obtain hard terms from us;
but such has been the king's magnanimity and goodness,
that he has proposed none which we might not have
readily agreed to in a state of full prosperity and estab-
lished power. The principle laid down as the basis of
the treaty being, as declared in the preamble, "the most
perfect equality and reciprocity ;" the privileges in trade,
etc., are mutual, and none are given to France, but what
we are at liberty to grant to any other nation.
On the whole, we have abundant reason to be satis-
fied with the good will of this Court and of the nation
in general, which we therefore hope will be cultivated
by the Congress by every means which may establish the
Union and render it permanent. Spain being slow, there
is a separate and secret clause, by which she is to be
received into the alliance upon requisition, and there is
no doubt of the event. When we mention the good will
of this nation to our cause, we may add that of all
Europe, which having been offended by the pride and
insolence of Britain, wishes to see its power diminished;'
and all who have received injuries from her are by one
of the articles to be invited into our alliance. The prep-
arations for war are carried on with immense activity
and it is soon expected.
With our hearty congratulations and our duty to the*
Congress, we have the honor to be, very respectfully,
etc.,
B. FRANKLIN,
SILAS DEANE.
On May 5, Philip Living-
Further ston, a signer of the Declara-
Proceedings. tion, and a member from the
state of New York, arrived
and took his seat in Congress. The sum of
$200,000 was appropriated for use in paying
debts contracted by William Buchanan, late
commissary-general of purchases in the
northern district, and the same amount in
the southern district. On the same day
Nathaniel Greene, quartermaster-general,
was granted $3,000,000 for his department.
This last appropriation was intended to be
used for the campaign in New Jerse}', which
resulted in the battle and decisive victory at
Alonmouth. Baron Steuben, then with the
army at Valley Forge, was made inspector-
general, with the rank of major-general.
Although this great German soldier agreed
to serve without pay. Congress ordered that
his pay was to commence from the time he
joined the army and entered the service of
the United States.
On May 8, Congress voted $56 to Captain
Philip Albright, of York, for "sundry con-
tingencies for the money press in York."
On 'May 9, it was ordered that $200 be paid
to Charles Gist and James Claypoole toward
3i6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
defraj'ing their expenses for their employ-
ment by the treasurer in superintending the
making" of paper for loan olSce certificates
and bills of exchange; that $20,000 be ad-
vanced to the marine committee for the use
of the navy board in the middle district ;
that $24,000 be advanced to the committee
of commerce for use in their department.
Captain Landais, of the French
The na^•y, appeared in York before the
French marine committee of Congress.
Sailor. He came to this country' with a
recommendation from Silas Deane,
which, was endorsed by Baron Steuben.
He had succeeded in quelling a mutiny on
board the vessel Flammand and brought the
ship safely into an American port. He was
voted a sum of money for his services and
made a captain in the United States navjr.
On May 11, Count Pulaski, the Polish
nobleman, was ^'oted $15,000 for the pur-
pose of purchasing horses and recruiting his
.Legion, then in the field. Colonel Francis
Johnson was elected commissary of pris-
oners to succeed Elias Boudinot, who had
retired from office.
On ]May 14, Ethan Allen, the Connecticut
patriot, who had captured Ticonderoga on
May 10, 1775, and afterward became a pris-
oner of war, was raised to the rank of colo-
nel in recognition .of his loyalty and patriot-
ism. On May 15, a resolution was adopted
ordering John Penn, grandson of A'Villiam
Penn. and Benjamin Chew, late chief justice
of Pennsylvania for the provincial govern-
ment, to be released from parole and con-
veyed without delay into the State of Penn-
sylvania. Both of these distinguished per-
sons had been charged with disloyalty to
the LTnited States government after the
declaration of independence.
On JNIay 16, Dr. Jonathan Potts, deputy
director-general of hospitals for the middle
district, was voted $100,000 for the use of
his department. The committee on foreign
relations was asked to report to Congress
the changes in or addition to the instruc-
tions and commissions "given to American
commissioners at the courts of Berlin,
Vienna and Tuscany." On May 19, Ameri-
can officers held as prisoners of war, were
voted full pay during the time of their im-
prisonment. On May 20, Rev. Dr. Robert
Blackwell was appointed chaplain of Gen-
eral AA'avne's brigade of the Pennsvlvania
Line. Major-General Mifflin by resolution
of Congress was given leave to join the
army under the command of General
AA'ashington. Although Mifflin had been
charged with being a leader in the Conway
conspiracy, the magnanimity of AA'ashing-
ton was shown in this instance by receiving
Mifflin back into his military circle.
By resolution of Congress on May 22, the
Board of Treasury was ordered to print
$5,000,000. Dr. Jonathan Elmer, of New
Jersey, and Daniel Roberdeau, of Pennsyl-
vania, appeared before Congress and took
their seats in that body. On May 26, Con-
gress adopted new rules for the conduct of
business at its sessions.
On May 27 important changes
Marine took place in the marine com-
Committee. mittee of Congress. The
new members of this com-
mittee were Josiah Bartlett, of New Hamp-
shire; Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts;
Gouverneur Morris, of New York; Henr)^
Drayton, of South Carolina. Josiah Bart-
lett had recently arrived and taken his seat
as a delegate from the state of New Hamp-
shire. B}' profession he was a phj^sician
and at the time he arrived in York, he was
forty-nine years of age. He is accredited
with having been the first physician in
America to introduce into this country the
practical use of Peruvian bark as a curative
drug. Being a man of influence in New
Hampshire, he had been chosen a delegate
to Congress in 1776. He voted in favor of
the Declaration of Independence, and was
the second person to sign that immortal
document. Dr. Bartlett had been the sur-
geon in chief of General Stark's armj^ at the
battle of Bennington. In 1779, he left Con-
gress to become chief justice of the courts
of New Hampshire, and in 1790, under a
new constitution, became the first governor
of the state. In a personal letter to his
family immediately after ' he arrived in
-York, Dr. Bartlett described his difficulty
in obtaining a good boarding place. He
finally secured apartments in a private
house on Market Street on the west side of
the Codorus.
Congress decided to reorganize the Amer-
ican army in the field and adopted rules and
regulations for this reorganization. The
committee of Congress who had gone to
AA'ashino'ton's armv had returned and re-
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
317
ported a favorable condition in the affairs
at Valley Forge.
June 2, a letter was received from General
Gates, who had gone to Fishkill, New York,
in April to take charge of the army there.
Gates enclosed with this letter communica-
tions between himself and General Wash-
ington, relative to the recent controversy,
known to history as the "Conway Cabal."
A few days before this. Gates had fought a
duel with Colonel Wilkinson at St. Clair's
headquarters on the Hudson River, an ac-
count of which is found in the succeeding
pages.
A resolution was adopted voting the sum
of $420 to Rev. George Duffield for services
as chaplain to Congress from October, 1777,
to April 30, 1778. Chaplain Duffield re-
ceived the sum of $60 per month as a salary.
During the time of his stay in York, he re-
sided in the parsonage house occupied b}^
Rev. Daniel Wagner, pastor of Zion Re-
formed Church. This house stood on the
north side of East King Street, east of
Court Allc}'. June 4, a resolution was
adopted that three commissioners be ap-
pointed to meet with the Delawares, Shaw-
anese and other Indian tribes at Fort Pitt
on July 23, and enter into a treaty with
them. One of these commissioners was to
be from Pennsylvania and the other two
from Virginia.
News had now arrived of the
Howe probable evacuation of Phila-
Returns to delphia by the British army.
England. General William Howe, who
had command of the forces in
that cit}' from the .time of its capture in
October, 1777, was recalled in May by Par-
liament, and returned to England. Howe
first came to America early in 1775, succeed-
ing" General Gage as commander of the
British forces in America. He commanded
the British at the battle of Bunker Hill in
1775, at Long Island and White Plains in
1776, and had defeated Washington at
Brandywine and Germantown in 1777. He
was charged by Parliament as having spent
the winter of 1777-78 in indolence and
pleasure, and for this reason was recalled.
He was personally popular with many of his
subordinate officers. AA'hen they heard of
his expected departure for England, he was
given a brilliant entertainment, memorable
in historv as the "]\Ieschianza." Alanv
Tories of Philadelphia took part in this en-
tertainment. Howe was succeeded in com-
mand of the British forces by Sir Henry
Clinton, an English officer of high rank, who
had occupied New York City before coming
to Philadelphia.
AA'hen Congress anticipate.d the evacua-
tion of Philadelphia, on June 5, Washington
was instructed that when he reoccupied the
city, he should institute measures for the
preservation of order in the city, and to pre-
vent the removal,transfer or sale of goods or
merchandise,belonging to the King of Great
Britain, in possession of the inhabitants.
June 6, letters were received by Congress
from General Washington enclosing com-
munications which he had received from
Sir Henry Clinton and Lord Howe. On
the same day, a messenger arrived in York
wath a communication from Lord Richard
Howe, in command of the British navy in
American waters, and from General Clintoii
in charge of the forces at Philadelphia.
Accompanying these letters were three acts
of the Parliament of Great Britain. These
acts ofifered overtures of peace which Con-
gress was requested to accept. A commit-
tee composed of AA^illiam Henry Drayton,
Richard Henry Lee, Gouverneur Morris,
John AVitherspoon and Samuel Adams, was
appointed to repair to the next room and
prepare an answer to the letters of Lord
Howe and General Clinton. This commit-
tee met on the second floor of the provincial
court house at York, wdiere they drafted
the following reply, a copy of which was
sent to Howe and Clinton :
Yorktown, June 6, 1778.
My Lord : —
i have had the honor to lay your lordship's letter, of
lilay 27th, with the acts of the British Parliament en-
closed, before Congress, and I am instructed to acquaint
your lordship, that they have already expressed their
sentiments upon bills not essentially different from those
acts, in a publication of the 22d of April last.
Your lordship may be assured, that when the King of
Great Britain shall be seriously disposed to put an end
to the unprovoked and cruel war waged against these
United States, Congress will readily attend to such
terms of peace, as may consist with the honor of inde-
pendent nations, the interest of their constituents, and
the sacred regard they mean to pay to treaties.
I have the honor to be, etc.,
HENRY LAURENS, President.
On the same day that
Peace Congress received these
Commissioners, communications from the
British officers, three
commissioners arrived in Philadelphia on a
3i8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
fruitless errand for negotiating terms of
peace. These commissioners were Earl of
Carlisle, William Eden, afterward Lord
Auckland, and George Johnston, who be-
fore the Revolution had served as colonial
governor of New York. As the instruc-
tions given to them by the English govern-
ment had already been conveyed to Con-
gress and their acceptance refused, the ar-
ri\-al of these commissioners accomplished
no purpose except to dela)^ for a few days
the evacuation of Philadelphia by the Brit-
ish forces under Sir Henry Clinton. How-
ever, on June ii, a letter was received from
General Washington with a communication
from Clinton giving notification of the ar-
rival of the British commissioners in Phila-
delphia, and asking for a passport for Dr.
Ferguson, secretary to the commissioners,
to bring a letter from them to Congress.
This was referred to a committee composed
of Richard Henr}' Lee, Samuel Adams and
Henry Marchant, who made a report on
June 13, and the subject was taken up for
debate. While the discussion was in pro-
gress, a message arrived from Washing-
ton's headquarters at Valley Forge, with a
letter from the British commissioners in
Philadelphia. Immediately upon its receipt
Charles Thomson, secretary of Congress,
began to read this letter, which was ad-
dressed to "His Excellency, Henry Laurens,
the president, and others, the members of
Congress." A deep silence prevailed until
he arrived at some sentences reflecting
upon "his most Christian Majesty, Louis
NVI of France, the new ally of the Ameri-
can government." ^^'hen these offensive
words were reached, there was confusion in
the hall of Congress and the secretary or-
dered to discontinue the reading of the
communication from the commissioners.
At the session held on June 16, after mature
deliberation, it was decided that the entire
communication should be read before Con-
gress. The subject was then referred to a
committee composed of Richard Henry
Lee, Samuel Adams, William Henry Dray-
ton, Gouverneur Morris and John Wither-
spoon. On June 17 the committee brought
in a draught of a letter to be sent to the
commissioners, which reads as follows:
Yorktown. June 17, 1778.
Sirs : — I have received the letter from your excel-
lencies of the gth inst. with the enclosures, and laid
them before Congress. Nothing but an earnest desire to
spare the further effusion of human blood could have
induced them to read a paper containing expressions so
disrespectful to his most Christian majestj', the good
and great ally of these states, or to consider proposi-
tions so derogatory to the honor of an independent
nation.
The acts of the British parliament, the commission
from 3'our sovereign, and your letter, suppose the peo-
ple of these states to be subjects of the crown of Great
Britain, and are founded on the idea of dependence,
which is utterly inadmissible.
I am further directed to inform your excellencies,
that Congress are inclined to peace, notwithstanding the
unjust claims from which this war originated, and the
savage manner in which it hath been conducted. They
will, therefore, be ready to enter upon the consideration
of a treaty of peace and commerce not inconsistent with
treaties already e.xisting, when the king of Great
Britain shall demonstrate a sincere disposition for that
purpose. The only solid proof of this disposition, will
be, an explicit acknowledginent of the independence of
these states, or the withdrawing his fleets and armies.
I have the honor to be 3'our excellencies most obedient
and humble servant,
HENRY LAURENS, President.
On June 18, Mr. Holker, then in York,
petitioned Congress for the payment of
400,000 livres "to persons interested therein,
as owners or otherwise concerned in the
private vessels of war, Hancock and Bos-
ton." This matter was referred to a com-
mittee composed of Gouverneur Morris,
John Witherspoon and Thomas McKean.
On June 19, John Hancock, of Massachu-
setts, returned to York and took his seat as
a delegate in Congress. He had served as
president of Continental Congress from the
time of its organization until November,
1777. He was the first to append his name
to the Declaration of Independence. Let-
ters from Arthur Lee, of Virginia, then a
commissioner at the court of France, were
received and read. These letters had been
written on the 6th, 15th and 31st of Janu-
ary. Another letter addressed to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the United
States was received. This letter was writ-
ten at Paris on January 16, and signed by
Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, the
other two commissioners of the United
States at France. These letters had been
written a few days before the king of France
had signed the treaty of Alliance and the
treaty of Amity and Commerce which took
place February 6, 1778.
The alliance with France now having
been formed, and a French fleet and army
on their way to American waters, Congress
determined to aid Washington in preparing
vigorous plans for the summer campaign.
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
319
A warrant was issued on the treasurer of
the United States for $1,500,000 to aid in
prosecuting the war; ordered that $500,000
be paid to General Nathaniel Greene,
quarter-master general of the army; that
$2,000,000 be appropriated for the use of
Jeremiah Wadsworth, commissary general
of purchases for the army; that $100,000 be
appropriated for the use of Benjamin
Flower, commissary general of military
stores. On the same day the sum of 8223
livres and $200 was appropriated for the
benefit of General Thomas Conway "as a
gratuity for his time and expenses previous
to his entering into the pay of the United
States and for his return to France." He
was also voted $321, the balance of his ac-
count with the United States.
On June 20, news of the
Evacuation greatest importance reached
of York and was communi-
Philadelphia. cated to Congress. A mes-
senger arrived from General
Washington reporting that the British
army under Sir Henry Clinton had evacu-
ated Philadelphia on the i8th. This news
was read in Congress amid the greatest en-
thusiasm. It was nine months before, '
almost to the day, that Continental Con-
gress, alarmed b}' the approach of the
British army to Philadelphia, quickly ad-
journed from Independence Hall to Lan-
caster, and after spending one day in that
town, removed to York. The information
that Clinton and his army had left Phila-
delphia was so gratifying that after a few
patriotic speeches made by the leaders in
Congress, that body adjourned.
The town of York was wild
Enthusiasm with enthusiasm. Bonfires
in York. were built on the public com-
mon ; the provincial Court
House, in which Congress had held its ses-
sions three-fourths of the year, was bril-
liantly illuminated in honor of the event.
Military companies paraded the streets,
preceded by music from the drum and the
fife. This so interested the rural folk
round about that on that eventful Saturday
afternoon, the streets were filled with peo-
ple. At the lodging places of the delegates
to Congress, and at the twenty public inns
in the town, the evacuation of Philadelphia
was the sole topic of conversation. None
of the members had received this news with
greater applause than Samuel Adams and
John Hancock, of Massachusetts; Richard
Henry Lee, of Virginia; Daniel Roberdeau
and James Smith, of Pennsylvania; Roger
Sherman, of Connecticut ; Francis Lewis and
Gouverneur Morris, of New Y^ork; Josiah
Bartlett, of New Hampshire, and the digni-
fied and honored president of Congress,
Henry Laurens, of South Carolina. In fact
toward the close of the sessions at Y'ork, all
these notable men and several others of
equal fame and distinction had been re-
elected to Congress and were now holding
their seats in that body. Although the en-
tire membership did not exceed thirty-five,
there were more men of great eminence
present on this occasion than at any time
during the preceding nine months.
After the adjournment of
Independence Congress, the law office of
a Reality. James Smith, on South
George Street, was the
centre of interest and attraction. Associ-
ated with him while Congress sat in York
were twenty-six persons whose names will
go down through the ages as immortals of
history, because they appended their names
to the Declaration of Independence. AVhen
that immortal document was signed, the
government of the United States was onl}^
an experiment. Now the condition of
affairs was different. An army fresh from
brilliant victories in Europe had defeated
the Americans on Long Island and captured
the city of New York. The same victorious
ami)? under 'General Howe, a near relative
of George III, had sailed from New Y''ork,
passed up the Chesapeake Bay, and, after
defeating the Americans at Brandywine
and Germantown, had captured and held
the Federal City of the infant republic.
The victory at Saratoga, the French al-
liance, and the notorious conduct of Howe
in Philadelphia, had turned the tide of
affairs in favor of independence. The
Declaration of Independence was now a
reality. Even Frederick the Great, then the
military genius of all Europe, was not only
declaring the praises of Washington as a
field marshal, but recognized the eminent
statesmanship of the American Congress.
The fact that many of the most important
events, during the whole period of the
Revolution, occurred while Congress was
in session at Y'ork, is worthy of special com-
320
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ment and recognition. AA'hen that body
arrived here during the last days of Septem-
ber, 1777, in the language of one of the most
distinguished of its members, "darkness and
gloom surrounded our country on every
side." Now all the bells of the country
were ringing a paean of praise and thanks-
giving, and the people of the United States
were firm in the hope and expectation that
ere long the fathers of the republic and the
leaders of the American army in the field,
would soon foimd on this continent, "a new
nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated
to the proposition that all men are created
free and equal." AVhatever might be said
of the efforts put forth by the American
statesmen in Congress during the eventful
years of 1777-1778, there was one fact that
will always be recorded in the pages of his-
tory. They often disagreed on the manner
of conducting a campaign. They had fre-
quently opposed AA'ashington's plan of
operations, and many of them, before he
had risen to eminence as a soldier, had
favored his removal from the chief com-
mand. But during the darkest period
which always comes before the dawn, those
illustrious men who legislated for our coun-
try during its earliest years, had banded
themselves together with one aim and one
purpose, and that was to defeat the British
troops in America and establish the freedom
of the colonies.
On the following Sunday, after the re-
ceipt of the news from AA^ashington that the
enemy had left the Federal city of Phila-
delphia, the Court House bell in Centre
Square rang with glad acclaim, as also did
the bells of the Reformed and Lutheran
churches. Rev. George Duffield, then the
chaplain to Congress, preached a sermon in
the Reformed church. A vast number of
people assembled to hear him. The dis-
tinguished divine was filled with emotion,
but his eloquent and prophetic words were
received with such public favor that the
audience could scarce refrain from applause.
During that eventful Sunday afternoon, as
the patriots from the thirteen states met
each other on the streets, public inns or at
the places where they lodged, congratula-
tions were exchanged.
Rev. Nicholas Kurtz, then the
A Pastor's pastor of Christ Lutheran
Patriotism. Church, spoke to his congre-
gation in his native German tongue with
great impressiveness. AA'hen the war
opened, Pastor Kurtz was troubled about
the oath of allegiance he had taken to
the King of England when he arrived in
this country, in 1745, but in 1776, his con-
science became clear and he was natural-
ized under the first constitution of Pennsyl-
vania adopted that year. So firm was he in
his patriotism, that when Congress came to
York, September, 1777, he invited Bishop
AVilliam AAHiite, then the chaplain to Con-
gress, to lodge at his parsonage on North
George Street. He also entertained repre-
sentatives from the French government,
and a delegate in Congress from South
Carolina. The large audience room of his
stone church, on Soitth George Street, was
filled to overflowing to hear the eloquent
words of their pastor on this occasion. The
Germans of York and elsewhere in Penn-
sylvania had early proved their loyalty to
the cause of independence by enlisting in
the army. Rev. John Ettwein, afterward
for twenty years the senior bishop of the
Moravian Church in America, was then a
visitor at York to confer with Congress
about some afTairs relating to the Mora-
vians. He records in his diary that the
"daily text (i Cor. x, 13) came to us with
special power, considering the event which
has happened in Philadelphia, and the de-
liverance of this state from the yoke of the
British king. Families who fled from
Philadelphia, today began to return."
On June 20, Congress ordered that the
several boards of Congress should put
themselves in readiness to remove from
York. It was resolved to emit $5,000,000
in Continental money. Soon after the first
session was held in York, Congress had
taken up for consideration the adoption of
the Articles of Confederation, which had
been passed on November 15, 1777. Con-
gress called upon the delegates present to
report what action had been taken by their
respective states upon the ratification of
these articles. Owing to a controversy
which had arisen in the Legislature of
Maryland in reference to its western
boundaries, the delegates froni that state
reported that their constituents opposed
the ratification of the Articles of Confeder-
ation until these difficulties were removed.
This was the beginning of a long discussion
COXTIXENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
321
which ended in the j'ear 1781, when Mary-
land was the last state to ratify them.
June 23, Titus Hosmer, of Con-
Ratifying necticut, arrived and took his
the seat in Congress. Josiah Bart-
Articles, lett, from New Hampshire, re-
ported that his state, by vote of
the legislature, had ratified the Articles of
Confederation. The delegates froin New
York reported that their state had ratified
the Articles with the proviso that the same
shall not be binding on the state until all
the other states in the Union should ratify
them. The delegates of Massachusetts,
Connecticut and Rhode Island reported
that the legislatures of their states had
found objections to the Articles, and asked
amendments, which propositions were de-
cided in the negative by Congress.
On June 24, a resolution was adopted
that Congress should adjourn on Saturday,
June 27, from York to Philadelphia, to meet
in Independence Hall, on Julv 2. A com-
mittee was appointed to take measures for
a public celebration of the anniversary of
independence, at Philadelphia, on the 4th
of July next, and were authorized and di-
rected to invite the president and council
and speaker of the Assembly of the Com-
monwealth of Pennsylvania, and such other
people of distinction as they should think
proper. This committee was composed of
William Duer, of New York; John Han-
cock, of Massachusetts, and John Mat-
thews, of South Carolina. It was resolved
"that Congress will, in a body, attend divine
worship on Sunday the fifth day of July
next, to return thanks for the divine merc}^
in supporting the independence of these
states, and that the chaplains be notified to
ofBciate and preach sermons suited to the
occasion."
Colonel Hartley's Regiment, which had
served as a guard to Congress for several
months, left York for AVashington's camp
in two battalions, the first going on Janu-
ary 17, and the other on June 24. On June
25, a letter from North Carolina reported
that the state had ratified the Articles of
Confederation. Richard Henry Lee, Gouv-
erneur Morris and Francis Dana were ap-
pointed a committee to prepare a form of
ratification of the Articles of Confederation.
On the following day, this committee
brought in a draught, which was agreed to,
and a resolution was adopted that the Ar-
ticles should be engrossed and signed before
leaving York. This engrossed copy was
prepared and brought before Congress, but
was found to be incorrect. It was then re-
solved that another copy be made, which
was signed on Jul}^ 9, at Philadelphia, by
delegates in Congress from all the original
thirteen states excepting New Jersey, Dela-
ware, Maryland, North Carolina and
Georgia. The last two were not at that
time represented in Congress.
Martin Brenise, of York, was voted $45
for attending Congress from the ist to the
27th of June, and for ringing the bell. John
Fisher, the original clock-maker of York,
who was also an engraver, was ordered to
be paid for renewing two copper plates for
loan office certificates, and making two let-
ters in the device of the 30 dollar bills.
A communication from Colonel Michael
Swope, of York, was read before Congress.
He had been captured at Fort AVashington
in November, 1776, and was still a prisoner
of war.
The day after Congress adjourned at
York most of the delegates prepared to
leave. They crossed the Susquehanna at
the site of AA-^rightsville, and proceeded over
the direct route to Philadelphia. Citizens
from Philadelphia and vicinity, who had fled
to Lancaster, York and elsewhere when the
British entered that city, now returned to
their homes. Congress again convened at
Independence Hall.
AVilliam Ellery, a delegate from Rhode
Island, wrote an interesting account of his
trip to Philadelphia after leaving York,
June 28, 1778. He was accompanied by
Eldridge Gerry and Francis Dana, of Mas-
sachusetts, and Richard Hutson, of South
Carolina. In giving a report of his trip he
stated that they went to Philadelphia by
way of Wilmington and Chester because all
the public inns would be occupied at night
by other delegates and people who were re-
turning to their homes in Philadelphia,
after that city had been evacuated by the
British. They crossed the Susquehanna
River at McCall's Ferry. AAlth some other
delegates and citizens they celebrated July
4. at Citv Tavern, Philadelphia.
MICHAEL HILLEGAS, treasurer of
the United States during the time that
Congress held its first sessions at York,
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
was born in Philadelphia in 1728, of Ger-
man parentage. He had served with
prominence as a member of the Provincial
Assembly, and when hostilities opened
with the mother countr)', in 1775, he was a
member of the Committee of Safety of his
native city. He was chosen as treasurer of
the United States soon after the adoption
of the Declaration of Independence, and
held that office until 1789, a period of
thirteen years. This trust was one of great
responsibility, and his faithful services to
his country through those long years of
Revolutionary struggle command the ad-
miration of every true American. Pos-
sessed of ample means, his devotion to his
country stamps him as a pure patriot. In
1780. Michael Hillegas was one of the
original subscribers to the Bank of Penn-
sylvania, organized chiefly for the relief of
the government, his subscription being
4,000 pounds. He was one of the original
members of the American Philosophical
Society, and died on September 29, 1804.
CHARLES THOMPSON, secretary to
Continental Congress at York, was born in
Ireland, in 1729, and came to America in
1740. He obtained a liberal education and
conducted a classical school at New Castle,
Delaware. In 1774, he was married to a
sister of Benjamin Harrison, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence, from Vir-
ginia, and settled in Philadelphia. The
same year he was elected secretary to the
first Continental Congress and held that
position continuously until the adoption of
the National Constitution in 1789. When
Congress adjourned from Philadelphia to
York, he accompanied that body and was
influential in all the legislation passed while
in session here, ^^'hen John Hancock re-
signed the presidency, Thompson presided
over Congress until Laurens was inducted
into offlce. During his long career in the
secretaryship, he kept voluminous notes of
the proceedings of Congress. These he in-
tended to publish in permanent form, but
changed his mind and destroyed all his
manuscripts, fearing that the reflections he
might cast upon some of the eminent
might affect the future history of the coun-
try. He was the author of several books
and pamphlets, mostly of a religious char-
acter. Late in life, he resided at his country
home in Lower Merion, ^Montgomery
County, and died there in 1824, at the age
of 95. '
DEATH OF PHILIP LIVINGSTON.
The death of Philip Livingston, the
distinguished patriot and signer of the
Declaration of Independence, was the sad-
dest event recorded during the sessions of
Congress at York. This occurred early on
the morning of June 12, 1778. He had been
re-elected a -delegate to Congress from the
State of New York. At this time Livings-
ton's health was in a precarious condition,
but Governor Clinton urged that he repair
at once to Congress in order to take the
place of a retiring member. It seemed ne-
cessary that Livingston should make the
long journey in his enfeebled condition.
He bade farewell to his family and
Arrives friends, and started on horseback
at with a single companion and ar-
York. rived at York, May 4, 1778. On
the following day, Congress re-
ceived the encouraging news that the King
of France had formed a treaty of Amity
and Commerce and a treaty of Alliance
with the L'nited States. The people
of the inland town of York and the
distinguished patriots then in session here,
were in ecstasy over the news which had
been sent to Congress by Benjamin Frank-
lin, the American commissioner at Paris.
Livingston joined in this rejoicing and on
the same day took his seat in Congress,
but the efifect of the journey caused a re-
lapse two days later. In his humble lodg-
ings at a village inn he was tenderly cared
for by his fellow delegates. There were
four members in Congress at that time who
were physicians, and with eager interest
they watched hiS' condition and rendered
all medical aid that was possible. These
men were Josiah Bartlett, of New Hamp-
shire : Oliver AA'olcott, of Connecticut ;
Jonathan Elmer, of New Jersey, and Joseph
Jones, of Virginia.
Henry Livingston, one of his sons, was
then serving as an aide on the staff of Gen-
eral AVashington, at Valley Forge. A
courier was sent in haste to this encamp-
ment to notify the son of his father's illness.
Colonel Livingston immediately came to
York. The ravages of disease had borne
hard on the system of his father, and after
a linsrerina: sickness of a little more than
PHILIP LIVINGSTON
Signer of the Declaration of Independence, who died and
is buried at York
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
one month, Philip Livingston died in the
sixty-third year of his age. Gouverneur
Morris, another New York delegate then in
Congress, three days after Livingston's
death, dispatched Governor Clinton, of
New York, a letter in which he said in part :
"I am sorry to inform your Excellency
and the State of New York of the death of
my worthy colleague, Philip Livingston.
Almost immediately after his arrival here
at York, he was confined to his room with
a dangerous malady from which time there
seemed to be no chances of recovery. He
grew steadily worse and on Friday last, at
4 o'clock in the morning, paid the last debt
to nature."
Philip Livingston died of dropsy.
His His body was taken in charge by
Burial. Francis Lewis, Gouverneur Morris
and William Duer, the -other dele-
gates from New York, and buried at 6
o'clock on the evening of the day of his
death. The Rev. Dr. George DufSeld, then
chaplain of Congress, officiated at this sad
funeral. By invitation of Congress, the
three village pastors were present, Nicholas
Kurtz, representing the Lutheran congre-
gation; John Ettwein, the Moravian, and
Daniel AA'agner, the German Reformed.
The entire delegation in Congress attended
the funeral, each with crepe around the
arm, which, b}^ resolution, they were re-
quired to wear for a period of thirty days.
The remains of the distinguished dead were
buried in the graveyard to the rear of the
German Reformed Church, on West Mar-
ket Street, York, just as the sun was sink-
ing behind the western horizon.
The remains of Philip Livingston lay en-
tombed in the Reformed Churchyard at
York, for a period of seventy-eight years.
January, 1856, they were removed to
Prospect Hill cemetery, a short distance
north of York, where they now lie, the spot
being marked by a marble shaft, on the face
of which is the following inscription :
Sacred
To the memory of the Honorable
PHILIP LIVINGSTON,
Who died June 12, 1778,
Aged 63 years.
While attending the Congress of the
United States, at York Town,
Penna., as a Delegate from
the State of New York.
Eminently distinguished for his talents
and rectitude, he deservedly enjoyed
the confidence of his country, and
the love and veneration of his
friends and children.
This monument erected by
His Grandson,
Stephen Van Renssalaer.
Livingston was born at Albany, January
15, 1716, and was the youngest of four sons.
His great-grandfather was a celebrated
divine in the church of Scotland and his
grandfather, after emigrating to America,
came into possession of a large manor on
the Hudson. At his death, this manor was
inherited by Philip Livingston, father of
the signer. Philip Livingston, the son, was
gifted with extraordinary mental endow-
ments, and after his graduation from Yale
College, in 1737, became a prosperous
merchant in the city of New York. He
served nine years as an alderman and was a
member of the Colonial Assembly during
the French and Indian war. At the open-
ing of the Revolution, Livingston became
an ardent patriot and was one of the
earliest in New York to oppose British op-
pression and favor the freedom of the
colonies. In 1774, he was chosen a member
of the first Continental Congress which met
at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, and was
re-elected to the second Congress which
convened at the same place the following
year. In 1776, he was one of the fifty-six
persons who signed the Declaration of In-
dependence.
On June 14, 1778, the following touching
letter was written at York to Dr. Thomas
Jones, by Henry Philip Livingston, a son of
the statesman, who was the second of the
signers to die since they had penned their
names to the Declaration of Independence
at Philadelphia, July 8, 1776:
I sincerely lament that Providence has made it neces-
sary to address my friends on so mournful an occasion
as the present. Oh, for words to soften their distress
and lessen the bitter pangs of grief. I feel myself un-
equal to the duty and utterly at a loss what to say.
My dear friend, have you received my letter of the
nth? It was written with intent to prepare the minds
of the family for the melancholy subject of this, and to
prevent in some measure the efifects of a too sudden
impression, Unhappih', m\' apprehensions were not ill
founded, for the disorder was too malignant and ob-
stinate to struggle with.
I\Iust I tell you ! My dear father expired early on
the morning of the 12th, and was . buried the same
evening. The funeral was conducted in a manner suit-
able to his worth and station, being attended by all the
military in town, the Congress, the strangers of distinc-
tion, and the most respectable citizens.
Mv dear mother and sister, grieve not immoderately
3-24
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
even at the loss of an excellent husband and parent.
Consider that worth and excellence cannot exempt one
from the lot of human nature, for no sooner do we enter
the world than we begin to leave it. It is not only
natural but commendable to regret the loss of so tender
a connection,' but what can an excess of sorrow avail.
I hope to set off for Hurlj- in two or three days, and
I hope, dear sir, by your influence and consolation to
tind the family as composed as this distressing event will
allow.
BARON STEUBEN AT YORK.
Baron Steuben, the distinguished Ger-
man officer, came to Y'ork in February,
1778. He was enthusiasticahy received by
Congress and the officers of the army then
here. Steuben, who Avas 48 years of age,
had won fame as a soldier in the Seven
Years' War, for German liberty, and also
had served as an aide on the staff of Fred-
erick the Great of Prussia. He was one of
the best trained soldiers of Europe, and the
object in bringing" him here was to train
the American soldiers in, the tactics used by
the triumphant armies of Frederick the
Great. Steuben was induced by St. Ger-
main, the French minister of war, to join
the American cause, while on a visit to
Paris in the fall of 1777. Although he held
high rank in the Prussian army, he entered
into an arrangement with the French min-
ister to sail for the United States. Embark-
ing in a French gunboat, under the name of
Frank, he set sail from Marseilles, Decem-
ber II,- 1777, and after a stormy passage of
fifty-five days, arrived at Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, from which town he proceeded
to Boston. On December 6, five days after
his arrival at Portsmouth, Steuben ad-
dressed the following letter to Congress at
York :
Honorable Gentlemen : — The honor of
Writes serving a nation, engaged in the noble
enterprise of defending its rights and
to liberties, was the motive that brought
Cono^reSS. "''^ '° this continent. I ask neither
" riches nor titles. I am come here from
the remotest end of Germany, at my
own expense, and have given up an honorable and lucra-
tive rank. I have made no conditions with your depu-
ties in Paris, nor shall I make any with you. My only
ambition is to serve you as a volunteer, to deserve the
confidence of your general-in-chief, and to follow him
in all his operations, as I have done during seven cam-
paigns with the King of Prussia. Two and twenty
years spent in such a school seem to give me a right of
thinking myself among the number of experienced
officers ; and if I am possessed of the acciuirements in
the arts of war, they will be much more prized by me
if I can employ them in the service of a republic such
as I hope soon to see in ./Vmerica. I would willingly
purchase, at the expense of my blood, the honor of
having mv name enrolled among those of the defenders
of your liberty. Your gracious acceptance will be suffi-
cient for me, and I ask no other favor than to be re-
ceived among your officers. I venture to hope that you
will grant this my request, and that you will be so good
as to send me your orders to Boston, where I shall
await them, and take suitable measures in accordance.
On January 14, immediately after receiv-
ing the letter from Steuben, Congress
unanimously passed the following resolu-
tion :
"AA'hereas, Baron Steuben, a lieutenant-
general in foreign service, has in a most dis-
interested and heroic manner, offered his
services to these states in the quality of a
volunteer,
"Resolved, That the president present
the thanks of Congress, in behalf of these
United States, to Baron Steuben, for the
zeal he has shown, for the cause of America,
and the disinterested tender he has been
pleased to make of his military talents; and
inform him, that Congress cheerfully ac-
cepts of his service as a volunteer in the
army of these states, and wish him to repair
to General Washington's headquarters as
soon as convenient.''
On the same day that Steu-
Letter to ben wrote to Congress, he
Washington, addressed the following let-
ter to Washington :
Sir : — The enclosed copy of a letter, the original of
which I shall have the honor to present to your Excel-
lency, will inform you of the motives that brought me
over to this land. I shall only add to it, that the object
of my greatest ambition is to render your country all
the service in my power, and to deserve the title of a
citizen of America, by fighting for the cause of your
liberty. If the distinguished ranks in which I have
served in Europe should be an obstacle, I had rather
serve under your Excellency as a volunteer, than to be
an object of discontent to such deserving officers as
have already distinguished themselves among you. Such
being the sentiments I have always professed, I dare
hope that the respectable Congress of the United States
of America will accept my services. I could sajs more-
over, were it not for the fear of offending your modesty,
that 3-our Excellency is the only person under whom,
after having served the King of Prussia, I could wish
to follow a profession, to the study of which I have
wholly devoted myself. I intend to go to Boston in a
few days, where I shall present my letters to Mr. Han-
cock, member of Congress, and there I shall await your
Excellency's orders.
Steuben left Portsmouth on the
Meets 1 2th of December, 1777, and set
Hancock, out for Boston, where he ar-
rived on the 14th, and was re-
ceived as cordially as at the former place.
He met there John Hancock, who had just
retired from the presidency of Congress,
and received AA'ashington's reply to his let-
\
cox'i"ixi-:.\"r.\i, c'( )xc,i<i:ss at \()I<k
3^.5
ter. by wliicli lie was informed that lie must
repair without delay to York, Pennsyl-
vania, where Congress was then sitting,
since it belonged exclusively to that body
to enter into negotiations with him. At the
same time, Hancock communicated to
Steuben an order of Congress, that every
preparation should be made to make him
and his attendants comfortable on their
journey to York, and Mr. Hancock himself,
with great care, made all the necessary ar-
rangements. Carriages, sleighs and saddle
horses were provided, five negroes were as-
signed to them as grooms and drivers, and
an agent to prepare quarters and procure
pro\isions.
Duiionceau, tlie learned
Duponceau's I'renchnian, wlio accom-
Story. panied Steul)en to .\nierica
as iiis secretary and inter-
preter, after the Revolution remained in this
country, locating in Philadelphia. In 1836
he published tiie following description of
their trip from Boston to York:
'"Our party consisted of Baron Steuben
and his servant, Carl Vogel. a young lad
whom he had brought from Germany, ]Mr.
De Francy, an agent of Beauniarchais. and
myself. NN'e traveled on horseback. Not-
withstanding the recent capture of General
Burgoyne, the situation of the United
States at that time was extremely critical.
The enemy was in possession of Rhode
Island. Xew York and Philadelphia, with
well-organized and disciplined troops, far
superior to our own. Our army (if army it
might be called) was encamped at Valley
Forge, in the depth of a severe winter,
without pro\-isions, without clothes, w'ith-
out regular discipline, destitute, in short, of
everything Ijut courage and patriotism ; and
what was worse than all, disaffection was
spreading through the land. In this dismal
state of things the baron was advised to
keep as far from the coast as possible, lest
he should be surprised by parties of the
cnein\' or l)y the Tories, who made fre-
i|uent incursions into the country between
Xew York and Philadelphia. We, there-
fore, shaped our course westward, and
crossing the states of Massachusetts. Con-
necticut. Xew York and Pennsylvania, we
employed about three weeks in a journey of
410 miles in all. which at present would
hardly recpiire as many days."
The\' stopped on their way, on
Reaches Sunday, the i8th of January, at
York. Si)ringfield. on the 20th at Hart-
ford, on the 28th at Fishkill, on
Thursday, the 30th, at Bethlehem, on the
2d of February at Reading, on the 4th at
Manheim, and arrived on Thursday, the
5th, at York, and remained here until the
igtli of February. In his narrati\e, Du-
ponceau relates several incidents of their
trip to York. Among these is the amusing
story of their experience at Manheim, in
Lancaster County, where they lodged for
the night before coming to York.
"A great number of inns, in towns and
countries, bore the sign of the King of
Prussia, who was still very popular, par-
ticularly among the Germans. I remember
that at Majiheim the baron, with a signifi-
cant look, pointed out to me, at the tavern
where we dined, a jjaltry engraving hung
up on the wall, on which was represented
a Prussian knocking down a Frenchman in
great style. Underneath was the following
motto :
" 'Ein Franzmann zum Preuzen wie cine
Meucke.'
" '.V Frenchman to a Prussian is no more
than a mosquito.'
"The good baron appeared to enjoy that
picture exceedingly, and so, no doubt, did
the German landlord to whom it belonged."
In a letter written to Baron de
Steuben's Frank, dated July 4. 1779.
Own Baron Steuben, from his head-
Story, quarters on the Hudson, thus
describes his visit to York:
"The arrangements of my equipage de-
tained me more than five weeks in Boston,
so that I could not set out for York before
the 14th of January. I was received there
with the most distinguished attentions. A
house w-as reserved for my use. and a guard
of honor placed before the door. A day
after my arrival. Congress inquired.
through a committee of three members, the
terms on which I proposed to enter the
service. Mj- answer was, that I had no wish
to make any arrangements or terms; that I
wished to make the campaign as a volun-
teer, desiring neither rank nor pay for my-
self, and only commissions for the officers
of mv suite. This was agreed to by Con-
gress, as I had expected. A resolution of
thanks, in the most obliging terms, was re-
^26
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
turned, with an offer of defraying all my
expenses. My officers received their com-
missions, and even my secretary was
gratified with the rank and the pay of a
captain.
"I will here observe, that in the military
organization of the states, the highest rank
is that of major-general. Washington is
the oldest major-general, being at the same
time invested, in his quality of commander-
in-chief, with all the privileges of a general
field marshal in Europe. His authority is
as unlimited as that of a Stadtholder in Hol-
land can be. The other major-generals,
whose number does not at present surpass
nine, are the commanders of corps, armies,
wings and divisions. General Gates is com-
mander of the Northern army. General
Lincoln of the Southern army, and General
Sullivan of the forces against the Indians.
All are under the orders of the com-
mander-in-chief. The second rank is that
of a general of brigade. They are the com-
manders of brigades, like the major-gen-
erals in European armies.
"Upon my arrival in the camp, I was
again the object of more honors than I was
entitled to. General AVashington came
several miles to meet me on the road, and
accompanied me to my quarters, where I
found an officer with twenty-five men as a
guard of honor. \Mien I declined this, say-
ing that I wished to be considered merely
as a volunteer, the general answered me in
the politest words, that 'The whole army
would be gratified to stand sentinel for such
volunteers.' He introduced me to Major-
General Stirling and several other generals.
Lieutenant-Colonel Ternant and Major
Walker were both appointed by Congress
as ni}^ adjutant-generals. On the same day
my name was given as a watchword. The
following day the army was mustered, and
General AA'ashington accompanied me to
review it."
General Lafayette had left York a few
days before Steuben's arrival. General
Gates, who had been appointed president of
the Board of AVar, came here on January 19.
The fame of Steuben had preceded him to
Y^ork. He was welcomed and courted by
all, and General Gates, in particular, paid
him the most assiduous court, and even in-
vited him to make his house his home,
which he declined. In a letter written to
John Hancock the day after his arrival at
York, Steuben says :
"Please to accept my grateful thanks for
all the kindness you have shown me during
my stay in Boston. In this very moment I
enjoy the good effects of it, having taken
the liberty of quartering myself in an apart-
ment of your house in this town. My
journey has been extremely painful; but the
kind reception I have met with from Con-
gress and General Gates on my arrival here,
have made me soon forget those past incon-
veniences. Now, sir, I am an American,
and an American for life; your nation has
become as dear to me as your cause already
was. You know that my pretensions are
very moderate ; I have submitted them to a
committee sent to me by Congress. They
seem to be satisfied, and so am I, and shall
be the more so, when I find the opportunity
to render all the services in my power to the
United States of America. Three mem-
bers of Congress have been appointed for
concluding an arrangement with me tomor-
row; that will not take long, my only claims
being the confidence of your general-in-
cliief."
Freiderich Kapp, the biog-
Interviewed rapher of Steuben, in re-
by ferring to the Committee of
Committee. Congress appointed to wait
upon the Baron, says:
"The committee of Congress mentioned
by Steuben, which was composed of Doctor
AYitherspoon, the chairman, and only per-
son who spoke French, Messrs. Henry, of
JNIaryland, and Thomas McKean, waited
upon Steuben the day after his arrival, and
demanded of him the conditions on which
he was inclined to serve the United States,
and if he had made any stipulations with
their commissioners in France? He replied
that he had made no agreement with them,
nor was it his intention to accept of any
rank or pay; that he wished to join the
army as a volunteer, and to render such
services as the commander-in-chief should
think him capable of, adding, that he had
no other fortune than a revenue of about
six hundred guineas per annum, arising
from posts of honor in Gennany, which he
had relinquished to come to this country;
that in consideration of this, he expected
the United States would defray his neces-
sary expenses while in their service; that
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
327
if, unhappily, this country should not suc-
ceed in establishing their independence, or
if he should not succeed in his endeavors in
their service, in either of these cases he
should consider the United States as free
from any obligations toNvards him ; but if,
on the other hand, the United States should
be fortunate enough to establish their
freedom, and that if his efforts should be
successful, in that case he should expect a
full indemnification for the sacrifice he had
made in coming over, and such marks of
liberality as the justice of the United
States should dictate; that he only
required commissions for the officers
attached to his person, namely that
of major and aide-de-camp for Mr. De
Romanai, that of captain of engineers for
Mr. De I'Enfant, that of captain of cavalry
for Mr. De Depontiere, and the rank of cap-
tain for his secretary, Mr. Duponceau ; that
if these terms were agreeable to Congress
he waited for their orders to join the army
without delay."
The committee appointed to in-
Services terview Baron Steuben, re-
Accepted, ported to Congress on the fol-
lowing day. The propositions
submitted by the Baron were unanimously
accepted and soon afterward he proceeded
to Valley Forge, where he began strict
training and discipline for the campaign of
1778. AYhen he first arrived at the encamp-
ment at Valley Forge, he experienced some
difficulty because of his lack of familiarity
with the English language, but his future
career was successful, and the cause of in-
dependence owed a debt to him for his
achievements in the American army.
When he arrived at York in February he
was assigned to quarters in the house
previously occupied bj^ John Hancock,
when he was president of Congress. The
house stood on the south side of West Mar-
ket Street, three doors west of Centre
Square, and was owned by Colonel Michael
Swope, who had commanded a regiment of
York County troops at the battle of Fort
Washington, where he and almost his en-
tire command were captured, in Novem-
ber, 1776, and were still prisoners of war in
New York City and Long Island. On June
23, Continental Congress approved a bill of
$104 presented by Mrs. Eva Swope, wife of
Colonel SAVope, for lodging and boarding
Baron Steuben, his two aides and two
servants, for thirteen days.
Baron Steuben returned to York in June,
1778, for the purpose of having the duties
and powers of his department minutely de-
fined and settled by Congress. He did not
tarry here long, however, but on hearing
of the evacuation of Philadelphia by the
British, hastened to join Washington, who
was laying his plans for a summer cam-
paign, which resulted in the victory at Mon-
mouth and the transfer of the seat of war
to the south.
TWO PLANS OF GOVERNMENT.
The party conflicts of our Revolutionary
leaders were caused by the antagonism be-
tween two schools of political thought — the
liberative and the constructive. The sole
object of the former was to get rid of the
British authority in America, which was'
interpreted to be tyranny. The latter
sought to set up in the colonies a constitu-
tional system of co-ordinate legislative, ex-
ecutive and judicial departments in the
place of authority of the British go\'ern-
ment. The liberative school sought to en-
force government through congressional
committees ; the constructive through heads
of departments, giving large powers to
Washington as commander-in-chief, and to
Franklin at the head of the American le-
gation at Paris. The contest between the
leaders of the conflicting schools of thought
among the Fathers of our Republic was
dominant while Congress sat in York and
continued until the Federal constitution
was framed in 1787.
Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts,
through his dislike of executive authority
in any shape, became the leader of the
liberative school in Congress. Through his
opposition to the adoption of scientific
principles either in war, in diplomacy or in
finance, he came more than once near
wrecking the cause which he would gladly
have given his life to sustain. Even after
the war, both Samuel Adams and John
Hancock opposed the ratification of a na-
tional constitution, but when they finally
accepted it as a wise compromise, they were
of the greatest public service to the new
government. John Adams, during the
Revolution, advocated the same policy and
principles as his cousin, Samuel Adams.
32^
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
When peace came, he was one of the most
ardent supporters of constitutional and ex-
ecutive authority. Closely allied with these
three New. England statesmen of this
period were Richard Henry Lee and Fran-
cis Lightfoot Lee, of Virginia, men of
power and influence in Congress.
In the political history of our countr}-,
these statesmen were not constructive in
their tendencies. They were civilians and
it is remarkable that no military man of
eminence accepted the principles of gov-
ernment which these men had advocated
during the War for Independence.
General A\'ashington by na-
Washington ture and training, both as a
a Leader. soldier and a statesman, be-
came the great leader among
those advocating a constructive policy. He
declared that war was an instrument of con-
struction of which destruction of English
power was merel)^ the preliminary incident.
The object he had in view as early as 1776
was essentiall)' dififerent from that of the
leaders of the liberati\'e school of Revolu-
tionary statesmen. Washington had not
yet loomed up as the dominating person-
ality of the Revolution when the Articles of
Confederation were passed by Congress at
York, in November, 1777. Between him-
self and the supporters of the liberative
school there was antagonism, until after
the former had driven the British army out
of New Jersey, in 1778, and achieved dis-
tinction on the field of battle at Trenton,
Princeton and Monmouth. These victories
attracted the attention of alb Europe and
called forth favorable comment from Fred-
erick the Great of Prussia. AA'ashington
held that war was essential but should be
conducted by trained regulars. Adams and
his colleagues thought that America could
fight the battles for independence with
militia, because they had shown so much
patriotic valor at Bunker Hill and the siege
of Boston. Washington was one of the
earliest who favored an alliance with
France, the enemy of England. He courted
the friendship of the youthful Lafayette and
at once gave him high rank in the army.
The diplomacy of the war was largely con-
ducted by Washington as the head of the
army. In this work he displayed wisdom
and forethought to which the French never
ceased to pay tribute.
Next to- Washington in this line of
thought was Franklin, whose mind was
eminently constructive, and who for years,
as postmaster-general and as colonial agent
in London, had acquired the largest expe-
rience in American administration of any
man then living. Of the same school of
thought as Washington and Franklin were
Robert Morris, John Lay, Gouverneur Mor-
ris, Henry Laurens, Alexander Hamilton,
Benjamin Harrison and Robert R. Living-
ston. Their opponents argued that Rome
enslaved the world by discipline ; the Gauls
liberated it from Rome's oppression by im-
petuous zeal. It was the militia of New
England, they claimed, who drove back the
British regulars at Lexington and hurled
back the enemy's onset at Bunker Hill. But
in reply to this, W'ashington and his friends
said that Rome succumbed to her own ener-
vation, and that if the untrained farmers
who drove back the invaders at Lexington
and the half-armed militia who defended
Bunker Hill had been fully armed and well-
disciplined as soldiers, the British army at
Boston would have been forced to capitu-
late and the war would have been brought
to an early close. But Washington still
maintained that a war such as the United
States then was engaged in could not be
sustained by an army made up of militia or
volunteers enlisted for a short term of
service.
These momentous questions had been
frequently taken up in Congress during the
early part of 1777. They were discussed with
vigor and energy soon after Congress arrived
at York. This was the turning point in the
political thought of that eventuful period.
The defeat of the American
Antagonism army under AVashington at
to Brandywine and German-
Washington, town, and the success of
Gates at Saratoga shortly
after Congress arrived in York, intensified
the feeling of the liberative school of states-
men in and out of Congress and culminated
in serious antagonism to AA'^ashington. The
attempts to undermine AA'ashington owed
their origin to the attitude of certain mem-
bers of Congress toward him as com-
mander-in-chief. Had it not been for the
vigorous opposition of his political ene-
mies, no army rival would have ventured
to push forward.
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
329
Early in 1777, John Adams declared that
he was "sick of the Fabian system," adopted
by the head of the army. After President
Laurens had issued his proclamation for
the national thanksgiving in honor of the
victory at Saratoga, Adams wrote from
York' to his wife in Massachusetts : "One
cause of it ought to be that the glory of
turning the tide of arms is not immediately
due to the commander-in-chief. ... If
it had, idolatry and adulation would have
been unbounded." James Lovell, the
schoolmaster from Boston, then a delegate
in Congress, asserted that "our affairs are
Fabiused into a very disagreeable posture,"
and wrote that "depend upon it for every
ten soldiers placed under the command of
our Fabius, five recruits will be wanted an-
nually during the war." AVilliam Williams,
a member from Connecticut, agreed with
Jonathan Trumbull that the time had come
when "a much exalted character should
make way for a general." He suggested if
this was not done "voluntarily," those to
whom the public looked should "see to it."
Abraham Clark, a member from New Jer-
se)^, said, "we may talk of the enemy's
cruelty as we will, but we have no greater
cruelty to complain of than the manage-
ment of our own arm}^" Jonathan D. Sar-
gent, noted as a jurist and later -attorney-
general of Pennsylvania, asserted : "We
want a general — thousands of lives and mil-
lions of property are yearly sacrificed to the
inefficiency of our commander-in-chief.
Two battles he has lost for tis by two such
blunders as might have disgraced a soldier
of three months' standing, and yet we are
so attached to this man that I fear we shall
rather sink with him than throw him off
our shoulders." Richard Henry Lee, of
Virginia, agreed with Mifflin that Gates
was needed to "procure the indispensable
changes in our army." Other delegates to
Congress who were inimical to AA'ashing-
ton, either by openly expressed opinion or
by vote, were Elbridge Gerry, Samuel
Adams, William Ellery, EHphalet Dyer,
Samuel Chase and F. L. Lee.
There were other men conspicuous in the
affairs of the government and in the army
who displayed strong opposition to AA^ash-
ington. Thomas Mifflin, of Pennsylvania,
who, at the request of AVashington, had
been appointed quartermaster-general of
the army, became unsparing in his criticism
of his commander. He had served in this
position for several months, but owing to
some reflections made by AA^ashington upon
the management of his department, grew
impetuous and resigned his position in the
army and was outspoken in his strictures on
the management of the campaign which
had resulted in the defeats at Brandywine
and Germantown.
Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia, who
filled the position of silrgeon and physician-
general of the middle district, took occa-
sion to speak of AVashington in the most
scathing terms. He often dealt in vituper-
ation in making remarks about others. He
quarreled with Dr. William Shippen,
surgeon-general of the army, and even
went so far as to ask for the removal of the
latter. This incident brought forth from
Washington that the criticism made by
Rush against Shippen originated in bad
motives. Rush retorted by picturing the
army in a woeful condition. He claimed
that AA^ashington was controlled by General
Greene, a "sj^cophant," General Knox, the
commander of artillery, and Alexander
Hamilton, one of his aides, a young man of
twent3'-one. He further predicted that the
war would never end with him as com-
mander-in-chief. Two months later, Rush
came to York and resigned his commission
in the arm}^ Soon afterward he wrote an
anonymous letter to Patrick Henr}', then
governor of Virginia, containing bitter sar-
casm and scathing reflections on AA^ashing-
ton's character and ability as a soldier.
The letter was forwarded to Washington,
who recognized the handwriting of his an-
tagonist. After reading it, AA'ashington re-
marked; "AA'e have caught the sly fox at
last."
Early in October, soon after
Laurens Congress assembled in York,
a Henry Laurens, a distinguished
Friend. member from South Carolina,
wrote : "General AA^ashington
complains of the want of many essential
articles for the army. He is the most to be
pitied of an}^ man I know. The essentials
should have been supplied. If they had
been provided some time ago, hundreds,
perhaps thousands, of desertions would
have been prevented and there would be no
British army in Philadelphia."
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
On October i6, Henry Laurens wrote to
his son, then serving on the staff Of General
A\'ashington ; "I am writing this letter with
diiificulty in the hall of Congress. There is
a constant buzzing and confusion about me
amongst the delegates. Some of them are
asking why General Washington has not
demanded supplies of which he claims there
is a scarcity, from the people and the
Tories ? why has he not prevented deser-
tions and kept the British emissaries from
entering his camp ? The general opinion
is that the difficulty arises from the want of
discipline in the American army."
The Supreme Executive
The State Council and General As-
Legislature. sembly of Pennsylvania, then
in session at Lancaster, when
they heard, in December, that Washington
was about to go into winter quarters at Val-
ley Forge, sent a remonstrance to Congress.
Instead of being loyal to the commander-
in-chief by furnishing the needed supplies
for his army in the field and camp, these
bodies clamored against the decimated
army taking up qtiarters for the winter.
They claimed that the withdrawal of the
American army from the vicinity of Phila-
delphia would give the enemy opportunity
of foraging the region of eastern Pennsyl-
vania and even endangering the safety of
the legislature at Lancaster and Congress
at York. This would incur a loss of repu-
tation to the cause of independence, prevent
the enlistment of the militia for the safety
of the commonwealth, affect the raising of
taxes, and bring forth a multitude of other
evils, civil and military, including submis-
sion to the enem^^ _ It was a wild, erratic
and impetuous remonstrance unworthy of
men claiming to be American patriots.
They insisted on a winter campaign and
further stated that the inland towns such
as Lancaster and York were filled with
refugees to such an extent that it was im-
possible to accommodate soldiers quartered
in these places.
In reply to this opposition of the Penn-
sylvania Legislature, AA'ashington said : "I
can assure these gentlemen that it is much
easier to draw up remonstrances by their
warm firesides than to endure the rigors of
winter encampment without sufficient food
and clothing on the bleak hills of Valley
Forge."
Again he said : 'Tt is easy to bear the de-
vices of private enemies whose ill will only
arises from their common hatred to the
cause we are engaged in ; but I confess, I
cannot help feeling the most painful sensa-
tions, whenever I have reason to believe I
am the object of persecution to meni who
are embarked in the same general interest,
and whose friendship my heart does not
reproach me with ever having done any-
thing to forfeit. With many, it is a stiffi-
cient cause to hate and wish the ruin of a
man, because he has been happy enough to
be the object of his country's favor."
It is related in Dunlap's History of New
York, upon the authority of Morgan Lewis,
an aide on the staff of General Gates, that in
January, 1778, a day had been appointed
by the opponents of AA'ashington in Con-
gress for one of their members to move for
the appointment of a committee to proceed
to the camp at Valley Forge and report
adversely to the intents of the commander-
iii-chief, and that the motion would have
been adopted had not the opponents of
A\^ashington unexpectedl}^ lost their ma-
jority.
At that time there were five delegates
chosen to represent the state of New York
in Congress. These men were James
Duane, Philip Livingstone, Francis Lewis,
AMlliam Duer and Gouverneur Morris.
Only two of them were present, Duer and |
Lewis. The former was confined to his bed i
by sickness and it was thought he would be
unable to attend the session of Congress (
when the vote for the appointment of the
committee was to be taken. By a resolu-
tion of the legislature of New York the I
presence of two delegates was necessary to ;
entitle the state to a vote in Congress.
Lewis was an active member of the naval
board and a correspondent of Franklin, ■
whose war polic}^ coincided with that of d
AVashington. He kept himself thoroughly ^
posted in what was being done by the op-
ponents of the commander-in-chief. In the
event of Duer being unable to attend this
important session he dispatched a letter to
Gouverneur Morris, who was then on his
way to York, so that two delegates from
the state would be on hand. Says Julia
Delafield, the granddaughter and biog-
rapher of Francis Lewis :
"Alorris was his intimate friend. He
--S
3 S
S £
COXTIXEXTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
331
wrote to ]\Iorris informing him of the
emergency, and begging him to come to
York at once. Duer sent for his physician,
Dr._ Joseph Jones, one of the delegates from
Virginia, and requested him to have a cot
ready to take him to the Court House. Dr.
Jones repHed, 'If you go you will endanger
your life.' 'Will I die before I reach the
house ?' 'No, but you may die in conse-
quence of the exertion.' 'Then I will go.
If you will not assist me, somebod)' else
must; but I prefer your aid.'
■'The day appointed by the conspirators
to bring forward their motion. Gates, his
staff, and Gouverneur Morris arri^■ed at
York. They had all been detained on the
Lancaster side of the river by the ice that
obstructed the channel of the Susquehanna.
Morgan Lewis and Morris repaired at once
to the quarters of the New York delegates.
There they found Francis Lewis w-ith his
friend Duer, the latter wrapped in blankets,
his cot and his bearers ready to convey him
to the Hall of Congress. The arrival of
Morris made it unnecessary for him to risk
his life. The opponents of Washington,
finding that they were outnumbered, did
not bring forward their motion."
THE CONWAY CABAL.
This was the condition of affairs in Con-
gress at York, and throughout the thirteen
original states at war with Great Britain at
the opening of the year 1778. AVashington
had gone into winter c[uarters at Valley
Forge and had there commenced the erec-
tion of log huts for his soldiers in the camp.
Fortunately, for the commander-in-chief
and the future destiny of the country, there
were strong men in and out of Congress
who remained loyal to their chief.
But the contending factions of
Gates' Congress had brought forth
Ambition, the aspirations of General
Gates, the hero of Saratoga, to
supplant AA'ashington as the head of the
army. Congress had invited him to York
to become president of the Board of War.
Prominent men believed him superior in
military genius to AVashington. So much
applause caused his head to be turned. His
vanity was only excelled by his arrogance,
for he had neglected to inform AA'ashington,
as was his duty, of the victory at Saratoga
before sending his message to Congress.
AA'ashington congratulated Gates upon his
victory, but reproved him for not comply-
ing with the rules of the army by sending a
direct communication to him as com-
mander-in-chief. After the surrender, Gates
had declined to quickly send a part of the
army to the assistance of AA'ashington, near
Philadelphia. AVashington sent Alexander
Hamilton, one of his aides, and by that
means secured the return to the main army
of Morgan's Riflemen, who had distin-
guished themselves at the battle of Sara-
toga. Had he been re-inforced earlier by
these valiant soldiers, it is claimed that
AA'ashington might have saved the forts on
the Delaware and prevented the British
from occupying Philadelphia during the
winter. Gates took advantage of the situa-
tion and entered into correspondence with
General Thomas Conway, General ]\Iififlin
and other officers of the army, who were
disaffected toward AA'ashington.
Thomas Conway was AA'ashing-
Conway's ton's traducer to Gates. He
Intrigues, was an Irish-French soldier of
rank, who unfortunately had
been made a brigadier-general in the Con-
tinental army. Having made friends of the
New England delegates in Congress, it was
then proposed by them to advance him to
the rank of major-general, which AA'ashing-
ton had opposed on the grounds that "his
merit and importance exist more in his
imagination than in reality.'' For the
moment this was sufficient to prevent Con-
waj^'s promotion, and even if he had not
before been opposed to his commander, he
now became his bitter enemy.
Colonel James AA'ilkinson, an aide on the
staff of Gates, had been assigned to the
dut}' of carrying the news of the victory at
Saratoga to York, and stopped on the way
at Reading, Pennsjdvania, where he re-
mained three days. Lord Stirling, an officer
in the American army, who had been
wounded at Brandywine, had been taken to
that town until his recovery. AA'hile in a
convivial mood, after having drank too
freely, AA'ilkinson revealed the secrets of the
cabal to Major AA^illianis, an aide on the
staff of Lord Stirling. This information
was communicated to AA'ashington, who
sent to Conway the following brief note :
Sir : A letter which I received last night
contained the following paragraph: — "In a
332
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
letter from General Conwav to General
Gates, he says, 'Heaven has determined to
save your country or a weak general and
bad counsellors would have ruined it." " I
am, sir, your humble servant,
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
This brought the attention of Washing-
ton and his friends to what seemed to be a
conspiracy to elevate Gates to the chief
command of the army. Conway did not
know what answer to make to this startling
note. Meantime, General Mifflin wrote to
Gates that an extract from one of Conway's
letters had fallen into the hands of AA'ash-
ington, and cautioned him to be more care-
ful of his correspondence in the future. The
plotters now became seriously alarmed.
A\'ashington's curt letter left them in the
dark. i
Gates replied to INIifflin: "There is
scarcely a man living who takes greater
care of his papers than I do. I never fail to
lock them up and keep the kej' in my
pocket." He then arrived at the conclusion
that Alexander Hamilton, who had visited
him at Albany, had stealthily ransacked his
effects and read his private correspondence.
Gates wrote to AA'ashington stating that he
understood that some of Conway's confi-
dential letters to himself had fallen into
AA'ashington's hands. He then sent a copy
of the letter to Congress in order that that
body might assist in the discovery of the
person who committed this alleged misde-
meanor. The purpose of this artifice was
to create, in Congress, an impression un-
favorable to AA'ashington, by making it ap-
pear that he had encouraged his aides-de-
camp in prying into the portfolios of other
generals. AA'ashington discerned the
treacherous purpose of the letter and
wrote to Gates : "Your letter came to my
hands a few days ago, and to ni}^ great sur-
prise, informed me that a copy of it had
been sent to Congress, for what reason, I
find myself unable to account ; but as some
end was doubtless intended to be answered
by it, I am laid under the disagreeable ne-
cessity of returning my answer through the
same channel, lest any member of that
honorable body should harbor an unfavor-
able suspicion of my having practiced some
indirect means to come at the contents of
the confidential letters between you and
General Conwa3\"
In this letter, AA'ashington further related
how AA'ilkinson had babbled over his cups
at Reading and revealed the secret, which
had spread consternation among the
friends of the commander-in-chief. He had
communicated this discovery to Conway to
let that officer know that his intriguing dis-
position was observed and watched. He
had mentioned this to no one else but
Lafa3''ette. AA'ashington did not know that
Conway was in correspondence with Gates,
and had even supposed that AA'ilkinson's
information was given with the sanction of
Gates and with friendly intent to forearm
him against a secret enemj'. "But in this,"
he wrote, in concluding this remarkable let-
ter, "as in other matters of late, I have
found myself mistaken."
Had it not been for the treach-
Wilkinson erous letter of Gates, AA^ash-
Blamed. ington never would have sus-
pected him. Amid this dis-
comfiture. Gates had a single ray of hope.
It appeared that AA'ashington thus far had
no definite information except the sentence
dropped in AA'ilkinson's conversation.
Gates now attempted to make AAalkinson
the scapegoat for all, and wrote again to
AA'ashington, denying his intimacy with
Conway, and declared that he had received
but one letter from him. He protested that
this letter contained no such paragraph as
that of which AA^ashington had been in-
formed. The information that AA^ilkinson
had revealed, he declared to be a villainous
slander. In a previous letter to AA'ashing-
ton, Gates had admitted the existence of
several letters which he had received from
Conway. A stinging reply from AA^ashing-
ton put Gates in a very uncomfortable
position, from which there was no retreat.
AA'hen Colonel AA^ilkinson heard of this
matter, his youthful blood boiled with rage.
Having been selected as president
Gates of the Board of AA''ar, General
at Gates resigned from his command
York, of the northern army, then at Al-
bany, and came to l^ork, arriving
here January 19. By many of the delegates
in Congress he was received with great en-
thusiasm. The victory which he had won
at Saratoga had gained for him temporarily
a brilliant reputation as a soldier. He had
won the first decisive battle of the Revo-
lution. The surrender of Burgovne, which
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
333
followed, was largely instrumental in se-
curing" the alliance with France. The abil-
ity of \\'asliington had not yet been dis-
covered by some of the leading statesmen
of the country. Men who never had seen
Gates were shouting his praise and he re-
ceived a cordial welcome when he reached
the inland town of York, then the capital of
the infant republic of the United States.
His wife and son had preceded him some
time before and had been given the best
accommodations that could be afforded
them. Gates was called upon, fawned and
flattered by his supporters in Congress and
by the army officers who were then
present in York.
Soon after his arrival, he as-
Head of sumed his duties as president
the Board of the Board of AVar. Associ-
of War. ated with him on this board
were four men, all supposed to
be inimical to AVashington as the head of
the army. These men were Colonel Tim-
othy Pickering, of Virginia; Richard Pe-
ters, of Pennsylvania; General Thomas
Mifflin, and Colonel Joseph Trumbull, of
Connecticut. Encouraged by the flattery
he had received, and buoyant with the hope
that his name would soon be glittering as
the commander-in-chief of the American
army. Gates began the duties to which
Congress had assigned him. The Board of
AA'ar was then the directing power of the
army, and he aimed to use this influential
position which he now held to elevate him-
self to the highest military position in this
country.
AVhen General Gates arrived at York he
took up his quarters at a public inn, where
he remained two or three weeks. On Feb-
ruary II, a bill amounting to $1,333 '^^^
ordered to be paid by Congress as expenses
for himself, his family and his aides from
the time of his arrival. Among the aides
who accompanied him were Colonel 'Mor-
gan Lewis, son of Francis Lewis, then a
member of Congress from New York; Cap-
tain John Armstrong, son of General John
Armstrong, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; and
Colonel Robert Troup, who had brought
the news of the first battle of Saratoga to
Congress during the previous October.
Later Gates rented a house on the north
side of AA'est Market Street near AA^ater,
which he occupied until he returned to the
northern armv at Fishkill, New York, in
April.
General Lafayette, the youthful
Lafayette patriot of France, came to York
at York. from Washington's headquar-
ters at A^alley Forge, on Janu-
ary 30, 1778, eleven days after the arrival
of Gates. Colonel Pickering arrived 'the
same day. During the interim, the subject
of supplanting AA''ashington by Gates for
the head of the army was an important
topic for discussion, among members of
Congress in private council and other ad-
herents of Gates, then in York. Lafayette
had arrived in America from France, June
14, 1777, landing at Georgetown, South
Carolina. He had proceeded to Philadel-
phia, part of the way in a carriage, which
broke down, and the remainder of the
distance on horseback. It required him
more than a month to reach Philadelphia.
He had come to this country for the pur-
pose of joining the American forces, and
aid them in fighting for independence. He
had inherited a dislike for the British gov-
ernment, for his father had been killed in
battle on English soil, before Lafayette was
born. AA'lien he came to this country, he
was only nineteen years of age, and at first
received a cold reception from Congress.
After he had declared his wish to serve as
a volunteer and at his own expense. Con-
gress appointed him a brigadier-general,
July 31, 1777. The next day he was intro-
duced to AVashington, and the lifelong
friendship between the two men was at
once begun. AA^ashington received him
with great cordiality and for a time he
served as an aide on the staff of the com-
mander-in-chief.
At the battle of Brandywine Lafayette
received his first baptism of fire and was
wounded while gallantly leading a recon-
noitering party to find out the position of
a division of the enemy. His wound was
first dressed by Dr. William Magaw, of
Cumberland County, a surgeon in AA^ayne's
brigade. He was conveyed in the private
carriage of Henry Laurens, to Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania, where he remained two
months until he had recovered from his
wound. On November 25, in a recon-
naissance of General Greene against Corn-
wallis's position at Gloucester Point, Lafay-
ette, with 300 men, defeated a superior
334
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
force of Hessians. In recognition of this
service, he was appointed, December 4, to
command a division of A\'ashington"s army
latel}^ under General Stephen, who had been
removed for alleged misconduct at the bat-
tle of Germantown. Lafayette spent part
of the winter at Valley Forge.
Soon after Gates became
Canadian president of the Board of War,
Expedition that body conceived a plan for
Planned. the invasion of Canada. They
invited Lafayette to York for
the purpose of receiving instructions to
take charge of the Canadian expedition,
with General Thomas Conw^ay second in
command. Washington had disapproved
of this expedition, but Congress and the
Board of War claimed that with the aid of
Stark and his Green Mountain boys, and a
small force of regulars stationed at Albany,
they could make up an invading army of
3,000 men. On January 24, while still at
Valley Forge, Lafayette received a letter
from Gates, containing information of his
appointment as commander of the Cana-
dian expedition. He refused to accept the
appointment until he had consulted A\'ash-
ington, and made it a condition that Baron
de Kalb, who ranked Conway, should ac-
company the expedition. He then came to
York for instructions, where he was re-
ceived with great enthusiasm by Gates and
his friends. They laid plans to win his in-
fluence and support.
A banquet had been prepared in
An honor of the French patriot.
Historic Lafayette was flattered and
Banquet, toasted and a brilliant campaign
was predicted. Gates assured
him that a large army would be at Albany,
New York, ready to march. Lafayette
listened with placid composure and equa-
nimity of mind. The fawning flattery
which he had received from the intriguers
against Washington did not turn his head.
Although of an impulsive nature, like most
Frenchmen, vanity was not one of his
characteristics. He had already avowed his
loyalty to the commander-in-chief, for
whom he showed the most profound vener-
ation. The ties of aftection which linked
Washington and Lafayette together in after
years had already been formed. He de-
termined not to oppose the views of his
commander, whom he had just left at Val-
Ic)' Forge, but in obedience to duty, he had
come to York to discuss the plan of invad-
ing Canada. The rank to be accorded him
b}' Congress and the Board of War was a
promotion, and if this expedition would fur-
ther the cause of independence, he had
decided to take command of the army.
Lafaj^ette now found himself in company
opposed to the interests of his friend. The
air of the banquet was distasteful to him.
After a number of toasts had been otTered,
General Gates, as president of the Board of
AVar. handed to Lafayette the commission
which Congress had voted him on January
2^. Deeply impressed with the scenes and
incidents that had transpired, the youthful
Lafayette accepted his commission of
major-general, then with calm dignity he
rose from his chair, while breathless
silence pervaded the room. All eyes were
riveted upon him' and the suspense that
awaited his action produced a profound im-
pression upon every one present. All that
is definitely known of this incident is what
Lafayette recorded in his own "Memoirs,"
published in the French language, some
years later. He says :
"I arose from my chair and
Toast to referred to the numerous
Washington, toasts that had already been
offered in the interests of
the American government and the prosecu-
tion of the war. Then I reminded all
present that there was one toast that had
not yet been drunk. I then proposed the
health of the commander-in-chief at Valley
Forge. After I had done this, I looked
around the table and saw the faces of the
banqueters redden with shame.
"The deep silence then grew deeper.
None dared refuse the toast, but some
merely raised their glasses to their lips,
while others cautiously put them down un-
tasted."
It was evident to all the opponents
Plans of Washington that their plans
Foiled, had been foiled, for the young
soldier had displa)'ed the loj^alty
to his chief that afterward marked him as
one of the most eminent patriots of the
Revolution. AA'ith a shrug of the shoulders,
he stepped away from the table and left the
room. He retired to his quarters that
night, feeling that he had won a victory
and saved the armv from the loss of Wash-
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
335
ington. whose ability finally succeeded in
winning triumph to the American arms in
the A\'ar for Independence.
Having accepted the commission and re-
ceived his instructions, Lafayette soon
afterward proceeded to Albany to assume
his duties as commander of the northern
army. When he reached there, he found
neither troops, supplies nor equipments in
readiness. Instead of 3,000 regulars, wdiich
Gates had promised, he found barely 1,200,
and these were not equipped or clothed for
a march into Canada. The plan of invasion
ended in a complete fiasco. The scheme
itself was condemned by public opinion.
The opposition which AVashington had
shown to it increased his power and in-
fluence in Congress. Lafayette and de
Kalb were glad to return to their chief at
Valley Forge.
The antagonism to Washing-
The Cabal ton among manj^ delegates to
Collapsed. Congress now declined. Gates
continued his work as president
of the Board of AVar, but his influence was
on the wane. He remained in York for a
considerable time. On April 15, he was ap-
pointed by Congress to proceed to Fishkill,
New York, and take charge of the army at
that point. Very little is definitely known
of his career in this position. During the
summer of 1778, he retired from the army
and repaired to his estate in Berkeley
County, Virginia. There were still mem-
bers in Congress who recognized his mili-
tary achievements at Saratoga and believed
that he possessed ability to command an
arm}^ On June 13, 1780, he was recalled
from his retirement by Congress and placed
in command of the army in North Carolina,
designed to check the progress of Corn-
wallis northward through that state. In
the battle near Camden, South Carolina,
August 16, he was defeated and his army
nearh^ annihilated. He was soon afterward
succeeded by General Nathaniel Greene,
and suspended from duty.- Thus ended his
military career in the Revolution.
At the close of the war, he retired to his
estate in Virginia, where he lived until
1790, when he removed to New York City,
where, after a long illness, he died, April
10, 1806. at the age of 78 years. General
Gates was a man of pleasant address and
cultixated manners. He possessed an in-
teresting personality and a good education.
Though having many faults, the chief of
which was an overwhelming confidence in
his own ability, combined with arrogance
and untruthfulness, he had also some noble
traits. Before he removed to New York he
emancipated his slaves and provided for the
support of those who could not take care
of themselves.
Mrs. Gates, who spent several
Mrs. Gates months at York, was a
at York. " woman of rare accomplish-
ments. While here she shared
an enviable hospitality, entertaining the
friends of her husband, who had achieved
distinction by his victory at Saratoga. She
was the daughter of James Valence, of
Liverpool, England. At her father's death,
before the Revolution, she came to this
country, bringing with her $450,000, a
wealth which exceeded that of any other
woman in America. Their son and only
child, Robert, died shortly before the bat-
tle of Camden. During the Revolution,
Mrs. Gates spent a large portion of her
fortune in a lavish hospitality upon her
husband's companions in arms, especially
those in indigent circumstances. Many
Revolutionary heroes were participants of
her bounty, including Thaddeus Kosci-
uszko, the Polish nobleman, who, when
wounded, lav six months at her home,
nursed by herself and her husband.
GATES-AVILKINSON DUEL.
At the opening of the war. Gates was an
ardent patriot, and was present at York on
his way to the army, July i. 1775, when the
first troops were about to march from here
to join AVashington at Boston. In the
spring of 1778, General Gates was forty-
eight years of age. AAMlkinson was twenty.
This trained soldier and his youthful aide
had been intimate friends from the open-
ing of the war until the Conway Cabal was
discovered by the friends of AA^ashington.
In the fall of 1777, when Congress ap-
pointed Gates president of the Board of
AA'ar, he requested that Colonel AA'ilkinson
should be its secretary.
AA'ilkinson remained with the Northern
army on the Hudson for a time after Gates
had come to York. The fact that AA'ilkin-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
son, while in a convivial mood, had revealed
the Cabal to an army friend at Reading,
while on his way to York, in October, with
the official papers describing the surrender
of Burgoyne, caused an estrangement be-
tween himself and his superior officer.
AYhen Gates discovered that his secret cor-
respondence with Conway had reached
AVashington, he tried to shift the responsi-
bility upon A\'ilkinson.
Earl}' in February, 1778, AVilkin-
Trouble son. who had been raised to the
Brewing, rank of brigadier-general, re-
ceived a letter from President
Laurens to come at once to York and as-
sume the duties of secretary to the Board
of War. He left the military post at Al-
bany, traveled in a sleigh to Reading, and
from thence to Lancaster on horseback.
Upon his arrival at Reading, for the first
time, he heard that Gates had denounced
him as the betrayer of Conway's letter.
This news was confirmed when he reached
Lancaster, where he remained one day.
Meantime he sent a messenger with a let-
ter to Gates, in York, charging the latter
with impugning his honor. In this letter,
he said. "AA'hat motive, sir, could induce me
to injure you or General Conway? You,
my boasted patron, friend and benefactor,
he a stranger for whom I entertained favor-
able sentiments."
The response made by Gates to this let-
ter was offensive in language and widened
the breach between the two men. In sub-
stance it said AVilkinson could have any
satisfaction he desired.
"Immediately after receiving
The this letter," says AA'ilkinson, in
Challenge, his Memoirs, "I repaired to
York, arriving in that town by
twilight on the evening of February 23, to
avoid observation. During the night I met
my early companion and friend. Captain
Stoddert. I recounted my wrongs to him
and requested him to bear a message from
me to General Gates. He remonstrated
against my intention to challenge Gates to
fight a duel, and warned me that I was
going headlong to destruction. For the
first time we parted in displeasure. Soon
afterward I met with Lieutenant-Colonel
Ball, of the Virginia Line, whose spirit was
as independent as his fortune. He deliv-
ered to Gates the following note :
"Sir:—
"I have discharged my duty to you and my conscience.
Meet me tomorrow morning behind the Episcopal
Church and I will then stipulate the satisfaction which
j-QU have promised to grant.
"I am vour most humble servant,
•'JA:MES WILKINSON."
This was an open challenge to fight a
duel with his old commander. He had de-
termined to defend his integrity and his
honor. Gates had charged him with false
representations at Reading to Major AA^il-
liams, an aide to Lord Stifling. These
charges he could not endure and he now
discovered that he was to be made the
scapegoat of the Conwaj^ conspirators. So
Colonel Ball, in obedience to his request,
carried the challenge to the residence of
General Gates, on the north side of Market
Street, near AA'ater. He was met at the
doorway by the general, who read the chal-
lenge with evident surprise. This was the
age of duelling; if a man would not accept
a challenge he was considered a coward.
With calm dignity, he responded :
"All right, sir. AVe will meet tomorrow
morning at 8 o'clock."
"He made no reference to the
The kind of weapons to be used nor
Meeting the distance. The place" desig-
Place. nated as the duelling ground was
on the lawn to the rear of the
Episcopal Church, near the Codorus Creek.
At 8 o'clock on the following morning.
Colonel Wilkinson walked down Beaver
Street, accompanied by his second. Colonel
Ball. They saw General Gates standing on
the street in front of the Episcopal Church,
in company with Captain Stoddert. Gates
was unarmed, for during the night he had
decided to meet his former friend on terms
of peace. AA^ilkinson halted a distance away
and Stoddert approached him, saying:
"General Gates wishes to speak to you."
"I will meet him on the duelling ground
in answer to the challenge which he ac-
cepted," said AVilkinson.
Then Captain Stoddert pleaded with the
young soldier and begged him to walk
down to the church and greet his former
chief, who did not wish to fight a duel with
a person for whom he entertained the high-
est regard and affection.
"There is no occasion to fight a duel.
Go with me and meet the general standing
yonder in front of the church."
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS AT YORK
337
A minute later the young colonel, who
had brought the news of the victory at
Saratoga to Congress, was greeted with a
warm clasp of the hand from the former
commander of the Northern army, who had
received the sword of Sir John Burgoyne
and accepted the terms of surrender of
6,000 British and Hessian soldiers at Sara-
toga, a few months before. It was a strik-
ing scene, and doubtless, was witnessed by
very few persons, for little mention is made
of this incident in the private correspond-
ence of the members of Congress then in
York, or in the family traditions of the citi-
zens.
"Come, my dear boy," said General
Gates, with tender emotion, "we must be
friends again. There is no cause for ill will
between us. Conway has acknowledged
that he wrote a letter criticizing Washing-
ton and has since made harsher statements
about him."
After this friendly greeting,
Wilkinson General Gates and Colonel
Retires. AVilkinson left Colonel Ball
and Captain Stoddert behind
and walked away together. They engaged
in a long conversation about the episode at
Reading and their relation to General Stir-
ling and Thomas Conway. Before they
separated, it was agreed that Wilkinson
would assume his duties the next day, as
secretary of the Board of War. In his
private correspondence he recorded that
when he went to the war office he foimd
General Gates barely civil and that he
found Richard Peters and Timothy Picker-
ing, other members of the board, agreeable
companions. The coolness of the president
of the board made his position uncomfort-.
able, and a few days later he resigned his
position and went to Valley Forge, where
he personally met Lord Stirling and Gen-
eral Washington and recounted to them
his difficulties with General Gates.
The estrangement between General
Gates and Colonel Wilkinson, which began
at York, in February, 1778, continued for
several months. Different statements had
been made concerning the conduct of
Gates when he failed to meet the challenge
made by his opponent at York. After re-
maining a short time at Valley Forge,
Wilkinson returned to the Northern army
on the Hudson. He now held the rank of
brigadier-general in the army, but as yet
had been assigned to no important duty.
After Gates returned to the Northern army,
near Kingston, on the Hudson, the two men
again met.
The controversy about the Conway
The Cabal had not been settled. Wilk-
Duel. inson decided to meet his opponent
again on the field of honor and chal-
lenged Gates to a duel, which took place
near St. Clair's headquarters on the Hud-
son, September 4, 1778. Captain John Car-
ter, of Virginia, acted as second to Wilkin-
son, and Thaddeus Kosciuszko, the Polish
nobleman who was serving as a colonel in
the American army, was second to Gates.
In the duel flint-lock pistols were used. At
the first shot, Wilkinson fired in the air,
while Gates' pistol flashed the powder in
the pan and did not discharge the ball.
They charged their pistols a second time
and when the order was given, Wilkinson
fired, but Gates refused. AVhen the word
was given the third time. General Wilkin-
son fired but missed his aim and the flint-
lock which Gates held again flashed in the
pan. The seconds now interposed and the
antagonists shook hands. After the duel
General Gates signed a certificate to the
effect that Wilkinson behaved like a gentle-
man in the encounter at York. Upon re-
quest, Wilkinson refused to sign and deliver
up a similar certificate concerning the con-
duct of Gates at York. Wilkinson then
challenged Gates to another duel, but Gates
refused, and the two men never became
firm friends.
Captain Ball, who was selected as second
to Wilkinson for the proposed duel at
York, commanded a Virginia company,
then encamped at York. Captain Benjamin
Stoddert, second to General Gates, com-
manded a company in Colonel Hartley's
Regiment, then acting as a guard to Con-
gress.
General Thomas Conway, the
Thomas reputed leader of the conspiracy
Conway. against Washington, was a na-
tive of Ireland, born in the yea-r
1733. He had served for a time in the
French army and came to this country at
the request of Silas Deane, the American
commissioner at Paris. In May, 1777, "he
was made a brigadier-general and in the fall
of the same year, took part in the battles of
338
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Brandj'wine and Germantown. Embittered
by Washington's opposition to his promo-
tion to the rank of major-general, he began
to write anonjanous letters to prominent
men, criticizing the ability of Washington
as commander-in-chief. Conway came to
York late in January, 1778. About the
same time, Lafayette arrived here to meet
the Board of AVar, and receive instructions
regarding the projected Canada campaign.
Conway was present at the famous banquet
given by Gates in honor of Lafayette.
After the plan to invade Canada had ended
in a fiasco, Conway lost favor with Con-
gress, and in a fit of passion he resigned his
commission, and left the army. Because of
his repeated attacks on Washington, he
was challenged by General Cadwallader to
fight a duel. The antagonists met July 22,
1778, near Philadelphia, and Conway was
shot in the mouth, the ball passing through
his neck. A few days later he wrote a letter
of apology to Washington, disclaiming that
he ever conceived a plan for the latter's re-
moval as commander-in-chief of the army.
He then returned to Paris and entered the
French army. During the French Revolu-
tion he was obliged to flee the country.
Nothing further is known of him. He is
supposed to have died about 1800 in ob-
scurity, in the city of London.
LIST OF DELEGATES AT YORK.
Continental Congress was first brought
together in September, 1774, at Carpenter's
Hall, Philadelphia. From the time of its
organization until the Constitution of the
United States went into effect, in 1789, it
was composed of one body, which elected
its presiding officer. John Hancock was
president of Congress from May, 1775,
until October 31, 1777, when he resigned.
He was succeeded by Henry Laurens, of
South Carolina, who presided over Con-
gress eight of the nine months it sat in
York. The delegates were chosen annually
by the state legislatures.
Few of the American patriots who
organized this legislative body in 1774, be-
lieved that its deliberations would result in
creating a new nation on the western conti-
nent. It first met to adjust the grievances
against the mother country and issued a
Declaration of Rights in 1774. This Con-
gress petitioned the King and Parliament,
in 1775, and finally passed the Declaration
of Independence, in 1776.
AN'hen Congress convened at York, Sep-
tember 30, 1777, in the minds of some of its
members and many people of the United
States, there was little hope that the army
under Washington would eventually de-
feat the British forces in America. At that
time, everything was dark and foreboding
and the success of the War for Indepen-
dence seemed doubtful. The patriots who
came here, however, continued to legislate
for the army and the establishment of the
freedom of the United States. While Con-
gress held its sessions in York, it passed the
Articles of Confederation, which, when
adopted, made the Declaration of Inde-
pendence a reality. It received the news of
the surrender of Burgoyne's army at Sara-
toga; made Baron Steuben a major-general
and sent him to the headquarters of the
army to drill the American soldiers in the
military tactics used by Frederick the Great
of Prussia. It received the news from the
American commissioners at Paris that the
French nation had entered into a treaty of
Alliance with the United States, and would
send money, a fleet and an army to aid in
the struggle for American independence.
It was during" the month of June, 1778,
that Congress at York, and Washington at
Valley Forge planned the campaign result-
ing in the victory over the enemy at Mon-
mouth, which transferred the seat of the
war to the south.
Continental Congress sat for a brief
period at Princeton, one day at Lancaster,
about two months at Baltimore, and a short
time at Annapolis, but transacted no busi-
ness at these places of importance to the
nation. While in session at York, some of
the greatest events in the whole history of
the Revolution occurred. The historic im-
portance of York as the temporary seat of
the national government has never been
fully set forth by historians. In the preced-
ing pages an etTort has been made to give
in detail the transactions of Congress and
the current events during the darkest period
of the Revolution, which ended in the dawn
of independence. When Congress assem-
bled at York, it was composed of no more
than thirty members. At stated times,
newly-elected delegates arrived, taking the
places of those who had returned to their
A copy from a drawing formerly in the Emmett collection in New York
and now in tlie possession of the Historical Society of York County. It is
supposed to be the only authentic portrait of James Smith in existence.
i
COX'l'IXl'.X'rAI. COXGRHSS AT VoKK
339
lioines. There were never more than forty
members present at one time. In al! there
were sixty-four delegates from the thirteen
original states who occupied seats in Con-
gress from the time it came to York until it
returned to Philadelphia. Twenty-six of
these had, the previous year, signed the
Declaration of Independence.
The following is the list of delegates at
York :
New Hampshire — Nathaniel Folsom,
George Frost, John Wentworth, Dr. Josiah
Bartlett.
Massachusetts — Samuel Adams, El-
bridge Gerry, James Lovell, John Adams,
Francis Dana, John Hancock, Dr. Samuel
Holten.
Connecticut — William Williams, Elipha-
let Dyer, Richard Law, Titus Hosmer,
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntingdon, Dr.
Oliver Wolcott.
Rhode Island — Henry Marchant, Wil-
liam Ellery, John Collins.
New York — -James Duane, ^^'ill^am Duer,
Francis Lewis, Gouverneur Morris, Philip
Livingston.
New Jersey — John AVitherspoon, Dr.
Jonathan Elmer, Abraham Clark, Dr. Na-
thaniel Scudder.
Pennsylvania — Robert ^lorris, Daniel
Roberdeau, James Smith, Jonathan Bayard
Smith, AA'illiam Clingan, Joseph Reed.
Delaware — Thomas !McKean.
^Maryland — Charles Carroll, Samuel
Chase, Benjamin Rumsey, George Plater,
William Smith, James Forbes, John Henrv,
Jr.
Virginia — Francis Lightfoot Lee, Rich-
ard Henry Lee, John Harvie, Benjamin
Harrison, Dr. Joseph Jones, Thomas Ad-
ams, John Bannister.
North Carolina — John Penn, Cornelius
Harnett, Dr. Thomas Burke.
South Carolina — Henry Laurens. Thomas
Heyward, Jr., Arthur Middleton, John
Matthews, Richard Hutson, AA'illiam Henry
Drayton.
Georgia — Edward Langworthy, George
AValton, Dr. Nathan Brownson. Joseph
AVood.
JAMES S^IITH, signer of the Declara-
tion of Independence, was born in the north
of Ireland. His father, John Smith, was a
well-to-do farmer, but, induced by his
brothers, who had previously emigrated to
this country and settled in Chester Countv,
he came to Pennsylvania in 1729, and soon
afterward settled on the west side of the
Susquehanna in what is now York County.
John Smith died in the neighborhood of
York in 1761. His eldest son, George,
studied law at Lancaster, but shortly after
his admission to the bar (1740) was
drowned in the Susquehanna while bath-
ing. The third son, Arthur, was a farmer,
and removed to western Pennsylvania prior
to the Revolution. James, the second son,
received a liberal education, having been
placed under the charge of the Rev. Dr.
Alison, provost of the College of Philadel-
phia. After completing his studies in
Philadelphia, he began to read law at Lan-
caster, where he was admitted to the bar
in 1745. He subsequently went to the
Cumberland Valley, where he practiced
both law and surveying, remaining four or
five years, and then settled at York. When
the Revolution began, Smith became one
of the first advocates of independence. He
was chosen a member of the Provincial
Deputies, July 15, 1774, and was the author
of the "draught of instructions" to the Pro-
vincial Assembly. He was a member of
the Provincial Convention of January 23,
1775; of the Provincial Conference of June
18, 1776; and of the Convention of the 15th
of July following. In 1775 ^e was commis-
sioned colonel of the First Battalion of As-
sociators of York County, and throughout
the Revolutionary struggle was largely in-
strumental in organizing troops for the
patriot army. In 1776 he was elected a
delegate to the Continental Congress, and
his name is afiixed to the Declaration of
Independence. He was re-elected the fol-
lowing year and took his seat while Con-
gress was in session at York. He was
elected a member of the Assembly in 1779,
and November 20, 1780, commissioned
judge of the High Court of Appeals.
The Supreme Executive Council ap-
pointed Colonel Smith a brigadier-general
of the Pennsylvania militia. May 23, 1782,
vice General Potter promoted. He was ap-
pointed one of the counsellors on the part
of Pennsylvania in the controversy be-
tween that State and Connecticut. Eebru-
ary 16, 1784. In the following year the As-
sembly elected him to Congress, in the
place of ]\Iatthew Clarkson, resigned, but
34°
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
his advanced age obliged him to decline a
re-election. Smith relincjuished the practice
of law in 1801, and from that period until
his death lived in quiet retirement. He
died at York on the nth day of July, 1806.
A\"ith an uncommonly retentive memory,
with a vein of good humor and a fund of
anecdotes, his excellent conversational
powers drew around him many who en-
joyed his sharp wit and lively manners, and
made his old age bright and cheerful.
James Smith married, in 1752, Eleanor,
daughter of John Armor, of New Castle,
Delaware. She and two children survived
him several years.
During the Revolution, James Smith
owned and occupied a dwelling house on
the west side of South George Street near
King. When Congress was in session at
York, his home was a place of meeting of
the distinguished statesmen who were then
serving as delegates and on important com-
mittees. His law office, a two-story build-
ing which stood on the corner of South
George Street and Mason Alley, a short
distance north of his residence, was used as
a meeting place of the Board of War, when
it was presided over by John Adams, of
^Massachusetts. In 1805, his law office, con-
taining his library, many valuable docu-
ments and letters which he received from
distinguished men, was destroyed by fire.
James and Eleanor Smith had five chil-
dren: Margaret, the eldest, was born Sep-
tember 14, 1753, married James Johnson,
whose grandson. Dr. William Johnson, for
many years was a practicing physician at
York. Mrs. Johnson died at York, January
18, 1838. Mary, the second daughter, mar-
ried James Kelly, a member of the York
County Bar, and died at York, September 4,
1793. George, one of the sons, was born
April 24, 1769, died unmarried at the age
of 32, when his estate was inherited by his
brother. Arthur died before he grew to
manhood. James, the other son, owned
considerable property and died without
descendants, leaving his property to his
cousins. The remains of James Smith, to-
gether with his wife, who died July 13, 1818,
and some of his children, were buried in the
Presbyterian churchyard, on East Market
Street, York.
The public documents which he prepared
and the speeches he delivered during and
after the Revolution show that he was a
man of strong intellect, literary training,
and an able lawyer.
CHAPTER XX.
WHISKEY INSURRECTION.
The Law Opposed — Troops Called Out —
Ended Without Bloodshed.
AA'hat is known as the AA'hiskey Insur-
rection was an episode in the history of
Penns3dvania rather than an important
event, but it caused a great commotion
throughout the whole countrjr. In order to
raise a revenue to pay the debts incurred
by the Revolution, a tariff was imposed
upon certain products and taxes were laid
on the manufacturing interests of Pennsyl-
vania and the other states. As this was
before the days of railroads and canals, the
rapid transportation of products was un-
known. During the AA'ar for Independence
and the years which immediately followed
it. the farmers of southern and western
Pennsylvania found it profitable to manu-
facture their rye and corn into whiskey.
This product sold readily in the Baltimore
and Philadelphia markets. It was hauled
there by farmers in large teams. In York
County and throughout the southern tier of
counties west to the state of Ohio, as early
as 1790, and for twenty years later, many
farmers owned copper stills, in which they
made whiske}- from their own cereals.
In March, 1791, Congress laid a
The Law tax of twenty-five cents a gallon
Opposed, on Avhiskey. This tax was con-
sidered heav}' by the farmers in
the eastern part of the state, but it was not
violently opposed by them. The farmers
of AA''estmoreland, Fayette, Allegheny and
AA^ashington Counties in the southwestern
part of the state were sternly opposed to
the tax, and openly attacked the excise
officers, while in the performance of their
duties. Delegates from the counties named
met in Pittsburg and passed resolutions
against the excise law. Their opposition
continued for several years, but there were
no serious disturbances until 1794. Presi-
dent AA^ashington sent a commission for the
purpose of reasoning with these disturbers
of the law, and if possible settle the diffi-
culties amicably.
WAR OF 1812
341
Not being able to quiet the insur-
Troops rectionists, Washington ordered
Ordered an army of 15,000 men from the
Out. states of Pennsylvania, New Jer-
sey, Maryland and Virginia to
march into that region and quell the
violators of the law. After Governor
Mififlin had sent Chief Justice McKean and
General William Irvine into the lawless
region, he called together a special session
of the Legislature, in order to act in har-
mony with the plan of the National Gov-
ernment. Five thousand Pennsylvania
militia were ordered to be called out. Ac-
cording to the directions of the President,
Carlisle was made the place of rendezvous
for the Pennsylvania and New Jersey
troops, and Cumberland, Maryland, for the
troops from the other two states. Gov-
ernor Henry Lee, known as "Light Horse
Harry" of the Revolution, was to command
the entire force, which, after concentration,
was to 'move across the mountains into the
enemy's country.
Colonel Alexander Russell, brigade in-
spector for York County, was ordered to
raise twentj^-two cavalry and 550 infantry,
rank and file. These troops, after being-
armed and equipped, rendezvoused at Car-
lisle with the other militia from Pennsyl-
vania. The York County troops belonged
to the Third Brigade, Fourth Division,
Pennsylvania Militia. This brigade was
composed of troops from York, Cumber-
land, Lancaster and Franklin Counties, and
were commanded by Brigadier-General
James Chambers. They remained in
service about two months.
Meantime a meeting of the leading citi-
zens of southwestern Pennsylvania had
been called to discuss the disturbed con-
dition of affairs. Among the persons who
attended this meeting were Albert Gallatin,
who for nine years served as secretary of
the United States treasury; James Ross,
the distinguished lawyer, who had been
born in York County, and James Edgar,
formerl}' from York Count}^ then an asso-
ciate judge in the new count}' of AA'ashing-
ton.
Conciliatory measures had
No been adopted through the in-
Bloodshed. fluence of these men, which
eventually resulted in quelling
the insurrection without bloodshed. Presi-
dent Washington, accompanied by Alex-
ander Hamilton, secretary of the treasury,
proceeded to Carlisle in September, 1794,
and there reviewed the troops. The Presi-
dent was met at Carlisle by William Find-
lay, of Westmoreland, and David Reddick,
of Washington County, who assured him
that order could be restored without the aid
of militia force. Not being entirely satisfied
with the report of the commission, Presi-
dent Washington left Carlisle, October 11.
and proceeded to Fort Cumberland, where
he met General Lee and reviewed the Vir-
ginia troops. They moved to Bedford,
where AA'ashington remained three days
and reported to the committee, represent-
ing the insurrectionists of western Pennsyl-
vania that no other offensive measures
would be resorted to if they obeyed the
laws of the Government. After delegating
to General Lee power to conduct negotia-
tions. AVashington left Bedford, October
22, on his way to Philadelphia. He passed
through York in October and reached
Philadelphia on the 28th. Some of the
troops under Lee moved as far west as
Uniontown, the. seat of justice of Fayette
County. November 17, the people of west-
ern Pennsylvania, in answer to the procla-
mation of President Washington, gave up
their opposition to the excise law and quiet
was restored without bloodshed. The
entire military force was ordered to return
home, except a detachment under General
Morgan, of Virginia, which was kept at
Pittsburg during the winter to preserve
order. Governor Mifflin came to York and
met the county officers and other repre-
sentative citizens for the purpose of dis-
cussing measures to bring out the military
force in obedience to the call of the Presi-
dent of the United States.
CHAPTER XXI
WAR OF 1812.
Cause of the War — Call for Troops — Ren-
dezvous at York — Battle of North Point
— The Star Spangled Banner.
The war of the Revolution ended in the
independence of the thirteen American
colonies. The relations between the United
States and the mother countr}^ were in a
strained condition the next thirtv vears.
342
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
During most of that period all of Europe
was engaged in wars, brought about by
Napoleon Bonaparte, which eventually in-
volved the United States. This resulted in
a second war with England. It is known
to American historj^ as the War of 1812.
The prosperity of the United
Cause States, after the achievement of in-
of dependence, was interrupted by the
War. war between England and France,
during the career of Napoleon.
Those nations mutually declared each
other's ports to be in a state of blockade,
which closed them against American com-
merce. The British government claimed
the "right of search" — to take from Ameri-
can vessels the sailors they claimed to be of
English birth and impress them into their
service. The American people demanded
"free trade and sailors' rights," and the out-
rages perpetrated were so great that they
insisted upon a surrender of the British
claim of search. The government of the
United States refused to negotiate on the
subject, an embargo was laid upon all
ships in American ports, and war was
declared by Congress ^ against Great
Britain, June 18, 1812.
James Madison, the President of
Call the United States, issued a procla-
for mation calling on the militia of
Troops, the several states. In May, 1812,
a call for 14,000 men, as the quota
of Penns3dvania of 100,000 militia, had been
ordered, by an act of Congress, and Gov-
ernor Snyder had issued his general orders
for their organization. Volunteers from all
parts of the state had tendered their
services to the government by the time war
was declared.
The Federalist party at this time, largely
represented by New England statesmen,
had opposed a declaration of war, but both
the United States senators and all the repre-
sentatives in Congress, except two from
Pennsylvania, voted with President Madi-
son and his party in favor of hostilities with
England. Simon Snyder, a native of Lan-
caster County, who spent his early man-
hood in York, was the Governor of Penn-
sylvania. He had been chosen to that
position by the Republican party, which
had elected INIadison President of the
United States. The sentiment in this state
was almost unanimous for war. The volun-
teer soldiery, as well as militia, quickly
responded to the call for troops. Such was
the enthusiasm of the hour, that in response
to the Governor's call, three times as many
troops tendered their services as were re-
quired. At this time there were residing in
York County, about 400 soldiers, who had
fought in the Revolution, more than a quar-
ter of a centur)^ before. Some of the men
were past middle life, and many of them
volunteered their services to defend their
country against an invading foe. Among
these men were General Henry Miller, who
had won distinction as an officer under
Washington, and Colonel John Clark, who,
after a brilliant career in the field, had
served on the staiT of General Greene.
AA'illiam Reed, a native of York County,
was adjutant-general of Pennsylvania
under Governor Snyder. At this time he
resided at Fairfield, in Adams County. He
had previousl}' served as brigade inspector
of militia for York County. In response to
the orders of the governor. General Reed
speedily organized the State militia, which
was formed into two brigades, commanded
by Generals Isaac Morrell and Adamson
Tannehill.
The early events of this war took
On the place along the Canada frontier,
Frontier, extending from the northwest-
ern boundary of New York
State west to Fort Dearborn, the present
site of Chicago. The British land forces,
which had been sent to this region by way
of the St. Lawrence River and the Lakes,
in 1813, menaced the whole northern
frontier. Meanwhile, during this year
every naval battle was a victory for the
Americans. In the course of six months, in
six fights with American vessels, the British
had lost six ships and taken none. This
was because of the superiority of American
ships and the fact that the American sailors
were more accurate in their firing. These
victories on the sea gave the American
navy great prestige and influence, for dur-
ing the previous ten }'ears, England had
declared herself "mistress of the seas."
In the summer of 181 3, our
Harrison's contest with Great Britain was
Victory. complicated with an Indian
war which could not be
a\-oided. At this period of the war. instead
of conquering Canada, it looked as though
WAR OF 1812
343
the United States government would lose
the entire northwest territory. The defeat
of the British and Indians b}^ General Har-
rison at the battle of the Thames, where
Tecumseh, the noted Indian chief, was
killed, averted further trouble with the
Indians. The British, however, began to
invade New York State, but were defeated
by General Macomb in the battle of Platts-
burg, and Commodore Macdonough, who
destroyed their fleet on Lake Champlain, in
July, 1814.
Meantime, the Americans began to in-
vade Canada by way of the Niagara River.
General AA'infield Scott crossed the river
and won the bloody battles of Chippewa on
July 5, and Lundy's Lane, July 25. During
the threatened invasion of our northern
frontier, Governor Snyder was ordered to
send 1,000 troops from the counties of Cum-
berland, Franklin and Adams to the
Niagara frontier to join the army under
General Scott. There were a few soldiers
from the northern part of York County
who served in this campaign. Most of the
Pennsylvania militia, by order of President
Madison, were held in reserve within the
state for the purpose of meeting the enemy
who might come up the Delaware River or
Chesapeake Bay. The two divisions of the
state militia were encamped at different
places in Pennsylvania at brigade rendez-
vous.
After the defeats along the
War in northern frontier, the British
the South, army transferred the seat of
war to the south. The Indians
were incited to hostilities in Alabama.
After seven months of hard fighting, An-
drew Jackson, with United States regulars
and Tennessee militia, defeated them at
Tallapoosa, in March, 1814. This broke the
Indian power in the southwest. During
the same month, Napoleon had been over-
thrown by his defeat at Waterloo. This
enabled England to send more troops to
America.
In August, 1814, General Ross, with an
army of 4,500 men, accompanied by a fleet
of forty vessels in command of Admiral
Cockburn, landed on the coast of Chesa-
peake Bay and marched toward the city of
Washington. On August 24, General Ross
defeated a small body of Americans at
Bladensburg, a few miles northeast of
Washington. The enemy marched into
Washington on the evening of the same
day, and burned the executive mansion,
national capitol and all the other public
buildings except the patent office. The
army under Ross and fleet under Admiral
Cockburn sailed down the Potomac and up
the Chesapeake, and landed at North Point,
fourteen miles southeast of Baltimore.
Immediately after the British
Rendezvous army had landed on the
at York. Chesapeake and marched to-
ward AVashington, in re-
sponse to the orders of the President, Gov-
ernor Snyder directed the militia of Penn-
sylvania to rendezvous at Marcus Hook, on
the Delaware Bay, and at York, Pennsyl-
vania, for the purpose of preparing to meet
the invading army. The militia from the
counties of Dauphin, Schuylkill, Lebanon,
York, Adams, Lancaster and Chester, in all
5,000 men, were quickly marched to York.
One thousand men rendezvoused at Han-
over. After their arrival at York, these
troops were mustered into the United
States service for the term of six months
unless sooner discharged. They were
organized into one division, under com-
mand of Major-General Nathaniel AVatson.
The division was composed of two
brigades, commanded by Brigadier-Gener-
als John Forster and John Addams. These
two brigades were organized and ready to
camp on the Public Common at York on
September 5.
The entire region embraced in southern
Pennsylvania, JNIaryland and Delaware was
in a state of great excitement, similar to
that period of the American Revolution
when General Howe landed at the head of
the Chesapeake and started on his march to
Philadelphia, thirty-seven years before.
The people of Maryland and southern
Pennsylvania had witnessed a light in the
sky caused by the burning of the public
buildings at Washington.
W^lien the news of this event
Troops reached this county, the York
Go, to Volunteers, a military com-
Baltimore. pan3^ commanded by Captain
]\Iichael Spangler, and a com-
pany commanded by Captain Frederick
Metzgar, and also one commanded by Cap-
tain John Bair, of Hanover, one under Cap-
tain AA'illiam McClellan, of AA'arrington
344
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Township, one under Captain Amos, of
Peach Bottom, and another under Captain
Robert Colbin, of Lower Chanceford, all
marched hastily toward Baltimore and vol-
unteered their services to defend the city.
The company from York, commanded by
Captain Spangler, among the Pennsylvania
troops, took the most active part in the bat-
tle of North Point. The two Hanover com-
panies were drawn up in line of battle and
exchanged shots with the enemy. The
other companies from York County arrived
in the vicinitj^ of Baltimore in time to view
the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the
British fleet.
Robert Ramsey, of Peach Bot-
The Last tom, who belonged to the
Defenders, company of Captain Amos ;
Joshua Kilgore, of Fawn, a
soldier in the same company, and William
Cowan, of Lower Chanceford, of Captain
Colbin's compan}^, and John Trone, of Cap-
tain Metzgar's company, from Hanover,
each, at the age of about 90 years, in the
year 1885, related to the writer their ex-
periences on the march to Baltimore and
described with eager interest the battle of
North Point and the bombardment of Fort
McHenry. Henry Sleeger, of East York, a
few years earlier, related the experience of
the York Company at the battle of North
Point. These aged men were the last of
the Baltimore Defenders in southern Penn-
syh'ania.
Captain Spangler's company
York was a trained military organ-
Volunteers, ization, composed of sixty
representative men of the
borough of York and vicinity. They had
been well trained and were skillful in the
manual of arms and military movements.
Full of patriotic ardor, thej^ molded bullets,
filled their flasks with powder and took up
the march for Baltimore, August 29, four
days after the public buildings at Washing-
ton had been destroyed. When Captain
Spangler arrived at Baltimore, he tendered
the services of his company to Colonel Ster-
ret, commander of the Fifth Regiment,
Maryland Militia, which was placed in the
brigade of General Strieker, nearly all of
whose troops were from the state of Mary-
land. The volunteer companies com-
manded by Captain Bair and Captain Metz-
gar left Hanover. Sundav morning, August
28, and arrived at Baltimore early on Tues-
day morning, August 30. They were as-
signed to duty in the Thirty-ninth Regi-
ment, Maryland Militia, in General Striek-
er's brigade, in United States service, and
on September 11, with this command, were
present at North Point when the British
landed.
On the following day, a fierce en-
Battle gagement took place between a
of large detachment of the British
North troops, led by General Ross, and
Point. General Strieker's brigade of Mary-
land and Penns3dvania militia and
a few regulars. The fighting was lively and
spirited but lasted only a short time, when
the American troops were flanked by the
enemy and were compelled to retreat
toward Baltimore. Two men of Captain
Spangler's company were severely wounded
and one man of Metzgar's company was
struck by a British ball.
In their retreat from North Point to
Baltimore, large bodies of Virginia and
Pennsylvania militia came to their support.
There were 12,000 American troops in the
vicinity of Baltimore, fully armed and
equipped to meet the invading foe, which
was claimed to be the "flower of Welling-
ton's army," having fought under him at
the battle of Waterloo, where they had
aided in defeating Napoleon Bonaparte.
Early in the contest. General
General Ross was killed and this spread
Ross dismay in the British ranks.
Killed. AA'hen the British learned of the
vast body of American troops, the
land force made no further attempts to cap-
ture the city of Baltimore. On September
13, the following da}^ Admiral Cockburn
proceeded up the bay and during the night
Ijombarded Fort McHenry, two miles south
of Baltimore, some of the British shells
weighing 225 pounds. The guns on Fort
Covington and Fort McHenry were
brought to bear upon the ships and a ter-
rible fire was opened upon the 1,200 British
soldiers on board the fleet. The enemy kept
up the bombardment all night until six
o'clock on the morning of the 14th.
Finding it impossible to pass the
Sail for forts and land the soldiers in the
England, vicinity of Baltimore, the com-
manding officer ordered the ves-
sels to return down the bay. On Septem-
WAR OF 1812
345
ber 15 and 16, the entire army boarded the
vessels and sailed for England. Thus
ended one of the most exciting events of
American history, which directly affected
southern Pennsylvania and the state of
Maryland. Had the British been success-
ful at Baltimore, it was their purpose either
to move northward into Pennsylvania or
march toward Philadelphia, and lay siege to
that city.
During the threatened invasion of the
British army into Pennsylvania, the state
militia had been organized at York ready
to move toward Baltimore whenever
ordered by the government authorities.
The First Brigade of the Pennsylvania
militia, under General John Fqrster, of Har-
risburg, struck tents on September 16, and
began the march from York toward Balti-
more. As there was no telegraph system in
those days, it was not then known that the
British had already set sail down the
Chesapeake Bay.
Forster's command reached
Mustered Baltimore on September 19,
Out and remained in camp until
at York. December 4. As their services
were no longer needed by the
United States government, Forster re-
ceived orders to return to York with his
brigade, and arrived here December 6. On
the following day, the entire force of
Pennsylvania militia was mustered out of
service at York, and Forster's brigade then
returned to Harrisburg, crossing the Sus-
quehanna River at Middletown Ferry.
James Buchanan, afterward President of
the United States, belonged to a Lancaster
company in Forster's brigade, and Francis
R. Shunk, who became Governor of Penn-
sylvania, served in the same brigade. Both
were encamped with the troops at York.
The British, having been de-
Victory feated on the Niagara frontier
at and every battle at sea, a treaty
New of peace was signed at Ghent, on
Orleans. December 24, 1814. Meantime
General Packenham had been
sent by Wellington to the mouth of the
Mississippi River with 12,000 British regu-
lars, who had shown great courage at the
battle of Waterloo. Packenham ascended
the river and was defeated on January 8,
1815, by General Andrew Jackson. This
great victorv occurred fifteen davs after
the treaty of peace had been signed be-
tween the two countries. Neither the
Americans nor the British who fought at
New Orleans then knew of the treaty.
General Packenham was killed, and the loss
in killed and wounded in the British army
was 2,600. The American loss was only
eight killed and thirteen wounded. This
victory made Andrew Jackson the greatest
American soldier of his time.
Before leaving Baltimore to re-
Words turn home. Captain Spangler, who
of commanded the York Volunteers
Praise, at Baltimore, received commenda-
tions from his superior officers, in-
cluding one from Major-General Smith,
who commanded all the troops entrusted
with the defense of Baltimore. These in-
teresting documents read as follows :
Headquarters, Baltimore,
September 20, 1814.
Captain Spangler and his company of volunteers from
York, Penna., having honorably performed the tour of
dutj-, for which they had offered their services, are
hereby permitted to return to their homes. In taking
leave of this gallant corps, the major-general com-
manding had great pleasure in bearing testimony to the
undaunted courage they displayed in the affair on the
I2th inst., and in tendering them his thanks for the es-
sential aid they contributed toward the defence of the
city.
S. SjN'IITH, Maj.-Gen. Commanding.
Baltimore, September 20, 1814.
To Captain Spangler :
Dear Sir— Hearing that you are about to depart from
our city with your brave corps, I cannot do justice to
my feelings without expressing the obligations I am
under, to you and to them, for the promptness with
which you uniformly executed my orders, and the cool
and manly conduct manifested by the ofiScers and men
under your command during the action with the
enemy on the 12th inst. May you all return in health
to the bosoms of your families, and long enjoy happi-
ness uninterrupted.
I am, sir, with sentiments of sincere respect, your
friend and humble servant,
R. K. HEATH,
First Major, Fifth Regiment.
REGIMENTAL ORDERS— FIFTH REGIMENT.
Baltimore, September 20, 1814,
Captain Spangler's company of York Volunteers
having permission to return to their respective homes,
the lieutenant-colonel cannot permit them to depart
without thanking them for their soldier-hke and orderly
conduct. The few days they were attached to the fifth
Regiment was a momentous period of trial. They not
only had to face the dangers of battle but to bear the
inclemencies of weather, and suffer all the incon-
veniences of fatigue, watching and hunger, to which the
soldier is liable in the hour of alarm. These were met
and borne by them with manly fortitude, which does
them honor and entitles them to the gratitude of Bahi-
more, and particularly to the friendship and esteem of
the officers and men of the Fifth Regiment, which are
thus publicly and cheerfully accorded to them.
346
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
In 1816, Captain Michael Spangler was
elected colonel of the Ninety-fourth Penn-
sylvania Regiment, composed of militia
from York County. He drilled this com-
mand for several years and became some-
what noted for his knowledge of tactics.
Later he was commissioned brigade in-
spector of York County, which position he
held until his death at York, September 7,
1834, at the age of 43. The following is a
complete muster roll of his company, which
took part in the battle of North Point:
Captain,
M. H. Spangler.
First Lieutenant,
Jacob Barnitz.
Second Lieutenant,
John McCurdy.
Ensign,
G. F. Doll.
Musicians,
J. A. Leitner,
Daniel Small,
G. P. Kurtz.
Sergeants,
John Hay,
David Wilson,
John Kuntz,
Adam King.
Corporals,
Charles Kurtz,
Daniel Updegrafif,
Joseph Schall,
ilichael Hahn.
Priz'ates,
Joseph McKonniken,
Walter Bull,
John Sinn,
Jacob Lehman,
Jacob Glessner,
Robert Pierson,
Daniel Baumgirdner,
Emanuel Raab,
Jacob Wiesenthal,
Jacob Frey,
Jacob Rupp,
Frederick Witz,
Grafton Duvall,
Frederick Kercher,
George Dunn,
John McClean,
Samuel Hays,
Jacob Noell,
George Beard,
George Ilgenfritz,
George Holter,
Michael Miller,
Christian Elsbach,
Joseph Goodyear,
Joseph Kerr,
John Devine,
Anthony T. Burns,
Daniel Coyle,
John McAnulty,
John Tayler,
Jacob Levan,
Peter O'Conner,
Peter Grimes,
Hugh McAlear,
Charles Stroman,
John Fisher,
Jacob Gertner,
Enoch Thompson,
David Hoffart,
Dennis Kearney,
Hugh McCosker,
Peter Cooker,
John Byron,
James Dugan,
George Laub,
William Nes,
Aaron Holt,
John Giesey,
Andre'w KauiTman.
Peter Lanius,
Charles Stuck,
Daniel Heckert,
J. W. Altemus,
Jacob Sheffer,
G. W. Spangler,
David Trimble,
Jacob Lottman,
James Gibson,
James S. Connelly,
tiugh Stewart,
Henry Sleeger,
Hugh Ingram,
Peter Siers,
Thomas Thompson,
John Brickel,
Jacob Reisinger,
Chester Smith,
Thomas Miller,
William Burns,
E. W. Murphy,
Abraham Keller,
Henry Wolf,
Jacob Herbst,
David Kauffman,
George Reisinger,
H. McAlear, Sr.,
G. M. Leitner,
George Brickel,
Jacob Stoehr,
Henry Mundorfif,
William Warson,
Richa.d Coody,
Muster roll of the Hanover Volunteers,
commanded by Captain Frederick Metz-
Capiain,
Frederick Metzgar.
First Lieutenant,
Henry Wirt.
Second Lieutenant,
George Lnmel.
Ensign,
George Eyler.
Sergeants,
David Shultz,
Benjamin Welsh,
George Stauter,
Henry !Melsheimer.
Corporals,
John Rider,
George Hoke,
Joseph i\Iorris,
David Little.
Privates,
Hawks, Samuel,
Jarvis, Thomas,
Kuhn, Samuel,
Klein, Henry,
Myers, John,
Morningstar, George,
Melsheimer, William,
Myers, George,
Michael, John,
Richard, Edward,
Stair, Daniel,
Shorb, Anthony,
Stock, Henry,
Wagner, Jacob,
Weigle, John,
Storm, David.
Apple, Philip,
Bargelt, John,
Beck, Tobias,
Buvinger, Leonard,
Bange, John,
Bange, Henry,
Blintzinger, David,
Cramer, Jacob,
Dines, John,
Douglass, John,
Himes, Samuel,
Hilt, Jacob.
Hostetter, Jacob,
liOrn, Jesse,
Hass, Christian,
Houck, L.,
Hoffman, William,
According to the orders of the Governor
of Pennsylvania, one regiment of troops
rendezvoused at Hanover, when Baltimore
was threatened by the British. Vol. XII,
2d Series, Penna. Archives, contains the
following in reference to a company com-
posed of men residing in Hanover and
vicinity:
Receipt roll of a company of militia, com-
manded by Captain George Frysinger, of
the Third Regiment, First Brigade, per-
forming a tour of duty under the command
of Colonel Lefever, who rendezvoused at
Hanover, under the general order of the
Governor, dated October 15 and 22, 1814.
Commencement of service, November i ;
expiration of service, December 5 :
WAR OF 1812
347
Captain,
George Frysinger.
First Lieutenant,
William Gitt.
Second Lieutenant,
Kiefer, Jacob.
Ensign,
Whillery, William.
Sergeants,
Hostetter, Daniel,
Little, Daniel,
Alarris, Joseph,
Wilnight, John,
Graver, George.
Corporals,
Eiler, Jacob,
Cooper, Matthew,
Harris, William,
Slentz, Jacob,
Morningstar, George,
Crilly, Andrew.
Musician,
Haus, Christian.
Privates,
Adelsperger, ^lichael, ]Miller, Joseph,
Althoff, John, IMoul, Henry,
Burkert, Lewis, Moul, Peter,
Bare, Michael, Miller, Samuel,
Baughman, Henry, Miller, Joseph, Jr.,
Bare, Henry, Michael, John,
Baugher, John, weaver. Miller, John,
Brown, Jacob, Xonemaker, Henry,
Bart, Jacob, Xonemaker, Jacob,
Bloser, Peter, Noll, George,
Baugher, John, Rose, Samuel,
Crous, John, Riter, Anthony,
Chambers, John, Reichard, John,
Dellinger, Daniel, Reineman, John,
Doll, Jacob, Riffle, George,
Emick, Peter, Reinhart, Jacob,
Lilen, John, Rutter, Thomas,
Elickinger, Samuel, Serf, Abraham,
File, Jacob, Sipple, James,
Flone, Jacob, Stoddard, Solomon,
Fisher, Henry, Shild, Adam,
Gray, Isaiah, Shild, Jacob,
Gees, John, Swartz, Peter,
Hays, Wilham, Snyder, William,
Haus, George, Smith, Samuel,
Holtz, Abraham, Stigers, Joseph,
Herman, Joseph, Stephy, Henry,
Hickman, Henry, Stegner, Valentine,
Hensel, George, Tarman, Jacob,
Hacknay, Thomas, Troesler, Jacob,
Henystophel, George, Unger, Adam,
Hamilton, John, Unger, George,
Horn, Jesse, Unger, John,
Irwin, William, Welply, David,
Jackson, Abraham, W"eitnight, Joseph,
Kanney, Alexander, Waggoner, Jacob,
Kraft, Michael, Werking. George,
Lang, John, Weeke, Francis,
Lohn, Jacob, Willet, George,
McWilliams, Charles, Young, Frederick.
The following is the muster roll of a com-
pany of riflemen from York in the actual
service of the United States under the com-
mand of Colonel William Hamilton in the
Second Brigade, Pennsylvania Militia, com-
manded by Captain Thomas Shriver, from
September i, 1814, when last mustered, to
December 4, 1814:
Captain,
Thomas Shriver.
First Lieutenant,
Israel Gartner.
Second Lieutenant,
Henry Boyer.
Ensign,
Joshua Small.
Sergeants,
Joseph Renshaw,
John M. Gartner,
Jacob Gortman,
Charles Smith,
Jacob Koch,
Peter All.
Corporals,
John Miller,
Jacob Krone,
William Shroder,
Samuel Whiteford,
Christian Miller,
Jacob Brown,
John Owing.
Quartermaster Sergeants,
Charles Eichelberger,
John Enerst.
Druininer,
George Schlusser.
Fifer,
Henry Rentz.
Privates,
Jack Brown, Michael McKinney,
George Conn, George Mclntire,
David Clingman, Jeremiah McLaughlin,
Thomas Corbin, Abraham j\lann,
Philip Deitsh, Abraham Norris,
John Enerst, William Neiuffer,
Henry Enerst, John Owings,
Christian Enerst, William Peters,
Charles Eichelberger, David Reisinger,
Jacob Fry, James Renshaw,
Daniel Ford, William Shroeder,
J. Morris Gartner, Peter Shreibich,
John Heindle, Frederick Sloterbeck,
Nicholas Huber, George Sheffer,
Jacob Haldeman, Charles Smith,
Jeremiah Hess, John Stump,
Christopher Irwin, Joseph Taylor,
Elisha Jacoby, Samuel Whiteford,
Jacob Krone, George Wotery,
Henry Klinefelter, Philip Ziegler,
Frederick Kaler, John Ziegler,
John Kuch, Charles Blackbey
Jacob Koch, (servant).
Christian Miller, William Blackbey
Henry Miller. (servant).
John A. McCurtin,
The following is the muster roll of a com-
pany of volunteer riflemen from the lower
part of York County under the command of
Captain AVilliam Allison, of the detachment
of militia in the service of the United
States, commanded by Major John Shauck,
from November 7, 1814, when ordered out,
to November 22, 1814, when discharged:
348
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Captain,
William Allison.
First Lieutenant,
James Edie.
Second Lieutenant,
James Wallace.
Ensign,
James Hayes.
Sergeants,
Thomas McAlister,
John Smith,
James Collins,
John McPherson.
Corporals,
Robert Hyson,
John Smith,
Peter Werkener,
Robert Bell.
Musician,
Christopher Smith.
Privates,
Thomas JMontgomery,
John Morrison,
David ^McLaughlin,
Samuel McLaughlin,
Samuel Martin,
John i\Iiller,
Andrew Morton,
John McAllister,
Robert McGaw,
William Morrison,
George Morrison,
Samuel Aliller,
James Patterson,
Andrew Proudfoot,
Samviel Roy,
William Smith,
Peter Stewart, ■
John Silk,
Windle Trout,
Joseph Wilson,
William Wallace,
Andrew Walter.
Andrew Arnott,
John Anderson,
James Anderson,
David Anderson,
Andrew Brown,
Andrew Bennet,
William Blair,
John Bortner,
Jacob Bortner,
William Collins,
Robert Criswell,
Abraham Corbin,
Jonathan Dtmcan,
John Falkener,
David Genamel,
Joseph Gemmel,
George Gemmel,
William Honigan,
David Hyson,
John Heckman,
James Johnson,
John Leite,
At the opening of the war of
Notes of 1812, two military companies of
Interest. Virginia arrived in York and en-
camped on the Public Common
for several days before they took up their
march for Canada.
The York x\rmor\-, during the AA'ar of
1812, was kept in the dwelling house of
John Bittner, on Market Street. The gun-
siniths were Michael Edwards, Henry
Pickel, Martin Frey, Jacob Doll, Philip
Heckert, Jacob Letter, Ignatius Lightner
and Frederick Zorger. These men worked
under Jacob Welshans as chief gunsmith,
and made large numbers of rifles used by
the state militia in the second war with
England, They were made under the direc-
tion of Archibald Steele Jordan, of Hope-
well Township, then brigade inspector of
the militia of York Count)^
George Shetter, at his shops on North
George Street, made a number of cannon
cartridges used by the government in the
same war.
A company of militia from Hopewell
Township, in which Robert McDonald
served as lieutenant, marched to the de-
fense of Baltimore.
Lieutenant Jacob Barnitz, who served as
lieutenant in Captain Michael Spangler's
Company of York Volunteers, at the battle
of North Point, carried the sword owned
by Colonel David Grier, in the Revolution.
Lieutenant Barnitz held various positions
in the state militia and in 1842 was ap-
pointed by Governor David Porter, major-
general of the Fifth Division, composed of
the militia of York and Adams Counties.
General Henry Miller and Major John
Clark, whose biographies appear on pages
202 and 205, took a conspicuous part in the
defence of Baltimore.
General AVilliam Reed was an officer in
the Third Battalion of York County militia
during the Revolution. He was chosen a
member of the convention which framed
the second constitution of Pennsylvania, in
1790: became brigade inspector of York
County militia, April 25, 1800, and member
of the State Senate from 1800 to 1804; ap-
pointed adjutant-general of the State of
Pennsylvania, August 4, 181 1, took sick
and suddenly died, June 15, 1813, at New
Alexandria, AA'estmoreland County, Penn-
sylvania, while organizing the state militia
during the war of 1812-15. His remains
were buried near Fairfield, Adams County.
Archibald Steele Jordan, of Hopewell
Township, was brigade inspector of York
County during the war of 181 2, and served
in that position for a period of twelve years.
He called out the county militia for the de-
fense of Baltimore in 1814, and ordered
them to rendezvous with the other Penn-
sylvania militia in York to await the call
of the President and the Governor of
Pennsylvania. During the time the county
militia was in service he also acted as pay-
master. He was married early in life to
Miss Turner and had fourteen children,
some of whose descendants now reside in
the lower part of York County.
AA'hen the British attacked
Star Baltimore, in 1814, Francis
Spangled Scott Key was practicing law in
Banner. AA'ashington, where he had
gained a reputation as a poetical
MEXICAN AA'AR
349
writer. He was a native of Frederick
County, j\lar3'land, where he was born in
1780. Hearing that his friend, Dr. AA'illiam
Beanes, of IMarlboro, Maryland, was held
as a prisoner on board the British fleet,
Key resolved to secure his release. Presi-
dent Madison placed a small vessel at his
service. With a flag of truce, he joined the
British fleet on the Chesapeake as it was
nearing Baltimore. AA'hen he made his ap-
peal to General Ross, the latter consented
to release Dr. Beanes, but stated that Key
should be detained during the attack on
Baltimore. He w^as transferred to a vessel
commanded by Sir Thomas Cockburn, son
of the Admiral. AA'hen the bombardment of
Fort McHenry opened. Key was returned
to his own vessel, from whence he wit-
nessed the engagement. It was during the
awe-inspiring scenes of the bombardment
that Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star
Spangled Banner," which has since been
recognized as a national air of America.
On arriving in Baltimore he finished the
lines which he had hastily w-ritten on the
back of a letter, and gave them to Captain
Benjamin Fades, of the Twenty-seventh
Baltimore Regiment, who had participated
in the battle of North Point. Seizing a
copy from the press. Fades hastened to the
old tavern next to the HoUoday Street
Theatre, w^here the actors were accustomed
to assemble. The verses were at first read
aloud by the printer, and then, in answer
to a call from the crowd, Ferdinand
Durang mounted a chair and sang them for
the first time. Soon afterward they were
familiar throughout the United States.
I\Irs. Flliott, wife of Commodore Flliott,
who was second in command under Perry
at the battle of Fake Frie, resided in York
for a period of nearly thirty years. Her
husband died in 1845 and she survived him
until 1875.
CHAPTFR XXII
MEXICAN WAR.
Call for Troops — Pennsylvania Regiments
— Taylor's Victories — Scott's March to
Mexico — York County Soldiers.
The annexation of Texas, in 18-I-5, re-
sulted in a war between the United States
and ^Mexico. A few years before, Texas
had declared herself independent of Mexico
and organized a republican form of govern-
ment. After her annexation a dispute arose
between Mexico and Texas about the
boundary line. Texas claimed that her ter-
ritory extended to the Rio Grande River,
while Mexico insisted that the Nueces
River was the true division line. President
Polk sent an envo}!' to Mexico, but that
government refused him a hearing.
Meanwhile General Zachary Taylor, with
a small body of troops, had been ordered to
Corpus Christ!, on the borders of the dis-
puted territory, and a little later to advance
to Fort Brown, on the Rio Grande. The
Mexicans naturally looked upon this as an
invasion of their country and ordered a
body of troops across the river. Soon after
followed the battles of Palo Alto and Re-
saca de la Palma in which the Americans
were victorious and the Mexican AVar w^as
begun. This w^as April 24, 1846. Polk
sent a message to Congress, in which he
said, "AA'^ar exists, notwithstanding all our
eft'orts to avoid it — exists by the act of
]\Iexico herself. Mexico has passed the
boundarjr of the United States, has invaded
our territory and shed American blood
upon American soil."
Congress responded to the President's
message by declaring that war existed "by
the act of Alexico," and authorized a call for
50,000 volunteers, and appropriated $10,-
000,000 to meet the expenses. From most
of the country excepting the New England
States, the call for volunteers was answered
with promptness.
Immediately after President Polk had is-
sued a proclamation announcing that the
United States had declared war against
Mexico, the military spirit of the people of
the borough and county of York was again
aroused as it had been during previous
wars. Two volunteer companies in the
borough were then under excellent drill and
discipline. These were the AA^ashington
Artillerists commanded by Captain Robert
Bruce, and the York Rifles, by Captain
George Hay. The York companies, and the
United Blues of Hanover, Captain A. AA".
Eichelberger, and the Carroll Guards of
Dillsburg, Captain Totten, offered their
services to the United States government.
This occurred in ]May, 1846.
35°
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
There was no call for troops from
Call for Pennsylvania until November i6
Troops, of that year, when President Polk
asked for one regiment from this
state. In response to the call. Governor
Shunk ordered the uniformed military com-
panies of the state to rendezvous at Pitts-
burg. In a short time fourteen companies
proceeded to that city. Only ten could be
accepted to form a regiment. Six of these
came from Philadelphia, two from Pitts-
burg, one from Pottsville and one from
AYilkes-Barre. Although the York County
companies were not accepted in a body,
nine young men from York joined the ]\Ion-
roe Guards, one of the Philadelphia com-
panies. The names of these men were
Thomas A. Ziegle, who was made a ser-
geant ; Peter Ahl, Jr., Daniel Craver, Al-
bertus Welsh, Jacob Banner, Samuel Stair,
William Eurich and Robert Patterson.
Edward Haviland, afterward a well known
architect of York, and R. M. Russell of
Hanover, who during the Civil War became
lieutenant-colonel of the Ninth Pennsylva-
nia Cavalry, also served in this regiment.
The ten companies which
Pennsylvania rendezvoused at Pittsburg
Regiments. were organized into the
First Pennsylvania Regi-
ment on December 15, 1846, with Francis"
M. AVyncoop, colonel ; Samuel Black, lieu-
tenant-colonel. The regiment soon after
proceeded to the front and joined the army
under General Scott at Vera Cruz, before
he began his triumphant march to the
Mexican capital.
The first call for troops from Pennsyl-
vania was answered by enough military
companies to form six regiments. Only
one regiment was wanted from Pennsyl-
vania at that time. Late in December,
1846, the president asked for another regi-
ment from this state. Pittsburg had been
the place of rendezvous for a large part of
the American troops in the War of 1812.
At the same city, the Pennsylvania regi-
ments which went to Mexico, were organ-
ized.
January 5, 1847, the Second Pennsylvania
Regiment was mustered into the service.
The companies forming this regiment came
from difterent parts of the State. Company
C, known as the Cameron Guards, had been
organized at Harrisburg, by Captain AA'il-
liam A. Small. There were a number of
York County men enlisted in this company,
including Samuel Roller, Jacob Snyder and
John AA'alters. Immediately after its or-
ganization was completed, the Second Regi-
ment, under command of Colonel Roberts,
left Pittsburg for New Orleans, going there
by steamboat down the Ohio and Missis-
sippi rivers.
The troops encamped on the
Taylor's historic battlefield where the
Victories. American Army under General
Jackson defeated the British
forces on the 8th of Januarj', 1815. The
regiment had a stormy passage across the
Gulf of Mexico, landed at Vera Cruz, reach-
ing there on the evening of the capture and
surrender of the fortress, March 29, 1847.
General Tajdor, commanding the army in
the northern part of Mexico, had already
triumphed over the enemy in four import-
ant battles.
The go\'ernment had now determined
that an army of about 20,000 men should
march from Vera Cruz, through the valley
and over the mountains to the city of Mex-
ico. There was one great difficulty to siu'-
mount. Many of the American troops
could not endure the climate and as a result
of this a large number took sick. Some of
them died in hospitals of fever, while others
took the smallpox. Early in the year 1847,
the two Pennsylvania regiments^ were
placed in the Second Division, commanded
by General AA'orth.
General Taylor, having con-
Scott's quered the Mexicans along the
March to Rio, Grande River, a portion of
Mexico. his army was now sent to Gen-
eral Scott. On March 29, five
thousand Mexican troops surrendered to
General Scott at Vera Cruz, and on April 8,
he began his march toward the Mexican
capital. On the i8th of April, he defeatea
Santa Anna, commanding an army of 12,-
000 men, at the mountain pass of Cerro
Gordo, capturing five generals, 3,000 men,
4,500 stands of arms, and 43 cannon, and
killing and wounding more than 1,000 men,
with a loss of less than 500 out of 8,500
Americans engaged in the battle. Scott
paroled the prisoners, and the next day ad-
vanced to Jalapa, which he captured, April
19. He continued his march to Puebla,
which he occupied ^lay 15th. At this place
MEXICAN WAR
351
General Scott remained for drill and disci-
pline of his army and reinforcements, until
August 7. On that day he advanced on the
City of Mexico and soon after attacked and
captured Contreras and Cherubusco. An
armistice was now agreed upon between
the contending armies, during which time
the American commissioner failed to nego-
tiate a treaty of peace with the Mexi-
cans.
Operations were resumed on
His Army the southwest of the city, de-
Victorious. fended by 14,000 Mexicans oc-
cupying JNIolino del Rey, and
General A\'orth's loss was in storming Mol-
ino del Rey before the attack on the wooded
and strongly fortified eminence of Chapul-
tepec. On September 8, General Worth
with 3,500 men attacked Molino del Rey,
capturing much material and more than 800
prisoners, but losing one-fourth of his com-
mand, including 58 officers. On the 13th,
Chapultepec was stormed and carried, and
on the morning of the 14th, Scott's army
marched into the city and occupied the na-
tional palace.
And thus ended the war with
End of Mexico. AA'ithin six months
the War. General Scott had stormed the
strongest places in the coun-
try, won battles against armies double,
treble, and even quadruple his own, and
marched without a single reverse from
Vera Cruz to Mexico. He had lost fewer
men, made fewer mistakes, and caused less
devastation in proportion to his victories
than any invading general of former times.
When the Duke of Wellington was asked
by a great soldier what he thought of
Scott's Mexican campaign, his reply was,
"It was a war of miracles!"
The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was
concluded Februar}^ 2, 1848. New Mexico
and Upper California were ceded to the
United States, and the western boundary
of Texas was fixed at the Rio Grande del
Norte. In return the United States agreed
to pay fifteen millions of dollars, and to as-
sume the debts due American citizens by
the Mexican government to the amount of
three million five hundred thousand dollars.
The war cost the United States about
twenty-five thousand men (most of whom
had died by disease) and one hundred and
sixty million dollars.
Besides those mentioned as hav-
York ing enlisted from York County
County to serve in the Mexican War,
Soldiers, were the following who served
in the dififerent commands:
Emanuel Bates, James H. Ross, Jacob Pat-
terson, George Johnston, George Smith,
William Tinner, William Fray, David Harp,
Samuel Semons, John Fields, Henry Stair,
Edward Lay, Alexander McPherson, Lieu-
tenant Theodore D. Cochran, John Leaman,
Colonel R. M. Russel, William Bair.
All the volunteer soldiers from York
Count}^ who served in the Mexican War
were in the army of General Scott. They
took part in the battles of his brilliant cam-
paign. AVilliam Eurick was killed at the
siege of Puebla under General Scott on his
march to the Mexican capital in 1847.
Jacob Danner died of sickness. After be-
ing discharged, five of their comrades each
contributed ten dollars for the purpose of
bringing the remains of the deceased sol-
diers to York for burial, where they were
interred with military honors. Jacob Sny-
der and John Walters from York County,
who served in Company C, Second Penn-
sylvania Regiment, died of fever in the hos-
pital at Puebla.
Colonel Albert C. Ramsey, a native of
York County and a member of the bar, com-
manded the Eleventh Infantry, in the Mexi-
can War. There were some York County
soldiers in his regiment which distinguished
itself in the battle of Molino del Rey.
George Johnston, of York, was killed in this
battle. AVeirich Pentz, Colonel B rough
and David Hays served in Ohio regiments.
Theodore D. Cochran, one of the editors
of the York Republican, was first lieutenant
of a company of cavalry connected with the
Eleventh United States Infantry. His
command did valiant service in the cam-
paign under General Scott. During the
Civil AA^ar, he commanded a company in the
Sixteenth Pennsylvania Regiment.
A number of York Countians be-
In the longed to the United States army
Regular and navy at the opening of the
Army. Mexican AA'ar. Richard E. Coch-
ran, brother of Hon. Thomas E.
Cochran, of York, and a captain in the
regular army, served under General Taylor
and was killed while leading his company
at the battle of Resaca de la Palma.
352
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
General AA'illiam B. Franklin, who com-
manded two army corps at the battle of
Fredericksburg and won distinction as a
soldier in the Civil AVar, served as a topo-
graphical engineer under General Taylor,
during the first part of the Mexican War.
He was a native of York and a graduate of
West Point in the same class with General
Grant, in 1843. His brother, Samuel R.
Franklin, a graduate of the Xaval Academy
at Annapolis, served as a lieutenant on the
frigate America, which formed a part of
Admiral Conner's fleet, which guarded the
harbor at Vera Cruz.
Horatio Gates Gibson, brother of John
Gibson, president judge of York County
Courts, served as second lieutenant in the
Third Artillery, in Scott's army, and be-
came a brigadier-general during the Civil
AVar. His brother, AA'illiam Gibson, served
on the gunboat Reefer, in the Gulf of
Mexico, and was present at the attacks on
Alvarado and Tabasco. Lieutenant George
P. AVelsh, son of Henr}^ AA'elsh, of York,
was present at the bombardment of Vera
Cruz, and in the expeditions against Tam-
pico and Alvarado.
Granville O. Haller, a native of York and
a graduate of AA'est Point, served during
the Mexican AA'ar, as first lieutenant of
Company C, Fourth United States Infantry.
He was in command of his company on the
March to the Mexican capital. Ulysses S.
Grant was second lieutenant and quarter-
master in the same regiment. On the 12th
of September, Grant asked permission of
General AA'orth to place a mountain
howitzer in the steeple of a Catholic
Church which stood on an eminence over-
looking the city. AA^ith this small cannon
he sent solid shot which landed in the grand
plaza or centre square in the City of
Mexico. For this achievement. Grant re-
ceived the commendation of General AA^orth
before his entire division. Three days
before this event, General Grant issued an
order to Lieutenant Haller. This order
shows that the Fourth United States Infan-
try at that time was using flint-lock rifles.
The order, which was presented to the York
County Historical Society by John B.
Welsh, reads as follows :
Invoice of Ordnance and Ordnance Stores this day
turned over to Lieutenant G. O. Haller, commanding
Companjf C, 4th Infantry, by Lieut. U. S. Grant, 4th
Infantry. Viz. :
3212 Three thousand, two hundred and twelve ball and
buck shot cartridges.
250 Two hundred and fifty Flints.
Tacubaya, Mex.,
Sept. 9, 1847.
Signed Duplicates.
U. S. GRANT,
2d Lieut. 4th Infantry,
Regimental Q. M.
The famous Ringgold Battery from Read-
ing, Pennsylvania, which afterward won
such high laurels in the Civil AVar, passed
through Hanover, in an overland route, on
the way from Baltimore, where they had
landed.
In 1906, Colonel R. M. Russel and Wil-
liam Bair, both 82 years of age, were the
sole survivors of the Mexican AA^ar, then
residing in York County.
An enthusiastic reception was
Welcomed given to the Mexican soldiers
Home. on their return to York, July
31, 184S. AA'hen the news ar-
rived that these veterans had reached Balti-
more, a committee of York citizens went
down to meet them and escort them home.
The soldiers were accompanied by Captain
William F. Small, of Harrisburg, under
whose command some of them had served
in the war.
A procession had been formed in centre
square with Major George Hay as chief
marshal. In the line of march were three
local military companies, the Independent
Blues, the AA'ashington Greys and Pennsyl-
vania Guards. They were commanded by
Captain Daniel Motter. The procession
moved up George Street to Centre Square
and then proceeded to a position in front of
the Court House. The military companies
w^ere drawn up in line facing the Court
House steps. At this juncture, James
Buchanan, of Lancaster, who afterward be-
came President of the United States, ad-
dressed the veterans of the Mexican AVar
and paid tribute to the fine military appear-
ance of the local companies. Speeches, on
behalf of the returning soldiers, were made
bv Sergeant Thomas A. Ziegle and Captain
AA\ F. Small.
THE CIVIL WAR
353
CHAPTER XXIII
THE CIVIL WAR.
Fort Sumter — Call for Troops — Camp
Scott — Local Patriotism — Regimental
Muster Rolls — Confederate Invasion of
1862 — Invasion of 1863 — Battle of Get-
tysburg.
The Civil War was the result of the dif-
ference of opinion between the North and
the South in reference to the questions of
slavery and the individual rights of states.
The national constitution was not clear and
definite in its reference to these subjects,
and the fathers of our republic left these
puzzling questions to be settled by their
descendants.
Soon after the }'ear 1800 the southern
statesmen proclaimed the doctrine of state
sovereignty. In 1820 Henry Clay, of Ken-
tucky, VN^ho in 181 5 had been one of the
commissioners to sign the treaty of peace
which closed the second war with England,
brought into the United States Senate what
is known as the Missouri Compromise.
This bill which became a law admitted Mis-
souri as a slave state. About the same time
the southern statesmen permitted the ad-
mission of Maine as a free state without
dissent. From that time forth until the
opening of hostilities in 1861 there was a
contest in the United States Senate and in
the halls of the House of Representatives
in reference to the admission of states to the
Union. As soon as any territory south of
Mason and Dixon's line became a part of
the Union, one was added in the North in
order to balance the power in the Senate.
John C. Calhoun, of South Carolina, be-
came the leader of his countrymen who ad-
vocated state sovereignty. Daniel Web-
ster, of Massachusetts, the ablest orator of
his time and the great expounder of the con-
stitution, was the leader of the northern
statesmen who opposed the extension of
slavery and the individual rights of states.
His eloquent words "not liberty first and
union afterwards, but liberty and union
now and forever, one and inseparable," were
echoed and re-echoed throughout the
northern states until the opening of the
war. It was this sentiment that stirred up
the patriotism of the northern people and
caused the noble defense of the Union
in the great war which lasted four long
years.
For a period of fifty years the United
States Senate and the affairs of the govern-
ment had been controlled by the statesmen
of the South. The crisis in public affairs
came after the passage of the Kansas-
Nebraska Bill, leaving to the voters of the
territory of Kansas to decide whether it
should be admitted as a slave or a free
state. This doctrine became known to
American history as "Squatter Sover-
eignty." The great contest, in 1858, in
Illinois between Abraham Lincoln and
Stephen A. Douglas for the control of the
State Legislature and the . election of a
United States senator brought fortli Mr.
Lincoln as the candidate of the Republican
party for President of the United States.
After his election in November, i860, the
affairs of the Government were no longer in
the control of the southern statesmen.
South Carolina seceded from the Union De-
cember 20, i860, and six other southern
states followed her example. At first there
was a disposition among some northern
people to give consent to the secession of
these states, and at this time Horace Gree-
ley published in the "New York Tribune"
his famous editorial, "AVayward Sisters go
in Peace." This sentiment did not prevail.
President Lincoln refused to recognize the
right of secession and prepared to defend
the Union.
The Confederate Government was organ-
ized at Montgomery, Alabama, on February
4, 1861, by the election of Jefferson Davis,
of Mississippi, president and Alexander H.
Stephens, of Georgia, vice-president. This
was a temporary organization until the
Confederate capital had been removed to
Richmond in February, 1862. Abraham
Lincoln was inaugurated President of the
United States on March 4, 1861. His in-
augural address is one of the masterpieces
of American literature. It intended to
pacify the south, but the sentiment of se-
cession had spread over that region like a
tornado. Maryland and Kentucky were
still in doubt but they were saved to the
Union. Before the inauguration of Lincoln
all the national forts in the seceded states,
except Sumter at Charleston, South Caro-
lina, and Pickens at Pensacola, Florida, had
been surrendered to the state authorities.
354
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
At this period only seven states had se-
ceded, but others threatened to go if the
Federal authorities used force to compel the
return of those states to the Union.
On April 8, President Lincoln
Fort stated in a public document that
Sumter. Fort Sumter would be provi-
sioned by force, if necessary, or-
ders having been given to send a fleet to its
support. It was then garrisoned by Major
Robert Anderson, commanding eighty Fed-
eral troops. On April 12, before the fleet
could reach its destination a battery had
been planted along the shores of Charleston
Harbor by the Confederates and fired upon
Fort Sumter. Major Anderson replied to
this fire and the contest continued for twen-
ty-four hours without the loss of life. After
having exhausted his ammunition, and the
fort being on fire, Anderson surrendered
but with the honors of war was permitted
to sail for New York.
The effect of the news of this engagement
was marvelous. Up to this time most of
the northern people had not believed that
the South was in earnest. They thought
that the questions were political, and like
similar ones in the past would somehow be
settled as heretofore. When the news of
the fall of Sumter was received, the people
of the free states seemed to be of one mind
and everything else was forgotten. When
President Lincoln, on April 15, two days
after the surrender, issued his call for 75,000
volunteers, "to maintain the honor, the in-
tegrity, and the existence of our national
union," the answer was prompt. Thou-
sands more than were called for volun-
teered, and provisions, money, arms and
supplies of all kinds were tendered by states
and by individuals.
Pennsylvania was to furnish 14,-
Call for 000 of the troops, in all sixteen
Troops, regiments, called for by President
Lincoln. Andrew G. Curtin, who
had been elected governor of the state in
October, i860, was an ardent Union man.
His inaugural address, in January, 1861, re-
ferred to the unfortunate condition of the
country. Soon after hearing of Lincoln's
proclamation, he called upon volunteer com-
panies in the state to assemble at Harris-
burg and prepare for the defense of the na-
tion. Even before this call telegrams came
to him from uniformed companies from
every section of the state tendering their
services.
On the evening of April 16. a military
camp was organized at Harrisburg, com-
posed of five companies which had already
reached that city and tendered their services
to defend the state and nation. These were
the Logan Guards of Lewistown, the Ring-
gold Battery of Reading, the Allen Rifles of
AUentown, the Washington Artillerists and
the Light Infantry from Pottsville in
Schuylkill County. On the morning of
April 18, these companies left Harrisburg
over the Northern Central Railroad. The
city of Baltimore was then divided in senti-
ment. A large number of her citizens
favored secession. Although the Pennsyl-
vania troops in their passage through that
city were insulted by a mob, they were not
fired upon, and they reached Washington
at 7 o'clock on the same evening. The
Logan Guards had rifles but no ammuni-
tion. Alost of the men in the other com-
panies were unarmed, expecting to be
armed and equipped when they reached the
capital. Accompanying these first defend-
ers of the nation to Baltimore were forty-
five troops of the regular army under the
command of Lieutenant Pemberton who af-
terward joined the Confederacy and sur-
rendered to Grant at Vicksburg.
These regular troops were sent to Fort
McHenry. The Logan Guards of Lewis-
town, contained one hundred men, four of
whom afterward became brigadier generals
by brevet, four colonels, four lieutenant
colonels, six majors, eighteen captains, and
thirty-two lieutenants in the volunteer ser-
vice of the United States. The Ringgold
Battery and the Washington Artillerists
had served with distinction in the Mexican
W'rt under Scott.
On the night of April 16, the
Sixth Massa- Sixth Massachusetts Regi-
chusetts. ment, left Lowell under com-
mand of Colonel Jones for
the defence of Washington. These troops
were all armed and equipped for war.
AA'hen they reached Philadelphia, they were
joined by a regiment of 1,000 men under
Colonel AA'. F. Small, who had commanded
a company in the Mexican war, in which
our York County troops served. His sol-
diers were all unarmed. When the Sixth
Massachusetts was approaching Baltimore,
THE CIVIL \\AR
355
Colonel Jones informed his men that they
were in clanger of being attacked by a mob
while passing through Baltimore. He or-
dered them to load their muskets and pre-
pare for an attack, but not to fire unless the
mob had first fired upon them. These early
defenders of the nation were travelling in
thirty-five cars, drawn by three engines.
When they reached the station at Balti-
more, they began to move across the city in
cars drawn by horses to Camden station, of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. At this
time, locomotives did not pass through the
city. As Colonel Small's troops were un-
armed, they remained at the station for a
time and then by order of the governor, re-
turned to Philadelphia.
Four companies of the Sixth
Attacked Massachusetts marched through
by a Mob. the city. These were attacked
by a mob, throwing stones and
brickbats and firing upon the soldiers who
quickly returned the fire, killing seven citi-
zens of Balitmore and wounding several
others. Two of the Massachusetts soldiers
were killed. This event occurred on April
19, the anniversary of the battle of Lexing-
ton and Concord in the Revolution. In-
tense excitement prevailed in Baltimore,
and the news of the mob attacking the
troops, was telegraphed all over the north-
ern states. It aroused the patriotic ardor
of the loyal people.
As early as Januarj^ 15, 1861, a Union
meeting had been held in the Court House
at York, to discuss the condition of aiTairs
in the country. When the news of the at-
tack on Fort Sumter reached the town, the
A^'orth Infantry, Captain Thomas A. Ziegle,
and the York Rifles, Captain George Hay,
ofifered their services to the government.
These companies were both armed with
rifles which had been furnished them two
years before by the secretary of war. On
April 17, the governor accepted their ser-
vices and they awaited the call to duty.
Immediately after the attack on the
troops at Baltimore had occurred. Governor
Hicks, of Maryland, ordered the bridges of
the Northern Central Railroad north of the
city and the bridges on part of the road
from Baltimore to Wilmington, to be
burned. He claimed to be in favor of the
Union and ordered this destruction of the
bridges for the purpose of preventing troops
from the northern states passing through
the dominion of Maryland.
On the evening of April 20, General W.
LI. Keim, commanding the militia of Penn-
sylvania, arrived at York from Washington.
Because of the destruction of the bridges,
he was driven to Cockeysville in a carriage,
and reached York on a locomotive. He
gave authority for the Worth Infantry and
the York Rifles to proceed to Parkton for
the purpose of guarding the bridges at that
point. They left York at 11 o'clock on the
night of the 20th. Before leaving these
companies molded bullets and were fully
armed and equipped for the military ser-
vice.
Governor Curtin organized the First,
Second and Third Regiments of Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers, at Harrisburg, and sent
them late in the night of April 20, to Cock-
eysville, to defend the bridges and the
American flag. These troops were all
armed with twenty rounds of ammunition.
They were provided with rations for two
days only and it soon fell to the duty of the
citizens of York to slaughter bullocks on the
Public Common and gather together other
provisions and send them to the troops at
Cocke3'sville and Parkton. Meantime,
Mayor Brown and two prominent citizens
of Baltimore, called upon President Lincoln
at the W'hite House, and asked that these
Penns3dvania troops be sent without the
state of Maryland in order to prevent blood-
shed, because of the secession sentiment in
Baltimore.
On April 23, the three regiments at
Camp Cockeysville, numbering in all 2,400
Scott, men, and the two York companies
at Parkton, were sent to York and
went into camp on the Fair Grounds, south-
east of the town. On Sunday, April 21, a
company had arrived from Gettysburg, to-
gether with the Hanover Infantry, Captain
Cyrus Diller, and the Marion Rifles, Cap-
tain H. Gates Weiser, and were quartered
either on the Fair Grounds or at Odd Fel-
lows Hall, wdiich was then used as an ar-
mory. The place of rendezx-ous on the Fair
Grounds was named Camp Scott.
Early in May, 1861, there were si.x full
regiments stationed at Camp Scott. In the
brigade under Brigadier General G. C. Wyn-
koop were the First Regiment, Samuel
Yohe. commander; Lieutenant Colonel
35(
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Tilghman Good, and Major Thomas A\'.
Linn; the Second Regiment, Colonel F. S.
Stambaugh, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas
Welsh, Major James Givens; the Third
Regiment, Colonel Francis P. Miner, Lieu-
tenant Colonel John M. Power, Major Oli-
ver P. Irvine; the Sixteenth, Colonel
Thomas A. Ziegle, Lieutenant Colonel
George A. Higgins, Major Frank T. Ben-
nett. All the companies in the Sixteenth
except the Doylestown and the four York
County companies were from Schuylkill
Count}'.
In the brigade under Brigadier General
J. S. Negley were the Twelfth Regiment,
under Colonel David Campbell, Lieutenant
Colonel Norton McGriffin, Major Alexander
Hay; the Nineteenth, Colonel T. A. Rowley,
Lieutenant Colonel T- N. Purviance, [Major
W. S. MiUinger.
The stock stalls, sheds and buildings on
the fair grounds being insufScient for the
accommodation of so large a number of
troops, board sheds were erected for many
of them. The main building was turned
into a hospital. The fences around the race
track were removed to make room for drills.
Captain Campbell's battery of artillery from
Chambersburg formed part of the camp.
On May 3, snow fell to the depth of sev-
eral inches and was followed by warm
weather. This caused the camps to be very
uncomfortable for several days when many
of the troops were quartered in difTerent
buildings at York. These six regiments re-
mained in camp at York until June, when
they were sent to the front and joined the
army in the field. Meantime affairs at Bal-
timore were in an exciting condition.
On April 21 Colonel Benjamin F. Butler,
commanding the Eighth Massachusetts
Regiment, arrived at Perryville on the Sus-
quehanna, being unable to reach AVashing-
ton through Baltimore. His regiment
'moved on flat boats to Annapolis and
reached Washington the following day.
Two weeks later he was sent with his regi-
ment to Baltimore. The railroad bridges
had been rebuilt and trains passed from
Harrisburg through York and Baltimore to
the national capital. While Butler did not
place the city in a state of siege his gallant
conduct compelled the secessionists to re-
main quiet, and for his skill and strategy he
was made a major general of volunteers.
Soon afterward the Department of Mary-
land was created. General John A. Dix, of
New York, was placed in charge.
On April 20, soon after receiv-
Local ing the news of the attack on
Patriotism, the troops passing through
Baltimore, large flags were
floated to the breeze from the offices of the
York Gazette and the York Republican, and
also from the Tremont House, later the
National Hotel, which was the stopping
place for military oflicers. Other flags were
displayed from the private residences of
many citizens. On Monday, April 22, a
tall pole was created in Centre Square and a
bunting flag unfurled to the breeze. Dur-
ing this ceremony, the AVorth Infantry
Band plaj^ed the Star Spangled Banner.
Hon. Robert J. Fisher delivered a speech on
this occasion. In the afternoon of the same
day, a flag pole, one hundred feet high, was
erected in front of the lumber yard of H.
Small & Sons, on North Duke Street, when
patriotic speeches were delivered by Henr}'
L. Fisher, John Gibson and John AA^ Bit-
tenger. The Continental Club also un-
furled a flag. There was a universal senti-
ment of patriotism in York and throughout
the county and a few days later a flag,
thirty-five feet in length, made by the pa-
triotic ladies of York, was unfurled from the
top of the pole in Centre Square. This was
the flag that was taken down by the Con-
federates when thev entered the town June
28. 1863.
At the meeting of the court on ^Monday,
April 22, the president judge, Robert J.
Fisher, in charging the grand jury, referred
to the distracted state of the country, and
urged upon them the necessity of providing
for the comfort and support of those who
had so promptly obeyed their countr3r's call.
He stated that the citizens of York had sub-
scribed several thousand dollars, and that
the borough authorities had appropriated
$1,000, and recommended the grand jury to
request the commissioners to make a liberal
appropriation for the same purpose out of
the county funds, and said that he had no
doubt the appropriation would be legalized
by the Legislature. Several members of
the bar also addressed the grand jury. The
scene was a verv impressive one. The
grand jury the next day recommended that
the commissioners appropriate $10,000,
THE CIVIL WAR
357
which was promptly done. Hanover and
Wrightsville made liberal appropriations,
aggregating about $15,000 in all. The
Legislature subsequently ratified these pro-
ceedings.
The attack on Fort Sumter was the open-
ing of hostilities between the two sections
of the Union. Soon afterward four more
states seceded, making in all eleven to form
the Confederate States of America. The
news- of the progress of the war was
watched with eager interest. Pennsylvania
became one of the border states. The
quota of sixteen regiments for the three
months' service, was soon furnished by the
Keystone State. At first it was believed
that the ^var would end in a few months,
but the Battle of Bull Run, fought on July
21, 1861, gave encouragement to the south
and a long war was imminent. It was then
that Lincoln called for troops to serve for
three years, or during the war. Pennsyl-
vania showed her loyalty and furnished in
all 366,000 men for the defence of the
Union. Before the war had ended, a
division of 9,000 troops for nearly three
days occupied the town of York. The
story of the part taken by York County in
one of the greatest wars of modern times,
is best told in the histor)' of the different
regiments with which York County troops
served.
SECOND REGIMENT.
The Second Regiment, Pennsylvania Vol-
unteers, in the three months' service, was
organized at Harrisburg, April 21, 1861,
nine days after the attack on Fort Sumter,
Frederick Stambaugh, of Chambersburg,
was appointed colonel. Thomas A\^elsh, lieu-
tenant-colonel, and James Given, major.
On April 21, the regiment was sent to
Cockeysville, ^laryland, to aid other com-
mands in guarding bridges along the North-
ern Central Railroad. Two days later, it
returned to York and while quartered at
Camp Scott, the York Rifles, under Captain
George Hay, became Company K of this
regiment. At this early period in the war,
Camp Scott was a training post for undis-
ciplined soldiers. The Second Regiment
remained here until June i, and was then
sent to Chambersburg, where it became
part of the Second Brigade, Second Divi-
sion, of General Patterson's Armv, which
was charged with guarding the lines of
communication with Washington and oper-
ating against the Confederate forces in the
Shenandoah Valley. On the i6th of June,
Patterson left Chambersburg on a forward
movement and, having crossed the Poto-
mac on July 2, the regiment encamped at
Martinsburg, Virginia. His army kept
pushing the Confederates steadily south-
ward beyond Bunker Hill, and on July 16,
Patterson made a demonstration in force
and struck the enemy's main line. On July
17, the term of the Sixteenth Regiment
having expired, it marched to Harper's
Ferry, where the men boarded cars for
Harrisburg and were mustered out July 26.
AMien Company K returned to York the
men were welcomed by the ringing of bells,
firing of cannon, speeches and a banquet.
Most of its members afterward enlisted in
other regiments, largely in the Eighty-
seventh Penns)dvania.
The following is the muster roll of the
York Rifles, w-hich l^ecame Company K of
the Second Regiment :
OiHccrs. — Captain — George Hay. First Lieutenant —
John W. Schall. Second Lieutenant — Jacob Emmett,
Jr. Sergeants — John Albright, Philip Peiffer, Oliver P.
Stair, Emanuel Smith. Corporals — Edward F. Smith,
Charles W. Stubbins, William C. Getz, Albert A. Welsh.
Musicians — Samuel Simons, Zachariah Zimmerman.
Priz-atcs — John Bush. Ferdinand Buckingham. George
N. Barnitz, Adam Bein, Charles Busey, William Clap-
per, Daniel Cooks. John Dennes, John A. Epply, George
W. Feistell, David Fox, Emanuel Foust, Ambrose
Foust, Matthew Foose, George Greysley, Andrew J.
Gotwalt, Frederick Ginter, Lewis Hoffman. Soloman
R. Haugh, Joseph W. Houghes, Peter Hubert, Charles
F. Hauck, Charles Harkins, Joseph Harman, Joseph A.
Heidler, John Kise, Robert W. Keech, Daniel Landis,
Augustus Loucks, Jacob Lehr. Franklin Morgan, John
Mclllvaine (M. D.), Peter K. Myers, Henry ^larks,
Jeremiah Oliver, David Reese, Samuel Ruth, William
Ranson, George Rudisill. William A. Reisinger. Jacob
Smith, Robert Smith, Daniel Spangler, Charles F. Stro-
man. William H. Smyser, Martin Selack, Charles A.
Shetler. Jacob Smvser, Henry Smallbrook, Isaac C.
Simmon, George C. Stroman, William Seyfert, Henry
Seipe, John N. Taylor. William H. Tomes, Charles
Wolf, Alexander C. Ward, John F. Williams, Harrison
C. Wiest. John Willy, Henry Young, Daniel Zellers,
Joseph Zeudlick, Franklin Zerger.
SIXTEENTH REGIMENT.
The Sixteenth Regiment, Pennsylvania
Volunteers, answered the first call of Presi-
dent Lincoln for troops. It was organized
at Harrisburg, May 3, 1861, by the election
of Thomas A. Ziegle, of York, as colonel.
He had a good military record in the Mexi-
can war and for twelve years had been cap-
tain of the AA'orth Infantry, a noted military
358
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLVANIA
organization of York. George J. Higgins
was chosen lieutenant-colonel, and Frank
T. Bennet, major; A. Hiestand Glatz. of
York, quartermaster; Charles Garretson,
assistant-quartermaster.
Soon after organization, the Sixteenth
Regiment was brought to Camp Scott, at
York, and remained here, engaged in drill
and discipline, until June 8. Before its de-
parture to the seat of war, the regiment was
presented with a flag by the ladies of York,
and then proceeded to Chambersburg,
where it was placed in the Fourth Brigade,
First Division, of General Patterson's army,
which was preparing to move into the
Shenandoah Valley. The regiment crossed
the Potomac at AVilliamsport, proceeded to
Martinsburg, and from thence to Bunker
Hill, near \\'inchester, Virginia, and drove
in Johnston's advance guard. The regi-
ment then made a forced march to Harper's
Ferry, the enemy's pickets retreating before
them, and encamped at Charlestown, on the
17th of June. It remained in this position
until the expiration of the three months'
term of service. Although in constant ex-
pectation of meeting the enemy. General
Patterson's army was not engaged in battle.
The Sixteenth Regiment, at Charlestown,
was within hearing distance of the battle of
Bull Run, July 21, 1861. It was mustered
out of service at Harrisburg, July 30.
The AVorth Infantry, Company A. York
Voltiguers, Company H. Marion Rifles, of
Hanover, Company F, and Hanover Infan-
try, Company G, served in this regiment.
They were all York County troops. These
four companies had existed for several
years before the war opened, and were
quick to respond to Lincoln's first call for
troops.
The following is the muster roll of the
Worth Infantry, which entered this regi-
ment as Company A:
Officers. — Captain — John Hays. First Lieutenant —
Solomon M^-ers. Second Lieutenant — John 'M. Deitch.
First Sergeant — Jacob Stough. Second Sergeant — Elias
Spangler. Third Sergeant — WiUiam F. Frank. First
Corporal — Jacob L Young. Second Corporal — William
H. Albright. Third Corporal — Lewis Small. Fourth
Corporal — Zachariah Knaub. ^Musicians — George H.
Brierman, Henrv Zorger.
Prhati-s—Wimam Baum, John W. Baum, Charles M.
Brannon, Frederick Banstean, Frederick Breidling.
Henrv Birnstock. William H. H. Craver. Murray L
Cross. Samuel S. CruU, William R. Crull. Leonard Doll,
Edwin C. Duncan. David Everhart. Joseph H. Ensign,
George S. Frey. John J. Frick. Charles J. Fox. Albert
Ford, Samuel Funk, Charles E. Gardner, ■ George W.
Glessner, H. E. F. Grubb, Oscar K. Harris, John Haslup,
Henry Hemple, John Hoelle, Joseph Ilgenfritz, David F.
Ilgenfritz, Edward Kraber, John Klinedinst, Benjamin
L King, Gabriel ^larks. Christian Miller, George Moore,
William F. ^loorehead, Peter Nickel, George Rabine,
Frederick Reinhart, William Reisinger. George H. Ropp,
Charles F. Ropp. Alexander H. Rupert, Samuel Rudy,
Harrison Stair. George C. Stair, Samuel H. Spangler,
George L Spangler, William A. Spangler, Charles A.
Strack, Charles H. Stallman, William Swartz, David
Sirp, John Smeltzer, John Shirey, John Strickler, Alex.
A. Strickler, Philip AI. Shive. Lewis 'M. Smith. Edward
L. Shroeder. Henry L Test, Lewis Thomas, Daniel L.
Welsh. Franklin L Welsh, Christian Yenser. ■
The following is the muster roll of the
Marion Rifles, of Hanover, which entered
this regiment as Company F :
Officers. — Captain — Horatio Gates flyers. First Lieu-
tenant— Joseph Renaut. Second Lieutenant — Jacob W.
Bender. Sergeants — Alfred McKinney, William Troup,
George Koehler, Henry Houser. Corporals — Adam
Klink. Abraham Baker, Henry Trone, Andrew Miller,
Alusicians — Silar Gengling, Lewis Renaut.
Privates — William AUwood, Jerome Adams, Thomas
Brown, Henry P. Bittenger, William Bair, Israel Bob-
litz, Henry Carr. Henry F. Constine. Jeremiah Car-
baugh, Lewis Cline. George Colbeg, Jacob Doll, Martin
Diehl, Henry A. Eekenrode, Charles Fiscus, John Gross,
Franklin Gipe, James Grimes, William Guinlittle, Ham-
ilton S. Grim. Joseph Grim, Nicholas Hahm, George
Jones, William Klunk, Daniel Keesey, Anthony Klunk,
William Low, John Low, Daniel Lookabaugh, Adam
McKinney, John McElroy, William !McFarland, Michael
Alulgrew. Jerome McWilliams, John Martin, Jacob D.
Neiderer, Pius Neiderer, .Mexander Parr, Rolandus
Roland. Adam Robling, Adam Reiling. William Rhine-
dollar. Edward Slagle. William Staman. John Soule,
Reuben Stonesifer, Calvin Simpson, Peter Schuck,
James Stewart, Daniel Weaver, William White, George
Warner, John Wheeler, Jackson Winterode. Daniel Wit-
myer.
The following is the muster roll of the
Hanover Infantr}', which became Company
G of the Sixteenth Regiment :
Officers. — Captain — Cyrus Diller. First Lieutenant —
Henry Morningstar. Second Lieutenant — Joseph S.
Jenkins. Sergeants — Michael Harmon, Isaac Wagner,
John Shanesy, Joel Henry. Corporals — .Adam Morn-
ingstar. William Shuman, George E. Yingling, Joseph
-A. Slagle. Musicians — Simon J. Diller, Thomas L.
Wirt.
Privates— Theodore Bair, William A. Beard, Walter
F. Beard. Peter Butt, Martin Buehler, William Bupp,
Frederick M. Boyer. William Collins, John Divine,
Samuel Dillen, John A. Eline. John S. Forest, Henry
Fleming. Leo Gleason, Sebastian Grimm, Henry Hub-
lev. Michael Herman, John Kouck, John H. Krook,
Daniel Kneidler, Levi King. .'\dam King. George Liv-
ingston, Jacob Low, George Luttenberger, George Long,
Charles Mowerv, Charles Myers. Joseph McKinsey,
Matthias Mann, Henry C. :Metzger, William Newman,
John Petrv, Rufus Parr. Petes Reaver, George Ritzel,
Jacob Runk. John Spence, David Shull. William Sickel,
George Sickel. Henry Stine. Andrew G. Shull, Daniel
F. Stair. Jacob H. Shriver, Franklin Steininger, Henry
Schrall, John Simpson, Michael Schrum, Thomas Say-
ers, Franklin Sharp, Edward H. Snyder, Conrad Sny-
der. Gustavus Trone, Abraham Test, George W. Walker,
Michael Wise. Samuel Witter, John Wagner, Andrew
Wolf. George W. Welsh, Christian Wagner.
THE CIVIL WAR
359
The following is the muster roll of the
York Voltiguers, which became Company
H of the Sixteenth Regiment :
Officers. — Captain — Theodore D. Cochran. First Lieu-
tenant— Michael Gallagher, Jr. Second Lieutenant —
Andrew D. Yocum. Sergeants — John A. Ettinger,
Jacob Sheets, William E. Patterson, Charles D. Henrv.
Corporals — Henry Buckingham, Jacob BuckmursteV,
Andrew J. Fulton, John W. Carey. Musicians — Isaac
Rudisill, Andrew Z. Frey.
Privates — Samuel B. Bair, James F. Barnitz, John
Barnmiller, Jesse Beck, John Beers, Oram G. Blake.
Thomas Z. Bevise, ^Matthias Bloom, Jacob Cooks. Eman-
uel C. Coleman, George Dietz, Johannas Deckling,
Samuel Evans, John Engles. William Giroy. John Hagan
(first), John Hagan (second), Henry Huebner. Jerome
Heidler. Jacob Hauck. Paul Herman. William Ilgen-
fritz. Jonathan Kersey, John H. Keesey. Daniel G.
Keesey. Oliver Keesey, John Kendig, Frederick Kline-
felter, Frantz Kettles. Frank Kettling. George Knodle.
Harrison Keesey. Benjamin Leber. Henry Leibenight.
Jacob ^larver, Henry C. Miller, John Miller, Abraham
Myers, Signiond flyers, Joseph Motter, James C. Mc-
Guire, William H. McCauley, John Michael, Thomas J.
Montgomery, Samuel F. Neoin, Edward Ness, Edward
Owens. William Owens. Morris Parvell. John Rapp,
Henry H. Riley. Martin Richard. Eli Ream. Jeremiah
T. Reary, John Stough. Charles Snyder. Samuel Savior,
Franklin Stallman, John Schellenberger, William
Schriver. Nathaniel Tliompson. Henry Weidner. Pat-
rick Whaling. Peter K. Yost.
THIRTIETH REGIMENT.
The Thirtieth Regiment, First Pennsyl-
vania Reserves, was organized at AVest
Chester, on June 9, 1861, by the election of
R. Biddle Roberts, of Pittsburg, colonel;
Henry M. Mclntire, lieutenant-colonel, and
Lemuel Todd, of Carlisle, major. Com-
pany D of this regiment was recruited in
York and Lancaster Counties. The regi-
ment was mustered into the service of the
United States at Camp Carroll. Baltimore,
Maryland, July 27. It was assigned to
McCall's brigade of the Pennsylvania Re-
serves, near Washington, on August 30,
and during the Peninsular campaign, in
1862, served in Re3mold's division of the
Second Corps, commanded by Fitz John
Porter. It engaged the enemy in fierce
contest at Mechanicsville on June 26. In
this battle the regiment lost seven killed and
twenty wounded. It took an active part in
the battle of Gaines' Mills on June 2y,
where it came to the support of Duryea's
New York Zouaves. After the battle of
Malvern Hill, Colonel Roberts and his men
received the commendations of their divi-
sion commander for gallantry. In a con-
test at Nelson's Farm, Captain Hess was
mortally wounded, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Mclntvre was wounded and disabled for
further service. The regiment participated
in the battle of Antietam, and in Crawford's
division took part in the hardest fighting of
the second day in the battle of Gettysburg.
During the year 1864 it served in the Army
of the Potomac, under Grant, in the move-
ment upon Petersburg and Richmond.
The First Reserves took rank as one of
the best trained regiments in the army.
The following is a muster roll of Com-
pau)^ D :
Offift-;-.?.— Captains— George H. Hess. William G.
Wasson., First Lieutenant— William H. Trapnel. Sec-
ond Lieutenant— David Warfel, Amos W. Sourbeer.
Sergeants— Samuel Pickel, Charles K. Wasson, Abra-
ham J. Taylor. George M. D. Lemmon. Elias Funk,
John R. Courtney. Corporals— Lindlev iNI'Clune,
Franklin Sourbeer, Jacob Shaub, John Gilbert, William
Bruce. Jacob Finney. John F. Dablor, Henry Pickel,
William Lafferty. Musicians— William Klinevoung,
Jacob Diffenderfer.
Privates— W\\\\Rm Allison, James Boyle. Miller Brady,
John Beichall, John Bechtold, William' J. Bowers, Wil-
liam Brown, Abraham Bruebecker, Barzilles Briggles,
James Barbew, Amos Bushorn, iNLark Beattv. Jacob
Byers. E. M. Clark. James Cresswell, Samuel Campbell, '
Frederick Davis, Joseph Deitrick. Charles Dern. Joseph
Flick, Aaron Fralick. John Ferguson, Charles R. Grosh,
T. L. Graham, Samuel P. Groff. Samuel Gordon, Gott-
lieb Garner, Valentine Hoffman, Hiram Hughes, John
Hill. Amos Hoak, John B. Heble, Amos Harmer. David
Heiney. Samuel Herr. Aldus Hawthorne. Jacob Hiller,
Charles Homberger, George Heiny, David Hamilton,
Amos Haverstick, Jacob Harnish, Christian Henninger,
Israel Jacobs, Amos Johnson. Jacob Johnson, John W.
Kise, Francis Kelborne. Joseph Knight, Lemon Kline,
Charles B. King, Daniel Kauffman, Jesse M. Kughn,
Uriah H. Love, George Lanning, George Miller. Isaac
Musser, John Mavnard, John M'Farland, Samuel
M'Farland, William" M'Coy, Peter M'Bride, iNIichael
M'Cabe, William Norris, Samuel Ohrnite, William
Peek, Freeman Powers, John Rhoads, John Reed, Sam-
uel Robison. John Sourbeer, Henry Shoff, Franklin
Smith, Robert Scott, Charles D. Trippie, William
Tweed. John W. LTrban. Benjamin F. Url)an, Frederick
Vierling, Samuel White, Robert Wertz, William Wright,
William J. Webb, Hiram Will, Zachariah Wilhelm,
Urie Wilson. William Williamson.
FORTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
The Forty-first Regiment; Twelfth Penn-
sylvania Reserves, was organized at Camp
Curtin, in June, 1861. John H. Taggart, of
Philadelphia, was chosen colonel; Samuel
N. Bailey, of Dillsburg, lieutenant-colonel ;
Peter Bald3^ major, wdio succeeded Bailey
as lieutenant-colonel upon the resignation
of the latter, March 4, 1862. Company G
of this regiment was recruited in York
County and commanded by Charles AA\
Diven, who was promoted major of the
regiment, April 19, 1864. In the fall of
the same year he was chosen colonel of the
Two Hundredth Regiment in the one vear's
360
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
service, and commanded it in the attack on
Fort Steadman and in the siege of Peters-
burg. The Twelfth Reserve Regiment
served with its division in the Peninsular
campaign with gallantry. At the battle of
Charles City Cross Roads, Lieutenant Wil-
liam W. Arnold, of Company G, was killed.
The regiment was conspicuous for its valor
at Antietam, Fredericksburg, and under
General Crawford, at Gettysburg, per-
formed important service in the second
day's battle at Little Round Top. It took
part under Grant in the Wilderness cam-
paign until its term of service had 'expired
on June 11, 1864, shortly after the battle of
Cold Harbor. The re-enlisted men re-
mained in the service until the end of the
war. The following is the muster roll of
Company G :
Oncers. — Captain — Charles W. Diven. First Lieu-
tenants— William W. Arnold, George Huber, James K.
Miller. Second Lieutenant — Xathan Carman. First
Sergeant — George W. Ebaugh. Sergeants — Henrjr Gise,
John Conway, Isaac D. Culmerry, George C. Bush,
James L. M'Clure. Corporals — Jeremiah Waltmeyer,
Henry Balsi. George Writer, Ambrose Ensminger, Jacob
Shannon, John D. Campbell, Charles Halmer, Augustus
L. Hursh, Hiram Kendig, Eli Harnish, Daniel D. Bailey,
Christian S. Wagner. Musicians — Jacob Eppley, John
Embeck, Daniel Repman.
Priivtcs — George Albert, Levi Akin, Paris W. Albert.
Washington Alexander, William Bettinger, Michael
Berger. John Bishop. Frederick Bongey, Samuel Bren-
eman. Hugo L. Bush, George B. Brown, Solomon Bar-
lin. Winfield S. Duffield, John A. Duffield, Amos Day.
Wilson Everal, William Eaton, William R. Eaton, David
Ehrman, William C. Fo.x. John B. Fry, Arthur E. Ful-
ton. James Feltenberger, William B. Fox. John Grantz,
William Gibbs, Arnum Geglor, Lewis Grove, Henry
Gable, Moses Gardner, Henry Gegler, Nicholas B. Heim,
Solomon C. Hampson, George Hardy, Michael Haley,
Cornelius Hoover, Henry Harman, Jacob Hanafius,
James Isenberg. Frederick Ingles. Andrew Kinter,
Jacob Kaylor. George Keeny, George W. Lowe, Chistian
C. Leib, Washington Laird, Ira E. Lowe, Tolbert Lowe,
John A. Marks, Archibald M'Monagle, Edward Mack-
inson. Wesley M'Leary, William M^'ers, James Morri-
son, George Messamore. Charles JNlontgomery. William
Mentzberger, Charles Moyer, James ^lartoe, James Os-
born. Jeremiah Parson. John Rohabaugh, David Shirk,
Augustus Shaefer, Joseph Shaefer. Robert Stevenson,
James Stevenson, Orlando Simpson, Charles Stewart,
George W. Smith. Henry Smith. Richard Sneath.
George F. Streading. Samuel Skipper, John Tennis.
David Torbit, John Waltemeyer, William Wetzel. Adam
Waltemeyer, Washington Williams, John Wisser, Lewis
Waltemeyer, Thomas H. White, Peter Whalen, Henry
Zorger.
FORTY-THIRD REGIMENT.
The Forty-third Regiment, First Penn-
sylvania Artillery, was organized at Harris-
burg in June, 1861, in answer to the first
call of President Lincoln for troops.
Charles T. Campbell was chosen colonel.
Alfred E. Lewis, who had recently been
admitted to the York County Bar, recruited
Battery E, in York. Early in August the
regiment was sent to Washington and went
into camp near the government arsenal,
where it was armed and equipped, receiving
horses for the batteries, and a supply of
ammunition. The regiment when formed
was composed of ten batteries, in all sixty
guns, each battery containing more than
one hundred men and about sixty horses.
The batteries were assigned to different
commands in which they served for a term
of three years. Major Lewis retired from
the service July 29, 1862. Batteries C, D,
E, and H served in the Peninsular cam-
paign in 1862, in Couch's division, Fourth
Corps, under General Keyes. On August
II, 1862, Thomas G. Orwig, of York
County, was promoted to captain of Bat-
tery E, to take the place of Theodore Mil-
ler, resigned. Batteries C and D accom-
panied McClellan's army in the Antietam
campaign, while Batteries E and H re-
mained on garrison duty at Yorktown, Vir-
ginia.
During the spring of 1863, Battery E
was on duty with the Army of the James,
and rendered valuable service in the attack
on Drury's BlufT, and in furnishing and
manning the guns at Fort Harrison.
During the siege of Petersburg, and indi-
rectly of Richmond, the battery served
under General ^^'eitzel. In the attack on
the enemy's forts on the A\'illiamsburg
road, near Seven Pines, it was hotly en-
gaged, and in the memorable siege events
of 1865, it was kept in daily practice upon
the enemy's works. Upon the evacuation
of Richmond, on April 3, it had the honor
of being the first battery that entered the
cit)^ The batteries of the brigade had
received orders to hasten forward, and in a
spirit of honorable rivalry. Battery E at-
tained.the head of the column and actually
passed the skirmish line in front, reaching
the capital before the enemy's flag was
pulled down, and by its timely arrival,
hastening the retreat of his rear guard,
charged with firing the town, and staying
the execution of the order. After the sur-
render of Lee's army, the battery was de-
tached from corps duty, and with Battery
A, was ordered to report to Colonel Brady,
under \\-hom it was engaged in dismantling
THE CIVIL WAR
361
Confederate works, and removing and ship-
ping ordnance and ordnance stores. On
the 4th of July, it was relieved from duty
and ordered to turn in its guns and horses
to the ordnance officer stationed at Rich-
mond. From thence it embarked for
Philadelphia, where, on the 20th of July,
it was mustered out of service.
The following is the muster roll of Bat-
tery E:
Officers. — Major — Alfred E. Lewis. Captain — Jacob
M. Barr. Major — Theodore Miller. Captains — Thomas
G. Orwig, Henry Y. Wildey. First Lieutenants — Ab-
ingdon W. Minich, John Hardy, Benjamin AI. Orwig,
William H. Kilgore. Second Lieutenants — Frank C.
Choate, William C. Wick, John Hassler, Gustavus Reel-
ing, John Perrin. Sergeants — John Gnaw, Jedediah D.
Lincoln, David Givens, James O. Blauvelt, John ]\Iiller,
George Miller, James A. Fish, Joshua E. Price. Charles
D. Elliott, Albert W. Goff, Henry Greybill, Jacob S.
Bernheiser, John Hoggs, Isaac L Kenyon, Fordyce A.
Lyman, H. W. Strawser. George W. Cripps, Daniel W.
Styles. Corporals — T. W. Fullerton, William Wilson,
Charles Anderson, George N. Tuttle, Fleming Mathews,
John R. Foust, William McGuirk, William Tateman,
Harlow Moon, James Wereham, Ephriam Oakley,
Francis Rick, Barton Beck, H. D. Gochemus, Tilghman
Jacoby, C. A. Keampher. Joseph R. Aliller. Andrew D.
Townsend, George B. Barkley, Patrick Kane, H. E.
Ebenshade, John Flannegan, Howard Smith. Buglers —
Adam Seeger, Charles T. Seitz. William G. S. Allen.
John Harris. Artificers — ^Joseph W. Bryant, Allen
Stoner, Edward B. Hart. Stephen Redson.
Privates — James Armstrong, Henry Armpriester,
George Auble, William Auble, Frederick Arneck, Eras-
tus Ames, Robert A. Anderson, Patrick Allen, James
Barnes, Milton Bassett, Silas T. Bemus, Silas Beerup,
Andrew F. Birch, Stephen Blanchard, Thomas R. Blau-
velt, Edward O. H. Boose, Henry L. Boyce, Joseph
Broher, George W. Broadbent, Henrv P. Brown. Joseph
E. Brown, Jacob Butt. Eli H. Btirt, Hollis Barrett,
Daniel Berke, William Brien, John H. Benson. Robert
Burnett, Henry Beck, Thomas Boyle, Patrick Breen,
William H. Blake, Penfield Burchinal, Adam Byen,
Byron Burr, Curtis Beebe, Curtis Buly, Charles Bet-
tinger, Hosea M Benson, John M. Clark, Andrew J.
Clark, Philip Coyle, Jacob Cover, George W. Cogley,
C. Cunningham, William O. Combs. John Cox. Charles
Clark, Lorentus S. Cole, William F. Cline, Hart Cole,
Samuel Craig, Theodore Denaere, Andrew Derringer,
Andrew Day, Charles Deem, Edward DeForce, jMelvin
P. Demick, Eli Ditman, Daniel Donohue, William Dull,
Robert Davis, Frederick Diehl, Daniel Daniels, Daniel
A, Everett, Isaac R. Eaton. Houser Finton. Thomas J.
Fisher, Andrew Fizell, Henry Forrey, Daniel Fry, Mat-
thew Fry, John Fry. Henry Frickman, Wilson Frew,
James Frederick, Edgar M. Foster, John Fischer.
Thomas Farron, Washington Frankford, Abner Fols-
mer, George B. Franklin. Richard Groff, Augustus Gin-
gerick, Jacob Gurdiger, Daniel Gallagher, William Gaul,
Nicholas Gay, Thomas Grey, Jacob H. Crooner. John
Guilman. R. 'M. Grubb. Barton Herr, John A. Hetrick,
Henry Horn, George Horn, William T .Heazlett. Jacob
Hengst. John Haines. Wesley Hinkle, John Harkey,
James Hickey, Edmund Hart, Patrick J. Harrington,
Michael Innebest, Barton A. Jacobs, Edward Jacobs,
Henry Jennings, John Jarvis, Ireneous Jones, La\vrence
Kaufiman, George W. Kline, Edward Kipp, John Kuhns,
Henry Long, John Lorenz, William Lloyd, James S.
Leise'r, Peter Lever, Philomen C. Lovell, George La-
fayett, Edwin Lyman, William H. Larraba, Henry Mar-
tin, S. T. Mayberry, Jacob Mowrer, William Murphy,
Samuel Murpliey, John W. Murphey, T. McAndrews,
William McKay, A. J. McCollough, Edward McGraw,
William D. McLain, Thomas Murphey, Jacob Mycr,
Harrison McCord, Philip Miskell, Henry Mcllheany,
William H. Meyers, Edward Marks, John Marks, Jos-
eph Marshall, James H. McGee, Conrad Mouse, Nervin
Miller, William Murphey, Joseph Michaels, Richard
McConnell, John D. McGeehan, William Nicholas. Pat-
rick O'Donnell, Adam Onstott, William Phillips, James
Poleman, Courtland W. Potter, Jesse Reed, Robert A.
Reed, Charles L. Robinson, William G. Roper, Cornelius
Robinson, Francis Ramish, Henry S. Reynolds, Josiah
Reber, John Ripple, Benjamin F. Roberts, Alichael Rob-
inson, William A. Rarey, Henry Robinson, Henry Ritter,
James A. S. Ratcliff, Salathiel Sankey, Benjamin F.
Siler, Valentine Shadle, Jacob W. Stauffer, Solomon
Shary, Andrew Shick, Adam Shriver, Gideon Stanley,
John S. Stafford, Theophilus H. Stees, William E.
Stiner, H. Stoutzenberger, Samuel Stuck, Henry Smith,
Charles Stroube, Thomas Simpson, John Sullivan, Sam-
uel H. Slifer, John Savage, Jr., Elijah SoUiday, Charles
Smith, John Smith, Frederick Summers, William
Stabler, Trun W, Stafford, Edwin Spear, William
Stineberger, Levi Stump, ^Martin Swick, D. H. Shen-
berger, Edwin Stees, John Tatnall, John H. Turner, W.
H. H. Thompson. Joseph Townsley, Jack ^l. Vanhorn,
Thomas M. Watson, John H. Weidle, John Weller,
George Willey, Michael Williams, William D. Wood-
ring, John H. Wise, George Wire, John F. Wentz. John
Wiley, William Worl, Frederick Weller, Jacob Weller,
John S. Wade, George Wolf, Peter White, Mark Was-
ner, Samuel Yoder, Thomas Zules, Jacob Zimmerman.
The Seventy-fourth Pennsylvania Regi-
ment, in the three years' service, served
with distinction in the Army of the
Potomac. Company G, of this regiment,
was recruited by Captain AVilliam J. Bart,
who resided near Hanover. Among those
who enlisted from Hanover and vicinity
were Lieutenant J. H. Lohr, Oliver AA'. Gar-
ret, Henry K. Wentz, Ephraim J. Stegner,
John AV. Craumer, David Zumbrum, John
Zumbrum, Edwin Garret, David AA'illet,
Josiah Becker. Henry K. Wentz, of Han-
over, served as an orderly on the staff of
General Peck. This regiment served in
the Sixth Corps, in the Peninsular cam-
paign, and later in the Ninth.
SEVENTY-SIXTH REGIMENT.
The Seventy-sixth Regiment, Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers, which served for a period
of three years in the Union Army, was
organized August, 1861, at Camp Simmons,
by the election of John M. Tanner, colonel ;
D. H. AVallace, fieutenant-colonel; Oliver
M. Irvine, major, and Charles Garrettson,
of York, quartermaster, who, while serving
in this position, was appointed a captain in
the regular -army.
Early in the summer of 1861 two com-
panies were organized for the three years'
36i
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
service in York County, one by Captain H.
Clay Mclntyre, of York, and the other by
Cyrus Diller, of Hanover, soon after he re-
turned from the three months' service.
These became known as Company D and
Company I of the Sevent3'-sixth Regiment,
and both had an honorable record during
the entire Civil A\'ar. The captains of
Company D were successively Cyrus Diller
(afterward major), William S. Diller and
Charles L. Bittinger. The captains of
Company I, in order of succession, were H.
Clay Mclntyre, Jacob J. Young, Frank J.
Magee and Harrison Stair.
On November i8, 1861, the regiment re-
ceived its colors from the hands of Gov-
ernor Curtin, and proceeded to Fortress
Monroe. It sailed from there to Hilton
Head; assisted in taking Fprt Pulaski at
the mouth of the Savannah River ; partici-
pated in the attack on Charleston under
General AVright. and engaged the enemy
with heavy loss in an expedition to sever
communication between Charleston and
Savannah.
On July 6, 1863, the regiment
At moved to Morris Island,
Fort Charleston Harbor, and on the
Wagner. loth took part m the memorable
assault on Fort Wagner, where
it achieved distinction for gallantry. The
regiment received the order to charge as
the flash of the artillery fire was seen. The
men dropped to the ground, the discharge
from the cannon passing over them, then
started forward with a yell. The ranks
were thinned at every discharge. The
moat was reached and crossed, and many
fell on the parapet beyond; 130 men and
five officers of the regiment were left be-
hind.
A second assault took place on July 18.
Captain Frank J. Magee acted as aid to
General Strong in the engagement. Com-
pany L went in with thirty-six men
and but twelve escaped. Twelve regi-
ments were afterward ordered to take
the fort by storm, but were repulsed with
great loss. Fort Wagner was a heavy sand
defense, bomb proof, covering several acres.
It was ultimately demolished after a fierce
cannonading of fifty days' duration, when
it was discovered that it had' been aban-
doned by the enemy.
In May, 1864, the Tenth Corps, to which
the Seventy-sixth belonged, was ordered to
Virginia. The regiment took part in the
battle at Drury's Bluff, where Captain
Young, of Company I, was killed. It was
present at Cold Harbor, Deep Bottom, and
engagements before Petersburg.
The Seventy-sixth, under command of
General Pennypacker, assisted in the cap-
ture of Fort Fisher, at Wilmington, N. C,
in January, 1865. It was mustered out at
Harrisburg, July 27,. 1865, after one of the
longest terms of service in the war.
The following is a muster roll of Com-
pany D of this regiment, when it entered
the service ;
Officers. — Captains — Cyrus Diller, William S. Diller,
Charles L. Bittinger, James J. J\I. McCormick. Lieu-
tenants—Samuel T. Cleckner, Luther Y. Diller, JNL T.
Heintzelman, James E. Gordon. Sergeants — Joseph A.
Slagle, John J. Bussler, Benjamin Minsker, Edward K.
Boyer, Valentine Cook, Noah Waltersdorf, Jacob M.
Duck, Oliver R. Milhouse, Henry D. Miller. Corporals
— Jackson Williams, Obadiah A. Hines, Edward Lee,
Henry Strouse, William Alleman, John F. Benner,
John O'Donald, William H. Friede, Joseph Stone, Wil-
liam Rhell, Henry Eichinger, George Frederick, Jacob
Lechner, William Simpson, Oscar R. Hildreth, Ira H.
Woodward, Curtis Sanders, William Cromie, Abner
Aurand, Christopher Hj'nicka, Henry Spect.
Privates — Edward S. Allen, George Atkinson, William
J. Berry, Zachariah Bloom, Samuel Bowersox, Andrew
Brown, Horace Burchell, George Baker, Henry Bly,
Frederick Boyer, Patrick Barrett, Lot Burns, Jacob
Banofe, Cornelius Bollinger, Joseph Buehenmeyer, Jo-
seph Bolander, Jacob Brown, Michael Burns, James
Coxey, John Crook, Richard Collins, James Cochran,
Rodney Campbell, Emerson Campbell, George Crouch,
Andrew Crick, Edward Chester, Charles Caldwell, An-
drew Cregar, Francis Cramer, Jeremiah Cramer, Isaac
Dobbs, Thomas Dawson, George Dresher, Patrick Don-
ahue, James A. Deitrick, Hiram Erisman, Henry Ern-
est, John Ernest, John A. Eline, William Fisher, John
Fisher, Patrick Finn, Henry Fisher, Michael Fiedler,
Jeremiah Fisher, John Garra, Daniel Gallagher, George
Green. John Gross, Charles Groff, John Greenmiller,
Daniel Gallagher, Joseph Gramer, John E. Hand, Jona-
than Hardin, Jacob Hehr, Peter Hauser, Thomas C.
Horan, Samuel Hoyman, David Hildebrand, Lewis Hall,
George Hallenbach, John Hamlin, Frederick Hendricks,
George Holtzman, James Hughes, Charles Helsby, Mor-
ris Hickard, William Irvine, Benjamin Jones, Harvey
Joslin, Morris Jackson, James Karney King, Thomas
Kelley, George Koch, Michael Krinbechin, Noah Kline-
felter, Uriah Krebbs, Isadore Kreever, David King,
Moses Kister, Joshua Knedle, William Kantner, Charles
W. Lawson, Amos F. Leschey, Martin Long, William
Langhrev, William Lyons, Henry Lamberton, Charles
Lewensdorf, Thomas Martin, John W. Moyer, Joseph
L. Moyer, Charles Meyer, Samuel Musselman, Isadore
Markard, Isaac Musselman, Stephen Alaroney, William
Mummert, Jacob Alorningstar, Henry Morningstar,
Isaac Miller, James Miller, John Miller, Daniel Meyer,
Matthew jNI'Donald, John M'Glaughlin. Thomas M'Ad-
ams. John M'Calev, John Nolan, Henry Petzold, Maris
Piccard, Thomas Powell, Cornelius Price, John Pollard,
Christian Packard, John Pfarr, William K. Parker,
James Quirk, William Raub, Thomas Reily, Franklin
:\I. Roberts, William Roberts, William Reuhenbach,
John C. Rhell, Adams C. Reinoehl, Lewis Rake, Charles
THE CIVIL WAR
3^^3
M. Reilly, Frederick Sanders, Robert Smith, Samuel
Stitzan, Frederick Swartz, George Sickel, William
Sickel, Charles W. Smith, Charles Snyder, James A.
Stewart, Henry Sherwood, H. Schmidtman, William
Shriver, Frederick R. Smith, Edward Shaffer. M'Age
Slade. Joseph Spitz, Henry Schmidt, Robert Slutman,
James P. Tracey, Adam Varner, George Veitengruber,
Hugh Walker, Lewis Walton, Lewis Wambaugh, Dallas
Watson, Andrew Warner, John Wilson, Pius Wanner,
George W. Wilson, Solomon Williams, James Wiltner,
Jacob Wendle, Wesley Wagner, Robert Wittenmeyer,
Henry Yocum, John Yorger, John Zett.
The following is a muster roll of Com-
pany I of this regiment:
Officers. — Captains — Henry C. Mclntyre, Jacob J.
Young, Frank J. Magee, Harrison Stair. First Lieu-
tenants— Joseph H. Ensign, Paris Rudisill. Second
Lieutenant — J. W. Morningstar, Sergeants — William
H. Ziegler, Henry Birnstock, John Loucks, John Lee,
Henry Haines. Daniel Lichtenberger, Robert Smith,
Elias Spangler, Silas M. Smith. Corporals — David R.
Palmer, William Xaef, Henry Reicherd, Jacob Camp-
man, John H. Simmons, Leander Lewis, George D.
Ziegler. Sigmund Myers, Albert H. Mann, William H.
Albright. Joseph London, Andrew B. Frey, Ira H.
\yoodward, Henry James, William H. Smitli. Musi-
cian— George Biernan.
Privates — Isaac Adams, Pherick Adams, Julius Bentz,
Levi Berkenheiser, Andrew Bechtol, Edwin B. Burr,
Jeremiah Bowser, Porter Bender, Thomas Burrows,
John Bruner, Hiram E. Bixler, John W. Baum, Wil-
liam Blanck, Jr., James E. Barnitz, Charles J. Beals,
Patrick Cawley, Stephen Crumay, James Coslow,
Michael Conroy, James Connelly, William H. Carling-
ton, John Cook, Dennis Curtin, William J. Carver,
Samuel Dellinger, Joseph Dunham, Anthony Dorman.
James A. Decker, John Duncan, Andrew J. Duden,
Edwin C. Duncan. George Dietz, Francis Doonan, Wil-
liam H. Fishel, John Fry, Patrick Fargus, George
Foust, Rufus B. Frank, Patrick Finne, James Frederick,
Edward Fournace, Harvey Ford, Michael Golden, Wil-
liam Gray, John M. Gompf. Frederick Gviyer, James B.
Gamble. Leo Gleason. Daniel Hefifner. H. M. Hullen-
baugh. Jarius D. Horton. John Hetz, Francis M. Hud-
son. Edmund Heikus, John Hoffmaster. James Hogan.
Michael HuUihen. Calvin Harris, Edwin Harris, Jacob
Hulsinger, John Jacobs. William Jones, George John-
ston, William Joseph. Patrick Kelly. Francis Kane.
Rudy Kennard. Edward Keister, John Lippy. Anthony
Leiban, James Lowe, Frederick Lumber, Morris Lent,
Peter Lynot, Samuel Law. Franklin Lyman, William
Lewis. Charles Lorick, Samuel Minichan, Charles Mar-
tin, Patrick Middleton, Charles Markle, Henry Matte-
son. Michael Miller. Henry Murray. Samuel B. Moore,
Samuel Aledlow, John J. Miller. Michael McDermot.
Charles McGenley, John Oertel, James K. Oatman, John
O'Brien, John Powers. Thomas E. Palmer. George Pe-
ters, James S. Patterson. Edmund Peters. William K.
Pomeroy, Thomas J. Pennington. Bernard Roberts,
Percival Romberger, John W, Reynolds, George Rhine,
Henry Reatz, Samuel S. Rogers, Alexander Rider,
William F. Reisinger, John Reed, Jesse Rhodes, John
Stough, Enoch Sweesey, John C. Spencer. James Slack.
John F. Snyder, David Shook, Robert SuttoFi, Stephen
Sybert, Reuben Stough. John Sanford. Isaac Sears,
John Sharp, Fredericlc Sultzbaugh, David Savage, Dan-
iel Sloat. John J. Stengle. Thomas Stevens. G. W.
Shenberger, Oscar R. Stearns, Reuben Snell. Peter
Thompson, Byron Turner, Sydney W. Thomas, Henry
Thompson, Jesse Weiser, Roland Wilcox. Henry
Wooley, James Wiseman, James Willis, Henry H.
Writer, Adam Weaver, Louis Welsh, George Warner,
John Weigel, Jacob Weigel, James Walsh, Pardon
Welsh, Enoch Wood, EH Wilhelm. George White, Wes-
ley L. Webster, Henry Zorger, Samuel Zell, John Zieg-
ler.
CAPTAIN FRANK J. MAGEE. who
commanded Company I in the Seventy-
sixth Regiment, was born at Wrightsville,
York County, December i8, 1837. After
leaving the public schools in his native
town, he entered Georgetown College,
Washington, D. C, and was graduated in
1859. When the Civil W'ar opened he was
principal of the schools at Wrightsville and
entered the army as second lieutenant of
Company I, and participated in all the bat-
tles in which his regiment was engaged.
For meritorious services, he was promoted
to first lieutenant and later captain. He
was also aide on the staffs of Generals
Terry, Ames and Strong. After the close
of the war, Captain Magee returned to
Wrightsville, where he served as principal
of the public schools until 187 1. Mean-
time, he was editor and owner of the
Wrightsville Star, a local newspaper. For
several years he was captain of the
Wrightsville Grays. Upon the organi-
zation of the National Guards of Pennsyl-
vania, he was made colonel and later was
promoted to the rank of brigadier-general,
which rank he held when he died.
EIGHTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT.
The Union forces met with a reverse on
the 2 1 St of July, 1861, at Bull Run, where
the first hard fighting of the Civil War took
place. The people who expected the war
to end in three months and were eager for
a great battle, now looked upon the situ-
ation with anxiety and alarm. President
Lincoln was equal to every occasion during
those dark times in our country's history.
\\'hen he issued his second call for troops
to defend and perpetuate the government
which our forefathers had brought forth on
this continent, patriotic freemen from all
the Northern states responded with
promptness. Failure had not diminished
zeal for a good cause : disaster had not
abated devotion to country, and 500,000
men rushed to arms. It was this condition
of affairs and of public sentiment that gave
birth to the Eighty-seventh Regiment,
Pennsylvania Volunteers, to serve for three
years or during the war.
Company A was organized by Captain
364
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
James A. Stable, May 10, 1861, as the Ells-
worth Zouaves, and was composed of
young men nearly all of whom were under
age, residing in York and vicinity. For
several months this company retained its
zouave uniform, which was changed for the
regulation uniform of the infantry. Com-
pany B was recruited in Newberry Town-
ship, and was largely composed of the
Washington Guards, a military company
that had been drilling for ten years under
Captain John Crull. A portion of its en-
listed men came from Dauphin County.
Company C was recruited from Hopewell,
Chanceford, Fawn, Lower Chanceford,
Windsor and other townships in the lower
end of the county. It was organized by
the election of Andrew J. Fulton as cap-
tain. Company D was organized out of
enlisted men from Shrewsbury and vicinity
by Captain Noah G. Ruhl, who had served
five years in the regular army. On Sep-
tember 19, the compan}^ was mustered into
service by Lieutenant Baldwin. Compan}'
E was organized by Captain Soloman
Myers, of York, who had previously served
as first lieutenant of Company A of the
Sixteenth Regiment in the three months'
service. Company F was recruited at Get-
tysburg by Captain Charles H. Buehler,
who, in 1862. became colonel of the One
Hundred and Sixty-fifth Regiment in the
nine months" service. Company G was
organized at Hanover, largely by Lieuten-
ant Henry B. Morningstar, who had served
as first lieutenant in the Sixteenth Regi-
ment in the three months service. Com-
pau}' H was recruited at AVellsville and was
composed of enlisted men from Warrington
and adjoining townships. It was com-
manded first by Captain Ross L. Harman,
and later by Captain AA'ells A. Farrah, who
was killed at the battle of Carter's AA'oods,
near AVinchester, Virginia, in 1863. Com-
pany I was recruited at New Oxford and
was composed of men from Adams County
and the western part of York County. This
company was at first commanded by Cap-
tain PfeifTer, who was killed at Cold Har-
bor, in June, 1863. Later it was com-
manded by Captain AA^. H. Lanius, of York.
Company K was recruited at York by Cap-
tain John AA'. Schall, who had served as first
lieutenant in the Second Regiment in the
three months' service.
The different companies of this
Guarding regiment rendezvoused on the
Bridges. Public Common, which was
named Camp Scott, in honor of
Colonel Thomas A. Scott, assistant secre-
tary of war. September 16, five companies
under Lieutenant Colonel John AA'. Schall,
left York for Cockeysville, Maryland,
where they were placed on duty guarding
railroad bridges. The other five com-
panies proceeded to the same place under
Colonel George Hay, on September 29.
The Eighty-seventh remained on guard
duty along the railroad, distributed from
the ^Maryland line to Baltimore, until the
latter part of May, 1862, when the diiTerent
companies rendezvoused at Camp McKim,
Baltimore. On June 22, 1862, orders came
for this command to go to the front. It
was transferred by rail to New Creek, the
present site of Keyser, West Virginia. At
this camp, the Eighty-seventh attracted
wide attention among the soldiers there for
its excellent drill and discipline. During
the fall of 1862, the Eighty-seventh, under
command of Colonel George Hay, had a
romantic history. It was sent with other
regiments to drive out the Confederates
from the mountains of AA'est Virginia,
where they had been carrying on a guerilla
warfare. For several weeks, it marched
through snow and rain over hills and
through the defiles of the mountains, and
then returned to New Creek, where, in De-
cember, 1862, it was placed in the brigade
of General Cluseret, a French soldier of
rank and station, and marched to the Shen-
andoah Valley, arriving on Christmas Eve
at AA'inchester, where they went into camp
for the winter. The regiment was placed
in Milroy's division of the Eighth Army
Corps, under General Schenck. It took a
conspicuous part in the defence of Fort
Loudon, and upon the retreat of Milroy on
June 15, 1863, under command of Colonel
John AV'. Schall, led the charge in the battle
of Carter's AA^oods. General Milroy had
attempted to defend his position against
Ewell's entire corps of Confederates on
their northern march in the Gettysburg
campaign.
In the battle of Carter's AA'oods,
Carter's Captain Farrah, of Company I,
Woods, was killed. Lieutenant Slothower
was mortally wounded, and Colo-
THE CIVIL WAR
365
nel Schall had a horse shot under him.
A number of men were killed and wounded,
and two hundred of the regiment were cap-
tured and held for a few weeks as prisoners
of war at Libby and Belle Isle, in Rich-
mond, Virginia. After the battle of Car-
ter's Woods, the Eighty-seventh was di-
vided. Some of the men who were not
captured marched to Harper's Ferry under
Colonel Schall, others mov'ed to Bloody
Run. in Pennsylvania, and for a short time
remained under command of Major Ruhl.
After the defeat of the Confederate army at
Gettysburg, the two battalions united in
Virginia, and welcomed back the balance of
the regiment who had been released from
prison.
During the fall of 1863, the Eighty-
seventh was placed in the Third Brigade,
Third Division, Third Army Corps, under
General French. It was in command of
Colonel Schall, with James A. Stable, lieu-
tenant-colonel, and Noah G. Ruhl, major.
It was in December, 1863, when
Mine General Meade decided to attack
Run. Lee's position at Mine Run, Vir-
ginia. He moved forward with
three army corps and laid plans to assault
the enemy's works. The Eighty-seventh
Regiment with the entire brigade to which
it belonged, was drawn up in the first line
of battle. Had this charge been made, a
heavy loss in killed and wounded would
have been inevitable. The weather was
cold and dreary, and the roads were frozen
hard and ice covered the streams. General
Sedgwick reconnoitered the enemy's line,
dressed in the -uniform of a private, and at
a council of war with Meade and other
corps officers, it was decided not to make
the attack. The Eighty-seventh took part
in the battles at Bealton and Brandy Sta-
tion, and lost several men in killed and
wounded in the affair at Locust Grove.
Late in December, 1863, the regiment
went into winter quarters with the Army
of the Potomac, on the Rapidan, near
Brand}' Station, where many of them en-
listed in the veteran service. During this
winter the EightA^-seventh won a reputation
as one of the best drilled regiments in the
Potomac Army.
Upon the re-organization of the army in
the spring of 1864, when General Grant
took charge of all the forces in the move-
ment toward Richmond, the Eighty-
seventh was placed in the First Brigade,
Third Division, Sixth Army Corps, under
General Sedgwick, who had been offered
by President Lincoln the command of the
army before the battle of Gettysburg, and
was killed while standing near Captain
John Fahs, commanding Company A, of the
Eighty-seventh Regiment, at SpoUsylvania,
on May 9. The Eighty-seventh took a
prominent part in the battle of the Wilder-
ness. At Spottsylvania, a few days later.
General Morris was wounded and Colonel
Schall was placed in command of the First
Brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel James A.
Stable took command of the regiment.
Lieutenant Lanius, of Company I, was
placed on brigade staff.
At the battle of Cold Harbor, on
Cold. June i, when an assault was
Harbor, made on the enemy's works
along the Avhole line, the Eighty-
seventh charged over a morass and took a
conspicuous part with the division in cap-
turing nearly two regiments of North Caro-
lina troops. The men slept on their guns
that night, having gone farther ahead than
any other regiment of the Sixth Corps. It
remained in the front line during the suc-
ceeding days of this engagement, when the
two armies were approaching each other by
the construction of zig-zag entrenchments.
On June 3, Captain Pfeiffer, while com-
manding the skirmish line, was killed by a
sharpshooter. Colonel Schall, command-
ing the brigade, was wounded in this
charge.
AVhen Grant changed his base and
marched towards Petersburg, the regiment
moved with the Sixth Army Corps. While
in front of Petersburg, on June 22, Lieuten-
ant Charles H. Stallman, of Company C,
and 16 men on the skirmish line, became
prisoners of war. In Rickett's movement
forward the next day, the Eighty-seventh
was flanked by the Confederates, when 90
men, including Captain Fahs. of Company
A, and Captain Maish, of Company B, be-
came prisoners of war. They were first
sent to Libby prison, at Richmond, and
afterward languished in different southern
prisons until the end of the war.
\\'hen Lee found that Grant was pressing
hard on his lines around Petersburg, he sent
General Early, with 17,000 men, into the
366
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
Shenandoah Valley, to threaten \\'ashing-
ton. Grant then dispatched Rickett's
division of the Sixth Corps in steamers up
the Chesapeake Bay to Baltimore. From
that city, they proceeded on cars to Fred-
erick, Maryland, arriving there on the
e\'ening of July 8, 1864.
Early had crossed the Po-
Monocacy. tomac and was approaching
Frederick, from which city he
demanded an indemnity of $200,000, which
was paid in greenbacks. General Rickett's
di^-ision of less than 3,000 men, together
with some scattered regiments of other
commands, met the enemy on the banks of
the Monocacy Creek, early on the morning
of July 9. The entire Union force did not
exceed 5.000 men. Rickett's veterans, with
heroic gallantry, kept the enemy at bay for
eight hours. The Eighty-seventh, under
Colonel Stable, moved with precision and
courage, winning laurels for its bravery in
one of the hardest fought battles of the
Civil War. Captain Lanius, then serving
on brigade staff, was wounded antl his
horse shot under him while carrying orders
for the movement of the difTerent com-
mands of the brigade. The entire loss to
the Eighty-seventh in this battle was 74
killed, wounded and captured. Among
those who died of wounds were Adjutant
Anthony Martin, Lieutenant John F.
Spaiigler, commanding Company, A, Lieu-
tenant Charles F. Haack, commanding
Company K. Sergeant Daniel L. XA'elsh, of
Company G.
Grant, in his "Memoirs," credits Lew
AA'allace, the commander of the Union
forces at JNIonocacy, with having held Early
back long enough to prevent him from cap-
turing the city of Washington and the
national treasurj^ The delay gave Grant
time to send the remainder of the Sixth
Corps and the X^ineteenth Corps to Wash-
ington, arriving there just as Early ap-
proached the city.
After the l)attle, Rickett's
With division, to wdiich the Eighty-
Sheridan, seventh belonged, joined the
army under Sheridan in the
Shenandoah Valley. Under command of
Colonel Schall, who had returned to the
regiment, it took part in the battle of Ope-
quon, and the rout of Early's army at
Fisher's Hill, near AA'inchester, Virginia.
The three years' term of service, for which
the regiment had enlisted, now expired.
The men returned home, and were mus-
tered out on the Public Common, at 5
o'clock, of October 13. These veterans,
who had taken part in twenty-eight battles
and skirmishes, were welcomed home by
the citizens of York, and a banquet was
given in their honor, in the chapel con-
nected with the L'nited States Hospital, on
the Public Common.
AA'hen the regiment entered the service
in the fall of x86i, it contained 1,000 en-
listed men, and 38 commissioned officers.
The number that returned was 250. Ten
commissioned officers and 90 men had been
killed in battle, or had died of their wounds;
and 112 died of disease, accidents, and in
southern prisons. During the time the
regiment was in the service, 220 recruits
joined it. These, together with the 180
men wdio had re-enlisted, were formed into
a battalion under the command of Captain
Edgar M. Ruhl, who was killed in the battle
of Cedar Creek.
When Sergeant Daniel R. Riegle
Cedar sa\v his fallen commander, he
Creek, planted the colors in the ground
and assisted in carrying Captain
Ruhl to the rear. Meantime, the enemy
moved forward, and Sergeant Riegle went
within ten yards of the Confederate lines,
amid a shower of bullets, and brought the
banner back to the regiment. A few min-
utes later, he rushed forward and captured
a Confederate flag. For his bravery in this
action. General Sheridan sent him with this
trophy of victory, to Washington, where he
received a medal of honor from the govern-
ment.
The ^'eterans were later organized into a
regiment, with James Tearney, colonel, and
Findlay L Thomas, major. It took part
with the z\rmy of the Potomac in the siege
of Petersburg, was present at the battle of
Sailor's Creek and at the surrender of Lee
at Appomatox, April 9, 1865. The re-
organized regiment was- mustered out of
service at Alexandria, Virginia, June 29,
1865. In 1906, about 150 commissioned
officers and enlisted men of this regiment
were living in different parts of the United
States. Among the survivors are Colonel
John AA'. Schall, Lieutenant Colonel James
A. Stable, Major Findlay I. Thomas, Cap-
THE CIVIL A\AR
367
tains John Fahs. Lewis Maish, William H.
Lanius, Jiimes H. Blasser, Lieutenant
Charles H. Stallman. Alexander Strickler,
B. F. Frick, and Corporal Daniel H. Riegle.
COLONEL GEORGE HAY was born
in York, August i, 1809, of Scotch-Irish and
German ancestors, who came to this coun-
try with the early settlers of York County.
When the war opened he was captain of
the York Rifles, an organization which was
noted for its fine appearance and good train-
ing. On April 19, 1861, seven days after
Fort Sumter was fired upon and in response
to the first call for troops. Captain Hay and
his company were sworn into the three
months' service as Company K in the Sec-
ond Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers,
and served under General Robert Patterson
in the Shenandoah Valley. At the expira-
tion of this term of service, July 2"], 1861,
they returned to York. On August 19, he
began to recruit a regiment for the three
years" service and on September 25, 1861,
was commissioned its colonel. This com-
mand was originally called the Thomas A.
Scott regiment, but the name was changed
to the Eight3^-seventh Regiment, Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers. AVhile performing guard
duty along the Northern Central Railroad,
Colonel Ha}' instituted regulations which
soon made his regiment quite proficient in
drill and discipline. During the encamp-
ment at AVinchester, Virginia, in the spring
of 1863, he succeeded General Cluseret in
command of the First Brigade, Second
Division, Eighth Army Corps, and held that
position for nearly two months. In May,
1863, when the regiment was sent on an
expedition with other troops to \A'ebster,
AA'est Virginia, owing to impaired health.
Colonel Hay tendered his resignation,
which was accepted, and he was discharged
on surgeon's certificate and returned to his
home at York, where he died May 24, 1879.
COLONEL JOHN W^ SCHALL was
born in Berks County, Pennsjdvania, in
1834. He was graduated from a military
academy at Norwich, Vermont, and at the
opening of the war was engaged in mercan-
tile pursuits at York. He entered the armj'
as first lieutenant of the York Rifles, which
enlisted as Company B, Second Regiment,
in the three months" service. His commis-
sion was dated April 19, 1861. After his
return Lieutenant Schall recruited Com-
pany K, and was made its captain. When
the Eighty-seventh Regiment was organ-
ized, August, 1861, he was chosen lieuten-
ane colonel, and on May 9, 1863, upon the
resignation of Colonel Hay, was promoted
commander of the regiment. Colonel
Schall, while riding in advance of the line
in the battle of Carter"s Woods, June 15,
1863, had a horse shot under him. He led
his regiment in the Wilderness campaign,
and after General Morris was wounded.
May 9, 1864, he was assigned to the com-
mand of the First Brigade, Third Division,
Sixth Arm}' Corps. At the battle of Cold
Harbor he was corps officer of the day, and
when Colonel Truex was wounded again
succeeded to the command of the First
Brigade, and ordered it to charge on the
enemy"s works at Cold Harbor. Two days
later he was wounded in the arm and re-
turned to York to recuperate. Colonel
Schall commanded his regiment in the bat-
tles of Opequon and Fisher"s Hill, and was
mustered out of service, October 13, 1864,
after receiving" the commendations of Gen-
eral Rickett, his division commander.
After the war. Colonel Schall took up his
residence at Norristown, Pennsylvania,
where he has held different offices of trust
and responsibility. During the Spanish-
American W^ar he entered the United
States service as colonel of the Sixth Penn-
sylvania Volunteers, and commanded the
Second Brigade, Second Division, Second
Army Corps, for five months. During the
past ten years he has been brigadier-general
in the National Guard of Pennsylvania.
Lieutenant Colonel James A. Stable was
born near York, January 11, 1830. Early
in life he became interested in military
affairs and made a diligent study of tactics.
In the spring of 1861 he organized the Ells-
worth Zouaves, a local military company,
which entered the army as Company A,
Eighty-seventh Regiment. He was pro-
moted to major. May 9, 1863, and soon
afterwards made lieutenant-colonel.
He commanded a regiment while Colonel
Schall was in charge of the First Brigade.
He participated with the regiment in the
campaign of 1864 and commanded it at Cold
Harbor and Monocacy, and was mustered
out of the service with the regiment, Oc-
tober 13, 1864. He was deputy collector
of revenue at York under the administra-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tions of Presidents Lincoln, Grant. Hayes,
Garfield and Arthur. In 1894-96 he repre-
sented York, Cumberland, and Adams
Counties in Congress, as a Republican,
being chosen in a district which is largely
Democratic.
Colonel Stable has resided on his farm
near Emigsville, York County, since his re-
tirement from public life.
Captain John Fahs, of Company A, since
the war has been prominently identified
with the business interests of York. He is
a large owner of real estate near the north-
western suburbs of the city of York, and
for several years has been president of the
Western National Bank.
Captain W. H. Lanius. for a period of
thirty years, has been a leading citizen of
York. He conducted an extensive lumber
buiness during the succeeding twenty years
after the war, and later was the projector of-
niany enterprises that have built up the
material interests of York. He projected
the York County Traction Company and
served as its president. He was the organ-
izer of the York Trust Company, one of
the leading financial institutions of south-
ern Pennsylvania.
Lieutenant Charles H. Stallman, of Com-
pany D, has had a successful career as a
merchant. For several years he has served
as president of the City Bank of York, a
prominent financial institution of which he
was one of the founders. Lieutenant
Alexander Strickler, who had an excellent
record as a soldier, has been a successful
machinist of York, since the war. Sergeant
B. F. Frick has been, identified with the
business interests of his native city and was
elected prothonotary of York County and
controller of the City of York. Captain
James H. Blasser has been assigned to
many duties of responsibilit}^ and trust
since the war.
Rev. D. C. Eberhard, chaplain of the
regiment, has resided since the war at
Shrewsbury, where he has practiced dent-
istry.
The following is a complete muster roll
of the Eighty-seventh Regiment :
Field and Staff Officers — Colonels — George Hay, John
W. Schall, James Tearney. Lieutenant-colonel — James
A. Stahle. Majors— Charles H. Buehler, Noah G.
Ruhl. Adjutants — Jacob Emmett, Jr.. A. M. Martin,
George C. Stroman, William C. Waldman. Quarter-
masters— Peter Ford, James Hersh, William E. Culp.
Surgeons — William H. McCurd}', David F. McKinney,
Theodore A. Helwig. .Assistant surgeons — H. C. Stead-
man, B. J. Campbell, Nicholas M. Hoover.* Chaplains —
James A. Brown, James F. Baird, David C. Eberhart.
Sergeant-majors — Charles H. Stallman, Robert S. Slay-
maker, Frank Geise, Charles P. Stroman, Findlay I.
Thomas, Joseph H. Welsh. Quartermaster sergeants — ■
Albert Ford, Daniel Bonge. Commissary sergeants — •
Michael Smyser, William McGonigal. Hospital stew-
ards— John A. Weakley. Sample P. Gable. Principal
musicians — Lewis L Renaut, George Kraus, John
Deiner, Joshua Happoldt, James C. McGuire.
COMPANY A.
Officers — Captains — James A. Stahle, John Fahs,
George J. Chalfant. Lieutenants — Jacob Hay, Jr., John
F. Spangler, William Bierbrower. Sergeants — Alex-
ander Kipp, Frederick Hubley, Elijah Francis, Joseph
Berkheimer, William F. Zorger, Henry Shultz, George
Tawser, John J. Schall, Lewis Frey, Benjamin F. Frick,
Edward Monoghan. Corporals — Joseph Hare, Jere
Carbaugh, Reynolds Pilgrim, Charles Metzger, William
Brubaker, Charles A. Laumaster, Alfred J. Jameson,
Harrison Heidler, Daniel Bonge, Charles Denues, Rob-
ert S. Slaymaker, Samuel Baumgardner, William F.
Smith. Musicians — Harry Fink, Franklin Barnhart.
Privates — Samuel R. Andrews, Howard F. Andrews,
Joseph G. W. Burns, Christian Boll, Henderson Bare-
field, John Barefield, Simon Bendon, John C. Baker,
John Bittinger, John Berry, Edwin Beitzel, Frederick
Bonge, Alexander Brown, IF'eter Bott, George Butter-
baugh, John H. Brown, Emanuel Coleman, James R.
Cassidy, Jacob Clapper. Martin Dissinger, Henry Den-
linger, William Denues, Charles Dellinger, Alfred Eur-
ick, Christian Eiserman, Samuel Evans, Henry Ever-
hart, Henrj' A. Ensinger, Julius Feige, William Felty,
Abraham Frick, Jacob Fritz, George Feathers, Oliver
Fissel, Hamilton Fahs, Jacob Glassmyer, Henry C. Gin-
ter, Charles E. GotwaltAjames Galloway,\Samuel Cin-
der, Sample P. Gable, J-afckstriT'TTTmivr, George Heite,
David Hinkle, IMartin Herbstritt, William Holkamp,
David Hoke, Milton H. Hamilton, John Hoover, Philip
Hersch, Charles Hyde, James Hawkins, Henry Hamme,
T. R. Hendrickson, George Johnson, Michael Kessler,
David Kohr, William Kahili, Henry Keller, James Kel-
ler, Stephen Kepner, Harrison Kramer, John Kipp,
George Koch, George Knodel, Fidele Keller, Benjamin
H. Lintner, Daniel Laumaster, Henry Lilly, Andrew
Miller, Michael Myers, William Aloffit, George Miller,
Jr., George Miller, Sr., George Miller, John A. Morgan,
Michael Marrow, F. T. Metzgar, Samuel Miles, William
Morgan, Jacob McWilliams, Joseph H. McClintick,
William McCleary, Henry L. Neuman, George Noll,
Jacob Philips, Ste'phen L. Parks, George Platts, Henry
C. Pentz, Henry Poleman, James Patterson, Hugh
Quinn, AJ^raham Rhodes, Simon Richey, Amos Rupert,
Thomas Rutledge, George Rhinehart. Luke R. Rouse,
Thaddeus Robinson, Joseph Richey, William Rice,
Abraham Rhodes, J. Shellenberger. Joseph Seninger,
Charles Seeman, John H. Stauffer, Jacob Shrom, Abra-
ham Smith, George Strayer, William Shuman, Herman
Sauppe, Charles Spahr. Emanuel Smith, Joseph Stroup,
William Schriver, Charles Snyder, John Shellenberger,
Samuel Stoner, Michael Tomes, Jacob S. Upp, James
Wilson, Henry Wise, Jacob P. Wise, John W. Weller,
Samuel W. Weller, Peter Witman, William Zechman,
Edward Zimmerman, Daniel Zellers, Martin Ziegler.
COMPANY B.
Officers — Captains — Jacob Detwiler, Lewis ]\Iaish.
Lieutenants — John CruU, George C. Stroman, James
Tearney. Sergeants — Samuel F. Keller, Henry Epley,
William K. Parker, James S. Grimes, Theodore A.
Gardner, Edward T. Rudy, William Brabenstadt, So-
bieski Leib, Robert D. Greer, William Walters. Cor-
THE CIVIL WAR
369
porals — Augustus Winegardner, Henry C. Shatzler,
Thomas Malone, Joseph M. Funk, John Mathias, Lucas
Shurer, Wilham H. Zorger, John A. Hiney, Samuel
Madlam, John Smith, John Leas, George Toomey, Dan-
iel W. Keiter. Musicians — William C. Barringer, John
Walzer.
Privates— Edward T. Ayers, John Arnold, Samuel
Bare, Andrew M. Ball, Daniel Blouse, Adam Bluste,
Montgomery Boush, Robert Burge, Jonathan Barnitz,
John Bentley, William Connelly, Harris J. Cook, Wil-
liam Cotton, John Callan, James E. Corl, John Clune,
Addison Crist, William Carrol, Moses Coble, John Dor-
fort, Fink Drabenstadt, Christopher Drake, Eli Diehl,
Bennevill C. Epier, William Eicholtz, Jacob D. Epler,
Silas Fisher, Jeremiah Foor, Daniel Gauntz, Frederick
Glazier, Levi Gastrock, John Gallagher, Joseph Hum-
mel, Benson Hanks, William Hoover, Mathias Hull,
Samuel Hursh, Michael Heiman, John Hurley, John F.
Hunter, John Herrold. Lewis Hoenig, Joseph C. Hann,
Jacob Johnson, Edward Jones, James Kendrick, Cyrus
W. Kipple, Charles Kueller, Jacob Karstetler, Jacob
Lewis, Henry Lenhart, Edward Lewis, William Miller,
David JMoore, Levi Mansberger. James Morrison,
Franklin ]\Iilliken, Silas Mattis, John Myers, Washing-
ton Meisenhelder, Randall McDonald, Jacob McCoy,
William McLane, David Xagle, Oriel G. Newell, Urias
R. Nichols, George Nicholas, Alexandre Nauss, James
Oren, John Oxenrider, Thomas Price, Samuel Payler,
Ackinson Powell, Jay E. Preston, Richard Quinn, Gid-
eon Quickel, James Richardson, Adam Roush, Jacob
Raush, Abraham Roat, George W. Rouch, John K.
Rupp, Adam Renninger, Henry H. Richard, Ramsay
William, John C. Simmons, William F. Spayd, Elijah
Snow, Bernard Smith, Levi Spangler, Thomas S. Smith,
John Sheets, Augustus Snyder, Thomas Updegrove,
John Vogelsong, Nathaniel Veoman, Henry C. Welker,
William W. Watson, William Weaver, Augustus Wise,
Thomas Williams, Henry Wilhelm, Gottlieb Wertz,
Thomas Watts, Henry W. Woalden, Andrew B. Wil-
liams, Francis M. York, Samuel Zartman, George
Zorger, Peter F. Zorger, David Zook, Isaac U. Zarger.
COMPANY C.
OKcers — Captains — Andrew J. Fulton, Murray S.
Cross, Findlay L Thomas. Lieutenants — Samuel Sav-
ior, William E. Culp, Jonathan J. Keesey, William E.
Patterson, Charles H. Stallman, Isaac Wagner, Ramsay
Hannagan. Sergeants — John Aker, William A. Haack,
Adam H. Carman, Hays Edie, Adam H. Stiffer, John
C, Brown, Eli Ream. Corporals — Eli Ream, Artemus
Hildebrand, Morris J. Powell, Rufus Grim, Elijah B.
Gibson, Henry Linn, Samuel F. Nevin, James L. Hand-
ley, Francis A. Hersey, Pius N. Minnick, Stewart Grif-
fith, Samuel B. Ruhl, Isaiah Hoff. Musicians — Green-
berry Lovel, Jacob H. Snyder, James C. Maguire.
Privaies^-ThomdiS Applegate, Beniah K. Anstine,
James Bates, James E. Barnes, Edward Bilby,
Harry H. Bortner, William H. ■ Brenneman, Henry
E. Blaney, Thomas Bull, Oram G. Blake, John
N. Blausser, Jesse Beck, Henry Breal, Wil-
liam J. Case, Jacob Covolt, Samuel Cross, William
Clement, John A. Crowl, George Duttenheiffer, Martin
Davis, Daniel Dice, Van Buren Danner, John E. Edie,
Edgar C. Farnham, Richard Fisher, Samuel Flinn, Rich-
mond Flinn, Jeremiah Flinn. Lewis C. Frey, David G.
Fulton, Porter Fluck, William Glancy, Jacob Grove,
Absalom Gardner, Anthony Grim, Samuel Glassmyer,
William Ging, Thomas Guinn, Robert Gemmill, Henry
Hibler, Alexander Housiell, Conrad Hank, Joseph H.
Himes, C. Householder, William Housiell, Michael
Hose, James Hays, Enoch C. Hartman, ^lichael Hostler,
Andrew Isenbaugh, Harris Jenkins, Jacob J. Kragle,
Henry Krider, Henry Koliler, Joseph Kook, Robert
Keech, Oliver Keesey, Samuel D. Louck, John Loucks,
William Lutz, John Meltzheimer, Thomas H. Mills,
Pans A. Minnick, Frank McGuigan, John Mc-
Girk, Norris McGirk, John McGuigan, George H.
Ochell, William Pennington, William H. Poet, F.
Pfaffenbaugh, Michael Poet, John Poet, Timothy
Perry, D. Rogers, George Riddle, Peter Ream,
Frederick Rinehart, Adam Ream, Zachariah Reichard,
James Stepstone, Franklin Seip, John Stroup, Philip
Song, Charles D. Snyder, Franklin Stump, David Say-
lor, Levi Snyder, Jacob Sheets, John B. Shadle, Jona-
than Stoner, Daniel Spotts, Jesse Snyder, Granville
Sweitzer, Ephraim Strayer, Isaac Tome, James Tarbet,
James A. Thompson, Levi Tyson, Isaac Wagner, Wil-
liam H. Witters, John White, Eli White, David A. Wil-
son, Patrick Whalen, William Waltemeyer, David Wal-
lis, William Waight, M. Waltemeyer, Henry Wagner,
James H. Weakly, J. C. Waltemeyer, Michael Washes,
John Weaver, Ferdinand Ziegle.
COMPANY D.
Officfw— Captains— Noah G. Ruhl, James H. Blasser,
Edgar M. Ruhl. Lieutenants— Peter Ford, George
Blasser, Henry Seitz, William H. H. Welsh. Sergeants
— James B. Beck, J. R. Nonemaker, James H. Hendrix,
Robert McDonell, James Grove, Emanuel Ludwig,
Henry Hildebrand. Corporals — Andrew J. Almony,
Nathaniel Z. Seitz, Frank Geise, Henry N. Bailey,
Henry C. Young, Newton Krow, John T. Allison, Wil-
liam S. Stewart, Henry Smith, Adam Shaffer, Squire
Bamford. Musicians — George W. Almony, Adam
Leicht.
Privates — Valentine Anstine, George Armer, Charles
R. Allison, Henry Albright, George W. Brenise, George
Bollinger, Esau Bailey, Ephraim Bailey, William
Butcher, William Beaverson, Jacob Brown, John Bur-
bage, Henry W. Bowers, Israel Baublitz, William Bo-
dein, Samuel Brooks, Jeremiah Bittner, John Beitzel,
James Clark, John Coffey, Franklin Cayton, John
Critchfield, Horace J. Crook, Frederick Dolla, Levi W.
Dubs, John Dettinger, William H. Douglass, Peter W.
Deckman, Soloman Deal, F. Dittenheffer, George W.
Eaton, Conrad Eckert, William Eaton, F. Fallenstine,
Edward Gaffney, Jonathan Gable, Joseph A. Glatfelter,
Jeremiah Grove, Peter Hedrick, A. D. Hartman, Fred-
erick Hanke, H. Hildebrand, Lewis V. Holter, John
Henn, Henry Hartman, William Haley, Amos Innerst,
Soloman Innerst, Granville Jackson, Nathaniel Jackson,
Albert Kelly, L. C. Klinedinst, Alexander Klinedinst,
Isaac Krout, J. W. Klinefelter, Joseph A. Kelly. Patrick
Kelly. Nicholas Leopold, John Leopold, Franklin Lentz,
Jacob E. Lowe, Peter Miller, Francis Midwig, William
H. Metcalf, Jonathan S. May, James K. Muntis, Henry
Miller, John Mitzel, James H. Moody, Henry Marta,
Jacob N. Marsh, Max Myers, Ludwig Miller, John Mc-
Connell, Allen McGee, James McCormick, Amos Ness,
Emanuel Nell, Samuel Overlander, John A. Orwig,
Elias H. Redding. Robert J. Rinehart, Peter G. Reever,
Charles Rothberth, Owen Robinson, George Snyder,
Charles P. Saxton. Jacob Spotts, John Smith, Michael
Scheel, John Shaffer, James Sheeley, William Shaffer,
John Sharkey, John Swearer, John Swope. Peter Shoe-
maker, Jarius Shockey. John Sherwood, Emanuel
Wildasin, Frederick Weinreich, L. W. Waltemeyer,
Henry Williams, Daniel Williams, John H. Wike, John
G. Weaver.
COMPANY t.
OiHccrs — Captains — Solomon Myers, Charles J. Fox.
First Lieutenants — William F. Frank, Isaac Hull, Alex-
ander Strickler, Peter Nickel. Sergeants — Isaac G.
Simmons, Benjamin D. Dull, Henry A. Zorger, George
Blotcher, Frederick Bridling. William Baum, John W.
Coover. Benjamin J. King. J\Iichael Riter. Corporals —
John H. Baughman, Samuel Cramer, Charles W. Shultz,
PTonrir "Wplrrimpr Henrv Streater. Albert D. Stanffer.
John H. Baughman, bamuel i_ramer, (^nanes v _
Henry Welcomer, Henry Streater, Albert D. Stanffer,
Henry Smith, Philip M. Shiver, George Bruner, John
37°
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Danner, Daniel \\'hitenight, Daniel N. Brose, W. N.
Aughbaugh, Albert Ford, John G. Bobb. Musician —
Samuel Sprenkle.
Privates — William Brison, James Bowers, Samuel
Bender, Jefferson Bruner, Samuel Bricker, Eli Bear,
Elias Byerts, George Buzb.v, John Bridling, Chris
Brenneman, William H. Bruner, William Banner, John
R, Baker, Edward Beaverson, John Cousler, David A.
Gorman, Alexander Crouch, John Crone, Levi M.
Coover, Edw. Callahan, Henry Dellinger, Roland Dixon,
John Everhart, Jacob G. Epply, Abraham Fox, Peter
Free, Samuel 13. Gray, Cyrus M. Gipe, Joseph Grove,
Peter Gipp, Edward Gipp, Edward Gipp, Jacob Holibein,
James S. Huber, Charles Hoover. Lewis Haupt, Moses
M. Huber, William Harris, Williaiu Hassinger, John
Hoffman, Augustus Hemple, William Ilgenfritz, George
Johns, Augustus Reiser, William Kamper, Casper H.
Kleffman, William Krebb, George Kraus, William Long,
John E. Lutz, James H. Moorehead, Henry Myers, Wil-
liam Miller, Joseph Mack, Andrew Miller, Benjamin
Minnich, George S. Markel, Henry Miller, James E.
Mundorff, Samuel R. :\Iiller, Paul Mosebaugh, John W.
Moses, Charles ]\Iarch, Thomas Neely, Edward Owens,
Isaac Plank, Jacob G. Palmer, John Quickel, George
Robison, Augustus Rodewick, Valentine Roush, Wilson
Rupp, John C. Rupert, James Sensabaugh, Jesse D.
Snyder, John C. Shultz, Thomas Shaffer, John F. W.
Shultz, Samuel Shoemaker, Henry Sipe, Frank Stein-
inger, William Strater, Peter Snyder, Augustus Shultz,
Aaron Stahl, Frederick Stagemyer, Milton Spickert,
Henry Snyder, Herman Wentz, Peter Weaver, Fred-
erick Witmyer, George A. Welsh, William M. Wolf,
Charles Werner, Jacob Witmer, Royal Wykoff, Roberts
Waters.
COMPANY F.
Officers — Captains — William J. Martin, James Adair.
First Lieutenant — Theodore C. Norris. Second Lieu-
tenant— William F. Baker. Sergeants — John H.
Sheads, William E. Gulp, Henry Dustman, John Sheads,
Frank D. Duphorn, Elias J. Sheads. Corporals — John
L. Ziegler, Charles E. Armor, William T. Zeigler, Wil-
liam McGonigal, William D. Holtzvvorth, Peter Warren,
Johnson H. Shelly. Musicians — Joshua Happoldt, Wil-
liam H. Weygandt, Samuel Sprenkle.
Privates — H. Aughenbaugh, William H. Albaugh,
David Bowers, Theodore Bentley, Amos Burk, William
Brickie, Walter Cassatte, David Gulp, Bernard Cole,
Henry F. Coon, Michael Crilly, John Q. Colehouse, A.
F. Dustman, Owen R. Davis, Jacob Eckert, Samuel
Emenheiser, George Ford, William FuUerton, Samuel
Fisher, William F'linn, Henry Fry, Samuel S. George,
William H. Grumbine, William H. Gray, Jacob H.
Grove, Calvin Gilbert, George Hortzworth, William
Hall, George Hitzel, Gibson C. John, Robert H. King,
Abraham King, Amos Keefer, Duncan Little, Edward
Little, Charles T. Little, George T. Little, Esaias Z.
Little, William H. Little, Forest Little, Jerome J. Mar-
tin, David G. Myers, Lewis Myers, Peter Myers, George
Musser, James ^lurray, Forest McElroy, John McEIroy,
William Ogden, Charles Rhodes, Zephanaih Rogers,
Jacob Rice, Daniel P. Reigle, William H. Rupp, John
Shultz, Jeremiah Sentz, Samuel E. Shaeffer, Jeremiah
Sterner, Charles E. Skelley, Joseph Stough, Jos. A.
Simpson. William Sheads, John E. Snyder, Henry H.
Smith, James Steinour, Albert D. Stouffer, Charles Se-
christ, Thad. S. Slentz, Michael Smyser, Isaac Sheads,
Edward Seitz, Perry Tawney, George Werner, Joseph
Wysotsky, Spangler Welsh, Emanl. Wysotsky, Jacob B.
Young, Emanuel Ziegler, Henry A. Zercher, William
Zell.
C0MP.\NY G,
Officers — Captains — Vine. C. S. Eckert, H. Morning-
star. First Lieutenant — Robert A. Daniel. Second
Lieutenant — William C. Waldman. Sergeants — Wil-
liam F. Eckert, Charles F. Ropp, Isaac Wagner, George
W. Stine, Daniel L. Welsh. Corporals — Jacob Shultz,
John L. Kunkle, Andrew G. ShuU, Henry Stine, Samuel
W. Keasey, William T. Moorehead, John Keller,
Le'nard W. Watson, Charles W. Moore, John A. Eaton.
Musicians — Howard Stahl, Lewis I. Renaut.
Privates — Alartin Auston, Charles Booth, Samuel
Burkheimer, John Bupp, Owen Bishop, John Dunn,
Henry Everhart, John W. Ettinger, Henry Faik, Joseph
Fox, John Ferdinand, Jacob Fry, Daniel D. Fries,
Valentine Grove, Adam Glock, Philip Grove, Oliver
Glassmyer, Sylvester Golding, William R, How, Wil-
liam Hampton, James H. Hooper, John C. Hoffman,
Lewis J. Humm, Clayton Hartman, Jerome Herr,
Thomas Ilgenfritz, William Irwin, John Jacobs, David
P. Kerr, L. J. Klinedinst, Daniel M. Keasey, William
Kuentzler, Augustus Kauffman, William H. Lafever,
John Lichtenberger, Samuel Lau, Benedict P. Myers,
Ad. Morningstar, Jacob H. Miller, Lewis Miller, George
Matson, Samuel C. Moore, Patrick McCabe, Conrad
Nickel, William Newman, Henry Norwig, Samuel W.
Park, Jacob Reed, John A. Russ, Jacob Ruth, Milton
Randall, Charles Rose, John Stahl, Calvin Stahl, John
Snyder, George Sweitzer, Daniel Stine, Henry Stroman,
Henry Spicer, Frederick Schoffstall, Henry Shultz,
Abraham Test, John A. Wilt, Joseph F. Welsh, Jacob
F. Wintrode. William Wolf, William Wagner, George
Yingling, Silas C. Yingling.
COMP.\NY H.
Officers — Captains — Ross L. Harman, Wells A. Far-
rah, Philip Gentzler. First Lieutenants — R. S. Slay-
maker, Andrew B. Smith, Daniel P. Dietrich, William
E. Gulp. Second Lieutenants — John L. Shillito, Harvey
J. Harman, M. S. Slothower. Sergeants — Earnest G.
Henkel, George A. Mowrer, Henry Z. Bowman, Jacob
H. Hopper, Jacob M. Herr, John M. Griffith. Corporals
— John C. Kesser, Daniel Smith, William Gill, David
Pentz, Benjamin F. Kauffman, John Naugle, Abraham
B. Coble, Joseph B. Hobson, Joseph Henry. Musicians
— George B. Lightz, Michael D. Aker, Joseph Rinehart.
Privates — William Anderson, George S. Anderson,
Daniel Arnsberger, John Aker, Frederick Brecht, PhiUp
S. Barnes, Michael Brickner, Albert T. Barnes, Ephraim
Coble. Christian C. Coble, Samuel Cassal, Thomas O.
Crowel, Henry W. Comfort, George C. Carroll, John A,
Cooley, Frederick Dietrich, Tempest L. Forrer, Israel
Firestone, Eli Forrer, John Good, Peter Gardner, Alfred
M. Hunter, John Hoffman, Jacob B. High, Jacob Huntz-
berger, William Hartman, Samuel Johnson, James A.
Kerr, Wesley F. Keller, John W. Keller, N. J. Kline-
dinst, George L. Litz, Jesse R. Lentz, Josiah Landen,
Peter Martin, Francis J. Moore, Andrew B. Myers, Jef-
ferson Martin, Jacob Moore, Valentine Myers, Daniel
March, David M. McClellan, Samuel B. McGinley,
Daniel S. Mickey, Henry Noel, George Prowell, Jacob
H. Peters, Charles E. Pederson, John L. Ritter, Daniel
Runk, Martin Rinehart, William B. Ramsay, John W.
Smith, Jeremiah Spahr, John A. Sibbett, Reuben
Stough, William G. Small, Jacob B. Slothower, Lafay-
ette Slusser, Henry Snyder, Ephraim Stouffer, Andrew
Shive, Henry Shaffer, George Sherman, John K. Shive,
Emanuel Troup, Edward Wise, Roland Wagoner, An-
thony Wolf, Peter H. Zell.
COMP.ANY I.
Officer— Captains— Thaddeus Pfeiffer. William H.
Lanius. First Lieutenants— Anthony JNI. Martm, Ed-
ward F. Coe. Second Lieutenants— James Hersh,
Robert K. Slagle. Sergeants— George Dosh, Edward A.
Stough, Findlav I. Thomas, Zephaniah E. Hersh. Cor-
porals—William D. Hombach, Charles Burns, Augustus
Weigert, Pius D. JNIiller, :\Iilton J. Yeager, Frank jNI.
Peters, Jacob Harman, Daniel Decker. :\Iusicians—
David A. Yount, Daniel H. Karnes.
THE CIVIL AVAR
371
Privates — George Adams, Bernard Altrogge, Alex-
ander Brashears, Ephraim Bankard, Nelson Collins,
Charles Crosta, Lewis H. Diehl, Pius Eline, George F.
Felty, George Fleming, Henry Fleming, James A. Fel-
lers, Joseph Fried, James C. Fisher, Frederick Green,
Albert D. Grove, John Hale, Daniel Heltzel, Edward R.
Herr, Charles Howell, Charles Habermehl, James
Logan, William Luckenbaugh, William Lefever, James
A. Long, Joshua Lane, William G. Little, Levi Markle,
Charles Martin, John H. Martz, Elias Mowry, Howard
C. Myers, Samuel V. Martz, Henry Motter, John G.
Motter, Andrew Mummert, Thomas Montgomery, Peter
Mclntyre, Solomon McMaster, Joseph McElroy, Thomas
J. McClain, Frank McAvoy, Alexander McManus, John
A. Noel, Robert O'Donnell, William Perlitz, Frank
Rickrode, John Rickrode, Adolph Rahter, Benjamin
Rahter, Pius H. Rickrode, Albert Roberts, James
Rooney, Frederick Reidhinger, Henry Shrom, George
Sherman, Luther S. Stouffer, Joseph Stonesifer, Henry
Swope, George W. Schriver, Thomas Sayers, John C.
Shrom, John Schmuck, John Snyder, David N. Thomas,
Jeremiah Wilt, Adolph Weisheit, William B. Yeatts,
William Young.
COMPANY K.
Officers — Captains — John W. Schall, John Albright.
First Lieutenants — John E. JNIcIlvain, Charles F. Haack.
Second Lieutenants — Jacob Emmet, Jr., Charles P. Stro-
man. Sergeants — Charles Busser, Lewis R. Haack,
Franklin Ginter, William H. Schriver, George W.
Welsh, William Marckley. Corporals — Peter S. Baum,
Jerome Heidler, Michael S. Deringer, Samuel Decker,
M. Morningstar, Cornelius Fecker,- George Gibbons,
Christian List, Lawrence Kerber, John A. Weakly.
Musicians — John Holder, Charles J. Barnitz.
Privates — Eli Brown, Henry Billmyer, Ulrich Block-
inger, John Blockinger, George H. C. Brant, Thomas Z.
Burse, John Barry, John V. Beck, John W. Carey, Den-
nis Crimmins, Jacob Clopper, Henry Dobbins, William
H. Dixon, Josiah Diehl, Jacob Dobler, Jacob Diehl,
William H. Epley, William Emenheiser, G. R. Eichel-
berger, Samuel Fox, Nathaniel Faust, John W. Filler,
Jacob Foos, Matthew Foos, Alexander Gleeson, John
Glosser, Nicholas A. Hahn, John B. Hanson, Joseph H.
Helker, Joseph A. Heidler, David Hoffman, VVilliam H.
Ilgenfritz, William A. Knudson, Conrad Kissinger,
Henry Kisner, John C. Koons, Jacob Koons, Daniel G.
Kease}', John Kindig, Jacob Lesh, Jacob List, John List,
William Monaghan, Charles Odenwalt, Rudulph Pat-
terson, Thomas Paley, Hugh Quinn, John Runk, Wil-
liam Ramson, Simon Roth, Samuel Ruth, Martin
Roucher, Lewis Rasch, Frederick Rehm, Henry Strat-
myer, Harrison Spangler, Henry C. Spangler, E. Shane-
brook, Isaac Sweeney, George W. Sechrist, Benjamin
Snyder, Benjamin Tyson, Thomas J. Taylor, Nathaniel
Thompson, John Wilson, John H. Wolf.
The .Ninety-second Regiment, known as
the Ninth Cavalry, was organized at Camp
Cameron, near Harrisburg, August 29,
1861. It was composed of enlisted men
from different sections of the state. This
regiment was sent to Kentucky and served
under General Buell, in various expeditions
through that state. It took part in the
campaign against Bragg's army in Tennes-
see, which culminated in the battle of
Chickamauga. In 1864, this regiment was
placed in Kilpatrick's division of cavalry,
and on Sherman's march from Atlanta to
the sea, the Ninth Cavalry occupied the
extreme right of Sherman's forces under
General Howard. The regiment remained
in service until July, 1865, when it was
mustered out. Among the men from York
County in this regiment were David Fox,
Christopher Fox, W. J. Kirk, George E.
Sherwood, Lewis A. Trone and George W.
Thomas.
Roswell ]\L Russell, a member of the
York County Bar, who has resided in Han-
over since the Civil War, served as major
of this regiment from November, 1861, to
March, 1863, when he was promoted to lieu-
tenant-colonel. He resigned from the
service, November, 1863, on account of dis-
ability. He also served as a sergeant in the
Mexican War.
The Ninety-third Pennsylvania Regiment
was organized in September, 1861, and was
composed largely of enlisted men from
Lebanon County. Rev. James M. McCar-
ter, a Methodist clergyman, was elected
colonel. This gallant officer was wounded
at Fair Oaks, and afterward returned to his
regiment, but was compelled to resign on
account of disability, in November, 1863.
In 1862, the Ninety-third served in the Pen-
insular campaign in Couch's division. Later
in the year it took part in the battle of An-
tietam and Fredericksburg, and was con-
spicuous for its gallantry at Chancellorsville.
In the battle of Gettysburg, this regiment
formed a part of Wheaton's brigade. Sixth
Army Corps, under Sedgwick. It served in
this corps in the Wilderness campaign and
the siege of Petersburg, and in July, 1864,
was sent to the defence of Washington,
when threatened by Early. It took part in
the Shenandoah campaign under Sheridan
until its term of enlistment had expired. A
number of men from Fairview Township,
York County, enlisted in Company I of this
regiment. Among these were Sanford
Fisher, killed at Fair Oaks ; Sergeant John
Fisher, killed near Winchester, in 1864;
Sergeant Henry W. Fisher, Frederick Koch
and Wilson Banner.
The One Hundred and Third Pennsyl-
vania Regiment was organized, with volun-
teer soldiers from western Pennsylvania, in
the fall of 1861 and served with great credit
for a full term of three years. It was con-
nected with the Army of the Potomac dur-
372
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ing the whole term of its service. The time
of enlistment for the original regiment ex-
pired in the fall of 1864. About one-third
of the men became veterans by re-enlist-
ment. In the months of March and April,
1865, eight new companies were added to
the One Hundred and Third. They were
made up of new recruits and men who had
already served in other regiments. Com-
pany C, commanded by Captain George
Shipp, and Company D, commanded by
Emanuel Herman, were recruited in
York County. The re-organized eight
new companies and about 400 vet-
erans remained in the service until
June 25, 1865. They participated in the
last scenes of the war, and were nearby
when Lee surrendered at Appomattox on
April 9. During the early years of its ser-
vice the One Hundred and Third lost
heavily in killed and wounded, and 132 of
its men died as prisoners of war at Ander-
sonville, Georgia, during the years 1864-65.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH
REGIMENT.
The One Hundred and Seventh Regi-
ment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, was organ-
ized at Harrisburg, March 5, 1862, of en-
listed men from Franklin, York, Dauphin,
Cumberland, Lebanon, Lancaster, Schuyl-
kill, Luzerne, Mifflin, Juniata, Bedford and
Fulton Counties. It was placed in com-
mand of Colonel Thomas A. Ziegle, of
York, who had served with distinction in
the Mexican War, and had been colonel of
the Sixteenth Regiment, in the three
months' service. Company A, under com-
mand of Captain Jacob Dorsheimer, was
largely recruited from York County. On
Sunday, March 9, the regiment passed
through York, for the seat of war, moved to
Washington, and on April 2, crossed the
Potomac, and was assigned to Duryea's
brigade, Ord's division, of McDowell's
corps.
After the defeat of Fremont and Banks
by Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, the
One Hundred and Seventh reached Front
Royal by forced march, on June i, where
Jackson had retreated. The regiment en-
camped at different places, and while near
Warrenton, on the morning of July 16,
Colonel Ziegle died. The whole regiment
was attached to him, and he was regarded
as one of the most efficient officers in the
brigade. He had been identified with the
military history of York for so many years
that his career was expected to be unusu-
ally successful. The One Hundred and
Seventh became part of the army under
General Pope, and was first under fire at
Cedar Mountain, on August 9, 1862, and
was in the second battle of Bull Run, and at
Chantilly, South Mountain and Antietam.
In October, 1862, it took position in Gen-
eral Franklin's grand division, and was at
Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. It
was in the First Corps, under General Rey-
nolds, at Gettysburg, engaged in the first
day on Seminary Ridge, and on the third to
the right of Cemetery Hill. In February,
1864, nearh^ the entire regiment re-enlisted,
and after the veteran furlough, was with
Grant in his movements across the James,
heavily engaged, and before Petersburg.
At Weldon Station, Lieutenant George C.
Stair was captured, and with other officers
made his escape through the enemy's lines.
Oliver P. Stair was promoted to captain and
made brevet major. James Crimmons was
wounded at Antietam, taken prisoner at
Gettysburg and Weldon Station, and was
made first lieutenant in July, 1865. The
regiment was mustered out, July 13, 1865.
The following is the muster roll of Com-
pany A, One Hundred and Seventh Regi-
ment :
OfUccrs — Captains — Jacob Dorsheimer, Theodore K,
Schefifer. Samuel Lyon. First Lieutenant — Ohver P.
Stair. Second Lieutenant — George C. Stair. Sergeants
— James Crimmins, Ferd Buckingham, Peter A. Hinkle,
John M. Mohler, Samuel F. Ruth, Solomon R. Hough,
Alfred A. Collins, Charles W. Conrad, Andrew C.
Wolfe. Corporals — Christian Shearer, Amos Whalk,
Williaiji Edwards, Isaac Supplee, Edward Jacoby, Wil-
liam Seifert, Adam F. Smith, James Hagerty, Jerald M.
Burton. Devan N. Bentz. Musicians — William C.
Stair, Samuel Simons, John Warner,. Alexander Wolf.
Privates — William T. Adams, John H. Anderson,
Joseph Albert, Edward Blythe. Daniel Burke, Michael
Barret, Michael Brown, Thomas Brummel, Jacob Bush,
James Brady, Charles W. Brewster, Henry W. Baily,
Ernest Baumback, John P. H. Beigeley, James K. P.
Boring, William Butler, Joseph Barmetler, George
Barnabas, Benjamin R. Baily, Mahlon P. Baily, IMichael
Costello, John Clark, William Corcoran, James Carlin,
Rufus Conrad, Aaron Case, John S. Clarkson. Francis
Cosgrove, Gerald F. Conrad, J. Oscar Conrad, Benja-
min O. Carpenter, Daniel H. Coovadt, David Davis,
Thomas Doyle, Thomas Dougherty, James Dugan,
Thomas Dickson, William Dull, Thomas Defner, Philip
Diamond, John Davis, Henry R. Davidson, Aaron L.
Ebersole, Isaac Evans, John C. Filer, Benjamin Fleck,
J. R. Flemming, Xathaniel Finch, John C. Ferris,
George Fake, Abraham Fennell, Thomas Firth, Patrick
Gressing, Faber Gregg, Joseph Gilmore, Seeley Gale,
Ezra Green, Thomas Griffith, Cornelius B. Gromey,
THE CIVIL WAR
373
Joseph Hagerty, Joseph M. Hunt, Martin Harrigan,
John Harman, Fidell Maine, A. C. Heltmeyer, Ira
Hardy, David N. Hardy, Casper Hahn, John Hartung,
Ehas Hinkley, Peter B. Hinkley, Jacob B. Hawes,
George Hossler, John J. Harman, WilHam Jones,
Joshua M. Jones, Francis Jenkins, Samuel F. Jamison,
Samuel F. Johnson, James P. Kennedy, Frederick Kech-
ner, Charles Kobler, William Kerley, John G. Kline,
Petraclus Kline, Ira Knight, John Kline, David Lynch,
William Laufer, Levi Long, George W. Lancaster,
Charles Luchterhan, Adam Leonard, Samuel Morgan.
J. W. MulhoUand, Francis Mier, Aaron Mayberry, John
Mullin, Patrick ]\Iurphy, William March, Elias :\Iiller.
A. McBride, John McGarry, Thomas McCormich, Perry
McNear, John McKinsie, James C. McClosky, James
Nichson, Barney Pearlstone, Edward Page. Edwin W.
Pierce. William D. Port. Russell Phillips, William H.
Pattent, Charles W. Ridgeway, John H. Robbins,
Charles Regan, Seneca Race, Uriah Ridgway, Andrew
C. Rudolph, Hiram Race, William H. Reesinger, Isaac
A. Secor, Charles Smith, James Sullivan, John St. Clair,
Levi Spangler, John Solier, Thomas Smallwood, Eman-
uel Smith, Henry Sage, Sidney C. Slocum, John
Smutzer. John Smay, Joseph Schirmskie. Thomas A.
Smith, Cornelius Smith, ^ladoram C. Secor, William
B. Snodgrass, John L. Thomas, William Tasson, Allison'
Tiffaney, William Troxwell, Isaac Vanarsdale, Jacob
Varner, F. Vansalkenberg, Thomas Willet, Jacob
Welsh. John T. Williams, Henry Wolf, Carl Waffiter.
William Wallace. Thomas Wright. Thomas Wagoner.
John L. Wille}', Frederick A, Wilmoth. Ira V. Water-
man, George C. Worley, Albert Weiser, Harrison C.
Wiest, Jacob Wier, Thomas Weidman, John Wardnon,
John Yohe, George W. Zinn.
Colonel Thomas A. Ziegle, who com-
manded the One Hundred and Seventh
Regiment, was one of the best trained sol-
diers of his time in the state of Pennsyl-
vania. He was a native of York, the son of
Gotlieb Ziegle, and a grandson of Gotlieb
Ziegle, who was a prominent citizen of York
during the Revolution. Colonel Ziegle
obtained a classical education, studied law,
and was admitted to the bar at York. Dur-
ing his early manhood, he served as a ser-
geant in the division commanded by Gen-
eral Worth, and marched with that com-
mand under General Scott to. the City of
Mexico. After his return home, in 1849,
he organized the Worth Infantry, a noted
military organization, which he commanded
from date of organization until the opening
of the Civil War. It was mustered into the
state service, in August, 1849, ii'^ the pres-
ence of General Zachary Taylor, who was
then a visitor at York. ' Colonel Ziegle
commanded the Sixteenth Pennsylvania
Regiment in the three months" service, and
was one of the most popular officers in Gen-
eral Patterson's army. He had just suc-
ceeded in thoroughly training the One Hun-
dred and Seventh Regiment for active duty
in the army, when he was seized with an
incurable disease and died at Warrenton,
Virginia, July 16, 1862. His remains were
brought to York and buried with the honors
of war, in Prospect Hill Cemetery. He left
a widow, the daughter of Judge Peter
Mclntyre, and two daughters.
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH
REGIMENT.
The One Hundred and Eighth Penn-
sylvania Regiment, known as Harlan's
Light Cavalry, was recruited as an in-
dependent command during the fall of
1 86 1. It was composed of enlisted
men from Iowa, New York, New Jer-
sey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. After the
regiment had reached Washington, it was
found it could not exist as an independent
regiment, and was assigned to a state. It
was afterwards known as the Eleventh
Pennsylvania Cavahy. Company I of this
regiment was recruited in York County.
It was commanded by Daniel Herr, from
September, 186 1. to October, 1862, when he
was succeeded by William I. Reisinger, of
York, who served as captain of the com-
pany until October. 1864, at the expiration
of the three years' term of service. Ed-
ward A. Minnich was captain during the re-
mainder of the war in the veteran regiment.
The Eleventh Cavalry served on scouting
duty and protecting a portion of McClel-
lan's army in the Peninsular campaign, in
1862. In 1863, it remained in southern Vir-
ginia, and during that year, made a raid into
North Carolina to destroy the Weldon
Railroad, a connecting line between Rich-
mond and the southern states. In 1864, the
Eleventh Cavalry, together with the Fifth
Pennsylvania, First District Columbia and
Third New York, formed a cavalry brigade
imder command of General Kautz, a for-
eigner by birth, and a distinguished soldier
of the Mexican A^'ar, who had previously
rendered valuable service in Kentucky. In
May, the regiment engaged the enemy at
Flat Creek Bridge, near Petersburg, when
Lieutenant Shriver, of Company I, from
York County, was killed. In June, the
brigades under Kautz and Wilson, nearly
10,000 men, made a raid west through Vir-
ginia, for the destruction of the Danville
Railroad, another line leading from Vir-
ginia to the south. In July, the regiment
joined the cavalry corps under Sheridan and
374
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
participated with tliat command until the
close of the war. It was present with
Sheridan when Lee surrendered at Appo-
matox, April 9, 1865. Toward the close of
July the regiment was ordered to Rich-
mond, and on the 13th was mustered out of
service.
The following is a muster roll of Com-
pany I :
Officers — Captains — Daniel Herr, William I. Reis-
inger, Edward A. Minnich. First Lieutenants —
Charles W. Butts, Frank P. Farrell. Second Lieuten-
ants— John L. Roper, Daniel L. Schriver, Daniel W.
Balmer, William Meekins. Sergeants — John B. Slay-
maker, Samuel Brenizer, William A. Wright, William
Keeps, Charles Meyers, Terrence Dufify, John Hagen,
William Hutcheson, Henry D. Bray, Francis' H. Kettler,
William B. Witmer, William H. Apewzell, Stewart B.
Shannon, John G. Diemer, Henry Hemple. Corporals
— John F. Chamberlin , Andrew Seitz, John Gerhart,
Lewis Andrews, Conrad Heiser, George W. Brough,
Lawrence Smith, Adam Doll, John Hagan, Abraham E.
Garrett, George R. Harrison, John Knox, Jacob B.
Anderson, Aaron H. Hann, Thomas F. Brown, Na-
thaniel Spindler. Blacksmith — Henrv Weidner. Far-
riers—Elijah Hastings, Littleton Brown. Saddler-
Gideon C. Angle. Buglers— Alfred M. Vanscoten, An-
drew J. Weaver, George Monroe, Gideon J. Dean.
Privates— John Augustine, Richard Ansell, Arnold
Anssia, John B. Brink, Benjamin B. Burgess, Isaac
Baughman, William Brandes, George W. Bupp, Jediah
W. Baker, Stephen Breece, John R." Bear, Jacob Bever-
son, James Burke, James S. Clayton, Samuel Clark,
William H. Croll, George L. Coons, William P. Crabb,
H. R. Casselberry, Patrick Coyle, Thomas C. Coleman,
Lewis Cline, John Clayton, John P. Dickey, Christian
Dritt, Jefferson Ellis, Enos E. Ellis, Louis N. Entres,
William Frame, Frederick Gilbert, Edwin Green,
Stephen Green, Harrison Green, Ellis F. Gorman,
Henry D. Good, John J. Gompf, James B. Hooper,
Harvey H. Howser, Henry Hames, George Harris,
Benjamin E. Harding, Christopher Hinckle. Louis Hal-
lett, Parker H. Hensell. John Hall, Alexander Hodgen,
John Harrison, Peter Haldabourn, Andrew Hird, Henry
Harris, Lewis C. Irwin, Edward Jacoby. Henry Keister,
John L. Knapp, Frank Keglin, Jacob Leibby] Andrew
Laird, James B. Laid, Benjamin Lehman, John G.
Loff, John B. Lehman, Joseph Lehman, Henry Lyle,
Charles F. Leakway, Jacob Lichtenberger, Jacob Luck-
enbaugh, Frederick Lemla, Henry Leakway, Michael
Laney, George ^Meyers, Daniel M. Moore, John Meyers,
Byron Mood, Christian H. Mann, Aaron Martin, Wil-
liam Meyers, Samuel M'Mahon, Patrick M'Laughlin,
Jesse J. M'Cleary, Michael N. O'Donnell, William
Owens, Charles H. Peterman, Joseph Palmer, Otis G.
Palmer, Henry Pearce, Henry Rose, Edward Reese,
Zebulon P. Ryder, John H. Robeson, John J. Rohr-
baush, William F. Reed, John Reimes, William F. Reis-
inger, George Rabine, William L. Slack, David Setzer,
Lewis Strine, Isaac Shimer, William Shallman, Henry
Sickman, Jacob Speace, James Slack, George L. Setch,
William Schmale, Nathan R. Shiery, James Thorpe,
James E. Tiffany, Samuel Terry, Samuel A. Thompson,
Joseph F. Ulrich, Anthonv Whalen, Jacob B. Wright,
Alonzo R. Wright, Frank 'Wise. Albert White, Thomas
Wininager, Thomas .'\. Williams, Bernard J. Ward,
Frederick Webber, Edmund P. Welsh, George G.
Wright, INIichael Whalen, George Whitacker, Michael
Wenk, William H. Willard, William M. Young, Wil-
liam H. Young. Henry Young, Thomas J. Ziegenfuss.
Jesse J. Zordman.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTIETH
REGIMENT.
The One Hundred and Thirtieth Regi-
ment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, responded
to the call of President Lincoln, August 4,
1862, for 300,000 troops. The Army of the
Potomac had not been successful in the
Peninsular campaign, and Lee was prepar-
ing to attack Pope almost within sight of
the capitol at Washington. This call for
troops was for the term of nine months, and
Pennsylvania furnished fifteen regiments,
the One Hundred and Twenty-third to One
Hundred and Thirty-seventh, inclusive.
The One Hundred and Thirtieth was
formed out of enlisted men from the coun-
ties of York, Cumberland, Dauphin, Mont-
gomery and Chester. The regiment was
organized August 17, at Harrisburg, with
Henry I. Zinn, of Cumberland County, colo-
nel ; Levi Maisli, of York County, lieuten-
ant-colonel ; and John Lee, of Cumberland
County, major.
Company B, commanded by Captain
Hamilton I. Glessner; Company I, Captain
Lewis Small, and Company K, Captain
David Z. Sipe, were recruited at York, and
entirely composed of troops from the bor-
ough and county of York. Company C,
Captain Joseph S. Jenkins, was recruited at
Hanover, and was composed of troops from
that borough and Montgomery County.
AMien Lee pressed hard upon the
Off Federal army in front of Washing-
to the ton, the One Hundred and Thir-
Front. tieth Regiment and other com-
mands in the nine months' service,
were sent to the front. The regiment arrived
in AVashington on the evening of August
18, and marched a short distance west of
the city, remaining at Camp AVells one
week, and was then moved to Fort Marcy.
It was in garrison here during the terrible
conflict of arms on the plains of Manassas
and at Chantilly, and until after the retreat
of Pope to the defenses of Washington.
Lee now began his first northern invasion
and w^as moving toward Hagerstown. Mc-
Clellan was again called to the command of
the Army of the Potomac. The One Hun-
dred and Thirtieth was marched to Rock-
ville, Maryland, and was placed in French's
division of Sumner's corps. The brigade
to which it was assigned was composed of
THE CIVIL WAR
375
men who had recently enlisted. Fortu-
nately, this regiment and its different com-
panies were commanded by men who had
previously been in service. While at Rock-
ville, it went into a rigid course of drill and
discipline, preparing for the impending con-
flict with Lee, who was still moving north-
ward.
On September 13, Sumner's corps
reached Frederick. On the 14th, French's
division moved over the mountains to the
support of the troops already warmly en-
gaged in front of Turner's Gap, and the
battle of South Mountain was in progress.
The regiment rested that night near the
battlefield. On the 15th, the Army of the
Potomac moved on over South Mountain,
and on the i6th was massed in front of the
enemy on Antietam Creek, Sumner's
corps holding the centre. French's divi-
sion was composed of Max Weber's and
Kimball's brigades, and three regiments,
the Fourteenth Connecticut, One Hundred
and Eighth New York, and One Hundred
and Thirtieth Pennsjdvania, under com-
mand of Colonel Dwight Morris. These
three regiments were for the first time to
enter battle. The One Hundred and Thir-
tieth had been in service only one month,
hardly long enough to be trained in the
manual of arms, but they achieved distinc-
tion at Antietam which was rarely acquired
by trained soldiers of the regular army.
The engagement opened early
Antietam. in the morning of September
17. The One Hundred and
Thirtieth was drawn up in line of battle at 8
o'clock in the morning. The regiments
under Colonel Morris crossed the Antietam
Creek and moved forward with W^eber's
brigade on the left and Kimball's on the
right. After French had crossed the
stream, his division was faced to the left and
drawn up in three lines of battle, and ap-
proached the enemy, who opened their bat-
teries upon the moving columns, and sent a
withering fire into W^eber's brigade on the
left. The First Delaware Regiment of this
brigade fell back through the ranks of the
One Hundred and Thirtieth, which charged
forward, drove the enemy back and took
possession of the hill. Its position was
now upon the crest of the hill with a corn
field in the front, where the enemy lay. His
flag was alone visible, and in this exposed
position, only guided by the flash of the
enemy's guns, the regiment maintained the
unequal contest. For hours, it bravely held
its position, and during that time, lost a
large number of its rank and file in killed
and wounded. In his official report, Gen-
eral French says : "The conduct of the new
regiments must take a prominent place in
the history of this great battle. There
never was better material in any army, and
in one month these splendid men will not be
excelled by any."
About 1 :30 P. M., the One Hundred and
Thirtieth was relieved, their ammunition
having been exhausted. At Antietam,
which is often considered the hardest one
day's battle in the Civil ^^'ar, this regiment
lost 32 killed, and 146 wounded, many of
whom died of their injuries. Among the
wounded was Lieutenant Colonel Maish, of
York, who was struck by a minie ball,
which lodged in the right lung and re-
mained there during his life. Captain
Joseph S. Jenkins, of Hanover, command-
ing Company C, Captain David Z. Sipe, of
York, commanding Company K, and Lieu-
tenant William H. Tomes, of Company B,
were wounded. The entire loss to the
Union ami}' at Antietam was 2,010 killed,
9,416 wounded.
After Lee's retreat across
Fredericksburg, the Potomac, the regi-
ment went into camp at
Bolivar's Heights, overlooking Harper's
Ferry. It moved with the Army of the
Potomac, now under General Burnside, to-
ward Fredericksburg. On the night of
December 11, it assisted in building pon-
toon bridges over the Rappahannock, and
the following morning crossed the river
into the streets of Fredericksburg. In this
fierce battle on December 13, French's
division led the advance of the corps. The
One Hundred and Thirtieth made a charge
upon the enemy's breast works and were
driven back a short distance. As it was
re-forming, the enemy leaped from their
defenses, and charged forward. The
charge was met by the regiment and the
enemy was hurled back in confusion. It
was found, however, that the enemy was
strongly entrenched in the front, the whole
line eventually fell back, and the battle of
Fredericksburg was a victory to the Con-
federates.
376
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Although the regiment entered
Death of Fredericksburg with depleted
Colonel ranks, it lost in this engagement
Zinn. 62 in killed and wounded. When
the storm of battle was raging
most fiercely, and when many of the troops
around it were falling back, Colonel Zinn
seized the flag staff in his left hand, and
waving his sword with the right, cried out,
"Stick to your standard, boys! The One
Hundred and Thirtieth never abandons its
standard!" The words had scarcely es-
caped his lips, when his brain was pierced by
a minie ball, and he fell dead. Lieutenant
D. Wilson Grove, of Company I, from the
lower end of York County, was wounded.
The regiment went into winter quarters
above Falmouth. In the battle of
Chancellorsville, on ]\Iay 3, it dis-
played the same courage and fortitude
that its rank and file had exhibited
at Antietam and Fredericksburg. Lieu-
tenant Colonel Maish, who now com-
manded the regiment, was wounded in this
battle. On the 12th of May, the term of
enlistment expired, and after having taken
part in three of the hardest fought battles
of the Civil War, the regiment returned to
Harrisburg, where it was mustered out of
service on the 21st.
On learning that the four com-
Welcomed panics were mustered out of
Home. the service and would soon
return home, a public meeting
was held in the Court House to arrange for
their reception. When they arrived at the
station they were met by the local military
and civic associations and marched to the
United States Hospital grounds, on the
Public Common, where a banquet was
served to the returning soldiers. Toasts
were given and replied to. The bountiful
repast was prepared by the Ladies' Aid
Society of York.
Colonel Levi Maish, of York, who was
wounded at Antietam, and commanded the
regiment at Chancellorsville, where he was
also wounded, was born in Conewago
Township, York County. After the war,
he returned to the practice of law at York,
and for a term of six years was representa-
tive in Congress. After his retirement
from public life, he settled in the practice of
his profession at A\^ashington. where he
died in 1901.
Captain Joseph S. Jenkins, of Hanover,
who had served in the three months' ser-
vice, was seriously wounded at Antietam,
while standing at the head of his company.
During the summer of 1864, he joined the
One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment,
of which he became major. He was mor-
tally wounded in the siege of Petersburg,
and died soon after. The Grand Army
post at Hanover is named in his honor.
He was lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-
Sixth Emergency Regiment, which was the
first to meet the approaching enemy at Get-
tysburg on June 26, 1863.
Captain David Z. Sipe, who commanded
Company K, One Hundred and Thirtieth
Regiment, afterward was promoted to the
rank of major in the One Hundred and
Eighty-seventh, in which he served with
distinction in the siege of Petersburg.
After the war he resided in Philadelphia,
where he became a prominent and influ-
ential citizen. In 1905, he took up his resi-
dence in York.
Lieutenant John J. Frick, of Company K,
won an honorable record in the One Hun-
dred and Thirtieth Regiment. Since the
close of the Civil AVar, he has been promi-
nently identified with the banking interests
of York. For twenty years or more, he
was connected with the First National
Bank, and for ten years was cashier of the
York National Bank, the oldest financial
institution in York County.
Edward W. Spangler, who, as a boy, en-
tered Company K and served in the regi-
ment during its whole term of service,
studied law after the close of the war and
became a successful member of the York
County Bar. He has devoted his leisure
time to history and literature. In 1896 he
wrote and published the "Spangler Families
and Local Historical Sketches," an interest-
ing and valuable work. In 1904, he pub-
lished a work entitled "My Little War Ex-
perience." It is a well-written story of his
personal career as a soldier in the One Hun-
dred and Thirtieth Regiment. His brother.
Dr. B. F. Spangler, who served in the same
regiment, has practiced medicine at York
for a period of forty years, and is a member
of the United States Pension Board for
York County.
The following is a complete muster roll
of the four companies from York County
THE CIVIL WAR
377
in the One Hundred and Thirtieth Regi-
ment :
COMPANY B.
OMcers — Captain — Ham. A. Glessner. First Lieuten-
ant— Wm. H. Tomes. Second Lieutenant — Henry Reis-
inger. First Sergeant — George K. Shenberger.
Sergeants — Henry R. Weaver, Henry Oaks, Augustus
Flury, Charles Harkins, Charles Shetter, Charles Aus-
tin. Corporals — Levi H. Rankin, Jona. Shenberger,
John Sharp, Lyman Humes, Martin Bheuler, John H.
Keller, Henry Kidd. Musicians — Charles Watson,
Frederick Snyder.
Privates — George Altland, George A. Berlin, John H.
Bisker, Jacob Bitner, William P. Butt, Samuel Berger,
Matthias Blum, Jacob Coble, Jesse Coble, Van Buren
Danner, William A. Flury, Adam Fitzkee, Oliver Freet,
Adam G. Fitzkee, George Flinn, Joshua Flury, George
K. Franklin, Franklin R. Gohn, George Grim, Alonzo
Grace, Josiah Grouver, John Y. Gardner, Henry Hibner,
Henry A. Hammer, William Hyde, Emanuel Heppen-
stall. Barton Herr, Daniel Hostler, John Harkey, Sam-
uel Hoover, Hiram Hoops, Joseph Hopson, Barton
Jacobs, Andrew B. Jack, Henry Kendig, George B.
Krall, Joseph Krall. Jacob Kohr, John Kinard, Samuel
Loucks, Abraham Lonkard, Peter R. Lentz, Henry
Leithart, Andrew Lentz, Jacob G. Leber, Samuel Lein-
hart, Leander F. Miller, Alfred Moore, Daniel Moul,
Aaron Neff, Noah Ness, Henry Otstot, William Owens,
William A. Phillips, Christian Pluffer, William Retry,
John Retry, Edward C. Ropp, John Snyder, Charles
St. Clair, Henry Stavner, Michael Steward, William
Sheetz', Henry C. Smith, Jacob Shutter, Washington
Sutton, Eli Strike, John Soulia, Frederick Sleegar,
Franklin Spyker, Cornelius Troup, David Troup,
Thomas Toben, John Tray, John K. Upp, Philip Wertz,
Joseph Whitcomb, Thomas Wilson, Thomas J. Wilson,
H. Woodmansee, Henry Zeigler.
COMPANY c.
Officers — Captains — Joseph S. Jenkins, Thomas B.
Griffith. First Lieutenant — Benj. F. Myers. Second
Lieutenant — Wm. G. Bosler. First Sergeant — Clinton
Keister. Sergeants — John S. Forrest, Charles Fiscus,
Adam Reiling, Jos. W. Klinefelter, Corporals — Albert
D. Kohler, Benj. F. Dean, Henry J. Koutz, Levi Rinely,
Frank J. M'Clain, Wm. H. Griffith, Henry Wagner,
Wesley Taylor, Wm. Metzgar, Christian H. Shuster.
Musicians— David A. Miller, George W. Stahl.
Privates — George Aubel, Franklin Ayres, Jacob
Austin, Lyman Brubaker, George E. Bell, Milton K.
Brubaker, Samuel Boll, Henrv C. Burger, John L.
Childs, Alfred Childs, Chas. H. Conway, Wm. B.
Caskey, Llenry Coble, Josiah D. Day, Henry C. Day,
John J. Dinwiddle, John R. Edie, Thomas Eaton,
George Folk, Martin Fortenbach, Michael Friscan,
James H. Gable, Joseph S. Gibbs, William A. Gibbs,
John Grey, Thomas Haley, Henry Hamm, George W.
Heiss, John Hamilton, Thomas Henry, William Iliff,
Henry Jennings, Joseph Jontz, John Kane, Calvin
Keister, Henry Kohler, James M. Leapson, Jacob
Lefever, Lewis C. Leschy, John A. Leapson, Charles
H, Miller, William R. Myers, Louis Miller, Adam
Myers, Andrew Mitzell, Bloomfield Miller. Isaiah Mil-
ler, Harman R. Miller, William Morris, Thomas Num-
bers, Lewis Phaff, Isaac Rutter, John Rapp, Noah Ruhl,
William N. Seitz, Michael Shenberger, William Seifert,
Emanuel Sweitzer. John C. Sadler, Peter Stegner, Wil-
liam J. Smith, William Shanley, Daniel L. Smith, John
E. Smith, William Smith, Henry Smith, Harvey Tom-
linson, William Trim, Benjamin Tomlinson, James Toll,
Robert Towson, Har Vanartsdalen, Lewis Watts, Ed-
ward Wiley, Albin K. Wite, George E. Wentg, George
Wagner, Ad. H. Waltemyer, Michael Welsh, William
N. Zeigler.
COMPANY I.
Officers — Captain — Lewis Small. First Lieutenant —
D. Wilson Grove. Second Lieutenants — Franklin G.
Torbert, Jeremiah Oliver. First Sergeant— Osborn E.
Stephens. Sergeants—John M. Torbit, Samuel C.
Monroe, Samuel Ilgenfritz, Nathan B. Wails, Christian
B. Miller, William W. Clark. Corporals— James E.
Anderson, Joseph B. Grove, James C. M'Curdy, John
A. Channell, John Bell, Thomas A. Morgan, John H.
Geesy, Samuel Warnbaugh, James E. Watson, Samuel
B. Montooth. Musicians — David Kane, Joseph W.
Stokes.
Privates — William Blackburn, John F. Burkholder,
Thomas H. Brooks, Thomas Barton, Wells N. Boyd,
Edward Burkins, William H. Cripple, James C. Chan-
nell, Thomas J. Collins, John R. Cooper, Charles T.
Downs, Hugh Edgar. Joseph E. Evans, Daniel Ed-
wards, Rolandus Eichholts. John G. Evans, Robert
Fantom, Joseph E. Freston, Edward Fisher, Henry
Gibson, Warrington Geesy, James E. Gordon, Henry C.
Gordon, William Grim, Robert W. Griffith, Frederick
Hunter, William A. Harvey, John O. Hughes, William
Hart, Charles A. Hitchcock, Charles Hart, Charles
Hortz. Thomas T. Jones, William D. Jones, Samuel E.
Koplin, Nelson S. Kilgore, Conrad Keene, George
Krone, Thomas V. Knight, Alexander Lehr, Augustus
Meyer, Alfred Minich, George Miller, John Mitchell,
Jacob M'CuUough. Wm. J. M'Kinley, Matthew H.
M'Call, Geo. W. M'Caulay, Wm. A. M'Caulay, Henry
R. Ness, Eli Olph, Christian Peterson, Robert Posey,
Samuel G. Rowan. Henry G. Rhoades, Ezekiel G. Ruff,
William Rent, Samuel Smeigh, Marion Sherwood,
Michael Schriber, Christ'r Schwerin, Richard M. Smith,
Adam Wisman, Elijah H. Wise, William H. Wails,
Chas. A. Wisenall, John T. Wiley, Jacob H. Wise,
Henry M. Wilson, Wm. H. Wilson, Daniel T. Yost,
Peter W. Zeigler.
COMPANY K.
Officers — Captains — Levi Maish, David Z. Sipe,
First Lieutenant — James Lece. Second Lieutenant —
John J. Frick. First Sergeant — James P. M'Guigan.
Sergeants — S. S. Ensminger, C. Jabez Epley, Benj. F.
Spangler, Lewis E. Smyser, Wm. H. Eisenhart. Cor-
porals— Alex. C. Ward, George Dosch, Charles
M'Creary, J. T. Hendrickson, John H. Shultz, James
M'Comas, Joseph A. Drexler, Thomas Doran. Mu-
sicians— John M'Hale, Vinton Welsh.
Privates — George K. Bratton, John Butt, Stephen S.
Barnett, Wm. Berkheimer, John Beers, John Bupp,
Adam Brown, Lewis Cline. Wm. Clemmens, Samuel C.
Campbell, Adam Diehl, John T. Dugan, Harrison
Fickes, John R. Fetrow, H. Folckemmer, Robert N.
Foster, Alexander Frev, Andrew Grove, Edward A.
Garretz, Jacob Goff, Christian Good, David R. Horn,
Charles Horn, Henry Horn. ist. Henry Horn, 2d. John
D. Hammer. George Hubley, William Harris, Geo. A.
Hedrick, Russell Hammond, John C. Herman. Philip
C. Hoover, Wm. T. Ilgenfritz, Andrew Jennings, Bur-
ger Jennings, Jacob Kister, Marion Kline. Christian
Krall, Henry Levenight. George Lauman, William H.
Miller, Jonathan J. Millard, Jesse B. Miller, Elias B.
Miller, Jacob Miller, George Myers, Joseph E. Mam-
fold, Eli W. Myers, Charles Palmer, Rankin C. Potts,
Wm W Palmer, Henry D. Repman, Wm. T. Rutledge,
Peter S. Richard, E. T. Raffensberger, Jacob G. Reever,
Walter B. Rubv. D. T. Raffensberger, Jacob Seipe,
Herman Seipe. Abraham Sutton, Edward W. Spangler,
Edward Shuler, Wm. H. Stallman, Augustus Steig,
Benjamin Spangler. Jacob Smith, Thaddeus Stroman,
John H. Watson, John A. Walters, George E. \oung,
William H. Young, Edward J. Young.
37i
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-
SIXTH REGIMENT.
During the first year of the Civil War, the
quota of soldiers for York County was
filled up by voluntary enlistments. After
the reverses of the Arniy of the Potomac in
front of Richmond, President Lincoln made
another call for troops. In order to fill
this quota, the Conscript Act was put into
force, and in November, 1862, nearly 1,000
men from the different boroughs and town-
ships of York County were drafted. These
drafted men were quartered on the fair
grounds at York, and their place of rendez-
vous was named Camp Franklin, in honor
of Major-General Franklin, a native of
York, who soon after commanded two
army corps at the battle of Fredericksburg.
]\Iany of these drafted men procured sub-
stitutes at prices ranging from $200 to
$1,000 each. Those who did not furnish
substitutes entered the army. They were
mustered into service at York by Captain
Joseph Bush under the direction of Colonel
AA'illiam Brisbane, who then commanded a
regiment in Hancock's division. Army of
the Potomac. These drafted men were
organized into the One Hundred and Sixty-
sixth Pennsylvania Regiment, on Novem-
ber 29, 1862, and served for a period of
nine months.
Andrew J. Fulton, formerly commander
of Company C, Eighty-seventh Regiment,
was made colonel; George AY. Reisinger,
lieutenant-colonel, and Joseph A. Renaut,
major. The troops comprising this regi-
ment were exclusively from York County.
On December 3, the regiment proceeded to
Washington and was there transported to
Newport News, whence it was sent to Suf-
folk, Virginia. Early in April, General
Longstreet, with four divisions, appeared
before Suffolk and laid siege to the city,
garrisoned by General Peck's command of
14,000 men. Elaborate works were built
by Longstreet for investing the city and a
number of powerful attacks were made, but
to no purpose. Lee, seeing no chance of
success, and intending to invade Pennsyl-
vania, recalled Longstreet and thus the
siege was raised. The regiment engaged
in frequent skirmishes and destroyed many
miles of the enemy's railroads and took part
in several expeditions to destroy the
enemy's supplies. On June 27, 1863, the
regiment, with a part of General John A.
Dix's command, advanced to White House
Landing, and on July 2, moved with the
same command toward Richmond. This
occurred at the time the battle of Gettys-
burg was taking place, and the plan of cap-
turing Richmond might have been success-
ful if it had been carried out, for the entire
Army of Northern Virginia, except three
brigades near Richmond, was then in Penn-
sylvania.
Companies D and I had a severe conflict
on the 14th of May, near Carnsville. The
regiment was exposed to the enemy's fire
at Hanover Junction while engaged in
destroying the Richmond and Fredericks-
burg Railroad. The One Hundred and
Sixtjr-sixth Regiment entered the service
with 820 men, and about 650 returned home
at the expiration of their nine months' term
of service. In all nine were killed, about
twenty-five died in service and others were
left in the hospital at Fortress Monroe at
the time the regiment returned home. It
was mustered out of service at Harrisburg
on July 28th. The following is a complete
muster roll of the regiment :
Field and Staff Officers — Colonel — Andrew J. Fulton.
Lieutenant-colonel — George W. Reisinger. Major —
Joseph A. Renaut. Adjutant — William E. Patterson.
Quartermaster — Milton Sultzbach. Surgeon — Abram
Harshberger. Assistant Surgeons — Joseph Swartz,
A. H. Whitman. Chaplain — David J. Lee. Sergeant-
major — J. O. McLaughlin. Quartermaster Sergeant —
Jacob H. Schriver. Commissary Sergeant — William H.
Duhling. Hospital Steward — James R. Schmidt.
COMPANY A.
Officers — Captain — Alonzo L. Ett^nger. First Lieu-
tenant— John Herman. Second Lieutenant — Samuel
Leitner. First Sergeant — Charles A. ^Nlyers. Sergeants
— ^lanassas Holler, Charles H. ?\Iatthias, William Hess,
John Baymiller. Corporals — Jacob Barnhart, George
Graybill, David Heindel, Eli Gottwald, Emanuel W.
Sipe, William Lory, Joseph Graybill, George Bruaw.
Musicians — John ^latthias, Jacob F. Fink.
Privates — Joseph F. Beck. John Basehore, George
Burns, George Brown, John Copenhaver, Jacob Cockley,
Daniel Carter, James Coffee, William Cahill, William
Darone, Emanuel Delp, Michael Dellinger, Jacob Deis-
inger, Daniel I\L Drayer, Fred Dessenberger, John
Drayer, William Dixon, Franklin Ettinger, John Farst,
Daniel F. Fink, Alexander Free, Jacob Free, Adam
Fols, Jacob N. Fry, Jacob L. Fry, Reuben Flohr, David
Fink, Harris Ginerich, Peter Grass, John Gray, John
Good, John Grayman, John Husk, John A, Hoover,
Francis Holler, David Hoke, David Hofifman, Andrew
A. Hoover. Philip A. Hoover, William James, Daniel
Knaub, Adam King. IMetalus Knaub, George Kraft,
Anthony Kreager, Washington Kraft, William Kunkle,
Edward' Koopee, William Ludwig, George Malehorn,
David Morgenthal, Augustus Miller, Anthony Mohr,
Frederick Neiman, Charles Neiman, Andrew Patterson,
THE CIVIL AVAR
379
John Plymier, Barnhart Rauser. Louis Rauhauser,
Zebulon P. Rodes, Henry Repman, John Rowe, Fred-
erick Shipe, Sebastian Sclilund, Augustus Smyser,
Daniel Sipe, John G. Shlaustine, John A. Stare, John
Spahr, Peter Seiple, John Sipe, Emanuel Stough, Alex-
ander Shepp, Daniel Snydeman, Samuel Snyder, Solo-
mon Toomy, Henry Witmyer, Jacob Wintermoyer,
Benjamin C. Weisen, Zachariah Wilt, John Winner,
John Wilson, George Yinger, Eli Zeigler.
COMPANY B.
OMcers — Captain — Rufus J. Winterode. First Lieu-
tenant— Jacob N. Slagle. Second Lieutenant — John AL
Kauffman. First Sergeant — Samuel S. Matthews.
Sergeants — Henry Runge, Edward Steffy, Jacob D.
Welsh, Frederick Smith. Corporals — Daniel Petry,
Andrew Waldtron, Alex. Wilhelm, Charles Bortne'r,
Elijah Howe. William Grimm, Augustus Schwartz,
Jacob Doll, Oliver Bressler, Gideon Price. Ephraim
Price. Musicians — John A. Cremer, John Wireman.
Privates — David Auer, Jacob Anspacher, Samuel
Baker, Josh Baumgardner, Samuel Baldin, Amos Bart-
ner, George Brant. Henry Bubb, Nicholas Cams,
Daniel Dubbs. Wesley Dick, Henry Dennis, Conrad
Fuhrman. Augustus Fogle, Isaac Grumrine, Nelson
Greenplatt, John Gible, Joseph Grupp, Michael Grove,
Lewis G. Garrett, Lewis Grogg, Samuel Hamms,
Joseph Hinkle, Francis Hunt, Solomon Keller, A. C. F.
Kirchner. Edwin Kessler, Martin Kerr, Henry Kirchoff,
Louis Krebs, William Keller, George W. Kohler,
Bernhard Libley, John G. Loft, Samuel Luckert, Valen-
tine Miller, John S. Matthias, Frederick Jilehring,
Henry Marks, Charles Miller, John Miller, William
Matthews, Michael W. JNIyers, Lewis Myers, Conrad
Myers. Jacob C. Myers, Adam Markle, Israel Nune-
maker, William O'Donnell, Jesse Rohrbaugh, William
S. Rechard, Cornelius Smith, Daniel Swartzbaugh,
Zachariah Schwartz, Anthony Sheetz. George W.
Shultz, George W. Siechman. George F. Shearer, John
Sheaffer, Michael Sterner, Thoinas Snodgrass, Abdiel
Smith, Frederick Smith, Elias Saltzgiver, Frederick
Trump, Elias Taylor, David H. Weaver, Daniel
Wearner, Alexander Weiser, Henry K. Wentz, William
W. Wagner, Joseph Williams, Granville Weiser, Joseph
Wishore, Daniel Wolfgang, Dennis Wolford, William
Whorley, Jacob R. Werner, Henry Yeagle, John Zim-
merman, Philip Zimmerman.
COMPANY c.
Officers — Captain — Peter Z. Kessler. First Lieuten-
ant— Andrew D. Yocum. Second Lieutenant — John
Gable. First Sergeant — Daniel Rutledge. Sergeants —
Michael F. Fink, William H. Smyser, Henry S. Swartz,
George W. Smyser. Corporals — William Drorbaugh,
Samuel R. Frysinger, Henry S. Wilt, Charles Williams,
Henry Shaffer, Harvey Bell, Jacob Henry. Henry Free.
Musicians — William Kiester, Michael D. Fishel.
Privates — D. N. Aughenbaugh, G. N. Aughenbaugh,
Elias Brenneman, William H. Becker, George Brougher,
William Bott, J. C. Brenneman, Jacob Coppenhaffer,
Jacob H. Cacklin, Tempest Cumfort. William Crown,
Levi Densell, John B. Davis, Levi Doll, John Eisen-
hour, William Ehrhart, John L. Eckles. Israel Emig,
Charles Fake, Samuel Free, Ephraim Fink, Jesse Gru-
ver, John Gates, Henry Gross, Levi Gerber, John E.
Glatfelter, John Gentzler, William Glatfelter, William
Gise, Israel S. Henry, Isaac Haar, Elias Heilman,
George Haar, Henry Haar, George W. Hale, Andrew
Heiges. William Hosier, Samuel Harrold, Jesse Hamme,
Jacob Irwin, JNIichael Kline, Emanuel Kohler, George
Kircher, George W. Koch. William Kohler, Peter
Leckrone, Abraham Lillich, Jacob Laurer, Jacob Miller,
George IMitchell, James ;\IcCurdy, George W. Null,
Joseph Newcomer, Henry L. O'Hail, Frederick Ober-
lander, Levi Rauhouser, George Reed, Andrew Rupert,
Martni F. Ramer, Andrew Schrum, Henrv Shoffner,
Wdham B. Strine, Israel Spangler. William Shaffner,
Albert Spotts, Isaac Sheely, Jacob Swartz, Henrv
Steffee, Joel Steffee, Adam Starry, William Shoffner,
Israel Senft, Henry Spangler, John Stamabugh, Michael
Wrightsone, Solomon Wire, Adam B. Wallace, Henry
Wolf, John Wigord, Thomas B. Williams, Barnhart
Zorger, William B. Zellers, Henry Ziegler.
COMPANY D.
Officers — Captain — Gilbert W. Branyan. First Lieu-
tenant—William H. Becker. Second Lieutenant— Jacob
Diehl. First Sergeant — Henry Hubley. Sergeants —
Henry Kauffmann, John Weyer, David B. Gladfeher,
John J. Hess, Edward D. Trimmer, Samuel R. Weiser.
Corporals— John K. Lau, Charles Martle, Daniel Mil-
ler, Daniel Roberts, Michael Shrome, Israel Marshall,
Christopher Hinkle. Joseph Berkheimer, Ed. Straus-
baugh, Charles A. Lau, Peter H. Lau, Jesse Gladfelter.
Alusicians — Oliver Ness, Dietrich Wilhelm.
Privates — Adam Alexander, H. A. Alexander, David
Buck, George Baublitz, George Bupp, Michael Beck,
Conrad L. Bailey, Henry A. Bailey, Eli Behler, Chris-
tian Bort, William H. Bear, John N. Bailey, Daniel Bear,
Henry Bear, Lewis Barnes, Adam Case, William Con-
nelly, Edward Emig, Henry Focht, Henry Fishel, John
Fultz, Peter Fockenroth, Franklin Gipe, John Glad-
felter, Henry B. Gladfelter, Jacob B. Gladfelter, Henry
Greenblade, George Gross, Henry Hall, Samuel Har-
man. Emanuel Heilman, Emanuel Hamm, Adam Hoff,
Jacob Hosier, Herman Honnes, Nathaniel Klinedinst,
Flenry Klinedinst, Theodore S. Krebbs, Levi Krebbs,
John Kessler, Jacob Kessler, John F. Lau, William
Laughman, John H. Lloyd, H. Luckenbaugh, George
Luckenbaugh, Peter Moul, Emanuel Mitzel, Michael
Mesberger, Elias Myers, Abraham Myers, Benjamin
Myers, John Miller, John H. Miller, Jacob Noss, Sam-
uel Robinson, William Ramble, Lewis Rapprecht, Joseph
Shelley, John Senft, Peter Senft, Henry Senft, Jesse
Snyder, John W. Smith, Jacob Smith. Charles Sie-
christ, George Schonwitz, H. Strickhouser, George
Shambaugh, Andrew Ulrich, Peter Wilhelm, Frankhn
Walter, Martin Walter, Michael Wentz, Henry Winter,
Reuben Zeck, Adam Ziegler, Donant Zerlant, Peter
Zeck.
COMPANY fi.
Officers — Captain — Samuel E. Miller. First Lieuten-
ant— John Forry. Second Lieutenant — Emanuel Wal-
lack. First Sergeant — John Burg. Sergeants — Peter
Wambaugh, Henry S. Barshinger, Michael S. Mick,
Washington E. Morrison. Corporals — Benjamin Seitz,
Zachariah Howard, John Landes, Henry Ferree, Joseph
Grim, James Crawford. Henry Laucks, Henry Howard.
Musicians — Franklin Reichard, Zachariah D. Jacobs.
Privates — Richard M. Adams, James Allen, Samuel
Brubaker, George Burk, Peter Bear, John Beaverson,
Jacob Beaverson, Alfred Baker, Daniel Brillhart,
Benjamin Craily, Daniel Conrad, George Depp. David
Ellis, John Evans, Emanuel Erb, Samuel Flinchbaugh,
Lewis Fake, William B. Flinchbaugh, John M. Fisher,
Simon Fake, Jesse Falkenstein, George Foose, John
Fullerton, Charles Gable, Charles Gentzler, Solomon
Glatfelter, Philip Grim, Jacob Grim, William M. Glat-
felter, Peter T. Goodling, Charles Geesy, Henry Hivner,
Henry Ilgenfritz, John S. Imswiller, Jac^ob Knicely,
George Koons, Henry S. Kinard, Andrew Keener,
Abraham Kline, William Keener, Patrick Kennedy,
William Kelly, Peter Lehr, Henry Like, Benjamin
Laucks, William Laucks, Henry Landis, John iNIinker,
John McCartv, Henry Ness, Henry Olewiler. Daniel
Oberdorf, Josiah Portner, Joseph Poff. George Reis-
inger, Adam Reisinger, John Reichard, Joseph Rider,
Lewis Reed, David Shultz, Charles Snyder, Henry
Seitz, Frederick Stubly, Henry B. Sechrist, Emanuel
38o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Smith, Harvey Schnell, David Shoaf, William H.
Smith, Levi Smith, Andrew W. Shaw, Samuel R. Smith,
William Schmuck, Joseph Spate, Jacob S. Shoaff, Fred-
erick Shoaf, Emanuel Stiles, Henry Tschoff, Benjamin
Tyson, Samuel Winter, Samuel Wallick. Jacob Waugh-
tel, Joseph Ward, Conrad Zelch.
COMPANY T.
Officers — Captains — Joseph A. Renaut, Jeremiah
Kohler. First Lieutenant — George A. Smith. Second
Lieutenant — Simon J. Diller. First Sergeant — George
L. Koons. Sergeants — John Anderson, Theodore F.
Howard, Samuel CroU, Daniel J. Barnitz. Corporals —
Francis Sherman, John B. Shrum, Barnitz Young, Wil-
liam Truman, Thomas Wyman, Jacob H. Yohe, Michael
Hoke. William E. Bair. Musicians — David Hoke,
Henry Beard.
Prifatcs — John Arthurs, Peter Allen, Christian Ar-
nold, John Adams, Andrew S. Altlandt, John C. Burns,
John Burns, Daniel N. Bittinger, John Bear, William
C. Butler, John Brown, Emanuel Bowers, Nathaniel
Burke. Philip Collins, Timothy Conner, George Cole-
man, Barney Cowley, Edward Conner, Thomas Clark,
George L. Curtis, Daniel Dunahoe, William H. Duh-
ling, James Felix, Reuben Flickinger, Hammond Frye,
Daniel Grove, William Gitt, George Griffith, William
Grey. Frederick Hartman, Andrew Hoke, John Horn,
Charles Henry, JNIark Kanay, Theodore King, Joseph
Kauffman, John Kelley, J. Luckenbaugh, Charles Lake,
George W. Lee, William H. Myers, Henry Newcomer,
George Nichols, William Oliver, Lewis Overdeer. Henry
Pafif, Hezekiah Rickroad, Charles Robinson, Thomas
Rosenburg, H. Strausbaugh, Henry Smith, Edward
Stambaugh, Valentine Shultz, Francis Schmidt, Frank-
lin Steiner, Alexander Shorb, David Shaffer, Henry
Snyder, ist, Henry Snyder, 2d, James R. Schmidt,
Frederick Shepherd, Andrew Stewart, William Shultz,
James Sullivan, Henry Seigle, George Smith, Joseph
Taylor, James A. Thompson, Alfred E. Traverse,
Charles Thompson, Elias Uttz, John Wagoner, Michael
H. Weaver, Robert Wilson, John Wynant, Charles B.
White, John West, John Wiltraus, James Welsh,
George White, George Zeinn, Jesse Zortman, Levi Zort-
man.
COMPANY G.
Officers — Captains — George W. Reisinger, Daniel M.
Spangler. First Lieutenants — James N. Kincaid, John
N. Taylor. Second Lieutenant — Richard F. Elcock.
First Sergeant — Henry H. Stouffer. Sergeants — Sam-
uel Wih, William A. Spangler, H. S. Heidelbaugh, Wil-
liam W. Kline. Corporals — Levi G. Knisely, George
Runk, John B. Metzgar, John Knouse, Henry S. Barnes,
Adam F. Stough, Henry Crumlich, William Hertz.
Musicians — Virtue C. Grove, Samuel B. Urich.
Privates — Henry Atland, Washington Bender, Jacob
N. Bentzel, Reuben Boose, John Blymyer, Paul Barn-
hart, Henry Bryans, Lewis Bierbrower, Jacob Bru-
baker, John Beeler. John Blessing, William J. Bradley.
John Cupp, Frederick Crook, Edward Conway, Samuel
W. Danner, John J. Deiner, Cicero Darone, Andrew S.
Dice, George Ensminger, John Engleman, Hammers
Fry, Jacob S. Fry, Matthias Fr)', John D. Firestone,
John Flanigan, Emanuel W. Gross, Eli Geesey, Edwin
D. Geesey, Emerson A. Greist, Thomas Grady, Earnest
Gorn, JNIoses Hess, Alexander Hess, Daniel Hummer,
Reuben Hummer, Abel V. Hartman, Charles Heindel,
Peter Himes, Peter Harl, John F. Hughes, Noah In-
nerst, John Jones, Henry King, David B. Keister, John
Kline, William Kramer, Joseph P. Miller, Andrew B.
Millard, Michael Minich, Henry Myers, James Mitchell,
Joseph JNIcClellan, William M. Gregor, Daniel Neise,
Josiah Peeling, George Reidle, Frank Rivers, John
Robinson, Henry Smith, Christian Smith, William
Spotts, Eli Shirey, Emanuel Shetrone, Henry C.
Springer, William Smuck, Henry Shuman, Daniel
Shean, Michael Thompson, Henry Weily, William R.
Wiley, Robert L. Wiley, Henry Welk, Jacob Wood,
John Wrightstone, Charles Wilson, George Williams,
Wm. Wainwright, John Yinger, William E. Zinn, Er-
hart Zanner.
COMPANY H.
Officers — Captain — Theodore G. Gauss. First Lieu-
tenant— George S. Kehm. Second Lieutenant — Henry
Haldman. First Sergeant — Perry Tripp. Sergeants —
Peter M. Binder, Edgar Mobley, Peter Ginter, Joseph
B., Stretch, Jacob H. Schriver. Corporals — George A.
Ginter, Jacob Shaffer, Isaac Lerew, William Knaub,
John Crowl, Lewis B. Kurtz, Andrew Noel, Garretson
C. Walker. Musicians — Henry Lau, Henry Aker.
Privates — Jacob Arnold, Wm. H. Arnold, Henry L.
Arnold, Henry Anderson, David L. Asper, John L.
Allen, George W. Baish, John Blauser, William H.
Blentz, William Blauser, John B. Blauser, William
Baish, Jacob Baker, Lewis Baker, Charles Burkins, John
C. Boyd, George Boyd, Louis Burrows, Jackson Coul-
son, John Craig, Isaac Crewson, William Clark, John
Dick, Nelson Dinsmore, Charles A. Dyer, James Edle-
bute, John B. Findley, And. Freysinger, Isaac Fishell,
John D. Gregg, D. G. S. Gochenauer, James Gibson,
George M. Heiges, Daniel Hershey, George Hoffman,
George W. Heiges, Tempest Hoffman, William Heiges,
Peter S. Hershey, Ricket Hutton, John Holland, John
Hardin, Milton S. Johnson, August Jasper, Abel Jones,
Joseph Johnson. John King, George Kimmell, Henry
Kinter, George Klugh, George Koons, Jacob Law, John
Lannahan, Frank Lewis, Patrick Mackin, Worth Miller,
Isaac L. Myers, Patrick Mitchell, William Moon, Henry
Myer, William McCall, John McNeal, Lewis Ostman,
William Parker, Edmund E. Rhoades, John Rock,
Hezekiah Snyder, George Stoke, Raphael Seciliania,
Henry Smith, Daniel W. Shaub, Reuben Shank, Jacob
Shaffer, William Shaffner, Ernest Scoble, Charles F.
Smith, Andrew Wagoner, William Wagoner, Wm. E.
Walker, William Wilson, Anthony Westa, Charles E.
Wolf.
COMPANY I.
Officers — Captain — Michael McFatridge. First Lieu-
tenant— James A. Grove. Second Lieutenant — S. B.
McLaughlin. First Sergeants — Stephen Morton, Noah
Klinefelter, James Haines, Alfred Bond, Wm. C. Mor-
ton, J. O. McLaughlin, John B. Hersey. Corporals —
Richard Ruff, Josiah W. Easton, Matthew J. Clark,
Lewis Schmidt, Jacob A. Jameson, Benjamin Pymer,
Samuel Adams, Oliver Hannegan. Musicians — John
S. Reichard, Emanuel Mitzel.
Privates— Jacob Adamire, William Ailes, Reed An-
derson, Jas. P. Alexander, Valentine T. Blouse, John
Blymire, Robert Bell, James P. Baker, Jonathan Bly-
mire, David Bortner, Joseph Barclay, Henry Criswell,
James Carry, Gideon R. Downs, William Eberts. Chas.
Emerson, John Finney, Edwin S. Gemmill, Francis
Grove, John Grove, Henry Grove, John C. Gebhart,
Robert G. Hill, Jeremiah Hoffman, Michael Hake,
Samuel Hake, William Hubert, Wm. T. Hammond,
William Hawkins, James J. Howett, Frederick E. Her-
man, Christian Hebrick, Samuel Hoffacker, John M.
Jenkins, William Jones, William W. Jones, David King,
Adam Klinefelter, Daniel Krout, James Kerwin, John
H. Lloyd, William B. Logan, Lewis Lloyd, Edward R.
Lentz, James S. Morrison, William H. Metzel, William
Metzel, Wm. H. Monroe, Wesley Menich, William
Munson, And. F. McLeary, John T. Norris, Henry C.
Proudfoot, Wm. S. Reichard, Samuel Reichard, Edward
Shank, iVIartin Shaub, Joseph K. Stermer, George
Shank, Harrison Sutton, Samuel Smith, Samuel Stifler,
Charles Swartz, Daniel Swartz, Norris Smith, Solomon
Sweeney, Thomas Sanders, Robert Sill, John Tomp-
kins, John Trout, James J. Tarbert, John W. Tarbert,
THE CIVIL WAR
^,8 1
Alex. Thompson, Mitchell K. Walters, Philip Walte-
mire, Henry Waltemire, George Wolf, John A. Walters,
George Walters, Robert Williams, Henry K. Zeigler.
COMPANY K.
Officers — Captain — Daniel L. Stoud. First Lieuten-
ant— Jeremiah Hanigan. Second Lieutenant — Benja-
min Geipe. First Sergeant — Jacob Lowe. Sergeants —
William Kassaum, John A. Ort, John F. Shaffer. Cor-
porals— John Barnd, John Gantz, Isaac Becker, John
Decker, John P. Werrick, Joel Youston, Solomon Whes-
ley, George W. Briggs. Musicians — Alexander Drayer,
Crull M. Harss.
Privates — Mordecai Almony, George F. Austin,
Charles Amos, Francis R. Blasser, Jacob Blaure, John
D. Baker, Elias Beard, Frederick Bans, James Brown,
Samuel Becker, Evans B. Cooper, Levi Coleman, Pat-
rick Callow, John Carroll, Barney Cowley, Henry G.
Crawford, William Clark, John Drayer, John Dough-
erty, Christian Eberly, James Evans, Charles Emerson,
Levi Fry, John W. Fisher, Edward Fissman, William
Gath, Lewis Grund, John Grear, Wm. H. Humell,
Christian Heisler, Jesse Heilderbrant, George Holston,
Aug. Howdell, Henry Hengst, Chas. Henry, Bradford
Jonas, William Jackson, John Keichner, Henry Kline,
Henry Kneislej', John Kerns, Henry Kunkle, Henry
Kramer, Oliver Love, Israel Law, S. J. Lamberden,
Adam D. Myers, Jonathan Miller, Henry Miller, Aquilla
D. Meads, Randolph Mortimer, Alexander Martin,
Richard Martin, Wm. C. Martin, Wm. JMatthias,
Francis Morgan, Jesse Myers, Francis M'Gara, Peter
Natchour, James Norris, W. Y. Nonemacher, Levi Ness,
John Neiderberger, Frederick Ottermiller, John Peters,
Aug. Rickstein, Daniel Rhorbach, William Robison,
Franklin Ramsey, John Rice, Henry Shaffer. Cyrus E.
Shaub, Edward Shank, F. Spenkenbj'er, Jacob Swemly,
John Smetzer, Elias Shirey, Thomas Smith, Cornelius
Smith, Frantz Smedtz, Patrick Shean, George Tyler,
Alfred D. Traverse, George Wohlford, George Wag-
ner, George Wall, Jonathan Wire, Joseph Ward, John
Wireman, P. W. Wilkinson.
THE ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-
SECOND REGIMENT.
The One Hundred and Eighty-second
Regiment, the Twenty-first Pennsylvania
Cavah-y, was composed of enlisted men
from York, Adams, Lancaster, Franklin,
Bedford and Cambria counties. In June,
1863, Robert Bell, of Adams County, organ-
ized an independent cavalry company at
Gettysburg. The men furnished their own
horses and were sworn into service on June
23, three days before the approach of Early
with his 9,000 Confederate troops to Gettys-
burg. This company engaged White's
Virginia cavalry, on June 26, when Private
George AV. Sandoe, of Bell's company, was
killed along the turnpike, a short distance
below Gettysburg. He was the first soldier
to give his life to his country on that battle-
field. A monument now marks the spot
where he was killed. Bell's cavalrj^ and the
City Troop of Philadelphia, performed
scouting duty as Early's troops approached
York, June 28. Both these companies were
present at the skirmish with Gordon, at
Wrightsville, Sunday evening, June 28, and
were the last to cross the Columbia bridge
before it was set on fire that same evening.
On June 30, a number of men were re-
cruited in the lower end of York County,
who organized themselves into an inde-
pendent cavalry company. Samuel N. Kil-
gore was made second lieutenant, Henry
Manifold and Thomas Collins, sergeants,
and Samuel M. Manifold, corporal. These
men had responded to a call issued by
President Lincoln, for cavalry, to serve for
a period of six months. Immediately after
the battle of Gettysburg, other cavalry com-
panies were recruited in the counties
named, and a regimental organization com-
pleted, at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, in Au-
gust, 1863, with William H. Boyd,. colonel.
He had previously commanded the Lincoln
cavalry, an independent company which
had performed scouting duty in the Cum-
berland Valley, when Ewell's corps was ap-
proaching Carlisle.
The companies were equipped and
furnished with government horses at Camp
Couch, near Harrisburg, and then sent to a
camp of instruction at Chambersburg. The
men enlisted in York County, together
with fifteen from Potter County, became
Company A, with John A. Bell as captain,
Hugh W. McCall, of York, first lieutenant.
Before joining the army, six companies of
this regiment were sent to Pottsville and
Scranton to aid in enforcing a draft, which
had been resisted by some of the coal
miners. Company B, under Captain Rob-
ert Bell, rendezvoused for a time at Gettys-
burg. The remaining companies were sent
to the Shenandoah Valley to perform scout-
ing duty.
The regiment which had originally en-
listed for six months, was re-organized Feb-
ruary I, 1864, at Chambersburg, and en-
listed in the three years' service. Under
the new arrangement, the field officers re-
mained the same, excepting Major John AV.
Jones, who was succeeded by Captain
Robert Bell, of Gettysburg, promoted
major. Hugh \Y. McCall, at the same time,
was promoted captain of Company A. In
May, 1864, the regiment was ordered to the
front. It proceeded by way of Fredericks-
burg, and when it reached the Army of the
Potomac, was assigned to the First
382
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Brigade, Second Division, Fifth Army
Corps, as infantry. It took part in the bat-
tle of Cold Harbor and after crossing the
James, on the i8th of July, engaged, with
the Fifth Corps, in an assault upon Peters-
burg, one of the most desperate and blood}^
attacks of the war. Its losses in officers
and men, in killed and wounded, were
heavy. It participated, on July 30, in the
afifair of Burnside's Mine, and on August 18,
with the Fifth Corps, in the movement that
gave the Union army possession of A\'eldon
Railroad.
On September 30, the regiment aided in
the capture of the enem3''s works at Poplar
Springs Church and received the special
commendations of General Grififin. On Oc-
tober 5, it was equipped and mounted as
cavalry and joined the First Brigade of
General Gregg's division, cavalry corps of
the Army of the Potomac. Subsequently it
participated in the following engagements :
Boynton, Plank Road, Stony Creek Station
and South Side Railroad.
In March and April, it took part in the
battles of Dinwiddle Court House, Five
Forks, Sailors' Creek, Farmville and Appo-
matox. On Lee's retreat, the division of
which it formed a part, captured hundreds
of wagons and prisoners. Lee, having sur-
rendered, the regiment was scattered about
on various duties and mustered out at
Lynchburg, Virginia, July 8. Of its men,
147 were killed in battle or died of disease,
and 253 were wounded. In 1905, there
were 150 survivors of this regiment.
Among those from York County, then
living, were Captain McCall, S. M. Mani-
fold, R. C. Liggett, Thomas J. Collins, John
T. Norris, James Collins, Henry Burns, S.
A. A\'. McPherson, William Fishel, A. Car-
man, William Conway, John M. Jenkins,
W. L. A\'inter, Lieutenant S. N. Kilgore,
Lieutenant J. T. Long.
The following is the muster roll of Com-
pany A :
Officc/'j— Captain— John A. Bell. First Lieutenant —
Hugh W. McCall. Second Lieutenant— Samuel N. Kil-
gore. First Sergeant— William M. Colvvell. Quarter-
master Sergeant — Franklin Springer. Commissary
Sergeant— Thomas J. Collins. .Sergeants— James
Moore, James Kilgore. John F. Burkholder, Lafayette
Johnson, Henry Manifold, Charles Johnson. Corporals
— William Pechert. David Knepper. Aaron Ott, Fred-
erick Christman, Henry C. Gordon, Thomas A. Graham,
Samuel M. Manifold, Daniel Null. Bugler— ."Mphonso
F. Updegraff. Blacksmith— Elam B. Kendig. Farrier
— George W. Bover.
Privates — Charles W. Barnes, Samuel Broadhead,
Elijah Blanchard, Henrv T. Burnes, Charles H. Brown,
George W. Baker, Cassius M. Cole, William H. Clem,
David Dityson, Henry Dennis, George Deddum, James
T. Dorris, Abraham Doobar, George Farnham, John
W. Grove, Jacob Grove, Beniah Grove, Marshall Grover,
Josiah Hoveter, Richard Hall, John Houckman, John
W. Himes, Ale.xander Kyle, John Kendrick, Augustus
D. King, John B. Lewis, Jesse Lavden, Edward A.
Mitchell, William Marsh, Robert J. McCoUum, George
^IcFadden, Daniel iNI. McGirk, James McFerren, John
R. Xevon, James O'Neal, John E. Ogle, John Priest,
Henry Randall, John Roberts, Emanuel E. Roath, Sam-
uel 'SI. Ream, Alexander S. Smith, Leonard Stork,
Joseph Smith, John G. Strong, Thomas Seachrist, Fran-
cis Smith, Michael D. Trout, Isaac Thatcher, Clarence
E. Updegraff, Thomas Walker, Benjamin F. Walters,
Thomas Will, Jacob Wolf.
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-
SEVENTH REGIMENT.
The One Hundred and Eight3'-seventh
Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, was
organized at Harrisburg, March, 1864. It
was composed of men who had enlisted
from different sections of the state of Penn-
sylvania, manjr of whom had already served
in the army in other regiments. Company
B was recruited at York by Captain David
Z. Sipe, who had won a brilliant record as
an officer in the One Hundred and Thirtieth
Regiment, at Antietam and Fredericksburg.
It was composed of men from York and the
lower end of York County. Company B
was first organized during the Confederate
invasion of 1863 and formed a part of the
First Battalion in the emergency service,
and enlisted for six months. At the end of
this term of service. Company B and the
rest of the battalion, together with four new
companies, were organized into the One
Hundred and Eighty-seventh Regiment.
For a short time, Company B was at Hazle-
ton and vicinity, and aided in quelling
threatened riots among the coal miners.
In May, 1864, when Grant began the
Wilderness campaign, the One Hundred
and Eighty-seventh was sent to Washing-
ton and from thence moved on transports
down the Potomac River to Port Royal.
It joined the Army of the Potomac during
the progress of the fierce battle at Cold
Harbor, in the early part of June, 1864. It
was assigned to the First Brigade, First
Division, Fifth Army Corps, then under
command of General Warren, wdro, at the
age of 34, was the youngest corps com-
mander in the army.
It was engaged in picketing and entrench-
ing, and, along with the army, crossed the
E1GHT\ bE\E\IH \D \L11L\D1ED AND EI HT\ L EMH I-E\\
S\LVANIA REblMEMb TEARING UP THE \\ ELDON RAILROAD
NEAR PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, IN THE SPRING OF ISBl
THE CIVIL WAR
38^
James River, and with the Fifth Corps took
position before Petersburg, June 16. It
supported the Ninth Corps on the 17th and
on the morning of the i8th, moved by the
left flank to the enemy's right, making an
impetuous attack in conjunction with the
Second Corps, and getting possession of the
Petersburg and Norfolk Railroad, forced
the enemy back to their inner works. The
One Hundred and Eighty-seventh, led by
Major George A\'. Merrick, lost one-tenth
its number and received the special com-
mendation of the gallant General Chamber-
lain. Major Merrick and Lieutenant
Jonathan Jessop, of Company B, each
lost a leg while leading their men in a
charge. Henry Gable, of York, was
wounded. Entrenching their line, strong
forts were also built. On August 18, the
regiment was engaged in the battle of
Weldon Railroad, where the army gained
possession of one of the Confederate main
lines of supply. The losses on both sides
were serious, but the enemy withdrew and
left the possession of the railroad to the
Union army. After another months' ser-
vice before Petersbury, the regiment was
ordered to Philadelphia, where it subse-
quently served with the First City Troop as
escort to the remains of President Lincoln,
and in August of this year, was mustered
out of service.
During its brief career in the army, the
One Hundred and Eighty-seventh ranked
high for its efficiency, and won the praise
of its superior officers, for its gallantry.
Captain David Z. Sipe, who organized
Company B, was promoted to major of the
regiment, June 25, 1865; Lieutenant Samuel
I. Adams was promoted to captain of Com-
pany B, May i, 1865; and First Lieutenant
Matthew H. McCall was promoted to quar-
termaster of the regiment. Among the
casualties in Company B, during its term of
service, were the following:
Jonathan Jessop, Henry Gable, AVilliam
H. Nauss, wounded ; Simon Burger, Fred-
erick Eisenbaugh, William J. C. Johnson,
A\'illiam \\'. Jones, Samuel Sourbeer, Lewis
Spordeder, William H. Torbet, died of
wounds; John Bowen, John Dugan, Charles
Groover, Henry Landis, Abraham L. Pyle,
Michael G. Seiffert, died in service ; John B.
Shellenberg. Joseph A. Andrews, John
^^'right, and John G. Nails, killed.
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVENTH, COMPANY B.
O^ccrj— Captain— David Z. Sipe. First Lieuten-
ants—Samuel I. Adams, Matthew H. McCall. Second
Lieutenats— William W. Torbert, Jonathan Jessop.
First Sergeants— Samuel C. Ilgenfritz, Daniel Keller.
Sergeants— Thomas Rupert, Josephus Burger, Henry
Wagner, Charles Horn, Samuel Keefer. Corporals-
Thomas H. Brooks, George K. Grove, Henry M Kister
Lewis H. Milner, John J. Hess, Nathan B. Wails, Thad-
deus Fry, William Boj-er, John B. Shellenberg. Musi-
cians— Cornelius Amich, Wilmot Ayres.
Privates— Henry Apple, John Apple, Samuel Am-
priester, Andrew Anderson, Joseph A. Andrews, Au-
gustus Amich, Charles Albert, Henrv C. Berger,
George Berkheimer, William H. Blain, Simon Burger,
John Bowen, James L. Brvant, James Boyd, John I\I
Campbell, Joseph W. Campbell, Jacob Crone, William
T. Channel, John W. Dudrow, George D. D. Decker,
Darius Drawbaugh, John Dugan, Frederick Eisenbaugh'
Owen Feathers, James H. P. Fulton, Peter Fue, Henry
Gable, William H. Gilbert, Charles Groover, Daniel
Horn, John F. Heidler, William H. Hamilton, Jacob
Humer, Joseph J. Hunter, William J. C. Johnson, Wil-
liam W. Jones, Oliver Keesey, Harrison Keesey, Ab-
bington Keesey, Warrington Keesey, John H. Keesey,
George H. Klay, Oliver Kramer, Henry S. Kunkle,
Edward Kliner, William Kerlin, Charles Lehman,
Lewis S. Lloyd, Henry Levenight, Henrv Landis, Au-
gustus Meyers, William Morgan, William H. Nauss,
John Platts, William Palmer, David Pyle, Andrew Pat-
terson, Abraham L. Pyle, Frederick Rupp, Adam Ream,
Milton B. Rejaiolds, Walter B. Ruby, Solomon Reeser,
Sylvester Sprenkle, Jacob Sourbeer, Otto Steiner, John
Sweeney, Aaron Seiffert, William R. Stump, Michael G.
Seifert, Samuel Sourbeer, Lewis Sporleder, John Shel-
lenberger, William Trump, Isaac W. Torbert, W. H.
Torbert, Daniel Welcomer, Jacob H. Walters, Henry
Wood, William H. Wilhelm, Charles Wilson, Howard
Welsh, Thomas W. Wails, Henry M. Wilson, John
Wright, John G. Wails, Henry C. Young.
ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-
SECOND REGIMENT.
The One Hundred and Ninety-second
Regiment was organized at Harrisburg, in
the summer of 1864, to serve for a period
of one hundred days. After the expiration
of this term, one company re-enlisted for a
term of one year. In March, 1865, nine
new companies joined the one which had
re-enlisted, and formed the re-organized
One Hundred and Ninety-second Regi-
ment, with William H. Stewart, colonel.
Rev. S. S. Richmond, a clergyman from the
upper end of York County, who preached
at Goldsboro and Newberrytown, organized
a company of 100 men in Newberry and
Fairview townships. This company en-
tered the service March 8, 1865. at Harper's
Ferr}', where the regimental organization
was completed. The One Hundred and
Ninetj'-second was sent to Staunton and
Lexington, Virginia, where it remained
until it was mustered out of service. Rev.
Richmond performed the double duty of
captain of his companj^ and chaplain of his
384
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
regiment. The following is a complete
muster roll of his company:
Offict;r.r— Captain— S. S. Richmond. First Lieuten-
ant—George W. Newman. Second Lieutenant— John B.
Metzgar. First Sergeant— Henry D. Stouffer. Ser-
geants—Joseph Jonts, John Yinger, A. H. Putt, Wilham
Metzgar. Corporals— John K. Wilhs, George Ens-
minger, Jacob Shisler, EUas B. Miller, Daniel Ymger,
Henry S. Byers, Charles Palmer, George Ymger.
Musicians— Zebia Toomey, George Kerr.
Privates— ]Rcob W. Burger, Daniel Bashore, William
R Byers, Robert Byers, John Bricker, John M. Beard,
Lanius Coble, Cornelius Coble, Valentine Coleman,
William CoUer, Adam Crumlich, Henry Drawbaugh,
Hiram Drawbaugh, Abraham Danner, Daniel M. Dryer,
William S. Fetrow, John K. Fisher, Henry Fox, Wil-
liam M. Fisher, Samuel K. Fisher, Michael Forry,
Henry Ferry, Jackson Free, David R. Groom, William
Groom, Peter K. Hoffstodt, George Hoops, George
Hastier, George Kreppner, Isaac Keister, David H.
Keister, Jacob Kauffman, J. M. Longenecker, Ephraim
Miller, William D. Mortland, Jacob J. Miller, Daniel
Miller, Warren Miller, H. Montgomery, Levi Mc-
Creary, Washington Ort, Monroe Paup, John Packer,
Hiram Paup, Daniel Reeser, Henry Reeser, Albert Shel-
ley, George Stouffer, William M. Strine, Harman Sipe,
John M. Stouffer, Levere Stoner, George Taylor, Isaac
H. Taylor, Jesse Updegraff, Joseph Updegraff, William
Wertze, John D. Weaver, George E. Wentze, Samuel D.
Willis, Samuel A. Wallower, Benjamin Wolfe, Jona-
than Walton, John Wily, George Yousling.
TWO HUNDREDTH REGIMENT.
The troops composing the Two Hun-
dredth Regiment were principally recruited
in the counties of York, Cumberland and
Dauphin, to serve for one year, and were
organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg,
September 3, 1864, with the following field
officers: Charles A'V. Diven, formerly major
of the Twelfth Reserve, colonel; \V. H. H.
McCall, formerly a captain in the Fifth
Reserve, lieutenant-colonel; Jacob Rehrer,
formerly a captain in the Sixth Reserve,
major. Though this regiment vyas gen-
erally supposed to consist mainly of what
were then termed green troops or raw re-
cruits, there were among the men, as well
as the officers, quite a number of recruits
who might justly be classed among old
soldiers, — men who had served their coun-
try in other regiments, and who had some
knowledge of soldier life, and the discipline
incident thereto, and whose courage and
bravery had been tested on the field of bat-
tle prior to their connection with the Two
Hundredth Regiment. On the 9th of Sep-
tember, the regiment was ordered to join
the Army of the James, and upon arrival at
the front, was posted on the line near Dutch
Gap, where it rendered efficient service in
doing picket duty and holding the line,
being engaged in several picket skirmishes
during that time.
On the night of the 17th of November,
the enemy made an attack with the design
of breaking the Union line, but was re-
pulsed, the Two Hundredth taking an
active part and sharing in the triumph. On
the 28th the regiment was transferred to
the Army of the Potomac, where it was
brigaded with the Two Hundred and
Eighth and Two Hundred and Ninth Regi-
ments, constituting the First Brigade,
Third Division, Ninth Corps, to the com-
mand of which Colonel Diven was assigned,
General Hartranft commanding the division
and General Parke the corps.
During the winter the regiment was
thoroughl}' drilled and performed fatigue
duty, upon works thrown up for protection
of the rear of the army. It also partic-
ipated in several movements, in which the
division acted as a support to other corps,
but did not become actively engaged.
Among these movements, was the advance
of the Union line at Hatcher's Run, and the
raid down the Jerusalem Plank Road to the
Nottoway River. This was an extremely
severe march, entailing much hardship and
suffering among the men.
After the winter encampment in front of
Petersburg, the Two Hundredth Regiment
was prepared for the eventful campaign
which resulted in the defeat and capture of
Lee's army in the spring of 1865. The
southern army was heavily entrenched
within the city. Grant, with 100,000 men,
had laid siege for its capture. In order to
prevent the approach of the Federal army,
Lee concentrated three powerful divisions
on Fort Steadman, one of the strongholds
of the Union fortifications. It was an
attack made on the night of March 24, and
was carried on so persistently that the fort
was captured early the next morning, the
Union forces falling back. General Hart-
ranft, hearing of this disaster, with his
division of Pennsylvania troops, volun-
teered to recapture the fort. The Two
Hundredth Regiment was drawn up in line
of battle on the top of a hill. At a given
signal from the colonel, it was ordered to
move rapidly down the hill, and after
passing through a ravine, charged upon the
enemy's lines, and was driven back. After
re-forming the lines, Colonel McCall
THE CIVIL AVAR
385
ordered a second charge. The men moved
forward in splendid form, but upon reach-
ing an exposed place, they had to meet an
enfilading fire from the enemy. The regi-
ment held its ground in this position for
twenty minutes, which caused a heavy loss
to its ranks.
Meantime, General Hartranft formed a
cordon around the fort, and prepared to
move on the works. The Two Hundredth
Regiment, with the Two Hundred and
Ninth, moved forward under a withering
lire and scaled the fort. Fort Steadman
was retaken and the victory was due to the
gallantry of Pennsylvania soldiers. In a
letter written by General Hartranft, in
1889, he said:
"I know of my own personal knowledge
of the gallant services of the Two Hun-
dredth on the morning of March 25, 1865.
Although it was the first time the regiment
had been under fire, losing, within the
space of twenty minutes, 117 men, killed
and wounded, no veteran regiment could
have done better. Not a single soldier left
the line."
The attack on the enemy's works at Pe-
tersburg had now begun. The Two
Hundredth Regiment, under command of
Major Rehrer, moved forward with the
division under Hartranft, McCall command-
ing the brigade. They drove the enemy
from Fort Sedgwick and on April 3, entered
the city of Petersburg. The Two Hun-
dredth Regiment was one of the first to
enter the city and unfurled its banner from
the Court House. After the capitulation
of Petersburg, the regiment moved with
the army to the surrender of Lee at Appo-
matox, on April 9. The Two Hundredth
Regiment then moved to Alexandria, Vir-
ginia, where it was mustered out of service
on May 30, 1865.
COMPANY A, TWO HUNDREDTH REGIMENT.
Oncers — Captains — Adam Reisinger, John Wimer.
First Lieutenants — William Reisinger, Edward Smith.
Second Lieutenant — Jeremiah Oliver. Sergeants — Wil-
liam Toombs, George Rudisill, George Armpriester,
Philip Peififer, Andrew J. Gottwalt, Henry Horn. Cor-
porals— Jacob Lehr, William Oliver, Samuel J\. Jessop,
Lewis H. Epley, Edward Lehman, Charles D. Elliott,
Franklin Ziegler, Bernard ^IcFarland. Musicians —
William S. Temple, Emerson J. C. Rudy.
Privates — William Albrecht, Peter Allen, Richard
Boyd, George Burkhart, Jacob Buser, Henry Buser, Wil-
liam Chaney, John B. Conly, Charles Cook. John A. L.
Eck, Emanuel Erb, Wellington Erwin, John Frash,
Martin Fry, Jacob L. Fuller, Jesse Gentzler, x-Vugustus
Greiman, Emanuel Heilman, Levi Heilman, Washington
Hess, Samuel Hess, Charles N. Hibner, Andrew J.
Haack, Jesse Hamm, Andrew Isaac, Columbus Ilgen-
fritz, George M. Jacobs, William Kendig, Jacob Koons,
Jr., George H. Koons, Jesse Kroffit, Edwin Kessler,
Michael Kessler, Tobias Kalinder, John Lehr, Edward
Leiben. Carl Liking, Daniel Lukenbach, George N.
Meredith, John E. Miller, Abraham j\Iusser, John M.
S. Nevins, George Odenwalt, Philip F. Odenwalt, James
S. Perago, William H. Perago, Daniel Platts. Samuel
Platts. Thomas Powell, George W. Powell, Peter Rhine-
hart, William H. Rively, John Seigle, Alexander Seipe,
Daniel Seipe, Aaron G. Simon, Adam Slouk, Israel E.
Smith, M. J. K. P. Smith, John Snyder, Charles H.
Spangler, Lewis Spiese, Frederick Spiese, William
Sponsler, Joseph Sponsler, Joseph Shangfelter, John A.
Stiles, Isaac Stroman, Jacob Stroman, Henry Stine,
Samuel Swartz, Stephen Sweeney, Jacob Spiese, William
Warner, Christian Warner, Edward Werrer, David A.
Wilhelm, Charles Ziegler.
COMPANY D.
Officers — Captain — William H. Duhling. First Lieu-
tenant— Martin L. Duhling. Second Lieutenant — Wil-
liam H. Drayer. Sergeants — George Beck, David Hin-
del, Henry S. Wilt, William James, Peter Mathias.
Corporals — Jacob Coppenheffer, Benjamin Hake,
George Yinger, Daniel R, Frysinger, John Forcht, Dan-
iel S. Gross, Henrv Pealer, Jacob W. Gohn. Musicians
—Eli J. Miller, Michael F. Fink.
Privates — Matthias Altland, Samuel K. Bare, Daniel
M. Baker, Matthias Baker, Benjamin Basehore, George
Basehore, Reuben Boose, Charles H. Beck, Elisha Bare,
George Burns, William Bower, Paris E. Beecher, David
K. Bruaw, Eli Billet, John Bentz, David Bricker, Peter
Corl, Zacharias Crone, William Darone, Charles Del-
linger, John Everhart, Henry Erwin, Benjamin Eisen-
hower, George Eckhart, George W. Eicholtz. Henry
Faught, Edmund Finfrock, Israel Finfrock, Matthias
Fry, Daniel Fry, John A. Gross. Jacob Greser, John
Gohn, George H. Gross. Daniel Gross, John F. Gross,
George Heilman, Levi G. Hake, Samuel Hartman, Sam-
uel Heltzel, John Hahn, George Hoffman, Henry Jor-
dan, Daniel B. Knaub, Henry Kern, George Knaub,
Jacob W. Kohr, H. H. Kochenour, S. H. Kochenour,
John A. Krafft, Samuel Mummert, John G. Malehorn,
John Malehorn, Solomon May, George Matthias. Daniel
Miller, James Maize, Thomas iNIedlow, Peter S. ^Nloody,
John Nease, Jacob Newcomer, Henry Neiman, Henry
Rubv, Daniel Rudv, J. Shellenberger, Henry A. Shaff-
ner," George H. Schroll. Jacob Schroll, Daniel Schroll,
Darius C. Shetler. Daniel B. Shuler, Alexander Seift'ert,
Daniel Sipe, Robert N. Sipe, Adam Steffee, Peter Z.
Strine, Eli B. Sipe. David Strine, Austin Shelly, Enos
Shelly, Abraham D. Stover, Zacharias Shipp, Andrew
Stough, Edmund Snellbaker, Washington Thomas,
Abraham Westhafer, Daniel B. Wallace, Elias B. Wal-
lace, Deweese Worner, David B. Wallace, Samuel
Yinger.
COMPANY H.
Offift-r.?— Captain— Jacob Weist. First Lieutenant-
James iNIcComas. Second Lieutenant— William PL
Smvser. First Sergeant— Albert Y'oung. Sergeants-
Lafayette B. Schlosser, George Krone, G. W. Aughen-
baugii, George W. Epley. Corporals— D. A. Straus-
baugh, Charles E. Smvser. John F. Durr, John F. Kott-
camp, Alexander Kidd, Adam F. Strough, William A.
Spangler, Amos Witzel, Henry W. Gottwalt.
Privates— John R. Andrews, William H. Banner,
Emaniiel Berry, W. F. Bockhouse, Frederick Bock-
house, Oliver Brown, Joshua Bennett, Henry A. Berry.
Benjamin F. Broomell, Jacob W. Brenner, Ale.xander
D. Bush. Edwin Baum, Charles Brandt, Jacob Berry,
Andrew Brenneman, Atwood Broomell, Henry Carls,
John L. Callahan, Edward Callahan, Philip Devers,
x86
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
Jesse C. Dyer. George R. Erwin, Alexander Emig. Wil-
liam Eberly, Herman A. Eisenhart, William Ehrhart.
John Frederick. John G. Fried. Charles Grottrey. John
H. Gross. Amos S. Glassick. Jonathan M. Glatfelter.
Casper H. Gottcamp. Charles Heinzinger, William J.
Harkins. Joseph Hotchkiss. Michael Hoffman, William
Hyde, Daniel Hibner. Emanuel G. Heilman, George
Hibner, Daniel Hinkle, Daniel Heilman, John Harkins,
Asher Hinkle. J. J. Hosselbaugh. Joseph B. Hautz,
William F. Ilgenfritz, Lewis Kraber, Christian Kott-
camp, William H. Kessler, John L. Kraber, Gottlieb
Kleffman, Henry Kottcamp. Jacob Kling, Henry S.
Kidd. Frederick Kottcamp. Albertus Kraft, Henry
Koerper, Jacob Kraut. Howard King. Edwin Lenhart,
Franklin Myers, William W. Morrow, Daniel Miller,
John G. McCrear}', Henry Obendick, Channing J, Pick-
ing. John Rodewig. Emanuel Rhinehart, David Richard,
Jonas J. Spencer, James B. Schlosser, George Smith,
John C. Schrodder. Charles F. Schriver, Henry
Schroeder, Henry Sleeder, Edwin Sharp. Michael Smy-
ser, Emanuel Smith. George W. Strine. Peter Wise,
Samuel Young, Abraham Young, John A. Zinn.
COMPANY K.
Officers — Captain — Hamilton A. Glessner. First
Lieutenants — George J. Spangler, Augustus C. Stieg.
Second Lieutenant — Zachariah S. Shaw. First Ser-
geant— William H. Swartz. Sergeants — George W.
Feistel, Henry M. Shelly, Alfred Minnich. Corporal —
Michael Shrom.
Privates — Samuel Brenizer, John Baublitz, Henry
Brant. Michael Buser, Christian Boll, Edward Blen-
singer, James Bell, Henry Brenizer, Henry Bentzel,
Nathan F. Buch, John Baymiller, Jacob Bortner, Daniel
Barnhart, Charles Bookmyer, Daniel Bentzel, Frederick
Crawford, Christian Coble, Albert B. Conaway, George
B. Copp, John Deitzer. John Drayer. John Doup, Henry
H. Doll, Henry Doup. Martin Emig. Franklin S. Fry,
George J. D. Fastre, L. S. Flinchbaugh, Jacob Flinch-
baugh, John Frem, Joseph M. Greybill, George Grey-
bill, Charles Glatfelter, Samuel Gemmill, John W.
Graham, Franklin Gipe, John Greybill, William H.
Glessick, William Grim, James E. Gordon, Edwin Hum-
mer, David Hasking. William Hartz. Nicholas Hoffman.
Augustus Hartman. Abel V. Hartman. George W. Ilgen-
fritz. Hamilton Inners, Samuel N. Kilgore, Christian
E. Kohler, Vincent Kemmerer, Fred W. Knodt, Charles
Kline, Samuel H. Kirk, Aaron King, Joseph Krouse,
Jacob H. Kopeman. George M. Kopp, George B. Kline.
Penrose Kroft, George P. Koontz. William H. Law.
John Minen. Samuel Y. Miller. Michael Minnich. James
C. Metzel, Isaac Minnich, Samuel R. Ness, William W.
Newburj', Henry W. Newbury, Joshua Peeling. Adam
Rubert, Christian Rausher. Henry C. Roth. George A.
Richart, John Roth, Ralph Sanders, Franklin Senft,
George J. Spangler, Newton W. Stoner, Jacob D. Sly-
der, David K, Stroman, Alfred Strokebrand, John A.
Sharp, Henry M. Schiding. Philip Snyder. William Se-
christ, George Snyder, Eli Stroch, Daniel W. Shaub,
David M. Shaub, Henry Shwartz, William H. Thomp-
son, Isaac G. Vale, John Wagner. Alexander Wolf,
Charles Weiser. George J. Zellers. Joseph Zutelyt.
TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTH
REGIMENT.
The Two Hundred and Seventh Regi-
ment in the one years' service, was recruited
in Tioga. Clinton, Cumberland, Franklin,
Lycoming, Bradford, York and Lancaster
counties. Company E, commanded by
Captain Lewis Small, of York, was largely
composed of troops from York Count)'.
The regiment was organized September 8,
1864, with Robert C. Cox, who had served
as major of the One Hundred and Seventy-
first Pennsylvania Regiment, as colonel.
The regiment was sent to the Army of the
James, and in November was placed in the
Ninth Army Corps, under Burnside. Later
it was placed in Hartranft's division, com-
posed of six Pennsylvania regiments. Feb-
ruary 5, 1865, the Two Hundred and
Seventh was first engaged in battle at
Hatcher's Run, where the brigade was com-
manded by Colonel Cox.
In the attack upon Fort Steadman, Colo-
nel Cox, and four companies, were in the
advance line, and were among the first to
enter the ramparts, where they captured a
large number of prisoners. The four re-
maining companies followed in close pur-
suit and were soon within the fort, where
they captured a battle flag. Emerging, as
this regiment did, from cover where the
enemy had no suspicion that troops were
concealed, and moving at a run, he had no
time to bring his guns to bear upon the
regiment, before it was upon him. The
loss, on this account, was slight, being but
one killed and sixteen wounded.
The Two Hundred and Seventh was in
the front line of battle in the attack and cap-
ture of Fort Sedgwick. Colonel Cox. com-
manding the brigade, took the lead with
the regiment. The color bearer being
wounded, Sergeant C. H. Ilgenfritz, of
Company E, sprang forward, and raised the
flag, and with the regiment planted their
colors upon the fort. The loss in this en-
gagement was heavy, being 37 killed, 146
wounded, and 8 missing. The success of
this attack caused the Confederates to
evacuate Petersburg, and one week later,
Lee surrendered at Appomatox. The regi-
ment was mustered out at Alexandria, May
13, 1865. The following is a muster roll
of Company E, of this regiment :
Officers — Captain — Lewis Small. First Lieutenant^
Richard C. Ivory. Second Lieutenant — William Keagle.
First Sergeants — Michael Harman, Charles H. Ilgen-
fritz. Sergeants — Joseph S. Childs. Henry Dennis,
Daniel Brian, George J. Horning. Corporals — Tobias
Rudy, Ellis Mervell, John Harman, Jacob E. Smith,
Laban M. Sykes, Elias F. Graham, Joseph Hoffman,
George ^filler.
Privates — John F. Blanchard, Charles F. Cox, Fred-
erick Snyder. Jeremiah Alexander, John Anderson. Ed-
ward Allen, Jonathan Black. John Bush, Edward Black,
Frank B. Bradfield. Charles Brian. George W. Bower.
William Butcher, James Currv, William Clark, Albert
THE CIVIL WAR
387
E. Conistock, Daniel W. Canfield, Osee Cortwright,
William A. Decker, Andrew Dennison, Charles Everly,
Jacob Emick, Thomas Edwards, William Eichelberger,
Nelson Foulkerson, Henry Fishel, Nicholas Fessler,
Marcellus Fried, J. B. Farronsworth, Alfred Foulker-
son, H. L. Farronsworth, John George, Henry Gruver,
William T. Ginnis, Albert M. Gotwalt, Thomas Green,
Samuel Hake, Henry Hamilton, Aaron Henry, Ames
Henry, Michael Hake, Israel Hartman, Daniel A.
Helker, Henry Hershey, James L. Ilgenfritz, Cornelius
Kimble, Elias C. Keller, Josiah Koller, Michael Keesey,
Frantz Kaiser, Alex, Kauffman, Samuel Kreidell, Jacob
Kunkle, William King, Lewis Krise, Solomon Lehman,
Jacob Linck, Cornelius Lefever, Benjamin Long, Henry
F. Mackey, Charles Morris, Winfield S. JNIackey, John
Mannerval, John McCarthy, Lewis Rupprecht, Jacob
Ribble, Michael Richard, Harrison Sipe, Frank Shaffer,
Benjamin Stover, John L. Shider, Urias Smith, John G.
Schladstine, William W. Seaman, Franklin Sheffer,
Theodore J. Sheffer, George A. Thomas, Augustus
Voss, John Wilhelm, Benjamin Weast, John Wagoner,
John Waltman. David Wagner, Samuel Wallace, Wil-
liam White, Granville Weiser, William P. Wheeland,
Charles D. Wheeland, Lewis Whatson, Daniel H.
Withers, John Wageman. Augustus Waltman, George
R. Wheeland.
TWO HUNDRED AND NINTH
REGIMENT.
The Two Hundred and Ninth Regiment
was organized at Camp Curtin, September
16, 1864. Tobias Kauffman was chosen
colonel; George AV. Frederick, lieutenant
colonel; and John L. Ritchey, major. Im-
mediately after the organization the regi-
ment was ordered to Bermuda Hundred,
Virginia, and subsequently was engaged
with other parts of the Army of the James
at Chapin's Farm. On November 24, the
Two Hundred and Ninth, Two Hundredth,
and Two Hundred and Eighth Pennsyl-
vania Regiments became the First Brigade
of the Third Division of the Ninth Corps
and at the same time the Two Hundred and
Eleventh, Two Hundred and Fifth, and
Two Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania
Regiments became the Second Brigade of
this division. General John Hartranft, a
highly distinguished Pennsylvania soldier,
being appointed commander of the division,
the regiment engaged in drill fatigue duty
on fortifications and demonstrations. A
little before daylight on the 25th of March.
1865, the Union line before Petersburg was
broken by the Confederates under General
Gordon, and Fort Steadman. a Union fort-
ress, was captured. AVhen this fact be-
came known General Hartranft ordered
Colonel Frederick with the Two Hundred
and Ninth and Two Hundredth to charge
the fort held by the enemy. Moving for-
ward under a heavy fire, they seized points
of advantage in the front, when their align-
ments having been completed, they again
advanced and planted their colors on the
works. The Confederates hurriedly re-
treated, leaving over three hundred prison-
ers in the hands of the enemy. This re-
covery of Fort Steadman was one of the
bravest and boldest exploits of the Civil
W'SLT. On April 2d and 3d the Two Hun-
dred and Ninth Regiment, in company with
the division and corps, assaulted the Con-
federate works before Petersburg, and
breaking through their lines about the same
time as the Second and Sixth Corps, the
city of Petersburg was in the hands of the
Union Army. The regiment next engaged
in the repair of railroads, and, Lee having
surrendered at Appomatox Court House on
the 9th of April, on the 20th returned to
City Point, then to Alexandria, where the
regiment was mustered out of service, May
31-
Two companies of the Two Hundred
and Ninth Regiment were recruited in York
County. The}^ were Company B, Henry
W. Spangler, captain ; Thomas J. Hen-
dricks, AVilliam Douglas and William B.
Morrow, lieutenants; and Company I, John
Klugh, captain; George W. Heighes and
Henry L. Arnold, lieutenants. Both these
companies had a good record in that army.
Captain John Klugh was wounded by a
shell in the attack upon Fort Steadman,
while leading on his troops. In 1906, at
the advanced age of ninety years, and in the
full possession of his mental faculties. Cap-
tain Klugh was living at Franklintown,
York County.
The following is a muster roll of Com-
pany B. Two Hundred and Ninth Regi-
ment :
Officers — Captain — Henry W. Spangler. First Lieu-
tenant— Thomas J. Hendricks. Second Lieutenant —
William S. Douglass. First Sergeant — William B.
Morrow. Sergeants — William Campbell, Henry E.
Keasev, John R. Edie, William H. Smith. Corporals-
Reuben Shank, Peter .A.. Latshaw, Jacob R. Hildebrand,
David S. Fulton, Daniel McKinley, Benjamin F.
Ebaugh, William Wolf, Andrew Hason.
Pi-iz'atcs — Henry Abel, James P. Alexander, William
S. Anderson, James Armstrong, Peter Buvenon, Fred-
erick W. Brier, John C. Baldwin, Frederick Biggert,
Peter Bucks, Michael Burns, Michael Beams, Joseph
Burns, John Brown, Jacob S. Bose, Patrick Bradrick,
Henry Coles, William D. Darr, Franklin Denst, Jesse
Dierdorff, David Dutton, John Dougherty, Absalom
Dethmore, George Ertzerley, William Fleesick, Henry
Frank, George Fry, Charles Friday, Elias Fisher, Sam-
uel Fleming, Jacob Fry, William Gross, Joseph Gross,
388
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Evans G. Gemmill, John Gibsons. George Gemmill,
John Gibbon, John Gifford, Patrick Gheerlyer, Charles
Hindle, Henry H. Hunter, WiUiam Hertzel, George
Hoffman, John Hanegan, Jacob Hummer, Thomas
Harvey, John Harper, Isaac Hanigan, Barnabas John-
son, Arthur Johnson, Michael Johnson, Peter Kretz,
Thomas Kelley, Benjamin W. Lynes, Eberhart Miller,
David A. Miller, William H. JNIitzel, John Morrison.
George Mitzel, John W. Miller, William E. Morrison,
Samuel A, Martin, Thomas Muller, Thomas Mazzen,
Joseph McClain, John McLaughlin, Felix McGrier, Pat-
rick McGachy, Thomas McCarty. Henry McGee. Obrien
McLaughlin, Jacob Nichols, John Ness, Daniel Ober-
lander, Thomas Phillips, Rutter S. C. Rambo. Samuel
Riddle, William Riddle, James P. Ream, John W. Rine-
holt, Conrad Runkle, Hubert Rian, William P. Schall,
William Snyder, Charles P. Strayer, Jacob M. Snyder,
Peter Simpson. John W. Smith, ist, John W. Smith, 2d,
Thomas Smith. Charles Smith, David E. Torber. John
M. Torber. William W. Wise, John C. Wagner, William
H. Wails, Jacob W. Workinger, David Zortman.
COMPANY I.
Officers — Captain — John Klugh. First Lieutenant —
George W. Heiges. Second Lieutenant — Henry L.
Arnold. First Sergeant — Jacob Law. Sergeants —
Andrew Wagener. Jacob P. Baish. George W. Reed.
John Law. Corporals — Sear i\L Chronister. Martin L.
Arnold, Benjamin Apple, Wilson Irwin, Elias Lehman,
William P. Reitzel. Henry Heiges. Jr.. James G. Kunes.
Privates — Martin Arnold. Benjamin F. Anderson.
Franklin Arnold, Solomon Arnold, Frederick A. Asper,
Emanuel W. Bowman, Jacob H. Bentz. John Blauser.
Lewis Blauser, Michael Blauser, John Bupp. George
Bupp, John Burgard, William Baish, Samuel Baugher,
George Byers, Abraham Byers, Godfried Bishop, Au-
gustus Boland. William M. Bleany, William S. Cad-
walader, Daniel Chronister, William B. Chronister,
John L. Crist, Henry Crist, Absalom Cleaver, John W.
Cook, George Ditmore, Frederick H. Darr, Jacob Darr,
George W. Evans, William Fickes, Christopher Fortney,
Elias Filler, James Gettis, John Barberick, David
Heiges, Henry Heiges, Peter Heiges, Samuel Heiges,
John Hollinger. Jr., Jacob N. Herman. Edmund
Hershey, Tempes Hoffman, Lewis Heiges, Henry Hess,
Jacob Haar, Lewis Koch, Alfred Kapp, Henry Kapp,
David Kochenour, Jacob King, Michael Kinter, Henry
King. Henry Law. Lewis Leer. John Murray, Cornelius
Murray. Timothy M'Carthy, Hector B. M'Cay, Archi-
bald AI'Monicle, Lewis Peterman, George Ritter, Henry
S. Reed, LTriah Shearer, George P. Spangler, George
W. Snyder, Henry C. Snyder, Benjamin Sear, John H.
Siner, William O. Sheaffer, John Shill, John Sowers,
George Stokes, Cyrus SoUenberger, Joseph B. Sluth-
ower, Lewis Sluthower, Jacob Trumph, Peter Wagener,
Michael Wagener, Levi Wagener, Andrew R. Weimer,
John Wehler, Frederick Wehler, Joseph Wolf.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
AVILLIAAI BULL FRANKLIN, major
general in the United States Army, a dis-
tinguished son of York County, was born in
York, February 27, 1823. He obtained his
preliminary education in the York County
Academy and was graduated from the
United States Military Academy at AVest
Point, in 1843, ^^ the head of his class.
Among his classmates were General
Hardie, the author of the noted work on
military tactics, and General Ulvsses S.
Grant. After leaving AVest Point, he
entered the United States army as a topo-
graphical engineer. During the Mexican
AA'ar, he served on the staff of General
Zachary Taylor, and carried the orders for
that renowned soldier at the famous battle
of Buena Vista. For gallantry in this en-
gagement, he was brevetted first lieutenant
at the special request of General Taylor.
At the beginning of the Civil AVar, he was
stationed in AA'ashington in charge of the
construction of the right and left wings of
the capitol, the treasury department and the
general postoffice. At the battle, of Bull
Run, the first important engagement of the
Civil AA'ar, with the rank of brigadier gen-
eral, he commanded a brigade in General
Heintzleman's division. His command was
engaged in the heaviest part of the battle
around the Henry House. AVhen the Army
of the Potomac was organized under Gen-
eral George B. McClellan, his personal
friend, Franklin, was given command of a
division.
AA'ith his division, he led the advance of
the army from Yorktown to Pamunkly
River, where he repelled an attack of the
Confederates. May 15, he was appointed
commander of the Sixth Corps. During
the Seven Days' Battle in front of Rich-
mond, he defended the right flank of the
entire army against the attacks of General
"Stonewall" Jackson, with the greatest skill
and bravery. In the march through Mary-
land in pursuit of Lee, September, 1862, he
had command of the left wing of the army.
On September 14, he drove the enemy
through Brampton's Gap, in the South
Mountain. At 10 A. M., on September 17,
he came to the support of the Second
Corps in the battle of Antietam and relieved
the troops which had suffered so heavily.
In December of the same year, General
Franklin commanded the left grand divi-
sion, consisting of the Sixth Corps under
AA'illiam F. Smith, and the First Corps
under John F. Reynolds. His force in this
battle was composed of 40,000 men. He
had eighty-four pieces of artillery. "Stone-
wall" Jackson commanded the Confederate
forces which contested with Franklin's
troops, on this -fateful day, at Fredericks-
burg. A difficulty afterward arose between
Burnside. then commanding the Army of
the Potomac, and General Franklin. The
^{(fTd. ^t.6^u..^^^jU.<^
THE CIVIL WAR
389
Committee on the Conduct of the Wrv cen-
sured Franklin for disobedience of orders at
Fredericksburg. He was one of the officers
removed from .his command by order of
Burnside for insubordination. President
Lincohi refused to approve the order of
removal of Franklin, and this led to General
Burnside's resignation from the command
of the Army of the Potomac. In August,
1863, Franklin was put in charge of the
Nineteenth Corps and took part with it in
the Red River expedition in the southwest,
And was wounded in the battle of Sabine
Cross-Roads. An incident in General
Franklin's career is the fact that he was
captured by a band of Confederate scouts
near Baltimore, July 10, 1864. They held
up a train upon which he was riding
between Baltimore and Philadelphia, and
made him a prisoner of war. He was taken
to Reistertown, Maryland, where he was
held two days. While the guard in front of
his tent was sleeping, he escaped to Wash-
ington.
When Grant was made lieutenant gen-
eral, commanding all the forces of the
United States, in 1864, he took a special
interest in his former classmate at A\'est
Point. A\'hen Early threatened Washing-
ton, in July, 1864, with 20,000 troops. Grant
asked Halleck to .^appoint Franklin com-
mander of the Union arm}', in the Shenan-
doah Valley. In 1866, however. General
Franklin decided to retire from the armj^
He removed to Hartford, Connecticut,
where he became general manager of Colt's
Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company.
He lived in that city during the remainder
of his life, filling many high positions of
honor and trust. In politics he was a
Deriiocrat and served as presidential elector
in 1876. He was a member of the
Protestant Episcopal Church and served for
many years as vestryman. General Frank-
lin was married in 1852 to Miss Annie L.
Clark, of A\'ashington, D. C, who died in
1900. They had no children. General
Franklin's mother was the daughter of Dr.
William Buel, of Litchfield, a descendant of
Peter Buel, of AVindsor, Connecticut. His
father, Walter S. Franklin, was clerk of the
House of Representatives at Washington ;
his great-grandfather was a soldier of the
Revolution, and his great-grandmother,
JNIarv Rhoads, was the daughter of Samuel
Rhoads, a Pennsylvania member of the
First Continental Congress.
General Franklin died at his residence in
Hartford. Connecticut, June 12. 1904. His
remains were brought to York and buried
in Prospect Hill Cemetery.
SAMUEL RHOADS FRANKLIN, rear-
admiral, United States Navy, and brother
of General William B. Franklin, was born
at York, August 2^, 1825. During his boy-
hood, he attended a select school and then
spent several years in the York County
Academy, where he excelled in the study of
mathematics and the natural sciences. In
1841, three years before the naval academy
was founded at xAnnapolis, he entered the
L^nited States Navy. His first cruise was
to the Pacific. In 1847, he was present
with the American fleet when it made a
demonstration on Monterey during the
Mexican War. Later he served in the
^Mediterranean and North Atlantic Squad-
rons as a passed midshipman, and on deep
sea-sounding duty and the coast survey.
He was promoted to lieutenant. September
14, 1855, served in the naval academy in
1855-6, on the sloop "Falmouth," of the
Brazil squadron, in 1857-9, o^i the "Mace-
donian" in 1859-60, and on the steam sloop
"Dacotah" on the Atlantic coast in 1861-2.
He was a volunteer on board the "Roan-
oke" in the action with the "Merrimac," in
March, 1862, in which the "Congress" and
the "Cumberland" were destroyed. He
became executive officer of the "Roanoke"
and engaged with the forts at Sewell's
point, but the sloop grounded and did not
get fairly into action. He was commis-
sioned lieutenant commander, July 16, 1862,
commanded the "Aroostook," of the James
River flotilla, in 1862, the "Aroostook," of
the western Gulf blockading squadron, in
1863, and was on special duty in New
Orleans in 1864. During the operations in
Mobile Bay, in the spring of 1865, he was
on the staff of acting Rear Admiral
Thatcher, and was the naval representative
in the demand for the surrender of the City
of Mobile. He was made commander, Sep-
tember 26. 1866. and given the steamer
"Saginaw," of the North Pacific Squadron,
in 1866-7, on ordnance duty at Mare Island.
California, in 1868-9, was advanced to the
grade of captain. August 13, 1872, and com-
manded the "AA'abash" and afterward the
390
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
"Franklin." until transferred to duty as
hydrographer to the bureau of navigation
of Washington, D. C. He was promoted
to commodore, December 15, 1880, assigned
to special duty in the bureau of equipment
department, and became president of the
board of examiners, June 16, 1883. He re-
ceived the appointment of rear admiral,
January 24, 1885, was assigned to duty as
superintendent of the naval observatory',
and in 1886, became commandant of the
European station. In 1887, Rear Admiral
Franklin retired, at the age limit of 62 years.
Since that time he has resided in A\'ashing-
ton. He was married in 1883, to a daugh-
ter of Rear Admiral Sands, of the United
States Nav)'. He has served as a member
of the Washington National Monument
Association ; president of the Inter-national
Marine Conference. He is the author of
"Memories of a Rear Admiral," an interest-
ing volume containing recollections of his
experience of forty-six years of service in
the United States Navy. Since his retire-
ment, he has resided at Washington, D. C.
WALTER SIMONDS FRANKLIN,
soldier and civil engineer, was born in York,
March i, 1836, son of Walter S. and Sarah
(Buel) Franklin, and brother of General
A'Villiam B. Franklin and Rear Admiral S.
R. Franklin. He obtained his preparatory
education in the York County Academy, an
academy at Litchfield, Connecticut, and the
Gunnery, a school at Washington. Connec-
ticut. In 1854 he entered the Lawrence
Scientific School, one of the departments of
Harvard College, where he obtained a
technical education, devoting special atten-
tion to civil engineering, receiving the
degree of Bachelor of Science in 1857. In
1852 he was chairman and rodman for an
engineering party, connected with the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company. During
the years 1857-58 he served with an engi-
neering party in the construction of the
Fernandina and Cedar Keys Railroad, in the
State of Florida. In 1859 he traveled in
Europe.
At the opening of the Civil AA'ar, he was
appointed First Lieutenant of the Twelfth
United States Infantry. He served with his
command in the Peninsular campaign of
1862, in the Army of the Potomac, under
General McClellan and participated in the
engagements at AA'illiamsburg, Fair Oaks.
Seven Pines and the Seven Days" Battle in
front of Richmond. In the fall of 1863 and
during the famous campaign under Grant,
in 1864, Colonel Franklin served with
distinction on the staff of General Sedg-
wick, one of the ablest corps commanders
of the Civil AA^ar. He stood near Sedgwick
on the morning of May 9, 1864, at Spottsyl-
vania. when that great soldier was killed by
a minie ball from the rifle of a Confederate
sharpshooter. He then continued on the
staff of General AA'right, the successor to
Sedgwick, in command of the Sixth Army
Corps, as inspector general, with the rank
of lieutenant colonel, being present in the
hard fought battles at Spottsylvania Court
House, Cold Harbor and in the movement
of the army toward Petersburg, Virginia.
AA'hen General Earh^ threatened AA'ashing-
ton, the Sixth Army Corps, under AA'right,
was moved, in July, 1864. to the Shenan-
doah Valley, where it took part with the
army under Sheridan in the engagements of
AA'inchester, Cedar Creek and Fisher's Hill,
three of the most brilliant victories of the
Civil War. In the campaigns under Grant
and Sheridan as a staff officer, for his corps
commander, Colonel Franklin served with
the highest credit. For gallant and meri-
torious services in action, he was brevetted
major and later lieutenant colonel in the
United States Army, and colonel in the
United States Volunteer service. Colonel
Franklin continued with the Sixth Army
Corps, under AA^right, and was present with
it when Lee surrendered at Appomatox,
April 9, 1865. After the close of the war
he returned to his old regiment, the Twelfth
United States Infantry, as captain, and con-
tinued in the United States service until the
year 1870, when he resigned. He then re-
turned to his home at York and soon after
his retirement from the army became gen-
eral manager of the Ashland Iron Company,
whose furnaces were situated on the line of
the Northern Central Railwa^^ near Balti-
more. He continued in this position for a
period of seventeen years, retiring in 1887.
Colonel Franklin then became connected
with the Maryland Steel Company until
1894 and has since continued as a director
of that large industry. After retiring from
the manufacturing business he was chosen
president of the Baltimore City Passenger
Railroad Company until the consolidation
THE CIVIL WAR
391
of all the roads in the city, remaining vice-
president of the consolidated roads until
1903. Since 1884 he has been director in
the Towson Bank, of Marjdand, and the
Provident Savings Bank, of Baltimore.
For many years he has served as a member
of the United States Light House Board.
He was elected a member of the American
Institute Mining Engineers and the Loyal
Legion, a military order, composed of com-
missioned officers who served in the Civil
War. He is also a member of a large num-
ber of social organizations, including the
Metropolitan club, of Washington City, the
Maryland, Merchants, Athletic and Coun-
try clubs, of Baltimore.
Colonel Franklin was married at York,
December 13, 1866, to Mary Campbell
Small, daughter of the late Philip Albright
and Sarah Latimer Small.
MICHAEL P. SMALL, brigadier gen-
eral in the United States arm}^ was born at
York, and after obtaining his preparatory
education, entered the United States JNIili-
tary Academy at AA'est Point, in 1S51,
graduating in 1855. On the day of his
graduation, he was appointed brevet second
lieutenant of artillery, and served on
frontier duty at Benicia, California, for one
year. He took paft in the war with the'
Seminole Indians, in Florida, in 1856-7.
During the succeeding j^ears until the open-
ing of the Civil War, he served in various
positions on the western frontier. In 1859,
he took part in quelling the insurrection led
by John Brown, at Harper's Ferry. In
April, 1861, he .was promoted to the rank of
first lieutenant of artillery. During the
Civil War, he served in the commissary and
quartermaster departments of the army in
the field. In 1863, he was chief commissary
of the Thirteenth Army Corps. In 1864, he
was stationed at Fort Monroe as chief com-
missary of the department of Virginia and
North Carolina, supplying the armies oper-
ating against Richmond on the James
River. During the spring of 1865, he occu-
pied the responsible position of chief com-
missary of the army of the James and de-
partment of Virginia. He continued in this
position to the end of the war. After the
surrender of Lee at Appomatox, April 9,
1865, as chief of commissary, General Small
complied with Grant's orders and issued
rations to the Confederate armv. On the
day that Lee surrendered, at the request of
Grant, he was promoted to brigadier gen-
eral by brevet. From 1865 until 1883, he
was chief of commissary for the depart-
ments of the army in the west and south-
west, being stationed at different times at
Ne.w Orleans, Nashville, Louisville, San
Francisco, Prescott, Arizona, and San
Antonio, Texas. In 1883, he returned to
the east and was assigned as depot commis-
sary of the Department of the East at New
York City. He remained in this position
until he retired from the army after a long
and honorable service.
EDMUND SCHRIVER, major general.
United States Volunteers, was born at
York, where he obtained his early educa-
tion. Lie is a representative of a family
that was prominent in the mercantile busi-
ness in York during the early part of last
century. In 1829, he was appointed a cadet
in the United States Military Academy and
was graduated from that institution with
the class of 1833. He served on garrison
duty during the succeeding year, "and from
1834 to 1835, was instructor in infantry tac-
tics at West Point. He was assistant
adjutant general at Washington from 1835
to 1838, and from 1839 to 1841, meantime
serving in the Florida war, in quelling the
Indians. He resigned from the army in
1846 and entered civil life, and took up his
residence in New York state. For several
years he was treasurer of the Saratoga and
Washington Railroad Company, New York,
and from 1851 to 1861, was president of the
Rensselaer and Saratoga Railroad. At the
opening of the Civil War, he re-entered the
military service as colonel on the staff of
Governor Morgan, of New York. He first
engaged as a recruiting officer and then
entered the army as lieutenant colonel of
the Eleventh Infantry. From March, 1862,
to January, 1863, he was chief of staff to
General McDowell, commanding the First
Corps in the Army of the Potomac. While
serving in this position, lie participated in
the battles of Fredericksburg, the engage-
ments in the campaign in the Shenandoah
Valley, Cedar Mountain, Manassas and
Chantilly. He was inspector general of the
Army of the Potomac from March, 1863, to
1865, having performed duty at the battles
of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. After
the battle of Gettysburg, he had the
392
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
distinguished honor of taking to the war
department thirty-one battle ilags and other
trophies of victory from that field. He fol-
lowed the fortunes of the army in the Mine
Run expedition during the fall of 1863 and
in the campaign under Grant from the
Rapidan to Petersburg, in 1864. He was
promoted to the rank of brigadier general
by brevet in the regular army, August i,
1864. From March 22, 1865, to June 23,
1865, he was on special duty under the
secretary of war, Edwin M. Stanton. He
was promoted major general by brevet,
March 13, 1865, for meritorious and dis-
tinguished services during the war. After
the close of the war. General Schriver
served as inspector of the Military Academy
at West Point from 1866 to 1871, and
several times made a tour of inspection to
ditTerent army posts. He remained in the
army beyond the age limit, and retired from
the army, January 4, 1881. when he re-
turned to private life.
JACOB GARTNER LAUMAN, major
general of volunteers, was born in Taney-
town, Maryland, January 23, 1813. He re-
moved with his parents to York, where he
was educated, and in 1844, engaged in busi-
ness in Burlington, Iowa. He was colonel
of the Seventh Iowa volunteer regiment in
1 86 1. He was severely wounded at Bel-
mont, November 7, 1861 ; commanded a
brigade in C. F. Smith's division at Fort
Donelson, and was promoted brigadier-
general of volunteers, March 21, 1862. He
commanded the Third Brigade, Fourth
Division, Armj^ of the Tennessee, at the
battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862, and the
Fourth Division of the Sixteenth Army
Corps during the Vicksburg campaign. He
was relieved of his command by General
Sherman, July 16, 1863, and returned to
Burlington, Iowa. He was brevetted
major general of \-olunteers, March 13,
1865. He died in Burlington, Iowa, in
February, 1867.
GRANVILLE O. HALLER, colonel in
the United States Army, was born at York,
January 31, 1819. He obtained his educa-
tion in the public schools and the York
County Academy, and in 1839 entered the
armjr as second lieutenant in the Fourth
United States Infantry, and was assigned to
duty in the western territories. He was
promoted to first lieutenant July 12, 1846,
and served under General Taylor at the
opening of the Mexican War as assistant
commissary in the Third Brigade. In the
fall of 1847, Lieutenant Haller commanded
his company in the Fourth Infantry on the
march under Scott from Vera Cruz to the
City of Mexico. He was succeeded as com-
missary to the brigade by Lieutenant U. S.
Grant. He took part in the battle of Cerro
Gordo and dififerent engagements on the
march to the Mexican capital and was pro-
moted captain in 1848. At the opening of
the Civil War he was promoted to the rank
of major. For a time he commanded the
Ninety-third New York Volunteers. In
1862 he was assigned to duty as provost-
marshal for the state of Maryland, but his
services were not accepted by the Governor,
and he returned to York. In 1863 when
Lee began his second invasion of Pennsyl-
vania Major Haller was a volunteer aide on
the staff of General Couch who sent him to
Gettysburg. He had charge of affairs at
that borough when General Early's division
approached it. He then came to York and
because no troops were here to defend the
town he repaired to Wrightsville for the
purpose of arranging to guard the bridge
across the Susquehanna. By orders of
General Couch, commanding the Depart-
ment of the Susquehanna, Major Haller
took charge of affairs at Columbia, and or-
dered the bridge to be burned.
After General Gordon fell back from
Wrightsville to York, Major Haller with
two companies of cavalry, followed the
enemy and reported their movements to
General Couch at Harrisburg. Owing to a
misunderstanding between himself and the
military authorities at AVashington, Major
Haller was dismissed from the army in
1863, and was not restored until 1873, when
he was made colonel of the Twenty-third
Infantry. At the age of 63, he was retired
from the military service.
On June 21, 1849, Colonel Haller was
married to Henrietta M. Cox, of York. Af-
ter his retirement from the army, he re-
moved to Seattle, in the state of Washing-
ton, where he died May i, 1897.
CONFEDERATE INVASION OF 1862.
During the year 1861, and the first six
months of 1862, the seat of war was in Vir-
ginia, Kentucky, Missouri and the south-
THE CIVIL WAR
393
ern parts of the Atlantic coast and the gulf
states. General McClellan, who had organ-
ized the Army of the Potomac in the
vicinity of Washington, early in May, 1862,
had sailed down the Potomac River with
100,000 men for the purpose of passing up
the Peninsula between the York and the
James Rivers and capturing Richmond.
After McClellan had besieged Yorktown
for one month, the Confederates fell back
toward Richmond. The Union army pur-
sued them to Williamsburg, where an in-
decisive battle was fought. McClellan
moved his army to West Point and later
north of the Chickahominy River to await
the long expected junction of the 40,000
men, under McDowell, who was to march
from Fredericksburg. This junction having
been prevented by "Stonewall" Jackson
threatening Washington, McClellan now
moved a part of the army south of the
Chickahominy, where he was attacked by
General Joseph E. Johnston, commander of
the Confederate forces. In the battle of
Fair Oaks, Johnston was wounded and was
succeeded by General Robert E. Lee, in
command of what became known as the
Army of Northern Virginia. Lee now re-
called Jackson from the Shenandoah Valley
and directed him to attack McClellan's
right, while he attacked his centre and left.
This resulted in the Seven Days" Battle and
a change of base of the Union army to the
banks of the James River, where, at the bat-
tle of Malvern Hill, Lee's army met with a
severe repulse. McClellan was ordered to
unite his forces with those under Pope and
was temporarily relieved of the command
of the Army of the Potomac.
Lee moved northward with a
Pope's formidable army and defeated
Defeat. Pope on the plains of Manassas,
known as the second battle of Bull
Run, and was one of the most disastrous
defeats of the Union army in the Civil War.
Flushed with his victories. General Lee
planned an invasion into Maryland and
Pennsylvania and began to move northward
early in September. This movement is
known to history as the first northern in-
vasion by the Confederate army under Lee,
then numbering about 65,000 well-discip-
lined men. Western Maryland and the
counties of southern Pennsylvania became
alarmed at this condition of affairs. Lee
had taken the offensive and had determined
to march into his enemy's country. It now
looked as though the theatre of war was to
be transferred to northern soil.
President Lincoln issued a call for 300,000
volunteers for the purpose of defeating the
progress of an invading foe. These troops
were to serve for a period of nine months.
Soon after these stirring events the patri-
otic song, "We are Coming Father Abra-
ham, Three Hundred Thousand More," was
sung in every military camp of Union
soldiers, in every town and city and all
centres of population throughout the loyal
north. Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania,
issued a call for troops and within a short
time sixteen regiments of infantry from the
One Hundred and Twenty-second to the
One Hundred and Thirty-eighth, in all
14,000 men, enlisted for the defence of their
country.
A meeting was held in the Court
Patriotic House, at York, on the evening
Meeting, of September 6, for the purpose
of laying plans to organize
militia companies in response to the procla-
mation of the governor. John Evans pre-
sided at this meeting; Robert J. Fisher and
Philip A. Small were vice-presidents;
George W. Ruby and Michael Schall, secre-
taries. A committee, composed of David
Small, William H. Welsh, Horace Bonham,
A. J. Frey, E. G. Smyser, and Joseph Smy-
ser, was appointed to go to Harrisburg for
the purpose of securing arms and equip-
ments for the military companies to be
organized under the militia act of 1858.
This committee proceeded at once to Har-
risburg and reported at a meeting held in
the Court House, at York, on September 8,
that arms would not be furnished by the
state unless able-bodied men in the different
boroughs and townships of the county had
already organized themselves into military
companies for drill and discipline. On the
same day the following document was
printed and widely circulated throughout
York County :
"To Repel Invasion ! The citizens of the
several townships are required to assemble
at suitable places within their limits and
organize military companies under the act
of 1858 to aid each other in repelling in-
vasion of their county. Such organizations
to consist of the enrollment of forty men.
394
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
rank and file, and the election of a captain,
and first and second lieutenants to enable
the companies to procure arms. By order
of the public meeting."
On September 8, the deput)^ marshal re-
ported that they had completed the enroll-
ment of the militia of the borough of York
and that the entire number enrolled was
1,908 men, of whom 698 were either serving
in the Home Guards or in active duty in the
army. From the time the war had opened
to September, 1862, the entire requisition
for troops from the county of York, ex-
clusive of the three months' men, was 4,005.
Of this number, 2,000 had already entered
the arm}^
At the meeting held September
Preparing 8, it was reported that Captain
for A\'. H. Albright had organized.
Defence. in the First W'ard, a company
of 65 men, rank and file ; in the
Second Ward, a company of 75 men was
organized, with George A. Heckert, cap-
tain; Third Ward, a company of 57 men,
with Dr. Jacob Hay, captain ; Fourth AVard,
two companies were organized, one with 75
men. John Hays, captain, and another com-
pan}^ of 70 men, with D. W. Barnitz, cap-
tain ; Fifth Ward, west of the Codorus, one
company of 75 men, with Jacob AViest, cap-
tain. An independent company of citizens
from all the five wards of the borough was
also organized, with John Gibson, captain.
A cavalry company was organized with
headquarters at York, with Dr. Charles M.
Nes, captain. Conewago Township re-
ported a company of 45 men, with T.
Ouickel, captain, J. B. Bear, first lieutenant,
and John Hollebush, second lieutenant.
The report now came to York
Fleeing that a large Confederate army
From under General Lee was moving
Danger, northward and would soon reach
the Potomac River. The in-
vasion of Penns3dvania seemed to be a cer-
tainty and caused excitement throughout
the southern tier of counties, and refugees
from this region came into York from the
Avestward in large numbers, fleeing across
the Susquehanna. Many of the farmers in
the county took their horses and valuable
products across the river. A number of
families from the borough of York also fled
eastward for safety from what they thought
was impending danger, and taking with
them household treasures and other per-
sonal property.
On Sunday afternoon, September 7, 300
sick and wounded soldiers arrived in York.
These troops had left the United States
Hospital at Frederick, upon hearing of the
approach of the invading army of Confed-
erates, and were marched or conveyed over-
land to Gett3fsburg, and from thence to
York in the cars. About 125 of them were
placed in the York County hospital, 100 in
Odd Fellows' Hall, and the balance in the
United States Hospital on the Common.
On September 13, a small squad of
cavalry, acting as a scouting party, rode
into York with three Confederate spies
which they had captured near Abbottstown.
These spies were placed in the Federal
prison at Fort McHenry, near Baltimore.
The excitement now grew in-
Committee tense. The Confederate army
of Safety. had entered Maryland. It
was being closely followed by
the Army of the Potomac, again in com-
mand of General McClellan. In all the
towns of southern Pennsylvania com-
mittees of safety were appointed. On the
evening of September 13, at a public meet-
ing held in the Laurel Engine house, Chief
Burgess David Small, Robert J. Fisher,
John Evans, AV. Latimer Small, Thomas
AVhite, Peter Mclntyre, and Daniel Kraber
were appointed a Committee of Observa-
tion and Safety for the borough of York.
Immediately after the news had reached
the borough of Hanover that the southern
army might invade the state, the railroad
authorities ordered that all their employes
should take the oath of allegiance to the
United States. As early as September 5,
when news arrived in that borough that
"Stonewall" Jackson had defeated Banks in
the Shenandoah Valley, the condition of
affairs became alarming. The wild rumors
that were circulated induced the citizens of
the town and vicinity to believe that an in-
vading arm)^ would soon be in Pennsyl-
vania. Hanover had sent two companies
for the three months' service during the
early part of the war. One company from
the town and vicinity had entered the
Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania Regiment. A
few days before the exciting news arrived
that "Stonewall" Jackson had passed
through Frederick and was moving toward
THE CIVIL \\'AR
395
I
Antietam, a company of lOO men from
Hanover had enlisted and had gone to the
front as Company C of the One Hundred
and Thirtieth Regiment, Pennsylvania
Volunteers.
In its issue of September 12,
Excitement 1862, the Hanover Spectator
at Hanover, says :
"The anxiety for war news in
this borough during the past week has been
without a parallel. Crowds of people col-
lected in the streets and in the workshops.
The in\-asion of Maryland was on every
tongue. The meagre accounts of the news-
papers only sharpened the appetites for
more news. On Sunday the excitement
reached its culmination. What before were
nothing more than vague rumors assumed
a condition of stern reality. A crisis was
upon us. From early dawn, refugees from
Frederick and Carroll Counties, Maryland,
came pouring into town, some on horse-
back, others in carriages and wagons, each
and all declaring that the enemy had
crossed the Potomac and that 'Stonewall"
Jackson was in Frederick. Upon every
fresh arrival, crowds collected around the
carriages and wagons to hear the stories
that each newcomer wouhd relate."
The newspaper accounts of the
Battle of movement of the Confederates
Antietam were uncertain, but early on the
morning of September 17, the
citizens of the town heard cannonading in
the direction of Hagerstown, even though a
ridge of the South JNIountain extends north-
eastward between the scene of action and
the borough of Hanover. The Army of
Northern Virginia, under General Robert
E. Lee, and "Stonewall" Jackson second in
command, had met the Army of the
Potomac, under General McClellan, on the
banks of the Antietam Creek, a few miles
southwest of Hagerstown. For six long
hours on that memorable day, the battle of
Antietam, mentioned by many historians as
the fiercest one day's engagement during
the Civil AVar, took place. Great anxiety
was felt by the people of Hanover, because
they knew that the One Hundred and
Thirtieth Regiment had entered the fight.
Company C, of this regiment, was com-
manded by Captain Joseph S. Jenkins.
Everj^one waited eagerly for the report of
the battle. Manv citizens started in car-
riages and wagons across the mountains to
visit the battlefield.
During the night of September 18, Lee
retired from the scene of action, taking his
wounded with him, and crossed the
Potomac River into Virginia. McClellan's
army, which had marched persistently for
several days, was tired and worn out after
this fierce engagement. The condition of
affairs was scarcely realized by the military
authorities at Washington, who expected
that McClellan would move with rapid
marches in pursuit of Lee and defeat him
before he had taken position behind strong
fortifications in his native state. This
sentiment caused the removal of McClellan
from command of the Army of the
Potomac and General Burnside succeeded
him. The retreat of Lee after Antietam,
caused great relief to the people of southern
Pennsylvania and all loyal citizens through-
out the northern states. The threatened
invasion of Pennsylvania had been pre-
vented in 1862.
Although there had been some brilliant
victories by the western army, under Gen-
eral U. S. Grant, who was looming up as a
great soldier, affairs were in an unfortunate
condition in Virginia. Burnside, in com-
mand of the Army of the Potomac, on De-
cember 13, 1862, assaulted Lee in a strong
position at Fredericksburg and was de-
feated with a loss of 12,000.
After the defeat at Fredericksburg, Burn-
side was superseded by Hooker. On ]\Iay
I to 4, 1863, he attacked Lee at Chancellors-
ville, a few miles from Fredericksburg.
The battle, in which nearly 30,000 were
killed or wounded on both sides, was the
worst defeat experienced by any Union
army during the war. Here "Stonewall"
Jackson made a flank march against the
Federal right wing, which was one of his
greatest achievements, as it was his last.
He was mortally wounded and died a few
days later. The Confederate victory at
Chancellorsville induced General Lee to
attempt another invasion into Pennsyl-
vania, during the summer of 1863.
AVhen the enemy threatened to in-
Home vade Pennsylvania, Home Guards
Guards, were organized at York, for the
defence of the town. These com-
panies were sworn into the service on Sep-
tember 12 and continued to drill and prac-
396
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tice until September 24. The danger of the
enemy approaching York had been averted
by the battle at Antietam. These com-
panies, which were fully armed and
equipped, were mustered out of service on
September 24. The following is the muster
roll of the different companies of Home
Guards at York :
Officers — Captain — Jacob Wiest. First Lieutenant —
Emanuel Smith. Second Lieutenant — Augustus Loucks.
First Sergeant — Henry Shelly. Sergeants — Edward J.
Chalfant, William F. Shetter, Benjamin Allison. John
Kraber. Corporals — Charles H. Weigle. iNIichael Wiest,
Daniel Sourbier, Jacob H. Shetter. John H. Wanbaugh,
David Kielholtz, George F. Baugher, Charles Metzel.
Musicians — Abdel Jilyers. George Shetter.
Privates — Henry Abel. John R. Andrews, iNIoses
Arndt, Joshua Bennett, Edward Baum, John F. Derr,
Jacob Ernst, George W. Epply, John Frederick. John P.
Frick, Edward Graybill, Charles Gresly, Albert Glass-
meyer. Elias F. Graham, Michael Hoffman, Franklin B.
Harlacher, John Harkins, William Harkins. John Hess-
ler, William Hossler, John Hawkins, David Jamison,
William Keister, Frederick J. Kottkamp, Henry Kott-
kamp, Sr., Jacob Kauffelt, Frederick Kleffman, Henry
Kottkamp, Jr., Edward C. Lauman, Henry Lint, John
Meeter, George F. JNIotter, Henry Neater, Edward
Xeas, Henry Ness, Charles A. Pentz, David P. Shultz.
George L. Stough, Samuel Sourbier, Jacob Sourbier,
Jacob Sherefy, Henry Strine, Samuel Shaffer, Henry
Schalle, Henry Shaffer, John C. Schroeder, Henry
Scheeter, Charles Spangler, Henrv Strelig, Daniel
Withers, Martin L. Weigle, Jacob 'D. Welch, Daniel
Wampler, J. Frederick Yingling, Albertus Young.
Officers — Captain — Jacob Hay. First Lieutenant —
William Gilberthrop. Second Lieutenant — Daniel B.
Immell. First Sergeant — Washington Bierbower.
Sergeants — George Weirman, Thomas E. Cochran, Wil-
liam Hay, Abraham W. Rudisill, Edward Stuck. Cor-
porals— William IM Frysinger, John Fahs, John Shive,
James Kell, William W. Dingee, Jacob Andrews, George
Horn. JNIusician — William Poleman.
Privates — John Busser, Emanuel C. Beck. John Bor-
land, John W. Buckingham, John M. Brown, William
C. Fischer, James Groff, Henry Ginter, Henry Gresly,
John Hay, Jacob Hantz, Samuel Hame, Henry Haker,
Daniel Heckert, George W. Ilgenfritz, Martin Ilgen-
fritz. Harrison Ilgenfritz, Samuel Kitzmiller, Jacob
Keeney, Simon Kopp, Jacob L. Keuhn, Alexander Kidd,
Charles Laumaster, Anthony Leiben. George Mundorff,
George W. Neff, Jonathan Owen, Thomas Owen, Sr.f
John Platts. George Rudisill, Henry Rutledge, John W.
Schall, Charles F. Sheafer, Jacob Spangler, John Schall,
Alexander Shetter, John Small, Isaac Shellv, John
Strickler, William Shelly, Lewis Shive, Daniel" Stough,
John Truett, Oliver P. Weiser, Thomas White. Martin
H. Weiser, William Wolf.
Officers — Captain — D. Wagner Barnitz. First Lieu-
tenant— George J. Spangler. Second Lieutenant — John
W. Shire}'. First Sergeant — George H. Maish. Ser-
geants—Levi Strickler, John Strickler, Albert Hay, John
A. Beitzel. Corporals — Frederick Klinefelter, Oliver H.
Wells, Jerome Fisher, Amos Mitzell, Henry Buck, Alex-
ander Hildebrand, George Wagner, ]\Iilton Johnston.
Privates— \N{\\i3.m H. Albright, Jacob Asseman,
Adam K. Baylor, Jacob Blauser, William Call, John
Connelly, Charles Cook, George W. Dietz, L. Doll,
Jacob B. Fishel, Joel E. Fisher, George Foose, William
Frame, William Fried, George S. Frey, Martin Frey,
Augustus F. Gotwalt, Joseph W. Ilgenfritz, George Il-
genfritz, Albert Ilgenfritz. William Jacobs, Victor V.
Kelton, William Koch, William Lloyd, Adam E. May-
ers, David Myers, Andrew J. McLaughlin, Bernard Mc-
Farland, George Odenwalt, Philip Odenwalt, August
Rouse, Daniel Rittenhouse, Josiah W. Sleider, George P.
Smyser, William Straber, Edward Straber, Louis Shen-
berger, George W. Steig, Luther A. Small, Albert Small,
William Sponsler, Henry Swartz, Charles A. Strack, John
G. Schaffer, John Schott, Michael Seitz, John Tomes,
Hamilton H. Treager, John Vandersloot, Charles Wag-
ner, Louis E. Wagner, Alarcellus G. Weiser, George
Weiser, Howard H, Welsh, Lewis Weller, Emanuel C.
Yessler, John Zeller, Walter Zimmerman.
Officers — Captain — William H. Albright. First Lieu-
tenant— George Smith. Second Lieutenant — John H.
Klinedinst. First Sergeant — William Swartz. Ser-
geants—Charles W. Stebbins, Lewis L. Sears, William
H. H. Erwin, Samuel Rud.v. Corporals — Samuel Funk,
Henry Reily, Charles N. Brannon, Isaac Goodman,
John Heckert, Charles O. Fields, Frederick Bastean,
John Epply. Musician — Harry A. Spangler.
Privates— ]o\m W. Bittenger, Charles H. Bressler,
Martin Basehore, John Crone, Clayton Craver, Howard
Duvall, John G. Ernst, James Ensminger, Emanuel
Erb, Robert Fields. Romanus Greenawalt, George W.
F. Gray, Albert Heckert, Edward Helfrich, Alfred Hel-
sel, Frederick Hibner, Christian Hinkle, Daniel C. Il-
genfritz, Daniel Jacobs, James Johnston, George Koons,
Jacob Kraft, John Kline, Emanuel Kissinger, William
T. Laumaster, Philip Lehr, William H. Lochman, Wil-
liam Loy, Samuel Alyers, John ^liller, Albert Metzel,
William Mcllvaine, John B. Oswald, Andrew Pflle,
John Rouse, Andrew J. Reiley, George W. Reichenbach.
John Siegle, Henry Stine, Augustus Strack, Adam
Spangler, Jacob Smith, Alexander Smith, William War-
ner, Samuel H. Welsh, David A. Wilhelm, Jeremiah
Yaple, William Zeigle.
Officers — Captain — John Hays. First Lieutenant —
John M. Deitch. Second Lieutenant — James H. Fisher.
First Sergeant — Alexander Duncan. Sergeants — Ed-
ward G. Smyser, George W. Ruby, Zacharias Dugan,
Daniel D. Doudel. Corporals — Peter McGuigan, Na-
thaniel Weigle, William Beitzel, Henry L. Fisher, An-
drew J. Bashers, Thomas McCann, Andrew K. Gless-
ner. Alfred Koch.
Privates — George Albright, Henry Bajdor, George A.
Barnitz, George Beck, William B. Carter, Barney Con-
ley, Jeremiah CuUison, Daniel Crerand, Daniel Densel,
Patrick Dawson, Henry Everhart, Abraham Forry,
Charles Fishel, Enos M. Frame, William Froelich,
Martin Frey, Jr., Jacob E. Fisher, Samuel Gotwalt,
Jacob Gotwalt, Sr., Daniel Gotwalt, John Horn, Jr.,
Jeremiah Hess, Abraham Hearshy, Joseph Heard, Sam-
uel Ilgenfritz, Henry Ilgenfritz, James W. Kerr, Adam
Klinefelter, Augustus Knudson, Charles W. Karg,
George A. Karg, August Leibhart, William Leidlich,
John Minnon, i\Ioses ?ilorritz, John Morrow, Abraham
JMusser, Henry Philby, Frederick Plitt, August Plitt,
Alexander Reisinger, John F. Reinberger, Barnard
Rhodenhouser, Jacob Reichley, Michael Schall, David
Small, Peter Schoch, Charles Spangler, Ambrose
Smith, William Small, Henry Spangler, Henry Schuy-
ler, Charles Schnable, Frederick A. Steig. Walter
Shaeffer, Henry Stallman, Lebrecht Treager, Alex-
ander Underwood, John A. Wilson, James West,
Joseph Welsh, Joseph Watt, William Watt, Henry
Weltzhoffer, Anthony Weaver, William Wagner, Sr.,
Jacob Wagner, Jacob Yunker, John Zimmerman.
Officers — Captain — John Gibson. First Lieutenant —
Charles A. Stair. Second Lieutenant — William H.
Jordan. First Sergeant — George P. Smyser. Ser-
geants— William L. Stough, Charles S. Weiser, George
Fisher, Samuel I. Adams. Corporals — Francis M. Epp-
THE CIVIL WAR
397
ley, Edwin R. Burke, Edward C. Eichelberger, William
Falls, George W. Heiges, George L. Hay, Edwin Heck-
ert, Thomas S. Meyers. Musician — David A. Decker.
Privates — Murray S. Adams, Charles Ansley, Emmett
B. Bossier, John Brillhart, Chauncey F. Black, Crayton
W. Brandt, William Chambers, Charles Donnell. Ed-
ward D, Eppley, Lewis H. Eppley, Weter Eck, Martin
S. Eichelberger, Isaac A. Elliott, Silas H. Forry, George
Foose, Henry K. Gardner, William H. Griffith, Cor-
nelius Garretson, Ivan Glossbrenner, HoUingsworth
Gipe, Alfred Gartman, Johns Hopkins, Henry Haker,
John C. Jordan, Milton S. Johnson, Charles A. Key-
worth, VVilliam H. Kurtz, James Kell, Daniel Keller,
Nathan T. Keesey, Jacob E. Lehman, James W. Lati-
mer, Edward B. Meyers, George Meredith, William
Meredith, Peter Mclntyre, Jr., Martin P. McCreary,
John Mclntyre, Samuel Owens, William N. Porter,
George H. Pentz, George Rudisill, Albert W. Rudisill,
Thomas J. Rupert, James B. Small, John H. Strayer,
Thomas B. Schall, Jr., Lewis W. Schaeffer, W. H.
Strickler, Henry W. Spangler, Joseph G. Small, James
F. Shunk, Joseph H. Strubinger, George W. Stouffer,
Jacob A. Wilt, L. Edward Wagner, Charles F. Welch,
Geoffrey P. Yost, A. Duncan Yocum, Herman Zeigler.
Officers — Captain — Charles M. Nes. First Lieutenant
John Brillinger. Second Lieutenant — Samuel War-
ring. First Sergeant — Martin Quinn. Sergeants —
Edward Brillinger, A. B. Farquhar, Henry J. Loucks,
William Loucks. Corporals — Alfred Erwin, Emanuel
A. King, A. Hamilton Nes, John B. Rutter, W. L.
Small, Martin H. Weiser. Erastus H. Weiser, Thomas
Williams. Buglers — Jacob Roman, Philip Hecker.
Privates — Jacob Brillinger, N. F. Burnham. Daniel
Cookes, John T. Erwin, Arthur N. Green, James Groff,
Philip Herman, Henry Hertzog, Edward G. Hersh,
Thomas Holland, John Herman, Jonathan Jessop,
Jessop, William S. King, George Koons, Vincent K.
Keesey, Anthony Lieben, Samuel Leitner, Josiah E.
Myers, Henry Myers, Jr., Leander H. Myers, Daniel
A. Rupp, James Rupert, Edward P. Smyser. Frederick
Stallman, Milton Sultzbach, William Smith, IMichael
Schall, Jacob D. Schall, James Schall. Alexander W.
Underwood, Amos Underwood, John Wanbaugh,
Thomas E. White, Welsh, Henrv Wagner.
CONFEDERATE INVASION OF 1863.
The account of the Confederate invasion
of 1863, together with a summar}' of the
battle of Gettysburg, was prepared by Wil-
liam L. Hoffheins, of Hanover, who has
made a careful study of the operations of
the Army of the Potomac and the Army
of Northern Virginia, during the Civil
AVar.
The Union and Confederate armies were
confronting each other on the banks of the
Rappahannock when, on June 3, 1863, the
Gettysburg campaign began. The army of
the Potomac, under General Hooker, num-
bered 90,000 men ; the Armj^ of Northern
Virginia, under General Lee, about 80,000
men. A number of causes have been as-
signed for the decision of the Confederate
authorities to invade the north at this time.
In the first place, it was in harmony with
the defensive-offensive policy of the war-
fare of the south, as shown in the Penin-
sular and in Pope's campaign. Secondly,
the remarkable success of Lee at Freder-
icksburg and Chancellorsville, and the en-
largement of his army induced him to be-
lieve that the next battle would be the most
decisive of the war, and would secure for-
eign intervention and the recognition of the
Confederacy by the European powers.
Thirdly, the invasion would enable Lee to
replenish his commissary and would coun-
teract the effect of the impending fall of
Vicksburg and Fort Hudson, and of "the
unvexed flow of the Mississippi to the sea."
The inauguration of this move-
Movement ment began with the order to
Begun. A. P. Hill to remain with his
corps at Fredericksburg, and
the orders to Ewell and Longstreet to join
Stuart's cavalry at Culpeper. These
movements were surmised by General
Hooker, commander of the Union Army,
who ordered General Sedgwick across the
river to see if the enemy's forces had been
diminished. Sedgwick reported that their
main army was still there. Then Hooker
directed Pleasanton, with all the cavalry, to
go to Culpeper, where, contrary to the
most reliable information of the Union com-
mander, all of Stuart's cavalry and two-
thirds of the Confederate infantry were
found encamped. Pleasanton surprised
Stuart's cavalry and cut it up badly; but, by
reason of the ad^'ance of heavy masses of
Confederate infantry, he was obliged to re-
tire, having secured all the information he
desired and being fully assured of Lee's pur-
pose to move on Washington.
Hooker now extended his
Ewell at army farther west so as to
Winchester, interpose, at all times, be-
tween the Confederate Army
and AVashington. Lee, having failed to
outliank Hooker, then ordered Ewell into
the Shenandoah Valley. In the course of
the next week, the rest of the Confederate
Army, the corps of Longstreet and Hill,
also entered the valley. Ewell, who was in
the lead, and who was directed to clear out
the Union troops under Milroy at Win-
chester, and Tyler at Martinsburg, arrived
before AVinchester on the 13th of June.
This town had a considerable garrison
under General Milrov, a gallant soldier.
398
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Already on the nth, Mih-oy had received
orders from General Halleck, through Gen-
eral Schenck, his corps commander, to send
his armament and supplies back to Harper's
Ferry, but as Milroy remonstrated, it was
left to his discretion to begin the retreat
when he should deem it necessary.
Milroy was already aware of the presence
of the Confederates, but believed them to be
only part of Stuart's cavalr3^ The military
authorities at Washington, who knew that
these forces were Ewell's corps, backed by
the entire Confederate army, had, for some
unexplained reason, neglected to inform
Milroy of this fact. By the 13th, however,
the wires were cut and the order to retreat,
though sent, did not reach Milroy. A Con-
federate prisoner about this time informed
him of the presence of Ewell's entire
corps.
Ewell had before this sent for-
Milroy's ward the cavalry brigades of
Gallant Jenkins and Imboden to guard
Stand. against surprise from Union
troops along the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, and on the 13th sent Rodes'
division to Berryville to protect his right
flank. Ewell now advanced against A\'in-
chester with the divisions of Early and
Johnson and drove Milroy into his works
around the town. Milroy's situation was
now extremely perilous and at i A. M., June
13, his artillery ammunition being ex-
hausted and having but one day's rations,
he al^andoned his wagon trains and artillery,
and his sick and wounded. He then moved
silently through a ravine to a point four
miles north of the town. Here Elliott's
and El3''s Union brigades, the latter from
York County, including Colonel Schall's
Eighty-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment,
made repeated and brave charges to dis-
lodge the Confederate forces, but without
success.
The Union forces now became divided
into two parts ; the one east finally reaching
Harper's Ferry and that on the west reach-
ing Bloody Run, near Bedford, Pennsyl-
vania. The greater part of the brigades of
Ely and McReynolds were, however, cap-
tured and the valley was now clear of
Union troops. This unsuccessful stand of
Milroy's, however, retarded Ewell's ad-
vance up the valley to such an extent as to
delay Lee's concentration at Gettysburg.
On the 226. of June (Jenkins'
On cavalry having preceded him by
Northern a week in Pennsylvania) Ewell
Soil. crossed the Potomac at Wil-
liamsport and Shepherdstown
and, marching through Hagerstown,
reached Chambersburg on the 23d. On the
25th Ewell ordered Early to march through
Gettysburg to York and Wrightsville. On
the 26th Early's advance west of Gettys-
burg was delaj'ed by the presence of the
Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Emergency
Regiment, under Colonel Jennings. On the
morning of the 28th, Early's forces entered
York and Gordon's brigade, passing
through York, reached Wrightsville on the
afternoon of that day, but the bridge across
the Susquehanna was burned before the
Confederates could reach it. On the after-
noon of the 29th, Early received orders to
return to Gettysburg and in obedience to
this order, reached East Berlin by the after-
noon of the 30th, and Gettysburg on the
afternoon of the ist of July.
Meanwhile, Longstreet and Hill, having
crossed the Potomac on the 24th and 25th,
reached Chambersburg on the 27th. On
the same day, Ewell, with Johnson's and
Rodes' divisions, entered Carlisle. The ad-
vance of Jenkin's cavalry was then on the
west bank of the Susquehanna opposite
Harrisburg. The Confederate cavalry, be-
cause of its injudicious movements, failed
utterly in that most important offtce of
cavalry to keep General Lee informed of the
movements of the opposing army. Lee, on
the evening of the 28th, by the chance
arrival of a weary and footsore scout,
learned, for the first time, that the Union
army was at Frederick and not, as he be-
lieved, still south of the Potomac. Believ-
ing that the Union commander would at-
tempt to cut his communications with Vir-
ginia, Lee moved east of the mountains, so
that by threatening Baltimore and Wash-
ington, he might keep open his line of
retreat. All the component parts of the
Confederate army were now ordered to
concentrate on Gettysburg and during the
next few days, all except Stuart's command
moved in that direction.
Meanwhile, to Stuart had been
Stuart's assigned the task of guarding the
Plan. gaps of the Blue Ridge, of har-
assing Hooker's rear and pre-
THE CIVIL AVAR
399
venting his crossing of the Potomac, if he
should attempt it. Being uniformly
worsted in all his engagements and unsuc-
cessful in detaining Hooker, Stuart decided
upon the bold project of riding around the
rear and flank of the Union army with
three brigades of his division, and leaving to
the brigades of Robertson and Jones the
special task of guarding the gaps of the
Blue Ridge. Several such movements had
been made by Stuart in former campaigns
which proved to be more spectacular than
serviceable, and this one in particular was
destined to be productive of very direful
consequences.
On the 27th of June, he crossed the
Potomac near Drainsville. After an all-
night ride, at dawn of day on the 29th, he
reached the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
at Hood's Mill, and after spending most of
the day in tearing up that road, reached
Westminster at 5 P. M. After a fight with
the First Delaware cavalry, he proceeded
to Union Mills, where, learning of the
presence of Kilpatrick's cavalry at Littles-
town, he encamped for the night, hoping by
another day's ride, to join Early's forces at
York. Stuart was unaware that all the
parts of the Confederate army, except his
cavalry, were concentrating at Gettysburg.
It is, nevertheless, highly probable that
without the knowledge of this order, Stuart
could still have joined Early on his return
march to Gettysburg, near East Berlin, by
noon of the 30th, if Kilpatrick had not in-
terposed between Stuart and Early, by first
getting possession of Hanover. The Union
success at Hanover delayed Stuart's join-
ing Early two days longer, when the infor-
mation he brought was useless, and his
wearied men and jaded horses went down
to defeat and death before Gregg's gallant
troops at Rummel's farm, the most brilliant
cavalry engagement of the war.
Returning now to the Army of
Army of the Potomac, General Hooker
the began his movement to cover
Potomac. AVashington, on June 15, the
day Longstreet left Culpeper.
As Hooker moved northward, east of the
Blue Ridge, Hill and Longstreet moved up
the Shenandoah A^alley and Hooker crossed
the Potomac at Edward's Ferry on the
same day that Hill and Longstreet crossed
at AA'illiamsport. On the 28th, Longstreet
and Hill were in Chambersburg with their
two corps, composed of six divisions, and
of Ewell's three divisions, Johnson's and
Rodes' being at Carlisle and Early's at
York. At the same time the Army of the
Potomac was at Frederick, the chief com-
mand of this army having been given to
Major-General Geoi-ge Gordon Meade, in
the early hours of that morning, in conse-
quence of Hooker's resignation.
By the evening of the 30th the Union
army was spread out in a fan-like shape ex-
tending eastward and westward from Em-
mittsburg to Manchester, Maryland, a
distance of about thirty miles. The First
Corps was at Marsh Creek, four miles south
of Gettysburg; the Eleventh at Emmitts-
burg; the Second at Uniontown ; the Third
at Taneytown; the Fifth at Union Mills;
the Twelfth at Littlestown; and the Sixth
at Manchester. Of the Union cavalry, Kil-
patrick had that day defeated Stuart at
Hanover, Buford, with his division, was
picketing the roads radiating from Gettys-
burg, and Gregg's division was protecting
the right flank of the army at Manchester.
Late on the night of the 30th, after the
orders for the next day's movement were
already issued, Meade learned for the first
time from General Couch, at Harrisburg,
that Lee had already moved east of the
mountains with the greater part of his
forces. On the same night he learned from
Buford that his pickets west and north of
Gettysburg were in contact with the corps
of Hill and Ewell. The Confederate corps
averaged a distance of from four to fifteen
miles from Gettysburg; the Union corps
averaged from four to thirty-five miles from
that point.
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.
On the morning of Juty ist. General Bu-
ford held the ridges west of Gettysburg
with Gamble's and Devin's brigades of cav-
alry and Calif's battery. His force was
mostly dismounted and engaged in holding
off the advance of Heth's Confederate Di-
vision of General A. P. Hill's corps. Gen-
eral Reynolds, the commander of the left
wing of the Army of the Potomac, was at
that time hurriedly marching from Marsh
Creek, four miles southwest of Gettysburg,
to Buford's support, with the brigades of
Meredith and Cutler, and Doubleday, then
400
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
commanding the First Corps, followed Rey-
nolds with the divisions of Rowley and
Robinson. An order had also been sent to
Howard, at Emmittsburg, to bring his
corps to Gettysburg. After Reynolds had
arrived at the Seminary buildings, and had
consulted with Buford, he placed Cutler's
brigade to the right of the Chambersburg
pike, Meredith's to the left and Hill's Maine
battery on the pike. Cutler's brigade im-
mediately charged the Confederates and
was repulsed, but, making a counter charge,
Cutler regained the crest of the ridge and,
in the railroad cut, captured a large number
of prisoners belonging to Davis' Confed-
erate brigade. Meredith's brigade, also
making a charge, captured General Archer
and a large part of his brigade. In the dis-
position of his forces and in his heroic gal-
lantry, Reynolds exhibited the ablest gen-
eralship and the noblest manhood. At the
height of the attack, he was instantly killed
by the bullet of a Confederate sharpshooter.
The enemy, after a stubborn resistance,
were forced back. Their commander. Gen-
eral Heth, now put his whole division into
line, placed Pelham's four batteries in com-
manding positions, and called to his sup-
port Pender's division of four brigades.
Doubleday, ilow in command of the Union
line, placed Biddle's brigade to the left of
Meredith, who, with Buford's dismounted
cavalrymen, were directed to hold the Fair-
field road. Stone's brigade was placed
between Meredith and Cutler at the Cham-
bersburg pike and Baxter's and Paul's
brigades to the right and rear of Cutler,
Baxter's right extending to the Mummas-
burg road. Thus the Confederates were
trying to interpose between the First Corps
and the rest of the Union army, then to the
south of Gettysburg.
It was now i P. M., and Howard, who
commanded the field, ordered Schurz, com-
manding Barlow's and Schimmelpfenning's
divisions of the Eleventh Corps, to relieve
Devin's brigade of Buford's cavalry, then
engaged with Rodes' Confederate division
of Ewell's corps, which was advancing
toward Gettysburg from the north. Stein-
wehr's division was directed by Howard to
occupy Cemeter)^ Hill, where the Baltimore
pike crosses it. Along the entire front of
the First and Eleventh Corps, determined
and repeated attacks were now made. In
one of these attacks, Paul's brigade of the
First Corps, captured three regiments of
Iverson's brigade of Rode's division.
Rode's division, having now secured a more
eiTective artillery fire on the right flank of
the First Corps, attacked and turned the
left flank of the Eleventh Corps. As the
Eleventh Corps' right and rear were, at
about the same time, attacked by Early's
Confederate division, it fell rapidly back
through the town to Cemetery Hill, on
which Steinwehr's division had previously
been posted by order of General Howard.
Meanwhile the front of the First Corps was
attacked by eight Confederate brigades, its
right enfiladed by a most withering artillery
fire and its rear uncovered by the hasty
retreat of the Eleventh Corps. The steady,
almost unaided defence of its position, by
the First Corps, during the long hours of
this da3^ the almost unparalleled percent-
ages of its killed and wounded, truly make
it an exhibition of "valor magnificent." All
had been done that men could do, greatly
outnumbered as they were, and facing and
fighting the enemy the First Corps fell
slowly back through the town and took
position on the left of that already held by
the Eleventh Corps. This position not
only commanded the country to the east,
west and north, but from its summit roads
also radiated to Baltimore, Taneytown and
Emmittsburg. It was now about 3 130 P.
M., at which time Hancock says he as-
sumed command of the field by order of
General Meade. Hancock made some
changes in the disposition of the troops and
later, leaving the command to General
Slocum, of the Twelfth Corps, rode back to
Taneytown and recommended the field as
the place to fight the battle. As the First,
Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were already
on the field, and the Third Corps enroute,
Meade ordered the Fifth Corps from Han-
over, the Second from Taneytown, and the
Sixth from Manchester. At midnight,
Meade, himself, reached the field. In the
early morning, the Second Corps arrived;
a few hours later, the Fifth Corps came;
but the Sixth Corps, after continuous
marching since the evening before and over
a distance of thirty-four miles, reached the
field at 3 P. M. of the 2d day of the battle.
THE CIVIL WAR
401
The Union line was in position on
The the summit of a horse-shoe
Second shaped ridge. From flank to flank
Day. was nowhere more than a mile and
a quarter and the troops could be
moved to any part of their line behind a
protecting ridge. The Confederates held
a line on the exterior side of this ridge and
their entire line was in full view of the
signal stations of the Union army. These
conditions enabled the Union commanders
to anticipate the places where the Confed-
erates intended to attack and gave them
time to always concentrate the greater
number of troops at the point of attack.
The topography of the field suggested the
tactics that should be employed in the bat-
tle. On the morning of July 2d, General
Sickles, with the Third Corps, had been as-
signed a position in the main line to the
north of Little Round Top, but this position
being commanded by the higher ground, a
mile to the west. Sickles marched Humph-
reys' division to the Emmittsburg road and
extended Birney's division eastward from
the Emmittsburg road to Little Round Top.
General Meade did not approve of this, but,
as Longstreet almost immediately attacked.
Sickles was directed to hold his position.
Though Sickles was reinforced by two
. divisions of the Fifth Corps and Caldwell's
division of the Second Corps, all these
forces were pressed back to the Union line
and Longstreet only ceased his attacks
when the firm front presented by the Sixth
Corps and a charge of the Pennsylvania Re-
serves, left no hope of final success. Mean-
while, General W'arren, seeing the enemy
advancing to seize Little Round Top, and
knowing that, if occupied by the Confed-
erates with artillery, the entire Union line
would be rendered untenable, brought rein-
forcements, which, after a most desperate
and bloody contest, drove the Confederates
back into the valley. In this encounter the
Union Generals Vincent and Weed were
mortally wounded. Lee had ordered Hill
and Ewell to make an attack with their
corps in concert with Longstreet, but Hill
began his attack on the Union center after
Longstreet had ceased. Hill actually pene-
trated the Union line, but was driven out
with heavy loss by Hancock's troops and a
division of the First Corps under Double-
day. Somewhat later, Ewell made an
attack upon Howard's Eleventh Corps
posted on Cemetery Hill and captured sev-
eral batteries, but with the assistance of
Carroll's brigade of the Second Corps (sent
by Hancock) Howard's troops re-captured
the batteries and drove back the Confed-
erates. At a later hour, Ewell attacked
Gulp's Hill and gained possession of the
vacated entrenchments of Geary's and
Rogers' divisions. As it was now quite dark,
the Confederates made no further advance.
Early on the forenoon of July 3, the
The Twelfth Corps, having returned
Third from the left flank, the Confeder-
Day. ates, after a hard contest, were
driven back to their former
position. The numerous attacks on the
main line of the Union army on the second
day having all been unsuccessful, Lee de-
termined to make another attempt on the
third day upon the Union center. Long-
street was ordered to make a powerful at-
tack with Pickett's, Pender's and half of
Trimble's divisions, supported by parts of
Anderson's division, and Stuart, who had
arrived with his cavalry, was to create a
diversion in favor of Longstreet's assault
by attacking Gregg's Union cavalry on the
Union right flank. To further support
these movements, 135 Confederate guns
were placed in position, so as to concentrate
their fire on the Union center and disperse
the forces assembled there. Under this ter-
rific fire many Union artillerymen were
killed and wounded by bursting shells and
exploding caissons. As the Union com-
manders anticipated that a storming attack
of Confederate infantry would follow, they
saved their ammunition and replaced
damaged batteries by fresh ones. As
Longstreet's assaulting column advanced,
the Union artillery swept the plain. But
undeterred, the Confederates marched on
and struck Gibbon's division of Hancock's
Second Corps, by whom and by Double-
day's division of the First Corps, they were
repulsed and driven back to their own lines.
Stuart's flank attack on Gregg was checked
and he was forced to retreat. At the same
time, Farnsworth's and Meredith's brigades
of Union cavalry made an attack on Long-
street's right flank that prevented that
oificer from sending additional troops to
support Pickett's assault. Thus ended this
srreat battle.
402
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The next day, Juh' 4, Lee drew
Back to back his flanks and that night
Virginia, began his retreat to AVilliams-
port, Maryland. The Union
cavah-y and the Sixth Corps attacked the
retreating Confederates, but were unable to
bring Lee to a stand before he had placed
his army behind a strongly intrenched line
on the banks of the Potomac. There Lee
remained until the Potomac, swollen by
high water, began to subside, when, on the
night of July 4, he crossed the river and the
Gettysburg campaign came to an end. The
Union loss was 3,072 killed, I4,497
wounded, 5,434 missing, total, 23,003.
The Confederate loss was 2,592 killed,
12,709 wounded, 5,150 missing, total 20,451.
On the Union side Generals Reynolds,
Vincent, Weed, Zook and Farnsworth were
killed, and Sickles, Hancock, Doubleday,
Gibbon, Barlow, Warren, Butterfield, Gra-
ham, Stannard, Paul, Barnes, Brooke and
Webb wounded.
Among the Confederates, Generals Arm-
istead, Barksdale, Garnett, Pender, Semmes
and Pettigrew were killed. Among the
wounded were Generals Anderson, Hamp-
ton, Jenkins, J. M.Jones, Kemper and Scales.
The battle of Gettysburg ended in a vic-
tory to the Union arms. It was the last
time that a large Confederate force set foot
upon the soil of Pennsylvania. A few days
before the battle, in accordance with Lee's
orders. General Jubal A. Early, with a
division of Ewell's Corps, moved forward
through York County. In order to pre-
serve the facts of local interest, relating to
this eventful period, a detailed account of
Early's movement is given. ■
CHAPTER NNIV
CIVIL WAR— Continued
Emergency Troops — Colonel White's Raid
— Early's Division at York — Gordon at
Wrightsville — Jubal A. Early — John B.
Gordon — U. S. Hospital at York.
On the nth of June. 1863, General D. N.
Couch, of the Regular army, was appointed
commander of the Department of the Sus-
quehanna. He was a native of New York
State, a graduate of West Point, who had
served in the Seminole war, in Florida, and
on the western frontier, and also com-
manded a division under General Franklin
at the battle of Antietam. Later he com-
manded the Second Corps in the Army of
the Potomac. General Couch took up his
headquarters at Harrisburg and in that city
assisted in organizing the Pennsylvania
Emergency troops to aid in resisting the
advance of the Confederate army under
Lee, into the State of Pennsylvania.
Hon. Andrew G. Curtin was war gov-
ernor of Pennsylvania from 1861 to 1863,
when he was re-elected for another term of
three years. He was one of the ablest men
in the country, then holding the high posi-
tion as the chief executive of a state. It
was largely through his intelligent efforts
and patriotism that this commonwealth
sent to the front nearly 366,000 men, during
the four years that the war continued. He
sat in the executive mansion at Harrisburg
in June, 1863, watching, with the closest in-
terest, the movement of General Robert E.
Lee, with nearly 80,000 men, the flower of
the Confederacy, beginning to invade Penn-
sylvania. When the southern army was
approaching Gettysburg, on June 26, he
issued the following proclamation, which
was widely distributed throughout the
state:
"The enemy is advancing
Governor's in force into Pennsylvania.
Proclamation. He has a strong column
within 23 miles of Harris-
burg, and other columns are moving by
Fulton and Adams Counties, and it can no
longer be doubted that a formidable in-
vasion of our state is in actual progress.
The calls already made for volunteer militia
in the exigency have not been met as fully
as the crisis requires.
"I, therefore, now issue this, my procla-
mation, calling for 60,000 men to come
promptly forward to defend, the state.
They will be mustered into the service of
the state for the period of ninety days, but
will be required to serve only so much of
the period of muster as the safety of our
people and honor of our state may require.
They will rendezvous at points to be desig-
nated in the general orders to be issued this
day by the adjutant-general of Pennsyl-
vania, which orders will also set forth the
details of the arrangement for organization,
clothing, subsistence, equipments, and sup-
plies."
THE CIVIL A¥AR
403
AVhen the invasion of Lee's
Emergency army was first anticipated, the
Troops. Twentieth, Twenty-sixth to
Thirty-first inclusive, and
Thirty-third Emergency Regiments were
organized in dift'erent parts of the state,
largely at Harrisburg. There were several
independent companies, including one con-
taining seventeen veterans of the War of
1812, carrying the tattered flag used by
Washington's army in the battle of Tren-
ton, in 1776. These Emergency troops
were all under the command of General
Couch. Some of the regiments were sta-
tioned in central and western Pennsjdvania.
Others were sent up the Cumberland Val-
ley to Carlisle. The Twentieth Regiment,
under command of Colonel AYilliam B.
Thomas, was stationed along the Northern
Central Railway between Harrisburg and
the Maryland line. One detachment of this
regiment, under command of Colonel
Thomas, on the 27th of June, was sent to
guard the bridges across the Conewago
Creek at York Haven. Another battalion
of the same regiment, under command of
Lieutenant Colonel William H. Sickles, was
sent to guard the railroad bridges from
York to the Maryland line. The story of
the approach of General Early's division of
the Second Army Corps, under General
Richard S. Ewell, as told bj^ the dispatches
of the time, show the feeling which per-
vaded Pennsylvania at the time of this in-
vasion.
General William F. Smith, of Vermont,
who had won a good record as a soldier at
South Mountain and Antietam in 1862, and
later commanded the Eighteenth Army
Corps, under Grant, was placed in charge
of a division of troops, which rendezvoused
at Carlisle, on June 27. He is familiarly
known in the history of the Civil War as
General "Baldy" Smith. Major Granville O.
Haller, a native of York, graduate of West
Point, and a soldier who served in the same
regiment with General Grant in the Mexican
War, was then an aide on the staff of Gen-
eral Couch. He was detailed from the staff
of his commanding officer, and was sent to
Gettysburg, arriving there on June 25.
The Twenty-sixth Emer-
Twenty-Sixth gency Regiment, corn-
Pennsylvania, manded by Colonel Wil-
liam H. lennings, had left
the state capital on the evening of the 24th,
were halted on the way by a railroad acci-
dent and reached Gettysburg, by way of
York, on the morning of the 26th. Joseph
S. Jenkins, of Hanover, who had been
severely wounded while commanding a
company of the One Hundred and Thirtieth
Regiment at the battle of Antietam, was
lieutenant colonel of this regiment. Har-
vey W. McKnight, who recently retired
from the office of president of Pennsylvania
College at Gettysburg, was the adjutant.
Compan)^ A, commanded by Rev. Frederick
A. Klinefelter, of York, was largely com-
posed of students then attending that insti-
tution and the theological seminary. Dr.
Edmund A\'. Meisenhelder, for many years
a leading physician of York, and Rev. J. C.
Roller, D. D., for thirty years pastor of St.
Matthew's Lutheran Church, at Hanover,
both served in this company. Company I
was recruited by Captain John S. Forrest,
at Hanover.
The only other Federal soldiers on June
26, in Gettysburg and vicinity, were the
Cit)^ Troop of Philadelphia, a company of
cavalry which had been organized during
the Revolution, and at the time of the Con-
federate invasion, commanded by Samuel J.
Randall, afterward a distinguished lawyer
and statesman, and a local company of cav-
alry recruited by Captain Robert C. Bell, in
Adams County.
It was known to Major Haller, as well as
to the authorities at Harrisburg, that the
advance of the Confederate army under
General Lee, had crossed the Potomac .
River at Williamsportj a short distance
above Hagerstown, Maryland, but at this
juncture Major Haller did not know that
9,000 infantry and nearly 1,000 cavalry had
crossed the South Mountains by the Cham-
bersburg turnpike and were approaching
Gettysburg. On the morning of the 26th, .
Major Haller sent Jennings' regiment three
miles west of the town, while Captain Bell's
cavalry acted as scouts to observe the
movement of the approaching enemy and
report to the commanding officer. The
mountains and the valley west of Gettys-
burg were veiled in a dense fog, which pre-
vented the Union troops from seeing Early
and his men moving down the turnpike.
Samuel AV. Pennypacker. governor of
Pennsylvania, was then a college student
404
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
at Gettysburg. He enlisted as a private in
Company F of the Twenty-sixth Regiment.
On September i, 1892, this regiment
erected a monument at Gettysburg. In his
speech delivered at the time of the dedica-
tion of this monument, Governor Penny-
packer said : "Our regiment marched out
the Chambersburg pike to confront the ap-
proaching host. The men upon whom this
duty was imposed coming from the field,
the college and the home, had been in ser-
vice just four days ; not long enough to have
acquired a knowledge, of the drill, hardly
long enough to know their officers."
Jennings had moved his regiment
Met three miles west on the turnpike,
the where he was surprised and
Enemy, driven back by Early's advance.
The Thirty-fifth battalion of Vir-
ginia cavalr}', commanded by Colonel
White, came within firing distance and a
few shots were exchanged. When the cav-
alry dashed upon them, the regiment broke
and fell back toward Gettysburg, having
lost 170 officers and men, nearly all of whom
were- paroled the next day. Company B
was almost entirely captured and Company
I, of Hanover, lost nearly half its number
as prisoners, including Captain Forrest.
He was marched at the head of the line
with some other officers until Gordon's ad-
vance reached York, two days later.
A small detachment of the regiment,
First after falling back to Gettysburg, had
to a sharp encounter with a part of
Fall. AVhite's cavalry in the streets of the
town. About the same time, Cor-
poral Sandoe, a member of Bell's cavalry,
was shot and killed a short distance below
the National Cemetery on the Baltimore
turnpike. He was the first victim of the
battle of Gettysburg, and a monument
marks the spot where he fell. The Twenty-
« sixth Regiment halted at Hunterstown,
four miles northeast of Gettysburg, and was
drawn up in line of battle. Here this regi-
ment engaged in a sharp conflict with
White's cavalry, which was repulsed. The
encounter lasted about twenty minutes.
As Early's whole force was approaching
Gettysburg, Jennings ordered his regiment
to fall back in haste toward Dillsburg. A
detachment of the Seventeenth Virginia
cavalry, commanded by Colonel French,
and two infantry companies, were drawn up
in battle line in the vicinity of Dillsburg.
At 2 o'clock on Sunday, June 28, the
Twenty-sixth reached Fort Washington,
opposite Harrisburg, with a loss of 176 men
captured and all its equipage and supplies.
The Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania Emer-
gency Regiment offered the first resistance
to Eee's forces encountered before the
coming of the Army of the Potomac. This
regiment fired the opening shots of the bat-
tle of Gettysburg.
The following is a muster roll of Com-
pany I, Twenty-sixth Emergency Regiment :
Officers — Captain — John S. Forrest. First Lieuten-
ant— John Q. Pfeififer. Second Lieutenant — Alexander
T. Barnes. Sergeants — Joel Henry, William H. Mc-
Causland, Howard N. Deitrick, Napoleon B. Carver,
Charles Young. Corporals — Josiah Rinehart, Thomas
Sneeringer, Henry Schultz, David E. Winebrenner,
Henry C. Bucher, Amos F. Klinefelter, Charles T.
Kump, Charles W. Thomas.
Privates— W\\\\Am Althoff, Noah Allison, William
Bair, William H. Bastress, William F. Baum, William
A. Beard, James Blair, John F. Blair, Edward Bol-
linger, John Bond, David F. Forney, William G. Forney,
Jacob Freet, William Gantz, Jacob Gardner, Martin
Graj'bill, Lewin Heathcote, Martin Hitzel, Addison M.
Herman, John J. Hersh, Josiah D. Hersh, Barthabus
Himes, John H. Hinkle, Lewis V. Holter, William H.
Holter, Washington J. Johnson, Lewis B. Jones, Isaac
Jones, William Leader, Isaac Loucks, Henry C. Metz-
gar, Jacob H. Michael, Michael D. Myers, William A.
Myers, Aaron McLean, Mahlon H. Naill, Hezekiah
Ports, Henry H. Pfeiffer, John J. Sanders. George W.
Sherman, George E. Slicrwood, Henry W. Shriver,
William H. Snyder, Eli Snyder, Daniel J. Snyder, Ovid
Stahl, George E. Trone, Oliver Trone, Samuel E.
Trone, Fabius N. Wagener, Samuel Weigle, John Wil-
ling, Calvin Wirt, William C. Wolf. Cornelius Young,
Martin Zimmerman.
It was now evident to the authorities at
Harrisburg, that Lee's entire army was
moving toward the Susquehanna River.
The Second Corps, under General Ewell,
on the 26th, was moving through Cham-
bersburg toward Carlisle. The First Corps,
under General Longstreet, and the Third,
under Hill, were crossing the Potomac at
AA'illiamsport. Three brigades of the Con-
federate cavalry corps, in command of Gen-
eral J. E. B. Stuart, left Culpepper, Virginia,
crossed the Potomac at Rowser's Ford on
the night of June 28, and moved northward
on the right flank of the Potomac army,
reaching Westminster on the 29th, and
came in contact with Kilpatrick's cavalry
at Hanover on the morning of June 30.
AVhen Governor Curtin discov-
Refugees. ered that the enemy intended to
invade Pennsylvania, he ordered
the people in the southern tier of counties
THE CIVIL WAR
405
to remove their horses, cattle and valuable
effects east of the Susquehanna for safety
and protection. For several days previous
to the incidents mentioned above, long
trains of wagons loaded with household
furniture, as well as women and children,
passed down the turnpikes and other public
roads, to the ferries and bridges across the
Susquehanna. All the banks removed their
money deposits and valuable documents to
the cities of Philadelphia and New York.
In the yard or garden or adjoining orchard
of many of the farms and homes through-
out the entire area of York and x\dams
Counties, household treasures were buried
in the presence of different members of the
family in order that they might afterward
be recovered by any one of them.
The condition of affairs in Pennsylvania
at this period of our history was exciting in
the highest degree. It was known that
General Lee, flushed with his victory at
Chancellorsville, was moving into Pennsyl-
vania with an army of 80,000 men, most of
whom were veterans who had fought
bravely in many battles in the Old Domin-
ion. Some of these soldiers came from the
Shenandoah Valley, largely populated by
the descendants of the same Scotch-Irish
and German emigrants who had settled in
York, Adams and Cumberland Counties,
about one century before. The logic of
events and the condition of circumstances
which caused this war. had now brought
these sturdy people of the same nation-
alities in hostile array, soon to fight one of
the greatest battles of history. Just where
this conflict should take place, neither
General Lee, at Chambersburg, on June 28,
nor General Meade with his heroic men con-
centrating around Frederick, knew. To
Lee the battle was still an indefinite picture.
In some of his dispatches to General Stuart,
his cavalry commander, he had indicated
that the great conflict should take place a
short distance west of York. In other dis-
patches the reader is led to infer that it
would be fought somewhere in the Cumber-
land Valley. That a battle would soon
take place every one knew. General Early,
on the morning of June 26, had been sent
across the South Mountains west of Get-
tysburg for the purpose of keeping Meade's
entire army east of the same range of
mountains.
COLONEL WHITE'S RAID.
On the morning of June 27, when Gen-
eral Early took up the march from Gettys-
burg toward York, he detached from his
command the Thirty-fifth battalion of Vir-
ginia Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel E. V. White. Early moved with
his division toward York through East
Berlin, while Gordon, with one brigade
passed through Abbottstown over the turn-
pike. Colonel White and his troopers had
performed scouting service in the mountains
of AVest Virginia and the Shenandoah Val-
ley during the preceding year. He had re-
ceived orders to make a dashing raid to
Hanover Junction for the purpose of cut-
ting the telegraph wires and burning the
railroad bridges at that place and between
there and York. This was to be done in
order to cut off communication between
Harrisburg and Washington. Colonel
AMiite left Gettysburg early in the morning
and entered McSherrystown about 10
o'clock. Here they halted for a short time
in order to find out, if possible, if there were
any Federal troops in and around Hanover.
Owing to the conflicting rumors that had
been circulated, the citizens of Hanover
could not definitely ascertain the move-
ments of the enemy. So they were held in
suspense until a farmer rode into town call-
ing out :
"The enemy will soon be here. They
are now in McSherrystown."
A few minutes later the advance
Enter turned into Carlisle Street and
Hanover, began to move toward Centre
Square. Three or four mounted
men preceded the rest and a few hundred
yards back came the entire battalion of
Confederates riding four abreast. Their
object was first to ascertain if there were
any Union soldiers in town. So they
moved slowly up Carlisle Street, nearly
every man with his finger on the trigger of
his carbine, ready for any emergency. In
the centre of the column rode Colonel
AVhite, a large man of ruddy complexion.
Most of the women and children remained
in their homes, and looked at the moving
enemy through the blinds and curtains at
the windows. There was no organized re-
sistance to the advancing Confederates and
there was no formal surrender of the town
4o6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by the borough authorities. After placing
guards at the ends of all the streets, the
entire battalion assembled in Centre Square.
Colonel AVhite rode in front of the Central
Hotel where he addressed a large crowd of
male citizens. He stated that although his
soldiers wore faded suits of gray, they were
gentlemen fighting for a cause they thought
to be right, but would harm no one.
Most of the soldiers then dismounted and
went into the different stores to obtain
shoes and such clothing as might be of
service to them. Some of the stores were
robbed of a few articles but the soldiers did
not obtain much clothing, because all wear-
ing apparel and valuables had been con-
cealed or taken away. After remaining in
town about an hour, the troopers dashed out
York Street toward JefTerson and reached
Hanover Junction about 2 o'clock in the
afternoon.
Aleantime a small squad had
Burn been sent along the line of the
Bridges, railroad between Hanover and
Hanover Junction and destroyed
the bridges. AVhat surprised the southern
soldier most was to see so many men of
military age who had not entered the
Union army. Up to this time in the war,
the private soldier of the Confederacy was
persuaded to believe that the conscript acts
of the north had caused nearly all men in
the loyal states to join the Union army.
These men like all the soldiers under Lee
then advancing into Pennsylvania were
passing through a land of plenty. The
grass had been cut, the hay had been placed
in stacks or in barns, and the harvesting of
wheat and rye had just begun. This was
a busy season to the York County farmers,
and some venturesome countrymen had
kept their horses at home. Many of them
had been made to believe that b}' joining a
secret league, their horses and cattle would
be protected from capture by the enemy.
Colonel White and his men as well as Stu-
art's Cavalry which followed a few daj^s
later, exchanged many of their worn out
horses for those found in the barns and
stables of the well-to-do farmers south and
east of Hanover.
Colonel AVhite's battalion reached the
Northern Central Railroad at Hanover
Junction early in the afternoon and imme-
diately put the torch to the bridges and cut
the telegraph wires. During the two days
before. Governor Curtin at Harrisburg had
been keeping President Lincoln at Wash-
ington posted concerning the enemy's
movements as nearly as they could be as-
certained from couriers who had been sent
out from the state capital.
Late in the afternoon of June 27, White's
Confederates moved back to Jefferson, then
northward to the vicinity of Spring Grove.
They encamped for the night on the farm
of John Wiest, near the village of Nashville.
At this point. Colonel White put himself in
communication with General Gordon who
had bivouacked for the night at Farmers'
Postoffice, a few miles northwest on the
Gett3-sburg turnpike. The following day,
he accompanied Gordon on his march to-
ward Wrightsville, then returned to a posi-
tion two miles east of York, and encamped
during the succeeding two days on the farm
of John H. Small, meantime destroying the
railroad bridges on the line between York
and AA'rightsville.
EARLY'S DIVISION AT YORK.
In the narrative found in a preceding
page. General Early is entering the borough
of Gettysburg. In some cars at the station
his troops captured provisions which be-
longed to the Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania
Regiment. This did not satisfy his de-
mands, so he made a requisition upon the
borough for money and supplies, which the
authorities were unable to furnish. He
wrote this requisition while mounted on
horseback in front of a store on Baltimore
Street, of that borough. Gordon's brigade
encamped for the night of June 26, in and
around Gettysburg. The other three bri-
gades bivouacked for the night at Mum-
masburg, a short distance northwest of the
borough. After destroying about a dozen
freight cars. General Early started with his
division toward York. General Gordon
with his Georgia brigade of 2,800 men, with
Tanner's battery of four guns, moved
eastward over the York and Gettysburg
turnpike, passing through New Oxford,
Abbottstown and bivouacked for the night
in the village surrounding Farmers' Post
Office, in Jackson Township. His troops
pitched their shelter tents in the adjoining
fields. General Gordon lodged at the resi-
dence of Jacob S. Altland, a building which
THE CIVIL WAR
407
in 1906, was standing along the turnpike,
near the centre of the village.
The Army of the Potomac under General
Meade on the night of June 27, was concen-
trating about Frederick, Maryland; most
of the Pennsylvania militia was stationed at
Harrisburg and in the lower end of Cum-
berland Valley. At York were the Pa-
tapsco Guards, sixty men, the City Troop
of Philadelphia, and Bell's Cavalry which
had come from Gettysburg. These with
about 200 convalescent troops from the
United States Hospital at York, were or-
dered to Wrightsville by Major Plaller,
commander of the post.
On June 15, a public meeting
Committee was called in the court house,
of Safety. presided over b)^ David Small,
chief burgess. Robert J.
Fisher, A. H. Glatz, Samuel Small, Daniel
Kraber and Philip Smyser were vice-presi-
dents, and David E. Small and David P.
Shultz were secretaries. In compliance
with a resolutioii adopted at this meeting,
the chief burgess appointed a Committee of
Safety composed of the following fifteen
men : Frederick Stallman, William H. Al-
bright, Gates J. Weiser, David E. Small,
John Gibson, Erastus H. Weiser, Thomas
White, Jacob D. Schall, AY. Latimer Small,
Colonel D. A. Stillinger. Colonel George
Hay, George A. Barnitz, Frederick Baugher,
Lewis Carl and Joseph Smyser. This com-
mittee was empowered "to make any ar-
rangements that they may think proper for
the protection of town, county or state."
After a conference with the
Conferred Committee of Safety and a
with number of leading citizens of
Gordon. York, Chief Burgess David
Small, Colonel George Hay, W.
Latimer Small, A. B. Farquhar and Thomas
AVhite on the evening of the 27th drove up
to Farmers' Post Office and held a confer-
ence with General Gordon. As the town
was without defence, this committee met
Gordon for the purpose of finding out what
protection to life and property would be
given by the Confederates when the town
was occupied by them. General Early, the
commander of the Confederate forces ap-
proaching York with three brigades, was
then going into bivouack near Bigmount in
AVashington Township, a short distance
east of East Berlin. He had given General
Gordon authority to make any arrange-
ments satisfactory to himself about the en-
trance into York. Gordon was a soldier by
instinct, and possessed many excellent
qualities. He was a native of Georgia, and
at this time was thirty years of age. The
conference he held with the committee from
York, proved to be entirely satisfactory.
He declared that he would destroy no per-
sonal property and that his soldiers who
were under the strictest discipline, would
not disturb or molest the citizens. This
committee returned to York the same
evening, and after reporting the result of
their conference, a feeling of relief pervaded
the town.
For several days a throng of human-
ity had passed eastward across the
Susquehanna for protection and safety.
Many citizens for the same purpose had
followed these refugees. The money de-
posits, bonds, certificates and other valuable
documents in the York Bank and York
County Bank were taken to' Philadelphia,
and deposited in financial institutions in
that city. The valuable effects belonging
to the banking house of Weiser Son & Carl
had been removed to Easton. The valu-
ables in the York postoffice were conveyed
to Lancaster on June 27.
The railroads in southern Pennsylvania
were taken possession of by the govern-
ment. Colonel Thomas A. Scott, in charge
of all military railroads, was then at Har-
risburg, and had ordered all trains and en-
gines removed to Columbia, and requested
that the bridge should be defended at all
hazards.
On Sunday morning, June 28,
Gordon shortly after, daybreak. General
Enters Gordon, with his troops, one bat-
York, tery of four guns commanded by
Captain Tanner, began the march
over the Gettysburg turnpike toward
York. The advance reached the west-
ern end of Market Street, about 10 o'clock,
just as the church bells were ringing
for morning service. The excitement in-
cident to the presence of an armed force
of veteran Confederate soldiers caused
the side-walks, windows and doors on AA^est
Market Street to be filled with people.
Only one pastor made an attempt to con-
duct religious services ; but when the
audience heard the music of a Confederate
4o8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
band playing "Away Down South in Dixie,"
the devout clergyman dismissed the congre-
gation and they too went to see the enemy
marching through town. Near the head of
the column rode General Gordon, a hand-
some young man with a dignified bearing
and courteous manners. He halted several
times as he came up the street addressing
the people and assuring them that although
his soldiers wore tattered clothing, they
were gentlemen and would harm no citizens.
Some time before a flag, thirty-five
Flag feet in length and eighteen feet
Taken wide, had been unfurled from the
Down, top of- a flag pole which stood in
Centre Square, between two mar-
ket sheds. It had been floating to the
breeze in that position for a period of four
days. When General Gordon approached
Centre Square, he halted for a moment, then
directed one of his aides to ride forward and
pull down the American flag. AVithin a
few minutes this banner was pulled down,
and the southern soldier, folding the flag,
placed it on his saddle, and rode out East
Market Street, with the advancing column.
(This flag had been made by patriotic ladies
of York.) Its future history is unknown,
but according to the version of a southern
officer, it was placed on an ambulance
wagon and taken away. Another flag was
floating from a pole, twenty feet high, in
front of Pierce's book store, on the north
side of East Market Street, near Centre
Square. This was also taken down by a
Confederate officer, and carried away.
General Gordon and his brigade marched on
through town, and halted along the turn-
pike, two miles east of York. Here they
cooked their dinner and rested about four
hours.
On the morning of June 2"],
Early at General Early marched from
Bigmount. Mummasburg through Hunt-
erstown. New Chester, Hamp-
ton and East Berlin, and bivouacked for
the night near Bigmount, in Paradise
Township. The first brigade, composed of
Louisiana troops, was commanded by Gen-
eral Harry Hayes ; the second brigade of
Virginia troops was commanded by General
John H. Smith; the third brigade, made up
entirely of North Carolina troops, and
previously led by General Hoke, was now in
command of Coloney Avery. Early and his
staff occupied quarters for the night at the
residence of Mrs. Zinn, on the farm later
owned by her son-in-law, Clement B. Trim-
mer, of York. In 1892, at his home in
Lynchburg, General Early related to the
writer that his officers and himself partook
that evening of one of the best meals that
he had eaten during the period of the war.
Continuing, he said :
"Before retiring for the night, I rode four
miles down to Gordon's headquarters, in
order to give him directions how to enter
York on the following day. We had orders
from the commander-in-chief, and from
General Ewell, in whose corps my division
served, to enforce the 'Strictest discipline
among our soldiers. AVe were not permit-
ted to pillage or destroy any private prop-
erty. Gordon already had held a confer-
ence with the deputation of citizens who
had returned to York, before my conference
with him. I returned to my quarters at the
residence of Mrs. Zinn and slept soundly
that night, believing that within twenty-
four hours I would have crossed the Sus-
quehanna with my command, sent Gordon
on a raid toward Lancaster and Philadel-
phia, and with my three brigades joined
Ewell with Rodes' and Barnes' divisions in
the vicinity of Harrisburg. These were my
expectations when I arose from my bed on
that beautiful Sunday morning. Just as the
sun was rising in the east, the bugle was
sounded and we took up the march toward
York, passing a short distance south of
Davidsburg over a wide road to Weigles-
town, leaving Dover to my left. Some of
my troops scoured the country, and gath-
ered in many horses needed for our cavalry
and our officers, for our own horses were
tired and many of them nearly worn out.
At AVeiglestown I despatched Colonel
French with a portion of his troops, about
200 men of the Seventeenth Virginia Cav-
alry, to the mouth of the Conewago Creek.
French was instructed to burn the railroad
bridges which span the two branches of that
stream near its mouth. They accom-
plished this purpose early in the afternoon.
A detachment of the Pennsylvania militia
(the Twentieth Emergency Regiment),
then guarding the bridge, skedaddled across
the Susquehanna just as French's troops
arrived. The cavalry late in the afternoon
reported to me at York.
THE CIVIL WAR
409
"Soon after leaving Weiglestown, I des-
patched Hayes' and Smith's brigades across
the country north of York to the Harris-
burg turnpike. They pitched their tents
around the Codorus Mills (Loucks') about
two miles northeast of York. They planted
their cannon east of the mills, along the hill-
sides, overlooking the tovv^n, and threw up
some earth works.
"I moved into York at the head of
Enters Avery's brigade of North Carolina
York. troops, and with them took pos-
session of the Public Common,
where the hospital buildings were stationed
and the Fair Grounds, southeast of town.
A few cannon were planted on an eminence
(Shunk's Hill) southwest of York. My
object in placing the troops in these posi-
tions was for the purpose of being ready for
a sudden attack of the enemy."
The appearance of General Early on the
streets of York created a great deal of in-
terest among the citizens. As a result of
the conference held with Gordon the night
before on the turnpike, a short distance east
of Abbottstown, all fears of destruction of
private property were allayed. The char-
acter of General Early was well known to
some of the citizens, and every movement
he made was observed with the closest
scrutiny. Early was a soldier by nature,
somewhat rash in his methods and at that
time as well as in later years, was a pictur-
esque personality. He was tall in stature,
but not very erect in form. He wore a suit
of gray, faded and somewhat discolored
from a continuous march of two weeks. His
long, shaggy beard was untrimmed, and his
broad-brimmed felt hat showed evidences
of long use. He rode a black horse, which
is supposed to have been captured after he
crossed the Pennsylvania line. Along the
left side the animal was branded "C. S. A.,"
meaning Confederate States Army.
Accompanied by his staff.
Headquarters he passed through West
in Market Street to Centre
Court House. Square and asked for the
chief burgess, David Small,
with whom he held a brief conference. His
object in calling upon the Burgess was to
make a requisition upon the borough au-
thorities for food and provisions for his
soldiers. Then he proceeded to the Court
House and took up his headquarters in the
sheriff's office, next to the last room on the
west side of the building. There was then
a long, high desk facing the entrance door
from the hall. When General Early entered
this office, he was accompanied by his adju-
tant-general, John W. Daniel, of Lynch-
burg, Virginia, then a young man of
twenty-one, who the following year lost his
leg in the battle of the Wilderness, and later
in life served for twelve years as United
States Senator from his native state. Colo-
nel Daniel took a position in a high chair
behind this desk and at the direction of his
commander, wrote out a requisition, which
Early afterward made upon the town. The
provost marshal occupied, as his headquar-
ters, the register's office, on the east side of
the Court House near the front. It was
nearly two o'clock when General Early had
entered the town. Soon after he took pos-
session of the sheriff's office as his head-
quarters, without any notification to the
Committee of Safety or the chief burgess,
he ordered the Court House bell to be
rung.
A crowd of people soon assem-
Calls a bled in the court room. The
Meeting, leading citizens of the town
entered later and occupied seats
within the railing in front of the judge's
desk, and on two rows of chairs on either
side of the room, used by the petit jury and
the grand jury when court was in session.
This was a peculiar meeting, for neither the
county commissioners nor the chief burgess
knew its purpose. The president judge of
the county courts was one of the last to
enter the room. He walked up the aisle
and took a seat within the bar. The room
was now filled to its utmost seating capacity
and many persons stood in the aisles along
the sides of the room. Without any signal
the tall form of General Early, accompanied
by his provost marshal, entered the front
door and passed down the aisle. He pro-
ceeded to the rear of the court room with
his sword and field glass dangling at his left
side. Assuming an air of dignity, he
ascended the three or four steps and took a
seat for a few minutes behind the judge's
desk.
According to the rules of war, he had
supreme authority in the borough of York.
He had not declared martial law. There
was no occasion for him to issue such
4IO
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
orders. He had entered the town without
any resistance and had thrown a cordon of
defense entirely around it. The soldiers
who had fought under him for nearly two
years wore suits of faded gray. As they
were now in a land of plenty, which had not
been laid waste by the ravages of war. Early
intended to assert the power vested in a
leader, commanding an invading force — :the
advance of the Army of Northern Virginia,
numbering 80,000 men, all of whom at this
time had entered the boundaries of Penn-
sylvania. When Early called this meeting,
General Lee, at the head of two of the army
corps, was at Chambersburg. The re-
mainder of Ewell's corps was at Carlisle.
Early did not know that Meade was then
concentrating around Frederick, Maryland,
with the entire Army of the Potomac. He
rose from his chair, and addressed the audi-
ence, every ear giving the closest attention.
There was breathless silence throughout
the entire room.
"I have taken possession of
Addresses your town, by authority of the
the Confederate government. My
Audience, soldiers are tired and worn out.
They need food and they need
clothing. My soldiers are under strict dis-
cipline. The)'- are not permitted to destroj^
private property or harm any citizens.
Guards have been placed around all public
buildings and hotels. Saloons and beer-
shops have been closed. You are living in
a land of plenty and have not suffered from
the results of war, like my own countrymen
down in Virginia. I want my requisitions
filled at once. If you do not comply with
my demands, I will take the goods and
provisions from your stores, or permit my
soldiers to enter your houses and demand
such things as they need for assistance."
The condition of the people
A at this time was one of the
Requisition, greatest suspense. They did
not yet know what demands
he would make. The requisition bearing
the signature of Captain William AV.
Thornton, commissary, was read as fol-
lows : One hundred and sixty-five barrels of
flour, or twenty-eight thousand pounds of
baked bread; thirty-five hundred pounds of
sugar; sixteen hundred and fifty pounds of
coffee : three hundred gallons molasses ;
twelve hundred pounds of salt ; thirty-two
thousand pounds fresh meat, or twenty-one
thousand pounds bacon or pork.
Following this was another requisition
signed by Major C. E. Snodgrass, division
quartermaster: Two thousand pairs of
shoes or boots ; one thousand pairs of socks ;
one thousand felt hats; one hundred thou-
sand dollars in money.
After Early had made these requisitions,
the Chief Burgess arose from his chair and
stated that, owing to the fact that the citi-
zens had removed most of their goods and
provisions across the Susquehanna, it was
impossible to comply with his demands.
Two or three members of the Committee
of Safety endorsed the statements already
made. In reply to these remarks. General
Early spoke in commanding tones, stating
that he must have these provisions and the
clothing, or he would permit his soldiers to
take them. He then retired from the room
and went to his headquarters. Before the
meeting adjourned, a number of leading
citizens were appointed to pass through the
streets of the town and solicit all the
money, provisions and wearing apparel that
could be obtained, and the same afternoon,
this committee turned over to the quarter-
master, Snodgrass, the entire requisition for
commissary and clothing that General
Early had demanded. He expressed him-
self satisfied with what they had done and
commended them for their promptness.
But they could raise only $28,000 of the
$100,000 which he had demanded. This did
not satisfy him, but the committee were
permitted to return to their homes and the
commissary sent the supplies to the troops
encamped at Loucks' Mills, on the Public
Common and the Fair Ground. The meat
was cooked over large open fires. A bakery
was opened in one of the buildings of the
United States Hospital, on the Public Com-
mon. All the soldiers partook of a hearty
supper.
General Gordon, who had encamped for
a few hours about two miles east of town, in
obedience to orders took up the line of
march to Wrightsville to take possession of
the bridge across the Susquehanna. In the
evening of June 28, General Early rode
down to Wrightsville to take in the situ-
ation and give instructions to General Gor-
don. He returned to York the same
evening:.
THE CIVIL WAR
411
Early took his meals and lodged at the
Metzel House, later Hotel York, a short
distance west of the Court House.
During the forenoon of the following
day, he rode with his staff to different
places in the town, visited the camps at
Loucks' Mill, on the Public Common and
the Fair Ground, and received news from
reconnoitering parties which had been sent
out to the south and west, to iind out if any
Federal troops were approaching York.
He had no communication from General
Ewell, his corps commander, then at Car-
lisle, since he had taken up the march from
Gettysburg on the preceding day. The
position of the Army of the Potomac was
still an indefinite factor to him, and he
waited with eager interest to receive dis-
patches from General Stuart, commanding
the Confederate cavalry corps, which was
then moving toward Westminster, Mary-
land, east of the Potomac army, and was
expected to join him in the vicinitv of
York.
About 6,000 troops now held
Demands the town. These, together Avith
the Keys. Gordon's brigade, numbered
about 9,000 men. That was the
rank and file of Early's division during this
campaign, before they entered the battle of
Gettysburg. On Monday morning. Gen-
eral Early sent for Robert J. Fisher, presi-
dent judge of York County.
"I want all the keys to the Court House,"
he stated in commanding terms.
"For what purpose?" asked the judge.
"To burn the county records."
"That would be barbarous. You prom-
ised that you would not destroy private
property. These records are essential for
future use and should not be burned," was
the response.
"I want to burn them as an act of retali-
ation, because the Federal army some time
ago burned all the deeds and records in the
court house at Fairfax, Virginia."
At this point, Judge Fisher made an
earnest appeal to the soldier standing in
front of him, begging that he should desist
from. this intention, and leave the records
of the York County Court House alone.
His appeal produced an effect upon the
General, who said,
"Is there any property then, in York that
is contraband of war?"
"Nothing that I know of," drily replied
the judge, "except some cigars made out of
Pennsylvania tobacco, raised in York
County."
As the reputation of Pennsylvania cigars,
generally known in that day as tobies, was
not very good. Early shrugged his should-
ers and said,
"No, I think we will not rob you of
them."
AVhat General Early doubtless meant by
demanding the keys to the Court House
records, was to impress upon the citizens of
York, the necessity of raising more money,
in compliance with his requisition. Heed-
ing the appeal of the president judge, he re-
turned to his headquarters in the Court
House, where he issued orders and sent out
communications to his brigade command-
ers. What he really wanted was more
mone}^ His officers and men had plenty of
Confederate script recently printed at Rich-
mond, but it was almost worthless even in
the south. His men were instructed to pay
for everything they obtained in the stores
and shops with this kind of money, but
what Early wanted from the citizens of
York was United States currency notes,
popularly known as "greenbacks."
During the day various rumors
False were circulated in reference to
Rumors, the conduct of the southern
soldiers, but these stories were
nearh^ all unfounded, for the officers en-
forced rigid discipline. A story had come
to town that the Louisiana brigade, en-
camped at the Codorus mills, had ransacked
the mills and had thrown the flour and
wheat into the mill race. ■ The firm of P. A.
& S. Small at this time operated the mills.
Samuel Small, Jr., called upon General
Early and stated the rumor that had come
to town.
"It cannot be correct. My troops dare
not waste and destroy the wheat and flour
or tear down the buildings. Go out your-
self and tell General Hayes, who commands
this brigade, that his men must obey my
orders."
"But I cannot go alone," said Mr. Small.
"Take one of our horses and ride out
there," said the General.
"I have a horse of my own concealed in
a stable back of the Morris drug store, on
East Market Street. If you will protect
412
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
me, I will ride that horse out to the camp
and interview General Hayes."
Then the adjutant wrote out a pass which
reads as follows:
Permit Samuel Small, Jr., to pass to
Loucks" Mill on the Codorus to procure
flour for the C. S. A.
By order of Major General Earl3^
W. G. Galloway, A. D. C.
"Colonel Snodgrass, my quartermaster,
will accompany you part of the way," said
Early.
Soon afterward, Samuel Small, Jr., be-
tween Colonel Snodgrass and the colonel
of a Louisiana regiment, rode out East
Market Street, and down the Loucks' Mill
road to the Confederate camp. When they
arrived there, it was learned that the rumor
about throwing away the flour and grain
was untrue. All that had been done was
to confiscate some of the flour and send it to
the improvised bakery on the Public Com-
mon, where it was made into bread, under
the direction of the commissary depart-
ment. The flour which the Confederates
took at these mills was paid for, but not in
the greenbacks, which had been given to
General Early, but Confederate notes to the
amount of $8,000. This money sometime
afterward was sent to officers of the army
from York County, then in Libby prison at
Richmond, Virginia, for use in buying
provisions.
Soon after noon. Early called at the resi-
dence of the Chief Burgess, on South
George Street, near Centre Square. His
sword hung from his belt on one side and a
revolver on the other. When he entered
the parlor, he said,
"The money I have asked for
Demands must be raised."
More "Our people have very little
Money. money here. They have sent
it away. It would be impossible
for our committee to raise $75,000," replied
the burgess.
As he stood in the parlor talking to the
burgess, a clatter was heard on the pavement
outside, caused by the dropping of a carbine.
General Early grew nervous and quickly
looked out through the blinds, for he
thought an attempt was being made to
enter the house and make him a prisoner.
When these fears were allayed, he contin-
ued his demands for the balance of the
money.
"I will have it," he said. "If it is not
furnished me nor a definite promise made
for its collection, I will destroy the car
shops and the railroad buildings, for I have
discovered that cars have recently been
made at this place for the Yankee govern-
ment."
Before this conference had
Horse ended, the door bell rang, and a
Returned, farmer was admitted, who said,
"I want to see the General.
]\Iy horse was taken by one of your men up
the turnpike. It was the best animal I ever
owned. My wife and daughter can drive
him. He was our family horse and I want
him back. AVill you let me have him?"
asked the man with earnest words.
"It was General Gordon who got your
horse, and if you see him, probably he will
give the animal back."
The man was Rev. Samuel L. Roth, a
Mennonite minister of Jackson Township,
who recovered his horse the same day from
General Gordon. The tw'o men met thirty
years later in the Colonial Hotel, when
Gordon came to York to deliver a lecture
on the "Last Days of the Confederacy."
The interruption caused by
Threatens the ^lennonite clergyman call-
Car Shops, ing at the Small residence, did
not prevent General Early
from demanding the money.
"I have determined to burn the shops."
And then he left the house, followed by the
Burgess. They walked together out East
Market Street to Duke. W^iile on the way,
Mr. Small said,
"Those shops are built of wood. If you
set fire to them you might burn the town,
and you entered into an agreement not to
destroy private property."
"Then call out your fire department to
protect the homes and other buildings."
Orders were immediately given for the
Laurel, Vigilant and Union Fire companies
to move toward the railroad station. Some
Confederate troops aided in drawing the
fire engines and the three companies took
position in the vicinity of the car shops. A
detachment of about thirty men, under Cap-
tain AA'ilson, of North Carolina, had already
been sent to the railroad with orders to put
THE CIVIL WAR
413
the torch to some cars. As General Early
and the Chief Burgess moved down Duke
Street, a delegation of prominent citizens
followed close behind them. The incidents
that transpired at the station are best told
in the following abstract from a letter writ-
ten to the writer by General Early, in 1898:
"After examining the locality, I was satis-
fied that neither the car factories nor the
depot could be burned without setting fire
to a number of houses near them, some of
which were of wood, and I determined not
to burn, but thought I would make a fur-
ther effort to . get the balance of the
$100,000. So I took a seat in the railroad
depot, which was filled with a large number
of boxes containing goods that had never
been opened, and said, to the mayor, 'If you
will pay me the balance of the $100,000, I
have called for, I will not burn these car
factories and this depot.'
"He replied : 'General, I would do so very
willingl}^ but the fact is, we have raised all
the money we could raise in town and a
good deal of it has been contributed in small
sums.'
"Just then the leading merchant of the
town (Philip A. Small) stepped up and said,
" 'General, if you will not burn this depot
or its contents, and the shops, I will give
you my bill for $50,000 on Philadelphia, to
be paid, whatever may be the result of the
war.' "
While this incident was taking
Orders place. Captain Eliott Johnson, an
from aide on the staff of General Ewell,
Ewell. came riding rapidly up West Mar-
ket Street, his horse all covered
with foam. He halted in front of the Cen-
tral Hotel, and asked for Early.
"His headquarters are in the Court
House, but he is down at the railroad
station now," said a bystander.
Then the despatch bearer put the spurs
to his horse and dashed down Duke Street.
He had important news to convey to Early,
the commander of the Second division of
EwelFs corps. On the evening of June 28,
General Lee, then at Chambersburg, had
received the news that the Army of the
Potomac was approaching Frederick, Mary-
land. This news decided the events of
the four succeeding days. Lee sent a
despatch bearer with all possible haste
to Ewell at Carlisle. It was Lee's mes-
sage that Captain Johnson bore as he
rode down Duke Street. Early saw him
approach. He apprehended the purpose of
the courier's arrival. He walked a distance
away to meet Captain Johnson, received
and read the message apparently without
any concern. Then he returned to the
group of citizens, and addressing Philip
A. Small, said,
"I will consider your proposition tonight,
and report to 3^ou later."
He feared the draught or bill on an east-
ern city would be of no avail. Then he
called the Chief Burgess to one side, and
said,
"I have decided not to burn the shops and
this depot, for I believe it would endanger
the safety of a considerable part of the
town."
The squad of Confederate soldiers which
had preceded Early to the shops and the
railroad station, had applied the torch to
some cars belonging to the railroad com-
pany. These were burned, but there was
no other destruction of property. There
was one car of lumber for a Presbyterian
church. A¥hen the captain of this squad
was told for what purpose the lumber was
designed, he refused to burn the car, be-
cause he belonged to the Presbyterian
church, and later in life was a ruling elder
of the First Presbyterian church at Dur-
ham, North Carolina, where, in 1898, he
told the writer the incidents relating to the
destruction of the cars at the York station.
The message which Early read
Lee's had been sent by General Lee,
Message, at Chambersburg, to General
Ewell's headquarters, at Car-
lisle, a distance of thirty-three miles. Soon
after its arrival there, Ewell sent the mes-
sage through Dillsburg and Dover to York,
a distance of thirty-six miles. It reached
here about 6 o'clock in the evening of June
29. The following is a copy of the des-
patch :
Chambersburg, June 28, 1S63. 7:30 A. M.
Lieut. Gen. R. S. Ewell,
Commanding Corps :
General ; I wrote you last night, stating that General
Hooker was reported to have crossed the Potomac, and
is advancing by way of Middletown, the head of his
column being at that point in Frederick County. I
directed vou in that letter to move your forces to this
point. If you have not already progressed on the road,
and if you have no good reason against it, I desire you
to move in the direction of Gettysburg, via Heidlers-
burg, where }-ou will have turnpike most of the way,
414
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
and you can thus join your other divisions to Early's,
which is east of the mountains. I think it preferable
to keep on the east side of the mountains. When you
come to Heidlersburg, you can either move directly on
Gettysburg or turn down to Cashtown. Your trains
and heavy artillery you can send, if you think proper,
on the road to Chambersburg. But if the roads
which your troops take are good, they had better follow
vou.
R. E. LEE,
General.
General Early then under-
Marches stood the situation of affairs.
Toward He sent a courier to Wrights-
Gettysburg, ville ordering Gordon's bri-
gade to fall back at once to
York, and he returned up Duke Street, ac-
companied by the Chief Burgess, but he
concealed the import of the message he had
received. He went to his headquarters,
and immediately issued orders to his
brigade commanders to prepare to fall back
toward Gettysburg.
At the same time he had printed the fol-
lowing address, only a few copies of which
were circulated through town ;
To the Citizens of York : —
I have abstained from burning the railroad buildings
and car shops of your town because, after examination,
I am satisfied the safety of the town would be en-
dangered ; and, acting in the spirit of humanity, which
has ever characterized my government and its military
authorities, I do not desire to involve the innocent in
the same punishment with the guilty. Had I applied
the torch without regard to consequences I would have
pursued a course that would have been fully vin-
dicated as an act of just retaliation for the many
authorized acts of barbarity perpertrated by j^our
own army upon our soil. But we do not war vipon
women and children, and I trust the treatment you have
met with at the hands of my soldiers will open your
eyes to the monstrous iniquity of the war waged by
your government vipon the people of the Confederate
States, and that 3'ou will make an effort to shake ofif
the revolting tyranny under which it is apparent to all
you are yourselves groaning.
J. A. EARLY,
Major General C. S. A.
The day that Lee sent this despatch, the
Army of the Potomac had changed its com-
manders. Meade had taken the place of
Hooker.
Early remained quietly at his hotel. His
brigade commanders and their subordinate
officers slept very little that night, for they
were laying plans to countermarch at a
given signal. The soldiers in camp at
Loucks' Mill, on the Public Common and
the Fair Grounds were ordered to prepare
for the march soon after midnight. The
people of York knew nothing of the orders
that had been issued, and when they arose
the next morning thej' found that Confed-
erate guards no longer stood in front of the
public places. The entire division was on
its way out the Carlisle road towards
Weiglestown. It turned to the left at the
State road and halted for dinner a few
hundred yards beyond Davidsburg.
General Early and his staff were among
the last to leave York. It was about 7
o'clock in the morning, mounted on his
horse, that he and his aides left Centre
Square and moved out West Market Street,
following the line of march. When they
reached Davidsburg, he ordered the village
inn-keeper to prepare twenty dinners for
himself, his brigadier-generals and the
members of his staff. The local incidents
relating to this historic dinner are found in
the history of Dover Township in this
volume. Just as they were preparing to
leave the hotel, they heard the roar of can-
non at Hanover, where the cavalry engage-
ment had opened.
At 2 o'clock, June 30, Early took up the
march and moved westward through East
Berlin and encamped for the night near
Heidlersburg. On the second day of the
battle, his division occupied the extreme
left of the Confederate line. In the
charge on Cemetery Ridge, the brigade
commanded by General Hays was demora-
lized and lost heavily. Early's entire loss
was 1,188: 150 killed, 806 wounded, and 226
missing.
General Early's division was composed of
four brigades and belonged to the Second
Army Corps, commanded bj' General Rich-
ard S. Ewell.
Hay's Brigade — Brigadier General H. S.
Hays, commanding; Fifth Louisiana Regi-
ment, Colonel Henry Forno; Sixth Louis-
iana Regiment, Colonel A'Villiam Mona-
ghan ; Seventh Louisiana Regiment, Colo-
nel D. B. Penn ; Eighth Louisiana Regi-
ment, Colonel Henry B. Kelley; Ninth
Louisiana Regiment, Colonel A. L. Staf-
ford.
Hoke's Brigade — Colonel J. E. Avery,
commanding (General R. F. Hoke being
absent, wounded) : Fifth North Carolina
Regiment, Colonel J. E. Avery; Twenty-
first North Carolina Regiment, Colonel AV.
AA'. Kirkland ; Fifty-fourth North Carolina
Regiment, Colonel J. C. T. McDowell;
Fiftv-seventh North Carolina Regiment,
THE CIVIL WAR
415
Colonel A. C. Goodwin; First North Caro-
lina Battalion, Major R. H. Wharton.
Smith's. Brigade — Brigadier General Wil-
liam Smith, commanding; Thirteenth Vir-
ginia Regiment, Colonel J. E. B. Terrill:
Thirty-first Virginia Regiment, Colonel
John S. Hoffman ; Forty-ninth Virginia
Regiment, Colonel Gibson ; Fift}- -second
Virginia Regiment, Colonel Skinner; Fifty-
eighth Virginia Regiment. Colonel F. H.
Board.
Gordon's Brigade — Brigadier General
John B. Gordon, commanding; Thirteenth
Georgia Regiment, Colonel J. M. Smith;
Twenty-sixth Georgia Regiment, Colonel
E. N. Atkinson ; Thirty-first Georgia Regi-
ment, Colonel C. A. Evans ; Thirty-eighth
Georgia Regiment, Major J. D. Matthews;
Sixtieth Georgia Regiment, Colonel W. H.
Stiles; Sixty-first Georgia Regiment, Colo-
nel J. H. Lamar.
GORDON AT WRIGHTSVILLE.
General John B. Gordon, commanding a
Georgia brigade of 2,800 men, halted about
four hours, two miles east of York, along
the turnpike, on Sunday, June 28. Colonel
White's battalion of cavalry had joined the
brigade on the morning of the same day,
six miles west of York, after returning from
Hanover Junction, where they destroyed
the railroad bridges. Tanner's battery of
four guns belonged to the same brigade.
About 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Gordon
renewed his march on the way to Wrights-
ville. In obedience to the orders of Gen-
eral Couch, with headquarters at Harris-
burg, Major Haller, in command at
^^'rightsviIle, had begun to erect earth
works a short distance west of the borough.
Some negroes had helped to dig the rii^e pits.
Haller had received orders to
Union resist the approach of the enemy
Troops, and defend the bridge at all haz-
ards. His entire force to do this
important work, numbered less than 1,800
men. It included one battalion of the
Twentieth Emergency Regiment, about 400
men, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
Sickles, who had been guarding the railroad
bridges below York before the enemy occu-
pied that town; the Twentj^-seventh Emer-
gency Regiment, from Pottsville and vici-
nity, about 800 men, commanded by Colo-
nel Jacob Frick ; a bodv of 200 convalescent
soldiers from the United States Hospital at
York; the City Troop of Philadelphia, Cap-
tain Bell's cavalry company from Adams
County and vicinity, and the Patapsco
Guards, from York.
In his report to his government, of the
Gettysburg campaign, written August 10,
1863, General Gordon says:
"We moved by the direct pike to
Gordon's A\'rightsville, on the Susque-
Report. hanna. At this point I found a
l3ody of Pennsylvania militia, re-
ported to be 1,200 men, strongly in-
trenched, but without artillery. A line of
skirmishers was sent to make a demonstra-
tion in front of these works, while I moved
to the right by a circuitous route with three
regiments, in order to turn these works,
and, if possible, gain the enemy's rear, cut
oft his retreat, and seize the bridge. This
I found impracticable, and, placing in posi-
tion the battery under my command,
opened on the works, and by a few well-
aimed shots and the advance of my lines,
caused this force to retreat precipitately,
with the loss of about twenty prisoners, in-
cluding one lieutenant colonel (Sickles, of
the Twentieth Emergenc)^ Regiment). I
had no means of ascertaining the enemy's
number of killed and wounded ; one dead
was left on the field. Our loss, one
wounded.
"In his retreat across the bridge, the
enemy fired it about midway with the most
inflammable materials. Every effort was
made to extinguish this fire and save the
bridge, but it was impossible. From this
the town was fired, and, notwithstanding
the excessive fatigue of the men from the
march of 20 miles and the skirmish with
the enemy, I formed my brigade in line
around the burning buildings, and resisted
the progress of the flames until they were
checked.
"Leaving AVrightsville on the morning
of the 29th, I sent the cavalry under my
command to burn all the bridges (fourteen
in number) on the railroad leading to York.
to which place I marched my brigade and
rejoined the division, from which we had
been separated since June 26."
Late in the evening of June 28.
Early's General Early rode down the
Report, turnpike and had an interview
with General Gordon at \\rights-
4i6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ville. In his official repoi-t, in August, 1863,
General Early says :
"On arriving at AVrightsville on the
banks of the Susquehanna, opposite Co-
lumbia, I ascertained from General Gordon
that on approaching Wrightsville, in front
of the bridge he found a command of militia
some 1,200 strong, intrenched, and after
endeavoring to move around their flank to
cut them off from the bridge (which he was
unable to do from want of knowledge of the
locality) he opened his artillery on the
militia, which fled at the bursting of the
third shell, and he immediately pursued ;
but as his men had marched a little over
twenty miles, on a very warm day, the
enemy beat him running. He, however,
attempted to cross the bridge, and the head
of his column got half way over, but he
found the bridge, which had been prepared
for the purpose, on fire in the middle. As
he had nothing but muskets and rifles, he
sent back for buckets to endeavor to arrest
the flames, but, before they arrived the fire
had progressed so far that it was impossible
to check it. He had to return and leave
the bridge to its fate.
"This bridge was one mile and an eighth
in length, the superstructure being of wood,
on stone pillars, and it included in one
structure a railroad bridge, a pass way for
wagons, and also a tow-path for the canal,
which here crosses the Susquehanna. The
bridge was entirely consumed, and from it
the town of Wrightsville caught fire and
several buildings were consumed, but the
further progress of the flames was arrested
by the exertions of Gordon's men.
"I regretted very much the failure
His to secure this bridge, as, finding
Plan the defenseless condition of the
Foiled, country, generally, and the little
obstacle likely to be afforded by
the militia to our progress, I had determined
if I could get possession of the Columbia
Bridge, to cross my division over the Sus-
quehanna, and cut the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, march upon Lancaster, lay that town
under contribution and then attack Harris-
burg in the rear, while it should be attacked
in front by the rest of the corps, relying, in
the worst contingency that might happen,
upon being able to mount my division from
the immense number of horses that had
been run across the river, and then move to
the west, destroying the railroads and
canals and returning back again to a place
of safety. This project, however, was en-
tirely thwarted by the destruction of the
bridge, as the river was otherwise impas-
sable, being very wide and deep at this
point. I therefore ordered General Gordon
to move his command back to York next
day."
The duty of burning the bridge
Bridge was assigned to Robert Crane,
Burned, by authority of Major Granville
O. Haller, in charge of the Union
forces at Columbia. A few days after the
burning of the bridge, he reported to Major
Haller as follows:
"Having received orders from you to em-
ploy a force of carpenters and bridge build-
ers for the purpose of cutting and throwing
a span of the Columbia bridge, crossing the
Susquehanna, between the boroughs of Co-
lumbia and Wrightsville, I engaged such a
force for that purpose.
"Guards were placed upon the bridge
during the afternoon and night of Saturday,
the 27th instant, up to half past 7 o'clock of
Sunday evening, the 28th instant, when the
bridge, having been weakened at two
points, one of which was the fourth span
from Wrightsville (there being twenty-
eight spans and the structure a mile and an
eighth in length), by the removal of all ex-
cepting the arches and a very small portion
of the lower chords, the arches were bored
and loaded with powder, with fuses at-
tached, all ready to apply the match.
"At a given signal by your aide. Major C.
McL. Knox, in the presence of and by the
approval of Colonel Frick, at about 7 130
o'clock, all the forces having passed over
from the borough of Wrightsville, the plank
flooring was removed and the match applied
to the fuse by John Q. Denny, John Lock-
hard, Jacob Rich and Jacob Miller, persons
stationed for this purpose. Every charge
was perfect and effective.
"The enemy's cavalry and artillery ap-
proaching the bridge at the Wrightsville
end, Colonel Frick, in order to more effect-
ually destroy the connection (the bridge
not falling), ordered it be fired, at which
time the artillery were playing upon us.
"The following gentlemen: E. K. Smith,
Esq., civil engineer; William Fasick, Isaac
Ruel, Henry Burgen, John Gilbert, Fred.
3 ^
THE CIVIL WAR-
417
Bush, A. P. Moore, George W. Green,
Michael Luphart, John B. Bachman, Davis
Murphy, Westly Upp, Michael Shuman,
Henry Duck, and S. W. Finney, who as-
sisted me in this responsible and dangerous
work — will please receive my own as well
as the most heartfelt thanks of the com-
munity, for effecting the object that pre-
vented the enemy from crossing the Sus-
quehanna at that point."
In his "Reminiscences of the
Dramatic Civil War," published in 1904,
Incident. General Gordon refers to a
dramatic incident which oc-
curred at Wrightsville, while he held pos-
session of that town. He says :
"As my orders were not restricted, except
to direct me to cross the Susquehanna, if
possible, my immediate object was to move
rapidly down a ravine to the river, then
along its right bank to the bridge, seize it,
and cross to the Columbia side. Once
across I intended to mount my men, if
practicable, so as to pass rapidly through
Lancaster in the direction of Philadelphia,
and thus compel General Meade to send a
portion of his army to the defence of that
city. This programme was defeated, first,
by the burning of the bridge, and second,
by the imminent prospect of battle near
Gettysburg. The Union troops stationed
at Wrightsville had, after their retreat
across it, fired the bridge which I had hoped
to secure, and had then stood in battle line
on the opposite shore. With great energy
my men labored to save the bridge. I
called on the citizens of W^rightsville for
buckets and pails, but none were to be
found. There was, however, no lack of
buckets and pails a little later, when the
town was on fire. The bridge might burn,
for that incommoded, at the time, only the
impatient Confederates, and these Pennsyl-
vanians were not in sympathy with my
expedition, nor anxious to facilitate the
movement of such unwelcome visitors. But
when the burning bridge fired the lumber
yards on the river's banks, and the burning
lumber fired the town, buckets and tubs and
pails and pans innumerable came from their
hiding-places, until it seemed that, had the
whole of Lee's army been present, I could
have armed them with these implements to
fight the rapidly spreading flames. My
men labored as earnestly and bravely to
save the town as they did to save the bridge.
In the absence of fire engines or other ap-
pliances, the only chance to arrest the
progress of the flames was to form my men
around the burning district, either flank
resting on the river's edge, and pass rapidly
from hand to hand the pails of water.
Thus, and thus only, was the advancing,
raging fire met, and at a late hour of the
night checked and conquered. There was
one point especially at which my soldiers
combated the fire's progress with immense
energy, and with great difficulty saved an
attractive home from burning. It chanced
to be the home of one of the most superb
women it was my fortune to meet during
the four years of war. She was Mrs. L. L.
Rewalt, to whom I refer in my lecture, 'The
Last Days of the Confederacy,' as the
heroine of the Susquehanna. I met Mrs.
Rewalt the next morning after the fire had
been checked. She had witnessed the
furious combat with the flames around her
home, and was unwilling that those men
should depart without receiving some token
of appreciation from her. She was not
wealth}^, and could not entertain my whole
command, but she was blessed with an
abundance of those far nobler riches of
brain and heart which are the essential
glories of exalted womanhood. Accom-
panied by an attendant, and at a late hour
of the night, she sought me, in the con-
fusion which followed the destructive fire,
to express her gratitude to the soldiers of
my command and to inquire how long we
would remain in Wrightsville. On learning
that the village would be relieved of our
presence at an early hour the following
morning, she insisted that I should bring
with me to breakfast at her house as many
as could find places in her dining-room.
She would take no excuse, not even the
nervous condition in which the excitement
of the previous hours had left her. At a
bountifully supplied table in the early morn-
ing sat this modest, cultured woman, sur-
rounded by soldiers in their worn, gray
uniforms. The welcome she gave us was
so gracious, she was so self-possessed, so
calm and kind, that I found myself in an
inquiring state of mind as to whether her
sympathies were with the Northern or
Southern side in the pending war.
Cautiouslv, but with sufficient clearness to
4i8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXL\
indicate to her my object, I ventured some
remarks which she could not well ignore
and which she instantly saw were intended
to evoke some declaration upon the subject.
She was too brave to evade it, too self-
poised to be confused by it, and too firmlj^
fixed in her convictions to hesitate as to the
answer. With no one present except Con-
federate soldiers, who were her guests, she
replied, without a quiver in her voice, but
with womanly gentleness : 'General Gordon,
I fully comprehend you, and it is due to
myself that I candidly tell you that I am .a
Union woman. I cannot afford to be mis-
understood, nor to ha\'e you misinterpret
this simple courtesy. You and your sol-
diers last night saved my home from burn-
ing, and I was unwilling that you should go
away without receiving some token of my
appreciation. I must tell you, however,
that, with my assent and approval, my hus-
band is a soldier in the Union army, and
my constant prayer to Heaven is that our
cause may triumph and the Union be saved."
"No Confederate left that room without
a feeling of profound respect and unquali-
fied admiration for that brave and worthy
woman. No Southern soldier, no true
Southern man, who reads this account, will
fail to render to her a like tribute of appreci-
ation."
GENERAL JUBAL A. EARLY, who
commanded the forces that occupied York
during the invasion, was a native of Vir-
ginia, born at Lynchburg, in 1816. He
graduated at \Vest Point in 1837, and
served in the war against the Seminole Li-
dians, in 1837-8, and during the Mexican
War was major of a Virginia regiment. He
then left the army, studied law and prac-
ticed his profession at his native town, until
the opening of the Civil AVar, when he en-
tered the Confederate arm}^ as the colonel
of a Virginia regiment. He commanded a
brigade at the first battle of Bull Run, and
was supposed to be mortally wounded a1
AVilliamsburg, May 2, 1862. He recovered
from his wound, however, and in May, 1863,
was promoted to the rank of brigadier
general. During the battle of Chancellors-
ville he commanded a division, and held the
lines around Fredericksburg, while Lee was
fighting the battle of Chancellorsville, a
short distance away. He remained in
charge of a division, composed of Virginia,
North Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana
troops, in the Gettysburg campaign. Dur-
ing the latter part of June, 1864, Lee
detached him from the Army of Northern
Virginia, then at Richmond and Petersburg,
and sent him down the Shenandoah Valley
to threaten AVashington, so as to defeat
Grant's army from its threatened attack on
Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.
On October 9, 1864, with an army of 17,000
men, he fought a battle at Monocacy, near
Frederick, Mar3dand, with -General Lew
AA'allace commanding about 6,000 Federal
troops. After driving the Union army
toward Baltimore, he proceeded to Wash-
ington, where he engaged a part of the
Sixth corps of the Army of the Potomac,
for about two hours within sight of the
Capitol and the AA'hite House. President
Lincoln, from an elevated position, viewed
this engagement. Early was then driven
back across the Potomac, and was defeated
at the battle of AA'inchester in October,
1864, when the Federal troops in the
Shenandoah Valley were in command of
General Sheridan. He was defeated ^nd
routed by Sheridan a few months later in
the battle of Fisher's Hill. These defeats
made him unpopular with Jefferson Davis,
who removed him from his command in the
army. After the war. General Early resided
at Lynchburg, Virginia, but spent much of
his time at New Orleans, and together with
General Beauregard, managed the Louisi-
ana Lottery. He lived to the age of eighty-
one, and died at Lynchburg, Virginia, in
1898. .
GENERAL JOHN B. GORDON, who
commanded the brigade at AA^rightsville,
was born in Georgia in 1832. He studied
law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced
his profession a short time. At the open-
ing of the war, he entered the Confederate
arm}' as a captain, and before its close, rose
to the rank of lieutenant general, command-
ing one wing of Lee's army at the sur-
render at Appomatox, April 9, 1865. He
was eight times wounded in battle. After
a successful business career in his native
state, he was elected United States Senator
in 1873, re-elected in 1879, elected governor
of Georgia in 1886, and at the expiration of
his term, was re-elected United States
Senator. He served with distinction in
that bodv, of which he was one of the most
THE CIVIL WAR
419
eloquent speakers. General Gordon de-
livered many lectures in the south and all
through the northern states. These lec-
tures had a beneficial effect in disseminating
a patriotic devotion of all the American peo-
ple to a reunited nation. He died at his
home in Georgia, in 1904.
U. S. HOSPITAL AT YORK.
During the Civil War, the United States
government established hospitals in many
of the northern cities and towns. It v\^as
found best to distribute the sick and
wounded soldiers in hospitals a distance
from the seat of w^ar. It was also believed
that the patriotic people of Pennsylvania
and elsewhere would become deeply inter-
ested in the welfare of unfortunate men who
had gone forth to defend the Union and the
American flag. The Public Common at
York, known to the present generation as
Penn Park, had been a camping ground for
militia and volunteer companies and regi-
ments since the days of the Revolution.
When hostilities opened between the North
and the South, in 1861, many regiments
were encamped here for a short time before
they were sent to the front. Barracks had
been erected as a place to cjuarter troops.
Hon. Simon Cameron, of Harrisburg, secre-
tary of war in President Lincoln's cabinet,
ordered the establishment of a hospital at
York, in 1862. It was kept in operation
from that date until late in the summer of
1865.
According to official reports, 14,000 sick
and wounded soldiers received attention in
this hospital. Of this number, 7,500 re-
turned to duty after recovery; 3,700 were
furloughed; 1,100 were discharged from
service on certificate of disability; 1,300
were transferred to other hospitals, and 193
died. In July, 1865, there were yet remain-
ing 385 soldiers at the York hospital. Soon
after their convalescence, the hospital was
discontinued.
Mrs. Mary C. Fisher, widow of Hon.
Robert J. Fisher, president judge of the
courts of York County, took an active part
in the hospital work during the Civil \\"ar.
She has written a very interesting account
of the work done at the United States Gen-
eral Hospital at York. Through her kind-
ness and courtesy, her story is herewith
given.
On the 26th of April, 1861, the Twelfth
Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colo-
nel David Campbell, and the Thirteenth,
Colonel David Rowdey, arrived at York
from Pittsburg. Early in May, over 6,000
troops were stationed at Camp Scott, in-
cluding Captain Campbell's battery of fly-
ing artillery. The commissary arrange-
ments were necessarily very inadequate to
meet the wants of the large body of men,
and they depended upon the citizens for
many comforts and for special diet for those
on the sick list. The spring of 1861 was
peculiarly wet and inclement. The soldiers
suffered severely from rheumatism, con-
tracted by lying on damp straw, and from
colds and intermittent fevers. As there
were no arrangements for a hospital at this
early date, the sick boys were often taken
into private houses and nursed gratu-
itiously, and in many households, a meal
was rarely eaten without one or more
guests from the camp.
A meeting of the ladies was
Patriotic promptly called to organize a
Citizens. system of relief for the men.
Mrs. Charles A. Morris was
elected president. A committee was
chosen composed of one or more persons
from each ward, the number to be in-
creased at option : from the First Ward,
Mrs. William S. Roland ; Second, Mrs. Sam-
uel Small; Third, Mrs. Knause ; Fourth,
Mrs. George Barnitz; Fifth, Mrs. Ellen
Smj'ser. As the number of patients in-
creased the committee was enlarged, a
temporary hospital was arranged in the
agricultural building on the fair grounds.
Early in the season there was a demand for
stockings, shirts and other garments.
Private stores were soon disposed of and
making up of new material commenced.
The work was systematized, and a com-
mittee of ladies appointed to take charge of
it. The firm of P. A. & S. Small gave them
a commodious room in Small's building,
which was always open and filled with busy
helpers in the good cause. The entire com-
munity entered heartily into the work.
Little children left their play to scrape lint
and roll bandages. Parties and tea drink-
ings were neglected for meetings at the
work rooms and at private houses for cut-
ting and sewing garments, and packing the
stores contributed by the town folk and the
420
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
country people.. Thanks to their gener-
osity the supplies never failed, and the con-
stant appeals from the army for aid were
always promptly answered. In many a
country farm house the treasured stores of
linen were brought forth from the great
chests packed in Germany, and freely given
for the use of the suffering, wounded boys.
In December, 1861, the Sixth Regiment,
New York Cavalry, Colonel Devens, was
ordered to York for the winter. The regi-
ment, 900 strong, arrived on Christmas day.
An extract from the notes of Major Daily
says : "We met with a hearty welcome. The
citizens had provided a hot dinner of tur-
keys, meats and the delicacies of the festive
season, the ladies who provided the dinner,
serving as waiters on the occasion." Bat-
talion First, Major Daily, was quartered in
the agricultural building; the Second,
Major Conardin, and the Third, Major
Clarksan, occupied the public school build-
ings, the schools having been closed by
order of the school board. In January,
General Simon Cameron, secretary of war,
ordered barracks and stabling to be erected
on the Public Common. Before the com-
pletion of the quarters, a temporary hos-
pital for the troops was established in the
Duke Street school building, which was
daily visited by the citizens. The soldiers
spoke in the most grateful terms of the
kindness and generous help and sympathy
of the ladies of York. Many cards and
testimonials of their appreciation, appeared
in the journals of the day.
After the departure of the cav-
Hospital airy an officer was sent to super-
Opened, intend the removal of the bar-
racks ; but his report of the con-
venient situation, healthy locality and ad-
vantages of the quarters for hospital pur-
poses was favorably considered. They
were fitted up and ready for occupancy in
June, 1862. The stabling was removed
under the supervision of Dr. Alexander
Small. On the 27th of the month the
United States Hospital was opened by Dr.
C. W. Jones, officer in charge. His staff
was composed of Brigade Surgeon Henr}^
Palmer, U. S. A., surgeon in charge ; assist-
ing surgeons, C. S. DeGraw, U. S. A., and
R. L. Peltier, U. S. A. ; acting surgeons, H.
T. Bowen, H. L. Smyser, A. R. Blair, Jacob
Hay, Jr., George Jacoby, clerk; D. Jerome
Bossier, hospital steward; E. C. Greve-
meyer, commissar}-; L. K. Morris, ward
master; medical cadet, Dr. Weil.
Rutter Herman had charge of the bar-
racks before this time. On July i, Dr. \\'eil
arrived with the first sick and wounded
soldiers — nineteen. July 7, a large number
were sent to York from Washington, Balti-
more and the field hospitals. The long
rows of cots were filled day by day till
every room was full. The days were
crowded with touching incidents in the lives
of the poor soldiers who required our time
and attention.
The Ladies' Aid Society, organized in
November, 1861, was much enlarged. All
ranks and ages joined in attentions to the
brave defenders of their homes and of the
country's honor. Among" the prominent
names were Mrs. Charles A. Morris, Mrs.
Daniel Durkee, Mrs. Samuel Small, Sr.,
Mrs. A'Valter Franklin, Mrs. Solomon Os-
wald, Mrs. Dr. Roland, Mrs. Fulton, Mrs.
David E. Small, Mrs. Spangler Wagner,
Mrs. John Weiser, Mrs. William Welsh,
Mrs. Robert J. Fisher, Mrs. George Eisen-
hart, Mrs. Benjamin Weiser, Mrs. George
AVantz, Mrs. Henry Lanius, Mrs. E. A.
Pierce, Mrs. Kate Garretson, Mrs. David
Rupp, Mrs. Kurtz, the Misses Amelia, and
Catherine Kurtz, the Misses Durkee, Miss
Latimer, Miss Mary J. Lewis, Miss Sallie
B. Small, Miss Cassie M. Small, Miss Annie
Thornbury, Miss Julia Hay, Mrs. George
Heckert, Miss A. Fisher, Mrs. David Lan-
dis, Mrs. Kell, Mrs. Weigle, Mrs. Smith,
Mrs. Jenks, Mrs. Edward G. Smyser, Mrs.
Rutter Herman, Mrs. Laumaster, Mrs.
Thomas A. Ziegle, Mrs. David Frey, Mrs.
Angus Barnitz, Mrs. Wherly, Lizzie
Brown, Kate Connelle, Isabel Gallagher,
Lizzie Gardner, Miss A. Upp, Amelia Dou-
del. Miss Mary Rupp, Miss Stine, Miss Car-
rie Hay, Miss Jennie Templeman, Mrs. Wil-
liam Smith, M"iss Sarah Sayres, Miss Theo-
dosia AVeiser, Mrs. Baumgartner, Miss
Belle Gallagher, Mrs. Ann Kraber, Miss
Eliza Smyser, Miss Sue Chalfant, Mrs.
Lucy Davis, Mrs. Martin Weigle, Miss
Ellen Funk, Miss Jennie King, Miss Annie
King, Miss Doudel, Mrs. Albert Smyser,
and many others. Some persons were un-
tiring in their labors at home who could
not go out to the hospital personally. Miss
Jane AVeiser had charge of the aid room.
THE CIVIL WAR
421
From this time, constant acces-
Wounded sions were received from the
From various battlefields. The worst
Antietam. cases came immediately after
the battle of Antietam. The
wounded men brought directly from the
battlefield were laid upon the floors of the
cars. One by one the sufferers were taken
and placed upon stretchers to be carried to
the hospital, followed by a compassionate
procession, eager to do something for their
relief. An inner row of barracks was
erected and the Odd Fellows' Hall was
granted for a temporary hospital: On Au-
gust 30, after the disastrous second Bull
Run battle, a call came from AA^ashington
for volunteer surgeons. Drs. AA^illiam S.
Roland, E. H. Pentz, S. J. Rouse, Obadiah
AA^ Johnston, James AA\ Kerr, Jacob Hay,
Jr., AA\ D. Bailey and M. C. Fisher left at
once, reaching their destination early the
following morning. On Sunday Dr. L. M.
Lochman, C. H. Bressler, O. C. Brickley,
Jonas Deisinger, AA^ J. Underwood, C. M.
Shafer, J. AA^. Vandersloot, S. R. Jones. R.
B. Hoven, A. C. Hetrick and J. AA". Brickley
followed. Transportation was furnished
by the Pennsjdvania Railroad Company.
The following card from the assistant secre-
tary of war. Colonel Thomas A. Scott,
proves his appreciation of their prompt re-
sponse :
Philadelphia, August 31, 1862.
To Mr. Henry Welsh, York, Penna. :
Your borough has responded nobly to the call for
surgeons, and deserves great praise. If there are more
willing to go, send them here tonight. Their services
for the next few days will be invaluable beyond price
to our wounded, suffering soldiers.
T. A. SCOTT.
During the winter the hospital had its full
quota of men. Surgeon Palmer, assisted
by the ward physicians from town, spared
no effort to make it a pleasant home for the
boys, often furnishing treats of ices, fruit,
and other luxuries from their own purses,
and devising ways to relieve the weary
days of convalescence. A^arious amuse-
ments were provided to while awa}' the
lonely winter evenings — readings, lectures
and musical entertainments. A library and
reading room were established. In the
spring many of the impatient boys were
able to join their regiments for the event-
ful campaign of -1863. Those incapable
of field dutv were detailed as nurses and
clerks, or filled other positions in the hos-
pital.
In June the air was filled with rumors
that scouts had appeared opposite AA^il-
liamsport, Maryland, and it was evident
that an invasion of Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania was contemplated. The imminent
danger of invasion, made York an unsafe
positioii for the sick and wounded men.
On the 15th the medical stores and com-
missary supplies, with the patients, were
taken to Columbia in charge of Dr. A. R.
Blair. They reached Columbia at mid-
night, where they met with a hospitable re-
ception. The ladies furnished food, bed-
ding, etc., for immediate use. The Odd
Fellows opened their hall to the fugitives
until quarters could be fitted up in the new
school building, which was occupied b}"
them for several months. Dr. Blair filled
the position of surgeon in charge, as Dr.
Palmer remained in York with five patients
who could not be removed ; they were held
prisoners of war while the Confederates
occupied the town. Dr. Palmer was re-
leased on parole.
After the withdrawal of the
From southern troops from York,
Gettysburg, arrangements were made for
the reception of the wounded
men from Gettysburg. A large number of
tents were put up. Every day brought
trains filled with patients as they were re-
moved from the field hospitals. AA^e had a
few prisoners here from a North Carolina
regiment. They were quartered in Odd
Fellows' Hall. AA^e found them g-rateful,
quiet and respectful in deportment. Great
care was taken to preserve the limbs of the
men, and many left the hospital unmaimed
who would have been laid upon the amputa-
tion table but for the extreme caution of
the surgeons. At one time seventy-two
men with compound fractures of the thigh
were transferred to York from the field
hospital at Gettysburg. They were treated
by "conservative surgery :" in most cases
the recovery was complete, although the
patient ever afterward bore the mark of his
honorable wounds.
As the autumn winds began to blow
across the stubble fields, the boys were
again shut in the hospital. Some who had
left here in the spring, able for active ser-
^-ice, were rettirned to swell the ranks of the
422
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
wounded and in\'alid corps. The familiar
scenes and well known faces of old friends
in attendance upon the hospital wards, w?re
greeted with pleasure by the poor fellows,
and the}' exerted themselves to make a
home-like place of their quarters. Pictures,
flags, and crayon sketches adorned the
white-washed \valls. Flowers and vines
blossomed and thrived in the little case-
ments, and a general air of comfort
reigned throughout the premises.
In November, 1863, Dr. Blair
Surgeon returned to the work in York,
Blair. and was made executive officer.
After leaving Columbia he had
gone to the Army of the Potomac, and
while there had a severe attack of bilious
fever, which rendered him incapable for
duty for a time. As executive officer. Dr.
Blair was most happy in resources to relie\'e
the tedium of the monotonous life. His
hands were sustained by an efficient corps
of surgeons. Amusements and employ-
ments for the mind were pro\-ided for as
carefully as for the healing of bodily dis-
eases. ■
As time wore on, the constant demand
upon the community for funds for the Sani-
tary Commission developed plans for rais-
ing them. A fair was held in the Odd Fel-
lows' Hall. It was a gratifying success.
The whole was beautifully decorated with
evergreens and draped with flags of the
national colors, and those of different
nations. Portraits of military and naval
heroes, framed in laurel wreaths, adorned
the walls. A profusion of flowers and
fancy work embellished the tables. Booths,
representing various nations, with attend-
ants in appropriate costumes, contained
curiosities to tempt the lover of bric-a-brac.
The lunch and supper tables were supplied
with the choicest viands, donated by the
citizens. A grand entertainment of music
and tableaux vivants was a popular feature
of the week. (The County Commissioners
granted the use of the Court House for the
exhibition.) The fine amateur talent, for
which York has always been celebrated,
was brought out and the stage represen-
tations were fully equal to professional
effort. The soldiers who were able, entered
the work with great zeal, and made them-
selves generally useful. The proceeds of
the fair amounted to $4,675.
In March, 1864, the first num-
The ber of the Cartridge Box was
Cartridge issued, edited and printed by
Box. the soldiers. It was a spicy lit-
tle sheet, brimming over with
fun and patriotism. It was published
weekly, and was continued until the close
of the hospital.
In the month of April, 1864, many vacant
places were left by the boys, who returned
to their regiments. Those who were still
unable for duty took great delight in im-
proving the external appearance of their
temporary home, and showed much pride in
keeping the grounds neat.
In May, preparations were ordered for
the reception of 1,500 patients. One hun-
dred additional tents were put up. At that
time there were 2,500 patients with twenty-
two surgeons. The ward committees re-
doubled their exertions in behalf of the
suffering men. The liberal citizens were
always equal to the emergency. The
farmers in the vicinity and the neighboring
towns of Lancaster and Columbia sent
timely contributions of clothing, bedding,
old linen, bandages and lint, and a great
al)undance of dried fruit, vegetables, butter,
eggs, in fact everything needed by the
patients requiring special diet.
The battle of the AVilderness,
Wilderness in Virginia, in 1864, furnished
and many recruits to the invalid
Cold ranks. They reached here in
Harbor. a sad condition. A marked
improvement was soon ap-
parent. The high situation and the pure
atmosphere of the hospital in York had a
salutary influence upon the health and
spirits. In June, a thousand additional
patients arrived from the battlefield of Cold
Harbor, in Virginia.
Under the excellent management of the
officer, the condition at the hospital had
continually improved. The mess table
seated 800, and was filled three times at
each meal. A track was laid through the
centre of the table with miniature cars to
con\-ey the food ; this model invention was
much admired by the visitors. But few
deaths occurred during the summer. Some
hopeless cases appealed to our sympathies,
and day by day we saw the night approach-
ing which would end the last struggle of
the gallant bovs.
THE CIVIL WAR
4^3
In September, Surgeon Palmer
Surgeon was granted a furlough of sixty
Palmer days to recruit his health. Before
Retires. leaving, Dr. Palmer addressed
the following circular to the
officers and attendants under his command:
United States Army, General Hospital,
York, Pa., Sept. 7.
To the officers and attendants of the United States
Army General Hospital, York, Penn.
In taking my leave of absence for sixty days, allow
me to express to you my sincere thanks for the ener-
getic, faithful manner the duties assigned you, have
been performed since we have been associated together
at this hospital.
The duties you have been ordered to perform have
been laborious and at times unpleasant, but the prompt-
ness and cheerfulness with which every order has been
obeyed ; your hearty co-operation in every movement to
relieve the sufferings and increase the comfort of your
sick and wounded fellow soldiers, entitles you to the
confidence and esteem of those who have been under
your care, and the thanks of the surgeon in charge.
HENRY PALMER,
Surgeon United States Army.
Drs. Blair, Smyser, Rouse and Kerr were
included in the corps of physicians. Dr.
Palmer was succeeded by Dr. St. John
Mintzer, who continued the improvements
to the buildings and grounds. He laid out
regular streets, planted trees, erected a
fountain, and beautified the grounds with
flowers and foliage beds.
The hospital was a miniature world in
itself, with postoffice, printing office, cabi-
net, carpenter, paint and tinshops. All the
work of the various departments was done
and the grounds kept in order by the con-
valescents, without one dollar additional
expense to the government, and not a man
w^as employed who was fit for field duty.
In the spring of 1865, the number of
patients was greatly reduced, the term of
enlistment of many of the men expired, and
they gladly exchanged the blue uniforms
for the citizen's dress.
The fall of Richmond, successive sur-
renders of the Confederate commanders
ended the war, and the mission of the York
military hospital was fulfilled.
NOTES OF INTEREST.
AVhen the Confederates under Early took
possession of York in 1863, they cut off tel-
egraphic communication with the outside
world and destroyed the railroad bridges in
the county. Telegraph poles were erected
and wires replaced immediately after Early
and his troops left for Gettj'sburg. The
railroad bridges between Hanover Junction
and Gettysburg were rebuilt by the govern-
ment within two or three days after the
battle.
For a time only one mail a day left York
at 6 o'clock in the morning and one mail
was received at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
All the bridges between Baltimore and Har-
risburg were rebuilt by Jul}^ 12, wdien the
first train ran over the Northern Central
Railroad for Harrisburg.
On July 21 several train loads of wounded
soldiers, in all about 1,000 men, arrived at
York from the field hospitals, at Gettys-
burg, and were placed in the United States
hospital at York.
When the Civil War opened in 1861, sil-
ver and gold were used as a medium of ex-
change together with the notes issued by
state banks. Coins made of silver and gold
soon rose in value, so that one dollar in coin
was worth two in paper money. On this
account coin soon ceased to be circulated
and for the convenience of trade and com-
merce a fractional currency was issued by
the United States Government. The first
two issues of this money were known as
United States Postal Currency and in a de-
gree resembled stamps issued by the Post
Office Department, except that they were
much larger. In 1863 the national banking
system was put into operation. Meantime
the United States government issued treas-
ury notes, then generally known as green-
backs, on account of their color. Gold
coins continued to rise in value and during
the summer of 1864 one dollar in gold was
worth $2.85 in greenbacks. That was the
highwater mark of our financial system dur-
ing the Civil War. The use of the frac-
tional currency by the government did not
always supply the necessary small change
for the transaction of business.
As early as October, 1862, the York Bank
issued script notes in values of 10, 25 and
50 cents. They were accepted by mer-
chants in York and elsewhere as a medium
of exchange for the purchase of goods.
Other institutions and some mercantile es-
tablishments also issued money of this kind
for the convenience of their patrons.
The fifty cent notes issued by the York
Bank were counterfeited. When this was
discovered all the genuine notes were called
in for redemption.
424
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The Sixth New York Cavah-y, one of the
noted military organizations of the Civil
\^'ar, came to York Christmas day, 1861.
This regiment, composed of twelve com-
panies, in all 900 men, remained here until
March, 1862. The men were at first quar-
tered in the buildings of the Agricultural
Society and the public school houses until
barracks were erected on the public com-
mon by Philip Stair.
On Januar}^ 29, 1861, a number of negro
slaves owned by Maryland planters passed
through York into Adams County, where
they were captured by their owners. These
slaves were brought back through York
and taken to Maryland without opposition.
During the early part pf the war very few
negroes came northward. A large number
of them migrated to the northern states
after the Emancipation Proclamation was
issued b}?- President Lincoln in the fall of
1862.
Several important victories were gained
by the army in Kentucky and West Vir-
ginia in 1862. These events were cele-
brated in York by all the bells in the town
ringing" in harmony for one hour.
A beautiful flag was floated to the breeze
for the first time over the United States
Hospital at York in July, 1862.
In September, 1862, the people of York
had an opportunity of seeing several hun-
dred Confederate prisoners pass through
the town. These southern soldiers had been
captured at Harper's Ferry and were taken
through Baltimore and York and west
to Camp Douglass near Chicago, where
many Confederates were imprisoned during
the war.
On AA'ednesday. July i, 1863, about 400
Union prisoners, released on parole at
Do\'er, came to York. The}^ had been cap-
tured at Westminster and Hanover by Stu-
art's Confederate Cavalry and taken to
Dover by Fitzhugh Lee's brigade after the
fight at Hanover. These soldiers were
bountifully fed by the citizens of York. On
the following day they returned to their
homes.
July 14, 1863, by order of the Secretary
of AVar, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and York
were designated as places of rendezvous for
the drafted men of Pennsylvania.
After the battle of Gettysburg the Phila-
delphia City Troop, commanded by Samuel
J. Randall, and Bell's Independent Cavalry
from Adams County, remained in York and
vicinity on scouting duty. On July 5th
they brought 100 stray horses and mules
into town.
November 28, 1863, all the bells of York
rang in honor of the Union victory, which
had been recently won at Chattanooga,
Tennessee.
INVASION OF 1864.
On July I, 1864, when General Grant was
pressing hard upon the Confederate army in
front of Petersburg, Lee detached General
Early with an army of about 17,000 men to
the Shenandoah Valley for the purpose of
threatening Washington. This was done
in order to divert a part of the Army of the
Potomac from its movement on Richmond.
Early crossed the Potomac and entered
Frederick, Maryland, on July 8. This raid
caused considerable anxiety in southern
Penns3dvania. General Lew Wallace, with
an army of about 6,000 men, met Early in a
hard-fought battle along the Monocacy
River, near Frederick. He prevented the
Confederate forces from reaching AVash-
ingtoii before the arrival of the two
divisions of the Sixth Army Corps and the
Nineteenth Army Corps to defend the city.
In this battle the Eighty-seventh Regiment
Pennsylvania Volunteers, serving in Rick-
ett's division of the Sixth Corps, recruited
from York County, took a very prominent
part and lost seventy-four men in killed,
wounded and captured. This event created
a great deal of excitement in York. AVal-
lace retreated toward Baltimore. A part of
the Confederate force mo\'ed eastward for
the purpose of destroying the railroad
bridges north of Baltimore.
Colonel John W. Schall, of the Eighty-
seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, was at
York. He had been wounded at Cold
Harbor, near Richmond, June 3, 1864, while
in command of the First Brigade, Third
Division, Sixth Army Corps. Having par-
tially recovered from his wound. Colonel
Schall organized five companies of Home
Guards at York into a battalion and pro-
ceeded to Cockeysville, arriving there on
the evening of July 9, shortly after Bradley
Johnston's troops had destroyed the rail-
road bridges in that vicinity. His battalion
was armed with rifles from the State of
BATTLE OF HANOVER
425
Pennsylvania. He remained with his com-
mand at Cockeysville and vicinity until
Early's Confederate Corps had been driven
back to the Shenandoah valley, and then
returned with his emergency men to York.
Before disbanding Colonel Schall's battalion
acted as an escort and fired the farewell
volley over the graves of Lieutenant John
F. Spangler and Lieutenant Charles F.
Haack, commanders of Company A and
Company K, Eighty-seventh Regiment,
who were killed at the battle of Monocacy.
The organization of the battalion is as
follows :
Colonel John Schall, commanding.
Adjutant — Adam Reisinger, late lieuten-
ant of Company B, One Hundred and Fifty-
third Regiment.
Quartermaster — E. G. Smyser.
Assistant Quartermaster — David Emmett.
Assistant Quartermaster — George H.
Maish.
Surgeon — Dr. J. "\\'. Kerr.
Chaplain — Rev. John H. Menges.
First Company — Captain AVilliam H. Al-
bright.
Second Company — Captain Henry Spang-
ler.
Third Company — Captain Henry Reis-
inger.
Fourth Company — Captain John Hayes.
Fifth Company — Captain Jacob Wiest.
After Early failed to reach AYashington
he retreated across the Potomac. He sent
a cavalry force of 3,000 men, under General
McCausland, into Pennsylvania, and on
July 31, 1864, he destroyed the borough of
Chambersburg, causing a loss of $3,000,000.
The population of the town at that time
was 3,000. AYhen Early entered Frederick,
Maryland, the day before the battle of
Monocacy, he made a levy of $200,000 on
Frederick, which amount was paid to avoid
the destruction of that town.
General AA'illiam B. Franklin, a native of
York and a distinguished soldier of the Civil
AVar, was on a train which had left Balti-
more for Philadelphia on the evening of
August 9, 1864. The train was suddenly
attacked by Confederate cavalry under
Harry Gilmore, and Franklin became a
prisoner. He was taken to Reisterstown
and placed in a tent. As the story goes,
he bribed the gviard and escaped four hours
after he was captured.
CHAPTER XXV
BATTLE OF HANOVER.
The First Collision — Kilpatrick Enters
Hanover — Colonel Payne a Prisoner —
Artillery Duel — Union Reports of the
Battle — Confederate Reports — Casualties
— The Leaders in the Battle — The Monu-
ment.
The battle of Hanover will always be
memorable in the annals of York County.
There had been slight skirmishes during
the invasion of 1863 in York, Cumberland
and Franklin counties, between small de-
tachments, before the engagement at Han-
over, where on the morning of June 30,
about 10,000 men on both sides were in
hostile array. Like many other severe con-
flicts of the Civil War, this affair occurred
by accident, tt was not a battle for which
plans had been made by the leaders of the
opposing forces. N'either General Stuart,
commanding three brigades of Lee's Con-
federate cavalry corps, moving northward on
the right of the Army of the Potomac, nor
General Kilpatrick, commanding the Third
Division of the Union cavalry corps, knew
the exact position of the enemjr, twenty-four
hours before the engagement opened.
In the disposition of the troops by Gen-
eral Meade at Frederick, on the morning of
June 29, General Gregg in command of the
Second Division of cavalry, 4,000 men, was
sent through Westminster and Manchester
to guard the extreme right of the Potomac
army and save AA^ashington from the raids
of the enemy. Buford with the First Divi-
sion, 4,000 men, was dispatched across the
ridge and took position on the plains around
Gettysburg on the morning of June 30.
General Judson Kilpatrick two days before
had been raised to the rank of brigadier
general and was placed in command of the
Third Division, composed of two brigades.
He was assigned the important duty of
moving forward through Taneytown to
Hanover, for the purpose of reconnoitering
the position, and ascertain the movements
of General Early, who with a division of
9,000 men, had occupied York on the morn-
ing of June 28.
The position of Stuart's cav-
Heard of airy at this time was not defi-
Kilpatrick. initely known by Meade, with
426
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
his headquarters at Frederick, Kilpat-
rick moved forward to Littlestown. where
he bivouacke^d for the night of June
29. Stuart, having crossed the Potomac at
Rowser's Ford, about twenty miles north-
west of Washington, with three brigades,
had moved northward through Westmin-
ster. The head of his column had encamped
for the night of June 29, at Union Mills,
only seven miles south of Littlestown. The
Confederate scouts had learned of Kilpat-
rick's presence at Littlestown, but the latter,
although always on the alert for news and
one of the most intrepid cavalry officers of
the Civil War, had failed to discover that
the Confederate cavalry was at Union Mills,
when he took up the march at daybreak
on June 30, from Littlestown toward
Hanover.
Chambliss' brigade led th.e ad\-ance from
Union Mills, nine miles southwest of Han-
over, and a detachment of it had scoured
the country during the night, reaching a
point within five miles of Hanover. Kil-
patrick's division moved toward Hanover
in the following" order : Kilpatrick with his
staff and body guard, a detachment from the
First Ohio: Custer with the First, Fifth,
Sixth and Seventh Michigan Regiments ;
Pennington's battery; Farnsworth with
the First Vermont, First West Virginia
and Fifth New York ; Elder's battery :
the ambulance wagons, horses and pack
mules. The Eighteenth Pennsylvania Cav-
alry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
William P. Brinton,_ brought up the rear
and was the last to leave Littlestown. This
regiment had been in service only a few
weeks and had never previously engaged
in battle, yet it was assigned the duty of
guarding and protecting the wagon train
immediately in front of it.
Captain H. C. Potter, with a de-
First tachment of forty men, twenty
Collision, each from companies L and M
of the Eighteenth Pennsylvania,
was ordered to form the rear guard. He
overtook Captain Freeland of the Eigh-
teenth Pennsylvania with a small squad,
which had been acting as a scouting party,
to scour the country and see if there were
any Confederates coming from the south.
Freeland and his men a few miles west of
Hanover, moved over to the right, where
thev came in contact with a small band of
Confederates. Shots were exchanged and
one Confederate soldier was killed, at Gift's
mill, about three miles southwest of the
town. He was the first victim of the en-
gagement. About the same time. Captain
Potter and his men came into contact with
a Confederate scouting party about three
miles west of Hanover on the Littlestown
road. A sharp conflict ensued but no one
was wounded. Lieutenant T. P. Shield of
the Eighteenth Pennsjdvania, with twenty-
five picked men guarding the flank, was
surprised and captured by the Thirteenth
Virginia cavalry, formerly commanded by
Colonel Chambliss, who at this time had
succeeded W. F. H. Lee in command of the
brigade which was leading the march to-
ward Hanover. This brigade was com-
posed of the Second North Carolina, Ninth,
Tenth and Thirteenth Virginia Regiments,
in all about 1500 men.
At 8 o'clock on the morning of
Kilpatrick June 30, General Kilpatrick,
Enters riding with his staff at the head
Hanover, of his column, entered Han-
over. Closely following him,
in uniform of velvet and with flowing curls,
rode the tall and handsome form of General
Custer, who, at the age of twenty-three
years, commanded a Michigan brigade, four
regiments. These Union soldiers had been
on a continuous march of nearly three
weeks and were tired and worn out. Kil-
patrick in company with Custer entered the
residence of Jacob Wirt, on Frederick
Street, and while in conversation with Rev.
Dr. W. K. Zieber, pastor of Emmanuel's
Reformed Church, said that his men needed
food to refresh them on their march. As
soon as the announcement was made to the
citizens who then filled the streets and the
sidewalks, they repaired to their homes and
brought coffee, bread and meat to the vet-
eran soldiers who received these provisions
on horseback. After resting for a short
time, regiment after regiment of Custer's
brigade moved out the turnpike toward
Abbottstown.
An hour had passed by before the Michi-
gan brigade had left the borough on its way
toward York. Then came General Farns-
worth, surrounded by his staff, and passed
through Centre Square. His regiments,
too, were bountifully fed. The First Ver-
mont and the First West Virginia reginrents
BATTLE OF HANOVER
427
had passed through the town by 10 A. M.
The Fifth New York, partly dismounted,
were resting in a line extending from Fred-
erick Street, through Centre Square and a
short distance down Abbottstown Street.
They were then being fed by the patriotic
citizens.
iMeantime, the detachments of the Eigh-
teenth Pennsylvania under Captains Potter
and Freeland, had the experiences related
above, with the enemy west of Hanover.
The brigade of Confederates
The under Chambliss had ap-
Confederate peared on elevated ground on
Attack. both sides of the Westminster
road, a short distance south-
west of Pennville. At the same time, th'ey
planted two cannon on the Samuel Keller
farm, near Plum Creek, and two on the
Jesse Rice farm, along the \A'estminster
road. The Thirteenth Virginia cavalry be-
gan the attack on the Eighteenth Penns^d-
vania Regiment, then passing through
Pennville with its line extending from Plum
Creek to the edge of Hanover. They made
a stubborn resistance, but owing to the
sudden attack, were driven slightly back.
General Stuart, who himself was within a
mile of Hanover, called Colonel W. H.
Payne, commanding the Second North Car-
olina Regiment, known as the "Black
Horse Cavalry," to charge the rear of Farns-
worth's brigade. This regiment contained
nearly 500 men who had participated in
many battles in Virginia. Colonel Payne,
leading part of the regiment, dashed down
the A\'estminster road and came in contact
with the Eighteenth Pennsylvania at the
eastern edge of Pennville, where the West-
minster road joins the Littlestown turnpike.
Meantime, one battalion of the North
Carolina troopers crossed through the fields
south of the Littlestown turnpike and
struck the flank of the Federal troops, com-
ing in to Frederick Street through the al-
leys. The Eighteenth Pennsylvania had
been cut in two. Part of it was to the rear
in Pennville. and these men retreated across
the fields toward iMcSherrystown. The ad-
vance of the regiment dashed pell-mell up
Frederick Street, through Centre Square,
and out Abbottstown Street to the railroad,
closely followed by the enemy. For a short
time the town of Hanover was in possession
of the Confederates. When the fight
opened, General Farnsworth was at the
head of his brigade near the village of New
Baltimore. He quickly ordered the First
West Virginia and the First Vermont to
fall back to the left and take position south-
east of town in line of battle.
Major Hammond, commanding the
Driven Fifth New York, had already re-
Out of formed his regiment on the Public
Town. Common and on Abbottstown
Street. \\'ith drawn sabres and a
terrific yell, this regiment drove the enemy
out of town.
General Farnsworth arrived at the scene
of action and directed the movements of
the Fifth New York. The North Carolina
troopers had captured the ambulance wag-
ons and were driving them out the Littles-
town pike toward Pennville. There were
hand to hand encounters on Abbottstown
Street, in various parts of the town and in
Centre Square, where five horses and two
or three men were killed. A spirited
contest took place in a field to the rear of
the Methodist Church, and on Frederick
Street, a short distance west of the church,
where Adjutant Gall, of the Fifth New
York, was killed. This contest was contin-
ued out the Littlestown road between Sam-
uel H. Forney's farm and Pennville, and
about two hundred yards on the Westmin-
ster road. It was along this line, amid much
confusion, that a hand to hand encounter
took place in which the mounted men on
both sides used sabres, carbines or pistols.
Captain Cabel, a member of Stuart's staft
and in 1906 principal of a military academy
at Staunton, Virginia, was cut in the head
with a sabre in front of the Forney house
and remained insensible for about six
hours. Twenty-seven horses and about a
dozen men lay dead on the road after , the
contest had ended.
Major White, of the Fifth New
Colonel York, was seriously wounded
Payne a near the junction of the AA'est-
Prisoner. minster and Littlestown roads,
and Thomas Burke, of the Fifth
New York, captured a battle flag from the
enemy. Upon the retreat. Colonel Payne
was slightly wounded and had a horse shot
under him in front of the AA'inebrenner tan-
nery. He concealed himself in a shed until
there was a lull in the fight and then became
a prisoner of war.
428
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
When the first gun was fired at
Custer Hanover about 10.30 A. M., Kil-
Hears patrick was riding at the head of
the Guns, his column, and had passed
through Abbottstown moving
on the turnpike toward York. He had just
received a message from General Pleasan-
ton, at Taneytown, through a courier, who
had passed north of Hanover, notifying him
that he might soon be attacked by Stuart's
cavalry. This was the first intimation Kil-
patrick had of the approach of the enemy.
As soon as the roar of the guns was heard.
General Custer reformed his regiments of
the Michigan brigade and ordered a coun-
termarch toward the scene of action.
Kilpatrick rode rapidly along
Kilpatrick's the line over the turnpike till
Ride. he reached the summit of the
Pidgeon Hills. Here he left
the pike, put his spurs to his horse, and
dashed through fields of wheat and corn.
The horse that carried the gallant rider to
the town of Hanover died a few hours later.
Kilpatrick arrived in Centre Square about
the time the contest out the AVestminster
road had been brought to a conclusion and
the enemy had been driven to their guns.
He took up his headquarters in room num-
ber 24 in the Central Hotel. There was
now a lull in the combat, and the enemy
were in position on a ridge extending from
the Keller farm to the rear of Pennville
across to Mount Olivet cemetery. They
held an impregnable position — one difficult
for a cavalry force to attack, because four
guns had been planted to their front.
During the contest Fitzhugh Lee,
Fitz . who had moved toward Hanover
Lee north of the Westminster road.
Arrives, arrived and took position about
one mile west of the town in a
woods and along a gentle elevation in the
fields, and here planted four guns ready for
action. His brigade was composed of the
First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Vir-
ginia cavalry regiments, numbering in all
about 2200 men. The borough of Hanover
was then entirely in possession of the Union
forces. General Farnsworth ascended to
the roof of Thomas Wirt's residence, later
owned by William Boadenhamer, in Centre
Square, and with a field glass ascertained
the position of the enemy. Meantime Gen-
eral Custer with his entire brigade of four
regiments had formed in line of battle be-
tween the Abbottstown turnpike and the
York road with the First Vermont and First
Virginia regiments to his front. After the
arrival of Lee, Kilpatrick ordered Custer to
move his brigade over to the right. The
First Michigan cavalry was put in line to
support Pennington's battery of horse ar-
tillery, six guns, which had been stationed
on Bunker Hill west of the Carlisle turn-
pike. Elder's battery of six guns, also horse
artillery, had been planted on Bunker Hill,
east of the Carlisle pike and to the rear of
the Eichelberger High School. It was
nearly 2 o'clock in the afternoon when
A\'ade Hampton arrived with the long train
of 125 captured wagons. About two miles
southwest of Hanover this wagon train was
parked in the form of a square and heavily
guarded. It was this wagon train that had
caused the battle. Stuart had determined
to protect it. If there was danger of re-
capture he would order it burned. He
moved Hampton over to the extreuTe right.
This brigade composed of the First North
Carolina, First and Second South Carolina,
Cobb's Georgia Legion, Philip's Georgia
Legion and a batter)^, in all about 2500 men,
were placed in line of battle from Mount
Olivet cemetery across the Baltimore turn-
pike to a short distance north of the York
road. He planted his battery of four guns
on the Baltimore pike near the cemetery.
They were supported by Cobb's Legion
which had previously done gallant service
in manjr battles.
As soon as the Confederates
Streets had been driven out of town.
Barricaded. Baltimore, York and Freder-
ick streets were barricaded by
the soldiers and citizens. Store boxes, ,
wagons, hay ladders, fence rails, barrels, bar
iron and anything that would prevent the
enemy from dashing into town were placed
across the streets. When the engagement
first opened Confederate shells and balls
had been fired over the town.
As soon as Pennington's and El-
The der's Union batteries were placed
Artillery in position an artillery duel was
Duel. opened. This was continued for
nearly two hours. Some of the
shells fell in town. Early in the contest a
ten-pound shell struck the residence of
Henrv AA'inebrenner on Frederick Street.
BATTLE OF HANOVER
429
It penetrated a door oil the balcony, shat-
tered a bureau inside and passed through
the floor to the cellar where the family had
gone to a place of safety. This shell like
many others fired by the Confederates did
not explode. Both the shell and bureau
have since been preserved as interesting-
mementoes of this thrilling time, bj^ Misses
Sarah and Martha Winebrenner, who were
present in the cellar when the shell struck
their house.
During the lull in the contest
A Noted Lieutenant Colonel Payne, as
Conference, a prisoner, was taken to the
headquarters of General Kil-
patrick at the Central Hotel. Both Farns-
worth and Custer were present at this con-
ference. After Colonel Payne had been
wounded in front of the Winebrenner tan-
nery at the edge of Frederick Street and his
horse shot under him, he bounded a fence
into the tan-yard. While trying to escape
to a building he fell into a tan-vat which
discolored his Confederate uniform. He
was helped out of this position by a sergeant
of the Fifth New York. In this sad plight
he appeared before General Kilpatrick and
his two brigadiers. Payne knew the tired
condition of his fellow soldiers who had
been marching" for nearly two weeks with-
out rest and tried to impress General K^il-
patrick that more than 12,000 men, Stuart's
entire force, were stationed a short distance
southwest of Hanover. He did this, as he
said at his home in Washington in 1900, to
prevent any further attack.
After Custer had moved over to the right
of the Union line he ordered the Sixth
Michigan Regiment, armed with Spencer
repeating rifles, to dismount. This regi-
ment had nearly 600 men who formed in
line and prepared for a charge. About 100
men took care of the horses which were ar-
ranged in line northward from the front of
St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, upon
whose steeple Kilpatrick had gone a short
time before to take observations and try to
ascertain the disposition of the Confederate
troops and their number. About the same
time Farnsworth ordered the Fifth New
York, which had been supporting" Elder's
Battery, in line of battle across Centre
Square and down Baltimore Street. The
First West Virginia was drawn up in line
out Baltimore Street. The First Vermont
was kept as a reserve on the Public Com-
mon.
The artillery duel between the
A Lull twelve guns of Pennington's and
in the Elder's batteries on Bunker Hill,
Contest, and the twelve guns of the Confed-
erates on the ridge south of town,
had ceased. There was another lull in the
fight. It was now 2 o'clock in the after-
noon. Kilpatrick seated in his room at the
hotel wrote a message describing the en-
gagement, and quickly sent it to Pleasanton
at Taneytown. AVhat might follow was
still a conundrum. The Union commander
knew nothing of the long wagon train about
three miles southwest of Hanover, parked
for the purpose of being destroyed by fire,
in case Kilpatrick had gained the advantage
in the fight. The gallant Farnsworth had
already won the victory, and Custer with a
battle line one mile in length, was behind
the guns on Bunker Hill. He was ready
for the fray.
About this time, mounted regiments of
the Confederates had repeatedly moved
down the slope of the hill, feigning an at-
tack and then returned to their positions.
The Sixth Michigan already dismounted,
marched toward the Littlestown turnpike
in a battle line extending from the edge of
town to Pennville, crossed the pike and
crept on their hands and knees up the slope
in the Forney field, and fired with their re-
peating" rifles upon the enemy, three hun-
dred yards away. The right of the line had
been flanked and fifteen men of this regi-
ment became. prisoners of war. It then fell
back and repeated the same movement to
be ready for any attack of the Confederates.
By this movement of Custer to the north of
Hanover, Kilpatrick had opened communi-
cations with the Twelfth Army Corps rest-
ing at Littlestown and a short distance
westward. His courier could now convey
his dispatch to Taneytown.
The attitude of Stuart during the
Lee whole afternoon, when the Union
Guards troops were manouvering for ad-
Wagon vantageous positions, was to pre-
Train. vent a reopening of the fight and
to protect the wagon train with
its valuable munitions of war. As the
Twelfth Army Corps was only a short dis-
tance to the rear of Fitzhugh Lee's brigade,
Stuart ordered the latter to move south-
43°
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
ward, take charge of the wagon train and
proceed with all possible speed toward Jef-
ferson. The light had now ended but the
brigades of Chambliss and Hampton re-
mained in position until the sun had sunk
behind the western horizon and the shades
of evening had begun to fall. They fol-
lowed the wagon train toward Jefferson.
The local incidents of this movement will
be found in the Confederate reports which
follow, and in the history of the boroughs
of Jefferson, Dover and Dillsburg, and the
townships of Codorus, Dover and Warring-
ton in this volume. Stuart's men had cap-
tured 385 horses in Codorus Township and
by the time they reached Dillsburg they
were in possession of 1,000 York County
horses which they rode into the battle of
Gettysburg.
UNION REPORTS OF THE BATTLE.
At the time the engagement opened,
Meade in command of the Army of the Po-
tomac, had his headquarters at Taneytown,
Maryland, where he was laying plans for the
impending battle with Lee, General Pleas-
anton, in command of all the cavalry of the
Potomac Army, remained with Meade at
Taneytown, during the afternoon of June
30 and July i. Lieutenant Colonel Alexan-
der, assistant adjutant general of Pleasan-
ton's cavalry, had been moved forward to
Littlestown, seven miles west of Hanover.
From this point, he sent out couriers to no-
tify the head of the army and General Pleas-
anton, of all the movements of the contend-
ing forces in the vicinity of .Hanover and
York. Early in the afternoon of June 30,
General Kilpatrick at his headquarters,
wrote the following report of his engage-
ment with Stiiart and sent it with a courier
to Pleasanton :
General — Five minutes after your dis-
patch saying that General Stuart was mak-
ing for Littlestown, my rear guard was at-
tacked in Hanover, driven in, and a vigorous
charge was made upon the rear and flanks
of my commands. At the same time the
enemy opened with artillery from the hills
at the right of the town. Brigadier General
Farnsworth quickly threw his brigade into
position and by quick and vigorous charges,
checked the attack and drove the enemy out
of town. The enemy soon showed himself
in force on the left of Hanover, and fool-
ishly put himself in my rear. After a fight
of about two hours, in which my whole com-
mand at different times engaged, I made a
vigorous attack upon their center, forced
them back upon the road to Littlestown,
and finally succeeded in breaking their
center. Stuart then retreated toward York.
As the enemy was reported to be advancing
toward me from East Berlin, I made no
further attempt to intercept Stuart's com-
mand. I have captured one battle flag.
Lieutenant Colonel Payne, one captain and
forty-five privates. Upwards of fifteen of
the enemy have been killed. My loss was
eleven killed and several wounded. I have
gone into camp at Hanover. \\'e have
plenty of forage, men are in good spirits.
and we don't fear Stuart's whole cavalry
composed of three brigades.
Soon after sending the above dispatch.
General Kilpatrick rode out the turnpike
toward Abbottstown. His force was then
going into camp for the night on both sides
of the turnpike between Hanover and the
Pidgeon Hills. He was continually send-
ing out scouts to ascertain the movements
of the enemy and in this work was remark-
ably successful. On the morning of June
30, General Early, with his division of 9,000
men, had left York and reached East Berlin
in the evening, on his way toward Gettys-
burg. He had moved toward Heidlersburg
to join the other two divisions of Ewell's
corps, which had been moved from Carlisle
toward Gettysburg. About 7 o'clock in
the evening having obtained this informa-
tion and with his headquarters in his sad-
dle, on the highest point of the turnpike,
over the Pidgeon hills, Kilpatrick wrote a
second dispatch and sent it to x\lexander
at Littlestown, who conveyed it to Pleasan-
ton, at Taneytown.
General — I have the honor to report that
after an encounter with General Stuart's
force, I have succeeded in cutting his col-
umn in two. One portion, estimated at
al^out 4,000, with from five to seven pieces
of artillery, is now encamped in the woods
on the left (east) side of the turnpike from
Hanover to Baltimore; the other is also in
the woods on the right (west) side of the
road from Hanover to Littlestown. I am
not informed as to its strength. I have
sent out scouts to ascertain the exact
position of the first division and intend.
MAJ. GEN. JUDSON KILPATRICK
Commander of the Union forces at the Battle of Hanover
GEN. E. J. FARNSWORTH
Commander of a brigade at the Battle of Hanover, and killed
in the Battle of Gettysburg
GEN. GEORGE A. CUSTER
Who commanded a Michigan brigade at the
Battle of Hanover
f
BATTLE OF HANOVER
431
if possible, to attack their camp at day-
break.
A strong column of the enemy's force,
under General Early, left York this morn-
ing to march westward. I conclude that
they are concentrating at Gettysburg". I
will attack if I can by any means find
proper roads. Stuart is now moving
toward York, cutting his wa}^ through the
fields southeast of Hanover. There is a
considerable force at East Berlin. I am
now midway between Abbottstown and
Hanover. I can not advance further and
keep communication open with Littlestown.
Scouting parties have been sent out toward
York, Do\'er and Carlisle.
General Farnsworth, whom
Hammond's Kilpatrick credits with having
Report. saved the. day at Hanover,
was killed on the extreme left
of the Union line at Gettysburg, on July 3.
No official report of his brigade appears in
the government records. Major Ham-
mond, who commanded the Fifth New
York, at Hanover, in August, 1863, made
the following report :
My regiment was fourth in column on
the march from Littlestown, the First Ver-
mont, First West Virginia, and Elder's
battery being in advance and the Eigh-
teenth Penns3dvania Cavalrj^ in the rear.
After we entered Hanover, we halted on
the main street. While resting, an attack
was made on the Eighteenth Pennsylvania,
which moved forward in confusion upon the
rear of my regiment, which had faced about
and was trying to clear the streets of the
fugitives preparatory to making a charge
upon the advancing column of the enemy.
They finally succeeded; and, without
waiting for orders, immediately charged
upon the enemy, driving them to the out-
side, of the town, where we found a large
force drawn up in the road as a reserve, and
received from them a severe fire, causing
the men to halt for a moment. General
Farnsworth, arriving from the front at this
time, the men were re-formed, and made
another charge, driving the enemy in con-
fusion along the road and through the
fields. Private Thomas Burke, of Com-
pany A, captured a battle flag from the
enemy in this charge, and subsequently
turned it over to General Kilpatrick. The
enemy finding himself repulsed, opened
upon the town with artillery. Skirmishers
were immediately sent forward, and a re-
serve force placed at the outer edge of the
town. On returning to the other side,
where the rest of the brigade was drawn up
in line, I was ordered to act as a support to
Elder's battery. Finding that our position
endangered the town, we moved around to
the eastern side, when the Second Brigade,
having returned, I was ordered by General
Kilpatrick to flank the enemy's position and
capture the battery, if possible, and to order
an advance of the skirmishers on the right,
which was done.
On August 10, 1863, forty
Kilpatrick's days after the engagement at
Report. Hanover, General Kilpatrick,
then in camp in Virginia, sent
his official report of the Gettysburg cam-
paign to the government. In this report
he makes the following statements :
On June 29, in compliance with orders
from headquarters cavalry corps, I assumed
command of the Third Division, till then
known as Stahl's division. The actual
strength of the division was 3,500, although
it numbered on paper upward of 4,000 men
for duty. On the morning of June 29, the
First Brigade (General Farnsworth), con-
sisting of the Fifth New York, Eighteenth
Pennsylvania, First Vermont, First West
Virginia Cavalry, and Elder's Battery,
United States Horse Artillery, left Fred-
erick City, and marched to Littlestown,
Pennsylvania.
The Second Brigade (General Custer),
consisting of the First, Fifth, Sixth, and
Seventh Michigan Cavalry, and Penning-
ton's Battery, United States Horse i^rtil-
lery, reached the same place at 10 P. M. the
same day.
At daylight on the morning of the 30th,
the division marched to find the enemy.
We reached Hanover at 10 A. M., and while
passing through the town (the Second
Brigade in advance), the First Brigade
(General Farnsworth) was attacked in
flank and rear by the Confederate cavalry
under Stuart. Some confusion ensued.
The attack was determined and fierce. The
main and side streets swarmed with the
enemy's cavalry. The Eighteenth Pennsyl-
vania was routed, but the gallant Farns-
worth had passed from front to rear ere the
shout of the Confederate charge had ceased
43^
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
to ring through the quiet street, faced the
Fifth New York about, countermarched the
other regiments, and with a rush and blow
struck the enemy's hosts in full charge.
For a moment, and a moment only, victory
hung uncertain. For the first time our
troops had met the foe in close contact ; but
we were on our own free soil ; fair hands,
regardless of the dangerous strife, waved
our men on, and bright tearful eyes looked
pleadingly out from every window. The
brave Farnsworth made one great effort,
and the daj^ was won. The foe turned and
fled.
General Custer's brigade had now re-
turned, and to save the town, I moved first
to its left and afterward to its right. The
main streets were barricaded and held by
our troops and the citizens, who gallantly
volunteered to defend their homes. After
an artillery duel of an hour, in which Pen-
nington and Elder both participated, the
enemy gave way and we formed a junction
with the main army, from which we had
been separated for several hours.
In this engagement we lost : Officers, 2
killed, 6 wounded, and five missing; enlisted
men, 17 killed, 35 wounded, and 118
missing, making an aggregate of 197 killed,
wounded and missing. Owing to the
nature of the attack, our loss was greater
than that of the enemy. AVe killed upward
of "twenty, took fifty prisoners, and captured
one battle flag. The First Brigade (Gen-
eral Farnsworth), and especially the Fifth
New York Cavalry, was greatly distin-
guished in this engagement. July i, the
division marched to Berlin, via Abbotts-
town, to intercept Stuart, but failed. A
detachment under Lieutenant Colonel A.
J. Alexander pursued Stuart to Ross-
ville.
General George A. Custer, in his official
report, made out September 9, 1863, says :
First Michigan of my command was
ordered to support Battery M, Second U. S.
x\rtillery, at the Hanover engagement. No
loss was sustained, as this regiment was not
actually engaged.
Fifth Michigan was also in the fight but
suffered no loss.
Sixth Michigan Cavalry drove the enemy
to their guns, which we found supported by
a heavy force of cavalry. A sharp engage-
ment followed, in which we were outnum-
bered by the enem}' six to one. This regi-
ment lost 15 captured.
Battery M, Second U. S. Artillery, under
my command, while between Hanover and
Abbottstown, had a chest of one caisson
explode, mortally wounding one man and
killing 2 horses.
CONFEDERATE REPORTS.
In September, 1863, General J. E. B.
Stuart reported to his government at Rich-
mond the part he took during the Confed-
erate invasion of 1863 into Pennsylvania.
His account of the engagement at Hanover
will be read with interest :
I engaged a squad of the First Delaware
Cavalry at Westminster, Maryland, June
29th. They soon retreated towards Balti-
more. We encamped, that night, a few
miles above Westminster, General Fitzhugh
Lee's brigade in advance, halting the head
of the column at Union Mills, midway be-
tween AVestminster and Littlestown-. At
Union Mills Ave heard that the Federal
cavalry had reached Littlestown and was
encamped there June 29th. Early next
morning we resumed our march by a cross
route for Hanover. General AV. F. H. Lee's
brigade, then commanded by Chambliss,
was now in the advance. General AVade
Hampton was in the rear with the wagon
train and Fitz Lee's brigade was moving on
out left flank between Littlestown and our
road.
About 10 A. M. the head of our column
reached Hanover and there we found a
large body of the enemy's cavalry going
through the town, moving toward a gap in
the mountains (Pidgeon hills) which I in-
tended using on account of the elevation.
The enemy soon discovered our approach,
and made a demonstration toward attacking
us, which we promptly met by a gallant
charge by Colonel Chambliss' brigade,
which not only repulsed the enemy, but
drove him pell-mell through the town in
great confusion. AA^e captured ambulances
and a large number of prisoners, all of
which were brought safely through to our
lines, but were closely followed by the
enemy's fresh troops. If my command had
been well closed now, this cavalry column
which we had struck near the rear, would
have been at our mercy, but owing to the
great elongation of the column by reason of
BATTLE OF HANOVER
433
tlie one hundred and twenty-five captured
wagons and the hilly roads, General Hamp-
ton was a long distance behind us on his
way to Hanover, and Fitz Lee was not yet
heard from. In retiring with the prisoners
and ambulances, Lieutenant Colonel ^^^ H.
Payne, of the Fourth Virginia Cavalry,
temporarily in command of the Second
North Carolina Cavalry, was taken prisoner
in a gallant attempt to cut off a body of the
enemy by a flank movement oh the town.
The delay in getting up reinforcements
enabled the Federal cavalry to gain posses-
sion of the town.
Hanover is situated in a valley
Trouble surrounded by heights which
with were in our possession. These
Wagon heights were crowned with artil-
Train. lery. Our position was im-
pregnable to cavalry even with so
small a force. We cut the enemy's column
in twain. General Fitz Lee in the mean-
time fell upon the rear portion, driving it
handsomely and capturing one of Kilpat-
rick's staff. Our wagon train was now a
subject of serious embarrassment, but I
thought by a detour to the right, by Jeffer-
son, I could save it. I therefore determined
to try it, particularly as I was satisfied from
any accessible source of information, as well
as from the lapse of time, that the Army of
Northern Virginia must be near the Susque-
hanna. My supply of ammunition was
nearly exhausted. I had an immense train
of wagons and four hundred prisoners
which I had captured in Hanover and on
the way northward. General Hampton
arrived at Hanover in the meantime, and
engaged the enemy farther to the right, and
finally with his sharpshooters, dislodged the
Federal force from the town of Hanover.
The enemy then moved to our left, appar-
ently to re-unite his broken columns, but
pressing us with dismounted men on our
left flank.
General Fitz Lee's brigade was
Sleeping now just at the head of the
in Their column, and he was instructed to
Saddles, push on with the train through
Jefferson to York, and com-
municate as soon as possible with the army.
Hampton brought up the rear. A\'e were
not molested on our march, which was over
a very dark road on the night of the 30th of
June. Our soldiers were much fatigued.
Whole regiments slept in the saddle on the
march, their faithful horses keeping the
road unguided. In some instances they fell
from their horses, being overcome with
sleepiness. We passed on through Jeft'er-
son to Dover, reaching there on the next
morning. There we paroled our prisoners.
I. heard that General Early had marched
westward from York. We then pushed on
to Carlisle, going through Dillsburg. I be-
lieved while on this march that most of the
Army of Northern Virginia was then
around Harrisburg.
Major H. B. McClellan, adjutant general
and chief of staff to General J. E. B. Stuart,
wrote a volume entitled "Campaign of
Stuart's Cavalry," which was published in
the year 1885. One of the chapters of this
interesting volume gives an extended
account of the cavalry engagement at Han-
over. The author also describes the march
of Stuart's cavalry corps after it crossed the
Potomac until it reached Hanover and
finally Gettysburg, with so much care and
exactness that his account is given herewith
in full, because of its historic value. Major
McClellan gives a graphic description of the
manner in which Stuart's cavalry crossed
the Potomac at Rowser's Ford, about
twent}- miles northwest of Washington, and
captured Meade's wagon train, which inci-
dent gave rise to the engagement at Han-
over. He says :
Stuart's men carried the con-
Crossing tents of the caissons and limber
the chests across the Potomac at
Potomac. Rowser's Ford and put them
back after the caissons and lim-
ber chests had been taken over. Stuart,
with three brigades, commanded respect-
ively by Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee and
Chambliss, completed the crossing of the
river at 3 A. M. of June 28. No more
difficult achievement was accomplished by
our cavalry during the war. The night was
calm and without a moon. No prominent
object marked the entrance to the ford on
either side, but horse followed horse
through the water, which often covered the
saddles of the riders. When the current
was strong the line would unconsciously be
borne down the river, sometimes so far as to
cause danger of missing the ford, when
some bold rider would advance from the op-
posite shore and correct the alignment.
434
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Energy, endurance, and skill were taxed to
the utmost; but the crossing was effected,
and so silently that the nearest neighbors
were not aware of it until daylight.
It was past noon when Stuart
Captured entered Rockville. While halt-
a Wagon ing for the purpose of destroy-
Train. ing the telegraph line, and to
procure supplies, information
was brought of the approach from Wash-
ington of a large train of wagons on the
way to Meade's army. Lieutenant Thomas
Lee, Second South Carolina Cavalry, with
four men from his regiment, dashed along
the train and routed its small guard. Al-
though some of the wagons in the rear had
turned about and were moving rapidly
toward Washington, Lee reached the one
foremost in the retreat, and halted and
turned it about within sight of the defenses
of the city. Chambliss' brigade followed,
and the whole train was secured. One
hundred and twenty-five of the wagons, and
all of the animals belonging to the train
were turned over to the chief quartermaster
of the Army at Gettysburg.
It must be acknowledged that the capture
of this train of wagons was a misfortune.
The time occupied in securing it was insig-
nificant, but the delay caused to the subse-
quent march was serious at a time when
minutes counted almost as hours. Had
Stuart been entirely unimpeded, he would
have probably passed Hanover on the 30th
before the arrival of Kilpatrick's division,
and would have been in communication
with General Lee before nightfall on that
day. That this would have altered the
result of the campaign is a matter of grave
doubt, but it would certainly have relieved
the movement of the cavalry around the
rear of Meade's army of the disapprobation
to which some have given expression.
Much time was necessarily
Skirmish at consumed in tearing up the
Westminster, track at Hood's Mill, in
l^urning the bridge at Sykes-
ville, and in destroying the telegraph line ;
but this work was effectually accomplished
and the last means of commrmication be-
tween General Meade's army and W^ash-
ington was destroyed. Stuart now pressed
on to W^estminster, wdiich he reached about
.5 o'clock P. M. Here the advance en-
countered a brief but stubborn resistance
from two companies of the First Delaware
Cavahy, commanded by Major N. B.
Knight. This fight was more gallant than
judicious on the part of Major Knight, for
he reports a loss of sixty-seven men out of
ninety-five. Two offfcers of the Fourth
Virginia Cavalry who were well known as
among the best in the regiment— Lieuten-
ants Pierre Gibson and John W. Murray,
were killed in this affair.
" For the first time since the 24th
Kilpatrick an abundance of provisions for
Near. men and horses was obtained
at Westminster; and moving
the head of his column to Union Mills, on
the Gettysburg road, Stuart rested for the
remainder of the night. Here he ascer-
tained that Kilpatrick's cavalry had reached
Littlestown, seven miles distant, on the
same evening, and had gone into camp. At
this day we can see that it would have been
better had Stuart here destroyed the cap-
tured wagons. Up to this time they had
caused no embarrassment, for the necessary
delay in destroying the railroad and tele-
graph on the previous day had given ample
time for the movement of the train. But
now the close proximity of the enemy sug-
gested the probability of a collision on the
morrow, and the separation of the brigades
by the wide interval which the train occu-
pied was a disadvantage which might well
have caused its immediate destruction.
But it was not in Stuart's nature to abandon
an attempt until it had been proven to be
beyond his powers; and he determined to
hold on to his prize until the last moment.
This was unfortunate. Kilpatrick's divi-
sion, at Littlestown, was only seven miles
from Hanover. His march would of course
be directed upon that point early the next
morning. '
To reach the same place Stuart
Clash must traverse more than ten miles ;
of but an early start and an unimpeded
Arms, march would have placed him in
advance of his adversary. As it
was he struck the rear of Farnsworth's
brigade at about 10 o'clock on the morning
of the 30th, in the town of Hanover, and
scattered one regiment, the Eighteenth
Pennsylvania Cavalr^^ inflicting upon it a
loss of eighty-six officers and men. The
Second North Carolina Cavalry, tempo-
rarily commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
BATTLE OF HANOVER
435
A\\ H. Payne, of the Fourth Virginia Cav-
ah-y, made this attack, which, if it could
have been properly supported, would have
resulted in the rout of Kilpatrick's com-
mand. But Hampton was separated from
the leading brigade by the whole train of
captured wagons, and Fitz Lee was march-
ing on the left flank to protect the column
from an attack by way of Littlestown.
There was nothing at the front but Cham-
bliss' small brigade ; and before anything
could be brought to the assistance of the
Second North Carolina, General Farns-
worth rallied his regiments, and drove the
North Carolinians from the town. In this
charge Lieutenant Colonel Payne was cap-
tured.
The road upon which this fight occurred
debouches from the town of Hanover to-
ward the south, and at a distance of per-
haps three hundred yards from the town
makes a turn almost at right angles as it
ascends the hill beyond, enclosing a piece
of meadow land, through which flows a lit-
tle stream, whose steep banks form a ditch
from ten to fifteen feet wide and from three
to four feet deep. Stuart, with his staff
and couriers, occupied this field, on the side
next the enemy. When the Second North
Carolina broke and retreated under Farns-
worth's charge, this party maintained its
positions for some moments, firing with
pistols at the flank of the enemy, who pur-
sued the North Carolina regiment on the
road.
The position soon became one of
Stuart's extreme personal peril to Stuart,
Peril. whose retreat by the road was cut
ofl:. Nothing remained but to
leap the ditch. Splendidly mounted on his
favorite mare, A^irginia, Stiiart took the
ditch at a running leap, and landed safely
on the other side with several feet to spare.
Some of his party made the leap with equal
success, but not a few horses failed, and
landed their riders in the shallow water,
whence by energetic scraml^ling they
reached the safe side of the stream. The
ludicrousness of the situation, notwith-
standing the peril, was the source of much
merriment at the expense of these un-
fortunate ones.
Upon the repulse of the Second North
Carolina, Stuart retired to the hills south
and east of Hanover, which gave him such
commanding position that the enemy de-
clined further advance. Hampton, on his
arrival, was moved to the right, and by
means of his sharpshooters dislodged the
enemy from that part of the town. Fitz
Lee, in moving up on the left, had en-
countered a part of Custer's brigade, and
captured a member of Ivilpatrick's staff and
a number of other prisoners. In the mean-
time the wagons had been placed in closed
park, and preparation had been made to
burn them should the necessity arise. But
Custer's brigade, which had at first been
placed on Kilpatrick's left, was subse-
quently moved to his right, and Hampton's
success having relieved Stuart's right, he
now determined to send Fitz Lee forward
with the train, through Jefferson toward
York, hoping thus to gain information
which would guide his future movements.
It was, however, late in the
Confederates afternoon before this could
Withdraw. be effected, and not until
night had fallen did Stuart
deem it prudent to withdraw from Kilpat-
rick. who still maintained his threatening-
position in front of Hanover. Kilpatrick
showed no disposition to hinder Stuart's
withdrawal, or to pursue him on the follow-
ing day. He had been roughly handled
during the short engagement at Hanover,
and himself acknowledged an aggregate
loss of 197. He moved as far northward on
the next day as Abbottstown, and sent a de-
tachment, under Lieutenant Colonel A. J.
Alexander, which followed Stuart's trail as
far as Rossville, but neither of these move-
ments came within Stuart's observation.
During the night march to Jeffer-
A son, the wagons and prisoners
Night were a serious hindrance. Nearly
March, four hundred prisoners had ac-
cumulated since the parole at
Cooksville. Many of these were loaded in
the wagons ; some of them acted as drivers.
The mules were starving for food and
water, and often became unmanageable.
Not infrequently a large part of the train
would halt in the road because a driver
toward the front had fallen asleep and al-
lowed his team to stop. The train guard
became careless throvtgh excessive fatigue,
and it required the utmost exertions of
every officer on Stuart's staff to keep the
train in motion. The march was continued
436
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
through the entire niglit, turning north-
ward near Jefferson. When Fitz L,ee
reached the turnpike leading from York to
Gettysburg he learned that Early had re-
traced his steps, and had marched west-
ward. The best information which Stuart
could obtain seemed to indicate that the
Confederate army was concentcating in the
vicinity of Shippensburg.
After a short rest at Dover, on
From the morning of the ist of July,
Dover Stuart pressed on toward Carlisle.
to hoping there to obtain provisions
Carlisle, for his troops, and definite infor-
mation concerning the army.
From Dover he sent Major A. R. Venable,
of his stafif, on the trail of Early's troops,
and at a later hour of the day Captain
Henry Dee, of Fitz Lee's staff, was sent
toward Gettysburg on a similar errand.
Stuart had reached Carlisle before either of
these officers could return with a report.
He found the town in the possession of the
enemy. AA'hen the Confederate infantry
had withdrawn from it. General W. F.
Smith had occupied the town with two
brigades of militia, supported by artillery
and a small force of cavalry. General
Smith was siunmoned to surrender, but re-
fused. While preparing to enforce his de-
mand Stuart received, through Major Ven-
able and Captain Lee, orders to move at
once for Gettysburg. Hampton's brigade,
then in charge of the wagon train, had
brought up the rear from Dover, and had
not yet reached Dillsburg, at which place he
was met and turned southward, through
York Springs, with orders to proceed ten
miles on the road toward Gettysburg before
halting.
After burning the barracks
Marches to and throwing a few shells into
Gettysburg, the outskirts of Carlisle, from
which a constant fire of mus-
ketry had been maintained, Stuart with-
drew from the town and proceeded in the
same direction. Hampton reached Hun-
terstown on the morning of the 2d of July,
and was ordered to move thence to take
position on the left of the Confederate in-
fantry at Gettysburg. Before this move-
ment was completed he received infor-
mation of the advance of Kilpatrick's di-
vision upon Hunterstown, and was directed
by Stuart to return and meet it. General
Hampton states that after some skirmish-
ing the enemy attempted a charge, which
was met in front by the Cobb Legion, and
on either flank by the Phillips Legion and
the Second North Carolina Cavalry, and
that the enemy was driven back to the sup-
port of his dismounted men and artillery.
He held the field until the next morning,
when he found that the enemy had retired,
leaving in Hunterstown some of his
wounded officers and men. Lieutenant
Colonel \\'. G. Deloney was wounded in this
affair and the Cobb Legion suffered other
severe losses.
WHien the scouts reported to
Kilpatrick's Kilpatrick that Stuart was
Orders. moving eastward, he did not
prepare to follow, because of
his orders from Meade to keep in touch
wjth the army headquarters at Taneytown.
\\'hen Kilpatrick left Frederick he was in-
structed to keep Stuart, if he met him, to the
right, while Gregg was moving eastward
toward Hanover Junction. At this time
Gregg, with the Second Division of cavalry,
was near Manchester, twelve miles south of
Hanover. Sedgwick, with the Sixth Army
Corps, numbering sixteen thousand men,
was near Westminster moving eastward.
Sykes, with the Fifth Army Corps, number-
ing 15,400 men, was on the way toward
Union Mills, with Hanover as his desti-
nation. Kilpatrick was in communication
with the Twelfth Corps, under Slocum, then
at Littlestown, while the Eleventh Corps,
under Howard, was a short distance to the
west. Stuart had no other direction to take
than to move eastward, for his scouts had
conveyed to him the news that Gregg's
cavalry was a few miles away to the south-
west.
At four o'clock in the afternoon.
Fifth General Barnes, commanding the
Corps First Division of the Fifth Army
Arrives. Corps, arrived from Union Mills,
over the same road that Stuart
had passed the day before. He was closely
followed by the Second Division, under
General Ayres. The Third Division, under
General Crawford, commanding the Penn-
sylvania Reserves, brought up the rear.
The entire corps made preparations to
bivouac for the night in the fields and
meadows southwest of Hanover. Nineteen
beeves had been slain on the Sell and Keller
BATTLE OF HANOVER
437
farms in preparation of a bountiful supper
for the hungry men. Kettles, pots and skil-
lets had been placed over open fires, with
coffee and meat, which was cooking for the
evening meal, when a dispatch bearer from
Meade, at Taneytown, ordered General
Sykes to move at once toward Gettysburg.
The Fifth Corps had previously been com-
manded by General Meade, who was now
the head of the Potomac Army, preparing
to move his headquarters from Taneytown
to Gettysburg, where the battle had been
opened by the First and Eleventh Corps, on
July I. When the courier arrived, he found
General Sykes, with his division command-
ers, Barnes, Ayres and Crawford, and six of
their aides seated at the supper table, at the.
home of Henry Sell, one mile west of Han-
over on the Littlestown road.
General Sykes received the dispatch, read
it aloud to his officers, who immediately
went to their divisions, and ordered the
bugles to be sounded for the night march
toward Gettysblirg. The provisions were
still cooking when the men were formed in
line and moved toward Gettysburg. The
following two days this corps took a
prominent part in the great battle.
General Gregg, who commanded the
Second Division of Union Cavalry in the
Gettj'sburg cariipaign, resided in Reading,
Penns3dvania, in 1906, when he gave the fol-
lowing report of his movements on June 30
to July 3, 1863:
My division arrived at Westminster only
a few hours after General Stuart's Confed-
erate cavalry had passed through on the
way to Hanover. I arrived wnth my divi-
sion at Manchester on the 30th and was
there while General Stuart and General
Ivilpatrick were engaged in a sharp conflict
at Hanover, but at that time I knew nothing
about this fight, although I was expecting
that I might come in contact with Stuart
myself at any hour that day.
At Manchester I received orders
Gregg's to move eastward to Hanover
Cavalry. Junction and protect Baltimore.
If Baltimore was not threatened
by the enemy I was to proceed with my
division to York. I arrived at the Junction
on the morning of July i, the day the battle
of Gettysburg opened. I had three
brigades, then commanded by General Mc-
intosh, General Irwin Gregg, who was my
cousin, and Colonel Huey. I ordered
Colonel Huey back to Manchester to guard
my baggage train. I passed from Man-
chester across York County to Hanover
Junction on a forced march, and arrived
there shortly after General Stuart and his
brigade commanders, Hampton, Lee and
Chambliss, had held a conference in the
farm house of John A. Zeigler, not far away.
The station house at the Junction and the
railroad bridges nearby had all been burned
by Colonel AA'hite's Virginia cavalry, sent
there by General Early on June 27, on his
way to York.
While at Hanover Junction I was unable
to communicate with York or Baltimore,
for the telegraph line had been cut by the
enemy, but received two messages by
couriers from General Meade, whose head-
quarters were then at Taneytown, Mary-
land. One of these messages ordered me
to move toward Baltimore, which move-
ment I began to. make when the second
message directed me to proceed with all
possible haste toward Gettysburg, where
the opposing armies were concentrating
and where fighting had already begun.
I expected to reach York on the after-
noon of July I, but I moved northwestward
from the Junction through Jefferson to
Hanover. It was midnight when we passed
down through York Street. It was full
moon and the moving shadows of our
horses could be seen on the streets. We
halted from 12 o'clock midnight to 3 A. M.
in Center Square at Hanover, and on the
leading streets. Many of my soldiers slept
on the pavement, for they were tired after
two days of hard marching. The citizens
of Hanover brought provisions in abund-
ance to my hungry men. We received a
hearty welcome from every citizen of that
town. While I stopped in Hanover with
my two brigades, numbering about 3,000
men, I learned definitely of the cavalry en-
gagement at Hanover and that General
Early had occupied York with a division of
Confederate cavalry for two days. After
three hours' rest at Hanover, I received an-
other message from the commander-in-
chief. This was early in the morning of
July 2d, and soon afterward we heard the
booming of cannon and the rattle of
musketry from the battle of Gettysburg.
General Gregg then took up the line of
438
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
march, and in the afternoon of July 3, en-
gaged Stuart on the Rummel farm, where
he defeated his antagonist in the effort to
turn the right of the Union hne.
General Sedgwick, with the Sixth Corps,
resting two miles west of Manchester, at 9
o'clock in the evening of July i, began his
rapid march through Taneytown, reaching
Gettysburg early the following morning,
after performing one of the most rapid
movements of an army corps during the
whole period of the Civil War.
There were numerous thrilling
Thrilling e^•ents and hand to hand en-
Incidents, counters in single combat on
the streets and in the suburbs
of the town during the battle. Sergeant
Peale, of the Second North Carolina, was
wounded in Centre Square and his horse
shot under him. A\'hen he fell to the pave-
ment his skull was injured. AMiile in a
dazed condition he was tenderlv cared for
by Rev. W. K. Zieber. Later he was re-
moved to a hospital where the last rites of
the Catholic church were administered by
the parish priest. His remains were buried
in the church yard adjoining Conewago
Chapel. The soldier who had been killed
early in the morning at Gift's mill was bur-
ied nearby. Six years later his brother
came from the south, took up the remains
and conveyed them to Virginia. After the
contest had ended there were four wounded
men lying along the roadside near the home
of Karl Forney. One of these was a Union
soldier, the others Confederates. When
Samuel Reddick, a North Carolina ser-
geant, was about to breathe his last, he
gave his new testament to a daughter of
Mr. Forne}^ She communicated with his
sister, who afterwards sent for the remains
of her brother. His body and that of the
rest which had been buried along the road-
side on the Forney farm were also removed
to the south.
Henry Holman, of the First West Vir-
ginia, had been seriously wounded when his
regiment moved on the enemy west of Bal-
timore Street. He was brought to the
house of Mrs. Agnes Spangler and his
wounds were dressed by Dr. Culbertson on
the porch. Holman had been a clown in a
circus before the war, and a friend and
neighbor of Sergeant Collins of the same
regiment, who was mortallv wounded and
had his horse killed on Baltimore Street
near Centre Square. Collins was taken into
the home of George W. Welsh and after-
wards removed to the hospital on York
Street where he died. His leg had nearly
been severed from his body by a globular
shell fired from one of Hampton's guns on
the ttn^npike near Mount Olivet cemetery.
About this time a conical shell passed over
the square and severed a limb from the tree
which stood in front of the residence of
Henry AVirt, on Carlisle Street. Another
shell struck the residence of Conrad Moul,
on Abbottstown Street. In a hand to hand
encounter on the same street near Broad-
way a Union soldier, refusing to surrender,
was shot by his antagonist and died on the
spot. A thrilling encounter took place be-
tween two men a short distance farther up
Abbottstown Street, and at the same in-
stant three men met in mortal combat in
the alley adjoining the public school build-
ing. One of the saddest incidents of the
day was the untimely deSth of Corporal
John Hoffacker of the Eighteenth Pennsyl-
vania Regiment. He was shot and in-
stantly killed while riding through town
when his regiment met the first charge of
the enemj^ He was a manly fellow and
universally popular with his companions.
He died while defending his country and
flag almost within sight of his birth place.
Only two months before he had left his
home in West Manheim Township near the
Maryland line, to enlist in the army. His
remains lie buried with other soldiers in
Mount Olivet cemetery.
During the lull in the contest of the after-
noon, patriotic citizens carried the wounded
into their houses, where they were tenderly
cared for. Corporal James McGinley, of
the Fifth New York, was seriously wounded
and taken to the home of Henry Long on
Frederick Street, where he remained for ten
days or more. He then returned to his
home. Forty-two years passed by, when
Corporal McGinley returned again to Han-
over, where he met the family and Mr.
Long, who was living at the age of 86 years.
Concert Hall, in Centre Square,
U. S. and a small building to the rear
Hospital, of York Street, used by the
Marion Rifles at the opening of
the war, were turned into hospitals. One
of the rooms of Flickinger's foundry on
MAJ. GEN. J. E. B. STUART
Commander of the Confederate forces at the Battle
of Hanover
GEN. WADE HAMPTON
Who commanded a Confederate brigade at the
Battle of Hanover
GEN. FITZHUGH LEE
In the uniform of a Major-general in the
Spanish-American War
BATTLE OF .HANOVER
439
York Street, was used for the same purpose.
Before the sun had set, sixty or more
wounded soldiers were being cared for by
the local physicians, Doctors Smith, Hinkle,
Culbertson, Eckert and Alleman. A few
days later a United States Hospital was
opened by authority of the government.
AVhat was then known as Pleasant Hill
Hotel on Baltimore Street and used for a
private academy, was rented by the govern-
ment and all the wounded soldiers trans-
ferred to this place. About 12,000 wounded
men from Gettysburg had been conveyed
through Hanover in trains to hospitals at
Baltimore, York, Harrisburg and Philadel-
phia. About 150 were kept at Hanover.
Dr. Gardner, an army surgeon, was placed
in charge of the hospital. It was kept open
from July 10 until August 15. In reporting
the condition of the hospital, on August i,
Surgeon Gardner said : "Every desired
comfort is furnished in great abundance,
and every luxury, with which this country
abounds in great profusion, is supplied by
sympathetic people, and administered to the
suffering wounded by devoted women. A
heartier response to the calls of humanity,
never came from a more generous people
than we have witnessed here."
Sergeant J. S. Trowbridge, of the Fifth
New York, whose leg was amputated, died
at the hospital on July 4. Eber F. Cady, of
Company B. Eighteenth Pennsylvania, died
August 4, a few hours after his sister had
arrived at his bedside. Generous citizens
had the body embalmed and it was sent
home for interment. A private named
Cowell, under arrest for desertion, escaped
from the guard on Carlisle Street, and ran
down Chestnut Street. Refusing to stop,
the guard fired, the bullet striking him in
the heel and coming out at the knee.
Cowell died at the hospital a few days later.
LOSSES AT HANOVER.
In his report to General Lee, Stuart made
no mention of his losses at Hanover. Gen-
eral Kilpatrick reported that about fifteen
Confederates were killed, and forty-seven
captured, including Colonel Payne and one
captain. His loss he reported as eleven
killed and a number wounded. General
Custer's report- says the First, Fifth and
Seventh Michigan suffered no loss, but the
Sixth had fifteen men captured. The list
of dead shows one killed in the First Michi-
gan. Battery M, Second United States .Vr-
tillery, had one man mortally wounded.
Major W. B. Darlington reported that the
loss in the Eighteenth Pennsylvania was
four killed, twenty-seven wounded and fifty
missing.
Major John Hammond, of the Fifth New
York, reported two officers and two men
killed, twenty-five wounded and ten missing.
The First Vermont, Colonel A. W. Pres-
ton, lost one killed and sixteen missing.
The commander of the First West Virginia
did not specify the loss in his regiment
(known to have been one killed and at least
five wounded), but summarized the loss of
Farnsworth's First Brigade as ten killed and
sixty-two wounded, besides many slightly
injured. Of the wounded, two died at the
hospital, making the Union death roll num-
ber thirteen.
The surgeon in charge of the Hanover
hospital of the Army of the Potomac made
the following official report to the govern-
ment of the engagement at Hanover:
Adjutant Alexander Gall. Fifth
List of New York ; Sergeant Selden
Killed. Wales, Fifth New York; Sergeant
E. S. Dye, Fifth New York;
John Laniger, private. Fifth New York ;
\A'illiam Crawford, private. Company C,
Eighteenth Pennsylvania; David W. Wi-
nans, private. Company D, Eighteenth
Pennsylvania; Jacob R. Harvey, private.
Company M, Eighteenth Pennsylvania:
Corporal John Hoft'acker, Company E.
Eighteenth Pennsylvania: C. Rathburn.
private. Fifth Michigan ; Sergeant George
Collins, First West Virginia; unknown.
First Vermont.
Eighteenth Pennsylvania —
List of Elisha Jeffries, Company A,
Wounded, gunshot in arm ; William Cole,
Company A, saber cut; Moses
Harrison, Company A, contusion on head ;
Jesse H. Little, Company B, saber cuts in
head and shoulder; John Herrick, Company
B, gunshot in back; Alfred W. Stone, Com-
panjr B, gunshot in temple; M. B. Mikesell,
Company D, contusion on back ; Joseph
Groner, Company D, saber cut in head; Ser-
geant John Alontgomery, Company F, saber
cut in head; A. Setterhall, Company F,
bruised by fall from horse ; Samuel Jones,
Company F, gunshot in back ; Shadrack
440
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
M. Sellers, Company G, leg broken; Wil-
liam Smith, Company I, shell wound on
hip ; Jere Devalan, Company I, saber cut in
head; S. Rodebaugh, Company M, bruises
in face and head.
Fifth New York — Major White, gunshot,
serious; Thomas Richey, Company A,
bruise in leg; Bradley W'essart, Company
A, saber cut in head; James Hayes, Com-
pany A, saber cut in shoulder; George Gar-
dells, Company B, gunshot, serious; Ser-
geant Owen McNulty, Company C, gunshot
in arm and finger ; Corporal Kistner, Com-
pany C, saber cut in neck, serious ; J. B.
Updike, Company D, saber cut in head ;
Corporal Updegrove, Company D, wound
in hip ; P. Schermerhorn, Company D,
bruised by carbine blow; Corporal James
McGinley, Company D, gunshot in arm and
head; H. W. Monroe, Company E, wounded
in side, serious ; B. Alexander, Company E,
saber cut in head; Sergeant J. S. Trow-
bridge, Company E, thigh smashed by shell,
leg amputated, (died of wound) ; A. C.
Rowe, Company E, saber cut in face ; Emile
Portier, Company F, gunshot in arm and
breast; Corporal McMullen, Company F,
saber cuts in head and shoulder; Henry
Tuthill, Compan}^ F, bruised bj' horse
falling in charge; Corporal N. Barrum,
Company G, gvmshot in arm and neck; W il-
liam Sampson, Company H, saber cuts in
arm and foot ; AVilliam Lively, Company H,
saber cuts in arm and neck.
First AA^est Virginia — Lieutenant Max
Carroll, Company F, wounded in thigh; H.
Bucher, Company F, pistol shot in thigh ;
J. AA^. Brooks, Company L, bruised by shell ;
Henry Holman, Company L, gunshot in
face ; Thomas McGuire, Company M, gun-
shot in thigh.
Fifth Michigan — Jasper Brown, Company
D, shot in breast.
Seventh Michigan — James Livingston,
Company F, gunshot.
The bodies of the Union soldiers, who
were killed in the engagement, were con-
veyed to an apartment in the Flickinger
Foundry on York Street, now the site of
Trinity Reformed Church, where they were
prepared for burial. Henry AA^rt, a leading
citizen of the town, ordered caskets made
and at 9 o'clock at night the remains of the
gallant dead were placed in these caskets
and iDuried in the graveyard of the Reformed
Church near the public school building.
Rev. Dr. AA'. K. Zieber performed the last
sad rites at this ceremony. The graves
were marked for the purpose of identifica-
tion. Sometime later these bodies were
disinterred and removed to the National
Cemetery at Gettysburg. The soldier be-
longing to Battery M, killed near Abbotts-
town, was first buried in the Lutheran
churchyard in that village, Rev. Dr. Hauer
officiating. He was one of the most popu-
lar men in his command. Two months
later a sum of money had been contributed
by his comrades and sent to Abbottstown
with the request that the body be disin-
terred and placed in a Catholic burying
ground. His remains were then removed
to the graveyard adjoining Paradise Catho-
lic Church.
There were two incidents of this eventful
day at Hanover worthy of special mention.
Some time before the Union cavalry had
entered town, a large flag was stretched
across Frederick Street between the resi-
dences of Henry Long and John Rupp.
This flag continued to float to the breeze
during the contest and throughout the day.
It was too high in the air to be cut down by
the Confederate soldiers.
Early in May, 1863, a flag had been placed
on a tall pole near the centre of Pennville.
It was here that the fight opened. The
enemy had not time to take it down and it
waved proudly to the breeze in the face of
the Confederates during the whole after-
noon of June 30, and it welcomed the Fifth
Army Corps, a part of whose men encamped
around it the following afternoon. This
flag is still in existence, owned by Zephaniah
C. Bott.
A. H. Byington, of Connecti-
Telegraph cut, who was a war correspond-
Opened. ent of the New York Tribune,
in 1863, related the following
stor)^ of his experience at Hanover;
"On my way to Hanover from York in
the night of June 30, I encountered some
Confederate cavalry, and when I got to
Hanover I found that there had been a se-
vere cavalry engagement there during the
day. The town had a disorderly appear-
ance ; people stayed close to their houses,
and the debris of arms and accoutrements
lay around the roads. The wounded were
gathered in a hall and church. Tele-
BATTLE OF HANOVER
441
graph wires were broken and strewn
around.
"I stopped at the hotel and asked the
landlord if there was a telegraph operator
in town. 'Yes, there he is,' said he, point-
ing to Daniel E. Trone. I asked him where
his battery was. 'At home under the bed,'
he said. 'The wires are all cut and there is
no use trying to telegraph.' After consid-
erable parleying I got some men to go out
on a handcar and fix the wires, I paying the
men and making myself responsible for the
value of the car. Then the battery was
brought out and we got Baltimore, the op-
erator, Mr. Trone, promising an absolute
monopoly of the wire for two days.
"I hurried to the battlefield at Gettysburg,
thirteen miles off. Before reaching there I
met General Howard, and he told me of the
first day's fight, of Reynold's death and
many other things. I found J. R. Sypher,
whom I had engaged at Lancaster to follow
me, and we sent off by our private telegraph
wire from Hanover an account of the light
of the first two days at Gettysburg. It was
a magnificent feat. No other accounts got
through to New York that night, and be-
tween 9.30 and midnight of July 2 the Tri-
bune sold 65,000 copies on the streets of the
city.
"Mr. Trone kept getting the strange sig-
nal 'K. I.' from his instrument. 'What the
dickens does K. L mean?' he asked. 'I am
afraid the rebels have tapped our wire.'
Finally he found out that it was the War
Department at AVashington. 'W^e have re-
ceived Byington's first despatch,' said Sec-
retary of AA'ar Stanton to the Hanover op-
erator, 'and it is our first news. Send along
more. We are listening.' For two days I
sent exclusive dispatches over my wire, giv-
ing all particulars of the great battle, the
New York Herald was running relays of
horses to W^estminster and York. I tele-
graphed that the railroad was whole from
Baltimore to Hanover, and the government
sent out trains for the wounded. The sur-
geon told me that that railroad saved Gen-
eral Sickle's life."
The death of a dispatch bearer at
A Sad Green Ridge, in Codorus Town-
Story, ship, was one of the most unfortu-
nate events of the Confederate
invasion of 1863. At 11 A. M. of June 25,
General Meade, v'ith his headquarters in the
saddle between Frederick and Union
Bridge, wrote out an extended report of his
plan of operations and the position of his
different corps then moving eastward to-
ward Gettysburg, Hanover and Manches-
ter. This courier was entrusted with the
important duty of transmitting Meade's dis-
patches to General Halleck, the head of the
army at Washington. He entered the lower
end of York County and reached the village
of Marburg, four and a half miles southwest
of Hanover, at 9 P. M., where he halted for
supper. As the telegraph lines had been
cut in western Maryland, this dispatch
bearer was carrying his message to Glen
Rock, where it was supposed a line was
still open to Baltimore and AVashington.
After leaving Marburg, he moved east-
ward and seems to have lost his way, when
he approached Green Ridge. Not knowing
which road to take for Glen Rock, he
stopped at the farm house of George Bair,
and called for the occupants to show him
the way. It was now midnight and the af-
frighted farmer, who did not understand
English, thinking the soldier in front of him
was one of the enemy, he shot and instantly
killed the dispatch bearer who fell from his
horse. His remains were interred in the
burying ground at Stone Church in Codorus
Township. A few months afterward, the
father arrived and had the remains removed
to the home of the soldier in New York
state. Mr. Bair, in great distress, surren-
dered himself to the military authorities and
was taken to Hanover and later to Freder-
ick, Maryland, where he was tried by a mil-
itary court and acquitted of any crime.
The dispatch which the soldier carried was
found on his person after his death, sent to
the AA^ar Department at AA'ashington and
appears in full in the "AVar of Rebellion,"
Series i, A/'olume 27, Part i, pages 66-67.
The importance of the engagement at
Hanover is magnified by the fact that the
troops on both sides were led by the most
distinguished cavalry officers of the Civil
war. The following biographies give de-
tailed accounts of the acts and deeds of
these illustrious men :
GENERAL HUGH JUDSON KILPAT-
RICK, commander of the Third Division of
Union cavalry at the battle of Hanover, was
born of Scotch-Irish parentage near Deck-
ertown. New Jersey, January 14, 1836. He
442
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
was graduated from the United States Mili-
tary Academy at West Point in 1861, in the
same class with General Custer. On May
9 of the same year he was appointed captain
of volunteers and commanded his companj^
at the battle of Big Bethel, the first engage-
ment of the Civil War, where he was
wounded and disabled from service for sev-
eral months. In August, 1861, he assisted
in recruiting a New York cavalry regiment
of which he became lieutenant colonel. • In
1862 he engaged in skirmishes near Fal-
mouth, the movement to Thoroughfare
Gap and raids on the Virginia Central rail-
road. He was conspicuous for his gallantry
in the second battle of Bull Run, and com-
manded a brigade of cavalry on an expedi-
tion against Leesburg in September, 1862.
With the rank of colonel, he commanded a
brigade of cavalry on Stoneman's famous
raid toward Richmond, extending from
April 13 to May 2, 1863. In this movement
he displayed remarkable courage and dash
which afterwards distinguished him as one
of the greatest cavalry leaders in the Civil
war. After Chancellorsville he commanded
a brigade at the battle of Aldie when the
Potomac Army was preparing for its move-
ment in pursuit of Lee, who was moving
toward Pennsylvania. When the army ar-
rived at Frederick, he was raised to the rank
of brigadier general and placed in command
of the Third Division of Meade's cavalry
corps. • After leaving Hanover he was en-
gaged with the enemy near Gettysburg on
the morning of July 3. On the movement
toward Virginia he was engaged in constant
fighting at Smithsburg, Hagerstown, Boons-
borough and Falling A'Vaters. In the oper-
ations in Central Virginia, from August to
November, 1863, he commanded his cavalry
division, and took part in an expedition to
destroy the enemy's gunboats "Satellite"
and "Reliance" in Rappahannock river, the
action at Culpeper on September 13, and the
subsequent skirmish at Somerville Ford, the
fights at James City and Brandy Station,
and in the movement to Centreville and the
action of October 19 at Gainsville. In
March, 1864, he was engaged in a raid to-
ward Richmond and through the Peninsula,
in which he destroyed much property and
had many encounters with the enemy, be-
ginning with the action at Ashland on
March i. In ^lay, 1864, General Kilpatrick
took part in the invasion of Georgia as com-
mander of a cavalry division of the Army of
the Cumberland, and was engaged in the
action at Ringgold and in the operations
around Balton until, on May 13, he was se-
verely wounded at the battle of Resaca.
His injuries kept him out of the field till the
latter part of July, when he returned to
Georgia, and was engaged in guarding the
communications of General Sherman's army
and in making raids, which were attended
with much severe fighting. He displayed
such zeal and confidence in destroying the
railroad at Fairbtirn that Sherman sus-
pended a general movement of the army to
enable him to break up the Macon road, in
the hope of thus forcing Hood to evacuate
Atlanta. Kilpatrick set out on the night of
August 18, 1864, and returned on the 22d
with prisoners and a captured gun and bat-
tle.-flags, having made the circuit of Atlanta,
torn up three miles of railroad at Jonesbor-
ough, and encountered a division of infantry
and a brigade of cavalry. In the march to
the sea he participated in skirmishes at AVal-
nut Creek, Sylvan Grove, Rocky Creek, and
Waynesboro. In the invasion of the Caro-
linas his division was engaged at Salke-
hatchie. South Carolina, on February 3,
1865; near Aiken on February 11; at Mon-
roe's Cross Roads, North Carolina, on
March 10; near Raleigh on April 12; at
Morristown on April 13, and in other ac-
tions and skirmishes. He was brevetted
colonel in the regular army for bravery at
Resaca, and on March 13, 1865, received the
brevet of brigadier general for the capture
of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and that of
major general for services throughout the
Carolina campaign. He commanded a di-
vision of the cavalry corps in the military
division of Mississippi from April to June,
1865, was promoted major general of volun-
teers on June 18, 1865, and resigned his vol-
unteer commission on January i, 1866. He
was a popular general, inspiring confidence
in the soldiers under his command, and
gained a high reputation as a daring, bril-
liant and successful cavalry leader. He re-
signed his commission in the regular army
in 1867. In 1865 he had been appointed
minister to Chili by President Johnsoii, and
he was recalled in 1868. He then devoted
himself chiefly to lecturing, and took an
active interest in politics as an effective plat-
BATTLE OF HANOVER
443
form speaker on the Republican side. In
1872 he supported Horace Greek)', but re-
turned to his former party in 1876, and in
1880 was an unsuccessful candidate for
Congress in New Jersey. In March, 1881,
President Garfield appointed him again to
the post of minister to Chili. He died at
Valparaiso, Chili, December 4, 1881. In
October, 1887, his remains were brought to
the United States and buried near the tomb
of General Custer at West Point. AVhile on
his lecture tours, he twice visited Hanover
and York. Many of the facts found in the
preceding narrative of the battle of Hanover
were obtained from a personal interview
with him.
GENERAL GEORGE A. CUSTER, who
at the age of 23 commanded the Michigan
brigade at the battle of Hanover, was born
at New Rumley, Harrison County, Ohio,
December, 1839, and had a brilliant military
histor}^ He was graduated from the
United States Military Academy at West
Point in June, 1861, was assigned to duty as
lieutenant in the Fifth cavalry, and took
part in the first battle of Bull Run. For a
time he served on the staff of General
Kearny and later of W. F. Smith. While
on this duty he was given charge of the
balloon ascensions, to make reconnois-
sances. In May, 1862, General George B.
McClellan was so impressed with the energy
and perseverance that he showed in wading
the Chickahominy alone, to ascertain what
would be a safe ford for the army to cross,
and with his courage in reconnoitering the
enemy's position while on the other side,
that he was appointed aide-de-camp, with
the rank of captain. Captain Custer applied
at once for permission to attack the picket
post he had just discovered, and at daylight
the next morning surprised the enemy,
drove them back, capturing some prisoners
and the first colors that were taken by the
Army of the Potomac. After General Mc-
Clellan's retirement from command of the
army, Captain Custer was discharged from
his volunteer appointment and returned to
his regiment as lieutenant. He had served
there but a short time when General Alfred
Pleasanton, on May 15, 1863, made him
aide-de-camp on his staff. For daring gal-
lantry in a skirmish at Aldie and in the ac-
tion at Brandy Station, as well as in the
closing operations of the Rappahannock
campaign, he was appointed brigadier gen-
eral of volunteers, dating June 29, 1863, and
assigned to duty at Frederick, Maryland, as
commander of the Michigan brigade, which
he led as the Union troops entered Hanover
on the morning of June 30, 1863. After
leaving Hanover on July 3, General Custer's
brigade was temporarily assigned to Gregg's
cavalry division and took a leading part in
the great cavalry fight on the Rummel farm
near Gettysburg, where he won distinction
for gallantry. In this he assisted Gregg in
defeating General Stuart's efforts to turn
the right flank of the Union army. General
Custer was wounded at Culpeper Court
House. In 1864, in command of his Michi-
gan brigade, he led Sheridan's cavalry
forces in the dash towards Richmond and
received recognition from the war depart-
ment at Washington for gallant and meri-
torious services at the battle of Yellow Tav-
ern, May II, 1864, where Stuart, the Con-
federate cavalry leader, was killed. At the
battle of Trevillion on the second movement
toward Richmond, General Custer saved the
colors of his regiment by tearing them from
the standard, held in the hands of a dying
color sergeant, and concealed the flag in his
bosom. On October 19, he was promoted
to the rank of major general of volunteers
in the Union army for gallantry in action in
the battles of Winchester and Fisher's Hill.
In command of the Third Division of cav-
alry he defeated his former West Point
classmate, General Rosser, at Woodstock,
October 9, and drove the enemy twenty-six
miles, capturing everything but one gun.
In the spring of 1865 the Third Division
under Custer fought the battle of AVaynes-
boro. He defeated the enemy, capturing
eleven guns, 200 wagons, 1,600 prisoners
and seventeen battle flags, thus demoraliz-
ing the opposing army. He served
under Sheridan in the movement south-
west of Richmond, and for merito-
rious services in the battles of Five
Forks and Dinwiddie Court House
was brevetted brigadier general in the
regular army. Custer was present with
his Michigan division at the surrender of
Lee April 9, 1865. In addressing his own
troops the day Lee surrendered, General
Custer said: "During the past six months,
though in most instances confronted by su-
perior numbers, you have captured from the
444
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL\
enemy in open battle 1 1 1 pieces of field ar-
tillery, sixty-five battle flags and 10,000
prisoners, including seven general officers."
After the close of the Civil war General
Custer took command of the Seventh cav-
alry and served on the western frontier. In
1871 he defeated the Indians at the battle of
AVashita, Indian Territory. In May, 1876,
General Custer in command of the Seventh
cavalry was sent on an expedition against
the Sioux Indians in Dakota. He arrived
at their village along the Little Big Horn
river. His entire force numbered only
1,100 men. while the Indians, most of whom
were armed, exceeded 9,000. While ap-
proaching the Indian village, with 275 men.
General Custer and his entire command
were slain. This was the sad end of one of
the ablest and most brilliant cavalry officers
of American history. The officers and men
were buried on the spot where they were
slain. In 1877 the remains of General Cus-
ter were removed to the cemetery at A\'est
Point on the Hudson.
Elizabeth Bacon, whom he married in
1864, accompanied him during the last year
of the Civil war, and was with him during
his nine 3^ears of service in the western
frontier. In 1885 she wrote and published
a book of rare literary merit, entitled "Boots
and Saddles, or Life with General Custer in
Dakota."
GENERAL ELON J. FARNSWORTH,
who commanded the Second Brigade of
Kilpatrick's division at the battle of Han-
over, was born at Green Oak, Livingston
Count}?, Michigan. He was educated in the
public schools and spent one year at the
University of Michigan, after which he
• served in the quartermaster's department of
the army during the LItah expedition of that
year.
In 1861 he became assistant quartermas-
ter of the Eighth Illinois cavalry, which his
uncle was then organizing. He was soon
promoted to captain, and in 1862 took part
in various battles in the Peninsula campaign
on McClellan's march toward Richmond.
He was also conspicuous for his gallantry at
the Second Battle of Bull Run, and for mer-
itorious services was promoted in May,
1863, to the rank of colonel, and placed on
the staff of General Pleasanton, command-
ing the entire cavalry force in the Army of
the Potomac. He won distinction for gal-
lantry at the battle of Chancellorsville.
General Meade took charge of the Army of
the Potomac at Frederick, Maryland, on
June 28, 1863. Colonel Farnsworth was
promoted to the rank of brigadier general
and put in command of the Second Brigade,
Third Division, Pleasanton's cavalry corps.
He took a leading part in the engagement
at Hanover, was in the thickest of the fight
with Kilpatrick at Hunterstown July 2, and
while leading his brigade on July 3, was in-
stantly killed near Little Round Top in the
battle of Gettysburg. General Farnsworth
was universally popular, and his untimely
death at the age of 2^ years was deeply la-
mented by the entire army.
GENERAL J. E. B. STUART, who com-
manded the cavalry corps of the Army of
Northern Virginia, was born in Patrick
County. Virginia, Februarj? 6, 1833. He was
educated at Emory and Henry College, and
graduated from AVest Point in 1854. He
served in the western territories against the
Indians and was wounded in an action
against the Che3?enne tribe, on Solomon's
river, in 1857. He was then a lieutenant
in the First United States cavalry. Having
invented a sabre attachment, he had gone to
AA'ashington in 1859 to sell the right to the
war department, and was then sent with the
forces under Colonel Robert E. Lee to quell
the insurrection at Harper's Ferry and there
identified John Brown. In May, 1861, he
resigned from the regular army and ac-
cepted the position of lieutenant colonel of a
regiment of Virginia infantry which had
joined the Confederacy. Soon afterward he
was made colonel of a regiment of cavalry
which guarded the left flank of Stonewall
Jackson's force at the first battle of Bull
Run.
After taking part in several cavalry skir-
mishes, he was made brigadier general in
September, 1861. He commanded a cav-
alr}- division which guarded the rear of
Joseph E. Johnston's army when it fell back
from Yorktown toward Richmond and was
followed by McClellan with the Army of the
Potomac in the Peninsula campaign of 1862.
In the middle of June, General Stuart with
a division of mounted men, moved to the
flank of McClellan's army, and passed en-
tirely around its rear, in order to ascertain
the disposition of the Federal troops. Dur-
ing the Seven Days' Battle, he was continu-
BATTLE OF HANOVER
445
ously engaged, and for his military achieve-
ments, was made a major general of cavalry.
On August 22, after the Potomac army
had moved northward, Stuart, in a bold raid,
penetrated General John Pope's camp at
Catlett's station, captured his official corre-
spondence and personal effects, and made
prisoners of se\-eral officers of his staff. He
was present at the second battle of Bull Run
and led the advance of Stonewall Jackson's
army on the march toAvard Antietam where
he guarded Jackson's left in the great battle
which followed, in September, 1862. A few
weeks later, with 1800 picked men, he made
a raid into Pennsylvania as far north as
Mercersburg to divert the Potomac army in
its pursuit of Lee in Virginia. He again
passed around the rear of McClellan's army,
crossing the Potomac below Harper's
Ferry.
In May, 1863, at the battle of Chancellors-
ville he protected Stonewall Jackson's
march to the right of the Union army.
After Jackson was mortally wounded in this
battle Stuart directed its movements on the
following day. When it was decided by the
Confederate government that Lee should
again invade Maryland and Pennsylvania,
Stuart was placed in command of the entire
cavalry corps composed of six brigades,
three of which remained with Lee on the
northern movement. With the consent of
the commander-in-chief, leading the other
three brigades, he crossed the Potomac at
Rowser's Ford to make a bold raid along
the right flank of the Army of the Potomac
on its movement toward Frederick, Mary-
land. The story of this movement is told
in the preceding narrative. The wisdom of
it will always be disputed by military critics.
He commanded the cavalry which at-
tempted to turn the Union right at Gettys-
burg, but was defeated by Gregg's division
on July 3, in what is sometimes called the
hardest cavalry fight of the Civil War. He
again showed his remarkable ability as a
cavalry leader by evading Ivilpatrick at Cul-
peper, then retired from Buford at Jack's
Shop, after a severe conflict, but soon after-
ward forced back the entire Union cavalry
in a brilliant saber charge at Brandy Station,
Virginia. In the campaign of 1864. when
Grant was moving on Richmond from the
Rapidan, Stuart protected the ffank of Hill's
corps. AVhen General Sheridan, in Ma}',
1864, attempted to make a raid into Rich-
mond, he was boldly met by General Stuart
who concentrated his force at Yellow Tav-
ern, a few miles from the city. In this bat-
tle, Stuart was mortally wounded. Next to
the death of Albert Sydney Johnston at
Shiloh, and Stonewall Jackson at Chancel-
lorsville, his death was the severest loss in-
flicted upon the Confederacy during the
Civil War. He died at the age of 31. In
1855, he married Flora, daughter of Colonel
Philip St. George Cooke. For thirty years
after the Civil War, Mrs. Stuart conducted
a female seminary under the direction of the
Episcopal Church at Staunton, Virginia
GENERAL \\ADE HAMPTON, who
commanded one of the brigades of Stuart's
cavalry at Hanover, was born at Charleston,
South Carolina, in 1818. He was a grand-
son of General Wade Hampton, commander
of an American force on the northern fron-
tier in the War of 1812, and who was later
the owner of 3000 slaves, being then rated
as the wealthiest southern planter in the
United States. His father. Wade Hampton,
was inspector general and aide to General
Jackson at the battle of New Orleans, in
January, 1815. General Wade Hampton
was graduated from the University of South
Carolina, and at the death of his father in
1858, succeeded to the ownership of the
Hampton homestead near Columbia, South
Carolina. Early in life he made a speech
hi the state legislature against the re-open-
ing of the slave trade in America, which the
New York Tribune declared to be a "mas-
terpiece of logic directed by the noblest
sentiments of the Christian and patriot."
In 1861, he joined the Confederacy and
organized Hampton's Legion, composed of
artillery, infantry and cavalry. He was
present at the first battle of Bull Run, and
was under Johnston in the Peninsula cam-
paign, where he lost half his legion at the
battle of Seven Pines. In the fall of 1862,
Hampton was made a brigadier general of
cavalry and placed in command of a brigade
in General Stuart's corps. He was famous
for his gallantry at the battle of Chancellors-
ville, and on Stuart's movement through
Maryland, on the approach to Hanover, his
brigade bringing up the rear, commanded
the long wagon train which had been cap-
tured a few days before. When he arrived
he took position southeast of town, and re-
446
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
mained there until the Confederate forces
withdrew toward Jefferson and Dover. At
Gettysburg, his brigade stood the brunt of
the fight along the left of the Confederate
line, in the contest with Gregg's cavalry,
when General Hampton was three times
wounded. In this battle, twenty-one out of
twenty-three field officers of his brigade
were either killed or wounded. For gal-
lantry he was promoted to the rank of major
general of cavalry.
In May, 1864, in command of a division,
he met and repulsed Sheridan at Trevillian
when the latter made a bold dash toward
Richmond for the purpose of capturing that
city. In twenty-three days of this cam-
paign, General Hampton captured 3000
prisoners, losing 719 of his own men. After
the death of General Stuart, he was placed
in command of Lee's cavalry with the rank
of lieutenant general. Later in the war, he
was assigned to Johnston's army, endeavor-
ing to impede the progress of Sherman
through the Carolinas. He was one of the
ablest soldiers of the Civil war who was not
a graduate of West Point.
After the war, General Hampton be-
came reconciled to the situation, and dur-
ing the reconstruction period, advocated in
the south a conciliatory policy. In 1876,
he was elected governor of South Carolina,
and from 1879 to 1891 served in the United
States Senate, of which he was one of the
most conspicuous members. From 1893 to
1897, he was United States commissioner of
railroads at Washington, D. C. General
Hampton was a man of large stature, dig-
nified and courteous manners, and repre-
sented the aristocracy of the south during
the palmy days before the Civil War. He
died on his plantation near Columbia, South
Carolina, April 11, 1902, at the age of 84.
GENERAL FITZHUGH LEE, who
commanded a Virginia brigade under Stu-
art in the battle of Hanover, was born No-
vember 19, 1S35, in Fairfax County, Vir-
ginia, and was a grandson of General Lee,
known as "Light Horse Harry," who com-
manded the Virginia cavalry in the Revolu-
tion under Washington. He was graduated
at West Point in 1856. He first was as-
signed to duty in the west, was wounded by
the Indians, and then returned to AVest
Point, where he was instructor of cavalry,
at the opening of the war. He joined the
Confederacy and was made an aide on the
staff' of General Richard S. Ewell, as a lieu-
tenant colonel and later colonel of the First
Virginia cavalry. He participated in all the
campaign of the Army of Northern Virginia,
on the Peninsula, second battle of Bull Run,
Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. July
25, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of
brigadier general. During the early part of
1863, General Lee was assigned to the com-
mand of a Virginia brigade. He occupied
the right of Stuart's forces on the move-
ment from Union Mills to Hanover and
took position a short distance west of the
town. Late in the afternoon of June 30, a
part of his brigade was engaged with Cus-
ter's Michigan cavalry southwest of Han-
over. After the defeat of the Confederates
at Hanover, Lee was sent forward and
guarded the captured wagon train in the
movement through Jefferson, Dover to
Dillsburg, when it was turned over to
Hampton's brigade.
Lee was present with Stuart at the great
cavalry fight on July 3, at Gettysburg.
September 3, 1863, he was made major gen-
eral. At the battle of Winchester, Septem-
ber 19, 1864, three horses were shot under
him and he was disabled by a wound. In
March, 1865, he was put in command of the
wdiole cavalry corps of the Army of North-
ern Virginia, and a month later, surrendered
to Meade at Farmville, after which he re-
tired to his home in Stafford County, Vir-
ginia.
In 1S74, he made a patriotic speech at
Bunker Hill which attracted wide attention.
He was elected governor of Virginia in
1885. At the opening of the 'Spanish-
American War, he offered his services to
President McKinley and was at once com-
missioned a brigadier general in the regular
army. A month later, he was promoted to
the rank of major general and placed in
charge of the forces at Atlanta, Georgia.
A\'hen the American forces were ordered by
the government to take possession of the
island of Cuba, General Lee landed near
Havana with an army of 30,000 men, and
laid siege to the city, which was evacu-
ated without bloodshed. The entire Span-
ish army of over 40,000 men was permitted
to sail out of the harbor for Spain. His po-
sition during the Spanish-American AA'ar,
exercised a beneficial influence on American
BATTLE OF HANOVER
447
patriotism. Immediately after Congress
declared war, he was earnest in his support
of the McKinley administration and the war
policy. His attitude during that period and
also that of his former associates in the
Confederate arm}?, wielded a remarkable in-
fluence toward reuniting the North and the
South. At the request of the President,
the grandson of U. S. Grant and the grand-
son of Robert E. Lee, served on Lee's staff
during the Spanish-American war. Gen-
eral Lee, who was universally popular in
Virginia, died at his home in Richmond, in
1905.
COLONEL JOHN R. CHAMBLISS,
who commanded the Confederate brigade
which was the first to reach Hanover, was
born in Greenville County, Virginia, Janu-
ary 23, 1833. He graduated from \A'est
Point in 1853. In 1861, he was placed in
command of a regiment of Virginia in-
fantry, and in 1862 was made colonel of the
Thirteenth Virginia cavalry, which he led
in many actions. When Stuart started on
his northern movement in June, 1863, Colo-
nel Chambliss succeeded to the command of
the brigade of W. F. H. Lee, who was
wounded at the battle of Aldie, ten days
before the forces reached Hanover. He
commanded his brigade on the right of
Stuart's line, July 3, at Gettysburg. For
gallantry in action and for meritorious
services. Colonel Chambliss was promoted
to brigadier general. He was killed in a
cavalry engagement at Deep Bottom, near
Richmond, Virginia, August 16, 1864.
COLONEL AY I L L I A M H E N R Y
PAYNE, who commanded the Second
North Carolina at Hanover, was born at
Clifton, Fauquier County, Virginia, on
June 15, 1830. He was educated at the
University of Missoviri, University of Vir-
ginia and the Virginia Military Academy.
At the opening of the Civil War he organ-
ized a Virginia company, which became
famous as the Black Horse Cavalry, and
commanded it at the first battle of Bull Run.
Two weeks later he was promoted to major.
In 1862, he was made a lieutenant colonel.
When Colonel Chambliss took charge of
Lee's brigade on its movement toward
Hanover, Colonel Payne was assigned to
the command of the Second North Caro-
lina, which did the main part of the fighting
on the Confederate side in the engagement
on the streets and western suburbs of Han-
over. Colonel Payne was held as a prisoner
of war for several months, and then re-
turned to the army, when he was promoted
to the command of a brigade in Fitzhugh
Lee's division. AYith the rank of brigadier
general he commanded this brigade during
the last year of the war.
In 1865 he resumed the practice of law
and later became counsel for the Southern
Railway. During the last ten years of his
life he resided during the winter season in
the city of Washington and during the
summer at his home at Warrenton, Vir-
ginia. He died at Washington in 1904, at
the age of 70 years. General Payne had
been wounded three times in battle during
the Civil AYar, the first time at Hanover.
INFLUENCE OF THE BATTLE.
The cavalry battle at Hanover, in accord-
ance with the views of some military
critics, including Major General Pleasanton,
was the turning point of Lee's invasion of
Pennsylvania in 1863. If it had not been
for his captured wagon train, Stuart would
have passed Hanover and joined Early
near York on the morning of June 30.
The conflict of arms at Hanover pre-
vented Stuart from passing in front of
the Army of the Potomac and uniting
with Ewell's corps in the Cumberland Val-
ley, or with Early near Y^ork, which he had
planned to do when he crossed the Potomac
on June 27. After the battle had ended at
Hanover he could not move westward to-
ward Gettysbui-g or northward toward East
Berlin without meeting a large force of
Union infantry or cavalr}^ He was com-
pelled to make a detour through York
County and thus was prevented from com-
municating with General Lee, who was
then concentrating his forces around Get-
tysburg, preparing for the impending battle.
Even though he was successful in delivering
the captured wagon train to Lee's quarter-
master general, at Gettysburg, on the
evening of the second day of the battle, he
had not arrived in time for Lee to properly
utilize his cavalry force to ascertain Meade's
intentions and the disposition of the Federal
army corps. Lee, Longstreet and Hill all
lamented the absence of Stuart's three
brigades of cavalry during the first two days
of the great contest. The engagement at
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Hanover will eventually pass into history as
the first serious encounter between the con-
tending forces in the battle of Gettysburg.
Its success to the Union arms had an im-
portant influence in Meade defeating Lee
and driving him back to Virginia.
THE MONUMENT.
On June 30, 1900, the thirty-seventh anni-
versary of the battle was celebrated at Han-
over by an imposing demonstration. On
this occasion two cannon and two iron
tablets, with appropriate inscriptions, were
placed within the oval in Centre Square by
Major Jenkins Post 99, Grand Army of the
Republic. At the same time Camp 328,
Patriotic Order Sons of America, erected a
tall flag pole and the Gettysburg Battlefield
Commission, under direction of the United
States Government, placed two iron tablets
within the oval to mark the positions of the
different army corps when the engagement
opened at Hanover, on June 30, 1863. The
centre of the oval then contained a fountain
erected by prominent citizens in 1874. In
1903, John R. Bittinger, residing near Han-
over, and then a member of the State Legis-
lature, introduced a bill asking for an ap-
propriation for the erection of a monument.
The bill passed both houses of the Legis-
lature and was signed by the Governor,
May 19, 1903. It provided for the ex-
penditure of $7,500. Under this act. Gov-
ernor Samuel W. Pennypacker became
chairman of the commission, to be com-
posed of three persons. He appointed
Colonel John P. Nicholson, president of the
Gettysburg Battlefield Association, and
Rev. Daniel Eberly, D. D., of Hanover, to
serve with him on this commission. They
selected Cyrus E. Dallin, a noted sculptor,
of Boston, to design and execute the monu-
ment. The commission decided to have
made an equestrian statue in bronze of a
mounted cavalryman on picket duty resting
on a pedestal of granite. Authority was
given by the borough council and the
citizens to erect the monument in the centre
of the oval surrounded by neat grass plats,
upon which rested the cannon and the tab-
lets erected in 1900. The fountain was
therefore removed to Wirt Park, within the
limits of the town. On September 28, 1905,
the monument was unveiled and dedicated
in the presence of 10,000 people. A parade
of Grand Army posts, fire companies and
fraternal organizations took place in the
forenoon. The literary exercises in Centre
Square were presided over by D. D.
Ehrhart. The Governor presented the
monument to the town. The speech in
response in behalf of the borough coun-
cil was delivered by John J. Bollinger.
Among the speakers were Colonel H. C.
Potter, of Philadelphia, who commanded
the detachment of the Eighteenth Penn-
sylvania that received the first attack of
the Confederates when the fight opened,
and General E. D. Dimmick, a retired
officer of the regular army, who had com-
manded a company in the Fifth New York
at Hanover during the engagement. The
monument is a graceful ornament to Centre
Square, and commemorates one of the most
important historical events in southern
Pennsylvania.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.
During the four and a half years that the
Civil War continued, the county of York
furnished to the Union army more than
10,000 men who served in different regi-
ments. The names of .the commissioned
officers from York County in the military
service were obtained from the adjutant
general's office at Harrisburg. The follow-
ing is the list :
COLONELS.
George Hay, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Thomas A. Zeigle, One Hundred and Seventh In-
fantry.
Levi Maish, One Hundred and Thirtieth Infantry.
Andrew J. Fuhon, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth In-
fantry.
Charles W. Divin, Two Hundredth Infantry.
John W. Schall, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
LIEUTENANT COLONELS.
Samuel N. Baily, Forty-first Infantry.
James A. Stahle, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
W. A. McCartney, One Hundred and Thirty-third In-
fantry.
Geo. W. Reisinger, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth In-
fantry.
MAJORS.
A. E. Lewis, First Artillery.
Cvrus Diller, Seventy-sixth Infantry.
Wm. S. Diller, Seventy-sixth Infantry.
Noah G. Ruhl, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Joseph S. Jenkins, One Hundred and Thirtieth In-
fantry.
Joseph A. Renaut, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth In-
fantry.
David Z. Sipe, One Hundred and Eighty-seventh In-
fantry.
BATTLE MONUMENT AT HANOVER, ERECTED BY THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA
*
BATTLE OF HANOVER
449
ADJUTANTS.
Calvin S. Budding, Forty-fifth Infantry.
Fred R. Smith, Seventj'-sixth Infantry.
Jacob Emmett, Jr., Eighty-seventh Infantry.
G. C. Stroman, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
W. C. Waldman, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Wm. E. Patterson, One Hundred and Sixtj'-sixth In-
fantry.
QUARTERMASTERS.
Charles Garretson, Seventy-sixth Infantry.
Peter Ford, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Milton Culzbaugh, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth In-
fantry.
Matthew H. McCall, One Hundred and Eighty-
seventh Infantry.
SURGEONS.
J. A. Wolf, Twenty-ninth Infantry.
Wm. F. Smith, Seventy-third Infantry.
\v. D. Bailey, Seventy-eighth Infantry.
Washington Burg, Two Hundred and Seventh In-
fantry.
ASSISTANT SURGEONS.
James M. Shearer, Forty-first Infantry.
B. M. Patterson, First Artillery.
O. M. Johnson, Fifty-fifth Infantry.
W. P. Nebinger. Fifty-sixth Infantry.
T. 'M. Curran, Sixty-eighth Infantrj'.
John E. Mcllvain, Sixty-eighth Infantrj^
Jared Free, Eighty-third Infantry.
A. R. Nebinger, Eleventh Cavalry.
G. K. Thompson, One Hundred and Thirty-second In-
fantry.
W. J. Underwood, One Hundred and Fifty-first In-
fantry.
F. W. Vandersloot, Third Artillery.
S. F. Neely, One Hundred and Sixty-fifth Infantry.
Samuel F. i\Iurphy, Twenty-first Cavalry.
L. L. Rewalt, Twenty-first Cavalry.
F. S. Smith, One Hundred and Ninety-fourth In-
fantry.
CHAPLAINS.
James H. Brown, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
John T. Baird, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
David C. Eberhart, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
David J. Lee, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Infantry:
Stephen M. Smith, Two Hundredth Infantry.
CAPTAINS.
Wm. W. Moore, Company E, Fifty-fifth Infantry.
Nathaniel Z. Seitz, Company B, Sixty-seventh In-
fantry.
Charles L. Bittinger, Company D, Seventy-sixth In-
fantry.
H. C. Mclntyre, Company I, Seventy-sixth Infantry.
J. J. Young, Company I, Seventy-sixth Infantry.
Frank J. Magee, Company I, Seventy-sixth Infantry.
Harrison Stair, Company I, Seventy-sixth Infantry.
John Fahs, Company A, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
George J. Chalfant, Company A, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry.
Lewis Maish, Company B, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Zeph. E. Hersh, Company B, Eightj'-seventh Infantry.
Murry S. Cross, Company C, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Isaac Wagner, Company C, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
James H. Blasser, Company D, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry.
Edgar M. Ruhl, Company D, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Solomon Myers, Company E, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Charles J. Fox, Company E. Eighty-seventh Infantry.
V. C. S. Eckert, Company G, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Henry Morningstar, Company G, Eighty-Seventh In-
fantry.
Ross L. Harman, Company H, Eighty-seventh In-
fantrj'.
Wells A. Farrah, Company H, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry.
Philip Gentzler, Company H, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Wm. H. Lanius, Company I, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
John Albright, Company K, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Emanuel Herman, Company D, One Hundred and
Third Infantrj'.
Oliver P. Stair, Company A, One Hundred and
Seventh Infantrv.
Wm. T. Reisinger, Company I, Eleventh Cavalry.
Thomas B. Griffith, Company C, One Hundred and
Thirtieth Infantry.
Lewis Small, Company I, One Hundred and Thirtieth
Infantrj'.
Alonzo L. Ettinger, Company A, One Hundred and
Sixty-sixth Infantry.
Ruf. J. Winterode, Company B, One Hundred and
Sixtj'-sixth Infantry.
Peter Z. Kessler, Company C, One Hundred and
Sixty-sixth Infantry.
Samuel E. Miller, Company E, One Hundred and
Sixty-sixth Infantry.
Jeremiah Kohler, Company F, One Hundred and
Sixtj'-sixth Infantry.
^ D. ;M. Spangler, Company G, One Hundred and Sixty-
sixth Infantry.
Michael McFatridge, Company I, One Hundred and
Sixty-sixth Infantrj'.
Daniel L. Stoud, Company K, One Hundred and
Sixtj'-sixth Infantrj'.
Hugh W. McCall, Company A, Twenty-first Cavalry.
Henry Fox, Company K, One Hundred and Eighty-
seventh Infantrj'.
Adam Reisinger, Company A, Two Hundredth In-
fantrj'.
John Winer, Company A, Two Hundredth Infantry.
R. B. Hoover, Companv B, Two Hundredth Infantry.
W. H. Duhling, Company D, Two Hundredth In-
fantry.
Jacob Wiest, Company H, Two Hundredth Infantry.
Hamilton A. Glessner, Company K, Two Hundredth
Infantry.
Henry W. Spangler, Company B, Two Hundred and
Ninth Infantrj'.
John Klugh, Company I, Two Hundred and Ninth In-
fantrj'.
FIRST LIEUTENANTS.
Wm. W. Arnold, Company G, Fortj'-first Infantrv.
Abing W. Minnich, Battery E, First Artillery.
James Kincade, Battery G, First Artillerj'.
Luther Y. Diller, Company D, Seventy-sixth Infantry.
Joseph H. Ensign. Company I, Seventj'-sixth Infantry.
Wm. H. jNIyers, Company K, Eighty-second Infantry.
Jacob Hay, Jr., Company A, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
John F. Spangler, Company A, Eightj'-seventh In-
fantry.
Lewis Rasch, Company A, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
John Crull, Company B, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Samuel Saylor, Company C, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Jonathan Keesey, Company C, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry.
Andrew G. Shull, Company D, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry.
George Blasser, Company D, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Wm. F. Frank, Company E, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Alexander Strickler, Company E, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry.
Peter Nickle, Company E, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Robt. A. Daniel, Company G, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
R. S. Slaymaker, Company H, Eighty-seventh In-
fantrj'.
29
450 HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA '
Andrew 'B. Smith, Company H, Eighty-seventh In- Wm. Bierbower, Company A, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry, fantry.
Daniel P, Deitrich, Company H, Eighty-seventh In- Charles H. Stallman, Company C, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry, fantry.
Charles F. Haack, Company K, Eighty-seventh In- Henry Waltemeyer, Company C, Eighty-seventh In-
fantry, fantry.
Benjamin Gipe, Company E, One Hundred and First Ramsey Hannagan, Company C, Eighty-seventh In-
Infantry. fantry.
Edmund Rutter, Company D, One Hundred and Wm. H. H. Welsh, Company D, Eighty-seventh In-
Third Infantry. fantry.
Samuel S. Mathews, Company G, One Hundred and Henry Seitz, Company D, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Third Infantry. Benjamin D. Dull, Company D, Eighty-seventh In-
Charles W. Butts, Company I, Eleventh Cavalry. fantry.
D. W. Overlander, Company H, Twelfth Cavalry. Samuel W. Keasey, Company D, Eighty-seventh In-
James Crimmins, Company A, One Hundred and fantry.
Seventh Infantry. John L. Shillito, Company H, Eighty-seventh In-
Wm. H. Tomes, Company B, One Hundred and fantry.
Thirtieth Infantry. Harry J. Harmond, Company H, Eighty-seventh In-
D. Wilson Grove, Company I, One Hundred and fantry.
Thirtieth Infantry. M. S. Slothower, Company H, Eighty-seventh In-
James Lece, Company K, One Hundred and Thirtieth fantry.
Infantry. C. P. Stroman, Company K, Eighty-seventh Infantry.
John Herman, Company A, One Hundred and Sixty- q w. P. Collins, Company D, One Hundred and
sixth Infantry. Third Infantrv.
Jacob N. Slagle, Company B, One Hundred and Sixty- George C. 'Stair, Company A, One Hundred and
sixth Infantry. Seventh Infantry.
Andrew D. Yocum, Company C, One Hundred and Daniel H. Schriver, Company I, Eleventh Cavalry.
Sixty-sixth Infantry. u , j j Henry Reisinger, Company B, One Hundred and
Wm. H. Becker, Company D, One Hundred and fi-ij^tieth Infantry
Sixty-sixth Infantry. VVm. G. Bosler, Company C, One Hundred and Thir-
John Forry, Company E, One Hundred and bixty- ^j^^^ Infantry
sixth Infantry r^ r^ -u, , , , Frank 'g. Terbert, Company I, One Hundred and
George A. Smith, Company F, One Hundred and Thirtieth Infantrv
Sixty-sixth Infantry. tt j j j Jeremiah Oliver, Company I, One Hundred and
John N. Taylor, Company G. One Hundred and Thirtieth Infantry
Sixty-sixth Infantry. u ^ u , > j John J. Frick,' Company K, One Hundred and
George S. Kehm, Company H, One Hundred and Thirtieth Infantry
Sixty-sixth Infantry. tt , . . Samuel Leinner, Company A, One Hundred and
James A. Grove, Company I, One Hundred and Thirtieth Infantry
Sixty-sixth Infantry. t^ r^ ti , . j John M. Kauffman, Company B, One Hundred and
Jeremiah M. Hanigan, Company K, One Hundred and sixtv-sixth Infantry
Sixty-sixth Infantry. , c , r- i John Gable, Company C, One Hundred and Sixty-
Franklin Springer, Company A, Twenty-hrst Cavalry. ^{y^^Y, Infantrv
Samuel I. Adams, Company B, One Hundred and 'j.^^^^ j^-^^-^ Company D, One Hundred and Sixty-
E-ghty-seventh Infantry. ^-^^^-^^ Infantry
Wm. Reisinger, Company A, Two Hundredth In- Emanuel Wallick, Company E, One Hundred and
tantry. Sixtv-sixth Infantrv
Edward Smith, Company A. Two Hundredth In- gj;^^,; j Diller,' Company F, One Hundred and
''""J!"-. , , c^ 1 ^ n ^ Tj 1 j,-u T Sixtv-sixth Infantry,
famn-' Company C, Two Hundredth In- Ri^hgrd E. Elcock, Company G, One Hundred and
Martin L. Duhling, Company D, Two Hundredth In- ^'nei^ry 'Haltemn,' Company H, One Hundred and
lantr\. tj t, u i i^i t Sixty-sixth Infantrv.
James McComas, Company H, Two Hundredth In- g/ g McLaughlin, Company I, One Hundred and
tantry. , ^ t- t u i ui t Sixty-sixth Infantry,
famrv''^'' Spangler, Company K, Two Hundredth In- Benjamin Gipe, Company K, One Hundred and
^_^Augustus C. Steig, Company K, Two Hundredth In- ^'g'^N.' Kiljo"rt"co^iipany A, Twenty-first Cavalry,
''samuel B. Urich, Company D, Two Hundred and . D- J. Bossier, Company A, One Hundred and Eighty-
Second Infantry. sixth Infantry. t, r^ u , ^ ^
Richard C. Ivory, Company E, Two Hundred and Jonathan Jessup, Company B, One Hundred and
Seventh Infantrv. Eighty-seventh Infantry.
Thomas J. Hendricks, Company B, Two Hundred and Wm. T. Torbet, Company B, One Hundred and
Ninth Infantry. Eighty-seventh Infantry.
George W. Heiges, Company I, Two Hundred and Daniel Keller, Company H, One Hundred and Eighty-
Ninth Infantry. seventh Infantry.
„ „ John P. Metzger, Companv K, One Hundred and
SECOND LIEUTENANTS. Ninety-second Infantry.
Robert W. Smith, Company G, Thirty-fourth Infantrv. James C. Channel. Company D, One Hundred and
T. Brandon Hurst, Company H, Thirty-sixth Infantry. Ninety-fourth Infantry.
Nathan Carman, Company G, F'orty-first Infantry. Joseph H. Craft, Company C, Two Hundredth In-
James E. Gordon, Company D, Seventy-sixth Infantry, fantry.
J. W. iMorningstar, Company I, Seventy-sixth In- Wm. H. Drayer, Company D, Two Hundredth In-
fantry. ■ fantrv.
THE SPAXISH-AMEIUCAX WAR
451
Frodcrick A. llcrshcy. Company E, Two Uumlrcdlh
Infantry.
W'ni, H. Smyser, Company H, Two Hundredth In-
fantry.
Peter Ginter, Company I, Two Hundredth Infantry.
Zach. S. Shaw, Company K, Two Hundredth In-
fantry.
W'm. S. Douglass, Company B, Two Hundred and
Xinth Infantry.
Win. B. Morrow, Company B, Two Hundred and
Ninth Infantry.
Henry L. Arnold. Company I. Two Hundred and
Xinth Infantry.
CHAPTER XXVI
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
War Declared — Victory at Manila — Battle
of Santiago — York County Troops.
The treatment administered by the gov-
ernment of Spain to the inhabitants of Cuba
called forth the criticism of diliferent nations
of the world. The outspoken opinion of
American statesmen on this subject found
disfavor among the Spanish leaders in Cuba,
and on February 15, 1898, the Maine, one
of the large battleships ' of the American
navy, cast anchor and was resting in the
harbor of Havana. The appearance of this
war vessel in Cuban waters was objected to
by the Spanish authorities. For some un-
accountable reason, which was neither ex-
plained nor discovered after a careful in-
vestieation, the Maine was blown up, and
two officers and 264 American sailors lost
their lives. This calamity caused great ex-
citement in the United States. Spain re-
fused to make reparation, asking that the
whole matter be submitted to arbitration.
Upon hearing this news. Congress declared
war against Spain and recognized the inde-
pendence of Cuba. Three days later. Presi-
dent AIcKinley issued a call for 125,000
troops to serve for two years or during the
war.
Commodore Dewey, commanding
Victory the Pacific Squadron of six ves-
at sels at Hong Kong, China, was
Manila, ordered by President ]McKinley to
proceed to Manila Bay, the main
port of entry to the Philippines. \\'hen he
ent-ered the harbor of Manila, ]SIay i, 1898,
he was fired upon by a Spanish fleet of
twelve war vessels. He quickly returned
the fire, and in a short time destroyed the
entire fleet of the enemy, which was largely
composed of inefficient vessels. This vic-
tor}- won great prestige for tlie American
navy.
Aleantime a Spanish fleet appeared off the
southern coast of Cuba under Commodore
Cervera. This fleet was attacked, July 3,
by the American squadron under Commo-
dore Sampson, with Cominodore Schley
second in command. Cervera's fleet w,as
entirely destroyed. The land forces, under
General Shafter. had defeated the Spaniards
in the battle of San Juan Hill, July i and 2,
which was the last serious conflict during
the war with Spain.
General Fitzhugh Lee, witli a large
American force, took possession of Havana
after the city had been evacuated by the
Spaniards and set sail for home.
Colonel John W. Schall, who commanded
the Eighty-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment
in the Civil War, entered the army in 1898
as colonel of the Sixth Pennsylvania Volun-
teer Regiment, and during the last five
months of the war, with the rank of
brigadier general, commanded the Second
Brigade, Second Division, Second Army
Corps.
\\'hen the war opened Governor
York Hastings, of Penns3'lvania, issued
County a call for the National Guard to
Troops, enlist in the United States ser-
vice. At this time Company A, of
York, and Company I, of \Vrightsville, be-
longed to the Eighth Regiment. Company
A had been organized in 1875 ^Y Captain E.
Z. Strine as the York City Grays. It was
assigned to the National Guard in 1877 and
aided in quelling the Homestead riots in
1892, under command of Captain Strine,
and was stationed at Hazleton, Pennsyl-
vania, under Captain Adam Garver, during
the coal strike of 1897. The company was
mustered into the United States service for
the Spanish-American War, May 12, 1898,
and went into camp with the regiment at
Mount Gretna, near Lebanon, Pennsyl-
vania. Colonel Frank J. Magee, of
Wrights\-ille, who had won distinction as a
soldier in the Civil War, was unable at this
period to go into active operations in the
field. He was succeeded in command of
the Eighth Regiment by Colonel Theodore
F. HolYman. The regiment was sent to
Camp Alger, near \\'ashington. May 19, and
assigned to the Third Brigade, First
Division. Second Army Corps. It was sent
452
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL\
to Camp Aleade, near Harrisburg, August
30. On November 15, it was transferred
with the brigade to Camp McKenzie, Au-
gusta, Georgia, where it was mustered out
of service, March 7, 1899. The Third
Brigade, in which this regiment served, was
in command of General J. P. S. Gobin, of
Lebanon, Pennsylvania.
The following is a complete muster roll
of Company A :
OMcers — Captain — Adam Garver. First Lieutenants —
Charles E. Lehman, Calvin A. Seidenstricker. Second
Lieutenant — James H. Schall. Sergeants — John Mc-
Comas, John W. Fickes, Erastus A. Krafft, John Leh-
man, George Lentz, Hubert C. Smith. Corporals —
Clarence S. Deveney, Charles F. Eberl}', Albert Hess,
Charles A. Lutz, Harry J. Test. Musicians — Percy A.
Noirott, John J. Schwartz,
Privates — Frederick W. A. Able, Emanuel M. Ams-
baugh, James A. Bailey, William H. Baublitz, Joseph
Beaverson, Charles E. Berkey, Eli P. Berry, George M.
Bievenour, William H. Blockinger, Latimer Brooks,
Charles H. Brunhouse, Howard Campbell, James Crim-
mins, James D. Danner, John L. Daron, David F. David-
son, George W. Deckert, Tilden H. Deitch, Reuben D.
Desenberg, Harvey J. Deveney, Luther M. Diehl, Joseph
J. Dingier, Albert C. Dittenhaffer, Maslin B. Dunmire,
Benjamin F. Durr, Clarence W. Durr, Paul C. Ebersole,
William H. Fantom, James M. Flory, George L. Frank,
Franklin F. Frey, John W. Frey, Ralph W. Frey, John
Garver, Edward J. Garland, Clarence A. Glatfelter,
Stewart Glatfelter, Thomas F. Heberly, George C.
Heltzel, John F. Heltzel, William B. Heltzel. Amos R.
Hollinger, Bert N. Husson, George J. Hyde, William H.
Inners, John T. Keesey, Henr}' L. Keiser, Lee P. Kis-
singer, Reuben A. Kranich, Samuel Kurtz, William
Landis, David H. Leathery, Tilden Lehman, August
Martin, John S. McKinley, Thomas C. Miller, Miley S.
Montague, Joseph N. Moore, Edgar G. Mundorf. Abra-
ham Musser, George W. Musser, Arthur Myers, Allen
W. Pflieger, Emanuel Pflieger, Robert J. Platts, Harry
M. Ramer, Joseph N. Renter, Robert M. Rolland, John
C. Ryder, Calvert C. Scott ; Allen S. Shauck, Jacob L.
Shive, John C. Showers, Clinton L. Sipe, Daniel H.
Sloat, Rudolph E. Smyser, Frederick M. Spangler, Wil-
liam H. Spangler, Lloyd P. Stevens, James W. Stine,
Justin M. Strevig, Hope W. Strickler, Ulrich Strickler,
Ravmond Torbert, William J. Walker, Frank R. Wantz,
Andrew P. Watt, George W. Welsh, Elwood B. Wit-
mer, Joseph F. Wolfe, Daniel B. Yeaple.
Company I, of the Eighth Regiment,
which served in the war with Spain under
Captain John H. Drenning, of Wrightsville,
was organized shortly after the Civil War as
the Wrightsville Grays. Captain Frank J.
Magee drilled the company for nearly ten
years. It then became Company I, of the
National Guard of Pennsylvania. Edwin
K. McConkey, afterwards chosen to the
State Senate from York County, was its
drummer. Company I, under Captain
Magee, aided in quelling the riots in Pitts-
burg, in 1877, and was called into the
service during all the different strikes in the
coal regions.
Colonel Theodore F. Hoffman, who
commanded the Eighth Regiment, had a
brilliant military record during the Civil
War. He was a native of Pennsylvania, but
when a mere boy migrated to the northwest,
and served for three years in the First Min-
nesota Regiment, which lost nearly two-
thirds of its men in killed, wounded and
captured at the battle of Gettysburg. Colo-
nel Hoft'man died of a fever while in com-
mand of his regiment at Duryea, Pennsyl-
vania, in 1902, engaged in quelling a coal
strike.
Company I, in the Spanish-American
War, entered the army with eighty men,
and was later recruited to 106 officers and
men, corresponding in number to the other
companies of the regiment. Many of its
men belonged to Marietta and Columbia, in
Lancaster County.
The following is a list of those who
ser\-ed from York County:
Officers — Captain — John H. Drenning, Wrightsville.
First Lieutenant — Harry Wallick, Wrightsville. Sec-
ond Lieutenant — C. C. Beecher, Wrightsville. First
Sergeant — Levi Wallick, Wrightsville. Quartermaster
Sergeant — James L. Crone, Wrightsville. Sergeants —
Wesley W. Drenning, Wrightsville ; William Zigler,
Wrightsville; James Townsbj', Wrightsville. Corporals
—Peter P. Siltzer, Wrightsville; S. Sheary, Wrights-
ville ; Harry Newcomer, Wrightsville ; Milton Ellis,
York. Artificer — William Hinkle, York. Wagoner^
William Swartz, East Prospect.
Privates — John W. Barnes, Abraham Ditzler, Walter
L. Drenning, all of East Prospect; Harry D. Fox, York;
Harry F. Horn, York ; Lewis H. Jenkins, Gatchelville ;
James W. Miller, Bridgeton ; Harry W. Myers, Glen
Rock ; Charles R. Ritter, York ; Glen Kerr, Norman
Morrison, George W. Siltzer, William Spencer, Charles
Townsby, Charles Williams, William Zorbaugh, all of
Wrightsville ; Thomas Lowmiller, Oliver Wales.
Company M, of the Fifth Pennsylvania
Regiment, was recruited at Gettysburg.
The regiment was sworn into service at Mt.
Gretna, May 11, 1898. It was sent to
Camp George H. Thomas, on the battlefield
of Chickamauga, Georgia, May 19, and later
was transferred to Lexington, Kentucky,
reaching there August 2;^. The war having
practically ended, officers and men were
given a furlough of thirt}^ days. The head-
quarters were opened at Altoona, Pennsyl-
vania. On October 2y, 1898, this regiment
participated in the Peace Jubilee in Phila-
delphia, and was mustered out of service,
November 7.
The following soldiers from York County
served in Company M, of this regiment:
Charles AY. Barnhart, Henry C. Brant,
THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
453
Francis P. Connolly, Lewis M. Dodson,
John A. Eline, Daniel W. Everhart, George
Fickes, Charles W. Glessner, Charles Hill,
Adam Keesey, Ambrose L. Kissinger, Ed-
ward S. Little, Hugh C. McCall, Howard
Moser, John R. Reeser, John J. Sechrist,
Charles R. Sipes, Frank A. Smith, Charles
F. Snyder, George W. Strickler, William
Tampsett, Charles G. Throne, Samuel P.
Trimmer, all of York; Charles L. Hamme,
Jacob H. Sell, Samuel P. Trimmer, Ser-
geant Maurice N. Trone, all of Hanover;
Calvin Heiges, James C. Hoecht, of Frank-
lintown.
A number of men enlisted, from York
County, in the Fourth Regiment Pennsyl-
vania Volunteer Infantr}^, which was sworn
into the service at Mount Gretna, May 12,
1898, with David B. Case, of Marietta, colo-
nel. Soon afterward the regiment was sent
to Camp George H. Thomas, Chickamauga
Park, Georgia, where it remained two
months. Meantime, all the companies were
recruited to 106 men. During the latter
part of July, the Fourth Regiment was sent
to Newport News, where it embarked with
Haynes' brigade, Brooke's division, for
Porto Rico. The regiment arrived at Ar-
royo, one of the chief ports of the island.
Here it was prepared for active service, but
before hostilities had opened in Porto Rico
the war had ended and peace was declared.
The regiment was mustered out of service,
November 16. 1898.
Company I, of this regiment, was re-
cruited at Harrisburg, by Howard L.
Calder, Avho became captain. It was sworn
into the service July 2, 1898, at Mount
Gretna, where it became part of the Third
Battalion when the regiment was recruited
to 106 men in each company. Among the
soldiers from York County who had en-
listed in Company I were Sergeant James J.
Logan and C. Mark Huntsberger, of Dills-
burg; Mervin Lau and Charles Underwood,
of Franklintown. Company K, of the
Fourth Regiment, under Captain Martin
Smith, of Columbia, contained some York
County men, among whom were Lewis
Nispel, Henry Brulil, Nevin Keech and
John Shrenker. Irvin E. McDermott, of
Fawn Grove, served in the Sixteenth Regi-
ment.
Samuel K. McCall, of York, served with
Battery A in Porto Rico. H. Joseph
Schwartz, of York, enlisted in the Ninth
United States Infantry and served in the
war on the Philippine Islands. Later he
served in his regiment with the allied
armies in China for the purpose of quelling
the Boxers in that country. He was present
at Tien Tsin, China, with Colonel Liscomb
commanding the regiment, when that officer
was killed. William H. Fantom, Thomas
Keesey and Charles Brunhouse, of Com-
pany A, Eighth Regiment, afterward en-
listed in the volunteer service and served in
the war on the Philippine Islands. James
Danner, of York County, who was a private
in Compan)^ A in the war with Spain, en-
listed in the United States volunteer service
and was accidentally killed on the Philippine
Islands.
Edwin G. Dempwolf, son of E. A. Demp-
wolf, of York, was placed on duty on the
training ship Saratoga, in 1896. At the
opening of the war he enlisted as a sailor
and was assigned to duty on the Supply, a
commissary vessel. He was transferred to
the cruiser New York, commanded by Cap-
tain French E. Chadwick. He served on
this vessel in the battle of Santiago harbor,
when the Spanish fleet, under Cervera, was
sunk by the American squadron. He served
in the United States navy for a period of
three years. During the last thirteen
months of his enlistment he was quarter-
master on the United States naval tug Mas-
sasoit. His brother, Ralph W. Dempwolf,
served on the training ship Saratoga in
1897. In 1906 he was a lieutenant in the
United States Revenue Service.
Robert Allewalt, of Hanover, in 1905. was
appointed a cadet to the United States
Naval Academy at Annapolis. Lloyd H.
Shettel, of York, enlisted as a sailor and
served on the steamship Peoria. Later he
was transferred to the cruiser New York
and served in the blockade fleet on the
Cuban coast.
Lieutenant Rudolph E. Smyser, of the
United States Army, was born at York, De-
cember 5, 1882. He enlisted as a private in
Company A, of the Eighth Infantry, Span-
ish-American A\'ar, from June, 1898, to
March, 1899. On August 29, 1899, he was
promoted to the rank of second lieutenant
of the Forty-seventh United States Infan-
try, and soon afterward was transferred to
the Philippine Islands. He took part in
454
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
several engagements to quell the natives,
and foi" meritorious services was promoted
to first lieutenant of his company, March 31,
1901, and was honorably mustered out of
service, July 2. He then entered an in-
fantry and cavalry school, from which he
was graduated, November 22, 1902. Mean-
time he was assigned to the rank of second
lieutenant of cavalry, and was promoted, to
first lieutenant of the Fourth Cavalry, No-
vember 22, 1902. Lieutenant Smyser was
transferred to the Fourteenth Cavalry,
March 30, 1903.
Captain William Earnest Welsh, of the
regular army, was born in Hanover, York
County, November 23, 1872. On June 17.
1890, he entered West Point Military
Academy, where he excelled in the study of
mathematics and civil engineering. He
was graduated from that institution in
June, 1894, and was then assigned second
lieutenant of Eighth Infantry in the regular
army. He was promoted to first lieutenant
in the Tenth Infantry, April 2, 1898. In
1900 he accompanied his regiment to the
Philippine Islands, where he aided in quel-
ling the natives. On February 2, 1901,
Lieutenant Welsh was promoted to the
rank of captain in the Thirteenth United
States Infantry.
Major Silas A. Wolf, of the regular arm)',
was born in Newberrytown, York County,
December 13', 1853. He obtained his
preparatory education in the public schools
and on June i, 1874, he was appointed cadet
to the United States Military Academy at
West Point, from which institution he was
graduated, 1878. He entered the army as
second lieutenant of infantry and was pro-
moted to first lieutenant, August 5, 1888,
and captain, February 19, 1895. On March
2, 1901, he was promoted to the rank of
major of the Nineteenth Infantry.
Commander York Noel, of the United
States navy, son of Daniel K. Noel, the first
mayor of York, graduated from the naval
academy at Annapolis, in 1874. He entered
active service in the navy on the flagship
Colorado, was commissioned ensign in 1876
and served in various squadrons in different
parts of the world. He was on board the
Alliance on a cruise around Europe and
served on other vessels with commendable
ability. He was commissioned master, Oc-
tober 28. 1881, and went on a special cruise.
visiting many foreign ports. He was pro-
moted to lieutenant, March 3, 1883, and was
with the Galena, and later the Swatara with
the United States naval brigade during the
Revolution at Panama, in 1885. From this
time until 1896 he served on different ves-
sels and then spent two years at the naval
academy. At the opening of the war with
Spain he fitted out the tug Samoset and the
tug Nezincot at New York and took them
to Key West, Florida. During the war he
served on the Marblehead, which performed
active duties in Cuban waters in the summer
of 1898. On March 3, 1899, he was com-
missioned lieutenant commander of the bat-
tleship Iowa, one of the largest war vessels
of the navy, and in 1904, was promoted to
the rank of commander.
Colonel William H. McLaughlin, of the
regular army, a native of York, entered the
military academy at West Point, July i,
1861, and was graduated from that institu-
tion, June 23, 1865. He was assigned to
duty in the army as second lieutenant in the
Seventeenth Infantry, was immediately pro-
moted to the rank of first lieutenant and
served on garrison duty for two years. He
was promoted to captain of the Twenty-
sixth Infantry, in 1867; served on garrison
duty in different parts of the United States
and was transferred to the Eighteenth In-
fantry, in 1871. In 1877, Captain Mc-
Laughlin served with his regiment in sup-
pressing railroad strikes in West Virginia
and Pennsylvania. He performed im-
portant duties on the western frontier and
served on garrison duty until the opening
of the Spanish-American War. With the
rank of lieutenant colonel he took an active
part in the war. Soon afterward he was
promoted to colonel. He resigned from the
ar-my in 1899 and has since lived in retire-
ment in AA^ashington, D. C.
CHAPTER XXVII
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY.
Jeremiah S. Black — Hugh Brackenridge —
Phineas Davis — Lewis Mayer — United
States Senators Ross, Rowan and Quay.
The biographies of noted men of the
Revolutionary period are found in the chap-
ters relating to that subject. The follow-
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
455
ing chapter describes the careers of a num-
ber of prominent men who were either born
in York County or resided within its limits
and won distinction in different fields of
operation.
JEREMIAH SULLIVAN BLACK, jur-
ist and statesman, for twenty years one of
the leaders of the American bar, was born
in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, January
ID, 1810. He was a descendant of sturdy
Scotch-Irish ancestors, who came to this
country and located near the site of Gettys-
burg with the early settlers of that region.
James Black, his first American ancestor,
migrated to the Glades, a beautiful and
picturesque region in the present area of
Somerset County. Henry Black, his son,
and father of the jurist, born 1783, was for
twenty years an associate judge, a member
of the state legislature and representative in
Congress.
Early in life Jeremiah S. Black displayed
the strong intellectual endowments which
marked his distinguished career as a lawyer
and statesman. He obtained his education
at a classical school in his native county,
and then entered the ofifice of Chauncey
Forward, one of the ablest lawyers of west-
ern Pennsylvania, who was practicing his
profession at Somerset. Soon after his
admission to the bar in 1831, Mr. Black took
charge of the extensive business of his pre-
ceptor, who was then serving as a member
of Congress, and became widely known as
a successful lawyer. In 1842, he was ap-
pointed president judge of the Sixteenth
Judicial District, embracing Somerset and
several adjoining counties. Judge Black
remained on the local bench for a period of
nine years.
In 185 1, under the judiciary amendments
to the constitution, he was nominated by
the Democratic party, for the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania and was elected.
When he assumed the duties of his office he
was chosen, by lot, chief justice, succeeding
John Bannister Gibson, who had served in
the same position with great distinction a
period of twenty-four years. In 1854,
Judge Black was re-elected for a term of
fifteen years.
His judicial career was distinguished; his
decisions contained in the state reports
from Fourth Harris to Fifth Casey, are
cited as learned and forceful expositions of
the law. The body of American juris-
prudence received a deep impress from his
terse and vigorous style and the clearness
and logical force of his reasoning.
Shortly after March 4, 1857, while upon
the supreme bench of Pennsylvania, Presi-
dent Buchanan appointed him attorney-
general of the United States. His manage-
ment of the great cases of the California
land grants, involving in extent over 19,000
square miles, including a large part of San
Francisco, the whole of Sacramento and
other cities, and in money, $150,000,000,
called into exercise not only the legal
ability, but the professional skill of the
attorney-general and resulted in a great
triumph of justice over a most stupendous
fraud. This laid the foundation of Judge
Black's national repvitation as a lawyer, and
secured that remarkable success that at-
tended his subsequent professional career.
In statesmanship, during that trying period
of our country's history, there devolved
upon him the most onerous duties. He was
the principal adviser of President Bu-
chanan, a man of high intellectual ability,
but who, on account of the warring
elements of his cabinet, was compelled to
look to his attornejr-general for support.
Upon the resignation of Lewis Cass, the
President appointed Judge Black, Secretary
of State. The events of the closing months
of that administration are memorable.
James G. Blaine, in his work entitled
"Twenty Years of Congress," in referring
to the stormy times preceding the Civil
AA'ar, pays the following tribute to the
character and abilitj' of Judge Black:
"He was a maij of remarkable character,
and was endowed by nature with a strong
understanding and a strong will. In the
profession of the law, he had attained great
eminence. His learning had been illus-
trated by a prolonged service on the bench
before the age at which men, even of excep-
tional success at the bar, usually attract
public observation. He had added to his
professional studies, which were laborious
and conscientious, a wide acquaintance with
our literature, and had found in its walks a
delight which is yielded to few. In history,
biography, criticism, romance, he had
absorbed everything in our language
worthy of attention. Shakespeare, Milton,
indeed all the English poets, were his
456
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
familiar companions. There was not a
disputed passage or an obscure reading in
any one of the great plays upon which he
could not off-hand quote the best render-
ings, and throw original light from his own
illumined mind. Upon theology he had
apparently bestowed years of investigation
and reflection. A sincere Christian, he had
been a devout and constant student of the
Bible, and could quote its passages and
apply its teachings with singular readiness
and felicity. To this generous store of
knowledge he added fluency of speech, both
in public address and private conversation,
and a style of writing which was at once
unique, powerful, and attractive. He had
attained unto every excellence of mental
discipline described by Lord Bacon. Read-
ing had made him a full man, talking a
ready man, writing an exact man. The
judicial literature of the English tongue
may be sought in vain for finer models than
are found in the opinions of Judge Black
when he sat, and was worthy to sit, as the
associate of John Bannister Gibson, on the
Supreme Bench of Pennsylvania.
"In political opinion he was a Democrat,
self-inspired and self-taught, for his father
was a Whig who had served his state in
Congress. He idolized Jefferson and
revered Jackson as embodying in their
respective characters all the elements of the
soundest political philosophy, and all the
requisites of the highest political leadership.
He believed in the principles of Democracy
as he did in a demonstration of Euclid."
Before his retirement from the cabinet.
Secretary Black was nominated for the
position of justice of the Supreme Court of
the United States. This was during the
exciting period at the opening of the war,
and the appointment was not acted upon.
For a short time he served as reporter to
the United States Supreme Court. When
he retired from this position, he took up his
residence at York, and turned his attention
to the practice of law. He rarely appeared
in the local courts, but was engaged in the
trial of many of the most important litiga-
tions in the higher courts of the state and
nation.
The Civil AYar gave rise to a class of
cases whicli involved the fundamental prin-
ciples of liberty, the struggles for which had
been handed down to us from a former age,
and which, it was presumed, had been set-
tled a century before. The cases of citizens
of the republic, Blyew, Mci\rdle and Milli-
gan, have made the state trials of the
United States of America more illustrious
than those of Great Britain, for they ar-
rested in this land the encroachment of a
government, republican in form, upon the
absolute rights of individuals, when the
excitement of the hour seemed to obscure
the better judgment of those in power.
They established the judiciary as truly the
bulwark of liberty.
The case of Blyew arose under the Civil
Rights' Bill. The defendant had been
sentenced to death by a federal court in the
state of Kentucky, but the prisoner, for
whom Judge Black appeared, was released
by the Supreme Court. The case of
McArdle arose under the Reconstruction
acts. The defendant was held under a con-
viction by a military commission, and under
the argument of Judge Black would have
been released had not Congress invalidated
the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
The prisoner was then released by the gov-
ernment. The case of Milligan was a trial
and conviction before a military commis-
sion. He, too, was under sentence of death,
approved by the President of the United
States. The case came before the Supreme
Court on a writ of habeas corpus. The
argument of Judge Black, in this last
mentioned case, is one of the most memor-
able forensic eff'orts before any tribunal.
The case is one of the celebrated state trials,
and its result, the discharge of the prisoner,
maintained the constitution of the United
States.
Judge Black retained his vigor and pro-
fessional skill until the close of his career.
He was a delegate at large in the state con-
vention which framed the revised constitu-
tion of 1873. His eminence as a lawyer and
jurist attracted attention when he entered
that convention, but owing to his profes-
sional duties, he did not remain long as a
member. Though he participated but little
in its public discussions he influenced the
action of the convention on many important
subjects, notably that on the restriction of
the powers of certain corporations.
Judge Black spent twenty-four years of
his life as a resident of York County. He
resided first in the town, and in 1873
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
457
erected a large mansion, two miles south-
west of York. He named this delightful
rural retreat "Brockie," and here he spent
the remainder of his life. At this home he
entertained many of the most distinguished
men of the country, who were pleased with
the privilege of being his guest. President
Garfield, who for man}^ years had been a
close and intimate friend of Judge Black,
was a frequent visitor at Brockie, rarely
passing through York without calling upon
his friend, whom he revered and honored as
one of the foremost lawyers and statesmen
of this country. During his long residence
in York County, Judge Black was held in
the highest esteem by every one who knew
him. He died at Brockie, August 19, 1883.
HUGH HENRY BRACIvENRIDGE,
a chaplain in the Revolution and one of the
noted lawyers and jurists of Pennsylvania,
spent his early boyhood in the lower end of
York County, either in Hopewell or Peach
Bottom Township. He was born near
Campbelton, Scotland, in 1748. When five
years old he accompanied his father, a
farmer, to this country, and settled in York
County, Pennsylvania, near the Maryland
border. He supported himself by farming
and teaching while preparing for college,
and was graduated at Princeton in 1771, in
the same class with James Madison. In
conjunction with Philip Freneau, he wrote
a poetical dialogue entitled "The Rising
Glory of America," which formed part of
the graduating exercises, and was afterward
published (1772). After graduation he
was for some time a tutor at Princeton, and
then taught school in Maryland for several
years. During this time he wrote for his
pupils a drama called "Bunker Hill" (Phila-
delphia, 1776). In 1776 Brackenridge went
to Philadelphia and became editor of the
"United States Magazine." Some strict-
ures on General Charles Lee, published in
this magazine, so enraged that officer that
he called at Brackenridge's office for the
purpose of horsewhipping him, but the
editor prudently refused to appear. Brack-
enridge had studied the divinity, and was
for some time chaplain in the Revolutionary
army. Six of his political sermons,
delivered in camp, were afterward pub-
lished. He was never regularly ordained,
however, and his tastes lay in a difTerent
direction. After studying law at An-
napolis, Maryland, he was admitted to the
bar, removed in 1781 to Pittsburg, then a
small frontier town, and soon became
prominent in his profession. In 1786 he
was sent to the legislature to secure the
establishment of Allegheny County. In
1794 he was prominent in the "Whiskey In-
surrection," but used his influence in bring-
ing about a settlement between the gov-
ernment and the malcontents. He vindi-
cated his course in "Incidents of the Insur-
rection in Western Pennsylvania," (Phila-
delphia, 1795)- After the Democratic
victory in 1799 the Governor of Pennsyl-
vania, Thomas McKean, appointed Brack-
enridge to the Supreme Bench of the State,
where he remained until his death. Be-
sides works already mentioned, he wrote a
"Eulogium of the Brave who fell in the
Contest with Great Britain," an oration,
delivered at Philadelphia, July 4, 1778;
another oration, delivered July 4, 1793;
"Gazette Publications Collected," (1806);
"Law Miscellanies," (1814); and "Modern
Chivalry, or the adventures of Captain Far-
rago and Teague O'Regan, his Servant."
The last named, a political satire, is his best
work, the materials of the story being
drawn from the author's own experience.
The first part was published in Pittsburg in
1796 and re-published in Philadelphia in
1846, with illustrations by Darle}^ The
second portion appeared in 1806, and both
were issued together in 1819. Bracken-
ridge also wrote many miscellaneous essays
and poems. He died in Carlisle, Pennsyl-
vania, June 25, 1816.
REV. THOMAS BARTON was a
prominent personage in the colonial his-
tory of York and Cumberland Counties.
He was born in Ireland in 1730, and edu-
cated at the University of Dublin. In
1753 he came to America, and was em-
ployed as a teacher for two years in the
academy at Philadelphia. At certain in-
tervals he visited the church people at York,
Huntingdon (now York Springs) and Car-
lisle. After making the acquaintance of
the English people at these places, he was
induced by them to return to England,
obtain clerical orders from the proper
authorities, and become the ofificiating rec-
tor for the people of the Episcopal Church
in York and Cumberland Counties. He
came back to America in 1755, and immedi-
458
HISTORY OF. YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ately began to organize congregations at
the three places mentioned. Vestrymen
and wardens were settled in each of the
places. He visited other settlements and
administered the religious rites to the
church people. While in York and Cum-
berland counties, as early as 1756, his at-
tention was called to the unfortunate con-
dition of the Indians, with whom he fre-
quently associated while on his ministerial
tours. Some Indians came to Carlisle to
sell fur and deer skins, and he invited them
into his church or building, in which he was
conducting religious services. The few of
them, who could understand English, at
once became interested in him. When
they returned they brought some of their
friends to visit him, and shake hands with
them. He then had great hopes of con-
verting" many of them to Christianity, but
the French and Indian war broke out and
all hopes of prosecuting his missionary
work among them ceased. At this period
he found himself and his parishes exposed
to the incursions of the hostile red man, and
he became chaplain of the troops under
General Forbes on the western expedition.
After the French and Indian war, he served
as rector of St. James' Church, at Lancaster,
for a period of twenty years. In 1770, he
received the honorary degree of A. M. from
King's College, N. Y. During his pastorate
at Lancaster, he frequently conducted re-
ligious services at York. AVhen the Revo-
lution opened, Mr. Barton was obliged to
retire from his field of labor. He was not
willing to take the oath of allegiance to the
American government, and was permitted
to sell his property and pass within the
British lines. He arrived in New York in
November, 1778, where he died of dropsy.
May 25, 1780, aged fifty years. He was
married, in 1753, to a sister of David Rit-
tenhouse, the great astronomer. At his
death he left a widow and eight children.
One of his sons, Benjamin .Smith Barton,
was a professor in the University of Penn-
sylvania, and died in 181 5. AVilliam Bar-
ton, his eldest son, wrote the life of David
Rittenhouse. The widow died at the age
of ninety years. Rev. Barton published a
sermon on Braddock's defeat. John Penn
said of him : "He was a worthy pastor and
missionary, and as such, his name should go
down to posterity."
HORACE BONHAM, artist and editor,
was born near York, November 26, 1835.
His father, Samuel C. Bonham, a native of
Lincolnton, North Carolina, removed to
York in 1827, and soon took a prominent
part in public affairs. Being an ardent
Whig in politics, he was chosen associate
judge of York County in 1840, during the
campaign when General AVilliam Henry
Harrison was elected president of the
United States. He served with ability on
the bench of York County for a period of
ten years. Horace Bonham received his
preliminar}^ education at the York County
Academy and afterward entered Lafayette
College, Easton, Pennsylvania, from which
he graduated in 1856. In 1859 he was ad-
mitted to the York County Bar, but never
practiced law. In i860 and 1861 he was
editor of the York Republican. For a
period of six months during the Civil AA^ar,
he edited and published "The Recorder,"^
the first daily paper printed at York. When
the office of internal revenue assessor was
opened at York under the government sys-
tem, establishing such offices throughout
the country, Mr. Bonham was appointed
revenue commissioner by President Lin-
coln. He filled this position with great
credit to himself during the remainder of
Lincoln's administration. Being a man of
excellent literary training and possessed of
an aesthetic nature, he became interested in
the study of art in the pursuit of which he
excelled in anything he attempted to draw
or paint. His conception of historic scenes
was admirable and he reproduced them
with fine effect. His pen and ink drawing
of the adjournment of Continental Congress
at York, in 1777, after that body had re-
ceived the news of the surrender of Bur-
goyne and his army at Saratoga, is a model
of artistic beauty. For the purpose of pur-
suing his art studies he went to Europe and
studied at Paris and Munich. Paintings of
his placed on exhibition at Boston and
Philadelphia received considerable attention
and praise. In literary pursuits he dis-
played talent in poetical composition in
which he indulged as a diversion. He died
at York, March 7, 1892.
JOHN MILTON BONHAM was born
at York, November 26, 1835, son of Samuel
C. and Elizabeth (Stehman) Bonham. He
obtained his preliminary education at the
(y^c.^..^^^ ff>. /3^^ c/c
1
i
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
459
[
York County Academy and was graduated
from the College of New Jersey, at Prince-
ton, where he excelled in the study of the
ancient and modern classics, developing a
decided taste for American literature.
After leaving college, he studied law with
Erastus H. Weiser and was admitted to the
bar in 1857. He practiced his profession
here for a few years and then went to War-
rensburg, Missouri, where he formed, in
i860, a co-partnership in the practice of the
law with Colonel James D. Eads. Soon
afterward he left Warrensburg for Frank-
lin, Pennsylvania, where he formed a part-
nership with James H. Smith, formerly of
York County. He also had an office at
Petroleum Centre, Pennsylvania. He re-
tired from the practice of law in 1875 to
engage in the oil business, and was a mem-
ber of the firm of Brough and McKelvy,
with his office at Pittsburg. They con-
ducted the purchase, sale and transporta-
tion of petroleum. This business was
profitably closed out to the Standard Oil
Company. Mr. Bonham and Mr. Brough
were large holders of land in Venango
County, on which oil was found. In 1878
he retired from active business and subse-
quently devoted himself to literature, re-
siding in the city of Washington, D. C.
He is the author of the following works,
published by G. P. Putnam's Sons: "In-
dustrial Liberty," "Railway Secrecy and
Trusts," and "Secularism." These works
were very favorably criticized in this coun-
try and in England. He died at Atlantic
City, June 17, 1897.
CHAUNCEY FORWARD BLACK,
lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania, was
born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, in
November, 1839. He was the eldest son
of Jeremiah S. Black, the noted jurist and
statesman. He obtained his elementary
education in a private school and at the age
of fourteen, entered Monongalia Academy,
at Morgantown, West Virginia. Two years
later his father sent him to Hiram College,
Ohio. One of the instructors of that insti-
tution and afterward its president, was
James A. Garfield. Being a model in-
structor, the future president of the United
States exercised a strong and healthful in-
fluence over the youthfvil mind of Chauncey
F. Black. The close ties of friendship
formed at this institution between these two
men lasted during the remainder of Presi-
dent Garfield's life. Mr. Black completed
his education at Jefferson College, in west-
ern Pennsylvania. When his father became
attorney-general in the cabinet of James
Buchanan, in 1856, he removed with the
family to Washington. During the suc-
ceeding four years he engaged in newspaper
work at the national capital, and in the
meantime was admitted to the bar of Som-
erset County. He practiced law for a short
time at Washington, and in the fall of i860,
moved to York with his parents and formed
a co-partnership with his father in the prac-
tice of law. For several years he was as-
sociated with his father in the preparation
of cases tried before the higher courts,
where Jeremiah S. Black frequently ap-
peared. Having natural inclination for
newspaper work, his energies were turned
in that direction.
From 1873 until 1895, Mr. Black was
closely identified with the journalism of this
country. He was an editorial contributor
to the New York Sun for a period of fifteen
years, and in the columns of this paper ap-
peared some of the ablest articles from his
pen. For several years he was the cor-
respondent for the New York World at
AVashington, and during that period con-
tributed many articles to magazines on po-
litical subjects and economic questions. He
was a forceful and vigorous writer, his
articles showing a wide range of intellectual
culture and a broad and comprehensive
knowledge of public affairs. He organized
Democratic associations in a large number
of the states of the Union and for several
years was president of the Association of
Democratic Clubs of the United States. In
1879, he represented York County in the
Democratic State convention, and in 1880,
was a presidential delegate to the Demo-
cratic National convention which nomi-
nated General Hancock for President of the
United States.
In 1882. Mr. Black was nominated by the
Democratic party of Pennsylvania for the
office of lieutenant-governor on the ticket
with Robert E. Pattison. The campaign
was carried on with great vigor throughout
the Keystone State, and resulted in the
election of both Pattison and Black. At
this election, Chauncey F. Black led the
ticket in York County, where he had re-
460
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
sided since his father's retirement from the
Buchanan cabinet in i860. It was a ilat-
tering- vote and showed the popularity in
which he was held by his fellow-citizens
around his own home. He entered upon his
duties January. 1883, as presiding officer of
the Senate of Pennsylvania. His dignified
bearing, affable manner, and courtesy won
for him the admiration .of the senators of
both parties and of the officers of the
various departments with whom he had
official intercourse. Upon his retirement
he received tokens of friendship from his
associates while he served as lieutenant-
governor. At the expiration of his term of
office, he returned to Willow Bridges, his
country home, a short distance southwest
of York, in Springgarden Township. He
resided here until the death of his mother
in 1897, when he moved to Brockie, the
family residence, built by his father in 1873.
In this delightful retreat, Mr. Black spent
the remainder of his life. Here he enter-
tained man}' notable men, whose fame ex-
tended over the whole country. During his
entire career, Mr. Black was a student of
the policy and principles promulgated by
Thomas JefTerson, founder of the Demo-
cratic party in the United States.
In 1863, Mr. Black was married to Mary
Dawson, daughter of Hon. John L. Daw-
son, whose home was at Friendship Hill,
Fayette County, in the historic mansion
built and owned by Albert Gallatin, the
great financier and cabinet officer. They
had three sons: Jeremiah S., J. h. Dawson
and Chauncey Forward. Louise, the only
daughter, who was one of the founders of
the Yorktown Chapter, D. A. R., at York,
died December 10, 1900. Mrs. Black, who
was a woman of many accomplishments,
died November 20, 1899. Mr. Black spent
the last years of his life in quiet retirement
at Brockie, where he died December 2, 1904.
CAPTAIN THOMAS CAMPBELL, of
the Revolution, was born about 1750 in
Chanceford Township, York County. His
father took up a ti-act of land at an early
day, situated on the "Great Road leading
from York to Nelson's Ferry." He was of
Scotch-Irish descent and a farmer by occu-
pation. When the Revolutionary struggle
began, he enlisted as a private in Captain
Michael Doudel's company, attached to
Colonel William Thompson's battalion -of
riflemen, in July, 1775. He served through
the New England campaign, and was com-
missioned first lieutenant in the Fourth
Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line, Janu-
^^y 3> ^777- He was severely wounded at
Germantown, was promoted captain, Janu-
ary I, 1781, and retired from the service Jan-
uary I, 1783. He was one of the original
members of the Pennsylvania Society of the
Cincinnati. Captain Campbell was chosen
a delegate to the State Convention to ratify
the Federal Constitution in 1787; served as
a member of the Pennsylvania House of
Representatives from 1797 to 1800, and of
the Senate from the York and Adams dis-
trict, from 1805 to 1808. He died at his
residence in Monaghan Township, York
County, January 19, 1815. He left
descendants, some of whom now reside in
Texas.
REV. ROBERT CATHCART, D. D.,
pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of
York from 1793 to 1837, was born at Cole-
raine, Ireland, November, 1759. He ob-
tained his education at the University of
Glasgow, from which he was graduated in
1780. He was licensed to preach in his
native land and in 1790 came to America,
at the request of his uncle. Rev. Robert
Cathcart, residing at Wilmington, Dela-
ware. In 1793 he was chosen pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church at York and the
church at Round Hill, in Hopewell Town-
ship, serving the former forty-four years,
and the latter forty-two years, preaching on
alternate Sundays to each congregation.
For thirty successive years. Dr. Cathcart
was elected by the Presbytery to which he
belonged, its representative to the general
assembly of that denomination, and for
twenty years was stated clerk of that body.
Rutger's College conferred upon him the
degree of Doctor of Divinity, and the same
degree was given him by Dickinson College,
at Carlisle, of which he was a trustee for
thirty years. For a quarter of a century,
Dr. Cathcart was president of the Board of
Trustees of the York County Academy and
during that time took a very active and
prominent part in building up that institu-
tion. He was liberal in his contributions to
the American Bible and Tract Society and
the American Sunday School Union. Dur-
ing his long residence in York he took a
prominent part in the atTairs of the borough
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
461
and county, always advocating and support-
ing every measure intended to promote the
public good of the community. Dr. Cath-
cart was married in 1796 to Susan Latimer,
of Newport, Delaware. The}^ had three
sons and two daughters. He died at York,
October 19, 1849.
PHINEAS DAVIS. The first locomo-
tive that burned coal put into successful use
in America was made in York in 1832, and
the honor of its invention and construction
belongs to Phineas Davis, who was born at
Grafton, New Hampshire, in 1795. He be-
came an orphan at the age of thirteen years,
and having to depend upon his own energy
and ability to gain a livelihood, he left his
village home in the Granite State, went to
the city of Lowell, in Massachusetts, and
there endeavored to secure a situation.
Owing to the discouragement that attended
his efforts, in a few weeks he set out' for
Providence, Rhode Island, and from there
to Connecticut, spending several months in
the towns along the southern border of that
state.
Nothing definitely is known of him dur-
ing the succeeding years until his arrival at
York, Pennsylvania, in 1809, a barefoot boy.
Jonathan Jessop, a well-to-do member of
the Society of Friends, was then the prin-
cipal watchmaker of the town. He lived
west of the Codorus. One morning while
diligently plying his trade, the poorly-clad
yet bright and intelligent looking New
Hampshire boy entered his place of busi-
ness in search of a situation. The lad was
not discouraged by his previous failures to
secure profitable employment. His ardor
was not dimmed nor his energy checked,
and he approached his future employer,
who at once gave him a position in his store.
He was apt to learn and attentive to duty
and soon showed his inventive turn of mind
by producing a new gold watch, the product
of his own skill and application. His repu-
tation was made as a watchmaker, and he
would doubtless have prospered in that
business or any other. The beautiful
mechanism of his watch was a subject of
favorable comment among the inventors of
those days, and soon thereafter some one
else took up his design and had it patented.
The educated mind of the day was then
turning its attention to steam as a motor.
Phineas Davis, during his leisure hours in
Friend Jessop's store, had been a diligent
student of natural philosophy and chem-
istry, and now became absorbed in studying
the properties of steam and its application
to machinery. He associated himself as a
partner with Mr. Gardner in the York
foundr}' and machine shops, on the west
side of the Codorus in York, and while en-
gaged in making tools and implements his
genius was turned toward the locomotive
engine, then a new invention and very crude
in its construction. All that had yet been
built were of English manufacture and
burned wood, and great improvements were
needed to make it of much use. On Janu-
ary 4, 1831, the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
way Company offered a prize for a loco-
motive engine of American manufacture.
The sum of $3,500 was to be awarded to the
inventor and manufacturer of the best
engine delivered in Baltimore for trial June
I, 1832. It was demanded that the engine
burn coke or coal and consume its own
smoke. Phineas Davis became one of the
competitors for the prize, and at the York
foundry, of which he was half owner, he
built, and on the time appointed for trial,
conveyed his engine on wagons to Balti-
more. He called it "The York."
The Baltimore Gazette of July 31, 1832,
says : "AVe are gratified that the locomotive
steam engine, 'The York,' constructed by
Phineas Davis, of York, Penna., com-
menced operation under the most favorable
auspices at 9 o'clock yesterday. It started
from Pratt Street depot for Ellicott Mills
with a train of fourteen loaded cars, carry-
ing together with the engine tender, a gross
weight of fifty tons. The whole went off in
fine style and was out of sigJit of the depot
in six minutes. The rapid gliding of the
immense train was one of the most im-
posing and beautiful spectacles we have
ever seen."
The York Gazette of August 9, 1832,
says: "The York" made the journey (thir-
teen miles) in an hour and five minutes.
Return trip with one car, a passenger coach,
in fifty-seven minutes. The last mile was
made in three minutes.
The competitive trial was made on Sat-
urday, August 4, 1832. "The York," with
Phineas Davis, the inventor, who was
engineer, won the first prize. There were
five competitors. The train which the
462
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
engine pulled, exclusive of the tender, con-
sisted of seven cars weighing twenty-five
tons. The fuel used by the engine was
anthracite coal.
Davis' engine was mounted on wheels
thirty inches in diameter, like those of com-
mon cars, and the motion was produced by
means of gearing with a spur wheel and
pinion on one of the axles of the road
wheels. The greatest velocity for a short
time on a straight track was thirty miles per
hour. It could travel curvature of four
hundred feet radius at the rate of fifteen
miles per hour. The engine weighed but
three and one-half tons, and was found too
light for advantageous use or on ascending
grades. Performance of this engine fully
convinced the board of directors of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and its engi-
neer corps that locomotive engines could be
used successfully on railways having
curves of four hundred feet radius, and
since that time they have been in use in this
country.
In 1832 Davis and Gardner, in their York
shops, made several locomotives of a
"grasshopper" type, same as "The York,"
only heavier, for the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad. These engines had vertical boil-
ers similar to those now used on steam fire
engines. The boilers were fifty inches in
diameter and contained 282 fire tubes six-
teen inches long, and tapering from one and
one-half inches at the bottom to one and
one-fourth inches at the top .where the gas
discharged through a combustible chamber
into a stack. These engines weighed six
and one-half tons. One of them, the "At-
lantic," was set to work in September, 1832,
and hauled fifty tons over a rough road with
high grades and short curves, at the rate of
fifteen miles per hour. This engine made
a trip at the cost of $16, doing the work of
forty horses which had cost $33 per trip.
Phineas Davis soon afterward became
manager of a shop of the Baltimore and
Ohio Company, in Baltimore, and to him,
Ross Winans and John Elgar, of York, (the
inventor of switch turnstiles, drill bear-
ings and plate wheels), is due the honor of
solving most of the problems which pre-
sented themselves in connection with the
great system of railroad travel and inland
transportation. The first steel springs used
in this country were placed on "The York."
Davis secured new patents for his inven-
tion and was just approaching the height of
prosperity when he met an unfortunate
death at the age of forty, on September 27,
1835. He had command of one of his en-
gines in taking a part}^ of Baltimoreans on
an excursion. It was the result of a casual
and unseen defect in the railway. One of
the chains had become broken and the end
of a bent rail, which was displaced, caught
the flange of the engine wheel and threw
the engine off the track. The momentum
of the cars in the rear threw them with
great force on the tender and in turn upon
the engine, when Phineas Davis was in-
stantly killed.
Thus ended the brilliant career of a man
whose place in history has only recently
been recognized.
Phineas Davis was married in the
Friends" meeting house at York, August
15, 1826, to Hannah Taylor, the great-
granddaughter of William Willis, who built
the first court house in York.
Among those who were present at the
wedding, according to the records, were
Jane L. Cathcart, E. S. Cassatt, (Mrs. Sam-
uel Small) and Mary M. Barnitz.
Hannah, wife of Phineas Davis, died of
cholera, in York, July 23, 1830, after having
been sick only three hours. They had two
children — Willis, who married and moved
to South America, and Nathan, who en-
listed in the Union army and died during
the Civil War. The remains of Phineas
Davis were buried about thirt}' feet to the
northeast of the northeast corner of the
Friends' Meeting House at York.
ABRAHAM DEHUFF died at York in
1895 at the age of 96 years. He was born
in York in 1798, and during his whole life
followed the occupation of a jeweler and
watchmaker. In 1855 he received a gold
medal at the Harrisburg State Fair for a
watch not larger than a three-cent piece,
which he made. He also made two similar
watches, one of which he presented to
President James Buchanan and which is
now in the National Museum at Washing-
ton, D. C. The other was purchased by
the Prince of A\'ales during his visit to this
country shortly before the Civil War. Mr.
DehufT's grandfather served in the Revo-
lution under General Lafavette.
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
463
JAMES EDGAR was born in the south-
ern part of York County, November 15,
1744, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His father
subsequently removed to North Carolina,
but 3'oung Edgar remained on his farm
until the outset of the Revolution. By the
Committee of York County, he was chosen
a member of the Provincial Conference of
June 18, 1776; and elected by the people to
the convention of July 15, following. He
was a member of the Assembly, 1776-7,
from York County; of the Provincial Coun-
cil of Safety from October 17 to December
4, 1777, when he took his seat in the Su-
preme Executive Council, an office he filled
acceptably until February 13, 1779. In the
autumn of this year he removed to Wash-
ington County, and upon the organization
thereof was appointed one of the justices
July 1,5, 1781, and served in the Supreme
Executive Council from November 30, 1781,
to December 4, 1782. He was a member of
the Council of Censors, November 20, 1783,
and chosen to the Assembly in 1785, having
previously served in that body in 1781. He
represented York County in the Pennsyl-
vania Convention of November 20, 1787, to
consider the proposed constitution for the
government of the United States. He was
appointed by Governor Mifflin one of the
associate judges of the courts of Washing-
ton County, August 19, 1791, serving
therein until his death. Judge Edgar was
prominent in the so-called Whiskey Insur-
rection of 1794, on the side of law and
obedience thereto ; and when the troops
marched to quell the disturbance, he was
appointed a member of the Committee of
Conference to confer with the commission-
ers of the United States, and the State of
Pennsylvania, relative to a prompt return
to state and national allegiance. Judge
Edgar was a leading spirit in the Presby-
terian Church of York County, with which
he connected himself at the age of sixteen.
For many 3^ears he was a ruling elder in the
church and was nine times a member of
Old Redstone Presbytei-y. Brackenridge,
in his "History of the Western Insurrec-
tion," states that he was a "kind of Rabbi in
the Presbyterian Churches in western coun-
try." Rev. Dr. Carnahan gives this esti-
mate of his character: "James Edgar had a
good English education, had improved his
mind bv reading and reflection : so that in
theological and political knowledge he was
superior to many professional men. He
possessed an eloquence which, although not
polished, was convincing and persuasive."
Judge Edgar died on his farm, on the ist of
January, 1806.
REV. ADAM ETTINGER, for sixty-
two years a clergyman of York County,
born in 1787, was one of the original
preachers of the Evangelical Association in
York County. His father, Rev. Adam Et-
tinger, was a clergyman of the German Re-
formed Church, and died in 1809. His
mother was a sister of Rev. John Stouch, of
the Lutheran Church. In the fall of 1813,
under the administration of Rev. John Wal-
ter, the first fellow-laborer of Rev. Jacob
Albright, founder of the Evangelical Associ-
ation, Adam Ettinger joined that denomi-
nation, which at that date had only fifteen
preachers and 769 members in America.
No minister of the gospel was a more de-
voted follower of the doctrines and prin-
ciples of the church of his choice than he,
giving not only his time but his means to
the support of the cause he so faithfully ad-
vocated. He was married early in life to a
daughter of Conrad Miller, a soldier of the
Revolution, and well-to-do farmer of Hope-
well. His father-in-law and mother-in-law
then formed part of his family, and their
home became a place for religious meetings,
and in summer time camp-meetings were
held in the woods adjoining it. To the
church and its interests he was generous
and philanthropic beyond his means. He
died October, 1877, aged ninety years. His
remains were interred in Prospect Hill
Cemetery.
HENRY H. HOUSTON, financier,
prominently identified with the public in-
ternal improvements of Pennsylvania, was
born near AVrightsville, of Scotch-Irish
ancestry, in 1826. Early in life he showed
unusual capacity for business and removed
to the city of Philadelphia, where he
resided for half a century. As early as 1850
he became interested in the completion of a
continuous line of railroad from Philadel-
phia to Pittsburg and was identified with
the construction of part of this line west of
Harrisburg. Later in life he was president
and director of more than half a dozen cor-
porations and railroad companies allied
with the interests of the Pennsvlvania Rail-
464
.HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
road Company, in which he was a director
for thirty years. Mr. Houston was a
director in various financial institutions of
Philadelphia and was a leading stockholder
and director in the International Naviga-
tion Company, which owned a line of the
largest steamers that plied between New
York City and Liverpool, England. He
resided at Chestnut Hill, a suburb of Phila-
delphia, where he died in 1897. His great
uncle, Dr. John Houston, who lived near
the site of Wrightsville, was a surgeon in
the Flying Camp during the American
Revolution.
JOSEPH JEFFRIES, colonel of the
Fifth Battalion, York County Associators,
in the Revolution, was born in Chester
County, in 1736, and about 1770 removed
west of the Susquehanna. On December
16, 1774, he was appointed a member of the
Committee of Observation for York
County. He became major of the Fifth
Battalion, July 28, 1775, and was promoted
colonel, April 5, 1778. During the latter
part of 1778, he was appointed wagon
master for York County, and in December
of that year, he performed the responsible
duty of procuring wagons to transport the
effects of Burgoyne's army from the Sus-
quehanna to Charlottesville, Virginia,
where they remained prisoners of war for
nearly three years. He died at Columbia,
Pennsylvania, November 26, 1814. His
son, Captain John Jeffries, served as a
private in the early part of the war, was a
second lieutenant in the Seventh Battalion
in 1779, and promoted to captain in 1780.
He died in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, in
1832. James, son of Captain John Jeffries,
was a second lieutenant in the Second
Brigade of Pennsylvania, during the war of
1812.
REV. JACOB LISCHY was prominently
identified with the early religious history of
York County among the first German set-
tlers. His record book of his first labors in
this county, when the settlement was yet
sparse, is still in existence. As a man he
had a vigorous intellect, of considerable
force of character. Most of his life was
spent in the ministry of the German Re-
formed Church, and yet he neither began
nor ended his career within that church.
Jacob Lischy was a Swiss German, and im-
migrated to America, landing at New York
May 28, 1742, in company with twenty-
seven other German immigrants, in the sail-
ing vessel, called "Snow Catherine" com-
manded by Captain Gladman. He was not
a minister when he came to this country.
Soon after arriving in Pennsylvania he was
brought under the influence of Count Zin-
zendorf, apostle of the Moravian church in
America who came to this country in 1741.
At the instance of Zinzendorf, he was or-
dained a missionary when yet a young man.
According to his own words he adopted the
Christian religion under the preaching of
the Moravians at Basle, in Switzerland,
when fourteen years old. Making a success
of his missionary work as a la3'man he was
ordained as a minister at Bethlehem, in
January, 1743, and set out to preach the
gospel under the direction of Count Zinzen-
dorf. Soon after his ordination he preached
to newly formed congregations at Mode
Creek and Kissel's farm in Lancaster
County. An early record says, "he
was a warm-hearted, gifted and approved
preacher, and made a great impression
wherever he went." In his own words he
"was preaching for the congregation of God
in the Spirit," and consequently used dif-
ferent types and modes of worship, which
he claimed was a union of the Moravian,
Reformed and Lutheran faith. For this
reason he got into frequent controversy.
About this time he received at least a dozen
calls to preach. Some of them came from
his native country.
On the I2th of August, 1744, a written in-
vitation was sent him to take charge of the
German Reformed congregation in York,
which had not yet had a settled pastor. An
early record says: "In 1744 the well-
known Jacob Lischy, who had been sent out
by the congregation at Bethlehem, Pa.,
came into the neighborhood of York to
preach the gospel to all who were willing to
hear him. He professed to be a Reformed
minister, and was invited to preach to the
German Reformed congregation at York;
on the 29th of May, 1745, he accepted the
pastorate of this church." In 1746 a
"brethren synod" was held in Kreutz Creek,
at which Rev. Lischy and Rev. Nyberg, a
Lutheran preacher, lately from Sweden,
who also belonged to the "Union Church"
were the prominent clergymen. Nyberg
took charge of the Lutheran church of Han-
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
465
over that year. It was about this time that
the elders of the congregation of the
church at York and Kreutz Creek became
aware that their pastor, Rev. Lischy, had
some Mora\ian proclivities, and when he
wished again to preach in York, many per-
sons had collected in front of the church
with great noise, and for a time forbade
him to conduct religious services in their
church. In connection with Rev. Christian
Henry Rausch, an open air meeting was
held along the Codorus, and a large audi-
ence attended. For a time public services
were held at Immel's house on the Codorus.
There was a great religious awakening
among the German settlers during the
years 1745-6. It was brought about by the
united efforts of the clergymen of the Ger-
man Reformed, Lutheran and Moravian de-
nominations. This gave rise to the contro-
versy as to which denomination should
eventually gain the ascendency. Lischy's
sphere seemed to be that of a controver-
sionalist. His preaching was, however, ef-
fective, and he continued the regular pastor
until 1754, of York, Kreutz Creek and other
congregations in York County formed by
him. But his career in York was not all
harmonious. On 'Sla.y 2, 1747, the Rev.
Michael Schlatter visited York and accord-
ing to his journal "found a large German
Reformed congregation. But on account
of Lischy's semi-Reformed and semi-Mora-
vian tenets, the brethren (Moravians) in
connection wnth Rev. Lischy, has brought
much confusion among them."
Lischy through the instrumentality of
Schlatter, was regularly ordained a minis-
ter of the German Reformed Church, on
September 29, 1747. He then invited
Schlatter to come from the synod at Phila-
delphia, to York, to assist in restoring har-
mony. By May 17, 1748, when Schlatter
again returned to York, he found that "con-
fidence in Lischy had been restored and
their affection for him was kindled anew."
On the i8th of May he w^as asked to preach
before Rev. Schlatter and the congregation,
at York, without having much time for
preparation, in order to test his orthodoxy.
The following was the text selected : "For
many are called, but few are chosen." This
was the first time he had preached in the
church since the disturbance more than a
vear before. His sermon was a success
and he was allowed to officiate regularly.
After separating from the brethren (Mora-
vians) he became violent against them,
both in writing and speaking. When he
left the York charge in 1754, a series of
resolutions were passed and signed by
eighty-seven members and the name and
work of Dominie Lischy was long remem-
bered among them. There were, how'ever,
many inconsistencies in Dominie Lischy's
character, which sometimes overruled his
great pretensions to piety. On account of
his vagaries he was suspended from the
ministry of the German Reformed Church
June 8, 1757. Final action was taken in his
case by the synod of Holland, during the
year 1760. Shortly after this event he
moved to a farm, which he had before pur-
chased, in what is now North Codorus
Township, this county, on the right of the
road leading from Spring Grove to Jeffer-
son, and nearly midway between the two
places. He opened a school and organized
an independent church and did not disap-
pear from the ecclesiastical arena. For a
time his son taught a successful school on
his farm. Rev. Lischy organized, in 1765,
what is now known as "Lischy's church,"
in that vicinity. In this quiet community
he spent the remainder of his life, and was
respected by the people among whom he
labored. Among the taxable lists for 1780,
we find the following assessment : "Rev.
Jacob Lischy owned 100 acres of land, 40 of
which w'ere cleared, had three horses, tw-o
cows and five sheep. Entire valuation 1600
pounds." In the family graveyard, on wdiat
was his farm, we copied the following in-
scription : "In memory of Rev. Jacob
Lisch)^, V. D. M., born in Switzerland, in
Europe. Departed this life A. D. 1781." A
few other persons are interred in this same
"neglected spot" among them his wnfe, who
died in 1754. A large pear tree has grown
up on her grave. The burying ground is
on an elevated plane, with a commanding
view^ of the surrounding country.
AVILLIAM LENHART, a noted mathe-
matician, w-as born at York in 1787. He
was the son of Godfrey Lenhart one of the
early clockmakers who resided at the north-
west corner of George Street and Centre
Square. In his youth he attended the York
County Academy and received instruction
in mathematics from Robert Adrian who
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
afterward filled the chair of mathematics in
the University of Pennsylvania. Before
William Lenhart had reached the age of
nineteen, he had advanced so far in his fa-
vorite study of higher mathematics that he
contributed articles of merit to the Mathe-
matical Correspondent and Analyst, the
two leading journals of their kind then
printed in America. He spent several
years as an accountant in Baltimore and also
resided in Philadelphia. Most of his life
was devoted to diligent and careful study
of higher mathematics. He frequently
competed with noted European scholars
such as Euler, Lagrange, and Gauss, known
throughout the world as the most eminent
mathematicians of their time. He con-
tinued to be a contributor to the leading
mathematical journals during the re-
mainder of his life and is said to have been
the best informed scholar in America on the
subject of diophantine analysis. The last
years of his career were spent in Frederick,
Maryland, where he died in 1840 at the age
of fifty-three. Mathematicians report that
the mind of William Lenhart was peculiarly
adapted to solve the most intricate ques-
tions relating to mathematical science.
ELLIS LEWIS, Chief Justice of the Su-
preme Court of Pennsylvania, was born of
Welsh ancestry, at Lewisberry, York
County, May 16, 1798. He was a son of
Eli Lewis, grandson of Ellis Lewis and
great-grandson of Ellis Lewis, one of the
earliest members of the Society of Friends,
who settled in York County in the year
Major Eli Lewis, his father, published the
first newspaper at Harrisburg, and in 1798
laid out the borough of Lewisberry. Judge
Lewis obtained his preliminary education
at a school in his native town, taught by
Isaac Kirk. In this school he displayed
superior mental endowments and by the
time he reached the age of sixteen had ac-
quired a good English education. He
studied the ancient classics under a private
teacher at Harrisburg, where he learned the
printers trade. At the age of eighteen he
moved to Williamsport, where he assisted
in editing one of the local papers for two
years. He then studied law and was ad-
mitted to the bar of Lycoming County in
the year 1822, and at once entered upon the
practice of law, in which he succeeded in a
marked degree. In 1824 he was appointed
deputy attorney general ■ for Lycoming
County and filled that position for a period
of three years. In politics he was a Demo-
crat, and in 1832 was elected a member of
the State Legislature. In this body he soon
won distinction as a public speaker. At
this early period in his life his speeches
were noted for clearness of expression and
profound thought. His ability as a lawyer
attracted the attention of Governor George
Wolf, who, in 1833, appointed him attorney
general for the State of Pennsylvania. He
filled this high position for a period of one
year, when in response to a petition from
almost the entire bar Governor Wolf ap-
pointed him president judge of the Eighth
Judicial District of Pennsylvania, composed
of Lycoming and several other counties.
He filled this position for ten years. In
1843 he was appointed president judge of
the Second Judicial District, composed of
Lancaster County. He then removed to
the city of Lancaster. In 1851 he was
elected one of the justices of the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania, and resigned the
position of president judge of the Second
Judicial District after the election held in
October of that year. In December, 1854,
he became chief justice. In 1857 he de-
clined the unanimous nomination of the
Democratic State Convention for re-election
to the Supreme Court, and retired to private
life, residing in the city of Philadelphia.
In 1858 Judge Lewis was appointed one
of the commissioners to revise the criminal
code of Pennsylvania. His acquaintance
with medical jurisprudence gained for him
the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine,
from the Philadelphia College of Medicine.
He also received the degree of Doctor of
Laws, from Transylvania University and
from Jefferson College. Judge Lewis' legal
opinions on important and difficult cases are
frequently cited with approval by the most
eminent writers of his profession.
He was the author of "An Abridgment of
the Criminal Law of the United States."
He was a man of great force of character,
fine intellectual attainments and with the
legal profession of Pennsylvania is recog-
nized as a profound jurist. Judge Lewis
devoted much of his time to the study of
literature, and was a frequent correspond-
ent to the leading periodicals of the country.
REV. LEWIS MAYER. D. D.
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
467
In early life he frequently came to York
to visit his brother, James Lewis, one of the
leaders of the York County Bar. On sev-
eral occasions he appeared in the trial of
cases before the York County courts. He
spent the last years of his life in the city of
Philadelphia, where he died March 9, 1871,
at the age of seventy-three j^ears. A fine
portrait of Judge Lewis was presented to
the Historical Society of York County in
the year 1906, by his only surviving daugh-
ter, Miss Josephine Lewis, of Philadelphia.
JOHN LUTHER LONG, lawyer, author
and dramatist, was born at Hanover, York
County, in 1856. After leaving school he
studied law and was admitted to the bar at
York. He then removed to Philadelphia,
and became a member of the bar of that
city. Soon after he entered his profession
he turned his attention to literature, and be-
came a contributor to the "Century Maga-
zine" and other leading periodicals in this
country. His stories on Japanese life and
customs attracted wide attention. This
caused an increased demand for his con-
tributions. Mr. Long has written a series
of stories, portraying the characteristics of
the Pennsylvania Germans. His stories are
attractive in style and are original in con-
ception. He has written and published
several volumes, including "Madam Butter-
fly," "Miss Cherry-Blossom of Tokyo,"
"The Fox Woman," "The Prince of Illu-
sion," "Naughty Nan," "Heimweh," and
other stories. Within recent years a num-
ber of his stories have been dramatized and
put on the stage both in America and Eu-
rope. His play entitled "The Garden of the
Gods," has been produced in all the leading
cities of the United States as well as in
Paris and London.
REV. LEW^IS MAY^ER, D. D. On his
father's side the roots of the family tree are
traceable in Germany to the Fifteenth Cen-
tury. In 1570 Maximilian II. granted a
coat of arms to the Mayers, "on account of
important military services rendered in his
life time, as well as in the days of Charles
V." Two of his forbears in the Seventeenth
Century were ministers of the gospel: the
Rev. John Melchoir Mayer, born at Ulm,
September 11, 1636, and the Rev. George
Bartholomew Mayer, born at Ulm, March
9. 168 1. His grandfather, Christopher
Bartholomew Mayer, born at Carlsruhe,
Baden, November, 1702, came to America
by way of the Hague, where the right of
citizenship was conferred on him, and set-
tled with his family in the Pennsylvania
colony, probably in the town of Lancaster.
His son, George Lewis Mayer, was then a
youth, and later engaged in business in
Lancaster. The latter was twice married,
and Dr. Lewis Mayer, boi'n March 26th,
1783, was the second son of the second mar-
riage. His mother was a daughter of
Jacob Haller, of Marjdand, who was a sol-
dier in Braddock's army in the French and
Indian war.
Dr. Maj^er was twice married, the first
time in November, 1809, at Shepherdstown,
Virginia, to Catharine Line, a daughter of
John Line, of that place ; and the second
time in August, 1827, during his residence
at Carlisle, to Mary Smith, of Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, who survived him. He had
six children by his first marriage and none
by his second. Two of his children died
in infancy, leaving one son and three
daughters to survive him. He died on Au-
gust 25, 1849, aged sixty-six years, four
months and twenty-nine days.
Dr. Mayer received his early education
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, partly under
his father's direction, who is described as "a
gentleman of liberal education." The son
was a diligent pupil and showed a fondness
for the German language and literature.
After a comparatively limited yet thorough
training he left the parental roof and lo-
cated in Frederick, Maryland, where he en-
gaged in business. His tastes, however,
tiumed his mind to books rather than to af-'
fairs. He passed through a crisis under
the preaching of his pastor, the Reverend
Daniel A\'agner, of the German Reformed
Church.
His mind being by nature vigorous and
from childhood trained to read and to think,
he made rapid progress in his classical and
theological studies. The former he pur-
sued under the tutelage of the principal of
Frederick College, and the latter under his
preceptor, the Rev. Mr. AVagner. Having
finished his studies he was examined and
licensed to preach the gospel by the Ger-
man Reformed Synod at New Holland,
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1807.
In 1808 he accepted a call from the Shep-
herdstown charge, composed of the Shep-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
herdstown, Martinsburg and Smitlifield
Congregations. For more than twelve
years he labored acceptably in this tield. He
not only won the esteem and affection of his
parishioners but he came to be recognized,
far beyond the bounds of his charge, as a
man of promise. He was invited in Janu-
ary, 1811, to preach the funeral sermon of
pastor Wagner, his preceptor, in Frederick.
His sermon made a profound impression,
and at the urgent request of his auditors he
prepared it for print, so far as known the
first publication from his pen. The Fred-
erick congregation desired to secure his
services as pastor, but he refused to allow
his name to be pvit in nomination. On an-
other occasion he was requested to preach
in the First Reformed Church in Baltimore.
He then preached the first English sermon
ever delivered in that church. Before the
services the people were worked up into a
high state of excitement because of the pro-
posed English discourse. Some threatened
the preacher with violence if he insisted on
carrying out his proposal. But Dr. Mayer
stood firm, preached an appropriate ser-
mon, and in a short time had an unanimous
call from the congregation in his hands. He
declined the call.
In 182 1 he was chosen pastor of the Re-
formed Church in York, Pennsylvania, to
which place he moved with his family. He
remained in the pastorate for four years
longer, when he was elected as the first
theological professor in the German Re-
formed Church by the Synod which met at
Bedford, in 1824.
The outlook in his new field was by no
means encouraging. The church at large
was partly hostile and partly indifferent to
the long discussed and oft defeated project
of opening a theological seminary. The
matter was finally decided at the Synod of
Bedford, when the president. Dr. Hendel,
declared himself in favor of the seminary
after a tie vote had been cast. The newly
elected professor had no buildings, no li-
braries, no endowments, no students, no
colleagues. There were, however, some
ministers and laymen who were cordial sup-
porters of the new movement. Upon them
Dr. Mayer could reply in season and out of
season, and with their aid he turned the
resolution of the synod into a visible reality
when in [May, 1825, he began his work of
instruction in a room of Dickinson College,
at Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
The number of students the first session
was only five, but there was an increase
from year to year. In 1827, he wrote to B.
C. Wolff, Esq., as follows: "I labor here
with a slow, painful progress. The number
of our students is only eight, and none of
them is distinguished for talents or acquire-
ments. The seminary is neglected by its
professed friends. The situation resembles
that of a little barque on a rough sea, with
a pilot, indeed, and a compass on board, but
without sails or seamen to manage them,
tossed by the wind and waves, in constant
danger of being dashed upon quicksands or
rocks, ever and anon addressed by a passing
vessel under easy sail, that hails her, asks
her how she does, wishes her a pleasant
voyage and bears away. I shall not
abandon this suffering ship until I discover
that she is sinking, which I hope and pray
may not be." ^^'ords like these not only
throw light on the difficulties which beset
the seminary in its beginnings, but also on
the heroic character of its first professor.
So many adverse circumstances arose while
the institution was located at Carlisle, that
the synod determined to remove it to York,
Pennsylvania, where it was brought in 1829.
Dr. Mayer continued his work under more
congenial surroundings. The Rev. Mr.
Young was elected as second professor, and
a classical school was established in connec-
tion with the seminary under the direction
of Dr. Ranch. In 1835 the institution was
removed to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.
Not choosing to follow the seminary to its
new location chiefly on account of his feeble
health. Dr. Mayer resigned his professor-
ship and remained at York. The synod,
however, urged him to withdraw his resig-
nation and to continue his instructions at
]\Iercersburg. He consented to the synod's
request with the understanding, however,
that his continuance should only be tem-
porary. He tendered his resignation finally
in 1838, and lived in retirement at York,
performing such literary work as his declin-
ing health permitted, until the day of his
death.
As to his personal appearance he is de-
scribed as of medium size, his frame slender
and erect. His forehead was high, and in-
dicated srreat intellectual strength. His
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
469
eye was keen and penetrating, and his whole
appearance commanded reverence and re-
spect.
He was a diligent pastor, — none who
better knew how to direct the penitent,
edify the believer, reclaim the wanderer,
comfort the distressed, and cheer the dy-
ing. He carefully prepared his sermons.
His preaching was plain and practical, his
style chaste and popular. He was consid-
ered a master in the art of scriptural expo-
sition. He stands out most prominently as
a teacher, a scholar and an author. He had
a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew,
Greek and Latin languages. His writings
prove that he constantly referred to origi-
nal sources in biblical and classical litera-
ture in the study of texts and subjects. He
was a master of the German, and is said to
have been one of the best readers of the
Dutch language in this country in his day.
He was deeply interested in scientific
studies. He began the work of gathering
the material for a history of the Reformed
Church. He collected and transcribed old
documents from Latin, German, Dutch and
English sources. This collection is known
as the "Mayer Manuscripts" and is pre-
served in the archives of the Historical So-
ciety of the Reformed Church at Lancaster,
Pennsylvania. He was the first one in this
country to write a history of the Reformed
Church. The first volume of his history
was published. Unfortunately the manu-
script of the second volume has been lost
and probably destroyed.
He was an independent thinker who
could not be confined to the well worn
paths of those who preceded him. He de-
rived theological views from contemporarj^
German theologians which were looked
upon with suspicion by the orthodox of his
time. He accordingly did not escape
charges of heresy. He believed in a pro-
gressive theology. He writes in an edi-
torial that "he feels no sort of obligation to
maintain the theological system of his own
church any further than he conscientiously
believes that it is contained in the Holy
Scriptures." The type of his mind is
shown in a letter to the Rev. Mr. Reily,
March 16, 1836, in which he says: "I have
been brought in times of trials to doubt
everything and to look upon our destination
as a thing wrapped up in impenetrable and
hopeless gloom. All my reasonings and all
the arguments of others have failed me, and
have left me to be tossed by the winds and
waves of uncertainty and anxious care.
But when I turned to the character of
Jesus and there read His constant and posi-
tive assurance that His doctrine was not
His own, but that of the Father, I have
always felt that it was impossible that He
should have been mistaken or that He in-
tended to deceive. Here my doubts have
imiformly ceased."
The following works have been pre-
served from his pen : printed. Sin against
the Holy Ghost, Lectures on Scriptural
Subjects, History of the German Reformed
Chui'ch, Vol. I., numerous editorials and
articles in the Magazine of the German Re-
formed Church, of which he was editor, and
contributions to contemporary periodicals ;
manuscripts. Lectures on Systematic The-
ology, Lectures on Hermeneutice, and the
Mayer Manuscripts. These works are
preserved and are accessible in the library
of the Historical Society of the Reformed
Church in the United States at Lancaster,
Pennsylvania.
FREDERICK VALENTINE MELS-
HEIMER, known to the history of science
as the "Father of American Entomology,"
was born in Brunswick, Germany, and came
to this country during" the Revolution as
chaplain to the Brunswick Dragoons. He
left the military ser\'ice in 1777 and went to
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The following
year he was licensed as a clergyman in the
Lutheran church, and assigned to a charge
in Lancaster County. In 1787, he became
one of the founders of Franklin College, of
which he was the first instructor in German.
From 1790 until the time of his death in
1814, he was pastor of St. Matthew's Church
at Hanover. He spent much of his time
during the last twenty-five years of his life
in the study of entomology, and in 1806,
published at Hanover "The Insects of Penn-
sylvania," the first work of its kind that ap-
peared from the press in America, of which
only seven copies are now known to be in
existence. He was the author of several
religious works that were published in the
German language, and printed at Hanover,
Pennsylvania, and Frederick, Maryland.
An account of his collection of insects will
be found in the medical chapter in this
470
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
work, in the biography of his son, Dr. Ernst
Frederick Melsheimer, who sold it to the
great scientist, Agassiz, for the museum at
Harvard Universit}', where it has since been
kept.
ARCHIBALD AIcCLEAN was of Scotch
origin. In the year 171 5 a portion of the
clan of McClean (or McLean) who were
supporters of the Stuarts, sought a home
near Glenairm, in the county of Antrim, Ire-
land, and with others soon afterward immi-
grated to southern Pennsylvania. Among
them was x\rchibald McClean, who in 1738
located in the Marsh Creek district of York
County, near what is now Gettysburg. He
soon became a prominent surveyor in the
Province of Pennsylvania, assisted in estab-
lishing- the "Middle Point" between Cape
Henlopen and the Chesapeake, and in lo-
cating the great "tangent line" through
the peninsula and in tracing the w-ell
known "arc of the circle" around New
Castle, Delaware. This was duripg the
years 1762 and 1763. As a surveyor he
was chief associate of the celebrated mathe-
maticians, Mason and Dixon. In running
the famous line which bears their names,
four of his brothers were also employed in
assisting to establish the line to the top of the
eastern range of the Alleghany Mountains.
On June 8, 1767, Mason and Dixon and
Archibald McClean began to continue the
survey from the top of the mountain accom-
panied by a delegation of friendly Indians as
an escort, against the savages. On the 14th
of June they reached the top of the "Great
Alleghan}^" where fourteen more friendly
Indians joined them as interpreters. At
this time there were thirty assistant survey-
ors, fifteen axmen, and a number of Indians.
They continued westward 240 miles from
Delaware to "Dunker Creek," as marked on
their map. This was thirty-six miles east
of the western limit of the present Mason
and Dixon line. The balance was run in
1782 and 17S4. Archibald McClean in 1776
was chosen a member of the General As-
sembly of Pennsjdvania. He was an ardent
patriot and in 1777 became chairman of the
Committee of Observation and Safety for
York County, during the Revolution. He
served as prothonotary and register and re-
corder of York County from 1777- 1786. At
his death his remains were buried in the
historic old ^larsh Creek burving ground,
on a part of what is now the famous battle-
field of Gettysburg. His residence at York
was used by the Board of Treasury while
Congress sat in York.
JOHN GOTLIEB ^^lORRIS, clergy-
man, was born in York, Pennsylvania, No-
vember 14, 1803. He was graduated at
Dickinson College in 1823, studied theology
at Princeton in 1823-6, and at Gettysburg
Seminary in 1827, being a member of the
first class in the latter institution, and was
licensed to preach in 1827. He received the
degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1839, and
that of Doctor of Laws in 1873, both from
Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg. Dr.
Morris was the founder of Trinity English
Lutheran Church, Baltimore, Maryland;
librarian of Peabody Institute, Baltimore, in
1860-5 ; pastor of the Third English Luth-
eran Church, Baltimore, in 1864-73; ^^^
pastor at Lutherville, Md. He lectured on
natural history in Pennsylvania College for
nearly half a century; lectured in Smithso-
nian Institution, Washington, D. C. He
was secretary of the general synod in 1839,
and president of the same body in 1843 and
1883, and president of the first Lutheran
Church diet in Philadelphia in 1877. He
was trustee of Pennsylvania College, and
director of the Theological Seminary for
many years. With his brother he founded
Lutherville Seminary for ladies. In science
he devoted himself specially to entomology
and microscopy. He was elected to mem-
bership in many scientific societies in this
country and abroad, and was chairman of
the entomological section of the American
association for the advancement of science.
He was president of the Maryland Bible
Society and the Maryland Historical So-
ciety. In 1846 he traveled in Europe ex-
tensively and the same year aided in estab-
lishing the Evangelical alliance at London.
He founded the Lutheran Observer in 1831,
and was its editor until 1833. He has writ-
ten many addresses, review and magazine
articles, scientific papers, and translated
many works from the German into English.
He died October 10, 1895.
MATTHEAV STANLEY QUAY, Uni-
ted States Senator, was born in the
Presbyterian parsonage of Dillsburg, York
County. Pennsylvania, September 30, 1833.
He was the son of Rev. Anderson Quay, for
nine years pastor of the Monaghan Presby-
I
i
I
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
471
terian Church, and a lineal descendant from
one of the earliest Scotch-Irish families who
settled in Chester County. When he was
six years old, his parents moved to the town
of Beaver, Pennsylvania, where his father
was pastor of a Presbyterian Church for
several years. After obtaining a good
preparatory education, he entered Jefferson
College. While in this institution, he ex-
celled in the study of ancient and modern
classics and was graduated in 1850, at the
age of seventeen years. He studied law at
Beaver and was admitted to the bar in 1854.
Two years later, he was elected prothono-
ta«ry for Beaver County and was re-elected
in 1859. At the opening of the Civil War,
he enlisted as a lieutenant in the Tenth
Pennsylvania Reserves. In 1862, when the
president called for men to serve for nine
months. Lieutenant Quay was promoted to
the rank of colonel and commanded the One
Hundred and Thirty-fourth Pennsylvania
Regiment, which served in the Army of the
Potomac. In the battle of Fredericksburg
during the winter of 1862, he led his regi-
ment in the attack upon Mary's Heights,
displaying unusual courage and daring.
After his retirement from the army, Colonel
Quay was made military state agent at
AYashington, and later served as private
secretary to Governor Curtin, of Pennsyl-
vania, which position he filled until 1865.
During the Confederate invasion of Penn-
sylvania in 1863, he was chief of transpor-
tation and telegraphs, when the govern-
ment took charge of the railroad and tele-
graph lines in Pennsylvania.
After the close of the war, he returned to
Beaver County, which he represented in tlie
legislature from 1865 to 1867. His ability
was soon recognized and he became a leader
in the House of Representatives. From
1873 to 1878, he was Secretary of the Com-
monwealth : recorder of the city of Phila-
delphia and chairman of the Republican
State Committee, 1878-1879; Secretary of
the Commonwealth, 1879-1882; delegate at
large to Republican National Convention
of 1872-1876 and 1880; elected state treas-
urer in 1885. Colonel Quay at this period
in his life became a leader in the public af-
fairs of Pennsylvania. He was a man of
brilliant intellect and commanding presence
and one of the most resourceful men in
American politics. In 1887, he was elected
United States Senator by almost a unani-
mous vote from the State Legislature. Im-
mediately after entering the Senate he be-
came one of the strongest advocates of pro-
tective tarif¥ in that legislative body and
was successful in securing the passage of
measures of special interest and value to the
great manufacturing state of Pennsylvania.
Senator Quay served as a member of the
Republican National Committee and during
the presidential campaign of 1888 was
chairman of that organization with head-
quarters in New York City. It was wh'le
serving in this position that he displayed
remarkable ability in organizing the forces
of the Republican party. The presidential
campaign that year was one of the most
stubborn contests in American history. It
has generally been claimed that it was
through the ability of the chairman of the
Republican National Committee that se-
cured the election of Benjamin Harison as
pi-esident of the United States. In 1893,
he was re-elected to the United States
Senate and served until 1899. In January
of that year he was defeated for re-election
by a deadlock in the State Legislature
which lasted for several months. Immedi-
ately after the adjournment of the legis-
lature he was appointed United States
Senator by Governor Stone, of Pennsyl-
vania. The question of the legality of the
appointment was contested before the
United States Senate and called forth a de-
bate in which the ablest men of that body
participated. When the question came
before the Senate for final decision, his ap-
pointment was not recognized by a majority
of one vote against him. Owing to his
popularity with the Democratic senators, a
number of them voted in his favor. For a
period of nearly two years, Pennsylvania
had only one United States Senator. On
the day of his rejection by the Senate, he
was nominated to succeed himself by the
Republican State Convention of Pennsyl-
vania and re-elected United States Senator,
January 15, 1901, and took his seat two days
later.
Senator Quay was never distinguished for
his ability as a public speaker, but he was
well versed on questions of the day, was
strong in argument and exerted an influence
in the United States Senate excelled bj^ very
few men of his day. He will alwavs be
47-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ranked as one of the greatest political
leaders in American history. At his home
at Beaver, Pennsylvania, he owned a large
private library and was familiar with the
contents of nearly every volume it con-
tained. He owned a large mansion in the
city of Washington, a private residence in
Florida and one in Lancaster County. He
died at his home in Beaver, after a long ill-
ness, 1904.
JAMES ROSS, orator and statesman, for
nine years United States Senator from
Pennsylvania, was born in Peach Bottom
Township, July 12, 1762. He was the son
of George Ross, one of the early Scotch-
Irish settlers in the lower end of York
Count3^ and the stone dwelling house in
which the future United States Senator was
born, stands a few hundred yards north of
the borough of Delta. In his boyhood,
James Ross attended a classical school con-
nected with Slate Ridge Presbyterian
Church, of which his parents were members.
During his early manhood, there was a mi-
gration from the southern part of York
County to western Pennsylvania, where a
large number of Scotch-Irish people had
taken up lands. At the age of seventeen,
James Ross, in company with friends,
moved to Washington County, where he be-
came a student in the famous classical
school at Canonsburg, under the direction
of Rev. John McMillan, who became the
founder of AVashington and Jefferson Col-
lege. .\fter a successful experience as a
student, he was appointed a teacher in
Latin, and continued in that work until
1782, when he entered upon the study of law
at Philadelphia, where he was admitted to
the bar in 1784. He then returned to west-
ern Pennsylvania and settled in AVashington
County, where he began his professional
career. He soon won distinction as a
lawyer, conducted an extensive practice
throughout all the counties of western
Pennsylvania, and his reputation extended
beyond the limits of his native state.
In 1795. hs removed to Pittsburg, then a
small village, and during the next fifty
3'ears he was widely known as the ablest
counsellor and advocate in western Penn-
sylvania.
In 1789 he was elected a member of the
convention to frame a new constitution for
the state. The ability that he displayed in
this body gave him a reputation which, with
his fame as an orator and lawyer, secured
his election to the United States Senate, in
April, 1794, for the unexpired term, ending
March 3, 1797, of Albert Gallatin, the
great financier, who had been thrown
out because he had not been for nine
years a citizen, as required by the con-
stitution. In 1797 he was again elected
to succeed himself. To Senator Ross un-
doubtedly belongs the chief credit of the
peaceful ending of the Whiskey Insurrec-
tion. On July 17, 1794, General Neville, the
chief excise officer, was attacked, and his
house and other property were destroyed.
At a tumultuous meeting of the people at
AA'ashington, Pennsylvania, a rally of armed
men was called, to be held on August i, at
Braddock's Field. Ross, in a powerful
speech, alone opposed the will of an excited
populace. He was told that he had that day
destroyed all chances of future political pre-
ferment, but, nothino- daunted, he attended
the Braddock's Field meeting and also that
of the delegates from western Pennsylvania
and Virginia, at Parkinson's Ferry. By his
personal appeals and arguments a party was
formed, which, if not very numerous, in-
cluded many citizens of note, several of
whom had been active on the other side.
AA'hile he was at Parkinson's Ferry a mes-
senger from the capital brought Senator
Ross the information that he had been ap-
pointed by AVashington the chief of a com-
mission to quell the insurrection. Senator
Ross more than prepared the way for his
colleagues, and the insurrection was virtu-
ally at an end before they joined him. Sen-
ator Ross had been for several years inti-
mate with General AA'ashington, being con-
sulted as counsel, and now, at the Presi-
dent's request, became his attorney in fact
for the sole management of his large estates
in western Pennsylvania. AA'hile still in the
senate, he was nominated, in 1799, by the
Federalist party for the office of governor of
the state. The nomination was esteemed
to be equivalent to an election, but Senator
Ross refused to canvass the state in his own
behalf and was defeated. At the next elec-
tion Ross was again nominated and was
again unsuccessful. The same disposition
to defend the right, regardless of personal
consequences, that had induced him, as a
boy at Dr. McMillan's school, to volunteer
JAMES ROSS
\
r
NOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
473
against marauding Indians, that had sepa-
rated him from friends and neighbors dur-
ing the Whiskey Insurrection, that in the
senate had urged war against Spain to pro-
tect the mouths of the Mississippi for the
use of the west, induced him to befriend the
cause of a party of friendless negro slaves
who had escaped from their masters and
found refuge in Philadelphia. Impassioned
oratory gained the case. The "Port Folio,"
published in Philadelphia in 1816, says that
Senator Ross received the thanks of the
Abolition society ; but the generous act di-
minished his popularity. In 1808, for the
third time, he was nominated for governor,
and was again unsuccessful. With this
election the power of the Federalists in
Pennsylvania was broken, and with it the
political life of James Ross came to an end.
He declined to connect himself with the
other parties ; only as a Federalist would he
hold public office.
James Ross is sometimes mentioned as
the most eloquent orator in the United
States Senate before the days of Daniel
Webster. All through his career he was an
ardent Federalist, but if any measure, ad-
vanced by the opposing party, was neces-
sary to promote the public good and the
general welfare of the nation, he would sup-
port it with uncompromising fidelity. In
1802, he made a speech in the United States
Senate which induced President Jefferson
to send James Monroe a special envoy to
France in order that citizens of the western
states might have free entrance to the Mis-
sissippi River. If this right were not ob-
tainable Senator Ross advocated a declara-
tion of war against Spain, the original
owner of the region west of the Mississippi.
Meantime, this territory was transferred to
France from whom Robert R. Livingston,
of New York, then minister to France, and
James Monroe, special envoy, in 1803, ne-
gotiated the purchase of the entire territory
of Louisiana, a large region of country west
of the Mississippi, for the sum of $15,000,-
000. In 1817, James Ross presided at a
meeting in honor of James Monroe, then a
guest of the" city of Pittsburg. While ad-
dressing a large audience. President Monroe
made the statement that the credit of the
purchase of Louisiana and the free naviga-
tion of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers,
which made the future sfreatness of Pitts-
burg a possibility, was due to Senator James
Ross.
He acquired a large amount of property
in the city of Pittsburg. Ross Street, in
that city, and Ross Township, in Allegheny
County, are named in his honor. He died
at Pittsburg, November 27, 1847.
REV. LUCAS RAUS, son of Lucas and
Justina Raus, was born in May, 1723. His
native city was Hermanstadt, the capital
of Transylvania, which -formerly was an-
nexed to Hungary, but now belongs to
Austria. The family to which he belonged
had produced many eminent divines in
Hungary, and among them were his own
father, and his maternal grandfather.
Lucas Raus spent the first twenty years
of his life in the city of his birth. There
he pursued his studies under the direction
of his father, preparing himself for the pul-
pit. Hermanstadt being mostly a Catholic
city, Lucas was induced to visit the insti-
tutions of other places, in order to complete
his studies. Accordingly he left the pa-
ternal mansion in 1743, and proceeded to
Presburg, the capital of Hungary. At this
place he continued four years in the prose-
cution of his studies, when in May, 1747,
he removed to Leipsic. in upper Saxony.
In the }'ear 1749 he removed from Leipsic
to Yena, the place which, on the 14th of
October, 1806, witnessed the triumph of the
French over the Prussian army. At Yena
he resided onl}^ a few months, for he had
now completed his studies, and was, by
traveling, adding the polish of the polite
world to the erudition of the scholar. His
intention was now to visit Holland and then
to return directly to the residence of his
father. He • proceeded to Amsterdam,
where at the time there was a general spirit
of migration to America. Much that was
inviting was said of this part of the world,
and emigrants from various parts were sail-
ing weekly from that city. Lucas Raus
caught some of the feeling which then pre-
vailed ; and as a good opportunity offered
itself, he determined to cross the Atlantic,
spend a few months in this country, which
was represented as the land of promise, and
then, returning to Europe, commence the
labors of his holy calling. Accordingly in
the year 1750, he sailed from Amsterdam,
and arrived at Philadelphia.
In a few years after his arrival in that
474
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
city, he changed his views as to his future
residence; for although youthful affection
still bound him to Hermanstadt, which he
had not visited since he first left it in 1743,
yet he determined to spend the remainder
of his days in this country.
Soon after he decided to remain he com-
menced his ministerial labors. Being in-
vited to settle in Gennantown he accepted
the invitation, and preached in that place
and its vicinity for three or four years,
when he removed to York. He was mar-
ried at Germantown, in 1753, to Sophia,
daughter of George Gemling.
At York, Lucas Raus continued to reside
until the time of his death, as the minister
of the German Lutheran congregation in
this place. In connection with the church
at York, he presided over the spiritual con-
cerns and occasionally preached to four or
five congregations in the vicinity of the
town. He died July 11, 1788, in the sixty-
fifth year of his age.
He was eminent as a scholar. Having
devoted nearly all the first thirty years of
his life to undisturbed and undivided study,
he was not only a profound theologian but
an accomplished scholar in the polite
branches. Among the languages with
which he was familiar were the German, the
English, French, Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
He was the father of twelve children, four
of whom survived him, viz. : Margaret,
Elizabeth, Catherine and John.
JOHN ROAVAN, United States Senator
from Kentucky, was born in Hopewell
Township, near the Maryland line, in 1773.
His father was one of the earliest Scotch
immigrants to York County from the north
of Ireland. He moved with his parents to
Kentucky in his boyhood and obtained his
education at Louisville. He became a
member of the Kentucky Bar and practiced
his profession with success. In 1804, he
was chosen Secretary of State for Ken-
tucky, and elected a representative to the
Tenth Congress, serving from January,
1809, to March, 1809. He was elected
judge of the Court of Appeals in 1819. At
this time in his career. Judge Rowan had
risen to national prominence in public
afifairs. He had acquired a liberal educa-
tion and was widely known as an orator.
In 1825, he was elected by the Whig party
to the LTnited States Senate, and served in
that body until 1831, when he was suc-
ceeded by Henry Clay. At the expiration
of his term, Senator Rowan returned to the
practice of his profession at Louisville,
where he gained eminence as a lawyer. He
continued to take an interest in public
affairs and from 1848 to 1850, served as
minister to Italy, being appointed to that
high position by President Zachary Taylor.
After returning from Europe, he spent the
remainder of his life at his Kentucky home,
and died July 13, 1853, at the advanced age
of eighty years. .
JAMES STEEL was born in Philadel-
phia, about 1774. His father, James Steel,
emigrated to Pennsylvania from Scotland
prior to the Revolution, and with his
brother, Thomas, settled at Philadelphia.
Being a zealous patriot and possessed of
ample means, he contributed largely to the
struggling government; and when Philadel-
phia fell into the hands of the British he
removed to Harford County, Maryland,
and purchased a tract of land. About the
same time, Thomas obtained a warrant for
the land later owned by McSparren, north
of Slate Ridge, in York County. James
Steel represented Harford County twice in
the legislature of Maryland, and was one
of three commissioners appointed to revise
the state constitution. He was a man of
liberal education and for many years was
noted as an accomplished land surveyor in
the lower end of York County; was em-
ployed to locate and survey the lines of
Peach Bottom Township, when it was
erected from Fawn. He visited Kentucky
in 1815, or thereabouts, and purchased
31,000 acres of land in the Green River Val-
ley, 28,000 of which he sold soon after to a
man named Morrison. He died in 1849, at
the age of seventv-five years.
THADDEUS STEVENS, known as the
"American Commoner," was a teacher in
the York County Academy and a student
at law in York. He was born in Danville,
Vermont, April 4, 1792. His father was a
shoemaker, who died of a bayonet wound
in the attack on Oswego, while bravely de-
fending his country during the war of 1812.
His mother, whom he never wearied prais-
ing, was a woman of strong natural sense
and unconquerable resolution. In his
3'outh, Thaddeus Stevens was one of the
most diligent readers ever known in
XOTED MEN OF YORK COUNTY
475
America, and at the age of tifteen he began
to found a library in his native town. He
graduated at Dartmouth College in .1815,
and a few months afterward was engaged
by Rev. Dr. Perkins, then principal of the
York County Academy, as an assistant.
Amos Gilbert, the noted teacher of the Lan-
castrian school, who resided at York during
the period that young Stevens was here,
says, "Stevens was a modest, retiring young
man, of studious habits." Feeling dis-
pleased with the actions of some of the
members of the York Bar, he made applica-
tion for admission to practice while at Get-
tysburg, which at that time contained few
lawyers, as the county was only fifteen
years old. Not having read law according
to the requirements, under the instruction
of a person learned in the law, he was re-
jected. The laws of IMaryland were not so
rigid ; he then went to Bel Air, where he
was admitted under Judge Chase. The
committee on examination he said asked
him three questions only, whereupon the
judge promised, if he would buy the cham-
pagne for the company, a certificate would
be forthwith granted. He agreed to this ;
the certificate was signed, but before being
handed over, two more bottles were de-
manded of the young lawyer. To use his
own words, "When I paid my bill the next
morning, I had only $3.50 of the $45 that
swelled my pocket-book the evening
before." From there he went to Lancaster,
crossing the Susquehanna at jNIcCall's
Ferry, Y'ork County. Here his horse took
fright at some lumber for the new bridge,
which was then being built across the river,
and horse and rider would have fallen into
the stream had it not been for the bravery
and presence of mind of one of the men
working on the bridge. He arrived safely
at Lancaster, and the next day came to
York, and a few days later located as a
lawyer in Gettysburg. Stevens did not at
first succeed, and while attending a public
meeting at Littlestown, Adams County, he
told a number of persons that he was going
to leave the county, as he could not make
a living in it at the practice of law. A ter-
rible murder was committed a few days
later and he was employed as a counsel for
the defendant. From this case he drew a
fee of $1,500, which was the beginning of
his career of fortune and fame. For a num-
ber of years, his familiar form was seen in
the court houses of York, Adams and
Franklin Counties, always being employed
in the most intricate cases. Subsequently
as a lawyer, member of the Pennsylvania
Legislature, a distinguished member of the
Lancaster Bar, and the great American
statesman and debater, his name and fame
are familiar to every intelligent American
citizen. He died at Lancaster in 1868.
EDGAR FAHS SIMITH, chemist, was
born in York, son of Gibson and Susan E.
Fahs Smith. He was educated at the York
County Academy and Pennsylvania College
at Gettysburg. He then turned his atten-
tion to chemistry, and spent several years
as a student of that science at the Univer-
sity of Germany, where he received the de-
gree of Doctor of Philosophy. He then
returned to America, and became assistant
professor of chemistry at the University of
Pennsylvania. He excelled in the study of
his favorite subject and became one of the
most eminent chemists in this country. He
was also successful as an educator and was
elected Vice Provost of the University of
Pennsylvania. Dr. Smith has been a con-
tributor to the scientific journals of this
country. He is the author of valuable
works, including "Smith and Keller's Chem-
ical Experimentation," "Smith's Electro-
Chemical Analysis," and "Practical Exer-
cises in Electro-Chemistiy." He has trans-
lated from the German "Classen's Quanti-
tative Analysis," "Richter's Inorganic
Chemistry" and "Richter's Organic Chem-
istry," and "Oettel s Electro-Chemical Ex-
periments."
JACOB TOME, financier, was born near
Hanover, of German parentage, August 13,
1810. He obtained the rudiments of his
education in a school near his home and at
the age of 12 removed to Chanceford Town-
ship, York County, where for a dozen years
he was employed by Colonel Robert Gra-
ham on a farm. In this position he en-
gaged in wagoning to Baltimore. About
this time the floating of lumber in large
rafts down the Susquehanna from the upper
regions of that stream was a prominent in-
dustry. Mr. Tome, at the age of 25. took
up his residence at Port Deposit. Mary-
land, near the mouth of the Susquehanna
River. Here he engaged in the purchase
and sale of lumber, and also controlled the
476
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL\
towing of canal boats from Port Deposit to
Baltimore, and amassed a large fortune.
He soon became one of the leading finan-
ciers of the state of ^Maryland. Mr. Tome
was a Republican in politics, and during the
administration of General Grant, with
whom he had been on intimate terms of
friendship, was offered a position in the lat-
ter's cabinet, which he declined. Afterward
President Grant appointed John A. J. Cres-
well, of Maryland, to the position of post-
master general. Mr. Tome lived to the ad-
vanced age of 87 years, continuing his busi-
ness and retaining full control of his mental
faculties until the end of his life. In his
will he left a sufficient amount of money to
support the public school system of Port
Deposit for all future time. He also en-
dowed the Tome Institute, a classical school
for both males and females, at Port Deposit.
Maryland. The different buildings of this
institution are among the best adapted for
school purposes in this country. Mr. Tome
died at Port Deposit, in 1897. He left a
large bequest to Dickinson College and with
these funds the trustees erected the Jacob
Tome Scientific Building.
HENRY D. AVELSH, for twenty years
one of the directors of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, was born at Hanover in
1824, and was a descendant of one of the
early settlers at York. His great-grand-
father, Jacob Welsh, bought the second lot
sold in York in 1741, the year the town was
laid out. His grandfather, Henry AVelsh,
moved to Hanover, wdiere he became one of
the leading citizens, and during the Revo-
lution served as lieutenant in Colonel Rich-
ard ]\IcAllister's battalion of York Count}^
troops. His father, George Welsh, was a
soldier in the War of 1812 and was present
at the battle of North Point, near Balti-
more, in 1814. He obtained his education
at the Hanover Academ}^ and began his
business career as a clerk at York. In
1852 he became a salesman in the large dry
goods firm of James Kent, Santee and Com-
pany, of Philadelphia. Four years later he
became a partner in this establishment, with
which he was associated "as one of its prin-
cipal owners until 1881. Shortly after the
war, he became interested in railroad and
ocean transportation. He was one of the
organizers and also president of the Ameri-
can Steamship Company, whose line of ves-
sels sailed between Philadelphia and Liver-
pool. In 1878 he was elected a director in
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and
during his life spent most of the time in
developing the vast interests of this great
corporation. For a period of ten years he
was chairman of the purchasing committee
of this company. He was president of the
following railroad companies : Philadelphia,
Germantown and Chestnut Hill, Hanover
and York, Downingtown and Lancaster,
the Manor Real Estate and Trust Company,
Cresson Springs Company, and of the
Philadelphia Board of Prison Inspectors.
He was vice-president of the American
Surety Company of New York, director of
the Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf
and Dumb, Market Street National Bank,
Philadelphia, Canal Company and of
about one hundred other railroad, ferry,
coal, bridge, and kindred companies, most
of which are tributary to the Pennsylvania
Railroad. He was one of the incorporators
of the Centennial Exposition, appointed by
Congress in 1873; for several years a di-
rector of the Commercial Exchange. He
died at his home on Wissahickon Heights,
Philadelphia, December 19, 1896.
GEORGE P. WELSH, lieutenant in the
United States Navy, was born at York,
March 26, 1824. He entered the navy, Sep-
tember 14, 1840, and was in much active
service. After several cruises of the usual
length of time, the Mexican war broke out,
in which he participated. He was present
at the bombardment of Vera Cruz under
Commodore Conner, and in the expeditions
against Tampico, Alvarado, and other river
enterprises of the United States squadron
during the war. He received his commis-
sion as lieutenant, April 18, 1855. He died
on board the United States frigate "Sabine,"
in the harbor of Aspinwall, April 26, i860.
Captain A. H. Adams, of the "Sabine,"
wrote : "The death of Lieutenant Welsh has
cast a gloom on shipboard, for his merits as
an ofificer and a gentleman had endeared
him to all on board. Faithfully, ably and
bravely he met every duty, and all his as-
sociates bear testimony that in him were
combined all the best and noblest character-
istics of the true American soldier." At
the time of his death he was thirty-six years
of age, and lieutenant second in command
on the frigate "Sabine." Of twenty years
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
477
of service, he had passed more than twelve
at sea. As an officer he occupied the
highest rank for professional ability. The
remains of Lieutenant A\'elsh were brought
to York, and he was buried with military
and Masonic honors, on Monday, June i8,
i860, in Prospect Hill Cemeterv.
WILLIAM WAGNER, banker and en-
graver, grandson of the Rev. Daniel AVag-
ner, pastor of Zion Reformed Church, was
born at York in 1800. In his early years
Mr. Wagner was a skillful engraver, dis-
playing remarkable talent in that field of
art. He designed fifty or more seals for
different states of the Union and for various
cities and towns throughout the country.
A large number of the impressions of these
seals are in the possession of the York
County Historical Society, presented by his
niece. Miss Catherine A. Barnitz, of York.
In 1834, he engraved a seal for the borough
of York, containing the only design in ex-
istence of the first locomotive in America
that burned anthracite coal. This loco-
motive was made at York by Phineas Davis,
who won a prize of $3,500 for producing a
locomotive for the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company in 1832. Mr. Wagner also
made numerous steel engravings which ap-
pear in various books. He was one of the
prominent steel engravers in America, be-
ginning to produce this kind of work as
early as 1825. AVhen the York County
Bank was founded in 1845 he was elected
cashier. He held that responsible position
when this institution became a national
bank and until the time of his death in 1869.
REV. DANIEL ZIEGLER. clergyman
and entomologist, was born in Reading,
Pennsylvania, June 11, 1804. After he at-
tained the age of twenty-one years, he en-
tered the University of Pennsylvania, where
he remained two years and then came to
York, as a student of theology in the theo-
logical seminary of the Reformed Church.
In 1828 he was chosen pastor of the Kreutz
Creek charge. It included the Reformed
congregations in the Canodochly valley,
and continued his services in that charge for
a period of thirty-seven years, and served
eighteen years as pastor of the Reformed
congregation at York. Early in his minis-
terial work he turned his attention to the
science of entomology, and in connection
with Dr. ]Melsheimer, of Davidsburg, be-
came quite proficient in classifying insects,
and in the study of their characteristics.
He entered into a correspondence with
many noted personages, who were inter-
ested with him in the same department of
scientific investigation. He died in York,
May 23, 1873.
CHAPTER NXVIII
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
Organization of the Courts — Early Court
Justices — Early Court Records — The
Bench— The Bar.
Upon the erection of York County one of
the first steps of a public character 'was the
organization of its courts. The petitions to
the provincial councils from the inhabitants
that the territory west of the Susquehanna
be constituted a separate county, set forth
as the chief and almost sole reason why
their prayer should be speedily granted, the
inconvenience and annoyance of having the
seat of justice at so great a distance, with a
wide and deep river, frequently impassable,
intervening; and the difficulty of securing
themselves against thefts and abuses com-
mitted by idle and dissolute persons, who on
account of the remoteness of court and
prison, too readily found means to escape.
AA'ithin a month after the act was approved
creating York County, August 19, 1749,
eight justices were commissioned by royal
authority, through the governor of the
province. This was in the twenty-fourth
year of the reign of George II, the best of
the Georges of England, and when the idea
of a severance from British dominion was
not even thought of by the sturdy pioneers
comprising the greater part of the inhabi-
tants of the newl)^ formed county. Under
the English polity then in vogue in the
province, justices to such number as were
deemed necessary, were commissioned, em-
powered to hold courts of General Quarter
Sessions of the Peace, Common Pleas and
Orphans' Courts.
Three of these justices were required to
be present to hold court. The eight court
justices commissioned in September, 1749,
were John Day, Thomas Cox, John AVright,
Jr., George Swope, Matthew Dill, Hance
Hamilton, Patrick AA'atson and George
478
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Stevenson. The incompatibility of one
man filling two or more official positions at
the same time does not seem to have been
considered in those days, for of the above
named justices, two, Swope and Watson, on
the first day of the Quarter Sessions Court,
qualified as county commissioners; Hamil-
ton was sheriff^, and Stevenson was prothon-
otary and clerk of the courts. It also ap-
pears to have been not an unusual occur-
rence, after the court was open, for one of
the justices on the bench to move the court
for the appointment of a guardian or the
transaction of other business within the
pro\-ince of an attorney.
The first court held in York
The County convened October 31,
First 1749. 21 Court of Quarter Sessions
Courts, of the Peace, with Justice Day
presiding; and the following day
the first Orphans' Court was held before
Justices Day, Cox and Watson. Justice
Stevenson was also present, but as he offi-
ciated as clerk, he did not participate in the
judicial function. Somewhat peculiarly, he,
the only lawyer among the justices then in
commission, seems, so far as the records
show, rarely to have served in a judicial ca-
pacity. He occupied so many official sta-
tions at the same time that he might well
have been excused from the duties of some
of them when there were others to attend
to them.
There was at this ti;ne no court house or
other hall or building in York suitable to
hold court, and from 1749 to 1756 the courts
were held at private residences, presumablj^
in the house of one of the resident justices
at York — Swope or Stevenson.
In addition to the justices already
Early named, there were commissioned
Judges. April, 1751, John AVitherow, AVal-
ter Buchanan, John Blackburn,
John Pope, Williarn Qxiffith and Herman
Updegraff; "DcfoBer, 1755,"' John Adlum,
Thomas Armor, Richard Brown, Hugh
Whiteford and Michael Tanner; January,
1760, Martin Eichelberger ; April, 1761,
David Kirkpatrick, Abraham Nesbit and
Archibald McGrew; October, 1764, David
Jameson, Michael Swope, Samuel Johnston,
Samuel Edie, Matthew Dill, Jr., James
Welsh, Robert McPherson, John Smith,
Henry Slagle, Thomas Minshall, Cunning-
ham Sample, AVilliam Dunlop, Joseph Hut-
ton and AA'illiam Smith; March, 1771, Rich-
ard McAllister, AVilliam Rankin and Joseph
Updegraff; April, 1774, David McConaughy,
AA'illiam Scott, Benjamin Donaldson, AA'il-
liam Bailey, AVilliam Lease, William Mc-
Caskey, Josiah Scott, AA^illiam McLean and
Thomas Latta.
In 1776, ignoring and denying the further
dominion of Great Britain, Pennsylvania
called a convention to meet at Philadelphia
to devise a constitution for the government
of the province. By this constitution, in
session, and by the president and executive
council provided for in the constitution it
framed, justices were commissioned until
the adoption of the constitution of 1790, as
follows :
September, 1776, Robert McPherson,
Martin Eichelberger, Samuel Edie, David
McConaugh}', Richard McAllister, Henry
Slagle. Matthew Dill, AVilliam Rankin, AVil-
liam Lease, AA^illiam Bailey, AA'illiam Scott,
AA'illiam Smith, AA'illiam McCaskey, Josiah
Scott, Thomas Latta, AA^illiam McLean and
John Mickle; June, 1777, David Jameson,
Samuel Ewing, David AA^atson, John Cham-
berlain, Andrew Thompson,- John Hinkle,
John Harbaugh, Robert Stevenson, Archi-
bald McLean, James Nailor, Thomas Doug-
lass, David Messerly, Benjamin Pedan, Jo-
seph Reed, Thomas Fischer, Peter AA^olf,
and Frederick Eichelberger; March, 1778,
Jacob Eichelberger; June, 1779, AA'illiam
Mitchell; May, 1780, John Rankin and
David Beatty; January, 1781, Robert Cham-
bers; November, 1782, Michael Swope and
George Stake; August, 1783, Cunningham
Sample; September, 1784, Michael Hahn
and Thomas Lilly; October, 1784, William
Cochran, Jacob Rudisill and Michael
Schmeiser (Smyser) ; November, 1784,
Daniel May; June, 1785, Conrad Sherman;
July, 1785, Robert Hammersly; August,
1786, Henry Miller; June, 1787, David
Beatty and Bernhart Zeigler; May, 1788,
Robert Mcllhanny; June, 1788, Elihu Un-
derwood; September, 1789, Jacob Dritt.
These men were selected from different
sections of the county, and knew little of
technical law, but were chosen because of
their good judgment, business experience,
recognized integrity of character and influ-
ence in their respective communities. By
close observation of the law as presented to
them by the eminent counselors that prac-
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
479
ticed before them, they soon became suffi-
ciently acquainted with the application of
legal principles to the facts in a case to dis-
pense justice with a comparatively even
hand. Sometimes an unusually tough legal
knot might have to be subjected to rather
liberal applications of the mollifying unction
of equity, as they understood it, but their
decisions generally met with the respect not
only of the laity, but of the bar likewise.
Nor were these courts lacking in dignity.
The justices themselves appreciated the fact
that their position was an honorable one
and entitled to due respect from all, and the
uniform urbanit}^ and gravity of deportment
that characterized the practice before them,
lent grace and dignity to the proceedings.
The personal history of many of the jus-
tices antedating the constitution of 1790 is
rapidly fading; much of it has vanished "in
the twilight of the past." Enough, how-
ever, is preserved to show that among them
were the foremost men in the community of
their day. The}^ filled numerous positions
of trust and responsibility outside of their
judicial offices. Ten of them at various
times, served as county commissioners,
seven as sherifTs, eight as county treasurers,
two as state senators, sixteen in the legis-
lature, and others as coroners, registers, re-
corders, prothonotaries, clerks of the courts
and in other positions. During the French
and Indian AVar and the Revolution many
of them gained distinction in a military ca-
pacity. In fact, during the latter war, the
courts were largely discontinued; justices
and lawyers enlisting in their countr3^'s
cause.
In 1895 Daniel K. Trimmer, a member of
the Bar, read before the Historical Society
of York Count}^ a paper on the establish-
ment of the courts and the early court jus-
tices of York County. The introduction to
this chapter is a part of Mr. Trimmer's ex-
cellent paper. Alany of the facts found in
the succeeding biographies were also ob-
tained by him.
EARLY COURT RECORDS.
The first Court of Several Quarter Ses-
sions in York County after its formation,
was held at York before John Da}^, Esq., an
English Quaker, and his associates, com-
mencing on the 31st day of October, 1749.
At this court George Swope, Patrick Wat-
son and Walter Sharp were qualified as
county commissioners. John Abbot, \\'il-
liam Greer, John Blackburn, Baltzer Spang-
ler, Michael Tanner and Samuel Crawford
were qualified as township assessors.
The following is a list of the grand jury
selected for the first court of quarter ses-
sions, October, 1749: Michael McCleary,
William McClelland, James Agnew, Hugh
Bingham, James Hall, William Proctor,
\\'illiam Beatty, John Pope, Nathan Dicks,
Thomas Plossack, Thomas Sillick, Samuel
Moore, James Smith, Richard Brown,
Thomas Niely, Jeremiah Louchbridge,
Richard Proctor. They were all sworn ex-
cept three who affirmed. The names are
all English or Scotch-Irish. A number of
them were Quakers.
The following is a list of the names of
constables appointed for the dift'erent town-
ships of York County at the first court;
Newberry, Peter Hughs ; Warrington, Rob-
ert Vale ; Manchester, Christian Lowe ; Hel-
1am, John Bishop; Chanceford, George
Farr; Fawn, James Edgar; Dover, Caleb
Hendricks; York, George Greybill; Man-
heim, Valentine Herr; Monaghan, William
Langley; Paradise, John Frankelberger ;
Shrewsbury, Hugh Low; Codorus, George
Ziegler.
The following named persons were rec-
ommended to the governor as proper per-
sons to keep public houses of entertainment,
at the same session of court: Michael
Swope, George Mendelhall, John Edwards,
Michael Bardt, George Hoake, Jacob Fack-
ler, Samuel Hoake, William Sinkler. There
were a number of taverns opened under the
authority of the Lancaster County courts
several years before.
The first case tried was King vs. Miller
and Smith, overseers of the public high-
ways. An indictment was preferred against
them jointly for neglect of duty. The de-
fendants were discharged upon paying the
costs.
The second case was King vs. James
King, for assault. This case was settled.
The above two cases were the only ones for
trial at the sitting of the court.
The second court of the quarter sessions
was held on January 30, 1750. Hance Ham-
ilton was sheriff and William McClelland
foreman of the grand jury, which consisted
of nineteen men. At this court the first
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL\
case attached was Dominus Rex vs. John
Morningstern. George Stevenson, is re-
corded as prosecuting attornej' for "our
Sovereign Lord the King." John Proby
was indicted and plead guilty to selling
liquor by small measures, without legal au-
thority. He was sentenced to pay a fine of
five pounds in English currency, which
George Stevenson, clerk of the courts re-
ceived and was ordered to pay it to the sec-
retary of the province. George Ross and
David Stout were attorneys for the defend-
ant.
In another case at this court a
A Severe defendant was found guilty by a
Sentence, jury of twelve men "of feloni-
ously stealing one linen shirt and
one pair of stockings," and was sentenced
"to immediately receive on his bare back, at
the public whipping post, fifteen lashes and
to go to the county jail twelve days for the
costs of the prosecution, being unable to pay
them." This case illustrates how our an-
cestors put into full force the English laws.
The whipping post was in common use at
this time. It was used quite frequently in
this county during its early history.
The next court convened on April 24,
1750. Nineteen men formed the grand
jury; AVilliam Peters was prosecutor for the
king. Several cases were tried. In the
July sessions of 1750, two of the grand jur-
ors who were drawn presented themselves,
but refused to be qualified according to the
demands of the court, whereupon they were
fined and were then allowed to depart to
their homes in peace. At this session John
Lawrence was prosecutor for the king. An
incident occurred which created consider-
able confusion. An impetuous Scotch-
Irishman lost his temper while testifying
before the court as a witness in a somewhat
important case, and used violent oaths,
whereupon the court sentenced him to pay
a heavy fine, which the records show was
promptly paid.
Margaret Wilmoth plead guilty "to felo-
niously taking a silk handkerchief," and was
sentenced by the court to receive immedi-
ately on her bare back fifteen lashes. By
this sentence it is shown that the women as
well as the men were sentenced to the un-
merciful whipping post, by our provincial
justices. It does not speak well for the gal-
lantry of the court of those historic days but
illustrates that the modes of punishment, as
well as customs of those days, were im-
ported.
At the same sitting of the
No Whiskey court all the tavern-keepers
for Indians. of the county were required
to give bonds "to not suffer
any drunkenness, unlawful gaming, or any
other disorder, or sell any intoxicating
drinks to the Indians to debauch them or
hurt them." This being the year 1750, a
few years before the French and Indian
AVar, there was a considerable number of
Indians within the county. Many of them
had great inclinations to ardent spirits, or
"fire-water" as they were wont to call them.
The provision of the court, forbidding the
sale of such liquors to them by the whites,
was wise and beneficial. In early colonial
days many homes were destroyed by the in-
toxicated red man.
At the October sessions, 1750, Hance
Hamilton, sheriff, remonstrated to the court
in writing", setting forth that by reason of
tumultuous behavior of sundry persons, at
the last election, he could not make such
return as by the act of assembly was re-
quired. The court ordered that the com-
missioners and assessors who served the
previous year, continue in office during the
ensuing year, or until a new election be
held. All the voting for county officers at
that time was done at the county seat.
Voters from the remote places were com-
pelled to come to York to cast their ballot
for covmty and provincial offices. A bitter
contest took place at the election for sheriff
between Hance Hamilton and Richard Mc-
Allister. The latter was declared elected,
but on account of fraud in the voting and
violence at the polls, the provincial authori-
ties afterward decided in favor of Hance
Hamilton. This will explain the cause of
his statement to the court in relation to the
election. This was the second election for
sheriff.
On the death of Walter Sharp, one of the
county commissioners, the vacancy was
filled by a vote of the surviving commis-
sioners and the assessors, electing William
McClelland for the current year. The com-
missioners were then George Swope, Pat-
rick Watson and William McClelland.
Alexander Love produced a commission un-
der the seal of "Hon. James Hamilton, Esq.,
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
lieutenant governor of the province of
Pennsj'lvania, and counties of New Castle,
Kent and Sussex on the Delaware," dated
October 9, 1750, declaring him coroner of
the county of York. His qualifications,
professional requirements, and Christian be-
lief, enjoined b}^ law and ability to faith-
fully discharge his duties, were certified to
in his commission.
The next court of quarter sessions, 1751,
was held by Patrick Watson and his asso-
ciates. It will be here observed that he
was the second presiding justice of the
court. A commission from his Majesty
King George H, of England, dated April 25,
175 1, assigning Patrick Watson, John Day,
John Wright, Hance Hamilton, George
Stevenson, John AVinthrow, Walter Bu-
chanan, John Blackburn, John Pope, Wil-
Jiam Grififith and Herman Updegraff jus-
tices of the peace under the king of England,
and also empowered to be justices of the
coilrt of common pleas, was read in open
court and published. Patrick Watson, John
Day and Herman Updegraff subscribed the
oath and took their seats for this court.
Their first business transaction was the ad-
mission to practice before their court of
Edward Shippen, Jr., who already was a
member of the honorable society of the
Middle Temple Bar of London. John
Matthew, Jr., was admitted as an attorney
at the same time.
At the July term of court Samuel Morris
and Joseph Galloway were admitted as at-
torneys; Alexander McDonald and Felix
Gallagher were granted peddler's license ;
Bartholomew Moul was elected commis-
sioner at what was termed the "anniversary
election" and was qualified October 29. He
was the village schoolmaster of York.
Hugh Bay was admitted as a practicing at-
torney, January 28, 1752.
At this court the Grand Inquest made
complaint that "John Proby forced open
the door of the chamber and treated them in
an insolent and indecent manner." The
court ordered him to pay a fine of 20 shil-
lings. "It was paid the same day to Rich-
ard Ferguson, whose house was burned."
Proby was a notorious criminal. He was
twice tried at the Lancaster Court, and a
dozen times at the York court. Charles
Crim, a grand juror, at this session, "for
breaking the peace and casting a glass of
wine in the face of another juror," was fined
20 shillings.
The general assembly of Pennsyl-
Tavern vania, considering that inn holders
Rates. exacted excessive rates for their
wines, provender, etc., enacted a
law on the 31st of May, 1748, by which the
justices of the peace, in their quarter ses-
sions should set such reasonable prices as
they should see fit. The justices of York
County, on the 28th of January, 1752, es-
tablished the following rates and prices,
given from an extract taken word for word
from the records of the court of quarter
sessions :
One quart sangaree made with one pint of s. d.
good JNIadeira wine and with loaf sugar. ... i 6
A bowl of punch made with one quart water
with loaf sugar and good Jamaica spirits.. i 6
One pint good Madeira wine i 3
One pint good Vidonia wine o 10
One pint good Port wine i o
One quart mimbo made with West India rum
and loaf sugar o 10
One quart mimbo made with New England
rum and loaf sugar o 8
One gill good West India rum o 4
One gill good New England rum 0 3
One gill good whiskey o 2
One quart good beer o 4
One quart good cider o 4
One man's breakfast o 6
One man's dinner 0 8
One man's supper o 6
One horse at hay twenty-four hours o 10
One horse at hay one night o 8
Half a gallon of good oats 0 3
"The above rates were settled by the court and pro-
claimed by the crier in open court of general quarter
sessions, in pursuance of an act of general assembly of
this province in such case made and provided."
The above continued for some years to
be the tavern rates within the county of
York. But the statutes requiring them
have long since been repealed.
A certain defendant at the same
The court was convicted of an assault
Pillory, to commit a rape. He was sen-
tenced to pay a fine of 5 pounds to
the government, be publicly whipped on his
bare back twenty-one lashes, on the 28th of
May, 1752; after first punishment he was
placed for one hour in the pillory. This
was one of the most severe punishments
that could be imposed. The use of the
whipping post seems severe, but the
pillory was humiliating. The pillory, an
ancient instrument of punishment, con-
sisted of a frame of wood erected on posts,
with movable boards and holes through
which the head and hands of a criminal were
placed to expose him to public derision.
31
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The pillory was used in England until 1837.
At the January term, 1753, John Adlum
was qualified as the second high sheriff of
York County, having been elected to fill the
position vacated by Hance Hamilton.
Thomas Otway and William Parr were ad-
mitted to practice law in York County.
Twenty-nine persons were recommended to
the governor of the province as proper per-
sons to keep public houses of entertainment
in the county of York. On October 30,
1753, James Agnew was qualified as com-
missioner. Edward Shippen, Jr., was
prosecuting attorney.
Thomas McCartney was sworn in as com-
missioner, and Samuel Johnston admitted
to practice, October 28, 1755. Among the
records of 1758 is found the petition of
Francis Whistle, a prisoner in the county
jail, being a runaway servant of John Oli-
ver, of Maryland, to whom notice was sent
to come and pay the prison fees and other
charges due, amounting to 3 pounds, i shil-
ling and 6 pence. The petition set forth
that Francis Whistle had no money to pay
said fees and asked that he might be ad-
judged to serve a reasonable time, in satis-
faction of costs and expense, whereupon the
court ordered that the said Francis AVhistle
be sold to some proper person bj' the jailer
to serve for one year, the purchaser or mas-
ter to furnish him sufficient meat, drink, ap-
parel and lodging during said term.
AVhistle was what was then termed a "re-
demptioner."
The session held during the month of
October, 1760, was presided over b}'
Thomas Armor, a man of considerable
ability as a jurist. He filled several im-
portant positions during the Revolution.
In 1 76 1, there were forty-four public inns or
taverns in York County, eighteen being in
the town of York. During this year, Ed-
ward Shippen, Jr., prosecuting attorney or
attorney for the king, was succeeded b}'
John ]\Iather. At the January session, 1763,
Robert McPherson was sherift" of the
count}', and Robert iSIagaw attorney for the
king. He was succeeded by George Ross.
This year there were fifty-nine persons
licensed to keep tavern in the county. At
the October session of 1763, John Morris,
Jr., of the city of Philadelphia, became
prosecuting attorney for York County.
The entry on the record is as follows :
"John Morris, Jr., of the city of Phila-
delphia, attorney-at-law for our sovereign
Lord the King in this court by virtue of a
deputation from Benjamin Chew, Esq., at-
torney general for the Province of Pennsyl-
\'ania."
John Blackburn, a Quaker,
Stevenson residing in Warrington Town-
Resigns, ship, presided -over the next
court, beginning October 17,
1764. George Stevenson, who was prose-
cuting attorney at the first court of quarter
sessions, and was clerk of the court, register
and recorder since the erection of the county
in 1749, presented his resignation to the
court on October 30, 1764, after having
served in that ofifice sixteen years in suc-
cession. The court records kept under his
direction, still in an excellent state of
preser\'ation, are examples of neatness and
care. The court, after appropriate cere-
monies, accepted his resignation, and Sam-
uel Johnston was appointed to succeed him
in ofBce. Johnston presented to the court
his commission "from the Hon. John Penn,
lieutenant governor," at the next meeting
of the court, which was read and approved.
During the next two sessions, the cele-
brated Benjamin Chew, attorney general of
Pennsylvania, was present and conducted
the prosecution in certain important pro-
\-incial cases.
Alexander Ramsey, keeper of the jail of
York County, petitioned the July court set-
ting forth, that Andrew McCoUins, "a run-
away servant boy (redemptioner) has re-
mained in jail for a long time and has been
advertised and notice given to his master,"
whereupon the court ordered that the said
servant be sold to pay the said jailer what is
due him for the support and maintenance
while in prison.
In the year 1768, a certain defendant was
convicted of stealing from John Spore two
gold Spanish doubloons, one gold Spanish
pistole, one gold coin called a half Johannes,
two bills of credit of Maryland, all of which
were valued at twenty-four pounds in the
province of Pennsylvania.
At the January sessions, 1768, the citizens
of Manchester Township petitioned the
court, setting forth that they had learned
that "certain citizens of Manchester, Dover
and Newberry Townships had petitioned
the court for a public road to lead into
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
483
George Street, York; that the said road
from the north as petitioned for, would lead
through James Wright's unimproved mead-
ows, which is low ground, and would have
to be cause-wayed, and extend across Co-
dorus Creek, which during a great part of
the year, would be impassable, except the
county would build an expensive bridge.
The creek at this point is very broad and the
banks low. We therefore petition for the
court to have the road laid out so as to enter
High (Market) Street, where there is a
bridge." This petition shows that no
bridge at this time existed over the Co-
dorus at North George Street, but that
there was one on West Market Street. At
the April session of the same year the court
by the advice of the grand jury, ordered
that "a good stone bridge be built over the
Codorus Creek in York and appoint David
Jamison, Martin Eichelberger, Michael
Swope, and Samuel Johnston, Esqs., and
Thomas Stockton, Hugh Dunwoodie, and
Dr. John Meem, to agree with proper
workmen and have the same built as soon as
convenient, the old bridge of wood being
very much decayed, and the sills rotten, so
that it was dangerous for a heavy wagon to
cross." The old stone bridge, which stood
so many years at that point, was built the
following year.
In July sessions, 1768, the county
A commissioners requested that the
New county jail be enlarged, as it was too
Jail. small for a work house and prison,
and that the walls were not safe,
whereupon the court ordered them to erect
an additional building. This was done
during the next year. It was the same
building which stood on the corner of
South George and King Streets until 1855,
when the present jail building was erected.
At the October sessions, James Pitt was
found guilty of counterfeiting a two shil-
ling bill of credit of the Province of
Pennsylvania, changing it to a ten shilling
bill of credit. The defendant plead not
guilty. The case was conducted by An-
drew Allen, attorney-general of the prov-
ince. The defendant, upon a trial before
twelve men, was found guilty and received
the following terrible sentence : "That the
said defendant stand in the pillory in York
on the 29th day of November of the year
1768, between the hours of ten and twelve.
in the forenoon, for one hour. That then
he shall have both ears cut off, and that
they be nailed to the said pillory. That the
said defendant shall then be whipped at the
public whipping post in York with thirty-
nine lashes on the bare back well laid on,
and then pay a fine of 100 pounds of lawful
money, the one half to the governor of this
province for support of the government,
and the other half to the discoverer; that
the defendant pay the costs of the prosecu-
tion, and as he has no lands or tenements,
goods or chattels, to pay said fine, he is
hereby adjudged to be sold for the term of
four years to make satisfaction for the said
fine of 100 pounds." The penalty for
counterfeiting was sure death in England at
this time and until a much later time.
Michael Graybill was appointed keeper
of the work house and the house of correc-
tion for York County to serve during his
pleasure, January, 1771.
An order to build a bridge across the Co-
dorus Creek at AA'illiam Spangler's mill, on
the road leading from York to Baltimore,
was granted April, 1772. Robert McPher-
son, of Marsh Creek, now Gettysburg, was
then president justice of the court. In
1774, a woman was convicted of stealing
two articles of clothing, and was sentenced
to receive fifteen lashes at the whipping
post. The presiding officers of the court
for the first twenty-five years were all
English; Martin Eichelberger and Michael
Swope were the first Germans who attained
prominence in court matters.
We close these notes with a letter sent
from Conewago, now Hanover, to George
Stevenson, who was one of the "bosses" in
county affairs :
Friend Stevenson : We spoke with our
neighbors that you shall run Sheriff on our
ticket if you put in Frederick Gelwix for
commissioner, that is to say in our parts,
and if not you shall have no interest more
in our parts, and if you will do so send us a
few lines back again. So much from your
friends,
MICHAEL DANNER,
FRED. GELWIX.
Conewago, Sept. 14, 1765.
The convention of 1789-90 formed a new
constitution for the State. In carrying
this constitution into effect, the Legislature
enacted that the State be divided into dis-
484
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tricts : that in each district a person of
knowledge and integrity, skilled in the laws,
be appointed and commissioned a president
judge; that in each county a number of
proper persons, not fewer than three nor
more than four, be appointed and commis-
sioned associate judges ; that the courts be
held at the same time and place as formerly;
that the president judge and associates, or
any two of them, and the register of wills,
should have power to hold a Register's
Court, and that Orphans' Court be held.
The second district or circuit consisted of
the counties of Chester, Lancaster, York
and Dauphin. The associate judges could
hold any of the courts except that of Oyer
and Terminer, which court had cognizance
of murder trials. This act was passed April
19, 1791. It placed the judiciary on an en-
tirely new basis. The improvement was
great ; for, whereas, l^iefore there was
nothing but the skill and sense of right of
the plain citizen to unravel intricate law
questions, now all the knowledge and
experience which a legal training and prac-
tice could give were added in the person of
the lawyer. It is wonderful that the people
of Pennsylvania clung so long to the old
system of 1722. In the constitution of
1776, no improvement was made on it, and
not until 1790 did the people really wake up
to its faults.
The first Quarter Sessions under the
new constitution was held on the 24th of
October, 1791, before AVilliam Augustus
Atlee. The first indictment was against
Samuel Pope for assault and battery. He
was found guilty and fined 7 shillings and
costs. The associate judges were Henry
Schlegel, Samuel Edie, AVilliam Scott and
Jacob Rudisell, the last of whom was com-
missioned August 17, 1791. The next day
before the same judges was held the first
Common Pleas court. Judge Atlee con-
tinued to preside over the district until
April 9, 1793, when he died. In December
of that year, after a vacancy in the oiSce of
nearly three months, John Joseph Henry
was appointed as Judge Atlee's successor.
On January 22, 1800, Adams County w-as
erected out of part of York County, and as
associate judges Schlegel, Edie and Scott
lived within its limits, others were ap-
pointed. The appointees were John Stew-
art, commissioned January 30, and Hugh
Glascow, commissioned July i, 1800. On
December 6, Jacob Rudisell died in office,
but no successor was appointed. From that
time on, the number of associates was two.
John Stewart being elected a- member of
Congress, Jacob Hostetter was commis-
sioned February 28, 1801. In 1806, Chester
County was separated from the Second
District, leaving Lancaster, York and
Dauphin. This caused no change in the
district bench. In January, 181 1, Judge
Henry resigned his commission, and on the
1 8th of the same month Walter Franklin
was commissioned president judge of the
Second District. Hugh Glascow in turn
was elected member of Congress, and to
succeed him, George Barnitz was commis-
sioned, March 29, 1813. In 1815, Dauphin
was taken from the Second District to be-
come part of the Twelfth. In 1818, Jacob
Hostetter was sent to Congress. John L.
Hinkle was commissioned, December 10,
1818, to succeed him.
A district court was established for York
County by an act of legislature passed April
10, 1826, reorganizing the district court of
the Lancaster District, to which York
County was annexed. The district courts
had concurrent jurisdiction with the courts
of Common Pleas, and causes were trans-
ferred from the Common Pleas to them.
The court consisted of a president and an
associate judge, both learned in the law.
Ebenezer G. Bradford was appointed presi-
dent judge and Alexander Thompson, as-
sociate. Shortly afterward, Alexander
Thompson was appointed president judge
of the Sixteenth Judicial District, composed
of the counties of Franklin, Bedford and
Somerset. iVlexander L. Hays was ap-
pointed his successor. April 8, 1833, York
and Lancaster were formed into separate
districts, but the Lancaster Court was given
jurisdiction over both till December 16 of
that year, to enable those to make the
proper arrangements, who wished for a
change of venue after the separation. On
that day, Daniel Durkee was appointed
judge of the York District. The act of
separation authorized the appointment of
only a single judge for each district. Judge
Durkee held the olftce until it expired,
through the cessation of this kind of court,
in 1840. The district courts were probably
established for some particular purpose, as
THE BENCH AXD THE BAR
485
they lasted only fourteen years. The act of
1833 named the date of cessation May i,
1840. They were intermediate between the
Supreme Court and the county courts, and
the cause of their organization may have
been onl}^ to relieve the Supreme Court.
Their establishment in 1826 was merely a
reorganization, for the district courts had
been in use in the province before the
Revolution.
On the 14th of May, 1835, York and
Adams Counties were separated from the
Second District and became the Nineteenth
Judicial District, which title York still
bears. Daniel Durkee, judge of the District
Court, was also commissioned president
judge of the Common Pleas of this district.
By the act of 1790, a certain number of
associate judges were appointed in each
county, not district, so that this change of
district made no change necessary in that
office. The associates at this term were
George Barnitz and John L. Hinkle. In
1838, a constitutional convention met and
made numerous amendments to the consti-
tution, none materially affecting the judicial
system. The only change reaching the
bench here, was the limitation of the term
of ofifice of the president judge to ten years
and that of associate judge to five years.
Judge Durkee had been on the bench for
three years, George Barnitz, twenty-five
years and John L. Hinkle, twenty years.
The convention of 1838, in determining
the plan of the inauguration of the system,
ordained that the terms of those president
judges who had held the office less than ten
years should expire upon the 27th of Febru-
ary next, after the end of ten j^ears from the
date of their commission. It also ordained
that the associate judges, should be divided
into four classes, according to seniority of
commission ; the terms of those in the first
class to expire on the 27th of February,
1840; the second, the same day, 1841, and
so on. George Barnitz was in the first
class. To succeed him, Samuel C. Bonham
was appointed March 26, 1840. John L.
Hinkle was in the second class and his suc-
cessor was George Dare, appointed April 5,
1841. Judge Durkee's term of office would
have expired February zj, 1846, but he re-
signed shortly before that date and resumed
the practice of law. On February 10, Gov-
ernor Shunk appointed William X. Irvine
to fill the position. \\'illiam Irvine re-
signed his commission in the spring of
1849, ^nd Judge Durkee was reappointed,
April 6. On March 28, 1846, George Ham-
mond was appointed to succeed George
Dare, and Jacob Kirk was appointed in 1850
to succeed Samuel C. Bonham. The bench
then, the last wholly appointed bench in the
count}^ consisted of Daniel Durkee, presi-
dent judge; George Hammond and Jacob
Kirk, associate judges.
In 185 1, the constitution was again
amended. The judgeship was made elec-
tive, a vast improvement upon the former
sj'stem. The qualifications, titles and num-
ber of judges remained the same, but the
fight for the office was removed from Har-
risburg to York. The first election after
the establishment of the new plan was held
on the second Tuesda}- of October, 185 1.
Robert J. Fisher was elected president
judge, Isaac Koller and Mills Hays as-
sociates. Isaac Koller died in 1854, and as
it had been ordained that when a judge died
in office the governor should appoint a suc-
cessor, who was to hold the position until
the next general election, John Reiman
was appointed, November 6, 1854. He was
elected in 1855 and again in i860.
In 1856, Adam Ebaugh was elected to
succeed Mills Hays. John Reiman was
elected in i860, receiving then his third
commission. In 1861, Robert J. Fisher was
re-elected president judge, and Adam
Ebaugh associate judge. In 1862, John
Reiman died, and David Fahs was ap-
pointed, November 5, 1862, to fill the
vacancy. He held the office for a year,
when Peter Mclntyre was elected. In
1866, David Newcomer was elected to suc-
ceed Adam Ebaugh. In 1868, Peter Mcln-
tyre was re-elected, but served only a year
of his second term. He died in 1869.
Jacob Wiest was appointed to fill the
vacancy on the 30th of October. His term
lasted one year. He was followed by Peter
Ahl, elected in 1870. Judge Fisher was
again re-elected in 1871. At the same time,
John Moore was elected to succeed David
Newcomer. Peter Ahl died in 1873, and J.
C. E. Moore was appointed to fill this
vacancy on the 24th of May. He held the
position for six months. Valentine Trout
followed him, elected that October. The
bench, then, the last bench in York County
486
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
in which there were any associates, con-
sisted of Robert J. Fisher, president judge ;
John Moore and Valentine Trout, associate
judges.
By the constitution of 1873, '^^^^ office of
associate judge not learned in the law was
abolished in counties forming separate dis-
tricts. Counties containing 40,000 inhabi-
tants were to constitute separate judicial
districts. York County, having a popula-
_tion of 76,000, became of itself the Nine-
teenth. Adams County, formerl}^ a part of
this, became the Forty-second. The
register's court was abolished. The bench
still retained its two-fold character for a
time, as the constitution provided that all
associate judges in ofifice at its adoption
should serve out their full terms. John
Moore's term expired in 1875 ; Valentine
Trout's in 1878. The latter upon leaving
the bench was given a supper as the last
associate judge in York County, and in 1906
is living, at the age of 90.
By act of April 12, 1875, York County
was given an additional law judge. In the
fall of that year, Pere L. Wickes was elected
to the position. In 1881, John Gibson was
elected to succeed Judge Fisher, when Pere
L. Wickes, by seniority of commission, was
made president judge.
In 1886, James W. Latimer was elected to
succeed Judge Wickes. A\"hen he entered
upon the duties of his ofifice John Gibson be-
came president judge, serving in that posi-
tion until the time of his death, July 6, 1890.
In the fall of that year John W. Bittenger
was elected and Judge Latimer became
president judge. In 1896, AA'. F. Bay Stew-
art was sworn into office as additional law
judge and served one term of 10 years. He
was succeeded, in 1906, by Nevin M. AA^an-
ner. After the retirement from the bench
of Judge Latimer, in 1896, John AA". Bit-
tenger became president judge. In the fall
of 1900 Judge Bittenger was re-elected
without opposition, retaining his position
as president judge.
THE BENCH.
AVILLIAM AUGUSTUS ATLEE. the
first president judge of the courts of York
County, under the constitution of 1790, was
born in Philadelphia, July i, 1735. He ob-
tained a liberal education in the private
schools of his native citv and the Universitv
of Pennsylvania. After completing his edu-
cation he studied law and was admitted to
the bar. He began the practice of his pro-
fession in Philadelphia, where his intellec-
tual acquirements and legal ability soon
won for him prominence at the bar of his
native city. In those early days, it was the
custom for lawyers to travel from one
county to another to attend the courts con-
ducted by the Supreme Court judges. On
August 13, 1758, AVilliam Augustus Atlee
was admitted to the bar of Lancaster
County. He first appeared before the
courts of York County, July 29, 1759, when
he was engaged in the trial of an important
case involving the title to large landed
estates west of the Susquehanna. His
entire career as a lawyer was in practicing
before the provincial courts of Pennsyl-
vania. The first state constitution was
adopted in 1776. Under the provisions of
this constitution, Atlee was appointed one
of the judges of the Supreme Court of the
state, August 16, 1777. He filled the ofifice
with acceptability during the whole period
of the Revolution, and August 9, 1784, was
re-appointed to the same position by
authority of the president of the state and
the Supreme Executive Council. AA'hen the
second state constitution went into force, in
1 791, on account of his success as a jurist,
he was appointed, August 17, 1791, presi-
dent judge of the Second Judicial District
of Pennsylvania, embracing the counties of
Chester, Lancaster, York and Dauphin. He
conducted the first court at York as presi-
dent judge, October 24, 1791. Under this
constitution the court justices sat on the
bench with the president judge. The local
judges then were Colonel Henry Schlegel
and Jacob Rudisill, of Hanover; Captain
AAMlliam Scott and Samuel Edie, of York.
Judge Atlee presided over the courts of
the Second District for a period of two
years. During the summer of 1793, when
the 5'ellow fever w^as an epidemic in Phila-
delphia and other parts of the country, he
retired to his country seat, near Wright's
Ferry on the Susquehanna River. Here he
died, September 9, 1793, at the age of 55
years. The malady which caused his death
had all the indications of yellow fever,
which had spread through the interior part
of the state. As a lawyer and jurist he
ranked high in his profession.
WILLIAM AUGUSTUS ATLEE
JOHN JOSEPH HENRY
WALTER FRANKLIN
DANIEL DURKEE
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
JOHN JOSEPH HENRY, president
judge of the Second Judicial District of
Pennsylvania, was born at Lancaster, No-
vember 4, 1758. His father, William
Henry, was a man of prominence in Lan-
caster and the inventor of the screw auger.
^\'hen the son attained the age of fourteen
he was apprenticed to his uncle, a gunsmith,
and accompanied the latter to Detroit.
Their business did not prosper in that new
settlement. After a brief stay in what was
then the far west, they wended their way
from Detroit to Lancaster on foot, enduring
all the hardships of pioneer travel in
colonial days. In the summer of 1775,
shortly after the Battle of Bunker Hill, John
Joseph Henry enlisted in a companj' of
Lancaster County troops who marched to
Boston to join the provincial soldiers in
laying siege to that city, then in the hands
of the British. AVhen an invasion of
Canada was planned, he was one of the
volunteer soldiers who joined the expedi-
tion, under Benedict Arnold, which marched
through the forests of Maine. This heroic
band of soldiers joined the expedition, led
by General Montgomery. In the com-
bined attack upon Quebec, December 31,
1775, John Joseph Henry was captured and
held by the British for a period of nine
months. During his imprisonment, he
contracted a disease from which he never
fully recovered. After his release, although
only seventeen j-ears of age, he was otTered
a captaincy in Morgan's Riflemen, a noted
Virginia regiment, and was also tendered
the position of a lieutenant in a Pennsyl-
vania regiment. Owing to the condition of
his health he was obliged to decline both
these positions. During the next four
3^ears, he was a clerk in the office of the
prothonotary of Lancaster and spent all his
time in diligent study. He read law under
Stephen Chambers and was admitted to the
Lancaster Bar in 1785. The following
year he was admitted to practice before the
York County courts, retaining his residence
in his native town. He continued to prac-
tice law in Lancaster, York and adjoining
counties for nine years, and on December
16, 1793, three months after the death of
Judge Atlee, he was appointed his succes-
sor as president judge of the Second Ju-
dicial District, including the counties of
Chester, Lancaster, York and Dauphin. In
1806, Chester County was separated from
this district. Judge Henry, who received
his appointment from General Thomas
Mififlin, the first governor of Pennsylvania,
served with distinction on the bench for a
period of seventeen years. Owing to en-
feebled health he resigned, December, 1810.
He died at his home in Lancaster, April 22,
181 1, at the age of 53. Shortly after his
resignation, the state of Pennsylvania voted
him $1,600 "for his services and sufferings
during the Revolution."
Judge Henry wrote a graphic account of
the expedition to Canada. It was in manu-
script form at the time of his death but was
published in an interesting volume of 225
pages, at Lancaster, in 1812, under the
direction of his daughter. A letter from
Alichael Simpson, who served as a captaiji
in the Canadian expedition with Judge
Henry, appears in the introduction of this
valuable work, one of the rarest publica-
tions relating to the Revolution now in
existence. At this time Simpson resided on
his farm and ferry property in Fairview
Township, below the village of New
Market. He was then brigadier general in
the state militia. Owing to the historic
value of Judge Henry's book it was re-
published in one of the later series of
the Pennsylvania Archives. Judge Henry's
wife was a sister of Stephen Chambers, with
whom he studied law at Lancaster.
WALTER FRANKLIN, president judge
of the Second District, was born in the city
of New York, in 1773. He was a son of
Thomas and Mary (Rhoads) Franklin;
grandson of Thomas and Mary (Pearsall)
Franklin; and great-grandson of Henry
Franklin, who came to Long Island from
England in the latter part of the seven-
teenth century and was a member of the
Society of Friends. AValter Franklin was
admitted to the Philadelphia Bar in 1792,
and rapidly rose to the front rank of his
profession. He was appointed attorney-
general of Pennsylvania, January 9, 1809,
under the administration of Governor
Simon Snyder. During his incumbency of
that office, for which he was especially
adapted, he was appointed, January 26,
181 1, president judge of the Second Judicial
District of the state, embracing Lancaster,
York and Dauphin counties. During his
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
judicial career he relates in his diary that
before he opened the courts at Dauphin and
later in York County, he had the special
honor of officially notifying the people of
these counties in open court, that the second
war with England had ended in favor of the
American cause and the treaty of peace had
been signed by commissioners from the two
countries. Judge Franklin presided over
the courts of the Second District with
ability and success for the long period of
twenty-five years. He possessed an in-
teresting personality, and was widely
known for his"varied accomplishments, his
genial nature and afTable manners. He
usually spent his vacation at York Springs,
a noted summer resort, where he was
prominent in the social circles of guests
from Pennsylvania, as well as Baltimore and
Washington. He was one of the noted
pedestrians of his day, and according to the
testimony of Dr. John L. Atlee, of Lan-
caster, who married his daughter. Judge
Franklin frequently walked from his home
at Lancaster to York to open the sessions
of court.
Judge Franklin was married July 13, 1802,
to Anne, daughter of James and Phoebe
(Pierce) Emlen. Sarah, their oldest
daughter, became the wife of the famous
surgeon. Dr. John L. Atlee, of Lancaster.
Rev. Walter Franklin, one of their sons, was
for several years rector of St. John's Episco-
pal Church at York. Thomas E. Franklin,
another son, was attorney-general of Penn-
sylvania, during the administration of Gov-
ernor William F. Johnson, 1851-53, and
again during the administration of Gover-
nor James Pollock, 1857-59. Mrs. Serena
Mayer North, wife of Hugh M. North,
noted lawyer of the Lancaster County Bar,
is a daughter of Thomas E. Franklin, and
Walter M. Franklin, of the Lancaster Bar,
is a son, and is married to Sarah Latimer
Small, daughter of Samuel Small, of York.
Judge Franklin died at his home in Lan-
caster in 1836. His nephew, Walter S.
Franklin, was a resident of York, and was
the father of General William B. Franklin,
Admiral Samuel R. Franklin, Engineer
Thomas Franklin and Colonel Walter S.
Franklin, the "big four," all exceeding six
feet in height, the last named of whom is
married to Mary Campbell Small, daughter
of the late Philip A. Small.
DANIEL DURKEE, president judge of
the courts of York County, was born Au-
gust 27, 1791, at Royalton, Vermont, of
English ancestry. His father died in his
boyhood and his early years were spent in
working on the farm owned by his mother.
After leaving school, he studied law under
the direction of Hon. Jacob Collamer, a
distinguished lawyer, who represented Ver-
mont in the United States Senate. Durkee
was admitted to the bar June 12, 1818, in the'
town of Chelsea in his native state, and
began the practice of law at Williamstown.
A few months later, he removed to Leba-
non, Pennsylvania, taking the office just
vacated by his brother-in-law, John Wright,
who had removed to York. In 1820,
Daniel Durkee removed to York, where he
spent the remainder of his professional
career. Although he was not familiar with
the German language, he soon acquired a
large clientage among the German people of
York County and became very popular with
all classes. In 1832, he was elected to the
legislature. In 1833, he was appointed by
Governor Wolf, judge of the district court.
In 1835, the district court ha\nng been
abolished, he was appointed president judge
of the Nineteenth Judicial District, com-
posed of the counties of York and Adams.
He held the office for ten years, when, at
the expiration of his term, he was succeeded
by Judge Irwin. Upon the resignation of
the latter, in 1849, J^dge Durkee was again
appointed to the president judgeship by
Governor Johnston, and held the office until
1851, when, the judgeship having been by a
constitutional amendment made elective,
Judge Fisher was chosen to succeed him.
Judge Durkee then resumed the practice
of his profession, which he continued to the
time of his death. He died November 23,
1854, aged sixty-three years. Thus, for
nearly half the entire period of his resi-
dence in Pennsylvania, Daniel Durkee held
the office of president judge. On the bench
he was careful and painstaking and showed
great discrimination in separating from the
mass of less important matters, the real
points involved in the cases brought before
him. In his charges he was remarkably
successful in presenting cases to juries, in
enabling them to perform their duties intel-
ligently, and in preventing them from
falling into errors. Of remarkable sagacity,
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
clear perceptions and sound conclusions, he
enjoyed, during his official career, the con-
fidence and respect of the bar, and in a
great degree that of the appellate court,
which reviewed his judgments.
Judge Durkee was married April 8, 1813,
to Mary, daughter of Captain John Wright,
of Norwich, Vermont.
ROBERT J. FISHER, president judge
of the Nineteenth Judicial District from
1851 to 1881, was born at Harrisburg, May
6, 1806. He was the son of George Fisher
and Ann Shippen, daughter of Robert
Strettel Jones, of Burlington, New Jersey.
Robert Strettel was a member of the
Provincial Council from 1741 for twenty
years. Robert Strettel Jones, his grand-
father, was a member of the New Jersey
Legislature and secretary of the Committee
of Safety in 1776. His great-grandfather,
Isaac Jones, was twice mayor of Philadel-
phia, in 1767 and 1768, and a member of
the common council in 1764. John Fisher,
his great great-grandfather, member of the
Society of Friends, came to Philadelphia in
1682 with the earliest Quaker immigration
under William Penn. His grandfather,
George Fisher, purchased a large tract of
land near the mouth of Swatara Creek from
the sons of AA'illiam Penn, then proprietors
of Pennsylvania. He erected a large resi-
dence on the banks of the creek and called
it Pine A\ ood. In 1755, he laid out the
borough of Middletown upon part of this
tract. His son, George Fisher, born at
Pine AVood, became one of the leaders of
the Dauphin County Bar. He succeeded
his father in the ownership of the paternal
home and later in life erected a large private
residence on the present site of the First
Presbyterian Church, Centre Square, Har-
risburg. Robert J. Fisher was born at this
home. He obtained his preliminary edu-
cation in his native city. After spending
two years at Yale Law School, he returned
to Harrisburg and entered the office of his
father, where he continued his studies and
familiarized himself with the application of
legal principles and rules of practice. He
was admitted to the Dauphin County Bar in
the early part of 1828. Being seized with
a severe attack of malarial fever, Robert J.
Fisher came to York, intending to remain
temporarily at the AA'ashington House, then
one of the leading hotels, situated on East
Market Street, near Duke. He soon re-
covered from his sickness and he decided
then to take up his residence in York.
On November 4, 1828, he was admitted
to practice before the courts of York
County. His ability as a lawyer was soon
recognized. During all the years of his
practice, he continued to be a diligent and
faithful student of the literature of the law.
He succeeded early in his career in the trial
of causes before the courts, taking part in
many of the most important land litigations.
His clearness of conception and his forceful
manner of presenting his arguments in a
few years won him success and a large
clientage. In 185 1, he was elected to the
bench of the Nineteenth Judicial District,
composed of the counties of York and
Adams. Being twice re-elected, in 1861
and 1871, he was, until 1875, the only law
judge of the two counties. By act of as-
sembly passed in 1875, York County became
a separate judicial district, with Robert J.
Fisher as president judge and Pere L.
AVickes additional law judge. The long
career of Robert J. Fisher on the local bench
won for him a high rank as a jurist in the
state of Pennsylvania. He weighed the
subject before him with a judicial mind
rarely equalled or excelled on the bench of
the county courts. His decisions written
in clear and terse English were recognized
by the higher courts as coming from a mind
thoroughly trained in the fundamental
principles of the law. During the period
of twenty-four years, when he held all the
courts at York and Gettj'sburg, he trans-
acted a large amount of business with such
promptness and ability as to command the
highest respect of the members of the bar
and the citizens of the two counties. His
decisions were almost universally upheld by
the Supreme Court and his opinions have
frequently been quoted in the trial of cases
throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
Having presided over the courts of York
County for the long period of thirty years.
Judge Fisher became a familiar figure to
most of the citizens of York County. Upon
his retirement from the bench, there seemed
to be a void in the court room when any
other person than Judge Fisher conducted
the legal business of the county. In per-
sonal appearance, he was large of frame,
erect in his carriage and courteous in his
490
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
bearing to all people. He was genial and
affable in his manner, and enjo)red a uni-
versal popularity.
Judge Fisher was first married to Cath-
erine, daughter of Horatio Gates Jameson,
and granddaughter of David Jameson, an
officer in the French and Indian war and
the Revolution, and the leading physician of
York during the colonial period. Helen,
one of his daughters, was married to James
W. Latimer, judge of the courts of York
County from 1886 to 1896. Emily, another
daughter, was married to Levi B. Alricks,
member of the Dauphin County Bar.
Robert J. Fisher, his youngest son, for many
years has been a practicing lawyer and a
prominent citizen at Washington, D. C.
Judge Fisher's first wife died in 1850. In
1853, he married Mary Sophia, daughter of
Ebenezer Cadwell, of Northbridge, Massa-
chusetts. During most of the time that
Judge Fisher presided over the courts of
York County, he resided in a large home on
the south side of East Market Street,
between Duke and Queen Streets, the resi-
dence built by Thomas C. Hambly. He was
a member of St. John's Episcopal Church,
which he served as a vestrj'man, and was
the first chancellor of the diocese of Central
Pennsylvania. He died at his residence on
East Market Street, April 25, 1888. His
widow and their only daughter, Mary L.
Fisher, reside at the southwest corner of
South George and Jackson Streets.
PERE L. WICKES. president judge of
the Nineteenth Judicial District, was born
August 14, 1837, in Chestertown, Kent
County, Maryland. He is the youngest son
of Colonel Joseph Wickes, who was a law-
)''er of distinction in Maryland, and a
nephew of the late Judge Chambers, who
was for many years the chief justice of that
state. Judge Wickes was educated at
Princeton College, New Jersey, and re-
ceived the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in
June, 1856. Subsequently the degree of
Master of Arts was conferred upon him by
the same institution. He studied law with
his brother. Judge Joseph A. AYickes, of
Maryland, and afterward with Hon. S.
Teakle Wallis, of Baltimore, and was ad-
mitted to the bar of Kent County, Mary-
land, April 18, 1859. He continued to prac-
tice his profession in Chestertown until
1866, when he removed to York. He be-
came the attorney for the Northern Central
and Penns3dvania Railroad Companies at
this point, and was in the enjoyment of a
lucrative practice, when he was, in. the fall
of 1875, elected additional law judge of the
Nineteenth Judicial District. In January,
1882, at the close of the term of office of
Robert J. Fisher. Judge Wickes was com-
missioned president judge of the district.
His term of office expired in January, 1886,
and he refused to be a candidate for re-
election. On the bench Judge Wickes dis-
plaj-ed abilities of the highest order. He
combined with a quick, active, compre-
hensive intellect and unimpeachable in-
tegrity, great administrative abilities. His
courts were characterized by a speedy dis-
patch of business, perfect decorum and an
economical administration of the law. He
suffered few reversals by the Supreme
Court of the state, which is evidence not
only of his success on the bench, but also of
his fairness as a judge. Upon his retire-
ment from the bench of York County, Judge
A\'ickes removed to Baltimore, where he be-
came one of the leading members of the bar
of that city. After practicing a few years
he was again elevated to the bench and has
since been president judge of one of the
Common Pleas Courts of Baltimore. On
February 27, 1862, Judge Wickes married
Henrietta Catherine AVelsh, daughter of the
late Henry Welsh, of the borough of York,
who was for many years prominent and
influential in the politics of Pennsylvania.
JOHN GIBSON, president judge of the
courts of York County, was born in Balti-
more, April 17, 1829. His great-grand-
father on the mother's side was David
Jameson, M. D., colonel in the Provincial
and Revolutionary forces of Pennsylvania,
who was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland,
and a graduate of the medical department
of its university. He came to America
about the year 1740, and settled first in
South Carolina. He afterward moved to
York, and was possessed of a homestead
and plantation in York Township, within
two miles of the town. He was married to
Elizabeth Da^'is and his sons, Thomas,
James and Horatio Gates, became eminent
physicians in this neighborhood. The last
named, the grandfather of Judge Gibson,
married Emily Shevelle, of Somerset, and
moved to Baltimore, where he founded the
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
491
Washington Medical College, and spent the
greater part of his life in practice there,
moving to York a few 3'ears before his
death, which occurred in 1855. His daugh-
ters were Cassandra, married to Rev. Wil-
liam J. Gibson, D. D., Duncanville, Mary-
land ; Catherine, married to Hon. Robert J.
Fisher, president judge of the York Judicial
District, and Elizabeth, married to Rev.
John Gibson, who died at Duncansville, in
1869. His great-grandfather on his father's
side was Robert Gibson, born in the county
of Down, Province of Ulster, Ireland, whose
son, William Gibson, was a celebrated
preacher of the Reformed Presbyterian
Church, otherwise called Covenanters;
came to America in 1797, and settled in Rye-
gate, ■ Vermont. He afterward went to
Philadelphia and was pastor of the Re-
formed Church there. He died in 1838.
His sons, Robert, John and AVilliam, were
all distinguished divines in the Presbyterian
Church.
John Gibson was the third son of John
and Elizabeth (Jameson) Gibson. He came
to York early in life, and received his edu-
cation at the hands of such teachers as C. D.
Joint, Daniel M. Ettinger, Rev. Stephen
Boyer, and Daniel Kirkwood, the eminent
astronomer, at the York County Academy,
which was his alma mater. He studied law
under his uncle, Robert J. Fisher, and was
admitted to the bar, September 30, 1851,
and practiced law at the York Bar until his
election to the bench in 1881. On June 25,
1865, he married Helen Packard, youngest
daughter of Benjamin D. Packard, of Al-
bany, New York, a distinguished journalist
and publisher, who founded the Albany
Evening Journal. Judge Gibson held no
political office. He was chosen a delegate
to the Democratic National Convention in
1868, held in New York City, and which
nominated Horatio Seymour for president.
In 1872, he was unanimously chosen a dele-
gate from York County to thd constitutional
convention of Pennsylvania, together with
Thomas E. Cochran, from York, William
McClean, from Adams, the three being rep-
resentatives from the Nineteenth Senatorial
District. Jeremiah S. Black, from York,
was a delegate at large to the same con-
vention. In 1881, he was nominated by the
Democratic county convention for judge of
the Nineteenth Judicial District, composed
of the county of York, and was accepted by
the Republican convention, and was elected
without opposition, succeeding Robert J.
Fisher, who held the position of president
Judge for a period of thirty years, and who
was not a candidate for re-election. In
1875, an additional law judge was provided
for the district, to which Pere L. AVickes
was elected. Owing to the provisions of the
new constitution, Judge Wickes became
president judge by seniority of commission.
Judge Gibson was commissioned additional
law judge. By the expiration of the term
of Judge Wickes, January i, 1886, Judge
Gibson became president judge.
Judge Gibson was an extensive reader
and a man of many accomplishments. His
history of York County, published in 1886,
is an enduring work, and his speeches in the
constitutional convention evidenced the
thoroughly equipped lawyer and a recog-
nition of the needs of the hour. When in
law practice he was invaluable to the young
members of the bar who almost invariably
sought his advice, to whom he was uni-
formly affable and courteous, and to whom
he was always ready to impart his legal
knowledge and experience. His arguments
to the courts and his speeches to the jury
show the lawyer of tact, sagacity and cir-
cumspection, and in clearness and lucid
power of generalization he was surpassed
by few. His style of speaking was impres-
sive, impassioned and admirable. In his
charges he displayed his capacity for rapid
absorption of a case, arrangement of facts
in their proper relation; and in the applica-
tion of principles of law to the facts, he was
seldom excelled. His written opinions
were concise and learned and Avere charac-
terized by carefulness of consideration and
impartiality. His intuitive and compre-
hensive mind seized infallibly the essential
points of the dispute, and he possessed in an
eminent degree the peculiar qualities which
are most needed in a judge. His personal
qualities won for him many warm and
devoted friends, and his private life was
without reproach. He was genial and
aft'able to all. He died at Atlantic City,
July 6, 1890. His funeral services were
held in St. John's Episcopal Church of York,
of which he was a communicant and on
whose vestry he had served for a quarter of
a century. He was survived by his wife,
492
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
two sons and a daughter. The older son,
the Rev. Robert F. Gibson, is a clergyman
of the Episcopal Church and is rector of
Trinity Parish, Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The younger son, John J. Gibson, is an
electrical engineer in the employ of the
Westinghouse Electrical and Manufactur-
ing Company, with headquarters at Phila-
delphia. The daughter is ]\Irs. Francis
Farquhar, of York.
JAMES W. LATIMER, president judge
of the Nineteenth District, was a son of
James Barton Latimer and Sarah Geddes
(Cathcart) Latimer, and was born in AVest
Philadelphia, June 24, 1836. His mother
was a daughter of the Rev. Robert Cath-
cart, a former pastor of the First Presby-
terian Church of York, and a man of great
force and abilit}'. His father, James Barton
Latimer, a man of scholarly attainments
and of marked refinement of character,
brought his family to York in 1836.
James W. Latimer received his education
at the York County Academy, entered upon
the study of the law with the late Edward
Chapin. a leading member of the York
County Bar; was admitted to practice in
1859 and was elected Judge of the Courts
of York County in 1885. Retiring from
the bench in 1896, he pursued the practice
of his profession as the senior member of
the law firm of Latimer & Schmidt. He
loved the law, and for forty years followed
its practice and administered its principles
in a manner worthy of his high calling.
He was of Scotch-Irish and French
Huguenot descent, and his ancestors had
borne a distinguished part in the Revolu-
tionar}^ AVar. He inherited from them his
love of libert)'- and patriotic ardor, and
throughout the AA'ar of the Rebellion, which
followed close upon his admission to the
bar, he was conspicuous in every local
movement which tended to uphold the ad-
ministration at AA'ashington, and to encour-
age and cheer the soldiers in the field. Pos-
sessed of a keen intellect, an analytical mind
and a love of study, his professional ad-
vancement was rapid. The successes he
achieved were the reward of intrinsic worth.
As a lawyer he was resolute to ascertain the
facts of the case, indefatigable in the labor
of preparation for trial, and quick and accu-
rate in the application of the appropriate
and controlling legal principle. He was a
profound student and close reasoner, a care-
ful and conscientious counsellor and a skil-
ful and convincing advocate. For years
before his elevation to the Bench he was en-
gaged in most of the important cases tried
in the local courts, and when, after a term
upon the Bench, he resumed the practice of
his profession, he at once resumed his
proper place as a leader of the local Bar.
Reaching the goal of his ambition in 1886,
he brought to the Bench the ripened fruits
of years of experience. He was deeply
versed in the science to which his life was
devoted; and his opinions as spread upon
the records of the courts present permanent
and abounding proof of the extent and va-
riety of his learning, the cogency of his
reasoning, the scope of his research and the
intensity of his love of justice. His charges
to juries were terse and clear, models of
clarity and lucidity of expression; and as a
judge he was learned, just and impartial,
prompt to act, fearless to execute and in-
corruptible in the discharge of the duties of
his high trust.
The fundamental principle of his life was
honesty. He was not only honest in mat-
ters financial, but honest with himself and
with his fellows, in a higher and broader
sense, wholly and unreservedly devoted to
sincerity and truth. He abhorred hypoc-
risy and despised cowardice, physical and
moral. His strong and rugged personality
left a lasting impress upon his time, and
was a forceful and beneficent influence in
the community in which he lived.
At the time of his death. Judge Latimer
was President of the Board of Trustees of
the York County Academy, a member of
the Board of Trustees of the York Collegi-
ate Institute and President of the Delaware
Society of the Cincinnati. He married, in
early life, Ann Helen Fisher, daughter of
the Hon. Robert J. Fisher, of York, and left
to survive him his widow and four children,
Catharine J. L. Ross, Janet C. Latimer,
Emilie F. Latimer and Robert C. Latimer,
all of whom are now residents of AVashing-
ton, D. C.
JOHN AY. BITTENGER, president
judge of the courts of York County, was
boi'n at York Springs, Adams County, No-
vember ID, 1834. His great-grandfather.
Captain Nicholas Bittenger, commanded a
company of soldiers in the Revolution and
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THE BENCH AND THE BAR
493
was captured by the British in the battle
of Fort Washington, and held as a prisoner
of war for nine months. His maternal
great-grandfather, Henry Sheffer, also
served in the Revolution, and his grand-
father, Dr. Daniel Shefifer, a prominent ph}'-
sician at York Springs, served as associate
judge of Adams County, and was elected to
Congress in 1836. His father, Henry Bit-
tenger, was married to Julia, daughter of
Dr. Daniel Shefifer.
Judge Bittenger obtained his education
in the public schools, Strasburg Academy,
and Pennsylvania College. While attend-
ing college, he registered as a law student
with Moses McClean at Gettysburg, and
completed his legal studies under Judge
Bouic, at Rockville, where he was admitted
to the bar, in 1856. The same year he en-
tered Harvard Law School, where in 1857,
he received the degree of LE.B. In i860,
he located at York, where he has since re-
sided. In 1862, he was elected district at-
torney of York County, and was re-elected
in 1865, serving six years in that office. He
then turned his entire attention to the prac-
tice of law. In 1890, Governor Beaver ap-
pointed him to fill the vacancy on the bench
of the Nineteenth District, caused by the
death of Judge Gibson, and in the same
year he was nominated and elected to suc-
ceed himself on the bench. After the ex-
piration of a full term of ten years. Judge
Bittenger was re-nominated by the Demo-
cratic party, endorsed by the Republican
party, and re-elected to the same office.
Since 1895, he has been president judge of
the Nineteenth Judicial District.
W. F. BAY STEWART, judge of the
courts of York County, from 1895 to 1905,
was born in Chanceford Township, York
County, February 25, 1849, son of Thomas
Roland Stewart. His mother was a daugh-
ter of Thomas Bay, Harford County, Mary-
land, who for many years was judge of the
Orphans' Court of Harford County, and
commanded an artillery company at the
battle of North Point, in 1814. He ob-
tained his education in the public schools.
Pleasant Grove Academy in Lower Chance-
ford Township, and the York County Acad-
emy. He engaged in teaching in the public
schools for two years, and then served as
instructor in the York Count)^ Academy.
^AHiile teaching, he began the studv of law
in the office of Colonel Levi Maish, and was
admitted to the bar, November 3, 1873.
Two years later, he formed a partnership
with John Blackford, then district attorney
and a leading member of the bar, which was
continued until the death of Mr. Blackford
in 1884.
On October i, 1884, Judge Stewart en-
tered into partnership with Henry C. Niles
and George E. Neff, and this was terminated
by the elevation of Judge Stewart to the
bench, in 1895. From 1883 to 1894, he was
engaged in the foundry, machine and tan-
ning business, with the firm of Baugher,
Kurtz and Stewart, a large manufacturing
industry of York. He has also served as
president of the York Card and Paper Com-
pany, York Knitting Mills Company, Nor-
way Iron and Steel Company, York County
Traction Companj^ and one of the organ-
izers of the York Haven Water and Power
Company. He was one of the organizers
and elected president of the Valdez-Yukon
Railway Company, engaged in extending a
line from Valdez, in Alaska, through the
Copper River country' to the Yukon River.
At the expiration of his ten years' term of
service. Judge Stewart retired from the
bench, and turned his entire attention to his
large business interests. Ursinus College
gave him the honorarjr degree of A. M.
NEVIN M. AA'ANNER, one of the judges
of the courts of York County, was born
May 14, 1850, at Washingtonville, Colum-
bia County, Ohio. His father. Rev. Aaron
AVanner, D. D., was a prominent clergyman
in the Reformed Church, and filled several
important charges in York and vicinity.
He obtained his preliminary education in
the public schools and after graduating
from the High School at Germantown,
Ohio, in 1866, went to Heidelberg College,
at Tiffin, Ohio, where he remained two
years. He then entered Franklin and
Marshall College, at Lancaster, from which
institution he was graduated in 1870, re-
ceiving one of the highest honors of his
class. After leaving college, he became a
law student in the office of General B. F.
Fisher, of Philadelphia, meantime attending
lectures in the law department of the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania. He also regis-
tered as a student at law with Erastus H.
AA'eiser, at York, where he was admitted to
the bar, August 28, 1875. From the date
494
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVAXIA
of his admission to the bar, to the time of
his elevation to the bench, Judge Wanner
devoted his time and attention to the prac-
tice of his profession. From 1887 to 1890,
he was district attorney for York County.
For many years, he was soHcitor for the
Pennsylvania Railway Company, Northern
Central Railway Company, and the lines
controlled by them in York, Adams, Cum-
berland and Perry counties. In 1905 he
was nominated by the Democratic party for
the office of judge of the courts of York
County, and was elected. He entered upon
the duties of his office in January, 1906,
for a term of ten 3rears.
ASSOCIATE JUDGES.
COLONEL WILLIAM SCOTT, one of
the first associate judges under the consti-
tution of 1791, w^as born within the present
area of Adams County, of Scotch-Irish par-
entage, about 1750. Early in the Revolu-
tion, he commanded a company of Associa-
tors which marched to New Jersey and
joined the Flying Camp, in which he served
as a lieutenant in 1776, and was present at
the battle of Fort Washington. He re-
turned to York early in 1777, and the fol-
lowing year was made one of the sub-lieu-
tenants for York County, with power to
organize and train the militia in several
townships. During the last tw^o years of
the Revolution, he served as lieutenant of
York County with the rank of colonel, in
command of all the militia within the pres-
ent region of York and Adams counties.
He continued in this position until the end
of the war, and then engaged in business.
In 1790, he was appointed one of the asso-
ciate judges of York County, and served in
that position until the organization of
Adams County in 1800.
Colonel Henry Slagle, of the Revolution,
whose biography will -be found on page 252
in this volume, and Hugh Glascow and
Jacob Hostetter, who served as members of
Congress, whose biographies appear in a list
of Congressmen in another chapter, served
as associate judges of York County.
JACOB RUDISILL was born in Han-
over, and early in life became a prominent
man of public affairs in his section. In 1784
he was commissioned justice of the peace
under the constitution of 1776. Under the
constitution of 1790 he was appointed one
of the first associate judges of York County
and served in that position until his death.
Judge Rudisill was a man of good education
and excellent character. He was an excel-
lent penman and attended to a great deal of
Orphans' Court work, and conveyancing for
his friends and neighbors in and around
Hanover. He was one of the original trus-
tees of York County Academy. The in-
scription on his tomb in St. Matthews'
churchyard shows how highly he honored
his life partner. Jacob Rudisill died No-
vember 22, 1810, aged 60 years. j^
yr^nfeEORGE BARNITZ was born in York.p'^
in the year 17S0, and was prominent in the j
business interests of his native town. Hc^/
was appointed associate judge for York ,
County by Governor Snyder, in March, '-
1813 and held the office for twenty-one
years. He was twice chosen a presidential
elector, and held several local offices with
great credit, and was a man of high honor
and integrity. A meeting of the bar after
his death passed resolutions in commenda-
tion of his life and character. He died
April 19, 1844.
JOHN L. HINKLE was born in Han-
over, September 25, 1781.- He was ap-
pointed justice of the peace for his native
town, March 14, 1817, under the constitu-
tion of 1790, and also turned his attention
to surveying. For many years he con- ■
ducted a hardware store. He had an innate
love for politics, could speak the Pennsyl-
vania German language with great fluency,
and made many trips over York County in
the interest of his favorite candidates. For
many years he exerted more influence in
controling the German vote for the interest
of the Democratic party than, any person
who resided in York County at that time.
He was appointed associate judge for York
County, December 10, 1818, and served con-
tinuously until 1841, a period of twenty-four
years. He died in Hanover, February 18,
1846.
GEORGE DARE was born near Lewis-
berry, York County, July 12, 1789, of
Scotch-Irish parentage, he and his ancestors
being members of the old Monaghan Pres-
byterian Church, now in the borough of
Dillsburg. He followed the occupation of
a farmer, and filled the office of justice of the
peace in Monaghan Township. He was ap-
pointed associate judge of the courts of
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
495
York County, April 5, 1841, and served till
March 28, 1846. He died September 25,
1863, at the age of 75 years. He was a man
of honor and integrity and highly respected
by his friends and neighbors.
SAMUEL COXE BONHAM was born
at Eincolnton, North Carolina, November
10, 1791. He moved from North Carolina
to Pennsylvania in 1814; married Margaret
Dritt, daughter of General Jacob Dritt,
March 17, 1818; married Elizabeth Stehman
May 19, 1825. He came to York in 1827
and occupied a prominent position in this
community, and filled important public sta-
tions. He was a member of the convention
that formed the constitution of 1838, repre-
senting York Count}^ in that body, together
with Charles A. Barnitz, John R. Donell
and Jacob Stickel. He was for ten years
one of the associate judges for the County
of York, having been appointed March 26,
1840; and held the position until the expira-
tion of his term in 1850. Judge Bonham
died on Wednesday, May 14, 1856, and al-
though he had been for many years retired
from the bench, a meeting of the bar bore
testimony to the high esteem in which he
was held by them and community.
JACOB KIRK was the son of Isaac Kirk,
and was born of Quaker parentage, at New
Market, Fairview Township. He first
gained local prominence as an earnest advo-
cate of public education. He was appointed
a justice of the peace under the constitution
of 1790, and also became a prominent land
surveyor in his native section of the county.
He was appointed associate judge for York
County after the expiration of the term of
Judge Bonham, in 1850, and held the office
until the election of judges in 1851. In 1854
he was elected first county superintendent
of common schools. Owing to feeble health
he resigned the office before the expiration
of his term, and soon after died in his native
village.
ISAAC ROLLER was born February 5,
1800. He was a prominent and highly re-
spected citizen of Shrewsbury: had been
one of the principal men in the organization
of that borough, and was postmaster during
Andrew Jackson's administration. In 1851,
by amendments to the constitution of the
commonwealth, the office of associate judge
was made elective, and at the Democratic
county convention of that year he was nom-
inated as one of the candidates for associate
judge, together with Robert J. Fisher, presi-
dent judge, and Mills Hays, associate judge.
He was elected in October, and was com-
missioned by Governor William F. Johnston
for five years, from the first Monday of De-
cember following. On this last mentioned
day he took his seat with the other judges
of the new bench. He exercised the duties
of the office until 1S54, when he died, Octo-
ber 21, in the fifty- fifth year of his age. At
a meeting of the bar on that occasion, the
tribute of respect to his memory was that
of an upright and affable judge, and an
amiable and honorable member of society.
MILLS HAYS was a son of Jesse Hays,
of AA'elsh descent, who emigrated to New-
berry Township from Chester County dur-
ing the year 1770, and married Margery
Mills, a Quakeress, and resided near the vil-
lage of Yocumtown. Mills Hays was their
third child, and was born in 1786. On
August 13, 1817, he was appointed one of
the three justices of the peace for the third
district, composed of Newberry and Fair-
view townships, under the constitution of
1790, and served in that capacity continu-
ously until the fall of 1839. Under the
amendments to the constitution in 185 1, he
was elected associate judge of York Count}-,
serving one full term of five years. He died
in the village of Newberrytown in June,
1858, aged 72 years.
JOHN RIEMAN was born in 1802. In
1854 he was appointed associate judge in
the place of Isaac Koller, deceased. The
popularity of this appointment was made
apparent at the polls the next year by his
election to the office. In i860. Judge Rie-
man was re-elected, receiving then his third
commission. He died October 19, 1862,
aged 60 years. Judge Rieman by his will,
made August 28, 1857, bequeathed $6,000
in trust to the borough of York for the ben-
efit of the worthy poor. The direction was
to invest the money in United States six per
cent bonds, the interest to be paid to the
benevolent society, and in case of no such
society he directed the borough authorities
to organize such, to be called Benevolent
Societ)^ of the borough of York.
DAVID NEWCOMER was born at
Kralltown, AVashington Township, York
County, April 25, 1809. Early in life he
turned his attention to farming. During
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
the militia days he drilled a company in his
native section and afterwards commanded a
volunteer company. He had few advan-
tages of acquiring an education when
young, but on attaining manhood became a
constant reader. He had an extraordinary
memory, had acquired a vast fund of scien-
tific information, and was a great student
of ancient history. He removed to Han-
over, and in 1866 was elected associate
judge of York County and served continu-
ously until 1871. He died in Hanover No-
vember 24, 1874.
ADAM EBAUGH was born near Stew-
artstown in 1806, son of John and Sarah
(Flowers) Ebaugh. After he grew to man-
hood he engaged in farming and milling, at
the Ebaugh homestead. For seven years
he was drum major of the Sixty-fourth
Regiment of Pennsylvania Militia from
York County; afterward he was lieutenant
of the Jackson Gre}^s, a uniformed military
company of Shrewsbury, and later for
twelve years was captain of the Mechanics-
burg Rifles, a company organized in Hope-
well Township. In 1834 he was appointed
justice of the peace by Governor AVolf, and
served sixteen years as a school director.
In 1841-42 he represented York County in
the State legislature and in 1844-5-6 was
member of the State Senate. The succeed-
ing six years he was state agent for the
York and Cumberland Railroad, extending
from York to Harrisburg. From 1856 to
1866 he was associate judge of York County.
He was a delegate to twenty Democratic
county conventions and five state conven-
tions for the same party. Judge Ebaugh
was active and prominent in the aftairs of
the lower end of York County and during
his whole life was deeply interested in the
public schools. He was one of the few men
in the county who enjoyed the privilege of
having voted seventy-one times before he
died. May 22, 1897, at the advanced age of
91 years. He retained his mental faculties
and his interest in public events until the
last year of his life.
PETER McINTYRE was born in Ster-
ling, Scotland, in 1806, and came to York.
He became a manufacturer of \vhips on a
large scale, and was a prominent and active
citizen. In i860 he was appointed by Pres-
ident Buchanan collector of the Port of
Charleston, S. C, but did not enter upon the
duties of the office on account of the unset-
tled state of the national affairs. He was
chief burgess of the borough of York in
1857, and was elected associate judge in
1863, and re-elected in 1868, but served only
a year of the term. He died October 2,
1869.
JOHN MOORE was born of English
parents in Fairview, and early in life became
a prominent man in public affairs in his na-
ti^•e township. The public school system
had no firmer advocate in the upper end.
He was kind hearted, jovial and always en-
joyed good company. After serving in
various township offices with ability he was
elected associate judge of York County, and
served from 1871 till the expiration of his
term of office in 1876. He had no successor,
the office being abolished. He died at his
country home in Fairview Township. .
VALENTINE TROUT, of Chanceford
Township, Avas the last associate judge to
serve in York County. Upon the death of
Judge Moore, of Fairview Township, while
he was still holding his office, John C. E.
Moore, of York, was appointed to fill the
unexpired term of his predecessor. The
bench of York County was then composed
of president judge, Robert J. Fisher, and his
two associates. Under the revised consti-
tution of 1873 the office of associate judge,
not learned in the law, was abolished in
counties forming separate districts. The
bench still retained its twofold character for
a time as the constitution provided that all
associate judges in office at its adoption
should serve out their full term. Judge
]\Ioore's term expired in 1875 and Judge
Trout's in 1878.
THE BAR.
GEORGE STEVENSON, one of the ear-
liest lawyers west of the Susquehanna, was
born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1718. He was
educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and is
supposed to have been admitted to the bar
in his native country. He came to Pennsyl-
vania about 1742. Soon after his arrival, he
was appointed deputy surveyor-general un-
der Nicholas Scull, for the three lower coun-
ties of Pennsylvania, which later became the
state of Delaware, and resided at Newcastle.
In 1749. when York County was formed,
George Stevenson was appointed by author-
it};- of the Penns to take charge of the court
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
497
records at York. During that year he was
commissioned pronthonotary, clerk of the
courts, register of wills and recorder of
deeds, which offices he held from 1749 to
1764, a period of sixteen years. The early
court records in his handwriting were care-
fully executed and show that he was a man
of education and superior mental training.
While he resided at York, he made a large
number of surveys within the limits of the
county and also made the second plan for
the town of York in 1754, now on record in
the land office at Harrisburg. His work as
a surveyor and court official prevented him
from engaging extensively in the practice of
law during this period of his life. In 1755,
he- was appointed one of the court justices
for York County but did not serve fre-
quently on the bench. During the French
and Indian War, he reported to the provin-
cial government at Philadelphia the condi-
tion of affairs along the western frontier of
Pennsylvania, and on two occasions, wrote
alarming letters stating that York and Car-
lisle were threatened by approaching bands
of hostile Indians. These communications
seem to have resulted in more provincial
troops being sent west of the Susquehanna
for the protection and safety of the inhabi-
tants.
George Stevenson became one of the
most extensive land owners in York County
before 1760. Owing to certain mishaps, he
became financially involved, and in 1764,
was retired from the offices he held in York
County. He then removed to Carlisle
where he devoted his attention to the prac-
tice of his profession. He resided at Car-
lisle until the time of his death in 1783, at
the age of 65. He was married to the
widow of Thomas Cookson, deputy sur-
veyor for the province of Pennsylvania and
an early member of the Lancaster bar.
The commission as court justice at York
and his commission as prothonotary and
other local offices are in the possession of
George W. Guthrie, mayor of Pittsburg, a
lineal descendant of George Stevenson.
SAMUEL JOHNSTON, an Englishman
by birth and representative of the heirs of
William Penn, came to York soon after the
town became a county seat. The earliest
courts held in the county were presided over
by local justices and the cases were tried
before this court by lawyers who came here
from the eastern counties of the province.
Samuel Johnston was admitted to practice
at York October 28, 1755, and seems to
have been the first resident lawyer in York
County. He was a man of attainments and
good judgment. He had acquired his edu-
cation before he left his native country.
The court records had been kept the first
sixteen years by George Stevenson, the
agent of the Penns. After he removed to
Carlisle, Samuel Johnston succeeded him in
1764. Johnston relinquished the practice
of law when he was appointed by provincial
authorities, prothonotary, clerk of the
courts, register of wills and recorder of
deeds. He continued to hold these offices
until the first state constitution of 1776 went
into force. In the year 1777, he was suc-
ceeded by Archibald McLean.
Samuel Johnston having been a pioneer
lawyer west of the Susquehanna, educated
a number of young men for the bar. His
first student was James Smith, who in 1776,
became one of the signers of the Declara-
tion of Independence. Another young man
who attained eminence as a soldier and
statesman was Colonel Thomas Hartley,
who also read law in his office and was ad-
mitted to the bar in 1769. Major John
Clark and Colonel Henry Miller, of the Rev-
olution, were both students-at-law under
him when the war opened. Samuel John-
ston was one of the original members of St.
John's Episcopal Church, which was
founded shortly after the county was or-
ganized in 1749, and was one of the trustees
of the congregation when the original
church was built. Graydon in his diary re-
cords having visited York in 1765. He
speaks of Samuel Johnston as a man of ex-
cellent character who had been in the prac-
tice of law and possessed a well-selected
library.
When the Revolution opened, Rev.
Thomas Batwell, rector of St. John's Epis-
copal Church, was an avowed loyalist.
Samuel Johnston, who was one of his lead-
ing members, was also accused of loyalty to
the English crown. He petitioned the
province for the sale of his property with
the intention of leaving his home in York.
For a time he resided in Baltimore and after
the war ended, returned to York. His last
male descendant residing in York County
was William Johnston, a farmer, who until
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the time of his death lived in the xihage of
Nashville in Jackson Township.
JAMES SMITH, one of the pioneer law-
yers west of the Susquehanna, and signer
of the Declaration of Independence, was
born in Ireland and early in life settled with
his parents in the southeastern section of
York County. He studied law with his
brother at Lancaster, but having a talent
for civil engineering, was engaged for sev-
eral years, as a surveyor in York and Curn-
berland counties, residing for a time at
Shippensburg. He came to York in 1760,
and was at the time of his admission to the
York Bar upwards of forty-five years of age.
He soon acquired a large clientage, and for
some years had the local field practically to
himself, the onl}^ resident contemporary be-
ing Samuel Johnston, whose attention was
almost wholly devoted to the duties of the
several offices which he held. With Thomas
Hartley who came in 1769, and David Grier
in 1771, the roster of the local bar before
the Revolutionary war is about complete.
James Smith did not, however, confine his
practice to York County. He traveled on
the circuit, as was the custom in his day,
and his smiling face and entertaining man-
ner were almost as well known in the courts
of the surrounding counties as at York. He
was of wide and varied influence outside of
his profession. In the discussion and regu-
lation of affairs of a public nature or in
which the community in general was inter-
ested, he always took an active and leading
part. In 1776, he was appointed a colonel
in the Continental army. During the ses-
sion of Continental Congress m York from
September, 1777, to June, 1778, he was a
member of that body, and the Board of War
had its headquarters at his law office. In
November, 1780, James Smith was ap-
pointed one of the judges of the high court
of appeals, a covn-t sitting annually in the
city of Philadelphia on errors assigned to
judgments of the Supreme Court. After
the close of his Congressional labors, he re-
sumed his practice and continued it very
successfully until the close of the century.
In 1801, at the age of over four score years,
he retired from active practice. Near the
close of his life, his residence and law office,
on the west side of South George Street
near Centre Square, were destroyed by fire
and ^\'ith it all his private papers and cor-
respondence, wdiicli was not only a serious
loss to him, but to the public as well. He
died in 1806, at the age of ninety-three.
His political history will be found on page
339.
COLONEL THOMAS HARTLEY,
though more conspicuous and more widely
known as a public servant on the battlefield,
and in the council halls of the state and
nation, was nevertheless a lawyer of prom-
inence, marked ability and highly successful
practice. He was born near Reading,
Pennsylvania, in 1748, and although of
English parentage spoke Pennsylvania Ger-
man fluently. In his youth he came to
York, read law in the office of Samuel John-
son, and was admitted to the bar in 1769.
He rose in his profession with rapidity,
dividing the local practice with James
Smith, who was for a few years his only
resident competitor, Samuel Johnson being
at the time engrossed in official duties.
Thomas Hartley was likewise a familiar
figure at the courts of Cumberland, Lan-
caster and other neighboring counties. He
was one of the most conspicuous and highly
esteemed citizens of York. In 1774, he was
elected one of the delegates to the provincial
convention, and in 1775, to the conference
of committees, held at Philadelphia. In
1778, he was elected to the State Legis-
lature; in 1783, became a member of the.
council of censors; in 1787, a member of the
state convention which ratified the Consti-
tution of the United States, and in 1788, a
member of the first United States Congress.
He was continued in Congress in unbroken
succession until his death in 1800. He was
a man of gentle carriage and pleasing man-
ner and address, and amidst his manifold
professional and official duties he did not
forget the social and recreative side of life.
His military history will be found on page
212.
COLONEL DAVID GRIER, a con-
spicuous member of the York County Bar
after the Revolution, was born in 1742, near
the site of Gettysburg, where his ancestors
settled with the first Scotch-Irish who took
up the fertile lands of that region. After
he obtained his preparatory education, he
came to York and began the study of law
under the instruction of James Smith, and
was admitted to the bar in 1771. He con-
tinued his practice until the opening of the
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
499
Revolution, wlien he entered the military
service as a captain. He rose to the rank of
lieutenant colonel in command of the
Seventh Pennsylvania Line in the battle of
Paoli, where he was twice bayonetted by the
enemy in a hand-to-hand encounter. Colo-
nel Grier never fully recovered from these
wounds. He returned to York, where for
two years he had command of the quarter-
master's department, a position assigned
him by Continental Congress. After the
war, he entered upon the practice of law,
which he continued until his death in 1790.
Colonel Grier was a man of strong intellect
and a lawyer of ability. He had a large
practice and was employed as counsel in
many of the most important cases before
the local courts. He took a prominent part
in. public affairs, and was one of the original
members of the Federalist party, founded
by Alexander Hamilton, John Hay, John
Adams and other distinguished patriots of
that period. He was a member of the Gen-
eral Assembly of Penns3dvania in 1784 and
1785, and a presidential elector at the first
election of Washington. His military his-
tory will be found on page 195.
MAJOR JOHN CLARK, one of the
early members of the bar, was a noted sol-
dier in the Revolution. He was admitted
to the practice of law at York in 1779, after
his retirement from the army. He was
well-informed in the public affairs of his
day, had been a close and diligent student
of the law and had a large practice before
the courts of York and adjoining counties.
He was dignified and courteous in manner,
and military in his bearing. He resided at
the southeast corner of Market and Beaver
Streets during the whole of his professional
career. On the Fourth of July and other
patriotic occasions, it was his custom to
attire himself in military uniform' and sit on
a chair in front of his residence. At the
age of twenty-six, he married a daughter of
Captain Nicholas Bittinger, of Hanover,
who commanded a compan}^ in McAllister's
Regiment in the Flying Camp. Major
Clark died at York in 1818, leaving a widow
and two daughters. He possessed a vein
of wit which sometimes merged into sar-
casm. His wit and humor w^ere the delight
of the lawyers who traveled on the circuit
with him in the trial of cases before the
neighboring courts. The militar}* history
of Major Clark will be found on page
202.
RALPH BOWIE was one of the bright-
est lights at the bar during the closing
decade of the eighteenth century. He was
born, bred and educated in Scotland, and
was said to have been admitted to the bar
in his native land before emigrating to this
country. His residence at York covered a
period prolific of cases arising out of dis-
puted land titles, often involving intricate
and therefore undecided questions, and the
application of legal principles to facts and
conditions for which no precedent was
found. It was in cases in this line that he
made his greatest reputation, and his learn-
ing, experience and counsel in this behalf
were much sought after, not only in York,
but in Lancaster, Cumberland and more
distant counties. He is referred to by an
early writer as having had but few equals
in the state. With powdered queue, bear-
ing evidence of assiduous attention, conti-
nental knee breeches and buckled shoes, and
handsome face and figure, accompanied by
a gentle grace and dignity which he never
permitted to forsake him, he was a con-
spicuous type of the courtly barrister of his
day. He wrote an excellent business hand,
and was a fair representative of that
estimable class of our ancestors known as
gentlemen of the old school.
DAVID CASSAT, a leader of the York
County Bar during the early part of last
century, was born near Hunterstown, in
the present limits of Adams County, in
1768. He was the son of Francis Cassat, a
revolutionary patriot who came from New
Jersey to York County with the Dutch set-
tlers who located on the site of Hunters-
town. David Cassat entered Dickinson
College, Carlisle, soon after it was founded
by the Presbyterians and while in that in-
stitution was a classmate of Roger B.
Taney, who became chief justice of the
United States. Soon after his graduation,
David Cassat took up his residence at
York. He studied law under the instruc-
tion of James Campbell, and was admitted
to the bar, March 4, 1794. The bar at this
early date was composed of half a dozen
members, including James Smith, David
Grier, Thomas Hartley, John Clark and
Ralph Bowie. He soon acquired a large
practice and was attorney in a number of
Soo
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
cases involving important land litigations.
While Thaddeus Stevens was one of the in-
structors in the York County Academy, in
1812-14, he studied law under the direction
of David Cassat, who, during the last
twenty years of his life, occupied an in-
fluential and prominent position in the
affairs of the borough and county of York.
In 1809, when the York Bank was es-
tablished, the first financial institution in
the borough, he was one of the board of
directors and served as president of that
institution from the time of its origin until
his death in 1824. In 1816 he became in-
terested in the movement to supply the
borough of York with water. He drew up
the papers for the organization of the York
Water Company and was its president from
1816 to 1824. During his professional
career at York, he was deeply interested in
the cause of education and served for the
long period of twenty-four years as one of
the trustees of the Academy. He was also
one of the founders of the York Library
Company, of which he served as secretary.
This library was kept in the second floor of
the first Court House, which stood in
Centre Square. His law office was situated
in the northeast angle of Centre Square,
second door from the George Street corner,
in a building owned during the Revolution
by General Henry Miller. This building
was also the private residence of ]Mr.
Cassat.
In personal appearance. David Cassat
was tall and erect in form with pleasing
address and cultured manners. After a
successful career as a lawyer and a citizen,
he died at his residence in Centre Square,
May 28, 1824. His family some years later
owned and occupied the large house
situated at the southwest corner of Market
and Duke Streets, in York. Mrs. Cassat
was a woman of many accomplishments.
Isabella, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cas-
sat, became the wife of Samuel Small, of the
firm of P. A. & S. Small, through whose
beneficence the York Collegiate Institute
was founded in 1873. The Cassat Library,
in this institution, was named in honor of
Mrs. Small. The second daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Cassat married Robert W. Cole-
man, the great iron master, who owned the
large furnaces at Lebanon, and the forges
at Spring Grove and Castle Fin, in this
county. The children of Air. and Mrs.
Coleman, after the death of their parents,
spent much of their time at the home of
their grandmother, at York.
WILLIAM BARBER, a conspicuous
member of the York County Bar from 1793
until his death in 1830, was born at
Columbia in the year 1769. He was a
descendant of Robert Barber, who settled
on the banks of the Susquehanna, in 1726,
where Columbia now stands. William
Barber grew to manhood on his father's
plantation and obtained a liberal education
before he studied law and was admitted to
the bar at York, March 2, 1793. He was of
purely English descent and although he
practiced his profession in a community
which large!}' spoke German, he had very
little familiarity with that language and
rarely attempted to converse in it. He
possessed such qualities as made him strong
and influential in the borough of York, of
which he was one of the leading citizens
during his whole professional life. In the
practice of law, William Barber was the
equal of any o^ his associates. During his
early career, he was associated with men of
attainments like Thomas Hartley, James
Smith and Ralph Bowie, who had acquired
distinction as lawyers. Besides being a
successful counselor at law and a pleader
before court and jury, he transacted a large
amount of orphan's court business, which
brought him a competence. AVilliam Bar-
ber began the practice of law at York dur-
ing Washington's first administration.
When two political parties were organized
about the close of Washington's second
term, William Barber was an avowed Fed-
eralist, the party founded by Hamilton, Jay
and Adams, and with which AVashington
affiliated. In 1806, he was appointed pro-
thonotai-y of York County by the Governor
of Pennsylvania. His ability in performing
the duties of this office made him popular,
and, although a Federalist, he was re-
appointed four times by Democratic gov-
ernors. This was done because he received
the unanimous support of his political
friends and opponents. He served in this
position from 1806 to 1823. In 1809 Wil-
liam Barber was one of the founders of the
York Bank, the first institution of its kind
in York County. He was cashier of this
bank from the time of its origin until 1813,
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
501
and then resigned to devote his attention
to his professional duties. In 1809, he was
one of the commissioners for the con-
struction of the first bridge across the Sus-
quehanna between Wrightsville and Co-
hmibia, which was completed in 1814. After
its erection he was continued as one of the
managers until its interests were disposed
of to the Columbia Bank. He was alwaj^s
a promoter of the cause of education and
served many years as a trustee of the York
County Academ)^ William Barber was
justly esteemed as one of the most popular
men of his day in the borough of York. He
was of genial nature, exceedingl}^ courteous
toward every one. He was a benevolent
man and a liberal contributor toward the
support of charitable institutions and re-
ligious societies. He aided in the support
of four different churches, making the
largest contributions toward the Presby-
terian church, of which he was a member.
Early in life he was married to Elizabeth,
daughter of Conrad Laub, who had served
as sheriff of York County. William Barber
resided on the southwest corner of George
Street and Mason Alley, and at the time of
his death, August 19, 1830, left to survive,
his widow and some nephews and nieces.
CHARLES A. BARNITZ, for a period of
thirty years the most eloquent member of
the bar, was born at York, September ii,
1780. He was the son of Ensign Jacob
Barnitz, who was wounded and became a
prisoner of war at the battle of Fort AVash-
ington, in November, 1776. He obtained a
classical education, and during his entire
life, was a diligent student of literature,
history and biography, and was well in-
formed on all public questions of interest to
the state and nation. After a thorough
preparation he was admitted to the bar in
181 1, and soon acquired local distinction,
not only for his eloquence but his broad and
comprehensive knowledge of the law. He
was gifted with superior intellectual endow-
ments and became prominent in public de-
bate. In 1815, he was elected to represent
York and Adams Counties in the Senate of
Pennsylvania. AMiile a member of that
body, he took an active part in its delibera-
tions and on one occasion made a memor-
able speech, advocating public internal im-
provement in Pennsylvania.
After the death of John R. Coates, of
Philadelphia, Charles A. Barnitz was ap-
pointed attorney for the heirs of Penn, in all
matters relating to their claims in Spring-
ettsbury Manor. When the Whig party
originated, in 1828, he became an ardent ad-
vocate of its policy and principles. In 1832,
he was elected to represent York, Adams
and Cumberland counties in the national
House of Representatives. He made sev-
eral speeches in that body in advocacy of
measures supported by his party. His elo-
quence attracted the attention of Henry
Clay, who, on one occasion, came to York
and was entertained by Mr. Barnitz at his
home at Spring Dale, later the residence of
his great-grandson, Grier Hersh.
In 1836, he was elected a delegate from
York County to the convention which
framed the state constitution of 1838.
AA'hile a member of this body, he was force-
ful and eloquent in debate, and served on
some of its most important committees.
His entire professional career of forty years
as a member of the York bar, marked him
as one of the most distinguished men who
ever practiced before the local courts. His
brilliant attainments called into requisition
his services in the trial of important cases
before the courts of adjoining counties, the
Supreme courts of Pennsylvania, and the
Federal covn-ts.
He appeared as an orator in many public
demonstrations, the most notable of which
was the celebration of the fiftieth anniver-
sar}^ of American independence, on July 4,
1826. On this occasion, standing under an
arch erected in front of the Court House in
Centre Square, he addressed a large
audience. Sitting in a semi-circle in front
of him were rows of nearly fifty soldiers of
the Revolution. The speech he delivered
on this commemorative day was published
in full in the local papers, and is stated to
have been his ablest oratorical effort.
Having beeir a close and diligent student of
the best forms of English and American
literature, his speeches were noted for their
elegant diction and forceful expression.
For a period of ten j^ears, he was president
of the York Bank, then the only financial
institution in the town. He died in York,
March 8, 18^0.
EDAA'ARD CHAPIN, for a period of
fiftj^-five 3'ears a leading member of the
York Countv Bar, was born at Rockv Hill,
S02
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Connecticut, February 19, 1799. He was
a great-grandson of Jonathan Edwards, a
distinguished theologian and one of the
early presidents of Princeton University.
His father, Rev. Calvin Chapin, D. D., a
prominent clergyman of the Congregational
Church, served as president of Union Col-
lege, New York. Samuel Chapin, the first
z\merican ancestor, who early settled in
New England, has numerous descendants,
among whom were John Adams and his son,
John Quincy Adams, both presidents of the
United States.
Edward Chapin was graduate'd from Yale
College, in 1819. He was admitted to the
bar in Connecticut and soon moved to
Binghamton. New York, where his father
had large interests. In 1823, he removed
to York, where he practiced his profession
the remainder of his life. His legal ability
soon won him success and he built up a
large practice. After locating in York, he
became a personal friend of Thaddeus
Stevens, who then was a rising member of
the Gettysburg Bar. The intimate rela-
tions that thus early formed between these
two lawyers continued during the re-
mainder of Mr. Chapin's life. Being a man
of strong intellectuality and thorough prep-
aration, he possessed qualifications which
eminently fitted him to become a leader
wherever he might practice law. In cases
of special importance, Stevens and Chapin
were in the habit of obtaining the assistance
of each other. This practice continued
after Thaddeus Stevens became a leader of
the Lancaster Bar. One of the most im-
portant litigations in which they both ap-
peared was the Ebert will case, an issue
framed to determine the validity of the will
of Martin Ebert, tried before the York
County Court. Evans and Mayer, of York,
and Samuel Hepburn, of Carlisle, appeared
for the propounders of the will: and Chapin
and Stevens for the contestants. It was a
contest of intellectual and professional
giants, to which the magnitude of the inter-
ests involved, as well as the reputation of
counsel concerned, attracted great public
interest. Though unsuccessful in winning
his cause, Mr. Chapin's address to the jury
has been pronounced by competent judges
who listened to it with delight, the most
eloquent oratorical appeal ever made to a
jury within their recollection.
JAMES LEAA^IS was born in the village
of Lewisberry, in the year 1795. He was
the son of Major Eli Lewis, a soldier of the
Revolution, founder of Lewisberry, and a
man of prominence and influence in the
history of Pennsylvania. After receiving a
good preparatory education, James Lewis
read law and was admitted to the bar at
York, August i, 1820. He made a diligent
study of land titles and was an authority on
disputed questions relating to titles of lands
on Springettsbury Manor, and other parts
of York County. He practiced his profes-
sion with great success for a period of
twenty-five years. Early in life he married
Jane, the only daughter of Charles A.
Barnitz, a leader of the York bar and a
member of Congress. They had one child,
INIargaret, who married Samuel S. .Hersh,
of York. James Lewis served as president
of the York Bank. He died in November,
1845, at "Springdale," erected by his father-
in-law, Charles A. Barnitz. 'This residence
in recent years has been the property of his
grandson, Grier Hersh.
James Lewis was a man of brilliant intel-
lect and was well informed on subjects not
pertaining to his profession. He was a
brother of Ellis Lewis, chief justice of Penn-
sylvania.
JOHN GARDNER CAMPBELL was
born in Chanceford Township, York County,
in 1812. He was the son of James and Re-
becca (Gardner) Campbell, and grandson
of John Campbell, who came to America
from the north of Ireland, settling first in
Philadelphia, and later removed to York
County, where he purchased a farm near
Brogueville, in Chanceford Township. He
obtained his education in the schools of his
native township and at the York County
Academy. After pursuing his legal studies
in the office of his uncle, John Gardner, of
York, he was admitted to the bar, May 17,
1836. By reason of his industry and his
capabilities, he soon took a leading position
at the bar. He was gifted with a versatile
mind, was a voluminous reader of w^orks
relating to general literature as well as the
legal profession, and was especially enter-
taining in conversation. He was eloquent
in argument, full of resources in presenting
a case to court or jury and for many years
was ranked as one of the leaders of the
York Countv Bar. He was one of the
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
503
founders of the York County Mutual In-
surance Company, which was organized at
his office, and served as its secretary for
many years. Having been successful in his
business operations, Mr. Campbell was one
of the organizers of the York County Bank
and for several years was its president.
During his whole professional career, he
paid much attention to literature and ac-
cumulated a large library. For a period of
five years he was one of the editors of the
"People's x\dvocate," a well conducted
weekly newspaper at York. Toward the
latter part of his life, he purchased a farm
and erected a country home at Campbell
Station, between York and AVrightsville.
In this rural retreat, he spent the last years
of his life. In 1845, ^'^r. Campbell was mar-
ried to Sarah M., daughter of Zachariah
Spangler, who served as sheriff of York
County. They had four children : one de-
ceased in infancy, Helen, wife of J. G. Mc-
Dowell, Florence and Dora.
THOMAS P. POTTS was admitted to
the York County Bar, March 16, 1844, and
soon acquired a high standing. He was a
man of education and ability, an excellent
lawyer and an energetic and successful ad-
vocate. He was for some time associated
in practice with John G. Campbell, and had
a large and remunerative practice. He did
not, however, remain many 3'ears at York,
when he removed to Philadelphia. He was
of portly figure, with florid face, of pleasant
address and genial disposition.
JOHN EVANS, prominent and influen-
tial as a member of the York County Bar
for a period of fifty-four years, was born at
Hummelstown, Dauphin County, May 9,
1800. His grandfather came to this coun-
try from Wales, settling in eastern Penn-
sylvania. His father, Joseph Evans, was
an intelligent and successful millwright of
Dauphin County. His mother was a native
of Lancaster County. AVhen John Evans
was six years of age, his father died and he
moved with his mother to Columbia and
attended the schools of that borough. At
the age of fourteen, he became a student in
the York County Academy, where he ex-
celled in the study of the English language,
higher mathematics and the ancient classics.
His mother died while he was acquiring his
education at York. The property which
he inherited from his father had been en-
trusted to a guardian who failed before he
attained his majority. This misfortune
prevented John Evans from completing a
course at Princeton College for which he
was preparing at the academy.
While he was a student at this institution
Thaddeus Stevens was one of the instruc-
tors. He was also studying law under
David Cassat. It was Thaddeus Stevens
who induced John Evans to take up the
study of law. After leaving the academy
he spent a short time as a clerk in the mer-
cantile establishment of William Ness, of
York. He then entered the law office of
David Cassat and was admitted to the bar
in the year 1822. One of the members of
the examining committee was James Bu-
chanan, a leader of the Lancaster Bar, who
then represented York and Lancaster coun-
ties in Congress.
Mr. Evans then entered upon his long and
successful career as a lawyer. Meantime
he became a frequent correspondent to the
local newspapers. In politics he was a
AVhig and for a time was editor of the "York
Republican." After practicing his profes-
sion for a period of ten years John L. Mayer
became a student-at-law in his office and
when the latter was admitted to the bar in
1834, the law firm of Evans and Mayer was
formed.
This firm continued until the death of Mr.
Mayer in 1874, a long period of forty years.
Both the gentlemen, composing this firm,
were men of strong mental powers, untiring-
energy and close application to business.
They took part in most of the leading cases
brought before the courts of York County,
and frequently appeared as attorneys in im-
portant cases tried before the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania. Mr. Evans was a
diligent student-of-law throughout his en-
tire professional career. He possessed a
keen intellect, discriminating judgment and
was able to present his argument before
court or jury with such clearness of con-
ception and mental grasp as to command
the attention of all who heard him. Few
members of the York County Bar, during
its entire history of one hundred and fifty
years, possessed so broad and comprehen-
sive knowledge of the law as Mr. Evans.
He was a Avise counsellor, an upright and a
learned lawyer.
Mr. Evans was also interested in
504
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ever3'thing intended to advance the in-
terests of York and promote the pub-
lic good. For many years he was
President of the York Water Com-
pany and while he filled that responsible
position always opposed paying high divi-
dends to the stockholders, preferring to
lower the water rent in order to benefit the
consumers. For many years he was a di-
rector in the York National Bank and he
also served as its solicitor.
Mr. Evans was always deeply interested
in farming. In 1852, he was foremost in
the etiort to organize the York County
Agricultural Saciet)^ which held its first ex-
hibition in 1S53. He used his best efforts
to promote the welfare -of this society which
had a stimulating effect upon the develop-
ment of the farming interests of York
County. From 1852 until the time of his
death he was president of the society and
always showed a zealous interest in its suc-
cess.
In personal appearance, Mr. Evans was
large of frame, tall and graceful in form and
dignified and courtly in his bearing. He
died at his home in York, January 30, 1876.
JOHN E. MAYER, for forty years one of
the eminent lawyers of Pennsylvania, was
born at Shepherdstown, West Virginia,
August 5, 1810. Christopher Bartholomew
Mayer, his great-grandfather, was born at
Carlsruhe, German}', in 1702, came to
America with his wife and four children,
and landed at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1752.
Soon afterward he moved to Frederick
County, Maryland, where he expected to
take up lands in that rich agricultural
region; but he died in November, 1752, six
months after his arrival in this country.
Owing to the death of the father, the family
was separated, and George Lewis Mayer,
the eldest son, removed to Lancaster, Penn-
sylvania. Rev. Lewis Mayer, D. D., a son
of George Lewis Mayer, a man of superior
intellectual endowments and liberal educa-
tion, founded the first Theological Seminary
of the Reformed Church in the United
States, at Carlisle, in the year 1825. Two
years later, the Seminary was removed to
York. Dr. Lewis Mayer continued to be
president of this institution during the suc-
ceeding nine years while it was located in
York. He then accepted the pastorate of
the First Reformed Church, and durino- the
remainder of his life was one of the foremost
theologians of the Reformed Church in this
country.
In the year 1808, soon after the Rev.
Lewis Mayer was married to Catharine
Lyne, he removed to Shepherdstown, West
Virginia, where he remained for twelve
years. AMiile serving as pastor of the Re-
formed congregation at that place, his son,
John L. Mayer, was born, August 5, 1810.
The parents removed to York when the son
was eleven years old, and here he obtained
his early education, which was continued at
Carlisle when his father became the founder
of the Reformed Theological Seminar}^ in
that town. He returned with his parents
to York in 1827, and attended the classical
school then connected with the Reformed
Theological Seminar}^ At this period in
his life, John L. Mayer displayed intel-
lectual endowments of a high order, and
soon became proficient in the ancient clas-
sics. After a thorough preparation, he
entered Yale College in 1830, and was
graduated from that institution the follow-
ing year.
After his graduation, he came to York
and entered the office of John Evans, who
already had a large experience in the prac-
tice of law before the courts of York
Count}^ Mr. Mayer applied himself with
great diligence to his legal studies, and
before he was admitted to the bar, his keen
insight into the technicalities of law was ob-
served by his preceptor. He was admitted
to the bar of York County on February 20,
1834, and then formed a co-partnership with
Mr. Evans. During the succeeding forty
years, the firm of Evans & Mayer had as
extensive a practice as any law firm in
Southern Pennsylvania. Both were men of
imtiring energy and close application, and
appeared in all the important cases tried
before the York County courts, and also in
many cases in adjoining counties, and in the
Supreme Court of the State.
John L. Mayer possessed a mind adapted
to the legal profession. He had a large
library and was familiar with every volume
it contained. His power of analysis and his
ability to present an argument to the court
and jury, were among his strongest charac-
teristics as a lawyer. His citation of au-
thorities was voluminous, but it seemed
unnecessary for him to cite cases because of
Criii^ c=C. ^i/hvo^^
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
505
that keen analytical power which he pos-
sessed of resolving cases into principles, and
then leading the mind to the particular
point by a line of thought that distinguished
his case from all apparent analogies. His
legal arguments were noted for their clear-
ness of conception and the forceful manner
in which he presented them. He clothed
his thoughts in terse language, but with
such straightforward and definite expres-
sion that they could easily be comprehended
by any hearer. His mind was abundant
with resources, for he studied deeply the
fountain of knowledge outside of his pro-
fession.
The great ability of Mr. Mayer was little
known and less understood except by those
who had to contend against him in the legal
arena. In the first place, as the foundation
of his legal abilities, he was possessed of a
keen and logical mind, which was improved
by most of the opportunities that college
training can give. Having acquired diligent
habits at college, he pursued his studies with
a persistency that was unusual, if not re-
markable, to the end of his days. He was a
master of Greek, Latin, French and Ger-
man; he read Italian, and could read the
Scriptures in the original Hebrew. He was
trained also in the physical sciences, as he
once demonstrated in the trial of a very
important case, in which he confounded the
experts in chemistry and mineralogy called
by his opponents, by his cross-examination,
and by a masterly argument before the jury,
in which he utterly demolished the theories
of these expert witnesses, and won a splen-
did victory for his clients. He was deeply
read in the law. He seemed to know the
origin and reason of every rule and every
maxim of the law, and he applied these
rules and maxims in his arguments before
the court and in his written briefs with such
clearness and force as to apparently leave
nothing further to be said. He was not
only a general reader of the law — he was a
student of his own cases. He kept a series
of small memorandum books in which he
collected and entered in a brief way all the
authorities bearing on every question raised
or likely to be raised on the trial or argu-
ment of a case. In these notes, he put down
the legal questions involved, and under
them the authorities by which they were
ruled. These books showed unlimited re-
search and an exhaustive examination of the
law, so that when he came before the court,
he was prepared to exhaust the law of the
subject. His superior intellectual endow-
ments and his varied accomplishments made
him one of the most profound lawyers in the
state, and his eminence was recognized in
the higher courts of Pennsylvania, before
which he frequently appeared.
John. L. Mayer died at his residence on
AVest Market Street, York, in August, 1874,
at the age of 64. His death at this com-
paratively early age was a distinct loss to
the community, and especially to the bar
and to the courts. He was easily the
leader of the bar in this county, as he would
have been had his lot been cast elsewhere.
He outranked in general and legal learning
any of his professional brethren at the bar,
many of whom were recognized throughout
the State as unusually able and sound law-
yers.
To the younger members of the Bar, Mr.
Mayer was an inspiration and a model.
AYhen he tried a case, or made an argument
in Court, he had their attendance and atten-
tion. The law as they read it in the books
was dry and uninteresting. When they lis-
tened to him expound it, the law became
interesting and luminous.
In the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania,
he always commanded the highest degree of
attention. That august body is not
always attentive to the arguments ad-
dressed to it.
During Mr. Mayer's long period of prac-
tice before it, the judges learned to listen
with advantage and delight to what he had
to say.
In appearance and habit, Mr. Mayer was
a typical lawyer of the old school. He was
firm, imperturbable and dignified. In his
intercourse with his fellow members of the
Bar, he was always kind, but it was with a
firmness that could not be misunderstood,
and with a dignity which admitted of no
levity. With him, the practice of his pro-
fession was a serious business, and the
rights of his clients and his duty to the
Court, his highest obligations.
Mr. Mayer was married December 16,
1858, to Julia Lyne. They had seven chil-
dren, two of whom are living, Julia, who
married Grier Hersh, of Yoi'k, and Helen
Mayer.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
THOMAS CARSON HAMBLY was
born August g, 1798, at Christiana Bridge,
Newcastle County, Delaware. At the age
of six, he moved to A^'ilmi^gton, where he
remained for thirteen j'ears, and was edu-
cated at the academy in that city. He re-
moved to Pennsylvania and went to Milton,
Northumberland County, and there taught
in the classical school of which Rev. Kirk-
patrick was principal. He studied law with
Samuel Hepburn, of Carlisle, and was ad-
mitted to practice in January, 1828. He re-
moved to York April i, of that year, and
was for three years the editor of the York
Republican, succeeding Samuel Wagner.
A\ hen Joseph Ritner was elected governor
of Pennsylvania, he appointed James Todd,
attorney general, who selected Mr. Hambly
deputy for the county of York. At this
period an exciting contest arose as to the
site of the new court house at York, and he
was employed as counsel for the party who
favored its present location.
In 1837, Edward Prigg and others came
from Harford County, Maryland, and com-
mitted an act of kidnapping, in carrying off
a negro woman from York, which occa-
sioned a correspondence between Thomas
Hambly and the Governor of Maryland, and
the latter and Governor Ritner. Commis-
sioners were sent from the legislature of
Maryland and the contest continued until
Governor Porter was elected. The legisla-
ture of Pennsylvania passed a law authoriz-
ing Prigg to appear at the York County
Court and surrender himself on his own
recognizance. Mr. Hambly tried the case
on the part of the Commonwealth and con-
victed Prigg. The state of Maryland ap-
pealed to the Supreme Court of the United
States. The counsel were the attorney
general of Maiyland, and Mr. Meredith, for
Maryland, and the attorney general of
Pennsylvania and Mr. Hambly for Pennsyl-
vania. The judgment was reversed, the
court declaring the law unconstitutional.
In 1840, a contest arose in the Presby-
terian Church which divided the congrega-
tion, and even families, between the old and
the new school parties. The church in
York became divided. The old school
party brought suit for the church property.
Alexander Hayes, president judge of Lan-
caster, presided ; Thomas Hambly with Cal-
vin Alason tried the case for the plaintiff, to
whom were opposed Edward Chapin, Dan-
iel Durkee and John Evans, of the York
Bar. The plaintiffs lost the case, the Su-
preme Court affirmed the judgment, al-
though the law upon which the court below
ruled the case was declared to be erroneous.
Thomas Hambly was the projector of the
York and Cumberland Railroad, now the
Northern Central Railroad, from York to
Harrisburg and procured its charter, and
after three years of strenuous effort got the
road built, and was its first president. With
others he succeeded in establishing the
York County Bank. In 185 1, he was ten-
dered the position of minister to Brazil, but
soon after went to California, where he re-
mained fourteen years, and then returned to
Philadelphia. He spent the last years of
his life in Wilmington, Delaware, where he
died in 1889. About 1850, Mr. Hambly
erected a large residence on East Market
Street, which later was owned and ocupied
by Robert J. Fisher, president judge of the
courts.
WILLIAM C. CHAPMAN was born in
Shepherdstown in 1822, and was the son
of Andrew Chapman, an intelligent 'and
prosperous farmer of Cumberland County.
After obtaining his preparatory education
in the public schools and a classical acad-
emy, he entered Lafayette College, at Eas-
ton, Pennsylvania, and was graduated fronl
that institution in 1846. He studied law in
the office of James McCormick of Harris-
burg, and was admitted to practice at York,
August 2, 1847. During the early years of
his professional career, Mr. Chapman was
a diligent and faithful student of the law.
He was a constant attendant at court dur-
ing the trial of important cases, when the
leading members of the bar were contesting
about the intricate points of law. Having
thoroughly prepared himself for his profes-
sion, he soon attained prominence at the
York County Bar. In 1856, he was elected
District Attorney by the Democratic party
and owing to his adaptability to the posi-
tion in the rapid transaction of business, he
was re-elected in 1859 and served with
credit to himself and his profession for an-
other term of three years
Mr. Chapman practiced before the courts
of York County for thirty-nine years and
during the last half of that period, he was
identified with a large numljer of the im-
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
507
portant cases tried before the local courts.
He was frequently engaged in the trial of
cases before the courts of neighboring coun-
ties, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
and the Federal courts. His marked ability
as a lawyer, his zeal for his clients and his
untiring industry and energy placed him in
the front rank of his profession in Pennsyl-
vania.- His persuasive manner, compre-
hensive knowledge of the law, clearness of
conception and the logical force of his ar-
gument made him strong and influential
before court and jury. Few lawyers made
a more thorough preparation for the trial
of cases before the courts than AVilUam C.
Chapman. These cjualifications brought
him a large practice which he maintained
throughout his professional career. While
in the active practice of his profession, he
was not only a diligent student of the law,
but had a close familiarity with the current
literature of the day, as well as the treas-
ures of knowledge found in history and the
classics.
In 1859, he was married to Tabitha W.
Wilson, of Norfolk, Virginia, who died Au-
gust 12, 1879. They had five children, two
sons and three daughters. Mr. Chapman
was a member and regular attendant at St.
John's Episcopal Church, which he served
as vestryman for more than twenty years.
He died at York, June 15, 1886, at the age
of 64.
THOMAS E. COCHRAN, a son of Dr.
Richard Ellis Cochran and Eliza (Evans)
Cochran, was born at Middletown, Dela-
ware, March, 23, 1813. In 1824 Dr. Coch-
ran moved with his family to Columbia,
Lancaster Coimty, Pennsylvania, where he
continued to reside in the practice of his
profession until the time of his death, in
September, 1854, having in the meantime
been elected by the people of Lancaster
County a delegate to the convention to
amend the State Constitution which sat in
1837-38-
Thomas E. Cochran received an academ-
ical education and early evinced an inclina-
tion for literary pursuits and took a warm
interest in political questions. During the
spring and summer of 1834 he edited the
Columbia Spy, a literary and newspaper of
influence and standing. In October, 1834,
he changed his residence to York, and be-
came the editor and, in connection with his
brother John, the joint publisher of the
York Republican, a newspaper which sus-
tained the cause of the Whig party and af-
terward of the Republican party with inde-
fatigable zeal and energy and with great
ability.
During his editorial and public career,
Mr. Cochran studied law with Chaides A.
Barnitz, an eminent member of the York
Bar, and was admitted to the practice of his
profession in December, 1842. Mr. Coch-
ran was a sound and able lawyer and suc-
cessful advocate. He was a close student
of the law, and his arguments, both verbal
and written, were distinguished by sound
and practical reasoning, clearly and forcibly
expressed.
Though devoted to his profession, Mr.
Cochran never neglected his duties as a cit-
izen. He served the Commonwealth as
State senator during the sessions of 1841-
42-43-44; as auditor general from May,
i860, to May, 1863, and as a delegate to the
convention which prepared the present con-
stitution of the State of Pennsylvania. In
this convention he was chairman of the
committee on Railroads and Canals which
prepared the Seventeenth Article of that
constitution. In i860, 1864 and 1868 he
represented his Congressional district in the
national convention of the Republican party.
In early life he became a member of St.
John's Protestant Episcopal Church at
York, and for many years served that parish
as a vestryman.
On April 14, 1853, Mr. Cochran vvas mar-
ried to Miss Anna M. Barnitz, of York, Pa.,
who died January 11, 1882.
Mr. Cochran died on May 16, 1882, leav-
ing to survive him three daughters, Eliza
Evans, Emma Barnitz and Alice Lisle, and
one son, Richard E. Cochran, a member of
the Bar of York county.
VINCENT K. KEESEY, member of the
York County Bar for the long period of
fifty-five years, was born at Glatz Ferry in
He'llam Township, December, 1822. He re-
moved to York in 1841 and entered upon the
study of law in the ofiice of Robert J. Fisher,
then one of the leaders of the bar in south-
ern Pennsylvania. He applied himself dili-
gently to his legal studies and was admitted
to practice, December 27, 1844. Soon after
his admission, he acquired a large and lucra-
tive practice which, through faithful and
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
untiring efforts, he maintained with high
honor and credit to himself and his clients,
for half a century. His knowledge of the
law was broad and comprehensive, and his
ability and attainments thoroughly fitted
him to be a leader in his profession. His
learning, industry, sound judgment and con-
scientious performance of every duty were
recognized and relied upon by the people of
his native county, and won for him the
merited reward of wealth and reputation.
Mr. Keesey possessed strong mental en-
dowments and a clear conception of the
principles of law, and was forceful in pre-
senting his arguments to court and jury.
His skill and training as a lawyer caused a
demand for his services in the trial of cases
before the courts in adjoining counties, the
Federal courts and the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania.
In 1875, Mr. Keesey matured the plans
for the organization of the Farmers Na-
tional Bank, of which he served as president
from the time it was formed until his death,
a period of twenty-four years. The bank
prospered under his management and soon
became a prominent financial institution.
He served as a member of the school board
of York and was president of the tri-ennial
election of school directors who elected the
second superintendent of public schools for
the county of York. He was also a trustee
of the York County Academj^ for several
years. He was a member and regular at-
tendant at St. John's Episcopal Church, of
which he was a vestryman.
In 1846, Mr. Keesey was married to
Susan Koch, daughter of Dr. Francis Koch,
a descendant of John Koch, who served as
a soldier in Armand's Legion during the
AVar of the Revolution. Mr. Keesey died
October 4, 1899, in his seventy-seventh year.
His wife died in 1894. They had three chil-
dren. Mary, the oldest daughter, married
Hon. John V. L. Findlay, a member of the
Baltimore Bar, and representative in Con-
gress from the State of Maryland. Helen,
the second daughter, married William Stair,
a leading merchant of York. Horace
Keesey, their only son, is a prominent mem-
ber of the York County Bar.
GEORGE W. McELROY was a native
of Lancaster County, received his early edu-
cation in the common schools, read law with
Colonel Reah Frazer, of Lancaster, and was
there admitted in 1846. He subsequently
removed to IMeadville, Pennsylvania. In
1861, he entered the army and continued in
service in various capacities until 1864,
when he located at York, was admitted to
the bar in December of that year and con-
tinued to practice until his death in 1887.
From 1883 to 1886 he was district attorney.
He was a versatile writer, was for several
years editor of the Lancaster "Intelli-
gencer," and for years was editorial writer
for the "True Democrat" of York. He was
of portly form and was one of the best off-
hand speakers at the bar.
CHARLES B. WALLACE was born in
Chester County, Pennsylvania, and was of
English extraction. His father was a
farmer and the son was engaged in the same
occupation during the years of his youth.
He, however, received a good education and
for a number of years taught school. He
began the study of law with Thaddeus
Stevens at Lancaster and completed his
course with Judge Daniel Durkee at York.
He was admitted to the bar in February,
1849, and was in continuous and successful
practice from that time until his death in
1895. Quiet and unobtrusive, he did riot
figure so prominentl}' as a trial lawyer, but
as a counselor, he had a large clientage.
He was a financier of ability and had been
president of the City Bank to the time of his
death.
ERASTUS H. AVEISER was born at
York in 1826, the second son of Charles
AA'eiser, a prominent banker and business
man of York. He received his preparatory
education at the York County Academy and
Pennsylvania College, at Gettysburg, and
then entered Yale University, from which
institution he was graduated in the year
1849. He then returned to York and en-
tered upon the study of law with John G.
Campbell, one of the leaders of the local
bar. He was admitted to the bar in 185 1,
and during the succeeding twenty years, had
a large and lucrative practice. Mr. A'A'^eiser
was a man of excellent mind and fine liter-
ary training. He was courteous and dig-
nified in manner and was popular with all
his associates. He served as ruling elder in
the First Presbyterian Church of York. He
died in 1872. Mr. AA^eiser was married in
1852 to Annie, daughter of AA^alter Franklin,
and sister of General AA^illiam B. Franklin,
ERASTUS H. WEISER
THE BENCH AXn THE U.Wi
509
Rear Admiral Samuel R. Franklin and
Colonel Walter S. Franklin. He had two
sons. William F. and Charles S. W'eiser.
W illiam F. Weiser died at York in 1906.
Charles S. Weiser, the second son, i;radu-
ated from Yale Law School in 1893, and lias
since practiced law in New York City. The
genealogy of the \\'eiser family, of which
Erastus H. \\'eiser was an honored repre-
sentative, will be found in the second vol-
ume of this work.
JOHN F. SPANGLER, son of Ferdinand
L. and Amanda (^^'right) Spangler, and
grandson of Dr. John and Margaret
(Leatherman) Spangler, was born at
York in 1831. Conrad Leatherman, his
great-grandfather, was the most promi-
nent merchant of Y^ork during the Revo-
lution. He was educated at Marshall
College at Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and
at Princeton College. New Jersey. He then
read law under the direction of Erastus H.
Weiser at York, and was admitted to the
bar in 1857. He never devoted much atten-
tion to the practice of law. In 1861-62 he
represented York County in the State leg-
islature. He devoted most of his time to
the study of ancient and modern history and
literature, meantime accumulating a large
library. He took a special interest in the
study of geneology and mineralogy as a di-
version. ^Ir. Spangler spent the last ten
years of his life in the city of Philadelphia,
where he died August 31, 1897.
SILAS HERR^FORRY was born in
York, September 26, 1838, son of Abraham
Forry, an influential citizen who had been
five times elected chief burgess of York.
He was educated at the York County Acad-
emy, which he attended for a period of
t\velve years. Having a natural inclination
for the law, he entered the office of Vincent
K. Keesey at Y'ork and after two years of
diligent study was admitted to the bar in
1861. He soon built up a large practice
and was recognized as one of the most ju-
dicious and careful lawyers that ever prac-
ticed before the courts of Y^ork County.
He was exact, painstaking and discreet in
all his legal business, which was largely an
office practice or practice before the Or-
phans' Court. Mr. Forry was identified
with many interests in the city and county
of York. He was one of the organizers
and director of the ^^'este^n National Bank:
a director in the Farmers' National Bank;
York Electric Railway; York Water Com-
pany and for a period of thirty-five years was
secretary and treasurer of the York County
Alutual Insurance Company. He was an
eider in St. Paul's Lutheran Church of
York. In politics he was an ardent Repub-
lican and in 1890 was induced to accept the
nomination for judge of the courts of York
County. Although his party was then in
the minority, he received a large and en-
couraging vote. Mr. I'orr}- died at York,
]\Iav 26, 1897.
MARTIN S. EICHELBERGER was
born in York in 1836 and received his pre-
liminary education at the York County
Academy. He was graduated at Yale Col-
lege in 1858 with honors in a class of
102, and while in that institution was one
of the most popular men. On account of
his literary attainments and personal pop-
ularity he was elected one of fifteen mem-
bers of his class to the Skull and Bones So-
ciety of the college. Mr. Eichelberger
practiced law at York during his whole pro-
fessional career and devoted his leisure time
to a diligent study of history and literature.
He took a special interest in studying the
annals of York County, and accumulated
a large library of books relating to Ameri-
can history. This library he left to Yale
College. He was a member of the State
Historical Society ; a director in the York
County National Bank and a member of
the ]\Iasonic fraternity. He died at York.
July 10, 1893.
JAMES KELL was born in \\'estmore-
land County, Pennsylvania, in 1828, and
spent his early years largely in Franklin
County. He came to York in 1856, when
he became a teacher in the public schools.
Meantime he read law with Henry L.
Fisher, and was admitted to the bar in 1862.
and practiced his profession at York during
the remainder of his life. Mr. Kell was one
of the founders of the Republican party in
York County and was chairman of the Re-
publican County Committee for a period of
five years. In 1875 he was a candidate for
additional law judge of York County when
Pere L. Wickes was elected. In 1877, he
was appointed register of wills by Governor
Hartranft to fill a vacancy caused by the
death of the incumbent in office. He was
postmaster of York from 1884 to 188S dur-
510
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ing the administration of President Arthur.
Mr. Kell served as school director, was a
director of the Orphans' Home and the
York Collegiate Institute. He was a past
master of York Lodge, No. 266, F. & A. M.
He died at York, June 4, 1899.
WILLIAM HAY was born in York,
August 15, 1835, of one of the representa-
tive families of York County, his ancestors
having been prominently identified with the
growth and development of local alTairs in
business and professional lines for four gen-
erations before him. He was educated at
the York Count}' Academy and Pennsyl-
vania College at Gettysburg, graduating
from the latter in 1856. He read law in the
oflice of Evans and Mayer and was admitted
to practice November i, 1858. Immedi-
ately after his admission he formed a part-
nership with Thomas E. Cochran, which
continued until the death of the latter. Mr.
Hay was a man of culture and refined taste
and exceedingly courteous and considerate
in his intercourse with his fellow man. In
his practice he was earnest, industrious,
skillful and vigilant in behalf of his clients
and stood for all that was elevating and en-
nobling as a lawyer and a man. He died at
York, in May. 1885.
COLONEL LEVI MAISH, lawyer and
member of Congress, was Ijorn in Cone-
wago Township in 1837. He studied law
under D. J. \\'illianis of the York Bar, and
after attending lectures in the law depart-
ment of the University of Pennsylvania,
was admitted to the bar in 1864. Colonel
Maish had a brilliant military career during
the Civil war. His military experience and
his public life are recorded in a biography
found among the list of Congressmen pub-
lished elsewhere in this book. He prac-
ticed his profession at York from 1864 until
the end of his last term in Congress when
he took up his residence in Washington, D.
C where he practiced before the Court of
Claims. He died February 26, 1899.
FRANK GEISE was born in Paradise
Township, York County, May 22, 1837, and
was of German parentage. His boyhood
was spent on the farm and his educational
facilities were the common schools. After
a term in a hardware store, he attended the
York County Academy, and later the Cum-
berland Valley Institute, teaching school in
the meantime. In 1861, he enlisted in the
army and continued in service five years,
attaining the rank of captain. Upon his
retirement, he was appointed a clerk in the
interior department at Washington, and
while thus employed utilized spare time in
the study of law. He attended Columbia
law college, from which he graduated in
1869, and at once came to York and was
admitted to the bar. He soon acquired a
good practice and also took a leading part
in politics. Two years after his admission
he was elected prothonotary of the Court
of Common Pleas, which office he held for
three years. When he had been at the bar
about fifteen years, he entered into partner-
ship with E. D. Ziegler and Joseph R.
Strawbridge, from which some years after-
ward Mr. Ziegler withdrew, the firm con-
sisting then of Geise and Strawbridge,
which continued until the death of Mr.
Geise. He was public spirited and progres-
sive and a number of enterprises and insti-
tutions, industrial and charitable, owe their
existence and success, in part, to his sup-
port. At the tinie of his death. May i,
1900. he was mayor of the city of York, in
which olflce he had instituted many reforms
and changes looking toward a better and
more economical administration of munici-
pal afifairs.
GEORGE W. HEIGES was born in
Dillsburg, York County, May 18, 1842. He
was educated in the public schools and the
York County Academy. In his youth he
worked a while at the trade of a painter, but
soon abandoned it to follow educational
pursuits. He taught for some time in the
York County Academy and in a local nor-
mal school, and subsequently was principal
of the York Classical and Normal Institute.
He read law with D. J. Williams and was
admitted to the bar in 1867. He soon ac-
quired a remunerative practice and a high
standing at the bar. He represented this
county in the legislature in 1873 and 1874
and later was twice elected chief burgess of
York. He was tall, of fine presence, courte-
ous and deferential. He died December 3,
1900.
JOHN BLACKFORD was born at
Sharpsburg, AVashington County, Mary-
land, December 3, 1842. His father was a
well known farmer ©f Washington County
and his mother was the daughter of Rev.
Lewis Maver, D. D., an eminent clergyman
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
Sii
of the Reformed Church. His grandfather.
Colonel John Blackford, was an officer in
command of Mar3dand troops during the
war of 1812. Mr. Blackford obtained his
education in the public schools of Shep-
herdstown, Virginia, and the York County
Academy. In 1868 he began the study of
law in the office of his uncle, John L. Mayer,
then one of the leaders of the York County
Bar, and was admitted to the practice of
law in the courts of York Count}^ August
22, 1870. He occupied the same office with
Mr. Mayer and assisted him in his extensive
practice until the death of the latter in 1874.
Mr. Blackford was elected to the office of
District Attorney in 1874 and served one
full term of three 3^ears, displaying ability in
the performance of his duties. In 1881, he
was a prominent candidate before the Dem-
ocratic County Convention for the nomina-
tion of judge. During his professional ca-
reer he was counsel for several large cor-
porations, including the Peach Bottom Rail-
road Company, and the Hanover Junction,
Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad Com-
pany. After the death of John L. Mayer
he entered into partnership with AV. F. Bay
Stewart in the practice of law. In 1883,
Mr. Blackford was married to Miss Nannie
Ziegle, daughter of Colonel Thomas A.
Ziegle, of York. He died August 22, 1884.
AYILLIAM H. KAIN was born in A\^est
Manchester Township, January 4, 1848.
He obtained his education in the public
schools, the York Count}^ Academy and
Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg. Im-
mediately after leaving college in 1871, he
was appointed county superintendent of
schools in place of Stephen G. Boyd, who
resigned to become president of the Peach
Bottom Railroad Company. In May, 1872,
he was elected to the same office and re-
elected in 1875, serving for a period of six
and a half years. After retiring from the
superintendency, he read law in the office of
John Gibson and was admitted to the bar in
1875. He had acquired a liberal education
and conducted a successful legal practice
during his short professional career at the
bar. He died at York, Febi'uary 3, 1883, at
the early age of 35. He was married to
. Clara, daughter of Colonel George Hay.
Their son. George Hay Kain, a graduate of
Pennsylvania College and Yale Law School,
was admitted to the bar at York in 1902.
ELI Z. STRINE was born in Strines-
town, York County, June 11, 1842. He ob-
tained his education in the public schools
and in 1862 came to York and entered into
the mercantile business, which he followed
until 1872. He studied law under Edward
D. Ziegler and was admitted to the bar of
York County, February 14, 1873. He prac-
ticed law successfully for the remainder of
his life. In 1863, during the Gettysburg
campaign, Mr. Strine joined the Fifth Army
Corps as a volunteer at Hanover, marching
with it to Gettysburg, and on July 2, saw
active service in the field. This experience
in the army increased his military ardor,
and in 1866 he was second lieutenant of the
Ziegle Guards, a local military company at
York. In 1868 and 1869, he was first lieu-
tenant and afterward captain of the Worth
Infantry. He was captain of the York
Continental Rifles, late Company C, Eighth
Regiment, National Guards of Pennsylva-
nia, in 1870. In 1875, he organized the
York Grays, which later became Company
A, Eighth Regiment, N. G. P., of which he
served as captain until 1893, when he re-
signed and his name was placed on the roll
of honor by order of Governor Robert E.
Pattison. Captain Strine commanded his
company when the National Guard of Penn-
S3dvania was called out to quell the Home-
stead riots in AA'estern Pennsylvania. He
was a member of the legislature of Pennsyl-
vania from York County, in 1886-7. He
was re-elected in the fall of 1903. Soon
after his election, he took sick and died in
1904, while the legislature was in session.
STEPHEN G. BOYD was born in Peach
Bottom, December 6, 1830. He obtained
his education in the public schools. White,
Hall Academy and Millersville State Nor-
mal School. He spent several years as a
successful teacher in York and Wrights-
ville and served two years as a member of
the State Legislature. In 1869, he was
elected count}^ superintendent, and in 1871,
during the last j^ear of his term, he com-
pleted plans for the construction of a rail-
road froin Delta to York. During the suc-
ceeding six years^ he was president of this
company, which built and operated this
road. He then projected a plan for the
completion of the Baltimore and Delta Rail-
road, and was its first president. He was
editor of the York Gazette for three vears.
512
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
during \vhich time he studied law. and was
admitted to the bar, August i, 1893, at the
age of 62. He followed his profession
during the remainder of his life and died at
York, September 27, 1899.
ARTHUR N. GREEN was born in Cum-
berland County, where he began the study
of law and was admitted to the bar. In
1858, he came to York, where he followed
his profession the remainder of his life.
From 1871 to 1874 he filled the office of
District attorney for York County. He
held various positions of responsibility and
trust, and during nearly his whole career of
forty-eight years at the bar, had his office
on the second floor of the Lehmayer build-
ing. Mr. Green died January 22, 1905.
JAMES B. ZIEGLER was educated at
Pennsylvania College, and was admitted to
the bar at York in 1864. From 1869 to 1872
he was Prothonotary for York County.
Owing to his excellent management of that
ofiice and his adaptability to perform its
duties, he was retained as deputy-pro-
thonotary by his successors for many years.
His familiarit}^ with the county records in-
duced the court to appoint him to various
positions of responsibility and trust, which
he performed with exactness and the great-
est fidelity. Mr. Ziegler died at York, Jan-
uary 15, 1906.
HIRAM S. McNAIR was born in Adams
County, near the Maryland line, in 1838.
He obtained his education in the public
schools and Pennsylvania College, at Get-
tysburg. In 1861 he enlisted as a sergeant
in Cole's Maryland Cavalry and was pro-
moted to the rank of lieutenant. In 1864
he resigned and organized a company,
which he commanded in the Third Mary-
land Cavalry. With the rank of captain he
served under General Butler at New Or-
leans, was promoted major of his regiment
and took part in the Red River expedition
under General Banks. After the war closed
he studied law with Henry L. Fisher and
was admitted to the York Bar in 1868. For
a- period of eight years Major McNair was
editor and publisher of the "York Re-
publican." He died at York, November 3,
1906.
HENRY L. FISHER, in 1906 the oldest
member of the York Bar, was born in
Franklin Count}', of German ancestry, in
1822. He was reared on a farm in a fertile
agricultural region, for which he always re-
tained the fondest attachment. He ac-
quired his education in the schools of his
native county and during his early manhood
devoted his attention to different pursuits.
Having inherited strong intellectual endow-
ments he turned his attention to the law,
and was admitted to the bar at York, in
1853. He soon rose to prominence as a
counselor and advocate. In 1858 he was
the Democratic nominee for Congress to
represent the district composed of York,
Cumberland and Perry counties and was de-
feated by Benjamin F. Junkin, of Perry
County. During the remaining period of
his life he affiliated with the Republican
party, but devoted his entire attention to
the practice of law. For a period of forty
3^ears. Mr. Fisher was attorney on one side
or the other in most of the important cases
tried before the courts of York County. He
was especially strong in formulating his
facts and arraying them in such a manner
as to enlist the attention of all his hearers.
He was earnest and impressive in his ora-
tory and occupied a leading position as a
lawyer in southern Pennsylvania, his pro-
fessional abilities being called into requisi-
tion in the trial of numerous cases before
the courts of the adjoining counties and the
Supreme Court of the state. He was al-
ways devoted to the interests of his clients
and enjoyed a high degree of popularity as a
successful lawyer. The treasures of liter-
ature interested Mr. Fisher during his
whole professional career. He spent his
leisure time in the study of history, biog-
raphy and the masterpieces of English and
American authors. His poetic effusions,
which occasionally appeared in the local
newspapers, were bound into book form and
published under the title of "The Olden
Times." They are full of reminiscences of
his early boyhood. His familiarity with the
dialect of the Pennsylvania Germans in-
duced him to write many articles in the
language of his ancestors for the people
whom he loved for their virtues, their in-
tegrity and their honesty of purpose. "Die
Alte Marick Haus in der mittel von der
Stadt." published in a volume of 200 pages,
was illustrated by many scenes and inci-
dents in the early life of the Germans of
southern Pennsylvania. This work is writ-
ten in the local dialect, which he had studied
THE BENCH AND THE BAR
513
with the greatest care and dihgence.
"Kurz-Weil un Zeit fertreib," another of
his pubhcations, has been very popular
with all its readers. In 1902, owing to the
infirmities of age, Mr. Fisher retired from
the practice of law.
LIST OF ATTORNEYS.
In 1749 a number of attorne3-s were
present at the opening of the first court held
in York County. Among the names re-
corded are those of William Peters, John
Lawrence, George Ross, David Stout, John
Renshaw. These men were not resident
lawyers. They came here from other
counties to assist in opening the courts, and
aid in conducting the trials of the first cases.
During the next six years there was no citi-
zen of York admitted to the bar. Sam-
uel Johnston became the original member
in 1755, and for several years he was the
only resident lawyer at York. In colonial
days and for many years after the Revolu-
tion it was the custom for attorneys to
travel from one county to another.
In the subjoined list of lawyers will be
found the names of many who came to
York in early days to conduct legal business
before the county courts. They were ad-
mitted to practice for that purpose, but can-
not be considered members of the York
County Bar:
Edward Shippen, 1751.
John Mather, 1751.
Samuel Morris, 1751.
Joseph Galloway, 1751.
Hugh Bay, 1752.
Thomas Olway, 1753.
William Parr, 1753.
David Henderson, 1755.
Samuel Johnson, 1755.
James Bisset, 1759.
William Atlee, 1759.
William McClay, 1760.
James Smith, 1760.
Lindsay Coates, 1765.
James Reed, 1765.
Jasper Yeates, 1765.
Richard Peters, Jr., 1765.
Stephen Porter, 1765.
James Wilson, 1767.
Jacob Rush, 1769.
Stephen Watte, 1769.
Christian Hoake, 1769.
Thomas Hartley, 1769.
John Hubley, 1770.
David Grier, 1770.
Andrew Scott, 1771.
Andrew Ross, 1772.
George Ross, Jr., 1773.
John Reily, 1773.
Robert Buchanan, 1773.
Thomas Smith, 1774.
Jaspar Ewing, 1774.
William Barton, 1775.
John Clark, 1779.
Stephen Chambers, 1781.
Robert M'Gaw, 1781.
John Lawrence, 1783.
Matthew JNIcAlister, 1783.
James Carson, 1786.
John Joseph Henry, 1786.
James Hopkins, 1787.
James Campbell, 1788.
Ralph Bowie, 1789.
Thomas Nisbit, 1789.
James Kelly, 1790.
William Barber, 1793.
William Ross, 1793.
Charles William Hartley,
1793-
David Cassat, 1794.
James Smith, Jr., 179S.
John McConaughty, 1806.
Charles A. Barnitz, 181 1.
John Gardner, 1812.
Samuel Bacon, 1815.
Thaddeus Stevens, 1816.
William Gemmill, 1818.
Michael W. Ash, 1818.
John Wright, 1818.
James Lewis, 1820.
Daniel Durkee, 1820.
Thomas Kelly, 1820.
\\'ebster Lewis, 1820.
John Evans, 1822.
Calvin Mason, 1822.
George W. Klein, 1822.
Samuel M. Barnitz, 1823.
Edward Chapin, 1823.
William C. Carter, 1824.
George A. Barnitz, 1824.
Robert S. King, 1825.
William Miller, 1825.
JN'Iorgan Ash, 1826.
David F. i^ammot, 1827.
George Heckert, 1827.
William B. Donaldson, 1827.
William H. Kurtz, 1828.
Ellis Lewis, 1828.
James Kelly, 1828.
Robert J. Fisher, 1828.
Thomas C. Hambly, 1829.
Daniel M. Smj-ser, 1833.
John L. Mayer, 1834.
Albert C. Ramsey. 1834.
James V. Cooper, 1835.
John G. Campbell, 1836.
David G. Barnitz, 1838.
Jacob S. Stable, 1840.
Jacob F. Welsh, 1841.
William Garretson, 1842.
Thomas E. Cochran, 1842.
Thomas P. Potts, 1844.
Vincent K. Keesey, 1844.
Henry Y. Slaymaker, 1845.
Michael Gallagher, 1845.
Charles Denues, 1846.
James J. E. Naille, 1847.
William C. Chapman, 1847.
Charles B. Wallace, 1849-
William D. Gobrecht, 1849.
William H. Welsh, 1849.
Josiah F. Rosenmiller, 1850,
Richard P. Wilton, 1850.
Thomas A. Ziegle, 1850.
Erastus H. Weiser, 1851.
John Gibson. 1851.
Horace S. Weiser, 1851.
Henry L. Fisher, 1853.
Alfred E. Lewis, 1855.
John M. Bonham, 1857.
John F. Spangler, 1857.
Arthur N. Green, 1858.
Oscar K. Harris, 1858.
WiUiam Hay, 1858.
Henry W. Spangler, 1859.
Horace Bonham, 1859.
James W. Latimer, 1859.
George Fisher, 1859.
Robert Gibson, 1859.
William E. McLaughlin,
1859.
David J. Wdhams, 1859.
John W. Bittenger, i860.
Samuel Vandersloot, i860.
Silas H. Forrv, 1861.
Jeremiah S. Black, 1861.
Martin S. Eichelberger, 1861,
Chauncey F. Black, 1861.
James Kelt, 1862.
John M. Bailey, 1862.
John W. Johnston, 1862.
Levi Maish, 1864.
James B. Ziegler, 1864.
Archibald T. Patterson, 1864,
George W. ?iIcElrov, 1864.
R. M. Russel, 1865.
John W. Heller, 1865.
Pere L. Wickes, 1866.
Henry Black, 1866.
Hugh W. McCall, 1866.
Leander H. Myers, 1866.
Edward W. Spangler, 1867.
A. H. Chase, 1867. ■
George W. Heiges, 1867.
William L. Bovd, 1868.
Hugh M. McClune, 1868.
Hiram S. McNair, 1868.
Edward D. Ziegler, 1868.
James A. Weakley, 1869.
Robert J. Fisher, 1869.
Frank Geise, 1869.
John Blackford, 1870.
Edward Chapin, 1872.
Nevin M. Wanner, 1872.
Eli Z. Strine, 1873.
D. Bigler Bailey, 1873.
W. F. Bay Stewart, 1873.
Daniel K. Trimmer, 1874.
Samuel V. Redifer, 1874.
William H. Kain, 1875.
H. H. Winter, 1875.
George B. Cole, 1875.
Luther J. Kraber, 1876.
Horace Keesev. 1876.
Charles M. W'olff, 1877.
John M. Young, 1877.
W. H. Sitler. 1877.
William S. Kenny, 1878.
Andrew C. Deveney, 1878.
E. D. Bentzel, 1878.
Samuel C. Frey, 1879.
Richard C. Cochran, 1879.
Smyser Williams, 1879.
George W. Gross, 1879.
C. B. Kauffman, 1879.
Frank Smvser, 1879.
.Henrv C. Niles, 1880.
David G. Ziegler, 1880.
Theodore W. Xoedel. 1S80.
John Luther Long, 1881.
Philip J. Rjiu, 1881.
Alfred S. Niles, 1881.
George E. Neff, 1882.
Charles F. Haines. 1882.
William A. Miller, 1882.
N. Sargent Ross, 1882.
Edward Stair, 1883.
James H. McConkey, 1884.
Edwin S. Frey, 1884.
George S. Schmidt, 1884.
John E. Kell, 1884.
William J. Fulton, 1884.
Joseph R. Strawbridge, 1884.
Charles A. Hawkins, 1885.
.Charles E. Ehrehart, 1885.
James G. Glessner, 1888.
E. E. Allen, 1888.
Robert F. Gibson, 1889.
John N. Logan. 1889.
George W. Bacon, 1890.
William B. Gemmill, 1891.
.Robert J. Lewis, 1891.
John A. Hoober, 1891.
W. G. Allen, 1891.
Robert J. F. McElroy, 1891.
C. J. Delone, 1892.
J. St. Clair McCall, 1893.
B. R. Paxton, 1893.
John E. Vandersloot, 1893.
Jere S. Black, 1893.
Francis Farquhar, 1893.
Stephen G. Boyd, 1893.
33
514
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
William L. Ammon, 1894. Andrew J. Hershey, 1901.
Allen C. Wiest, 1894- Donald H. Yost, 1902.
H. C. Brenneman, 1895. George Hay Kam, 1902.
E. Dean Ziegler, 1895. Charles A. May, 1902.
C. Henrv Shambach, 1895. Elmer S. Welsh, 1902.
Frank M. Bortner, 1896. K, W. Altland, 1903.
David P. Klinedinst, 1897. McClean Stock, 1903.
Samuel K. McCall. 1897- Jacob E. Weaver, 1904-
J. Howard Manifold, 1897. Spencer D. Wareheim, 1904.
J. Edgar Small, 1897. Charles Reider, 1904.
John L. Rouse, 1898. E. B. Williamson, 1904.
Robert C. Bair, 1899. Harvey A. Gross, 1904.
C. W. A. Rochow. 1899. Lee S. Fake, 1904.
E. G. Myers, 1900. Robert S. Frey, 1904.
John G. Miller, 1900. E. A. Armstrong, 1905.
W. E. Bushong, 1900. J. M. Ebbert, 1905-
R. P. Sherwood, igoi. T. F. Chrostwaite, 1905.
John J. Bollinger, 1901. Robert S. Spangler, 1905.
James J. Logan, 1901. Samuel Kurtz, 1905.
W. W. Van Baman, 1901. E. Philip Stair, 1906.
Samuel S. Lewis, igoi. Paul O. Menges, 1906.
BAR ASSOCIATION.
The York County Bar Association was
organized October 14, 1898, the purpose of
its establishment, according to the Consti-
tution adopted December 27, of the same
year, being "to aid in maintaining the honor
and dignity of the profession' of law ; in
promoting legal science and the administra-
tion of justice." Its affairs are adminis-
tered by a President, two Vice-Presidents,
a Secretary and a Treasurer, assisted by an
Executive Committee, a Committee of Cen-
sors, and a Committee on Admissions, while
the requirements for membership are, that
the applicant shall be a member of the bar,
of one year's standing, residing or practic-
ing in the County of York, that he shall be
recommended by the Committee on Admis-
sions, and that he shall be elected by the
Association. The membership in 1907 is
about seventy, comprising almost every
practicing member of the local Bar, together
with a few attorneys, who, although no
longer in active practice, still retain their
membership in the Association.
An annual meeting is held in December
and a stated meeting in June of each year,
while it has been the unvarying custom of
the Association to hold an annual banquet
at which one or more distinguished guests
have been invited to address the members.
The following members have filled the
office of President of the Association since
its organization: H. C. Niles, 1898-1903;
George S. Schmidt. 1903-1905, and Richard
E. Cochran, 1905.
On June 22, 1906, at a special session of
the Court of Common Pleas of York County
held in Court room No. i, a portrait of Hon.
James \Y. Latimer, deceased, judge of the
court from 1886 to 1896, was unveiled with
appropriate ceremonies, under the auspices
of the Association, while other portraits of
distinguished jurists and former members
of the York County Bar have been hung in
the Law Library, from time to time, by the
Association.
An Act of Assembly, approved
Law April 3, i-86y. provided, "That
Library, hereafter all fines and penalties
imposed by, and all forfeited
recognizances in, the several courts of York
county, which, under existing laws, are not
payable to the commonwealth, for its use,
are hereby directed to be paid into the treas-
ury of said county, for the use of a law
library, to be kept in the court house of said
county, for the use of the courts and bar
thereof." The Act further directed that the
money thus arising should be expended un-
der the direction of the president judge and
a committee of at least three resident mem-
bers of the bar to be appointed annually by
the court, the court being given power to
make such rules for the regulation of the
library as it might deem expedient. This
act was supplemented by an Act approved
April II, 1868.
In accordance with these provisions, a
library was established and has since been
maintained. It contains an almost com-
plete collection of volumes relating to the
law of Pennsylvania, together with the vari-
ous English and Federal Reports and those
of some of the sister states, together with
the various text books, encyclopedias and
digests necessary for reference in practice
at the local bar. The library committee has
invested a sufficient fund, from the income
of which the necessary continuations may
be kept up, while new purchases are made
from time to time from the current income
of the committee. The library now con-
tains approximately 4,000 volumes.
It occupies a large room on the third
floor of the Court House. These apart-
ments are admirable for the purposes used.
The room is well lighted and heated and,
together with the library, contains tables,
desks and chairs for the use of attorneys
who go there for information. Eventually,
it is contemplated to add to this library not
only the reports and digests relating to
Pennsylvania but other states of the Union.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
515
CHAPTER XXIX
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
Diseases and Their Remedies in Olden
Times — Medical Societies — Biographies
of Physicians — Homoeopathy — Regis-
tered List of Physicians.
In colonial days, physicians in America
acquired their medical education in the
offices of practitioners or in the universities
of Europe. The first institution in
America to confer medical degrees was the
University of Pennsylvania, founded in
1765. University of Maryland was founded
in 1807, Jefferson Medical College in 1826,
Washington University, at Baltimore, in
1827, and in 1878 consolidated with the Col-
lege of Physicians and Surgeons. It
was from these four institutions that
most of the early physicians of York
County in regular practice obtained their
medical education, prior to 1870. Al-
though there were medical colleges in Bos-
ton and New York, the majority of the
young men in the United States, except
New England, obtained their medical de-
grees in Philadelphia and Baltimore during
the first two-thirds of last century. Within
recent years, the different schools of medi-
cine have established institutions of learn-
ing in all the large cities of the United
States.
In early days physicians met with many
obstacles in the practice of medicine. In
sickness the ministrations of friends and
relatives, with their teas and potions, and
the quack remedies of charlatans, who
flourished then as well as now, were often
deemed sufficient. If, after this medication,
the patient died, it was attributed to a "wise
dispensation of Providence." The mid-
wives were believed to be adequate to man-
age obstetrical cases.
There lingered among the people the tra-
dition of their ancestors, that the red and
white striped pole was the sign of the com-
bined office of barber and surgeon.
There is but little information concerning
the diseases that prevailed in York County
during the first seventy years of its history.
The limited number of physicians who prac-
ticed within its limits between 1735 and the
end of the Revolution had but little time to
write anv account of their obser\'ations and
experience, and few opportunities of pub-
lishing them. It is from traditions that
have been well preserved in this section,
compared with the accounts of diseases and
epidemics in other parts of Pennsylvania
and adjacent colonies, that a knowledge of
them can be obtained. There is a wide-
spread belief that the climate of this section
has changed, and that diseases ' are now
different from what they were in early
times. A hundred years ago, the old were
wont to lament the change and deteriora-
ation of the seasons, since the days of their
youth, in the same strain as their descend-
ants now do. A careful examination of the
weather notes shows that there has been no
climatic variation since the early settlement
of the county. There were then, as now,
cycles of hot and dry summers, alternating
with cool and moist ones ; cold, bleak win-
ters with warm and wet ones. There were
the chilly spring and the mild autumn.
With the exception of a few maladies
imported from countries with which, in
former times, there was only infrequent and
slow communication, there is no evidence
that there are any diseases now that did not
occur in early days. Their symptoms and
courses have been greatly modified by a
change in the habits and customs of the
people, and by improved medication and
sanitation.
In colonial times the houses were
Clothing nearly all built of wood or stone.
and Most of them were constructed
Food. of logs, with board partitions,
and without plaster. There were
no carpets on the floors. The only mode of
heating the houses was by means of a wood
fire in an open fire place, near which the
family sat in the cold of winter, one side of
the body alternately chilled and warmed as
it turned to or from the blazing logs.
Clothing was of home spun wool or tow ;
only on ceremonial displays did the well-
to-do wear linen or silk shirts or stockings.
Underclothing was not worn until the last
century, after cotton cloth had been substi-
tuted for woolen stuffs. Overcoats were a
rare luxury. Only a few of the wealthy
men possessed them. "Bangups" they were
called; made of good imported cloth, and
reserved for state occasions. They were
expected to last a life time, and sometimes
descended as an heirloom to the son. Rub-
5i6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ber overshoes and clothing were never
dreamed of until within the present gener-
ation.
Diet compared no more favorably with
that of modern times than did their cloth-
ing. Vegetables were plentiful in the sum-
mer, but there was no method of preserving^
the perishable ones through the other nine
months of the year. Their bread was made
from rye. wheat having come into general
use only within the last eighty years. The
staple meats were salt pork and ham. In
the early period of the settlement game was
plentiful and used as food. Mutton was but
little eaten by our ancestors. Prior to the
Revolution sheep were so valuable that in
early wills bequests were made to daughters
of a ewe-lamb and feather-bed in lieu of any
real estate. After the embargo laid upon
wool it became unpatriotic to eat mutton,
and this sentiment continued to prohibit its
use long after the reason for it had been
forgotten. One superlative article of food,
our ancestors possessed in abundance,
whose value as a substitute for any de-
ficiency in a diet is unsurpassed, but which
has not been appreciated by either the
medical profession or the laity until re-
cently, is milk. It was not a salable com-
modity and that is perhaps the reason why
milk was considered a plebian drink. The
dividing line between gentility and common
people was milk.
Inflammatory diseases were
Prevailing frequent in colonial times, and
Diseases. their symptoms violent. Pleur-
isy, bronchitis, pneumonia, and
rheumatism prevailed extensively, espe-
cially in years in which the thermometric
changes favored their development. They
were oftener fatal than they are now.
Cholera-morbus, dysentery and diarrhoea,
which are rarely fatal now, then caused the
death of many. Scarlet fever, measles and
whooping cough, which are the bane of
childhood, exhibited the same infantile
violence as the diseases of adult life. Sick-
ness, especialh^ epidemics, as far back as
1736, are noted as having been sthenic or
asthenic, but there is no record of that pop-
ular word typhoid, as applied to a depressed
condition of illness. Intermittent and re-
mittent fevers were common, while "bilious
fever" attacked manj^ along the Susque-
hanna. Typhoid, or enteric, fever was not
known as a distinct disease until it was in-
vestigated and described by Louis and
Bretonneau, noted French physicians, in the
early part of the last century. There is no
doubt but that cases of it occurred in Penn-
sylvania as soon as the excretions from filth
"were sufficient to form a nidus for its
growth. The milder forms of it were
classed with obstinate remittent fever, and
helped to swell its mortality list. In the
tradition that has come down to us of the
dreaded and fatal "nervous fever," as it was
called, may be found a description of a
severe case of typhoid fever where the cere-
bral symptoms were prominent.
Until the middle of last century.
Remedies physicians made their visits on
Used. horseback with saddle-bags, in
which were carried their medi-
cines and the few instruments they used.
They prepared their own pills and potions.
Among their preparations was that of mer-
cury, a remed}^ which had been used for
centuries. Calomel came into repute in
1736 as an application for the "throat dis-
temper," but mercurials were not pushed to
salivation until within the last century.
This mode of medication continued up to
1850. Since then mercury has fallen into
disuse by the medical profession, but when
the great increase in the consumption of
patent pills, most of which contain some
compound of this metal, is taken into con-
sideration, it is doubtful if a smaller quan-
tity of it is taken by the people now than
formerly; only the manner of administration
has changed. However, its purgative
powers are now elicited rather than its sup-
posed specific or alterative action.
Jalap, with calomel, was used extensively
a half a century or more ago.
Venesection was introduced about 1750
and became so popular with physicians
that it was employed in all cases, the
lancet being their invariable accompani-
ment. Boerhaave, elected Professor at
Leyden in 1701, announced the doct-
rine that all diseases were the result of
by physicians everywhere, who, in accord-
ance with it, prohibited the use of cold
drinks in sickness, but made their patients
drink hot teas, keep the windows closed to
prevent the ingress of fresh air, and plied
them with bed covers to induce perspiration.
Therq, are citizens in York County who well
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
517
remember the discomforts and mis.ery of
such treatment.
The advancement of medical
Medical science brought forth the de-
Societies, mand for organization of phy-
sicians into societies. The
American Medical Association was organ-
ized in the year 1846, largely through the
efforts of Dr. Nathan S. Davis, of Chicago,
one of the most distinguished physicians
that America has produced. The annual
meeting of this society is attended by a very
large number of the leading physicians
throughout the country. Philadelphia,
during the first hundred years of our his-
tory, was the city in which most of the
young men of America obtained their
medical education. It was a centre of in-
terest to the medical profession. The early
faculties of the University of Pennsylvania
and Jefferson Medical College ranked high
in the science of medicine. In 1847, the
State Medical Society of Pennsylvania was
organized in Lancaster. During the year
1906, it contained 4,000 members, who meet
annually to discuss questions relating to the
advancement of medical science. Dr. I. C.
Gable, of York, was president of the State
Society in 1907.
The York Count}^ Medical Society was
organized May 11, 1873, at the office of Dr.
James AY. Kerr, on South George Street,
near King. The movement to organize this
society was generally attributed to Dr. John
F. Holahan, then one of the leading prac-
titioners in York. At the time of organ-
ization. Dr. Kerr was elected president, and
Dr. Holahan secretary of the society.
In 1868, Doctors Smith, Plowman, Koch,
Alleman, AA'iest, Jones and Culbertson, had
organized a medical society at Hanover. It
was composed of about fifteen members,
who met at stated times for the discussion
of subjects relating to the principles and
practice of medicine and surgery. In 1870,
Dr. B. F. Porter, of Chanceford; Dr. AVil-
liam Bigler, of Windsor; Dr. Luther L. Re-
walt, of Wrightsville ; Dr. John AViest, of
Spring Grove; Dr. James Y. Bryan, of
Peach Bottom, and other physicians met at
the borough of East Prospect and organized
a county medical society. A constitution
and by-laws were adopted and several meet-
ings were held at Brogueville, Shrewsbury,
Prospect, AA'rightsville and York. The
successful work of the two societies already
formed caused an increased desire on the
part of the medical faculty throughout the
county to organize a permanent society for
the diffusion of medical knowledge. This
plan resulted in the organization of the
York County Medical Society, which soon
absorbed all the interests of the two socie-
ties formed at Hanover and East Prospect.
Under the constitution of this society
meetings have been held usually at York on
the first Thursday of every month. These
sessions are attended by representative
physicians, who read papers and discuss
questions relating to the treatment of dis-
eases, the practice of surgery, the work of
the specialist and the discussion of various
topics relating to the medical profession,
which has achieved so much success and has
been remarkably progressi\e during the
past twenty years. In 1906, the Society
had eighty members.
The Medico-Pathological Society of York
County was organized in 1886 by about
twenty-five members who had left the York
County Medical Society that year, owing to
dissensions within the ranks of that
organization. Dr. J. H. Bittinger, of Han-
over, was chosen the first president, and
was succeeded by Dr. Jacob Hay, of York.
Dr. S. K. Pfaltzgraff, of York, was the
secretar}'. This society had a successful
existence for a period of eight years. Ow-
ing to the fact that the State Medical So-
ciety would not recognize delegates from
two different county societies, the two
organizations united under the former name
of the York County Medical Society.
The Medical Library of York
Medical County occupies a room on the
Library, third floor of the court house.
The plan to establish it was
originated in 1900 by Dr. AA'esley C. Stick,
of Codorus Township, later a practicing
physician at Hanover. Standard works in
medical science were purchased with funds
appropriated by the York County Medical
Society. A large number of books were
presented to the library by their authors
and publishers, and others by members of
the Society. The New York Academy of
Medicine and the Library Exchange added
others. The library has developed to be an
important institution, and its volumes are
frequently consulted by the leading prac-
5i8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
titioners of the county. In 1906, it con-
tained 3,000 well selected volumes, which,
through the diligent and faithful efforts of
the librarian. Dr. I. H. Betz, of York, have
been carefully classified and catalogued so
as to facilitate the efforts of members who
visit the library in search of knowledge.
The library has fine prospects of enlarge-
ment, because its importance and value are
appreciated by the medical fraternity of the
city and county of York.
The following is a list of members of the
York County Medical Society who have
died since its organization, in 1873:
Charles Garver.
George B. Weiser.
W. H. Eisenhart.
Thomas L. Cathcart.
A. R. Blair.
J. W. Kerr.
John F. Holahan.
J. W. McClure.
Horace AUeman.
A. J. Snivelv.
F. A. Koch.
P. K. Yost.
W. D. Bailey.
L. M. Lochman.
James M. Shearer.
George L. Shearer.
C. S. Picking.
E. H. Pentz.
E. L. Melsheimer.
W. Albaugh.
J. A. Galtfelter.
Levi D. Frey.
Jacob Hart.
John Wiest.
A. P. T. Grove.
J. F. IMcCullough.
W. S. Roland.
Adeline Rea.
Jacob Hay.
Jonas Deisinger.
James A. Armstrong
Jeremiah S. Hetrick.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
The history of the men who practiced
medicine in York County during the first
century and a half will always be read with
interest. The succeeding pages contain the
biographies of a large number of physicians
who attained prominence in their profes-
sion and were known beyond the limits of
the county.
DR. DAVID JAMESON, who served
with distinction from York County in the
French and Indian War and the Revolu-
tion, was born in Scotland, 1715. He ob-
tained his education at the University of
Edinburgh, and received his medical degi-ee
from that institution. He came to America
in 1740, in company with General Hugh
Mercer. Dr. Jameson landed at South
Carolina, but soon afterward removed to
Pennsylvania and settled in the Cumber-
land Valley, at Shippensburg, of which he
was the first physician. About 1745, Dr.
Jameson removed to York, where he be-
came the first physician and surgeon. In
1755' at the opening of the French and In-
dian AVar, he became an ensign in a com-
pany of York County soldiers commanded
by Captain Hance Hamilton. In 1756, he
served as a captain commanding Fort
Lyttleton, a defense built of logs at Sideling
Hill, near the boundary line of Franklin and
Fulton Counties. This fort was surprised
and attacked by the Indians and a large
number of the soldiers were killed or cap-
tured. He escaped falling into the hands
of the red men, with a serious wound from
which he suffered during most of his life.
He went to Philadelphia for surgical treat-
ment. After recuperating he returned to
York, in 1757, organized a company of sixty
men and marched with it to Fort Hunter, a
defense a short distance above Harrisburg.
Later he commanded a garrison at Fort
Augusta, the present site of Sunbury. In
1758 he was a surgeon for Colonel John
Armstrong's regiment, which marched from
Carlisle against the Indians and defeated
them at Fort Kittaning, about thirty miles
north of Pittsburg, on the Allegheny River.
Although he had served with distinction
with the king's forces during the French
and Indian War, when the Revolution
opened. Dr. Jameson was one of the first
persons in York County to advocate the
cause of independence. As early as 1775,
when he was sixty years old, he aided in the
organization of militia companies and made
provision for their ecjuipment, drill and dis-
cipline. In 1776, at the time the British
threatened New York, the entire militia
force of York County was called out, he
marched with the First Battalion, and dur-
ing the latter part of that year was surgeon
of the First Regiment of the Flying Camp,
largel)^ organized out of the Pennsylvania
militia at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He
served during the year 1776 in this position
and then returned to his home to further
aid in the enlistment of soldiers to serve in
the army under AVashington. After the
Revolution, Colonel Jameson resided at
York, where he filled numerous positions of
trust and responsibility, and in the mean-
time continued his profession as physician
and surgeon until the end of his long and
useful life. He died at his home in. York,
highly esteemed and honored, 1795, .^t the
age of eighty years. - Early in life he mar-
ried Emily Davis, by whom he had eleven
children : Thomas, James, Horatio Gates,
David, Joseph, Nancy Cassandra, Henri-
etta, Emily and Rachel. His son. Dr.
Horatio Gates Jameson, became one of the
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
519
noted physicians of his day. Hon. John
Gibson, president judge of the courts of
York County, was the great-grandson of
Colonel David Jameson.
DR. GEORGE STEVENSON was bom
at York in 1759. His father, George
Stevenson, who was clerk of the county
courts and one of the earliest members of
the York County bar from 1749 to 1764,
removed to Carlisle in 1765, where the son
attended a classical school. Dr. Stevenson
studied medicine at Carlisle under Dr. Mc-
Crosky, one of the pioneer physicians west
of the Susquehanna. During the Revolu-
tion, he was first lieutenant in Colonel
Chambers' regiment and was present at the
battle of Brandywine. Later in the war
he entered the army as surgeon, and after
his service had ended returned to his prac-
tice at Carlisle. He served as a surgeon in
the army during the \\'hiskey Insurrection
in 1794. This experience induced him to
locate in the practice of his profession at
Pittsburg, which was then a pioneer settle-
ment. He became one of the earliest
ph3^sicians in that city. Dr. Stevenson was
one of the leading men of his profession in
Pittsburg. He served as president of the
City Councils; trustee of Dickinson College
and president of the United States Bank at
Pittsburg. In 1825, he removed to Wil-
mington, Delaware, where he died in 1829.
DR. ROBERT KENNEDY came to
Newberry Township before the Revolution
with the migration of early Quakers from
Chester County to the northern part of
York County. He obtained his medical
education in Philadelphia. For a period of
thirty years he practiced medicine over the
territory now embraced in Newberry and
Fairview townships. He was a man of
large physique, dignified and courteous in
his bearing and exercised a commanding
influence in the community where he suc-
cessfully practiced. He was surgeon in
Colonel David Kennedy's regiment of
Pennsylvania militia, which was called into
active service when the British approached
Philadelphia before the battle of Brandy-
wine. About 1790, Dr. Kennedy moved to
York, where he became one of the leading
physicians. He was physician to James
Smith, signer of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, during his last illness. He died
in York, December i, 1804. His remains
are buried in the Presbyterian churchyard,
on East Market Street.
DR. JOSEPH JOHNSON HAYWARD,
who practiced medicine for a period of forty
years in Warrington and adjoining town-
ships, was born near Philadelphia in 1776.
After completing his preparatory education
he studied medicine and received a certifi-
cate of qualification in 181 2, signed by Dr.
Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia. Dr. Hay-
ward remained a short time in that city and
then came to visit friends in the upper end
of York County and settled in the practice
of his profession at Rossville, where he con-
tinued the remainder of his life. He had
an extensive practice over a large area of
country and, according to tradition, was
successful in treating the most virulent dis-
eases. He was married in 1819 to Sarah,
daughter of Joseph Brearly, of Franklin
County. His oldest son, Joseph, died in
Kansas. His second son, Thomas B. Hay-
ward, practiced medicine in Harford
County, Marj'land, for half a century. He
died September 19, 1853, and his remains
were buried in the graveyard adjoining
Warrington Friends' Meeting House.
DR. JOHN HOUSTON, a prominent
physician in colonial times, was born in
Pequea Valley, Lancaster County, in 1743,
of Scotch-Irish ancestry. When he reached
the age of 20 he was sent, by his father, to
obtain his medical education at the Uni-
versity of Edinburgh, Scotland, where he
was graduated in 1766. After his return to
America he spent some time in the ofiice of
Dr. Shippen, of Philadelphia, who became a
prominent surgeon in the American army
during the war for Independence. In 1768
he began the practice of his profession at
York, in which he was one of the pioneer
physicians. In 1773 he married Susannah,
daughter of John Wright, who owned the
ferry across the Susquehanna between the
sites of AYrightsville and Columbia. He
was a brother-in-law of General James Ew-
ing, who married the second daughter of
John Wright and lived on a plantation a
short distance west of Wrightsville. Dur-
ing the Revolution Dr. Houston served as a
surgeon in a brigade of the Flying Camp,
commanded b}^ General Ewing. Through
his marriage with the daughter of John
AVright he inherited a large tract of land,
part of which is now the site of AA'rights-
S20
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ville. For many years he resided on a farm
at this place, where he died about 1810.
His wife died in 1829. They had eight
children, among whom was Samuel Nelson
Houston, the father of Henry H. Houston,
who became one of the leading citizens of
Philadelphia, a director in the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Compan}^ the International
Navigation Companj' and many other lead-
ing corporations of this country. Several
of the descendants of Dr. Houston have be-
come prominent physicians.
DR. JOHN GOTTLIEB MORRIS, one
of the early physicians of York, who ac-
quired a good reputation in the practice of
medicine, Avas a native of Prussia. During
the Revolution he was surgeon for Ar-
mand's Legion. A biography of Dr. Mor-
ris will be found in connection with the
history of that militarj' organization on
page 223.
LUCAS RAUS (ROUSE), who came to
York in 1758, to become pastor of Christ
Lutheran Church, was a pioneer physician
among the German settlers of York County.
He was born at Hermanstaedt, Germany,
in 1723, and acquired a classical education
at a college at Presburg, Hungary, and the
University of Leipsic, Germany. He
studied theology at Leipsic and then went
to the University of Jena, where he took a
course in medicine. He came to America
in 1750, and was four years pastor of a
church in Germantown. From 1758 to 1763
he was pastor of Christ Lutheran Church
at York. He organized the Lutheran con-
gregation at Dover and the one known as
Quickel's, in Conewago Township. He
also preached to congregations at Carlisle,
Bermudian and Kreutz Creek. This gave
him a large acquaintance among the Ger-
man people of York County, with whom he
exercised a strong influence. Having ob-
tained a scientific education in his native
land, he devoted much of his time during
the last twenty-five years of his life to the
practice of medicine. He travelled on
horseback over a dozen or more townships
in York County with his saddlebags, con-
taining the few drugs and potions used by
physicians in the olden times. After
preaching a sermon to his Sunday congre-
gation, administering the rite of baptism to
children, performing the rite of confirma-
tion, he rode among his countrymen, and
practiced the profession of medicine with
success. By diligent and faithful efiforts, he
accumulated considerable property, and
late in life built a two and a half story
brick house, now standing at 41 South
George Street, adjoining Christ Lutheran
Church. Here he spent the remainder of
his days, and died July 11,-1788.
DR. JOHN ROUSE,' son of Rev. Lucas
Rouse, was born at York, March 11, 1767. ^
He studied medicine under the direction of
his father and began to practice his profes-
sion about 1790. He continued as one of
the leading practitioners in York and
vicinity for a period of fifty-one years. At .
the death of his father, in 1788, he succeeded
to the ownership of the homestead on South
George Street, where he resided for the re-
mainder of his life. About 1800, he opened
a drug store known in those days as an
"apothecary shop." For a quarter of a
century this was one of the leading stores
of its kind in York. He died June 18, 1841.
Luke and John, two of his sons, became
physicians. Peter Hoke Rouse, a third
son, moved to Runnymede, near Win-O
Chester, Virginia, where he became a pros-
perous farmer. His son, Charles Broadway
Rouse, became a very successful merchant
in New York City, where he recently died,,
leaving an estate of several million dollars.
DR.. LUKE ROUSE, son of Dr. John
Rouse, was born June 23, 1797. He was
educated at the York County Academy and
received his medical degree from the Urii-
versity of Pennsylvania. After the death of
his father, in 1841, he inherited the home-
stead, where he practiced medicine until the
time of his death, in 1863. John Rouse, his
brother, practiced medicine in New Hol-
land for several years, then returned to
York and purchased a woolen and carding
mill, which he operated for many years at
Violet Hill, in York Township.
Samuel J. Rouse, son of Dr. Luke Rouse,
received his medical degree from Pennsyl-
vania , Medical College, and engaged in
the practice of medicine at York. Dur-
ing the Civil War, he served with credit on
the surgical stafif of the United States Hos-
pital at York. He also served for several
years as physician for the county alms-
house.
DR. JOHN KIMMEL was born in War-
rington Township, York Couaty, O-Ciober
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
521
15, 1760. He obtained his early education
at the school connected with the Warring-
ton Quaker Meeting house. At the age of
eighteen he came to York and read medi-
cine under the direction of Dr. John Mor-
ris, from whom he received a certificate of
qualification which entitled him to practice
.the art and science of medicine. He fol-
lowed his profession for a few years in his
native town and in 1790, soon after his mar-
riage with Elizabeth Urich, he removed to
the present site of Berlin, Somerset County,
Pennsylvania. Dr. Kimmel was one of the
pioneer physicians west of the Allegheny
Mountains. He was a man of ability and
was influential in the public affairs of
Somerset and Bedford Counties.
DR. JOHN SPANGLER, a descendant
of Baltzer Spangler, one of the earliest set-
tlers in York, was a physician of prominence
and influence in York, during the early part
of last century. He was born July 3, 1770,
and was the son of Baltzer Spangler, Jr. He
began the practice of his profession about
1795, and continued it with success until his
death, July 22, 1831. In 1807, Dr. Spangler
was surgeon of the One Hundred and
Thirteenth Regiment, Pennsylvania Militia,
was, chief burgess of York during the AVar
of 1812, and was a director in the York
Bank. He was married to Margaret, a
daughter of Conrad Leatherman, a leading-
merchant and owner of a large amount of
property in York. At her death, in 1859,
Mrs. Spangler bequeathed $500 to found a
scholarship in Franklin and Marshall Col-
lege, $5,000 for the erection of Trinity Re-
formed Church, 25 shares each of York
Bank stock to Franklin and Marshall Col-
lege and the Home Missionary Society.
DR. GEORGE NEBINGER, a pioneer
physician in the northern part of York
County, was a son of Andrew Nebinger,
who settled in York about 1750, and died
just before the Revolution. He married
Ann, daughter of James Rankin. After
reading medicine at York, he settled in the
practice of his profession at the present site
of Lewisberry. He served as a surgeon
during the Revolution and died at Lewis-
berry in 1796. He was a man of strong
mental vigor and prominent in the affairs of
York County. His children were James,
Mary, Andrew, Rebecca, Ann, George,
Catherine and Robert.
DR. ROBERT NEBINGER, son of Dr.
George Nebinger, was a man of remarkable
mental endowments. Early in life he read
medicine with his father and obtained his
medical degree from the University of
Pennsylvania. He practiced medicine at
Lewisberry, and throughout Newberry and
Fairview townships for nearly half a cen-
tury, and was widely known for his learning
and for his skill in the treatment of diseases.
He was married to a daughter of Captain
William Prowell, of the Revolution. Two
of his sons became physicians. His eldest
son. Dr. William P. Nebinger, a graduate
of Jefferson Medical College, during the
Civil War was assistant surgeon to the
Fifty-sixth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volun-
teers. The regiment in which he served
opened the battle of Gettysburg, July i,
1863. He died in Lewisberry in 1878, after
a successful career in his profession. His
brother, Augustus R. Nebinger, also a
graduate of Jefferson Medical College,
served as assistant surgeon to the Eleventh
Pennsylvania Cavalry during the Civil AVar.
From the end of the war until the time of
his death, he practiced at Rossville, Altoona
and Steelton, Pennsylvania.
Andrew Nebinger, son of Dr. George
Nebinger, early in life moved to Philadel-
phia, where two of his sons, Andrew and
George, became noted physicians.
DR. HORATIO GATES7AMES0N, a
celebrated physician of his day, was born at
York in the year 1778. He was the son of
Dr. David Jameson, who served as a captain
in the French and Indian AA^ar and also as a
military officer and surgeon in the Revolu-
tion. Horatio Gates Jameson was born
during the time that General Horatio Gates
filled the office of the president of the Board
of AVar when Congress was in session at
York, and was named in honor of this dis-
tinguished soldier.
Dr. Jameson obtained his early education
in the schools of York and was graduated in
medicine from the University of Maryland,
in 1813. He was consulting surgeon of the
Baltimore City Hospital from 1819-1835;
physician to the Board of Health, Balti-
more, 1822-35 ; Professor of Surgery and
Surgical Anatomy in the Washington
University Medical School, 1827-35, and
one of the incorporators of it, 1827; member
of the American Medical Association, 1856;
522
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Professor of Surgery in Cincinnati Medical
College, 1835; member of Philosophical So-
cieties of Berlin, Moscow, etc. ; editor
Maryland Medical Recorder, 1829-32.
In 1830, Dr. Jameson, accompanied by his
wife and daughter, Elizabeth Gibson, made
a tour of the principal cities of Europe. On
this trip he sojourned longest at Copen-
hagen, Denmark, where he conveyed special
dispatches from the American government
to the King of Denmark. Dr. Jameson
spent the later years of his life as one of the
leading physicians in the city of Baltimore.
In 1855, at the age of jy, he retired from his
practice and returned to spend the re-
mainder of his life at York, his native town.
He died while on a visit to New York, in
July, 1855. .
Dr. Jameson was first married to Cath-
erine Shevell, who died in Baltimore in
1837, leaving seven children. In 1852, Dr.
Jameson married Hannah Ely, widow of
Judah Ely, an attorney of Baltimore. Mrs.
Jameson survived her husband thirty years
and died in Baltimore in 1884, at the age of
eighty years.
FREDERICK VALENTINE MEL-
SHEIMER was pastor of St. Matthew's
Lutheran Church at Hanover from 1789 to
1814, and also practiced medicine in that
town and vicinity. He was born at Regen-
born, Brunswick, September 25, 1749, and
obtained his education at the University of
Helmstaedt, where he studied theology and
medicine. In 1776, he decided to come to
America, and was appointed chaplain of the
Brunswick Dragoons, a regiment of cavalry
which landed at Quebec in December of
that year. He joined the British army
under Burgoyne and was captured with his
whole regiment at the battle of Bennington.
After reaching Boston, he took the oath of
allegiance to the American government and
came to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he
Avas married. Soon afterward he became
pastor of five congregations in Lancaster
County, and in 1787, was chosen professor
of German language and literature at
Franklin College, founded that year. In
1789, he removed to Hanover, where he
spent the remainder of his life following
two professions among the German settlers
of Hanover and for many miles surround-
ing. Melsheimer was a man of trained in-
tellect and considerable learning, covering a
wide field of knowledge. He devoted spe-
cial attention to the study of American in-
sects, and in 1806, published at Hanover "A
Catalogue of Insects of Pennsylvania," the
first work on entomology issued from the
press in America. He is also the author of
several works relating to theology. At the
time of his death, he owned a large library.
Many of the volumes related to the
principles and practice of medicine. He
died at Hanover, June 30, 1814. Theodore
Say, one of the founders of the Academy of
Natural Sciences, in a published work,
designated Melsheimer as the "Father of
American Entomology."
DR. FREDERICK ERNST MEL-
SHEIMER, son of Frederick Valentine
Melsheimer, was born in 1782, and obtained
his education at Hanover. He read medi-
cine with his father, and graduated from the
University of Maryland. x\fter receiving
his medical degree, he began the practice
of his profession at Hanover, and about
1810, removed to Dover Township, residing
at Davidsburg, where he practiced medicine
for a period of 63 years. Following the
footsteps of his father, Dr. Melsheimer
made a diligent study of entomology. He
enlarged and classified the collection of in-
sects made by his father and his brother.
Rev. John F. Melsheimer. He was visited
in 1834 by Dr. Carl Zimmerman, the dis-
tinguished scientist, who afterward pub-
lished an account of the remarkable collec-
tion of insects in the possession of Dr. Mel-
sheimer, at Davidsburg. The attention of
Louis Agassiz, the greatest American nat-
uralist, was attracted to the work of Mel-
sheimer in i860, and in 1864, he bought the
entire collefction and placed it in the mu-
seum connected with Harvard University.
This collection contained 5,302 species with
14,774 specimens. Of this number 2,200
species belonged to the United States; 1,894
species from Europe; 422 from Brazil; 8
from Mexico ; 9 from West Indies ; 4 from
Siberia; China, 74; Java, 8; Africa, 39;
Australia, 14. The other insects were
Hj'menoptera, 148 species; Hemniptera, 28;
European Diptera, 90; Lepidoptera, none.
Dr. Melsheimer was a member of several
learned societies, including the American
Entomological Society, of which he was
president in 1853. He was also interested
in the science of astronomy, having a
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
523
mounted telescope in front of his house with
which he entertained visitors, looking
through it at the sun, moon and stars. He
made important observations relating to the
famous comet which appeared in the
heavens in 1859. He died at Davidsburg,
March 10, 1873. He was succeeded at that
place by his son, Dr. Edward Melsheimer, a
graduate of the University of Maryland, and
a successful physician for a period of thirty
years. Dr. John A. Melsheimer, physician
at Hanover in 1906, son of L. F. Mel-
sheimer. is a great-grandson of Rev. Fred-
erick Valentine Melsheimer.
DR. JOHN FISCHER, an early phy-
sician of prominence, was born at York,
]\Iay 10, 1771. His father, John Fischer,
born in Pfefifing, Swabia, Germany, in
1736, came to America in 1749, and
in 1756 settled in York, where he
became the first clockmaker in the town.
John Fischer studied medicine with Dr.
Fahnestock, of Lancaster, from whom he
obtained a certificate of qualification as a
physician. About 1800, he opened an ofSce
in the practice of his profession on North
George Street, York. He was active as a
physician for the remainder of his life. For
a period of twenty years or more he con-
ducted a drug store at his residence and sup-
plied his fellow physicians with drugs and
medicines. Dr. Fischer was a man of edu-
cation and intelligence and turned consid-
erable attention to the study of scientific
subjects of a kindred nature to that of
medicine. He died at York, February 14,
1832.
DR. JOHN FREY FISCHER, son of Dr.
John Fischer, was born at York, April 24,
1808. After obtaining a good preparatory
education, he entered Jefferson Medical
College, at Philadelphia, and in 1830 Avas
graduated from that institution, four years
after it was founded. Immediately after
leaving college, he entered upon his profes-
sion at York, and at the death of his father,
in 1832, succeeded the latter in the conduct
of a large practice. He was a successful
physician and a man of influence and attain-
ments. At the opening of the Civil War, he
became an ardent adherent of the Union
cause. On April 29, 1861, while assisting
in the erection of a large flag pole in Centre
Square, York, Pennsylvania, Dr. Fischer
was seriously injured by the falling of a
derrick. He died as a result of the accident,
January 21, 1862. He was the father of
Mrs. Maria Dritt Lochman, widow of Dr.
Luther M. Lochman; Mrs. Jane F. Kell.
widow of James Kell; and William C.
Fischer, deceased.
DR. PETER MUELLER, who, for a
period of thirty years, was postmaster at
Hanover, was born in Coblentz, Germany,
May 17, 1765. He received a classical and
medical education in France. He immi-
grated to Norfolk, Virginia, in 1802. Dur-
ing the following year he came to Hanover,
and began the practice of medicine there,
which he continued until his death, October
14, 1842.
DR. HENRY C. WAMPLER was one
of the early physicians in the borough of
Hanover. He was born of German parent-
age about six miles southeast of Hanover,
in the year 1781. He read medicine for a
time under the direction of Dr. Jameson, of
York, and after attending medical lectures
in Philadelphia settled in the practice of his
profession at Hanover in 1805. He was a
successful physician and the range of his
professional duties extended a distance of
ten miles in every direction from Hanover.
He resided on the north side of Frederick
Street, near the Square, and died in 1836.
His remains were buried in St. Matthew's
Lutheran Churchyard.
DR. WILLIAM McILVAINE, for a
period of forty-one years prominent and in-
fluential as a physician in York, was born
in Adams County, in 1783. He was a de-
scendant of one of the early Scotch-Irish
settlers in the vicinity of Gettysburg. Cap-
tain John Mcllvaine, his father, com-
manded a company in the Third Battalion,
York County Militia. His company was
called into service in 1776, when the British
army, under command of General Howe, at-
tacked and captured New York Cit}^ His
company marched to join ■ Washington's
army before the battle of Brandywine. Dr.
Mcllvaine was educated at Dickinson Col-
lege and University of Pennsylvania. In
1813, he settled in the practice of medicine
at York and soon attained prominence in
his profession. He is reported to have had
exceptional ability as a surgeon. Dr. Mc-
llvaine was one of the early leaders_ of the
Whig party in southern Pennsylvania. In
1818, he was elected coroner, and in 1823,
524
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
was chosen by the Whigs to represent York
County in the State Senate, and was twice
re-elected to the same office, and gained
considerable prominence as a legislator. He
was a member of the reception committee
when General AA'illiam Henry Harrison
visited York, in 1836, and was a presi-
dential elector during the campaign when
that distinguished soldier was chosen the
first AA'hig President of the United States.
In 1848, he was a presidential elector when
General Zachary Taylor was elected presi-
dent by the AVhig party and was also on the
reception committee when General Taylor
visited York, in 1849. Dr. Mcllvaine was
surgeon to the Ninety-fourth Pennsylvania,
a regiment from York County which drilled
under the militia laws of the state. He was
a man of many accomplishments and was a
representative citizen as well as a skillful
physician. Early in life he was married to
Juliana, daughter of John Spangler, of York.
Maria Jane, one of his daughters, married
Dr. James W. Kerr. Caroline, another
daughter, married Dr. T. N. Haller. of
York. Julia married Colonel Benjamin S.
Ewell, one of the civil engineers when the
Northern Central Railroad was built to
York, and later assistant adjutant general
on the staff of General Joseph E. Johnston,
of the Confederate army. Dr. Mcllvaine
died at York, December 15, 1854.
DR. WEBSTER LEAVIS, a prominent
physician in the upper end of York County,
was born in the Redland Valley, October 18,
1780. He was a descendant of Ellis Lewis,
one of the original Quakers in this region,
and a son of Major Eli Lewis, the founder
of Lewisberry. He obtained his early edu-
cation at a school taught under the direc-
tion of the Society of Friends and studied
medicine with Dr. George Nebinger, one of
the earliest physicians of Newberry Town-
ship. After spending some time in Phila-
delphia in pursuit of his medical education,
he returned to Lewisberry, where he en-
gaged in the practice of medicine. Dr.
Lewis was a man of varied accomplishments
and strong intellectual capacity. At the
age of forty, in connection with his duties as
a physician, he studied law and was admit-
ted to the bar of York County, in 1820, but
never practiced. He was also identified
with some manufacturing enterprises at
Lewisberry. Later in life, he moved to
New Cumberland, where he died May 28,
1832. His four sons became physicians.
Eli practiced medicine at Evansville, Indi-
ana; Andrew at Princeton, Illinois, and
James removed to Iventucky where he fol-
lowed the same profession.
DR. THEODORE N. HALLER, one of
the leading physicians in York, for a period
of forty years, was born in the village of
Bottstown, later the western part of York,
about 1800. During his boyhood, he was
a diligent student at the York County Acad-
emy, and at the age of 18, began the study
of medicine with Dr. AVilliam Mcllvaine.
He obtained his medical degree at the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania in 1826. He settled
in the practice of his profession in the bor-
ough of York, where he became one of the
most prominent citizens. He was active
and influential in the affairs of York and had
a large general practice in medicine and
surgery. Dr. Haller married Caroline,
daughter of Dr. Mcllvaine, his preceptor.
For nearly thirty years he had his office on
the east side of South George Street, near
Centre Square. He died at York,
DR. ROBERT NEBINGER LEWIS,
son of Dr. A'A'ebster and Ann (Nebinger)
Lewis, was born in Lewisberry, July 30,
1799. He attended the village school and,
after reading medicine with his father, went
to Philadelphia, where he completed his
medical education. He practiced medicine
for a time at Strinestown and Lewisberry,
and then located permanently in his profes-
sion in the borough of Dover. Here he
became a prominent and influential citizen,
as well as a successful physician. Dr. Lewis
was an ardent abolitionist and during the
days of slavery, his home at Dover was one
of the stations of the Underground Rail-
road. He died March 16, 1846. Clay E.
Lewis, his eldest son, became a prominent
citizen of York and was cashier of the AA'est-
ern National Bank. He was the father of
Ellis Lewis, treasurer of the York Trust
Company.
DR. JAMES GERRY, who practiced
medicine at Shrewsbury for a period of
forty-six years, was born in Cecil County,
Maryland, August, 1796. After completing
his medical education at the University of
Maryland, he settled in the practice of his
profession at Shrewsbury in 1824. He re-
mained in active practice in this borough
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
52s
until 1S70 when he retired. Dr. Gerry took
an interest in public affairs and was active
in local politics. In 1838 he was elected to
represent York County in Congress. He
was re-elected in 1840, serving vnitil 1842.
He was a delegate to the Democratic State
Convention in 1852 and at first voted in
favor of James Buchanan for the presiden-
tial nomination. This convention, how-
ever, selected Franklin Pierce, of New
Hampshire, who was elected. Dr. Gerry's
intimate acquaintance with James Buchanan
caused the latter to tender him a govern-
ment position when he became president in
1856, but he declined any appointment and
remained at Shrewsbury where he died July
19, 1873.
JACOB HAY, M. D., physician and drug-
gist, w^as born in York, July 28, 1801, a lin-
eal descendant of Colonel John Hay of the
Revolution. In May, 1816, he entered
Princeton College, New Jersej', from
whence he graduated with honors in 1819.
After graduating he returned to York and
commenced the study of law, which he soon
abandoned, and took up the study of medi-
cine. He attended the University of Penn-
sylvania at Philadelphia and took one
course of lectures. Later he attended
two courses of lectures at the University
of Maryland, from which he graduated
in 1823. Dr. Hay was a successful prac-
ticing physician for fifty-one years. In
August, 1867, he became President of the
York National Bank, which position he held
at the time of his death, April, 1875. Two
of his sons, John and Jacob, became promi-
nent physicians in York. Dr. John Hay
died early in life after twelve years of suc-
cessful practice.
DR. HENRY MILLER McCLELLAN,
grandson of Captain McClellan, who
commanded a company from York
County in the Revolution, was born
October 12, 1809, at York. His father
served as an officre in the AVar of
1812, and was killed, September 12, 1814, at
the battle of North Point. Some years
later his mother married Dr. William Jame-
son, with whom he pursued his medical
studies. He graduated from a medical col-
lege in Baltimore, and then began his pro-
fessional career at York. He built up a
large practice and had a good reputation as
a physician. He died August 7, 1869.
DR. JAMES WARREN, of Newberry
Township, was a prominent physician in
that section of the county from 1835 to 1870.
The last twenty years of his life were spent
in the vicinity of Gettysburg, where he died
at the age of 91 years. Three of his sons
entered the medical profession. Everett P.
has practiced medicine at Goldsboro for
more than thirty years. Lucius M. has
been a physician at Lancaster for an equal
period of time. John has followed the same
profession near Gettysburg since his grad-
uation from college.
DR. HENRY NES, son of William Nes,
was born at York, May 20, 1802. He was
educated at Princeton College, was gradu-
ated from Jefferson Medical College and
practiced his profession at York. Dr. Nes
devoted much attention to local, state and
national politics and became an influential
leader among the Whigs of York County.
In 1843, he was elected to Congress on an
independent ticket. After an interim of
two years he was twice re-elected by the
Whigs, serving in all six years. In 1848,
while occupying a seat in Congress, ex-
President John Quincy Adams, then a rep-
resentative from Massachusetts, was striken
with apoplexy. Dr. Nes was one of the
physicians who rendered medical aid to the
distinguished statesman, who died in the
Speaker's room, in the National Capitol,
shortly after he received the fatal attack.
Dr. Nes died at York, September 10, 1850, a
few months before the expiration of his
third Congressional term.
DR. GEORGE W'. HINKLE, one of the
early physicians of Hanover, was born in
that borough in 1804. He was a son of
John L. Hinkle, who had served twenty-
three years as associate judge of York
County. Dr. Hinkle obtained his medical
education at the University of Maryland,
and then settled in the practice of his pro-
fession at Hanover, where he continued the
remainder of his life. During the cavalry
engagement at Hanover, June 30, 1863, Dr.
Hinkle, together with Rev. Dr. W. K. Zie-
ber, of that borough, appeared on the streets
during the fighting and carried the wounded
to places of safety. After the battle, he
acted as surgeon to the wounded soldiers.
He died in 1868.
DR. ALEXANDER SMALL was born
at York, March 8, 1805. He obtained his
526
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
education in the schools of York and at St.
Mary's College, where he completed a class-
ical course in 182 1. He then took up the
study of medicine and received his degree
from the University of Maryland in 1824.
For a period of eight years he practiced
medicine in York and then retired from 'his
profession to turn his attention to other av-
ocations. With Edward G. Smyser as a
partner, he operated a large foundry on
North Beaver Street, which later became
known as the Variety Iron Works. The
firm of Small and Smyser did a large busi-
ness at these works. Dr. Small was treas-
urer of the York Navigation Company,
which constructed a canal to the Susque-
hanna, at the mouth of the Codorus Creek.
He was treasurer of the company which
built a railroad from Wrightsville to York,
and was first president of the York Gas
Company. In politics he afTfiliated with the
Democratic party. In 1843, he was the
Democratic candidate for Congress but was
defeated by Dr. Henry Nes, who ran as an
independent and received also the Whig
vote of the county. At the opening of the
Civil war, Dr. Small took an interest in the
enlistment of troops for the cause of the
Union. In July, 1861, he received a special
order from Governor Curtin to organize the
Thomas A. Scott regiment at York for the
purpose of guarding the Northern Central
Railroad, and acting as a reserve regiment,
stationed near the Maryland line. This or-
ganization entered the service in August,
1861, as the Eighty-seventh Pennsylvania
Regiment. He died at York, June 8, 1862.
DR. JOHN CULBERTSON, a promi-
nent physician of Hanover for a period of
forty years, was a native of Ireland where
he was born about 1800. He obtained his
education in his native land and was ac-
credited with having been a graduate of the
University of Dublin. He settled at Han-
over in 1840, and soon built up a large prac-
tice. Being of Irish birth he never spoke
the Pennsylvania German, then in common
use in the community where he followed the
profession of a physician. His practice dur-
ing part of his career extended over a large
area of country. He was active as a Dem-
ocratic politician and entertained James
Buchanan at his residence in Hanover in
1852 during the presidential campaign of
that year. Dr. Culbertson lived to an ad-
vanced age and died at Hanover in the year
1881.
DR. CHARLES BISHOP of Manchester,
was born in that borough in 18 10. He read
medicine in York and after receiving a cer-
tificate from his preceptor, began the prac-
tice of his profession in his native town.
For a period of twenty years or more he had
a large practice. Later in life he retired and
lived quietly at his home in Manchester,
where he died about 1880.
DR. GEORGE L. SHEARER, who prac-
ticed medicine for the long period of fifty-
two years, at Dillsburg, was born in Adams
County in 1800. He obtained a good pre-
paratory education and received his medical
degree from the University of Maryland.
Immediately after graduation he settled in
the practice of medicine at Dillsburg where
he remained throughout his whole profes-
sional career. He was prominent in med-
ical circles in York and Cumberland Coun-
ties and conducted a large practice. He
died at Dillsburg in 1878. Two of his sons,
Niles H. Shearer and James Mitchell
Shearer studied medicine. The former en-
gaged in the drug business in York. Dr.
James M. Shearer completed a classical
course from Dickinson and was graduated
from Jefferson Medical College. He en-
gaged in the practice of medicine in his na-
tive town. Dvu"ing the Civil war, he served
on the surgical staff of 'the United States
Hospital at York, and later was transferred
to the Lincoln Hospital at AVashington, D.
C, where he remained until the end of the
war. He had a large and successful expe-
rience as a hospital surgeon. After the
close of the war, he returned to Dillsburg,
where he practiced medicine for the re-
mainder of his life.
DR. LEANDER W. GOLDSBORO, of
Hanover, was born in Frederick. Maryland,
in 1804. He received a classical education
at Columbia and Princeton colleges and read
medicine in his native town. He spent the
two succeeding years at the University of
Maryland and received his medical degree
from that institution in 1828. He prac-
ticed medicine in Maryland until 1845 when
he removed to Hanover. Although he was
unable to speak the German language he
soon built up a large practice and was suc-
cessful in his profession. He remained in
Hanover until 1864 and then entered the
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
527
United States army as assistant surgeon.
After the close of the war he joined the reg-
ular army in which he served as surgeon
until 1874 and then removed to Philadelphia
where he died June 28, 1891, at the age of
eighty-seven years. His son, Dr. C. E.
Goldsboro, has practiced medicine in Hun-
terstown. Adams County, for many years.
JAMES W. KERR, M. D., for thirty
years a leading practitioner of medi-
cine in York, was born in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania, September 19,
1813. He obtained his preliminary edu-
cation in the public schools of his
native county and at AYest Notting-
ham Academy in Maryland. He then en-
tered Jefferson College, the first Presby-
terian institution of its kind west of the
Alleghany Mountains, from which he was
graduated in the class of 1834. After leav-
ing college he began the study of medicine
at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, under Dr.
Roberts and matriculated in the medical de-
partment of the University of Pennsylvania,
receiving the degree of Doctor of Medicine
in 1840. The same year he came to York
and soon took high rank in the practice of
medicine, throughout his long and success-
ful career as a physician and surgeon. He
served many years as a school director and
for a period of thirty years was superin-
tendent of the Sunday School connected
with the first Presbyterian Church of York.
He was a member of the Board of Trustees
of the York Collegiate Institute. He was
married in 1844 to Jane, daughter of Dr.
William Mcllvaine, a prominent citizen of
York. They had three children, two of
whom died in youth. Martha, the surviving
daughter, was married to Dr. William F.
Bacon, of York. Dr. Kerr died June 10,
1889.
DR. J. P. SMITH, of Hanover, was born
in Conewago Township, Adams County, in
1809. He attended the parochial school
connected with the Catholic Church, until
the age of 18, and then entered St. Mary's
College at Emmittsburg, Maryland, where
he graduated in the classical course. De-
ciding to take up the study of medicine, he
spent two years at the University of Penn-
sylvania and received his degree from that
institution in 1836, and then engaged in the
practice of his profession at Hanover. Dr.
Smith became an influential citizen and was
deeply interested in the growth and devel-
opment of the borough. During the cav-
alry engagement at Hanover in 1863, he was
one of the surgeons who took care of the
wounded soldiers of that battle, and others
who were brought there from the battle-
field of Gettysburg. He was one of the
originators of the First National Bank of
Hanover which he served as president. At
the time of his death in 1883, he bequeathed
a large sum of money for the establishment
of a public library at Hanover, at the death
of his widow.
DR. JAMES YEAMAN BRYAN, for a
period of forty-two years a prominent phy-
sician in Peach Bottom Township, was born
in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1805.
He began his medical studies in Philadel-
phia under the direction of Dr. George Mc-
Clellan, father of General George B. Mc-
Clellan of the Civil war. In 1832, soon after
graduating from the University of Pennsyl-
vania, he settled in Peach Bottom Town-
ship. His practice extended over a large
area of country, for he excelled as a phy-
sician and was also a good surgeon.
Bryansville grew around his residence and
for many years he was postmaster of the
village. Dr. Bryan was interested in the
cause of education. In order to give the
youths of the vicinity an opportunity of ac-
quiring an education, he founded an acad-
emy which was conducted for several years
by instructors, who taught the higher
branches preparatory to college. He died
at Brvansville, October 6, 1874.
DR. WILLIAM H. KILGORE, of Peach
Bottom, was born in Lower Chanceford
Township, October 31, 1815. He acquired
his education at the Brogueville Latin
School, Delaware Academy, and York
County Academy, and graduated from
Franklin College, Ohio, in 1836. He began
the study of medicine in the office of Dr.
Mcllvaine and in the fall of 1837, entered
Jefferson Medical College, graduating in
1839. He first began to practice at Man-
chester, where he remained four years and
then removed to York. In 1848 he settled
in Peach Bottom Township, and in 1851 re-
moved to Delta. Dr. Kilgore was known
as a successful physician and surgeon and
died December 7, 1886.
DR. JOHN AHL. who practiced for
manv vears at Dover, was born at York,
^28
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
April 15, 1822. He was educated at the
public schools and the York County Acad-
emy. He began the study of medicine in
1842, under Dr. AA'illiam Mcllvaine, of York,
and attended AX'ashington University, of
Maryland, from which institution he re-
ceived his medical degree in 1845. Soon
after graduation he settled in Dover, where
he remained for a period of twenty years,
for most of that time, the only physician in
the borough. On July i, 1863, when Stu-
art's Confederate cavalry halted at Dover
on the march toward Carlisle, General
Wade Hampton, of South Carolina, com-
manding one of the brigades, had his head-
quarters for a few hours in Dr. Ahl's ofifice,
and there issued parole papers to 400 Union
soldiers, prisoners of war, captured at the
battle of Hanover on June 30. Late in life
Dr. Ahl removed to York, where he died
April 4, 1902.
DR. JOHN L. FREE, of Stewartstown,
was born in Baltimore County, Maryland,
March 5, 1821. In 1823 he came to Shrews-
bury Township with his parents. He be-
gan the study of medicine in 1844 and grad-
uated from the University of Maryland in
1848. After practicing two years at Dills-
burg and New Freedom, he went to Phila-
delphia and attended a course of medical
lectures. In 1850 he moved to Stewarts-
town, where he established a large practice
and became an influential citizen. He was
identified with various progressive move-
ments in the lower end of York County and
was one of the founders of the English and
Classical Institute of Stewartstown, which
prepared a number of young men and
women to enter higher institutions of learn-
ing.
DR. JOHN A.THOMPSON,of AVrights-
ville, was born in Franklin County, Penn-
sylvania, November 3, 1823. He attended
the public schools and an academy at Fay-
etteville and then engaged in teaching and
clerking for several years. Having decided
to become a physician he entered Jefferson
Medical College in 1849 ^'"^d was graduated
from that institution in 1852. The same
year that he received his medical degree he
settled in the practice of his profession at
Wrightsville. He became active and prom-
inent in medical circles and was a successful
practitioner for a period of nearly forty
years. He ser\'ed as school director in
AVrightsville for several terms. He died
January 13, 1894.
DR. HORACE ALLEMAN, of Hanover,
was born near Lancaster, June 19, 1824.
He obtained a thorough preparatory educa-
tion in the public schools and Emaus Insti-
tute, a flourishing academy at Middletown,
and then entered Pennsylvania College at
Gettysburg. He entered Pennsylvania
Medical College at Philadelphia and was
graduated from that institution in 1848.
From 1848 to 1859 he practiced his profes-
sion at Elizabethtown and Safe Harbor,
Lancaster County. Dr. Alleman removed
to Hanover during the fall of 1859 and re-
mained in continuous practice for a period
of twenty-eight years. He was a diligent
student of medical literature and had a lu-
crative practice which extended over a large
area of country. He died at Hanover, Jan-
uary 14, 1887. His son. Dr. Horace Alle-
man, is a practicing phvsician at Hanover.
DR. LEVI D. FREY, a native of York
County, was born in 1829. He read medi-
cine with Dr. T. N. Haller and finished his
course in the Medical University of New
York City. For a period of twenty-five
years he practiced his profession with suc-
cess in the borough of Glen Rock. During
the last ten years of his life he lived at York,
where he died December 6, 1894.
DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN POR-
TER, of Chanceford Township, was born in
New Castle County, Delaware, May 19,
1827. He obtained his preliminary educa-
tion at a local academy? and Delaware Col-
lege. In 185 1 he began his medical studies
in the ofifice of Dr. J. R. McClurg, of Dela-
ware, and in 1855 ^^'^^ graduated at Jeffer-
son Medical College. Immediately after
leaving college, he located in Chanceford
Township, near Brogvieville, where he be-
came a successful physician. He practiced
medicine in this community during the re-
mainder of his life. He was interested in
educational matters and served for a period
of twelve years as school director of Chance-
ford Township. In 1868 he was elected to
represent York County in the State Legisla-
ture and at the end of this term was re-
elected to the same ofifice. He died at
Brogueville, 1886.
DR. W. F. BRINKMAN, of Jefferson,
was born in Manchester, Alaryland, in 1822.
He obtained his preparatory education in
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
529
the academy at Mancliester and began tlie
study of medicine with Dr. Beltz of that
town. .After spending three years at Wash-
ington University, he was graduated from
that institution in 1846. The same year he
entered upon the practice of his profession
in Manchester, and remained there until
1849. He spent the remainder of his long
and successful career at Jefferson, where his
practice extended over a large portion of
Codorus and North Codorus Townships.
He died December 29, 1889.
DR. CHARLES M. NES. son of Dr.
Henr)^ Nes, was born in York, June 26,
1827. He received his early education at
the York County Academy and studied med-
icine with his father. Dr. Henry Nes, and
attended lectures at Columbia Aledical Col-
lege, Washington, D. C. In addition to tlie
practice of medicine, he engaged in a num-
ber of business enterprises, mainly in the
manufacture of iron and steel. He was
largely instrumental in the development of
the mining of iron ore in York County,
which many years ago was an extensive in-
dustry, and was one of the founders of the
York Rolling Mill. Dr. Nes was one of the
commissioners from Pennsylvania ap-
pointed by President Grant in 1873 to the
Vienna Exposition. He died at York,
Tune, 1896.
DR. HENRY C. ECKERT was born at
Hanover in 1825. He obtained the rudi-
ments of his education in the public schools
of his native town and then entered Penn-
sylvania College at .Gettysburg, from which
he was graduated in 1846. He entered the
medical department of Pennsylvania Col-
lege at Philadelphia, and received his med-
ical degree from that institution in 1848.
From that time until his death in 1867, he
practiced his profession in the borough of
Hanover. After the engagement between
the cavalry divisions commanded by General
Kilpatrick and General Stuart in and around
Hanover, in June, 1863, Dr. Eckert acted as
surgeon for the wounded Union and Con-
federate soldiers. He died in August.
1867.
DR. ANDREW R. BLAIR, of York, was
born in Lancaster County, in 1826. He re-
ceived a good academic education and stud-
ied medicine first with Dr. Samuel Kenagy,
of Strasburg, Pennsylvania, and later with
Dr. T. N. Haller, of York. In 1853. he was
graduated doctor of medicine from Jefferson
Jiledical College. After practicing medicine
three years at York, he was elected superin-
tendent of schools for York County in 1856
and re-elected in 1859. Through his earnest
efforts he advanced the interests of public
education through the county. Before his
second term had expired, he resigned the
ofifice to accept a piosition as assistant sur-
geon in the United States Hospital at York.
During the succeeding three years he was
one of the leading surgeons at that hospital,
where 14,000 sick and wounded Union sol-
diers received medical atention. After the
close of the war, he resumed the practice of
medicine at York.
DR. LUTHER M. LOCHMAN, son of
Rev. A. M. Lochman. pastor of Christ Lu-
theran Church of York, was born in August,
1829, at Harrisburg. After leaving the
York County Academy, he was a clerk in
the Barnitz Drug Store at York. He stud-
ied medicine with Dr. Hay and later with
Dr. Kerr, and received his medical degree
from Pennsylvania Medical College, of Phil-
adelphia, in 1852. He practiced medicine a
short time at Littlestown, and six years at
Manchester borough. The remainder of
his life he practiced his profession at York.
He died Mav 22, 1897.
DR. HENRY L. SMYSER, army sur-
geon, was born at York, December 8, 1825.
He read medicine with Dr. J. W. Kerr, and
in 1847, was graduated from the University
of Pennsylvania. He practiced one year in
Jackson Township, and during the excite-
ment, in 1849, resulting from the discovery
of gold, he went to California, where he re-
mained two years. At the opening of the
Crimean War in 1855, he went to Europe,
was appointed surgeon in the Russian army
and was present at the Siege of Sebastopol.
At the close of the war. he received from
Emperor Alexander II of Russia, the deco-
ration of St. Stanislaus, and also a medal of
honor given in recognition of his services.
During the Civil war. Dr. Smyser w^as one
of the surgeons of the United States Hos-
pital at York. He died September 6, 1900,
at he age of seventy-four.
DR. ^EDWARD H. PENTZ was born in
York, January 24, 1826. He studied medi-
cine with Dr. T. N. Haller and was gradu-
ated at Bellevue Medical College Hospital
in New York City in 1848 and practiced
530
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL\
medicine in York the remainder of his life.
Dr. Pentz was physician for the county
almshouse for eighteen years, surgeon for
the Northern Central Railroad Company,
and a member of the Board of United States
Pension Examiners of York County. He
held a high position in his profession both
as a surgeon and a family physician. He
died November 30, 1873.
DR. S. J. FINLEY was born in Lower
Chanceford, November 21, 1830. He spent
the first twenty years of his life on his
father's farm, and after obtaining his med-
ical education in Baltimore, he practiced
medicine in Peach Bottom and Lower
Chanceford Townships.
DR. WILLL\M F. SMITH, physician
and army surgeon, was born at Airville,
Lower Chanceford Township, in 1836. Af-
ter attending the priblic schools and the
academy near his home he went to Lancas-
ter and entered the office of the noted sur-
geon. Dr. John Atlee. He received careful
preparatory training at Lancaster and then
entered the medical department of the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, from which institu-
tion he was graduated March 14, 1861.
Having a marked talent for surgerj^ he of-
fered his services to the government and
was appointed assistant surgeon of the One
Hundred and Fifth Regiment Pennsylvania
Volunteers. He followed the fortunes of
this regiment during the various campaigns
in which it participated until October 5,
1862. In March, 1863, he was assigned to
duty with the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania
Regiment. Soon afterward he was ap-
pointed surgeon-in-chief of the Seventy-
third Pennsylvania Regiment which had en-
listed for three years. In this capacity he
had a large and varied experience as a sur-
geon on the battle-field and in the field hos-
pitals. Dr. Smith had entire charge of the
hospitals belonging to the army divisions
commanded by General Philip Kearney, of
New Jersey, and General John AV. Geary, of
Pennsylvania, during the Peninsula cam-
paign under McClellan in 1862. After the
close of the war. Dr. Smith returned to his
native place v.diere he continued to practice
his profession until the time of his death,
March 3, 1900. His son, Dr. William C.
Smith, a graduate of the University of Penn-
sylvania, engaged in the practice of medi-
cine at York.
DR. WILLIAM F. JOHNSTON, who
practiced medicine in York between the
years 1840 and 1875, was a descendant of
Samuel Johnston, who was the first lawyer
admitted to the York Bar, soon after the
county was erected in 1749. Dr. Johnston
obtained his medical education at the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, and practiced his
profession at York until he retired in 1875.
He was one of the surgeons of the United
States Hospital at York, during the Civil
War. His son, Dr. Ovid M. Johnston, was
assistant surgeon in the Fifty-fifth Regi-
ment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, during the
Civil War, and soon after his retirement
from the army, moved to Missouri. In or-
der to recuperate his health, he went to Cal-
ifornia, where he died.
DR. FRANCIS A. H. KOCH was born
at York, August 31, 1830. He acquired his
education at the public schools and the York
County Academy, and then began the study
of medicine with his father. Dr. Francis
Koch, of York. After spending three years
at the University of Maryland, he began the
practice of his profession at Manchester,
where he remained two years. He returned
to York for a 3'ear and a half and then re-
moved to North Codorus, where he prac-
ticed for sixteen years. In 1871, he re-
moved to the borough of Hanover, where
he continued in active practice in medicine
and surgery for eighteen years. He died
there September 30, 1.892.
DR. GEORGE R. HURSH was born in
Fairview Township, February 6, 1835. He
graduated from Jefferson Medical College
in 1857. After leaving college, he practiced
medicine in Fairview Township. In 1868-
69, he represented York County in the state
legislature and served on various important
committees. After returning from the leg-
islature, he devoted considerable time to the
cultivation of a large farm which he owned
in the northern part of Fairview Township.
In 1881, Dr. Hursh removed to Harrisburg,
where he died.
DR. JACOB HAY, son of Dr. Jacob Hay,
was born at York, in 1833. After obtaining
his early education at the York County
Academy, he read medicine in the office of
his father. He entered the medical depart-
ment of the University of Maryland, where
he was graduated in 1854. He practiced
medicine during his whole professional ca-
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
reel" at York. In iS6i, he became second
lieutenant in the Eighty-seventh Regiment,
Pennsj'Ivania Volunteers, but after a few
months of service, resigned and returned to
his practice at York. He was for twelve
3'ears a member of the school board of York
and three 3'ears president of that body. He
also served as president of the York County
Medical Society. Dr. Ha}^ died at York,
October 18, 1897.
DR. JONAS DEISINGER was born in
Jackson Township, April 18, 1833. Early
in life he taught school for three j^ears when
he began the study of medicine under Dr.
C. S. Picking. He first attended the Penn-
sylvania IMedical College at Philadelphia in
the year 1858 and then practiced medicine
for two years in Hellam township. Later
he attended the medical department of the
University of Pennsylvania and graduated
from that institution in 1867. He spent
about thirt}^ years in the practice of his pro-
fession at Hellam. Dr. Deisinger took an
active part in the York County Medical So-
ciety, of which he served as president. He
spent three years of his life in York, where
he died, August 13, 1903.
DR. AVILLIAM D. BAILEY, son of
Colonel S. N. Bailey, was born at Dillsburg,
January 3, 1837. He studied medicine un-
der Dr. George L. Shearer of Dillsburg and
graduated from the University of Pennsyl-
vania in 1862. In 1863, he was appointed
assistant surgeon of the Seventy-eighth
Pennsylvania Regiment, which he joined at
Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In 1864, he was
promoted to the rank of surgeon. Dr.
Bailey was present with his regiment at the
battle of Chickamauga and several minor
engagements in which the Fourteenth Army
Corps participated. After his term of ser-
vice expired, in November, 1864, Dr. Bailey
spent one year in Oil City, and returned to
his native town of Dillsburg where he built
up a large practice. He died February 17,
1892.
DR. LEMUEL LAAA'SON was born in
Manheim Township, April 2, 1837. He was
graduated from Maryland University in
1867, and settled at Klinefeltersville. Soon
afterward he removed to Dallastown, where
he continued the practice of his profession.
DR. WILLIAM E. SAVILER. who for a
period of half a century practiced medicine
in Fairview and Newberry Townships, was
born in Cumberland County, October 23,
1833. He began the study of medicine un-
der Dr. Robert C. Young. He graduated
from Jefferson Medical College in 1857.
Immediately after his graduation he located
in the practice of medicine in the village of
Yocumtown. His professional duties re-
quired him to travel over a large extent of
country. In 1892 Dr. Swiler removed to
Mechanicsburg, where he continued to
practice his profession until the time of his
death in 1906. His son, Dr. Robert D.
Swiler, succeeded him in the practice of
medicine, at Yocumtown, but later removed
to Harrisburg.
DR. AA^ILLIAM S. ROLAND was born
in Lancaster County and removed to York
in 1840, when he began the practice of med-
icine. He continued actively engaged in his
profession for the long period of fiftj^-seven
years. During this time he was promi-
nenth^ identified with the business interests
of the borough and comity. For three
3'ears of the Civil Avar he served as medical
ofBcer of the United States government at
York, examining the conscripts of York
County, who had been drafted for service in
the Union arm}^ The position he thus held
was one of trust and responsibility. Dr.
Roland was one of the organizers of the
York County Agricultural Society in 185 1,
of which he filled the of^ce of secretary,
treasurer and president. He was a director
in the Y'ork Count)^ Bank and York County
National Bank, the latter of which he served
as president from 1885 until the time of his
death in 1897. He was president of the
City Market and for many years was the
York representative of the State Board of
Agriculture.
DR. JOSEPH R. MARTIN, army sur-
geon, of Stewartstown, was born September
4, 1838, in Lancaster Count}^ He received
his medical degree from the University of
Pennsylvania in 1862, and the same year en-
tered the army as assistant surgeon in the
One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Regiment,
Peniis}dvania A/'olunteers, in the nine
months' service. After his return from the
military service he practiced medicine at
PenningtonA'ille until 1864, when he was ap-
pointed on the surgical staff of the United
States Hospital for officers of the army, at
Alexandria, \^irginia. He then engaged in
medical practice at Penningtonville until
53^
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1869, when he remaved to Stewartstown.
After a successful experience of thirty years,
he returned to his home in Lancaster
County.
DR. JAMES GERRY, son of Dr. James
Gerry, was born at Shrewsbury February 4,
1839. After completing his education in
the public schools and the Shrewsbury
Academy, he entered the drug store of his
father. His course at Dickinson College
was interrupted by the Civil war. He left
that institution while in the Junior class and
entered Jefferson Medical College at Phila-
delphia, where he was graduated in 1863.
After leaving college he took a special
course in operative surgery under Dr. Ag-
new, of Philadelphia, and then returned to
Shrewsbury, where he practiced his profes-
sion thirty years. For many years he was
surgeon for the Northern Central Railroad
Company. He was prominent in the affairs
of Shrewsbury and vicinity and took an ac-
tive part in politics in York County. Dr.
Gerry died at his home in Shrewsbury, July
2, 1904.
DR. ASHAEL STEAVARD was born in
Peach Bottom Township, March 10, 1841.
He studied medicine under Dr. Bryan, of
Peach Bottom, and was graduated from
Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New
York, in 1869. During the first eight years
after leaving college, he resided in Fulton
Township, Lancaster County. In 1877, he
returned to Peach Bottom, where he con-
tinued the practice of his profession.
DR. ANDREAV J. SNIVELY, of Han-
over, was born in Franklin County, Penn-
sylvania, in 1844. He obtained his prepara-
tory education in the public schools of
Chambersburg. In 1859, he entered AVest
Branch High School at Jersey Shore^ Ly-
coming County. He spent several years in
that institution and was prepared for the
junior class at Princeton College, but his
plans were interrupted by the opening of
the Civil war, when he enlisted as a soldier
in the Second Regiment, Pennsylvania Vol-
unteer Infantry, in the three months' ser-
vice. He then entered Bellevue Hospital
Medical College, where he remained two
years, spending the summer months as as-
sistant surgeon in the United States Hos-
pital at Beverly, New Jersey. He obtained
his medical degree from Bellevue in 1866,
and spent the first year of his medical career
as a physician at AA'illiamsburg, Blair
County. In 1867, he removed to Hanover.
He died January 14, 1890.
DR. JOHN AVIEST was born near
Spring Grove, February 24, 1846. He ob-
tained his preliminary education at the York
County Academ}'. He attended Jefferson
Medical College, Philadelphia, and the med-
ical department of the University of Michi-
gan, from which he received his degree in
1867. The same year he began the practice
of his profession. Being a diligent student
of medicine and a competent surgeon he
soon built up a large practice which he con-
tinued until he removed to York in 1879.
Dr. AViest spent a year in Philadelphia, tak-
ing a course in the study of the eye, ear and
throat, and from 1870 until his death he con-
tinued his profession as a specialist, and was
one of the promoters of the hospital at
York. He served as a member of the Penn-
sylvania legislature as a Democrat in the
years 1 878-1 880-1 881, and during this period
secured the passage of a bill appropriating
$7000 for the establishment of the hospital
at York. He wrote an article on the med-
ical history of York County, and was a con-
tributor to different medical journals. For
a period of four years he served on the Pen-
sion Board for York County. He died at
York, April 10, 1891.
DR. JEREMIAH S. HETRICK was
born in Codorus Township, December 28,
1849. He was educated at the State Nor-
mal School, at Millersville, studied medicine
with Dr. E. AA\ Free and received his med-
ical degree in 1873 from AA^ashington Uni-
versity, now the College of Physicians and
Surgeons at Baltimore. He spent one year
in the hospital at Baltimore, and in 1874 re-
moved to New Freedom where he located
in the practice of his profession.
DR. LUTHER L.REAA'ALT,of AVrights-
ville, was born December 25, 1839, at Mid-
dletown, Pennsjdvania. He entered the
University of Pennsylvania in 1859 and
graduated in March, 1861. In April, 1861,
he received the first surgeon's commission
issued by Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania,
and was then assigned to duty as surgeon
for the Twenty-fifth Pennsylvania, a regi-
ment in the three months' service. AAHien
the term of enlistment expired he engaged
in the practice of medicine at AA'rightsville
until August, 1864, when he was appointed
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
533
assistant surgeon in the United States hos-
pital at Philadelphia. In January, 1865, he
again entered the army as assistant surgeon
in the Twenty-first Pennsylvania cavalry, a
regiment which served with distinction un-
der Sheridan, during the closing campaigns
under Grant and was present at the sur-
render of Lee at Appomattox, April 9, 1865.
After the war. Dr. Rewalt returned to
Wrightsville, where he enjoyed a large prac-
tice as a physician and surgeon.
DR. JAMES A. ARINISTRONG was born
at Lisbon, Ohio, January 8, 1839. Soon af-
ter the death of his father he came to Penn-
sylvania. He spent two years in the Uni-
versit}^ of Pennsylvania and received his
medical degree from that institution in 1871.
He remained two )^ears in Philadelphia and
from 1873 to the time of his death in 1905
he practiced at Hellam.
DR. ANDREW R. PROW'ELL was born
in Fairview Township in 1842. He spent
his early life in the public schools and at-
tended Cumberland Valley Institute, a class-
ical school at Mechanicsburg, for a period of
two years. In 1861, he began the study of
medicine under Dr. A¥illiam E. Swiler, with
whom he spent two years, preparing for
college. He then entered Jefferson Medical
College, and was graduated in 1864. He
spent one year in special study and practice
of surgery in Philadelphia, and then located
at Manchester borough. After practicing
medicine until 1871 at Manchester, he spent
one year in New York hospitals and attend-
ing lectures at Bellevue Medical College,
from which he received a degree in 1872.
He then returned to Manchester, where he
had an extensive practice during his whole
professional career. He displayed special
talent as a diagnostician. He died in March,
1874.
DR. P. D. BAKER was born in Carroll
Township, November 19, 1848. He at-
tended the public schools and the York
County Academy and taught school in his
native township for several }'ears. In 1870,
he began the study of medicine under Dr.
George L. Shearer, of Dillsburg, and after
spending three years at the University of
Pennsylvania, received his medical degree
in 1874. Dr. Baker was a successful phy-
sician and resided during his whole profes-
sional career near Franklintown, until his
death iNIarch 9, 1898.
DR. HENRY Z. JONES, of Jefferson,
was born in Codorus Township, August 9,
1842. He was educated at a private school
in Baltimore County, and at Manchester
Academy, Manchester, Maryland. He
studied medicine with Dr. Beltz, of Man-
chester, and received his medical degree
from the University of Maryland, in 1865.
After practicing five years at Menges Mills,
he removed to Jefferson, where he continued
in his profession until his death, October,
1892.
DR. GEORGE A. REBMAN,of Wrights-
ville, was born in AVest Manchester town-
ship, July 6, 1852. At the age of twenty he
began to read medicine in the office of Dr.
Jacob Hay, of York. After he completed
his preparatory studies he entered the Uni-
versity of Maryland, from which he received
his medical degree in 1876. In May of the
same j^ear, he located at Wrightsville, where
he practiced his profession until his death,
March 9, 1903.
DR. ARCHIBALD P. T. GROVE, of
Dallastown, was born in Chanceford Town-
ship, March 21, 1854. He was educated in
the public schools of Chanceford Township,
Pleasant Grove and Stewartstown Acade-
mies. He taught school for three years,
studied medicine under Dr. Curran of Hope-
well Township, and was graduated from the
College of Physicians and Surgeons at Bal-
timore, in 1878. He practiced medicine at
Dallastown until his death.
DR. D. MORGAN McDONALD, of
Fawn Grove, was born in Lower Chance-
ford Township, June 4, 1852. He received
his early education at Pleasant Grove Acad-
emy, and in 1873, went to Ohio and read
medicine with Dr. Gemmill, graduating
from the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cin-
cinnati, in 1876. He first practiced medi-
cine in New Market, Maryland, where he
remained until 1881. He then moved to
Fawn Township, York County, in 1882, and
succeeded to the practice of Dr. AVright, of
Gatchelville. He died October 26, 1902.
DR. J. TURNER PERKINS, of York,
was born in Prince George County, Mary-
land, in 1854. He graduated from the Ag-
ricultural College, Maryland, studied medi-
cine with Dr. Nathan R. Smith, of Balti-
more, and received his medical degree from
the University of Maryland, in 1877. He
took a special course in surgery in Baltimore
534
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
and in 1878, he remo\'ed to York, where he
continued his profession.
DR. THOMAS SARGEANT LATI-
MER, who spent his early Hfe in Shrews-
bury, York County, won fame and distinc-
tion in the medical profession. He was
born in Savannah, Georgia, June 15, 1839.
After the death of his father he removed
with his mother to Shrewsbury in 1845.
He obtained his earlj^ education in an acad-
emy in Shrewsbury and the York County
Academ}^ He then entered the University
of Maryland and graduated in 1861. At the
opening of the Civil AVar, he espoused the
cause of the Southern Confederac}^ and en-
tered the army as assistant surgeon. His
abilities were soon recognized and he was
promoted to the rank of division surgeon in
the armj^ of northern Virginia. He re-
mained in the army until the surrender of
Lee at Appomatox, April, 1865. In 1866,
Dr. Latimer returned to Baltimore, where
he became resident physician in the iniirm-
ary. In 1868 he engaged in private practice
and together with his friend, Dr. Howard,
established the "Mar3dand Medical Jour-
nal." From 1873 to 1877 he filled the chair
of Surgery in the College of Physicians and
Surgeons in Baltimore; from 1877 to 1888
he was professor of Physiology and from
1888 to the time of his death Dr. Latimer
filled the chair of Practice of Medicine in
the same institution. In 1882 he was vice-
president of the Maryland State Medical
Association, and in 1884 was made its pres-
ident. He was also president of the State
Lunacy Commission. As a lecturer, he was
eloquent, clear, concise and definite in all of
his statements. For a long time he had a
large practice in the city of Baltimore, where
he died May 16, 1906.
DR. JAMES' CLARK CHANNEL, of
Wrightsville, was born in Fawn Township.
October 11, 1842. He acquired his educa-
tion at the York County Normal School and
the English and Classical Institute at Stew-
artstown. During the Civil war, he enlisted
as a soldier in the One Hundred and Thirty-
eighth Pennsylvania Regiment, which par-
ticipated in the battles of Antietam, Fred-
ericksburg and Chancellorsville. At the
battle of Antietam, he was slightly injured
by a spent ball. Through exposure and
marching, varicose veins developed in his
legs, from which he never fullv recovered.
He entered the military service the second
time as second lieutenant in the One Hun-
dred and Ninety-fourth Regiment, Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers, and served until the end
of the war. He then began the study of
medicine and graduated from the Lhiiver-
sity of Pennsylvania in 1871. After follow-
ing his profession eight years at Slate Hill,
Peach Bottom Township, he removed to
Wrightsville, where he was a prominent
physician for a period of twentj^-four years.
DR. MATTHEAV J. McKINNON, army
surgeon, was born in Chanceford Township,
in February, 1832. He obtained his prelim-
inary education at the York County Acad-
emy and at Franklin College, Ohio. He be-
gan the studv of medicine under Dr. A. S.
Baldwin, of York County, and was gradu-
ated from the University of Maryland in
1853. He practiced medicine in Hunting-
don County, until 1861, when he entered the
Union army until 1863. He followed his
profession at Hagerstown, Maryland, until
1870, when he removed to Chanceford
Township. He came to York in 1873 where
he has a large general practice and makes a
specialty of surger}-. He served three years
as a member of the School Board of York,
surgeon for the Northern Central Railroad,
and was four years a member of the state
legislature of Pennsylvania.
HOMOEOPATHY.
The school of medical practice known as
homoeopathy originated Math Samuel Hahn-
emann, a scholar and scientist of Germany.
He was born at Meissen in 1755, obtained
his preparatory education in his native city,
spent two years at the University of Leipsic
and received his medical degree at Erlangen,
in 1779. He passed two j'-ears in the prac-
tice of his profession at different places, and
in 1789, returned to Leipsic where he be-
came widely known for his knowledge of
medicine, chemistry, mineralogv, and kin-
dred sciences. At this period of his life, he
began to devote his whole time to the study
of medicine and tested the effect of drugs
upon his own person. This led him to ad-
vance the theor}^ that a remedy which would
cure a certain disease would also produce a
disorder very similar to that disease in a
healthy person, and that the converse was
equally true, that is, that a drug which pro-
duced a certain disease in a healthy body
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
535
would cure it in a sick one. Many German
physicians tested the principles of Hahne-
mann and afterwards advocated them.
Meantime, he began to write books on the
system of medicine which he had founded
and claimed to have effected cui-es on per-
sons of eminence in advancing the theory of
minimum doses. Hahnemann continued
the practice of his profession with success
at Leipsic. In 183 1, when the Asiatic
cholera was epidemic in Europe, the medical
system that he had founded was stated to
have been effective in the treatment of that
virulent disease. During the remaining
3''ears of his life, he practiced in families of
the nobility. The new system of medicine
attracted attention in Paris where its
founder removed soon after 1837. He died
at Paris in 1844, at the advanced age of 89
}'ears.
Homoeopath}' was introduced into Amer-
ica by Dr. Constantine Hering, who, to-
gether with two or three other physicians of
the same school of practice, in 1836, founded
at Allentown, Pennsylvania, the first
homoeopathic medical college in the United
States. A few years later this institution
became the Homoeopathic Medical Col-
lege of Philadelphia. Later its name was
changed to the Hahnemann Medical Col-
lege, an institution which, since it was
founded, has graduated a large number of
physicians who are now practicing through-
out the United States. Some of the other
large cities in the country have one or more
colleges where students of homoeopathy
are prepared for the duties of their profes-
sion.
Homoeopathy was introduced into York
County as early as 1823 by Dr. Ehrman,
who came here from Germany. His son,
Dr. Ernest J. Ehrman, studied medicine un-
der his father and in 1844, located as a phy-
sician in the borough of Manchester, then
known as Liverpool. Rev. Jacob Geiger,
who resided at Manchester, Maryland, was
pastor of the Reformed congregations in
Codorus and Manheim Townships. As
earl}' as 1836, he went to Philadelphia and
spent some time in the study of medicine
under Dr. Hering. Eor a period of ten
years or more, while performing his duties
as pastor of several congregations, he prac-
ticed the art and science of homoeopathy
among his parishioners and other people
who adhered to his medical faith. One of his
disciples was Rev. Peter Scheurer, of Han-
over, a Lutheran clergjanan of ability, who
preached to congregations, worshipping in
the same countrj' churches where Dr.
Geiger preached the doctrines of the Re-
formed Church. Three of Geiger's sons
became physicians.
DR. GEORGE BRICKLEY, who intro-
duced the science of homoeopathy into
York, was born January 31, 1806, in West
Buffalo Township, Union County, Pennsyl-
vania, and was educated for the ministry of
the Evangelical Association, but later en-
gaged in the study of medicine under the
supervision of Doctors Taylor and Powers
of Williamsport. In 1838, he was led,
through the instrumentality of Dr. Ignatius
Brugger, a graduate of a German university,
to investigate the system of therapeutics
founded by Hahnemann. In 1846, he retired
from the ministry and began the practice of
medicine in York, being the first physician
of the new school to settle permanently in
this field. In 1855, he received the honor-
ary degree of Doctor of Medicine from the
Homoeopathic Medical College of Philadel-
phia. He continued in active practice until
1887, when he was stricken with apoplexy.
He died at York, March 17, 1889.
DR. OBADIAH C. BRICKLEY, son of
Dr. George Brickley, was born in East Buf-
falo Township, Union County, Pennsylva-
nia, September 3, 1833, and early in life re-
moved with his parents to York. He ob-
tained his preparator}' education in the York
County Academy and then began the study
of medicine with his father. He entered
the Homoeopathic Medical College of Phil-
adelphia and received his degree from that
institution in 1855. Immediately after
graduation. Dr. Brickley began the practice
of medicine at York, and for many years was
one of the leading physicians of the city.
He was successful in his medical treatment
and enjoyed a large practice for a period of
forty-seven years. He served nine years as
coroner of York County and was physician
for the county almshouse for several }'ears.
He died at York, October 2, 1902. His
brother. Dr. Jeremiah S. Brickley, was grad-
uated from the Homoeopathic Medical Col-
lege of Philadelphia, in 1863, and practiced
medicine for many years at York.
Dr. E. W. Bricklev, son of Dr. O. C.
536
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Brickley, a graduate of Hahnemann Med-
ical College, devotes his attention to the
treatment of the eye, ear, nose and
throat.
DR. OLIVER T. EVERHART. of Han-
over, was born near Manchester, Mar_vland,
May i8, 1832. In 1854, he was graduated
from Marshall College, at Mercersburg, be-
fore that institution was united with Frank-
lin College, at Lancaster. He recei\'ed his
medical degree from the University of Mary-
land in 1856. He practiced medicine at
Goldsboro, Shrewsbury and Marys ville, un-
til 1878, when he removed to Hanover.
During the Civil War, Dr. Everhart was as-
sistant surgeon at the United States Hos-
pital at Chambersburg, and later in the gov-
ernment hospital at Camp Curtin, Harris-
burg. Shortl)' before he removed to Han-
over, he became a student of homoeopathic
literature and has since practiced that sys-
tem of medicine.
DR. EDWARD C. WAREHEHI, a suc-
cessful practitioner of homoeopathy at Glen
Rock, was born in Carroll County, near
Manchester, Maryland. After completing
his preparatory education in the public
schools and at a classical academy at Man-
chester, he entered the New York Homoeo-
pathic Medical College, remaining there two
years, and received his degree from that in-
stitvition. He then settled in the practice
of his profession at Glen Rock, where he
became a leading citizen as well as a prom-
inent physician. He died at Glen Rock,
July 13, 1898. His eldest son, Spencer D.
Wareheim, is a member of the York County
bar. Dr. Guernsey Wareheim, the second
son, is a practicing dentist in Baltimore.
The youngest son, Grover, in 1906, entered
the New York Homoeopathic Medical Col-
lege, as a student.
DR. D. BRAINERD GROVE, a success-
ful homoeopathist, was born in Hanover,
May 29, i860. After leaving school he fol-
lowed the occupation of a druggist for sev-
eral years. This experience induced him to
take up the stud}' of medicine. In 1881, he
entered the Homoeopathic Medical College
of New York City and was graduated in
1883. For a period of five years, he was
surgeon of the AA'estern Maryland Railroad
Companv. He died at Hanover June 30,
1893.
OSTEOPATHY.
Osteopathy was introduced into York
County in 1901. This school of medicine,
founded by Andrew Taylor Still, M. D.,
holds that "diseased or morbid physical con-
ditions are due mainly to disturbed relations
of the bodily structures. The perfect work-
ing of any machine depends upon the abso-
lute adjustment of its parts. The human
bod}', that most delicate and intricate mech-
anism, can enjoy perfect health only so long
as its working parts are in their natural po-
sitions. Though the construction of the
body makes it resistant to shocks and
strains, it is subject to external and internal
influences which produce subluxations
(slight dislocations) and contractures.
These in turn cause interference with
nerves, affecting impulse and perception,
and with vascular (blood and lymph) chan-
nels, aftecting nutrition of tissues. Thus
far osteopathy is in accord with the other
schools."
If it be true that misplaced structure
causes perverted functioning — that anatom-
ical faults change the physiological into the
pathological — it is equally true, the oste-
opathists believe, that correction of these
faults of structure will relieve the disordered
conditions thus produced. Their treatment
is largely manipulative, with the specific ob-
ject of restoring the normal relations of the
structures. They use water, heat, light and
other rational agencies, prescribe massage
and exercise, and direct the diet, hygiene
and such habits as have bearing on the in-
dividual case.
The}' do not use drugs. They believe
that noxious and poisonous substances
which have a bad ef¥ect upon a well person
cannot have other than a bad effect upon a
sick one; that while drugs do stimulate or
depress, as the case may be, they do not
add in the least to the patient's inherent
strength or vitality. They contend that the
vital and recuperative forces of the body
constitute, when properly called into action,
efficient and sufficient remedial resources,
making unnecessary extraneous or artificial
stimulation.
They claim that this system of natural
therapy is justified by clinical experience, as
well as by laboratory experiments.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
537
At the time. of writing in 1907 twenty-
nine states have legalized the practice of
osteopathy. The history of osteopathic ed-
ucational institutions began in 1892 with one
small school. Now there are eight colleges,
and many accredited graduate practitioners.
The first osteopath who located in York
was Dr. Emma E. Donnelly, a western
woman, who opened an office in 1901.
Early in 1902 she was joined by Dr. Edwin
M. Downing, a native of Luzerne County.
Dr. Donnelly removed to Los Angeles.
Dr. Downing remained in York. He is
associate editor of the journal of the Amer-
ican Osteopathic Association and the author
of numerous articles on osteopathy which
have had a wide circulation. Dr. Howard
J. Cormeny, a native of York, oractices os-
teopathy in his native city. Dr. Rachel E.
A^'alker opened an office in 1906.
DENTISTRY.
Probably no other profession has made
more rapid progress during the last half
century than dentistry. Prior to that period
the study and care of the teeth were limited
to members of the medical profession.
The first dental college in the world was
established at Baltimore in 1839. Since
that time dentistry has been studied as a
science and practiced as an art, and has de-
veloped until it now ranks among the most
useful of the professions. Its ranks contain
men of education, culture and high social
standing. The development of the science
has been rapid, and a profession that is the
offspring of the nineteenth centur}^ has not
proven tenacious of old ideas, nor unfitted
itself for growth and improvement by a
blind devotion to the errors of the past.
The most rapid improvement has been
made in operative dentistry, of which there
has been almost an entire revolution. The
highest point at first attainable was to fill
such teeth as were slightly decayed, whereas,
by the aid of the various improved dental
instruments, together with the medical
treatment of the teeth, the profession is not
only enabled to preserve teeth slightly de-
cayed, but to restore and protect them for
many years. The early practice advocated
smooth-pointed instruments for filling, and
non-cohesive gold, whereas serrated instru-
ments and cohesive gold are now recognized
as most expedient.
Artificial teeth were in use as early as
AA'ashington's time, and he himself used a
set, but at that early day teeth were either
carved out of solid pieces of ivory, which
involved great labor and expense, or were
human teeth attached to gold plates.
Aaron Burr is said to have worn teeth of
the kind last mentioned. The later im-
provements made in this direction and their
introduction into general use, have added
largely to both the attractions and the dif-
ficulties of the profession, and drawn to it
many possessed of superior mechanical
skill. Formerly the plates in which the
teeth were set were made only of gold and
silver or carved out of ivory, which neces-
sarily made them both heavy and costly,
whereas now, plates are made not only of
gold and silver, but also of platinum, rubber
and celluloid. Rubber plates were not in-
troduced until about 1854, and celluloid
much more recenth*. The filling of teeth is
also a leading branch of the art, requiring
both skill, judgment and delicacy, when
properly done.
LIST OF PHYSICIANS.
An act of the State Legislature, passed in
1881, requires all physicians in the different
counties of Pennsylvania, to register in the
office of the prothonotary, their names, the
institutions from which they have gradu-
ated and a cop}^ of their diplomas. Physi-
cians without diplomas who had practiced
ten years before the act went into force were
permitted to register and continue their pro-
fessional duties. An act of the legislature
approved May 18, 1S93, requires that all
physicians before entering upon the duties
of their profession must stud)- medicine four
years and receive a medical diploma. After
graduation they are required to pass an ex-
amination by the State Board of Medical
Examiners, appointed by the Governor. If
this examination is satisfactory, the appli-
cant is licensed to practice medicine and sur-
gery by the Medical Council of Pennsylva-
nia. He must then register his name in
every county in which he resides or opens an
office. The following physicians have reg-
istered their names in the prothonotary's
office at York, since 1881 :
John Ahl, York ; James A. Armstrong, Hellam ;
Eugene R. Albaugh, Glenville ; Horace Alleman, Han-
over ; James B. Amos, Muddy Creek Forks ; William A.
538
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Albaugh, Codorus Township ; Horace M. AUeman, Han-
over; Joseph C. Atkins, Red Lion; Obadiah C. Brick-
ley, York; George Brickle}% York; Isaac N. Boyd,
Goldsboro ; Jeremiah W. Brickley, York; Napoleon B.
Bryan, Delta; Theodore H. Beltz, York; John R. Brod-
beck, Jefferson; Alexander R, Blair, York; William F.
Brinkman, Jefferson ; William B. Bigler, Springvale ;
Albert Z. Buchen, Hanover; Philip D. Baker, Carroll
Township; George W. Bahn, Spring Grove; WilHam
D. Bailey, Dillsburg; Henry G. Bussey, Shrewsbury;
William F, Bacon. York; Joseph H. Bittinger, Hanover;
Edward W. Brickley, York; George W. Brose, Y'ork;
John A. Blouse, York; Louise Blum, Y'ork; Israel H.
Betz, York ; J. H. Bennett, York ; Martin L. Barshinger,
York ; John K. Blanck, Wrightsville ; Raymond E. Butz,
Y'ork ; Frederick C. Bucher, Wrightsville ; Thomas C.
Baldwin, Y^ork ; Levi M. Bailey, Hanover ; Thomas M.
Curren, Cross Roads ; James C. Channel, Wrightsville ;
Katharine M. Crawford, York; Julia T. Hill Crawford,
York; Julius IT. Comroe, Y'ork; Jonas Deisinger, Hel-
1am; John W. Dehoff, York; Jonas M. Decker, Stovers-
town ; Laura J. Dice, Y'ork ; Joseph H. Dunnick, Stew-
artstown; John E. Dehoff, York; Oliver T. Everhart,
Hanover; Charles W. Eisenhower, Jacobus; John L.
Free, Stewartstown ; Lewis H. Fackler, York; Joseph
H. Fulton, Stewartstown ; Levi D. Frey, Glen Rock ;
Andrew N. Falkenstein. Glen Rock; Georgiana R.
Fleagle, Hanover; Evans M. Free, Stewartstown; James
Gerry, Shrewsbury; Elbridge H. Gerry, ShrewsDury;
Henry V. Gross, Manchester; Jacob M. Gross, Dover;
Isaac C. Gable, York; Jacob A. Gladfelter, Seven Val-
ley; David B. Grove, Hanover; David K. Gotwalt,
York; John T. Galbreath, Bryansville; John Gilbert,
York ; Austin M. Grove, York ; Carrol H. Gerry,
Shrewsbury ; Herbert F. Gross, Y'ork ; J. Thomas Gal-
breath, York ; Mercer R. Girvin, Grahamville ; Aaron
M. Gontner, Y'ork; Archibald P. T. Grove, Dallastown;
Jeremiah S. Hetrick, New Freedom ; Charles G. Hilde-
brand, Winterstown ; Martin Hoke, Spring Forge ;
Benjamin H. Howlet, East Prospect; Jacob Hay, York;
John F. Holahan, York; Jacob Hart, York; John M.
Hyson, Red Lion; John A. Hawkins, Fawn .Grove;
William J. Howard. Franklin Township ; Jacob I. Hoff-
man. Dillsburg; George E. Holtzapple, York; George R.
Hursh. Fairview Township ; Horace B. Hetrick, War-
rington Township; Benjamin F. Hubley, York; Milton
H. Holtzapple, York; I5enjamin A. Hoover, Wrights-
ville : Lawton JNI. Hartman, York ; Ralph A. Harding,
Lewisberry; Frank Horning, Hellam ; Robert A. Hilde-
brand. Glen Rock; Vallandingham Hawkins, Fawn
Grove : James W. Heckman, Delta : Augustus C. Het-
rick, Wellsville; John E. Inners. Yorkana ; Henry Z.
Jones, Jefferson; George H. Jordy, Y'ork; James L.
Jamison, Wrightsville; Roland Jessop, Y'ork; Pius H.
Jones, Glenville; Louis Jordy, York; George H. Jordy,
Hanover ; Harry H. Jones, York ; Henry S. Keller,
Glenville ; John B. Kain, York ; John D. Keller, Glen-
ville ; James W. Kerr, York ; William H. Kilgore. Delta ;
Harry B, King, Y'ork; J. Ferd Klinedinst, York; Jere-
miah F. Lutz, Glen Rock; Lemuel S. Lawson, Dallas-
town ; Luther M. Lochman, York ; Alfred A. Long,
York; William A. Long, New Salem; Harris R. Le-
crone, York ; Philo A. Lutz, Winterstown ; Isaac L.
Mingle. Newberrj-town ; E. W. Meisenhelder, York;
Zachariah C. Myers, York ; Edmund L. Melsheimer,
Davidsburg; James C. May, Manchester; Joseph S.
Miller, York; Joseph R. Martin, Stewartstown; John A.
Melsheimer, Hanover; Robert N. Meisenhelder, Han-
over ; Granville R. Markel. West Manheim Township ;
Howard T. Martin, Stewartstown ; William H. Minnich,
Jacobus ; Jerry C. Murphjf, Y'ork Haven ; Alfred Myers,
York; Edmund W. Meisenhelder, Jr., York; Henry C.
Markel, Jefferson ; Enos P. Mann. Dallastown ; Charles
F. IMiller. Muddy Creek Forks; Matthew J. M, McKin-
non, York; John F. McCuUough, York; William H. M-c-
Curdy, Slate Hill; William J. McClure, York; David M.
McDonald, Stewartstown ; Samuel I. McDowell, Dallas-
town ; Augustus R. Nebinger, Lewisberry; Charles M.
Nes, York; Henry Nes, York; Charles G. Nicholas,
York; James E. Nickel, Wrightsville; John F. Norris,
Airville; Noah A. Overmiller, York; Charles F. Over-
miller, Gladfelter's Station ; William R. Prowell, Sid-
donsburg; James T. Perkins, York; Benjamin F. Por-
ter, Brogueville; Samuel K. Pfaltzgraff. York; Edgar
R. Park, York; Brantley F. Parker, York; Benjamin F.
Posey, Brogueville ; John W. Porter. New Parke ; Mor-
gan A. Posey, Airville; John A. Rynard, Goldsboro;
William S. Roland, York ; Edwin P. Rohrbaugh, Glen
Rock; Luther L. Rewalt, Wrightsville; Benjamin F.
Reich, York; Leander A. Roth, Nashville; Robert W.
Ramsav, Slate Hill ; Roswell J. Russell. Hanover ;
Charles Rea, York; Adeline V. M. Rea, York; Samuel
J. Rouse, York ; George A. Rebman, Wrightsville ; Wil-
liam F. Smith, Airville ; Henry L. Smyser, York ; H.
David Smyser, York; Jacob R. Spangler, York; William
E. Swiler, Yocumtown; James C. Stem, Lewisberry;
Wesley C. Stick, Hanover; Andrew J. Snively, Han-
over ; Charles F. Spangler, Y'ork ; Niles H. Shearer,
York; James M. Shearer, Dillsburg; Joseph N. Smith,
York; Howard F. Strayer, York; Joseph A. Stoner,
Y'ork; David Strack, Thomasville ; Francis J. Snyder,
Y'ork; Lillian R. Saft'ord. York; Lewis H. Sterner, Por-
ters; William C. Seitz, Glen Rock; Robert D. Swiler,
Yocumtown ; J. Frank Small, Y'ork ; Edward D. Sterner,
Y'ork; Sallv K. Saltzgiver, Y'ork; George S. Stone,
New Freedom; J. H. Sieling, York; Robert S. Stable,
Manchester Township ; Harry D. Snvder, York ; W. C.
Smith, York ; John A. Shower, Y'ork ; Arthur B, Shatte,
York; Bernard W. Shirey, York; Charles E. Spahr,
York; John A. Thompson, Wrightsville; William H.
Treible, York; Gyula UUman, Y'ork; Frederick W. Van-
dersloot, Y'ork; Charles IT. Venus, Windsor; William
H. Wagner, York; Edward A. Wareheim, Glen Rock;
John Wiest, York; John S. Wright, Gatchelville ; John
F. X, Weil. York; George P. Weaver, Hanover; Plenry
H. Weiser, York; Martin L. Wolford, Dillsburg; Henry
Wolf, New Salem ; Alexandria C. Wentz, Hanover ;
Nathan C. Wallace, Dover ; Edward F. Wagner, York ;
Everett P. Warren, Goldsboro; Charles N. Wolf, Hel-
lam; Charles Wagner, Hanover; WilUam E. Webb,
Y'ork; John H. Yeagley, Y'ork; Peter K. Yost, New
Salem ; James L. Yagle, New Freedom ; George N.
Yagle, Windsorville ; Henry A. Zeigler, York.
CHAPTER XXX
EDUCATIONAL
Early Schools and Teachers — Methods of
Teaching — State Laws — Free School Sys-
tem— County Superintendency — County
Institute — Sunday Schools.
The Society of Friends {ollowing the in-
structions of William Penn, established
schools immediately after the first Quaker
settlements were made in Pennsylvania. It
was the custom of Penn to distribute circu-
lars among the earty settlers of his province.
A short time before his death in 1718 a
printed document containing the following
forcible words was widely circulated among
all classes and nationalities : "Nothing
weakens kingdoms like vice. It is the en-
EDUCATIONAL
539
emy of wisdom and religion. If we would
preserve oiu' government \\"e must endear
education to our people. The government
is a trustee for the youth of the kingdom."
The early Quakers who took up the fertile
lands within the present area of York
County, beginning as early as 1735 estab-
lished schools for the education of their
children.
The Scotch-Irish, who by nature were an
educating people, also brought the church
and school with them. Church schools sim-
ilar to those established in Scotland during
the latter part of the seventeenth century,
were organized in York County.
The first German churches in this
Parochial county had parochial schools.
Schools. 3'et no systematic effort was
made to improve the schools
among the Germans in Pennsjdvania until
1 75 1, when Michael Schlatter was sent to
this country on that mission and did excel-
lent work. A plan was laid by some noble-
men of Europe, for the instruction of the
Germans and their descendants in Pennsyl-
vania; consequently through the efforts of
Henry Melchior IMuhlenberg on the part of
■ the Lutherans, and Schlatter on the part
of the German Reformed people, parochial
schools were very early established in this
state and county-. These schools continued
till the middle of the nineteenth century.
In addition to these parochial schools, pri-
vate schools were established in places re-
mote from churches or meeting houses.
Rev. John Andrews, an Episcopal
Classical clergyman and pastor of St.
Schools. John's Church, afterward provost
of the University of Pennsylva-
nia, at Philadelphia, beginning about 1770
and continuing during the Revolutionary
period, taught in York the first classical
school west of the Susquehanna river, which
later became the York County Academy,
and like the Rev. Mr. Dobbins, who opened
a similar school in the Marsh Creek settle-
ment, Gettysburg, was a man of great force
of character. Both these schools were then
in York County, Adams not being separated
until 1800. AYhile Andrews taught the ris-
ing generation of the better class of people
in and around York to con the pages of
Latin, Greek and higher mathematics, Dob-
bins was doing a noble work for the Scotch-
Irish of ]\Iarsh Creek. The former trained
the minds of many of the early lawyers of
the York bar, and some of the clergy. At
least sixt}^ of Dobbins' pupils became pro-
fessional men, twenty of whom became min-
isters of the gospel. Andrews removed to
Philadelphia; Dobbins died in this county.
His remains were interred in the Lower
Marsh Creek burying ground near the town
of Gettysburg, and the old stone building
known as the "Dobbins property" in which
he taught, stood for about one hundred
years. These were representative men who
labored zealously among our ancestors in
those early days.
The teachers of York County, in
Early its early history, especially in
Teachers, the rural districts, were varied in
character and ability. They re-
mained longer, however, in one locality in
many instances than teachers now do.
Thomas Garretson taught twenty-three
years in succession at the Newberry Friends'
meeting house, in a school kept up by that
denomination. He was a mild mannered,
genial gentleman, who generally controlled
the boys by moral suasion, and his influence
was long felt and not yet lost to tradition.
AVilliam Underwood, the first clerk of the
AVarrington Friends' meeting, was the first
teacher in that section, beginning in 1740.
Zephaniah Underwood and' his brother,
Elihu, were men of equal merit and influence
among the AVarrington Quakers, before and
during the Revolution. John Peter Streher
taught the children of the first emigrants in
Dover Township in 1758-65 in a log
school house adoining Strehrer's church.
An educated German, Ludwig Kraft, as
early as 1744, began twenty years of con-
tinuous work among the early settlers on
the banks of the Codorus, at York, when
the town contained less than three hundred
inhabitants. His school was organized by
Michael Schlatter. Rev. David Candler,
who organized the "Evangelical Lutheran
Church of the Conewago settlement," now
Hanover, taught a school in his log church
and school house as early as 1738, near the
present site of Hanovei". After his death
in 1744, John Frederick AA^'ildbahn became
the instructor of the youths of that settle-
ment. He also ministered to the spiritual
wants of the first German settlers of the
community. Bartholomew Maul, from 1735
to 1770, taught the early Lutherans in York.
540
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Among the Scotch-Irish, from the time of
their emigration, schools were estabHshed
and supported. The oldest one known was
in the First Presbyterian Church, then a log
building at the union of Scott's Run with the
Muddy Creek. It was in operation before
1750. Schools were supported and consid-
erable advancements made, at the Presb}--
terian churches of Guinston, Chanceford,
Round Hill and Center. A classical school
was opened at the Slate Ridge Church dur-
ing the latter part of the last century. It
was taught by the pastor. Among the pupils
were the following persons, who afterward
became distinguished American citizens :
United States Senator James Ross, of Penn-
sylvania: Judge Hugh Brackenridge, and
Senator Rowan, of Kentucky.
Jacob Goering, who became a Lutheran
clergyman of rare ability and power, was
born of German parents in Chanceford
Township in 1775, and upon attaining his
manhood became a successful teacher in his
own district.
The people of Fawn tell many a quaint
story of "Jimmy" McCandless the poet, fid-
dler, justice and schoolmaster, known
throughout the entire "lower end" a century
or more ago. "Jimmy" Cabot, of the vil-
lage of Liverpool, now Manchester borough,
was a similar personage about the same
time. Lawrence Frost was a successful
teacher in Newberry meeting long before
the Revolution.
Elisha Hammond and Isaac Kirk before
1800, taught at Lewisberry; Hervey Ham-
mond, the son of the former, and Jacob
Kirk, the first county superintendent, and
the son of the latter, both followed in the
footsteps of their ancestors and were noted
teachers in the same vicinity. John Mc-
Laughlin, in 1810, taught the first purely
English school in Hanover, partly on the
Lancastrian plan, and the same )'ear wrote
and published a speller. The old Monaghan
Church, now the Dillsburg Presbyterian
Church, had a parochial schoolhouse con-
nected with it, which in 1809, was a \-ery
old building. In 1783, John Beals was a
teacher of this school and was followed by
AVilliam Bowman. Samuel J. Kirkwood,
the War Governor of Iowa and secretary of
the Interior in President Garfield's Cabinet,
taught in Hopewell Township early in life.
The original school house of JeiTerson stood
120 years and the one at the Stone Church
in Codorus Township existed about the
same length of time.
The following advertisement, published
in 1771, illustrates that all teachers were not
exemplary characters:
R.\N A\\'AY. — A servant man, who had followed the
occupation of a schoolmaster, much given to drinking
and gambling. One cent reward is offered.
Tradition speaks of many knights of the
rod and ferrule who held power by "switch
suasion" in different localities during the
early history of our country. To another
class the following quotation from one of
the world's greatest poets, would apply:
"Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way,
With blossomed furze, unprohtably gay,
There in his noisy mansion skilled to rule,
The village master taught his little school.
A man severe he was, and stern to view;
I knew him well and every truant knew ;
Well had the boding tremblers learned to trace
The day's disasters in his morning face ;
Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee
At all his jokes, for many a joke had he,
Full well the busy whisper, circling round.
Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned.
Yet he was kind, or, if severe in aught
The love he bore to learning was in fault ;
The village all declared how much he knew —
And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew.
That one small head could carry all he knew.
But past is all his fame. The very spot
\\"here many a time he triumphed is forgot."
In the primiti\-e days of our historj^
The among the Germans and in their
Books parochial schools, books, imported
Used._ from their native country, were
used. About 1800 and later, many
of the German subscription schools were
taught by Scotch-Irish and English Quaker
schoolmasters. The schools under the di-
rection of the Friends' monthly meetings at
^^'arrington and Newberry, were regularly
kept up for three-fourths of a century, and
had a good record. The kindly persuasive
manner and the gentle dispositions of these
teachers of the past, are still deeply cher-
ished in the minds of some of the old citizens
of the neighborhood in which they taught.
How carefully the}^ tried to con the inviting
pages of Webster's, Comly's, and Cobb's
spellers : Emerson's, Pike's, Park's, and
Daboll's arithmetics : Murray and Kirk-
ham's grammars ; the English reader and
the Introduction: frequently the New Testa-
ment, any history of the United States, or
history of any countr}- that might chance to
EDUCATIONAL
S4I
have found its way into the scanty library
of the early settlers. The competitive spell-
ing match gave rise to much interest, and
taught the early youths the whole of the
speller possibly much better than spelling is
now taught in many schools. There always
was a great rivalry in attempting to acquire
a knowledge of this art. and he or she who
was the "best speller" in a community, was
a local hero or heroine. There was rivalry
in the study of arithmetic and often a
healthy spirit of emulation was inculcated.
To go "through the book" and have all
"sums" copied, in a large book, specially
prepared for the purpose before any other
schoolmate could do it, was considered a
meritorious victory.
Thus the one who could "cipher" the best
in a community was a person for whom
there was much admiration. Until the in-
vention of steel pens and for several years
after this invention, the quill was the com-
mon instrument for writing. Metallic pens
were unknown, and it was an important
duty for a teacher to know how to make a
good quill pen. It is now one of the lost
arts, but if we are to judge from the appear-
ance, neatness and accuracy of some of the
writing of our ancestors, done by a quill, in
contrast with much writing with the metal-
lic pen, it is a pity that quill-pen-making is a
lost art. An attractively executed old doc-
ument has come into the hands of the writer.
It contains all the problems of an old Eng-
lish arithmetic, copied carefully and system-
atically on old style paper, made in book
form. If Elihu Underwood, who executed
this book in the year 1769, at the school
adjoining the Warrington meeting house,
was not a local hero, he ought to have been
considered one. His father, Zephaniah, for
many years a famous teacher among the
Quakers during the revolutionary period,
became one of the first trustees of the York
County Academy in 1789.
The old fashioned log school
Methods of houses had the writing desks
Teaching. almost invariably arranged
along the side walls of the
room. These desks were for writing pur-
poses only. In most cases the writing was
done in books made at home by parents or
pupils. The first writing exercise was a
straight mark, then a single curve, next a
double curve, and the letters taken singly,
beginning with "o" and following with sim-
pler ones. Large hand was taught first,
then the small hand. The teacher made
pens and "set the copies." For the latter,
quaint precepts were used. How many
times has the reader as well as his father and
grandfather seen the following: "Com-
mand you may your Mind from Play," "A
Man of words and not of Deeds, is like a
garden full of weeds," "Desire wisdom from
experience." In the first log houses, win-
dows were made by having the space be-
tween the logs cut wider and narrow sash
inserted. Thus a window sometimes was
made to extend along nearly one side of
the building. Before glass had become
plenty, oiled paper was used. On this tru-
ant boys would often draw crude heirglyph-
ics. Indeed such demoralizing tendencies
have not yet entirely disappeared.
At the church and some subscrip-
The tion schools, in many places the
School sessions were longer than the pres-
Term. ent school term in the rural dis-
tricts. In 1806 the one adjoining
Slate Ridge Presbyterian Church near Delta
in Peach Bottom Township, was kept open
for nine months of the year. The records
of a school near Spring Forge show that in
1810 it was in session ten months of the
year. In 1803 a school was kept open eight
months, in Fairview Township, by the
father of Jacob Kirk, first county superin-
tendent. But these long terms were rather
exceptional than the rule, as in general the
school term was only three or four months
of the yea.r from the time of first settle-
ments until a uniform term was established
by act of the legislature.
From the time of the adoption of
State, the State Constitution of 1790 to
School 1809, no legislative provision of a
Laws. general nature was made in refer-
ence to public schools. During
the latter year, an act was passed for the
"gratuitous education of the poor." A re-
port was made by township and ward as-
sessors to the county commissioners of all
children between the ages of five and twelve
years, whose parents were unable to provide
for their education. These poor children
were sent to the nearest school at the ex-
pense of the comity. This law was re-
pealed by the act of March 29, 1824, which
provided that every township or borough
542
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
should elect three "schoolmen" \\iio would
superintend the education of poor children
in their respecti\'e districts. But each
county might authorize the "schoolmen" to
divide the township into school districts,
and to establish schools at the expense of
the township, in which all the children be-
longing to the districts, might be taught for
three years, at any time between the ages
of six and fourteen. This law was applica-
ble to the whole State, with a few excep-
tions. A few of the English speaking town-
ships of York County accepted the provi-
sions of this act.
It was i-epealed in 1S26, and the act of
1809 revived. By the act of April 2, 1831,
the basis of a more efficient system was laid,
under which certain moneys and powers
were placed under the direction of the Sec-
retary of the Commonwealth, the Auditor
General and Secretary of the Land Ofhce.
The act of 1834 establishing the
Free free S3'stem of public schools
School caused an exciting discussion in the
System, legislature. Its final passage was
considered a triumph by its advo-
cates. This act was passed and signed
through the influence of George AA'olf, Gov-
ernor of Pennsylvania, and Thaddeus Ste-
vens, who then represented Adams County
in the state legislature. It was entitled "an
act to establish a general sj^stem of educa-
tion by common schools."
A con\-ention of delegates assembled in
York on Tuesday, November 4,1834. Jacob
Dietz was president and Daniel Small sec-
retary. "AA^ill this con\-ention accept the
provisions of the school law as passed in
April of this year, and shall a tax be laid for
the expenditures of each district ?" was
brought up for consideration.
Some of the delegates were sent to the
convention by certain townships, with the
special purpose of preventing its acceptance.
The following named persons voted in the
'affirmative, in the order given: Samuel
Prowell, i-epresenting Fairview; Luther H.
Skinner, Hanover; Jacob Emmitt, South
Ward, York; Godlove Kane, North Ward,
York; James H. Smith, Chanceford; Robert
Gebby, Lower Chanceford; John Living-
stone, Peachbottom ; yeas, seven.
The county commissioners and the fol-
lowing named delegates voted in the nega-
tive :
Commissioners — Jacob Dietz, Samuel
Harnish, John Shultz.
Delegates — Christian Snyder, Manches-
ter; John AValker, Warrington; Jacob Emig,
Dover; Ezekiel AYilliams, Paradise; AA'il-
liam Foster, Newberry; Jacob AA'eltzhoft'er,
Hellam; Jacob Feiser, Shrewsbury: Hugh
jNIcMullin, Monaghan ; James AA'allace,
Hopewell; Thomas Brooks, Fawn; Abra-
ham Burkholder, Franklin; Charles Diehl,
A\'indsor; Samuel Johnston, Springgarden;
Henry Bowman, Fleidelberg; Henry Berk-
heimer, AA^ashington; John AA'entz, Man-
heim; John Fitz, Sr., Codorus ; John Kre-
l)er, Carroll; Henry Stover, Conewago;
nays, twenty-two.
On motion it was then resolved by the
delegates who voted in the affirmative, that
the sum of $1,300 be raised by tax agree-
abh' to the provisions of said act, to be ap-
portioned among their respective districts,
as follows :
York borough south ward $303.99
York borough, north ward -^3-74
$328.28
Hanover 122.74
Chanceford 173.63
Lower Chanceford 138.50
Peach Bottom 81.52
Fairview 254.33
$1,300.00
Resolved, That Saturday, the 22nd, be the day in which
the people meet in their respective districts, and decide
by a majority of votes whether they will raise for the
current year a sum in addition to that determined on by
the delegates, as above stated.
On Thursday, I\Iay 28, 1835, a
The similar meeting of delegates was
Second held in the commissioners' office,
Meeting, which resulted as follows :
Frederick Baugher, North ward;
Israel Gardner, South ward; Henry AA'irt,
Hanover; Andrew Clarkson, Chanceford;
John Livingstone, Peach Bottom ; Stephen
McKinley, Lower Chanceford; Dr. Benja-
min Musser, Fairview; Joseph IMills, New-
berry; Jesse AA''heeler, Fawn; 3?eas, nine.
Commissioners — Jacob Dietz, John
Shultz, Christian Inners.
• John INIcAllister, Hopewell; Henry
Stover, Conewago : Henr}' Peter, York ;
nays, six. Some districts were not repre-
sented.
jMonday, ]\Iay 2, 1836, the annual con-
vention of the county commissioners and
school deleo-ates assembled at the Court
EDUCATIONAL
543
House. The following" delegates attending
produced their credentials and took their
seats :
Commissioners — John Shultz, Christian
Inners, Joseph Small.
Daniel Kraber, North ward; Joseph Mc-
Pherson, South ward; John Stickel, A\'ar-
rington ; P. Williamson, Peach Bottom ;
John Thompson, Fairview; Joseph Mc-
Creary, Newberry; James E. Mifflin, Hel-
1am ; George Klinefelter, Shrewsbury ; John
Bush, Dover; Joseph Parks, Monaghan;
William Allison, Hopewell ; Robert Ander-
son, Fawn ; Martin Carl, Franklin ; Michael
Paules, A\'indsor; Henr)^ Leib, Heidelberg;
John Griest, AVashington ; Daniel Bailey,
Carroll; Luther H. Skinner, Hanover; Sam-
uel Bear, AVest Manchester; Andrew Clark-
son, Chanceford; Matthew McCall, Lower
Chanceford.
On motion of Daniel Kraber it was then
Resolved, That a school tax be raised
agreeabl}^ to the act of assembly, entitled an
act to establish a general system of educa-
tion by common schools, and the supplement
thereto.
The question being taken by yeas and
nays, the vote was as follows :
Joseph Small, Daniel Kraber, Joseph
McPherson, John Stickel, John Thompson,
Joseph Parks, Joseph McCreary, James E.
Mififlin, George Klinefelter, AA^illiam Allison,
Robert Anderson, Daniel Bailey,, Luther
H. Skinner, Jacob Feiser, Andrew Clarkson,
Matthew jMcCall; yeas, sixteen.
John Shultz, Christian Inners. John Bush,
Martin Carl, Michael Paules, Henry Leib,
John Griest, Samuel Bear; naj^s, eight.
It will be observed that the common
school system was not generally very
popular. Of the nine votes cast by the
county commissioners, at the three conven-
tions, there is but onC affirmative vote, that
of Joseph Small. The delegates of the fol-
lowing districts voted to accept the system :
Fairview, Hanover, Chanceford, Lower
Chanceford, Peach Bottom and York bor-
ough. The next year Newberrj' and Fawn
townships were added to the list. At sub-
sequent conventions manj'- districts refused
to send delegates. At the third convention
AA'^arrington, Hellam, Shrewsbury, Mona-
ghan, Hopewell, Carroll and Springfield ac-
cepted.
In man}^ places bitter controversies arose.
and opposition was manifested to the efforts
to establish schools. Alost of the remain-
ing townships did not accept the system
until after the passage of the act of 1848,
which contained the following conditions :
"That from and after the passage of the act,
the common school system shall be held and
taken to be adopted b}^ the several school
districts of this county." Heidelberg did
not, however, accept until 1857; AVest Man-
heim in 1858, and Manheim in 1870. At-
tempts were made to vote down the system
in some of the German townships. As time
passed on, the new sj'Stem was received
wath more favor. The examination of
teachers was very imperfectly conducted by
the school directors or some person selected
by them.
THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENCY.
In accordance with the act creating the
office of county superintendent of schools,
the incumbent to be elected for the
term of three years by a majority of the
school directors of the county assembled,
the first meeting was held in the Court
House June 5, 1854. There was a fair rep-
resentation of the directors from those
townships which had accepted the common
school system. Daniel Kraber, of York,
was chosen president; J. H. AA'atkins and
Jacob Greenfield, vice-presidents ; John Fin-
ley, of Lower Chanceford, and A. H. Glatz.
of Hellam, secretaries. There were four
candidates named for the position : Jacob
Kirk, Andrew Dinsmore, C. B. AVallace and
D. M. Ettinger. The law gave the school
directors assembled the power to establish
the salary, which on this occasion was fixed
at $500, whereupon all candidates withdrew,
except Jacob Kirk, of the village of New
Market, Fairview township, and he was
unanimously elected. Mr. Kirk was an ex-
emplary man, representing an intelligent
Quaker family of the upper end. He had
not been a teacher for a number of years
previous to his election, and was not spe-
cially prepared to surmount the obstacles
in the way of establishing the school system
in the county.
Two reports were made by him to the sec-
retarjr of the commonwealth, which officer
then filled also the position of State Super-
intendent of common schools. Mr. Kirk's
first report was dated December 8, 1854, in
544
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
which he felt encouraged to say that "the
cause of common school education is becom-
ing so interwoven Avith the interests and
feelings of our people as to insure its pros-
perity." He suggested that the law be so
amended as to authorize the school direc-
tors to purchase suitable books with the
district funds. There were then 247
schools in the county under his supervision,
223 male and thirty-seven female teachers;
average salaries of males, $19.17; of females,
$13.00. Number of pupils in all the schools,
13,652. There were twenty graded schools
in York and six in Hanover. His second
report was made to Andrew G. Curtin, sec-
retary of commonwealth and superintendent
of schools, dated "New Market, August 13,
1855." There were then 279 schools, and
Mr. Kirk had visited 240 of them. The av-
erage school term in the county was a little
more than four months.
-The teachers generally, he said, "were at-
tentive and industrious, but there are some
painful exceptions." The highest average
salar}^, $28.75 P^i' month, was paid in
Wrightsville. Mr. Kirk resigned the posi-
tion, after having served about one year, and
George Christopher Stair, editor of the
People's Advocate of York, was appointed
to the position. He was familiarly known
among his friends as "Neighbor Stair." He
was an ardent supporter of the cause of ed-
ucation, having used the columns of his
paper to advance its interests. At the ex-
piration of fifteen months, on account of
failing health, he resigned, and Dr. A. R.
Blair was appointed to fill the unexpired
term.
The second triennial convention was held
May 4, 1857: Judge Robert J- Fisher was
elected president, and Dr. G. L. Shearer, of
Dillsburg, and Dr. H. G. Bussey, of Shrews-
bury, secretaries. There were fifty-six di-
rectors present. The salary was raised to
$1,000 per annum, and Dr. Blair was
elected. During this administration Heid-
elberg and West Manheim townships ac-
cepted the school system, leaving Manheim
the only non-accepting district.
In the year 1858, Hanover borough, Hel-
1am and Dover townships organized district
institutes and a union institute was formed
by the teachers of ^Manchester, West Man-
chester and North Codorus.
Twenty-three districts in the county had
adopted a uniform series of school books;
outline maps were used in 124 schools and
twelve districts held institutes twice a
month. The entire number of schools in
the county was 310; average length of
school term, four and a half months. York
had a nine months term, Hanover eight,
Lower Chanceford and Springgarden six
months. The law required but four months
and most districts did not exceed that num-
ber. The amount of tax levied was $42,235
for the county. During this term the York
County Normal School was started.
The third convention for the election of a
county superintendent was held May 7,
i860. V. K. Keesey, of York, was called
to the chair. The salary remained un-
changed and the incumbent in office, Dr.
Blair, was re-elected on the first ballot over
four competitors ; at this session all directors
were present. In 1862 Superintendent Blair
entered the Union army as a surgeon and
Daniel M. Ettinger was deputized to fill the
balance of the term. In many townships in
the year i860, district superintendents made
reports to the county superintendent.
Among those who reported encouraging
progress were A\'. H. Bond, of West Man-
chester; Henry Mosser, of Fairview;
Charles Mitzel, of Codorus ; AA'illiam Line-
baugh, of Paradise; Daniel Rhodes, of Man-
chester, and Peter Heiges, of Monaghan.
Most of these gentlemen were the secre-
taries of their respective school boards. In
1863 Joseph AA'ickersham, of Newberry
township, reported that the district super-
intendency "had done much to improve the
condition of our fifteen schools. A spirit
of emulation had thus been encouraged."
The fourth convention assembled May 3,
1863. Judge Fisher was chairman, C. B.
AVallace and Dr. S. J. Rouse, secretaries.
The salary remained $1,000. One hundred
and six directors were present. D. M. Et-
tinger, S. G. Boyd and S. B. Heiges were
nominated; Mr. Heiges received the major-
ity of the votes and was declared elected.
He had been for a number of years previ-
ously a successful teacher in the county.
For the year 1867 he reported as follows:
public examinations, 45 ; applicants exam-
ined, 377: schools visited, 130. During the
Civil War many of the most efficient teach-
ers entered the Union army. In the year
1867 about seventy pupils attended the Nor-
EDUCATIONAL
545
mal school conducted during the spring and
summer months by county superintendent
S. B. Heiges, S. G. Boyd and George W.
Heiges. At the next election, held in May,
1866, Mr. Heiges was unanimously re-
elected and the salary raised to $1,500. In
1868 on account of sickness, he deputized
George W. Heiges to serve the balance of
the term.
The sixth convention assembled in May,
1869. Dr. B. F. Porter, of Chanceford, was
elected president. At this meeting S. G.
Boyd, who had been an energetic teacher,
was elected county superintendent without
opposition at a salary of $1,500. In his
first annual report Mr. Boyd announced that
Wrightsville in 1870, built a brick school
building at a cost of $22,000, including fur-
niture and the lot on which it stood. Dur-
ing this year, Manheim township accepted
the school system and took advantage of
the benefits which accrued from the State
appropriation. He held that year in the
county twenty-two institutes, each two days
in length. In the 3'ear 1871 the borough of
York, taking advantage of the act of 1870,
and seeing the necessity of better local su-
pervision, elected W. H. Shelley, borough
superintendent, and after this the county
superintendent had no further supervision
of the York schools. In 1871 Mr. Boyd
was elected president of the Peach Bottom
Railway and W. H. Kain was made deputy
county superintendent.
At the seventh convention, held May,
1872, ninet3^-seven directors were present.
A. H. Glatz was chosen president : AMlson
Grove, W. J. Arnold and Henry Forten-
baugh, secretaries. The salary was reduced
to $1,200 per annum. W. H. Kain was
elected over two competitors. He was a
graduate of Pennsylvania College and well
fitted for the position. On March 28, 1873,
the legislature passed an act requiring the
county commissioners of York County to
provide and furnish an office for the use and
accommodation of the county superintend-
ent.
The eighth convention met in May, 1875,
Rev. T. M. Crawford presiding, W. J. Ar-
nold and Dr. B. F. Porter, secretaries. The
number of directors ninety-five. The nom-
inees were AV. H. Kain, A. W. Gray and
George R. Prowell. Mr. Kain was re-
elected. In his first annual report he stated
that Spring Garden had the best built and
best furnished school houses in the county.
Fairview ranked next. In 1876 there were
410 schools in the county, average salary
paid to male teachers was $33.50 per month
and to female teachers $31.50 per month.
There were 20,500 pupils attending public
schools in the entire county, with an average
attendance of 13,115. State appropria-
tions, $19,025; amount raised by taxation,
$127,482. The amount paid for teachers'
salaries $73,381. Of the teachers 290 males
and 120 females.
The ninth convention was held May 8,
1878. At this meeting Lemuel Ross, of
Dillsburg, was made president, and Captain
Frank J. Magee, N. Z. Seitz, C. R. McCon-
key, Millard Blackford and Dr. James Gerry,
secretaries. There were seven candidates
nominated. D. G. Williams was elected.
Two hundred and six directors were pres-
ent. During the previous winter the state
legislature had passed an act allowing the
county superintendent a fixed compensation
for each school under his supervision in the
county. At the time of his election, there
were 380 schools, exclusive of York bor-
ough. The area of the county is 921 square
miles, making the salary $1,671 per annum.
At the ninth triennial convention which
assembled in May, 1881, Captain Magee, of
Wrightsville, was chosen president; H. C.
Smyser, of Dillsburg, and A. D. Thompson,
of Hopewell, secretaries. One hundred and
sixtj'-eight directors formed the convention.
The candidates were D. G. AA'illiams, S. J.
Barnett, J. P. Hays and Daniel Simon. Mr.
AVilliams was re-elected.
In May, 1884, the tenth convention was
presided over by B. Frank KoUer, of
Shrewsbury, with AA'illiam Heltzel, of Han-
over; H. C. Smyser, of Dillsburg, and Cap-
tain Magee, of AA'rightsville, as secretaries.
One hundred and eighty-five directors
voted. The candidates were D. G. Wil-
liams, H. C. Brenneman, S. J. Barnett, D. H.
Gardner, J. P. Hays and Jacob Smith. Mr.
AA'^illiams was again re-elected.
In 1887 when H. C. Brenneman was
elected county superintendent there were
477 schools in the county. The attendance
was 14,650 pupils. The state appropriation
for that year was $23,300. There were 319
male and 177 female teachers, in all 496
teachers in the city and county of York.
546
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Mr. Brenneman served two full terms, dur-
ing which period there was a general ad-
vancement of the cause of public education
throughout the county. In 1893, during
the last year of his superintendency, the
state law furnishing free text books to all
pupils in the public schools, went into effect.
The state appropriations were largely in-
creased and during that year York County
received from the hands of the state treas-
urer $109,780.
David H. Gardner was elected county
superintendent in 1893 and filled that of^ce
four successive terms. In 1894 he reported
that there were 457 teachers in the county
exclusive of the city. In 1893 the High
School of the Borough of Hanover gradu-
ated its first class of nine students. During
Mr. Gardner's administration the cause of
education made encouraging progress
throughout every township and borough of
the county. In 1897 by act of assembly
the minimum length of the school term was
fixed at seven months. Several of the bor-
oughs have a nine-month term. As early
as 1865 patented desks were introduced in a
few of the county schools and within recent
years the old fashioned wooden desks have
all disappeared. The improvements in
school architecture have kept pace with the
advancement in any other section of Penn-
sylvania, and a system of graded schools
has been adopted in the boroughs.
In 1899 the school board of Spring Grove
erected a large building with six rooms.
This building cost about $27,000. Of this
amount $5,000 was paid by the district and
the balance by Philip H. Glatfelter, owner
of the paper mills in that borough. In 1897
Captain A. W. Eichelberger, a philanthropic
citizen of Hanover, erected a large six-room
building in which the Eichelberger Acad-
emy was conducted for two years. In 1900
Captain Eichelberger presented this build-
ing to the borough of Hanover for use as a
public high school. Its value including a
tract of four acres of land on which it is
situated is $30,000.
Large and commodious school buildings
of modern architecture and furnished with
the best of school appliances have recently
been erected in Hanover, Jefiferson, Red
Lion. Dallastown and other boroughs of
the county. A graded system of schools
with a High Scliool has been in operation in
Wrightsville for many years. In 1904 there
were 301 male and 203 female teachers, in
all 504, in the county. In the city of York
there were twenty-eight male and 109 female
teachers. The state appropriations for city
and county purposes amounted to $114,497.
The entire amount of money raised by taxes
for school purposes in York County was
$298,000.
In 1905, Charles W. Stine, who had
ser\'ed as principal of the schools of Dallas-
town, was elected county superintendent.
He entered upon his duties June i, of that
year. In his first official report to the school
department at Harrisburg, he stated that in
1906, there were 523 schools in the county
exclusive of the city. Efforts were then be-
ing made for the establishment of township
high schools, in three or four of the districts
of the county. The Codorus Township
High School at Glenville has been in suc-
cessful operation for several years.
The history of the public school system
of York County has been a constant growth
and development. The detailed account of
the schools of York will be found in the
history of that city in this volume.
The first session of the county
County teachers' institute assembled in
Institute, the Court House, in York, on
Saturday, December 23, 1854.
According to an account of this meeting in
the York Gazette, the following teachers and
'■i'-ectors were present : Teachers — John
Ta3dor, Daniel Klinefelter, Solomon Mey-
ers, J. N. Taylor, Ephraim Trimmer, Aaron
Trimmer, Jonas Deisinger, George M. Et-
tinger, J. M. Aldinger, W. H. Jordan, L.
Haney, S. S. Mathews, John Keller, E. Kel-
ler, J. E. Kline, Daniel Beitzel, W. F. Davis,
C. A. Ebert, G. Scheffer, AV. H. Bond, J. M.
G. AYiseman, Zachariah Rudy, Michael Gal-
ligher, Charles Alexander, Henry S. Bear,
Martin L. Duhling, and John Conoway.
Directors — Jacob Dehuff, Windsor ; E. Gar-
retson. Spring Garden; William Diehl,
Seven Valley; Jacob Falcomer, Pine Hill;
David Smyser, AN'est Manchester: Dr. W. S.
Roland, Alexander J. Frey, J. Jessop, Wil-
liam Sayres, and Dr. A. R. Blair, all of York.
In the absence of the county superintendent.
Dr. Roland was called to the chair ; William
Diehl and David Smyser were chosen vice-
presidents ; J. AY Graham and Dr. A. R.
Blair, secretaries. The institute passed an
EDUCATIONAL
547
elaborate set of resolutions, with an ex-
haustive preamble, complaining bitterly of
the evils that then beset the system. In
was resolved to call another county con-
vention of teachers and directors on Thurs-
day, January 25, 1855, which meeting lasted
till Saturday noon, of the same week, and
was addressesd by Hon. Thomas H. Bur-
rowes and Rev. Charles Martin. From this
small beginning the county institute has
grown in importance and influence. It is
now acknowledged to be a strong lever in
supporting and encouraging a healthful ed-
ucational feeling in the county.
Since the legislative act has been passed
requiring all boards of education of the pub-
lic schools to allow the teachers full time
for attending the institute, nearly every
teacher in the county is regularly in attend-
ance for the entire week. The sessions are
held annually, and continue for five days.
Some of the ablest instructors and lecturers
on educational topics in America are se-
lected.
A large nvunber of the citizens of York
city and the county attend these annual
meetings, and institute week is looked for-
ward to with great interest. The State an-
nually appropriates $200 to its benefit.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
The York County Bible Society, an or-
ganization tributary to the American Bible
Society, was formed in York on August 7,
1817. Its object was "to distribute the
Sacred Scriptures, without note or com-
ment, in all sections of the county." The
guiding spirit in effecting this organization
was Samuel Bacon, who was born in Stur-
bridge, Massachusetts, July 22, 1782. He
came to York from Lancaster, Pennsylva-
nia, after graduating at Harvard College.
He was principal of an academy, which af-
terward became Franklin College. Being
invited to York to teach the classics in the
York County Academy, he came here when
still a young man. During the war of 18 12
he went to Washington, and entered the
military service as an of^cer of marines. In
the year 181 5 he returned to York and be-
gan the practice of law, having been admit-
ted to the bar at Washington. At once he
became a public spirited citizen. Having
seen elsewhere the successful operations of
the American Bible Societv, he assisted in
organizing meetings in York and in the
county, and at once received the hearty en-
couragement of most of the influential cler-
gymen. While yet in the practice of the
law, he began the study of theology, and in
1817 was ordained by Bishop White as a
deacon in the Episcopal Church. Mr.
Bacon \\as a man of striking individuality
and great force of character.
The York County Bible Society
The First became the same year "The Bible
Sunday Charity and Sunday School Soci-
School. etyof York County," and, under
a charter granted by the legisla-
ture, was permanently organized by electing
Rev. Samuel Bacon president, on August 10,
1817. From that day dates the origin of
Sunday School work in York County. This
meeting was held in the building immedi-
ately west of the Friends' Meeting House
on Philadelphia Street. The first meeting
to discuss the question of organizing such
a society, was held in the Academy.
All protestant denominations were invited
to lend a helping hand, and a school was es-
tablished in this building, which was used
by the afterward celebrated Amos Gilbert,
a teacher of the Lancastrian school. He
and Abner Thomas, both members of the
Society of Friends, conducted such a school
in this building at that time. They assisted
in the first Sunday School. The personnel
of this, the first Sunday School, cannot now
be given. Under the protecting care of its
active superintendent it prospered. It was
not many weeks until more than 100 pupils
attended. The clergy of York in general
and many laymen assisted, and others gave
encouragement. In the month of April,
1818, the number of pupils had increased to
300, and the school was removed to the
York County Academy, and all of the differ-
ent rooms used.
During the summers of 1818 and
County 1819, Rev. Bacon used extraor-
Schools. dinary efforts to establish Sunday
Schools in York County, and, ow-
ing to his exertions, during those two years
he succeeded in organizing twenty-six
schools in the villages and thickly settled
country places of the county. In Septem-
ber, 1819, their combined membership num-
bered 2,000 pupils. A writer of the time
said that "Mr. Bacon became the admiration
of all who knew him." Robert Foster, in
548
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1885 described his coining to Lewisberry in
1819 and starting a school there. As a rep-
resentative of the Bible and Sunday School
Society, he frequently distributed bibles free
to persons in the county worthy of such
charity. Sad to relate, this enthusiastic
worker in the cause of christian charity and
great advocate of spreading the truths of
the Gospel, died of a fever at an English
settlement in Cape Shilling, on the coast of
Africa, May 3, 1820, at the age of thirty-
eight years. He had been sent there but a
few months before by the American Coloni-
zation Society as their representative.
In the spring of 1819, a number of
The women of the borough of York
Society, joined the first school in the Acad-
emy. This was a new era in its
histor)' and greatly increased its member-
ship. This school became a center of in-
terest in York, and for a number of years
was the only one in the town. It was in
January, 1820, that Rev. Bacon left York
for Africa, as he was the representative
head of the society, although its president
for only one year. Of the first organization
William Doll was secretary and William
Jones, librarian. In the year 1819 the Bible
and Sunday School Society elected Rev.
George Geistweit, president ; Revs. J. G.
Schmucker, Robert Cathcart and Constan-
tine Miller, vice-presidents: William Barber,
treasurer, and Samuel Bacon, secretary.
Regular quarterly meetings were held and
reports read of the progress of the work.
Samuel Bacon made his tenth and last re-
port to the society, which met in St. John's
Episcopal Church, October, 1819, at which
time it was stated that 2,000 pupils in York
County belonged to the twenty-six Sunday
Schools then formed. In the spring of 1822,
an election was held at which the following
officers were chosen : Rev. Robert Cath-
cart, D. D., of the Presbyterian Church,
president; Rev. Dr. Lewis Mayer and Rev.
Geistweit, of the Reformed Church, vice-
presidents; William Barber, treasurer;
Jacob Eichelberger, secretary ; Rev. Con-
stantine Miller, C. Prettyman, Philip J.
King, Andrew Cramer, Jonathan Jessop and
William Nes, managers. The quarterly
meetings were held in the different churches
of York. For a number of years this so-
ciety, with the double design of circulating
the Scriptures and encouraging the reading
and study of them, did effective work. The
combined efforts of all denominations
seemed to harmonize as well as was antici-
pated.
In the original school at York all the
teaching was done in the English language.
The precise location of all the schools in
the county established in 1818 and 1819
cannot now be definitely stated. The exer-
cises in some of them were in German. In
the tenth quarterly report made by Mr.
Bacon, the following places were mentioned
as having schools, and as having been sup-
plied with books : Dover, Lower Chance-
ford, Stewartstown, Shrewsbury, Hanover,
Cross Roads in Hopewell, Wellshoffer's
School House in Hellam, Liverpool, Bald
Hills, Friends' Meeting House in Warring-
ton, Newberrytown, York Haven, New Hol-
land and New Market.
There are still some union schools
Church prospering in York County, but
Schools, most of them are denominational
schools. In 1824 the congrega-
tion of the Methodist Episcopal Church was
the first to leave the general organization in
York and start a Sunday School in their
church. It has ever since maintained a
prosperous existence. St. John's Episcopal
Church followed in 1826, the English branch
of the Reformed Church in 1828, the First
Lutheran in January, 1829, the Moravians
in 1836, St. Paul's Lutheran in 1836, and the
Presbyterians in the year 1838. The First
Lutheran, under Rev. Dr. Lochman, and
Zion Lutheran, under Rev. Mr. Lilly, united
their fortunes together at the time of the
separate organization.
In 1842 the Evangelical Association in
York organized a Sabbath school of their
own. In 1843 the United Brethren fol-
lowed their example, the Baptist in 1853,
the Union Lutheran west of the Codorus in
i860, the Zion Reformed in 1864, the Meth-
odist Episcopal Chapel ]\Iission in 1861, the
Trinity Chapel Mission in 1861, St. Luke's
Mission in 1862, and Trinity Reformed in
1867. None of these belonged to the orig-
inal organization, but organized as separate
and distinct schools under the auspices and
direction of their several churches. The
African Methodist Episcopal Chnrch of
York established a Sabbath school as far
back as the year 1820, under their own im-
mediate care aad supervision.
THE PRINTING PRESS
549
CHAPTER XXXI
THE PRINTING PRESS
Franklin's Press — Pennsylvania Herald —
The York Republican — Democratic Press
— Gazette — Daily — True Democrat — Dis-
patch— Hanover Journalism.
The art of printing was introduced into
York during the Revolution. October 17,
1777, about two weeks after Continental
Congress removed here from Philadelphia,
that body adopted a resolution, "That the
Committee of Intelligence be authorized to
take the most speedy and effectual measures
for getting a printing press erected in York-
town for the purpose of conveying to the
public the intelligence that Congress might
from time to time receive."
Soon after the passage of this
Franklin's resolution, the printing press of
Press. Hall and Sellers, of Philadel-
phia, which had previously be-
longed to Benjamin Franklin, was brought
to York. This press had been taken to
Bethlehem when the American army evacu-
ated Philadelphia. It was kept there for a
few days until its removal to York. The
Pennsylvania Gazette, which had been pub-
lished in Philadelphia, was also brought
here and during the nine months that Con-
gress held its sessions in York was the or-
gan of that body. Files of this paper for
that period are now in the possession of the
State Library at Harrisburg and the original
printing press used by Benjamin Franklin
and Hall and Sellers is owned by the His-
torical Society of Pennsylvania at Philadel-
phia. It was upon this press that the Dec-
laration of Independence was first printed,
soon after its adoption in 1776. When the
press was brought to York it was set up in
a buildin-g at the southwest corner of Market
and Beaver Streets, and there the Pennsyl-
vania Gazette was published. This build-
ing was then and until 1817 owned by
Major John Clark, a hero of the Revolution.
April II, 1778, Congress passed a resolu-
tion "that five millions of dollars be emit-
ted in bills of credit on the faith of the
United States." This money was printed
on the Hall and Sellers press at York in
denominations of four, five, six, seven, eight,
twent}^ thirty and forty dollars. These
bills it is claimed were afterwards counter-
feited and the government ordered them all
destroyed, consequently the continental cur-
rency bills printed at York are the rarest in
existence.
After the removal of the Gazette
First otTice to Philadelphia there was no
Local paper published in York until
Papers. 1787, when Matthias Bartgis and
T. Roberts established a printing
press. In the month of October they pub-
lished the first number of their paper which
was entitled the Pennsylvania Chronicle and
York Weekly Advertiser. This paper was
continued about two years, when the press,
types, etc., were removed to Harrisburg.
The next paper pulilished in York was
the Pennsylvania Herald and York General
Advertiser. The first number was issued by
James and John Edie and Henry Wilcocks,
on January 7, 1789. The types emplo3''ed
in the printing of the Herald were cast in
Philadelphia by Mr. Bane, a gentleman who
was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland. The
press was made in York vmder the direction
of Henry Wilcocks, the iron work being
executed b}^ Jacob Small. The printing ink
of the first issue was manufactured in Ger-
mantown. The Herald preserved its title
for about eleven years, though from 1789 to
1800 it underwent some changes in owner-
ship. Files of this paper excepting two
years are in the possession of the York
County Historical Society.
Until the year 1796 there had not been
two papers published in York at the same
time. In the spring of that year, Solomon
Meyer commenced the publication of a
paper entitled Die York Gazette. This was
the first paper printed in York County in
the German language. It afterward passsed
into the hands of Christian Schlichting, un-
der whom it ended in 1804. In that year
the press, t}'pes, etc., were purchased by
Daniel Heckert, by whom they were sold
to Stark and Lange of Hanover.
The paper next published in the borough
of York was Der Volks Verichter, the first
number of which was issued by Andrew
Billmeyer on July 25, 1799. This paper con-
tinued four years. Andrew Billmeyer also
published a number of books.
In the year 1800, John Edie
The took Robert McClellan as
Republican, partner and changing the
name of the Herald they com-
menced a new paper entitled the Recorder.
550
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
This journal was a continuation of the Her-
ald : its first number was issued January 29,
•1800. The Recorder continued until 1830.
The last editor was Samuel Wagner. The
establishment passed into the hands of
Thomas C. Hambly, by whom a paper was
published at first called the York Repub-
lican and afterward the Pennsylvania Re-
publican. Mr. Hambly transferred it in
1834 to Samuel E. Clement.
In the same year, Thomas E. Cochran,
who afterward became one of the leaders of
the York County Bar, moved from Colum-
bia to York. He became editor of the York
Republican and soon afterward his brother,
John Cochran, and himself purchased the
paper and conducted it as one of the most
enterprising and progressive Whig papers
in the state of Pennsylvania. The Coch-
rans owned the paper, which had reached a
wide circulation, for many years, and
Thomas E. Cochran continued to be its
political editor until 1864. AVhile he held
the office of auditor general of Pennsylvania
D. F. Williams, of York, was the editor.
In 1850, the Republican came into
the possession of S. J. and A\'. C.
Shay. It was conducted by the for-
mer alone for a time. In 1858 it was pur-
chased by Horace Bonham.- In i860, Sam-
uel H. Spangler became one of the owners
of the paper. The Recorder, a daily paper,
was issued from this office for six months
during 1861. The Republican was after-
ward published by Lewis Smyser, J. Shelley
Boyer, S. I. Adams, A. H. Chase and H. S.
McNair. In 1883, when it ceased publica-
tion, it had nearly reached its one hundredth
anniversary, and was always a highly prized
journal. A destructive fire had destroyed
its valuable files in 1879.
In Ma)', 1808, the first number of the Ex-
positor was issued, a weekly paper printed
and published every Thursday by Daniel
Heckert and Daniel Updegraff. The Ex-
positor was continued until August, 18 14,
when both editors suddenly relinquished
their employment and enlisted as soldiers in
the second war with England. After their
return from the battle of North Point,
whither they had' marched as volunteers,
they did not resume the publication of the
Expositor. In August, 1810, a monthly lit-
erary periodical, the Village ^luseum, was
started bv P. Hardt, and continued four
years. The German Reformed Magazine,
the organ of the theological seminary, was
removed to York in 1828, and remained here
until the removal of that institution.
In the year 181 5, a new German paper
called Der Union's Freund, was commenced
in York, the first number of which was is-
sued on January 19, 1815, by Charles T.
Melsheimer and James Lewis, at that time
joint editors of the York Recorder. This
paper was continued nearly two years.
The last numJjer was issued in October,
1816.
Der V'ahre Republicaner was the third
German paper printed in York, its first issue
being on Eebruary 20, 1805. This paper,
which was a continuation of the Verichter,
or rather a revival of it, was at first pub-
lished by Schlichting and Billmeyer, after-
ward by Billmeyer alone until his death in
1828. Shortly after Billmeyer's death, the
establishment was purchased by Samuel
AVagner, at that time editor of the York
Recorder, who from then until the year
1830 published an English and German
paper, the latter of which bore the .title of
Der Republicanishe Herald.
When Samuel Wagner transferred the
York Recorder to Thomas C. Hambly, he
sold the Republicanische Herald to Gloss-
brenner and May, by whom the paper was
published for about two months, when
Glossbrenner transferred his share of it to
Benjamin Flory, and the paper was pub-
lished by IMay and Flory for about one year,
when it was bought by Thomas C. Hambly,
and united to the establishment of the York
Republican.
The People's Advocate, founded in 1844,
when Henry Clay was nominated for Presi-
dent of the United States, was an ardent
Whig paper published at York from 1844
to 1856. Its editor was G. Christopher
Stair, a man of fine education and literary
culture.
Die Evangelical Zeitung, edited by Rev.
John H. Dreyer, began in 1828. It lasted
two years. In 1830, the Harbinger, an
English paper, which originated in Shrews-
bury, this county, was removed to York by
its editor, William C. Smythe. It existed
for a number of years. The York County
Farmer first appeared in December, 1831.
It was printed in the English language and
was edited by A. J. Glossbrenner. It was
THE PRINTING PRESS
551
discontinued at the end of the second year.
An agricuhural paper was published in Lew-
isberry during the year 1835, and a German
paper existed for two years in the village of
Jefiferson, beginning in 1834.
The Democratic Press was estab-
The lished in June, 1838, by an associa-
Press. tion of men for the purpose of oppos-
ing the erection of the county Court
House upon the site of the present one.
The Press was started under the editorial
control of Thomas Loyd, who was an able
writer, but unfortunately it only remained
under his charge six months, in consequence
of a misunderstanding among its stock-
holders, on account of his strong opposition
to Charles A. Barnitz, the Whig candidate
for Congress that year. Mr. Loyd not
being permitted to take as strong sides for
the Democratic candidate as he desired,
withdrew from the editorship. The paper
remained under the control of the stock-
holders, with Dr. T. N. Haller as its chief,
until June, 1839, when Samuel Wehrly and
Oliver Stuck became its owners and for a
year or more thereafter, Albert C. Ramsay
was its editor. It was published by AVehrly
and Stuck until March, 1845, when Wehrly
disposed of his interest to F. E. Bailey, who
died a few weeks later. In April following
D. F. Williams purchased Bailey's interest.
The paper was then published bv Williams
and Stuck until October, 1855, when Oliver
Stuck bought Mr. AA'illiams' interest.
The Democratic Press, under the efficient
editorial and business management of
Oliver Stuck until his death, was a good
local journal and excellent family news-
paper with a wide circulation. The files of
this paper since its first publication are now
in the possession of the York Gazette Com-
pany. In 1901 the Press was purchased by
the owners of the Gazette, under whose
management it was issued as a daily for
three years.
OLIVER STUCK, proprietor of the
Democratic Press, active and influential
with the Democracy of York County for
thirty years, was born at York, September
19, 1817. His education was largely ac-
quired in a printing office, entering the
office of the York Gazette, at the age of
twelve. He followed the occupation of a
printer in York and Harrisburg until 1839,
when he became joint owner of the Demo-
cratic Press. In 1852, he was appointed
state agent of the Philadelphia and Colum-
bia Railroad and held that position until
this road became the property of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad Company, in 1857.
Meantime, he retained his position as half
owner of the Democratic Press, of which he
became sole proprietor in 1855. He then
devoted his attention until the time of his
retirement to building up the interests of
his journal, one of the best family news-
papers in York County. From 1881 to 1884
he was register of wills for York County.
He died at York, February 3, 1890.
His son, Edward Stuck, succeeded in the
editorial management of the Press and later
founded The Age. He served as state li-
brarian during Pattison's administration as
governor of Pennsylvania.
The American Protectionist was pub-
lished for a few months of the year 1855 by
Richard J. Haldeman, afterward a repre-
sentative in Congress from the York Dis-
trict. It was succeeded by the American
Eagle, an organ of the American Party,
owned and edited by Henry F. Thomas. He
continued the paper as a vigorous journal
for a year.
The American Lutheran, a religious
paper, was removed to York by Rev.
Peter Anstadt, D. D., in 1871, and continued
until 1876. Later Dr. Anstadt published
the Teachers' Journal, a Sunday School
paper which soon reached a large circula-
tion. In 1875, he started the Lesson Quar-
terly. Both these papers have been suc-
cessfully conducted by his sons, Henry and
Charles P. Anstadt, after the father's death.
They also publish books and magazines.
The Evening Telegram, founded Oc-
tober, 1873, by George R. Prowell, was the
first paper in York County to be connected
with the associated press and receive regu-
larly the telegraphic news. The paper was
continued as a daily journal until 1875,
when it ceased publication, at a time when
all the industrial establishments except one
in York were not in operation, owing to the
depressed financial conditions.
The Evening Record was founded by
Samuel H. Spangler in 1876. This paper
was edited by E. Norman Gunnison, who
had served as a soldier on General Hooker's
staff in the Civil War, and had acquired a
wide reputation as a poet. At the end of
55^
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
nine months, the paper was discontinued.
The Age, a Democratic daily journal, was
founded by Edward Stuck, in York, Janu-
ary, 1883, and was published for several
years in the office of the Democratic Press.
He disposed of the paper to an incorporated
company, which afterward sold it to the
York Gazette Company.
The York Tribune, an enterprising Re-
publican daily newspaper, was published in
1884. The Telephone was an interesting
monthl)' journal published for two years by
Isaac Rudisill.
The Fountain, a monthly periodical, was
started in 1883, by W. H. Shellej^, superin-
tendent of the York public schools. It was
a literary magazine for the general reader
and for use as supplementary reading in the
public schools. Its publication was con-
tinued about six years.
The York Pennsylvanian was started in
185 1, in a building at the corner of Market
and Duke Streets, where it continued to be
published until 1867, when it Avas removed
to the site of the Security, Title and
Trust Company building. The original
proprietors were Frey and Hunter. Mr.
Hunter retired in 1853, and Samuel Wehrly
purchased his interest and remained part of
the firm for three years, when D. A. Frey
became sole proprietor and continued its
publication. In 1881. his son, V. K. Frey,
became a partner, and continued its pub-
lication after his father's death. David A.
Frey was an enterprising newspaper man.
Under his management the York Pennsyl-
vanian reached a large circulation. He
purchased a tract in the southeastern sec-
tion of York, and laid it off in lots, which he
sold with profit.
The publication of the York Ga-
The zette was commenced May 18,
York 181 5, by William C. Harris. It was
Gazette, published every Thursday, at $2.00
per annum, payable half yearly in
advance. The office was located on Market
Street next door to the Zion Reformed
Church. Copies of the paper now in the
office commence with No. 9, Vol. i, dated
Thursday, November 30, 181 5, to April,
1 8 16. On April i, 18 16, the office was re-
moved to South George Street. An omis-
sion here occurs in the file, which com-
mences Thursday, May 13, 1819, as No. 17,
Volume I. printed by Adam King and
Daniel Mallo — between the Court House
and the post office. This was the first
number printed by the new firm. In the
interval the paper had fallen into the hands
of a successor to William Harris, who died,
and whose name is not given, but supposed
to be AV. M. Baxter. On Tuesday, April 11,
1820, it was announced that "the printing
office of the York Gazette will be removed
this week to the house of James Loyd, be-
tween Judge Barnitz's and Presbyterian
Church (Zion Reformed), and opposite
John Eichelberger's tavern, in Main Street,
west of the Court House." The number
for April 18, 1820, is volume 3, published by
King and Abbott. Abbott succeeded Mallo
in the proprietorship. The file leaves off
at May 21, and recommences May 6, 1823.
May 4, 1824, the partnership of King and
Abbott was dissolved, Adam King and
Henry W^elsh assumed the proprietorship.
On September 18, 1827, the office was re-
moved to the southwest corner of Market
and Beaver Streets. King and Welsh dis-
solved partnership April 7, 1829, when
Henry AVelsh was succeeded by George A.
Barnitz, Tuesday, August 7. In April,
1833, the office was removed to the north
side of Market Street, a few doors below
the York Bank. King and Barnitz dis-
solved partnership April i, 1835. Barnitz
was succeeded by Adam J. Glossbrenner.
Adam King died May 6, 1835, and was suc-
ceeded by David Small, in April, 1836. In
September, 1835, the office was removed to
the west side of North Beaver Street, op-
posite Duncan's hotel. In April, 1836, it
was removed to the east side of North
Beaver Street, a few doors north of the
National Hotel. Another removal took
place during the week between the lOth and
i6th of November, 1847, to East Market
Street, in the building of Charles Weiser
(now Lehmayer's). April i, 1858, the sole
proprietorship passed into the hands of
David Small, who disposed of a half interest
to \A''illiam H. Welsh, son of Henry Welsh,
one of the former proprietors. William H.
Welsh was succeeded by his brother, John
B. AVelsh, early in the year 1862, and with
David Small constituted the firm of Small
and W^elsh. The office was removed to the
Jordan building, northwest angle of Centre
Square, July 25, 1865.
David P. Shultz was an employee in the
THE PRINTING PRESS
553
office of the Gazette for a period of nearly
forty years. In 1885, David Small died and
in October, 1886,, John B. Welsh, the sur-
viving partner, sold the paper and printing
office to Adam F. Geesey, who organized
the Gazette Printing and Publishing Com-
pany, limited, with Stephen G. Boyd and
Guy H. Boyd as partners. Under this own-
ership, the Gazette continued to be a popu-
lar and influential newspaper, of which
Stephen G. Boyd was editor. November 9,
1887, the first issue of the daily Gazette was
published. ' In 1888, the printing house was
removed to the southwest corner of George
Street and Mason Alley, to a building
formerly the private residence of David
Small, and since 1888, the property of Adam
F. Geesey. It was upon this site that James
Smith, the signer of the Declaration of In-
dependence, had his law office during the
Revolution. The office was occupied as a
place of meeting for the Board of A'Var,
when Continental Congress met in York.
In 1890, Mr. Geese}^ purchased the entire
interests of the paper, and in 1893, dis-
posed of it to A. B. Farquhar, who con-
tinued to be publisher and proprietor until
1897, when it was sold to Lemon Love and
T. B. G. Hiestand, who organized the busi-
ness into a stock company. Mr. Hiestand
sold his interest in the newspaper and print-
ing office to- Lemon Love in 1903, who con-
ducted it as sole proprietor, publishing the
weekly Gazette, the daily Gazette, and for
a term of three years, the daily edition of
the Democratic Press. Meantime, under
the ownership of Love and Hiestand, a
large and commodious printing house had
been erected on East King Street, now
occupied by the Gazette Publishing Com-
pany. The office is fitted up with first class
machinery, including linotypes, presses and
a full supply of all necessary printing ma-
terials. The York Gazette has always
been recognized as an enterprising jour-
nal.
The German edition of the York Gazette,
which was founded in 1796 and continued
until 1804, was started a second time about
1828. It attained a large circulation among
the German speaking people of York
Count}^ for many years. Owing to the fact
that the German language was not taught in
the public schools it could not be read by
the descendants of the first settlers, and
hence for lack of patronage Die York Ga-
zette was discontinued in 1890.
HENRY WELSH, banker and publisher,
was born in Hanover, January 13, 1800, son
of George Welsh and grandson of Henry
A\'elsh, a captain in the Revolution and a
leading citizen of Hanover for half a cen-
tury. Early in life Mr. Welsh came to
York and acquired a knowledge of mercan-
tile affairs in a building in Centre Square.
About the year 1824 he became associ-
ated with Adam King in the publication of
the York Gazette under the firm name of
King and AVelsh. He afterwards went to
Harrisburg, where he became proprietor of
The Reporter and was appointed state
printer. In 1834 he returned to York and
in connection with Daniel Shriver engaged
in mercantile business in the building at
the northwest angle of Centre Square. In
1838 he moved to Philadelphia and in com-
pany with William, brother of Simon Cam-
eron, Daniel Schriver and William E. Ev-
ans established the large dry goods jobbing
house of Welsh, Cameron and Company.
In 1842 he returned to York, which was
his place of residence until his death. In
1845 he was appointed naval officer of the
port of Philadelphia by President Polk, an
office he filled with satisfaction to the public
for a term of four years. While in Phila-
delphia he took an active part in the organ-
ization of the Pennsylvania Railroad. He
was a director in the York and Wrights-
ville Railroad Company and also in the
Northern Central Railroad Company, which
position he filled for many years and always
took a prominent part in the management
of that corporation. During the adminis-
tration of President Johnston he served as
Internal Revenue Collector for the York
district. He repeatedly represented this
district in the Democratic National conven-
tions and three times served on the Demo-
cratic electoral ticket. He was in the con-
vention which nominated Franklin Pierce
for president, in 1852, and was also a mem-
ber of the convention which nominated
James Buchanan. For thirty years he was
on terms of the closest intimacy and friend-
ship with President Buchanan, who ten-
dered him different public positions, which
he declined. JMr. Welsh was a financier of
ability. He was president of the York
National Bank from 1858 to 1867 and from
554
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1874 to 1879. He was married to Cather-
ine Barnitz, of York. A\'illiam H. \A'elsh,
his eldest son, was chairman of the Demo-
cratic State Committee, private secretary to
President Buchanan, and prominent as an
editor in Philadelphia and Baltimore. John
B. Welsh, the second son, was one of the
owners of the York Gazette, and for sev-
eral years was proprietor of the York Daily.
His daughter, Henrietta Catherine, married
Pere L. \\'ickes. president judge of the
courts of York County, and later a judge of
the courts of Baltimore. Mary, another
daughter, married Commodore Wells, of
the United States navy. Henry Welsh
died June 23, 1883.
DAVID SMALL, one of the owners of
the Gazette for a period of forty-nine years,
was born in York, in 1809, son of Peter
Small, one of the early men of prominence
in the borough. He obtained his education
in the schools of his native town, and in
1836, at the age of 27, became half owner in
the York Gazette, one of the leading Demo-
cratic journals of Pennsylvania. He was
careful and painstaking in all his business
operations, and through his efiforts, the Ga-
zette reached a large circulation and wielded
a strong influence in the public affairs of
York County. Mr. Small was a Democrat
in politics. He was a man of excellent
judgment and possessed the highest integ-
rity. These qualities made him a leader in
the Democratic part}^ of York County, a
position which he maintained for a third of
a century. He was never an aspirant for
ofifice, but owing to his business ability,
served several years as director of the poor,
an office for which he was especially fitted.
Mr. Small served as chief burgess of
York for three terms. He held that ofifice
in 1863, when the Confederate forces under
General Early, took possession of the bor-
ough, on June 28, of that year. Before the
southern troops entered the town, he was
chairman of a delegation of five citizens
who interviewed General Gordon at Farm-
ers' Post Office, eight miles west of York,
and entered into an agreement with that
officer that no public or private property
should be destroyed. While General Early
occupied York with his division of 9,000
troops, he frequently visited the burgess,
who used his influence with Early to be
considerate in his demands upon the bor-
ough. Mr. Small was successful in busi-
ness and for a period of forty years was a
director in the York Bank, later the York
National Bank.
He was married to Adeline Sprigman, of
Harrisburg, who died some years before
him. John E. Small, their eldest son, has
been connected with the York National
Bank for twenty-five years. James B.
Small, the second son, was a prominent
bookseller in York, and served as post-
master during Cleveland's administration.
Luther A. Small, the third son, served as
chief burgess of York. Mr. Small died
August 10, 1885, aged 76 years.
The first number of the York Daily
The made its appearance, October 5,
Daily. 1870, under the management of J.
L. Shaw, H. C. Glassmeyer and A.
P. Burchall, all of whom were strangers in
York. It was printed in a Columbia office
and brought to York on the morning trains.
The business office was in Solomon Mey-
er's building, on West Market Street.
After a few weeks existence. Rev. J. C.
Smith, a highly respected clergyman of
York, and F. B. Raber, coal merchant, each
having a son who was a practical printer,
purchased printing material and placed it
into the hands of the original firm, with the
condition that their sons, John C. Smith and
Lewis B. Raber, become partners in the
business. The arrangement ceased on ac-
count of the expenses exceeding the income,
when Isaac Rudisill, in connection with
Raber and Smith, by reducing the size of
the paper, continued its publication. Under
this management the press work was done
in the office of the American Lutheran.
The paper was enlarged and its circulation
began to increase. John B. Welsh, of the
Gazette, purchased a half interest in it,
April 24, 1871, and during the following
June became sole proprietor, with Isaac
Rudisill as local editor. In September,
1 87 1, the office was removed to South
Beaver Street, where it remained until
April, 1874, when it was removed to North
Beaver Street. During this time new
machinery and material were pvu'chased,
and associated press news received. On
September 4, 1876, the Daily was sold to
Isaac Rudisill, John H. Gibson and A. P.
Moul, who formed a copartnership in its
publication. These parties had formerly
THE PRINTING PRESS
been emplo3'es in the office. April 21, 1877,
the paper was enlarged and greatly im-
proved. The Daily had long become a ne-
cessity in York, even though for a time
during its early history it struggled for
existence. In 1881, the ofifice was removed
to a building opposite the Court House.
On January 26, 1882, it was purchased by
E. A\\ Spangler, John B. Moore and S. C.
Frey. During the following July the price
was changed from $3 to $4 per annum, and
a more complete supply of associated press
dispatches received. It thus became one
of the largest and newsiest of inland dailies.
April I, 1885, the issue of a twenty-page
paper from this office was considered a
marvel of enterprise.
The York Daily and its weekly edition
were published successfully by E. W.
Spangler and S. C. Frey until 1904, when
both papers and all the interests of the
publishing house were sold to the Dispatch
Publishing Company.
HENRY J. STAHLE, editor and pub-
lisher of the Gettysburg Compiler, was
born near York in 1823. He learned the
printing business in the office of the York
Gazette and in 1847 he became editor and
owner of the Gett3^sburg Compiler, which
he published until the time of his death.
Mr. Stable achieved success as an editor
and publisher and for a period of half a
century the Compiler was one of the best
known and most profitable weekly papers
published in southern Pennsylvania. He
was one of the most active members of the
Pennsylvania State Editorial Association,
and was deeply interested in agricultural
affairs. He died at his home in Gettysburg,
May 12, 1892.
HIRAM YOUNG, founder of the True
Democrat and York Dispatch, was born
May 14, 1830, at Sheafferstown, Lebanon
County, Pennsylvania, which village was
founded by his great-great-grandfather,
Alexander Sheaffer, a native of the Pala-
tinate, who came to America from Germany
in 1729. His great-grandfather. Henry
Sheaffer, son of the founder of Sheaffers-
town, was commissioned, in 1776, captain
of a company of soldiers from Lancaster
County in the Revolution; in 1777, as jus-
tice of the peace, he administered the oath
of allegiance to the United States to four
hundred people; in 1783 was commissioned
by the state authorities, captain of a mili-
tary company; was made one of the judges
of the courts of Dauphin County when it
was erected, in 1785; was commissioned an
associate judge under the constitution of
1790 for Dauphin County, to which Leba-
non belonged, serving in that position until
his death, in 1803. Frederick Oberlin, the
maternal grandfather of Hiram Young, a
descendant of John Frederick Oberlin, of
Strasburg, Germany, married a daughter of
Captain Henry Sheaffer.
Samuel Young, a native of ^Marietta,
Pennsylvania, and father of Hiram, married
Sarah, daughter of Frederick Oberlin. He
died early in life, and their son, Hiram,
spent his boyhood in the family of his
grandfather, at Sheafferstown, where he
obtained the basis of a good education in
the village school. At the age of fifteen he
went to Lancaster and spent the succeeding
four years as an apprentice at the saddler's
trade, devoting his leisure hours to study
and reading, thus acquiring a fund of useful
information. He spent but a few months
working at his trade after his apprenticeship
had been completed. In 1850, he became an
employee of a bookseller at Lancaster,
meantime pursuing a course of study in the
Lancaster High School. Later he served
as a clerk in the large publishing firm of
Uriah Hunt & Sons, and afterward with J.
B. Lippincott & Co., of Philadelphia. He
returned to Lancaster and went into the
book business for himself, where he soon
built up a large trade, and then united in
establishing the firm of Murray, Young &
Co. In i860, he sold out his interest at
Lancaster and moved to York, where he
opened a book store, which he continued
until 1877.
During the presidential campaign of i860,
Mr. Young was a Douglas Democrat, but
after the election and the outbreak of the
Civil AVar, in 1861, he became an ardent
supporter of President Lincoln's adminis-
tration.
During the fall of 1863, when
True Andrew G. Curtin was re-
Democrat, elected war governor of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. Young, with a
number of other citizens of York, issued a
Republican campaign paper, called the
Democrat. This was the beginning of his
prosperous newspaper career, which ex-
556
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tended over a period of forty years. On
June 7, 1864, the da}^ of the Republican
National Convention at Baltimore, which
nominated Abraham Lincoln for his second
term, Mr. Young, as publisher and editor,
issued at York, the first number of the True
Democrat, an ardent Republican paper,
earnestly devoted to supporting the prog-
ress of the war and the Lincoln adminis-
tration. This paper wielded a strong in-
fluence and was ably edited and well con-
ducted. It soon reached a large circulation.
In 1876, he founded the York
York Dispatch, a daily newspaper.
Dispatch. This paper for many years has
been a medium for the circula-
tion of news in southern Pennsylvania. It
has been conducted with ability, and since
its origin, has kept pace with the most
progressive methods of metropolitan jour-
nalism. In 1901, Mr. Young had his news-
paper business incorporated as the Dispatch
Publishing Companj^, with himself and his
four sons, Edward, Charles P., William and
John, as the sole members of the company.
In 1904, the Dispatch Publishing Company
purchased the entire interests of the York
Daily, the oldest daily newspaper in the
county. During the same year, the com-
pany bought a large building on Philadel-
phia Street, and fitted it up with all the
modern improvements of an enterprising-
printing house.
Meantime, the True Democrat had been
changed to the Weekly Dispatch, especially
devoted to the agricultural interests of
southern Penns3dvania. When the Dis-
patch Publishing Company purchased the
York Daily, the York Weekly and the
W^eekly Dispatch were discontinued and
the entire attention of the printing house
was devoted to the publication of the York
Daily, as a vigorous and enterprising morn-
ing journal, and the Dispatch, which had
attained a circulation equal to that of any
other newspaper in central or southern
Pennsylvania. These journals, under the
editorial management of Edward S. Young,
with Charles P. Young as business man-
ager, are wide-awake and progressive news-
papers, ranking among the best in the Key-
stone state. New machinery, linotypes and
presses have recently been purchased,
furnishing all the facilities for enterprising
journalism.
In 1888, Mr. Young was the Republican
nominee for Congress to represent the dis-
trict composed of York, Cumberland and
Adams counties. Though defeated, he re-
ceived an encouraging vote. From 1892 to
1896, under President Harrison's adminis-
tration, he was postmaster at York, being
the first official in that position to occupy
the new government building in the city.
Mr. Young devoted much of his time to
agricultural subjects and gave special atten-
tion to leaf tobacco interests and its culture.
He organized agricultural clubs and did ex-
cellent service in advancing the welfare of
the farming community with his half cen-
tury's personal experience and knowledge
of the financial history of the nation, and
repeated disasters resulting from tariff and
free trade agitation and legislation. In 1890,
he represented the National Sheep and
A\'ool Growers' Association from Pennsyl-
vania before the McKinley W^ays and
]\Ieans Committee, in Congress, at Wash-
ington, D. C, and again in 1896, before the
committee which formed the Dingley Tariff
Bill. In 1892, he furnished the National
Republican Committee a table showing the
imports, exports and balance of trade for
one hundred years, indicating the result of
every administration from W^ashington to
Harrison to demonstrate how protection in-
creases the nation's wealth. For a period
of fourteen 3'ears, he was a director of the
Pennsylvania Agricultural Society, and in
1900 was elected its president. He was a
member of the board of trustees of the
State Agricultural College, near Belle-
fonte. In 1903, Governor Pennypacker
appointed him one of the commission-
ers to represent Pennsylvania at the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition, at St.
Louis. Mr. Young was a director of the
Farmers and Merchants National Bank, of
Red Lion. He was a member of the Penn-
sylvania Sons of the Revolution, the Penn-
sjdvania German Historical Society, and the
York County Historical Society.
Hiram Young was married in 1857 to
Mary E. Shreiner, a daughter of Philip
Shreiner, a well-known jeweler and clock-
maker of Columbia. He died in York, July
13. 1905.
The Hubley Printing Company has done
an extensive printing business for twenty
years. It is engaged largel}^ in typesetting
<4^
THE PRINTING PRESS
557
and making electrotype plates for books and
periodicals. George S. Billmeyer is presi-
dent; Henry C. Niles, secretary, and Harry
E. Powell, general manager.
The Maple Press Company was incorpo-
rated in June, 1903, and purchased a full
equipment of presses, types, type metaj and
the necessary appliances for electro-typing
and printing books. The company was
organized by the election of H. A. Wisotz-
key, president, and Allen Kauffman, secre-
tary and treasurer. This company owns
and publishes the American Medicine, a
popular and influential medical journal.
The York Printing Company was incor-
porated, January 29, 1906, and organized by
the election of John C. Zimmerman, presi-
dent; George J. Hildebrand, treasurer and
manager; and James Rudisill, vice-president
and secretary. This company purchased a
complete outfit of presses, types and lino-
types, and has since done a general printing
business, including- books, pamphlets and
magazines. The first volume of this history
was issued from the press of the York
Printing Company.
HANOVER JOURNALISM.
Soon after the Rev. Frederick Valentine
Melsheimer became pastor of St. Matthew's
Lutheran Church, of Hanover, he made an
effort to establish the printing press. Mel-
sheimer had written and published two or
more pamphlets in his native country before
coming to America.
The first newspaper was established at
Hanover by W. D. Lepper and E. Stettin-
ius, both educated Germans who had
learned the art of printing in the Father-
land. Their paper was called the Pennsyl-
vanische Wochinschrift, and its first issue
appeared April, 1797. This weekly paper
continued until 1805. In 1797, Lepper and
Stettinius published the first book at Han-
over. It was a little volume of 112 pages,
of which less than half a dozen copies are
now known to be in existence. This work,
written by F. V. Melsheimer, is an account
of a theological controversy which he had
with Rev. Father Brosius, pastor of the
Church of the Sacred Heart, situated on the
Conewago Creek, near Hanover. AV. D.
Lepper continued his printing office at
Hanover after the first paper had ceased
publication, for in 1806 he published "A
Catalogue of the Insects of Pennsylvania,"
a book of sixty i2mo pages. Dr. E. A.
Swartz, of the Bureau of Entomology, at
Washington, D. C, says:
"This book was intended to contain a
catalogue of the insects of North America
which were then known to the science of
entomology. It has been frequently re-
ferred to in both European and American
scientific literature. It contains a classifi-
cation of 1,363 species of American insects
and many points of interest that deserve to
be rescued from oblivion." This was the
first book on entomology published in
America. There are only seven copies of it
known to be in existence ; five in this coun-
try and two in Europe. The copy, originally
owned by the author, with many additions
and interlineations in his own handwriting,
belongs to the Bureau of Entomology at
AVashington. In 1809, Melsheimer pub-
lished; at Hanover, a book entitled the
"Beaut}^ of Holiness," and he also is the
author of two other works, published in
Frederick, Maryland.
April 4, 1805, Daniel P. Lange,
The an intelligent German, and J. P.
Gazette. Stark commenced to issue the
Hanover Gazette, a German
paper. The type was purchased at York,
having been used in publishing a paper that
had been discontinued. The partnership of
Lange and Stark continued until 1816, when
]\Ir. Lange alone continued the publication
of the paper regularly until 1842, and from
that year until 1846, Augustus Schwartz
was associated with him. From 1846 to
1850, Mr. Lange again conducted the Ga-
zette alone, and afterward sold it to Gute-
lius and Schwartz. The first named was
pastor of the Reformed Church of Han-
over, who sold his interest to V. C.
S. Eckert, in 1852, and soon after, his
brother, Titus S. Eckert, purchased Mr.
Schwartz's interest. At the opening of the
Civil AVar, in i860, the Gazette changed
from a Democratic to a Republican paper;
George E. Sherwood was for a time its
editor. It ceased publication in 1864, after
an existence of sixty years.
Another German paper was started in
1809. and continued only one year. In
August, 1818, Rev. Jacob H. AViestling,
pastor of the Reformed Church, issued the
Guardian, the first English paper published
558
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
in Hanover. In 1819, he sold it to Joseph
Schmuck, father of Henry M. Schmuck, of
Hanover, a prominent merchant and finan-
cier. Joseph Schmuck owned one of the
old time Franklin presses. One day while
printing his paper he over-exerted himself
working at the press, burst a blood vessel
and died from the result at the age
of thirty-three. William D. Gobrecht
purchased the paper in 1824. It was
discontinued in 1825, and soon after
the Hanoverian, another English paper,
took its place, and was published for
several years. In 1824, Joseph Schmuck
and Dr. Peter Mueller began the publication
of the Intelligenceblatt. It was soon re-
mo\'ed to Adams County. In 1835 another
English paper, the Herald, was started by
George Frysinger, and in 1839 was pur-
chased by J. S. Gitt, and in 1840, by Grum-
bine and Bart. It suspended in 1842.
Rev. Abraham Rudisill, father of Isaac
and George Rudisill, of York, purchased the
printing office of Joseph S. Gitt, at Hanover,
in 1846. He founded the Monthly Friend,
a religious and literary magazine which was
popular and widely read. He published it
for five years at Hanover and then removed
it to Carlisle, where it was issvied three
years. During the succeeding five years,
he published the paper at York. Mr. Rudi-
sill served as a corporal in Rickett's battery
during the Civil \Var, and is reported to
haive been one of the bravest men of his
regiment. He was distinguished for his
\alor at Gettysburg, when the battery was
charged upon by Hayes" Louisiana brigade,
which was driven back largely through the
effect of the artillery firing.
Rev. A. W. Rudisill, son of Abraham
Rudisill, who has served as a Methodist
missionary at Madras, India, established a
printing press in that city, and has con-
tinued it for a period of twenty years. Dur-
ing the years 1893-4, his nephew, James
Rudisill, of York, was connected with the
mechanical department of this plant. The
printing press was one of the largest plants
in India. From this press, Mr. Rudisill
issued the A\'oman's Friend, a missionary
journal, for a period of fifteen years.
The Democrat, an English
The paper, was founded in 1841 : in
Spectator. 1S44 its name was changed to
the Planet and AA'eeklv News,
when it was purchased by Senary Leader,
of Baltimore, Maryland, who had previously
founded the Bedford, Pennsylvania, En-
quirer. He changed the name of the paper
to the Hanover Spectator. Mr. Leader was
an enterprising and progressive editor and
publisher, and his journal for many years
had a wide circulation. It was one of the
■best family newspapers in York County.
The Spectator supported the principles and
policy of the Whig party until that political
organization, in 1856, was succeeded by the
Republican party. Senary Leader died
March 20, 1858, and his widow became the
publisher, and her son-in-law, F. M. Baugh-
man, the editor, who continued until i860.
]\Irs. Leader conducted the paper until her
death, in 1875, when it became the property
of her descendants and was conducted by
AA'. H. and E. J. Leader until 1892. when it
was discontinued. The entire files of the
Hanover Spectator from 1844 to 1892 are in
the possession of the York County Histor-
ical Society.
In i860, J. Samuel Vandersloot,
The of Gettysburg, started an English
Citizen. Democratic paper in Hanover,
which after a brief existence sus-
pended publication to be revived soon
afterwards by George AA^. AA'elsh and Joseph
Dellone, under the title of the Hanover
Citizen. A German paper called the York
County Democrat, published by Schwartz
and Bart, was purchased by AA'elsh and
Dellone and its name changed to Hanover
Citizen and York County Democrat. The
first number of the English Citizen was
published January 31, 1861, F. M. Baugh-
man being the editor. In February, 1863,
the owners assumed the editorship of the
English paper and Von Manikowski was
made editor of the German edition. No-
vember 9, 1865, AA'illiam Heltzel bought the
papers and a month later sold one-half in-
terest to Von Manikowski. After the death
of the latter, April 25, 1868, Mr. Heltzel
resumed entire ownership. In March, 1869,
AA". J. Metzler became an equal partner, but
sold his interest in October, 1871, to A. P.
Bange, who edited the German paper. Mr.
Bange died May 4, 1875, ^^^^ Mr. Heltzel
was sole proprietor until June 29, 1879,
when he sold the office to Barton K. Knode.
In the spring of 1892, J. S. Cornman, of
Hampstead. ^ilaryland. bought out Mr.
POLITICAL
559
Knode and in August following started a
daily evening edition under the name of
Hanover Daily Record. He at the same
time discontinued the German paper.
In April, 1895, the Record Pub-
The lishing Company, Limited, suc-
Record. ceeded Mr. Cornman and buying
the Hanover Advance, the com-
peting Democratic weekly, consolidated it
with the Citizen, styling" the new paper the
Weekly Record. The new paper was en-
larged to eight pages and the Daily Record
from six to eight columns. The Record
Publishing Company is composed of H. N.
Gitt, P. J. Barnhart, L. D. Sell, A. R. Brod-
beck and H. O. Young. In May, 1904, the
Hanover Printing Company was incorpo-
rated and the Daily Record was changed to
a morning paper, while the Record-Herald
was established by a consolidation of the
carrier lists of the Daily Record with those
of the Evening Herald.
In June, 1872, M. O. Smith, a na-
The tive of York, a practical printer
Herald, and newspaper man, sold the Glen
Rock Item, which he had founded
two years before, and with P. H. Bittinger,
of Hanover, established the Hanover Her-
ald. This soon became an influential
journal, in a few years attaining a large
circulation. During the early issues of this
paper, Mr. Smith wrote and published
weekly articles relating to local history,
under the heading "Annals of Hanover."
This department of the paper was highly
appreciated and he was the means of col-
lecting and preserving many facts of history
relating to Hanover and vicinity. In 1876,
he published a series of articles on the
"Early History of York County." The
paper was independent in politics, a seven-
column folio in size and printed on a- hand
press. The growth of the business de-
manded improved facilities and a power
printing press, the first used in Hanover,
was bought in 1876. The paper was then
enlarged to eight columns, or 28x40 inches.
By 1881 the increase in circulation rendered
necessar)- the introduction of steam power.
The firm of Smith and Bittinger was dis-
solved, April 7, 1885, Mr. Bittinger retiring.
In 1894, Mr. Smith started a dailj' edition of
the paper, styled the "Evening Herald." A
type-setting machine was bought a year
later, the Herald being the first paper in
York County to abandon hand composition.
In 1903, a linotype machine displaced the
type-setting machine. In 1904, the Han-
over Printing Company was organized and
the Evening Herald and the Daily Record
merged into the Record-Herald, Mr. Smith
being president of the new company and
himself continuing the publication of the
Weekly Herald.
The Hanover Advance, a weekly news-
paper, was published by H. O. Young, Wil-
liam Anthony, and William H. Long, from
1893 to 1895.
The Hanover News, a six-page daily
newspaper, was published in Hanover in
part of the year 1905.
The Wrightsville Star, Glen Rock Item,
Delta Herald, Dillsburg Bulletin, Spring
Grove Ripplet, Stewartstown News. Dallas-
town Advocate, Dillsburg New Era, are
enterprising and influential journals whose
history will be found in the chapters relat-
ing to the boroughs in which they are pub-
lished.
CHAPTER XXXII
POLITICAL
Civil List of the Revolution — Representa-
tives in Congress — State Senators and
Representatives — County Officers — Post
Offices — Census Reports.
In April, 1682, before William Penn left
England, he drew up a frame of government
for his province in America. It provided
that laws should be made by the governor
and freemen. The latter were to meet in
the month of February, 1683, and elect
seventy-two persons noted for "their wis-
dom, virtue and ability," to form the Pro-
vincial Council. One-third of this number
was to go out of office every year, and their
seats were to be filled by vote of the free-
men. The first assembl}' was to be com-
posed of all the freemen in the province, but
thereafter it was to be representative. The
freemen were at first to return two hundred
members: as the country increased in popu-
lation, the number of assemblymen might
be increased to five hundred.
William Penn reached America in the
latter part of October, 1682, and called to-
gether an assembl}' of as man)' freemen as
56o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
saw fit to appear. This assembly met on
the fourth day of December. Freemen at-
tended not only from Pennsylvania but
from the three counties of Delaware then
known as the "territories." which had been
granted to Penn by the Duke of York, and
which were annexed to Pennsylvania by
legislative action. An act of settlement
was passed at this meeting, and under this
act the freemen were summoned by writs
issued by the proprietary to the sheriffs of
each of the six counties (three in Pennsyl-
vania and three in Delaware), and re-
quested to elect twelve persons from each
county to form the first provincial council,
an assembly to meet at Philadelphia in
March, 1683. A new frame of government
was prepared by this body and approved by
Penn, who was then the governor. It in-
corporated the provisions of the act of set-
tlement already given, except that each
county was allowed but six assemblymen
instead of nine. One-third of the council,
that is, one member from each county, was
to go out of office yearly. Penn appointed
William Markham, governor, and the latter
, caused legislatures to be elected in Septem-
ber, 1695, and again in 1696. The legis-
lature enacted a new frame of government
which reduced the membership of the coun-
cil from three to two for each county,
making in all but twelve. The number of
assemblymen was likewise reduced from
thirty-six to twenty-four. This frame con-
tinued to be the constitution of the Province
till 1 701, when Penn, just before his final
departure for England, granted the Charter
of Privileges, which remained in force
down to the Revolution. This charter pro-
vided for an assembly to be annuall)^ elected
by the freemen, and to meet on the 14th of
October of each year. By another charter
a council of state was instituted, and the
Governor was given power to fill vacancies,
so that the assembly was now the only
legislative bod)' whose members were
chosen by the votes of the people.
William Penn died in 1718, leaving his
Province to three English noblemen to be
by them held in trust and disposed of for the
benefit of his heirs. After nine years of
litigation on the subject of this bequest it
was decided that the grant was void, and
the government therefore descended to his
heirs, who administered it either in person
or by deputy until independence was
declared.
Besides the members of the legislature as
already explained, the frame of government
drawn up in the early part of 1683 provided
for the election by the freemen of a double
number of sheriffs, justices and coroners.
The persons chosen were, in each case, to be
presented to the governor and he could
grant a commission to the one he preferred.
If within three days he took no action, the
person first named on the return received
the office. The third paragraph of the
Charter of Privileges provided in like man-
ner for the election of a double number of
sheriffs and coroners. The idea of giving
a governor a partial check on the election
of certain officers, by compelling the elect-
ors to choose one or more alternates was
undoubtedh' borrowed from Holland, where
it had been practiced for many years.
CIVIL LIST OF THE REVOLUTION.
During the Revolution, before the treaty
of peace had been signed with England,
different persons were chosen in York
County, either b^^ popular vote or by ap-
pointment, to fill positions of influence and
responsibility, in the affairs of the county
and the state of Pennsylvania. The suc-
ceeding list furnishes a complete roll of
such officials, together with others who
served under the first state constitution: ■
The deputies to the Provincial Conven-
tion held at Philadelphia, July 15, 1774,
from York County, were James Smith,
Thomas Hartley and Joseph Donaldson.
At a Provincial Convention for the Prov-
ince of Pennsylvania, held at Philadelphia,
January 23, 1775, and continued by adjourn-
ments from day to day to the 28th, James
Smith, Thomas Hartley, Joseph Donaldson,
George Eichelberger, John Hay, George
Irwin and Michael Smyser represented
York County.
The representatives from York County
in the Provincial Conference, held at Car-
penters' Hall, Philadelphia, June 18, 1775,
were Colonel James Smith, Colonel Robert
McPherson, Colonel Richard McAllister,
Colonel David Kennedy, Captain Joseph
Read, Colonel William Rankin, Colonel
Henry Slagle, James Edgar and John Hay.
Colonel Michael Swope was a member of
the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety,
POLITICAL
561
from June 30, 1775, to October 19, 1775.
He served also from October 20, 1775, to
July 22, 1776, and from July 24, 1776, to
convention from York County were
March 13, 1777. James Edgar and James
Marshall served from October 17, 1777, to
December 4, 1777.
James Smith was appointed one of the
judges of the High Court of Appeals, No-
vember 20, 1780.
The members of the Board of Property at
different times from 1783 to 1786, were
General James Ewing and Colonel Richard
McAllister.
Members of the Council of Censors from
York County were Thomas Hartley, Oc-
tober 20, 1783, and Richard McAllister, Oc-
tober 20, 1783.
Commissioner of Taxes, appointed for
York County, was Benjamin Tyson, Oc-
tober 20, 1783.
Collectors of Excise were William
Rowan, January i, 1778; Jacob Rothrock,
November 27, 1778; Thomas Armor, No-
vember 22, 1779; Matthew Henderson, No-
vember 25, 1780; Jacob Barnitz, May 6,
1785; John Forsyth, November 25, 1785;
John McClelland, December 7, 1786; John
Forsyth, August 31, 1787.
Auditors of Depreciated Accounts in
York County were appointed as follows :
Michael Swope, March 3, 1781, and Henry
Slagle, March 3, 1781.
The County Lieutenants, to organize the
militia of York County, were Richard Mc-
Allister, June 14, 1777; William Scott,
March 30, 1780.
Sub-Lieutenants were Hance Morrison,
March 12, 1777; Robert Stevenson, March
12, 1777; John Hay, March 12, 1777; James
McCandless, March 12, 1777; John Carson,
March 12, 1777; John Trevis, March 28,
1778; Matthew Dill, May 9, 1779; Henry
Slagle, March 30, 1780; William Ross,
March 30, 1780; AVilliam Alexander, July
17, 1787.
Paymasters of Militia during the Revo-
lution were Michael Hahn, who resigned
September 14, 1777; Major William Scott,
appointed September 16, 1777, and William
Alexander, June 26, 1781.
Michael Hahn, of York, was one of the
commissioners of exchange appointed April
5, 1779, to facilitate the calling in the circu-
lation of continental money issued May 20,
1777, and April 11, 1778, both issues of
which had been counterfeited.
The persons to take subscriptions for the
continental loan, appointed by the Assem-
bly, December 16, 1777, from York County,
were William Scott, Robert Stevenson,
David Kennedy, James Dill, William Ross,
Henry Slagle.
Commissioners to seize the personal
effects of tories, appointed October 21,
1777, for York County, were William
White, James Naylor, William Chesney,
Robert Stevenson, Matthew Dill, John
Ewing.
The commissioners to collect clothing in
the county of York were, November 8. 1777,
Joseph Donaldson, George Erwin, Thomas
Stockton, Frederick Gelwix, Thomas
Weems, John Nesbit, Henry Cotton, Jacob
Staley and Robert Smith.
MAJOR JAMES R. REID, son of James
Reid, a native of the north of Ireland, was
born in Chanceford Township, York
County, in 1747. He received a classical
education in the school of Dr. Allison, near
Philadelphia. When the French and Indian
war broke out, he entered the military ser-
vice, and was with Forbes' expedition
against Fort Duquesne, as an ensign. At
the outset of the Revolutionary struggle, he
became an active partisan, was commis-
sioned, January 6, 1776, first lieutenant of
Captain Thomas Church's company. Colo-
nel Anthony Wayne's Fourth Pennsylvania
Regiment, promoted captain November 3,
1776; promoted major of Hazen's ("Con-
gress' Own") regiment, September i, 1777.
He was one of the original members of the
Society of the Cincinnati. On the 13th of
November, 1787, the assembly of Pennsyl-
vania elected him a member of the Conti-
nental Congress. He took his seat on the
19th of December following, serving until
the expiration of that body under the Fed-
eral Constitution. Major Reid died at Car-
lisle on the 4th of April, 1790. By his will
probated April 30 of that year, he left a
large estate to his wife Frances, brothers
John, Thomas, Samuel, William and Benja-
min, and to his sisters, Mrs. Stephens and
Mrs. McKarson. To his nephew, James
Stephens, he left one thousand acres of land
in Kentucky; to William Irvine, son of Gen-
eral William Irvine, the land in Virginia
assigned by General Henry Lee ; to Callen-
56^
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
dar Duncan, son of Thomas Duncan, the
land granted by the State of Pennsylvania.
To Thomas Shippen, son of Dr. William
Shippen, he bequeathed his "eagle, in hopes
that the Society of Cincinnati will admit as
a member a man who abroad has done so
much to honor his country." His library
went to Thomas Duncan. Although Major
Reid wrote his name with a middle letter
"R," this was assumed by him to be dis-
tinguished from other James Reeds, Reads,
and Rieds, of whom there were a large num-
ber. His mother, however, was a Ramsey.
He left no children.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
The first con\ention to frame a constitu-
tion for the state of Pennsylvania met at
Philadelphia in 1776. At an election in
York County that year, the following per-
sons were chosen delegates to this conven-
tion : John Hay, James Edgar, William
Rankin, Henry Schlegel, James Smith,
Robert IMcPherson and Joseph Donaldson.
This convention was in session from July 15
to September 2"]. The constitution, when
framed, provided for a general assembly to
meet annually. The executive power of
the government was vested in a Supreme
Executive Council, composed of from eight
to ten members. The presiding officer was
known as the President of the State. This
body assembled regularly until the consti-
tution of 1790 was framed. The members
from York County were James Edgar, No-
vember 14, 1777; James Thompson, Febru-
ary 13, 1779; James Ewing, October 26,
1781; Richard McAllister, October 26,
1784; Andrew Billmeyer, January 19, 1787,
and Samuel Edie, October 25, 1787.
The second constitution of Pennsylvania
was framed by a convention which met in
Philadelphia in 1790. At the election for
delegates to represent York County in this
convention, the following were chosen :
Colonel Henry Miller, Colonel Henry
Schlegel, William Read, Benjamin Tyson,
Benjamin Pedan and Colonel Matthew Dill.
Under this constitution, the legislature was
composed of two bodies, a Senate and a
House of Representatives. Under the
previous constitution, the executive officer
of the state was called the president, and
was elected by the legislative assembly.
Under the constitution of 1790, the chief
executive of the state was called the gov-
ernor and was chosen for a term of three
years by a popular vote throughout the
commonwealth. General Thomas Mifflin
was the first governor, and was twice re-
elected, serving in all nine years.
In 1838, the third constitution of Pennsyl-
vania was framed by a convention of dele-
gates from all of the counties. The dele-
gates chosen for York County were John R.
Donnell and Samuel C. Bonham. Under
this constitution, the term of the governor
was three years. The county officials, ex-
cepting coroners, county commissioners and
directors of the poor, were appointed by
the governor. A revision of this constitu-
tion, which went into effect in 185 1, made
the office of county judge elective. Robert
J. Fisher was the first judge elected in York
County. All of the previous judges were
appointed by the governor.
The present constitution of Penns3'lvania
was framed by a convention which met in
Philadelphia in 1873. The delegates to this
Thomas E. Cochran and John Gibson, both
of whom were then prominent members of
the York County Bar. Jeremiah S. Black,
then residing in York, was a delegate-at-
large to this convention. Under this con-
stitution, the term of the governor was ex-
tended to four years, the salary increased to
$10,000 a year, and the governor is not per-
mitted to succeed himself.
James Ross, born in Peach
Prominent Bottom Township, in 1762,
Officials. served eight years in the
United States Senate from
Penns3'lvania ; John Rowan, born in Hope-
well, served six years in the United States
Senate from the state of Kentucky; Mat-
thew Stanley Quay, born at Dillsburg,
served as state treasurer for a term of three
years and United States Senator from
Pennsylvania for a period of fifteen years ;
Jeremiah S. Black was chief justice of
Pennsylvania, attorney general and later
secretary of state in the cabinet of President
Buchanan; Jacob S. Haldeman, of Fairview
Township, was minister to Norway and
Sweden from i860 to 1864, under Lincoln's
administration; Thomas E. Cochran, of
York, was auditor general of Pennsylvania
from i860 to 1863; Chauncey F. Black, of
York, served as lieutenant governor of
Pennsylvania from 1882 to 1886.
POLITICAL
563
REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS.
The office of Representative in Congress
was created by the constitution of the
United States, which was adopted Septem-
ber 17,- 1787, and ratified by the convention
of Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787. The
term of office was then made two years, and
has not since been changed. The number
of representatives is apportioned among
the states according to population. York
County, before Adams was erected from it,
was a separate Congressional district, later
York and Lancaster ; next York, Cumber-
land and Perry ; then York, Cumberland
and Adams. At present York and Adams
form one district. The following persons
have represented the district of which York
formed a part :
Thomas Hartley, John Stewart, James
Kelly, AVilliam Crawford, Hugh Glas-
gow^ Jacob Spangler, Jacob Hostetter,
York County ; James Buchanan, Lan-
caster; James S. Mitchell, Adam King,
Charles A. Barnitz, Henry Logan, Dr.
James Gerry, Dr. Henr}^ Nes, William
H. Kurtz, all of York Countv ; Lem-
uel Todd, Carlisle; Dr. John \\. Ahl,
Carlisle; Benjamin F. Junkin, Perry
County; Adam J. Glossbrenner, York;
Richard J. Haldeman, Cumberland County ;
John A. Magee, Perry County; Levi
Maish, York; Frank A. Beltzhoover, Car-
lisle; William A. Duncan, Gettysburg; Dr.
John Swope, Gettysburg; George J. Ben-
ner, Gettysburg; James A. Stable, Edward
D. Ziegler, Robert J. Lewis, Daniel F. La-
fean, York.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
The following are biographical sketches
of members of Congress who have resided
in York County, beginning with the year
1789 and ending with 1907.
COLONEL THOMAS HARTLEY, of
York, who was a representative in the Fir^t,
Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth
Congresses, was born at Reading, in 1748.
He obtained a liberal education and early in
life moved to York, where he read law with
Samuel Johnson, a relative of his mother,
and was admitted to the bar at York in
1769. Colonel Hartley's career as a soldier
will be found on page 212 in this volume and
his career as a lawver will be found in the
chapter on the Bar. His success in the
practice of his profession won him great
prestige as a lawyer and in 1789, when the
United States Supreme Court was organ-
ized in the city of New York he was the
first Pennsylvania lawyer admitted to prac-
tice before this court, the highest tribunal
of the nation.
Possessing special capabilities for the
position of a legislator, he was chosen a
meml:)er of the provincial convention of
deputies held at Philadelphia, in 1774, and
in January, 1775, he represented York
Count}'' in the provincial convention held in
the same city. In 1778, while still an officer
in the army. Hartley w'as elected a member
of the State Legislature. In 1779 he re-
signed his military commission at the sug-
gestion of his political friends, in order that
he might take an actiA-e part in the public
affairs of the state of Pennsylvania. In
1783 he w^as elected a member of the Coun-
cil of Censors for Pennsylvania, and in 1787,
was a member of the state convention which
approved the adoption of the constitution of
the LTnited States, prepared by the national
convention that 3'ear. In this convention
Colonel Hartley's legal ability marked him
as one of its leaders. Being an ardent Fed-
eralist and a staunch supporter of General
AN'ashington both as a soldier and a states-
man. Colonel Hartley became the first rep-
resentative from York County in Con-
gress under the newly adopted constitution
of the United States. Owing to his ability
as a legislator and a statesman, Hartley
served in the national House of Representa-
tives six terms, in all nearly twelve years.
He died at York in 1800 while still a mem-
ber of that body. During his career in
Congress he made the first public speech in
America on the tariff question. Being a
man of varied attainments and forceful in
public speech he took part in the discussion
of most of the public questions of the day.
While a member of Congress his home in
Philadelphia was a centre of interest and
attraction. His wife, Catherine, the daugh-
ter of Bernard Holtzinger, of York, pre-
sided over his household with grace and dig-
nity. They entertained many noted per-
sons at their home in Philadelphia and on
several occasions President Washington
was the guest of honor at a social dinner'
aiven bv Colonel and Mrs. Hartley. In
564
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
his diary, President A\'ashington, on two
occasions, entered complimentary reference
to the intellectual a.ccomplishments and
queenly manner of Mrs. Hartley. When
Washington passed through York toward
Philadelphia upon his return from a tour of
the southern states, in 1791, he dined at the
Hartley mansion, at York, in company with
other invited guests.
When the discussion came up in Con-
gress for a permanent location for the
national capital. Colonel Hartley made an
eloquent speech favoring the west bank of
the Susquehanna at the site of Wrightsville
as an appropriate place for the seat of gov-
ernment. A careful perusal of the Journals
of Congress will show that the location of
the capital at this place would probably
have been accomplished had it not been for
the influence of Alexander Hamilton, who
secured northern votes for the removal of
the capital to the banks of the Potomac, in
consideration of southern votes for the as-
sumption by the national government of the
debts incurred by the states in the prosecu-
tion of the Revolutionary W^ar.
During his first two terms, Colonel Hart-
ley was congressman at large and was
elected by a popular vote to represent the
state of Pennsylvania. He was also four
times chosen to represent a district now
composed of York and Adams counties.
Before his departure to become a member
of the first Congress, in 1789, Colonel Hart-
ley was waited upon by the teachers and
students of the York County Academy, of
which he was one of the founders. He
delivered an eloquent response in reply to
an address from the principal of the acad-
emy in behalf of the students and the citi-
zens of the town. A\'hen he started for
New York, which was then the capital of
the United States, he was accompanied to
the Susquehanna River by a delegation of
prominent citizens. At this place a num-
ber of persons from Lancaster met him. A
banquet was given in his honor at a public
inn now standing at the foot of Hellam
Street, in the borough of Wrightsville.
Among the many toasts offered at this ban-
quet was one in honor of President Wash-
ington ; another "The houses of York and
Lancaster, and may they be ever united."
Before the close of the banquet. Colonel
Hartley arose from his chair and offered
the following toast : "May York or Lan-
caster be the permanent residence of Con-
gress."
As a member of the House of Repre-
sentatives, as well as a soldier and a lawyer,
Colonel Hartley's career was crowned with
success. He was well informed on all
public questions, an able debater and was
influenced by a spirit of lofty patriotism. In
several of his speeches he referred to the
magnificent future of the American republic
and was ever ready and willing to support
any measures which would aid in building
up and make permanent the federation of
states.
Some years before his death he erected a
mansion on the south side of West Market
Street, which stood on the site fronting
Trinity Reformed Church. This building
was constructed of the best quality of
bricks. The hallways and the interior
carvings were executed by the skillful hand
of an artisan. This house was the finest
specimen of architecture of its day in York.
During his last term in Congress, Colonel
Hartley suffered from an incurable disease.
Although in feeble health, he was a regular
attendant at the sessions of this Congress.
In the fall of 1800, he published in the col-
umns of the York Recorder, an address to
the people of the district, declining re-
nomination to Congress. He returned
thanks for the confidence reposed in him by
sending him six times as a representative in
the highest legislati\-e body in the land.
He preferred to spend the remainder of his
life at his home, devoting his attention to
his profession and to his duties as major
general in the state militia service. He
died December 21, 1800. His remains were
buried in the yard surrounding St. John's
Episcopal Church, on North Beaver Street,
York. A marble headstone marks the spot.
In 1896, the Yorktown Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution
placed a beautiful tablet on the interior
walls of this church in memory of the hon-
ored soldier and statesman. This tablet
was dedicated September 7, 1896, with im-
posing ceremonies, in the presence of Dr.
Charles H. Hall, a great-grandson of the
deceased. Colonel Hartley had served as a
vestryman and represented this congrega-
tion in the first general convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church in America.
POLITICAL
56s
He was a man of medium stature, fine per-
sonal appearance and atlable manners. He
was universally popular with the masses of
the people, as well as the representative
men of the nation, with whom he associated
for a period of twenty years. He was kind
toward the poor, generous to a fault and
possessed a voice of such attractive elo-
quence that he interested every person who
knew him.
Colonel Hartley was married early in life
to Catherine, daughter of Bernard and
Elizabeth Holtzinger, of York. They had
two children : Charles AA'. Hartley, who
served as prothonotarj- of York County, and
later a citizen of Maryland; and Eleanor,
who married Dr. James Hall, then Lazar-
etto physician of Philadelphia, and whose
descendants moved to the state of Georgia.
Mrs. Hartley died at her home in York, Oc-
tober 2, 1798. Her remains were buried in
St. John's churchyard.
JOHN STEAA'ART was the second
representative in Congress from York
County. He was chosen by the Democratic
party at a special election held January 15,
1801. He was re-elected in October, 1802.
Before he was sent to Congress he had
served continuoush' as a member of the
Pennsylvania Legislature from 1789 to
1796. He died in 1820, in Spring-garden
Township, and his remains were buried on
his farm, owned by the late John H. Small.
A tombstone marks his grave.
JAMES KELLEY was born in the lower
end of York County, received a classical
education at Princeton College, studied law
and was admitted to the bar at York. July
17, 1790; was a member of the legislature
1795-6-7-8; was elected a representative
from York County to the Ninth Congress
and was re-elected to the Tenth Congress,
serving from December 2, 1805, to ]\Iarch 3,
1809. He died at Philadelphia, February
4, 1819.
DR. AYILLIAM CRAAYFORD was born
in Paisley, Scotland, in 1760, received a clas-
sical education, studied medicine at the
Universit}^ of Edinburgh, Scotland, and re-
ceived his degree in 1791 ; emigrated to
York County, and located near the present
site of Gettysburg; purchased a farm on
Marsh Creek in 1795, and spent the re-
mainder of his life there practicing medicine
among his friends, with the exception of in-
tervals that he was elected to office. He
was an associate judge and was elected to
represent the York district in the Eleventh
Congress, in 1808, as a Jefferson Democrat.
He was re-elected to the Twelfth Congress
to represent the York district and to the
Thirteenth and Fourteenth Congresses to
represent a new district formed, of which
Adams County was a part, serving continu-
ously from 1809 to 1817, after which he re-
sumed the practice of medicine, and died
in 1823.
HUGH GLASGOAY was born September
8, 1769, at Nottingham, Chester County, to
which place his father emigrated about the
year 1730. His grandfather was a man of
local distinction in the city of Glasgow,
Scotland. The father died at Nottingham
in 1772. Hugh was the third son, but the
only one that grew to manhood. Soon
after his father's death he came to York
County. For a time he was engaged in
farming, and shortly after the Revolution-
ary war, began the store business near the
Peach Bottom Ferry. He continued this
business for a number of years and became
prominent in township and county affairs.
He was commissioned an associate judge of
the Courts of York County, at the age of
thirty-one years, on July i, 1800, and con-
tinued to hold that position until March 29,
1S13. At the October election in 1812 he
was chosen to represent York County in
Congress, and was re-elected in October,
1814. He was in public life for a term of
sixteen years — twelve as judge and four in
the House of Representatives' at AA^ashing-
ton. He was a man of excellent character
and discriminating judgment. During the
war of 1812-14 he was an ardent supporter
of President Madison. Before leaving Con-
gress, he secured the establishment of a
postofftce at Peach Bottom, the first in that
section. Hugh Glasgow had a library of
well-selected books. He contracted a se-
vere cold, took sick while in AA'ashington,
and died of consumption on January 31,
1818, at his home in Peach Bottom, about
two miles from the river. His remains were
interred in the Slate Ridge burying ground.
JACOB SPANGLER was born in 1768.
Early in life he turned his attention to sur-
veying, and was county surveyor for many
years. In 1800 he ran the boundary line
that separated York and Adams County.
566
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
In 1817 he made a re-survey of Spring-
ettsbury Manor. He was elected a repre-
sentative to the Fifteenth Congress from
York County by the Federalist party, and
served from December i, 1817, to April 20,
1 81 8, when he resigned. He afterwards
became a prominent Jackson Democrat, and
later served as surveyor general of Penn-
sylvania. He died at York June 17, 1843.
In his day he was a prominent man in the
affairs of York County. He was one of a
committee selected to escort Lafayette from
York to Harrisburg, in February, 1825.
JACOB HOSTETTER, who represented
York County in Congress, was elected
March, 1818, to fill the vacancy caused by
the resignation of Jacob Spangler, was re-
elected in October of the same year and
served a full term of two years, and previ-
ously served as a member of the State leg-
islature from 1797 to 1801. He was born
near the present site of Hanover, May 9,
1754, and was prominently identified with
the growth and prosperity of what was then
known as the Conewago settlement, being
born ten years before Hanover was laid out
by Richard McAllister. Early in life he
learned the trade of a watchmaker, and for
many years manufactured the large eight-
day chronometer, then familiarly known to
a large section of country as the "Hostetter
clock," some of which are still in existence,
and kept as mementoes by the descendants
of persons who purchased them from the
manufacturer. He diligently followed his
trade in a building next door west of the
Central Hotel, in Hanover. Meantime he
was an influential Jefferson Democrat in
York County. His son, then a youth of
twenty years, at the close of the congres-
sional session regularly went to AVashington
on horseback to bring his father home, there
being no railroads at that time. Jacob Hos-
tetter, Jr., the son, in the spring of 1822,
migrated to Ohio, locating at New Lisbon,
Columbiana County, where a considerable
Pennsylvania settlement had already been
formed. He was followed three j'ears later
by his father, who had shortly before com-
pleted his second congressional term. The
clockmaker's business was continued by
both father and son together. They sub-
sequently moved to the vicinity of Canton,
where the father. Congressman Hostetter,
(lied June 29, 183 1. at the age of seventy-
nine years. His wife survived him until
1840. His son, Jacob Hostetter, became a
member of the legislature of Ohio from
Stark County, superintended the taking of
the census of the same county in 1830, and
was an associate judge of the courts for
seven years. A number of descendants
now Uve in Columbiana and Stark Counties.
JAMES S. MITCHELL was born near
the village of Rossville, in Warrington
Township, York County. He obtained his
early education in the schools of his native
township, and was a member of the Society
of Friends. In 1812 he was elected to the
Pennsyh'ania legislature and re-elected in
1810 and 1814. He was elected to the Sev-
enteenth Congress as a Democrat ; was re-
elected to the Eighteenth and Nineteenth
Congresses, serving from December 3, 182 1,
to March 3, 1826. At the expiration of his
term of service, he moved west wdiere he
died.
DR. ADAM KING was born at York and
became a practicing physician in his native
town. He was elected clerk of the courts
and prothonotary of York County in 1818,
serving one term. For many years he was
one of the owners and proprietors of the
York Gazette. He was elected a repre-
sentative from York County to the Twenti-
eth Congress as a Jackson Democrat, and
re-elected to the Twenty-first and Twenty-
second Congresses, serving from December
3, 1827, to March, 1833. On January 30,
1825, he was one of the committee to escort
General Lafayette from York to Harris-
burg. He was defeated for the election to
the Twenty-third Congress by Charles A.
Barnitz, a Clay AVhig. His death occurred
in York, May 6, 1835.
CHARLES A. BARNITZ was born in
York, September 11, 1780; received a lib-
eral education, studied law and was admit-
ted to the bar, and practiced at York, where
he attained an excellent reputation in his
profession. For a number of jj-ears he was
the attorney for the heirs of Penn in the
affairs of Springettsbury Manor. He was
elected a representati^•e from York County
to the Twenty-third Congress as a friend of
Henry Clay, defeating Dr. Adam King, and
served from December 2, 1833, to March 3,
1S35. He ^^•as president of the York Bank
for many years. He died in York, January
8, 1850. A record of his career as a lawyer
■w'f/',^
(^^^-^^-^
POLITICAL
567
will be found in the chapter on The Bench
and Bar, in this volume.
HENRY LOGAN, of Carroll Township,
was born near Dillsburg, York County,
April 14th, 1784. His father, Henry, and
his grandfather, John Logan, came to this
country from Monaghan County, Ireland,
in 1749, and settled in the Cumberland Val-
ley. They afterward purchased a large
tract of land near Dillsburg, which their de-
scendants have occupied for more than a
century. Henry Logan served as a soldier
in the war of 1812. From 1814 to 1821 he
was lieutenant colonel of the Ninetieth reg-
iment composed of the militia from York
and Adams Counties.
Colonel Logan represented York County
in the House of Representatives for the
years 1818 and 1819, and was a member of
the State Senate from 1828 to 183 1. In
1834 he was elected to Congress as a Jack-
son Democrat and served in that body for a
period of four years, and in 1841 was elected
county commissioner.
He served for several years as a director
in the Carlisle Deposit Bank and in the Al-
len and East Pennsboro Mutual Fire In-
surance Company. He was deeply inter-
ested in the cause of public education and
was a prominent member of the Presby-
terian Church. He died December 20, 1866,
near Dillsburg. Colonel Logan was the
father of John N. Logan and grandfather of
James J. Logan, members of the York
County bar.
DR. JAMES GERRY, of Shrewsbury,
who represented this district in the Twenty-
sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses, was
born in Cecil County, Maryland, in August,
1796. He was educated at West Notting-
ham Academy, of which he afterward be-
came principal. In 1824 he located at
Shrewsbur}? as a physician, in which profes-
sion he excelled as a practitioner for many
years. In 1838 Dr. Gerry was elected a
representative in Congress as a Democrat
and served as a member of that body for a
period of four years. Being a protege of
Andrew Jackson while a member of Con-
gress, he delivered a speech against the
United States bank. In 1852 as a delegate
to the Democratic national convention he
supported the nomination of James Bu-
chanan for the presidency, but this conven-
tion nominated Franklin Pierce, of New
Hampshire. In 1856 when James Buchanan
was elected president the latter tendered his
friend. Dr. Gerry, a government position at
A\'ashington which he declined. He died at
his home in Shrewsbury, July 19, 1873.
DR. HENRY NES was born in York, in
1799. He studied medicine and practiced
for many years; filled several local offices;
was elected to represent York County in the
Twenty-eighth Congress as an Independent,
receiving 4,016 votes against 3,413 votes for
Dr. Alexander Small, Democrat, serving
from December 4, 1843, to March 3, 1845;
he was elected to the Thirtieth Congress as
a Whig; and was re-elected to the Thirty-
first Congress, receiving 6,599 votes against
5,989 for J. B. Danner, the Democratic can-
didate, serving from December 6, 1847, to
September 10, 1850, when he died at York.
He was a member of the House of Repre-
sentatives, when ex-President John Ouincy
Adams, then a fellow member, fell from his
chair from a stroke of apoplexy. Dr. Nes
was one of his attending phvsicians.
WILLIAM H. KURTZ, member of Con-
gress, was born in York in 1803, and ob-
tained his education in the York County
Academy. He was admitted to the bar in
1825 and later served for nine years as pros-
ecuting attorney for York County. In
1850 he was elected to represent the Fif-
teenth Congressional District composed of
York and Adams Counties in the Thirty-
second Congress as a Democrat, receiving
5,765 votes against 5,372 votes for his AA'hig
opponent. He was elected to the Thirty-
third Congress in 1852, receiving 9,523 votes
against 7,306 for Biddle, the Whig candi-
date, in the newly apportioned Sixteenth
District, composed of York, Cumberland
and Perry Counties. He died in York June
24, 1868.
ADAM J. GLOSSBRENNER was born
in Hagerstown, Maryland, August 31, 1810.
At the age of nineteen he commenced learn-
ing the printing business, and in 1827 began
the publication of the Monitor at Columbus,
Ohio, for Judge Smith. In 1828 he started
the Western Telegraph at Hamilton, Ohio.
In 1829 he visited York on an engagement
to remain a month or two. The visit was
protracted to a term of fifty years. In 183 1
he started the York County Farmer: in
1833, married Charlotte, daughter of Dr.
Thomas Jameson, of York, and the same
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PENNSYLVANIA
year published a history of York County.
In 1S34 he became a partner in the publica-
tion of the York Gazette, and continued his
connection with that paper until i860. In
1838 he was appointed by Governor Porter
to take charge of the motive power of the
Columbia and Philadelphia Railroad. In
1843, he became cashier of the contingent
fund of the House of Representatives at
Washington; in 1847 was appointed to have
charge of emigration and the copyright
bureau, in the department of State at Wash-
ington; in 1850 elected sergeant at arms in
the United States House of Representatives
and was re-elected by four successive con-
gresses, serving until i860, when he became
private secretary to President Buchanan;
in 1862, established the Philadelphia Age.
In 1864 he was nominated by the Demo-
cratic Congressional Conference of York,
Cumberland and Perry Counties and elected
by a majority of 3,492 votes ; in 1866 he was
again nominated and elected by 3,341 ma-
jority. During the last years of his life he
was connected with the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company, and died at Philadelphia in
1889.
COLONEL LEVI MAISH, member of
the York County Bar and a soldier who won
distinction in the army, was born in Cone-
wago Township, York County, in 1837. He
was educated at the public schools and sub-
sequently at the York County Academy,
working on a farm when not at his studies ;
apprenticed in 1854 to a machinist and re-
mained with him for two years; recruited a
company for the Union army in 1862, and
with it joined the One Hundred and Thir-
tieth Pennsylvania Infantry, of which he
was soon promoted to lieutenant colonel ;
wounded at the battle of Antietam, pro-
moted colonel after the battle of Fredericks-
burg; again wounded while leading his regi-
ment at the battle of Chancellorsville ; after
having been mustered out with his regiment
at the expiration of its term of service at-
tended lectures in the law department of the
University of Pennsylvania and was admit-
ted to the bar in 1864; member of the State
House of Representatives in 1867 and 1868;
appointed by the legislature in 1872 one of
a commission to re-examine the accounts of
certain public ofliicers of York County;
elected to the Forty-fourth, Forty-fifth. Fif-
tieth and Fiftv-first Congresses as a Demo-
crat; after leaving Congress located in
Washington, D. C, where he engaged in the
practice of law; died in 1899. During the
time that Colonel Maish served in Congress
he secured an appropriation of $80,000 for
a new federal building at York, erected
at the corner of Beaver and Philadelphia
J t r c G t s
COLONEL JAMES A. STAHLE was
born in AVest Manchester Township, York
County, Pennsylvania, January 11, 1830, and
obtained his education in the public schools
and the York County Academy. He
learned the printer's trade, which he fol-
lowed for a time, and then conducted a mer-
chant tailoring establishment. From 1858
to 1861 he was the agent for the Adams
Express Company at York. Early in life
he became interested in military affairs, and
made a diligent study of tactics. During
the spring months of 1861, he organized the
Ellsworth Zouaves. Under his drill and
training it became a noted military organi-
zation which on August 24, 1861, was mus-
tered into the service as Company A of the
Eighty-seventh Regiment. On January i,
1863, Captain Stable was promoted to major
of his regiment, and on Alay 9, 1863, upon
the retirement of Colonel Hay, he suc-
ceeded John W. Shall as lieutenant colonel.
He participated with his command in the
marches across the West Virginia Moun-
tains, and in the campaign around AA'inches-
ter in 1862 and 1863. He commanded the
regiment in the Mine Run campaign, and
part of the time when the army was in win-
ter quarters at Brandy Station, Virginia.
AA'hile General B. F. Smith was absent in
the winter of 1863-4, Colonel Stable was
temporaril}^ in command of the Third Bri-
gade, Third Division, Third Army Corps.
He participated with his regiment in the
Wilderness campaign, and on June i, 1864,
when Colonel Truex was wounded and Col-
onel Shall had succeeded that officer as bri-
gade commander, he led the Ejghty-seventh
in the general charge of the army on the
Confederate lines at Cold Harbor, when it
captured many prisoners, and advanced and
held a position beyond the first line of the
enemy's works. During the night that fol-
lowed he was at the head of the regiment
lying on the ground with Corporal Ziegler
of Company F when he received the infor-
mation that his command should fall back at
POLITICAL
569
once, as it had lost its support on the right
and left.
He had charge of the Eighty-seventh in
the engagements along the Weldon Rail-
road, in front of Petersburg and displayed
marked courage and ability as its com-
mander in the battle of Monocacy, near
Frederick, Maryland. Soon after the re-
turn of the regiment at the end of its three
years' term of service, Colonel Stable was
appointed deputy collector of revenue at
York, and held that position under Presi-
dent Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield and
Arthur.
In 1894 he was elected to Congress as a
Republican to represent the Nineteenth Dis-
trict of Pennsylvania whose normal Demo-
cratic majority then was 5,000 votes. He
has devoted much time to agriculture and
horticulture, and spends the years of his re-
tirement from public life near Emigsville, a
few miles north of York.
EDWARD D. ZIEGLER, a representa-
tive from York County in the Fifty-sixth
Congress, was born near Bedford, Pennsyl-
vania, March 3, 1844, He is a son of Rev.
Jacob and Anna Mary (Danner) Ziegler.
His father was a prominent clergyman of
the Reformed Church. He was educated
at the York County Academy and Pennsyl-
vania College at Gettysburg, where he was
graduated with the class of 1866. After
leaving college he was chosen by Prof.
George W. Ruby instructor in Latin. Eng-
lish and mathematics in the York County
Academy. While engaged in teaching for
two years, he studied law under Henry L.
Fisher, of York, and was admitted to the
bar in 1868. From 1871 to 1873 he was
clerk to the County Commissioners and the
next three years served as their attorney.
From 1881 to 1884 he was District Attor-
ney. In 1884 he was a delegate to the Dem-
ocratic National convention. In 1896 he re-
ceived the support of the Democratic party
of York County for the nomination to Con-
gress, but withdrew in favor of George J.
Benner, of Adams County, who was nom-
inated and elected. In 1898 Mr. Ziegler was
nominated by the Democratic party and
elected to represent the Nineteenth Con-
gressional District in Congress, which office
he filled with credit for two years. Since
his retirement from Congress he has de-
voted his attention to the practice of law.
and also served three years as attorney to
the County Commissioners.
ROBERT J. LEWIS, who represented
the Nineteenth District of Pennsylvania in
the Fifty-seventh Congress, was born at
Dover, York County, December 30, 1864.
He is a son of Melchior Lewis and a grand-
son of Dr. Robert Lewis, a leading physician
of York County, who practiced medicine for
many years in Dover Township. Mr.
Lewis was educated in the public schools of
York and graduated from the High School
in 1883; taught in the public schools until
September, 1889, when he entered the law
department of Yale LTniversity; graduated
in 1891 ; admitted to the New Haven, Con-
necticut, bar June, 1891, and August of the
same year to the bar of York County. Penn-
sylvania; elected school controller in 1893,
and re-elected in 1897 and 1903; elected city
solicitor in 1895; elected a representative to
the Fifty-seventh Congress as a Republican ;
declined a re-nomination.
DANIEL FRANKLIN LAFEAN was
born in York, February 7, 1861; was edu-
cated in the public schools of his native city,
entering the high school in 1876. He has
been actively engaged in the manufacturing
business for twenty years, being connected
with a number of local manufacturing con-
cerns, as well as president of the Security
Title and Trust Company, a leading finan-
cial institution of York. He is a member
of the board of trustees of Pennsylvania
College at Gettysburg, and the Lutheran
Theological Seminary at the same place.
He was tendered a unanimous nomination
by the Republican party to represent the
district, composed of York and Adams
Counties, and elected to the Fifty-eighth
Congress, and re-elected to the Fifty-ninth
Congress by a plurality of 4,306, receiving
19,088 votes, to 14,782 for William Mc-
Sherry, Democrat, and 367 for S. S. W.
Hammers, Prohibitionist. In 1906 he was
nominated the third time and elected to the
Sixtieth Congress. During his second
term, Mr. Lafean secured the passage of an
act, appropriating $75,000 to purchase a site
for a new government building at York.
He has been active and influential not only
as a business man aiding to build up the
material interests of York, and has made a
useful and progressisve member of the Na-
tional House of Representatives.
570
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
STATE SENATORS.
The office of State Senator was created
by the constitution of 1790, which provided
that the legislative power of the Common-
wealth should be vested in a General As-
sembly, composed of a Senate and a House
of Representatives, the number of the
senators in the state jiot to be less than one-
fourth, nor more than one-third the number
of representatives. The Senate upon
organization was composed of twelve mem-
bers. In 1801, the number was increased
to twenty-five; in 1808 to thirty-one; in
1822 to thirty-three, and so continued until
1874, when it was increased to fifty.
The term of office was four years, from
1790 to 1838, and three years from 1838 to
1874, when the new constitution increased
the term to four years. The first four
years to 1794, York and Lancaster Counties
formed one district, which was entitled to
three senators. When Adams County was
laid out, the two counties formed one dis-
trict, and were allowed two senators, one
elected every two years, generally chosen
from the counties alternately. In the ac-
companying list it will be noticed that- some-
times elections were held more frequently
than every two years before 1838. This
was caused by a death or resignation. The
following is a list of State Senators, who
represented York County, with the years
of their election. For the district composed
of York and Lancaster Counties under
State Constitution of 1790 were Adam Hub-
ley, Jr., Michael Smyser and Sebastian
Grofif; 1794, Michael Smvser, Thomas Lilly;
1795, General James Ewing; 1799, General
James Ewing; 1800, AVilliam Reed; 1803,
Rudolph Spangler; 1805, A'Villiam Miller;
1807, Colonel Thomas Campbell; 1809,
AVilliam Gilliland; 181 1, John Stroman ;
1813, James McSherry; 1815, Charles A.
Barnitz; 1817, William Gilliland; 1819,
Frederick Eichelberger ; 1821, Jacob Eys-
ter; 1823, AVilliam Mcllvaine; 1824, Zeph-
aniah Herbert; 1826, Henry Logan; 1829,
Ezra Blythe; 1831, Henry Smyser; 1833,
David Middlekauff ; 1836, James McConkey,
with two associate senators represented
York and Lancaster. He was elected in
1838 for York County; 1840, Thomas E.
Cochran; 1843, Adam Ebaugh.
The following named persons represented
York County as a separate senatorial dis-
trict: 1846, Philip Smyser; 1849, Henry
Fulton; 18^2, Jacob S. Haldeman; 185s,
AVilliam H. AVelsh ; 1858, AVilliam H.
AA'elsh; 1861, A. Hiestand Glatz.
The following named persons represented
York and Cumberland as one senatorial dis-
trict: 1863, George H. Bucher; 1866, A.
Hiestand Glatz; 1869, Andrew G. Miller.
The next two represented York and Adams :
1872, AVilliam McSherry; 1875, H. G. Bus-
sey.
Since 1878, York County has been a sep-
arate senatorial district. James H. Ross
was elected to represent York County in
1878, and re-elected in 1882; 1886, Gerard
S. Brown; 1890, Gerard S. Brown; 1894,
Harvey AA^ Haines; 1898, Harvej^ W.
Haines; 1902, Edwin K. ]\IcConkey; ,1906,
David P. Klinedinst.
STATE REPRESENTATIVES.
The office of Assemblyman was created
by the frame of government prepared by
AVilliam Penn before leaving England.
York County when first organized was
entitled to two members in the General As-
sembly, which then met at Philadelphia.
They were elected annually. The constitu-
tion of 1776 provided that in the years
1776-77-78, each county of the State was en-
titled to six members, and thereafter the
number was to be determined by the Gen-
eral Assembly according to population. In
1779 the number Avas increased to eight
members, and again reduced to six in 1786.
The constitution of 1790 provided for an
enumeration of the taxable inhabitants
within three years after the first meeting
of the General Assembly, and an apportion-
ment of the members of the two houses
created by that constitution, among the
counties, according to the number of tax-
ables, and a similar enumeration and appor-
tionment every seven years thereafter.
The number of members for York County
continued to be six until 1800, when Adams
Count)' was formed. The number was then
reduced to four, in 1829 to three, and in
1858 to two. The apportionment of 1874
increased the number to four. All members
were elected annually from 1749 to 1874.
The elections were always held in October,
until 1874, when the time was changed to
November. Under our present constitution
POLITICAL
571
tlie term is two years. Tlie names of the
members who represented York County
from the time of its erection to 1907, to-
gether with tlie years of tlieir election, are
as follows :
1749, John Wright and John Armstrong;
1750, no sheriff's return nor did any repre-
sentatives appear; 1751, John Wright and
John Witherow; 1752, no return: from 1753
to 1759, John A\'right and David McCon-
aughy.
1760. Da\id ]\IcConaughy and John
Blackburn: 1761, David McConaughy and
John Blackburn: 1762, David McCon-
aughy and John Blackburn: 1763, David
INIcConaughy and John Blackburn: 1764,
David McConaughy and John Blackburn;
1765, John Blackburn and Robert ]\IcPher-
son ; 1766, John Blackburn and Robert Mc-
Pherson: 1767, Robert McPherson and
Archibald INIcGrew: 1768, Thomas Min-
shall and Michael Swope ; 1769, Thomas
^linshall and J^Iichael Swope.
1770, Thomas Minshall and Michael
Swope: 1771, James Ew'ing and Michael
Swope; 1772, James Ewnng and John Pope;
1773, James Ew'ing and John Pope; 1774,
James Ewing and INIichael Swope; 1775,
James Ewing and ^Michael Swope; 1776,
Archibald McLean, Michael Swope, David
Dun^^•oodie, James Dickson, Michael Hahn,
John Read; 1777, David Dunwoodie, James
Dickson, ]\Iichael Hahn, Matthew Dill,
John Agnew% John Orr; 1778, Thomas
Hartley, Samuel Edie, Thomas Lilly,
Michael Schmeiser, W'illiam' Ross, Henry
Schlegel; 1779, David Dunwoodie, James
Dickson, Matthew Dill, John Orr, Henry
Schlegel, James Deeper, John Hay, David
Kennedy.
1750, James Dickson, Thomas Lilly,
^lichael Schmeiser, Moses McLean, Robert
Gilbraith, James Smith, ^^'illiam IMitchell,
James Ramsey; 1781, jNIichael Hahn, John
Agnew, Thomas Lilly, Michael Schmeiser,
]\Ioses McLean, Robert iNIcPherson, James
Ramsey, Joseph McGuffin: 1782, Michael
Hahn, Thomas Lilly, Michael Schmeiser,
r^Ioses McLean, Robert McPherson, Joseph
McGuffin, John Hay, Patrick Scott; 1783,
]\Ioses McLean, Robert ^McPherson, Joseph
McGuffin, John Play, Henry iNIiller, Philip
Gardner, David Grier, David ]\IcConaughy :
1784. Robert McPherson, John Hay, Henry
Miller, Philiji Gardner, David McCon-
aughy, janies l-'.wing, Henry Tyson, Joseph
Lilly: 1785, Henry Miller, Philip Gardner,
David McConaughy, Henry Tyson, Joseph
Lilly, David McLellan, Adam Eichelberger,
Michael Schmeiser; 1786, David McCon-
aughy, Henry Tyson, Joseph Lilly, David
McLellan, Adam Eichelberger, Michael
Schmeiser; 1787, Michael Schmeiser,
Joseph Lilly, David McLellan, W'illiam
Mitchell, Joseph Read, Thomas Clingan :
1788, Michael Schmeiser, Thomas Lilly,
Henry Tyson, David McLellan, Joseph
Read, Thomas Clingan; 1789, Thomas
Lilly, Thomas Clingan, Jacob Schmeiser,
John Stewart, W'illiam Godfrey,Joseph Read.
1790, Joseph Read, Philip Gardner,
Henry Tyson, AYilliam McPherson, John
Stewart, Thomas Lilly; 1791, Thomas
Lilly, John Stewart, William McPherson,
Alexander Turner, Thomas Thornburg,
Henry Tyson; 1792, Philip Gardner, John
Stewart, Alexander Turner, Thomas Thorn-
burg, Thomas Lilly, William j\IcPherson;
1793, Thomas Lilly, Philip Gardner, John
Stewart, Alexander Turner, Thomas
Campbell, James Kelly; 1794, Philip
Gardner, John Stew^art, William McPher-
son, Alexander Turner, Thomas Campbell,
James Kelly; 1795, AVilliam McPherson,
Alexander Turner, Thomas Campbell,
Philip Gardner, AVilliam Miller, John
Stewart; 1796, William McPherson, John
Stewart, Philip Gardner, Alexander Turner,
Thomas Campbell, AA'illiam Miller: 1797,
Thomas Campbell, AA'illiam McPherson,
Alexander Turner, Philip Gardner, Jacob
Hostetter, James Kelly; 1798, Thomas
Campbell, A"lexander Turner, AA'illiam :\Ic-
Pherson, James Kelly, Jacob Hostetter,
Philip Albright; 1799, William McPherson,
Alexander Turner, Thomas Campbell. Yost
Herbach, Alexander Cobean, Jacob Hostet-
ter.
1800, Jacob Hostetter, Frederick Eichel-
berger, William Anderson, Michael Gem-
mill: 1801, Frederick Eichelberger, AYilliam
Anderson, Michael Hellman. Daniel Stouf-
fer; 1802, Frederick Eichelberger, AA'illiam
Anderson, Michael Hellman. Daniel Stouf-
fer; 1803, Michael Hellman. Daniel Stouf-
fer. Matthew Clark. George Spengler: 1804,.
:\lichael Hellman. iMatthew Clark. George
Spengler, Adam Hendricks: 1805, George
Spengler, Conrad Sherman. AA'illiam ^Ic-
Lellan, Benjamin Pedan; 1806, AA'illiam An-
S72
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
derson, George Spengler, Adam Hendricks,
Robert Hammersly; 1807, Conrad Sherman,
Jacob Eichelberger, Robert Gemmill, John
McLellan; 1808, George Spengler, Abra-
ham Graffius. Archibald Steele, George
Nes : 1809, George Spengler, Abraham
Graffius, George Nes, Archibald S. Jordan.
1810, George Nes, James S. Mitchell,
Moses Rankin, Rudolph Spengler; 181 1,
Adam Hendricks, James S. Mitchell, Moses
Rankin. George Stake; 1812, James S.
Mitchell, Peter Storm, Jacob Heckert,
Adam Hendricks; 1813, James S. Mitchell.
Jacob Heckert, Archibald S. Jordan, George
Frysinger; 1814, Archibald S. Jordan, Peter
Storm, Peter Small, James S. Mitchell;
1815, Frederick Eichelberger, Peter Storm,
John Livingston, John Stro'hman; 1816,
Frederick Eichelberger, Peter Storm,
Michael Gardner. John Livingston; 1817,
Michael Gardner, Frederick Eichelberger,
Peter Storm, Moses Rankin; 1818, Jacob
Doll, Peter Reider, Robert Ramsey, Henry
Logan; 1819, Jacob Doll, Peter Reider,
Robert Ramsey, Henry Logan.
1820, Jonas Dierdorff, William Nes, John
Livingston, Peter Storm; 1821, Jonas Dier-
dorff, William Nes, John Livingston, Peter
Storm ; 1822, John Gardner, Samuel Jordan,
William Diven, Christian Hetrick; 1823,
John Gardner, Samuel Jordan, William
Diven, Christian Hetrick; 1824, Samuel
Jordan, Christian Hetrick, William Diven,
John Kaufifelt; 1825, Christian Hetrick,
Simon Anstine, John Eichelberger, Michael
Gardner; 1826, Christian Hetrick, John
Becker, Peter AVolford. Stephen T. Cooper ;
1827, Stephen T. Cooper, Peter Wolford,
John Becker, George Fisher; 1828, Stephen
T. Cooper, Michael Doudel, Thomas Metz-
ler, George Fisher; 1829, Michael Doudel,
George Fisher, Andrew McConkey.
1830, George Fisher, Andrew McConkey,
John Rankin; 1831, Andrew Flickinger,
John R. Donnel, John Rankin; 1832, John
Rankin, John R. Donnel, Daniel Durkee ;
1833, John R. Donnel, William McClellan.
Henry Snyder; 1834. AVilliam McClellan.
Henry Snyder, Samuel Brooks; 1835. Jacob
Kirk, Jr., Joseph Garrettson, and William
Cowan; 1836-7, Martin Shearer, John
Thompson, Samuel Brooks, Jr.; 1838, Mar-
tin Shearer, James Kerr, George Dare.
1840. Jacob Stickel, AVilliam Snodgrass.
Robert McClellan; 1841. Isaac Garrettson.
Adam Ebaugh, John May; 1842, Adam
Ebaugh, Isaac Garrettson, William S. Pick-
ing; 1843, Samuel N. Bailey, M. W.
McKinnon, AVilliam S. Picking; 1844, Wil-
liam S. Picking. Samuel N. Bailey, Stephen
McKinley; 1845. Samuel N. Bailey, Stephen
McKinley. John Kellar; 1846, James Starr,
AA'illiam McAbee. George S. Murphy; 1847,
AA'illiam McAbee. AA-'illiam Ross, Daniel L.
Gehley; 1848-9, George F. Carl, David F.
AA'illiams. Thomas Grove.
1850-51, Edwin C. Throne, Alexander C.
McCurdy, Jacob S. Haldeman; 1852-53,
George Kraft, James M. Anderson, Eze-
kiel R. Herbert; 1854, Jacob K. Sidle, Vin-
cent C. S. Eckert, Joseph AVilson ; 1855. E^i
AA'. Free. AA'illiam McConkey, Daniel Rut-
ter; 1856-57, Isaac Beck, Samuel Manear,
James Ramsay; 1858-59, A. Heistand Glatz,
AA'illiam AV. AVolf.
1860-61, Frederick Sult'zbach, John Mani-
fold; 1862, J. Dellone, James Ramsay; 1863,
Joseph Dellone, A. C. Ramsay; 1864, Dan-
iel Reiff, John F. Spangler; 1865, John F.
Spangler, James Cameron; 1866. James
Cameron, A. S. Lawrence; 1867-68. Levi
Maish. Stephen G. Boyd; 1869-70, George
R. Hursh, B. F. Porter.
1871-72, Lemuel Ross, Frank J. Magee;
1873-74, George W. Heiges, D. M. Loucks;
1875-76, John B. Gemmill, Emanuel Myers,
Adam Stevens, George Anstine; 1877-78,
John B. Gemmill, Adam Stevens, Philip S.
Bowman. George E. Sherwood; 1879-80,
George E. Sherwood. Philip S. Bowman,
AA'illiam Campbell and John AA^iest.
1881-82. AA'illiam Campbell, John AA'^iest,
Millard J. Blackford, J. C. Deveney; 1883-
84. Millard J. Blackford, J. C. Deveney, -
Morris M. Hays, William B. Bigler; 1885-
86, M. J. McKinnon, S. J. Barnhart, J. P.
Robison, Charles AVilliams; 1887-88, S. J.
Barnhart, H. M. Bortner, Eli Z. Strine. I. C.
Delone ; 1889-90, I. C. Delone, M. J. McKin-
non, Harvey W. Haines, John L. Shillito.
1891-92, Harvey AA^ Haines, John L.
Shillito. David C. Eberhard, Daniel S.
Dubs; 1893-94, Daniel S. Dubsj H. M.
Bortner, Henry AA^ Fishel, James P. Robi-
son; 1895-96. Charles A. Hawkins, James
C. Graham, Charles M. Kerr, AA'illiam H.
Long; 1897-98. James C. Graham, Charles
J\I. Kerr, AVilliam H. Long. R. R, Kaylor;
1899-1900. R. R. Kaylor. Conrad B. Sterner,
Harrv B. Shutt. AA'ilson Z. ]\Iacomber.
POLITICAL
573
1901-02, Harry B. Shutt, John B. Kain,
Morris M. Havs, Lee S. Fake: 1903-04,
^^'illiam J. McC'lellan, Levi M. Myers, Con-
rad B. Sterner, EH Z. Strine ; 1905-06, J.
Franklin Evans, J. Frank Zortman, Aaron
Hostetter, Albert J. Matson. Hostetter
and Matson resigned and Adam E. Kohr
and Ellis S. Myers were chosen at a special
election to fill the vacancy during the latter
part of December, 1905. At the fall election
in 1906 Adam E. Kohr, George W. Drury,
Horace L. Crumbling and Hugh A¥. Ram-
say were elected.
COUNTY OFFICES.
The offices of Prothonotary, Recorder of
Deeds, Register of AYills, Clerk of the
Orphans' Court and Clerk of the Quarter
Sessions were established when the county
offices were organized at York in 1749, and
were filled by appointments made by the
governor of the province before the consti-
tution of 1776. Under this constitution
appointments were made by the Supreme
Executive Council, and under the constitu-
tion of 1790 by the governor. The consti-
tution of 1838 changed this plan to an
election by the people. These offices were
for the first time filled in York County by
the voice of the people at the general elec-
tion held October 11, 1839. The term of
office then began on the first day of De-
cember after the election, until the adoption
of the new constitution of 1873, when the
first Monday of January following the
election was authorized as the time for as-
suming the duties of office. It will be
noticed from the following lists that during
our early colonial history the different
offices were filled by one person for many
years. George Stevenson, who was an in-
telligent Englishman, and one of the first
men of political influence in the county, and
who was also a large land owner and a prac-
tical surveyor, served continuously in all of
these offices from 1749 to 1764. He soon
afterward moved to Carlisle, where he died.
PROTHONOTARIES.
1749 — George Stevenson,
appointed.
1764 — Samuel Johnston.
1777 — Archibald McLean.
1786— Henry Miller.
1794 — John Edie.
1800 — Charles William
Hartle}-.
1806 — William Barber.
1823— Michael W. Ash.
1830 — Richard Porter.
1S33— John W. Hetrick.
1836 — Benjamin Lanius.
1839 — William Ilgenfritz,
elected.
1842 — William Ilgenfritz.
184s — John R. Donnell.
1848— John R. Donnell. -
851 — Elijah Garretson.
854 — Joseph Holland.
8=;7 — Henry G. Bussey.
860 — Henry G. Bussev.
863— William Ilgenfritz.
866 — Thomas G. Cross.
869 — James B. Ziegler.
872 — Frank Geise.
87s— William Y. Link.
878 — Samuel B. Heiges.
REGISTERS.
749 — George Stevenson, 1863 — William Philby.
1881— W. H. Sitler.
1884— Samuel B. Hoff.
1887 — Emanuel S. Smith.
1890 — Henry Boll.
1893 — Benjamin F. Frick.
1896 — .A.ndrew Dellone.
1899 — Allen M. Seitz.
1902 — J. H. Gross.
1905 — George W. Maish.
1866— Jacob Stickle.
1869 — George Bollinger.
1872 — John Giesey.
1875 — Christian S. Gerber
(died in office).
appointed
764 — Samuel Johnston.
Tjy — Archibald McLean.
78s^Jacob Barnitz.
824— Jacob B. Wentz.
829 — Frederick Eichelber- 1877 — James Kell
ger. appointed
830— William P. Fisher ~ ' ' ~ '"
830 — Jesse Spangler.
833 — ]\Iichael Doudel.
836— James R. Reilly
1877 — John S. Hiestand,
elected.
1880— Oliver Stuck.
, — Henrv W. Bowman.
839 — John Stahle, elected. 1886 — William Thompson.
842— John Stahle.
845 — David Bender.
848 — Jacob Glessner.
851 — George Maish.
854— William Davis.
857 — Abraham Hershe}'.
860 — Amos Shearer.
RECORDERS.
749 — George Stevenson, 1857 — George Wehrly.
1889 — Edward Stuck.
1892 — David Witmer.
1895 — John H. Wambaugh.
1898— Philip J. Barnhart.
1901 — Z. C. Myers.
1904 — Christian T. Grove.
appointed,
764 — Samuel Johnston.
777 — Archibald McLean.
785 — Jacob Barnitz.
824— Jacob B. Wentz.
829 — Frederick Eichelber- zer.
187s — James R. Schmidt.
i860 — Amos Shearer.
1863— William B. Woods.
1866 — Henry Reisinger.
1869 — Noah Ehrhart.
1872— William H. Schweit-
ger.
830 — Charles Nes.
833 — JNIichael Doudel.
836 — Daniel May.
839— William Schall,
elected.
842— William Schall.
845 — Edwin C. Eppley
848 — Edwin C. Epplev
851— William Tash.
834— William Tash.
1878 — Jacob Lanius.
1881 — E. C. Grevemeyer.
1884— Wesley Glatfelter.
1887 — B. Frank Stroman.
1890 — John S. Trone.
1893 — Clayton Strickhouser.
i8g6 — Cornelius Murray.
1S99 — Henrv F. Bowman.
igo2— E. T.' Bentz.
1905 — Daniel Conrad.
George Stevenson filled an office
Chief which is now unknown. James
Ranger. Hamilton, deputy governor of
Pennsylvania, constituted him, on
January 7, 1750, Chief Ranger of and for the
county of York, granting "full power and
authority to range, view and inspect all our
woods and lands within the said county,
and to seize, take up and appropriate to our
use all and every such wild colts or young
horses, cattle and swine, as shall be found
within the bounds of said county, that are
not marked by the owners of their dams,
and are liable to be seized by law ; and also
all marked strays for which no lawful own-
ers can be found, that may be taken up in
said county, and to publish every such stray
574
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
in the most public places in the said county
for the space of one year, and also keeping
some public mark of their being strays for
the said space about them, hereby requiring
you to sue and prosecute all persons pre-
suming to act contrary to law in cutting
down and destroying aiiy of our timber,
trees or wood, or that shall in any wise in-
vade the powers granted to you within the
said county."
CLERKS OF
1/49 — George Stevenson,
appointed.
1764 — Samuel Johnston.
1777 — Archibald McLean.
17S6— Henrj- Miller.
1794 — John Edie.
iSoo— Charles W. Hartley.
1806— William Barber.
1818 — Adam King.
1821 — Robert Haramerslj'.
1823 — Adam King.
1827 — Jacob Spalngler.
183a — Jacob B. Wentz.
1838 — George Frysinger.
1839 — George A. Barnitz,
elected.
1842 — George A. Barnitz.
1845 — Jo'i" A. Wilson.
1851 — Thomas Jameson.
THE COURTS.
1854 — Joseph O. Stewart.
1857 — John Reeser.
i860— William Tash.
186^ — Samuel Ziegler.
1S66— William Tash.
1869 — William L. Keech.
1872— E. D. Bentzel.
1875— B. F- Koller.
1878— William A. Thomp-
son.
1881 — James A. Blasser.
1884 — William F. Ramsey.
1887— Lewis D. Sell.
1890— P. D. Baker.
1893 — Jared F. Blasser.
1896 — Lee S. Stoner.
1899 — George F. Saubel.
1902 — Vincent R. Weaver.
1905 — J. Harry Stewart.
From 1749 to 1841, a period of
Treasurers, nearly one hundred years, the
county treasurers were ap-
pointed annually by the county commis-
sioners. Some of them were re-appointed
several times, as the accompanying dates
will indicate. An act of legislature, passed
May 27, 1841, made this an elective office,
the incumbent to serve two years. The
constitution of 1873 extended the term to
three years.
1749 — David McConaughy,
appointed.
1752 — Thomas McCartney.
I7S4— Hugh Whiteford.
1755 — Robert McPherson.
1756 — Frederick Gelwicks.
1757 — William Delap.
1759 — John Blackburn.
1764 — David McConaughy.
1766 — John Blackburn.
1767 — Robert McPherson.
1769 — Michael Swope.
1777— Michael Hahn.
1778— John Hay.
1801 — Rudolph Spangler.
1805 — John Forsythe.
1808 — John Strohman,
181 1 — Peter Kurtz.
1814 — George Spangler.
1817 — William Nes.
1820 — Henry Smyser.
1823 — John Voglesong.
1826— Peter Ahl.
1829— Jacob Bayler.
1832 — Daniel Hartman.
1841— John W. Hetrick,
elected.
1843 — John McConkey.
1845 — Samuel McCurch-.
1S49— Peter Ahl. Jr.
1851 — Samuel Fry.
1S53 — Edie Patterson.
1855 — Alexander Wentz.
1857 — John Stough.
1859 — George W. Stair.
1861 — Henry Bender.
1863 — Zachariah Heindel.
1865 — George Daron.
1867 — John Glatfelter.
1869— John i\I. Deitch.
1871 — Henry Bortner.
1873 — Herman Noss.
1875 — William Frey.
1878— Adam F. Ge'esey.
1881 — John Landis.
1884 — Henrv Neater.
1887— William Eyster.
1890 — Josiah Peeling.
1893 — John W. Shenberger. 1899 — William O. Thomp-
1896 — George W. Scheffer son.
(died in office). 1902 — Edward S. Brooks.
1897— William J. Bush, 1905— W. H. Brodbeck.
appointed.
The English laws introduced into
Sherififs. the province of Pennsylvania in
1683, provided that justices of the
peace should nominate three persons within
their jurisdiction, one of whom the gov-
ernor may appoint a sheriff to serve for one
year. Under the "Charter of Privileges,"
granted by William Penn to his province,
in 1701, the inhabitants of each county were
authorized to choose two persons to present
to the Governor for the office of sheriff, one
of whom should be commissioned by him to
serve three years. This law was in force
until the first state constitution was
adopted in 1776. This prescribed that two
persons should be elected annually in each
county, and one of them selected to be
sheriff' by the President of the State. Under
the constitution of 1790, elections were also
held but the term was extended to three
3^ears, and the commission issued by the
Governor. No person was allowed to serve
two terms in succession. Under these con-
stitutions, it frequently happened that the
one wdio received the lowest number of
votes was commissioned. The amended
constitution of 1838 provided that but one
person should be elected, and under the
constitution of 1873 there is no change,
1833 — Adam Eichelberger.
749 — Hance Hamilton.
752 — John Adlum.
755 — Hance Hamilton.
756 — Thomas Hamilton.
758 — Zachariah Shugard
759 — Peter Shugard.
762 — Robert McPherson.
765 — David McConaughy. 1854 — Daniel Ginder.
768 — George Eichelberger. 1857 — Samuel Forscht
1836 — Adam Klinefelter.
1839 — Michael Hoke.
1842 — Jacob Hantz.
1845 — Thomas Jamison.
1848 — James ."Vdams.
George Albright.
771 — Samuel Edie.
774 — Charles Lukens.
T/"] — William Rowan.
780 — Henrv JNIiller.
783— William Bailey.
786 — John Edie.
789 — Conrad Laub.
792 — Godfrey Lenhart.
795— William McClellan.
798 — Nicholas Gelwicks.
801 — John Stroman.
804 — Jacob Eichelberger.
807 — Michael Klinefelter.
810 — Benjamin Hirsch.
811 — Alichael Gardner.
815 — John Kauffelt.
818 — Zachariah Spangler.
821 — Thomas Jameson.
824— Michael Doudel.
827 — William Spangler.
830 — Andrew Duncan.
i860— William Martin.
1863— William W. Wolf.
1866— Charles H. Bressler,
appointed.
1866 — Jesse Engles.
1869 — Christian Phaler.
1870 — George Geiger,
appointed.
1871— J. Park Wiley.
1874 — Michael Stambaugh.
1877 — James Peeling.
1880 — Samuel .Altland.
1883 — Jesse Workinger.
1886 — Leonard Grenewald.
1889 — Lvsander W. Finlev.
1892— John D. Gallatin.
1895 — Andrew R. Brodbeck.
1898 — Lemon Love.
1901 — Edward C. Peeling.
1904 — Samuel M. Manifold.
POLITICAL
575
CORONERS.
1749 — Nicholas Ryland. 1758 — William King.
1750 — Alexander Love. 1761 — Michael Swope.
I7S4 — Archibald iMcGrew. 1763 — John Adlum.
I7S4 — Zachariah Shugard. 1764 — Joseph Adlum.
Adlum continued in office fourteen years.
The election for coroners in those times
was held annually and there was no limita-
tion to his term of service. A'Vho was
coroner in 1779-80-81, the records do not
show. After that the succession was as
follows :
1782 — Jacob Rudisill. 1799 — George Hay.
1784 — Ephraim Pennington. 1802 — George Stake.
1786 — Andrew Johnston. 1806 — John Spangler.
1790 — John Morris. 1808 — Dr. Thomas Jameson.
1796 — Jacob Updegraff.
At the election in October, iSii, the
votes for coroner were 1,893 for Michael
Gardner and 1,893 foi" Jol''^ Rouse. Gard-
ner, however, being appointed sheriff, upon
the resignation of Benjamin Hirsch, in 181 1,
did not receive any commission as coroner,
by reason whereof the person then in office.
Dr. Thomas Jameson, was continued.
1812 — Dr. John Rouse. 1854 — Dr. Samuel J. Rouse.
1816 — Dr. Thomas Jame- 1857 — Dr. Samuel J. Rouse.
son. i860— Dr. H. M. McClellan.
1818— Dr. William Mcll- 1863— Dr. H. M. McClellan.
vaine. 1866 — Dr. Samuel J. Rouse.
1821 — Dr. Luke Rouse. 1869 — Dr. Samuel J. Rouse.
1824 — Dr. Henry Nes. 1872 — Dr. Obadiah Brickley.
1830 — Dr. James Gerry. iSy^ — Dr. Obadiah Brickley.
1833— Dr. T. N. Haller. 1879— Dr. John Ahl.
1834— Dr. Andrew Patter- 1882— Dr. John Ahl.
son. 1885— Dr. C. F. Spangler.
1836— Dr. Benjamin Johns- 1888— Dr. E. W. Brickley.
ton. 1891 — Dr. C. F. Spangler.
1839— Dr. H. M. McClellan. 1894— Dr. S. K. Pfaltzgrafif.
1842— Dr. T. N. Haller. 1897— Dr. E. W. Bricklev.
184s— Dr. John Ahl. 1900— Dr. E. W. Brickley.
1848— Dr. John Ahl. 1903— Dr. H. D. Smyser.
1851— Dr. Edward C Pentz. 1906— Dr. H. F. Gross.
The board of county auditors is
Auditors, composed of three members.
Up to the year 1809 they were
appointed by the judges of the court. An
act providing for the election of three
auditors was passed by the legislature
March 16, 1809. By a special act of 1814
the law was modified so as to require the
election of one new auditor annually there-
after. The constitution of 1873 provided
for the election of three new auditors in
1875 and the same number every third year
thereafter, the minority party in politics to
be represented by one auditor :
1836 — John M. Anderson. 1841 — Matthias Nes.
1838 — Adam Paules. 1842 — Samson Smith.
1839 — S. McKinley. 1843 — Jacob F. Krone.
1840 — Jacob Miller. 1844 — Joseph Hartman,
84s — Edie Patterson.
846 — George Klugh.
847— Feli.x C. Herbert.
848— J. Gehley.
849 — John Reeser.
850 — William Snodgrass.
851 — James Fulton.
852 — James Ross.
853 — James Ross.
854 — John S. Keech.
1875 — John Stallman.
1878 — Thomas Brubaker.
1878 — J. W. Lamison.
1878— Henry J. Deitch.
1881— T. B. McDonald.
1881— William Kunkle.
1881 — William Douglass.
1884— William Croll.
1884 — George W. Evans.
1884 — Jesse S. Crone.
855 — Anthony Dessenberg. 1887 — Edward Dick.
856— Ezra May. 1887— William S. Dellinger.
857— Z. B. Heindel. 1887— John C. Gehley.
858 — Henry Brubaker. 1890 — Cyrus W. Orwig.
859 — J, W. Landis. i8go — Amos Kidd.
860 — Calvin Ritchey. 1890 — Ammon W. Yohe.
861 — Samuel Newman. 1893 — Daniel A. Smith.
862 — Abraham Klinefelter. 1893 — John L. Heighes.
863 — Charles Smith. 1893 — Joseph T. Hendrick-
864 — Elijah Garretson. son. ,
864— William B. Morrow. 1896 — Tobias Baum.
86s — John W. Landis. 1896 — Simon A. Stambaugh.
866— John Gemmill. 1896— Moses M. Snyder.
867— J. B. Pfaltzgrafif. 1899— W. H. Small.
868— John SeiiTert. 1899— Daniel Nye.
869 — John Heidelbaugh. 1899 — W. E. Grove.
870 — Henry Rudy. 1902 — Henry AL Kinsey.
871 — Jacob Altland. 1902 — Bartaine W. Baker.
872 — William H. Croll. 1902 — John Lehman.
873 — 1905 — W. F. O. Rosenmiller.
874 — Jeremiah Brown. 1903 — Peter A. Fishel.
87s — Andrew Maffet. 1903 — W. H. Clemens.
87s — Wendell Gross.
The office of Sur\-eyor-General
County of the state was created by act
Surveyors, of April 9, 1784. This officer
was empowered to appoint a
deputy in any county of the state. The
first appointment made for York County
was Jacob Spangler, in 1800, who was man}^
times re-appointed and afterward elected
surveyor-general. On April 9, 1850, an act
was passed making this an elective office.
The first election was held in October, 1850.
The county surveyor under the provisions
of this act serves a term of three years. The
following is a list of those elected by the
people :
1850— Christian S. Gerber. 1877— William T. Williams.
1853— Christian S. Gerber. 1881— William T. Williams.
1856 — Christian S. Gerber. 1884— James H. Blasser.
1859— Benjamin Leese. 1887— Philip S. Bowman.
1862 — Benjamin Leese. i8go — Edward Gross.
1865 — Samuel N. Bailey. 1893 — Edward Gross.
1868 — Benjamin Leese. 1896 — Edward Gross.
1871 — Benjamin Leese. 1902 — B. F. Haller.
1874 — William L. Keech. 1905 — E. K. Seitz.
Before the election of district
District attorneys by the people under
Attorneys, the act of 1850, the indictments
were drawn and prosecutions
on behalf of the commonwealth were con-
ducted by deputies appointed for that pur-
pose. The name of the attorney general of
the commonwealth was signed to all indict-
576
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ments. There is therefore no record of
these deputies in this county, but among
them were George A. Barnitz and William
H. Kurtz, just previous to 1850. The fol-
lowing is a list of the district attorneys of
York County after the office was made
elective, together with the dates of their
election:
James E. Buchanan. 1850; Thomas A.
Ziegle, appointed, 1851; Richard P. Wilton,
elected, 1853; William C. Chapman, 1856;
John W. Bittenger, 1862; David J. Wil-
liams, 1868; Arthur N. Green, 1871 ; John
Blackford, 1874; John W. Heller, 1877; Ed-
ward D. Ziegler, 1880; George W. McElroy,
1883; N. M. Wanner, 1886; Edward D.
Bentzel, 1889; William A. Miller, 1892;
Joseph R. Strawbridge, 1895; William B.
Gemmill, 1898; Allen C. Wiest, 1901; James
G. Glessner, 1904.
The office of county com-
County missioner in York County
Commissioners, has always been elective.
At the first election held
there were three commissioners chosen,
who were divided into three classes, one of
them to serve one year, one to serve two
years, and one three years. From 1749 to
1875, one commissioner was elected annu-
ally to serve for three years. The new
constitution of 1873 provided for the elec-
tion o-f three commissioners in 1875, and
every third year the same number there-
after. This constitution also provides that
the political party in the minority should be
entitled to one member of the board of com-
missioners.
FIRST CLASS.
1749 — George Schwaabe. 1790 — John Spengler.
1751 — Bartholomew Maul. 1793 — Joseph Welshans.
1754 — Peter Shugard. 1796 — John Forsythe.
1757 — Martin Eichelberger. 1799 — Daniel Spangler.
1760 — James Welsch. 1802 — Christopher Lauman.
ly^T, — William Douglass, 1805 — .Abraham Graffius.
'■' " - -- - -- 1808— Jacob Heckert.
181 1 — Peter Small.
1814 — Jacob Spangler.
1817 — John Barnitz.
1820 — Michael Doudel.
1823 — Henry Schmeiser.
1826 — John Voglesong.
1829— Peter Ahl.
1832 — Jacob Dietz.
1766 — Joseph Updegrafif.
1769 — John Heckendorn
1772 — John Hay.
1775 — ^lichael Hahn.
1776 — William Ross.
1777 — William Ross.
1778 — Philip Rothrock.
1781 — Jacob Schmeiser.
1784— Michael Hahn.
1787 — Godfrey Lenhart.
SECOND CLASS.
1749 — Walter Sharp. 1761 — George Myers.
1750 — William McClellan. 1764 — Philip Ziegler.
1752 — John Mikel. 1767 — Hugh Dunwoodie.
1755 — Thomas McCartney. 1770 — John Monteith.
1758 — William Delap. 1773 — Henry Tyson.
776 — John Hay.
779 — John Sample.
783 — William Cochran.
785 — Robert Morrison.
786— William McClellan.
791 — John Morrow.
794 — Henry Welsh.
797 — John Edie.
800 — Anthony H inkle.
803 — Robert Ramsey.
THIRD
749 — Patrick Watson.
753 — James Agnew.
756 — Robert McPherson.
758 — John Frankelberger.
759 — John Adlum."
762 — Samuel Edie.
765 — Thomas Stockton.
768 — William Gemmill.
792 — William Nelson.
795 — James Black.
798 — James McCandless.
Soi — Samuel Nelson.
1806 — Christopher Hetrick.
1809 — Frederick Hoke.
1812— John Kauffelt.
1815 — Joseph Reed.
1818 — Andrew Ketterman.
1821 — Michael Newman.
1824— Mathew Clark.
1827 — Philip Henise.
1830 — William Patterson.
1833 — John Shultz.
1802 — Jacob Heckert.
1804 — Jacob Glancy.
1807 — William Collins.
1810 — John Klein.
1813 — Peter Reider.
1816 — Charles Emig.
1819 — Stephen T. Cooper.
1822— Peter Wolfhart.
1825— Charles Diehl.
1828 — Daniel Kimmel.
1831— John W. Hetrick.
1833 — Samuel Harnish.
The date of the election is given in the
following list :
836— John Beck.
837 — William Nicholas.
838 — John Reiman.
839 — Jacob Newman.
840 — David Maish.
841 — Henry Logan.
842— Valentine B. Wentz.
843 — Thomas Kerr.
844 — Joseph Detweiler.
84s — George Eichelberger.
846 — Daniel Ginder.
847 — John Emig.
849 — John Moore.
850 — David Leber.
851— Philip Sheffer.
852 — George Dick.
853— Felix C. Herbert.
854 — John Myers.
855 — Aaron G. Blackford.
856 — Jesse Workinger.
857 — Daniel ]\Ieisenhelder.
858— Jacob Greenfield.
859 — Adam Paules.
860— Adam H. Smith.
85i— John Hyde.
862— Henry Miller.
863 — John E. Anstine.
864 — William Reeser.
865 — Henry Hammond.
866— Daniel Miller.
867 — William Wintermoyer,
868 — R. Duncan Brown.
869 — Peter Strickhouser.
870 — Lewis Strayer.
871 — Jacob Kohier.
872 — David Smyser.
873 — Jacob Knisely.
874— N. E. Leber.
1875— Thomas Piatt.
1875— John Pfaltzgraff.
1878— John Beard.
1878 — Jacob Lamotte.
1878 — J. Klinedinst.
1881 — Stephen Keefer.
1881 — Charles Haines.
1881— Jacob S. Bentz.
1884 — George Anthony.
1884 — Henry Anstine.
1884— John F. Beck.
1887— Washington H. Mc-
Creary.
1887— William Barton.
1887— Robert J. Belt.
1890 — Thomas Julius.
1890 — George Wise.
1890 — Israel F. Gross.
1893 — William Cunningham.
1893 — Alewese Gruver.
1893 — Jacob Leitheiser.
1896 — George W. Atticks.
1896— A. K. Straley.
1896— R. S. McDonald.
1899 — John Miller (died in
office).
1899 — Jeremiah Z. Hilde-
brand.
1899 — Freizer Altland.
1899 — Eli H. Zeigler.
.1902 — Jeremiah Z. Hilde-
brand.
1902 — George F. Bortner.
1902 — H. Kister Free.
1905 — George W. Holtz-
inger.
1905 — Robert G. Kessler.
1905 — Emanuel Hartman.
COUNTY BUILDINGS.
An act of the General Assembly passed
August 19, 1749, named Thomas Cox,
Michael Tanner, George Swope, Nathan
Hussey, and John Wright, Jr., as commis-
sioners to carry out its provisions in form-
THIRD COURT HOUSE
POLITICAL
577
ing the county of York, and also to pur-
chase land at some convenient place in the
county, to be approved by the Governor,
and held in trust for the purpose of erecting
on it a Court House and prison. Centre
Square of York was selected as the site for
the Court House.
The sessions of the courts from 1749 to
1756 were held in the houses of the court
justices until the completion of the first
Court House. In April, 1754, the county
commissioners entered into an agreement
with William Willis, a skillful bricklayer,
and one of the first English Quakers who
settled near York, to erect the walls of the
Court House. Henry Clark, also a Quaker,
from \\'arrington, entered into a contract to
saw and deliver scantlings for the building.
He then owned a sawmill near the mouth of
Beaver Creek. John ]\Ieem and Jacob
Klein of York, both Germans, were em-
ployed as carpenters. Robert Jones, a
Quaker, who lived a few miles from town,
in Manchester Township, was engaged to
haul seven thousand shingles from Phila-
delphia. The building was not completed
till 1756.
This Court House stood from 1756 until
1841, a period of eighty-four years. The
most eventful period of its history was from
September 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778, dur-
ing which time the members of the Con-
tinental Congress held their deliberations
within its hallowed walls. A description of
the interior of this Court House will be
found on page 291.
When it was decided to erect a
Second new Court House, a great contro-
Court versy arose concerning the location
House, of it. The commissioners finally
selected the site where the present
one stands. For the erection of this build-
ing Jacob Dietz was master carpenter, and
Henry Small was associated with him.
Charles Eppley was master mason, and
George Odenwalt, assistant. The county
commissioners then were William Nichols,
John Reiman and John Beck. The bricks
and wood were obtained in York County.
Part of the granite used in its construction
was hauled in wagons to York from Balti-
more County, Maryland. The granite pil-
lars used as supports in the front of the
Court House were brought from ^Maryland
on the railroad in 1840. The cost of the
building was nearly $100,000. County
notes of the denomination of $3 were issued,
and also county bonds. It was completed
in 1840. The cupola was placed on 'it and
the bell put into position in 1847. The bell
on the old Court House was brought from
England, and belonged to the Episcopal
Church. It has since been recast and now
is on St. John's Church, North Beaver
Street.
The second Court House
The Present being poorly ventilated, and
Court House, no longer adapted to the in-
creased demands of court
business, was replaced in 1898-1900 by the
present elegant structure, one of the most
ornamental temples of justice in the State
of Pennsylvania, or any where in this coun-
try. The commissioners of York County
at the time of the erection of this Court
House were George W. Atticks, Robert S.
McDonald and Andrew K. Straley. This
beautiful building with an imposing front,
supported b}' six granite columns of Ionic
architecture, is a graceful ornament to the
city of York. It is surmounted by three
domes, the middle one rising to a height of
155 feet. The interior of the building is a
model of architectural beauty, and every de-
partment is admirably adapted for the pur-
poses designed. The materials used in the
construction of this Court House are of ex-
cellent quality which makes it both attrac-
tive and durable. This Court House may
stand for hundreds of years. The archi-
tect who designed and planned it was J. A.
Dempwolf of York.
In accordance with the act of as-
First sembly which appointed comniis-
County sioners to form the County of
Jail. York out of that portion of Lan-
caster County west of the Susque-
hanna in 1749, the commissioners were au-
thorized to erect a county jail. The site
chosen was the northeast corner of George
and King Streets. At this place a tempo-
rar)' jail was built in 1756 with high stone
walls which were covered with a wooden
roof. In 1768 Joseph UpdegrafY, of York;
Hugh Dunwoodie, residing in the present
area of Adams County, and Major William
Gemmill, of Hopewell, the county commis-
sioners, laid plans for the erection of a per-
manent jail. It was built of blue limestone
and was three stories high. In the vard ex-
578
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
tending to Court Alley were the pillor\-, the
stocks and the whipping post, modes of
punishment carried into force under the
English laws until the adoption of the first
state constitution in 1776. During the Rev-
olution the county jail was used as a place
of imprisonment for a number of British
officers, of whom mention is made in this
volume in another chapter. The first
county jail stood from 1768 to 1855, when it
was torn down and the property sold to pri-
vate parties for the erection of business
houses.
The old prison became dilapi-
The dated, was too small for the de-
Present mand and not at a suitable place,
Jail. consequently in 1854, county
commissioners, George Dick,
John Myers and Felix C. Herbert entered
into contracts for the erection of the present
jail and work-house, with Jacob Gotwalt, of
York. The sandstone in the front wall and
in the tower were furnished by Henry
Kochenour, of Conewago Township. The
blue limestone used was obtained from
John AA'inter's quarry, near York. Edward
Haviland was the architect. The chief
contractor let out sub-contracts for work to
Peter and James McGuigan and William
Gearing, of York. The rough stone work
was' done by Joseph Foller, and the tower
and sandstone work by a man from Harris-
burg. This jail was erected on a tract of
land in the northeastern part of the city.
In 1907 County Commissioners Emanuel
Hartman, Robert G. Kessler and George
W. Holtzinger employed Architect B. F.
Willis to draw plans for remodeling the jail
erected in 1855 and making it a building
"\\'ith the necessary modern improvements.
The laws now in force in Penn-
Support sylvania for the maintenance of
of the the poor and helpless, were bor-
Poor. rowed in their leading features
from those instituted in England
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. They
were introduced into Pennsylvania by act of
assembly in 1771.
During our colonial history the poor of
each township were maintained by the peo-
ple of the district, and "overseers of the
poor," one for each township, were ap-
pointed by the court justices.
At a court of private sessions of the peace
held at York, for York County, on March
26, 1750, in the twenty-third year of the
reign of George II, before John Day,
Thomas Cox, George Swope and Patrick
^\'atson, the following named persons were
appointed overseers of the poor for York
County :
Yorktown, William Sinkler (Sinclair),
and Michael Laub; Hellam, Casper Williart
and Peter Gardner ; Chanceford, Robert
Morton, John Hill; Fawn, Alexander Mc-
Candless, John Gordon ; Shrewsbury, Hugh
Montgomery, Hugh Low; Codorus, Peter
Dinkle, John Wothering; Manchester,
Peter ^^'olf, Valentine Crans (Krantz) ;
Xewberry, Nathan Hussey, George Thauly:
Dover, Philip Kohr, Andrew Spangler ;
A\'arrington, William Grififith, George
Grist : Monaghan, James Carrothers,
George Cohoon ; Heidleberg, Peter Schultz,
Andrew Schreiber; Manheim, Samuel Bug-
del, Solomon Miller ; Paradise, Clement
Studebaker, John Rode.
There were the same number of overseers
appointed for each of the townships in that
portion of York County now embraced in
Adams County-
While the care and support of
County the poor were not neglected
Almshouse, at any period of the history
of our county or state, it was
not until 1804 that the present system was
adopted. On February 6, 1804, the legis-
lature passed a special act which granted to
the county commissioners power to levy a
tax for the purpose of purchasing land and
erecting thereon, and furnishing necessary
buildings for the employment and support
of the poor of the county. Under the pro-
visions of this act, the following named per-
sons were directed to fix upon a place for
the erection of an almshouse: Martin
Gardner, Peter Small, Abraham Graffius,
Daniel Spangler, of York Borough ; Henry
Krieger, of Newberry Township ; John
Heneise, of Dover; Christian Hetrick, of
Codorus ; Samuel Collins, of Lower Chance-
ford ; Peter Storm, of the vicinity of Han-
o\-er. The site of the Public Common was
decided upon as an eligible spot for the lo-
cation of the county almshouse by these
men, and they so reported on June 30, 1804.
A conflict of claims arose concerning the
right to this land, whereupon the legisla-
ture was petitioned and that body by special
act, April i, 1805, empowered the newly
POLITICAL
579
elected directors of the poor, Daniel Spang-
ler, Jacob Small and Martin Ebert, to de-
termine upon a site which might appear
eligible, and to cause the erection of appro-
priate buildings. After short deliberation,
on the i6th of April, the same year, they
reported in writing that they had purchased
the "Elm Spring Farm," a certain plantation
and tract of land from Andrew Robinson,
containing 132 acres and 156 perches, for
the sum of 4,400 pounds currenc}'. On this
tract was built the present county alms-
house. The "Elm Spring," surrounded by
large elm trees, was long noted for the crys-
tal beauty and excellent quality of water
which it furnished to the early residents of
York. At the same time the directors pur-
chased a tract of woodland two miles far-
ther northeast, containing 150 acres and
seventeen perches, for 600 pounds. In the
summer of 1805 the first buildings were
erected at a cost of $4,761.54, and the poor
of all the townships of the county removed
to this building in April, 1806.
A hospital building was erected of brick
in 1828, at a cost of $7,800. Much of the
labor in the construction of this building
was done by the paupers, thus decreasing
its cost. It was considered in those days a
model of architecture. Jacob Hay was the
mason, Dietz and Straber, the carpenters.
The original almshouse and hospital build-
ings after various changes and needed im-
provements, were standing in 1907. The
first great improvements were made when
George S. Morris was elected resident direc-
tor. During the year 1885 apparatus for
the purpose of heating by steam was intro-
duced through all the buildings. A portion
of the original "Elm Farm" tract was sold
to a company on which was erected a rolling
mill. A handsome new almshouse barn was
burned down and the present large and com-
modious one erected.
The first election of directors of
Directors the poor was held on October 9,
of the 1804. The following is a list of
Poor. the directors who served since
that time, together with the
vears of their election :
816— Michael Welsh.
817 — WilKam Johnston.
817 — Andrew Kramer.
817 — George Spangler.
818— Thomas Taylor.
819 — John Fahs.
820 — Jacob Laucks.
821 — Michael Enrich.
822 — Henry Stover.
823— Jacob Diehl.
824 — Clement Stillinger.
825 — Casper Laucks.
826— John St_rickler.
827 — Henrv Smvser.
828— John " Emig-.
829— Henry Wolf.
830 — .'Me.xander Small.
831 — Nicholas Diehl.
832 — John Reiman,
833— Christian Hildebrand.
836— John W. Hetrick.
837 — Samuel j\Iyers.
838 — John Lauer.
839 — William Strecher.
841 — Jacob Smyser.
842— Martin Carl.
843— Peter Peter.
844 — Daniel Loucks.
84s— T. W. Haller.
846 — Adam Free.
847— Peter Wilt.
848 — George S. Morris.
849 — James Klinedinst.
850 — John Fahs.
851 — George Laucks,
of Casper.
852— Peter Decker.
853 — William Spangler.
854— William Small.
856 — Joseph McCurdy.
858 — Charles Underwood.
859 — James Ross.
860— William Stokes.
861 — David Small.
862 — James Ross.
863— William Stokes.
864— David Small.
1865 — Henry Kochenour.
1866 — William Kilgore.
1867— David Small.
r868— David Bentzel.
1869 — William Kilgore.
1870— David Small.
1871 — George Hamm.
1872 — Samuel Hively.
1873— F. T. Scott.
1874— A. B. Reynolds.
1875 — Matthias Reigart.
1876— John B. Sayres.
1877 — Adam Kohr.
1878 — John Henry.
1879 — William Gilberthorpe.
1880 — Solomon Boyer.
1881 — Isaac Hovis.
1882 — Alexander Kidd.
1883 — Andrew Bentz.
1884 — Enos Hivelv.
1885— Alex. Kidd.'
1886— Samuel L. Witmer.
1887 — Fred. Lehman.
1888— James S. Bavlev.
1889— Felix Bentzel.
1890 — R. Minnich.
1S91 — William Rodenhouse.
1892 — Henry Kapp.
1893— J. Taylor Hostler.
1894 — Reuben Lauer.
189s— David S. Abel.
1896 — Jacob Diehl.
1897 — Isaiah Givens.
1898 — William Anthony.
1899 — James Anderson.
1900 — A'latthew Porman.
igoi — Andrew J. Myers,
died in office.
1902 — William x\nthony,
appointed.
1902 — D. A. Ling.
1902 — Horace Lentz.
1903 — George Gahring
1904 — Emanuel Stoner.
1905 — George E. Ruhl.
1906 — George Gahring.
1804 — Daniel Spangler.
1804 — Jacob Small.
1804— Martin Ebert.
1808 — Jonathan Jessop.
1808 — George Lottman.
1809 — Martin Weiser.
1810 — George Barnitz.
1S12— Gottlieb Ziegle.
1812 — Jacob Sheaffer.
1813 — George Spangler.
1814 — Philip Kissinger.
1815— Jacob Upp.
POLITICAL NOTES.
At the election held in October 1750, a
serious riot occurred between the support-
ers of Hance Hamilton and Richard McAl-
lister, the two candidates for the ofirce of
sheriff. The former lived in the present
vicinity of Gett3'sburg, and was supported
by the Scotch-Irish ; the latter resided at
the present site of Hanover, which town he
afterward founded, and although a Scotch-
Irishman himself, was the candidate of the
Germans. The whole county which then
included the present territory of Adams,
was one election district. The voting place
on this occasion was at the unfinished pub-
lic inn of Baltzer Spangler on the north side
of A^'est Market Street, near the Square, in
York. The votes were received through
the opening between two logs of the build-
ing. The different clans came riding on
S8o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
horseback into the village of York in squads
from the north, the east, the south and west.
Some of them rode a distance of twenty-five
or more miles, for the purpose of enjoying
the elective franchise on this important oc-
casion. The forenoon passed without any
disturbances, but b}^ the noon hour, hun-
dreds of gallant frontiersmen, nearly every
one born on foreign soil, speaking two dif-
ferent languages, and representing four na-
tionalities, after partaking of a meal at one
of the six public houses of entertainment in
the frontier town of York, began to clamor
for their favorite candidates, and crowd
around the voting place. McAllister's Ger-
mans, marshalled by their courageous
leader, were bold and defiant, and the im-
petuous Scotch-Irish were at first equally
determined and demonstrative.
Under this confused state of af-
A Lively fairs, Hance Hamilton, who was
Contest, then the sheriff, assumed an au-
thority for which he was after-
ward sustained and refused to go on with
the election. A general commotion and
confusion ensued. A lusty German, insist-
ing on the right to deposit his vote, tripped
up the heels of one of the Scotch-Irish
guards. An afifray began which in a few
minutes became general and quite exciting.
Saplings cut along the Codorus were used
as offensive and defensive weapons, and
blows were dealt with unsparing hands.
Hamilton and his party fled west of the
Codorus. During the remainder of the day
the Scotch-Irish were not seen east of the
creek. There were a few limbs broken and
blood was shed, but no lives were lost in the
fray. At the time of this riot the Scotch-
Irish present were greatly inferior in num-
bers, as most of them lived a long distance
from York, while the Germans were quite
numerous in and around the town. Hamil-
ton was not the man to beat a retreat unless
for good cause or from necessity. He was
then a young man of twenty-nine. His
future career as an officer, against the
French and Indians, showed that he was a
bold, daring and courageous man. On the
occasion of this riot, being sheriff himself,
and having charge of the election poll, he
represented the law-abiding element, and it
would seem, showed manly courage by re-
treating with his adherents out of contact
with his violent and tumultuous opponents.
The Quakers, of whom there were a great
many present from the northern part of the
county, being a non-resistant class of people,
took no part in the contest.
' Nicholas Ryland, the coroner, who was
appointed with Hance Hamilton the year
before, opened another election box with
new officers, and proceeded to take votes
until evening. Nearly all the votes cast at
this place were in favor of Richard McAllis-
ter, who, when the day ended, it was claimed
by his followers, was elected sheriff of York
County. But now came the time for Hance
Hamilton to assert his official right. He
thereupon declined to assist in counting the
votes and make official returns to the Pro-
vincial Government at Philadelphia, stating
as his reason that he was "driven by vio-
lence from the place of voting," and by the
same violence was prohibited from return-
ing there, whereby it was not in his power
to do his duty, and therefore could make no
returns.
On a public hearing by the
Hamilton Provincial Governor and
Commissioned. Council at Philadelphia, it
was unanimously agreed
"that it was not owing to Hamilton that the
election was obstructed, and likewise he
could not in hii circumstances as proven by
witnesses, make a return." The Governor
therefore granted Hance Hamilton a com-
mission as sheriff, during the Governor's
pleasure. At the next session of court be-
ginning October 30, 1750, the following was
ordered to be recorded:
"Whereas, Hance Hamilton, Esq., high
sheriff of this county, hath by his remon-
strance in writing of this court set forth,
that by reason of the tumultuous behavior
of sundry persons at the last election held
here for this county, and of the ballots or
tickets not having been delivered to the in-
spectors on three several pieces of paper as
directed by an act of the General Assembly
of this Province, entitled 'an act for raising
the county rates and levies,' he could not
make such returns as by the aforesaid act
is enjoined: It is therefore considered and
ordered by the court here, that the commis-
sioners and assessors who served this county
in their several stations the last year, shall
(in pursuance of the act aforesaid), serve
for the ensuing year, or until there shall be a
new election."
POLITICAL
581
As a consequence of this riot, York
County was without representatives in the
General Assembly for that year. Hamilton
served as sheriff until 1753, when he was
succeeded by John Adlum, but was re-
elected in 1755. serving until he led a com-
pany of York County soldiers in 1756 to
take part in the French and Indian war.
An exciting contest took place in York
County during the political campaign of
1789. This was the first year of George
Washington's first term as president of the
United States. John Edie, a patriot of the
Revolution, a Scotch-Irishman by descent,
and then the editor of the "Pennsylvania
Herald and York General Advertiser," the
only paper published in York, had nearly
completed his three year term as sheriff of
York County. The candidate of the Scotch-
Irish for sheriff that 3^ear was Captain Wil-
liam McClellan, also a soldier of the Revo-
lution and a resident of the Marsh Creek
settlement near the site of Gettysburg.
The candidate to represent the
The Germans was Conrad Laub, who
Germans had served as a clerk in the
Win. county Court House for several
years, but at this time was pro-
prietor of a public inn. Laub was a Ger-
man, born in the Fatherland, and was one of
the earliest political leaders of his nation-
ality in York. The contest centered on the
election of sheriff. There were then four
election places in York County, one at the
Court House, one at Hanover, one at Nich-
olson's mill at the forks of the Muddy Creek
in Chanceford Township, and one at York
Springs. This election occurred eleven
years before Adams County had been
formed out of York. Both the candidates
for sheriff' traveled through the county,
arousing the enthusiasm of their adherents.
At that earh' date the telephone and the tel-
egraph were not in use to convey the result
of the election to York. The news was
brought by couriers on horseback, and when
the vote was counted it was found that the
Germans had won. Conrad Laub received
2130 votes and Captain William McClellan
2111.
In this contest, the Quakers of the upper
end voted with the Scotch-Irish, but Laub,
the German candidate, was elected by nine-
teen votes. There were many amusing
stories told of this campaign. ^^'illiam
Harris, an intelligent merchant who owned
a store on the southwest corner of Market
and Water Streets, and afterward editor of
the York Gazette, wrote an account of this
contest, imitating the language of the scrip-
tures. He called it "The first chapter of
Chronicles." It read as follows:
1. Now it came to pass in tliose days when George
was President, even George the Great, was President
over the nation, and John, even John surnamed the
stead}-, who had done justice and judgment among the
people, had fulfilled his time, that there was a great stir
among the people, whom they should choose to reign
in his stead.
2. Then the Williamites, who inhabited the western
country, and the people gathered themselves together,
and communed one with another, and said : We will
make William to rule over us, for he is a proper young
man, and will do justice and judgment even as John
has done, whose work is fulfilled.
3. And when these sayings went abroad among the
people, there were certain men rose up and withstood
the Williamites and said, God do so to us, and more
also, if William shall rule over us at this tirne in the
stead of John.
4. Then the governors, the judges, the captains of
the fifties, and the rulers of the people gathered them-
selves together.
5. And so it was that they communed together, even
the Schlegelites, the Rudisellites. the Shermanites, the
Gosslerites, the JNIillerites. the Campbellites, the tribe of
Eli, and John the Lawyer.
6. Now all entered into a covenant and said, of a
truth we will make Conrad our ruler, for he is an up-
right man, and will do what is right in the eyes of the
people.
7. And after these things it came to pass on the
thirteenth dav of the tenth month, about the eleventh
hour, in the fourteenth vear after the people had come
out of the house of bondage, that the people strove with
one another, even the Williamites on one side and the
Conradites on the other.
8. And there was a great slaughter, for the battle
continued until the going down of the sun.
9. For the Conradites came forth by hundreds and
by thousands, by their tribes, as sands by the seashore
for multitude.
10. And so it was, that the army of the Williamites
was discomfitted.
11. Now the land will have rest for three years.
The "Schlegelites" and the "Rudisellites"
were the friends of Colonel Henry Schlegel
and Associate Judge Jacob Rudisell, of Han-
over; the "Shermanites" the friends of Con-
rad Sherman, who lived five miles south of
Hanover, in Manheim Township; the
"Gosslerites" the friends of Philip Gossler,
who then lived in Hellam Township; the
"Millerites," the friends of General Henry
Miller of York: the "Campbellites" the
Scotch-Irish from Monaghan and Carroll
Townships, represented by Colonel Thomas
Campbell: the "Tribe of Eli" were the
582
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Quakers of the upper end, and were led b}'
Major Eli Lewis, who founded the town of
Lewisberry; "John the Lawyer" was John
Lukens, a 3'oung member of the York Bar,
admitted that year.
In 1784, the year after the
Hartley in treaty of peace with England
Politics. had been signed, while making
a tour of southern Pennsylva-
nia in the interest of the fall elections,
Colonel Thomas Hartley Avrote the follow-
ing letter, touching upon Lancaster and
York politics :
"A goQd man}' people of this county are
now assembled here. They promise fair,
though we may be disappointed. If Lan-
caster and York should carry proper men
at the next election, we may do well. Ex-
ertions are not wanting at York, and we are
not idle at Lancaster. It is a pity that the
people at large are so very unequal to their
situation. In Republics every man ought
to think. Time may put us right, but we
are at present in the infancy of thought."
The political friends of Thomas
Letter to Jefferson in Newberry Town-
Jefferson, ship held a meeting immediately
after his inauguration in 1801
and prepared an address which they sent to
the President. The language of this ad-
dress shows that there w^ere disturbing fea-
tures in American politics at that time as
well as in later periods. The following let-
ter was written to Jefferson a short time
after his inauguration :
To Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States.
Called on by the United States to perform the
most important of her tasks, we flatter ovirselves that
assurances of the attachment and support of any de-
scription of your fellow-citizens, will be acceptable ; and
being highly gratified with the sentiments you have an-
nounced as the governing principles of your administra-
tion, we conceive it our duty, and we feel it our pleasure,
to tender you our sincere attachment and steady sup-
port. May that spirit of benevolent toleration which
so conspicuously distinguished you amidst the conflict-
ing elements of party, spread like oil on the troubled
ocean, until all is soothed into order and peace.
Signed by order of the said meeting.
Henry Kreiger.
J.\MEs Todd,
Joseph Glancv,
Eli Lewis,
His Robert Hamersly, jun.
^^Ply- Washington, May 8, 1801.
Gentlemen : — Assurances of attachment and support
from any description of my fellow-citizens are accepted
with thankfulness and satisfaction. I will ask that at-
tachment and support no longer than I endeavor to
deserve bv a faithful administration of their affairs in
the true spirit of the Constitution, and according to
laws framed in consonance with that. The sentiments
expressed on my undertaking the important charge con-
fided to me, were expressed in the sincerity of my heart ;
and after the security and freedom of our common
country, no object lies so near mj' heart as to heal the
wounded confidence of societ)', and see men and fellow
citizens in affectionate union with one another. I join,
therefore, with the inhabitants of Newberry Township,
who have been pleased to address me through you, in
earnest desire that a spirit of benevolence and mutual
toleration may soothe the great family of mankind once
more into order and peace; and I pray you. to assure
them of my sincere concern for their particular happi-
ness, and my high consideration and respect.
Thomas Jefferson.
Messrs. Kreiger, Todd, Clancy,
Lewis and Hamersly.
After the election of Thomas Mc-
Political Kean as governor of Pennsylva-
Feast. nia, there was a public feast held .
on the Common, near George
Spangler's Lane. The dinner was cooked
in kettles over an open fire and after it was
prepared, hundreds of people sat around
long tables and ate the vituals with great
relish. A parade and military display fol-
lowed the feast. Captain William Ross
and Lieutenant John Grier with their com-
pany of fifty men in blue uniforms, with red
collars and belts, and Captain Lewis Wamp-
ler and Lieutenant Hersh commanding a
company tmiformed in yellow, interested
large crow'ds of people with a military pa-
rade. This interesting event took place in
October, 1800. McKean was a Jeffersonian
Democrat. His opponent, 'James Ross, then
a lawyer at Pittsburg, was born at Delta in
York County. Ross was an ardent Feder-
alist, but his party at this time had lost con-
trol of Pennsylvania.
The election of William Findlay as
A Big governor of Pennsylvania was
Parade, celebrated at York in October,
181 7, by a splendid parade and a
banquet, or as it was called by a local chron-
icler, "a magnificent feast in the field of
Jacob Spangler, near the edge of the bor-
ough." The line of parade was formed on
West Market Street and moved through
Centre Square to the banqueting grounds in
the following order: Chief Marshal,
George Jacobs ; assistants, George Spangler
and Jacob Laumaster; committee of ar-
rangements : band of music ; l:)anner con-
taining the portrait of the governor elect,
painted by Lewis Miller, followed by many
citizens of the town and county. The com-
mittee of arrangements wore a vellow Wil-
POLITICAL
583
Ham Findlay badge on tlie left lapel of their
coats.
In 1 82 1 when Governor Findlay was
elected to represent Pennsylvania in the
United States Senate, his political friends
in York celebrated the event with a grand
banquet at the tavern kept by Clement Stil-
linger. The occasion was enlivened by the
singing of political songs by Jacob Busser
and Lewis Miller, while John Barnitz
played the violin.
One of the liveliest contests in
The York County took place in 1830.
Windsor It was caused by a split in the
Farmer. Democratic party. Simon An-
stine, a prominent AVindsor
farmer, had been a Democratic leader from
1809 to 1830, when he desired the nomina-
tion for the State legislature. His own
party defeated his nomination in the county
convention. It was then that Anstine de-
termined to exert his power and influence.
He said to his political adherents : "I have
been turning the grindstone long enough
for others and now since they have tried to
turn me down, I will put on the war paint
and see if I cannot grind my opponents. I
will defeat part of the Democratic ticket."
So he organized a meeting and nominated
an independent ticket and had Michael
Gardner and himself placed on it as candi-
dates for the legislature. They were both
elected and Simon Anstine received the con-
gratulations of many friends for his victory.
During the campaign he had the ends of his
tickets dipped in red beet juice to be sure
his friends would vote right. Lewis Miller,
the local artist, said, "That is why he 'beet'
his opponent." Shortly after the election,
Anstine drove into York with a two horse
load of cabbage heads and as he passed into
Centre Square the spectators shouted,
"Hurrah ! for the Windsor farmer ! He's
all right." Then he agreed to present one
head of cabbage to every "cabbage head" .
opponent that would come to his wagon.
Two of the spectators who were amused at
this incident were "Fritz" Horn and "White
Bear," quaint local characters.
In early days the Court House at York
was the voting place for a large portion of
York County: In 181 1 Simon Anstine rode
into York at the head of two hundred men,
all of whom voted for Simon Snyder for
governor of Pennsvlvania.
In 1836 the Democrats of
Democratic Spring Garden Township pur-
Banners, chased a large satin banner
during the campaign which
elected Martin Van Buren president of the
United States. This banner had been car-
ried in many political parades in York
County and elsewhere. In 1905 when in
the possession of John S. Hiestand, a prom-
inent citizen, residing a few miles east of
York, this banner was presented to the His-
torical Society of York County.
Codorus Township has always been noted
for its faithful adherents to the Democratic
party. For many years there were only
two or three Whig voters in the township.
All the other voters were Democrats. In
recognition of its loyalty to the Jacksonian
Democracy, the Democratic State Commit-
tee in 1848, presented to Codorus Township
a beautiful silk banner which cost about
$100. On one side of this historic banner a
fine portrait of Andrew Jackson was painted
and on the other side words of commenda-
tion to the voters of Codorus Township for
their devotion to the principles of Thomas
Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. In 1903
this banner was placed in the Historical So-
ciety of York County for careful preserva-
tion. Although more than half a century
old, it is still in an excellent condition.
At 6 o'clock on the evening of
A Whig September 17, 1840, there was an
Banner. interesting Whig meeting held
in front of the Washington House
on the north side of East Market Street,
ngar Duke. On this occasion the AVhig
ladies presented to the Tippecanoe Club of
York, a handsome satin banner, about four
feet long and three feet wide. This beau-
tiful banner was painted by E. B. Pyle, a
local artist who resided on West King
Street. On one side was neatly painted in
gilt letters, "Presented by the Whig Ladies
of York to the Tippecanoe Club." Thomas
E. Cochran, of the York Bar, made the
presentation speech in the presence of a
large assemblage of people. The banner
was received in an enthusiastic speech by
William- R. Morris, member of the club. In
speaking of this banner, the York Repub-
lican says, "The occasion was graced by the
presence of beauty and many people were
on the ground. The liberality of the ladies,
as well as their enthusiasm in the cause of
584
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVANIA
Harrison, is worthy of imitation. They
ought to be entitled to vote, then all things
would go on right."
This banner was presented to the Histor-
ical Societjf of York County in 1903 by
Frank Dehuff, of York, and a second banner
also presented to the same club was placed
in the Historical Society of York in 1902,
by Henr)^ C. Ginter, whose father carried
the banner for twenty years in many parades
in York and elsewhere.
The presidential campaign of 1840 was
probably the most memorable in the annals
of American politics. The standard bearer
of the AVhig party was General William
Henry Harrison, the hero of Tippecanoe,
where he won a brilliant victory over the
English and the Indians during the AVar of
1812. Harrison had been the candidate of
the AVhig party against Martin Van Buren
in 1836, when the latter was elected Presi-
dent.
During A'an Buren's administration, the
first great financial panic in American his-
tory occurred. The business and manufac-
turing interests of the country were all in a
depressed condition. It was claimed by the
AA'higs that the panic was the result of the
action of Andrew Jackson in vetoing a bill
passed by Congress to re-charter the United
States Bank. The panic reached its height
in 1839, when Van Buren's administration
was coming to a close. The result of this
condition of affairs was attributed by the
AA'higs to the financial policy of the Demo-
cratic party. The AA'hig party grew strong
not only in the northern states, but in Viv-
ginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and other
southern states. A Democratic orator,
while endeavoring to cast derision upon the
candidacy of General Harrison, said he was
born in a log cabin and drank hard cider. '
This thought was heralded all over the
country and became known to history as
the "log cabin and hard cider campaign."
Cabins were built in every large town and
city in the Union, and during the political
parades the AA'higs were given hard cider to
drink. Campaign books were printed and
widely circulated. They contained many
songs and words of praise for the AA'hig
candidates. It is claimed by some histori-
ans that Harrison was sung into the presi-
dency by his political adherents, some of the
southern states castino- their electoral vote
for him, but he died one month after his in-
auguration.
The campaign of 1844, when Henry Clay
was a candidate for the presidency, was also
conducted with remarkable vigor and en-
thusiasm. At this time Clay, except AA'eb-
ster, who was his supporter, was recognized
as the ablest orator America had produced.
He advocated a protective tariff and during
the campaign of 1844, the AA'hig parades
were characterized by a display of manu-
facturing industries. In no other campaign
in this country was so interesting a part
taken by women as during the candidacy of
Henrjr Clay, who as an orator and states-
man, was the idol of the American people.
During several parades in York and other
parts of the county, young ladies dressed in
white, one to represent each state, rode in
wagons, singing the lively songs of that re-
markable era in our political history. It
happened, however, that James K. Polk, of
Tennessee, the Democratic candidate, was
elected through the ingenuity of Thurlow
AA'eed, who was then the political leader in
the state of New York.
At the end of the Harrison campaign the
AA^higs celebrated their victory on the Public
Common at York, by a big feast at which
several oxen were roasted and a vast as-
semblage of people were given a free din-
ner. Preparations for a similar banquet
were made after the campaign of 1844,
which for several weeks hung in the bal-
ance, not knowing whether Polk or Cla}^
had been elected. AA'hen the vote had been
counted and it was found that Clay was de-
feated it is said that many of his AVhig sup-
porters wept because this great man could
not become President of the United States.
A Harrison log cabin was built on
Log the south side of AA^est Market
Cabin. Street, near Newberry, on a lot ad-
joining a hotel kept by Joseph
AA'iest. The first meeting was held in the
cabin on the evening of September 14, 1840.
On this occasion Thaddeus Stevens, then
the leader of the Gettysburg bar, and al-
read}- prominent and influential in the poli-
tics of Pennsylvania, delivered an eloquent
speech. Thomas E. Cochran and Captain
Joseph Garretson, devoted supporters of the
Harrison ticket, also made addresses. "Af-
ter the speeches were delivered," says a
local journal, "Tippecanoe songs were sung
POLITICAL
585
in full chorus." Two years later Thaddeus
Stevens removed from Gettysburg to Lan-
caster.
Samuel Forscht was an exceed-
How ingly interesting figure in Demo-
Sammy cratic politics for more than half a
Won. century. He firmly believed that
he controlled a large iniluence in
his party. Months before the county con-
ventions were held, he would talk with his
friends about "setting up" a ticket. He
nearly always used the Pennsylvania Ger-
man dialect, but he could speak English.
Having done so much for his party, in 1850
he determined to be a candidate for sheriff
of York County. In his newspaper an-
nouncements, he said, " My many friends
ha\-e urged me to announce myself for this
office." Then he made a canvass of the
county and when the convention was held
claimed that he had secured sixty-two dele-
gates, and would be nominated on the first
ballot. After the ballot had been cast in
the convention and its result thrown out the
window of the court house to the group of
persons below, it was discovered that Mr.
Forscht had received only two votes. In a
fit of anger he exclaimed, " There are sixty
liars in that convention, and I will be nom-
inated yet."
^^'hen three years liad passed by
" Sammy " was again a candidate. He
traveled all over York county to " set up "
delegates and ask them to give him a com-
plimentar}' vote. AVhen the convention as-
sembled in the Court House, to the surprise
of the delegates themselves and the entire
convention, Samuel Forscht received the
nomination through his sagacit}' aS a poli-
tician. He had outwitted his opponents
and was elected sheriff in the following
October. It was a profitable term and he
made sufficient money to retire from busi-
ness the remainder of his life. " Sammy "
Forscht, as he was always known, lived to
a good old age, honored and respected by
both Democrats and Republicans. He was
a constant visitor at the Court House dur-
ing his whole life and by his quaint sayings,
amused everybody who knew him.
A meeting of the citizens of the
Before Borough of York, without dis-
the War. tinction of party, and in favor of
the Constitution and the Missouri
Compromise measures of the previous ses-
sion of Congress, was held at the Court
House on Tuesday evening, January 7, 1851.
"All citizens opposed to the movements
of the fanatics in the North, the South or
elsewhere who are distracting the country
and seeking to divide our glorious Union,
are respectfully requested to attend. The
meeting will be addressed by several speak-
ers."
This announcement was signed by the fol-
lowing gentlemen :
Henry Welsh,
John Hough,
David G. Barnitz,
W. H. Kurtz,
Peter JM'Intyre,
A. J. Glossbrenner,
A. F. Eichelberger,
J. G. Campbell,
J. W. Hetrick.
John A. Wilson,
Michael Gallagher,
Henry Doll,
J. S. Stable,
Jacob Glessner,
John Smith,
W. Ilgenfritz,
Matthew Tyler,
W. S. Picking,
V. K. Keesey,
W. H. Welsh,
Peter Ahl,
D. S. Wagner,
Peter Ahl, Jr.,
Thomas Jameson,
David F. Williams,'
G. C. Stair,
O. Stuck,
George Albright,
C. Raymond,
C. Michael,
A. Johnston,
John Evans,
Jno. Vogelsong,
H. Kraber,
Benjamin Thomas,
Jacob Hay,
John Shelly,
Eli Lewis,
John S. Leib,
James Adams,
In i860, the supporters of Abra-
Wide- ham Lincoln for the presidency
Awakes, organized themselves into clubs
in all the northern states. They
became known to the political history of
that period as the AVide-Awakes. Numer-
ous clubs were organized in York County
and throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
They frequently appeared in political
parades mounted on horseback, carrying a
kerosene lamp made of tin, with a large
wick. The lamp, filled with coal oil, a
product which had recentty been discovered
in western Pennsylvania, was attached to a
William M'llvain,
David Small,
Adam Klinefelter,
Jacob Drexler,
David Bender,
John Gardner,
O. D. Klinefelter,
M. Schall,
M. Doudel,
Samuel Small,
Philip Frank,
George Hay,
G, E. Hersh,
G. Ziegle,
John R. Donnell,
John Gallagher,
John F. Spangler,
Alexander Demuth,
E. A. Barnitz,
George Upp, Jr.,
J. Stair,
Lewis Rosemiller,
George A. Barnitz,
E. G. Smyser,
Jacob Emmitt,
E. D. Williams,
Joseph Welsh,
Joseph Sample,
Samuel Ziegler,
J. J. Cochran,
S. Hay,
John Smith,
Joseph Smyser,
Daniel Hartman,
E. C. Park-hurst.
Joseph Garretson,
nenry F. Thomas,
Jacob S, Kirk, Jr.,
Alexander Small.
586
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
long handle. The members of the club all
wore capes made of white oil cloth, upon
which was painted the words ^^^ide-Awake.
There were at least twenty clubs in York
County during the eventful campaign of
i860 which elected Abraham Lincoln presi-
dent of the United States. These clubs con-
tinued to exist during the campaign of 1864
which re-elected Lincoln to the presidency.
A cape worn by a member of one of these
clubs was presented to the Historical So-
ciety of York County in 1906 by 'William
H. Leader, of Hanover.
The Boys in Blue, the name of a
Boys political organization composed of
in men who had served in the army,
Blue, took an active part in politics,
shortly after the Civil War. The
state political campaign which elected Gen-
eral John W. Geai-y to the office of governor
of Pennsylvania, was opened at a public
meeting held at Baumgardner's woods,
southeast of York. Captain AV. H. Lanius,
of York, was president of the meeting,
which was addressed by Andrew G. Curtin,
John AV. Geary and others, in the presence
of many visiting clubs of the Boys in Blue.
During the presidential
Republican campaign of 1888 when
Headquarters. Benjamin Harrison of In-
diana, and Levi P. Morton
of New York, were the candidates for presi-
dent and -^-ice-president of the United
States, the political headquarters of the
Republican party in York were in a log
cabin erected at the southwest corner of
King and Queen Streets. The building
was erected at a cost of $700 on the land
of Billmeyer & Small. H. C. Niles, John
C. Schmidt, Charles A. Bayler, James A.
Dale and Charles AA^. Myers were the build-
ing committee. The interior of the build-
ing was decorated with flags and bunting
and portraits of prominent Republicans.
One attractive part of the interior decora-
tions was a silk banner bearing" the inscrip-
tion, " Presented by the AAHiig Ladies of
York to the Tippecanoe Club, 1840." Many
enthusiastic meetings were held here dur-
ing this eventful campaign. The building
stood until 1901, and was used in several
other campaigns.
Chauncey F. Black, soon after
Democratic he retired from the office of
Clubs. lieutenant o-overnor of Penn-
s}-lvania, organized an association of
Democratic clubs in the United States.
For a period of fifteen j'ears he was
president of the association, which ex-
erted a strong influence in three of the
presidential campaigns. The Young Men's
Democratic Club of York formed a part of
this organization. This club wore a uni-
form, was well trained and attracted atten-
tion in many political parades.
In 1884, when Blaine ai-id Logan
Plumed were the Republican candidates
Knights, for President and Vice President
of the United States, the Plumed
Knights, a Republican club, was organized
and drilled by Grier Hersh. This club ap-
peared in many parades at York, Harris-
burg, Lancaster and other parts of the
state. It continued to exist as a vigorous
political organization and took an active
part in the campaigns of 1884, 1888, 1892
and 1896. Its members wore regulation
uniforms, and during the campaigns men-
tioned were under excellent drill and disci-
pline. The name Plumed Knights was
given to this club in honor of Secretary
James G. Blaine, who when put in nomina-
tion for the office of President before the
Republican national convention, in an elo-
quent speech by Colonel Robert J. Inger-
soll, was designated the " Plumed Knight
of American History."
The beautiful silk banners carried by the
Plumed Knights in all their parades, in
1904, were in the possession of Charles AA^
Myers, of York, who at the suggestion of
Grier Hersh, presented them to the Histor-
ical Society of York County.
From the close of the Revolution
Political in 1783 to 1800, the voters of
Parties. York County were largely Fed-
eralists. They represented the
political policy and principles of the party
brought into existence by such eminent men
as Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and John
Adams. It was the party with which Presi-
dent AA'ashington affiliated. During his
second term, party lines were drawn.
Thomas Jefferson, the great philosopher
and statesman, and a member of AA'ashing-
ton's cabinet, advocated a complete demo-
cratic form of government. Through his
influence and that of ]\Iadison, Alonroe and
Randolph, the Anti-Federalist or Demo-
cratic Party, was organized in 1800.
POLITICAL
587
On account of the excise laws, many of
the voters of York County and other coun-
ties in Pennsylvania opposed to these laws,
changed their political sentiments and allied
themselves with the Jef¥ersonian Democ-
racy. Colonel Thomas Hartley, who had
represented York County in Congress from
the adoption of the national constitution to
the time of his death, in 1800, was one of the
leaders of the Federalist Party in Pennsyl-
vania. Although a man of eminent ability,
he could not have been re-elected to Con-
gress after 1800, because of the position he
had taken in relation to the excise law. He
was succeeded in Congress by John Stew-
art, of York, one of the followers of
Thomas Jefferson. From that time forth,
the Federalist Party in this state and
largeh' through the country was on the
wane. York County failed to give a ma-
jority vote for James Ross, her most dis-
tinguished son, who was three times the
Federalist candidate for governor of Penn-
sylvania, between 1800 and 1809. Even
Major John Clark, one of the ablest soldiers
who served in the Revolution from Pennsyl-
vania, and a pronounced Federalist, was de-
feated for Congress in 1817, greatly to the
disappointment of his adherents and him-
self.
In 1832, Charles A. Barnitz, a leading-
member of the bar, was elected to Congress
from York County by the Whigs. Dr.
Henry Ness was first chosen to Congress
as an Independent, and at his second elec-
tion by the AVhigs. The other representa-
tives in Congress from York County, down
to Colonel James A. Stable, belonged to the
Democratic Party. Governor Curtain failed
to carry the county or borough of York as
the Republican candidate for governor in
i860 and 1863. From the time that Andrew
Jackson became the political leader of the
country in 1828, down to 1904, nearly all the
county officials and state senators and repre-
sentatives from York County were allied
with the Democratic Party. During the
last named year, the entire Republican
county ticket was elected.
CENSUS REPORTS.
The County of York when organized out
of Lancaster County in 1749, contained an
.area of 1469 square miles, or 950,000 acres.
It then embraced the present area of Adams
County. In 1749, the )^ear of its formation,
York County had 1,466 taxable inhabitants
with an entire population of about 6,000.
In 1750 there were 1,798 taxables, and in
1 75 1, 2,043 taxables and an entire popula-
tion of over 8,000. This will illustrate how
rapidly immigration into the county took
place, as the increase of population in two
years was thirty-three and one-third per cent.
In 1783 immediately after the treaty of
peace had been signed between England
and France which closed the Revolution, in
accordance with a resolution of Congress
and an act of the Pennsylvania Assembly,
assessors were appointed for every town-
ship in York County. These persons were
empowered to make a complete assessment
of all real and personal property in the
county for the purpose of laying a tax to
aid in paying the expenses incurred by the
War for Independence. According to the
official reports of these assessors furnished
to the State authorities, York County in
that year contained a population of 27,007;
of this number 17,007 resided within the
present area of York County. There were
then in the present limits of York County
657 colored slaves.
The first official census taken by the au-
thority of the United States Government in
1790, gave York County a population of
2,7,747, wdiich was an increase of about 10,-
000 in seven years. This would seem to be
enormous but illustrates that the immigra-
tion to the county during that period was
rapid. The next census was taken in 1800,
after the formation of Adams County out of
the western part of York County, when the
latter had a population of 25,643 and con-
tained its present area of 921 square miles;
in 1810 York County had a population of
31,938; in 1820, 38,759; in 1830, 42,859; in
1840, 47,010: in 1850, 57,450: in i860. 68,-
200; in 1870, 76,134; in 1880, 87,841: in
1890, 99,489: in 1900, 116,413: the estimated
population in 1907, 127,000.
The tabular statement found below show-
ing the population of all the townships and
boroughs in York County at each decade
from 1790 to 1900 was carefully prepared
from government records. It will be no-
ticed that some of the townships contained
a large population as early as 1800, when
the borough of York had 2,503. It should
be observed that the variation in the num-
ber of inhabitants in certain townships was
owing to the formation of new townships.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
A Table of Comparative Population /« I'ork County.
1820
1830
1840
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
Carroll
803
1572
1371
1264
882
2110
1840
1288
898
2501
2002
1382
1083
2994
2261
1495
993
3060
2322
1555
882
2798
2251
1506
167
1248
2133
945
1177
2429
1093
1439
1131
1068
287
482
269
455
419
2378
779
565
587
465
2349
1234
1413
261
2042
1647
199
684
732
438
2313
Dillsburg
268
270
246
1918
293
300
2258
281
418
2281
Dover
1816
1874
1920
East Hopewell
250
2150
1685
1764
803
1892
785
1993
859
2098
1043
1903
1309
1941
1457
2078
1554
-70''
726
82
1014
289
181
910
537
310
1839
2266
1639
3618
1499
327
268
256
2306
242^
406
2427
1159
1028
2144
234
952
651
378
2317
916
1963
3773
1836
320
283
320
2471
2538
430
2636
1293
1055
2228
324
224
2550
232
962
687
345
3746
954
2164
1540
1603
374
170
296
2512
2764
513
1783
1258
923
2238
364
231
2639
1199
973
1003
819
815
Glen Rock
385
946
1313
2062
1630
998
1528
1876
1941
1100
1428
1421
1095
1205
1616
1529
2380
1630
1758
1642
3288
1421
234
292
221
2150
2162
5302
1013
2058
1376
Hellam
110
220
164
243
343
965
1051
1232
1687
1637
1923
507
1949
1305
1158
1794
2198
1361
1214
1856
2152
1528
770
1850
2591
1806
990
2129
2695
1091
1030
2182
1229
847
2101
550
New Salem
741
1540
2124
2253
2476
North Hopewell
1122
1837
928
1819
898
2117
1074
2353
1652
1206
1874
1300
2366
1372
2130
1962
220
241
1269
2198
1501
201
524
213
Red Lion
1337
1988
2571
1328
1617
472
2926
552
3550
600
2087
580
2041
562
554
1783
1207
1907
1341
2393
1637
2809
1958
3010
1854
4176
1912
5209
576
441
1830
1464
1603
879
1005
188
1681
1386
212
1796
1444
303
1825
1450
1274
1061
1229
1037
1340
1226
1570
1339
296
1073
1269
1290
1352
1524
1265
1627
1834
1197
2024
2476
1202
2155
190
1776
1743
1269
2372
209
1912
1418
2096
2760
1110.
1250
217
Wrig-htsville
980
1250
1294
1544
9966
525
York
3546
4216
5821
6963
8605
11103
13979
20793
33708
894
York Township
2107
1181
1294
1950
2390
2307
2370
2489
9793
POLITICAL
589
POST OFFICES IN YORK COUNTY.
Benjamin Franklin was appointed post-
master at Philadelphia in 1737. Under his
skillful management that city became the
centre of the whole postal system of the
American colonies. In 1753 he was made
postmaster general. At this date he estab-
lished a postal route through Reading and
Lancaster to York. In 1774 when the
Revolutionary sentiment was gathering
force, Franklin was relieved from the posi-
tion of postmaster general by the British
government. During the Revolutionary
period a postal system was established un-
der authority of Continental Congress.
When Congress met in York, post riders
brought the mail here from different sec-
tions of the country on horseback. It was
one of the chief post towns of the country
during that eventful period. Under the
present postal system which went into ef-
fect in 1790 the first office established was
at York. February 16, 1790, Andrew
Johnston, a former lieutenant of the Revo-
lutionary war, was made first postmaster.
In early days the columns of the York pa-
pers frequently contained long lists of ad-
vertised letters belonging to persons living
fifteen, twenty or thirty miles away from
York. In January, 1795, an office was ei-
tablished at Hanover, and Henry Welsh
appointed postmaster. An office was es-
tablished at Marsh Creek, Gettysburg,
about 1800. In November, 181 5, Jacob
Kirk became the first postmaster at Lewis-
berry, and John Kirk the same year at
Peach Bottom.
On October 2, 1819, proposals were re-
ceived for carrying mails by relay of stages
from Lancaster through York, Abbotts-
town, New Oxford and Gettysburg to
Chambersburg, seventy-seven miles every
day; from York to McCall's Bridge once a
week; from York through York Haven and
New Market to Harrisburg, three times a
week; from Belle Air, Md., through Lower
Chanceford, York, Dover, Rossville, Lew-
isberry, Lisburn, Dillsburg and Carlisle,
fifty-nine miles, once a week. In Decem-
ber, 181 5, a postal route was established by
authority of the Postoffice Department, be-
tween York and Carlisle. The mail was
conveyed once a week. New offices were
estalalished along the route at Dover, Ross-
\ille, Lewisberry, Dillsburg and Lisburn.
The postmasters appointed for these places
were charged to be economical or their
offices would be discontinued.
The following is a list of postoffices and
postmasters in York County in 1832:
Bermudian Gideon Greist
Chanceford Andrew Clarkson
Codorus Martin Sherer
Cross Roads Alexander Gordon
Castle Fin Edward Markland
Day's Landing (New Holland) ... Peter Dessenburg
Dillsburg G. L. Shearer
Dover E. Melchinger
Fawn Grove Thomas Barton
Franklintown Martin Carl
Farmer's William Snodgrass
Guilford (now Stewartstown) ... .Anthony Stewart
Hanover Peter Mueller
Hetricks John Hershner
Lewisberry Samuel CroU
Loganville Samuel Keyser
Lower Chanceford William Cowan
Manchester J. T. Ubil
Margaretta Furnace S. Y. Slaymaker
Newberrytown Thomas Wickersham
Peach Bottom James McConkey
Spring Forge Abraham Bletcher
Rossville Michael WoUet
Shrewsbury Philip Folkemmer
Siddonsburg James G. Frazer
Windsor William C. Cornwell
Wrightsville James Kerr
Wolf rom's Gustavus Wolfram
York Haven D. Winchester, Jr.
York Daniel Small
The following is a list of postoffices in
York County during the year 1906, as fur-
nished by the department at Washington :
.'Kdmire I'-'i
Farmer's
Airville
Fawn Grove
Alpine
Felton
Andersontown
Fiscal
Bandanna
Fortney
Benroy
Franklintown
Bigdam
Freysville
Bigmount
Gatchelville
Bittersville
Glatfelter
Bridgeton
Glen Rock
Brillhart
Glenville
Brodbeck's
Grahamville
Brogueville
Graybill
Bryansville
Gravdon
Chanceford
Hall
Clear Spring
Hametown
Codorus
Hanover
Civ
Hanover Junction
Cralev
Hellam
Dallastown
Highrock
Davidsburg
Hokes
Delroy
Holtz
Delta
Hopewell Centre
Dillsburg
Ironore
Dover
Jacob's Mill
East Prospect
Jacobus
Eastmont
Keys
Emigsville
Labott
Etters (Goldsboro)
Larue
590
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Laurel
Lewisberry
Loganville
Long Level
McCall's Ferrv
McFord
Manchester
Marburg
Menges' Mill
Monaghan
Mount Royal
Mount Top
Mount Wolf
Muddy Creek Forks
Nashville
Newberrytown
New Bridgeville
New Freedom
New Park
New Sinsheim
Okete
Orwig
Parke
Peach Piottom
Porter's
Potosi
Railroad
Raubenstine
Red Lion
Rockev
Rossville
Saginaw
Seitzland
Seven Valley
Shenks Ferrj'
Shrewsbury
Siddonsburg
Slab
Slate -Hill
Smith Station
Spring Forge
Springvale
Spry
Stewartstown
Stiltz
Stony Brook
Strinestown
Sunnyburn
Swan
Thomasville
Tolna
Turnpike
Weiglestown
Wellsville
West Bangor
West Manchester
Windsor
Winterstown
Wiota
Woodbine
Wrightsville
Yocumtown
Yoe
York
Yorkanna
York Haven
York New Salem
Ziegler
Zions View
No branch in the Postal Service, so far as
it effects York County, has made greater
progress than the Rural Free Delivery.
This is due to the energy of Ex-Congress-
man Robert J. Lewis and the present Con-
gressman, Daniel F. Lafean. Mr. Lewis"
first efforts to establish the service in York
County was met with dsftrmined opposi-
tion owing to the misapprehension on the
part of his rural residents, — it having been
represented to them that not only would
their taxes be increased but a special tax
would be levied for the maintenance of
every Ijox.
This, and other opposition, did not dis-
courage Mr. Lewis in his efforts and he
finally succeeded in having the first route in
York Count}' established from Glen Rock
on October i, 1901. This route was fol-
lowed shortly thereafter by two from
Wrightsville, one from Laurel, and so on
until routes were established in different
sections of the county. These routes had
hardly been started when the people who
did not receive the service, seeing the in-
creased advantages their neighbors were en-
joying, sent petitions for the establishment
of routes all over the county. He then suc-
ceeded in having an order issued granting a
service throughout York County. Before
this work was completed, however, Mr.
Lewis retired and Mr. Lafean was elected.
The latter took up the work where the for-
mer left off. That Mr. Lafean did this
work well is evidenced by the fact that
every public road in York County is now
covered by the ninety-four routes starting
from every section of the county, thus af-
fording the rural residents the best possible
mail service.
The establishment of these routes, in ad-
dition to the increased mail facilities af-
forded the patrons, has been the means of
bringing into York County annually over
$65,000, which is received in the way of
salary by the ninety-four carriers.
The improved facilities of the United
States postal service during the present
century are striking in comparison to those
afforded our ancestors who lived in York
County, a century or more ago. In those
days the cost of sending letters depended
upon the distance, and ranged from five to
fift}^ cents. It cost twentj^-five cents in
1830 to send a letter from New York to
Detroit. Michigan. The person receiving
the letter had to pay the postage. The first
stamp used by the United States govern-
ment made the uniform postage on a letter
five cents. This was decreased to three
cents, and finally to two cents, the present
charge for letter postage throughout the
United States.
CHAPTER XXXIII
SLAVERY IN YORK COUNTY
Early Slave Owners — Colonizing Negroes —
Underground Railroad — Servants and Re-
demptioners.
Slavery was introduced into the Virginia
colony in 1620 by the arrival of a Dutch
trading vessel at Xorfolk, loaded with ne-
groes. It existed in Pennsylvania under the
Swedes and the Dutch, prior to the granting
of the Province to ^^'illiam Penn. The
provincial assembly as early as 1712 passed
an act to restrain its increase. The same
SLAVERY IN YORK COUNTY
591
authorit}^ later, imposed a prohibitory duty
on the importation of slaves into the Prov-
ince. This was repealed by the crown, as
slavery was then common in England. The
price of an imported negro, about the middle
of the eighteenth century ranged from £40
to £ 100, Pennsylvania currency. The So-
ciety of Friends, who for many years con-
trolled the legislative assembly, took an ac-
tive part in the abolition of slavery, and at
an early period would not allow any of their
members to own slaves.
The Pennsylvania Society for the Aboli-
tion of Slavery was founded in 1775. It
continued an organization until Abraham
Lincoln, in 1863, struck the death blow to
slavery, by signing the document known as
the Emancipation Proclamation. Benjamin
Franklin was its first president, and Dr.
Benjamin Rush, the first secretary. This
society in 1790 sent a memorial to Congress
bearing the official signature of Benjamin
Franklin, asking that body to devise means
for removing the inconsistency of slavery
from the American people. On March i,
1780, owing to the pressure of public opin-
ion, the legislature of Pennsylvania passed
an act for the gradual abolition of slavery.
This law required that all slaves should be
registered in the office of the clerk of the
court of quarter sessions on or before No-
vember I, 1780. The name, age, term of
service and valuation of the slave were de-
manded ; all persons held as slaves for life,
or until the age of thirty-two years, should
continue as such ; but all persons born after
that date of slave parents should be free,
except children born of registered slaves,
who should be servants until they were
twenty-eight years old. This law was so
modified in 1788, as to prevent persons from
taking their slaves to another state: an in-
teresting case to test this law was tried in
Lancaster in 1804.
The following are the names of
Slave persons in York, who owned
Owners, slaves in 1780, together with the
number owned by each individual :
Rev. John xA.ndrews, 3 ; William Alexan-
der, I ; Valentine Crantz, 2; Michael Doudel,
3 ; Widow Doudel, i : Joseph Donaldson, i ;
James Dobbins, i ; Colonel David Grier, i ;
George Erwin, 3 ; Joseph Chambers, 2 ; John
McAllister, i : Widow Moore, i ; Peter Reel,
i; Colonel Michael Swope, 2; Baltzer
Spangler, 3 ; George Stoehr, i ; Andrew
Welsh, I ; Bernard Eichelberger, i.
There were thirty slaves owned in 1780
in Manchester Township, which then in-
cluded West Manchester; forty in Fawn,
which included Peach Bottom; William
Chesney, of Newberry, who owned the ferry
below New Market, 7 (he was the only
slave-owner in the township at that time,
which included Fairview) ; Dover had none;
Ephraim Johnson, of Menallen Township,
Adams County, then a part of York County,
owned 2 slaves ; one was 1 10 years old in
1780; Manheim, 14; Monaghan, which em-
braced Carroll and Franklin, had 21 ; James
Dill owned 9 of them ; \\'indsor, including
Lower Windsor, 10 ; Paradise, including
Jackson, 2 ; Codorus, 5 ; Heidelberg, includ-
ing Hanover, 14; Shrewsbury, 22; Hellam,
8; Warrington, none, as slavery was op-
posed by the Quakers ; Chanceford, includ-
ing Lower Chanceford, 21; Hopewell, 5.
In the entire county, which included Adams
County, there were 471 slaves in 1783, and
499 slaves in 1790. There were yy slaves in
1800. In 1810, there were 22; in 1820, 6,
four females and two males. The last ne-
gro who had been a slave in York Count)^
died in 1841 at Hanover and was owned by
Marks Forney.
In 1816 Captain Izard Bacon, a wealthy
planter, who resided in Henrico County,
Virginia, manumitted fifty-six of his own
slaves. Some of his heirs attempted to hold
them in slavery, but the courts finally pro-
nounced them free on June 15, 1819.
Charles Granger, a nephew of Bacon, loaded
them on wagons to take them to Canada..
Fifty-two of them in September, 1819,
passed through York, and most of them lo-
cated in Columbia, where their descendants,
the Randolphs, Greens, Pleasants, Haydens,
and others have since resided. The Colum-
bia Abolition Society procured for them po-
sitions when they arrived.
In 1821, 100 manumitted slaves from Han-
over County, Virginia, came into York.
Some remained here, while others went to
Columbia and Marietta, and settled there.
They were employed by the lumber mer-
chants along the Susquehanna. Just prior
to the passage of the Fugitive Slave law, in
September, 1850, several hundred of them
passed north to Canada. In the fall of 1850,
AWlliam Baker was arrested and taken to
592
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia, tried as a fugitive, and re-
manded into slavery. This was the first
rendition of the new law. His friends at
Columbia raised money and purchased his
freedom.
The American Colonization So-
Colonizing ciety was organized at Wash-
Negroes, ington in 1817, soon after the
accession of James Monroe to
the presidency. He advocated the coloni-
zation of freed slaves. Through the efforts
of this Colonization Society, the United
States government in 1819, formed the Re-
public of Liberia, on the coast of Africa, and
called its capital Monrovia, after the Presi-
dent. It was intended to be a "colony for
any free person of color who may choose to
go there."
On the evening of August 8, 1819, the cel-
ebrated Rev. Dr. Meade, of Washington,
delivered a lecture on the subject, "Coloni-
zation," in the Court House at York, and
the same evening an organization was ef-
fected and an auxiliary society formed,
called the "York County Colonization So-
ciety." The Pennsylvania Society was
formed eight years later.
A constitution was adopted and the fol-
lowing named persons elected as officers
and managers of the York County Society:
President, Jacob Barnitz; vice-presidents,
George Barnitz and Jacob Eichelberger ;
managers, Charles A. Barnitz, Andrew
Creamer, Dr. A\'illiam Mcllvain and Charles
A. Morris; treasurer, John Schmidt; secre-
tary, John Gardner.
In 1825 a number of free colored children
were kidnapped in Philadelphia and sent to
Mississippi, where they were sold into sla-
very. This created great indignation
throughout Pennsjdvania.
As slavery gradually ceased to exist in
Pennsylvania, most of her people became
opponents of it, and abolition societies orig-
inated in the north. Many persons gave
assistance to runaway slaves that escaped
north of Mason and Dixon's Line.
An exciting incident occurred on January
5, 1826, near the western terminus of the
Columbia bridge. Two citizens of Mary-
land, who performed the nefarious practice
of kidnapping, seized a negro whom they
claimed was an escaped slave. They passed
through York in the dead of night and
halted at Abbottstown. At that place some
of the leading citizens proved the identity
of the black man and procured his release
from the hands of the kidnappers, who to
escape prosecution returned hastily across
the Maryland line. The incident caused
great excitement . among the anti-slavery
advocates in York County. The negro had
been inhumanly treated, for after his release
he was compelled to walk to Columbia, a
distance of twenty-five miles, through snow
and slush.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD IN
YORK COUNTY.
By Israel H. Betz.
Immediately after the formation of the
union which recognized slavery and assured
its protection in the constitution, trouble
began. The South through a combination
of circumstances became aggressive in its
maintenance. The thing termed "prop-
erty" or "certain persons held to labor" be-
came restive and followed the beckoning in-
fluences of the North Star. It was thus that
the free soil of the North became a hunting
ground for the slave holders of the South.
The moral conscience of the North became
quickened and sympathy for the bondman
became contagious. As early as 1688, the
Friends and Mennonites had sent a protest
from Germantown to the Yearly Meeting,
which has become historic. The Friends in
England in 1727 declared that slavery was a
practice "not to be commended nor al-
lowed." In Pennsylvania they continued
to take advanced ground until in 1776 they
excluded slave holders from membership in
their society.
In 1786 a Society existed in
Opposition Philadelphia for succoring fu-
to Slavery, gitives who reached there, of
which the ruling spirit was
Isaac T. Hopper, its president. By a
strange coincidence Washington became the
first sufferer of prominence at its hands.
AVhile he took his loss philosophically, yet
he also signed the first Fugitive Slave Law
in 1793. But the law was found inefficient.
Since the North Star was found immovable,
it was hoped that the British Crown might
be induced to declare Canada no longer a
"Mecca of Freedom." But Britain stood
firm in the maintenance of the principle de-
clared bv Lord Mansfield that "as soon as a
SLAVERY IN YORK COUNTY
593
slave set his foot on British soil, he was
free."
Turning to our own halls of Congress ef-
forts were made for a more stringent law
which failed until the Fugitive Slave Law
of 1850 was enacted and went into force.
Meantime the hegira towards the Promised
Land of Freedom had increased to such an
extent that it has been estimated that as
many as 200,000 fugitives had left slavery
for freedom in a period of seventy-five years.
During this period the work of aiding fugi-
tives had become extended, organized and
systematized.
At the beginning of the last century, Co-
lumbia, Pennsylvania, became an objective
point in the work of the Underground Rail-
road. To John Wright, a grandson of the
original settler bearing that name, belongs
the credit of first establishing "stations" at
distances of about ten miles apart, in east-
ern Pennsylvania. The work of aiding fu-
gitives was one attended with exhilaration
and excitement, but it was also attended
with danger to property and person. It re-
quired sagacity, quickness of perception and
foresight. It required means, sympathy
and benevolence, without public applause or
hope of reward. Its abettors and workers
were hated and despised by those whose
loss was their gain. The North contained
multitudes who regarded them with distrust
and ill-concealed aversion. But they looked
upon slavery as the sum of all villainies, and
the crime of all crimes. They believed in
aiding rather than talking.
The work grew and in a decade had ex-
tended from the Delaware to the Susque-
hanna. Stations had multiplied from and
to which "freight was shipped." Like our
modern fast express trains, their best runs
were made at night when the "track" was
clear and free from obstruction. The no-
menclature of the railroad was strictly ad-
hered to. Thus there was a president and
superintendent. There were stockholders
but no dividends, except as righteous actions
offered full satisfaction. There was no
watering of stock, but concentration of pur-
poses. There were "passengers" and "sta-
tions." But there was also a "walker's ex-
press" and when there was congestion of
traffic the fugitives walked. The station
masters and conductors were men "wise as
serpents" and "harmless as doves." Family
carriages, even funeral processions, dray-
men's carts or railway cars with hidden com-
partments or with innocent looking store
boxes were made available for transporta-
tion. Signs and passwords with mystic
raps in the dead of night were given and
duly interpreted by the initiated.
The work was democratic in character
and made the Declaration of Independence
more than a "glittering generality." The
work was made doubly dangerous by spies
and paid emissaries. Every neighborhood
had its informers who for reward became
aiders and abettors to the "gentlemen of
property and standing." Many fugitives
were thus overtaken and reclaimed and
those who were found to have aided or as-
sisted them were heavily mulcted in fines,
damages and costs.
There were several types of stockholders
in the Underground Railroad. By far the
largest number were those who considered
slavery an evil and would fain have seen it
extinguished, but their respect for law and
order made them loth to interfere with it
directly. Still their influence even thus far
counted for much. Another type were cer-
tain of the non-resident sects who consid-
ered it their duty to alleviate suffering and
distress when directly appealed to by flee-
ing fugitives, or by those who had already
befriended and forwarded them to the next
station.
Then there was a 4ype of men
Abolition and women who took their lives
Leaders. in their hands and "bearded the
lion in his den." Some of these
people became martyrs by their devotion to
humanity and liberty. Who has not heard
of Captain Jonathan Walker, "the man with
the branded hand;" Captain Daniel Dray-
ton, Rev. Charles T. Torrey, who perished
in prison ; Calvin Fairbanks, who suffered
over seventeen years in prison and received
35,000 stripes. The list is swelled by Alan-
son G. Work, Seth Concklin and Rev. E. P.
Lovejoy. Of those who were successful
and unharmed, there was the well-known
Josiah Henson, Dr. A. M. Ross, of Canada,
who later became a man of international
reputation; with Harriet Tubman, whose
biography reads like a romance.
Then there was the militant type who be-
lieved that slavery should be attacked on its
own ground by pen and sword or "Beecher's
594
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Bible," which was a euphonious term for
Sharp's rifle. There were men hlce the
slave Nat Turner, Elijah P. Lovejoy and the
hero of the plains of Kansas and of Harper's
Ferr)^ It was John Brown's aim to make
slavery doubly insecure and unprofitable and
thus lead to its eventual abolition. But
every one worked as he or she was able,
leaving the results to the approbation of a
good conscience.
It -was in York County, it is be-
Origin of lieved, where the term "Under-
Name. ground Railroad" originated.
Slave owners in the pursuit of fu-
gitives found that when they reached the
river, the bondman disappeared as mysteri-
ously as though "the ground had swallowed
him up." In their perplexity, the pursuers
exclaimed, "There must be an underground
road somewhere." The expression struck
the popular fancy and was incorporated into
the literature of the day.
In 1804 one of the first kidnapping cases
recorded in the history of the movement,
took place at Columbia, when the mother
of Stephen Smith, who later became a
well-known lumber merchant, was sought
to be forcibly taken from the house of
General Boude. It created great excite-
ment.
Many of the Friends who migrated west
of the Susquehanna, were from Chester
County. They came to the sites of Colum-
bia and Wrightsville. Such towns as
Wrightsville and Lewisberry, tell the origin
of their names. The AVrights and the Mif-
flins were among the earliest settlers east
and west of the river. Some of the early
Wright houses at Wrightsville are standing
in an excellent state of preservation. Wil-
liam Wright's sister Susannah, married Jon-
athan Mifflin, and lived in one of these noted
houses. It occupies a commanding position
overlooking the river and was one of the
most noted stations in the country. Eleven
miles distant from York, it was with a single
exception, the only station before reaching
the river from York. Jonathan and Susan
Mifflin up to 1840 kept open house to all fu-
gitives who passed their way. They had a
trusty boatman, Robert Loney,- who con-
veyed "passengers" over the river by night.
Their son, Samuel W. Mifflin, grew up un-
der these influences and proved a worthy
successor to his parents.
On one occasion, on returning
Railway home, he found thirteen fugitives
Stations, occupying the parlor. They
were found wandering in the
neighborhood and were taken up by an elder
brother. The windows were closed to pre-
\-ent discovery, and a lamp kept burning
during the da}^ They remained for two
days and nights of stormy weather and high
water. On the third night they were taken
across the river by the trusted Loney.
Many exciting incidents occurred at the
bridge which was watched by spies and in-
formers. At the Columbia side a watchful
eye was kept on the bridge by the colored
lumber merchant, William Whipper, a part-
ner of Stephen Smith. The bridge was so
thoroughly watched by spies that the great-
est care was necessary in sending "baggage"
across the river. It could only be done by
ferriage, by railway freight cars, or by ve-
hicles, the subject being hidden or disguised.
The first station east of the river was that
of Daniel Gibbons, who was in the "rail-
roading" business for fifty-six years. Many
York County operators in earlier times had
despatched their "freight" to him. His wife
was a sister of the well-known Joel Wier-
man, an "operator" in Adams County.
Mrs. AVierman was a sister of Benjamin
Lundy, the co-laborer with William Lloyd
Garrison. Thaddeus Stevens, who for a
time resided in York and Gettysburg, later
removed to Lancaster and during his life
aided the "'road" in various capacities. He
was counsel in some noted cases relating" to
the "cause." He also became a contribut-
ing member to the "sfock" of the road.
Mrs. Smith, who kept house for him for
many years, was one of the slaves he helped
to freedom.
Samuel W. Mifflin lived in the old home-
stead at Wrightsville from 1840 to 1846. It
was from this house in 1843 that Rev.
Charles T. Torrey made his last trip to the
South to assist the fleeing bondmen. He
took leave of his entertainers filled with en-
thusiasm and hope for the success of his en-
terprise, which came to a melancholy end
through his arrest and imprisonment. He
sank under the rigors of prison life in 1846.
Friends sought his pardon without avail.
He bravely wrote, "I cannot afford to con-
cede any truth of principle to get out of
prison. I am not rich enough. If I am a
SLAVERY IN YORK COUNTY
595
guilt}- man, I am a \ei"}- guilty one. for I
have aided nearly four hundred slaves to
escape to freedom, the greater part of whom
would probably, but for my exertions, have
died in slaver)-." He had a notable funeral
at Boston, followed by another gathering" at
Faneuil Hall. The occasion was made re-
markable with addresses by Fessenden,
Stanton and Channing. A poem was read
by Lowell and a letter was sent by Whittier.
The road from York to \\'rightsville was
traveled by many fugitives and many noted
experiences occurred between friend and
foe. Companies of as many as from twent)'-
fixe to forty fugitives traveled on it together
during the night. During 1830-1850 not so
much care was necessary. After the Fugi-
tive Slave Law of 1850 went into effect
ever3'thing became changed. Hundreds of
escaped slaves who had remained in the
river towns and country places no longer
felt secure and disposed of their homes.
\\'hile there were many active
William C. workers at York, yet none ac-
Goodridge. complished more than the col-
ored man, William C. Good-
ridge. His grandmother had belonged to
Charles Carroll, of CarroUton, in Maryland,
where his mother also was born. At the
age of twenty, the latter was sold to a phy-
sician in Baltimore, where William C. Good-
ridge was born, in 1805. When six years of
age the boy was sent to York and appren-
ticed to Rev. William Dunn, to learn the
trade of a tanner at his yard. It was stipu-
lated that he was to remain until twenty-one
years of age and was then to receive an ex-
tra suit of clothing and a Bible. At sixteen
he left his guardian and started in the world
anew. He went to an eastern town, learned
the trade of a barber, then returned to York
and commenced business for himself. He
was a man of tact, intelligence and aptitude,
combined with energy and perseverance.
He instituted many lines of business and is
said to have introduced the first sale of daily
papers in the town. He had thirteen cars
which ran to Philadelphia and were known
as Goodridge's "York and Philadelphia
Line.'" It was- Goodridge's cars that con-
veyed three fugitives who took part in the
Christiana riots of 1857.
Mr. Goodridge erected the highest house
in York of that day in the northwestern
angle of Centre Square, a five-story building
which was de\-oted to \-arious lines of busi-
ness. It was in the third story in a closet,
in which he secreted Osborn Perry Ander-
son, a colored man who had been with John
Brown at Harper's Ferry. When the way
became clear, he sent him to Philadelphia,
b}' his cars to \\'illiam Still, who had previ-
ously taken care of another of Brown's men,
Merriam. Two other escaping men were
apprehended near Chambersburg and Car-
lisle, returned to Virginia and executed.
The number of fugitives passing through
the hands of Goodridge and his agents was
very large. His dwelling on Philadelphia
Street was closely watched, but without
avail. It has now become the property of
Rhinehart Dempwolf, who on remodelling
the premises discovered a trench under the
rear building, tilled with straw, in which
fugitives had been secreted. Later William
Goodridge became unfortunate in business.
He partially retrieved his losses, but when
the Confederates approached York, in 1863,
the family departed to Minnesota and Mich-
igan. William Goodridge died in Minne-
apolis in 1873. Southern men made efforts
to kidnap him, but did not succeed.
As early as 1825, a number of slaves were
manumitted in Virginia, and brought north,
remaining about York where some of their
descendants are still found. Among these
were Hester Oliver and Squire Braxton, of
whom amusing stories have been handed
do\vn.
Abolition meetings at York
Anti-slavery were generally held in the
Meetings. Court House in Centre
Square, or in the Friends'
Aleeting House, on "West Philadelphia
Street. The lecture of the eccentric Jona-
than . Blanchard in the Court House, who
was accompanied by Thaddeus Stevens,
caused great uproar and was attended by
the throwing of missiles. Charles E. Bur-
leigh, one of a family of noted abolition lec-
turers, met with riotous demonstrations at
his meeting held here in 1840. Lucretia
Mott, one of the most noted women speak-
ers of the day, gave discourses at the
Friends' Meeting House. She had a quiet,
winning manner. The Abolitionists of
York had an anti-slavery library which was
in charge of the ^Misses Love.
Many persons entertained anti-slavery
views who were not prepared to enter into
596
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
accord with the abohtionists. They be-
lieved slavery to be an evil, but were not
willing to get rid of it through any other
than legal measures. The northern part
of York County was very fully imbued with
anti-slavery sentiments. The Friends were
non-resistant. They based their opposition
to slavery on the grounds of Holy Writ and
humanitarian sympathies.
Very few exciting rescues occurred on
York County soil. The local authorties did
not interfere, especially after the noted
Prigg case, which occurred in York County
in 1842, when the Supreme Court of the
United States freed state ofificers from tak-
ing part in fugitive slave cases. Even some
of the state officers afforded aid to fugitives.
A\'illiam Yocum, a constable, threw many
slave catchers off the scent by giving them
wrong directions. He used the word "\\"il-
liam Penn" in the passing of slaves. He
delivered them to the care of a well-known
colored man, "Black Isaac," who saw his
charges safely, through, by way of Middle-
town Ferry. He also had a pit dug in his
cellar where he confined them until oppor-
tunity offered to forward them safely.
Charles A. Barn-itz, a noted lawyer of
York and a member of Congress, was
strongly imbued with anti-slavery princi-
ples. He concealed runaways in his barn
and outbuildings. They were sent to Co-
lumbia in charge of such helpers as John
Johnston, Isaac Brooks, Samuel Marss,
Peter McCandless, John Joice, the Haack
family and others. At the river they were
taken in charge by the Mifflins, the Wood-
yards, the Parnells and others.
Among the underground op-
Local erators in York and vicinity,
Abolitionists. Amos Griest was one of the
most active. He resided on
Market Street near Penn. He was married
to Margaret Garretson. About 1848 he re-
moved to the neighborhood familiarly
known as "Lotvarick Stettle," three miles
north of York. Later he moved to the vi-
cinity of Menallen Meeting House, in Ad-
ams County, where he took an active part
in the anti-slavery movement.
Edward J. Chalfant was born in 1836.
He was a son of James Chalfant and
a grandson of George Chalfant, who lived
on the battlefield of Brandywine. His ma-
ternal grandfather was Jonathan Jessop.
James Chalfant, the father of Edward, was
a man of constructive ability, and was as-
sociated with others of like tastes in that
day. Young Chalfant grew up in this at-
mosphere and at an early age commenced
distributing anti-slavery documents and pa-
pers published by Bailey and others.
The Jessops employed many laborers in-
cluding colored men. Many fugitives were
secreted under the hay in the barn. Ed-
ward Chalfant became a helper by carrying
food to them in their seclusion. The es-
caped slaves came to York by way of the
Baltimore pike. After resting they went to
Amos Greist who sent them in various di-
rections. There were Friends in Maryland
named Shepherd, who sent many slaves to
York Count}'.
The house and barn built in 1767 by Wil-
liam Willis, sovithwest of Prospect Hill
Cemetery, became an underground railroad
station. The pursuit at one time became
so hot that the negroes were hidden in corn
shocks until safer places of concealment
could be found.
The operators of York County were more
fortunate than those of Cumberland Valley,
where kidnapping and fugitive slave cases
or troubles arising out of them came into
the courts repeatedly. All phases of the
Underground Railroad were represented
but as a rule the workers did not go into the
South to pursue their work like Rev.
Charles T. Torrey or Harriet Tubman.
The latter was an escaped slave from Vir-
ginia. She returned south about nineteen
times and brought north in all 200 slaves.
She passed through York County in some
of her trips. She had been engaged by
John Brown to assist him at Harper's
Ferry, but sickness prevented her pres-
ence.
Joel Fisher, of York, was a Friend and a
member of the York Meeting. He was a
zealous worker in the field in which he was
heartily supported by his wife. Later he
removed to Menallen where the work grew
on his hands.
Some of the other workers were the
Durrs, father and son. Such names as
A\'allace, Fissel, Brown, Willis, Jourdon
and others are still remembered and re-
called. In the lower end of York County
were the Kyles, Bradleys, Hawkins, Jones
and others. Of these J. R. Jones became
SLAVERY IN YORK COUNTY
597
a noted publisher of subscription books in
Philadelphia.
In the Bald Hills of Newberry Township
lived Ezekiel Baptiste, whose home Was a
station of the Underground Railway. He
was a colored man of good habits, and was
highly respected. He owned a farm which
he cultivated. The revenue from a public
sale of his property amounted to $4,000.
Among the workers who lived in Redland
and Fishing Creek Valleys were the Wick-
ershams and the Garretsons. They were
Friends and people of public spirit and in-
telligence. Israel Garretson kept many fu-
gitives in his house and in the cellar of his
barn. Joseph Wickersham took in a. fugi-
tive, who decamped, taking a watch and
other articles of value with him. Such ex-
periences were seldom reported. Joseph
Wickersham earlier in life had been a
teacher and an effective public speaker.
All through life he took deep interest in the
advancement of popular education.
The Lewis family were among the earli-
est settlers of the Redland valley. A de-
scendant of the family. Major Eli Lewis,
who was born in Redland Valley in 1750,
was the founder of Lewisberry in 1798. He
had four sons, all of whom were conspicu-
ous in public life. One of them, Webster
Lewis, was a physician of note and also a
man of many accomplishments. He was
born in 1780. Early in life his attention
was attracted toward slavery. Being a
man of public spirit and independent
thought he set his face against slavery. He
was in constant communication with such
underground workers as Joel Wierman and
AVilliam A\"right of Adams County. Many
incidents are related of his work. He died
at New Cumberland in 1832. His son. Dr.
Robert Nebinger Lewis, was associated
with him in practice of medicine at Lewis-
berry, and later removed to Dover. He
was an ardent worker in the cause and
passed through a number of perils at the
hands of pursuing slaveholders. At or
near Newberrytown, a pistol was snapped
at him by a slaveholder which failed of dis-
charge. He died at Dover in 1846. There
was hardly a town in this country that was
more famed and well known than Lewis-
berrjr for its public discussions of anti-
slavery, temperance, literature and every-
thing that tended to moral and intellectual
progress. The Lewises, Kirks, Starrs,
Nebingers, Garretsons, Hammonds, Fos-
ters, Brintons, Rankins, Steels, AVicker-
shams, Flemings, Merediths, and many
others took part in the famous debates that
were held in the Lyceum or the "Society of
Social Friends." Several times the ques-
tion "Is Slavery a Curse to Humanity"
caused spirited discussion and was attended
by the community for miles around. Lew-
isberry and Kennet Square in Chester ■
County, at that day were two of the most
advanced localities to be found in the state.
Both were intensely anti-slavery and aboli-
tion in sentiment.
Several times the vicinity of
Thrilling Lewisberry witnessed some
Scenes. thrilling scenes. On one occa-
sion at Lewisberry a mob set
upon slave drivers to rescue a runaway
slave girl from their hands. The southern-
ers faced their foe with drawn pistols and
thus kept them at bay. AVilliam Lloyd
Garrison was at the time the guest of Jo-
seph AA'ickersham, who entertained many
noted men in his day. Going to Lewis-
berry, they witnessed the proceedings.
Garrison was a non-resistant, but arm-in-
arm with AA-^ickersham, they went forward,
undaunted, and Garrison, grasping the arm
of the slave girl, walked quietly away with
her, the slaveholders yielding as though
hypnotized.
On another occasion the stone house on
the farm now owned by Reuben Betz, a
mile east of Lewisberry, the deed of which
farm is one of the oldest in the Historical
Society of York County, had a negro se-
creted in the attic. The slave catchers
were on the track of their prey. They rode
up to the house as though chasing a wild
beast. After searching the outbuildings,
they declared the house must also be
searched, as they were confident that the
slave was hiding or being hidden in it.
They searched the house from cellar to gar-
ret. The occupants were greatly dis-
turbed, but in common with non-resistants,
who had carefully counted the cost of main-
taining their principles, they were calm un-
der the trial. The slave leaped out of the
east garret window, a distance of twenty-
two feet. He started to run but was
brought down by heavy fowling pieces, and
was severely wounded. He was removed
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
to the barn where sixteen buckshots were
extracted from his body. He was taken
back to Virginia as a warning to others who
were trying to gain freedom by flight. It
was reported that he died later of his
wounds.
These events occurred about the year
1830 and were often related by Joseph
A^^ickersham, whose mind was a storehouse
of information of this and kindred topics.
The adjoining counties of Adams and
Cumberland had a number of operators
who were in close association with those of
York County. In fact Daniel Kauffman,
of Cumberland County, was subjected to a
fine with costs amounting to $5,000 for aid-
ing slaves, who were sent to him by Amos
Griest of York County.
The history of the Underground Railroad
in York County is so closely associated
with that of surrounding counties that a
fuller consideration of its workings would
render it necessary to embrace them also.
The work for the most part was done in
secret and was unobtrusive, very few if any
written records being left behind. The
Fugitive Slave Law caused the destruction
of such written data as had been preserved
up to that time. How many fugitives
passed through York County has not been
estimated but the number in the aggregate
was large. Some operators in other coun-
ties claimed to have aided as many as three
thousand.
SERVANTS AND REDEMPTIONERS.
Servants were in great demand during
the colonial days, and shiploads of laboring
people were brought across the ocean and
disposed of in America by indenture. The
form was little better than slavery. As re-
corded in the early taxable lists of York
County, they were assessed as personal
property, the same as colored slaves. Most
of them in this county were "redemption-
ers" from Germany; some from other
countries. Indentures were prepared be-
fore setting sail for this country, binding
the subject to serve for a number of years,
rarely less than four. Servitude of this
kind existed as late as 1800 in York County.
Many European mechanics, as well as
farmers, came here under such conditions,
and some of both classes, after serving the
term of their indenture, became prosperous
and well-to-do citizens. In 1760 there were
more than 100 redemptioners in York
County. In 1781 there were forty-nine.
An advertisement for the recovery of a
runaway servant was very common in those
days. Sometimes "three cents reward"
was offered for their retvu'n.
The most remarkable case was that of
James Annesley, son of Arthur Annesley,
(Lord Altham) who, as an orphan boy, was
enticed on board by an uncle who wanted to
get possession of his legacy. The boy was
landed at Philadelphia and sold as a ser-
vant by the captain, to fulfill the contract
with the uncle. His place of servitude was
forty, miles West of Philadelphia, where he
remained twelve years. In 1740 he was
discovered by two Irish emigrants to
America from his native place. He was
taken from his condition of servitude, re-
turned home, and in 1743 brought suit
against the uncle for the recovery of his
property and gained his case ; but pending
an appeal to the House of Lords, he died.
A story by the celebrated novelist, Charles
Reade, entitled the "\\'andering Heir," was
founded upon this incident.
The sale of redemptioners became a
business during colonial days. They were
brought to this country and then taken
through the land and sold by indenture.
On this account those who sold them were
called "soul-drivers." The following tra-
ditional story records an incident said to
have taken place in York County. One of
these venders of human beings had dis-
posed of all except one, who proved to be as
ingenious at making a bargain as his
owner. Having put up at a tavern for the
night, the sagacious servant rose' first and
sold his master to the landlord, recovering
a handsome sum. He quickly departed, but
first warning the landlord that the servant
he sold him had a vicious habit of telling
falsehoods and warned him that he might
try to pass off as the master.
An interesting case was brought before
the courts of York County in December,
1 82 1, relating to the authority over an es-
caped slave from Maryland, owned by a
man named Showers, who recaptured and
reclaimed the negro as his property. The
abolition society of York protested, claim-
ing that the mother of the negro had been
set free before the birtli of her son. The
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
599
claim of the defendant was that the slave's
mother had not been in Pennsylvania for
six months before her son's birth and there-
fore under the law Mr. Showers has a right
to return with his slave to Maryland, which
was then a slave state. The evidence was
not clear to Judge Atlee, of the York
County courts, and he could not release the
slave in accordance with existing laws.
The abolition society then took out a writ
of Homine Replegiando to take the slave
out of his master's possession and hold him
till they could procure further testimony to
establish his claim to libertj'. x\lthough
the abolition society did not succeed in the
courts, circumstances occurred which gave
them great satisfaction. AVhile the owner
was sleeping in one of the hotels of York
the negro made his escape and the next
morning nothing could be heard of him.
How he had disappeared and where he
went always remained a profound secret.
CHAPTER XXXIV
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
Wrightsville, Gettysburg and Baltimore
Turnpikes — Hanover and Maryland Line
— York and Chanceford — The Conewago
Canal — Tidewater Canal — York Naviga-
tion— Northern Central Railway — West-
ern Maryland — Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania.
The construction of turnpikes by char-
tered companies was the first important
step toward public internal improvements in
Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia and Lan-
caster Turnpike was begun in 1792. Previ-
ous to this time there had been a few public
highways opened by authority of the Penn-
sylvania legislature. They were known as
" State Roads." All the other highways of
travel for horse and wagon were opened by
authority of the county courts. The Lan-
caster Turnpike was sixty-two miles in
length. It was the first macadamized pub-
lic road in America and was completed in
1794, at a cost of $465,000. A\'ithin forty
years after this turnpike had been com-
pleted, 220 other companies in the state re-
ceived charters and had constructed macad-
amized roads, called turnpikes. Between
1808 and 1820 half a dozen turnpikes ex-
tended through various sections of York
County. Before the era of railroads, and
during the time of stage coaches and wag-
oning to Philadelphia and Baltimore, these
turnpikes were used extensively. A care-
fully prepared narrative of the origin and
history of the turnpikes in York County is
given herewith.
The charter of this company
Wrightsville was granted by the legisla-
Tumpike. ture Alarch 19, 1804, and let-
ters patent issued to the
stockholders thereof by Governor Thomas
McKean, May 16, 1808.
At an election held in the Court House, on
July 23, 1808, Samuel Miller was elected
president ; Jacob Upp, Daniel Spangler,
John Crier, George Bard, Jacob Liephart,
Christian Stoner, Christian Hamaker, AVil-
liam AA^right, James AA'right, Philip Gossler,
Christian Brenneman, Thomas P. Cope,
managers, and AA'illiam P. Beatty, treasurer.
The judges of this election were Colonel
AA'illiam Ross and Godfrey' Lenhart.
Thomas P. Cope was a prominent citizen of
Philadelphia.
The first business meeting was held at
" AA^right's ferry house on the Susque-
hanna," August 22, 1808. On this day the
board began to survey the road, and went
the first day as far as Canoe Run, and the
next day continued to York. At the next
meeting, September 10, 1808, John Barber,
of Columbia, was elected secretary. The
macadamized part of the road was made
twenty-one feet wide and one foot thick in
the centre slanting to the sides. After vari-
ous proposals were presented, the one made
by John Grier and Penrose Robinson, of
York, to make the whole road, bridges,
aqueducts, etc., at $11 per perch, and take
ten shares of stock, was accepted at a meet-
ing, held October 13, 1808, at the house of
George Bard. The charter empowered the
companjr to organize with a capital of $35,-
000. Jacob Eichelberger was appointed
superintendent. Gate No. i was erected at
Rudv's Run; John Newcomer appointed
keeper, at a salary of $160 per annum, and
Christian Kreidler to keep gate No. 2. It
was located on the west side of Little Co-
dorus, in Springettsbury Township. A
committee was appointed to view the road,
who reported it completed according to the
law, whereupon they issued an order em-
Goo
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
powering the company to erect gates, and
turnpikes and collect tolls. The first divi-
dend declared was at the rate of four per
cent, June 6, 1818; the second in November
of the same year of four per cent ; the third
in May, 1819, of four per cent. The fol-
lowing is a list of the presidents of the com-
pany in order of succession: Samuel Mil-
ler, elected in 1808; James \\'right, in 1817;
Jacob Eichelberger in 1821 ; James Johnston
in 1829; John Barnitz in 1836: Dr. Jacob
Hav, Sr., in 1849: Philip A. Small. 1875: E.
G. Smyser, 1876; Dr. Jacob Hay, Jr., 1887;
George P. Smyser, 1897. Treasurers: Wil-
liam P. Beatty, 1808; John Schmidt, 1817;
John Hahn, 1829, who became secretary,
1824; Philip Smyser, also chosen secretary,
1836; John A. AVeiser in 1868, and Joseph
Smyser. secretary in 1868; C. S. Weiser,
treasurer 1889; Ellis S. Lewis, secretary and
treasurer. 1903.
The act incorporating the York
Baltimore and Maryland Line Turnpike
Pike. Company was approved by Gov-
ernor Thomas McKean March
31, 1807. The commissioners named in the
act for the purpose of receiving subscrip-
tions were Adam Hendricks, George Lor-
man. George Bard. Caleb Kirk, Philip Fred-
erick. Robert Hammersly, Jacob Loucks,
Isaac Kirk and John Brillinger. The form
of the subscription was $100 a share. The
act states that the road was to be built by
the best and nearest route from York to the
Maryland line. Ten dollars on each share
were paid b)^ the original subscribers.
This turnpike was one of the leading-
highways in Pennsylvania in the time of
wagoning to Baltimore and during the era
of stage coaches. In 1907 Grier Hersh was
president of the company, John J. Frick
treasurer, and Charles A. Lyne, secretary.
The York and Conewago turnpike was
completed to York Haven before 1814. and
in 1838 was extended along the river to the
bridge across the Susquehanna at Harris-
burg. This pike was discontinued from
Goldsboro to the Harrisburg bridge when
the Northern Central Railroad was ex-
tended to Marysville in 1850.
An act was passed February 2.
Hanover 1808, by the state legislature.
and then in session at Lancaster.
Baltimore, and signed by Thomas Mc-
Kean. o-o\'ernor of Pennsvlva-
nia, " incorporating a company to make an
artificial road by the best and nearest route
from the town of Hanover to the Maryland
line, at or near the place the turnpike road
from Baltimore to State line strikes the
same." Conrad Sherman, Henry Welsh,
Peter Storm. Frederick Wentz. Francis La-
motte, Jacob Metzger and Peter Eckert
were named in the act as commissioners.
Immediately after the passage of the act
these men began soliciting stock, and hav-
ing succeeded in their efforts, an election
was held for officers and managers August
5. 1808. The commissioners appointed as
judges of this election were Dr. Henry C.
Wampler and George Carl; Jacob Metzger
was elected president and Paul Metzger,
treasurer and secretary. The managers
were Conrad Sherman, Jacob Eichelberger,
Christian Wirt, George Nace, Adam For-
ney, Samuel Lilly, Samuel Graybill, Henry
AA'elsh, Henry Bowman, Abraham Hiestand
and Peter Forney. Three hundred and fifty
shares of stock were sold, some of it in Bal-
timore, but most of it to citizens of Hanover
and vicinity. The price of each share was
$100. The entire cost of the road, however,
seven miles in length, was $37,500. The
turnpike was completed in November, 1809.
C. T. Melsheimer was elected secretary of
the company; Nicholas Gelwicks was
elected president in 1810, and was succeeded
by John Danner in 1815; John Scholl in
181 7; Jacob Eichelberger in 1818; Henry
AA'irt, Sr., in 1840; Jacob AA^irt in 1861 ;
Henry Wirt, in 1870. In 1907 Joseph
Brockley was president and Reuben Young
secretary and treasurer.
Before the railroad from Harrisburg to
Baltimore was built, this turnpike was a
part of the leading route from Carlisle; and
other points north, to the metropolis of
Maryland, to which place most of the trade
of York, Cumberland and Adams Counties
was generalh' directed. During a portion
of its history the company paid large divi-
dends. Its course is nearly the same as the
old road laid out by the Province of Mary-
land, in 1735, to the Conewago settlement,
around the present town of Hanover.
The York and Gettysburg
Gettysburg Turnpike Company was organ-
Pike, ized under act of 1804. incor-
porating the Susquehanna and
York Turnpike. The provisions of this
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
60 1
same act were extended in the charter
granted to York and Gettysburg Turnpike
Company, on March 11, 1815. The letters
patent, giving the company power to go
forward as a corporation, are dated April
23, 1818, and are signed by Governor Wil-
liam Findlay. On December 15, 1819,
David Cassat, John Hahn and Jacob Metz-
gar were appointed a committee to report
in writing concerning the building of the
road, and between April 23, 1818, and De-
cember 15, i8ig, the road was completed.
On May 2, 1818, at an election held in Ab-
bottstown, the first officers and managers
were chosen, as follows : President, Alex-
ander Cobeen; treasurer, George Upp; sec-
retary, Alexander Russell; managers, Wil-
liam McPherson, George Hossler, John
Hersh, Frederick Baugher, Jacob Smyser
(tanner), Jacob Smyser (farmer), Thomas
Eichelberger, Henry Wolf, Henry King,
Peter Butt, George Dashiells and John
Murphy. A survey of the proposed road
was made by Jacob Spangler. The next
meeting was held in June of the same year,
when the courses and distances of the pro-
jected turnpike road were presented and dis-
cussed. The board then proceeded from
Gettysburg to Oxford, and from thence to
York, making a complete examination of
the route.
Several meetings were held for the pur-
pose of raising stock subscriptions, and giv-
ing out contracts for constructing the road.
The president was ordered to meet the con-
tractors at Abbottstown, November 7.
April 9, 1819, proposals were received to
build the part of the road from Codorus
Bridge to the borough line. About this
time three new managers, Samuel Smith,
Michael Slagle and Philip Frederick were
elected. The other part of the board re-
mained unchanged. Superintendents were
appointed, and the building of the pike rap-
idly progressed. In September the board
met at the usual place in Abbottstown to
receive reports from the superintendents.
Two toll-gates in York County and two in
Adams County were opened.
After the work was all done and viewed
by the state authorities, an ox-roast was
held on the farm of George Dashiells, to
celebrate the event. Most of the labor of
the buildins' of the road was done by Irish
immigrants. State aid to the amount of
$40,000 was received. The total subscrip-
tion to stock was $103,516, and the entire
cost of building the road and bridges was
$107,366. This turnpike extends over a
direct line from York to Gettysburg, and is
twenty-eight miles in length. The income
for the first year was $3,515; expenditures
for the same year, $3,459. The following
board was elected May 24, 1821 : President,
John Demuth; secretary, George Wagner;
treasurer, George Upp; assistant treasurer,
George Smyser; managers, Peter Butt,
Jacob Smyser, Philip Frederick, Martin
Ebert, Samuel Smith, Martin Danner,
Emanuel Ziegler, Daniel Diehl, A. Camp-
bell, Thomas Everhart, George Welsh and
Henry Iving. May 24, 1823, John Hersh
was made president and Philip Smyser,
treasurer. The number of managers was
reduced to six, and Martin Ziegler, Jacob
Smyser, Henry Iving, George Welsh, Daniel
Diehl and George Baugher were elected.
In 1824, Benjamin Beitzel became one of
the managers and Jacob Eichelberger, sec-
retary. Benjamin Beitzel was elected pres-
ident in 1830 and Charles Weiser, secre-
tary. The first dividend, three per cent,
was declared May 4, 1831. L. Rosenmiller
was elected president in 1832; upon his
death he was succeeded by Charles Weiser
in 1858; Joseph Smyser in 1858 became sec-
retary and in 1868, president, which office
he held until 1875, as secretary, and until
1878, as president; Alexander J. Frey was
chosen president in 1878. C. E. Lewis was
elected secretary in 1875 and Jere Carl treas-
urer in 1868. This road was an important
route to the south and west before the time
of canals and railroads. In 1907 the officers
were Jere Carl, president ; George U.
Weiser, treasurer; W. F. O. Rosenmiller,
secretary.
The act incorporating the East
East Berlin Berlin and Hanover Turnpike
and Company was passed in 1810.
Hanover. The commissioners named in
it were Samuel Fahnestock,
John B. Arnold, William Patterson, Borius
Fahnestock, Tobias Ivepner and Frederick
Baugher. The first recorded meeting was
held December 11, 181 1, when the follow-
ing board was elected : President, Samuel
Fahnestock : directors, Peter Becker, Peter
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Binder, Daniel Baker, John Deardorff,
Michael Gyselman, Valentine HoUinger,
John Milej^ Ludwig Swartz, John Fox,
Jacob Hoffman and William Patterson,
who proceeded to locate the road from Ber-
lin to Abbottstown. The contract for
building the road was concluded and given
out October lo, 1812.
The first installment of $5 per share on
the stock was called for payment, January
15, 1813, to be advertised in the Carlisle,
Hanover and Gettysburg papers. Freder-^
ick Baugher was appointed by the board
shortly after this as the first superintendent
at a salary of $199 for the work until fin-
ished.
March 23, 1816, the president, Samuel
Fahnestock, resigned. At the election held
April 25, 1816, Henry Picking was elected
president. November 9, 1816, the board
contracted with John Fox to finish that part
of the road not completed by Richard Mur-
ray, being the three miles nearest Hanover,
at the rate of $18 a perch. November i,
1817, the board passed a resolution reliev-
ing Valentine HoUinger of his office of su-
perintendent, which he filled to the satis-
faction of the directors, the road having
been inspected by a committee appointed
by the governor and pronounced all right.
Arrangements were also made for the ap-
pointment of gate-keepers, and the road
was opened for travel very soon after this
date. Thomas Abbot was the first gate
keeper appointed.
The public highway leading from Han-
over to Carlisle was one of the most prom-
inent turnpikes in the early history of Penn-
sylvania. It was completed soon after the
turnpike was built from the Maryland line
to Hanover, and for a period of sixty years
was used extensively by teamsters convey-
ing products of the farm to Baltimore and
bringing back to the interior of Pennsyl-
vania, goods and merchandise.
The Hanover and McSherrystown turn-
pike, two miles in length, was completed m
1885. It is one of the most profitable turn-
pikes of central Pennsylvania.
The Littlestown turnpike is another pub-
lic highway extending from Hanovei to
Littlestown, a distance of seven miles. In
1907, Lewis D. Sell was president; Dr. J. H.
Bittinger, treasurer, and Samuel Geiselman,
secretarv.
Feeling the necessity of a turn-
York and pike road towards Peach Bot-
Chanceford tom,, upon application a char-
ter was granted for that pur-
pose by the legislature of Pennsylvania
through the efforts of Stephen G. Boyd, who
was one of the representatives from York
County. It was approved by Governor
Geary on May 10, 1867. The charter mem-
bers, who were empowered to receive sub-
scriptions and organize a company, were
Joseph Smyser, Jason H. Slusser, Philip A.
Small, Samuel S. Hersh and Jacob Graver.
The charter allowed a capital stock of 2,500
shares of $20 each, and required that within
a specified time at least five miles of the
road be completed.
At an election held in the Court House,
December 26, 1867, Samuel S. Hersh was
chosen president of the company, Jere Carl,
treasurer, and Joseph Smyser, Stephen G.
Bo3'd, Jacob Craver, Jason H. Slusser and
Jacob Weiser, managers. At a subsequent
meeting George A. Heckert was made sec-
retar)'. Upon the resignation of Joseph
Smyser, Z. K. Loucks was elected one of the
managers, March, 1868. Daniel M. Ettin-
ger was appointed engineer of the proposed
road. Jacob Loucks became a member of
the board of managers upon the resignation
of Jason Slusser, and Z. K. Loucks suc-
ceeded S. S. Hersh as president. Part of
the road being completed, tollgate No. i
was established and Augustus G. Weiser
appointed keeper. The first dividend was
declared November 9, 1870. The 28th day
of August, 1871, toll-gate No. 2 was erected
and Charles Keesey appointed keeper.
Five and one-half miles were completed the
same year, and the work was discontinued
until 1879, when one-half mile more was
added. Peter Grim kept Gate No. i 'for
many years; in March, 1885, Michael Grim
succeeded him. The capital of the com-
pany is $42,000. In 1907, Horace Keesey
was president, and Jere Carl, secretary and
treasurer.
CANALS.
One of the most notable events in the
history of internal improvements in the
State of Pennsylvania was the opening of a
navigable canal around the Conewago
Falls, on the west side of the Susquehanna
River, at the place since the year 1814,
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
603
known as York Haven. It was the first
canal built in this state, and so far as definite
records go, the first in the United States.
Its history antedates the history of York
Haven many years. It was the initiatory
step which inaugurated a great system of
artificial navigation and internal improve-
ment in Pennsylvania.
The original mode of transportation on
the Susquehanna, and on many other rivers,
was w'itli the " dug outs." They were made
in imitation of the Indian canoe, and con-
sisted of a log, usually of pine, with a por-
tion of it dug out like a trough. The In-
dian traders used them to convey furs and
other products down the stream. The bat-
teau, a sort of flat boat, was used next, and
was considered of great value to early
settlers and traders along the Susquehanna.
But for river navigation on a more
Keel- extended scale, the " keel-boats "
Boats, were of great importance in the
transportation of goods and prod-
ucts. Thousands of bushels of rye, oats,
corn, wheat and potatoes were brought
down the river in them. They obtained
their name from the fact that the lowest
piece of timber, named a keel, ran the whole
length of the boat, from the lower part of
the stem to the stern post, and supported
the entire boat. Sometimes two keels were
used. On account of the rapids at the
mouth of the Conewago creek, these boats
could not pass down the river farther than
Middletown, which until 1797, was a great
port for them. It was about the time of
the close of the Revolutionary war, in 1783,
possibly earlier, that the " dug outs " were
succeeded by the '" keel-boats." The for-
mer were no longer considered adequate to
the business. The latter were generally
built in the valuable wooded districts up the
Susquehanna and its branches, and floated
down the current, bearing from five to
thirty tons of produce.
Middletown at the mouth of the Swatara,
was the lowest port of entry. Here the
produce was transferred to the shore and
transported overland by means of wagons,
to the eastern markets. The return trip of
these boats was more diflicult. They were
forced up the current with " set poles " and
contained usualh' a light load of groceries,
hardware and other merchandise. Boat-
men would start at the head of the boat and
set their poles at the bottom of the river,
and then walk down what was called "runs,"
thus forcing the boat up the stream as fast
as a man could walk. Thousands of bush-
els of wheat, corn and potatoes were con-
veyed down the stream and unloaded at
Middletown. The business interests of the
town became important.
On account of the increase of
Conewago the traffic, some boats were
Falls. landed on the west side of the
Susquehanna above the Cone-
wago Falls, a barrier to further navigation
of keel-boats. The products from these
boats were conveyed in wagons to the city
of Baltimore. The town of Falmouth was
then laid out on the east side of the river,
opposite the site of York Haven, by James
Hopkins, Thomas Bailey, James Keys and
John Greer. But the expense of overland
transportation of goods from Middletown,
Falmouth and the port of entry on the York
County side of the river, was too great to
afford merchants much profit on account of
competition from other sources.
Enterprising business men then began to
devise plans by means of which the obstacles
to navigation at Conewago Falls might be
avoided, and a passage down the Susque-
hanna river to its mouth be accomplished.
Bertram Galbreath, a prominent land sur-
veyor, who lived at Bainbridge, Lancaster
County, and other influential citizens, were
appointed by the state authorities a com-
mittee to explore the river and report some
feasible plan of avoiding the obstructions.
The Revolutionary War prevented further
action immediately, and the matter was de-
ferred. In the year 1789, Thomas Hulings,
Bertram Galbreath and Samuel Boyd were
appointed commissioners to explore the
Susquehanna and Juniata rivers. On the
30th of January, 1790, they reported:
" The Conewago Falls^ about fourteen
miles above Wright's Ferry, is the great
obstruction and bar to the wealth and pop-
ulation of our western country." They
urged that a canal should be built around
these falls or riffles. This proposition was
encouraged by all enterprising citizens who
were directly or indirectly interested, and
the legislature of Pennsylvania was soon
petitioned to furnish aid. It became an im-
portant subject for discussion in the legisla-
ture. On which side of the river to con-
6o4
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
struct the proposed canal v/as a subject
which caused considerable debate. The
commissioners appointed to view the ob-
structions recommended that a canal be
built one mile long, thirty-three feet wide
and nine feet deep, with a fall of nineteen
feet. They did not recommend locks to
raise the boats to a level with the head of
the falls. Governor Thomas Mifflin, who
was elected in 1790, and was a great advo-
cate of furthering any enterprise that en-
couraged internal improvement, called to
his counsel some of the most skillful civil
engineers of the time. They decided that
nineteen feet fall in one mile would make it
impossible for a keel-boat to ascend it
against the rapid current.
On April 13, 1791, the legislature of
State Pennsylvania appropriated 5.250
Aid. pounds " to improve the Susque-
hanna river from Wright's Ferry to
tlie mouth of the Swatara." One hundred
and fifty pounds of this sum were spent at
Chickie's Falls, and 100 pounds at Halde-
man's riffles. On the 3rd of July, 1792, a
contract was entered into by Governor Mif-
flin on the part of the State of Pennsylvania
and a number of prominent citizens of the
commonwealth, most of them from Phila-
delphia, as follows: Robert Morris (the
great financier of the Revolution), ^^'illiam
Smith, Walter Stewart, Samuel Meredith,
John Steinmetz, Tench Francis, John Nich-
olson, Samuel ]\Iiles, Timothy Matlock,
David Rittenhouse, Samuel Powell, Alex-
ander James Dallas, William Bingham,
Henry Miller, Abram AMtmer and Dr. Rob-
ert Harris. These men were appointed a
committee to construct a canal forty feet
wide and four feet deep around Conewago
Falls. James Brindley, their engineer, es-
timated the entire cost of the canal at $20,-
000. The State appropriated one-half of
this amount. The company found, how-
ever, that by the time it was completed in
1796, the sum of $102,000 was expended.
The canal was about one mile long, and
contained locks. This canal was of great
importance to Pennsylvania, and became a
centre of attraction.
The significance of this improve-
Canal ment was shown from the im-
Opened. portance attached to celebrating
its completion. This occurred on
the 22nd of November, 1797. Thomas Mif-
flin, one of the projectors of it and who was
governor, and a number of distinguished
attendants arrived on horseback at the foot
of the falls on the Lancaster side. They
came from Philadelphia, then the capital of
the state. A large concourse of people from
York and vicinity had congregated along
the canal. The canal commissioners and
the Rev. Dr. Smith had already crossed the
river to the York County side. Some of
the ingenious workmen began to drill holes
in the adjoining rocks, which they filled
with powder. The governor and his party
came across the river in flat-boats, amid the
sleet and snow, fully determined, even
though the weather was inclement, to fulfil
their intentions. Just as he set foot on the
York County shore, there was enthusiastic
cheering from the gathered crowd, and a
loud explosion from the improvised cannon,
as a salute. As the Governor passed up
and down the canal in a flat-boat, a number
of salutes were fired in order to enliven the
occasion. The canal had two locks at the
lower end, each eighty feet long and twelve
feet wide. When the distinguished guests
arrived, they were placed on flat-boats pre-
pared for the occasion, and when they en-
tered the chamber of the first lock, and the
lower gate closed behind them, they were
astonished to find that their boats in a few
minutes had risen nine feet. Ice formed on
the canal, and it had to be broken with poles
to enable the boats to proceed. They
passed up the canal amid the cheers of the
multitude, and the firing of salutes from the
adjoining rocks. At the head of the canal
were several keel-boats, which came down
from ]Middletown. By the time the Gov-
ernor returned to the lower end- again, an
audience of over 600 people had assembled,
awaiting a speech from him. He served
nine 3^ears as governor of Pennsylvania, and
had distinguished himself as a civilian and
a soldier. He addressed the audience for
half an hour and then left for Lancaster.
The canal was now completed and
The opened for free navigation. A Ger-
First man by the name of Kreider, from
Ark. the Juniata valley, soon appeared
with a boat heavily freighted with
flour, which he safely landed three days
later at the city of Baltimore. His success
became known, and the following year many
others did the same and were well paid for
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
60s
their efforts. Boats landed at Columbia,
and the merchandise from there conveyed
to Philadelphia. Experienced pilots soon
afterward succeeded in guiding large
" arks " safely through the falls of the river.
By the charter incorporating the canal com-
pany it was to afford free navigation, and
just how the canal company was to be re-
munerated does not seem clear, especially if
the arks were successful in passing the falls,
and disposing of the produce transported on
them to any desired market. Thousands of
dollars were at first lost bv the company,
and they applied to the legislature for relief.
Eventually some state relief was received,
and a small amount of toll charged for each
boat that passed through the canal. From
1797 to 1814, the affairs were managed by
the canal company, and proved quite a suc-
cess.
An attempt was made by James Hopkins,
during this period, to build a canal around
the falls on the opposite side of the ri^'er, in
which venture he lost a large fortune. It
was intended as an opposition canal to the
one on the York County side, but proved to
be a disastrous failure. A flouring mill and
other buildings were erected in the imme-
diate vicinity of the canal on the York
County side, by the company that controlled
it. This property, in 1797. was valued at
1,280 pounds currency, which valuation in-
cluded 150 acres of land.
On November 20, 1810, Thomas
The ^^'illing Francis, of Philadelphia,
Baltimore who then managed the aff'airs of
Company, the company, whose interests
consisted of a large merchant
mill, nail factory, ferry and land, all assessed
at $40,000, transferred all right and title to
John Weatherburn, Thomas AVilson and
Joseph Townsend, of Baltimore, represent-
ing a number of merchants of that city, who,
on September 24, of the same year, formed
a company for the purchase of this property.
The members were William Cole, William
Wilson and Sons, William Gwynn, Joseph
Townsend, Hackman. and Hoppe, Isaac
Burnston, Thomas Hillen, John Weather-
burn, Dennis A. Smith, Jacob Stansbury,
William McMechen, George Repold, James
Nelson, John Davis and Joshua Stevenson.
They were prominent citizens of Baltimore,
and associated themselves together for the
purpose of purchasing wheat of this section.
and the large quantity that was then floated
down the Susquehanna in flat boats, and
manufacturing it into flour in the large
merchant mill already erected, and others
which the company designed to build.
This new company was formed with a
capital of $100,000, and divided into twenty-
five shares of $4,000. Thomas W. Francis,
who disposed of the property for the Phila-
delphia company, retained an interest in the
new enterprise to the amount of four shares,
$16,000. Joseph Townsend became man-
ager for the Baltimore company; Joseph
AVeatherburn and John Wilson, trustees.
The land purchased at this time was a tract
of 151 acres, a tract of 64?^ acres called
"Hopewell," and another tract of 12 acres,
projecting into the river called "Cape Fran-
cis." The first two tracts were conveyed
to Thomas W. Francis, in 1801, by Charles
AVilling Hare, a lawyer of the city of Phila-
delphia. The conveyance in 1810 granted
to the new company all the "ways, woods,
water-courses, water, mill-works, rights,
liberties, privileges, hereditaments and ap-
purtenances." The contract was signed,
sealed and delivered in the presence of
Elisha Powell and John Amy, before AA'il-
liam Tilghman, chief justice of the state of
Pennsylvania.
The interest at once began to
Business loom up. Three new mills were
Boomed, built, one having a capacity of
150 barrels of flour a day; at that
time this mill had the largest capacity of any
mill in the state. Cooper shops, hotels and
private residences were soon built.
The Baltimore company succeeded with
their enterprise at York Haven for a period
of twenty j'ears. When the railroad was
built from Baltimore to York, in 1838, and
extended to Harrisburg, in 1850, the glory
of York Haven faded. ,\ flourishing town
has been built on the site in recent years,
since the erection of the paper mills and the
power plant at this place.
THE STATE CANAL SYSTEM.
The Pennsylvania Railroad from Phila-
delphia to Columbia, and canal to the junc-
tion there, thence by the Juniata to Holli-
daysburg and Portage road to Johnstown,
west of the Allegheny JNIountains, and canal
to Pittsburg, constituted what was, in 1831,
knowm as the "Main Line." From the junc-
6o6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tion to Northumberland, thence by the
North and West Branch to \\"ilkesbarre and
Williamsport, was known as the North and
West Branch Division of this system.
These works were put under contract as
early as 1826 and 1827. The main line of
canal was finished to connect with the
Union Canal at ]\IiddIetown, in 1830, and to
Columbia in 1831; the North and West
Branch a year or two later. Trade over the
line was commenced under the auspices of
several transportation companies, conspic-
uous among which were D. Leech and Com-
pany's Transportation Line, Union Line,
Dougherty's Section Boat Line, and in due
time other lines, besides several packet boat
lines running from Columbia in connection
with the railroad to and from Philadelphia
to Pittsburg, thus making the traveling and
freight facilities over the main line, com-
plete at that time, and during the subse-
quent two years ta Northumberland, along
the North and West Branch of the Suscjue-
hanna, to Wilkesbarre and Williamsport.
the two remotest points on the Susque-
hanna at that time. The packet lines were
thus enabled to supplant the stage coach
lines stopping at all the regular stations and
eligible points for the accommodation of
the traveling public. The lines were cast
and a blast of the bugle horn set them off to
the next station, and thus it went on to the
close of navigation every fall.
This route was soon discovered to
Tide be too long, tedious and expensive.
Water and a plan was laid for a canal from
Canal. Columbia down the Susquehanna
to the Chesapeake Bay in order
that an outlet to a better grain market
might be reached and for the development
of the coal fields and lumber interests of the
north and west branches, for which purpose
a stock company was formed in 1824, with a
paid up capital of $1,500,000. The Susque-
hanna and Tide Water Canal was chartered
by the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland.
April 15, 1835, with the following named
persons as commissioners : Robert Mc-
Curdy. James M. Sanderson, Edward Cole-
man. Simon Gratz, Charles S. Boker, Henry
White. George H. Hickling. all of Philadel-
phia ; Jeremiah Brown, James A. Caldwell,
Lancaster County; Evan Green, of Colum-
bia; Charles A. Barnitz, of York; Jacob M.
Haldeman. of Harrisburg; Simon Cameron,
of Middletown ; James Hepburn, John C.
Boyd, Northumberland County; Joseph
Todhunter, William Bose, Samuel Jones, of
Baltimore; James Evans, Port Deposit.
Md. ; Roland Curtin, Center County; Wil-
liam McElvay, Columbia County ; and
George M. HoUenback, Luzerne County.
At the first meeting of the stockholders
after the incorporation, a board of directors
was elected and James Hepburn, of North-
umberland, was made the first president ;
F. Palmer, of Philadelphia, treasurer, and
Edward F. Gay, chief engineer. The first
survey was made on the east side of the Sus-
quehanna, and on March 21, 1836, a supple-
mentarj' act was passed authorizing the
commissioners to change the location to the
west side of the river, by means of a dam
and tow-path bridge at Columbia. The
work was then let. and the construction
commenced immediately in the spring of
1836. and finished so far as to admit the
water late in the fall of 1839.
At the opening of the canal some of
Open the most distinguished persons of
for Pennsylvania and Maryland were
Use. present. It was on that occasion
that Nicholas Biddle. of Philadel-
phia, the great financier, made his famous
speech on Internal Improvements, then a
subject of paramount importance, in view of
the development of the great material
wealth of the states. The excursion down
the canal from Wrightsville was a success,
but the party composing it had scarcely
reached home when disastrous breaks oc-
curred along the greater part of the line.
The most extensive breaks were at the Ot-
ter Creek Aqueduct, and at York Furnace,
in Lower Chanceford Township, owing to
defects in the puddling of the wings form-
ing the junction with the aqueduct. The
. bed and banks of the canal at this point
were held in place by winged abutments,
and retaining walls of huge blocks of gran-
ite, thirty-five feet above the bed of the
river. Even the heavy blocks of stone were
washed away into the river.
Although this break was much the
Cost largest of the series, it cost less to
of repair it than the aggregate cost of
Canal, the numerous smaller breaks. It
was unfortunate that these disas-
ters should have occurred at a time when
there was no monev in the treasury, no
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
607
credit, and the company involved in debt.
Means were nevertheless availed by the di-
rectors upon their individual responsibility,
and the work was repaired during the win-
ter, and the canal opened to the public in the
spring of 1840, at an entire cost of
$4,000,000. Of this sum, the Columbia dam
cost $220,000. The towing-path bridge, in-
cluding the cost of right to attach the same
to the superstructure of the Columbia Bank
and Bridge Company's structure, cost
$90,000; and the Havre de Grace lock, four
miles long, and outlet lock, cost $500,000.
The reason whj^ the work cost more than
the chief engineer's estimate was largely
due to unforeseen contingencies, for the
cost of which no provisions had been made,
and once under process of construction, had
to be surmounted at a cost however great.
The sudden advance in labor, and the extra
cost in material for the bed and banks of
the canal, which had to be dug from the
fields on the tops of high hills, and dumped
through expensive shute-ways to the rocky
bed of the canal, and then conveyed in carts
to such points which were largely deficient
in material, were also a cause of great ex-
pense. More than nine-tenths of the work
was founded on the foot-rocks of the hill-
side in the river, and numerous points of
bold, rocky blufls were blasted away in
order to reduce the radius within the lines
of free and easy navigation. Deep holes
and chasms were filled and crossed upon
sub-structures of huge oak timbers, ad-
justed longitudinally several feet below the
lowest stage of the river, upon which many
of the high vertical retaining walls were
founded.
During the season of 1840,
Navigation, the trade was dull, and the
re^'enue proportionately small
owing to the instability of the canal, the
want of boats, and a change in the develop-
ment of the coal and timber interests in the
north and west branches of the Susque-
hanna. The trade, however, soon com-
menced to increase rapidly for many years,
until it reached its maximum in 1870, when
it was largely divided and gradually dimin-
ished, b)' reason of many railroad lines tap-
ping the sources of a large trade created by
the opening of the Susquehanna and Tide
Water Canal. Meantime, the capacity of
the work increased, boats descended with
cargoes as high as 150 tons, instead of sixty
tons, as in 1850.
This canal started at Columbia, where it
united with the Pennsylvania Canal, crossed
the Susquehanna to Wrightsville, and ex-
tended from thence along the river to Havre
de Grace, Maryland, at the head of the
Chesapeake Bay. Its length was forty-"five
miles, of which thirty miles were in York
County and fifteen in Maryland. The
lower portion north to the state line was the
Tide Water Canal. As early as 1814, a
route had been surveyed by Baltimore capi-
talists, with the design of building a canal
from the Susquehanna, near York, to tide-
water, for the purpose of attracting the
trade of the upper Susquehanna Valley to
Baltimore. There was nothing accom-
plished at that time, and the era of railroads
had already begun in York County before
this canal was constructed. On the entire
line of the Susquehanna and Tide Water
Canal were forty-three locks, four dams, five
culverts, eighteen bridges, thirty-three
waste-ways and wiers, and six aqueducts.
The surface width of the canal was fifty feet,
and its depth five and a half to six feet.
The locks were 170 feet long, and seventeen
feet wide.
In January, 1872, the Reading
Value Railroad Company leased the
to canal and operated it until 1894.
York The people of the lower end of
County. York County gave it hearty en-
couragement. Before its con-
struction all the lime used in the lower end
of York County was hauled in wagons from
the valleys around York to the lower town-
ships. Lime became extensively used in
the azoic slate soils, and either in the form
of the natural stone, or as quick lime, was
transported down the canal from the Cono-
jehela and Kreutz Creek Valleys. It had a
magic effect on the land at first, and caused
the crops of wheat, rye, corn and oats to
produce more abundantly, soon changing
the whole aspect of the lower end of York
County. In this respect the canal was of
more real value to the farmers of that
region than to the men who owned it. The
original canal company issued money in the
form of "shin plasters" which fell below par
at times. Eventually an extensive business
was done and the canal became very useful.
D. F. Shure was the superintendent of this
6o8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
canal from 1842 until 1894, when it ceased
to be operated.
A disastrous flood of the Susquehanna in
1894 destroyed the locks and dams of the
canal and caused many breaks all along its
line. Owing to this destruction, the canal
was never repaired. The Reading Railroad
Company was released from its obligations
with the company that owned the canal,
which then ceased to be operated. All its
interests were sold at public auction in the
fall of 1894 in front of the Court House at
York and purchased by a citizen from Bal-
timore.
Boats were run over this canal by paying
a toll. William McConkey was collector of
■ tolls at Wrightsville from 1842 to 1872.
From 1872 to 1894 Henry B. Paxton was
the collector. For a period of thirty years
William McConkey owned from three to
five boats which ran over the Tide Water
and other canals, transporting grain, coal,
lumber and iron from the interior of Penn-
sylvania to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York and other points. These products
were conveyed entirely by water through
different canals by horses or mules and over
larger bodies of water by means of tug-
boats. On many occasions, one of Mc-
Conkey's largest boats with a capacity of
140 tons, carried goods by water to Lake
Champlain and brought back a fine quality
of ore with ninety per cent of iron. This
ore was obtained along Lake Champlain.
Captain Frank Butcher, employed by Wil-
liam McConkey, frequently made the trip
from Wrightsville to the lake, and back
again. Other prominent owners of boats at
Wrightsville, which ran over the canal, were
Kerr Brothers, Cook Brothers, Thomas
Falvey, William B. Famous, Andrew
Leddy, Jacob Manning, A¥illiam Thomp-
son, John Thompson, Franklin Butcher.
A charter was granted for the
The York construction of a canal from
Navigation. York along the Codorus
Creek to the Susquehanna
River, in 1825. The names of the commis-
sioners mentioned in the charter were Jacob
Spangler, George Small, Jonathan Jessop,
John Barnitz, Clement Stillinger, John De-
muth, George Loucks, Charles A. Morris,
Daniel D. Dunn, Jacob Eichelberger, Mich-
ael Doudel and John Meyer. The contract
for the construction of the navisfation was
given, in 1830, to George Wasson, Henry
Charles, Solomon Ruthrauff and Christian
Hildebrand, who agreed to build it for the
sum of $47,350. In 183 1 a number of stock-
holders made an excursion down the canal
as far as it had been completed. At a meet-
ing held Charles A. Barnitz, president,
described the advantages of the canal to the
borough and county of York. In June,
1832, Gottlieb Ziegle, James Schall and
Daniel Ford launched the "Pioneer," a boat
forty feet long. In July of the same year
James Chalfant launched his boat, the "Co-
dorus," which was seventy feet long. This
boat could carry 150 passengers. On July
4, 1832, an excursion passed down the canal
a distance of three miles from York, where
the day was celebrated on the banks of the
creek.
In November, 1832, the navigation to the
mouth of the Codorus was completed. On
the 1 8th of November the first ark arrived
from the Susquehanna with a load of about
40,000 feet of lumber and 100 or more peo-
ple on board, who had gone out to witness
the opening of the navigation. The second
ark contained 70,000 shingles, which were
consigned to Joseph Schall and Company.
For a time a large business was carried on
over the canal in the transportation of lum-
ber, coal, grain and other products, but the
construction of the York and Wrightsville
railroad, and in 1849-50 the York and Cum-
berland Railroad to Harrisburg, caused the
value of the Codorus Navigation to dimin-
ish, and it soon ceased to be operated.
THE FIRST IRON STEAMBOAT.
Public attention was called to the im-
portance of removing obstructions and im-
proving the navigation of the Susquehanna
River as early as 1793. In March, 1823,
the legislature of Pennsylvania passed an
act for the improvement of the river, from
Northumberland to tidewater. Commis-
sioners were appointed to superintend the
work. They made a report, January 14,
1828, stating that the improvement from
tidewater to Columbia was then nearly com-
pleted. "Crafts would be able to descend
from Columbia to the head of Maryland
Canal, bearing sixty tons burden, which
heretofore could not bear half that amount.
The section between Columbia and North-
umberland was yet unfinished, and on both
TURNPIKES. CANALS, RAILROADS
609
sections $15,124 had been spent in the im-
provement of the river." This was paid by
a state appropriation. A number of enter-
prising citizens of Baltimore, most of whom
were identified with the Merchant Flouring
Mills at York Haven, formed a company
for the purpose of testing the practicability
of running steamboats on the Susquehanna
between the towns of York Haven and
Northumberland, 'i'he stock was soon sub-
scribed ; some York merchants took an
active interest in the project.
The company advertised for the manu-
facture of steamboats. John Elgar, who
was an intelligent and ingenious Quaker of
York, was then a master mechanic in Webb,
Davis and Gardner's foundry and machine
shop. He constructed a sheet iron vessel
in these shops. It was ready to be launched
on the 8th of November, 1825.
The boat had sixty feet keel and nine feet
beam, composed externally of sheet-iron,
riveted with iron rivets. The weight of
the boiler was two tons and the entire
weight of the boat five tons. The form of
the boiler was cylindrical. Anthracite coal
was used to produce steam. The entire cost
was $3,000. The boat was completed and
loaded on an eight-wheeled wagon, to which
ropes were attached, and on November 14,
1825, it was drawn from the foundry west
of the Codorus Creek to the east end of
Market Street, amid the shouts and huzzas
of a multitude of people. The boat was
named "Codorus," in honor of the stream
along whose waters it was brought into ex-
istence. It was launched on the Susque-
hanna, and soon after "in majestic style"
sailed up the stream to Harrisburg, with a
party of 100 people on board. Thousands
of people gathered at the shore to witness
the novel spectacle. The star spangled ban-
ner, on the flag-staff at the prow of the ves-
sel, was waving in the breeze and Captain
John Elgar commanded the boat. On their
arrival at Harrisburg the entire party was
escorted to Buehler's Hotel, where a ban-
quet was prepared for them.
ihe boat then made a number of trips
between York Haven and Harrisburg. The
members of the legislature, on December 5,
1825, expressed their "great satisfaction
with the success of the experiment of the
Codorus, and its enterprising proprietors
should receive legislative enactment in their
favor." Early the next spring Captain El-
gar determined to navigate the Susque-
hanna as far up stream as possible; a party
of eighty persons accompanied him. They
stopped at different towns along the way.
At Bloomsburg, their arrival was greeted
by the booming of cannon, and a bountiful
supper was prepared for them at Brew's
Inn. Toasts were responded to. One was
as follows : "Captain Elgar, the proprietor
of the Codorus; may his enterprise meet
with the highest reward." Another: "The
steamship Codorus, the first to navigate our
waters." On April 19, 1826, the Codorus,
with its "cargo of sixty persons," arrived at
AVilkesbarre. Its approach was greeted by
the discharge of cannon, the hearty cheers
of the people, and strains of martial music.
The next morning a party of eighty persons
went a few miles up the river to Forty Fort,
the place where the Wyoming massacre
occurred during the Revolution. Here they
sat down to a banquet. They returned to
W^ilkesbarre and remained for a few days,
and then were propelled by steam up the
Susquehanna as far as the New York state
line. After an absence of four months.
Captain Elgar returned from an apparently
successful trip and harbored his boat in the
Conewago Canal at York Haven. Owing
to the shallow water of the Susquehanna,
steam navigation was practicable only for a
few months of the year. The success of
the Codorus was a great event of that day,
but its use on the river was soon discontin-
ued and it was sold to be used elsewhere.
There were two other vessels made for
this Baltimore company: the "Susque-
hanna," which exploded at Berwick, eighty
miles above Harrisburg, while attempting
to ascend the river; and the "Pioneer,"
which was too heavy.
JOHN ELGAR, the inventor of the
steamboat Codorus, was born at Sandy
Spring, Maryland, in 1780. He was a mem-
ber of the Society of Friends, and early in
life came to York, where he joined the York
Meeting, which worshipped in the Friends'
Meeting House, on West Philadelphia
Street. In his youth, he learned the trade
of a machinist and was interested in all the
improvements in mechanical science. From
the time that steam was first used in river
navigation, in 1807, John Elgar studied the
properties of steam. \\^hile employed as a
6io
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
machinist in the foundry and machine shops
owned by Davis & Gardner, at York, he
conceived the idea of making an iron steam-
boat, which was the first to navigate in
American waters. \\'hile he was building
his boat, the newspapers of that time com-
mented enthusiastically on its future pros-
pects and the success of other boats made
after the same model. He tried his experi-
ment on the Susquehanna as told in the nar-
rative above.
Sometime later John Elgar moved to
Baltimore with Phineas Davis, the inventor
of the first locomotive in America that
burned anthracite coal. He was employed
in the shops of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company. While there he at-
tracted the attention of Ross Winans, who
developed the railroad interests of Russia.
He assisted Winans in designing and build-
ing what afterward became known to rail-
roading as the " camelback " locomotive.
In 1838, he was sent by the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company to England, to buy
rails and other equipments for the extension
of that railroad. John Elgar was also the
inventor of an appliance for railroad
switches, railway turntables, chill-bearings
and plate wheels, which were used by the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company and
also on the railroads constructed by Ross
Winans for the Russian government. John
Elgar was a man of excellent character, and
was highly esteemed by all persons with
whom he was associated. He died Decem-
ber 6, 1858. He was the great uncle to A.
B. Farquhar, the prominent manufacturer
of York, whose grandmother was a sister to
John Elgar.
RAILROADS.
April 7, 1826, the legislature of Pennsyl-
vania granted a charter for the Columbia,
Lancaster and Philadelphia Railroad. The
object of the contemplated road was to di-
vert the trade which came down the Sus-
quehanna at that time in keel-boats to Co-
lumbia, from going to Baltimore. The
work of constructing this road was begun
in January, 1829, when the building of it
was divided into seventy-nine sections.
Five years intervened before this road was
completed to the Susquehanna River. On
March 31, 1834, three passenger coaches,
■drawn by horses, arrived at Columbia from
Lancaster. On April 2, in the same year,
the locomotive made its first trip on this
part of the road, with a train of three pas-
senger cars. April 16, 1834, was the day
appointed for the opening of the road from
Columbia to Philadelphia. On April 15,
Governor Wolf, with a large number of
state officials arrived at Columbia in a
packet boat over the canal from Harrisburg,
and proceeded by rail the next day to Phila-
delphia. Citizens from York rode in stages
or private carriages to Wrightsville and first
enjoyed the privilege of railroad travel
from Columbia to Philadelphia immediately
after the road was completed. Thomas
McGrath, the proprietor of the Globe Inn,
became the first agent at York for the sale
of railroad tickets to Philadelphia. Long
passenger cars were not used over this road
until 1835.
The railroad to Philadelphia was a great
advantage to the business men of the state.
Towns and villages along its line grew and
prospered, and many persons were enriched
thereby. But it was not a source of profit
to the state. Every new administration
changed the officers of the road. All the
appointments were political, and some of
the appointees were incompetent, others
dishonest. There was a constant clamor
going up from the people asking the legis-
lature to take measures to dispose of the
public works to private parties. Both of
the political parties were tired of the scram-
ble for office, and desired to take this dis-
turbing element out of the field of politics.
The railroad was purchased by the Penn-
sylvania Railroad Company for the sum
of eight and a half million dollars in
1854.
On January 4, 1831, the Baltimo.re and
Ohio Railroad Company issued an adver-
tisement to the inventive genius and me-
chanical skill of the country ofifering liberal
inducements for the production of locomo-
tive steam engines. It was the first pro-
posal ever issued in the United States for
locomotives of American manufacture.
Four thousand dollars were offered for the
best engine delivered for trial on or before
June I, 1831, and $3,000 for the one ad-
judged the next best. One of the most im-
portant requirements was that the engine
must burn coke or coal and consume its
own smoke.
TURNPIKES, CANALS. RAILROADS
6ii
During the summer of 183 1, in
York Wins response to this call upon
the Prize. American genius, three loco-
motives were produced upon
the railroad, only one of which, however,
was made to answer any good purpose.
This engine, called the " York," was built
in York, at the establishment of Davis &
Gardner, on the west side of the Codorus
Creek, and was the product of Phineas
Davis. It was accepted as the best,
which gives to York the undoubted
claim of having constructed the first loco-
motive ever built in the United States, that
burned coal and was put into active use
upon the railroad. After undergoing some
modifications, it was found capable of con-
veying fifteen tons at fifteen miles an hour,
on a level portion of the road. It was em-
ployed on that part of the road between
Baltimore and Ellicott's Mills, and gener-
ally performed the trip to the mills in one
hour with four cars, the gross weight of
which was about fourteen tons. The en-
gine was mounted on wheels, like those of
the common cars, of thirty inches in diam-
eter, and the motion was obtained b}^ means
of gearing with a spur wheel and pinion on
one of the axles of the road wheels. The
curvatures were all passed over with ease
by this engine. Its greatest velocity for a
short time on the straight part of the road
was thirty miles per hour, while it frequently
attained that of twenty miles, and often
traveled in curvatures of 400 feet radius at
the rate of fifteen miles per hour. The fuel
used in it was anthracite coal, which an-
swered the purpose well; but the engine
* weighing but three and a half tons was
found too light for advantageous use on
ascending grades. The performance of this
engine fully convinced the board of direc-
tors of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
and its engineer corps that locomotive en-
gines could be used successfully on railways
having curves of 400 feet radius, and from
that time forward they began to be used in
this country. To Phineas Davis of York,
whose biography appears on page 461, was
due the credit of successfully introducing
locomotives that burned coal in America.
He soon after became manager of the com-
pany's shops at Baltimore, and to him, Ross
Winans, Engineer Knight and John Elgar,
the inventor of switches, turntables, chill
bearings, plate wheels, etc., is due the honor
of solving most of the problems which pre-
sented themselves first in connection with
the great system of railroad travel and in-
land transportation. The first steel springs
used in this country were placed upon " The
York," Davis' locomotive and tender, in
September, 1832. As an experiment it
demonstrated their utility in regulating the
motion and greatly diminishing the jar and
consequent injury to the road. This experi-
ment, under the superintendence of Phineas
Davis, led to another, that of placing steel
springs on freight cars, by which it was
found they admitted one-third more loading
without any increase of damage to the road
or car. Three years after Davis' first ex-
periment, the Baltimore and Ohio Company
had but three engines in use: " The York,"
"Atlantic " and " Franklin." In 1834 a
number of new ones were added.
After the death of Phineas Davis, which
occurred by accident on September 27, 1835,
Gillingham and Ross Winans took charge
of the Baltimore and Ohio Company, and
continued the manufacture of locomotives
and railroad machinery so successfully com-
menced by Mr. Davis.
The legislature of Pennsylvania,
York and in March, 1832. passed an act to
Maryland extend a road from York to the
Line. ^laryland line, to join the Balti-
more and Susquehanna Rail-
road, to be completed that far under a Mary-
land charter, and intended to run from Bal-
timore through York to the Susquehanna at
Wrightsville. In some respects there were
obectionable features fn the act of 1832, and
it was not until 1835 that a satisfactory ar-
rangement was entered into between the
legislative body and the stockholders of the
road. Railroads at this time were in their
infancy. Outside of military operations,
civil engineering had not developed into a
science, which may explain the cause of
some mistakes that arose in the construction
of these two roads. The southern division
of the Baltimore and Susquehanna was com-
pleted to the Rela)^ House, and opened July
4, 183 1, and to Orwig's mills in 1832. It
was the first railroad corporation in this
country to undertake gradients of any con-
siderable magnitude ; a grade of eighty-four
feet to the mile for two and seven-tenths
miles was overcome, which in that early
6l2
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
day was considered a marvel. The first
locomotive used was imported from Liver-
pool, England. It was ordered in March,
1 83 1, but a vessel to bring it over could not
be obtained until six months later. It was
the third locomotive put into successsful op-
eration in America that burned anthracite
coal. The railroad was completed to York
in August, 1838, and extended to AWights-
ville in 1843.
The provisions embodied in the original
charter of the Baltimore and Susquehanna
Railroad were now carried out. For sev-
eral years transportation across the Susque-
hanna was by means of boats vmtil the track
was laid in the covered bridge which
spanned the river at that place. The link
between York and Wrightsville completed
a line from Baltimore through York, Co-
lumbia and Lancaster to Philadelphia. It
was controlled by different companies which
in 1854 became a part of the Pennsylvania
Railroad and the Northern Central Railway.
The arrival of the first train at
First York was welcomed by hundreds
Train of spectators who assembled at
at York, the station and stood on the hill-
side to await its approach. The
first station was a short distance southwest
of the town. Later it was removed to the
foot of Duke Street. The old station house
was used until July i, 1890, when the pres-
ent one was built at a cost of $20,000, under
the auspices of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company.
NORTHERN CENTRAL RAILWAY.
The York and Cumberland Railroad, ex-
tending from York to York Haven and
thence along the Susquehanna to Bridge-
port, was completed in 1850, and with the
road built to York gave a direct line from
Baltimore to Harrisburg. The legislature
of Maryland, on the loth of March, 1854,
and the legislature of Penns3dvania, on the
3d of May following, passed a joint act
which read as follows : "An act to authorize
the consolidation of the Baltimore and Sus-
quehanna Railroad Company with the York
and Maryland Line Railroad Company, the
York and Cumberland Company, and the
Susquehanna Railroad Company by the
name of the Northern Central Railway
Company." It will be noticed that the
word "railwav" is used, a name common to
all roads in England, but rare in America.
By its extension north into New York
state, it passes through rich agricultural and
mining regions, and has become a great and
important line for the transportation of coal,
petroleum, grain and live stock, and with its
connection at Harrisburg with the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, constitutes the main line to
the west, with all the advantages of through
passenger and freight traiific. During the
Civil War it was the main line for the trans-
portation of soldiers and army supplies from
the west and north to Washington and the
"front." Hundreds of regiments passed
over this route.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, during
the war, on several occasions was torn up by
Confederate raids and hence not considered
as safe a route for the transportation of sup-
plies and for the movement of troops as the
Northern Central, uniting with the Penn-
sylvania Railroad and the Reading at Har-
risburg.
Originally there was but one track. In
1871 a double track was completed as far
north as York. In 1904 the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company decided to construct
lines of track from Marysville through
Goldsboro and York Haven to the mouth
of the Codorus Creek. In 1905 four lines
of track were extended over this route
and a bridge built across the Susquehanna,
reaching the Lancaster County side a short
distance above Marietta. The object of the
construction of these lines of track was for
the purpose of diverting the immense
freight traffic through the city of Harris-
burg. This line extends eastward from
Marietta and north of Lancaster, joining the
main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad east
of that city. Several million dollars were
used by the company in the completion of
this road and now freight trains do not pass
through Harrisburg or Lancaster, the main
line being used only for passenger trains.
The Northern Central Railway extends
from Baltimore to Canandaigua, New York,
and is the only line that passes across the
entire breadth of Pennsylvania in a northern
and southern direction. It has contributed
much to the material interests of Pennsyl-
vania and especially to York County.
The Baltimore and Susquehanna, now a
part of the Northern Central, extending
from Baltimore to the Pennsylvania line.
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
613
was chartered by the legislature of Alary-
land, February 13, 1828, and organized as a
company ]May 5, of the same year. In
March, 1828, General Swift examined the
topography of the country between Balti-
more and the Susquehanna river by way of
York, for the purpose of directing a survey
of the proposed railwa}', of which he after-
ward proved to be the projector and man-
ager in the construction. George McNiel
and G. W. AYhisler were engineers from
1827 to 1830. Major Isaac R. Trimble was
chief engineer in 1834, and surveyed the
road to York and continued in service until
1837. J. ]\I. Goldsboro afterwards became
engineer and managed the construction of
the road from York to Harrisburg.
Thomas C. Hambh', one of the leaders of
the York Countj^ Bar, was president of the
York and Cumberland Railroad from 1848
to the summer of 1850, when he w^as suc-
ceeded by Eli Lewis, a prominent financier
of York, who later became president of the
First National Bank of York, when it was
organized in 1863.
Robert Bruce became the first agent of
the railroad company at York. On Ma}' 12,
1846, James Hopkins, of Baltimore, suc-
ceeded and was assisted by his two sons,
Samuel B. and James G. Hopkins. T. A\\
Belt followed in 1864.
He was succeeded in 1872 b}' John K.
Gross, who served in the capacity of freight
and passenger agent from this date until
1890, when J. H. Shamberger was appointed
passenger agent and served until 1899.
Since that time. Isaac Harrington has been
the efficient ticket agent. Since 1890, John
K. Gross has been the freight agent for all
the interests of the Northern Central Rail-
way at York, including the Baltimore Di-
vision from Harrisburg to Baltimore, and
the Frederick Division to Frederick, Mar}'-
land. Owing to the development of the
business and manufacturing interests of the
city, the amount of freight handled at York
is fifteen times what it was in 1872. when he
first became freight and passenger agent.
This shows a substantial development
which was brought about by the increased
railroad facilities afforded by the Pennsyl-
vania system, and the other lines connect-
ing York with the important business cen-
tres of the country. Previously to 1876,
most of the freight received at York came
from Baltimore, and the passenger travel
up to that time was less than one-tenth
what it is in 1907. It was during the Cen-
tennial Exposition of 1876 that the passen-
ger travel toward Philadelphia greatly in-
creased. This diverted the trade as well as
the travel toward Philadelphia and New
York. In the year 1907, the amount of
freight monthly sent from York and re-
ceived at this station equals 70,000 tons.
With this prospect before the city of York,
it has unlimited advantages for future prog-
ress and development.
Alarch 24, 1873, ^ bill was intro-
Hanover duced into the legislature by
and George W. Heiges, then a mem-
York, ber of that body from Y^ork
County, to incorporate the Han-
over and York Railroad Company. A char-
ter was granted April 21, 1873, appointing
as commissioners to organize the company :
George D. Klinefelter, Samuel Shirk, H. M.
Schmuck, William Young, Samuel H. Bech-
tel, P. H. Glatfelter, \A . Latimer Small,
John S. Young, David S. Tanger, E. H. Etz-
ler, William J. Young, David P. Forney,
]\Iichael Schall, AV. H. Jordan, James W.
Latimer, and M. B. Spahr.
After subscriptions to stock to the
amount of $105,000, at $50 a share, were re-
ceived, a meeting was held in Hanover, on
Saturday, August 16, 1873, to elect officers,
which resulted as follows : President, John
S. Young; directors, George D. Klinefelter,
AA'illiam Young, Sr., Isaac Loucks, Dr. J. P.
Smith, Samuel H. Bechtel, all of Hanover;
David E. Small, Philip A. Small, A. J. Frey,
iMichael Schall, all of York; AVilliam Mc-
Conkey, of AA'rightsville. The board of
directors then elected Samuel Shirk, treas-
urer; Dr. J. P. Smith, secretary. Thfe route
was surveved bv Joseph S. Gitt, of New Ox-
ford.
The entire line is eighteen miles. AA'hen
the amount of $200,000 had been subscribed
the board of directors gave out the con-
tracts by sections for grading and masonry
to different persons. Colonel Cyrus Diller,
Nicholas F. Fliegle and Jacob F. Frederick,
of Hanover, and Rehill & McTague, the
former from Allentown and the latter from
Columbia, were the contractors to build the
road. On the 5th of February, 1873, the
directors contracted with the Lochiel Iron
AA'orks, at Harrisburg, for 1,600 tons of rail-
6i4
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNvSYLVANIA
road ii-on at $62 per ton of 2,240 pounds
each. The bridge across the Codorus at
York was built at a cost of $5,760. It was
a combination bridge of wood and iron. A
new bridge was erected, which was taken
away by the flood of 1884, the third bridge
being buih that year. In 1904 the covered
bridge built in 1884 was replaced by an iron
bridge.
This was familiarly known for many years
as the "Shortline" from Hanover to York.
Previous to the construction of the road,
railway travel froin Hanover to York was
carried on by Avay of the road to Hanover
Junction and the Northern Central Railway.
The completion of a line direct from Han-
over to York was for the purpose of con-
necting with the road from Hanover to Lit-
tlestown and the construction of a line from
that town to Frederick, joining the Balti-
more and Ohio at that place. It was fur-
ther intended to complete the road from
York to Marietta and join the Reading Rail-
road near there, thus forming a complete
line from the Baltimore and Ohio at Fred-
erick to New Y'ork City.
The Hanover and York Railroad was run
as an independent line for a time and was
then purchased by the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company, which extended the line to
Frederick and the road from Lancaster to
its terminus was known as the Frederick
Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad until
June I, 1902. AVhile still a part of the Penn-
sylvania Railroad System, it was placed
under the control of the Northern Central
Railway, which is also one of the roads of
the Pennsylvania System.
WESTERN MARYLAND RAILROAD.
The AA'estern Alaryland Railroad, which
traverses the rich agricultural regions of the
western part of York County, with an east-
ern extension from Porters to York, has
exerted an important influence in develop-
ing the manufacturing, farming and busi-
ness interests of York County. The road
originally extended from Baltimore to
Hagerstown, which was known as the Main
Line. The Baltimore and Harrisburg Di-
vision extends from Emory Grove, on the
main line, through Hanover, New Oxford
and Gettysburg to Highland, where it again
joins the main line. The Western Mary-
land was built largely by Baltimore capital-
ists. For many years, the road was man-
aged by Colonel John M. Hood, who died in
1906. In 1902, the road was purchased by a
syndicate for the sum of eight and a half
million dollars, and passed into the hands
of what is known as the Wabash System,
controlled by George J. Gould, of New York
City. The same interests own and control
the Missouri Pacific, extending from St.
Louis to Ogden, Utah. About the same
time that the Wabash System gained con-
trol of the Western Maryland, it extended
that road to Cumberland, Maryland, and
purchased the West Virginia Central, run-
ning from Cumberland through the rich
coal mining regions of West Virginia, to
Durbin, where it joins the Chesapeake and
Ohio. This connection forms a complete
line from Baltimore and York to Pittsburg,
St. Louis and Ogden, Utah, there joining a
Pacific coast line.
The \A'estern Maryland Railroad
Hanover is a combination of several
Branch. roads. The first railroad in
York County which now forms a
part of the Western Maryland, was con-
structed from Hanover Junction, on the
Northern Central Railway, to Hanover. It
was known as the Hanover Branch Rail-
road.
It had its origin at a public meeting held
December 26, 1846. This meeting was con-
vened for the purpose of laying plans to con-
struct a railroad from Hanover to intersect
with the Northern Central at the nearest
and most practicable point. Henry Reily
presided at this meeting. A. P. Winchester
had made a survey of the proposed route.
After their report was read, committees
were appointed to solicit stock subscrip-
tions. When $100,000 had been subscribed,
a public mass meeting was held at Hanover,
August 28, 1847, which was addressed by
James Cooper, J. J. Naille and Captain A.
AA\ Eichelberger.
The company was chartered March 16,
1847. The commissioners were Samuel
Mumma, Joseph W. Schmidt, Jacob For-
ne}', David Diehl, Jacob Young, Daniel P.
Lange, Eli Lewis, F. E. Metzger, Michael
Bucher, David Slagle, Jacob Wirt, John R.
Hershey, Jesse Frysinger, Henr}^ Reily, A.
H. Barnitz, AVilliam S. Jenkins, H. W. Em-
mert, Joseph Althoff, Peter Flickinger,
Amos Lefe^•er, D. M. Mvers, George Eich-
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
615
elberger, Samuel Diller, Jacob Dellone,
Joseph Bittinger, John Trimmer, Joseph
Fink, Henry Leib, Henry Sherman, Jacob
Forry, John E. Zeigler and Andrew Dear-
dorff. Committees were then appointed to
visit the cities and canvass the county.
T\Ieetings were called and strenuous efforts
made to dispose of the stock. It appears,
however, that delay was experienced, as it
was not until October 18, 1849, that the re-
quisite number of shares (1,000) to incor-
porate the company under letters patent
was fully secured. An election was held
November 10, which resulted in choosing
Jacob Wirt for president, and Jacob Young,
F. E. Metzger, Philip Kohler, H. W. Em-
mert, Samuel Diller and Jacob Wortz, as
managers. The board organized on the
i8th of the same month, but it was not until
October 28, 1850, that any definite action
was taken to build the road. In addition to
other causes, the estimate of the cost of the
road made by A. P. Winchester, civil engi-
neer, who had made a survey the previous
year, and which was far in excess of the
actual cost, as subsequently shown, helped
to discourage the friends of the project,
many of them believing it was beyond the
financial abilit}^ of the community to build
the road.
At the meeting of the directors referred
to, a resolution was adopted to put the road
under contract. Theophilus Sickels was
employed as engineer, and negotiations re-
sulted in making a contract with Joseph
Gonder for completing the road according
to specifications. The agreement was
closed March i, 1851, by Jacob Forney,
president pro-tem, Jacob Young, Jacob Del-
lone, Samuel Diller, Philip Kohler and Jesse
Frysinger, as directors, on the part of the
company, with Joseph Gonder, Jr. Ground
was broken at Jefferson on the 20th of the
same month, and October 22, 1852, the road
was opened for business, notwithstanding
that some delay was occasioned by the
death of the contractor and the loss at sea
of a cargo of iron ordered for laying that
portion of the track between the York Road
and Hanover. The place for the station at
Hanover gave rise to an animated contest,
which was finally decided by a vote of the
stockholders. May 13, 1851.
The first train after the completion of the
road arrived in Hanover on \\'ednesdav
evening, September 29, 1852, with a large
number of passengers. Jacob horney was
elected president, in 1851, to succeed Jacob
\\'irt, who resigned. He served until 1853,
when Captain A. W. Eichelberger was
elected. He occupied this position until his
death, in 1900. Robert M. Wirt served as
secretary for a period of twenty years.
The Baltimore and Harris-
Baltimore burg Railroad extends from
and Emory Grove to Highfield,
Harrisburg. and is composed of what was
originally the Baltimore and
Hanover from Emory Grove to Intersec-
tion, the Bachman Valley to Vallej^ Junc-
tion, the Hanover and Gettysburg, and the
Western Extension to Highfield. These
roads pass through a well cultivated, rich
and productive agricultural country. After
leaving Emory Grove on the line of the
AA'estern Maryland, seventeen miles from
Baltimore, the road gradually ascends, run-
ning parallel with and in close proximity to
the Hanover and Baltimore Turnpike. One
great point gained to the southwestern part
of York County by the building of the Balti-
more and Hanover and the Bachman Valley
railroads, was that the}' opened up a section
of country, in which the soil is susceptible
of being highly improved by the application
of fertilizers, especially lime and phos-
phates. The facilities thus offered for their
introduction at a moderate cost, were
promptly availed of by the industrious and
enterprising farmers, the results of which
are now shown in crops, which compare
favorably with those raised in limestone
land.
AA'hen the railroads constructed under
the presidency of Captain A. W. Eichel-
berger were transferred to the Western
Maryland System, this road became a part
of the Baltimore and Harrisburg Division of
the Western Maryland System, and ex-
tended from Emory Grove to Highfield.
The Western Maryland Railroad joins the
Reading Railroad at Shippensburg, the
Norfolk and AA^estern and the Baltimore and
Ohio at Hagerstown. A line also extends
from Highfield through Hagerstown to
Cumberland, Maryland.
The Baltimore and Harrisburg
Eastern Railroad, (Eastern Extension
Extension, of the AA^estern Marjdand Rail-
road System) was built in
6i6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1892, and put into operation in the follow-
ing year. This road extends from Porter's
to York, a distance of fifteen miles. It was
originally intended to continue the road
along the Codorus Creek to its mouth at the
Susquehanna and cross that river, joining
the Reading 1-lailroad near Marietta, thus
forming a direct line from the coal fields of
West Virginia to New York City. The
company which managed the construction
of the road was chartered by the state of
Pennsylvania in 1888. The names in this
charter were William H. Lanius, A. B.
Farquhar, W. Latimer Small, Grier Hersh,
John C. Schmidt, D. Iv. Trimmer, and
George S. Schmidt. The company was
organized by the election of Captain W. H.
Lanius, president ; D. K. Trimmer, secre-
tary, and Samuel Small, treasurer.
This railroad, which was constructed at
a cost of half a million dollars, passes
through a fertile and productive country.
It furnished an additional line of transporta-
tion between York and Hanover, and re-
sulted in great benefit to Spring Grove.
Nashville, Thomasville, Porters and West
York Borough, traversed by this road, are
prosperous towns which have grown up
since its completion. Charles C. Burgessor
was the efficient general freight agent at
York for a period of ten years, when he was
succeeded by E. P. Bachtell, and Mr. Bur-
gessor was transferred to the responsible
position of general freight agent at Han-
over for the Baltimore and Harrisburg Rail-
road. Captain Lanius continued in the
office of president of this road from the
time of its completion until 1905, when
he was succeeded by George S. Schmidt,
who had previously filled the office of sec-
ret arj^
The freight and passenger facilities af-
forded to York and Hanover by the West-
ern Maryland, forming direct lines to Balti-
more, have added greatly to the material
growth of these centres of trade and busi-
ness. The freight interests of the AA'estern
Maryland at York, as well as at Hanover,
increased three-fold between the years 1895
and 1907.
The railroad from Hanover to East Ber-
lin extends over the Baltimore and Harris-
burg Railroad from Hanover to the junction
and from thence a distance of seven miles to
East Berlin. It was built in 1877 by a com-
pany of which A. W. Eichelberger was
president.
A company had been formed
Wrightsville in 1835, and a board of
and directors elected to build a
Gettysburg. railroad from AVrightsville
to Gettysburg, and from
thence through to Hagerstown, Maryland.
An act of legislature was passed May, 1836,
incorporating it as the AA'rightsville and
Gettysburg Railroad Company. Thaddeus
Stevens, one of the chief incorporators, be-
came president of the company. The York
and AA'rightsville and Wrightsville and Get-
tysburg companies combined in one com-
pany to extend the road from York west-
ward, through Abbottstown and New Ox-
ford, to Gettysburg. A survey was made
over a part of this route and a state ap-
propriation granted to the amount of
$200,000. The work came to an end after
an expenditure of $800,000, mostly for that
portion of the route west of Gettysburg,
known as the "Tape AA^orni Road." A reso-
lution passed by both houses of the legis-
lature ordered further work to discontinue
after March, 1839. It was never afterward
revived. That portion of the road lying
south of Gettysburg, and which was con-
trolled by the state, was subsequently trans-
ferred by the legislature to the Gettysburg
Railroad Company. About 1882, all the
rights and interests of this road were
merged into the Hanover Junction, Han-
over and Gettysburg Railroad. It was the
AA'rightsville and Gettysburg Railroad Com-
pau}? that completed the road from AA'rights-
ville to York in 1843.
MARYLAND AND PENNSYLVANIA.
The middle and western sections of York
County received the benefits of railroads
many years before a line had been extended
through the southeastern part of the county.
The Tide AA'ater Canal from Columbia to
the Chesapeake Bay had improved the
tbwnships along the river. On March 24,
1868. an act was passed by the legislature
incorporating the York and Peach Bottom
Railway Company. This work was accom-
plished by Stephen G. Boyd, who was then
a representative from York County.
For the construction of the road bonds
amounting to $500,000 were issued, and
Samuel M. Felton and David E. Small were
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
617
made trustees for the bondholders. The
company organized by electing Stephen G.
Boyd, president ; Samuel Dickey, of Oxford,
vice-president ; William AVallace, secretary ;
A. C. Manifold, treasurer; Stephen McKin-
ley, Benjamin Tyson, Henry Neff, Rufus
Wiley, of York County; John Alexander,
Slater B. Russel, Nathaniel Morgan, of Lan-
caster County; Robert Patterson and John
T. Wadell, of Chester County, directors. It
was then determined to construct a narrow
gauge road three feet wide. Work was
soon begun by contractors, James Freeland,
Samuel Smith, D. A¥. Grove and John T.
Wallace. The cost was $12,000 per mile.
On July 4, 1874, seven miles of the road was
opened as far as Dallastown Station, by an
excursion party from York. By December,
1874, it was completed to the forks of Mud-
dy Creek and the next summer to Wood-
bine. A public meeting was held at W'ood-
bine, July, 1875, to raise funds for the com-
pletion of the road to Delta. It was ex-
tended from Delta to Peach Bottom in
1883.
John M. Hood, afterward president of the
AA'estern Maryland, was first civil engineer
in constructing the road. He was followed
by J. E. Matthews and S. M. Manifold.
L. J. Dodson was a conductor on the road
for a period of thirty years. W. C. Licking
served as an emplo3^ee for a longer period.
Stephen G. Boyd was president of the
company from January, 1871, to January,
1877, when he was succeeded by Charles R.
McConkey, of Peach Bottom.
The secretaries in order of succession
have been William Wallace, J. V. Geese}^, E.
C. Bender, F. G. Metzgar and John K.
Shinn.
On April 21, 1891, the interests of the
York and Peach Bottom Railroad were in-
corporated with the Maryland Central, a
line recently completed from Baltimore to
Delta, and chartered by the states of Mary-
land and Pennsylvania as the Baltimore and
Lehigh Railroad. The road passed into
the hands of W. J. Taylor, as receiver, in
May, 1893, and reorganized as the York
Southern Railroad on November i, 1894.
On February 14, 1901, it was consolidated
with the Baltimore and Lehigh under the
name, of Maryland and Pennsylvania Rail-
road, under which the entire line from York
to Baltimore has since been operated. The
road from York to Delta, originally a nar-
row gauge, was changed to the standard
gauge soon after its construction to York.
OTHER RAILROADS.
The Stewartstown Railroad, a line which
runs from the borough of Stewartstown, a
distance of 7.2 miles, to New Freedom,
where it joins the Northern Central Rail-
way, was constructed in 1885, and , opened
for use in September of that year. It had
an important effect in developing the busi-
ness and agricultural interests of that sec-
tion of the county, noted for the cultiva-
tion of potatoes, which are annuall}^ shipped
in large quantities to Baltimore from Stew-
artstown. The plan to construct this road
originated with James Fulton, of Stewarts-
town. The first board of directors were
John S. Leib, M. W. Bahn, William Ham-
mill, John B. Gemmill, Jacob Althouse, A.
G. Bowman, James C. Jordan, Andrew Leib,
John AYiley, Joseph W. Anderson, John
Johnson and Andrew Anderson. John B.
Gemmill was the first superintendent. The
Stewartstown road now does a considerable
business and has been of great advantage to
the interesting borough after which it was
named. J. W. Anderson, of Stewartstown,
was president in 1907.
The New Parke and Fawn Grove
Fawn Railroad extends from Stewarts-
Grove, town through New Parke to Fawn
Grove Borough, a distance of a lit-
tle more than nine miles. The plan for the
construction of this road was originated
with John H. Anderson, farmer, residing at
New Parke, who became the first president
of the company. This road, which passes
through a fertile and productive region in
Hopewell and Fawn townships, was form-
ally opened, August 9, 1906. To com-
memorate this event, a public meeting was
held on that day at Fawn Grove. About
4,000 persons were present on this interest-
ing occasion. Addresses were delivered by
Hon. John AA'. Bittenger, president judge of
the York County Courts : Joseph R. Straw-
bridge, Charles A. Hawkins, AVilliam B.
Gemmill and others of York; Thomas Mc-
I-Cenzie, of Baltimore, and Rev. Robert Reed
Gehley, of Tien Tsin, China. The address
of welcome was delivered bj^ Milton Smith,
of Norrisville, Maryland, and the response
was made bv Tohn B. Gemmill.
6i8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
This road was built at a cost of $80,000.
The officers in 1907 were: President, John
H. Anderson; secretary, J. A. Gailey; treas-
urer, A. M. Strawbridge; superintendent, B.
F. Morris; general manager, J. C. Wiley;
directors, J. C. Wiley, Simon G. Lowe, H.
C. McElvain, R. W. Anderson, W. R. Webb,
A. M. Strawbridge, Maurice Davis, B. F.
Morris, R. S. McDonald, Milton E. Smith,
D. S. Merryman, N. A. Manifold, J. A.
Gailey, A. W. Webb, J. Wiley Norris, M.
W. Bahn, J. W. Anderson.
The York Street Railway Company was
originally intended for rapid transportation
within the limits of the city and its immedi-
ate suburbs. The financial interests con-
trolling this road organized the York
County Traction Company, which extended
lines from York to Dover, through Man-
chester to York Haven, through Hellam to
^^''rightsville, and through Dallastown and
Red Lion to A\'indsorville. In 1907, plans
were laid for the extension of a line from
York to Hanover and to other points within
the limits of the county.
THE TELEGRAPH.
The electric magnetic telegraph was in-
vented by Professor Samuel B. Morse, of
New York. The first line ever built was
stretched from Washington to Baltimore
and the first news message transmitted was
the announcement of James K. Polk's nomi-
nation as president of the United States, in
1844, by the Democratic National Conven-
tion, then in session at Baltimore. This
message was sent from Baltimore to Wash-
ington, and received in a temporary office in
the capitol building at Washington. The
line was extended to York in 1850, and
from thence to Columbia and Philadelphia,
and also a line from York to Harrisburg.
The line to Columbia followed the turnpike.
It was soon afterward removed, and now a
line follows the railroad. The wires from
Baltimore through York were first called
the American line. A few years later, this
line came into possession of the Independ-
ent and Inland Telegraph Company, and
subsequently was purchased by the United
States Telegraph Company.
The AVestern Union Company purchased
all interests about the time of the Civil war,
and now owns them. There are also private
wires on these lines owned by the railroad
company, and there are a great many offices
at the dififerent railway stations in York
County. The first operator at York was
Ovid Buckley, and the office was in the book
store owned by himself and William S. Ro-
land, opposite the Court House. Peter
Bentz, afterward prominently known as a
musician at York, had charge of the office
for several years and during that time
trained a number of young men to become
good operators. George W. Shoch was one
of the early operators, and for nearly
twenty years was manager of the Western
Union at York. His brother, William H.
Shoch, of Rowlesburg, West Virginia, was
an errand boy in the office at York, and soon
afterward became an operator. He had a
large experience as a telegrapher for the
United States government during the Civil
War. His recollection of the early use of
the telegraph at York is full of interest.
Mrs. W. F. Busser was operator for the
Northern Central Railway Company at
York, in 1865. Near the close of the war,
she received General Grant's dispatch which
was sent over all the wires of the United
States, announcing the fall of Richmond
and its evacuation by the Confederates
under General Lee.
In 1858, a private telegraph
Wires at company was organized at Han-
Hanover, over, with a capital stock of
$800, to run a line from the
Junction on the Northern Central Railway,
to Hanover, and a line was completed in the
spring of i860. The first despatch, re-
ceived April loth, of that year, was a con-
gratulatory one from Hanover Junction
which was replied to by George Thomas,
president of the Hanover Company. The
interest of the local company was soon pur-
chased by the Inland and Independent Line,
and by them transferred to the United
States Telegraph Company, and soon after-
ward the last named company sold their in-
terest to the Western Union.
The first operator was W. H. Shoch. He
taught Daniel E. Trone, of Hanover, who
soon took charge of the office. For a time
Mary Harris was operator. During the
battle of Gettysburg, many important dis-
patches to President Lincoln and the war
department at Washington, and to New
York and Philadelphia journals, were sent
from this office by Daniel E. Trone.
TURNPIKES, CANALS, RAILROADS
619
The Bankers and Merchants'
Bankers Line, of two wires, was run
and from Harrisburg to Balti-
Merchants'. more, in 1883, extending
across Fairview, Newberry,
Conewago and Manchester townships to
York. It extends from York to BaUimore
via York and Maryland Line Turnpike.
The hne is owned by the Western Union
Telegraph Company. In 1884 two more
wires were added.
The line which crosses the Susquehanna
at McCall's Ferry and passes diagonally
through Lower Chanceford and Fawn
townships, by way of Bridgeton and Gatcli-
elville, was originally constructed by the
Insulated Telegraph Company in 1871. It
contained four wires on plug insulators,
which were soon after replaced by brackets
and glass insulators, and at this time the
line passed into the hands of the Franklin
Telegraph Company, and was operated by it
until November i, 1874, when the Atlantic
and Pacific Telegraph Company leased it,
rebuilt it in the summer of 1880, and added
two new wires. The line was then com-
posed of six wires. The Atlantic and Pa-
cific Company was consolidated with the
Western Union in the spring of 1881, and
this line has been worked by that system
ever since. There is one office along this
line near the village of Centreville. It is
known as the Airville office.
This company built a line
Postal across York County during the
Telegraph, winter of 1883-4. It crosses
the Susquehanna River at Mc-
Call's Ferry, and passes through Lower
Chanceford and Fawn townships about half
a mile south of the line above described. It
was at first composed of two compound
wires on four wire cross arms. Two more
wires, one compound and one of solid cop-
per, were run in the spring of 1884. This
is known as the Mackey-Bennett system.
It is a main line from the east to the west.
It passes from McCall's Ferry through
Nailer's fording on the Muddy Creek, into
Maryland at a place on Mason and Dixon's
line known as Constitution Postoffice. An
office was opened in York about 1887 and
wires operated for several years and were
then discontinued. The office was re-
opened in IQ03 and now connects with all
the leading cities of the United States.
The National Transit Telegraph
National Company constructed a line
Transit. from Millway, Lancaster County,
crossing the Susquehanna at
York Furnace, thence via Woodbine to
Canton, near Baltimore. It is a private line
in connection with the National Transit Oil
Company's pipe lines and was built during
the months of May and June, 1883. There
is a test office near Airville.
OIL PIPE LINES.
There is an oil pipe line from Millway near
Lititz, Lancaster County, crossing the Sus-
quehanna River at York Furnace, extending
from thence through Airville and Woodbine
in a direct line to Canton, near the city of
Baltimore. At Millway there are two im-
mense tanks, each one hundred feet in diam-
eter, and eleven feet high, together with en-
gines and apparatus for forcing the oil to
other stations which are located on the lines
branching out from this central one. The
line from Millway to Baltimore crossing this
county was laid in 1883. The pipe used is
made of wrought iron five inches in diame-
ter. The oil is pumped from Millway, by
means of the engines mentioned to Canton.
The company paid land owners in York
County 25 cents per rod for right of way.
Beinglaid in the early summer, all destruc-
tion to the growing crops, caused by laying
the pipe, was also paid for. This is called
the Baltimore line, being a branch of the
Pennsylvania line from Millway. From the
great oil reeion in northwestern Pennsylva-
nia, there are a number of lines directing
toward the large cities. There is one from
Bradford fo New York, one from near the
same place via Millway to Philadelphia, un-
der the management of the National Transit
Company. The Standard Oil Company,
which controls them all, has lines extending
south and west. This company has a line
extending over York County crossing the
Susquehanna near York Haven.
An independent pipe line was laid across
the southern part of York County during
the year 1907, connecting the oil fields of
the southwestern part of Pennsylvania with
Philadelphia.
THE TELEPHONE.
There have been many inventions and
discoveries during the past three-quarters
620
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
of a century, but none that startled the
world more than the invention and success-
ful use of the telephone, which, like the in-
vention of the telegraph and steam boat, is
the product of American genius. They are
all now intimately related one to the other,
and have an important bearing in the econ-
omy of mankind. It is impossible in a short
article to show the relations of the tele-
graph to the telephone, and of the various
forms of electrical or magnetic communica-
tion which led to scientific research result-
ing in these inventions. The telephone is
marvelous for its simplicity, and can be put
to so much practical use that it is now a
necessity.
The value of the telephone in York was
clearly established, and soon the " exchange
system " was adopted. This system con-
sists of a number of circuits running to offi-
ces, stores, factories and private residences
of subscribers, and back to a central office,
where they are joined to a switching ap-
paratus by means of which the operator can
answer calls and place any two subscribers
in communication with each other.
John K. Gross, passenger and freight
agent of the Northern Central Railway, at
York, in 1882 put the telephone on the ex-
change system into effective use at York.
The exchange was opened with twenty-
seven phones in different stores and offices
in town, 218 poles and seventeen miles of
wire. At the same time, Albert Galbreath
started the exchange system at Columbia,
connected with Wrightsville, and Frank A.
Ziegler introduced the use of the telephone
at Hanover. Shortly before the exchange
system was adopted at York, Ay. Latimer
Small extended a line from his residence to
Codorus Mills, two miles north of York.
A private line was extended from Railroad
Borough to Shrewsbury, a distance of one
mile.
The interests of Mr. Gross were pur-
chased by the Southern Pensnylvania Tele-
phone Company. In January, 1883, this
company was consolidated with the Penn-
sylvania Telephone Company, comprising
in its territory, sixteen counties, with Hon.
Francis Jordan, of Harrisburg, as president ;
AVilliam Kerr as general manager. At that
time, Isaac Rudisill was chosen general so-
licitor, and in the interest of the same pub-
lished the Telephone, a monthly journal.
The use of the telephone as a mode of com-
munication soon became popular in York
under its new management. Territorial
lines were built to connect it with Harris-
burg, Lancaster, Reading and other ex-
changes. In York County lines were ex-
tended to Spring Grove, Glen Rock, Logan-
ville, Seitzland, Wrightsville, Hanover,
Railroad Borough, New Freedom, Hellam,
Paradise, Emigsville, York Haven, Golds-
boro, Dallastown, and along the line of
Peach Bottom Railroad to the river.
The Pennsylvania Telephone
Bell Company in 1907 embraced
Telephone, thirty-eight counties in Penn-
sylvania, and three in New
Jersey, with A. R. Shellenberger, president ;
J. H. Crosman, Jr., secretary; W. C. Fink,
treasurer; L. H. Kinnard, general manager;
R. S. Chamberlain, general superintendent.
The central office is at Harrisburg. The
Pennsylvania Telephone Company is a part
of the American Bell Telephone Company,
which operates in all the states of the Union
and a part of the Dominion of Canada.
George H. Fulmer is the local inanager at
York and S. S. Eberts division superintend-
ent. In 1907 there were 1600 telephones in
use in the city and county of York, lines
having been extended to all centres of popu-
lation in the county.
The York Telephone Company
York was organized by local capi-
Telephone. talists in the year 1895 and
soon extended its lines
throughout the city and the various centres
of population in York County. The orig-
inal board of directors was composed of the
following : Dr. C. A. Eisenhart, Edwin
Myers, AV. F. Myers, R. H. Shindel and C.
C. Frick. Dr. Eisenhart was elected presi-
dent, and C. C. Frick, secretary and treas-
urer. In 1907, the York Telephone Com-
pany had in operation about 2600 telephones
in the city and county and about 300 miles
of pole line stretched out in every direction.
In addition to this, the company has toll
lines extending to various cities and towns
of the country. The members of the board
of directors in 1907 were D. F. Lafean, H.
S. AViest, George B. Rudy, H. H. AVeber,
Dr. AA^ S. Eisenhart, John McCoy and C. C.
Frick, with D. F. Lafean, president; H. H.
AA'eber. secretary, and C. C. Frick, treas-
urer.
STORMS, FLOODS AND METEORS
621
CHAPTER XXXV
STORMS, FLOODS AND METEORS
Hail Storm of 1797 — Flood of 181 7 —
Drought of 1822 — Meteoric Showers —
Flood of 1884— Blizzard of 1888— Cyclone
of 1896 — Weather Observations.
There are no authentic records of the
meteorological conditions in this country
before the Revolution. It is self-evident
that floods and storms prevailed at the time
of the first settlement of York County, and
during the occupancy of this region by vari-
ous tribes of roaming Indians. As early as
1772, there is an authentic account of a vio-
lent snow storm which caused the death of
a large number of deer, which were then
very plentiful in York and adjoining coun-
ties. On January 27, 1772, snow fell to the
depth of three and a half feet. A heavy rain
then came on, which after freezing, formed
a thick crust. Nearly every man and boy
turned out to chase deer, for while the
hunter could run rapidly on the crust, the
unfortunate animals broke through it and
were easily captured. This caused deer to
be scarce several years thereafter.
Colonel Thomas Hartley, of
Hail Storm the Revolution, gave the fol-
in 1797. lowing description of a hail
storm which occurred at York,
June, 1797: "This hail storm as far as it
e.xtended destroyed the gardens and broke
down the winter grain in a most extraordi-
nary manner; there was hardly a hope that
any would be saved, but the farmers were
able to harvest more than half of what they
considered lost. The hail stones were very
large, and some persons were severely in-
jured by them. Many fowls and birds were
killed. Hail stones fell as large as a hen's
egg. In York and Bottstown, fully 10,000
panes of glass were broken."
There have been a number of
River great floods along the Susque-
Floods. hanna River, Codorus and Cone-
wago Creeks and their tributaries.
The first on record occurred in 1744, second
in 1758, the third in 1772, the fourth in 1784,
the fifth in 1786. The last mentioned was
known along the river as the great "pump-
kin flood," by which, on low places along
that stream, immense quantities of pump-
kins were lodged that had floated down with
the current. The si.xth flood occurred in
1800, the seventh in 1814, the eighth in
1817, the ninth in 1822, the tenth in 1846,
the eleventh in 1884 and the twelfth in 1889.
Destructive ice floods along the Susque-
hanna occurred in 1830, 1865, 1875 and 1904.
One of the most disastrous floods
Flood known to the history of southern
of Pennsylvania occurred August 8,
1817. 1817. At 10 o'clock in the evening
dense clouds overhung the borough
and the surrounding country for many
miles. Rain began to fall gently at first
and increased gradually until i A. M., when
it came down in torrents. The storm and
rain continued during the succeeding twelve
hours until the entire amount of precipita-
tion was about eight inches. Danger was
not anticipated, but the falling water had
accumulated and the Codorus Creek became
a raging stream, and overflowed its banks
along its entire course. Bridges gave way
to the dashing current. In York, the
wooden bridge at the north end of George
Street was carried with the current. The
Codorus continued to swell, and soon cov-
ered Market Street, from Water Street on
the eastern side to Newberry Street on the
western side. People living west of the
creek were admonished of approaching
danger but did not think the results would
be so disastrous. Believing their houses
would save them, they did not want to leave
them and were soon surrounded by the
raging waters. At one time there were
eight persons in a small boat so that it was
difficult to make it move over the rapid
stream. The water finally got so high that
it was impossible for persons on land to
communicate with those in the submerged
districts. They were compelled to remain
and endure the danger that threatened their
lives. In all, ten persons were drowned.
The entire damage to the borough of York
and the flooded districts along the Codorus
within the limits of York County amounted
to $200,000, including the bridge swept
away at York. The large wooden bridge
that spanned the Conewago Creek on the
York and Harrisburg turnpike was swept
away by the raging waters. AVilliam
Reeser, the founder of Manchester borough,
tlien a prominent citizen of York County,
had crossed over this bridge only five min-
utes before it was removed by the flood.
622
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The flood took place at a time when state
aid was not liberal. At the next session of
the Pennsylvania legislature, an act was
passed appropriating $5,000 to the commis-
sioners of York County for the erection of
bridges at places where they had been swept
away, and $1,000 was given to the borough
of York for the repairing of streets.
May 29, 1821, the temperature was
Hail oppressive, which was followed in
Storm the afternoon by one of the most
of destructive hail storms that ever
1821. ^•isited this region. The growing
wheat, rye and other cereals in the
vicinity of York were almost entirely de-
stroyed by the falling hail. The lightning
and thunder which accompanied this hail
storm were most prominent in the vicinity
of Hanover, and three miles from the bor-
ough hail stones fell in abundance, injuring
all the crops.
In 1822, York suffered from an-
Flood other flood. Snow, eighteen inches
of deep, fell on February 18. On the
1822. 20th, a south wind rose, accom-
panied with heavy rain ; the snow
dissolved with rapidity, and on the 21st, the
Codorus was within four feet, four inches,
of being as high as on the memorable 8th of
August, 1817. From the vast quantity of
floating ice, the flood was very destructive
to bridges and mill-dams. Three arches of
the bridge on Market Street, York, and five
arches of a new stone bridge over the Cone-
wago, at East Berlin, were injured by the
ice. the bridges being destroyed.
The following is an account of the prin-
cipal sufTerers in York Borough. Michael
Doudel's tannery was much injured; he lost
moreo\'er, a shop and a considerable amount
of leather and hides. The dwelling
house and brew house of Samuel Welsh was
much injured; he lost a frame store house.
Jacob Schlosser lost his still house and dis-
tillery. The stables of Jesse Spangler,
Joseph Morris and Andrew Neuman were
carried ofif. Jacob Sechrist sustained a con-
siderable loss in his brick-j^ard.
Persons who had lived nearlj^ a
Drought century, had witnessed nothing
of 1822. like the great drought of 1822.
There was no rain of any conse-
quence from February 21, the time of the
flood, until some time in September, a pe-
riod of about six months. Fountains which
had been considered perennial, were dried
up. Grinding of wheat into flour was done
at only one mill out of ten; and where grind-
ing was done, the demand for flour could
not be supplied. Many farmers went
twenty miles to mill, and then were obliged
to return with a quantity of flour not sufft-
cient to satisfy immediate wants. An ac-
count of the drought written August 13th,
says " the summer crops have almost totally
failed ; some fields will yield not a grain of
corn, and the best fields not more than a few
bushels to the acre." Shortly after this
there were two showers, which relieved the
country; the one fell on the 23rd, and the
other on August 24th. The showers, how-
ever, did not extend to the northwestern
part of the county, where the distress was
excessive. On September 13, 1822, there
was not a drop of water to be seen in the
channel of the big Conewago, at the place
where the bridge is thrown across it on the
Carlisle Road. At low water the stream
there is generally from 90 to 120 feet wide.
Turnips were raised in the bed of the stream
that summer.
Beaver Creek, a branch of the Con-
Beaver ewago, is one of three by the same
Creek name in York County. During the
Flood. summer of 1826, there was a sin-
gular cloudburst above the south-
ern slope of Round Top, in AVarrington
Township, which caused a terrible flood
along this stream. It was purely a local
rain. James Grif^th, of A\'arrington, who
was standing one and a half miles west of
Round Top in the open air, did not get wet.
At this point the sun was shining. The
cloud was passing in a southwest direction.
The water rushed down the sides of the
mountain, tearing deep gulleys. The tan-
nery of William Ross, at Rossville, was re-
moved by the high water, and the leather
taken down with the dashing current.
Daniel M. Ettinger, of York, was an eye
witness to this remarkable meteorological
phenomenon, and described it to the writer
as follows : " On the morning of that day,
(Sunda)^), I was traveling from Dillsburg
to Rossville, passing within a mile or two of
Round Top, the highest point in York
County. The top of the mountain was hid
all the morning in a dense cloud. No rain
fell where I was. When the clouds moved
off, or rather disappeared, a great rush of
STORMS. FLOODS AND METEORS
623
water came down into Beaver Creek, which
flows past the base of Round Top. On that
Sunday a religious meeting was held near
its banks. My sister attended it. She says,
in the morning, she and others crossed the
creek, in which there was but little water.
No rain fell there on that day where the
meeting was held, which was but two miles
from the mountain. During the meeting
the flood came rushing along the channel of
the creek, the first wave being about seven
feet high. The cattle grazing near the
creek were overtaken and carried off.
There was great consternation and confu-
sion at the meeting on account of the flood."
An old gentleman, then living near the Con-
ewago Creek, some distance above the
mouth of Beaver Creek, observing the water
in the Conewago running up its channel, re-
versing: its course, concluded the end of time
had come. It is said, " he earnestly pre-
pared himself the best way he could, for the
great change which he thought was just at
hand."
A violent wind storm pre-
Wind Storm vailed in York and vicinity on
of 1830. May 8, 1830. A number of
wild ducks were dashed down
in a terrifiic gale, into the streets of the
town. They were beautiful specimens of the
feathery tribe, on their way northward to
the lakes, but were unable to withstand the
violence of the wind. The storm occurred
during the night and the ducks, many of
which were dead, were taken up by the citi-
zens the next morning. About four miles
from town many more were found. The
storm caused considerable destruction to
orchards and property.
Meteoric showers have been
Meteoric known ever since astronomy
Showers, was studied as a science by the
ancient Greeks and Romans.
The uneducated people ha\e always believed
that meteors scintillating through the heav-
ens are stars, and hence the great meteoric
shower which occurred November 13, 1833,
has often been cited as the time " when the
stars fell." The origin of meteors and aero-
lites has never been clearly given even by
the most advanced scientists of modern
times.
The first shower known to have occurred
in this latitude was visible at York in 1799.
The second occurred in 1833. Superstitious
people and even others who have some
claims to a knowledge of astronomy have
asserted that such showers occur every
thirty-three years. One was predicted in
America in 1866 and its approach was
looked forward to with eager expectancy
by astronomical observers. The display in
America did not attract much attention, but
produced a marked effect in England and
France. Another was predicted in 1899,
but was never reported to have occurred in
any part of the civilized world. There is,
therefore, no scientific reason for the peri-
odical occurrences of this singular phenom-
enon.
The meteoric shower of 1833 was
Shower the most remarkable known to
of 1833. the whole history of astronomy
and the display was more brilliant
in central and southern Pennsylvania than
in any other part of America or in Europe.
About II o'clock at night, apparently ema-
nating from a point in one of the constella-
tions almost directly overhead, were contin-
uous lines of luminous meteors with long
tails. An hour later these meteors seemed
to be sent forth from a thousand sources in
the heavens, and the whole atmosphere for
six long hours was filled with these little
heavenly messengers, crossing the track of
one another, then suddenly disappearing
when the light of each went out. This
event was described by Henry Bott, before
the Historical Society of York County in
1904. He was then a man eighty-four years
of age and had a vivid recollection of this
remarkable atmospheric condition. Many
innocent people believed the world was
coming to an end. They thought that the
laws of gravitation were no longer in force
and the many thousands of stars brilliantly
shining in the heavens, millions of miles
away, were falling to the earth and would
burn it up. After the meteors had contin-
ued darting through the upper regions of
the atmosphere for two or three hours, the
inhabitants of York and elsewhere became
reconciled to the situation, for they found
that instead of being burning, luminous
bodies, they were entirely harmless and
disappeared without any destruction to life
or property. Meteors are frequently seen
in small numbers during anj^ hours of the
night and are familiarly known as " shooting
stars." According to the authoritv of the
624
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
most noted astronomers, the largest of these
meteors do not weigh more than an ounce.
How they become luminous by floating
through the upper regions of the atmos-
phere is still a mystery even to the most
learned scientists, and they disappear with-
out any visible results.
AYhat is known to science as the aerolite
is a solid metallic substance which occasion-
ally falls from the sky to the earth, when it
comes within the area of the gravitation of
our own planet. A few of these specimens
are on exhibition in diiTerent museums in
this country and Europe.
The disastrous flood of 1884 is re-
Flood membered by a large number of
of 1884. citizens of York County. It oc-
curred on the night of June 25, and
the morning of June 26, of that year. The
amount of water precipitated greatly ex-
ceeded the rain fall of 1817, and any other
previous one known in the history of York
County, and the devastation caused by the
flood which followed, was much more wide-
spread. York and Adams counties in Penn-
sylvania; Frederick, Harford, Baltimore and
Carroll counties in Maryland, included the
area over which the largest amount of rain
fell on this occasion. It began to fall early
in the evening, gradually increasing in
amount until 9 P. M., when the water came
down in torrents and was continued with-
out cessation until 3 A. M., when it gradu-
ally ceased. The amount of rainfall in cer-
tain parts of York County was twelve
inches, a precipitation never before or since
equalled in the United States, in seven
hours. The onl}' parallel case in America
was the rainfall at Honduras, in Central
America, within the limits of the tropics.
It was a phenomenon hard to explain even
by the best hydrographers in this country.
The actual loss to York County occa-
sioned by this flood, was not less than $700,-
000; a vast amount of this loss was to the
borough of York caused by the Codorus
overflowing its banks. The course of the
stream through the built up portion of the
town measures about one and a quarter
miles. The Codorus, usually about eighty
feet wide through Market Street, on this oc-
casion was fully one-fourth of a mile wide,
extending from the middle of the square be-
tween Water and Beaver Streets to the
middle of the square between Newberry and
Penn Streets. An area of one hundred
acres within the borough was under water.
The stream rose rapidly about 5 A. M.
Fortunately there were no lives lost at York,
but there were many thrilling adventures
and escapes. One by one the bridges across
the Codorus were taken away; at 7 A. -M.
all were gone. Bridges from up the stream,
buildings, farming implements, furniture,
dead and living animals were seen in the
passing waters. The stream rose so rapidly
in headlong rolling waves, that many people
were soon imprisoned in their houses, on
the second or third stories. The Codorus
at York was twenty-five feet above the usual
stage.
The destruction of bridges and the tearing
up of railroad tracks was most prominent
along the Hanover Junction and the Han-
over and York Railroads. The trains could
not run over them for several days. The
devastation was widespread along Muddy
Creek, Conewago and the Little Conewago.
The grain crop was injured, and hay that
was lying on the ground spoiled. The en-
tire county suffered heavy loss.
The commissioners of York County,
Haines, Keifer and Bentz, placed wooden
bridges at the following places, where the
flood had taken away bridges previously
placed there : across Codorus Creek at
Sprenkle's Mill, at the New Salem Road and
Hyde's Fording; iron bridges across the
same stream at Penn, Princess, King, Mar-
ket, Philadelphia and George streets, in
York; two at Loucks' Mill in Spring Garden
Township, at Myers' and Brillinger's Mill
in Manchester Township; across the Little
Conewago at Emig's and Neiman's Mills;
across the Big Conewago at Gross' Fording,
Diehl's Mill, Benedict's and Bowers' Ford-
ings ; one across Bermudian Creek in
York County; across one of the many
Beaver Creeks in York County at Mase-
mer's Mill, two across Mill Creek in Peach
Bottom, and two across Oil Creek near
Menges' Mill. The cost of these bridges
was $91,000.
What the American people called
Blizzard the " March blizzard of 1888,"
of 1888. was probably the most remarka-
ble phenomenon known to the
science of meteorology. The winter of
1887-88 was mild and noted for the great
number of bright and cheerful days. AVin-
STORMS, FLOODS AND METEORS
625
ter seemed to set in at the beginning of Feb-
ruary. Toward its close there were several
days when the sun shown brightly in a clear
sky. On the evening of March 11, a violent
storm began to spread all over the United
States. The wind blew in heavy gales from
the south, bringing to the upper regions of
the atmosphere in the North Temperate
Zone an immense amount of moisture.
When this moisture formed into clouds
which were driven at a rapid rate, snow
began to fall. This snow storm covered
almost the entire United States, and was
probably the greatest amount of snowfall
ever known or recorded within any region
of the North Temperate Zone. The wind
blew for hours and the snow drifted. Rail-
road travel was stopped for several days in
all the Middle Atlantic as well as the West-
ern states of the Union. Telegraph wires
were blown down and for a period of five
days there was no direct communication be-
tween the cities of New York and Philadel-
phia. The line to Baltimore was opened a
little earlier. All the railroads in York
County Avere blockaded with huge snow
drifts which had to be removed before the
trains could be put in motion. Snow drifts
filled the country roads, many of which
could not be used for travel until the warm
rays of the sun had melted them. The
weather continued to be cold for several
days after the storm.
In 1896 a terrible \vind storm
Cyclone swept northeastward from the
of 1896. Gulf of Mexico along the Atlantic
Coast, and a large amount of
property in the city and county of York was
destroyed by this furious cyclone. Rain
began to fall early in the morning of Sep-
tember 29, and increased during the day.
It was accompanied in the afternoon by a
strong easterly wind. When the evening
came on, the rain increased, as did also the
wind. About 9 o'clock there was a tem-
porary cessation of the storm and the stars
were visible through rifts in the clouds.
Only, how-ever, for a brief period, and about
10 o'clock the storm began again with in-
creased vigor. The rain and storm were
furious from about midnight until i
o'clock, when they began to abate, and the
next morning was bright, and clear, but
everywhere throughout the county were to
be seen evidences of its fury and destruc-
tiveness. Houses were unroofed, trees up-
rooted, buildings blown down, signs
wrenched from their places, telephone and
telegraph poles snapped off, and the electric
wires a mass of confusion.
This furious storm created havoc to the
property of the York County Agricultural
Society, situated in the western part of
York. It caused an entire demolition of the
main building, carriage house, stove house
and grand stand. The loss to the Society
was about $22,000. No section of the
county escaped. From Wrightsville to
Hanover, from the upper end to the lower
end, the desolation was on all sides. Hun-
dreds of forest and fruit trees were blown
down and barns and houses unroofed or
wrecked. The bridge across the Susque-
hanna River between Wrightsville and Co-
lumbia was entirely demolished. An eye
witness to this remarkable scene described
it as follows :
"The storm began about 11.30
Bridge P. M. with a heavy gale from
Destroyed, the southeast, which lasted
nearl}' an hour; about 12.30
the wind shifted to the south and a heavy
black cloud appeared, coming from that di-
rection bringing with it a tornado, such as
this part of the country had never before ex-
perienced. At exactly 12.35 ^^^ citizens of
the two towns on the river bank were
startled by a crash and grinding of timbers,
as the entire structure was lifted bodily from
the piers, carried about ten feet up stream
and then dropped into the river. Scarcely
a piece of timber was left in place. The
west end at AVrightsville still rested on the
approach to the bridge with the end of the
span at the bottom of the river. Never was
there a more complete destruction of the
bridge as it then appeared. Both Wrights-
ville and Columbia were in a high state of
excitement and few eyes closed in sleep after
II o'clock. The crash of the falling bridge
was heard all over the two towns. The
wind seemed to have lifted the immense
structure, a mile and an eighth in length,
bodily and carried it off its foundation.
Only the iron span in the centre of the
bridge withstood the terrible force of the
wind."
The first bridge across the Susquehanna
626
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
at this place was built by authority of the
state in 1819 and was taken away by an ice
flood in 1832. It was situated at consid-
erable distance above the present structure.
The large covered wooden bridge which
took the place of the one removed in 1832,
was destroyed by fire Wednesday, June 28,
1863, by order of General Couch, command-
ing the department of the Susquehanna,
with headquarters at Harrisburg, during the
second Confederate invasion into Pennsyl-
vania, under General Lee.
During the succeeding five years traffic
between Wrightsville and Columbia was
carried on by means of a small steam boat.
In 1866 the old piers were purchased by the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and dur-
ing the year 1868 this company had com-
pleted a bridge, which was removed by the
cyclone of 1896.
On the night of January 13 and the, morn-
ing of January 14, 1899, one of the largest
snow storms occurred in Pennsylvania and
extended over half a dozen of the adjoining
states. The snow was light and feathery
and on January 14, heavy gales of wind
passed over this region. They blew the
snow into huge drifts, blockading railroad
travel and closing nearly all the public high-
ways in the county. It was one of the most
destructive snow storms that ever visited
this part of Pennsylvania. The weather
was intensely cold, the thermometer falling
several degrees below zero. Some of the
huge piles of snow remained unmelted until
late in the spring.
The ice flood on the Susque-
Ice Flood hanna in 1904 was one of the
of 1904. most destructive known to the
present generation. The ice
had frozen on the river to a thickness of ten
or twelve inches. Heavy rains had fallen in
the upper valleys of the river which caused a
rapid rise of the stream. The ice refused to
break near Columbia and farther down the
river. It floated in huge cakes from the
Juniata, the North Branch and that part of
the Susquehanna above Harrisburg, and
was piled up to an alarming extent at Mid-
dletown, York Haven, Marietta, Columbia
and Port Deposit, near the mouth of the
river. The York Haven Power plant and
the paper mill at the same place sviffered
heavy damages by this ice flood.
WEATHER OBSERVATIONS.
Henry Wirt, of Hanover, from 1878 to
1885, kept a record of the amount of rainfall
each year, with the following results :
Inches
1879 28.80
1880 37.20
^11^ 37-99
^°°2 35-99
^°°3 35-97
1884 49.46
The instrument used was an accurately
made five-inch rain-gauge. It will be no-
ticed the amount of precipitation in 1884
greatly exceeded that of previous years.
The yearly average for Pennsylvania is
about forty-two inches. The amount of
rainfall, as a rule, decreases in passing from
the equator to the poles.
The Weather Bureau of the United States
government at Washington has stations in
about 4,000 places in this country. No offi-
cial station was opened in York County un-
til 1888, when Mrs. L. H. Grenewald, of
York, was appointed co-operative observer
by the chief of the Weather Bureau at
Washington. She was furnished with a
government rain gauge and rain-measuring
stick, a thermometer for maximum temper-
ature and one for minimum, and a slat shel-
ter on four posts about four feet from the
ground for protection; a column barometer
of regulation dimensions, encased in a box,
placed near a window in her home, two hu-
midity thermometers and a twirler for gaug-
ing the humidity. Mrs. Grenewald made
monthly reports to the Weather Bureau at
Washington and also furnished one of the
York papers daily with observations. She
continued at York from 1888 until April,
1904, and then moved to Hanover, where
she made observations until her death in
October, 1904. On October i, 1904, Dr. A.
C. W^entz, of Hanover, was appointed her
successor and has since made observations
and reported them monthly for the United
States Weather Bureau. The following
tables showing the mean monthly tempera-
tures and precipitations of rain and melted
snow were carefully '^repared by Dr. Wentz
from the records kept by Mrs. Grenewald
and himself from 1888 to 1907 :
STORMS, FLOODS AND METEORS
627
PRECIPITATION
Year
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
April
May
June
July
Au^.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Annual
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
inchs.
1888
2.70
2.20
3.78
1.17
5.10
2.23
2.84
5.65
4.05
2.24
2.68
3.62
38.26
1889
4.30
2.20
3.40
3.91
5.65
5.13
4.34
2.83
6.87
4.03
8.25
1.05
51.99
1890
1.84
2.85
5.44
1.94
6.65
3.29
1.77
5.65
4.55
6.60
0.80
3.29
44.67
1891
3.65
3.37
6.07
2.01
2.39
3.98
10.77
3.29
1.88
3.20
2.13
4.20
46.94
1892
6.08
1.2s
5.87
1.70
4.10
3.85
8.59
2.81
2.66
0.14
4.44
2.18
43.61
1893
1.76
4.76
1.76
4.37
6.53
2.50
1.58
3.40
1.57
3.03
3.55
2.22
37.03
1894
1.34
4.20
1.58
4.48
4.40
3.06
2.22
2.93
9.16
4.24
2.09
3.90
43.60
1895
4.03
0.98
2.50
3.73
2.73
3.10
1.41
2.41
4.01
2.36
1.80
3.30
32.36
1896
0.94
4.88
4.20
1.45
2.53
3.92
4.00
1.05
2.54
3.44
3.10
0.45
32.50
1897
1.55
4.59
2.51
3.42
6.61
2.42
3.69
4.04
2.73
2.60
5.69
3.37
43.22
1898
3.67
1.15
3.00
2.71
6.86
1.08
3.47
6.44
1.84
4.31
4.75
3.58
42.84
1899
3.61
6.64
5.16
1.28
5.71
3.54
5.32
6.76
6.07
0.93
3.59
1.15
, 49.76
1900
2.12
4.62
3.06
1.35
1.87
4.67
2.36
3.07
3.18
1.48
2.50
2.52
34.26
1901
2.72
0.53
3.94
2.51
2.55
1.55
3.33
6.27
2.36
1.59
2.50
6.17
36.03
1902
2.73
6.74
4.78
3.41
1.24
5.15
5.74
4.22
4.12
6.40
2.39
6.05
52.97
1903
4.67
6.13
3.06
3.21
1.18
6.21
6.08
6.96
2.72
3.51
1.89
2.90
48.52
1904
4.39
1.98
2.93
1.42
2.21
4.30
3.57
3.88
2.74
2.62
1.75
2.30
34.09
1905
3.70
2.09
3.73
2.70
2.65
5.15
6.60
9.16
2.58
4.13
2.19
3.75
48.43
1906
2,58
1.89
4.23
4.45
3.46
5.53,
2.90
6.85
1.34
6.92
0.86
5.21
46.22
Average
per month
3.07
3.30
3.73
2.69
3.91
3.71
4.24
4.61
3.52
3. 35
3.00
3.22
42.35
TEMPERATURE
Year
Jan.
■^Feb.
Mar.
Apl.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Annual
T)eg.
Deg.
Deg.
Deg.
Deg-.
Deg.
Deg.
Deg.
Deg.
Deg.
Deg.
Deg.
Deg.
1888
24.4
29.7
33.9
50.9
60.2
70.8
71.3
73.7
61.6
49.5
44.5
35.9
50.5
1889
34.0
26.0
42.5
50.2
63.2
66.5
74.5
70.2
62.9
50.7
44.8
42.1
53.1
1890
39.9
39.1
35.8
50.1
59.8
71.2
72.7
71.5
67.3
52.9
43.2
29.3
52.7
1891
32.0
37.0
34.9
52.5
59.8
69.8
70.0
71.2
69.0
50.0
39.3
39.9
52.1
1892
26.8
30.6
42.2
48.9
60.7
74.2
74.0
73.5
64.0
52.2
41.9
28.8
51.4
1893
19.6
29.6
37.1
50.4
59.7
71.0
74.5
72.1
63.3
54.2
40.5
34.0
50.5
1894
33.4
29.6
45.1
49.8
62.2
70.2
75.2
70.3
68.1
54.7
40.3
38.2
53.0
1895
25.7
21.4
37.6
50.0
61.4
72.0
70.6
71.5
69.6
48. S
43.5
3S.0
49.0
1896
29.5
32.6
33.4
54.8
66.0
68.1
74.6
73.2
65.4
50.3
47.6
31.6
52.2
1897
27.9
30.5
42.4
50.4
60.1
66.8
75.7
70.0
65.0
55.0
42.2
34.9
51.7
1898
32.6
31.1
46.4
47.0
61.4
71.4
77.4
74.2
67.8
54.8
41.0
31.0
53.0
1899
28.7
22.8
38.9
51.4
62.3
71.8
74.8
73.5
63.4
54.2
41.3
32.3
51.3
1900
30.6
29.8
34.5
51.0
61.6
71.5
77.7
77.4
70.3
56.1
45.9
33.0
53.2
1901
31.1
24.7
41.2
48.9
61.2
72.4
80.0
75.8
66.6
54.7
37.8
31.2
52.0
1902
28.6
26.5
43.6
51.3
63.5
69.9
75.7
71.1
64.6
55.5
49.5
30.0
52.5
1903
30.4
34.4
48.8
51.7
63.0
68.0
74.6
69.6
66.4
58.7
40.4
26.2
52.6
1904
23.8
25.4
38.1
47.7
63.6
67.9
73.6
70.8
69.2
52.7
40.9
27.8
50.1
1905
28.2
24.5
42.6
52.3
64.4
71.0
75.7
78.5
66.2
56.5
43.3
37.3
53.4
1906
39.1
34.0
36.0
55.4
64.6
73.0
75.6
75.8
72.5
56.3
45.8
33.1
55.1
Mean
29.8
29.4
39.7
50.7
62.0
70.4
71.4
i73.0
66.6
53.5
42.8
33.2
It will be noticed from the above table the temperature rose to 107 degrees Fahren-
that February was the average coldest heit. The coldest day was February 11,
month from 1888 to 1907 and that August 1899, when the mercury fell to seventeen
was the hottest month. On July 2, 1904, degrees below zero, at York.
628
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
CHAPTER XXXVI
DISTILLING AND TOBACCO CUL-
TURE
Whiskey Hauled to Baltimore — Many Dis-
tilleries— Excise Law — Business De-
clined— Tobacco Culture.
Distilling of whiskey from rye and corn
was a profitable business in the lower coun-
ties of Pennsylvania from 1780 to 1792 and
from- 1800 to 1830, and during that period
York excelled all other Pennsylvania coun-
ties in this industry. The whiskey was
made in small copper stills and in a few
townships nearly every farmer owned one or
more of them during the time when the
business was most profitable.
Lancaster County ranked second in the
distilling industry. The whiskey made in
that county was hauled in wagons to Phil-
adelphia and Wilmington.
The York County farmers took
Taken to nearly all of their whiskey to
Baltimore. Baltimore. Large wagons
drawn by four or six horses
were used for this purpose. Some of the
whiskey was hauled in hogsheads. Four
large hogsheads, each containing about one
hundred and fifty gallons, made one load.
Sometimes smaller barrels were used, but
the large ones were common in both Lan-
caster and York Counties from 1800 to 1820,
when the distilling business was carried on
most extensively. After 1810 some of the
farmers built larger distilleries with im-
proved methods of making whiskey.
The York County farmer turned his
cereals into liquors because it was more
profitable for him to do this than to haul his
grain to Baltimore or Philadelphia. The
prices varied, but the average amount re-
ceived for a gallon of whiskey seems to have
been low in comparison to the amount in
later years. Corn whiskey of fairly good
quality was hauled from York County to
Baltimore and sold for twenty-four cents a
gallon. For some of the best rye whiskey
the amount of eighty cents a gallon was re-
ceived.
Nowhere was the importance of the in-
dustry more strikingly illustrated than in
the advertisements of hardware stores.
Some of the York and Lancaster firms used
a copper still as a sign in front of their
stores as early as 1796.
It was not alone the difTiculty of trans-
portation which made the manufacture of
whiskey desirable, but it was one of the
very few ways by which the owner of a
small amount of capital could become a
manufacturer. The following statement
made in 1791 by a writer from western
Pennsylvania illustrates this well :
" There is no man of easy and affluent
circumstances who will trouble himself with
a distillery. It is an effort made by those
who are just rising from the pressing cir-
cumstances, to become manufacturers so
the}' can make something more than by cut-
ting timber or tilling the soil. Any man,
who after severe struggling, is able to pur-
chase the utensils for a distillery, considers
himself above absolute drudgery, and thus
make a shilling faster and easier than with
the mattock and the plow alone."
It was for such reasons that
Many the York and Lancaster farm-
Distilleries, ers found it convenient, if not
necessary, to turn their rye
and corn into whiskey, while they fed their
live stock with the refuse of this product.
This industry was not limited to a few peo-
ple, for the statistics that are to follow will
show that most of the well-to-do farmers
had one distillery, while others had from
two to four. The owners of grist mills
found it profitable to have distilleries in
connection with their mills, for instead of
selling that part which was their portion for
grinding, they might again add to its value
by manufacturing it into whiskey. The in-
gredients that entered into this whiskey
were numerous. One of the account books
has the following interesting item : " Took
fifty bushels of screenings to the distillery."
There is a strong probability that this refuse
was used for the manufacture of spirits and
that the product was not Pure Rye.
In fact, as far as can be learned
Corn from the old distillers now liv-
Whiskey. ing, the product manufactured
in early days was chiefly corn
whiskev. One of the account books con-
tains tile statement, giving the number of
bushels of ingredients used within a certain
number of months.
This table illustrates the proportions that
were adopted in at least one distillery, and
DISTILLING AND TOBACCO CULTURE
629
since this was one of the most important
ones, it is likely that these proportions are
fairly representative.
Corn 5853 parts.
Rye 1 94 1 "
Yeast Rye 438 "
Malt 273
The preceding discussion presents some
of the conditions that made this industry
desirable and profitable, and in this light the
following statistics, showing the number of
distilleries in York County, which then in-
cluded Adams County, will be instructive :
still and the improved apparatus of later
date. However, with the advent of the rail-
roads and the solution of the problem of
transportation there is little doubt that the
production of whiskey greatly declined, for
in 1840, according to the reports in the as-
sessment rolls, the number of distilleries is
insignificant as compared with that of 1810.
The prosperity of this industry was
Excise threatened with the enactment of
Law. the first National Excise law (1792-
1801), while the opposition mani-
fested itself in open rebellion in the Whiskey
Insurrection of Western Pennsylvania in
Townships
1782
1788
1791
1792-1800
1801
1810
1820
12
27
9
21
13
3
7
6
14
21
40
14
16
21
28
25
15
8
9
7
9
6
3
8
7
4
8
17
3
5
8
4
5
9
14
ly
8
9
22
4
28
5
5
2
3
4
13
1
2
5
12
Period of the National
Excise Law; not a sin-
gle still mentioned in
the tax returns for these
years.
4
16
18
30
12
3
SO
19
14
17
9
27
62
26
7
18
14
60
20
36
53
4
57
30
23
30
10
53
178
10
9
1
53
3
7
8
8
16
Hellam
94
18
58
03
,
3'>
94
9
33
^
1
Fawn
1
34
Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Joy
21
3
6
11
11
Total
353
203
12
346
559
389
Distilling seemed to have reached its
zenith in 18 10, as far as its numerical
strength is concerned, but that does not
mean that its productive power decreased
with the decline in the number of distilleries
after 1810. The decade from 1810 to 1820
was the time of many inventions in machin-
ery used in its production and the returns
make a distinction between the small copper
1794. At the time of the enactment of this
law corn whiskey sold for no more than a
shilling a gallon, and owing to the scarcity
of money and credit a gallon of this bever-
age constituted the medium of exchange in
the western counties of PeniiS3dvania. The
question naturally arose whether this in-
dustry would be profitable after this tax was
paid. The act provided :
630
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
" That upon all spirits which after the last
day of June next, 1791, shall be distilled
within the United States from any article
of the growth or produce of the United
States, in any city, town or village, there
shall be paid for their use the duties follow-
ing, that is to say: for every gallon of those
spirits more than ten per cent below proof,
according to the Dicas's hydrometer, nine
cents ; for every gallon of those spirits above
proof and not more than five per cent below
proof, according to the same hydrometer,
ten cents; for every gallon of those spirits
above proof, but not exceeding twenty per
cent, according to the same hydrometer,
thirteen cents; for every gallon of those
spirits more than twenty, and not more than
forty per cent above proof, according to the
same hydrometer, seventeen cents ; for
every gallon of those spirits more -than forty
per cent above proof, according to the same
hj'drometer, twenty-five cents."
In 1790, when the proposed excise law
first came up in Congress, a Pennsylvania
state law then in force called for the pay-
ment of a small tax on spirits. This tax,
however, was repealed in 1792. Before the
repeal of the state law, the Pennsylvania
Assembly made a stand against the pro-
posed national law. The greatest portion
of the first session of the first legislature
under the constitution of 1790, at the same
time and in the same building where Con-
gress was discussing the excise law, was
spent in passing resolutions against the
passage of the proposed law of Congress.
These resolutions failed to gain publicity
since the Senate refused to concur in them.
There were about seventy-five members in
the Assembly of Pennsylvania and out of
these less than twenty voted against the
following resolutions:
" Resolved, that any endeavor on the part
of the United States to collect a revenue by
means of excise established upon principles
subversive of peace, liberty and rights of the
citizens, ought to be remonstrated against.
" Resolved, that no public exigency can,
in the opinion of this House, warrant the
adoption of any species of taxation which
shall violate those rights which were the
reward of those exertions, and the basis of
our government, and which would exhibit
the singular spectacle of a nation magnani-
mously resisting the oppression of others in
order to enslave itself.
" Resolved, that it appears inconsistent
with the duties of the representatives of the
freemen of Pennsylvania to remain silent
spectators of a measure, in which their con-
stituents are so deeply interested; and that
these sentiments be communicated to the
Senators representing the state of Pennsyl-
vania in the Senate of the United States."
When the vote upon these resolutions was
taken in the Pennsylvania House, four of
the six representatives from Lancaster
County voted in the affirmative and the re-
maining two were absent. Only two of the
six representatives from York County voted
for the resolutions, while four voted against
them. The members from York County
were: Joseph Reid, Philip Gardner, Henry
Tyson, John Stewart, William McPherson
and Thomas Lilly.
The minority of the House
Hartley's adopted extensive resolutions in
Vote. opposition to the action of the
majority, maintaining that no
state had a right to prescribe for Congress
what acts are expedient and what are not.
Very likely the action of the York County
members was based upon this constitutional
objection and should not be interpreted as
meaning that they decided to stamp out the
industry in the county. The excise was a
measure of the administration and to sup-
port these resolutions would throw ques-
tion upon the Federal power over the
county. This interpretation is supported
by the action of Colonel Thomas Hartley in
Congress, who refrained from all discussion
upon the proposed National Excise and
voted against the measure when it was
brought up for a vote. The constitutional
objection that applied to the members from
York County in the Pennsylvania legisla-
ture did not apply to him.
When it was ascertained that the tax re-
turns gave such complete data relative to
this industry as shown in the tables, it be-
came the chief concern to ascertain the ef-
fect of the National Excise Law upon the
industry in these counties. In York County
the expectations were fully realized. The
above table, giving the distilling industry of
York County, shows that there were three
hundred and fifty-three distilleries in 1782,
DISTILLING AND TOBACCO CULTURE
631
two hundred and three in 1788, three hun-
dred and forty-six in 1801, five hundred and
ninety-nine in 1810, and two hundred and
eighty-six in 1820; but the most significant
feature is that between 1792 and 1801, the
period of the National Excise Law, not a
single distillery is reported in the tax re-
turns.
The number of distilleries had
Business decreased from three hundred
Declined, and fifty-three in 1782 to two
hundred and three in 1788, which
indicates that the industry was somewhat
on the decline. Between 1788 and 1792 the.
complete tax returns of only one township
are available, but in that township the dis-
tilleries increased from nine to twelve in
this period. At all events, the absence of
the distilleries as found in the tax returns
from 1792 to 1800, and the appearance of
three hundred and forty-six of these distil-
leries in 1801, was due to no other reason
than the enactment of the Excise Law. The
period of inactivity did not seem to incapaci-
tate these stills; in fact, it seemed to multi-
ply their number by about one hundred and
fifty, and there is at least a basis for strong
suspicion that " inactivity " may not be de-
scriptive of actual conditions. It is impos-
sible to ascertain to what extent the Na-
tional Treasury suffered from the silence of
the assessors, for the treasury receipts were
destroyed when the Capitol was burned by
the British in 1814.
After the use of the old time copper still
was discontinued, larger distilleries were
erected in several townships of York
County. At these places rye whiskey was
made in considerable quantity for a period
of half a century. Only two or three of
these distilleries are now in operation.
Among the establishments where rye whis-
key has been distilled in this county, within
recent years, are the following: Hake's
and Eichinger's, in Fairview Township;
Free's, near Goldsboro, in Newberry Town-
ship ; Foust's, in Springfield Township ;
Hellam Distilling Company, in Hellam
Township, and Coulter's in Railroad Bor-
ough.
TOBACCO CULTURE.
Tobacco, now one of York County's most
valuable products, was at one time consid-
ered as unsuited to the soil in this section
and it was not until comparatively recent
years that large crops of it have been grown.
The first settlers of York County may have
cultivated it to a limited extent, for home
consumption, but as far as it can be authori-
tatively stated, the first tobacco grown in
this county was introduced soon after 1800.
It was of an inferior quality, familiarly
known to the populace as the " shoe-string
tobacco," a hybrid of the Kentucky seed.
It was raised principally along the low dis-
tricts adjoining the Susquehanna river, on
both the York and Lancaster County side
and on the islands in the stream. It was a
heavy, black, gummy product, and narrow
in the leaf, hence the origin of the nickname
given to it.
The climate here did not seem to
Tobies, be suited to the growth of the pure
Kentucky tobacco. The inferior
tobacco after being cured, was sold at low
figures ranging from $1 to $3 per hundred
pounds. The cigars manufactured from it
by unskilled workmen, were of the crudest
form, and were commonly called " tobies."
They were sold at an average price of $1.25
per thousand, and retailed at four for one
cent. No revenue tax was paid on them.
Persons who indulged in " the weed," were
usually accommodated with one of the fra-
grant " tobies " free of charge at many of
the taverns after partaking of a meal and
paying for the same. They contained a
vast amount of nicotine, the stimulating ele-
ment in tobacco, and were doubtless very in-
jurious to the smoker.
Previous to the year 1837, Penn-
Cuban sylvania was not known as a to-
Tobacco. bacco growing state. The early
census reports scarcely recog-
nized tobacco as one of the agricultural
products of the state. It was the year
above mentioned that Benjamin Thomas,
father of the late John F. Thomas, of York,
who was then an enterprising farmer and
tobacconist of Windsor Township, York
County, conceived the idea that if a finer
quality of cigar leaf were obtained, the soil
of this county, when properly fertilized,
would be specially adapted to the cultivation
of tobacco. He accordingly secured some
Havana seed, a specimen of Cuban tobacco,
experimented with it himself on his farm,
later owned by the Haines family, and then
distributed the seed he raised the first vear
63-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
among his friends in York and Lancaster
counties, along the river districts. This was
really the beginning of the better seed leaf
tobacco raising in Pennsylvania, and ante-
dates its introduction into Lancaster
County, which county has for many years
past become famous for this valuable prod-
uct.
The tobacco Benjamin Thomas intro-
duced, after being raised a number of years,
changed its peculiar characteristics from the
small Cuban leaf to the larger Pennsylvania
leaf, retaining the better qualities of the
finer seed leaf than that of the old " shoe-
string." Mr. Thomas, the first year after
distributing his seed, bought up the entire
crop of York and Lancaster counties, in all
about fifteen hogsheads. It was packed at
that time, peculiar to the style of the south.
The crop was subsequently sold to Heald,
Buckner & Co., Philadelphia, tobacco deal-
ers. The manufacturers of that day pro-
nounced it to compare favorably with Con-
necticut leaf.
In the following year it became a fair
competitor of the Connecticut tobacco, and
the pioneer in this industry found it neces-
sary to pack it in cases as was the custom in
Connecticut. The territory of its cultiva-
tion was then limited to the few miles of
the river shore, on both sides. In 1840, the
quantity cultivated had increased to about
one thousand cases for that year. The ter-
ritory then extended from Goldsboro, this
county, down the river to East Prospect, on
this side, and from Bainbridge to Turkey
Hill, on the Lancaster County side, and east
and west about two miles from the river
shore. This was then regarded as the full
extent of the Pennsylvania tobacco growing
districts. There was some ground beyond
this limit, but considered at that time of an
inferior quality. From 1840 to 1850 the
cultivation of the " Pennsylvania seed-leaf "
gradually increased, and at the latter date
the product had reached 2,500 cases of 400
pounds each.
During this time nearly all
Connecticut raised in York and Lancaster
Seed-leaf. Counties was purchased by
Benjamin F. Thomas, the
pioneer in the industry, and packed in York,
AVrightsville and Columbia, until 1853, hav-
ing associated with him a part of the time
his son, John F. Thomas. About this time
P. A. & S. Small, of York, becoming inter-
ested in this product, obtained a consider-
able quantity of Connecticut seed which
they had their agents distribute among the
growers of the two counties. From this
dates the introduction of Connecticut seed-
leaf into Pennsylvania. From 1853 to i860,
P. A. & S. Small were associated with
Messrs. Thomas & Son in purchasing the
crop of the two counties. The first named
firm continued in the business until 1865.
The cultivation of tobacco in York
County has been continuous since 1865.
Within the last thirty years it has been
grown extensively in the shale soil in the
southeastern section of the county. By
means of fertilizers an excellent crop has
been produced in Fawn, Lower Chanceford,
Chanceford and Windsor townships, as
well as in the lime stone region, east of
York, and the sandy soil along the Susque-
hanna. The crop of 1906 has been the most
profitable grown in York County since the
introduction of the tobacco plant.
The cultivation of tobacco resulted in the
cigar making business which now employs
more people than any other industry in
York County. The towns receiving the
greatest benefit from the manufacture of
cigars are Hanover, Red Lion, Dallastown,
Yoe, Windsorville, Hellam, Seven Valley,
East Prospect and the city of York, which
itself has several very large factories. The
tobacco consumed is largely raised in other
sections of the country and in Cuba.
A deputy collector of internal revenue
was appointed at York during the Civil
War. The first collector was Horace Bon-
ham. He was succeeded in order by David
F. Williams, Colonel James A. Stable, David
Shultz, Charles W. Myers, John W. Minnich
and z^dam F. Strayer. Most of the revenue
collected is from the manufacture and sale
of cigars. According to the statistics gath-
ered in that ofTice there were in 1907 twelve
hundred cigar factories within the limits of
York County. The annual product of all
these factories is three hundred million
cigars, so that the annual revenue collected
at the York office from the manufacture of
cigars alone is nearly one million dollars.
THE CITY OF YORK
633
The City of York
CHAPTER XXXVn
EARLY HISTORY
Cookson's Plan — Stevenson's Survey —
Bottstown — Annexations — Division into
Wards — Public Common — Municipal
Government.
York, now prominent as a business and
manufacturing centre, is fertile in historical
associations. It was the first town in the
Province of Pennsylvania laid out west of
the Susquehanna. The earliest inhabitants
lived on peaceable terms with the Indians
until hostilities opened on the western bor-
der of Pennsylvania, in 1755. The exciting-
incidents which affected the town of York
during that period are found in a preceding-
chapter in this volume on the French and
Indian war. About 200 pages are devoted
to Continental Congress at York and the
part .taken by York County in the Revolu-
tion. During the second war with Great
Britain, the town of York was a rendezvous
for more than 6,000 Pennsylvania militia at
the time Baltimore was threatened by the
British. The details of this event, and the
occupation of York in 1863 by 9,000 Con-
federate soldiers are told in previous chap-
ters.
During the first one hundred years of its
history, York was known as a stable inland
town, surrounded by a rich farming region.
It was largely supported by the agricultural
interests of the county, of which it has been
the seat of justice since 1749. The town
grew slowly in population until the intro-
duction of large manufacturing establish-
ments after 1865. Within recent years and
since the incorporation into a city, in 1887,
the growth and development in the manu-
facturing and business interests have been
encouraging in the highest degree. The
modern city, accepting all the advance-
ments in civilization, has taken high rank
as one of the most prosperous centres of
population in the great Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania. \\'ith the energy thus dis-
played by an enterprising people, the future
prosperity of the city is assured.
The growth of York is shown by the fol-
lowing census statistics : Its population in
1783 was 1779; in 1787, when the town was
incorporated into a borough, the number of
inhabitants was 2,000; in 1800, 2,503; 1810,
2,848; 1820, 3,546; 1830, 4.216; 1840, 5,821;
1850, 6,963; i860, 8,605; 1870, 11,103; 1880,
13,979; 1890. 20,793; 1900, 33.708.
Since the census of 1900 was taken, the
city of York has made rapid strides in its
business and manufacturing interests, and
several hundred houses have annually been
built. The estimated population of the city
in 1907 is 42,000. This estimate does not
include West York Borough and North
York Borough.
Most of the original plot of the town of
York was land owned by the Penns. John,
Thomas and Richard Penn, sons of William
Penn, and then proprietaries, in October,
1741, directed Thomas Cookson, the deputy
surveyor for Lancaster County, which then
included the area now embraced in York
County, "to survey and lay off in lots a tract
of land on the Codorus where the Mon-
ocacy Road crosses the stream." Monocacy
road was laid out and opened in 1739, and
extended from the site of AVrightsville
through York and terminated on the banks
of the Monocacy River near Frederick,
Maryland.
The site for the town of York,
Cookson's as selected by Thomas Cook-
Plan, son, was on both sides of the
Codorus. In 1741, he laid out
that part of the original plot east of the
stream into squares, by order of the Penns,
after the manner of Philadelphia, as fol-
lows :
The square to be 480 feet wide, 520 feet
long; the lots 250x65 feet; alleys 20 feet
wide ; two streets 80 feet wide to cross each
other, and 65 feet square to be cut off the
corner of each lot to make a square for any
public building or market of no feet each
side; the lots to be let at 7 shillings sterling;
634
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the square to be laid out the length of two
squares to the eastward of Codorus when
twenty houses were built.
The margin of Cookson's draft contained
the following:
The squares count in each 480 feet on
every side which, in lots of 60 feet front and
240 deep, will make 16 lots, which multi-
plied by the number of squares, namely, 16,
gives 256 lots in all, which, together with
the streets 60 feet wide, will not take up
above 102 acres of land.
AVhen the town was thus laid
First out, applicants for lots were re-
Lot quired to enter their names. The
Owners, first applications were made in
November, 1741, when twenty-
three lots were "taken up" as follows :
John Bishop, Lot No. 57; Jacob Welsh,
58; Baltzer Spangler, 70; Michael Swope,
75; Christopher Croll, 85; Michael Laub,
86; George Swope, 87, 104, 124 and 140;
Zachariah Shugart, 92 ; Nicholas Stuck,
loi ; Arnold Stuck, 102; Samuel Hoke, 105;
Hermanns Bott, 106; George Hoke, 107 and
117; Jacob Grebill, 108; Matthias Onven-
sant, 118; Martin Eichelberger, 120; An-
drew Coaler, 121; Henry Hendricks, 122,
and Joseph Hinsman, 123. Each applicant
was required "to build upon his lot at his
own private cost one sulastantial dwelling
house of the dimensions of 16 feet square
at least with a good chimney of brick and
stone, to be laid in or built with lime and
sandj within the space of one year from the
time of his entry for the same."
The town of York did not grow, during
the first few years of its history, as rapidly
as some frontier towns now grow in the
great West. Few of the lot owners could
comply with the conditions, and some lots
were forfeited. The following letter from
James Logan to Thomas Penn describes the
town of York, two years after it was
founded :
Logan's
Letter.
Stenton. October 30, 1743.
Tilay it please your Honor :
As you were pleased to commit to me
the care and regulation of the gentlemen
of the town of York on Codorus, I pre-
sume an account of my progress of it
will not be disagreeable. First then, after the people
had notice of a town to be laid out, they had a general
meeting and entered their names with me for 70 lots
and for promoting immediate building, then the prin-
cipal persons concerned in applying for the town had
their first choice of the lots, and after them such as
first applied with an intent to build immediately. The
people were satisfied with this, and we have eleven
houses already built and several others on foot. I an-
nexed conditions on entering their names, that unless
they built in one year their claim should be void.
Water had been got at about 16 feet, pretty near the
highest part of town, which gives great encouragement
to those settled from the creek. The houses built are
from the creek towards the centre and several lots are
taken up eastward of the centre. The people are very
intent on the thing and have opened a road to Po-
tapsco (Baltimore). Some trading gentlemen there are
desirous of opening a trade to York and the country
adjacent. The inhabitants seem willing to close with
them from the shortness of the cut not being above 45
miles; from Philadelphia they are about 90 miles, be-
side the ferriage over the Susquehanna. The two
religious societies of which the town and county ad-
jacent consist, viz.: the Lutherans and the Calvinists
(Reformed), have each applied for a lot for a house of
worship which in your name I promise them, and they
are going to build immediately. The prospect of its
being a county seat some time or other pleases most of
the people, though some pains are taken to frustrate
any such expectations. I have taken a skillful person
with me and viewed the creek well for a conveniency
for a saw mill, but can not find a place any way con-
venient. There is a fine run on the tract adjoining this
in the possession of Bernard Lauman, by virtue of a
grant or license by your direction under Samuel Bluns-
ton, on which a mill might at an easy expense be
erected, and very commodious to the town. I intend
to survey a tract of 600 acres on Great Conewaeo for
the proprietaries ne.xt week. I am informed of another
tract 800 acres of good land high up the same creek
which I shall also run out. The lands on Bermudian
Creek are chiefly settled. The people settled on my
district west of the Susquehanna are hastening to pro-
cure warrants for their lands.
I will beg leave to ofifer my duty and service to your
brothers and to assure you that nothing in my power
relating to my office shall be wanting. I shall always
entertain a grateful sense of your favors to me.
I am
. Humble Sir,
Your Most Obedient,
JAMES LOGAN.
James Logan, who wrote this letter from
his country seat, "Stenton," near Philadel-
phia, was born at Lurgan, Ireland, October
20, 1674, of Scotch parentage. At the age
of thirteen he read Latin, Greek and He-
brew. He afterward became a mathema-
tician, and was well versed in the French,
Spanish and Italian languages. William
Penn invited him to come to Pennsylvania
as his private secretary, which position he
filled until 1718, when Penn died. He after-
ward filled the ofifice of secretary of the
province,' commissioner of property and
chief justice. He possessed uncommon
ability and was a great friend of the In-
dians. He died at "Stenton," October 31,
1751-
George Hoke, one of the settlers who
purchased a lot at York in 1741, soon after-
ward began to make bricks and burn lime.
He was charged with having cut down tim-
THE CITY OF YORK
63:
ber in large quantities within the town of
York for the purpose of carrying on his
business. In 1750, a letter was written
from York to the authorities at Philadel-
phia, stating that "sundry persons have cut
ofT the wood of the town land to burn brick,
and are now burning brick on lots- not
granted, to the damage of the inhabitants,
who ought to have the wood for firing, and
of the purchasers of the ungranted lots,
which are spoiled by clay holes."
At the time of the first settle-
Difficulties, ment of York, some persons
took possession of lots with-
out having secured a legal title, and built
houses thereon. They were reported to
the provincial authorities, who required
them to comply with the law. Among
those who built "without license" were
Jacob Billmeyer, on Lot No. 55; Jacob
Fackler, on Lot No. 60; Avit Shall, on Lot
No. 74. They were required to deliver up
possession on April 10, 1751, to Nicholas
Scull, agent for the proprietaries. There
were other local troubles which gave rise
to considerable contention among the first
residents.
April 24, 1750, Thomas Cookson ad-
dressed the following letter to George
Stevenson, at York :
Sir : — Christian Oyster in his hfe time entered for a
lot in York, No. 82. The time for building expired, but
no new entry was made till lately, as I vmderstood, with
you. The widow is since married, and her husband has
put up logs for a house on the lot. He told me that he
applied to you, and acquainted you with his intentions
of building, and that you had promised him that no ad-
vantage should be taken of the forfeiture of the lot, and
that he might proceed to build, and that since, through
neglect, you have suffered another person to enter that
lot, who insists on a right to it, notwithstanding the
building erected on it. I find that taking advantage of
the forfeiture of lots is a great spur to the people's
building. But where there is an intent and preparation
for building, I would not be too strict on insisting on
the forfeiture, as the sole intent is to have the town im-
proved; and if the first takers up of lots will build and
settle, their priority of application should be favored.
A few examples will be necessary to be made ; and they
should be made of such persons as take up lots for sale
without improvement. There are some others here
about their forfeited lots. But I am well satisfied that
you do everything that is reasonable and equitable to
the people, and for the advancement of the proprietor's
interest. Our court being so near, I could not spare
time to come to York. Please let me know in what
forwardness my home is.
It is claimed by some that
Stevenson's Thomas Cookson, who made
Survey. the first survey of 256 lots
east of the Codorus, did not
return his draft to the land office. It is not
known to be in existence. October 15,
1754, a survey of York was madeby George
Stevenson, who became deputy surveyor of
York County when it was formed in 1749,
and served for sixteen years as prothono-
tary, clerk of courts and register of wills for
York County. He married the widow of
Thomas Cookson, deputy surveyor of Lan-
caster County, and thus became a large land
owner. He wrote the following letter to
Richard Peters, describing the town at that
time :
York, October 26, 1754.
Dear Sir : — I now answer your repeated letters about
York town, which I should have done long since, if no
other business had not frequently interrupted me, whilst
I was making a draught of the town. The tract of
land, whereon the town stands, contains 437^2 acres, or
near 412 acres and allowance. On the 1st of October,
1749, (the time I came to York), the town consisted of
sixty-three dwelling houses, of wood, which were not
finished, and also a Lutheran and a Calvinist church.
As the town was then chiefly inhabited by Germans (as
indeed it now is), there was but one room, with a fire
place or hearth in it, in the whole town. All the houses
in town were accommodated with Dutch stoves. The
town now consists of 210 dwelling houses, near thirty
of which are unfinished, and only three are built of
bricks, and two of stones. On tlie rest, some are of
logs and some framed beside the Court House, of brick,
not finished, and the prison of stone. The lots on the
east side of the creek were laid out by Thomas Cookson,
before I came here. The inhabitants choosing to buy
lots on High (Market) Street and Water Street at a
dear rate, rather than to take up vacant lots, because
there is as yet, very little trade in the other streets, or
even in High Street, to the eastward of Duke Street.
From an actual survey of the ground on the west
side of the creek, I have drawn in the plan 100 lots, of
the like figure and quantity of those on the east, which
is all the ground, in my opinion, fit for lots on that side
of the creek. The land described in the plan, between
the crooked dotted line and the creek is low, w;et
ground in the driest season. Greatest part of it is quite
a swamp in wet weather, and at the breaking up of the
frost and at other times when there are heavy rains, the
creek overflows a great part of it, especially that north
of the bridge. Part of the road through it is a wooden
causeway. For the foregoing natural reasons, 'tis unfit
to build' on, but if it were cleared, well ditched and
drained, it would make good meadow. The land north
of the 100 lots, is broken with a swampy valley, and if
it were not so, the country north of it is hilly, stony
ground, not thickly inhabited, but little resort to town
from that quarter, and consequently little trade; and
therefore I think, lots would not be taken up there, in
this age, if they were laid out. The triangle, south of
the 100 lots, is good level ground, but as the southward
inhabitants either come into town on the east side of
the creek, or come to the great road, some distance west
of the town, there is not likely to be any trade there, at
least in a short time. And, indeed, to see but little
probability of settling the lots in Queen Street and
south of Prince Street, on the east side of the creek.
The inhabitants have neither meadow nor pasture, but
buy all their hay, and are obliged to stable their own
horses, as well as those of travellers, all summer, which
is doubtless a great damage to the town. They com-
plain of this much, and say that Mr. Cookson, when he
636
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
laid out the town, promised them out-lots for these uses.
Upon the whole, I am of opinion that it is best to lay
out all the ground, appears to be vacant (except the
narrow piece east of Queen Street), in out-lots and
grant them to the inhabitants for pasture and meadow
at the best ground-rent that can be got leaving proper
streets or lanes.
The timber of the town land was all destroyed before
I came here ; the inhabitants ever since, have bought all
their timber for building and firewood, very dear, of the
adjacent farmers, which is discouraging to poor settlers,
and few rich people settle here.
As I am certain the vacant ground within the town
land, according to my plan, if it were granted for out-
lots, is not sufficient to accommodate the inhabitants,
would it not be for the interest of the proprietaries (as
well as for the good of the people) to purchase some of
the adjacent plantations for that purpose, especially that
of Hermanus Bott, quantity about 200 acres, and that
of Bartholomew Maul, about ninety acres, which sur-
rounds the northeast corner of the town land, and is so
near the lots. I am informed they will sell as soorr as
they can, and I think cheaper now than they would
have done two years ago. West of and contiguous to
the town land, Hermanus Bott has laid out some lots,
which I have also described on my plan ; four houses
are already built there. I am told he lets them at 7
shilling sterling per annum, and therefore I think 'tis
now time to grant the lots west of the creek, and high
time to buy out Bott. I would have advised to have
laid out the lots on the west side of the creek two years
ago, but that I thought it best to defer it longer, expect-
ing the people would have taken up the lots south of
Prince Street, but as I have now little hopes of that,
and find the people inclined to settle on the road, in the
west side of the creek, yea west of the limits of the
town. I conclude 'tis expedient to grant that side soon.
Two fairs in the year, viz. — one the 17th day of
March, for selling and buying of plough horses, milk
cows, &c. ; another the second Tuesdaj' of November
(to avoid the courts), for selling beef cattle, butter,
cheese, winter milk cows, bacon, hogs, pork, and would
be of great use both to town and country. Two market
da3'S in the week, viz. : Wednesdays and Saturdays, for
selling and buying daily provisions, would prevent im-
positions from butchers, and stop the Germans from
their beloved practice of buying and selling on Sundays,
which I am satisfied the}- do continually, though 'tis not
easily detected.
A clerk of the market, commissioned by the governor,
would regulate weights and measures, and prevent daily
abuses of this sort.
A corporation and burgesses is not necessary. I need
not oflfer one of the man}' reasons which occur to me
against it, because I do not know of one good reason
for it.
So much for York town. There are several planta-
tions within seven miles of York, for which the inhab-
itants have neither grant nor warrant. Some of them
I have surveyed for the use of the honorable the pro-
prietaries, to be holden by the tenants on such terms
and conditions as the proprietaries shall be pleased to
limit and appoint. I design to survey the rest as the
people apply. They often ask me if I know the pro-
prietaries' terms, and I find they all expect to purchase
at some rate.
I think it imprudent to say anything to them about
terms until all are .surveyed, which I think will be in
about a year.
There are several improvements made within seven
miles of York town.
I shall be glad to see your answer to my several late
letters. Those of my family who have been sick are
recovering. My wife and Miss Hannah are well and
join in compliments to you.
I am,
Dr.Sr.
Your most obedient
Hble. servt.,
GEORGE STEVENSON.
April 15, 1765, William Matthews, the
Quaker surveyor for the Penns, who came
to York at the time of the settlement, wrote
to William Peters, of Philadelphia, brother
to Richard Peters, secretary to the gov-
ernor. In this letter he stated:
West
of the
Codorus.
Agreeable to thy instructions, I have
made a survey and draught of the lots
on the west side of the Codorus, and as
Samuel Johnston was not at home, I got
Dr. David Jameson to go with me and
fix upon the place for the cross streets,
which are fixed, as I think, in the most
convenient places ; and as Newberry Street will suit
very well to build upon, I have laid the lots adjoining
the other way, and left a twenty foot alley at the ends
of them, which happens just in the swamp. I have laid
the ground Michael Doudel holds out into half lots, as
well as all the rest on High Street, except Jacob
Doudel's two lots. It did not suit to go so nigh Bott's
land in that angle on High Street, as what thee men-
tioned in thy instructions, unless there could be some
land got of Bott by exchange or otherwise. The people
seem desirous of knowing the terms of the lots, both on
High Street and back, and I would with submission,
propose that if the agents thought proper, after fixing
the rents, to inform Samuel Johnston of the price, that
he might let the inhabitants know the terms, that it
would be of advantage to the poor people here. I
should be glad to know whether I may have the lot I
last wrote to thee about, as thee is a man that is going
to improve it ; and I should likewise be glad to know
how many lots Philip Ziegler, the brick maker, has
entered for, or got a grant of, and their numbers, as he
is digging and improving several. I went to him sev--
eral times and informed him that he ought to get a
right for them before he dug them up and spoiled them
in the manner he is doing. He says he has a right, and
will not stop for any man here. If he is suffered to go
on, he will ruin them from any one else taking them,
and then leave them as he and some of the other brick
makers have done one whole square on the creek, that
they will never be of any manner of service. If he has
entered or agreed for any, he ought to be confined to
them and made to build on them, in my opinion, before
he is suffered to dig them as he has done others, and
then it is probable the house will bring in the proprie-
taries' rents. I should be glad to know whether to
stop him, or otherwise, and as several people are de-
sirous of some of the forfeited lots, I have thought that
if the brickmaker was allowed but two, instead of four,
that it would be more likely to secure the quit rent.
Samuel Johnston was the original mem-
ber of the York Bar and the attorney for
the Penns after York was laid out in 1741.
Dr. David Jameson was the pioneer phys-
ician of the town, who had served as a
surgeon and also as a captain in the French
and Indian A\'ar. June i, 1765, William
THE CITY OF YORK
637
Peters wrote to Samuel Johnston, from
Philadelphia, in reference to the disposition
of lots on both sides of the Codorus :
The Governor and agents have concluded to
Quit insist upon 20 sterling, quit rent for each
■p inner half lot of 32'^ feet on the west side
JXentS. Qf f]^g Codorus, as now divided by William
Matthews, and to reserve a whole sixty-five
foot lot at each corner of a street for the proprietors.
And we must get you to publish these terms among
the people who have applied for lots ' there and let
them know; that if they do not take their lots (now
half lots) before the first of July next, their applica-
tions will be no longer regarded, but the lots will be
granted to the next applicant, after the said first of
July, and desire you will get the positive answer of as
many of them as you can in the meantime.
Daniel Dinkel, the bearer, has applied for the two
half lots. No. 327 and No. 32S, joining Jacob Doudel's
two patented lots on Codorus ; but as Jacob Doudel and
Daniel Doudel have applied for a lot or two there, I
must desire their immediate positive resolution, whether
they will take any more there at 20 sterling per half lot,
or will grant the two half lots to Daniel Dinkel, which
he applied for next after Daniel Doudel.
I understand there is a project on foot to alter the
present road from about Newberry Street to Carlisle
and towards Lewis Ferry, to pass through Wright's,
and which I am told will be a great hurt to the town
and the proprietors' interest, and therefore, I desire
you will inquire into and let me know the state of the
matter and apply to the next court, if occasion be, to
prevent the alteration of the road.
June 8, 1765, Samuel Johnston, in answer
to William Peters' letter, said:
Sir : — I received yours of the first inst, and shall
pursue your directions with respect to the lots on the
west side of the Codorus, but as I have no list of the
persons' names that applied to you, I can only give
notice to the people in general. Some of the people
have been with me since I received your letter, and, on
hearing the terms, all seem to decline taking the lots
they had applied for.
I spoke to Daniel Doudel, and his answer is that the
terms are too high, and therefore, he won't take up the
lots he had applied to you about, so that 1 suppose
Daniel Dinkel may have them. As to Jacob Doudel, he
is gone to Philadelphia and will give you his answer
himself.
At the last court there was a petition given in by tTie
inhabitants of York-town, from the Court House up-
wards, for a road to cross Codorus, at the north end
of George Street, hence to run until it intersect a road
which leads from York to John Garretson's. at Big
Conewago Creek. Two other petitions were also given
in to the court, one from the inhabitants of the lower
part of Yorktown, near the bridge, and the other from
some inhabitants of Manchester Township, praying a
road to be laid out to the north part of Manchester and
Newberry Townships, to cross Codorus opposite Water
Street, and that they had raised a subscription for
.building a bridge and maintaining it for seven years.
The two last petitions seem to have been presented to
prevent the first taking effect, as the inhabitants in the
lower part of the town have at present the first offer of
everything coming to market, but the court has kept
both under advisement, and I shall take care to prevent
the propreitors' interest from suffering in this or any
other affair that I know of.
September 9, 1765, Governor
The Thomas Penn wrote to Samuel
Penn Johnston, from Philadelphia, giv-
Orders. ing specific orders in reference to
the management of the proprie-
taries" affairs at York. The following is
the letter:
Being informed that George Isler, who applied for the
lot in York, on the south side of High Street, near the
Court, No. 74, is absconded and become insolvent, I
desire and hereby authorize you on behalf of the pro-
prietors to enter upon, take and retain the possession
of the said lot of ground for their use ; but would have
you intimate to the creditors of the said Isler, that the
proprietaries do not desire to deprive them of the bene-
fit of the sale of the said Isler's interest in the build-
ings on the said lot, provided they dispose thereof or
move them in three months.
The proprietary agents and myself have fixed the quit
rents of the lots on both sides of High Street, on the
west side of Codorus Creek, which William Matthews,
by our order, divided in to half lots, and also the lots
in the back. I have on each side of High Street at 20
shillings sterling, on all the said half lots on High
Street, twelve shillings sterling for each whole back lat
on the west side of Codorus, but with a reservation of
all the corner lots, for the proprietaries, as well on
High Street as on the back streets. For the ease and
convenience of the people who shall incline to take
patents for any of the said lots on the said terms, we
desire you will take their applications, and direct the
deputy surveyor to lay out, and send a draught of such
lots as shall be applied for from time to time, on the
west side of the Codorus ; and on your tickets or cer-
tificate of such application being transmitted to the sec-
retary with the draught of the lot, he will fill up and
send you the counterpart of the patent with the bond
for building in the limited time, to be signed by the
party and on return thereof to him, if patent will be
made out and delivered to the order of the party on
payment of the fees. We would have you likewise re-
ceive the applications for any lots ungranted in the old
parts of the town, on the east side of the Codorus. and
send them to the secretary with your observation of the
circumstances of each and respecting the terms proper,
to grant the same upon respectively.
You are likewise to give notice to all the persons who
shall dig clay to make bricks on any of the ungranted
lots or in any of the streets, that they desist therefrom
till on their application, to be sent by you to the pro-
prietary agents with your opinion of the reasonableness
thereof, we shall grant them the liberty of getting clay
where it is least prejudicial to the streets and the future
improvement of the said town.
We must likewise desire you will take care to pre-
vent, as much as in your power, any waster being com-
mitted in the timber, or any of the proprietors' lands
near York, and send the secretary the names of any
persons who have or shall destroy any wood thereon,
in order that they may be prosecuted.
Martin Fry, who owned the land
An Early now embraced in the northeast
Patent. part of the town, located there in
1734 and obtained a patent for
250 acres, October 30, 1736, from Thomas
Penn. He died in 1739, leaving a wife and
three children, viz: Tobias, Martin and a
daughter. The widow married Isaac Roti-
638
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
debush who, on December 19, 1741, trans-
ferred his and his wife's rights to Michael
Schryack, who in 1743 assigned his title to
Bartholomew Maul. Some time after Mar-
tin Fry's death, and during the orphanage
of these children, 137 acres of this land were
surveyed by the proprietary's commis-
sioner, contrary to the intent of the war-
rant, for the proprietary's private use and
benefit, and he sold a part of the same on
grant to the inhabitants of York. Barthol-
omew Maul, in 1747, had Thomas Cookson
survey this disputed tract. Maul by his
will, dated April 4, 1755, bequeathed to his
wife and children all his real and personal
estate. These various transfers brought
about conflicting claims to this land. When
Tobias and Martin Fry, the sons of the orig-
inal grantee, became of legal age, they as-
serted their rights. John Hay, who mar-
ried Julia, daughter of Bartholomew Maul,
in 1762, for £260 purchased a part of the
original tract. Suits and counter-suits were
brought by various claimants. The Hon.
James Smith and George Stevenson were
interested in these suits. John Hay became
the owner of the lands northeast of the
otwn, and some concessions were made by
persons who owned lots of this land which
they had purchased of the proprietary.
On August 9, 1750, Hermanns
Bottstown. Bott obtained a patent from
the proprietaries of Pennsyl-
vania, John Penn and Richard Penn, for
297 acres of land, west of the Codorus
Creek, adjoining the town of York, in the
township of Manchester. He was an in-
dustrious farmer, having emigrated from
Germany a few years before and purchased
a lot in York. In 1753, he conceived the
idea of planning a town west of York,
which was then but a small village. A sur-
vey was made of a portion of Bott's tract,
and about fifty lots were laid out. The
main highway of the town -was called Iving
Street and was an extension of High or
Market Street of York. This sturdy Ger-
man intended to establish a town to com-
pete with York, and in order to encourage
persons to settle in it, offered a title to one
lot of ground to any person who would
agree to pay " a yearly quit rent of seven
shillings and one penny forever or the value
thereof in coin current according to the ex-
change that shall be between the province
of Pennsylvania and the city of London."
The lots were sixty-five feet front on King
Street (now West Market) and 460 feet
long,_ crossing an alley. All the rights to
quit rents on the south side of the street
were afterward purchased by Mathias Smy-
ser. The person obtaining a lot was re-
quired " to erect a substantial dwelling-
house twenty feet square, with a good
chimney of brick or stone, to be laid in with
lime and sand and to build within the space
of two years from the time the deed was
executed." Some of Bott's deeds were
printed at the " New Printing Office of H.
Miller and S. Holland at Lancaster," and
bear date of March 1763. Many of the first
houses built were of logs — a few of them
were standing in 1907. Bottstown, after
an existence of 130 years, was annexed to
the borough of York in 1884. It then had
a population of about 300.
A census of Bottstown was taken in the
year 1783 by the township assessor. There
were then 151 inhabitants. The names of
the property holders were Peter Lint,
joiner; Michael Wise, Gottlieb Reichard,
who owned four horses ; Jeremiah Schryack,
Gabriel Derr, John Ernst, hatter; Mathias
Detter, innkeeper; Andrew Wyer, Peter
Engelmor, Martin Hap, John Haller, Henry
Cunningham, Frederick Horn, baker;
Widow Hoke, John Detter, saddler; John
Kortz, tobacconist ; Robert Bailey, gun-
smith; Alexander Brown, hosier; Frederick
Rothrock, saddler; Andrew Sneider, Robert
Lewis, Jacob Bott, son of the founder of the
town, owned eleven acres of land, one horse,
one cow and six sheep and had a family of
eight persons; Philip Rothrock, Philip
Hoffman, Martin Bauer, George Fink,
Nicholas Reisinger, Frederick Roemer,
Frederick Eichelberger and Mathias Ament.
The entire property valuation was 2,554
pounds in Pennsylvania currency.
For three-fourths of a cen-
Freystown. tury, that part of the city
known as East York, was the
village of Freystown. Godlieb Frey owned
a farm in this section, and in 1814, he laid-
a large tract of land out into a town. He
called the leading highway Market Street,
because it was the extension of a street
of the same name in York. The street
WEST SIDE OK CENTRE SOUARE IN lyJO
WEST MARKET STREET FROM CENTRE SOU ARE IN 1S20
THE CITY OF YORK
639
south of Market, now East King, was
named " Low " and the third street on the
Frey plan was named East Philadelphia.
Before Freystown was laid out, a con-
spicuous stone dwelling house stood on the
North side of Market street. It was built
before the Revolution and for many years
was the residence of Rev. Robert Cathcart,
D. D., pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church, of York. Thomas C. Hambly, a
prominent member of the York County bar,
resided in this dwelling and then sold it to
Henry Kauffelt. Freystown grew slowly,
having a small population as late as i860,
when the Civil war opened. Isaac Runk,
one of the early merchants, carried on a
successful business for a period of thirty
years. Henry Sleeger owned a cabinet
making shop; he was also an undertaker.
Charles H. Fre}^ a leading citizen of Spring
Garden township, resided in this village,
and was justice of the peace from 1866 to
the time of his death. He also served as
county surveyor and was secretary of the
Spring Garden Fire Insurance Company.
He took an active part, in the development
of the town which began to grow into prom-
inence about the year 1875. In the year
1890, a vote of the people was taken, which
resulted in the annexation of Freystown to
the city of York.
The Spring Garden band, a noted musi-
cal organization, originated in the year
1855. Almost its entire membership enlist-
ed in the army, as the military band of the
87th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers,
and served in the army until regimental
bands were discontinued in the fall of 1863.
The Goodwill Fire Company was organ-
ized in 1839.
Basket making has been an important
industry on King Street. Nearly every
house of the street, on both sides, is a bas-
ket factory, employing from five to ten
hands. This street was humorously called
"Bull Frog Alley," a name given to it about
1830, by John Frey, who, with his father,
lived in a small one-story frame house — the
only one then on the street. The adjoining
land was then swampy and marshy, and
contained a large number of frogs, so that
they kept up a continual noise during the
evening and night, and John Frey, a boy of
about twelve years of age, claimed that he
could not sleep on account of the croaking
of the frogs, and that he wanted to move
out of that "Bull Frog Alley." This inci-
dent gave King Street the name, by which
it is best known ever since. The industry
of basket-making on this street yearly
amounts to a large sum of money. The
manager of one of these shops reported
that he sold in 1884, of his own manufac-
ture, $3,000 worth of baskets. In 1880, he
sold $5,000 worth. These basket-makers are
nearly all Germans and are industrious and
prosperous. Those people in King Street
who do not follow the basket-making bus-
iness are called gypsies, and have their win-
ter residence on this street, but as soon
as spring comes they pull out with horse
and wagon, and roam over the country, the
men trading horses and the women telling
fortunes, returning in the fall with greatly
replenished purses.
That section of the city west
Smysertown. of Penn Street and south of
Princess was owned for half
a century by Samuel Smyser. Before it
was annexed to the city the land had been
laid off into lots and a large number of
houses built. The village became known as
Smysertown, in honor of the owner, -who
was born near York in 1813, and died in
1899. He was married to Rebecca, daugh-
ter of Dr. Robert Lewis, of Dover, and left
no descendants. In his will he bequeathed to
the Children's Home of York, a large farm
in West Manchester Township, upon which
his great granfather, Alathias Smyser, set-
tled in 1745 .
George Hay ICain, a member of the York
County l3ar, who in 1907, prepared a digest
of the Laws and Ordinances relating to the
City of York, has furnished the succeeding
articles describing the different annexations
to the borough and city, the division into
wards. Public Common and Potter's field.
The Stevenson plot, made in 1754, in-
cluded all the terrritory which was incor-
oprated in the borough in 1787. It included
an area of 437>4 acres, according to his es-
timate. Within the territory bounded north
by Gas Alley, east by Queen Street, south by
College Avenue and west by the Codorus,
his plan fixed the location of the streets and
alleys as they now exist. The plot also laid
out lots and streets west of the creek, but
these locations do not conform to the pres-
ent lines, which were possibly fixed by Wil-
640
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
liam Matthews who surveyed that territory
in 1765. A third survey of the town was
made in 1768 by John Lukens, incident to
his survey of Springettsbury Manor^ by
which survey the area of the town was fixed
at 446^ acres. A fourth survey was made
in 1805 by WilHam Alexander, under an
order from the Circuit Court of the United
States for the district of Pennsylvania, the
surve}' being made for use in the litigation
arising over Springettsbury Manor. The
territor}' north of Gas Alley is supposed to
have been laid out into lots by Lukens,
while certain lands, forming a part of the
proprietary rights,, on both sides of the
creek, were laid out by Alexander, this be-
ing known as Coates' addition. Hays' addi-
tion, in the northern and northeastern por-
tion of the borough was laid out in 1814 by
the heirs of John Hay, and other private
property was laid out into lots from time to
time by various owners. All these addi-
tions, however, were within the limits of
the borough.
The first annexation to the
Annexations, borough was made by de-
cree of the Court of Quarter
Sessions May 7, 1883, and included 142
acres, 130 perches in Spring Garden Town-
ship, adjacent to the south section of the
borough. A second annexation was made
April 21, 1884, and included 424 acres, yi
perches, adjacent to the southwestern,
western and northwestern sections of the
borough, partly lying in Spring Garden
Township and partlj' in \\^est Manchester
Township. This area comprised the two
villages known as Bottstown and Smyser-
town, together with a section then recently
opened by the West End Improvement
Company. Another annexation was made
January 16, 1885, the territory included in
this addition containing forty acres, 109
perches in Spring Garden Township, adja-
cent to the northeastern section of the bor-
ough. The fourth and last annexation to the
borough was made January 12, 1886, and in-
cluded sixty-seven acres, forty-eight perches
in Spring Garden Township, adjacent to the
southeastern section of the borough.
The territory included within the original
borough limits, together with that added by
the four annexations mentioned, was incor-
porated into the City of York, January 11,
1887, since which time two annexations
of territory have been made, one by an or-
dinance, approved January 24, 1900; the
other by an ordinance approved Ma';ch 23,
1900, both being enacted in accordance
with the petitions of three-fifths of the tax-
able inhabitants of the respective sections.
The first of these annexations included that
section of Spring Garden Township, east of
the city, known as Freystown, while the
second included a portion of West Man-
chester Township, north of the city, known
as Fairmount.
In addition to the annexations mentioned
there were several unsuccessful attempts
made to annex territory to the borough.
On February 6, 1879, the town council
passed an ordinance to annex Smysertown,
but litigation arose and the ordinance was
repealed January 20, 1880, in order to save
the imposition of costs upon the borough.
August 27, 1883, the Court handed down a
decree for the annexation of 429 acres, 70
perches west of the Codorus being practi-
cally the territory included in the annexa-
tion of 1884, but exceptions to this decree
were filed and final confirmation was re-
fused. October 26, 1883, the grand jury
reported adversely on the question of an-
nexing Freystown and adjacent territory,
the whole tract containing 478 acres, 158
perches. All of the territory thus attempt-
ed to be annexed is now included in the
city, by virtue of subsequent annexations.
As originally incorporated the
Division borough of York formed one
into election district. It was divided
wards, into wards by an act of Assembly
approved April 2, 1822, the por-
tion lying north of Market Street, forming
the North ward, and the portion lying
south of Market Street, the South ward.
By an act approved February 24, 1853,
those portions of the North and South
wards lying west of the Codorus were form-
ed into the West ward, while a second act,
approved March 11 of the same year, prac-
tically repeated the same provisions. By
Act ilay 7, 1859, five numbered wards were
created; the First Ward lying east of
George Street and South of Market Street;
the Second Ward lying east of George
Street and north of Market Street; the
Third Ward lying west of George Street,
north of Market Street, and east of the Co-
dorus creek ; the Fourth Ward lying west
THE CITY OF YORK
641
of George Street, south of Market Street
and east of the Codorus Creek; the Fifth
ward lying west of the creek. In 1875 a
movement was instituted for the creation
of new wards out of the First, Second,
Fourth and Fifth, and commissioners were
appointed in each case by the Court of
Quarter Sessions of York county. The
commissioners appointed on the division of
the First Ward recommended that a new-
ward, to be known as the Sixth, should be
formed, by a report filed and confirmed nisi
April 13, 1875. This report for some rea-
son was recommitted to the commission-
ers again, presented and confirmed
nisi August 23, and absolutely, November
29, 1875. The reports recommending the
creation of the Seventh, Eighth and Ninth
Wards, out of the Second, Fourth and Fifth
were presented and confirmed nisi April 12,
1875, and no exception being filed, became
confirmed absolutely. Commissioners hav-
ing been appointed to inquire into the ad-
visability of dividing the Sixth Ward, re-
ported April 20, 1885, in favor of the crea-
tion of the Tenth Ward out of a part of the
territory, and their report was confirmed
December 9, 1885. The question of erect-
ing new wards out of the Fifth and Ninth
Wards was submitted to the voters of the
respective districts at the February election
in 1891. The vote in the Ninth ward re-
sulted in a tie and the ward was accordingly
not divided. In the Fifth Ward the vote
was in favor of the creation of a new ward
which was accordingly formed, and desig-
nated the Eleventh Ward, by a decree made
February 19, 1891. The Twelfth and Thir-
teenth Wards were created out of newly an-
nexed territory, by decrees dated February
12 and April 9, 1900.
By reasons of annexations -of territory,
boundaries of the different wards were en-
larged from time to time by decrees of the
Court. August 27, 1883, additions were
made to the First, Sixth and Eighth Wards ;
August 25, 1884, to the Fifth and Ninth
Wards: April 20, 1895, to the Second and
Eighth W^ards; April 19, 1886, to the Tenth
Ward, and February 12, 1900, to the First,
Eighth and Tenth W'ards.
PUBLIC COMMON.
When York was laid out in 1741, only a
portion of the territory within the limits of
the town was divided into lots, the remain-
ing portion being left open to accommodate
the growing needs of the population. The
titles to such lands remained in the propri-
etaries, but the lands were used freely by
the inhabitants as pastures for their cattle
and for other purposes, there being a record
of complaint on the part of the proprietaries
that some of the inhabitants had gone on
their lands and rendered them practically
worthless by taking ofT all the clay and
making it into bricks. These lands were
laid out and sold as there was a demand for
them, but the demand grew slowly, and in
1787 the charter of the borough mentions
the "Commons, as well on the south side of
the said borough as on the west side of the
Codorus Creek, * * which commons ought
to be not only beneficial and convenient for
the inhabitants, as an outlet and pasture
ground for their cattle, in the meantime,
but in time to come may be appropriated
for the future extension and increase of the
building of the said borough."
The lands thus described as " Commons,"
included much more territory than was af-
terward included in the Public Common
which is now transformed into Penn Park.
About the year 1800, John R. Coates, as
agent for the late proprietaries, laid claim to
the lands lying within what was known as
Springettsbury Manor, which included the
lands occupied by the borough. This claim
was based on the assumption that the act
of legislature, passed in 1779, by which the
titles of the Penns were vested in the state,
did not affect the lands within the Manor.
If this claim could be substantiated, it
would affect every landowner in the Manor,
for those who had acquired their titles from
the proprietaries would be obliged to pay
heavy arrearages of quit-rents, all titles
granted by the Penns being subject to an
annual payment or quitrent, while those
persons who had acquired their land from
the State would have no title thereto and
would lose not only their land but also what
they had paid for it and the money they
had spent in improving it. Naturally great
excitement prevailed, and numerous confer-
ences were held between the citizens of the
borough and those who represented the
claims of the late proprietaries, the result
of which was an agreement entered into
between a committee of citizens and a rep-
642
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
resentative of the Penns, on February 23,
1805. This agreement provided certain
terms of payment, on compliance with
which, by any owner, all arrearages of quit-
rents on his land should be settled and all
future quitrents should be extinguished.
The lots belonging to religious societies
and the Academy lot were, however, "to
be released gratis." The agreement further
provided for "twenty acres as a Public Com-
mon on the south side of the town and east
side of the creek to be conveyed to the cor-
poration to be laid off in a square as near
as may be." All other of the lands called
Common were to be sold out in lots of not
more than five acres with convenient alleys.
One of the conditions of this agreement, al-
though not expressed therein, was that the
Legislature of Pennsylvania should pass an
act, releasing all claims to any lands within
the borough of York, and such an act was
accordingly passed March 7. 1805, the pre-
amble of which recites "that the freeholders
of said borough, willing to avoid law suits,
have made an advantageous contract" with
John R. Coates, agent of the late proprie-
taries, for the settlement of the disputes.
This act provided that all right, interest and
claim of the Commonwealth to all lands in
the borough held or occupied under title
from the late proprietaries should be re-
leased to the person or persons holding the
same, and all right, interest and claim of
the State to the remainder of the lands
within the borough were released to the
borough itself. Neither the agreement
mentioned, nor this act, affected any titles
outside the borough limits. x\lthough the
conditions of the agreement were thus al
most immediately complied with, it was not
until eleven years later that the heirs oi
\\'illiam Penn carried out their part of the
agreement by conveying this Public Com-
mon to the borough.
On June 11, 1816, however.
Conveyed the conveyance was made by
to Borough John R. Coates, in his own
right and as attorney in fact
for John Penn, to the Burgesses and Inhab-
itants of the Borough of York. The deed
conveyed a tract of land "containing about
twenty acres and used as a Public Common,"
the land "to be kept as a public and open
Common forever for the use of the said
borough and to and for no other use, intent
or purpose whatever." In 1816 this tract
was bounded on the east by George Street
north by New Street (now College Avenue )
west by Water Street and south by lots ot
Samuel Ilgenfritz, Christian Hildebrand
and Imfeld's heirs, it being provided, that
the portion of the land fronting on George
Street, and 250 feet deep might be sold at
any time with the concurrence of the legis-
lature. On March 2, 1842, the legislature
consented to such sale, the proceeds to be
applied to the payment of the borough debt,
and this portion of the tract was accordingly
sold, remained unimproved for seventy-five
years, being used as a pasture, as a place
for the holding of military encampments,
circuses, and for various other purposes.
In 1891 a number of public spirited citizens
secured permission from the city councils
to improve the tract at their own expense,
which was accordingly done, and the tract
is now known as Penn Park, a more extend-
ed description of which will be found in
another part of this volume.
It may be proper to say a few
Manor words in regard to the dispute over
Titles. Springettsbury Manor, mentioned
above in relation to the sketch on
the Public Common. After the Revolution
the Legislature of Pennsylvania passed an
act by which all the estates of the late pro-
prietaries were vested in the Commonwealth
in return for the payment to the proprieta-
ries of 130,000 pounds sterling. This act,
however, did not affect the private estates
of the Penns, nor "the lands called and
known by the name of Proprietary Tenths
or Manors," provided these manors had
been surveyed and returned into the land
office before July 4, 1776. As stated in
another part of this volume, Springettsbury
■Manor had been surveyed in 1722, but the
survey had never been returned to the land
office. It was re-surveyed in 1768, however,
and this survey had been duly returned.
The late proprietaries made no claim to
the lands within Springettsbury Manor, nor
did they claim payment of any of the quit-
rents, which had been reserved until about
the year 1800. Previous to this time it had
been supposed that the title to all these
lands was in the Commonwealth and nu-
merous persons had purchased vacant lands
from the State, improving them at great
expense. The consternation aroused by
THE CITY OF YORK
643
this claim of the proprietaries was great,
affecting not only the residents within the
Manor, but also the State itself, for if sus-
tained it would take away from the State
the title to all lands which still remained
vacant, and would also debar the State
from its right to the payment of a large
amount of purchase money which remained
unpaid. The proprietaries brought suit to
enforce their claims in the Circuit Court of
the United States, and the legislature by
resolution approved April 4, 1803, author-
ized the governor "to direct the attorney
general and to employ one other able coun-
sel" to assist the attorneys for the land own-
ers in the trial of these suits. Two years
later the legislature appointed a commis-
sion to inquire into the matter and to effect
a compromise, if possible, but no settlement
could be effected. Meantime the inhabi-
tants of the borough entered into the agree-
ment with the above mentioned, and the
State released all its claims to lands within
the borough but not to any lands within the
Manor outside the borough limits. In 1806
the legislature employed additional counsel,
(James Ross and James Hopkins) to de-
fend the suits brought by the proprietaries
until final decision should be had. The lit-
igation in the Circuit Court resulted in fa-
vor of the proprietary rights and in 1813
an act was passed for the refunding of all
money paid by land holders within the Ma-
nor for the invalid titles which they had se-
cured, but the dispute in regard to these
titles continued for a number of years and
finally the question came before the Su-
preme Court of the United States, where in
1824, Chief Justice Marshall, in an elaborate
opinion, upheld the claim of the propri-
etaries.
The deed of 1816 which conveyed
Potters' the Common to the Borough of
Field. York also conveyed two lots of
ground, called " Potters' field,"
this field "to be kept as a public burial place
forever, and for no other use, intent or pur-
pose." It is not certain how early this
land began to be used as a public burial
ground but it continued, to be so until 1897
when it passed into the possession of the
York School District. The imposing High
School building was erected on the site.
Attempts had been made for some years
pre\'ious to secure land for this purpose.
In 1891 the legislature enacted a bill in-
tended to effect the purpose, but it was ve-
toed by the Governor. At the next session
of the legislature the attempt was more
successful, and an act was passed under
which the school district was granted au-
thority to take the land and pay such dam-
ages therefor as might be assessed by
viewers to be appointed by the Court. After
these damages had been assessed however,
litigation ensued and the act under which
the school district had proceeded was de-
clared unconstitutional by the County
Court and the decision afilirmed by the Su-
preme Court. Afterward, proceedings be-
ing taken under another act of assembly,
the tract was sold at public sale to the
school district. A part of the proceeds
arising from this sale was required to De
used by the city for the purchase of another
public burying ground to be used for the
same purpose as the original field, and tlie
remainder of the purchase money was or-
dered to be invested and the income used
for the maintenance of this field. A new
field, situated in the borough of North
York, was purchased in June, i8.")7, and the
bodies from Potters' Field v/ere removed
to their new resting place. After the pur-
chase of these burial grounds and pavment
of the costs and expenses of re-interment
of the bodies there remained a balance of
$1,500, the interest of which is annually
appropriated for the maintenance of the
field.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
The town of York, founded by the heirs
of William Penn in 1741, existed for a pe-
riod of forty-six years before any attempt
was made to incorporate it into a borough.
At the close of the Revolution in 1783, the
population was about 1,800. An act was
passed by the General Assembly of Penn-
sylvania and approved by the Supreme Ex-
ecutive Council, September 24, 1787, incor-
porating the borough of York, which then
contained 2,000 inhabitants. Sometime be-
fore this act of incorporation had been ap-
proved by the state authorities a town meet-
ing was held in the Court House, when
Henry Miller was chosen chief burgess;
David Candler, second assistant burgess,
and Baltzer Spangler, Michael Doudel,
Christopher Lauman, Peter Mundorf,
644
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
David Grier and James Smith, assistant bur-
gesses. Christopher Stair was chosen high
constable and George Lewis Loeffler, town
clerk. The act of incorporation empowered
these men to perform the duties of the offi-
ces to which they were chosen until the
time of the annual election to be held in
May, 1788.
The persons who held these
First municipal offices for the first
Officials, time had an interesting history.
Henry Miller, the chief burgess,
won a brilliant record in the Revolution,
rising to the rank of colonel at the recom-
mendation of Washington, under whom he
served in more than a dozen battles. David
Candler was a lieutenant in the Flying
Camp. Baltzer Spangler commanded a
militia company which performed active
service, and kept one of the leading inns
in York. Michael Doudel owned a large
tannery on the south side of West Market
Street, near the bridge, and commanded the
first company which left York in the Rev-
olution. Christopher Lauman was a lead-
ing citizen who followed the occupation of
a turner. Peter Mundorf owned the first
drug store in the town and borough of
York. David Grier had been a gallant sol-
dier in the Revolution, rose to the raiik of
colonel, was severely wounded under
Wayne at the battle of Paoli, became a
practicing lawyer after the war and in 1789
was the first Presidential elector west of
the Susquehanna. James Smith, a leader
of the bar before the Revolution, had the
distinguished honor of appending his name
to the Declaration of Independence. Chris-
topher Stair, the first high constable, and
George Lewis Loeffler, town clerk, had
both served with honor as soldiers of the
Flying camp.
The first Monday in May, 1788, and
yearly thereafter, elections were to be held
at the Court House where there should be
nominated, elected and chosen by ballot,
two able freemen to be burgesses, one to be
constable, one to be town clerk, and six
to be assistant burgesses. At these elec-
tions no one could vote unless he were
the owner of real estate in the borough and
had resided there for one year next pre-
ceding the election. The burgess receiv-
ing the highest number of votes was the
chief bursress.
Provisions were made for the calling of
town meetings, at which meetings free-
holders of the borough were allowed to
pass the ordinances, impose fines, etc. The
charter further provided that there should
be an annual election in March, at which
two supervisors of the highways and two
assessors should be chosen. These officers
were intrusted with the duty of assessing,
levying and collecting the necessary taxes
for the maintenance of the borough. The
burgesses and assistants were empowered
to appoint three discreet persons to be sur-
veyors or regulators, for the purpose of
regulating the streets, sidewalks and gut-
ters, and of fixing the lines for the erection
of buildings.
While this charter conferred
Board of many privileges, the method
Burgesses, of government established by
its provisions became cumber-
some in time, and in 1812 a supplement was
enacted, under which the burgesses and
assistant burgesses were invested with '
much greater powers, among others, the
right to pass ordinances. This body was
generally called the "Board of Burgesses,"
and after this time practically possessed the
powers of a town council.
Another important supplement to the
charter was passed in 1844, providing,
among other things, that three assistant
burgesses should be elected each year for a
term of two years, and that the chief
and second burgess should be chosen di-
rectly as such, instead of by the relative
number of votes received by the candidates
for burgess.
In 1859 another supplement to
Town the charter was enacted, provid-
Council. ing for the establishment of a
town council, instead of the board
of burgesses. The borough was divided
into five wards, each ward to elect one
councilman every year for a two year term,
so that the new body would have ten mem-
bers. The office of second burgess was
abolished and the chief burgess was selected
to preside over the council.
In 1865 provision was made for the ap-
pointment of a police force, not to exceed
three officers for each ward. Before this
time, the lives and property of the citizens
had been guarded by watchmen who went
about the town during the night calling out
SEAL OF THE BOROUGH OF YORK
D2<lTOfseo. Ja.S.1
FIRST YORK COUNTY lAIL
THE CITY OF YORK
645
the hours and the state of the weather.
The head of this force of watchmen, as well
as of the newly appointed police force, was
the night constable, an officer provided for
by the original charter, the method of
whose selection was changed five times
during the existence of the borough gov-
ernment.
By 1882 the borough had outgrown the
provisions of the charter, which, as has been
said, was granted by special act of assem-
bly. Before 1873 the charter could be and
had been amended by the legislature when
changes became necessary, but after the
adoption of the Constitution of 1873, no
further amendments could be made. In
1 85 1 the legislature passed what was known
as the General Borough Law, which, being
a general law could be amended under the
new Constitution, as became necessary.
This law provided that any borough incor-
porated by special charter might accept the
provisions of the general law and become
subject to it, and numerous inhabitants ad-
vocated such acceptance on the part of the
Borough of York. Others felt that the bor-
ough was growing so rapidly that in a few-
years it would outgrow even the enlarged
powers thus secured, and advocated the
adoption of a city government. In April,
1882, council resolved to accept the
Act of 185 1, and the proper petition being
presented to court, on August 29, 1882, the
borough w-as decreed to be subject to that
act and all inconsistent provisions of the old
charter were repealed. The advocates of
city government were not satisfied and at
the November election, 1882^ a majority
voted in favor of becoming a city. The
opponents of the movement made strong
objections, and on December 13, the Gover-
nor had a hearing to consider the objections,
resulting in his refusal to grant a city char-
ter by reason of the fact that in the elec-
tion proceedings, certain technical steps
required by law were not taken. The cam-
paign was continued, however, and four
years later, at the November election, 1886,
the advocates of the city charter again
carried the day. The opponents of the
movement failing to convince the Governor
that their objections were valid, the City
of York was incorporated January 11, 1887,
not quite a century after its incorporation
as a borousfh.
The records of the borough of
Chief York from 1787 to 1848 are not
Burgesses, known to be in existence.
The names of the chief bur-
gesses, together with the dates of their
election, from 1848 to 1887, when the bor-
ough was incorporated into a city, are as
follows: R. C. Woodward, resigned March
17, 1849; Francis Koch, succeeded until
May, 1849; Jacob Barnitz, elected May 12.
1849; David G. Barnitz, 1850; Daniel Kra-
ber, 1851-2-3; Abraham Forry, 1854-5-6;
Peter Mclntyre, 1857; Abraham Forry,
1858-9; Henry Lanius, 1860-1; David Small
served from 1862 to 1871 ; Daniel Stillinger,
1871; John M. Deitch, 1872-3-4; Jere Carl,
1875-6; F. C. Polack, 1877; Jere Carl, 1878;
Henry J. Gresly, 1879; Alexander Duncan,
1880; Francis M. Dick, 1881 ; Henry J.
Gresly, 1882; Luther A. Small, 1883-4;
George W. Heiges, 1885-6.
Under the charter of incorpora-
First tion as a city Daniel K. Noell
City was chosen the first mayor of
Officials. York at an election held in Feb-
ruary, 1887. Charles S. Weiser
was elected treasurer, and David P. Shultz,
controller. The new city then contained
ten wards. The members of the first Select
Council were: First ward, W. A. Mitzel;
Second, J. W. Steacy; Third, H. C. Adams;
Fourth, Kieran Dufify ; Fifth, John W. Shet-
ter; Sixth, James Kendig; Seventh, George
Gahring; Eighth, Andrew Harline; Ninth,
A. A. Rhodes; Tenth, H. W. Heft'ner.
The members of the first Common Coun-
cil were : First ward, George Spahn, John
J. Rieker, A. Sonneman, Herman Saupee ;
Second, R. M. Barnitz, Jonathan Jessop, H.
A. Hay; Third, A. D. Killian, John M.
Brown, Dr. Jacob Hav; Fourth, John Al-
bright, W. T. Gerber, D. F. Stauft'er, B. C.
Pentz; Fifth, D. H. Ginter, H. F. Fisher,
W. A. Myers ; Sixth, Fred. Klefifman, R. H.
Shindel, C. W. Myers; Seventh, William
Rodenhouse, Samuel Platts, Andrew F.
Clinch, Jacob Mohler; Eighth, A. A. Steck-
ler, W. B.White, John Allen; Ninth, George
J. Shetter, Frederick Myer, Anthony Mun-
chel, David Ziegler: Tenth, Arthur Spang-
ler, William Loyd, George Reichle.
Upon the organization of the councils at
meetings held in the Vigilant engine house.
April 4, W. A. JMitzel was chosen president
lof the Select Council and Thornton R.
646
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Hendrickson, clerk. Walter B. White was
chosen president and John H. Gibson, clerk
of the Common Council. On the afternoon
of April 4, Mayor Noell, Treasurer Weiser,
Controller Shultz, and City Solicitor
Charles A. Hawkins in the presence of the
city councils in joint convention in the Vig-
ilant engine house, were sworn into office.
Daniel K. Noell, who was elected the
first mayor of York in 1887 as a Democrat
for the term of three years, was re-elected
in 1890 and served until 1893. At the next
election after a spirited contest G. AV. S.
Loucks, Republican, was chosen and served
until 1896. Charles W. Brant was elected
as a Democrat and filled the office until
1899. Captain Frank Geise was chosen
mayor as a Democrat and served in that
office until his death, May i, 1900. Robert
F. Gibson, who had served as cit}^ solicitor,
was appointed maj'or by the city councils.
At the following spring election he was
chosen to fill the unexpired term of Captain
Geise and served until 1902. Milton B.
Gibson was elected mayor as a Republican
in February, 1902, and filled the office until
1905 and February of that year J. St. Clair
McCall was chosen by the Repuljlicans, his
term expiring in February, 1908.
Charles A. Hawkins was elected city so-
licitor by councils in 1887 and was twice re-
elected for a term of two years, serving
until 1893; Robert F. Gibson served from
1893 to 1895; Robert J. Lewis from 1895 to
1897; William L. Amnion, 1897 to 1899;
David P. Klinedinst from 1899 to '1903.
John L. Rouse filled one full term of three
years and in 1906 was re-elected for another
term. The legislature in 1901 lengthened
the term from two to three years, and Mr.
Rouse was the first incumbent to be elected
subject to the three year term.
J. G. Durbin served for several years as
city engineer and was succeeded in 1899 by
R. B. McKinnon.
The city treasurers in order of succession
from 1887 to 1907 were Charles S. Weiser,
R. H. Shindel, William H. Chambers,
George W. Loucks, John P. Julius, P. F.
Wilt, John R. Lafean.
The city controllers were David P.
Shultz, William A. Mitzel, Harry Rebert,
George Bollinger, B. F. Frick, Jacob K.
Seacrist.
The ^.lunicipal Building on South Duke
Street, used by city officials and a place of
meeting for councils, is leased from the
Guardian Trust Company.
DANIEL K. NOELL, first mayor of
York, was born at York in July 7, 1820.
His father, Jacob Noell, came to America
from the east bank of the Rhine in 1795,
served as a private in Captain Spangler's
company of York soldiers in the War of
181 2, and was wounded at the battle of
North Point. Daniel K. Noell taught
school for twelve years and afterward
served as superintendent of schools for
Cumberland County. For three years he
was prothonotary of Cumberland County
and from 1871 until his death in 1898 re-
sided at York. In 1887, when the town
was incorporated into a city, Mr. Noell was
elected first mayor of York. He was twice
re-elected, serving in all six years as a com-
petent and efficient chief executive of the
new born city. During his entire life, he
took a prominent and active part in the
cause of public education, and for twenty-
five years was a member of the School
Board of York. He was present at all ed-
ucational meetings in the community where
he resided and was one of the most devoted
members of the York County Teachers' In-
stitute, taking part in all its proceedings.
He died at York, June 12, 1898. York
Noell, one of his sons, as a naval lieutenant,
commanded one of the vessels in Admiral
Sampson's fleet in the war with Spain.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
BEFORE AND AFTER 1800
Tax List of 1783 — The First Court House —
Historic Points of Interest — Suburban
Homes — Street Fairs — Fourth of July
Celebrations — York or Wright's Ferry
for the Seat of Government — Lewis Mil-
ler.
In 1783. at the close of the Revolution,
the county commissioners ordered a special
assessment and census of the entire county
to be taken. York then contained 293
houses, 866 male and 913 female inhabitants,
or a population of 1,779: there were thirty-
eight negro slaves, and twenty-three ne-
groes under twelve years. Newberry Town-
ship, the same year, contained the largest
number of inhabitants of anv district in the
THE CITY OF YORK
647
county, and but seventy less than York.
The list of taxable inhabitants for 1783 is
given below, together with the occupation,
number of members in each family, and val-
uation of property. They are nearly all the
names of the ancestors of people now living
in York. The word " chair " means a
pleasure carriage, and " plate " means sil-
verware. The valuation given is on a specie
basis. The continental currency had be-
come worthless in 1781. The population
for the first century in York was largely
German, and that language predominated.
Some Quakers resided in the west end of
the town. There were quite a number of
English in 1783, as the following list will
indicate :
Valuation
William Ashby, laborer, 2 persons ^50
Philip Albrecht, 10 persons 403
Hugh Alexander, clerk, i horse, i person 15
Nicholas Anthony, 2 persons I34£ los
Joseph Adlum, skin-dresser, 12 persons 130
Thomas Armor, Sr., plate lb. S, i person jo
Thomas Armor, Jr., 3 persons 260
Anthony Anecker, barber, 2 persons 158
Charles Barnitz, Sr., brewer, I horse, i brew-
house, 9 persons 998
Charles Barnitz, Jr., i horse, I person, tax. . . .li 14s 6d
Joshua Bennit, card-maker, 5 persons 48
John Brown, laborer, 4 persons 35
Frederick Bringman, cord-wainer, 3 persons
"Stone Cutter" Beck, 2 persons
William Baily, brazier, plate, 2o£, 7 slaves, 4
horses, 9 persons 1016
Enoch Bennit, carpenter, 8 persons '^o
Nicholas Brand, barber, i horse, 2 persons 19S
Henry Bentz, butcher, I horse, 4 persons 235
Peter Bilo, carpenter, 3 persons 40
John Bar, joiner, 4 persons 113
Ludwig Beltzhuber, locksmith, 3 persons 40
John Brooks, joiner, plate lb. 10, i horse, 6 persons. 200
George Beck, laborer, 6 persons 58
Lorentz Boley, laborer, 2 persons 43
Abraham Blymyer, tailor, 6 persons 93
Peter Berger, tobacconist, 3 persons 70
Martin Breneisen, tailor, 6 persons 160
Michael Billmeyer, storekeeper, plate li, I horse,
merchandise 5i, 5 persons 349
Andrew Billmeyer, storekeeper, plate loi, i chair,
I horse, merchandise 5^, 4 persons 60
Widow Billmyer, 2 persons 203
Henry Bender, hosier, 2 persons 20
Widow Baird, I distillery, 2 persons n3
John Brobst, rope-maker, 5 persons 113
Widow Bentz, i person 103
Abraham Pike, 7 persons
Nicholas Bernhard, laborer, 3 persons fio
Jacob Bernhard, blacksmith, i person, tax li ids
John Collins, mason, 4 persons 226
Edward Crawford, store-keeper, one horse, 6 per-
sons 945
John Collins, singletree-maker, 4 persons 50
David Candler, plate li, i horse, 3 persons 599
Joseph Chambers, plate li, 4 slaves, 5 persons.... 189
Jacob Cramer, nailsmith, 4 persons 50
Michael Doudle, tanner, plate li, 2 slaves, 2 horses,
I tanyard, 7 persons 1117
Valuation
Killian Dibbinger, store-keeper, loi merchandise,
2 persons 228
jNIartin Banner, tobacconist, 2 persons 150
Widow Doudle, i chair, I slave, i horse, 5 persons.. 353
Jacob Doudle, tanner, i horse, i tanyard 120
James Dobbins, waggoner, 4 horses, 4 persons 103
Robert Donn, innkeeper, i horse, 8 persons 668
John Dallman, carpenter, 7 persons no
Abraham Danner, tobacconist, 1 horse, 7 persons.. 238
Peter Dinkle, storekeeper, plate 5i, i chair, 4
horses, 10 persons 934
Jeremiah Decker, carpenter, 3 persons 6g
Michael Dellerack, tailor, 2 persons 30
Philip Decker 30
Frederick Dambach, blacksmith, 5 persons 30
Christopher Eply, laborer, 5 persons s8£ ijs
Jacob Eichinger, hatter, 3 persons 213
Philip Endler, butcher, i horse, 4 persons 365
Jacob Endler, breeches-maker, 4 persons 225
John Ehrman, i horse, 4 persons 343
Widow Eichelberger, storekeeper, plate loi, mer-
chandise I5£, 8 persons 228
Jonas Edward, carpenter, i person, ta.x li los
Jacob Erion, tailor, 4 persons So
George Etter, 2 persons 50
Michael Edward, 3 persons 33
Samuel Fisher, blacksmith, 7 persons 88
John Fissel, 2 persons 30
John Friesner, tailor, 5 persons 48
Widow Fry, 4 persons 70
Benedict Funk, carter, i horse, 5 persons 123
Jacob Frankelberger, weaver, 4 persons 90
Conrad Frankelberger, weaver, i person
William Fornshild, barber, 4 persons 73
John Flender, cutler, g persons 203
Jacob Funk, joiner, 234^ los
John Fisher, clock-maker, plate li los, I horse, 6
persons 209^ los
John Fackler, hosier, 3 persons 63
George Fry, inn-keeper, plate 3i los, I horse, 7
persons 32ii is
George Fritzle, baker, 5 persons 173
John Filby, cordwainer, 7 persons 35
George Gees, mason, 5 persons 38
Alichael Gerber, silversmith, i horse, 6 persons. . . . 175
Jacob Gardner, tanner, plate, 3 lbs., 2 horses, i tan-
yard, 8 persons 699
Benjamin Gorgas, skindresser, 2 persons 50
Aaron Goats, tinman, i horse, 5 persons 23
George Gyer, 3 persons 50
George Gump, 3 persons 126
George Gutjahr, cordwainer, 6 persons 123
Abraham Granus, tinman, 3 persons 370
Joseph Garrettson, tallow chandler, 3 persons 50
John Guckes, 2 persons 40
George Gerber 123
Philip Gossler, joiner, 6 persons 143
Martin Grafins, 3 persons 43
John Grafius, waggoner, 4 horses, 6 persons 63
Philip German, glazier, 5 persons 63
David Grier, Esq., lawyer, plate I2i, i chair, 4
slaves, 2 horses, 4 persons S32
Henry Greenwald, butcher, i horse, 6 persons 123
IsaacGardman, Sr., innkeeper, I horse, 4 persons. . 29S
Isaac Gardman, Jr., weaver, 7 persons 123
John Goho, laborer, 5 persons 10
Widow Gardner, inn-keeper, 2 persons 153
Paul Gemberling, butcher, 5 persons 80
William Gilbert, 2 persons 40
John Heckendorn, 2 persons 143
Christian Heckendorn, weaver, i horse .39
Jacob Holtzinger, i slave, i horse, i person 40
Ludwig Hietig, tailor, i horse, 10 persons 195
Everett Harr, weaver, i chair, 5 persons 118
648
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Valuation
Michael Hahn, store-keeper, plate gi, i chair, 2
horses, merchandise 45oi. 6 persons 1035
Frederick Housman, inn-keeper, i horse, 7 persons. 231
Peter Hawk, doctor, i horse, 4 persons. . .^ 81
John Hay, storekeeper, 3 horses, merchandise, 20oi,
8 persons 926
Col. Thomas Hartley, lawyer, 28£ plate, i chair,
I servant 6 years, 6 persons 711
Christian Herman, joiner, 8 persons 163
Jacob Helman, blue-dier, 3 persons 103
Philip Heckert, gunsmith, 3 persons 80
George Heckert, saddler, i person, tax l£ los
Widow Heckert, 2 persons 103
John Hess, wagon-maker, 2 persons 3°
Jacob Heckert, wagon-maker, I person 123
John Herman, nailer, 2 persons .30
Henry Haffner, mason, 5 persons 90
Andrew Johnston, innkeeper, 4 persons 345
Christian Ilgenfritz, cordwainer, plate isi, 6 per-
sons 153
James Jones, mason, 8 persons 53
George Irwin, storekeeper, I chair, 4 slaves, 2
horses, 45oi, 8 persons 1396
George Ilgenfritz, i horse, 7 persons 210
Simon Jager, laborer, 2 persons 30
Thomas Irons, hatter, 6 persons
John Jones, innkeeper, 4 horses, 5 persons 253
Isaac Jones 3°
Michael Krebill, goalkeeper, (jail), i horse, 8 per-
sons 140
Jacob Krebill, joiner, S persons 80
Adam Kreber, blacksmith, plate loi, i horse, 6
persons 240
Philip Kreber, wagonmaker, plate l£, 4 persons. . . . 236
Elisha Kirk, clockmaker, i horse, 7 persons 24S
William Kersey, cardmaker, i horse, 6 persons 98
Caleb Kirk, storekeeper, i horse, i person 105
Jacob Kern, tailor, 8 persons 223
Jacob Korrel, 2 persons 73
Widow Keiffer, 5 persons
Samuel Kuntz, laborer, 3 persons 30
Timothy Kirk, joiner, 5 persons 73
Barbara Krafft, innkeeper, 4 persons 153
George Krafft, hatter, i person, tax l£ ros
Nicholas Kurtz, 8 persons 123
John Kunkle, cooper, 4 persons 123
Valentine Krantz, brewer, 2 slaves, 2 horses, I dis-
tillery, 5 persons 1026
Widow Kronmiller, 5 persons 100
Martin Kronmiller, blacksmith, i person, tax 2£
Henry Kreber, i horse, 3 persons 113
John Kreber, joiner, i person, tax l£ los
Francis Kuntz, hatter, 4 persons 113
John Keller, saddler, i horse, 3 persons 196
Martin Kralser, blacksmith, 4 persons 53
John Kurtz, blacksmith, i person, tax 2£
Peter Kurtz, i horse, i person, tax 2£
John Love, tanner, i horse, 7 persons 398
George Lewis Lefler, clerk, 4 persons 199
John Leisser, laborer, 5 persons 43
Godfrey Lonberger, cryer, 4 persons 70
William Lanius, tailor, plate 7s. 6 d., i horse, 6 per-
sons 170^ 7s 6d
William Love, i chair, i horse, 6 persons 313
Ignatius Leitner, gunsmith, 3 persons 143
Widow Lauman, plate i£, 5 persons 64
Conrad Letherman, storekeeper, plate 2£ los, i
horse, 20o£ merchandise, 3 persons 675
Godfrey Lenhard, clockmaker, i horse, 7 persons. . . 418
Conrad Laub, clerk, i horse, 7 persons S3
Edward Langworthy, storekeeper, i horse 333
Christian Lemy, cordwainer, 5 persons 30
Adam Leitner, gunsmith, i person 253
Charles Ludwig, doctor, i person, tax 3 lb.
Valuation
Ignatius Leitner, skin-dresser, 2 slaves, 2 horses,
14 persons , 156
Samuel Leedy, cordwainer, 10 persons 240
John Myer, locksmith, plate i^l, 7 persons 163
John Mclntire, hatter, i horse, 7 persons 183
Casper Miller, innkeeper, i horse, 7 persons 508
John Morris, clerk, 6 persons 80
Godfre}' Miller, waggoner, 4 horses, 5 persons 40
Francis Jacob Miller, tanner, 3 horses, 8 persons. . . 223
William Matthews, surveyor, 5 persons 73
Solomon Miller, I stage, 2 horses, 2 persons 353
William McMunn, tailor, i horse, 5 persons 113
Henry Miller, breeches-maker, 3 persons 30
James McLawchlin, tailor, 9 persons 33
George Moul, storekeeper, i horse, merchandise So£ 528
Robert McCorly, storekeeper, plate !$£, merchan-
dise 5oi, 5 persons 345
David Maulsby, joiner, 2 persons 120
Widow McCommon, storekeeper, merchandise 3o£,
2 persons 139
Peter Mundorfif, apothecary, plate 6£, 10 persons.. 154
James Miller, inn-keeper, i horse, 7 persons 418
Archibald McLean, clerk, plate 4£, i slave, 2
horses, 6 persons 631
James McCommon, brazier, i person, tax i£ los
Widow Myer, 2 persons 100
William Aliller, sugarbaker, 2 persons 160
Joseph Myer, tobacconist, 4 persons 63
Henry Marshall, saddler, 2 persons 80
Widow Moore, innkeeper, i slave. 4 persons 373
John Miller, 6 persons 53
George Mack, weaver, 9 persons 63
Abraham Nunemacher, 3 persons 30
Rev. Neisser, 4 persons '
John Neebel, tailor, 5 persons 83
George Xebbinger, nailer, i horse, 5 persons 258
John Neuman, butcher, i horse, 2 persons 40
William Norris, saddletree-maker, 6 persons 83
Thomas Owings, tailor, i horse, 4 persons 113
Ephraim Pennington, cordwainer, 8 persons 113
John Patterson, breeches_maker, 3 persons 30
Peter Peel, tobacconist, 3 persons 120
Elisha Quarry, laborer, 3 persons 30
John Rothrock, saddler, 10 persons 143
Peter Reel, saddletree-maker, i chair, i slave, i
horse, 7 persons 291
Widow Reel. 3 persons
John Rudisill, saddler, 6 persons 203
Frederick Rummel, innkeeuer, I horse, 9 persons.. 213
Godfrey Rehm, potter, 4 persons 233
James Robb, saddler, 3 persons 40
Joseph Rothrock, silversmith, I person, tax 2£
Anthony Ritz. laborer, 6 persons 153
Widow Rudisilly, 4 persons 83
Thomas Randolf, cordwainer, 5 persons 30
Christian Rubb, waggoner, I person, tax i£ los
Widow Ryon, 5 persons
Henry Rudisill, cordwainer, 5 persons 93
John Reisinger, tailor, S persons 83
Simon Snyder, tanner, I person, tax i£ los
John Shultz 4°
George Ernst Shlosser, hosier, 7 persons T23
Jacob Stuck, distiller, I distillery, S persons 243
William Scott, Esq., i chair, i hprse, 9 persons.... 268
Frederick Shetly, turner, 3 persons 123
John Shreck, hosier, 2 persons 30
Joseph Shank, 3 persons 113
Jacob Sneider, waggoner, 5 persons T03
Jacob Shrom, weaver, i horse, 4 persons 104
George Sefrentz, brazier, 4 persons 63
John Sefrentz, 3 persons
Peter Slimmer 100
Adam Stehr, potter, 3 persons
Philip Spickerd, 8 persons IS3
THE GLOBE INN, WHERE LAFAVETTE WAS ENTER-
TAINED IN 1S25
FIGURE OF JUSTICE IN COLONIAL COURT HOUSE
THE CITY OF YORK
649
Valuation
Widow Silvers, i horse, 6 persons 102
Mathias Stoehr, potter, 2 persons 120
Rudolph Spangler, storekeeper, plate li los, 2
horses, 10 persons 575
Jacob Sittler, 2 horses, 8 persons 348
Christian Sinn, butcher, 2 horses, 6 persons 350
Peter Sensing, doctor, i chair, i horse, 8 persons.. 443
Martin Sugars, innkeeper, 4 persons 363
Widow Smuck, 4 persons 103
Jacob Shreiber, wagon-maker, 7 persons 243
George Michael Spangler, innkeeper, i horse, 9 per-
sons 248
Martin Snyder, mason, 3 persons 20
Joseph Smith, 3 persons 25;3
Lawrence Small, locksmith, 6 persons 113
Widow Stillinger, 6 persons 50
Jacob Smierer, blacksmith, 7 persons 23
Jacob Siecrist, laborer, 5 persons 43
Col. Michael Swope, storekeeper, plate 32^, I chair,
I slave, 2 horses, merchandise 350f, 5 persons. 1 1 19
Christopher Stoehr, potter, 8 persons 243
Ludwig Sheip, barber, 4 persons 93
Baltzer Spangler, innkeeper, plate 3£, i chair, i
horse, I slave, 10 persons 541
George Stake, Esq., storekeeper, plate 3i, i stage,
I slave, 2 horses, merchandise 35oi, 8 persons. . iroi
Christian Stake, l slave, i horse, l person 310
John Strohman, cordwainer, 8 persons 83
Peter Swartz, clockmaker, 4 persons 93
Zachary Sugars, innkeeper, plate 9s lod, i horse, 6
persons 272^ los
Daniel Spangler, saddler, i person, tax li 12s 6d
Philip Stentz, I horse, 7 persons 243
Widow Spickert, 4 persons 103
Tobias Seibart, bluedier, 4 persons 150
Jacob Shafer, Sr., cordwainer, 3 persons 113
John Shaal, butcher, I horse, 6 persons 134^ 153
Christopher Sheely, butcher, 2 horses, 7 persons. . . . 158
Conrad Stanzenberger, cryer, i horse, 7 persons... 131
Jacob Shafer, Jr., cordwainer, i horse, 3 persons.. 12S
George StoU, cooper, i person, tax i£ los
Jacob Shenck, cordwainer, 7 persons 50
Adam Sneider, laborer, I person 50
Andrew Sulsberger, poor, 3 persons
Jacob Shuck, innkeeper, i horse, 10 persons 333
Patrick Sullivan, i horse, 8 persons 113
Jacob Streebig, cooper, 5 persons 113
Henry Shatter, potter, 3 persons 80
Killian Small, joiner, 2 horses, 8 persons 349
James Smith, lawyer, plate 72£, 2 horses, 8 per-
sons 713
Peter Straber, joiner, 2 persons 33
Martin Shroeter, weaver, 6 persons, tax 2i
George Shuck, joiner, 6 persons 173
John Smuck, cordwainer, S persons 118
George Test, saddler, plate lol, 2 horses, 5 per-
sons 243
Francis Thomas, mason, 7 persons S3
William Thompson, joiner, 7 persons 68
Samuel Updegraff, breeches-maker, i horse, 9 per-
sons 348
Ambros Updegrafif, hatter, 9 persons 213
Nathan Updegraff, hatter, I horse, 6 persons 225
Jacob Upp, cordwainer, i horse, 8 persons 43
Herman Updegraff, storekeeper, i chair, I horse,
merchandise 25^, 6 persons 170
Joseph Updegraff. hatter, i horse, 10 persons 298
Joseph Updegraff, saddler, 5 persons 23
Jacob Updegraff, heel-maker, 8 persons 226
Jacob Updegraff, Jr., heel-maker, i horse, I person,
tax li I2S 6d
Joseph Updegraff, heel-maker, 4 persons ^,2
John Welsh, plate li, i horse, I tanyard, II per-
sons 822
Valuation
John Wolff, Jr., tobacconist, 3 persons 153
John Wolff, Sr., tailor, 3 persons 99
Francis Worly, cutler, 2 horses, 9 persons 298
George Weller, i horse, 9 persons 233
Henry Wolf, Sr., plate 15^, 2 horses, 4 persons. . . . 313
Henry Wolff, Jr., tanner, i horse, i tanyard, 4 per-
sons 391
William Welsh, hatter, i horse, 7 persons 248
John Wall, saddler, i person, tax li los
William Wall, laborer, 8 persons 43
Michael Welsh, tailor, 4 persons 333
Henry Walter, storekeeper, plate li 5s, I horse,
merchandise io6i, 5 persons 589
Michael Welsh, cordwainer, 8 persons 233
Frederick Weh, baker, i horse, 6 persons 143
John Wahl, distiller, i distillery, 7 persons 163
Widow Welsh, i person 80
Ludwig Weisang, mason, 4 persons 50
George Wolff, weaver, 3 persons 93
John Welsh, tailor, 4 persons 143
Widow Weidner, 6 persons 83
George Wampler, pump-maker 119
Conrad Welshantz, gunsmith, 3 persons 40
Philip Weber, wagon-maker, 5 persons 113
Philip Waltenmyer, carpenter, 6 persons 93
John Way, laborer, 2 persons 50
Jacob Wagner 150
John Wolff, saddler, 9 persons 323
Joseph Welshans, Sr., gunsmith, 4 persons 323
Benjamin Walker, innkeeper, 3 persons 100
Adam Wolff, innkeeper, 4 persons 173
Jacob Welshans, carpenter, i horse, 7 persons 88
David Welshans, nailer, 7 persons 93
Robert Wilson, weaver, 4 persons 123
George Wehr, laborer, 3 persons 44
Frederick Yous, blacksmith, 10 persons 206
Mathias Zimmer, tinman, i horse, 11 persons 389
Gotleib Ziegle, innkeeper, 2 persons 230
John Kunkle, Sr., cooper, i distillery, 4 persons... 123
George Koch, butcher, i horse, 14 persons 148
Joseph Kraft, saddler, 3 persons, tax . l£ 4s gd
Henry King, saddler, l horse, 4 persons 253
Ludwig Krafft, bluedier, 3 persons 133
John Keffer, 25
John Lindy, 4 persons 30
William Lang, tailor, 6 persons 83
Jacob Letter, locksmith, 4 persons 243
Frederick Laumeister, wagon-maker, 6 persons.... 173
Christopher Lauman, turner, plate isi, 10 per-
sons 193
Jacob Mosser, carpenter, 2 persons 30
William Martin, 4 persons
Gen. Henry Miller, sheriff, plate I5£, I slave, 2
horses, 10 persons 621
Henry Steiner, turner, I person
Jacob Welshhantz, gunsmith, S persons 40
Joseph Welshhantz, Jr., gunsmith, I person
William Burgis 5°
Jacob Small, joiner, i person, tax i£
In 1775, when the Revolution opened,
the town of York contained 1600 inhabi-
tants, and in 1783, when the war closed, the
estimated number was 1800. Most of these
people were of German descent, but there
were a number of Quakers and Scotch-
Irish Presbyterians who exerted a strong
influence in the community and in the pub-
lic affairs of York County. There were a
number of stores, and mechanics plied their
6sO
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
trades in small shops. No large factories
then existed. Hats were made and shipped
to Philadelphia and Baltimore and the man-
ufacture of copper stills was a leading in-
dustry. Three tanneries and two breweries
stood within the limits of the town. York
prospered because it was surrounded by a
fertile agricultural region. The people of
the town and the entire county were largely
interested in farming. The increase in
population was slow and steady for York
contained only 2000 people when it was in-
corporated into a borough in 1787. The
days of wagoning to the large towns from
the rural districts began as early as 1783,
and when the town became a borough, it
had within its limits, twenty taverns, where
the teamsters stopped for the night and
where travelers were entertained. The
population of York in 1800 had increased to
2,503. At this period one Lutheran church,
one Reformed, one Presbyterian, one Epis-
copal, one Moravian, one Methodist Epis-
copal church and a Friends' meeting house
stood within the limits of the town. The
York County Academy stood at the foot of
Beaver Street, having been founded in 1787.
The centre of interest in the
The First early town of York was the
Court House, provincial Court House,
erected in Centre Square in
1755-6. It was fifty-five feet long and forty-
five feet wide. The court room was on the
first floor. The desk in the west end of the
room, where the president judge and his
associate sat, was reached by winding steps
on both sides. Above the judges' desk
hung the coat of arms of Pennsylvania.
Beneath it on a small shelf, stood a statue
of justice, blindfolded and holding in her
hand scales evenly balanced. To the right
and left of the judges, two long desks, ex-
tended along the walls, behind which
the twelve jurors sat in the trial of a
case. In the middle of the room was a rec-
tanguar pillar, eighteen inches across,
which passed through the second story, and
aided in supporting the building. Close in
front of this beam stood a large ten plate
stove in which huge blocks of wood were
burned to heat the room. An eight-inch
pipe extended upward about eight feet and
then eastward a distance of twenty feet or
more to the eastern wall, where it entered
the chimnev. The walls in the interior of
the room had no decorations, and during the
last years in which the court house was in
use, the room looked rather dingy. People
who came to attend the sessions of the court
sat on high-backed benches, which were
fastened to the floor and stood in parallel
rows behind the stove.
There were two entrances to the Court
House, one from North George Street and
the other from South George Street, the lat-
ter being the main entrance. To the right
of the doorway a hall extended eastward to
winding stairs which led to the second floor.
This story was used originally for the
county offices, and later for public meet-
ings, lectures and entertainments. In early
days public lectures were given in the court
room, which had been the scene of many
dramatic incidents during the dark days of
the Revolution, when Congress held its ses-
sions in this room, with closed doors.
Within these walls were heard the voices of
such distinguished men as John Hancock
and Henry Laurens, presidents of Congress
at different times, John Adams, Samuel
Adams, Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Har-
rison, Robert Morris, and many other il-
lustrious men who were delegates to Con-
gress. It was in this room that the defeat
at Germantown, the triumph at Saratoga,
and the news that the French government
would aid in the cause of American Inde-
pendence, were announced to Continental
Congress.
There were six windows facing North
George Street, six facing South George
Street, and four at each end of the building.
Each window contained two sashes, and
each sash had eighteen panes of glass,
making in all 720 small panes of glass.
On the night of July 2d, 1791, there was
one candle at every pane of glass in the
Court House to illuminate that building and
Center Square, in honor of the presence of
George Washington, who stopped in York
over night on his way to Philadelphia.
The Court House was remodeled in 1815
by placing gable ends on the sides facing
North and South George Street. At the
same time a steeple was erected upon the
building and in this steeple a large clock
was placed as a companion to the historic
bell which had been hung in the belfry in
1776. To the west of the Court House in
colonial days stood the original market
THE CITY OF YORK
651
shed, built soon after the town was founded
in 1741. This market house with shght
changes stood until 1887, when it was torn
away. In 1793, a two-story brick building
was erected a short distance east of the
Court House, leaving a drive-way between
the two buildings. Both the first and sec-
ond stories of this building were used for
the county offices. The building" was some-
times called the State House. The origin
of this name is not certain because it was
erected by order of the County Commis-
sioners and not by order of the state.
Under the constitution of 1790 and down to
1838, all the county officials, except the
sherifT and the county commissioners were
appointed by the Governor.
In early days and as late as 1775 the
polling place for the entire county at the
general elections was the County Court
House. Later about a dozen townships,
together with the borough of York, voted in
one of the rooms of the oflice building
which stood east of the Court House. In
1840 the office building was torn down and
on the same site a market house was erected
which stood until 1887.
In 1774 an historic bell had been obtained
for St. John's Episcopal Church. It was
procured in England and brought from
Philadelphia in a wagon. At this time the
Episcopal Church had no cupola. The bell
was placed on a pole in front of the home of
Joseph Updegraff, who resided at the south-
west corner of the square. It remained
there for two years. According to well
founded traditions, in 1776, when James
Smith returned from Philadelphia, after
signing the Declaration of Independence, he
and Archibald McClean had the bell placed
in a small tower that surmounted the Court
House. The Declaration was then read to
hundreds of people who had gathered in the
square and the bell was rung in glad acclaim
in honor of the event. In this small belfry
or tower this historic bell was rung for ser-
vices in the Episcopal Church, on North
Beaver Street, to announce the opening of
the courts and for public meetings. It
pealed forth its glad tunes when the news
of Burgoyne's surrender came to Congress
at York in October, 1777. It rang a paean
of praise when the news was received on
May 5, 1778, that Benjamin Franklin at the
Court of Paris had won the favor of the
king of France and secured his assistance
in our struggle for independence. It rang
in joyous welcome to President Washington
when he entered York on July 2, 1791, on
his way to Philadelphia.
The bell remained in this position
The until 1815, when it was temporarily
First removed and the clock placed in
Town the s.teeple. It was then returned
Clock, as the companion to the town clock
and remained in the tower until
1841, when the Court House was torn down.
The bell was then taken from the position
where it had hung for so many years and
placed on the pavement in Center Square.
From this position it was conveyed by Sam-
uel Hays and two other members of the
Episcopal Church and placed under the
stairs leading to the gallery of the church.
It was kept there until a belfry had been
placed on the church, and having been re-
cast, it now hangs in the tower of the
church. On the top of the belfry of the
Court House, before the Revolution, was
an arrow for a weather vane, upon which
arrow was carved an emblem of the British
crown. Soon after the opening of hostili-
ties between the colonies and the mother
country, following the example of the
patriots in removing the statue of King
George in New York, and similar actions
elsewhere, the citizens of York removed the
arrow from the York Court House.
In 1779, soon after Count Pulaski left
York with his legion for Savannah. -Georgia,
where he lost his life, fighting for American
independence, a weather vane in the form of
a dragoon was placed on the summit of the
cupola where the arrow had rested for
twenty years. This dragoon was made by
Charles Fisher, one of the early copper-
smiths of York. It was to represent one of
Pulaski's soldiers. The clock which was in
the steeple from 1815 to 1841 was at that
time removed to the steeple of Christ Luth-
eran Church, where it remained in service
for nearly forty years. It then gave place
to a new clock and was afterward removed
to another position in the same steeple.
A building which stood in the
Historic southwest angle of Center
Buildings. Square before the Revolution
had been occupied by James
Smith, a leader of the Bar and signer of the
Declaration. The Committee on Foreign
652
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Affairs which during the Revolution per-
formed the duties now belonging to the De-
partment of State, met and transacted its
business in this building. Thomas Paine,
the noted patriot, was secretary of this com-
mittee, and while in York wrote his "Fifth
Crisis," a political document addressed to
King George III on the issues of the war.
Years after the Revolution, Martin Austin,
who tried to make the best fitting suits in
town for the gentry of York, had a store, and
tailor shop in this building. During the
twenty years or more that he plied his trade
at this place, he had numerous journeymen
who assisted him. One of these afterward
achieved distinction in another field of labor.
He was Isaac Singer, the inventor of the
Singer sewing machine, who amassed a for-
tune of $13,000,000, as the result of his in-
vention. Isaac Singer, while residing here,
married Lizzie Sponsler, of York.
The building which stood on the
Out site of the Colonial Hotel had long
George been known as "Tyler's corner."
Street. It was occupied by committees of
Congress during the Revolution at
stated times and before 1800 was used as a
hotel. Jacob Upp for many years was the
proprietor. Dritt and Gardner began the
mercantile business here in 1816. They
were succeeded by Michael Gardner in 1818
and by Gallagher & Wertz, and later by
Matthew Tyler. The building immediately
south of the Colonial was used as a hotel by
Conrad Laub, who had been elected sheriff
of York County in the year 1789, during
one of the most spirited contests in the
early history of York County. It is said of
Sheriff Laub that he imitated the cultured
manners of the educated German. He al-
ways wore a powdered wig and was well
dressed. Tradition says he went to the
barber shop twice a day. Robert Ham-
mersly came to York from Lewisberry and
conducted a hotel at this place. In 1819,
Andrew Jackson and his train of attendants
dined here and the same evening left on
their way for West Point. Thomas Mc-
Grath kept a hotel here and later moved to
the Globe Inn, in Centre Square. George
Fahnestock, and later Charles A. Morris,
kept a drug store in the same building.
James Smith, the signer of
The War the Declaration, owned the
Department, property from Mason Alley
nearly to King Street during and after
the Revolution. His son-in-law, James
Kelly, a lawyer, resided at the north-
west corner of King Street. James Smith's
law office was situated on the corner at the
south side of Mason Alley. His residence
was a short distance to the south. It was a
building with a rough coat and a high porch
which led to a door in the centre. This
building and the adjoining law office were
destroyed by fire in 1805, one year before
James Smith died. His law library and
many letters which he had received from
distinguished men of the Revolution were
also burned. His law office was used by the
Board of War when Congress met at York.
On the southeast corner of Centre Square
and George Street, on the site of the Hart-
man building, Gottlieb Ziegle kept a hotel,
during the Revolution and as late as 1800.
Clement Stillinger, somewhat noted as a
hotel keeper at York, moved here in 1819,
and nained his hotel the "Sign of General
Jackson." John Hartman purchased this
property in 1824. Next door south, Alex-
ander Klinefelter kept a hotel. George Hal-
ler, the father of Dr. Haller and his brother
Major Haller, resided in the next building
south. John Koch, a near neighbor on the
south and his son Richard, were silver-
smiths. Krafft, the saddler, lived at the
corner of Mason Alley. He made harness
and collars for the village folk and the farm-
ers round about. The First Lutheran
Church, built soon after York was laid out,
came next with the parochial school to che
rear, where Bartholomew Maul, Philip
Deitch, and later, Michael Bentz, taught
their pupils both English and German.
The first house south of the church about
1800 was owned by Dr. John Rouse, son of
Lucas Raus, one of the earliest pastors of
the church. This property has since been
owned by the Rouse descendants. At the
northeast corner of George and King
Streets stood the county jail, built soon after
the county was laid out in 1749. This jail
was enlarged in 1769. It was constructed
of blue limestone, was three stories high and
stood there until 1855, when it was removed.
January 27, 1778, while Congress was in
session at York, according to an official
record, the following loyalists, British offi-
cers and soldiers were held as prisoners of
war in this jail :
WESTERN ENTKAiXCK TO YORK, IN ISli
SOUTH FROM THE REAR OF ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, IN ISW
THE CITY OF YORK
653
Colonel John Connelly, John Holland,
John Mosely, John Holbrook, William
Cook, Thomas Henderson, Richard Carriss,
Richard Ruff, Henry Abbott, James Gibson,
William Davidson, Joseph Bevell, John Hil-
ton, Thomas Newnham, Charles Kennedy,
Alexander Shaw, John Kirkham, Henry
Childs, William Donalds, Thomas Button,
James Patterson, Isaac Farron, John Freed,
John Langdon, Watson Law, and James
Hanighan.
The following were imprisoned by order
of the Board of War:
William Montgomery, Benjamin Davis
and Beats Dawsey. The following desert-
ers from the army were held as prisoners :
Edward Keaton and Henry Mitchell.
On the southwest corner of the
Where square and Market Street, dur-
Lafayette ing the early part of the last
Stopped. century, William Spangler and
Daniel Schriver carried on a
general merchandising business. The lat-
ter was the father of General Edmund
Schriver, a graduate of West Point, who
had a brilliant career in the Civil War.
General Schriver served as chief of staff to
the commander of the First Army Corps,
took part in many battles and had the honor
of conveying thirty-one battle flags and
other trophies of victory to the War De-
partment at Washington. He rose to the
rank of major general before the close of the
war. From 1820 to 1840 Thomas McGrath
was proprietor of the Globe Inn, a first class
hotel situated at this corner. It was here
that Lafayette was entertained when he
visited York in February, 1825. In 1822
Samuel Spangler built a large three-story
building next door west of the Globe Inn.
The next year he moved from the Black
Horse Inn, directly opposite, to his new
building, and opened a hotel which he called
the "York House," advertising that he could
accommodate "a few genteel boarders."
This property afterwards was the residence
of Henry W^elsh, president of the York
Bank and one of the owners of the York
Gazette.
The next building west was
The owned and occupied in 1810
President's and later by Jacob Spangler,
House. who served in Congress in the
years 1817-1818, as a Federal-
ist. He resigned his seat in Congress, be-
came a Jackson Democrat, was later ap-
pointed surveyor-general of Pennsylvania,
and died in 1843. Colonel Michael Swope,
who commanded a regiment of 600 men
from York County, most of whom were
killed, wounded or captured at the battle of
Fort Washington in the fall of 1776, resided
here during the Revolution. His residence
was occupied by John Hancock and Henry
Laurens while they served as president of
Congress at York. West of the Jacob
Spangler residence from before 1816 George
Hay kept the Indian King, afterward the
Indian Queen, tavern. He was succeeded
in 1822 by John Hay, who also owned prop-
erty a few doors westward. Both of the§,e
proprietors were sons of Lieutenant Colonel
John Hay, who served as sub-lieutenant of
York County during the Revolution. In
the next lot stood the dwelling house of
Charles A. Barnitz, for thirty years the
leader of the York County Bar, who served
as a member of Congress from 1833 to 1835,
elected by the Whig party. About 1830,
Mr. Barnitz erected a country home on
South George Street, later owned by his
great-grandson, Grier Hersh. The build-
ing next to the site of Trinity Reformed
Church was the residence and store of Gen-
eral Jacob Upp, noted as a commander of
militia.
The handsome residence where
Hartley's Colonel Thomas Hartley died
Residence, in 1800, stood on the lot in
front of Trinity Church. It
was built shortly after the Revolution and
was the most ornamental building in the
borough of York. The carving in the in-
terior of this house, and the stairway, was
designed and executed by skilled mechanics
brought here from Philadelphia, where
Colonel Hartle}^ had spent nearly twelve
years as the first member of Congress, rep-
resenting the district west of the Susque-
hanna. When this noted soldier and states-
man died, the property descended to his son,
Charles Hartley. For many years it was
used as a hotel called the Franklin House.
Trinity Reformed Church now occupies the
premises. On the lot adjoining the Hartley
residence was the home of George Upp. In
1817, Thomas McGrath opened a shoe store
in the same building. Jacob Eichelberger,
who served as sheriff of York County from
1804 to 1807, resided in the adjoining prop-
654
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
erty west. In the same building Jacob Em-
mitt kept a boot and shoe store as early as
1825, and as late as the time of the Civil
war. The next property, now occupied by
the Hay Building, was originally owned by
George Eichelberger, who died in 1752, and
whose widow, in the latter part of the same
year, married John Hay, previously men-
tioned as an officer in the Revolution. She
died in 1757, when the property was bought
by her husband, who afterward jnarried
Juliana Maul, a daughter of Bartholomew
Maul, a Lutheran parochial schoolmaster.
John Hay resided here until the time of his
death. In 1797 a large fire destroyed this
residence, together with the German Re-
formed Church adjoining. After the death
of John Hay, the property was owned by
his son, John Hay, mentioned as the pro-
prietor of the Indian Queen, a few doors
above, and whose son, George Hay, a cabi-
net maker and undertaker, and colonel of
the Eighty-seventh Regiment during the
Civil War, occupied the premises from 1830
until his death in 1879. The property is
now in the possession of his descendants.
The Reformed Church built in 1742 was
rebuilt and dedicated in 1800. In this
church President Washington attended re-
ligious services July 3, 1791, when he visited
York, and the funeral services of Philip
Livingston, signer of the Declaration of In-
dependence from New York, took place
here, the members of Congress attending.
David Candler owned and occupied a resi-
dence on the lot immediately west of the
church during the Revolution. About 1800
the property was purchased by George Bar-
nitz, who was appointed associate judge of
York County in 1813 and served continu-
ously until 1840. He was a brother of John
Barnitz. Their personal appearances were
so nearly identical that many people did not
know one from the other, except in conver-
sation. The property at the corner of Bea-
ver Street was owned for nearly a century
by Francis Koch and his descendants. Dur-
ing most of this period it was occupied by
the Koch family as a jewelry store.
In a building which stood at the
First southwest corner of Market and
Printing Beaver Streets, the first printing
Press. press in York was set up, late in
November, 1777. It was a Hall
& Sellers press, originall}' owned by Benja-
min Franklin and now in possession of the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Upon
this press, on the second story of the build-
ing, the "Pennsylvania Gazette," the organ
of Continental Congress, was printed dur-
ing eight of the nine months that Congress
held its sessions in York. Upon the Hall
& Sellers press many government docu-
ments were printed. Under act of Con-
gress passed April 11, 1778, and the year
before, about ten million dollars, continental
money in denominations of one, two, three,
five, eight, ten, twenty, thirty and forty dol-
lar notes were printed upon the same press.
This money was used as bills of credit for
the transaction of business and for the pay-
ment of the army in the field. This was
one of the eleven issues of continental
money made during the Revolution. John
Clark, who served as a major in the "Flying
Camp," was a colonel on the staff of General
Greene, and as major general of the militia
after the war. He enlarged this property
shortly after the Revolution and resided
here until the time of his death in 1819. He
was a gallant soldier and a lawyer of ability.
On patriotic occasions, like the 4th of July,
during the last years of his life, Major Clark
dressed in his Revolutionary uniform, sat in
a chair on a small porch in front of his resi-
dence and with eager interest observed the
military parades and other ceremonies and
celebrations of the occasion.
On the first floor of this building H. & J.
Love & Company, prominent members of
the Society of Friends, in the York Meet-
ing, opened a store. This firm was suc-
ceeded in order by Hammersly & Rosenmil-
ler, and A. W. Sterling. William Wagner
owned a drug store west of the Clark prop-
erty. The "Shakespeare Inn," a popular
tavern named in honor of the Bard of Avon
about 1800 and later stood on the third lot
west of Beaver Street. This hostelry was
kept by Thomas Jameson, a son of Dr.
Jameson of the French and Indian War, and
the Revolution.
Farther out West Market Street
Captain toward "W^ater Street, stood the
Hahn. residence of Captain Michael
Hahn, a patriot of the Revolution
and a man of public affairs. In 1783, when
the war closed. Captain Hahn owned a gen-
eral store at this place. He was then as-
sessed with merchandise to the amount of
Cng^ bvE.G VVi!li3m5SBrD,N,V:
'^^^^'^-iAiMD
I
I
THE CITY OF YORK
655
450 pounds, in continental money. He also
owned a private carriage and two horses.
His family was composed of six persons.
The mark of distinction in those early days
for a resident of York or any other Penn-
sylvania town, was to own a carriage, called
a "chair," and silver plate. Captain Hahn
is reported as having owned silver ware to
the amount of nine English pounds. In
1791 Jacob Hahn succeeded in the owner-
ship of the store, and was followed by John
Schmidt. The residence standing on this
site in 1906 was built before 1800, with the
best quality of bricks. It is antique in
design and both the interior and exterior
appearance show a colonial style of archi-
tecture. Almost the entire plot of ground
lying south of Market and west of Water
Streets to the creek, was owned by the Dou-
dels from 1750 or thereabouts for a period
of more than a century. On the lot at the
corner of Water and Market Streets, Harris
& Donaldson kept a store about 1790. Wil-
liam Nes succeeded here in the store busi-
ness in 1797. Robert Hammersly^ who was
born near Lewisberry, served in the legis-
lature in 1806 and held other public offices.
He moved to York and opened a hotel at
this corner in 1816. Hammersly afterward
moved to a hotel on South George Street
and Michael Doudel, the owner of a large
amount of property in this vicinity, contin-
ued the hotel business at this place for many
years. He built, and resided in, a large
mansion on the lot immediately west of the
hotel, which was named the "Golden
Horse." Adam Eichelberger, who was
sheriff of York County from 1833 to ^836,
took charge of this hotel at tfie expiration
of his term of office.
In the large yard to the rear of the hotel,
political meetings were often held, and in
1840, during the presidential campaign,
James Buchanan and other notable persons
delivered speeches from the balconv to the
rear of the hotel. IMartin Carl, who had
been a merchant in Franklintown, moved to
York about 1835, and kept the Golden
Horse hotel for several years. He was the
father of Jere Carl, prominent in the finan-
cial and business interests of York. Michael
Doudel was married to Sarah Hoke in 18 15,
and after her death, to Sarah Ebert. From
1810 to 1861, the time of his death, he had
a large tannery to the rear of his residence.
He served as sheriff of York County from
1824 to 1827 and was prominent in the
militia affairs of York County, having
served as brigade inspector. A small en-
gine house belonging to the Vigilant Fire
Company in 1816, stood on the lot adjoin-
ing the Doudel property near the creek.
According to official records.
Out Baltzer Spangler purchased the
West lot 65x230 feet at the northwest
Market, corner of Market Street and Cen-
tre Square, when York was laid
out in 1741. He obtained a Hcense from
the Lancaster court to open a tavern, and
in 1750, when the first county officials were
chosen, the election was held at his tavern.
It was here that the disturbance occurred
described in another chapter of this volume,
on page 579. Upon his death, he be-
queathed to Daniel Spangler twenty feet
fronting on Market Street and Centre
Square and the western part of the lot, forty
feet front on Market, to Baltzer Spangler,
Jr. In 1795 John Grier purchased the cor-
ner property and opened a store. In 1810,
Penrose Robinson and Daniel Schriver suc-
ceeded in the mercantile business at that
corner. This firm was succeeded in order
by William Nes and Demuth & Gardner.
Baltzer Spangler, Jr., opened a hotel known
as the "Black Horse." It was one of the
popular hostelries of its day. After his
death the property descended to his son,
Samuel Spangler, who continued the hotel
until 1822, and was succeeded in this busi-
ness in order by Henry Krug, John Koontz,
and Jacob Stair. The place was afterward
occupied as a store by the descendants of
Jacob Stair. In 1800, Daniel Spangler
owned the building west of the Black Horse
tavern. Later Captain Jacob Upp and his
son, George Upp, opened a liquor store in
this building. John Craver, one of the
early hatters of York, had his factory and
his home in the next building to the wesf in
1800 and later. Jacob Hay, a son of Lieu-
tenant Colonel John Hay, of the Revolution,
and the father of Dr. Jacob Hay, Sr., owned
a general store in the building west of
Graver's hat store in 1783 and before. In
1782, Captain Hay was appointed a justice
of the peace, by virtue of which he sat on
the bench as associate judge of the county
courts. After his retirement from busi-
ness, Ignatius Lightner owned and occu-
656
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
pied this property. He was a skin-dresser,
and in 1783 owned two slaves. He was ap-
pointed justice of the peace in 1806 and had
his office at his home for many years.
Frederick Rummel, a native of Germany,
during the Revolution opened a tavern in
the building on the next lot west. He
named it the "King of Prussia," and on a
swinging sign in front of it was the por-
trait of Frederick the Great, the much
adored King of the Fatherland. Thomas
Taylor, a leading Quaker of York, owned a
store before 1800 in the adjoining building.
He was followed in the ownership and man-
agement of this store by Garretson & Dins-
man, also members of the Friends' Meet-
ing in York. Michael Weidman had his
private residence in the adjoining building
in 1800 and later. John Forsythe, promi-
nent in public afTairs of the town and
county, occupied the next building as his
home in 1801. Jacob Dritt, of the Revo-
lution, became the next owner of this prop-
erty in 1822. In 1800, John Eichelberger
opened a tavern in the second lot east from
Beaver Street. In order to have an attract-
ive sign and one that would interest every-
body he called it the "York County
Wagon." Upon his sign post, about ten
feet high, he had a swinging sign with a
painting of a big Conestoga wagon, such as
were used extensively before the time of
railroads. In 1823, Andrew Newman be-
came proprietor of this inn and named it the
"Buck Tavern," removing the wagon and
placing on the sign the painting of a large
buck deer with long antlers. Daniel Small,
the surveyor, who served as postmaster
from 1829 to 1839, kept the postoffice in this
building in 1836 and later.
On the corner lot, where the National
Hotel stands, Peter Dinkel, a leading citi-
zen of York, opened a general store before
the Revolution and dealt extensively in
hardware. He furnished a large number of
copper stills to the farmers of York County.
Upon this site Ziba Durkee afterward built
White Hall, a three-story hotel, then the
largest in town. In 1839 ^^ entertained
Martin Van Buren, while on his way from
Washington to his home near New York.
In 1842, Charles Dickens and his wife stop-
ped here for the night. John AVelsh was
for many years its proprietor. Captain
Michael H. Spangler, who commanded the
York Volunteers at the battle of North
Point, in 1814, resided at the northeast cor-
ner of Beaver Street and Clark Alley. Dr.
John Spangler, a leading physician of York
in the early part of last century, had his
office across the street.
George Irwin, one of the
Wayne's patriots of York, who
Headquarters, helped to raise money to
send to Boston in 1775,
owned and occupied the northwest corner
of Market and Beaver Streets. He kept
a store at this place during the Revolution
and as late as 1790. He also built the house
on Beaver Street, standing in 1906, next his
corner property. This building was used
for twenty years by the York Daily. George
Irwin belonged to the gentry of York dur-
ing its colonial history. He was one of the
earliest to purchase a pleasure carriage and
in 1783 owned four slaves. His residence
at the corner of Market and Beaver Streets,
standing in 1906, was used as the headquar-
ters by General Anthony Wayne for nearly
three months of the year 1781, before that
great soldier started to march south, where
he aided in the capture of Lord Cornwallis
at Yorktown, Virginia. A well founded
tradition says that in 1791 Major John
Clark, Colonel Thomas Hartley and George
Irwin sat on chairs underneath the tall
sycamore trees in front of this house, and
engaged in conversation with Washington,
who had stopped in York on his way to
Philadelphia. These trees were cut down
in 1906. George Irwin was succeeded in
the store business by Henry Irwin, Candor
& Stable, Henry, B. Funk, Penrose Robin-
son and Charles Hay.
On the lot west of the Irwin building,
Philip Gossler, who had served as a soldier
in the Revolution and followed the occupa-
tion of a carpenter and joiner, opened a
hotel about 1785. Gossler commanded a
company of Light Infantry which marched
down the road toward the Susquehanna to
meet John Adams and his attendants and
escort them into town. This event occur-
red in June, 1800, when President Adams
was on his way for the first time to Wash-
ington, to become the first occupant of the
AVhite House. Conrad Laub, who had
served as sheriff of York County, was also
proprietor of this old time hostelry. In
1814, the York Bank, the first financial in-
THE CITY OF YORK
65/
stitution in York, was opened in this build-
ing. John Barnitz, a representative busi-
ness man, had his residence a short distance
below the bank. Captain Rudolph Spang-
ler, who commanded a company of York
soldiers in the Revolution, resided on the
site of the Hay property. He owned a store
and had a family composed of ten persons,
when he went off to the war. In 1803, he
was elected to the state senate and filled
other positions of trust and responsibility.
On this site Dr. Jacob Hay, Sr., conducted a
drug store for nearly half a century and was
succeeded by his son, Dr. Jacob Hay.
Early in the history of York, a dwelling
house was built on the lot next to the cor-
ner of Market and Water Streets. In the
building immediately east lived Joseph Up-
degrafif, a Quaker. Other members of the
Society of Friends owned homes on the
same side of the street between this and
the Hay property. In a letter written from
the Updegraff home during the Revolution,
the writer stated that General Horatio
Gates resided in the building immediately
west of the Updegraff home.
General Gates came to York
A shortly after he had captured
Famous Burgoyne with his army of 6,000
Banquet. British and Hessian troops, at
Saratoga. Congress appointed
Gates president of the Board of War. In
February, 1778, when Lafayette was here.
Gates invited General Conway, Lafayette
and other distinguished men to a banquet.
Toasts were otTered to every interest of the
new government except the head of the
army. It is believed by many historians,
as was believed by Lafayette himself, that
Gates and Conway had planned this ban-
quet for the purpose of winning the great
Frenchman, and securing his influence
against Washington for the head of the
army. Gates aspired to the position of
commander-in-chief, and a large number of
delegates then in Congress from the thir-
teen states approved the plan of giving the
command of the American army to the hero
of Saratoga. Conway is reported to have
been the chief of the conspirators although
Gates and he always disclaimed that they
ever intended to cause the removal of Wash-
ington from the head of the army. After
all the toasts had been drunk and enthusi-
asm prevailed, Lafayette as the guest of
honor, sitting near to Gates, arose from his
chair, and offered a toast to "General
Washington, the commander-in-chief of the
American army." Then amid profound si-
lence he took his seat. Nothing more can
clearly be said of this dramatic incident ex-
cept information gathered from a letter-
written by Henry Laurens, of South Caro-
lina, who was then president of Congress,
and the entry made by Lafayette in his
diary, and afterward republished in his
" Memoirs." He described the whole in-
cident in four lines in which he said: "When
I offered my toast, I saw their faces redden
with shame."
It was supposed that the object of the
banquet was to invite persons inimical to
Washington and thus exert an influence
over Lafayette whose toast put an end to
what became known to American history
as the " Conway Cabal." Sometime after
this event, a controversy about this affair
arose between Conway and General Cad-
wallader. It resulted in a duel in which
Cadwallader fired a ball which passed
through Conway's mouth. The wound did
not prove fatal and even after this duel,
Conway wrote a plaintive letter in which
he said he had never conspired against
Washington. Later he went to England
and is supposed to have died in obscurity
in the city of London.
At the northeast corner of
East Market Market Street and Centre
North Side. Square, Andrew Billmeyer
resided and kept a store
during the Revolution. This property
was purchased in 1809 by George Small,
the son of Killian Small and grandson
of Lorentz Small, who came to York
with the earliest settlers. George Small
was married to Anna Maria, the daugh-
ter of Captain Philip Albright, who
commanded a company in Colonel Miles'
regiment, during the Revolution. For
many years, George Small conducted a
hardware store and was succeeded by his
two sons under the firm name of P. A. & S.
Small. The original store was on the cor-
ner and George Small resided in a dwelling
at the angle. The next property east on
Market street during the Revolution was
owned by Elizabeth Billmeyer. In 1812,
George S. Morris and Samuel Small kept a
general store in this building. Charles A.
658
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Morris, who first opened a drug store on
South George street, removed to the third
door on East Market street in 1823. He
was a pubHc-spirited citizen of York, identi-
fied with its financial institutions and ben-
evolent associations. Charles A. Morris
"carried on the drug business for half a cen-
tury and was succeeded by William Smith
& Company. In the adjoining property to
the east, Jacob Billmeyer resided shortly
after the Revolution. In the same building
John Greer kept a store in 1789. William
Spangler at a later period kept a tobacco
store in this building. Charles F. Fisher,
tinsmith and coppersmith, carried on his
business in the next building to the east.
Before and after 1800, he made a large num-
ber of copper stills used by York County
farmers. On the next lot, since the found-
ing of York, has stood a hotel, the first be-
ing known as the Black Bear Inn, whose
history is given elsewhere in this volume.
In 1783, and later, George Heckert, saddler,
had a store next to the tavern. This build-
ing was later used as a cigar store by
Charles Mitzel.
During the early part of last century,
Peter Ahl, a well known hatter of York, had
a factory for a long time in the next build-
ing. In the lot above, Michael Spangler
kept a hotel in 1783 and later. After the
Revolution it was known as the " Sign of
General Washington." It retained the
name Washington House until its removal
in 1885. At this hotel more public men
were entertained than at any other place in
York. Its history is given elsewhere. On
the second lot west from the corner of Mar-
ket and Duke, Dr. William Mcllvain, one
of the leading physicians of York, resided
during the first half of last century. At the
corner property, for many years the resi-
dence of Philip A. Small, Isaac Kepner, a
century ago, followed the trade of a shoe-
maker in a small two-story building. Fol-
lowing him came Jacob Fry, tailor, suc-
ceeded in order by Jacob Brown and Cooper
Oram, tailors. In 1824, the Laurel Engine
House stood near this corner.
When Philip A. Small was
Centre Square married, in 1823, he took
Eastward. up his residence at the
northeast corner of Market
and Duke Streets. In 1839 he built a large
residence at the north^^'est corner of Market
and Duke and resided there until his death
in 1875. His brother, Samuel Small, Sr.,
resided at the northeast corner after 1839
for nearly half a century.
At the southeast corner of Market Street
and Centre Square, during the Revolution,
a building stood which was used as a de-
pository for flint lock muskets, rifles and
other arms for the American soldiers.
Benjamin Hersh built a two-story brick
building which has since stood on this site.
In this building Hersh opened the Golden
Swan tavern. At a later period Ludwig
Michael had a tin store in this building. Dr.
Thomas Jameson had his residence and
office in the same building. In 1808, Samuel
Weiser, the ancestor of the Weiser family,
became the owner of this property. He had
previously carried on the hat business a few
doors east of the corner. In the corner
property, he opened a dry goods store, but
continued the making of hats until 1822.
During the war of 1812, he employed about
fifty workmen making hats, and sent wagon
loads of them every Monday morning to
Baltimore. Samuel Weiser was succeeded
in the mercantile business by his sons, Jacob
and Charles, who were also identified with
the banking institutions of York. At the
second door from the corner, Michael
Welsh, the tailor, resided in 1783. Later he
had a fashionable hat store in this property.
The next property, known as the Hotel
York, has been the site of a tavern for more
than a century, known at various periods as
the White Horse, Turk's Head and the Met-
zel House. In the next property to the
east, Samuel Weiser for more than a decade,
had his hat factory. John Irwin from 1800
to 181 1 kept a store and tavern next door
west of the present Court House. He was
succeeded in the store business by John
Hartman. It was later known as the Cin-
der House and then the Marshall House.
The site of the Court House covers two lots.
In the west one, Killian Small, Sr., a car-
penter and joiner, lived. Peter Small, his
son, also a carpenter and builder, succeeded
in the ownership of this property. Fred-
erick Youse, an interesting personage of the
olden time, resided on the upper lot of the
Court House site. Frederick made cow
bells for the country folk and carried on a
successful business to the end of his days.
In 1822, Peter Rupp succeeded in the owner-
THE CITY OF YORK
659
ship of this property, which together with
the lot of Peter Small, was sold in 1840, to
the county commissioners as a site for the
Court House. About 1800, Henry Smyser
owned the site of the Security Title and
Trust Company building. At a later date,
this building was used for law offices, and in
the rear. David A. Frey published for
twenty years, the York Pennsylvanian. The
Arcade, a mercantile building, also intended
for theatrical purposes, stood on the next
lot to the east. It was built by George and
Daniel Heckert. Dr. Alexander Small had
his office in this building. Henry Small,
carpenter and builder, owned and occupied
the next building, later the home of V. K.
Keesey, a prominent attorney. The next
property east has been owned successively
by George, Jacob and David Heckert for
nearly a century. Michael Bentz, for a
third of a century, organist of Christ Luth-
eran Church and teacher of the parochial
school connected with this church, resided
during nearly his whole life in a building
which he erected on the adjoining lot to the
east. Later it was the home of his son,
Peter Bentz, also a noted musician and
dealer in pianos and organs. In 1790 and
for thirty years later, Jesse Hines owned the
corner lot and resided in a small one and a
half story house with a blacksmith shop to
its rear. Here he shod the horses and did
other work belonging to the blacksmith's
trade for his patrons in town and country.
Peter DeBarth, a Frenchman, erected a
large two and a half story building on this
lot about 1820. He had a little store in the
basement part of the building. The Fates
were not propitious with Peter, and when
his property was sold, it came into the pos-
session of Michael AV. Ash,, a member of
the York County Bar. The widow of
David Cassat, a woman of culture and re-
finement, resided here after the death of her
husband. Charles Weiser, the banker, was
the next to purchase this property, which
for many years has been the home of Jere
Carl, whose wife was a daughter of Charles
AVeiser.
The northeast corner of George
U. S. Street and Centre Square was
Treasury, historic ground before the Rev-
olution. Archibald McClean re-
sided here as early as 1767 when he was the
principal surveyor in running Mason and
Dixon's line from the Susquehanna River
to the top of the Alleghany Mountains.
Four of his brothers accompanied him when
performing this work, which was done un-
der the direction of Mason and Dixon, the
English surveyors and astronomers. Arch-
ibald McClean had served in several county
ofifices under the provincial government.
He was an ardent patriot during the Revo-
lution and when the seat of government was
moved in the fall of 1777 to York from Phil-
adelphia, which had been captured by the
British, his home was used as the treasury-
department of the new government. It
was here that Michael Hillegas, treasurer of
the United States, kept the continental
money that belonged to the government.
The depreciation of this currency was disas-
trous to the interests of Archibald McClean.
AA'hen the war closed he owned a large
amount of this money, which became nearly
worthless. Late in life, he moved to the
foot of the South Mountains in the western
end of Adams County, where he died.
Jacob Barnitz, who had received two
wounds' in the battle of Fort AA'ashington
while carrying the flag for Colonel Swope's
regiment, was married to Mary, a daughter
of Archibald McClean, and for a third of a
century or more, they lived in this house,
while Barnitz performed his duties as a
county official. During the first half of last
century, this building was owned and occu-
pied by John Evans, a member of the York
Bar, who had married a daughter of George
A. Barnitz, an associate judge for twenty-
seven years. During the Revolution and
later, Henry Miller, a soldier and patriot,
who won his spurs in many a battle, resided
in the house in the angle of the Square, east
of the McClean building. It was here that
he lived when York was incorporated in
1787, and he became the first chief burgess.
He returned from the army under AA^ash-
ington with a brilliant record, and during
the AVar of 1812 was made a brigadier-gen-
eral. Later he lived in Baltimore, but re-
turned to Pennsylvania and died in Carlisle
in 1824. David Cassat, a leader of the bar
in 1800 and later-, became the owner of the
Miller home and resided here during his
professional career. He had his law office
in the same building. He was the father of
Isabelle, the wife of Samuel Small, Sr. Late
in life, David Cassat bought the residence at
66o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the southwest corner of Market and Duke
Streets. William H. Kurtz had his law of-
fice in the Centre Square building when he
was elected to Congress in 185 1.
On the lot on North George
North Street, adjoining the McClean
George building, John Fisher in 1761 built
Street. a large brick house. He came to
this country in his boyhood, from
Swabia, one of the south German provinces,
and became the first clockmaker in York.
In this building he made a large number of
the tall eight day clocks which have always
been highly prized by their owners. Be-
sides being a clockmaker, John Fisher was
a musician and painter. He could play the
fiddle with exquisite skill, and painted por-
traits which show that he had talent as an
artist. John Fisher made a small pipe or-
gan in 1790, and later made a spinnet, a
musical instrument which antedated the
piano. One large room in the second story
of the Fisher house was used as a museum
of rare and interesting things, collected by
John Fisher. There are two souvenirs of
this museum owned by the Historical So-
ciety of York. They were presented by
Kate and Amelia Kurtz, great-granddaugh-
ters of John Fisher. One of these is the
head of an Indian chief modeled out of wood
with remarkable skill; the other is the head
of a deer, also carved out of wood with the
antlers of a deer, shot twenty yards away, in
1756. Both of these were designed by John
Fisher, who died in 1808. George, one of
his sons, became a clockmaker in York, then
moved to Lancaster and later to Baltimore.
John, the second son, studied medicine with
Dr. Fahnestock, of Lancaster, and practiced
his profession in York for nearly half a cen-
tury. He resided in the dwelling south of
Clark Alley, now owned and occupied by his
granddaughters, Kate and Amelia Kurtz.
His office and drug store were in a building
next door south. Charles Fisher, the
youngest son, became a coppersmith and
also made articles of tin for the burghers of
York, a hundred years ago.
On the northeast corner of George Street
and Clark Alley, John Adam Lightner lived
from 1770 to 1800. Barbara, his eldest
daughter, was the wife of John Fisher.
During the early part of last century and
as late as 1870 this building was owned by
the firm of P. A. & S. Small. In the rear of
the building this firm had carefully con-
cealed $70,000 in money when General
Early held possession of York, from June
28-30, 1863. Dr. A. R. Blair had his office
on the first floor of the same building.
On the third lot on North George Street,
below Clark Alley, Christ Lutheran Church
erected a parsonage before the Revolution.
Rev. Jacob Goering resided here from 1786
to 1807, where he died. Rev. John George
Schmucker, who married the daughter of
Rev. Goering, whom he succeeded as pastor
for the long period of twenty-seven years,
also resided here. Soon after Rev. A. H.
Lochman became the pastor of the same
congregation, the parsonage was sold to
George Wogan.
On the next lot north, one of the
Count old time public inns was kept for
Pulaski, half a century. It was known as
the Count Pulaski Tavern and
contained a painting of this Polish noble-
man, who aided America in gaining inde-
pendence during the Revolution. At this
hostelry, famed for its culinary department,
Count Pulaski stopped for a time while in
York, during the Revolution. He had been
empowered by Congress to raise an inde-
pendent command of 200 foot soldiers and
sixty-eight light horse, and he came to York
in February, 1779, to recruit his command,
which became known to history as Pulaski's
Legion, famed for their dashing bravery in
several battles. Shortly before he came to
York, he had lost forty of his men in an en-
gagement in the Jersey campaign. He was
a man of fine military bearing and imposing
presence. While in York, he was a fre-
quent visitor at the home of John Fisher,
the noted clockmaker, and as a token of
friendship gave the latter two silver shoe
buckles and two silver knee buckles. These
interesting souvenirs are owned by the His-
torical Society of York County. Pulaski
had his recruiting station in a building
which stood on the west side of North
George Street, on the second lot from the
Square. After remaining in York nearly
three months, he marched with his legion to
South Carolina, and in October, 1779, was
mortally wounded when the British at-
tacked Savannah, Georgia. He was taken
to the brig Wasp, an American vessel,
where he died and his remains were dropped
in the ocean.
^. .=c,^^_^
THE CITY OF YORK
66i
John Demuth, a prominent citizen of
York and a merchant, resided on the corner,
now occupied by the Hotel Penn. John
Jones owned and kept a tavern at the north-
east corner of George and Philadelphia
Streets, during the Revolution. His son,
William Jones, during the early part of last
century owned this property and many
other lots in the same square. He was
originally a Quaker, and became one of the
early members of the First Methodist
Church of York, about 1790.
During the Revolution, Martin
In Centre Breneise resided in the north-
Square, west angle of Centre Square.
He was a tailor. by occupation
and had a family of six persons in 1783.
The official records of the Revolution state
that Martin Breneise rang the bell in the
cupola of the Court House in Centre Square
to call Continental Congress together for
nine months, while it sat in York. One of
the delegates to Congress commended him
in a letter for his patriotism and attention
to his duty. Tradition says he tolled the
bell, when Philip Livingston, one of the
members from New York State, died, while
attending the sessions here. John Bren-
eise succeeded in the ownership of this cor-
ner property, which during the middle part
of last century was owned and occupied by
William Goodridge, a mulatto, who erected
on that spot the first four-story building in'
York. Goodridge conducted in this build-
ing the first large toy and confectionery
store in this borough. Later in life he
moved to Michigan, where he died. Glen-
alvin, his son, had a photograph gallery in
this building. Godfrey Lenhart, noted as
an early clockmaker in York, lived in a two-
story building at the corner of North George
Street and Centre Square. He made his
clocks in the large room on the first floor,
and his family, composed of seven persons,
resided in the building. In 1795, Captain
Jacob Dritt, opened a liquor store in this
building. He had commanded a company
in Colonel Swope's regiment in the Flying
Camp, and was captured at the battle of
Fort Washington. Captain Dritt owned a
large estate in Lower Windsor Township
near the Susquehanna, in which stream he
was accidentally drowned while attempting
to cross the river. John Demuth opened a
dry goods store in this building. The firm
became Demuth & Schreiver, and later,
Schreiver, Welsh & Co. Before the Revo-
lution a two-story house was built on the
second lot on the west side of North George
Street. It was a long building with two
entrances like a double house. Early in
1776, and at a later period in the Revolu-
tion, this house was used as a place of im-
prisonment for some British officers who
had been captured in battle. These officers,
having been on parole, were allowed privi-
leges not given to other officers of the Brit-
ish army, then kept in the county jail at the
northeast corner of King and George
Streets. Some of these officers wore at-
tractive uniforms which interested the boys
of the town.
Captain Gibson, one of them,
A Keg made the boys believe that he had
of Gold, a keg of gold in one corner of a
room and if they could get the
gold out, every boy should have a piece of
money. Many attempts were made by the
school boys of York to win these prizes, but
they could not succeed with the tools al-
lowed them. The remaining lots on North
George Street, from the building described
to Clark Alley, was a large garden, which
extended many feet westward toward Bea-
ver Street. This lot originally belonged to
Archibald McClean, and later was owned,
by his son-in-law, Jacob Barnitz. Part of it
was an attractive flower garden, but on the
other part, vegetables were raised for home
use. Charles Weiser, the banker, pur-
chased the lot south of Clark Alley and
erected a large residence,- afterward owned
and occupied by his son-in-law. Dr. E. H.
Pentz.
North of Clark Alley, shortly after 1800,
George Shetter owned a tavern known as
the York Hotel. On the first lot, Oliver
Stuck resided and published the " Demo-
cratic Press," a family newspaper. On the
second lot from the alley, George Small,
founder of the firm of P. A. & S. Small, re-
sided, shortly after he married a daughter
of Captain Philip x-\lbright. It was here
that his sons, Philip A., Samuel and Dr.
Alexander and their sister, Cassandra Small,
who married Charles A. Morris, were born.
The Hubley building at the southwest cor-
ner of George and Philadelphia Streets, re-
moved in 1905. was erected before the Rev-
olution. Dr. Alexander Small, about 1850,
662
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
erected a large mansion on the opposite cor-
ner, later owned by W. Latimer Small.
The large three-story house situated on
George Street, immediately south of St.
Mary's Catholic Church, an historic man-
sion, was built about 1790, being then one
of the largest houses in York. In 1831, and
for two or three years later this house was
occupied by Richard Rush, son of Dr.
Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia, the famous
physician and American patriot during the
Revolution. In 183 1 , Richard Rush was
elected a warden of St. John's Episco-
pal Church of York and served for two
years. During his residence here, his home
was a centre of gaiety and its occupants
were famous for their hospitality.
There were a number of subur-
Suburban ban homes in the immediate vi-
Homes. cinity of York before 1800.
William Willis, one of the earli-
est Quakers who settled here, resided in a
large farm house west of Prospect Hill Cem-
etery. In 1755 he superintended the con-
struction of the first Court House, and also
became one of the founders of the Friends'
meeting house on Philadelphia Street. His
son, Samuel Willis, became one of the lead-
ers in the anti-slavery movement. He re-
sided in the paternal homestead and his
house was one of the stations of the under-
ground railway, which aided slaves to es-
cape from southern planters before the Civil
War.
The historic mill propert}', a short dis-
tance northeast of town, later possessed by
the Loucks family, before the Revolution
was owned by James Rankin. Rankin was
a prominent minister in the Society of
Friends and preached to the meeting at
York and other meetings in Pennsylvania.
He acquired more than a dozen farms in
York and Cumberland counties. When
hostilities opened with the mother country,
he was one of the wealthiest men in Penn-
sylvania. On account of his opposition to
war, it was claimed that he was disloyal to
the government. During the war, James
Rankin went to England and died at Mill
Hill, near the City of London, in 1820,
possessed of a large estate. Two of his
children who remained in this country in-
herited his American property. His estate
in England was inherited by his other chil-
dren who accompanied him to that country.
Colonel \\'illiam Rankin, one of his brothers,
commanded a regiment of York County
militia during the Revolution.
Along the western slope of the hill, east
of the Loucks mill property about 1780
Archibald McClean laid out a suburban
town which, owing to the depreciation of
continental notes and the stringency in
money affairs after the war, was never built.
Among the purchasers of lots were Henry
Miller, Thomas Hartley, David Grier,
George Eichelberger, Conrad Leatherman
and other patriots of the Revolution.
On a hillside northwest of York, the beau-
tiful farm later owned by the Hyde family,
was the rural retreat of Colonel Thomas
Hartley after the Revolution. It was a
substantial dwelling with a large basement,
part of which was used as a dining-room and
the other as a cellar. It was here at " Hart-
lemont " that Colonel Hartley was accus-
tomed to while away his leisure hours with
chosen friends during the hot days of the
summer months.
Caleb Kirk, one of the most influential
Quakers west of the Susquehanna, resided
in a beautiful home in Manchester Town-
ship, a short distance north of York. He
was a progressive and enterprising citizen.
In 1793, Caleb Kirk introduced the red
clover and timothy grass into this section of
.the countr}^ Dr. Edward C. Kirk, dean of
the dental department of the University of
Pennsylvania, is a great-grandson.
Reigelbach, a farm four miles west of
York, along the Berlin road, was owned be-
fore the Revolution by Matthias Smyser,
the founder of the Smyser family in Amer-
ica. Nearby on a farm, his son, Colonel
Michael Smyser, who was captured at the
battle of Fort Washington, lived and died.
He represented York County more than a
dozen years as a member of the House and
Senate of Pennsylvania.
Baron Von Belen, a German nobleman,
who was banished from his native country,
came to York about 1800. For nearly two
years he resided in a dwelling house in the
village of Bottstown, now included in the
western limits of York. He was a pictur-
esque figure in German history and after
leaving York, took up his residence in Pitts-
burg.
" Peacock Hall " was the name of a
l)uilding owned and occupied during the
THE CITY OF YORK
663
summer season by James Smith, the signer
of the Declaration of Independence. It was
built on his farm to the left of the Balti-
more pike, at the present suburbs of the
city. One of the rooms of this house was
decorated with artistic designs and views.
It was here that the lawyer and statesman
entertained at different times, some of the
most eminent men who attended Continen-
tal Congress while it held its sessions at
York. ,
The stone dwelling house on the
Thomas Kings' mill road southwest of
Paine. York, and now in the city limits,
was built in 1761. During the
Revolution it was one of the largest build-
ings in the suburbs of York. When Con-
gress left Philadelphia in September, 1777,
as the British approached that city, some of
the most valuable ofificial papers were en-
trusted to Thomas Paine, a patriot of the
Revolution. Paine placed the papers in this
house for safety. He was a native of Nor-
folk, England, a teacher early in life who at-
tracted wide attention for his remarkable
ability as a contributor to political journals.
When Benjamin Franklin vvas in London in
1774, he met Paine and induced the latter to
come to this country. When the war for
Independence opened, Thomas Paine wrote
" Common Sense," a pamphlet published
in 1776 at Philadelphia, advocating abso-
lute independence of the colonies from
the mother country. The same year he
was made Secretary to the Congres-
sional Committee on Foreign Relations,
composed of the most influential men
of Congress. The fields surrounding
this historic building, known as the Cookes
House, were used as the pasture ground for
the horses of the delegates to Congress
while in session at York.
Baltzer Spangler, a native of
Baltzer Germany, was one of the earliest
Spangler settlers in the vicinity of York,
House. coming here in 1732. He built a
one and a half story log house a
short distance west of a small stream in
what is now the southeastern section of
York, near the Plank Road. This pioneer
building was standing in 1799, when a draw-
ing of it was made by Lewis Miller, a local
artist and chronicler of events in and around
York. It stood in the midst of stately oaks
and directly east of the run was the famous
" Rock Spring," or " Spangler's Spring,"
which furnished a bountiful supply of cold
and limpid water. The spring was walled
in with heavy blocks of stone, and seventy
years ago, or more, was a famous picnic re-
sort for civic and military organizations. It
is at the foot of a beautiful willoV tree along
the east side of the run, about one hundred
yards south of the Plank Road. Being a
prominent and influential citizen, in 1760
Baltzer Spangler built near the first site, a
large two-story brick mansion, which stands
near the first toll gate on the Plank Road.
It was in its day considered one of the most
spacious, substantial and elegant structures
in the vicinity of York, and was a place of
great hospitality. An interesting souvenir
of this pioneer home is a china mug pre-
sented to the Historical Society by a de-
scendant of Baltzer and Magdalena Spang-
ler. A few years before the Revolution the
parental home was the scene of an interest-
ing ceremony. It was the marriage of one
of the daughters in the presence of a large
number of guests. It was then that one of
the chosen companions of the bride pre-
sented her a bouquet of roses and another
this china mug filled with wild strawberries.
\\' hen the town of York was laid out
Street in 1741, the privilege of a fair was
Fairs, granted, to be held twice a year for
the sale of merchandise, cattle and
other domestic animals. The early inhab-
itants did not take advantage of this until
1765, when Thomas Penn, then governor
of Pennsylvania, granted the following
charter:
" Whereas it has been presented to us that
it would be of great service and utility to
the inhabitants of the town and county of
York, that two fairs be held yearly in the
said town, for buying and selling goods,
wares, merchandise and cattle; know ye,
that we, favoring the reasonable request of
the inhabitants, and considering the flour-
ishing state to which the town hath arrived
through their industry, have of free will
granted, and do, by these presents, for us,
our heirs and successors, grant to the pres-
ent and succeeding inhabitants of the town,
that they shall and may forever hereafter,
have and keep in the said town, two fairs
in the year, the one of them to begin on the
9th day of June yearly, to be held in High or
Market Street, and to continue that day and
664
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the day following; and the other of the said
fairs to be held in the aforesaid place, on
the 2nd day of November, every year, and
in the next day after it, with all the liberties
and customs to such fairs belonging or inci-
dent."
This privilege was accepted by
Lively the inhabitants, and those semi-
Gathering, annual gatherings were the
liveliest days of the whole year.
Traveling dealers in small wares, attended
and disposed of their goods on the streets.
Centre Square was nearly filled with them,
and a large part of Market Street. When
the town was incorporated in 1787, the leg-
islature continued the right of holding the
fairs. The manner and method of holding
them degenerated, and on those occasions,
York became the resort of many objection-
able people, so that the better classes de-
sired a discontinuance of these gatherings.
Robert Dunn lost his life at the autumn fair,
October 15, 1815, and at the November
court, the grand jury declared that the hold-
ing of fairs in York was a public nuisance.
Three persons were convicted of man-
slaughter by the court for the killing of
Dunn. The legislature, on the 29th of Jan-
uary, 1816, ordered that these fairs be dis-
continued.
The expenses incurred by the War
Riot in of the Revolution which resulted in
1786. the independence of the colonies,
had to be paid after the war ended.
Heavy taxes were levied on real estate and
personal property both by the United
States government and the state of Pennsyl-
vania. In some places these heavy taxes
caused riotous conduct and violent opposi-
tion. A tumultuous affair took place in
York in 1786. The tax collector, known as
the excise officer, had levied on a cow be-
longing to Jacob Bixler, of Manchester
Township, north of York. The animal was
driven into town, and about the time it was
oft'ered for public sale at Market and Beaver
Streets, about one hundred men marched
into North George Street, armed with clubs,
pistols and guns. They did this in order to
threaten the tax collector and prevent the
sale of the cow. Colonel Henry Miller,
who had taken part in thirty battles
and skirmishes in the Revolution, was
a leader among the citizens to avert
a riot and restore order. With sword
in hand, he struck at Frederick Hoke,
one of the disturbers of the peace. Hoke
jumped over a wagon tongue, escaped
the blow and the blade of Colonel Miller im-
bedded itself into the tongue. After a little
sparring among the rioters and citizens, the
affray ended. Several of the armed men
were arrested and bound over for court,
and there was no further resistance to the
payment of taxes. It was the same spirit
that caused the Whiskey Insurrection in
western Pennsylvania a few years later.
The friendly relations between
Troubles the King of France and the
with patriots of the Revolution con-
France, tinued for a period of fifteen
years after the war had ended.
In 1798, during the first year of John
Adams' administration, France was tempo-
rarily a republic controlled by a Directory.
During this year, the French government
charged the United States with favoring
Great Britain and granting her privileges
denied to France. President Adams sent
John Marshall, Elbridge Gerry and Charles
C. Pinckney, as special envoys to Paris to
adjust the differences caused by the treaty
that John Jay, chief justice of the United
States, had entered into with England. The
American envoys to Paris were treated with
indignity and returned home. For several
months it seemed as though France and the
United States would be involved in war.
Washington, who had just retired from the
presidency, was appointed to command the
army and had already accepted the honor
conferred upon him. Meantime, the French
government had gained many victories in
Italy with its army under Napoleon Bona-
parte, who became the First Consul of
France. John Adams sent three new en-
voys who finally, in 1801, entered into a
treaty with Napoleon which averted the
war.
The people of York County who
York had showed their loyalty to the
County cause of the Revolution were
Loyalty, ready to defend the government
in case it became involved in war.
Within two days a company of 100 men in
the borough of York offered their services
to their country if v^^ar opened.
A meeting had been held in the Court
House at York, April 18, 1798, to endorse
the action taken bv President Adams in
t^-;^^ptjXj£^
THE CITY OF YORK
665
reference to France. John Hay, Sr., James
Kelley, Conrad Laub, David Cassat, Wil-
liam Ross, Frederick Youse and Chris-
topher Lauman were appointed a committee
to prepare an address to be sent to the
President. This document, remarkable in
thought and language, reads as follows :
To His Excellency, John Adams, President of the United
States.
Sir : — We, the inhabitants of the borough of York, and
its vicinity, knowing it to be our privilege and conceiv-
ing it our duty on some occasions to express our sense
of public measures, have convened for the purpose of
considering your official conduct, as far as it stands con-
nected with the French republic. We have seen with
pleasure, sir, in your instructions to the late envoys ex-
traordinary, as well as in other parts of your adminis-
tration, the sincerest desire, accompanied by the moit
zealous exertions on the part of our executive to con-
ciliate the French, and restore that harmony and mutual
confidence between the two republics, which formerly
subsisted ; and although we regret that all those en-
deavors have been unsuccessful, we enjoy a consolation
that wisdom with rectitude, energy with moderation, has
eminently marked the steps of our government in all its
concerns with foreign nations ; that a continuance of
peace is the first object of our government, next to the
preservation of its dignity and independence. Under
this conviction and the fullest confidence that a strict
regard to national justice as well as national honor will
continue as it hitherto has been prevalent in our coun-
cils, we hesitate not to declare that, whenever the inso-
lence, violence and aggressions of other nations shall
compel our government to resistance, we are united in
one sentiment — that of supporting its measures with all
our energ}'. May that Superintending Power which
governs the universe, continue to direct your measures ;
that Power to which we ever wish to appeal at every
crisis of our national afifairs.
President John Adams, who was then the
leader of the Federalist party in America,
responded to the above letter in the follow-
ing eloquent and forceful sentences :
To the Inhabitants of the Borough of York and its
Vicinity, in the State of Pennsylvania.
Gentlemen : — The independent spirit of this manly ad-
dress from the inhabitants of the borough of York and
its vicinity, as it is conformable to the exigencies of the
times, and comes from a place where I had once some
general acquaintance, is peculiarly agreeable to me.
In preparing the instructions for our envoys to the
French Republic, I indulged a pacific, indeed, a friendly
conciliatory disposition toward France, as far as the in-
dependence of this nation, the dignity of its government,
justice of other nations, and fidelity to our own indu-
bitable rights and essential interests would permit. The
general concurrence with me, in opinion, upon this oc-
casion, as far as there has been opportunity to know the
sentiments of the public, and your approbation in par-
ticular, has given me great satisfaction. The confidence
you express in the wisdom and rectitude, energy and
moderation of the government, in all its concerns with
foreign nations, is my consolation as well as yours.
After years of depredation and cruelties, in open vio-
lation of the law of nations, and in contempt of solemn
treaties, have been borne, without even tolerating the
means of self-preservation or the instruments of self-
defense — the olive branch has been spurned, and am-
bassadors of peace and friendship repeatedly rejected
with scorn.
Can still deeper humiliation be demanded of this
country ?
I most cordially unite with you in your supplications
to that Power which ^rules over all, that the measures
of the United States may be directed by His wisdom, and
that you, my fellow citizens, may be ever under His
benevolent protection.
JOHN ADAMS.
Philadelphia, April 21, 1798.
Immediately after the Revo-
Fourth of July lution, the Fourth of July
Celebrations, was celebrated in all the
towns and cities of the
United States. At these annual demon-
strations the soldiers who fought in the
American army during the war, took a
prominent part in the ceremonies. The
town of York has always been patriotic and
never failed during the first half century of
our history as a nation, to celebrate with
pomp and display the birth of the American
republic.
July 4, 1788, the year after the town of
York was incorporated into a borough and
the first anniversary of the adoption of the
national constitution, the ceremonies com-
memorating these events were of unusual
interest in the borough of York. The
military companies of the town and vicinity
paraded in uniform and went through the
manual of arms in Centre Square in the
presence of a large concourse of people. In
the evening a notable banquet was held and
numerous toasts drunk by patriotic citizens
of the town and officers who had served in
the Revolution.
It was the custom a century ago to hold
the Fourth of July exercises in the groves
or woods near the town of York. In 1802,
says a local journal: "The Federal Repub-
licans dined in town, afterward assembled in
Market Square, and walked in procession to
Mr. Santo's Green, where they drank a num-
ber of patriotic toasts and spent the after-
noon cheerfully. In the evening they were
joined by Captain Ross's company of in-
fantry, who accompanied them to town.
The ringing of bells and firing of cannon
were as usual resorted to by the citizens to
express their pleasure at the recollection of
that great event."
One of the most notable celebrations oc-
curred in 1819, when the Fourth of July
came on Sunday. "The York Phalanx," an
excellent military organization, commanded
666
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by Captain Doudel, met at the Court House,
in full uniform, and attended religious ser-
vices at the Episcopal Church. Monday
was set apart for the demonstrations. The
day was ushered in by a discharge of artil-
lery from the Public Common, the ringing
of bells and the beating of the reveille. At
early dawn all the military organizations of
the town and vicinity paraded, and after-
ward with a large concourse of people, as-
sembled at Kraber's Spring, now known as
Brockie, home of Hon. Jeremiah S. Black,
and later of his son, Chauncey F. Black.
There a feast was prepared by the ladies.
After the dinner was partaken of, a long
array of patriotic toasts were proposed and
responded to. Dr. John Fisher was presi-
dent of the meeting and Michael W. Ash
delivered the oration.
The fiftieth anniversary of American in-
dependence was observed with great dem-
onstrations in York, July 4, 1826. The
demonstrations began by the booming of
cannon and the ringing of all the bells in the
town. During the forenoon, half a dozen
military companies paraded through the
town and then went through the manual of
arms. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, about
fifty soldiers of the Revolution sat in a semi-
circle in front of the speaker's stand on the
south side of the Court House, which then
stood in Centre Square. A similar meet-
ing of soldiers had been addressed the year
before by Daniel Webster, when he deliv-
ered an oration at the laying of the corner
stone of the Bunker Hill monument. The
celebration at York in 1826 was full of
patriotic enthusiasm. Three or four cornet
bands played martial music and a choir sang
patriotic «airs on a platform in front of the
Court House and in the presence of an audi-
ence that filled Centre Square. Charles A.
Barnitz, then the most eloquent member of
the York County Bar, delivered an oration
which was published in the next issue of the
York Recorder.
YORK OR WRIGHT'S FERRY FOR
THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.
In 1787, immediately after the adoption
of the Constitution of the United States,
the town of York was considered as an ap-
propriate place for the permanent seat of
government. William Maclay, who had
held positions of prominence during the
Revolution and also served in the Pennsyl'
vania Assembly in the Supreme Executive
Council, was an earnest supporter of a plan
to select York as the place for the national
capital. In the fall of 1788, he addressed a
letter to James Smith, signer of the Decla-
ration of Independence, asking the latter to
prepare a paper showing the advantages of
York and vicinity. He further said that the
town of York would be placed in nomina-
tion as an eligible site, after the inaugura-
tion of President Washington m April,
1789. Previously to this delegates from
the thirteen original states composed the
membership of Continental Congress which
met as one body. Under the Constitution,
the legislative authority of the country was
vested in two bodies, the Senate and the
House of Representatives. William Maclay
and Robert Morris were the first United
States Senators from Pennsylvania. In
answer to Maclay's letter, a meeting of the
citizens of York was held, with James Smith
as president. The letter was read and the
meeting unanimously resolved that it was
pleasing to know that York may be selected
for the federal seat, and that "all due dili-
gence will be used to attain it." A com-
mittee of fourteen was appointed to obtain
the information requested in the letter of
Senator Maclay and was composed of James
Smith, Colonel Michael Smyser, Captain
Michael Hahn, George Hoke, General
Henry ' Miller, Michael Bard, William
Mathews, Captain Rudolph Spangler, John
Forsythe, Captain Philip Albright, Captain
John Hay, Ephraim Shorb, John Stewart
and James Campbell. The committee the
next day selected William Mathews, Jesse
Kersey, John Forsythe and Conrad Laub to
make a survey and draught of ten miles
square, taking the Court House as a centre.
John Hay, Michael Hahn and James Camp-
bell were appointed a sub-committee to
gather statistics within the survey of ten
miles square. This committee reported on
November 21, that within the borough of
York incorporated the year before, there
were twelve public buildings, including
schools and churches, 412 private or dwel-
ling houses, 2,884 inhabitants, 46 trades, 476
tradesmen, 23 stores, 18 taverns, 15 board-
ing houses. They also reported that there
were within the district proposed for the site
of the Federal City, 13 merchant mills, 10
THE CITY OF YORK
667
saw mills, 2 oil mills, 2 fulling mills, i plat-
ing forge and 4 hemp mills. The commit-
tee gave the distance -of York from the
large towns and the important ferries over
the Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers, in
order to show the geographical importance
of York. They gave the prices of cereals,
and other food products and referred to the
fertile and productive condition of the land
surrounding York.
The selection of a permanent
Discussion site for the seat of government
in brought forth an animated dis-
Congress. cussion in both branches of
Congress during its first ses-
sion which convened in New York in 1789.
Some of the Senators and Members of the
House of Representatives wanted the na-
tional capital built on the banks of the Sus-
quehanna at Wright's Ferry, others upon
the Delaware and still others on the Po-
tomac. During this discussion, which
lasted for a long time, Wright's Ferry,
York, Harrisburg and Peach Bottom were
mentioned. Some wished a centre of terri-
tory, others a centre of population, and
others again a centre of wealth. Senator
Maclay argued in favor of Wright's Ferry
as the most eligible site ; and Robert Morris
favored Germantown. It is possible that
the difference of opinion of these two sena-
tors lost the capital of the United States to
Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna measure
passed the house and was agreed to in the
Senate, but Germantown was afterwards
substituted in the Senate through the efforts
of Robert Morris. It was subsequently
agreed to in the House, but, at the instance
of James Madison, an amendment was made
providing for the operation of the laws of
Pennsylvania in the district until supplied
or altered by Congress. This amendment
rendered necessary the return of the bill to
the Senate, where a majority appeared
against Germantown, and on the 28th of
September, the question still being open, the
bill was postponed. It was in vain that
Senator Maclay raised his prophetic voice
that if the Susquehanna was yielded, the
seat of government would be fixed on the
Potomac. His prophecy was verified. At
the next session of Congress, while the
funding bill was under debate. Alexander
Hamilton, then secretary of the Treasury
in \\'ashington's cabinet, secured its pas-
sage by yielding the capital to the southern
states, and the permanent seat of govern-
ment was fixed in the District of Columbia.
The discussion of the fund-
How ing bill according to Thomas
Pennsylvania Jefferson produced the most
Lost. bitter* and angry contest
known in Congress during
the first thirty years of its history. The
selection of a site for the national govern-
ment became involved in this discussion,
and its interests were combined with the
funding bill. This was the main reason
why the banks of the Susquehanna were not
selected as the permanent seat of govern-
ment. Colonel Thomas Hartley, a dis-
tinguished lawyer and soldier, then repre-
sented York County in Congress. He was
one of the most prominent speakers on this
subject, and, with great force and elo-
quence, advocated Wright's Ferry as the
site best adapted for the seat of government.
In one of his speeches on this subject, he
said:
As to the quality of the soil, it was in-
ferior to none in the world, and though that
was saying a good deal, it was not more
than he believed a fact. In short, from all
the information he had acquired, and that
was not inconsiderable, he ventured to pro-
nounce, that in point of soil, water and the
advantages of nature, there was no part of
the country superior. And if honorable
gentlemen were disposed to pay much at-
tention to a dish of fish, he could assure
them that their table might be furnished
with fine and good from the waters of the
Susquehanna; perhaps not in such variety
as in New York, but the deficiency was well
made up in the abundance which liberal na-
ture presented them of her various pro-
ducts. It was in the neighborhood of two
large and populous towns, York and Lan-
caster, the latter being the largest inland
town in America. Added to all these ad-
vantages, it possessed that of centrality, per-
haps, in a superior degree to any which
could be proposed.
Richard Bland Lee, of Virginia, asked
Colonel Hartley : What was the distance of
Wright's Ferry from York, and whether
that town, as it had once accommodated
Congress, could do it again? If a per-
manent seat is established why not go to it
immediately ? And why shall we go and fix
668
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
upon the banks of a rapid river, when we
can have a more healthful situation? Was
the Codorus Creek, which runs through
York into the Susquehanna, navigable, or
could it be made so?
Colonel Hartley answered that York was
ten m^les from the Fefry, that it contained
about five hundred houses, besides a num-
ber of large and ornamental public build-
ings: that there was no doubt, that if Con-
gress deemed it expedient to remove im-
mediately there, the members could be con-
veniently accommodated, but as the gentle-
men appeared to be inclined to fix the per-
manent residence on the banks of the Sus-
quehanna, he was very well satisfied it
should be there.
This discussion was continued by Madi-
son, of Virginia; Clymer and Hiester, of
Pennsylvania, and others. On the next
day, the House of Representatives agreed
to the following resolution reported by a
committee of the whole, Resolved — That
the permanent seat of the government of
the United States ought to be at some con-
venient place on the east bank of the river
Susquehanna, in the State of Pennsylvania;
and that until the necessary buildings be
erected for the purpose, the seat of govern-
ment ought to continue at the city of New
York.
Michael Stone, of Maryland, then
East moved that the words "east bank"
or be stricken out, and the word
West "banks" inserted, which, if adopted.
Bank, gave the commissioners power to
select either the east or west banks
of the Susquehanna. This passed the
House by a vote of 26 to 25. Another
amendment was suggested that ^he words
"or Maryland" should be inserted after the
word "Pennsylvania," in the resolution.
This resolution passed in the negative by a
vote of 25 to 26. The House then adopted
the following resolution, by a vote of 28 to
21 :
"Resolved — That the President of the
United States be authorized to appoint
three commissioners, to examine and report
to him the most eligible situation on the
banks of the Susquehanna, in the State of
Pennsylvania, for the permanent seat of the
government of the United States; that the
said commissioners be authorized under the
direction of the President, to purchase such
quantity of land as may be thought neces-
sary, and erect thereon, within four years,
suitable buildings for the accommodation of
the Congress, and of the other ofificers of
the United States; that the Secretary of the
Treasury, together with the commissioners
so to be appointed, be authorized to borrow
a sum, not exceeding one hundred thousand
dollars, to be repaid within twenty years
with interest, not exceeding the rate of five
per cent per annum, out of the duties on im-
port and tonnage, to be applied to the pur-
chase of land, and the erection of buildings,
aforesaid; and that a bill ought to pass, in
the present session in conformity with the
foregoing resolution."
The discussion on this subject continued
for a long time, and as has been stated, was
not decided until the next session of Con-
gress, when Philadelphia was chosen to be
the capital of the United States for a period
of ten years, from 1790 to 1800. Both
houses of Congress finally decided the
permanent seat of government should be
on the banks of the Potomac.
It is interesting to relate that in 1791,
President Washington made a tour of the
southern states, and upon his return to
Philadelphia spent three days at George-
town, now in the District of Columbia. He
states in his diary that before leaving
Georgetown, he selected a site for the Ex-
ecutive Mansion and the National Capitol.
After having completed this duty, he re-
turned to Philadelphia, passing through
Frederick, York and Lancaster.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
LEWIS MILLER, best known as a local
artist, was born in York, December 3, 1795.
He was the son of John Ludwig and Cath-
ine (Rothenberger) Miller. His father was
born in 1747 at Nuremberg, and his mother
at Heidelberg. His parents came to Amer-
ica in 1771, and settled in Philadelphia.
They had ten children of whom Lewis was
the youngest. After residing in the eastern
part of the state for several years, they re-
moved to the vicinity of York where John
Ludwig Miller became a successful teacher.
Later he moved to York and for several
years was a teacher in the parochial school
in connection with Christ Lutheran church.
It was here Lewis Miller obtained his edu-
cation under the instruction of his father.
THE CITY OF YORK
669
When he had grown to manhood, he
learned the carpenter's trade and followed
that occupation for a period of forty years.
Meantime, he became a skilled designer and
executed some wood carvings which dis-
played ability as an artisan. In 1840, in
company with Dr. Alexander Small and
others, he went to Europe, first visiting the
noted places in England. After leaving his
companions, he travelled alone through Bel-
gium, Holland and up the Rhine through
Germany, to Austria, Hungary and Poland.
A part of this trip was made on foot over
historic ground on which his ancestors had
lived for centuries.
He returned home in 1841 and took up
his residence on the east side of South Duke
Street, between Market and King, and here
he died^ September 15, 1882, at the age of
87 years. He never married. During his
early boyhood while a student at the pa-
rochial school, Lewis Miller displayed abil-
ity as an artist and from 1812 almost to the
time of his death, he portrayed in water
color the interesting scenes and incidents
which he had witnessed in his native town,
and on his travels through this country and
Europe. Four of these books each contain
nearly two hundred manuscript pages
which through the courtesy of Philip A.
Small, have been placed in the Historical
Society of York County. These drawings
and paintings of parades, celebrations, in-
teresting episodes and portraits of more
than two hundred of the early citizens of
York, are the most remarkable productions
of their kind in America. The penmanship
in the books is neatly executed and his
record of events has helped to preserve
many facts of local history which otherwise
would have been lost to oblivion.
Among the men of prominence to leave
their impress upon the early history of York
County was Lorentz Schmahl who was
born at Essenheim June 10, 1708. In 1728,
according to a church record in his native
town, Lorentz Schmahl was married to Eva
Uber. On June 3, 1743, with his wife and
five children he left his native country and
sailed down the Rhine and on September 2
of the same year, after landing at Philadel-
phia, took the oath of allegiance to King
George II.
Following the tide of immigration, Lo-
rentz Schmahl moved west of the Susque-
hanna and purchased land, later known as
the Maish Mill property in the present area
of Windsor Township, six miles southeast
of York.
His grandfather, Lorentz Schmahl,
who was born in 1614, according to a
church record, resided in Essenheim in 1646
and died there in 1698, at the age of 84,
leaving a wife Elizabeth and six children.
Lorentz Schmahl, his eldest son and the
father of Lorentz Schmahl the ancestor of
the family in this country, was baptized in
1662, and was married to Anna Maria Bar-
bara Kramer. According to the official re-
cords, he followed the occupation of a coun-
cilman in his native town and died Novem-
ber 9, 1733 leaving a wife and eleven chil-
dren.
Lorentz Schmahl, one of these sons, who
settled in Windsor Township in 1743, fol-
lowed the occupation of a farmer and died
there in 1749, the year that York County
was formed out of Lancaster. He was sur-
vived by his wife and seven children.
Killian Schmahl, who later spelled his
name Small, became the heir at law to his
father's plantation at the time of the latter's
death in 1749. For several years he fol-
lowed the occupation of a farmer and soon
after selling his plantation in Windsor
Township, in 1761, purchased from Jacob
Reiff, lot No. 42, on the south side of East
Market Street, a short distance east of the
present Court House. Here he resided the
remainder of his life. Being a man of at-
tainments, industry and business rectitude,
he accumulated a large amount of property,
among his possessions being a farm, upon
which the eastern part of York has since
been built. He was interested in farming
throughout his whole life and also became a
skilled carpenter, erecting many buildings
for his friends and neighbors before 1800.
When the Revolution opened he es-
poused the cause of the colonists, and was a
soldier in the Third Company, Third Bat-
talion York County Militia, organized in
1775. In 1777-78 a part of this battalion
under Colonel David Jameson, the first phy-
sician of York, with Philip Albright as lieu-
tenant colonel, was present at the battles of
Germantown and White. Marsh. After the
war Killian Small became one of the most
prominent citizens of York, where he died
in 1815 and was buried in the German Re-
670
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
formed churchyard on West Market Street.
Early in life he married Eva Welshhance,
who with seven children survived him.
GEORGE SMALL, one of his sons, born
at Y^ork April 28. 1767, was a man of marked
intelligence and exercised a strong influ-
ence in the early mercantile interests of the
borough of York. He obtained his edu-
cation in the parochial school connected
with the German Reformed Church, and be-
came one of the leading citizens of his na-
tive town. He was a successful carpenter
and also followed the occupation of a cabi-
net maker. Prospering in all his efforts
about 1800, he established a lumber yard on
North George Street, and began to build
bridges and houses under the name of
George Small and Company. In 1805 he
erected the first county almshouse and soon
afterward put up other large buildings in
York and vicinity, being one of the pi-
oneers in the erection of the large Sweitzer
barns in the fertile valley between Wrights-
ville and Hanover. George Small made the
plans and superintended the erection of
Christ Lutheran Church in 1813, displaying
ability as an architect in the construction
of the steeple. A few years later he erected
the Globe Inn at the corner of West Mar-
ket Street and Centre Square.
George Small married Anna Maria Ur-
sula, daughter of Colonel Philip Albright
and his wife Anna Maria Ursula Duenckel.
She was a daughter of John Daniel Duenckel
and Anna Maria von Hermsdorf Duenckel,
a woman of many accomplishments, who
exercised a strong influence in the society
of York during its early history. George
Small purchased from John Schall for the
sum of 109 pounds a lot and residence on
the west side of North George Street, north
of Clark Alley, where he resided for a pe-
riod of fifteen years. Here his three sons
Philip, Samuel, Alexander and his daugh-
ter Cassandra, who married Charles A.
Morris, were born. In 1809 he purchased
the northeast corner of East Market Street
and Centre Square from Andrew Billmeyer
for the sum of 1,300 pounds. He resided
on the northeast angle of the square and
opened a general store in another building
at the corner. Meantime George Small
continued his lumber business until 1815.
In 1816 he advertised that among other
articles he sold "bar iron, Crowley steel.
English and iVmerican Blister steely iron
hoops and nail rods. The bar iron which
was obtained at Curtin's Forge, Centre
County, needs no recommendation."
In 1817 George Small associated with
him in the mercantile business his son-in-
law, Charles A. Morris, under the firm name
of Small & Morris and notified the public
through the York Gazette that they sold
iron mongery, cutlery, plated and tinned
soldery, brass and japanned ware, grain and
grass scythes, and many other articles.
In 1820 the firm of Small & Morris was
dissolved by mutual consent, and Charles
A. Morris embarked in the drug business,
first on the west side of South George
Street near the Square, and later founded
the Morris drug store, third door east of
Centre Square on Market Street. In 1820
the firm of George Small & Son was
formed, Philip A. Small, the eldest son, be-
ing a partner. They continued the general
mercantile business and made a specialty
of hardware. In 1823 Samuel Small became
associated in the business under the firm
name of George Small & Sons. In 1833,
George Small retired from the mercantile
business and the firm of P. A. & S. Small
was formed.
During his whole business career, George
Small was interested in the growth and
improvement of the town of York, and ad-
vocated every plan to develop internal im-
provement in the borough and the entire
county. He was one of the incorporators
of the York and Maryland Line Turnpike
Company in 1809. He was also an incor-
porator and director of the York Haven &
Harrisburg Bridge Turnpike Company and
the York & Gettysburg Turnpike Company.
In 1816, he was the chief promoter in or-
ganizing the York Water Company, of
which he was director the remainder of his
life. When a plan was set on foot to build
a canal from York to the Susquehanna
River in 1824, he became an active sup-
porter in the enterprise and was one of the
leaders in its construction. This was known
as the Codorus navigation and was used for
the transportation of lumber, goods and
merchandise until the railroad was built to
York in 1838. In 1829 he was chief bur-
gess of York.
During his whole career he was inter-
ested in agriculture and owned several
:,£:^. u^/Aiif^ ^:src Ny-
■f I
THE CITY OF YORK
671
farms in York County. He experimented
with the growing of grapes, the making of
wine and the breeding of imported live
stock. In 1828 George Small purchased
from his son-in-law, Charles A. Morris, a
farm in Spring Garden Township, adjoining
the property of his brother, Jacob Small,
and in 1831 erected a flouring mill which
was operated by George Small & Sons, and
later by P. A. & S. Small. This was the
beginning of a large milling industry which
the firm has conducted for three-fourths of a
century. They also began to purchase a
large quantity of the wheat and other cer-
eals raised in York County. The product
of the mills was shipped by way of Bal-
timore and York to England.
George Small continued to be active and
influential in the affairs of the community
in which he lived during his whole career.
In 1808 and during the succeeding thirty
years he was one of the trustees of the York
County Academy. Early in life he was in-
terested in music, was secretary and later
president of the Orphean Society, was
leader of the choir of the German Reformed
Church of which he was a member, super-
intendent of the Sunday School and also
filled the responsible position of treasurer
of the German Reformed Synod of the
United States. He attended to his business
afl'airs until the end of his life. On Sep-
tember 4, 1838, he rode on horseback to
his mill in Springgarden Township. On
his way home, he was taken suddenly ill,
and shortly after dismounting from his
horse died along the roadside. His death
resulted from apoplexy. His wife died
soon afterward. They were both buried
in the German Reformed churchyard on
North Beaver Street and later were re-
moved to the lot of their son, Dr. Alex-
ander Small, in Prospect Hill Cemetery,
George Small was a man of great stren'gth
and force of character. He was known
throughout southern Pennsylvania and
Maryland, as a man of most exemplary busi-
ness rectitude. His genial nature and af-
fable manners, as well as the deep interest
he showed in the welfare of his fellow men,
made George Small universally popular in
the community where he had exerted a
helpful influence through a long and pros-
perous career. The eulogies pronounced by
his pastor, Rev. John Cares, of the Re-
formed Church, and Rev. Dr. Robert Cath-
cart, pastor of the Presbyterian Church,
paid high tribute to his worth and influ-
ence as a man and a christian who had uti-
lized his best efforts to promote the public
good.
The biography of Dr. Alexander Small,
his third son, will be found in the Medical
chapter in this volume.
PHILIP ALBRIGHT SMALL, senior
member of the firm of P. A. & S. Small,
from 183 1 to 1875, was born at his paternal
home on North George Street, March 6,
1797. During his boyhood he attended the
York County Academy, a flourishing and
popular institution in which Thaddeus Ste-
vens, afterwards the great American states-
man, was then one of the instructors. Philip
Small improved rapidly in his studies and
as a school boy became a leader among his
classmates. He had inherited strong intel-
lectual endowments, and early in life dis-
played those marked characteristics which
made him a leader among the business men,
not only in the borough of York but
throughout southern Pennsylvania and the
adjoining state of Maryland. He entered
business as a boy in the store of Penrose
Robinson, a prominent merchant of York,
and at the age of seventeen became an em-
ployee in the mercantile firm of Schultz, Ko-
nig & Company, in the city of Baltimore.
Taking advantage of all the opportunities
afforded a young man in a business house
of a large city, Philip A. Small, early in life,
learned from his superiors the manner in
which a prosperous business was conducted.
At the age of twenty-two he became a
partner in the wholesale and retail business
of his father, George Small. He was alert
and enterprising and was a useful assistant
to his honored father in developing the mer-
cantile business of George Small & Son.
The diversified interests of his father at
this time required the assistance of a compe-
tent partner. .Philip A. Small, both by
training and inheritance, was fully equipped
to increase and expand a trade of what was
destined to become the leading business
house in the city of. York. He was faithful
and diligent in the performance of his duty
and displayed unusual aptitude for business,
possessed excellent judgment, and beyond
all, was careful and judicious in all his traos-
actions.
672
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
When the firm of P. A. & S. Small was
founded in 1833, Philip A. Small became its
head. His capacity and training eminently
fitted him for the position. Through his
shrewdness and foresight, the mercantile
establishment of P. A. & S. Small extended
its trade, enlarged its business and became
the leading firm in the purchase of grain,
manufacture of flour and in the wholesale
and retail hardware and grocery business.
Their patrons, without the employment of
traveling salesmen, extended over more
than a dozen counties in Pennsylvania and
Maryland. The amount of goods and pro-
ducts, including their iron industries in
Maryland, equalled one-sixth of all the
freight moved over the Northern Central
Railroad between Baltimore and York.
The fertile valleys of York County have
always been widely known for the produc-
tion of a fine quality of wheat, rye and corn.
This firm began to purchase these cereals
soon after the erection of their first mill,
a short distance southeast of York. Fol-
lowing the erection of this, a large flouring
mill was built on the Codorus, northeast
of York, the Myers mill, farther down the
the stream, the Hartman mill, south of
York, and finally the large four story flour-
ing mill at Goldsboro. The Loucks mill,
north of York, for a long time was operated
by this firm. All of these mills were fitted
up with the most improved machinery for
the production of the best flour that could
be made. For many years the firm of P. A.
& S. Small purchased one-third of all the
wheat grown in York County, and when the
grain trade was at its height, a line of
wagons, often waiting to be unloaded, ex-
tended from Centre Square down George
Street to the railroad. The flour manufac-
tured at their mills found a ready sale.
Through the ingenuity of Philip A. Small,
a large quantity of their flour w^as shipped
to London, England. Later their trade
was extended to Brazil, where as many
as 90,000 barrels of flour were shipped
yearly.
In 1843 the firm of P. A. & S. Small built
the Sarah Furnace, in Harford County,
Maryland, and also the Manor Furnace in
York County.
About 1847 they joined the Pattersons, of
Bajtimore, in erecting the Ashland Fur-
naces near Cockeysville, Maryland. An ex-
tensive business was done here in the man-
ufacture of pig iron for a period of thirty-
years.
The successful business experience of
Philip A. Small called into requisition his
talents and ability in the promotion of va-
rious corporations and other interests.
For a period of forty-five years he was a
trustee of the York County Academy and
served as president of the board. Being in-
terested in public internal improvements, he
served as director of different turnpike com-
panies through York County, and in 1835
was one of the incorporators of the York
& Wrightsville railroad which, when com-
pleted, formed a transportation line from
Philadelphia through Lancaster and York
to Baltimore. He was a director in the
York County Bank, was chosen its presi-
dent in 1858, and was the financial head of
that institution from that date until 1875.
It was during his presidency that the bank
gave up its state charter, accepting the pro-
visions of the act of Congress of 1863, and
became the York County National Bank.
Through his wise management it was a suc-
cessful institution. He was also president
of the York Gas Company.
During his whole life he was interested
in agriculture, frequently visiting the nu-
merous farms owned by the firm. He was
one of the promoters of the York County
Agricultural Society in 1853, and for a long
period was one of the most active members
of its board of managers.
Throughout his entire career Philip A.
Small showed remarkable capacity for the
transaction of business. He possessed ex-
cellent judgment, superior executive abili-
ties and was one of the most successful men
York County has produced. He was fre-
quently consulted by merchants and busi-
ness men of York, and was universally re-
spected by his fellowmen. For half a cen-
tury his name was a synonym for honor and
integrity.
Philip A. Small was married September
25, 1822, to Sarah Latimer, daughter of
William Latimer, of Philadelphia, who was
a lineal descendant of William Latimer,
brother of Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Wor-
cester, England. The children of Philip A.
Small and Sarah Latimer, were Anna Ma-
ria, George, Sarah Bartow, Cassandra Mor-
ris, William Latimer, Elizabeth Latimer,
i
THE CITY OF YORK
673
I
Susan David, Samuel, Philip Albright and
Mary Campbell Small.
Philip A. Small died April 3, 1875, and
his eldest son, George, succeeded him as
head of the firm of P. A. & S. Small. His
wife died November 16, 1876. During
nearly the whole of their married life Mr.
and Mrs. Small resided in a mansion at the
northwest corner of Market and Duke
Streets.
SAMUEL SMALL, Sr., the second son
of George and Anna Maria Albright Small,
and a member of the firm of P. A. & S.
Small for a period of sixty years, was born
at York, July 25, 1799. His boyhood was
spent in his native town and for several
years he was a diligent student at the York-
County Academy. At the age of sixteen
he began his business career with the firm
of Schultz, Konig & Company, large whole-
sale merchants in the city of Baltimore. By
diligence and close application he soon dis-
played unusual talent for the mercantile
business. In 1818 Samuel Small opened a
branch store at Pittsburg which then had a
population of 10,000. The trade along the
Ohio Valley was developing and his experi-
ence as one of the wholesale merchants in
the Iron City was a success. A year later
he was directed to open a branch store at
Cincinnati. This was before the time of
railroads and successful steamboat naviga-
tion; so with flat boats he conveyed his mer-
chandise down the Ohio to the place of des-
tination. He found a ready sale for his
goods to retail merchants in new towns sit-
uated in the Ohio Valley.
In 1822, after having acquired an experi-
ence valuable to a young man in the mer-
cantile business, he returned to York,
formed a partnership with George S. Morris
and engaged in the dry goods trade on Mar-
ket Street, three doors east of Centre
Square. Two years later he withdrew from
this business and in 1825 became a partner
in the firm of George Small & Sons. In
1833, with his brother, Philip A. Small, he
founded the mercantile establishment of P.
A. & S. Small. During the succeeding
years of his long and successful life, Samuel
Small devoted his best energies to develop-
ing and expanding the business of this firm,
both of whose members had inherited re-
markable capacity for carrying out the de-
tails and managing the aft'airs of large en-
terprises. Samuel Small was the constant
associate and adviser of his brother in all
the efforts put forth by their mercantile
house, the large milling business and the
purchase and sale of grain. As a financier
he was shrewd, cautious and far-sighted and
became an authority on business operations
and money matters in the community of
which he was a leading citizen.
Small's store became a familiar name to
all the citizens of York and the country for
a distance of thirty miles in every direc-
tion. Besides being a center of trade, it was
a place where farmers and merchants met
for the transaction of business. Owing to
the financial credit of the firm and its suc-
cess in all its efforts, the counting room of
P. A. & S. Small became a depository for
many thousands of dollars placed there on
call by the farmers of York County. After
the death of Philip A. Small in 1875, Samuel
Small, Sr., continued a member of the firm
until his death in 1885.
In the management of Manor Furnace in
York County, Sarah Furnace, in Harford
County, and the large iron industiy of the
Ashland furnaces near Baltimore, Samuel
Small took an important part, showing
marked ability in conducting their business
through all the trying periods of financial
depression. After the death of William
Coleman, the great iron master of Lebanon ■
County, Samuel Small became the guardian
of his two minor children, heirs to a large
estate. This required him to look after the
interests of the iron deposits and furnaces at
Cornwall. He displayed marked executive
ability in directing this business and when
the children reached their majority a few
years later, their inheritance had increased
nearly one-half million dollars.
In his early manhood Samuel Small was
treasurer of the Codorus Navigation Com-
pany. In 1853 he was a director of the
first building association in town, and the
same year became a director of the York
and Cumberland Railroad Company, a line
extending from York to Harrisburg and
now a part of the Northern Central Rail-
way. He served as a director of the York
Water Company and for a number of years
its president.
Samuel Small filled a conspicuous place
in the history of York. He was always rec-
ognized as a successful merchant and finan-
674
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
cier, but was best known to the community
for his benevolence. In 1865 he established
a home for the orphans of soldiers and, with
the co-operation of Charles A. Morris,
erected a building on East Philadelphia
Street for this institution, later he built
a modern school building. At his death he
gave to it $8,000, and his widow $30,000.
He was always charitable to the poor and
was. a liberal contributor to the York Be-
nevolent Society which he established and
which distributed needed support among
the worthy poor. Feeling the need of a
hospital in his native town, he purchased
the grounds and buildings and founded that
institution in 1879. For many years he was
a ruling elder in the First Presbyterian
Church. The York Collegiate Institute is
a monument to his philanthropy. This in-
stitution he founded in the year 1873 ^^^
endowed it liberally. His widow also be-
queathed $30,000 to its support.
Mr. Small was married March 26, 1834,
to Isabella, daughter of David Cassat, for
thirty years, a leader of the York County
bar, and a cousin to the late A. J. Cassatt,
president of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company. They had no children. During
fifty years of their married life they resided
in his mansion at the northeast corner of
Market and Duke Streets. Mr. Small died
July 14, 1885. During the time of the fu-
neral service, as a high tribute to his mem-
ory, all the stores and factories of York
were closed for several hours. Mr. Small
possessed a kindly disposition. He was
universally beloved by all with whom he
had social or business relations. His ster-
ling integrity, high sense of honor and dig-
nified bearing left an impress upon the com-
munity which has had a lasting effect.
Mrs. Small survived her husband until
January 17, 1890. She was a woman of rare
intellectual accomplishments and possessed
many excellent qualities of mind and heart.
In her will she bequeathed large sums to
charitable and benevolent institutions.
GEORGE SMALL, the eldest son of
Philip and Sarah Latimer Small, and from
1885 to 1891 the head of the firm of P. A.
& S. Small, was born at York, December 13,
1825. In his boyhood days George Small
displayed unusual mental and physical
vigor. As a student at the York County
Academy he excelled in the study of mathe-
matics and the ancient and modern classics.
When he reached the age of eighteen he de-
cided to follow a mercantile life, and spent
four years in the store of his father and
uncle. In 1846, at the age of twenty-two,
he went to Baltimore, where he opened a
commission house for the sale of grain, flour
and other products. He soon controlled a
large trade. The shipping interests of Bal-
timore at this time were developing rapidly,
and George Small, taking advantage of this
opportunity, entered into commercial rela-
tions with South z\merica. He prospered in
this effort and was soon enabled to annually
ship to the ports of Brazil ninety thousand
barrels of flour, made at the Codorus mills,
near York. Owing to the excellent quality
of the flour the trade of his firm with South
America has been continued with unabated
success. Mr. Small succeeded his father.
P. A. Small, as president of the Ashland
Iron Company in 1875 and became the di-
recting spirit in the management of its busi-
ness. He continued in this position until
his death, during which time vast quanti-
ties of iron were produced. Being favor-
ably known as a man of remarkable capacity
he was called upon to fill other positions of
trust and responsibility. For many years
he was a director of the Northern Central
Railroad Company, the Baltimore and Poto-
mac Railroad Company, Baltimore City
Passenger Railroad Company, Consolidated
Gas Company, of Baltimore, Pennsylvania
Steel Company and the First National Bank
of Baltimore. As a director in these large
corporations, George Small exerted a
strong influence and he became one of the
most conspicuous men in the city of Balti-
more, widely known for his superior judg-
ment and his comprehensive grasp of the
details in the management of large busi-
ness operations.
George Small was married on January 13,
1852, to Mary Grant Jackson, daughter of
Colonel AVilliam A. Jackson, of Fredericks-
burg, Virginia, whose ancestors emigrated
from England in 1730. They resided in a
stately home at Mt. Vernon Place, Balti-
more, where they shared a large hospitality.
At this residence Mr. and Mrs. Small enter-
tained many noted people, among them
President Grant, who several times was an
honored guest. They also owned a resi-
dence a short distance south of York, which
"*^w^ \^ms
THE CITY OF YORK
675
was called Grantley and where they spent
their summer months. Mr. Small died at
his home in Baltimore April 11, 1891. Mrs.
Small died in March, 1907. They had no
children.
WILLIAM LATIMER SMALL, second
son of Philip A. and Sarah Latimer Small,
was born October 30, 1830. He obtained a
liberal education and throughout his whole
life was a devoted student of books. Dur-
ing his early manhood he was employed in
the counting house of his father and uncle,
and in 1862 joined the firm of P. A. & S.
Small, of which he was an honored member
the remainder of his active business career.
Mr. Small had inherited the executive abil-
ity and far-sightedness of his father whom
he succeeded in the management of the ex-
tensive milling industry and the numerous
farms owned by the firm. He was a man of
vigor and enterprise, ready to take advan-
tage of every opportunity to advance the
interests of the firm, and the material de-
velopment of his native town. He travelled
extensively and was widely known among
the business men of Pennsylvania and
Maryland.
Having acquired a broad and compre-
hensive knowledge of the business afi^airs
of the community, his counsel and advice
were called into requisition on many occa-
sions, and his ability as a financier caused
Him to be chosen as a director of numerous
corporations. He served as a director of the
York National Bank, the oldest financial
institution of the City, the First National
Bank, the York Gas Company, the York
Water Company, the Columbia Water
Company and Spring Garden Plank Road
Company. Recognizing the necessity of
increased railroad facilities as a prerequisite
to municipal growth and progress, he as-
sisted in the organization of the York and
Peach Bottom Railroad, now the Maryland
and Peinnsylvania Railroad; and was one of
the incorporators of the Baltimore and Har-
risburg Railroad Company whereby the
W^estern Maryland opened new fields
and added new markets to local manufac-
turers. Being deeply interested in the cause
of education he served for a long period as
a trustee in the York County Academ}^ In
1873, when his uncle, Samuel Small, founded
the York Collegiate Institute, he became a
member of the Board of Trustees, and lent
his best efl:orts to the support of that insti-
tution. After the building had been de-
stroyed by fire in 1888, together with his
brothers George and Samuel Small, he
erected the present building, more imposing
and better equipped than its predecessor.
Mr. Small was one of the founders of the
York hospital, and was a liberal contributor
to the Union Missions in his native city.
For a period of forty years he was a vestry-
man in St. John's Episcopal Church, of
which he was a devout member. For sev-
eral years he conducted a men's Bible class
at Bethany Chapel, East York.
Mr. Small was first married June 19, i860,
at Grace Church. Baltimore, to Mary S.
\\'ilson, daughter of William Wilson. Mrs.
Small died in 1874. They had three chil-
dren, Philip Albright, Anna Maria, wife of
John C. Schmidt, and Mary D. Small. Mr.
Small was married second to Kate M.
Reilly, of W'^inchester, Virginia. Their
children are George, Katharine Latimer,
married to Redmond C. Stewart, of Balti-
more, and Cassandra Morris Blair Small.
Mr. Small resided on the northwest corner
of Philadelphia and George Streets, and
spent the summer months at Grantley. He
died Februarv 27, 1903.
SAMUEL^ SMALL, third son of Philip
A. and Sarah Latimer Small has been the
head of the firm of P. A. & S. Small since
1903. He obtained his education at the
York County Academy and became a mem-
ber of the firm July 22, 1866. Since that
time he has devoted his energy and ability
to the financial and business interests of P.
A. & S. Small. He has also served as pres-
ident of the Spring Garden Plank Road
Company, president of the York Benevolent
Society and Children's Home, vice president
of the York County Agricultural Society
and of the Pennsylvania Bible Society; trus-
tee of the State Hospital for the Insane
at Harrisburg, life member of the Pennsyl-
vania Historical Society, and life member of
the Historical Society of York County. In
1888, in association with his two elder
brothers, Mr. Small erected the present
Y'ork Collegiate Institute, of which he is
president of the board of trustees. He has
given much time and attention to this suc-
cessful institution of learning which was
founded by his uncle in 1873.
In 1859 Mr. Small w'as married in the
676
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
First Presbyterian Church at York, to
Frances Ann Richardson and resides at
128 East Market Street. He and his fam-
ily spend the summer months at Sinking
Springs, a delightful residence a few miles
east of York. Mr. and Mrs. Small have had
seven children : Sarah Latimer, married to
Walter M. Franklin, a member of the Lan-
caster County bar; Mary Richardson, mar-
ried to George S. Schmidt, member of the
York County bar; Isabel Cassatt, George,
deceased. Frank Morris, Samuel and Helena
Bartow Small.
In 1905 the varied interests of the firm of
P. A. & S. Small were incorporated. The
large wholesale mercantile interests have
since been operated as the P. A. & S. Small
Company, of which Samuel Small is presi-
dent ; P. A. Small, vice president ; Samuel
Small, Jr., treasurer; George Small, secre-
tary. The P. A. & S. Small Land Company
was incorporated at the same time with
Samuel Small, president; P. A. Small, vice
president; Samuel Small, Jr., treasurer;
George Small, secretary. The P. A. & S.
Small Milling Company was incorporated
with Samuel Small, president ; Samuel
Small, Jr., vice president ; P. A. Small, sec-
retary and treasurer. In 1906 a large and
commodious five-story business block was
erected on North George Street for their'
wholesale mercantile house.
CHAPTER XXXL.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY.
Lutheran — Reformed — Moravian — Episco-
pal— Friends — Presbyterian — Catholic —
Methodist — United Brethren in Christ —
United Evangelical — Baptist Churches —
Hebrew Congregations — Y. M. C. A.
The area now embraced in York County
and the region west of it had not been pur-
chased by the heirs of William Penn until a
conference was held with the Indians at
Philadelphia in 1736. Permits had been
granted, however, for settlers to cross the
Susquehanna as early as 1733. Soon after
this a large number of Germans, who had
recently crossed the ocean from the Pala-
tinate, settled west of the Susquehanna on
the fertile lands, extending southward from
the site of Wrightsville to Hanover and be-
yond. These people were Lutherans, Ger-
man Reformed and JNIoravians who brousfht
with them religious teachings which they
had received in the Fatherland. By the
middle of 1733 a large number of German
Lutherans had taken up lands in the Co-
dorus and Kreutz Creek valleys. After
clearing strips of land they built log cabins
for their future homes.
In September, 1733, they were visited by
John Casper Stoever, a missionary of the
Lutheran Church, born at Frankenburg,
Germany, in 1707. He had landed in
Philadelphia in 1728 and spent one year
preaching in Montgomery County. In 1730
he settled at New Holland, northeast of
Lancaster, and during the next few years
organized several Lutheran churches in
Berks, Lancaster and Lebanon counties. In
173 1 Pastor Stoever crossed the present
area of York County and held religious ser-
vices among the Lutherans and baptized
several persons then settled in the vicinity
of Hanover under Maryland grants. He
was ordained in Montgomery County dur-
ing the early part of 1733 by Rev. John
Christian Schultz.
Shortly thereafter he visited the
Christ German Lutherans west of the
Lutheran Susquehanna and laid plans for
Church. the organization of what be-
came known to history as the
Evangelical Lutheran Church on the Co-
dorus, later Christ Lutheran Church. The
organization took place eight years before
the town of York had been founded. Re-
ligious services were at first held in the
houses of members by Pastor Stoever, who
visited them about once a month from his
home thirty miles away. Meantime, he
was the pastor of several other congrega-
tions east of the Susquehanna. The names
of persons baptized at this early date by
John Casper Stoever will be found on page
144. Soon after Pastor Stoever arrived in
1733 the members of the new congregation
raised money for the purchase of a i-ecord
book. The first page of this historic book,
now in the possession of the vestry of Christ
Lutheran Church at York, contains the fol-
lowing names of the contributors for this
book, together with the dates of the arrival
of some of them in this country:
^Martin Bauer 1732 Carl Eisen
Johannes 1732 Christian GroU 1729
Joseph Beyer 1731 Baltzer Knetzer
Paul Burkhardt Christof Kraut
John Adam Diehl. . . . 1731 Gottfried Mauch
THE CITY OF YORK
677
Nicholas Koger 1732 George Schwab 1727
Jacob Scherer 1732 Phihp Ziegler 1727
Mathias Schmeiser
George Schmeiser . .
Geo. A, Zimmerman.
Heinrich Schultz . . .
Valentine Schultz . .
1731 George Ziegler 1727
1731 Jacob Ziegler 1727
Michael Walch 1732
1731 Heinrich Zanck 1732
1 73 1 One name illegible.
John Casper Stoever continued to visit
York from 1733 to 1743. Meantime the
congregation met and reHgious services
were conducted by Bartholomew Maul, who
taught the first parochial school connected
with the congregation. Soon after York
was founded in 1741, the heirs of William
Penn granted to these early Lutherans two
lots on South George Street upon which the
first house of worship, a log building, was
erected in 1743-4. Soon after 1743 Pastor
Stoever relinquished his duties with the
congregation at York and settled on the
banks of the Swatara Creek, in Lebanon
County, where he resided until the time of
his death. May 13, 1779, near the close of
the Revolution. He organized nearly all
the Lutheran congregations in Lancaster
County and northward to the mountains.
The names of the male members of the
congregation, with the date of arrival at
Philadelphia, during Stoever's pastorate, are
as follows :
George Amendt 1732
Conrad Amen 173 1
Martin Bauer 1732
George M. Beierle. . . .1730
Philip Bentz 1732
Joseph Beyer 1731
Melchoir Beyer
Frederich Bleibtreu . .
Jacob Braum 1733
Ulrich Buehler 1734
Paul Burkhardt
Barthol Creutzdorf ...
John George Cruradt. .
Henry Dewees 1733
John Adam Diehl 1731
Conrad Dietz
Daniel Earley
Sebastian Eberle 1728
Michael Ebert 1731
Charles Eisen
Philip Adam Endtler..
Henry English
Michael Fisher
Conrad Fry 1733
Martin Fry
John Funck 1727
Peter Gaertner
Jacob Gaunerner
John Adam Giszner. . .
John George Gobel...i733
Adam Gossner
Philip Gohn
Christian GroU 1729
Philip Ernst Gruber..
Jacob Haurie
John Hearken
Tobias Hendrick
John Herberger 1732
Nicholas Hoeltzel
Erasmus Holtsapel ....1731
Leonard Immel
Christof Kaufifeld
Casper Kerber 1733
Leonard Knady
Baltzer Knetzer
John Peter Knobel ....
Nicholas Koger 1732
Valentine Krantz
Christof Kraut
Michael Kreuger 1732
John G. Lansbager ....
Conrad Lau
Christian Lau 1732
John Christ. Loeffler. . . 1732
John G. Loewanstein. . .
Bartholomew Maul ....1732
Gottfried Mauck
Dertrich Meyer
George Meyer
William Morgan
Adam Mueller 1732
Conrad Mueller 1732
Jacob Mueller 1732
Andreas Nebinger
Christian Neuman
George Pflueger 1731
John Jacob Rudisel....
Meyrich Rudisel 1737
John Adam Ruppert. . . 1731
Dietrich Saltzgaber . . .
Jacob Scherer 1732
Matthias Schmeiser ...1731
John Geo. Schmeiser...
Heinrich Schmidt 1732
John George Schmidt .. 1731
Baltzer Shoenberger ..1732
John Schryack 1732
John Sheutz 1732
John Henry Schultz...
Valentine Schultz 1732
George Schwab 1727
John Scheigardt
Baltzer Spangler .' 1732
Ludwig Stein
Henry Stultz 1731
John Sultzbach 1732
Torek LIpdegralT ....
Michael Walch 1732
Martin Weigel
Ludwig Weisong ....
Mathias Weller
Jacob Weller
Martin Weybrecht . . . 1732
V. Winterbauer
John George Wolff...
Wilhelm Wolff
John Yost
Heinrich Zauch 1732
Jacob Ziegler
John George Ziegler. . 1727
The second pastor was Rev. David Cand-
ler. He resided at the site of Hanover,
around which a number of Germans had
settled as early as 173 1. His parish ex-
tended from the Susquehanna to the Po-
tomac. He baptized seventy children in
the York congregation and equally as many
at Hanover. His son, David, born in May,
1740, became a prominent citizen of York.
Pastor Candler died in December, 1744, and
was buried in a graveyard one-half mile
northwest of Hanover.
The funeral of Rev. Candler in December,
1744, was attended by many persons. The
officiating clergyman was Rev. Lars Ny-
berg, of Lancaster. He was a Swede, and
early in life was a surveyor. Through inter-
course with Arvid Gradin, he accepted
Moravian views. He was engaged as a
teacher by the Swedish court, when a call
from the Lancaster Lutheran Church was
sent to Sweden for a minister. On his way
to America, he met in London, Spangen-
berg, who became one of the apostles of the
Moravian Church in this country, and there,
it is asserted, confirmed his faith in the Mo-
ravian doctrine, but soon after became pas-
tor of the Lutheran churches at Lancaster,
York, Hanover and Monocacy. In all these
congregations troubles arose on account of
his attempts to turn them over to the
Moravians. At York the controversy was
especially severe and exciting, as Rev. Jacob
Lischy, then pastor of the Reformed
Church, was of the same faith. In 1746 a
Moravian synod was held in Kreutz Creek,
and Nyberg brought two missionaries there,
one to be pastor of the York congregation
and the other of the Monocacy congrega-
tion. The most determined opponent at
York was Bartholomew Maul, who was em-
powered to read sermons during the absence
of the pastor. Rev. Henry Melchoir Muhl-
678
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
enberg, the founder of tlie Lutheran Church
in America, visited York in Ma3^ 1746, for
the first time. He reports in his diary that
the York congregation then contained no
famihes, living over a large extent of coun-
try. He baptized several children, and con-
firmed those that Schoolmaster Maul had
instructed. In June, 1747, Muhlenberg
again visited York, and went also to Han-
over, Monocacy and Frederick. In his
diary for June 21, 1747, he says:
"In the afternoon we rode from Lancas-
ter, and in the night reached the newly laid
out town of York. Some of the people
came together and rejoiced at my arrival,
and expected that the Lord's Supper would
be administered to them on the following
Sunday. I was now in the district in which
the Lutheran congregations had commis-
sioned Nyberg. He visited the congrega-
tions as far as into Maryland. The people
who had been awakened by his methods,
clung very closely to him, and were ready
to live or die with him."
"On Saturday, June 27, at noon," says
Muhlenberg, "we arrived at York on our
return from Maryland, when the members
of the congregation were assembled that
they might give in their names to come to
the Lord's Supper. I called together those
elders and members who were most active,
and begged of them to put away all dissen-
sion and distraction. Schoolmaster Maul,
who had diligentlj' instructed the children,
and on Sundays read sermons, was present
and was questioned concerning the congre-
gation. One or more of the vorsteher had
been too loud, and had shown too much heat
in the strife with the Moravians, for which
I reproved them in love and gentleness.
Those who favored Nyberg did not attend
services regularly, and said only by his
preaching were their hearts moved. They
promised, however, that if a worthy pastor
of our United Ministry, came hither to
preach, they would come and hear him and
follow him. At 3 o'clock I went to the
church and had a preparatory service based
on Matthew xi:8; the people were all at-
tention. After this service I received the
group of young men whom the schoolmas-
ter had instructed for their confirmation.
On Sunda}^, June 28, some persons who
lived far off, made application for the Lord's
Supper. The church on this dav was too
small, and nearly half of the audience had
to stand outside, for a large congregation
had assembled. Some of them came a
distance of ten or twenty miles. I baptized
a number and confirmed fifteen persons, and
administered the Lord's Supper to 200 com-
municants."
In May, 1748, the United Ministry sent
Rev. John Helfrich Schaum. He was born
in Geissen. in Hesse-Darmstadt, and was
educated at the University of Halle, and
sent to America with authority to teach in
the Congregational School at Philadelphia,
where he landed January 26, 1745. He
preached in Germantown and at Raritan,
New Jersey. He was sent to York with
special instructions and minute directions
as to how he should minister to the congre-
gation. A prescribed order of service was
to be followed which was common to all the
churches of the Lutheran Union at that
time.
On his arrival at York, May 17, 1748, he
was accompanied b}^ Pastor Handschuh, of
Lancaster, and Schoolmaster Vigera, of
Philadelphia. On the afternoon of the i8th
the constitution for the congregation
adopted by the United Ministers, was pre-
sented and put into force, and so continued
until 1781. On Ascension Day, May 19,
the pastor installed the newly elected elders
and vorsteher, and confirmed sixteen per-
sons. On Saturday Handschuh and Vi-
gera went to Hanover, to arrange for its
connection with York, which soon after was
effected, as was that of the Lower Ber-
mudian congregation, to which Schaum
preached May 31, 1748. For nearly five
years the congregation at York had been
without a pastor. In 1752 he was requested
to occasionally visit the congregation at
Frederick, which was vacant. He retired
in April, 1755, from the pastorate of the con-
gregation at York and went to Tohickon.
The opposition to Rev. Schaum heard of
the arrival at Baltimore of John Samuel
Schwerdfeger, a young man of twenty-three
years, who had been educated at Neustadt,
in Bavaria, and at the University of Er-
langen, where he studied law and theology.
The congregation was then divided into two
factions. Rev. Lucas Raus, of Goschen-
hoppen, Berks County, was called to York
to settle the strife, but he would not come
then.
THE CITY OF YORK
679
The next pastor was George Ludwig
Hochheimer, who arrived in America, No-
vember I, 1775. He came to York in 1756,
when the two parties still existed. The ma-
jority of both accepted him as pastor. He
remained a short time. In 1774 he was
pastor of a congregation in South Carolina,
and had been for many years before. Rev.
John Kirchner, another Lutheran pastor,
was at York during a part of the same time.
He also had charge of Shuster's Church, in
Springfield Township, from 1763 to 1767,
and probably organized that congregation.
Rev. Lucas Raus, moved to York in April,
1758^ and met with success in building up
the congregation. In 1759, ^^ baptized 132,
and in 1761, 161 children in the York con-
gregation. The congregation then had 300
adult and 250 young members. On June 2,
1760, the corner stone for a stone church
was laid. It was used for baptisms April
30, 1761, but was not fully completed until
1762. During the fall of that year it was
consecrated by Dr. AVrangle, of Philadel-
phia, Revs. Borell, of Wilmington, Dela-
ware, and Nicholas Kurtz, of Baltimore.
The new stone church, which stood until
1812, was 40x65 feet in dimensions. It was
located where the church now stands but
was placed nearer the street. The steeple
Avas taken down in 1805, as far as the bells,
and a roof placed over them. In 1763
Rev. Raus retired from his charge at York,
and turned his attention to medicine. He
had charge of some country churches, or-
ganized the churches at Dover and Quick-
el's, and preached at Shuster's Church, from
1770 to 1787. The records show baptisms
administered by him at Bermudian, 1758-
1762; Kreutz Creek and Conodochly, 1760;
Carlisle in 1762; in the schoolhouse at Jacob
Ziegler's, in Codorus Township; at Justice
Noblet's house and held English services in
Newberry Township.
Rev. Nicholas Hornell was the next pas-
tor at York. He was from Sweden, and
came to Philadelphia, from Wilmington,
and on July 8, 1763, came to York. On
June 30, 1765, he delivered a farewell ser-
mon and retired from the ministry. The
congregation had no pastor from July, 1765,
to February, 1767. During this interim it is
supposed certain religious ceremonies were
performed by Philip Deitch, who succeeded
Bartholomew Maul as schoolmaster. Wil-
liam Kurtz was teacher of the school in
1756. established in York by the English
Society. Philip Deitch continued as school-
master until his death in 1789.
The next pastor, Rev. John George Eager,
had been in charge of the German church
in New York City since 1763. Before he
went to New York he had been pastor of
the church at Hanover, where he lived. In
1769 he returned to Hanover. Rev. Bager
was born at Niederlinz, in Nassau-Saar-
bruck, March 29, 1725. His father was a
pastor. The son studied theology at Halle.
Muhlenberg said "he was a very worthy and
learned man, and was ordained in Ger-
many.''' Upon the death of his father. Rev.
Bager inherited some money to purchase a
farm near Hanover, on which he died June
9, 1791. For many j^ears he ministered to
scattered Lutheran congregations. He is
the ancestor of the Baugher family in York
and Adams Counties, some of whom have
become prominent clergymen and authors.
In April, 1770, Rev. John Nicholas Kurtz
took charge of the congregation. He was
born October, 1722, in Lutzellinden, in the
principality of Nassau Weilburg, in Prussia.
He studied theolog}^ in the University of
Geissen and afterward at Halle. He ar-
rived at Philadelphia, January 26, 1745, and
was ordained August 15, 1748. When
Kurtz came to York he was in his forty-
eighth year. During his pastorate at York,
the Revolutionary war took place. He was
at first troubled about the oath of allegiance
he had taken to the King of England, but
his conscience became clear and, in 1776, he
was naturalized. During the meeting of
Congress here, when the houses of citizens
had to be opened to entertain, his house was
the home of Bishop AVhite, the representa-
tives from the French and Spanish govern-
ments, and a member from South Carolina.
In 1777, when money was scarce, and pro-
visions for the soldiers meager, Mr. Kurtz,
after a sermon, asked his audience to collect
all the articles and stores they could, and
send them to his house, and a committee
was appointed to distribute them to the
suffering soldiers. This story comes from
his grandson, Dr. Benjamin Kurtz.
Mr. Kurtz's work was very successful ;
he did a great amount of ministerial work
in the country west of York. He served as
secretary of the Ministerium in 1763, and
68o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
was president in 1778, and on the death of
Dr. H. M. Muhlenberg he was accorded the
honor of becoming his successor as senior
Ministerii. In 1789, Rev. Kurtz moved to
Bahimore, where he lived with his son. Rev.
Daniel J. Kurtz. He died suddenly. May
12, 1794, aged seventy-two years. America
had in its day very few preachers like him.
Rev. Jacob Goering, 1783-1807: — The
next pastor was the son of Jacob and Mar-
garet Goering, and was born in Chanceford
Township, York County, in 1755. When
eighteen years old, his father took him to
Dr. Helmuth, of Lancaster, with whom he
remained two years as a diligent student.
He was ordained in 1776 and settled in Car-
lisle. He there preached to si.x congrega-
tions : Carlisle, Dover, Paradise, Upper and
Lower Bermudian and Lower settlement.
In 1783 the Ministerium met at York for
the second time, on which occasion the first
evening service was held of which there is
au}^ record. At this time, Mr. Goering had
become assistant-pastor of this chai^ge and
had removed to York, where he married the
daughter of Nicholas Kurtz. On the re-
moval of Pastor Kurtz to Baltimore, Mr.
Goering became sole pastor. In 1791 he
accepted a call to Hagerstown, Maryland,
but he soon afterward came back to York.
In 1793 he had charge of the York, Cono-
dochly and Kreutz Creek congregations.
The parochial school in 1796 was very
strong. Instructions were given in both
English and German. The congregation
was incorporated in 1804. Rev. Jacob
Goering died in 1809. He was a man of
very acute and active mind. He wrote
three treatises that were published. Dr. J.
G. Schmucker studied Hebrew with him
during his pastorate at Ouickel's Church.
After his death there was a vacancy for two
years.
Rev. John George Schmucker, 1809-36: —
Rev. Schmucker was chosen pastor at the
May meeting of the synod at Hanover. His
charge consisted at that time of York,
Quickel's, \\'olf's, Holzschwam, Kreutz
Creek and Conodochly. In 1813, he gave
up part of the field, but retained five of the
charges — John Herbst, Jr., it is supposed,
took one of them. In 1814, Charles A. Mor-
ris took charge of Kreutz Creek, and in 1817
Conodochly had been for some time in
charge of Herbst. In 1820 Rev. Schmuck-
er's charge was composed of York, Quick-
el's and Wolf's churches, to vvhich some
years later Star View was added. In 181 1,
steps were taken for erecting a new church.
George Hay and Peter Striber, were made
managers; George Lettman, John Barnitz,
Jacob Schmeiser, John Brillinger and Peter
Schmeiser, assistants ; Ignatius Lightner
was elected treasurer. The corner stone
was laid July 2, 1812; the services were con-
ducted by Rev. H. E. Muhlenberg, J. Daniel
Kurtz, George Lochman and the pastor.
The new church was dedicated May i,
1814, by Rev. F. V. Melsheimer, of Han-
over, and the pastor. In 181 3 a new school
house was built, under supervision of Jacob
Upp and Jacob Eichelberger. The cost of
the church alone was at least $18,590.
In June, 1817, the Ministerium of Penn-
sylvania met for the fourth time in York;
Dr. George Lochman, father of A. H. Loch-
man, was president. The synod of Ohio
was formed by authority of this meeting.
It was the third centennial commemoration
of the Reformation. The president invited
Reformed, Episcopal, Presbyterian and
Moravian people to participate in the com-
memoration. Jacob Barnitz had been the
worthy secretary and treasurer of the
church for many years.
In 1827, a Sunday School met in the
church for the first time. In 1828, a seal
was adopted; in 1829, lamps were bought
for evening services. In 1830 land was
bought on Duke Street for a burial place;
in 1832 the use of the small bell was granted
to the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.
When the temperance question came up
for discussion, both Dr. Schmucker and Mr.
Oswald, assistant, were deeply interested in
it, and very zealous in its advocacy, where-
upon the yearly salary was for a time dimin-
ished one-half, but they persisted in the
cause, and eventually won honor.
English services began about 1820, onl}^
in the evening. The time for English ser-
vices was indicated by a peculiar ringing of
the bell. October 7, 1829, Rev. Jonathan
Oswald, D. D., was licensed and became as-
sistant pastor, and also took entire charge
of Wolf's and Hoover's churches, where the
services were German, and preached Eng-
lish in York three Sunday evenings out of
four. Dr. Schmucker continued at Quick-
el's church.
THE CITY OF YORK
68i
In 1836 the ministry of Dr. Schmucker
ended. In person he was of medium stature,
rather thick set, but not corpulent ; his com-
plexion was dark and his body very erect.
His character was unusually symmetrical
and well balanced, and his temper so placid,
or under such control, that even his own
household scarcely ever saw it ruffled. He
was especially regardful of the feelings of
others, and so unaffectedly polite on all oc-
casions that he won the admiration and re-
spect of every one he met. He was careful
in the preparation of his sermons, meth-
odical in arrangement, earnest in delivery,
tender in feeling, and deeply serious. All
of these elements united to make him an
admirable and most useful preacher. He
was a diligent student, and procured books
from Europe every year, and had his whole
library at command. He contributed
largely to the Evangelical Magazine. He
published a number of volumes chiefly con-
nected with the prophecies. In the estab-
lishment of Pennsylvania College and Theo-
logical Seminary at Gettysburg, he took a
prominent part, and at the time of his death
was vice-president of the American Tract
Society. He continued to reside at York,
still preaching at Ouickel's church, until
1852, when he removed to the home of some
of his children at Williamsburg, where he
died October 7, 1854. His remains lie in
the front of Christ Lutheran Church. He
was married first to Elizabeth Gross, from
Quickel's congregation, by whom he had
twelve children; she died in 1819; second to
Anna Maria Hoffman, of Baltimore, by
whom he had seven children.
Rev. Jonathan Oswald, D. D., assistant
pastor, 1829-1836: — Dr. Oswald was born
in Washington County, Maryland, Decem-
ber 20, 1805, son of John and Eve Oswald.
His parents were of Swabian and Alsatian
origin, and on his father's side of long gen-
erations of Lutherans ; his mother was the
descendant of Mennonites. After pursuing
theological studies for sixteen or eighteen
months, he went to Gettysburg, and was the
second theological student registered. After
pursuing the whole theological course he
was graduated and licensed.
Rev. A. R. Lochman, D. D., 1836-80:—
Mr. Lochman was the son of Dr. George
and Susanna (Hoffman) Lochman, whose
sister was the second wife of Dr. J. G.
Schmucker. He was born October 5, 1802,
in the parsonage at Salem's church, Leba-
non, Pennsylvania, of which his father was
pastor. In 181 5 his father moved to Har-
risburg, when the son entered the academy
there. In 1822 he entered the University
of Pennsylvania, in the junior class, and
was graduated July, 1823. He then studied
theology with his father, and was licensed to
preach June 16, 1823. He became pastor
of a charge in Cumberland County, in 1825,
and was married in July of that year to
Anna Maria Partenheimer, of Philadelphia,
and took up their residence in Mechanics -
burg, then a village of a dozen houses. In
1826, upon the death of his father, he be-
came his successor at Harrisburg. In
April, 1836, he was called to York, where he
continued pastor until 1880, and was greatly
beloved and eminently successful. He took
an active part in all the general movements
of the Lutheran Church in America; was a
member of the first board of trustees of
Pennsylvania College; was a trustee in
Franklin College, Lancaster; was for a long
time one of the board of directors of the
seminary at Gettysburg and for many years
its president ; was president of the synod of
Pennsylvania and of the general synod.
The honorary degree of doctor of divinity
was conferred upon him in 1856 by Penn-
sylvania College. He made a number of
valuable translations from the German. Dr.
Lochman retired from the active pastoral
office after serving this church nearly half a
century. During the first year of his pas-
torate, the Second Lutheran Church of
York (St. Paul's) was formed.
In September, 1841, the old town clock
was placed on the steeple by the county
commissioners. In 1850 Zion Lutheran
congregation was formed. On October 31,
1867, the jubilee of the Reformation was
celebrated with much enthusiasm by the
churches in York. In the afternoon all the
Lutheran Sunday School children (1,500)
assembled in this church. In 1874 the
church was remodeled. On June 20, 1880,
Dr. Lochman resigned his long pastorate,
but resided in the community, a highly hon-
ored and respected citizen for the remain-
der of his life. For two years after his
resignation, this congregation was served
by supplies.
Rev. George W. Enders, D. D., began his
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
long and successful pastorate in 1882. A
stairway and sacristy were placed on the
east side of the chancel. In 1883, this
church celebrated the one hundred and fif-
tieth anniversary of its existence. On this
occasion Rev. B. M, Schmucker, D. D., of
Pottsville, Pa., grandson of the former pas-
tor, read an historical sketch of the church,
obtaining his data by translating the Ger-
man record books, which are now held as
an interesting treasure by the vestry of the
church. Christ Church, which has always
been in a prosperous condition, had, in 1907,
about 800 communicant members.
The original Sunday school connected
with this church was held in the parochial
school building to the rear of the church
edifice. For half a century the Sunday
school was held in the church. In 1892 the
congregation erected a chapel on the lot to
the rear of the church at a cost of $15,000.
The interior of the chapel is in the form of
a semi-circle. The class rooms around the
walls of the building have partitions radiat-
ing from the centre. The Sunday School,
of which J. A. Dempwolf has been the su-
perintendent for the last twenty years, is
held in this building and has an enrollment
of about 1,000 teachers and scholars.
In 1794 Barbara Schmidt bequeathed to
this congregation some property on Queen
Street. In 1804 the congregation sold this
property and used this money for the pur-
chase of a large pipe organ, which was made
at York, by Tannenberg, a noted organ
builder, who fell from a scaffold and was in-
stantly killed while placing the organ in
position. This historic organ was used by
Christ Church in the auditorium until the
chapel was built, when it was removed to
that building, and after receiving some re-
pairs, is used by the Sunday School and
other religious services in this building.
The opening words of the first
St. Paul's article of St. Paul's original con-
Church, stitution are these : " This so-
ciety shall be called and known
by the name of the ' English Evangelical
Lutheran Church.' " The title which dis-
tinguished it then, as the only English
Lutheran Church in York, is no longer the
exclusive claim of St. Paul's. In these days
we do not question whether or not our
Anglicized Lutheran populations should be
taught in the English language. In fact.
English worship, in almost all of our city
work, is the one necessary condition for the
retention of the young of our churches.
It was the Rev. Jonathan Oswald, who
served for six years as the assistant pastor
of Christ's Church, the Rev. Dr. John
George Schmucker, pastor, who, with
prophetic insight, catching a double portion
of Dr. Schmucker's sympathy for the Eng-
lish language, recognized the close relation-
ship which worship in the English tongue
would sustain to the future growth of the
church in York. Dr. Oswald was regarded
as the promulgator of a dangerous innova-
tion, particularly by those who, as Dr. Os-
wald has written — " Having read the words
in the German version, ' Adam, wo bist du? '
concluded hence that the language of the
Almighty himself was German, and there-
fore, a language not to be lightly esteemed
or abandoned under any circumstances."
Dr. Oswald was himself a splendid stu-
dent of the German, and it was not his prej-
udice against that language, but his far-
seeing appreciation of the growinig demand
and necessity for English preaching, which
led him to become one of the pioneers in
" the Lutheran Pennsylvania linguistic con-
test." About seventy years ago, some very
serious thoughts were filling the minds of
the York Lutherans. English or no Eng-
lish was the question with many of our peo-
ple. Dr. Beale M. Schmucker, writing in
the Lutheran Quarterly, October, 1888, tells
the story in this way: " Unser Herr Gott
und seine Gottes dienste, were Hoch
deutsch, in the estimate of the official con-
gregation ; and if anybody Avas so foolish as
to wish for anything else than German, he
might pay for it. . . . So the English
might take care of themselves. They did
so. In this land they are sure to do so.
The future is with them."
When, toward the close of the year 1835,
Dr. Schmucker resigned the pastoral care of
Christ's Church, the English element nat-
urally looked toward the assistant pastor,
the Rev. Mr. Oswald, as the rightful suc-
cessor of Dr. Schmucker. Disappointed in
their desire, through the election of Rev. A.
H. Lochman as pastor of the church, and
feeling the need of a Lutheran congregation,
wholly English in character, the move in
this direction began in earnest, centering
about the Rev. Jonathan Oswald, the pro-
THE CITY OF YORK
68:?
spective pastor of the prospective congrega-
tion. The first meeting for organization
was held Februar}' i8, 1836. Dr. Luke
Rouse was elected president ; Frederick
Baugher and Adam Eichelberger, secreta-
ries. A board of trustees was appointed,
composed of Daniel Kraber, Charles Ep-
pley, Luke Rouse. Michael Sowers, John
Immel, Adam Eichelberger, Christian Hil-
debrand. Christian G. Pfahler, George S.
Ziegler, Conrad Shultz, Benjamin Johnston
and Abraham Forry. At the meeting on
February 26, 1836, held for the purpose of
further organization and for the signing of
the constitution, sixty-eight " male mem-
bers " af^xed their signatures, and Charles
Weiser, Luke Rouse, George P. Ziegler,
Charles A. Morris and Adam AA'ert were
elected as trustees, Lewis Miller being ap
pointed treasurer.
On Sunday, February 28, in the lecture
room of Zion Reformed Church, the infant
congregation held its first worship, after
which the first church council was elected,
consisting of elders: Frederick Baugher,
Jacob Weiser. Abraham Forry, Adam Wert,
Dr. Luke Rouse and G. P. Ziegler: deacons:
Robert W'. Long and John Immel. Plans
for a building were immediately considered,
a lot of ground having been bought, located
at the southeast corner of Beaver and King
Streets. The building committee consisted
of Charles Weiser, chairman: Adam Wert,
Luke Rouse, George P. Ziegler, C. A. Mor-
ris, and Lewis Rosenmiller, treasurer.
The corner stone of the first church build-
ing was laid, May 29, 1836, the Revs. H. L.
Baugher and J. G. Morris, together with
the pastor and other clergymen of the town,
ofifiiciating. On the 19th of the following
December, the first worship was held in the
lecture room of the new building, the Rev.
H. L. Baugher officiating. But " the great
day of the feast " in the early history of the
church, was June 11, 1837, when the finished
building was dedicated. The ministers of-
ficiating, besides the pastor, were Rev. Drs.
Benjamin Kurtz, J. G. Morris, H. L.
Baugher and C. P. Krauth. The Sunday
School was organized November. 1836, with
Rev. J. Oswald, president ; Daniel Kraber,
superintendent: Charles A. Morris, treas-
urer, and Mrs. Charles A. Morris, " female
superintendent."
It was in this wav and from such Ijegin-
nings that St. Paul's was launched into ex-
istence and from the day that it became an
independent organization vuitil now. it has
grown steadily and healthfully. The Rev.
J. Oswald resigned November 27, 1861, af-
ter more than twenty years of noble forti-
tude, in spite of opposition, leaving a name
honored throughout the church, and a work,
the wisdom of which none can cjues-
tion — the magnitude of which none can
estimate.
Rev. Dr. AA'illiam M. Baum was called to
the pastorate of St. Paul's, January i, 1862,
and after seven years of labor, began the
work of rebuilding, rearing the present
church edifice, which stands today, not only
as a monument to his industry and tact, but
his foresight as well. The new church
building was dedicated March 12, 1871, cost-
ing $62,000. It has a seating capacity of
about 800, and has about it that well-kept
appearance, which indicates interest, devo-
tion and prosperity. Dr. Baum lives today
not only in the memoi-y of his former help-
ers and supporters, but the very stones
speak of his ability and acceptableness, as a
pastor and preacher.
Dr. Baum was succeeded by the Rev. Dr.
Luther A. Gotwald, April i, 1874. In en-
tering upon his work, he said, " I simply
want to say that I am trying in the fear of
God, to do my duty, and I expect to con-
tinue trying to the end." For eleven years,
he preached most faithfully, presenting the
truth in a clear and effective way, winning
men by the loveableness of his nature, ^and
gaining for himself the enviable name "the
model pastor.'" He was succeeded Decem-
ber 15, 1885, by the Rev. Dr. AVilliam S
Freas, who served the congregation with
great fidelity until July, 1898, when he re-
signed. Under his guidance, characterized
as it was by prudence, tact and unwearied
diligence, the church continued to prosper
and grow. The benevolent spirit has kept
pace with its numerical growth, throughout
all these years, and too much credit cannot
be given the men, who, like Dr. Freas, and
his predecessors, were patient and constant
in planting the seed.
Dr. Freas was succeeded August, 1898,
by Rev. Clinton E. Walter, D. D., the pres-
ent pastor of the congregation, to whom the
author is indebted for the historical sketch
of this church. From the proceedings of
684
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
the Synod of West Pennsylvania, for the
year 1906, we glean the following facts :
"St. Paul's Church at York has a com-
municant membership of 705. During the
past year, more than $3,000 were contrib-
uted to the benevolent boards of the church,
in addition to which, the charitable work of
numerous organizations within the church
reached the sum of $2,165.66; to be added to
this is the benevolent work on behalf of
local institutions and needs, making a total
of benevolence for the past year $9,786.08.
"The Simday School numbers 652, with a
credit of $2,450.59 for benevolence alone,
during the past synodical year, which is
included in the total above. The con-
gregation has spent about $20,000 in the
past iive years in various church improve-
ments and today is in possession of a build-
ing admirably equipped in every way for
progressive and effectual church work.
The congregation has from its very begin-
ning been distinguished by the high char-
acter and activity of some of its laymen."
Rev. H. H. Weber, D. D., Secretary of the
Board of Church Extension, is a regular
worshiper within St. Paul's, while Jere Carl,
M. B. Spahr, George E. Neff, and the
pastor have a relationship with this church
board. Charles S.A\ eiserwas for many years
treasurer of the Theological Seminary at
Gettysburg; Jere Carl was treasurer of the
General Synod and of the Board of Church
Extension. George E. Neff is a member
of the Tressler Orphan's Home Board, and
C. E. Eisenhart is a member of the Deacon-
ess Board. The Hon. D. F. Lafean, George
E. NefT and Rev. Dr. H. H. Weber are
trustees of Pennsylvania College, Gettys-
burg, Pa. The Rev. Dr. Frederick G. Got-
wald, the secretary of the Board of Educa-
tion, is also a member of St. Paul's.
The Union Evangelical Lu-
Union theran Church is situated on
Lutheran. West Market Street. Febru-
ary I2th, 1859, a meeting was
held in the school house on Penn Street, for
the purpose of organizing a congregation.
John Weyer, Joseph Smyser, Adam Smyser,
Christian Bender, Jacob Herman and Jacob
Kessler were elected elders, and John Kra-
ber and George Leitner, deacons ; Rev. C. J.
Dininger, of York, presided. A charter was
granted March 12, 1859. A lot was pur-
chased for $1,000; W. M. AVeiser contracted
to build the church for $5,636. On Ascen-
sion Day, June 2, 1859, the corner stone was
laid, when all the Protestant clergymen of
York were present. In February, i860.
Rev. J. H. Menges, was elected pastor, and
the church was dedicated the same month.
Revs. Kurtz, McCron, Lochman, Oswald,
Lilly, Menges and S. Oswald were present.
The cost of the church and .lot was $8,007;
nearly the entire amount was paid by the
time of the dedication. Rev. J. H. Menges
entered upon his duties as pastor with
eighty-nine members. In the year 1870 the
building was repaired and the audience
room frescoed at a cost of $4,062. In 1880
an infant Sunda}^ school room was built to
the rear of the lecture room, at a cost of
$1,200. In 1882 the audience room was
again frescoed and a new pipe-organ pur-
chased, all at a cost of $1,900. Rev. J. H.
Menges continued his pastorate until Au-
gust 15, 1874. His successor was Rev. M.
J. Alleman, D. D., who began his pastorate
November i and served the congregation
two years. Rev. A. G. Fastnacht, D. D.,
entered upon his duties as pastor February
I, 1877, and continued until his retirement,
June 10, 1903. During his pastorate, the
congregation increased in influence and
grew in numbers, and more than doubled
its membership. A chapel used as a Sunday
school room, was erected, facing on Penn
Street, at a cost of $22,000. William H.
Bond, a prominent merchant of AA'est York,
was superintendent of this Sunday School
for a period of twenty-five years. His son,
W. S. Bond, for several years, has been su-
perintendent of the school, which in 1907
had an average attendance of 700 scholars.
Rev. A. R. Steck, D. D., of Gettysburg,
accepted a call as pastor of this church and
entered upon his duties, June 21, 1903.
Union Lutheran congregation has always
contributed liberally to the cause of home
and foreign missions and to all the other
interests of the Lutheran Church. In 1907,
the congregation numbered 700.
Zion Evangelical Lutheran
Zion Church of York was organized
Lutheran. October 19th, 1847, as the
English branch of the First
Lutheran Church. About 100 members of
the old congregation joined the new, and
elected E. G. Smyser, Adam Klinefelter,
George A. Barnitz and Alex. Demuth, el-
THE CITY OF YORK
685
ders; and W. F. Shetter, Benjamin Ziegler,
John Busser and Adam Bott, wardens.
The causes which brought about this or-
ganization were the demand for larger
church accommodation, and on the part of
many members, for preaching and worship
in the EngHsh language, exclusively.
Under the arrangement made by the old
and new organizations, there were certain
franchises granted by the " corporate ves-
try " to the new or English branch. All the
church property was held in common. This
arrangement continued until March 3d,
i860, when a committee was appointed,
composed of George A. Barnitz, and E. G.
Smyser, to procure an act of incorporation
for the English branch of the congregation,
which was granted by the court. This
same committee was intended to confer
with a similar committee of the corporate
vestry, in relation to the division of the
church property. April 6th, 1861, the com-
mittees of the two councils met and ar-
ranged articles of agreement on the pay-
ment of certain church debts, and on the
division of the church property, and such
other matters as pertain thereto, which ar-
ticles were signed by the committees as
representatives of both congregations.
Afterwards these articles of agreement
were ratified by the respective church
councils. In 1863, the corporate vestry of
the First Lutheran Church executed a deed,
conveying the church lots fronting on South
Duke Street, with Zion Church and parson-
age erected thereon, together with the
graveyard, and all the ground then enclosed
in fences to the Second English Lutheran
Church, the corporate title of the English
branch.
The first pastor was Rev. J. A. Brown,
D. D., of Baltimore, elected January 22,
1848, and resigned May 10, 1849. Rev. A.
Essick, of the Theological Seminary, Get-
tysburg, was the second pastor. He served
from September 11, 1849, to April 6, 1850.
Rev. Charles Martin, M. D., of New York,
was called and entered upon his pastoral
work February, 1851. During his ministry
the church on South Duke Street was com-
pleted. The corner-stone was laid August
15, 1850. while the pastorate was vacant.
Rev. Dr. Lochman, pastor of the parent
church, conducted the exercises at the cor-
ner-stone laving, and contributed much
counsel and encouragement, and the parent
congregation assisted largely in the erection
of the building. Both pastor and people
continued in the most friendly and sympa-
thetic relation with the young congregation
during the entire ministry of Dr. Lochman
in the old church.
The church was dedicated July 13, 1851.
Its dimensions were 72 feet in length and
52 feet in width, with basement, affording
ample accommodations at that time for
church and Sunday School purposes. It
cost $6,800, and was dedicated as Zion
Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Rev. Dr. Martin resigned in January,
1855, after serving the congregation four
years, and considerably increasing the mem-
bership.
Rev. A. W. Lilly, D. D., of Baltimore, was
elected on April 17, 1855, and began his
pastoral work June i. The work prospered,
the congregation increased, harmony and
good-will prevailed. There was cordial co-
operation and the accommodations became
inadequate to the necessities of the congre-
gation. In 1869 an addition of twenty-five
feet was built to the rear of the church, and
a recess of twelve feet was attached for pul-
pit, library and pastor's study. The in-
terior of the edifice was modernized and
beautified. The seating capacity of the
main audience room was enlarged to 700.
Dr. Lilly continued in the pastorate forty-
two years, and was succeeded by the Rev.
Thomas Thompson Everett, D. D., of New
York, who was elected December 15, 1897,
beginning his pastorate January i, 1898.
In 1907 the church was remodeled at con-
siderable expense. At the same time, a
new pipe organ was purchased by the con-
gregation at a cost of about $4,000.
On October 2"], 1873, a number
St. John's of German Lutherans resolved
Lutheran, to organize a church. At a
meeting held at the residence of
John Palmtag, on West Philadelphia Street,,
the resolution was signed by the following,
each of whom at the same time subscribed
a certain sum of money for the erection of
a church : Henry W. Grothe, Frederick
Ottemoeller, Carl H. Schmidt, Frederick
Strathmann, John Palmtag, Henry A.
Boesch. AA'illiam Becker, Frederick Carls,
William Ottemoeller, Frederick Papa, John
Eimerbrink, Henry Kuhlmann, Carl Demp-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
wolf, Sr., Henry Schlueter, Sr., and Louis
Plitt. The principal cause which led to this
step was the introduction of more English
services than had previously been the case
in Christ Lutheran Church, to which most
of the above named members belonged.
Another reason was the dissatisfaction
among the German Lutherans with the
mode in which the services were conducted
in the old church, it being in many respects
different from the customs in the Father-
land. A third reason was the desire of
German Lutheran parents to have their
children educated in the German language
and in the Christian religion in a parochial
school. On December 15, 1873, it was re-
solved to hold public services, and to invite
a minister of the German Evangelical
Lutheran Synod of Missouri. The first
services were held in the Court House on
January 4, 1874, conducted by Rev. C.
Schwankovsky, of Harrisburg.
Rev. C. Sturken, of Baltimore, visitator
of this district, saw that the appointments
for preaching were filled. E. C. Greve-
meyer translated the church constitution
into the English language, and had the con-
gregation incorporated by the court.
A lot was purchased on West King
Street for $9,000. Rev. Henry Walker, D.
D., of Paterson, N. J., who had been pastor
of a congregation there for seven years,
was called to York. The call, however,
was returned by Rev. Walker, his congrega-
tion not being willing to let him go. At a
subsequent meeting the call was renewed.
On April 24, Rev. Walker arrived in York,
and on the Sunday following, April 26, was
installed as pastor by Rev. Sturken.
The plans for the new church were pre-
pared by J. A. Dempwolf, architect. The
building committee was Frederick Grei-
mann, Henry W. Grotlie, Carl Hiffmeyer,
William Oermann, H. A. Boesch, Louis
Plitt, Henry Wagner and Carl H. Schmidt.
On July 12, 1874, the corner-stone was
laid, and on October 17, 1875, the church
was dedicated.
The cost of the church with bell and
organ was nearly $25,000. The cost of
ground, church and parsonage, and other
improvements, approached $40,000. The
year 1883, being the fourth centenary of
the birth of the great reformer, Martin
'Luther, was a jubilee for the Lutheran
Church throughout the world, and was
everywhere marked by the increased activ-
ity and zeal in church work.
Frederick Ruenzel, a graduate of the
Teachers' Seminary or Normal School of
this denomination, at Allison, Illinois, was
called as teacher of the school connected
with this church. The pastor also taught
for two years. G. A. Schwankovsky was
afterwards called as assistant teacher. In
1883 A. F. Breihan was installed as teacher
and organist of the school and church. The
school is under the special care of the pas-
tor.
In the year 1888 a new school building-
was erected at the cost of $4,000. At the
same time a lot with a dwelling house on it
was purchased. This was henceforth to be
used as a parsonage. The cost together
with necessary improvements was about
$5,000.
In the year 1895 the congregation found
it necessary to introduce English evening
services twice a month.
In the year 1905 the church was thor-
oughly renovated at a cost of about $1,600.
St. Luke's Lutheran 'Church is
St. situated on East Maple Street, be-
Luke's. tween Duke and Queen Streets.
The congregation grew from the
success of a Sunday school, started in the
armory on Maple Street, on July 16, 1882.
David Emmitt, a prominent member of St.
Paul's Lutheran Church, purchased a lot
for $2,100, and in October, 1883, Rev. M. J.
iVlleman became pastor of the new congre-
gation formed, which at first worshipped in
the armory. In April, 1883, N. Weigle con-
tracted and soon after built a brick church,
on the lot presented by Major Emmitt, at a
cost of $6,000. In 1885, a Sunday school
and lecture room building was attached to
the north end of the church, at a cost of
$800. Major Emmitt contributed all the
money for the erection of both buildings
with the exception of about $1,700. The
church was dedicated in October, 1883.
The officiating clergymen were Revs. Loch-
man, Gotwald, Anstadt and Herring.
Rev. S. E. Herring was pastor of the con-
gregation from 1883 to 1888. He was suc-
ceeded by Rev. George S. Bowers, who was
pastor from October, 1888, to December,
1893. Rev. Albert Bell has been the pastor
since January i, 1894. Under his pastorate
ZION REFORMED CHURCH, WHERE WASHINGTON AT-
TENDED RELIGIOUS SERVICES IN 1791
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH AND PARSONAGE IN ISOO
THE CITY OF YORK
687
the congregation has increased in member-
ship and prospered. David Emmitt, who
died May 28, 1894, bequeathed to this con-
gregation $12,000 for the erection of the
present church building. The committee
under whose charge the building was
erected, were E. G. Quickel, E. W. Bow-
man, C. W. Krone, Alex. Diehl and the pas-
tor. The building was dedicated April 20,
1902, in the presence of a large audience.
The officiating clergymen were Rev. J. A.
Singmaster, D. D., Rev. T. T. Everett, D.
D., Rev. C. E. Walter, D. D., and Rev. H.
H. Weber, D. D., with the pastor, A. Bell.
In 1907 the congregation numbered 235
members and had a flourishing Sunday
school.
St. Mark's Lutheran Church, on
St. East Market Street, originated
Mark's, from a Sunday school begun in
1819. In 1870, a chapel was built
in what was then the village of Freystown,
the services being conducted by different
clergymen of York. A congregation was
organized in the chapel at a meeting held
October 31, 1881, when Rev. M. J. AUeman
was elected pastor. April 30, 1889, Rev.
Alleman resigned and the pulpit was sup-
plied by Rev. Copenhaver until July, 1890,
when Rev. Peter Livingston was called to
the charge. During his pastorate, steps
were taken for the erection of a new church
building. A lot was secured and the corner
stone was laid June 5, 1892. The church
was dedicated April 23, 1893. Rev. H. H.
Weber preached the sermon at the dedica-
tion. The total cost of the church building,
lot of ground and parsonage was $16,000.
November 9, 1902, by the will of Mrs.
Jacob Sipe, an adjoining lot was bequeathed
and improvements made which raised the
valuation of the property to $20,000. In
1907, the church had a membership of 300,
and the Sunday School 550 members.
St. Matthew's Lutheran
St. Church was organized with
Matthew's. ten members on April 19,
1889, by the late Rev. M. J.
Alleman, D. D., at that time pastor of St.
Mark's Lutheran Church of York. During
the previous year the church building had
been erected by Rev. Alleman and a few
faithful co-laborers on Carlisle Avenue, be-
tween Market and Philadelphia Streets, at
a cost of $4,450. Subsequent enlargements
to accommodate an increased membership
were made in 1900 and 1903 at costs of
$1,500 and $1,800 respectively. In 1903 an
adjoining forty foot lot was purchased by
the congregation. By the year 1905, the
rapid development of the congregation
and the demands of the field made
it desirable to seek a larger and more
convenient location. Accordingly a lot
of one hundred and forty feet front-
age was purchased on the north side
of West Market Street between Carlisle
and Richland Avenues, upon which the
present large Sunday school chapel of the
congregation was built in 1906, this chapel
being intended to serve all purposes of woi--
ship for the congregation until the erection
of the church building proper. In the year
1907, the property valuation of the congre-
gation was $40,000; the membership of the
congregation, 450, and that of the Sunday
school, 850.
Rev. M. J. Alleman, the founder of this
congregation, was formally elected as its
pastor, June 2, 1889, and served it until De-
cember 9, 1897, the time of his death. He
was succeeded by Rev. W. M. B. Glanding,
who was elected pastor, January 22, 1898,
and served until August 31, 1902. The
present pastor, Rev. Robert D. Clare, was
elected November 9, 1902, while still a
senior at the Lutheran Theological Semi-
nary at Gettysburg, and assumed full pas-
toral relations, June 7, 1903.
St. Peter's Lutheran Church, in
St. North York, was founded in 1892.
Peter's. The first religious services of this
denomination were held in the
school house by different clergymen from
York. In 1892 Rev. T. B. Thomas, a recent
graduate from the Theological Seminary at
Gettysburg, organized a congregation, and
a house of worship was erected at the cor-
ner of George and Church Streets. He con-
tinued his ministerial labors with success
until 1904, when he accepted a call to a
Lutheran church in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
Rev. J. B. Baker, a recent graduate of Penn-
sylvania College and Seminary at Gettys-
burg, succeeded in the pastorate. The
membership of St. Peter's church in 1907
was 230. The Sunday school was origi-
nally held in the school house. It grew in
numbers and strength, and in 1907 had an
enrollment of 500. S. H. Herman has filled
HISTORY OF YORK COU"NTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the position of superintendent since 1892.
Rev. D. C. Burnite was the pastor in 1907.
In the year 1900^ the Rev.
Emmanuel Peter Livingston walked over
Lutheran, the newly laid off plot of
ground now known as Wind-
sor Park, and noticed the inscription
"Three lots for a church." The lots were
at once secured by Rev. H. H. Weber,
secretary of the Church Extension Board.
In 1902 a Lutheran Sunday school was or-
ganized in a dwelling house, which was
soon found to be too small. The Sunday
school was then moved to the Windsor
Park school house and shortly afterward a
service was opened by Revs. P. Livingston
and A. Bell. This was then carried on by
the ministers of the city until January, 1903,
when the York County Missionary Com-
mittee appointed Rev. E. Lenhart to take
the work in charge. In the spring of 1903,
steps were taken for the erection of a church
at the corner of Windsor and Sherman
Streets. This was not the site first selected.
The corner stone was laid, July 19, 1903,
Rev. A. R. Steck, D. D., preaching the ser-
mon. November 26, 1903, the organization
was formed with forty-four charter mem-
bers. June 26, 1904, the church was dedi-
cated at -a cost of $3,428. At that time Rev.
Lenhart resigned and on September i, 1904,
Rev. G. A. Livingston became the pastor.
In 1907, the church had a membership of 69.
January 20, 1907, Rev. G. A. Livingston
organized Grace Lutheran Sunday school
in the school house on Smith Street, in the
Thirteenth Ward of the city. The organ-
ization was formed by electing E. A. Demp-
wolf, superintendent ; R. R. Kayler, assist-
ant superintendent; Harry King, treasurer,
and K. W. Altland, secretary. The first
Sunday there were 167 present and the third
Sunday, 251. A congregation was being
organized in 1907.
REFORMED CHURCHES.
A large number of the early settlers who
took up the fertile lands between the Sus-
quehanna and the site of Hanover, in the
present area of York County, were mem-
bers of the German Reformed Church. No
authentic record has been found showing
who the first missionaries were to preach
the doctrines of Zwingli west of the Susque-
hanna. Soon after the first settlement, re-
ligious services were held among the Re-
formed people in Kreutz Creek and the
vicinity of York. During the succeeding
century and a half, this denomination has
exercised an important influence in the re-
ligious affairs of York County.
James Logan, who had served as private
secretary to William Penn until the time of
the latter's death, in 1718, afterward served
as secretary of the Province of Pennsyl-
vania. In 1743 he came to York and in
writing a letter to Thomas Penn, governor
of the province, he stated that the Reformed
and Lutheran people had selected lots and
would immediately erect houses of worship.
There were then only eleven dwelling
houses in the town.
A Reformed congregation had
First been organized and in 1743 a
Reformed block house was erected on the
Church. lot granted by the Penns, when
the town of York was laid out.
In 1744 Rev. Jacob Lischy came to York,
as a visiting missionary. In the official re-
port of his missionary work, Lischy stated
that there were 300 members of the German
Reformed Church in York and vicinity.
His eloquence and fervor pleased the con-
gregation, and he was invited to become the
pastor. George Meyer and Philip Roth-
rock, the elders of the new congregation,
extended to him a call to become pastor.
His missionary labors extended over a large
section of eastern Pennsylvania, and he did
not accept until the second call was ex-
tended to him by the York people in May,
1745. At this time there was a considerable
membership in the congregation. They re-
sided on lands recently taken up in the en-
tire valley of the Codorus.
Rev. Jacob Lischy, early in life, had
joined the Moravian church. When he ar-
rived in America in 1742 he proceeded to
Bethlehem and was sent out as a mission-
ary by Count Zinzendorf, the apostle of the
Moravian people in America. Lischy had
not been educated for the ministry, but on
account of his ability as a public speaker he
attracted the attention of all who heard him
preach. When he came to York he claimed
to be a member of the Reformed Church.
Soon after he began his pastorate it was
found he was trying to induce all his mem-
bers to accept the Moravian faith. This
caused a sectional strife within the congre-
THE CITY OF YORK
gation, which passed through many scenes
of excitement during the first fifteen years
of its history, on account of the conduct of
its pastor. He several times offered to re-
sign, but a strong party took up for him
and he was retained as pastor. He finally,
under a charge, withdrew in 1760, and or-
ganized an independent church in Codorus
Township. A biography of Rev. Jacob
Lischy appears on page 464. The follow-
ing is a list of some of the more prominent
persons who were members before 1754:
George Mayer,
Casper Kieffer,
Christian Wampler,
Jacob Upp,
Philip Hantz,
John Welsch,
Abraham Welschans,
Martin Banner,
Peter Wolf,
Philip Weber,
Henry Glatfelter,
George Zinn,
George Hoke,
Philip Houck,
Michael Weider,
Philip Gnass,
John Welsh, tailor,
Kilian Smith,
Dieter Meyer,
Benedict Swope,
Ludwig Kraft,
schoolmaster,
Ulrich Hess,
Nicholas Reisinger,
Abraham Kieffer,
Gerhart Luc,
Nicholas Upp,
Jacob Reiff,
Michael Greybill,
John Gerber,
Nicholas Scheaffer,
Henry Bier,
Nicholas Wilt,
Zachariah Shugart,
The congregation was without a pastor
for one year. John Conrad Wirtz was then
called and entered upon his labors May 9,
1762. He soon brought the congregation
into harmony. The church prospered.
The block building was taken down and the
corner-stone of a large church was laid May
24, 1763. Rev. Wirtz did not live to see it
completed. He died September 21, 1763,
and was buried under the altar. A vacancy
of two years, of which there is no record,
occurred. In September, 1765, Rev. Philip
William Otterbein was called, became pas-
tor November, 1765, and served five years.
A desire to visit his native larid pressed
upon him, and without resigning he de-
parted for Germany. The congregation
Christopher Weider,
John Wahl,
George Grimm,
John Guckes,
Michael Neuman,
John Appleman,
Christian Dittenhoffer,
Dewalt Emrich,
George Schrum,
Jonas Leib,
John Bentzel,
Jacob Schaffer,
Michael Kann,
George Rudy,
Christian Wampler, Sr.,
Godfry Frey,
George Weldey,
Nicholas Schrum,
Jacob Hildebrandt,
Conrad Miller,
Henry Everhart,
Jacob Welsh,
John Wolff,
Jacob Wagner,
Jacob Shearer,
Nicholas Kerr,
Henry Wolff,
Henry Luckenbaugh,
Matthias Gemshem,
John Meyer,
Charles Grimm,
Henry Stittler,
Henry Linebach,
was occasionally supplied by the Rev. Dan-
iel Wagner, who preached at Kreutz Creek.
The Rev. Otterbein returned October i,
1771, continued to serve the congregation
three years more, and then went to Balti-
more. In May, 1774, Rev. Daniel Wagner
became the pastor. He was a man of high
character and fine ability as a pulpit orator.
The church prospered during his pastorate.
He remained during the period of the Rev-
olutionary war. During this time religious
services were frequently conducted by
Bishop White and Rev. George Duffield,
chaplains to Continental Congress which
met in York from September 1777 to June
27, 1778. Rev. Daniel Wagner resigned in
1786 and accepted a call from the Tulpe-
hocken congregation, Berks County.
In the fall of the same year the church
was supplied by Rev. Philip Stock, who re-
mained until November, 1789. The records
show that, in 1790, Rev. George Troldenier
was pastor. Not much is learned from rec-
ords concerning him. His last baptism was
on May 31, 1793. During his pastorate on
July 3, 1 791, George Washington, while
serving his first term as President of the
United States, attended religious services
at this church. Washington records in his
diary that there was no Episcopal services
that Sunday in York, so he attended the
Reformed Church. The sermon was h\ the
German language, not one word of which
the President understood. Atfer the reli-
gious services he proceeded to Lancaster,
on his way from Mt. Vernon to Philadel-
phia, which was then the capitol of the
United States.
The congregation extended another call
to their former' pastor, the Rev. Daniel
Wagner, who accepted, and entered upon
his duties August i, 1793. His second min-
istry was more successful than the first.
During this period the stone church, built
in the time of Rev. Wirtz, was destroyed by
fire on July 4, 1797, and all the records were
burnt save one book. The congregation at
once took steps for a new building, which
was erected on the same spot, 65x55 feet,
with the side on the street to the front. It
was dedicated in May, 1800. In May, 1804,
Rev. Daniel Wagner resigned and the Rev.
George Geistweit took his place. He min-
istered to this people for sixteen years, until
1820. There is no record from which to es-
690
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
timate the work done. He is kindly spoken
of by those who knew him.
Rev. Lewis Mayer, D. D., assumed the
pastorate of this congregation January 8,
1821. He was a man of great mental vigor.
He introduced English preaching with the
German, built a lecture and school room on
the rear of the lot. He had weekly service
for lecture and prayer, and also established
a Sunday School. In the midst of his use-
fulness as pastor he was called to a profes-
sorship in the Reformed Theological Sem-
inary. He resigned April 3, 1825. A biog-
raphy of him will be found on page 467.
The pulpit was vacant for two years.
Rev. James Reily was called, April i, 1827.
His health failing he had Rev. Daniel Zach-
arias, a licentiate, for an assistant and re-
signed July, 183 1.
A vacancy of one year and a quarter oc-
curred, when the Rev. John Cares was
called, October i, 1832. He did effective
work. The lecture room at the rear of the
lot was destroyed by fire December 8, 1837,
and instead of rebuilding it the congrega-
tion resolved to alter the interior of the
church, taking off ten feet of the audience
room, and make a lecture and Sunday
School room out of it. Rev. John Cares
served eleven years until his death on April
5, 1843. He was deeply lamented by his
people.
Now followed an exciting and stormy pe-
riod in the history of this congregation.
Mr. Douglas took charge July, 1843. He
remained one and one-half years. On Jan-
uary 16, 1845, Rev. William A. Good, from
Hagerstown, Maryland, was chosen pastor.
He, like the four pastors who preceded him,
preached in the English and German lan-
guages, and served congregations in the
country. During his ministry, the congre-
gation was chartered by the legislature of
Pennsylvania, on March 9, 1849, under the
title " The First Reformed Church of the
Borough of York and its vicinity," and un-
der this charter, the congregation was au-
thorized to lay out a public cemetery, under
the title of " Prospect Hill Cemetery.-" In
the latter part of Mr. Good's pastorate it
was resolved to call a co-pastor, to preach
exclusively in the English language. This
was unsatisfactory. They then resolved to
divide into two sections, English and Ger-
man, each to call its own pastor, and sup-
port him, but to hold their property in com-
mon under one corporation. This called
for the resignation of both Good and Philips
in the fall of 185 1.
This opened a new era in the history of
the congregation. It was virtually two
congregations under one corporation w^or-
shipping in the same building. Rev. David
Bossier, of Harrisburg, was called by the
German section and entered upon his work
April 4, 1852; and on November 6, 1852, the
Rev. J. O. Miller, of Winchester, Virginia,
was called by the English section, and ac-
cepted the position January i, 1853. Each
section had the use of the audience room on
alternate Sunday mornings ; the English
preached alternately in the lecture room,
and in the evening in the church above.
A mission chapel was built by the pastor
of the English section for Sunday School
ser\-ice, 1861, on Queen Street. In the
spring of 1862 Rev. David Bossier resigned,
and he was succeeded by Rev. Daniel Zeig-
ler. The inconvenience of two congrega-
tions worshipping in one building became
daily manifest, and steps were taken for a
separation of the sections. Terms were
agreed upon and the property, all except the
cemetery, was 'offered for sale and sold to
the highest bidder. The German members
bought it, and paid the English for their
rights in the church building, graveyard and
parsonage, $9,725 — the English congrega-
tion to retain the corporate title, and the
cemetery (Prospect Hill).
The congregation which wor-
Zion ships in this church was char-
Reformed, tered as Zion Reformed Church
of York, in 1872. Since the di-
vision which resulted in founding Trinity
Reformed Church, Zion Reformed congre-
gation has worshipped in the old church
which was completed in 1800. The build-
ing is of colonial style, unique in design, and
modelled after the architecture in vogue
during the Georgian period of English his-
tory. The church was designed by George
Small and built under the direction of
George and Peter Small. The steeple, now
standing, was erected with the church, and
was claimed to be one of the finest speci-
mens of colonial architecture in this coun-
try, for more than half a century after its
erection. Rev. Daniel Ziegler, who became
pastor of the First Reformed Church in
THE CITY OF YORK
691
1862, continued his labors with Zion Re-
formed congregation until 1873. He* was a
native of Reading", born in 1804, and edu-
cated, at the University of Pennsylvania and
the Reformed Theological Seminary at
York. In addition to his pastoral duties,
he devoted much atention to the study of
entomology, becoming an authority on
American insects, of which he made a large
collection.
Rev. Aaron Spangler was pastor of the
congregation from 1873 to 1886, during
which time the church was remodelled.
Rev. O. P. Schellhamer was pastor from
1887 to March, 1894, and as a result of his
ministerial labors, the membership of his
congregation increased two hundred. Dur-
ing his pastorate a parsonage was purchased
on West Philadelphia Street. Rev. Mor-
gan A. Peters succeeded as pastor from
April, 1894, to June, 1898, and during that
period a chapel was erected to the rear of
the church, and dedicated November 14,
1897.
Rev. George Stibitz, Ph. D., was chosen
pastor November i, 1898. He is a native
of Schuylkill County, a graduate of Ursinus
College and Ursinus School of Theology.
He served as pastor of a Reformed congre-
gation for two years at Shenandoah, Penn-
sylvania, and the succeeding two years at
Lehighton. For six years he was a mem-
ber of the faculty of his alma mater and
Ursinus School of Theology. He then
spent two years at Yale University in the
study of Semitics under Dr. Harper, and
philosophy under Dr. Ladd. After leaving
that institution^ he served two years as pas-
tor of a Presbyterian congregation at Glen-
alvin, and then assumed the duties of Zion
Reformed Church, which congregation in
1907 had a membership of 418. The Sun-
day School has an enrollment of 464.
The congregation which worships
Trinity in Trinity Reformed Church on
Church. "West Market Street, was origi-
nally the English branch of the
First Reformed Church. AVhen the Ger-
man section of the original congregation
purchased the property belonging to the
First Reformed Church, the English branch
was chartered as the " Trinity Reformed
Church of York." This congregation pur-
chased the historic mansion which, before
1800, was the private residence of Colonel
Thomas Hartley, a hero of the Revolution.
Upon this site, together with the adjoining
lot on the east. Trinity Reformed congrega-
tion erected a beautiful church edifice, at a
cost of $60,000, including the organ and the
chimes. The church was consecrated Oc-
tober 21, 1866, during the meeting of the
Reformed Svnod of the United States in
York.
Jacob Ott Miller, who for a period of
forty 3'ears, was pastor of this congregation,
was born in Woodstock, Virginia, Decem-
ber 30, 1822, and grew to manhood in Read-
ing-, Pennsylvania, where his ancestors lived
for a long period. After obtaining a good
preparatory education at Reading, he en-
tered Marshall College, at Mercersburg, and
graduated from that institution in 1848, and
from the Reformed Theological Seminary,
at the same place, in 1850. He was pastor
of a church at \A'inchester, Virginia, until
1853, when he assumed his duties as pastor
at York. He took an active and prominent
part in the classis and synods of the Re-
formed Church, and in 1871, 1873 and 1893,
was president of the Synod of the United
States, the highest deliberative body of the
Reformed Church in America, and was also
president of its Board of Home Missions for
several years. He was a trustee of the
York County .\cademy and of Franklin and
Marshall College at Lancaster. During his
long pastorate at York, he built up a large
congregation and exerted a wide influence
for good, not onh' with his own church peo-
ple, but throughout the city and, county of
York, where he spent a large part of his
useful career. He died at York, April 18,
1898.
Rev. Henry H. Apple, son of Dr. Thomas
G. Apple, president of Franklin and Mar-
shall College, was chosen pastor of Trinity
Reformed Church to succeed Dr. Miller.
In the year . 19D5, a pipe organ was prer
sented to the church by Theodore R. Helb,
of York, at a cost of $7,000. Other decora-
tions and improvements were added to the
church within recent years, amounting" to
$20,000. Among the liberal contributors to
these improvements were Israel Laucks and
J. T. Kopp.
Heidelberg Reformed Church
Heidelberg, was organized under the au-
thority of the Classis which
met at Gettysburg, May 10, 1867, in re-
692
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
sponse to a petition of forty members of the
Reformed Church, residing in York. Re-
ligious services were first held in Masonic
Hall on North Beaver Street, and a congre-
gation was organized June 9, 1867, under
the title of " Third Reformed Church of
York." July 15, Rev. Alexander S. Vaughn
was elected pastor and served one year.
Meantime the name was changed to " Heid-
elberg Church of York/' under a charter ob-
tained from the county courts. Rev. A.
Wanner, D. D., was installed as pastor in
December, 1869. The Court House was
used as a place of worship for several
months.
The congregation was now in a prosper-
ous condition, a lot was purchased and a
house of worship erected on North Duke
Street, at a cost of $6,000. It was dedi-
cated November 20, 1870. Rev. Dr. Wan-
ner resigned as pastor October 12, 1874, and
Rev. James I. Good, then a student in Union
Theological Seminary, New York, was
chosen his successor and was installed June
16, 1875. His father had served as pastor
of Zion Reformed Church. Rev. Dr. Good
became president of the Reformed Theo-
logical .Seminary in Philadelphia, and also
wrote a work entitled " History of the Re-
formed Church." Rev. Frederick J. Sauber
was installed as pastor October 28, 1877.
During his pastorate a pipe organ was pur-
chased at a cost of $1,300, and when he re-
signed September 3, 1887, the congregation
had 295 members.
Rev. Henry A. Bomberger, son of the
president of tjrsinus College, was installed
as pastor May i, 1888, and continued until
July 1894. During his pastorate, several
lots were purchased on Philadelphia Street,
near George, for the sum of $17,000. Upon
this site a church was erected at a cost of
$10,500 under the direction of a building-
committee composed of M.* B. Gibson, W.
F. Bay Stewart, Reuben Hildebrand, Sam-
uel Shumaker and William Stuck. The title
of the church was changed to "Heidelberg
Reformed Church of York." When Rev.
Francis C. Yost. D. D., was installed as
pastor of the congregation February i,
1895, the membership was 350. Owing to
the growth and influence of the congrega-
tion, it was decided to sell the property, ex-
clusive of the chapel for the sum of $20,000.
In 1900 an eligible and convenient site was
purchased on the north side of Philadelphia
Street, near Beaver, and a parsonage on
Beaver Street, for the sum of $21,600.
Plans were completed for the erection of
a large and commodious church from a de-
sign drawn by Architect Harry E. Yessler.
The committee that superintended the erec-
tion of this edifice was composed of M. B.
Gibson, E. E. Johnston, Walker A. Drom-
gold, E. D. Ziegler, S. Howard Welsh, Ed-
ward L. Schroder and Harry J. Beitzel.
Ground was broken for the new building
February 19, 1901, and the corner stone
laid August 4, of the same year. The
church was completed at a cost of $41,000,
including the pipe organ and the furnish-
ings. Rev. B. B. Royer, formerly of Grace
Reformed Church, Chicago, was installed
as pastor of Heidelberg Reformed Church.
July I, 1906. The membership in 1907 was
600. A Sunday School of 500 teachers and
scholars has been superintended for a num-
ber of years by M. B. Gibson. W. F. Bay
Stewart, judge of the courts of York county,
and Edward D. Ziegler, a former member
of Congress, taught large Bible classes con-
nected with this Sunday School.
The movement which resulted
Grace in the organization of Grace
Reformed. Reformed Church at the cor-
ner of Hartley and Park Streets
was originated by Rev. J. O. Miller, D. D.,
then pastor of Trinity Reformed Church.
The corner stone of the present church
building was laid in June, 1886, and the
church was dedicated April 22, 1888. On
the payment of $2,500 to the Rev. Dr. Mil-
ler, the church property was transferred to
the congregation whose organization was
effected July 31, 1888, with the following
roll of thirty-seven charter members : Capt.
Frank Geise, Sadie M. Laucks, S. Forry
Laucks, Irene E. Laucks, George W.
Laucks. Fannie Laucks, Laura Coon, Mary
E. Landis, Anna M. Gring, Sue D. Gring,
Robert L. Motter, Jacob Strine, Emaline
Strine, Ida Pfleiger, J. Z. Hildebrand, Lor-
ina Hildebrand, Peter Feiser, Margaret E.
Feiser, George R. Stough, Mrs. George R.
Stough, A. J. Stough, Harriet Motter, Julia
R. Fink, Edward E. Johnston. Laura E.
Johnston, George Shaeffer, Mrs. George
Shaefifer, Jennie Shaefifer, Mrs. Rose Spy-
ker, Malinda Rawhauser, Clayton Strick-
houser, John M. Strine, Alice Strine,
THE CITY OF YORK
693
Charles Strickhouser, Mrs. Charles Strick-
houser, Orvilla Becker, George W. Wertz.
This nucleus of laymen entered into the
work of the infant church under the lead-
ership and inspiration of Captain Frank
Geise, whose interest and faithful service
did much toward enabling the congregation
to rise out of its "day of small things."
The first minister, Rev. I. N. Peightel,
began his pastorate October, 1888. During
his ministry ending November 30, 1895, the
church developed rapidly and a comfortable
parsonage was built at a cost of $3,000. In
February, 1896, the Rev. H. M. J. Klein, a
student of the Theological Seminary at
Lancaster was called as pastor. Mr. Klein
began his pastorate May 15 of the same
year and continued his services with the
congregation until April 15, 1905. During
this pastorate the church enjoyed a period
of substantial growth. The growing needs
necessitated the erection of the commodi-
ous two-story Sunday School building at
the rear of the church, at a cost of $12,000.
The dedication of this building took place
September 19, 1898.
Rev. Elmer E. Emhoff assumed his duties
as pastor of this church May 10, 1905. A
prominent feature in the work of Grace
Church, is the Sunday School, built up un-
der the wise supervision of a succession of
eilficient superintendents, Captain Frank
Geise, S. Nevin Hench, Dr. J. W. Dehoff
and E. A. Rice. The membership of the
school is 650.
From the beginning there was cultivated
the spirit of benevolence among the mem-
bers of Grace Church. The Board of Home
Missions extended financial aid to the
young congregation for but a few years,
amounting in all to several hundred dollars.
Generous sums were given annually to the
work of home and foreign missions, Beth-
any Orphans" Home and to other worthy
benevolent objects.
On November i, 1903, a mission congre-
gation was organized in West York bor-
ough, known as St. Stephen's Reformed
Church, under the care and direction of
Grace Church.
During the eighteen years of her exist-
ence, Grace Church contributed $55,663 for
local congregational purposes and $18,467
for benevolence. The present membership
of the church is 338. Of the present Board
of Trustees and Consistory, Elders P. C.
Wiest and S. N. Hench, and Deacons Rob-
ert L. Motter and John M. Strine, have
been members of these ofBcial bodies con-
tinuously from the earliest years of the
church. These, with a number of other de-
voted men, gave freely of their means, time
and thought in the work of the church they
loved and served.
«In 1861, seven years after Rev.
Memorial J. O. Miller, D. D., became pas-
Church, tor of the English congregation
of the First Reformed Church,
he purchased a lot on South Queen Street.
Upon this site a chapel was built and in
August of the same year, William H.
A\'elsh, bookseller at Market and Queen
Streets, opened a Sunday School, of which,
during the succeeding thirty-two years, he
was superintendent and Alexander Spang-
ler, treasurer. Its membership at times
numbered 200 and it was a flourishing Sun-
day School.
In 1898 Captain Frank Geise subscribed
the sum of $500 and raised an additional
$1,200 toward the erection of a church
building on the site of the chapel. After
its completion a congregation was organ-
ized with about one hundred members,
Rev. E. Bruce Lyttle, formerly a Presby-
terian clergyman, was called to the pastor-
ate of this congregation, which was then
chartered as Memorial Reformed Church,
in memory of Rev. J. O. Miller, D. D., who
had recently died, while serving as pastor of
Trinity Church. The congregation and
Sunday School grew in numbers, and in
1907 the church contained 225 members,
with a Sunday School enrollment of 400.
Plans were then being laid for the erection
of a commodious church edifice.
With the rapid expansion of
Bethany the city of York, early in the
Reformed year 1897, ministers and mem-
Church, bers of the Reformed Church
felt that a congregation should
be established in the southwestern section
of the city. In August of that year a com-
mittee purchased a site at the corner of
\\'est Princess Street and Hawthorne Ave-
nue. At the annual meeting of Zion's
Classis in April of the following year steps
were taken to engage in active work. This
included authorizing the committee to erect
a suitable building and secure a missionary
694
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
for the field. AA'ithin a month a missionary
was secured in the person of Rev. A. Theo-
dore Wright, just graduated from the Ur-
sinus School of Theology. The field was
canvassed and after a temporary frame
structure was erected on July 24, 1898, a
Sunday School was organized. Regular
services were held b}^ the pastor and the
work of erecting a permanent structure was
begun. The corner stone of the»church was
laid August 14, 1898. The work of build-
ing was carried forward rapidly during the
latter part of the summer, so that on De-
cember II a portion of it was ready for oc-
cupancy. The way was now prepared for
a permanent organization which was effect-
ed December 19, 1898, with twenty-one
charter members. Reuben Rawhauser and
Harry B. Picking were elected elders and
William H. Ruby, William Hoffman, Bert
L. Wantz, Robert E. Jacobs, deacons. The
work of completing the church was contin-
ued during the following summer and on
October 15, 1899, was formally dedicated.
Rev. A. T. Wright continued pastor for
another }'ear, when he withdrew to accept
a call to a field in Virginia. Rev. George S.
Sorber was elected as his successor, and
assumed the work on December i, 1900.
At this time the roll of membership had
risen to sixty and that of the Sunday School
to eighty. The members received the new
pastor cordially and the . growth of the
congregation continued. Along with the
spiritual work devolving on the congrega-
tion, it was necessary to remove the indebt-
edness of $2,300 that remained on the prop-
erty.' Annual payments were made so that
April II, 1906, the debt was paid. During
this time such improvements to the prop-
erty were made as occasion demanded and
all the regular expenses were met with
promptness. The second pastorate has con-
tinued to the present writing and at the be-
ginning of the year 1907 the membership
roll is 210 and the Sunday School has an
enrollment of 350. The cost of the church
was about $6,000. This together with a lot
120x125 feet is valued at $10,000.
At a meeting of the Con-
St. Stephen's sistory of Grace Reformed
Church. Church, held July 26, 1903,
it was decided to organize
a Sunday School under its care in Eberton,
since incorporated and known as West
York Borough. On the afternoon of that
day, the pastor of the Grace Reformed
Church, the Rev. H. M. J. Klein, with the
Consistory and friends, gathered in the
school house at Eberton, corner of Adams
and Stanton Streets, and effected an organ-
ization. The following officers were
chosen :
Superintendent, Elder E. A. Rice; Assist-
ant Superintendent. A. D. Greenawald; Sec-
retary, George Yeager; Treasurer, W'illiam
F. Wiest.
Soon thereafter a desire was expressed
for the establishment of a congregation.
At a special meeting of Zion's Classis,
held in Trinity Reformed Church, York, on
October 12, 1903, a committee was ap-
pointed to accomplish this end. The com-
mittee consisted of Rev. H. M. J. Klein,
chairman; Revs. H. H. Apple, O. P. Shell-
hamer and Elder E. A. Rice. The commit-
tee met the petitioners in the Eberton school
house on October 27, 1903, and organized
them into a congregation. About fifty
names were enrolled. • The first officers
chosen by the congregation were, elders,
William F. Wiest and John C. Ernst; dea-
cons, Jacob H. Crist and Peter Weigle.
On November i, 1903, Rev. Robert Lee
Bair, then pastor of St. John's Reformed
Church, AVyoming, Delaware, was elected
pastor. At a meeting of Zion's Classis, the
new congregation of Eberton, which took
upon itself the name of St. Stephen's
Church, was constituted, together with the
new Emmanuel's Reformed Church, of East
York, one pastoral charge, and the call of
both congregations to Rev. Robert Lee Bair
to become the first pastor was confirmed.
On Sunday, March 25, 1904, ground for
a new church was broken on a lot situated
on the northeast corner of Seward and
Stanton Streets. This lot, valued at $2,000,
was presented to the congregation by
Henry Gable. It is significant and worthy
of mention in connection with this generous
gift, that the donor, fifty-two years previous
worked the same soil as a farmer's boy. The
church building was erected under the
supervision of a committee from Grace Re-
formed Church, composed of Robert L.
Motter, chairman; E. A. Rice, treasurer; S.
Nevin Hench and M. W. Bahn.
On Sunday, August 14, 1904. the corner
stone was laid. Services were in charge of
THE CITY OF YORK
695
the pastoi-j assisted by Rev. H. M. J. Klein.
An address was delivered by Rev. H. H.
Apple, of Trinity Reformed Church, York,
Pa.
The handsome church edifice was for-
mally dedicated by the pastor, the Rev.
Robert Lee Bair, on Sunday, September 10,
1905. The dedicatory sermon was preached
by the organizer of the congregation. Its
property valuation is about $14,000.
Emmanuel Reformed Church,
Emmanuel East York, had its origin in a
Reformed. Sunday School, organized July
19, 1903, by Rev. H. H. Apple,
pastor of Trinity Reformed Church, and
Rev. E. Bruce Lyttle, pastor of Memorial
Church. The organization of this school
took place at the home of Professor Eman-
uel Boeckel and consisted of a superintend-
ent, M. L. Van Baman; a secretary, Alvin
Dehofif, and a -treasurer, Edward C.
Boeckel.
The week following the organization a
student of the Theological Seminary at
Lancaster, Charles Edward Meyers, was
called to York to canvass the eastern sec-
tion of the city with a view to enlisting the
Reformed people of the community in the
school. Simultaneous with the work of
Mr. Meyers, a committee apointed for the
purpose secured the building 747 East Mar-
ket Street as a place for the school to meet.
This building soon proved inadequate to
accommodate the growing membership and
through the courtesy of the Goodwill Fire
Company, moved, after one Sunday, to a
room in the Goodwill engine house.
A congregation was organized with
thirty-four charter members, October 29,
1903. The officers elected were, elders,
Augustus Emig and Edward Lauer, and
deacons, Edwin E. Harbaugh and Jacob
Schroeder.
Until November 15, the congregation was
supplied with preaching by Rev. Mr. Apple
and student Charles Edward Meyers, after
which the first pastor. Rev. Robert Lee
Bair, who was installed on March 11, 1904,
took charge of the work. He continued as
pastor until April i, 1905, when Rev. C. E.
Meyers was elected as his successor, being
ordained and installed May 30, 1905.
The congregation worships in a commo-
dious church building on East Market
Street, near Sherman, erected at a cost of
$10,000. The church was dedicated under
the pastorate of Rev. Robert Lee Bair, Sun-
day, November 27, 1904. The membership
in 1907 was one hundred.
Faith Reformed Church is sit-
Faith uated at the corner of Pacific
Reformed Avenue and Elm Terrace. In
Church. 1903 a Sunday School was or-
ganized in a school house ad-
joining. Mrs. Kate Schroeder presented a
lot upon which a chapel was erected at a
cost of $2,500. The first preaching service
was held in this building November 5, 1904.
Rev. Arthur C. Ohl was called as pastor and
organized a congregation March 12, 1905.
He resigned the following year and on May
I, 1906, Rev. Irwin S. Ditzler was called
as pastor of this congregation, and the ones
worshipping in Quickel's Church, in Con-
ewago Township, and Christ Church at
Starview, in East Manchester Township.
MORAVIAN CHURCHES.
Seventeen years after the beginning of
the Moravian Church at Hernhut, Germany,
in 1727, and nine years after the first Mora-
vian brethren set foot on American soil, near
Savannah, Georgia, in 1735, representatives
of the Moravian Church began to preach in
York and the regions round about. This
was in the year 1744. Up to this time, lit-
tle was known of the Moravian Church in
this vicinity, although a few had heard
Count Zinzendorf preach at Lancaster. His
fame soon spread throughout York county
and this was probably the circumstance
which led to the sending of Rev. Lischy by
the Moravians at Bethlehem to preach the
gospel in York. When Rev. Lischy came
here, he represented himself as a Reformed
minister, and in that capacity was permitted
to preach in the Reformed church. His
preaching made a good impression among
the people in and around York and at
Kreutz Creek. In the year 1745,. Rev. Ny-
berg, of Lancaster, preached the funeral
sermon of Rev. Candler, the Lutheran min-
ister, near the Conewago, on the present
site of Hanover, and again a deep impres-
sion was made. Rev. Christian Henry
Ranch and Rev. Leonhard Schnell, from
Lititz, pioneer clergymen among the Mo-
ravians, also visited this place and the for-
mer preached occasionally at York and
Ivreutz Creek.
696
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
In October, 1746, a synod of the Re-
formed Church was held at Kreutz Creek.
A short time before this synod, however, it
was discovered that Rev. Lischy had come
from the Moravian Church and the people
were so incensed that he, as well as Chris-
tian Ranch, was forbidden to preach at
York. Nevertheless, Christian Ranch con-
tinued to hold religious services at first in
the open air. and afterwards in Immel's
house on the Codorus. In April, 1747,
Lischy was recalled to Bethlehem and in
the following year he severed his connec-
tion with the RIoravian Church and joined
the Reformed Church. He immediately re-
turned to York, and through his efforts all
the Moravians at Kreutz Creek joined the
Reformed Church, except the families of
Berot, Lanius and Fischel. In the year
1749 John Heckendorn and Francis Jacob
Miller were the first members of the Mora-
vian church at York. More were added in
the following 3'ear.
In 175 1, Rev. Philip ]\Ieurer was
First appointed to the pastorate of this
Church, place. He lodged with John Heck-
endorn until a house was rented
from Mr. Croll, which was then used for
both a parsonage and a church. On the 27th
of November of the same year, the Holy
Communion was administered for the first
time. This year seems to mark the date of
the organization of the Moravian congrega-
tion in York. In 1753, Philip Meurer was re-
moved from York and Rev. Engel appointed
in his place. During the same year quite
a number of persons were received into
communicant membership of the church.
In the year 1754 the congregation was vis-
ited by Revs. Peter Boehler, Spangenberg,
Matthew Hehl and Nathaniel Seidel. Still
more were received into the church mem-
bership and steps were taken toward the
erection of a church and parsonage.
On the 24th of April, 1755, the foundation
stone of the first church building was laid.
The dedication of the First Church at the
corner of Princess and Water Streets,
which was used for a long time as the par-
sonage, and remained standing until 1889,
took place on the 19th, 20th and 21st of De-
cember. It had been intended to hold a
synod of the American Moravian Church
at York, in connection with these dedica-
cation services, but on account of the In-
dian troubles on the western frontier of
Pennsylvania, it was postponed. The first
sermon in the new church was preached by
Rev. Lembke, of Lititz. On February 15,
1756, a graveyard was consecrated, on the
occasion of the death of Agnes Neisser, the
infant daughter of one of the two pastors
of the congregation, Neisser and Soelle.
In 1757, Rev. Neisser was succeeded by
Rev. Schlegel. On the i8th of August of
the same year a synod of the Moravian
church was held at York, which numbered,
including the York congregation, 2^2 per-
sons.
The foundation stone of the Second
church was laid on the 26th of May, 1828,
during the pastorate of Rev. Peter Kluge,
and on the 9th of November the building
was dedicated. At the dedication services,
besides Bishop Anders and Revs. Herman
and Reinecke and the pastor of the Mora-
vian church. Rev. Hall, of the Episcopal
Church, Dr. Cathcart, of the Presbyterian
and Dr. Schmucker, of the Lutheran
Church, took part. On the 19th, and 20th
of December, 1855, during the pastorate of
Rev. F. F. Hagen, the centennial jubilee
of this church was celebrated. On April 23,
1867, during the pastorate of the Rt. Rev.
H. A. Shultz, the work of tearing down the
church on Water Street was begun. In the
interval between the destruction of the old
church and the building of the new one on
North Duke Street, the congregation held
public worship and Sunday School in the
Court House. On October 25 and 26, 1868,
Rev. W. H. Rice being pastor, the Third
church was dedicated. The ministers pres-
ent were the Rt. Revs. Shultz and Bigler,
Revs. Sylvester Wolle and A. A. Reinecke,
of the Moravian Church, and Rev. N. S.
Buckingham, of the Methodist Church, Rev.
J. C. Smith, of the United Brethren Church,
and Revs. Baum, Fahs and Lochman, of the
Lutheran Church. In May, 1870, a synod
of the Moravian Church was held here.
Ground was broken for the erection of a
parsonage on the lot adjoining the church
in August, 1871, and by the end of March,
1872, the building was occupied by the pas-
tor and his family. On March 26, 1884,
it was decided to remodel the new church.
The committee appointed to attend to this
work was composed of Capt. W. H. Lanius,
Gibson Smith and E. C. Parkhurst. On
THE CITY OF YORK
697
July 19, 1885, the work of remodelling the
church, which was begun under the pastor-
ate of Rev. T. L. Kampman, was finished.
Rev. E. W. Shields being pastor. The new
auditorium was dedicated by the Rt. Rev.
E. de Schweinetz and Revs. W. H. Rice, C.
C. Lanius and C. L. Reinecke assisted in
the services.
Since the organization of the church the
following ministers have served: Philip
Meurer, G. Engel, George Neisser, George
Soelle, J. F. Schlegel, S. Herr, H. Linden-
meyer, O. Krogstrup, H. Lindenmeyer,
John Schweisshaupt, George Neisser, John
Roth, Abraham Reinecke, John Roth, Lewis
F. Boehler, John Molther, J. M. Beck,
Emanuel Rondthaler, Constantine Miller,
J. T. Loeffler, J. P. Kluge, C. C. Dober, C.
A. Van Vleck, \V. L. Lennert. Samuel
Reinecke, Ambrose Rondthaler, F. F. Ha-
gen, S. M. Smith, H. A. Schultz, W. H.
Rice, Jesse Blickensderfer, L. T. Kampman,
E. W. Shields, J. J. Ricksecker, S. J. Blum,
E. S. Hagen, Thomas W. Shields.
The Second Moravian Church, of
Second York, on East King Street, ex-
Church, tended, was organized November
18, 1902. In 1879, Prof. A. B.
Carner conducted open air religious vser-
vices in this vicinity. These efforts result-
ed in interesting prominent persons in York
to continue the successful missionary work
already instituted. Samuel Small, Sr., and
W. Latimer Small offered liberal contribu-
tions toward the erection of a house of wor-
ship, in which Bethany mission conducted
religious services until the Second Mora-
vian Church was organized. A commodi-
ous chapel was erected and dedicated June
6, 1880. A mission Sunday School was reg-
ularly held in the chapel under the direc-
tion of Mrs. Jeremiah S. Black, Mr. George
H. Sprigg, David Fahs and others. In
1887 the Moravian Church sent to the field
of labor Rev. M. E. Kemper. Religious
services and the Sunday School were con-
tinued under the direction of M. E. Oerter,
William Allen and Robert W. Herbst.
Rev. Leon G. Luckenbach. who had just
graduated from the Moravian College and
Theological Seminary, at Bethlehem, in
1896 took charge of the mission and con-
tinued the work with success. A congrega-
tion of 156 members was organized in 1902,
under the direction of the Moravian Church
of the United States, which has been prom-
inent and influential in the mission work in
America and many foreign countries.
The Second Moravian Church, under
Rev. Mr. Luckenbach, with the assistance
of a number from other denominations, has
prospered from the time of its organization.
It has been active and influential in a sec-
tion of the city susceptible of religious de-
velopment. It increased in influence, and
in 1907 had 200 members, and a flourish-
ing Sunday School under the direction of
the pastor. In order to fulfill the require-
ments of the growing congregation, in 1903,
the house of worship was enlarged and im-
proved, doubling the original seating capac-
ity. Since the congregation was organized
a parsonage, situated at 800 Rouse Avenue,
was erected at a cost of $3,500 and paid for.
THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.
From the year 1683 to 1776 the
Friends province of Pennsylvania be-
Meeting. longed to William Penn and his
heirs. When York was founded
in 1741, the Quakers ruled the province, the
majority of the Provincial z\ssembly being
composed of men adhering to that religious
faith. Three of the commissioners appoint-
ed to lay off York County were Quakers.
Early in the history of York, Quakers set-
tled in the town and vicinity and in 1754,
York Meeting was established. A com-
plete record of its history will be found on
page 114.
EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.
The history of St. John's Epis-
St. John's copal Church from the time it
Episcopal was founded down to 1831 was
Church. written by Mrs. Henry D.
Schmidt, one of the founders of
the Yorktown Chapter Daughters of Amer-
ican Revolution. The history of the church
from 183 1 down to date was prepared by
her son, George S. Schmidt, a prominent
member of the York County Bar. The bi-
ography of Rev. Thomas Barton, the first
rector of the church, will be found on page
457 in this volume.
Among the many places of historic in-
terest in and about our city there are few
over which the memory more fondly lingers
than the Protestant Episcopal church of St.
John's at York. It is certain that when
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
i
Rev. Thomas Barton, the first English mis-
sionary to set foot within our town came
here in 1755, he found existing a congrega-
toin of churchmen regularly organized, but
having neither a fixed place of meeting nor
permanent rector. He immediately entered
upon the work as reader and rector of the
small seat of Episcopalians then existing,
and performed like duties for the church-
men scattered through what is now York,
Cumberland and Adams Counties. For ten
years he sustained his relation to the
churchmen in Yorktown, and in 1765 was
succeeded by the Rev. John Andrews and
other missionaries of the Society for the
Propogation of the Gospel sent over from
England. His first aim was apparently to
give to the struggling congregation a local
habitation. A subscription was opened
" for the performance of divine service ac-
cording to the rites and ceremonies of the
church of England," and Thomas Minshall,
the parish records say^ " was appointed to
receive the said subscriptions, and as usual
in such cases the well disposed of other re-
ligious societies were applied to for sub-
scriptions ; several gave money, some tim-
ber and some hauling, but the whole from
such as were not of the congregation that
was got in Yorktown was inconsiderable."
The donations in money, material and labor
not being sufficient to meet the necessities,
a plan was resorted to which was common
enough at the time but over which in this
latter day we would somewhat apologetic-
ally slur. A lottery was held to raise a sum
of money to pay the debts on certain Phila-
delphia churches and to build Episcopal
churches in York and Reading. This lot-
tery was authorized by the Pennsylvania
Assembly and from the proceeds the church
at York realized 257 pounds and 5 shillings.
A church building was erected on a lot of
ground 80x250 feet, for which a warrant
was granted to Samuel Johnston, Thomas
Minshall and Joseph Adlum as trustees.
Two hundred pounds additional was sub-
sequently collected, with which added to
the money and other contributions on hand
the church was built. Crimson damask
hangings for the pulpit were purchased and
made by the ladies of the congregation out
of their own subscriptions. The original
church building was about thirty feet
square, with the chancel on the north and
the door on the south, the entrance to the
grounds being from what is now Gas Alley.
The Rev. Mr. Andrews continued his min-
istrations here from 1765 until 1772. He
was succeeded in. 1772 by the Rev. Daniel
Batwell, another English missionary.
Within a year after he had taken charge a
bell was procured for the York church. As
the church building then had no belfry the
bell on its arrival was deposited on the
pavement of Joseph Updegraff, Esq., in
Centre Square, where it remained for some
time. AVhen in July, 1776, the news of the
signing of the Declaration reached York-
town it was lifted by willing hands from its
humble place and hoisted to the cupola of
the Court House, when its brazen tongue
first told the news to excited multitudes
that a free and independent nation was
born.
The bell remained upon the cupola of the
Court House until that building was torn
down in 1841, when it was taken by Samuel
Hays, Joseph Holland and Samuel Mc-
Curdy, a committee of churchmen, and
borne away to the church despite the
threats and objections of many citizens. So
great was the hostility occasioned by this
act that for ten years the bell was unused,
but lay stored away in the basement of the
church and was only placed on the belfry
where it now stands after the lapse of a
decade. The Rev. Mr. Batwell was an
Englishman, by education^ as well as by
birth a pronounced Tory, and his political
opinions doubtless freely expressed aroused
the bitter animosity of the people. One
Monday morning he was seized, as Mr.
Glossbrenner says in his history, by certain
" rude and boisterous friends of liberty, by
whom he was at that time several times
ducked in the Codorus Creek. Being freed
he set out on his return to his dwelling
house at York Springs, but he had hardly
arrived there, when a company of armed
men from York seized him and returning,
confined him in the public prison on Octo-
ber 2, 1777."
During the incarceration of the rector and
for seven years thereafter, the church at
York was without a head, and during the
Revolution the church building was used as
an arsenal. To what extent it was devoted
to such use we have no authentic state-
ment, but it is certain that in 1810 when the
THE CITY OF YORK
699
church edifice was renovated and remod-
elled, several pounds of powder were dis-
covered stored in the base of the old pulpit.
Whether the powder so found was simply
a remnant accidentally overlooked when the
larger cjuantit}^ stored there was taken away,
or whether in that particular spot design-
edly and with intent upon the life. of the
Tory rector, is a matter which must always
remain open to conjecture, and of which we
can never know the fact. During the
vacancy of the rectorship in 1784 a letter
was received from the Rev. Dr. AVilliam
A'Vhite, afterward consecrated the first
bishop of Pennsylvania, urging the attend-
ance of the representatives of this congre-
gation at a meeting in Philadelphia, to be
held May 24, 1784, for the purpose of pro-
posing a plan of ecclesiastical government
for Episcopalians generally throughout the
United States. Pursuant to this request
Colonel Thomas Hartley, Major AVilliam
Bailey and AA^illiam Johnson were chosen
delegates to this, the first meeting called
for the establishment of the American
branch of the Protestant Episcopal church.
In the same year the Rev. John Campbell
was called as rector and duly installed. He
was the first to devote his time and atten-
tion exclusively to the interests of the par-
ish, which he labored to advance in every
way. In 1785 he obtained from the pro-
prietaries a deed for the ground opposite
the church, upon which in 1787 the rectory
and academy were erected. For a dozen
years the church controlled the last named
institution, at the end of which period the
guidance and control were vested in a board
of trustees, appointed by the state in con-
sideration of certain financial support given
by the state.
In 1804 the Rev. Campbell resigned his
charge, and in 1810 was succeeded by the
Rev. John Armstrong. That Mr. Arm-
strong was not only a faithful pastor but an
earnest and effective laborer for the ad-
vancement of the interests of his church is
evidenced by the fact of his success in ac-
quiring means to renovate, enlarge and re-
model the church building in the first year
of his pastorate, and by the further act that
in 1812 he presented seventy persons for
confirmation, a number never equalled from
the organization of the church to the pres-
ent time. He was succeeded in 18 18 bv
the Rev. Grandison Aisquith, who served
the parish for a single year.
From 1821 to 1823, Rev. George B.
Schaffer successfully officiated as rector,
and was succeeded by Rev. Charles AA'il-
liams, from 1823 to 1825, by the Rev. Rich-
ard D. Hall from 1826 to 1829, and by the
Rev. John V. E. Thorn from 1829 to 1831.
From 1831 until 1834 the parish was for
the most part without a rector, and for a
time death and defection greatly decreased
the membership. In 1834 the Rev. Benja-
min Hutchins took charge of the parish and
although he served it gratuitously for a year
and a half, he entered into the work with
zeal, enlisted the hearty cooperation of his
parishioners and added both to the church
building and to the rectory certain improve-
ments of which they stood in sore need. In
1836 Rev. Walter E. Franklin became rec-
tor, who after two years of service was suc-
ceeded in 1838 by the Rev. Edward Way-
len, an English clergyman temporarily re-
siding in this country. From 1841 to 1844
the parish was in charge of the Rev. John
H. Marsden, who was followed in office by
the Rev. John W. Hoffman, the latter's
term of service extending from 1844 to
1849. In 1849 a call was extended to and
accepted by the Rev. Charles AVest Thom-
son, whose name is a holy memory to many
parishioners now living. Mr. Thomson
was a native of Philadelphia and of Quaker
parentage. For seventeen years he labored
with signal success in a field for which he
was admirably fitted, and, within a twelve-
month after his entrance on the work, the
attendance upon services so greatly m-
creased that the church building was en-
larged to more than twice its original ca-
pacity. During a later period of his ad-
ministration, in 1862, another enlargement
of the church was found necessary, and two
transepts were added, and a recess chancel
built. Mr. Thomson achieved an enviable
distinction in letters and his poems were
widely read and appreciated. In 1866, on
account of advancing years, Mr. Thomson
resigned his charge, but remained a resident
of York until his death in 1879.
From 1866 to 1873 the parish was in
charge of Rev. AA^illiam P. Orrick, D. D.,
now rector of Christ Church, Reading, Pa.
During' his administration the parish build-
ing was erected on the lot adjoining the
700
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
church, and substantial development of all
parochial agencies took place. Dr. Orrick
was succeeded in 1873 by the Rev. Octa-
vius P. Perinchief, one of the most gifted
orators in the Episcopal pulpit, and a man
of marked piety, and untiring zeal. He was
succeeded in 1874 by the Rev. Edward L.
Stoddard, young, enthusiastic and mag-
netic. In 1877 he was in turn followed by
the Rev. W. T. Wilson, whose sermons af-
forded rare intellectual treats. In Novem-
ber, 1878, the Rev. Henry W. Spalding, D.
D., assumed charge, and performed the
duties of his ofifice to the entire satisfaction
of his parishioners, until 1882, when a call
was extended the Rev. Arthur Chilton
Powell. Mr. Powell through six years of
service endeared himself to his people, and
by his courtesy of manner, his geniality of
disposition, and his loving ministrations to
the sick, made friends within this parish
who follow his life work with keenest in-
terest. Under Mr. Powell's administration
the church building was radically altered,
enlarged and beautified, and the member-
ship roll was so lengthened and increased
that St. John's of York became one of the
largest and most influential parishes in the
diocese. Mr. Powell accepted a call to
Grace Church, Baltimore, and was suc-
ceeded in 1888 by the Rev. W. G. Ware,
who continued in ofifice until October i,
1894, when he was succeeded by the Rev.
Charles James Wood.
Mr. Wood's ministry in York covered a
period of twelve years, and left a lasting-
impress upon the parish and the city's civic
life. He attracted to the church many not
theretofore affiliated with any ecclesiastical
denomination. His aim was to uplift the
people spiritually, morally and physically.
His churchmanship was broad and catholic,
his mental attitude tolerant and liberal, his
disposition happy and his manners demo-
cratic. Men were attracted by his cordi-
ality, won by his sympathy and elevated
and broadened by his association. In the
world of literature he had made for himself
an enviable name as author and critic, was
widely known and appreciated at his true
worth in circles of highest scholarship, and
was honored and revered throughout and
beyond the diocese in which his life work
was performed. His name was prominently
mentioned in connection with the bishopric
of the Diocese of Harrisburg when that
diocese was created in 1904, and he was for
many years a member of the standing com-
mittee of the Diocese of Central Pennsyl-
vania, a position for which he possessed
unusual qualifications and in which he ren-
dered signal service. He was a man of
most unusual attainments, and added to
native capacity the charm of culture and
rare intellectual force. He died, after a
prolonged illness, May 9, 1906, greatly be-
loved by his people. Under his ministra-
tion the membership of the parish greatly
increased. Devoted to books, he enlarged
the parish library, broadened its scope, and
assisted its development into a collection of
some sixteen hundred well selected vol-
umes. By his will, after providing for the
care of his widowed mother, he gave and
bequeathed all his property to the parish he
so dearly loved, enriching it by his collec-
tion of pictures, rugs, antique furniture and
bric-a-brac, the result of many years of dis-
criminating purchase.
His chief possession, a superb library of
nine thousand volumes and a rich and
varied collection of prints and engravings,
he bequeathed to the parish on condition
that it be held intact and that the books be
open to the use of the general public as a
reference library for the citizens of York.
Mr. Wood's energies were not confined
to the parish of St. John's at York, but feel-
ing that churchmen living in distant parts
of the city and county were entitled to re-
ceive the benefit of church communion, he
organized four missions, one on Linden
Avenue, in the western part of the city of
York, called the Chapel of the Incarnation,
which, under his fostering care, has grown
to be a prominent factor in the ecclesiastical
life of the city and has practically become
self-supporting. Another, called the Chapel
of St. Andrews, in the eastern part of the
city, which has done and is doing most ef-
fective service, a third, in the borough of
Delta, in the southern part of the county,
out of which last named mission has grown
the Episcopal Church, recently incorpor-
ated under the name of the Church of St.
Davids at Delta; and, fourth, a mission
called St. George, at Hanover, in which a
lively interest has recently been reawak-
ened.
On October 16, 1906, there was called to
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH DCKINC THE REVOLUTION
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN 1790
«
t
♦
THE CITY OF YORK
701
tlie rectorship of the parisli the Rev. Artliur
Russell Taylor, for many years the rector
of Trinity [Memorial Church, at Warren,
Pa. ]\Ir. Taylor is in every sense fitted to
take up the work which Mr. ^\'ood left un-
finished. A gentleman of ripe scholarship,
rare culture and marked intellectual force,
he adds to these qualities unusual adminis-
trative ability and personal magnetism,
under the impulse of which the parish has
grown, broadened, strengthened and de-
veloped during his six months' stay, in a
manner and to an extent which is as note-
worthy as it is gratifying.
The Chapel of the Incar-
Chapel of nation is situated on Linden
Incarnation. Avenue and ^^'est Street. The
work in the west end began
with a Sunday School about 1898 in the old
school building on Penn Street. Mr. Mat-
thew Porman began the work and was as-
sisted from time to time by the rector of the
parish, Rev. Charles James Wood, and his
curate. Rev. Mr. Simpson. The work grew
steadily. The present chapel w-as ready for
use March, 1901. This is a comfortable
building, seating about 225. The congre-
gation grew and became self-supporting in
1907. The members, about 55 in number,
met in January, 1907, and organized as an
organized mission, the Bishop of the Dio-
cese, Rt. Rev. J. H. Darlington, appointing
Rev. William Vincent Dawson missionary.
The members of the vestry are Alvin Reist,
James Rudisill, Edward A. Benson and
Harry J. Litchfield. The building was
greatly improved during the year 1906, a
transept and a tower for the bell being
added. A large two manual organ was
placed in the transept. Those who have
been in charge of the work since the begin-
ning are C. L. Thackery, lay reader and dea-
con; C. L. Dashiell, lay reader: Robert F.
Gibson, lay reader; William M. Gamble, lay
reader; W. H. Decker, lay reader and dea-
con. Li August, 1904, Rev. William Vin-
cent Dawson became vicar of the Chapel
and curate at large in St. John's Parish.
A Sunday School started by
St. Charles Dashfell. at King and
Andrew's Albemarle Streets, in 1900, was
Chapel. the beginning of St, Andrew's
Chapel. After removing to
"Norway," near Rouse's Avenue, where it
remained for a while, it was transferred to
its present location on Elm Avenue, near
Albemarle. The lot was presented by Hon.
W. F. Bay Stewart and the building, which
had previously been a real estate ofiice, was
purchased, placed on the lot and fitted up
for church use, a great part of this work
being performed by Benjamin Dashiell as a
contribution. In 1904, the Rev. William M.
Gamble, before his ordination, took charge
of the Chapel, Charles Dashiell having re-
moved to Philadelphia. He continued the
services and Sunday School, with lay assist-
ance, until June, 1906. During his incum-
bency a guild room was built and a library
established. The principal donors of the
latter were John C. Jordan and the Misses
Bonham. Guilds were organized, a reading
room was opened and there is a flourishing
chapter of the Girls' Friendly Society, which
in 1906 provided communion vessels. Two
classes have been confirmed in the Chapel.
There are now thirty communicants con-
nected with the work. The services and
Sunday School are carried on by a licensed
lay reader, R. A. G. Ault.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES
Although A'ork was largely a German set-
tlement, as early as 1750 there were several
Presbyterian families residing in and near
the town. It is probable that in 1760 a
Presbyterian congregation existed, for the
minutes of Donegal Presbytery for that
year record applications from York and
Shrewsbury (Hopewell) for stated minis-
terial supplies. One record states that a
Rev. Mr. Hanna, of the Presbytery of Don-
egal, ministered to it regularly for some
time, worship probably being conducted in
the Episcopal Church.
It was of this period that John Adams,
writing from York October 25, 1777, during
the sessions of Continental Congress here,
observes : "There are two German
churches, the one Lutheran, the other Cal-
vinistical. There is one church here erect-
ed by the joint contributions of Episcopa-
lians and Presbyterians."
In 1785 application was made to
First the heirs of William Penn for a
Church, grant of land, as a site for a
church edifice and for a burying
ground. September 29, 1785, John Penn
Sr., and John Penn, Jr., granted to George
Irwin, Archibald McClean and Colonel Wil-
702
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
liam Scott, in trust, for the use of the Pres-
byterian congregation of York, a tract of
land, situated on the north side of Market
Street and on the east side of Queen Street.
This grant included the site of the present
church property and extended about 130
feet further east.
In 1789, the year of the meeting of the
First General Assembly, the erection of the
church building was commenced. It was
not completed until after the installation of
of the first regular pastor. That structure
stood until its demolition in i860 and with
various alterations and improvements fur-
nished a place of worship for the congre-
gation. It was rectangular in shape, its
longer dimensions being from east to west.
The entrance was on the southern side, and
from it to the pulpit, on the northern side,
extended a broad brick aisle. A boardwalk
extended from Market Street to the en-
trance.
In 1788 the York Church was under the
care of the Presbytery of Carlisle, which
two years before, had been erected from
the Donegal Presbytery. In 1792, a call
was tendered to Rev. Robert Cathcart, a
native of Ireland and a graduate of Glas-
gow University, who had come to America
in 1790, and was at this time connected with
the Presbytery. This call was signed by
the following persons: Ralph Bowie, James
Campbell, Andrew Johnston, James Hall,
L. Riddle, John Greer, Robert Kennedy,
John Smith, Robert Wilson, John Edie,
James Smith, George Irwin, William Har-
ris, John Forsyth, Archibald Street, James
Edie, William McClellan, Jennet Grier,
Robert Lawrence, Ephraim Pennington,
James Kelly, George Armitage, Jean Mc-
Calmond and David Mouson.
Rev. Robert Cathcart accepted the call
in March, moved to York the beginning of
April, and was installed October 2, 1793.
August 29, 1793, an exciting meeting of Car-
lisle Presbytery was held in York Church
to consider a further division of that Pres-
bytery, although it had been only seven
years since its erection. Presbytery decided
for a division into four presbyteries, but the
General Assembly in 1794 only sanctioned
its division into two presbyteries. By this
division York remained in the Carlisle
Presbyter3^
The congregation applied to the legisla-
ture for a charter of incorporation, which
was granted in the year 1813. The first
trustees under the charter were Rev. Robert
Cathcart, William Harris, John Forsyth,
John Greer, William Barber, James John-
son and Penrose Robinson. Dr. Cathcart,
who in 1816 received the honorary degree
of D. D., from Queens College, later Rut-
ger's. New Brunswick, New Jersey, was
assiduous in laboring for the erection of a
parsonage. Of his earnings, he contributed
$150 and collected for the purpose various
amounts from friends out of town, at one
time having in this way collected $1,100.
In 1817 a comfortable brick parsonage was
erected which afforded a home for the va-
rious pastors of the congregation until 1886,
when the present parsonage replaced it.
In 1835 the church was remodelled. The
entrance on the south side was closed and
two entrances were made on the east side.
A gallery was built on the east side, and the
pulpit placed on the west side. In 1835 '^h^
Synod of Pennsylvania met in the remod-
elled church, and the memorable trial of
Rev. Albert Barnes, for alleged heresy in
doctrine, was held. The trial terminated in
142 to 16 for suspension. In the following
May the General Assembly reversed the de-
cision by a vote of 134 to 96, and Mr. Barnes
was restored to the ministry.
After forty-four years of faithful service,
April 12, 1837, Dr. Cathcart resigned the
pastorate. His records show that he bap-
tized 320 persons and performed 275 mar-
riages during his pastorate. He was an
authority on Ecclesiastical law and a power
in the church, not only in this community
but also in the United States. During the
forty-two years he ministered to the Hope-
well congregation, fifteen miles distant, he
never missed but one Sabbath, and that on
account of illness. He is quoted as having
said "punctuality, if not a Christian grace, is
certainly a great moral virtue," and his life
exemplified it. A biography of Dr. Cath-
cart appears on page 460.
After his resignation the church was
without a pastor until March, 1838, when
Rev. Benjamin Wallace, of the Presbytery
of Muhlenberg, Kentucky, who was supply-
ing the pulpit, received and accepted the
call, to become its pastor, and in May, 1839,
was installed^
In 18^8 a Sundav School was organized
THE CITY OF YORK
703
ill connection witii the church. Pre\ious to
this the Presbyterians had united with
other congregations in sustaining a union
Sunday Scliool. which originated in 1817.
This sciiool was first held in a building west
of tiie Friends" Meeting House, on Phila-
delphia Street, and later in the York County
Academy. In 1838 the Presbyterians re-
moved to their own church and held the
Sunday School in the gallery of the church.
In a few years that was outgrown and the
bod)' of the church was used until 1848,
when a frame building was erected on the
site of the present chapel. This with vari-
ous additions served foe a Sunday School
and chapel until 1867 when the present
chapel was erected.
In 1838 the controversy which had agi-
tated the Presbyterian church in the United
States for se\eral years culminated in a
division of the General Assembly that year,
into two bodies, the Old School and the
New School branches. The bitter feeling
attending this split extended down through
all the minor courts of the church and near-
ly all the synods and presbyteries were di-
vided.
Dr. Cathcart threw the weight of his in-
fluence with the New School branch, as did
Rev. ^^'allace and the majority of the
church.
In July 1S38 the Presbytery of Carlisle
passed resolutions declaring its adherence
to the Presbyterian Church in the United
States of America (Old School Branch).
As a result of this action. Dr. Cathcart, w-ith
two or three other members \\ithdrew from
the Presbytery of Carlisle. The York
Church also withdrew, January 22, 1839, on
account of objections made by the Presby-
tery to the reception and installation of Rev.
\\'illiam Wallace.
January 22, 1839, the congregation at
York made application to the Third Pres-
bytery of Philadelphia to be taken under its
care, and at a special meeting held Febru-
ary 19, 1839, ^ts request w'as granted. Re\'.
Wallace at the same time united with that
Presbytery. May 9. 1849, he was installed.
Rev. Albert Barnes preaching the sermon.
In 1839 Dr. Cathcart. Dr. DeWitt, Rev.
Robert Kennedy, Rev. ]Mr. Wallace and
others overtured the Synod of Pennsjdva-
nia, for the erection of the Presbytery of
Harrisburg. At its organization, October,
1839, Ur. Cathcart presided, preached the
sermon and enrolled himself at the head
of its members, although this course threat-
ened many of his old friendships. The York
Church was identified with this Presbytery
from its erection to 1870. In identifying
itself with the New School Branch, the
church at York was not a unit. There was
a minority which adhered to the Presbytery
of Carlisle, and which for a short time was
supplied by appointment of that Presby-
tery. Later Rev. Stephen Boyer served as
a stated supply. This little band claimed to
be the only Presbyterian congregation in
the borough of York, and, as such entitled
to the church property under the deeds of
the Penns and charter of incorporation, and
brought an action of ejectment to recover
the property. January 14, 1841, the case
was tried in the York County Courts before
Judge Hays, of Lancaster, Messrs. Evans,
Maj'er and Chapin being counsel for the
New School Branch and Jilessrs. Hambly
and Mason for the Old School Branch.
Judgment was rendered in favor of the New
School Branch, which judgment was afifirm-
ed by the State Supreme Court in May, 1841.
For several years the Old School Branch
maintained worship in the lecture room of
Christ Lutheran Church, then located on
tlie east side of George Street, next door
north of Clark Alley.
Re\'. Mr. Wallace resigned the pastorate
September 1845.
In May, 1846, Rev. Daniel H. Emerson
was installed as pastor. Rev. Stephen Boy-
er had died and some of the most influential
members of the Old School Brancii had
left town. Time had diminished the bitter-
ness of feeling and most of the remainder
returned to worship \\\i\\ their new school
l:)rethren.
In 1855 Rev. Mr. Emerson resigned. He
was pastor nine years and in that time forty-
one were admitted on certificate and twenty-
two on confession of faith.
In October, 1855. Rev. Charles J. Hutch-
ins, a native of Erie County, was ordained
and installed pastor. During his pastorate
the great revival of 1857 reached this church
and regular meetings were held in Febru-
ary and March, 1858. Many conversions
resulted, the membership of the church be-
ing more than doubled. Rev. Hutchins re-
signed .in April, 1S59.
704
HISTORY OF -YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
In February, i860, Rev. Thomas Street,
of Philadelphia, was installed pastor, and in
March the demolition of the church com-
menced. The congregation worshipped in
the Court House while the present church
edifice was being erected. During his min-
istry the new church building was complet-
ed and occupied, and the church grew and
flourished. He resigned in May, 1864, car-
rying with him the respect and affection of
his church and their regrets at his depart-
ure.
A call was extended to Rev. Henry E.
Niles, of Albion, New York, and he was
ordained as pastor April 16, 1865. The
history of the church from that time until
his death in May, 1900, is the record of his
best life work. Coming to the field in his
prime, ably assisted by a help-meet of rare
intellectual and spiritual attainments. Dr.
Niles and his wife identified themselves
with all the interests of the church and
under their ministrations it enjoyed a pe-
riod of uninterrupted growth, influence and
prosperity. Dr. Niles held numerous posi-
tions of trust and influence in the church at
large and his congregation was ever given
the benefit of his association with those
who stood high in her ecclesiastical coun-
cils. The accessories to the church during
his pastorate were 985 and the member-
ship at its close was 452.
It was in 1870 this historic church became
identified with the Westminster Presbytery,
the legal successor to the ancient Presby-
tery of Donegal, antedating the former by
more than 100 years. In 1883 Calvary
Presbyterian Church, and in 1887 West-
minster Presbyterian Church were organ-
ized.
After thirty-five years of faithful and ef-
fective service and just when an assistant
pastor had been secured in the person of
Rev. David S. Curry, to help care for the
growing congregation. Dr. Niles was, after
a brief illness, called to his reward. His
active service had continued to the end of
his long pastorate and his remains were
laid to rest by those who loved him in
"God's Acre," in the shadow of the church
he served so well.
The Rev. Mr. Curry was made acting pas-
tor and November 13, 1900, was installed as
regular pastor. He was born in Ireland, of
Presbyterian ancestors. After obtaining
his preliminary education, he completed the
classical course at Queen's College, Gal-
way, and was graduated from the Royal
University of Ireland, at Dublin. He began
his theological studies at New College,
under the auspices of the United Free
Church at Edinburgh. He came to Amer-
ica in 1898 and graduated from Princeton
Theological Seminary in 1900. The mem-
bership of this congregation in 1907 was
629. The Sunday School had an attend-
ance of 700.
(For the above excellent history of this
church the author is indebted to Miss Mar-
garetta B. Evans.)
REV. HENRY EDWARD NILES, D.
D., was born August 15, 1823, at South
Hadley, Massachusetts. He came of an old
New England family, being a descendant in
the seventh generation from Captain John
Niles, who came to America from Wales in
1630, settling first in Abington, Massachu-
setts, and afterward removing to Braintree.
William Niles, father of Dr. Niles, married
Sophia Goodrich, and Henry, their second
child, was about five years old when the
family removed to Spencertown, Columbia
County, New York. There, in a home
which had natural surroundings of unusual
beauty, he grew to manhood, and in that
locality he had his first work in the minis-
try. In 1844, he graduated from Union
College, at Schenectady, New York, after
which he took a theological course at
Princeton Seminary, and was graduated in
1848. October 24, 1848, he was ordained
by the Columbia Presbytery and installed
as pastor of Valatie (Kinderhook), New
York. His pastorate there covered a pe-
riod of several years, but in 1855 the condi-
tion of his health demanded rest and recre-
ation, and he spent about a year in travel.
On his recovery, in 1856, he became pastor
of the church at Angelica, New York, where
he continued until 1859, in which year he
was " pastor elect " of the North Church of
St. Louis, Missouri. He served as such un-
til the outburst of the Civil war, in 1861, re-
ceiving a call to Albion, New York, where
he had a successful ministry of four years.
His last change was from that place to
York, where he labored as pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church from April 16,
1865, until his death.
Such are the main facts in a busy life
cA.^
THE CITY OF YORK
705
whose earthly span covered a period of
seventy-six years, fifty-two of which were
spent in active Gospel ministry. In all of
his charges he met with unusual success.
But he was more than the successful pastor
of a flourishing church. He was a practical
advocate of that practical Christianity which
is to-day recognized as the highest aim of
human achievement, the most liberal inter-
pretation of the new commandment. He
had the industrj^, the perseverence and the
executive ability which are necessary in
the make-up of a good business man; the
thirst and capacity for knowledge which
made him a devoted student all his life; and
the high morality which made all these serve
a common end — the good of his fellowmen.
It was his well-rounded character which
won to his projects the respect of all who
were associated with him in any kind of
work.
Dr. Niles by his indefatigable labors
brought the First Presbyterian Church of
York to the highest mark of efficiency, not
only as the church home of a large and in-
telligent congregation, but also as the work-
ing centre of many religious interests.
Dr. Niles in 1874 was moderator of the
Synod of Philadelphia; in 1876 he was
elected a director of the Board of Ministe-
rial Relief of the Presbyterian Church, be-
coming a charter member of that board, on
which he served until his death; in 1877 he
was an associate member of the Pan Pres-
byterian Council which met in Edinburgh,
Scotland; in 1899 he was a member of the
General Assembly which convened in Min-
neapolis, and this was the last honor of the
kind he accepted. When Samuel Small w^as
making his plans for the foundation of the
York Collegiate Institute, he was actively
interested, and he served as a trustee of that
institution from the beginning. As a trus-
tee of Lincoln University he did effective
work for the uplifting of the colored peo-
ple, in whom he was much interested.
Dr. Niles was married at Lowell, Massa-
chusetts, on June 26, 1850, to Jeannie E.,
daughter of Sumner Marsh. Mrs. Niles and
the three sons- born to this union survive.
Henry C. Niles, the eldest son, is one of the
most prominent lawyers in Southern Penn-
sylvania. Alfred S. Niles, the second son,
is one of the judges of the Supreme Court
of Baltimore. Edward, the youngest son,
is pastor of a Dutch Reformed Church in
Brooklyn, New York.
Dr. Niles died at his home in York, May
14, 1900.
The Calvary Presbyterian Church
Calvary had its origin in the South Duke
Church. Street Presbyterian Sunday
School and grew out of the efforts
of various members of the First Presbyte-
rian Church to meet the religious wants of
the South End. In June, 1882, at a joint
meeting of the elders and deacons of that
church it w^as resolved unanimously to take
"immediate steps toward organizing a mis-
sion Sabbath School" in that part of the
city. Several committees were appointed
and Samuel Small, Sr., an elder of the First
Church, agreed to donate the ground for a
building at the southeast corner of Bound-
ary Avenue and South Duke Street. Mean-
while, without waiting for the proposed
building, Samuel Small, Jr., a nephew of the
above, found a temporary home for the
School in Snyder's cooper-shop on the block
just south of its present and permanent
home. Here on the afternoon of August
6, 1882, the school was formally organized
with seven teachers and thirty-seven schol-
ars. Mr. Small became its superintendent
an office he has since continued to hold.
The work grew rapidly. It was evident
from the start that a Sunday School alone
would not meet with the religious require-
ments of the community and for weeks af-
ter the organization of the school an even-
ing service of praise and prayer, with occa-
sional preaching, was inaugurated. Soon
the building on Boundary Avenue was com-
pleted and on the afternoon of November
19, 1882, the school, led by the superin-
tendent, marched by classes to its beauti-
ful and comfortable new home where ded-
icatory services were held. Here the school
is still to be found, though the building has
greatly changed during the last quarter of
a century to meet the expanding needs of
the Society. The name "Calvary Chapel"
was adopted as the official title of the new
building. For a year the work was carried
on by volunteer helpers alone, and then
the Rev. George L. Smith w^as engaged to
give his whole time to it. He began work
in August, 1883. In October following, the
Calvary Presbyterian Church was organ-
ized by a committee from the Westminster
•7o6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Presbytery. There were twenty-seven char-
ter members. Four elders were chosen, one
of whom, B. F. Willis, still continues in
of^fice. In 1885 the present church edifice
was erected and on February 16, 1886. it
was dedicated.
In 1890 a commodious parsonage was
built from a legacy left by Mrs. Isabella
C. Small, wife of Elder Samuel Small. The
buildings, after twenty-five years, are now
surrounded by large and umbrageous trees
and covered with ivy. They form one of
the most pleasing sights in that section of
the city. Rev. Smith resigned in the spring
of 1898 and in September following, the
Rev. William J. Oliver, a graduate or Har-
vard College " and of Union Theological
Seminary, took charge of the work. The
church and school have grown steadily in
spite of many and serious obstacles. The
former now has 175 active members on its
roll, while the latter numbers thirty-three
officers and teachers and 300 scholars with
an average attendance of two-thirds of the
total enrollment.
Westminster Presbyterian
Westminster Church, of York, was consti-
Church. tuted in 1887, but its real
life began earlier. In'1867
Henry S. Myers, recently graduated from
Princeton College, came to York. In the
summer of 1869 he attended a Y. M. C. A.
convention in Portland, Maine, where he
met D. L. Moody, the "Prince of Evange-
lists." Returning home under that inspi-
ration Mr. Mj'ers began mission work in
Groethe's Row. A Sabbath School was
gathered and Miss Sallie B. Small was
among the first to assist in the work.
Samuel Small, Sr., built a chapel on North
Duke Street, near Arch, which was in 1907
used as a kindergarten. The Sabbath
School occupied this building August 7,
1870.
On September 16, 1877, Miss Small
opened a "Mothers' School" and summoned
to her aid Mrs. Dr. Henry McCleUan, Mrs.
William Smith, Mrs. Jane Thompson, Mrs.
Wagner, Miss Sarah Mcllvaine, Miss Lydia
Rupp, (now Mrs. H. S. Myers) and Miss
Laura Kirkwood. Several men then and
later took part in the mission, among them,
Samuel Small, Jr., Professors T. H. Dins-
more and Albert B. Carner, William A.
Cook, Henrv Kraber, A\'illiam F. A\"eiser,
Dr. N. H. Shearer. In 1884-5, eighteen per-
sons from the mission united with the
mother church. To meet this new develop-
ment D. M. and J. Scott Butt, who had been
boys in this Sabbath School, but who were
then in Princeton Theologicl Seminary, and
Claude Broadhead and Wilmer McNair,
also Princeton students, were successively
engaged to work in this field.
A meeting was held in the Duke Street
chapel March 14, 1887, to organize a church.
F. M. Crawford presided. Thirty-eight per-
sons from the First Presbyterian Church
formed the new organization. Henry S.
Myers and Albert B. Carner were chosen
elders and H. S. Myers, William L. Cross-
ley, George A. Shatrone and A. B. Carner
composed the first Board of Trustees. On
April 14, the congregation took action
that led to the ordination of Mr. Wil-
liam McNair and his appointment as
"stated supply." He was called to the
full pastorate September 26, 1889. He
resigned August i, 1890, to accept a pro-
fessorship in Wentworth College, Sumner,
Washington state.
Meantime Miss Anna M. Small gave to
the congregation a lot of ground on North
Queen Street, west side, just north of the
railroad property. Trustees Carner and
Logeman were appointed to act with Sam-
uel Small, Jr., as a Ijuilding committee. The
corner stone v^'as laid on June 30, 1887, Rev.
William C. Rommel, of Philadelphia, mak-
ing the address. The building was dedi-
cated December 15, 1887, Rev. Dr. Mc-
Dougall preaching the sermon.
The church was enlarged in the winter
of 1891-2.
The second pastor was Rev. Charles A.
Oliver, formerly of Rexborough Presbyte-
rian Church, Philadelphia. He was installed
at Westminster December 16, 1890.
In March, 1895, the session was increased
by electing Robert J. Dick as elder. At the
same time a board of deacons was organ-
ized, the first to fill the offices being John
W. Tredway, Bernhardt Holtzman and
Peter E. Vail.
Miss Sallie Small died August 28, 1895.
A tablet to her memory was placed in the
church and unveiled December 15.
In 1907 the membership of the church
was 240, and the Sabbath School enroll-
ment, including. all departments. 300.
THE CITY OF YORK
707
In the spring of 1902, Big
United Spring Presbytery, of the
Presbyterian. United Presbyterian Church
of North America, decided
to begin work in the city of York, looking
toward the organization of a United Pres-
byterian congregation. Diiterent members
of the presbytery held services in a hall at
the corner of Market and Newberry Streets,
during the summer. In September of the
same year, the Rev. Charles E. Newcomb
took up the work under the appointment of
the Board of Home Missions. He preached
his first sermon to an audience of six peo-
ple, this was a small beginning, but realiz-
ing that "Great oaks from little acorns
grow," he pushed forward in the work. On
the tenth day of January. 1903, the congre-
gation was organized with fourteen charter
members, under a provisional session ap-
pointed by the presbytery, composed of
John E. Jamison and T. A. McPherson, of
Guinston, and A\'. McB. Grove, of Airville
congregations.
The congregation is now fully organized
and equipped in all departments for relig-
ious services and is making very encourag-
ing progress in the work. The church build-
ing, situated on ^Market Street, above Hart-
ley, was dedicated January 31, 1904, at a
cost of $7,000. The work of building up
a congregation is progressing under the
direction of the Rev. Charles E. Newcomb.
In June, 1894, a number of mem-
Faith bers of Zion A. M. E. Church, on
Church. King Street, laid plans for the or-
ganization of a Presbyterian
Church in York. Rev. E. A\'. Coberth, who
had recently graduated from Lincoln Uni-
versity, came to York and held religious
services in a hall above Reineberg's shoe
store on South George Street. The attend-
ance was encouraging and in December,
1894, the church building vacated by Hei-
edlberg Reformed congregation on North
Duke Street, was purchased for the sum of
$5,000. A congregation was organized dur-
ing the early part of 1895, when Rev. Mr.
Coberth was installed as pastor. He re-
mained, six 3'ears. In 1900 Rev. Thomas
Lee. recently graduated from Lincoln Uni-
versit}-, who had won a philosophical prize
from Chicago University, was called as pas-
tor and remained six years. He was suc-
ceeded, in 1906, by Rev. Charles ^IcLurkin.
There were about sixty meml>ers in this
congregation in 1907. The entire church
debt was then paid.
CATHOLIC CHURCHES.
.\ quarter of a century be-
St. Patrick's, fore the birth of American
Independence one John
Moore secured lot No. 295, facing on South
Beaver Street, 57 feet, 6 inches, in breadth
and 250 feet deep. On June 20, 1750 he as-
signed this property to Casper Stillinger,
who erected thereon a stone dwelling house.
In 1776 Joseph Schmidt purchased the
house and lot from the heirs of Casper
Stillinger and presented them to the small
and struggling congregation of St. Patrick
to be used for public worship.
When and where the first mass was said
cannot be determined, as there are no
records of the parish until 1776, but the
congregation was formed about 1750, and
was attended by missionaries from Balti-
more. Conewago and Emmittsburg.
After considerable remodelling and re-
pairing, the old stone dewelling was con-
verted into quite a respectable place of
worship. After its dedication to the service
of God, there being no resident priest, the
parish was attended by priests from Cone-
wago, Adams County, Pa., who attended
to the wants of the congregation by cele-
brating Holy Mass and administering the
Sacraments. This church continued to be
used until 1809 when Rev. Thomas Neal, of
Georgetown, Mar3dand, now District of
Columbia, visited York and finding the
church too small, determined to build a new
one. As there was some doubt about the
legality of the deed. Father Neal resolved
before building, to obtain a new deed and
succeeded in having the heirs of William
Penn grant him the following deed:
"To the Rev. Thomas Neal, in trust for
his heirs and assigns, to and for the only
proper use, in behalf of the Roman Catholic
Congregation of York, their successors and
assigns forever. Sealed and delivered in the
presence of John Small and John Forsyth."
This deed remained in the custod}- of
some unknown person for a number of
years unrecorded. At the present writing
we find it was recorded in the York Countj-
courts in the year 1875, Book F. F. F.
Page 347.
7o8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The corner stone of the new building was
laid in 1810 by the Rev. Father DeBarth,
who occasionally visited York from Balti-
more.
In the interval from 1810 to 1819 the
congregation was supplied with priests
from Baltimore, Conewago and other
places, as up to 1819 there was no
stationary priest here. In 1819 the
first permanent rector made his advent
in the person of Rev. Lawrence Huler,
who remained in York six months, and was
succeeded by Rev. G. B. Hogan, who re-
mained two years and in turn was followed
by Rev. P. J. Duen, in 1822, whose stay in
York as rector covered a period of sixteen
years. During his pastorate he found the
church too small and he built an addition of
fifteen feet, which was completed in 1833.
Father Duen also attended Carlisle and de-
voted much of his time to that mission. He
died February 22, 1838, and was buried be-
neath the church.
Shortly after the death of Father Duen,
the congregation was blessed by the vener-
able Father Rafferty, who furnished the
church with new pews, organized a choir,
bought an organ, added the steeple to the
church and later procured a bell. Being
removed from York in 1841, he went to St.
Francis Xavier Church in Philadelphia, and
for one year the parish was without a pas-
tor. In 1842 Father Kelly was sent to
York, but remained only eight months vis-
iting also the parish at Columbia. On his
departure the church was again left with-
otu a pastor for one year. Rev. Father
Mackin was the next priest stationed in
York. He came in 1844 and after a short
stay of seven months was changed. Rev.
B. A. Shorb, a native of York County, suc-
ceeded Father Mackin and remained until
1846, when Father M. F. Martin assumed
charge.
During his residence in York Father Mar-
tin improved the church in many ways. In
185 1 he purchased the property adjoining
the church on the north side. (Recorded in
Book I. I. I. L, Page 555. April 10, 1862).
After repairing and remodelling the house
he changed it into a pastoral residence.
He also remodelled the building on the rear
of the property and he opened the first
parochial school.
Being called by the Bishop of Philadel-
phia to take charge of St. Mary's Church in
that city, he left York in 1854 and was suc-
ceeded as pastor of St. Patrick's by Rev.
Patrick Reilly, who remained but a short
time and was followed by Rev. Father Mc-
Laughlin. After a few months he was
changed and was succeeded by Rev. Syl-
vester Eagle in 1855. Father Eagle placed
an additional story on the pastoral resi-
dence and made many other improvements.
He died in 1866 and his remains were in-
terred in the northeast end of the old
church. After Father Eagle came Rev. Fa-
ther McGuinis, who was succeeded in 1867
by Rev. Father Murray. Father Murray
held a fair in the Court house and realized
$1,200. He remodelled the church gener-
ally, introducing gas, frescoing the interior
and placing a furnace in the basement.
In 1870 Rev. Father McGovern, after-
wards Bishop of Harrisburg, came as Fa-
ther Murray's successor. He built an addi-
tion to the pastoral residence, placed granite
steps in front of the house and made many
other improvements. He organized a tem-
perance society and later St. Patrick's Ben-
eficial Society, which at present is in a very
flourishing condition with a strong mem-
bership. Father McGovern left in 1873 and
was followed by Father McElvaine, in the
same year. Toward the end of the year
Father McGonigal was appointed pastor.
Father Charles Kenney was the next pas-
tor, coming in 1875. On August 10, of the
same year Father Kenney introduced the
Sisters of Charity of Mt. St. Vincents, as
teachers in the parochial schools. Sister In-
nocentia being the superior. Father Ken-
ney was followed in 1880 by Father Mc-
Kenna who remained until 1882.
Father John B. Shannahan was the next
pastor. During his pastorate he purchased
in 1883, from William Felty, over six acres
of ground along the Baltimore turnpike,
south of this city, to be used as a cemetery.
In 1885 he left York to study in Europe,
Rev. James O'Reilly taking his place.
Father O'Reilly built a beautiful school and
hall on the rear of the church property. In
1890 Rev. Charles Galligan came as assist-
ant to Father O'Reilly and remained six
months. In 1891 Father O'Reilly was re-
moved to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church,
Mt. Carmel, Pa. Father Galligan returned
to take charge until 1892 when Rev. T. F.
THE CITY OF YORK
709
Kennedy was appointed regular pastor.
Father Kennedy remained only one year,
then Father Galligan returned as pastor.
In 1895 Father Galligan undertook the
work of erecting a new church on the site
of the old one. The old church was tofn
down to give place to a larger and more
beautiful edifice. The corner stone was laid
in October, 1895, by Rt. Rev. Bishop, Mc-
Govern. Father Galligan's health failing
he was obliged to leave York in 1896 and
Rev. John Thompson was given temporary
charge of the parish.
On February 13, 1897, Father W. J.
Hooman came from Lewistown as pastor,
and at once undertook to complete and fur-
nish the new church. It was dedicated
September 11, 1898, by the very Rev. J. J.
Koch, D. D., the administrator. The Mass
was celebrated by Father McCann, with
Father Foin, of Hanover, as Deacon, and
Father Mewoese, of Mt. Carmel. Sub. Dea-
con, with Father Benton, of Steelton, as
Master of Ceremonies. The sermon was
preached by Father D. I. McDermot, of St.
Mary's Church, Philadelphia. The priests
present on the occasion were Rev. Fathers
Crotty, from Littlestown ; Schleuter, from
St. Mary's, York; Hollern, from Columbia;
Reudter, from New Freedom ; Walsh, from
Baltimore, and Kohl, from Harrisburg.
The cost of the church was between $35,-
000 and $40,000. It was during Father
Hooman's pastorate in York of over seven
years that the parish rapidly increased and
the work became too much for one priest.
Father Dougherty was the first assistant
appointed, coming in 1901. He was suc-
ceeded in turn by Fathers Brady, Costigan,
Clarke and Burchard.
According to the last annual report the
congregation numbers 268 families with
1,228 souls. One hundred and ninety chil-
dren attend the parochial schools taught
by four Sisters of Charity from Mt. St.
Vincents on the Hudson.
Father Hooman left York on May 22,
1904, and was appointed to St. Peter's
Church, Columbia, Pa. The debt on the
church when Father Hooman left was
$7,500.
Rev. J. J. Hollern, of St. Peter's, Colum-
bia, Pa., was appointed to succeed Father
Hooman, and took charge on the Feast of
Pentecost, May 22, 1904. July i. Rev. D.
Carey came to take the place of Father
E. Burchard who, on account of ill health,
was forced to take a vacation.
St. Mary's Catholic Church
St. Mary's was founded in 1852. Till then
Church. the German Catholics of York
had belonged to St. Patrick's
Church, of which the Rev. Father Martin
was pastor. The German Catholics of York
had repeatedly forwarded a petition to Rt.
Rev. J. H. Neuman, Bishop of Philadelphia,
for permission to build and form a separate
parish. In 1852 the bishop deputed the
Rev. J. Cotting, S. J., of Conewago, Adams
County, to call a meeting of the Catholic
Germans, in which they decided to build a
church and they then bought the plot of
ground on South George Street. The first
pastor was Rev. Father AVachter, a Tyro-
lean, who started a German school and
bought a lot for a graveyard on the Balti-
more pike, now part of the upper end of
South George Street. About that time the
small congregation of German Catholics,
near New Freedom and Shrewsbury, which
had been attended from Baltimore by the
Redemptorist Fathers, became an out-mis-
sion of St. Mary's parish, York, as was also
the case with the congregation of Dallas-
town. Father Wachter then received for
an assistant the Rev. F. X. Treyer, a Swiss,
Avho died on June 4, 1859, and was buried
in St. Mary's cemetery, York. Rev. Philip
Woerner was the next pastor and was suc-
ceeded in 1859 by the Rev. Matthew Meu-
rer, a young priest, who had celebrated his
first Mass in St. Mary's Church, under
Father Wachter. Rev. Matthew Meurer
remained until October 20, 1861, when the
Rev. Joseph Hamm was appointed to St.
Mary's Church. During his term the old
school house was removed to the rear of the
church and a new two story pastoral resi-
dence of brick was built adjoining the
church. In December, 1866, the Rev. R.
Baumeister, AVestphalia, became rector of
St. Mary's and during his incumbency the
large Diocese of Philadelphia, comprising
nearly the whole state of Pennsylvania was
divided into four dioceses, namely, Phila-
delphia, raised to the rank of aia arch di-
ocese, Harrisburg, Scranton and Wilming-
ton. The Bishop of Harrisburg had under
his charge the Catholics of York and sev-
enteen other counties of Pennsylvania. The
yio
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Rev. J. George Rape, a native of AA'arren-
dorf, Wesphalia, took charge of St. Alary's
congregation and out-missions in Novem-
ber, 1868. In the following year he began
a new school building and gave the paroch-
ial schools into the charge of the Franciscan
Sisters of Philadelphia, Sister M. Hiero-
nyma, being the first superior. In 1863 the
old St. Mary's cemetery, having become too
small, the Rev. Father Rape bought six
acres of ground from William Felty (lying
along the Baltimore pike, about two miles
from the church) for a new graveyard, into
which, after the cemetery had been blessed
by the pastor, the dead were transferred
from the old one. In 1884 a fair was held
and funds collected for a new church which
was begun in the spring" of 1884. The con-
gregation assisted the pastor to their ut-
most ability. New bells were purchased
by F. PfefTer and J. Mayer and blessed by
the Rt. Rev. Bishop J. F. Shannahan, De-
cember 29, 1884. ' Beautiful stained glass
windows and the stations of the cross oil
paintings were given by different parish-
ioners and friends of the pastor, while the
church societies presented the handsome
Gothic altar. The church has three steeples,
the main steeple, the center one, being 185
feet high, with a large gilt cross on top,
and in this steeple are three fine bells. The
new church was dedicated on AVhit Mon-
day, 1885. It is built in New Gothic style,
has a seating capacity of 860 and cost $30,-
000. The two large chandeliers were given
by J. Mayer and the iron fence in front of
the church by H. Boll. An organ was
bought for $3,000. In the fall of 1888, the
Rev. J. George Pape, owing to ill health, re-
signed from the pastorate of St. Mary's
Church, and was succeeded by the Rev.
Henry Relt, who soon won not only the af-
fection of his people but also of a great
man}' non-Catholics. Pastor Relt died on
May 25, 1895, ^""^ h's demise was univer-
sally mourned by the people of York. The
Rev. L. Augustus Reudter, who had been
in charge of St. Mary's during the Rev. H.
Relt's illness, changed places with Rev.
Clement Augustus Schleuter, of New Free-
dom, who became the successor of the Rev.
H. Relt on June 19, 1895, where he re-
mained until 1904, when he was succeeded
by the Rev. George Seubert, who frescoed
the church and bousrht the hou-se below the
chtu'ch for a rectory, but owing to ill health
resigned after an incumbency of eleven
months to go to Los Angeles, California.
The Rev. L. Augustus Reudter took charge
of St. Mary's parish on Palm Sunday, 1905,
and remained until the 14th of July, 1906,
when he was followed by the present rector
of St. Mary's Church, Rev. Clement C.
Berger.
METHODIST CHURCHES.
The doctrines of Methodism were first
preached to the people of York and vicinity
by Freeborn Garretson, near the close of
the Revolution. Garretson was a native of
Maryland and of Quaker descent. His an-
cestors were among the earliest settlers in
the upper end of York County. John Wes-
ley had visited America shortly before the
Revolution, and preached the doctrines
which he originated, from South Carolina
to New York. One of the missionaries who
visited this country was Francis Asbury,
who became the first bishop of the Metho-
dist Church in America. Asbury travelled
through the states preaching the gospel of
peace and goodwill to thousands of listen-
ers. About this time, a wave of infidelity
had spread over France and gained a foot-
hold in the United States. It was to coun-
teract this influence that these pioneer
Methodists labored in America with zealous
interest in the cause of Christianity.
Freeborn Garretson had listened to the
preaching of Wesley and Asbury and ac-
cepted their faith in 1775. From that time
forth, he devoted his whole career to evan-
gelistic work, preaching from Nova Scotia
to the Gulf of Mexico. He was a man of
fine personal appearance. His persuasive
manner and eloquent voice attracted all his
hearers. James Worley owned and occu-
pied the Tarm on West York Avenue, ex-
tended, later the property of Jacob Loucks.
During the latter part of December, 1780,
he sent his hired man with a four horse
wagon to Baltimore, and on the return trip
a violent snow storm required the team to
halt at a tavern twelve miles north of Bal-
timore, on the way toward York. This
wagon was loaded with goods for York
merchants. On account of the snow the
hired man sent home for two horses to aid
in drawing the heavy load to York. James
Worley took the horses down, and while
THE CITY OF YORK
711
stopping at a tavern on the wa3'side between
York and Baltimore, met Freeborn Gar-
retson and heard him preach from the text,
"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature and old things are passed
away, behold all things are become new."
Worley was impressed with the earnest-
"ness oTtlTeTyoung preacher and invited him
to York. The invitation was accepted and
on January 24, 1781, the first Methodist ser-
mon was preached to the citizens of York
at the farm house of James_J\V_Qrley. He
was invited to become the guest oi Rev.
Daniel AA^agner, and at the request of many
people, preached .his new doctrines in the
German Reformed Church. Pastor Wag-
ner at first became deeply interested in the
evangelist, but when it was discovered that
Garretson desired to establish a congrega-
tion of Methodists, the German Reformed
Church doors were closed against him. He
then proceeded on his evangelistic tour,
stopping next at Lewisberry, where he
preached to the Quakers of that vicinity.
The religious services which he conducted
at the AVorley farm house, near York, re-
sulted in the conversion of a number of per-
sons, among whom were James AA'orley and
his family.
Jacob Sitler, then a prominent
First citizen of York, and a friend of
Church. Methodism, erected a building at
the northwest corner of Phila-
delphia and Newberry Streets, in which the
early Methodists worshipped. It was a
wooden strvicture with a fireplace at one end
and the ground for a floor. The congrega-
tion had been organized in 1782 and the
principal male members were AA'eirich
Pentz. John Dobbins, Daniel Nailor and
George Test. Class meetings were organ-
ized* and praj^er meetings held regularly in
this pioneer building. Preaching services
were occasionally held by travelling mis-
sionaries. Some time before 1800, the
Methodists began to hold services "at early
candle light." Previous to this time, no
churches in York had conducted evening
services because it was claimed that such
meetings would "corrupt the morals of the
young people." Crowds attended these
meetings. Some troublesome visitors cre-
ated a disturbance, even going so far
as to throw two young lambs into the
audience room where revival services
were being held. John Joseph Henry
was president judge of the York County
Courts from 1793 to 181 1, and when
his attention was called by the Meth-
odists to the riotous conduct of some per-
sons who attended their meetings the ven-
erable judge failed to entertain a charitable
view of the situation He issued no mandate
only remarking there was sufficient time
during the day to hold religious services.
There was no regular supply of preaching
until 1800, when Rev. James Smith, of Bal-
timore, was sent by the conference to min-
ister to the growing congregation at York.
Pie was a man of force and impressive elo-
quence. His zeal for the cause Avhich he
advocated and the doctrines of the Metho-
dist Church, which he preached so elo-
quently, attracted large audiences. Not
only the church was filled with people but
hundreds stood in the yard outside and lis-
tened through the windows to this devoted
follower of John AA^esley, the founder of
Methodism. His evening meetings at-
tracted so much attention, that other
churches in York adopted the same plan
and thereafter held regular evening ser-
vices. Under Rev. Smith, the Methodist
congregation was increased in membership,
and the church building was enlarged and
improved.
In 1807, Francis Asbury, the first bishop
of the Methodist Church in America visited
York and preached to large audiences in
the primiti\-e church. AA'hile here he was
the guest of AA'eirich Pentz, one of the
founders of the church. The same year, the
first camp meeting in York County was
held in a grove on the land of AA'eirich
Pentz, a short distance southwest of town.
The congregation at York then belonged to
the Carlisle Circuit. In 1818 the conference
made York a station and Rev. Daniel Hall
became pastor. He was a physician as well
as a clergyman.
Rev. Andrew Hemphill was sent by the
conference in 1819 and during his pastor-
ate an addition was built to the western
end of the meeting house. The congrega-
tion was incorporated as the First Metho-
dist Episcopal Church of York in 1820,
when George Nailor, John Dobbins, AA^eirich
Pentz, John La3% Ezekiel Boring, AA^illiam
Jones, John Voglesong, James S. Cauley
and Henry Doll became the original board
712
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
of trustees. The children of the Methodist
congregation joined the lirst Union Sun-
day School, organized in 1817, in a building
next door west of the Friends' Meeting
House, on Philadelphia Street. In 1824
the Methodists established a denomina-
tional school and the same year erected a
Sunday School building adjoining the
church.
The congregation continued to worship
in the original meeting house until 1836,
and two years later sold the building and
site to the First United Brethren Church of
York. In 1833 the congregation purchased
a lot at the northwest corner of Philadel-
phia and Beaver Streets. In 1836 a church
building, with a lecture room, was erected
on this site at a cost of $16,000. It was
dedicated June, 1837, Rev. George Cook-
man officiating. In order to pay a part of
the debt, the board of trustees decided to
purchase mulberry trees to the amount of
$400 and have them cultivated as a profit-
able investment. As early as 1835 silk
culture had been introduced into southern
Pennsylvania. Hundreds of people pur-
chased the mulberry tree, technicall}' known
as the Maurus Multocaulus. In 1840 the
business had declined because the silk worm
could not be successfully utilized in this
climate and the Methodists lost money by
their venture.
In 1850 gas was introduced into the
church building. The debt on the church
was finally paid in 1853, during the pastor-
ate of Rev. Robert S. Vinton. As the re-
sult of revivals while Rev. John Stine was
pastor, 1855-60, 300 members were added
to the congregation. The Pennsylvania
Conference met in this church in 1863. It
was presided over by Bishop Scott. In
1864 a melodeon was purchased for the Sun-
day School and later used in the church ser-
vices. A fair was held that year in Wash-
ington hall, and the sum of $800 was rea-
lized.
In 1873 the meeting house was torn down
and a church built upon the same site at a
cost of $24,500. At the laying of the corner
stone, June, 1873, Bishop Simpson preached
an eloquent sermon. The dedication ser-
vices took place December 28, 1873.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church, of
York, has had a prosperous existence since
the time it was chartered in 1820. Duke
Street Church was founded by members of
this congregation in 1861. Ridge Avenue,
Epworth and West Street churches of York,
have also been founded by support received
from this congregation. The First Church
has always been liberal in its contributions
to home and foreign missions, and is the
second congregation within the Central
Pennsylvania Conference in lending finan-
cial support to the general work of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in this country
and abroad. The pulpit has always been
supplied with clergymen of ability and ex-
perience. Improvements have frequently
been made to the church property. In 1905
the sum of $15,000 was expended in fres-
coing and carpeting the audience and lec-
ture rooms, painting the church and pur-
chasing a pipe organ at a cost of $4,000.
The membership of this congregation
under the pastorate of Rev. J. Ellis Bell, in
1907, was 700. The Sunday School, which
was founded in 1824, has been continued
since that date. In 1907 it had a member-
ship of 600. Charles H. Stallman has been
superintendent for a period of ten years.
The pastors who have served this con-
gregation in order of succession since
1820, have been; William Prettyman,
Robert S. Vinton, Tobias Reily, Joseph
Larkin, Charles A. Davis, Basil Barry,
Henry Smith, John A. Gere, Edward
Smith, Charles Kalfus, Tobias Reily,
John L. Gibbons, John Poisel, John C.
Lyon, John A. Henning, George C. Chen-
owith, Joseph France, James Sewell, Wil-
liam Wicks, AVilliam D. Clemm, Robert S.
Vinton, James Brads, John Stine, Joseph A.
Ross, D. S. Monroe, Joseph France, John
H. C. Dosch, N. S. Buckingham, V^^illiam
R. Mills, Henry C. Westwood, W. M. Ryan,
M. D., D. S. Monroe, A. M. Barnitz, S. L.
Bowman, D. D., J. H. McGarrah, S. C.
Swallow, J. Max Lantz, B. C. Conner, J. H.
McGarrah, Richard Hinkle, M. L. Ganoe,
D. D.. J. Ellis Bell.
On March 21, 1861, Rev. W. Mas-
Duke, lin Frysinger was appointed to
Street York Mission and preached on
Church, the street until July 14, of the
same vear, when the mission
chapel was dedicated, the money and mate-
rials being furnished largely by the members
from the York station. A Sunday School
was organized with fortv scholars. The
THE CITY OF YORK
713
mission, by the next conference numbered
139 scholars. Dr. Frysinger returned the
second year, and Gates J. Weiser was
elected superintendent of the school in
1862. Rev. W. W. Evans was appointed
1863, and remained three years. The first
trustees were Caleb Kepner, John Mitzel,
Henry Reisinger, D. A. Warfield, William
Gehring, J. W. Buckingham, O. P. Weiser,
all of whom were chosen in 1861.
Rev. E. T. Swartz was appointed in 1866,
and served one year. In 1867 Rev. L. S.
Crone was appointed and served one year,
being succeeded by Rev. J. H. S. Clarke, in
1868. Rev. W. H. Norcross was appointed
in 1870. It was during this year the charge
was connected with Goldsboro appointment,
and became self-sustaining.
Rev. G. D. Pennypacker was appointed
March, 1871, and this year the church was
built. The corner stone was laid June 19,
1 87 1. The lecture room was dedicated by
Bishop E. R. Ames the following Novem-
ber. The work on the church was then
abandoned until the next spring, because
of the lack of funds. Rev. G. W. Miller
was appointed in March, 1872, and the
church was dedicated November 29, 1872,
by Bishop Thomas Bowman.
The indebtedness on the church was car-
ried ten years, through the pastoral terms
of G. W. Miller, H. R. Bender, T. S. Wil-
cox and John Vrooman. The last of these
finally cancelled it, after being decreased.
He served the church one year more, and
was succeeded in 1883 by Rev. A. R.
Cronce. During his pastorate of three
years improvements were made on the
church property to the amount of $1,000,
and all debts paid. The pastors in order of
succession since 1886 have been: William
H. Ferguson, A. M. Barnitz, John R. Dunk-
erly, W. Perry Eveland, Orlando G. Heck,
E. E. A. Deavor, Charles W^ Wasson. In
1907 the church membership was 350 and
the Sunday School had an enrollment of
300. A pipe organ was purchased in 1905
at a cost of $2,500.
Rev. George W. Miller. D. D.. one of the
pastors of this church, has since become one
of the most noted pulpit orators of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in America.
During the Civil war a Confederate bullet
lodged in one of his lungs. This wound
impaired his health for many years, but
he finally recovered from it. Rev. W^ P.
Eveland has recently been chosen president
of Williamsport Seminary, a prominent ed-
ucational institution in Pennsylvania.
Ridge Avenue Methodist Episco-
Ridge pal Church was organized in
Avenue. 1883, as the result of a mission
and Sunday School founded by
Rev. Silas C. Swallow, D. D., who was then
pastor of Beaver Street Methodist Episco-
pal Church. The same year a church build-
ing was erected at a cost of $2,500 at the
corner of Ridge Avenue and East Philadel-
phia Street, extended, then situated in the
village of Freystown, until its annexation
to the city of York. Ridge Avenue Church
being situated in a section of the city
which is growing rapidly has prospered.
The pastors in order of succession have
been : M. J. Runyan, J. W. Forrest, O. T.
Metzler, J. B. Brenneman, Edwin L. Es-
linger, J. P. Buford, John Horning, J. B.
Mann, F. T. Vought, Joseph Gray, S. C.
Carnill.
Rev. Carnill became pastor of the congre-
gation in 1905. The church membership
in 1907 was 165, and the membership of the
Sunday School fifty.
Epworth Methodist Episcopal
Epworth Church, at the corner of Hartley
Church. Street and Salem Avenue, was
founded in 1881 through the ef-
forts of Rev. S. C. Swallow, D. D., pastor of
the First M. E. Church. A lot was purchased
on AVest Princess Street, near Hartley, and
a chapel erected. It was dedicated free of
debt January 8, 1882, Rev. AV. M. Frysinger
officiating. A revival service was held in
the new chapel. This service, as well as
the Sunday School, organized about a year
prior under the leadership of AA^illiam H.
Shelley, attracted the families which be-
came the nucleus of the new church, known
as "The Princess Street Methodist Episco-
pal Chapel."
Members of the Central Pennsylvania
Conference of the Methodist Church served
this growing congregation, preaching in
the chapel on Princess street as follows : G.
AV. Stevens, the first pastor, 1882-1884; M.
J. Runyan and J. AA'. Forrest, 1884-1885: O.
S. Metzler, 1885-1888; R. T. Whitney, 1888-
1890; A^ T. Rue, 1890-1894; F. M. AA^elsh,
1894-1895; H. D. Flanegan, 1895-1898; F.
C. Buyers, 1898-1900. It was under the pas-
714
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
torate of Rev. Buyers that the church was
incorporated May 2, 1898, and its name
changed to "The Epworth Methodist Epis-
copal Church." Lots were purchased on
Hartley Street and Salem Avenue and an
imposing brick edifice was erected, through
the efforts of the pastor. The corner stone
was laid September 11. 1898. The dedica-
tory services were held May 14, 1889, Revs.
V. T. Rue, M. L. Ganoe, D. D., and E. J.
Gray, D. D., president of Williamsport
Dickinson Seminary, taking part in the ex-
ercises.
The following preachers have since
served the charge: E. A. Pyles, 1900-1903;
E. G. Baker, 1903-1905. The present pas-
tor. Rev. Alvin S. AA'illiams, was appointed
in 1905. During his pastorate a parsonage
was built on Hartley Street. In 1907 the
congregation had a membership of 250 and
the Sunday School an enrollment of 300.
The valuation of the church property, in-
cluding the parsonage, is $20,000.
Early in the year 1888 Rev. B. C.
West Conner, then pastor of the First
Street Methodist Episcopal Church of
Church. York, and some of the leading
members of his congregation,
conceived the idea that there was a field for
a Methodist Episcopal church in the
rapidly growing western portion of the
city. For this purpose money was readily
contributed by the congregation and a lot of
ground on the corner of Philadelphia and
West Streets was procured from Lewis E.
Smyser. Here a ground-breaking service
was held July 2, 1888. The corner-stone
was laid with appropriate services on the
evening of August 4, and the West Street
Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated
November 25th of the same year. Bishop
Cyrus D. Foss preaching the dedication ser-
mon.
It was on December 2, that 120 persons
met in the lecttu'e room of the church to or-
ganize a Sunday School. Prof. W. H. Shel-
ley was elected superintendent. The work
continued under the direct control of First
Church until the Annual Conference, which
met May 20, 1889, at Shamokin, Pennsyl-
vania, appointed Rev. Richard Brooks pas-
tor to take charge of this new work. The
congregation was organized April 21, 1889,
with a membership numbering thirteen.
During the year 1895 a parsonage was built.
and the arrangements for the work of the
church were completed. The membership
numbers sixty-five, and the Sunday School
has enrolled in all its departments 175 mem-
bers. An Epworth League, with both
senior and junior departments organized,
guards the interests of the young people.
The following pastors have served the
congregation since its organization : Rich-
ard Brooks. 1889-1890; J. F. Kerlin, 1890-
1892; P. F. Eyer, 1892-1897; A. M. Barnitz,
1897-1900; J. B. Brenneman, 1900-1902; F.
H. Brunstetter, 1902-1904; M. N. Walker,
1904-1905; Amos M. Bruce, 1905-1907.
During the early history of York, people
of the colored race attended divine services
at different churches and occupied seats on
the gallery. There were a number of col-
ored slaves in York until the abolition of
slavery by act of the Pennsylvania Assem-
bly in 1781.
As early as 18 10, a number of negroes,
some of them escaped slaves and others free
negroes who were manumitted in the south,
began to pass through the town. Most of
them crossed the Susquehanna at Wrights-
ville and remained at Columbia, while others
crossed the river at Etter's Ferry and took
up their abode at Middletown. Still others
moved farther northward even to the bor-
ders of Canada, and some remained in York.
In 1819, the descendants of the early col-
ored people of York, and some of those who
migrated here from the south, began to hold
religious services under their own auspices.
They received encouragement from the other
churches of York and with the assistance of
some prominent citizens purchased a site
and erected a church on North Duke Street.
This church stood on the east side of the
street, on a site later owned and occupied
by the Billmeyer & Small Co., near the rail-
road. The church was dedicated Novem-
ber 28, 1819. The first trustees were John
Joice, Richard Butler, John Lindenberger,
Edward Young and Israel Williams. Rich-
ard Butler lived to an advanced age and
died in the year 1905. The colored people
of York worshipped in this building which
was also used as a colored school for sixty
years, when the building and site was pur-
chased by the Billmeyer & Small Co. In
the year 1880, the congregation which be-
longed to the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, purchased a site on East King
THE CITY OF YORK
Street, between Duke and Queen, where a
brick church was erected at a cost of $5,000.
The building committee, composed of mem-
bers of the congregation, were James L.
Smallwood, Greenbury Robinson, A. How-
ard, I. Gooden, R. S. Wilson. James L.
Smallwood, for a period of twenty-five
years, taught the colored school in York.
The corner-stone of the church was laid
October 24, 1880, and dedicated August 14,
1881. The church has since prospered and
increased in membership and has connected
with it a flourishing Sunday School.
UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST.
This religious denomination was founded
through the ministrations of Rev. Philip
\\'illiam Otterbein, who was born in Dil-
lenberg, Germany, June 4, 1726. He ob-
tained a liberal education in his native coun-
tr}^ and was ordained minister in the Ger-
man Reformed Church at Herborn in 1749.
In 1752, at the age of 26, he came to Amer-
ica as a missionary and preached in I^ancas-
ter and York Counties. Otterbein intro-
duced in his religious teachings, prayer
meetings, class meetings and conducted re-
ligious services in the open air. He was
pastor of the First Reformed Church at
York from 1765 to 1774. and also preached
to various Reformed congregations through-
out York County. In 1766, while holding-
religious meetings in Lancaster County, he
met Martin Boehm, a noted Evangelist of
the Mennonite Church, who was then
preaching to large audiences in the barn of
Isaac Long, a prominent farmer. After
hearing Boehm preach an impressive ser-
mon, Otterbein congratulated him and said
" we are brethren." It was this incident
that gave rise to the name of the denomina-
tion United Brethren in Christ.
Otterbein was an earnest and impressive
speaker and his eloquent sermons were lis-
tened to by large audiences. In the year
1774 he went from York to Baltimore,
where he remained thirt3^-nine years as one
of the leading clergymen of that cit)'. At
first he was the pastor of a Reformed church
and later organized the first congregation
of the United Brethren in Christ in Balti-
more in a church standing at the corner of
Sharp and Conway Streets. While Otter-
bein advocated revivals and promulgated
the doctrines of which the denomination
of United Brethren in Christ was founded,
he never seems to have withdrawn his con-
nection with the German Reformed Church
which had licensed him to preach the gospel
in his native land after he had completed
his theological studies. He died in Balti-
more, November 17, 1813, at the age of 87
years. His high Christian character and
his ability as a pulpit orator and a theolo-
gian were universally recognized by all who
heard his eloquence. At the time of his
death, his denomination had 100 active min-
isters of the gospel, and its membership had
reached 20,000. The first Conference of
the church was held in Baltimore in 1799,
and the second near Big Spring in Cumber-
land County, at the liouse in which Rev.
John AA". Nevin, D. D., the distinguished
theologian of the Reformed Church, was
born. The pioneer church of this denom-
ination in York County was founded in
AA'indsor Township, now within the limits
of the Borough of Windsorville, where its
histor}' will be found.
In 1840, the Missionary Society
First in connection with the Otterbein
Church. Church at Baltimore, established
a mission in York and sent Rev.
Christian S. Crider to begin the work. At
the same time, the Methodist Episcopal
congregation of York, offered their church
for sale. It stood on the site of the United
Brethren Church, at the corner of Phila-
delphia and Newberry Streets, and was
bought for $1,500. Peter Rawhauser. of
Dover, and Adam Strayer, of AVinterstown,
and Jacob Ehrhart, of York Township, were
chosen trustees. Rev. Crider organized the
congregation and ministered to it for two
and one-half years and was succeeded by
Rev. Jacob Rinehart, who remained two
years, during which time a parsonage was
built. Rev. Enoch Hoffman succeeded, re-
maining two years. In 1847, ^^v. J. C.
Smith, one of the fathers of the denomina-
tion, became pastor. He found a member-
ship of fifty. At the expiration of four years
the congregation increased to 125 members.
In 185 1 Rev. W. B. AVagner assumed
charge, remained three years and was fol-
lowed by Rev. W. B. Raber for three years.
Rev. J. C. Smith became pastor again in
1857 and remained four years. AA'hen he
retired there were 237 members. Rev. Sam-
uel Enterline succeeded as pastor for two
7i6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
years, and Rev. Jacob Erb, two years, until
1866, when Rev. J. C. Smith became pastor
a third time. During this pastorate a new
church was built at a cost of $13,000. The
building committee was composed of
Charles Lafean, Rev. D. Eberly, Jacob Alli-
son, Henry Licking, and Rev. J. C. Smith.
There were 357 members. Rev. W. B. Ra-
ber was called a second time and was fol-
lowed by Rev. J. P. Smith and Rev. J. P.
Miller. Rev. J. R. Meredith was called
and remained three years, during which
time the church was repaired and partly
refurnished at a cost of $1,500. Rev.
I. H. Albright served from 1885 to 1890,
during which time many were added to
the church. Also through his efforts the
Third United Brethren Church was organ-
ized.
In 1890 Rev. J. D. Killian was appointed
to the pastorate. Under his direction in
1891 Semi-Centennial anniversary services
were held, which were a credit alike to pas-
tor and people. Rev. M. J. Heberly became
pastor in 1892. Rev. H. B. Spayd followed
him in 1894 and served the congregation for
seven and a half years. During this time
the Fourth and Fifth churches were organ-
ized. Rev. C. L. Wisswaesser became pas-
tor in March, 1902, and served for twenty
months. During his pastorate the Sunday
School room was repaired and a fine pipe
organ installed.
In October, 1903, Rev. Joseph Daugherty
was appointed to the charge. During the
first year of his pastorate improvements
were made to the parsonage to the extent
of about $600. Every department of the
church is thoroughly organized and effi-
cient work is being done. The membership
of the church has been increased from the
beginning of his pastorate to 1907, from 337
to 406. The Sunday School has an enroll-
ment of 685, including the Home and Cradle
Roll departments. C. B. Pennypacker,
principal of the York High School, is the
superintendent.
The Second United Brethren
Second Church in Christ of York was or-
Church. ganized by Rev. J. H. Young in
1873. Twenty members of the
First United Brethren Church joined the
new organization and soon thereafter a
plot of ground was bought on the southeast
corner of Duke and South Streets for a
consideration of $4,000. On the said lot
was a brick building suitable for a parson-
age.
Immediately Rev. Young began the task
of building a house of worship and in this he
succeeded by erecting a frame structure
costing $1,070. He was assisted in his la-
bors by Rev. W. B. Raber, pastor of the
First United Brethren Church. Rev. Young
served the charge two years, from March,
1873, to March, 1875. The congregation
grew rapidly under his pastorate. In the
spring of 1875, Rev. A. H. Rice was ap-
pointed pastor and served the charge for a
term of two years, until March, 1877. At
the conference of 1877 Rev. J. C. Smith was
appointed pastor and served for a termoffive
years, ending his pastorate March, 1882.
He was succeeded by Rev. H. B. Dohner,
from March, 1882, to March, 1884. In the
spring of 1884 Rev. C. A. Burtner was ap-
pointed pastor and served the charge for
three years, ending his pastorate in
March, 1887. He was succeeded by Rev.
J. T. Sheaffer until March, 1890. Rev. H.
A. Schlichter was appointed pastor in the
year 1890, who served one year. During
his short pastorate he solicited several
thousand dollars preparatory for the build-
ing of a new church. He was succeeded by
Rev. C. A. Burtner in the year 1891. This
was the second time Rev. Burtner was ap-
pointed pastor of this congregation and be-
fore him was the task of paying a consider-
able debt on the parsonage and of build-
ing a new church edifice. He succeeded
and after a term of three years was elected
Presiding Elder of the Baltimore District,
and left the charge in 1894. All these
years the charge was in part supported by
the Missionary Board of the Conference,
but now it showed signs of being able to
support its own pastor. In 1894 Rev. C. T.
Stearn, D. D., took charge of the congrega-
tion and served for eight years, ending his
pastorate in the year 1902, at which time
he was elected presiding elder and ap-
pointed to the Baltimore District. During
his pastorate the charge became self-sus-
taining. Rev. A. R. Ayres was appointed in
1902. The new church built by Rev. Burt-
ner, with the parsonage adjoining, is valued
at $15,000. The membership in 1907 was
260. The Sunday School has an enroll-
ment of 570 scholars.
THE CITY OF YORK
717
This church was dedicated Oc-
AUison tober 23, 1887, by Bishop E.
Memorial. B. Kephart, with Rev. I. H. Al-
bright, pastor, in charge, and
Rev. A. H. Rice as presiding elder, and
Jacob Allison, David Crider and William
Witta as trustees. The church was built
and furnished by Jacob Allison, hence
known as Allison Memorial Church. The
congregation was organized Sunday, Feb-
ruray 19, 1888, by Rev. I. H. Albright,
then pastor of the First United Brethren
Church. Jacob Allison, M. H. Long and
Frederick Brunhouse were named as trus-
tees of the organization, which was com-
posed of twenty-eight members. During
the eighteen years of its existence the num-
ber has increased from 28 to 320, and the
Sunday School from 40 to 525 enrolled.
The following pastors have served the con-
gregation: Rev. J. P. Smith, March, 1888,
to his death, January 12, 1892; Rev. J. R.
Jones, March, 1892, to March, 1895; Rev.
J. R. Hutchinson, March, 1895, to March,
1899; l^ev. J. P. Anthony, March 1899, to
1902; Rev. A. H. Rice, March, 1902, to
November, 1904. Rev. R. R. Rodes was
called to the pastorate in 1904. During the
pastorate of Rev. J. R. Jones an addition was
built to the church at a cost of $1,500. In
1903, during the pastorate of Rev. A. H.
Rice, the church was again remodelled at
a cost of $3,500. A tower was built and
circular pews put in, making the church one
of modern appearance and convenience.
This church was dedicated Oc-
Fourth tober i, 1893, by Rev. C. I. B.
Church. Braine, of Washington, D. C,
with Rev. J. P. Koontz, pastor.
The class was organized October 22, 1894,
with five members transferred from the
First United Brethren Church. The cost
of the first church building and grounds,
situated on Hartman Street, was $2,200.
April I, 1903, this property was sold to the
Mennonites, and a site at the corner of
Market and Lehman Streets was purchased,
and a church erected at a cost of $12,000,
including the ground. It was dedicated De-
cember 6, 1904, by W. M. A'Veekly, D. D.,
of Dayton, Ohio. The building committee
were Rev. J. Lower Grim, Sylvester Hein-
del and C. A. Stambaugh. The pastors who
served this congregation have been Rev. J.
P. Koontz, 1893-96; Rev. Sheridan Garman,
1896-98; Rev. Jay W. Yohe, 1899-1901. On
March 15, 1901, Rev. James Lower Grim
was called to the pastorate. The member-
ship in 1907 was 220, one hundred and
fifty being received during the pastorate of
Rev. Grim. The Sunday School contains
300 teachers and scholars. A Seth Thomas
clock, costing $450, donated by George B.
Rudy, was placed in the tower of the church.
The Fifth United Brethren
Fifth Church in Christ, situated in
Church. North York borough, was
founded under the leadership of
C. A. Burtner, presiding elder of the Penn-
sylvania conference. Religious services
were held at stated times in the village
school house for two or three years and
were conducted by clergymen from York
and in 1895 the congregation was organized.
A frame church was erected and dedicated
by Rev. C. T. Stearn, D. D., October 6,
1895. The congregation was then served
by the pastor of the Fourth United Breth-
ren Church of York. Rev. Sheridan Gar-
man was pastor from 1896 to 1898; Rev.
J. W. Yohe to 1901, and Rev. J. Lower
Grim for one year. In 1902 this congrega-
tion was made a separate charge and Rev.
E. H. Hummelbaugh became the pastor.
The congregation grew rapidly in numbers
and in 1907 had 235 members. The Sunday
School, which was originally held in the
school house has also grown in numbers and
strength and contains an enrollment of 450
members. Levi Stough has served as su-
perintendent for several years.
UNITED EVANGELICAL CHURCHES.
The United Evangelical Church is a re-
ligious body which has a large membership
in York County. After the division of the
denomination in 1891 the majority of the
congregations in York County became a
part of the new church entitled " The
United Evangelical Church," which was or-
ganized at Naperville, Illinois, in 1894.
The Evangelical Association is an eccle-
siastical body which originated in Pennsyl-
vania in 1800. Its founder was Jacob Al-
bright, a man of earnest piety. Early in
life he was a Lutheran ; afterward united
with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He
began to preach in 1796 and in 1803 was
ordained a minister of the gospel. He la-
bored among the Germans, and, as the
7il
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Methodist Episcopal Church was entirely
English at that time, the congregations he
gathered banded themselves together into
a separate denomination, adopting the
name "Evangelical Association of North
America," in early days called "Albright,"
after the founder. In doctrine, the de-
nomination is Arminian. The church or-
ganization is similar to that of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church. Bishops and pre-
siding elders are elected every four years
by the general and annual conferences re-
spectively. The itinerant system is prac-
ticed. The progress of the church has been
rapid, and. although originally German,
conferences are now entirely in English.
The Evangelical Association
Pioneer was first introduced into York
Churches. County in 1810, by Revs. John
Erb and Matthias Betz, who
established three preaching places: One
at the house of Jacob Klinefelter, in Shrews-
bury Township, about one mile south of
Glen Rock : the second at the house of John
Seitz, in Springfield Township, and the
third at the house of Adam Ettinger, in Do-
ver Township. The eighth conference ses-
sion of the Association was held at the
house of Jacob Klinefelter in 181 5 at
which time there were fifteen minis-
ters present. In 1822 the members
in the vicinity of Shrewsbury united with
the members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in building a log meeting house.
This was the first church building used by
the Association in York County, and
the second in the Association, the first hav-
ing been built at New Berlin, Union
County, Pa., in 1816. In 1827 a stone
church was built at Mt. Zion, in Springfield
Township, entirely by the Evangelical As-
sociation. In 1831, under the labors of Rev.
W. W. Orwig, Dr. George Brickley and J.
Roesner, who had charge of the work in
the county for that year, a successful re-
vival took place in the Conojohela valley.
Among the families that united with the
church were those of J. G. Thomas, Henry
Thomas, Henry Burg and J. A. Jacobs.
This was the beginning of the congregation
at Millersville (Yorkana) and East Pros-
pect. In 1842 a mission was established in
York with twelve members. George Brick-
ley was the first missionar)^ Rev. U. F.
Swengel was the first English missionary.
This church, which belongs to
Bethlehem the Evangelical Association,
Church. was built under the leadership
of Benjamin Thomas. In
1842, George Brickley, a practicing
physician of York, had this charge assigned
him. He labored until 1844. During his
administration the trustees of the church
obtained a charter. Among the early pas-
tors who served this congregation were:
George Brickley, 1842-1844: W. W. Orwig,
1844-46: J. Boas, 1846-47: L. Eberhart,
1847-49; G. Weii'ick, 1849-50: C. Hammer,
1850-52; C. F. Deininger, 1852-54; E.
Kohr, 1854-56; H. Althouse, 1856-58; S.
Wolf, 1858-59: D. Kreamer, 1859-60; A. L.
Reeser, 1860-62; B. Hengst, 1862-64; J.
Young, 1864-66: S. Smith, 1866-68; A. Rai-
rich 1868-69; J- Bowersox, 1869-70, who
was then sent to Oregon as missionary ; J.
C. Farnsworth, 1870-72; G. Brickley, 1872-
73: S. Aurund, 1873-75; C. F. Deininger,
1875-77: A. F. Leopold, 1877-79: C. Phili-
bar, 1879-80; R. Deisher, 1880-82: J. Koehl,
1882-84; J. Shambach.
The services were altogether German.
For some time they were German in the
morning and English in the evening, until
i87i,whenapartof the membershipwas or-
ganized into an English mission. At the gen-
eral conference held in 1875, this church
was added to thp newly organized Atlantic
Conference, but in 1883 it was again placed
in the Central Pennsylvania Conference.
In 1868, while Rev. A. Rairich was sta-
tioned here, a brick parsonage was built at a
cost of $2,700. Rev. J. Young, Joshua
Young and Jacob Seachrist constituted the
building committee.
In 1898 the church property on North
Queen street was sold and a lot for a new
house of worship at the corner of Wallace
and Vine Streets purchased. Upon this site
a church edifice was erected during the pas-
torate of Rev. John D. Farnsworth.
Trinity United Evangelical
Trinity Church was established by the
Church. Central Pennsylvania Conference
of the Evangelical Association
in March, 1871. Rev. U. F. Swengel became
its first pastor. He organized the church
in the Court House, August 5, 1871, with
fifty-seven members, most of whom had
withdrawn from Bethlehem Church. A
Sundav School was organized the same
THE CITY OF YORK
719
year. Religious services were held in the
Court House until October i, 1871, when
the congregation took possession of the
chapel on East King Street, which was dedi-
cated on that day. The lot and chapel cost
$3,400. Rev. H.B.Hartzler preached the ded-
icatory sermon, and Rev. Jacob Young, pre-
siding elder, dedicated the church as "Trin-
ity Chapel of the Evangelical Association."
Jacob A. Sechrist,Rev. U. F. Swengel,Adam
Sechrist, J. M. Ettinger and John Sechrist
composed the building committee.
Rev. Swengel served the congregation
three years. In March, 1874, Rev. H. B.
Hartzler succeeded. During the second
year of his ministry there was a great re-
vival. Soon afterward he resigned and
went to another field of labor. Rev. A. W.
Bower, a student of Union Seminary, was
appointed to fill the unexpired term. In
March, 1877, Rev. E. Swengel was ap-
pointed. Rev. S. Aurand succeeded in
March, 1878, and remained two years, during
which time a parsonage was built. In
March, 1880, Rev. P. W. Raidabaugh began
a pastorate of three years, when the re-
maining indebtedness on the church prop-
erty was paid. In 1883 Rev. A. H. Irvine
was appointed. In 1884 John F. Thomas,
P. W. Keller and John Sechrist were ap-
pointed a building committee, and the
church was enlarged and remodelled. The
main audience room was frescoed and the
entire floor carpeted, new furniture was
placed in the pulpit and altar.
In 1886 Rev. A. Stapleton, the historian
of the United Evangelical Church, was ap-
pointed pastor of this congregation and
continued three years, during which time
eighty-six persons were admitted to mem-
bership. Afterward he was elected presid-
ing elder of the Carlisle District. Rev. W. E.
Detwiler succeeded as pastor in 1889 and re-
mained for two years when hewas appointed
presiding elder of the Carlisle District. Rev.
U. F. Swengel succeeded as pastor in March
1891, and served three years, during which
time he organized a class in Evangelical
Normal studies, the first within the boun-
daries of the Central Pennsylvania Confer-
ence. The pastorate of Rev. Edward
Crumbling began in 1894 and in 1896 the
congregation, with I. M. Jacobs, M. E.
Hartzler, Rev. E. Crumbling, F. L- Bair
and C. S. Stark as the building committee,
erected a church on the site of the old one
at a cost of $14,230, including .the furnish-
ings. The church was dedicated January
24, 1897, with Bishop R. Dubs officiating.
Rev. U. F. Swengel was called as pastor
for the third time in 1898, and after serving
one year was elected presiding elder of the
York District. Rev.J.C. Reeser servedaspas-
tor from 1890 to 1893, when he was chosen
presiding elder of the Carlisle District to
succeed Rev. A. Stapleton. Rev. H. A. Ben-
fer succeeded to the pastorate of this flour-
ishing congregation in 1903. In 1906 the
church was enlarged and improved, giving
the auditorium a seating capacity of 700.
A Sunday School building was erected with
a seating capacity of 1,260. The Sunday
School of this church during that year num-
bered 650 teachers and scholars.
lu 1895, during the pastorate of Rev. E.
Crumbling", the name of this church was
changed from Trinity Church of the Evan-
gelical Association to Trinity United Evan-
gelical Church of York. After a long con-
troversy, the religious denomination to
which this church belonged was separated
into two church bodies, nearly all the
churches of York County forming a part of
what has since been designated as the
United Evangelical Church of the United
States.
Grace United Evangelical Church
Grace on Broad Street, near Market,
Church, was built in the year 1895, and
dedicated the same year by
Bishop Rudolph Dubs. This congregation
originated as the result of a division of the
Evangelical Association in 1891 and the
organization of the United Evangelical
Church in 1894. Bethlehem Evangelical
Church on North Duke Street retained its
membership with the Evangelical Associa-
tion. About fifty of its members left the
church and decided to organize a new con-
gregation. Rev. Benjamin Hengst was
chosen as the pastor in 1895 organized a
congregation which had a temporary place
of worship until a church was built at a
cost of $4,000, including the lot. Rev.
Hengst continued to be pastor for four
years. He was succeeded by Rev. Joseph
Fox, a young man, who died soon after he
entered upon his duties as pastor. Rev. D.
P. Kepner was pastor in 1905, with a mem-
bership of 150.
720
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
St. Paul's United Evangelical
St. Paul's Church, at the corner of Belvi-
Church. dere and Poplar Streets, was
founded in 1902. Some time be-
fore this Rev. Benjamin Hengst held the
first services in his parlor, Mrs. Hengst
playing the organ. Although the attend-
ance was very small, the labors of the aged
pastor accomplished good results. A con-
gregation was organized which grew rap-
idly in numbers and prospered. In 1902 a
chapel was built in which a flourishing Sun-
day School was started under the direction
of the pastor. In 1903 Rev. E. B. Keen
was appointed pastor of the congregation.
In 1905 a new church was built at a cost of
$12,000.
Bethany United Evangelical
Bethany Church, on Boll's Avenue, was
Church. founded in the year 1905. As
early as i860 religious services
had been conducted a short distance south-
west in York Township, at Green Hill,
where a frame church building had been
erected in 1864. Rev. Benjamin Hengst
organized the congregation of fifty mem-
bers, which in 1905, erected a church, using
part of the material in the Green Hill
church. The new church cost $3,700 and
was dedicated December 10, 1895, Bishop
Dubs ofiiciating.
Zion United Evangelical Church,
Zion of West York Borough, was
Church, founded through the missionary
efforts of Rev. Benjamin Hengst,
who held the first services in the public
school house. The church was built in
1900 and dedicated by Bishop Rudolph Dubs
that year. The cost of the building and lot
was $3,000. Rev. W. L. Shambaugh be-
came the second pastor. Rev. W. E. Pfeff-
ley was pastor in 1907.
Rev. Benjamin Hengst, the founder of
this church, and three other congregations
of the United Evangelical Church in York,
was born in \A'indsor Township in the year
1826. He taught school in his native town-
ship in 1845, ^nd in 1846 entered the minis-
try, first preaching at Seitz's Church, in
Springfield Township. In 1847, together
with a colleague, he was stationed at twenty-
six appointrnents in Centre and Hunting-
don Counties, travelling over this region
on horseback. For twenty years he was
pastor of churches in Baltimore; sixteen of
these years he labored among the Germans
in that city. He was presiding elder of the
York District and was four times pastor of
Bethlehem Church of York. During his
early career he was on terms of intimate
association with the fathers of this church.
In June, 1901, religious services
Jackson under the auspices of the United
Street Evangelical Church, were held in
Church. a tent at the corner of Jackson
and Water Streets. The mission
work prospered and a congregation was or-
ganized in June, of the same year, with a
membership of eighty-four. A lot was pur-
chased for $1,300. The corner stone for
the church was laid October, 1901, and the
building completed October 13, 1901. The
pastors of this congregation in order of suc-
cession have been : Revs. R. C. Walker, H.
C. Farley, E. Fulcomer and C. H. Good-
ling.
BAPTIST CHURCHES.
Prior to 1850 no effort had been made to
establish a Baptist Church in York. It is
known that an occasional sermon was
preached by Baptist ministers passing
through the place. One of these. Dr. Hora-
tio G. Jones, baptized a young woman in the
Codorus Creek, and preached to a large
company upon its banks. In August, 1850,
a young dentist, George M. Slaysman, vis-
ited York, and found an enterprising and
wealthy town of 8,000 inhabitants. Dr.
Slaysman found some Baptists but they had
no place of meeting and held no services
This so impressed him that he gave up a'
lucrative profession in Hollidaysburg,
Pennsylvania, and returned to York in No-
vember to establish a Baptist Church.
He rented a hall on the third floor
.First over a store in the center of the
Baptist town. Buying lumber they made
Church, seats and a pulpit and fitted up
the hall in time to worship in it
on the first Sunday in December. Mr. Da-
vis gave a stove and paid to have the lum-
ber planed for the seats. John Hartman
gave the pulpit Bible, and donated a year
and a half rent, sixty dollars. Eleven per-
sons voted to form themselves into a Bap-
tist church ; seven of these were women and
two were colored. On May 21, 1841, they
called a Council of Recognition and were
recognized by the Baptist Churches, as the
THE CITY OF YORK
721
First Church of York. George M. Slays-
man was elected pastor. In June the church
united with the Central Union Association.
During the first year eleven persons joined
the young church, which doubled its mem-
bership. The first person to be baptised
was Miss Mary A. Wireman. Pastor Slays-
man secured a lot on South George Street
and on application to the Court, a charter of
incorporation was granted to the church.
The pastor raised the money, superintended
the work, doing much of it with his own
hands, and erected a church building. Since
its organization in 1850 the church has had
ten pastors, and to the credit of the church
it should be noted that the first pastor was
recalled three times and the present pastor,
Charles D. Parker, is in his second term.
The pulpit Bible is a fine one and has a his-
tory of which the church is very proud. At
the beginning of the Civil war in 1861,
the government brought troops here and
marched them to Penn Park, which at the
time was called the Public Common. They
had no tents or protection of any kind, and
it is said that even food was very scarce.
The volunteer soldiers had not much expe-
rience in warlike preparations in those early
days. When the pastor and members of
the First Baptist Church learned of the sad
plight of the soldiers they invited them into
the church, and as long as the troops re-
mained here they occupied the church build-
ing as a barracks and when they were or-
dered to the front they asked the church for
their bill, expecting it would be a large one,
but the members would take nothing. The
soldiers expressed their gratitude and after-
wards sent a present, the pulpit Bible, which
is treasured so highly.
The German Baptists were
German among the first to settle in the
Baptist western and southwestern sec-
Church, tions of York County. A com-
plete account of these settle-
ments will be found in this volume in a
chapter beginning on page 135. This de-
nomination erected its first house of wor-
ship in York at the corner of Belvidere Ave-
nue and King Street in 1883. In early days
and at the time this church was built York
belonged to the Diocese of the Codorus,
whose central point of interest in 1883 was
a church in Dunker Valley, near the bor-
ough of Loganville.
The Diocese, in the language of the Ger-
man Baptists, was known as the Codorus
Congregation, which, sometime before the
York meeting was founded, was presided
over by Isaac Myers, assisted by Thomas
Gray. This congregation included a part of
Maryland, bordering on the Pennsylvania
line. Elder Jacob Shomberger, of Mary-
land, in 1883, was the bishop of the Codorus
congregation. Under his direction the
house of worship in York, was built. In
December, 1883, Elder David Long, of
Washington County, Maryland, father of
Rev. J. A. Long, preached the dedicatory
sermon. Soon after the house was erected
Elder J. A. Long came to York as assist-
ant to Elder Shomberger, and after the
latter's death became the pastor.
Meantime the German Baptists of York
were separated from the Diocese of the
Codorus and became an individual congre-
gation. Under the pastorate of Rev. J. A.
Long, the membership has been increased
and in 1907 numbered about 300. There are
two missions connected with this congrega-
tion within the city limits. Owing to the
increase in membership the first church was
removed and another, 45x85 feet was
erected on the same site and dedicated dur-
ing the fall of 1898.
This congregation belongs to what is
known as the progressive branch of the
church, which has institutions for the higher
education of both men and women at Hunt-
ingdon, Elizabethtown, Penn'a; Bridgewa-
ter, Virginia; Union Bridge, Maryland, and
Mt. Morris, Illinois. The York congrega-
tion has a large Sunday School which meets
regularly in the church.
In 1827, Rev. John Winebrenner,
Church pastor of a German Reformed
of God. Church, in Harrisburg, started a
series of revivals in his church. He
soon afterward began evangelistic work in
the northern townships of York County,
and in parts of Dauphin and Lancaster Coun-
ties, frequently holding open air meetings,
and also conducting religious services in
school houses and private dwellings. He
had a large number of followers resulting
from revivalistic work, and then organized
a denomination which became known as the
Church of God. His followers for many
years were called Winebrennerians. This
denomination is Presbyterian in polity.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Great earnestness and zeal were the char-
acteristics of the early clergy. In 1835, and
shortly after, a number of congregations
were formed in York County, by Revs.
Winebrenner, Maxwell, Ross, Mulnix,
Weishampel, Kiester and others. There
are now about a dozen churches of this de-
nomination in the county, in Newberry,
Warrington, Monaghan, Franklin and
AVindsor Townships.
The Church of God, on Vander Avenue,
in East York, was organized in 1887 by Rev.
O. J. Farling. At the same time the con-
gregation erected a house of worship. He
was succeeded by Rev. Joseph Martin, who
was pastor for seven years and built up a
prosperous congregation. Rev. S. E. Kline
was pastor for one year and was followed
by Rev. H. W. Long, who remained until
1905, when he was succeeded by Rev. Sam-
uel Sollenberger, who ministered to a con-
gregation of about seventy members. Af-
ter his retirement from the Vander Avenue
Church, Rev. Joseph Martin organized a
congregation on Poplar Street, in the west-
ern part of the city and erected abrick church
building. He was succeeded in the pastor-
ate of this church by Rev. \V. J. Grissinger,
who remained three years. Rev. J. T. Flee-
gle became pastor in 1904.
Among the early settlers in
Mennonite York County were a number
Church. of Mennonites, who took up
lands east and southeast of the
site of Hanover, where two different con-
gregations were organized before the Rev-
olution. Some of these religious people
settled east of York in the Hellam Valley^
where there have been two or three meet-
ing houses for more than a century. This de-
nomination has houses of worship in sev-
eral other tov\^nships in the county. Preach-
ing services had been held in East York by
the Mennonites for several years before the
congregation purchased from the Fourth
United Brethren Church a house of worship
on Hartman Street, in East York. Rev.
Theodore B. Forry, who ministers to sev-
eral congregations in this county, is the reg-
ular pastor of the church which holds its
services in the Hartman Street meeting
house. A complete history of the early
Mennonites in York County will be found
on page 134 in this volume.
Beth Israel, a Reformed Hebrew
Beth congregation, which in 1907 erected
Israel, a beautiful temple on South Beaver
Street, was organized September i,
1877, with S. Rosenthal, president, and Leon
Herz, secretary. The first religious services
were held September 3, 1879, ^^ the resi-
dence of Solomon Kahn, on West Market
Street. The original membership was com-
posed of the following persons : Hess
Goodman, Isaac Goodman, Nathaniel Good-
man, Daniel Reineberg, Leon Herz, Isaac
Heller, Simon Rosenthal, Bernard Mier,
Meier Eisennau, Adolph Robert, Nathan
Lehmayer, Samuel Weil, Isaac Herz, Jo-
seph Lebach, Jacob Lebach, Solomon Kahn,
I. Walker, Henry Bailey, John Lewis, A.
Ornauer, H. Ornauer, L. Rosenbaum, S.
Trattner, B. Rubenstein, S. Rosenthal. For
several years the congregation worshipped
on the third ffoor of the Hartman building
and also the Jacob Stair building and in
1907 was composed of forty male members,
representing some of the prominent cit-
izens engaged in the business interests
of York. In 1906 a site was purchased on
the corner of South Beaver Street and New-
ton Alley, where the present temple, with
a seating capacity of 300, was completed in
1907. Some of the stained glass windows
are of the most artistic workmanship. This
temple, designed by Charles Keyworth, of
York, is a model of architecture. When
the building was erected, Lee Reineberg
was president of the congregation; N. Good-
man, vice president ; Adolph Adler, secre-
tary: Sol. Fuld, treasurer. The building
committee was composed of the following
members : N. Rosenau, chairman ; F. R.
Mayer, secretaiy; Solomon Walker, Max
Grumbacher, I. Metz, Leon Herz, R. M.
Granat. In 1907 the board of trustees was
composed of N. Goodman, A. Bellak and M.
N. Lehmayer.
Ohev Sholom Hebrew congrega-
Ohev tion was organized as an ortho-
Sholom. dox congregation with a male
membership of twenty-five. May
18, 1902, and a charter was granted August
4, of the same year. Simon Ohlbaum was
chosen president ; Abe Trattner, vice pres-
ident; Frank Rosenbaum, secretary; L. Ro-
senbaum, treasurer; David Kaufifman, Max
Tewel, A. Hollander, trustees. In 1903 a
THE CITY OF YORK
r^i
site was selected at tlie corner of ^^'ater and
Princess Streets, where a house of worship
was erected at a cost of $12,000. It was
dedicated August 21, 1904. Religious ser-
vices have been held by the canter. Rev. J.
L. Fisher.
Adas Israel is an orthodox Hebrew con-
gregation which owns a neat and attractive
house of worship on South Water Street.
The membership in 1907 was about thirty.
The Young Men's Christian
Young Men's Association is one of the
Christian foremost religious and edu-
Association. cational organizations in the
city of York. With a
total membership of 633, its influence ex-
tends over every section and in every
sphere of life in the city. P. A. Elsesser is
president of the board of management. The
general secretary is H. A. Bailey. Dr. D.
G. Evans has entire charge of the physical
department. Ray F. Zaner is the boys'
secretary, and Frank S. Goodling is an as-
sistant whose work is of a general clerical
character.
Educational classes, including music, me-
chanical drafting, shop mathematics, are
held each evening. A reading room, wnth
all the standard monthly magazines, to-
gether wnth daily and weekly newspapers,
is always open to the general public. Game
rooms, conversation rooms, gymnasium,
swimming pool and bath rooms are con-
stantly in use. Bible study classes are held
both in the senior department and by the
boys. Religious services are frequently
held. The association building is taxed to
its utmost capacity to meet the growing
demand for its activities in a growing manu-
facturing city.
The Young Men's Christian Association
was organized in the First Presbyterian
Church, February 11, 1868. Samuel S.
Hersh was the first president of the asso-
ciation. He was succeeded February 9,
1869, by David E. Small. In 1871 rooms
were rented on the third floor of the Spahr
building in Centre Square and reading
rooms were opened. Later the association
moved to rooms in Temperance Hall, on
North George Street.
The first general secretary was George
F. Stackpole, of Lewistown, Pennsylvania,
who was elected August 9, 1879. He was
succeeded October 29, 1883, by Serenus B.
Herr. In this year the home of William
Hay, 140 \\'est Market Street, was pur-
chased for $12,000. A gymnasium and hall
were erected at the rear of the building. A
number of years later the addition of a
swimming pool made the building yet more
attractive.
The following gentlemen have served
successively as president of the board of
management: Samuel S. Hersh, David E.
Small, David Fahs, Henry Small, J. G. Eis-
enhart, M. E. Hartzler, M. B. Spahr, Arthur
King, J. Hamilton Small, S. Nevin Hench
and P. A. Elsesser. No small credit is due
to the following gentlemen, who have
served successively as general secretaries :
George F. Stackpole, Serenus B. Herr,
George M. Rynick and H. A. Bailey.
The Young A\^omen's Christian Associ-
ation was organized April 18, 1891, by Miss
Dj^er, of Scranton, state secretary. Her
efforts were at once successful and in May
of the same year rooms were rented on
West King Street and fitted up for the use
of the association. Mrs. Mary Clayton was
elected president, Mrs. Charles Weiser,
vice president; Mrs. A. F. Holahan, secre-
tary; Miss Fannie E. Evans, treasurer.
Soon thereafter the property on West King
Street was purchased by the board of trus-
tees and equipped for the active work of
the association. Miss MoUie Koons was
general secretary from 1891 to 1906, when
she was succeeded by Miss Jennie M. Stre-
vig. The association has prospered since
its origin and now has more than 400 mem-
bers. The board of managers in 1907 are:
Mrs. Albert Bell, president; Mrs. Albert
Immel, vice president; Mrs. Albert Carner.
secretary: Mrs. George S. Billniyer, treas-
urer; Mrs. A. F. Holahan, Mrs. D. G. Foose,
Mrs. Peter McLean, Miss Cassandra Smith,
Mrs. E. W. Spangler, Miss Lizzie Forney,
Mrs. Horace Basehore, Miss Isabel C.
Small, Mrs. L. M. Lochman, Mrs. Elmer C.
Smith, Mrs. John J. Frick. The board of
trustees are the following: A. B. Farquhar,
Charles S. Weiser, Dr. J. H. Yeagley,
George S. Billniyer, J. A. Denipwolf, Philip
A. Small.
724
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CHAPTER XL
SCHOOLS, SOCIETIES, LIBRARIES
Early Schools — Public School System —
City Superintendency — York County
Academy — Reformed Theological Sem-
inary— Collegiate Institute — Literary So-
cieties— Libraries — Music — The Drama.
The early settlers at York brought the
school as well as the church with them from
their homes across the sea. Soon after the
Germans had built the First Evangelical
Lutheran Church in 1743, Bartholomew
Maul taught a school in a log building which
stood to the rear of the church on South
George Street. He was a man of influence
and soon after York County was formed in
1749, became one of the county commission-
ers. Ludwig Kraft, an intelligent German,
opened a school about the same time in a
log building in the yard to the rear of Zion
Reformed Church, which was completed in
1744. William Matthews, a surveyor for
the Penns opened an English school for the
Quakers and the English Episcopalians on
Philadelphia Street about 1750. Jesse
Kersey, who became one of the most noted
ministers among the Society of Friends, also
taught an English school at York a few
years later. Philip Rothrock taught the
first parochial school on South Water Street
adjoining the Moravian Church. Rev. John
Andrews, one of the early rectors of St.
John's Episcopal Church, taught the first
classical school within the limits of York
County. He began this work ten years be-
fore the Revolution, in a building on North
Beaver Street.
In 1787 the York County Academy was
founded on the site where it now stands
through the efforts of Rev. John Campbell,
rector of the Episcopal Church. The
teachers mentioned were the pioneer educa-
tors among the early settlers west of the
Susquehanna.
Church schools in York as well as else-
where in Pennsylvania, during the colonial
period of our history, were usually con-
ducted by teachers who had received good
intellectual training. Subscription schools,
independent of the churches, were opened
before 1800 and were conducted with suc-
cess until the establishment of the free
school system in 1834. School buildings
in town and countrv were rude in their con-
struction and usually built of logs. The
desks were placed against the walls on every
side of the school room. The teacher's desk
was in the center of the room, near which
stood a large ten-plate stove, repeatedly
filled with long sticks of hickory and oak.
Among the teachers who taught private
schools before 1834 were John Dobbins, W.
H. Brown, D. B. Prince, Roger Dough-
erty, John A. Wilson, Lewis Miller, J. Hart-
rick, Michael Bentz, Henry M. Skelton, Ab-
ner Thomas, Patrick McDermott, Emanuel
Spangler, John Smith, James B. White and
daughter, Robert W. Long, Howard Gil-
bert, Mrs. Beard, Mrs. Davis, and Mrs.
Montgomery.
In 181 1, H. D. Beardsley opened an Eng-
lish school in York and had associated with
him J. F. Livermore, of Dartmouth College.
Besides teaching the common school
branches, they gave instruction in book-
keeping, geography, illustrated with maps
and globes, and the ancient classics. Rob-
ert Howel opened an English school in a
building to the rear of Zion Reformed
Church, March, 1818. In 1819, Mrs. Jamie-
son taught a ladies" seminary in which she
gave instruction in needle work as well as
the ordinary branches of an education. A.
E. Bacon, a Yankee school teacher, started
an English school on West Market Street,
March^ 1819. T. Penney taught a school of
penmanship in 1819. N. Auge, in 1822, be-
gan to give instruction in the French lan-
guage and on the piano forte, at his resi-
dence on Queen Street. B. F. Barstow in
1822, announced that he had introduced
Greenleaf's English grammar.
Miss Sarah Caldwell, in 1823, conducted
a seminary in which she taught the English
branches, plain and fancy needle work and
painting. Captain Bingham, a trained sol-
dier, opened a military school at York, in
1823, and conducted it for some time. In
1824, the Society of Methodists erected a
brick school building on the north side of
Philadelphia Street, between George and
Beaver, and there founded an English and
classical school, which existed for a period
of thirty years. John G. Joints was one of
the last instructors of this school. Miss
Hache taught the French language in York,
in 1826, and required all the conversation
of her pupils in school to be conducted in
that language.
THE CITY OF YORK
725
Miss M. Torrey, in 1829, opened a school
where she taught painting, drawing, bead,
rug and various kinds of lace work, as well
as astronomy, botany and the French lan-
guage to her advanced pupils. Her school
was kept at the residence of Mr. Gardner,
on the south side of West Market Street,
near the Square. H. Van Dyck, opened a
school for young ladies on South George
Street, near Centre Square, in 1829. E. F.
Blech, of Nazareth, opened a select school
in the Moravian parsonage on South Water
Street, in 1831.
Richard Bland opened a classical acad-
emy on the Plank Road about 1835 in the
historic building erected by Baltzer Spang-
ler, nearly a century before. For a dozen
years or more, he trained a large number
of young men for college and the active
duties of life.
The parochial school exercised a
Public strong influence in the German
School sections of Pennsylvania even to
System, the middle of last century. The
introduction of the free school
system in the state of Massachusetts at-
tracted wide attention. In 1834, largely
through the influence of George Wolf, gov-
ernor of Pennsylvania, Thaddeus Stevens,
a leader in the state legislature, and Thomas
H. Burroughs, one of the ablest educators
in the country, an act was passed establish-
ing a public school system for the state of
Pennsylvania. The adoption of this system
was optional. Some districts accepted its
provisions immediately after its passage.
The law was most popular among the Eng-
lish speaking people, for the Germans
feared that the adoption of a free school
system would require all the teaching to be
conducted in the English language.
The duties of the tax collector under the
new law were difficult, and his remunera-
tion was small. He was relieved from mili-
tia duty which required all the able-bodied
men of the state to go through the manual
of arms at least four times a year. The
collector who first went around in York as
well as elsewhere in the commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, received the maledictions of
the rich and poor alike.
A record of the first county meeting to
vote for or against the acceptance of the
common school law in York County is
given on page 542. At this first meeting
held November 4, 1834, the boroughs of
York and Hanover and the townships of
Chanceford, Lower Chanceford, Peach Bot-
tom and Fairview voted in favor of accept-
ing the provisions of the school law passed
that year. So the winter of 1834-5 marks
the introduction of the public school system
into the borough of York, which then con-
tained a population of 4400. The original
board of school directors were Daniel Kra-
ber, Frederick Baugher, John Voglesong,
Dr. T. N. Haller, Jacob Laumaster, James
Chalfant, Joseph Garretson, Charles A.
Morris, Dr. Alexander Small, Dr. Luke
Rouse, Jacob Emmett and James Myers.
Three or four public schools were opened
in dift'erent sections of the borough and
their work was chronicled as a success by
the local newspapers. When it was found
that the results obtained were meritorious,
the opposition to the system declined.
Michael Bentz continued to teach his school
in a building to the rear of Christ Lutheran
Church, and parochial schools were kept up
in connection with the other churches for
j^ears. Gradually the free school became
popular and the church schools declined.
Among the teachers who taught in the pub-
lic schools of York soon after the system
was introduced and during the succeeding
thirty years were the following: Sarah
Jones, Ann Love, Lydia Love, Sarah White,
Jane White, Margaret Hunter, Joseph Mc-
Pherson, Samuel R. McAllister, G. J. Joints,
Patrick McGuigan, Robert W. Long, Ben-
jamin Ziegler and jNIalona Gowin. Miss
Ann Love continued in the employ of the
board until December 19, 1870, when her
resignation was reluctantly accepted, after
a service of thirty-four years. Patrick Mc-
Guigan taught in the public schools thirty-
two years, from 1836 to 1868, and died while
in service. William Kraber taught for a
period of twenty-two years; Miss Rebecca
Welshans, who died in April, 1876, thirty
years; Miss Rebecca Kraber, who died in
1872, twenty-four years. Daniel M. Et-
tinger, the surveyor and mathematician, did
good service for fourteen years in York
schools, and afterwards taught mathematics
in the York County Academy.
From 1834 to 1870, nearly all the school
buildings used in York were imperfectly
built, badly ventilated and equipped with
furniture characteristic of the period. The
726
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
original Central School on West King
Street, near George, was the tirst school
building where improved desks and school
apparatus were put into use. It was built
in 1850 at a cost of $2,200. The advanced
pupils in York under the instruction of
Charles Austin, Andrew Dinsmore and
James W. Latimer, attended that school
from the time of its erection until the High
School was established. The highest grade
contained a small library of well-selected
books, a physical laboratory, maps, charts
and other essentials for advanced methods
of teaching. Duke Street building, oppo-
site the City Market House, was erected in
i860. Later, in 1868, a school house on
the rear of the same lot was erected.
The High School was founded in
High the Duke Street front school house
School, in 1870 and remained there for two
years. A lot was purchased on
Philadelphia Street, between A\'ater and
Beaver Streets, and a High School building
completed in 1872, at a cost of $35,544.
Edward Haviland, of York, was the archi-
tect. The Philadelphia Street building was
used by the High School for twenty-five
years. Originally the second floor only was
occupied by the High School, but as the
town grew and the number of pupils in-
creased, almost the entire building was
used by this institution.
In 1897, the school board obtained an
eligible site on the north side of College
Avenue, facing Penn Park, and erected the
York High School, a building imposing in
appearance, large and commodious, pos-
sessing all the requirements of the most im-
proved school buildings. It was built from
a design made by Architect B. F. A\'illis.
The entire building was completed in 1899
and furnished at a cost of $170,000. The
auditorium has a seating capacity of 1600.
It is frequentl)^ used as a meeting place for
the York County Teachers' Institute, public
lectures and entertainments.
The York High School, originally founded
for the purpose of preparing its students for
higher educational institutions and for the
active duties of life, graduated its first class
in June, 1872. The faculty of the institu-
tion was then composed of William H. Shel-
ley, George R. Prowell, Peter Bentz and
Miss Mary E. Kell. The members of the
board of education were Daniel Kraber.
president; A. R. Blair, secretary; Alexander
Duncan, George W. Reever, John M.
Brown, John M. Deitch, Henry Lanius,
Clay E. Lewis, Alexander Spangler, Her-
man Noss, Zachariah Dugan and Edward
H. Pentz.
Miss Flora B. Hays, who became a suc-
cesssful teacher in the public schools of
York, and Edward P. Stair, since 1882
cashier of the Farmers' National Bank of
York, composed the first graduating class.
Dr. Edward Brooks, principal of the State
Normal School at Millersville, and later
superintendent of schools at Philadelphia,
delivered a public address at the time of the
first commencement held in the Court
House. Originally the High School had
but one course of study, which included
careful training in mathematics, the English
branches, and ancient and modern lan-
guages. In order to meet the demands,
subsequently, besides the regular courses
required for graduation, elective courses
were added to the school curriculum. The
York High School, which during its first
year had sixty-five students, in 1907 had an
enrollment of 476. The entire number who
graduated from 1872 to 1907 was 823.
Miss Mary E. Kell, a member of the first
faculty of the school, continued to teach in
various departments of the institution, until
her voluntary retirement in 1904. William
H. Shelley continued as superintendent and
principal until 1880. Since that date, A.
Wanner, William Shearer, Otis L. Jacobs,
F. M. McLaury and Charles B. Penny-
packer, in order of succession, have filled
the position of principal of the York High
School. Among the assistant principals
and instructors who served for many years,
have been Kolce Preston, H. C. Brenneman,
F. W^. Porter, S. Weiser Ziegler and Miss
Anna E. Wellensiek.
As the city grew, large and commodious
buildings were required in most of the
wards. They were supplied with modern
apparatus and furniture. The following is
a list of these buildings, together with the
cost and time of erection : Original Cherry
Street, built in 1875, at a cost of $13,470;
original Burrows, AVest King Street, in 1872,
$13,694; East Market Street, 1873, $3,315;
East King Street, 1878, $887; Salem Road,
1880; West Princess Street, 1889, $8,560;
Stevens, AA'est Philadelphia Street, 1890,
THE CITY OF YORK
727
$15,985; North Pine Street, 1892, $25,850;
old Arch Street, 1892, $2,595; Small-
wood, South Water Street, 1892, $4,-
150; Central, King Street, 1896, $23,-
690; Garfield, North Penn Street, 1896,
$25,336; Fairmount, 1896, $1,637; Ridge
Avenue, 1901, $4,069; Franklin, East King
Street, 1903, $38,300; Hartley, West Prin-
cess Street, 1904, $40,493; Noell, East Col-
lege Avenue, 1905, $39,723; Jefferson Build-
ing on Jefferson Avenue, 1907, $45,243.
From the time of the
City passage of the act creat-
Superintendency. ing the office of county
superintendent of schools
in 1854^ until the year 1871, the schools of
York were under the supervision of that
officer. The field of labor was too ex-
tensive for him to devote much special at-
tention to York. Stephen G. Boyd, then
county superintendent, urged upon the York
board of education the necessity of taking
advantage of the act allowing them to elect
a borough superintendent, a part of whose
salary would be paid by the state appro-
priation. The board being composed of
men of intelligence and enterprise, passed a
resolution accepting" the provisions of the
act and elected W. H. Shelley borough su-
perintendent. He was formerly from York,
but at that time was professor of languages
in Albion co}lege, Michigan, and thoroughly
prepared for the position. After the borough
was incorporated into a city in 1887 the of-
fice was changed to that of city sitperintend-
ent of schools.
William H. Shelley continued in office un-
til 1890, when he resigned and became one
of the instructors in the Woman's College,
Baltimore. A. Wanner, a graduate of Frank-
lin and Marshall College, who had served
with success as principal of the York High
School, was elected city superintendent in
1890. During his administration York has
grown rapidly in population and the number
of schools has increased from 59 to 139.
They are taught by an enterprising corps of
teachers and the public schools under Su-
perintendent Wanner, during the past eigh-
teen years, have made commendable pro-
gress, and now rank with the best in the
state of Pennsylvania. The number of pu-
pils enrolled in York in 1855 was i,iii;
1870, 2,135; 1880, 2,435; 1890, 3,226; 1900,
4,615; 1906, 6,493.
At the foot of Beaver Street
York in York, stands the historic old
County York County Academy, within
Academy, whose sacred walls many inci-
dents have transpired dear to
the hearts of a great number of persons of
all ages and conditions in life. For nearly
three-fourths of a century, it was the lead-
ing educational institution in York County
where the higher branches were taught.
The land on which it is situated was lot No.
636, in the original plot of the town of York.
In 1777 Conrad Leatherman became the
owner of the lot. In 1785 he sold it to St.
John's Protestant Episcopal Church of York.
Rev. John Campbell, then rector of this
church, obtained the sum of $5,000 toward
building an academy on tliis lot and
a rector}^ on the adjoining one. The acad-
emy building was erected in 1787. The
same building, with a few slight changes,
is standing and in use. On September 20,
1787 the academy was incorporated with
the St. John's Episcopal Church, to which
the institution then belonged. The Revo-
lutionary soldier. Colonel Thomas Hartley,
was then president of the board of trustees;
Robert Hetrick, secretary; General Henry
Miller, treasurer; Hon. James Smith, Col-
onel David Grier, AYilliam Harris and Rev.
Mr. Henderson, trustees. March i, 1788,
Rev. James Armstrong, who afterwards
was rector of St. John's Church, became
the first teacher in the English department
and principal of the academjr. He was re-
quired to teach reading, writing and mathe-
matics. The price of tuition to the children
of the town and county was forty shillings ;
others, three pounds per annum. Robert
Hetrick was engaged to teach the Latin,
Greek and French languages, rhetoric, ex-
perimental philosophy, geography, astron-
omy and history; Rev. John Campbell,
moral philosophy and divinity.
By a second act of the legislature, ap-
proved March i, 1799, the academy was ten-
dered as a public school for York County
by the rector, wardens and vestrymen of
St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church, in
whom the property by the previous act had
been vested. By this second act, all right
and title to said buildings, and grounds
were conveyed to and vested in the trustees
of the York County Academy. By speci-
fication in the act it was established as a
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
I
"school or academy for the education of
youth in the learned and foreign languages,
in the useful arts, sciences and literature."
Under the specifications of this charter
it became a representative institution for
the education of the young of all denomi-
nations in the County of York, and twenty-
one trustees were appointed as follows :
Rev. John Campbell, rector of the Episcopal
Church ; Rev. Jacob Goering, pastor of the
Lutheran Church ; Dr. Robert Cathcart, pas-
tor of the Presbyterian Church ; Rev. Daniel
Wagner, pastor of the Reformed Church ;
Colonel Thomas Hartley, Hon. James
Smith, signer of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence; Captain John Edie, Major John
Clark, Dr. Jacob Hay, Sr., Jacob Barnitz,
Conrad Laub, Jacob Rudisill, of Hanover,
Elihu Underwood, of Warrington ; William
Ross, of Chanceford; Colonel Michael Smy-
ser, of West Manchester; A\'illiam Paxton,
of Newberry; Captain Philip Gossler, of
York; William McClellan, Colonel William
Scott, John Black and George Bard, of that
portion of York Count}' now embraced in
Adams. County.
James Smith served as president of the
board of trustees until 1800, when, on ac-
count of the infirmities of age, he resigned
and John Edie was elected.
Robert Adrain, who afterward became a
noted mathematician, was appointed teacher
at this time and girls were admitted as
pupils.
The following named persons, in addi-
tion to several charter members, served as
trustees in regular succession: Henry Miller,
David Cassatt, Ralph Bowie, Dr. John Mor-
ris, Andrew Robinson, Josiah Updegraft",
Maxwell McDowell, William Barber
AA'illiam Nes, Thomas Taylor, George
Small, James Kelly, Rev. John G.
Schmucker, Charles A. Barnitz, Rev.
Lewis Mayer, Dr. William Mcllvaine,
John Schmidt, C. A. ]\Iorris, Daniel
Durkee, James B. A\'ebb, George S. Morris,
Richard Rush, Philip A. Small, James S.
Connellee, Jacob Emmitt, Jacob Barnitz,
Charles Weiser, John Voglesong, John
Evans, Captain Donaldson, Jacob Spangler,
Peter Mclntyre, Dr. H. McClellan, Rev.
Solomon Oswald, Eli Lewis, Dr. T. N. Hal-
ler, Thomas E. Cochran, J. G. Campbell,
Dr. Jacob Hay, A. J. Glossbrenner, Rev. C.
W. Thompson, AA'illiam AA'agner, Robert J.
Fisher, Rev. C. J. Hutchins, Rev. A. H.
Lochman, D. D., Edward G. Smyser, Rev.
J. O. Miller, D. D., V. K. Keesey, Rev.
Johnathan Oswald, Henry Lanius, William
Danner, Gates G. Weiser, Charles S. Wei-
ser, David E. Small, M. B. Spahr, Lewis
Carl, Israel Laucks, Rev. William Baum,
D. D., George F. Leber, Rev. L. A. Gotwalt,
D. D., W. Latimer Small, Rev. A. W. Lilly,
Jere Carl, W. H. Welsh, W. H. Souder,
John J. Vandersloot, John W. Buckingham,
Rev. E. W. Shields.
On May 7, 1874, Dr. C. A. Morris died,
having served for more than fifty years as a
member of the board. November 20, 1819,
the name of D. B. Prince, first occurs as a
teacher. He continued to serve in the fe-
male department, with the exception of a
few years, until July 18, 1866, a period of
forty-five years. Upon his retirement, the
male and female departments, which had
been separated during forty-three years
(1823-1866), were again consolidated, and
George W. Ruby, who had served as prin-
cipal of the male department from 1850, was
elected to the principalship of both depart-
ments.
Prominent among the teachers who died
while in the service of the institution was
Rev. Stephen Boyer, whose faithful labor
of twenty-five years (1823-1848), received
a worthy tribute from the board of trustees.
On April i, 1870, the female department
was discontinued.
The following names appear among the
teachers of an early date: Thaddeus Ste-
vens, Bacon, Carothers, Steen, Smith,
James, Livermore, Beardsley, Morrilas,
Blanchard, Skinner, Daniel Kirkwood, af-
terward known as the great astronomer;
Miss Coulson and Mrs. Young. Thaddeus
Stevens began his legal studies in York,
while a teacher in the academy. George W.
Ruby, Ph. D., a graduate of Marshall Col-
lege, at Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, occu-
pied the position of principal for nearly
thirty years, commencing in 1866 and
served continuously until his death in 1881.
During that period he prepared a large
number of young men for college and the
business activities of life. He was suc-
ceeded as principal by George W. Gross,
who served for a period of three years. C.
C. Stauft'er was elected in 1885 and filled
the position until 1887, when David H.
THE CITY OF YORK
729
Gardner was elected. When the latter was
chosen county superintendent of public
schools in 1893, George W. Gross was again
elected principal of the academy and con-
tinued in the position until his retirement
in 1898. E. E. Wentworth, of Massachu-
setts, served in this position from 1899 to
1905. James H. Crowell, who had served
for six years as one of the instructors in
the institution, succeeded as principal and
served until his voluntary retirement on ac-
count of ill heatlh in March, 1906. David
H. Gardner, who for twelve years was the
active and efficient county superintendent
of schools, was then chosen principal of this
institution. The board of trustees in 1907
were: John W. Bittenger, president; Jere
Carl, secretary; William R. Horner, treas-
urer; John C. Jordan, Capt. AV. H. Lanius,
George P. Smyser, Rev. C. E. Walter, D.
D., Charles S. Weiser, Philip A. Small, AV.
F. Bay Stewart, D. K. Trimmer, Israel
Laucks, George S. Billmeyer, John J. A/an-
dersloot, Horace Keesev, Henry Small,
•Fred. A. Beck, William H. Welsh, Rev. A.
G. Fastnacht, D. D., Rev. Adam Stump,
D. D.
The Centennial celebration of
Centennial, the York County Academy
was held September 19 and 20,
1887. The exercises began in the York
Opera House on the evening of September
19, in the presence of a large audience.
Alumni and students were seated on the
stage. Rev. J. O. Miller, D. D., presided at
the meeting; Hon. James W.Latimer, judge
of the York County Courts, delivered the
anniversary address. An ode, written by
H. C. Niles, adapted to the tune "Jerusalem
the Golden," was sung by a chorus, as-
sisted by the audience. Hon. John Gibson,
president judge of the County Courts, read
an historical sketch of the institution ; an
ode, written by Mrs. Amanda C. Crider, to
the tune "Star Spangled Banner," was sung;
an original poem was read by Hon. AA'^illiam
H. AA^elsh, and an ode, written by Robert F.
Gibson to tune,"AuldLang Syne," was sung.
Exercises were held in the York County
Academy on the following day. George
W. Gross, the principal, delivered an ad-
dress of welcome ; letters were read from
members of the alumni, not present ; and a
biography of David B. Prince, a former
principal, was read by one of the pupils.
At the evening session Rev. Dr. John G.
Morris, of Baltimore, who had been a stu-
dent at the academy from 1817 to 1820,
gave his recollections of his school days.
Rev. Dr. Charles Hay, of Gettysburg, read
a paper referring to the early history of
the academy written by Rev. Samuel Bacon.
George AA". Heiges read a poem prepared
by Mrs. Catherine L. Moore; D. K. Trim-
mer read a paper written by a former pupil
on the life and character of George W.
Ruby, who served as a principal for thirty-
two years. George H. Gibson, of the regu-
lar army, a former student, delivered a brief
address. A poem written by Daniel M. Et-
tinger, a former teacher, was read by Capt.
Frank Geise.
The "Lancastrian System," so
Lancastrian called in honor of Joseph Lan-
School. caster, a native of England,
who visited Pennsylvania
about 1815, was based upon monitorial or
mutual instruction. It required that a
school should be divided into several sec-
tions, according to the acquirements of the
scholars ; over each one of these sections
the head teacher appointed a "monitor,"
generally the most advanced pupil, whose
duty it was to superintend the instruction
of his companions in the section in which he
belonged.
A school of this kind was opened in York
"on Water Street, in the house of Jacob
AA' ampler," on April i, 1816, by Abner
Thomas and Amos Gilbert, two educated
members of the Society of Friends. They
were then both intimate associates of Thad-
deus Stevens, who was a teacher at the
academy. They taught reading, arithmetic,
writing, English Grammar, and the Eng-
lish classics, and furnished the pupils with
books and paper. Amos Gilbert afterward
became a noted educator. The school was
moved to a building adjoining the Friends'
Meeting House on Philadelphia Street. In
1820 Francis McDermott was teacher. This
school prospered for a number of years.
The ReformedTheologicalSem-
Reformed inary, now an influential and
Seminary, prosperous institution at Lan-
caster, Pennsylvania, w-as
founded by act of the general Synod of the
Reformed Church, held at Bedford, Sep-
tember, 1824. The institution was opened
at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, May 17, 1825. It
730
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
occupied rooms in Dickinson College, where
Rev. Lewis Mayer, D. D., then one of the
prominent clergymen of the Reformed
Church, and the chief founder of the Sem-
inary, lectured to the students. His lectures
covered the whole range of the theological
thought. His biography appears on page
467-
When the institution was opened there
were only five students, but the number in-
creased from year to year. In September,
1828, by order of the Synod held at Leba-
non, the seminary was removed from Car-
lisle to York, where it occupied a convenient
building at the northwest corner of Market
and Penn streets. Rev. Dr. Mayer was
chosen professor of Dogmatic Theology.
The institution was opened at York with a
good attendance and encouraging prospects
for future success. Rev. Mr. Young was
elected assistant professor in the seminary.
A classical school connected with the
seminary was established May, 1832, at
York, by authority of the Reformed
Synod which met at Harrisburg in 183 1.
The school was conducted in a build-
ing on the east side of South George
Street, on the site of the parsonage of St.
Mary's Catholic Church. The first princi-
pal was Rev. William A. Good, afterward
pastor of Zion Reformed Church. In Sep-
tember, 1832, the synod appointed Rev. F.
A. Ranch principal of this institution and
professor of sacred literature in the theo-
logical seminary. Rev. Rauch was born
in Germany and was graduated from the
University of Marburg. He came to Amer-
ica, in 1831, and after serving one year as
professor of German at Lafayette College,
came to York. The classical school under
his principalship was successful. Rev. John
H. Agnew, formerly professor of languages
in Washington College, Pennsylvania, was
appointed assistant, and upon his resigna-
tion in September, 1833, Rev. H. Miller was
elected his successor. Rev. Charles Dober,
pastor of the Moravian Church at York,
was engaged as assistant in May, 1832, and
in the spring of 1834, upon the resignation
of Mr. Miller, Samuel W. Budd was ap-
pointed to the vacancy. The classical school
continued at York until 1835, when it was
removed to Mercersburg, Pennsylvania,
where it was incorporated with Marshall
College, with Dr. Rauch as the first presi-
ident. A library composed of nearly 4,000
volumes was a part of the equipment of the
theological seminary and the classical school
at York. These books were chiefly in the
German language, among which were some
rare works.
The seminary remained at York until
1837, when it also was removed to Mercers-
burg. Marshall College remained there un-
til it was removed to Lancaster, where it
was incorporated in 1853, with Franklin
College and became Franklin and Marshall
College. The Goethean Literary Society of
this college was organized under Dr. Rauch,
in the classical school at York. During the
nine years that the Reformed Theological
Seminary was in York it educated large
numbers of young men for the ministry.
Rev. Mr. Riegle, of Dillsburg, who served
as pastor of the Reformed congregation in
that borough, and lived until 1889, was the
last survivor of Reformed clergymen edu-
cated in the Seminary at York.
This institution was started as
Cottage a young ladies' seminary by-
Hill Rev. T. F. Hey, of Baltimore,
Seminary, who had a large attendance of
students for a number of years.
Rev. Daniel Eberly, D. D., was his suc-
cessor. During his presidency it became a
chartered institution, in connection with the
conference of the United Brethren in Christ,
with powers to confer degrees upon com-
pleting a course of study. For a time S.
B. Heiges and W. H. Griffith conducted a
normal school in the building. For school
purposes it was last used by the Misses
Thornbury and Mifflin, who had the
" Young Ladies' Seminary of York" in this
building for a number of years.
The Cottage Hill College was situated
near the Codorus, within the present limits
of the Thirteenth ward.
Before 1870 Samuel Small, Sr.,
Collegiate conceived the idea of providing
Institute. in his own town, means for the
liberal education of its youth.
The Norwich Free Academy, which he saw
on a visit to the town where it is situated,
seemed to embody almost his own idea.
Soon after returning home he selected a
quarter square on the northeast corner of
Duke Street and what has since been
known as College Avenue, and in 187 1 the
corner-stone of the first building was laid.
THE CITY OF YORK
731
He added a liberal endowment which
was increased by the generosity of the
founder's widow, Mrs. Isabel Cassat Small.
The Cassat library of two thousand, five
hundred volumes was a later gift. A board
of trustees of Mr. Small's own selection, was
organized April 14, 1873, a charter was ob-
tained August 27, of the same year, and on
September 15 the Institute was opened for
students. A faculty of five with Rev. James
McDougal, Ph. D., as president, had been
chosen, and fifty students were ready to be
enrolled. On July 14, 1885 the venerable
founder and president of the board of trus-
tees died, and his nephew, Samuel Small,
was chosen to fill the place. On December
7, of the same year, the building was entirely
destroyed by fire. Recitations were con-
ducted in the York County Hospital, an-
other of Mr. Small's gifts to the city, until a
new building was completed. This new
building, erected by his nephews, W. Lat-
imer, Samuel and George Small, is larger,
more convenient and more elaborate than
the first, and was dedicated Tuesday, March
15, 1887. The front door of the main build-
ing is the entrance to memorial hall. Fac-
ing the door is a portrait, almost life size,
of the honored founder.
During the thirty-three years of the life
of the Institute, the average attendance has
been a little over one hundred each year.
The graduates have averaged ten. About
fifteen hundred different students have been
under instruction, and over three hundred
have been graduated. Of the young men
who have graduated, twelve have become
lawyers, twelve physicians, thirty-three
clergymen, six teachers, four farmers, thirty-
six business men and three journalists.
Nine have filled important positions as su-
perintendents, chemists, draughtsmen or
civil engineers. j\Iany are pursuing their
studies at colleges and technical schools.
Of the young women graduates forty-five
are married, nine are teachers, eight are
continuing their studies. Of the non-grad-
uates many are in the professions and in
college.
The plan of the school, as the founder de-
signed it, was two-fold, both to give the
young people of York and vicinity, who
wished to finish their studies at home, a
well rounded literary and scientific educa-
tion, and also to fit for college any boys who
were preparing for a higher education.
For more than ten years the course here
fitted the graduate for the junior class in
the best colleges. When it was found that
most students preferred to enter the fresh-
man class, the course was changed to meet
the demand. Another change made in 1893,
admits young women to the classical and
scientific courses, that they, as well as the
young men may be fitted for college. Grad-
uates have entered and have been graduated
from Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Swarth-
more. Woman's College of Baltimore, Wil-
son, Bucknell, and Lebanon Valley.
Of the original board of trustees but two
remain, the president and John M. Brown.
The other members are : Col. W. S. Frank-
lin, A'V. M. Franklin, George S. Schmidt, J.
S. Miller, M. D. ; Rev. Charles A. Oliver,
Philip A. Small, A. M. Grove, Samuel Small,
Jr., J. A. Dempwolf, Rev. AV. J. Oliver. Rev.
George W. Ely, Rev. F. C. Yost, Rev. D. S.
Curry.
After the death of Dr. McDougall, Prof.
A. B. Carner, senior professor, conducted
the affairs of the school until Rev. E. T.
Jeffers, D. D., elected in February, 1893,
took up the duties of the presidency on
May I, of the same year. The other mem-
bers of the faculty are A. B. Carner, A. M.,
elected in 1876; Charles H. Ehrenfeld, Ph.
D., elected in 1887; Miss M. S. Bixby,
elected in 1877; R. Z. Hartzler, A. M..
elected in 1898; Miss Edith Latane, A. B.,
elected in 1902, and Edith H. Chapman, B.
S., elected in 1904.
The Phi Sigma Literary Society, com-
posed of the young men of the three higher
classes and the male members of the fac-
ulty, meets every Friday evening for the
cultivation of. the art of composition and
expression.
A Y. M. C. A. has been in existence for
twenty years and does effective work in
developing the spiritual life of its members.
The board, faculty and students work to-
gether to make real the hope of the founder,
expressed on the day of the dedication of
the first building, as the closing words of
his address, "And may God's blessing ever
rest on this Institute and make it a means
of promoting sound Christian education."
The development of the busi-
Commercial ness and manufacturing in-
Schools. terests of York necessitated
IZ^
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the establishment of schools for the
special training of young men and women
for position in the counting room, the
business office and the bank. T. Kirk
White, a noted penman, opened a commer-
cial school before the Civil war, which pros-
pered for several years. He trained a large
number of young men in penmanship, book-
keeping and business arithmetic. S. B.
Gensler conducted the next school. About
1875 John Schlee, an Englishman and a stu-
dent of Pitman, the originator of the sys-
tem of shorthand, introduced the subject
of stenography into York and taught a class
for several months. Commercial schools
were taught by Leeds and Batcheldor for
several terms. About 1894 W. H. Pat-
rick opened a commercial school in which
he has since trained a large number of stu-
dents in stenography and bookkeeping.
The York School of Business, with depart-
ments of shorthand, bookkeeping and teleg-
raphy, was opened in January, 1904, and has
successfully trained many stenographers,
bookkeepers and telegraph operators. It is
owned and conducted by George R. Prowell.
The Children's Home, which
Children's occupies a conspicuous build-
Home, ing on East Philadelphia Street,
York, was founded through
the generosity of Samuel Small, Sr., in 1865,
the last year of the Civil war. The school
received a charter of incorporation in which
it is stated that the institution is for the
purpose of educating, training and provid-
ing a means of livelihood for friendless and
destitute children distinct from the state
provisions for soldiers' orphans. On May,
18, 1865, when the institution opened in a
private house, a large number of the orig-
inal pupils were children of soldiers who had
recently returned from the war. The pro-
ject was a success and in 1867, a four story
brick building was erected, largely through
the generosity of Samuel Small, Sr., assisted
by certain contributions from his brother-
in-law, Charles A. Morris. The cost of the
building was $40,000. At this time children
of soldiers from the counties of York, Dau-
phin, Adams and Cumberland were admitted
to the institution and carefully trained for
usefulness in life. Up to the year 1885
ninety soldiers' children had received their
early training in this home. At the age of
ten they were transferred to the soldiers'
orphans schools in different parts of the
state. In 1884 Samuel Small added im-
provements to the building at a cost of
$8,000. The children's home is largely sup-
ported by donations and contributions from
charitable and benevolent citizens of York
and vicinity.
In 1899 the late Samuel Smyser presented
to the Children's Home a farm containing
125 acres, situated in West Manchester
Township. This farm was originally pur-
chased from the proprietaries of Pennsyl-
vania by his paternal ancestor, Mathias
Smyser, who came to York County from
Germany and settled on this land in 1745.
Charles A. Morris, in his will bequeathed
$5,000, the interest of which is to be used
in support of the institution. Miss Helen
Kell has served as instructor in this school
for seventeen years. This institution has
filled an important mission in the city and
county of York. Its board of trustees in
1907 was composed of the following: Sam-
uel Small, president; John M. Brown, first
vice president; William H. Welsh, second
vice president ; Clarence Eisenhart, secre-
tary; George S. Schmidt, treasurer; J. A.
Dempwolf, Peter McLean, George H.
Buck, E. E. Johnson, John W. Steacy, Dr.
J. S. Miller, George P. Smyser, William
Laucks, David P. Klinedinst, Fahs Smith,
Dr. J. H. Yeagley.
SOCIETIES.
Among the literary institutions of York
was the Franklin Lyceum, originally the
Franklin Debating Society, an association
for "mutual improvement," by means of
debates, essays and lectures, which held
its meetings in the York County Academy.
Many of the young men of that day, pupils
of the academy and others, derived great
benefit from its teachings and discussions.
The society was formed in December, 1839,
and continued in active operation until 1845.
In the State House, that stood in Centre
Square, and was torn down in 1840 was the
York County Library, a large collection of
standard works, which was removed to the
room occupied by the Franklin Lyceum.
Some of the members of the Lyceum were
G. Christopher Stair, David F. Williams, D.
Spangler AVagner, Joseph Garretson,
Charles M. Smyser, William Sayers, David
E. Small, Erastus H. Weiser, Daniel Kirk-
THE CITY OF YORK
7?>i
wood, the astronomer, Rev. Augustus C.
Wedikind, D. D., Rev. John Fritz, Com-
mander \\'illiam Gibson, United States
Navy, General H. Gates Gibson, United
States Army, Thomas Franklin, civil engi-
neer, W. Henry Welsh, formerly state sen-
ator from York County, Hon. John Gibson
and Henry J. Stable, editor of the Gettys-
burg Compiler. After the dissolution of
the I^yceum, in 1845, there was formed the
Franklin Literary Association, with the
same object. The Franklin Lyceum was
subsequently reorganized in 1849 and con-
tinued for several years.
The Irving Literary Society, com-
Irving posed of representative men of
Society. York was organized in 1866. The
society held its meetings in the
second story of Masonic Hall. It~ existed
several years, during which time its mem-
bers participated in many lively debates.
The subjects discussed were the issues of
the day. This was shortly after the close
of the Civil war, when the policy of the
government during the reconstruction pe-
riod in the South, interested the whole
country. The general amnesty bill, demon-
etization of silver, the Franco-Prussian war,
the San Domingo question and topics of a
similar kind were debated before this soci-
ety. Among the prominent members were:
James W. Latimer, Martin S. Eichelberger,
Colonel Levi Maish, Captain W. H. Lanius,
Hiram S. McNair, John Gibson, George W.
Heiges, James B. Ziegler, S- B. Gensler,
Hiram Young, Dr. Charles H. Bressler,
Rev. Octavius Perinchief, Rev. Charles
J. Williams, Edward Haviland, Peter Bentz,
A. H. Chase, George W. INIcElroy, D. Big-
ler Bailey.
The last meeting of the society was held
in the spring of 1873, when George AV.
Heiges was president and George R. Prow-
ell, secretary. As a part of the program,
one of the members of this society at each
meeting was called upon to stand before the
audience and make a speech of ten minutes,
without preparation, upon any subject that
the president might assign him. Topics re-
lating to current events were generally se-
lected. Sometimes, however, the most ab-
struse questions of philosophy, science or
law were assigned to the speaker, and if he
could not perform his duty any member of
the society could take his place.
The Historical Society of York
Historical County was organized in 1895,
Society. when the annual dues were
fixed at $5.00. The Soci-
ety started with encouraging prospects,
but never held any regular meetings until
1902. During that year a vigorous effort
was put forth and the membership of the
Society was increased from forty to two
hundred and fifty, and the annual dues re-
duced to $2.00. The sum of $2,200 was
raised for the purpose of starting a library
of works relating to Pennsylvania; local
imprints, historic views, and purchase any
mementos or souvenirs relating to York
County and Southern Pennsylvania.
The work went on with encouraging suc-
cess. The county commissioners gave, free
of rent and supplied with heat, a large room
on the third floor of the County Court
House.
Since the year 1902 at least 12,000 per-
sons annually have visited the room to con-
sult the library, view the articles in the
museum and the large collection of por-
traits and views which decorate the walls.
The whole thought and ambition of the
society has been to collect and preserve for
all time to come, any and everything of his-
toric interest, typical of the modes of life
of our ancestors, from the time of the first
settlement down to the present year.
The library contains two thousand vol-
umes, nearly all of which relate to Pennsyl-
vania. The collection of specimens of In-
dian life are unique and very complete.
They were all found within the limits of
York County.
The last accession to the museum is the
collection of all the birds, birds' nests and
eggs, found in Southern Pennsylvania; also
a collection of butterflies and other insects.
This collection was made by George Miller,
an amateur naturalist, of York, who spent
thirty years of his life in his chosen occupa-
tion.
The original board of trustees of the so-
ciety in 1895, was composed of the follow-
ing named gentlemen: Rev. Charles James
Wood, John W. Bittenger, E. W. Spangler,
Jere Carl, D. K. Trimmer, J. W. Steacy.
The first officers elected were: John C.
Jordan, president; George P. Smyser, vice
president; Charles M. Billmeyer. treasurer;
Charles A. Hawkins, recording secretary;
734
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
William F. \Veiser, corresponding secre-
tary. The presidents in order of succession
have been : John C. Jordan, Jere Carl, Rev.
H. E. Niles, D. D., John W. Bittenger, M.
B. Spahr, George P. Sm.yser and Robert
C. Bair. Charles A. Hawkins has served
as recording" secretary since the organiza-
tion in 1895. George R. Prowell has been
the curator and librarian since 1902, and
Miss Lena T. Root, assistant.
LIBRARIES.
The York County Library Company ex-
isted as early as 1794, when James Smith, of
York, a signer of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence, was its president. A published
list of the library for that year shows that
it contained 125 volumes. Most of these
books related to history theology and gen-
eral literature. This library was kept on
the second story of the Court House, which
stood in Centre Square. It was patronized
by man}.' people for nearly half a century.
Meantime, it was removed to the second
story of the ofSce building which stood east
of the Court House.
In 1818 the library company was reorgan-
ized as a stock company, and the following
year was removed to the public house of
Thomas McGrath in Centre Square. In
1822 a number of new books were pur-
chased. At this time Rev. J. G. Schmucker
was president; Samuel Small, secretary; Ja-
cob Emmit, treasurer; John Evans, assist-
ant secretary; D. Heckert, M. W. Ash, D.
B. Prince, C. A. Morris, Samuel A\'agner,
John Vogelsong, Jonathan Jessop, James
Lewis, Philip Smyser, James B. Webb,
\A'. S. Franklin, Eli Lewis, directors.
In 1829 more books were added to the li-
brary and a catalogue was published. About
1840 the library was removed to the room
occupied by the Franklin Lyceum in the
York County Academy. Although the li-
brary never contained more than one thou-
sand volumes it filled an important mission
in cultivating a taste for literature among
the eaidy citizens of York. Many of the
books, however, were taken out and never
returned.
A public library under the name
Public of the United Library Associa-
Library. tion, was established in York in
1874, chiefly through the efforts
of lodges of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. Prior to the adoption of definite
plans by the lodges, the project took shape
through the efforts and interest of a few in-
dividuals. George E. Sherwood was the
originator of the enterprise. Mt. Zion, Hu-
mane, Harmonia and Mt. Vernon Encamp-
ment are the I. O. O. F. lodges referred to;
with these, the Conewago tribe of Red Men,
the Mystic Band, the White Rose Lodge of
the Knights of Pythias united and contri-
buted to establish the library.
Upon the payment of a nominal fee, a
small amount collected to meet expenses,
any one secured the privileges of the li-
brary. In addition to the sum collected in
that way, the interested lodges' contributed
a certain sum yearly to maintain and in-
crease the number of books. Additional
shelves were soon needed to receive
books donated by the public and those ob-
tained by purchase, till the once commo-
dious quarters on the first floor of Odd Fel-
lows" Hall became too small. Necessary
expenses, notwithstanding the practice of
rigid economy, confronted the lodges yearly
in the shape of a deficit to be met by a gen-
eral assessment, moreover the rooms were
needed for other purposes, so that the li-
brary was closed in 1893.
It was suggested to the school board that
these books, stored in Odd Fellows' Hall
since 1893, might be secured, and by being
put in the new High School, made to ful-
fill the purpose for which they were origi-
nally collected. Communication with the
lodges interested, resulted in joint meet-
ings and led to the donation of the books to
the school board in accordance with cer-
tain provisions, which were agreed to and
adopted.
During the summer of 1897 the books,
3,195 in number, were taken from the upper
floor of Odd Fellows' Hall, at the corner of
George and King Streets, to the Central
School building. The following constituted
the first board of managers : F. James
Evans, A. Wanner, O. L. Jacobs, F. M.
Dick, J. F. Gable, James Eppley, J. Ilgen-
fritz, A. B. Farquhar, Capt. Frank Geise,
Rev. Charles James Wood and Henry
Small. Through the liberality of A. B. Far-
quhar and Henry Small, an expert cata-
loguer was secured. Under her supervision
the books were classified according to the
Dewey decimal system. Meantime, contri-
THE CITY OF YORK
735
butions were solicited and received so that
by the time the work of the cataloguer was
completed, the total number of volumes had
been increased to 4,200. The books were
placed in a room on the first floor of the
new High School and the library opened to
the general public April 19, 1900. The city
superintendent, A. Wanner, was appointed
librarian. In June, 1901, the position of as-
sistant librarian was created, the salary at-
tached being paid by the school board. To
this office F. L. Spangler was elected.
For several 3'ears funds to maintain and
increase the library were obtained chiefly
through High School entertainments. An
occasional donation from some other source
was received. In 1903 the school board
made the first appropriation of $300 for the
purchase of new books. Since then the
board has yearly appropriated a small
amount for this purpose.
The librarian's report for 1906 shows that
there are 8,323 books on the shelves ; that
for the preceding year there were 16,193
book charges ; and that the average monthly
circulation equalled 1,157 volumes. The
yearly catalogues of the York public schools
compiled by the city superintendent, con-
tain full information of the history and man-
agement of the public library. The state-
ments in this article have been obtained
from that source, to which the reader is re-
ferred for any additional information that
may be desired.
Rev. Charles James Wood, who
Wood served as rector of St. John's
Library. Episcopal Church from 1894 un-
til his death in 1906, bequeathed
to this congregation, his private library con-
taining about 8,000 books and pamphlets.
The conditions of this bequest require the
vestry of the church to furnish a place so
it can be utilized as apublicreferencelibrary.
It is a valuable collection of books and in
1907 provisions were made to open this li-
brary in the parish house, adjoining St.
John's church, for the use of the people of
York and vicinity.
The Cassat Library was founded
Cassat by the trustees of the York Col-
Library, legiate Institute soon after that
institution was established. It
was named in honor of Isabel Cassat, wife
of Samuel Small, Sr., founder of the Insti-
tute. It originally contained a few hundred
volumes. During the progress of this in-
stitution the librar}^ has been enlarged and
in 1907 contained 3,000 volumes. This li-
brary is made up of a selection of the best
works of literature, science, art, philosophy
and history.
The First Presbyterian Church, of York,
has a well selected library, containing" 1,500
volumes. This number does not include a
Sunday School library in the chapel of that
church.
As early as 1850 patrons, friends and stu-
dents of the York County Academy began
the collection of a library for use in that in-
stitution. Originally most of its volumes
were reference books but many other vol-
umes on history, science and literature have
been added. John C. Jordan, a member of
the board of trustees and a prominent cit-
izen of York, recently contributed funds for
the purchase of reference works and such
other books as are needful for the students
of the academy.
The Historical Society of York County
owns a collection of rare books and histor-
ical works, numbering about 2,000 volumes.
The Law Library, owned by the bar asso-
ciation, contains 4,000 volumes. It is used
as a reference library for the attorneys of
York.
MUSIC.
The earliest settlers of York, who came
from the Palatinate on the Rhine, were a
musical people by inheritance. Soon after
the First Lutheran Church was founded, a
pipe organ was placed in the church, and a
few years later a pipe organ was bought by
the congregation which worshipped in the
First Reformed Church on West Market
Street. Both these congregations had
good choirs, which gave public entertain-
ments before the Revolution. The pipe or-
gan of the Reformed Church was played by
a trained organist on July 2, 1791, when
Washington worshipped with this congre-
gation, while a visitor at York. The organ
was destroyed by a fire which burned down
the building in 1797, but another was pur-
chased soon after 1800, when the new
church was dedicated. The Moravians, too,
were a musical people, and the congregation
which worshipped in that church on South
Water Street, had a choir and an organ at
an early date.
736
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
John Barnitz and others led the choir of
the First Lutheran Church as early as 1800.
He was followed by Michael Bentz, a noted
teacher of the parochial school. The best
singers of the choirs in York gave musical
entertainments in the County Court House
to the delight of the citizens of York.
George Doll had a school for instruction in
sacred music in York in 1818. The Har-
monic Society, an excellent musical organ-
ization, gave frequent concerts in the
churches and the Court House in 1822 and
later. The Independent Musical Associa-
tion, which contained musical talent, was
formed in 1822. Michael Bentz trained a
class in music in the school building to the
rear of Christ Lutheran Church in 1823 and
many years later.
The Orphean Society was popu-
Orphean lar in York in 1822 and during
Society. the succeeding ten years. In
1822 this society gave a public
concert in Christ Lutheran Church, for the
benefit of the poor of York and for the Un-
ion Sunday School, organized in 1817. In
1829 George Small, the merchant, and fa-
ther of Philip A. Small, was secretary of
the Orphean Society.
The choir of St. John's Episcopal Church
gave concerts in the church to large audi-
ences before 1820, and musical entertain-
ments were frequently given at that early
period in the York County Academy. In
1826 Joel Harmon taught sacred music to
a class organized for that purpose. Jung-
mann's Musical and Juvenile Seminary oc-
cupied rooms on West Market Street, near
the German Reformed Church.
Carl Blisse, the violinist, gave a concert
at the home of Judge Daniel Durkee in
June, 1830.
In 183 1 Mr. and Mrs. Canderbreck gave a
concert in the Court House on the harp
and violin. They sang several selections in
the presence of a large audience.
The Rainer family, the famous Tyrolean
vocalists, appeared in York March, 1837,
and February, 1840, and gave concerts at
the Franklin House.
In 1847 the Swiss Bell Ringers gave a
delightful entertainment in the Lottman
building on the site of Odd Fellows'
Hall. These musicians, not long before, had
appeared in a concert given before the
Queen of England.
After the erection of Odd Fellows' Hall
in 1850, musical organizations gave concerts
and entertainments in this building which
were attended by large audiences. The
York Musical Association was organized in
1855 with Rev. F. F. Hagen, president;
John H. Small, secretary; James A. Schall,
treasurer. Rev. Mr. Hagen was chosen
musical director; Peter Bentz, conductor of
the choir, and Captain Philby, conductor of
the orchestra. This association met regu-
larly for practice on the third floor of
Odd Fellows' Hall, twice a week. Mon-
day and Friday. Captain Philby became
a leader of cornet bands and also organ-
ized an orchestra which renderd ex-
cellent music in many public entertain-
ments.
The York Band, composed of about thirty
members, was organized before 1838. Dur-
ing that year, it went to Harrisburg to take
part in a Fourth of July celebration. While
in that city on this occasion, this band re-
ceived the highest commendation for the
music it rendered while marching in the
parade. The Springgarden Band, organ-
ized in East York, before the Civil War,
entered the army in 1861 as a military band
for the Eighty-seventh Regiment, and con-
tinued in the service two years. It was then
led by Captain William Frey. Matthias
Selak, one of the musicians of the Eighty-
seventh Regiment, formed an orchestra in
York after he returned home in 1864. The
Selak orchestra played many times for con-
certs and entertainments. Prof. Thiele, a
native of Germany and a trained musician,
led an orchestra in York for ten years. His
son, Ernest Thiele, also became a noted
musician. The City Band of York, since
the time of organization, has been famous
for its rendition of fine music.
Peter Bentz, who owned a music store
on East Market Street, conducted musical
societies in Y'^ork for a long time and was
frequently the leader in giving concerts. At
one time he led a successful oratorio so-
ciety which presented to large audiences
some of the masterpieces of the German
and Italian composers. The Haydn Quar-
tette, whose members were HolHngsworth
Gipe, M. L. Van Baman, B. F. Thomas and
H. C. Pentz, sang at the centennial celebra-
tion in York in 1876, and also at the bor-
ough centennial in 1887. This quartette
THE CITY OF YORK
717
gave freqvient concerts with different so-
prano soloists.
During the past third of a cen-
Oratorio tury a_ notable improvement has
Society. been observed in church music.
Most of the large congregations
of the city now have trained choirs and the
churches are provided with costly pipe or-
gans, which are equal in tone and quality
to the best instruments of their kind used in
the other cities of Pennsylvania. The study
of sacred music of the highest order in the
cit)' of York received an impetus in 1904
when the York Oratorio Society was organ-
ized with A. B. Farquhar, president; David
P. Klinedinst, secretary, and Charles C.
Frick, treasurer. The Society secured the
services of Joseph Pache, a German musi-
cian who trained an oratorio society in Bal-
timore. Soon after the formation of the
York Society, it contained 300 active mem-
bers, all of whom became deeply interested
in its future success. The Society met reg-
ularly in the auditorium of the Collegiate
Institute, where the conductor trained the
members for the presentation before public
audiences of some of the masterpieces of
Mendelssohn, Handel, Haydn, Liszt and
Rossini. Two concerts each year have been
regularly given to vast audiences. The
ablest soloists in America have been secured
to assist in giving these concerts.
The progress made in the study of sacred
and classical music as the result of the ex-
cellent work of this Society, is in the highest
degree encouraging. It has stimulated the
young people of the city to accept the ad-
vantages of musical culture, rarely afforded
in inland cities of any state in the Union.
THE DRAMA.
The histrionic art seems to have been in-
troduced into York during the Revolution.
The second story of the Court House in
Centre Square and a hall on South George
Street were used as places of public enter-
tainment when Continental Congress held
its sessions at York, during the winter of
1777-8. According to a diary reference of
one of the delegates to Congress, a Shakes-
perian pla}' was presented in the presence
of an intelligent audience. The names of
the actors are not given. Dramatic per-
formances were frequently held in the York
County Academy before 1800.
About 1810, Peter Wilt, who owned a
public inn on the south side of Market
Street, east of Queen, erected a hall for en-
tertainments. In the surrounding yard and
on the Public Common, small traveling cir-
cuses had exhibited before and after this
period. In 1813, while the second war with
Great Britain was in progress, a dramatic
performance of merit, was presented to the
citizens of York, in Peter Wilt's hall. The
actors on this occasion were the Durang
family, composed of Frederick Durang, Mrs.
Durang, Charles and A. Durang, Miss I. C.
Durang, Mr. Carroll and Mrs. Jacobs.
They presented the striking scenes of Rich-
ard the Third, and then varied the program
with lighter drama in order to please and
delight the audience. It was Frederick
Durang who first sang the " Star Spangled
Banner," which was written by Francis
Scott Key, in September, 1814, during the
battle between the British and Americans at
Baltimore. At the time of their appearance
in York, the Durang family entertained the
audience with patriotic airs.
The Thalian Association, composed of
amateur players, was in existence at York
in 1818. In December of that year, this
company presented Goldsmith's " She
Stoops to Conquer," in the Court House, for
the benefit of the English and German Sun-
day Schools. The earliest traveling cir-
cuses gave dramatic entertainments. At
an exhibition of the " Pavillion Circus," on
the Public Common, in 1826, there was a
fine display of equestrian feats, which was
followed by an interesting melo-drama.
The Philosophical Society played the com-
edy " Who's the Dupe ? " in the York
County Academy, in 1831. The Athe-
naeum, a literary, musical and dramatic as-
sociation, organized about 1830, gave fre-
quent entertainments and concerts. The
officers in 183 1 were Rev. James R. Reily,
president ; George S. Morris and Rev. S. J.
Boyer, vice-presidents; John F. Fisher, sec-
retary; B. Johnson, treasurer; James S.
Connellee and Robert J. Fisher, executive
committee.
In June, 1832, Mrs. Knight, Avho had ap-
peared at the prominent theatres in London
and New York, gave a musical entertain-
ment, interspersed with recitations, at the
Court House. Her husband played the ac-
companiments on the piano. Eberle's The-
738
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
atrical Company, in 1833, gave a perform-
ance in the public house of Mrs. Lottman,
which stood at the southwest corner of
George and King Streets.
Before 1850, there was no large hall in
York for concerts and public entertain-
ments. It was during that year, that Odd
Fellows' Hall was built. This building,
four stories in height, was looked upon as
an imposing structure at that period. Dra-
matic companies visited York more fre-
quently after its erection. The second story
of this building, known as Washington Hall,
has since been used by theatrical companies
and musical associations. Charlotte Cush-
man appeared in AA'ashington Hall, shortly
after the Civil War. Joseph Jefferson, one
of the greatest of American actors, played
" Rip Van Winkle " in this hall, about 1872.
Janauschek, the tragedienne; Mrs. John
Drew, Mr. and Mrs. Bowers, J. L. Shewell
and other actors of national reputation ap-
peared at the same place. Blind Tom, the
musical prodigy of the colored race, enter-
tained large audiences here, with three or
four piano concerts. A novel entertainment
was once given by General Tom Thumb,
Minnie AVarren and Admiral Dot. the three
midgets who exhibited all over America and
throughout the countries of Europe. The
Siamese twins, known throughout the world
as one of the freaks of nature, were present
at an entertainment given here, in 1874.
Odd Fellows' Hall continued to be the chief
place for public entertainments until the
erection of the York Opera House on
Beaver Street.
In the year 1880, an incorporated
York company composed of N. F. Burn-
Opera ham, president; John Blackford,
House, vice president ; Frank Geise, secre-
tary, and Jere Carl, treasurer,
erected the York Opera House on South
Beaver Street at a cost of $38,000. It was
an ornamental building with good accom-
modations which gave encouragement to
trained companies of the histrionic art to
appear in York. The opening attraction
was presented by the distinguished come-
dian, John S. Clark, in " Toodles," to a large
audience. May 23, 1881. Several noted
opera companies appeared soon afterward,
much to the gratification of the amusement
loving people of York. In 1892, the Opera
House was remodeled at a cost of $15,000.
It became popular as a place of entertain-
ment and owing to its limited capacity, the
original building was enlarged during the
summer of 1902, under the direction of B.
C. Pentz. The ofificers of the Opera House
Company in 1907 were: James A. Dale,
president ; William H. Burnham, vice presi-
dent; Dr. J. R. Spangler, treasurer; B. C.
Pentz, secretary and manager.
CHAPTER XLI
VISITS OF FAMOUS MEN
Franklin — Washington — Adams — ^Jackson
— Lafayette — Harrison — Van Buren —
Taylor — Buchanan — Clay — Webster —
Johnson — Grant — Garfield — Roosevelt.
Benjamin Franklin, the greatest Ameri-
can philosopher and statesman of the Revo-
lutionary period, visited York in 1755. He
came here for the purpose of securing
wagons and supplies for Braddock's army
on its march against the Indians in the west-
ern part of Pennsylvania. From Septem-
ber 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778, when Conti-
nental Congress held its sessions in York,
sixty-seven delegates attended, representing
the thirteen original states of the Union.
Of these twenty-six were signers of the
Declaration of Independence. York has
been honored by visits from ten presidents
of the United States and many other dis-
tinguished men. Detailed accounts of these
visits are given in the succeeding pages.
Early in his life, when
President George Washington was
Washington, employed as a surveyor, by
Lord Fairfax, in the Shen-
andoah Valley, Virginia, he passed through
York on his way to the land office in Phila-
delphia. No authentic account of this visit
can be given. All that is known about it,
is the fact that he passed over the Monocacy
Road through York and crossed the Sus-
quehanna at Wright's Ferry. A'Vashington
never came to York during the whole period
of the Revolution. The published diaries
of this distinguished American tell where
he spent his time almost every day during
the eight years that the War for Independ-
ence continued.
In 1790, just after the first session of the
First Congress, he made a tour of the New
England States. In March, 1791, shortly
THE CITY OF YORK
739
before the second session of the First Con-
gress had ended at Philadelphia, President
Washington wrote to Lafayette that he in-
tended to make a tour of all 1;he southern
states. He made this trip for the purpose
of coming in closer contact with the people,
and proceeded through Wilmington, Dela-
ware ; Annapolis, Maryland, going as far
south as Charleston, South Carolina. He
was received wnth demonstrations of joy at
every place he stopped, and receptions were
given in his honor in all southern towns and
cities. Upon his return to his home at Mt.
Vernon, he spent two weeks superintend-
ing the affairs of his farms. He then pro-
ceeded to Georgetown in the District of Co-
ulmbia, and after meeting the commission-
ers and selecting sites for the Executive
Mansion, the National Capitol and other
public buildings, he entered in his diary:
"Being desirous of seeing the nature of
the country north of Georgetown and along
the upper road, I resolved to pass through
Frederick, Maryland, York and Lancaster
in Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia."
At another place in his diary, he states:
"I was accompanied by my private secre-
tary, Major Jackson. My equipage and
attendants consisted of a chariot, and four
horses, driven in hand, a light baggage
wagon and two horses, four saddle horses,
besides a led one for myself, and five per-
sons, namely, my Valet de Chambre, two
footmen, coachman and postillion."
AA'ashington arrived at Frederick at 7 :25
P. M., Jvme 30. A correspondent from
Frederick to Claypole's Daily Advertiser in
describing this visit says :
"So sudden and unexpected was the visit
of this illustrious and amiable character, as
to leave it entirely out of the power of the
citizens to make the necessary preparations
for his reception. On notice being given of
his arrival the bells of the Lutheran and
Reformed churches were rung. Fifteen
rounds from a cannon were fired."
He left Frederick at seven o'clock the
next morning and lodged for the night at
Taneytown. At 4 o'clock on the morning
of July 2, he left Taneytown, and passed
through Littlestown. He wrote in his
diary : "After traveling seven miles from
Littlestown, we came to Hanover, (com-
monly called McAllister's town) a very
pretty village with a number of good brick
houses and mechanic's in it. At this place,
in a good inn, we breakfasted." He spent
about four hours in Hanover and during
that time walked around the town with
Colonel Richard McAllister and other sol-
diers of the Revolution. About 10 A. M. he
set out for York and was met some distance
up the road by a delegation of citizens and
two military companies which escorted him
to town. What notification the citizens of
York had of his arrival cannot for a cer-
tainty be given.
Rev. John Roth, pastor of the
Bells Moravian Church, recorded in his
Rang, diary: "Upon the arrival of the
President all the bells in the town
rang in honor of the event, as if the voices
of the archangels were sounding in har-
mony and commanding attention. I could
not repress my tears at the thought of all
this. Indeed, I cried aloud, not from a sense
of sadness, but from a feeling of joyfulness.
In the evening there was a general illumi-
nation and at the Court House in each pane
was a light, forty-one pounds of candles
being used."
In his own diary \\'ashington says:
"Eighteen miles from Hanover we arrived
at Y'ork, where we dined and lodged. After
dinner, in company with Colonel Hartley
and other gentlemen, I walked through the
principal streets of the town, and drank tea
at Colonel Hartley's. The Court House
was illuminated."
On August 30, the county commissioners
paid Henry Pentz two pounds and eighteen
shillings, or about $14.00, for forty-one
pounds of candles to illuminate the Court
House in honor of the President of the
United States. The Pennsylvania Herald
and York General Advertiser, published at
York, in its issue of July 6, 1791, says:
"Saturday last the President of the United
States arrived here from Mt. Vernon on his
way to Philadelphia. His arrival was an-
nounced by the ringing of bells. The Inde-
pendent Light Infantry Company, com-
manded by Captain George Hay, paraded,
and being drawn up before his Excellency's
lodgings, fifed fifteen rounds. At night
there were illuminations and demonstra-
tions of joy.
"The next morning his Excellency was
waited upon by the Chief Burgess and the
principal inhabitants, and the following ad-
740
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
dress was presented to him, after which he
attended services and then proceeded on his
journey."
He attended religious services at Zion
Reformed Church, on the south side of
West Market Street, near Beaver. The
address presented to General Washington
and doubtless written by Colonel Thomas
Hartley, then a member of Congress from
York, reads as follows :
Sir : — With sentiments of the most perfect esteem
and attachment, the citizens of the borough of York beg
leave to present to you their sincere congratulations on
your safe arrival here, after an extensive tour through
that country, which owes so much to your brave and
prudent exertions in war, and to your wise and just ad-
ministration in peace.
We cordially join in the general satisfaction and joy
which all the citizens of America feel in seeing you, and
in those universal sentiments of regard for your person
and veneration for your character, which dictate the ad-
dress that in various expressions have been offered to
you. We join in the general satisfaction that every
friend to human happiness must feel on finding that the
people of the United States do not show a great and
convicting proof to all the world that freedom and good
government are perfectly compatible. And that a first
magistrate, unanimously chosen by the people, may at
once possess their utmost veneration and most hearty
regard.
We wish you a safe return to the Seat of Govern-
ment, and do sincerely unite with the millions in
America in praying that the Supreme Governor of the
universe may long continue a life which he has so emi-
nently distinguished, in preserving and securing the best
rights and happiness of the citizens of this greatly
favored country.
In response to this eloquent address
Washington wrote the following reply :
Gentlemen : — I receive your congratu-
, lations with pleasure, and I reply to
President S your flattering and affectionate ex-
Replv. pressions of esteem with sincere and
' grateful regard.
The satisfaction which you derive
from the congeniality of freedom with good govern-
ment, which is clearly evinced in the happiness of our
highly favored country, at once rewards the patriotism
that achieved her liberty, and gives an assurance of its
duration.
That your individual prosperity may - long continue
among the proofs which attest the national welfare is
my earnest wish.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
After arriving at Lancaster the President
recorded in his diary: "July 3 — Received
and answered an address from the inhabi-
tants of York, and there being no Episcopal
minister present in that place, I went to hear
morning service performed in the Dutch
(German) Reformed Church — which being
in that language, not a word of which I
understood, I was in no danger of becom-
ing a proselyte to its religion by the elo-
quence of the preacher. After services, ac-
companied by Colonel Hartley and half a
dozen other gentlemen, I set off for Lan-
caster. Dined at Wright's Ferry, where I
met General Hand and many of the prin-
cipal characters of Lancaster and was es-
corted to the town by them, arriving about
6 o'clock."
On the following day, July 4, he wit-
nessed the celebration of the fifteenth anni-
versary of American independence at Lan-
caster. He also attended a banquet in the
Court House, which stood in Centre Square,
and immediately after offering a toast to
the Governor of Pennsylvania (Thomas
Mififlin, who was present) he left the ban-
quet hall.
Washington arrived in Philadelphia, July
6, and, says Dunlap's American Daily Ad-
vertiser, "his approach was announced to
the citizens by the firing of cannon and the
ringing of bells."
On September 30, 1794, during his
His second term as President of the
Last United States, Washington left
Visit. Philadelphia for Carlisle, by way of
Harrisburg, where he reviewed the
Pennsylvania troops that were on their way
to quell the so-called whiskey insurrection
in southwestern Pennsylvania, accompanied
by Alexander Hamilton, secretary of the
treasury, and Bartholomew Dandridge, his
private secretary. He proceeded as far
west as Bedford, where he met General
Harry Lee, of Virginia, who was to take
charge of the army in crossing the Alle-
gheny Mountains to the scene of the dis-
turbance. After remaining there three
days and aiding in the organization of
troops, and hearing that the insurrection
had partially subsided, he began his return to
Philadelphia. He crossed the mountains to
Chambersburg and then proceeded over the
last ridge of the Allegheny, lodging for the
night of October 25, at a public inn, situ-
ated four miles northwest of the site of Get-
tysburg. Nothing definite can be now
stated of his visit to York on this occasion.
A letter which he addressed to Alexander
Hamilton, who had left him a few days
before, and dated Wright's Ferry, tells all
that is known of his return trip after leaving
Bedford.
"Thus far I have proceeded without acci-
dent to man, horse or carriage, although the
^ UL. THOMAb HARTLEY AND WIFE
THE MORAVIAN PARSONAGE
THE CITY OF YORK
741
latter has had wherewith to try its good-
ness ; especially in ascending the North
Mountain from Skinners by a wrong road ;
that is, by the old road which never was
good and is rendered next to impassable by
neglect.
"I rode yesterday afternoon through the
rain from York to this place, and got caught
twice in the height of the rain. I was de-
layed by that means and hung on the rocks
in the middle of the Susquehanna. I do not
intend to go further than Lancaster to-day.
But on Tuesday, if no accident happens, I
expect to be landed in the City of Philadel-
phia."
A funeral procession in memorj^ of the
death of George A\'ashington took place in
York a few days after he died at ]\It. Ver-
non, December 14, 1799. The death of this
illustrious soldier and statesman caused pro-
found sorrow throughout the entire coun-
try. The patriotic fervor inspired by the
success of the War for Independence at this
time prevailed to a remarkable degree in
York County. There were then living in
the town and county a large number of
officers and men who had fought gallantly
in many battles under the command of the
departed hero. Following the example car-
ried out in New York, Philadelphia and
other cities in the Union, our forefathers
honored their deceased Chief Magistrate by
a solemn parade through the streets of
York. The marshals who headed this pro-
cession were General Henry Miller, Charles
Hartley, son of Colonel Hartley, Rev. Jacob
Goering, of Christ Lutheran Church ; Rev.
Daniel Wagner, of Zion Reformed Church ;
Rev. Robert Cathcart, of the Presbyterian
Church, and Colonel Thomas Campbell.
Following these was a casket carried by
eight pallbearers, Frederick Laumaster,
Christopher Stoehr, Lewis Shive, Peter
Shetter. Jacob Craumer, Joseph Craft,
Michael Edward, and Conrad Welshans.
Next came a company of "mourners" in
line and following these a band with horns
and stringed instruments, drums and fifes.
The musicians were John Barnitz, George
Barnitz, Stephen Horn, Jacob Doll, Daniel
Lauman, Charles Barnitz, John Brenise,
George Hay, Charles Fisher, John Morris,
John Fisher. In the long procession of
citizens who followed were James Smith,
signer of the Declaration of Independence;
Major John Clark, William Ross and Ralph
Bowie, leading members of the bar ; Colonel
John Hay, and many others.'
Major General Anthony Wayne,
General who had spent nearly three
Wayne, months in York during the Revo-
lution, in 1 78 1, stopped in town
for a day in 1796. General Wayne was a
native of Pennsylvania, and one of the
ablest soldiers of the Revolution. Several
companies of York County soldiers served
under him at the battles of Brandywine,
Paoli and Germantown. His arrival at
York in 1796 aroused the patriotic spirit of
the people. He had recently won a great
victory over the Indians in Ohio. The
Pennsylvania Herald, published at York, in
its issue of February 3, 1796, contains the
following article :
"On Monday evening, last. General
Wayne arrived in this place on his way from
the westward to Philadelphia. Soon after
his arrival he was waited on by the members
of the Corporation, and other respectable
inhabitants of the borough, and at their re-
quest consented to stay and spend the next
day with them. A public dinner was pro-
vided at Colonel Steel's Tavern, and many
federal and patriotic toasts were given on
this occasion."
On Thursday, May 29, 1800, the
John borough of York was honored by
Adams, a visit from John Adams, who was
then serving the last year of his
term as President of the United States. He
was on his way from Philadelphia to Wash-
ington, where the Executive Mansion had
just been finished, ready for the occupancy
of the President. John Adams had been
inaugurated as the Chief Executive of the
nation at Philadelphia, March 4, 1797. and
during his administration the capital was
removed from Philadelphia to Washington.
An interesting coincidence is the fact that
President Washington passed through
York in 1791, immediately after deciding
the sites for the White House and the public
buildings in the District of Columbia, and
his successor, John Adams, passed through
York on his first trip to the new Federal
City to take up his residence in the White
House at Washington. Congress held its
first session in Philadelphia, March 4, 1790.
74-2
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
and its last session in Philadelphia ad-
journed May 14, 1800. Fifteen days later
President Adams arrived in York.
The York Recorder for June 4, 1800, con-
tains the following in reference to this visit:
"Thursday last the President of the
United States, attended by his secretary,
Mr. Shaw, arrived here on his way to the
Federal City. He was met on his approach
by the cavalry commanded by Lieutenant
John Fisher, and Captain Philip Gossler's
Light Infantry, and escorted to town, where
he was received by the inhabitants, with
ringing of bells, and other demonstrations
of respect.
"Next morning the oliticers of the bor-
ough, accompanied by a number of citizens,
waited upon his Excellency and presented
the following address :
■' 'Sir : — The corporation and inhabitants of the Bor-
ough of York, beg leave to express the pleasure thej'
feel upon the arrival of the Chief Magistrate of the
Union. Your presence strongly renews in our grateful
remembrances your many faithful, and important public
services ; and while we are gratified with beholding you
amongst us, permit us to express our grateful feelings,
by a justly appreciating sense, of those virtues, that
patriotism and integrit}', which has rendered you a most
distinguished blessing, and benefactor to your country.
As your public life has been so successfully devoted to
the service of the .'\merican people, it is our fondest
hope that Heaven may continue to add still more to the
happiness and prosperity of the Republic, which you
have been so greatly instrumental in creating.
, " ■ Accept our warmest wishes for your personal wel-
fare and safe return.
•"JOHN EDIE, Chief Burgess.'
Adams' To which the President returned
Reply. an answer as follows :
" ' Fellow Citizens : — I received with much
satisfaction, this friendly address. In revisiting the
great counties of Lancaster and York, after an interval
of three and twenty years, I have not only received
great pleasure from the civilities of the people, which
have deserved my grateful acknowledgments, but a
much higher delight from the various evidences of their
happiness and prosperity. The multiplication of in-
habitants, the increase of buildings for utility, com-
merce, and ornament, and the extensive improvements
of the soil have everywhere given to the appearances
around us, a polish in some measure, resembling those
countries where art, skill and industry have been ex-
hausted, in giving the highest finishings and the cultiva-
tion of the lands for many hundred years.
" ' In return for your kind wishes. I pray for the con-
firmation and extension to you and your prosperity of
every blessing you enjoy.
'"JOHN ADAMS."'
Shortly afterwards he proceeded on his
journey, escorted by the same military corps
which met him on his arrival.
In his response President Adams referred
to his former appearance in York. He
came here as a delegate to Continental Con-
gress when that body removed from Phila-
delphia to York during the latter part of
September, 1777. While in Congress at
York, he served as President of the Board
of War. Soon after his retirement from
Congress in March, 1778, he was sent as a
special envoy to the Court of France in
order to assist Benjamin Franklin to secure
the support of the French Government m
our War for Independence.
On Saturday morning, February
Andrew 14, 1819, General Andrew Jack-
Jackson, son, then the head of the Ameri-
can army, left Washington for
Baltimore. He arrived in Baltimore in the
evening of the same day and remained in
that city over night. Early the following
morning, he and his party left for York,
traveling in a carriage and in an open
barouche.
Upon their arrival at the Pennsylvania
line, they found considerable amount of
snow on the ground and when they reached
the public inn of Cornelius Garrettson, four-
teen miles south of York, they stopped for
dinner and sent their carriages back to Bal-
timore.
Cornelius Garrettson was employed by
General Jackson to convey the party in a
large sleigh to York. The sleigh, which
was drawn by four horses, broke dov.m
three miles on this side of the Garrettson
tavern. It became necessary then to get
two large sleds from" farmers and in this
way the great soldier and his companions
arrived at York on the evening of February
14- ,
Jackson had won undying fam-e as a sol-
dier in the war against the Seminole In-
dians in Florida and Georgie, and in the
great victory he had gained oyer the British
army during the war of 1812 in New Or-
leans. At the time he arirved in York, he
was the idol of the nation, honored every-
where for his military achievements and
recognized as the greatest soldier of his day
in America.
The local incidents relating to the visit of
Andrew Jackson to York are given in the
following story from the York Gazette of
February 18, 1819:
"Major General Jackson, and his suite ar-
rived at this place on Sunday evening last,
February 14, on his way to West Point in
THE CITY OF YORK
743
New York. The General was in as much
haste as if he had been pursuing Seminole
Indians. He arrived here at 7 o'clock at
night and pursued his journey the same
night as far as Lancaster. His suite was
composed of Colonel Butler, Dr. Bronaugh,
Captain Young, Captain Huston, Captain
Gall, General Owens, General Bryan, Colo-
nel Pervaul, and Colonel Mason. The Gen-
eral and his suite alighted at the house of
Robert Hamersly, and as soon as it was
known that he was in town, a large con-
course of citizens assembled to have a look
at the 'Hero of New Orleans.' The Gen-
eral is a man of remarkablj^ plain and easy
manners, and those who went to see him
were much pleased with the frank and open
way in which they were received by him."
The hotel kept by Robert Hamersly in
1819 stood on South George Street, adjoin-
ing the site of the Colonial. It was at this
hostelry that Andrew Jackson remained for
one hour in York, and was greeted by his
friends and admirers. Before leaving for
Lancaster the General had difftculty with
Cornelius Garrettson, who had brought the
party to York. Owing to the accidents
Garrettson demanded a payment of $50.00.
Upon hearing this the General lost his tem-
per and in a very impetuous way refused to
pay the amount. He finally offered $30.00,
which was accepted by Air. Garrettson just
as the party left on their eastern trip. Dur-
ing the campaign of 1828, when Jackson
was a candidate for President of the United
States, his difficulty with Cornelius Garrett-
son was frequently commented upon by the
local and state newspapers.
In 1825, Lafayette, who was
Lafayette, making a tour of this country
as the "Guest of the Nation,"
arrived in York from Baltimore, January 29.
He proceeded to Harrisburg, accompanied
by Dr. Adam King, who the next year was
elected to Congress from York County;
Colonel M. H. Spangler, who so gallantly
commanded the York Volunteers at the bat-
tle of North Point in 1814, and Jacob
Spangler, then surveyor general of Pennsyl-
vania. They returned to York on Wednes-
day, February 2, and upon their arrival at
the turnpike gate at 4 P. M. were met by a
battalion of volunteers composed of Captain
Nes' artillery. Captain Smith's rifle com-
pany, four other companies under Captains
Small, Barnitz, Freysinger and Stuck, and
a vast multitude of people from the town
and county. The tour of Lafayette through
all the twenty-four states then in the Union
had caused a wave of patriotism to pass
over the entire land such as had never
before been known, and the enterprising
editor of the York Gazette, in the issue of
February 8, 1825, says:
"The people of York County poured forth
overflowing hearts of gratitude and wel-
come to him whose name is a passport to
the heart of every American."
General Lafayette entered York in a ba-
rouche drawn by four gray horses, and as
the procession passed through the principal
streets, all the bells of the town were ringing
and all the sidewalks, windows, doors and
porticos were filled with people, shouting
their "^^''elcome, thrice welcome, Lafay-
ette."
General Lafayette, on this visit, was ac-
companied by his son, George Washington
Lafayette, who was born during the Revo-
lution, when his father commanded a divi-
sion of soldiers under Washington. His
private secretary, Levasseur, who afterward
wrote two volumes on Lafayette's visit to
America, was with him at York. After the
procession through the streets of the town,
the distinguished party, drove to the Globe
Inn, situated at the southwest corner of
Centre Square and West Market Street.
During the evening the town was brilliantly
illuminated.
In February, 1778, while Congress was in
session here, Lafayette had spent nearly
three weeks in York. At the reception
given in his honor at the Globe Inn, a num-
ber of soldiers who had fought under him
paid their respects to the distinguished
guest. He greeted them with great cordial-
ity. Later in the evening he held another
reception in a large room, when several hun-
dred ladies and gentlemen shook hands with
him. Many of these persons wore a small
silk badge, containing in its centre a steel
portrait of Lafayette engraved by William
Wagner, of York. One of these souvenirs
was worn by Miss Catharine Barnitz, a
young woman who afterward became the
wife of Henry Welsh. In 1905. this badge
was presented by her grand-daughter,
Catharine B. Welsh, to the Historical So-
ciety of York County.
744
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
About 9 o'clock in the evening,
Banquet one hundred gentlemen, citizens
in His of York and invited guests, par-
Honor, took of a banquet in the dining
room of the Globe Inn. It w^as
an interesting event to all who were present
and many of the incidents which took place
on this occasion were often repeated by the
participants, even by the last survivor.
Lafayette talked freely to many people,
speaking often of the grandeur of the
American Republic, which he had helped to
found during the Revolution. He spoke
English with difficulty, having never thor-
oughly acquired the ability to converse
fluently in our language. Among the many
toasts offered at this banquet were the fol-
lowing :
"Lafayette; W'e love him as a man, hail
him as a deliverer, revere him as a champion
of freedom and welcome him as a guest."
To which he responded : "The town of
York, the seat of our American Union in
our most gloomy time. May her citizens
enjoy a proportionate share of American
prosperity."
The dining room was beautifully deco-
rated with evergreen and flags. Twelve
elegant chairs, six of which had been owned
by Colonel Da\id Grier, and the other si.x
by Colonel Thomas Hartley at their homes
in York, were arranged on both sides of the
table at which Lafayette sat. These chairs
were afterward purchased and owned by
Grier Hersh, of York, a lineal descendant
of Colonel David Grier, of the Revolution.
The visit of Lafayette has always been
recorded as one of the most interesting
events in the history of York. On the day
after the reception and the banquet, this
great Frenchman reviewed the military
companies, then organized in York and
vicinity, and together with his son and pri-
vate secretary was driven in a barouche to
Baltimore.
An impressive funeral cere-
Funeral mony through the streets took
Procession, place in York, June 26. 1834,
in honor of Lafayette, shortly
after his death in France. This occurred
about ten years after Lafayette had visited
York, when he made a tour of the United
States as a guest of the nation. Jacob Em-
mitt was chief marshal of the procession.
Rev. Stephen Boyer, principal of the York
County Academy, delivered the eulogy on
the life and character of Lafayette. The
clergy and physicians of the town, on foot,
headed the procession, and were followed
by a band of music playing a solemn dirge.
Next came the hearse drawn by four black
horses with their grooms wearing white
sashes. The hearse was followed by a grey
horse, elegantly caparisoned and led by two
grooms. Surviving soldiers of the Revolu-
tion and the volunteers who had taken part
in the battle of North Point, near Baltimore,
came next. Following these in order were,
the field and stafif officers of the Fifth Divi-
sion York County Militia: the borough and
county officials ; members of the bar, state
legislature, and York Navigation Company,
fire companies, professors and students of
the Reformed Theological Seminary, stu-
dents and teachers of the York County
Academy, and the borough schools. All
persons in the procession were requested to
wear crape on the left arm, and for thirty
days after the funeral. This was an im-
posing ceremiony and one of the most sol-
emn occasions in the history of York.
York was honored by a visit
General from General William Henry
Harrison. Harrison, the " Hero of Tippe-
canoe," October 8, 1836. He
was then in the zenith of his fame as a mili-
tary chieftain and was nominated for Presi-
dent in 1836 by the ^^ big party against
Martin Van Buren, the candidate of the
Democratic party. In this campaign. Gen-
eral Harrison had as his running mate for
Vice President, Francis Granger. The
Whig ticket was defeated this year, but
General Harrison was renominated by his
party in 1840 and elected President, being
the first candidate of the Whig party chosen
to that high office. In this campaign his
opponent again was Martin Van Buren, the
candidate of the Democratic party for re-
election, but was defeated. General Harri-
son died one month after his inauguration
and was succeeded by John Tyler. The
following interesting account of General
Harrison's visit to York appeared in the
York Republican in its issue of October 11,
1836:
" In compliance with the invitation of his
friends in this borough, the distinguished
soldier. General William Henry Harrison,
visited York on Saturday last. On the
THE CITY OF YORK
745
morning of that day, he left Lancaster and
arrived about noon at Columbia, where he
was cordially received by the citizens,' and
took dinner. In the afternoon, accompanied
by the Lancaster committee, and a number
of other persons, he crossed the bridge and
reached W'rightsville about 2 o'clock P. M.
He was then introduced by Colonel George
Mayer, chairman of the Lancaster commit-
tee, to a number of citizens from York, and
was addressed by Hon. Charles A. Barnitz,
of York, and tendered a hearty and warm
welcome to the territory of York County,
and the hospitality of its citizens. To this
General Harrison responded in an unpre-
meditated address, remarkable for its ap-
propriate neatness of phraseolog^^ in which
he adverted to the refuge afforded by York
County to Congress, of which his father had
been a member in the darkest period of the
Revolution. He was greeted by the enthu-
siastic cheers of the large assemblage of
1,000 persons, who had congregated to see
and testify their high regard for him. Har-
rison was brought to York the same after-
noon, in a handsome barouche, and was es-
corted by a long line of carriages, gigs and
horsemen, among which was a large omni-
bus, filled with young mechanics of York,
bearing banners with the appropriate motto,
' Harrison and Granger! American me-
chanics vote for no man who rides in a
British coach.' The procession, wdiose ap-
proach was announced by the firing of a
cannon, and hailed by the excellent music
of the St. Cecelia Society, was met at the
head of town by a number of citizens, who
cheered with good will the arrival of the
hero and statesman. General Harrison
stopped at the Washington House, where
he was received by a committee, the chair-
man of wdiich, John Gardner, welcomed him
to town, and the President replied in an in-
teresting speech. Through the evening the
hotel was crowded with citizens who paid
their respects to the honored guest. He at-
tended public worship at the Presbyterian
Church on Sunda^^ and this morning left
York early to proceed to Maryland."
The death of General Harrison
Death of was solemnized in York by a
Harrison, military procession through the
principal streets of the town. A
service was then held in Christ Lutheran
Church, when funeral orations were deliv-
ered by Rev. J. G. Schmucker, D. D., the
pastor. Rev. Robert Cathcart, pastor of the
Presbyterian Church, and Hon. Charles A.
Barnitz, who had just returned from Con-
gress.
The remains of President Harrison were
convej^ed through York to the place of
burial at North Bend, Indiana, June 17,
1841, two months after his death. The fol-
lowing is a description of the ceremonies
which took place when the funeral cortege
passed through the town :
"The sacred relics of a great and good
man were brought from A\'ashington to Bal-
timore on Saturday last, and remained in
the latter city until Monday morning, the
volunteers supplying a military guard for
the body, which was also attended by a
guard of honor from the Marine Corps at
Washington, commanded by Colonel Hen-
derson, who are to accompany it to its final
resting place at North Bend. The Balti-
more and Susquehanna Railroad Company,
with a liberality which does them the high-
est credit, tendered to the committee
charged by the citizens of Cincinnati with
the duty of removing the body to the west,
a special train of cars to carry it to Colum-
bia, and also invited the military companies
of the city to attend it to that point. In-
telligence of the intention to bring the re-
mains through York having reached here on
Sunday last, measures were taken to pay the
last sad honors to the memory of the de-
ceased president. A committee on the part
of the volunteers and citizens started early
on Monday morning to meet the incoming
train from Baltimore and attend it to town.
At 10 o'clock the military corps paraded,
and the Beneficial Association, fire com-
panies, literary societies, the clergy, mem-
ioers of the bar, physicians, borough officers
and citizens generally united with them in
forming a procession, — the several associ-
ations having their banners clothed in
mourning — under the command of General
Michael Doudel, the marshal at the funeral
ceremonies on the 17th of April last. In
this order the procession moved out the
railroad to the south borough line, where it
halted to await the arrival of the cars.
These came about 12 o'clock, and in addi-
tion to the Cincinnati committee, were
filled with the President and directors of the
railroad company, and a number of military
746
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
corps from Baltimore, among which we
noticed the Eutaw Infantry, Independent
Blues, National Guards, Junior Artillerists,
and the First Baltimore Light Infantry, all
of whom immediately alighted, formed in
front of the cars, and passed along the line
of th€ York procession, which saluted them
and immediately fell in at the rear of the
train, which moved at a very slow rate, and
in this order to the strains of funeral music,
the entire body proceeded to the railroad
depot, presenting a most impressive and
solemn appearance. There the procession
dismissed and the York Volunteers and
many citizens joined the companies which
came from Baltimore, proceeding in the
cars to Wrightsville and thence to Colum-
bia, where the military companies, having
been reinforced by the arrival of the Balti-
more Independent Grays, escorted the body
to the canal and saw it safely deposited on
board of the boat, which was to convey it
toward its western destination. The York
and Baltimore volunteers returned thence
to this borough, and after uniting and form-
ing one of the handsomest parades through
our town that we ever witnessed, the latter
resumed their places in the cars and wended
their wzy to the Monumental city."
Martin Van Buren arrived in York
Van from Washington on Friday, June
Buren. 21,1839. This occurred during the
third year of his administration as
President of the United States. Although
the railroad from Baltimore to York had
been completed in 1838, the President on
this occasion traveled in a carriage drawn
by two horses. He was accompanied by
one of his sons, and attended by two colored
servants. One of these servants was his
coachman and the other rode behind the
carriage with two extra horses. The dis-
tinguished visitor stopped for the night at
White Hall Hotel, later the National House,
at the northeast corner of Beaver and Mar-
ket Streets. He was waited upon by a
large number of his political adherents and
other citizens of York, who shook hands
and exchanged courtesies with him. There
is no record that any public demonstrations
were held in his honor.
At this time the influence of Van Buren
was on the wane. The great financial panic
that had spread over the country, during his
administration, had not yet ended. At the
same time, the York Bank, the only finasi-
cial institution in York, announced tliat it
had suspended specie payment. President
Van Buren remained quietly at the hotel
during the night, and the following day
started at 6 A. M. for Harrisburg, going by
way of the turnpike road through York
Haven. He was on his way from Washing-
ton to his home at Kinderhook, on the Hud-
son, a few miles north of New York City.
General Zachary Taylor, while
Zachary serving as President of the
Taylor. United States, visited York, Au-
gust 10, 1849. He was making
a tour through Pennsylvania, New York,
and New England as far east as Boston and
left Washington on the evening of August
9, accompanied by his son-in-law, Dr.
Wood. Governor Johnston, of Pennsyl-
vania, arranged to meet the President at the
state line. The Governor arrived in York
from Harrisburg by stage on the evening
of August 9, and lodged for the night at
the Washington House on East Market
Street. On the morning of August 10, the
Governor, in company with about twenty-
five citizens of York, went in a special train,
furnished by the railroad company, to the
present site of the Borough of New Free-
dom. Here they awaited the presidential
train, which reached the state line about
noon. Coleman Yellott, chairman of the
committee from Maryland, then addressed
Governor Johnson as follows :
"We come from Maryland, honored with
a pleasant duty. We come to introduce to
you and to the citizens of your State, a dis-
tinguished visitor. We are sure that he will
be received with the respect due the presi-
dent of our common country, and with the
gratitude merited by the brave soldier
whose deeds have covered the American
name with honor and glory. We now sur-
render to the hospitalities of the Keystone
State, General Zachary Taylor."
In answer to this fitting speech Governor
Johnston responded, in part :
"As the honored representative of the cit-
izens of this Commonwealth, it affords me
unfeigned pleasure to welcome you within
our borders. In their name and speaking
their sentiments, I tender to you the hos-
pitalities of the State of Pennsylvania."
THE CITY OF YORK
747
President Taylor responded :
President's "I am deeply thankful for the
Speech. kind reception which you have
extended to me. I am also
grateful to my Maryland friends for the hos-
pitalities I have received at their hands.
Traveling as I do, for the sole purpose of
obtaining a more intimate knowledge of the
different sections of our Union, of the vari-
ous pursuits and interests, the kindness with
with which I have everywhere been received
by my fellow-countrymen, has been gratify-
ing. I have been heretofore honored by the
confidence of Pennsylvania. I feel great
pleasure in now mingling with her people,
and I pledge myself to endeavor to show
by my future conduct, that the confidence
of the Keystone State has not been mis-
placed."
The train bearing the distinguished party
arrived at York about i o'clock. The Pres-
ident stepped out on a platform which had
been erected and was received by Chief Bur-
gess Jacob Barnitz, with the following ad-
dress of welcome :
"On behalf of the citizens of York I am
authorized to thank you for the honor con-
ferred upon us by your visit, and to offer
you a sincere and hearty welcome to all the
honors we can bestow, and to the hospital-
ities of our town.
"But, sir, there is another welcome, which
we also offer, and that is to General Taylor,
the victorious leader of our armies on many
battlefields in the Mexican war, who has
won the admiration of the world, who has
raised our country to th€ highest renown,
and who is entitled to receive the universal
tribute of national gratitude and devotion.
Again, we offer to you our warmest wel-
come— the welcome of the heart — and we
extend our welcome to the chief magistrate
of our own state who accompanies you, and
to the gentlemen composing your party."
General Taylor replied in a brief speech.
He returned thanks for the welcome, re-
ferred modestly to his military achieve-
ments, and expressed his gratitude at the
reception given him.
After the President's speech the Worth
Infantry, a military company which had just
been organized by Captain Thomas Ziegle,
and the Pennsylvania Guards, commanded
by Captain Motter, escorted the distin-
guished party to the Washington House,
on the north side of East Market Street,
near Duke. After arriving there President
Taylor and Governor Johnston, standing
on a balcony, addressed a large concourse
of people. A banquet was then held in the
dining room of the hotel, followed by a re-
ception, when a large number of ladies and
gentlemen shook hands with General Tay-
lor, the hero of Buena Vista.
At 4 o'clock the President, accompanied
by the Governor and a committee from York
left for Wrightsville. The train was halted
at that borough and General Taylor left the
car and mounted a platform prepared for a
reception. Dr. Lee delivered the address of
welcome and the President responded in a
very impressive manner. After man}^ citi-
zens had been introduced to the distin-
guished guests, the presidential party left
for Philadelphia.
On August ID, 1850, a funeral procession
took place in York in honor of General
Zachary Taylor, who died while president
of the United States. The procession moved
through the principal streets of the town
with great solemnity in the following order :
Chief Marshall, David G. Barnitz, and aids :
committee of arrangements, band, AVorth
Infantry, Captain Ziegle, Washington Artil-
lery, Captain Motter, Carroll Artillery, Cap-
tain Totten, clergymen, funeral car, drawn
by six gray horses, led by grooms, the pall
bearers, the body guard, a company of Dra-
goons, Lieutenant Diller, of Hanover, the
horse, representing "Whitey," the animal
Taylor rode in the Mexican war. Beneficial
Society, Mount Zion Lodge, Humane Lodge,
Mount Vernon Encampment, York Divi-
sion, Brothers' Division, Nation's Hope,
Section, Cadets of Temperance, Gettysburg
band, United American Mechanics, United
Brothers, Mr. Bland's School, Resolution
Plose Company, Laurel Fire Company, and
citizens.
During this ceremony and several days
afterward, the Court House was draped in
mourning, in honor of the distinguished
dead.
On March 6, 1861, two days after he re-
tired from the presidency, James Buchanan
stopped' off in York on his way to his home
at Lancaster. He arrived here on a special
train, accompanied by the Baltimore City
Guards. He was received at the railway
station bv a committee of citizens, the
748
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Worth Infantry and the York Rifles and es-
corted to the residence of Henry Welsh, Es-
quire, on West Market Street, where he
dined. In the afternoon he went to his
home at Wheatland, near Lancaster, es-
corted by the Worth Infantry.
Henry Clay, the disting'uished orator and
statesman, who served as speaker of the
House of Representatives at Washington,
and United States Senator from the state
of Kentucky, visited York, as the guest of
Charles A. Barnitz,who was a representative
in Congress from 1832 to 1834. Clay was
then in the height of his power and influ-
ence in American politics, and later was
twice the ^^ hig nominee for President of
the United States. While in York, he was
cafled upon by his political friends, and made
a brief speech from the balcony of the
Washington House on East Market Street,
and then returned to the national capital.
Daniel Webster, the greatest of American
orators, visited York toward the close of his
career as an American statesman. He was
met by a delegation of citizens from York,
at Baltimore. When he entered the train,
he took a seat near the centre of a special
car, where he sat in silent meditation until
the train approached the state line between
Maryland and Pennsylvania. Then he arose
from his seat, walked to the rear platform,
and when the train reached the state boun-
dary, he said to his companions, "and that is
Mason and Dixon's line!" Upon returning
to his seat, he spoke no further until he
reached the station at York. He was then
escorted to the AVashington House, where
he held a reception and remained several
hours. He was called upon by a large num-
ber of citizens with whom he shook hands
and greeted cordially, and made a brief
speech.
Andrew Johnson, who was elected vice
president with Abraham Lincoln in 1864,
succeeded to the presidency in April, 1865.
The following year, after he had broken
away from his allegiance with the Republi-
can party, President Johnson made a tour of
several states of the Union. This trip is
known to political history as "swinging-
round the circle." Johnson desired to know
the attitude of the people toward him in the
leading states of the Union. He left AVash-
ington in a special train which stopped at
York. He was met at the station by a dele-
gation of citizens and escorted in a barouche
to the Washington House, where he took
dinner and held a reception in the parlor.
After remaining in York several hours, he
was driven to the train and departed for
Harrisburg.
With the distinguished party who accom-
panied President Johnson on this tour of
the states, was General Ulysses S. Grant,
who in 1868, was elected President of the
United States, and re-elected in 1872. This
was the only time that General Grant visited
York. He was then serving as secretary of
war in Johnson's cabinet. It was about this
time that General Grant was interested in
fine horses. After the dinner hour, he vis-
ited the residence of Erastus H. Weiser, a
member of the bar, and with the latter went
to see several fine horses in York. This his-
toric visit occurred some time before the im-
peachment of Andrew Johnson, when Grant
was slowly breaking away from his firm al-
legiance to the administration. He was
called upon at the Weiser home and at the
hotel by numerous soldiers who had fought
vmder him during the campaigns of 1864 and
1865. Admiral Farragut, who had won
fame and distinction as the greatest naval
officer of American history, was a member
of the presidential party on this memorable
trip through York.
General James A. Garfield, while
JamesA. a member of Congress from the
Garfield, state of Ohio, frequently stopped
off at York to visit his friend, Jer-
emiah S. Black. A few months after his in-
auguration as president of the United States,
the train upon which he was travelling
northward, halted for ten minutes at the
Northern Central Railway station. A large
number of people assembled at the station
and, in answer to a call, the-President, while
standing on the rear of the car, made a brief
speech, in which he referred to York as the
capital of the United States during the dark-
est days of the Revolution. The remains of
President Garfield passed through York
amid the tolling of all the bells of the
town on the night of September 23, 1881.
The Philadelphia Press, in referring to the
passage of the body through York, said:
"The train conveying the remains passed
through York at 8.33, followed half an hour
later by the train conveying the distin-
guished guests. Upwards of 10,000 people
THE CITY OF YORK
749
were stationed along the railroad, occupying
every vantage ground from which a view of
the cars could be obtained. The bells of the
town were tolled while the train passed
through, and business of all kinds was sus-
pended after 6 o'clock. The York Republi-
can Club, five hundred strong, wearing-
badges of mourning, occupied a position
along the railroad and strewed the track
with flowers for several hvmdred yards, as
the train conveying the funeral party ap-
proached. Since the day Lincoln's honored
remains passed through here, never has such
a sorrowful demonstration been witnessed.
The crowds stood sorrow-stricken. Crape
and emblems pf mourning were visible at
every hand, while sadness and intense sor-
row were depicted upon every countenance."
President Theodore Roosevelt,
Theodore by invitation of Congressman
Roosevelt. Daniel F. Lafean, visited York
October 4, 1906. He had been
present at the dedication of the state capi-
tol at Harrisburg, where he took part in
the ceremonies and delivered an eloquent
speech touching upon the great material re-
sources and development, the business en-
terprises and the historical importance of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The
President arrived in York at 2 o'clock in the
afternoon, and was driven in an open car-
riage up George Street to Centre Square, and
from thence out Market Street to the
grounds of the York County Agricultural
Society. A platform had been erected and
President Roosevelt addressed an immense
audience, gathered from every section of
York and adjoining counties. He paid
graceful tribute to the growing prosperity of
York and made special reference to the town
as the seat of government during a part
of the Revolution.
After remaining three hours in the city, as
the guest of the people, he returned to
Washington.
CHAPTER XLH
BANKS AND MANUFACTURES
Early Banking Laws — State and National
Banks — York as an Industrial Center —
The Diversified Interests of the Present
Time.
Early in the last century statutes of the
different states allowed banks to be estab-
lished for the issue of notes payable in spe-
cie on demand. These banks were founded
under acts of the Legislature, which limited
the liability of the shareholders. Banking
then was quite free, and all individuals could
carry it on, provided they pursued the re-
quirements of the law. But under this sys-
tem there was great fluctuation in value,
which frequently produced bankruptcy and
ruin. Between 181 1 and 1820 a number of
state banks went out of business. The in-
flation of bank notes was remarkable be-
tween 1830 and 1837. But just as the amount
had increased, it decreased correspondingly
during the following six years, till 1843, ^"d
this caused the ruin of many financial insti-
tutions. Among them was the bank of the
United States, the renewal of whose charter
had been vetoed by President Jackson.
The loss in the value of stocks and prop-
erty of all kinds was enormous and resulted
in the panic of 1837. Another crash took
place in 1857.
At the beginning of the war the paper
money in circulation amounted to two hun-
dred million dollars, of which three-fourtfis
had been issued in the Northern States, and
the coin in circulation amounted to two hun-
dred and seventy-five million dollars. The
early necessities of the national treasury in
this trying period compelled the government
to borrow money, and in this behalf, in Feb-
ruary, 1862, Congress authorized the issue
of United States Treasury notes, amounting
to one hundred and fifty million dollars, and
declared them to be legal tender except for
custom duties and interest on the national
debt. This action was taken after a full, if
not a bitter, discussion of the question.
Its constitutionality was tested vigorously
but unsuccessfully.
A premium on gold naturally followed,
causing it to be drawn entirely from circu-
lation, and this increased as the Treasury
notes multiplied. Then the national bank-
ing system was introduced to supply a cir-
culating medium. This was created on Feb-
ruary 25, 1863, and amended June 3, 1864,
whereby a Bureau and Comptroller of Cur-
rency were appointed in the Treasury De-
partment, with power to authorize banking
associations under certain provisions, for
public security. The existing state banks
were rapidly transformed into national
banks under this system and their notes
were withdrawn from circulation. The cur-
750
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
rency of the country in this manner came
to consist of Treasury demand notes, which,
in 1865, amounted to four hundred and fifty
miUion dollars, and of national bank notes,
which approached the limit of three hun-
dred million dollars. The latter circulated
as freely as the former, because their ulti-
. mate redemption was assured by the deposit
of an adequate amount in United States
bonds at the National Treasury. This sys-
tem was found superior in the protection
against loss which it afforded, but it could
not prevent a financial crisis from sweeping
over the country, especially when other
causes, such as excessive manufactures and
enormous losses from fire, contributed
greatly towards the result.
Congress also authorized small notes for
five, ten, twenty-five and fifty cents to be
issued for the purpose of supplying the
loss of the small denominations of coin
money from circulation. This was commonly
known as "fractional currency." It was all
redeemed after the war.
The first currency money contrib-
Banking uted by the friendly King of
at York. France, in aid of the struggle for
independence, was delivered in
the year 1777, to Continental Congress, sit-
ting at York; and the last money collected
by the Confederate army of invasion as a
tribute from any cit}' in Pennsylvania, was
paid in June, 1863, by the citizens of York.
During the sittings of Continental Congress
in the town of York, the finances of the
struggling colonies were at a low ebb. The
Treasury Department, bolstered by the re-
ceipt of money from France, printed and is-
sued in York (then styled Yorktown), about
$10,000,000 of Continental currency. Its
value at the time of issue was almost thirty
cents on the dollar, and its final redemption
was prevented by repudiation.
The town of York existed for a period of
sixty-four years before any financial insti-
tution had been founded within its limits.
In early days the large stores of the town
contained small vaults in which money was
deposited for safety. In the main, however,
persons who owned coins, continental money
or bills of credit issued by the state, kept
them in their own houses for use as their
demand required. There was a large vault
in the building owned by Archibald Mc-
Clean at the northeast corner of Centre
Square and George Street. This vault was
placed there by the authority of Congress
for the use of the deposits of the United
States Treasury, from September 30, 1777,
to June 27, 1 778, while Congress sat in York.
The money issued by the Province of
Pennsylvania was paper money in the form
of pounds, shillings and pence, in accord-
ance with the English law. The silver
money then in circulation was largely
Spanish and English coins.
The establishment of the United States
Mint in 1791 at Philadelphia, and the char-
tering of the United States bank, under act
of Congress gave rise to a circulating me-
dium of American coin and American paper
money.
An act of Assembly, passed March
State. 30, 1793, authorized the establish-
Banks. ment of the Bank of Pennsylvania,
with the main office in Philadelphia
and the privilege of establishing branch of-
fices in Lancaster, York and Reading, or
such other places as might be deemed ex-
pedient. The only branch offices established
were at Lancaster and Pittsburg, until a
supplement to the original charter incorpo-
rating the State Bank, was passed March
8, 1809, at which time the State was divided
into eight banking districts, each district to
be allowed a bank. On March, 21, 1814,
a banking act was passed by the General
Assembly, authorizing Pennsylvania to be
divided into twenty-seven districts with
forty-two banks. The County of York was
made a district with authority to establish a
bank.
This institution was founded under
York the banking laws of Pennsylvania,
Bank, mentioned above, and was entitled
"The York Bank." The first meet-
ing of the board of directors was held Jan-
uary 31, 1810, at the public house of Samuel
Spangler, in the Borough of York. The
minutes of the first meeting record these
directors present: David Cassat, Henry
Irwin, John Spangler, Godfrey Lenhart.
^^"illiam Nes, John M3'ers, Jacob Hay, Ja-
cob Barnitz, Philip King and Jonathan
Jessop; absent, Jacob Brillinger. David
Cassat was elected president, and William
Barber, cashier, pro tem. Discount days
were established and a call for payment on
capital stock was made. The minutes show
no further meetings until September 13,
THE CITY OF YORK
751
, 181 3, when, at a meeting of the board, it
was resolved that "it was expedient to re-
sume the operations of the Yorii Bank," and
a committee was appointed to secure a lo-
cation for the banking building. It was not
until March, 1814, that the bank was opened
for business. This is explained by the fact
that prior to 18 14, there was no general
banking law. Except in a few instances,
banks were merely associations of in-
dividuals acting together under published
articles. These associations were author-
ized by the act of March, 1814, which di-
vided the state into twenty-seven banking
districts. York County was entitled to one
bank of $500,000 capital, but privileged to
begin business when $5.00 per share was
paid in, or $50,000. This act recognized the
prior existence of the York Bank, as a spe-
cial clause provided a method by which it
could accept the provisions of the act. This
it did, and after buying the lot of ground
on the north side of West Market Street,
near Beaver, on March 14, 1814, it received
its first deposits. These jumped in six
months from $790 to $80,000, and the notes
issued by the bank from $2,400 to $135,000.
In view of this, it is evident that York, as
early as 1814, was a financial town of some
importance.
The following is a list of its presidents
and cashiers, with their terms of service:
Presidents, David Cassat, 1810-1824: Jacob
Hay, 1824-1826: Charles A. Barnitz, 1826-
1842; James Lewis, 1842-1845; Michael
Doudle, 1845-1858 ; Henry Welsh, 1858-1867 ;
Dr. Jacob Hay, 1867-1874; Henry Welsh,
1874-1879; G. Edward Hersh, 1879-1895;
Grier Hersh, 1895-1906; Dr. Henry Nes,
1906. Cashiers, William Barber, pro tem,
1810-1813; Thomas Woodyear, 1813-1817;
John Schmidt, 1817-1835; Samuel Wagner,
1835-1862; George H. Sprigg, 1862-1889;
W. H. Griffith, 1889-1896; J. J. Frick, 1896.
The capital stock of the bank has
York been increased from time to time
National as follows: 1814, $50,000; 1830,
Bank. $170,000; 1834, $185,000; 1837,
$195,000; 1 84 1, $210,000; 1848,
$250,000; 1852, $400,000; and in 1854, to
$500,000. On November 26, 1864, the York
Bank surrendered its state charter and be-
came the York National Bank, with a capi-
tal stock of $500,000. This was the capital
in 1907, with a surplus of $300,000. The
names of the directors when the York Bank
became the York National Bank are the
following: Henry Welsh, A.. J. Frey, Al-
fred Gartman, Alex. Hay, Lewis Carl, John
Rutter, John Evans, David Small, E. K.
Ziegler, Samuel Small, A\'illiam Danner, G.
Edward Hersh, John E. Ziegler. The first
dividend of four and one-half per cent, was
made November, 1814, and since its organ-
ization the bank has declared 185 dividends
amounting to $2,954,210.
The directors in 1907 are the following:
Edmund Rutter, Smyser Williams, John C.
Schmidt, Martin Bender, Grier Hersh,
Henry Nes, Edwin K. McConkey, George
Small, George W. Gable, Franklin P. Dietz,
Henry W. Heffener, Francis Farquhar, J.
J. Frick.
In order to better the financial
First system of the United States
National. Congress passed an act which
was signed by President Lin-
coln, February 25, 1863. This new law-
changed the financial affairs of the country
and caused the state banks to discontinue
issuing notes. Many of the leading state
banks of the country, then in operation, took
advantage of the new law and became na-
tional banks. This new act of Congress pro-
vided for a national currency, secured by, a
pledge of the United States bonds and pro-
vided for the circulation and redemption of
the money issued under the national bank-
ing system.
A few months after the passage of the law
creating a national banking system, a
number of men, prominent in the afifairs of
York, met and laid plans for the establish-
ment of a national bank. The signatures
of the stockholders were obtained at a meet-
ing held December 15, 1863, and the fol-
lowing directors were elected : Eli Lewis,
Edward Chapin, W. Latimer Small, Daniel
A. Rupp, Z. K. Loucks. David E. Small,
John L. Mayer, Jacob D. Schall and Daniel
Hartman.
Soon thereafter the comptroller of the
currency issued his certificate of authority
to this body of directors to commence the
business of banking under the national law
as the First National Bank of York. Eli
Lewis was elected president and Henry D.
Schmidt, cashier. The bank opened its
doors for btisiness on North George Street,
northeast corner Clark Alley, March 31,
752
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1864. On May 18, 1867, Henry D. Schmidt
was chosen president to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of Eli Lewis, and Jacob
Bastress was cashier. October 2, 1867, Mr.
Schmidt resigned and David E. Small was
elected president. Z. K. Loucks was chosen
vice president April 17, 1876. D. E. Small
resigned as president December 4, 1876, and
Z. K. Loucks, succeeded. January 15, 1877,
and continued until May, 1895, when he was
succeeded by Jacob D. Schall, who died in
1904, when M. H. McCall was chosen his
successor.
Jacob Bastress retired from the position
of cashier in 1899, when John J. Frick was
elected and held the office until 1896, when
he was elected cashier of the York National
Bank. William A. Keyworth served as
cashier from 1896 to May, 1900, when R. H.
Shindel was elected. John A. Erwin is as-
sistant cashier. Ivan Glossbrenner served
in different positions in this bank for a pe-
riod of thirty years.
In 1884 the bank purchased from the es-
tate of Alexander Hay, a dwelling house
on North George Street, upon which was
erected a large and commodious banking
house. With these enlarged facilities, the
First National Bank has continued to in-
crease its business until it has taken high
rank in the financial circles of Pennsylvania.
The bank opened in 1864 with a capital
stock of $200,000, which a few months af-
terward was increased to $300,000. In 1906,
owing to the prosperity of the institution,
the capital stock was advanced to $500,000.
In 1903 the money circulation of the bank
was increased from $200,000 to $300,000.
From the time of organization to November
I, 1906, the bank shows net profits of $1,-
813,139, of which $1,358,000 were paid in
dividends, $300,000 placed to the surplus,
and $155,134 carried to undivided profits.
The organization of the bank in 1907, is
as follows: M. H. McCall, president; R.
H. Shindel, vice president and cashier; M.
H. McCall, R. H. Shindel, Niles H. Shearer,
C. M. Billmeyer. E. W. Loucks, E. K. Emig,
S. M. Fulton, George AV. Fry and Michael
Smyser, directors.
Some of the early directors of this insti-
tution were : Isaac Frazer, S. S. HersTi,
William G. Ross, James M. Danner, Robert
Smith, William H. Souder, James Fulton
and W. Latimer Small.
From the year 1814 to 1845,,
York there was only one banking in-
County stitution in the borough of York.
National. It was during the last mentioned
year that the York Savings In-
stitution was organized as a bank of deposit.
The first board of directors of this institu-
tion was composed of the following named
persons : Daniel Hartman, Christian Lan-
ius, Peter Mclntyre, Michael Doudel,
Charles Weiser, Dr. Luke Rouse, Abraham
Forry, Thomas Hambly, AA'illiam Danner,
John G. Campbell and Thomas Baumgard-
ner. They organized by electing Charles
Weiser presid-ent and William Wagner,
cashier. July 21, 1846, John G. Campbell,
member of the York County Bar, was
elected president and held the office until it
surrendered its charter and the institution,
with a new charter, was organized under the
state laws of Pennsylvania as the York
County Bank. From this date until 1864, it
was a state bank and issued money in vari-
ous denominations. In 1852 Eli Lewis was
elected president and held the office until
1858, when he was succeeded by Philip A.
Small, who was then a prominent merchant
and financier. The institution prospered as
a state bank, but soon after ,the national
banking law was passed in 1863, plans
were laid to surrender the state charter and
accept the provisions of the act of Con-
gress. Having complied with all the re-
quirements of the United States govern-
ment, the institution was organized as the
York County National Bank, in December,
1864. Its official number is 694. Philip A.
Small continued as president of this bank
until his death in 1875, when he was suc-
ceeded by David F. Williams, who held the
office until 1881. Joseph E. Rosenmiller
was president from 1881 to 1885, when Dr.
William S. Roland was elected. In 1889,
the York County National Bank purchased
the building now occupied from the banking
house of Weiser, Son and Carl, who had dis-
continued the banking business. Dr. Ro-
land died in 1897 and Dr. James A. Dale
succeeded him as president.
William Wagner, the first cashier, was
well known as a bank note engraver. He
also practiced the art of steel engraving for
many years before he engaged in the bank-
ing i)usiness. He died in 1869, and James
A. Schall was his successor, until the year
THE CITY OF YORK
753
1888. Isaac Elliott was cashier from 1888
to 1899. He was succeeded by William R.
Horner, who had served as bookkeeper in
the bank of Weiser, Son and Carl from 1882
to 1889, and afterward held various posi-
tions in the institution which elected him
cashier. The capital stock of this bank in
1907 was $300,000, with surplus and profit
account of $240,000. The amount of money
declared as dividends since it became a na-
tional bank is $1,263,000. The York County
National bank has largely increased its busi-
ness during the past ten years. The board
of directors in 1907 were James A. Dale,
Jere Carl, Charles S. Weiser, David H.
W^elsh, Samuel Small, Jr., S. Forry Laucks,
George W. Williams, Charles Kurtz, David
F. Hirsh, Edwin G. Steacy and John W.
Gable.
The banking house of Weiser, Son
Weiser, & Carl was founded by Charles
Son & Weiser in the year 1856. In 1861
Carl. Charles S. Weiser was admitted
as a partner under the firm name
of Charles Weiser and Son. In January,
1867, Jere Carl was admitted as a member of
the firm. Charles W^eiser, the founder of
this institution, and who had been promi-
nent in business and financial circles in
York for a period of half a century, died in
the year 1867. Up to this date the business
of the bank was conducted in the building
opposite the Court House, later occupied
by the Farmers' National Bank. In 1867
the banking business was removed farther
down East Market Street, and in 1884, upon
this site, the firm of Weiser, Son & Carl
erected a large four-story building in which
it continued business until the year 1889.
This building is owned and occupied by The
York County National Bank.
Jacob H. Baer, founder of the
J. H. Baer banking firm of J. H. Baer &
& Sons. Sons was born in West Manches-
ter Township and was a son of
Daniel and Susan Baer. For twelve years he
was a partner of Charles F. Winter in the
grain and commission business. In 1872
he engaged in a private banking business
and was one of the organizers of the West-
ern National Bank and was its president for
two years. In 1875 he withdrew from the
institution and again entered into the private
banking business in which he prospered.
He then took his three sons into partner-
ship with him, Charles F., J. Allen and How-
ard D., under the firm name of J. H. Baer
& Sons. He died May 3, 1906. The bank-
ing house has since been continued by his
sons.
The Farmers National Bank, one
Farmers of the prosperous financial insti-
National. tutions of York, was founded
February 23, 1875, with a capital
stock of $200,000. The original board of
directors were V. K. Keesey, M. B. Spahr,
M. S. Eichelberger, John A. Weiser, W. H.
Jordan, William Smith, Jacob Stair, Charles
Spangler and Nathan Lehmayer. The bank
was organized February 25, 1875, by the
election of V. K. Keesey, president ; and
on March i, of the same year, a charter was
obtained. The Farmers National Bank and
the Dime Savings Institution purchased the
property from E. H. Weiser estate, opposite
the Court House on East Market Street, at
which place both institutions conducted busi-
ness for a time. Since 1893 the property
has been owned and occupied by the Farm-
ers National Bank. The bank opened its
doors for business with J. V. Giesey, as
cashier, who served until September 29,
1881, when he was succeeded by David H.
Gardner, who filled the position from Sep-
tember 29, 1881, to February 8, 1882.
Henry Nes served as cashier from Febru-
ary 8, 1882, to February 21, 1882. Edward
P. Stair has filled this responsible position
since 1882. Horace Keesey was elected
vice president January 15, 1895, and on Oc-
tober 10, 1899, president, to succeed his
father, who died October 4, 1899. M. B.
Spahr has served continuously as a member
of the Board of Directors since the time of
organization in 1875. The following
named gentlemen have also served as direc-
tors in this bank: Samuel Lichtenberger,
E. W. Spangler. George H. Wolf, J. R. Da-
vis, E. M. Koch, Charles B. Wallace, D.
Strickler and Silas H. Forry. The charter
of the institution was renewed February
25, 1895, the capital stock remaining at
$200,000. During the thirty-one years of
its history down to 1907, this institution
has paid $410,000 in dividends to its stock-
holders, besides carrying profits of $100,000
to surplus fund and over $60,000 to profit
and loss account.
754
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The Board of Directors for 1907 is com-
posed of the following named gentlemen :
Horace Keesey, M. B. Spahr, Harry P. W'ei-
ser, John C. Jordan, William H. Burnham,
George Hoyer, Charles H. Bear,, Edward
Scharzberger and Martin N. Lehmayer.
The series of meetings which
Western had for their object the forma-
National. tion of a national bank in the
Fifth ward of the borough of
York, commenced April 6, 1875. July 22,
1875, the Articles of x\ssociation were
adopted, the organization certificate filed
and the following directors elected : J. H.
Baer, Israel Eaucks, William H. Emig, Clay
E. Lewis. Frederick Greiman, Albert Smy-
ser, Captain John Fahs, Silas H. Forry,
Daniel Kraber, Charles A. Klinefelter, H.
B. Shroeder, Solomon Myers and George W.
Ruby. J. H. Baer was elected president
of the board of directors, and M. J. Skinner,
cashier. The name selected was "The
\\'estern National Bank of York." Its
bonds as a basis of circulation were depos-
ited October 11, 1875, and consisted of gov-
ernment five per cent bonds of 1881. On
November 29, 1875, ^be bank was formally
opened for business. Albert Smyser was
elected president May 12, 1877. January 10,
1879, M. J. Skinner, the cashier, died, and
was succeeded by Clay E. Lewis, who
served until the time of his death, Decem-
ber 13, 1897. He was succeeded by H. L.
Motter, who served until April 20, 1898,
when E. A. Rice was chosen cashier. Al-
bert Smyser retired as president of the
board January 17, 1903, and Captain John
Fahs was elected to succeed him. In 1883
the capital stock was increased to $150,000,
and was again increased, January 20, 1906,
to $225,000 with a surplus of $60,000. The
highest annual dividend declared by the
bank was ten per cent. The entire amount
of money paid as dividends since the organ-
ization of the bank is $309,500. Captain
Fahs has been a member of the board since
the bank was founded. The directors in
1907 were John Fahs, John Zeller, Israel
Laucks, M. L. Ebert, W\ H. Bott, C. Elmer
Smith, Jacob Diehl, W. E. Emig and Fred-
erick Brunhouse, Jr. This financial insti-
tution has had a successful history and un-
der its present excellent management, fills
an important position in the business afTairs
of York.
Drovers and Mechanics Na-
Drovers tional Bank was founded May
and 22. 1883, with N. F. Burn-
Mechanics, ham as president, and J. V.
Giesey as cashier. The first
board of directors were Samuel Lichten-
berger, Edward Smyser, H. J. Gresley, Dr.
B. F. Spangler, W. H. Bond, George F.
Shive, Israel F. Gross, Frederick Grothe,
Jacob Brodbeck and George W. Holtzinger.
N. F. Burnham served as president froan the
time of organization until December 24,
1890; Israel F. Gross, from January 14,
1891, to June 29. 1898: Samuel Lichten-
berger, July 20. 1898, to January 25,
1905. Jacob Beitzel was elected March i,
1905.
Samuel Lichtenberger was chosen vice
president July 6, 1898, and two„weeks later
was chosen president. George \\'. Holtz-
inger served as vice president from July
20, 1898, to January 14, 1903, when
James G. Glessner was chosen his suc-
cessor.
J. V. Giesey, the first cashier, served in
that position until October 13, 1894; G. K.
Shenberger, from October 31, 1894, to Oc-
tober I, 1903, when W. F. Weiser was
elected. The directors for the year 1907 are
George W. Holtzinger, Dr. B. F. Spangler,
R. A. Panics, Jacob Beitzel, James G. Gless-
ner, A\'illiam F. Laucks, Michael Hose,
James AV. Kilgore, George F. Shive, Martin
Smyser, Andrew Miller. Charles A. Rost
Allen Kauffman. The capital stock of this
institution is $100,000.
The City Bank of York was organ-
City ized March 7, 1887, under the laws
Bank, of Pennsylvania. The first directors
were C. B. Wallace, G. P. Yost, Ed-
ward M. Vandersloot, Edward Myers, E. T.
Moul, L. A. Marshall, Charles H. Frey,
John J. Reiker, Edward F. Wiest, C. H.
Stallman. C. B. Wallace was chosen
president and R. H. Shindel cashier.
The bank opened for business at 29 West
Market Street, in a building purchased for
$35,000 from the estate of William Gilber-
thorpe. The property was enlarged and
adapted to the banking business. The cap-
ital stock was fixed at $100,000. Charles H.
Stallman was chosen president in 1894, and
C. T. Kraft, who had previously held a posi-
tion in the bank, was chosen cashier when
Mr. Shindel retired in 1900. Immediately
THE CITY OF YORK
755
after its organization, the City Bank was The Security Title and Trust
successfvil in its operations and has carried Security Company was incorporated
on an increasing business during the entire Trust March 13, 1893, and opened for
period of its history. The capital stock in Company, business on April i, of the same
1907 is $250,000, with surplus and undivided year, with an authorized capi-
profits amounting to $85,000. The directors tal of $250,000, of which $150,000 was im-
in 1907 were C. H. Stallman, Geofifrey P. mediately paid in. The original board of
Yost, Edwin Myers, Edwin T. Moul, D. F. directors were : W. F. Bay Stewart, J. T.
StaufTer, P. F. Wilt, N. Sargent Ross, J. B. Kopp, H. H. Weber, C. H. Dempwolf,
Budding and A. M. Grove. Adam F. Geesey, E. H. Hauser, D. F. La-
The York Trust Company was fean, I. AV. Allen and George D. Gitt. The
York organized May 12, 1890, as the board organized by electing W. F. Bay
Trust York Trust, Real Estate and Stewart, president; I. W. Allen, secretaiy;
Company. Deposit Company. It was foun- C. C. Frick, treasurer. Soon after organ-
ded for the purpose of carrying ization the property on East Market Street,
on the business of a trust company underact adjoining the Court House, was purchased
of State Legislature passed April 29, 1874, and upon this site a five-story building was
and also for transacting a banking business, erected. The first floor of the building is
and the ownership, purchase and sale of used for its banking purposes. The other
real estate. The institution was organized floors are rented for offices. The business
by the election of Captain W. H. Lanius of this institution owing to its excellent
as president, and Jonathan Jessop, treas- management has prospered from the time
urer. F. G. Metzgar was elected secretary of its origin. In 1903, the entire capital
on January 14, 1892; and was made secre- stock of $250,000 was paid in. W. F. Bay
tary and treasurer, January 12, 1893. Ellis Stewart was succeeded in the presidency on
S. Lewis, who had been connected with the January i, 1896, by D. F. Lafean. C. C.
institution from 1894, was chosen treasurer Frick served as treasurer of the institution
October 24, 1899, and has since performed 'from 1893 until March 10, 1903, when he
the duties of that office. The institution was elected vice-president. At the same
immediately after its organization, became time, R. S. Cannon was made treasurer and
an important factor in the financial affairs \\'. C. Sudick, assistant treasurer. The
of York. The real estate department pur- board of directors in 1907 is composed of
chased a large amount of property, and be- the following members: D. F. Lafean, C.
gan the erection of dwelling houses in the C. Frick, H. H. Weber, C. H. Dempwolf.
suburbs of York. This department grew in Adam F. Geesey, A\'. S. Noss, E. H. Hauser,
a marked degree and materially aided in the C. H. Emig.
development of York from a staid and quiet The Guardian Trust Corn-
town into an industrial center. On March Guardian pany received its charter of
26, 1901, the charter was changed from the Trust incorporation from the State of
original name to the York Trust Company. Company. Pennsylvania, April 13. 1903.
The capital stock at first was $150,000, At the time of organization, the
which was afterwards changed to $250,000, following officers and directors were
the entire amount of which has been paid elected: M. D. Martin, president; Jacob A.
in. In 1907 the surplus and undivided prof- Mayer, vice president; James W. Kilgore,
its were $80,000. The banking department secretary and treasurer ; Frank M. Bortner,
does a large business. The officers and di- trust officer; W. F. Bacon, M. D. ; D. W.
rectors in 1907, were: president, W. H. Beitzel, Frank M. Bortner, M. H. Engle,
Lanius; vice president, Smyser Williams: S. F. Glatfelter, D. B. Goodling, A. W.
treasurer, Ellis S. Lewis; secretary, F. G. Himes, R. B. Hyson, James W. Kilgore,
Metzgar; directors, W. H. Lanius, Smyser John J- Landes, M. D. Martin, Jacob A.
Williams, A. B. Farquhar, J. W. Steacy, Mayer, E. K. McConkey, J. E. C. Miller,
George P. Smyser, J. A. Dempwolf, John J. E. Phillips, E. G. Quickel, A. W. Sea-
Fahs, W. A. Himes, Joseph Parkhru'st, S. crist, F. M. Small, C. Elmer Smith, Thomas
Nevin Hench, George S. Billmeyer, Charles Stubbs, Elmer C. Ziegler, directors. On
Young. April 22. the board of directors purchased
756
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
from the John H. Small estate the commo-
dious residence at the southeast corner of
Market and Duke streets, for the sum of
$45,000, and soon afterward remodelled it
for business purposes, the first floor being
arranged for use as a banking house and
trust company, and the other floors for
of^ces. The large stable on South Duke
street, a part of the Small property, was en-
larged and remodelled for use as a City
Hall. At the same time, the Wantz prop-
erty on East Market Street was purchased
for the sum of $25,000, and on the rear of
the lot of this property, the trust company
erected an addition to City Hall. The trust
company opened its doors for business June
II, 1903, Avith a capital stock of $250,000, in
10,000 shares of $25 each. The following-
named persons have been elected directors
to take the places of those who have re-
tired; J. E. Baker, Charles M. Nes, Noah
Gillen and Francis Farquhar. In 1905, El-
mer C. Zeigler was elected to the newly
created office of second vice president. The
Guardian Trust Company, under its excel-
lent management, has conducted a large
and prosperous business. In 1903 the en-
tire capital stock of $250,000 was paid in.
MANUFACTURING.
Immediately after York was incorporated
into a city in 1887, it became an important
centre for the manufacture of a great vari-
ety of products. It was this enterprise and
the encouragement extended by the banks
and other financial institutions that gave
an impetus to the growth and development
of the city. Industrial establishments are
widely distributed and are now found in
all the different wards. York does not
claim to have many large factories, but
a great number of small ones, requiring
skilled labor, which furnishes a remunera-
tive support to thousands of families. The
census of 1900 showed that there were 464
manufacturing establishments, in which
7,687 men and women were employed ; cap-
ital invested, $9,670,000; cost of material
used, $6,000,000; wages paid, $2,000,000;
value of products, $12,000,000.
Seven years have passed by since these
facts were gathered. During this period,
most commendable progress has taken
place. Numerous large and small factories
have been founded, and the outlook for a
continuous development of the manufactur-
ing interests of the city is encouraging in
the highest degree. The amount of manu-
factured goods shipped from the freight
stations at York since 1880 has been in-
creased five fold.
During the first century of our
Early history the inland towns of
Industries. Pennsylvania were not promi-
nent as manufacturing cen-
ters. The condition of affairs in colonial
days did not require large industrial estab-
lishments. Shoemakers, gunsmiths, car-
penters, weavers, harness makers and the
manufacturers of tools and implements plied
their trades in the small shops adjoining
their residences. Many weavers made linen
goods of iiax and tow in every township of
York County. Carding mills and fulling
mills made woolen yarns and wove them
into homespun cloths and cassimeres for
the people of the town and country. A
grist mill was erected on the Codorus, a
short distance northeast of York in 1745.
A saw mill and grist mill were built about
one mile south of the town about the same
time.
Leather was needed for the manufacture
of shoes and harness. Jacob Doudel, Mich-
ael Doudel and John Welsh were the pio-
neers in the tanning industry of York.
Charles Barnitz began the brewery busi-
ness and was followed by John Barnitz and
others of the same name.
There were half a dozen wagon makers
in York before 1775. Gunsmiths were ac-
tive and industrious long before the Revo-
lution, when they began to make flint lock
rifles afterwards used by the Continental
army. Soon after the close of the war
William Bailey, who had served as a major
in the American army, began the manufac-
ture of the copper still. Many of these
stills were used in every section of York
County from 1780 to 1820. Farmers turned
their corn and rye into whiskey which found
ready sale in the Baltimore and Philadel-
phia markets, where it was hauled in large
wagons.
John Fisher was the pioneer clock maker
at York. He built a number of tall eight
day clocks which were sold throughout
southern Pennsylvania. Other clock ma-
kers of note before the Revolution were
Godfrey Lenhart and Elisha Kirk, who
THE CITY OF YORK
757
made the tall clocks which found their way
into nearly every home.
There were no large iron industries or
foundries in the town before 1800. Bar iron
could be obtained by the wagon makers
and blacksmiths of York at Spring Forge,
which was built in 1755. Pig iron and bar
iron were made in abundance at a furnace
and forge at the mouth of the Codorus.
As early as 1762 ten plate stoves were man-
ufactured for the early settlers of York and
elsewhere at Mary Ann Furnace, four miles
south of Hanover. Most of the tools and
utensils for the home and the farm were
made in the small shops of the industrious
tradesmen of York and vicinity. Manufac-
tured goods were hauled here from Phila-
delphia and Baltimore to a certain degree,
but most of the clothing worn was made by
the local tailors who obtained their goods
from the weavers of York Count}^ Such
was the condition of affairs for more than
half a century after the first settlers took
up their abode on the banks of the Codorus,
when the Province of Pennsylvania was un-
der English rule.
The business of tanningleather
Tanneries, was carried on in York from
the time of its earliest history.
There was considerable business done in
this line in 1825. At this period Rouse's
tannery, at the extreme south end of George
Street, was a large establishment. In the
spring of every year wagon loads of oak
bark were brought to this tannery from
the lower end of York County, which then
had an abundance of native timber. Jacob
Baylor owned a large tannery on West
King Street, near the Codorus Creek.
Michael Doudel owned a tannery on the
south side of A\'est Market Street, near the
creek; Smyser's tannery was situated on
South Newberry, near Market; Daniel AVei-
ser's stood at the corner of George and
North Streets, and Robert Cathcart's was
situated to the rear of the First Presby-
terian Church. At this time George Min-
nich owned a currier shop on the east side
of North George Street, near the Square,
and the Fahnestock currier shop stood on
George, below Philadelphia Street. A large
tannery stood for many years on the south
side of West Market Street, near the bridge.
This property was bought in 1832 by Fred-
erick Baugher and the tanning business was
afterwards continued there until 1893, by
himself and others.
Between 1800 and 1840 various
Hat styles of hats were made in
Factories. York in considerable numbers.
Peter Ahl had a factory on East
Market Street, nearly opposite the Court
House where he made silk, felt and fur hats
for a quarter of a century. In the same vi-
cinit}' Daniel Hartman had a factory. John
Demuth owned a factory at the corner of
Phil^elphia and George Streets. Thomas
Schan built one on North George Street in
1828. Charles Ferdinand had a hat factory
on North George Street, opposite the site
of the Union Engine House. Jacob Levan
had a shop on South George Street, where
the First Baptist Church now stands. The
other hat makers in York at that time were
John Craver, Martin Baumgartner, Welsh
and Spangler, Jacob Koontz, Frank Koontz
and Rudolph Spangler.
Samuel Weiser came to York from Tulpe-
hocken settlement in Berks County in 1780,
and commenced the business of a hatter in
a building on the south side of East Mar-
ket Street, near the Court House. He con-
tinued this business until 1822, but opened
a dry goods store in 1808 on the corner,
since owned by his descendants. During
the W^ar of 1812 he employed about fifty
workmen making hats, and sent wagon
loads of them every Monday morning to
Baltimore.
In 1820 Phineas Davis, an in-
Iron telligent Quaker, and Israel
Industries. Gardner, established a foundry
and forge at the northwest cor-
ner of Newberry and King Streets and be-
gan to make a variety of products. In 1823
James Webb and Phineas Davis erected a
blast furnace and made considerable quan-
tities of pig iron. Bar iron was made at the
forge. In the foundry and machine shop a
large number of machinists were employed
by this enterprising firm. In 1827 John
Elgar, a citizen of York, designed an iron
steamboat which was built at this foundry
under the direction of the inventor. The
history of this steamboat will be found on
page 608 in this volume. The firm of
AA'ebb, Davis & Gardner continued to make
tools and implements and in 1832 Phineas
Davis designed and had built, under his di-
rection, the first locomotive in America that
758
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
burned anthracite coal. The interesting
story of this engine is found in the history
of railroads in this volume on page 6ii.
In 1811 Jonathan Jessop and Michael
Gardner owned a foundry west of the Co-
dorus where they made a "patent balance
bridge which was adapted for large spans
from 100 to 300 feet and upwards."
In 1826 a bell was made for a church in
Marietta at the foundry of Davis, Webb
and Gardner. In 1828 James Chalfant, at
the Davis & Gardner shops engaged gp the
manufacture of wood carding m amines,
shearing machines, turning lathes and made
patterns for castings.
John Elgar built a nail factory on Market
Street, west of the Codorus in 1810, and in
1823 manufactured cast and wrought iron
screws, mill irons, pump augers and steel
edge tools. John Irwin, in 1810, had a nail
factory at the corner of Market and Duke
Streets. At this early date, wrought iron
nails were used. It was many years later
before the modern nail factory came into
existence.
In 181 1 John Hibner advertised that he
had for sale Scott's newly inventecl window
springs. In 1822 Gottlieb Sener started an
edge tool factory on East Market Street.
He made tools and implements from steel.
The industr}' of Eyster, Weiser & Com-
pany, on West Philadelphia Street, was
founded by Frederick Baugher and E. I.
Wolf in 1832. Originally they owned and
conducted a large tannery on the north side
of West Market Street, near the Codorus.
This firm did an extensive tanning business,
at times employing as many as 100 men. In
1845 Frederick Baugher and Enos Frev,
under the name of Baugher & Frey, became
the owners of a foundry and machine shop
which they operated until Enos Frey es-
tablished his own works on Princess Street,
near the railroad. The foundry and tan-
ning business was continued by Baugher &
Brother, and in 1856 William H. Kurtz be-
came a partner, and the firm of Baugher &
Kurtz began to engage extensively in mak-
ing car castings and other products of a
foundry and machine shop. The tanning
business was continued until 1893. The
foundry and machine shop were owned and
operated in order of succession by Baugher,
Kurtz & Stewart Company, limited, and
Baugher, Kurtz & Company, limited. In
1904 this establishment was purchased by
Eyster, Weiser & Company and operated as
an extensive foundry and machine shop.
The Variety Iron Works, on North Bea-
ver Street, adjoining the railroad, were
founded in 1840 by Elisha Geiger and Sam-
uel Bechtol, who began business on a lim-
ited scale in small shops. Dr. Alexander
Small became a partner in the business in
1846, and at the death of Samuel Bechtol
in 1853, Edward G. Smyser became a part-
ner and the firm was changed to Small &
Smyser. Dr. Small died in 1862 and E. G.
Smyser became the sole proprietor. The
original works covered only a small area,
but the continual enlargement of the busi-
ness, required frecpient additions and im-
provements. Large and convenient brick
buildings were erected, containing all neces-
sary facilities for improved manufacture
until the entire shops at present cover an
area of five acres. Since the death of E. G.
Smyser, the business has been conducted
by his three sons, George P., Henry M. and
James A. Smyser. Since 1877 the Variety
Iron Works has had a branch house in Bal-
timore.
The industrial establishment owned and
managed by George F. Motter & Sons, on
Princess Street, near the railroad , was
founded in 1845 by Enos Frey. Frederick
Baugher was originally associated with
Enos Frey and later George F. Motter be- ,
came a partner, and the firm of Frey and
Motter manufactured a large number of
engines and boilers. After the retirement
of Enos Frey, George F. Motter, a practical
machinist of long experience, associated
with him his sons and continued the busi-
ness.
The York Rolling Mill was established in
the winter of 1868, by Jacob Jamison, F. H.
Hughes, C. M. Nes and Henry Kraber. In
1869 the company was chartered as the
York County Iron Company, with W. W.
Wickes, president ; L. T. Rossiter, secre-
tary and treasurer, and Henry Kraber, vice
president and superintendent. The works
were enlarged with the intention of making
steel rails, which was changed to the manu-
facture of steel, bar and car iron, the busi-
ness subsequently being chiefly the manu-
facture of rails with steel top, which busi-
ness did not prosper, and the works were
for a number of years idle. In March, 1881,
^^^^^^^
"^ ^
THE CITY OF YORK
759
Samuel Trescott, M. S. Shuman and J. W.
Steacy bought the works from the Farmers
Mutual Insurance Company and commenced
operation. Trescott sold his interest"" the
same year to Michael Schall, the firm being
Schall, Steacy & Company. They man-
factured muck bars of puddle iron and later
made bar iron, supplying the car shops and
the trade through the Baltimore markets.
In October, 1881, Mr. Shuman sold his in-
terest to John O. Denny, of Harrisburg,
and the firm of Schall, Steacy & Denny was
founded. This mill continued to manufac-
ture bar iron and later began to make plate
or skelp iron in which it has been largely
engaged in recent 3'ears. In 1899 the Sus-
quehanna Iron and Steel Company was
chartered with Charles A. Porter, of Phila-
delphia, president; R. Y. Filbert, secretary
and treasurer, and J. W. Steacy, general
manager. Since then the company has op-
erated the York mill, four rolling mills ai:yl
a pipe mill at Columbia. The plate for mak-
ing pipes from six to twelve inches in diam-
eter, at Columbia, is made at the York mill.
The York Manufacturing Company was
organized and incorporated in 1874. The
original stockholders were S. Morgan
Smith, Jacob Loucks, George Buck, Rob-
ert Shelter, Harry Lamotte, Franklin Seif-
fert, O. J. Bollinger and Hon. John Gibson.
They manufactured at that time water
wheels, wringers, wash machines and mill
machinery, and employed about ten men.
They were succeeded April' 17, 1891, by
the York Manufacturing Company, limited,
with a capital stock of $100,000, the officers
being P. H. Glatfelter, president ; Stuart St.
Clair, vice president and general manager;
W. L. Glatfelter, treasurer, and George W.
S. Loucks, secretary. This companj^ manu-
factured ice and refrigerating machinery
and engines and was succeeded March 5,
1895, by the present York Manufacturing
Company, with a capital of $319,100, which
has been increased at different times until
the present capital is $1,490,000. The offi-
cers of the company are P. H. Glatfelter,
president; Thomas Shipley, vice president
and general manager; \\'. L. Glatfelter,
treasurer, and B. H. Loucks, secretary.
The present company is engaged in the
manufacture of ice and refrigerating ma-
chinery almost exclusively.
In 1897 the company emploj'ed 163 men
and the total amount of the pay roll was
$163,775, and the sales amounted to $209,-
775. In 1906 the company employed 1,140
men and the total amount of the pay roll
was $533,825, and the sales amounted to
$2,230,325. In 1897 they shipped thir-
teen machines, representing a refrigerating
capacity of 582 tons. In 1906 they shipped
156 machines, representing a refrigerating
capacity of 9,311 tons. The York Manu-
facturing company is at the present time
not only one of the largest establishments
in southern Pennsylvania, but is the largest
exclusive ice and refrigerating machine
manufactory in the United States, and in
fact, in the world.
The large establishment of S. Morgan
Smith & Company was founded in 1871,
when Rev. S. Morgan Smith retired from
the ministry in the Moravian Church and
engaged in the manufacture of mill ma-
chinery and turbine water wheels, of which
he was the inventor. Mr. Smith carried on
an extensive business until the time of his
death, Easter Sunday, 1903, and the busi-
ness has been continued by his sons, C. El-
mer Smith and S. Fahs Smith. The com-
pan}^ manufactures the McCormick and the
Success turbirie wheels, power transmitting
machinery, boilers and special products.
This company, employing 500 men, has in-
stalled a turbine outfit in the city of Jeru-
salem, in the Holy Land, and many of them
in Japan and Russia. A number of these
wheels are in use in the Niagara Falls
power houses, being the only American
make of wheels in those plants. The com-
pany is incorporated with C. Elmer Smith,
president; S. Fahs Smith, treasurer: C. E.
Etnier, secretarv.
S. MORGAN SMITH, founder of the
company bearing his name, was born Feb-
I, 1839, in Davie County, North Carolina,
eldest son of John AV. and Sarah Purdon
(Beauchamp) Smith. His father was born
in Davie County, North Carolina, in 181 1,
and his mother in 1816. His paternal grand-
father was born in Davie County, his mater-
nal great-grandfather in Frederick, Mar}'-
land, and his great-great-grandfather in
France, the latter emigrating from his native
country to America and settling in Freder-
ick, Maryland.
S. Morgan Smith began his education in
the public schools of Davie County, North
760
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Carolina, and' continued his studies in .the
Moravian College- at Bethlehem, Pennsyl-
vania, from which latter institution he was
graduated to the ministry in 1861. From
1861 to 1866 he was pastor of the Moravian
Church in York. In 1866 he went to Canal
Dover, Ohio, and had charge of the Mora-
vian congregation of that place for a period
of five years when his health began to fail
and he was obliged to give up active work
in the ministry and look to other fields for
support.
As a boy Mr. Smith had always evinced
a great interest in machinery, so that his
mind now naturally turned in that direc-
tion. The result of this was the invention
of the "Success" washing machine, many
thousands of which were sold in all parts
of the world. .-Vbout 1876 Mr. Smith turned
his attention to hydraulics, and soon after-
ward invented the "Success" turbine, which
has been well and favorably received by
the milling interests. Other lines of busi-
ness were taken up from time to time, and
improvements made on this turbine water
wheel, until at the time of his death his
manufacturing establishment, devoted to
the building of turbine water wheels and
power transmitting machinery, was the
largest of its kind in the country.
In 1898 Mr. Smith organized the S. Mor-
gan Smith Company, the management of
which was largely turned over to his sons,
while he spent much of his time in rest and
travel. It was while on one of his visits
to his son, Beauchamp, in Los Angeles,
California, that he was taken suddenly ill
with an attack of heart failure, and died
April 12, 1903.
S. Morgan Smith was united in marriage
April '8, 1862, to Miss Emma R. Fahs,'
daughter of John Fahs, a native of York.
Si-x children were born to this marriage, as
follows : Charles Elmer, Stephen Fahs,
Beauchamp Harvey, Sarah Purdon, Susan
Ellen and Mary Delia.
The York Safe and Lock Company, of
which Israel Laucks is president ; S. Forry
Laucks, vice president, treasurer and gen-
eral manager, and J- A. Dempwolf, secre-
tary, is one of the prominent industries of
the city. It was founded in 1882 when the
company engaged in the manufacture of
small safes for ofifices. Business increased
and a few vears after the origin of the
works, the company began to make bank
and safe deposit vaults. The factory was
entirely destroyed by fire in 1894, and was
soon after rebuilt on a much larger scale,
and since that time a large number of safes
have found ready sale, not only in America,
but in foreign countries. The York Safe
and Lock Company has supplied bank vaults
for some of the largest financial institutions
in the United States. When the company
was first organized, it employed about
twenty men. In 1907, 400 workmen were
on the pay roll.
The York Foundry and Machine Company,
an allied industry with the Safe Works,
was founded in 1904. This company is en-
gaged in a general foundry business, pro-
ducing grey iron and brass castings. S.
Forry Laucks is president ; J. A. Dempwolf,
secretary, and Israel Laucks, treasurer.
One hundred and ten men are employed.
September 29, 1881, John C. Schmidt
commenced the manufacture of chain in
York, the plant being located on Walnut
Street, adjoining the Maryland & Pennsyl-
vania Railroad. This plant commenced
with a force of forty employees. The
Keystone Chain Works was started a few
years later by M. J. Mumper, in AVest York
and when this firm went out of business,
John C. Schmidt bought all of their assets
and operated the works. John C. Schmidt
operated these two plants separately for sev-
eral years and then consolidated in 1890
the two plants in one large plant located
on the Pennsylvania Railroad, near Vine
Street. These plants were all operated un-
der the name of John C. Schmidt & Com-
pany, of which John C. Schmidt, however,
was the sole owner.
In February, 1889, the Nes Chain Manu-
facturing Company began operations in
York. This firm was composed of the late
Charles I. Nes and his brother. David Nes.
In the year 1900 the Standard Chain Com-
pany was formed, which took over, among
thirteen other chain manufacturing plants
and a rolling mill, these two extensive
plants in York, which now employ about
300 men out of a total of 1,200 men em-
ployed by the Standard Chain Company.
At the formation of the Standard Chain
Company, John C. Schmidt was elected
president and has continued to occupy that
office for se\^en vears.
THE CITY OF YORK
761
The York Tack and Nail \\orks were
founded in 1885, on Howard Avenue, where
they continued for a period of three years.
In 1888 the firm moved the business to
Walnut and Broad Streets. This enter-
prise is owned by Charles M. and E. G.
Nes, who employ fifty workmen. The an-
nual output is 1,000 tons of nails and tacks.
The Norway Iron and Steel Company
built extensive works southeast of York
and operated them for several years. In
1906 the plant was disposed of to the
Heany Fire Proof Wire Company of
which W. F. Bay Stewart is president; A.
R. Brodbeck, secretary; Charles C. Frick,
treasurer. The company is engaged in the
manufacture of insulated wire.
Broomell. Schmidt & Steacy Company, a
large industry employing about two hun-
dred and fifty workmen, is engaged in the
manufacture of boilers, sugar refining ma-
chinery and a variety of other products.
This establishment disposes of its products
all over this country and is constantly in-
creasing its business.
In 1899 B. M. Root and John F. Rudisill
entered into a mutual partnership and en-
gaged in the manufacture of plow handle
and wood working machinery. The busi-
ness prospered and in 1905 the firm of B.
M. Root Company was established, when B.
T. Root became a partner. In 1906 Frank
T. Root joined the firm. The products of
this establishment, one of two in this
country to manufacture plow handle ma-
chinery, are sold throughout the United
States and Canada. In 1907 the company
purchased a site and erected shops on Jef-
ferson Avenue, near George Street.
The Flinchbaugh Manufacturing Com-
pany began operation in 1901 and engaged
in the manufacture of gasoline engines,
the invention of Fred. T. Flinchbaugh, a
member of the firm. The other members of
the firm are, Eli B. Flinchbaugh and Henry
Kindig. Pumping jacks, feed engines and
dairy outfits are made at this factory. In
1907 this firm began to make hoisting ma-
chines and traction engines from patents
obtained by Fred. T. Flinchbaugh.
The York Bridge Company, a prominent
industry, was established at Richland Ave-
nue and Northern Central Railroad in 1901,
with George W. Drury, president, and Guy
Webster, secretary and treasurer. The
company engaged in the manufacture of
steel bridges, employing about one hundred
workmen. Guy Webster succeeded as
president, and P. M. Harrison, secretary
and treasurer. The products of this factory
have been widely sold throughout the east-
ern and middle states. In 1907 about one
hundred and fifty workmen were employed.
The Pullman Automatic Ventilator Com-
pany, engaged in the manufacture of win-
dow ventilators, was organized about 1900,
with Charles H. Emig, president; Ralph S.
Cannon, secretary; Charles C. Frick, treas-
urer.
The Ruth Automatic Knitting Machine
Company was incorporated in 1905, with
Edwin T. Moul, president; Geoffrey P.
Yost, vice president; Horace Brillinger,
secretary; G. W. Ruth, treasurer and man-
ager. This company is engaged in the
manufacture of knitting machinery for ho-
siery and underwear from the invention of
G. A\\ Ruth. The entire board is composed
of five directors, including the officers and
David E. Small.
Emerson J. Case, of Connecticut, came to
York about 1850, and formed a partnership
with Joseph Root, in the manufacture of
weighing scales. The firm of Root & Case
continued the business on North Street, un-
til the death of Mr. Case, and John Sanks
became associated with Mr. Root in the
business until 1890, when the factory was
disposed of to the York Carriage Works.
In 1849 George W. Ilgenfritz
Car began to manufacture small
Building, freight cars, known as coal hop-
pers, at a shop situated on North
Beaver Street, near the York County Acad-
emy. A few years later, Thomas A\'hite, of
Maine, an expert machinist, became a part-
ner. The firm of Ilgenfritz & White man-
ufactured different kinds of cars, and during
the early part of the Civil War took con-
tracts to make freight cars for the United
States government, which then operated a
number of militarj' railroads in this coun-
try. Ilgenfritz & White continued to do a
large business for several years after the
Civil AVar, and then disposed of their plant
to Michael Schall, who soon afterward
founded the Empire Car AA^orks, a large es-
tablishment which employed several hun-
dred workmen, and made cars of different
kinds for some of the leading railroads in
762
HISTORY OP YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the United States. The works were de-
stroyed by fire in 1877, and soon afterward
Mr. Schall erected shops on the west side
of Beaver Street, nearly opposite his orig-
inal plant.
In 1847, the firm of Pflieger, Hess &
Nevin established car works a short dis-
tance northeast of the Northern Central
Railway station, where they engaged in the
manufacture of freight cars. The firm went
out of business during the financial crisis of
1857. The site was purchased by the
Northern Central Railway Company and
large shops erected. John Minsker, who
afterward was in the employ of the com-
pany for thirty years, as master carpenter,
superintended the erection of these shops.
They were originally used as repair shops
and in 1868, the company began the con-
struction of passenger coaches and large
box cars for their own use, and for several
3'ears employed about 200 skilled workmen.
The railroad company continued the busi-
ness until June, 1875, when the shops were
removed to Baltimore.
The firm of H. Small & Sons was founded
in 1847 by Henry Small and his two sons,
David E. and John H. Small. During his
early life, Henry Small had been a con-
tractor and builder and under his direction
a large number of houses and factories were
erected in York. The firm conducted a
lumber business at the foot of North Duke
Street and also operated a planing mill at
^^'rightsville.
In 1857 David E. Small and Charles Bill-
meyer erected extensive shops, founded the
firm of Billmeyer & Small and began the
manufacture of cars. Por several years this
firm employed from 600 to 700 workmen in
the car shops and planing mill at York and
in the planing mill at Wrightsville. The
firm began active operation in building cars
in 1865 and continued until 1902. They
made cars for the Denver & Rio Grande,
the Mexican National, Mexican Central and
many of the largest railroad companies
throughout the United States. They also
made cars for the first railroad in Japan,
when that country began to accept the con-
ditions of modern civilization.
The York Card and Paper Com-
Paper pany began the manufacture ot
Making, wall paper and cardboard in an
establishment erected on the site
of the York Wall Paper Company. The
business prospered and in 1893, a charter
of incorporation was obtained with W. F.
Bay Stewart, president; John McCoy, vice-
president, and John S. McCoy, secretary
and treasurer. A large factory was soon
after erected at Carlisle and Linden Ave-
nues, and in 1906, an additional building
was erected to accommodate the increased
business of the company. This factory
produces annually 30,000,000 rolls of paper,
and is one of the largest establishments of
its kind in the world. It has on its pay roll
about 450 employees.
The York Wall Paper Company was in-
corporated January 10, 1895, with George
\\". Bell, president: P. C. Wiest, treasurer;
Andrew Watt, secretary. This enterprise,
with James H. Findley as president, P. J.
Gilbert, secretary, and Charles H. Stallman,
treasurer, has been constantly developing
and has an annual output of about 12,000,-
000 rolls of paper.
The Schmidt-Ault Paper Company occu-
pies an historic site. At this place George
King, an enterprising citizen of York began
to manufacture high grade writing paper
about 1810. The machinery was moved by
water power, and the establishment was
named The Codorus Paper Mills. In 1812,
George King erected a large building and a
brick mansion nearby. He continued to
make foolscap and note paper in large quan-
tities very successfully for a period of forty
years. After his death the business was
continued by his son, J. B. King. Jessup &
Moore owned the mill for several years and
then it passed into the hands of Mr. Hor-
ton. In 1888, the property was purchased
by the York Water Company, and then
leased to A. A. Yerkes and later to F. M.
Rudolph, whose father had been one of the
early employees of George King. The
present company with John C. Schmidt,
president, and Robert A. G. Ault, secretary
and treasurer, purchased the mills in 1897,
and have since operated them, in the manu-
facture of building, wrapping and carpet lin-
ing paper. About fifty hands are regularly
employed.
GEORGE KING, founder of these mills,
born in Springgarden township February
23. 1794, son of Philip J. King, was for many
years widely known as a manufacturer of
paper in York county.
^-
THE CITY OF YORK
763
Philip J. King, born February 24, 1764,
was the builder of the Codorus Paper JNIills,
which are among the oldest mills of the kind
in the state, and manufactured principally
writing paper, the brand called the "Con-
gress." The brick dwelling-house that
stands near the mill was also built by him in
1812. He owned a large amount of real
estate and personal property. He married
Catherine Johnston, who was born March
10, 1770, and died December 8, 1813, aged
forty-three years. ^ Mr. King died March 2,
1829, in Spring-garden township, when
sixty-five years of age. Their children were :
George, Jacob, Henry, Sarah, who married
Jacob Ehrhart; Barbara, who married Peter
Zacharias ; Elizabeth, who married Daniel
Spangler; Mar\^ Ann, who married George
Conn : and Julia Anna, who died aged fif-
teen years. Jacob and Henry King were in
the milling business, owning the gristmill
given them by their father, on the north side
of Codorus creek, just opposite the paper
mill.
George King received his education in
York, and from the time he left school was
engaged with his father in the manufacture
of paper, making some of the finest paper
known. AA'hile in the business he supplied
all the clergymen of his acquaintance with
writing paper without cost to them. The
King's Mill road, named after Mr. King, is
well known throughout York and York
county. The mills were sold by the heirs of
George King to Alfred D. Jessup, later in
turn to Jere Horton and the York Water
Company, and they are now conducted by
the Schmidt & Ault Paper Company.
Mr. King married Rachel Johnston. Avho
was born January 19, 1800, and died July i,
1874. He died July 17, i860, and both rest
in Prospect Hill cemetery, which was named
by Mr. King. He was one of the promoters
and organizers of the cemetery association,
and served many years as one of the trus-
tees. In politics Mr. King was a Republi-
can. He was a faithful member of the Re-
formed church of York, and few men were
better known or more highly respected. To
him and his wife were born the following
named children : Philip Jacob and Annie M.
are both deceased; Catherine, who was the
wife of Henry C. Reed, of Baltimore, died
June 4, 1857, and is buried in the family
burying lot in Prospect Hill cemetery.
Jennie J., the only survivor of the family,
resides at 211 South George street; she is a
woman of marked intelligence and has trav-
eled extensively.
The Lafean Paper Company, of York, was
organized in 1903, by Charles F. Lafean,
Jacob G. Lafean, John R. Lafean and C. H.
Quickel. The business had been started by
Charles F. Lafean, at HofTmanville, Mary-
land, in 1899, and in 1900, he moved to York,
when his brother Jacob G. Lafean became a
partner. The factory was erected on Col-
lege avenue near the railroad. It was de-
stroyed by fire in September, 1901. and re-
built soon afterward. In 1903, the business
was enlarged and the company has since
continued the manufacture of sheathing
paper used in lining weather-boarded
houses, railroad cars, felt roofs and refrig-
erators. About thirty hands are regularly
employed. The manufactured product
amounts to fifteen tons daily.
The York Felt and Paper Company, of
which Jere S. Black is president, Charles H.
Emig, secretary and treasurer, and C. F.
Black, general manager, was founded in
1894. The works are situated southwest
of town along the Codorus. The business
has grown and developed since it was estab-
lished, the annual output being 8,000 tons
of roofing felt paper. About seventy-five
men are employed regularly.
In December, 1800, Tim-
Agricultural othy Kirk, a "noted Quaker,
Implements, of York, invented a corn
sheller and advertised in
the newspapers " that one person could
shell a bushel of corn in a minute." He
was the son of Caleb Kirk, who introduced
clover and timothy grasses into York county
in 1793.
Reuben Hoii'heins established a foundry
at Dover about 1854 and a few years later
invented an improved reaper and mower.
Afterwards he removed to York and for sev-
eral years conducted a machine shop on
North Duke street, near the railroad where
he continued to make the Hoffheins' reaper
and mower. J. H. Shireman & Company
owned a machine shop in West York and
engaged in making reapers and agricultural
implements.
About 1840, AA'. AA\ Dingee & Company
began to operate a machine shop on North
Beaver street, near the academy, where they
764
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
made threshing machines and agricuUural
implements.
Morris J. Gardner owned a foundry on
East Market street before the Civil war,
where he engaged largely in the manufac-
ture of brass spigots and a variety of other
products. He was the inventor of an oscil-
lating engine which attracted much atten-
tion for several years.
The A. B. Farquhar Company, Limited,
otherwise known as the Pennsylvania Ag-
ricultural Works, was founded in 1856 by
A. B. Farquhar, who remains at the head of
the company, after having conducted it
through fifty years of continual increase in
size and prosperity. The firm is one of the
leading agricultural implement concerns in
America. Its products consist mainly of
engines, boilers^ saw mills and threshing
machinery, in addition to grain drills, plows
and many other agricultural implements.
Originally this firm sold its products in this
country and then expanded its trade across
the ocean. A large number of engines and
boilers have been sold in Russia, plows in
South Africa, engines, plows, boilers, saw
mills in Cuba and South America. The
business was conducted by A. B. Farquhar
as the sole proprietor, and later he asso-
ciated with him his sons William E. and
Francis under the firm name of A. B.
Farquhar & Sons. In 1887 the business was
incorporated as the A. B. Farquhar Com-
pany, Limited, with a capital stock of $500,-
000, with A. B. Farquhar president, AV. A.
Farquhar vice president and B. H. Farquhar
secretary and treasurer. In 1906, upon the
death of B. H. Farquhar, Francis Farquhar
became secretary and treasurer. The large
industry conducted by this company has
been in continuous operation since it was
founded under its present head, through all
times of financial depression as well as eras
of prosperity. For a period of twenty years
the average number of men employed at
these works was 500. Since 1889, about
600 men have been regularly at work in the
different departments. The value of the
annual product exceeds $1,000,000.
Hench & Dromgold Company, extensive
manufacturers of saw mills, engines, grain
drills, corn shelters, spring tooth and spike
tooth harrows, own one of the prominent
industrial establishments in York.- The
business was founded at Ickesburg, Perrv
county, in 1877, and in the spring of 1879,
removed to York. Since that time, about
225 men have been regularly employed.
The firm is composed of S. Nevin Hench
and Walker A. Dromgold. W'ithin recent
years, the firm has owned large tracts of
woodland in Randolph county. West Vir-
ginia, where they have operated saw mills,
regularly employing 100 men. During the
bark season about 200 hands are employed.
The Iveystone Farm Machine Company
was incorporated in October, 1901, and
since then has been in active operation, em-
ploying': 50 men in the manufacture of Har-
ris cutivators, corn planters, corn shellers
and weeders. The company owns a foun-
dry in connection with the works.
The Spangler Manufacturing Company,
at the corner of Queen street and the North-
ern Central Railway, was incorporated in
1887, and during its early history was en-
gaged in the manufacture of grain drills
and corn planters. Within recent years,
the company has added to its products the
manufacture of weeders, fertilizer distribu-
tors and general machinery. E. W. Spang-
ler is president; E. G. Quickel, treasurer,
and A. E. Quickel, secretary.
The Weaver Organ and Piano
Pianos and Company was founded by J.
Organs. O. AVeaver, who began the
manufacture of organs on Mar-
ket Street, near the Farmers' Market House
in 1870. The business grew and pros-
pered and in 1882, the enterprise was incor-
porated with J. O. Weaver, president;
Henry Nes, secretary, and John AV. Shetter,
treasurer. M. B. Gibson was chosen secre-
tary in 1885, and various changes in office
took place until 1895, when M. B. Gibson,
who has since held that office, was chosen
president. AA^illiam S. Bond has served as
secretary and treasurer since 1891. In 1898
the company began the manufacture of
pianos. An average of 175 skilled workmen
have been regularly employed, and the or-
gans and pianos made by this company are
sold throughout the United States, Europe,
South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and
other islands.
The Martin Carriage AA^orks
Carriage were established by M. D. Mar-
Building, tin. on North George Street,
York, in 1888, as a small enter-
prise. Originally buggies only were made
THE CITY OF YORK
765
at these works, but since 1890, sleighs,
spring wagons, and delivery wagons have
been manufactured in large numbers. In
1897 large factor}^ buildings were erected in
West York Borough and the entire business
moved to that place. The enterprise was
incorporated in 1900 with M. D. Martin,
president; P. A. Elsesser, secretary and
treasurer. The yearly output is large and
the products of this factory are sold
throughout the entire country. The aver-
age number of workmen employed is 300.
The York Carriage Company was estab-
lished on North George Street, by S. E.
Bailey, of Philadelphia, in 1890. The busi-
ness grew from small proportions and soon
extended the sales of its products all over the
United States, South America and Europe.
The aggregate products in 1907 were five
times greater than ten years previously.
This factory makes carriages, buggies, de-
livery wagons, sleighs, and other vehicles.
About 325 workmen are employed regularly.
The works were destroyed by fire April 6,
1903, and a much larger factory was built
on North Street, and another at Hay and
Franklin Streets. In 1904 the York Motor
Car Company was organized for the manu-
facture of automobiles. It is a stock com-
pany of which S. E. Bailey, the head of the
York Carriage Works, is one of the leading
members.
The Hoover Wagon AVorks were founded
in 1880 by George AY. Hoover, who began
the manufacture of buggies and pleasure
carriages. Three of his sons were associa-
ted with him in the business on East Phila-
delphia Street. In 1899 the factory and
business were purchased by the Hoover
AVagon Works when George AA'. Bacon, was
chosen president ; Israel K. Ziegler, secre-
tary, and Charles C. Frick, treasurer. The
company was reorganized in 1902, with C.
H. Dempwolf, as president ; D. F. Lafean,
vice president; Edwin S. Ziegler, secretary
and treasurer. The factory was destroyed
by fire in 1904 and immediately rebuilt.
AVithin recent years, this establishment has
been engaged in the manufacture of deliv-
ery wagons exclusively. About 100 work-
men are employed.
The York AVagon Gear Company was
established at Belvidere Avenue and the
AVestern Maryland Railroad in 1892 by
Peter AA". Keller and Frank T. Root, and en-
gaged in the manufacture of carriage bodies
and gears. P. AV. Keller died in 1895 and
F. T. Root withdrew in 1897. A limited
partnership was formed with Horace D.
Keller, as president ; A. W. Dettinger, vice-
president, and R. A. Paules, secretary and
treasurer.
The Eureka Bending Company
Wood in AVest York Borough, was
AA^orkers. organized in 1903, and engaged
in the manufacture of rims, bows
and plow handles. AVilliam G. Leas is the
president and treasurer, and J. L. Bower,
secretary.
The York Bending AA'orks, engaged in the
manufacture of rims for the wheels of farm
wagons, buggies and other vehicles, was
founded in 1897 by Erwin AA^. Smith & Com-
pany. The partners are Erwin Smith and
Dr. L. H. Fackler, both of whom were for-
merly residents of East Berlin, Adams
County. The works are situated at the cor-
ner of Queen and Arch Streets.
The Home Furniture Company on King
Street, near the Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, began operation in 1898, and
has since been engaged in the manufacture
of sideboards and dressers. About fifty
workmen are employed. John L. Gerber,
president, E. M. Menges, vice president;
Charles TafT, secretary, and Daniel A^. Ger-
ber, treasurer.
Jacoby Furniture Company, in AA'est
York Borough, was incorporated in 1903,
with Adam Jacoby, president and treasurer;
S. S. Jacoby, vice president, and C. S. Rea-
ser, secretary. The business was founded
by Adam Jacoby on North George Street,
in 1890, when he began to make sideboards.
The business increased and he manufactured
other kinds of furniture. In 1904, after the
buildings were erected in AA'est York Bor-
ough, the business was removed to that
place. The compan}'- is engaged in making
sideboards, dressers, chiffoniers and wash-
stands. One hundred and sixty-five hands
are employed.
The AVest York Furniture Company was
founded in 1899. In 1903 the business passed
into the hands of John H. Wogan, president,
S. P. Porter, vice president; Clark AA^ogan,
secretary and manager; George A. AA^olf,
treasurer. This factory is engaged in mak-
ing quartered oak chiffoniers and side-
boards. Fifty-five workmen are employed.
766
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
The York Chemical Works re-
Chemical suited from an industry estab-
Works. lished by Charles Dempwolf, in
1870. His place of business was
then situated on the north side of the Co-
dorus, east of Beaver Street. In 1874 Mr.
Dempwolf withdrew from the business and
his son, Charles H. Dempwolf, under the
firm of C. H. Dempwolf & Company, contin-
ued to make fertilizers. In 1884 the factory
was removed to Loucks and Windsor
Streets and the business enlarged. The fac-
tory was entirely destroyed by fire in 1895
and soon after rebuilt. A charter of incor-
poration was obtained the same year when
C. H. Dempwolf became president of the
company : Reinhart Dempwolf, secretary ;
and Horace Hinkle, treasurer. The com-
pany has since continued to manufacture on
an extensive scale sulphuric acid and fer-
tilizers. The product for the year 1906
was 12,000 tons and the entire amount of
business $200,000.
York Knitting Mill Company, a
Knitting prosperous enterprise, on Wheat-
Mill, field Street, near the Maryland
and Pennsylvania Railroad, was
originated in 1899, by Henry L. Field, who
began the enterprise on a limited scale, and
engaged in the manufacture of hosiery. At
first only twenty-five hands were employed.
About two years after the business was
started, it passed into the hands of an incor-
ated company of which W. F. Bay Stewart,
was chosen president, and J. T. Kopp, secre-
tary, treasurer and general manager. The
buildings have been enlarged and improved
machinery added. The annual product
during the past year has been double that
of previous years. In 1907 one hundred and
seventy men were employed.
Joseph Black & Sons, extensive manufac-
turers in hosiery, established their business
in recent years and erected a large and com-
modious building in West York to accom-
modate their increasing business.
George S. Morris started the first
Coal coal yard about 1830 on North Bea-
and ver Street, at the present site of the
Lime. Barnitz coal yard. The burning of
lime began about 1742 when the
first settlers commenced to build their
houses of logs, brick and stone. It was not
until 1830 or thereabouts that lime was first
used as a fertilizer. Since that date a laro-e
number of kilns ha\'e been in operation in
York and vicinity for the purpose of burn-
ing lime for farmers and for the building of
houses. When York became an industrial
centre, the sale of coal became an important
business, and a large number of yards have
since been in operation.
CHARLES LAFEAN, prominent as a
coal merchant and extensively engaged in
the burning of lime in York and vicinity for
a period of twenty-five years, was a native
of Germany. He was born April 18, 1835,
near Luebeck, an interesting town in the
centre of one of the fertile agricultural
regions of Westphalia, then in the Kingdom
of Prussia. He was the son of Anthony and
Mary Meyers Lafean. Both of his parents
belonged to representative families of
\\'estphalia, whose people have always
been noted for their intelligence, thrift and
enterprise. Charles Lafean grew to man-
hood at his paternal home in the beautiful
village of Luebeck, where he obtained his
education, and acquired from his father
habits of industry.
At the age of 19, he determined to come
to America. He sailed down the Weser
from the city of Minden, the seat of govern-
ment of \\'estphalia, and at the port of
Bremen, in company with Frederick Kott-
camp, his daughter, Charlotte, and others
set sail for Baltimore, where he landed July
7, 1854. Charles Lafean soon after land-
ing came to York, and during the succeed-
ing nine months was employed by the firm
of P. A. & S. Small at the Ashland Furnaces
near Cockeysville, Maryland. Desiring to
enter business for himself, he then returned
to York and leased several lime kilns on the
King's Mill Road near the Codorus Paper
Mills. Here he began his successful career
in business, and found ready sale for all the
lime he burned. Four years later, in part-
nership with Henry Lucking, he purchased
lime kilns which then stood on the site of
St. John's German Evangelical Lutheran
Church on West King Street. After oper-
ating these kilns for two years he sold his
interests to his partner, and with Frederick
Greiman purchased coal yards on North
A\'ater Street, the present site of the Edison
Electric Light Plant. At this place the firm
of Greiman & Lafean became the most ex-
tensive coal dealers in York. They con-
tinued with unabated prosperity, supplying
THE CITY OF YORK
767
coal to a large number of patrons for a pe-
riod of about ten years, when Frederick
Greiman withdrew from the firm and Mr.
Lafean conducted the business alone for a
period of six years. He then took in as a
partner John Gerber, of Dover, who later
purchased the coal yards on North Water
Street, and Mr. Lafean bought the coal yard
of John Mayer, on West Princess Street,
between the Northern Central Railroad
and the Codorus Creek, where he carried
on the coal business until he retired in
1885.
While engaged in the coal business
Charles Lafean, as a member of the firm of
Greiman, Lafean & Grund, purchased and
operated extensive lime kilns at the Willis
Spring, a short distance west of Prospect
Hill Cemetery. Here for a period of fif-
teen years they burned vast quantities of
quick-lime, and sold it for plastering pur-
poses in all the towns along the Northern
Central Railway from Baltimore to Sun-
bury. In his efforts Mr. Lafean showed
remarkable ability. He prospered in all
his enterprises and in 1885 retired from
business, spending the remainder of his life
looking after his real estate in York and
managing the cultivation of a productive
farm in Conewago Township. Mr. Lafean
was a man of the highest honor and integ-
rity. He was quiet and unassuming in his
manner, careful in his business transactions
and exemplary in all his conduct.
On February 3, 1856, Charles Lafean was
married to Charlotte Kottcamp, whose
mother had died in her infancy and whose
father and herself had accompanied him to
this country from Germany. The children
of this marriage were Mary J., deceased,
Albert Henry, Daniel F., Charles F., Emma
J., deceased, Edward C, G. Jacob, Laura V.,
John R., Hattie M., wife of Clarence A.
Geesey.
His eldest son, Albert Henry Lafean, is
the senior member of the large drug firm of
A. H. Lafean & Brother, West Market
Street, York.
Hon. Daniel F. Lafean, the second son,
for a period of three terms has represented
the Twentieth District, embracing the coun-
ties of York and Adams, in Congress. He
is the active head of a large number of in-
stitutions in York and is identified with
many other business enterprises.
The other sons are active in the manu-
facturing and business interests of York.
Charles Lafean was a member of Christ
Evangelical Lutheran Church, of York.
He died May i, 1894.
The York Shoe Manufacturing
Other Company was organized in
Industries. 1900, as the Heiser Shoe Man-
ufacturing Company, and in
April, 1902, was changed to the present
name. This company is engaged in the
manufacture of men's and boys' fine welt
shoes. During the years 1906-1907 the
company made a large number of regula-
tion shoes for the United States army.
About 1 10 workmen are regularly employed.
The officers are M. S. Stoner, president; T.
H. Hooper, of Baltimore, vice president;
Charles W. Krone, secretary and treasurer.
The American Caramel Company grew
out of an industry established by Peter C.
Wiest in 1867. He was the pioneer in the
manufacture of caramels and was successful
in his efforts and soon developed a large
business. In 1878 Daniel F. Lafean be-
came a partner and the firm of P. C. Wiest
& Company was organized. The original
proprietor retired from the business and in
1895 The P. C. Wiest Company was incor-
porated with Daniel F. Lafean as president.
The factory was moved to the present lo-
cation on East Walnut Street, which covers
an area of two acres. During the past ten
years an average of six hundred employees
are regularly at work in the manufacture of
candies. In 1898 The P. C. Wiest Company
was united with other factories at Lancaster
and Philadelphia and the American Caramel
Company was organized with Daniel F. La-
fean president, and Stewart B. Lafean, sec-
retary and treasurer.
In 1897 Harry L. Motter and S. C. Eisen-
hart organized the World Polish Manufac-
turing Company and began to make Black-
ola. The business prospered from the be-
ginning. At the death of S. C. Eisenhart
in 1899 Mr. Motter conducted the business
alone until 1903, when a charter of incor-
poration was obtained with Harry L. Mot-
ter, president ; George W. W^illiams, vice
president; L. F. Hirsh, secretary, and D. F.
Hirsh, treasurer.
The Rex Polishing Company has had a
prosperous existence for a number of years.
Dentists' Supply Company, of which
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Jacob F. Frantz is president, George H.
Whitely, vice president and superintendent
of factory, J. R. Sheppard, secretary and
treasurer, owns a large factory on North
Penn Street, and in 1907 employed 450
hands. This company is engaged in the
manufacture of supplies for dentists, and its
products are sold all over the civilized world.
During the past forty years lumber yards
and planing mills have filled an important
position in the growth and development of
York. Nearl}'- all the lumber used in erect-
ing houses within the limits of the city has
been manufactured here. A great amount
of their products is shipped elsewhere. Her-
man Noss & Sons, Jacob Beitzel, Jacob Se-
christ Sons, Henry Hoff & Companv,
George W. Gilbert & Son, John C. Fallon
and others have operated extensively in this
line of business. Several hundred workmen
are employed.
Brick making was begun in York at the
time of the first settlement in 1741. Philip
Zeigler and George Hoke were the pioneers
in this industry. Originally most of the
bricks burned at their kilns were used in the
construction of the old-time chimneys
needed in the fireplaces of the pioneer log
cabins of our forefathers. Before the Revo-
lution had opened there were several brick
yards in the town and vicinity. The clay de-
posits within this region were well adapted
for making bricks. During the succeeding
one hundred years there were numerous
brick kilns and potteries within the limits
of the town and country adjacent. AVhen
the numerous manufacturing enterprises
were started after York became a city, the
demand for bricks was very large. New
kilns were erected and during the past
twenty-five years they have done an exten-
sive business.. In early daj's there were a few
houses in York containing a fine quality of
brick. The common brick was in use al-
most exclusivel)' until a recent period. In
1907, Benjamin Kissinger's Sons, AA'. H.
Grothe, Spring Garden Brick Association,
(I. Frey & Co.), and Railing & Souder
made common bricks on an extensive scale.
Pressed bricks were made by York Shale
Red Press Company (D. F. Stauffer), Stony
Brook Slate and Brick Company (Stony
Brook), Drury Press Brick & Construction
Company and the Hollywood Brick Com-
pany.
The manufacture of cigars em-
Cigar ploys more people in the city of
Making. York than in any other industry.
In 1907 there were about eighty
separate factories. Among the largest of
these were Myers, Adams & Company,
Jacob A. Mayer & Brother and G. Koh-
ler & Company. There are also within the
limits of the city numerous cigar box fac-
tories, the largest of which are H. AA'. Hef¥-
ener, E. Mj'ers & Company, Jacob A. Mayer
& Brother and A. Kauffman & Brother.
The manufacture of silk, now one
Silk of the most important products in
Making, the industrial city of York, was
originated in 1899. The pioneers
in the establishment of this industry were
D. F. Lafean, AA'illiam S. Bond, Charles H.
Dempwolf and Charles H. Emig. The York
Silk Company was organized with a capital
of $100,000, erected a plant in East York
and fitted it up with the best of machinery
for the manufacture of a fine quality of silk.
In 1900 the York Silk Manufacturing Com-
pany succeeded the York Silk Company and
in 1902 purchased the Diamond Silk Com-
pany at York and Carlisle, and the factory
of the Pennsylvania Silk Company at Fleet-
wood, Pennsylvania. The active promoter
and business head of this prosperous indus-
try is M. G. Collins, who, with remarkable
energy, developed the business and made it
one of the most profitable enterprises of its
kind in this country. He studied the needs
and wants of the silk trade in America and
was successful in disposing of the products
of the mills to all the large cities of the
Union. The York mills, located in the east
end of the city, comprise the York and
AA'indsor Weaving Mills and the Diamond
Throwing plant. The employees of these
three plants number 700. In 1907 D. F. La-
fean was president; J. E. Phillips, vice pres-
ident: C. H. Dempwolf, secretary; M. G.
Collins, general manager; B. E. Sheibley,
treasurer.
The Monarch Silk Company, on North
Hartley Street, was organized in 1900 and a
large and substantial mill was erected. This
company has done an extensive business in
the manufacture of broad silk goods. In
1907 Sydney H. Souter was president; John
T. Kissinger, vice president; Milton Ruby,
secretary and treasurer. About three hun-
dred hands are regularly employed.
^^^€yr^/^,<r^^
THE CITY OF YORK
769
The Ashley & Bailey Company, whose
main office is in Paterson, New Jersey, one
of the centres of the silk trade in the United
States, own a large factory in the west end
of York. This plant has been successful
since its origin.
WILLIAM H. KURTZ, prominent man-
facturer and banker, was a descendant of
Rev. Nicholas' Kurtz, who emigrated to
America some time in the seventeenth
century and settled in Pennsylvania.
George Peter Kurtz was one of a
family of twelve children born to
Nicholas and Helena (Albright) Kurtz. He
was born in Berks County, October 4, 1749.
He was one of the early men who came to
York County, and here he resided until his
death, becoming one of York's pioneer mer-
chants, and an active, enterprising and re-
spected citizen. His son, George Peter
Kurtz, was born in York, October 17, 1799.
This representative of the Kurtz family was
educated for the ministry, but subsequently
he learned the carpenter's trade, and chose
what seemed to him a more humble sphere
in life. He was married in 1852 to Eliza E.
Fisher, also a native of York County and a
daughter of Dr. John and Eliza E. Fisher.
The result of this union was two children,
viz : Catherine and Amelia. Mr. Kurtz
died in 1836; his widow died in 1882.
Another important personage in this fam-
ily was Charles Kurtz, born August 30,
1791. He was married to Julia Ann Eichel-
berger, a native of York County, and two
children were born to them : William H.
and Catherine, deceased, who resided in
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
W'illiam H. Kurtz was born in York in
1823 and here he resided until his death in
1894. His early education was acquired at
the York County Academy, but his exten-
sive knowledge of business had been ac-
quired through his own efforts and in actual
practical life. At fourteen years of age he
was thrown upon his own resources, and
for seven years he was employed as a clerk
in a store. He established a malting busi-
ness, still conducted under his name, in
1845, 'i^ which year he became associated
with A. Hamilton Nes. The scope of the
enterprise was limited at first, but by re-
liable methods and industry was enlarged
until it became the most important of its
kind in southern Pennsylvania. The orig-
inal firm of Kurtz & Nes continued for about
twenty years, after which Mr. Kurtz secured
sole control of the business, in which he con-
tinued until 1872, when he became a mem-
ber of the firm known as Baugher, Kurtz &
Stewart, iron and brass founders, machin-
ists and manufacturers of turbine water
wheels. There was in connection with this
establishment the Codorus Tannery, which
was at that time one of the most extensive
industries of its kind in Pennsylvania.
However, Mr. Kurtz continued to be active
in connection with the supervision of the
malting business until his death. The pres-
ent style of W. H. Kurtz & Son was
adopted in 1855, when Mr. Kurtz's son,
Charles became identified with the business,
which he still carries on.
The marriage of Mr. Kurtz with Miss
Mary Baugher was solemnized August 17,
1856. To this union were born three chil-
dren: Charles, Julia and Mary, the last
named dying in infancy. Mrs. Kurtz died
in 1 86 1, and five years later Mr. Kurtz
was married to Miss Julia A. Baugher, a
sister of his former wife, and daughter of
Frederick Baugher, who was one of the
leading citizens of York. Mr. Kurtz was
enterprising in business, liberal in all affairs
of true worth and merit and ranked as one
of York County's most valued citizens. He
was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran
Church.
The Manufacturers' Association of York
was organized February, 1906, when John
C. Schmidt was elected president ; Thomas
Shipley, first vice president ; S. Forry
Laucks, second vice president ; Francis Far-
quhar, third vice president; Robert E. Gep-
hart, secretary and treasurer. In 1907
Thomas Shipley was elected president. The
association started with sixty members, who
meet monthly for the purpose of discuss-
ing questions relating to the manufactur-
ing interests of York. It is an active and
energetic body, composed of the leading
manufacturers of York, who have aided in
developing the material interests of the
city.
HISTORY OF YORK COUXTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CHAPTER XLIII
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
York Water Company — York Gas Com-
pany— Street Railway — Postoffice — Agri-
cultural Society — Hospital — Prospect
Hill — Associations — Centennial Celebra-
tions— Public Parks.
From 1741, when the town was founded,
down to 1816, York was supplied with
water by means of pumps and wells. In
front of nearly all the old time taverns or in
the yards adjoining, stood a pump which
was connected with a well below. More
than half the dwelling houses had wells
from which the water was obtained for
household purposes. When fires took place
men^ boys and sometimes women stood in
two rows and passed leather buckets filled
with water from one of these wells up the
one row to the fire, where it was then
thrown on the flames. The buckets were
returned down the other row to the source
of supply.
In 1816 an act was passed by the Penn-
sylvania Assembly which empowered a local
company to lay plans for supplying York
with water. Under this act George Spang-
ler, William Nes, John Barnitz, George
Small, C. F. Fisher, Abraham Gartman and
Jacob Smyser were appointed commission-
ers to receive subscriptions to stock. No
meml3er was originall)^ allowed to take more
than four shares. A board of nine managers
was elected at a meeting held in the Court
House on Monday, the i8th of March, 1816,
as follows : John Barnitz, George Spang-
ler, Martin Banner, Abraham Gartman,
John Demuth, Peter Small, Christian Lan-
ius, George Small and David Cassat. Con-
tracts for 16,000 feet of trunks or logs with
a bore of four inches, were made at the pub-
lic house of George Hay, on West Market
Street, March 19, 1816. David Cassat was
first president; John Barnitz, secretary;
George Haller, treasurer.
The original water supply was received
from springs on a five acre tract of wood-
land, owned by Peter Small, in Spring Gar-
den Township, adjoining the residence of
Henry C. Niles. Large wooden pipes were
used to convey this water to a small reser-
voir on South Queen Street, then without
the limits of the borough. The introduction
of water at this early date was a novelty to
the citizens, but it became very popular and
iron and lead connecting pipes were placed
in the public buildings and dwellings soon
after the company was organized. Pumps
continued to be used, however, in front of
the hotels, even as late as 1850.
The five acre tract where the springs are
situated was purchased and has since been
owned by the York Water Company. The
original reservoir at the south end of Queen
Street was enlarged many times to meet the
demands of the growth of the borough. In
1852 it was found necessary to obtain the
supply of water from the Codorus Creek,
near the railroad culvert, at the foot of
Boundary Avenue. In 1870 the supply was
taken from the Codorus at the Penn Street
mill. Some years after this infiltration gal-
leries were built at the foot of Penn Street,
and the water pumped from these, which
effected a partial purification, and was the
best practical means of purification known
at that time. In 1898 the works on the Co-
dorus, as well as the reservoir on South
Queen Street, were abandoned and a new
plant built in its stead.
The supply was taken from the south
branch of the Codorus Creek, a short dis-
tance above the forks and immediately east
of the railroad. The pumping plant has a
daily capacity of 10,000,000 gallons. The
aerating fountain, reservoirs of 40,000,000
gallons storage capacity and the Jewel grav-
ity filtering plant of 5,000,000 gallons daily
capacity were located on Glatfelter's hill,
one-half mile south of the city limits, as
were also a covered reservoir of 2,000,000
gallons capacity for the storage of filtered
water and a modern laboratory, well equip-
ped for making water and bacteriological
analyses. The distribution system was in-
creased to upwards of seventy-five miles of
cast iron pipe, extending through all the
streets of the city and into each of the
suburbs.
David Cassat, the first president, was
succeeded in 1824 by William Barber, a
leading member of the bar. George Small,
a prominent merchant, and the father of
Philip A. and Samuel Small, was president
from 1826 to 1833. James Johnson served
for one year and was succeeded by George
Small, who served again from 1834 to 1838.
Christian Lanius, the father of Henry Lan-
THE CITY OF YORK
771
ius, cliief burgess of York at the opening
of the Civil war, and grandfather of Cap-
tain VV. H. Lanius, was president from 1838
to 1847. John Evans, a leading member of
the York County Bar, was president of this
company from 1847 to 1867. Samuel Small,
Sr., who for half a century was identified
with most of the public enterprises of York,
was president from 1867 to 1882. On Octo-
ber 2"], 1882, Jere Carl, who had a large ex-
perience as a banker and business man of
York, was elected president and served con-
tinuously in that office.
The secretaries, in order of succession
have been John Barnitz, J. Eichelberger.
Charles A. Morris, William S. Roland,
George M. Shetter, Smyser Williams.
The treasurers of the company have been
George Haller, Daniel Heckert, Samuel
Small, Charles A. Morris, Charles Weiser,
\\'illiam H. Griffith and John J. Prick.
Alexander J. Frey acted as superintend-
ent of the company from i860 to 1882. He
was succeeded by Jacob L. Kuehn, 1882-
1898; Henry Birkinbine, 1898-1900. Since
1900 John F. Sprenkle has been the effi-
cient superintendent.
The office of vice president was created in
1899 and has since been filled by George S.
Billmeyer. The office of assistant secre-
tary was created July, 1899, and was filled
by John F. Sprenkle until February, 1900,
when he was succeeded by E. P. Kable.
For more than a century York
York existed without being lighted
Gas by the town authorities. In
Company, front of the many numerous
hotels lanterns containing tal-
low candles or lard were hung by the pro-
prietor, for the double purpose of lighting
the way of footmen and inviting profitable
customers. Saloons in the basement were
not so common then. In front of the houses
of some of the wealthy citizens, lanterns
were also placed. The inner apartments of
houses were lighted with tallow candles,
"lard lamps," fish oil and sperm oil lamps.
The invention of the process to manufacture
illuminating gas from bituminous coal was
made in the year 1792 by William Murdock,
of Cornwall, England. In 1798 he success-
fully proved his experiment by lighting a
large foundry with artificial gas. A great
event in the history of science was the il-
lumination of the Lyceum Theatre, London,
in 1803, by which it was first proved that
the gas could be conveyed in pipes from one
point to another. The first patent was ob-
tained in 1804 and soon after this event
the large cities were publicly lighted with
gas.
On the 24th of January, 1849, an act was
passed, incorporating the "York Gas Com-
pany." Dr. Alexander Small, Daniel Hart-
man, Dr. A\'. S. Roland, Edward G. Smyser,
Charles AVeiser, William Wagner. Peter
Mclntyre, A. J. Glosbrenner, Thomas P.
Potts, Emerson Case, Dr. Luke Rouse, John
Evans, Thomas E. Cochran and Matthew
Tyler, were the commissioners named in the
act. July 3, 1849, Dr. Alexander Small was
chosen president of the company; Thomas
P. Potts, secretary and treasurer ; A. J.
Glossbrenner, Samuel Wagner, John Evans,
W. S. Roland and Thomas E. Cochran, man-
agers. A contract was made with the Tren-
ton Improvement Company to build the
works at a cost of $23,000. The entire
amount expended was $35,000. The gas
used until 1857 was made from rosin. The
capital stock of the company at first was
$20,000 — 400 shares at $50 a share.
The first superintendent of the works was
Samuel Croll, who was followed by Samuel
Herman, Simon Kopp, John Schall and
Jacob L. Kuehn.
Philip A. Small was for many years pres-
ident of the company and was succeeded by
David E. Small, who served until his death,
when Edward Hersh was elected. The board
of managers were John A. Weiser (who was
treasurer for nearly thirt}^ years): AA'illiam
H. Kurtz, W. Latimer Small. George S.
Billmeyer. John G. Schmidt and Jacob L.
Kuehn. Entirely new works have been put
up since 1868, at a cost of $70,000, and dur-
ing the summer of 1885 additional
works were erected in an eligible spot, along
the line of the Hanover & York Railway, at
a cost of $40,000. An improved process of
manufacturing gas has been introduced.
The officers in 1907 were as follows:
president, Grier Hersh; treasurer, John J.
Frick ; secretary, James H. Small ; general
manager, F. R. Smart, Jr. ; board of man-
agers, E. K. McConkey, John C. Schmidt,
George Small, Henry Nes, George S. Bill-
meyer and Charles Kurtz. The capital
stock is $600,000; number of consumers,
6,000; amount of gas made per year, 95,000,-
77^
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ooo cubic feet. Forty miles of main have
been laid by this company in the city of
York.
The York Street Railway Corn-
Street pany was chartered by the State
Railway, of Pennsylvania, February, 1886.
The original board of directors
was composed of Captain W. H. Lanius, W.
Latimer Small, D. K. Trimmer, Colonel
Levi Maish, Captain Frank Geise. Charles
S. W'eiser, Israel K. Ziegler. The company
organized by the election of Captain Lanius
as president, and Charles S. Weiser, treas-
urer, and immediately laid plans for the con-
struction of lines through the main streets
of the town. September 30, the company
commenced operating with two one-horse
cars, one going west from Centre Square on
Market Street to Belvidere Avenue, and the
other west on Market Street to Penn, in
Penn Street and West York Avenue to
Linden. The same year, the line was con-
structed from Centre Square eastward to
Broad Street. It was not connected with
the West Market Street line until after the
market sheds were removed by authority of
the mayor and first city councils, June, 1887.
In 1888, a mile track was laid and put into
operation on South George Street. Tracks
were later constructed on South Queen,
Cottage Place, North George, South Penn
and Princess Streets.
Meantime, some of the cars were drawn
by two horses. A line was laid to Highland
Park in 1890. In August, 1892, the York
Street Railway Company abandoned the use
of horses, erected a power plant and began
the operation of all cars by means of elec-
tricity. This was a great improvement and
facilitated rapid transit to various parts of
the city. The success of the trolley lines in
the city was fully appreciated by all enter-
prising citizens and a desire was manifested
for the extension of lines to the neighboring
boroughs. The York County Traction
Company was chartered by the State of New
Jersey, June, 1900, for the purpose of build-
ing suburban lines. The members of the
board of directors at the time of incorpora-
tion were Captain W. H. Lanius, president ;
George P. Smyser, J. W. Steacy, Grier
Hersh, George S. Billmeyer, W. F. Bay
Stewart, of York, and W. A. Himes, of New
Oxford.
March 2, 1901, a contract was made for
the construction of the York & Dallastown
Street Railway and the York & Dover
Street Railway. The road to Dallastown, a
distance of seven miles, was opened July
27, 1901. In the spring of 1902, the Red
Lion & Windsor Street Railway was con-
structed from Dallastown, through Red
Lion to Windsor. The line was completed
to Dover and opened for travel, November
1901, and in 1902, Brookside Park, situated
along the trolley line, half a mile southeast
of Dover, was opened as a pleasure resort.
The York Haven line was completed as
far as Emigsville, in 1903, and to York
Haven in August, 1904. October i, 1903,
the Wrightsville & York Street Railway
was constructed to within one mile of Hel-
1am, when the severity of the weather pre-
vented further work. In 1904, the line was
completed to Wrightsville and put in op-
eration May 21. Cold Spring Park, near
Manchester borough, was opened in 1903.
In the spring of 1906, President Lanius,
Directors Steacy, Billmeyer, Smyser and
Himes sold out all of their interests in the
property to Messrs. Brown Brothers & Com-
pany, Bankers of New York and Philadel-
delphia. Judge Stewart and Mr. Hersh re-
taining their holdings.
The present board of directors is made
up as follows : W. F. Bay Stewart, presi-
dent ; A. H. Hayward, vice president ;
George S. Schmidt, secretary; Ellis S.
Lewis, treasurer; David Young, Jr., general
manager, of York, and directors George H.
Frazier, Thomas F. Newhall, of Philadel-
phia; David Young, Sr., Newark, N. J.;
Grier Hersh, Baltimore; John C. Schmidt,
and A. H. Hayward, York.
The new company has planned for the
construction of a comprehensive system of
city and suburban track, amounting to over
seventy-five miles.
The Edison Electric Light, Heat
The and Power Company, of York,
Edison, was chartered in 1899, when it
purchased the stock of the West-
inghouse Light, Heat and Power Company
and the Edison Electric Light Company,
both of York. This company existed until
1906 when its rights and interests were
bought by the owners of the York County
Traction Company. It has since remained
a separate corporation with W. F. Bay
Stewart, persident ; George S. Schmidt, sec-
THE CITY OF YORK
773
retary and treasurer. The capital stock is
$183,000, and the company owns a large
plant on North A\'ater Street, which fur-
nishes the city with light, a large number of
factories with power, and heat to many pri-
vate residences, business houses and facto-
ries.
Plans to introduce electric lights into
York were originated in 1884 when the
Electric Light and Power Company of York
was chartered by the State of AVest Virginia.
The original officers were Geoffrey P. Yost,
president ; Dr. John Weist, secretary, and
Jacob H. Baer, treasurer. The company
reorganized with the same officers and re-
ceived another charter from the State of
Pennsylvania in 1885, as the Edison Elec-
tric Light Company, with a capital stock of
$40,000. Originally the arc lamps were
used. Under the new company the Edison
incandescent lights were introduced. In
December, 1887, soon after York was in-
corporated, the Edison company received a
contract to light the city. The capital stock
has been increased to $80,000 and in 1893
to $250,000. In February, 1888, this com-
pany absorbed the interests of the Peoples'
Electric Light Company of York and ac-
cepted the arc system for lighting the
city. A second charter was obtained by
the Edison Electric Light Company in 1889.
In June, 1892, a contract was received to
furnish power to the York Street Railway
Company.
The Merchants Light. Heat and
The Power Company obtained a
Merchants, charter in 1900 and organized
by electing Charles H. Bear,
president; George C. Campbell, vice presi-
dent; Thomas B. Loucks, secretary; Harry
Wasbers, treasurer. The capital stock was
fixed at $150,000. The company established a
plant in the southwestern section of the city.
The amount of $200,000 has been expended
for the construction of the building and sup-
plying equipments. Light and heat have
been furnished by this company to many
consumers in York and power to many fac-
• tories. This company has a contract to light
North York and West York boroughs. In
1907 a transforming plant was erected in
the alley to the rear of the Drovers and Me-
chanics Bank in order to accommodate the
increasing business of the company. \\'il-
liam S. Wanner was chosen vice president.
The other officers have remained the same
as at the time of the organization.
The government building at the
Post northeast corner of Philadelphia
Office, and Beaver Streets, was completed
in 1895. An appropriation of $80,-
000 was made by act of Congress May 26,
1890, while Colonel Levi Maish represented
York County in that body. The sum of
$24,000 was paid for the site. The first
floor of the building is used by the post of-
fice department and the second story by the
United States revenue department. A com-
plete account of the post offices and postal
routes in York County will be found on
page 589.
Within the recollection of the oldest citi-
zens of York in 1907 the postoffice was kept
at the following places : First, at the north-
east corner of Water and Market Streets ;
second, at McGrath's Hotel on the site of
the Rupp Building in Centre Square; third,
in a stone building on the site of P. Wiest's
Sons' store; fourth, in the building on West
Market Street next to the National Hotel;
fifth, in a building which stood on the site
of the County Court House; sixth, on the
west side of North George Street, first door
from corner building; se\'enth, in a building
immediately east of Trinity Church on West
^Market Street; eighth, in the rear of the
Rupp building at the southwest angle of
Centre Square ; ninth, in the building at the
northeast angle of Centre Square next to
Small's store, from which it was removed
in 1895 to the Federal 'building on North
Beaver Street.
Andrew Johnston, the first postmaster,
was wounded at the battle of Paoli, under
General Wayne.
David Small, first appointed in 1839, was
the first newspaper man in the United
States who held the office of postmaster.
He received the appointment three times
and served in all thirteen years.
Jonathan Jessop held the office the long-
est, nearly nineteen years. He served as a
lieutenant in Company B, One Hundred
and Eighty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylva-
nia Volunteers, and lost a leg at the siege of
Petersburg, being wounded by a shell.
The following places in York County
have money order offices connected with
postoffices, established at the dates herein
given: York, July i, 1865; Hanover, Au-
774
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
gust 6, 1866; Glen Rock, July 31, 1871 ;
Shrewsbury, July 31, 1871 ; West Bangor,
July 6, 1876: Wrightsville, August 15, 1881 ;
Wells ville, August 7, 1882.
The money order system went into oper-
ation in the United States in 1864. The
postal note system was put into operation
September 3, 1883.
The following is an accurate
York list of the names of all post-
Postmasters, masters at York under the
present system in order of
succession, together with the dates of their
appointment :
Andrew Johnston, February 16, 1790.
James Edie, October 9, 1791.
Robert Dunn, January i, 1794.
Jacob Spangler, January i, 1795.
Peter Spangler, December 14, 1812.
Peter Small. December 19, 1814.
Thomas McGrath, November 19, 1821.
Daniel Small, June 3, 1829.
David Small, March 30, 1839.
George Upp, Jr., July 2, 1841.
David Small, May 5, 1842.
Michael May, April 3, 1849.
John J. Cochran, September 25, 1850.
David Small, March 30, 1857.
Alexander J. Frey, April 5, 1861.
Jonathan Jessop, July 12, 1865,
James Kell, February 19, 1884.
James B. Small, April 17, 1888.
Charles S. Weiser, January 24, 1892,
Hiram Young, July i, 1892.
David H. Minnich, July 9, 1896.
Augustus Loucks, November i, igoi.
Samuel S. Lewis, February 7, 1906.
The growth of the business interests of
York are shown in the statistics of the city
Post Office. During the year 1895, when
the present Federal building was first occu-
pied, the postal business was conducted by
twenty-one persons and postal supplies were
sold to the amount of $43,384. During the
year 1906 the sale of postal supplies
amounted to $76,000. There are now fifty
employees connected with the City Post
Office. The rapid increase in the postal
business at York seems to demand larger
facilities.
The project of forming the
Agricultural York County Agricultural
Society. Society was first considered
at a meeting held in the
Court House, November 22, 1851. The ob-
ject of the society was "to foster and im-
prove agriculture, horticulture and the do-
mestic and houeshold arts." The first exhi-
bition was held October 5, 6 and 7, 1853,
on the Public Common and resulted in a
net profit of $3,000. The second exhibition
was held in 1854 and resulted in a loss, the
receipts not covering the expenses by $110.
In 1855 the society purchased seven and
one-half acres of land at a cost of $2,507,
now covered by the southeastern section
of York. Some years later the limits were
extended to embrace fourteen acres. An-
nual e.xhibitions have been held every year
since 1855, with the exception of four years
of the Civil war, during part of which years
the grounds were used by the government
and troops were quartered on them.
The following named persons have been
presidents: John Evans, from the organi-
zation of the society to the date of his death
in 1876; Dr. W. S. Rolland, 1876-1878: S.
B. Heiges, 1879: Michael Schall. 1880-1886;
William S. Roland, 1887-1896; John H. Wo-
gan, 1897 to date.
The following have served in the office of
secretary : Dr. W. S. Roland, from the or-
ganization to 1876; A. H. Glatz, 1876-1879;
Edward Chapin, 1880 to date.
The following have served as treasurer:
William Wagner, 1852-1855; Charles Wei-
ser 1856-1858: George A. Heckert, 1859-
1883; W. S. Roland, 1883-1884; Charles S.
Weiser, 1885-1894; Charles H. Mayer, 1895;
Jacob M. Smyser, 1896-1899; Charles H.
Mayer, 1900-1902: Charles H. Dempwolf,
1903 to date.
As showing the growth of this society,
the total receipts from its exhibitions an-
nually since 1878 have been: 1878, $6,078.-
20; 1879, $5,946.66; 1880, $5,667.75; 1881,
$6,036.81; 1882, $6,075.30; 1883, $7,632.75;
1884, $7,630.45; 1885, $5,816.80; 1886, $7,-
842.60: 1887, $6,246.80; 1888, $8,519.92;
1889, $17,921.43; 1890, $17,258.26; 1891,
$12,790.98; 1892, $13,404.52; 1893, $10,857.-
80; 1894, $14,024.07; 1895, $11,822.25; 1896,
$9,951.20: 1897, $14,187.03: 1898, $15,639.-
24; 1899, $11,877.40; 1900, $16,019.75; 1901,
$18,475.15; 1902, $19,600.75; 1903, $16,375,-
75; 1904, $24,303.65.
The profits of the exhibitions have al-
ways been expended in the improvement of
the grounds and buildings. The influence
of the society has been abundantly mani-
fested, and the advantages offered by the
society have been appreciated by the farm-
ers, as is evidenced by the improved grade
of stock now held by them over those used
and kept fifty years ago. The annual exhi-
MARKET STREET EAST FROM CENTRE SQUARE
MARKET STREET WEST FROM CENTRE SQUARE
THE CITY OF YORK
775
bitions not only furnish the exhibitor the
means of calling attention to new labor sav-
ing methods^ fertilizers, farm machinery
and stock, but also serve as an annual reun-
ion, as it were, for friends and relations to
meet and discuss questions mutually inter-
esting, arising out of past experiences in
farming.
The growth of the city of York drove the
Agricultural Society from its cradle, in the
southeastern section of the town, directly
across the compass to the northwestern
section. Pursuant to a lively contest over
the location of the new grounds, the mem-
bers of the society voted in 1887, by a large
majority, to purchase the Smyser farm, con-
taining seventy-four acres, in West Man-
chester Township, adjoining the present
city boundary line, for the sum of $29,300.
Immediately work was begun to adapt it
for the uses and purposes of the society, and
sixty acres were enclosed whereon the
many buildings were erected.
The Y^ork County Agricultural Society
has prospered since its organization. The
annual exhibitions are awaited with eager
expectation by many thousands of people
in York County, as well as other counties
in Southern Pennsylvania, and the adjoin-
ing counties of Maryland. The attendance
is very large and the display of implements
of modern construction, farm products, as
well as the exhibition in the other depart-
ments, equals that of any other society in
the state of Pennsylvania. The president of
the United States was an honored guest at
the annual exhibition in 1906, and delivered
an eloquent speech to one of the largest
audiences that ever assembled in York.
The York Hospital and Dispen-
Hospital. sary was founded through the
beneficence of Samuel Small, Sr.
The need of such an institution had been
discussed by the York County Medical So-
ciety. Mr. Small's attention being called
to the subject, he purchased for $6,500 the
property on College Avenue, near the Co-
dorus Creek, which was used as a hospital
until a new building was erected in 1902. A
charter of incorporation was obtained on
January 14, 1880, and in accordance with
the provisions of this charter, nine direc-
tors were elected, viz : Samuel Small, Sr.,
Dr. W. S. Roland, Frank Geise, Jere Carl,
E. G. Smyser, David E. Small, Drs. E. W.
Meisenhelder, John Weist and Thomas L.
Cathcart. The hospital was formally
opened April 28, 1881. For several years
members of the York County Medical So-
ciety gave treatment to patients at the
hospital without. cost. The directors suc-
ceeded in raising $2,000 for the support of
the hospital and on June 27, 1881, the State
Legislature appropriated $7,000 for sup-
porting and equipping it. At a meeting of
directors held in 1900 it was decided to en-
large the institution and increase its accom-
modations. In a short time they raised
$20,000 by subscriptions and life member-
ships and secured a state appropriation.
Fortunately the hospital grounds were
large enough to erect a substantial new
building which was finished in 1902. This
building and furnishings cost $70,000.
The old hospital was turned into a nurses'
home. In 1903 the State Legislature ap-
propriated $28,000, one-half of which was
to be used for building purposes and the
balance for the maintenance of the hospital,
at the rate of $7,000 yearly. In 1905 an ad-
ditional appropriation of $30,000 was ob-
tained, $12,000 for building purposes and
the balance for the support of the hospital,
at the rate of $9,000 yearly. A. B. Far-
quhar has been unceasing in his devotion
to the interests of this institution and has
contributed liberally to its support. Aliss
D. Jeanette Copeland is superintendent and
Dr. William H. Treible, resident physician.
The board of directors for 1907 are the fol-
lowing: A. B. Farquhar, M. D. Martin,
John C. Jordan, C. H. Bear, P. A. Small,
Dr. J. S. Miller, George S. Billmeyer, J. A.
Dempwolf, Dr. M. J. Mclvinnon. A. B.
Farquhar is president of the institution ; A.
H. Raber, secretary; A¥illiam R. Horner,
treasurer.
The York Benevolent Asso-
Benevolent ciation originated in the year
Association. 1875. This society has ren-
dered important services in
ministering to the wants of the needy. The
late Samuel Small served for a long time as
president of the organization and gave lib-
erally towards its support. David Fahs,
who died in 1904. for a period of thirty
years, devoted much of his time looking
after the interests of the poor of York, who
needed help. Through his wise direction
the Benevolent society distributed provi-
776
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
sions, clothing, wood and coal to many
needy families during the coldest weather
of the winter.
The following board of officers was
elected by the York Benevolent Associa-
tion for the year 1907 : President, Samuel
Small; vice president, John M. Brown;
secretary, Theodore S. Glatfelter; treas-
urer, William R. Horner; board of
managers, John M. Brown, George Ka-
ble, J. A. Dempwolf, David R. Saylor, T.
S. Glatfelter, J. O. Drawbaugh, F. S. Zinn,
William Small, P. H. Amig, Charles A.
Strack, A. F. Wedekin, William R. Horner,
George S. Schmidt, Clarence E. Eisenhart,
George P. Schaszberger. J. O. Drawbaugh
was re-elected collector for the association.
Prospect Hill Cemetery, situa-
Prospect ted on elevated ground, over-
Hill, looking the city of York, was
originated in 1849. ^^ the fall
of that year, William A. Wilt, Samuel Wag-
ner, Henry Small, George King and John
Stable, trustees of the First Reformed
Church, of York, purchased five and a half
acres on the west side of the Harrisburg
tvirnpike and laid off a portion of the land
into lots. The original burying place of the
congregation was to the rear of Zion Re-
formed Church on West Market Street.
The same congregation had a graveyard on
North Beaver Street, near the railroad.
All the land in these two burial places was
taken up.
In 1 85 1 the burial place along the turn-
pike was incorporated as Prospect Hill
Cemetery by the trustees of the Reformed
Church. The first tract of land bought, orig-
inally belonged to the estate of William
Jones, a noted Quaker. As more land was
needed the cemetery company purchased
other tracts. To the west of the cemetery
lay the Willis farm, containing a beautiful
spring and partly covered with a dense
growth of native trees. The delightful
shade around the Willis spring was a resort
in early days for school picnics. Fourth of
July celebrations and many social gather-
ings. This farm was purchased from the
heirs of Penn by William Willis, one of the
first Quakers to settle at York. It was
owned in turn by his son, John Willis, and
his grandson, Samuel \\'illis. After the
death of the latter, the cemetery company
bought the entire farm, a part of which was
sold. The area of Prospect Hill Cemetery
in 1907 was nearly 100 acres.
Soon after the cemetery was opened
many bodies were removed from the grave-
yards on North Beaver Street and the one
back of Zion Reformed Church. The bodies
in the large cemetery on South Duke Street
were also removed to Prospect Hill. The
remains of Philip Livingston, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence, from New
York, who died June 12, 1778, while attend-
ing Congress at York, were removed from
the church burying ground on West Mar-
ket Street to Prospect Hill Cemetery. His
descendants in New York State erected a
marble shaft with appropriate inscriptions.
Under this shaft the dust of the illustrious
patriot of the Revolution now rests in Pros-
pect Hill. The tombs of Jeremiah S. Black
and General William B. Franklin, two dis-
tinguished citizens of York County, are
found in this cemetery.
A memorial chapel near the entrance to
the cemeter}' was erected by Martin S.
Eichelberger, a member of the York County
Bar. The board of trustees of this ceme-
tery in 1907 are the following: Israel
Laucks, president; M. L. Van Baman, sec-
retary ; P. F. Wilt, treasurer ; James A.
Dale and J. T. Kopp.
The York Board of Trade, a body
Board composed of representative bank-
of ers, merchants and manufacturers
Trade, of the city, was organized January
1886. Captain W. H. Lanius was
elected president, John F. Thomas, vice
president; John C. Schmidt, secretary;
Charles H. Dempwolf, corresponding sec-
retary; \\'illiam H. Jordan, treasurer. The
board met regularly for a period of fifteen
years to discuss measures relative to
the business and manufacturing interests
of the city and improved railroad facili-
ties. The first object obtained by the
Board of Trade was the construction of a
railroad from York to join the Western
Maryland at Porter's, five miles southeast
of Hanover. Other beneficial results fol-
lowed from the deliberations of this body,
one of the most important of which was
the Sesqui-Centennial celebration in 1899,
to commemorate the one hundred and fif-
tieth anniversary of the organization of
York County. The inducements ofifered by
the York Board of Trade influenced the
THE CITY OF YORK
m
erection of a large number of manufacturing
establishments between the years 1886 and
1900.
The Merchants' Association
Merchants' of York was organized Jan-
Association, uary 14, 1878, in the chamber
of Common Council on South
George Street, by the election of J. Frank
Gable, president; C. A. Geesey, secretary;
A. .H. Lafean, treasurer. A charter of in-
corporation was obtained June 5, 1899.
This association was organized to protect
the business interests of its members, who
were prominent merchants of York. The
association became a vigorous body and
began to take an active part in discussing
needed improvements in the city. A num-
ber of prominent merchants were members
of the committees which planned the Ses-
qui-Centennial of York County in 1899.
The laying of asphalt pavements and a sys-
tem of cleaning the streets were discussed
by the association and improvemeiits urged.
In some respects this association has acted
in the capacity of a board of trade and many
of the measures which it has advocated have
been carried into effect by the city councils.
An interesting event is an annual banquet,
which is largely attended by representative
business men. In all its well directed efforts
the Merchants' Association has endeavored
to promote the public good of the city.
The Municipal League of York
Municipal was organized at a public meet-
League, ing held in the High School
building Januar}' 17, 1907. A.
B. Farquhar was chosen president; George
S. Schmidt, vice president; Rollin Z. Hartz-
ler, secretary ; George P. Smyser, treasurer ;
Captain W. H. Lanius, John V. McCauley,
Samuel Small, Sr., Rev. Clinton E. Walter,
\\'illiam A. Froelich, executive committee.
The objects of the league as given in the
constitution and by-laws are to induce citi-
zens and taxpayers to take an active and
earnest part in municipal affairs ; to devise
and advocate ways and means for the im-
provement of York ; to sustain and encour-
age faithful performance of public duty and
progressive management of city govern-
ment.
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS.
The Centennial of our existence as a na-
tion was celebrated amid ereat enthusiasm
in York, July 4, 1876. There was a paean
of all the bells in town from midnight until
I o'clock a. m. Then followed' huge bon-
fires and a brilliant display of fireworks
and the roar of guns and cannon. The
streets were thronged with people and at
daybreak music filled the air. York was
beautifully decorated and the fire companies
excelled all former displays in tasteful and
elaborate decorations. At 6 a. m. a vast
concourse of people witnessed the raising
of a large American flag on a pole erected in
Centre Square. In the afternoon a parade
of militar}' companies, firemen and various
orders, in all 5,000 men, passed through the
leading streets, escorted by bands dis-
coursing patriotic music. Captain Frank
Geise was chief marshal and his aides were
Major H. S. McNair, George W. Heiges,
John Blackford and Horace Iveesey.
Following the parade commemorative
exercises were held in Centre Square, on
the site of the Court House in which Con-
gress met during the Revolution. Rev. Dr.
Lochman delivered the opening prayer; the
Haydn Quartette, composed of H. Gipe, M.
L. Van Baman, Henry C. Pentz and B. F.
Thomas, sang "A Hundred Years Ago;'^
Fitz James Evans read the Declaration of
Independence, and Hon. John Gibson read
an historical sketch of York County. In
the evening the people again assembled in
Centre Square and listened to a grand
chorus, led by Prof. Gipe, the reading of a
poem, "One Hundredth Birthday," by E.
Norman Gunnison, and an oration by
George W. McElroy. A splendid exhibi-
tion of fireworks on the fair grounds ended
the day's celebration.
An event of special interest and
Borough importance was the one hun-
Centennial. dredth anniversary of the in-
corporation of York, cele-
brated September 24 and 25, 1887. with im-
posing ceremonies. On that occasion 30.-
000 visitors were in attendance. The town
was filled with people. Public buildings,
stores and private houses were decorated
with flags, evergreens and bunting, and the
anniversary day was ushered in by the
ringing of bells and the firing of cannon.
During the forenoon 3,000 school children
marched in procession through the princi-
pal streets. The boys wore uniform caps
and the sfirls were dressed in white. They
778
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
were reviewed from a stand in Centre
Square by Governor James A. Beaver who,
at the close of the parade delivered an ad-
dress. He was followed by Deputy Super-
intendent of Schools Henry Houck and W.
H. Shelley. Five hundred young ladies, on
a large platform, sang several patriotic
selections. During the noon hour the
chimes of Trinity Church played national
airs as well as sacred music.
In the afternoon there was a parade of the
military. Grand Army of the Republic, fire-
men and secret orders. In all there were
2,000 men in line, while thirty bands and
drum corps furnished the music. Colonel
Levi Maish was chief marshal. His aides
were Major Ruhl, Captains Fahs, Grena-
wald and Reynolds, Dr. McKinnon, Thorn-
ton Hendrickson, Daniel Fishel and Ste-
phen Wilson. After the parade the gov-
ernor held a reception in the Opera House
and in the evening there was a brilliant dis-
play of fireworks on the Public Common.
The succeeding day there was a parade of
Odd Fellows, Red Men, American Mechan-
ics and a long succession of floats, repre-
senting business houses and manufacturing
establishments, followed by an illustration
of farming as it was conducted 100 years
ago and at the time of the celebration.
When the parade ended the Hon. Chauncey
F. Black delivered an oration in the Opera
House, and then Judge Gibson read an his-
torical sketch of the town. The exercises
closed by singing "A Hundred Years Ago."
The celebration in 1899, of the
Sesqui- Sesqui-Centennial, or the one
Centennial, hundred and fiftieth anniver-
sary of the erection of York
County, was one of the most interesting
events in the history of York. The plan
originated with the York Board of Trade,
and at a meeting of citizens held May 13,
1899, a general committee was appointed,
composed of Milton B. Gibson, president;
GeorgeS. Billmeyer, treasurer; Houston E.
Landis, secretary, and M. L. Van Baman,
Isaac Rudisill, J. Frank Gable, S. M. Mani-
fold, Captain W. H. Lanius, Grier Hersh,
Tohn Garrety. H. E. Powell, Dr. E. T. Jef-
fers, H. C. Niles, R. F. Gibson, George W.
Gross and AVilliam A. Froelich. This com-
mittee decided to hold a four days' demon-
stration in the city of York on September
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. The ceremonies
opened with a meeting held in the audito-
rium of the York High School on Sunday,
September 3, presided- over by Rev. H. E.
Niles, D. D., when the religious history of
the county was discussed by Rev. James
Drummond and Rev. W. S. Freas, D. D.
The celebration was formally inaugurated
in an address of welcome by M. B. Gibson,
chairman of the general committee, on the
morning of September '4, at the York Opera
House. The purpose of this meeting was
to listen to an historical review of the city
and county. Rev. Dr. E. T. Jefifers, presi-
dent of the York Collegiate Institute, pre-
sided. Addresses were delivered relating to
the three classes of people who composed
the original settlers of York County. Hon.
John W. Bittenger spoke of the Germans;
Robert C. Bair, of the Scotch-Irish, and
George R. Prowell, of the Friends or Qua-
kers. This part of the exercises was fol-
lowed by an oration on the early history of
York, by H. C. Niles and an original poem
by William M. Gamble. In the afternoon
of the same day the people witnessed a
pageant composed of nearly 5,000 school
children, marching to a flag raising in honor
of the dedication of the York High School
building, which had just been completed.
Addresses were delivered by E. D. Ziegler,
member of Congress from York County;
Charles H. Stallman, president of the school
board, and Captain Frank Geise, mayor of
York.
The greatest concourse of people ever
assembled in York, possibly not less than
100,000, witnessed the industrial parade on
the second day of the celebration. This in-
cluded one hundred and sixty-eight floats,
besides the large number of men represent-
ing the industrial establishments and large
corporations. The civic parade on the suc-
ceeding day was no less imposing, about
one hundred ■ and twenty-five compan-
ies and secret organizations of various kinds
being in line. The people of York, and par-
ticularly those who had assumed the task
of preparing for the four days' demonstra-
tion, could justly congratulate themselves
upon the successful outcome of their labors.
Centre Square was decorated with four
triumphal arches, one of which was placed
at each street. They were built in classic
style of architecture and were forty feet
wide, thirty feet high and twelve feet deep,
B a ■
■ B H ||ff
^gfei^ rfi^- ..Trfrt^ J I
GEORGE STREET NORTH FROM CENTRE SQUARE
GEORGE STREET SOUTH FROM CENTRE SQUARE
THE CITY OF YORK
779
so that they could be seen at a great dis-
tance. Between the arches in each angle of
the square were two heroic columns, sup-
porting" Corinthian capitals and globes,
stuck full of flags. These arches and col-
umns were connnected by means of electric
wires, hung in festoons and provided with
electric lights, which were placed on the
arches in such a manner as to show their
principal outlines at night. The scene at
night, when the several thousand lights
were lit, was very impressive and delighted
the people. The whole arrangement well
deserved the name of " Court of Honor,"
and it was the principal feature of all the
decorations of the city. It was designed
by Reinhart Dempwolf, who also designed
the arches for the York Gas Company, the
York Bank and those at the intersection of
Market and Newberry Streets and Market
and Penn Streets, all of which were deco-
rated with bunting and flags and were lit
up at night. The arches were generally
constructed of wood and covered with mus-
lin which, in the case of those in the square,
was covered with a thick whitewash to give
it more the appearance of stone. This por-
tion of the work was done by AA^att Brothers
& Company.
On January i, 1901, the Twen-
Twentieth tieth Century was ushered in
Century. b}^ the citizens of York with
enthusiastic demonstrations.
About 10 o'clock on New Year's eve, watch
night services were opened in many of the
churches and continued until 12 o'clock
midnight, when crowds of people assembled
in Centre Square. When the hands of the
town clock in the steeple of Christ Luth-
eran Church pointed to the hour of twelve,
a cannon at the soldiers' monument in
Penn Park fired a salute and all listened
to the music of the bells in church spires,
factories, towers and fire engine houses.
Just as the sound of the bells was dying
out, one by one, the City Band marched into
the Square and played patriotic airs. Be-
fore the band arrived. Company A, of the
Pennsylvania National Guards, fired a
number of volleys. In obedience to the
request of city councils, houses were il-
luminated in honor of the new century, and
there was a magnificent display of fire-
works.
PUBLIC PARKS.
AA'hen the town of York was laid out by
the heirs of AVilliam Penn in 1741, lands
were reserved on both sides of the Codorus
for public purposes. These tracts were
known in early history as " The Com-
mons," and during the first half century of
the history of York, these tracts were pub-
lic pasture grounds for cattle, sheep and
other animals belonging to the inhabitants.
The tract west of the Codorus was sold, and
an area containing twenty acres, east of the
Codorus, was retained by the proprietors of
Pennsylvania. In 1816 these public lands
were deeded to the borough of York as the
Public Common.
During the time that Continental Con-
gress held its sessions in York, an entire
regiment was encamped here, and at other
times during the Revolution detachments of
soldiers passing through the town on the
way to Jhe army, frequently pitched their
tents underneath the shade of the native
trees which covered part of this Common.
In 1842 the part fronting on George Street
was sold, leaving the area of the Public
Common about fourteen acres. It was
used as a camping ground for 7,000 soldiers
in the fall of 1814, when the British
threatened Baltimore during the second war
with England. In the days of militia laws,
when all able-bodied citizens were required
to go through the manual of arms four times
a year, the Public Common was used for
company, battalion and regimental drills.
AA'"hat was known to that interesting period
as the " Big Muster " included the drill and
discipline of several hundred untrained sol-
diers who followed their occupations during
the remainder of the year.
The Public Common was frequently used
as a place for circuses and other traveling
shows for more than half a century, and in
October, 1853, the first exhibition of the
York County Agricultural Society was held
upon it. During the early part of the Civil
AVar, it was a place of rendezvous for sev-
eral regiments, where they were organized,
trained and drilled before being sent to the
Army of the Potomac. From 1862 to 1865
the northern part of the Public Common
was utilized by the United States Hospital.
Barracks had first been erected in the fall
78o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
of 1861 for the Sixth New York Cavalry,
which wintered here. Later a hospital was
erected and near the centre of this group of
government buildings stood a chapel for
religious worship. Rev. J. A. Brown, after-
wards president of the Lutheran Theo-
logical Seminary at Gett3'sburg, was chap-
lain. In this hospital from December, 1862,
to June, 1865, over 14,000 sick and wounded
soldiers of the Union army were cared for
by the surgeons and nurses, employed by
the government for that purpose.
From the time of the close of the war
until 1890, the Public Common was a ne-
glected spot. In fact the southern part of
it became a dumping ground for refuse and
two or three acres of the tract were covered
with a dense thicket, a convenient place for
the boys to play hide and seek. " Squire "
Braxton, a manumitted negro slave from
Virginia, who came to York about 183 1.
had his habitation made out of slabs and
covered with a sheet iron roof, on these
grounds. Braxton and his dogs, sometimes
more than a dozen in number, were the
only denizens of the Public Common for
nearly a third of a century.
After the city of York was incor-
Penn porated, enterprising people saw the
Park, necessity of turning these fourteen
acres into a public park for the rap-
idly growing population. In 1890, A. B.
Farquhar gave the sum of $1,400 for im-
proving the grounds. Walks and drives
were laid out and trees planted. Since the
land had been given to the borough of York
by the heirs of \\'illiam Penn, this public
resort was named Penn Park. In 1898,
Charles W. Brant, then mayor of York, ap-
pointed A. B. Farquhar, D. F. Lafean,
George P. Smyser, M. L. Van Baman,
Henry Small and Thomas B. Loucks a
Board of Park Commissioners. This body
immediately took steps to improve the con-
dition of Penn Park. A handsome monu-
ment was erected on an elevated spot in
Penn Park and dedicated with imposing
ceremonies June 15, 1898. On this occa-
sion, E. W. Spangler, of the York Countv
Bar, presided, and Rev. E. T. Jeffers, D. D^,
delivered the oration. There were a large
number of persons present at these exer-
cises. Under special act of assembly, the
cost of this monument, $23,500, was paid by
the county commissioners. It was erected
in memory of the patriotism, valor and
achievements of the soldiers and sailors
from York County in the Civil War. The
monument was designed by J. A. Dempwolf
and his brother, Reinhart Dempwolf. It is
sixty-five feet high and is surmounted by a
statue of Victory, with a sword and a
wreath in her uplifted right hand, while her
left hand is resting on a shield. E. G.
Smyser Sons, proprietors of the Variety
Iron Works, presented a fountain which
cost $2,500; the Order of Elks erected a
rockery at the fountain at a cost of $2,200; J.
T. Kopp presented an electrical fountain
costing $2,200; the Ivy Minstrels erected a
pavillion at a cost of $800; the Sons of Malta
and the Knights of St. Paul beautified plats
of ground, and the Rescue Fire Company
erected a statue representing their com-
pany. Penn Park has become a pleasure
resort for thousands of people during the
summer months. Band concerts are held at
regular intervals.
A. B. Farquhar presented to
Farquhar the city of York a tract of nearly
Park. an acre on the summit of a hill
in the northwestern part of
York. Soon afterward the York Improve-
ment Company, composed of enterprising
citizens, set apart for the purpose of a park
thirty-two acres of valuable land, surround-
ing the gift of Mr. Farquhar. This pleas-
ure resort, since known as Farquhar Park,
has been laid off into walks and drives and
beautiful grass plats and parterres. Two
pavillions and a fountain have been erected
under the direction of the park commis-
sioners.
During the past year Salem Park in the
western part of York and Albemarle Park
in the east end have been laid out for pub-
lic use.
CHAPTER XLIV
MILITARY AND FIRE DEPARTMENT
Early Companies — Militia Drills — The Big
Muster — York Volunteers — Worth In-
fantry—York Rifles — The Military En-
campments— G. A. R. — Yorktown Chap-
ter D. A. R. — Fire Companies, Laurel,
Vigilant, Goodwill, Union, Rescue, Royal,
Liberty and Reliance.
The martial spirit pervaded among the
first settlers of York County, and as early as
THE CITY OF YORK
781
1755 military companies, fully armed and
equipped, existed. Two of these companies
took part in the French and Indian war.
The story of the organziation of the Asso-
ciators and other militia, and the part taken
by them in the Revolution is given in an-
other chapter in this work. Soon after the
close of the War for Independence, local
military companies were organized for drill
and discipline. In 1791 there were two
companies in York. One of these was com-
manded by Captain George Hay; the other
was a cavalry company, commanded by
Captain William McClellan. Both of these
companies appeared on parade when Pres-
ident Washington visited York in 1791,
and were reviewed by that distinguished
soldier.
In 1800 when President John Adams ap-
proached York from his home in Massa-
chusettSj he was met down the road toward
Wrightsville by two local military compa-
nies. One of these, a light infantry company,
was commanded by Captain Philip Gossler,
and a cavalry company by Lieutenant John
Fisher. President Adams was then making
his first trip to Washington, which be-
came the capital of the United States in
1800.
In 181 1 when war between England and
the United States again was threatened,
military companies were organized and
drilled, not only in York but in every sec-
tion of the county, and in 1814, when the
British, under General Ross, marched upon
Baltimore, Captain Michael Spangler's com-
pany, from York, marched to the defence
of Baltimore and took part in the battle of
North Point.
After the war with England had again
ended in the triumph of American arms, the
military spirit was kept up in the borough
of York, and among the sturdy sons of toil
throughout the county.
In 1825, when Lafayette visited York, on
his tour of the United States, there was a
fine opportunity for the militia companies
to make a display of their discipline and
training. When he approached the town
from Baltimore he was met down the turn-
pike by Captain Nes' artillery, three infan-
try companies from York, commanded re-
spectively by Captains Small. Barnitz and
Stuck, and one company from Hanover,
commanded by Captain Frysinger.
A new militia system was put in
The Big force in Pennsylvania by act of
Muster. Assembly passed July 11, 1822.
Under this law all the able-bod-
ied men between the ages of 18 and 45 were
required to meet five times a year for com-
pany drill. On the first Monday of May the
companies paraded separately, and were re-
viewed by the brigade inspector. This was
known as the "little muster," and took place
in various parts of the county. The bat-
talion drill took place on the second Monday
in May, when an entire regiment, and some-
times a brigade appeared and were reviewed
by the brigade inspector, on the present
site of Penn Park. This was known as the
"big muster." On these occasions some of
the men in line carried muskets, others ri-
fles, while many used broomsticks or any-
thing by which they might be trained to go
through the manual of arms. This militia
law was in force until 1842, when it was re-
pealed. From that date until the Civil War
volunteer military companies were organ-
ized and drilled. There were a number of
these companies in York, the most promi-
nent of which were the Worth Infantry and
the York Rifles.
The funeral of Captain Michael H. Spang-
ler, on the 9th of September, 1834, was at-
tended by the officers of the 94th Regiment,
Pennsylvania Militia, by the survivors of
the York Volunteers and by the following
companies of the borough: The Washing-
ton Artillerists, Captain Jacob Upp, Jr. ;
The Pennsylvania Volunteers, Captain John
Evans; The Citizen Guard, Captain Samuel
Play; The National Greys, Captain Alex-
ander H. Barnitz; The York Rangers, Cap-
tain Samuel E. Clement.
During the year 1839. the York
Friendly military companies paid a visit to
Visits. Baltimore, which was returned
by the Independent Blues of that
city, on the 4th of July, in the same year.
The Baltimoreans considered themselves
treated with so much kindness, attention
and hospitality by the citizens of York, that
they were prompted to make some acknowl-
edgment; and, August 31, 1839, the Inde-
pendent Blues presented a splendid United
States flag to the volunteer companies of
York. This beautiful flag was in the pos-
session of Colonel George Hay, and was fre-
quently suspended in front of his residence
782
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
on West Market Street on patriotic occa-
sions. The material of the flag is of the
finest silk; the head of the stafif is a spear of
massive silver elegantly chased, with two
silver tassels. On the head is the following
inscription :
"Presented by the Independent Blues to
the York Volunteers August, 1839, ^s a
mark of esteem for the unbounded hospi-
tality extended to them during their visit
July 4, 1839."
The flag was presented August 31, in
front of the White Hall hotel, now the Na-
tional hotel, in the presence of the military
and a concourse of people, by a committee
of the Washington Blues, and accepted on
behalf of the soldiers by Hon. Charles A.
•Barnitz. The companies in York at that
time were the Washington Artillerists, Cap-
tain Upp ; the \\'ashington Blues, Captain
Barnitz; the York Pennsylvania Rifles, Cap-
tain Hay, and a company of cavalry, the
Washington Ti'oop, Captain Garretson.
The York Riflemen was the first
York military company west of the
Riflemen. Susquehanna river to join the
patriot army during the Revo-
lution. This company left York July i,
1775, and joined the army under Washing-
ton near Boston, July 25. It was com-
manded by Captain Michael Doudel, of
York, and Lieutenant Henry Miller, who
afterward rose to the rank of brigadier gen-
eral. This company served in the army
during four years and its record is given in
the history of the Revolution in this vol-
ume. In 1791, the York Riflemen, then un-
der command of Captain James Cross,
marched with the army to quell the whis-
key insurrection in western Pennsylvania.
During the \A'ar of 1812 Captain Thomas
Shriver, of York, commanded a company
known as the York Riflemen, and in 1814
when Baltimore was threatened by the
British, this company marched to the de-
fense of that city and remained in the ser-
A'ice from September i. 1814. to December
4. 1814-
In 1834 a company was organized
York under the name of the York Penn-
Riflles. sylvania Riflemen, with John Clem-
ens, captain; T. N. Haller, first lieu-
tenant; Samuel Herman, second lieutenant.
The first uniforrri consisted of green me-
rino frock coat and pantaloons, trimmed
with black fringe, a black fur hunting cap
with three ostrich feathers. In 1835 George
Hay, of York, was chosen captain of this
company, which he commanded for many
years, and during that period it was one of
the most noted military organizations in the
state of Pennsylvania. By-laws were adop-
ted in the year 1838. In accordance with
these by-laws the uniform then consisted of
black cloth frock coat, black cloth panta-
loons, to be trimmed with black fringe and
gold lace, shoulder mountings, a white
drooping plume and pompon, patent leather
body belt and ball pouch, a scalping knife
and tomahawk, black stock, white gloves
and boots.
The rank and file of the company at this
time was as follows: Captain, George Hay;
first lieutenant, Frederick B. Cook ; second
lieutenant, Daniel F. Wilhelm ; third lieu-
tenant, Alfred Connellee; D. A. Stillinger,
George P. Koch, Henry Spangler, Henry
Lehman, Granville Fissel, Jacob Fry, Philip
Peiffer, A. G. Weiser, Peter E. Wilt, Mich-
ael Epley, Samuel W. Taylor, Matthias
Yeaney, Edmvmd Connellee, Henry Ickes,
Levi Spangler, William Enrich, Oliver Stair,
Jacob Koons, Henry Rupp, \A'illiam F.
Yingling, Charles Metzell, John J. Cochran,
Isaac Elliott, Henry Koch, Jacob Luckins-
land, Richard Simmons, Emanuel Hoke,
John King, Edward P. Lynes, Edwin C. Ep-
ley, Urban A. Ogden, Charles Clopper,
George Odenwalt, Jesse Harry, Nathan
Coggins, Frederick Zorger, Oliver Luttman,
Isaac Kepner, Caleb Kepner, Thornton
Connellee, Henry Ziegler, L. S. Stroman,
Daniel Rupert, Joseph Peififer, William
Sponsler, Charles Karg, John T. Kelly,
Jacob Alterdice, William Thompson, John
Beard, Jacob Liedy, Edward Spangler,
Charles Nes.
The company took part in the parade at
the inauguration of Governor Ritner, at
Harrisburg in 1835 ; were present at a mil-
itary display at Hanover in 1837; ™ ^^^^
same year the company went to Philadel-
phia, when they were present at the launch-
ing of the steamship "Pennsylvania;" at-
tended the inauguration of Governor Por-
ter at Harrisburg", in January, 1839: at-
tended a large encampment at Paoli in
1840: attended the funeral ceremonies of
President Harrison at AA^ashington in 1841,
being the only military company present
THE CITY OF YORK
783
from Penns3'lvania. In 1844, during the
riots in Philadelphia, this company, under
Captain George Hay, proceeded to that
city.
In 1846, when the Mexican war opened,
the company offered its services to the gov-
ernment. The quota from Pennsylvania
having been lilied they were not called upon
to enter the American army, and the com-
pany disbanded. It was reorganized in 1859
as the York Rifles and made a fine appear-
ance in the encampment on the Public Com-
mon in i860.
Meantime, Captain George Hay had been
chosen brigadier general of the state mili-
tia. When the Civil \\'ar opened, the York
Rifles entered the army as Company K, Sec-
ond Pennsjdvania Regiment. Its subse-
quent history is found on page 357.
The York Volunteers was an
York excellent military organiza-
Volunteers. tion which existed at the
opening of the ^^'ar of 181 2.
This company was conimanded by Captain
M. H. Spangler, and the part it took in the
defense of Baltimore is told on page 344.
The Worth Infantry, a noted
Worth military organization, was organ-
Infantry, ized at York August 10, 1849.
The first officers were Thomas
A. Ziegle, captain ; John McGuire, first lieu-
tenant ; F. S. Whitesell. second lieutenant ;
Charles F. Karg, third lieutenant : AA'illiam
I. Reisinger. ensign; John O. A. Hyde, or-
derly sergeant; William Albright, Alonzo
A. Shultz, John Ziegler, Samuel Simon, Wil-
liam Sponsler, Joseph Allison, Jere G. Hil-
debrand, Henry George, Jacob Craver,
George M. Ettinger, Henry Weltzhoffer,
musicians ; J. A. Erney, Levi Strickler, C. A.
Ivlinefelter. Charles Henry, John W^eiser,
Samuel Stair, John Small, James A. Stable,
Thomas Strickler, Joseph R. Swanger,
George A. Stroman, Leonard J. Karg,
Elias Spangler, Edmund P. W^elsh, Joseph
Schall, John Minnan, Charles Collars, Peter
Ahl, Samuel Carter, Henry Brandt, Wil-
liam Patterson, Oliver P. Stair, John M.
Deitch, John Hays, George Smith, Andrew
Glessner, Samuel Hamme, Henry Glessner,
Charles Ginter, Leonard Koons, Albertus
AVelsh, William R. Armpriester, Frederick
Shutter, John F. Spangler, Stephen AA'allick,
Henry Stroman, David Myers, Lewis Su-
deck, Samuel Dillon, Levi S. Smith, Fred-
erick Zorger, Edward La}^ Jacob Lehman,
Allen Balke, Henry Philby, Samuel Eicholtz,
V. S. Erney, Peter Schriver, James C. Mc-
Guire, Martin L. Duhling, W. H. Albright,
W. F. Reisinger, William F. Shelley, John
Albright, G. L. Heidler, T. C. Stroman, F.
Strausbaugh, John Staunton, Anthony Boll,
privates.
Captain Thomas A. Ziegle, who organ-
ized this company, had served as a sergeant
in the Mexican war in the division com-
manded by General Worth. The Worth
Infantry was mustered into service at York
August 10, 1849, in the presence of Presi-
dent Zachary Taylor, who was then a vis-
itor at York. In July, 1850, the company
was present and participated in the funeral
obsequies of General Taylor at Washington,
D. C. In March, 1861, on the retirement of
James Buchanan from the presidential chair,
and while on his way from Washington to
Lancaster, he stopped at York, where he
was received by the Worth Infantry, who
acted as his escort to AA'heatland, his home,
where they were entertained by the retir-
ing president and his niece. Miss Harriet
Lane.
Captain Ziegle continued to drill and dis-
cipline his compan_v, which always made an
attractive appearance when present at dif-
ferent state encampments. When the Civil
War opened the \\'orth Infantry tendered
its services to the governor of Pennsylvania
and was accepted April 17, five days after
Fort Sumter had been fired on. On the
evening of April 20, 1861, this company and
the York Rifles, fully armed and equipped,
were sent to Cockeysville, Maryland, for the
purpose of guarding railroad bridges along
the Northern Central Railway. After their
return to York, Captain Ziegle became col-
onel of the Sixteenth Penns^dvania Regi-
ment, and his company, under command of
Captain John Haj^s, entered that regiment
in the three months' service. Its subse-
quent history will be found on page 357.
After the expiration of this service. Colonel
Ziegle was appointed to the command of
the 107th, an account of which will be found
on page 2>7^-
On Tuesday, Wednesday and
Camp Thursday, August 23, 24, 25,
Lafayette. 1841, there was an encampment
of military on the York Common
knoAvn as Camp Lafayette, at which there
784
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
were seventeen companies present from dif-
ferent parts of the state. Major Ham-
bright, of Lancaster, an experienced mili-
tary oiBcer, was commandant by invitation
and reviewed the troops and also organized
new companies. There were present two
companies from Baltimore City. The York
County companies were the Wrightsville
Rifles, Captain Druck, Wrightsville ; the
Dover Artillery, Captain Worley; the Inde-
pendent Blues, Captain Bott, of West Man-
chester; the Jackson Greys, Captain Mc-
Abee, Shrewsbury; the Hopewell Rifles,
.Captain Smith; the York Pennsylvania
Rifles, Captain Hay; the W^ashington Blues,
Captain Barnitz; the Washington Artiller-
ists, Captain Upp. Lieutenant Alexander
Hay was aide-de-camp to the commanding
officer. General Diller, adjutant general of
the state, was present. On Wednesday the
troops were reviewed by his excellency.
Governor Porter, who headed the parade
in full uniform, on horseback. In the year
1841, Colonel Thomas Jameson was bri-
gade inspector. There was at this time a
company of cavalry in York called the York
County Troop.
In 1843 the Native American
Troops at party came into existence in
Philadelphia, this country, and was quite
strong in Philadelphia. The
members of this party opposed the appoint-
ment of foreigners to of^ce and looked with
disfavor on foreign immigration in general,
especially the Irish-Catholics. In Philadel-
phia the movement was attended the next
year by disorderly meetings, fatal riots and
the burning of houses and churches, involv-
ing a loss of nearly $1,000,000 in property.
In order to quell this riot Governor Porter
called out the militia of the state, under com-
mand of General Robert Patterson, a hero
of the War of 1812. On July 4, 1844, there
was a Native American procession in Phil-
adelphia. This revived bitter memories and
rioting began anew, lasting several days.
The city was put under martial law. Gov-
ernor Porter appeared on the scene of the
disturbance and issued a call for troops from
the interior of the state. In response to this
call the York Rifles, armed and equipped,
under command of Captain George Hay,
and the Washington Blues, also well armed
and equipped and commanded by Captain
A. H. Barnitz, proceeded by rail to Phila-
delphia. These two companies were first
quartered in the arsenal, and after remaining
there two days, were assigned to quarters
in the Girard bank, at which place and other
threatened points they performed guard
duty.
The York companies remained
Quelling in Philadelphia eight days and
The Riot, during the period of their ser-
vice, in addition to performing
guard duty at various points, were called
out under arms to disperse the rioters.
Once during the night they were hastily
summoned from their quarters to fall in
line, and marched to a place where the ri-
oters had assembled, but upon their ap-
proach the rioters fled.
After eight days the rioters were subdued
and the two York companies returned
home. The rank and file of both these
companies received from the state three
months' pay in recognition of their valiant
services for a period of eight days. In
all there were sixteen armed companies at
Philadelphia during the continuance of the
riots.
When Governor Porter issued his second
call for troops. General Ramsey, commander
of the York County Brigade of Militia, or-
dered the different companies to rendezvous
in York. On Wednesday evening, July 17,
in obedience to orders, every volunteer com-
pany of Ramsey's Brigade, comprising the
commands of Captains Bott, McAbee, Mur-
phy and Bartol, and Washington Artillerists
of York, numbering nearly a thousand men,
assembled at York to await orders to go to
Philadelphia. These were all uniformed
companies, prominent among which were
the Jackson Greys, of Shrewsbury; Muddy
Creek Blues, of Chanceford and vicinity,
and the Cross Roads Rifles, of Hopewell
Township. For one day the town of York
presented quite a warlike appearance.
Early on Thursday morning the troops pa-
raded, were reviewed by General Ramsay,
and about 8 o'clock, under his command
took their departure by railroad, fully ex-
pecting to reach the scene of the riots.
When the train reached Wrightsville, an
order was received from General Patterson,
stating that the riots had been quelled and
their services were not needed. The dif-
ferent companies returned to York and re-
paired to their homes. One of the most
THE CITY OF YORK
785
noted political riots in Pennsylvania had
ended.
The last encampment of the or-
Camp ganized military companies of
Patterson. Pennsylvania, prior to the war
of 1861, was held on the Public
Common at York, in September, i860, last-
ing five days. Tents were pitched on the
eastern portion of the Common and were
over 400 in number, including ofScers' mar-
quees. A large flag staff was erected im-
mediately in front of the commanding of^-
cer's marquee, from which floated the col-
ors of our country. Two field pieces, one a
six-pounder and the other an eighteen
pounder were stationed on the western ex-
tremity of the encampment and were fired
according to general orders. They each
bore the following inscription: "Captured
at Cerro Gordo, April 18, 1847, by the
American army, under Major General Scott,
and presented to the state of Pennsylvania,
by Major General Patterson." There were
seventeen companies represented, number-
ing over 800 men, not including the various
officers and their stafifs. The following are
the names of the companies who partici-
pated in the encampment :
National Rifles, Captain T. B. Shaefifer,
of Washington, D. C. ; AA'orth Infantry, Cap-
tain T. A. Ziegle; Independent Blues, Cap-
tain S. H. Buehler, Gettysburg; Jackson Ri-
fles, Captain H. H. Hambright, Lancaster;
National Rifles, Captain S. B. Faber, Johns-
town ; Hanover Infantry, Captain H. M.
Baughman; Lancaster Fencibles, Captain
Emlen Franklin; York Rifles, Lieutenant
J. W. Schall ; Washington Guards, Captain
John Croll, Newberrytown ; Allen Rifles,
Captain F. W. Good, Allentown ; Philadel-
phia Greys, Lieutenant D. F. Foley; Cham-
bersburg Artillery; Maytown Infantry,
Lieutenant H. S. Bock; Marion Rifles, Cap-
tain H. G. Myers, Hanover; Law Greys,
Captain Thomas Bowers, Baltimore; Mary-
land Guards, Lieutenant Henderson, Bal-
timore; Baltimore City Rifles, Lieutenant
C. W. Hiltz.
The National Rifles of Washington were
accompanied by the Marine Band. The
Worth Infantry, of Y'ork, with its ninety-
five men, was the largest company present.
On March 31, 1902, a public re-
Returning ception was given to the York
Soldiers. soldiers upon their return to
York, after three years' service in the Phil-
ippine Islands. The names of these soldiers
were :
Sixty-third Company, Coast Artillery —
James Plymire, Henry Heltzer, John H.
Smith, William Seiffert, George Frey and
Carl Fisher.
Sixty-second Corps, Coast Artillery —
John Winfelter, Kirk \\'. Owen. Stewart
Petry and Thomas Miller.
Seventy-first Company, Coast Artillery —
John Graybill, William Kipp.
Upon the arrival of the returning soldiers
at York they "were escorted by the Spring
Garden Band to the engine house of the
Rescue Fire Company, where addresses of
welcome were made by Mayor R. F. Gib-
son, Rev. T. T. Everett and M. L. Van Ba-
man.
YORKTOWN CHAPTER D. A. R.
Yorktown Chapter, Daughters of the
American Revolution, was organized Octo-
ber 10, 1894, at the residence of Mrs. Henry
D. Schmidt, on East Market Street. Miss
Louise D. Black was chosen regent, and
Mrs. Schmidt, vice president. The charter
members were Miss Louise Dawson Black,
Mrs. Anne Riter Rupp, Mrs. Anna Small
Schmidt, Miss Eliza Evans Cochran, Mrs.
Anne Fisher Latimer, Mrs. Mary Small
Schmidt, Miss Isabel Cassatt Small, Mrs.
Mary Louisa Carson Schmidt, Miss Mary
Doudel Croll, Mrs. Mary Barry Fisher, Mrs.
Mary Miller Spangler, Miss Mary Smyser
Lanius, Mrs. Mary Scheller Ebert, Miss
Theresa Julia Spangler, Miss Mary Jane
Barnitz.
Immediately after its formation, York-
town Chapter began the study of the Amer-
ican Revolution and the local history re-
lating to that eventful period. Regular
meetings were held eight months of the year
when historical papers were read and dis-
cussed. The first important step taken by
the chapter was to place a tablet in 1896 in
St. John's Episcopal Church to the mem-
ory of Colonel Thomas Hartley, a noted sol-
dier of the Revolution, and for twelve years
a member of Congress from York County.
The ceremony of unveiling this tablet was
witnessed by a large audience, including
Dr. C. H. Hall, of Macon, Georgia, a de-
scendant of the distinguished soldier. E.
W^ Spangler delivered the presentation ad-
786
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
dress and the speech of acceptance was
made by Rev. Charles James Wood, rector
of the parish. Hon. Chauncey F. Black de-
livered the oration. In order to inculcate
a love for the study of American history,
the members of the Yorktown Chapter of-
fered prizes to the students of the York
High School, who would write the best es-
says on topics assigned them. This move-
ment had an excellent effect and created a
deep interest among the citizens of York
and the patrons of the school. In 1906
Yorktown Chapter, aided by the Sons of
the American Revolution, raised funds for
the erection of a tablet to commemorate the
meeting of Continental Congress at York,
from September 30, 1777, to June zj, 1778.
This tablet, neatly designed and with ap-
propriate inscriptions, was placed on the
business house of P. A. & S. Small, in Cen-
tre Square. The ceremony of unveiling this
beautiful tablet was one of the most patri-
otic demonstrations ever held in the city of
York. Hundreds of people assembled in
Centre Square to take part in the exercises.
E. W. Spangler presided, and made a brief
address. George S. Schmidt, a prominent
member of the York County Bar, delivered
the oration. In this speech he referred to
the most important events which took place
while Congress held its sessions in the Court
House in Centre Square.
The work accomplished by Yorktown
Chapter has produced a beneficial effect by
encouraging a careful study of the Revolu-
tion. It is one of the most active chapters
in the state of Pennsylvania. In 1907 the
chapter contained fifty-two members. Mrs.
Smyser Williams was regent, and Mrs. L.
M. Hartman, secretary.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC.
All honorably discharged soldiers and
sailors, who have served in the army or navy
of the United States are entitled to member-
ship in the Grand Army of the Republic.
Soon after the close of the Revolution, soci-
eties were formed which were composed of
commissioned officers and their descendants.
The most prominent of these was the So-
ciety of Cincinnati, which still has an ex-
istence. Army organizations of the War of
1812 and of the Mexican War have existed
for social and convivial purposes, but none
of these societies named have been based
on the principle of mutual aid in time of
need, or comprehended purposes so exalted
as those embraced in the declaration of the
Grand Army of the Republic, namely, " Fra-
ternity, Charity, Loyalty." This society,
whose purpose is to band together the men
who wore the blue during the war, was orig-
inated in the west. To Colonel B. F. Ste-
venson, of Springfield, Illinois, is given the
credit of being the first person who formu-
lated the plans of its noble aims. The first
post was organized at Dakota, Illinois, in
1866. A State Department Encampment
was organized in Illinois July 12 ,1866, under
Colonel Stevenson. In the month of No-
vember of the same year a National En-
campment was organized at Indianapolis,
with representatives present from nearly all
of the northern states. These encampments
have since been held annually in various lo-
calities of the Union.
General John Sedgwick Post,
Sedgwick No. 2>7' G. A. R., Department of
Post. Pennsylvania, was organized at
York, May 8, 1878, with the fol-
lowing charter members :
William H. Lanius, Lewis H. Eppley,
Henry M. Davis. Wellington G. Erwin, Hi-
ram S. McNair, David E. Myers, Samuel I.
Adams, Joseph W. Test, Abner W'. Min-
nich, Thomas Minnich, George L. Koons,
Robert Burrows, Henry T. Goodling, Sam-
uel Simon, Samuel Myers, Samuel Ever-
hart. George Horn, Edward R. Herr,
Charles H. Busey, Lafayette H. Bastress.
George Graybill, William F. Eichar, Andrew
B. Jack, Matthew J. McKinnon, John Burg
and August C. Steig. The Post held its
first meeting on the third floor of the Jor-
dan building. Centre Square. Captain Wil-
liam H. Lanius, through whose efforts the
Post was successfully organized, was chosen
its first commander.
The Post grew in numbers rapidly and in
1907 there were about 700 names of com-
rades on the roll. During that year there
were 250 active members. There are over
200 names on the Memorial roll, who have
died since its organization. Some have been
transferred to other posts. The Post Com-
manders in order of succession have been :
Captain William H. Lanius. Charles
Horn, Andrew A. Wasson, Captain Henry
B. Wattman, W^illiam F. Eichar, Captain
William I. Reisinger, Captain Edward L.
THE CITY OF YORK
787
Schroeder, T. R. Hendrickson, George L.
Koons, George O. Luttman, James D. Mil-
ler, John Baymiller, Alfred W. Moore, Col-
onel James A. Stable, Adam F. Strayer,
George P. Spangler, Alexander A. Rodes,
Herman Sauppe, Joseph W. Snave, William
A. Cook, David W. Crider, Edward T.
Lewis, Henry Tschop, David G. Foose,
John T. Stark, George C. Worley, Jacob H.
Rahn, George W. Augbenbaugb, Reuben
S. ]\Ioist.
Captain Edgar M. Ruhl Camp,
Sons of No. T,2i, Division of Pennsylva-
Veterans. nia. Sons of Veterans, was or-
ganized and mustered into
what was then known as the Eastern Di-
vision of Pennsylvania Sons of Veterans^
December 22, 1882, by Lieutenant John
Cleckner, of Camp 15, Harrisburg. John C.
Hoffman, a comrade of General John Sedg-
wick Post 37, G. A. R., whose father was
the oldest member of the "York Rifles," in
the three months' service in i86i,was chosen
commander of the camp. John M. Rively
was chosen secretary and Elmer E. Rei-
singer. treasurer. The charter members
Harry H. Gross, Elmer E. Reisinger, Wil-
liam F. Steever, James C. x-\llen, Jacob S.
Kindig, Paul P. Goodling, John M. Rively,
John McComas, Robert Hamme, James
Henry Davis, John Bloom, John C. Hoff-
man, Joseph Culbertson, George W. Spang-
ler, Jacob \\'asbers and Henry Voss.
On July 4, 1883, the Camp was mustered
into the Eastern Pennsylvania Division of
Sons of Veterans, by Colonel J. H. Closson.
In June, 1888, the Eastern and Western
Divisions of Pennsylvania were consoli-
dated, forming the Division of Pennsylvania
Sons of Veterans, Ruhl Camp 33, retaining
its number (33) in the new .division. Sam-
uel Berger was the commander, John C.
Hoffman, Sr., secretary, and Paul Smyser,
treasurer, in 1907.
The following have been Post Captains
of this Camp: John C. Hoffman, Sr.. Paul
Smyser, A. AV. Moore, David F. Moore,
Harry G. Lightner, Charles A. Hoffman,
Joseph Beaverson, Edward W. Neuman,
Harry B. Lentz, Hiram F. Nickel, E. Sher-
man Miller, Daniel J. Golden, Erasmus M.
Heiman, A\'illiam T- Croll, Samuel Burger,
William G. Uhler. "
The Camp has a membership of over two
hundred; *
Company A, Sixth Regiment S. V. Re-
serves, the military branch of Captain E. M.
Ruhl Camp^ has a membership of forty-six.
The officers are Captain, Paul Smyser ;
First Lieutenant, Hiram F. Nickel; Second
Lieutenant, A\'illiam J. Croll.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The fire department of York has always
maintained a good reputation for its effi-
ciency. There are at present within the city
se\en companies, owning seven steamers,
five combination chemical engines and hose
wagons, one hose wagon, one chemical en-
gine, one complete hook and ladder appara-
tus and about 10,000 feet of hose. The
alarms are sounded by a Gamewell system
of forty-nine boxes. Although the depart-
ment is entirely volunteer service, the com-
mendable activity of the firemen and the ex-
cellent management of the companies have
proven their efficiency equal to that of most
of the paid departments in other cities and
towns. The early history of the fire de-
partment of York is full of interest. Orig-
inally buckets alone were used to throw
water upon fires. Later hand engines were
used, and finally steam engines and all the
modern apparatus necessary for "the rapid
extinguishment of fires.
There are no records by which it can
The for a certainty be determined when
Sun. the first fire company was organized
in York, but, doubtless, the first one
that did any effective service was the Sun
Fire Company, formed April 3, 1772. Ac-
cording to the minute book of this company
its object was for " better preserving our
own and fellow townsmen's houses, goods
and effects from fire." Each member was
to supply " at his own expense, one leather
bucket, one bag and one convenient basket:
the bag to be made of good osnabur'gs or
wider linen, whereof each bag shall contain
two yards at least, and shall have a running
string at the mouth, which said buckets, bags
and baskets shall be marked with our names
and company, and shall be kept ready at
hand and applied to no other use than pre-
serving our own and fellow townsmen's
houses, goods and eft'ects in case of fire."
Each member in default of the above was
fined one shilling. If any part of the appar-
atus was lost, it was supplied from the
funds of the company. A part of their duty
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1
was to save the property and carry it in
their bags and baskets to a place of safety,
and detail one of their number to watch it
till the owners could claim and care for it.
A fine of one shilling was imposed upon
each member absenting himself or failing
to bring " bucket, bag and basket," on the
occasion of a fire in any part of the "town of
York."
The original members were Michael
Swope, John Shultz, Michael Hahn, Jacob
Doudel, Baltzer Spangler, Frederick
Houseman, Henry Walter, John Hay,
George Stake, David Candler, Peter
Duenckel, George Moul, Michael Welsh,
Henry Miller, John Morris, Valentine Lees,
Michael Weider, Rudolph Spangler and
Michael Graybill, nearly every one of whom
became soldiers in the Revolution. Jacob
Doudel was elected the first treasurer, and
received fines to the amount of one pound,
four shillings, six pence, of which amount
seven shillings, six pence was a donation
from Samuel Edie, editor of the Pennsyl-
vania Herald. A water engine was pur-
chased in August, 1772, and a house, was
built for it in 1773. This engine had a side
lever gallery and was supplied with water
by means' of buckets, as a hose was then
unknown.
The Hand in Hand was another
Hand company in existence in 1773. Ja-
in cob Shultz, of this company, was
Hand provided with a key to the German
Reformed Church, so as to be able
to give an alarm by ringing the church bell
in case of fire. A fire occurred in York,
June, 1773, at which the companies did
' good service, and another in Bottstown in
December, of the same year.
In 1797 a destructive fire occurred on
West Market Street. It broke out in the
stables to the rear of the residence of John
Hay, immediately east of Zion Reformed
Church. Several out-buildings were burned,
two dwelling houses injured and the
entire church, including a pipe organ,
was destroyed by the flames before they
could be checked.
The York Recorder for November 24,
1802, makes the following announcement:
" Citizens, how you will be as-
A Big tonished on Saturday next, with
Display, a grand display of water works
to take place in the afternoon at
3 o'clock, near the different engine houses
in this borough, when the burgesses
and assistants, sheriffs, constables, com-
missioners and all able-bodied citizens,
commissioned and non-commissioned, are
invited to attend with their fire buckets,
baskets, ladders, hooks, etc., in order to par-
take of the brilliancy of the scene, and by
their assistance facilitate the operations
of the different machines. Should the exhi-
bition meet with encouragement it is not
doubted but the engines will be put in com-
plete repair for the gratification of the ad-
mirers of hydrostatics and ready for dis-
play at a moment's warning."
In 1803 a negro woman was convicted by
the Courts of York County for poisoning
Sophia and Matilda Bentz, and was sen-
tenced to the penitentiary for a period of
four years. The sentence caused great dis-
satisfaction among the people of her race
in York and vicinity. Some of them con-
spired to destroy the town. The citizens
upon hearing of this intention were on the
alert. They did not discover the plans of
the conspirators until six successful at-
tempts had been made to burn the build-
ings within the borough limits. Twenty-
one negroes were arrested and a number
of them found guilty of arson and sent to
the penitentiary. Thus ended an exciting
period in the history of York. This con-
spiracy gave the fire companies of the town
an excellent opportunity to prove their abil-
ity to extinguish the flames.
The Laurel Fire Company was or-
The ganized at the residence of Col.
Laurel. Henry Miller, northeast angle of
Centre Square, February 13, 1790.
Each member was required to furnish his
own bucket, on which was painted his name
with the design of a hand grasping a laurel
wreath and around the bucket were painted
the words, " Laurel Fire Company, 1790."
After the adoption of this style of a bucket,
George Stuck, Jacob Small, Philip Walte-
meyer and Frederick Laumaster were ap-
pointed to make ladders and hooks.
A meeting was held March i, 1790, for
the election of officers, when Henry Miller
was chosen president ; Andrew Billmeyer,
treasurer; John Lukens, clerk; Jacob
Welshans, keeper of the engine. Septem-
ber 6, of the same year, a committee was
appointed to purchase material to make fire
THE CITY OF YORK
789
ladders for the company. March 5, 1792,
the same officers were again elected. July
8, 1797, Joseph W'elshans, David Cassatt,
Ralph Bowie, John Stroman, John Fisher,
Jr., were appointed a committee to revise
the rules of the company. The member-
ship was increased to sixty. In 1798 an
engine was built for the Laurel.
March 7, 1803, Jacob Barnitz was elected
president and John Fisher, Jr., secretary.
In February, 1816, the company was reor-
ganized. George Spangler, at whose house
the meeting was held, became president,
and D. Heckert, secretary: George Spang-
ler, Ralph Bowie, Peter Small, Dr. John
Rouse, Peter Wilt, Samuel \Veiser, staff-
men; George Small, Jacob Rudy, Jacob
Laumaster, Michael Emich, axmen; Wil-
liam Reese, Daniel Vogelsong, Thomas
Baumgardner, Adam Lightner, John Leh-
man, Jacob Lehman, ^^'illiam Spangler,
Peter Ziegler, Jacob May, John Miller,
John Heckert, Jr., Joseph Updegraff, hook,
ladder and roofmen ; Christian Lanius,
Henry Small, Jesse Hines, spoutmen. Mar-
tin W'eiser, Christian Rupp, Jacob Crau-
mer, Jacob Rudy, Frederick Youse, were
property guards.
In 1840 Dr. Alexander Small, president
of the Laurel, and others, petitioned the
Legislature for an act of incorporation to
exist for fifteen years. A charter was
granted by the Court in 1844. In 1840, a
steam engine was purchased from the Hu-
mane Fire Company of Philadelphia. It
was brought from Philadelphia to Colum-
bia on the railroad, and from thence to
York, drawn by horses on the turnpike.
Charles A. Morris was president from 1850
to 1854. In 1855 a large bell was purchased
from the Goodwill Fire Company of Phila-
delphia. It rang out an alarm of a destruc-
tive fire October 8, 1856; the bell was re-
cast the next year. The uniform of the
. company at that time consisted of black
hats, six inches high, with a rim three
inches wide, cap with the name of the com-
pany on it and the date of incorporation.
In 1868 a new uniform was adopted. Un-
der the presidency of Erastus H. Weiser,
the steam engine " Old Suz," was pur-
chased and arrived in York May 11, 1868.
In 1870 Michael Edwards, one of the
original members of the company, visited
York. A gold-headed cane was presented
to him by the Laurel, Hon. John Gibson
making the presentation speech. Michael
Edwards died at his home in West Vir-
ginia, in 1876, aged nearly 100 years.
The first headquarters of the Laurel Fire
Company were on the north side of East
Market Street, a short distance west of
Duke Street. In 1840 a building was erected
on South Duke Street which was remodelled
in 1856 and used until 1878, when the pres-
ent engine house, an honor to the borough,
and the pride of the members of the com-
pany, was built, and its first occupancy
celebrated with imposing ceremonies. The
presidents of this company in late years, in
order of succession, have been : Charles
W. Myers, James B. Ziegler, \\'illiam H.
Albright and George W. \\'inehold, who
held the position for the last twenty-five
years.
" Old Suz " was superseded by an im-
proved La France engine of the second
class, purchased in 1892, at a cost of $4,350.
In 1897 a combination hose wagon and
chemical engine was purchased at a cost of
$1,650. The Laurel introduced horse ser-
vice iMarch 17, 1886, when the company
purchased Frank and Harry, two fine ani-
mals which did good service for many years.
In 1907 the company owned four horses,
named Judge, Doc, Frank and Harry. The
membership was 160.
The Vigilant Fire Company was
The organized in 1780. It was first
Vigilant, called the Union Fire Company.
Soon after its organization a
hand engine, built by Richard Mason,
Philadelphia, was procured. It was a side
lever engine and threw water, which was
supplied by buckets, direct from the gal-
lery. Repairs were made to it, sometime
between the date of purchase and 1791,
by the employees of Elisha Kirk, and in
1796 repairs were again made and improve-
ments added to it by Jonathan Jessop.
The first change in the name of the
"Union"' was that ordered December 11,
1816, since which date it has borne the title
of the Vigilant Fire Company. Philip Smy-
ser was then chosen its president. During
the great flood of 1817, the records of the
company, which were kept in Jonathan Jes-
sop's house on the west side of the Codorus
Creek, were lost. The engine was kept at
this date and until 1834, in a building on
790
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the south side of West Market Street, be-
tween Water Street and the Codorus, after
which time it was kept on the north side of
Market Street west of the Codorus, a short
distance from the present engine house,
which was first occupied in April, 1871.
In 1831, the company was reorganized
and a constitution and by-laws adopted.
February 6, 1842, application was made for
a charter to the Court of Common Pleas,
which was granted April 7, 1842, under the
name of the " York Vigilant Fire Com-
pany." A new engine was needed. For
this purpose the burgesses donated $1,000,
and the committee appointed procured one
from John Agnew, of Philadelphia, for the
sum of $1,120. This went into service in
October. 1843, and the old "Mason" after
sixty years' vise in York, was sold to the
people of Dover, York County. The first
alarm bell was purchased from Jones &
Hitchcock, of Troy, New York, at a cost of
$223 and rang its first call to service, June
7. 1853-
In 1856, the engine was rebuilt b}' John
Agnew, who placed upon it a handsome
silver-plated gallery and side badges, which
had been purchased from the Vigilant Fire
Company of Philadelphia. This engine is
still retained by the company.
In 1867 the first steps toward a steam fire
department were taken, and ni 1868 Button
& Son, of Waterford, New York, built to
the order of the company a steamer at a
cost of $3,500. In 1868, by order of court,
the name was changed to Vigilant Steam
Fire Engine Company, No. i. In 1871, the
present building was occupied and a new
alarm bell, weighing 2,200 pounds and cost-
ing $900, was placed in position. The cost
of the building exclusive of the ground, was
$7,199. The expense of furnishing the par-
lors was borne by the members themselves.
The spider was purchased from C. F. Harts-
horne, of New York, at a cost of $450, and
it went into service, January, 1878, becom-
ing the property of the company by having
been purchased with funds in its treasury.
The Button Crane Neck carriage of the com-
pany, built by L. Button & Son, was pur-
chased for $600, and went into service April
14. 1879.
October, 1880, the company celebrated its
centennial anniversary, which was the occa-
sion of a jul)ilee and street parade in con-
nection with the other companies of the
town, and the Humane Company of Norris-
town. July, 1883, the company having in
view the introduction of the fire alarm tele-
graph, had the first alarm station erected
on a flag staff in Centre Square, to connect
with a large gong on their engine house.
During the flood of June 26, 1884, the water
reached the depth of nine feet on the first
floor of the engine house, completely sub-
merging the apparatus which was damaged,
and everything movable swept away. Af-
ter the flood had receded, the engine was
put to pumping water out of the flooded
buildings, remaining in service 118 consec-
utive hours, a work rarely accomplished by
a steam fire engine.
October 15, 1884, the steamer of the com-
pany purchased from L. Button & Sons, in
1868, was taken out of service for repairs.
March 3, 1885, the new engine was pur-
chased for $4,000 from the Button Fire En-
gine Company, of Watertown, New York.
March 6, 1885, the company celebrated the
reception of the new steamer by a banquet
at the American House. The following
named persons have been president of this
company from the date of its organization
to 1907: Elisha Kirk, John Hay, Jesse
Spangler, Philip Smyser, Martin Ziegler,
George AVagner, Jonathan Jessop, Charles
A. Morris, Benjamin Beitzel, Joseph Mor-
ris, Charles Hahn, George Philip Ziegler,
Henry Ebert, Michael Doudel, Jacob Smy-
ser, Jacob Baylor, Frederick Baugher, Isaac
Garretson, William Sayres, Michael Eppley,
Daniel Kraber, Daniel Motter, David F.
Williams, Henry A. Hantz, Jere Carl, Wil-
liam A. Stable, Daniel Heckert, George J.
Chalfant, Edward Stuck, Luther T. Dein-
inger and John Strickler.
The secretaries of the company since 1873
have been AV. B. AVallick, Charles G. Corn-
well, Charles Baugher, Jacob A\' . Brunhouse
and David Dierdorff.
The Vigilant Company introduced horse
service in 1887, when Sultan, Prince and
Duke, three fine black horses were pur-
chased and continued in service twenty-four
years. In 1907 the company owned six
horses. In 1904 a Metropolitan engine was
purchased from the American Fire Engine
Company, of Seneca Falls, New York, for
the sum of $5,400. The other equipments
are a hose carriage, a Holloway chemical
BIRD'S-EVE VIEW OF VORR FROM ROVAL ENGINE HOUSE TOWER. 1907
COURT OF HONOR IN CENTRE SQUARE DURING SESQUI-CENTENNIAL OF YORK COUNTY IN 1399
THE CITY OF YORK
791
engine and everything needed for an enter-
prising fire company. The membership of
the Vigilant Company in 1907 is 464.
George Strausbaugh is chief driver, Edward
Sweitzer, hose wagon driver, and John My-
ers, engine driver.
The Goodwill Fire Company
Goodwill, was organized at the school
house in Freystown, now East
York, December 14, 1839, when Jacob NefT
was elected president and Michael Boeckel,
treasurer. It was originally known as the
Springgarden Active Fire Company. In
1839 the company purchased a hand bucket
pump engine. The headquarters were then
in a one-story building at the northwest
corner of Market and Franklin Streets.
The name was changed to the Goodwill Fire
Company in 1852, when they purchased a
suction pump engine, built by M. J. Gardner,
of York, and named the "Hornet." The old
engine was changed so as to receive water
through hose instead of buckets. In 1858
the company purchased a plot of ground
on East Market Street, from John Sleeger,
upon which an engine house was built.
About this time the Goodwill was the
first fire company in York to use horses
to convey the apparatus to the scene of a
fire raging at the Motter House, near the
Market Street bridge. This incident won a
good reputation for the company, because it
was the first on the ground to throw water
upon the burning building. The " Hornet "
which had done good service for many years
was chanced off and won by Emanuel Emig,
a farmer, who afterward changed it into a
wagon for use upon his farm. A charter
was obtained April 30, 1873, and the fol-
lowing ofBcers were elected : Christian
Bender, president ; John Miller, vice presi-
dent; Emanuel Frey, secretary; William
Miller, treasurer; Charles Schaszberger. Ed-
win Blasser and James Long, trustees. In
1888, a committee composed of John Miller,
George W. SchefTer, Elias Spangler. J. H.
Hartman, Christian Bender, C. A. Boyer,
and Franklin Witman, was authorized to
buy a new Silsby engine, which arrived in
York in March of that year. They bought
a hose carriage from the Rescue Fire Com-
pany, which later became the property of
the Leo Fire Company, of Red Lion. The
Goodwill then purchased a hose carriage
from the Union Eire Company, of York,
which was afterward sold to the Glen Rock
Fire Company. In November, 1894, a site
on East Market Street was secured upon
which an engine house was built by the com-
pany. In 1902 this engine house was sold to
the City of York. Soon afterward a hand-
some britk engine house was erected on this
site. It was dedicated with imposing cere-
monies. In 1902 the company purchased
four horses and the City of York bought the
chemical engine and hose carriage.
May 21, 1855, a meeting was held
The in the business office of Small &
Union. Smyser, later the Variety Iron
Works, for the purpose of organ-
izing a fire company in the northern part
of York. Dr. Alexander Small was chosen
president of this meeting. The sum of $865
was raised. John Nevin, George AV. Ilgen-
fritz and Dr. Small were selected a commit-
tee to purchase a suction engine from Rod-
gers & Son, of Baltimore, for $1,200. It was
brought to York in September of the same
year. After long use this engine was sold to
the borough of Phillipsburg, Centre County,
for $300. Thomas E. Cochran, John Nevin,
and George M. Shetter framed a constitu-
tion and by-laws, and the organization was
named the Union Fire Company. Upon re-
ceiving a charter the following officers were
chosen: president, Thomas E. Cochran;
vice president, George A. Heckert; secre-
tary, George M. Shetter: treasurer, George
W. Ilgenfritz : directors, John Eppley,
Charles Collars, Gates C. Weiser, George
Upp and A. J. Dick. A uniform hat for
firemen was adopted by the company May
29, 1857. It was an ultra-marine blue. On
July 4, 1857, the Union participated in a
parade and celebration at Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania, by a special invitation of the
Franklin Fire Company, of that borough.
At the opening of the Civil War, many of
the members entered the Union army; the
engine house became a recruiting office, and
the company had no regular organization
until November 2, 1865. when George A.
Heckert was chosen president ; A. B. Far-
quhar, vice president ; J. W. Schall, treas-
urer; C. H. Stallman, secretary. A bell was
purchased in 1868 for $168. During the
same year a uniform for the members was
adopted. It consisted of black pants, white
shirt, and black slouch hat ; in August of the
same year, changed to a green shirt, black
792
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
pants, white belt, white necktie and navy
cap. The first festival of the Union was held
in November, 1868, at which the sum of
$210 was cleared. A steam fire engine was
purchased from Jucket & Freeman, of Mas-
sachusetts, October 18, 1870, at a cost of
$3,200. In September, 1876, the company
participated in the firemen's centennial pa-
rade at Philadelphia. In 1882 the present
engine house was built on the site of the
George Heckert residence on North George
Street, nearly opposite the old engine house.
The height of the tower is 1 10 feet and
weight of alarm bell 2,066 pounds. The
cost of the building was $6,590. The fol-
lowing is a list of the presidents of the com-
pany in order of succession, together with
the dates of election :
Thomas E. Cochran, 1855; George A.
Heckert, 1865; Charles H. Stallman, 1866
James Kell, 1868, I. W. G. Wierman, 1869
Michael Stambaugh, 1870; O. P. Weiser
1872; J. P. Madsen, 1874; W. H. Roden-
house, 1875; George W. Cole, 1880. Since
1882 B. C. Pentz has been president of this
company, and is also vice president of the
Volunteer Firemen's Relief Association of
York.
In 1886 the Union changed from hand to
horse service by purchasing George and
Bill, two fine animals, for drawing the en-
gine. In 1887 another horse was purchased
to draw the hose carriage. In 1889 the
" Jucket " steamer was upset and the appa-
ratus greatly damaged. The company then
purchased a La France steam fire engine
at a cost of $4,350. In 1897 a combination
chemical engine and hose wagon was pur-
chased. Improved electrical apparatus has
been introduced. The company owned five
horses in 1907. The entire membership was
140.
The Rescue Fire Company was
Rescue, organized in 1872. At the first
meeting John Immel was elected
president and W. H. Schwartz, secretary.
The school directors, seeing the necessity
or an additional fire company for the better
protection of public and private property in
the south end of the town, granted the use of
the public school building on Duke Street,
in which the fourth meeting of the company
was held. At this meeting George Graybill
was elected secretary. The Rescue soon
after rented and remodelled a one-storv
frame cooper shop on East South Street,
near George.
A committee obtained from the town
council authority for the use of a hose cart,
formerly the property of the Resolution
Fire Company, and for several links of hose
then in the possession of the Vigilant. A
steamer, manufactured by Cole Brothers,
Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was purchased
and arrived in York, February 22, 1873.
A lot was bought on South George Street,
and a three-story brick engine house, now
occupied by the company, built thereon.
The following is a list of the presidents of
the Rescue, with the date of election: T.
Kirk White, 1872: M. L. Van Baman, 1875;
T. Kirk White, 1876: George Graybill,
1883; Albert Bishop, 1885. M. L. Van Ba-
man, who has been president of the com-
pany for a period of twenty years, was one
of its original members. He has always
taken an active interest in the fire depart-
ment of York and organized a Volunteer
Firemen's Relief Association, which in
1907, contained 800 members, the entire fire
department of the city.
The following have served as secretaries
W. F. Eicher, 1872; George Graybill, 1873
John Swartz, 1875; Jacob A. Mayer, 1876
Albert Bishop, 1877; John Swartz, 1880
C. F. Horner, 1882; William H. Hibner,
1884, and W^illiam Loucks, who has served
for many years.
In 1886 the Rescue introduced horse ser-
vice, purchasing Mac and Major, two splen-
did animals, used to draw the engine. In
1907 Mac was still in service. The com-
pany since purchased three other horses,
Bruce, Kirk and Major, and owned a La
France engine, which cost nearly $5,000,
and a Holloway chemical engine.
The Royal Fire Company was or-
Royal. ganized February 6, 1901, with D.
F. Lafean, president ; C. Elmer
Smith, first vice president; John McCoy,
second vice president; S. Nevin Hench,
third vice president; David E. Small, secre-
tary; P. A. Elsesser, treasurer. A charter
was obtained March 18, 1901, under the
name of Royal Fire Company No. 6, of
York, Pennsylvania, and a lion adopted as
the emblem of the company. In June, 1901,
a lot of ground was purchased from Israel
K. Ziegler, on the corner of West Market
Street and Carlisle Avenue. A temporary
THE CITY OP YORK
793
frame building was erected on this lot, fac-
ing on Carlisle Avenue. The apparatus was
at first composed of the old exercise wagon
of the Rescue Fire Company, and two hand
fire extinguishers, with two horses named
Baron and Czar. On February lo, 1902,
the company became a part of the York Fire
Department, as Royal No. 6, with John F.
Young as its representative as assistant
chief in the department. On February 7,
1902, a HoUoway chemical engine was pur-
chased. A committee composed of C. El-
mer Smith, D. F. Lafean, Hiram M. Faust,
Luther Bond and Luther Smyser, were ap-
pointed to purchase an engine. On January
3, 1904, a first size Amoskeag engine was
bought from the Manchester Locomotive
AVorks, of Manchester, New Hampshire, at
a cost of $6,200. It performed its first
duty at the burning of the York Carriage
Company Works, April 6, 1904.
The equipment of this company is com-
plete and since its organization has done
excellent service at fires in York. In 1903
a handsome brick building was erected on
the lot owned by the company, with the
front, facing on Market Street. It is an or-
namental structure, complete in design and
admirably adapted for the purpose intended.
The Royal Fire Company has a large and
active membership and has been an impor-
tant addition to the fire department of York.
March 30, 1886, in answer to a
Rex . call signed by many citizens of
Company. York, a meeting was held at the
law office of N. M. AA'anner, to
organize a Hook and Ladder Company. At
the first election the following officers were
chosen :. Charles W. Myers, president : W.
D. Billmeyer, vice president; W. A. Miller,
secretary; R. H. Shindel, treasurer; H. C.
Smith, A. D. Killian and Charles M. Bill-
meyer, trustees; F. W. Hess, foreman; Wil-
liam Bastress, first assistant foreman; J. Et-
ter Small, second assistant foreman.
At a meeting held February 2, 1887, the
company ordered a truck from Gleason &
Bailey, of New York, at a cost of $1,077.
It was decided that the name of the organi-
zation should be the Rex Hook and Ladder
Company, of York. The truck arrived and
was accepted August 2, 1887, when it was
placed into active service. The first pair of
horses used by the company was bought at
a cost of $300. During the succeeding five
years, the truck purcha'sed from Gleason &
Bailey was often used and rendered valua-
ble service as an adjunct to the other equip-
ments of the department, but it was found
inadequate to the many demands made upon
it. February 17, 1892, the company pur-
chased a Hays truck, at a cost of $5,000.
This truck was received and put into service
and the old one disposed of. It was soon
found that the new truck was more than two
horses could draw and three horses were
put into service. Since this time the com-
pany had added to its equipment until it
has received every modern improvement
used in fighting the flames. The horses and
apparatus are housed in a commodious
building adjoining the Laurel engine house.
The company has eighty-five members in
the active list. The uniform is a blue fa-
tigue suit, overcoat, light tan gloves and
black tie. J. W. C. Austin, of this company,
has frequently attended the Pennsylvania
Firemen's Association, and was the first del-
egate from the state association to the na-
tional convention of firemen. The officers
of the company in 1907 were, H. Kister
Free, president ; George W. Reisinger, sec-
retary, and Jacob Rafifensberger, treasurer.
Liberty Fire Company, of North
The . York Borough, was organized
Liberty. June 29, 1899, by the election of
Edward Lentz, president, and
Robert McNamara, secretary. The first
meeting place was in the public school
house on Ocean Avenue. In 1902 Samuel
Lichtenberger, William N. Morningstar,
William Yost and George B. Zech, four en-
terprising citizens of North York, sub-
scribed the sum of $3,700, and with this
money erected a two-story brick engine
house. When the building was completed
they turned it over to the Liberty Fire Com-
pany, of which Joseph Graybill was presi-
dent, and C. Edward Yost secretary. Dur-
ing the same year the company purchased a
new Holloway combination chemical engine
at a cost of $1,500. The company in 1907
had 100 members. Joseph Graybill was
president; W. AA'. AA'illiams, secretary, and
Charles Lightner, treasurer.
A meeting was called in the pub-
Reliance, lie school house of West York
borough at the instance of B. M.
Landis, for the purpose of organizing a fire
company. M. L. Van Baman, of York, was
794
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
invited to be present. This meeting, held
on December i6, 1904, resulted in the organ-
ization of the Reliance Fire Company, with
James M. Zinn, president : G. W. Myers,
vice president; Daniel Rossman, secretary;
Millard Jones, assistant secretary, and
B. Frank Moul, treasurer. Soon after the
organization the borough council installed
plugs, procured hose, a hose reel, bought a
lot and laid plans for the erection of a build-
ing. A brick engine house was erected by
the borough in 1905 at a cost of $2,200.
The company started with fifty-seven char-
ter members, which in 1907 had increased to
ninety members.
The officers then were: B. M. Landis,
president; Charles P. Shellenberger, secre-
tary; George Smyser, assistant secretary;
P. Frank Moul, treasurer; J. Frank Gross,
pipeman; D. G. Wood and Charles Folken-
roth, assistant pipemen.
CHAPTER XLV.
MARKETS, INNS, HOTELS.
Centre Square — Farmers — City — Central —
Eastern and Carlisle Avenue Markets —
Old Time Public Inns — Quaint Tavern
Signs — Modern Hotels.
In 1754 George Stevenson, the agent for
the Penns at York, mentions in a letter
to Richard Peters, secretary of the Prov-
ince, that there were then two markets in
the town, which contained 210 dwelling
houses, and a population of about 700.
Robert Hunter Morris, lieuten-
Centre ant governor of Pennsylvania, by
Square authority of John and Richard
Market. Penn, granted the first privilege
for holding markets in the town.
This charter was granted October 18, 1755,
and states: "that the inhabitants of the
town of York, in the new county of York,
have become so numerous that they find it
necessary to have a public market estab-
lished within the said town of York, for the
better supplying and accommodating them
with good wholesome provisions, and other
necessaries, under proper regulations." It
then, " upon the request of the inhabitants
of York, grants and ordains that they and
their successors shall and may forever there-
after hold and keep within the town in every
week in the year, two market days, the one
on Wednesday and the other on Saturday,in
such commodious place or places, as shall or
may be appointed for that purpose." Another
clause of the charter reads : " And we do
hereby appoint John Meem, of the town of
York, to be the first clerk of the market,
who, and all succeeding clerks, shall assize
of bread, wine, beer, and other things, with
all the powers, privileges and immunities
by law belonging to such office."
The building called the " state house "
in which were the county offices, was
erected in 1793 in Centre Square immedi-
ately east of the Court House. This build-
ing was torn down in 1840 and in 1842 Jacob
Dietz, by authority of the borough council
built a market house, which extended from
the centre of the square to a line nearly par-
allel with the east side of Centre Square. In
1844, by the same authority, Jacob Gotwalt
built a market house, extending from a
point near the centre of the Square to a line
nearly parallel with the western side of Cen-
tre Square. The lockup, or place for tem-
porary imprisonment of miscreants and the
headquarters for the police, was under-
neath this building. There was a driveway
between the two market sheds from the
time of their erection until these sheds were
torn down.
Curb street markets have since been con-
tinued in Centre Square and along the side-
walks of the four streets extending in every
direction from the Square.
Immediately after the organiza-
Sheds . tion of the City Councils, the
Removed, question of the removal of the
old market sheds was the fore-
most topic for discussion. George W.
Heiges, Luther A. Small and Dr. Jacob Hay,
in 1886, had been appointed a committee to
investigate this subject and report their
opinions to the borough councils. The re-
port of this committee advocated the re-
moval of the sheds. The agitation about
their removal brought forth violent opposi-
tion, but the majority of the city councils
advocated immediate action. Property
holders who desired that the sheds should
remain in position threatened to file an in-
junction if attempts were made to tear down
the sheds.
The Common Council passed a resolu-
tion demanding their removal. R. H. Shin-
del, chairman of the conference committee
THE CITY OF YORK
795
of councils, reported that " Tlie market
sheds in Centre Square interfere with the
convenience of public travel and have be-
come a public nuisance. That immediately
after the expiration of the leases with the
renters of the stalls and stands in said mar-
ket sheds in Centre Square, the sheds shall
be torn down and removed from the
Square." On June 27 a resolution was
adopted ordering the removal of the sheds.
The vote in the Select Council stood five to
four; in the Common Council, fourteen to
ten, in favor of the removal.
The passage of this resolution caused a
lively discussion throughout the city. The
general sentiment advocated the tearing
down of the sheds, but some property hold-
ers still insisted that these landmarks
should remain
The resolution adopted by City Coun-
cils and approved by the mayor, reads as
follows :
" Whereas, the market sheds now erected
in Centre Square, in the city of York, en-
croach upon a public highway of the city,
thereby greatly impeding and rendering
travel dangerous through said square.
Therefore, be it
" Resolved, By the Common Council of
the City of York (Select Council concur-
ring) that the said market sheds are, and
are hereby declared to be, public nuisances,
and that the Mayor be, and is hereby
avithorized and directed to remove said
market sheds from the said Centre Square
to secure for that purpose such assistance
as he may deem necessary."
June 30, at 12.05 A. M., Mayor Noell ap-
proved the resolution and issvied the fol-
lowing order to Street Commissioner Wil-
liam Y. Link :
" Under the above resolution, passed by
Councils, and approved by the Mayor, you
will proceed at once to carry the same into
execution."
About 2 A. M., twenty men. with seven
mules and three horses began the work of
removing the sheds. The police force was
on hand to preserve order.
It required some time to prepare
Exciting for the work of demolition, so as
Scene. to make it complete and effectual.
\Mien all was ready for the final
work of the horses and mules, and the pull-
ing away of the supports to the old struc-
tures, some one sent in an alarm of lire from
the box on the flag stafY between the two
market sheds. The firemen responded, the
people turned out in crowds and gathered in
the square, thinking there was a fire, but
only to see the old sheds go down with a
crash and a cloud of dust rise in the air,
which, in the moonlight, looked at a dis-
tance like smoke from a fire. At about 3
o'clock the old sheds were flat on the
ground, a mass of ruin. The debris was re-
moved from the Square the same day.
This market was established un-
Farmers der act of the Pennsylvania Leg-
Market, islature passed January 31, 1866.
The rapid growth of the town
west of the Codorus Creek, demanded a
market house in that section. The incor-
porators were Jacob Baer, John Winter,
Israel Laucks, C. F. ^\'inter and John H.
Baer. The managers chosen were Daniel
Kraber, Frederick Baugher, Martin Emig,
John Winter, Israel Laucks, Philip Eichel-
berger and Samuel Smyser. This board
soon afterward organized by electing Fred-
erick Baugher, president; Daniel Kraber,
secretary, and Israel Laucks, treasurer.
The market at once became a success. It
had been twice enlarged until it reached its
present size, being a conspicuous building
on the corner of Market and Penn Streets.
The capital stock is $28,750. Jacob H.
Baer succeeded Frederick H. Baugher as
president of the company. Captain John
Fahs has served as president during the last
fifteen years, and Martin Bender has filled
the office of secretary for tAventy years.
The following composed the board of di-
rectors in 1907 : Captain John Fahs, Israel
Laucks, Martin Bender, Thomas B. Laucks.
William F. Laucks, John Rebert and Jere
Carl.
The southern portion of the town
City having extended its limits, a spe-
Market. cial desire for establishing a mar-
ket in that section, which gave
rise to a meeting of enterprising citizens,
July 16, 1878. The meeting organized by
electing Dr. W. S. Roland, president. It
was at the same time decided to purchase
one-half a square of land 250x230 feet, for
$16,725, and form a company of thirteen di-
rectors. The officers elected were: Presi-
dent, Dr. W. S. Roland; vice president,
James A. Dale; secretary, Charles F. Se-
796
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Christ; treasurer, Henry Winter; Daniel
Keller, George Daron, Frank Geise, John S.
Heistand, E. D. Ziegler, P. W. Keller,
Henry J. Gressley and Frederick Flinch-
baugh. The market building, 225x80 feet,
was erected in 1878, at a cost of $27,000,
from a design made by J. A. Dempwolf, ar-
chitect. James A. Dale, David Keller,
Frank Geise and the architect were the
building committee. The slate used on the
roof was obtained from the Peach Bottom
quarries. The market was opened April 29,
1879. Markets are regularly held on Tues-
da}- and Friday mornings, and Wednesday
and Saturday afternoons.
The capital stock of the company is $30,-
000. The market house was twice enlarged
since its erection, and now is a commodious
building. The board of directors in 1907
was composed of the following: James A.
Dale, president; Joseph R. Strawbrdge, sec-
retary; William R. Horner, treasurer;
Adam Sechrist, Dr. B. F. Spangler, John J.
Rieker, Hermann Sauppe, J. Frank Gable,
directors.
The Central Market House Com-
Central pany was organized at the ot^ce
Market, of John F. Erwin, on Philadelphia
Street, in 1887, and plans were
laid for the erection of a market house fac-
ing on North Beaver and Philadelphia
Streets, in the Third Ward. The original
board of directors was composed of eleven
persons as follows : David Emmitt, pres-
ident; George \\\ Hess, vice president; Ed-
ward Chapin, secretary ; William H. Griffith,
treasurer; George P. Smyser, Samuel Lich-
tenberger, M. E. Ebert, P. F. Wilt, Jacob
L. Kuehn, John J. Rieker and C. S. Strick-
houser.
At a meeting held ]March 30, 1888, the
company reported the purchase of proper-
ties on Philadelphia and Beaver Streets,
from the following persons for the amounts
named: John F. Erwin, $1,900; George W.
Hess, $1,500; Marcus C. Lanius, $2,000;
Charles H. Nefif, $9,100; Edward Danner,
$2,400; Trinity Reformed parsonage, $6,200.
A contract was then given out to George
Yinger for the erection of a market house
at a cost of $30,550. The building was com-
pleted in 1888. The capital stock of the
company was fixed at $45,000. Soon after
organization David Emmitt resigned the
office of president, on account of ill health.
and was succeeded by Samuel Lichtenber-
ger, who filled the office until December 18,
1893, when George P. Smyser, who has
since been president of the board, was
elected. Edward Chapin retired from the
office of secretary, December 17, 1889, and
was succeeded by B. S. Gilbert, who contin-
ued in office until January 25, 1897, when
Frederick J. Palmtag was elected. Wil-
liam H. Griffith held the office of treasurer
until 1890, when he was succeeded by M. L.
Ebert, who continued in office until H. H.
\\'eber was elected.
The Central Market has been a success
since its organization, and has received a
large patronage. Markets are held regu-
larly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
afternoons of each week. Needed improve-
ments have 'been made and the company
since its organization, has expended the
amount of $79,000. The board of directors
in 1907 were: George P. Smsyer, M. L.
Ebert, F. J. Palmtag, H. H. Weber, A. W.
Immel, William S. Noss, Clarence E. Eisen-
hart, Chauncey K. Spangler, William H.
Miller, E. K. Emig and John Alexander.
The plan to erect a market house
Eastern in East York was originated at a
Market, meeting held in the law office of
C. B. \\^allace, November 30,
1885, when H. C. Niles, E. M. Vandersloot,
Christian Bender and C. B. Wallace were
appointed a committee to select a site for
the new market house. The company was
organized at a meeting held November 30,
1885, when the following were elected offi-
cers and directors : C. B. Wallace, presi-
dent; Charles H. Fry, secretary; Isaac
Runk, treasurer; C. B. Wallace, Isaac Runk,
C. H. Fry, E. M. Vandersloot, Christian
Bender, Geoffrey P. Yost, C. B. Wallace, J.
J. Vandersloot, John Miller, George W.
Shefifer and Jacob Beitzel. A site was pur-
chased on East Market Street, near the rail-
road, and a brick building erected at a cost
of $11,875. This substantial building was
blown down during a violent storm, which
swept over York January 9, 1889.
Soon afterward the second market house
was built on the same site at a cost of $4,500.
The bricks and some of the timber of the
demolished building were utilized.
William H. Emig became president in
1890. Charles H. Fry filled the office of
secretarv from the time of organization un-
THE CITY OF YORK
797
til January 12, 1895, when he died. John C.
Bender has filled the office since that date.
Isaac Runk was treasurer from 1885 until
the time of his death, 1906, when William
F. Fry was elected.
Markets are held on Wednesday and Sat-
urday mornings. The board of directors in
1907 were as follows : Horace Smyser,
president; John C. Bender, secretary; Wil-
liam F. Fry, treasurer; Jacob Beitzel,
George W. Fry, Charles Lichtenberger,
Horace Smyser, Edward W. Laucks, Wil-
liam C. Hively, Isaac Kauffman, Samuel
Fritz, Henry C. Markley and Gottlieb
Brookman.
Carlisle Avenue Market and Stor-
Carlisle age Company was organized in
Avenue. 1902, and the same year the com-
pany erected a large and com-
modious brick market house on Carlisle
Avenue, near the railroad. Markets are
regularly held here on Wednesday and Sat-
urday afternoons. The capital stock of the
company is $25,000. P. A. Elsesser is pres-
ident; Henry Hoff, secretary; John H.
Brooks, treasurer; other directors, Casper
Oerman, W. S. Noss, George W. Gross,
Zachariah Lauer, C. S. Gable, Rolandus
Seifert.
PUBLIC INNS AND HOTELS.
The frontier settlements in colonial days
had a large number of houses for public en-
tertainment. Before the Revolution and as
late as 1830 they were known as taverns or
public inns. As early as 1745 there were
six taverns in York; in 1760 there were ten.
The number had increased to twenty-two
when Continental Congress held its sessions
in York during the winter of 1777-78. An
account of many of these early hostelries
is given in the following pages.
The Swan Tavern stood on North
The George Street, near the bridge
Swan, across the Codorus. It was a pop-
ular stopping place for teamsters
and people from the country as early as
1800. On a swinging wooden sign, sus-
pended from a tall post, was painted in gold
color the representation of a swan swim-
ming in the water. Samuel Weiser owned
this hotel for a dozen years or more, and
in 1815 sold the property. In his advertise-
ment the owner stated that he had " eleven
rooms for guests and a pump in front of the
door." In 1822 Joseph Allison came to
York from the lower end of the county and
opened the Swan Inn, on South George
Street, near the jail, which then stood at the
northeast corner of George and King
Streets.
The Sign of the Golden Lamb, on
The the south side of Market Street,
Golden three doors east of Queen, was a
Lamb. popular hotel in the days of wagon-
ing, and was kept by Peter Wilt,
who was one the earliest persons in York
to use anthracite coal as fuel. On one side
of this hotel was a large yard, and to the
rear, extensive stables for wagoners. One
large room in Wilt's hotel was used for
public entertainments and on several occa-
sions theatres were held in it.
The Sign of the Golden Sheaf was a pop-
ular hostelry and was opened by George
Keller, April i, 1820. This building stood
at the southeast corner of Market and New-
berry Streets. The original proprietor was
followed in order by Peter Wiest, Henry
Hantz and Martin Carl.
In an open lot adjoining, the Whigs in
1840, erected a log cabin, which became the
headquarters of the Whig party during the
campaign which elected Harrison president
of the United States in 1840.
The Globe Inn, or McGrath's ho-
Globe tel, known as the Stage Office, was
Inn. a first-class public inn. About 181 5
Robert Hamersly, a native of Lew-
isberry, moved to York and began the hotel
business in a building on South George
Street, next the Colonial hotel. This build-
ing had been used as a public inn for many
years. During the Revolution it was the
building where Samuel Adams, John Adams
and Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts, and
Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, delegates
to Congress, while it sat in York, lodged.
It had been rented to General Roberdeau,
delegate to Congress from Pennsylvania. It
was one of the most conspicuous buildings
of the town, while York was the capital of
the United States.
In 1819 Robert Hamersly had the special
honor of entertaining General Andrew Jack-
son, who arrived here from Washington
with a train of military attendants, on the
way to West Point.
In 1820 Robert Hamersly moved his hotel
and stage office to the southwest corner of
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Centre Square, and in March of that year,
Thomas McGrath became the proprietor of
this popular inn. It was then the only first-
class hotel in the borough and was patron-
ized by prominent people who came to town.
In 1822 several Indian chiefs, on their way
to Washington, stopped for the night at
this place. It was during this year that
Thomas McGrath advertised that he owned
a " large and elegant three-story brick
building, southwest corner Market Square.
Passengers from Public Stage promptly at-
tended to."
It was at this hotel that passengers over
stage routes between Baltimore and Harris-
burg, or Philadelphia, Lancaster and the
west, stopped for dinner or lodged for the
night. Public dances and other entertain-
ments were often given in honor of noted
travelers who stopped here. One of the
most distinguished men that ever visited
York stopped at McGrath's hotel, January
29, 1825. That great man was General
Lafayette, who was then making a tour
of the United States as the guest of the
nation.
Thomas McGrath continued to keep this
hotel for many years, and for a long time it
was the most popular place of entertain-
ment for the traveling public in York. Mc-
Grath was an ardent Democrat and this ho-
tel was the Democratic headquarters for the
town and county of York.
The Washington House,
Washington which stood on East Market
House. Street, on the site of the
Small mercantile buildingwas
first used as a hotel in 1818. John Koons
was the first proprietor and conducted it as
a popular hotel for many years. He was
succeeded by his daughter, Charlotte Eck.
Although the property still belonged to the
Ecks, or the Koons estate, John Miller took
charge of the house after Eck had success-
fully conducted it for a long time, and later
Theodore Trumbo went in with Mr. Miller.
and together Trumbo and Miller catered to
the wants of the public until Mr. Lawrence
took charge, who was in turn succeeded by
AVilliam L. Keech.
Captain E. Z. Strine purchased the prop-
erty from Mrs. Eck after the death of her
husband. Soon afterward James Kendig be-
came the owner of the property and con-
ducted therein a first-class hotel. He was
succeeded by Charles M. Wilhelm, who car-
ried on the business until the property was
sold to the estate of David E. Small in
1889.
The Washington House was the head-
quarters of the Whig Party during the
palmy days of that organization. Henry
Clay, while on a visit to York in 1836, de-
livered a speech from the balcony of the ho-
tel, and afterwards held a reception in the
parlor. The other distinguished guests at
this hotel were Daniel Webster, in 1844;
President Zachary Taylor, in 1849, and
President Andrew Johnso'n, General Grant
and Admiral Farragut, in 1866.
The Sign of the Black Horse was
The a substantial stone tavern, which
Black stood on the site of the wholesale
Horse, business stand of Jacob Stair on
West Market Street. Col. Samuel
Spangler was the first proprietor, in 1808.
John Koons succeeded in 1818, when he
gave notice that he " always kept at com-
mand an elegant hack, gig and horses to
hire." In 1819 Jesse Evans began to run a
mail and passenger stage from this tavern to
Oxford and Gettysburg. Joseph Worley
was next proprietor, and Jacob Stoehr be-
came his successor in April, 1823. He kept
it for a number of years, when it went by
the name of the " Golden Sheaf Inn."
The Union Inn was opened April i, 1820,
by Patrick McDermott. It stood on the cor-
ner of George and Princess Streets.
Jacob Shultz, Sr., resumed the business of
tavern-keeping at his old stand known as
the " Cross Keys," at the northeast corner
of Market and Water Streets, April i, 1820.
He was followed by Thomas Smith. This
hotel was kept in the building later owned
by Jonathan Owen. Smith had a lumber
yard near his hotel and at Eib's Landing.
Philip Gossler, a soldier of the Revolu-
tion, opened a hotel in 1785 on West Mar-
ket Street, near Beaver. It was a popular
resort for the traveling public and for the
citizens of York, more than a hundred years
ago. Many of the soldiers who had fought
under W'ashington and Lafayette in the
Revolution, stopped here and discussed the
scenes and incidents of their own experi-
ences in the army. Gossler had evidently
built up a large trade. The following let-
ter written to a firm in Philadelphia, will be
read with interest :
fl
THE CITY OF YORK
799
York, Oct. 4, 1789.
Gentlemen :
I received your letter on the 29th last month and am
sorry you so far misunderstood me in my last as to
send cases of Claret instead of a barrel. My reason for
writing to you for a barrel of Claret was ; about two
weeks before, I had bought a barrel of excellent claret,
from a common retailer in this place for 3 shillings 9
pence per gallon, which I retailed at 2 shillings per bot-
tle, the exceeding good quality of the liquor, added to
its cheapness, brought me a good run of genteel cus-
tomers, which induced me to write to you in expectation
you could supply me with equally as good, at as low a
rate at least as I bought here — being so greatly disap-
pointed, I am under the necessity of not receiving the
boxes, as they will by no means answer, am exceedingly
unhappy for the mistake, and am, gentlemen, your very
Humble Servant,
PHILIP GOSSLER.
Gossler kept this tavern in 1798 and dur-
ing the disturbances between the United
States and France it looked as though these
two countries would go to war. \\'ashing-
ton, who had just retired from the presi-
dency, was asked to take command of the
army. During these exciting times, Philip
' Gossler one day recruited forty men, whose
number was enlarged to nearly 100 men a
few days later. They had all volunteered
to enter the army under the leadership of
W^ashington, but through the influence of
John Adams, who was president, and John
Jay, who was minister to France, war was
averted. Captain Gossler continued to drill
his company, which was known as the Light
Infantry. In 1800 he and his men had the
honor of escorting President .John Adams
from York to ^^'ashington, to take up his
residence in the \\'hite House, at the Na-
tional capital. In 1814 the property in
which the Gossler tavern was kept was pur-
chased by the York bank, which was
founded in that year .
The Green Tree, later known as
The States Union, was one of the fa-
Green mous hostelries of York during the
Tree. early days of wagoning to the west
and south. It stood upon the site
of the City hotel on West Market Street, be-
tween Newberry and Penn Streets. This
hotel was opened in 1820.
The best known proprietor was Charles
Strine, who conducted it for many years.
On one side of the sign, which hung on a
post in front of the tavern, was the painting
of a green tree. On the other side was a
team of six horses, drawing a large Cone-
stoga wagon. Few places were better
known to wagoners during the first half of
the last century than this tavern. Farmers
from a distance, who took their grain and
produce to Philadelphia and Baltimore,
brought with them, on their return, goods
and merchandise which were unloaded and
stored in a warehouse adjoining this tavern,
under the supervision of Charles Strine. In
the yard to the rear of the building, and on
the street in front, large numbers of covered
wagons could be seen at the close of each
day. Some farmers and regular teamsters in
those days wagoned as a business from Phil-
adelphia and Baltimore to Pittsburg,
Wheeling and other points along the navi-
gable Ohio river. Each wagoner had with
him his " bunk " on which he slept. In win-
ter this was spread out on the floors of the
hotel, which was then full of lodgers. In
the summer they slept in their wagons in
the open air, in the barn or in the house.
Their horses were tied to the rear or sides
of the wagon during the night, and ate out
of the " feed box," a necessary appendage to
every wagon. The teamster had with him
feed for his horses. All he had to buy was
what he ate. An economical teamster
would go from York to Baltimore with a
team of four horses and return after having
spent only fifteen shillings or about $2 in
Pennsylvania money. He stopped by the
wa3^side to ask the time of day, if he wished
to know it, and used a hickory stick for
a cane, as he trod beside his faithful
horses.
The scenes and incidents here described
occurred before the time of railroads, for it
was then that the Green Tree Inn, under
Charles Strine, was known far and wide.
The goods stored in his warehouse were
loaded on other wagons and convej^ed west-
ward to waiting merchants. Henry Hantz
became proprietor for a time, and then re-
moved to Wrightsville, where he died.
Daniel Witmyer, Jacob Strine, son of the
early proprietor, and Frederick Klinefelter
succeeded in order named. Eli Kindig was
the last owner and Oliver Deardorf the last
to keep the hotel.
In 1887, Eli Kindig removed the old
States Union and upon the same site erected"
a first-class hotel building with all modern
conveniences. The entire hotel property was
purchased in 1901 by Joseph A. Ocker, who
then became owner and proprietor of the
Citv hotel.
8oo
HISTORY- OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
In a building which stood on
The the site of the American House,
American. Daniel Ragan and his wife,
members of the Society of
Friends, resided as early as 1820. The
large building which Daniel Ragan owned
was a noted stopping place for Quakers
when they came to York to attend the
Quarterly meetings, held in the old meet-
ing house on West Philadelphia Street.
Daniel Ragan married Ruth (Collins) Wor-
ley, whose first husband was a grandson of
Francis Worley, one of the earliest sur-
veyors west of the Susquehanna. Francis
Worley was the surveyor for the Penns and
assisted in laying ofif Springettsbury Manor
in the year 1722.
In 1854 Captain John Myers bought the
Ragan propert}' and opened a licensed hotel
which soon became a prominent stopping
place for people residing west of York, in
York and Adams counties. He kept this
hotel until the year i860, and was succeeded
in order by Frederick Myers, Marshall &
Smith, W. T. Williams and Elias Eyster.
Jacob H. Baer owned the property for many
years and had his banking house in the west-
ern end of it. He sold the property to
Henry M. Berry, who also carried on the
hotel business for several years. C. B. Lan-
dis purchased this property in 1894, when he
became the owner and proprietor.
The Lafayette Hotel, on South
The George Street, has always been
Lafayette, a prominent stopping place for
farmers. Andrew Duncan, a
popular citizen, who was elected sheriff of
York County in 1830, began keeping a hotel
in this building in the year 1826. One year
before this General Lafayette paid his last
visit to the LTnited States and in February,
1825, stopped at York, remaining one night
at McGrath's tavern in Centre Square.
When Duncan opened this hotel he painted
on the sign facing South George Street,
a life-size portrait of General Lafayette,
in uniform. Since Duncan retired from
the hotel business, there have been different
owners and proprietors. Edward C. Peel-
■ ing owned the hotel for several years,
having purchased it from the Leber es-
tate. He was succeeded in the owner-
ship of this property by C. B. Landis
and James C. Peeling, who purchased it in
1892.
The Reaver House, at the south-
The east corner of George and King
Reever. Streets, was opened by George
W. Reever in 1861, the year the
Civil War began. A private dwelling had
stood on this corner for many years previ-
ously. This hotel received a large patron-
age under Mr. Reever, who was owner and
proprietor until 1876, when he was suc-
ceeded by his son, Frank H. Reever, who
continued the business until 1900, when he
sold the property to Edward C. Peeling.
From 1902 to 1905 Mr. Peeling was sheriff
of York County, during which time the
hotel was conducted by his son-in-law,
George W. Minnich.
The Central Hotel, on East Mar-
The ket Street, opposite the Court
Central. House, stands on the site of one of
the first taverns licensed in the
town of York. It was owned and kept for the
benefit of the traveling public, from 1773 to
1789 by Captain Andrew Johnston, first post-
master of York. It was known as the Black
Bear Inn and was a popular resort during the
Revolution. George Brickie kept this tav-
ern from 1800 to 1820, when Jacob Craumer
became proprietor. Clement Stillinger, a
leading Democratic politician, took charge
of the hotel in 1823, and called it the Sign
of General Jackson, placing a portrait of the
hero of New Orleans on a swinging sign
in front of the tavern. It continued to bear
that name for a long time, and received a
large patronage. Several years before the
opening of the Civil War, Daniel Eichelber-
ger became the proprietor. The painting
of Andrew Jackson became faded; it was re-
moved and on the sign was painted a sheaf
of golden wheat, with the representation of
a field of uncut grain in the background.
This sign remained for twenty years or
more, during which time Charles Under-
wood, and later Captain Murray S. Cross,
who won a record as a soldier in command
of Company C, 87th Pennsylvania Regi-
ment, in the Civil War, were proprietors.
Since 1870, this landmark has been known
as the Central Hotel, and was recently pur-
chased by the York Trust Company.
Hotel York, on Market Street, a
Hotel few doors west of the Court House,
York, has been the site of a hotel since
1800. Philip Waltemyer, during
the early part of last century kept a tavern
THE CITY OF YORK
here under the name of " Cross Keys."
When Thomas Metzel became the proprie-
tor some time before the Civil \\^ar, he
placed on the sign a Turk's head, and for
many years it was known as the " Turk's
Head Tavern." After the death of Thomas
Metzel, his widow carried on the hotel for
twenty years or more. Under her manage-
ment, it was always popular because of the
excellent meals furnished to boarders and
guests. When General Early came to York
in command of 9,000 Confederate soldiers
and took possession of the town, June 28,
1863, he had his headquarters in the Court
House, but he lodged and took his meals
at the house kept by Mrs. Metzel, which
for a third of a century was known as the
Metzel House. After Mrs. Metzel's retire-
ment from the hotel business Otto Guecke
became the proprietor of this hotel which
has since been known as the Hotel York.
In 1893, William Reigart purchased the
property and in the fall of 1903 sold it to
Nelson McSherry, who then became owner
and proprietor.
Daniel Ginder was elected sher-
Marshall iff of York County in 1846, and
House. after the expiration of his term
of oiSce, opened a hotel in the
building next door west of the Court House.
During his management and for many years
later it was known as the Ginder House.
The property was then purchased by Logan
A. Marshall and was known as the Marshall
House until 1905 when it was changed to
the Baughman House. On the same site
of this hotel, as far back as 1810 a tavern
was kept and was called the " Black Horse."
Before the year 1800 John Reed
The kept a hotel in the building after-
Motter wards known as the Motter House.
House. Thomas Smith followed and was
the proprietor at the time of the
disastrous flood of 1817. It was known as
"Smith's Tavern" until 1821, when Jacob
Hantz became the owner and proprietor.
He did a large business for twenty-one
years in succession, until 1842, when he be-
came the sheriff of York County. Michael
Hoke, who had just retired from the office
of sheriff, then took charge and was after-
ward succeeded by Charles Underwood. It
then came into the possession of Captain
Daniel Motter^ a noted commander of mi-
litia, after whom the hotel has since been
called. Israel F. Gross purchased the en-
tire interest, and for about eighteen years
did a prosperous business. In 1882 it was
sold to Henry J. Gresly and Edward Smy-
ser, when Mr. Landis became proprietor.
Mr. Hamme succeeded April, 1885. George
F. Bortner was proprietor in 1905.
Hotel Penn, on the corner of Phil-
Hotel adelphia and George Streets, was
Penn. first used as a private house and
was owned by Henry Wolf. In the
year 1863 Eli H. Free bought it from Mr.
Wolf and opened a hotel, which was known
as the Pennsylvania House from that date
until 1903. The next proprietor was Robert
Kunkel, who, after conducting it for a time
sold it to the German Mannaechor of York,
and in 1869 it was purchased by Frederick
Hake. It was enlarged in 1873. In this
building, in 1875, Barnum's so-called " Fee
Jee Chief " died, and one of his " cannibals "
forgot himself, and began to talk, telling the
bystanders that he would not act cannibal
any longer for $12 a month. In 1903 the
owner of this property, Mr. Hake, removed
the old building and erected a four-story
structure, containing one hundred and fifty
rooms for guests. All the apartments were
fitted up with modern furniture and new
carpets placed on the floors, adapting it for
the purposes of a first-class hotel. It was
opened in October, 1903.
The site of the National Hotel
The was known for more than half a
National, century as Dinkel's corner. At
this place during the Revolution
and for several years before and after, Peter
Dinkel conducted a general store. He was
a man of attainments and was identified
with public affairs in and around York
throughout his whole business career.
During the Revolution he contributed
money and equipments for some of the sol-
diers who left York to join the patriot
army.
In the year 1828 Ziba Durkee, a native
of Vermont, purchased this corner and
erected a three-story building of the same
length and breadth as the present National
Hotel. Some of the conservative people of
York pronounced Ziba Durkee's enterprise
a lavish expenditure of money. There
seemed, however, to be a need of a new ho-
tel, well conducted, in the borough, and the
original proprietor prospered in the busi-
8o^
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ness. He was a brother of Daniel Durkee,
who served as president judge of the Courts
of York County from 1835 to 1845. A tall
pole stood at the street corner. From its
top an elliptical shield was hung on which
was painted the words, " White Hall," the
name of the hotel.
The most notable guests at the White
Hall tavern during its' whole history came
in the spring of 1842. This was Charles
Dickens, who was accompanied by his wife.
The great novelist was then making a tour
of the United States. He came from Bal-
timore to York on the railroad which had
been finished three years before. On the
following day Mr. Dickens and his wife
went to Harrisburg on the stage driven by
Samuel Stubbins, a noted stage driver, later
an employee of the firm of P. A. & S .Small.
In his American notes, written after his
return to England, Mr. Dickens stated that
the best beef steak he had eaten in Amer-
ica was prepared for his breakfast at the
White Hall hotel in York.
After Ziba Durkee retired from the hotel
there were a number of successors, includ-
ing John Welsh, Daniel Ahl and David
Miller. John R. Donnell, a noted Demo-
cratic politician, owned the hotel when it
was called the Tremont House. Sometime
before the Civil AVar, Frederick Stallman
owned the hotel and changed its name to
the National House. John R. Donnell con-
ducted the hotel business during the war.
In 1863 Mr. Stallman superintended the
construction of Masonic Hall, adjoining the
National on 'the north, and the same year
i-enovated the hotel. He added one story
and an observatory to it, and placed bal-
conies on the sides facing Beaver and Mar-
ket Streets. In 1865 Mrs. West, from Tow-
son, Maryland, became proprietress of tffe
hotel and during the summer months she
entertained a large number of guests from
the south.
Orlanda Gray was the next owner of the
hotel property and also kept it for several
years when he sold it to Daniel Rupp and
Alexander K. Frey. In 1904 Edwin T.
Moul purchased the property from the heirs
of the former owners, and made many im-
portant improvements. F. T. Metzgar con-
ducted the hotel business here for a period
of fifteen years. He was succeeded by W.
A. Riest. In 1905 A. F. Rowe, who has had
a successful experience as a hotel keeper,
became the proprietor. He refurnished the
rooms and made numerous improvements.
The Colonial Hotel, in Centre
Colonial. Square, was erected by the York
Hotel Company, which was or-
ganized June 5, 1890. The site upon which
this hotel stands was known for nearly half
a century as Tyler's corner. A commodious
esven-story building was erected and
opened for use in August, 1893, with the
dining hall on the top floor.
The ofificers and directors of the company
in 1907 were James A. Dale, president: Ellis
S. Lewis, secretary and treasurer; J. W.
Steacy, J. A. Dempwolf, Ellis S. Lewis and
W. H. Lanius, directors.
The company has purchased the McGrath
property adjoining on the south, and has
nearly completed arangements for the erec-
tion of the building to extend to Mason
Alley. When the building is thus enlarged
it will contain 190 rooms, sixty bath rooms,
making one of the finest hotels in central
or southern Pennsylvania.
MERCANTILE INTERESTS.
The mercantile interests of York have
been prominent since the time of the Rev-
olution. In 1800 there were thirty stores
in the borough. At this early period most
of these establishments conducted a general
merchandising business. Hardware stores
were founded as early as 1820. Grocery
stores were quite numerous at that time.
Dry goods stores of considerable import-
ance existed as early as 1783. The large
mercantile establishments, known as the de-
partment stores, are of m.ore recent origin.
Several stores of this kind now conduct an
extensive business.
PETER A\'IEST, wdio founded the large
establishment which bears his name, began
the mercantile business in an humble way
in the Borough of Dover in 1841. In his
youth he displayed business acumen and
prospered with the store he conducted in
his native village. Thinking a larger town
would afford him better opportunities, he
packed up his goods and prepared to move
them to York. This occurred in midwinter
of 1843. During the night after he had
boxed up his goods snow fell to the depth
of twenty inches, and a fire broke out in
Dover, burning several buildings and all the
I
THE CITY OF YORK
803
goods and merchandise owned by Peter
\\'iest. He was then left without anything
except a reputation for energy and a capac-
ity for business. He was undaunted by
diis misfortune so he moved to York and
opened a small store on A\'est Market
Street. Here he soon built up an extensive
trade, not only among his friends and
neighbors in the town, but many customers
from the country west and northwest of
York, came to buy his goods. By close ap-
plication to business he built up a large
trade and became one of the leading dry
goods merchants of York.
In 1869, during the high water of the Co-
dorus Creek, his store was flooded and he
suffered considerable loss, but the severest
trial during the successful career of Mr.
AMest was the flood of 1884, when, owing
to a great rainfall, the Codorus Creek
•passed through York like a mighty torrent.
The water rose to the height of seven and
one-half feet in Peter AViest's store, then
situated at 218 AA'est Market Street. He
lost heavily as the result of this flood, but
continued to do a large business during the
remainder of his life. In 1868 he took his
eldest son, Edward F. AA'iest, into the busi-
ness; in 1871, his second son, George L.
AA'iest. and 1S83, Harry S. AA^iest. Peter
AA'iest died in 1885. In 1887 Edward F.
AA'iest organized the firm of P. AA'iest's
Sons, taking in his two brothers as partners.
In 1889 the firm of P. AA"eist"s Sons pur-
chased the x\lbright property, on the south
side of AVest Market Street, near Centre
Square, immediately tore it down and
■erected on the site a large and commodious
store building 32xi5ofeet. The store was
removed to this building" in 1890. In 1895
the Ebert property, 33 feet front, was pur-
chased and in 1901 the firm erected on this
site an additional building which greatly
enlarged the facilities for carrying on an
extensive business. P. AA'^iest's Sons own
and occupy a building with 65 feet front,
225 feet deep and four stories high. They
conduct one of the largest mercantile es-
tablishments in central and southern Penn-
sylvania. They have nineteen different de-
partments to their store, and have regularly
employed about 125 persons. AA^iest's store
is widely known and has enjoyed a very
large patronage.
Peter AA'iest, the founder of this ex-
tensive business, was born in Jackson
Township, in 1817. His grandfather, John
AA'iest, came to America from the Palatinate
along the Rhine River, in Germany, in 1757,
and landed in Philadelphia. Soon after-
terward he migrated westward and took up
a tract of land within the present area of
Jackson Township. He was cultivating this
farm in 1776 wdien he entered the military
service in a company commanded by Cap-
tain Jacob Anient, and served as a soldier
during the American Revolution. After the
war he returned to his home and at his
death, his son, John AViest, succeeded as
the owner of the paternal estate. It was on
this farm that Peter AA^iest grew to man-
hood, and at the age of twenty-five, went to
Dover and embarked in the mercantile busi-
ness in which he and his sons have prospered.
Peter AA'iest was married to Catharine
Lenhart, daughter of AVilliam Lenhart, de-
scendant of a famil}^ prominent and influ-
ential in Dover Township. They had six
children. Two of the sons, Charles and
AA'illiam, died in their youth. The other
three sons are partners in the business.
Miss Emma AA'iest, their only daughter, re-
sides in York. The mother died in Febru-
ary, 1898, at the age of seventy-six years.
JAMES McLEAN, senior member of the
firm of James McLean & Sons, although a
native of Scotland, where he remained un-
til he reached his majority, a resident of
Yonkers for many vears after and living
in York onlj^ twenty-six years of his long
and eventful life, yet became one of York's
most successful merchants and made his
name synonymous with honesty and good
business principles : while the same growth
and prosperity for which York was remark-
able during that period of time marked his
business dealings with like success. No
history of York would be complete without
the mention of this man and the business
founded and built up by his wise care, which
is now ably conducted by his two sons un-
der the firm name of " James McLean &
Sons."
James McLean was born in Aberfeldy,
Scotland, January 20, 1834, and died at his
home in York, December i, 1903. He was
the eldest son of Robert and Isabel Mc-
Lean, both natives of Scotland, and had
four brothers and one sister : Peter, of
York; Robert, David and John, dry goods
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
merchants, of Danbury, Connecticut, and
Mrs. Robert Henderson, of the same place.
James McLean had few educational ad-
vantages and as a young man learned the
carpenter's trade with his father, who was
a builder in Aberfeldy. In 1854 he left his
native country and came to America,
whither he was followed by his entire fam-
ily. He lived in New York City for several
years and afterwards settled in Yonkers,
New York, where he was associated with
S. Francis Quick as a builder and con-
tractor. In 1879 he came to York, and at
"the old jail corner," King and George
Streets, in partnership with his brother
Peter, he opened a dry goods and notion
store under the firm name of J. & P. Mc-
Lean. After various changes, which the
rapid growth of the business necessitated,
they moved in 1895 to the present site, Nos.
31-33 East Market Street. In 1900 Mr.
Peter McLean withdrew his interests from
the business and Mr. McLean then took into
partnership his two sons, David R. and
Alexander E., the firm becoming James Mc-
Lean & Sons. On January i, 1905, Mr.
McLean retired from active business and
sold his interests to his sons, who carry on
the business under the same firm name.
Although Mr. McLean had retired from
active work, yet he never lost interest in
the business and took great pride in the
success that attended his sons.
In the highest and best sense James Mc-
Lean was a self-made man. Through indus-
try, frugality and integrity he made his first
start, and, by those same characteristics, he
built -his future success. His word was as
good as his bond, and his whole career, both
in business and in private life, was exem-
plary. Though he was of a retiring disposi-
tion, those who were permitted the privilege
of knowing him realizer that his brusque-
ness of manner covered a most kindly and
generous heart.
For more than twenty years he was a
trustee of the First Presbyterian Church of
York, where his good business judgment
was as keenly appreciated by his brother
trustees as was his generosity by the mem-
bers of the church. He was both honored
and respected by the business men of the
city and county and his death was mourned
by citizens in every walk of life.
In 1859 James McLean married, in Yon-
kers, New York, Berthea Burns, who died
February i, 1904. Their surviving children
are: David R., Alexander E., and Isabel
G., wife of Thomas Baird.
David R. McLean, son of James, was
born in i860, in Yonkers, New York, where
he received his schooling. He has been as-
sociated with the dry goods business in
Danbury, Amsterdam and Syracuse, while
for the last five years he has been a partner
in the firm of James McLean & Sons in
York. In 1888 he married Ada Bronson,
of Amsterdam, New York, and they have
two children: James Robert, born in 1894,
and Ruth Bronson, born in 1901.
Alexander E. McLean was born in Yon-
kers, New York, in 1865. When he was
fourteen years old he came with his parents
to York, where he attended the High
school, graduating therefrom in 1885. He
then entered his father's store and worked
his way up until, in 1900, he became a mem-
ber of the firm. In 1904 he married Helena
Chapin, daughter of Edward Chapin, an at-
torney, of York.
Isabel G. (McLean) Baird, daughter of
James McLean, was born in Yonkers, New
York, on December 12, 1873. She was mar-
ried in 1900 to Thomas Benton Baird, as-
sistant cashier of the City Bank of York.
They have three children : Elizabeth Ber-
thea, born in 1901 ; Helen McLean, born in
1902, and Isabel McLean, born in 1904.
SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT.
Soon after the Revolution a number of citi-
zens of York erected suburban homes with-
in the immediate vicinity of the town.
About 1880 there were a number of private
residences put up near the limits of the bor-
ough and after its incorporation into a city
improvements of this kind became more
prominent. Within recent years, a large
number of country residences have been
built by citizens of York, who occupy them
during every part of the year.
East York Improvement Company,
which purchased the Keesey farm, along
the Wrightsville pike has laid out this
land into lots. Elmwood, a large tract
owned by the late John H. Small, on the
south side of this turnpike, has developed
as an interesting suburb McClellan
Heights, south of the city, is another sub-
urban enterprise.
THE CITY OF YORK
805
Several tracts of land were pur-
West chased b}^ Captain W. H. Lanius in
End. the northwestern part of the city.
He began to lay it out into streets
and lots. In 1884 the interests were incor-
porated as the West End Improvement
Company, of which Captain Lanius was
chosen president; C. S. Weiser, treasurer;
Smyser Williams, secretary; Edwin Brill-
inger, Frank Geise, E. R. Herr, David
Rupp, John Fahs, R. H. Shindel, W. H.
Lanius, D. K. Trimmer and Smyser Wil-
liams, directors. This company developed
this section which, in 1885, together with
Smysertown and Bottstown, was annexed
to the City of York. The AYest End Im-
provement Company continued to develop
the northwestern part of the. city, and in
1890 disposed of its interests to the York
Trust Company, of which Captain Lanius
was the organizer and became president.
In 1884 E. AV. Spangler, a
Fairmount. member of the York Bar, pur-
chased seventeen acres on the
north side of the Codorus and laid it off
into streets and lots. North Beaver Street
was extended across the Codorus and a
bridge built by the County Commissioners.
After erecting a number of buildings and
selling lots to other persons, who also built
private residences, the settlement was
called Fairmount and became one of the
most interesting subui'bs of York. It was
annexed to the city as the Thirteenth Ward.
In 1888 w'hen John Mayer pur-
North chased from the Edward Smyser
York. estate sixty-three acres of land, ly-
ing east of George Street, there
were only two houses within the present
limits of North York Borough. One of
these was owned by Henry King and the
other by Samuel Lichtenberger. John
Mayer established a large cigar factory,
which soon caused the erection of a num-
ber of dwelling houses for his employees.
This prosperous settlement became known
as Mayersville. April 17, 1899, a charter of
incorporation was obtained from the county
court, presided over by Hon. W. F. Bay
Stewart. The area of the borough, accord-
ing to a survey made by Samuel S. Ald-
inger, was 146 acres and 104 perches. The
land west of George Street had belonged
to Henry King and AVilliam Yost and a
.small part of it to Samuel Lichtenberger;
and the area east of George Street to the
estate of John Mayer, to Samuel Lichten-
berger and the firm of P. A. & S. Small.
The first borough officers were : Jacob
A. Mayer, burgess; AY. W. AA^illiams, J. F.
Graybill, Fred. Emenheiser, Henry Bassler,
Jesse Shindler, Samuel Jacoby and Frank
Mayer, borough council; J. A. Lehr, justice
of the peace ; Albert Myers, constable ;
George Palmer, high constable; M. Buehler,
tax collector; Henry Glatfelter, assessor.
The town continued to grow rapidly after
its incorporation and in 1900 had a popula-
tion of 1,185. Ii'' 1907 the population was
about 2,000, of whom 425 were voters.
The cigar industry, founded by John Mayer,
has been continued by his sons, who employ
about 300 hands in the factory. George B.
Zech owns the only hotel in the borough.
The history of the churches and the fire
company will be found in a previous chap-
ter. AVhen' the town was incorporated
there were two schools within the limits of
the borough. In 1907 there were nine
schools.
AA''est York Borough was originally
West called Eberton. It covers an area
York, of three hundred and twenty-one
acres and in 1907 contained a popu-
lation of 1,800. The entire farm of 160
acres owned by the late Henry Ebert for
half a century and by his ancestors for sev-
eral generations is included in the borough.
About sixty acres of the Jacob Aldinger
farm, and parts of the Herman Hoke farm,
are also included in this borough. The
original buildings within the incorporated
limits were the Ebert and Aldinger farm
houses. In 1886 Samuel S. Aldinger, who
afterward made the surveys of the borough,
built the first house and AVilliam H. Bott
soon afterward erected a large dwelling. A
few houses were built yearly thereafter, but
the town received an impetus to its growth
and prosperity when the Martin Carriage
AA^orks, Ashley & Baily's Silk Mill, AVest
York Furniture Company, Jacoby Furniture
Company, York Corrugated Company,
Eureka Bending AA'orks, Standard Pave-
ment and Developing Company, West York
Shoe Company, and the repair shop of
Charles A. Henry and Company, were es-
tablished. This borough has already be-
come an important industrial centre. The
increase of its population has been rapid
8o6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
during the past three years. The assessed
vakiation of real and personal property for
the year 1906 was $838,945, taken by M. W.
Fahs. During the years 1906-7 there were
seven public schools taught by seven teach-
ers. A handsome brick school building was
erected in 1905 at a cost of $25,000.
The history of the churches is found in
a previous chapter.
George A\'. ^letzgar practices medicine in
this borough. During the past few years a
large number of handsome private resi-
dences have been built. Owing to the rapid
growth of Eberton it was incorporated on
June 21, 1904, as AVest York Borough. At
the first election the following officers were
chosen: B. M. Landis, chief burgess;
Amos Jacobs, C. A. AVelker, Zachariah
Lauer, Jacob Crist, James Gemmill, Peter
Overlander, G. G. Jones, council; Robert
Shelley, Rev. A. C. Jacobs, S. S. Aldinger,
Dr. George W. Metzgar, G. AA'*. Myers and
Peter Gross, school directors.
The history of West York Borough
and North York Borough are inserted in
this chapter in connection with the city of
York, of which they will eventually form a
part. The interests of these boroughs are
already identified with York, being lighted
from the plant in the city and afforded free
delivery of mail from the York post office.
GEORGE AUGl^STUS BARNITZ, at-
torney-at-law and prominent in the busi-
ness affairs of York for half a century, was
born in York in the year 1801. He was a
lineal descendant of John George Carl Bar-
nitz, a native of Germany, who came to
Baltimore about the year 1737, and soon
afterward settled ii;i York, where he became
a leading citizen. ' Jacob Barnitz, a son of
John George Carl Barnitz, served as ensign
in Colonel Michael Swope's regiment, and
was wounded at the battle of Fort AA'ash-
ington. George A. Barnitz, his brother, and
the father of George A. Barnitz, the lawyer
and merchant, was born in York in 1780
and died in 1844. He held many positions
of trust and responsibility, was a man of
high honor and integrity, was twice a presi-
dential elector, and served for a period of
twenty-seven years as associate judge of
York County. He resided at the southeast
corner of Market and Beaver Streets, since
owned by his descendants.
George A. Barnitz obtained his prelim-
inarv education in the schools of his native
town and at the York County Academy,
where he excelled in the higher branches.
He then entered Princeton College, and was-
graduated in 182 1. Desiring to take up the
study of law he entered the ofhce of his
uncle, Charles A. Barnitz, a member of Con-
gress, and then the leader of the York:
County Bar, and was admitted to practice
in 1824. He followed this profession with
success for twenty years, enjoying a large
clientage. In 1844 he was appointed by
the Governor district attorney for York
County, under the constitution of 1790.
He served as clerk of the courts from 1839
to 1845, ^ii*^ ^-oi" several years was editor of
the York Gazette.
Turning his attention to business in 1854,
Mr. Barnitz partially relinquished his legal
practice and purchased the coal yard on
North Beaver Street, from George S. Mor-
ris. He then devoted the most of his time
to the coal business, securing a large patron-
age, and carrying on an extsjiaive business
until the time of his death m 1871^ He was
a stockholder and for many yeal^a director
in the York National Bank.
In 1835 Mr. Barnitz was married to
Marie Catherine, daughter of Michael and
Sarah (H'oke) Doudel. Mr. and Mrs.
Barnitz were prominent members of Zion
Lutheran Church, and he served as presi-
dent of the vestry for sixteen years. Her
father was brigadier-general of the state
militia for a period of five years, and was
elected sheriff of York County in 1824.
Mrs. Barnitz died in 1888. From 1871
George A. Barnitz, the son, conducted the
coal business on North Beaver Street, car-
rying it on for the estate until 1901, when
he died. He was an active politician, and
represented the Fourth AA^ard of York in
nearly all the Democratic conventions.
Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs.
Barnitz the following reached maturity:
Franklin H., of Missouri; Michael D., Jon-
athan, George A., Mary Jane, Laura Julia,
Anna M., and Camilla A.
Jonathan Barnitz, one of the sons, en-
listed in Company B, 87th P. V. I., in Sep-
tember, 1861. He died while his regiment
was lying in camp at New Creek, A^irginia,
August I. 1862.
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
807
The Borough of Hanover
CHAPTER XLVI.
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER.
Early Settlement — Colonel Richard McAl-
lister— Tax List of 1783 — Incorporation
— Churches and Schools — Banks and
Manufactures — Public Enterprises — Bio-
graphical.
Upon a level plain almost unrivaled for
its beauty and loveliness, stands the pros-
perous Borough of Hanover. It is 601 feet
above sea level and 229 feet higher than
Centre Square of York. The town is situ-
ated in the southeastern section of a tract
of land originally known as Digges' Choice,
the early settlement of which is described
in a previous chapter beginning on page 70.
John Digges, an Irish nobleman from
Prince George's County, Marjdand, took up
this land under a Maryland title in 1727 by
authority of the Fourth Lord Baltimore.
The Province of Maryland had been
granted June 30, 1632, to Cecil Calvert,
an Irish baron, known as the First Lord
Baltimore, by Charles I of England. Penn-
sylvania was granted to W'illiam Penn as a
Quaker province March 4, 1681. The area
of western Maryland was settled under Lord
Baltimore at an earlier date than the region
o' Pennsylvania west of the Susquehanna,
which was purchased from the Indians in
1736. When John Digges first gave to
early settlers his bonds of agreement, de-
scribed in the article on Digges' Choice, his
land was supposed to be in the Province of
Maryland. Those who took up the fertile
lands hereabouts obtained Maryland titles,
which were afterward confirmed by the
Pennsylvania authorities. The contro-
versy was partially quieted when a tempo-
rary line was run between Pennsylvania and
Maryland in 1739. Difficulties, however,
continued until after !Mason and Dixon's
Line was run to the top of the Alleghany
Mountains in 1768. The proclamations of
the proprietaries of the two provinces were
issued in 1774, after which time all conflict-
ing claims to land titles ended.
The names of the earliest settlers will be
found on page 71. They were nearly all of
German birth and had migrated west of the
Susquehanna soon after landing in Philadel-
phia from the Palatinate region along the
Rhine. There were some Catholics who oc-
cupied lands northwest of the town around
the historic Conewago chapel, the first Cath-
olic house for religious worship west of the
Susquehanna.
In 1745 Richard McAllister, a sturdy
Scotch Irishman, purchased a tract of land
upon which the original town of Hanover
was built. He was of Presbyterian ances-
try who had recently migrated to the Cum-
berland Valley. These fertile lands were
then covered with a dense forest of hickor)»,
walnut and oak trees. Richard McAllister's
plantation was crossed by the Monocacy
Road which extended from the Susque-
hanna River at Wrightsville to Frederick,
Maryland, and was a prominent line of
travel for many early settlers to western
Maryland and the Valley of Virginia. His
land was also reached from the south by a
road built under a Maryland right to the
site of Hanover and later to Carlisle.
At the northwest corner of Baltimore and
Middle streets, where these two public high-
ways crossed each other, Richard McAllis-
ter, in 1745, erected a log house and opened
a store and tavern. This building, two
stories high, has since been cased in with
brick, and now stands where it was built
162 years ago. It was a prominent stop-
ping place for travellers, and here this fron-
tiersman, in 1755, entertained Benjamin
Franklin while on his visit to Frederick,
Maryland, where he met Sir Edward Brad-
dock, of the English army. Richard McAl-
lister became an influential man in the com-
munity, and in 1750. the year after York •
County was organized, was a candidate for
the ofhce of sheriff of York County. This
exciting contest is described on page 579.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
In 1763 he determined to lay out his farm
into lots and found the town of Hanover.
In his plan he named the streets diverging
from Centre Square, Carlisle, York, Balti-
more and Frederick, in honor of the towns
toward which they led. Abbottstown
Street, originally known as Pigeon Street,
was named at a later date. The project to
build a town was amusing to some of the
German settlers, who at first called it "Hick-
ory Town," because dense groves of native
hickory trees grew abundantly around Mc-
Allister's tract. At this time John Schmelt-
zer resided at the southeast corner of Fred-
erick Street and Centennial Avenue in a log
house, now standing. John Nusser pur-
chased the first lot in the town, situated two
doors west of the Methodist Church. Soon
afterward lots were purchased and houses
built where the Riipp residence stands on
Frederick Street, one on the north side of
Broadway, near the square, and another on
the opposite side of the street.
The name Hanover was suggested by
Michael Tanner, one of the commissioners
v>'ho laid oft York County, in 1749, and who
at this time owned large tracts of land
southeast of the town. He was a native of
Hanover, !n Germany, and in order to please
tlie German settlers, the founder obeyed his
suggestion, although the settlement was
called "McAllister's Town" for more than a
third of 1 century. All the original lots
were sold subject to a quit-rent, and each
owner was tequired to build a house at least
eighteen leet square within two years from
the time ot purchase.
Richard i^dcAllister, the founder of Han-
over, was one of the most prominent men
in southern Pennsylvania at the opening of
the Revolulion. A story of his romantic
career is cold on page 185, to which the
reader's attention is directed.
Erdman's Geography, published in Ger-
man in 1790, contains the following:
"Hanover or McAllister's Town, in York
County, Pennsylvania, was laid out in 1763,
and derived its name from Richard McAl-
lister, who here had an estate and on whose
land the place was laid out. He received a
ground rent for it which, when he died, in
1796, amounted to 100 pounds sterling.
The place has at present 190 houses, mostly
well built. The inhabitants consist of Ger-
man Lutheran and Reformed, both of which
denominations have churches of their own.
In the centre of the town is a square. To
the Lutheran congregation belong eight
associated churches in the country. Their
pastor, Rev. Frederick Valentine Mel-
sheimer, devotes much attention to natural
history, especially entomology, and has also
gained distinction as an authority in the
geography of Pennsylvania. He possesses
a remarkable collection of minerals and a
very important collection of insects."
TAX LIST OF 1783.
The county commissioners ordered a^
special assessment and census taken in York
County during the year 1783. Heidelberg
Township, laid off in 1750, included till 1815
the town of Hanover and an area of terri-
tory not much greater than "Digges'
Choice." Being a rich agricultural section,
it was densely populated in 1783. The
owners of "lots," as designated in the fol-
lowing list, lived in Hanover. The valu-
ation is on a specie basis. The names here
given include all residents of Heidelberg
Township, a small part of which extended
into what is now Adams County.
Valuation
Magdalena Adams, owned 150 acres, 4 horses, 4
cattle, 3 sheep, had 7 persons in her family.. £864
Joseph Adams, 100 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 6
sheep, 6 persons 545
Jacob Adams, 20 acres, I horse, I still 156
Frederic Albright, I lot, I cow, 5 persons 172
Andrew Bear, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 4 sheep, 3 per-
sons 33
John Bauman, I cow, 6 persons 30
Michael Bear, 92 acres, 2 horses, 4 cattle, 4
sheep, 8 persons 536
Jacob Bayer, i horse, I cow, 7 persons 37
Jonathan Boffendaum, 165 acres, 2 horses, 2
cattle, 4 sheep, i trade, 7 persons 743
Dr. John Baker, I acre, 2 horses, I cow, 7 per-
sons 183
John Blum, 5 acres, I cow, 3 persons 43
Christian Bear, 100 acres, 3 horses, 4 cattle, 6
sheep, S persons 659
Martin Boyer, 120 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 6
sheep, 6 persons 657
John Bowman, 150 acres, 4 horses, 4 cattle, 6
sheep, 8 persons 957
John Bardt, 4 persons -. 50
William Bradley, i lot, i cow, 4 persons 114
George Blintzinger, 2 lots, i horse, i cow, 7
persons 286
Daniel Barnitz (inn-keeper), I horse, I cow, i
brewery, 8 persons 750
Frederick Berling, i lot, i cow, 6 persons log
Christian Bixler, i trade, 3 persons 30
David Beaker, 3 horses, i cow, 7 persons 52
John Brasser, i cow, 3 persons 19
Jacob Boas, i lot, i horse, i cow, I trade, S
persons 416
Frederic Bentz, i lot, i cow, 5 persons 299
Jacob Beltz, l lot, i cow, 7 persons 164
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
Michael Baargelt, i lot, i cow, lo persons iSg
Jacob Bahn, I lot, l horse, I cow, s persons.... 372
Thomas Butler, S acres, $ persons 100
Peter Conrad, 160 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, S
sheep, 7 persons 887
Jacob Clay, i lot, I cow, 7 persons 141
Simon Clar, 80 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 8 sheep,
10 persons £4.14
George Carl, 160 acres, 3 horses, 3 cattle, 5
sheep, I slave, 3 persons 979
Abraham Coons, 5 acres, i cow, 2 persons 61
Michael Coppenhefer, I lot, i horse, i cow, i
sheep, 6 persons 239
James Driskel, I cow, 6 persons 4
William Digges, 250 acres 1250
Conrad Dotorra, 200 acres, 4 horses, 4 cattle, 10
sheep, 8 persons 937
Henry Danner, i lot, 8 persons 175
Mathias Deck, 2 lots, 5 persons 100
John Decker, 2 persons
Timothy Duffy, i lot, 3 persons 100
Andrew Etzler, inn-keeper, 64 acres, 2 horses,
4 cattle. 8 sheep, 8 persons 482
Michael Emlet, 20 acres, I horse, 2 cattle, 2
sheep, S persons 145
John Eckert, 70 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 3 sheep,
4 persons 502
Conrad Eckert, 100 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, S
sheep, 4 persons 463
Joseph Erman, 20 acres, i horse, i cow, 3 per-
sons 146
George Etzler, 160 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 6
sheep, ID persons 1066
Frederick Eyler, i lot, I cow, 5 persons 298
Jacob Eichelberger, 6 acres, i lot, i cow, 4 per-
sons 279
Leonard Eichelberger, i lot, i horse, 3 cattle,
I trade, 8 persons 349
Daniel Eister, 165 acres, 4 horses, II cattle, 7
sheep, 10 persons 1000
Conrad Fink, 200 acres, 4 horses, 3 cattle, 10
persons 1210
John Fink, 4 persons 50
Widow Forney, 100 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 4
sheep, S persons 632
Adam Forney, 8 acres, i horse, i tannery, i
trade, i person 412
George Fletter, 5 acres, 2 cattle, 5 persons 63
Peter Freed, 130 acres, 3 horses, 5 cattle, 6
sheep, 8 persons 727
Philip Freeman, 5 acres, I cow, 3 persons 54
Peter Flickinger, 180 acres, 3 horses, 4 cattle, 8
sheep, 7 persons 940-
Nicholas Feels, 2 lots, I cow, i trade, 7 persons 48
Widow Fauble, i lot 125
Alex. Forsj'the, inn-keeper, 2 horses, i cow, 3
slaves, 9 persons 500
John Faller, i lot, i horse, i cow, i trade, 7
persons 241
John Fiel, 2 lots, i cow, 3 slaves, I person 104
Michael Graff, i cow, i trade, 2 persons 64
Christian Graff, 193 acres, i horse, 3 cattle, 5
sheep, I saw-mill, 7 persons 1140
John Greesmore, 5 acres, l cow, 9 persons 49
Leonard Geisel, 180 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 10
sheep, 9 persons 1084
Daniel Glebsaddel, 4 persons 50
Christopher Green, i lot, I trade, 4 persons 132
Christian Graff, I lot, i cow, i trade, S persons. 244
Charles Gelwix, inn-keeper, i lot, i horse, i
cow, 10 persons '. . 376
Nicholas Gelwix, 2 lots, i horse, 2 cattle, i still,
I trade, 3 persons 361
Valuation
Peter Gelwix, i lot, i cow, I trade, 6 persons . . ^44
Francis Gillmyer, store-keeper, I lot, 6 persons. . 379
John Great, no acres, i lot, 2 horses, 4 cattle,
9 sheep, I trade, 8 persons 957
Jacob Houck, i cow, i trade, 3 persons 79
Henry Horn, 10 acres, l cow, 3 sheep, 5 per-
sons 84
Andrew Herger, 2 cattle, 5 persons 8
John Hinkel, 15 acres 75
Conrad Hoke, I lot, I cow, I slave, I trade, 10
persons 736
Jacob Hostetter, 50 acres, I horse, i cow, 11
persons 260
Francis Heim, inn-keeper, 11 acres, i lot, 3
horses, i cow, 5 sheep, i oil-mill, 7 persons... 697
Philip Helt, 7 persons 50
Jacob Heilman, l lot, i cow, l trade, 7 persons. 264
Christian Houck, 3 persons 12
Christian Hoffman, 2 lots, i cow, I trade, 9 per-
sons 279
Henry Hoke, l lot, i cow, i trade, 4 persons. . . 259
David Houck, 2 persons 50
Jacob Hopeman, l lot, I cow, i trade, 4 persons 179
Michael House, Jr., 3 persons 104
Michael House, Sr., i lot, i cow 12
Paul Hahn, i lot 80
Bernhardt Houck, i lot, i cow, i trade, 6 per-
sons 134
Francis Heaslet, i lot lOO
Robert Irvin, I lot, I horse, I cow, 4 persons. .. 178
Philip Julius, TOO acres, 3 horses, 4 cattle, 4
sheep, S persons 483
Jacob Johnston, i lot, I cow, 2 persons 209
Martin Kerbach, 150 acres, 3 horses, 2 cattle, 2
sheep, 9 persons 666
Philip Kerbach, 3 persons
John Kehler, 3 persons
Conrad Kiefaber, 150 acres 750
Andrew Kirshweiler, 5 acres, 2 cattle, 3 persons 33
Peter Kehler, 6 acres, 3 cattle, S persons 103
John Kraft, I lot, I cow, I slave, 5 persons.... 376
Wendel Keller, 3 lots, i horse, 2 cattle, l trade,
7 persons 845
John Keller, 4 persons 30
Jacob Keagy, 160 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 6
sheep, 5 persons 1225
Baltzer King, i lot, 2 persons 90
Frederick Kwitz, i lot, i cow, 7 persons 189
John Kitzmiller, i lot 70
George Kuhn, i acre, I horse, I cow, i slave, 4
persons 266
Ludwig Klein, i acre 200
David Kleindienst, I acre, i cow, 6 persons... 229
William Kitt, l acre, I horse, i cow, 5 persons.. 256
Joseph Kientz, i acre, i cow, 4 persons 54
Joseph Lilley, 488 acres I9S2
William Little, I lot, i cow, 6 persons 184
Nicolas Meyer, i cow, 3 persons 12
Andrew Martin, 2 cattle, 10 persons 8
Francis Marshal, 50 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 6
persons 247
Simon Melhorn, Jr., 9 acres, i cow, 6 persons.. 84
Simon Melhorn, Sr.. 25 acres, i horse, 2 cattle,
4 sheep, 9 persons 186
Patrick McSherry, 100 acres, ground rent, £15.. 515
Richard McAllister, Esq., 140 acres, 2 lots, 2
horses, 4 cattle, 15 sheep, 5 slaves, ground
rent, £75, 3 persons 989
Leonard Middelkauff, 247 acres, 5 horses, 6 cat-
tle, 6 sheep, 6 persons 1495
Philip Mielhofe, i lot, 8 persons 234
James McLean, 3 horses, 3 cattle, 5 persons... 48
8io
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Valuation
John Miller, Sr., 162 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 9
sheep, I grist-mill, 8 persons £1124
Christ. Millheim, 10 acres, i horse, i cow, 2
persons 276
John Milliron, i cow, i trade, 2 persons 54
Paul Metzger, storekeeper, i lot, i horse, i cow,
7 persons 44i
Philip Myer, I lot, i horse, i cow, 8 persons ... 541
Robert McGrift, 5 acres, 4 persons 55
Paul Miller, 89 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 6 per-
sons 436
Joseph Newmiller, 3 persons IS
George Neas, I lot, 2 persons 150
Jacob Nusser, Jr., storekeeper, i lot, I horse,
I cow I/O
Mathias Neas, 8 lots, i horse, 2 cattle, i tan-
yard, 12 persons 970
Jacob Nusser, Sr., storekeeper, i lot, i cow, i
trade, 3 persons no
David Newman, i lot, i cow, 7 persons 434
Nicholas Oulenbach, 5 acres, i cow, 5 persons . . 81
John O'Conner, 5 acres, i cow, 3 persons 54
Joseph Obold, 197 acres, 3 horses, 4 cattle, 4
sheep, 4 persons 1127
Sebastian Obold, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 3 persons . . 95
Robert Owings, 155 acres, 3 horses, 5 cattle, 12
sheep, 4 slaves, 5 persons 1088
William Owings, 185 acres, 6 horses, 7 cattle, 24
sheep, 2 slaves, 12 persons 1179
Thomas Owings, 2 cattle, 12 sheep, 7 persons.. 11
Philip Offenbauch, 3 persons
Rev. Jacob Pellence, 500 acres, 8 horses, 11 cat-
tle, 20 sheep, 6 slaves, S persons 35 11
Ludwig Reinhardt, i horse, 2 cattle, 5 sheep, 3
persons 46
Andrew Reinhardt, l cow, 5 persons 16
Jacob Ritter, 2 persons 60
James Rees, 4 persons
John Reisinger, i lot, I cow, 6 persons 116
Michael Rittelmosser, i lot, i cow, 5 persons... 154
Casper Reinecker, storekeeper, 25 acres, i lot, 2
horses, 2 cattle, i slave, 7 persons .780
Jacob Rudisill, i lot, l horse, i cow, i slave, 5
persons 231
Adam Stump, 150 acres, 4 horses, 4 cattle, 4
sheep, 7 persons 855
Peter Shuey, 112 acres, 4 horses, 3 cattle, 4
sheep, 5 persons 551
Conrad Shreiber, 50 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 5
sheep, 10 persons 343
Henry Staab, 3 horses, 3 cattle, 4 sheep, 6 per-
sons 49
John Shorb, 150 acres, 2 horses, 5 cattle, 6
sheep, 8 persons 875
Philip Staab, 50 acres, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 6 per-
sons
Anthony Shorb, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 2 sheep, 2
persons 48
Benjamin Seitz, 176 acres, 4 horses, 4 cattle, 6
sheep, 6 persons 1055
Philip Schagenhaubt, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 6 per-
sons 32
Philip Shentz, 5 acres, 2 cattle, 3 persons 71
Henry Spitzer, 5 acres, 2 cattle, 5 persons 58
Ludwig Shreiber, 80 acres, i horse, 4 cattle, 10
sheep, I grist-mill, 5 persons 608
John Spitler, storekeeper, 2 cattle, 3 persons. . . 220
George Smith, 3 persons
Casper Shifler, i lot, i cow, i trade, 8 persons.. 179
Andrew Shreiver, 165 acres, 5 horses, 4 cattle,
12 sheep, I still, 11 persons 1020
Peter Shreiver, 130 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 7
sheep, I still, 4 persons 753
Christian Stemy, 2 horses, 2 cattle, 6 persons. . . 20
Valuation^
George Stoner, 70 acres, 6 cattle, 6 sheep, i
slave, 5 persons ^405.
Peter Shultz, 199 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 6
sheep, 9 persons 1082
Jacob Shuh, i horse, i cow, 8 persons 28
Henry Shaser, i lot 175.
Daniel Sprenkel, i lot, i horse, i cow, i sheep,
6 persons 151
Henry Shults, 2 lots, I horse, I cow, 6 persons. 316-
John Sims, i lot, 2 sheep, 2 persons 300
Hill Savige, I horse, I cow, 3 persons 366
Philip Sholl, I lot, I horse, i cow, 7 persons... 366
George Shreyer, i lot, i horse, i cow, I trade, 7
persons 266 ^
John Schmeltzer, i lot, i cow, 6 persons 97
Frederid Shultz, i lot, I horse, i cow, 3 persons 239
Conrad Swope, i lot, i horse, i cow, 7 persons. 486'
George Stater, 2 lots, i cow, 8 persons 259
Rev. Daniel Shroeder, I lot, 3 persons 125
Jacob Stealy, 45 acres, i horse, i cow, 6 persons 266'
John Thomas, 190 acres, 4 horses, 4 cattle, 6
sheep, 7 persons 1077
Philip Timmons, 6 persons
Michael Uley, 2 horses 23
John Waltman, i lot, I cow, 2 persons 59^
Jacob Will, 3 persons
Peter Will, 100 acres, 4 horses, 2 cattle, 4 sheep,
3 persons 586
Henry Will, 3 persons
John Wisler, 117 acres, 2 horses, 3 cattle, 5
sheep, 6 persons 684
Henry Waltman, 15 acres, 2 cattle, 2 sheep, 6
persons 145.
Jacob Wine, 5 acres, i cow, 3 persons 25
Peter Will, Jr., 5 acres, i cow, 4 persons 89
Nicholas Walter, 5 acres, i horse, i cow, i
trade, 2 persons 71
Nicholas Walter, Jr., i horse, i cow, 6 persons. 81
Michael Will, 133 acres, I person 750^
Martin Will, 50 acres, 2 horses, 4 cows, 8 sheep,
4 persons 344
Jacob Will, 130 acres, 2 horses, 6 cattle, 10
sheep, I mill, 9 persons 983
John Will, 100 acres, 3 horses, 3 cattle, 6 sheep,
6 persons 523
Philip Werking, i lot 125
Valentine Weisang, i lot, i horse, i cow, i
trade, S persons 319
Peter Weinbrenner, inn-keeper, i lot, i horse,
I cow, 3 persons 241
Anthony Weaver, i lot, 2 persons 106
Jacob Wolff, I lot, I horse, i cow, 5 persons... 129
Erhart Winter, i lot, 3 persons 125
Balthaser Werner, 7 persons 12
Peter Walter, i lot, i horse, i cow, 6 persons. . 276
Peter Welsh, i lot, i horse, i cow, i still, 8
persons 236
John Walter, i trade, 2 persons 50
Henry Welsh, inn-keeper, i lot, i horse, i cow,
I slave, 6 persons 341
Henry Wershler, 200 acres, 2 horses, 4 cattle, 12
sheep, 6 persons £893 12s
Peter Young, 300 acres, 4 horses, 5 cattle, 10
sheep, I still
Adam Young, 5 acres, i cow, 6 persons 64
Michael Zimmer, 8 acres, i lot, i horse, 2 cattle,
9 persons 320
George Ziegler, i lot, i cow, 7 persons 124
SINGLE MEN.
Jacob A'lunder. Jacob Chambers,
Nicholas Great. Adam Bridge.
John Miller. John Breechner.
Jacob Kook. Michael Blintzinger.
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
8ir
David Bixler.
Jacob Bixler.
William Fauler.
Andrew Fink.
John Fink.
Henrj' Felly.
Jacob Kunkel.
Adam Ganshorn.
Peter Kuhn.
Lawrence Hofman.
Edward Hentz.
Jacob Houck.
Frederick Heisley.
Christian Hoover.
Jacob Hostetter.
Jacob Heagy.
Andrew Smith.
Frederick Ungefehr.
Henry Wine.
Casper Melhorn.
David Melhorn.
Francis Weigel.
John Eckert.
Dewaldt Young.
Adam Obold.
John Ungefehr.
Jacob Swope.
Jacob Young.
INCORPORATION.
The town of Hanover formed a part of
Heidelberg Township from the time it was
laid out in 1763 until 1815. March 4, of
that year, it was incorporated into a bor-
ough by an act of the State Legislature.
The first election was held at the house of
Jacob Eichelberger, on Frederick Street,
and resulted in the election of George Nace
as burgess ; Henry AVinebrenner, Peter
Winebrenner, Jacob Ritz, George Fry-
singer. John Sholl, A\'illiam Young and
Daniel Barnitz, councilmen; John Bart was
chosen constable.
Jacob Eichelberger had been prominent
in the affairs of Hanover before the time of
his election as burgess. He owned large
tracts of land around Hanover, which he
cultivated, and also kept a hotel, first on
Frederick Street, and later established a
public inn and stage office on the site of the
Central Hotel at the northwest corner of
Frederick Street and Centre Square, where
the first election was held. In personal ap-
pearance, Jacob Eichelberger was large and
weighed 300 pounds. He had a smooth
face, wore a queue, and was a typical gentle-
man of the olden time. . He was the first
president of the Hanover Saving Fund So-
ciety, and the father of Captain A. W. Eich-
elberger.
George Nace, the first burgess, had
served as a justice of the peace, and during
the years 1807-8-9-10, was a member of the
Pennsylvania Legislature. He was popular
with his friends and neighbors and widely
known outside of Hanover. Possessing
strong mental endowments, he was a writer
of ability and composed several poems
which contained literary merit. He was
postmaster of Hanover from 1799 to 1813.
and followed the occupation of a tanner.
He succeeded his father, Matthias Nace, in
the ownership of the tannery at the west
end of Chestnut Street. He did an ex-
tensive business and obtained many hides
from South America by way of Baltimore,
to which point he shipped his leather.
Peter Winebrenner followed the occupa--
tion of a saddler and carried on his trade on
the east side of Carlisle Street, on the site
of the residence of the late Henry Wirt.
He employed several men and disposed of
his products among his friends and neigh-
bors and in the city of Baltimore. Later in
life he engaged in the lumber business and
brought his lumber to Hanover in wagons
from Eib's Landing, along the Susque-
hanna, and from AVrightsville. Peter Wine-
brenner was an influential member of Em-
manuel Reformed Church. He had three
sons, John, Charles and Henry. The last
named carried on the tanning business for
many years.
Henry AVinebrenner, the brother of
Peter, was also one of the first councilmen.
He was a wheelwright and then resided on
York Street, but about 1820 he moved to
Columbiana County, Ohio, where a number
of Hanover people moved at the same time.
Daniel Barnitz also followed the occu-
pation of a saddler. He was a son of Daniel
Barnitz, a soldier of the Revolution, who
owned a brewery and conducted a store at
the northeast angle of Centre Square.
John Sholl was a farmer and a saddler,
and at the time of the incorporation resided
on Baltimore Street. He owned a large
tract of land, now covered by the north-
western part of Hanover. He was the ma-
ternal grandfather of John S. Young.
George Frysinger was a wagonmaker and
resided on Baltimore Street, where he car-
ried on his business. He made a large
number of wagons and disposed of them to
the farmers, his trade extending as far south
as the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Frysinger Avas an ardent Democrat and
served as burgess in the year 1820. During
the AA^ar of 1812 he commanded a local mili-
tary company.
AVilliam Young was a saddletree-maker
and owned a large farm. In 1815 he resided
on Carlisle Street, on the site of Howard E.
Young's residence. He employed several
workmen and found ready sale for his
products. George Young, one of his sons,
was a prominent farmer and merchant, and
served as chief burgess in 1842.
8l2
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Jacob Ritz was a master carpenter and
secured the contracts for the erection of a
number of large houses in Hanover, a cen-
tury ago. In 1816 he was ordered to go to
York and examine the market house for the
purpose of obtaining plans for the erection
of one in Hanover. The same year a mar-
ket house was erected in Centre Square,
and stood in that position until it was re-
moved in 1872.
Early in the present cen-
Improvements. tury the work of paving
the sidewalks with flag-
stones or brick was begun, although there
was no regularity of grade or width, and at
many places there were no pavements at all.
As the town grew, the people became more
progressive. April 14, 1838, the residents
of York Street presented a petition to the
town council, asking for better pavements.
May 5, 1838, the council passed an ordi-
nance, decreeing that all lot holders on
York and Baltimore Streets were to pave
their sidewalks at a uniform grade, the
pavements to be laid with brick or flag-
stones, and not to be less than four feet in
width from the gutter. Carlisle Street
asked for a similar ordinance, which was
soon afterward passed. The limits of the
town had been so far extended in 185 1, that
the pavements on Carlisle Street were
ordered to be laid as far as the borough
limits, and on Baltimore Street as far as
Hanover Street.
In 1872, while L. F. Melsheimer was
chief burgess, the streets and pavements of
the borough Avere thoroughly i-egraded; all
the streets were macadamized, and the
pavements relaid at a uniform grade and a
width of twelve feet.
In 1873, soon after the streets were
paved, a plan was laid for ornamenting
Centre Square. Mrs. Jacob Wirt, Captain
A. W. Eichelberger, Jacob Forney and
Colonel Cyrus Diller each subscribed cer-
tain amounts of money and purchased an
iron fountain which was placed in the centre
of the square. This fountain was then
surrounded by an oval laid off in grass plots.
The entire oval was enclosed with an iron
fence. This beautiful fountain proved to
be very attractive and remained in position
until 1905, when it was removed to Wirt
Park, which it now adorns. During that
year a handsome battle monument was
erected in the centre of the oval, and un-
veiled with imposing ceremonies in Sep-
tember, 1905. An account of the unveiling
of this monument will be found on page 448.
Hanover prospered for the first
Growth few years of its existence, al-
of the though the houses were mostly
Town. built of logs. It was a village of
500 inhabitants when the Revo-
lutionary War began. 'From 1790 to 1808
houses were erected more rapidly. The
New and Universal Gazetteer, in 1800, says
that Hanover "is the second town in York
County for size and wealth. It contains
about 160 houses, mostly of brick, a Ger-
man Calvinist (Reformed) and a German
Lutheran Church. It consists of five
principal streets, two smaller ones and al-
leys. In the centre of the town is a spacious
square." A steady increase in buildings and
population continued until the period of the
War of 1812-14, after which the town re-
mained nearly stationary until 1840. From
this date there was a slight yearly improve-
ment until 1852, when the building of the
railroad to Hanover Junction, described on
page 614, caused an impetus to the growth
and development of the town. Besides the
handsome buildings erected during this
period, many of the old log houses were re-
placed by brick or frame ones of modern
architecture.
The construction of a direct line of rail-
road to York in 1873 was an important ad-
dition to the transportation interests of
Hanover and vicinit}'. This road was built
by a local corporation which afterward dis-
posed of it to the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company. In 1892 the Western Maryland
built a line from Porters to York, thus com-
pleting two direct routes of travel to the
county seat. The Baltimore and Harris-
burg railroad also formed a direct line from
Hanover to Baltimore. The railroad
facilities for the borough were equal to
those of almost any of the progressive
towns in southern Pennsylvania.
The original borough limits of Hanover
remained unchanged until 1887. Up to
that time Abbottstown Street and other
parts of the town were not included within
the incorporation. A plan was set on foot
to extend the borough limits so as to in-
clude 339 acres previously a part of Penn
Township. A petition was presented to the
i?tH5-
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
813
i
Court, and approved by Hon. John Gibson,
president judge, and the limits expanded so
as to include almost the entire part of what
is now the Second Ward, extending from
the Littlestown Turnpike nearly around the
entire borough. Most of the manufacturing
establishments and the recent improve-
ments of the town are situated within the
limits of the Second Ward, which contains
a population almost equal to the other three
wards combined.
The population of Hanover in 1820 was
946; in 1830, 998; 1840, 1,100; 1850, 1,205;
i860, 1,630; 1870, 1,839; 1880, 2,317; 1890,
3,746; 1900, 5,302.
Since the census was taken in 1900, a
large number of industries have been es-
tablished in the borough, and the popu-
lation has rapidly increased. The con-
struction of the street railway between
Hanover and McSherrystown, in 1892, and
the enterprise of the West End Improve-
ment Company have resulted in the rapid
development of the northwestern section of
the borough, which now joins McSherrys-
town. The southeastern section, originally
two farms, contains a large number of com-
fortable homes and handsome residences.
This section has been developed by H. N.
Gitt. The population of Hanover in 1907,
at a fair estimate, is about 7,000. The
suburban population is 2,000, making in all
about 9,000. AVithin recent years, a sewer-
age system has been laid in all the streets
of the borough, and since 1893 the streets
and stores are lighted by electricity. The
York County Traction Company, in 1907,
extended a line from York to Hanover.
The following is a list of burgesses with
the dates of their election: George Nace,
1815; Jacob Eichelberger, 1816; Jacob
Hostetter, 1817; Peter Mueller, 1818, Jacob
Hostetter, 1819; George Frysinger, 1820;
Charles Barnitz, 1821; Jacob Eichelberger,
1823; George Eckert, 1826; George Bar-
nitz, 1827; Henry Wirt, Sr., 1828; Luther
H. Skinner, 1829; David Shultz, 1830;
Jacob Kline, 1831 ; George Trone, 1832; Dr.
Henry C. AVampler, 1833 ; George Fry-
singer, 1834; Henry Wirt, 1835; John Cul-
bertson, 1836; George \A". Hinkle, 1837;
Joseph W. Schmidt, 1838; John Flickinger,
1839; William Bair, 1840; George Young,
1842; Charles Barnitz, 1843; Michael
Bucher, 1844; Jacob Wirt, 1845; David
Slagle, 1846; Jesse Frysinger, 1847; Charles
Barnitz, 1848; John Bair, 1849; George
Trone, 1850; Christian Smith, 1851; Jacob
Wirt, 1852; Joseph Althoff, 1853; David
Bixler, 1854; George Metzger, 1855; David
Slagle, 1856; Rufus Winterode, 1857;
Washington Bair, 1S58; Henry Wirt, 1859;
William Grumbine, i860; Jeremiah Kohler,
1861; Joseph Slagle, 1863; Stephen Keefer,
1864; David S. Tanger, 1865; Henry C.
Schriver, 1866; Cyrus Diller, 1867; William
Bange, 1868; Henry Wirt, 1869; Allowies
Smith, 1870; David S. Tanger, 1871 ; L. F.
Melsheimer, 1872; Dr. F. A. H. Koch, 1875;
Daniel S. Barnitz, 1877; A. G. Schmidt,
1878; Dr. F. A. H. Koch, 1879; W. F. Stair,
1880; George Bange, 1881 ; L. F. Mel-
sheimer, 1882: William Boadenhamer,
1883; Charles Young, 1884: Stephen
Keefer, 1885; Dr. H. AUeman, 1886; Joseph
Brockley, 1887; Samuel Schwartz, 1888;
George S. Krug, 1889; D. E. Winebrenner,
1891; George S. Krug, 1893; John J.
Schmidt, 1896; Lewis G. Pfaff, 1899;
George S. Krug, 1902; H. G. Schriver, 1906.
The postoffice was established at
Post- Hanover in 1795. Henry Welsh, a
Office, representative citizen of the com-
munity, who had filled the office of
justice of the peace and held other positions
of trust and responsibility, was the first
postmaster. He made out his first quar-
terly statement to the postoffice department
at Philadelphia, then the capital of the
United States, April 19, 1795. The follow-
ing is the complete list of the postmasters
together with dates of appointment, as fur-
nished by the postoffice department : Henry
Welsh, January i, 1795; James Bolton, Jan-
uary I, 1796; George Nace, April i, 1799;
Peter Mueller, February 26, 1813; Theresa
C. Myers, November 4, 1832; Vincent C. S.
Eckert, March 14, 1864; William F. Stair,
August 29, 1864; John S. Forrest, August
28, 1866; Anthony P. Smith, August 4.
1868; AVilliam F. Stair, March 14, 1873:
Mahlon H. Naill, May 26, 1877; William
Heltzel, April i, 1885; William A. Kump,
April I, 1890: Clinton J. Gitt, April i, 1894:
Mrs. Emma K. Gitt, April i, 1896; Edwin
G. Eckert, February 7, 1901 ; Aaron Hostet-
ter, May I, 1905.
The postoffice was opened in a building
on the west side of Baltimore Street, near
the Square. A\'hen George Nace became
Si4
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
postmaster in 1799, he removed it to the
west side of CarHsle Street, two doors north
.of Chestnut Street. Dr. Peter Mueller re-
moved the office to the east side of Balti-
more Street, near Centre Square. About
1820, he took up his residence on the south
::side of Frederick Street, in a building on the
..site of Dr. Charles Wagner's residence. At
this place the postoffice was kept by him-
self and his daughter for a third of a century.
For many years, it was kept in the south-
west angle of Centre Square and later in
the Newman property on Frederick Street,
next door west of the Central Hotel. It
was removed to the Swartz property on the
■site of the Hanover Saving Fund building.
A few years ago a large building on Balti-
more Street was fitted up for the use of the
postoiBce with the improved facilities re-
quired for the rapid increase of business.
CHURCHES.
In the year 1731, Rev. John Casper
Stoever, a pioneer missionarj^ of the Luth-
'Cran Church in Pennsylvania, crossed the
Susquehanna and visited the first settlers
at 'the site of Hanover, where they had
taken up lands under Maryland grants.
A\'hile on this missionar}' tour, he proceeded
as far south as the Monocacy River near
Frederick, Maryland, where some Luther-
ans had recently settled. He entered in his
record book that he baptized John Jacob
Kitzmiller, April 19, 1731, near the site of
Hanover. At this time John Casper
:Stoever resided at New Holland in Lancas-
ter County, and was pastor of several con-
gregations which he had organized east of
the Susquehanna. His pastoral residence
was forty miles from the Evangelical Luth-
eran Church of the Conewago, which he
founded at the site of Hanover in 1732. In
his record book, he reports that he baptized
in February, 1733, Johannes Frosch, and in
September of the same year, Anne Maria
Mueller, daughter of Simon Mueller.
During the succeeding sev-
St. Matthew's en years Pastor Stoever
Church. visited the congregation at
regular intervals. His
-record of baptisms administered to the Con-
'ewago congregation during that period will
be found on page 144 in this volume.
;Stoever continued in the ministry and died
at his home on the banks of the Swatara in
Lebanon County, ^lay 13, 1779.
Yost Mohr, an intelligent layman of the
church, called the people together, read ser-
mons and conducted religious worship in the
pioneer homes of the members of this
church. In 1743 Rev. David Candler, an
ordained minister of the Lutheran Church,
took up his residence on a farm northwest
of Hanover and built a house near where the
trolley crosses the Western Maryland Rail-
road. At this date he became pastor of this
congregation, the First Lutheran Church of
York and the Evangelical Lutheran Church
on the IMonocacy, near Frederick, Mary-
land.
AMien Pastor Candler first came to this
settlement, he conducted religious services
in his own house. In the summer of 1743,
the congregation erected a log church on
the north side of the turnpike, where it
bends on the way to McSherrystown, just
beyond the present northwestern limits of
the borough. The members of the church
council at this time were Leonard Barnitz,
John Morningstar, Andrew Herger and
Frederick Gelwix. A list of the most prom-
inent contributors to the building fund in-
cludes Frederick Gelwix, Michael Carl,
Philip Morningstar, Nicholas Bittenger and
Christoffel Schlegel. Pastor Candler died
in 1744, one year after he came to Hanover.
His burial place was in the graveyard near
his own residence.
Rev. Lars Nyberg, a Swede, and pastor
of a church at Lancaster, officiated at the
funeral of Rev. Candler, and was soon
afterward called as the second pastor of this
church and the congregations at York and ,
Monocacy.
Peter Schultz, Andrew Herger, Michael
Karl and George Sponseiler were the church
wardens. He was not true to the Lutheran
tenets and was accused of trying to intro-
duce the Moravian faith. Nyberg retired in
1746, and Rev. George Nicke preached dur-
ing the interim, until the election of Rev.
Valentine Kraft. During his pastorate the
Monocacy church near Frederick, Md., was
separated from this charge.
In 1752 Rev. John George Bager, the an-
cestor of the Baughers of the Lutheran
Church, became pastor. He was then
thirty-eight years of age, a native of Nassau,
Germany, in which country he received his
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
5i5
■education for the ministry. He preached
in the old log church until 1756, when a new
log church was built about one mile from
Hanover, to the right of the Carlisle pike,
on the farm owned by the heirs of David
Sprenkle. It was built in 1755, eight years
before the town of Hanover was laid out by
Richard McAllister, and seven years after
York County was erected, and was named
St. Michael's Church. The Reformed peo-
ple were allowed to hold services in it, and
any other denomination having regularly
ordained ministers. This was about the
time of the rise of infidelity in America;
hence it is recorded on the early church
books that " atheists, deists, and such as
profess no faith," were forbidden the use of
the church. It was dedicated in 1756, and
the following named persons selected as
church officers: Nicholas Bittinger, Fred-
erick Gelwix, Philip Morningstar, Jacob
Schlegel (Slagle), Jacob Berlin, Jacob Lipp,
Ludwig Miller, Henry Schlegel, Michael
Weybrecht and Thomas McCartney. Rev.
Eager officiated until 1763, when he resigned
and for a time was pastor of a church in
New York, and Christ's Lutheran Church
at York. He returned again and lived near
Hanover until his death in 1791, at the age
of sixt3^-six years.
Carl Frederick Wildbahn, a parochial
teacher, who had been engaged to teach in
Winchester, Virginia, but was driven away
on account of a raid made by the Indians on
that settlement, came to Hanover and was
licensed to preach by the special request of
the congregation. He remained from 1765
to 1782. The first date marks the passage
of the Stamp Act, and the last the close of
the Revolutionary War. Among the list of
names above recorded as church officers are
found several who were soldiers of that war.
AVhen AA'ildbahn resigned, Captain Nicholas
Bittinger, an officer of the Revolution, went
to the Synod, which met in Philadelphia.
He was delegated to secure a pastor. Not
succeeding, he was authorized by that body
to read printed sermons from the pulpit,
and, if necessary, to perform other ministe-
rial duties.
Rev. Daniel Schroeder became pastor in
1784, of whom not much is known, and for
the succeeding six years, the history is not
very definite. There are records, however,
■of Rev. J. Daniel Kurtz, of Baltimore, and
Rev. Jacob Goehring of York, occasionally
preaching. In 1790 Rev. Frederick Valen-
tine Melsheimer was called. At his first
communion he reported 117 members.
The congregation was still worshipping in
the log building which served them forty-
five years. The graveyard which sur-
rounded this church is still enclosed. There
are now no remains of the second church
building, in which the congregation so long
worshipped, except the outlines of the
foundation. In the centre of the graveyard,
marked by a marble headstone, rest the re-
mains of Rev. John George Eager. A few
of the old tombstones are marble, but most
of them sandstone with the inscriptions gen-
erally carved in the German language. The
familiar names of Young (Jung), Welsh,
Slagle, Schlentz, Karl, Metzgar, Etzler,
Aulebaugh, etc., are found on the tomb-
stones erected a century and a half ago.
In 1801 a new church was begun on the
site of the present one in the town of Han-
over. The lot was donated by Jacob Rudi-
sill. Colonel Henry Slagle, George Carl
and Henry Schultz were the building com-
mittee. The church cost 1,992 pounds, 16
shillings and 2 pence. The spire, now
standing, was completed soon afterwards at
a cost of $1,300. The dedicatory services
lasted three days and took place in 1807.
Rev. Melsheimer was a learned man and
much respected by the congregation, which
he served twenty-five years A biography
of him will be found on page 469. His re-
mains lie in the churchyard adjoining the
present building His son. Rev. John F.
Melsheimer, also a noted scientist, suc-
ceeded him and continued for twelve years,
then retired and devoted his attention to
entomology. In 1827, when Rev. Jonathan
Ruthrauff became pastor, English preaching
was introduced. The name of the church
was changed to St. Matthew's, and a char-
ter obtained.
Rev. Jacob Albert was elected in 1837.
During his pastorate the church was remod-
elled and repaired. In 1848 Rev. Charles
A. Hay, D. D., was called to the pastorate
and remained one year. Dr. Hay was a
native of York and became one of the ablest
theologians of the Lutheran church. For a
period of thirty years he was a member of
the faculty of the Theological Seminary at
Gettysburg. The congregation was two
8i6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
years without a pastor, when Rev. D. P.
Rosenmiller served six years. After his
resignation, Rev. M. J. Alleman was elected
in 1857. During his pastorate St. Mark's
Lutheran Church was organized, in 1865,
from the large membership of St. Matthew's.
Rev. Alleman became the pastor of St
Mark's and Rev. Samuel Yingling was
called to St. Matthew's. The building was
partially destroyed by fire which broke out
on Sunday morning during the regular ser-
vices in February, 1865. The loss was
$1,000.
Rev. J. C. Koller, D. D., became pastor
of this congregation in the year 1877, com-
ing to Hanover from Glen Rock, where he
began his ministry as pastor of Zion Luth-
eran Church in 1867. In 1878 the brick
church, which had stood about seventy-frve
yearSj was torn down, all except the spire,
and another built at a cost of $20,000. It
was dedicated in November, 1879. The two
bells purchased in Philadelphia and placed
in the belfry in the year 1807, have ever
since been used to call this congregation to-
gether for religious worship. In 1884 a
parsonage was built on Frederick Street at
a cost of $3,500. .
The twenty-fifth anniversary of Rev. Dr.
Roller's pastorate was celebrated in 1902,
in the presence of a large audience. He
was a faithful and devoted pastor, a fine
scholar and well versed in all subjects relatr
ing to his profession.
In 1906, owing to declining health, he re-
signed the pastorate. In June of that year,
Rev. A. M. Heilman, who had served as pas-
tor of Christ Lutheran Church at Shrews-
bury, was called to this charge. In April,
1907, one hundred and two persons joined
the congregation, which increased the num-
ber to about 800 communicant members.
The Sunday School for many years has
been under the superintendency of the pas-
tor with Valentine Wentz as assistant su-
perintendent.
Henry Long, who died in 1907 at the age
of 86, was leader of the choir for half a
century.
For a period of one hundred
St. Mark's years there was only one Luth-
Church. eran church in Hanover and
immediate vicinity. During the
early history of St. Matthew's Church, re-
ligious services were conducted entirely in
the German language. The English lan-
guage was introduced about 1832 and for
the next thirty years both languages were
used in conducting the services in the orig-
inal church. In 1864 a number of influen-
tial members desired that the English lan-
guage only should be used in the pulpit, and
in order to accomplish this purpose they
formed a congregation and purchased a lot
on Carlisle Street from William Beard for
the sum of $2,000. Upon this site a church
was erected under the direction of the fol-
lowing persons who formed the building
committee: William Young, Sr., David
Wortz, John Grove, David Myers and Isaac
Loucks. The corner-stone for the new
church was laid July 20, 1864, in the pres-
ence of a large audience. The officiating
clergymen were Rev. Charles A. Hay, D. D.,
Rev. Daniel J. Hauer, D. D., and Rev. D. P.
Rosenmiller. The congregation having
been fully organized, Rev. M. J. Alleman,
who served St. Matthew's Church for sev-
eral years, was called as pastor. The house
of worship, which cost $14,200, was dedi-
cated on September 24, 1865, as St. Mark's
Lutheran Church of Hanover. Rev. Dr.
Conrad of Philadelphia preached the dedi-
catory sermon. Rev. Dr. Hay and several
other clergymen were present. A bell was
purchased for the sum of $600. The con-
gregation prospered from the beginning,
and was composed of some of the leading
citizens of Hanover.
In 1868 Rev. M. J. Alleman retired from
the pastorate, and was succeeded by Rev.
George Parson, of Milton, Pennsylvania,
father of Rev. W. E. Parson, for many
years pastor of a Lutheran church in the
city of Washington. In 1871 an organ was
bought for $500, and a parsonage on Balti-
more Street for $3,400. Rev. George Par-
son was called to Williamsport in 1875, and
Rev. Daniel Shindler, D. D., a man of su-
perior mental endowments, succeeded as
pastor. Through Dr. Shindler's efforts the
church library was established and the mem-
bership largely increased. In 1883 he re-
signed to accept a charge at Lancaster,
Ohio. St. Mark's Church then called Rev.
George SchoU, D. D., of Baltimore, and he
assumed charge of his pastoral duties Jan-
uary, 1884. In 1885, the parsonage on Bal-
timore Street was sold and a site purchased
on Abbottstown Street, where the present
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
817
parsonage was erected at a cost of $8,000.
The church building during that year was
remodeled and enlarged at a cost of $13,000,
including a large pipe organ, purchased in
Boston. The oriole bell, weighing 2,000
pounds, used at the celebration of the
sesqui-centennial of Baltimore City in 1882,
was purchased by William Grumbine, a
prominent citizen of Hanover and a member
of this church, who presented it to the con-
gregation. This bell with the necessary
appliances has been used as the town clock.
Surrounding the belfry are large dials facing
the four points of the compass. These dials
at night are illuminated by electricity. Rev.
Dr. Scholl in 1887 was elected General Sec-
retary of the Board of Foreign Missions of
the General Synod of the Lutheran Church,
and removed to Baltimore.
In October, 1887, Rev. Charles M. Stock,
D. D., was called to the pastorate of St.
Mark's congregation. He obtained his ed-
ucation in the public schools of Bedford and
Carlisle, at Pennsylvania College and the
Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettys-
burg, where he was graduated in 1878. Dr.
Stock came to Hanover from Bedford where
he had been pastor of a Lutheran congre-
gation for seven years. The membership
of St. Mark's congregation is continually
increasing. There is a flourishing Sunday
School, under the superintendence of Maur-
ice W. Naill. J. E. Bahn, principal of the
Hanover High School, was superintendent
for a number of years.
A set of fifteen tubular chimes, costing
$2,000, was placed in the belfry in 1907.
They were cast at Providence, Rhode
Island, and are played before church ser-
vices every Sunday and Wednesday by the
church organist.
In 1890 Rev. Daniel Shindler, D.
The D., who served eight years as
Third pastor of St. Mark's Church, re-
Lutheran turned to Hanover and began to
conduct religious services in the
town hall in Centre Square. He met with
encouragement and soon organized a con-
gregation which was named the Third
Lutheran Church of Hanover. In 1891 a
church site was purchased on Water Street
and a commodious house of worship erected.
The membership was soon increased to 100,
and a Sunday School was organized. Dr.
Shindler died June 25, 1893. He was suc-
ceeded by Rev. S. E. Herring, and during
his pastorate a parsonage was purchased on
Baltimore Street. The interest in the
church work continued and the congrega-
tion increased in numbers. When Rev. S.
E. Herring removed to York, he was suc-
ceeded by Rev. H. S. Cook for two years.
Under the pastorate of Rev. A. C. Forscht,
during the past four years, the Third Luth-
eran Church has increased its memberhip
to 250. In 1907 the congregation erected a
chapel for the Sunday School.
In 1743 the Reformed people
Emmanuel of this region occupied con-
Reformed, jointly with the Lutherans the
house of worship on the north
side of the McSherrystown road, now known
as Midway. May 5, 1747, the Reformed
people of this community partook of the
Holy Communion at the hands of the pio-
neer Reformed missionary. Rev. Michael
Schlatter, in a school house in Adams
County, where Christ Reformed Church
now stands. They next worshipped, con-
jointly with the Lutherans, in the church
building erected in 1756, east of the Carlisle
turnpike near Hanover. Here at intervals
Rev. Jacob Lischy of York officiated.
When the Reformed people learned of
Richard McAllister's intention to found a
town in 1763, they secured from him ground
for a church, a parsonage, a school house
and graveyard. In 1764 subscriptions
amounting to seventy-eight pounds, were
secured for a chui'ch. Philip Meyer gave
five pounds. Conrad Hoke, Conrad
Starck, John Starck, John Nicholas For-
'ney, Philip Forney, Marks Forney, Adam
Forney, Henry Forney, Michael Carl,
Jacob Slagle, Henry Slagle, George Zach-
arias, George AVinebrenner, Peter Shultz,
Henry Eckert, Conrad Felty, Ludwig
Schriver, Abraham Hull, Adam Eichel-
berger, Richard McAllister, George Motter,
Nicholas Fisher, Nicholas Newman and
others followed with varying sums. Most
of these have descendants in the present
congregation. To the rear of the lot,
known as No. no York Street, a log church
was erected. Only the graveyard remains.
Church Records show that the building was
occupied for worship in 1766. A bell was
imported from Europe at a cost of 62
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
pounds, Colonel Richard McAllister and two
others each contributing three pounds to-
ward it.
For nine years there was no regular pas-
tor. April 28, 1775, the hitherto shepherd-
less flock secured a pastor. Rev. Carl Lud-
wig Boehm. Rev. Boehm was of foreign
birth, had previously served the Reformed
Church at Lancaster, from which place he
was called to Hanover, where he remained
until 1779, resigning to accept a call to Bal-
timore. It was under Pastor Boehm, Oc-
tober I, 1775, that the Reformed people at
Hanover were organized by the election of
the following consistory : David Newman,
Christian Muehlheim, Philip Meyer, elders;
Peter Winebrenner, Jacob Clay and Abra-
ham Hull, deacons. Rev. Boehm also sup-
plied Christ Church and the Abbottstown
and Bermudian congregations. A school
house built of logs adjoined the parsonage
on the east. The parsonage occupied the
site now known as No. 108 York Street, and
No. no York Street marks the site of the
school house. The fact that fifty-eight per-
sons were confirmed by the first pastor, dur-
ing a ministry of less than four years, is an
evidence of his earnestness and zeal and of
the youthful vigor of the Hanover congre-
gation.
Rev. John Christopher Gobrecht, the sec-
ond pastor, was born in Germany, came to
America when a young man of twenty
years, and at the age of thirty-three entered
the ministry. In 1779 he was called from
Lancaster County to Hanover, where he
continued twenty-eight years, when he was
compelled by the infirmities of age, to retire
from active service. He died at Hanover
at the age of eighty-two. His remains rest
in the burial ground belonging to the con-
gregation. Rev. Gobrecht was an ardent
patriot of the Revolution, and a faithful
servant of the church. His field of labor in
the Hanover charge, already large when he
entered it, was increased by the addition of
other congregations. The log church was
displaced by a brick structure. Rev. John
Gobrecht, a son, entered the ministry of the
Reformed Church.
Rev. Charles Helfenstein, son of a minis-
ter of the Reformed Church, became the
third pastor and served for five years. Of
his ministry there is no account in the rec-
ords of the congregation, except the bap-
tisms administered by him. At Hanover,
as throughout his ministry of forty-two
years, he honored his calling by a consist-
ent, devoted life. During the War of 1812,
his love for his country impelled him to
urge men publicly and privately to rally to
the defence of the nation. During his pas-
torate and in 18 10, the first edition in Eng-
lish of the Heidelberg catechism of the Re-
formed Church, was printed at Hanover by
Starck and Lange.
The fourth pastor was Rev. Jacob H.
Wiestling. After serving several congre-
gations in and around Manchester, Mary-
land, for a period of three years, he was
called to Hanover. Because of some diffi-
culty having occurred during his former
pastorate, he stood disconnected from the
synod for some years ; but because of his
social qualities and more than ordinary pul-
pit talent, and notwithstanding the action
of the synod, his congregation retained him.
In 1822, he was received again as a member
of the synod. He died February 25, 1826.
He was buried in the graveyard belonging
to the congregation, whence the body was
removed to Frederick, Maryland. During
Rev. Wiestling's ministry, the first parson-
age was torn down, and a brick building
erected in its place.
In October, 182 1, the first Sunday
First School of Hanover was organized.
Sunday It was a union school with Rev. J.
School. F. Melsheimer, of St. Matthew's
Lutheran Church, as president,
and Rev. J. H. Wiestling as vice-president.
Henry Myers of Emmanuel Church was
treasurer. It was known as the " Hanover
Sunday School Society," and the qualifica-
tions for membership were " signing the
constitution and paying fifty cents a year."
Children and adults were taught in the Eng-
lish or German language, as requested.
Those who from .poverty could not provide
books for themselves were furnished with
the same by the society. The school met
with strong opposition and had a checkered
history, holding its sessions in the home of
a Mr. Conn, then in the Reformed Church,
then in the Lutheran Church, in a school
house and in a room rented from a Miss
Danner. In August. 1845, the Reformed
members organized their school and met in
their church, and the Lutherans held their
own school.
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
819
May -28, 1826, Frederick W. Bindemau
tendered his services to the Reformed peo-
ple, which were accepted; but in less than a
3^ear he was expelled from pulpit and par-
sonage.
February 19, 1S28, the Rev. Samuel Gute-
lius became pastor, and continued till June
19, 1837, when he resigned on account of
ill health. He was the first pastor who
preached in the English language in Han-
over. Few men of the Reformed Church
were more favorably or extensively known
than he. Throughout his ministry here as
in the other seven fields in which he labored,
through a period of forty-four years, he
manifested fidelity and energy, and enjoyed
the confidence and esteem of the church.
The next twenty-two years marks the
pastorate of Rev. Jacob Sechler, who closed
his labors at Hanover March i, 1859. After
liis resignation, the Hanover charge, then
consisting of four congregations, was
■divided into two charges, namely Hanover
and Littlestown. Rev. Sechler became
pastor of the latter. During the latter part
•of Rev. Sechler's ministry at Hanover, the
second church was torn down, the old site
abandoned, and the third church built on
Abbottstown Street, near the centre of the
town. The dedication of the building oc-
curred May 26, 1856.
Rev. William K. Zieber, D. D., became
the eighth pastor of the congregation,
taking charge August i, 1859, and con-
tinuing his labors till May i, 1882, when he
retired from the active ministry. He after-
■ward served the church officially as stated
clerk of the newly constituted Gettysburg
Classis, to which the Hanover charge be-
longs. At first Rev. Zieber served t>vo con-
gregations ; the one in town and the other
in the country seven miles distant. B}'
action of Classis, May, 1866, the country
-congregation was discontinued and the
Hanover church, for the first time since its
foundation, a period of 100 years, was con-
stituted a charge by itself. In 1877 the
■church building w^as thoroughly renewed in
the interior and handsomely furnished.
During his ministry the services gradually
■came to be prevailingly English, there be-
ing but one German service a month at the
close of his pastorate.
Dr. Zieber's pastorate embraced the con-
troversial period of the Reformed Church
as a denomination. His own congregation,
naturally, was exposed to the tide of un-
churchly emotionalism and religious senti-
mentalism which ignored the efficacy of the
Sacraments and the divine factors in the
constitution of the church. Dr. Zieber took
a position, and laid the foundations of the
strong church life that has ever since char-
acterized the congregation.
Rev. John C. Bowman, D. D., then serv-
ing a congregation in Shepherdstown, West
Virginia, was called to the pastorate De-
cember I, 1882, and conducted services ex-
clusively in the English language. Under
his pastorate the liturgy was introduced.
At the annual meeting of Gettysburg Clas-
sis, May, 1883, at the suggestion of the
pastor of the Hanover Church, a committee
was appointed to take preliminary steps
toward organizing a second Reformed
Church in Hanover. This movement re-
sulted in the founding of Trinity Reformed
Church before the close of the year. The
first church contributed to the second all of
its German membership, together with a
few others (seventy-five in all), and also a
liberal amount of money toward the erec-
tion of church buildings. In 1890 Rev. Dr.
Bowman became deeply interested in rais-
ing money for the Reformed Theological
Seminary at Lancaster. He was appointed
financial agent for that institution. He
succeeded so well in the performance of this
duty that his efforts resulted in raising suf-
ficient money for the erection of a hand-
some seminary building. Some of the
largest contributors toward this fund were
resident members of Emmanuel Reformed
Church at Hanover. In recognition of his
success and his ability as a theologian. Dr.
Bowman was called to the chair of New
Testament Exegesis in this institution.
Rev. George B. Resser, of Franklin
County, then pastor of St. John's Reformed
Church in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was
called to this church, and began his pastor-
ate January i, 1891. He obtained his edu-
cation at Mercersburg Academy, Franklin
and Marshall College, and was graduated
from the Reformed Theological Seminary
at Lancaster. He possessed all the qualifi-
cations required for a successful preacher
and pastor. Besides being ' a diligent
student he had a fine intellect and was an
excellent speaker. He was devoted to this
820
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
church and had all those rare qualities of
mind and heart that endeared him to all his
people.
Emmanuel Reformed congregation pros-
pered under his ministry for a period of ten
years. The seating accommodation of the
church was not sufficient for the growing
congregation and the pastor was one of the
first to start the movement for the erection
of a large church of modern architecture.
While the building was in course of con-
struction, Mr. Resser took an active interest
in the work that was being done. One day
while ascending to the roof of the church in
order to observe the plumbing of the wall,
he made a misstep and fell a distance of
fifty feet to the pavement below. This
accident caused his immediate death, April
i6, 1901. Before this sad event, however,
the erection of the church had been nearly
completed. The corner stone of the chapel
adjoining the rear of the church was laid
August 6, 1899; Rev. Frederick C. Seitz
delivered the address. The chapel was
dedicated July 8, 1900. The corner stone of
the church was laid November 18, 1900,
Rev. H. H. Apple, of Trinity Church, York,
delivering the sermon.
Rev. Frederick C. Seitz was installed as
pastor December 4, 1901, and served until
October, 1904. During his pastorate, under
the building committee, composed of
George N. Forney, president ; Paul Wine-
brenner, treasurer; John C. Tanger, secre-
tary; Samuel E. Trone, Solomon Hoke, Ja-
cob D. Zehring, Robert M. Wirt, Jacob H.
Schriver and Rev. F. C Seitz, the church
was completed. It was dedicated Septem-
ber 19. 1904, the sermon being delivered by
Rev. Lewis Robb, of Altoona, Pennsyl-
vania. This handsome church edifice,
erected from a design prepared by J. A.
Dempwolf, of York, and completed under
his direct supervision, is of Gothic archi-
tecture. The front wall is built of Avon-
dale marble obtained from quarries near
Philadelphia. This part of the structure
presents an attractive appearance. The in-
terior of the church is beautiful in design
with a clere story built in the shape of a
cross. The sanctuary is separated from the
nave by a rood screen of quartered oak. An
ambulatory on each side of the chancel con-
nects the nave and transept of the church
with the chapel. The pulpit, which is hand-
some and designed in memory of Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Myers, is constructed of quar-
tered oak. The exceptionally beautiful
marble altar was made by Tiffany, New
York, and purchased by Miss Mary Forney
and sisters as a memorial to their parents.
Memorial windows are in memory of
J. Wesley Myers and daughter; in memory
of Rev. John Gobrecht, by his great-grand-
daughters, and by the Ladies' Mite Society
of all the pastors of the congregation.
Other smaller memorial windows were
placed by different members of the congre-
gation and organizations. The entire cost
of the edifice was $70,000, whose interior is
perhaps the handsomest in the Reformed
Church.
This congregation has furnished a num-
ber of young men for the ministry in the
Reformed Church. Those of recent years
are Ambrose M. Schmidt, Robert Lee Bair,
Charles Edward Myers, J. William Zehring
and Irvin S. Ditzler. Emmanuel Reformed
Church is justly considered one of the most
vigorous and active congregations of the
synod. Its members liberally support the
literar}^ and benevolent institutions of the
church. The regular contributions for
benevolence, apart from special gifts and
congregational purposes, during the past
ten years amounted to almost $15,000. In
1906 the congregation contributed for
benevolence $1,550, for current expenses,
$4,200, and for church building, $5,000. A
congregational library endowed by Elder
Henry Wirt in 1892, now contains almost
2,000 choice volumes and is especially rich
in historical works. The present pastor,
Rev. Ellis S. Hay, was educated at Franklin
and Marshall College and the Theological
Seminary at Lancaster, graduating in 1894.
He began his ministry in this congregation
January i, 1905, coming from Roanoke,
Virginia, where he was pastor for six years.
Trinity Reformed congrega-
Trinity tion was organized January 4,
Reformed. 1884, with a membership of
125. Of the number, seventy-
five were memlaers of Emmanuel Reformed
Church, of Hanover, who joined the new
organization. The first elders were Dr. O.
T. Everhart, Abraham Baker and Jonas
Rebert; the first deacons were William
Hoke and Jacob Siegfried. The congre-
gation unanimously called as pastor. Rev.
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
821
Henry Hilbish, who, at the time, was pastor
of se\'eral congregations surrounding Han-
over. His charge was reconstructed when
he accepted the pastorship of Trinity
Church, and he still continued to preach for
two other congregations, viz. : Sherman's
and Bartholomew's. Trinity congregation
worshiped for a time in the United Brethren
Chapel, of Abbottstown Street. A build-
ing committee, composed of Samuel
Swartz, A. Baker, and Charles Bowman,
was appointed and a lot on York Street was
purchased of Peter Flickinger, for $1,800.
The corner stone of the church was laid on
Whit Monday, 1884. The chapel was
dedicated October 19, of the same year,
by Rev. Clever, of Baltimore, and Rev. Dr.
Santee, of Cavetown^ Md.
The church, which cost $15,000, was
dedicated November 22, 1885, Rev. J- H.
A. Bomberger, D. D., President of Ursinus
College, officiating. In November, 1893,
an annex to the chapel was built and dedi-
cated. Rev. Hilbish was succeeded as pas-
tor of the congregation, in 1889, by Rev.
Joseph D. Peters. He remained until 1895.
During this year, when Rev. M. J. Roth be-
came pastor of the congregation, it had 375
members. Through his energ}- and enter-
prise, in April, 1901, the entire debt of
$6,000 on the church was paid, and the
event was celebrated by a jubilee service,
which was largely attended. In 1903, an
Estey pipe organ, costing $2,800, was pur-
chased and dedicated December 13 of that
year, and the Sunday School room was re-
modeled.
In 1904 they purchased a house adjoining
the church, and remodeled it for a parson-
age. The entire cost of this property was
$5,000. In 1905 the audience room of the
church was handsomely frescoed. During
that year, the church membership num-
bered 720, and the Sunday School had a
membership of 650. J. Edwin Hartman,
Adam C. Renoll, Charles Hartman and
Dallas R. Krebs were members of this con-
gregation, and after graduating at college
and seminary, have entered the ministry of
the Reformed Church, during the pastorate
of Rev. M. T. Roth.
In the fall of 1906 Rev. S. P.
Grace jNI auger, of New Oxford, moved
Church, to Hanover and organized a Re-
formed congregation, composed
largely of members from Trinitj- Church.
' In the spring of 1907 a convenient church
building was erected on Franklin Street,
west of the railroad. Religious services
and the Sunday School were first conducted
in a school house until Grace Church was
completed and dedicated.
Rev. James Reed, in the year
Methodist 1808, first preached the doc-
Church, trines of Wesleyan Methodism
in Hanover, holding services in
a log house on Frederick Street, owned by
Richard Chester. He preached once a
month for nearly a year, when the services
were discontinued, and Methodist preach-
ing was not again regularly heard in Han-
over until 1825. In that year a young man
from Hagerstown, Maryland, visited Han-
over and arranged for services. The first
minister who came was Rev. Kennerly, an
eloquent speaker. In December, 1825, a
school house that stood at the southwest
corner of Carlisle and Railroad Streets, was
used. Shortly after, a school house on
Frederick Street was rented from Mrs. Ritz,
where services were held for five years. In
1827, Hanover was placed in the Gettys-
burg Circuit under Revs. Samuel Clark and
George Hildt, and in September of that
year the first class was formed of fqur mem-
bers. By the end of 1827, the class had
doubled its membership. Class meetings
were held at the house of Abraham Lam-
mott, on Baltimore Street, and afterward at
the house of Alexander Mcllvane, on York
Street. In 1827-29 Revs. A¥. O. Lumsdon,
T. H. W. Monroe and J. H. Brown were
circuit preachers; in 1829-30 Revs. Samuel
Kepler and John C. Lyon, and in 1830-31
Revs. J. Monroe, R. Clark and Wesley
Howe. In 1829 a lot on Baltimore Street
was bought for. $60, from George Himes.
A brick church was built at a cost of about
$1,000, and was dedicated November 27
and 28, 1830, Rev. Monroe officiating. In
1859 Hanover was made a station. In 1863
AVilliam AVirt presented to the congrega-
tion a lot of ground on Frederick Street,
and in the spring of 1864 the erection of a
new church was commenced thereon, which
was dedicated June 11, 1865. The old
church on Baltimore Street was sold to St.
Joseph's Catholic congregation. In 1867
the church at New Oxford was added to
this station. The following is a list of the
822
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
names of the ministers in charge since 1864:
Revs. A. W. Guyer, T. C. Stevens, W. A.
Houck, J. A. Ross,"F. Gearhart, J. A.
Dixon, A\'. H. Keith, Milton Frost, A. W.
Miller, A. F. Gibson, \\'illiam McKendree
Reily, J. C. McCord, \\'. H. Hesser, Charles
T. Demming, Horace Lincoln Jacobs, Alex-
ander Lamberson, P. F. Eyer, J. Emory
Weeks, and Norman D. Smith.
The congregation in its early history in-
creased in membership slowly. After the
church on Frederick Street had been built,
in 1864, the congregation began to prosper.
In 1903, the building was renovated; the
old pews in the auditorium were removed
and comfortable new ones took their places ;
the floors were carpeted. The Sunday
School room on the first floor was enlarged
and supplied with modern improvements.
The cost of the improvements was $1,600.
This work was done under the pastorate of
Rev. J. Emory Weeks. The congregation
in 1907, under the pastorate of Rev. Nor-
man D. Smith, had 230 members. There is
a flourishing Sunday School connected
with this church. A Bible class, taught by
Dr. Charles Wagner, contains 100 members.
Members of the Catholic faith
St. Joseph's M^ere among the first to settle in
Church. Hanover and vicinity, coming
here as early as 1729. In 1735
they were visited by traveling missionaries.
Shortly after this date, the Conewago
Chapel, the mother of all the Catholic
Churches west of the Susquehanna, was
founded. It is situated four miles north-
west of Hanover. In this historic church
all the early Catholics of Hanover and many
miles around worshiped. In 1795, on the
Seminary Farm, at the foot of Pigeon
Hills, the first Catholic Preparatory Semi-
nary was founded by Father Nagot. The
school continued to exist until the year
1809, when its doors were closed and the
students transferred to Mt. St. Mary's Col-
lege, at Emmittsburg.
Between 1820 and 1830 the first mass, of
which there is any record, was celebrated in
Hanover by Rev. Father DeBarth, from
Conewago Chapel, a shop being used as a
place of worship. Father DeBarth ex-
changed Conewago for Baltimore in 1828,
and no traces are left of any service untit
1853, when Rev. Father Cotting gathered
the Catholic cliildren for an occasional in-
struction in catechism. With the removal
of Father Cotting from the chapel, the in-
structions ceased. An entire decade passed
away, till Rev. Peter Dompieri, in 1863,
made a successful attempt. The holy sacri-
fice of the mass was once more offered up,
about thirty persons being in attendance.
The place of worship was in the dwelling
of the late Jacob Hilt, on Carlisle Street,
later the property of Charles J. Delone,
Esq. His zeal and untiring efforts' estab-
lished a regular weekly divine service, held
on Wednesday. The room, changed into a
chapel, did not meet the wants of the grow-
ing membership, and the following year the
Methodist Church on Baltimore Street was
purchased for $900. After the proper re-
pairs to the building, the Wednesday ser-
vice was increased by mass and sermon
twice a month, on Sundays. In 1868 the
church was enlarged by an addition of
40x35 feet at a cost of $2,145. The old
church served also as a school room. The
school had nearly 100 children, taught by
Miss Alice Delone. A cupola was built
and a bell of 1,834 pounds, costing $945,
was placed in it. It was then the largest
bell in Hanover.
After seven summers had passed, the new
structure which had been completed by
Rev. Father Manns, proved to be too small
for the growth of the Catholic population.
Adjoining lots were secured, with a two-
story brick building, which was remodeled
for school purposes and a dwelling for the
teachers. A draft was made for a new tem-
ple, the limits were staked off in the spring
of 1877, and in October following the cor-
ner stone was laid in the presence of several
thousand people. Rev. Joseph Enders, of
Conewago Chapel, presided on the occa-
sion, having been the chief promoter of the
new edifice. The work lay dormant till
May, 1878, when it was plied in earnest and
with vigor. The church was consecrated
November i, 1880. The entire expense,
together with the tower, steeple and stained
glass windows, was $20,000.
Rev. John B. Emig, a noted theologian
and one of the foremost clergymen of the
Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, became
the pastor in September, 1877. He was the
first priest to reside in Hanover. To him
is due the completion of the new church
and he was, not\\'ithstanding his age at the
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
823
time, full of zeal and activity in building up
the parish at Hanover. Father Emig had
the old church remodeled and fitted up for
school purposes. At the time of dedication
the church was clear of debt. The building
committee were Dr. J. P. Smith, William H.
Overbaugh, Joseph AltholT, Joseph Delone,
Ambrose Schmidt, John Klunk and Joseph
Brockley.
Father Emig died at Hanover, December
10, 1889. He was born in Bernsheim, Ger-
many, July 26, 1808, came to America in
1832, was prepared for priesthood at Fred-
erick, Maryland, and was ordained March
12, 1839. He instituted St. Joseph's Bene-
ficial Society in 1882.
Rev. J. C. Foin was appointed the suc-
cessor to Father Emig in 1889, and the
same year began the erection of a pastoral
residence, which at present serves as a con-
vent for the Sisters of St. Joseph. In 1893,
a new school building and hall was erected
on the site of the original church and school
building, and was completed at a cost of
$5,000. In 1896, he built upon the site of
the old convent or Sisters' house, adjoining
the church, the present rectory, at a cost of
$4,500.
The parochial school connected with the
parish is entirely supported from the church
fund. During the past thirty years, the
congregation has increased from eighty to
two hundred families. In 1903 Father
Foin was appointed to a parish at Danville,
Pennsylvania, when he was succeeded by
Rev. James Huber.
In 1905 a beautiful and artistic
St. house of worship was erected
Vincent's, in Midway, the northwestern
part of Hanover. It was dedi-
cated by the Bishop of Harrisburg, in De-
cember, 1905, as St. Vincent's Catholic
Church. The church edifice is one of the
most ornamental in the diocese. The con-
gregation, under the pastoral care of
Father Welch, contains about one hundred
families.
This church was built as a memorial to
Vincent O'Bold, by his sister, Mrs. Ga-
briella Smith, and cost $45,000. The erec-
tion of the building was superintended by
C. J. Delone.
Martin Lohr moved to Hanover
U. B. in 1829. At his residence on
Church. York Street there was occasional .
preaching by visiting ministers, and as
early as 1832 Rev. Jacob Erb preached
at regular intervals. His successors
kept up this plan until 1847, when a
church for regular worship was erected on
Abbottstown Street. The land was bought
from Abraham Rudisill, and the deed given
February 6, 1847. The building committee
was composed of Martin Lohr, Simon
Bishop and George N. Stauffer. The
church was dedicated October 24, 1847, the
officiating clergymen being Bishop John
Russel, Revs. George Miller, John Fohl,
Samuel Enterline and Jacob C. Smith. The
services were continued for eight days in
the English and German languages. The
plan then adopted for immediate services
was the following: Rev. John Fohl every
four weeks to commence November 6, in
the evening in the English language ; Rev.
Samuel Enterline to commence November
20, in the evening in the German language.
Rev. Martin Lohr, who was the chief
supporter of this church during its early
history, possessed strong mental powers
and great kindness of heart. As a citizen
of Hanover, he was highly honored and
esteemed. He was an able preacher and a
logical expounder of the Scriptures. He
was a director of the Hanover Saving Fund
Society for many years.
A destructive conflagration in the year
1878 broke out in an alley to the rear of
the church and in its course reached Ab-
bottstown Street, and the church which had
been erected in 1847 was destroyed. Mrs.
Christiana Lohr, widow of the founder of
the church, a woman of piety and benevo-
lence, erected and paid for the present
structure, which was dedicated July, 1879.
Bishop Glossbrenner ofificiated. Rev. C. T.
Stearn, the presiding elder; Rev. J. R.
Hutchison, the pastor: and Rev. Dr. Eberly
assisted.
The following is a list of ministers who
have served from the year 1847: Samuel
Enterline, John Fohl, A^'illiam B. Raber,
George AA^ Showman, AA'illiam ]\Iiller,
Thomas F. Hallowell, Samuel L. Minnick,
Jacob Gideon Schaff, Alexander Tripner,
Daniel Eberly, I. C. AA^eidler, Thomas F.
Bushong, H. A. Schlichter, John H. Young,
J. T. Shaffer, AA'. Owen, Alexander Tripner,
"R. H. AA'hitlock, Joseph R. Hutchison, G.
AV. Kiracofe, AA". O. Grim, J. L. Nicholas,
824
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
W. J. Beamer, Lewis Kohr, John E. Kleff-
man. Rev. Lewis Kohr was pastor of the
congregation from 1893 to 1905, when he
was succeeded by Rev. J. P. Koontz. In
1902 the trustees, Rev. Lewis Kohr, David
Newcomer, Noah Sterner, John Low and
Rev. Dr. Eberly, purchased a lot at Middle
and Locust Streets as a site for a new
church large enough to accommodate the
increasing membership of the congregation
and Sunday School. In 1904 the Sunday
School purchased an adjoining site for a
parsonage. In 1907 Hanover Circuit com-
prised four churches, Hanover, Barts,
^^'entz's and' Bixler's. Hanover Church
will soon foi^m a separate station.
Near the north end. of Abbotts-
Mennonite Street, Hanover, stands the
Church. neat, plain and comfortable
]\Iennonite Church, which was
built in 1881. at a cost of $2,500. It is con-
nected with Bair's Meeting House in Heid-
elberg Township, and Hostetter's Meeting
House in Adams County. All the members
who worship in the three houses mentioned
form a congregation of about 200 families.
Early ministers were Samuel Myers and
Jacob Hostetter, Sr. The services are con-
ducted in English and German. The com-
mittee who superintended the building of
the Hanover church were David Forry,
Samuel Witmer and Jacob Fry. The elders
were Samuel Grove and Samuel Forry.
This religious denomination does not have
a dedicatory service. AVhen a house oi
worship is completed it is at once used.
The first services in no way differ from the
other regular services. In 1883 a Sunday
School was organized. The pastors of the
three churches mentioned at that time were
Daniel Stump and Martin Whisler.
The German Baptist Church of
German Hanover was built in the year
Baptist 1898. upon a lot presented to the
Church, congregation by H. N. Gitt and
William P. Stine. The con-
gregation erected a comfortable one-
story building lighted by electricity. For
a period of three years Rev. Benjamin
F. Masterson, one of the foremost preach-
ers of the denomination, was pastor
of this congregation, and in 1904 re-
moved to California. The membership
has regularly increased since its organiza-
tion, and a flourishing Sunday School is
supported. The pastors in 1907 were John
Utz and David Baker.
In 1881 Rev. S. P. Fugette, a
St. George's clergyman of the Episcopal
Church. Church, began religious ser-
vices in Hanover under the
direction of Bishop Howe of the Diocese of
Central Pennsylvania. He continued for a
period of two years and then removed to
Baltimore. In 1899 Rev. Robert F. Gibson
of York, under the direction of Bishop Tal-
bot, started the work in the United Breth-
ren Church. He continued to hold services
in Hanover for two years, and then was
called to the rectorship of a church at Steel-
ton. In February, 1907, the Episcopalians of
Hanover were organized into St. George's
Episcopal Church under Bishop Darlington
of the Diocese of Harrisburg. H. D. Shep-
pard, Hanson Robinson, Luther P. Horn,
John Greenaway, Charles E. Bowles and
Charles E. Shultz composed the first vestry.
This congregation is under the care of Rev.
Mr. True who is also rector of the church
of the Prince of Peace at Gettysburg.
The United Evangelical con-
United gregation of Hanover was
Evangelical, organized in 1904, and a con-
venient house of worship
erected on Spring Avenue. This church for
several years has been under the pastoral
care of Rev. W. E. Detweiler who has
served as presiding elder of the Conference.
SCHOOLS.
The pioneer schools in Hanover and
vicinity were conducted under the auspices
of the churches, and the instruction at first
was largely given in the German language.
A school of this kind stood near the site of
the original Lutheran Church. In 1777, the
Reformed congregation built a parochial
school house on York Street near the site of
Trinity Church, where the building stood
for no years. This school was not secta-
rian. In 1810, it was discontinued and the
building sold in 1825, and afterwards used
as a machine shop.
John McLaughlin, a good-
Early natured jovial Scotch-Irishman,
Schools, was one of the early teachers,
who taught an English school.
He began about 1800. In 1816, McLaugh-
lin's school was called "an old established
institution." He taup'ht his first school in a
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
825
log building on York Street on the site of
the residence of Daniel Flickinger, who was
one of his pupils. Master McLaughlin re-
lated with zest many amusing stories, in
which he figured as the hero. In 1818, he
published at Hanover a little book intended
for the use of teachers of mathematical
studies. He also published a speller about
the same time.
In 1825, Seth Forrest opened a private
school on Frederick Street. Samuel Martin,
in 1828, opened a school in which he taught
English grammar and the Greek and Latin
classics. In the spring of the same year,
Frederick Bogan introduced the study of
English grammar and the Greek and Latin
languages in his school which he taught for
several years. M. Corr opened a school in
the house of Luther H. Skinner on York
Street, in August, 1828, where he taught
the regular branches and also "practical and
rational arithmetic," English grammar and
algebra. This building was later owned by
Mrs. Louisa A. Grove. George W. Stouf-
fer succeeded McLaughlin in conducting
the English school. One of the leading
schools in early days stood at the southwest
corner of Carlisle Street and Park Avenue.
Luther H. Skinner, a native of New
England, came to Hanover, early last cen-
tury, and introduced improved methods of
teaching the English branches. He mar-
ried a daughter of Colonel Henry Slagle
and became one of the leading citizens
of the borough. Mr. Skinner conducted a
private school for a period of ten years. He
also organized and drilled a military com-
pany known as the Warren Greys.
A few German private schools were
started after i830,but they declined forwant
of patronage. This was doubtless caused
by the fact that though the Germans were
jealous of the English language as shown
by their opposition to the introduction of
English preaching, they were yet sensible
that the English was the favored language,
and that the prospects of their children
would be bettered by a knowledge of the
ruling tongue.
In 1844, George Van de Linde opened a
school in which he taught the modern lan-
guages, the ancient classics and painting.
Matthias E. Trone opened a private school
in the "academy," where he taught the
English branches, mensuration, trigonom-
etry, geometry, surveying and algebra.
Thomas W. Wiggins started a select
school on Baltimore Street. Lucian F.
Melsheime'r taught a school in the female
department of the academy. Peter R. Riley,
afterward prominent as a Reformed clergy-
man opened a "select school in Eli Spren-
kle's new building on York Street." Be-
sides giving instruction in the English
branches, he taught the Latin, Greek and
French languages. Mr. Riley gave as refer-
ences Rev. Jacob Sechler, Jacob Forney,
Jacob Young, Dr. J. C. Culbertson, Dr.
Goldsborough and M. E. Trone. Private
academies were also taught by Rev. Henry
S. Koons, Charles A. Hay, Jr., L. R.
Baugher and M. O. Smith. A. M. Trimmer
taught a commercial school.
When the common school ques-
Public tion came up for decision, there
Schools, were many in Hanover who op-
posed it. Henry Wirt, Sr., and
Luther H. Skinner were the delegates to
the first con\'ention at York, to decide
whether Hanover should accept the new
system created by the act of legislature,
passed 1834; both voted in favor of it, and
the new system was put into operation in
1836. George W. Stouffer and Dr. Smith
taught the first public schools, one in the
Reformed school house on York Street, and
the other in a building on the same street,
on a lot on which G. H. Shirk built a resi-
dence. In 1847-49, a lot was bought on
Carlisle Street, and a two-story brick school
house built thereon, the children having the
whole Public Common for a playground.
This building is now owned by Reuben
Young and serves him as a private office.
George Young and Rev. Martin Lohr were
the building committee in charge of the
erection of the first public school building,
known as the "Academy." The two
schools held in this building were taught
at different times by Nathan U. Buckley,
Matthias N. Trone, George W. Gist and J.
Wicker.
AVhen the railroad was built to Hanover
in 1852, it was found necessary to change
the position of the public school building,
which then stood near the original railroad
station. During that year, the school board
purchased from John Barnitz, a lot situated
between /\bbottstown and York Streets, for
the sum of $800. Upon this site the school
826
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
board composed of A\'illiam Bange, presi-
dent; Jesse Frysinger, secretary; Dr. John
Swope, John Grove, Henry C. Schriver and
Peter Flickinger, erected a two-story brick
building, containing four rooms, at a cost of
$4,000. Two rooms were added at a later
period. This building was the only school
liouse in the town owned by the board of
education until the High Street building
was constructed in 1885. Meantime an ad-
ditional building for two schools had been
rented for school purposes.
In 1885, the board of education
High composed of Henry Wirt, Wash-
School, ington Bair, William Heltzel, Wil-
liam A. Slagle, Charles Trone, AVil-
liam Albright, D. D. Ehrhart and William
F. Stair purchased a one acre lot on High
Street, for $2,000 from Cornelius Young.
Upon this site a handsome and commodious
two-story brick building was erected at a
cost of $17,000. This building was con-
structed from a design made by architect J.
A. Dempwolf, of York, and under the super-
intendence of W. A. Slagle, contractor.
The building was equipped with improved
school furniture and apparatus. A course
of study, including a curriculum for a High
School had been adopted in 1884, when a
class of five students received diplomas at
graduating exercises. The present High
School was founded in 1893, when nine
young ladies and gentlemen were grad-
uated as the first class. William L. Hoff-
heins was the principal.
This institution occupied the second floor
of the High Street building from 1893 until
1900. In 1891, a lot containing nearly two
acres was purchased on Hanover Street.
During that year, a two-story brick build-
ing, containing six rooms, was erected,
under the direction of the school board
composed of Dr. J. H. Hartman, president;
D. D. Ehrhart, secretary; E. H. Hostetter,
treasurer; L. P. Brockley, C. J. Gitt, L. V.
Keller, W. P. Young and E. E. Wentz.
John Coulson & Brother were the architects
and contractors.
In 1897, Captain A. W. Eichelberger, an
enterprising and public spirited citizen of
Hanover, at his own expense, erected a
modern school building on an elevation at
the northwestern part of the town. It was
built from a design prepared by Reinhardt
Dempwolf of York, and was constructed of
brick, the frame work being a fine quality"
of wood. For a period of two years, this
building was known as Eichelberg Acad-
emy, an institution to prepare young ladies
and gentlemen for college. Surrounding
the building is a campus containing four
acres. In 1900 Captain Eichelberger pre-
sented this building and the grounds to the
borough of Hanover for use as a public
High School. In recognition of his gener-
osity this institution has since been known
as Eichelberger High School of Hanover.
The school board, who received this gift
from the generous donor was composed of
the following named gentlemen : H. E.
Young, president; O. T. Everhart, secre-
tary; W. A. Little, treasurer; H. W. Bow-
man, C. E. Althofif, E. G. Eckert, H. A.
Haas, A. H. Melhorn.
In 1904, the old school building near Ab-
bottstown Street, was torn down, and on
the same site a large two-story building was
erected at a cost of $30,000. This school
building contains the best modern equip-
ments, school apparatus and school furni-
ture. It was built from a design made by
Martin Moul of Hanover, and constructed
by John Coulson & Brother. This build-
ing contains eight large and commodious
rooms. The board at the time of its erec-
tion was composed of Dr. H. M. Alleman,
president; George N. Gitt, secretary; Dr.
T. H. Bittinger, treasurer; George T. Kerr,
Dr. A. C. Wentz, Dr. M. M. Fleagle,
Edward Egger and E. H. Hostetter.
Since the public schools were graded and
a course of study adopted, they have been
conducted under the direction of a super-
vising principal. The names of these per-
sons in order of succession are as follows :
George R. Prowell, Z. T. Meixel, C. W.
Corbin, George R. Prowell, J. A. Harbaugh,
T. F. Crostwaite and Joseph C. Carey.
The faculty of the High School in 1907 is
composed of J. E. Bahn, William L. Hoff-
heins, Emory R. Wolf, Miss S. B. Boaden-
hamer and Miss Mary C. Light.
The High School Alumni Association
was organized in 1896 with M. W". Naill as
president, who has since held that of^ce.
The annual reunion and reception of the as-
sociation is held the evening following the
commencement exercises in June of each
year. More than 300 members are en-
rolled.
EICHELBERCEK HICH SCMOOL
EMMANUEL REEORMED CHURCH
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
27
BANKS.
The Hanover Saving Fund Society, the
second oldest banking institution in York
County, was estabhshed in 1835. A charter
was granted April 14. the cash capital being
$10,000, with the privilege of increasing to
$50,000.
The commissioners vnider the charter
were Benjamin Welsh, W. D. Gobrecht,
Charles E. Creamer. Daniel Barnitz, Dr.
Henry C. \\'ampler and Matthias N.
Forney.
The first election was held July i. 1835,
and resulted in the choice of Jacob Eichel-
berger, Jacob Forry, Martin Klunk. D. P.
Lange Jacob Young, John Sholl, Jacob
Newman, Dr. H. C. Wampler and W. D.
Gobrecht as directors. The board organized
with Jacob Eichelberger as president. F. E.
Metzger secretary, and Matthias N. Forney,
treasurer.
The presidents of the institution in order
of succession have been Jacob Eichelberger,
Jacob Wirt, Henry Wirt, R. A. Eichelberger
and R. M. Wirt, the last-named having
served since 1885.
The treasurers in order of succession
have been Matthias N. Forney. F. E. Metz-
ger, Matthias N. Trone. R. A. Eichelberger,
J. N. Slagle, and Paul Winebrenner, Mr.
Slagle having served the institution for a
period of over thirty-five years. Mr. Wine-
brenner entered the employ of the bank in
1885, and was the first assistant treasurer to
serve the institution, being appointed as
such in 1889, and filling this position until
1902 when he was appointed treasurer.
The bank opened for business in the
Newman building on the north side of Fred-
erick Street adjoining the Central Hotel
property. A short time later they rented a
building on the east side of Carlisle Street,
on the site now occupied by the City Drug
Store, where they remained until 1878 when
the present site was purchased and a bank-
ing house erected at a cost of $11,280.
This institution has enjoyed a continuous
era of prosperity from the time of its organ-
ization. Since the year 1885 and up to 1907
the bank has paid to its stockholders in
dividends $192,000. In addition to divi-
dends paid since 1885 it has earned and car-
ried to surplus account $235,628, making
the surplus at this time five times its capital.
The par value of the stock is $10 per
share with a ready market value of $80 per
share. The bank pays thirty per cent, per
annum to its stockholders on the par value
of its stock.
In addition to the above showing, from
November 1905 to May 1907 this institution
set aside out of earnings $75,000 toward the
erection of its imposing new banking house
on the east side of Carlisle Street, at an ap-
proximate cost of $100,000. This new
structure is one of the finest banking houses
in this country, having a frontage of fifty
feet, with a depth of 100 feet, and fifty-six
feet high. It is constructed of Barre Ver-
mont granite. The interior is mahogany
with American Pavanaza marble wains-
coating, double vaults, private booths,
ladies' waiting room, public toilets and
every convenience for a large banking
house.
The new building was erected under the
following management : R. M. Wirt, presi-
dent ; Reuben Young, vice president ; Paul
Winebrenner, treasurer; directors, L. P.
Brockley, J. J. Conrad, A. R. Brodbeck,
C. E. Moul, J. U. Ruff, J. J. Schmidt, Daniel
Stump.
The building committee was composed of
the president and the following directors :
J. J. Schmidt, chairman; C. E. Moul, Paul
Winebrenner, J. J. Conrad.
An act of Congress was passed
First in 1863 for the purpose of estab-
National. fishing national banks through-
out the loyal states of the Union.
This was during the period of the Civil
War. November 20, of that year, a number
of prominent citizens of Hanover met for
the purpose of establishing a new institution.
There were eleven stockholders present.
Jacob Forney was chosen chairman of the
meeting and Henry M. Schmuck, secretary.
The bank was started with a capital stock
of $50,000. At a meeting held November
25, Jacob Forney was elected president, and
F. E. Metzger, secretary. The first board
of directors was composed of the following:
Jacob Forney, Henry M. Schmuck. Stephen
Keefer, Henry Eichelberger. Dr. J. P.
Smith. David Slagle. George D. Klinefelter,
F. E. Metzger and John Grove.
Having been fully organized, the bank
began business in January, 1864, in the
Metzger building, Broadway and York
828
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Street. The bank was moved to the Bar-
nitz property on Broadway. In 1876, a site
was purchased at the southeast angle of the
Square, and a three-story building erected
with an iron front. The first story of this
building is used by the bank, the second
story by the Arcadian Club, and the third
by the Grand Army of the Republic. F. E.
Metzger resigned the position of cashier in
1866, and was succeeded by J. H. Aulabaugh,
who continued two years, when Stephen
Keefer succeeded and held the position
until 1873. C. W. Forney was cashier dur-
ing the succeeding three years when John
H. Alleman was elected. In 1874, the capi-
tal stock was increased to $100,000, and in
1875, to $200,000. Jacob Forney retired
from the presidency of the bank in 1875 ^"d
Dr. J. P. Smith was elected. He was suc-
ceeded by Henry M. Schmuck, elected
January, 1881. The board of directors at
this time were: Henry M. Schmuck, presi-
dent; Vincent O'Bold, A. S. Himes, George
D. Gitt, A. J. Snively, G. H. Shirk, Andrew
Rudisill, John Krug and Samuel Basehore.
Mr. Schmuck retired from the presidency
in 1889, when Vincent O'Bold was chosen
his successor. J. D. Zouck was elected
president January, 1899. The First Na-
tional Bank of Hanover is one of the promi-
nent financial institutions of York County.
H. E. Hoke was elected cashier in 1899 and
has since held that position. The board of
directors in 1907 was composed of J. D.
Zouck, George D. Gitt, William H. Over-
baugh. G. H. Shirk, John Krug, J. H.
Brough, A. W. Himes, J. H. Schmuck and
Nicholas Wagner. The surplus in 1907
was $125,000; undivided profits, $13,937; net
earnings from organization, $547,327; divi-
dends paid, $419,579.
The Peoples Bank of Hanover
Peoples was organized in July, 1892, and
Bank. obtained a charter from the bank-
ing department of Pennsylvania
November 7, of the same year. The first
board of directors was composed of Dr. T-
H. Bittinger, John C. Tanger, J. Q. Alle-
walt, Peter Dellone, James H. "Colehouse,
Washington Metzgar, Lewis Bosserman,
Charles Diehl, S. B. Brodbeck, Emanuel
Myers and George S. Krug. The bank was
organized by the election of Dr. J. H. Bit-
tinger as president, J. Q. Allewalt, vice-
president; John C. Tanger, secretary, and
E. M. Etzler, cashier. The capital stock
was $50,000 and the bank began business
in the Sprenkle building at the corner of
York Street and Broadway January i, 1893.
As a financial institution the Peoples Bank
prospered from the time it began operations.
Owing to the success of the business in the
year 1901, the Board of Directors purchased
a building at the southwest corner of Fred-
erick Street and Centre Square, and after re-
moving the old structure which had stood
for more than a century, erected on the
same site a commodious three-story bank
building at a cost of $15,000. In January,
1907, the surplus and profits of this insti-
tution were $57,000. The deposits were
$382,000. Dr. J. H. Bittinger served as
president of the bank until 1899, when he
resigned to give his entire attention to his
professional duties and J. O. Allewalt was
elected and filled the position until the time
of his death in 1903. Henry A. Bair was
then elected president. E. M. Etzler was
cashier until 1896, when he resigned and
was succeeded by George S, Krug. The
board of directors in 1907 was composed
of Henry A. Bair, Ephraim Nace, Alvin R.
Nissly, R. A. Colehouse, D. A. Frommeyer,
S. B. Brodbeck, E. B. Meyers, Henry B.
Forry and D. L. Slagle.
The Farmers State Bank of Hanover was
chartered in October, 1906, by the State of
Pennsylvania. The bank was organized
November 17, 1906, by the election of D.
M. Frey, president ; J. S. Schwartz, vice-
president; H. J. HofTacker, secretary; H.
M. Rudisill, cashier; Ralph Hofifacker, teller.
The directors for 1907 are D. M. Frey,
Jacob S. Schwartz, H. J. Hofifacker, Dr. F.
H. Beard, Samuel M. Bare, George S. Kin-
dig, Frank Kale, John W. Sterner, Elias H.
Sterner, John F. Rohrbaugh and Edward
C. Hoft'acker. The bank opened its doors
for business in the building owned by the
Order of Elks on Baltimore Street.
MANUFACTURES.
When Richard McAllister laid out the
town of Hanover, there were a number of
tradesmen living in the vicinity. The car-
penter, shoemaker, weaver, tailor and
blacksmith were necessary for every com-
munity among the first settlers west of the
Susquehanna and throughout the province
of Pennsylvania. The people who first oc-
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
829
cupied these fertile lands, raised flax to
make tow and linen goods for summer wear.
They also raised sheep for wool which was
spun into yarn or woven into cloth for win-
ter apparel. This work was done by the
spinners and weavers. The cloth was made
at the pioneer fulling mills. The black-
smith shoed the horses, made wrought iron
nails for the pioneer homes, and the iron
tools which the farmer used. The carpen-
ter hewed the logs and split the timber for
beams and joists and rafters for the fron-
tier cabin in the virgin forests before the
sawmill had been built.
Among the tradesmen who resided in
Hanover in 1791, were the following:
Jonathan Bofifendaum, Christian Bixler,
Jacob Boas, Nicholas Feels, John Faller,
Michael Graff, Christopher Green, Christian
Grafif, Nicholas Gelwix, John Great, Jacob
Houck, Conrad Hoke, Jacob Hellman,
Christian Hoffman, Henry Hoke, Jacob
Hopeman, Bernhardt Houck, Wendel Kel-
ler, John Milliron, Jacob Nusser, Casper
Shifler, George Shreyer, John Walters,
Adam Forney, Peter Gelwix. These men
were shoemakers, wagonmakers, tailors,
carpenters, weavers and blacksmiths. There
was a brickyard adjoining the town.
Adam Forney was the first to engage in
the tanning business in the vicinity of Han-
over. As early as 1783 he owned and op-
erated a tannery on the site of the canning
factory, owned by D. E. Winebrenner &
Son, and continued this business for many
years thereafter. During the early part of
last century, this tannery was owned by
Jacob Forney, and operated by himself and
Peter Winebrenner. After these men re-
tired from the business it was continued at
the same place by David E. and Calvin
Winebrenner. George Nace, Cornelius
Young, George Forney and Michael Etzler
owned tanneries within the limits of the
borough.
When Hanover was incorporated in 1815,
it contained a population of 800. This was
before the era of large shops and factories,
and wearing apparel, tools and implements,
and most of the necessaries of the village
folk and the neighboring farmers were made
by local mechanics. George Eiler; Nicho-
las Field, George Frysinger, George Grove,
John Leaver, Charles Ziegler, were wagon-
makers; George Karg, chainmaker; Adam
Ault, organ builder ; John Danner and John
Emig, tobacconists. The cigars they made
were sold at the rate of two, three and four
for a big copper cent.
The wagon maker was the pio-
Carriage neer of an industry which be-
Building. came very prominent in this
borough for a period of fifty
years. From 1830 to 1880 Hanover was
known as the leading town in southern
Pennsylvania for the manufacture of bug-
gies and other pleasure carriages. During
this period there were more than thirty
large and small factories, each, employing
from five to twenty men. Hanover car-
riages had a wide reputation, and were sold
in large numbers in Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Virginia. A'\''hen this industry was con-
ducted most prosperously, it is estimated
that 2,000 carriages or more were made each
year at all the different factories in Han-
over. Jacob Grove and his brother John,
succeeded their father in the wagonmaking
business and early began to make buggies.
Among the leading persons who engaged
in making carriages were the following:
John Emig, Joseph Althoff, G. W. Welsh,
Joseph Dellone, William C. W. Welsh,
Harry Kurtz, Jacob, Emanuel and William
Thomas, Joseph Holland, Carl Erdmann,
Jacob and John Bender, Alexander Gift,
Alfred Michael, David S. Tanger, Andrew
and William Soliday, William Grumbine,
Alexander and Edward Yost, John Adams,
John Kouk, Mathias Mann, Jesse Kohler,
Josiah S. Sprenkle, William and Samuel
Althoff, Harry Atzerodt, George Koehler,
Charles Newman, Henry Shultz and Charles
T. Kump.
The cigar making industry and
Cigar the manufacture of tobacco was
Making, begun in Hanover as early as
1800. John Danner and John
Emig were the pioneers in this business.
George Young, the father of John S., Reu-
ben and Charles Young, carried on a pros-
perous business in making cigars and sell-
ing tobacco before 1830 and later.
During the past thirty years, the making
of cigars has employed more people than
any other industry in Hanover. In 1907,
there were about thirty factories within the
limits of the borough. Some of the largest
factories are conducted by Frank Sneeringer,
A. F. Hostetter, David McG. Newcomer,
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Lewis G. Pfafif, Lewis \\'. Pfaff, John H.
Little, Jesse Frysinger, Harry H. Heusner,
Charles E. Althoff, H. H. Trone, T. I.
Smith, C. E. Sterner and John E. Hostetter.
Centennial Cigar Company, manufactur-
ers of cheroots and small cigars, has carried
on an extensive business for several years.
Henry A. Bair was one of the pioneers in
the cigar box industry at Hanover. He
carried on the business successfully for a
quarter of a century and then disposed of
his factory to H. E. Bair & Company.
F. G. Sneeringer owns a large cigar box
factory in Midway.
Conrad Moul of Hanover was the
Reapers lirst person in York County to
and introduce the reaper and mower.
Mowers. In 1842, he moved from his
birthplace, Moulstown, in Heid-
elberg Township, to the vicinity of Han-
over, taking up his residence along the Ab-
bottstown turnpike, just outside the present
borough limits. Here he engaged in the
manufacture of barrels and also sold lum-
ber. In 1847, he began to make threshing
machines and this led to his future business
of manufacturing reapers and mowers. He
often visited Baltimore, and there met Obed
Hussey, the inventor of the Hussey reaper
and mower, which after\vards had a very
large sale.
In 185 1, Conrad ]\Ioul brought the lirst
Hussey reaper and mower to Hanover.
This machine was purchased by George
Young and his brother, Jacob Young, both
of whom owned large and productive farms
in the vicinity of Hanover. The introduc-
tion of this new method of cutting grass
and grain attracted wide atention. Farm-
ers from a long distance came to see the
machine operate. The early reapers and
mowers had no reel or fan to press the grass
or grain toward the guards, through which
the knives passed to and fro in the cutting
operation. A man who sat astride a bench
to the rear of the knives, pulled the grain m
toward the guards, so that all of the stalks
would be cut. In cutting wheat, this man
raked off the grain into " grips," which
■were bound into sheaves. Three or four
men followed the' reaper, each one binding
a section around the patch of uncut grain
while the reaper was cutting it.
Conrad Moul, who sold the first reaper
and mower to George Young and his
brother, as well as the pui chasers them-
selves, desired to make a success of the in-
troduction of the reaper. The first reapers
and mowers were very heavy. It required
three or four horses to pull one of them
while cutting grass or grain. When this
reaper was tried the first time, in 185 1, John
S. Young drove the horses.
George Young's reaper proved to be a
success, and by the next year Conrad Moul
sold a dozen or more in the vicinity of Han-
over, and to the well-to-do farmers toward
York.
In 1852 he sold the Hussey reaper to
George Etzler and two or three other farm-
ers around Hanover. In January, 1853,
Conrad Moul secured the right from the in-
ventor to manufacture the Hussey reaper
and mower at his own shops in Hanover,
and that year his account books show that
he sold reapers and mowers to the follow-
ing persons, each of whom paid $120 for his
machine : John Herr, Henry Erisman, John
Best. In 1854, Mr. Moul sold the Hussey
reaper to Jacob Miller, Jacob Bechtel, Peter
Menges, and others.
In 1855, he moved his shops near the rail-
road, on Abbottstown Street, where with
enlarged facilities he continued the manu-
facture of the Hussey reaper for many
years. During that year he sold reapers to
Michael Carl, Daniel Barnitz, Samuel My-
ers, Karl Forney, Peter Sell, Henry Ham-
mond, Jacob Kessler, Jonas Rebert, Henry
Meyers and George Forry. By this year
the price had gone up to $125, but the de-
mand increased every year afterwards, and
Conrad Moul did a large business.
In 1857 he moved his shop to the Public
Common. He first made his reapers util-
izing horse power, but afterwards bought
an engine and boiler from Mr. Frick of
A\'aynesboro. The Hussey reaper was a
one-wheeled machine. Mr. Moul was him-
self granted patents for improvements to
the reaper. The patents granted to him for
the different improvements to the reaper
are in the possession of his son, Charles E.
Moul.
Conrad Moul, in 1854, exhibited a Hus-
sey reaper of his own manufacture at the
York County Agricultural Fair, and re-
ceived a diploma for his machine. In 1859
he began to manufacture the Hussey reaper
and mower combined. In 1866 he obtained
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
831
a patent for a self-raking attachment. He
continued to make reapers and mowers at
his Hanover shops for twenty years. In
1870 he erected a planing mill and in 1879
organized the firm of C. Moul & Company,
which continued business at his place until
his death in 1893. This planing mill, door
and sash mill is now operated by C. Moul
& Company, with Martin Moul president,
C. E. Moul secretary, and E. H. Moul treas-
urer.
Daniel Flickinger erected a machine shop
in 1848 on York Street on the site of the
residence of G. H. Shirk. About the same
time his two brothers, John and Peter
Flickinger, built a foundry and machine
shop on the site of Trinity Reformed
■Church and parsonage. The Flickinger
Brothers in 1858 obtained the right to make
the Dorsey reaper, which was the first ma-
chine in this region to successfully use the
self rake. The castings were made in their
own factory in which they also made a
great many threshing machines and other
agricultural implements.
The Dorsey reapers manufactured at
these shops were sold extensively through
Pennsylvania and Marsdand. For two
■days after the cavalry fight at Hanover, the
Flickinger shops were used as a temporary
hospital. J. & P. Flickinger operated the
foundry and machine shops on York Street
until 1884, when they discontinued business.
During that year the business was removed
to Franklin Street, where Samuel and AVin-
field S. Flickinger. erected new shops, at
which they make and repair agricultural
implements, and build steam engines.
Samuel Fitz, an ingenious me-
Iron chanic, started a small foundry
Industries, on his father's farm, north of
the village of JefTerson, in 1838.
In 1840 he moved to Hanover and erected
a shop to the left of Abbottstown Street.
This was the first foundry and machine shop
within the limits of the borough, and cre-
ated a great deal of interest among the peo-
ple when it began operations. Crowds of
citizens collected at the foundry to see the
furnace melt the pig iron at a very high
temperature to a liquid mass. It was a
novel sight to nearly all observers, who for
the first time witnessed the melting, of iron
and the formation of this fiery liquid into
•different forms of iron products. Mr. Fitz
prospered in the foundry business where he
made the cast iron which he used in his ma-
chine shop. In this shop he regularly em-
ployed from thirty to forty men in the man-
ufacture of threshing machines, and many
varieties of agricultural implements.
In 1858 Mr. Fitz and his son, John Fitz,
moved to Martinsburg, Virginia, where
they carried on an extensive business until
the death of the father. This business was
continued by the son at Martinsburg. In
1896 he sold out his interests in that town,
and returned to Hanover. Since his resi-
dence in Hanover, Mr. Fitz has been en-
gaged almost entirely in the manufacture of
steel over-shot water wheels. He has en-
larged his plant and added modern equip-
ments. Within recent years he has em-
ployed regularly from thirty to fifty men at
this industrial establishment, and has sold a
large number of wheels throughout many
states of the Union. J. Samuel Fitz is as-
sociated with his father in the business.
During the residence of John Fitz at Mar-
tinsburg, the foundry and machine shop at
Hanover was continued under the manage-
ment of Henr}^ Creager and Jacob Fitz, son
of the original owner, and later by an incor-
porated company which afterward erected
shops in the suburbs of the town.
Samuel Mumma had a small machine
shop on the York road near Hanover which
he began to operate about 1830. He en-
gaged in making and repairing agricultural
implements. His son, Jacob Mumma, who
was of an inventive turn of mind, at first
followed the occupation of a portrait
painter. In 1855, he went to Europe and
■procured a patent from the English govern-
ment for an improvement to the balance
wheel of a watch. Not succeeding with the
sale of his patent in England or France,
through which countries he traveled, he re-
turned home and in 1859, procured a sim-
ilar patent from the government at Wash-
ington. His ambition was not realized.
Although a man of intelligence, he lived the
remainder of his life as a solitary recluse,
permitting no one but his immediate family
to converse with him. Only one time, for
a period of thirty years, during which he
lived in solitude, did he visit the borough of
Hanover. This was in 1863, when he was
drafted to serve in the Union army. He
refused to talk when the surgeon examined
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
him. He was therefore excused from serv-
ing as a soldier. He died at his home near
Hanover in 1893.
Hanover Union Steel Casting Company,
an industry originated by John Fitz, manu-
factures small steel castings. C. J. Baker
is president and general manager, and John
Fitz, secretary and treasurer.
The foundry of Levering Brothers was
established in 1907 and began the manu-
facture of castings.
Heindel Manufacturing Company is one
of the largest industrial establishments of
Hanover. It is owned and operated by
Charles H. Heindel, AVilliam F. Kintzing
and C. M. Heindel. The business was
founded in 1903, when the company en-
gaged in the manufacture of castings, gas
stoves and general foundry supplies. The
business prospered and on March 11, 1907,
Mr. Kintzing purchased the building and
machinery owned by the American Foun-
dry & Machine Shop, which had been
founded at Hanover in 1897, by the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company. The foundry
burned down in 1900, but was partly rebuilt
and afterward operated by this company
until it was purchased by the Heindel
Manufacturing Company.
David E. Winebrenner conducted an ex-
tensive canning business on Frederick
Street at the west end of the borough for
twenty years or more with success. In
1900, he organized the firm of D. E. Wine-
brenner & Company, his son, D. Edwin
Winebrenner, joining him in the business.
This enterprising firm has given employ-
ment during the summer months to 150 or
200 hands. Within recent years improved
machinery has been introduced, which
greatly facilitates the preparation of canned
goods. The products of this canning fac-
tory find a ready sale in all parts of the
country.
Pollock Packing Company is engaged in
the canning business. A. K. Straley is
general manager.
The Hanover Mill was erected
Flouring in 1880 by Welsh, Sleeder &
Mills. Company, who engaged in the
milling business and the pur-
chase of grain. This firm operated the mill
for several years and then disposed of it to
an incorporated company. Since 1904 it
has been owned by H. N. Gift, who carries
on an extensive business.
Penn Flouring Mill, a large five-story
brick building, was erected in 1863 by Sam-
uel Fitz at a cost of $30,000. It was fitted
up with burr milling machinery. This mill
was purchased in 1885 by George Kline-
felter, Charles E. Moul and Samuel Hostet-
ter. It was then made a roller process mill,
under the firm name of Klinefelter, Moul &
Company. This firm purchased a large
quantity of the wheat grown in the vicinity
and ground it into flour. The mill was sub-
sequently owned by an incorporated com-
pany, and has recently been purchased and
operated by H. N. Gitt. It has a capacity
of 125 barrels per day.
The Ketterer Wagon Works, situated in
the northwestern section of the borough,
were established by Charles P. Ketterer, of
New York City, in the year 1891. Soon
after the building had been erected and the
works put into operation, a violent storm
blew the building to the ground and injured
much of the machinery. A new building
was completed in 1892, and the manu-
facture of wagons of different kinds, trucks
and vans, has since been carried on. About
60 workmen have been regularly employed.
This establishment has been under the
management of George D. Hopkins.
Within recent years these works have been
operated by the Ketterer Manufacturing
Company.
The Hanover Shoe Company
Other was organized in 1901^ with D.
Industries. D. Ehrhart, president; H. D.
Sheppard, secretary; C. N.
Myers, treasurer. A brick building 45x200
feet and four stories high was erected. The
average output of this establishment has
been 5,000 pairs of shoes a week. The pro-
ducts of this factory are disposed of at
stores owned by the company. In 1907 the
company owned twenty-three of these
stores in five different states of the Union.
Two hundred employees are continuallly en-
gaged in the manufacture of " The Hanover
Shoe," which is sold at a regulation price.
Hanover Glove Factory is an important
industry which employs 45 hands and is
owned by George D. Gitt, and operated by
himself and his sons, William H. and
George N. Gitt. The business was
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
833
originated in 1830 by Philip Wolff, who en-
gaged in the manufacture of buckskin
gloves. He tanned his own leather from
deer hides. In 1850 Mr. Wolff was suc-
ceeded by his two sons, Philip and William
Wolff, who manufactured buckskin gloves,
which found a ready sale. In 1885 the
business was purchased by George D. Gitt,
who erected a factory and enlarged the
facilities for production. He began to
make new kinds of gloves and in 1907 made
98 varieties, which were sold all over the
United States, producing an average of 50
dozens per day. He makes a specialty of a
gauntlet glove made of sheep skin worn ex-
tensively by railroad employees.
Hanover Silk Company was organized as
a limited partnership in 1892 by Vincent
O'Bold, George D. Gitt and T. J. O'Neill.
A three-story building, 120x60 feet, was
erected in the eastern part of Hanover and
fitted up with 45 looms for the manufacture
of silk ribbon. This is the only silk mill in
York County, engaged exclusively in the
manufacture of ribbon. In 1904 the busi-
ness was incorporated with George D. Gitt
president and T. J. O'Neill, secretary and
treasurer. About 100 hands are employed.
M. Hoke & Son, Michael and Paul A.
Hoke, for many years have engaged ex-
tensively in burning lime, operating kilns
in Hanover. They also deal in coal, wood,
cement and other products.
The brick making industry began at
Hanover before the Revolution, when the
first brick houses were erected. Edward
H. Snyder began to burn bricks in the
southern part of town about 30 years ago,
and has continued the business on an ex-
tensive scale since that time. He has
associated with him his son, Edward Sny-
der, Jr.
Hanover Wire Cloth Company, of which
W. L. Glatfelter of Spring Grove, is presi-
dent, and Charles E. Moul of Hanover,
secretary and treasurer, erected buildings
on East Middle Street, where an extensive
business is done in the manufacture of wire
screen cloth. This factory is equipped with
225 looms. About 75 workmen are em-
ployed. The Hanover Shirt Company,
owned and operated by the same parties,
manufactures 700 dozen shirts weekly.
This industry employs regularly 75 girls.
Wolf, Mummert & Dixon Corn-
Wood pany are engaged in the manu-
Workers. facture of patterns for use in
foundries and the " Dixon "
thread-cutting machine.
Hanover Bending Works are owned and
operated by Charles R. Krug, who manu-
factures rims for wheels and other products.
Hanover Plow Handle Company, owned
by C. E. Moul and W. H. Moul, is a new
industry which conducts an extensive busi-
ness. This firm has recently purchased a
large tract of woodland in West Virginia,
and has an extensive export trade.
The Long Furniture Company was
organized in 1902. J. W. Mumper is presi-
dent, George A. Long, secretary, and A. C.
Long, treasurer and general manager.
This company regularly employs 150 work-
men and manufactures a fine quality of ex-
tension tables, which find ready sale in
many states of the Union. This is one of
the prominent industries of Hanover.
Hanover Furniture Company, of which
Alvin R. Nissly is president ; F. T. Porter,
vice-president; Elmer J. Herr, secretary;
and A. F. Hostetter, treasurer, is engaged
in the manufacture of dressers and chiffon-
iers. This company employs about 45
men.
The Penn Heel and Innersole Company,
of Hanover, started on a limited scale and
soon developed into a successful business,
with W. A. Pitts as general manager.
Originally this factory was engaged in
making leather heels and innersoles, and
then extended its business into making
leather novelties and other products. In
1907 the factory was enlarged in order to
accommodate the demands for the trade of
this company.
The Smith Lyraphone Company was
organized in 1900, and engaged in the
manufacture of automatic piano players.
The lyraphone as first made was attached
to the keys to play the piano. At present
this instrument is placed in the interior of
the piano. The company has done an ex-
tensiA^e business and in 1907 employed
twenty-five workmen. Charles Dickey is
president of the company; J. A. Smith, in-
ventor of the lyraphone, vice president ;
Frank P. Smith, general superintendent,
and Luther P. Horn, business manager.
834
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The Acme Extract Company, owned by
E. G. Eckert, manufactures a variety of
special products which have reached a large
sale.
The Hanover Ice Company, owned by C.
R. AlcCosh, manufactures ice which is sold
to consumers in the borough.
Hanover Creamery Company, of which
H. M. Stokes is manager, has constantly in-
creased its business. This creamery was
founded in 1891 by J. G. Reist, Benjamin
Hostetter, EH G. Reist and C. L. Nissly.
When it was started the creamery was
under the management of Benjamin Hos-
tetter. In 1896 Alvin R. Nissly purchased
Mr. Hostetter's interest and assumed the
management. He was succeeded in 1899
by H. M. Stokes.
Hanover Produce Company, of which
Aaron Hostetter is president and general
manager, owns and operates several cream-
eries in York and Adams counties, and car-
ries on an extensive commission business.
John F. Rohrbach owns and operates a
planing mill and employs fifty men in this
mill and in his business as a contractor and
builder.
Hanover Cordage Company was organ-
ized in 1888 by the Radcliffe Brothers, of
Glen Rock, whose father had operated a rope
factory there since 1848. Their interests
were purchased by the National Cordage
Company and for about six years the
factory was not operated. Within recent
years this mill has been owned and con-
trolled by local capitalists, who doubled the
capacity of the plant and employ nearly 100
hands in the manufacture of twine and small
rope. H. N. Gitt is president; C. J. Delone,
secretary; F. W. Weber, treasurer, and
John Greenaway, vice-president and general
manager.
John P. Hoke and Edward M. Hoke are
associated in the manufacture of cement
building blocks, under the firm name of
John P. Hoke & Brother.
JOHN S. YOUNG, who was prominent
in the manufacturing interests of Hanover
and the city of Baltimore, was born May 6,
1832, and in 1852 entered commercial life
with his father, an able and progressive
man, to whom he proved a worthy succes-
sor. As a manufacturer and promoter of
local enterprises which benefited the public
aside from their direct bearing on business
interests he made a reputation which was
not confined to his home locality.
Mr. Young was a descendant of a family
which has been prominent and influential in
the affairs of Hanover and vicinity for more
than a century. Charles Young, his first
American ancestor, was born in Germany in
1729, and came to America with the early
emigration from the Rhine Palatinate. His
elder brother, David Young, the first of the
name in York County, took up a tract of
land a short distance west of Hanover in
the year 1731 — five years before the rights
to lands west of the Susquehanna had been
purchased from the Indians by the heirs of
William Penn. David Young, together
with a few other Germans, came with the
first white settlers west of the Susquehanna.
They took up lands under Maryland titles
by authority of John Digges, an Irish noble-
man, who had a Maryland patent for 10,000
acres.
Charles Young and his wife, Elizabeth,
came to Pennsylvania in 1746. They pur-
chased a tract of land three miles southeast
of Hanover, later owned by Michael Stover,
of York Road station, on the Western
Maryland. Here they spent the remainder
of their lives, dying in 1800. William
Young, their son, inherited the paternal es-
tate and married Catherine, daughter of
George and Francina Etzler. They had
three children: Jacob, born December 4,
1795; George, born June 24, 1797; and Wil-
liam, born January 11, 1803. Of this
family, Jacob owned a large farm situated
north of the Abbottstown pike. William,
early in life, removed to Middletown, Ohio,
but eventually returned to Hanover, where
he died in the year 1889.
George Young, son of William, and
father of John S. Young, married Susan,
daughter of John and Catherine (Nace)
ShoU. Their children were: Louisa C,
William S., Reuben, Charles, John S., and
Emily J. Throughout his life George
Young \vas identified with the growth and
development of Hanover. He owned a
large farm a short distance west of the bor-
ough, and on that farm he introduced the
first reaper and mower used in the vicinity,
in 1852. He studied improved methods of
agriculture and showed his sympathy with
progress in that line in numerous ways, be-
coming a man of force and influence in the
^oJiH' (!illiOi_t.\(
%
THE BOROUGH OF HAXOVER
835
town and vicinity, where he continued to
reside until his death, in 1866.
John S. Young received his education in
the public schools and a select academy at
Hanover. During his early years he aided
in the cultivation of his father's farm. In
1852, at the age of twenty, he began his
business career as a member of the firm of
George Young & Sons, grain merchants of
Hanover, this firm being composed of his
father, George Young, and the two sons,
John S. and Reuben. Having an extensive
trade, they purchased a large amount of the
wheat and other grains grown for a dozen
miles around Hanover. The firm began
operations shortly after the opening of the
first railroad from Hanover and Hanover
Junction, where it connected with the
Northern Central Railroad, shipping grain
in large quantities to the city of Baltimore,
which was their principal market. Only a
few years had elapsed until, in 1857, George
Young & Company, composed of George
Young and his two sons, William S. and
John S., embarked in the grain business on
North Street, Baltimore. That this venture
justified their confidence in its success is
evident from the fact that after the father's
death, which occurred in 1866, the sons
continued the business in Baltimore until
1888.
In 1867 John S. Young started a new en-
terprise, the grinding of bark, in which he
continued during the remainder of his suc-
cessful life. By 1871 the business had so
expanded, and had such excellent prospects,
that he formed a partnership with J. C.
Stevens and C. E. Thayer, of Boston, and
AVilliam S. Young, under the style of J. S.
Young & Company, for the purpose of
manufacturing bark extracts and flavine,
starting a factory at Shrewsbury station,
York County, Pennsylvania. In 1873 this
firm founded the present factory in Han-
over for the manufacture of the same pro-
ducts, and at the time admitted to member-
ship Howard E. Young. In 1876 the J. S.
Young Company was incorporated, and in
1883 they erected the immense mill in Balti-
more, at Boston and Elliott Streets^ for the
manufacture of licorice and sumac extracts.
The establishment is one of the largest of
its kind in the country, and the product of
the various mills is distributed all over the
United States, England and Germany. Mr.
Young was general manager and treasurer
of the company from the time of its organ-
ization until his death in 1899.
Though he had such large interests in
Baltimore he continued to be a prime mover
in all matters advancing Hanover's material
interests. Feeling the need of better rail-
road facilities for the borough of Hanover,
Mr. Young, in 1874, projected a plan which
resulted in the construction of a direct line
from Hanover to York. It was built by a
local company of which he w'as president,
and was opened for travel in 1875. It was
then called the Short Line, or Hanover &
York Railroad, and was intended to be a
connecting link in the competing line from
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, in western
Maryland, through to Philadelphia and
New York. Mr. Young remained the active
head of the Hanover & York Railroad from
the time of its inception until it was sold to
the Pennsylvania Railroad , Company, in
1893, after which he still gave his services as
a director. He was also interested in the
establishment of the Hanover Cordage
Company, but relinquished his interest
when it was incorporated into the National
Cordage Company. In 1895 Mr. Young, in
company with other men interested in the
local water supph^, organized the Consum-
ers' Water Company, and became its presi-
dent. They acquired the franchise of the
Hanover Water Company.
Mr. Young was a Republican in political
sentiment, but he took no active part in po-
litical affairs. He did serve as a memlDcr
of the borough council, but always declined
other political offices. Mr. Young's great
executive ability, good judgment and intel-
ligent foresight enabled him to look after
the details of his vast business with great
care and exactness. The fact that he pros-
pered in everything that he attempted was
due to his industry, his correct business
methods, and his capacity, by reason of
which he became one of the most successful
business men that York County has pro-
duced. A large portion of his time, during
the last twenty years of his life, was spent
in the city of Baltimore, where he was
widely known in business and financial
circles. He was one of the original mem-
bers, and, until the time of his death, the
largest contributor to the support of St.
Mark's Lutheran Church of Hanover.
836
HISTORY OF YORK. COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Mr. Young was married in 1854 to Mary
A. Weigle, of Hanover. They had one
son, Howard E. Young, who succeeded his
father in the management of his extensive
business enterprises at Hanover and Balti-
more.
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES.
The Hanover Water Company was or-
ganized April 25, 1872. The original source
of supply is an excellent quality of chaly-
beate water, from " Gitt's Spring," on the
southern slope of the Pigeon Hills, not far
distant from a rich vein of iron ore, through
which the water passes. It is the ingredi-
ent known as protoxide of iron, that gives
to this water its healthful and invigorating
properties. The water is brought in six-
inch iron pipes from the source, 18,000 feet
northeast of Hanover. One of the persons
who used every energy to organize the
water company was Calvin C. Wirt, who
became the first secretary. He also origi-
nated other needed public improvements in
Hanover, but died early in life. The engi-
neer of the company was R. K. Martin, of
Baltimore Water Works. The Pigeon
Hill reservoir is 277 feet above the highest
point of the square. An additional reser-
voir was built during the year 1884, near the
first one to increase the supply of water for
the town, and thus giving a storage capacity
of 15,000,000 gallons in the Pigeon Hills.
The first board of directors was composed
of the following named persons: Joseph
Dellone, president; C. C. W^irt, secretary;
Henry Wht. George W. AVelsh, N. B. Car-
ver, H. A. Yovmg and Stephen Keefer.
Numerous changes occurred in the manage-
ment and as the town grew a number of
the citizens decided to form a new com-
pany, and on the evening of Saturday, Sep-
tember 21, 1895, in the ofifice of J. S. Young
& Company, the first meeting of the Con-
sumers' Water Company was held. At this
meeting a permanent organization was ef-
fected and ofiicers elected. John S. Young
was elected president; Dr. J. H. Bittinger,
vice-president; C. E. Moul, secretary, and
H. E. Young, treasurer. J. 0. Allewalt,
Jesse Frysinger and Charles Young, in ad-
dition to the foregoing persons elected
officers, composed the first board of direc-
tors. A charter was procured from the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The
Kendig farm and mill, located on the Black
Rock road, about three and one-half miles
south of Hanover, was purchased and
pumping machinery installed in the mill to
lift \Vater from the Furnace Creek to the
distribution and storage reservoir which
was constructed on what is known as Parr's
Hill, on the Black Rock road. This reser-
voir has a capacity of 7,000,000 gallons.
January 25, 1896, the board of directors of
the Consumers' Water Company passed a
resolution providing for the purchase of the
Hanover Water Company, which proposi-
tion was accepted by the last named cor-
poration. The Consumers' Water Com-
pany now having acquired all the charter
rights and franchises of the Hanover Water
Company, extended from its new reservoir
on Parr's Hill a twelve-inch main to Centre
Square and ten and eight-inch mains to
several other streets, then connected these
new mains with those that were in oper-
ation by the old company, and thus con-
tinued to serve the public with an abund-
ant supply of water. There was no change
in the officers until the death of J. S. Young,
November 12, 1899. Charles Young was
then elected president and continued to
serve until 1904, when he declined a re-
election. J. H. Brough was then chosen
president; Dr. J. H. Bittinger, vice-presi-
dent; C. E. Moul, secretary, and H. E.
Young, treasurer, and at each annual meet-
ing thereafter these same persons were re-
elected. May 24, 1905, the board of direc-
tors by resolution agreed to purchase the
plant, charter rights and franchises of the
McSherrystown Water Company, and un-
der date of May 25, 1905, the name was
changed to Hanover & McSherrystown
Water Company, and May 29, 1905, the fol-
lowing board of directors and ofBcers were
elected: D. Gring, Newport, Pa., president;
J. D. Landes, Mechanicsburg, secretary,
and treasurer; H. E. Young and J. H.
Brough, of Hanover; and Dr. E. H. Lefifler,
Millersburg, Pa., directors. J. H. Brough
is superintendent and general manager, and
under the newly elected officers and the
management of Mr. Brough the plant has
been enlarged and improved for the purpose
of supplying the towns of Hanover and Mc-
Sherrystown with the best quality of water
obtainable in unlimited quantity. New and
improved machinery was installed at the
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
837
»
pumping station, where the waters of Fur-
nace Creelv enter the Codorus Creek, the ca-
pacity of the pumping main to Parr's Hill
reservoir quadrupled, and the six-inch cast
iron main from the reservoirs on Pigeon
Hills paralleled by a new ten-inch line of
pipe into Hanover, which has been con-
nected with the mains formerly in use.
The Hanover and McSherrystown systems
have been connected, and both towns are
now supplied from the same source.
The Hanover Gas Company re-
Gas ceived its charter January 8,
Company. 1870, and the works were built
in the summer of the same year
under the superintendence of Jacob L.
Kuehn, of York, along the Pennsylvania
Railroad, near Carlisle Street. Captain A.
\A'. Eichelberger was elected president and
L. F. Melsheimer, secretary, at the time of
the organization. Both remained in office
until 1890. The other directors in 1885
were George N. Forney, R. M. Wirt, John
R. Stine, Stephen Keefer and H. Y.
Sprenkle. The plant and all the rights and
interests of the Hanover Gas Company
were sold in igoo to Robert Forrest, F. H.
Shelton and associates. The new owners
rebuilt a modern plant for the manufacture
of gas, and laid new mains throughout the
borough. The capital stock was increased
to $75,000. On March 16, 1905, the inter-
ests of the Gas Company were purchased by
C. E. Ehrehart, George' D. Gift. F. H. Shel-
ton, L. R. Button and R. H. Button. The
new company made additions to the works
and in 1906 extended their mains to Mc-
Sherrystown, supplying to that borough the
first gas in June, 1906. In 1907 the gas
mains were extended to all the suburban
parts of the borough of Hanover.
In Becember, 1900, the company with
440 meters sold three and one-half million
cubic feet of gas; in 1907, with 1,275 meters
in use, the output was fifteen million cubic
feet of gas. R. H. Button is president ; L.
R. Button, secretar}^; George B. Gitt, treas-
urer.
In September, 1893, Charles E.
Electric Ehrehart, Thomas E. Ehrehart,
Light J. H. Schmuck, John A. Poist, C.
and B. Smith and A. H. Melhorn
Railway, as directors of a company, erected
a power plant for electric light
and constructed a trolley line from
the west end of McSherrystown to Han-
over and through the borough to Mt.
Olivet Cemetery. The company formed by
these gentlemen managed the affairs of the
Hanover Light, Heat & Power Company
and the Hanover & McSherrystown Street
Railway Company from 1893 until the year
1903. At this time Lewis B. Sell was
president, and Charles E. Ehrehart, secre-
tary of the two companies. The property
and entire interests of both companies were
purchased, in Becember, 1903, by a com-
pan}^ of which Captain W\ H. Lanius, of
York, was president, and George S.
Schmidt, secretary and treasurer. Soon
after the transfer, the new owners extended
a line a half mile farther down the turnpike,
where the}' purchased twelve acres of wood-
land from \A'illiam A. Himes, and an addi-
tional tract of four acres from Br. J. AV. C.
O'Neal, and turned these sixteen acres into
a park, which was named in honor of Cap-
tain A. W. Eichelberger, a previous owner.
This park has since become a noted place
for pleasure seekers and has been the means
of largely increasing the business of the
street railway company. A tract of land
was purchased and a car barn erected ad-
joining the power plant. That part of
Centre Square around the oval was paved
by this company, which at the same time
extended lines to the limits of Frederick,
Abbottstown and Stock Streets.
The officers and owners of the street rail-
way company in 1907 were Captain W. H.
Lanius, president ; Ellis S. Lewis, secretary
and treasurer; J. W. Steacy, George P.
Smyser, George S. Billmeyer, all of York ;
and William A. Himes, of New Oxford.
These same gentlemen own and operate the
Hanover Light, Heat & Power Company,
which they purchased in 1903. New ma-
chinery was added and a line extended
along the turnpike to Littlestown, which is
lighted by electricity from the Hanover
plant. Robert E. Manley is manager of
both interests.
This cemetery was originated
Mt. Olivet through the efforts of L. F.
Cemetery. Melsheimer, J. J. Naille and B.
O. Albright, at a meeting held
Becember 20, 1858, and a charter was ob-
tained early the following year. The
original cemetery property, containing fif-
teen acres, was bought of Adam Forney for
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
$2,146. It lies on the svimmit of a hill, a
short distance south of town, with a com-
manding view of the surrounding country.
The land was laid out in lots and windmg
walks during February, 1859, by Joseph S.
Gitt The dedicatory services occurred on
Tune 2, 1859. The ofhciating clergymen
were B. H. Nadal. M. T- Alleman, and Mar-
tin Lohr. Alfred E. Lewis wrote a hymn
which was sung at the time of dedication.
Many of the lots are enclosed with iron rail-
ing and granite curbing, and adorned with
flower beds. The grounds are ornamented
with trees and shrubbery, which make the
place an attractive resort. There are a
large number of handsome monuments of
granite and marble worthy of admiration
as works of art. The tomb of Colonel
Richard McAllister, the founder of Han-
over, is near the centre of this cemetery.
An iron octagonal pavilion, of tasteful de-
sign was erected in 1872. The first board
of directors was composed of Daniel Q. Al-
bright, president; L. F. Melsheimer, secre-
tary; Horatio AV. Emmert, treasurer; Wil-
liam'Wirt, J. J. Naille, Harry Kurtz, F. M.
Baughman. George W. Welsh and Joseph
Slagle. Two large swinging iron gates for
carriages, and two smaller ones for footmen,
similar to those at the National Cemetery
at Gettysburg, were placed at the entrance
in the year 1877 at a cost of $600, including
granite blocks for posts.
The cemetery has been enlarged by the
purchase of additional land and contains
about twenty-five acres. In 1907 the board
of directors was composed of N. B. Carver,
president: Julius W. Fischer, secretary; J.
D. Zouck." treasurer; AVilliam Boaden-
hamer, H. A. Bair, Valentine Wentz, Henry
D. Shriver, L. H. Eckert and Lewis G.
PfafT.
The town hall at the southwest
Opera corner of Centre Square for more
House, than a third of a century was the
only place for holding public lec-
tures, entertainments and theatrical plays.
After the market house was removed,
in 1872, there was no public market
place in Hanover. In 1886 Frank A. Zieg-
ler and others organized a company for the
erection of a town hall, opera house and a
market place, which was built the following
year. The company was chartered with a
capital of $25,000. and at an expense of
$30,000 the present opera house was
erected. The first story has since been
used as a public market, and the second
stor}' as an opera house. It was opened by
an interesting play, the title of which was
" Caprice," of which Miss Minnie Maddern
was the star, in the presence of a very large
audience. It was chartered as the Hanover
Opera House & Town Hall Company. In
1907 Robert M. Wirt was president of the
company and R. O. Wirt secretary and
treasurer. J. Percy Barnitz was the first
manager and Harry C. Naill has served in
that capacity for the past twelve years.
The Hanover Agricultural
Agricultural Society was organized in.
Society. 1884 and held its first annual
fair September 29, 30, Oc-
tober I, 2, 1885. A meeting of citizens was
held June 16, 1884, at which it was resolved
to raise a capital stock of $10,000 in shares
of $25 each, with which to establish a local
fair. General interest was manifested in
the project and by July 21, the entire
amount had been subscribed. July 26, of-
ficers were elected, thirty-three names being
submitted for directors, eleven to be chosen;
three for secretary and three for treasurer.
The result was as follows : Stephen Keefer,
president; M. O. Smith, secretary; Joseph
G. Keagy, treasurer; George Bowman, L.
P. Brockley, R. M. Wirt, William Boaden-
hamer, George A. Long, H. Y. Sprenkle,
W. C. Stick, David McG. Newcomer, Harry
J. Little, E. H. Hostetter, directors.
A tract of land, 23 acres and 148 perches,
adjoining the borough on the east, was
bought from Peter Flickinger and the ex-
ecutors of John Flickinger, deceased, at
$275 an acre, and shortly afterwards 4 acres
and 38 perches adjoining were bought from
Henry Wirt at the same price. A fine half
mile racing track was laid out and graded,
the grounds were fenced, stalls and pens, a
poultry house, an exhibition building and a
large grand stand erected. A liberal policy
was adopted as to premiums to exhibitors
and purses for races, and the fairs were suc-
cessful from the start. Large sums were
expended for attractions and performances
to be given on the grounds without extra
charge and these added in drawing to the
annual exhibition large crowds of people.
AA'hile on account of bad weather, the re-
ceipts were only slightly in excess of ex-
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
839
penses, in some years, in no case has there
been a loss, and the society has always been
in a prosperous financial condition. The
fairs have been regularly held each Septem-
ber for twenty-two years. The officers in
1907 were: R. M. Wirt, president; M. O.
Smith, secretary; T. J. Little, treasurer;
William J. Young, T. J. O'Neill, A. R.
Brodbeck, C. J. Delone, C. S. Shirk, John J.
Schmidt, William B. Allewelt, and Frank
Rodgers, directors.
Colonel Richard McAllister,
Public founder of Hanover, died in
Common. 1795. The original draft of the
town having been lost, his ex-
ecutors, Archibald McAllister, Jesse McAl-
lister and Jacob Rudisill, caused McAllis-
ter's entire tract, including the town site, to
be resurveyed in 1797, and sold off all the
land and town lots belonging to the estate.
The tract known since as the " Public Com-
mon " belonged to the estate and was par-
tially covered with timber. The citizens
determined to secure this tract, which con-
tained twenty-three acres and seventeen
perches, as a public common; the executors
agreed to sell it for 351 pounds i shilling 10
pence. Over 100 persons subscribed to the
purchase money in sums ranging from 7
shillings 6 pence to 8 pounds. July 17, 1798,
the land was granted by the executors to
George Carl, Paul Metzger, John Hinkle,
Henry Welsh, and William Gift, as trustees,
to be held " in trust for the proper use of an
open air and free public common for all and
every one of the citizens and inhabitants of
the town of Hanover and their successors
forever, and for no other use or purpose."
The land was used for a public cow pasture
for many years. About 1839 lots began to
be leased by the borough authorities. Par-
ties who leased the ground generally re-
fused to pay the rent, claiming that the land
did not belong to the borough. Suits were
commenced and continued for years, with
offers of compromise made and agreed to
and then rescinded. In 1852, when the
Hanover Branch Railroad was extended
across the Common, a depot and warehouse
were built upon this public ground. The
borough authorities ordered the railroad
company to stop work until the damages
were assessed. In 1853 the damages were
fixed by a jury at $775- The railroad com-
pany declined to pay this amount ; the bor-
ough council entered suit, and then offered
to compromise for half the damages
assessed. March 17, 1858, the matter was
settled, the company paying $50 cash, and
agreeing to pay a yearly rent of $12 forever.
After the railroad was opened, lots on the
Common were in demand. This led to a
proposition to sell or lease, in perpetuity,
the entire tract. The legislature was ap-
pealed to, but that body was opposed to
having lands leased in perpetuity. Efforts
were then made to get authority to sell the
tract, and Michael Bucher surveyed it and
laid it off into streets and building lots. A
strong party of the citizens opposed this
scheme and desired to see the land remain
a public common. To sell this land in lots
would doubtless result in removing the
center of the town business thereto, and in
thus reducing considerably the value of real
estate in parts of the town remote from the
railroad, whose directors had contributed
liberally toward the building of the road.
The other side urged the unproductiveness
, and uselessness of the Common. They
argued that it might easily be made a source
of revenue to the borough, and considerably
reduce the taxation. Many trips were made
to Harrisburg by representatives of both
sides, but all attempts to secure legislation
failed. In 1854 lots began to be leased at
$14 each. Then in 1858, a contract was
made with Evans & Mayer, attorneys at
York, to secure a fee simple title to the land
for the borough authorities for the sum of
$500. An order was obtained from the
court, appointing F. E. Metzger trustee for
the people of Hanover; and soon after, in
accordance with an order of the court, Mr.
Metzger offered the tract at public sale. It
was bought by Henry Wirt for the borough
at the nominal sum of $5,400. Under this
title the borough holds the Public Common.
Lots are leased to various parties, who have
erected buildings upon them. Larger tracts
have also been leased to railroads and to
private parties for lumber and coal yards.
Wirt Park, an attractive resort, is
Wirt situated in the Third Ward of Han-
Park, over. It extends 210 feet on Frank-
lin Street, 391 feet on Park Avenue,
223 feet on High Street and 313 feet on an
alley. Its entire area is nearly two acres.
Henry Wirt, a prominent citizen of Han-
over, interested in the future welfare of the
840
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
town, presented this park to the borough on
June 5, 1890. The deed of transfer states
that " it is to be set apart forever as a
public park for the free use of the inhabi-
tants of Hanover and a play ground for chil-
dren." The deed also specifies that no
buildings can be erected on the park, except
for the use of a public library or a town hall,
and if such building be erected it must be at
a place that will not interfere with the
original plans and purposes for which the
park was given to the town.
For a period of fifteen years the park was
used only as a play ground. In 1905, when
the battle monument was erected in the
oval in Centre Square the fountain which
had occupied that site since 1873 was re-
moved to the centre of \\'irt Park, which it
now adorns. The borough authorities ap-
propriated money for the erection of a band
stand and other improvements. The Civic
League, composed of enterprising women
of Hanover, raised money and laid out
flower beds on the park, placed a drinking
fountain, and also furnished settees. The .
borough council had a large number of trees
planted on the park.
The first outfit for extin-
Fire guishing fires in Hanover, as
Department, well as all other inland towns,
was the leather fire bucket.
These were usually owned by citizens, who
at the breaking out of a fire, arranged them-
selves in rows, extending from the fire to a
well or spring. Buckets full of water were
sent along the line to the scene of the fire,
and thrown on the flames by the man near-
est the burning building. These buckets
were then passed along another line to the
water supply. In this way, small fires could
be extinguished. These leather buckets
were used in Hanover as early as 1780, and
four of .them are now owned and kept as
mementoes of the past by Hanover Steam
Fire Engine Company No. i. at their build-
ing on Chestnut Street.
An engine called the " Lion " was
The purchased by the people of Hanover
Lion, about 1800. This engine was sup-
plied with water by means of the
leather buckets. The water was then
pumped on the fire by this hand engine. It
was a rather crude affair, but doubtless did
efficient service a century ago.
Hanover was incorporated in 18 15, and
during the following year, at a public meet-
ing of citizens, the borough was divided into
two fire districts. All the able-bodied men
residing on Frederick and Carlisle Streets
were organized into what was termed the
Hanover Fire Company, with Jacob Eichel-
berger, president; Frederick Bentz, secre-
tary; Jacob Metzgar, treasurer; George
Frysinger, engine director ; Jacob Hostet-
ter, lineman ; Peter ^^'inebrenner, Frederick
Berkman, George Grove, axmen ; Peter
Eckert, Nicholas Newman, ladder-men.
The residents of York, Baltimore and
Abbottstown Streets were organized into
the L^nion Fire Company with John Sholl,
president ; Daniel P. Lange, secretary ;
Jacob Metzgar, treasurer; Adam Ault,
Peter Grumbine, engine directors ; Jacob
Kline, lineman ; Jacob Britcher and Adam
Fisher, axmen ; John Shultz, George Buvin-
ger, ladder-men. When fires occurred, the
entire population of male citizens was ex-
pected to turn out. A destructive fire oc-
curred, and soon after this event at a public
meeting, a resolution was adopted to peti-
tion the council for the purchase of an im-
proved engine, and that a tax be laid on the
real estate within the borough to pay for it.
In July, 1830, the town council pur-
The chased from Asa Cummings, of
Tiger. Boston, an engine which was called
the " Tiger " at a cost of $275. The
Lion and the Tiger with additional equip-
ments bought as they were needed, com-
posed the entire outfit of the department
for many years. As the town grew, im-
proved fire apparatus was needed. In 1856
a committee was appointed to visit Balti-
more and inspect the fire apparatus there.
This visit resulted in the purchase, at a cost
of $450, from the Washington Hose Com-
pany, of an engine which had done good
service in that city. It bore the name
" Gazelle," but after its arrival at Hanover,
it was called the " Washington." This en-
gine, still the property of the fire depart-
ment, is on exhibition in the parlor of the
engine house on Chestnut Street. The
Washington engine was used by the Balti-
more fire department in the great parade at
the National Capital, when the cornerstone
of the Washington monument was laid.
The Lion was destroyed about 1890, but
the Tiger is in the possession of the Han-
over fire company.
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
The small building used many years for
fire department headquarters was situated
on Chestnut Street. On this same spot the
present handsome two-story engine house
was erected in 1882 at a cost of $3,800 by
the borough under the administration of L.
F. Melsheimer, as chief burgess.
The first floor of this building contains
the apparatus, consisting of a combination
hose and chemical wagon, a La France en-
gine, and a Hayes extension hook and lad-
der truck. In the rear are stalls for the four
horses maintained by the company, and a
hose tower in which a reserve supply of
1000 feet of hose is kept, in addition to the
1000 feet carried on the wagon. The sec-
ond floor comprises handsome sleeping
apartments for the drivers, a finely furnished
parlor, and a room for the monthly business
meetings of the company.
Hanover Steam Fire Engine Company
was organized in the year 1878, and has
since done eiBcient service at many fires.
William H. Long has been foreman of the
company for a period of twenty-four years,
while H. O. Young has filled the post of
secretary of the organization for twenty-
seven years. S. C. Garber was president of
the company in 1907. The roster of the
company contains over 125 names.
The Eagle Chemical Company,
The of Hanover, was organized on
Chemical. November 17, 1903. The first
officers were : H. M. Stokes,
president ; W. O. Dell, vice-president ; H. F.
Heilman, secretary; D. M. Anthony, assist-
ant secretary; C. L. Trone, treasurer; A. R.
Brodbeck, N. D. Bankert and W. W.
Smeach, trustees.
Soon after organization the company pur-
chased a lot on Hanover Street for the sum
of $500, upon which a frame building, cost-
ing $2,000, was erected by the company. A
chemical engine and 1500 feet of hose were
purchased and did excellent service at the
fires which occurred during the succeeding
three years. In 1906 the borough council
furnished money for the purchase of two
fine horses used in drawing the engine.
The original membership of this company
was thirty. Owing to its successful efforts
the membership was increased, and in 1907
numbered 200. W. W. Smeach was chosen
president during that year.
PHYSICIANS, DENTISTS, LAWYERS.
The healing art had not yet been reduced
to a science, when the town of Hanover was
founded in 1763. Medical practice as car-
ried on by pioneer physicians in York
County, is described in the medical chapter
in this book, beginning on page 515. In the
year 1789, Frederick Valentine Melsheimer
settled in Hanover as the pastor of St.
Matthew's Lutheran Church. While per-
forming his duties as pastor of this church,
he also practiced the healing art among his
parishioners and all his friends and neigh-
bors, even to the time of his death in 1814.
Dr. John Baker seems to have been the
first physician to practice medicine at Han-
over as his sole occupation. He settled in
the vicinity about 1775, and continued to
follow his chosen profession during the Rev-
olution and until 1795.
Dr. Patrick Smith, a regular graduate of
medicine, settled at Hanover about 1790.
Biographies of Peter Mueller, Henry C.
A'Vampler, John Culbertson, George W.
Hinkle, Henry C. Eckert, J. P. Smith, Hor-
ace Alleman, A. J. Snively, F. A. H. Koch,
L. W. Goldsborough, physicians of Han-
over, will be found in the medical chapter.
Dr. Plowman, a regular graduate of med-
icine, followed his profession at Hanover
for ten years. Dr. J. H. Winterode prac-
ticed here in 1850. His office was on Car-
lisle Street.
Dr. J. W. C. O'Neal practiced medicine
here from 1844 to 1848, and since the latter
date has practiced at Gettysburg.
Dr. John Metzgar engaged in the prac-
tice of medicine in his native town for sev-
eral years and then moved to the west.
Dr. J. H. Bittinger, who was born near
Hanover, since his graduation from Jefifer-
son Medical College in 1878, has been a lead-
ing physician at Hanover. For many years
he has been surgeon for the P. R. R. Co. and
the W: M. R. R. Co. He also served as
president of the Peoples Bank and of the
Hanover Board of Education.
Dr. A. C. Wentz, who was born in Man-
heim Township, received his medical degree
from the University of Pennsylvania in
1882. Since that time he has been actively
engaged in the pursuit of his profession at
Hanover. Dr. Wentz has lilled several
842
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
local offices, including that of treasurer of
the school board.
Dr. R. N. Meisenhelder, a graduate of Jef-
ferson Medical College, Philadelphia, for
twenty years or more was a physician at
East Berlin. In 1891, he removed to Han-
over, where he continued his profession.
Dr. H. M. Alleman, son of Dr. Horace
Alleman, succeeded his father in the prac-
tice of medicine. He is a graduate of Jef-
ferson Medical College, and has served in
prominent local offices, being twice presi-
dent of the Hanover School Board.
Dr. John A. Melsheimer, since his gradu-
ation from the medical department of the
University of Pennsylvania, has been en-
gaged in the practice of his profession at
Hanover. He is a great grandson of Fred-
erick Valentine Melsheimer, pastor of St.
Matthew's Lutheran Church from 1789 to
1814.
Dr. A. Z. Buchen, a graduate of the Uni-
versity of Maryland began to practice here
in 1876.
Dr. Wesley C. Stick, who practiced medi-
cine for thirty years at Glenville removed
to Hanover in 1905.
Dr. L. M. Bailey, a graduate of Jefiferson
Medical College and George H. Jordy, Uni-
versity of Maryland, practiced at Hanover.'
Rev. Jacob Geiger, who resided at Man-
chester, Maryland, and who performed the
duties of pastor for eight Reformed con-
gregations in York and Harford counties,
introduced the practice of homeopathy into
Hanover and vicinity about 1835. Rev.
Geiger practiced the healing art over a
large section of the country in connection
with his pastoral duties. He died in 1848.
About 1840 he interested Rev. Peter
Sheurer of Hanover, who was the pastor of
seven Reformed congregations in York
County. Pastor Sheurer became a devoted
follower of Hahnemann. He spent his
leisure time in the study of medicine and
acquired considerable ability as a diagnos-
tician. For several years after Pastor
Sheurer's death, no one practiced homoeo-
pathy in Hanover.
Dr. O. T. Everhart, who was born near
Manchester, Maryland, in 1832, was gradu-
ated as a physician from the University of
Maryland in 1856. He practiced medicine
at Goldsboro and Marysville near Harris-
burg, until he settled in Hanover in 1878.
He practiced homoeopathy the remainder
of his professional career. During the Civil
War, Dr. Everhart was assistant surgeon
in the United States army hospitals in Har-
risburg and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
Dr. D. B. Grove, who was born at Han-
over in i860, received his medical education
at the Homoeopathic Medical College of
New York City, from which he graduated
in 1883. He was surgeon for the W. M. R.
R. Co., and was a successful physician and
surgeon.
Dr. Charles Wagner, a graduate of
Hahnemann Medical College, succeeded Dr.
Grove as the homoeopathic physician at
Hanover. During the administration of
Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt, he was
president of the U. S. Board of Pension Ex-
aminers for York county.
Dr. M. M. Fleagle, a graduate of Hahne-
mann Medical College, and his sister,
Roberta Fleagle, are homoeopathic physi-
cians in this borough.
Dr. J. D. Keller, formerly of Glenville,
removed to Hanover in 1903. He is a grad-
uate of Hahnemann Medical College, Phila-
delphia.
During the year 1906, the physicians of
Hanover, organized a Medical Club which
meets regularly in the ofifice of members for
the discussion of questions relating to the
practice of medicine and surgery.
Before the year, 1840, the
Dentistry, duties of a dentist at Hanover,
were performed by the local
physicians. The medical doctor never at-
tempted to fill or make artificial teeth, but
he had to be supplied with the old time
tooth pulling instrument, called the " pulle-
gen" or tournequet. AVith these he ex-
tracted the aching teeth for the relief of his
patients, and carried his instruments with
him on his trips to the country and every-
where he went on his professional duties.
The art of modern dentistry was introduced
into Hanover in a crude way by travelling
dentists, who made periodical visits. Their
principal business was that of cleaning
teeth, pulling out the defective ones, and
putting in artificial teeth on pivots which
were driven into the roots of the natural
teeth whose crowns had been removed.
Occasionally these pioneer dentists would
attempt to fill teeth with some kind of a
composition^ which was covered with tin
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
843
foil. In 1828, J. Walker, dental surgeon,
was the first recorded travelling dentist,
who visited Hanover.
Dr. William H. Bange was the first pro-
fessional dentist to follow this occupation
in the borough of Hanover. He was a na-
tive of the town and began to practice in
the year 1840. During the first few years
of his professional duties, Dr. Bange used
the old time tooth pulling instruments. At
this period, sets of artificial teeth were put in
plates of silver and gold, and the teeth were
made by the dentist himself. These metals
continued to be used by dentists, until the
introduction of celluloid, about 1870. Dur-
ing his early career, Dr. Bange travelled
to the small towns and villages and through
the country in pursuit of his profession. He
took with him his instruments and the head-
rest which could be attached to any chair
for the use of the patient. He introduced
the modern practice of filling teeth with
gold and silver, and eventually had a full
dental outfit. Dr. Bange was succeeded in
the practice by his son. Dr. Faber Bange.
Dr. H. C. Derr, a professional dentist,
opened an office in Hanover in the year
1850. He practiced the art of dentistry
here with success until he removed else-
where.
Dr. H. C. Ruth and Dr. J. A. Thomas
learned under the instruction of Dr. Derr.
Others who have practiced dentistry as a
science and an art at Hanover, have been
E. Z. Buchen, M. D. Bishop, J. Ross Black,
Fayette H. Beard, Charles E. Stine and
Clayton P. Walcott.
When the Province of Penn-
Legal sylvania was under the rule of
Profession, the English King and Parlia-
ment, justices of the peace
transacted much of the legal business of
the community. The office was always
filled by men of the highest' integrity and
business ability. Richard McAllister, the
founder of Hanover, was the original jus-
tice of the peace in this region. He was
also one of the judges who held the courts
at York before the Revolution. He pre-
sided over that court for a period of three
years. Under the State constitution of 1776
and until the year 1791, the county courts
were presided over by three or five of these
court justices. Henry Welsh, a leading citi-
zen of Hanover, was a justice of the peace
for twenty years and also transacted much
legal business before the courts at York for
his friends and neighbors. Jacob Rudisill.
who became one of the associate judges in
1791, and Colonel Henry Slagle, who filled
the same office, were legal advisers of the
citizens of Hanover and vicinity as well as
judges of the courts.
When the town was incorporated in 1815,
John L. Hinkle, a hardware merchant, be-
came the first justice of the peace, and also
served for twenty-three years as an asso-
ciate judge of York County. Judge Hinkle
was also a land surveyor. George Fry-
singer, Jesse Frysinger, C. W. Forney,
James E. Naille, John M. Wolf, Hezekiah
Trone, Jacob Gundrum, Lewis D. Sell,
Barton H. Knode, Adam E. Kohr and
Isaac R. Witmer served as justices of the
peace for the borough.
W. D. Gobrecht, who published a local
newspaper, began the practice of law at
Hanover about 1840. Jacob F. Welsh
opened an office in 1840, and afterward re-
moved to Texas. James E. Naille per-
formed the duties of an attorney and justice
of the peace for a period of twenty years.
Alfred E. Lewis, H. C. Dean, a native of
New England, Philip Gossler, and J. W.
Johnson, afterward a practicing lawyer of
Lancaster, began the legal profession at
Hanover. Daniel K. Trimmer of York,
also began his career as a lawyer in this
borough. Charles M. Wolff was admitted
to the York County Bar in 1877 and soon
after settled in Hanover, where he was the
only practicing lawyer for several years.
Charles E. Ehrehart for twenty years and
Charles J. Delone for ten years or more
have been successful lawyers at Hanover.
Col. R. M. Russell who served as a soldier
in the Mexican AVar and was the lieutenant
colonel of a Pennsylvania cavalry regiment,
practiced law in Hanover for several years
after the Civil War. John AV. Heller of
York, began his professional career at
Hanover in 1865, and AA^illiam E. Bushong
in 1900. John J. Bollinger was admitted to
the bar in 1902 and Thomas F. Crostwaite
in 1904.
MILITARY COMPANIES.
The records of the first military com-
panies at Hanover and vicinity are found in
the Pennsylvania Archives for the year
844
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1775. This was at the opening of the Revo-
lution, when Richard McAlhster, the
founder of Hanover was chosen colonel of
a battalion of local 'militia, composed of
eight companies, known as the Second Bat-
talion of York County Associators. These
companies were distributed through the
southwestern part of York County and the
soutlieastern part of Adams County.
Immediately after the adop-
In the tion of the first state constitu-
Revolution. tion in 1776, Richard McAllis-
ter was chosen by the State
legislature to fill the new office of county
lieutenant. His duties required him to or-
ganize all the able-bodied men in York
County, which then embraced Adams, into
militia companies, ready to be called out at
any emergency. When Continental Congress,
through the appeals of General AVash-
ington, called for 10,000 troops from Mary-
land, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Colonel
McAllister marched with his battalion to
the defence of New York, near which city
the Flying Camp was organized. In Au-
gust 1776, his battalion was organized into
the Second Pennsylvania Regiment of the
Flying Camp. This regiment was present
at the battles of Long Island and Fort
AA^ashington, in the northern part of Man-
hattan Island. Several of his officers and
men were captured when the fort was sur-
rendered to the British in November, 1776.
Colonel McAllister's regiment took a
prominent part in the affair on Staten Is-
land where his command captured sixty
Waldeckers, the first Hessians held as pris-
oners of war during the Revolution. His
son, Archibald McAllister, was a lieutenant
in the first expedition to Canada, and a cap-
tain in a Pennsylvania regiment at the
battles of Brandywine, Germantown and
Monmouth.
Captain Martin Eichelberger who resided
a short distance southeast of Hanover, com-
manded a company of militia during the
Revolution. After the close of the war,
different companies existed and paraded on
the Public Common. These companies
were formed under the militia laws passed
by the State legislature. One of the com-
panies was commanded by Henry Welsh,
the first postmaster of Hanover, and for a
third of a century, a leading citizen of the
town.
The military spirit continued at
War Hanover after 1800. About that
of year two volunteer companies were
1812. organized and their officers commis-
sioned by the Governor of Pennsyl-
vania. One of these companies was com-
manded by Captain Frederick Metzgar and
the other by Captain John Bair. Both of
these companies paraded in uniform and
regularly drilled once a month on the Public
Common. Soon after the second war be-
tween England and the United States
opened in 1812, about a dozen men from
Hanover enlisted in the American army.
After the destruction of the public build-
ings at Washington by the British under
General Ross, he appeared at Baltimore and
threatened that city. It was believed if the
British were successful at Baltimore, they
would march to Philadelphia. For the pur-
pose of joining in the defence of Baltimore,
Governor Snyder of Pennsylvania, in re-
sponse to an order from President Madison,
called out the militia. About 1,000 troops
rendezvoused at Hanover and 6,000 on the
Public Common at York. Previously to the
arrival of these troops from the central and
eastern parts of the state. Captain Spang-
ler's company from York and the Hanover
companies marched to the defence of Balti-
more. There were only three Pennsylvania
companies recorded in the official reports
and in Thomas Runkle's lithograph, en-
graved soon after the engagement, that
took part in the famous battle of North
Point. These companies were commanded
by Captains Metzgar and Bair of Hanover,
and Captain Spangler of York.
The two companies left Hanover on the
march to Baltimore, Sunday morning, Au-
gust 28, 1814, in response to the governor's
orders. They reached Baltimore at 9 A.
M., Tuesday, and soon afterward were at-
tached to a Maryland regiment. The Brit-
ish approached Baltimore and on Septem-
ber 12, the memorable battle of North
Point took place. One or two men of Cap-
tain Metzgar's company received slight
wounds, and one of Spangler's men was
severely wounded, and two were slightly in-
jured. The «ank and file of Captain Metz-
gar's company will be found on page 346.
The only names that are known of sol-
diers who formed the rank and file of Cap-
tain Pair's company are Frederick Messing,
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
845
I
Jacob Young, Frederick Bittinger, George
Grove, John P. Storm, Samuel Flickinger,
Adam Forney, George Grumbine, Samuel
Weigle and John Beard.
About 1820, a local military company,
fully armed and equipped, was commanded
by Captain George Frysinger. This com-
pany drilled on the Public Common which
was used from that date until the opening
of the Civil War as a place for military en-
campment and manouvering.
The Warren Greys organized in
Warren 1830, under the State laws, was a
Greys. well-trained company of sixty
members. It was commanded
and drilled by Captain Luther R. Skinner
and existed for seven years. The company
was armed with flintlock muskets, which
continued to be used until after the Mexi-
can War, when percussion rifles came into
use. J. W. Baughman in 1907 was the last
survivor of the Warren Greys.
The United Blues was a military com-
pany of riflemen, organized by Captain A.
W. Eichelberger in 1842. The company
was composed of.sixty men, in full uniform,
and continued to drill for seven years.
The Fourth Dragoons was a company
organized in 1849, composed of fifty men.
It was a cavalry company, having a full uni-
form of blue coat, light blue pantaloons
with cavalry sabers, furnished by the State,
and was commanded by Captain Eichel-
berger. They drilled once a month, for five
years on the Public Common. Of this com-
pany, Cyrus Diller was first lieutenant ; A.
G. Schmidt, second lieutenant; Dr. W. H.
Bange, first sergeant.
Marion Rifles, a military com-
Marion pany composed of fifty men, rank
Rifles. and file, was organized in 1857,
with Rufus J. Winterode, captain ;
John R. Adams, first lieutenant; Jacob W.
Bender, second lieutenant ; Joseph A.
Renaut, first sergeant. This company ob-
tained rifles from the State of Pennsylvania,
and after practicing the manual of arms for
two or three years, became somewhat noted
for the efficiency of its military drill. H.
Gates Myers succeeded as captain in 1859,
when the company purchased new uni-
forms, and obtained a silk flag, at a cost of
$40. The company drilled with fine effect
at the noted military encampment at York
in 1859. Lewis I. Renaut, who afterward
became chief musician of the 87th Regi-
ment, was fifer for this company. Joseph
Bange who was severely wounded while
serving in the 76th Pennsylvania Regiment,
played the bass drum, and Mahlon H.
Naill, afterward drummer in the 26th Penn-
sylvania Regiment, played the tenor drum
for the Marion Rifles.
On April 21, 1861, two days after the riot
at Baltimore, the Marion Rifles enlisted in
a body in the i6th Regiment, Pennsylvania
Volunteers. They responded to the first
call for troops, made by President Lincoln,
and served for a period of three months
under General Patterson, near Harper's
Ferry, Va. When the company entered
the army, Joseph A. Renaut was chosen
first lieutenant to succeed John R. Adams.
Shortly before his term of service had
ended, Captain Myers had taken sick. He
was removed to a hospital at Chambers-
burg, Pa., where he died about the time his
company was mustered out of service.
The Hanover Infantry was a
Hanover military company, organized in
Infantry. 1858, with F. M. Baughman,
captain. This company ob-
tained muskets from the State of Pennsyl-
vania, and drilled regularly for a year. In
i860, Cyrus Diller was elected captain of
the company and recruited it to a member-
ship of fifty men. On Sunday morning,
April 21, 1861, in response to the first call
for troops, they assembled in Concert Hall,
at the southwest angle of Centre Square,
where they volunteered to enlist in the
three months' service. On the same day,
amid great excitement, this company and
the Marion Rifles left Hanover about two
o'clock, on a special train to York, where
they both joined the i6th Pennsylvania
Regiment under Colonel Thomas A. Zeigle
of York.
The future history of these companies
will be found in the chapter on the Civil
War. A complete account of the battle of
Hanover will be found in a preceding chap-
ter beginning on page 424.
Major Jenkins Post, No. 99, G.
G. A. R. A. R.,"was instituted May 7,
1878. Several previous at-
tempts in Hanover to organize the veterans
of the war of 1861-5 failed through a mis-
apprehension of the purpose of the organi-
zation, it being feared the intention was to
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
make it a political machine. The post was
named after Joseph S. Jenkins, a gallant
Hanover officer, killed before Petersburg,
Virginia. There were twenty-three char-
ter members. At first recruits came in
rapidly, the list numbering over sixty before
the close of the first year. In all, the names
of 214 veterans have been borne on the ros-
ter of Major Jenkins post. Of these sixty-six
have died, many have removed to other
places and a few have relinquished their
membership. In 1907 there were about
ninety members in good standing. The
members represent all branches of the mili-
tary service, with only one representative of
the navy. The average term of army ser-
vice of the members was eighteen months,
the longest being that of Lewis I. Renaut,
fifty-one months ; five served four years and
over, and nearly 100 three years and up-
wards. The Post Commanders have been:
M. O. Smith, Jacob Shultz, Daniel Carter,
Cyrus Diller, P. H. Bittinger, L. B. Johns,
Isaac AVagner, Jacob Gundrum, L. Y.
Diller, Jacob H. Bange, Silas Beard, Frank
A. Zeigler, Jacob Baughman, Samuel E.
Trone, Henry L. Miller.
TAVERNS AND HOTELS.
Soon after Adam Forney settled at the
site of Hanover in 1731, he obtained a li-
cense from the Lancaster court to open a
tavern. When Richard McAllister settled
on Digges' Choice about 1745, he opened a
store and public inn for the convenience of
his "neighbors and the traveling public".
This store and tavern building stands on
the northeast corner of Baltimore and
Middle streets. It was built of logs and
later cased in with bricks.
The town of Hanover was founded in
1763, on the line of the Monocacy Road.
This road was laid out in 1739, and ex-
tended from the Susquehanna at Wrights-
ville across the present area of York County
into Western Maryland. It became a
famous route of travel to the southwest.
Hanover was therefore an important stop-
ping place for the early emigrants, and for
wagon and pack horse travel toward Mary-
land and the Valley of Virginia long before
the Revolution. During that war and as
late as 1790 public inns were kept in Han-
over and immediate vicinity by seven dif-
ferent persons: Daniel Barnitz, Andrew
Etzler, Alexander Forsythe, Charles Gel-
wix, Francis Heim, Peter Winebrenner,
Henry Welsh.
Paul Metzger owned a hotel on the south
side of Frederick Street, near the square, in
1791.
In 1818, three years after the incorpora-
tion, there were eight taverns in the bor-
ough, kept by Henry Bear, John Bart,
Peter Eckert, Jacob Eichelberger, David
Mayer, Henry Morningstar, David La-
motte and John Emig.
Farmers' Inn for many years a
Farmers' noted stopping place, stood on
Inn. the east side of Baltimore Street,
a short distance north of St.
Joseph's Catholic Church. This tavern was
opened by David Lamotte about 1800. On
one side of it was a large yard for the
accommodation of teams. In the days of
wagoning to Baltimore, this yard was often
filled with teams, which had stopped at
Hanover for the night. These teams be-
longed to farmers from the Cumberland
Valley and the adjoining region, and were
engaged in hauling produce, grain, whiskey
and other products to the Baltimore
markets. Pittsburg teams also stopped
here for the night. Some of the proprietors
of this hotel were George Emmert and
Peter Shultz. William Albright took the
hotel in 1843; his son, D. Q. Albright in
1847, arid Jeremiah Diehl in 1852. The
place was discontinued as a hotel in 1855.
Central Hotel was established in
The the northwest angle of Center
Central. Square, about 1810 by Jacob
Eichelberger. Before the time of
railroads this place was known as the
"Stage Office". It was the stopping place
for stages on their way from Baltimore
through Hanover to Carlisle, Harrisburg
and other points to the north, and on their
return southward. Stages going from
Philadelphia through Lancaster and York
to Maryland and Virginia, also stopped
here. It was one of the relays for the ex-
change of horses. The owners of stage
lines kept a supply of horses at several
relays along the route, so that passengers
could be driven rapidly from one point to
another. The Eichelberger Hotel was
famous as a stopping place for stage
travelers for a period of thirty years or
more. During the Civil War this hotel
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
847
was owned by Davis Garber and kept by
Thomas McCausland. He was somewhat
noted as . a hotel keeper, and after the
cavalry battle, the room at the southeast
corner of the second story was used as the
headquarters for General Judson Kilpatrick,
commander of the Union cavalry. Van
Amig and Arnold Kleff were proprietors of
this hotel for a number of years.
David Garber rented the hotel to David
C. Fleming and after his death it was con-
ducted by his son John H. Fleming. Vin-
cent O'Bold purchased this property, and
owned it until the time of his death in 1904.
The hotel property was then bought by
Clinton J. Huff and Jacob P. Delone, who
had conducted the hotel business here for a
period of ten years previously. The Cen-
tral Hotel has always been an excellent
house of public entertainment with a very
large patronage.
John A. Sheeley was proprietor in 1907,
and the property is owned by the Hanover
Realty Company.
The Franklin House on York Street was
kept by John Hershey from 1825 to 1849,
when he was succeeded by his son-in-law,
Jeremiah Harmony, for a period of five
years. Henry Ruth. Frank McKinney and
others kept this hotel. The property has
been owned in recent years by Mrs.
Bowman.
About 1845 3. large hotel was erected at
the northeast corner of Frederick and High
Streets. Frederick Bittinger kept this hotel
from 1850 to i860. There was a large yard
to the rear of the building used by teamsters
in the days of wagoning. During a part of
the Civil War, this hotel was kept by David
Newcomer, who discontinued the business
several years before his death in 1874. The
property ■ was afterward owned by C. W.
Forney and his heirs.
The Drovers' Hotel was built by Jesse
Kohler in 1852 on Carlisle Street beyond
the railroad. He kept it for many years.
The large building facing Pleasant Street
and now used as a residence, was originally
a hotel property. Adam Fisher carried on
the business here before the Civil War and
was suceeded by Adam Forney and Captain
Jeremiah Kohler. After the cavalry en-
gagement at Hanover, this building was
used as a United States Hospital. Not only
the soldiers wounded at Hanover were
brought here, but quite a number from the
battlefield of Gettysburg.
Hotel Hanover, a five-story
Hotel. building, situated on the south-
Hanover, west corner of Carlisle and
Chestnut Streets, was built in
1870 by Colonel Cyrus Diller, at a cost of
$14,000. This property was purchased in
1883 by Alfred F. Barker. He refitted and
refurnished the building and named it the
Barker House. From the time he pur-
chased it until 1904, Mr. Barker was owner
and proprietor. He kept a first class hotel
and had a large patronage. In 1904, this
property was bought by Peter H. Strub-
inger. After remodelling the building and
making additions, he changed the name to
the Hotel Hanover.
This corner had been used as the site of
a hotel from 1820 until the large building
was erected by Colonel Diller.
Hotel O'Bold, at the southeast
The corner of Center Square was
O'Bold. erected in 1893 by Vincent
O'Bold, president of the First
National Bank of Hanover, and a prominent
farmer residing near McSherrystown. It is
now the property of the Hanover Realt}'
Company.
The American House, corner of Railroad
Street and Park Avenue, has long been kept
as a hotel.
The Colonial, near the railroad station,
erected in 1906 by Clayton R. Graves, is a
four-story building with all the conveniences
for a first-class hotel.
The City Hotel on Abbottstown Street
was conducted for many years by Henry V.
Klunk. E. D. Bortner was the proprietor in
1907.
HISTORICAL NOTES.
The old time fairs were kept up in Han-
over longer than in many neighboring
towns. They attracted large crowds of
people, who spent the time in general en-
joyment. The square on these occasions
was nearly filled with tables owned by ven-
ders of trinkets, jewelry and merchandise
of various kinds. These fairs finally be-
came a nuisance and were discontinued
about 1830.
The newspaper announcements for reli-
gious services before 1830 usually read as
follows : "The Rev. Mr. Samuel Gutelius
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
will preach this evening at early candle
light in the German Reformed Church."
The "Hanover Guardian." March 6, 1828,
says : "A meeting of the friends of General
Andrew Jackson, as president, and John C.
Calhoun as vice-president, will be held at
the house of Martin Shearer in the town of
Jefferson."
D. Shultz in March 1828, advertised for
two brickmakers to make 300,000 bricks.
George Forney offered fresh lime for sale
for fertilizer at his kiln in Heidelberg Town-
ship in 1828.
The first Battalion of the 89th Regiment,
Pennsylvania Militia, commanded by Col-
onel Joseph Kuhn, drilled on the Common,
in 1828.
In 1828, William Bair advertised hats of
his own make^ as follows : "fashionable
elastic, waterproof, castor, black and white
wool hats, also drab hats for summer wear,
in Baltimore Street."
The Hanover Tract Society held its meet-
ings at the school room of Mr. Corr, on
York Street. Henry Myers, secretary of
the Hanover Sunday School, announced a
meeting to be held at the home of Luther
H. Skinner, on York Street.
The following advertisement appeared in
the Hanover Guardian, February, 1829:
"6 cents, i chew of tobacco, and 39 lashes,
reward — Isaac Baugher ran away from
George Shrum. The above reward but no
charges will be paid if brought home."
There are no newspaper files in existence
from 1829 to 1844, when the Hanover
Spectator was started by Senary Leader.
This paper supported the Whig party dur-
ing the remarkable campaign, when Henry
Clay was candidate for President. October
2, 1844. this paper announced that Thomas
E. Cochran and D. M. Smyser, would ad-
dress the Whigs of Hanover at the last rally
before the election.
The Hanover Lyceum, a literary society,
held regular meetings in the Academy, in
1844, and often gave dramatic performances.
In August, 1846, John Trayer, the
"steeple king," ascended the spire of St.
Matthew's Lutheran Church and replaced
the ball, vane and star which had been re-
moved for repairs. After completing his
work, he performed "such evolutions as as-
tonished all who favored him with their at-
tention."
On February 24, 1847, George Blint-
zinger, soldier of the Revolution, died at
Hanover at the age of eighty-six years. He
had served in the First Pennsylvania Regi-
ment, under Col. Richard McAllister, and
was present at the battle of Fort Washing-
ton. Blintzinger was a noted musician, and
after he was eighty years old, performed the
duties of fifer to Captain Eichelberger's
military company, called the United Blues.
He was the last of the Revolutionary sol-
diers to live in Hanover.
Daniel Barnitz and Burd Coleman, of the
Castle Fin Iron Works, shot thirty-eight
jack snipes in a few hours on Michael
Slagle's farm, in 1848.
Capt. A. W. Eichelberger, James A.
Naille, Dr. Goldsborough, Senary Leader
and Rev. Charles Hay, in 1848, were ap-
pointed a committee to draw up a constitu-
tion to regulate a public library association.
Henry Wirt, Jr., L. F. Melsheimer, William
H. Bange, William Bange, Samuel Shirk,
John S. Barnitz, J. S. Gitt and Abraham
Rudisill, were appointed a committee to so-
licit members. This is the origin of what
became known as the Hanover Public
Library.
In 1848, William Berlin established a
gallery for taking daguerreotypes in Fred-
erick Street.
The Whigs of Hanover celebrated the
election of General Zachary Taylor as Pres-
ident of the United States, by a parade
through the streets and a feast on the Pub-
lic Common, December 1848. The proces-
sion was under the command of Samuel
Diller. Speeches were made by James E.
Naille and Matthias E. Trone.
A new mail line was established between
Hanover and Baltimore and York Springs
in 1849, on account of increased traveling.
Elijah Garber opened the first livery
stable at Hanover in February, 1850.
The Steam Mill which had recently been
built by Philip Kohler near Hanover, was
destroyed by fire, March, 1850. The dis-
aster induced the fire company to increase
its fire apparatus.
David Eckert took charge of the Wash-
ington House at the southwest corner of
Centre Square in 1850. Mr. Gardner, an ac-
complished magician, gave an exhibition of
his "wonderful and unrivaled feats," at the
W'ashington House.
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
849
In August, 1845, "Rockwell & Stone's
Mammoth Circus, generally acknowledged
to be the mo5t powerful company in the
world, being composed of over 120 men and
horses, gave an exhibition. The holiday
sports of Old Spain or the Bull Fight
formed one of the splendid features of the
entertainment."
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.
The visits of distinguished men to any
town or community are events of great im-
portance. Hanover has been favored by the
presence of four of the most distinguished
men in American history. In 1755 a man
already noted in Colonial times started from
Philadelphia, and passing through Lancas-
ter and York stopped at a store and public
inn at the northeast corner of Baltimore
and Middle Streets. There was really no
town here at that time and this was one
of the few frontier taverns west of the Sus-
quehanna River.
The man who arrived on horse-
Franklin, back and lodged for the night in
this building was Benjamin
Franklin, who was then the leader of the
Pennsylvania Assembly. He went as far
west as Frederick, Marjdand, where he met
Sir Edward Braddock, an English officer,
who was organizing an expedition to pro-
ceed against the French and Indians then in
possession of Fort Duquesne, now the site
of Pittsburg. Upon his return from Fred-
erick he again stopped at the site of Han-
over at the frontier inn and store kept by
Richard McAllister, who eight years later
laid out the town.
On July I, 1 79 1, George
Washington. Washington entered Han-
over from the southwest.
This was during his first administration as
President. Soon after the adjournment of
the First Congress at Philadelphia, which
was then the capital of the United States,
in the spring of 1791, he started on a tour
of the southern states, going as far south as
Charleston, S. C. After remaining about
two weeks at Mount Vernon upon his re-
turn from the south, he went to George-
town and selected a site for the national
capitol and the executive mansion in the
District of Columbia. He then records in
his diary :
"Being desirous of seeing the nature of
the country north of Georgetown and along
the upper road, I resolved to pass through
Fredericktown in Maryland, and York and
Lancaster in Pennsylvania."
President Washington arrived at Taney-
town on the evening of June 30 and lodged
there for the night. On July 2, he makes
the following entry in his diary:
"Set out a little after 4 o'clock and in
about six miles crossed the line which
divides the states of Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania; the trees were so grown up that
I could not perceive the opening though
I kept a lookout for it. Nine miles from
Taneytown, Littlestown is reached. Seven
miles further we came to Hanover (com-
monly called McAllister's town) a very
pretty village with a number of good brick
houses and mechanics in it. At this place,
in a good inn, we breakfasted, and in
eighteen miles more reached York, where
we dined and lodged."
When Washington approached the vil-
lage of Hanover which then contained
about 600 people, tradition says he stopped
at the first house on Frederick Street, now
owned by Miss Mary Forney, Here he
asked about a public inn at which he says
in his diary he breakfasted. He took this
meal at a building which then stood on the
south side of Frederick Street, three doors
from Centre Square, and was owned by
Paul Metzgar. After eating his breakfast,
he walked down Baltimore Street with
Colonel Richard McAllister, the founder of
Hanover, who had commanded a regiment
in the Flying Camp, during the year 1776.
Other revolutionary soldiers accompanied
them on their walk. As it was summer time,
the President watched a number of men
reaping wheat in a field to the right of Balti-
more Street. He left Hanover about 11 A.
M.. and arrived at York at 2 P. M., when all
the church bells of the town were ringing.
After he had driven up to his lodgings near
Centre Square, York, fifteen rounds were
fired from a cannon, one round to represent
each state which then formed the Union.
President AVashington on this occasion
travelled in an elegant chaise, which had
been made for him by David Clark of Phila-
delphia. It was said to be the finest private
carriage then owned in the United States.
It was drawn by four white horses. Be-
sides his private secretary. Major Jackson, a
8=;o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
coachman and three other servants accom-
panied him. One of the servants drove a
baggage wagon and another had in charge
three horses.
Washington passed through Hanover in
1794 on his return from western Pennsyl-
vania where he had gone to aid in quelling
the Whiskey Insurrection. On this occa-
sion he stopped at a hotel at the corner of
Centre Square and Carlisle Street.
In November 1863, a train from
Lincoln. Washington by way of Baltimore
and Hanover Junction brought
another great man to Hanover. He did not
come for the purpose of visiting the town,
but as the train approached the railroad
station on the edge of the Public Common,
hundreds of people had gathered to catch a
glimpse of the President of the United
States, who was then guiding the destiny
of the Union through one of the greatest
wars in history. It was necessary for the
engine to take in a supply of water before
the train moved toward Gettysburg. The
vast crowd that had assembled awaited with
eager interest for the President to come out
and make a short speech. " Father Abra-
ham, your children want to hear you,"
was called out in clarion tones, by the
pastor of one of the churches of Hanover.
Soon after these words were heard a man
six feet four inches tall emerged through
the door of the rear car, and stood on the
platform. He was so tall that he had to
remove his high hat to walk through the
door to the platform. The engine was nov.r
almost ready to start with the train for Get-
tysburg, the place of destination. Before
the train pulled out, this great man. Presi-
dent Lincoln, with kindly expression looked
over the audience and spoke a few words.
He asked if the people had been loyal to the
state and government when the enemy-
passed through this region before the battle
of Gettysburg. " If you are not all true
patriots in support of the Union, you should
be," was the sage remark of the great Presi-
dent, and then the train moved quietly
away. On the following day Lincoln made
a brief speech at the consecration services
on the battlefield of Gettysburg. This
speech lasted only five minutes, but on ac-
count of its eloquence, patriotism and pro-
found thought, has been universally recog-
nized as one of the finest specimens of
American literature.
In 1868, during the first year of his
Grant. Presidency, General Grant arrived
in Hanover, traveling over the same
route that President Lincoln had come in
1863. He was on his way to Gettysburg
to visit the battlefield for the first time.
The arrival of this distinguished soldier was
not known to many citizens when the Presi-
dential train reached the railway station.
The exchanging of engines required ten or
fifteen minutes, and during that time Presi-
dent Grant sat in the center of the car by a
window, silent and motionless. The train
then started for Gettysburg where the Presi-
dential party spent two days examining the
principal points of the battlefield.
James Buchanan delivered a speech in Han-
over from a platform erected underneath
three elm trees which stood at the corner of
Carlisle Street and Centre Square. This oc-
curred in the fall of 185 1, when William
Bigler was elected governor of Pennsylva-
nia by the Democratic party. He was en-
tertained for the night by Dr. John Culbert-
son, a local physician.
Grover Cleveland, the President o\ the
United States, while on his way to Gettys-
bifrg May 3, 1886, stopped for a short time
and was greeted by hundreds of people who
surrounded the train on the Public Common.
Andrew G. Curtin, the great war gov-
ernor of Pennsylvania, also addressed an
audience in Centre Square in 1864, during
the campaign when Lincoln was re-elected
President. This is said to have been the
ablest political speech ever delivered in the
borough.
Samuel W. Pennypacker, while serving
as governor of Pennsylvania, presided over
the ceremonies at the unveiling of the battle
monument in Centre Square, in 1905.
The purchase and sale of western
Horses horses and mules began in Han-
and over in 1844. During that year,
Cattle. William A\'allace brought from
Virginia and Ohio one hundred
fine horses and disposed of them to the
people of Hanover and vicinity. In 1847,
Davis Garber resided at Clarksburg, AVest
Virginia. Hearing that Hanover was a
good market for valuable horses, he
brought in several carloads that year and
.y^'^^^'^^^'7^^^2-«-^^^.-^^>^
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
851
continued to do the' same for six years,
when he removed to Hanover and during
the succeeding tv^^enty years sold a large
number of western horses in this borough.
Al Smith began to sell horses at Hanover
before the Civil War, and continued the
business for thirty years. Since 1885, Han-
over has become one of the most noted
horse markets in southern Pennsylvania.
From that year to 1907, from two thousand
to five thousand horses and mules from the
west have been sold annually by these
dealers. Among the most prominent en-
gaged in this business in recent years were
Jacob H. Shriver, Al Smith, H. W. Parr,
Curvin J. Smith, H. A. Smith and H. G.
Shriver. Horses have been sold by these
gentlemen to many customers from all over
the southern and western parts of Pennsyl-
vania.
In 1879 L. P. Brockley, Joel Henry, L.
H. Eckert, Samuel H. Hostetter, William
Anthony and George Anthony organized a
chartered company and established drove
yards at Hanover for the purchase and sale
of cattle. Since that date about 3,000 cat-
tle have been brought to Hanover annually
from West Virginia, Ohio and other states
and disposed of to farmers who fattened the
cattle and then resold them to the dealers
at Hanover. The trade in fattened cattle,
which have been sent to Baltimore and
Philadelphia markets, has been a prosper-
ous business at Hanover during the last
twenty years. L. P. Brockley alone has
sold as many as 2,000 cattle in one year.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
CHRISTIAN AA'IRT, for many years a
leading citizen of Hanover, was born May
12, 1763, in Heidelberg Township, near
Iron Ridge Station. He was the son of
Henry AA'irt, a native of Germany, who
came to America in 1738 and in 1750 pur-
chased a large tract of land where his son
was born. In his early life, Christian Wirt
followed the occupation of a saddle and
harness maker. In 1800, he purchased from
the heirs of Richard McAllister the property
on the southeast corner of Centre Square
and Baltimore Street, where he engaged in
the dry goods business. This place was
long known as the AVirt Corner. In 181 6
he retired from business w-ith a competency.
He was married to Eve Catharine Gelwix
and had seven children : Henry, Jacob, Wil-
liam, Mary, Catharine, Lydia and Deliah.
Mary was married to Jacob Eichelberger ;
Catharine to George Emmert; Eydia to
Adam Forney, and Deliah to Dr. George
W. Hinkle. Christian Wirt died March 2,
1842.
HENRY WIRT, the eldest son of Chris-
tian AA'irt, was born at Hanover, October 9,
1789. During his boyhood he attended a
school taught by John McLaughlin, a
Scotchman, when Henry AVirt and one
other pupil were the only ones who studied
English grammar. He entered his father's
store as a clerk and in 1816 succeeded his
father in the dry goods business which he
conducted with success until 1827, when he
retired and devoted his attention to his
private affairs. Henry AA'irt aided in es-
tablishing the first Sunday School at Han-
over. In 1835 Mr. AA'irt aided in securing
the adoption of the public school system for
his native town. He was one of the chief
supporters of the plan to construct a rail-
road to Hanover Junction, the largest con-
tributor to the capital stock of this railroad,
and a member of the board of managers for
many years. For a long time, he was di-
rector in the Hanover Saving Fund Society,
and of the Gettysburg Bank, and president
of two turnpike companies that extend from
Hanover. During the AVar of 1812, he
served as a lieutenant in the company com-
manded by Captain Metzgar, which took
part in the battle of North Point, Septem-
ber 12, 1814. Henry AA'irt was married to
Catharine Swope. He died in 1859, leaving"
six daughters and one son.
HENRY AVIRT, only son of Henry
AA'irt, Sr., was born at Hanover in 1827.
He obtained his education in the public
schools, and at the age of twenty, engaged
in the mercantile business, which he con-
tinued until 1850 and then retired, devoting
the remainder of his life to public enter-
prises and his private affairs. Mr. AA'irt
served as president of the Hanover Saving
Fund Societv for eight years ; secretary and
director of the Hanover Branch Railroad
Company; chief burgess of Hanover; di-
rector of the National Bank of Gettysburg;
charter member and director of the Han-
over AA'ater Company, and president of sev-
eral turnpike companies. He was deeply
interested in the cause of education, and
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
served for a period of fifteen years as a
member of the Hanover school board, and
devoted his best energies toward improving
the public schools. For many years, he
was one of the most influential members of
the board of trustees of Franklin and Mar-
shall College at Lancaster, and gave lib-
erally to the support of that institution of
learning. He bequeathed a considerable
sum of money for the permanent support
and maintenance of a library connected
with Emmanuel Reformed Church, of
which he served as elder for twenty years
or more. Henry Wirt was married in 1854
to Louisa, daughter of Matthias N. Forney.
They had no children. He died in 1890.
JACOB A\'IRT, second son of Christian
and Catharine AVirt, was born February 24,
1801. In 1827, he succeeded his brother,
Henry, in the management of the large
mercantile interests at the Wirt Corner,
Centre Square and Baltimore Street. After
eleven years, he retired from mercantile
pursuits and engaged in the lumber and coal
business. In 1849, when a company was
laying plans for the construction of a rail-
road from Hanover to Hanover Junction,
Mr. Wirt was chosen president, but re-
signed the next year. From i860 to 1865,
he was a director in this company and an
active promoter of its interests. He was
recognized as an exact and careful business
man and an excellent financier. He served
as president of the Hanover Saving Fund
Society until his death. In politics he was
an active Republican, and. in religion a
member of Emmanuel Reformed Church.
Mr. Wirt was married to Amelia Banner in
1827. He died in 1869, leaving to survive
him his widow and five children: Emma C,
married to Dr. John A. Swope, of Gettys-
burg; Eliza Ann, married to George W.
Forney, and Martha, married to Albert Bar-
nitz, of York. Calvin C. Wirt, the youngest
son, was active in the organization of the
Hanover Water Company and other public
enterprises. He died in 1874, at the age of
thirty years. Robert M. Wirt, the youngest
son of Jacob Wirt, has been president of the
Hanover Saving Fund Society since 1885,
and for many years served as secretary of
the Hanover Branch and Harrisburg and
Baltimore Railroad companies, and was
secretary and treasurer of the Hanover
Water Company.
MATTHIAS NACE FORNEY, editor,
inventor and mechanical engineer, was born
at Hanover in the paternal home, at the
northeast corner of Chestnut and High
Streets, March 28, 1835, son of Matthias
and Amanda Nace Forney. He obtained
his education in the schools of his native
town and at a preparatory school connected
with the University of Maryland, where he
spent three years. In his boyhood he be-
came interested in mechanism and science,
often decorating the woodshed with minia-
ture windmills, constructing water wheels
driven by the stream near his home, and
making toy cannons out of anything which
would hold a charge of powder. In 1852
he went to Baltimore, where he entered the
shops of Ross Winans, the famous builder
of cars and locomotives. He spent three
years as an apprentice in the shops and one
year in the drafting department, and the
succeeding three years was a draftsman in
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad shops in
that city. From 1858 to 1861 he engaged
in the mercantile business in Baltimore.
During the Civil War he was employed as
a draftsman in the Illinois Central Railroad
office at Chicago. It was during this period
that he invented an " improved tank loco-
motive," known as the Forney engine, and
for which he received a patent in 1866. In
1876 the Forney engine was introduced for
general use on the elevated railroads of
New York City, was also adopted by the
Brooklyn and Chicago elevated lines, and
after the patent expired was put into gen-
eral use.
In 1870 he became associate editor of the
Railroad Gazette, which in 1871, after the
great fire, was removed from Chicago to
New York City, where Mr. Forney has
since resided. Two years later, he became
half owner of the paper, one of the leading
railway journals in America, and continued
his connection with that paper until 1883.
During his connection with railway journal-
ism Mr. Forney conducted the engineering
and mechanical departments. Meantime he
was elected a member of the American So-
ciety of Civil Engineers. In 1874 he was
chosen by this society one of a committee
to devise plans for rapid transportation in
the city of New York. The deliberations
of this committee were largely instru-
mental in establishing the svstem of ele-
THE BOROUGH OF HANOVER
853
vated railroads in New York City. About
this time Mr. Forney was elected a member
of the American Railroad Master Me-
chanics Association, the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers and the Master
Car Builder's Association, of which he was
for a number of years secretary and is now
a life member.
In 1886 Mr. Forney purchased the
American Railroad Journal and Van Nos-
trand's Engineering Magazine, and consoli-
dated them as the Railroad and Engineering
Journal, which he owned and edited until
1895. During his arduous work as an
editor Mr. Forney devoted his leisure time
to invention and secured patents for thirty-
three different designs and plans for loco-
motive cars and car building. The most
profitable of these inventions was the tank
locomotive and the improvements to car
seats, both of which yielded him consider-
able revenue. The mechanical features of
all his inventions show original talent and a
wide knowledge of mechanical engineering.
Mr. Forney has also been interested in
political, social and economic problems.
He is the author of " Political Reform by
the Representation of Minorities," " Pro-
portional Representation in Municipal Gov-
ernment," and " Minority Representation in
Municipal Government." The preface of
one of these books contains an avowal of his
political faith in which he said he was " a
free trader; a civil service reformer; op-
posed to the extension of the sovereignty of
the United States over subject peoples ; in
favor of narrowing the domain of mere
force as a governing factor in the world ;
and of the unlimited coinage by the Na-
tional Government of ounces of gold and
silver for all who own any and want it so
coined. He also believes in the principle
that people who will not obey the laws
should have no voice in making them, and
is therefore in favor of disfranchisement as
a penalty for many legal transgressions."
His work entitled " The Catechism of the
Locomotive," was written in 1873 and has
had a large sale. It is largety used by rail-
road employees and in many of the technical
schools of this country, and is considered an
authority on the subject of which it treats.
He is also the author of the first edition
of a " Dictionar}^ of Terms used in Car
Building."
Mr. Forney resides in New York City,
where he has retired from business, and in-
terests himself in matters pertaining to his
early occupations and career. He is a
member of the Union League and Engi-
neers Clubs, and for a number of years be-
longed to the Century and City clubs, but
from these he resigned.
CAPTAIN A. W. EICHELBERGER,
for more than half a century prominent in
the business and railroad interests of Han-
over and vicinity, was born December 6,
18 19. He was a great-grandson of Philip
Frederick Eichelberger, a native of Sin-
sheim, Germany, who first settled in Lan-
caster County and in 1761 purchased 220
acres of land a few miles southeast of Han-
over. Early in life Captain Eichelberger
learned the carpenter's trade, but never fol-
lowed that occupation. From 1843 to 1852
he spent much of his time in the State of
Georgia, where he shipped carriages and da-
mask coverlets from the north, and also
joined his brother, Jacob, in the ownership
of a grist mill and saw mill in the State of
Alabama. During his early manhood, Cap-
tain Eichelberger drilled and disciplined the
" United Blues," an excellent military or-
ganization composed of young men in and
around Hanover. This company, in 1846,
volunteered to enter the American army
during the Mexican War, but as the quota
from Pennsylvania had already been made
up their services were not required. Later
he drilled the " Fourth Dragoons," com-
posed of fifty mounted men. In politics he
was a devoted Whig during the supremacy
of that party and later was an active Re-
publican.
In 1853, on account of his administrative
and executive abilities. Captain Eichel-
berger was elected president of the Hanover
Branch Railroad Company. This road,
through his influence, was afterward con-
solidated with the Gettysburg Railroad.
Later he became president of the Baltimore
& Hanover, Bachman Valley, Berlin
Branch and Baltimore & Harrisburg Rail-
road companies, projected largely through
his enterprise, and whose history is de-
scribe elsewhere in this volume. He spent
the remainder of his life building up and
developing the interests of the corporations
of which he was the active head, and at the
time of his death, in 1901, was the oldest
854
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
railroad president in term of continuous
service in the United States.
During his whole career, Captain Eich-
elberger held an influential position in the
public affairs of Hanover. By nature he
was benevolent, warm hearted and earn-
estly interested in the public welfare of the
community, of which he was an honored
member. In 1894 he purchased a con-
trolling interest in the Glenville Academy
and awarded a large number of free scholar-
ships. Later he erected a commodious and
ornamental school building on elevated
ground in the northwestern part of Han-
over. In this building Eichelberger Acad-
emy was conducted for a few years, and in
1902 he presented the building and the
grounds, in all valued at $35,000, to the bor-
ough of Hanover as a public high school.
This institution has since been known as
the Eichelberger High School. This gen-
erous act has endeared his name and repu-
tation to the people of Hanover, and will be
a lasting memorial to his name. Captain
Eichelberger died at his residence on Fred-
erick Street in 1901.
WILLIAM GRUMBINE. for a period of
thirty years a prominent merchant of Han-
over, was born March 24, 1824. He was
the son of George and Mary Schultz Grum-
bine. His grandfather, Peter Grumbine,
served with credit as a soldier of the Revo-
lution, and lived to an advanced age in
Hanover, where for many years he was a
leading citizen. William Grumbine ob-
tained his education in his native town, and
early in life engaged in the manufacture and
sale of carriages. For many years he
owned and conducted a successfid drug and
grocery store at the corner of Carlisle
Street and Centre Scjuare. He was suc-
cessful in all his business efforts and became
favorably known as a merchant and citizen
of Hanover.
Mr. Grumbine was elected a member of
the town council several times, was chief
burgess at the opening of the Civil War and
served as a member of the school board, of
which he was chosen president in 1879. He
took an active interest in every movement
intended to promote the welfare of his na-
tive town and served as a director in the
Hanover Branch and the Baltimore & Har-
risburg Railroad companies, two lines of
transportation which have aided in building
up the material interests of the community.
In politics Mr. Grumbine was an ardent Re-
publican. In 1863 he was one of the
founders of St. Mark's Lutheran Church,
and in 1885 purchased, in Baltimore, the
famous Oriole bell which had been used at
the sesqui-centennial of that city. He had
this bell placed in the steeple of St. Mark's
Church, and with the necessary appliances
presented it to the borough council as a
town clock.
Mr. Grumbine was married March 24,
1848, to Elizabeth Newman, daughter of
Jacob and Elizabeth Ickes Newman. He
died December 31, 1888. Mrs. Grumbine
survived him until May 2, 1892. They left
one daughter, Anna M. Grumbine, who ob-
tained her education in Hanover and in a
select school. In June, 1890, she married
A. H. Melhorn, a prominent merchant of
Hanover, engaged in the drug and grocery
trade in Centre Square. They have had
four children: AVilliam, Helen E., Anna
Kathryn and Newman. Mrs. Melhorn
owns a large amount of real estate and per-
sonal property in the borough of Hanover,
among which are several business blocks
near the centre of the town.
J. AV. GITT, a prominent citizen of Han-
over, was born in 1819 and died in 1897 at
the age of seventy-eight years. Early in
life he engaged in the mercantile business
at the southeast corner of Centre Square
and Baltimore Street. He also owned sev-
eral farms. Mr. Gitt prospered in all his
efforts and the store conducted under his
name became widely known over a large
section of country. After his death the
business was conducted by his sons, H. N.
Gitt, George D. Gitt and other partners.
The business has been incorporated as The
J. AA'. Gitt Company, who now own a large
department store and carry on an extensive
business. H. N. Gitt, president of the com-
pany, has large financial interests in a num-
ber of manufacturing enterprises in Han-
over, Charleston, AA'est Virginia, Baltimore
and elsewhere. He is public spirited in all
his efforts and within recent years has ex-
erted a strong influence in building up the
business and manufacturing interests of his
native town.
Biographies of Captain Nicholas Bit-
tinger. Colonel Henry Slagle, Jacob Rudi-
sill. Jacob Hostetter, Rev. Frederick Valen-
WILLIAM GRUMBINL
CROSS ROADS AND DALLASTOWN
8:
tine Melsheimer, Jacob Tome and John
Luther Long will be found in other chapters
of this volume. I'heir names appear in the
index.
CHAPTER XLVII
BOROUGH HISTORY.
Cross Roads — Dallastown — Delta — Dills-
burg — Dover — East Prospect — Fawn
Grove — Felton — Franklintown — Glen
Rock — Goldsboro — Jefferson — Lewis-
berry — Loganville.
CROSS ROADS.
Cross Roads Borough, in the northern
part of East Hopewell Township, is an in-
teresting hamlet. The historic Round Hill
Presbyterian Church stood one mile north
for nearly a century. A store was opened
here in 1841 by Robert Smith, who was suc-
ceeded by John Leight and William S. Lo-
gan, who has carried on the merchandis-
ing business for half a century. John J.
Grove owned a store here for several years
and was succeeded by J. T. Briggs. Soon
after the incorporation a two-story frame
school building was erected. The public
school is now held in the first story and the
second story is used as a hall for public
meetings and entertainments. The Meth-
odist Church is the' onlj^ house for religious
worship in the borough. The pastor of this
congregation also preaches at Zion Metho-
dist Episcopal Church. The new Round
Hill Church stands a short distance outside
of the borough in East Hopewell Township.
John Logan, who followed the occupation
of a cooper, was postmaster at Cross Roads
for the long period of fifty-eight years and
at the time of his death in 1900 had served
the longest of any postmaster in the United
States. Dr. Thomas M. Curran has practiced
medicine at Cross Roads for fifty years. He
is one of the oldest physicians in York
County. Two of his sons are also engaged
in the practice of medicine.
DALLASTOWN.
The attractive and prosperous borough of
Dallastown within recent years has become
one of the industrial centres of York
County. The town is 656 feet above sea
level, and is built on an elevated plain over-
looking the beautiful Codorus valley, in the
centre of which is the Citv of York. The
cigar making industry is the leading occu-
pation of the 1,800 people who in 1907
formed the population of this borough,
which is seven miles from York and was
connected with that city by trolley in 1901.
The land upon which the borough was
built was an open common, used as a parade
ground for the local militia. Simon Plymire
obtained license for a hotel in 1840, and
James Edgar opened a store nearby two
3-ears later. Jonathan Minnich was one of
their neighbors. James Peeling, who after-
wards served as sheriff of York County,
purchased a tract of ninety-five acres in
1844. On this ground a large part of the
borough of Dallastown has been built.
The town was named in honor of George
M. Dallas, a distinguished citizen of Phila-
delphia, who in 1844, was elected vice pres-
ident of the United States on the same
ticket with James K. Polk. The land which
James Peeling purchased he improved by
cultivation and eventually sold part of it
off in lots.
Within recent 3'ears a large number of
comfortable homes have been erected in the
borough which shows evidences of contin-
ued prosperity in the future. A charter of
incorporation was received in 1867.
Before the town was founded in
Basket 1844, the region round about was
Making, a noted centre for the making of
bushel baskets for farmers and
baskets measuring three pecks, used in
shipping oysters. These baskets were made
by hand in large quantities by the farmers of
the vicinity and sold in York and Baltimore
markets. The revenue obtained from this
industry was considerable and was also car-
ried on extensively by the people of Dallas-
town, until the time of its incorporation in
1867. Making of baskets by hand from oak
withes ■ then declined, because like many
other of the mechanical arts baskets in re-
cent years have been made largely by ma-
chinery.
Before the Civil War, Avorkmen
Cigar in the town and neighborhood
Making, began the manufacture of cigars
known as " tobies " and " com-
mons." They were a crude sort of cigar,
rolled and twisted by hand. About i860
William Wireman began to make modern
cigars and started a factory in Dallastown.
He was the pioneer in this industry which
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
has been of so much importance to the town.
Shortly after the close of the Civil War,
Augustus Sonneman, Benjamin Spatz and
Jacob Sechrist embarked in cigar manufac-
turing and within a few years did an exten-
sive business. Others followed their exam-
ple and soon there were a large number of
small shops in and around the borough.
The increased facilities for making and
packing cigars were now utilized by all the
enterprising persons engaged in the busi-
ness. Dallastown then took the lead in
the production of cigars. As early as 1884
the United States revenue reports show that
25,000,000 cigars were annually shipped to
market from Dallastown. Many of them,
however, were made in the vicinity and pur-
chased by Dallastown dealers who shipped
them elsewhere for sale. At this time Dal-
lastown headed the list of towns of York
County engaged in the cigar making in-
dustry. The growth of this business since
1884 has been remarkable.
Among those who have operated large
factories are the following : William S.
Raab & Son, John \\'. Minnich, John C.
Heckert, New York Factory, Dallastown
Cigar Company, Hose & Brillhart, A. F.
Fix, Mrs. Adam Kohler, Jacob H. Spatz,
Edward Noll, Perrie McCoy, Park G. Shaw,
Samuel Kauffman, Hamilton D. Kauffman
and George W. Conoway.
There are three large box factories owned
and operated by Michael Hose, Charles
Kohler & Company and Merchants Cigar
Box Factor}^
St. Paul's Lutheran and Re-
ReHgious formed Church was the first
History. house of worship built in Dal-
lastown. The land upon which
the building stands was purchased from
Henry Miller. The cornerstone was laid
on Whit Monday, 1855, when services were
conducted by Revs. A. H. Lochman, J. Mar-
tin, F. W. Vandersloot, Daniel Ziegler and
the pastor. Rev. Kempfer. On the following
AVhit Monday, 1856, the building was dedi-
cated by the same clergymen. The con-
tractor was Charles Neff, who built other
churches in the town and vicinity. The
building committee were H. Miller, elder; J.
Mitzle, and H. Miller, deacons of the Luth-
eran congregation; P. Raab, elder; J. Peel-
ing and C. Neff, deacons of the Reformed
congregation.
Both the Lutheran and Reformed congre-
gations worshipped in this church until
1886. During that year the Lutheran con-
gregation withdrew and built a brick church
of their own on Main Street at a cost of
$13,000. The pastors of the Lutheran
Church from 185 1 were Jacob Kempfer,
John Conoway, Peter Warner, E. Lenhart,
C. W. Baker, M. B. Shatto, A. M. Heilman-,
I. J. Crist, William S. Bear, J. A. Lau and
Samuel Greenhoe. These clergymen also
served Blymire's Church in York Town-
ship. The membership in 1907 was 263,
and the membership of the Sunday School
350.
The Reformed congregation since 1886
has continued to worship in the original
building. The pastors since the origin of
the church have been F. W. Vandersloot,
David Bossier, Reinhart Smith, Aaron
Spangler, C. B. Heinley, John J. Stauffer,
Joseph W. Bell. The church membership
is 100; Sunday School membership, 145.
These pastors have supplied St. John's
Union, known as Blymire's Church, in York
Township.
The first religious services conducted by
the United Brethren in Christ, in and
around Dallastown, were held in the private
houses of Jacob Sechrist, Jonathan Neff,
Jacob Hartman, John Keller and John
Dougherty until 1850, when a brick church
was built at a cost of $1,500. The building
was used as a house of worship for this con-
gregation until 1888, when a handsome
brick structure was erected at a cost of
$4,000, under the pastorate of Rev. J. P.
Smith. Services were originally conducted
in both the English and German languages.
This congregation was prosperous from the
time of its organization. The membership
in 1907 was 425. The Sunday School has
300 scholars. The successive pastors have
been Revs. Raber, Enterline, Wentz,
Brown, Grim, Tripner, Corl, Young, Crau-
mer, Lightner, J. D. Killian, J. H. Young, I.
H. Albright, R. R. Rodes and AV alter Lutz.
Plans are being laid in 1907 for the erec-
tion of a new church edifice.
St. Joseph's Catholic Church was founded
in 1850, when the congregation was organ-
ized. Some of the original members were
Valentine Simon, Henry Wagman, Joseph
Incrote, Joseph Schmidt, Michael Schott
and their families. The church was in
DALLASTOWN
857
charge of St. Mary's congregation of York,
and later was united with the New Free-
dom congregation, the two churches form-
ing one parish. Rev. Charles Koch was pas-
tor for several years. He was succeeded by
Fathers Reudter and Schleudter. Father
Koch returned as pastor of the congregation
which contains forty-five families. The
Dallastown Church forms a parish.
During the early history of Dal-
Schools. lastown there was but one school
taught in a building to the rear
of the present handsome structure on Main
Street. As the town grew a second story
was added to the original building. Z. S.
Shaw was for many years the principal
teacher. Since the borough was incorpo-
rated in 1867, Mr. Shaw has served as jus-
tice of the peace, a period of forty years.
When the industrial boom reached Dallas-
town, the population rapidly increased.
This necessitated the erection of a large
school building. In 1900 another story was
added to this building, which then contained
eight rooms, with modern improvements,
and the old building to the rear was re-
moved. The school population in 1907 was
460, taught by nine teachers. Charles AV.
Stine, who first taught a normal school here,
was the principal of public schools from 1889
to 1905 when he was elected county super-
intendent of schools. I. Palmer Diehl suc-
ceeded as principal. A regular course of
study has been adopted b}' the board of edu-
cation. Higher branches of education are
taught in the High School, which annually
graduates a class of about fifteen members.
The school directors in 1907 were : A. F.
Fix, M. L. Ziegler, H. M. Lau, Charles Koh-
ler, W. R. Sprenkle and E. S. Mann.
A postoffice was established at Dal-
Post lastown during its early history,
Office, when James Edgar was appointed
postmaster. His successors have
been the following: James Cross, Jona-
than S. Ayres, Z. S. Shaw, Adam F. Geesey,
John R. Green, AA'illiam H. Raab, Henry
Seiger, William H. Raab, Henry Seiger, W,
H. Minnich and Park G. Shaw.
The First National Bank of Dai-
National lastown was organized in Febru-
Bank. ary, 1903^ and opened its doors
for business on March 11, of the
same year, with a capital stock of $50,000.
The deposits on the first day were $29,000.
The first board of directors was composed
of the following: J. W. Minnich, John H.
Dobbling, John C. Heckert, W. H. Raab,
Jacob F. Spotz, H. H. Weber, D. F. Lafean,
H. G. Stabley and Jacob Taylor.
John AA". Minnich was chosen president
and E. R. Heisey, cashier. The bank occu-
pied the private residence of Dr. A. P. T.
Grove, until a handsome new bank building
was completed in February, 1904.
At the end of the first year the deposits
were $82,400, and the profits for that year
$3,760. The amount of deposits in January,-
1907 were $182,000, and the surplus $18,688.
W. A. Anstine became cashier in 1906. AA'^.
H. Peters and George A. Kohler have taken
the places of retiring members of the board
of directors. The bank has had a prosper-
ous existence since the time of its organi-
zation.
Rescue Fire Company was or-
Fire ganized with forty-five mem-
Company, bers February 24, 1892, when
.AA^. H. Glatfelter was elected
president ; J. C. Heckert, vice president ; W.
A\\ Dietz, secretary; Dr. A. P. T. Grove,
treasurer; H. O. Sechrist, chief of depart-
ment; ]\I. Dietz, chief engineer; J. C. Shaw,
assistant. The company purchased a hand
engine from Samsy Company, of New York,
and in 1905 bought a new Metropolitan
steam engine, a hose wagon and 1,500 feet
of hose. In 1905 a two-story brick engine
house was erected at a cost of $5,000.
The officers in 1907 were E. Heisler, pres-
ident ; C. F. Heisler, secretary ; George My-
ers, treasurer; J. C. Heckert, W. H. Raab,
Frederick Wegman, trustees.
The Advocate, an enterprising weekly
newspaper, was founded at Dallastown in
April, 1894, by Daniel K. Taylor, who has
since been the editor and proprietor of this
excellent family newspaper. He has a job
department and makes a specialty of print-
ing advertising novelties.
The practicing physicians of Dallastown
in 1907 are Dr. E. S. Mann, Dr. AVilliam B.
Bigler, Dr. L. S. Lawson, Dr. AV. H. Min-
nich and Dr. Noll.
DELTA.
In the southern part of Peach Bottom
Township, on the Maryland Line, stands
the beautiful village of Delta. The land
upon which the town is built was purchased
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
from the heirs of Wilham Penn in 1744 by
Alexander McCandless, one of the most in-
telligent of the Scotch-Irish settlers who
migrated west of the Susquehanna river at
that early period. McCandless was active
in the affairs of York County. He culti-
vated his farm andbecame one of the leading
citizens of his community. He aided in the
organization of the Slate Ridge Church,
which for more than a century stood on a
hillside a short distance northwest of Delta.
Joseph Ross, another sturdy Scotch-Irish-
man, who came with the people from
County Antrim, Ireland, to the present area
of Lower Chanceford Township, in 1756,
bought a plantation north of the McCand-
less tract. Here he built a stone house and
began to clear the land and cultivate the
soil. In 1762 his son, James Ross, was born
in this stone house which, in 1907, was
standing a few hundred yards north of
Delta. After his removal to Pittsburg,
James Ross became a leader of the bar in
that city, and for eight years represented
Pennsylvania in the United States Senate,
of which he was one of the ablest states-
men and most eloquent orators. The Ross
homestead, for more than half a century,
was the home of Robert Ramsey, a soldier
of the War of 1812, whose wife, Jane White-
ford, was a niece of Senator Ross.
The people of Peach Bottom Township,
for more than a century, turned their atten-
tion to agriculture. Although the McCand-
less tract contained vast deposits of the
finest slate in America, there was no at-
tempt to build a town upon the site of Delta
for more than a hundred years after Alex-
ander McCandless had taken up his abode
in this interesting locality. When the slate
mining interests were developed, a number
of houses were erected. The first house was
built by William Orr and soon thereafter
about a dozen dwellings were put up within
the present limits of the town. After the
population had increased citizens met for
purpose of selecting a name for the village.
Some one proposed the word Delta, the
fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, and it
was accepted. Mine Hill, the original post-
office for the people of the neighborhood,
was situated a short distance south, just
beyond the Maryland line. The post office
was removed to Delta in 1869. The town
was incorporated June 24, 1880, and the
original borough officers were : V. G.
Stubbs, burgess ; H. R. Loyd, H. C. Robert,
E. J. Blain,''T. A. Battie, Howell Williams,
Robert Ramsey, councilmen. At the time
of incorporation, E. Arnold & Company, V.
G. Stubbs & Son and Loyd & Blain carried
on a general merchandising business ; Wil-
liam F. Maughlin, hardware: A. M. Clarke,
jewelry; L. B. Rankin, drugs; Mary A. Col-
mary, millinery and fancy goods ; Bullet &
Poist, carriage makers ; Dr. J. W. Hickman,
druggist and physician. Other practicing
physicians were W. H. Kilgore and W. Mc-
Curdy. The population in 1880 was 269;
1890, 565, and 1900, 684.
Delta stands in the centre of a fertile agri-
cultural region. An account of the valuable
slate quarries operated in this vicinity will
be found in the history of Peach Bottom
Township. The postmasters at Delta since
1885, in order of succession have been John
M. Finley, 1885; Henry J. Baer, 1889;
Philip A. Barton, 1893; Lucinda Barton,
1896; Oliver Weiser, 1899; Albert J. Mat-
son, 1905.
Corporal Baer Post, No. zyy, G. A. R.,
was organized in 1882, with 24 members.
During the past few years a number of
large buildings and beautiful residences
have been erected. The merchants of Delta
carry on an extensive business over a large
extent of country.
One of the important interests of this in-
telligent community is the Delta Herald and
Times, a family newspaper which has al-
ways exerted a good influence throughout
the southern part of York County and has
reached a large circulation. The paper was
founded as the Weekly Herald by N. W.
Boyd in 1878. The next year R. L. Kies-
ling became a partner. Meantime, J. T.
Crawford, a prominent citizen of the bor-
ough, who had served as justice of the
peace, founded the Delta Times in 1877. The
interests of the two papers were purchased
by S. J. Barnett in 1880, and he has since
been the editor and publisher of the Delta
Herald and Times. He also does an exten-
sive job printing business, his office being
equipped with all the facilities for enterpris-
ing journalism.
The First National Bank of Delta
Banks, was organized November 9, 1889,
when Charles R. McConkey was
elected president and L. K. Stubbs, cashier.
DELTA
859
The original directors were Charles R. Mc-
Conkey, V. G. Stubbs, William McSparran,
R. L. Jones, Harry Keyser, John H. Ander-
son, William G. McCoy, D. M. Taylor,
Fred. R. Williams. A charter was obtained
January 11, 1890, and the bank opened its
doors for business January 16, 1890. A
commodious bank building was erected.
The capital stock is $50,000. In 1907 the
bank had a surplus and undivided profits of
$48,000. and the deposits were $335,000.
The bank has paid $30,000 in dividends to
its stockholders. The presidents in order
of succession have been Charles R. McCon-
key, V. G. Stubbs and R. L. Jones. The
cashiers have been L. K. Stubbs, H. W.
Stubbs and E. AV. Keyser.
The Peoples National Bank of Delta was
chartered in 1899 with a capital stock of
$50,000. M. S. Merryman was chosen pres-
ident; H. R. Loyd, vice president, and H. J.
Evans, cashier. The board of directors is
composed of the following men in Delta
and vicinity : James T. Murphy, John R.
Williams, W. Z. Macomber, E. M. Kilgore,
W. J. Reed, E. J. Blain, H. S. RufY, Zepha-
niah Heaps, T. J. Brooks and Oliver Wei-
ser. A handsome stone building was
erected for banking purposes and the bank
entered upon a prosperous career. The sur-
plus in 1907 was $12,000.
The York and Peach Bottom Railroad,
whose history will be found in the chapter
on railroads in this volume, gave an impetus
to the growth of Delta, and the develop-
ment of the slate mining region. The com-
pletion of a railroad from Delta to Balti-
more gave another outlet to trade and com-
merce. These two corporations have re-
cently been merged into the Maryland and
Pennsylvania Railroad, forming a contin-
uous line from York through Delta, to Bal-
timore.
Most of the early settlers in
Churches. Delta and vicinity were Pres-
byterians who worshipped in
the old Slate Ridge Church, which was re-
cently torn down and a large and handsome
church building erected a short distance
south of Delta, just beyond the Maryland
line. Within recent years, a Presbyterian
chapel has been erected in the borough and
services been conducted by Rev. W. L. Mc-
Cormick, pastor of the Slateville Church.
The Rehoboth \\'elsh Calvanistic Church
was founded in 1854 at West Bangor, a short
distance east of Delta, with thirty-four mem-
bers, nearly all of whom had lately come
from Wales. The first deacons of the con-
gregation were John Humphreys, Robert
Davis, and Griffith Williams. A house of
worship was built in West Bangor in 1856 on
land purchased from Thomas S. Williamson.
The first pastor was Rev. E. J. Hughes, an
educated Welshman, who served until 1858,
and was successful in establishing the
church. The congregation was without a
regular pastor until Rev. Evan F. Jones
took charge in 1864 and served until 1875.
Soon afterward Rev. E. J. Hughes returned
to the congregation and served as pastor un-
til his death in 1885. He was a man of elo-
quence and force of character and exerted a
good influence in the community. In 1886
Rev. J. E. Harris, who had just been or-
dained to the ministry, assumed the pastor-
ate of this congregation. On account of ill
health he returned to his native home in
Wales in 1887. The church was enlarged
and remodeled in 1872. In 1888 the congre-
gation obtained a charter. From 1890 to
1901 Rev. H. P. W'illiams was pastor. In
1891, owing to the fact that a large number
of the members resided in Delta, the place
of worship was removed to the borough, and
a handsome church edifice was erected at a
cost of $10,000. Rev. E. L. Hughes, a native
of Wales, was pastor from 1901 to 1904, and
then went to Rome, New York. In 1905 the
congregation called to the pastorate Rev. W.
C. Rowlands, from the State of Minnesota.
The church in 1907 had a membership of
170, including children, 250. The deacons
were Howell Williams, William C. Roberts,
Richard Rees, William J. Jones and David
AA^ Roberts.
Delta Baptist Church was organized in
1872 in a school house about four miles
northeast of Delta under the leadership of
Rev. John AA^ Jones. The congregation
then elected James AA^ McCurdy, deacon;
L. J. Dodson, church clerk, and Henry J.
McCurdy, treasurer. Upon the death of
Rev. Jones in 1873, Rev. A. W. Eastman be-
came his successor and served until 1879,
when Rev. Alfred AVells was called.
Delta Methodist Protestant Church. —
About the time of the incorporation of
Delta a few members of Mount Nebo Meth-
odist Protestant Church arranged for relig-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ious services and secured preaching at in-
tervals by Rev. Mr. Litzinger pastor of that
congregation. Having purchased a lot
from R. S. Park in 1883, under the pas-
toral care of Rev. J. W. Charlton, the con-
gregation commenced the erection of a
house of worship, vi^hich was completed at a
cost of $3,000. The building committee
were Rev. J. W. Charlton, John Macomber,
J. W. Stanley and James Ritchies. The
trustees then were John Macomber, J. W.
Stanley, Daniel Culp, Thomas Holden, Rob-
ert jNI. Moore and E. C. Garretson. Rev.
H. H. Price has been pastor for several
years. The congregation has about 170
members and a flourishing Sunday School.
Episcopal services were first held in the
Baptist Church at Delta, in 1892, under the
direction of the diocese of Maryland. In
1899, Bishop Talbot, of Central Pennsyl-
vania, re-opened services and St. David's
church was organized with Rev. R. F. Gib-
son as rector, who continued until 1902. He
was succeeded by Rev. William M. Gamble,
of York; Rev. Mr. Castleman, of Bel Air,
Maryland, and Rev. W. V. Dawson, of
York. In 1907 the congregation erected a
chapel, religious services having previously
been held in Loyd's Hall.
Bethesda Congregational Church was or-
ganized in the borough a few years ago.
There is also a congregation of colored peo-
ple, organized by the A. M. E. Zion Church.
When Delta was incorporated
Schools, into a borough there was one
school. A few years later a large
and commodious two-story building was
erected with all the modern improvements.
The schools of this borough have always
been under excellent management and the
High School has prepared a number of stu-
dents for higher institutions of learning.
The members of the school board in 1907
were S. J. Barnett, E. Arnold, John W.
Groff, William O. Hughes, Hugh J. Evans
and AVilliam F. Stubbs.
DILLSBURG.
The Borough of Dillsburg lies near the
center of Carroll Township, in the north-
western part of York County. It is ten
miles from Carlisle, twenty-two miles from
Gettysburg and twenty-one miles from
York, seats of justice for the three adjoin-
ing counties. This town, which bears the
name of the most prominent Scotch-Irish
settler of the vicinity, was laid out by one of
his descendants in the year 1800. At that
time there were six houses within its area.
In 1907 three of the original buildings were
standing, owned respectively by D. W. Beit-
zel, E. A. Fishel and William Harbolt. For
more than half a century before the town
was laid out, the immediate vicinity was
quite densely populated and the home of
the Dills and the Presbyterian Church near
by, were the centre of interest to the" Mon-
aghan settlement."
Dillsburg is situated on the old Harris-
burg and Baltimore road, and at a very early
day was on the line of a much traveled route.
There was an Indian trail and trader's route
at a still earlier period extending north over
nearly the same line. Two miles to the west
and northwest of the town at an elevation
of 1,000 feet above the sea level extends the
southern ridge of the South Mountains,
whose picturesque wooded heights casts its
evening shadow upon the honest burghers
at an early hour of the winter's day. Na-
ture in the long ago, by a great convulsion
and upheaval, formed this, as it now seems
to be, a silent monitor of the destiny of its
surroundings, clothed it in vernal beauty,
and made it the abode of the bear, the wolf,
the deer and the wild turkey. These and
the fish that swam in the Dogwood Run and
Yellow Breeches furnished most of the ne-
cessary food for the red man of the forest,
who was the first human inhabitant of this
region and built his wigwam along these
winding streams. From 1755 to 1758, dur-
ing the French and Indian War, this settle-
ment was several times threatened by the
invasion of hostile Indians. As late as 1780
the township assessor reported that Elijah
Adams, Adam Bruner, John Dickson, Philip
King, Robert Moody, "William McCadger,
Alexander AVilson, Peter Brunner and Jacob
Brunner, who lived along the mountains
were driven by the Indians from their lands
which could not be assessed that year.
Dillsburg was incorporated
Incorporation, with limited powers in
1833. At the first election
John Lynch was inspector; Jacob Heiges
and Charles Stough, judges; Dr. George L.
Shearer was chosen chief burgess ; Daniel
Ahl, assistant burgess; Daniel Bailey, Rob-
ert Hammersley, John Bradley, Mode Grif-
DILLSBURG
861
fith and Charles Stouch. councilmen; Peter
Leitner, high constable; Jacob Heiges, col-
lector; and Alexander Cathcart, clerk.
When the town was incorporated in 1833
there were forty dwellings and a population
of 200. In 1840 the population was 268;
1850, 270; i860, 293; 1870, 281; 1880, 455;
1890, 587; 1900, 732. in 1907 there were
sixty mercantile establishments and other
places of business.
In 1873 a charter was granted for the
construction of a railroad from Dillsburg to
Mechanicsburg, a distance of nine miles.
The incorporators were : Dr. George L.
Shearer, Christian Bender, John N. Logan,
James G. Moore, Colonel S. N. Bailey, S.
P. Nelson, George Lau. The first passenger
train entered Dillsburg, July 18, 1873.
The Presbyterian Church in
Presbyterian Dillsburg, ecclesiastically
Church. known as the " Monaghan
Chmxh," derives its name
from the township in which it was originally
located. Religious services were held here
as early as 1737. The original house of wor-
ship was a log structure and stood a short
distance southwest of the town, near the old
graveyard. During the time of the French
and Indian War and after the defeat of the
English troops at McCord's Fort in the
Juniata Valley, this region was in danger of
incursions from the Indians on the western
frontier. For the sake of protection, ram-
parts were constructed around the building
and the male members of the congregation
were accustomed to take their firearms to
church. Rev. Dr. John McDowell, after-
ward Provost of the University of Pennsyl-
vania, attributed his conversion, when but
a youth of eight years of age, to a sermon
preached in that first house of worship by
Rev. George Duffreld, from the text, " Turn
ye to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope ;"
in which he took occasion to illustrate from
the surrounding fortifications, the fact that
the Lord Jesus Christ is the only sure de-
fense for sinners.
The first pastor of whom there is any
knowledge was Rev. George Duffield. Since
1761 he had been pastor of the Presbyterian
Church in Carlisle, and in November, 1769,
he was installed over the church of Mona-
ghan for one-third of his time, at a salary
of fifty pounds a year. He continued until
1772, when he accepted a call to the Third
Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, where
he is said to have established the first
prayer meeting ever held in any Presbyte-
rian Church in that city. Mr. Duffield was
a man of marked ability, and an earnest and
fearless advocate of civil and religious lib-
erty. He was chaplain to Continental Con-
gress and held that position while Congress
sat in York. He was one of the two per-
sons who, under the direction of Congress,
superintended the printing of the first Amer-
ican edition of the Bible in English, pub-
lished in Philadelphia in 1782. He served as
colonel in the Revolutionary War, and was
the first stated clerk of the Presbyterian
General Assembly. His portrait hangs in
Independence Hall. His second wife was a
sister of General John Armstrong, the hero
of the battle with the Indians at Kittanning,
Pennsylvania, whose son was secretary of
war under President Madison.
Monaghan Church was unwilling to part
with Duffield, her first pastor, and Andrew
McDowell, James Dill, Colonel Matthew
Dill, Robert Stephenson and Joseph Dodds
were sent to Presbytery to remonstrate
against his removal but he felt constrained
to go.
The next pastor was Rev. Samuel Waugh,
who began his labors in 1782, and whose
charge consisted of Monaghan and Silver
Spring Churches. He was a native of Car-
rol's Tract, in Adams County, Pennsylvania,
graduated from Princeton in 1773, and
April 14, 1783, was married to Eliza, daugh-
ter of David Hoge, of what is now Hoges-
town, Pennsylvania. He remained pastor
of Monaghan Church until his death in 1807.
The following are the names of the con-
tributing members toward the support of
Rev. Samuel Waugh, while he was pastor
of this church :
George Dickey, William Barber, James
Crocket, George Crocket, John Crocket,
Matthew Trotter, William Scott, Samuel
Scott, Thomas Haines, Robert Leech, John
Lamb, William Ross, John Nesbit, Alex
Nesbit, William Nelson, Alexander Ross,
John McClellan, William Mitchell, Andrew
Sans, Allen Torbet, Charles Brewster, Peter
Leman, John Fulton, Daniel AVilliams, An-
drew Wilson, John Anderson, Graham An-
derson, Andrew Bailey, Samuel Nelson,
Henry Logan, Alex Hannah, Edward O'-
Hail, William Wall, Isaac AVall, Jr., James
862
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Blair, ^^'illiam Gillespie, Jus Dennison, Wil-
liam Farra, John May, Thomas Black,
Thomas Gray, John Cross, Joseph Dickson,
James McCullen, Robert Moody, Thomas
Dill, Thomas Campbell, James Dill, Robert
Cunningham, John Caruthers, Daniel Car-
penter, James Kennedy, Thomas Bonner,
John Bonner, George Robinett, George
Smith, Alex Sanderson, John Moorhead,
Lawrence McCafferty, \\'illiam Porter,
Abram AVilliams, Joanna Young, Jessie Ful-
ton, Daniel McCurdy, John Devlin, George
Dill, Matthew Dill, Joseph Roseberry, Wil-
liam Trimble, John Swan, John Williams,
Robert Elliott, Thomas Dill, John Wilson,
John Bailey, Joseph Elliott, John White,
John Brankerhoof, William Dorson, John
Blair, AVilliam Fleming, Paul Thompson,
John McCormic, Francis Boggs, George
Burns, John Daugherty, Joseph Bradley,
Daniel Glass, David Ayres, James McKin,
John Mitchell, William Parks, Thomas
Hummer, William Morril, Widow Dorson.
In 1782, the first year of Mr. Waugh's
pastorate, a second church was built and
the location changed to the one at present
occupied. This was a stone structure about
fifty feet long, forty feet wide and fifteen
feet high, to the ceiling, entered by two
doors, the one at the south and the other at
the east. The pulpit which was small and
elevated, with a sounding board suspended
overhead, was at the north side. A small
stone building about fifteen feet square, with
a fireplace in the northwest corner, was at-
tached to the north side of the church. This
was the pastor's stud}^ but was also used as
a school room.
In March, 1809, Rev. John Hayes became
Mr. Waugh's successor, and continued until
1815. In 1807 he published a volume en-
titled " Rural Poems, Moral and Descrip-
ti\e." He resigned his charge on account
of ill health, and died a few months after-
ward, in Cumberland, Maryland.
In 1813 the church was partially de-
stroyed by fire.
After Mr. Hayes retired the church had
no regular pastor for fifteen years. Among
the supporters during that period were Rev.
Dr. Alexander McClelland and Rev. Na-
thaniel Snowden. Rev. Nathaniel Todd,
afterward a venerable preacher in w^estern
Pennsylvania, supplied the congregation for
some years. It was during his incumbency
that the old and long cherished Rouse ver-
sion of the Psalms gave way to the Psalms
and Hymns of Watts, a measure which occa-
sioned no little dissatisfaction and alienated
some of the members from the church.
The next pastorate was that of Rev. An-
derson B. Quay, which extended from 1830
till 1839. He was the father of United
States Senator Matthew Stanley Quay, born
at Dillsburg in 1833.
The meetings at this church in 183 1 were
so largely attended that on one occasion,
while Rev. James AVilliamson, of Silver
Springs, was preaching to those who found
room inside the church. Dr. Duflield, of Car-
lisle, was preaching to those outside. It was
during this pastorate that there occurred
the first agitation of the temperance cause
in this neighborhood. One Sabbath morning
as Mr. Quay was about to enter the pulpit
a note was put into his hands, asking him to
announce an anti-temperance meeting to be
held in the church on a certain day. When
the proper time came Mr. Quay read the
note and then announced " There will be no
anti-temperance meeting held in this church
or if there is, I will take my little family by
the hand and leave the place immediately."
The anti-temperance meeting was held out-
side the church.
]\Ir. Quay's pastorate was succeeded by
an interval of stated supplies ; among them
Rev. A. T. McGill, D. D., of Princeton The-
ological Seminary, and for two years, Rev.
Edmund McKinney, who afterward went as
a missionary among the Indians.
April 13, 1842, Rev. Joseph Murray, D.
D., was installed as pastor and remained for
sixteen years. This was his first and only
charge and was relinquished on account of
impaired health. W. D. Patterson, a young
man, then supplied the pulpit for about
eighteen months, when he died. For a time
the pulpit was filled by Rev. John R. Agnew,
an uncle of Mr. Patterson, and in June, 1863,
Rev. John O. Proctor \vas installed as pas-
tor. Resigning in 1865 he was followed by
supplies among whom was Rev. S. S. Orris,
late of the Princeton College faculty.
In October, 1872, Rev. A. W. Hubbard,
afterward a missionary to Turkey, began a
pastorate of eighteen months. He was fol-
lowed by Rev. J. Q. A. Fullerton, who re-
mained from June, 1873, till May, 1879, dur-
ing which time a parsonage was built. Rev.
DILLSBURG
863
I. P. Barber began his labors in the autumn
of 1879 ^'"'d was installed pastor June 14,
1880.
Of the many sons and daughters of this
church who have gone forth to honorable
service m other fields were Revs. Calvin W.,
John and Robert Mateer, missionaries to
China; Rev. Thomas Black, Rev. Thomas
Elcock, Rev. George L. Shearer, D. D., of
the American Tract Society, New York;
Rev. Fred. E. Shearer, editor of the Occi-
dent, San Francisco; Rev. W. H. Logan,
and Rev. B. B. Blair.
October 23, 1882, the looth anniversary of
the occupation of the present site of the
church was made the occasion of a reunion
of former members and friends, most prom-
inent among the exercices of which was the
delivery of historical addresses by Rev. Drs.
Joseph A. Mun-ay and George L. Shearer.
Dr. James Eraser was pastor for several
years and was succeeded by Rev. C. Benja-
min Segelphen, who was pastor in 1907.
The first Methodist preacher to
Methodist visit Dillsburg and hold services
Church. was Elisha Butler, from the
Gettysburg Circuit, about the
year 1834. The first preaching services
were held in the house of Mrs. Marks, on
Main Street, west corner of the first alley
west of the public school building. Preach-
ing was afterward held in a small house on
the public square. Later services were held
in a small school house east of town.
The first class was organized about the
year 1836 in the house of Mrs. McGuire, on
South Railroad Street, and was composed
of AVilliam Burns, leader, and Mrs. Burns
Mrs. McGuire, AVidow Marks and Mrs.
Alexander Billifelt. In 1843 the church on
West Main Street was built. Rev. Thomas
Myers was then pastor, with Thomas Ful-
ton, class leader. Mr. Fulton afterward en-
tered the ministry and John McMullen be-
came leader.
The original board of trustees was com-
posed of Thomas Jones, John S. McMullen,
Jacob Dorsheimer, John Hyer, Jacob Byer,
George Webbert and Robert Nelson.
The church was dedicated by Dr. Durban,
then president of Dickinson College.
The first religious services under
Lutheran the auspices of the Lutheran
Church. Church in Dillsburg, were held in
the school house, and were con-
ducted by Rev. J. R. Focht. On the 25th
of August, 1855, a meeting was held for the
purpose of taking into consideration the
question of building a church. Nine persons
were appointed a committee to solicit sub-
scriptions. December i, $760 were raised,
and on the 15th a building committee was
appointed, and on the same day a lot was
purchased on which to build a church. The
building cost $1,250. The cornerstone was
laid May 3, 1856, and the church dedicated
November 16, of the same year. Rev. Ben-
jamin Kurtz, D. D., of Baltimore, preached
the dedicatory sermon. . The congregation
was not properly organized until the spring
of 1857, when twenty-four members signed
the constitution. The following pastors
have served it: J. R. Eocht, Aaron Fin-
frock, J. R. Groff, J. T. Williams, August
Ivalb, J. K. Bricker, Daniel Sell, H. D.
Kuntz, E. Stidebecker, J. F. Dietrich, E.
Minter, Adam Stump.
A banking institution was estab-
Bank. lished in Dillsburg in the year 1873,
in the house of David Shaffer, with
Captain William E. Miller, president ; Jo-
seph Deardorff, vice president, and John N.
Logan, cashier. The institution w'as organ-
ized with a capital stock of $50,000, as the
First National Bank of Dillsburg, in 1878,
with Joseph DeardoriT, president ; Jacob
Coover, vice president ; John N. Logan,
cashier; Joseph Deardorff, Jacob Coover,
A. G. Blackford, Andrew Bentz, Henry
Bowman, William Sadler and Edward Dick,
directors. The business house of T. L.
Spahr was purchased and used as a bank •
until 1884, when a larger building was
bought and used by the institution. George
W. Cook was elected teller to succeed M. J.
Blackford. The capital stock was increased
to $60,000. The bank deposits between
1878 and 1884 had increased six fold and the
same prosperity has attended since its or-
ganization as a national bank. Mr. Logan
resigned the position as cashier and was
succeeded by George W. Cook.
The post office was established by
Post the United State's government at
Office. Dillsburg, January 8, 1816, and
William Gillilan was appointed first
postmaster. At that time the nearest post-
offices were Carlisle, Harrisburg, York and
Lewisberry. Dillsburg was then a small
villasre, but mail was received at this office
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
for a distance of eight miles. At this early
date there were no postage stamps, which
were first used in 1847. Envelopes were
not yet made. Letters were written on
large sheets of paper, folded in the form of
an envelope and the ends pasted together
with sealing wax. The mail was brought
to Dillsburg from Harrisburg and York,
first only once a week, and for many years
twice a week, until daily mail routes were
established within the past quarter of a cen-
tury. The cost of sending letters depended
upon the distance they were sent. The per-
son receiving mail was required to pay the
postage. A letter received at Dillsburg
from Detroit, Michigan, in 1836, cost
twenty-five cents for postage, and one from
Philadelphia about the same time, cost ten
cents. When stamps were first used in 1847
the uniform cost of five cents was required
to mail a letter to any point in the United
States. This was reduced to three cents in
1853. The two-cent postage stamp came
into use by act of Congress at a later date.
Asa Sawyer became the second postmas-
ter at Dillsburg and he was succeeded by the
first postmaster, William Gillilan. The
other postmasters in order of succession
have been Dr. George L. Shearer, J. B.
Hurst, Mrs. Mary Stewart, H. G. Sidle, Dr.
T. L. Cathcart, A. N. Eslinger, Lemuel
Ross, A. N. Eslinger, Lemuel Ross, D. W.
Beitzel and Captain George W. Mullin.
Dr. George L. Shearer was postmaster at
Dillsburg for seventeen years. A. N. Es-
linger filled the position for twenty-two
}'ears in succession, and after the retirement
of Lemuel Ross, served during another
presidential term of four years. The annual
salary in 1906 was $1,100.
George W. Nichols, who had
Newspapers, previously been connected
with M. O. Smith, in the pub-
lication of a newspaper at Glen Rock, intro-
duced the art of printing into Dillsburg, in
1876. He named his paper the " New Era,"
and published it twice a month. Mr. Nich-
ols disposed of his paper to other parties,
who continued it as a weekly paper, and
changed its name to the " Dillsburg Bulle-
tin." The next owner was D. W. Beitzel,
who continued it as an enterprising journal
for several years, and extended its circula-
tion throughout the entire northern section
of York County. Mr. Beitzel sold the pa-
per and the printing establishment to E. W.
Shapley, who continued it for several years
as a good local newspaper. William M.
Ellicker succeeded as editor and publisher of
the Bvilletin, which has kept up a good cir-
culation.
E. W. Shapley recently began the publica-
tion of the " New Era," a weekly paper.
The first school in this vicinity
Schools, stood near the site of the old
Presbyterian Church, a short dis-
tance west of the site of Dillsburg. Here
the children of the early Scotch-Irish set-
tlers were educated. Erom this time until
the year 1836, the village school was sup-
ported by subscription. When Dillsburg
was incorporated in 1833, it remained a part
of the school district of Carroll, which town-
ship was laid out by authority of the York
County Court in 1831. The act of Legis-
lature, establishing the common school sys-
tem, was signed by Governor Wolf in 1834.
Dr. George L. Shearer and Thomas B. Blair
urged their neighbors to accept the provi-
sions of the new school law. They suc-
ceeded in accomplishing their aim in 1836,
when both Dillsburg and Carroll Township
introduced the present school system. As
the population increased a school building
was erected on the east side of Baltimore
Street, near the southern edge of town. The
borough then supported its own schools by
local taxation and the appropriations re-
ceived from the state. Samuel B. Heiges,
afterward county superintendent of schools,
and other progressive teachers gave an im-
petus to the educational sentiment in this
borough by the enthusiasm they put forth
in their professional work. They held edu-
cational meetings and conducted teachers'
institutes, which exerted a healthful influ-
ence throughout the entire upper end of
York County. In 1877 a two-story brick
building was erected at a cost of $3,500.
For a dozen years or more two schools were
taught in this building. In 1894, owing to
the increase in the school population, the
building was enlarged for the accommoda-
tion of four schools.
Hon. Matthew Stanley Quay, who was
born at Dillsburg, attended the village
school for one or two years, and there ob-
tained the rudiments of his education.
DILLSBURG
86s
When the Civil War opened in
Military. 1861, there were sixty-six men
between the ages of twenty-one
and forty-five residing in Dillsburg. Soon
after hostilities opened many of these en-
listed as volunteers and joined different
commands in the army. During the entire
period of the war fifty-seven men, residing
in the borough, entered the United States
service in defence of the Union. In 1865,
when President Lincoln made his last call
for troops there were only nine men in the
borough subject to a draft. A. N. Eslinger
has furnished the names of forty-one citi-
zens of Dillsburg, who entered the army.
The names of the other sixteen could not be
obtained. The following is the list: Wil-
liam Reitzel, Solomon Arnold, S. M. Chron-
ister, William Harbold, Americus Wickey,
Capt. T. B. Hurst, Solomon Smith, H. C.
Smyser, Henry Lau, Dr. James M. Shearer,
Dr. W. D. Bailey, William Arnold, of D.,
William Arnold, of H., Andrew Weimer, J.
L. McClure, D. D. Bailey, R. A. Moore, G.
W. Reed, Addison Shefifer, Thomas Smith,
Henry Reed, William Bittinger, John Bow-
man, Henry Sheffer, Abram Rhoads, Jacob
Koontz, Andrew Kinter, Henry Harman,
Thomas Gardner, Col. S. N. Bailey, Jacob
King, George Ditmer, George L. Britcher,
William McKeever, Mr. Uhler, Alex. Mc-
Keever, Adam Mountz, Edward Moore,
William Chronister, David Chronister, Dr.
N. H. Shearer.
Dillsburg, early in history was a noted
place for military parades. Fourth of July
celebrations and encampments of the vol-
unteer companies. About 1840, Jacob Spi-
del had a well drilled company and Colonel
S. N. Bailey, at a later date, became a
trained military officer. On battalion days
he was frequently the commander of all the
militia and volunteer soldiers that assembled
here and at Lewisberry. During the Civil
War he entered the service as colonel of the
Seventh Pennsylvania Reserves. Henry
Logan, Thomas Campbell, J. Williams,
James McClure and J. Eslinger, father of
postmaster A. N. Eslinger, were soldiers in
the War of 1812, who lived to an advanced
age.
Probably the most noted military
A Hero, character of Dillsburg, was Ed-
ward Cavenaugh, an Irishman,
and a brave soldier of the Revolution, who
died about 1843 ^t an advanced age. In
1775 he enlisted in Captain Matthew Smith's
company, and joined General Arnold's ex-
pedition in the march from Boston through
Maine to Quebec. While on the way thither
by a miraculous circumstance, Cavenaugh,
or " Honest Ned," as he was called,
saved the lives of John Joseph Henry,
one of his comrades, who afterward be-
came president judge of Lancaster and
York Courts, and of General Michael Simp-
son, whose biography is found elsewhere.
The men attempted to swim the Dead
River, when both, being overcome with
exhaustion, were rescued by Cavenaugh
who himself was captured by the British, in
front of Quebec, and being a native for-
eigner was compelled to enter the British
service for a time. A few months later,
when he was supposed to be true to Eng-
land, he and a British soldier were put on
guard by the palace at the outer walls of
the city, when Conner, one of Cavenaugh's
old comrades, who was also compelled
to enter the British service, came and gave
the British soldier a drink of rum. At that
instant Cavenaugh struck him with the butt
of his gun, which so stunned him, that he
and his friend Conner escaped to American
lines, after making a leap of twenty-five feet
from the wall into a pile of snow, and being
fired upon by a relief guard. He afterward
became a hero with his comrades, and Con-
gress granted him a special pension. The
above incident was related by Judge Henry,
an eye witness to it. In 1810 Judge Henry
visited him, when he lived at Dillsburg. At
the military parades at Dillsburg, " Ned "
Cavenaugh was the hero. In 1842 he was
taken to an encampment near town in a
carriage, drawn by four black horses.
The semi-centennial of Amer-
Semi- ican Independence was cele-
Centennial. brated at Dillsburg, July 4,
1826, with imposing ceremo-
nies. The citizens assembled at the house
of George Howard. " The Dillsburg
Guards," Captain Bradley, attended the cel-
ebration followed by citizens and two Rev-
olutionary soldiers. The procession moved
to a spring on the farm of Colonel Freder-
ick Eichelberger. A meeting was organized
and William Diven was chosen president
and Colonel Eichelberger, vice president.
The Declaration of Independence was read
866
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by Dr. G. L. Shearer. The party then sat
down to a repast provided by George AY.
Howard.
Toasts were responded to bj^ Captain J.
Bradley, Lieutenant Henry Sidel, Dr. Jacob
Sawyer, Washington H. Lewis, Samuel
Henry, Jacob Sawyer, George Dare, Peter
Leibner, William R. Gilleland, John Galla-
tin, Martin Carl, Dr. Jacob Weaver, John
Cannon, Daniel Brawley, John Vanest,
Thomas Methran, G. L. Shearer and Col-
onel F. Eichelberger.
Matthew Dill was one of
Biographical, the tirst settlers of the vicin-
ity of Dillsburg, locating
there about 1740. He came from Mona-
ghan, Ireland. The name Dill is Danish.
The ancestors moved to England and some
of them from thence to Scotland, during the
time of the Commonwealth under Oliver
Cromwell. Matthew Dill, in 1749, became
one of the court justices of York County,
biit before this he had commanded a com-
pany against the Indians. He died October
13, 1750, aged fifty-two years. His body
was buried in the Presbyterian churchyard,
a short distance west of Dillsburg, and the
spot is marked by a marble slab. He had
several sons, but none of the descendants
by the same name now live in the village.
The late Dr. A. B. Dill, of York Springs,
was a descendant.
Colonel Matthew Dill, son of the settler,
was very prominent in York County during
the Revolution. Colonel Richard McAl-
lister, founder of Hanover, was chosen lieu-
tenant of York County, an office created by
the government to organize all the militia
during the Revolution. He was married to
a sister of Colonel Dill, whom he appointed
sub-lieutenant of York County. Colonel
Dill served in that ofiice from January 1781,
to April, 1783, during which time he paid
to various captains of companies, $2,136, in
government money. The names of these
persons, most of whom lived in the upper
end of York County, according to his ac-
count, paid by the government, July i, 1788,
were William Dodds, Alexander Nesbitt,
John O'Bleanes, Andrew Wilson, Thomas
Gould, John McMaster, William Coulson,
William Ashton, Daniel Williams, Peter
Spese.
Colonel Dill commanded the Fifth Battal-
ion of York County for three years, and was
one of the framers of the state constitution
of 1790. For his services in the army, he
obtained a free patent for a tract of land
three leagues square, on part of which Dills-
burg is built, and another part is a valuable
ore bank. He was also granted a tract of
land in Washington County, Pennsylvania,
known as " Dillwood." He married a sec-
ond time. Late in life he moved to Fair-
field, Adams County, where he died and was
buried. He left seven sons. Colonel Mat-
thew Dill, Jr., Major James Dill, Colonel
John Dill, Captain Thomas Dill, who was a
student at Princeton College, entered the
army and was wounded at the battle of
Brandywine. He was afterward presented
by his father the tract called " Dillwood,"
where he moved. His daughter, Jane Dill,
married Henry Wilson, from whom de-
scended Rev. Thomas B. Wilson, and whose
children are Rev. Maurice Wilson, of Bal-
timore, and Rev. Calvin D. Wilson, of Har-
ford County, Maryland. A second son of
Jane Dill Wilson, was Rev. Samuel J. Wil-
son, D. D., LL. D., late of Allegheny, Penn-
sylvania, whose son, Robert D. Wilson, is a
prominent lawyer of Pittsburg. A daughter
of Jane Dill Wilson, viz : Elizabeth, was
married to John Paxton, whose sons were
Rev. John R. Paxton, a clergyman in New
York City, and Captain Wilson A. Paxton,
of Washington, D. C.
Dr. Armstrong Dill, a graduate of Prince-
ton College, was a son of Colonel Matthew
Dill. He died at the age of twenty-seven
years, December 31, 1788. His widow mar-
ried Dr. John Witherspoon, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence. The follow-
ing paragraph was copied from the United
States Gazette, published in Philadelphia,
and appeared June, 1791 :
WITHERSPOON-DILL.— Married at Philadelphia,
Penn., on Monday evening, the 30th ult., by Rev. Dr.
Xesbit, President of Dickinson College, the Rev. Dr.
John Witherspoon, President of Princeton College, to
Mrs. Ann Dill, widow of Dr. Armstrong Dill, of York
County, Penn., a lady of great beauty and merit.
On Wednesday after the President's return to
Princeton with his amiable wife, a deputation of the
students waited upon him to congratulate him upon
the joyful occasion, and he politely gave them two
days' holiday. In the evening in regard to their
worthy President, and to testify their joy on this happy
marriage, the students illuminated the college, which
afforded a grand and beautiful sight to the numerous
spectators, who had assembled upon the occasion.
There were six hundred candles in front of the college,
which lighted almost instantly on a signal given by the
discharge of a cannon, and on a like signal they were all
immediately extinguished. During the illumination,
DILLSBURG
which lasted about an hour, a number of students in the
belfry entertained the great concourse of people who
attended with a most agreeable and delightful concert
of music from different kinds of instruments. The
whole was conducted with elegance and taste.
Joy sparkled in every eye.
And every heart was glad.
Jacob Heiges, one of the leading citi-
zens of Dillsburg for half a century, moved
to the town in 1830, where he followed
the occupation of a chairmaker with suc-
cess. He died in the year 1866. John M.
Ik Heiges, his eldest son, was Register of
f Wills for York County, and served three
years as clerk to the Commissioners. J. D.
Heiges, D. D. S., the second son, after ob-
taining a good education, took up the study
of dentistry with Dr. Tyrrell, of York. In
W 1863, he graduated from the Baltimore
■ Dental College. Since graduation he has
^ pursued his profession as one of the leading
dentists of York. Prof. Samuel B. Heiges,
the third son, obtained a liberal education,
taught school at Dillsburg, served as
_^ county superintendent of public schools, as-
sistant principal of the York High school,
principal of the Shippensburg State Normal
school, teacher in the York Collegiate In-
stitute and in the York County Academy.
Besides being widely known as an educa-
tor within recent years he has devoted his
time to agriculture and horticulture. Dur-
ing the second Cleveland administration, he
was pomologist for the United States gov-
ernment. After retiring from his position,
he took charge of an experimental farm for
the state of Virginia. George \Y. Heiges,
the fourth son, in early life was a teacher at
York, where he studied law and was admit-
ted to the bar. He served two terms in the
f Pennsylvania Legislature and was chief
burgess of York at the time of the incorpo-
ration into a city.
The biographies of Matthew Stanley
Quay, Colonel Henry Logan and Dr.
George L. Shearer will be found eslewhere
in this volume.
Colonel S. N. Bailey, of Dillsburg, had a
large experience as a commander of militia
before the days of the Civil War. When
a second call for troops was made by Pres-
ident Lincoln in 1861, he received the com-
, mission as lieutenant colonel in the Penn-
sylvania Reserves. He retired from the
j army after one year's service. His son.
John IM. Bailey became a prominent mem-
ber of the Huntingdon County bar, and
served one term as president judge of the
Twentieth Judicial IDistrict of Pennsylva-
nia. Another son, W. D. Bailey, a promi-
nent physician of Dillsburg, in 1863, was ap-
pointed assistant surgeon of the 78th Reg-
iment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. After a
few months' service he was promoted to
surgeon of his regiment, and was present
with it at Chickamauga, and many other im-
portant battles in the Fourteenth Army
Corps, under Generals Thomas and Sher-
man. Bigler Bailey, a third son, was a
teacher in York for several years and be-
came a member of the York County Bar.
DANIEL BAILEY, a representative of
the best type of Irishmen, was the first of
the family of that name to come to x\merica.
A native of County Monaghan, Province of
Ulster, Ireland, he sought America with a
determination to make a home for himself
in this land of opportunities. He arrived
at Philadelphia in Februarj', 1758, and
sometime later settled near the site of Dills-
burg, where he prospered.
Andrew Bailey, the eldest son of Daniel
Bailey, the pioneer, was born May 14, 1763,
and died October 14, 1794. He owned a
farm near Dillsburg, and was the father of
one son, Daniel.
Daniel Bailey, son of Andrew Bailey, was
born August 27, 1791. He grew to man-
hood at his paternal home, and followed the
occupation of a tanner. He acquired a good
education, was a man of exemplary char-
acter and took the deepest interest in the
public welfare of the community in which
he resided. March 18, 1813, he married
Lydia Eichelberger, who belonged to a
leading family of York County, and to them
was born an only son, Frederick Eichel-
berger. Daniel Bailey died July i, 1853.
Frederick Eichelberger Bailey, born Feb-
ruary 16, 1816, received unusual advantages
in the way of education. He inherited the
studious tastes and habits of both his father
and his mother, and early in life gave
promise of a distinguished career. He
graduated from Jefferson College, at Can-
onsburg (now Washington and Jefferson
College) at \A^ashington, Pennsylvania, in
October, 1835. He read law with Judge
Reed, of Carlisle, and began the practice of
his profession at York. At this time, how-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ever, his stay was brief, and he went to New
Bloomfield, Pennsylvania, pursuing his pro-
fession, while at the same time he edited
and conducted the Perry County Democrat.
He became an active worker and leader in
his party, and later returning to York soon
acquired prominence there in both politics
and his profession. His high standing was
recognized by his appointment to the office
of District Attorney of York County, the
duties of which position he was performing
at the time of his death, April 7, 1845. His
life of less than thirty years was one of
energy and accomplishment. May 6, 1841,
he married Matilda Doudel, of York. They
had two children, Daniel Doudel and Sarah
Lydia.
Daniel Doudel Bailey was born Novem-
ber 21, 1842. He was a bright boy and an
industrious student. He lived at York, and
prepared for college at the York County
Academy, entering the Freshman class of
Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg in
1858, before he was sixteen years of age.
He was just entering the junior class when
the war broke out in 1861. A young man
of nineteen, inspired by patriotism and a
desire to defend his country in time of dan-
ger, he left his books and enlisted as a mem-
ber of Company G, Twelfth Regiment,
Pennsylvania Reserves. He accompanied
his regiment to the front and at Gaines'
Mill, one of the seven days' battles before
Richmond, on June 2^, 1862, was wounded,
captured by the enemy and taken to Libby
Prison, where he was held five weeks before
he was exchanged. He was sent to Cam-
den Hospital, at Baltimore, Maryland, and
on the 8th of August following, debilitated
by his lone confinement and suffering in
Libby Prison, he died from the effects of
the wounds received on the battlefield. His
body was brought home and it now lies
buried in the Presbyterian churchyard at
Dillsburg, by the side of his ancestors. Few
veterans knew more trying and severe ex-
periences than this boy, who gave his life to
his country. " He died young, but there
are silvered heads whose race of duty is less
nobly run."
Miss Sarah Lydia Bailey, the sole repre-
sentative of the family, resides in Dillsburg,
where her ancestors have been prominent
for a century.
On July 3, 1865, the Borough of
Noted Dillsburg was honored by the
Visitors, presence of Andrew G. Curtin,
■ the great war governor of Penn-
sylvania, and General George G. Meade,
who commanded the army of the Potomac
that won the great battle of Gettysburg.
These distinguished men were on their way
to Gettysburg, where they took a conspic-
uous part the following day in the cere-
monies at the laying of the corner stone of
the Soldiers' National Monument, on the
battlefield. They stopped at the Howard
House, where they held a reception, being
called upon by all the leading citizens of
the town. In behalf of the ladies who came
to the hotel to see the governor and the
great soldier, Postmaster A. N. Eslinger
presented them with bouquets. General
Meade returned thanks and Governor Cur-
tin responded in a brief speech, which
deeply interested all who heard him. After
this ceremony they proceeded in carriages
to the point of destination.
On August 18, 1894, while serving in his
second term as Governor of Pennsylvania,
Robert E. Pattison paid a visit to Dillsburg.
He was accompanied by a volunteer mili-
tary organization, composed of fifty
mounted men, known as the Governor's
Troop.
Thomas A. Edison, the distinguished in-
ventor and electrician, visited Dillsburg for
the purpose of investigating the quality of
the iron ore found in the neighborhood.
On the 27th of June, 1863, the
Confederate head of General Ewell's
Invasion. Corps, commanding the ad-
vance of the Army of North-
ern Virginia, passed down the Cumberland
Valley and took possession of Carlisle. Pre- ^
datory and scouting parties were sent down ^H
the valley to Eyster's Point, opposite Har- • ^|
risburg, along the Susquehanna and over to '
Shiremanstown and Lisburn. Colonel Jen-
kins commanded a brigade of cavalry which
belonged to Stuart's Corps, but at this time
was serving under Ewell.
Early on Sunday morning, June 28, about
250 mounted men, poorly clad, and many of
them riding worn out horses, crossed the
Yellow Breeches at Williams' Grove. For
several days the people of Dillsburg had not
received definite information of the ap-
■'Vl.y-
<^^tac^'-t^c.e^ q.-i^'^ff-it .&^i^
b
DILLSBURG
869
proach of the Confederate army. In fact
stories were circulated that Ewell's corps of
the enemy had fahen back to Chambers-
burg. On Sunday morning when this band
of Confederate Cavalry was approaching
Dillsburg from the north the town was filled
with refugees. They had come in four
horse wagons, two horse wagons and car-
riages from the Cumberland Valley and
from sections of western Maryland, be-
lieving that this borough would be a safe
place to seclude themselves until the inva-
ders were driven back. The approach,
therefore, of Jenkins' cavalry, was unex-
pected to the citizens of Dillsburg and to
the people who had fled to this place for
protection. Every family in the village had
some of these refugees as guests. The
stables were filled with horses and wagons
were lined up along the streets and in the
alleys. A few days before this exciting
time, some patriotic boys of the village had
climbed to the top of a spur on the South
Mountains, and on its summit, planted a
tall pole and unfurled an American flag.
This banner was floating to the breeze on
Sunday morning when the mounted enemy
approached. At this instant, Lee Welty, an
ingenious Yankee, mounted a horse and
went up the road. When he met the Confed-
erate cavalrymen he engaged in a conversa-
tion with one of the leaders. The officer
asked Welty what that flag meant on the
summit of the mountain.
" O," said Lee Welty, " the advance of
the Potomac Army is lying behind those
hills."
" The devil you say," said the captain.
This report was sent all along the line. The
mounted Confederates believed AVelty's
story, which was circulated for the purpose
of giving the refugees time to flee from
Dillsburg toward York and Middletown
Ferry to escape across the Susquehanna.
Thinking that it might not be safe to enter
Dillsburg at this time Colonel Jenkins' men
recrossed the Yellow Breeches into Cum-
berland County.
Meantime the people of Dillsburg buried
their treasures in the gardens or hid
them in the barns or cellars, while the vis-
iting friends departed. Nearly all the
horses in the vicinity were concealed in the
dense woods at the base of Round Top in
Warrington Township, or hurried across
the Susquehanna. Intoxicating liquors
owned by hotel keepers were concealed or
taken away. Dr. George L,. Shearer, a lead-
ing citizen, who then owned a drug store,
had a barrel of pure " old rye." This he hid
in a secluded spot in his barn and it was
never found by the invaders.
Toward evening, about the time the sun
was disappearing behind the western hills,
Jenkins' men again approached Dillsburg.
They entered the borough cautiously.
Every man was on the alert for Union sol-
diers whom they thought might be in the vi-
cinity. A scouting party was sent over to
the South Mountain to take down the
American flag and scour the hills in search
of Union troops. Meantime their comrades
halted in the village and engaged in con-
versation with the citizens. These cavalry-
men encamped for the night on the Lerew
farm, a short distance south of Dillsburg.
They obtained hay and oats for their horses
from the neighboring farms, paying for
them in Confederate money, which these
soldiers then believed would be good. Early
in the evening some of the Confederates re-
turned to the village for bread, meat, coffee,
and tobacco. For these they also tendered
their Confederate notes, printed at Rich-
mond. This money, which two years later
became worthless, was kept for a while by
the persons who received it.
While some of these men were in the
town obtaining provisions, there was a glare
of light in the southeastern sky. It was
caused by the burning of the Columbia
bridge, which had been set on fire about
dusk by the Federal soldiers in Columbia
to prevent Gordon's brigade from crossing
the river. An arrogant soldier stated to
some of the citizens of Dillsburg that the
light was doubtless caused by the destruc-
tion of some property by their own army
in the vicinity of Wrightsville and York.
" We are marching to Philadelphia and
New York. We will capture both these
cities. Then the war will soon be at an end
and our money will be as good as gold,"
said this soldier as he paid for some provi-
sions.
Early on the following morning a squad of
these Confederates moved on a raid toward
York, which had been entered by Early's
division of Ewell's Corps, on the same day.
They went as far as Dover and then re-
870
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
turned to their camp. Other scouting par-
ties were sent out and captured all the
horses that were left in the vicinity. Jen-
kins remained on the Lerew farm until
Tuesday morning, June 30, and then crossed
the creek into Cumberland County to join
Ewell's division, which the following day
moved from Carlisle to Gettysburg.
On AYednesday, July i, the bat-
Stuart tie of Gettysburg opened and the
Arrives, cannonading could be distinctly
heard at Dillsburg. In the after-
noon of that day the advance of Stuart's
cavalry, composed of three brigades, com-
manded by Fitzhugh Lee, AA^ade Hampton
and John R. Chambliss, entered Dillsburg
from the south. The other two brigades of
Stuart's corps had moved into the Cumber-
land A/^alley, with Hill's and Ewell's corps.
AA'hen Stuart entered Dillsburg he had
about 5,600 mounted men, largely from Vir-
ginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
A complete list of the commands under Stu-
art is given in the article on the " Battle of
Hanover " in this volume. It was in the af-
ternoon of June 30, that Stuart,with his three
brigades had engaged in a hard fought bat-
tle with Kilpatrick's cavalry in and around
Hanover. The Confederates were defeated
and Stuart then moved toward Jefferson.
During the night of June 30, with his en-
tire force, he marched toward York New Sa-
lem and from thence to Dover, where they
took breakfast. On the morning of July i,
they crossed the Conewago Creek, part of
the force going through Rossville, and the
remainder through AVellsville, meeting near
Dillsburg. The long wagon train was
guarded by AA'ade Hampton's brigade. A
complete story of this movement with all
the local details will be found in the histo-
ries of Jefferson and Dover Boroughs and
AA/'arrington Township in this volume.
AVhen the Confederates entered Dills-
burg in the afternoon of July i, Fitzhugh
Lee's brigade was 'in advance, closely fol-
lowed by Colonel Chambliss. Some of
the men halted in Dillsburg, took posses-
sion of all the goods in the stores and rob-
bed the post office of money and stamps. A
N. Eslinger was at that time postmaster.
Stuart proceeded with his two brigades of
Lee and Chambliss to Carlisle where they
bombarded the United States Barracks and
threw a number of shells into the town. On
the morning of July 2, Stuart for the first
time received the news from a despatch
bearer that the battle of Gettysburg was in
progress. He proceeded with his two bri-
gades on a rapid march through ]\It. Holly,
arriving at the scene of battle on the even-
ing of July 2.
Wade Hampton, with his brigade, in
charge of a train of nearly 150 wagons, en-
camped for the night of July i, on the farm
of John Mumper, one and one-half miles
north of Dillsburg. AA-^hile here he received
the news of the battle of Gettysburg and
took up a hasty march through Beavertown
to the State Road that leads to Gettysburg,
and delivered the wagon train to the quar-
termaster general of Lee's army, a short
distance north of the town.
DOVER.
In 1752 Gerhart Graeff, who afterward
wrote his name Graves, petitioned " the
worshipful justices of the County of York to
grant him their recommendation to the gov-
ernor of the Province of Pennsylvania, for
a license to keep a public house, on the road
leading from York to Carlisle, being greatly
burthened with travelers passing. To rem-
edy that inconvenience he has furnished
himself with liquor and other necessaries
suitable for the entertainment of travelers,
and is desirous of keeping tavern." His pe-
tition was granted. Graeff also opened a
store. In 1776 he organized a company of
soldiers in Dover Township, which joined
Colonel Swope's regiment, then forming in
York. Before leaving Dover for York,
however, his men made a Tory stand on a
stump and gave three cheers for General
Washington and the Continental army.
Captain Graeff and his brave German sol-
diers, all except eighteen, were captured in
November, 1776, in the battle of Fort
Washington, near New York City, and for
a time languished in a British prison. Be-
fore the Revolution and during the year
1762, Gerhart Graeff had a neighbor in the
person of Jacob Joner, (pronounced as
in German Yoner), who piurchased 203
acres of land, and in the year 1764 laid out
the town of Dover. This was twenty-three
years after the founding of York, and one
year after Hanover. Joner had his town
regularh^ plotted, and sold the lots subject
to quit-rent. It was generally called "Jo-
DOVER
871
ner's town," until 181 5, when a post office
was established.
At the close of the Revolution in
Dover 1783 the village of Dover con-
in 1783. tained a population of eighty-one.
Of this number forty-four were
n^ales and thirty-seven females. Jacob Jo-
ner owned twenty-five lots and a house on
the square. Various trades were repre-
sented. Nicholas Joner and Henry Mat-
thews were cord wainers and made boots
and shoes for the surrounding populace.
George Marik owned a house and six lots.
John Gross, Samuel Wilt and Jacob Bigler
were weavers, and with the old style thread
machines, manufactured cloth for the wear-
ing apparel of themselves and neighbors.
John Swan, a good-natured Irishman, was
the village blacksmith. While diligently
working at his trade he related many stories
of his war history to the little boys and
girls who frequently gathered about him.
John Urban was a locksmith. Joseph
Spangler and Rudy Barnhart, innkeepers;
Martin Reisinger, tailor; Peter Trien, tan-
ner, John Cook, Thomas Metzler, Michael
Gross, James Montgomery, John Stewart,
Conrad Miller, Abraham Fisher and George
Stouch^ each owned houses and lived in
Dover. Daniel May was justice of the
peace.
The town of Dover was in-
Incorpcration. corporated in 1864, just
one hundred years after it
was laid out by Jacob Joner. Reuben Hoff-
heins was the first burgess and Jacob B.
Fink, clerk. The town grew slowly until
within recent years. Being on a line of
travel from York to Carlisle, the central
points of interest in the town were the two
hotels, which have been kept for nearly 150
years. In the early days of wagoning to
Baltimore, many teamsters sto'pped here
for the night. The hotel in Centre Square
was kept by George Darron, father, son
and grandson, from 1809 to 1859, without
change of name. It was conducted in the
Wiest name, father and son, for a period of
thirty years thereafter. Henry Brunhouse
was the proprietor in 1907. The upper ho-
tel is also an historic site and was kept in
1907 by Elmer Fink.
The first telephone line was completed
from Dover to York in October, 1885. The
line was erected by private subscription and
a Bell instrument was used. Since that
time, Weiglestown, Mt. Royal, Davidsburg,
Admire, and a number of other places have
telephone conmmunication established over
an extensive territory.
The York and Dover Electric Railway
line was completed to Dover November 25,
1901. The event was celebrated at Dover
by an ox-roast. Public water works were
installed in 1905 at an expense of $12,000.
The water is supplied by an artesian well.
About 1842 pioneer United
Churches. Brethren preachers held ser-
vices in private houses in the
town. Afterwards, when an organization
was effected the meetings of the congrega-
tion were held in a building owned by Peter
Rawhouser. In this building the congrega-
tion worshipped until the year 185 1 when
the present structure was erected. The
ground upon which the building stands was
presented by Peter Rawhouser, who was
one of the first trustees. George West-
hafer and Daniel Seitz were associates with
Mr. Rawhouser as first trustees. The trus-
tees in 1907 were Rev. J. W. Houseman,
the pastor; Adam A. Neiman and Lewis
Melhorn. The church belongs to a cir-
cuit of churches, six in number and together
they constitute what is known as the Dover
charge. The membership in 1907, of all
the churches of the charge, is 236. The
church building has recently been repaired
and improved. A good parsonage, belong-
ing to the Dover circuit, stands beside the
church.
Calvary Lutheran congregation was or-
ganized by the citizens of Dover who
were members of Salem Church. In 1899
this congregation erected a brick church
with a brown stone front, at a cost of $8,000.
Religious services were at first conducted
by Rev. Joseph B. Keller. He was suc-
ceeded by Rev. J. M. Dietzler, who was pas-
tor when the church was built and contin-
ued until June, 1905. Rev. A. G. Fastnacht,
D. D., pastor of the Salem charge, has sup-
plied this congregation since July, 1905. A
town clock has been placed in the belfry
of the church.
The members of the Reformed congre-
gation of Salem Church who resided in
Dover erected a church building in Dover,
in 1903, opposite the school building, at a
cost of $7,000. It is a handsome brick struc-
872
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ture furnished with modern pews and con-
tains some of the most ornamental stained
windows found in any church edifice in
York County. The roof was made of the
best quaht}' of Peach Bottom slate. The
lot upon which the church was built, was
the gift of Dr. J. M. Gross, who has prac-
ticed rpedicine in the boroiigh for thirty
years or more. A Sunday School of i6o
scholars meets regularly in this church.
The erection of the church was the project
of Rev. O. P. Shellhamer, pastor of the Re-
formed congregation at Salem Church.
Since 1903 he has conducted services in this
building.
Dr. Robert Lewis, grandson of Major Eli
Lewis, founder of the borough of Lewis-
berry, settled in the practice of medicine, at
Dover, about 1830, and was a prominent
citizen of the community for more than a
quarter of a century. In politics he was an
ardent Whig and during the days of slavery
in the south, his home was a noted station
lor the Underground Railroad, by which
many negroes escaped to the north and be-
came free. Dr. Lewis was the grandfather
of Robert J. Lewis, member of the fifty-
sixth congress.
Dr. John Ahl practiced medicine at Dover
for twenty years. He was succeeded by
Dr. J. M. Gross. Dr. N. C. Wallace has
practiced medicine here for twenty years.
Dr. Lenhart. a well known veterinary sur-
geon, is one of the oldest citizens of the
borough.
Reuben Hofliheins, an enterprising citizen
of Dover, had a machine shop which he ope-
rated for many years. He was widely
known as an inventor and in 1857 designed
and patented a reaper and mower which he
made at his Dover shops in large numbers,
until his business had increased to such an
extent that he moved his shops to York.
His invention, known as the " Hofifheins
Reaper," was one of the earliest two-
wheeled machines used in this country. It
also had a self-rake and revolving reel of an
improved type. Mr. HofTheins also manu-
factured the " Ball reaper." Carriage build-
ing has been an important industry in Do-
ver for more than half a century. A sew-
ing factory, owned by U. L. Glatfelter, has
recently been started. Amos Swartz & Son
own a cigar factory. E. D. Stough, who
served as a soldier in the 87th regiment
Pennsylvania Volunteers, during the Civil
War, is engaged in the harness making
business.
Israel Melchinger was one of the Hessian
soldiers who settled in and around Dover
after the close of the Revolution. In 1815
Melchinger became the first postmaster of
Dover and held that office at the time of
his death in 1834, when he was succeeded by
his son, Englehart Melchinger. O. J. Yost,
Samuel Aughenbaugh, Oliver M. Stouch,
E. D. Stouch, Dr. N. C. Wallace and Dr.
J. M. Gross have been the successive post-
masters within recent years.
A destructive fire occurred in Dover in
March, 1844. Two houses, a tavern and a
stable were destroyed on the Public Square.
Soon after this event the town purchased
the old engine from the Vigilant Fire Com-
pany of York. It is kept in an engine house
on the square. The carriage shop of The-
ophilus Gross burned down about 1880.
There being too small a supply of water in
the vicinity, the engine could not be effect-
ively used.
As early as 1770 a parochial school was
started in a building connected with the
Dover Lutheran and Reformed Church. At
this place most of the youths of the vicin-
ity received their mental training. In the
early part of the last century, schools were
held in private houses. A school was built
in the- northern part and another in the
southwestern part of the town, about 1830.
In the year 1881, during the same night,
both old buildings were destroyed by fire
and two new ones were built, at a combined
cost of $2,200.
Near the village of Dover was a noted
place for the " big musters " and other mili-
tary parades. Battalions were drilled on
the surrounding fields. As many as ten or
fifteen companies of militia and some vol-
unteer companies annually collected here
during the month of May, and were re-
viewed by Brigade Inspector Archibald S.
Jordan, and later by Colonels Henry Sto-
ver, S. N. Bailey and George Hay. The local
companies, toward the last of militia days,
were commanded by Captains John Worley,
John Sharp, Samuel Miller and Daniel
Motter. These annual gatherings ceased
about 1856. Conrad Kline, the last Revo-
lutionary soldier of Dover Township, died
in the village at the advanced age of ninety-
DOVER
873
seven years. His remains were buried with
the honors of war by a local volunteer com-
pany, commanded by Captain Hotter,
father of George Hotter, the manufacturer,
of York. Conrad Kline was one of the
many brave Germans, who early in the war
for American Independence, championed
the cause of their adopted country. He
followed the occupation of a gunsmith.
On June 27, 1863, during the
Confederate Confederate invasion, Dover
Invasion. was visited by a small squad
of Jenkins' cavalry. These
soldiers came here from Carlisle, being the
advance of Ewell's corps, part of which had
proceeded as far east as Shiremanstown in
Cumberland County. They remained at
Dover for a short time and then returned to
Carlisle. At this time Early's division of
Ewell's corps was moving toward York and
had encamped for the night of June 27, in
the vicinity of Bigmount and Farmers
Postoffice in Paradise Township. A few of
Early's men reached Dover on the morning
of Sunday, June 28. After spending a short
time there obtaining provisions and secur-
ing a few articles in the village stores, they
joined the division at Weiglestown, while
on the march toward York.
Early in the morning of July i. General
J. E. B. Stuart's cavalry division began to
arrive at Dover. This force numbered
nearly 6000 men, composed of three bri-
gades, commanded respectively by General
Fitzhugh Lee, of Virginia; General Wade
Hampton, of South Carolina, and Colonel
Chambliss, of Virginia. Stuart came to
Dover from Hanover, passing through Jef-
ferson, and York New Salem. When he
arrived at the last named place, he heard
that Early's division had fallen back toward
Gettysburg or Carlisle and he proceeded to
Dover. After the fight at Hanover between
Stuart and Kilpatrick's Union cavalry, the
Confederate commander was entirely cut off
from communications with General Robert
E. Lee's army which, on July i, had opened
the battle of Gettysburg.
About 200 Union cavalrymen.
Prisoners captured at Hanover and else-
Paroled, where, were paroled in the office
of Dr. John Ahl at Dover. Gen-
eral Wade Hampton superintended the pa-
role of these prisoners, who then went to
York. Soon after the arrival of Stuart at
Dover he ordered breakfast prepared for
his staff, his brigade commanders and him-
self at the upper hotel on the west side of
Hain Street. About 8 o'clock in the morn-
ing, these officers partook of a bountiful
meal and while eating engaged in conversa-
tion about the stirring events then taking
place as the result of the Confederate in-
vasion into Pennsylvania. While they were
eating, army surgeons in an adjoining room
dressed the wounds of several Confederate
soldiers who had received saber cuts in the
cavalry battle at Hanover the day before.
Stuart, Hampton and Lee maintained a
composed dignity during the two hours that
this large body of Confederate cavalry oc-
cupied Dover. During the forenoon
squads of mounted men, acting as scouts,
were sent out in various directions into
Dover and Conewago Townships and cap-
tured many farm horses that had not been
taken across the Susquehanna.
Before leaving the hotel. General Stuart's
adjutant, who afterward wrote a biography
of his commander, paid the hotel clerk,
George Dick, later a resident of York, for
the breakfast they had ordered. The money
received was United States notes or " green-
backs " as they were called. This was ex-
ceptional, for the Confederate invaders at
other places always paid their obligations
in Confederate bank notes, which afterward
became worthless.
While these cavalrymen remained at
Dover, guards were placed around the hotel
so that none of the men should drink intox-
icating liquors to excess. In fact, neither of
the two hotels had much whiskey at the bar
or in the cellar. A few days before, when
the proprietors had heard of the approach
of the enemy, all the brandy, whiskey and
other liquors in their possession had been
placed in the cellar of the United Brethren
church built in 1851, within the limits of the
town, and was never discovered by the in-
vaders.
The three guides, citizens from
Searching the vicinity of Hanover, who
for Stuart, had been forced to accompany
the Confederates on their march
to Dover, were now released and other
guides pressed into service at Dover in order
to show the Confederates the most direct
way toward Carlisle, where Stuart then
thought the Confederate forces were con-
8/4
HISTORY OP YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
centrating. About the time that General
Stuart, with ahnost the entire cavalry force
of the army of Northern Virginia, left Dover
for Carlisle, the battle of Gettysburg opened.
Early in the morning of that day. General
Lee near Gettysburg, despatched Colonel
Venable, his staff officer, in search of Stuart.
On his way toward York, where he ex-
pected to meet Stuart, he was intercepted by
Kilpatrick's Cavalry, somewhere north of
Hanover. He rode up to East Berlin, and
then proceeded toward Davidsburg and as
he approached the borough of Dover, he
again saw at a distance a squadron of Union
cavalry around the old Dover church. He
failed to find out the exact position of Stu-
art's cavalry, thinking it was possibly then
on its way toward Gettysburg. Colonel
Venable returned to the scene of battle and
was compelled to report to General Lee that
he could find the enemy but not their own
cavalr}'.
Stuart had been without communication
with General Lee since he had crossed the
Potomac, almost within sight of AA'ashing-
ton, on June 28. He passed on to Carlisle
but did not reach Gettysburg until the even-
ing of the second day of the battle. Some
military critics claim that if Stuart had
reached the scene of action at Gettysburg
on July I, the tide of battle on July 2 might
have been in favor of the Confederate army.
He and his troopers rode on to Dillsburg,
seemingly within hearing distance of the
cannon's roar at Gettysburg, but he knew
nothing of the battle until he got to Car-
lisle.
The train of 125 wagons which he
The had captured shortly after he
Wagon crossed the Potomac River, was
Train. driven through Dover on toward
Dillsburg and York Springs and
was delivered to the quartermaster general
of the Confederate army, four miles north-
west of Gettysburg on the evening of July 2.
This wagon train contained provisions and
munitions of war used by the Confederates
on the last day of the battle.
The detour that Stuart made through
York County was one of the most unfortu-
nate episodes to the Confederate cause dur-
ing the Civil war. This gallant soldier had
won distinction for strategy on several oc-
casions before, but his raid through Penn-
sylvania in 1863 will always be considered
a military blunder. He was killed in battle
the following year in a brilliant charge
against Sheridan's cavalry, near Richmond,
Virginia.
EAST PROSPECT.
This borough lies near the foot of the
Conojehela Valley in Lower Windsor
Township, eleven miles from York and two
miles from the Susquehanna River. The
view from the centre of the town is roman-
tically interesting. The eye of the observer
takes in a landscape view eastward far into
the limits of Lancaster County and north-
ward over the lower part of Dauphin. The
view up and down the broad Susquehanna
is truly enchanting. To the west is a fertile
valley, now thickly populated and also con-
taining many productive farms.
East Prospect is situated on historic
ground. James Patterson, one of the early
settlers, opened a trading station on the
opposite side of the river about 1725. He
used lands west of the river as a public pas-
ture ground for his horses. The village of
Safe Harbor, on the east side of the river, a
short distance to the south, was the place
where Sir William Keith, in 1722, held his
conference with the Conestoga and other
tribes of Indians before he made the first
survey west of the Susquehanna for the
heirs of William Penn. In 1735 Colonel
Thomas Cresap, who led the Maryland in-
vaders to drive of? the Germans from these
lands, built a log house near the mouth of
Cabin Creek, and here he was captured by
the authorities of Pennsylvania and taken
to Philadelphia.
East Prospect was laid out by John A.
Jacobs, a farmer and local preacher for the
Evangelical association, in 1849, on the road
leading from York to Dritt's Ferry. Soon
after the Revolution, Captain Dritt, who
had commanded a company in Swope's reg-
iment which took part in the battle of Fort
AVashington, near New York City, built a
large stone house one and one-half miles
northeast of this borough, at present owned
by Barton Gnau. Dritt became brigadier
general in the State militia, and was
drowned while trying to cross the Susque-
hanna when it was covered with floating
ice.
East Prospect was incorporated into a
borough in 1874. The survej' was made by
FAWN GROVE
875
Harry H. AA'interj who, after his admission
to the bar at York, moved to the state of
Iowa. Most of the original houses were
built on Main Street, extending north and
south. Maple Street, which extends east
and west, also contains fine private resi-
dences. The population in 1900 was 292.
Margaretta Furnace and Woodstock Forge
were situated a short distance east of the
borough. John Burg opened the first store
and was succeeded in order by Henry Burg,
L. E. Oleweiler and Edward J. Sitler. About
1856 David Keller and Peter W. Keller
opened a store in the village and conducted
it for several years. Henry Doll and Charles
Himes have also kept stores here. L. E.
Oleweiler owned a large cigar factory and
was succeeded by Edward J. Sitler in the
same business. George Young owns a cigar
factory and Charles Myers a cigar box fac-
tory.
Long before the town of East Prospect
was laid out Rev. Jacob Albright, founder
of the Evangelical Association, preached in
a stone building which stood on the site of
the town. Other founders of this church
also conducted religious services here. The
stone building was used as a house of wor-
ship until 1882 when the present church was
erected at a cost of $3,500. The building
committee were Samuel Burg, Henry Burg,
Henry Kise, Jacob Smith and Henry Bar-
shinger. This is the onlj' house for relig-
ious worship within the limits of East Pros-
pect. A burying ground adjoins the church.
East Prospect Cemetery, situated at the
northern limits of the borough, was char-
tered in 1868. The board of directors were :
Henry Kise, president ; Henry Burg, secre-
tary; Samuel Burg, treasurer; William
Burg, William Helder and Daniel Leber.
The original school house, built of logs
and later weather-boarded, was used for the
village school for a period of thirty years.
In 1880 another building was erected. This
was destroyed by fire in 1900, and soon
thereafter a two-story school building was
erected.
The disastrous fire which broke out on
July 4, 1900, at one time threatened to de-
stroy the whole village. Before the flames
could be controlled the store of Edward
Sitler and about a dozen other buildings
were burned to the e:round.
FAWN GROVE.
Fawn Grove is situated on the Mary-
land line, in the southern part of Fawn
Township. As early as 1763, the Deer Creek
Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends
reported that there were a number of mem-
bers who had settled in Fawn Township,
Pennsylvania. A committee was appointed
to visit them. In 1785 these Fawn Township
Friends were visited by a committee from
the Warrington meeting in the upper end
of York County. The first house of wor-
ship was built in 1790 and a preparative
meeting organized in 1792. An important
interest is always centered around this his-
toric Friends' Meeting House. The orig-
inal building lasted nearly half a century,
when a second one was built, and within re-
cent years, in a neat and commodious meet-
ing house, services have been regularly
held. Among the earliest members were
the W^ebb, Jones, Spencer, Lukens, Bond,
Bennett, Wilson, Johnson, Harry, Brooks
and Tompkins families. Many of their de-
scendants reside in the borough and vicin-
ity, while a large number have moved else-
where and become prominent and influen-
tial citizens.
Isaac Jones, a Friend from Bucks County,
in 1784 acquired two tracts of land, now
mostly within the borough, lying east of
the road leading from Gatchelville to Balti-
more. It was part of a larger tract known
as Plumb Green. It would appear that he
owned some adjoining land prior to that
time, for a deed to James Webb, dated the
1 8th of the sixth month, 1774, from William
Matthews for a tract lying to the west of
the same road describes the latter property
as adjoining land of Isaac Jones. The
Webb property had the name Small Gain.
These tAvo, Isaac Jones and James Webb,
were the ancestors of a considerable portion
of the people in this community. Asa
Jones, a son, and Asa Jones, a grandson of
Isaac^ became successors in title to Isaac,
and a son and grandson of James Webb,
both named Richard, succeeded to his title.
Deborah McDonald, wife of Dr. Robert
iMcDonald, was a noted preacher at this
meeting for many years. Among the mem-
bers who reached a great age were Hannah
Jones and Elizabeth Webb. John Webb,
William J. Vansant and Nathan P. Harry
876
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
have served as trustees; James K. Brown,
Hannah Jones, Mary T. Brown and Rachael
Ann Pyle have been elders; Mary E- Brooks
female overseer.
The Methodist Protestant Church has a
flourishing congregation in Fawn Grove.
A house of worship was built in 1865. Wil-
liam A. Ramsey, William A. Channel and
Rev. James Whiteside were the building
committee. At the time of its organization
this church belonged to the Stewartstown
Circuit and later to the Fawn Grove Cir-
cuit of the Maryland Conference. Rev.
Whiteside was pastor of the congregation
when the church was erected. Some of the
early pastors who succeeded him were Rob-
ert Winna, E. R. McGregor, A. S. Eversole,
James W. Floyd, William D. Litsinger, J.
W. Charlton and A. D. Dick.
In 1905, the church was remodeled and
greatly enlarged. The portion now used
for general worship was added and the orig-
inal chapel is used as a Sunday School room.
The committee in charge of the work were:
William R. Webb, N. A. Manifold and B. F.
Morris.
Mount Olivet Methodist Protestant
Church is situated two miles from Fawn
Grove.
John Hugo opened the first store in this
village. He was succeeded by Benjamin
Gemmill. Sarah and Martha Jay continued
this store for many years, and became
widely known throughout the community.
Hawkins & Herbert carried on the general
merchandising business at the same store
and were succeeded by Augustus Grancel,
and later by H. C. Richardson. JMerryman
& \^'right opened a store in another build-
ing. They were succeeded by Merryman &
Hawkins. Henry S. Merryman carried on a
general merchandising business in 1907, and
E. Nelson Morris owned a tin and stove
store. Augustus Grancel owns a general
store. Milton J. Herbert, who in 1902 was
a candidate on the Democratic ticket for
the State Senate, has been the village black-
smith for years.
Dr. Robert McDonald, a prominent and
influential citizen in the community, prac-
ticed medicine here for thirty years. Dr.
John A. Hawkins, a graduate of the Univer-
sity of Maryland, settled in the practice of
medicine at Fawn Grove in 1853, and has
since resided in the localitv. Charles A.
Hawkins, his son, is a practicing lawyer at
York. Dr. Vallie Hawkins, another son,
succeeded his father in the practice of med-
icine. Joshua R. Jones, a prominent citizen
of Philadelphia and president of the Na-
tional Publishing Company of that city, was
born in the village of Fawn Grove. Wil-
liam R. McDermott, now an active minister
in the Methodist Protestant Church, was
also a Fawn Grove boy.
An important factor in the development
of the community was the Fawn Grove
Academy, incorporated in 1872. Recently
it has been converted into a district high
school.
The town was incorporated into a bor-
ough in 1881. The Stewartstown and Fawn
Grove Railroad, described in the chapter on
railroads in this volume, was extended to
this borough in 1906. Fawn Grove has been
a temperance town since the date of its in-
corporation.
FELTON.
The Borough of Felton lies in a beauti-
ful little valley, along the upper waters of
Muddy Creek. It is situated 536 feet above
the sea level on a plane, along the line of
the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad,
fourteen miles from York. The road
ascends at a grade of eighty-five feet to the
mile to Red Lion, which is 892 feet above
the sea. The land upon which Felton is
situated was surveyed from the townships
of Chanceford, Lower Windsor and North
Hopewell, by Stephen A. Douglass in the
year 1899, when the borough was incorpo-
rated. The first borough officers were:
Christian T. Grove, chief burgess ; Jacob
Gable, Henry Seitz, James E. Sechrist, John
T. Hannigan, Theodore Akins, Amos
Moore, council ; Charles W. Moore, asses-
sor.
About 1850 Thomas G. Cross, who in
1871 was elected prothonotary of York
County, began the mercantile business at
this place. He was succeeded in order at
the same stand by Charles Flinchbaugh,
Gemmill & Wilson, Jacob Crumbling,
Samuel Glatfelter, Keesey & Barshinger,
Ehrhart & Venus, J. D. Hake, Harry Myers,
Eli Fickes, C. F. Bair, John A. Myers. The
second store was started at a later date and
was first conducted by Harry Venus. The
mercantile business at this stand has since
FRANKLINTOWN
877
been carried on by P. M. Mitzel, B. S. Sentz,
Jacob dayman, Anderson & Grove and
Christian T. Grove, v^ho is also postmaster.
In 1883 the citizens residing in three dif-
ferent townships in the vicinity, petitioned
the court for an independent school district.
The petition was granted and a frame
school house was built. An addition to this
building was erected in 1902, when the sec-
ond school was organized. In 1884 mem-
bers of the Lutheran Church of the
vicinity erected a house of worship which
stands within the limits of the borough.
The congregation was organized under the
pastorate of Rev. Peter Livingston and was
dedicated as St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
The succeeding pastors have been Revs. E.
Manges, Samuel Ulrich, G. A. Livingston.
In 1907 Rev. L. E. Henry was pastor. The
United Evangelical Church of Felton was
organized in the year 1898 under the pastor-
ate of Rev. E. Fulcomer. The congregation
has since been served by Revs. S. A. Sny-
der, W. C. Hoch and L. E. Maice.
The grist mill operated by George Roller,
was built in 1863 by Tobias Crumbling.
General Sherman Post, No. 602, Grand
Army of the Republic, was organized in
1890 by James W. Collins, Joseph Grim^
Henry Seitz, Anthony Grim, Henry Hake,
Samuel T. Miller, R. H. Garman, Charles
T. Kibler, William S. Anderson, John H.
Brenneman, D. A. Miller, Thomas M. Cur-
ran, James Stewart, Thomas McKinsey,
Richmond Flynn, John Sechrist, Michael M.
Keesey. The entire membership of the
post from the date of organization to 1907
was thirty-seven representing several dif-
ferent regiments. The membership in 1907
was eighteen.
There are two schools. The population
in 1900 was 226.
FRANKLINTOWN.
This village is situated in the eastern cor-
ner of Franklin Township, with a command-
ing view of Warrington, Carroll, Washing-
ton and Franklin, all of which meet at a
point, a short distance east of the town.
Early in the nineteenth century William
Butt and Jacob Schultz conducted a store
here and kept a tavern on the site of the
town. In the year 1813, a tract of land was
surveyed and laid out in streets and 186 lots.
It being situated on the road leading from
Harrisburg to Baltimore, the main highway,
sixty-one feet wide, was called Baltimore
Street. The two running parallel with it,
were named Water and Church Streets.
The three facing at right angles to these
were denominated North, Spring and
South Streets. The town of Dillsburg, two
miles north of this point, had already be-
come a business centre. The two villages
were likely to become rivals. In order to
sell the lots off rapidly the founders of the
town. Butt and Schultz, instituted a lottery,
and sold the tickets at $30. There were no
blanks; each one drew a lot. A ticket for
the store, valued at $1,000, and the build-
ing in which it was kept, was included in
the number. The " wheel of fortune "
turned to the original owners the much
coveted prize and they continued the mer-
cantile business in the same house. Prob-
ably owing to this incident, the town did
not at first prosper. The original name
given was Franklin, but the disappointed
persons who bought tickets for $30, which
was considered a large sum in those days
for a small plat of ground, called it " Butts-
town." This appellation is not entirely for-
gotten.
In 1849, which was thirty-six years after
the town was laid out, there were only a
dozen houses. About that time. Captain
John Klugh purchased a number of vacant
lots which had been drawn at the time of
the lottery. He built some houses, sold
some lots and encouraged building. The
town then started to grow.
In the year 1826, Martin Carl, father of
Jere Carl, ex-chief burgess of York, suc-
ceeded Butt & Schultz in the mercantile
business and secured the establishment of a
post ofifice. He was followed in the same
stand by Henry Ritter, David Leidig and
Captain John Klugh. The last named gen-
tleman, who developed the interests of the
village, was postmaster from 1861 to 1885.
In the year 1882 he disposed of his store to
his son-in-law, George Lehmer, who suc-
ceeded him as postmaster. A store has also
been kept in the borough in order of suc-
cession by Ritter & Leidig, Albert Crowl,
A^^illiam Heiges and Joseph S. Straley, who
became postmaster.
Franklintown was incor-
Incorporation. porated in 1869; Daniel
Hershey was the first chief
878
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
burgess. A re-survey of the town was made
by Joseph Ritner, civil engineer of Mechan-
icsburg, son of Governor Ritner. The
streets were graded and paved the same
year. The population in 1900 is 250.
The Franklintown Guards was the name
of a uniformed military company of fifty
volunteer members, which existed for fif-
teen 3'ears. It was organized by Captain
John Hursh. His successors were Captains
George Klugh, George Harbold and John
Klugh. Captain John Klugh, during the
Civil War, recruited a company that entered
the Two Hundred and Seventh Regiment of
Pennsylvania Volunteers, and participated
in the battles of Hatcher's Run, Fort Stead-
man and Nottoway River, in Virginia. He
was wounded in the arm by a shell at the
siege of Petersburg in the spring of 1865,
which disabled him from further military
service. The piece of Confederate shell
which caused this wound was presented to
the Historical Society of York County in
1902. After the Civil \\'ar. Captain Klugh
became a prominent and influential citizen
and was widely known throughout York
County. In 1907 he was enjoying excellent
health in the ninety-first year of his age.
The United Brethren Church
Churches, was built in 1849, at a cost of
$1,000, Captain John Klugh be-
ing the contractor. The building committee
were David Heiges, Joseph Brenneman and
Valentine Flicker. This church belongs to
the York Springs Circuit, the pastor resid-
ing in Franklintown. Rev. Mr. Coulson,
who was pastor of this congregation and
the entire circuit for a number of years,
was succeeded in 1904 by Rev. Burkholder.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church was
built in 1884. The Lutherans of the village
previously worshipped with the congrega-
tion at the Franklin Church, two miles dis-
tant. Rev. Henry Seiffert was the first pas-
tor. The building committee, under whose
direction the church Avas built, were Captain
John Klugh, Jacob Lau, Frederick Murray,
William Straley and P. R. Lehmer. The
pastor in 1907 was Rev. J. O. Fox.
GLEN ROCK.
The Borough of Glen Rock, sixteen miles
south of York, along the Northern Central
Railway, is one of the leading manufactur-
ing and business centres in York County.
The town is situated in a valley, ^drained
by the winding course of a stream
which flows into the Codorus, and is sur-
rounded by the fertile region in the north-
western part of Shrewsbury Township.
Some of the first residents of the town were
Philip Lowe, John Ehrman and Simon Kol-
ler. In addition to his house and barn Si-
mon Koller owned a saw mill. The Co-
dorus furnishes water power and water sup-
ply for the manufacturing interests of the
town.
In 1838 the railroad was com-
Origin pleted through the site of the
of Name, present town, and it was then
that Glen Rock received its
name by Nat Bernard, a railroad contractor.
He found some very hard rock to cut
through, so he named them the " rocks in
the glen " or Glen Rock. At this time Si-
mon Koller owned a large part of the land
in the borough and sold it to William
Heathcote, recently from England, with
whom came also other Englishmen, the
Shaws, Radclififes and other Heathcotes, so
that it became an English settlement. The
railroad station was known as Heathcote's
till 1843, when Glen Rock post office was
established. In 1845 there were but ten
families in the place; one woolen factory,
employing fourteen hands; one store and
tavern, a machinist, a tailor, a blacksmith, a
doctor and two wood sawyers. In 1850
Philip Sheft'er, a farmer, near the town, put
up some houses and purchased the woolen
mill, converted it into a grist mill and Wil-
laim Heathcote erected another woolen
mill near the town. This gave the village
new life and the people began to talk of put-
ting up other manufacturing enterprises,
which resulted in the erection of a foundry
and machine shop in 1854, b}^ Heathcote,
Herbst & Company, the company consist-
ing of AA'illiam Fleathcote, William Herbst,
John Scott, Emanuel Frey, Charles Frey
and Henry Seitz. This plant was the means
of developing the town and was an import-
ant factor in its growth. It gradually en-
larged its sphere and did an extensive busi-
ness in car building, and became known as
the Glen Rock Manufacturing Company,
doing a general business in the manufacture
of engines, boilers, mill machinery and
farming implements. Meantime J. V.
Hoshour carried on an extensive forwarding
I
GLEN ROCK
879
and commission business, in which he was
followed by E. Sheffer.
The first manufacturing indus-
Manu- try of Glen Rock was a woolen
facturing. mill, erected by William Heath-
cote, a native of England. At
this mill the owner made woolen rolls to
be spun into yarn, and also manufactured
large quantities of woolen goods which
were made into clothing for the people of
Shrewsbury and Springfield Townships.
He was succeeded in the ownership of this
mill by his son, James Heathcote, and after
the latter had done an extensive business for
many years, L. K. Heathcote & Company
operated the mill. A^'ithin recent years
Samuel Heathcote carried on an extensive
business in the manufacture of felt blankets,
buggy lap-spreads and other woolen goods.
About 1849 Mark Radclifife and George
Shaw came from England, their place of
birth. Having been trained in their native
country to make rope and cord, they
founded a rope walk in Glen Rock. It
burned down in 1853 and in 1873 they
bought a large grist mill at Centreville, a
short distance abo^'e the town. In this mill
they enlarged their facilities for manufac-
turing rope and twine and carried on an
extensive business. The partnership con-
tinued until 1905 when Mark Radcliffe died
at the age of seventy-eight years, and the
business was continued by his partner,
George Shaw.
J. V. Hoshour was the first to engage
in the lumber business in Glen Rock. In
1874 a large planing mill was erected by
John Frey, C. Glatfelter, S. K. Hoshour, J.
C. Fallon and C. Gore. The business was
conducted by Hoshour, Dise & Company.
The manufacture of carriages was begun
by J. W. Hartman and S. K. Hoshour in
1872. G. F. Heathcote built a factory in
1880 and made shoes for a period of four
or five years.
Within recent years the Borough of Glen
Rock has received an industrial boom which
has been a great help to its development
and prosperity. Norrish, Burnham & Com-
pany own and operate a large establishment
in the manufacture of the Burnham im-
proved turbine water wheel, originally in-
vented by N. F. Burnham, of York. This
company also owns a foundry and machine
shop. The establishment is well equipped.
Glen Manufacturing Company deals in lum-
ber of various kinds and building materials.
Joseph Dise, the manager of this industry,
is a skilled architect and has planned many
buildings in Glen Rock and elsewhere. The
Enterprise Furniture Company, of which
George W. Geiple is president, Flavel Seitz,
secretary, and I. J. Young, treasurer, make
sideboards and other furniture in large
quantities. Dise Furniture Company, of
which U. S. Dise is the principal owner,
makes furniture of dififerent kinds. The
American Wire Cloth Company is engaged
in making screen wire cloth. Glen Rock
Stamping Company makes funiture, hard-
ware, specialties and stamped metal goods.
J. M. Grove is president and Irvin F. Grove,
treasurer.
The Industrial Sewing Company employs
a large number of persons in Glen Rock
and vicinity. The Standard Screen Works
manufacture screen doors and window
screens and coal sieves. W. C. Hildebrand
is superintendent. Woven wire mattresses
are also made in the Glen Rock Variety
Works. Glatfelter's grist mill is one of the
early industries. Glen Rock Novelty
Company makes photographic novelties.
The proprietors are Cornelius H. and Oscar
Seitz.
United Evangelical Church. —
Churches. In 1842 Rev. Moses Bower, of
the Evangelical Association,
who was at that time serving the Gettys-
burg charge, preached in the brick school
building at the northern end of the town.
Rev. Bower was succeeded by Rev. J. Boas,
E. Kohr, Lew Humelsheim, D. Dellinger up
to 1848, when Rev. Urich Eberhart was ap-
pointed to the charge and eflrected an or-
ganization. Henry Seitz was chosen the
first class leader. At the following session
of conference Glen Rock was attached to
Shrewsbury Circuit. In 1867 it was made
a mission and Rev. J. Hartzler served the
mission for three successive years. He was
followed by Revs. S. P. Remer, P. W. Raide-
baugh, H. W. Back, P. W. Groap, E.
Crumbling, J. A. Irvine. Rev. W. J. Camp-
bell was the pastor in 1907. In 1849, while
Rev. J. W. L. Seibert served Shrewsbury
Circuit, the first church was erected. It was
a brick structure located on Church Street.
In 1870 the old church building was sold
and another erected on New Street. The
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Sunday School which is connected with this
church was organized in 1848. David
Herbst, Sr., was its first superintendent.
The Lutheran Church. — During the early
history of Glen Rock, the Lutherans of this
borough worshipped in churches of their
denomination in Springfield and Codorus
Townships. In 1859 Rev. E. Burg, pastor
of the Shrewsbury charge, began to hold re-
ligious services at Glen Rock in Sheffer's
Hall. In i860 a congregation was organ-
ized and a house of worship erected. Rev.
J. Kempfer was called as pastor and con-
tinued until 1868. During that year Rev. J.
C. Roller was chosen his successor and
through his ministrations the congregation
was largely increased in numbers. In 1877
Rev. Roller was called to the pastorate of
St. Matthew's Lutheran Church of Hanover,
one of the largest congregations of this de-
nomination in York County. He served
that congregation twenty-nine years and
then retired. Rev. J. B. Wolf, the successor
of Dr. Roller, has been the efficient pastor
since 1877. I^i 1890 a new house of worship
was built of Port Deposit granite at a cost
of $30,000. Joseph Dise was the architect.
Trinity Reformed Church. — This church
was founded December 9, 1894. The mem-
bers of this denomination in Glen Rock had
previously worshipped at Kissel's Church in
Codorus Township, except during a few
years when missionary services were held
by Rev. D. Gring and W. Xanders. Rev.
Gurney Weber was the first pastor and
served this congregation for several years
and then removed to Salisbury, North Car-
olina, where he died. His successor was
Rev. I. S. Leiby, who was succeeded by
Rev. S. H. Roeder. The congregation owns
a neat and attractive brick church building
and is in a prosperous condition.
The Methodist Episcopal Church. — This
church was organized in 1865 and for many
years it belonged to Shrewsbury Circuit, the
pastors residing in the borough of Shrews-
bury. The church building was dedicated
in 1866.
The first school building in Glen
Schools. Rock was built by William
Heathcote. In this building pri-
vate and public schools were held for manv
years. As the town developed and increased
in population and was incorporated into a
borough, a large and convenient two-story
building was erected. This building with
modern improvements is situated on an em-
inence overlooking the town. A. W. Gray
for ten years or more was the leading
teacher of Glen Rock. He acted as princi-
pal of the schools and during the spring and
summer months prepared a large number of
young men and women for the profession of
teaching. He exerted a healthful influence
in the cause of popular education, but died
early in life when he was still engaged in
educational work. Mr. Gray was succeeded
in order by M. H. Seitz, W. H. Snyder, R.
R. Rodes, M. L. Kapp, S. H. Hain and James
N. Gemmill. The school population is
about 200, taught by five teachers.
The First National Bank of Glen
Bank. Rock was organized in 1863, the
same year the national banking sys-
tem went into operation in this country.
After depositing the necessary credentials
with the comptroller of the currency at
Washington City, the bank was put into
operation with E. Shefifet as president, and
Henry Seitz, cashier. The capital stock is
$50,000. The presidents of the bank in or-
der of succession have been J. V. Hoshour,
Charles Frey, William Herbst and Joseph
Dise. D. A. Becker was cashier from 1887
to 1892. Since the fall of 1892 Paul F. Beck
has been cashier. The board of directors
in 1907 were Joseph Dise, president; N. K.
Seitz, vice president; S. K. Diehl, L. B.
Sweitzer, George W. Geiple, William Foust,
S. H. Barnd, John F. Krout and C. C. Wolf.
The bank now owns and occupies a large
three-story brick building with a commo-
dious banking room and a private office in
the first story, where the bank directors
meet for the transaction of business. This
is the only financial institution in the bor-
ough of Glen Rock and is in a flourishing
condition. It has exerted an important in-
fluence and has encouraged the industrial
development which has recently given
prominence to this prosperous borough.
The publication of the Item, a
The weekly newspaper was commenced
Item, in 1870, by M. O. Smith and G. W.
Nichols. It was well received, al-
though but a small sheet when it was first
issued. Mr. Nichols withdrew from its pub-
lication and Mr. Smith conducted the busi-
ness himself, when he later associated with
him N. Z. Seitz. This partnership contin-
GLEN ROCK
ued for several 3^ears, when Mr. Smith re-
tired and began the publication of the Han-
over Herald ,and Mr. Seitz continued the
Item. A. W. Gray, for a period of four
years, vi^as a partner in the business. After
Mr. Gray's retirement, N. Z. Seitz and W.
A. Spate were associated in the editorial and
business interests of this journal. Since
1895 M. L. Kapp has been the editor and
publisher of the Item. The circulation has
recently been increased through his enter-
prising efforts. He also does a large job
printing business and by judicious manage-
ment has made the paper popular and in-
fluential with a large circle of readers in the
lower end of the county.
Frank W. Brown, who died in Glen Rock
in 1905, had made a large collection of
American coins, minerals, souvenirs and In-
dian relics.
The following complete list of the post-
masters at Glen Rock, together with the
date of their appointments, has been fur-
nished by the post office at Washington :
William Herbst, December 14, 1843 ;
Emanuel Sheffer, March 10, 1851 ; Benja-
min Geipe, October 4, 1869; George Shaw,
June 26, 1872; H. S. Bollinger, July 20, 1882;
Lewis W. Shafer, October 30, 1885; Bar-
thabas E. Hines, April 11, 1889; Frederick
S. Venus, August 23, 1893; Granville F.
Heathcote, October 30, 1897.
The Glen Rock Band is one of the most
popular organizations of its kind in York
County. It has been in existence for nearly
fifty years.
The Glen Rock Fire Department owns a
handsome building erected at a cost of
nearly $8,000. The company is equipped
with an excellent engine, which has done
important service at different fires, both in
Glen Rock and elsewhere. The membership
of the company is nearly one hundred.
The Northern Central Railway,
Wartime the first line built in York
Incident. County, was finished from Bal-
timore to York in 1838. This
road conveyed a large number of troops
from the north and west to Washington
and to the seat of war during the great re-
bellion. Early in May, 1861, shortly after
the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment had
been mobbed, April 19, while passing
through Baltimore, the Webster regiment
from Massachusetts stopped at Glen Rock.
At this time it was not considered safe for
troops to move over the road from Phila-
delphia, through Wilmington and Baltimore
to Washington. This regiment was com-
manded by Fletcher Webster, the only son
of the great orator, Daniel Webster. In
order that it might be conveyed safely to
the front, it passed through Easton, Read-
ing, Harrisburg and York on the way to
Washington. The engineer of the train
conveying these soldiers from Harrisburg
to Baltimore was distrusted by Colonel
Webster. The train had moved with uncer-
tain speed from Harrisburg to York, and af-
ter leaving the latter place the engineer grew
reckless. The officers of the regiment held
a conference and then ordered the train
halted at Glen Rock until all suspicion
against the engineer might be removed.
The officers met at the Cold Spring hotel
and talked the matter over for half an hour,
while the train was placed on a switch.
They decided to proceed no further with
the engineer furnished by the railroad com-
p'any. During the conference Colonel Web-
ster asked if there was a man in his regi-
iment who could run the train to Baltimore.
" There is a sergeant from Boston in my
company," said one of the captains, " who
is a trained engineer."
" Bring him here," said Colonel Webster.
In a few minutes the tall form of a stal-
wart young man appeared before the col-
onel and his staff.
"Can you run this train to Baltimore?"
asked the colonel.
" I can," responded the young soldier.
" And your name, please."
" Paul Revere," was the response.
" He is a grandson of the Boston hero of
the Revolution in 1775," said the captain.
After a delay of one hour at Glen Rock,
Paul Revere took charge of the engine,
opened the throttle, turned on the steam,
and within the period of one hour and
twenty minutes landed the 1,200 men of the
Webster regiment in the city of Baltimore.
Upon arriving there he received the cheers
and congratulations of both officers and
men.
" You are a gallant descendant of noble
ancestry," said Colonel AVebster, as he con-
gratulated the young engineer and then the
regiment marched through the city to the
Baltimore and Ohio station and when it ar-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
rived at Washington was reviewed in front
of the White House by President Lincoln.
Soon after arri\ing in Virginia, Paul Re-
vere returned to Boston and became major
of the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment.
He was wounded and captured at Ball's
Bluff and held in Libby prison for several
months. After his release he returned to
his regiment and was wounded at Antietam.
When he recovered he became colonel of
his old regiment. While leading this com-
mand in the second day of the battle of Get-
tysburg, Colonel Revere was mortally
wounded. He was conveyed in an ambu-
lance to Westminster, Maryland, where he
died July 4, 1863. Before his death his
corps commander ordered that he should be
promoted to the rank of brigadier-general
for gallantry on the field of battle. Thus
ended the career of the brave soldier who
two years before ran the engine which had
conveyed the Twelfth Massachusetts Regi-
ment from Glen Rock to Baltimore.
The career of Colonel Webster was noted
for heroic deeds. After bravely participat-
ing with his regiment in several battles, he
was mortally wounded at the second battle
of Bull Run. After the engagement was
over he was found by the Colonel of a
Georgia regiment and was tenderly cared
for. Before his death, on August 30, 1862,
he handed some mementos to a Confederate
sergeant, who long years afterward returned
them to his family in ^Massachusetts.
GOLDSBORO.
In 1738 Nathan Hussey, an intelligent
Quaker from New Castle County, Delaware,
who in 1749 became one of the commission-
ers to lay off York County, obtained a grant
for lands on which the borough of Golds-
boro now stands, and a short distance above
he opened a ferry across the Susquehanna.
In 1743 a road was opened from Walnut
Bottom, Cumberland County, through Fish-
ing Creek Valley to Hussey's Ferry. A
grist mill was built at the mouth of Fishing
Creek as early as 1750. Colonel James
Burd, of French and Indian War fame, who
lived at his mansion called " Tinian," above
the site of Middletown, purchased these
lands when Nathan Hussey moved to York.
The mill for a third of a century was owned
by John Prunk, and was known as the " Red
Mill." Joseph Glancey, elected county com-
missioner in 1804, lived near this place and
erected a mill farther up the stream. There
was a public road from York to Harrisburg
along the Susquehanna as early as 1800.
The turnpike was completed from York to
Harrisburg in 1816. It then became a
prominent stage route. The exchange sta-
bles were at Crull's tavern, one mile below
the site of this borough, and an important
stopping place for exchanging horses was at
Henry Etter's tavern, one mile north of
Goldsboro. A distillery was erected here in
1856 by H. Free & Company and continued
until recent years, Henry Etter, in 1838,
secured the establishment of a post office
at his tavern which was named Etters.
Before 1848 there were two competing
stage lines over this turnpike. At one time
passengers were conveyed from York to
Harrisburg for fifty cents each, and a good
dinner in the bargain .
The site of Goldsboro, down to 1850,
consisted of three or four houses and the
old " Red Mill." Martin P. Burger con-
ducted a small store east of the turnpike.
This collection of houses was humorously
called " Martinsville." When the railway
was completed in 1850, the station was
called by its present name in honor of J. M.
Goldsborough, the civil engineer of the
road.
John Prunk died before the town of
Goldsboro was dreamed of and his property
came into possession of his daughter Nancy,
who married Joseph McCreary. Henry Et-
ter died in the spring of 1848, and the post
office was removed to Adam Kister's Ferry
which was one-half mile north of Middle-
town Ferry. Adam Kister had been a sol-
dier of the Revolution.
When the railroad was built the post
ofifice was removed to Goldsboro, but still
retains the name Etters.
A few hundred yards north of
Churches, the village, for half a century,
stood a frame building known
far and wide as " The River Meeting
House," used for school and religious wor-
ship by different denominations. It was re-
moved in i860. Michael Shelley, Henry
Drawbaugh and Jacob Kister, were the last
trustees. William Chandlee and Asa John-
son taught school here for a number of
years.
This meeting house became noted for its
GOLDSBORO
great revivals, under the auspices of the
Church of God. Rev. John Winebrenner,
the founder of this denomination, preached
here on many occasions, as early as 1835,
as well as Revs. Maxwell, MuUenix, Kister,
Weishampel and others.
One of the most noted events of its his-
tory occurred in November, 1835, when
Lorenzo Dow preached to an immense au-
dience in this building shortly after his re-
turn from his European tour, when the no-
bility of England paid admission to hear
that eccentric but remarkable evangelist.
The Church of God had organized a con-
gregation in the River Meeting House as
early as 1835. In 1859 the congregation
erected Bethel Church, a neat frame build-
ing in Goldsboro, at a cost of $2,000. Isaac
Frazer was the chief contributor toward its
erection, furnishing lumber for the build-
ing. The congregation prospered, and
during the Civil War had 200 members.
One of the most notable events of that pe-
riod was a funeral sermon delivered in this
church, in memory of Abraham Lincoln, by
Rev. Charlton. A vast concourse of people
assembled on this occasion to hear the elo-
quent speaker. Some of the preachers who
have served this congregation were : Price,
Jones, Keller, Charlton, Owens, Seabrooks,
Meixel, Arnold, Carvell, Fliegle, W. J. Gris-
singer and AY. J. Shaner.
The Methodist Church in Goldsboro was
built in 1874 under the auspices of the Duke
Street Methodist Church of York. It was
a part of the Lewisberry circuit and was
served by the pastor who resided in that
borough. The church was burned down
and never rebuilt.
Zion Lutheran Church was organized
within recent years and in 1907 was under
the pastoral care of Rev. J. C. McCarney,
who succeeded Rev. Harry F. Chrissman.
The postmasters at Goldsboro
Business since 1875 have been John Kis-
Interests. ter, Henry C. Shelley, Charles
Ziegner, Thomas Brubaker,.J. K.
Walton and Charles Ziegner. While the
railroad was being constructed from York
to Harrisburg, Dr. Alexander Small, of
York, employed Daniel M. Ettinger to
make a survey of a plat of ground on which
the present town of Goldsboro stands.
P. A. & S. Small, of York, purchased the
" Red Mill," and soon afterward erected a
brick flouring mill and for a period of forty
years bought most of the grain produced in
the upper end of York County. The lum-
ber and milling interests caused Goldsboro
to prosper until a considerable section of the
town was destroyed by lire. The mill was
purchased by the railroad company in 1904
when three tracks were run through the
borough.
Among those who have conducted stores
are Frazer & Kister, Ford & Sprenkle, C.
F. Rehling, J. Z. Hildebrand, William Wil-
lis, John Kister, Henry Shelley, J. K. Waid-
ley, George Good, Ernest Yinger and Mrs.
Williams. Charles' S. Bair & Sons and
Dugan & Funk operate cigar factories.
The practicing phj^sicians are Dr. Boyd
and Dr. A\'arren.
The development of Goldsboro owed its
prosperity to Isaac Frazer, who had con-
ducted a store at his birthplace near Lewis-
berry in his early manhood. Soon after Dr.
Small had laid out the town Mr. Frazer pur-
chased a lot and built a house, and in 1850
engaged in the mercantile business with his
brother-in-law, Washington Kister. In
185 1 he built a warehouse along the railroad
and began buying grain and produce. In
1853, in partnership with his father-in-law.
Rev. Jacob G. Kister, he erected the Golds-
boro saw-mill, which he successfully oper-
ated for more than a quarter of a century.
P. A. & S. Small erected a mill in the lower
end of the borough. Mr. Frazer purchased
this mill in 1873 and operated it until it
burned down in 1886. He bought rafts up
the Susquehanna, had them floated down
the stream and sawed the logs into lumber
at his Goldsboro mills, employing from
thirty to fifty workmen for a period of over
thirty years.
Mr. Frazer continued in active business
at Goldsboro until 1887, when he was suc-
ceeded b}^ his son, Edward K. Frazer. In
1872 he was a member of the Electoral Col-
lege which chose General Grant president
of the United States for his second term.
After his retirement from business at Golds-
boro, he resided at Harrisburg until the
time of his death, at the age of eighty-one
years.
As early as 1810 a valuable
Brownstone deposit of sandstone rock was
Quarries. discovered on a farm owned
by Andrew Fortenbaugh, two
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
miles southwest of Goldsboro. In 1819 the
six large stone pillars which were placed in
front of the rotunda of the State Capitol at
Harrisburg were taken from this quarry.
Each pillar was thirty feet in length and
was composed of four sections. Each sec-
tion contained 104 cubic feet. Two men,
Ort and Kissinger, contracted to deliver the
sections at Harrisburg, fifteen miles distant.
They had a large wagon built, containing
1,300 pounds of iron for the purpose of con-
veying these large sections. Eighteen
horses were then hitched to the wagon to
haul a load of about eight tons to Harris-
burg. When the teamsters arrived at the
large wooden bridge, erected in 1817, across
the Susquehanna, from Bridgeport to Har-
risburg, the bridge authorities refused them
the use of the bridge, fearing the heavy
weight of their load might break it down.
But the men were undaunted and they de-
cided to ford the stream, which they ac-
complished without much inconvenience.
They landed the first load at the place of
its destination and then went back and
brought another until the entire six pillars
were lying in front of the capitol, ready for
erection in the upright position in which
they stood until the capitol was destroyed
by fire in 1893. A considerable business
was done at these quarries in later years.
In 185 1 the land upon which the quarries
are situated was purchased by Thomas
Symington, of Baltimore, who owned a
large stone yard and steam stone saw-mill
in that city.
Mr. Symington began operations on an
extensive scale and sold the products of his
quarries for the construction of a number of
private and public buildings, including the
stone jail at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In
1856 he sold his quarries to George Betz,
an enterprising man, who was born in Lan-
caster County, and early in life removed to
Ashland County,Ohio. Mr. Betz's ancestors
had been engaged in the stone business both
in Germany and this country, and when
George Betz purchased these quarries, he
removed upon the farm himself and oper-
ated them successfully for a period of ten
years. From these quarries the owner,
about 1858, furnished the long steps at the
main entrance in front of the State Capitol,
twenty-two in number, which were each fif-
teen feet in length, fourteen inches in width
and eight inches in thickness. In this work
George Betz was assisted by his four sons,
Dr. I. H. Betz, now of York; Reuben Betz,
of Newberry Township ; George Betz, of
Kansas, and Milton Betz, of Mt. Royal. In
1868 he disposed of these quarries to the
Hummelstown Brownstone Company,
which continued to operate them for sev-
eral years. The facts in this story were fur-
nished by Dr. I. H. Betz.
Goldsboro was stirred from centre
A to circumference in -January, 1867.
Prize What caused this commotion was
Fight, the arrival of several hundred
sporting men, who came to this
place to witness a prize fight between Sam-
uel Collyer, of Baltimore, and John Mc-
Glade, of New York. Collyer came off vic-
torious, after forty-seven rounds, and won
the prize of $2,000. The fight lasted one
hour. The sheriff of York County appeared
on the ground with a small posse, but being
outnumbered, could do nothing to prevent
the contest. It was said at the time that bets
to the amount of $200,000 were won on the
results of this prize fight. This money was
carried away in triumph by parties from
Baltimore. Kit Burns and Harry Hill, fa-
mous sporting men, of New York, were
present.
JEFFERSON.
In the year 1812, Frederick Kraft, who
owned a considerable tract of land in Co-
dorus Township, conceived the idea of lay-
ing off a portion of it into lots. He engaged
John L. Hinkle, of Hanover, associate
judge of York County, to make a survey
and draft or plan of ninety-fovir lots. Judge
Hinkle, who was a prominent Democrat, in-
duced the founder to call his town Jefferson,
in honor of the statesman, who three years
before had ended his second term as Presi-
dent of the United States. The Kraft store
and hotel had been in existence for many
years before the town was founded T!ie
house he occupied stood on the west side
of Berlin Street. Kraft soon after built a
house on the opposite side of the street, in
which he moved his hotel and store. Jacob
Pflieger, a blacksmith, was Kraft's first
neighbor. Amos Shearer built a log house
and opened a store. Jacob W. Wentz later
conducted a store in this building, when he
was elected recorder of deeds for York
JEFFERSON
County. Michael Miller huilt the first brick
house in the town, on the northwest angle
of the square, in 1815, and it was used by
him for twenty years as a tavern. In 1907 it
was used by G. S. Shive as a store and
dwelling house. John Bair was a gunsmith.
In 181 5 John Dubs began the tanning busi-
ness and in 1825 sold out to Henry Rebert,
who continued the business until 1890. His
brother William was associated with him.
Jenkins Carrothers was the name of
First an industrious Irishman, who early
Whig in life came from the " Emerald
Voter. Isle " to America, and about 1816
settled in Jefferson, coming from
York. He soon acquired a knowledge of
the German dialect, as it was very essential
to the inhabitants of this locality then, as
well as now. He purchased the lot on the
northwest angle of the Public Square. On
this spot he built a log house, and began to
ply his trade of a hatter. He is remembered
as a jolly, good natured person. He made
hats of fur, of wool and of straw, and regu-
larly went to Baltimore and York to dispose
of his merchandise, selling some to his
friends and neighbors. The comical side
of this Irishman's nature was shown in the
autumn of 1828, during a political campaign,
preceding Andrew Jackson's first election
as President of the United States. Carroth-
ers had agreed with Henry Meyer to ac-
company him to a grove and obtain a tall
hickory pole, which was to be planted in
the square with the American flag floating
at its top, in honor of Andrew Jackson. On
the return from the woods, Carrothers pro-
posed to sit astride the middle of the log
as they came into town and interest the nu-
merous spectators by cheering for the
" Hero of New Orleans." Meyer sat on his
lead horse and drove rapidly. Carrothers"
could not maintain his equilibrium and fell
to the ground, to the amusement of the
jovial villagers and man}' others who had
gathered to witness the interesting cere-
monies. It was more than this quick-wit-
ted and hasty-tempered Irishman could en-
dure. The jeers of his comrades exas-
perated him, and he declared he would vote
for Henry Clay for President. He be-
came the original Whig of Codorus Town-
ship, and for many years was the only per-
son in the district who voted that ticket.
He became an ardent devotee of his party
and in 1836. being sick abed, he sent his wife
to the polls, three and a half miles away,
with the request that the election officers
should accept the vote in his name. This
was refused. Carrothers then hired a man
to take him to the polls, while lying in bed
in an open wagon. After the campaign of
1840 he returned to his home from a trip to
York with the news of General Harrison's
election as President of the United States.
In the centre of the square he announced
to the people the result of the presidential
election and then gave three enthusiastic
cheers for " Old Tippecanoe and Tyler
too." He was postmaster of the village dur-
ing Harrison's administration. Jenkins
Carrothers died February 13, 1845, aged
fifty years.
Jefferson was incorporated De-
Incor- cemljer 11. 1866. In 1867 the
poration. first borough election was held
in the public school house, re-
sulting as follows: Adam Bupp, burgess;
William Rebert, Joseph T. Bare, Samuel
Brillhart, Barney Spangler, Zachariah Shue,
councilmen. Benjamin Leese was ap-
pointed secretary and served until his death
in 1881, when he was succeeded by W.
H. Brodbeck. The streets were carefully
graded and pavements laid in 1874. The
population in 1900 was 375. The town has
a number of large and handsome residences,
well paved streets, three fine churches, and
is surrounded by a productive farming coun-
try. The first school building stood near
the east end of York Street, and was erected
about 1813. It was afterward used by Elias
Swartzbach as a pottery. A second school
house was built in 1853 and another on the
same site in 1871. at a cost of $1,200. \\'.
H. Manifold, J. C. Ebaugh, J. C. Blair, Mag-
gie McKinsev. [. D. Zehring. Jr.. W. B.
Schweitzer, W. "H. Brodbeck. E. G. Wil-
liams, J. B. Douglass, D. B. Landis, J. R.
McElvaine, D. E. Ebaugh. F. L. Spangler.
P. N. Strausbaugh. JMaggie King. H. M.
Heilman, E. O. Snodgrass and Mary F.
Fink were some of the early teachers.
Rev. Emanuel Keller, a Luth-
Churches. eran clergyman. December 26.
1825. preached the first sermon
within the village of Jeft'erson. Soon after-
ward a Lutheran congregation was organ-
ized. In 1827 Rev. Samuel Gutelius, of
Hanover, organized a Reformed congrega-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tion, of which Christian RennoU was elder,
and Christian Rennoll, Jr., deacon. The
services of both denominations were held in
the school house until 1830 when Emanuel's
Union Church was built, whose dimensions
were 40x50 feet. The church contained a
gallery along one end and two sides. This
building was used until 1883 when the two
denominations built separate churches.
The Lutheran congregation erected Trin-
ity Church, a beautiful brick building near
the square. Rev. W. H. Ketterman was
pastor for a quarter of a century and was
succeeded in 1903 by Rev. W. H. Ehrhart.
A Sunday School was organized in the
Union Church in i860.
Christ Reformed Church was built in 1883
at a cost of $3,300. The pastors of the Re-
formed congregation who preached in the
Union Church were Samuel Gutelius, Jacob
Geiger, William Vandersloot, Joel S. Reber,
Henry Bentz, Jacob Sechler, J. C, Kurtz and
Rev. J. D. Zehring. In the new church.
Rev. Silas F. Laury served for a short time
and was succeeded by Rev. Franklin A.
Guth, of Lehigh County, who retired in
1902 and was succeeded bv Rev. Nathan
W. Sechler.
Religious services were first conducted
under the auspices of United Brethren in
Christ by Rev. Samuel Enterline, in the
dwelling houses of members in 1847, which
resulted in a church organization, A lot was
purchased on the east side of Baltimore
Street, and a church building erected at a
cost of $1,400. John Garman, Jacob Tho-
man and Peter Zech were the building com-
mittee. The following named clergymen
have ministered to the congregation since
its organization : Enterline, Snyder, Raber,
Wagner, Coombs, Grimm. Kreider, Jones,
Carl, Craumer, Brickley, Rudisill, Jones, J.
C. Nicholas, Kohr, Heberly, Eichinger.
Green Mount United Brethren Church
was built about 1896.
The fairs held in Jefferson were
Fairs, lively and interesting occasions for
the surrounding populace for miles
distant. Tables, on which were offered for
sale candies, cakes, jewelry and many other
articles, including strong drinks, lined the
streets for two days of each year, during
the early summer. Hundreds of people vis-
ited the village, and it was a season of great
hilarity. IMichael Miller's hotel was a cen-
tre of attraction. All its apartments were
crowded. To the lively tunes of the inspi-
rited fiddlers, the jovial lads and lasses, clad
in linsey-woolsey and home-made flannel,
joined in the merr}' dance all day long and a
large portion of the night. That every lad
should " treat " his lassie was absolutely
necessary in order to keep her affections
and she demanded the privilege of stepping
up to the venders' tables and selecting what-
ever suited her best. These fairs were kept
up for a number of years, but were of no
value except for the amusement afforded.
About 1840 the visitors became too boister-
ous and fairs were discontinued.
Martin Shearer was postmaster from 1830
to 1840 when, upon the accession of General
Harrison to the presidency, Jenkins Car-
rothers, the original \Miig of Codorus, suc-
ceeded him. The other postmasters in or-
der have been as follows : George Snod-
grass, Jacob Spangler, Albert Kraft, Dr.
William F. Bringman, George S. Brodbeck,
and Chester Brodbeck.
Dr. Hambaugh came to the village early
in its history, and was succeeded by Lehr-
ves, Utz, Conner, ^^'illiam F. Bringman, H.
S. Jones, J. R. Brodbeck, Edward Sterner,
Dr. Markle and Dr. J. H. Bennett.
The justices of the peace in order have
been Daniel Ault, Benjamin Leese, Amos
S. Spangler and W. H. Brodbeck, who was
elected county treasurer.
On the morning of June 27,
Confederate 1863, General Early, command-
Invasion, ing 9,000 men at Gettysburg,
sent Lieutenant Colonel AVhite
with his battalion of cavalry, about 240 men,
toward Hanover, They remained a short
time in that borough and then passed to-
ward Jefferson, arriving here in the after-
.noon. Halting for a short time. Colonel
A\'hite and his men moved to Hanover Junc-
tion, where they destroyed railroad bridges
at that place so as to prevent communica-
tion between Harrisburg and AA'ashington,
while General Early was marching toward
York through East Berlin, After Colonel
White had completed the object of his mis-
sion at Hanover Junction, he returned to
Jefferson, where he was met by a Confed-
erate courier with orders to move north and
join a part of Early's division, encamped
for the night at Farmers Postoffice, Para-
dise Township, After leaving Jefferson
JEFFERSON
Colonel White and his men halted at the
railroad station half a mile to the north.
They knocked in the heads of two barrels
of whiskey belonging to Jacob Rebert and
set fire to a car load of tan bark owned by
Henry Rebert and then passed toward
Spring Grove and encamped on the night
of June 27 on the Wiest farm, near Nash-
ville^ joining Early's command on the move-
ment to York on Sunday morning, June
28.
At 6 o'clock in the evening of June 30
Stuart's cavalry began to enter Jefferson,
coming from Hanover. This body of
mounted soldiers was followed by a train of
125 army wagons. On the afternoon of
June 30, Stuart had engaged Kilpatrick's
cavalry at Hanover, and was defeated. Be-
ing followed by a squadron of Union cavalry
just before nightfall, Stuart planted his can-
non on the hillsides around JefTerson, ex-
pecting another engagement with Kilpat-
rick at any hour. Guards were placed all
around the town and no one permitted to
leave it. It required two hours for the
entire force of nearly 6,000 Confederates to
pass and while they occupied the town of
Jefiferson, the behavior of the soldiers was
not in keeping wtih their conduct elsewhere
in the county. Many of them were tired
and hungry from the exhaustive march.
They demanded all the food that could be
obtained, stopped several market wagons
and robbed them, and even went to the bee-
hives and took the honey, and ransacked the
stores of William Crist, Albert Kraft and
Jacob Rebert. The last of the Confederate
force passed through the village about 3 A.
M. Wednesday.
W^hile on the march from Hanover to Jef-
ferson and toward York, scouting parties
were sent out in all directions in search of
farm horses, which they took without pay,
usually leaving in exchange an old worn out
nag. Many of the farmers of Codorus and
adjoining townships had kept their horses
at home. They had been deceived by a se-
cret order which claimed that the Confed-
erate soldiers would not press the horses
into service if a member of this order would
make a sign which the soldiers recog-
nized. But the soldiers laughed at the sign
because they knew nothing about it or the
secret order which claimed to have been in
communication with the Confederate gov-
ernment. About 100 fine horses were cap-
tured in Jefferson and immediate vicinity.
Many of these animals were killed in the
battle of Gettysburg.
General Stuart, with his entire command
moved on toward Hanover Junction and
from thence to York New Salem. When he
arrived at that place, he heard that Early
had fallen back from York toward Gettys-
burg or Carlisle, and he proceeded to Dover.
From thence he went to Dillsburg and fi-
nally to Carlisle where he first heard that
the battle of Gettysburg was raging. He
arrived at Lee's headquarters on the bat-
tlefield on the evening of the second day
of the great conflict, too late to be of effi-
cient service to his commander-in-chief.
Stuart's movement through York County
after his defeat at Hanover seemed to have
been a necessity in order to protect the large
wagon trains he had captured. But this
movement will pass into history as a mili-
tary blunder.
About 10 o'clock on the night of
Council June 30, there was an important
of 'War. conference held in the residence
of John E. Ziegler, a farmer who
then resided near Hanover Junction, be-
tween General Stuart and his three brigade
commanders, Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee
and John R. Chambliss. At this time on the
march Stuart did not know the position of
his enemy. Neither John E. Ziegler nor any
of the farmers knew whether the Confeder-
ate or the Union troops occupied York or
what was the condition of affairs between
York and Gettysburg. Scouts had been
sent out by Stuart, but they had not yet re-
turned. Stuart for two days had been cut
off from communication with Lee's army,
at this time concentrated at Gettysburg.
And so this conference ended by Stuart
ordering the march to continue northward,
believing if the opposing arrnies were
not being mobilized for a great battle in
the level plains west of York they must be
in the Cumberland Valley, and he decided
to go to Carlisle, where one division of his
cavalry command was then serving under
Ewell.
When General Meade took corn-
Gregg's mand of the Army of the Poto-
Cavalry. mac on June 28, at Frederick,
Maryland, he sent General Sedg-
wick, with the Sixth corps toward Manches-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ter, Maryland, to command the extreme
right of his army. At the same time Gen-
eral Pleasanton, commanding the Federal
cavalry corps, detached General Gregg's di-
vision of 4,000 men and sent it in advance
of the Sixth corps to prevent the enemy
from dashing toward Baltimore. Gregg
crossed Codorus Township from Manches-
ter, in the early morning of July i, passing
Stick's Tavern toward Hanover Junction.
He had received orders at Manchester,
to proceed to Hanover Junction and
when he arrived there to move toward
York or Baltimore as emergency might
demand. He went to Hanover Junction
and while there received orders through
a despatch bearer from General Pleasanton,
with headquarters near Littlestown, to fall
back at once toward Hanover and Gettys-
burg, as the great battle had already opened.
This despatch was received early in the
evening of July i, when the commanding
officer ordered his troops to countermarch.
They dashed away on a gallop arriving in
Jefiferson about 10 P. M. The moon was
shining brightly and this long column of
mounted men moved with regularity and
precision through the town. It was an im-
pressive sight for the villagers to watch the
moving troops. The rattle of the canteens
the dangling of sabres, the striking of car-
bines, the clattering of the horses' feet made
strange, wierd sounds never before heard
by the sturd}'- villagers of Jefiferson and pos-
• sibly never to be heard in the same place by
any of their descendants. These were vet-
eran soldiers who had fought in many bat-
tles in Virginia and elsewhere. They were
now moving toward Gettysburg, where two
days later General Gregg fought with the
enemy, one of the hardest hand-to-hand con-
tests of the entire Civil AVar.
As they entered Jefferson the advance be-
gan the sacred song, " Dear Father, will
You Meet Us." It was doubtless started
by some soldier who had often joined in
singing the same song in church or Sunday
School at home. When the chorus was
reached it passed along almost the entire
line. The refrain to this touching song was
quite impressive. The rear guard then in
response sang, " We Will Meet You In The
Promised Land." Patriotic airs were sung
on the way to Hanover where General
Gregg and his men halted from midnight
till 2 A. M., awaiting orders. They reached
the battlefield at Gettysburg on July 2.
The facts embodied in this story were
given to the writer in 1905 by General
Gregg, the distinguished soldier, who was
then residing at Reading, Pennsylvania.
LEWISBERRY.
The Borough of Lewisberry lies in the
centre of the Redland Valley, fifteen miles
from York, eighteen miles from Carlisle
and ten miles from Harrisburg. The valley
which surrounds it is a rich agricultural re-
gion, upon which the earliest Quaker settle-
ments were made west of the Susquehanna.
The first settlers of this region were Ellis
Lewis, Joseph Bennett, John Heald, John
Hall and a few others. They came here as
early as 1734 and obtained warrants for fertile
lands along a winding stream, since known
as Bennett Run. WHien these Quakers en-
tered the Redland Valley it was still occu-
pied by Indians, with whom they remained
on peaceful terms. Not long after the first
settlers arrived the}^ were followed by other
English-speaking people, among whom
were the Kirks, Rankins, Huttons, Garret-
sons, Nebingers, Eppleys, Starrs, Fosters,
Clines, Stromingers, Moores, Frankelber-
gers, Suttons, \\'ickershams, Prowells, Mil-
lers, Hammonds and others.
The language of this community has al-
ways been English. A few early inhabi-
tants belonged to the Episcopal Church,
but most of them were believers in the re-
ligious principles of George Fox, founder of
the Society of Friends. They attended re-
ligious services at the Friends' Meeting
House on the present site of Newberry-
town. This meeting house was the place
where the Quakers of Newberry and Fair-
view Townships worshipped for a period of
seventy years, until 181 1 when another
meeting house was built in the lower end of
Redland Valley, midway between Lewis-
berry and Newberrytown.
Eli Lewis was born in the valley in 1750.
He was a son of Ellis Lewis and his wife,
Hannah Jones. Just before the Revolution
when Eli Lewis reached his manhood, he
opened a store on the present site of the
borough, which has been named in his
honor. During the war for independence
he joined the patriot army and rose to the
rank of major in the Pennsylvania Militia
LEWISBERRY
service. After the war had ended he con-
tinued his mercantile business, and his store
was the centre of interest to the Redland
Valley, as well as to a large extent of coun-
tr}^ round about. In 1783 he owned 850
acres of land, six dwelling houses and con-
ducted a store. The valuation of his prop-
erty was 1,800 pounds sterling, or about
$9,000.
In 1798 Major Eli Lewis obtained
Town the services of Isaac Kirk, who sur-
Laid veyed about twelve acres of the
Out. .Lewis land and laid this tract out
into lots for the purpose of building
a town. The streets running east and west
were Front, Second, Third, Fourth and
Fifth. Market Street extended north and
south through the centre of the plat, and
the two streets running parallel with Mar-
ket were named North and South. The six
houses belonging to Major Lewis at this
time were included in the plan of the town.
A number of lots were immediately sold
and some of the first purchasers were Jacob
Kirk, Isaac Kirk, Nicholas, Mateer, Sheafer
and Bennett. Several houses were immedi-
ately built. Major Lewis, founder of the
town, was a man of literary attainments.
From 1790 to 1798 he lived at Harrisburg
where he learned the trade of a printer. In
1791 he established the " Advertiser," the
first paper printed at Harrisburg. He con-
tinued the publication of this journal for a
few 3^ears and then sold it to John Wyeth,
who changed the name to the " Oracle of
Dauphin." In 1791 Major Lewis wrote and
published " St. Clair's Defeat," a poem of
considerable literary merit, describing the
defeat of General St. Clair, who commanded
an expedition against the Indians in Ohio
during Washington's first administration.
After he sold his paper Major Lewis re-
turned to his home at Lewisberry, where he
died Sunday morning, February 2, 1807, at
the age of fifty-seven years.
Lewisberry was incorporated in
Business in the year 1832. The popula-
Interests. tion in 1840 was 220; in i860,
243; in 1880, 283; 1900, 282.
Although the borough of Lewisberry
never increased rapidly in population a con-
siderable business was done by the stores
before the days of railroads. When the
Northern Central Railway was constructed
from York to Harrisburg, the towns along
this line attracted the trade. Lewisberr}''
reached the height of its prosperity between
1830 and i860. The main store of the vil-
lage was conducted by Major Lewis until
the time of his death in 1807. He was then
succeeded by Robert Hammersly, a man 01
energy and enterprise who, after prospering
in the mercantile business at Lewisberry,
became a prominent citizen of York. Other
merchants of Lewisberry were the follow-
ing: Hugh Foster, Lewis & Harlan, Wil-
liam Nichols, Elijah Garretson, Lewis Mer-
edith, William Nebinger, Joseph Updegrafif,
M. G. Einstine, George Blymire, Herman
Kirk, Reuben T. Starr, John Meisenhelter,
Jacob W. Boring and Herman R. Laird.
As early as 1760 fiintlock guns, muskets
and rifles were made b)^ gunsmiths in small
shops along Bennet Run in this vicinity.
During the Revolution these shops did a
considerable business. In 1776, just after
the Declaration of Independence had been
signed, the Committee of Safety for York
County engaged these gunsmiths to manu-
facture the old flintlocks for the American
army. Some of the men who made these
rifles and pistols were the following: John
Rankin, Samuel Grove, John Foster and
George Blymire. About 1836, when the per-
cussion guns came into use, the manufac-
ture of flintlocks was discontinued, but they
were used in the army as late as 1847, when
they were carried by American soldiers un-
der General Scott on the famous march
from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico. Dr.
Webster Lewis and Isaac Loyd were the
first persons to engage in the manufacture
of percussion muskets and rifles at Lewis-
berry. William Hammond carried on this
business for many years.
A short distance south of town Henry
Ensminger established a tannery as early
as 1800. He also owned a large tract of-
land and was widely known as a leading cit-
izen of the community. Samuel Grove suc-
ceeded him in the ownership of the tannery,
which was discontinued.
The large flouring mill owned by Lewis
Cline at the west end of the borough is one
of the early industries in this vicinity. It
was built in 1785 by John Herman. John
Kauffman succeeded in the ownership of
this propert)', and later sold it to i\ndrew
Cline, who carried on an extensive milling
and farming business during the Civil war,
890
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
and until the time of his death. Under the
ownership of his son, Lewis Cline, it was
changed into a roller process mill. The
large slone mansion adjoining this mill was
erected shortly before the Revolution.
Lyman Lewis introduced the manu-
facture of block brimstone matches which
afterward became an important industry.
He was followed in the same business by
Herman Kirk, Moses Magrew, R. T. Starr
and Lyman Shettle.
Soon after 1800 a number of persons be-
gan to make coffee mills in this vicinity.
Joseph Potts early in the last century made
them in large quantities at his home, a short
distance north of LeAvisberry. He also
made what was familiarly known as Potts'
" Sausage Cutters and Ladles." His sons
succeeded him in business. John Frazer
made cofifee mills on an extensive scale,
about two miles below Lewisberry, near the
Friends' Meeting House. At this place his
son Isaac Frazer, when a young man, be-
gan business as a merchant and manufac-
turer of cofifee mills in a small 8x10 room.
As early as 1830 Amos Clark, made large
eight-day clocks. The artistic decoration on
many of them was done by Miss Pamela
Lewis, an amateur artist and teacher at
Lewisberry.
Aaron Frazer built a mill at the mouth of
Bennett Run in 1760. Near by now is the
well-known Mickey grist and saw-mill.
William Smith, in 1835, started a newspaper
in Lewisberry. It was devoted mostly to
agriculture, but did not long exist.
Elisha Hammond, a native of Connecti-
cut, settled in Lewisberry when the town
was founded in 1798. He followed the oc-
cupation of a teacher and was widely known
in the vicinity. His son, Hervey Ham-
mond, was born in Lewisberry in the year
1800. After obtaining his education under
the instruction of his father and Isaac Kirk,
another noted teacher of the Redland Val-
ley, Hervey Hammond turned his attention
to new enterprises for the purpose of ad-
vancing the interests of the community in
which he lived. He taught school for sev-
eral years and then became the inventor of
the Hammond Window Sash Spring, which
he made and sold in large quantities for
twenty years or more. He obtained a pat-
ent for his invention in the year 1837 and in
1838, by permission of President Martin
Van Buren, placed his window springs in
the AVhite House at Washington. This was
an excellent advertisement for his inven-
tion, and on account of the value of these
window springs Henry Clay commended
them in a personal letter to the inventor
and manufacturer. In the year 1840 Mr.
Hammond sold 35,000 of these springs, hav-
ing introduced them by his own personal
efforts in several states of the Union. The
business was later conducted by his son, W.
Scott Hammond.
Isaac Rudisill, after spending about ten
years of his life as editor of the York Daily
and other journals, purchased a farm ad-
joining the borough.
The post office was established at Lewis-
berry November 29, 1815. The following
is a complete list of the postmasters, as ta-
ken from the records at Washington :
Jacob Kirk, Eli Lewis, Pamela Lewis,
Harry Lewis, Hiram Starr, Samuel Crull,
William P. Nebinger, Jacob Frankelberger,
William Nichols, Joseph S. Updegraff, Jacob
Smith, William Shannelly, Jacob G. Miller,
Isaac K. Hammond, Jonathan E. Magrew,
Isaac K. Hammond, Jacob H. Stonesifer,
Robert N. Wright, Thomas Groome, Her-
man Kirk, George K. Bratten, Elizabeth
Bratten, John L. Grove, Elizabeth Bratten,
John Meisenhelter, R. M. Wright, Robert
Kurtz, Herman R. Laird and Elizabeth
Laird.
In 1781 Rev. Freeborn Garret-
Religious son, a traveling missionary of
History. the Methodist Church, visited
tlie Redland Valley. Before
coming here he had preached several times
at York where he founded the first society
of the Methodist Church in York County.
Garretson was then a young man of thirty-
one years and was born of Quaker parent-
age in the state of Maryland. In 1775 he be-
came one of the followers of George Whit-
field and John Wesley, the founders of
Methodism in America. Soon after this
event he began a missionary tour over all
the states of the Atlantic Coast, even ex-
tending his missionary labors into Nova
Scotia. When Freeborn Garretson came to
Lewisberry, seventeen years before the
town had been founded, there was a collec-
tion of hovises here. At this time he
preached the doctrines of Methodism at the
home of Hugh Foster, a leading citizen of
LEWISBERRY
891
the communit}^, and the first congregation
was organized in the stone building owned
by Hugh Foster, at the corner of Front and
Market Streets. For several years the
Methodists continued to worship in the
houses of members.
December 28, 1806, Major Eli Lewis do-
nated to the congregation a lot on which to
build a church. The following church offi-
cers constituted the committee who re-
ceived the grant : Philip Frankelberger,
Hugh Foster, JNIoses Pike, David Pike, An-
drew Holopeter, Frederick Holopeter, Peter
Stickel, John Brinton and Thomas Brinton.
There was no church built, however, until
181 1, when a stone structure was erected
which was used until 1856. The minister
then in charge was Rev. James Reid, who
afterward became somewhat noted in the
history of Methodism. Benjamin Siddon
was the mason.
August 23. 1856, Rev. Archibald Marlott,
president of Irving Female College at Me-
chanicsburg, laid the corner-stone of the
brick church. November 30, of the same
year, Rev. Dr. Charles Collins, president of
Dickinson College, preached the dedicatory
sermon. The cost of this building was
$2,300.
The Methodist Church of Lewisberry,
since its organization, has continued to be a
centre of religious interest for the borough
and surrounding country. The church has
prospered and the pulpit has usually been
filled by zealous and efficient clergymen,
who have aided in disseminating a strong
religious sentiment in the community. Rev.
Milton K. Foster, D. D., who served as pre-
siding elder of the Juniata District of the
Central Pennsylvania Conference, was born
in Lewisberry, and received his early relig-
ious training in this church. He is noted for
his knowledge of ecclesiastical law. and
is one of the able men of the Methodist
Church. Rev. Dr. Foster is a son of Robert
Foster and grandson of Hugh Foster, who
were pillars of the Methodist Church at
Lewisberry. This house of worship has
been remodeled and the large audience
room refitted with new pews, arranged in
the form of an amphitheatre. The church
membership is 150. Rev. Allen Shue was
pastor in 1907.
Bishop Hurst, the historian of the Meth-
odist Church in America, was one of the
earl}^ pastors.
In 1792 the Lutheran and Reformed peo-
ple of the town and vicinity received the
present of a deed from George Ensminger,
granting one acre of land as the site for a
church and graveyard on the banks of Ben-
nett Run, a short distance south of Lewis-
berry. A comfortable frame building was
erected, and used as a house of worship
from 1792 until i873,when it was torn down.
Some of the clergymen who officiated here
were : Lauer^ Kessler, Speck, Wibely, Seif-
fert, Dasher and Pfhaler. Most of the
members who worshipped in this building
belonged to the Lutheran Church. The
Reformed congregation had ceased to exist
about 1840. In 1873 Mr. Wollet presented
the Lutheran congregation with a deed,
granting a new site for a church on his
farm, a short distance north of Lewisberry.
At this place a brick building was erected
under the direction of John Strominger,
Jacob M. Kilmore and Henderson Bare as
trustees. Within recent years no regular
services are held in this church.
The United Evangelical Association
erected a fine frame building within recent
vears, and in 1907 had a membership of
fifty.
The first Sunday School in Lew-
Sunday isberry was established in the
Schools, -year 1818, by Rev. Samuel Bacon,
who had served as a soldier in the
War of 1812. After the war he studied law,
and was admitted to the bar at York. De-
ciding not to practice this profession he
took clerical orders in the Episcopal Church,
and in the latter part of the year 1817, be-
gan to establish Sunday Schools through-
out York County, and southern Pennsylva-
nia. In the course of his missionary work,
he arrived at Lewisberry in May, 1818, and
organized a Sunday School in the village
school house. The intelligent people of the
community encouraged his efforts and
joined him in founding a union school.
Among those who assisted him were Isaac
Kirk, Hugh Foster, Elisha Hammond, Wil-
liam Frankelberger, Daniel Pike, Abraham
Stickel, Jacob Kirk, and others. This pio-
neer Sunday School prospered for ten years
or more, and then was discontinued. It
was reoro;anized in 18^2, and was attended
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
by teachers and scholars of different denom-
inations until the year 1853. Rev. J. A.
Baldwin was then pastor of the Methodist
Church. Through his efiforts the Sunday
School was transferred to the church. It
has since been conducted under the direction
of the pastors. Robert Foster served as
superintendent of the Sunday School after
it was removed to the Methodist Church.
James W. Gosnell was eight years superin-
tendent of this school, which has about two
hundred members.
Both A\'illiam and John Rankin,
Military, born in the vicinity of Lewis-
berry, obtained the rank of col-
onel in the militia service during the War of
the Revolution. EH Lewis was the major
of a regiment. Immediately after Lewis-
berry was laid out, the Public Common was
used as a parading ground by military com-
panies, under the militia laws of the state.
In 1824, Avhile General Lafayette was mak-
ing a tour of the United States, as a guest
of the nation, a volunteer company was or-
ganized in Lewisberry. It was named the
Lafayette Guard. This company was at
first commanded -by Captain Lewis Cline
and afterward by Captain John Thompson,
and was continued as a military organiza-
tion for a period of seven years. At the
end of this time another company was
formed, which was called the Lafayette
Rifles. Captain Samuel Beck was the first
commander of this company, and he was
succeeded by Captain John M. Millard. In
1839 the Lafayette' Rifles went to Harris-
burg to aid in quelling what was known in
political history as the " Buckshot War."
This was caused by difficulty between two
different factions of the Pennsylvania .Leg-
islature, who were opposing each other
v.'hile attempting to pass certain laws. Mil-
itary companies continued to parade in
Lewisberry and vicinity as long as the
state law remained in force, which required
all able-bodied men to meet four times a
year for practice in the manual of arms and
military movement. These militia compa-
nies did not wear uniforms and some of the
men had no rifles, using in their stead a
broom-stick or a rod five feet in length.
One of these local companies was humor-
ously called the " Cornstalk Guards," be-
cause some of the men appeared on parade
with cornstalks for guns. Another was
called " The Twelve Apostles," because of
the limited number of men in line when
they practiced. Under the militia laws
every man between eighteen and forty-five
was required to practice with one of these
companies or pay a fine.
The " Little Muster," as it was called, of
all the local companies was held on the first
Monday of May, annually. But if you want
to brighten up the countenance of an old
militia soldier, ask him to describe the
scenes and incidents of " the battalion " or
" big muster day " held on the second Mon-
day of May in the village of Lewisberry and
regularly at Dover or Dillsburg on some
other day with equal regularity before the
Civil War. Colonel Bailey, of Dillsburg;
Colonel Steele, of Fairview, or Colonel Ran-
kin, of Lewisberry, commanded on these oc-
casions, and a large number of companies
participated in the muster, both of volunteer
soldiers and the militia. They were all re-
viewed by the brigade inspector who, in the
eyes of the people, was an important per-
sonage. It was a day of great hilarity with
one depreciating feature. Ardent spirits
sometimes flowed too freely, and the smil-
ing waters of Bennett Run were slighted.
Hucksters were present with their tables
loaded with enticing viands and dainties.
Ginger bread was plentiful and cheap, and
he or she who sold the biggest cake for a
" big red cent " was the most popular.
" Mammy Zorger " introduced the " white
sugar cake," which was an event in the art
of cooking. She won the prize for the best
cakes. During the evening the " straight
four " dance took place and Battalion day
had ended.
Lorenzo Dow, a man of eccen-
Lorenzo trie and attractive eloquence vis-
Dow, ited Lewisberry. He was a na-
tive of Connecticut, and early in
life became a religious zealot. For a few
years he was a Methodist clergyman, but in
1799 he claimed to have received a divine
mission to go to Ireland and preach the
gospel of peace to the Catholics of that
country. From this time forth he travelled
under his own auspices, and in 1805 visited
England where he introduced campmeet-
ings, preaching to large audiences in the
groves and forests of that country. His
labors in England originated what after-
\vard became known as the primitive Meth-
LEWISBERRY
893
odists. Upon his return to America he first
travelled through the southern states and
to the boundary of western civilization.
He then began a tour through the Middle
and New England States. Before coming
to Lev.-isberry he had conducted religious
services in York. Lorenzo Dow is said to
have preached to more people than any man
of his time. When he arrived in Lewis-
berry he was a guest of Hugh Foster. The
citizens invited him to preach in the Meth-
odist Church. Large audiences came to
hear him.
He remained one night with Hugh Fos-
ter, and the next day was driven toward
Harrisburg. Near the village of New Mar-
ket he preached in the woods to a small au-
dience. At the conclusion of the service
he announced that in two years from that
day at 2 o'clock in the afternoon he would
preach from the same stump. He fulfilled
his promise and an immense audience gath-
ered to hear him, as he came riding up alone
on horseback at the appointed time.
His voice, as remembered by the late
Robert Foster, of Lewisberry, a highly re-
spected citizen, was loud and deep. When
accosted by some inquisitive inhabitant of
Lewisberry as to who commissioned him to
preach he curtly responded, " Who com-
missioned St. Paul to preach?"
A Whig meeting was held in
Historical front of Jacob Eppley's hotel
Notes. at Lewisberry on the evening
of September 26, 1840, in the
presence of a large assemblage of peo-
ple from Fairview, Newberry and Warring-
ton Townships. Samuel Prowell was
chosen president ; Daniel Ginter and George
Byers, vice presidents; Joseph Wickersham,
George Blymyer, Joseph Pearson, secreta-
ries. The following committee was ap-
pointed to draft resolutions expressive of
the sense of the meeting: John H. Kauff-
man, Dr. Robert Nebinger, Joseph Wick-
ersham, Daniel Ginter, James Prowell,
Abraham Miller, John Weitzel, John Hart
and John K. Willis. The meeting was ad-
dressed by Hon. John Taylor and Hon.
Thomas E. Cochran.
Four miles southeast of Lewisberry in the
Conewago Creek is a small spot called Indian
Island. It is supposed to have been a place
of burial for the red men of the forest at
the time when they occupied this region.
It has come down by tradition that early
physicians of Lewisberry found the bones
of Indians underneath the ground in this
island. In their graves were found imple-
ments of war and the chase, which they had
formerly used. It was a custom of the
Indians to bury their dead in a sitting pos-
ture, and place in their graves arrow heads
and spears which they supposed would be
needed after they had entered their "Happy
Hunting Grounds in the land of the Hereaf-
ter." They believed that their future ex-
istence was in a place where game was
abundant and that everything needful for
their comfort and pleasure would be fur-
nished them by the Great Manitou, their
creator. A few Indians remained in this
vicinity as late as 1775. These were a quiet
and peaceful class of red men who were on
intimate terms with the Quaker settlers of
the Redland Valley.
Indian " Davy," a civilized red man, and
a noted hunter, lived somewhere along the
South Mountain and visited Lewisberry as
late as 181 5. He was a noted marksman,
It was said that he could hit a sixpence with
a ball at a distance of fifty yards if he were
allowed to keep it. His visit caused much
interest and amusement to the inhabitants
of Lewisberry.
The early Quakers in Newberry
Schools, and Fairview townships were
deeply interested in the cause of
education. It was a mandate of William
Penn that religious meetings and schools
should be established as soon as the land
M-as cleared and the pioneer homes were
built in the forest. The first schools were
held in the houses of settlers but at a very
early period the " Red School House" was
built a short distance above the site of Lew-
isberry, and the "White School House" in
the lower end of the valley. These two
places were of interest for more than half
a century preceding the Revolution. In
the red school house in the year 1780 and
later, Isaac Kirk was a teacher for many
years during the winter sessions. He was
followed by Elisha Hammond, Thomas
Wickersham and others, who introduced
English Grammar and Geography and the
elements of science before the year 1800.
After the town of Lewisberry was founded
a school house was built in the village,
where the successful instructors, who had
894
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
taught in the old school house continued
their work in teaching the boys and girls
of Lewisberry and the surrounding country.
They created a sentiment favorable to the
dissemination of knowledge and Lewisberry
became a centre of educational interest in
the upper end of York County. The schools
of this town have ever since maintained a
high standing for excellent work. The bor-
ough of Lewisberry and the adjoining
townships, Fairview and Newberry, were
among the first to accept the provisions of
the law establishing the present free school
system by act of the Pennsylvania Legis-
lature, passed 1834. The first village school
house continued to be used until 1861. Dur-
ing that year a brick school building was
erected, which has since been used, al-
though it has twice been enlarged and im-
proved. Edmund Burke and Arthur Gilbert
are well remembered as successful teachers
in this building, between the years r868 and
^^75- J- W. Gosnell has done most excel-
lent school work at Lewisberr}^ during the
last twelve years.
Literary societies for the intel-
Societies. lectual impro^•ement of the
young people of Lewisberry and
vicinity were organized as early as 1800.
They were an important factor in the intel-
lectual development of the community. The
exercises of the societies on most occasions
were spirited debates, relating to current
questions of politics, scientific advancement
and political economy. Probably the most
successful organization was known as the
" Societ)- of Social Friends," established in
1827. Its members were composed of the
leading citizens living in the borough and
surrounding country. Among the member-
ship were the following: Dr. Robert Ne-
binger, Colonel John Rankin, Colonel John
Steel, John Thompson, Hon. David Flem-
ing, Jacob Kirk, -Joseph Wickersham, Her-
man Kirk, Elijah Garretson, John Eppley,
Joseph Foster, Hervey Hammond, Jesse
Aleredith, Joseph Nichols, William Ham-
mond and Jesse Kirk. Lewisberry was an
abolitionist community before the Civil AVar.
The question " Is slavery a curse to human-
ity?" several times caused a lively debate.
" Should the United States encourage pro-
tection to home industries?" was another
topic duscussed during the Clay campaigns.
Biographies of Robert Keiinedy, Web-
ster Lewis, Robert, William and Augustus
Nebinger, prominent physicians of Lewis-
berry, will be found in the medical chapter
of this volume. Dr. George M. Eppley,
J. R. Stem and Ralph A. Harding have
practiced medicine in this borough.
LOGANVILLE.
The borough of Loganville is situated on
an elevated plain, along the York and Mary-
land Line Turnpike, near the centre of
Springfield Township. The scenery from
an elevated spot looking north is unrivalled
for its picturesque beauty. To the North
from the Susquehanna river, extending
westward to the South Mountains beyond
Gettysburg, lies a fertile valley, drained by
the Codorus and Conewago creeks, con-
taining some of the most productive lands
in Southern Pennsylvania.
Robert Wilson, who afterward became a
popular court crier and auctioneer at York,
laid out the town of Loganville in 1820, and
named it in honor of Colonel Henry Logan,
of Dillsburg, who afterward represented
York Count}' in Congress. Robert Richie
surveyed the plot of ground on which the
town now stands. Loganville is built on
both sides of a hill and owing to this pecu-
liarity it was named in the early days "Zwer-
ichsackstettle." This is the German name
for saddle bags used extensively by physi-
cians and mail carriers a century or more
ago. As the spring arrived each year large
flocks of martins visited the village of Lo-
ganville and raised their young. They be-
came abundant and remained several
months of the year. These interesting
songsters were so plentiful that people be-
gan to call the town Martinsburg which it
retained for several years. The house which
Robert Wilson built in 1820 stood for many
years and was then removed. He kept the
first post office, and was succeeded by Sam-
uel Keyser in 1830. L. S. Hildebrand has
been postmaster since 1880 with the excep-
tion of four years during Cleveland's second
administration, when J. Glatfelter filled
the office. Jacob Gipe kept the first store of
the town in the house owned by Rev. E. B.
Bailey. Frederick Asper opened a store in
the house owned by W. A. Spate. Paul
Burbank conducted the same business in
the house of Casper Hildebrand. Frederick
Overmiller was one of the earlv merchants.
LOGANVILLE
895
In 1830 there were twelve houses, a hotel
and store; in 1840 the number of houses had
increased to twenty, and the population was
ninety; in 1900 the population was 343.
Loganville was incorporated April 2,
1852. The first election officers were: judge,
John F. Beck; inspectors, George AA'. Ree-
ver and Jacob Glatfelter ; chief burgess, John
Beck, Sr. ; assistant burgess, Michael Sny-
der; town council, John Hildebrand, Fred-
erick Venus, Samuel Smith, Daniel Good-
ling, Adam Krout ; constable, Charles Over-
miller.
In 1905 R. A. Goodling and jVI. J. Glat-
felter conducted stores in the northern part
of the borough, and John N. Goodling and
Leah Glatfelter in the southern part. There
was a hotel on the site of Loganville before
the town was built. It was a prominent
stopping place before 1838, when wagoning
from York County to Baltimore was one of
the leading occupations of the farmers.
This hotel was kept at a later date for many
years by Jeremiah Brown, a gentleman
widely known for his intelligence and hos-
pitality. Upon the site of the old building
William Sprenkle erected a hotel with mod-
ern conveniences. This hostelry has re-
cently been kept by his son-in-law, W. T.
Foust.
For a period of half a century, all the
children of the town obtained their educa-
tion in a school building with one room. In
1892 the school house was enlarged for the
accommodation of two schools. E. B.
Goodling taught the Loganville school for
several terms. During the past twelve
years AA\ A. Spate has been the teacher of
the grammar school.
Cigar making is a prominent industry of
Loganville and furnishes employment to a
large number of citizens in the town and vi-
cinity. In 1905 cigar factories were oper-
ated by D. B. Goodling, U. A. Yost, M. E.
Pl3'mire, Peter Feigly and John Baum.
Dr. George P. Yost practiced medicine
here for many years and then removed to
Glen Rock. He was succeeded by Dr. J. C.
Hildebrand. Dr. Robert Hildebrand and
Dr. Andrew Falkenstein, 'now practicing at
Glen Rock, were born at Loganville. Dr.
Charles Howard is also a native of the bor-
ough.
As early as 1810 religious ser-
Religious vices, under the auspices of the
History. Evangelical Association, were
held in the vicinity of Logan-
ville by missionaries in the private houses
of Peter Goodling and Samuel Raver. A.
Buchman and A. Henning, pioneer clergy-
men formed a class during the year 181 2.
From the time of the organization until
1842, meetings were conducted in a school
house used for religious worship. It was
during that year that a church was built,
at a cost of $1,200, under the pastorate of
George Sheaffer and Conrad Link. Rev.
Conrad Link afterward became the first mis-
sionary of the Evangelical Association sent
to Europe. He was commissioned to go to
Stuttgart, Germany, where he did efficient
work and died there about 1880. The
church is a frame structure, and the appoint-
ment originally formed part of the Shrews-
bury Circuit. It is the central congregation
of the Loganville Circuit. In 1889 this con-
gregation tore down the old church building
near the edge of town, and erected an at-
tractive brick church on Main Street, within
the borough. Since that date the congre-
gation has continued to prosper. The pas-
tors in order of succession since 1882 have
been S. Aurand, N. Young, E. D. Keen,
J. Dice, P. C. Wedemire, J. B. Stover, A.
D. Gramley. In 1905 a parsonage was
erected adjoining the church. This congre-
gation has furnished several young men for
the ministry, among whom are Charles
Goodling, M. J. Snyder, W. Elmer Bailey,
E. B. Bailey and James C. Howard. Dur-
ing the past six 3'ears H. A. Bailey has been
general secretary of the Y. M. C. A. at York
and has done efficient work.
Christ Lutheran Church, of Loganville,
was organized in 1898 through the efforts
of Rev. W. B. Lore, a young clergyman who
was successful in his efforts. After a
few years of experience as pastor of this
congregation Mr. Lore moved to Cleveland,
Ohio. Rev. E. E. Menges was his successor
followed by Rev. Luther Stauffer, whose
pastoral residence is on the Plank Road,
near York. Mr. Stauffer also officiates at
Green Hill, in Spring Garden Township ;
Yorkana, in Lower AMndsor, and Spry, in
York Township.
896
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CHAPTER XLVIII
BOROUGH HISTORY— Continued.
Manchester — New Freedom — Railroad —
Red Lion — Seven Valley — Shrewsbury —
Spring Grove — Stewartstown — Wellsville
— Windsorville — Winterstown — Wrights-
ville — Yoe — York Haven — York New
Salem.
MANCHESTER.
The borough of Manchester stands on an
elevated plain along the turnpike seven
miles north of York. The site upon which
the town has been built was purchased from
the heirs of William Penn in 1740 by John
Nicke}^, one of the early settlers west of the
Susquehanna. In 1814 William Reeser, a
descendant of one of the early German set-
tlers of Conewago Township, purchased a
large tract of land upon which were three
small houses. In the same year he secured
the services of Daniel Small, of York, to lay
ofif a portion of this tract into a town. York
Haven, a few miles up the turnpike, was
then an industrial centre. Several large
flouring mills were in operation and the
turnpike was used by teamsters hauling
flour from York Haven to Baltimore, and
lumber from Eib's landing to all portions of
York County. The prospects for a town
were encouraging when William Reeser
made his survey in 1814. The plan for the
town, which was to be called Liverpool^ con-
tained 100 lots. This was an era of specu-
lation. Towns were being founded in every
section of Pennsylvania. Most of them
were started by lottery. William Reeser
determined to of¥er 100 tickets for sale at
$100 each. Every ticket drew a large lot.
There were no blanks. The drawing of the
lottery took place July 30, 1814. Many
people from the neighborhood, some coming
as far distant as York Avere present to wit-
ness this lottery. The ingenious founder
cleared $5,000 and in 1816 spent that
amount of money in erecting a large brick
mansion at the angle formed by the turn-
pike and the York Road, and here he re-
sided during the succeeding iifty-iive years.'
Early in life he married Elizabeth Shelly
whose father owned several plantations a
short distance up the Susquehanna River.
They had ten children. In this mansion
William Reeser and his wife Elizabeth
shared a large hospitality. His home was a
centre of attraction for his children, grand-
children and great-grandchildren until the
end of his days. William Reeser, who be-
came the owner of several farms, died at
Manchester in 1871. His wife Elizabeth
survived him only a few months. Both are
buried in the cemetery surrounding Union
Church in the borough.
The town was incorporated by
Incor-. the County Court August 27,
poration. 1869. At this date it was still
known as Liverpool. The char-
ter of incorporation changed the name to
Manchester by which the post office had
many years been called. At the first muni-
cipal election Jacob Mohr was chosen chief
burgess and Dewease Warner, George Yin-
ger, Jacob Good, Elias Hartman and Jacob
Ramer, members of the council; Henry
Metzgar, secretary.
The population in 1870 was 406; in 1880,
430; in 1890, 513; in 1900, 507.
Charles Bishop, Sr., kept the first store
in the village. Stores were kept after this
one by Mrs. Jacobs, Joseph Kraft, John
Drayer, George Beck and others.
In 1885 J. M. Glatfelter, S. A. Bear & Son
and Jacob Rudy were merchants. Duhling
& Brown, butchers; F. J. Lory, tin and
stove store; C. Kauffman & Company, ci-
gars ; E. A. Schreiver and J. B. Bentzel, ci-
gar manufacturers; D. S. Quickel, dentist;
H. S. Bear and M. L. Duhling, justices of
the peace; Frank Yinger, P. M. Altland,
John S. Yinger and others were identified
with the business interests of the town.
A post office was established in 1822 with
Charles Bishop as postmaster. In 1832 J.
T. Ubil succeeded him, and was followed by
George Beck, John Drayer, Dr. L. M. Loch-
man, M. L. Duhling, David S. Quickel,
Stephen A. Bear, John Drayer, Stephen A.
Bear and H. A. Kauffman.
Dr. Conner is remembered as the first
physician of the village. He was succeeded
by many others among whom were Doctors
Roe, Kilgore, Beck, Hall, Haldeman, Ahl,
Hay, Houser, Lochman, Bishop, Prowell,
Kain, Warren, Deisinger. Dr. Hall, a success-
ful practitioner, built the house later occu-
pied as a store by Stephen Bear and later by
S. F. Bare. Dr. Andrew R. Prowell, a skilled
and highly esteemed physician, died here in
1873, after several years of successful prac-
MANCHESTER
897
tice. He was a graduate of Jefferson ]\Ied-
ical College, Philadelphia, and of Bellevue
Medical College, New York City. He died
at the age of thirty-four. Dr. Ehrman, a
disciple of Hahnemann, successfully intro-
duced homoeopathy about the year 1839.
Dr. J- C. May and H. V. Gress are the prac-
ticing physicians of the borough.
Union Church was the first
Religious house of worship in Manchester.
History. In November, 1820, the leading
citizens of the town met at the
house of William Reeser for the purpose of
effecting an organization to build a union
church and school house. At another meet-
ing, held March 28, 1821, Charles M. Poor,
A\'illiam Reeser. Jacob Fink, John Gross
and Daniel GotAvald were chosen for the
building committee. The church was built
in the summer of 1821, at a cost of $612,
and dedicated January 21, 1822. Rev. Rob-
ert Cathcart, pastor of the First Presbyte-
rian Church, of York, and Rev. J. G.
Schmucker, pastor of the First Lutheran
Church, of York, were the officiating clergy-
men. The church was first used by the
Presbyterians and Lutherans and later by
other denominations. Some of the mer-
chants and managers of the flourishing
mills at York Haven were Presbyterians
and worshipped in this church. A school
house was built on the same lot. At the sec-
ond election A\'illiam Reeser, Henry Grove,
David Nelson, Charles Bishop, Charles M.
Poor and Samuel Inloes were chosen trus-
tees. Henry Metzgar was for many years
the secretary. The old meeting house was
removed in 1879 when another church was
built. It has since been used by different .
denominations.
St. Paul's United Evangelical congre-
gation worshipped in this church for many
years. A class was organized in 1858 by
George Young and Frederick Althouse.
Some of the early pastors of the congrega-
tion were: S. D. Bennington, George
Brickley, E. S. Brownmiller, H. Conrad,
George Carothers, George Dellinger, Adam
Ettinger^ John Edgar, Charles Hammer,
Peter Heise, Daniel Kreamer, J. C. Link,
John Kreamer, L. May and Moses McLean.
Some of the later pastors have been L. E.
Crumbling and E. B. Bailey. In 1902 this
congregation erected a house of worship.
Christ Lutheran Church, a brick build-
ing stands on Main Street. It was built
under the direction of Rev. A. H. Lochman,
of York, in 1857. The congregation was or-
ganized in December of the same year by
Rev. C. J. Deininger and served by him un-
til December, 1865. He was succeeded in
the pastorate by P. AVarner, P. Anstadt, E.
Lenhart, AY. S. Porr. H. C. Bixler, M. S.
Romig and T. AA". Null.
The cost of the building was $6,000. In
1883 valuable improvements were made,
costing $1,100. The church has since been
remodelled.
United Brethren Church. — About the
year 1832, Rev. AA'illiam Brown began
preaching the doctrines of this denomina-
tion in Liverpool. An organization was
completed in the Union Meeting House,
which was used until the erection of the
present house of worship in the year 1878
at the cost of $1,700. Colonel James A.
Stable, H. M. Everhart, Charles Mathias,
Jacob Eppley and John B. Rentzel were the
building committee. The church was ded-
icated by Bishop Glossbrenner. The fol-
lowing clergymen have ministered to this
congregation since the church was built :
G. AV. kirakofe, A. H. Rice, I. H. Albright,
T. Garland, D. AV. Sollenberger, M. J. Heb-
erly, E. H. Hummelbaugh, H. L. Eichinger
and A. D. Mower.
Mennonite IMeeting house is situated half
a mile north of Manchester. Some of the
early settlers of this locality were members
of this religious society. Among them were
the Keller, Leib, Reiff and Rodes families.
In early days religious services were held
in private houses and in the Union Meeting
House, on the site of Hoover's Church at
Star View. In 1810 the Mennonite Meet-
ing House was built of native yellow sand-
stone. AA''ithin recent j^ears the meeting
house has been rebuilt. Theodore B. Forry
is the pastor of the congregation.
The old Mennonite Meeting House was
originally a school building for the children
of Manchester and vicinity. Among the
early teachers was Jimmy Cabot, an intelli-
gent Irishman, who came down the Sus-
quehanna River on a raft and took up his
abode among the Germans of this region.
Tradition says he was a good teacher and
popular among the people. He died more
than three-fourths of a century ago and his
bodv was one of the first to be buried in the
898
HISTORY OF YORK COUxYTY. PENNSYLVANIA
graveyard surrounding the Union Church
in Manchester borough. Other successful
teachers who kept school in the meeting
house were Asa Johnson and John Anstine.
On Sunday morning, June 28.
Unwelcome 1863, Manchester was aroused
Visitors. by the arrival of 200 mounted
men, a detachment of the Sev-
enth \^irginia Cavalry. The villagers had
heard rumors of the approach of the enemy
toward York, but they were not expecting
on this day the presence of armed southern-
ers coming from the west.
On the night of June 2"] , General Early
with a division of 9,000 Confederate troops
leading the advance of Lee's army, en-
camped in Paradise Township. He moved
eastward through \\'eiglestown and when
he arrived at that place detached Colonel
French with 200 cavalrymen to pass
through Manchester and Mt. Wolf to York
Haven, where they were ordered to burn
the railroad bridges. This was the first
and only time that the inhabitants of Man-
chester saw the Confederate troops during
the invasion into Pennsylvania. Their un-
expected arrival caused a flurry of excite-
ment. Some people ran to the cellars, oth-
ers to the garrets and watched the troopers
as they rode by. The soldiers halted in
town, went into stores and took such shoes
as they could find. These they paid for in
Confederate notes. They proceeded to Mt.
AVolf, where they also ransacked the store
of George H. Wolf. Before leaving this vil-
lage, telegraph poles were cut down. There
was a battalion of the 20th Pennsylvania
Emergency Regiment guarding the bridges
at York Haven. When the Union troops
heard of the approach of the enemy they
crossed the Susquehanna on flatboats to
Bainbridge. The Confederates arrived at
York Haven early in the afternoon and im-
mediately burned the two railroad bridges
over the Conewago at this place, setting
them or fire with coal oil. Their mission
had then been completed and as there were
no Federal troops in sight, except on the op-
posite side of the river, which could not be
forded. Colonel French and his men re-
turned through Mt. Wolf and Manchester
and proceeded down the turnpike, joining
Early's command at York the same after-
noon.
NE'W FREEDOM.
The borough of New Freedom is situated
on the Maryland line in the southern part of
Shrewsbury Township. It stands on an
elevated plain 827 feet above tide water at
Philadelphia and 442 feet higher than
Centre Square, Y'ork. It is the highest
point between Baltimore and York along
the Northern Central Railway, which was
completed in 1838.
Conrad Free, an intelligent German,
owned a large tract of land in this vicinity
in 1783. This farm was inherited by his
son, Peter Free, who prospered as a farmer.
Four of his sons became physicians of
prominence. Dr. Eli W. Free practiced
medicine in New Freedom for a period of
thirty years, until 1890, when he removed to
Baltimore, where he recently died. Dr.
John Free was a practicing physician at
Stewartstown. Dr. Adam S. Free became
one of the leading physicians of Harrisburg.
A fourth son. Dr. Jared Free, entered the
United States Army in 1861 as a surgeon
for a Pennsylvania regiment. During the
summer of 1863, while serving with a recon-
noitering party, Surgeon Free was shot and
killed near the banks of the Rappahannock
River in Virginia. Different members of
the Free family were the first to engage in
the mercantile business at New Freedom.
In 1865 Milton W. Bahn, a native of Hel-
1am Township, engaged in the mercantile
business at this place. The following year
he was appointed agent for the Northern
Central Railway. He continued his store
and was freight and ticket agent for the
railroad company until 1900, when he re-
moved to York. Mr. Bahn was deeply in-
terested in the construction of a railroad
from New Freedom to Stewartstown,
which was completed in 1885, and he has
since been general manager of this railroad.
Some of the other business men of New
Freedom have been U. H. Gore & Brother,
J. R. Nonemaker, R. F. Koller, J. B.
Wherly. J. E. Miller, and Lowe & Ba'iley.
Merchants carrying on business in 1907
were Bailey & Painter, Peoples Bargain
House, Ruhl and Bond, hardware: B. F.
Goodwin, phosphate and machinery; How-
ard M. Bailejr, marble works: P. O. Kline-
felter, hardware and stove store, and J. A.
NEW FREEDOM
899
Kugler, lumber dealer. I. Bailey & Sons
manufacture ice cream.
In order to improve the conditions of the
town and have increased opportunities for
public education, the town was incorpo-
rated in 1879. At the first election H. F.
Hofacker was chosen burgess, S. G. Hilde-
brand, John L. Heiler, Lewis Grove, Dr. E.
Iv. Free and S. Grove, councilmen. The
borough covers a large area. The southern
boundary on the Maryland line is nearly
two miles in length, and the average width
of the survey is five-eighths of a mile. The
population in 1880 was 325; 1890, 364; 1900,
550. Within recent years New Freedom
has rapidly grown in influence as a busi-
ness centre. The borough owns an electric
light plant and has recently constructed a
reservoir which supplies the town with
water. Many handsome residences have
been constructed during the past five years.
The town was named in honor of Peter
Free. Freeland village, a short distance
south along the railroad, is named in honor
of the Freeland family.
In 1849 ^^ interesting ceremony took
place at the site of New Freedom. It was
here that Governor Johnston, of Pennsyl-
vania, with a large delegation met and wel-
comed President Zachary Taylor into the
State of Pennsylvania, an account of which
will be found on page 746.
Summit Grove Campmeeting Associa-
tion, under the direction of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, owns a large grove a
short distance south of New Freedom. At
this place annually one of the most success-
ful campmeetings in the United States has
regularly been held for a period of thirty
years.
The school board of New Freedom has
recently erected a commodious school
building in the eastern suburbs of the bor-
ough.
Dr. George Stone and Dr. James Yagle
are practicing physicians at New Freedom.
The New Freedom Wire Cloth Company
owns and operates a factory which regu-
larly employs about 75 people. It was or-
ganized in 1900 with A. S. Norrish, presi-
dent ; W. H. Burnham, secretary, and H. C.
Kugler, treasurer.
New Freedom Sewing Company, in-
corporated in 1902, with A. N. Hetrick,
president ; H. C. Kugler, secretary, and Dr.
J. Fletcher Lutz, treasurer, is engaged in the
manufacture of shirts.
The First National Bank of New
Bank. Freedom was organized under the
authority of the treasury depart-
ment at Washington, April 15, 1903, with a
capital stock of $50,000. The borough be-
ing surrounded by a rich agricultural
region, this financial institution at once en-
tered upon a prosperous career. It opened
for business in temporary quarters and soon
after erected a handsome two-story brick
building with the accommodations and
equipments of a complete banking house.
W. D. Bahn served as president from the
time of organization until January, 1905,
when he was succeeded by G. F. Miller.
James E. Green, Jr., was cashier from 1903
to May I, 1905, when W. H., Freed was
chosen his successor. The directors of the
bank in 1907 were : W. D. Bahn, G. F. Mil-
ler, Dr. W. C. Stick, George F. Gantz, P. O.
Klinefelter, George E. Ruhl, J. F. Zeller, J. ■
A. Gillen, Henry Krout, W. "H. Whitcraft,
F. B. Dickmyer, Melchor Hoshall. In 1907
the surplus was $16,000 and deposits $160,-
000.
St. John's Catholic Church is
Churches, the oldest religious organiza-
tion in New Freedom. In 1842
Father Gabriel Rempler, a Redemptionist
priest of Baltimore, visited the community
and found a devoted member of his church
in Meimad Mueller, a German settler, who
lived at the farm house later occupied by
Charles King. Here mass was first offered
in this section of the county. Services were
continued for several months. Mr. Mueller
donated land sufficient to erect a church,
which was built by contributions of the
members, and the church was dedicated in
1842. The congregation was served from
1842 to 1852 by priests from Baltimore, and
some of the most noted priests of the Re-
demptionist order preached in this building.
From 1853 to 1875, it was served from York
as a mission, and after that Rev. Charles
Koch became regular pastor. Father
Huber and Father Breckel served the con-
gregation for man}' years. A new church
was erected in 1905. Rev. Peter S. Huegel
was pastor in 1907.
The United Evangelical Church organi-
zation was formed in 1859, by Rev. G. Hun-
ter. The first building in which the society
900
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
worshiped had been a blacksmith shop. In
this building both the Evangelical and
Methodist people worshiped until 1871,
when each congregation erected commo-
dious buildings, in which they have since
worshiped. This congregation was ser\'ed
by the pastor of the Shrewsbury circuit for
twenty years. In 1904 Rev. Frank H. Foss
v.'as pastor and was succeeded by Rev. H. J.
Buck.
The Lutheran Church was organized in
1869, by Rev. A. Berg, and worshiped for
some time in Hildebrand's Hall. In 1877,
the congregation erected a fine church
building. Rev. Elmer E. Schantz was pas-
tor for several years and was succeeded by
Rev. David S. ^Martin, who is pastor of
Fissel's Church, in Shrewsbury Township.
The Baptists at one time had an organi-
zation in the town and erected a church
building, but the membership was small,
and was finally suspended. The church
building was sold to the Reformed congre-
gation.
The Reformed Church began to hold ser-
vices in the borough before the time of in-
corporation. About 1880, Rev. A. F. Dreis-
bach organized a congregation, which pur-
chased the building formerly owned by the
Baptist congregation. Rev. H. J. Hillegass
was pastor in 1907.
The Methodist congregation belongs to
the Shrewsbury circuit. Rev. E. M. Chil-
cote, who was pastor for several years, was
succeeded by Rev. Samuel Fox.
The German Baptists have a meeting
house about one mile west of New Free-
dom, in Shrewsbury Township.
RAILROAD BOROUGH.
Railroad Borough is situated on the
Northern Central Railway, about one mile
west of Shrewsbury, and was incorporated
August 31, 1871, with Frederick Helb as
chief burgess ; J. N. Grove, assistant bur-
gess; S. Klinefelter, G. W. Ruby, Daniel
Seitz, M. Gable, T. H. McAbee, and James
M. McGuigan as councilmen. The town is
nestled between the hills which surround :t,
and has been for many years an important
freight depot.
In 1792, the land upon which it was built
was largely owned by John Klinefelter, and
he erected a mill later known as Ruby's
grist mill, and also built a log house near
the same place. Soon afterward, Ulrich
Heiss purchased the land where Stabler's
mill later stood, and erected thereon an oil-
mill, which was subsequently torn down
and another mill built. G. M. Henry
bought the greater part of the land now in-
cluded in the borough, put a grist mill on
the site of Ruby's mill^ and in 1841, re-
moved the old grist mill where Helb's first
tannery stood, and converted it into a bark
mill. In 1.822, an apple distillery was in
operation at the site of Helb's distillery.
In 1833, G. M. Henry built a grist mill
where Ruby's brick grist mill stands, which
was supplanted with the building erected
by Mr. Ruby in 1862. The first station
house stood near Ruby's mill. The brick
warehouse occvipied by Mr. Day was
erected in 1845 ^^7 Simon and Jesse Kline-
felter. The Klinefelters also erected the
stone store and warehouse on the east side
of the railroad, later occupied by G. P. Ever-
hart ; the brick mill in the northern portion
of the town, owned by Jared Stabler ; and
in 1849, ^^^ bark mill near the station,
which was converted into a flavine mill in
1869 by Klinefelter & Habliston. G. P.
Everhart & Company for many years have
conducted a large forwarding and commis-
sion business, also a dry goods and grocery
business.
The J. S. Young Company, of which
Howard E. Young, of Hanover, is presi-
dent, own and operate an extensive flavine
mill. This is a branch of a similar business
conducted at Baltimore and Hanover. The
company employs about thirty men and
conducts a large business, which has aided
in building up the interests of Railroad Bor-
ough.
William Green, son-in-law of the late
Frederick Helb, purchased the tannery at
the time of the latter's death. He re-
modelled the tannery, erected large bark
sheds and added all the improvements
necessary to make it one of the most suc-
cessful tanneries in York County.
The Sieling Furniture Company is an in-
dustry which employs about fifty workmen.
It is owned by five brothers: Dr. James
Sieling, of Pittsburg, president; Harry G.
Sieling, secretary and general manager: Dr.
J. H. Sieling, of York : George M. Sieling,
of New Freedom, and Charles Sieling, of
Baltimore. They are engaged in the manu-
a:^:^ ^^^,
I
RAILROAD
901
facture of dressers, chiffoniers, centre tables
and a variety of fine furniture.
In 1907, Edward Helb began the manu-
facture of the American level and grade
finder, for which he has found a ready sale
throughout the country.
Mr. Helb, who has conducted a general
store in this borough with success, in the
fall of 1905, established water works for
Railroad Borough. He obtained the source
of water supply from a spring thirty feet
higher than the borough and situated along
the turnpike half way to Shrewsbury. This
place gives to Railroad Borough pure
spring water which is utilized by fifty fami-
lies and supplies water for the different
factories of the town. Soon after the town
was supplied with water a fire company
was organized with sixty members. H. G.
Sieling is president and M. H. Ivlinefelter,
secretary.
Rev. A. M. Heilman, pastor of the Luth- .
eran congregation in Shrewsbury, opened
a Sunday School in this borough. His
efiforts were successful and Messiah Luth-
eran Church was organized, largely from
members belonging to the Shrewsbury
charge. A. fine brick church was erected
through the contributions of Frederick
Helb and John S. Young. Rev. A. M. Heil-
man was succeeded in 1907 by Rev. Nor-
man S. A¥olf, pastor of Christ Church in
Shrewsburv.
FREDERICK HELB, through whose
influence and energy Railroad Borough has
grown and prospered, was a native of Ger-
many, born March 9, 1825^ in Reutlingen,
Kingdom of Wurtemberg, and was the only
son of Ulrich and Mary (Keim) Helb. He
was reared and well educated in the Father-
land, and there learned the trade of tanner
in the comprehensive and thorough manner
typical of German tradesmen. In 1847 he
came to America to try his fortune, but it is
doubtful if ever in his ambitious youth he
expected to attain the position for which he
was destined. Landing at Baltimore, he
there followed his trade for two years, in
1849 coming to Shrewsbury, where he es-
tablished a tannery of his own. But it was
an unpretentious afifair, as he had little
capital, and so humble was his equipment
that at first he used hogsheads for vats.
The economy and thrift he was obliged to
exercise in those early years was equally
valuable as time went on, and his business
began to increase. He possessed the wis-
dom of the good business man regarding
timely expenditures, but, though willing to
take advantage of new and improved meth-
ods, he did not allow injudicious extrava-
gance to swallow up all his profits. As the
demands of his patronage necessitated, he
added to his facilities until he could turn out
seven thousand finished hides annually.
Meantime, Mr. Helb took advantage of
other opportunities and enlarged the scope
of his interests in various ways. In 1867
he erected a brewing plant at Shrewsbury
Station, the capacity being eight hundred
barrels a year. In 1870 he started another
enterprise somewhat in the same line, es-
tablishing a fruit distillery, which had a ca-
pacity of five hundred barrels of apple
brandy per season. He also owned and con-
ducted a large flour mill run by steam and
water power, and saw and stave mills, the
latter being supplied by the timber from his
large tracts of land, which included (at the
time of his death) seven hundred acres of
fine farming land in York County, and over
eighteen hundred acres of timber and arable
land in the State of Maryland. His prop-
erty holdings in Railroad Borough included
the only hotel in the place, the "Jackson
House," and a number of substantial dwell-
ings which he rented. In 1900 in company
with his sons he established a furniture fac-
tory at Railroad Borough. Mr. Helb at-
tended personally to the details of the man-
agement of his extensive property and scat-
tered interests already mentioned, and also
had important connection with the Railroad
and Shrewsbury Turnpike Compan}'. of
which he served as president, and with the
Shrewsbury Savings Bank, of which he was
a director. The diversity of his interests,
and the fact that he made them all pay, in-
dicates remarkable executive ability, which
accounts to a great extent for his success.
Another element in that success was the
encouragement Mr. Helb always received
from the confidence of those who knew him
in his ability and integrity. It was the out-
come of years of honor in business life, and
he deserved the sole credit for it, but it
nevertheless gratified him to feel that his old
associates trusted him, and many persistent
efforts in his later years to put life into hope-
less enterprises were undoubtedly strength-
go2
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ened by this element. ^Ir. Helb was one of
those strong characters to whom leadership
and achievement seem so natural that no
one wonders at the things they accomplish.
Mr. Helb not only made a success of his own
life, but he also aided others who had to
travel the same rough path upon which he
set out, and he likewise did more for his
community in the way of public service than
almost any other man of his day.
No man of Mr. Helb's disposition could
overlook the fact that the welfare of a town
depends largely upon its commercial enter-
prises, and that the men who promote the
one, inevitably afifect the other. He con-
sidered it every man's duty to do his full
share toward maintaining a high standard
of public-spirited citizenship^ and expressed
his opinions on this subject more by action
than by words. It was through his efforts
chiefly that Railroad became a borough, and
he was one of the incorporators and first
chief burgess. He had the advancement of
the borough at heart when, in 1900, he and
his sons expended thirty thousand dollars in
the establishment of a furniture factory,
which gave employment to over fifty hands.
The firm was known as the F. Helb & Sons
Company, and after the death of Frederick
Helb the business was disposed of at public
sale, being bought b}' his son Edward, who
sold it to the present proprietors, the Sieling
Furniture Company. ]Mr. Helb's generos-
ity and kind-heartedness were proverbial,
and there are many who attest to his benev-
olence and ascribe their start in business to
his timely aid. His neighbors and friends
were all objects of his kindly solicitude and
returned it cordially.
In 1849 ^-ti'- Helb married Rebecca Henrv,
whose family have been prominent in the
work of the Lutheran Chvirch in York
County, one of her brothers being Rev. Elias
S. Henry (now deceased), a Lutheran cler-
gyman for more than forty years at Pine
Grove, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania,
and another. Rev. Samuel S. Henry, a min-
ister of the same denomination. Mrs. Helb
was always an active church worker, and a
life member of the A\'omen's Lutheran Mis-
sionary Society. Mr. Helb was a liberal
supporter of the church at Railroad Bor-
ough, to which he and his wife belonged,
and though there were many other liberal
donations it may be safely sa'd that l)ut for
him the beautiful house of worship now
used by that congregation would never have
been realized. He was also largely instru-
mental in the erection of the Lutheran
Church at Shrewsbury, where rest the re-
mains of himself and wife. They passed
away within a year, Mrs. Helb dying April
19, 1904, and Mr. Helb April 9, 1905. He
loved his home and family devotedly, and
took pride in giving good educational ad-
\-antages and proper training for the earnest
work of life to his children, of whom there
were six, namely: Theodore R., Edward,
Julius, Frederick, Lydia and ]\Iary.
RED LION.
The enterprising and prosperous borough
of Red Lion, se\'en miles southeast of York,
is situated on an elevation 900 feet above
mean tide at Philadelphia and 536 feet above
Centre Square, York. AVit'h the exception
of the summit of Round Top, in Warrington
Township, which is mo feet above the sea,
Red Lion is the highest point in York
County. The down grade on the Maryland
and Pennsylvania Railroad from this bor-
ough toward York, for the first four miles
is 105 feet to the mile. The grade is about
eight3^-five feet to the mile toward Felton.
The land upon which this borough is built
was originally a part of both York and
Windsor Townships. This land and the
vicinity was first ptirchased from the heirs
of William Penn by one of the earliest set-
tlers west of the Susquehanna, in 1736. Red
Lion was the name of a public inn which
stood within the present limits of the bor-
ough as earh' as 1840. On a swinging sign
in front of the hotel was a lion painted red
and hence the origin of the name. This old
time hostelry was a prominent stopping
place for wagoners over the public road
which led from AVrightsville and the Sus-
quehanna across York County and the State
of Maryland to tjie city of Baltimore.
In 1852 John D. Meyer, a thrifty German,
purchased a tract of land upon which a large
portion of the borough of Red Lion now
stands. In J874, when the railroad from
York to Peach Bottom was completed
through this region, citizens of the vicinity
obtained a station which was named Red
Lion. At this time Mrs. Catharine JMeyer
conducted a hotel and when the railroad
Vv'as completed, erected a large iDuilding
RED LION
903
which was used by her for a general store
and as a station for the railroad.
The construction of the
Incorporation, railroad through this region
to York did not have the
immediate result of building" up a town
around the station and the well conducted
house of public entertainment. At first the
town grew slowly, but the citizens were
progressive, so they petitioned the court for
the incorporation of the village into a bor-
ough. This petition was granted by the
courts of York County and a charter was
obtained in the year 1880. At the first elec-
tion Henry Wegman was elected chief bur-
gess, Dr. J. M. Hyson, Daniel Spatz, James
O. Smith, Nathaniel Neiman, William H.
Algire and Jacob W. Young members of the
council. At the time of incorporation, the
population did not exceed 200 inhabitants,
and there were then only twenty-iive houses
within the limits of the borough.
Immediately after the town was
Cigar incorporated, the business inter-
Industry, ests began to prosper. Store
buildings were erected and cigar
factories established. Cigar making indus-
try and the manufacture of cigar boxes have
given employment to a large number of
people of Red Lion. The first factories
prospered and others were soon established.
In 1907 cigar factories were operated by the
following: Myers & Adams, with 80 em-
ployees; J. AV. Shindler, 35: Porto Rico
Cigar Company, 30; George McGuigan, 30;
AVilliam Lauer, 30; B. F. Zarfos, 25; Daniel
Spangler, A. C. Frey, Waughtel Brothers,
T. E. Brooks and Pius Tyson, each 20 em-
ployees and AVallace Gemmill, Wolf Broth-
ers, Strevic & Herman, C. D. Meyer, Albert
Koch, J. W. Strayer, Horn & Neff, J. H.
Quigley, Frank Kaltreider, L. J. Smith,
Henry Ferree, Jacob Stump, J. Frank
Strayer, Harvey Ziegler, T. L. Adair, Frey
& Detweiler, each from ten to fifteen em-
ployees.
The cigar box factories in 1907 were
owned by Miller Brothers, with fifty em-
ployees ; J. E. Detweiler, twenty-five and
Lewis Jackson, fifteen.
The Red Lion Furniture Company was
organized in April, 1907. with a capital stock
of $30,000. S. S. Sechrist was elected pres-
ident; D. A. Horn, vice president; J. B.
Sechrist, secretary; T. E. Brooks, treasurer;
H. E. Craley, manager. The company
erected a factory 50x130 feet, two stories
high; a finish and assembly building, 36x100
feet, two stories high, and a dry kiln, 40x90
feet.
The Pretzel Baking Company, owned by
R. E. Glenn, recently established, employs
about forty workmen.
Noah G. Stably is engaged in the manu-
facture of picture frames, and employs about
ten hands.
According to the government census re-
ports, in 1890 there were 524 inhabitants in
Red Lion; in 1900 the population had in-
creased to 1337. A fair estimate will now
place the population at 2000. Within re-
cent years a number of large business blocks
and many private residences have been built
and two banks established. Red Lion dis-
plays all the evidences of enterprise and
prosperity. The trolley line from York
through Dallastown to Red Lion was com-
pleted and opened in the summer of 1901.
This created an impetus to the growth of
the borough and facilitated the conduct of
business of all kinds. Red Lion is supplied
with pure water by an organized company.
In 1907 plans were completed for the con-
struction of a trolley line through Airville
to McCall's Ferr};-. The stores and private
residences are lighted with electricity and
furnished with all modern improvements.
In 1907 Jacob Strevic was chief burgess,
Rudolph Neiman, Harry Dietz, Harry
Hake, Titus Knisely, Morris Bicking and
Wallace Gemmill, councilmen. D. A. Horn
was president of the council and J. A. IMiller
secretary.
The post office at Red Lion was es-
Post tablished in 1874 when Mrs. Cath-
Office. erine Meyer was appointed to take
charge of the ofifice. She held the
position continuously until 1888. Nathan-
iel Neiman was postmaster from 1888 to
1892 under Harrison's administration. Mil-
ton Smith served from 1892 to 1896 under
President Cleveland. Rudolph Neiman
succeeded as postmaster in 1892 and has
been twice re-appointed. Three rural de-
livery routes extend out from Red Lion.
Route No. I is carried by U. G. Moore, No.
2 b)^ Howard Klinefelter and No. 3 by Jacob
Kinard.
The A'Vallick House and Red Lion Hotel
have both been popular hostelries in this
904
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PEXXSYLVAXIA
borough since the time of its earliest his-
tory.
St. John's Reformed congrega-
Churches. tion, which built the first house
of worship within the limits of
Red Lion, originated with a Sunday School
started, in 1874, by Alice Dietz in Miller's
School House, one mile east of town. It
was a successful effort and in 1879 Rev. E.
G. AVilliaras, pastor of the Reformed con-
gregation in Freysville, was invited to con-
duct religious worship in a hall then owned
by Mrs. Catherine Meyer and now the Red
Lion Hotel. Soon afterward a Sunday
School was organized in this hall, superin-
tended by Ferdinand Heisler and later by
Seth Minnich. During the next two years
the Reformed congregation held services in
the village school house until 1882. During
that year a frame church, 32x50 feet, was
erected at a cost of $2,000, under the direc-
tion of Adam Gebhart, John A'N'ise and Seth
Minnich as a building committee. The site
was presented to the congregation by Mrs.
Catherine Meyer. At this time Rev. A.
AA'anner. D. D.. had succeeded as pastor of
the Kreutz Creek charge which included
this church. The congregation worshipped
in the original church from the time it was
built imtil 1906. The succeeding pastors
were : AA'. H. Loose, C. P. Kehl, J. Kern
McKee and R. F. Edress. The congregation
grew and prospered and in 1905 plans were
laid for the erection of a second church.
This church was erected at a cost of $12,-
000 by T. E. Brooks, D. A. Miller, Seth
Minnich, John Gephart and B. F. Leiben-
knight. H. E. Craley of Red Lion, was con-
tractor. This beautiful edifice was dedi-
cated May 6. 1906. Rev. Dr. Bromer of
Philadelphia, preached the sermon. In the
fall of 1906 Rev. J. Kern McKee was suc-
ceeded as pastor of the congregation by
Rev. R. F. Edress.
Bethany United Brethren Church was
founded in 1882 when a frame building was
erected and dedicated to religious worship
by Rev. L. Peters, presiding elder. Rev.
Lewis Kohr was the first pastor and largely
through his ministrations the church was
founded. The original building committee
were J. R. Green, Matthew Gable, Daniel
AYeaver and Samuel Sprenkle. The orig-
inal frame church building was erected on
Broadway at a cost of $10,400. Rev. T- R-
Jones was then the pastor. The member-
ship of this church in 1907 was nearly 300.
C. E. Smith, of the Farmers' National Bank,
was superintendent of the Sunday School
for many years and was succeeded by H. L.
Haines. The a^•erage attendance is 300.
The pastors in order of succession have
been Lewis Kohr, J. P. Smith, J. Lower
Grim, \A^. H. AA'eaver, J. R. Jones and
Samuel N. IMoyer.
St. Paul's United Evangelical Church :
Before an organization had been eft'ected,
religious services were held by this denomi-
nation in private houses of prominent mem-
bers residing in the town. The services
were conducted by Rev. Samuel Yearick.
In 1890, when a congregation was formed,
the stone building, in early days used as a
school house, was rented. Regular services
were held in this building until 1894 when
a brick church was built at a cost of $4,000.
A large addition was made to this building
in 1900, and in 1904 another addition for a
pipe organ and choir was made. The mem-
bership of the congregation of 1907 during
the pastorate of Rev. C. A\'. Finkbinder was
330. The Sunday School with an average
attendance of 350 is superintended by S. S.
Sechrist. The pastors in order of succession
have been, S. Yearick, Z. Harberger, J. H.
AA^ertz, J. M. Price, George Joseph, E. D.
Keen, I. M. Sanner, I. E. Spangler, C. AA''.
Finkbinder and C. S. Soner.
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church was
founded in 1895. Rev. H. E. Berkey was
the first pastor and ministered to the con-
gregation until 1900 when he was succeeded
by Rev. U. E. Apple. The church was built
soon after the congregation was formed at a
cost of $5,000, and a parsonage erected at a
later period at a cost of $2,500. The mem-
bers of the building committee for the
church were : F. A. ShoafT, Harry Snyder
and Charles Hess. The church membership
is about no and the Sunday School has 200
teachers and scholars.
The first school within the bor-
Schools. ough was taught in a stone build-
ing. As the town grew, a fine
brick school house with a steeple was
erected in 1890. A heavy storm blew doAvn
the steeple in 1898 and another was imme-
diately placed on the school house. In 1899
a school building was erected on Broadway.
One of the rooms of this building is used
SEVEN VALLEY
905
for the High School. The progress of the
schools of Red Lion have kept pace with the.
development of this prosperous borough.'
A regular High School course has been
planned and pursued by the advanced stu-
dents. There is a school library of several
hundred volumes. In 1907 there were eight
schools taught by eight teachers. The prin-
cipals of the schools in recent years have
been C. E. Smith, S. P. Barnett and W. W.
Stauffer. The first class was graduated in
1900 under C. E. Smith, with eleven mem-
bers as follows : Agnes Kaltreider, Nettie
Bicking, Clara Eisenbaugh, John Zearfoss,
Amos Hermann, Thomas Miller, Harvey
Waughtel, John Smith, George Lichten-
berger, James Seachrist and Bert Flinch-
baugh. In all forty-nine students have been
graduated since 1900. The High School
was changed in 1906 to a four years course.
W. W. Stauffer, who has been principal the
past three years has conducted a normal
school during the spring and summer
months. The school directors in 1907 were
J. A. Miller, William Lichtenberger, S. S.
Knisely, R. T. Smith, Martin Neff and Isaac
Raab.
The Independent Fire Engine Company
of Red Lion was organized September 20,
1894, with E. E. Roser, president, and T.
E. Brooks, secretary. Temporary head-
quarters were at first obtained and a small
engine procured. In 1904 a handsome
house was built at a cost of $5,800. It con-
tains modern improvements and is an orna-
ment to the borough. Soon after the com-
pletion of the new building, a La France fire
engine was purchased at a cost of $4,700.
The other equipments are a hose carriage
and a hook and ladder truck. In 1907 the
membership numbered 85 with P. S. Hilde-
brand, president, and C. C. Herrman,
secretary.
The First National Bank was or-
Banks. ganized April, 1899, with a capital
stock of $50,000. The United
Brethren Church building vacated b)^ the
congregation owning it, was purchased
and has since been used as the bank-
ing house. It is situated in the central
part of the borough. William H. Taylor
has been president and J. A. Gillen, cashier,
since the time of organization. The di-
rectors in 1907 were the following: W. H.
Taylor, C. S. LaMotte, J. AY. Zarfoss, Dr.
J. N. Plyson, W. H. Peters, B. S. Taylor,
Daniel Brenneman, A. K. Frey, J. H.
Lanius, T. E. Brooks, George W. Mc-
Guigan, S. S. Sechrist, H. E. Craley, F. B.
Murphy and J. W. Shenberger. In 1907 the
surplus and undivided profits were $32,000;
total amount of deposits $280,000.
The Farmers and Meixhants National
Bank of Red Lion was organized in
1903 with a capital stock of $25,000.
The capital stock was increased in
April, 1904, to $50,000. The bank
has • apartments in the Meyer build-
ing near the Railroad Station. The
officers and directors of this institution
in 1907 were: president, Cornelius Strayer;
vice-president, A. C. Frey; cashier C. E.
Smith ; directors, Cornelius Strayer, A. C.
Frey, William H. AVise, J. AA\ Stine. Horace
AA'elty, John R. Anderson, C. AA^ Moody, D.
Sterling Mitzel, D. A. Miller, D. A. Horn,
H. F. Shenberger and S. H. Curran. The
surplus and undivided profits, in 1907, were
$17,000; total amount of deposits, $175,000.
SEVEN VALLEY.
Seven Valley was incorporated into a
borough August 23, 1892. The name
"Sieben Thai" or Seven Valley originated
with the first German settlers who took up
fertile lands in the vicinity of this borough,
about 1740. Among these settlers, were a
number of "Sieben Tagers" or Seventh Day
Baptists, who came here from their settle-
ment at Ephrata in Lancaster County. The
use of the words "Thai" and "Tag" becom-
ing confused, the former predominated and
hence, doubtless, originated the name Seven
Valley. The surrounding country is un-
dulating, but there are not seven valleys
distinctly marked in the vicinity.
In 1838, when the railroad was completed
from Baltimore to York, Jacob Smyser and
John E. Zeigler opened the first store at this
place. The station was called Smyser in
honor of the first named. The postoffice
was established the same year. It was
named Seven Valley, and John E. Zeigler
was appointed postmaster. Henry Bott
succeeded him in the store business in 1845
and continued until 1898, when he removed
to York. He also became postmaster in
1845. His son, \Y. W. Bott, succeeded him
as postmaster in 1875, ^"^ the same year
began the manufacture of ice cream.
9o6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Nathan Glatfelter owns a cigar factory em-
ploying about thirty-five hands, and H. C.
Kuntz is engaged in the same business and
employs about forty hands. Noah Lau owns
a cigar box factory and employs twenty men.
Seven Valley has been noted for the manu-
facture of ice cream for many years. Henry
N. Lau and B. F. Klinedinst, engaged in
this business, make thousands of gallons of
ice cream 3'early and find ready sale for their
product. In 1904, an electric light plant
was erected and since that time, the town,
business places, factories and private houses
are lighted b}^ electricity.
]\Iendel Brothers have recently started a
sewing factory and employ about forty
hands.
Dr. J. Allen Glatfelter practiced medicine
until his death a few years ago. Dr. George
E. Holtzapple engaged in the practice of
medicine in Seven Valley for a dozen years,
when he removed to York where he became
one of the leading physicians.
The other physicians have been Dr. AVei-
ser. Dr. Luther Bott, Dr. Jones and Dr.
George W. Fickes.
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church at
Seven Valley was organized by Rev. C. J.
Deininger, March 29, 1868. The congre-
gation worshipped in a hall until 1871, when
a church was built. The dedicatory sermon
was pi-eached by Rev. A. H. Lochman, of
York. Rev. Deininger resigned the charge
September 6, 1874. His successors have
been Revs. D. Stock, L. T. AVilliams, Peter
Anstadt, H. C. Clymer, E. Lenhart and B.
F. Kautz.
The United Evangelical Church was
founded in 1897 by Rev. AA'. B. Cox, when
a house of worship was built. The succeed-
ing pastors have been Revs. Lore, Lilly,
Finkbinder, Reichard and AA^ J. Campbell.
During the early days of the Civil AA^ar,
the bridges along the Northern Central
Railway were guarded by Federal troops
and squads of them were at times quartered
along the road both above and below Seven
Valley. The citizens of this village were
accustomed to see the boys in blue, but on
June 27, 1863, for the first time, they saw
armed bands wearing the Confederate gray.
In the afternoon of this day, about 240
mounted men. a battalion of Confederates
commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel AA'hite,
arrived at Hanover Junction. He had been
sent here by General Early from Gettys-
burg, where that ofificer was leading the ad-
vance of Lee's army, during the invasion
into Pennsylvania. In order that railroad
connections between Harrisburg and Balti-
more and AA^ashington might be cut ofif.
Colonel AA'hite ordered his men to burn the
railroad bridges over theCodorus Creek, both
above and below Hanover Junction. They
performed this work by pouring coal oil on
the wooden beams and setting fire to them.
AVhile in Seven Valley these southern
soldiers ransacked the store owned by
Henry Bott, taking all articles of clothing
that they could procure. One of them gave
Mrs. Bott a one dollar Confederate note in
payment for a small article which he had
found in the store.
" I want to pay you for what I get," said
the soldier to Mrs. Bott. " Take this Con-
federate note. It will soon be worth more
than your Yankee greenbacks. AVe are go-
ing on to York and will soon cross the Sus-
quehanna and move toward Philadelphia.
The war is nearly over, and the south will
win."
After remaining an hour in Seven Valley
these Confedei-ate soldiers returned to Han-
over Junction and proceeded to Jefiferson.
From thence they moved northward and
joined General Gordon's brigade of Early's
division which entered York on Sunday
morning, June 28.
Four days later, the villagers of Seven
Valley heard the rattling of sabres and car-
bines, and the clattering of hoofs down by
Hanover Junction. As these troops ap-
proached Seven Valley, they were discov-
ered to be boj^s in blue. As telegraphic
communications had been cut off and rum-
ors of all kinds were heard from many
sotuxes, the people of the town as well as
other residents of York County could not
learn definitely of the movements of the
two armies. The 3000 cavalrymen who
came to Hanover Junction on the afternoon
of July I, 1863, were in command of Gen-
eral David M. Gregg, a distinguished vet-
eran of the Civil AA^ar, who at the time of
this writing in 1907, is living in Reading,
Pennsylvania. He commanded the extreme
right of the army of the Potomac during the
invasion of 1863, and before the battle of
Gettysburg, had moved as far east as Han-
over Junction and Seven Valley. His ob-
SHREWSBURY
907
ject in coming liere was to prevent the Con-
federates from moving" toward Baltimore.
After remaining in this vicinity for a few
hotirs onh^, a courier arrived bearing de-
spatches which ordered General Gregg to
fall back at once toward Gettysburg.
SHREWSBURY.
Shrewsbury is situated near the eastern
borders of Shrewsbury Township on the
Baltimore Turnpike, and about one mile
east of the Northern Central Railroad.
During the early history of the town it
was known as Strasburg. The store business
was commenced in the village in 1800 by
AI. Kline. He was followed by Jacob Ruhl
who resided at the corner later occupied by
L. C. Kraft. Ruhl retired from business in
1830 and was followed by the firm of Small,
Meyers & Latimer, who conducted a general
business, selling dry goods, hardware, iron,
groceries, liquor and lumber. The dry
goods department on the corner later occu-
pied by Gerry's drug store, was in charge
of Henry Latimer. The other branches at
the northwest corner of the square were in
charge of C. F. Meyers. A few years later
a larger building was erected on this corner
and the entire business removed to it. About
the year 1850 this firm was dissolved, the
firm of Meyers and Small assuming" charge.
In 1857, C. E. Meyers died and not long af-
terward the stand and stock were sold to C
F. Ruebling. He was followed in order by E.
D. Hartman, jNIeyers & Brothers, J. H. Mar-
kle and L. C. Kraft. Eli McDonnell began
business in 1859. Among others who aided
in developing the town were John Hersli-
ner, George Blasser, R. Richey, Nathan
ShefTer, Samuel Gantz, George P. Ever-
hart. Christof .Kolter and the Kohlers,
Becks, Gieseys and Gerrys. Joseph Kline-
felter established a tannery in the town, af-
terward" conducted by Samuel Gantz, for
about twenty years. David Klinefelter
erected a machine shop on the lot between
Raffensperger's hotel and the stable, but it
could not be made a success and was soon
abandoned, when a steam saw-mill was
erected. In 1820 charcoal pits existed
where Bott's hotel later stood.
The town was incorporated into
Incor- a borough in 1834 by act of as-
poration. sembly. and was re-incorporated
in 1870, under the act of 185 1 at
which time Joseph Giesey was chief bur-
gess; J. H. Blasser, secretary; James Gerry,
Jr., treasurer. The population in 1880 was
580: in 1890, 562; and in 1900, 554. Dur-
ing its early history the borough issued
" shin plasters " as a circulating medium, re-
deemed them, and on ^March 31, 1854, de-
stroyed them.
A military company was organ-
Military, ized in 1821, known as the Stras-
burg Blues, Captain Charles
Stuck being its first commander. He was
succeeded by Captain Henrj^ Snyder. In
1824, Jacob Gaines, a member of this com-
pany, was drowned in Hileman's dam, and
his remains were buried on a Sunday, but
the people of the church where the services
were held, protested against taking arms
into or near the church. The Blues finally
suspended and the Jackon Grays were or-
ganized by Captain Snyder and subse-
quently commanded by Captain William
McAbee. In 1844 the company was called
into service to assist in suppressing the
Philadelphia riots. In 1S24 the Pennsyl-
vania Volunteers and the Washington Ar-
tillery, two companies from York, passed
through the town on their way to Balti-
more to take part in the reception ceremo-
nies tendered Lafayette.
In 1861, Company' D, 87th Pennsylvania
volunteers was partlj^ organized in the
town. In September, 1881, Light Battery
C, United States Army, Major Sinclair in
command, encamped in the town while on
its march to Yorktown to take part in the
ceremonies commemorating the surrender
of Cornwallis. The following were among
those who during the Civil AVar entered the
United States military service from the bor-
ough: Major N. G. Ruhl, Captain E. JM.
Ruhl, Captain J. H. Blasser, Lieutenant
George Blasser, Chaplain D. C. Eberhart, J.
H. Hendrix, J. B. Beck, Robert McDonnell,
T. H. Moody. J. Ashley, AVilliam Eaton,
"Henry Young, j. Smith, N. Heise, C. Hed-
rick, C. Sanders, A. J. Frederick, Colonel G.
AV. Frederick, E. H. Redding, Joseph Little,
Jesse Shewell, John Kunkle, M. Sheol. F.
Dolla, Jacob Nonemaker, G. Alman}^, A. J.
Almany. A. Leicht, H. AV. Rehmeyer, A. L.
Geesey. C. Thompson, J. Painter, M. Born.
A biography of Dr. James Gerry,
Facts o£ a prominent citizen of the bor-
Interest. ough, will be found on page 567.
9o8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
General G. A\'. Frederick, a graduate
of Pennsylvania College, who served with
credit in the Civil A\'ar, had charge of
the provost guard during the trial of ]Mrs.
Surratt at A'Vashington in 1865. Afterward
he became publisher of "The Lutheran."
Dr. H. G. Bussey served two terms as state
senator. AA'illiam McAbee served two terms
in the state legislature and held other im-
portant positions. Isaac Beck was two
terms in the State legislature. Colonel AA^.
Garner, became a prominent citizen of Iowa.
John Geise}- was register of wills. B. F.
Roller and J- A. Blasser each served as clerk
of the count}^ courts. Joseph Holland filled
the office of county prothonotary. John
Beck and Christof Kolter were county com-
missioners. Joseph Hartman served as
county auditor. Colonel A. AVilhelm, Cap-
tain Dennis, Rev. James Henry Brown, D.
D., Robert Richey and EH Storms also be-
came prominent in different spheres of life.
From 1827 to 1830 a small paper known
as the Harbinger was published in the town
by W. C. Smyth. Later the Deutscher
Sharfshuetz, a German paper, was published
for a few years in the town by Mr. Kurtz.
On July 8, 1840, a cyclone passed over the
town, and although it lasted but a few min-
utes the destruction of property was great.
The old Union log church was partially
blown down, with a number of barns and
several dwelling houses. Among the latter
was one occupied by B. Shewell and family.
A number of the family were injured and
Mrs. Shewell was killed.
In 1800 a small log school house
Schools, was erected in the eastern portion
of the town, and Dr. Cling was
the first teacher. This building was de-
stroyed by fire and a brick building took its
place, which was also destroyed by fire in
1853, when the third building in the north-
ern part of the town was erected. Private
and church schools were popular in the
early history of the town and an academy
was opened, in 1856, by A. AA^ Dinsmore,
and was continued under the principalship
of T. R. A^ickroy, J. A. ^lurphv, D. S.
Brillhart, W. J. Fulton and E. E. Allen.
The public school system was introduced
in 1836.
The first regular preaching of
Churches, the Evangelical Church was
held in Shrewsburv in 181 1. and
the services were conducted in private
houses. Rev. J. Dreisbach was the first
preacher and he was followed by H. Neibel,
M. Becker, M. Betz, John and James Bruen,
A. AA'alter, A. Ettinger, B. Ettinger, J. L.
AA'. Seibert, Levi and Uriah Eberhart, G.
Hunter, T- -M- Carothers, J. AA'. Cramer, S.
AA'. Seibert, C. F. Deininger, AA^. AVilson, D.
Miller, Rev. Zulofe, Longsdorf, S. Hornber-
ger, AA'. H. Davis, S. Aurand, J. M. Ettinger,
G. E. Zehner, J. G. M. Swengle, H. Conrad,
J. C. Farnsworth, J. M. Longsdorf, P. S.
brwig, AA'. AV. Rodes, J. F. Shultz.
The first church erected in the town in
1821 was a log structure, and was a union
church, being used jointly by the Metho-
dists and Evangelical congregations. This
church building was partly destroyed by the
cyclone in 1840. The Evangelical congre-
gation erected a brick church in 1853, which
was improved in 1877, and again in 1884.
^Methodist Episcopal Church. — The or-
ganization of this church w'as effected about
the year 181 1. Up to that time the people
of this faith, attended services at Rock
Chapel, bej'ond the Maryland line, where
an organization had been effected in 1794.
The congregation worshipped in the old log
church jointly with the Evangelical congre-
gation up to 1849, when a one-story brick
building was erected on Main Street, near
the place where the present edifice stands.
Bishop AA^augh preached several times in
this church. The second building was
erected in 1874 and is of Gothic design with
a belfry, two stories, and was dedicated in
1877, by Bishop Fames. Among the early
ministers who preached for the congrega-
tion were A. Hemphill, AA'. Butter, E. Nico-
demus, J. Parker, J. Ewing, Z. Jordon, A.
Griffith, AA'. Hawk, J. AV. Cronin and others.
Bishop Levi Scott, AA^illiam Barnes, Al-
fred Cookman and other noted ministers
preached at this place and on the Lowe
camp ground near the town. This church
founded the first Sunday School in
Shrewsbur}- in 1827. It is claimed that the
present extended system of lesson illustra-
tion was originated in this school during
1864. when the superintendent. Rev. D. C.
Eberhart planned the illustrations and E.
Storms, a young artist of the town, painted
them.
'Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church was
organized in 1S22 and the first church build-
SPRING GROVE
909
ing was erected by the Lutheran and Re-
formed congregations. Rev. J. Herbst was
the first pastor of the Lutheran congrega-
tion : he was succeeded by his son Rev.
Herbst, Jr. From the records available it
appears that the Herbsts resided at Gettys-
burg while serving this and a number of
other congregations in York County.
In the year 1832 or 1833 H. G. Stecher
became pastor of the congregation. His
place of residence is given as Martinsburg,
an early name for Loganville. After Rev.
Stecher. Rev. J- Kempfer came upon the
field, and then Rev. P. Herman served the
congregation a year or two. In 1843 Rev.
Andrew Burg became pastor of the charge
and continued until 1873 when he was suc-
ceeded by Rev. J. H. Menges. During the
pastorate of Rev. Menges the Lutheran
congregation decided to build a church of its
own and in the years 1875 and 1876 the pres-
ent edifice was erected, a building so com-
modious and so substantially constructed
that it reflects great credit upon the pas-
tor and all who in any way contributed to-
ward the success of the undertaking. In
1878 Rev. Menges was succeeded by Rev.
E. Manges who served the congregation
for about three years. In 1881 Rev. Ephraim
Miller, D. D., became pastor of the charge
and served it until July ist, 1894.
After the resignation of Dr. Miller the
congregation decided to undertake the sup-
port of a pastor itself and consequently sep-
arated from FisseVs and New Freedom
congregations, which, with the Shrewsbury
congregation, had hitherto constituted the
Shrewsbury charge.
December ist, 1894, Rev. Albert M. Heil-
man, to whom the author is indebted for the
sketch of this church, became pastor of the
congregation.
Outside the city of York this is one of the
most influential congregations in the county.
It has a membership of 465 at present,
among whom are many of the most promi-
nent citizens of the community.
The Sunday School has an enrollment of
325. The church property consists of the
church building, a large chapel, and the par-
sonage, altogether valued at about $20,000.
In the spring of 1906 Rev. A. H. Heilman
resigned this charge and accepted the pas-
torate of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church
at Hanover. Rev. Norman S. Wolf, then in
the senior class of the Theological Semi-
nary at Gettysburg, was chosen his suc-
cessor, and assumed pastoral relations with
the congregation in June, 1907, immediately
after his graduation from the seminary.
The Reformed congregation was organ-
ized in 1822, and from 1827 worshipped
jointly with the Lutheran congregation in a
brick church until 1874, when the Luther-
ans withdrew and the Reformed alone oc-
cupied the church.. In 1882 this building
was torn down and a fine brick building was
erected on Main Street, dedicated on May
13, 1883, by Rev. A. F. Dreisbach, T. G. Ap-
ple, D. D., president of Franklin and Mar-
shall College, and J. S. Stahr, D. D. After
the church was built the congregation rap-
idly increased in numbers, under the care of
Rev. A. F. Dreisbach.
The following ministers have served the
congregation : A. Ettinger, H. Yost, Henr.y
Fries. F. A. Scholl, H. N. B. Habliston, J.
August Forsch, John Reinecka, C. W.
Reinecka, D. D., J. W. Vandersloot, Daniel
Gring, who served the charge for twenty-
seven years, and A. F. Dreisbach. During
the past ten 3'ears, under the pastoral care
of Rev. H. J. Hillegas, this congregation
has increased in numbers and influence.
The Shrewsbury Savings Institu-
Bank. tion was incorporated on June 6,
1850, with a capital of $25,000.
Henry Latimer was chosen its first presi-
dent and Robert Richey its first cashier.
June 3, 1876, G. P. Everhart became the
president. March 23, 1857, John Hoshour
became the cashier and was followed No-
vember 26, 1870, by J. V. Giesey, who was
succeeded November 2, 1872, by A. G. Col-
lins, on March 4, 1882, by A. D. Collins. In
1905 A. D. Collins was chosen president, to
succeed Dr. James Gerry, deceased, and
William Myers was elected cashier.
SPRING GROVE.
The borough of Spring Grove is of re-
cent origin, but the settlement of the sur-
rounding country dates back to the dawn
of civilization west of the Susquehanna.
The site of the town was originally within
the area of Paradise Township, laid off in
1747 by Joseph Pidgeon, a surveyor for the
Penns.
After 1858, when Jackson Township was
organized, this region was embraced in that
9IO
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
township until Spring Grove was incor-
porated in 1882. At the time of the irrst
election George ]\Ienges was chosen chief
burgess; P. H. Glatfelter, AI. W. Lau,
Charles Michael, Dietrich Swartz and
Israel Klinedinst, councilmen ; T. V. S.
Ouigley, clerk and George Seller, justice of
the peace.
A post office was established about one
mile north of the town in 1828 and Abra-
ham Bletcher was appointed postmaster.
The original name of the post office was
Pidgeon Hill, which it retained for many
years. Mrs. Bletcher, William '\\'ilson, P.
H. Glatfelter. and George AA'agner
served before 1885. The postmasters since
that date in order of succession have Ijeen
C. VV. Bauer. George G. Wagner. George
Bollinger. Charles Menges and H. H.
Hawkins.' Although the town was incor-
porated as Spring Grove Borough, the
name of the post office is Spring Forge,
because another post town in Pennsylvania
bears the name of Spring Grove.
Dr. M. Hoke and Dr. G. W. Bahn have
practiced medicine at Spring Grove for
twenty years. Dr. L. A. Roth, who prac-
ticed his profession for many years at
Nashville, has recently moved to Spring
Gro\'e. A. J. Hershey. a member of the
York County Bar, resides at Spring Grove.
On the southern base of the
Forge and wooded hills to the northwest
Bloomary. of Spring Grove are deposits
of iron ore. These deposits
were mentioned by Acrelius. a Swedish
historian, who passed through this country
As early as 1752. Peter Djcks, an English
Quaker, engaged in the iron business in
Chester County, came to this region in
1755, and that year erected a bloomary
along the banks of the Codorus, within the
present limits of Spring Grove. This was
the first iron industry west of the Susque-
hanna within the limits of Pennsylvania.
A number of English workmen were em-
ployed at the bloomary, but all the settlers
of the surrounding country who began to
come here as early as 1740 were Germans.
The pioneer bloomary which Peter Dicks
erected was discontinued in 1770, and near
a spring close by he built a forge which
became known to the history of iron manu-
facture in Pennsylvania as Spring Forge.
This industry then contained t\vo forge
fires and two hammers. The largest amount
of bar iron made in a year at this forge
during its early historj'- was 22^ tons. In
1775 the property was bought by Daniel
Shireman. It then contained a forge and
one thousand acres of land. In 1778, when
the British occupied Philadelphia, and
when Congress sat at York, wagon loads
of bar iron were hauled from Spring
Forge to the eastern part of the state fo'-
use in prosecuting the war. Some of this
iron was made into cannon for the Ameri-
can army.
The forge property was purchased by
John Brien, a lawyer of Philadelphia, in
1800, and then contained a forge, 180 acres
of cleared land and 700 acres of woodland,
all of which were then valued at 2,100
pounds, or about $10,500.
David Eaton, of Philadelphia, became
the owner of the forge and 980 acres of
woodland, in 1807, and sold it to Robert
Coleman, owner of the Cornwall iron mines
and furnaces near Lebanon in 181 5, for
$9,000. From the year 1817 to 1850 it was
owned by his son, Thomas Burd Coleman,
who in connection with his brother, Robert
W. Coleman, did a large business at Spring-
Forge. When the Colemans became the
owners of this land and the forge there
were 1,093 acres of woodland on the Pid-
geon Hills belonging to the forge property.
The entire valuation was $11,000. During
the year 1832 the forge property was as-
sessed at $32,000.
In 1849 there were 190 tons of bar iron
made, forty workmen employed, and
twenty-five horses and oxen were used.
The Colemans built a large stone residence
and a number of tenement houses for their
employees at the forge, and log cabins on
the Pidgeon Hills for their wood choppers.
Chestnut wood was burned into charcoal
for use at the forge. From 1,000 to 1,500
cords were annually consumed. The forge
and bloomary were in active operation for
ninety-four years, during which time the
same chestnut tiinber land was cleared at
least three times. One strong Irishman, it
is asserted, cut seven cords of wood a day,
and on a wager once lifted 525 pounds of
iron. A man named AA'ilkinson could daily
cut seven cords of chestnut wood. When
the Colemans owned the forge, pig iron
was brought from Columbia and York by
SPRING GROVE
911
teams, and was manufactured into saw
plates, forge iron for wagons, and a va-
riety of forms of wrought iron for general
purposes. The pig iron was placed in a
charcoal fire of intense heat and melted and
from this a bloom was made. The bloom
then went through another refining pro-
cess, more of the carbon being removed by
heating and pure wrought iron formed.
A fire in 1830 caused considerable dam-
age, and in the year 1840 almost the entire
forge was destroyed by a second fire ; all
the works except the water wheel and coal
shed were burned. They were rebuilt and
continued in operation until 185 1.
Jacob Hauer, who came from Colebrook
Furnace, in Lebanon County, located at
Spring Forge in 1835, and was manager of
the business until he purchased the inter-
ests. He then had the large tracts of wood-
land on the Pidgeon Hills surveyed into
smaller tracts and sold them. On several
occasions there were destructive fires in
these woodland hills. The forge ceased to
be operated in 185 1 and a paper mill was
started.
The manufacture of paper was
Spring begun at Spring Grove by Jacob
Grove Hauer, soon after the iron busi-
Paper ness was discontinued. He con-
Mills, ducted this new business until his
death in 1853. After this event it
was conducted by his heirs, and managed
by Mr. Bradley for a time and then leased
to a firm in Philadelphia. In 1863 P. H.
Glatfelter purchased the paper mill and all
its interests for $14,000. He had carefully
learned the art of paper-making with the
firm of Loucks & Hofifman, at Paper Mills,
Maryland, having been in their employ
from 1857 until the time he purchased the
Spring Grove mills. The capacity then was
1,500 pounds of paper a day, which by im-
provement was increased to 4.000 pounds
in 1868. Mr. Glatfelter began the erection
of buildings in 1874, and furnished them
with entirely new machinery.
In 1880 the business of the Spring Grove
mills had grown to such proportions that it
became necessary to increase the capacity
of the plant. A contract was entered into
with the Pusey & Jones Company, of
Wilmington, Delaware, to furnish an im-
proved Fourdrinier machine, lOi inches in
width.
The installation of this machine necessi-
tated the erection of several buildings, a
brick smoke stack, 90 feet high, and the
addition of other machinery in the various
departments, such as steam boilers, steam
engines, washing engines, beating engines,
Jordan refining engines, pumps, etc.
About this time it became evident that
the soda process for producing fibre, or
pulp, from wood, would be the coming
fibre, and the enterprising spirit of the pro-
prietor caused him to investigate the mer-
its of this process thoroughly. As a result
he entered into a contract for the instal-
lation, of a plant of sui^cient capacity to
supply the necessary pulp for his enlarged
plant.
When the plant started in 1881, to make'
pulp from jack pine and poplar wood, it
seemed marvelous to all who looked into
the process. From that time the use of
straw pulp for newspaper was relegated to
the background and in the course of several
years was abandoned entirely at this mill.
Thus at the end of five years the production
of the Spring Grove mills was increased
from 8,500 pounds to 30,000 pounds every
twenty-four hours, and the number of em-
ployees increased from 31 to no. The im-
proved Fourdrinier machine referred to
above was the largest in the world from
1881 to 1887.
When George W. Childs, proprietor of
the " Public Ledger," of Philadelphia, in-
stalled two of the largest perfecting
presses in the world, in 1887, requiring a
roll of paper 94 inches wide, he found that
the Spring Grove miM was the only paper
manufacturing plant in the country that
could furnish this width roll. He sent his
general manager, Mr. Rowan, to Spring
Grove, which visit resulted in an order
being placed for rolls 94 inches wide with
this mill. These mills supplied paper for
many years to Charles E. Warburton. pub-
lisher of the Philadelphia " Evening Tele-
graph." one of the best afternoon papers in
America.
Mr. Glatfelter also furnished the paper
for several of the large daily journals of
Pittsburg and many newspaper offices in
Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 1892 he
discontinued the manufacture of paper for
printing newspapers and began to make
book, lithograph and blank book paper.
912
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
for which the Spring Grove mills have be-
come famous all over the countr}^
The cost of the mill erected in 1874 was
$200,000. Other improvements and build-
ings were added as the business increased
and developed. The buildings of this im-
mense plant in 1907 cover five acres or
more and with machinery are valued at
$700,000. The wood used in manufacturing
book paper is poplar and Jack or Nigger
pine, and costs from $6.00 to $9.00 a cord,
delivered. The machinerj' of the plant is
operated b}' a 1,200 horse-power triple ex-
pansion engine and two 300 horse-power,
one 1 00 horse-power, four 50 horse-power,
four 30 horse-power, and two 15 horse-
power engines, which for effective com-
' pleteness are unsurpassed. Water is also
utilized as a motive power. The process of
making paper at this mill is completed
from the raw material in three days. About
100 tons of coal are consumed daily. In
1907, 325 persons were employed. The
mill is run day and night and is lighted by
electricity, the plant being a part of the
paper mill property. One of the smoke
stacks is 200 feet high, one 100 and an-
other 90 feet high. During the past sev-
eral years over $800,000 worth of business
was transacted annually, and the demand
for paper frequently exceeded the amount
manufactured. The disbursement yearly to
employees is over $125,000. The paper
made here is sold in nearly every section
of the United States. These mills fur-
nish large quantities to the government
printing oiSce at Washington, D. C. They
are situated along the lines of two rail-
roads and convenient to pure water, which
is essential to the production of paper. In
order to meet competition and hold the
large trade, improvements have been made
from time to time until the plant in 1907
has a capacity of 90,000 pounds of book
paper, each 24 hours. There are four
Fourdrinier paper machines, one 100 inches
wide, one 86 inches wide, one 82 inches
wide and one 62 inches wide.
P. H. Glatfelter, who began this ex-
tensive business in 1863, has been ably as-
sisted by his son, William L. Glatfelter,
since 1887. The business was incorporated
in 1906 as The P. H. Glatfelter Company,
with a capital of $1,000,000. The entire
stock of the company is owned by P. H.
Glatfelter, \\'. L. Glatfelter and C. E. Moul,
a son-in-law.
Philip H. Glatfelter, the enterprising
manufacturer who built up this large busi-
ness at Spring Grove, is also the president
and principal owner of the York Manu-
facturing Company, one of the largest in-
dustrial establishments in southern Penn-
sjdvania. He divides his time in directing
the interests and managing the affairs of
both these business enterprises which have
furnished employment to many people in
the city and county of York. A personal
histor)^ of Mr. Glatfelter will be found on
page 225 in the second volume of this work.
To his well directed efforts and masterly
ability the borough of Spring Grove owes
its origin and prosperity. He has given lib-
erally toward the erection of churches,
school buildings and other interests in-
tended to promote the public welfare of the
community with which he has been identi-
fied since his early manhood. The Aldine
Hotel, one of the best hostelries in southern
Pennsylvania, was erected by Mr. Glatfel-
ter for the purpose of furnishing good ac-
commodations to the traveling public.
Spring Grove contains no licensed houses
for the sale of intoxicating liquors.
The Spring Grove brick kilns
Other were established in 1879 by
Industries. Peter S. Alwine, who then
owned a brick yard in Para-
dise Township, and also operated one near
New Oxford, in Adams County. He pros-
pered in this business until the time of his
death, making annually at his Spring
Grove yards about 700,000 bricks. This
business has in recent years been conducted
by his sons, Lewis H. Alwine and William
C. Alwine, who own a large brick yard at
Berlin Junction, near Hanover.
Pennsylvania Knitting Mills Company
was organized in 1906, with a paid in cap-
ital stock of $10,000. William C. Dickin-
son, Jr., is president; L. H. Alwine, vice
president; A. J. Hershey, secretary, and
Harry C. Stitt, treasurer. The company
owns its plant and is engaged in the manu-
facture of stockings for children, with 25
employees.
The First National Bank of
Banks. Spring Grove was organized No-
vember 8. 1902, with a capital
stock of $50,000. The first officers and di-
SPRING GROVE 913
rectors were AV. L. Glatfelter, president; renovated at a cost of $4,400. In 1893, the
M. W. Lau, vice president; A. H. Stauffer, congregation purchased a lot upon which
cashier; P. H. Glatfelter. George H. Kraft, was erected a parsonage, the entire cost of
Samuel Swartz. Dr. M. Hoke, PI. H. Loose, the property amounting to $8,000.
R. H. Shindel, F. C. Heistand, M. J. Kelly, In 1905, Rev. Martin L. Clare was
and John F. Hershey. chosen pastor. The membership in 1907
The bank has had a prosperous career was 425, with a Sunday School numbering
since its organization, and in 1907 the sur- 350. Owing to the rapid increase of the
plus was $15,000; undivided profits, $4,304, congregation, in 1906 plans were laid for
and amount of deposits, $197,000. The the erection of a large church. A chapel
bank has declared a semi-annual dividend for the use of the Sunday School was com-
of two per cent, since January, 1906. pleted in 1906 at a cost of $15,000. In
Peoples National Bank of Spring Grove 1907, P. H. Glatfelter, M. W. Lau and
was organized early in 1906, with P. H. George Miller, as a building committee,
Hershey, president ; L. H. Alwine, vice completed plans for the erection of a
president; Harry C. Stitt, cashier; A. D. church at a cost of $35,000. The archi-
Swartz, teller; directors. P. H. Hershey, tects are Hamme & Leber. The church
L. H. Alwine, J. T. Crist, E. S. Senft, when completed will have a granite base
George AA". Rohrbaugh, Charles E. Hoke, wnth a superstructure of Hummelstown
Rev. N. AA\ Sechler, Charles Brenneman brownstone. It will be of Gothic archi-
and A. E. J\Iarkle. A handsome two-story tecture, with the interior finished through-
brick building was erected and the bank out in quartered oak. This will be one of
opened its doors for business March 17, the most ornamental churches in York
1906, with a capital stock of $50,000, and County.
has since done an encouraging business. In 1882 Rev. Henry Hilbish, pastor of
St. Paul's Evangelical Luth- Trinity Reformed Church at Hanover, be-
Churches. eran Church was organized gan to conduct religious services at Spring
Alarch 10, 1879, by Rev. Daniel Grove. His efforts resulted in the organ-
J. Hauer, D. D., who was then serving a ization of Mt. Zion Reformed congregation,
charge composed of several congregations. In 1883 ^ church building was erected in
including Lischy's church a short distance the north end of the town. The members
south of Spring Grove. Religious services of the building committee were George
had been held in the village school house Hoke, George Rennoll and Zachariah Mil-
until the erection of a church building ler. Rev. J. H. Hartman, who succeeded
which was dedicated on Easter Sunday, as pastor of the Hanover charge, continued
1880. 'i'he cost of the church and furnish- services here for several years and was suc-
ings was about $15,000. Rev. Dr. Hauer cessful in building up the interests of the
with the exception of one year, continued congregation. Rev. Jacob Miller acted as
as pastor of the congregation until 1890. a supply for one year when Re^^ A. P.
At this date he was eighty-three years of Frantz was called in 1901. During his
age and retired from the ministry. He re- pastorate the present church building was
sided in Hanover until the time of his death erected at a cost of $20,000, including the
in 1901, at the age of ninety-five years. interior furnishings. It is a beautiful
Dr. Plauer was a native of Frederick, structure, built of brown sandstone from
Maryland, and was licensed to preach in a design prepared by Architect J. A. Demp-
1825. before there was a Lutheran seminary wolf. This house of worship was dedi-
in the United States. His first pastoral du- cated in December. 1903, Rev. John Sech-
ties were performed in the state of North ler, D. D., of Philadelphia, preaching the
Carolina, in 1826. He continued in the sermon. In February, 1905, J. N. Foust
ministry for the long period of sixty-three succeeded as pastor of this congregation,
years. March 9. 1890, Rev. A. A. Parr sue- which in 1907 had 150 members. The Sun-
ceeded as pastor of the congregation and day School with A. J. Hershey as superin-
continued until 1905. In 1891, a room for tendent has 200 teachers and scholars,
the primary department of the Sunday The United Brethren in Christ organized
School was erected and the entire church a congregation in Spring Grove in 1901.
914
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLVANIA
The first pastor was Rev. M. ]. Heberle.
who remained two years. He was suc-
ceeded by Rev. J. \V. Grimm. The pastor
in 1907 was Rev. W. J. Marks.
The Church of the Sacred Heart.— The
Catholics of Spring Grove, realizing the
need of spiritual devotion, applied to Rt.
Rev. J. W. Shanahan, of Harrisburg, for a
priest to attend to their wants. At his
command Rev. William Hooman, of York,
was appointed in 1901. The first services
were held in the home of William Allen and
were attended by forty-seven members.
Here the congregation worshipped until
1903, when the house of worship formerly
owned by the Reformed congregation, was
purchased. After some repairs, the church
was dedicated in June, 1904, under the di-
rection of Rev. Samuel J. Milner, who was
placed in charge of that congregation.
Father Milner looked after the spiritual
needs of the congregation until August,
1904, when he was succeeded by Rev. Wil-
liam F. Boyle, the present pastor. The cost
of the church wdien purchased was $1,500,
repairs, etc., $800. The congregation now
numbers seventeen families and eighty-two
souls.
The Y'oung Men's Christian
Y. M. C. A. Association was started De-
cember 15. 1901, with a pre-
liminary organization. December 29, 1901,
the first officers were elected, and January
19, 1902, saw the first constitution adopted.
About the middle of February of this year
the first General Secretary, Frank Iv. Hay-
cock took charge and served the Associa-
tion until October, 1903. At that time the
present Secretary was given the control of
the work, and what is known as Club or-
ganization was put into efilect in all the
branches of the Association. Since 1903
the Association space has been quadrupled
and a Men's Club and a Boys" Day and
Night Club have been developed. The
Hand Book of the Association shows a
large work in all its departments. ' The
Men's Club under a committee of active
members with sub-committees do all the
recognized work of an Association, laying
special stress on Bible study and educa-
tional work. This Club has made a strong
name for itself in athletics the last few
3'ears. The Boys' Club under boy disci-
pline administered by the boys themselves
is among the most modern in equipment
and work of an original nature in Pennsyl-
vania. Bible study in pedagogical courses,
educational work of a supplementary na-
ture to the public school, consisting of
reading circles, a Boys' Literary Order of
a secret nature (Knights of King Arthur),
and manual training in wood-working, so-
cial functions suited to boy nature, includ-
ing summer camps, and nature study clubs,
as well as a complete course of physical
training in a well-equipped gymnasium
with bath room and kindred facilities fill up
the round of the work.
In 1907 the officers and directors were: ^_
W. L. Glatfelter, president ; John L. Alex- ^M
ander, secretary and physical director; M. ^|
R. Berkheimer, treasurer; W. B. Johnston,
John M. Koutz, H. H. Hawkins, W. H.
Menges, P. F. Lau.
Of these Messrs. Glatfelter, Berkheimer
and Johnston have been officers and direc-
tors from, the founding of the Association.
The other original officers and directors
were A. C. Wiest, Esq., secretary; Samuel
Swartz and Ezra Bahn. The Y. M. C. A.
building was erected through the liberality
of W. L. Glatfelter.
When the Colemans owned the
Schools, large forge at Spring Grove, they
donated a tract of land on which
was huih a house for public religious wor-
ship and for school purposes. A school
was well kept in it for nine months of the
year a long time. Different religious de-
nominations were allowed the use of the
building. It was finally rented by the
township directors for public school pur-
poses. About 1880 this building was torn
down and a brick one erected by the Jack-
son Township directors at a cost of $1,200.
Of this sum P. H. Glatfelter contributed
$600.
As the town grew and increased in pop-
ulation, this building was enlarged. It re-
mained in use until 1899. During this
year the borough school board, composed
of W. L. Glatfelter, president; Rev. Fred
A. Geesey, secretary ; George B. Miller,
treasurer; C. W. Bauer. Isaac W. Lau and
R. G. Kessler. laid plans for the erection of
a large building. J. A. Dempwolf, of York,
furnished the plans and a, handsome brick
building was erected on an elevation over-
looking the borough from the north. This
STEW ARTSTOWN
915
Iniilding contains six large rooms and is
supplied with modern furniture and equip-
ments. These schools are well graded and
follow a regular course of study, planned
hy the school board.
The Spring Grove Riplet was founded
January i, 1897, by Charles H. Sprenkle,
who has since published that excellent
family journal. It has reached a wide cir-
culation throughout the central and west-
ern parts of York County, and is distributed
among many of its friends who now reside
in the western states.
STEW ARTSTOWN.
The borough of Stewartstown is situated
in the southern part of Hopewell Town-
ship. The land on which the town stands
was purchased in 1812 by Anthony Stew-
art, an intelligent Scotch-Irishman, whose
ancestors had settled in this region many
years before. In iSi-j. David Edgar made
a survey of a part of Stewart's land and
laid it off into nineteen lots. In 1814 Ben-
edict Mead purchased a lot. erected a house
and opened a store and ta\'ern within the
limits of the town. His place of business
became a centre of attraction and interest
to the people of Hopewell, who began to
call the village " Meadstown." It went bv
this name with the inhabitants of the sur-
rounding region for nearlv half a century.
Stewart succeeded in selling more of his
lots to different tradesmen who followed
their occupations and in 1825, when a num-
ber of people held a meeting to petition the
government for a postoffice, decided to call
the town IMechanicsburg. There was an-
other postoffice in the state by that name
and the government accepted the name
Guilford. Anthony Stewart became the
first postmaster in 1828. The postoffice re-
tained the name Guilford until 1838 when it
was changed to Stewartstown. The villag-
ers, however, and the people in that vicinity
persisted in calling this interesting settle-
ment Mechanicsljurg, and in 1851 it was
incorporated with that name. This con-
flicted with the name of the postoffice and
also displeased Anthony Stewart, who in
1853, through the assistance of Adam
Ebaugh, a prominent citizen of the neigh-
borhood, secured the passage of an act of
legislature which changed the name to
Stewartstown. It was then that the fond-
est hopes of the founder wer*^ realized, for
he desired that the town should be named
in his honor.
Anthony Stewart was an ingenious me-
chanic. For many years he made spinning-
wheels and sold them in town and sur-
rounding country. He possessed a good
intellect, was a diligent student of science,
and made a special study of astronomy.
He was an albino and died in 1866 at the
age of seventy-eight years. A neat marble
monument in the Presbyterian churchyard
marks his resting place.
The postmasters who succeeded Anthony
Stewart were Jacob Forman, Agnes Ful-
ton, Mrs. Green, James A. Grove, William
Hartman, J. G. Hammond, appointed in
1885: Benton G. Bell, 1898, and William
H. Fulton, 1902. There are four rural de-
livery routes extending out from Stewarts-
town. The mail in 1907 was carried by
Oscar K. Seitz, Elmer Evans, Jacob Ep
pie}' and William Sweitzer.
Stewartstown is one of the most attract-
ive boroughs in York County. An earnest
religious sentiment has always pervaded
the community and for a period of forty
years, no license has been granted in the
town for the sale of intoxicating liquors.
Dr. John L- Free and Dr. Joseph R. Mar-
tin each practiced medicine at Stewarts-
town for thirty years. They were suc-
ceeded by Dr. Evans Free and Dr. Nelson
Dennick.
Union Church. — The first re-
Religious ligious services in Stewartstown
History. were held in the village school
house, and were conducted 1)}'
clergymen of dift'erent Christian denomina-
tions. At a meeting held October 22, 1839,
it was decided to erect a church. The first
vestry was composed of Henry Anstine and
Samuel Baird, to represent the Methodist
Protestants : Archibald Steele Jordan and
Henry Fulton, the Presbyterians ; Joseph
Leib and Jacob Waltemeyer, the Baptists :
Adam Ebaugh and Michael Kurtz, the Re-
formed and Lutherans. Deeds for the land
were executed by George Anstine and \\ife.
^^'illiam Griffith and wife, and Henry
Ebaugh. Upon this site which cost $45, a
house of worship was built in 1843, ^^ ^ cost
of $1,200. Benedict Meade was the larg-
est contributor, $50. Judge Ebaugh. who
at that time was a member of the state sen-
9i6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ate, received valuable contributions to the
church, from his fellow members. The
building continued to be used by different
denominations until other churches were
erected.
The Presbyterian Church. — The early
settlers of Stewartstown and vicinity were
largely Presbyterians, and many of them
attended religious services at the Round
Hill Church. In 1844, Rev. Stephen Boyer,
of York, organized the Presbyterian con-
gregation with David K. Ebaugh and Arch-
ibald Thompson as elders. Some of the
first members were James Anderson, James
Smeaden, Dr. Henry Ebaugh, J\Iiss Jane
Jordan (afterward wife of Dr. J. L,. Free),
Robert Gemmill and James Jordan. The
last two were elders. Rev. S. Hume Smith,
a graduate of Jefferson College, became
stated supply June 17, 1845, '"•"'^ fi-'ll Pas-
tor June 2, 185 1. In 1848 the membership
was thirty-eight. The pastor died Feb-
ruary 4, 1857. Soon after the death of the
pastor Rev. J. Y. Cowhick became a supply
of this church. On May 29, 1859, he was
ordained and installed pastor of this con-
gregation and was also pastor of the Hope-
well and Centre Churches until -1873, when
he resigned the Hopewell charge. The
congregation continued to worship in the
Union Church until 1862, when a brick
building was erected, for which two acres
of land were conveyed by Nicholas Richey,
for $105. The church land was conveyed
to Robert Gemmill, Levi Zellers. W'illiam
Fulton, Henry Fulton, Henry Hammond,
David Anderson and Dr. John L. Free,
trustees. Robert Gemmill contracted to
build the church for $2,400 but was a loser.
In June, 1875, R^v. J. Y. Cowhick re-
signed his charge and became pastor of a
church in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory.
Rev. J. M. McGauchy, a recent graduate of
Princeton, was the successor, and was or-
dained and installed November 4, 1875, and
began a series of meetings, lasting five
weeks, during which time fifty new mem-
bers were added to the congregation. In
1878, he accepted a charge at Laramie, Wy-
oming Territory. Rev. W. H. Fentress
was a supply until the election of Rev. H.
B. Scott, who was pastor from. 1879 to
1882. Rev. A. S. Fox, a graduate of Yale
Theological Seminary, became the pastor
in 1883, and he was succeeded by Rev. AV.
H. P. Smith. The latter was pastor until
1901, when Rev. Albert G. Parker was in-
stalled. He remained three years, and
was succeeded by Rev. K. M. Bull. Dur-
ing the violent storm in October, 1897, one
end of the church was blown down, so that
the building was unfit to be used for relig-
ious worship, and in the succeeding year,
a handsome brick edifice was erected at a
cost of $15,000. It was designed by Jo-
seph Dise, of Glen Rock. The audience
room is in the form of an amphitheatre and
is furnished with opera chairs. This is
one of the largest Presbyterian congrega-
tions in York County, and numbers over
400 members.
The Methodist Church of Stewartstown
was founded in 1833 when the first religiotis
services were held at the home of John
Leib. The services were afterward held in
a school house, south of town. The first
house of worship known as the Hopewell
Methodist Church was erected a short dis-
tance south of town. The early pastors of
the congregation belonged to Castle Fin
Circuit. In 1872 the original building was
torn down and a church erected at a cost of
$11,000. Some of the early clergymen who
served this church were : Revs. John E.
Floyd, E. A. Deavor, J. M. Clarke, J. Rus-
sel, Asbury Geyer, H. R. Bender, B. F.
Stevens, N. W. Colburn, P. P. Strawinski,
John A. Mattern. The pastor in 1907 is
Rev. J. Rollin Ebner.
The Methodist Protestants have had a
considerable following in Hopewell and ad-
joining townships, during the last half cen-
tury.
Soon after the erection of Union Church,
at Stewartstown, a congregation was or-
ganized and was served by different pas-
tors, who increased the membership.
Within recent years the Methodist Prot-
estant people have owned and occupied a
beautiful frame church in Stewartstown.
The congregation has lately been served
by Rev. George M. Clayton.
The academy, chartered as
Academy. Stewartstown English and
Classical Institute, was founded
in 185 1 through the efforts of Rev. S. Hume
Smith, pastor of the Presbyterian Church.
J. A. Murphy became the first principal and
opened the institute in the public school
house in 1857. Dr. John L. Free, Daniel
STEWARTSTOAVN
917
Leib, David K. Ebaugh, AVilliam Griffith
and Joel Mitzel composed the first board of
trustees. An academy building was erected
in 1857 and enlarged in 1873. The school
prospered under the principalship of J. A.
jNIurphy, who prepared a large number of
young men and women for teaching and
for entrance to higher institutions of learn-
ing. With the exception of a few years he
was principal of the academy from 1857
until the time of his retirement in 1872.
Some of the succeeding principals of this
school were William Chandler, George JM.
Ettinger, J. O. A. Jones, J. W. Edie, Rev.
J. McElway," Henry A. Gable, F. N. D.
Brown, James Greene, M. R. Beck, James
Elliot, H. T. Dawson, Charles T. Wright,
W. L. Hofifheins, J. E. Bahn, D. C. AA'eller,
Henry M. Paine and G. AA'. Devilbis.
Among the business men of
Business the borough twenty-five years
Interests, ago. were James Fulton. AA'. AA".
Hartman, C. C. Prall, J. C.
Hammond, E. H. Redding, J. H. Fulton,
Colonel Jordan. S. Gable. R. M. Richey,
Hoshour, Disc & Company.
An impetus to the growth and devel-
opment of Stewartstown resulted from the
completion of the railroad to join the
Northern Central Railway at New Free-
dom, a distance of seven miles. The road
was opened with great ceremony Septem-
ber ID, 1885, in the presence of 3,000 people.
The original officers and directors of this
company were, James Fulton, president ; J.
AA^ Anderson, vice-president ; A. G. Bow-
man, Andrew Anderson. Andrew Leib, John
B. Gemmill, John AA'iley, John S. Leib, John
Marsteller. AA'illiam Hammel. Jacob Alt-
house. J. Y. Keeney, M. AA". Bahn and
James C. Jordan. Li 1907, Joseph Ander-
son was president of the company and M.
AA". Bahn, general manager.
In 1906, the Stewartstown and Fawn
Grove Railroad was completed and opened
for use. A description of this event will be
found on page 617.
The Stewartstown AA'ater Company was
organized in December, 1904, with Allen L
Frey, president. Since the summer of 1905
this company has supplied Stewartstown
with pure spring water.
In 1907, the Deer Creek AA'ater & AA'ater
Power Company was organized for the pur-
pose of furnishing electric light to Stew-
artstown and \icinity. The company pur-
chased the grist mill formerly owned by
Adam Ebaugh, situated a short distance
southwest of town. A plant was erected
and during the summer of 1907, Stewarts-
town for the first time was lighted by elec-
tricity. John N. Logan, a member of the
York County Bar, is president of the com-
pany ; James H. Gable, secretar}-, and
Charles F. Ramsay, treasurer.
James Fulton & Sons Company, success-
ors to James Fulton, conduct a large mer-
cantile business here. The company is
composed of AA'illiam H. Fulton. Thomas B.
Fulton, C. AV. Shaw and AV. AV. Bell.
George F. Trout does a general merchan-
dising business. Harry Mull owns a drug
store; A. J. Baker, jewelry store; Jacob M.
Folckemmer, saddle and harness ; John AA^.
Kisiner, saw and grist mill ; Mrs. J. Robert
Green, millinery; Augustus Neller & Com-
pany, flour, feed, fertilizer and carriages.
The Stewartstown Lumber & Manufac-
turing Company was organized in 1891,
with a capital stock of $20,000. Joseph W.
Anderson is president of the company; Al-
len I. Frey, treasurer, and AA'ebster C. Mc-
Clung, secretar3^
The Stew-artstown Furniture Company
employs about fortj'-five workmen in the
manufacture of sideboards, buft'ets, chiffo-
niers and other furniture. AA'illiam H. Ful-
ton is president, and W. C. McClung, sec-
retary and treasurer.
J. C. Leib & Company are engaged in the
preparation of husks for mattresses, and
also buy and sell produce, fertilizers and
farm implements. J. C. Heckert >& Com-
pany manufacture cigars.
The First National Bank of Stewarts-
town was organized in 1891 with a capital
stock of $50,000. The institution opened
its doors for business with an encourag-ing
outlook. The bank organized by the elec-
tion of James Fulton, president, and Cyrus
AA'. Coe, cashier. At the time of his death,
Mr. Fulton was succeeded in the presi-
dency by his son, Thomas B. Fulton. The
officers and directors in 1907 were : Thomas
B. Fulton, president ; M. AA". Bahn, vice
president; C. AA". Coe, cashier; Samuel H.
Smith, Edward Lanius, Acquila M. Straw-
bridge, AA". J. P. Gemmill, Joseph AA". An-
derson, Thomas C. Hunter, E. B. McClung.
Thomas B. Fulton and M. AA". Bahn. In
9i8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
1907 the surplus was $30,000, undivided
profits, $7,700, and deposits, $290,000.
The Peoples National Bank was organ-
ized in 1902 with a capital stock of
$25,000. Augustus Neller was president ;
^^'illiam N. Ziegler, vice president, and
Charles F. Ramsay, cashier. In 1907 the
capital stock was $50,000, surplus and un-
divided profits. $6,300, and deposits,
$105,000.
The Stewartstown News, a neatly
printed weekly newspaper, has reached a
wide circulation among the intelligent peo-
ple of the lower end of York County.
Newton G. Shaw is editor. A\'. R. S.
Anstine is secretary and treasurer of the
company.
Company C of the 87th Regi-
Military. nient, Pennsylvania Volunteers,
was recruited in Hopewell,
Chanceford, Fawn, Lower Chanceford and
"Windsor Townships. It was mustered into
service at York, September 14, 1861, with
Andrew G. Fulton, of Stewartstown, cap-
tain; Murray S. Cross, of AA'indsor, first
lieutenant, and AMlliam E. Patterson, of
Hopewell, second lieutenant. They joined
the regiment at Camp Scott, York. Com-
pany C had a good record during the three
years of its service. Captain Fulton re-
signed December 24, 1862, when he was
chosen colonel of the i66th Pennsylvania
Alilitia Regiment in the nine months' ser-
vice. Lieutenant Cross was promoted to
captain and commanded the company until
the term of service expired in October,
1864. Charles H. Stallman, who had been
promoted from sergeant-major to first lieu-
tenant of Company C and about twentv
of his men were captured on the skirmish
line in front of Petersburg, Virginia, June
22. . 1864. Lieutenant Stallman and his
men were held in southern prisons until the
war had ended in the summer of 1865.
WELLSVILLE.
In the western part of Warrington Town-
ship in a fertile region of co\intry. lies the
interesting town of Wellsville. It is situ-
ated a short distance northwest of the AA'ar-
rington Friends' Meeting House, on the
road leading from York to Dillsburg. The
land upon which this town has been built
was originally purchased from the sons of
AA'illiam Penn in 1737 Ijy AA'illiam .\vles.
one of the original Quaker settlers in War-
rington. The town assumed its name
shortly after the establishment of the whip
factory in 1843. It became a post village
about 1850. Owing to the prosperity of the
manufacturing interests, AA'ellsville has be-
come one of the most attractive towns in
York County. The population is composed
entirely of English-speaking people and the
community is noted for its general intelli-
gence and its earnest support of public
education. AVellsville was incorporated
into a borough June 30, 1892.
The industr)^ that has brought
AVells prosperity to AA^ellsville is a
AVhip large whip factory, one of the
Company, leading establishments of this
kind in the United States. In
1837 Peter Mclntyre, one of the associate
judges of York County, and Abraham AA'ells
started this business at York, under the
firm name of Mclntyre and AA^ells. In 1841
Abraham AA'^ells withdrew his interest from
the firm of Mclntyre & AVells and moved
to AA'ellsville and started the business of
whip making. John E. AA'ells' became a
partner in 1841 and aided in building up an
extensive manufacturing business. The
whips made were of an excellent quality and
found a ready sale. AVells Brothers also
started a tannery nearby for the manufac-
ture of leather to be used in the making of
whips. In 1859 AA'illiam Riddle of Pitts-
burg became a member of the firm operat-
ing the whip factory and a branch of this
business was established in that city. From
1S61 to 1865, during the period of the Civil
AA'ar, AA^ells, Riddle & Company made large
quantities of artillery whips and army belts
for the United States government.
The patriotic spirit of AA'ellsville and
vicinity was quite prominent and during the
continuance of the war, about sixty of the
employees of this factory enlisted for the
defence of the Union. Owing to the de-
parture of so many of the young men to
join the army, the factory at AA'ellsville was
compelled to employ boys from the Penn-
syh'ania House of Refuge. In 1865 the
factory at Pittsburg was discontinued and
from that time forth the business at AA'ells-
\'ille was conducted by the firm of A. and J.
E. AA'ells. Abraham AA'ells, the senior mem-
ber of the firm, died in 1870, and the busi-
ness was then continued Idv J. E. AA'ells &
WELLSVILLE
919
Company, with James Gowen ^^"ells, a son
of Abraham Wells, as a partner. In 1878
Mrs. Margaret Wells purchased the inter-
est of J. E. Wells and the name of the Com-
pany was then changed to J. G. Wells &
Company and later in the year was again
changed to Wells Whip Company.
A large factory building was erected in
1880 by the side of the original one. It was
well equipped with modern machinery for
increased facilities of manufacture. A fif-
teen horse power engine and a thirty horse
power boiler were put to use in this build-
ing, which \\'as heated by steam. With the
enlarged accommodations afforded in the
new building, all kinds and varieties of
whips used, were then made and distributed
throughout the United States, by a dozen
or more travelling salesmen. For several
years this company engaged in the manu-
facture of whips by employing the inmates
of the state prison at Trenton. This was
done under a contract entered into with the
State of New Jersey. About fifteen em-
ployees at different times at the Wellsville
factory were brought there from Girard
College in Philadelphia. In 1887 Wells
Whip Company was incorporated.
R. J. Belt has been manager of the busi-
ness at Wellsville since 1878. In i8gi the
factory which had been erected in 1880, all
of its equipments, and a large number of
manufactured whips were destroyed by fire.
It was then rebuilt and again consumed by
fire in 1901 — and the present stone struc-
ture erected in 1902.
Wellsville Manufacturing Com-
Other. pan}' operates an industria"!
Interests, plant which has given employ-
ment to a large number of per-
sons in AVellsville and vicinity since the
time of organization in 1893. The capi-
tal stock is $50,000 in 500 shares of
$100 each. The company began the
manufacture of leather fly nets in one of
the apartments of the building owned
by the Wells Whip Company, and continued
there until the factory was destroyed by
fire in 1901. The loss of a large quantity
of finished goods in this fire did not prevent
the company from continuing business on
a more extensive scale. In 1903 the present
three-story frame building was erected and
has since been used as a factory. Joseph
]\Iilligan is president of the companj^ and
T. B. Hoover, secretar}', treasurer and
general manager.
With its enlarged facilities the company
has extended its business and is engaged in
the manufacture of fine leather driving nets,
leather and cord nets for work horses and
cotton mesh nets. The products of this fac-
tory have found a ready sale throughout
the United States, Canada, Germany and
other European countries.
W. D. Brougher Net Company, engaged
in the manufacture of leather fly nets, has
about thirty employees. This business was
originated in 1902 by E. L. Apple who later
entered into a partnership with W. D.
Brougher. The latter purchased the entire
interest in the business in 1906.
I. J. Seiple owns a creamery which was
conducted for several years by the Cleaver
Brothers. Dr. A. C. Hetrick conducts a
drug store in a building formerly owned and
occupied as the Harlacher Store for many
years. Steck Brothers have a general store
in the large building owned by Dr. A. C.
Hetrick and R. J. Belt. Prowell & Baker
own a general store with a millinery de-
partment.
The Wellsville National Bank was or-
ganized January i, 1907, with a capital stock
of $25,000. The bank began business by
the election of Dr. A. C. Hetrick, president ;
E. L. Apple, vice-president ; Joseph Milli-
gan, cashier; William Morthland, E. L.
Apple, William Smith, Joseph Milligan,
Aaron G. Smith, Mitchell Ferrence, J.
Frank Lerew, and AV. H. Owen, directors.
The following is a list of postmasters at
AVellsville in order of succession, with dates
of appointment: Abraham AA'ells, 1850;
John E. AA'ells, 1S70: R. J. Belt, 1878; J. G.
A¥ells, 1883; Dr. J. R. Garretson, 1887:
James G. AA'ells, 1891; John Irrgang, 1896;
C. N. Kuhn, 1900.
Methodist Episcopal Church. —
Churches. Religious services were held by
the Methodists in the vicinity
of AA'ellsville as early as 1830. Meetings
were conducted in the farm house of Ed-
ward AVells, later owned by Jacob Brenne-
man and now by his son, M. L. Brenneman,
and the dwellings of Abraham Harman and
Mrs. AA'olgemuth. Permission was ob-
tained to use the old frame school house
which stood one-half mile northwest of tlie
present limits of the borough.
920
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Some of the early Methodist clergymen
who preached here were George Cooper, H.
Boggs, John Monroe and William Pretty-
man. Arrangements were made to build a
church. Abraham AVells presented the lot,
and $2,200 were raised by subscription to-
ward which amount Mr. Wells was also a
contriljutor. The cornerstone was laid in
1852, and the building completed in 1853.
The dedicatory services were conducted the
same year by Rev. Dr. Wentworth, of Dick-
inson College.
The building committee were: Abraham
Wells, Daniel Coover, J. E. Wells, George
Heyd, Joseph Mosser, Wells A. Farrah and
Jacob Byers. Rev. John Monroe and Rev.
\A'illiam Gwynn travelled the circuit at that
time. Man)' changes have been made since.
The Sunday School which is connected with
this church, was organized in 1842, in the
old school house with George Bushey as su-
perintendent, and Catherine Harman as as-
sistant superintendent. The ministers who
served this congregation since 1886 were
Joseph F. Anderson, A. V. Hartzel, R. M.
Armstrong, Alexander Lamberson, \\'. A.
Carver, J. AA'. Forrest, George S. W'omer,
^I. S. Derstine, F. E. Hartman and J. B.
Mann.
United Evangelical Church conducted re-
ligious services for several years in the
building formerly used as a village school
house. In 1907 plans were laid for the con-
struction of a church. The congregation
was then under the pastoral care of Rev.
Ralph Smith, who preached to several other
congregations in the upper end of York
Countv.
The children of the first residents
Schools, of Wellsville and vicinitv at-
tended school in a building near
the Friends' Meeting House. A township
school house was built within the limits of
the village and was used for many years un-
til a new one was erected Avith two rooms.
In 1907 Frank Green, a noted architect of
New York city, prepared plans for the Wil-
h'am A\'ells Young school building. This
is to be erected as a memorial to her son by
Mrs. Richard Young, daughter of the late
Abraham AA'ells. The plan of the building
shoAvs that it will contain three rooms and
a library. In the basement are two apart-
ments for boys and girls to play separately
on rainy days. This building 'when com-
pleted will be one of the most ornamental
structures of its kind in York County.
Company H of the 87th Regi-
Military. ment Pennsylvania Volunteers
which served for a period of
three years during the Civil War, was en-
listed at Wellsville in August, 1861. Ross
L. Harman, the first captain of the com-
pany; Wells A. Farrah, the first lieutenant,
and John L. Shilito, second lieutenant, were
all from Warrington. This company joined
the regiment at York, and served with it in
the mountain campaign of West Virginia
in 1862 and 1863, and in the Army of the
Potomac under Grant in 1864. During the
entire war this company lost in killed and
wounded five commissioned officers. Lieu-
tenant Slothower was killed near AVinches-
ter, Virginia. June 13, 1863, and Sergeant
John H. Grif^th was wounded. The fol-
lowing day, AVells A. Farrah, who had been
promoted to captain, was mortally wounded
at the battle 'of Carter's Woods. In the
hard fought battle at Monocacy near Fred-
erick, Maryland, on July 9, 1864, Lieutenant
Daniel P. Dietrich, of this company, a na-
tiA^e of Warrington Township, Avas instantly
killed and several of his men. Avounded.
During the entire three years of service,
Company H took part Avith the regiment in
tAventy-eight skirmishes and battles.
Richard Young, prominent and
Hillside influential in the business affairs
Park. of New York City, Avithin recent
years has purchased five farms in
the vicinity of AA^ellsville, and has since been
deeply interested in the growth and pros-
perity of the borough and the surrounding
country.
Rest-a-AA'hile, a large dAvelling on his
farm adjoining AA^ellsville, is a beautiful
home, fitted up with all modern improve-
ments. Here Mr. Young and his family
have spent several months of each summer
enjoying this delightful rural retreat. A
landscape gardener has transformed the
surrounding fields and meadoAvs into a
beautiful park, traversed by drives and
Avalks.
In 1905 Mr. Young purchased a stone
house situated in the southern boundary of
his park. This historic building is of pure
colonial architecture. It Avas built by a
practical mason from native sandstone
found along the ConeAvago. On a large
f cx^-pt^
^
I
4
WELLSVILLE
921
cornerstone is neatly carved the date 1641,
placed there b}- the first owner of this pio-
neer dwelling- which stood in the primeval
forests when the region west of the Susque-
hanna was still occupied bv the Indians.
ABRAHAM WELLS.' in whose honor
the borough of AVellsville received its name,
descended from a prominent familjr of Eng-
land. The name as well as the family is di-
rectlv descended from Normandy, and was
V'aux or De Vallibus, signifjang brooks, or
running water. AVells seems to be derived
from the Saxon word, wells, meaning a well
or spring and was spelled, during the Thir-
teenth Century, Wellys or AA'yllys, then De
Welles and finally Wells.
The A\'ells family was founded in England
after the Conquest in 1066, having its origin
in the " House of Vaux " of the ancient
province of Neustria, in Normandy, as early
as 912 A. D. The descent is through Har-
old De Vaux, a near connection of William
the Conqueror, and passes down through
his youngest son, Robert De Vallibus, a lin-
eal descendant of Hubert De Vallibus, the
eldest son of Harold De Vaux in Normandy,
and designated in English records as Robert
De AA'elles. This name his descendants
afterward bear, ■ as Baron or Lord De
\A'elles of Rayne Hall, Essex, England,
1 145, and he is accepted b}^ all the AA'ells
family as the founder of the English branch.
But as eafty as 1066, AA'illiam the Conqueror
gave one of his knights the Manor of AA'elles
and other estates elsewhere, which was his
custom of apportioning the properties of the
Saxons, giving the same to his followers for
services rendered, and called him Baron or
Lord Richard De AVelles. In return for this
royal favor, Richard was to see that the
king's household was provided with bread,
and held his title and possessions by this
singular tenure.
The ancestors of the AA'ells family in
America sailed the unknown seas to the wil-
derness of a new country with the Puritans,
and settled in Salem, Massachusetts, as
early as 1629, thence to Glastenbury,
AA'eathersfield and Hartford, Connecticut,
where the famil}' is represented in the first
land purchase of the town, in 1720, and in
1757, they seemed to be landed proprietors,
and still moving westward. July 2^, 1761,
a large tract of land reaching from Lake
George to below Albanv. and containing
61,000 acres, was granted by King George
III. Among the patentees were Edmund
AVells, Thomas AA'ells, his father, and Joseph
AA'ells, his uncle, in what is now AA'estches-
ter County, New York.
The town of Jiye, New York, which ante-
dates AA'hite Plains, was located on the
shore of Long Island Sound by residents of
Connecticut. Just across the hills was
Quarroppas, which in English means AA^hite
Plains, consisting" of the rich lands of a
peaceful Indian tribe. Toward these lands
some of the settlers looked with longing
eyes, and finally in 1684 purchased tliem
from the Indians. To this settlement of
White Plains, James AA'ells, the ancestor of
the York County AA^ells, was attracted when
he left his Connecticut home.
Just when he broke his home ties in Con-
necticut and how long he stayed in AA'hite
Plains, is not clear, but it is definitely known
that he was living in Robeson Townsliip,
Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 1764. James
AA'ells was of Dorsetshire, England, ances-
try. His wife's name was Dorothj' and the
children mentioned in his will were Benja-
min, Isaac, Abraham, Henry, Dinah and Je-
mima.
Henry AA'ells, one of the sons of James
AA^ells and Dorothy, married Elizabeth
Holmes. He was a weaver by trade, lived
in Robeson Township, and died in 1802.
His wife, Elizabeth, and son, Edward, were
joint administrators of the estate and a copy
of the report was made to the court at
Reading. The children of Henry and Eliz-
abeth Holmes AA^ells were : Edward, James,
born in 1768; Abraham, born April 13, 1774;
Isaac, Henry, Mordecai, Miriam and Han-
nah.
Abraham AA'ells. son of Henry, was born
April 13, 1774, and married Hannah Hoff-
man, June 4, 1800. - They were both of AA'est
AA'hiteland Township. Chester County,
and were married in AA'est Chester by the
Friends' ceremony. Abraham and his
brother, Edward, "left their early home in
Chester County, and moved to York
County. It is thought that they settled first
in Newberry Township, and later came to
AA'arrington where they bought adjoining-
farms. In 1820, Abraham bought the prop-
erty taken up in 1737 by AA'illiam Ayles, now
occupied by the village of AA'ellsviUe and by
the properties of F. A. Barrett and T. B.
922
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Hoover. Edward bought the farm and the place of his nativity, Abraham Wells
built the house later owned by Martin Bren-
neman. He moved to Lafayette, Indiana,
in 1834. Abraham remained in Warring-
ton Township until his death April 7, 185 1,
at the home of his son Abraham, in A'Vells-
ville. Hannah Wells was a woman of
established an industry which has resulted
in building up a prosperous town and fur-
nishing emplbyment to many people. He
has transmitted a successful business and an
honorable name to posterity. He was a
man of manv excellent qualities of mind
strong character, and it was largely through and heart, universally popular with his fel-
her influence that her son, Abraham, came lowmen and always interested in everything
home and started business for himself in intended to promote the public good of the
Wellsville. She died June 19, 1847. community in which he lived and was hon-
The children of Abraham and Hannah ored and respected.
Wells were: Caroline, born March 31, 1801 ; His wife, Margaret Hunter AVells, was a
Asbury : AA'esley, born March 18, 1802, died woman of fine literary taste, familiar with
1885. He was a minister in the Methodist the standard writers and early poets. Her
Episcopal Church. His wife's name was sympathy and genial companionship were
Olive, and they had two children, Olive and strong factors in sustaining and making pos-
Edward. The latter is a minister in the sible much that was accomplished by her
Methodist Episcopal Church in one of the intrepid husband in the march of life. She
Ohio conferences. Julia Ann, born August, survived him b}^ many years, but her gentle-
1803, married to Immel, and died at the ness and noble spirit, with the vital interest
home of her son near Mexico, Missouri, she felt in all about her, filled the evening of
September 7, 1870, aged 67: Caroline, born her days with a sefene peace and radiance
February 23, 1805; Mary Ann, born March that still reflects a memory fragrant and
2, 1807; Benjamin H., born October 29, precious in the hearts of her children and
1808; Malinda, born July 15, 1810; W. T., friends. She died September 8, 1899.
born October 14, 1811; Hannah, born Sep- Abraham AVells died December 28, 1870.
tember 15, 1813; Abraham, born August 10, Both he and his wife are buried in the cem-
1815; Eliza, born May 29, 1817: John, born etery connected with AVarrington Friends'
September 30, 1819, and died 1884. [Meeting House.
Abraham AA'ells, the founder of Wells- The children of Abraham and Adeline
ville, was born August 10, 1815, and spent- Gowen Wells were: James Gowen and Ade-
his boyhood on his father's farm. In early line Emily AA^ells. James Gowen Wells
manhood he went to Dillsburg and learned married Miriam Rodman Gerbrich, January
the trade of whip-making. In 1837 he be- 17, 1866. They had two children, Adeline
gan business with Judge Mclntyre. He
married, February 23, 1837, Adeline Gowen,
a young woman of culture and rare graces.
She died May 6, 1839. August 23, 1842,
Abraham AA'ells married Margaret Hunter,
a friend of his first wife. They were mar-
ried in Pittsburg at the home of her brother.
Rev. Dr. AA'illiam Hunter, the famous au-
and Abram Rodman AA^ells, who married
Ella Michalis, of Bordentown, New Jersey,
and had two children, James Michalis and
Miriam Elizabeth AA''ells. James Gowen
AA^ells afterward married Elizabeth Rod-
man.
Adeline Emily AA'ells married Rev. David
Clark John, i\Iay 5, 1839, and had five chil-
thor and writer of hymns. Their wedding dren, Gertrude, Annie Miriam, James, Da-
journej^ was a drive over the mountains
along the old National Pike, from Pittsburg
to. York. In 1843, at the solicitation of his
mother, Abraham AA^ells withdrew from the
firm of Mclntyre & AA^ells, came to his early
vid Clark and AA^illiam Nelson John. Annie
]\liriam married Frank Armitage, of Mil-
waukee, AA'isconsin, and had two children,
David Clark, and AA^illiam Armitage.
The children of Abraham and Margaret
home in AA'arrington Township and began Hunter AA^ells were: Emma Hannah, Olive
the erection of a factory and homes for the ]\Ialinda, Harriet Maria, Mary Dinsmore,
men needed to carry on his business. The Margaret, who died January 13, 1907, and
lumber was hauled from New Cumberland Elliotto AA^ells. Emma Hannah AA^ells was
and the bricks for the church and dwelling married June i, 1876, to Francis Asbury
houses were made on the farm. Here at Barrett, of AA'ooster, Ohio, and died in
A
■WINDSOR
923
Wellsville, July 12. 1898. Their children
were : ^\'illiam Hunter, Ruth Dinsmore and
Margaret AVells Barrett.
Olive Alalinda AVells married Robert John
Belt, of AA'ellsville, December 23, 1870, and
had four children: Abram Dinsmore, Mar-
garet, James Edward and Miriam Alice Belt.
Abram Dinsmore Belt married Anna j\Iay
Markley, of Steelton, and has three children,
Robert Joseph, Abram Dinsmore and Mar-
tha Markley Belt. Margaret Belt married
Joseph Milfigan of AA'ellsville, and has two
children, Robert Dinsmore and Olive Mir-
iam Milligan. ]\Iiriam Alice Belt married
June 15, 1905, Rev. Edward Soper, son of
Dr. Julius Soper, of Japan.
Harriet Maria Wells married Richard
Young, of New York, August 23, 1871, and
had three children, AVilliam AA'ells, Olive
A/'iola and Richard Young. William AA'ells
Young died at Flatbush, Long Island,
February 7, 1886. Olive Viola married in
1899, John Alfred Edward Turney, son of
Sir John Turney, of Nottingham, England.
They have three children, Cecil John Rich-
ard Dinsmore, A-'iolet Edith and Audrey
AA'ells Turney.
]Mary Dinsmore AA'ells married Thomas
Barkdale Hoover, in AA'ooster, Ohio, and
had five children, AA'alter AA^ells, Thomas
Leonard, Donald Dinsmore, Dorothy
Goentner and Mary Elliotto Hoover.
WINDSOR.
The borough of AA'indsor is situated in
the southern part of AA'indsor Township.
George Anstine, one of the early settlers of
this region, owned 300 acres of the sur-
rounding land at the close of the Revolu-
tion in which he had served as a soldier.
His son, Simon Anstine, succeeded in the
ownership of a large farm near Bittersville,
and became a successful farmer and a leader
in the Democratic party of York County
from the time of its origin under Jefferson,
until 1830. During that year he bolted the
convention which refused to nominate some
of his personal friends, ran as an independ-
ent candidate for the legislature and was
elected. The story of this incident is told
on page 583. Michael Anstine, son of this
AA'indsor farmer and politician, opened a
store upon the site of Windsor Borough in
1834, and during the succeeding fifty years
carried on the mercantile lousiness with his
friends and neighbors over a large extent
of country. In 1884 he sold out his store
to J. N. Flinchbaugh, who during the suc-
ceeding twenty-three years has been en-
gaged in the mercantile business. Mean-
time the cigar making industry developed
and a village came into existence around
the Anstine store. Jonathan Shindle was
next to open a general store which he con-
tinued for several years.
George AA'. Gable began the manufacture
of cigars on an extensive scale when AA^ind-
sor was a small village. He gave employ-
ment to many people and prospered in this
business. In 1907 he owned a large fac-
tory and employed one hundred workmen in
the manufacture of cigars. It was largely
thi-ough his enterprise that the prosperous
town came into existence. Among the
other persons engaged in the cigar business
at AA'indsor are AA^ C. Smith, with thirty
employees; AA'. H. Snyder, with twenty-
five ; Shearer & Company, AA'. H. Snyder &
Company, and D. A. Frey, each employing
from fifteen to twenty workmen. There
are a number of small factories in the bor-
ough and vicinity. Ivohler & Tschop own
a cigar box factory.
Stores are kept in the borough by J. N.
Flinchbaugh, J. A. Illgas, A. F. Grim and S.
S. Smith.
AA'indsor Post Office was established a
short distance south of the present borough
near the Chanceford Township line in 1830.
AA^illiam G. Cornwell, who erected Manor
Furnace, was the first postmaster. Rev.
Peter Herrman, a local preacher, succeeded
and held the office for a long time. Michael
Anstine was postmaster for thirty-one years.
At his death Daniel Iv. Ruby was appointed.
John N. Flinchbaugh. the next postmaster,
held the office until 1895, when he was suc-
ceeded by A. F. Grim, who has since held
the office. There is one rural delivery route
from AA'indsor, carried by C. A. Flinch-
baugh.
Dr. Charles Venus practiced medicine
here until he removed to York. There are
four schools in the borough kept in a hand-
some building, erected in 1905, containing
four rooms.
On June 5, 1905, the town previously
knownas AA'indsorville. was incorporated as
the Borough of AA'indsor. George AA'. Ga-
l)le was chosen first burgess. ]\Iembers of
924
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the first council weve : S. L. Tschop, W". H.
Snyder, E. E. Shindler, S. P. Shearer, Henry
Creek, George Ellis and B. F. Arnold. In
1907 there were 180 voters in the borough
which contained a population of 750.
The Aldine Hotel of AA'indsor is a well
kept hostelr}-. Windsor was connected by
trolley line from Red Lion and York in Au-
gust 1901.
The doctrines of the church of the United
Brethren in Christ were preached in the
vicinity of AVindsor as early as 1820, and a
short distance away the first church of this
denomination within the limits of York
County was erected upon the site of Zion
Church. Here the United Brethren people
of Windsor worshipped until 1898. During
that year Rev. J. R. Jones, the pastor at
Red Lion, organized a congregation at
AA'indsor and the same year a church was
erected at a cost of $8000. Charles Wil-
liams of Glen Rock, was the architect. Rev.
J. R. Jones, George W. Gable and J. N.
Flinchbaugh were the building committee.
Rev. W. H. AA'eaver succeeded as pastor in
1899. Rev. S. N. Moyer, of Red Lion, was
the next pastor and continued until 1906
when the AA'indsor church was made a sta-
tion and Rev. A. N. Horn appointed to the
charge. The congregation in 1907 had
nearly 200 members. S. A. Miller is su-
perintendent of the Sunday School, which
has 320 teachers and scholars.'
Members of the United Evangelical
Church of AA'indsor and vicinity worshipped
in Bethlehem Church in AA'indsor Town-
ship during the early history of the borough.
In 1900 the present neat and commodious
church edifice was erected at AA'indsor, and
the congregation has since increased in
strength and importance. Rev. Edward
Falcomer organized the congregation and
during his pastorate the church was built.
He was succeeded by J. H. Hertz and
Charles Brillhart. the present pastor.
A/VINTERSTOWN.
During the early part of last century. Rev.
John Smith, a Presbyterian clergyman,
owned a large farm in the northern part of
Hopewell Township. In 1830, Townsend
AA^inter of Steuben County, New York, pur-
chased a part of this farm and laid it off into
lots. AVhen he first came into possession
of this tract, it was covered with woodland.
After cutting down the timber, he planted
a large apple orchard, and the town was
originally called "Apple Grove." Town-
send AA'inter sold his land in large lots. He
began to build a house, which before its
completion was purchased by Daniel Bren-
neman, who lived to an advanced age. This
property was later owned by Daniel Herbst.
AA'inter then erected another house which
for half a century was owned and occupied
by Henry Landis. AA'inter resided in the
town he laid out, until 1875, when he re-
moved to Galesburg, Illinois. Before leav-
ing for the west, the name of his town was
changed from Apple Grove to AA'interstown,
and this name was retained when a charter
of incorporation was procured January 2,
1871. AA'illiam Norris made a survey of the
borough, which is twelve miles from York
and seven miles from Stewartstown. The
population in 1880 was 190, in 1890 was 209,
and in 1900, 217.
The first store in the village was kept by
Emanuel Klinefelter. Graham and Snyder
owned a general store for several years and
it was later owned by U. S. Snyder. Daniel
S. Mitzel and Brother owned a store in the
northern part of the borough. Franklin
Yagle, Philip Mitzel, R. H. Maffet and J. F.
Graham own cigar factories. Dr. C. F.
Hildebrand practiced medicine here for sev-
eral years and was succeeded by D. F. Lutz
and C. F. Frees.
The first class of United Brethren in
Christ at AA'interstown was organized about
1830. Rev. Frederick Flinchbach then
formed the scattered adherents into a con-
gregation that first worshipped in dwelling
houses and barns. Successful campmeet-
ings were held in the vicinity. In the year
1868, Rev. John H. Young held a revival
meeting in the barn of John Strayer, which
resulted in many additions to the congrega-
tion. The following year a church was
built. The trustees then were' John Strayer,
Granville Jackson, A. E. Fulton, and Rev.
Peter Carl, minister in charge. The min-
isters of this circuit since organization have
been : Christian S. Crider, Henr)^ Green-
blade, J. S. AA'entz, Tobias Crider, AA'. H.
Craumer, J. H. Young, A. H. Rice, Samuel
Enterline, Isaac Coomes, AA'. B. Raber,
Jesse Cline, Lewis Kohr, J. C. Smith,
Craumer, Lightner, L. Kohr, Beatty, Quig-
lev. Kuntz and Shettie.
AVRIGHTSVILLE
925
The United Evangelical Church estab-
lished about a third of a century ago, has
since increased in membership and influ-
ence. The congregation owns a neat church
building. The pastors have been Revs.
Seibert, Rodes, Kane, Foose, Snyder, Hoke
and Nace. The meeting house, in the ex-
treme northern part of the borough, belongs
to the German Baptists. The congregation
is large and prosperous. The preachers are
Rev. Jacob F. Myers and son, and Rev.
Nace.
Andrew Finly, or Finley, a
King Scotch-Irishman, emigrated from
of the County Antrim, North Ireland,
Barrens, to this country in 1832. He
landed at New Castle, Delaware,
proceeded with others to York County, and
purchased a tract of land on which the vil-
lage of Winterstown was built. Tradition
gives Finly a great deal of prominence in
the lower end of York County. He was a
sort of modern Shylock, demanding not a
pound of flesh, however, from every person
to whom he loaned money, but a quart of
old rye, together with the principal and in-
terest. This inspiriting fluid was all placed
in one demijohn and dealt out to his friends
who visited him on convivial occasions. He
was called by his neighbors the " King of
the Barrens." Before his death, he em-
ployed James McCandless, a school master
of the olden time, also a justice of the peace,
to write some verses which were to be
placed on his tombstone. The ingenious
Scotchman, who it is said, was able to repeat
nearly the whole of the poems of Robert
Burns from memory, and had acquired a
local reputation as an amateur poet, was
unable to please Finly at the first attempt,
as the verses were not laudatory enough to
suit his ambition, believing with the im-
mortal Shakespeare that
"The evil that men do lives after them.
The good is oft interred with their bones."
He ordered McCandless to consult the
Muses and make another attempt. The
poet finally produced the following eiTusion,
which pleased his master, and it is neatly
carved on the niarble slab which covers his
tomb, in the " Round Hill " graveyard,
about three miles southeast of Winters-
town :
"Andre Finley died in the year 1800.
His pilgrimage on earth was four score years and three.
In his early youth he bravely served his Majesty,
In whose army he was a captain bold,
And fought for honor, not for sake of gold.
Firm and undaunted he had courage brave
And drew his sword his coimtry for to save."
There is another couplet relating to his
kindness to the poor, which is not clearly
legible. A difficulty arose between the poet
and Finly as to the charge for his services,
which was not adjusted until after the death
of the latter, when McCandless laid in a bill
of ten pounds, or about $50, for the epitaph
and recovered it. Finly, who, doubtless, had
many virtues e\'en if he was possessed of
considerable vanity, left no children and his
young Avife died many years before him.
He lived in a comfortable home, now in the
limits of Winterstown. He served as lieu-
tenant of a company of soldiers from his
section that, in 1758, joined General Forbes'
expedition against the Indians, and after-
wards was at the surrender of Fort Du-
quesne, now Pittsburg. Part of his land
around Winterstown was given, by will, to
a relative, who became the wife of Rev.
John Smith, and who, with her husband
moved to Steuben County, New York. The
tract for many years lay as an open com-
mon, surrounded by valuable timber land.
It was a resort for sportsmen during this
period, in quest of wild pigeons which were
found abundantly there.
WRIGHTSVILLE.
The borough of Wrightsville, situated on
the banks of the Susquehanna, is noted for
its historical associations. It was at this
place that the earliest settlers crossed the
Susquehanna to take up the fertile lands
now within the region of York County.
In 1726 Robert Barber, Samuel
Early Blunston and John Wright, prom-
Settlers, inent members of the Society of
Friends came from Chester
County and settled upon the east bank of
the river, where Columbia now stands.
Wright took up 250 acres lying south of
A\'alnut Street in Columbia, and Blunston,
500 acres north of that street. Soon after-
ward John Wright took up several hundred
acres of land on the west bank of the river,
extending from the creek up to John Hen-
drick's land, about 200 yards from the
brids:e.
926
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PEXXSYLVANIA
Although the proprietaries of the prov-
ince prohibited any settlement west of the
river, and refused to issue a license to any-
one except John Wright and John and
James Hendricks, several families from
Chester County settled in Conojohela (now
called Conodochly) valley, four miles
lower down the river and were removed in
1730. A number of German families settled
a short distance west of \\'rightsville. These
settlements having been planted west of the
river, it was with great difficulty others
were restrained from joining them. John
Wright saw the necessity of establishing a
ferry and applied for a patent, but on ac-
count of the opposition of a rival applica-
tion at the larger settlement in Conestoga
Manor, four miles below Wright's, he did
not procure his patent until 1733. Im-
mediately thereafter John Wright and Sam-
uel Blunston petitioned the court to ap-
point viewers to lay out a public road from
the ferry at the foot of AValnut Street, in
Columbia, to Lancaster, which road was
laid out and confirmed by the court in 1734.
John Wright, Jr., son of John \\'right, re-
moved to the west side of the river and
erected a ferry house at the foot of Hellam
Street. He received a license to keep a
public house for the years 1736-37-38-39,
and in 1739, a public road was laid out from
his ferry, extending thirty-four miles, and
connecting with the Monocacy road in
Marjdand, and from thence to the Potomac
at the base of Shenandoah Valley.
In the year 1726, Joshua Minshall, John
and James Hendricks, Quakers, crossed
over from the east side of the river. John
Hendricks received a license for 350 acres
of land extending along the river above
John A^'right's land and Minshall settled
about a mile and a half back from the river
on the land later owned by John Strickler
and George D. Ebert, a record of which is
found on page 31.
John Wright, Jr., was elected a member
of the Assembly for York County at the
first election after the county was formed
in 1749, and annually re-elected until 1759.
He died about the year 1763.
Wright's ferry, during and after the Rev-
olutionary War was well-known through-
out the country, being the principal thor-
oughfare over the Susquehanna, and from
the importance gained in this way, became
one of the points named for the National
Capital, a complete account of which is
given on page 666.
Notwithstanding the early settle-
Town merit of the locality, and the promi-
Laid nence attained by the ferry, the
Out. town was not laid out until 181 1,
and later. The part of the town
known as Wrightsville containing loi lots
lying between Hellam Street and Limekiln
Alley and between the river and Fourth
Street (except a portion of the square be-
tween Front and Second and Hellam and
Locust Streets), was laid out by William
Wright in 181 1, and by him conveyed to
Jacob Kline. To the lot owners of this
portion of the town belongs the public
ground at the corner of Front and A\'alnut
Streets. "Westphalia", containing ninety-
six lots, and 'AA^estphalia continued", were
laid out by Susanna Houston in 181 1 and
1812 and embraced all that part of the town
south of Hellam Street. "Wrightsville con-
tinued", embracing the part of the town
north of Limekiln Alley was laid out by
William AVright in 1813. "AA'rightsville
extended", l3nng between Hellam and Lo-
cust Streets, and west of Fourth Street, was
laid out by Samuel Miller. It may be inter-
esting to know that the lots in A\'rightsville
were disposed of by lottery, or rather that
the lots were sold at a uniform price, and
the choice of lots was determined by chance.
The first bridge over the Susquehanna at
this point was erected in 1814, and since
that time the place has been known as
Wrights\'ille, instead of W^right's Ferr}', as
before.
Wrightsville was incor-
Incorporation. porated as a borough, April
II, 1834, and the first elec-
tion was held on the 9th of May, following.
Henry Snyder was chosen chief burgess,
William AA'ilson, assistant burgess. Tempest
W^ilson, Michael Clepper, Samuel Sheafifer,
George Green and Robert W. Smith, mem-
bers of the town council, and Jacob Harris
constable. This council organized on the
1 2th of the same month by the election of
Robert W'. Smith, president.
The postoffice was established at
Wrightsville January 13. 1816, when Wil-
liam AVhite was appointed the first post-
master. The other postmasters in order of
succession as furnished bv the government
WRIGHTSVILLE
927
at Washington were the following: James
Jordan, 1823; James Kerr, 1828; George W.
Hinkle, 1838: William S. Cochran, 1841 :
John Kerr, 1845; George W. Oberdorff,
1849; Joseph A. Wolf, 1852; James Kerr,
1855; Alexander J. Thomson, 1861 ; Jacob
G. Leber, 1867; William McConkey. 1869:
John I. Smith, 1879; Jacob H. Freet, 1885;
Calvin G. Smith. 1889; Robert S. Magee,
1895, and William H. Flora, 1899.
In the year 1817, Susanna
Religious Houston presented to the peo-
History. pie of the village of Wrightsville
a tract of land upon which a
union meeting house was built of stone in
the same year. In this building religious
services were held by Presbyterians and
Methodists. It was known as the Union
Meeting House and continued to be used
for religious worship and for school purposes
until 1854, when it was torn down. The site
of this original house of worship and the ad-
joining grounds are now occupied as a
cemetery. In 1828 a lot was purchased from
Leonard Rathfon for the erection of a
Methodist Episcopal Church.
During the next year a frame church was
built. Wrightsville was then one of the ap-
pointments on Shrewsbury Circuit. The
first record was made in 1840, when John A.
Collins and Penfield Doll were the
preachers of Shrewsbury Circuit, to which
Wrightsville was still attached. They were
succeeded, in 1841, by Oliver Ege, as
preacher in charge, and Thomas Mitchell,
as junior preacher. This was the last year
that Shrewsbury Circuit extended so far.
In the spring of 1842, Codorus Circuit was
formed, and Thompson Mitchell appointed
preacher in charge. In 1844 John More-
head was appointed to Wrightsville, the
appointment at that time consisting of
Wrightsville and Margaretta Furnace.
He was succeeded, in 1846, Ijy I.
H. Torrence, afterward secretary of the
Pennsylvania Bible Society, during whose
pastorate of two years the congrega-
tion resolved upon the erection of a more
commodious house of worship. It was
dedicated in 1848 during the pastorate of
Dabney Ball, who afterward joined the
Methodist Episcopal Church South, and
was a chaplain in the Confederate army
during the Civil War. In 1849, R- S. Mc-
Clay, afterward superintendent of missions
in Japan, was appointed to the charge but
remained only a short time when he was
sent to another field of labor, being followed
by \\'illiam Reed.
The pastors in order of succession from
1849 to 1885 were Franklin Gearhart, Wil-
liam Gwynn, W. C. Steele, W. W. Welsh,
D. S. Monroe, W. S. Wilson, S. W. Sears,
Oliver Ege, M. S. Drum, G. W. Dunlap,
Emory Buhrman, J. Max Lantz, J. W. Ole-
wine, H. M. Ash, Richard Mallalieu, E. A.
Deavor, J. Y. Shannon, J. P. Moore. The
Methodist congregation owns a convenient
and commodious house of worship and a
parsonage. Rev. Elmer E. Hatter was pas-
tor of the congregation in 1907 when the
church meml^ership was 250, and the Sun-
day School contained over 300 teachers and
scholars.
The Presbyterian congregation dates
from May 8, 1828, when Rev. William F.
Houston became pastor. Services were
held in the Union chapel on Chestnut Street
until 1847, when the lot of ground at the
northwest corner of Second and Locust
Streets was purchased and a two-story
church built. This was used by the congre-
gation until 1882, when it was torn down
and a commodious and beautiful church
edifice erected on the same site. The pas-
tors of the congregation in their regular
order have been as follows : William F.
Houston, G. L. Moore, R. W. Dunlap,
Stephen Boyer, Joseph H. Graff, Elijah
Wilson, John J. Lane, S. Morton Pearce, S.
Henry Bell, George S. Bell, E. W. Gaylord,
I. Potter Hayes and George E. Whitemack.
The longest pastorate was that of Rev. John
J. Lane which continued from 1853 to 1868.
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran congrega-
tion of Wrightsville was organized July 11,
i852,with seventeen members, by Rev. J. B.
Christ. The first church building stood on
Chestnut Street, between Second and Third.
It was completed in the fall of 1854, and
dedicated October 7 of that year. Soon
after the completion of the church building,
Mr. Christ tendered his resignation as pas-
tor, and the pastorate was vacant until Rev.
F. Ruthrauff took charge of the congrega-
tion July 8, 1856. He resigned January i,
1858, and was succeeded March 9, 1858, by
Rev. P. Raby. Mr. Raby served the con-
gregation until April i, i860, and was fol-
lowed by Rev. L. B. Berry. Since that time
928
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the pastors have been Albert McLaughlin,
J. M. Rice. George P. AVeaver, L. K. Se-
christ, S. E. Herring, D. Stock, AVilliam
Jordy, J. AA'. BrubakeV, D. S. Kurtz, S. AA^
Herman and Charles Leonard. April 28,
1870. the church building occupied by the
congregation was struck b}^ lightning, and
totally destroyed by fire. The present
church was dedicated October 24, 1875.
United Evangelical Church of AA'rights-
ville was organized through the missionary
labors of Rev. L. S. Reichard who began to
conduct religious services in the town hall
in the year 1889. His efforts were success-
ful. A congregation was organized, and a
house of worship dedicated in Januar^^ 1891.
Rev. D. M. Metzgar was the next pastor
and ministered to the congregation until
1895 when he was sent by the Evangelical
Association as a missionary to the state of
Oregon, and Rev. J. M. Metzgar finished
his term as pastor of the AA'rightsville
church. In 1896 Rev. D. F. Young suc-
ceeded until 1899, when Rev. E. Zehner be-
came the pastor. He was succeeded from
1900 to 1903 by Rev. D. A. Artman. In
1903 Rev. A. Stapleton took pastoral charge
of this congregation which, under his care
increased in numbers and influence. The
congregation owns a neat and attractive
church building, and in 1907 with Rev. N.
Young as pastor, had a membership of 162,
and a Sunday School with 300 teachers and
scholars.
Previous to the Civil AA'ar many
negro slaves followed the underground rail-
way to Columbia and settled there. Some
of them remained in AA'rightsville and in
185s an African Methodist Episcopal
Church was established on Orange Street.
The congregation in AA^rightsville for many
years was connected with the church of the
same denomination at York.
From the time that AA'rightsville
Schools, was laid out in 181 1 until 1834, it
formed a part of Hellam Town-
ship. During this period, there was one
township school within the present limits of
the borough. It was situated in the lower
end of the town, not far from the river.
The Union Church, built in 1817, was used
for school purposes. Later a four room
school building stood on Second Street,
which was used until 1869.
In 1859, immediately after his graduation
from Georgetown University, Frank J.
Magee was appointed principal of the public
schools, and filled that position during the
succeeding two years. He then entered the
army as captain in the 76th Regiment,
Pennsjdvania Volunteers. Captain Magee
was a successful teacher and built up a
strong educational sentiment in the borough
of AA'rightsville. After he returned from the
war, he became the editor and owner of the
"AA'rightsville Star" and for several years
published an article weekly, in relation to
the schools of York Covmty.
Stephen G. Boyd, a native of Peach Bot-
tom Township was principal of the schools
until his election to the state legislature in
1867. Later he was chosen county superin-
tendent, and in his first official report to the
school department at Harrisburg, for the
year 1870, stated that "-AA'rightsville had
just completed a large and commodious
public school ]:)uilding, at a cost of $22,000."
This building has since been utilized for the
public schools of the borough.
B. N. Conner, S. M. Gable and T. L.
Graham succeeded each other as princi-
pals. David H. Gardner was principal
from 1875 ""til 1893, when he was elected
county superintendent, which office he
filled for four consecutive terms. E. U.
Aumiller, formerly superintendent of
schools in Perr}' County, has served as
principal during the past twelve years. A
regular course of study has been in use for
many years, and from twelve to twenty stu-
dents graduate annually from the High
School.
The school directors in 1907 were : AA'il-
liam H. Kerr, Jacob P. Levergood, A. J.
AVarfield, S. K. Fisher, John Holtzinger and
AVatson B. Reisinger.
The Star Publishing Company, of
The which Robert S. Magee is president.
Star, conduct the AVrightsville Star, an
excellent family journal. The paper
was founded in 1854 by Robert AA^ Smith
who was editor and publisher for several
years. It was later purchased by the Star
Publishing Company and next owned by
Cal. G. Smith and Frank J. Magee. Colonel
Magee was the sole owner for several years.
He sold it to AV. AA^ Moore and J. Weltz-
hofTer. The latter owned the paper for
about six j'ears. The next owners in order
of succession were G. A. Seilhamer, Samuel
AVRIGHTSVILLE
929
Clair and James H. Smith. ^Meantime, Rev.
S. E. Herring of York started the Wrights-
ville Sun which he continued for a while
and then combined it with the Star, of
which he was editor and owner. He sold
the paper to William Trimmer. Another
paper named The Journal was founded by
Robert S. Magee and others. The Star
Publishing Company was then formed.
The Journal was discontinued and the Star
has since been the only paper published in
A\'rightsville. It is owned by the Columbia
Embroidery Company, an industrial es-
tablishment, engaged in the manufacture of
fine lace curtains, of which Robert S. Magee
is president, and W. W. Drenning, super-
intendent.
The First National Bank of
Bank. Wrightsville was organized Jan-
uary 16, 1864, one year after the na-
tional banking system went into operation.
The original board of directors were : AVil-
liam McConkey, George S. Ebert, Jacob
Strickler, James Cook, John E. Beard, C. S.
Stoner, Jacob Gohn and George Kauffelt.
AVilliam McConkey was chosen president
and William F. Lloyd, cashier. After de-
positing the necessary securities with the
comptroller of the United States currency
at Washington, the bank began business
February 24, 1864, with a capital of $100,-
000. The presidents in order of succession
have been AA^illiam McConkey, Barton
Evans, Henry Kauffelt, John E. Beard and
D. S. Cook. The cashiers have been AA^il-
liam F. Lloyd, George K. Shenberger, H. C.
Lewis and L. K. Fondersmith. This in-
stitution has had a prosperous career since
the time of its organization. The capital
stock has been increased to $150,000, and
the amount of $470,750 has been paid out as
dividends to the stockholders from 1864 to
1907. The surplus and undivided profits in
1907 were $95,000.
In 1847, Henry Small & Sons
Industries, established a saw mill in the
southern part of AA^rightsville.
In 1863, the mill was purchased by Charles
Billmeyer, John H. Small and David E.
Small. After the death of John H. Small, in
1902, the interests were purchased by
George S. Billmeyer, and operated under
the firm name of The Billmeyer & Small
Company, employing about fifty workmen.
Henry James & Company of Baltimore
operated a saw mill in the southern part of
AVrightsville for a dozen years.
P. J. Gilbert owns and operates a plan-
ing mill. Henry Lanius and his son Cap-
tain AA*". H. Lanius owned a large lumber
yard at AA^rightsville for many years. Henry
Kaufifelt was also engaged in the lumber
trade in this borough.
Aurora Furnace was erected at Wrights-
ville shortly after the Civil AA^ar b}^ AA^'il-
liam ^McConkey, David E. Small, D.
S. Cook, Captain Frank J. Magee, Henry
Ivauffelt, Charles Billmeyer and others.
The furnace was operated with success for
twenty years or more, employing a large
number of workmen. Later it was sold to
the Susquehanna Iron & Steel Company.
AA'^ithin recent years it has not been in oper-
ation.
The AA'^'rightsville Hardware Company,
founded about 1880, has been a prominent
industry of this borough. This company
has been engaged in the manufacture of
staple and builders' hardware and employs
about 175 workmen. N. H. Caldwell is
president, F. W^ Crandall treasurer and AV.
A. Coventr}!', general manager.
Riverside Foundry was founded in
March, 1907, by Harry B. Kerr, Charles AA^
Shultz and Harry K. Smith. This firm em-
ploys twenty-five workmen in .making
general foundry supplies.
Susquehanna Casting Company of which
D. S. Cook is president, and Ralph P. A¥il-
ton is secretary, treasurer and general
manager, employs about eighty workmen
and is engaged in the manufacture of a
variety of castings.
C. H. A. Dissinger & Brother engage in
the manufacture of gasoline engines and
give employment to forty persons.
B. F. Beard is engaged in burning
Snow Flake lime and employs about sixty
men. He recently purchased the kilns
owned for many years by Kerr Brothers
Company.
Steacy, AA'ilton &: Company own and
operate several lime kilns, employing a
number of men.
J. E. Baker Company, formerly the
AVrightsville Lime Company, is engaged in
burning a fine quality of quick lime and
also own several limestone quarries.
Cigar making has been an important in-
dustry in AA^rightsville since 1870. Among
930
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
the early factories in the town were those
owned by S. R. Kocher, KeUer & KHne, D.
S. Detwiler and Thomson & Brother. In
1907 S. R. Kocher had about fifty employ-
ees, and El Francisco Cigar Company forty.
S. L. Reisinger and Kinard Cigar Factor}^
each employ a nnml^er of workmen. A large
amount of leaf tobacco is brought to
Wrightsville by farmers and sold to dealers.
Dr. John Houston resided in
Physicians. Hellam Township near the
site of Wrightsville, and prac-
ticed medicine in that vicinity as early as
1770. He was a surgeon in the Flying
Camp in the brigade commanded by Gen-
eral James Ewing, whose home was two
miles west of Wrightsville.
Dr. Barton Evans was a successful prac-
titioner at Wrightsville soon after the town
was founded. He was a native of Church-
town. Lancaster County, a graduate of the
University of Pennsylvania, and a man of
education and culture. After practicing his
profession for nearly half a century, he re-
tired, and during the later years of his life
was president of the First National Bank of
AVrightsville. He died March 27, 1887, in
his eighty-seventh year. For a long time he
was the only physician in the borough. Dr.
Barton C. Lloyd, nephew of Dr. Evans, and
also a graduate of the University of Penn-
sylvania, came to W^rightsville from Colum-
bia, and for many years was associated with
his uncle in the practice of medicine.
Biographies of Dr. John A. Thompson,
Dr. Luther L. Rewalt, and Dr. James C.
Channell, prominent physicians of AVrights-
ville, will be found in the Medical Chapter
in this volume.
Dr. J. L. Jamison, Dr. J. K. Blanck and
Dr. Benjamin Hoover are at present the
practicing physicians of this borough.
DR. GEORGE A. REBMAN, who for
twenty-seven years practiced medicine at
AVrightsville, was born in West Manchester
Township, near the city of York, July 6,
1852, and w-as the son of Jacob and Cath-
erine (Heindle) Rebman, both of whom be-
longed to representative families of York
County. He acquired his preparatory edu-
cation in the public schools of his native
township and at the York County Academy,
and after teaching school for a short time
began the study of medicine in the office of
Dr. Jacob Hay. one of the leading ph3'si-
cians of York. He completed his medical
education at the University of Maryland
from which institution he received his de-
gree in 1876. Immediately after his gradua-
tion he located at AVrightsville where he re-
mained during the whole of his professional
career. Dr. Rebman was a diligent student
of the science of medicine, excelled as a
diagnostician and through his energy and
ability commanded the highest regard and
respect of his patients and the medical fra-
ternity. He was devoted to his profession,
faithfully performed all his duties and was
a valuable citizen of the borough.
He was a member of different medical
societies and the-Alumni Association of the-
University of Maryland, and for many years
was an active supporter of the Lutheran
Church which he served in an official
capacity for a long time.
Dr. Rebman was married January 13,
1880, to Ella K. Detwiler, daughter of
David and Sarah (Stoner) Detwiler. They
had three children, David, who died at the
age of nine years, Anna Katharine and Ella
D. Rebman. Dr. Rebman died at his home
at AA'rightsville March 9, 1903.
AVilliam H. McConkey, for many years
a leading citizen of AA^rightsville, was born
at Peach Bottom. He was a son of James
McConkey who was a prominent merchant
and business man and represented York
County in the State Senate of Pennsylvania.
Mr. McConkey moved to AVrightsville early
in life and engaged in the purchase and sale
of grain on an extensive scale. He was also
collector for the canal company, one of the
founders and president of the company
which operated the Aurora Furnace, and
president of the First National Bank of
AVrightsville. He was a partner in the mer-
cantile business with D. S. Cook and later
became sole proprietor of a large mercantile
establishment. He died November 21, 1879.
His son, E. K. McConkey. president of the
Farmers Fire Insurance Company at York,
represented York County in the State Sen-
ate of Pennsjdvania.
A biography of General James Ewing,
who resided until the time of his death a
short distance west of AA'rightsville, will be
found on page 183. Henry H. Houston,
who afterwards became a prominent citizen
of Philadelphia, was also born near
AVrightsville. A sketch of his career will be
WRIGHTSVILLE
931
found on page 463. A biography of Cap-
tain Frank J. Magee, who was active in
mihtary circles, appears on page 363.
W. W. Moore who has served as justice
of the peace for many years furnished the
facts for the early history of this bor-
ough.
Soon after John ^^'right, Jr., set-
Hotels, tied west of the Susquehanna, in
1735, he obtained authority to
open a house of public entertainment for the
benefit of travelers. Wright's Ferry was
one of the leading crossing places of the
Susquehanna for more than half a century.
On July 2, 1791, a delegation of citizens
from York accompanied General Washing-
ton as far as Wright's Ferry and on this oc-
casion, President Washington and his dis-
tinguished party halted for a short time at
this public inn. In 1789 Colonel Thomas
Hartley was escorted to the Susquehanna
liy a large delegation of York citizens, when
he was on his way to become a member of
the first Congress of the United States, then
about to open in New York City. Colonel
Hartley was dined at this hotel by his
friends before he took his departure for
New York.
About 1830, this stopping place for
travelers was called the Union House, a
name which it bore for nearly half a cen-
tury. Some of the proprietors of this hotel
were James Schall, A\'illiam Wolf and
Henry Hantz. This hostelry, prominent in
the early history of York County within re-
cent years has been known as Hotel Wilson,
named in honor of the owner, Steven Wil-
son. Horace L. Crumbling was the pro-
prietor in 1907. .
The Washington House was opened as
early as 1835. Tempest Wilson was one of
the earliest proprietors, and tradition says
he kept an excellent hotel. The late Henry
Hubley of York kept the hotel for many
years. William H. Hamm was proprietor in
1906.
The Wrightsville House was a prominent
stopping place as early as 1830. For a long
time it was kept by John Kauffelt in a build-
ing at the corner of Front and Locust
Streets. John KaufTelt early in life resided
in Lower AVindsor Township. He was
elected sheriff of York County and removed
to AVrightsville after the expiration of his
term.
The construction of Ijridges
Susquehanna across the Susquehanna was
Bridges. one of the most important
projects in promoting pulilic
internal improvements in the State of Penn-
syl\-ania. The act of assembly authorizing
the incorporation of a company for the con-
struction of a bridge at Columbia was ap-
proved by Governor Simon Snyder, March
28. 1809. The act of 181 1 authorized state
appropriations for the construction of
bridges at Northumberland, Harrisburg and
McCall's Ferry. Among the commissioners
to receive subscriptions for the erection of
the Columbia bridge were Stephen Girard,
the great financier, and seven others from
Philadelphia, six from Lancaster County,
and William Barber, John Stewart and God-
frey Lenhart from York County. At a
meeting of the stockholders held December
II, 181 1, AA'illiam AA'right was elected presi-
dent of the company. John Barber, secre-
tary, and AA'illiam P. Beatty, treasurer.
Among the board of managers were AVil-
liam Barber, Jacob Eichelberger, John For-
rej', John Evans, and Henry Slaymaker of
York County. An act of assembly passed
April 2, 181 1, appropriated $90,000 to aid in
the construction of this bridge. The con-
tract for its erection on the Burr plan was
awarded July 8, 1812, to Henry Slaymaker,
Samuel Slaymaker and Jonathan AA'olcott.
It was to cost $150,000.
This bridge extended across the river
about 1,000 feet above the position of the
present one. It was completed and ready
for use in 1814. nearly "two years before the
Harrisburg bridge had been finished. The
bridge was 5,690 feet long. It was com-
posed of fifty-three arches resting upon
stone piers and the two abutments. It was
a covered wooden bridge and cost $231,771.
The title of the company was changed
March 29, 1824 to "The Columbia Bridge
Company," and the legislation which au-
thorized the change also authorized the
company to carry on a banking business.
In February, 1832, a destructive ice
freshet occurred in the Susquehanna. A
gorge, where huge blocks of ice welded to-
gether by friction were piled up thirty or
forty feet high, was formed several miles
below the bridge, damming the stream,
backed the ice and water up over the front
street of Columbia and carried the bridge
932 HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANL\
from off its piers. Tlie river, from shore to two iron spans were placed in the centre of
shore, was filled for days with fields of float- the bridge, so that the possible loss bj' fire
ing ice, with here and' there a span of the should be reduced one-half. It was opened
bridge eddying through them. On the 3rd for travel on January 4, 1869, and partiahy
and 4th of February five spans of the bridge opened for railroad purposes on March i.
were taken away, on the 7th nine more, and 1869. Including the rebuilding and
a few days afterw^ard thirty additional ones strengthening of many of the piers, and cap-
followed, and the destruction became com- ping them with dressed stone, the cost
plete. It was replaced in 1834 by a struc- reached nearly $400,000. On July i, 1879,
tnre which cost $128,726 with its ap- the Columbia Bridge Company conveyed it
proaches. The bridge of 1834 was with its to the Pennsjdvania Railroad Company,
approaches. 5.620 feet long, fort}' feet wide, The third bridge across the river com-
with its bottom chords fifteen feet above pleted in 1869, was removed by a violent
high water mark. It was a covered bridge, hurricane wdiich swept down the river on
and had two tracks and division for foot the night of September 29, 1896. This was
passengers, carriages and other vehicles, probably the most violent storm known to
and two towing paths, one above the other, this region. This bridge which had stood
for the accommodation of Susquehanna the forces and flood for so many years, was
canal traffic through the poo! of the dam. struck by the full force of the hurricane.
The bridge stood for a period of twenty- swept from the piers and thrown into the
nine years. Late in the evening of June 28. river a mass of broken and tangled debris.
1863, it was destroyed by the troops under Nothing remained but a short span at the
Colonel Frick at Columbia, by order of Gen- Columbia end of the bridge, the iron span
eral Couch, then commanding the Depart- in the centre and the facade at the entrance
ment of the Susquehanna with headquarters on the York County side.
at Harrisburg. The bridge was burned to An account of the Con-
prevent a brigade of Confederates com- Confederate federate invasion and the oc-
manded by General Gordon of Georgia, Invasion. cupancy of Wrightsville by
from crossing the river, after the slight en- six regiments, commanded
gagement at AVrightsville. Large quanti- by General John B. Gordon will be found on
ties of powder had been placed near the cen- page 415 in this volume. Calvin G. Smith,
tre on the bridge. At a given signal the a prominent citizen of Wrightsville, has
powder was exploded and the bridge took furnished some additional facts relating to
fire. The fire swept along from span to this event. The facts as given by Mr.
span until the whole structure was one roar- Smith were recorded in the minute book of
ing mass of angry flames; blazing timbers the Presbyterian Sabbath School by his
hissed as they dropped in the stream and brother, James Kerr Smith, who in 1863
floated towards the dam. w-as secretary of the school. This entry
On the I2th of July, 1864. the Columbia states that the people of Wrightsville first
bank sold and conveyed the bridge fran- learned of the approach of the enemy at 3
chises, piers and other property to Josiah p. m. June 28.
Bacon, Wistar Morris, Thomas A. Scott, Early in the morning Major Haller placed
Joseph B. Myers, Edward C. Knight, Her- the town of Wrightsville under martial law.
man J. Lombaert and Edmund Smith. He ordered male citizens and some colored
These gentlemen had on July 6, 1864, met people to aid the soldiers in barricading the
and organized the Columbia Bridge Com- streets and to dig rifle pits on both sides of
pany and elected Herman J. Lombaert as the turnpike in the western suburbs of the
president and Edmund Smith as secretary borough. AVomen were directed to bake
and treasurer. On the 6th of September, bread for the soldiers.
1864, they conveyed to the bridge company At 5 o'clock when the emergency troops
the property which they had purchased had taken position behind the breast works,
from the bank. In 1868-69 the bridge was Bell's Calvary on the right and the conva-
a "through Howe truss arch." It was com- lescent soldiers on the left, the Confederates
posed of 2^ spans, was 5,390 feet long and appeared on the turnpike and planted a
roofed and weather boarded. Subsequently, battery of four guns, two on the turnpike
YOE
933
and one on either side of it about one and a
half miles west of the borough. At 5 p. m.
these guns were discharged and a number
of shells and solid shot fell in the town
while still others dropped in the river be-
yond. When the battery opened fire all the
Federals fell back into the town except the
con\-alescent troops who had previously
been in battle.
They exchanged a few rifle shots with the
approaching enemy and then also retreated.
At six o'clock the Confederates with Gor-
don at the head entered the town. During
the skirmish twenty soldiers of the emer-
gency regiment were captured including
Lieutenant Colonel Sickles. The federal
troops all crossed the bridge which about
seven o'clock in the evening was set on fire
to prevent the enemy from crossing. Gor-
don's brigade remained in Wrightsville
during that night and camped on the fields
near the western suburbs of the town. Gen-
eral Gordon lodged for the night at the
residence of J. F. Magee and during the
evening with his staff dined by invitation at
the residence of Mrs. Rewalt. A descrip-
tion of this dinner party *vill be found on
page 417.
During the connonading a Confederate
shell struck the corner of the Presbyterian
Church, passed down Locust Street, going
through the residence of Jacob H. Freet
and lodged on the attic. This shell like
many others did not explode. A shell
struck the house of Thomas Harris on Lo-
cust Street. Another shell struck what was
knawn in early days as the Big Brick Hotel
at the southeast corner of Second and AVal-
nut Streets. Shells also struck other houses
in the borough.
AVhile the shells were falling, Mrs.
Amanda Beaverson, whose husband was a
soldier in the army, was crossing Third
Street. When moving through the centre
of the street, carrying two children, a shell
exploded a short distance away without in-
juring her. Mrs. Beaverson was rescued
by Jacob H. Freet and Thomas' Wilson who
took her to an adjoining house and placed
her children and herself in th'e cellar. Soon
afterward the shells ceased to fall. No citi-
zens were injured.
AVhen the flames which destroyed the
bridge reached the Wrightsville side of the
river three dwelling houses, owned bv
George Harris, north of the railroad track,
were burned. The foundry of Edmund
Wolf, the lumber yard owned by Henry
Lanius of York and George Kauiielt of
Wrightsville and a lumber yard owned by
Henry Kauffelt were entirely destroyed.
The warehouse later owned b}' Cal G. Smith
caught fire but the flames were extinguished
before the building was burned. It is stated
in another part of this work that the Con-
federate soldiers were ordered by General
Gordon to aid in checking the fire so as not
to burn the town of Wrightsville, for he
had given his pledge not to destroy private
property. Sometime after the war Cochran
and Hay, prominent attorneys at York,
represented the claimants whose property
was burned during this fire, but no damages
were ever recovered either from the state of
Pennsylvania or the government, even
though this private property was burned
as the result of the destruction of the bridge
which was set on fire by authority of the
national government.
YOE.
On an interesting spot seven miles east
of York and one mile north of Dallastown,
stands the prosperous borough of Yoe,
along the line of the Maryland and Penn-
sylvania Railroad. In 1815, Jacob Snyder
purchased a farm upon which part of the
town has been built. After residing upon
this farm for thirty years, his son, John A.
Snyder, became the owner. Harry Taylor
at an early date purchased an adjoining-
farm, which later was bought by his son,
Zacharias Taylor. Upon these two farms
the. town has been built. In 1880 Moses
Snyder bought a siiiall tract of land from
Zacharias Taylor and built thereon a dwel-
ling house and another building in which he
started a store and a cigar factory, employ-
ing at first four workmen. This was the
origin of an industry that has given pros-
perity to the thriving borough of Yoe.
Soon afterward W. H. Taylor, a son of
Zacharias Taylor, built a house and started
a small cigar factory. Jacob Taylor laid
ofi^ a portion of the Taylor farm into build-
ing lots and disposed of them to new resi-
dents who' were employed in the shops. In
1883, about fifteen houses had been built
and the settlement became known as "Sny-
derstown." Additional cigar factories were
934
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
iDuilt. The population increased and the
raih'oad company established a station and
Adams Express Company opened an office.
In 1888 the citizens petitioned for the es-
tablishment of a post office. The name
Snyderstown would not be accepted by the
department at AVashington because a town
bearing that name in Pennsylvania already
had a postoffice. When the news was com-
municated to the citizens of the village,
Moses Snyder suggested the word Yoe for
the town and post office. The first post-
master was Moses Snyder.
The village of Yoe was incorporated into
a borough in 1893 and Jacob Snyder was
chosen the first chief burgess. The popu-
lation in 1900 was 525, but owing to the
success of its industries, the estimated
population in 1907 is 750. The Yoe AVater
Company was chartered in 1899, with a
capital of $10,000. The supply of water is
received from a spring a short distance
away. This water is forced through a six-
inch pipe about three-fourths of a mile to
a reservoir which has a capacity of 300,000
gallons. The reservoir is on elevated
ground 170 feet above the town. The Citi-
zens Fire and Hose Compan\' was organ-
ized in 1899 when a building was erected.
A hose carriage with chemical attachment
and 600 feet of Standard Fabric hose were
purchased.
The cigar industry which gave an im-
petus and growth to the town, has contin-
ued to prosper. One new factory after an-
other was erected until in 1907 the number
had increased to about fifty factories, giv-
ing steady employment to all citizens of
the borough and vicinity desiring to en-
gage in the occupation of manufacturing
cigars. A careful estimate shows tha-t
100,000 cigars are made daily in this bor-
ough. The sum of $325 is paid daily for
revenue stamps by the owners of the nu-
merous factories. E. E. Snyder operates a
cigar box factory. The principal cigar
factories in 1907 were owned by D. A.
Kohler & Company, Isaac Kohler, The
Kohler-Snyder Company, D. S. Taylor.
Charles W. Snyder, AA'. E. Snyder, " and
State Seal Cigar Company.
Two stores do a general merchandising
business.
The Yoe Printing Company was founded
by James K. Taylor, in 1896. It has since
been engaged in printing calendars, novel-
ties and advertising specialties, employing
in 1907, twenty-two persons.
The United Brethren Church
Churches, at Yoe was built in 1902 at a
cost of $9,000. It is a hand-
some brick structure facing on three differ-
ent streets. The present church was built
under the pastorate of Rev. J. P. Koontz,
who served the congregation from 1896 to
1903. He was succeeded by William
Dougherty, who remained two years. Rev.
E. L. Hughes was chosen in 1905. The
church membership is 160, and the Sunday
School, with AA^ H. Snyder as superintend-
ent, has a membership of 280.
The United Evangelical Church was
founded by Rev. George Joseph, who held
the first religious services in the houses of
members. He was succeeded by Revs. J.
M. Price, E. B. Keen, Frank Foss, E. Ful-
comer, John H. Heitz and AA'. E. Brillhart.
YORK HAVEN.
The borough of York Haven is of recent
origin, having come into existence since
the erection of the paper mill. An account
of the construction of the canal around the
Conewago Rapids and the early interests
of the Baltimore Company will be found in
the early part of this volume, beginning on
page 602.
The town of York Ha\'en was laid out in
1814, when a neatl}' designed plan was pre-
pared for the York Haven Company, under
\vhose direction four large flouring mills
were erected. In the town plan there were
two sections; the " upper town " was to be
built on the hill to the west of the present
line of the railroad, and the " lower town "
down by the canal. The lots were thirty
feet wide and 130 feet deep. The streets
parallel with the river were Canal, Balti-
more, Hillen. Stansbury, AA^ilson, Town-
send, AA'eatherburn, Cole and Gwynn,
names of prominent mem.bers of the com-
pany. The alleys were named after the
creeks flowing into the Susquehanna. The
cross streets were numbered from First to
Seventh in order. The plan included a
large public square.
On the printed deeds of the town lots,
the name David Cassat, of York, appears
as attorney for the company. On each of
the deeds the companj^'s seal was stamped.
YORK HAVEN
935
which was circular in foi-m, with the repre-
sentation of a canal and lock, and an over-
hanging- willow tree. The words " York
Haven Company " surrounded these.
There was considerable business enter-
prise at York Haven for many years. Dur-
ing its prosperous time Charles M. Poor
managed the company's store and the large
hotel ; Samuel Inloes kept a dry goods store
and had two or three large cooper shops to
make flour barrels, and employed twenty
or more workmen. He also owned a dis-
tillery. Charles Bishop and Jesse McCon-
key owned hardware stores, and the last
named at one time kept a large hotel. A
Quaker named Rummer owned a nail fac-
tory, which was run by water power. John
T. Ubil who was manager for the company
was a " slave catcher." He afterward
moved to Pottsville, grew very poor and
became a teamster. There were two
large saw mills built on leased lands. One
was owned by Andrew Lightner and the
other by Elijah Webb. Henry Small, father
of David E. and John H. Small, of York,
bought one of the mills. Lewis Harlan
managed the cooper shops belonging to the
company. Keel boats with cargoes of
wheat came down the Susquehanna. These
were run in the canal and unloaded near
the mills. Some of these boats carried
looo bushels of grain. Wagoning to Bal-
timore to haul flour to market, became an
important business. In 1820 the sum of
eighty cents a barrel was paid to haul it to
Baltimore. Thirty or forty teams were
used at one time. The horses had bells and
the turnpike was alive with interest when
these teams started off ,on their journey.
The turnpike was completed to York Ha-
ven in 1812, and the large bridge over the
Conewago Creek, below York Haven, was
built the same year, by A. Miller. It was
taken away by the flood of 181 7, and re-
built soon afterward by Henry Slaymaker.
The ferry and tavern were kept by Philip
Etter for many years, to March 1816, when
Peter Veal became the lessee. Christian
Fensel was for a long time postmaster.
The Canal Road leading to Abbottstown
and Hanover, was opened in 1814. The
large stone building owned by the company,
for many years was known as " W^aters'
Hotel." During the summer months this
hotel entertained manv citv l^oarders.
In 1825 General Lafayette, an ac-
Noted count of whose visit is given on
Visitors, page 743, halted for an hour at
the York Haven Hotel while on
his way to Harrisburg. Joseph Major, an
intelligent citizen of the vicinity, told the
writer in 1885 that he saw this distinguished
Frenchman standing, with other persons,
including his son, George Washington La-
fayette, on the balcony of this hotel, look-
ing up and down the Susquehanna viewing
the romantic scenery. Lafayette was
charmed with his visit and interested in
everything he saw around the picturesque
town of York Haven. After the dinner
hour he started on his way over the turn-
pike to the state capital.
General Lewis Cass, the noted soldier of
the War of 1812 and the distinguished
Michigan statesman, was also a guest at
this hotel, where he dined in 1834. He was
then going to Harrisburg. Simon Cam-
eron, a young man, prominent in the afifairs
of Middletown, had corresponded with
General Cass and invited him to stop off in
that borough. At this time Cass was sec-
retary of war in the cabinet of Andrew
Jackson. A ferry then crossed the river
above the rapids. An experienced oarsman
was engaged to pilot the boat across the
stream. A dense fog hung over the Sus-
quehanna. When the boat reached the
middle of the stream, the pilot lost his way
and the statesman and his party were
drawn by the current into the rapids. They
passed through unharmed. An hour later
the members of the distinguished party
were rescued by some boatmen at Eib's
Landing three miles down the Susque-
hanna.
During these early days York Haven was
a noted resort for pleasure seekers. Gam-
bling was practiced at the hotel. About
1828 Rev. John Fohl, one of the pioneer
clergymen of the United Brethren Church,
visited the town and asked permission to
hold religious services in the ball room of
the tavern. Consent was given to him b}^
the proprietor and for several weeks he
carried on one of the most successful re-
vivals ever known in York County. The
entire comniunit}^ was aroused by the de-
voted efforts of this apostle of peace and
good will to men. He was a frequent vis-
itor at this place afterward and was alwavs
936
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
welcomed by the employees of the company
who operated the mills.
At 10 o'clock on the night of
Mill August 1 6, 1826, the large mill
Burned, which had been built in 1816 was
destro}'ed by frre. Its original
cost was $40,000, and when burned con-
tained 1,200 bushels of wheat and manj^
barrels of tlour. The total loss was $50,-
000. This was one of the largest mills in
Pennsylvania, and had a capacity of 150
barrels of flour a day. A mill owned by the
same company located at Port Deposit,
Maryland, burned on the same night. Both
were insured. Daniel Jackson, the good-
natured mulatto watchman, did not stay at
York Haven after this event. " But I'll tell
3'Ou, boss, it was a big fire," is all he could
say about it. This mill had six pairs of
buhrs. It \\'as never rebuilt.
York Haven enjoyed its era of prosperity
from 1816 to 1830. The completion of a
canal navigable for large boats from the
Susquehanna, near the mouth of the Co-
dorus, to York interfered with the business
interests of York Haven, and when the rail-
road was completed from Baltimore to
York in 1838 the glory of York Haven be-
gan to fade. The milling interests declined
in importance and lumber was transported
on the cars and over canals. For more than
thirty years the mills and other stone build-
ings were unused and some of them finally
became a heap of ruins.
The interests of the York Haven
The property were managed for sev-
Present eral years by Thomas C. Hambly,
Town. of York, and finally passed into
the hands of the Glenns of Balti-
more, who sold the land and water rights,
in 1885, to the York Haven Paper Com-
pany, which enterprise gave rise to the
modern borough of York Haven. AA^hen
this company went into operation it em-
ployed a large number of workmen. Nu-
merous houses were erected along the turn-
pike after 1885 and December i, 1892, the
village was incorporated as the Borough of
York Ha-\-en. John Shure was the first
burgess.
David H. Good and Henry C. Shelley
were the pioneer merchants. The popula-
tion in 1900 was 824. Henry Reeser, son
of William Reeser, the founder of }slan-
chester, was the oldest resident of the bor-
ough in 1907. Jacob S. Cassel, nearly the
same age, has been a citizen for many years.
Both of these gentlemen w'ere residents of
Newberry Township for a long time and
both served as soldiers in the Civil War.
Dr. J. C. IMurphy has been the practicing
physician of the borough for many years.
In 1907 there were four schools and two
churches in York Haven. The following is
a list of postmasters since 1885, together
with the dates of their appointment : John
M. Shure, 1885 ; W'illiam B. Ehrhart, 1892;
George W. Warner, 1894; John B. Male-
horn, 1898, and Elmer E. Brunner, 1902.
The church of the United Brethren in
Christ was organized at York Haven in
1886, when a house of worship was erected
at a cost of $2,200. The pastors who
served this congregation in order of succes-
sion have been : A. H. Shank, J. P. Koontz,
J. A. Shettle, W. H. Young, William Quig-
ley, J. JMeese, F. A. Reverode, J. A. Gohn,
AV. F. Reynolds, H. AA'. Zuse, J. P. Koontz,
A. L. House and H. H. Heberly.
The Lutheran Church was organized at
York Haven soon after the tune of incor-
poration. Rev. John Heindel was the first
pastor. He was succeeded by Henry F.
Crissman. Rev. J. C. McCarney, who was
the pastor in 1907, also served the congre-
gation at Goldsboro, where he resides.
In 1885, the York Haven Paper
Paper Company purchased the site of the
Mills. flouring mills, formerly owned by
the York Haven Compan}^, and the
right of water power. During that year,
the present paper mills were erected at a
cost of $400,000. Immediately after the
completion of the mill, the company began
the manufacture of newspaper, which was
continued until 1895. Since that date, a
large amount of wrapping paper and water
proof insulating paper has been made, and
during the last three 3^ears roofing paper
has been made on an extensive scale. H.
L. Carter is president of the company;
George Poole, vice-president ; H. AV. Stokes,
treasurer : G. C. Emigh, general manager.
AVithin recent years, about 250 employees
have been regularly at work. The capital
stock of the company is $450,000. This is
one of the largest paper mills in the state of
Penns3'lvania.
Conewago Bag Manufacturing Company
is a corporation composed of the same per-
YORK NEW SALEM
937
sons who own the paper mills. This plant
is engaged in the manufacture of paper
bags, with about thirty employees.
The hydro-electric power station
Power of the York- Haven AA'ater & Power
Plant. Company at York Haven utiHzes
the immense water power of the
Susquehanna River. This plant is one of
the largest in the state, and was built for
the purpose of supplying electricity
in the counties of York, Lancaster,
Dauphin and Cumberland. From the
power house to the falls is an immense
granite wall 3,500 feet long with an average
height of 31 feet. This wall encloses a race
500 feet wide with a depth of 20 feet. At
the end of this wall and adjoining it is a
large wing dam 5,100 feet long, running
diagonally across the river to Duffy's Is-
land. The power house is 478 feet long
and 51 feet wide. On the main floor of the
large building are ten 876 Kilo-volt ampere
generators 1,000 horse-power each, each
generator being connected through bevel
gears to two vertical shaft turbines, each of
550 horse-power capacity, working under a
normal head of 18 feet. There are also two
250 Kilo-watt, 335 horse-power, 125 volt
compound wound exciters, each having its
own turbines. Each exciter is of sufficient
capacit}' to excite the entire equipment of
the generators. The water wheel go^-er-
nors are located on the main floor with the
generators.
The main switch-board wdiere all the
power from the generators is controlled is
on the second floor. From this point the
power is conducted to the transformer
house, 150 feet away, through large lead-
covered cables, at a pressure of 2,400 volts.
In the transformer house there are three
banks of transformers, with three trans-
formers to each bank. Each transformer is
of 1,400 Kilo-watt capacity, 1,800 horse-
power, oil insulated, water-cooled, and steps
up the generator pressure from 2,300 volts
to 23,000 volts. The power is then carried
through the proper switching devices to the
main line. The main line to York is a
single wood pole line, carrying two circuits,
each capable of transmitting 5,000 horse-
power, or a combined capacity of 10,000
horse-power. This pole line also carries the
private telephone and signalling systems.
At the York Sub-station, the pressure is
stepped down from 23,000 volts to 2,400
volts, through the proper combination
transformers. There are two banks of
transformers, three transformers to each
bank. Each transformer is of 800 Kilo-watt
capacity, 1,000 horse-power each, oil in-
sulated, water-cooled, of the same type as
those at York Haven. The power is then
transmitted to the Sub-station switch-board
from where it is distributed through feeders
to the Edison Electric Light Companj', for
city lighting and street railway service, as
well as through separate commercial feed-
ers, supplying power for 85 per cent of the
factories in York.
Sub-stations have also been established at
Middletown, Steelton, and Harrisburg.
Middletown and Steelton are now being
lighted by York Haven power, through the
local companies of each borough, and
shortly Harrisburg will be supplied with
light through the medium of the Harrisburg
Light, Heat & Power Company. Power is
now being supplied to a large per cent of
the factories in each of the above mentioned
places. The following establishments in
the immediate vicinity of York Haven are
also being supplied with power : The York
Haven Paper Company, The Susquehanna
Roofing Company, of Cly, The American
Phosphorus Company at Falls, and the
Pennsvlvania Railroad at York Haven and
Falls. '
A large new office building, adjoining the
power house has just been completed, and
is equipped throughout with electricity for
lighting, heating and cooking, as well as
for demonstration purposes.
The officers in 1907 were George Poole,
president; E. Ivans, vice-president: E. F.
Baker, secretary and general manager; and
Robert P. Simpson, treasurer.
YORK NEW SALEM.
York New Salem is situated in the east-
ern part of North Codorus Township, six
miles southwest of York. For nearly half
a century a hotel, known as the "Six Mile
House," stood on the site of the town.
Francis Gipe was one of the early proprie-
tors. Jonathan Nefif owned a farm near the
hotel and when a collection of houses had
been built around the old time hostelry and
the Neff farm house, the people of the
neighborhood began to call it Neffstown.
938
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The village went by that name for many
years and it was incorporated as the Bor-
ough of New Salem on July 24, 1876, during
the Centennial year. The population was
224 in 1880, 231 in 1890 and 241 in 1900.
Swartz & Kailbaugh, later W. A. H.
Swartz, carried on a general store in this
village for a period of forty years, when Mr.
Swartz retired from business. W. H.
Swartz Sons now own a large store and
carry on an extensive business. Dr. P. K.
Yost and Dr. Henry Wolf practiced medi-
cine in New Salem for many years, and
were succeeded by Dr. Henry Kehm and
Dr. O. E. Snodgrass. Within recent years
Dr. L. E. Zech is the only physician in the
borough. John S. Ivline conducted a hotel
for thirty years until the time of his death
in 1891 when the property was purchased
by Charles Rengier. The original name of
the post office was Pine Hill. When the
town petitioned for a change of the name
to New Salem it was found that another
town in Pennsylvania had an office by the
same name. The official title of the post-
office is York New Salem.
Daniel Eyster erected a cigar factory
about 1890 and has since carried on an ex-
tensive business in the manufacture of fine
cigars, employing regularly about thirty-
five hands. John Young and Jacob Smith,
under the firm name of Young & Smith,
also own a cigar factory and employ a num-
ber of workmen.
St. Jacob's Lutheran and Reformed
Church of New Salem was founded about
1861 and has since been occupied by both
denominations. Rev. Fred A. Geesey, who
resides at Spring Grove, was pastor of the
Lutheran congregation which in 1907 had
a membership of 300. Some of the earlier
pastors were J. C. Deininger, L. K. Sechrist
and John Conoway.
The Reformed congregation was organ-
ized more than half a century ago. Rev. J.
J. Stauffer was pastor in 1907. The mem-
bership is 120. Some of the early pastors
were AV. Vandersloot, Rhinehart Smith and
Aaron Spangler.
Early in the morning of July i,
Stuart's 1863, the advance of General
Cavalry. Stuart's cavalry corps, composed
of 6,000 Confederate soldiers, en-
tered New Salem from the south. They
came here from Hanover where Stuart had
engaged Kilpatrick's cavalry on the pre-
ceding da}'. The line of march extended
through Jefferson to Hanover Junction and
from thence northward through New
Salem, Dover and Carlisle to the battle of
Gettysburg, where they arrived on the
evening of July 2. When General Fitz-
hugh Lee, leading the advance of Stuart's
corps, reached New Salem he learned that
Early's division of Confederate infantry had
left York and had fallen back toward Get-
tysburg. It required three hours for the
entire body of troops to pass through this
village. The event is recalled with the
deepest interest by citizens whose recol-
lections go back to the exciting days of the
Civil War when General Lee with 80,000
men engaged General Meade in the battle
at Gettysburg during the first three days of
July, 1863. The booming of the cannon at
this great battle was heard at York New
Salem.
At the time that Fitzhugh Lee's brigade
reached New Salem, one of his aides asked
Henry Gable and others the position of
Early's Confederate division. The officer
was told that Early had fallen back toward
Gettysburg. This was the first information
Stuart's cavalry had of the position of
Early's division since both had crossed the
Potomac River. Henry Gable later entered
Company B, 187th Regiment, Pennsylvania
Volunteers and was wounded in battle near
Petersburg along the Norfolk and Virginia
Railroad at four o'clock on June 18, 1864.
In 1863 there were two hotels at New
Salem. One was kept by Francis Gipe and
the other bv Simon Givens. Guards were
placed at each hotel to prevent the soldiers
from entering while passing through the
town.
The reader's attention is directed to the
story of a conference held by General Stuart
with his brigade commanders at the house
of John A. Ziegler, found in the history of
Jefferson Borough on page 887. The entire
line of Stuart's corps at daybreak on July i,
extended from York New Salem to the
borough of Dover. It included a train of
nearly 150 wagons. A part of the corps
halted for breakfast on the turnpike near
Wolf's Church, in West Manchester Town-
ship. The balance took their breakfast in
Dover. The story of this event is told in
the history of that borough.
CARROLL
939
CHAPTER XLIX
TOWNSHIP HISTORY
Carroll — Chanceford — Codorus — Conewago
— Dover.
CARROLL TOWNSHIP.
The township of Carroll, situated in the
northwestern part of York County, was
formed out of parts of Franklin and Mona-
ghan in 1831. Near its centre lies the bor-
ough of Dillsburg, whose history is found
elsewhere in this volume. The names of
the petitioners for the new township were
Henry Logan, Frederick Eichelberger,
Isaac Prosser, Alexander Cathcart, Samuel
Anderson, W. Elcock, Andrew Mumper,
John H. Carl, Robert Hammersly, ]\Iichael
Bender, John Bentz, John Eichelberger, M.
Arnold, John Hursh, Henry Smyser, Jacob
Lau, George Klugh, Noah Mumper, James
Black, Jacob Shearer, Jacob Knisely, Abra-
ham Dehuff, Aaron G. Blackford and
others. The petition was granted by the
court. AVilliam Caldwell, John Aughen-
baugh, and George Darone were appointed
viewers to lay off the new district. Carroll
Township is undulating, and is drained by
Dogwood Run and Stony Run, tributaries
of the Yellow Breeches. The soil is fertile
and productive. A bed of marl was found
on the farm of John Dill in 1799.
The deposits of magnetic iron ore in
Iron this section were discovered by Abra-
Ore. ham Mumper, one mile from Dills-
burg, in 1847. Soon afterward other
deposits were found by John Mumper. The
ore lay near the surface. Ore was later
found on the farm of Martin Smyser and at
another place along the Yellow Breeches
Creek. Henry Sidle found ore on the Price
farm. The hematite mines were discovered
in after years and large cjuantities of ore
of this kind were taken out, about three
miles west of Dillsburg. McCormick &
Company, of Harrisburg, for many years
took out a large amount of iron ore. In
1867 Alexander Underwood, son-in-law of
Abraham. Mumper, sunk a shaft and was
rewarded by finding rich deposits which he
worked for many years. In 1873 John N.
Logan, member of the York County Bar,
made a careful survey of his own- farm, east
of Dillsburg and adjoining the Mumper
farms. He had previously sold part of this
farm but repurchased it in order to develop
the iron ore interests. After sinking a
shaft a distance of thirty feet, he struck the
rich vein extending into his land from the
Underwood mine. The financial panic of
1873-7 caused a cessation of the iron ore
mining in this vicinity. The McCormicks,
of Harrisburg, afterwards leased the Logan
mines and took out many tons of valuable
ore. G. A. Longnecker leased tracts of land
from Underwood, Fleming & Logan and
continued the mining of ore. The Carroll
deposits have yielded a large amount of
valuable ore and the operation of the banks
has given employment to a large number of
workmen. AA'ithin recent years some of
them have not been operated.
In 1907 ore was being mined in a gap of
the South Mountain a short distance west
of Dillsburg, by the Juniata Furnace &
Foundry, of Newport, Perry County, Penn-
sylvania. This company employed about
fifty workmen. The product of the mines
is a fine quality of brown hematite ore.
Some years ago this company purchased
the Heck mine, and the interests in the Mc-
Cormick and Knaub mines, which had been
worked extensively at an early date. A
narrow gauge railroad was constructed
from the mines to the railway station at
Dillsburg for the transportation of the ores.
The population of Carroll in 1850 was
803; in' i860, 882; in 1870, 898; in 1880,
1.083; 1890, 993; in 1900, 882.
Beavertown is an interesting
Beavertown. hamlet, lying a short dis-
tance west of Dillsburg, al-
most under the shadow of the South Moun-
tain. About 1840, Rebecca Beavernour
kept a little confectionery store on the site
of this village. It was the centre of attrac-
tion to the boys and girls in this section of
Carroll Township. At her little store she
sold cakes and beer of excellent quality.
Soon afterward other houses were built
near the Beavernour store and since then
an attractive little village has grown up,
now known as Beavertown.
The United Evangelical church owns a
house of worship, which was erected about
1876.
In 1856 Michael Arnold built a chapel in
Carroll Township, nearly a mile from Dills-
burg, and named it Dogwood Spring Meet-
ing House. It was intended as a house of
940
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
worship for different denominations. Rev.
John Fohl, a prominent clergyman and mis-
sionary, began to preach the doctrines of
the United Brethren church in this building.
In 1862, Rev. Daniel Eberly was successful
in organizing a congregation and soon af-
terward Michael Arnold presented the
building to the United Brethren people. In
1880 the congregation erected a house of
worship which has since been known as
Arnold's church. The trustees then were
John Hoffman. Henry Kinter, Henry Ben-
der, Dr. George P. Arnold and A. N. Es-
linger.
Wolgemuth's meeting house and Pleas-
ant View Chapel are places of worship for
the German Baptists of this region.
There are six schools in Carroll Town-
ship with the following names: Northern,
Bailey's, Stony Run. ^^'estern, Chronister's
and O'hails.
Carroll and adjoining townships fur-
nished a number of soldiers for the Revo-
lution and the War of 18 12. The Carroll
Guards, commanded by Captain Totten,
tendered their services to the government
in 1846 and offered to enter the American
army during the war with Mexico. The
quota from Pennsylvania had been nearly
filled and the company's services were not
then needed. Many young men of the
township entered the Union army during
the Civil War. At the opening of the
Spanish-American War, in 1898, the fol-
lowing young men from Carroll enlisted in
the army : Mervin Lau and John Under-
wood, of Franklintown, and C. Mark
Huntzberger and Sergeant James J. Logan,
of Carroll, all in Company I, Fourth Penn-
sylvania Volunteer Infantry, at Porto Rico ;
Private Cocklin and Harry Miller, of Car-
roll, John Smith, of Dillsburg, enlisted in
other regiments, and William H. O'hail
went to the Philippine Islands.
CHANCEFORD TOWNSHIP.
The township of Chanceford was laid out
by authority of the Lancaster Court in 1747,
two j^ears before the county of York had
been formed. The township of Hallam,
now called Hellam, had been organized in
1739, ^iid included a large section of York
County. Two j^ears later, Lower Hallam
Township, without any well-defined limits,
was formed, and embraced the southeastern
section of York County, including the
present townships of Chanceford, Lower
Chanceford, Fawn and Peach Bottom. In
June, 1747; the early settlers of this region
petitioned the Lancaster Court as follows:
To the Worshipful Justices of the County of Lancaster :
The petition of the Inhabitants of Chanceford in the
county sheweth that the said township, together with
the township of Fawn was formerly included in one
township under the name of Lower Hallam, but upon
the unanimous petition of the inhabitants of the said
township in general, the same was by j'our worships
divided into two townships b}' a branch of water called
Muddy Creek, which is and was to the satisfaction of
the inhabitants in general and of equal ease and con-
venience to all persons in each township that are liable
to execute any public office, &c. Yet, notwithstanding, a
certain number of the inhabitants of Fawn at last May
sessions petitioned your worships to alter the said
division and allow of a division of the said town-
ship b}' a southwest line from Ashmore's Ferry,
which would make said township of Chanceford to con-
sist only in about eighteen or twenty poor families living
mostly four or five miles asunder and some further
amongst said hilly and remote parts of the said town-
ships, thereby making the same near thirty miles long
and about si.x wide, which would tender the same in-
sufficient for a township and be an unreasonable piece of
cruelty upon any of the inhabitants to e.xecute any office
which of course according to their nvimber and the sev-
eral services incumbent on them must fall to each man's
lot, once in three years, and if any poor to maintain
it will be only one poor maintaining another, for which
reasons and many others, we humbly pray your worships
in }'Our wisdom to consider and prevent the unequalness
and disagreeableness of such an attempt of making a
new division of the said township whereby one will con-
sist only of some poor scattered families about one-
fourth of the inhabitants in the whole and the other
three-fourths of the best in substance when the first
division equally divides the inhabitants, &c.
And your petitioners as in duty bound shall pray, &c.
Chanceford, June 12, 1747.
John Campbell,
John Bukanan,
Robert Morton,
James Smith,
David McKinley,
Nathaniel Morgan,
Thomas Johnson,
Charles Caldwell,
Patrick McGee,
William JMcCome.
Alexander McCall,
Moses Wallace,
Hugh Ross,
David McCarthy,
Robert Howard,
William Smart,
William Anderson,
James Anderson,
Charles Carson,
Adam McMachan,
Finley Gray,
This petition w^as approved by the Lan-
caster Court and in the fall of 1747 the
township was duly organized.
The name Chanceford is a compound
word meaning a chance ford. The word
was first known to history in 1745, when,
by the division of Lower Hallam Township,
the upper section of it, upon petition to the
court was called by the earl)^ Scotch-Irish
settlers Chanceford and the lower section
Fawn, after which event Lower Hallam dis-
appears as a name of a township west of the
CHANCEFORD
941
Susquehanna. The central portion is gently Valuation
rolling, and the parts bordering on Fishing ^^^f ''" Armstrong, 158 acres, i horse. 4 persons. . . 10
^ 1 1 A r 1 f r-. 1 1^11 1 ., Joseph Allison, 80 acres, I horse, I person 38
Creek and Muddy Creek are hilly, and the Henry Alexander. .3 horses, 8 persons 24
part bordering on the Susquehanna River is Jo'™ Andrew, 250 acres, 4 horses, n persons. ..... 182
mniintainniis The soil in the northern half f^athew Adams, 175 acres, 2 horses, 9 persons in
mountainous, j. ne sou, m tne noi tnei n nan j^mes Airs, 150 acres, i horse, 2 persons 89
of the township, is exceedingly rough and William Adams, 572 acres, 3 horses, II persons... 316
stony, while the southern half is fertile and George Burgholder, 100 acres, 2 horses, i ferry, 3
productive. The principal stream is Otter FMoXon BMgesye persons. \\\\'.\\'. ''.'.'.'.'.'. '.'.'.'.''[ '^o
Creek, which rises in the western part of
the tOA\-nship, and flows east and southeast
until it enters Lower Chanceford Township,
a short distance from its mouth.
Chanceford and Lower Chance-
Township ford were separated by the
Divided. York County court, February
15, 1806. A division line was
run by Jesse Cornelius, surveyor, begin-
ning at a chestnut tree, on the land of
James Gibson, at Muddy Creek, and run-
ning northeast 2,430 perches to the Sus-
William Buchanan, 233 acres, 2 horses, 7 persons.. 150
John Buchanan, i horse, 3 persons 10
Christian Burgholder, 70 acres, i horse, 4 persons. .-
Joseph Burgess, 207 acres, i horse, i mill 138
John Buchanan, Sr., 150 acres, 2 horses, 9 persons. 103
Robert Blain, 220 acres, 3 horses, 6 persons 143
Christian Baker, 120 acres, 2 horses, i oil-mill, 4
persons go
William Barnes, i horse, 4 persons 20
Charles Bradshaw, 150 acres, 2 horses, 12 persons. 103
Abraham Burgholder, 112 acres, 3 horses, 6 persons 98
Robert Blain, heirs of Coopers, 200 acres 100
Adam Cunningham, 132 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons. . 77
John Conrad, 9 persons
George Cross, 80 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons 126
Henry Crovvell, 2, horses, 4 persons 25
Peter Crowell, 88 acres.
quehanna River near Burkholder's P^rry^^Z.:;i'^^r^^^s:^^s:'y'^t.::::: :|
Jesse Cornelius recommended that the^Ljacob Coon, 88 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons 60
township be called Sharon, but other couu--^^'^^"!?, Coon, 60 acres, 2 horses, 7 persons 55
1 -11 1 ii /~ii r J John Cooster, 40 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons ac.
sel prevailed, and the name Chanceford, re-j George Christ, 150 acres, i horse, 2 persons 90
tained by the upper division, was COnfirmet«r~Michael Coon, 100 acres, 2 horses, 8 persons 82
bv the court in May, 1806. The settlement. J°'™ P^"')?>''.,f P""""^ 3
-. „, ,1 r 1-1 1 v Christian Crailly, bo ^cres 35
of Chanceford was hrst made m the SOUth-^ohn Coon, 208 acres, 2 horses, n persons 131
ern half of the township, about the year Christian Coon, i horse, 3 persons 20
,_.,„ K,, i-u„ c„„j-„i, T„;^u „ 1; „f 1 „„„ Widow Campbell, 160 acres, 2 horses, 4 persons. . . 83
1/33- by the Scotch-Insh, a line of whose ^ilham Crarry, 60 acres, I horse, i ferry, 6 per-
settlements extends from New Castle, Dela-
ware, through the southern tier of counties
of Pennsylvania to the west.
Jas. Craigmiles, 225 acres, 3 horses, 10 persons.
John Caldwell, 117 acres, i horse, 7 persons....
John Commons, 2 horses, 8 persons.
293
146
Much of the area in the northern part of Widow Cowley. 100 acres, 6 persons 55
the township belonged to the province of Jol™ Cage, 2 horses, 8 persons. ...^ 25
T-, , .*^ -1 r , V, , • Rev. James Clarkson, 165 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons 118
Pennsylvania until after the Revolution. John Cornelius, i horse, 9 persons 12
This land was then taken up by the Ger-
mans, some of whom are said to have been
Hessian soldiers who had served in the
British army and had been made prisoners.
After the Revolution had ended they re-
mained in this country and became citizens
of York County.
James Duncan, 250 acres, 3 horses, 9 persons 140
John Duncan (Smith), 132 acres, 2 horses, 6 per-
sons
James Douglass, 40 acres, i horse, 5 persons 127
Wm. Donnelly, 60 acres, 2 horses, 3 persons 136
Alexander Downing, 250 acres, 3 horses, 5 persons 160
John Donnelly, 60 acres, 2 horses, 10 persons 40
William Doughtery, 336 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons. 212
Wm. Douglass, 300 acres, 3 horses, 10 persons... 200
^_>, J. ,, . . , ,. James Downing. 200 acres, I person 100
ihe following is a complete list Philip Elias, 4 persons n
of the names of taxable inhabi- George Elias, 100 acres, 2 horses, 7 persons 76
tanti; ni Ch^-nrpfnrri anrl T nwf>r Samuel Elder, 131 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons 75
tants Ot (^nancetoia ana i^Ower James Elder, 138 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons 115
Chanceford in 1783, together Widow Evans, 30 acres, i horse, 3 persons 2K
with the number of persons in Jol?" Elder, 131 acres 86
, J. ., , , , . '■ ^ bolomon rolk, i horse, 4 persons 12
each family, amount and valuation of prop- john French, 40 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons, I still.. 254
erty : Robert Fullerton. 100 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons... 71
Valuation Samuel Fullerton, I horse, 6 persons 15
Thomas Allison. 60 acres, 2 horses, 7 persons £50 Richard Freeborn, 6 persons
John Arnold, 50 acres, i horse, 6 persons 40 John Fullerton, 333 acres, I slave, 3 horses, 6 per-
William Adams, 2 horses, 3 persons 12 sons, i still 25 1
William Allcock, 160 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons.... 201 James Fellow, 160 acres, I horse, 3 persons 91
William Anderson, 29 acres, I horse, 4 persons 30 James Fulton, 160 acres, 2 slaves, 2 horses, 5 per-
James Alexander, 70 acres 50 sons 180
Hugh Adams, 80 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons 49 John Fullerton, Sr., 100 acres, i servant, 2 horses,
Henry Adams, 2 horses, 5 persons 26 3 persons 74
Taxable
. List
of 1783.
942
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Valuation
William FuUerton. 144 acres, 3 horses, 10 persons.. 94
Thomas Go wan. 130 acres, 2 horses. 5 persons 96
Robert Gobble, 8 persons 5
Thomas Graham, i horse, 5 persons 13
Barnard Good, 30 acres, 2 persons 18
Thomas Grove, 100 acres, i horse, 6 persons 74
William Greer, 80 acres, 2 horses, 3 persons 65
John Grove, 190 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons 126
Robert Gill, i person
George Gibson, i horse, 8 persons 13
Jacob Grove, 150 acres, 2 horses, S persons 104
Jas. Henderson, 180 acres. 2 horses. 6 persons 122
Henr\- Herrot, 2 horses, 7 persons
Wm, Houlton, 123 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons 118
Charles Holmes, 419 acres, 4 horses, 4 persons 249
James Hill, 220 acres, i horse, 5 persons 761
George Henry. 150 acres, 2 horses, q persons 103
John Henderson, 200 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons 120
Samuel Hannah, 80 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons.... 76
William Hendry, 300 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons... 195
John Henderson, weaver, 150 acres, 2 norses, 4 per-
sons 100
John Henderson, cooper, I horse, 5 persons 14
Widow Henry. I horse, i person 8
Joseph Houlton. 240 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons... 209
Hugh Henderson, 50 acres 25
Leonard Isenhouer, 150 acres, 2 horses, 4 persons. 126
Thos, Johnston, 100 acres, 2 horses, 3 persons.... loi
Joseph Jackson, 810 acres, 4 horses, 8 persons 593
Wm. Johnson, 158 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons 95
Michael Kauffman, 60 acres 60
George Keener, 90 acres, i horse, 4 persons 55
Mathew Kelgore, 350 acres, i slave, 5 horses, 9
persons 307
Wm. Kelly, 208 acres, 3 horses, 10 persons 164
John KirUwood, 50 acres, 2 horses, 2 persons, i
chair, i mill, 2 stills 55
Thos. Kirkwood, 30 acres, 2 horses, 7 persons 29
Joseph Klein, 200 acres, i horse, i person 118
Balthaser Kieth, 120 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons... 85
Lodwig Kieth, 30 acres, 1 horse, 6 persons 26
Patrick Kill, 130 acres, 2 horses. 8 persons 88
Thomas Kelly, 761 acres, 2 slaves, 3 horses, 3 per-
sons 606
John Kirkwood, tx3 acres, i horse, 2 persons 53
Conrad Lookup, 150 acres, 2 horses 4 persons... 87
Wm. Leaman, 130 acres, 2 horses, 4 persons 103
John Leekey, 3 horses, 7 persons 36
Widow Little, 100 acres, 2 horses, 3 persons 86
James Leaper, 180 acres, 3 horses, 6 persons 145
Wm. Long, 250 acres, 4 horses, 4 persons 197
John Lush, 280 acres, 3 horses, 8 persons 203
James Logue, 350 acres, i servant, 3 horses, 7 per-
sons 193
John Lavid, 900 acres, 2 slaves, 4 horses, 5 persons 598
George List, 122 acres, 2 horses, 8 persons 86
James Lavid, 250 acres, 2 horses, 2 persons 153
John McCall, 100 acres, 3 horses, 6 persons 99
Wm. McGuffy, 200 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons 145
Widow McClurg, 150 acres, 2 horses, 4 persons... 104
Wm. McCalla, 178 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons
Wm. Ma.xwell, 210 acres, i horse, 6 persons 107
Stephen JiIcKinley, 337 acres, 5 horses, 9 persons. 222
John Alarlin, 334 acres, i slave, 2 horses, 3 persons 226
Toal McAllister, 2 persons 3
Widow ilarlin, 365 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons... 203
John Menary, 150 acres, 3 horses, II persons.... no
Samuel ^ilartin, 3 horses, 4 persons 21
Thomas ;\Iathess, 2 horses, 3 persons 18
Frederick McPherson, 63 acres, i horse, 8 persons 53
Wm. Morrison, Sr., 300 acres, 4 horses, i still, 7
persons 268
Wm. McCullough, 2 horses, 7 persons 21
John McCandless, 112 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons.. 107
Wm. Morrison, Jr., 250 acres, 3 horses, 6 persons. 202
Valuation
James ^Marshall, 250 acres, 3 horses, 8 persons... 148
John McQuon, i horse, 2 persons 8
^Michael McAfee, 69 acres, i horse, 8 persons.... 46
James ^lartin, i horse, 6 persons 15
Widow McJIollon, 40 acres, 3 persons 20
Alexander McCurdy, i horse, 3 persons 10
Robert McClennon (blind), 100 acres, 2 horses, 5
persons 79
Patrick McGee, 300 acres, 2 horses, 2 persons 183
John Mitchell, 230 acres, 4 horses, 6 persons 179
Andrew JilcCleary, 250 acres, i slave, 4 horses, 6
persons 267
Wm. Maughlin, 248 acres, 4 horses, 7 persons.... 171
John McClennon, 2 horses, 5 persons 20
Wm. McDowell, 185 acres, i horse, 4 persons.... 120
John Michael, 259 acres 125
Wm. McCandless, 229 acres, 3 horses, 6 persons . . 140
Moses McWharter, 2 horses 125
Daniel Newman, i horse, 4 persons 8
George Newburg, 150 acres, i horse, 3 persons, ,1
ferry 108
James Nichelson, i horse, 2 persons 13
Samuel Nelson, 208 acres, i slave, 3 horses, 9 per-
sons 792
Wm, Owens, 20 acres 33
John Olrich, 50 acres, i horse, 2 persons 38
George Orson, 420 acres, 3 horses, 5 persons, i
ferry 307
Benjamin Pedan, Esq., 307 acres, i slave, 5 horses,
10 persons 283
Robert Pendry, i horse, 3 persons
James Pedan, 151 acres, 3 horses 123
James Porter, 60 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons SS
Archibald Purdy, so acres, 2 horses, 5 persons ... 50
Andrew Paxton, 50 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons.... 105
Wm. Pollock. 100 acres. 3 horses, 2 persons 80
John Ports, i horse, 6 persons 35
David Parker, i horse 10
John Patterson, 161 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons.... 112
Nicholas Quigley, 15 acres, 3 horses, 4 persons... 51
Henry Robinson, 188 acres, 2 horses, 4 persons.. 118
John Reed, 300 acres, 4 horses, 4 persons 18
Wm. Ross, 843 acres, 2 slaves, 5 horses, 5 persons,
2 stills 623
Widow Reed, i horse, 6 persons
Walter Robinson, 100 acres 50
Wm. Rea, 4 persons 3
Martin Robert, 188 acres, 3 horses, g persons 139
Wm. Read, 310 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons 209
Thomas Rea, 75 acres, i horse, 7 persons 75
John Rippy, 300 acres, 3 horses, 6 persons 206
Wm. Reed, 2 horses, 3 persons 30
Joseph Robb, 342 acres, 3 horses, 13 persons 223
James Robinson, 240 acres, i servant, 3 horses, 10
persons 169
Joseph Read, Esq., 165 acres, 4 horses, i mill, 9
persons 207
Thomas Ramsey, 235 acres, 2 horses, 8 persons... 172
James Ramsey, 100 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons .... 80
Thomas Scott, 150 acres, I horse, 4 persons 90
Robert Smith, 355 acres, 3 horses, 9 persons 256
Allen Scott, 150 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons 96
Robert Stewart, 250 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons.... 195
Hugh Sprout, 350 acres, 4 horses, 5 persons 119
Jonas Sour, 100 acres, i horse, 8 persons 75
Robert Shaw, 150 acres, 2 horses, 4 persons 117
Rowling Stewart, 64 acres, i horse, 4 persons.... 40
-Peter Sayder, 50 acres, i horse, 2 persons 33-
Andrew Ste'aly, i horse, 7 persons 10
Stephen Stealy, 30 acres, i horse, 5 persons 32
Widow Smith, 130 acres 65
Jacob Spots, 150 acres, 3 horses, 5 persons 116
Jacob Stealy, 150 acres, 3 horses, 5 persons 121
Daniel Sinclair, 140 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons.... 112
James Stewart. 200 acres. 3 horses. 3 persons 136
CHANCEFORD
943
Valuation
Gawin Scott, 400 acres, 2 slaves, 3 horses, 8 per-
sons 366
Archibald Shaw, 100 acres, 2 horses, 3 persons... 86
John Stewart, 345 acres, 2 horses, 8 persons 214
Samuel Stewart, 50 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons.... 50
John Smith, 240 acres, I horse, 9 persons 134
Peter Sangry, 180 acres, 2 horses, 9 persons 126
Casper Sailor, 166 acres, 2 horses, 10 persons 129
James Spear, 140 acres, 2 horses, ,8 persons loo
William Stewart, 150 acres, 2 horses, 6 persons... 105
Patrick Smith, 100 acres, 3 horses, 9 persons 85
James Turk, 193 acres, 3 horses, 6 persons 136
Ephraim Turk, 123 acres, 2 horses, S persons 90
Alexander Turner, 60 acres, 4 horses, 8 persons. . . 120
John Thatcher, 350 acres, 4 horses. 7 persons.... 213
George Thompson, 2 horses, 5 persons 20
Thomas Wilson, 206 acres, 2 horses, 5 persons . . . 165
Isaac Williams, 239 acres, 3 horses, 3 persons.... 180
Matthew Wallace, 200 acres, 3 horses, 7 persons. . . 149
Widow Wilson, 100 acres, I horse, I person 68
James Wiley, 100 acres, 3 horses, 5 persons 95
Samuel Woods, 20 acres, 2 horses, 7 persons 27
John Winter, 140 acres, 2 horses, 3 persons, i
saw mill 91
Moses Wallace, i horse
James Wryburn, 80 acres
John Wyley, 60 acres, l horse, 4 persons 45
SINGLE MEN.
James Cunningham, James Long,
Samuel McCIorg, William Elder,
David McKinley, Thomas Lush,
Isaac McCewin, David Douglass,
Samuel Sprout, Andrew Gorgeson,
James Sprout, Joseph Reed,
Emanuel Reichard, Martin Robert,
William Johnston, ■ Robert Marlin,
William Sprout, John McCall,
John McCleary, James Wvley,
Robert Nelson, William McCall,
James Patterson, Samuel Shaw,
William Wilson, John Adams,
William Buchanan, Thomas Duncan,
Robert Armstrong, William Davis,
John Sinclair, Peter Smith,
Thomas McCrear}-, William McKee,
Alexander Craigmiles, Philip Maxwell,
Daniel Filloon, Andrew Stewart.
John Hill, Joseph Glen.
John Kelley,
The population of Chanceford Township
in 1810 was 966; in 1820, 1,248; in 1830,
1,177: in 1840, 1,439; ii^ 1850. 1.572; in i860,
2,110; 1870, 2,501; 1880, 2,994; 1890, 3,066;
and in 1900 was 2,798.
About 1830, Sarah Ann Furnace,
Manor situated in the northwestern
Furnace, part of Chanceford, was erected
by William C. Cornwell. He
operated this furnace successfully in manu-
facturing pio- iron with charcoal until the
financial panic of 1837. The ore was ob-
tained from Chestnut Hill, in Lancaster
County, and from the mines near Logan-
ville. It was originally known as Sarah
Ann Furnace and later Manor Furnace.
John Herr, of Hellam Township, pur-
chased the furnace and operated it for sev-
eral years. The business was discontinued
before the opening of the Civil War. The
chestnut timber used in making the char-
coal was obtained in the vicinity of the fur-
nace.
Brogueville, or The Brogue, was
Villages, the early voting place of
Chanceford Township until it
was divided into three election precincts.
The surrounding land was owned in colonial
days by Colonel John Laird, who became an
officer of the Revolution and a man of note
and distinction in the lower end of York
County. Many of his descendants, the
Fultons and the Grahams, reside in Chance-
ford Township. Rebecca Laird, one of his
daughters, was the mother of Clement L.
Vallandingham, the noted orator of Ohio.
Brogueville is situated at the divergence
of five roads. In early days some one placed
at the corner of one of the roads, near the
tavern, a brogan or worn out shoe upon a
pole. It hung there for many days and ex-
cited a great deal of interest among the
Scotch-Irish settlers of the neighborhood.
From this incident the place became known
as "The Brogue," which appellation it has
since borne. In colonial days The Brogue
tavern was opened at the junction of these
roads by Andrew Findley, who afterward
became an officer of the Revolution. He
was the only son of Major John Findlev,
who won distinction in the same war. This
public inn was a noted stopping place for
stages going from York to Peach Bottom
and for the traveling public before the days
of railroads. James Kilgore kept the hotel
from 1854 until the time of his death. It
has always been a popular hostelry in the
lower end of the county, and in 1907 was
owned by David Porter, a son of Dr. B. F.
Porter, who practiced medicine in the vicin-
ity during the last years of his life. x\
small village has grown up around the hotel.
Dr. B. Frank Posey is the practicing physi-
cian at The Brogue.
New Bridgeville is a hamlet situated in
the northeastern part of Chanceford Town-
ship, overlooking the Susquehanna river.
The view from this place up and down the
river is truly enchanting, unfolding to the
eye of the observer a large portion of Lan-
caster Count}^ James P. Robinson for sev-
eral vears conducted a mercantile business
944
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
and also served as a member of the Penn-
sylvania legislature. Dr. J. AV. Shenberger
resides near New Bridgeville.
Lockport, another small village, is di-
rectly opposite Safe Harbor, in Lancaster
County. A 'dam extended over the Susque-
hanna here for many years. It was used to
aid in the transporting of boats across the
river to the Conestoga navigation, which
extended from Safe Harbor to Lancaster. '
Grahamville is situated in the southeast-
ern part of the township. It is named in
honor of Colonel Robert Graham, who be-
fore the Civil A'Var commanded the Sixty-
fourth Regiment of Pennsylvania Militia,
belonging to York County. His ancestors
took up the lands around the site of this
village during the time of the early settle-
ment. Colonel Graham owned a large farm
•and conveyed his farm, products by wagon
to Baltimore until the tidewater canal was
built. One of his employees before 1830
was Jacob Tome, afterward the great
financier, who amassed a large fortune and
died at Port Deposit in 1898, where he had
lived for half a century. Thomas L. Gra-
ham, son of Colonel Graham, graduated at
Princeton College, and served for ten years
as principal of the Elkton Academy, in
Maryland. He was the active and efficient
principal of the High School at AVilmington,
Delaware, for several years, and afterward
was superintendent of schools at Belleville,
New Jersey, a suburb of Newark. At pres-
ent he is editor of the York Gazette.
Collinsville is a hamlet situated on the
road leading to Airville, two miles below
The Brogue. Alexander Collins built the
first house in this village, which now con-
tains a population of about 100. Dr. Mor-
decai A. Posey practiced medicine here for
many j^ears.
Guinston United Presbyterian
Guinston congregation is a descendant
U. P. of the Associate Presbyterian
Church. Church of Scotland, which was
forced by a secession from the
established church in 1733, under name of
the Associate Presbytery. Appeals for a
missionary came from America in 1742 to
the mother church. The division of this
church into the Burger and Anti-Burger
branches hindered missionary work, but in
1753. the Anti-Burger Synod' sent out Rev.
Alexander Gellately and Rev. Andrew Ar-
not, who organized in the colonies the As-
sociate Presbytery of Pennsylvania. The
original settlers of Guinston Associate Con-
gregation, as then called, were families from
both Ireland and Scotland, who came to
York County between 1734 and 1736.
Dr. James B. Scouller says in his history
of Big Spring Presbytery that "one of the
earliest and most active settlers was Alex-
ander AA'allace, from Scotland, whose great-
grandson now resides in the original home-
stead." This house is now standing and is
in the possession of the great-great-grand-
daughters of the iirst Alexander AVallace.
The congregation was formally organized
by Mr. Gellately or Arnot in the spring of
1754, by the ordination of Alexander AYal-
lace, Thomas Currie, John Orr, A'Villiam
Orr, Samuel Harper and John McKay, as
ruling elders. This session was enlarged in
May, 1769, by the addition of five more, and
again in 1776 by another five.
For a short time worship was conducted
in Alexander AA^allace's house until a log
structure was built upon the two-acre lot,
which the congregation now owns and oc-
cupies. This land was conveyed by James
Cooper, of Oxford Township, Chester
County, in 1774, to Thomas Currie, James
AA'allace, Guin Allison and others, farmers,
of Chanceford, Hopewell and AVindsor
townships. August 25, 1773, James Clark-
son, just arrived from Scotland, was in-
stalled as their first pastor. November 6,
1773, it was resolved to erect a stone church
46 feet long, 30 feet wide and 18 feet high to
the scpiare. Andrew Proudfoot, James
AA'allace, John Herron, James McNary,
AVilliam Adams and John Lusk were ap-
pointed a board. of managers. The contract
was let to James A\^allace, who was in-
structed to put forward the work with all
dispatch.
In October, 1793, in accordance with the
recommendation of Presbytery the congre-
gation, 121 in number, publicly renewed
their covenant vows. On two succeeding
occasions this was again done, though not
so formally and publicly. Mr. Clarkson
continued his work as pastor until 1805,
when in May he asked Synod for a supply
for his pulpit. Owing to increasing infirmi-
ties and ill health, he resigned his charge in
March, 1808. The congregation continued
to give to his support until his death at
CHANCEFORD
945
Valley Field, his homestead, (now owned by
James C. Fulton a descendant) October 30,
181 1, when he had just entered his seventy-
fourth year.
August 20, 1818, Alexander Gordon was
ordained and installed as pastor of Guins-
ton. His whole time was given to the con-
gregation until 1822, when, in compliance
with a request from associate members of
Lower Chanceford for one-fourth of Mr.
Gordon's time, a union was made with the
Lower Chanceford charge, which was
formally organized into a congregation in
1823. This organization was maintained
till 1859.
October 20, 1825, Mr. Gordon's pastoral
relation to Guinston and Lower Chance-
ford was dissolved, and he served as pastor
at Putnam, New York, afterward at
Johnstown, of that state, where he died
suddenly August 20, 1845.
In 1833, ^ call was presented to Rev.
John Adams, and being accepted, he was
ordained and installed by the Philadelphia
Presbytery, September 11, 1833, as pastor
of Guinston and Lower Chanceford. He
ministered to the congregation for over
twenty years, giving them all his time, and
the church grew under his care. Owing to
increasing infirmities and ill health, he re-
signed his charge April 26, 1855; yet he
lived among his people, serving as best he
could and showing an interest in the
church until his death, January 14, 1862.
After many efforts for a pastor, the con-
gregation secured Rev. Francis McBurney,
who was ordained and installed August 15,
1856. He and his people went heartily into
the Union of 1858 at Pittsburg, and Guins-
ton gave up the name Associate Church,
which she had borne with honor for more
than a century. In 1859, Mr. McBurney
was released by the Presbytery of Big
Spring from the pastoral charge of Lower
Chanceford, and the two congregations.
Associate and Associate Reformed, were
united into one charge. Hopewell was
united August 10, 1859, with Guinston, re-
ceiving one-third of McBurney's time.
In 1867 the people resolved to erect a
new and larger church to accommodate the
growing congregation. One-half an acre
of ground was purchased from Valentine
Trout. A building of brick. 65 feet long, 42
feet wide, and 21 feet to the square, was
built at a cost of over $5,000. The old
church that stood a landmark for over 130
years was at this time in danger of being
demolished. A congregational meeting
was called May 11, 1868, to decide whether
or not the trustees should pull down the
old church and use the stone for the foun-
dation of the new church. AViser counsel
prevailed, for it was resolved to procure
stone elsewhere. About the time the
building was completed, Mr. McBurney
resigned, and on October 6, 1868, the con-
gregation was again without a pastor.
A call was presented to Rev. Samuel
Jamison, who was installed as pastor April
25, 1872, and under his watchful care and
faithful ministry the congregation grew
until in 1883 and 1885, its highest mem-
bership, 189, was reached. June 28, 1875,
Mr. Jamison was released from Hopewell
to give his whole time to Guinston. He
continued for twenty years as Guinston's
pastor. He was a diligent student of the
Bible, a deep theologian and a strong
preacher. April 22, 1891, he resigned his
charge and the present pastor, Rev. R. G.
Pinkerton, was ordained and installed Sep-
tember 27, 1892, and took up the work laid
down by Mr. Jamison, who died October
29, 1900.
Guinston guards the dust of three of her
pastors as they rest in the city of the dead,
among the people they loved and served.
In 1892 the house of worship was re-
modeled at a cost of about $3,100.
The above sketch of Guinston Church
was prepared by the pastor. Rev. R. G.
Pinkerton, and read by him at the one hun-
dred and fiftieth anniversary of the church,
October 26, 1904.
St. Luke's Church, known as
Stahle's Stahle's, founded in 1784, just
Church, after the close of the Revolution,
is situated in the northern part
of Chanceford. The principal founders of
this church were Jacob Stable and George
Souders, and the building was named in
honor of the former, upon whose farm it
was originally built. The first church
building with its plain wooden seats was
used for a period of eighty-two years. In
1866. the second church was built under
the direction of Peter Blose, Jacob Kohler
and George Wise, who formed the building
committee. Two congregations, a Luth-
946
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
eran and Reformed, worshiped here on al-
ternate Sundays for nearly a century. The
Lutherans were much stronger in numbers
than the Reformed. As Chanceford is an
English speaking township most of the
members of the Reformed congregation
finally joined New Harmony Presbyterian
Church. St. Luke's church in recent years
has been used by the Lutherans only. The
third church was built in 1889. The Luth-
eran pastors in order of succession have
been: Revs. Bentz, A. Gearnal, Heisley, J.
Harman. J. Kempfer, John Conoway, P.
Warner, E. Lenhart, Peter Livingston, D.
S. Kurtz, E. Manges, H. C. Salem and
Charles Sechrist. The Reformed pastors
were : Henry Hablinstein, W. F. Vander-
sloot, H. Ryneka, Sr., and R. Rahauser.
St. James Lutheran Church is situated
near Muddy Creek at Guinston Crossing.
It was built about 1878. The pastor in
1907 is Rev. Charles Sechrist.
The original Scotch-Irish set-
New tiers of this region worshiped
Harmony in the first Presbyterian meet-
Church, ing house built in York County
at the union of Scott's Run
with Muddy Creek. After Chanceford
church was founded near Airville, in Lower
Chanceford, they attended services at this
place. In 1847, ^ congregation was or-
ganized within the present limits of
Chanceford Township and a house of wor-
ship was erected and dedicated December,
1848. Twenty-four persons presented let-
ters from Chanceford Church and four from
Hopewell or Round Hill. Hugh Long,
John A. Murphy and James Stewart were
elected its first elders, and the name
adopted by the organization was "New
Harmony Presbyterian Church." David
Workinger, Judge Valentine Trout and
Colonel Robert Graham later served as
elders. Rev. J. J. Lane, of Wrightsville,
was installed as the regular pastor in 1853.
The other clergymen who have ministered
to this congregation in order of succession
have been: Revs. J. L. Merrill, A. F. Mor-
rison and J., P. McKee, the present pastor.
The membership is about 250.
Bethel Methodist Episcopal
Bethel Church, near the village of Gra-
Church. hamville, is one of the oldest
Methodist congregations in the
southern part of York County. The first
services conducted by the Methodists in
this vicinity were held in the houses of the
members. In 1821 Rev. John McKinley
succeeded in organizing a society, being
ably assisted by Rev. Daniel Khne. A neat
church of wood was built in the year 1821.
This building was used for the long period
of 53 years, until 1874, when it was acci-
dentally destroyed by fire. During the year
1874, an attractive church edifice costing
about $3,000 was erected near the site of
the original church in a beautiful grove.
A school building is situated about 20 yards
distant near the same grove. The building
is painted white with green shutters and is
covered with a fine quality of Peach Bot-
tom slate. The church was recently re-
modeled and a bell placed in the belfry. An
adjoining graveyard surrounded by a neat
fence contains the tombs of many early set-
tlers of this region. Some of the recent
pastors of this congregation have been
Revs. Dyer, SeiiTert, Carver, Bruce,
Hughes, J. F. Glass and Samuel Horn.
Trinity Church, of the Evangelical As-
sociation, in the western part of the town-
ship, was founded in 1871. There are two
other churches of this denomination, one
known as the Chapel, in the northern part
of the township, built in 1872, and the
other Mount Pleasant church, built in 1880,
in the southern part of the township.
In 1834, when the free school
Schools, system was established in Penn-
sylvania by act of the legislature
there were five schools in Chanceford
Township. They were then supported by
private subscriptions. Chanceford was
quick to accept the provisions of the new
law and the schools in general have been in
a prosperous condition. There are now in"
the township eighteen public school houses
bearing the following names : Clearview,
Trinity, Thompson's, Weiser's, Bethel,
Guinston, Gipe's, Brogue, Shaw's, St.
James, Battle Hill, Conrad's, Shenk's Ferry,
Dellinger's, Millers, Collinsville, Glen-Allen
and Hickory Grove.
Chanceford Academy, situated one mile
from the Brogue on the road leading to
Shenk's Ferry, was opened in i860 by Rev.
J. L. Merrill, pastor of New Harmony
Church. Colonel George B. Murphy was
president of the board of trustees. Some
of the other members were Joseph Griffith
CHANCEFORD
947
and Samuel Reed. The academy flour-
ished for severa. years under different m-
structors. Later the brick building occu-
pied by this school was used by the Guin-
ston congregation for holding religious
meetings.
In 1775 and some time before this,
Noted Captain Joseph Reed purchased the
Men. river rights over the Susquehanna,
later known as Shenk's Ferry,
above Burkholder's Ferry. During the
Revolution Joseph Reed commanded a
company of Associators, the muster roll of
which will be found on page 270. One of
its members was David McKinley, great-
grandfather of President William McKin-
ley. For several months in the year 1781,
Captain Reed and his men formed the guard
for the British prison, situated four miles
southeast of York. After the Revolution
Captain Reed returned to his ferry and farm
of seven hundred acres in Chanceford
Township. He had purchased the Orson
mill property, and during the remainder of
his life followed the occupation of a farmer
and miller until the time of his death Oc-
tober 19, 1804. His property descended to
his two sons, Joseph and \\'illiam. Dr.
Joseph E. Reed, of Lancaster, Pennsylva-
nia, son of ^^'illiam Reed, served for a pe-
riod of three years as surgeon for the Sec-
ond Brigade, First Division, Fifth Army
Corps.
Archibald Thompson for many years
owned the site of Manor Furnace. Michael
McKinnon, father of Dr. M. J. McKinnon,
of York, carried on the tanning business
near Collinsville for many years. Another
tannery was conducted by Jacob Tome in
the northern part of Chanceford before
i860.
John Hooper, a Quaker, who came to
America with Penn's colony in 1682, was
one of the earliest settlers of the original
Chanceford Township. He purchased a
large tract of land upon which York Fur-
nace was later built, and erected one of the
first saw mills west of the Susquehanna on
John's Run at the site of the weighlock.
John Hooper was the great-grandfather of
Colonel Robert Graham, founder of Gra-
hamville.
Colonel John Kelly, who lived on the
hills along Muddy Creek, owned a large
tract of land. One of his dausrhters mar-
ried Hugh Bingham, the father of Rev. Dr.
William R. Bingham, who became a prom-
inent clergyman in the Presbyterian church
and a trustee of Lincoln University. One
of his sons, James Kelly, became a member
of the York Bar.
There were other noted men born in
Chanceford Township who made their mark
as clergymen, physicians, lawyers, and in
other occupations. James Smith, a signer
of the Declaration of Independence and one
of the earliest lawyers at York, lived for a
time in the original Chanceford Township
after his parents emigrated here from the
north of Ireland. John Stewart, father of
the wife of John Sherman, the great states-
man from Ohio, was born in Chanceford
and the home of. his nativity was twice vis-
ited by Mrs. Sherman and her husband after
the Civil War. John Stewart migrated first
to the state of New York, and afterward
settled in Ohio, and became president judge
of the courts at Mansfield, Ohio, where he
resided. W. F. Bay Stewart, one of the
judges of York County, was also born in
Chanceford. Among the prominent clergy-
men born in this township were: William
Bingham, D. D., A\'illiam G. Stewart, and
A. Thompson Stewart. Some of the noted
physicians were : A\'illiam F. Smith, Joseph
Murphy, A. Clarkson Smith, James Clark-
son, A. P. T. Grove.
Johnson K. Duncan, who won distinction
as a soldier in the Confederate army, was
born in Chanceford in 1827. He was grad-
uated at the United States military academy
in 1849, and became second lieutenant in the
third Artillery, serving in the Florida hos-
tilities against the Seminole Indians. From
1850 until 1853 he was attached to Forts
Sullivan and Preble in Maine, on garrison
duty, and was then assistant on the North-
ern Pacific railroad exploration till Decem-
ber, 1854. He resigned from the army in
January, 1855, and became superintendent
of repairs in New Orleans, in charge of the
branch mint, marine hospital, quarantine
warehouse, and Pas a TOutre boarding sta-
tion. From 1859 till i860 he was profes-
sionally occupied as civil engineer, surveyor
and architect in New Orleans, becoming
also in i860, chief engineer of the board of
public w^orks of the state of Louisiana. At
the beginning of the Civil A\"ar he entered
the Confederate army as colonel, but soon
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
was appointed brigadier general from
Louisiana. He commanded Forts Jackson
and St. Philip at the time of their capture
by Admiral Farragut, on April 25, 1862, and
became a prisoner of war. He died at
Knoxville, Tennessee, December 18, 1862.
Valentine Trout, the last associate judge
of York Count^^ was born in Chanceford
in 1817, and has resided there for the long
period of eighty-seven years. He was
elected associate judge of York County in
the fall of 1873 and served the full term of
five years. The new constitution for the
state of Pennsylvania, that went into effect
in 1874, discontinued the office of associate
judge, in the large counties of the state, but
Judge Trout served out his entire term, re-
tiring from the bench in the year 1878.
The following interesting account of the
McKinley ancestry was furnished by Robert
C. Bair. member of the York County Bar.
The McKinleys were among
President the pioneers of the lower end
McKinley's of York County. The section
Ancestry. in which they settled had
early been called by Maryland
"Solitude." The Penns called it "IjOwer
Hallam." In 1745 Lower Hallam was
divided into two townships, — ^Chance-
ford and Fawn. Two years before this
David McKinley and his family, consisting
of a wife, three sons and one daughter,
selected for his homestead three hundred
and sixteen acres on the highest land in all
that wilderness. Its summit overlooks en-
tire Chanceford and Lower Chanceford
townships, with their grand succession of
ridges lying east and west, jutting on the
deep grooved Susquehanna Valley. The
view from its crest expands into a magnifi-
cent landscape extending eastward to the
far hills of the Octoraro and on the north
fifty miles to the Blue Ridge mountains.
The neighbors of David McKinley called
their tracts "Rippey's Park," "Morton's
Fancy," "2\Iyroch,'' "Perilous Adventure,"
"Descending Fountain," "Gwinston," "Small
Gain," "Locust Spring," and "Craggy-
mount." What David christened his land is
not recorded, but he might well have titled
its royal loftiness, "The Highland Chief."
This tract in 1907 in its relation to roads and
places is situated a short distance northeast
from the village of Chanceford, also called
Collinsville, and was the property, after-
wards owned by Joseph Tosh, the present
owners being John and Thomas Tosh. It
extended northeastward and included, as
lands of his son Stephen, all that tract
known now as Thomas and Jordan . Mc-
Kinley land toward the river hills. David
McKinley laid his foundation and erected
his half-stone and half-log house in a shel-
tered rift near a large spring. When this
homestead was planted eleven log houses
had been already erected in the town of
York — the homestead was twenty miles
southeast of the eleven houses.
David McKinley was a weaver.
David Like all wdio came with him to
McKinley. the barrens of York county, he
had to struggle courageously
against the stern opposition of natural dis-
advantages. There was no cleared land.
The soil was so poor that one or two sea-
sons crops exhausted it, and another field
had to be cleared. The sickel was his cham-
pion reaper; the flail his steam thresher,
and the palms of his hands his patent corn-
sheller. There were no highways except
the so-called Great Road to Yorktown and
the river — there were only paths through
the underbrush and woods. Deep ravines
lay on all sides, through which rapid
streams plunged down to the river, three
miles off. Forests of chestnut, oak, sas-
safras, poplar, birch and dogwood overgrew
the hills, with here and there a natural clear-
ing upon which stunted cedars sapped the
thin and worn out soil. Through these
wind-whipped stretches only bridle paths
ran, following for the most part abandoned
Indian trails that made short cuts from
point to point of natural advantage.
David McKinley was a man of energy
and public spirit. The necessity for "big
roads" at once claimed his attention. Even
before the organization of York County he
was engaged in this important movement.
Upon its organization, 1749, he gave his
best efforts to the permanent improvement
of Chanceford. Petitions for roads were
circulated among the inhabitants by David
McKinley; and when they were signed he
was back of their importarice before the
Court. He was a leading champion of the
first highways leading away from the Sus-
quehanna ferries, and was appointed with
William Morrison who lived in what after-
ward became Lower Chanceford, his prop-
CHANCEFORD
949
erty being at the "SlalD," among the first
road-viewers of Chanceford township to
lay them out. By his earnestness in public
interests he, with William Morrison, was
elected supervisor of Chanceford in 1750.
Although engaged in public affairs. David
McKinley was generally called upon to ap-
praise the estates of his deceased neighbors,
to administer upon them, or become bonds-
man for other administrators or executors.
He died intestate, in the year 1757, leav-
ing to survive him four children, John, the
eldest, David, Mary, intermarried with Sam-
uel Gordon of Fawn, and Stephen, the
3'oungest. His estate, real and personal,
amounted to 570 pounds. His body is sup-
posed to rest in Chancrford or Guinston
iDurial grounds although, as private grave-
yards were common in those days, his bones
may rest upon the homestead tract. His
wife, Esther, and John McKinley, his son,
were made administrators of the estate. The
personal property was sold for 220 pounds,
four shillings and eleven pence. The real
property was by mutual agreement divided
among the four children. John subse-
quently purchased the original 316 acres
from the heirs. This property or rather a
part of it, is one among a few in Chanceford
township that for 150 years has remained
in the hands of and been dwelt upon by the
lineal descendants of the settler ancestor.
John McKinley, the great-
John great-grandfather of the Presi-
McKinley. ' dent, was not born in America,
nor is it possible to state that
his birth-place was in Scotland or North
Ireland. Following the occupation of his
father, John was a weaver. Eight children
were born to John McKinley and Margaret,
his wife: David, born May i6th, 1755;
Esther, 1765; Jean, 1767; Elizabeth, 1769,
and Susanna, 1762. Three children born
between 1755 and 1765 died in youth.
John McKinley, called Big John, was a
man well known throughout the lower end
of York county. He was the keeper of a
hotel at a point either on the old Bingham
property, along the line of the original York
Road, about a mile and a half to the right
of the present York Road, going south, or
about the site where old Thomas Coony
later kept a tavern. Like his father, John was
energetic and foremost in public enterprises
and improvements. In his private business
he was thrifty and shrewd, acquiring much
land. To his business of weaving he added
blacksmithing and distilling. He was a
Presbyterian and left the stamp of sec-
tarianism on those who came after him in
Chanceford. He. too, devoted himself to
projecting in those early times what was as
important an undertaking as building a
trolley line nowadays, the erection of public
roads.
He had horses and wagons. He made
frequent excursions to the Baltimore, Lan-
caster and York markets, carrying not only
the simple product of his own loom and dis-
tillery, iDut the scant surplus product of the
carding machine, tilt-hammer, buckwheat
fields and lambs and shoats of his neighbors.
He was well known among the merchants
and particularly the lawyers of York, to
whom he brought much business. It would
seem by the public records that when an
appointment by the Court was to be made
for Chanceford, John McKinley was fre-
quently the appointee. He was identified
closely with the local public militia service.
He steadily increased his lands by warrant
and purchase, loaned to his poorer neigh-
bors, and was often obliged to take their
property for mortgage or other security.
John McKinle}^ was a fearless man and per-
fectly free to state his opinions on all public
questions. In Chanceford during the years
immediately preceding the outbreak of the
Revolution the Scotch-Irish, while generall}'-
ardent patriots, were not unanimous on the
great question whether or not the Colonies
should attempt independence. The oppo-
nents of independence were a small mi-
nority. The John Plowman letters were
read by them, and the influence of Dickin-
son had the efifect of placing many of his
disciples among the Scotch-Irish in a false
position. Not that they were the less pa-
triots, they only differed as to policy. John
McKinle}^ was one of these, although his
son David was in the war at the time.
John McKinley was a man of too much
importance and courage to be frightened
out of expressing his convictions, and stead-
ily maintained that the Colonies ought not
to go to war. However, when the Revolu-
tion was well under way, he being favorably
known to the Committee of Safety, as a man
of influence and means, the military author-
ities at York, with Archibald McClean, chief
950
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
of the local militia department, appointed
him wagon master for Chanceford Town-
ship. This drew forth a bitter petition, de-
nouncing the appointment, signed by many
of his neighbors, but it was never shown
that the petition had any substantial ground
other than the personal prejudices of ex-
cited partisans.
On February i8th, 1779, John McKinley
died, aged about fifty-nine years, leaving a
widow, Margaret, one son, David McKin-
ley, of the Pennsylvania militia, and four
minor daughters. John McKinley joined
the dead in Guinston or Chanceford. His
will disposes of his property as follows :
"April 24, 1778, item — To my beloved wife
I give my plantation as long as she retains
her widowhood; upon her marriage she is
to give up possession of the property and
choose for herself the best horse or mare
about the house, and to have a new saddle
and fifty pounds in cash, her bed and furni-
ture.
Item — I also bequeath to my son David
all that he hath received from me, with m}^
clothes and watch and twenty pounds in
cash. Likewise, the remainder I order to be
equally divided betwixt the lawful issue of
my wife by me to wit : Esther, Jean, Eliza-
beth and Susanna.
Item — I also give unto my nephew, John
JNIcKinley, son of Stephen JNIcKinley, the
sum of thirty pounds, to be paid to him out
of the two tracts of land called "Small Gain"
and "Locust Spring." I do hereby nomi-
nate and appoint my well beloved friend,
John Finley, and my wife Margaret my ex-
ecutors."
Witness— ALENANDER DOWNING
JOSEPH JACKSON.
The only record had of the four minor
daughters is this: "At an Orphan's Court
held at the dwelling house of John Finley in
Chanceford township, on the nth day of
January, 1782, before William Smith and
John Herbach, Esq., Justices, etc., came
Esther McKinley, aged seventeen years and
upwards and Jean McKinley aged fifteen
years and upwards, two minor children of
John McKinley, and choose, respectively,
Benjamin Pedan, Esq., of Chanceford, their
guardian. On the same date came Stephen
McKinley praying the Court to appoint
Benjamin Pedan, Esq., guardian of his
brother John's daughters, Elizabeth, aged
thirteen, and Susanna, aged ten years."
The homestead of John McKinley, the
place he died, has long been known as the
"Bingham Place," southwest of Collinsville,
and now owned by the heirs of John H.'
Small.
David McKinley, the son of
David John and Margaret Mc-
McKinley, Jr. Kinley, was born in
Chanceford township. May
16, 1755- The early years of his life
were spent upon the farm of his father.
His father, having adopted a boy by
the name of John McGinley, the two
boys were raised together and learned
the weaver's trade. There is no longer
remembered any incident of David Mc-
Kinley's boyhood. It was a family cus-
tom or trait of the McKinleys to relate, one
generation to the other, the history of the
lives and adventures of the dead fathers.
All incidents in the life of David are now
forgotten. The later generation say they
used to hear so much talk about those of
the family who were engaged in the War
of 1812 and the Revolution, that it provoked
them when the old folks, visiting each other,
began to tell over the twice told tales.
They say "We left it in at one ear and out
at the other."
David McKinley joined the militia of
Chanceford April 16, 1776, and was enrolled
for service June 20, 1776. Fifty-nine men
composed the company, under Captain
Joseph Reed, Ferryman, of what is now
Shenk's Ferry on the Susquehanna river. Of
the fifty-nine members of the Sixth Com-
pany, Sixth Battalion, York County militia,
all did not go into active service, but David
did. He served at different times in the
companies of Captains McCaskey, Ross,
Laird, Reed, Holderbaum, Slaymaker, Raub
and Harnahan. He was in the skirmishes of
Amboy and Chestnut Hill, and is said to
have been one of the privates under Major
Henry Lee when he captured Paulus Hook,
an exploit which Congress characterized by
a vote of thanks, "For the remarkable
prudence, address and bravery displayed,"
presenting a gold medal to Major Lee and
$15,000 for distribution among the non-
commissioned officers and privates. He was
certainly at the defence of Fort Washington,
an account of which is given on page 181.
CODORUS
951
The muster roll of the company in which
he served is found on page 270.
After he left the army he went into
Westmoreland County, which, at that time,
included the entire western part of Penn-
sylvania.
He married Sarah Gray, December loth,
1780, to whom was born William, James,
the grandfather of the President, Martha,
John, Sarah, Stephen, Rachael, Esther,
Mary and Elizabeth.
His second wife was Eleanora McLean,
who died 1835.
The second son of David and Sarah Mc-
Kinley was James, born September 19th,
1783, married Mary Rose and resided in
Mercer County, Pa. Their first son, Wil-
liam McKinley, born November 15, 1807,
married Nancy Allison. The third son of
William and Nancy McKinley was William
McKinley, Jr., born at Niles, Trumbull
County, Ohio, January 29, 1843. He mar-
i-ied Ida Saxton, 1871 ; became President of
the United States March 4, 1896, and was
assassinated at Buffalo, New York, Septem-
ber 6, 1901.
CODORUS TOWNSHIP.
Codorus was organized into a township
in 1747. The word Codorus is of Indian
origin, but its meaning is not clear.
In the earliest official records, and in
the writings of the missionaries and
adventurers who visited the region west
of the Susquehanna, the names "Codorus,"
"Codores," and "Kothores," were used
to designate the winding stream, which
drains a large part of York County,
and flows into the Susquehanna above
Wrightsville. Part of the land in the south-
ern section of the township near the state
line was taken up about 1734, under Mary-
land titles, before the temporary line be-
tween Pennsylvania and Maryland was run.
A year or two later a number of Germans
began to take possession of the fertile spots
in the northern part of the township, and
what is now North Codorus. Many of the
early settlers of this region belonged to the
Lutheran and Reformed churches and emi-
grated to this township, directly from Ger-
many. There was a colony of German Bap-
tists (Dunkers) who located in this section
before 1750 and organized the Codorus
Church in 1758. A complete account of this
church will be found on page 138.
George Lightner, in 1749, was the first
township constable ; Casper Cooper suc-
ceeded him in 175 1 ; Peter Brillhart, in 1752,
and Peter Bingley in 1756. Codorus Town-
ship is drained by different branches of the
Codorus Creek. The Western Marjdand
extends along its western boundary; the
Hanover Branch Railroad along a portion
of the northern boundary and the Northern
Central Railway along a portion of the
eastern boundary. Most of the land is in
an excellent state of cultivation and yields
abundant cereal crops. The population of
Codorus in 1810 was 1,975; ^^ 1820, 2,133;
in 1830, 2,429; in 1840, 1,131 ; ini850, 1,371 ;
in i860, 1,840; in 1870, 2,202; in 1880, 2,-
261; 1890, 2,322; and in 1900, 2,251. North
Codorus was organized out of Codorus in
1840.
In 1758 a road was run from
Early Daniel Diehl's mill in Codorus to
Roads. Nelson's (now McCall's) Ferry.
The following petition was signed
by some of the first settlers of the township :
To the Worshipful His Majesty's Justices of the Peace
for the County of York, met at York the last Tues-
day of July, 1760.
The petition of the inhabitants of Codorus Township
and parts adjacent humbly sheweth.
That a great road is much wanted from York Town
towards Baltimore Town as far as the Temporary
Line. That a road has been laid out part of the way
but not finished.
Your petitioners humbly pray that proper persons
maj' be appointed to review the ground and lay out a
road from George Mayer's plantation by the Widow
Link's to the Temporary' Line, where Tobias Amspoker,
Jr., lately dwelt, there being now a good road in the
Maryland side of the line from said Amspoker's late
dwelling plantation to Baltimore Town. And your
petitioners will pray.
Michael Myer,
Philip Ziegler,
Michael Hahn,
Michael Beissel,
Jacob Hover,
Ludwig Reiser,
Ludwig Huber,
Jacob Soeller,
Johannes Weller,
George Keller,
Ulrich Huber,
Daniel Cramer,
In the county assessment and
Tax List census report of 1783, Codorus
in 1783. Township was then reported to
have 199 dwelling houses, 189
barns, 9 mills. 6 negro slaves, a population
of 1,304, and 27,975 acres of land not
Michael Miller,
Michael Wunford,
Nicholas Vogel,
George Mever,
Peter Wolf,
Nicholas Schrom,
Nicholas Koenig,
Jacob Ulp,
David Amspacker,
Jacob Hoak,
Casper Kinsser,
Daniel Diehl.
952
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
vacant. The population at that date was
quite dense. The township furnished two
companies of soldiers for the Revolution.
The following is a complete list of tax-
ables of Codorus for 1783 :
George Amspoker,
Valentine Alt,
John Bauman,
Jacob Bailey,
George Bortner,
Benjamin Bouman,
William Bouman,
Henry -Baker,
John Beyer,
William Becker,
John Brodbeck,
Jacob Bear,
Michael Bealer,
Jacob Bealer,
William Baker,
Abraham Bollinger,
Jacob Bealer. Sr.,
Peter Brillhart,
Jacob Bechtel,
Michael Beltz,
George Dehl,
Charles Dehl,
Nicholas Dehofif,
Henry Dehofif,
George Dehoff,
John Decker,
Adam Denlinger,
John Everholt,
Michael Ehrman,
]\Iendel Everhold,
Philip Emich,
Jacob Eppley,
George Keller,
John Kilcannon,
David Klinedinst,
Godfrey Klinedinst,
Adam Kuntz,
Henry Kessler,
Michael Kessler,
Philip Lau,
Anthony Lehman,
Michael Lau,
Peter Lau,
George Lau,
Andrew Lau,
James Ligget,
Rev. Jacob Lischy,
Henry Michael,
James Moore,
Peter Miller,
George Mack,
John Mourer,
Jacob Matz,
i?rederick Myer,
John Myer,
George Miller.
Andrew Miller,
George Neiman,
Henry Newcomer,
Jacob Noll,
Peter dinger,
John Ott,
John Ortman,
Mathias Pope.
George Emich,
Frederick Eichelberger
Frederick Feaser,
Jacob Fulkner,
Adam Foltz,
Henry Fishel,
Peter Gerberich,
Philip Gentzler,
Samuel Glassick,
Franz Ganz,
jNIartin Getz,
David Grier,
Felix Glatfelter,
Jacob Henry,
Michael Hossler,
Joseph Hossler,
Christian Hossler,
George Hoober,
Peter Henich,
Nicholas Henry,
Ulrich Huber,
John Hamnie,
Daniel Hamme,
Jacob Haffner,
Adam Hoffman,
Philip Hileman,
John Hileman,
Peter Hershey,
Andrew Hoff,
Francis Hoff,
Bastian Helman,
Peter Houser,
John Houser,
John Hoke,
Jacob Hirsh.
Daniel Jonas,
Ludwig Krops,
George Keller,
John KruU,
Peter Kuntz,
Jacob Krise,
Daniel Hyser,
Jacob Keller,
Henry Kuhn,
Jacob Fleisher,*
Stephen Peter,
Michael Peter,
Richard Peters,
Daniel Renold,
Lorenz Rohrbach,
George Ripold,
William Ruhl,
George Reily,
Michael Rose,
John Ruhl.
Andrew Ripold,
Adam Ripold,
Ludwig Reigle,
Jacob Rudisill,
John River,
Daniel Renold,
Yost Runk.
Martin Sheurer,
Jacob Sarbach,
George Schlesman,
Peter Stuck,
Peter Sprenkle,
Jacob Schafifer,
Simon Shadier,
Christopher Shindle,
Michael Speisert,
John Wagner,
William White,
John Wood,
Richard Weston,
Henry Wilhelra,
George Wfehrly,
Michael Wehrly,
Henry Wehrly,
John Werner,
Jacob Bear,
Daniel Bear,
Daniel Cramer,
John Gantz,
Nicholas Ripold,
Mathias Ripold,
Michael Shultz,
Nicholas Ziegler,
John Bowman,
Peter Ziegler,
Jacob Henry,
Jacob Markle,
George Bortner,
George Krebs,
Jacob Keller,
George Miller,
Daniel Wertz,
Sebastian Witman,
John Walter,
George Walter,
Nicholas Ziegler,
Jacob Ziegler,
Barnet Ziegler.
SINGLE MEN.
John Bealer,
Christian Haffner,
Daniel Hamn,
Adam Miller,
Michael Miller,
Henry FisheJ,
Frederick Wilhelm,
Michael Heilman,
John Rohrbach,
Christian Brillhardt,
Helfrich Cramer,
Adam Boll,
Peter Peterman,
David Klinedinst,
Christian Klinedinst,
Baltzer Spangler.
The first account of the organiza-
Stone tion of St. Jacob's Church, known
Church, as the "Stone Church", was the
dedication of a log building
erected by the Reformed and Lutherans on
July 4, 1761. This building was replaced by
a stone structure in 1789. In 1855, the
stone church was replaced by a brick build-
ing. On August 4, 1889, the cornerstone
of the present building was laid, and after-
wards completed at a cost of $18,000. The
membership of each denomination is about
five hundred, making a total of 1,000 mem-
bers worshipping in this building. Among
the Reformed pastors were Jacob Geiger,
Samuel Gutelius, Joel S. Reber, Henry
Bentz, J. C. J. Kurtz, J. D. Zehring, S. L.
Laury, F. A. Guth, N. W. Sechler. The
Lutheran pastors have been Frederick
Valentine Melsheimer, Jacob Kempfer,
Jonathan RuthraufT, Jacob Albert, Peter
Scheuer, AV. H. Ketterman, and W. H.
Ehrhart.
Zion Church, known as Shafer's
Shafer's was organized in 1861, through
Church, the efforts of Rev. J. C. J.
Kurtz. In the fall of 186 1, the
Reformed and Lutherans jointly erected
a church building each denomination
having about fifteen members. In 1882,
the old building was replaced by another
building. Each denomination has a
membership of about 125. The Reformed
ministers were J. C. J. Kurtz, William Van-
dersloot, J. D. Zehring, S. F. Laury, F. A.
Guth, and N. \Y. Sechler. The Lutheran
CODORUS
953
ministers were Peter Scheurer, W. H. Ket-
terman and W. H. Ehrhart.
For more than fifty years, the Dunkards
or German Baptists liad been holding
church services in what was known as
Shue's School House, one mile south of
Jefferson. About 1880 the organization
built a substantial brick church upon the
site of the old school house, maintaining
regular services since.
In Februar}' I794.- Christopher
Steltz Ring, Philip Steltz, Jacob Ziegler,
Church. Jacob Barg, Andrew Kay, George
Ruhl, John Sour, William Rogers,
Philip Steltz, Jr., Henry KaufTman, Henry
Henig and Peter Henig, citizens of the
southern portion of Codorus and Shrews-
bury Townships, signed an article of agree-
ment for the founding of a Union congrega-
tion where the doctrines of the Lutheran
and German Reformed Churches should be
taught. February 14, 1795, Philip Steltz,
sold two acres of land for five shillings, ster-
ling, to this organization for church pur-
poses, located in the sixth district, Balti-
more County, Maryland, and bounded on
the north by Mason and Dixon's line, at a
point close to where the townships of Co-
dorus and Shrewsbury meet that line.
About 1801 a church building was erected
on this tract within a few feet of the bound-
ary line, in the State of Maryland. On June
30, 1803, the Penns issued a patent deed to
John Ruhl and Daniel Peterman, represent-
atives of this church organization, for two
acres and fifteen perches of land, adjoining
the land bought from Philip Steltz on the
Pennsylvania side of Mason and Dixon's
line. In 1862, a brick church was built on
land purchased from John Fisher in Codorus
Township, about one hundred yards north
of the site of the first church. The follow-
ing ministers served the congregations : Re-
formed— Revs. Myers, Fasht, Daniel Gring,
Albert F. Driesbach, Hiram J. Hillegas ;
Lutheran — Revs. Sieger, Reinecke, Andrew
Berg, William H. Ketterman, William
Henry Ehrhart. The Reformed congrega-
tion is connected with the Shrewsbury
charge and the Lutheran is connected with
the " Stone Church " charge, having for-
merly been a part of the Shrewsbury
charge.
St. Peter's Catholic Church, situated in
the southeastern part of Codorus Township,
two and a half miles northwest of Glen
Rock, was built about 1875. The church is
served by the priest who has charge of the
congregation at New Freedom.
The village of Glenville with a
Glenville. population of 200 is situated in
the western part of Codorus
along the Western Maryland Railroad.
During its early history it was known as
Klinefeltersville and was so marked on the
map. In 1835 Jacob Klinefelter, born near
Seven Valle}^, purchased a large farm upon
which Glenville now stands. He first en-
gaged in the cabinet-making business and
was also an undertaker. In 1840 he built a
foundry and machine shop and for twenty
years did a large business. He made farm-
ing tools, cook stoves and ten-plate stoves.
The Klinefelter plow which he made had an
extensive sale. He also conducted a store
and owned a hotel. Mr. Klinefelter died in
1864 and his affairs were conducted by his
estate for two years when his son, J. A.
Klinefelter, continued the business in the
foundry and mercantile enterprise. The
foundry, which has been the principal in-
dustry of the village, was purchased by
Meyers and Brickner, and later by C. M.
Bricker, who sold it to J. A. Klinefelter. It
was run by the Glenville Foundry and Ma-
chine Company for several years and in 1905
Beard & Company operated it as a general
foundry and machine shop. After the death
of Jacob Klinefelter his estate also con-
ducted the store business until it was sold
to Christ & Rohrbaugh. They were suc-
ceeded by J. A. Klinefelter, who built a ware-
house and conducted a large business for
many years. Shue & Gibbs then bought
the entire mercantile interests.
In 1873 Abraham Rohrbaugh was ap-
pointed the first postmaster. This office
was held by J. A. Klinefelter from 1877 to
1898, when C. W. Gibbs was appointed.
In 1890 J. A. Klinefelter built the Glen-
ville Creamery and also made ice cream
in large quantities. C. J. Lenhart became
his successor and within recent years this
industry has been operated on a large scale
by the Hanover Produce Company, of which
Aaron Hostetter is president.
A hotel was built in 1902 by Karl E. Katz,
of York. Ex-Deputy Sheriff J. D. Bortner
was proprietor in 1907. Levi Smith owns
a harness factorv. George F. Miller owns a
954
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
furniture factory and is engaged in the un-
dertaking business. T. S. Snyder owns a
flour and feed store, and Frank H. Miller
conducts a store in the new building owned
by the Hanover Produce Company. On
May I, 1863, when Gregg's Union cavalry
crossed from Manchester to Hanover Junc-
tion by way of Stick's Tavern several of the
officers dined at the home of Jacob Kline-
felter.
Neiman is an interesting village in the
eastern part of Codorus. The first house,
constructed of logs, was built by William
King in 1841. Bailey & A¥agner carried on
the mercantile business for several years.
Shafer's church is situated in this village.
Larue is a post village and station along
the Northern Central Railway, below Han-
over Junction.
Seitzville is a hamlet one mile south of
Hanover Junction. John E. Slider owns a
grist mill, built by Nicholas Seitz in 1866.
Green Ridge, a hamlet along the
Green railroad one mile north of Glen-
Ridge, ville, is situated in a picturesque re-
gion. In 1825 George Bair built
a grist mill and saw mill at this place. From
that date until 1864 he ground the "chop"
and sawed the timber of this region for him-
self and his neighbors of Codorus and Man-
heim townships. He also prospered as a
farmer. In 1864 he sold his mills and farm
to E. W. Heindel, who carried on the busi-
ness until the time of his death. T. S. Sny-
der, his son-in-law, succeeded in the owner-
ship of the property and conducted the grist
mill, saw mill and flour and feed business.
S. B. Brodbeck owns a large creamery and
warehouse and does an extensive business.
S. F. Roser carries on a general merchan-
dising business.
It was at Green Ridge in June,
Despatch 1863, during the Confederate in-
Bearer vasion that an unfortunate acci-
Killed. dent occurred. General Lee's
army wias moving toward
Gettysburg from Chambersburg. Late in
the night a despatch bearer from Gen-
eral Meade, commanding the cavalry
of the Potomac army, had been sent
from Littlestown to convey orders to
General Gregg at Manchester and if pos-
sible communicate with Baltimore and
Washington by telegraph at Hanover Junc-
tion. This courier had stopped at Marburg
in Manheim Township and took supper
with Mr. Gallatin. He left there, intending
to proceed hastily to Hanover Junction.
Having lost his way, he halted in front of
the residence of George Bair at Green
Ridge. Fear and consternation had spread
all over this country because of the ap-
proach of so many troops, and the rural folk
were tremulous with excitement. When
the despatch bearer called out in loud tones
in front of the Bair home, a misunderstand-
ing took place between him and Mr. Bair,
who thought the soldier was a Confederate
raider, and while standing on the balcony,
he levelled the gun and shot the soldier
dead. The soldier was buried in the grave-
yard at the Stone Church, and a year later,
his remains were taken by his father to his
former home in the state of New York.
George Bair was arrested and taken to Car-
lisle where he was tried and acquitted by
a military court. It was clearly proven that
he was not responsible for the act of shoot-
ing a Union soldier.
This institution was first known
High as the Glenville Academy, which
School, originated at a meeting held in the
office of Dr. John D. Keller at
Glenville, September 4, 1891. At this meet-
ing. Dr. Wesley C. Stick was elected chair-
man and Dr. Keller, secretary. It was de-
cided to organize a stock company with a
capital of $3,000, for the purpose of estab-
lishing an institution for the higher educa-
tion of the young in Codorus and adjoin-
ing townships. Soon after this meeting.
Dr. Stick succeeded in securing subscrip-
tions to the amount of $2,200. A charter of
incorporation was obtained April 11, 1892,
with the following named directors : Dr.
Wesley C. Stick, Jacob A. Klinefelter, Dr.
John D. Keller, Henry S. Stick, Oliver
Cramer, Levi Dubs, Jacob R. Yost, H. W.
Smith, of Glenville, Samuel B. Hoke, Sum-
mit; John E. Bahn, Baltimore Co.; Abdiel
Bortner, York. The amount of the capital
stock was increased to $5,000. B. F. Willis,
of York, was chosen architect for the new
building. The Academy under the princi-
palship of John E. Bahn, opened the first
session September 26, 1892. At the close of
the second j^ear, the school had eighty-
eight students enrolled. In 1894, Captain
A. W. Eichelberger, of Hanover, purchased
the controlling stock of the Academy and
CODORUS
955
transferred it to the General Synod of the
Lutheran Church, designating the pastor of
St. Mark's Lutheran Church at Hanover as
the representative of the synod. The
name was then clianged to Eichelberger
Academy, in honor of Captain Eichelberger,
who awarded twenty scholarships for the
next year. The instructors then were John
E. Bahn, C. W. Corbin and Mrs. Mary C.
Corbin.
In 1895, Captain Eichelberger erected a
school building at Hanover which was
named in his honor, and the name "Glen-
ville Academy" was restored. E. M. Stahl,
of Haysville, Somerset County, and a grad-
uate of Pennsylvania College, was chosen
principal. In September, 1901, Glenville
Academy was transformed into the Codorus
High School, being the first township High
School established in York County. E. M.
Stahl was continued as principal, and H.
B. Shutt, assistant, who was succeeded in
1902 by E. B. Newman. At the first com-
mencement of the Codorus High School,
held at the "Stone Church" on June 12,
1903, five young ladies and gentlemen were
graduated, viz: Miranda I. D. Stick, Edna
G. Wentz, Margaret Stick, Clayton E. Bort-
ner and William W. Ketterman.
The school building including a large
campus of three acres, is valued at $7,500.
This institution is well-equipped with a
laboratory for the purpose of teaching the
natural sciences. It also ovvns a library of
600 volumes.
About forty students have been prepared
for higher institutions of learning and more
than one hundred school teachers have re-
ceived their professional training at this
place.
In Codorus there are fourteen schools
with the following names : Keeney's, Ster-
ner's, Brodbeck's, Seitzville, Kreb's, Bort-
ner's, Fair's, Stick's, Bonair, Baltzley's, Mil-
ler's, Roser's, Shefifer's and Sinsheim.
The Place known as Stick's
Stick's Tavern is one of the landmarks
Tavern, of Codorus Township. Hetrick's
PostofBce was also in the same
building. The brick building used for so
many years as a store and tavern was built
by Christian Hetrick in the year 1808. He
conducted the hotel and mercantile business
here from that date until 1828, when he
sold the stand to David Jones, who sold out
to Peter Klinefelter in 1832. Since 1839 the
property has been owned by Henry Stick
and his descendants. In 1835 Henry Stick
in partnership with Henry Craumer
opened a store across the way on the
site of the former residence of Dr. W.
C. Stick. This partnership was dissolved
in 1839, when Henry Stick took charge of
the hotel and store in the building afterward
known as Stick's Tavern. He continued the
business in this building until 1872, when
his son, H. S. Stick, took charge and con-
ducted it until 1889. After that date the
store only was continued, the hotel business
having been discontinued. From the year
1839, when Stick and Craumer dissolved
partnership, until 1870 two hotels and two
stores were kept at this place, one known as
Stick's Tavern and the other as Craumer's
Hotel.
In the days of wagoning to Baltimore,
and before the era of railroads Hetrick's
Postoffice and later Stick's Tavern, was the
centre of interest over a large section of
country. After the construction of the
Northern Central Railway, and later the
Western Maryland, the business interests
of the community were directed naturally
along the line of the railroads where villages
came into existence.
The early citizens of Codorus
Physicians, received medical attendance
from physicians, residing at
Hanover, York and Shrewsbury. About
1840 Dr. Hombaugh settled at Jefferson,
and remained there a short time when he
removed to McSherrystown. The next
physician, who was a graduate of medicine
to locate at JefTerson was Dr. William
Brinkman, who continued to practice this
profession at Jefferson until the time of his
death in 1889. In 1879 Dr. John R. Brod-
beck formed a co-partnership in the practice
of medicine with his father-in-law. Dr.
Brinkman has since practiced here. In 1848
Dr. Wm. A. Albaugh from Westminster,
Maryland, a graduate from Washington
University, settled near Stick's Tavern,
where he practiced for many years. His
son. Dr. Eugene Albaugh, a graduate from
the college of Physicians and Surgeons at
Baltimore in 1875. succeeded his father.
During the years 1855 =1"^ 1856 Dr. O. T.
Everhart practiced medicine at Stick's
Tavern. In 1874 Dr. ^^'esley C. Stick, a
956
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
nati\'e of Codorus Township began his
career as a physician at Stick's Tavern.
While conducting a large general practice,
Dr. Stick has also succeeded as a specialist,
performing many operations upon the e3^e.
On May lo, 1906, he moved to Hanover,
Pa. Dr. H. C. Jones practiced medicine at
Jefferson from 1869 until the time of his
death in 1897. His son, Dr. Pius Jones, is
a physician at Glenville, and another son.
Dr. H. H. Jones, resides in York. Dr. J. H.
Bennett followed his profession in Jefiferson
for a period of five years and then removed
to York. Dr. Alarkle succeeded him at Jef-
ferson.
Dr. Troxel, Dr. Theodore Beltz and Dr.
Edward Sterner, each practiced medicine
for a short time at Jefferson.
The science and art of medicine as prac-
ticed b}^ the disciples of Hahnemann were
introduced into Codorus and adjoining
townships about 1836 by Rev. Jacob Geiger,
whose record as a physician is given in the
medical chapter in this volume. He inter-
ested Rev. Peter Sheurer of Hanover, who
was pastor of several Lutheran congrega-
tions in York Countjr.
Dr. H. S. Keller, a successful school
teacher, residing at Glenville took up
the study of homoeopathy under Rev. Jacob
Geiger, and afterward graduated from the
Hahnemann Medical College in Philadel-
phia. He was succeeded by his son. Dr. J-
D. Iveller, who after studying under the
instruction of his father was graduated at
Hahnemann Medical College in Philadel-
phia in 1874. After practicing the healing
art in Codorus for a period of twenty-five
years. Dr. Keller removed to Spring Grove,
and later settled at Hanover. Dr. H. W.
Fair, a homoeopathic physician, practiced
his profession for twenty years in the lower
end of Codorus Township and in 1903 re-
moved to Baltimore.
CONEWAGO TOWNSHIP.
The name Conewago is of Indian origin
and means "at the rapids." The large wind-
ing stream by this name forms the northern
boundary of the township and the Little
Conewago Creek which united with the
larger stream near the mouth of the latter
at Conewago falls on the Susquehanna,
forms the eastern boundary. During the
early part of the eighteenth centurv, before
white settlers had crossed the Susquehanna,
there was a small tribe of Indians, called
the "Conewagoes", who occupied the region
around York Haven and the opposite side
of the Susquehanna near Middletown, where
there is also a Conewago Creek, named in
honor of these Indians.
Conewago Township was
Conewago formed out of Newberry and
in Dover in the year 1818. The
1818. eastern third belonged to New-
berry and the western two-
thirds to Dover Township. It contains 11,-
000 acres, according to the survey made in
October, 1814, by Jacob Spangler and
Daniel Small. Viewers were appointed
whose report was confirmed at the January
term of Court in 1818. Conewago Town-
ship at the time of its formation contained
245 taxable inhabitants. The assessed valu-
ation of real and personal property at that
time was $185,000. Colonel Henry Stover
was the largest land owner, having 328
acres valued at $6,275. Frederick Hevel and
Henry Miller were inn-keepers. Frederick
Shetter owned a carding mill ; Philip Fet-
trow, saw-mill and hemp-mill; Andrew Mil-
ler an oil-mill ; John Becker, and Stoehr &
Demuth, saw-mill and grist-mill ; Daniel
Reeser, grist mill; John Datisman, tailor;
John Keener, tailor; Samuel Parks, nail-
maker. The coopers of the township were
Peter Wilt, George Fink, David Gross, John
Hoffman, Michael AVej'er, and George
Finck. The weavers were George Benedict,
William Barnes, Henry Brenneman, Peter
Fink, Jacob Frysinger, Jacob Peters, Adam
Keener, Jacob Meyer, Jacob Rupert, Jacob
Schlothour, Henry Vickers, George Winte-
meyer, John Finck, Michael Benedict, David
Miller and Jacob Wentz. The following
persons owned distilleries: Peter Gross,
Frederick Ilgenfritz, Martin Meyer, John
Reeser, Henry Stover, Michael Shettle,
Henry Schmidt, Jacob Stover, Michael Wilt
and Peter Zorger.
The population of Conewago in 1820 was
945; in 1830, 1,093; in 1840, 1,068; in 1850,
1,264; in i860, 1,288; 1870, 1,382; 1880,
1.495; 1890- i>555; in 1900, 1,506.
Zion Lutheran and Reformed
Quickel's Church, known as Ouickel's
Church Church, the first religious or-
ganization founded within the
present limits of Conewago Township, is
CONEWAGO
957
situated near the banks of the Little Cone-
wago. on a gentle elevation with a com-
manding view of the surrounding country.
Three early German settlers, Frederick
Eichholtz, Ludwig Weir and Henry Shunk,
in 1767 purchased a tract of land containing
thirty acres for £7 15s. gd. This land in
later years became a part of Jacob Bear's
farm, and was at the time of the purchase
situated in Dover Township, as Conewago
was not formed until forty years later. Upon
this tract was a stone school building, the
first one erected in that section. It had
been used for school purposes and occa-
sionally for religious worship. Rev. John
George Eager, an earnest and faithful mis-
sionary among the German settlers, and a
man of rare culture and intelligence, ef-
fected an organization of the Lutherans
Jime 2, 1767, soon after the purchase of the
land. The Reformed congregation was or-
ganized about the same time as the Lu-
therans. The large tract was sold and
March 20, 1770, a deed was executed by
Michael Ouickel and Barbara, his wife, con-
veying two acres and forty-seven perches,
upon which the present church stands, for
a consideration of forty shillings, to "Con-
rad Becker, Sebastian Fink, Jacob Hake,
Paul AVilt, Ludwig Meyer and George
Schmied, elders and trustees of a church
which the Lutherans and Calvinists (Re-
formed) now have in this township."
Michael Quickel stipulated in the deed of
conveyance that his wife Barbara should
have a pew during her life in the new
church, which was built of logs the same
year. The stone building continued to be
used for a parochial school.
For many years these humble worshipers
who gathered here were satisfied with the
log building; eventually it was enlarged,
weather-boarded and rededicated.
In 1850, after being used eighty-three
years, the building was removed and a large
brick church erected. In 1881 it was re-
modeled and surmounted with a spire 100
feet high, and a bell weighing 1,500 pounds
was purchased. Rev. C. J. Deininger be-
came pastor of the Lutheran congregation
in April, 1858, from which time to his death
in 1885 he administered here the rite of
baptism to 690 infants, 63 adults, officiating
at 333 funerals and confirmed 419 members.
The Lutheran pastors who have served this
congregation since its organization in order
of succession have been as follows : Revs.
John Eager (Baugher), Lucas Raus
(Rouse), John Nicholas Kurtz, Jacob
Goering, John George Schmucker, William
German, A. H. Lochman, C. J. IDeininger
and J. Henry Leeser.
This congregation in 1907 had 310 mem-
bers. Rev. Adam Stump, D. D.. has been
pastor since 1890.
The Reformed congregation was organ-
ized in 1765, and was at first ministered to
by the pastors of the York church, among
whom were Revs. George Geistweite, James
Ross Reily and Lewis Mayer. The succeed-
ing pastors have been Daniel Zeigler, David
Bossier, Rhinehart Smith, Aaron Spangler
and Arthur C. Ohl.
The church was incorporated in 1790.
Rev. Irvin S. Ditzler was pastor in 1907.
Green Spring Church of the Evangelical
Association was built in the year 1877.
Some of the early pastors were H. W.
Gross, S. Yearick, C. M. Pinkbinder, H. D.
Greninger, M. J. Snyder, and L. E.
Crumbling.
There are ten schools in Cone-
Schools, wago township, with the follow-
ing names: Bear's, Rudy's,
Crone's, Neiman's, Strinestown, Green
Spring, Smith, Bower's, Shettle's and Fink's.
Strinestown is the oldest village
Villages, in the township and was founded
in the year 1800. It is pleasantly
situated in the northern part of the town-
ship, about ten miles from York and one
mile from the Conewago Creek. An ex-
tended view over a large section of the
country is afforded the observer from the
centre of the village. The property owners
in 1819 were: George King, AVidow Miller,
Charles Heyer, Peter Redman, Charles
Lindeman, Frederick Miller, Frederick
Hevel, inn-keeper, Martin Shetter, John
Strine, cord-wainer, Henry Miller, inn-
keeper, Elizabeth Zorger, Frederick Stoner,
justice of the peace. Christian Stine, God-
frey Lenhart, Jacob Zorger, wheel-wright,
Jacob Wolf, tobacconist, Conrad Snader-
man, Jacob Keyer, cordwainer, Widow
Weyer. Jacob Stoehr, of Manchester Town-
ship, owned one house and George Neu-
man one. Michael AVeyer was a blacksmith.
He took part in the defence of Baltimore
during the AA'ar of 1812.
958
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The cigar making industry has been the
chief employment in Strinestown for more
than half a century. In early days there
were many small factories, and within re-
cent years larger ones have been erected,
employing many workmen. This industry
has added thrift and prosperity to the vil-
lage.
Mt. Pleasant Chapel was built in 1872 at
a cost of $1,500. The building committee
were Barnhart Zorger, Daniel Worley and
John Kraft't. It was dedicated by Rev. Wil-
liam Cramer as a union chapel, and all or-
thodox religious denominations are allowed
to worship in it. In recent years it has been
used by the United Brethren in Christ, and
also by the German Baptists. The Strines-
town Union Sunday School meets in this
building.
Zion's View in the southern part of the
township near Quickel's Church is a pros-
perous hamlet that has grown up within re-
cent years. The cigar making industry is
carried on here to considerable extent. The
village is surrounded by rich agricultural
lands.
The fertile and alluvial flats
Indian along the Conewago Creek
Implements, were favorite resorts of the
red men, especially parts of
the tribes of the Conewagoes, Conoys and
Shawanese, who were numerous near the
mouth of the streams and on the opposite
side of the Susquehanna. In company with
the late George Ensminger the writer found
evident traces of an Indian burying ground
near Green Spring. Along the Conewago,
Indian pipes, scalping knives, tomahawks,
spear points and arrow heads were discov-
ered. On the land of Barnhart Zorger,
near Strinestown, perfect arrow heads were
found and close by were piles of spauls of
dolerite, the same kind of stone as the arrow
heads, showing that here they made arrows
from the rough stone. This was the site of
an Indian village.
John Garrettson, in 1742,
Interesting built the first mill along the
Notes. Conewago, possibly on the
Newberry side of the stream.
He was one of the early Quaker settlers, and
owned the rich alluvial lands on the north
side of the creek immediately below the
bridge near Strinestown. The large mill,
north of Strinestown, once owned by Henry
S. Bear, was purchased by Mr. Cline. On
land owned by H. B. Strine, three-quarters
of a mile northwest of Strinestown, is the
spot of one of the first industries of this sec-
tion. It was an old mill in 1820, and was
used in grinding grain. A fulling-mill and
carding-mill was attached to it. John Ellis,
in 1850, was the last owner, when it was
torn away.
On the road leading from Quickel's
Church to Lewisberry once stood a tannery.
The business was carried on by Martin Co-
penhafer. Basket-making has been an im-
portant industry carried on by many inhab-
itants along the Conewago Hills. John
Steilfee, for many years conducted a pottery
from native clay. After the father retired,
the two sons continued the business, Ga-
briel near the " Seven Stars Hotel," and
Adam near Strinestown.
A thrilling and fatal, accident occurred
along the Conewago near the mouth of Ben-
nett's Run. It was during the time of the
early settlement, and according to tradition
was as follows : A man named Sipe went out
to hunt wild turkeys and had a tame turkey
on his back. He used a turkey bone as a
whistle to call the game and the turkey on
his back would answer. This was done in
order to attract the wild turkeys to him
that he might shoot them. He was thus
crawling on his hands and knees, when an-
other hunter who saw only the turkey on his
back and not the man, through the dense
thicket, fired at his supposed game. The
ball passed through the man's neck and
killed him.
Ann Plow, an eccentric individual, who
before 1812 lived north of Newberry, was
accustomed to place iron bars over the top
of the chimney of her house in order to keep
witches out.
Militia parades were held near the west
end of the township on land later owned by
John N. Bull, and Colonel Stover had more
than local fame as a commander. He was
succeeded by Colonel Bear.
During the Confederate invasion of 1863,
a scouting party of Stuart's cavalry entered
the west end of Conewago Township, cap-
tured a number of horses from the farmers,
and obtained cofifee, sugar and some wear-
ing apparel at a store then kept by Eli S.
Ouickel.
There are veins of valuable sandstone in
DOVER
959
this township. The stones used in the front
of the York jail in 1855, were obtained in
Conewago. Henry Kochenour had the
contract to furnish them.
Henry Kochenour in 1825, assisted in
killing the last wolf that lived in the Cone-
wago Hills. Deer and wild turkeys were
seen much later, foxes and raccoons are still
plentiful.
Near the southern base of the Conewago
Hills, there issues forth in all its crystal
beauty a constant stream of water, which
has long been known as " Green Spring."
Just as the snow and frost of winter disap-
pear, there is a dense growth of grass
around the spring, which gave this spot its
interesting name. In early times it was a
favorite resort for the timid deer and the
voracious wolf, which harbored in the ad-
joining hills.
Near this spring, in a public school house,
a union Sunday School has long since flour-
ished. It was superintended several years
by A. W. Ensminger, who was accidentally
drowned in the Conewago.
Samuel Fettrow was an eccentric though
intelligent individual, and for many years
lived alone in the Conewago Hills. He
was born in Fairview Township, and was a
descendant of Holland ancestry. He claimed
to be a doctor, lawyer and surveyor,
and had an office on the summit of the
mountain. He always wore a white crowned
high silk hat, light colored suit, and was
never without an umbrella. His own burial
casket he made himself, long before his
death. The limestone pyramid at the head
of his grave, in the burying ground adjoin-
ing Rohler's meeting-house, was made by
his own hands.
DOVER TOWNSHIP.
The form of Dover Township is irregular,
with the southwestern boundary as a base
resting upon Jackson and Paradise, Wash-
ington and Warrington to the west and
north, and Conewago, Manchester and
West Manchester to the east. The Cone-
wago Hills begin in the western part of the
township, and extend in a northeasterly di-
rection to York Haven. From the first
ridge of the Conewago Hills, near Mount
Royal, along the public road to Rossville,
the observer is afforded a landscape view to
the south, east and west almost unrivaled
for its enchanting beauty. The panorama
unfolds to the eye large portions of the
counties of York, Lancaster and Adams.
Dover Township is drained by the Great
Conewago which forms its northern bound-
ary, and the Little Conewago, which crosses
its southeastern part.
This township was organized
Township under the authority of the Lan-
Formed. caster County court in 1747.
Its exact limits were not then
well-defined but it seems to have included a
part of the present area of Washington
Township. Dover also included the west-
ern two-thirds of Conewago Township
which was formed out of Newberry and
Dover in the year 1818.
Nearly all the original settlers in the
township of Dover came directly from the
Palatinate country along the Rhine in Ger-
many. Many of them settled in colonies
while others migrated across the Susque-
hanna from the eastern counties of Penn-
sylvania. Some of these early settlers be-
longed to the German Baptist Church, but
most of them were Lutheran and Reformed.
These early Germans brought with them
the customs of the Fatherland, also the
church and the school. For nearly three-
fourths of a century the training in the pa-
rochial and private schools of this township,
was given in the German language.
Most of the land of the township
Fruit is fertile, producing abundant
and crops. Part of the area of Dover
Berries. Township is red shale and the
balance is sandy loam. There is
a small outcrop of limestone in the south-
western corner of the township. Corn,
wheat and potatoes are the main products
except in the northern part, where peaches
are cultivated in several large orchards.
Milton Betz of this township has raised
peaches in large quantities. Since 1880,
strawberry raising has been an important
industry in the northern part of the town-
ship. In 1884 Jesse Crone raised 7.700 boxes
on two acres, which were disposed of at
seven and a half cents a box. Henry Wilt,
of Conewago, raised 2,500 boxes ; Henry
Fahs, of Dover, 1,300 boxes; Joseph Boring
of Newberry, 8,000 boxes on four acres of
land. The Ball Hill country, mostly lying
in Newberry Township but adjoining Cone-
wago and Dover, is noted for the raising of
960
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
small fruits and peaches. The land here is
a pure red shale, and generally slopes to the
south, absorbing warm rays of sunlight
during the early springtime. By proper
cultivation the strawberry crop on this land
yields luscious fruit abundantly.
The sandstone, for the trimming of the
Harrisburg Court House, was quarried in
Dover Township by Philip S. Crone. Fur-
nace stones containing sixty cubic feet were
also obtained near the base of the Cone-
wago Hills. A quarry was opened on the
Drawbaugh farm in 1884.
The population of Dover
Population. Township in 1820 was 1,816
in 1830, 1,874; in 1840, 1,920
in 1850, 1,918; i860, 2,258; 1870, 2,281
1880, 2,378; 1890, 2,349; in 1900, 2,313.
The present public school sys-
Schools. tern, under act of 1834, was not
accepted in Dover Township until
the passage of the act of 1848, which recog-
nized all school districts in the state as hav-
ing accepted the system, and during the
winter of 1849-50, the gr^at contest arose
in this township to introduce the "free
schools." John Sharp, Peter Stough, Peter
Boyer, Jacob Emig, George Beck, and
Samuel Meisenhelder, composed the first
board of directors. Schools had been regu-
larly kept up before this time, under the
supervision of two directors. Andrew Dins-
more, in the fall of 1849, held the first ex-
amination.
After the acceptance of the public school
system in 1848, private and parochial
schools were discontinued. The children of
this township for many years labored under
a disadvantage. They spoke the German
language at home and on the playground
but were taught entirely from English
books. It is not easy to understand how
good results could be accomplished by
teachers who had to undergo such difficul-
ties; yet by persistent effort, it can be said,
to the credit of the teachers of Dover Town-
ship during the last thirty years that the
improvement shown in public schools of
this district has been encouraging. There
are now within the limits of the township,
sixteen schools, containing modern im-
provements and large playgrounds around
the school houses. The names of these
schools are as follows: Ramer's, Davids-
burg, Julius', Emig's, Weiglestown, Len-
hart's, Rupert's, Stough's, Hoover's, Shef-
fer's, Roler's, Mt. Royal, Harmony Grove,
Marsh's, Trimmer's.
John Sharp served thirty-two years as a
school director for Dover Township. He
was a son of Captain George Sharp, who
was killed in 1814, by being thrown from
a horse near Weiglestown.
On a slightly elevated spot about
Salem three-fourths of a mile southwest
Church, of the borough of Dover, stands
Salem, familiarly known as Stray-
er's Church. Here for 150 years the in-
habitants of this fertile country have met in
solemn worship. The present building is
the third that has been erected since the
formation of the congregation. This church
stands in the centre of Dover Township.
The first German settlers took up the sur-
rounding lands about 1736. On the 30th of
May, 1757, the following twenty-eight
members of the German Lutheran and Ger-
man Reformed denominations entered into
an agreement for the purpose of founding a
church-:
Peter Streher,
Jacob Hoffman,
Martin Reisinger,
George Kochener,
George Kann,
Xicholas Hermann,
Hans Adam Bartmess,
Joseph Klepper,
Philip Jacobs,
Michael Spaar,
Jacob Kirstler,
Jacob Meyer,
Jacob Kimmel,
George Spaar,
Hans George Stauch,
Dietrich Danner,
Valentine Flohr,
Christopher Kobler,
Leonard Shetrone,
John Zinn,
Henry Shetrone,
George Harbold,
Jacob Bupp,
Andrew Gross,
Barnhart Mueller,
Michael Bunslob,
Jacob Lambert,
Henry Rahauser,
The first building of logs stood in the
old graveyard, west of the present church.
The land upon which it was built was
purchased from "die ecke," the corners
of the plantations of Peter Streher, Jacob
Lenhart and Jacob Upp. George Spaar and
Peter Streher were first elders; Hans Adam
Bartmess and Nicholas Hoffman, trustees;
Carl Albert, Wendell Gross and Matthew
Swartz, deacons. Some of the articles for
sacramental service and for other purposes
in 1767, were one black altar cloth, bought
by congregation, cost three pounds, En-
glish currency; one round altar table, two
white cloths for communion, presented by
Henry Shetrone ; three towels, one bought
from Philip Jacob Julius, by Widow Ra-
hauser; one pewter baptismal font, 15s; one
great can and cup for communion, one box
DOVER
961
of wafers, one small plate and two pewter
plates and one bell.
A "klingel beutel" is a small bag fixed to
the end of a pole to be passed along the
pews to take up the collection. The old
custom of taking up a collection by two
of the "vor stehers" standing at the door
and holding in their hands a receptacle for
the contributions of the congregation as
they passed out of the church, was super-
seded by this "klingel beutel" or "klingel
seckly" as the Pennsylvania German called
it. It received this name from the fact that
the dropping of the coin into it would cause
them to clink.
Lutheran missionaries conducted services
in the locality at an early period, among
them Schaum and Raus of York, Candler
and Eager, of Hanover, and Rev. Jacob
Lischy, the German Reformed missionary.
In 1763, Lucas Raus organized the Lu-
theran congregation, and Jacob Lischy, the
Reformed, with the above named elders and
deacons. The original Lutheran church
book was written in German, from which
much of the information herein given was
found. The title page of this book contains
the following inscription in German :
"Church book of the Evangelical Lu-
theran Congregation in Dover township
over the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania, was
bought in 1763 by me, Lucas Raus."
The genealogy of some of the first mem-
bers is here given. The asterisk designates
the names of those who died in childhood.
John Peter Streher was born in the Prov-
ince of Starkenburg, county of Sponheim,
June 22, 1718. He was married in 1751, on
his birthday, to Anna Barbara Burghart,
widow of John Nicholas Hantz. The last
named died in 1737, leaving four children,
John Andreas, Anna Elizabeth, Mary Mar-
garetta, Catrina Elizabeth* and ]\Iaria Cat-
rina. Peter Streher and his family came to
America in 1740. He became the teacher
and was empowered with certain privileges
to conduct religious services in the Salem
church, in the absence of the regular clergy-
man. His first wife died in 1764, and he
married Jacobina Stouch, in 1766. His
children by the second marriage were John
Nicolaus, John Matthias, Anna Catherine,
John Peter, John Nicholaus, Catherine
Elizabeth, John Jacob and John Peter. Ac-
cording to record these children all died ex-
cept three before growing to manhood and
womanhood.
John Adam Diehl, born along the river
Moselle, Germany, in 1734, came to Amer-
ica with his parents in 1739, married Mag-
dalena Burghart, 1760, she was born 1740.
Their children were John Nicholas and
Anna Maria.
Matthias Hartman, born in Frederick
Tal, in Hohenlohe, Germany, 1718; came
to America 1749; married Anna Catherine
Horch in 1750; children were Maria Doro-
thea, Catrina and Elizabeth.
George Spaar, born in Altenberg, three
hours from Tuebingen, in Germany, on the
nth of December, 1699; married in 1724 to
Mary Catrina Kauffman who was born in
1703. He immigrated to America in 1740.
Their children were John Frederick, Anna
Maria*, Maria Barbara*, Eva Margaretta,
Sophia Margaretta*, Susan Maria, Maria
Catrina*, John George, John Casper*,
John*, John George*, John Casper, John,
Philip, Adam.
Martin Reisinger, born in Heyebronn,
Germany, in 1722, came with his father to
America in 1737; married in 1747 to Anna
Magdalena, daughter of Lorentz Bingmann.
They had nine children : John, Barbara,
John Martin, John Conrad, Mary Magda-
lena, Mary Margaret, Catherine, Anna Eliz-
abeth, Anna Maria.
John George Stauch, born in 1717, in
Beublingen, Kingdom of Wurtemburg, Ger-
many, married Anna Margaretta Deish in
1744, immigrated to America and came to
Dover Township in 1752. The ship called
"Brothers", set sail from Rotterdam in Hol-
land, from which cit}' nearly all the German
emigrants embarked, especially the Pala-
tines. His children by his first wife were
Maria Jacobina, Maria Barbara*, John
George*, John George. These children
were born in the Fatherland. He brought
with him three children then living, and one
year after their arrival, married Maria Cat-
rina Winegarten, by whom he had four
children, namely: John Leonard, John An-
drew, John George and John Jacob.
Gotfried Stauch, born in Germany, 1724,
married in 1751 to Anna Maria Dartl, came
with his brother to America in 1752, al-
though he did not sail in the same vessel
with his brother. It was the ship "Presi-
dent", commanded by Captain Donlap. He
962
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
had one child by his first marriage, John
George. This boy while yet an infant, and
his mother died at sea on their way to
America. He was married in Dover Town-
ship to Charlotte Kessler, on Christmas
day, 1754, it being her birthday. They had
four children, namely: Elizabeth, John,
Philippina, Susanna.
Some of the first births in this congrega-
tion recorded were John, son of John and
Susanna Lenhardt, born February 18, 1762.
Susanna, daughter of Casper and Anna
Barbara Banner, born April 8, 1762; John
AVilliam Grim, born June, 1762. Ten births
were recorded for the same year and about
twenty each for the following years to 1766.
The first death recorded was that of George
Frederick Scheatl (Shettle), who died of
apoplexy, May 20, 1763, aged fifty years,
buried on Whit-Sunday, in the new church
yard. The second death was that of a child
of John Peter Streher, July 5, 1763, aged
five years. George Adam Diehl and Chris-
tine Spangler were married May 30, 1758,
the first marriage on record. Matthew
Mayer (widower) and Christine Dorothea
Mueller were married November 19, 1758.
The first confirmation services were held
November 7, 1762. The persons confirmed
were George Adam ■ Oberdier, seventeen
years old; Susanna Oberdier, fifteen years;
Margaret Gensart, Mary Barbara Gensart
and Catrina Burgart. On Ascension day,
1765, there were twenty-eight persons con-
firmed, most of them children, and new set-
tlers. April 13, 1766, there were twenty-
two confirmations; many of them from
"Peter Wolf's church in Manchester Town-
ship." April 26, 1767, there were thirty-six
confirmations. Confirmation services were
held once every two years. John Peter
Sparr and Andreas Gross, young men, were
confirmed in 1767.
The following is a copy of a legal record :
I, Peter Streher, of Dover Township, in
the county of York, and Province of Penn-
sylvania, farmer, in consideration of the es-
teem and afifection I bear toward the
German Lutheran and German Reformed
Congregations of said township, for the
sum of five shillings paid by George
Stouch and Adam Bartmess, trustees
and representatives of the Lutheran congre-
gation, Jacob May and Jacob Meyer, trus-
tees and representatives of the German Re-
formed congregation, do convey unto them
and their successors forever in trust for said
church congregations, 3 acres of land.
The deed of the three acres as a site for a
church and burying ground was dated Jan-
uary 5, 1765.
Upon the death of Peter Streher, his two
sons, who inherited the property, had the
church land surveyed, and in accordance
with letters patent on May 8, 1797, executed
another deed in trust for the same tract of
land to John Overdier and Jacob Stouch,
trustees of the Lutheran congregation,
Peter Upp and Jacob Lauer, trustees
of the Reformed congregation. The sec-
ond indenture was made in order to make
the title to the church property good
after the surrounding land was patented.
A charter of incorporation was granted
to the two denominations that worship in
Salem church, of May 29, 1824. The per-
sons named in the charter were : Peter
Streher, Frederick Stouch, Peter Lecron,
John Shefer, elders ; Nicholas Hoffman
and John Hantz, wardens of the Lutheran
congregation ; John Lauer, Jacob Zinn,
Christian Hamm, William Caldwell, elders ;
Jacob March and Jacob Kann, wardens of
the Reformed congregations.
The pastors of the Lutheran congrega-
tion were : Lucas Raus from organization
to 1776; Jacob Goehring from 1776-1783;
Nicholas Kurtz and John Groop; A. G.
Deininger, for fifty-two years consecutively
until his death in 1880, aged eighty-five
years; Daniel Sell, Chas. W. Baker, J. C.
Mumma, J. M. Deitzler and A. C. Fast-
nacht.
The Reformed congregation as nearly as
can be determined, was served by pastors
Vandersloot, Charles Helfenstein, Daniel
Zeigler, D. D. for twenty-seven years ; Jacob
Kehm, four years; Jacob Zeigler, eight
years ; I. S. Weisz, D. D. and O. P. Schell-
hamer.
Jacob Fink died in Dover in 1882, aged
ninety-two years ; he and his wife Elizabeth
had been married sixty-seven years at the
time of his death. Near the centre of the
burying ground adjoining the Dover
Church, rest the remains of John G.
Ouickel, who died November 7, 1870, aged
one hundred years. In this graveyard two
acres in area, there were about 3,000 inter-
ments from 1763 to 1883. A cemetery was
DOVER
963
laid off by Dr. Lenhart, a short distance
southeast of the church. The first inter-
ment was the remains of Elizabeth Neiman,
who died September 6, 1870. There are
now many fine monuments in this cemetery.
Daniel Hamme, who died in 1874, aged
ninety-five years, was here interred.
On the loth of May, 1825,
Mennonite John Lethra, Henry Sipe and
Churches. Joseph Hershey, as trustees
for the Mennonite congrega-
tion of Dover Township purchased of John
Brubaker for $1, eight perches of land on
which to build a meeting house. The land
was deeded to the above named persons in
trust, and "to their successors forever who
may be appointed by a majority of the mem-
bers of said congregation after the death or
resignation of said trustees." The land lay
along the road leading then from Jacob
Frick's mill to Philip Smyser's mill. This
church now belongs to the Codorus charge,
which includes a church in Washington and
one in Codorus. Daniel Bare and Abraham
Roth were among the early preachers of
this congregation, organized in 1753. Other
ministers were Josiah Hershey, Benjamin
Hershey, John Erantz, Isaac Kauffman, S.
L. Roth, Jacob Hershey and Theodore B.
Forry. This congregation has recentl)^
built a fine stone meeting house and the
membership has been increased under the
preaching of Rev. Jacob Hershey and Rev.
Theodore B. Forry. Some of the members
come from the western part of Washington
Township near Hall Postoifice.
A Mennonite church stands in the south-
western part of Dover Township near the
village of Admire. Reuben S. Bair is the
preacher. The congregation numbers
about fifty members and owns a neat and
comfortable house of worship.
Rohler's Church is situated in
Rohler's the northeast end of the town-
Church, ship. It was built in 1870 of
sandstone at a cost of $800, and
was dedicated by Revs. Raber, Craumer and
Brickley. Philip Crone and John H. Myers
did the mason work. The trustees and
building committee were Samuel Kunkle,
John H. Myers and Henry S. Crone.
On the 19th of March, 1800, Jacob Rohler
for one pound and ten shillings deeded " one
acre of land adjoining a graveyard to Hugh
Laird, John Richcrick and John Miller,
trustees, on which land was to be built a
new school house and Union Meetino-
House for any that preach the gospel."
About 1760 a small settlement of
Baptist Baptists located along the banks
Church, of the Conewago, in the north-
east corner of Dover, northwest
corner of Conewago and southern part of
AVarrington townships. In the midst of
their settlement they erected a small house
of worship, which was named the " Dover
Baptist Church." Among its first members
were Moses Davis, Susanna Davis, Anna
Davis, William Smith, Phoebe Hawk, Wil-
liam Laird, Catharine Laird and Anne' Bear.
Later a number of families by the name of
Kunkel, Spangler and Gray were added to
the congregation. An organization was
formed about 1804. The congregation had
a regular pastor for a term of four years,
and for nearly half a century later was occa-
sionally visited by different clergymen. The
membership at one time increased to fifty,
under the Rev. Henry Essick, who came
there fi;om Delaware County in 1842. On
this site now stands Rohler's Church. The
Dover Baptist Church, as an organization,
ceased to exist, soon after the pastorate of
Rev. Henry Essick ended.
Harmony Grove Union Church near
Emig's Mill has been used by the Lutheran
and United Brethren denominations. The
frame church building was erected about
1870.
A United Brethren Church is located on
the Bull Road,, in Dover Township, near the
boundary line with Conewago. It was
built in 1858.
Davidsburg, in the western
Davidsburg. end of Dover Township has
been an interesting village
for more than three-fourths of a century.
It is situated along the Shippensburg road
which was a noted route of travel from
York to the Cumberland Valley in colonial
times. It was also used in the early days
of wagoning when the farm products of
York County were hauled to Baltimore for
sale.
For more than half a century Frederick
Ernst Melsheimer practiced medicine in this
vicinity-. His biography is found on page
5---
Davidsburg is situated in the center of a
fine agricultural region. John H. Gross,
964
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
who served as prothonotary of York
County from 1903 to 1906, conducts a har-
ness-making business at Davidsburg and
is also engaged in the sale of farming im-
plements. Henry H. Spahr, residing near
the village, has been justice of the peace for
t\\-enty years, and Charles Artzberger for
half a dozen years. William F. May and
Emanuel S. Gross are engaged in general
merchandising business. George Raffens-
perger owns a cigar factory, and A. A.
Gruver conducts the village hotel.
\\'eiglestown is a hamlet
Weiglestown. near the southern boundary
of Dover Township, about
ijye miles from York. Among the first set-
tlers in this section were two men by the
name of A\'eigle. One of them was a tav-
ern keeper, and the other a blacksmith.
The village received its name about 1825, at
which time there was a collection of half a
dozen houses. It is situated on an inclined
plane of the mesozoic red sandstone, of
which most of the township is composed.
The first store was kept by John Noss. The
postoffice was established in 1878 and Wil-
liam AVeigle appointed postmaster. At the
south end of the village, in 1878, St. Paul's
United Brethren Church was erected. It is
the only house of worship in the village.
The present population is about 200.
Emanuel Grove owns the hotel kept by Jo-
seph Naylor; Henry Weigle owns the build-
ing in which Aaron Bupp keeps the village
store. A few hundred yards north of
A\'eigIestown, at the forks of the Dover and
Shippensburg roads. Captain George Sharp
was killed in the autumn of 1814. He was
commander of a militia company in Dover
Township. At the time of the approach of
General Ross with the British army to Bal-
timore, his company, together with all
others in the county, was called to the
place of rendezvous at York, where 6000
soldiers had collected. Upon the news of
the death of Ross and the retreat of his
army from Baltimore, nearly all the soldiers
who had gone to York were discharged.
On his way home, Captain Sharp was rid-
ing a race, when the horse at the forks of
the road, threw his rider against a tree and
he was instantly killed.
Admire is a small village, a short
Admire, distance south of Davidsburg. It
was originallv known as Slab-
town which was changed to Newport.
A\'hen Swiler Kunkle, the storekeeper in
this village, became the first postmaster, the
name, Voltaire, was selected. A long dis-
cussion followed in reference to the use of
the name Voltaire, when it was discovered
to be the name of a great French aetheist
and disbeliever in revealed theology. The
religious people of the community, includ-
ing the postmaster, desired to drop that
name. They searched through the postal
guide, and found that the names they wished
to select had already been used to desig-
nate post towns in Pennsylvania. Finally,
the word. Admire, was chosen and has since
been the name of the village and postoffice.
AI. H. Moul succeeded Swiler Kunkle as
storekeeper and postmaster.
Mount Royal is a small collection of
houses in the northern part of the township
along the road leading from Dover to Ross-
ville. A store and postoffice has been in ex-
istence here for many years. Robert Kun-
kle is the postmaster and merchant of the
\'illage.
For more than three-fourths
Emig's Mill, of a century one of the old-
time houses of public enter-
tainment was kept at a place known as
Emig's Mill along the Big Conewago, first
by Dietrich UpdegralT, Avho took up the
land in 1745. A store has been kept here
for many years by Henry Emig. Jacob
Emig purchased the mill site in 1831, from
Jacob Frick, who bought it from Adam
Speck in 1813. Tempest Tucker was the
owmer of the property for many years be-
fore this time. The mill originated in
colonial times. Martin Emig was the owner
for many years. A covered wooden bridge
across the Conewago at this place, was buih
in 1848 by John Finley. By a special act of
Legislature, the Conewago is a public high-
way as far up as the mouth of the Bermu-
dian Creek. The picturesque point formed
by the confluence of the Conewago and Ber-
mudian near Emig's Mill is familiarly
known as the " picket."
The Emig's Mill property within recent
years has been owned by a milling company
composed of Samuel Harlacker, Amos
Swartz and H. S. Swartz. It is now a roller
process mill and doing a large business.
Along the Conewago Creek from Emig's
Mill to the mouth of the stream at York
DOVER
965
Haven, stone axes, hatchets, arrow heads,
spear points, mortars and pestles, made and
used by the Indians, have been found by va-
rious collectors. The late George Ens-
minger of Strinestown, found a large num-
ber of these in Dover Township and they
formed part of his interesting collection.
He also discovered what seems to be a large
stationary mortar hewn out of rock and sit-
uated near Harmony Grove Church. From
indications this mortar was made by the In-
dians and used by them for grinding corn
into meal with the aid of a large pestle.
On Sunday morning, June 28,
Confederate 1863, General Jubal Early,
Invasion. with three brigades of his di-
vision, about 6000 men,
crossed the lower part of Dover Township
toward York, over the Canal Road. His
other brigades under General Gordon, en-
tered York over the Gettysburg turnpike.
Gordon had encamped the previous night at
Farmer's Postoffice and Early in the vicinity
of Bigmount. The Canal Road extends
east and west a few hundred yards south of
Davidsburg. In order to see the Confed-
erate invaders, some of the people of the
village sat on the fence along the Canal
Road and watched the movement of the
troops toward York. Among these was
John B. May, who held a York newspaper
in his hand. General Early with his staff
was riding near the head of his column.
When he saw the newspaper in the hands
of Mr. May he asked for it and it was given
to him. He immediately began to scan it as
he rode along stating, "This is just what I
wanted." He expected to find some in-
formation of local value in it.
Early's troops were nearly all infantry.
When he arrived at Weiglestown he sent a
detachment of about 200 mounted men, be-
longing to the Seventeenth Virginia Cav-
alry, to the mouth of the Conewago at York
Haven. They were ordered to that place
for the purpose of burning the railroad
bridges there, which they did about noon of
the same day. Early crossed from AVeigles-
town to the Harrisburg turnpike, and en-
tered York from the north. He remained
at York until the early morning of June 30.
Having been ordered to fall back to Get-
tysburg, he returned westward, nearly over
the same route he had gone to York. When
he arrived at Davidsburg about nooil of
June 30, he ordered dinner for himself, his
staff and two of his brigadier generals.
Smith and Hayes, in all twenty men. At
this time. Early did not knew but that he
might meet an opposing force of Federal
troops in the Paradise valley that afternoon.
While the dinner was being prepared by the
family of William Julius, proprietor of the
hotel. Early and his brigadier generals held
a conference in a small room where they
spoke in low tones, discussing the situation.
The staff officers sat in a front room, some
of them reading pocket Bibles which they
carried, for they all knew a desperate battle
was soon to take place. These twenty men
sat around a long table for half an hour eat-
ing their midday meal, which they all
seemed to relish. There was very little
conversation at the table for a serious air
seemed to pervade the entire room, all the
time they remained. As General Early and
one of his officers passed out the front door-
way of the hotel, they heard the booming of
cannon toward the southwest.
" I suppose a battle has begun," said Gen-
eral Hayes to his chief, as Early mounted
his horse, which was then being held by the
proprietor of the hotel. Before leaving the
hotel, General Early handed the proprietor
four five dollar Confederate notes, in pay-
ment for the twenty dinners, that he had
engaged to be prepared. One of these bills
has been preserved and presented to the
Historical Society of York County by
George W. Gross, of Admire, Dover Town-
ship, in 1904.
The booming of the cannon which the
officers heard as they rode away from the
hotel, came from Hanover, where an en-
gagement was then taking place between
the cavalry and artillery forces of Ivilpat-
rick and Stuart. This prevented a colli-
sion between Early and Kilpatrick in the
Paradise Valley, while the Confederates
were on their march toward Gettysburg.
On the morning of July i, the day follow-
ing Early's retreat, General J. E. B. Stuart,
who had been defeated at Hanover, crossed
Dover Township with nearly 6000 mounted
men. His troopers captured a large num-
ber of farm horses in this township and ex-
changed them for their worn-out old nags
which had seen hard service on the long
march into Pennsylvania. They were never
returned and many Dover horses were killed
966
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
in the battle of Gettysburg two days later.
The story of Stuart at Dover is told in the
history of that borough, found elsewhere in
this volume.
CHAPTER L.
TOWNSHIP HISTORY— Continued.
Fairview — Fawn — Franklin — Heidel-
berg — Hellam — Hopewell — Jack-
son — Lower Chanceford.
FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP.
Fairview lies in the extreme northern part
of York County. A ridge of wooded hills
crosses the center of the township, extend-
ing in almost a due north and south direc-
tion. Around the base of this mountain,
some of the early settlers took up lands
without legal title, and the name originally
given to this region was the " Free Moun-
tain." The River Hills extend from the
Middletown Ferry, skirting the northeast-
ern boundary. As late as 1870, these moun-
tains contained much valuable oak, poplar
and chestnut timber. Part of these hills are
now covered with dense thickets, while
other parts contain a fine growth of young-
chestnut trees. Huge bowlders of basaltic
rock are found in the River Hills. A part
of the extreme eastern section is of trap
formation. The large crevices in the rocks
afford a convenient lurking place for the fox,
and the hollow trees for the raccoon and
opossum. The wolf once had his haunts in
these forests and much later wild turkeys
in the thickets.
Fairview is drained by the Yellow
Breeches Creek, Miller's Run, Bennett Run,
Fishing Creek, and other smaller tributaries
of the Susquehanna. The soil is generally
fertile and productive, growing all the
cereals common to this latitude with equal
success. The northwestern or Marsh Creek
section is the lower end of the limestone re-
gion, which extends into Fairview from
Cumberland County. Fishing Creek and
Redland valleys are mostly of red sandstone
formation, frequently passing into the red
shale soil. The valleys are in a high state
of cultivation, as well as the alluvial soil
along the Yellow Breeches Creek.
For a period of sixty-one years, the area of
Fairview was embraced in Newberry Town-
ship which was laid out in 1742, seven years
before York County was organized. In the
years 1801 and 1802 several petitions, signed
by a large number of citizens, were pre-
sented to the court at York, asking for the
formation of a new township out of " the
upper end of Newberry," stating further
that " said township was too large for the
convenience of the inhabitants."
The court appointed on the third Mon-
day of November, 1802, as viewers John
Heckert, John Forsythe, Valentine Emig,
Colonel Henry Reisinger, Rudolph Spang-
ler, and Peter Hoke, Sr. The surveyor's
draft, made by Jacob Spangler, represents
the dividing line to begin " opposite the
mouth of the Swatara at Joseph Glancey's
ferry, through lands of- John Nichols, now
owned by Silas Prowell nearly in a direct
course to Lewisberry; thence in a south-
W'Csterly direction to Leeche's fording on
Stony Run." The report of these viewers
was confirmed at February term of court
of quarter sessions in the year 1803.
The name first designated by the peti-
tioners for the formation of this township
out of Newberry was " Franklin." The
township now bearing that name had not
then been formed. The viewers in crossing
the ridge dividing the Fishing Creek Valley
from the Redland Valley, began to " view
the landscape o'er." The fertile valleys
mostly within the limits of the proposed
new township, and the broad expanse of
Cumberland, Dauphin and Lancaster Coun-
ties were presented within the extended
horizon that bounded their field of vision.
The name " Fairview " was then suggested,
and was confirmed by the court.
The original settlers here were English
and English Quakers, who commenced to
locate in the township as early as 1734. By
the year 1737 the most valuable lands were
occupied. The English language has al-
ways been used by citizens of this town-
ship.
Much of the land now em-
Boundary braced in Fairview was part of
Settled. Pennsborough Township
which was laid out pursuant to
an act of the Provincial Assembly in 1739,
and then included nearly the whole of the
present limits of Cumberland County.
When first formed, Pennsborough was
within the limits of Lancaster County.
York County, when separated from Lancas-
FAIRVIEW
967
ter County in 1749, had no clearly estab-
lished boundary. Many disputes arose
which commissioners from York and Cum-
berland counties tried to settle. They met
along Yellow Breeches Creek, near the
present site of New Alarket. This occur-
red in 1 75 1, one year after the formation of
Cumberland out of Lancaster County.
The Cumberland County commissioners
claimed the original boundary line, which
was from a point opposite the Swatara
Creek through the Fishing Creek Valley,
nearly in the same direction as the present
dividing line between Fairview and New-
berry. The dispute was finally settled by a
special act of the Provincial assembly in
1751, which made the Yellow Breeches
Creek the boundary between the counties,
and placed the whole of the present territory
of Fairview in York County and annexed
it to Newberry Township, of which it re-
mained a part until 1803.
The population of Fairview Township in
1820 was 1,764; in 1830, 1,892; 1840, 1,993;
1850, 2,098; i860, 1,903; 1870, 1,941; 1880,
2,150; 1890, 2,042; 1900, 2,078.
At the mouths of the Conodogui-
Indians. net, Paxton and Yellow Breeches
creeks, in 1719, there were In-
dian villages. When John Harris located on
the site of the present city of Harrisburg,
he secured a charter for a ferry across the
Susquehanna, and became an Indian trader.
He afterward purchased the alluvial lands
along the river at New Cumberland and in
Fairview Township immediately below the
mouth of the Yellow Breeches Creek. His
son, John Harris, founder of Harrisburg,
born in 1727, was "the first white child born
in Pennsylvania west of the Conewago Hills
who attained the age of manhood." John
Harris, the father, once narrowly escaped
being tortured to death by a squad of Shaw-
anese Indians who came up the river,
stopped at his stone mansion, and de-
manded rum. This being refused, the In-
dians tied him to a mulberry tree and were
about to torture him, when he was rescued
by some friendly Paxton Indians, who were
his neighbors..
In 1742, twenty-one Onondago and seven
Oneida Indians obtained authority from the
Lancaster County Courts to cross the pres-
ent area of York County, on an expedition
against the Tallapoosa Indians in Virginia.
They crossed the river at Middletown Ferry
and passed through Fishing Creek Valley
to Cumberland County, and from thence up
the Cumberland Valley to the Shenandoah.
There was no church building
Religious within the present area of Fair-
History, view Township for 100 years
after this region was first set-
tled. Lying on the borders of Dauphin and
Cumberland some of the inhabitants in early
days attended religious services at houses of
worship in those counties. The original set-
tlers of Fairview were largely members of
the Society of Friends, and they were iden-
tified with the Friends' Meeting at New-
berry, wheVe they regularly worshipped,
some of them going a distance of eight
or ten miles to attend religious services.
According to the monthly meeting in 1775,
"some friends living a considerable distance
from Newberry meeting, near Yellow
Breeches requested to be indulged with
holding a week-day meeting at the house of
William Maulsby." This place was in what
is now Fairview Township. At the last ses-
sion of the monthly meeting, Isaac Everett,
Peter Cleaver, John Garrettson, Sr., Joseph
Elgar and John Underwood were appointed
to sit with them at the place proposed to
hold said meeting and report. Of the fe-
male members of the committee were Mary
Chandlee, Jane Taylor, Joanna Heald, Ann
Penrose, Hannah Cadwallader and ]\Iartha
Everett.
A favorable report was granted to allow
them to hold a meeting on the fifth day of
each week, except the day of Newberry pre-
parative meeting, which the}- were urged to
attend. This meeting was discontinued in
1784 when all the Friends then living in
what is now Fairview Township were asked
to attend the Newberry meeting.
A. short distance south of New Market
on the present site of Mount Olivet Church,
a stone school house was built, shortly after
the Revolution. It was never dedicated as
a house of worship but was used by the ad-
herents of different religious denominations
for worship, and was torn down in i860.
Owing to the removal of many Quakers
from Newberry, Fairview and 'NA'arrington
to other sections of this country, the in-
fluence of the Society of Friends in the
northern parts of York County declined.
The religious thought and sentiment of
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Fairview and Newberry, however, con-
tinued in its quiet and peaceful vein until
1830. During that year, Rev. John Wine-
brenner, organized the Church of God.
From 1820 to 1827 he was pastor of a Re-
formed church at Harrisburg. Owing to his
religious views in relation to slavery, Sun-
day Schools, temperance and revivals, and
his opposition to the liturgy of the church,
to which he belonged, he withdrew from
the denomination in 1827, Winebrenner
travelled as a missionary through various
sections of the state, preaching his new
theology. He advocated the ordinances of
baptism by immersion, feet washing and the
Lord's supper. Being an eloquent speaker,
he attracted multitudes to hear him. He
frequently came into the quiet valleys of
the Redland and Fishing Creek, and often
preached in the village of New Market. His
revival meetings were an innovation to the
quiet sentiment in this community, which
had been dominated for nearly a century by
the religious thought of George Fox and
William Penn, founders of the Society of
Friends. Not always being admitted into
the school house to conduct religious ser-
vices, Winebrenner and the clergymen of
the same faith often preached from the steps
of these buildings. As early as 1832, he
held a revival at the "River school house",
a short distance above Goldsboro and in
another building at Newberrytown. The
doctrines of this church were thus intro-
duced into Fairview Township, but the con-
gregations were organized in the adjoining
township of Newberry.
About 1840, the church of the United
Brethren in Christ began to hold revival
meetings in private houses and at the old
stone school building where Mount Olivet
Church now stands. This denomination had
been founded by William Otterbein who
was also a dissenter from the faith of the
Reformed Church, in which he had served
as a clergyman. Meetings were continued
at intervals in the stone school house and
in a frame building in the Redland Valley.
In 1842, Rev. John Fohl, a clergyman of
the United Brethren Church, was invited
to the Fishing Creek Valley by David
Fisher. He was pastor of a church at
Shiremanstown in the lower end of Cum-
berland County. After he had conducted a
revival, a congregation was organized and
Salem Church was built. Since the erection
of this church it has been the centre of reli-
gious interest to the entire community.
In early days in this valley as well as
many other sections of York County, the
dead were buried in private cemeteries.
Down by the Walnut Grove school house,
a large number of the Fisher family are
buried, the first interments being made
more than a century ago. A short distance
above the Salem Church on an elevated
plain, lie the remains of Captain Wil-
liam Prowell who commanded a com-
pany of soldiers during the Revolu-
tion in Colonel Patton's Regiment from
Chester County. The remains of many of
his decendants rest in the same burying
ground. The farm upon which this ceme-
tery now stands was owned for half a cen-
tury by Samuel Prowell, who was one of
the leading citizens of the community.
Salem United Brethren Church, fa-
miliarly known as the Stone Church, lies in
the center of the Fishing Creek Valley.
This was the first building erected as a
house for religious worship within the
limits of Fairview Township. Rev. John
Fohl held a protracted meeting in the
school house half a mile to the west in 1842,
and soon afterward a congregation was or-
ganized. At a meeting of the quarterly con-
ference held in this vallc}-, April 22, 1844,
John S. Prowell, Henry B. KaufTman and
Jacob Miller were appointed trustees of the
congregation already formed. Mr. Prowell
served in that capacity for a period of forty-
five years, until his death. Religious ser-
vices continued to be held in the school
house until the year 1844, when the congre-
gation purchased half an acre of land for
the site of a church and a graveyard. Dur-
ing that year a church was built at a cost
of $1,000.
Rev. J. C. Smith, Rev. Kessler, Bishop
John Dickson and Rev. Daniel Eberly, D.
D., were some of the prominent pastors who
ministered to this congregation in its early
history.
Within recent years, the cemetery ad-
joining the church, has been enlarged to
include an area of nearly two acres. It is
now the most important place for the burial
of the dead in Fishing Creek Valley.
Fetrow Cemetery was opened about 1870.
Many interments have been made at this
FAIRVIEW
burial place. Two other graveyards are
situated farther down the valley.
Mount Olivet Church of the United
Brethren in Christ, known as the Marsh
Run Church, is situated near New Market.
Shortly after the Revolution, land was ob-
tained here from one of the Mosser farms,
on which was built a union meeting house
and a school house. No services were to
be held "during candle light."
This historic building, after being used
three-fourths of a century, was torn down
in i860. That year Rev. J. Dickson, after-
ward one of the bishops of the United
Brethren Church, increased the membership
of the congregation here, by a series of re-
vival meetings. In the language of the
venerable clergyman, ".to hold the ground,
a church was needed," as the old school-
house had become dilapidated. The grave-
yard adjoining it, was the burying place for
the inhabitants of the surrounding neigh-
borhood, hence others besides members of
the United Brethren Church contributed
liberally, and a brick church was built in
i860, at a cost of $1,600. The building com-
mittee were A. B. Hursh, Francis Hollar
and Rev. Dickson. It was dedicated the
same year by Bishop Glossbrenner. Rev.
Daniel Eberly, J. C. Smith, J. X. Quigley,
B. G. Huber, J. Snoke, S. Proiifit, Thomas
Garland and others have ministered to this
congregation.
Mount Olivet Cemetery, adjoining the
church, is a tract of about four acres of
land. It was laid out in 1870. The first
directors were H. R. Mosser, John Miller,
Owen James, Dr. A. W. Nichols, Allen
Ross, Dr. George R. Hursh, Elias Hake,
Washington Master and Jacob Carpenter.
Mount Zion Lutheran Church. — Religious
services were first held in a schoolhouse,
about one and a half miles from Mount Zion
Church, in Fairview Township. As the
membership increased the schoolhouse be-
came too small, and the people felt the need
of a larger building. One acre of ground
was bought. A building committee, com-
posed of J. Pledger, J. Neff, and A. Zinn,
was chosen. The cornerstone was laid
April 17, 1858, by Rev. F. C. Staver, of
Mechanicsburg, and was dedicated in the
fall of the same year. In 1873, some re-
pairing was done, and it was re-dedicated
December 7, by S. E. Herring. The fol-
lowing ministers preached in this church:
Revs. Staver, Groft, S. Dasher, N. B. Win-
ten, A. N. Warner, J. E. Honeycutt, S. E.
Herring, G. D. Gross, C. B. King, A. B.
Ehrhard and George Eveler.
Emanuel United Evangelical Church is
situated near the borough of Lewisberry.
Its organization dates back as far as 1850.
Services were first held in the Pinetown
schoolhouse, in the vicinity. In 1871, under
the pastorate of Rev. H. A. Dietrich, a
church was built at a cost of $1,200. Rev.
Dietrich, John Kline and William Downs
formed the building committee. The first
trustees were J. Parks, William Bushey
and George Seitz. The dedicatory ser-
vices took place in January, 1872. The
officiating clergymen were Revs. H. B.
Hartzler, U. F. Swengel and H. A.
Dietrich. Some of the early pas-
tors were Revs. H. A. Dietrich, A. W.
Kreamer, J. A. Irvine, E. Swengel, S. E.
Davis, B. F. Anthony and L. Dice. Rev.
G. S. Albright was pastor in 1907.
Fairview Bethel, situated two miles
northeast of Lisburn, was built in 1874. Be-
fore this time religious services had been
held by some of the early clergymen of the
Church of God in a brick school house,
where revival services were conducted on
many occasions. For nearly a third of a
century religious services had been held by
ditiferent denominations in the public school
house at Cross Roads. In 1891 a Union
church was erected near this place by mem-
bers of the Church of God, Evangelical As-
sociation, United Brethren and German
Baptist. The stone and much of the lumber
used in the erection of this church was fur-
nished gratuitously by the people of the
vicinity. Filbert Souders residing here re-
ceived the contract for building the church.
In 1737 Zachary Butcher sur-
New veyed for David Priest four hun-
Market. dred acres of land, extending from
the mouth of the Yellow Breeches
nearly down to the site of New Market.
About the same time he surveyed a large
tract of land for John Harris. This land
adjoined the Priest's survey, and extended
down the river nearly one-third of a mile.
The village of New Market lies upon the
Harris tract. In 1738 Anson Price, took
up a large tract farther down the Susque-
hanna and adjoining the lands of John Har-
970
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ris. The warrant issued to David Priest
for a tract of four hundred acres was ac-
cepted by him in 1744, but he died soon
afterward without a will. His land was in-
herited by his wife, Susannah, and his eldest
son, AVilliam Priest. In 1756 this land was
sold to Henry Willis, and soon afterward
came into the possession of his sons, Wil-
liam and Richard Wihis.
AVhen these fertile lands along the Sus-
quehanna were first surveyed by authority
of Thomas and Richard Penn, proprietors
of Pennsylvania, they were included in
Pennsborough Township, which embraced
almost the entire present area of Cumber-
land County. In 1742 when Newberry was
laid out, this region was included in that
township, and so continued until Fairview
was organized in 1803.
John Harris was a noted Indian Trader,
who settled at the site of Harisburg in 1729.
The right for a ferry across the Susque-
hanna a short distance below New Market
was obtained by him in 1740, and it became
a prominent crossing over the river for
many immigrants, who settled in the Cum-
berland Valley. Harris also owned a ferry
two miles farther up the stream. David
Priest purchased a large tract of land down
the Susquehanna along the Marsh Run in
1739. He was the original owner of a part
of the wooded ridge along the river, below
Marsh Run. It was known in colonial
times as Priest's mountain, and retained
that name until after the Revolution. The
fertile region south and west of New Mar-
ket in the present area of Fairview was all
taken up at an early date. By the time of
the Revolution, Fairview was thickly settled
by industrious farmers, who raised abund-
ant crops of corn, barley, wheat and rye.
The native grasses were used for hay until
about 1790 when Caleb Kirk, residing near
York, introduced into this county clover and
timothy.
Dr. Benjamin Mosser settled in this vicin-
ity as a practicing physician in 1775. His
medical practice extended over a large area
of country on both sides of the river.
Di". Mosesr had three sons — John, Chris-
tian and Henry. At the death of their
father each of these sons inherited a farm
in the vicinity of New Market. John the
eldest son became a physician, and prac-
ticed medicine in the vicinity until his death
in 1826.
Henry Mosser, the second son, and Wil-
liam Culbertson laid out the village of New
Market into 120 lots in the year 1807. This
was seven years before New Cumberland
was founded by Jacob Haldeman. In 1840
the town had 170 inhabitants, twenty-five
dwellings, and one store. The York & Har-
risburg turnpike passed over the line now
occupied by the Northern Central Railway.
Washington Kirk for many years owned a
store. A considerable business has been
done by various parties since.
The Pennsylvania Steel Works are situ-
ated on the opposite side of the river. Some
of the employees of these works reside in
New Market, which has caused a consider-
able increase to its population.
Jacob Kirk, the first superintendent of
schools of York County, lived and died at
New Market. He was widely known as an
educator.
John Wickersham has been justice of the
peace at New Market for many years. He
served for three years as a veteran soldier
in the Civil W"ar, enlisting in the regiment
commanded by John W. Geary, afterward
Governor of Pennsylvania.
Major John Kirk of this village was a
soldier in the Civil War, and afterward
served as an officer in the regular army.
In the year 1858 the .Lutherans of this
vicinity were organized into a congregation,
and during that year erected a brick church
in New Market. The first pastor was Rev.
Cyrus Rightmeyer. The original trustees
were Henry Mosser, John Row, John Horn
and Jacob Grissinger. Rev. Wolgemuth
was pastor in 1906.
The schools of this village have been con-
ducted in a two-story building, near the
Lutheran church.
In the year 1806 Jacob Haldeman started
an iron forge near the mouth of the Yellow
Breeches Creek. He consumed a large
amount of chestnut timber from the River
Mountains, for charcoal was used by fur-
naces and forges in those days. Haldeman
did a considerable business, and in 1814
during the second war with Great Britain
he founded the town of New Cumberland
on the north side of the creek. The forge
was continued for a long time.
FAIRVIEW
971
Hake's distillery a short distance up the
creek was an important industry for more
than half a century. Over by the mountain
side at the head of Marsh Run John Eich-
inger owned and operated a distillery for
twenty years, and it was afterward con-
tinued by his son.
The Susquehanna Mills another industry
in this section of Fairview were built in
1785-
On this tract of land originally taken up
by David Priest in 1737, has recently grown
up a village which has been given the name
of Bellvista. This village is the outgrowth
of the industrial establishments at Steelton,
Harrisburg and the borough of New Cum-
berland.
The ferry established across the Susque-
hanna below New Market in 1740 was con-
tinued for nearly one hundred years under
authority of the Province, and later the
State of Pennsylvania. Benjamin Cham-
bers succeeded Harris in the ownership of
it, and for a long period it was a prominent
crossing place. AA'illiam Chesney owned it
until 1780 when he died. His wife con-
tinued to own the ferry and 470 acres of
land on the York County side of the river.
The entire valuation of the ferry and real
estate in 1783 was 2,620 pounds or about
$13,000. She also owned a distillery, seven
negro slaves, six horses, seven cows and
twenty sheep.
In 1784 this ferry was purchased by
Michael Simpson, who had won distinction
as a soldier in the Revolution, and later in
life became a brigadier general in the Penn-
sylvania Militia. General Simpson owned
this ferry and a large farm adjoining, until
the time of his death in 1813. In 1781 an
act had been passed for the gradual aboli-
tion of slavery in Pennsylvania, and all
children born of slave parents after this
date should be free.
General Simpson owned several slaves as
late as 1810. When he died in 1813 his
property was valued at $12,900. The ferry
ceased to be operated about 1820. In later
years and before the Civil War Jacob M.
Haldeman owned a large farm formerly a
part of the ferry property. He erected on
this farm a large mansion, which was de-
stroyed by fire about 1880. In 1861 Mr.
Haldeman was appointed by President Lin-
coln to serve as minister to Norway and
Sweden. Soon after his return to this
country he took up his residence at Harris-
burg, where he resided until his death.
General Michael Simpson, who
General for a quarter of a century was
Simpson, a leading citizen of Fairview
Township, had a somewhat re-
markable history. He was born in 1740 at
Paxtang on the opposite side of the river.
He was the son of Thomas Simpson, one of
the early settlers of that region. In his
early boyhood he enlisted as a soldier in the
French and Indian War, and served as an
ensign in the expedition against the Indians
in A'Vestern Pennsylvania. In 1775 he was
a lieutenant in Captain Matthew Smith's
compan)', which marched to Boston soon
after the battle of Bunker Hill. He volun-
teered with his company to go with Ar-
nold's expedition through the forests of
Maine against Canada. It was a long and
dreary march. The soldiers who accom-
panied this expedition underwent all the
rigors of a hard winter. The story of their
experiences is told in detail in a little book
written and published by John Joseph
Henry, afterward Judge of the York County
Courts. The introduction to this book was
written by Lieutenant Michael Simpson.
After the return from Canada, he was pro-
moted to captain in the First Pennsylvania
Regiment, commanded by Edward Hand of
Lancaster. He commanded his company in
the battles of Long Island, AVhite Plains,
Trenton, Princeton, and Germantown, serv-
ing in all six years in the American army
during the Revolution. General Simpson
died in 1813 and was buried at Paxtang.
The late Joseph Wickersham and John S.
Prowell remembered very distinctly the tall
form and rugged personality of Michael
Simpson.
The history heretofore published that
George Washington, while returning from
a visit to Western Pennsylvania for the pur-
pose of quelling the whiskey insurrection,
spent a Sunday with General Simpson is an
error. He went through York and crossed
the Susquehanna atAYrightsville on this trip..
Pinetown is the name of a small collec-
tion of houses in the northwestern part of
the township. In this vicinity a consider-
able business is done in the cultivation of
fruits and berries, which are sold in the
Harrisbure market.
972
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Fairview Township was one of
Schools, the seven districts of York
County that at once accepted the
provisions of the act of 1834, establishing
the common school system. Samuel
Prowell, who was sent as the delegate to
represent the township in the first conven-
tion which met in York to take action in
the matter, cast the first affirmative vote of
that body. There were but six other dele-
gates who voted in favor of accepting the
system. This occurred in May, 1835.
There are now in Fairview Township
thirteen schools, with the following names :
Pinetown, Cedar Grove, Walnut Grove,
South Point, Eichinger's, Brick, Kann's,
Cross Roads, New Market. Hickory Grove,
Pleasant View, Nauvoo and Marsh Run.
The part taken by York
Historical County in the Revolution is
Notes. given in the general historj^ of
this volume. In every section
of this county, some of these soldiers lived
to' an old age. Among those last remem-
bered as having resided in Fairview Town-
ship were General Michael Simpson, Wil-
liam Sharp, J. Enfield, Jacob Greenawalt,
William Smith, William Hagerty, and Cap-
tain William Prowell.
AVilliam Smith served with Michael
Simpson in an expedition to Canada in 1775.
He afterward enlisted in the Fourth Penn-
sylvania Regiment. He became a pensioner
in 1818. William Hagerty was a private in
the Fifth Pennsylvania Regiment, and was
discharged in 1778, while Washington's
army was in camp at Valley Forge.
Captain William Prowell, the ancestor of
the Prowell family in Fairview, was a na-
tive of Chester County. He commanded a
company in Colonel Patton's Regiment,
taking part in the campaign in New Jersey,
and in the battles of Brandywine and Ger-
mantown. After the close of the Revolu-
tion he removed to Fairview Township, and
resided in Fishing Creek Valley until his
death. He was buried in the family grave-
yard on the hillside, a short distance north-
west of Salem Church. Many of his de-
scendants are also buried in that sacred
spot. A biography of his brother, Major
Joseph Prowell, will be found on page
213.
During the War of 18 12 Jesse Pearson,
who lived a few miles north of Lewisberry,
deserted from the military service, and
came home. He was followed by soldiers
dressed in Quaker suits, but avoided being
captured by concealing himself underneath
the floor of a building. Several times a
sword was passed up and down along the
cracks between the boards. He was lying
lengthwise underneath a board and was
never found by the soldiers.
Colonel John Steele, who lived in Fishing
Creek Valley, was a soldier on the Niagara
frontier in 1812. In old age he moved to
the West.
James McDanel was in Captain White's
company that rendezvoused at Gettysburg
in 1814. He was afterward a captain of
militia of Fairview for fourteen years, com-
missioned by Governor Shultz in 1827. His
father, Josiah McDanel, settled in Fairview
in 1766, coming from Scotland.
"In September, 1796," says the Oracle of
Dauphin, a newspaper published at Har-
risburg, "several hundred squirrels per day
crossed the Susquehanna from the Cumber-
land and York County side. Some of the
inhabitants were enabled to catch them as
they swam the stream, and salt barrels of
them for winter use".
In 1793 yellow fever or something akin
to it raged in the vicinity of Lisburn and
Lewisberry. It was epidemic in Philadel-
phia that year.
The voting place of Fairview is called
"The Bunches". A tavern was once kept
there by a man who was deformed. He
had a "bunch" on his back — hence the
origin of the name.
John Moore, afterward associate judge
of York County, was one of the early jus-
tices of peace of Fairview. He was suc-
ceeded by Michael Baylor, John N. Prowell,
John Wickersham and David Smith. The
last two served twenty-five years each.
In one of the fertile valleys of Fairview
which, in springtime and summer, is clothed
in rich verdure, in autumn in radiant beauty,
and in winter in sombre hues, each of which
furnish special charms to the writer, he
spent the time . of his earliest hopes and
purest joys. Near the rippling waters of a
pure mountain stream, a tributary to the
Fishing Creek, stood the familiar school
house, within and around whose sacred
portals, 'neath the spreading branches of the
giant maples, walnuts and oaks, in innocent
FAWN
973
study and rollicking play, his early school
days were passed.
The adjoining- farm where he spent his
boyhood was taken up under a title issued
by the Penns in 1735, and has since been
owned in order of succession by George
Hall, John Nichols, Joseph Prowell, Samuel
N. Prowell and Silas Prowell.
AMiile some may sing in rapture of the
beautiful Hudson, chant the praises of the
Blue Juniata, wander in silent admiration
along the mirrored waters of the peaceful
Mohawk, or weave stories of fairies and
angel-loiterers among a thousand Sleepy
Hollows, the recollection of the scenes of
one's own boyhood are more endearing than
all. Here,
Smiling Spring her early visit oaid.
And parting Summer's lingering bloom delayed.
THE TOWNSHIP OF FAWN.
Fawn was one of the early townships in
the count}', and as originally laid out in-
cluded Peach Bottom, which was separated
from Fawn in 1815. The name Fawn is sig-
nificant and interesting, yet very rarely
used in geographical science to designate a
place. Fawn as at present formed is
bounded on the east by Peach Bottom, on
the south by the state of Maryland, on the
west by Hopewell, and on the north by
Lower Chanceford, with the Muddy Creek
forming the northern boundary line. The
township is drained by this stream and its
tributary. The soil, which was for more
than a century considered unfertile and non-
productive, by improved cultivation has be-
come remarkably fertile and productive, and
yields as much corn, wheat and other
cereals to the acre as any other portion of
York County. The increase of the amount
of wheat grown within the past decade is
encouraging. Tobacco has recently be-
come a very profitable crop in this town-
ship and the cultivation of it is likely to in-
crease.
The township was originally settled al-
most entirely by the Scotch-Irish, and some
of the land was taken up under Maryland
titles before a definite provincial line was
run. Some Quakers settled in the vicinity
of Fawn Grove. The borough of Fawn
Grove is entirely within the original limits
of Fawn Township.
In 1783 the population of this town-.
Fawn ship, including Peach Bottom, was
in jSt,. There were 39 slaves, 1 18
1783. dwelling houses, 89 barns, 8 mills
and 18,100 acres taken up. The fol-
lowing is a complete list of the names of the
taxable inhabitants for the year 1783, to-
gether with the number of acres owned by
each and valuation in pounds sterling:
Francis Armstrong, 50 acres ii2
James Alexander, 40 acres, 2 mills 222
Isaac Alexander, 201 acres 115
Thomas Allen, 125 acres 100
Robert Adair, 50 acres 26
William Adams, 100 acres 51
John Alexander, 30 acres 18
Stephen AUoway, 20 acres 14
Allen Anderson, 100 acres C7
William Anderson, 69 . acres 176
Humphrey .A.nderson 14
John Bullock, 40 acres 10
Eliezer Brown. 100 acres 112
James Buchanan, 200 acres 114
Samuel Buchanan, 310 acres 138
Moses Benington 16
Thomas Brannen, 100 acres 68
Thomas Brannen, Jr., 100 acres 60
Thomas Brown, 152 acres 102
William Boyd. 2 horses 9
Samuel Black. 50 acres 52
Nathaniel Baldwin, 100 acres 52
Jonathan Burgess 18
Jeremiah Barnet, 50 acres 20
Alex. Cooper, 600 acres. 2 slaves 317
Thomas Cooper, 600 acres, 4 slaves 554
Nicholas Cooper. 128 acres 229
jNIathew Clark. 300 acres 166
Robert Caldwell. 100 acres loi
Samuel Caldwell, 100 acres 7=;
John Commons, 70 acres 26
James Cord, 120 acres 74
Samuel Cummings, 60 acres 20
Archibald Cooper, 200 acres 93
John Cooper, 120 acres, i horse 65
David Cooper, too acres 55
Samuel Crow, 200 acres in
Ann Carson, 274 acres, i slave 88
William Colvin, 273 acres 118
Benjamin Cunningham, 350 acres 203
Patrick Clemmings. 83 acres 14
William Cooper. 175 acres 107
Patrick Curly. 50 acres 20
IMartin Cortz, 100 acres 74
Peter Cortz, 100 acres 81
John Campbell 18
John Coz, 80 acres 40
John Daugherty 4
Joseph Dame 2
Robert Dunlap, 150 acres 47
John Day, 140 acres 91
Robert Duncan. 294 acres 2'?8
Hugh Edgar, 136 acres 85;
Samuel Edgar, 228 acres 178
James Edgar. 150 acres 114
Alexander Ewing. Jr., 50 acres 26
Alexander Ewing. 75 acres 51
Patrick Ewing. 60 acres 22
Man.- Fulton, 200 acres 118
Elijah Forsythe, 30 acres 7
Adam Fondrew, 100 acres 50
Agnew Gilchrist, 139 acres 81
974
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
Henry Graham ^ 2
Thomas Gordon 2
James Gordon, 200 acres 95
Robert Gordon, 100 acres 47
Jacob Gibson, 150 acres, i slave, i mill 166
John Glasgow, 100 acres 50
Robert Gibson, 50 acres 32
John Brown Gordon 16
Robert Gilkerson, 2^0 acres 87
William Gray, 200 acres 121
John Guist, 200 acres log
John Hamilton, 100 acres, i slave 121
Levay Hopkins, 200 acres 123
Jeremiah Hayton, 80 acres 54
Archibald Harvey, 10 acres 12
John Harbison, 100 acres 40
Josiah Hitchcock, 200 acres 114
Jesse Jarret, 100 acres 50
Ann Jones, 60 acres 41
Benjamin Jones, 107 acres 47
Joseph Johnson. 50 acres 47
Samuel Kincade. 270 acres 116
Joseph Kathcart, 265 acres 171
John Lemmon, 40 acres 4
, Henry Long, 100 acres 39
John Livingston, 60 acres 31
John ^IcLean, 50 acres. 2 slaves y^
Edward Moore 2
John Major 13
John ]\IcKitruk, 50 acres " 22
George Mitchell, 200 acres g'S
Thomas Mattson, 20 acres 21
Robert Miller, 100 acres 49
Robert Mooberry, 100 acres 66
James McMullen, 200 acres 107
Edward Manifold. 400 acres 236
George Mitchell, Jr., 250 acres 76
George IMitchell, Sr,, 150 acres 79
William Mantle, 150 acres 89
James Milligan, 185 acres 60
William McClearv, 186 acres 109
JaiVies McCuUough, 160 acres 86
John Mum, 97 acres 36
John McCleland 7
James ^IcCandless, 756 acres, 2 slaves 407
Joseph ^litchell, 150 acres, i still 68
Hugh ^IcFadden, 85 acres 37
Israel Morris, 170 acres no
Thomas Xeill, 140 acres yz
John Neill, 140 acres 52
George XichoU, 300 acres, i mill, i still 169
Wm. Porter, 340 acres, i saw-mill, 3 slaves 507
John Parks, 75 acres 53
William Parker, 178 acres 80
James Parker, 107 acres 71
James Reed, 75 acres 37
Walter Robinson, 157 acres 31
William Robinson, 85 acres 60
Joseph Ross, 200 acres 99
William Rowan, 245 acres 105
William Reed, 75 acres 42
Andrew Richie, 120 acres 59
John Ralston, 100 acres 64
James Ramsey, 396 acres, 3 slaves, 8 persons 326
John Rowland, 50 acres 32
Alex. Ramsey, 100 acres 37
Cunningham Simple, 260 acres, 4 slaves 384
Patrick Sloan g
John Simple, 1,005 acres, i still, 4 slaves 565
Thomas Steel, 282 acres 117
Rachael Steel, 160 acres, i slave 55
Patrick Scot, 272 acres, i slave 172
John Suter, 115 acres 56
John Sharp. 80 acres 37
Rev. John Slemmons. 230 acres, 3 slaves 244
James Smith, 93 acres 78
Thomas Smith, 100 acres 50
John Taylor, 1 15 acres 70
James Threw 7
James Taggert, 50 acres 19
Robert Torbit, 200 acres 112
Ale-x. Turner. 30 acres, i grist-mill, i saw-mill.... 287
Alex. Threw, no acres 49
Nathaniel Wyley, 73 acres 18
Hugh Whiteford, 100 acres 50
John Whitecker, 140 acres 81
John Wilson, 300 acres 309
Richard Webb, 133 acres 96
William Wallace, 140 acres 69
James Webb 14
Joseph Wiley, 249 acres 183
Samuel Watson, 120 acres 56
Isaac Whitelock, 100 acres 50
Joseph Wiley, Sr 7
Samuel West, 100 acres 52
George West, 100 acres 42
SINGLE MEN.
Thomas Alexander, Eli Adams,
Joshua Brown, William Atchison,
Jesse Badders, Patrick Downey,
Alexander Ewing, William Kinard,
William Hepson, Samuel McFadden,
John Howell, Thomas Scott,
George Suter, Joseph Scott,
Joseph White, Solomon Watson,
Henry Todd, John Boyd.
The population of Fawn in 1820 was 803 ;
1830, 785; 1840, 859; 1850, 1,043; i860,
1,309; 1870, 1,457; 1880, 1,685; 1890, 1,647;
1900, 1,554. The Borough of Fawn Grove
was incorporated October 10, 1881.
The date of the organization of
Centre Centre Church was aboiit the
Church, year 1780. December 15, 1782,
Alexander Ramsey, David Wiley,
James Denny, Joseph Wiley and_ Joseph
Cathcart, trustees, purchased from William
Gray, for the sum of three pounds, three
acres of land, "on which is to be erected a
meeting by a congregation called Centre."
It is evident there was a permanent organ-
ization in 1782. How the church received
its name is unknown. Divine service, after
the Presbyterian form, was conducted at
this point several years before this organ-
ization was effected. The first pastor was
Rev. George Luckey, a native of Fagg's
Manor, Pennsylvania, who graduated at
Princeton in 1782, and was licensed by the
Presbytery of New Castle in 1776. He was
ordained at Chestnut Level, April 27, 1785,
and installed, previous to August 30, of the
same year as pastor of Centre and Bethel
churches, the latter being in Harford
County, Maryland.
In 1786 Baltimore Presbytery was erected
out of the Presbytery at New Castle, and
Centre Church and its pastor were sent over
FAWN
975
to that Presbytery. There they continued
until 1799 when they were sent back again
to New Castle. Mr. Luckey was moderator
of the Presbytery of Baltimore in 1796 and
its clerk for many years. He was moder-
ator of the Presbytery of New Castle in
1804. He continued to serve Centre Church
for a period of thirty-four years, until April
6, 1819. He died December 13, 1823, and
was buried in the cemetery at Bethel, Har-
ford Co., Md., where a marble tomb erected
by the church he so long and faithfully
served, marks his last resting place.
Mr. Luckey is spoken of as a fine scholar,
and intelligent preacher, plain in his man-
ners, unwearying in labor, and unexcelled in
his acquaintance with the Scriptures. The
next pastor was Rev. Samuel Parke, who
was licensed by the Presbytery of New Cas-
tle at St. George, Del., April 7, 1813, and or-
dained August ID, 1814. At a meeting of
the Presbytery April 4, 1820, a call from
Centre for one-third of Mr. Parke's time
was presented and accepted by him. He
was installed May 2, 1820. Centre congre-
gation was then worshipping in a log build-
ing familiarly known as the "tent," which
had succeeded a similar structure removed
some years before. In 1822 a subtantial
house of worship was built. This structure
was of stone and was an enduring monu-
ment to the energy of the pastor and the
liberality of his people. This church build-
ing became too small for the purposes of
the congregation and the present beautiful
and commodious house of worship was
built on the opposite side of the Baltimore
road.
In 1842 the' Presbytery of New Castle
was divided and out of it Donegal was or-
ganized. Centre Church and its pastor were
now under the care of Donegal Presbytery.
Mr. Parke resigned December, 1848, after
a pastorate of twenty-eight years and seven
months.
Of him can be said that he labored faith-
fully for the cause of the church and the
good of man. In pastoral work he excelled,
after traversing the eleven miles from his
home to minister to the spiritual wants of
his people. He died in 1869, in his eighty-
second year, and was buried in the cemetery
at Slate Ridge. On April 17, 1850, there
was a call from Centre Church for the pas-
toral services of Rev. Samuel Hume Smith,
who was installed pastor June 21, 1851, and
continued to minister to this church with
great acceptance until his death, which oc-
curred February 4, 1857. His remains were
interred in the cemetery at Chanceford
Church, where a neat mounment was
erected to his memory.
In October, 1858, a call was presented to
the Presbytery by Centre Church, for the
pastoral services of Rev. John Young Cow-
hick for one-fourth of his time. He was in-
stalled pastor of Centre Church June ro,
1859. During his pastorate the union of the
"old" and the "new school" branches of
the Presbyterian Church occurred. As a
memorial of this event, a fund of $700 was
raised for church repairs. A cornice exten-
sion was put to the roof of the stone build-
ing erected in 1822 (now demolished), new
blinds on the windows ; a new pulpit and
new pews were placed in the church, and
the whole repainted. This work was com-
pleted and paid for July 20, 1871. Rev.
Cowhick resigned June 14, 1875. His pas-
torate lasted sixteen years.
Rev. Johnston G. McGaughey, a licen-
tiate of the Presbytery of New Brunswick,
was ordained November 4, 1875, ^^'^ ^^'^'
stalled pastor of Centre Church the next
day, to give one-half of his time to this
church. He continued until February 17,
1879, when he resigned.
Rev. R. lyorenza Clark to whom the au-
thor is indebted for much of the data of
this history was pastor of this church from
1879 to 1904. He was licensed by the Pres-
bytery of Westminster, April 11, 1877.
June 16, 1879, the congregation of Centre
made a unanimous call for his pastoral ser-
vices for the whole of his time; the church
for the first time in its history determining
to have the full service of its pastor.
September 11, 1879, this call was pre-
sented to him by the Presbytery of West-
minster, and accepted. The same day he
was ordained and installed pastor. In 1880
a. parsonage was built near the church at a
cost of $3,500. Centre Church was incor-
porated May 21, 1883.
Rev. R. Lorenzo Clark was a systematic
and indefatigable worker in the cause in
which he had enlisted and an earnest and
convincing preacher of the truth. During
his pastorate the church grew in numbers
and influence as never before, and the pres-
976
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ent beautiful and capacious church edi-
fice was built and when dedicated was free
from debt. Mr. Clark accepted a call from
Lancaster and the present able and popular
pastor, Rev. F. B. Everitt, was called to the
vacancy, created in 1903.
In October, 1905, the members of Centre
Church, celebrated the 125th aniversary of
their existence as a congregation. There
was a large attendance at these interesting
ceremonies. Many of the persons who were
present had been former members of the
congregation and came a long distance to
take part in the exercises. Rev. R. L. Clark,
the former pastor, read an historical sketch
of the church. Rev. Benjamin Everitt, of
Jamesburg, New Jersey, father of the pas-
tor, was one of the principal speakers.
Rev. Joseph D. Smith, formerly pastor of
Slate Ridge Presbyterian Church, was pres-
ent and delivered an interesting historical
address than whom no one was more fitted
by reason of his learning, eloquence and
familiarity with his subject. Mr. Smith died
December 21, 1906. His death was greatly
lamented by the people of Centre Church.
Gatchelville is an interesting
Gatchelville. hamlet lying near the centre
of Fawn Township, and was
built on lands belonging to Joseph Gat-
chell, a prominent citizen of the township.
The surrounding region was originally a
pine forest. Matthew H. McCall for many
years carried on the mercantile business at
this place and in 1905, was chosen president
of the First National Bank of York. He
was succeeded by John P. Kunkel. Robert
B. Hyson was also a merchant here but re-
moved to Bridgeton, on the eastern edge of
Fawn Township, where he conducts a gen-
eral store.
One mile distant from Gatchelville are
the parade grounds, where the local com-
panies drilled under the militia laws before
the Civil War. The old Blue Ball Hotel not
far west of Gatchelville, for a long time kept
by J. Bullett, was for fifty years the voting
place of Fawn Township. This historic site
was later owned by Felix C. Herbert, a
veteran Democrat who did faithful service
for his party. He was county commissioner
when the York jail was built in 1855. Felix
by a patriotic accident voted twice in one
day for his chosen candidate for president
of the United States, before he was twenty-
one years old. It was a common custom in
those days to vote "on size" as well as "on
age", and he was large of stature.
Prospect Methodist Episcopal Church is
situated in the west end of Gatchelville. An
old church stood by for nearly half a cen-
tury. In 1868 a building was erected at a
cost of $2,800. About 1880, it was re-
modelled and painted. There is a buryin*
ground adjoining it. For many years this
church was served by clergymen belonging
to the Airville Circuit.
Dr. Hugh McDonald for half a century
was one of the most prominent citizens in
the lower end of York County. He was
born in the state of New York and settled
in the practice of medicine in Hopewell
Township about 181 5. Dr. McDonald
married the daughter of Colonel John Kelly,
the commander of the local militia, who
owned a large tract of land where the town
of Laurel now stands. After practicing in
Hopewell for a number of years. Dr. Mc-
Donald moved to Fawn Township. He
purchased a large tract of land, later known
as the McSparren farm, near Gatchelville,
and continued his profession for the remain-
der of his life. Dr. Morgan McDonald, who
practiced medicine at New Market, Mary-
land, removed to Gatchelville.
New Parke is pleasantly situated in
New the southwestern part of Fawn
Parke, near the Maryland line. There
was a Presbyterian Church built
here in the year 1847, and Rev. Samuel
Parke, who for many years served the con-
gregations at Centre Church and at Slate
Ridge, determined to organize a new con-
gregation. The attempt was only partially
successful. The frame building was moved
a short distance from its original position,
and in 1882 began to be used by John Mor-
gan Jenkins as a store. The postofiice was
established December 2, 1878, and John B.
Gemmill appointed postmaster. The post-
master in 1907 is Joseph A. Gailey, who also
conducts a large store in the village. An-
other enterprising merchant of the town is
John J. Fitzpatrick.
The New Parke and Fawn Grove Rail-
road incorporated May 11, 1905, with a cap-
ital of $90,000, is nine miles long and passes
through Fawn Grove Township from the
Hopewell line at the Strawbridge farm
through New Parke to a point in Fawn
I
FAWN
977
Grove Borough. Since the building of this
railroad, New Parke has become the most
important place in the township and ware-
houses have been erected to accommodate
shippers of merchandise, and the business
of the village has already grown to large
proportions. A creamery does a large busi-
ness and affords a market for the dairy pro-
ducts of the neighborhood.
Fawn Township has the following
schools: Bald Eagle, New Parke, Pleasant
Grove, Gatchelville, Walnut Grove, Pine
Grove, Cedar Valley, Fairmount and Mt.
Pleasant.
James McCandless, known
Jimmie all over the southern part of
McCandless. York County from the period
of the Revolution until 1830,
was an exceedingly interesting character.
He was the son of Alexander McCandless,
a native of Scotland, who purchased the
land on which the borough of Delta now
stands. He was called by every one by the
friendly name of " Jimmie," and is reputed
to have had many accomplishments. He
could play the violin, repeat the best poems
of the leading authors by heart, served sev-
eral years as justice of the peace, and for a
long time was a teacher of Centre School,
in which occupation he was popular among
his students. For several years he kept a
tavern on the spot where the Strawbridge
homestead stands.
Just after the Revolution closed, James
McCandless owned 756 acres of land, largely
in the present area of Peach Bottom Town-
ship. He was widely known for his jovial
nature. Tradition says he could entertain
his friends and neighbors at all times play-
ing the fiddle and telling funny stories. He
belonged to Centre Church and owned a
prominent pew in the centre of the church.
On one occasion he had a difficulty with his
neighbor, Brooks, who owned a pew behind
the one occupied by Jimmie and his family.
The two men could not adjust their differ-
ences. Jimmie's wrath rose to a high pitch.
In order to get even with his neighbor, he
built the back of his pew so high that the
Brooks family could not see the pastor when
he preached his long sermons. Neighbor
Brooks finally appealed to the Session, who
ordered the pew lowered. McCandless
knew he had violated the rules of the church
and before lowering his pew, wrote a pla-^
card with his fine penmanship, and pasted
it on the back of his pew for one Sunday.
On this card were the words, "Get thee be-
hind me, Satan." This roused the ire of
the Session and on the following Monday,
the high pew was removed, and McCand-
less decided to take a seat in another part
of the church, so that he might have more
benefit from the eloquent words of the pas-
tor, who preached a sermon on the subject
"Contentions." This ended one of the most
interesting episodes of Fawn Township in
the days of long ago.
The Fates were not propitious with
Jimmie McCandless. The sheriff came to
visit him one day to take possession of his
property. Meantime, he had taken flight
to the western country. Soon after arriving
at his place of destination, he wrote a letter
in rhyme to the sheriff telling what dispo-
sition to make of his farm and tavern. Early
in life McCandless was employed by Major
Andrew Finley, the "King of the Barrens"
to write an epitaph in the Round Hill
churchyard, near Cross Roads Borough.
The story of Major Finley is found in the
history of Winterstown Borough.
Joseph R. Strawbridge, a prominent
member of the York County Bar, was born
at the Strawbridge homestead, formerly the
McCandless property, July 25, 1858. He
obtained his early education in the township
schools and in 1875 became a student at
the York Collegiate Institute, where he re-
mained two years, and then spent one year
as a teacher in Adams County, Illinois. In
1878, he returned to the York Collegiate
Institute from which he was graduated in
1880. He then entered the junior class at
Lafayette College, and was graduated in
1882. After teaching one year at Fawn
Grove Academy, he studied law and was
admitted to the bar April i, 1884. He
served five years as county solicitor until
1895 when he was elected district attorney.
Since the expiration of his three years term
of service, he has devoted his attention to
the practice of law.
His brothers, Acquilla and Franklin
Strawbridge, own the farm in Fawn Town-
ship, the former being a justice of the peace
and a director of the New Parke and Fawn
Grove Railroad.
978
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.
The township of Franklin formed a part
of Monaghan from the time of the erection
of the latter in 1747. until the year 1809.
During the year 1808, a petition was pre-
sented to the county court asking for the
erection of a new township, whereupon
Henry Gentzler, Michael Spangler and
George Julius were appointed viewers.
They presented their report of the survey
to the court, and it was confirmed in 1809,
Judge John Joseph Henry presiding. On
the original draft Dill appears as the name
of the township. This was crossed and the
name Franklin written. Stony or Fisher's
Run was made the eastern boundary. In
1810 there were 175 taxable inhabitants in
the new township. The property valuation
was $97,521. Michael Mumper, the largest
land owner in the district, was assessed
with 790 acres, valued at $7,740. Francis
Coulson was justice of the peace ; William
Butt, constable ; Peter G. Arnold, Jarries
Kennedy, and Samuel Smith, inn-keepers ;
William Wireman, who also owned a tan-
nery, and Solomon Marteemie were physi-
cians ; Peter Wolford owned a grist mill,
saw mill and one slave ; John Lease, a saw
mill; Jacob Knoop, a saw mill and grist
mill; Adam Ehrhart, a distillery, saw mill
and grist mill ; Thomas Furgeson was the
schoolmaster; Henry Deardorff, Jacob
Dollheimer, John Deardorff, Abraham
Frederick, William Heikes, Lemuel Heikes,
William Heikes, William Kerr, Michael
Knisely, Jacob Lerew and Jacob Munt-
weiler were weavers.
Franklin was reduced to its present size
by the organization of Carroll out of the
northeastern part of it and the western part
of Monaghan, in 1831. The South Moun-
tains extend across the northern part of the
township, at an elevation of 1,000 feet above
the sea level. Franklin is drained by
tributaries of the Yellow Breeches and the
north branches of the Bermudian. It lies
within the Mesozoic sandstone belt, and
contains much fertile and valuable farming
land.
In 1820 the population of Franklin Town-
ship was 973; in 1830. 1,003: in 1840, 819;
in 1850, 815; i860, 1,014; 1870, 910: 1880,
952: 1890, 962; in 1900, 895.
There are eighty-two townships in the
United States and thirty-one counties
which bear the name of Franklin.
The following is a list of the tax-
Franklin able inhabitants of Franklin in
in 1810.
1810.
Acres.
Albert, .-Vndrew, saw mill 250
.A.rnold, G. Peter, innkeeper 75
Arnold, George 185
Anderson, John
Bales, Abraham 117
Boish, Joseph
Burkholder, Abraham 100
Bender, Jacob 66
Blaser, John 6
Beaty, John
Boisli, George, shoemaker 100
Bjer, John 130
Boish, Adam
Byers, George
Burns, Thomas, tanner
Beals, William
Butt. William, constable
Bortner, Peter
Coulson, David, heirs 9
Coulson, Francis, Esq., office 147
Cook, Jesse 100
Cook, John
Cook, Henry, (Warrington Twp.) 26
Cook, Isaac, (Warrington Twp.) 11
Campbell, Thomas, ( Monaghan Twp. ) 300
Carl, John_, millwright
Carl, George, millwright 100 •
Deardorf, Isaac 9
DoUinger, Catherine 11
Deardorf, Jonas
Deardorf, Henry, distillery 240
Deardorf, Henry, weaver
Dollheimer, Jacob, weaver
Deardorf, John, heirs 75
Deardorf, John, weaver
Dill, James, heirs 200
Dougherty, John, tailor 160
Ditzler, John
Dill, George 100
Eichelberger, Leonard 50
Eib, Jacob, blacksmith
Eichinger, John, cooper 94
Earnest, Adam, grist and saw mill, distillery 421
Evans, Peter, cooper .•^S
Evans, Thomas 145
Evans, John, cooper
Evans, Jacob
Ege, Michael, (Cumberland) 125
Fickes, Abraham 100
Fickes, John 187
Frederick, .Abraham, weaver 10
Frederick, Christopher, shoemaker
Forsht, John, (Washington Twp.) 117
Furgeson, Thomas, schoolmaster
Godfrey, William, storekeeper
Godfrey, Charles
Godfrey, William 200
Griffith, William
Gallentine, John, tailor
Gallentine, Daniel, wagonmaker
Griner, Philip, millwright
Gillespie, James, blacksmith
Hoffman, David 88
Hickes, Susanna
Heikes, Laurence, heirs 200
Hoffman, Peter, nailor 10
I
FRANKLIN
979
Acres.
Heikes, William, weaver
Hughes, John
Heikes, Jacob, weaver 47
Hull, John, joiner
Heikes, Leonard, weaver 185
Hippel, William, cooper 88
Heikes, John 165
Heikes, Henry 91
Heikas, Abraham, weaver 50
Heikas, Jacob, shoemaker 167
Heikas, Christopher
Heimes, Benjamin, (Washington Twp.) 15
Herbolt, Michael, (Washington Twp.; 60
Johnson, Thomas
Kynett, Alary
Keener, Peter
Kerr, William, weaver 20
Kinter, John 150
Kinter, Valentine 125
Kynett, Henry, cooper
Knisely, John, weaver
Krug, Alichael. shoemaKer
Knisely, Michael, weaver 130
Kuntz, Philip, millwright 127
Knoop, Jacob, saw and grist mills 131
Kyle, William
Kline, Peter, distillery 280
Kennedy, James, innkeeper 195
Lehmer, William 90
Leese, Leonard 55
Lerew, Jacob, weaver 340
Lerew, Jacob
Lerew, George
Lease, John 100
Lehmer, Jacob
Lehmer, William, wagoner 160
Lehmer, George
Lehmer, Philip. (Warrington Twp.) 96
Lease, Samuel no
Lease, Jacob, mason
Lease, John, mason . .'
Lease, Stephen
Me\'er, William
McCreary, William 94
McMullen, William, millwright 102
McClean, Henry, shoemaker
Miller, Henry, blacksmith 135
Moudy, Christopher, carpenter
JNIagili, Arthur
Martin, John 137
Milligan, George 70
Meyer, Samuel
Mumper, Henry
Mumper, Michael, distillery 790
Meyers, Ludwig 100
Meyers; David, distillery 420
Muntweiler, Jacob, weaver
Mumniert, Abraham, blacksmith
McClure, David 143
McClure, John
McClure, Samuel
Mumper, Andrew
Miller, Tobias, shoemaker •
Marteenie, Solomon, doctor
Nagle, Henry, mason
Neadman, Jolin 100
Pupp, Catherine 30
Pupp, Peter, wagon maker
Pupp, Frederick, cooper
Portzline, Francis, storekeeper 80
Printz, John 18
Ritter, Jacob, tanner 103
Reby, Adam, joiner
Reed, Zachariah, cooper 26
Spangler, Joseph, miller
Smith, W. John, ( Monaghan Twp.) 450
Shultz, John 222
Stump, Matthias, blacksmith 80
Smith, Samuel, innkeeper 34
Stouffer, John 30U
Smith, Gabriel 12
Stoutifer, John
Shull, Peter, millwright 103
Seidel, George, shoemaker 56
Seidel, Jacob, shoemaker
Speidle, George blacksmith
Sliertz, Samuel 1 10
Shay, Edward, cooper
Smith, Peter
Stephens, Abijah, (Chester County) 100
Schreiver, Daniel 100
L^pdegrove, Nancy
Updegrove, Herman, heirs 17
Wolford, Peter, grist and saw mills, I slave 142
Weaver, Conrad 80
Wigh, William, blacksmith
Wimer, Jacob, joiner 58
Wolf, John, mason 30
Webb, Joseph
Wolgemuth, Peter, (Washington Twp.) Ko
Wehler, Henry, (Washington Twp.) 12
Woodland, Isaac, tailor 18
Wonder, Sebastian 260
W ilson, Robert 143
Wireman, William, doctor, lanyard 210
St. John's Reformed and Lu-
Churches. theran Church, better known as
"The FrankHn Church," is
situated near the state road, a short dis-
tance south of the centre of the township.
Neither existing records nor tradition seem
to establish the date of the origin of the
congregation that worships here, nor the
time when the first log, weather-boarded
church was built, but it is evident that it was
established before the Revolution. The ad-
joining burying ground contains tombs
erected before 1800. Near the old church,
for half a century, stood a building in which
a school was kept, that was supported by
the congregations.
A two-story brick church was built in
1847, at a cost of $3,000. The building com-
mittee were Peter W'oolford, George Dick
and Jacob Stickel. The Reformed pastors
who preached here, as far back as they can
be traced were Charles Helfenstein, Fred-
erick W. Vandersloot and Edward Vander-
sloot. Rev. Daniel Riegel was pastor of
the Reformed congregation from 1839 to
1889. Rev. H. A. Althouse was the pastor
of this congregation in 1906.
The Lutheran pastors were A. G. Dein-
inger, Gotwald, Weil, Peter Sheurer, A. G.
Deininger (second time), John Ulrich,
Samuel Henry, J. Williams; Joseph R.
98o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Focht, Finfrock, Peter Warner, Jacob K.
Bricker, E. Studebecker, and Henry Seif-
fert. Rev. J. T. Fox was pastor of this con-
gregation in 1906.
South Mountain Union Church was built
in 1867, and was dedicated by Revs. War-
ner, Fohl and Hunter. Rev. Samuel Diller
superintended the building of the church,
which cost $1,500. Services have been held
in the building by clergymen of the United
Evangelical Church, German Baptist and
Church of God. Within recent years this
church is entirely occupied by the United
Evangelicals. Rev. Stahl was pastor in
1906.
The Church of God own a house of wor-
ship known as Bethel Church, which is sit-
uated about three miles north of Clear
Spring. It was founded in 1885 by Abra-
ham Flemming, who erected a church build-
ing and afterward presented it to the elder-
ship or conference of the Church of God.
Rev. S. T. Stoffer, of Harrisburg, was pas-
tor of the congregation in 1906. A large
union Sunday School is held in this church.
Henry C. Shaefter and AYilliam Shaeffer are
the superintendents.
Harmony Bethel belongs to the Church
of God, an order of Baptists. The house
was built in 1877, Abraham Fleming being
the chief contributor toward paying for the
church, which cost $800. The pastors who
have ministered to the congregation were
O. H. Betts, William Sanborn, Daniel
Mumma, Frank Bardeens and others.
There are six school buildings in
Schools. Franklin Township with the fol-
lowing names : Locust Grove,
Central, Chestnut Hill, Glen Wood, North-
ern and Western.
Clear Spring is a hamlet in the
Clear western part of Franklin Town-
Spring, ship, on the public road leading
from Dillsburg to York Springs.
Edward Dick began the mercantile business
at this place, and was also appointed post-
master in 1853, and continued for nearly
half a century. At the time of his death,
the mercantile business was continued by
his son, J. H. Dick, who became postmaster
at Clear Spring, and conducted a large dry
goods store in Dillsburg. Edward Dick
also owned and operated a saw mill and
grist mill, which at the time of his death
was purchased by his son, George Dick.
There is a creamery at this village, operated
by George Dick. William Weaver con-
ducted a store about two miles north of
Clear Springs. On the farm of Henry C.
Shaeffer, in 1898, a fine deposit of kaolin or
white clay was found. This clay was taken
out in large quantities and refined for ship-
ment on the farm, which is situated four
miles north of Clear Spring, near the town-
ship line. Deer frequently are seen at this
place, at the base of South Mountain.
Moses Strayer and his ancestors conducted
a tannery in Franklin Township for many
years, situated about two miles north of
Clear Spring. Franklintown appears in the
history of the boroughs.
Early in the morning of July 2, 1863, a
portion of Stuart's cavalry corps, guarding
125 army wagons, passed through Clear
Spring from Dillsburg on their way to the
battlefield of Gettysburg. The story of
this incident is found in the history of Dills-
burg.
HEIDELBERG TOWNSHIP.
In the Grand Duchy of Baden, not far
from Manheim, is the historic old city of
Heidelberg, famed for its great university,
founded in 1386, one of the oldest institu-
tions of learning in Europe. The deriva-
tion of the word is " Heidel," meaning
huckelberry, and " berg," mountain. The
origin of this name was owing to the fact
that the city is surrounded by picturesque
wooded hills, on which grow huckelberry
bushes in great abundance. This German
city was rendered historic on account of the
atrocities perpetrated upon its citizens in
the seventeenth century. The ferocious
Tilly bombarded it for one month, took it by
storm and gave it up to three days of pillage,
in 1622. The French general, Melac, by
order of Louis XIV, in 1688, took the town
and cruelly burnt it; in 1693 another French
force repeated and exceeded all former atro-
cities. It is now a prosperous city.
Many of the inhabitants of Heidelberg
and vicinity, on account of these cruel wars,
immigrated to Pennsylvania soon after, and
a township by that name is found in the
counties of York, Berks, Lehigh, and Leb-
anon.
Heidelberg Township was formed in 1750.
It then contained an area of 9,030 acres,
most of which was included in Digges'
HEIDELBERG
Choice. The names of many of the early
settlers of this township will be found in the
history of Hanover. The original shape of
Heidelberg was very irregular. It extended
in a northwesterly and southeasterly direc-
tion, from a point a short distance east of
Hanover, west to McSherrystown, Adams
County. It was long and narrow, and
what is now the Borough of Hanover, was
included within its territory. The town
was bordered on the north and south by
Manheim until the northern part of that
township was annexed to Heidelberg in
1816, one year after Hanover was incorpo-
rated. In 1783, Heidleberg had 191 houses,
116 town lots, twenty-nine slaves and a pop-
ulation of 1,204.
In 1880, this township entirely lost its
identity. Out of part of its original terri-
tory and a part of the annexation of 1816,
the new township of Penn was formed.
Thus the original area of Heidelberg
now forms a part of Conewago Township,
Adams County, a part of Penn Township,
and the Borough of Hanover. The eastern
section, caused by the division of 1880, re-
tained the name of Heidelberg, but it con-
tains no part of the original territory, as it is
now formed. Heidelberg is drained by the
west branch of the Codorus Creek and its
tributary Oil Creek. Its present territory,
until 1816, was embraced in Manheim, and
was first settled by the Mennonites and Ger-
man Baptists as early as 1738.
Heidelberg is crossed by the A¥estern
Maryland and Frederick Division of the
Northern Central Railways. Smith's Sta-
tion and Porter's Siding, stopping places
along the AVestern Maryland Railroad, are
now interesting hamlets, and each has a
postofifice. The latter place was named in
honor of ex-Governor Porter, who shipped
large quantities of iron ore from this station,
soon after the road was built, from banks
that he leased in this township.
Dr. L. H. Sterner practices medicine
here.
The Reformed Church at Smith's Station
was erected in 1872 as a Union Church. It
was used by the Methodist, Lutheran and
Reformed people for a number of years.
Rev. J. H. Hartman of Hanover is pastor
of the Reformed congregation worshipping
here.
Zion's Evangelical Church at Porter's
was organized in 1887, when a church build-
ing was erected. This church contains a
Sunday School. The pastor in 1907 was
Rev. J. W. Bentz.
Moulstown is a collection of a dozen or
more houses, in the northern part of the
township. A union meeting house was built
here during the year 1876. The building
committee were Jacob Moul, Charles Eich-
elberger and D. W. Gemmill. Jacob's Mill,
Iron Ridge and Menges' Mills are stations
on the Northern Central Railroad, at each
of which places there is a post office and
store. They are important points for the
shipment of iron ore.
Heidelberg contains valuable
Iron Ore. and extensive deposits of iron
ore. The discovery of it was
made bj' Peter Dicks, who started Spring
Forge in 1755. Most of the ore smelted at
Mary Ann Furnace, built in Manheim
Township in 1761, was obtained in Heidel-
berg.
In 1840 ex-Governor Porter leased sev-
eral tracts in this township and began to
take out and ship ore in large quantities.
The Haldeman Bank in the northeastern
part of the township, was opened by J. Dut-
tenhoeffer, in i860, and passed into the
hands of the Chiques Iron Company in
1873. It contained a valuable deposit and
an area of five acres had been excavated.
About 45,000 tons of brown hematite ore
were taken out from 1870 to 1885. A thirty
horse-power engine was used. The ore was
obtained from a mine eighty-five feet deep.
This property is now owned by the Hano-
ver A'Vater Company.
Samuel H. Bechtel opened a bank in 1864,
adjoining the Haldeman Bank. The land
was first owned by George Sprenkle.
Three perpendicular shafts were put down.
The ore obtained was forty per cent iron.
Forty men were at one time employed here.
It continued in operation for a dozen years,
and several thousand tons of ore were ob-
tained. In 1871, a bank was opened a short
distance east of this one, containing a good
quality of brown hematite, lying in yellow
clay.
Moul's Bank, Forry's Bank, near Smith's
Station; Stambach's Bank, Meckley's Bank.
Sprenkle's Bank on the farm of Henry L.
Bowman, and others yielded large quanti-
ties of ore. Bollinger's Bank four and a half
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
miles southeast of Hanover, for many years
was one of the most important in this
county. It was leased and operated by the
Leesport Iron Compan^^ of Berks County.
From Jesse Moul's Bank, for a time, 400
tons of specular ore per month were ob-
tained. The Ashland Iron Company, Lees-
port Iron Company and the Chiques Iron
Company leased and operated a number of
banks in this township.
On the York road, about three
Mennonite miles east of Hanover, stands
Churches, the Mennonite Church, known
as "Bair's Meeting House."
The land upon which it and the adjoining
public school house are built, was granted
to Michael Banner, in trust for the Men-
nonite congregation, August 8, 1774, by
John and Thomas Penn, sons of William
Penn, who were then the Proprietors of
Pennsylvania. Michael Banner or Tanner
was a prominent man of his day, and, in
1749, was one of the commissioners ap-
pointed to lay off York County. The reli-
gious services of the Society of Mennonites
for many years were held in the houses of
members, but for the purpose of erecting a
building, for a school and for religious wor-
ship, a tripartite indenture and agreement
was made May 14, 1775, between the "said
Michael Banner, Sr., then of the town of
Hanover on the first part, John Shenck, of
Manheim and Jacob Iveagy of Heidelberg,
ministers, of the Mennonites, John Welty
and James Miller, both of Manheim (now
Heidelberg), elders of the Mennonite con-
gregation of the second part, atid Adam
Eichelberger of the third part," concerning
the disposition of the above mentioned land,
which was named "Banner's Repository,"
and when granted adjoined lands of Mi-
chael Newman, Andrew Shenck and Adam
Eichelberger, and contained twelve acres.
The grant to Michael Banner was given "in
trust to and for the only proper use of the
Mennonites, their heirs and successors for-
ever." The consideration was six pounds
in Pennsylvania currency paid to Michael
Banner, who had held the land "in trust for
the Mennonite congregation in Manheim
and the adjacent section of that religious
society or denomination. It was agreed
upon by the heads of the said congregation. '
"to hold equally and in common, and for
the use of said congregation erect a school
house and meeting house, and locate a place
to bury the dead, and for the use of the
German Lutherans and German Reformed
Calvinists, who may join in erecting a
school house thereon, and supporting a
school master, and also for a place of burial
for their dead." They then released unto
Adam Eichelberger the right of being a
trustee for the Lutheran and Reformed con-
gregations and for a school building, but
"reserving and retaining for themselves en-
tire use and their successors forever, a house
of worship to be erected on some part of
said land when said Mennonite congrega-
tion may see fit to erect one." The first
building erected for a school house and
religious purposes stood more than half a
century until the presen-t church was built.
The congregation that worships in Bair's
Meeting House is connected with the Plan-
over Church and Hostetter's Church in
Adams County. The three meetings form
one organization. Samuel Myers, Jacob
Hostetter and Martin Whistler were
preachers of note during the latter part of ^H
last century. ^f
Garber's Mennonite Church is situated
on the hillside in Heidelberg Township near
Menges Mills. A log church was built at
that place about 1750. There was a large
Mennonite settlement in this vicinity and in
the region toward Hanover and in Codorus
Township. A frame church succeeded the
log building and was used as a house of wor-
ship more than half a century. Within re-
cent years a brick church has been erected
in which services are regularly held and at-
tended by a congregation of nearly one hun-
dred members.
Mt. Carmel Evangelical Lu-
Mt. Carmel theran Church was organized
Church. in 1877 at Moulstown. It
owes its existence to a Sun-
day School which from 1875 to 1879 held
its sessions in a school house and during
the latter year a chapel was built for Sun-
day School purposes and religious services.
The building was called Mt. Carmel Sunday
School Chapel. The trustees of this build-
ing permitted the Lutherans of the com-
munity to meet in the chapel until their or-
ganization into a congregation in 1887.
The Lutherans continued to worship here
until 1906, when a beautiful church was
erected and dedicated. The congregation
HELLAM
983
which has been under the pastoral care of
Rev. J. A. Metzgar since its organization,
in 1907, had 135 members.
J. H. Moul has been superintendent of the
Sunday School for the past twenty-five years.
On the hillside west of Menges Mills, on
the night of May 26, 1781, General Anthony
Wayne with his three regiments of the
Pennsylvania Line encamped for the night.
He was then on his way south to join the
army under Lafayette. Wayne and his men
were present at the surrender of Cornwallis
at Yorktown, Virginia. An account of this
march will be given on page 216.
Andrew Hershey, the founder of the Her-
shejr family in York County, was one of the
first settlers in the vicinity of Menges Mills.
A part of his land, originally taken up under
a Maryland grant in 1738, is now owned by
John S. Hershey, a lineal descendant.
The history of Menges Mills and the
genealogy of the Manges family will be
found in the second volume of this work.
Penn Grove is the successor of
Penn Emigs Grove Campmeeting which
Grove, was organized June 7, 1880.
Grounds were purchased six miles
north of York near Mount Wolf, and taber-
nacles, boarding hall and one hundred cot-
tages had been built. Meetings were held
here annually until August 7, 1896, when
the place was destroyed by fire. Soon after
the fire Rev. Charles T. Stearn. D. D., presi-
dent of the association, completed the ar-
rangements for the purchase of 28 acres of
woodland on the south side of the Western
Maryland Railroad, three miles east of Han-
over. In this beautiful grove two taber-
nacles, and two hundred cottages have been
erected. The grounds are lighted by elec-
tricity and a tank of 20,000 gallons was
erected to supply the place with water. The
dynamo for generating electricity and two
engines, one to run the dynamo and the
other to pump water, are owned by the as-
sociation.
The association is known as Penn Grove
Assembly. The object of the association is
the preaching of the word, Bible study and
lectures on Bible themes and moral and
religious topics and evangelism. The first
meeting was held here in 1896, and meet-
ings have been regularly held since that
date during the months of July and August.
The original officers of the association
were Rev. Charles T. Stearn, D. D., presi-
dent; Rev. J. C. Smith, D. W. Crider and
D. G. May, vice-presidents; Rev. J. R.
Hutchison, secretary; Col. J. A. Stable,
treasurer. The board of directors were as
follows : Rev. A. H. Rice, John Bentzel, H.
M. Everhart, John Shepp, Rev. J. H.
Young, Charles Lafean and Henry Resser,
together with the officers. The present of-
ficers are: Rev. Charles T. Stearn, D. D.,
president; Rev. E. H. Hummelbaugh, Rev.
J. P. Anthony and J. C. Heckert, vice-presi-
dents; Rev. J. R. Hutchison, secretary,
George A. Wolf, treasurer. These with the
following named persons constitute the
present board of directors : Jesse K. Kuntz,
J. R. Koontz. J. AV. Owen, C. E. Fultz, H.
D. Musser, A. R. Ayres and J. R. Hutchi-
son, Jr.
HELLAM TOWNSHIP.
Though a part of the area of York County
was settled before 1739, it was not initil that
year the Provincial Assembly of Pennsyl-
vania passed a special act which empowered
the county court at Lancaster to lay off
"that portion of Lancaster County west of
the Susquehanna into townships." Lender
the provisions of this act, in 1739, the town-
ship of Hellam. which originally included
most of York County and Pennsborough
Township, which embraced all of Cumber-
land County, were formed without any sur-
veyed boundaries. Lancaster Count)' was
organized in 1729. The Indian treaty of
1736 extended its limits west of the Sus-
quehanna, in consequence of which all set-
tlers on this side of the river, after per-
mits to locate land were granted, were
under the authority of the Lancaster court.
From 1736 to 1739 Hempfield Township,
which included the present site of Columbia,
had authority west of the river. Charles
Jones, the constable of Hempfield, lived in
the present area of Hellam in 1736. Samuel
Blunston, an intelligent Quaker, who
located at the eastern terminus of Wright's
Ferry, became an agent of the Penns, by
whom he was empowered to grant permits
for land to settlers who located west of the
river. He was born in the township of
Upper Hellam, in the county of York, in
England. During the first thirty years of
its history, the name was written "Hallam"
in official records. Eventually the present
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
mode of spelling became general and has
since been used. Hellam, Spring Garden,
Springett, East Manchester, West Man-
chester and parts of York, Manchester,
Codorus, Windsor and Lower Windsor, lie
within the Manor of Springettsbury, de-
scribed on page 25.
Gradually new townships were formed,
and Hellam was reduced to its present size
by the formation of Spring Garden, in 1822,
out of the western part of this township and
the northern part of York Township.
Hellam is bounded on the
Topography, north and east by the Sus-
quehanna, on the south by
Windsor and Lower Windsor, and on the
west by Springettsbury and Spring Garden.
Extending through the entire northern part
of the township is a wooded ridge, known as
the Hellam Hills, parts of which furnished
timber for charcoal used at the forge, once
located at the mouth of the Codorus. A
large part of Hellam is fertile and highly
productive. It is crossed by the limestone
belt, which enters it from Lancaster County,
making the beautiful Kreutz Creek Valley,
one of the garden spots of Pennsylvania.
Upon these lands the prudent German im-
migrant settled, and soon felled the huge
trees of the forest and began to cultivate the
cleared tracts which ever since have been
increasing in value. The use of lime as a
fertilizer began here as early as 1825.
The winding stream which drains this
historic valley, is known as Kreutz Creek,
which seems to be a corruption of the Ger-
man word "Kreutz" meaning "Cross". It
is mentioned in legal documents at the time
of the early settlement and for nearly half a
century later, as Grist Creek and the valley
as Grist Valley, after one of the first En-
glish settlers, John Grist or Greist who lo-
cated near the head of the stream prior to
1 72 1, together with John Powell and a few
others, before the proprietaries of the prov-
ince authorized settlements to be made west
of the Susquehanna. By the time this" town-
ship was erected in 1739, the entire valley
was thickly settled, mostly by industrious
Germans, some of whose descendants now
own and occupy these valuable farms.
In 1783, there were in Hellam
Hellam Township 16,037 acres of land not
in vacant, loi dwelling houses, 86
1783. barns, 8 mills, 7 slaves, 345 male
citizens, and 320 females. The following is
a complete list of taxables for the year
named :
Anderson & Lowry £400
Andrew Alexander 142
Peter Beidler, 200 acres 506
Widow Beidler, 150 acres, 2 stills 533
Jacob Baltzer, 150 acres 456
Adam Bahn, 140 acres, i still 658
John Bahn, 20 acres 2$
Sebastian Brown, 12 acres 40
Craft Billet, 100 acres 113
Michael Blessing, 150 acres, i still 210
John Bauman, 75 acres 140
Jacob Burkhardt, 100 acres, i still 205
Abraham Burchhardt, 300 acres 309
Frederick Baker 20
George Clopper, (weaver) 44
Samuel Crawford 20
Jacob Comfort, (inn-keeper), 12 acres 50
Mathias Clopper, 25 acres 65
Michael Crow, 50 acres 553
Alexander Crow, 150 acres, i still 548
Henry Cann, 257 acres 669
Abraham Coble, 100 acres 129
George Catz, 106 acres 162
George Dietz, 230 acres 619
Philip Decker, 193 acres 672
Michael Durstein, 75 acres 286
Adam Daron, 75 acres 144
George Druck, 30 acres 119
Joseph Dellinger, 100 acres 134
Gen. James Ewing, 150 acres (silverware £y) .... 908
Henry Fisher, 30 acres 421
Jacob Freese 65
Philip Fritz, lOO acres 249
George Freese, 200 acres 232
John Fox, 51 acres .- 43
David Freese, 200 acres 424
John Flory, 130 acres 453
Isaac Flory, (weaver) 70 acres 224
Jacob Flory, weaver, 70 acres 264
Abraham Flory, 68 acres . 267
Baltzer Fitz, 150 acres, 2 stills 64.=;
;\Iartin Gardner, 200 acres, i still 586
William Gallager 20
Philip Gardner, 250 acres, i slave, 2 stills 722
Martin Hnber, 190 acres 550
Jacob Heyer 51
John Hall, 98 acres 61
George Heibly, blacksmith 45
Jacob Heibly, 100 acres 164
George Hoyer, 92 acres 150
John Herr, 340 acres 1125
Adam Klein, 100 acres S3
Widow King, 100 acres 57
Christian Kunkel, inn-keeper 66
Henry Kindig, 200 acres, 2 stills 390
Godleib Kunkel, 150 acres 19S
Baltzer Kunkel, 150 acres, i still 215
Jacob Kauffman, 270 acres 504
Samuel Landis, 10 acres 82
Christian Lehman, 150 acres 246
Valentine Liphart, 180 acres 445
Henry Liphart, 168 acres, 2 stills 632
Henry Lanius, 150 acres, I still 625
Jacob Lanius, 150 acres, i still 625
Jacob Langenecker, blacksmith 40
Christian Mosser, 80 acres 129
John Mate, 400 acres 334
David Mellinger, 125 acres 460
George Mantel, tanner, 5 acres 275
John Myer 20
Michael IMiller, 200 acres 582
HELLAM
985
John Mate, Jr 20
Casper Mate, 100 acres 532
Ulrich Neucommer, 70 acres 64
John Neucommer, 130 acres 194
Daniel Neas, 117 acres, i slave 372
Christian Neucommer, 80 acres 63
Ulrich Neucommer, Jr., 80 acres 74
Christian Rupp, 100 acres 168
Jost Rieb, 10 acres 114
Michael Rudy, 170 acres 479
Philip Rupp 20
John Reist 40
Philip Sultzbach, 184 acres 450
Henr}' Strickler, 80 acres, I grist-mill, I saw-mill. 603
Jacob Strickler, Jr., 180 acres 644
Christian Stoner, 177 acres, 2 saw-mills 826
John Strickler, 195 acres 483
John Strickler, 180 acres 598
James Smith, Esq., 1,000 acres 600
Henry Strickler, 126 acres 488
Jacob Shultz, blacksmith, 94 acres, i slave 615
Daniel Schneitman, 50 acres 66
Adam Swope, 50 acres 42
John Shultz, 200 acres, i saw-mill 690
John Shroll, Jr., 150 acres 143
John Sneider, 100 acres 39
Christian Shroll, 50 acres 79
Jacob Statler, 30 acres 40
Jacob Stentz, 180 acres 303
George Shallow, inn-keeper, 100 acres 204
George Shallow, Jr 20
Samuel Speiser 20
Michael Zacharias '. 20
Philip Thomas. 90 acres 139
Abraham Demuth, 100 acres 129
Jacob Weltzhoffer, 170 acres 672
Wolff Wendel 20
Michael Weiland 20
Samuel Wright, 400 acres 1850
Jacob Witmer 7^
John Wright, 500 acres, 2 slaves 2055
William Willis 20
Soloman Williams 78
John Wyland, 99 acres 235
John Steiner, weaver
William Holtzinger 20
Simon Holtzinger 20
Widow Morgan, 200 acres 450
Tikabat Stater 20
Soloman Williams 20
James Williams 20
SINGLE MEN.
Christian Reist, weaver, John Fitz, weaver,
Michael Durstein, John Peterman,
Joseph Reed, John Ewing,
Nicholas Heltzle, John Strickler, Jr.,
Godleib Rupp, Casper Wolff,
Jacob Shultz, blacksmith, Jacob Longenecker,
Henry Bainnie, weaver, blacksmith,
Henry Geip, George Druck.
On the south side of the Codorus
Codorus Creek near its junction with the
Forge. Susquehanna River, and in the
extreme northeast corner of Hel-
1am Township, is the site of an important
iron industry in Pennsylvania. It was va-
riously known as the " Hellam Iron
Works," " Hellam Forge," and later as the
" Codorus Forge." A forge and furnace
were erected here in 1765 by William Ben-
nett, who continued the business until May
21, 1771, when the wojrks fell into the hands
of Samuel Edie, sheriff of York County,
who sold them to Charles Hamilton and he
transferred the property to Hon. James
Smith, of York, signer of the Declaration of
Independence. James Smith lost by these
works about 5000 pounds or $25,000. Of
the two managers he employed to run
them, and who were the cause of his mis-
fortune, he said : " One was a knave and the
other a fool." Smith disposed of the works
on April 16, 1778, while Congress was in
session at York, of which he was a mem-
ber, to Thomas Niel, a merchant of York.
These works were used during the Revolu-
tionary War for casting cannon and can-
non balls for the Continental army. In
1793 Thomas Niel owned 1500 acres of
woodland, forge and sawmill at an assessed
valuation of 2,029 pounds ; in 1800 he
started a bloomary in connection with the
forge and owned 3,275 acres of land valued
at $15,875. About this time Samuel lago
became the owner. Thomas Kettera, a
prominent lawyer and member of Congress
from Lancaster, had an interest in the
works for a time. The entire property was
purchased in 1810 by Henry Grubb who en-
larged the works and after that date the
place was known as Codorus Forge. He
paid $17,810 for the land and the forge.
John Shippen, afterward president of the
Miner's bank of Pottsville, Pennsylvania,
was manager from 1818 to 1825, when the
product was 400 tons of bar iron annually.
One of the managers of the forge was John
T. Ubil, who afterwards became a " slave
catcher " and several times got a reward
for returning negroes to their southern
owners. He lived in Manchester. The
other managers were Henry P. Robertson,
Elijah Geiger, Henry Trego, Henry Felten-
berger, David Lockard, William Moore,
John Mcllvaine and Robert S- King. Dur-
ing the year 1837 the furnace was built.
Most of the ore used was obtained from
the famous Chestnut Hill mines in Lancas-
ter County, still owned by the Grubbs. The
ore was towed across the river in flat boats.
The right to large tracts of timberland was
purchased by the Grubbs in Hellam, Cone-
wago and Newberry Townships.
The furnace and forge ceased operation
in 1850, after an existence of eighty-five
986
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
years. For a long time sixty men were reg-
ularly employed. A large charcoal house
was built by the Grubbs above York Ha-
ven, which was taken down the Susque-
hanna in 1848 and thus $5000 worth of pre-
pared' charcoal and chestnut wood floated
down the stream and was lost. Vast quan-
tities of pig iron were made at the furnace.
This was made into bar iron and blooms at
the forge. Much of the manufactured iron
was loaded in shallops and floated down the
stream to tide water and from thence to
Philadelphia and Baltimore. The firm
owned in 1830 nearly 4000 acres of wood-
land in Hellam and Spring Garden town-
ships. The valuation of the property in
1848 including woodland was $52,000.
Clement Grubb, of Lancaster, and General
Edward B. Grubb, of New Jersey, composed
the firm who last operated these works. A
flint mill was started on the site of the iron
works in 1884. The quartz rocks from the
Hellam hills were ground. The flood of
1884 took away 140 tons of ground flint.
For many years the site of the Codorus
Forge seemed to be a deserted spot. The
building became a pile of ruins. In 1906
the property was sold to Hugh M. North,
of Columbia, who has since removed the
debris and formed the surrounding region
into a park with settees for pleasure seekers.
At the mouth of the Codorus a short dis-
tance below, in 1905 the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company completed a massive bridge
across the Susquehanna.
Wild Cat is a noted pleasure resort in
Hellam Township below the mouth of the
Codorus Creek. It is a picturesque region
and much admired by tourists. Accomac
is another romantic place visited by many
pleasure seekers during the summer season.
Glen Orchard is an interesting spot where
several prominent persons have erected a
summer hotel.
Hellam Distilling Company and several
lime kilns and lime stone quarries furnish
employment to a large number of persons
in the Kreutz Creek Valley.
Deposits of iron ore were found
Iron Ore. in this township as early as
1762. Some of this ore was
used by the owners of the Furnace, at the
mouth of the Codorus before the Revolu-
tion. There are no evidences that iron in
large quantities was obtained in this town-
ship until 1850. From that date until 1880,
valuable ore was taken out by a number of
parties.
Wilton's Bank, one and a quarter miles
southeast of Wrightsville, was opened in
1850. About 12,000 tons of brown hema-
tite ore were taken out by Henry Wilton,
who leased the property of Jabez Jenkins.
It was afterwards owned by Harris Wilton.
Benjamin Strickler's Bank was opened
about 1852 by Mr. Bahn, and then leased
to Mr. Musselman of Marietta, who worked
it for several years.
The Stoner Bank, situated three and a
half miles southwest of ^Vrightsville, was
opened in 1850, and from that date to 1875,
a large quantity of ore was taken out.
Seven hundred and fifty tons were taken
out by Musselman & Watts. Shafts were
sunk at this bank, whose area was about
three-fourths of an acre.
Rudy's Banks were situated half a mile
west of Stoner's, and covered an area of
about one and one-fourth acres. This
bank was opened in 1862 by Musselman &
A\'atts, and workd as an open cut. There
were 9.872 tons of ore taken out here which
contained forty-one per cent of metallic
iron.
Rudy's Bank, four and a half miles south-
west of AVrightsville, was opened in i860,
and worked four years by James Meyers,
of Columbia, as lessee. The bank before it
caved in was an open cut, at one place 180
feet deep. Nearby was Keller's ore pit.
Hiestand's Bank was a very large one,
situated along Glatz's Ferry road. It cov-
ered an area of an acre. Large amounts of
ore were taken out by Musselman & Halde-
man as lessees. The banks owned by Sam-
uel and Jacob Dietz were leased by Stephen
F. Eagle, of Marietta, in 1868, and 3000 tons
of ore were taken out. Fritz's Bank was
opened in 1864, b)'' Meyers & Benson for
five years, and afterward by Benson & Cat-
trell. A twenty horse-power engine and
twenty men were employed. The ore con-
tained forty-four per cent, of metallic iron.
The central point of interest in
Town of this township is the thrifty and
Hellam. prosperous town of Hellam. It
is situated in the heart of Kreutz
Creek Valley, along the trolley line and the
turnpike which extends from York to
Wrightsville. About 1855, tobacco grow-
HELLAM
987
ing became a profitable business for the Hel-
1am farmers. As a result of the success of
cultivating leaf tobacco, the cigar making
industry was begun at Hellam at an early
date.
In 1845. Alexander Blessing opened a
store, which he conducted with success for
twenty years or more, and for a short time,
John W. Gable was a partner with him in
the same business. Alexander Blessing
was a pioneer in the cigar making industry,
beginning several years before the Civil
War. He was succeeded in the mercantile
business by John W. Gable, his son, Jacob
A. Blessing, Stephen A. Wilson and Lem-
uel R. Crumbling. Jacob A. Blessing
erected the Hellam House in 1879.
John W. Gable engaged in the mercantile
business which he continued for a period of
thirty years, and also manufactured cigars,
employing a large number of workmen.
Mr. Gable was first appointed postmaster in
1874 and held that office continuously for a
period of thirty years, except during Presi-
dent Cleveland's twq administrations. AVhen
John \\'. Gable retired from the business he
was succeeded by his nephew, Frederick
Gable and David Gilbert under the firm
name of Gable & Gilbert. George Paff,
who conducted a store iij the east end of
the town, was postmaster from 1884 to
1888, and Lemuel R. Crumbling from 1892
to 1896.
At the extreme upper end of the present
town of Hellam, Henry Sultzbaugh built a
tannery about 1810. He continued this
business for a period of forty years or more,
when he was succeeded by his sons, John
and Henry, who later disposed of the busi-
ness to Frederick Sultzbaugh, who was
elected a member of the State Legislature
in 1859, being the first Republican ever
chosen to that office from York County.
After his death in 1863, the tanning business
was continued by his widow and her son,
Milton Sultzbaugh. Within recent years a
number of cigar factories have been estab-
lished.
Hellam has been stretched out a distance
of nearly a mile along the turnpike. The
completion of the AA'rightsville and York
trolley line has caused additional growth to
Hellam, which has four churches and con-
tains a population of about 600. The Penn-
syh'ania Railway station is situated half a
mile from the town, where George E.
Loucks has been the agent for the company
since 1878. He owns a fine private library.
John Kline, a short distance from this place
raised the first orchard which bore what
has since become a popular apple, known as
the " York Imperial."
Dr. John Houston practiced medicine in
Hellam Township as early as 1770 and for
a time was a surgeon in the Revolution.
Dr. Jonas Deisinger, the first physician to
practice the healing art in the village of Hel-
lam settled here in 1861, and after continu-
ing his profession at this place for many
years, moved to York. Dr. James A. Arm-
strong was the resident physician at Hel-
lam from 1873 to the time of his death in
1905. Dr. Charles N. Wolf and Dr. Frank
Horning have practiced their profession in
Hellam in recent years.
The Lutheran and Reformed
Church Church is known as "Kreutz
History. Creek Church." though it existed
nearl}^ half a century before the
name " Kreutz Creek " came into use.
During the time of the early German set-
tlement, west of the Susquehanna, the Luth- .
eran and German Reformed people of this
community worshipped with the settlers
near the Codorus, so that it is entirely prob-
able that the first religious services by the
Germans west of the river, were conducted
in this valley until 1741, when the town of
York was founded. A synodical meeting
was held in this valley in the year 1745. It
was between that date and 1751 that the
first church at Hellam was built of logs on
a tract of fifty acres, obtained by grant from
the heirs of William Penn, " at the rate of
15 pounds, ID shillings per 100 acres with
a quarterly quit-rent of one half penny per
acre." The land was deeded to Martin
Shultz, Jacob Welshofifer, Henry Smith and
George Amend in trust for the use of the
German Reformed and Lutheran congrega-
tions. In 1777, a stone church was built, and
used until i860, when a brick church, 60x44
feet, with end and side galleries, was
erected. It is located at a beautiful site to
the north of the turnpike near the village of
Hellam.
June 2, 1825, Thomas Cadwalader, of
Philadelphia, as attorney for the heirs of
Penn, deeded " to Jacob AVelshoffer, Jacob
Libhart, Conrad Dietz, trustees of the Ger-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
man Reformed congregation, John Blessing,
Simon Fries and Lawrence Fisher, trustees
of the German Lutheran congregation,
forty acres and one hundred and thirty-three
perches for a consideration of $io8, sur-
veyed and lying within the Manor of Spring-
ettsbury in the township of Hellam."
From the record of the First Reformed
Church at York, it is ascertained that a con-
gregation of that denomination existed at
Hellam in 175 1, and from these records it is
shown that Rev. Jacob Lischy was the first
pastor. He was succeeded in order by
Revs. John C. Werts, William Otterbein,
Daniel Wagner, George Geistweite, Daniel
Zacharias, D. D. ; Daniel Ziegler, D. D. ; R.
Rahauser, E. G. Williams, A. Wanner, D.
D. ; Gideon P. Fisher, William Korn and E.
M. Sando. The early history of the Luth-
eran congregation is closely identified with
that of the First Lutheran Church at York.
It is known from records that a Lutheran
congregation was organized at Hellam by
Rev. Lucas Raus in 1764. The congrega-
tion was visited and children baptised by
David Candler, Handshuh and Henry Mel-
• choir Muhlenburg. The succeeding pastors
were Nicholas Hornell, John G. Eager,
Nicholas Kurtz, Jacob Goering, J. G.
Schmucker, Charles A. Morris, John George
Craver, Jonathan Oswald, George P.
Weaver, A. AV. Lilly, L. K. Sechrist, Her-
man L. Kroh, R. S. Stair, E. E. Hoshour
D. B. Lau, John H. Meyer and Joseph B.
Krout.
In 1896 both the Lutheran and Reformed
congregations held religious services in this
building at stated times. These congrega-
tions have also erected churches within the
village of Hellam.
St. James Church was erected by the
Lutheran congregation at Hellam in 1894.
This was done during the pastorate of Rev.
R. S. Stair. Rev. Joseph B. Krout became
pastor of this congregation of 200 members,
October i, 1906, holding services alternately
at Kreutz Creek and St. James Churches.
He is also pastor of a congregation in the
Canadochly valley.
Trinity Reformed Church in the village
of Hellam was erected in 1901 by the con-
gregation which worships in Kreutz Creek
Church. At this time. Rev. G. P. Fisher
was the pastor. He was succeeded by Rev.
W. A. Korn, who served until 1907 when
Rev. E. M. Sando was elected. The con-
gregation has a membership of 125 and the
Sunday School 200 members.
Strickler's Mennonite Church, named in
honor of one of the early settlers, is sit-
uated in Hellam Township, two miles east
of Wrightsville. It is one of the oldest
churches of this denomination west of the
Susquehanna. The present house of wor-
ship was erected more than one hundred
years ago. Michael Strickler was the dea-
con in 1907.
St. Paul's United Evangelical Church in
Hellam was founded in 1902 by Rev. L. E.
Crumbling, who for a period of two years
before that date had conducted religious
services in the large room in David New-
comer's cigar factory. A church building
at a cost of $4500 was erected in 1902. The
congregation and the circuit to which it be-
longs purchased a parsonage in the town of
Hellam, in 1905, when Rev. C. J. Rafifens-
perger became pastor of the congregation.
High Mount Church situated two miles
north of Hellam village* was one of the early
churches of the Evangelical Association in
York County. A house of worship was
erected here in 1893, which took the place
of an older building which had stood on the
same site for half a century. The congre-
gation in 1907 had 100 members and a Sun-
day School of 225.
In 1884, a congregation was organized in
Druck Valley by the United Brethren in
Christ and a stone building erected at a
cost of $1,200. The church is situated in
the northern part of Hellam Township in
the valley after which it is named.
The fertile lands of Hellam
Historical Township and the alluvial soil
Notes. along the streams was the
favorite resort of the Indians
before the white settlers arrived. Many
specimens of Indian life, such as stone
arrow heads, spear points, axes and hatch-
ets, and utensils used by the Indians, have
been found along the Susquehanna and else-
where in Hellam Township. Before the
time of the white settlements Indian traders
who lived on the opposite side of the river,
bought furs and other products of the chase
from the Indians of the Hellam Valley.
During the Revolution many troops
from Virginia and Pennsylvania marched
through Hellam Township, on their way to
HELLAM
join the army under Washington, to fight
for independence. In June, 1777, Conti-
nental Congress came up the road, now
known as the Wrightsville Turnpike to
York, which for nine months was the capi-
tal of the United States. Many times dur-
ing the Revolution, British prisoners of war
were marched over this route on their way
to York, Frederick, Maryland and Win-
chester, Virginia. During the last days of
December, 1778, about 4,500 British and
Hessians, who had surrendered with Bur-
goyne at Saratoga the year before, crossed
Hellani Township in charge of the Penn-
sylvania Militia. They were marched to
Charlottesville, Virginia, where they were
held three years. During the war of 1812
when Baltimore was threatened by the
British, 3,000 Pennsylvania Militia crossed
the river at AVrightsville and encamped at
York.
Gen. James Ewing, who won distinction
as a soldier in the French and Indian war
resided in the eastern part of Hellam Town-
ship for a period of fifty years. During the
Revolution he was present at the battles of
Trenton and Princeton in command of the
Flying Camp and Pennsylvania troops.
After the war, he was a member of the
Legislature, and also served as President of
the Supreme Executive Council, which
body until the Constitution of 1791 was
adopted, corresponded to the State Senate.
General Ewing for more than half a cen-
tury was one of the most noted men west of
the Susquehanna. He died at his home a
short distance west of Wrightsville at the
age of seventy years in 1806.
Rachel Bahn of Hellam Township was a
descendant of one of the earliest families
who settled in the Kreutz Creek Valley.
She obtained a fair education but when
quite young became an invalid and for fifty-
five years was confined to the sick room.
During this long period. Miss Bahn was a
diligent student of the Bible and poetic
literature. She wrote and published a book
of poems containing many beautiful
thoughts. Although she sufTered nearly all
the years of her life, she never complained
and offered words of comfort and good
cheer to every one who came within her
presence.
On Sunday morning, June 28, 1863, Gen.
John B. Gordon, commanding a brigade of
2,400 men, mostly from the State of
Georgia, passed through Hellam Township,
down the turnpike to Wrightsville. He
commanded the advance of Early's division
of Confederate soldiers, which arrived at
York, three days before the battle of Gettys-
burg opened. Gordon had with him a bat-
tery of four guns. He fired a few shells into
Wrightsville, in order to drive the Union
soldiers there, across the bridge to Colum-
bia. The complete account of these inci-
dents will be found in the Civil War on
page 415. Gordon remained about twenty
hours in that borough and in response to
the orders from General Early, he returned
to York on Monday over the turnpike.
Anderson's Ferry, about three miles above
Wrightsville, at Marietta, seems to have
been a crossing place as early as 1725. In
the spring of 1725. there are records that
Presbyterian clergymen of Donegal, Lan-
caster County, crossed here to visit settlers
"along the Conewago on the west side of
the river". Bertram Boyd "missionated"
in York County about this time. This ferry
was used very extensively during the colo-
nial period of our history, as well as much
later. It was chartered November 17, 1742.
Richard Peters, secretary of the Province
of Pennsylvania, in writing to the proprie-
taries under the above date says "James
Anderson's petition for a ferry was pre-
sented to Mr. Thomas 'Penn, and he gave
me verbal orders to make out the patent."
General Gates, after his success at Sara-
toga in the capture of General Burgoyne
and his army, crossed the river at this ferrj'-
on his way to Congress then in session in
York. He remained over night with
Colonel Alexander Lowry, who lived on
the Lancaster County side of the river.
Many of the congressmen, and others who
had business with congress also crossed at
this ferry.
The Morgan house in the western end of
Hellam Township is an historic building.
During the Revolution it was the home of
William Morgan who lived a quiet life as a
farmer. On one dark night of 1781 Wil-
liam Morgan was aroused from his bed by
men in front of the house. They asked him
to open the door and give them something
to eat. He declined to do this, whereupon
the men fired a musket through the door
and severely wounded him. It was after-
990
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
wards discovered that these men were sol-
diers who had escaped from the British
prison, then situated in the extreme north-
western part of Windsor Township near
Longstown. A complete account of this
prison pen will be found on page 233.
A\'hen the roll was called in camp, it was
discovered who were absent. The men who
had wounded Morgan were condemned to
death and hanged from a pole near the
camp. Thus ended one of the saddest epi-
sodes during the dark days of the Revolu-
tion.
Daniel A. Minnich, a noted acrobat, con-
tortionist and circus clown, was born in
Hellam Township near Wrightsville in
1805. When he was a small boy, he was
taken from his home by a magician without
the knowledge of his parents and was ab-
sent four months before they knew of his
whereabouts. He first performed in a
travelling circus as an acrobat and contor-
tionist and became one of the first tight
rope walkers in this country. As early as
1824, he became somewhat famous in his
line, and by 1835 was one of the best known
all around circus men in this country. He
continued this occupation as an actor until
after he was fifty years of age, when he
was still a man of physical vigor and ac-
tivity. In his palmy days, Dan Minnich
could turn forward and backward somer-
saults, handsprings and do a forward somer-
sault from the knees and ride a bare back
horse before the modern artists in that line
had come upon the stage. About 1855,
Daniel JNlinnich retired from the circus and
lived with his brother at Bedford, Pa.,
where he died at the advanced age of eighty-
six years.
THE HOPEWELLS.
The area now embraced in Hopewell,
East Hopewell and North Hopewell town-
ships, was included in the township of
Hopewell, which was laid out in the year
1767. From 1743 to 1767, Hopewell formed
a part of Shrewsbury Township. The peti-
tion for the separation reads as follows :
"The inhabitants of Shrewsbury Township
are under a disadvantage on account of the
great extent of the township, the same
being by a moderate computation, twenty-
five miles long and sixteen miles in breadth.
We therefore request a division of the town-
ship by a line commencing at William Sin-
clair's mill; thence up the Codorus to the
Fork ; thence leading to the branch of the
Codorus past Charles Diehl's mill; thence
in a straight line to the head branch of Deer
Creek, continuing along it to the provincial
line." The petitioners asked that the new
township be called "Hopewell." William
Ehrhart, Peter Brillhart, John Orr, Michael
Geiselman, William Gemmill, and William
Nelson, were appointed commissioners to
make the division. They reported to the
court June 23, 1767, making a division as
requested by the petitioners. The report was
confirmed during the July session of that
year, by Justice John Blackburn, and his
four associate justices. This township was
formed the year before Mason and Dixon's
line was run along its southern boundary.
The name Hopewell is given to a number
of other townships in the middle and south-
ern states.
The northwestern part of the original
Hopewell Township is drained by branches
of the Codorus ; the northern and eastern
part by Muddy Creek, and the southwest-
ern part by the head waters of Deer Creek.
The surface is undulating", though certain
parts are quite level. There is considerable
woodland, and here and there scattered over
the cultivated land and along the roadside,
stand giant oaks and chestnuts. The soil
in general is fertile and productive, and the
land valuable.
Hopewell for the year 1783,
Hopewell contained 136 dwelling houses,
in 91 barns, 4 grist mills, 15,223
1783. acres of cultivated land, 10
negro slaves, and a population
of 866. The original settlers were generally
Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. Some Germans
settled in the northern part a few years
later.
The following is a complete list of the
taxables of Hopewell for the year 1783, to-
gether with the amount and the valuation of
real estate :
John .\nderson, 7j acres £91
Nehemiah Armstrong, 35 acres 35
Robert Anderson, 106 acres 103
Widow Anderson, 150 acres 86
Samuel Adams 8
John -A.dams 10
Alexander Allison, 100 acres 75
Jacob Alt . : 6
Patrick Burn, so acres 33
John Brown, 60 acres 60
HOPEWELL
991
John Blasser, 150 acres ■••■•-••• 201
Abraham Blasser, 100 acres, 2 mills
Christian Blindmeyer, 100 acres U
Barnett Blindmyer, 100 acres ^^
John Beard, 30 acres jg
William Bell ■ 14
William Brackenndge
Frederick Brose, 30 acres
Andrew Brown, 50 acres ^
William Collins, 150 acres ^^g
James Criswell, 50 acres . '
Casper dimmer, 106 acres ^^
William Douglass j,q
Samuel Dickson, 150 acres
Nicholas Dipple, 50 acres ^^^
Anthony Duncan, 210 acres
Jerry Delong. 150 acres
Matthew Drohrbach
William Edgar, 130 acres *
Christian Ealy, 150 acres J^
William Edie, 200 acres ,
John Forkner, 17 acres • ^^
Samuel Fulton jg,
Andrew Fulton, 100 acres Moody Mome, 100 acres
David Fulton, 100 acres ^g Widow Mclsaac, So acres
William McEllmg
Conrad Miller, so acres
William McClark, so acres
James McDonald, 156 acres
Daniel Miller, so acres
Benjamin Manifold, 119 acres
Thomas McCarroll
Joseph Manifold, 322 acres
John Manifold, 136 acres g^
James Maffet, lOS acres ^
William Morrow, 80 acres "
Thomas McKell, 160 acres
Alex. Moore, iSO acres
William McClurg, 100 acres '^^
Michael Morrison, iSO acres
Conrad Miller, 60 acres gg
John Montgomery, so acres ,
■iiir;ii; A/r„r'l,=„o,r en ;irrps "'
'^'^''^'^^^■^■■- 153
54
52
102
206
127
118
I S3
William McClevey, SO acres
Robert Dickson, 100 acres - ;^ Hugh McClurg, 66 acres . .
" ■ ' ' ' Samuel Martin, 150 acres . .
Samuel Mosser, 60 acres . .
Henry Miller, so acres ^
David Manson /;
James McFarland, 200 acres '-
John McCleary, 200 acres •-
T\ r 1,, TM/^^tTo Tf%n nrres ^
Wilham Farress, 100 acres "" James McAllister, 50 acres -57
Andrew Findlay, 100 acres '^ Martin Obermiller, 180 acres 3
Jacob Feaster. 62 acres
John Forsythe, 50 acres
Widow Godfreys, 2S acres
John Carting, 300 acres, 2 slaves
;: 276
95
James Gibson, iSO acres ^
Widow Gibson, 2S0 acres . . . . ■ ^^'
William Gemmill, iSO acres, i slave -^
William Good, 60 acres ^
Johnston Griffith, 126 acres ^^^
David Griffith, 100 acres
John Griffy, Jr., 100 acres =
David Gamble, 200 acres ^
John Graton. 200 acres, i slave ^
Jacob Householder, 60 acres g'J
Henry Householder, 50 acres ^^
Robert Henry . . . • 52
James Hutchison, 80 acres
James Harper, ISO acres ">
John Herring, 100 acres ^g.
100
136
171
47
William Orr, 200 acres
John Pearson, 170 acres
Andrew Proudfoot, 200 acres
Widow Pain, 60 acres
Patrick Purdy, 100 acres . . .
David Proudfoot, S= acres . .
Robert Proudfoot, 160 acres .
Elisha Pew, 23 acres
James Patterson, 150 acres .
Samuel Patterson, 50 acres .
John Quarterman, 30 acres -5"
Robert Richey, 50 acres J>^
Alexander Ramsey, I35 acres ^
John Richey, Jr., 71 acres
John Richey, Sr., 60 acres ^^
Adam Reed j^j
John Raney, 170 acres .
Samuel Rosebrough ,;;.
Jacob Saddler, 300 acres
104
30
104
80
30
Stoffel Harkle, 100 acres James St. Clair, 100 acres ^
-.r- 1 1 tt; 1,, Trirv i/'i-^ic ._ ' TTir-11-— C4- r'l-iii- TTn Qprp-? -J'
Michael Hively, 100 acres
Samuel Harper, 100 acres ■ ^^
Laurence Heindel, 100 acres ^^
Boston Hickman, 100 acres ^^^
Jacob Hiestand, 150 acres -
Nicholas Henry, I44 acres ^
William Jameson, 160 acres ^.
Thomas Jamison, 50 acres ^^^
Jacob Junt. 100 acres ...
Christian Krug, 100 acres
37
William St. Clair, no acres ^
Nicholas Streher, SO acres ^
Jacob Sherer, 100 acres ^;
Frederick Saddler, 30 acres ^3-
Samuel Smith, 130 acres -^
Jacob Shafer, ISO acres ^^
John Shafer -q
Abraham Sinnerd • jg
James Steel ■ ,„□
James Smith, Sr., 210 acres, I slave -09
Barnet Kousley, iSO acres ^^ jj^^es Smith, Jr j^
James Kerr, 112 acres ^^^ Francis Sechrist, 200 acres -"
Joseph Kooper, 80 acres g jg^n Shinnard, 80 acres
Widow Kilwell, 100 acres ; g-^ j^hn Sharer, so acres ,
Thomas Kelly, 100 acres Joseph Smith, 200 acres - ,
David Kennedy, 150 acres ^ Tq^h Smith, 50 acres ■ ;i.
Henry Kirsmoyler, 45 acres William Smith, 200 acres, 2 slaves J^^
Christian Leib, 100 acres ^^ Robert Slemmons, 25 acres ^g
Jacob Landmesser, SO acres J>^ Jonathan Smith „
William Liggett, Sr., 200 acres ^g p^j^^ Strayer, 100 • acres 'A
William Liggett, Jr., 200 acres ^ pj^jUp Taylor, 156 acres g
Herman Miller, 2S acres, I slave 3^
Anthony Miller, 50 acres g
John Miller, so acres
John Marshall, 100 acres ?g
Richard McDonald, Sr., 350 acres -^0°
Richard McDonald, Jr., 160 acres °4
George McMullen, 100 acres - ^
Peter Trexler, 60 acres
Alexander Thompson, 150 acres ^^
David Waltemeyer, 50 acres ^g
Charles Waltemeyer, 100 acres ^
Tames Wilson. 100 acres . g
David Wiley, 150 acres, i slave -5
992 HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Henry Wiest, 200 acres 169 fold, who was a member of the legislature,
{^^L^wSnlVrcres-::;::::;:::::::::::::: lo^ for a period of four years, was postmaster.
John Wilson. 100 acres 9o in 1625 Laptam James Wallace organ-
Francis WeinmiUer, 150 acres loi j^ed a rifle company, called the Washington
Andrew Warrick, 80 acres 100 „ j r - n^^
Rudy Yount, 150 acres 257 Greens, composed of 125 men. They were
Michael Ziegler, 100 acres 61 uniformed in green suits trimmed with red,
and wore helmets. The members were
A petition signed by a large ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ Hopewell townships.
Township number of persons May 5, 1883, ^^-^^ company continued to exist with a dif-
Divided. was presented to the court at fgrent uniform, but under the same name
York, presided over by Hon. ^^^ ^^^^^y half a century. The men were
John Gibson, asking for a division of Hope- drilled regularly and are said to have been
well into two townships. The reasons ^^^^ ^f ^j^^ f^^^^^^. looking companies fn the
given were that many of the electors were country. The commanding officers at dif-
required to go a long distance to the voting fgj.gj^^ ^j^^^g ^^^^^ Captains James Wallace,
places. It was claimed that great conve- Sampson Smith. Robert Alexander and
nience would result from the division of the josiah Campbell. John T . A\'allace was
township. This petition was heard by the lieutenant. In i860, members of the Wash-
court and B. F. KoUer, H. M. McCall and ington Greens and others formed them-
Thomas G. Cross were appointed commis- selves into a company named Hopewell
sioners. It was decided however that it was Centre Guards, and were commanded by
best to divide Hopewell into three town- Captain William AVallace. This company
ships. In order to accomplish this object, a drilled frequently, but eventually thirty-two
second petition was presented m August, qJ ^i^g f^^^y j^gj^^ which composed it, entered
1884, to the court, signed by a large number ^^g Union army, eleven of whom died in
of landowners, asking for the division of service or were killed in battle.
Hopewell into three townships to be known Aleadestown is the name given to a small
as Hopewell, East Hopewell and North collection of houses in East Hopewell
Hopewell. The commissioners reported in Township, about one mile from the Mary-
favor of the division which was confirmed i^nd & Pennsylvania Railroad. It was
by the court, June, 1885. named in honor of Aquilla Meade, later a
The population of Hopewell in 1810 was resident of Cross Roads borough.
1,597; in 1820, 1,630; in 1830, 1,941; in 1840, The Hopewell Presbyterian
2,095; 1850, 2,380; i860, 3,288; 1870, 3,618; Presbyterian Church was known during
1880, 3,773; 1890, 1,540; 1900, 1,376. In Church. the first ten years or more of
1890 East Hopewell had a population of its existence as the Shrews-
1,234 and in 1900, 1,074. North Hopewell ^^ry Congregation, having taken its name
in 1890 had 1,199 inhabitants and in 1900 from the township in which it was then situ-
had 1,122. ated. During this period the people prob-
Hopeweh Centre is situated in ^bly worshipped in a tent or some private
Hopewell East Hopewell Township. AVil- house suitable for such service. The date
Centre. Ham Wallace, in 1849, pur- of the actual organization of the old Pres-
chased a tract of land at this byterian churches is not a matter of record,
place for $13.50 an acre. The same land but has to be estimated to a greater or less
now, and many of the surrounding farms extent. An earlv manual of Donegal Pres-
are fertile and productive and worth many bytery No. 2, gives the founding of this
times their original cost. In 1850, Mr. Wal- church to have been in the year 1756, and it
lace secured the establishment of a post appears there is good grounds for accepting
office, and named it "Hopewell Centre." He this date.
opened a store in 185 1 which he conducted in May, 1732, the first Donegal Presby-
until 1874, w^hen his son James AV. AA^allace tery was erected out of New Castle Presby-
succeeded him as proprietor. William Wat- tery by the Synod of Philadelphia. It
son was postmaster for a time, and then originally included Lancaster County east
James W. AA/'allace was appointed. During of the Susquehanna River and afterward,
the Buchanan administration John Mani- in addition, all of the site of Pennsylvania,
HOPEWELL
993
west of the river, and a large part of IMary-
land and Virginia. The volume of minutes
of old Donegal Presbytery, covering the
period of 1750 and 1758, inclusive, was lost
many years ago, having been loaned, it is
said, to someone in Virginia who failed to
return it. In the records of Presbytery,
under date of June 5, 1759, there is the fol-
lowing minute : "A supplication from the
inhabitants of Shrewsbury to be erected
into a congregation was brought in and
read. The erection was deferred till the
people of Gwinetown be notified. Ordered
that Mr. S. Smith write to the people of
Gwinetown (now Guinston)."
Mr. S. Smith was the Rev. Sampson Smith
who came over from Ireland in 1750, and was
at the above date the minister at Chestnut
Level, Lancaster County. The above shows
the place in question was not merely a
preaching point in 1759, and that this people
were only asking for a supply, but that they
were an established worshipping assembly,
of such number and extent, that they felt
the time had arrived when they should be
regularly organized into a congregation by
Presbytery. It is evident that these people
must have been associating together as a
body of worshippers, having the gospel
preached to them for a considerable time
previous to 1759, and that the history of
this church may very properh^ date back to
1756.
The first Presbyterian Church, of which
there is any record, was built on a very
prominent round hill about 1770, whence
its name Round Hill. The oldest property
records show six and one-eighth acres to
have been set apart for this church. The plot
included a fine spring and the Old Round
Hill Cemetery. About 1790 this church was
burned and the congregation bought one
and one-half acres from Samuel Dickson
and Robert Dickson, for thirty-five shillings,
situated about one mile from the former
site. This property was deeded to Andrew
Finley and Robert Gemmill for the Congre-
gation in 1797.
December 20, 1791, the congregations of
York and Hopewell called Rev. Robert
Cathcart as pastor. In 181 3, the third
church was built and by a vote of the con-
gregation the name was changed to Hope-
well Presbyterian Church. The communi-
cant membership about this time was 160.
Dr. Cathcart preached his farewell sermon
in November, 1834, having served nearly
forty-two years. After he left, the congre-
gation was supplied by Revs. Stephen
Boyer and Houston for one year, and on the
death of Mr. Houston by Mr. Boyer for
another year, after which it had occasional
supplies, among whom were J. M. Boggs
and S. M. Boyless. The latter was ap-
pointed October, 1843, to supply Hopewell
Church, one-half of the time. It was not
until 1849 that the first burial was made in
the cemetery which is a part of the present
church grounds.
Rev. S. H. Smith was ordained and in-
stalled pastor of Hopewell and Stewarts-
town churches, June 17, 1845, served these
congregations with great acceptance for
twelve years, and died February 4, 1857.
Revs. Porter, C. W. Stewart, J. A. Divine
and others served as supplies. June 27,
1858, Rev. J. Y. Cowhick, a licentiate of the
Presbytery of Columbia, Ohio, began sup-
plying the church, and was installed pastor
for one-half of his time, May 6, 1859. The
church then had 131 members. Rev. Cow-
hick continued as pastor of this congrega-
tion in connection with Stewartstown and
Centre churches until September 24, 1873,
when he was released from Hopewell, to
give his whole time to Stewartstown and
Centre.
In September, 1874, Rev. T. L. Springer
became the supply. He received a call the
same year, and was ordained and installed
pastor. At this time the church had 135
communicant members. In 1876, the
church building was thoroughly refitted.
Rev. C. G. H. Ettlich, a graduate of
Princeton Theological Seminary, succeeded
as pastor in 1892. The congregation con-
tinued to prosper, and in 1901, erected the
fourth church, a handsome brick structure
at a cost of $15,000 which was dedicated
free of debt, December 19, 1902. Joseph
Dise of Glen Rock was the architect ; the
building committee was composed of Sam-
uel O. Smith, H. C. Manifold and John C.
Miller. It is one of the most ornamental
churches in the rural districts of southern
Pennsylvania. The congregation, under the
pastorate of Rev. Ettlich, has a member-
ship of 150. and a flourishing Sunday
School.
The following have served as elders of
994
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Hopewell Church: William Smith and An-
drew Duncan, 1775; James Wilson, Robert
Anderson, Michael Morrison, Andrew War-
wick and Robert Gemmill, 1791 ; Henry
Manifold, John Gemmill, Benjamin Payne
and James Papperson, 1818; Andrew Ander-
son, Andrew Gordon, Robert Wilson and
Hugh Hogg, 1834; John Manifold, A. C.
Manifold, Sampson Smith, Sr., and John
Trout, 1859; John Anderson, William Wil-
son and John Hyson, 1867; Robert Wilson,
AVilliam Wilson, A. C. Manifold, John An-
derson and John Hyson, 1874; John Ander-
son, William Wilson, James M. Smith, J.
H. Anderson and William ShauU, 1907.
John M. Gemmill, a member of the Hope-
well congregation, furnished most of the
data relating to the history of this church.
Hopewell United Presbyte-
United rian Church situated in East
Presbyterian Hopewell about two miles
Church. east of Cross Roads Borough
was founded in 1800. The
original members of the congregation had
belonged to the Quinston Church in
Chanceford Township. Some of the first
members of the congregation were : Miss
Allison, James Anderson, Thomas Baird,
George Eaton, James Gibson, Archibald
Hyson, David Jordan, Alexander Liggit,
James McAllister, William McCleary, Miss
McCleary, John McCleary, James Murphy,
Adly Matson, David Proudfit, Alexander
Proudfit, William Shaw, James Shaw,
Joseph Smith, Peter Stewart, Alexander
Thompson.
Rev. Thomas Smith who came to Amer-
ica from the north of Ireland in 1799,
preached to this congregation as a supply,
but did not accept the pastorate, and in the
language of Archibald Hyson, who wrote
a history of this church for the "Christian
Instructor and United Presbyterian Wit-
ness," in 1901, "Smith was a man of
sound judgment, and as true to his convic-
tions as the needle is to the pole." He be-
came one of the foremost men in his church
in this country. Rev. Charles Campbell
was called as pastor in 1801, and continued
until the time of his death, April 7, 1804.
Rev. Josiah Wilson became a supply in
1807, was installed pastor January i, 1808,
and died in September, 1812. The congre-
gation was served by Robert Annan,
Samuel Wier, James McConnell and Gra-
ham, as supplies, until 1823, when Rev.
Alexander Sharp became pastor. He was
succeeded in 1828, by Rev. Alexander Mc-
Cahan who continued until 1832. He was
followed in 1833 by Rev. William Findley;
1834, Rev. James McAuley; 1835, Rev.
Joseph Osborn; 1836, Rev. Robert Gracey
and 1838, Rev. John Ekin. These were fol-
lowed by Revs. McElroy, John J. Buchanan,
Jeremiah Dick, Joseph H. Pressly, as sup-
plies. In July 1843, Rev. D. B. Jones be-
came the pastor until 1847, when he re-
signed. Revs. Van Eaton and C. Sharp
were supplies until Rev. William Carlisle
became pastor, October, 1848, and served
until 1856. Rev. Joseph Boyd served one
year.
In 1858, a union was formed by the As-
sociate and Associate Reformed Churches
and Guinston and Hopewell were united in
one charge and Rev. Francis McBurney
gave one-third of his time to Hopewell. He
was followed in 1868 by Rev. Thomas Pol-
lock, James McCutcheon, R. G. Young, and
A. E. Brownlee as supplies. Rev. Samuel
Jamison became pastor April 5, 1871, and
continued until July, 1873.
October 26, 1875, the connection existing
between Hopewell and Guinston was dis-
solved, and Hopewell and Gettysburg
formed one charge. Rev. John Jamison be-
came pastor, giving one-half his time to
this congregation. September 22, 1884, the
congregation petitioned the Presbytery for
the whole of Rev. Jamison's time, who
served continuously until 1897, when he re-
signed and moved to Indiana in the western
part of Pennsylvania, where he resided in
1906. The congregation was supplied for
a time by Revs. A. S. Aiken, R. G. Pinker-
ton, W. H. McMaster, E. H. Carson, and
N. J. Walters. Rev. W. T. Warnock was
elected pastor and installed October 4,
1898. He served the congregation until
1901. For a period of four years the pulpit
was filled by supplies, until October, 1905,
when Rev. C. R. Ramsey, a graduate of
Allegheny Theological Seminary, was
chosen pastor.
The first church was built of logs, and in
1843 was remodeled. In 1867, a brick
church was built under the direction of
Archibald Hyson, grandson of one of the
founders of the congregation. In 1883, six
acres of land were purchased, on which a
HOPEWELL
995
parsonage was built at a cost of $i,6oo. In
1901, the church building was remodeled,
made much larger, new pews pvit in, a vesti-
bule attached to the front and a new bell
placed in the tower.
The following persons have served as
elders : Alexander Thompson, Alexander
Proudfat, John McCleary, John McAllister,
William Allison, Samuel Moore, Peter
Stewart, Robert Gibson, James McAllister,
James Grove, James McAllister, Jr., Archi-
bald Hyson, John T. Grove, Jacob Grove,
William N. McAllister, Robert G. Wallace,
and A. D. Collins.
Sadler's church situated along
Sadler's the old plank road in the western
Church, part of Hopewell Township, was
founded in 181 1. This has al-
ways been a Union Church in which Lu-
theran and Reformed congregations have
worshipped. The first building was con-
structed of logs, and after being used for
many years was replaced by a large brick
church with thick walls. The interior was
fitted up with old time high back pews. In
the language of an old citizen who well re-
membered this building, "the pulpit was
like a swallow's nest and was reached by
winding stairs," As the audience room was
large, a sounding board was placed over the
pulpit in order that the pastor's voice would
be carried out into the room and be easily
heard. This building with all its hallowed
memories to the congregation had served
its purpose, and in 1899, was torn down.
Archibald Hyson was the contractor who
erected the present commodious church
building upon the site of the old one. The
bricks in the old church were used in the
construction of the new one. The Lutheran
pastors who have served this congregation
in order of succession were John Conoway,
William Vandersloot, A. M. Heilman, H. E.
Berkey, G. A. Livingston and L. E. Henry.
Rev. A. F. Dreisbach was pastor of the
Reformed congregation for a long time and
was succeeded by H. J. Hillegas.
Mt. Pleasant Lutheran
Mt. Pleasant Church, situated in the
Church. northern part of North
Hopewell Township was
founded in 1857, when a building was
erected. The congregation was organ-
ized by Rev. Andrew Berg, who
was then pastor of several congre-
gations in Shrewsburg and Springfield
townships. The succeeding pastors have
been Jacob Kempfer, John Conoway,
Peter Warner, E. Lenhart, Charles W.
Baker, M. V. Shatta, A. M. Heilman, H. E.
Berkey, U. E. Apple, G. A. Livingston and
L. E. Henry.
The original church has been remodeled
since its erection. The congregation in
1907 under the pastorate of Rev. L. E.
Henry, who resides at Felton Borough, has
120 members. D. "\\'. Brenneman has been
superintendent of the Sunday School for
twenty-five years.
Lebanon Lutheran • and Re-
Lebanon formed Church is situated in the
Church. northeastern part of North
Hopewell. In 1814, Rev. John
Herbst organized a Lutheran congregation
here. The trustees were Michael Sechrist
and George Barshinger. The first Reformed
clergyman was Rev. F. A. Sholl. The orig-
inal building stood until 1859, when a new
and commodious church was erected. Ben-
jamin Tyson was one of the trustees at the
time of the erection. Some of the oldest
members and church officers were Fred-
erick Flinchbaugh, John Stabley, Jacob
Diehl, Henry Sentz, Michael Sechrist and
George Barshinger. There being no care-
fully kept records according to the recol-
lection of the oldest members, the Lutheran
clergymen who have officiated here were
Rev. John Herbst, chosen in 1814; George
Stecher, in 1820; Jacob Kempfer, in 1832;
Andrew Burg, in 1852; P. Warner in 1873;
Peter Livingston, 1886; D. S. Kurtz, 1890;
E. Manges, 1894; S. J. Ulrich, 1900; G. A.
Livingston, 1901, and L. E. Henry, 1905.
The Reformed pastors were F. A. Sholl,
G. Hablestein, John Rynecka, W. Rynecka,
D. Gring, R. Rahauser.
The Reformed Congregation which wor-
shipped in this church sold their interests in
1892 to the Lutherans and erected a hand-
some brick church about a half mile south-
ward.
Zion Methodist Episcopal Church is
situated near the Maryland line, and is a
neat and attractive building. Some of the
recent pastors have been Revs. Wharton,
Carver, Mattern, H. C. Hinkle, J. R. Sheip
and O. T. Miller, who was pastor in 1907.
Hopewell Township has the following
schools: Zion, Gemmill's, Leib's, Ebaugh,
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Kurtz, Althouse, Bowman's, Mt. Airy,
Ziegler's, Centre and Waltmeyer's.
North Hopewell has eight schools with
the following names: Hilldebrand's, Mil-
ler's, Hartman's, Myers', Strayer's, Hake's,
Brenneman's and Fulton's.
East Hopewell has ten schools, viz : AYal-
lace's, Round Hill, Mt. Pleasant, Hyson's,
Bose's, Manifold's, Glossick's, Collins's,
Trout's and Sechrist's.
William Sinclair, an officer in
Historical the Revolution, owned what
Notes. was later known as Henry's
Mill in Hopewell Township.
He died in 1817, and was buried with the
honors of war in the old Round Hill grave-
yard.
Alexander Thompson, a soldier of the
Revolution, died at his residence in Hope-
well Township in 1843. He was one of the
last soldiers of the Revolution residing in
the lower end of York County. He was the
father of Archibald Thompson and grand-
father of A. Duncan Thompson, prothono-
tary of York County.
Thomas Jordan, a justice of the peace
under the provincial government, and later
a patriot of the Revolution, died at his
residence near Stewartstown in 1819.
Major William Gemmill, of the Revolu-
tion, was one of the influential citizens in
the lower end of York County for more than
half a century. He took part in the French
and Indian War.
Major Robert Gemmill was also a promi-
nent citizen of Hopewell a century ago.
David W^iley, born 1747, was a soldier in
the Revolution. He resided near Stewarts-
town. His remains are buried in Centre
graveyard.
Andrew Warrick, born in County Antrim,
Ireland, was a soldier of the Revolution
from Hopewell.
James Purdy, president of the Farmer's
National Bank of Mansfield, was born in
Hopewell in 1793. He practiced law
during the long period of sixty years and
died in Mansfield at the age of ninety-four.
He was an intimate friend of John Sherman,
the great financier, who resided at Mans-
field. During his early manhood he served
as a soldier in the War of 1812 along the
Niagara frontier where he had moved in
1811.
Archibald Steele Jordan was brigade in-
spector of York County during the War of
1812.
JACKSON TOWNSHIP.
From the year 1747 to 1857, a period of
one hundred and ten years, the area now
embraced in Jackson Township belonged to
Paradise. Nearly all the early settlers of
this township were Germans who came to
Pennsylvania in colonies. Many of their
descendants even to this date, use the lan-
guage that their ancestors brought with
them from the Fatherland. The names of
the first occupants of the soil of Jackson,
are given in a tax list taken in 1769, pub-
lished in the history of Paradise township,
elsewhere in this volume. There were a
few English Quakers, the Richardsons,
Coateses, and Tuckers, settled with Peter
Dicks, who founded Spring Forge in 1755.
They came here from Chester County.
In 1857 a petition was presented to the
court, Judge Fisher presiding, asking for the
appointment of viewers to lay out a new
township. The request was granted, the
report confirmed, and the new district was
called Jackson, a name well known to his-
tory. Twenty-three counties, 120 town-
ships and thirty towns and villages in the
United States have the same name. This
is owing to the fact that Andrew Jackson,
who won the brilliant victory over the Brit-
ish at New Orleans, January 8, 181 5, was
one of the most popular heroes in American
history. His military career, however, was
more successful than his two terms as Presi-
dent of the United States. During his first
term, his bold and defiant attitude toward
the Nullification Acts of South Carolina
probably prevented a civil war in 1832, but
his opposition to re-chartering the United
States Bank, caused the first great panic in
the history of this country, which occurred
during the administration of his successor,
Martin Van Buren. Andrew Jackson, how-
ever, will be remembered as one of the
greatest men this country has produced.
The land of Jackson Township is fertile
and productive, and its owners are indus-
trious and prosperous. There are many
valuable limestone and red shale farms in
the highest state of cultivation. Jackson is
drained by the headwaters of the Little
Conewago and small tributaries of the
Codorus.
JACKSON
997
Spangler Valley, located north of Pidgeon
Hill Church, and extending from a point
near Farmers Postoffice eastward below
Spangler's tavern, obtained its name from
the fact that the land was taken up by the
Spanglers during the time of the first set-
tlement. The spring on the farm for many
years owned by Rev. Aaron Spangler, of
York, was a resort for the Indians when the
white settlers first came. There were wig-
wams at this place. Much of the valley was
a vast woody swamp, hence the name "Holz-
Schwamm." It was covered with large
hickory trees. Bernhard Spangler and his
brother were among the first to commence
cutting these large monarchs of the forest,
and to clear the land for farming. The head-
waters of the Little Conewago Creek are
in this valley.
Jackson Township, though not large, is
quite thickly settled. Its population in i860
was 1,421 ; in 1870, i, 499; 1880, 1,836; 1890,
after the incorporation of Spring Grove, i,-
603; 1900, 1,596. The York and Gettysburg-
Turnpike crosses the township.
Iron ore was discovered in Jackson
Township as early as 1750, as described by
Acrelius, the Swedish historian, who visited
Pennsylvania and afterward wrote an ac-
count of his travels. The erection of the
forge at Spring Grove in 1755 was owing to
the rich deposits of hematite and specular
ores found along the eastern slope of the
Pidgeon Hills. Several mines were opened
in this region about 1763 and the ore was
hauled to Mary Ann Furnace, a large iron
industry, which existed forty years in West
Manheim Township, about four miles south
of Hanover. For a period of half a century
there was no further development of the
iron deposits in this region. As early "as
1840 Robert R. Porter, afterward governor
of Pennsylvania, began to develop the iron
ore interests of Jackson and Heidelberg
townships. He shipped this ore to furnaces
which he operated in the Juniata Valley
above Harrisburg. Individual banks had
been operated to a small degree shortly
after the Civil War and from that period
on to 1890 the aggregate amount of the
shipments of hematite and specular ores
from this part of York County was very
extensive. The Conewago Iron Company
operated several banks and mines for a
dozen years or more and shipped the pro-
ducts to their furnaces at ]Middletown,
Pennsylvania. The mines which this com-
pany leased and operated were on the
farms of Michael H. Myers, Samuel H.
Bechtel, John Roth and Samuel L. Roth.
Nashville, situated one mile
Nashville, northeast of Spring Grove
borough, is one of the oldest
centres of population in Jackson Township.
An interesting incident in American history
is associated with this vicinity. On July 2,
1 791, George Washington, while serving
his first term as President of the United
States, halted here for a short time and met
a delegation of citizens from York, who es-
corted him to that town. In the delegation
were a number of soldiers of the Revolu-
tion. On this occasion, Washington was
returning from his home at Mt. Vernon
after he had made a tour of the southern
states. Philadelphia was then the National
Capital and he was returning to that city
in a beautiful chaise drawn by four white
horses and accompanied by Major Jackson,
his secretary, and six attendants, some of
them colored servants.
The village of Nashville received its
name shortly after the Civil AVar, when Dr.
John AA^iest began the practice of medicine
at this place. AA'm. Johnston, who resided
on a farm on the site of Nashville, was one
of the earliest persons to grow two famous
\'arieties of apples, known as the "York
Imperial" and the "York Stripe." He was
a descendant of Samuel Johnston, the first
member of the York Bar. Since the con-
struction of the Eastern Extension of the
AA'estern Maryland Railroad through this
village, Nashville has grown and prospered.
Dr. E. A. Roth practiced medicine here for
a quarter of a century and then removed to
Spring Grove. George Hoke has carried
on a mercantile business in the original
town of Nashville for many 3^ears. George
E. Sprenkle for several years conducted a
store and engaged in the purchase and sale
of coal, grain and farm implements. He
was succeeded by AA'illiam Hoke & Son.
Henry F. Kohler owns a cigar factory, em-
ploying a large number of hands. At an
early date stores were kept at the village
of Nashville by Hockly Menough, C. F.
Reehling, Levi Becker and Mr. Hartman.
The population of Nashville is nearly
_^oo.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Thomasville, in the eastern
Thomasville. end of the township, along
the Western Maryland Rail-
road, is a prosperous hamlet of 200 in-
habitants. George B. Moul and D. W.
Hubley own general stores. Myers &
Adams have a large cigar factory in this
village in which about 100 employees are
regularly at work. Dr. David Strack has
practiced medicine at Thomasville for many
years. The Thomasville Stone and Lime
Company carry on an extensive business
at quarries a short distance west of the vil-
lage. This industry was begun about
twenty years ago by S. O. Miller, who sold
out his interests in 1905 to a company com-
posed of Baltimore capitalists, who have
since operated the quarries in the produc-
tion of limestone for ballasting along the
Western Maryland Railroad, and in burn-
ing a fine quality of quick lime for building
purposes. This company employs 100
workmen'.
La Bott is a post village along the York
and Gettysburg turnpike in the eastern end
of Jackson.
A few days after the Sixth
Baltimore Massachusetts regiment had
Scare. lieen attacked at Baltimore by
a mob, April 19, 1861, while on
its way to AVashington, alarming news was
brought to Jackson and Codorus town-
ships. A false report had been circulated all
over this region that a band of Baltimore
"roughs" were moving toward southern
Pennsylvania, and that all male citizens
would be drafted into the military service
to protect their homes and firesides. The
story in this county started in Hanover, and
extended eastward, about half way to York.
A similar story had passed along the line
of southern Pennsylvania, as far west as
Franklin County. The war had just opened
and these false rumors had spread conster-
nation throughout the southern counties.
The real cause of this strange rumor was
the fact that an organized company of citi-
zens had started from Baltimore to join the
Confederate army in Virginia. They
marched in the direction of Westminster,
Maryland, a short distance below the Penn-
sylvania line.
Meantime, Colonel Jenifer, a mounted
ofificer from the Carlisle barracks, entered
Hanover from the north, on his wav to Vir-
ginia, with the intention of joining the Con-
federacy. That borough was thrown into
wild excitement for a few hours until the
story of the approach of the Baltimore
roughs was found to be a false rumor.
Jackson Township two years later wit-
nessed an armed force of Confederate sol-
diers marching a_cross her northern borders
over the Gettysburg turnpike toward York.
This occurred on the morning of June 28,
1863, and the storj' of the event is told in
the history of Paradise Township. June 27,
a battalion of 200 mounted men under Col.
A\'hite halted for the night on the Wiest
farm, a short distance above Nashville.
They procured provisions for themselves
from the farmers of Jackson, and bought
oats to feed their horses from Mr. Wiest.
These soldiers paid for the oats with Con-
federate notes, which AA'illiam H. Wiest, a
grandson, presented to the Historical So-
ciety of York County. On the morning of
June 28, Colonel White and his men joined
Gordon's brigade on the march toward
York.
Trinity Reformed Church. — In
Churches, the southern part of Jackson
Township, for more than 100
years, what was locally known as Roth's
church, was used as a Union house of wor-
ship. Abraham Roth, August 15, 1785,
deeded thirty acres of land in trust for
church purposes, for which 6 pounds, 14
shillings and 8 pence were paid. The
trustees were Bernhard Spangler, Abraham
Roth and Christian Weist. A log church
was first built, then the log building was
weather-boarded. In 1845 ^ brick church
was built. The original grant of land was
to the Reformed Church only, but the other
denominations were allowed to worship in
the church. The Reformed element in this
community at the time of the building of
this church, was the strongest. The cele-
brated clergyman. Rev. A\'illiam Otterbein,
soon after his arrival in America, preached
to the German Reformed congregation
here, and held enthusiastic meetings. The
same clergymen who officiated at Paradise
and the Dover churches, ministered to the
congregation here. Of the Reformed pas-
tors, the following could be obtained in
order of succession : Revs. John Ernst,
Charles Helfenstein. F. W. Vandersloot,
John L^mrich, Daniel Ziegler, D. D., eigh-
LOWER CHANCEFORD
999
teen years; Jacob Kehm, Jacob Ziegler.
Rev. I. S. Weisz was the pastor until 1894.
The first Lutheran preacher known to
have ministered here was Rev. Albert, who
was then pastor at Hanover. Rev. A. G.
Deininger succeeded him and preached
fifty-two years. Rev. Daniel Sell was pas-
tor for many years.
The chvirch erected in 1845 was used as
a house of worship by the Reformed and
Lutheran congregations of this vicinity
until 1888, when the Lutheran congrega-
tion withdrew and built a church nearby.
Li 1892 the Reformed congregation still
occupying the old church building, decided
to erect a new one. Meantime the pastor,
Rev. L S. Weisz, died, and the church was
completed and dedicated in 1894 under the
pastorate of Rev. O. P. Schellhamer. This
building, constructed of brick, cost $15,000.
It was dedicated as Trinity Reformed
Church, but is still familiarly known as
"Pidgeon Hill Church." The congregation
contains over 300 members.
Christ Lutheran Church was erected
about a quarter of a mile north of the
original church, in 1888. It is a handsome
brick structure, built at a cost of several
thousand dollars. Rev. Daniel Sell was the
pastor of the congregation at this time.
He was succeeded by Daniel Stock, L. K.
Sechrist and Fred. A. Geesey, who was the
pastor in 1907. The congregation has a
membership of about 300.
Pleasant Hill German Baptist Church is
situated in Jackson Township on the road
leading from Menges Mills northward to
the Gettysburg turnpike. The church was
built in 1904. The preachers at this place
are Moses Mummert and David Hoff, and
the membership is increasing in numbers.
LOWER CHANCEFORD TOWNSHIP.
The Township of Lower Chanceford was
surveyed in 1805. A petition signed by a
large number of citizens of Chanceford set
forth
"That your Petitioners have, for a long
time, labored under many disadvantages
arising from the great length .and contracted
breadth of our township; many of our citi-
zens never attend the township meetings ;
the supervisors cannot examine into the
state of the roads; our collectors also fail
in collecting the several taxes from transient
persons who slip off and leave them as soon
as they hear of the collectors being in the
neighborhood. These, with other reasons
have induced your Petitioners that a divi-
sion of Chanceford Township be made."
The court, John Joseph Henry, presiding,
appointed John Sample, Patrick Purdy and
James Gordon, commissioners, to view and
make the division.
The surveyor, Jesse Cornelius, wanted the
upper section called "Sharron" and the
lower part retain the name Chanceford.
The viewers wanted the upper section
named "Centre". The same difference of
opinion prevailed among the citizens,
whereupon the court decided on the names
which these districts now bear. According
to the draft when the division was made.
Lower Chanceford contains fifty-two and
one-half square miles or 33,600 acres. The
southwest end of the division line began at
a chestnut tree along Muddy Creek on the
land of James Gibson, and from thence ex-
tended in a direct line northeast seven and
four-fifth miles to a point thirty rods above
Burkholder's Ferry.
The eastern part of the township, as at
present formed, is drained by Otter Creek,
Saw Mill Run, first called by Maryland sur-
veyors John's Run, and other smaller tribu-
taries of the Susquehanna ; the western part
by Orson's Run, Tom's Creek and other
smaller tributaries to the Muddy Creek,
which stream washes the entire southern
and western boundaries and separates this
township from Fawn, Hopewell and Peach
Bottom. The York and Peach Bottom
Ferry Road, laid out in 1748, diagonally
crosses Lower Chanceford on the watershed
which separates tributaries of the Susque-
hanna from those of the Muddy Creek.
These streams furnish a plentiful irriga-
tion and excellent water power for the
numerous mills. The cereals are grown with
success in Lower Chanceford. Since i860,
more wheat is grown to the acre than was
raised on ten acres during the preceding half
century. Since 1875, tobacco has been cul-
tivated. It is one of the most important
farming products. The land grows an ex-
cellent quality and yields abundantly.
In 1820, Lower Chanceford had a popu-
lation of 965; in 1830, 1,051; 1840, 1,232;
1850, 1,637; i860, 2,150; 1870, 2,306; 1880,
2,471; 1890, 2,512; 1900, 2,345.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Chanceford Presbyterian
Chanceford Church is situated a short
Presbyterian distance southeast of the vil-
Church. lage of Airville, and its early
history was intimately con-
nected with the Slate Ridge Church, of
Peach Bottom Township, the two con-
gregations being served by the same
pastors for many years. The exact time
of its organization could not be ac-
curately ascertained, though references are
made to it in official records as early as
175 1. The first settlers of this interesting
section were a worthy class of Scotch-Irish,
many of whose descendants are now mem-
bers of the church. The first house of wor-
ship was known as the "tent," which was
removed and a substantial church built in
1850.
Rev. John Strain was installed nastor in
1762 and served until his death in 1774.
Rev. John Siemens 'was installed in 1781,
and served the congregation until 1799.
Rev. Samuel Martin, D. D., was installed in
1799 and remained until 1845, when he died.
Rev. John _Farquhar was ordained and in-
stalled in 1846 and remained until his death
in 1866. He was highly educated, and some
of his published sermons and other writings
possess high merit. Sketches of the clergy-
men preceding him will be found in the his-
tory of Slate Ridge Church in Peach Bottom
Township. The next pastor was Rev. Robert
Gamble, who was installed in April, 1867,
and served until September 20, 1882. Rev.
C. B. Cross was installed in 1883. He was a
graduate of Princeton. The congregation
built a fine stone church in 1885, near the
former church, at a cost of $17,000.
The parsonage is located near the church,
surrounded by ten acres of church land. The
congregation is large and composed of in-
telligent and prosperous people. In the ad-
joining cemetery rest the remains of the
former members of the church, including a
number of Revolutionary patriots.
Rev. C. B. Cross retired from the pastor-
ate of this congregation in 1889, and was
succeeded by Rev. Samuel Polk, 1890-1893;
Rev. James Drummond, 1893-1900; Rev.
Albert E. Stuart, 1901.
The United Presbyterian
United Church traces its origin to
Presbyterian Scotland. It is a lineal de-
Church, scendant of both the Cove-
nanter or Reformed Presbyterian and the
Associate Presbyterian churches. When
immigrants came to America, many of
both these churches settled in the same
neighborhood. As they believed prac-
tically the same fundamental truth, many
in these churches felt that a union would
be a great advantage. Efforts, extend-
ing over several years, were made in
this direction, which resulted in their union
in 1782, at Pequa, Lancaster County, form-
ing the Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church, taking the names of both the
churches. But, as sometimes happens, in-
stead of forming one church, it resulted in
three. All the ministers of the Reformed
Presbyterian church joined the union but
some of the congregation did not, so that it
was still continued as a church. Only a part
of the ministers and congregations of the
Associate Church went into the union,
hence the Associate Reformed Church was
still maintained.
Lower Chanceford congregation was or-
ganized March 26, 1771, by Rev. John Cuth-
bertson, the first Covenanter minister in
this country as a Covenanter or Reformed
Presbyterian congregation.
The services were held at the house of
Daniel St. Clair, on the farm now owned by
Jesse Gilbert. William Gabby and Daniel
St. Clair were ordained as ruling elders.
There had, however, been preaching ser-
vices held more or less regularly for twenty
years previous to this time. Among the first
names mentioned by Mr. Cuthbertson in
his diary soon after his arrival in this
country were those of William Wilson and
Hugh Ross. John Duncan and John Reed
seem to have settled in this neighborhood
about the year 1760, whose descendants re-
side in Lower Chanceford. Mr. Cuthbert-
son was a Scotchman. He had labored in
the north of Ireland for a few years, and
came to this country in 1751, and labored
faithfully till his death, March 10, 1791.
His last sermon was probably preached at
William Maughlin's, September 20, 1790.
He baptized 'John Maughlin in 1788. Mr.
Cuthbertson has been styled a famous mis-
sionary, a name which he justly deserved.
At the time of the union referred to above
Lower Chanceford became an Associate Re-
formed Presbyterian congregation, having
approved the union.
LOWER CHANCEFORD
The Rev. Charles Campbell, of Ireland,
became pastor in 1801. He was the first
regularly installed pastor. He gave two-
thirds of his time to Lower Chanceford and
one-third of his time to Hopewell. These
two congregations were in one pastoral
charge till 1858. He remained about four
years when he died, and was buried in
Lower Chanceford.
Rev. Josiah Wilson, of Ireland, became
pastor of Lower Chanceford and Hopewell
in 1808 and remained about four years, until
his death. He was buried in the old ceme-
tery at Hopewell. Mr. Wilson lived on
the farm near Muddy Creek Forks, later
owned by Francis Grove whose wife was
a granddaughter of Mr. Wilson.
In 1810 there were eight elders in this
session. After Mr. Wilson's death, the con-
gregation was vacant for thirty-one years.
They made efforts to secure a pastor, but
were unsuccessful until 1843, when the Rev.
D. B. Jones became pastor of Lower
Chanceford and Hopewell. He remained
about four years, when he resigned and
labored in other places for a number of
years. During this long vacancy, the con-
gregation secured what supplies they could
and on vacant Sabbaths met together for
prayer and conference.
The Rev. William Carlisle became pastor
of the two congregations in 1848 and re-
mained about eight years, when he resigned
on account of ill health. He afterward acted
as supply when the pulpit was vacant. Mr.
Carlisle assisted the present pastor at his
first communion, May 2, 1875, ''"'^ delivered
the charge to the congregation on the day
of installation. He died June 3, 1890.
The Rev. Joseph Boyd became pastor of
these congregations in 1857, and remained
about one and one-half years when he re-
signed. He filled dift'erent pastorates and
died at Carlisle, Iowa, in 1902.
Rev. T. F. Baird became pastor of
Lower Chanceford in 1861, and remained
about four years. He died and his body was
taken to Cambridge, Ohio, for interment.
Rev. D. G. Bruce was chosen pastor in
1869 and remained about three years, when
he resigned. He has filled different pas-
torates and is now living in Iowa. Rev. A.
S. Aiken, has been the efiicient pastor since
January i, 1875.
During the loner vacancv in the Associate
Reformed Church already referred to, some
of the members thought to unite with
Guinston Associate congregation and se-
cure, if possible, a part of the pastor's time,
the Rev. Alexander Gordon, in Lower
Chanceford. Arrangements were made to
this effect and quite a number joined the
Associate church and Mr. Gordon gave them
one-fourth of his time in Lower Chanceford.
A congregation was organized here in 1822
by the Presbytery of Philadelphia. Mr.
Gordon resigned in 1825.
The Rev. John Adams became pastor of
Guinston and Lower Chanceford Associate
congregation in 1833 and remained until
1855 when he resigned. He died in 1862
and was buried in the cemetery at Guinston.
The Rev. F. McBurney became pastor in
1856 in connection with Guinston. He re-
signed the Lower Chanceford charge in 1857
and became pastor of Hopewell in connec-
tion with Guinston.
In May 1858, at City Hall, Pittsburg, Pa.,
the Associate Presb3'terian Church and the
Associate Reformed Presbyterian church
united and formed the United Presbyterian
church. The Associate Reformed and the
Associate congregations of Lower Chance-
ford approved of this union, and formally
agreed to become one congregation on Au-
gust 18, 1859. Both congregations were
weak before the union and though united,
were not strong afterwards.
The first house of worship was built by
the Associate Reformed congregation in
1804. Previous to that time the services
had been held at the private houses, or at
the "tent" as it was called, which was in the
open air with a covering probably for the
minister, while the people sat on benches
or logs. The first church was located on
the lot where the parsonage now stands and
near the same place. It was still standing
at the beginning of the present pastorate.
It was built of logs and some years after-
ward weatherboarded. It is said that for
some time there was no stove or fire place
in this old church. It was used for services
till 1858 and occasionally after that time, as
late as 1867.
After the organization of the xA.ssociate
church in 1822 both congregations wor-
shipped at the old log church for a number
of years, arranging their days so that they
would not conflict. The Associate congre-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
gation built a church in Airville in 1842 on
the lot where the United Presbyterian
church now stands. This church was re-
paired and remodeled in 1872.
The present church was erected in 1888
at a cost of about $4,000. The parsonage
was built in 1883 at a cost of $1,500, on the
site of the "log" church.
Pine Grove Presbyterian
Pine Church is situated in Lower
Grove Chanceford on the wagon
Presbyterian, road, leading from York to
Peach Bottom, twenty-five
miles southeast of the former and five miles
northwest of the latter place.
Rev. Samuel Park, who had completed
and resigned a pastorate of sixty years
in Slate Ridge Church, began to hold
meetings in the vicinity of Pine Grove
schoolhouse in 1851, preaching every
Sabbath afternoon in private houses,
and subsequently in Pine Grove school-
house. July 28, 1853, a few Pres-
byterian families, residing in the vicinity,
who felt the inconvenience of the dis-
tance to be traveled over in reaching the
churches above named, resolved upon erect-
ing a church edifice (40x35 feet) on land
donated by James Barnett. The building
was finished in 1857, and October 30, 1857,
the church of Pine Grove was organized by
a committee of Presbytery appointed for
that purpose. There were then five mem-
bers and two ruling elders. James Barnett
and Herman Snyder were the first elders
and filled the position for many years. The
deaconate was introduced into this church
in 1876.
The Rev. Samuel Park continued to
preach until 1859. Rev. T. M. Crawford,
while pastor of the church at Slateville, filled
the pulpit of Pine Grove Church from 1859
to 1895, except for a few years when
Alexander F. INIorrison, Samuel Park, John
Farquhar. Robert Gamble, J. D. Smith, D.
M. Davenport, at different times supplied.
About 1885 quite a number of families be-
longing to Chanceford Church joined Pine
Grove and it became a much stronger con-
gregation than it had been. A new house
of worship was built on a lot of ground
bought from Hugh W. McCall, at Sunny-
burn. The pastors succeeding Rev. Craw-
ford have been R. J. Rankin, J. AY. Camp-
bell, J. L. Hvnson and C. B. Eby.
Airville Circuit of the Methodist
Airville Episcopal Church embraces
Circuit. Salem, McKendree, Bethel and
Pleasant Hill Churches. The first
two are in this township, the third in Fawn
and the last in Chanceford. The original
name of the charge was Castle Fin Circuit,
which name was held from 1825 to 1883,
when the present name was adopted. June,
1825, to 1840, Castle Fin Circuit included
the present charges in Harford County,
Maryland, Shrewsbury, Stewartstown and
Wrightsville. The parsonage was lo-
cated near Castle Fin, and was burned
a parsonage was built
following is a list of
circuit from 1825 to
D. Lispcomb, John
Barnes, James Ewing, AVilliam
Nicodemus, Joseph Parker,
in 1872. In 1877
at Airville. The
pastors of this
Revs. P.
R.
E.
1907:
^lonroe,
Butler,
Zech. Jordan, John W. Cronin, William
Hank, Isaac Collins, Penfield Doll, Asbury
Harden, Oliver Ege, Thompson Mitchell,
James R. Durborrow, George Berkstresser,
Alfred Wiles, Joseph S. Morriss, J. W. Cul-
lum, John Stine, E. D. Owen, Samuel Ellis,
T. B. Lemon, John AIcKinley, John Mc-
Farland, James A. Coleman, Samuel Corne-
lius, E. W. Kerby, Charles Clever, Asbury
Rilley, John Anderson, Job A. Price, P. E.
W^atters, AA'illiam G. Furgeson, Joseph S.
Lee, J. F. Brown, AA'esley Howe, John B.
Mann, Albert Hartman, John S. Clarke,
John A. McKindless, Elisha Butler, Harry
Wlrite, Frederick Crever, John Z. Loyd,
Henry Webster, H. H. Minnich, Lewis H.
Clark, Thomas Wilcox, Josiah P. Long,
Levi S. Crone, A. W. Decker, William
Gwynn, R. L. Armstrong, S. A. Creveling,
E. G. Baker, Joseph Clemens, J. H. Mat-
tern, W. A. Carver, and J. F. Glass.
Salem Methodist Church is historic as
being the oldest in this section of the coun-
ty. It is sjtuated in the extreme lower end
of the township near the old Castle Fin
Forge on the York & Peach Bottom public
road. A church was built on the site of the
present one in 1820. It stood until 1867
when a frame building was erected at a cost
of $2,500. The cemetery adjoining the
church was laid out many years ago, and
contains a large number of tombs.
McKendree Methodist Episcopal Church
is situated on the York and Peach Bottom
public road near Airville, and is one of the
LOWER CHANCEFORD
1003
oldest Methodist churches of the lower end
of the county. Religious meetings were at
first held in barns and houses b}' mission-
aries. The first church was built in 1825,
and the second one in 1867 at a cost of
$2,400.
In 1904 a church was erected on the site
of the old one, at a cost of $4,500.
Airville lies near the centre of
Airville. Lower Chanceford Township.
The original name was McSher-
rysville. Joseph ^NlcSherry built the first
house. He came to this township in 1896,
when a small boy, and grew to manhood in
the family of a Frenchman, who was a nail-
maker. McSherry learned the art of making
wrought nails which were used extensively
by the farmers of Lower Chanceford. After
his marriage, at the age of twenty, he built
a house and turned the nail factory into a
blacksmith shop. He pursued that trade for
ten years, when he procured a license and
opened a hotel, which business he followed
for thirty years. Early in the history of
Chanceford Township, a number of free
negroes settled in this vicinity, coming here
from the south. Acquilla Montgomery, an
intelligent colored man, was McSherry's
first neighbor. He built the second house
in Airville. Jackson McSherry built the
third house, but some time after he and his
family occupied , it, McSherry decided to
move to Warrensburg, Missouri, where he
lived for the remainder of his life. Fred-
erick, son of Joseph McSherry, erected a
dwelling and opened a store in 1846 on the
site where Joseph Pearce afterward con-
ducted a mercantile business. Frederick
IMcSherry moved his store to another part
of the village and filled the ofiice of post-
master during the years 1867-8, under the
administration of Andrew Johnson. John
Manifold was also an early merchant at
this place and Robert McCollum opened a
store a short distance up the York Road.
Joseph Pearce, who was born in Chester
County came to York Furnace in 1855,
where he kept a store. Li i860, when he
moved to Airville, he purchased a farm in
the- vicinity, and began the general mer-
chandising business at Airville. He be-
came one of the leading citizens of the
township, served as postmaster and carried
on the store business the remainder of his
life, a period of thirty years.
The first post office of the vicinity was
called Lower Chanceford. William Cowan,
who died in 1886, at the age of ninety-six
years, was postmaster in 1828, and for sev-
eral years later. The office was then a mile
from the site of the present town. The
mail for many years was carried on horse-
back by a dwarf called "Little Philie Cole,"
over a route extending from York to Bel
Air, Maryland. It took him one week to
make the trip. "Little Philie" was a brave
boy, and was afraid of nothing but thunder.
If he saw an approaching storm, he would
go into the nearest house and at once con-
ceal himself in a feather bed, till it sub-
sided.
Joseph McSherry succeeded William
Cowan as postmaster, and moved the post
office to Airville. A change in the national
administration made James McCall post-
master, who moved the office to McCall's
Ferry. The other postmasters since have
been E. P. Skelton, and Frederick Mc-
Sherry in 1865. From 1869 10 1885 Joseph
Pearce held the office. S. B. McSherry was
appointed in 1885, and his successors have
been Alexander Galbreath and Collins C.
Smith.
Dr. Hugh McDonald of Hopewell was
one of the early physicians of this vicinity.
He was succeeded b}' Dr. Alexander Gor-
don, who first settled in Hopewell and later
in Lower Chanceford. A biography of Dr.
William F. Smith will be found on page 530.
Orson's Mill, erected in 1810, was an
early industry in Lower Chanceford. It
has been used for many years by D. W.
Grove.
In 1820, and later, John Patterson made
wooden chairs in large numbers near the
site of Airville.
Centreville, familiarly known
Centreville. as "The Jack," stands along
the old Peach Bottom road,
two miles south of Airville. It is an inter-
esting spot fertile in historic memories to
the intelligent people of Lower Chanceford.
Jack Dougherty, in honor of whom the
place was first named, owned 400 acres of
the surrounding land. In 1849, William C.
Colvin purchased this property and erected
a large hotel. He conducted the hotel and
a store in his own name for many years.
It was a prominent stopping place for trav-
elers who crossed the river at McCall's
I004
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Ferry and for wagoners on the way from
Peach Bottom to York and return. The
hotel at Centreville has always had a repu-
tation as being a well kept hostelry. Samuel
D. Fry, of McCall's Ferry, erected a large
store building in 1904, and has since carried
on a general store.
Muddy Creek Forks has been a
Muddy centre of trade and business in this
Creek section for more than a century.
Forks. Nicholson's Mill was situated a
short distance from this place. In
earlv days it was one of the four voting
places in York County. The grist mill has
long since disappeared. Nearby stood a
nail factory and a fulling and carding mill
where wool was made into rolls to be spun
into yarn, and where much of the product
was woven into woolen goods to be worn
by the families of the farmers.
A postoffice was established at Muddy
Creek Forks, March 4, 1835, when John
Manifold was appointed postmaster. He
held this position until March 1878, when J.
P. Moffit was appointed. Alexander M.
Grove purchased the Moffit property,
erected a large store, and has been doing an
extensive business in general merchandise,
coal fertilizers, feed and flour from the mill
operated by him. A canning factory was
built here a few years ago which has l^een
doing a large business.
A\'oodbine, an interesting vil-
Woodbine. lage lies along the Maryland
and Pennsylvania Railroad,
twenty-eight miles from York and twelve
miles from Delta, near the boundary line
between Lower Chanceford and Fawn.
The name Woodbine originated when the
railroad was completed in 1875, ^"d con-
firmed when a postofiice was estabished.
T. Z. H. Murphy opened a general store,
bought grain and sold fertilizers. The sur-
rounding country was long known as
Spring Valley farm. An interesting story is
told in the following advertisement, which
appeared in 1792 in the Pennsylvania
Herald published in York. John Donnell
advertised for sale the farm "of 400 acres
fit for grass, hemp or wheat equal to any
land in the southeast end of county, a fine
growth of oak and hickory, and 100 acres of
undergrowth of hazel, and thirty acres of
timothy grass that could be mowed twice
a season; a fine apple orchard; a merchant
mill recently built, furnished with buhr and
country stones ; a saw mill rebuilt three
years ago. This mill is forty-five miles
from Baltimore."
Orson's Glen, nearby, is a resort for pic-
nic parties. The scenery along Orson's Run
is quite romantic.
Sunnyburn is a prosperous village one
mile below Centreville, on the York and
Peach Bottom road. Pine Grove Church
is located here and Wiley Gemmill con-
ducts a general store. There is a large can-
ning factory at High Rock, one mile above
Muddy Creek, on the Maryland and Penn-
sylvania Railroad. Manifold & Wallace
have a general store at this place.
The tract on which this village
York is seated was patented by John
Furnace. Hooper October 25, 1731, under
a Maryland grant. Abraham
Burkholder patented the other part in 1759.
The John Hooper part called Padanaram
contained no acres. John Hooper erected
a saw mill on John's Run, the stream which
falls over the rocks and flows into the Sus-
quehanna river near the site of York Fur-
nace Bridge. The saw mill was a primitive
flutter wheel mill. This mill was one of
the first in that part of the country, and has
given the name of Saw Mill Run to the
stream originally called John's Run.
A charcoal iron furnace was built on
Otter Creek, called in the Maryland patent
Rapid Creek, in 1830, by James Hopkins
of Lancaster. The Furnace was originally
called "Speck." It was so named from the
fact that when it was being built the work-
men had a grievance against the boarding
house mistress' meat, and seizing the supply
the masons walled up a quantity of flitch
or salt bacon in the furnace stack. James
Hopkins named it York Furnace to dis-
tinguish it from his other charcoal furnace
in Drumore Township, Lancaster County,
called Conowingo.
Before the Susquehanna & Tidewater
Canal was built, the pig iron manufactured
by Hopkins was mostly carried to market
in arks down the river. Captain Jacob
Dritt of Windsor was one of the principal
pilots, who carried the products of the
neighborhood to market. Many of these
arks carrying iron to market from the fur-
LOWER CHANCEFORD
1005
naces and forges along the river were upset
on the rocks around Indian Steps. The
cargoes can yet be seen at low clear water
on the bottom.
After 1839, Henry Y. and Samuel Slay-
maker and Mr. Hensel operated the furnace
under the firm name of Slaymaker & Hen-
sel. The Slaymakers built and also oper-
atea Margaretta Furnace in Lower A¥ind-
sor Township.
From 1843 to 1845 Daniel Gontner and
John Keeports worked it. The operation
in the hands of this firm was a failure.
Gontner absorbed the earnings. The fur-
nace falling back into the hands of Hopkins,
in 1846, the firm of Cabeen and Bair, Robert
B. Cabeen and John Bair, worked it. Later
James Hopkins and John Bair under the
firm of Hopkins & Bair ran the furnace until
1851, when John Bair bought it from the
Hopkins heirs, and formed a partnership
with David and Daniel Bair, of Lancaster
County, John Shafner of Philadelphia, and
Jacob Huber of York Furnace, known as
John Bair & Company. In 1852, Daniel
Bair and Jacob Huber withdrew from the
firm. After conducting the business until
1871, John Bair became sole proprietor.
The product of this furnace was conveyed
by canal boat to Philadelphia, and sold
there by Cabeen & Company exclusively
for the manufacture of car wheels, anthra-
cite iron at the time, not possessing suffi-
cient hardness and toughness. During the
Civil War most of the York Furnace iron
was used in making cannon.
The limestone used in the furnace was
brought by boat from the Conestoga Creek,
near Rock Hill, Lancaster County, and from
Lower Windsor. The ore used in the orig-
inal furnace under Slaymaker & Hensel, was
hauled from Margaretta Furnace in Lower
Windsor Township, and from Moser's ore
bank, four miles from York, in Windsor
Township. Hopkins brought ore from his
Conowingo banks. Later John Bair had his
own ore bank in Conestoga Township, Lan-
caster County, and the ore was brought to
the furnace by flat boats.
The Conestoga ore being slightly coal
short, it was found profitable to use Cono-
wingo ore in certain proportions with it.
The charcoal was produced from cord wood
cut from the heavily timbered hills of
Chanceford and Lower Chanceford. A
stove foundry was conducted by David
Woodmansee and Samuel Diffenbaugh at
York Furnace during the years 1856 to i860.
York Furnace went out of blast during the
fall of 1875. It had been in active operation
for forty-five years, existing through all the
ups and downs of that uncertain trade
period, 1830-1875. Its vicissitudes ex-
ceeded its joys. It crippled financially
nearly all its former owners. After 1875,
its fires were never relighted. Its ore bank
had been sold, timber had become scarce
and the cheap price of anthracite iron had
cut off its market. At this time, November,
1907, York Furnace is a wreck. Virginia
creeper has taken possession of the walls of
the stack of old "Speck" furnace and the
deep wheel pit has caved in beneath a thick
tangle of locust and briars.
The Susquehanna' Tidewater Canal was
constructed through the York Furnace
tract, in 1836-39. A weighlock was erected
over Saw Mill Run in 1850. The same year,
John Bair erected a large store, hotel, ware-
house building and wharves in close prox-
imity to the weighlock. At this point from
1850 to 1885, was carried on one of the
most active trades in freight and general
merchandise in the lower end of the county.
John Bair and Robert C. Bair, under the
firm name of J. Bair & Son, carried on busi-
ness from 1878 to 1892. The abandonment
of the canal in 1894, changed the whole
character of York Furnace. Business closed
down, and the once busy place was deserted.
Since 1894, the seclusion of the York
-Furnace, its magnificent scenery and rest-
ful location has developed a delightful sum-
mer resort to which people come during the
season, from York, Lancaster and Philadel-
phia. The York Furnace property was sold
in 1900 by the executor of John Bair to
the McCall's Ferry Electric Power Com-
pany which proposes the erection of a sixty
foot dam across the Susquehanna river be-
low the ferry. The river at York Furnace
when this dam is completed, will be trans-
formed into a deep lake. During 1904,
charters were granted and surveys made for
the erection of a bridge across the river on
the site of the old bridge, built 1855, and
destroyed by ice February 9, 1857. and also
for the construction of an electric railway
ioo6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
from Red Lion via Airville and York
Furnace.
This forge for many years was a
Castle ^•ery important manufacturing in-
Fin dustry. It was situated in the ex-
Forge, treme southern portion of Lower
Chanceford Township, on Muddy
Creek, at a romantic spot surrounded by
high hills. The name "Castle Fin," was
given to it in honor of Robert Coleman, the
iron manufacturer, of Pennsylvania, who
was born in the village of Castle Fin, prov-
ince of Ulster, County of Donegal, Ire-
land.
The iron business was begun here in 1810
by Joseph AVebb. It was first called Pal-
myra Forge. This site was selected on ac-
count of the abundance of chestnut and
other timber in the vicinity, suited for burn-
ing charcoal. In 1812, Joseph Withers &
Company managed the interest and con-
tinued until December 26, 1815, when the
property was offered for sale by Joseph
Kauffelt, sheriff of York County. Joseph
A'Vebb became the rightful owner again, and
disposed of it to Thomas Burd Coleman,
of Cornwall Furnace, Lebanon County, who
did a very extensive business. An immense
tract of chestnut timber land was purchased,
and a large number of employees put to
work.
Mr. Coleman built a mansion in the vicin-
ity. About fifteen houses were erected for
employees. Some woodland was bought,
as low as $5 per acre. In 1840 about fifty
hands were employed. Large quantities of
hammered iron and blistered steel were
made. One of the managers who conducted
the business for many years was Edmund
Evans. He was succeeded by Isaac Eaton.
Robert and William Coleman succeeded in
the ownership. Joseph Longenecker pur-
chased the forge from the Colemans. This
property was sold in April. 1906, by the
owner R. F. Tabor to J. Howard Stubbs,
of Delta, for the sum of $12,000, and is being
developed for electrical purposes. A power
plant is in course of erection on the old
forge site.
McCall's Ferry in Lower Chance-
McCaU s ford Township was used by the
Ferry. Indians as a place to cross the
Susquehanna before the first
white settlers had arrived on this side of
the river. Robert Nelson opened a ferry
iiere about 1740. In official records it is
mentioned as White's Ferry in 1748. The
next owner was Joseph Hadley who pur-
chased 145 acres on the York County side.
George Stevenson, an agent for the Penns
who held the offices of clerk of the courts
and recorder of deeds for York County
from 1749 to 1764, purchased the ferry and
all its rights in 1757. He owned the prop-
erty from that date until 1772, when he
moved to Carlisle where he died.
The ferry received the name which it has
since born, in 1772, when it was purchased
by John and Matthew McCall, two of the
leading Scotch-Irish settlers in this region
of York County. John McCall some years
later, removed to South Carolina with the
tide of Scotch-Irish migration to that state.
Matthew McCall continued to be the owner
of the property for a period of thirty years
later, until the time of his death.
It was always a prominent crossing place
over the river. Besides being used exten-
sively by early settlers in their migrations
from eastern Pennsylvania to the west and
southwest, it was utilized during the Revo-
lution for the transportation of army
wagons and small bodies of troops. James
Pedan as guardian of the McCall children
held this ferry in 1810, and 320 acres of land
adjoining it on the western side of the
stream. In 181 1, Pedan disposed of this
property to the McCall's Ferry Bridge Com-
pany which in 1817, constructed a bridge
across the river. This bridge was designed
and its erection superintended by Theodore
Burr, then the most noted bridge builder
in the United States. The McCall's Ferry
Bridge cost $140,000. Part of this money
was appropriated by an act of the Penn-
sylvania legislature. Shortly after it was
completed a disastrous flood of the Susque-
hanna swept the bridge down the river and
it was never rebuilt by the same company.
This disaster caused the company to fail,
and the property was purchased by its presi-
dent. At the time of the latter's death, the
property descended to a son-in-law by the
name of Marshall, who owned it until about
i860. The next owner was William Rich-
ardson who owned it until his death in
1868. It was operated by his heirs until
1875 when Elias Frey became the owner.
Samuel D., Robert F., and Milton Frey,
sons of Elias Frey, owned this ferry in
LOWER CHANCEFORD
1007
1905, when all its rights and privileges were
sold to the McCall's Ferry Water and
Power Company.
The McCall's Ferry Water and Power
Company was organized in New York City,
May 25, 1905, with Cary F. Hutchinson,
president. This company was formed by a
union of the Hillside Water and Power
Company and the Susquehanna Water and
Power Company. Bonds to the amount of
$10,000,000 were floated in- September, 1905.
The McCall's Ferry Power Company ob-
tained the right to build a dam' across the
river. The dam is being built on the Lan-
caster County side and when completed will
extend from the Lancaster to the York
County shore. A brick building 600 feet
long, 75 feet wide and 90 feet high was
erected by the company. Fifteen wheels
with vertical turbine shaft, are to be in-
stalled until others are needed. These
wheels are moved by water directly from
the river without a race. From McCall's
Ferry to Baltimore is fifty miles ; to Phila-
delphia, sixty miles. From Columbia to
McCall's Ferry the fall of the river is 117
feet.
The project of daming the entire Susque-
hanna river with a sixty feet dam is a
stupendous enterprise, in the difificulties
presented to the engineers in its construc-
tion, in transformation of river valley and
natural conditions, only exceeded by the
Nile river dam at Assouan.
Before 1835, most of the wheat
Notes, consumed in Lower Chanceford
was brought from York. Fred-
erick McS4ierry introduced the one-horse
thread threshing machine in 1842. Before
this date all the wheat of the township was
threshed with the flail or by tramping with
horses. In 1846 there were four such ma-
chines in Lower Chanceford. It was about
1840 that William Cowan, Peter Smith,
Robert Smith, John Kilgore, Nathaniel
Scott and others introduced lime as a
fertilizer. The limestone was brought
down in boats from the Calien Branch
quarries at Five-mile Level, on the
Susquehanna Canal. It was burnt in kilns
built on the farms. Phosphate and other
fertilizers have wrought a marvelous
change.
Shad fishing was a prosperous business
three-fourths of a century ago along the
Susquehanna, where it borders on Lower
Chanceford. There were a number of good
fisheries. William Cowan reported that
3,000 shad were caught at one haul with
a large seine, at Jackson's Battery, near
Culley's Falls. Many shad were caught in
former times, and are still caught at Mc-
Call's and Shenk's Ferries, and other points.
The shad season was a harvest for the
fishermen. Some fishermen as employees
were known to make $300 in one season of
six weeks, and rested the remainder of the
year. Hundreds of teams came to the river,
near these fisheries to purchase shad and
haul them south and west to dispose of
them.
Pleasant Grove Academy in Lower
Chanceford was founded in 1865. It was a
chartered institution controlled by a board
of trustees and was situated one mile east
of Muddy Creek Forks. Robert B. Taggart
was the first principal. Some of the other
principals have been Cyrus Herr, James
Hume Smith and W. W. Grove.
Rev. Joshua Williams, a noted clergyman
of the Presbyterian Church, resided in
Lower Chanceford during his boyhood. He
became pastor of Paxtang and Derry
Churches in Dauphin County, and also pas-
tor of Big Spring Church in Cumberland
County, where he died August 21, 1838.
Hon. John Stewart, of Mansfield, Ohio,
was born in Lower Chanceford, on the farm
later owned by James W. Stewart. He re-
moved with his parents to Seneca, Ontario
County, N. Y. After attaining manhood,
he was admitted to the bar, and soon after
removed to Mansfield, Ohio, where he won
distinction in his profession. He was
elected presiding judge of the county court,
and served two terms. He was afterward
chosen judge of the circuit court of Ohio,
embracing several counties. Judge Stewart
died in 1856. One of his daughters married
John Sherman, of Ohio, secretary of the
treasury.
William Cowan, of Lower Chanceford,
died in 1886 at the age of six years. His
parents, Robert and Catherine (Davidson)
Cowan, emigrated from Ireland to America,
before the Revolution. A brother of Mr.
Cowan's father came to New York in 1778,
when in possession of the British. He paid
ioo8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the guard a guinea, escaped into the Ameri-
can lines and came to York County to find
his brother in the patriot army. William
Cowan was born January 24, 1790, and was
the last representative of Captain Colvin's
company of soldiers that marched in 1814
to the defence of Baltimore, when endan-
gered by the invading English army. In
1885 he described to the writer with vivid-
ness the scenes which transpired about the
time of the death of the British Commander,
General Ross, and the retreat of his army.
Captain Colvin's company of 100 men be-
longed to Chanceford, Hopewell and Fawn.
They were nearly all tall men of fine stature.
Hugh Long, who lived near the Brogue,
was first lieutenant; J. McDonald, second
lieutenant. The company met and started
on the march from the farm of David Wil-
son. They were in the service fifty-five
days and after the retreat of the British
were discharged. The sword, carried by
Lieutenant McDonald was presented to the
Historical Society of York County, by a
descendant of the soldier.
The Lower Chanceford Volunteers, a
company of lOO uniformed men, were com-
manded by Captain James Cameron. They
were called out in 1844, at the time of the
Native American Riots in Philadelphia, but
after going as far as Wrightsville, the order
was countermanded, as their services were
not needed. John McPherson and Stephen
McKinley commanded militia companies.
The militia of Lower Chanceford paraded
on the farm of James Cross, and sometimes
at the famous muster grounds of Dr. Mc-
Donald, in Fawn Township. Captain
Thompson commanded a volunteer rifle
company before the Civil War. There was
another volunteer company in the town-
ship. It had yj men.
John Stewart, a Revolutionary soldier of
Lower Chanceford, died in 1820. He was
the grandfather of Judge Stewart, late
of Mansfield, Ohio, and great-grandfather
of the wife of John Sherman, the distin-
guished statesman of Ohio. John Maugh-
lin, who died about 1880, aged ninety-three,
was a soldier in the War of 1812.
Shortly after the passage of the Fugitive
Slave Law, a number of negroes settled in
this region. In 1907 there were about 400
negroes residing in Lower Chanceford.
CHAPTER LI
TOWNSHIP HISTORY— Continued
Lower Windsor — Manchester and East
Manchester — Manheim — Monaghan —
Newberry — North Codorus — Paradise —
Peach Bottom.
LOWER WINDSOR TOWNSHIP.
This township was formed in 1838, by a
division of Windsor, of which it formed a
part for a period of eighty years. It slopes
gently eastward, and is drained by small
tributaries of the Susquehanna. The farm-
ing land in the greater part of the township
is valuable, and there are still tracts of ex-
cellent woodland.
The valley which extends across the en-
tire township in an east and west direction,
is fertile with historical associations of the
colonial period. It was then called the
Conojehela Valley, a beautiful Indian name
which, on account of its euphony, should
not be lost to history or literature. This
name has, however, been corrupted into
"Jockly," "Canojockly," and "Canadochly."
It was in this valley that some of the first
"squatters" on the west side of the Susque-
hanna located, and were driven to the east
side by the Provincial authorities, before
the time of authorized settlements, the inci-
dents of which are related in the first part
of this volume. It was on the opposite
shore of the river, at the site of the village
of Washington, that James Patterson, the
Indian trader, lived and flourished when the
territory of York County was still owned
by the red men. As early as 1722 Patterson
used a portion of the Conojehela Valley as
a public pasture ground for his horses. The
surveyors who laid off Springettsbury
Manor met at his store. Governor Keith
and the Hon. John Penn stopped there and
met representatives of the tribes of the Sus-
quehannocks.
At the base of the Conojehela Valley,
near the mouth of Cabin Branch Creek, was
the site of what was known as the fort of
Colonel Thomas Cresap the hero of the
Maryland Intruders. The thrilling inci-
dents which caused so much commotion on
account of the encroachment of the Mary-
landers, will be found on page 50.
A list of the taxable inhabitants of Lower
LOWER WINDSOR
1009
Windsor in 1783 will be found in the history
of Windsor Township.
Tobacco growing was introduced into
Windsor and Lower Windsor townships in
1837, a complete account of which will be
found on page 631. During the past
twenty years, a large portion of the fertile
lands of Lower Windsor has been used in
growing the tobacco plant. An excellent
quality of tobacco is now grown. It finds
a ready sale to wholesale purchasers.
Lower Windsor is the banner township in
York County for the production of tobacco
equal in quality to that grown in Lancaster
or any adjoining counties. The township
also contains a large number of cigar fac-
tories. At least one-third of its population
find employment in the manufacture of
cigars.
Most of the settlers of the
Lutheran and Conojehela Valley were of
Reformed German descent. The first
Churches. religious services were held
in the log houses of pioneer
settlers. The record book of the Cana-
dochly church shows that John Schaum,
George Hochheimer, Lucas Raus and Nich-
olas Hornell, early pastors of Christ Lu-
theran Church at York, preached the doc-
trines of Martin Luther in this beautiful
valley before there was any house of wor-
ship dedicated to Almighty God. Rev.
Jacob Lischy, the pioneer missionary of the
Reformed Church, preached to the follow-
ers of the Zwingli faith in this region be-
fore 1763. It was during that year that the
Lutheran and Reformed people joined to-
gether for the purpose of erecting a log
church on a well selected spot overlooking
a wide extent of country. Some of the mem-
bers brought logs which had been hewed
on their own farms, others hauled stones for
a foundation and still others made the high
pews. A woodworker of the neighborhood
carved a pulpit out of the trunk of a large
tree which was placed above a winding
stairs. Over this pulpit there was a sound-
ing board so that the pastor's voice could
be heard in all parts of the room, of which
the earth was the floor, for this was the
custom of building houses in colonial days.
Philip Gossler, who afterwards served as
captain in the Revolution, joined the logs
together and placed one on top the other.
He was the only person who received pay
for his work. Henry Amend, assisted by
Michael Kauffelt, was the carpenter. Both
of these men possessed real estate and
charged nothing for their labor, but they
had done their work so well that the com-
munity collected money and purchased each
of them a fine suit which they could wear
when religious services were held in this
pioneer church amid the primeval forests
of Lower Windsor in the days of long ago.
One beautiful day in June, 1764, Rev.
Nicholas Hornell, representing the Luther-
ans, and Rev. Jacob Lischy, the Reformed
people, in the presence of a large audience,
dedicated this log building which stood for
thirty-six years. In 1799 the second church
was built. During this period the Lutheran
congregation was served by the successive
pastors of Christ Lutheran Church at York,
and the other congregation by the pastors
of Zion Reformed Church.
In 1814 this church and the Kreutz Creek
Church were separated from the York
charge. Rev. Charles A. Morris officiated
in this church from 1814 to 1818, when he
resigned and became proprietor of the Mor-
ris Drug Store at York. Rev. John Herbst
was the next pastor for one year. Rev.
John G. Craver was called in 1819, and re-
mained as pastor until 1834. He lived dur-
ing his entire pastorate on North George
Street, York, later the residence of the late
James Kell.
In 1835, Rev. Jonathan Oswald suc-
ceeded. He introduced English preaching
gradually, until one-half of the services
were conducted in that language. Rev. Dr.
Oswald was like a father among his people,
and during his ministerial labors of forty
years, was successful in largel)^ increasing
the membership of the church. He
preached his farewell sermon to this con-
gregation on Sunday, June 20. 1875, '"''d
afterward resided in York, until his death.
A third church was built in 1867. It oc-
cupies a beautiful site, affording to the ob-
server an extended view over a large scope
of country on both sides of the Susque-
hanna. P. W. Keller was the contractor;
John Libhart and Samuel Leber, Reformed,
and George Keller and Samuel Gilbert, Lu-
therans, formed the building committee.
To the east of the church is the old srrave-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
yard, where silently sleep many of the early
inhabitants of the Conojehela Valley. The
names on the tombstones indicate that they
were Germans. Some of the inscriptions
are in their native tongue.
To the west of the church is a well kept
cemetery, containing many large marble
and granite monuments.
A parsonage, occupied by the sexton, and
fifteen acres of land adjoining, is a part of
the church property. Since Rev. Oswald's
resignation, the Lutheran congregation has
been served in order by the following named
preachers: L. K. Sechrist, Herman Kroh,
Reuben Stair, Edward E. Hoshour, David B.
Lau, John H. Meyer and Joseph B. Krout.
Rev. Jacob Lischy, of York, was the first
pastor of the Reformed congregation. He
was succeeded by Daniel Wagner, William
Oterbein, James R. Reiley, G. Geistweit,
D. Zacharias, D. D., Daniel Zeigler, D. D.,
R. Rahauser, E. G. Williams, A. Wanner,
D. D., Gideon P. Fisher, William Korn and
E. M. Sando.
The Sunday School which was connected
with the Union Church was organized in
1840, in a schoolhouse, about three-quarters
of a mile west from the church. Henry Y.
Slaymaker, of Margaretta Furnace was the
first superintendent. In 1857 it was re-
moved to the church where it was continued
as a Union Sunday School. After its re-
moval to the church John Hellerman was
the first superintendent.
In 1907 the Lutheran congregation which
worshipped in the Union church purchased
from the Reformed congregation all the
rights and interests it possessed in the
church, and the land jointly owned by the
two congregations.
The Reformed congregation purchased
one acre of land a short distance west of
the original site and upon it, during the
summer of 1907, erected a beautiful brick
church edifice at a cost of about $10,000.
The building committee was composed of
Nathaniel Fake, John- Blessing, Jacob H.
Leber and Henry Paules. Both congrega-
tions have erected chapels for the use of
the Sunday Schools.
The Margaretta Presby-
Presbyterian terian Church stood near
Church. the historic old furnace for
thirty years. It was a plain
structure built under the direction of Henry
Y. Slaymaker who frequently conducted
the religious services himself which were
largely attended by his employees. Visit-
ing clergymen from York and Columbia
often preached in this building on Sunday
afternoons. In 1834 the first Sunday School
in Lower Windsor Township was opened
in this church.
The township of Lower Wind-
United sor contains several United
Evangelical Evangelical churches. The
Churches, church at East Prospect and
Trinity Church, three miles
northeast of East Prospect, form one
charge of which Rev. W. H. Brown was
pastor in 1907.
Crayleyville Circuit includes the church
at Craleyville, Salem church, Bittersville
church, Ebenezer and another congregation
worshipping in Chanceford Township. Rev.
D. P. Schaffer was pastor of this large cir-
cuit in 1907.
Yorkana is a prosperous village,
Yorkana. situated in the fertile part of
Lower Windsor Township. The
name was selected by Dr. J. W. Barcroft,
of Washington, D. C, who owned property
in this vicinity, and who was a personal
friend of Gerard C. Brown, member of the
State Senate from York County, who re-
sided at this place until the time of his
death. Within recent years, business en-
terprises in this region have prospered.
Cigar making is carried on extensively. The
entire valley from the line of Windsor
Township to East Prospect contains a
large number of comfortable homes and
fine residences. Midway between Beard's
tannery and Yorkana is the site of Kauf-
felt's store. This place for nearly a hundred
years, went by that name, and was a centre
of interest and importance in the township
for more than a century. The vicinity of
KaufTelt's Store was a noted place for mili-
tary companies and battalions to parade
under the militia laws of Pennsylvania.
This store changed hands, and the mercan-
tile business was afterward conducted by
J. B. Budding & Brother.
Early in the nineteenth century two men,
one named Miller and the other Jacobs,
each planted a town here. One place was
called Millerstown and the other Jacobs-
LOWER WINDSOR
town. Miller succeeded in selling a few
lots, and a small collection of houses in the
vicinity was for many years given the
name of Millersville. About 1880, the name
of Yorkana was given to it.
In October 1818, the Harrisburg Repub-
lican advertised fourteen lots in Jacobs-
town, and forty lots and ten outlots in Mil-
lerstown to be sold for the direct tax of
1816, which had not been paid by the non-
resident owners. Both of these men upon
laying out their towns had disposed of the
lots by lottery. This plan of originating a
town was very common about the year
1812, and a few years later.
The early settlers of this valley attended
services at the Lutheran and Reformed
Church. About 1830, the doctrines of the
Evangelical Association were preached by
some of the early clergymen of that de-
nomination. It resulted in the establish-
ment of a church in the vicinity of Yorkana,
when a building was erected. This build-
ing stood until 1867, when a comfortable
frame structure was erected. The first
trustees were Joshua Heindel and Philip
Mitzel. When the Evangelical Association
became two religious bodies, this church as
well as all others in this and adjoining
townships formed a part of the United
Evangelical Church to which they have
since belonged. This denomination has a
large membership in Windsor and Lower
Windsor Townships. A fine church edifice
was erected at Yorkana several years ago
at a cost of $8,000. In 1907 Rev. W. N.
Fulcomer was pastor. He also preached at
Mount Pisgah.
The Yorkana Campmeeting is held an-
nually in a beautiful grove owned by the
late Hon. Gerard C. Brown. It is always
largely attended by people from the eastern
part of York County and by most of the
clergymen of the Conference.
In 1907 the Star Cigar Company, com-
posed of Alexander Dietz and Amos W.
Dietz; Yorkana Cigar Company, composed
of Charles Leber and Edward Leik; C. S.
Gable and J. W. Horn operated cigar fac-
tories at Yorkana. R. T. Paules and Wil-
liam H. Kaufifman conducted stores. Dr.
Samuel I. McDowell practiced medicine
and Dr. F. S. Shue was the veterinary sur-
geon.
A Lutheran church was recently erected
at Yorkana. Rev. Stauffer was pastor in
1907.
Craleyville is an interesting village of
about 500 inhabitants in the southeastern
part of this township. The cigar making
industry has been carried on successfully.
J. W. Reichard owns a tobacco warehouse
in the village and purchases a large amount
of tobacco grown in the surrounding
country.
Bittersville lies in the southern part of
the township near the Chanceford line. It
is the terminus of the trolley line from
York, a distance of twelve miles.
Delroy is the name of a postoffice a short
distance west of Yorkana A store has
been kept here for many years by Acquilla
Fauth.
Large iron works were situ-
Margaretta ated in Lower Windsor
Furnace. Township, near where the
borough of East Prospect now
stands. The furnace was built by Samuel
Slaymaker, of Lancaster, in 1823, and put
into operation in 1825. Soon after com-
pletion, his nephews, Henry Y. and Samuel
Slaymaker, succeeded in the ownership and
began a large business. A good quality of
ore, in the immediate vicinity, was used
and pig iron made. A foundry was built,
and in 1828 Woodstock Forge was erected
about one and a half miles farther east on
the Cabin Branch Creek. At the foundry,
a large number of ten-plate stoves were
made, iron kettles, skillets and various kinds
of hollow ware. This was a charcoal fur-
nace and the wood obtained from the sur-
rounding country. An extensive business
was done, and many acres of valuable wood-
land were soon stripped of their chestnut
timber. About 8,000 cords were consumed
annually. John E. Beard, afterward county
commissioner, and his brother Henry, to-
gether hauled 14,000 cords, in five succes-
sive years, to Margaretta Furnace. At one
time the furnace property owned 1,900
acres. Much of the timber was obtained
from the land of other owners, and some
of the ore was gotten near York.
These iron works were in operation about
nine months of the year. Each week,
thirty tons of iron were made, or about
1,100 tons annually. Samuel Slaymaker
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
moved to York, and purchased an interest
in a furnace west of the Codorus. Henry
Y. Slaymaker conducted the business alone
in Lower Windsor for a number of years
and built a large mansion. In 1840 he
owned 2.821 acres of land in Lower Wind-
sor Township. He was popular with
his employees, but the "fates were not pro-
pitious" with him, and the business did not
bring in the needed revenue to keep it going.
He failed in 1843, and soon afterward
moved to Davenport, Iowa, where he died
a highly respected citizen. Judge Patterson,
of Lancaster, was married to his daughter.
The works were again started by some of
the leading employees, among whom were
James Curran and Connelly, and Dr. Barton
Evans, of Wrightsville. William H. Kurtz,
John G. Campbell, James Curran and Dr.
Evans formed a co-partnership until 1847.
Israel Gardner and Franklin Wright at one
time owned the furnace until the property
finally passed into the hands of W. D.
Himes, of New Oxford.
The ores obtained from the banks near
this furnace were limonite, turgite and iron
hydrates generally, and contained forty-five
per cent of metallic iron. Charcoal was
used at the furnace for the reduction of
these ores, and the heat for steam genera-
tion was procured by leading the ignited
gases from the tunnel head beneath the
boilers. The foundry iron made from a
small vein of ore found in Lower W'ind-
sor at one time sold for $55 a ton. The
Slaymaker mansion and farm were owned
for many years and improved by John H.
Small of York. Recently they were pur-
chased by L. E. Oleweiler.
The Wrightsville Iron Corn-
Iron pany, and later Skiles & Fry, of
Ore Lancaster, obtained considerable
Interests, lump ore on George Keller's
farm two and one-half miles
north of East Prospect. The same firm
worked Daniel Leber's bank nearby.
John Small's bank near Margaretta, was
opened by Samuel Slaymaker. Lump and
wash ore were about equal in proportion
at this bank.
John Keller's bank, northwest of Mar-
garetta, was opened by its owner, and 1,000
tons obtained during the six months it was
operated.
James Curran's bank, one mile south of
the furnace, was opened by Eckert & Guil-
ford about 1840, and worked after them in
order by George Heindel, John Givens and
James Curran. The ore was a shelly
limonite.
Barcroft's bank two miles northwest of
the furnace was opened by Henry Y. Slay-
maker, in 1840, and later leased to Mr.
Eagle of Marietta. The ore obtained was
of plate-like structure, hard, flinty and
tenacious. Musselman & Watts worked
this bank for some time and obtained 19,-
000 tons of ore, which contained thirty-
three and one-third per cent metallic iron.
Barley's bank one mile west was opened
about 1867, and worked two years. In all
several hundred thousand tons of ore were
obtained in Lower Windsor from 1830 to
1890.
In Lower Windsor Township
Schools, there are fifteen schools with the
following names: Wills', Bitters-
ville, Wrightsville, Benson's, Canadochly,
Craley, Martinsville, Furnace, Brenne-
man's, Fitzkee's, Yorkana, Kline's, Nei-
man's. Pikes Peak, Long Level.
The population of Lower AVindsor in
1840 was 1,687; 1850, 1,923; i860, 2,162;
1870, 2,429; 1880, 2,538; 1890, 2,764; 1900,
2,649.
Cabin Branch received its
Interesting name from the fact that the
Notes. Indians built cabins along its
banks near the Susquehanna,
on lands later owned by Samuel and AVil-
liam Burg.
The Wrightsville and Chanceford Turn-
pike, five miles in length, starts at the for-
mer place, and extends across portions of
Hellam and Lower Windsor. The charter
of this road was granted in 1881 to the com-
pany with permission to extend it to
Brogueville.
The foundry owned by David Wood-
mansee. was located about two and one-
half miles from East Prospect. A pros-
perous business was at one time done here.
He became the first chief burgess of East
Prospect.
About the time when Margaretta Fur-
nace was in its prospertiy, a store was
started at this place by John Keyser, who
kept it six years, and was succeeded by
MANCHESTER AND EAST MANCHESTER
1013
David Hengst, who afterward moved to
Freeport, Illinois. The next proprietor
was John Pentz, who remained eighteen
years, and was followed by Reuben A.
Paules, who kept it for many years.
The houses formerly owned by the pro-
prietors of Woodstock Forge, and occupied
by workmen, are owned by different in-
dividuals. There is an interesting hamlet
surrounding this place.
Anstine's Fulling Mill was one of the
early industries of Lower Windsor.
On Sunday, November 6, 1819, the corn
and gig house of John Dritt, of this town-
ship, was destroyed by fire. A gig and
1,000 bushels of corn were burned.
Beard's Tannery, just beyond the stream
called the head of Ivreutz Creek, on the
road from York to East Prospect, for nearly
a centur}^ was a prominent industry in this
township. It was started about 1800 by
Daniel Hengst, of whom Frederick Burg
purchased it and conducted the business
until he sold it to Joseph Beard. In 1836,
John E. Beard embarked in the business
and continued nearly forty }'ears. Frank
and Harry Beard, his sons, succeeded him
in the ownership of the tannery. The bark
used was obtained in the adjoining woods.
About one and a half miles northeast of
the borough of East Prospect stands an
historic stone mansion built in 1758. The
property in early days was owned by
George Stevenson, an agent of the Penns
who came to York as the keeper of- the
records in 1749 when York County was
formed. Soon after the Revolution, the
large house and the adjoining plantation
were owned and occupied by Captain Jacob
Dritt, a stor}^ of whose life is found on page
187. He engaged in the wine and liquor
trade and had his products floated down the
Susquehanna in arks or keel-boats. The
basement of this large building was used
as a wine cellar for many years. On ac-
count of its massive walls built for the pur-
pose of being a secure place to store Cap-
tain Dritt's merchandise, this cellar was at
one time believed to have been the site of a
fort erected in 1735 by Col. Thomas Cresap,
a leader of the Maryland intruders. It was
in that year that Colonel Cresap erected
a log house near the banks of the Susque-
hanna, four and a half miles south of
AVright's Ferry, the account of which is
told in the chapter on Border Troubles,
page 58. The stone house was owned for
a long time by the Dritt family and in 1907
was the property of Barton Gnau. A short
distance south stood another historic build-
ing also owned by the Dritt family more
than a century ago.
MANCHESTER AND EAST MAN-
CHESTER TOWNSHIPS.
Manchester Township was laid out under
the authority of the Lancaster County Court
in 1742, by Thomas Cookson, deputy sur-
veyor, and his assistant. The original
boundaries of the township were not clearly
defined. Land as far west as the Bermu-
dian Creek,, was taken up within the limits
of Manchester Township. After 1748 its
area was confined to its present territory,
and that of AA'est Manchester and East
Manchester Townships. It then contained
possibly 300 inhabitants, a number of
cleared and cultivated tracts, and here and
there a few Indian wigwams. The native
forests were a dense growth of oak, chest-
nut, hickory, ash and other trees. Its
length was fifteen miles and its. breadth four
and a half miles, with the "Great Conewago
and Little Conewago" as its northwestern,
the Codorus as its southeastern and the
broad Susquehanna as its eastern boundary,
thus being almost surrounded by water.
Newberry and Dover townships were north,
and Hellam and Spring Garden, south of it.
The first settlers in the northern part of the
township were English Quakers, but the
greater portion was settled b}^ German im-
migrants, who soon became thrifty farmers.
In 1783, Manchester Township contained
267 houses, 218 barns, 21 mills, small and
large; 10 negro slaves, 3 redemptioners ;
1,465 inhabitants and 29,723 acres not
vacant. The northern boundary of Spring-
ettsbury Manor passed nearly through the
centre of the original township, south of
the fortieth parallel of north latitude,
which crosses the county a short distance
south of Emigsville. The township of West
Manchester was laid out in 1799, and East
Manchester in 1887.
The township at present is one of the
most fertile and productive in the count}-.
It contains very little woodland, and no
waste land. The northern part is within
I0I4
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the mesozoic sandstone region and the
southern part in the limestone belt. Cereals
of different kinds grow abundant crops.
For many years fine tobacco has been
raised in large quantities in the eastern part
of the township.
The following is a complete list
Tax List of the taxable residents of Man-
of 1783. Chester which included West
Manchester and East Manches-
ter, in 1783:
Philip Amend,
Reinhardt Bott,
Jonas Bott,
Abraham Bookhard,
Jlichael Bentz,
Daniel Bekemer,
John Brown,
Conrad Becker,
Isaac Brenneman,
James Britches,
Andrew Bedman,
Widow Beirly,
Jacob Brown,
Valentine Bohn,
Nicholas Bahn,
George Bumbach,
Julius Burkhardt,
Joseph Bixler,
William Burns,
Philip Benedict,
James Berden,
Widow Cronmiller,
John Croll.
Nicholas Deh,
Andrew Dabber,
Thomas Dunn,
Michael Driver.
Michael Doudel,
Widow Doudel,
John Deltmer,
Peter Dinkel,
Frederick Eichelberger,
Jlichael Ebert,
George Ej'Ster,
Elias Eyster,
John Emig, Sr.,
Valentine Emig,
George Eisenhart,
Conrad Entzminger,
Philip Ettinger,
Peter Elenberger,
Jacob Ehrman,
Michael Ebert, Jr.,
Martin Ebert,
Philip Ebert,
Widow Eichelberger,
John Emig, Jr.,
Michael Egy,
Michael Finfrock,
Godlieb Fackler,
Jacob Fied,
John Fetter,
Peter Faust,
George Frier,
George Fry,
Stephan Finfrock,
Frederick Fleker,
Joseph Grebill,
Dewald Gross,
Gerard Gavite,
Andrew Grass,
John Greybill.
Jacob Gottwaldt, Jr.
Samuel Gross,
George Geiss,
Henry Gray,
Christopher. Greene wald,
Michael Ginder,
Jacob Gottwaldt, Sr.
Jacob Gardner,
John Guikes,
Hermanns Guikes,
David Grier, Esq.,
Philip Heckert,
Philip Heltzel,
Barnet Holtzapple,
Nicholas Hentz,
Andrew Hentz,
Erasmus Holtzapple,
Emanuel Harman,
Andrew Hershy,
Jost Herbach,
Christian Heiver,
George Hake, Esq.,
Andrew Heak,
Jacob Heak,
John Humrichhauser,
Jacob Hahn,
Frederick Hoffman,
Jacob Heikler,
Michael Hahn, Esq.,
Ludwig Heetig,
Christian Harman,
Andrew Hoke,
Peter Hoke,
George Heihler,
Christian Heit,
John Heit,
Philip Hoffman,
Col. Thomas Hartley, Esq.,
George Ilgenfritz,
Martin Ilgenfritz,
George Irwin,
Jacob Jonathan,
Robert Jones, Sr.,
Robert Jones, Jr.,
Francis Jones,
James Johnston,
Elisha Kirk,
Caleb Kirk,
Valentine Krantz,
John Kauffman, Jr.,
John Kauffman, Sr.,
Godfry King,
Casper Kerver,
Flenry Keifer,
Philip Kreber,
^latthias Klein,
Jacob Kauffman,
Simon Koppenheafer, Jr.,
Jacob Klingeman,
Jacob Philip King,
Jacob Knab,
Simon Coppenheafer, Sr.,
Conrad Klein,
Henry Kauffman,
Christian Keller,
John Kitch,
Michael Kilb,
Valentine Kohlraan,
Peter Knaub,
Baltzer Kohler,
George Krantz,
George Klingman,
Jacob Kern,
' Andrew Kohler,
Henry Kreber,
Christian Landis,
Anthony Lehman,
Michael Low,
Leonard Leckron,
Ignatius Leitner,
Frederick Lenhardt,
Peter Long,
Andrew Long,
Christian Leib
George Leibenstein,
Kilian Lichtenberger,
Casper Lichtenberger,
George Lichtenberger,
George Lewis Leffler,
Ludwig Alyer,
Frederick Miller,
Peter Marks,
Peter Menges,
George Ma\',
George Maurer,
George Millen,
Michael Melhorn,
John Miller.
Samuel Miller,
George Metzger,
Nicholas Moore,
Adam Miller.
Charles Martin,
Jacob Kopp,
^Michael Klein,
Henry Klein,
Nicholas Klasser,
Casper Knaab,
George Nailor,
Jacob Neaf,
Abraham Neaf,
Jacob Oettinger,
Peter Oettinger,
John Oettinger,
Henry Ort,
Jacob Opp,
.'Xdam Quickel,
Frederick Remer-,
Dietrich Rupert,
Stephan Reitinger,
Michael Romig,
Andrew Ritter,
Jonas Rudisilly,
William Reis,
John Reif,
Anthony Roth,
John Roth,
John Rosenbaum,
George Ringer,
Michael Ringer,
Baltzer Rudisilly,
Peter Riel,
Isaac Stoner,
Peter Sprenkle,
George Sprenkle,
!Mathias Smeiser,
John Shrom,
Christopher Shlegle,
Andrew Smith, Sr.,
Andrew Smith, Jr.,
Daniel Strickler,
Peter Shultz,
Peter Smith,
Michael Shreiver, .
John Shreiber,
Jacob Smith,
Jacob Smith,
(Tory lawyer)
Peter Senge.r,
Philip Snyder,
Peter Snyder,
Adam Schenk,
John Stab.
Frederick Shindel,
John Sherb, Sr.,
John Sherb, Jr.,
Henry Shultz,
James Spikeman,
Jacob Smyser,
Col. Alichael Smyser,
Michael Sprenkle,
Samuel Updegraff,
Ambrose Updegraff,
Nathan L^pdegraff,
Joseph LIpdegraff,
John Updegraff,
Widow Wogan,
John Welsh,
Francis Worlev,
Henry Wolf,
Michael Welsh,
George Weller,
Nathan Worley,
James Worley,
Daniel Worlej',
Francis Worley,
William Willis,
Jacob Worlev,
Peter Wolf, 'Esq.,
Adam Wolf,
Nicholas Wvand,
Philip Wolf,
Sebastian Weigle,
Simon Witmeyer, Sr.,
Simon Witmeyer, Jr.,
Martin Weikle,
Leonard Weikle,
George Witterricht,
Michael Witterricht,
Philip Wintemeyer,
Jacob Weaver,
Casper Walter,
Jacob Wagnor,
Adam Wilt,
George Welsh,
Henry Winiger,
Jost "Wahl, '
Frederick Wever,
Valentine Wild,
Henry Walter,
Jacob Zigler,
Philip Zeigler, Jr.,
Killian Ziegler.
MANCHESTER AND EAST MANCHESTER
1015
SINGLE MEN.
John Oldham,
John Kann (blacksmith),
Christian Reinhart,
George Menges,
Philip Christ,
Andrew Ziegler,
Daniel Meyer,
George Leckron,
Michael Kauffman,
Martin Koppenhefer,
John Brown,
Frederick Heak,
Jacob Miller,
Adam Lichtenberger,
Nicholas Snyder,
David Bruckhard,
Philip Mohr,
Christian A'lohr,
Andrew Kohler,
Jacob Bohn,
Conrad Ginder,
Jacob Miller,
Frederick Ehresman,
Jacob Ginder,
Ludwig Driver,
Frederick Shindle,
Frederick Hummel,
Jacob Meisel,
Joseph Kohler,
The population of Manchester in 1820
was 1,949; in 1830, 2,198; 1840, 2,152; 1850,
2,591; i860, 2,695; 1870. 2,427; 1880, 2,636;
1890, 1,783; 1900, 1,556.
In the year 1885 the citizens
East of Manchester Township be-
Manchester. gan to consider the question
of dividing it. On November
22, 1886, in answer to a petition signed by a
large number of citizens the county court
appointed Wendall Gross, George Weaver
and Daniel Brown commissioners to ex-
amine into the advisability of forming a
new township. The commissioners re-
ported favorably and their report was con-
firmed by the court January 8, 1887. The
new township was named East Man-
chester.
On the 29th of February, 1822,
Hoover's Philip Hoover and Peter
Church. Hoover deeded forty-four
perches of land for a considera-
tion of $1, to Martin Rudy, Michael Bixler,
elders and trustees of the German Reformed
congregation, and Peter Moore and Valen-
tine Schultz, elders and trustees of the Lu-
theran congregation. On this land had
already been erected a house of worship
called "Christ's Church," in which by spe-
cial requirements the services were to be
held in the "German language and no other;
to be used by the German Reformed and
German Lutheran congregations, and a
Society called Maniests." All services in
the church were to be held "before candle
light." The church is situated on one of
the landmarks of Manchester Township,
now in the village of Starview, two miles
southeast of Mt. AVolf. It is known as
"Hoover's Church." The exact time when
the first log church was built is not
definitely known, though supposed to be in
1819. The present house of worship which
cost $2,200 was built in 1875. The building
committee were Jacob Hartman and John
King, Reformed; Harris Gingerich and
John Fry, Lutherans. A charter was ob-
tained in 1844. Andrew Dessenberg and
Jacob Fry of the Lutheran, and Christian
Hartman of the Reformed congregation
were trustees. Samuel Rudy was one of
the first deacons of this church.
Lewis Mayer, James R. Reiley, John
Cares, David Bossier, Daniel Zeigler,
Rhinehart Smith, A. Wanner, Aaron Spang-
ler, Arthur C. Ohl, and Irwin S. Ditzler of
the Reformed church have officiated here.
The Lutheran congregation was served
by Rev. C. J. Deininger from 1858 to 1866.
Other pastors since have been P. Wanner,
Peter Anstadt, E. Lenhart, W. S. Porr, and
S. E. Herring. The church was remodelled
in 1885 at a cost of $1,300. There is a
Union, Sunday School connected with the
church. A school house stood by the side
of the first building and a parochial school
kept in it for many years.
Jerusalem Church is situated between Mt.
Wolf and New Holland, and was built
about 1880, on land donated to the congre-
gation by John Dessenberg. It was once
burned and immediately rebuilt.
Before the public school system
Schools, was accepted in Manchester a
local plan was adopted and so-
called "free schools" were established.
They did not however, afford equal privi-
leges to all classes. The poorer children
were neglected. Several attempts were
made by enterprising citizens to secure
enough votes to accept the system under
the provision of the act of 1834, but all such
efforts were unsuccessful. The legislative
act of 1848, which virtually recognized that
every district in the state had accepted the
system, brought Manchester into the ranks.
At the spring election of 1849 which was
then at Ludwig Kohr's Hotel, near Emigs-
ville, the system was accepted, and Daniel
Rodes, Henry Metzgar, George Matthias,
John Emig, Dr. Adam Eisenhart and An-
drew Lightner were elected directors. It
was largely through the efforts of Daniel
Rodes that the organization of the schools
on the present basis was then effected. The
conflict that arose was typical of what took
place in some other townships, especially
ioi6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
in the German sections, where many people
were averse to accepting the common
schools, and preferred the subscription or
parochial schools. Many in fact, preferred
a shorter term than the law then required.
A conflict arose when the directors met to
organize in the town of Liverpool, now
Manchester Borough. A large number of
people assembled. Most of them came for
the purpose of presenting objections to the
plans. After some of the directors con-
ferred, all except two determined to resign.
Daniel Rodes, who was president, then
read the law, which gave that officer the
power to appoint any persons he selected
to fill the vacancies, which resulted in hold-
ing the board together. At this juncture,
Jacob Kirk of Fairview, who afterward be-
came the first county superintendent of
schools, happened along on his way to
York. He was an ardent advocate of the
system which had been in force in his town-
ship for fourteen j-ears. He argued in its
favor from experience as a director and a
teacher. The board then went into execu-
tive session and laid a small tax. John
Bower was appointed tax collector. His
dut}^ was not a pleasant one. In some
cases he was obliged to levy on personal
propertv in order to collect the tax, so vio-
lent was the opposition. In one or two
instances a horse was sold. Eleven schools
were put into successful operation and the
state appropriation, $ioo, received. The
Mennonite church was rented. One school
house in the township could not be rented.
A house was built at Foustown. Augen-
baugh's meeting house was rented, as was
also a Methodist meeting house at New
Holland. The rest were opened in such
houses as could be obtained. The system
soon proved a success. One of the most
singular features of this history, was that
the president of the board was publicly rep-
rimanded by his fellow church members,
and an effort made to have his name
stricken from the church roll, on account of
the interest he took to advance the cause of
education. A faithful pastor came to his
rescue and prevented action.
The names of the schools in Manchester
in 1907 were : Foust's, Hoke's, Eisenhart's,
Centre Square, Emigsville, Spring Dale,
Lightner's and Augenbaugh's. The East
Tilanchester schools for 1907 were: New
Holland, River Hill, Strayer's, Sipes', Jeru-
salem, Starview, Brillinger's, Bashore and
Mt. AVolf.
In 1804 Frederick Day, an En-
New glish Quaker, made a plat of
Holland, fifty-two lots and disposed of
them by lottery. The town he
called New Holland. In 1814 he laid out
an additional section of 162 lots, which in
the printed deeds, was denominated "New
Holland continued." The village is situated
on the Susquehanna River, at the mouth of
one of the branches of the Conewago Creek,
familiarly called "The Gut," and about three
miles from the mouth of the Codorus
Creek. Some of the first settlers in this
locality, in 1734, were Quakers, and for a
time, a tract of land was reserved by the
Penns for a meeting house. For about
thirty years New Holland was known as an
important lumber centre. Teams came
many miles from the south and west t6
purchase lumber, which was brought down
the river and landed at this point. In 1807,
Frederick Day built a large stone house
which was later owned by Jacob Lichty,
until it was removed in 1904. Mr. Lichty
conducted the village store from 1863 to
1905. John Hyder kept the first store. New
Holland became a post town named Day's
Landing, in 1825, with Peter Dessenberg
as postmaster. When a postofifice was es-
tablished at Mt. Wolf, two miles distant,
the one at New Holland was discontinued.
Adam Wolf was for many years a promi-
, nent justice of the peace, and had a large
lumber yard and tannery at New Holland.
Frederick Gable kept a store and owned a
lumber yard. Joseph Schmidt also had a
lumber yard. There were at one time four
hotels in the town. Silver Lake Island a
famous place for shad fishing years ago is
located on the Susquehanna, near New Hol-
land. The population of New Holland in
1907 was 400. In the early part of the cen-
tury, it was supposed that New Holland
was destined to become large, but its lum-
ber interests ceased after the Northern Cen-
tral Railway was completed in 1851. The
cigar business is an important industry here.
The names of the streets running at right
angles with the Susquehanna on Day's
draft, when he founded the town, were
King, Prince, Queen, York and Market.
Those running parallel with the river were
MANCHESTER AND EAST MANCHESTER
1017
Water, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth
Streets. Plans had been laid for a large
town.
In 1905 four tracks were laid through
the town by the Pennsylvania Railroad,
being part of the main line for freight trans-
portation between Philadelphia and Pitts-
burg.
The geological formations around New
Holland afford a pleasing diversion. Lime-
stone crops out on John AYogan's farm,
which is valuable when burned into quick-
lime. The red sandstone formation is
quite prominent. A short distance west
yellow sandstone protrudes to the surface.
In the bed of the river, and on the cliffs,
excellent specimens of dolerite are quite
numerous. Along the cliffs on the south
side of the stream are twin rocks, forty feet
in thickness almost entirely exposed. They
are huge specimens of silicious conglom-
erate formation. Nearby is a rock of simi-
lar structure 100 feet in length, forming an
inclined plane with the stream.
Caesarville was the name given to
Wago. a collection of half a dozen houses
near the mouth of Rodes Creek,
where it flows into the Conewago. About
half a century ago an aged negro slave by the
name of Caesar, who had been freed, dug a
cave in a bank at this point, and used it as
his place of abode. A saw mill was erected
here in 1812 by Frederick Zorger. For
many years it was owned by the late Daniel
Kraber, of York, and was connected with
Eib's Landing lumber yards. At this
place, now known as Wago, the four tracks
of the Pennsylvania Railroad branch off
from the Northern Central and cross the
Susquehanna over the bridge at the mouth
of the Codorus.
Among the early settlers west of
Eib's the Susquehanna was Peter Eib,
Landing, who took up the fertile land
forming a delta between the
mouths of the Conewago Creek. As the
lumber interests up the ri-ver developed, a
section of his farm became one of the most
important landing places for this valuable
product along the stream. There was a
demand for pine lumber, and from this land-
ing place, York and a broad area of country
were largely supplied for more than half a
century. But the importance of Eib's Land-
ing declined when the steam saw-mills were
built at York Haven and Goldsboro, and
when the Northern Central Railway was
completed. As many as seventy-live teams
were in waiting to load lumber in one day.
For one mile along the bank were continu-
ous piles of timber. Excellent shaved
shingles could be purchased at $6 per 1,000,
and a fine quality of boards at $8 and $10
per 1,000 feet.
During the spring and summer, business
was most flourishing. For many years
there were three hotels to accommodate
teamsters and lumbermen, "Yankees" as
the}^ were called, who brought the rafts
down the Susquehanna. Lumber was con-
veyed on wagons by merchants who owned
lumber yards in York, Hanover, Abbotts-
town, East Berlin, and as far away as Fred-
erick, Maryland. There is nothing now left
to mark this, probably the most historic
spot in Manchester Township except the
dilapidated remains of a few old buildings
at a place where millions of feet of lumber
were annually sold.
On part of the original Eib's
A Paper Landing property, about the
City. year 1800, a town was laid out,
which the founder, from the
number of streets planned, expected to
grow into a prosperous city. It was laid
out as the "Town of Manchester." Eighty-
one lots of this proposed town, 50x100 feet
each, were advertised to be sold for the
direct tax of the United States, at Harris-
burg, December 3, 1818. The town was
planned at a time when the lumber and
fishing interests of the Susquehanna led
many land owners to suppose that their
farms were to be the sites of flourishing
cities in the near future. Two small houses,
long since torn down, and an abutment be-
ginning a bridge, is all there ever was to
represent the "Old Town of Manchester on
the Susquehanna."
The Gut is a regular freak of nature.
Sometime, not long before the settlement
of York County by the whites, the Big
Conewago Creek, on account of high water,
overflowed its banks, and cut a deep chan-
nel, two miles in length, causing the south-
ern branch to flow into the Susquehanna at
new Holland, while the main branch of the
creek, flows into the river, three miles
farther up the stream at York Haven. Dur-
ing times of high water, the Gut is a rapid
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
stream, but in dry seasons, it is sluggish
and sometimes altogether dry. Within this
irregularly shaped delta, is contained about
five square miles of excellent alluvial soil.
The "River Gut" is a branch half a mile
in length, passing from the Gut to the Sus-
quehanna. A singular phenomenon is il-
lustrated : When the river is high, the
water flows toward the creek, when the
creek is high it flows toward the river. It
is a true bifurcation.
Nothing gave more interest to
Shad the river settlements in early
Fisheries, days than shad fishing. On ac-
count of the purity of the water
and the absence of many manufacturies
along the river, the shad of the Susque-
hanna have long been famous for their de-
licious flavor, large size and nutritious qual-
ity. From York Haven to the mouth of
the Codorus, the limits of the eastern
boundary of Manchester Township, there
was one continuous line of valuable fisher-
ies. The season lasted from five to seven
weeks. Usually, if the season were short,
the largest amount of shad were caught.
The shad pass up the river annually in large
schools from the salt water of the Atlantic
Ocean and Chesapeake Bay into fresh water
to spawn. They cease to go up after the
middle of June, and sometimes about the
first of June. It was an interesting sight for
fishermen to watch for a "school of fish"
coming up stream, and then row around
them in a skiff, leaving out a long seine,
made with a network of large meshes, and
quickly pull the seine to shore by the skiff,
freighted with hundreds of these large
fishes. Before catching a "draught" of fish,
all fishermen were as still and motionless
as possible, as the sense of hearing with fish
is very keen, but when a large "haul" was
made, it was a grand signal for a triumph-
ant cheer, and the jolly fishermen were ac-
tive in counting the number caught. As
far back as 1815, these shad brought as
high as twelve and one-half and fifteen cents
each at wholesale. Dozens of wagons,
owned by purchasers, were always ready to
buy them at that price, and take them fif-
teen or twenty miles south and west to dis-
pose of them. Some of the fisheries were
along the shore, but the most profitable
ones were near the small islands. The right
of fishing was purchasable. Sometimes the
owners of islands in the river sold them,
but reserved the right of fishing for shad.
Lichty's two fisheries, near the mouth
of the Conewago were famous, 1,500
shad being caught at one haul there,
in 1825. "San Domingo," a small island
of two acres surface, had a noted fish-
ery. The entire island was swept away by
an ice flood in 1830. The next in order
down the stream were known as "Santa
Cruz" and "Black Rock." The Indians
were accustomed to catch shad here with
large nets. In the days of its prosperity.
Black Rock Fishery was owned by William
Reeser, founder of the town of Liverpool.
Haldeman's pool in the Chestnut Riffles,
near the mouth of the Codorus, Forge Is-
land, Center, Silver Lake, Small Island, and
Bald Eagle fisheries were very profitable for
many years.
Emigsville is situated along
Emigsville. the line of the Northern Cen-
tral Railway four miles from
York and is built upon lands originally
owned by John Emig, a prominent farmer
and merchant who had been identified
with various interests in Manchester Town-
ship. Soon after the railroad was completed
in 185 1, the station became an active busi-
ness centre for the agricultural region sur-
rounding. John Emig kept a store and post
office, and acted as agent for the Railroad
Company for many years and was then suc-
ceeded by his son, J. A. Emig. The
fortieth parallel of latitude passes through
Emigsville, which also lies on the northern
limit of the great lime belt that crosses
York County in a northeastern and south-
western direction. Quick lime for building
purposes and for fertilizing lands has been
burned in this vicinity in large quantities
for the past fifty years.
East of the railroad stands the Union
Chapel used by various denominations as
a house of religious worship. A brick
school building of two rooms has recently
been erected.
Since the establishment of the wagon
works and other industries here Emigsville
has developed into a prosperous town of
500 inhabitants and is destined to become
an important business and manufacturing
centre in the township. In 1882, E. K.
Emig and his brother, J. A. Emig, began
the manufacture of one, two, and six-
MANCHESTER AND EAST MANCHESTER
1019
horse farm wagons. They began on a
Hmited scale and the business has gradually
developed. In 1887 an incorporated com-
pany was formed under the name of the
Acme Wagon Works, with E. K. Emig as
president and general manager. With
these increased facilities a prosperous busi-
ness has been conducted, employing from
ninety to a hundred men in the machine
shop and wood working department. The
National Tubular Axle Works are situated
here. The business was incorporated in
1892 with E. K. Emig as president of the
company.
The York Haven Street Railway Com-
pany completed its line in 1903 through
Emigsville to Mt. Wolf running its first
cars on March 21 of that year. The York
Sanitary Milk Company conducts a branch
of its establishment at Emigsville and has
carried on quite an extensive business in
the manufacture of pasteurized milk.
Brillinger and Swartz conduct a general
store and are engaged in the sale of coal
and other products. The post office is kept
at this store. Harry Myers also conducts
a general merchandising business.
One of the military companies of the
township was called the "Manchester
Guards," commanded by Captain Rodes in
1834. George Jacobs was first lieutenant,
and Jacob Rudy second lieutenant. It
existed for seven years. Manchester Town-
ship gave 200 votes majority for General
Harrison for President of the United States
in 1840. In 1856 there were but three votes
for General Fremont, the first Republican
candidate for the same office.
Emig's Grove Campmeeting Association
organized in 1880, met regularly for nearly
twenty years in a beautiful grove on the
east side of the railroad midwaj^ between
Mt. Wolf and Emigsville. The association
purchased fourteen acres of land from John
Emig and afterward bought thirteen more.
Large wooden cottages were erected in the
form of a semi-circle, amid the deep shades
of this beautiful grove. Campmeetings for
religious services were held during the
month of August under the auspices of the
United Brethren in Christ. The bishop of
this denomination and other prominent
clergymen took an active part in these an-
nual meetings.
The cottages and other buildings were
burned in 1896 and the same year the camp-
meeting was removed to Penn Grove near
Hanover.
Round Town is a hamlet of twenty
Round or more houses, about three and
Town, a half miles from York, on the
York and Lewisberry road. The
houses are built nearly in the form of a
circle, from which the name originated.
A fine brick schoplhouse was built here in
1884. Frederick and Peter Kern were
among the first to own property at this
place. Cigar manufacturing has been car-
ried on here by several small factories. In
1892, Grace Lutheran and Reformed
Church was erected largely through the
generosity of Samuel Small of York. Two
congregations worship in this building.
Services under the Reformed congregation
have been conducted by supply clergymen.
Rev. H. C. Bixler was the first pastor of
the Lutheran congregation. He was suc-
ceeded in order by Rev. Roraig and Rev.
S. E. Herring.
Foustown is a collection of houses in the
western end of the township in the centre
of a fertile region.
The village of Mt. AA'olf,
Mt. Wolf, nestling in a little valley, a half
mile northeast of Manchester
Borough, has become a centre of trade and
industry. Being situated in a fertile agri-
cultural region and having recently re-
ceived an industrial boom, the future pros-
perity of Mt. Wolf is assured. The first
postoffice in this vicinity was established
in 1850 and was named Mt. Campbell in
honor of John Campbell, a prominent law-
5^er of York, who was identified with
Thomas C. Hambly of York and others in
the construction of the railroad from York
to Harrisburg, completed in 1851. Mt.
A'Volf is seven miles from York and the
grade of the railroad from this place to the
"summit," one mile to the south is fifty
feet to the mile.
Two years after the railroad was com-
pleted from York to Harrisburg, Adam
Wolf & Sons opened a store and also began
the purchase of wheat, coal and lumber.
The business was conducted by this firm,
until 1863, when W^illiam AVolf the young-
est son of Adam AVolf, was elected sheriff
of York County, and removed to York
where he died, before his term of office had
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
expired. Adam Wolf retired from business,
when the mercantile and business interests
of this place were continued by George H.
AVolf, until his death in 1900. Since that
time the same business has been carried on
by his two sons. Henry and George A.
Wolf, under the firm name of George H.
Wolf Sons. For many years George
H. Wolf Co., of which John Wogan was a
partner, purchased large quantities of to-
bacco, raised in this vicinity. The flouring
mill, a short distance north of the town is
now run on the roller process plan, and
owned by the Kochenour Brothers.
JNIt. AA'olf was known as a village and
railway station for a dozen years before it
was regularly laid out in 1867 by Samuel
Hofif, a prominent citizen of the town.
Daniel M. Ettinger of York, made a survey
of thirty acres and laid it ofif into 165 lots.
The population in 1907 was 350. Three
industrial establishments have recently
been founded. In November 1899, the Mt.
AYolf Furniture Company was incorporated
with a capital of $18,000. The entire stock
was purchased by citizens of the town.
Henry Wolf was chosen president of the
company; A. H. Diehl, secretary; J. G.
Kunkle, treasurer; George A. Wolf, Wil-
liam D. Linebaugh, I. Parke Wogan, J. M.
Rodes, with the officers composed the
board of directors. This company has done
an extensive business in the manufacture
of sideboards, which have found a ready
sale. About eighty workmen are regularly
employed in the three-story building used
as a factory.
The Pennsylvania Wire Cloth Company
erected a factory 180x90 feet with an annex
of 60x90 feet in the year 1905. They began
operations with C. L. HofT, president; AV.
H. Ottemiller, vice-president; Henry AA'olf,
treasurer; George A. AVoif, secretarv.
These together with W. S. Schroll, M. G.
King and H. L. Eichinger form the board
of directors.
The Mt. AA'olf Shirt Company was or-
ganized November 29, 1899, by Henry
AVolf, George A. \A^olf and C. H. Hummel-
baugh. About thirty hands are employed.
The grist mill a short distance north of
the village was built in 1813 by John Rodes,
a Mennonite preacher. It subsequently
passed into the hands of John Gross, George
Mathias and J, M. Rodes. In 1820 Chris-
tian Rodes built a fulling mill, a short dis-
tance above Mt. AA^olf and for many years
manufactured woolen cloths for the neigh-
boring farmers. It was later owned by
Zebulon Rodes, a grandson.
The name Mt. Wolf originated in 1852
when the postoffice was removed from Mt.
Campbell, half a mile down the railroad to
the store of Adam AVolf and Sons. George
H. AA^olf was the postmaster for a period
of thirty 3'ears continuously, except during
the administration of President Johnston
when Andrew Bongey held the appoint-
ment. The postmasters of recent date in
order of succession have been Jacob Nes
and Henry D. Hoff.
The Church of the United Brethren in
Christ was erected in 1870, under the di-
rection of Henry Hofif, Sr., John Spahr and
Samuel Bear, as the building committee.
Including the bell, it cost $2,800. It was
dedicated the same year by Rev. William
B. Raber. The pastors have been W. H.
Craumer, S. T. AA'allace, George AA^. Beatty,
Alexander Tripner, A. H. Rice, I. H. Al-
bright, Thomas Garland, A. H. Shank, W.
H. Shearer, J. AV. Housman, D. AV. Solen-
berger, M. J. Hebberly, E. H. Hummel-
baugh, J. E. B. Rice, H. L. Eichinger, A. B.
Mower.
The York Haven Street Railway Com-
pany extended its line from Manchester
Borough to Mt. AVolf in March 1903.
One of the early settlers of this section
of York County was John Wogan, who ob-
tained a survey for 318 acres of land sit-
uated between Mt. AA^olf and New Holland,
June 18, 1737. In his will dated December
20, 1747, he bequeathed to the Protestant
church 100 acres of land. The balance of
his estate was left to his widow Ann and his
brother Jacob AA^ogan. Jacob' Wogan in
his will dated July 11, 1776, bequeathed
to his wife Ann and his son George, an
estate of 318 acres. Ann AA^ogan, his widow,
died December 4, 1798. The other children
of Jacob and Ann AA'ogan were: Margaret,
married to George Test; Isabella, married
to Samuel Day, and Anne, wife of John
McCarley. George AA^ogan, the son of
Jacob AA^ogan, died in 1832, leaving four
children, Jacob, John, George and Ann.
George AA^ogan the youngest of these sons,
inherited the homestead farm and late in
life moved to York, where he died in 1878,
,^^^^^-7 LX-<1^-
/^^-^^^^^z-rrJ^^^-^-^y
J
MANHEIM
leaving two children, John H. and Annie.
The land originally taken up by his paternal
ancestor and now owned by John H.
Wogan, has been in the family name since
it was first purchased from the heirs of Wil-
liam Penn, in 1737.
SAMUEL LICHTENBERGER was
born on the old family homestead in Man-
chester Township, September 16, 1833. He
is a descendant of a family of York county
whose members have always used their in-
fluence for good in the different communi-
ties in which they have resided. Casper
Lichtenberger, his grandfather, passed his
days as a farmer in Manchester Township.
George Lichtenberger, father of Samuel,
spent his entire lifetime in the same town-
ship. He married Mary, daughter of Cas-
per Laucks, the Laucks family also having
been prominent for generations in the town-
ship. Their family consisted of ten chil-
dren, one of whom died in infancy. Of the
remainder, the twq still surviving are :
George, a retired farmer of Manchester
township ; and Leah, wife of Allen Litzen-
berger, of Decatur, Illinois. The father of
the family died in 1854, at the age of fifty-
nine years, the mother dying in 1889, at
the age of eighty-nine years.
Samuel Lichtenberger passed his youth
in the duties which come to the average
boy on a farm, meantime securing a good
common school education, and developing
a physical frame and state of health which
made the foundation of his success in later
years. On coming to his majority he con-
tinued farming with such success as to ac-
cumulate capital for investment. As the
years passed he improved the opportunities
presented, and finally, in 1883, became as-
sociated with others in the organization of
the Drovers and Mechanics National Bank.
He was one of the first board of directors.
In 1901 he was chosen to the office of presi-
dent, in which he continued to serve until
his death, January 25, 1905, at the age of
seventy-one years. Mr. Lichtenberger was
possessed of a keen judicial cast of mind,
quick to see the possibilities of a financial
venture, but conservative and careful in his
investigation before making final invest-
ments.
Mr. Lichtenberger recognized the de-
mands made upon every citizen of promi-
nence in a community and was the leader
in any plan having for its object the uplift
of humanity. He interested himself es-
pecially in the matter of improving the
educational system of his township. In re-
ligious affairs he was a member and liberal
supporter of the Lutheran Church. He
voted for and supported the policies of the
Republican party.
October 23, 1855, Mr. Lichtenberger
was married to Miss Susan Rutter, daughter
of John Rutter, a well-known farmer of
Manchester Township. To this union were
born eight children, three of whom are de-
ceased, Frank dying in infancy, Samuel
living to the age of nineteen years, and John
R. (of Mechanicsburg) dying at home Sep-
tember 30, 1905, at the age of forty-four.
Those surviving are: George A., of York;
Augustus H., Mary P., Emma E., and
Charles, of York. The mother of this
family died July 22, 1904, at the age of
seventy-two.
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP.
Manheim situated, in the southwestern
section of York County on the Maryland
line was laid out in 1747 by authority of the
Lancaster court, two years before York
County was organized. When Manheim
Township was first surveyed it embraced a
large territory including Manheim, West
Manheim, Penn and Heidelberg townships
in York County, and portions of Union and
Conowago in Adams County. There were
a few titles given to part of the present
area of Manheim Township under Mary-
land authority as early as 1732. The Tem-
porary Line between Pennsylvania and
Maryland was not run until 1739. During
the following three or four years a colony
of thrifty Germans from the Palatinate, and
a colony of Dunkers or German Baptist
Brethren from the Upper Rhine settled in
this region. Their descendants now own
and occupy these fertile lands and many of
them still speak the language which their
ancestors brought with them from Ger- <
many. Michael Danner was a leader among
the Dunkers. He was born in the Grand-
Duchy of Baden near the historic old town
of Manheim on the Rhine. When he settled
in this region in 1740 he purchased from the
proprietors of Pennsylvania a large tract of
land within the present limits of Manheim
and adjoining townships. When the town-
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ship was organized he requested the Lan-
caster court to name it "Manheim" in honor
of the city near his home in the Fatherland.
Two years later Michael Banner's name
h.eaded a petition of German signers for
the organization of a new county seat west
of the Susquehanna. As he was one of the
leaders among the Germans in the south-
western section of the county, and George
Swope of York was the leader among the
Germans in that region, these men were
appointed two of the five commissioners to
lay off the county of York in 1749. The
other three members of the commission
were all Quakers.
Heidelberg Township was cut off from
Manheim in 1750 and then included the site
of the borough of Hanover. It was a nar-
row strip of land embracing nearly the
whole area of what was then known as
"Digges' Choice" which was a tract of 10,-
000 acres taken up under Maryland title
in 1729. From 1750 to the year 1716, Man-
heim Township, nearly surrounded Heidel-
berg on the southern, eastern and northern
sides. During the latter year, in answer to
a petition signed by a number of prominent
citizens, the northern part of Manheim was
annexed to Heidelberg. The names of
these signers were Daniel Dubs, Andrew
Garret, Peter Overdier, John Thoman,
Christopher Wolford, Conrad Sherman,
Andrew Robenstein, Charles Warner and
Henry Sherman. By order of the court in
answer to this petition, Manheim was re-
duced to include its present area and that of
West Manheim which was organized in 1858.
In the year 1816 Jacob Albrecht and
Valentine Wentz each owned an oil-mill in
Manheim; Daniel Dubs, an oil-mill and
hemp-mill ; Jacob Keller an oil-mill and
paper-mill; Jacob Snyder a paper mill;
Adam Schleeder a fulling and carding-mill;
Peter Reider and John B. AVentz, each a
tanyard; Conrad Sherman a tanyard and
distillery, and one slave, the only one in
the township.
The township as at present formed is
bounded on the north by Heidelberg, on
the east by Codorus, on the south by Mary-
land and on the west by West Manheim.
The land is undulating, but in general is
fertile and productive. The Western Mary-
land Railroad passes along its eastern and
southeastern borders.
The following is a complete list
Tax List of the taxable inhabitants for
of 1783. the year 1783, in Manheim
Township, which then included
what is now West Manheim, Heidelberg
and most of Penn Townships :
Bernhardt Albrecht,
George Apple,
Christopher Africa,
Nicholas Bucher, Jr.,
Daniel Bauser,
Martin Bruckard,
Adam Brumgard,
Christian Bachman,
Christopher Bachman,
Nicholas Bricker,
Joseph Bollinger,
Jacob Bauer,
John Bose,
Peter Baum, Jr.,
Jacob Bauman,
Peter Baum,
John Bose,
Henry Bauman, Jr.,
Michael Bear,
Jacob Bear,
Anthony Bricker,
Henry Bushy,
Nicholas Bucher,
John Bowman,
Henry Baumgardner,
Jacob Bollinger,
Jacob Burkhard,
John Byer,
Mathias Blocher,
John Bickler,
Philip Bodenfeld,
Christian Bechtel,
John Brodbeck,
Henry Bowman, Sr.,
Felty Berger,
Henry Bollinger,
Stoffel Bricker,
Henry Byer,
Andrew Beads,
Jacob Baum,
John Calhoon,
Daniel Doll,
Henry Dewald,
Henry Danner,
Widow Danner,
Daniel Dubs,
John Dierwachter,
Oswald Dubs,
Joseph Decker,
Adam Eichelberger,
Leonard Eichelberger,
;\Iichael Ehrhard,
Jacob Ebersole,
John Eppley,
Peter Epply.
Matthias Epply,
John Eyler,
Way Ernst,
Jacob Fuhrman, Jr.,
John Fauble,
Valentine Fuhrman,
Jacob Fuhrman,
Christian Foss,
Adam Fisher,
Henry Felger,
Adam Funk,
George Fox,
Michael Fuhrman,
Philip Forney's widow,
Marks Forney,
Conrad Felty,
Valentine Fisher,
John Felty,
John Felix,
Adam Forney,
Jacob Flickinger,
Samuel Flickinger,
William Gerhardt,
Adam Craumer,
George Cody,
Peter Gundy,
John Gerber,
Frederick Gelwix,
Martin Geminter,
Peter Good,
George Gelwix,
Christian Gerhardt,
Phillip Houck,
Jacob Houck,
Michael Hower,
Jacob Hedrick,
Michael Hoffacker,
John Hinkel,
John Hereder,
Anthony Hinkel,
Henry Hering,
Henry Hoff,
Christian Hershy,
John Hershy,
Adam Hubbert,
Michael Hoffman,
Peter Hoffman,
Adam Hoffman,
Samuel Harnish,
Casper Hock,
Francis Heimse,
Frederick Heiner,
Jacob Heagy,
Ludwig Herdie,
Andrew Holl,
Conrad Hains,
Yost Hoffman,
John Jones,
Thomas Kelly,
Widow Kaufelt,
Andrew Karg,
Peter Koch,
John Kroh,
George Koch,
Andrew Koch,
Jacob Kraft,
Henry Klein,
Helfrich Kramer,
Adam Kraver,
Gerhard Kraver,
Gabriel Kraver,
Peter Krum,
Nicholas Keefaber,
Jacob Kochenaur,
Peter Keplinger,
John Kitzmiller,
George Kitzmiller,
John Kair,
Michael Karl,
MANHEIM
1023
Christian Kemmerly,
Peter Kaa,
George Keller,
David Kibler,
Samuel Kelly,
Mathias Lower,
Frederick Long,
Martin Long,
Jacob Long,
Nicholas Lengle,
Widow Leining,
Henry Leinert, Sr.,
Henry Leinert, Jr.,
Alexander Leinert,
Henry Leish,
Martin Layer,
Michael Mosser,
Melchoir Myers,
Peter Malsbach,
Philip Miller, Jr.,
Adam Martin,
Henry Martin,
Joder Masemore,
Philip Miller,
George Matter,
Frederick Myer,
William Michael,
George Meilheim,
Jacob Moshrosh,
Philip Morningstar,
James Miller,
Philip Moul,
Jacob Nunemacher,
Mathias Nace,
Nicholas Newman,
Michael Newman,
Christian Rohlman,
Jacob Reinhard,
William Reineman,
George Rohlman,
Hophel Rack)-,
Jacob Runkel,
Ludwig Runkle,
Casper Reineiker,
Andrew Rudisill,
Conrad Reinhard,
Ludwig Rudisill,
George Reinhardt,
John Rauenzahn,
Henry Richel,
Widow Ravenstein,
Michael Roth,
John Shead,
William Speice,
Widow Slothower,
Widow Sholl,
Adam Smith,
William Strauck,
John Shenck,
Dewald Sneyder,
Tobias Steir,
Adam Shorb,
Hill Savige,
Michael Stephen,
John Summer,
Adam Schmetzer,
John Schwartzbach,
Christopher Sneyder,
Bernhardt Sterner,
Peter Sabel,
Jacob Sherman,
Conrad Sherman,
Adam Sower,
Conrad Sherertz,
Ltidwig Sherertz,
John Sheirer,
Christopher Shrod,
George Smith,
Anthony Slothauer,
Jacob Stambach,
Michael Slothauer,
John Snyder,
Christopher Sower,
John Shawk.
Sebastian Steinbrecker,
John Studebecker,
Peter Stambach,
John Throne,
Jacob Thome,
Abraham Throne,
Casper Trump,
Abraham Trump,
Michael Uland,
Daniel LUz,
Adam Wagner,
Michael Wentz,
Philip Wollfahrt,
Widow Wirking,
Philip Wirking,
Valentine Wirking,
Melchoir Werner,
George Werner,
Nicholas Wolfgang,
Christopher Willet,
John Wampler,
Jacob Wildesin,
Samuel Wildesin,
Michael Weinbreckt,
John Welty,
Yost Wagner,
Peter Wagner,
Ludwig Wagner,
John Winter,
Christian Wunner,
Valentine Wentz,
William Wadsworth,
John Wise,
Frederick Wentz,
Henrj' Yager,
Leonard Yenawein,
John Yekis.
Charles Young,
Daniel Zuber,
Anthony Zancker,
George Zacharias,
John Zimmerman,
Christian Zimmerman.
SINGLE MEN.
Africa, Michael,
Baumgardner, Jacob,
Bloger, John,
Bucher, John,
Brungard,
Evanstein, Dewald,
Ernst, John,
Felty, Dewald.
Furney, Christian,
Geminter, Adam,
Hok, Philip,
Kinger, Philip,
Klein, John,
Long, John,
Long. Samuel,
Long, Conrad,
Morningstar, George,
Miller, Edward,
Minnich, Jacob,
Miller, Henry,
Miller, Abraham,
Masenheimer, Nicholas,
Mattes, George,
Nonnemacher, Gotlieb,
Newcomer, Jacob,
Pleger, Ludwig,
Runkel, John,
Rauser, Christian,
Stambach, Jacob,
Sneyder, Christopher,
Sterner, John,
Shench, Henry,
Stier, Henry,
Stier, John,
Thome, Henry,
Wirt, Jacob,
Willet, Jacob,
Willet, Anthony,
Werner, Philip,
Werner, Charles.
The population of Manheim in 1820 was
1,305; in 1830 was 1,361; in 1840, 1,528;
1850, 1,806; i860, 1,091; 1870, 1,159; 1880,
1,293; 1890, 1,258; 1900, 1,226.
Marburg is a hamlet near the
Villages, centre of Manheim Township
and was named in honor of a
town in Germany. John S. Gallatin, of
York, opened a store at this place before
i860 and conducted a mercantile business
here during the Civil War. He has been
succeeded in order by the following per-
sons, who have carried on a general store at
Marburg: Jesse Bortner, A. S. Thoman &
Bro., and Dubs and Wagner. Since 1890
Daniel S. Dubs, who represented York
County in the State Legislature from 1890
to 1894, has conducted the mercantile
business in this village. A. S. Thoman
was the first postmaster, the office being
established August 18, 1884. Since his re-
tirement Daniel S. Dubs has held that office
with the exception of four years while he
was a member of the legislature. During
that period, his brother, William S. Dubs,
was postmaster.
Black Rock village, largely composed of
a settlement of German Baptists, is situated
in the extreme southern part of Manheim
near the Maryland line. The Bachman Val-
ley Railroad traverses this region. A. R.
Wentz and Company carried on the mer-
cantile business here for many years and
was succeeded by Peter Lucabaugh & Son.
The German Baptists were among the
early, settlers of this region and originally
belonged to the Codorus Church founded in
1758. For more than a century, the people
of this denomination worshipped in houses
and barns. Meetings were held for many
years in the barn of Henry Hoff, one of the
bishops of the church. In 1878, a brick
meeting house was built near the Maryland
line, about a third of a mile from Black
Rock Station. A large burial ground ad-
joins the meeting house. Some of the early
preachers of this congregation were An-
I024
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
drew Miller, J. Shamberger, Joel Miller,
Aaron Baugher and Joseph Price. The
pastors in 1907 were Edward S. Miller,
Aaron Baugher, Jr., and George Baugher.
S. B. Hoke owns a store at Hoke's Sta-
tion on the Western Maryland Railroad,
where he is also postmaster.
St. Paul's Lutheran and Re-
Churches, formed Church known in the
community as "Dubs' Church"
is the centre of interest in Manheim, for
in this building most of the people of the
township have worshipped for three-fourths
of a century. Rev. Samuel Gutelius, pastor
of the Reformed Church at Hanover,
preached for a time in David Runkle's
dwelling-house. Both Reformed and Lu-
theran clergymen held services for several
years in what is known as Wildasin's school-
house. In 1853 a brick church was built.
The Lutheran clergymen, since the time of
organization have been Revs. D. P. Rosen-
miller, M. J. Alleman, P. Warner, S. Ying-
ling, D. J. Hauer, and J. A. Metzgar. The
Reformed congregation has been served by
Revs. Samuel Gutelius, Jacob Sechler, J. C.
J. Kurtz, J. D. Zehring, S. F. Laury, and
J. H. Hartman.
The Lutherans under the care of Rev.
J. A. Metzgar during the past twenty-five
years have increased and prospered and in
1907 numbered 382. The Reformed con-
gregation with Rev. J. H. Hartman as pas-
tor for the same period has also been in a
prosperous condition and now numbers 362
members. The Union Sunday School held
regularly in this church has always been
well-conducted and has exerted a good in-
fluence. In 1902 the brick structure built
in 1853 was torn down and a handsome
brick church building erected at a cost of
$11,000. Rev. J. A. Singmaster, D. D., of
Gettysbui-g and Rev. Charles M. Stock,
D. D., of Hanover, assisted the pastors at
the dedicatory services when the entire debt
on the church was paid.
St. John's United Evangelical Church in
Manheim Township was organized in 1904,
when the congregation had fifty members,
and the Sundaj^ School fifty-five members.
The United Evangelical Church built a
house of worship near Hokes' Station on
the Western Maryland Railroad in 1904.
Runk's Sunday School Chapel built near
Black Rock in 1904 has since been used as
a house for religious worship by Lutheran,
Reformed, Evangelical and German Bap-
tists.
Down to the year 1870, Manheim
Schools, had refused to accept the com-
mon school system. For several
years the people had elected school di-
rectors, after the manner prescribed by
law, but with the understanding that the
law was not to be put into force. The town-
ship was not, however, without school
houses and schools. In the autumn of
1870, Stephen G. Boyd, then county super-
intendent, paid the township a visit to
confer with, and if possible, induce the
board to accept the law. He found such
members as he met friendly to the cause
of education, and one of these members,
Cornelius R. W^entz, secretary of the
board, especially favorable to the accept-
ance of the system.
Arrangements were at once made for a
meeting of the board at an early day, which
convened at a time appointed, and after an
interchange of views, and a full explanation
of the workings of the law, by the super-
intendent, decided to adopt the system
without further delay. An examination of
teachers was held for the township and the
schools put into operation. There are at
present seven schools, as follows : Wolf-
gang's, Black Rock, Miller's, Snyder's
Nace's, Zumbrum's, Summitt.
Dubs' Mill situated on a branch of
Early the Codorus near Marburg, is one
Mills, of the landmarks in the southwest-
ern part of the county. In the
year 1752, Ludwig Solomon Miller, a
German from the Palatinate, obtained a
warrant for a tract of 275 acres from the
Proprietaries of Pennsylvania, paying for it
the sum of 42 pounds, 12 shillings and i
pence, or about $210. It was in Manheim
Township. The land warrant was given
under the authority of John, Thomas and
Richard Penn, who were the sons of Wil-
liam Penn. A deed was given to Miller in
1769 which was signed by John Penn, who
was then governor of Pennsylvania. The
property adjoined the lands of Oswald
Dubs, Henry Gilmore and Henry Herring.
Soon after Miller purchased this tract, he
erected along the stream one of the pioneer
grist mills in this region. In 1774, he sold
this mill property and the 275 acres of land
MANHEIM
1025
to John Hinkle, a blacksmith from German-
town, Pennsylvania, for the sum of 900
pounds or about $4,000. The deed of trans-
fer was written by Colonel Richard Mc-
Allister, the founder of Hanover and was
witnessed by Archibald McClean of York,
a deputy surveyor for the Province of Penn-
sylvania.
In 1787, four years after the Revolution
had ended, John Hinkle sold this mill to
Anthony Hinkle and John Fissel for 1,200
pounds. The deed was written by Jacob
Rudisill, of Hanover, one of the associate
judges of York County, and recorded by
Jacob Barnitz, a soldier of the Revolution,
wounded at the battle of Fort Washington.
After this period it was divided into
smaller tracts, and in 1790, Anthony Hinkle
became the owner of the mill property and
all the water rights of this place. In 1818,
the original tract of 275 acres, and addi-
tional lands, in all 402 acres, were purchased
by John L. Hinkle and William L. Hinkle,
sons of Anthony Hinkle, for the sum
of $16,000. John J. Hinkle, who re-
sided at Hanover, served as one of
the associate judges of York County, from
the year 1818 to 1841. In 1833, Judge
Hinkle disposed of all his interests in the
property to his brother William L. Hinkle.
Henry Rohrbach purchased 116 acres, in-
cluding this mill property for the sum of
$7,850, from A¥illiam L. Hinkle. In 1841,
Adam Nace bought the property from
Henry Rohrbach for the sum of $7,400.
Michael Bucher, an intelligent citizen of
Hanover, and a justice of the peace, wrote
the deed. For a long period it was known
as Nace's Mill. The present owner, Wil-
liam S. Dubs, purchased the property sev-
eral years ago.
Daniel Dubs owned 300 acres of land ad-
joining the Hinkle mill property. He also
owned an oil mill, distillery and large cider
mill. At his death the property was be-
queathed to William Dubs who divided it
into three tracts. The mill property was
sold to William S. Mitzel, who later dis-
posed of it to John R. Stine, A. J. Snively
and Pius Wilt. In 1907 the property was
owned by Adam R. Worner.
About ,1792 Jacob Keller who owned 700
acres of land in Manheim Township, erected
the first paper mill known to have existed
west of the Susquehanna. It stood in Man-
heim Township near Green Ridge. At this
pioneer mill, a fine quality of foolscap paper
was made. Jacob Keller erected a large
stone house at the same time he started his
paper mill, and some years later built a saw
mill and distillery nearby. In 1907 the
dwelling house was owned and occupied by
Noah P. Runkle. The distillery was turned
into a dwelling hovise and was owned by
Jacob H. Snyder.
Jacob Albright about 1800 erected a paper
mill and began the manufacture of wrapping
paper and foolscap paper. He also owned
a distillery in connection with this paper-
mill. In 1841 both these industries were
purchased by Mr. Shutt who changed the
paper mill into a grist mill and a saw mill.
J. Hoffacker bought the mills and was suc-
ceeded in the ownership of them by George
B. Snyder and Wesley Allison. After the
death of Wesley Allison the property came
into possession of Jacob Allison. He sold
it to Daniel W. Miller who added a cider
mill. Jacob Allison meantime became the
owner of a grist mill farther up the stream.
Jacob Albright at an early date also
owned a distillery and oil mill situated on
the Middle Branch of the Codorus. The
mill for making flaxseed oil was discon-
tinued about 1822 and the distillery in 1849.
Upon the same site a grist mill and a saw
mill were erected. The succeeding owners
were : Adam Trone, Levi D. Hartman, Levi
P. Trone, J. B. Peterman and Levi R.
Snyder.
John R. Albright owned the last distillery
in Manheim Township. It ceased to be
operated in 1877.
William Runkle owned a distillery which
was closed out in 1873.
Valentine B. Wentz erected a grist and
saw mill on the Maryland Line near the
village of Lineboro in 1842. This property
in late years has been owned by Jacolj W.
Dubs. A canning factory has recently been
erected at Lineboro.
Jacob P. Werner erected a grist and saw
mill in 1849. The successive owners have
been Manasses ShefTer, Charles Brandt, E.
T. Masemore, Henry Dusman, H. A. Frey
and Jacob Allison. This mill stands at the
head waters of the Codorus Creek on the
Middle Branch.
I026
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
MONAGHAN TOWNSHIP.
The township of Monaghan, as originally
laid out in 1745, extended across the entire
northwestern section of York County. It
then embraced the areas of the present
townships of Monaghan, Carroll and Frank-
lin. The settlers of this region were largely
Scotch-Irish, a kind of overflow of the mi-
gration of that race into the Cumberland
Valley which began in 1735. The original
Monaghan Presbyterian Church, which is
situated near Dillsburg, was the centre of
interest to the pioneers who came to this
region from the north of Ireland. Some of
them came from the township of Mona-
ghan, in the County of Ulster, and for that
reason the name of Monaghan was given
to this township which was laid out by au-
thority of the Court at Lancaster, four years
before York County was organized. For a
period of sixty-four years Monaghan re-
tained its original boundaries until 1809,
wrhen the western portion along the South
Mountain, was erected into the township
of Franklin. In 1831, Carroll Township
was formed out of the western part of
Monaghan and the eastern part of Frank-
lin. This division made Monaghan one of
the smallest townships in the county.
Among the first settlers in the present
area of Monaghan coming either from Eng-
land or Ireland, were the McMullens, Dares,
Baileys, Parks, and Elliots. Later some
German families came to this region among
whom were the Myerses, Kimmells, Hart-
mans, Shaffers, Fortneys and Brennemans.
Dennis Cannon settled in this township in
1800. One of the landmarks of Monaghan
Township is a house built by Benjamin
Elliot in 1769. owned for many years by
Jacob Bigler.
Lime was used as a fertilizer in this town-
ship from the early part of the last century.
At first it was hauled from kilns in Cumber-
land County. The first kilns in Monaghan
were erected on the farm later owned
by G. D. Shaffer. A kiln was built
on the McMuUen farm about the same
time. In recent years phosphates have
been used extensively. From the year
1800 until 1850 considerable whiskey was
distilled from corn and rye grown in Mona-
ghan Township. Establishments of this kind
existed for many years on the Bailey, Rice,
Fortney, Williams, Smith, Coover, Myers
and Cannon farms. A distillery for making
apple and peach brandy stood for many
years on the Cocklin farm.
Monaghan furnished many brave soldiers
to defend and preserve the Union in the
War of the Rebellion. Some of her sons lie
on southern battlefields. Five died in An-
dersonville prison, and many bear the scars
of battle as evidence of their valor.
The population of Monaghan in 1820 was
1,158; in 1830, 1,214; 1840, 770; 1850, 990;
i860, 1,030; 1870, 1,028; 1880, 1,055; 1890,
923 ; 1900, 847.
The following is a list of the
Tax List taxable inhabitants of Mona-
of 1783. ghan in 1783, which then in-
cluded Carroll and Franklin :
Henry Arndorf, 130 acres £200
James Anderson, i still 211
Michael Alker
John Anderson, 50 acres 25
Albert Andrew, 150 acres 242
Daniel Brinkerhoof 8
Edward Brady 2
Michael Brady, 20 acres 20
Daniel Bailey, 50 acres 1 16
Wendal Baker 42
Adam Brumer 27
James Brawly, 43 acres 53
Christian Baker, 50 acres 76
William Beans 23
Robert Bole 23
John Brown 23
Hugh Beans 24
Thomas Beans, 100 acres 150
James Beans, 100 acres 116
Samuel Beans, 100 acres 100
Robert Beans, 100 acres '. . 100
Thomas Beans, Jr 146
Richard Blackford, 182 acres 148
Charles Bj'ars, 100 acres 148
Elizabeth Braken, 140 acres 151
Joseph Bash, 30 acres 48
Jesse Cook, 105 acres, i tanyard 148
Taylor Conrad, 140 acres 166
Amelia Cleveland 13
Robert Cunningham, 74 acres 98
William Colston. 100 acres 173
Charles Colston, 300 acres 583
David Colston, 100 acres 161
William Camion, 160 acres 200
Christian Coiner, 24 acres 33
Patrick Campbell, 1 18 acres 162
Archibald Campbell
Henry Coiler, 70 acres ■ 23
John Carothers, 297 acres 395
Benjamin Cable, 166 acres 209
Thomas Campbell, 200 acres 200
William Crawford, 42 acres 25
Robert Crawford 16
Nicholas Coulson, 100 acres 172
Ann Daugherty, 80 acres 80
Jacob Deardorff, 132 acres 465
Jacob Deardorff. 180 acres
Isaac Deardorff, 150 acres 485
Henry Deardorff, 100 acres
Joseph Dixon, i tan-yard 30
MONAGHAN
1027
Alexander Donaldson, i tan-yard 9
Thomas Dill, 130 acres 173
Col. Matthew Dill, 350 acres, i slave, I still 564
John Develin 21
Mathew Dill, Jr 19
James Dill, 650 acres, 2 slaves 992
John Eickinger, 50 acres, i tan-yard 104
David Ej'res
Isaac Elliot, i tan-yard 46
Benjamin Elliot, 100 acres 192
Robert Elliot, 200 acres 270
Joseph Elliot, 250 acres 335
Henry Finley 8
George Fry 59
Thomas Fullerton 12
William Fisher 3
Joshua Fresher 126
Anthony Fisher 18
James Fisher, 50 acres 91
William Godfrv, 642 acres, I slave 797
Alex. Galacher 18
William Garrettson, 290 acres 362
William Grist, 100 acres 488
Daniel Grist 550
Casper Groob, 100 acres 58
George Heikes, 103 acres 143
Isaac Hodge 19
Stoffel Hoffman, 90 acres 63
Peter Haushalter, 309 acres, I slave 533
George Heikes, 100 acres 119
George Hopple, 50 acres 90
Bailiff Kennedy, 170 acres 203
John Kerr, 100 acres 123
John Kneisly, 58 acres 53
Philip King 23
Christopher King, 250 acres 360
James Kitely 194
John Kennedy. 76 acres 99
Peter Keiser. 100 acres 129
George' Lenhardt, 100 acres 78
William Lemer, 103 acres 82
Mathew Long 14
Abraham Lobach, 126 acres 270
Jacob Lerew. 100 acres 258
Henry Lever, 100 acres 65
James Livingston 12
William Lemer, 200 acres 394
Henry Logan. 150 acres 444
Byron McDonnel 8
Joseph McDowel 16
William Mitchel, 308 acres 371
Hugh McMullen, TO acres 103
Hugh Moore
Samuel McClure 40
Henry Miller, 10 acres 37
John JMiller, 190 acres, I still 257
George Miller, 100 acres loi
John iNIiller ' 13
Stoffel Moody, 50 acres 45
Michael Jilumper, 400 acres, I slave, i still 637
George !Messersmith, 40 acres 82
John McGriffith 4
Peter Myers. 3 acres 10
Daniel ^Miller, 140 acres 162
George McMullen. 80 acres 140
Daniel McCurdy. 107 acres 147
Robert Moodv 16
Wilham Mills .♦ 6
Samuel Nelson. 161 acres 290
Jerry Newman , 5
Samuel Nisely. 100 acres 80
Edvi'ard O'Hail. 70 acres 80
John O'Hail, 143 acres 168
John Oldshoe, 20 acres 169
Benjamin Oram, 150 acres 169
Lawrence Oats, 40 acres 38
Andrew Peterson. 100 acres 17
William Patterson 17
William Potter, 139 acres 159
Philip Pence 4
John Prince, 240 acres 334
William Porter, 80 acres 188
William Parks, 190 acres 309
Richard Peters, 1,300 acres 975
Henry Pearson 193
Vincent Pearson 14
Samuel Pedan^ 190 acres, 2 slaves 228
James Quigley 51
Jacob Reever, 162 acres 202
George Riess, 45 acres 63
Jacob Richardson, 85 acres, 2 slaves 448
George Ross, 280 acres 63
William Renolds. 50 acres 70
Thomas Robinson, 100 acres 123
George Steel, 200 acres 65
Isaac Steel, 10 acres g
Jacob Shull, 100 acres 90
Jacob Smith, 150 acres 121
William Squib 20
Daniel Spontle 7
Philip Smith, 5 acres 14
Gabriel Smith, too acres 220
Henrj' Stauffer. 200 acres 375
Henry Shafer, 93 acres 65
David Shoeman, 3 acres 127
Nicholas Shadow. 150 acres 175
Rudolph Stiers, 60 acres 93
Godfry Steel, 107 acres 122
Barnet Sneider 12
Andrew Sans, 30 acres 22
Daniel Stanton 10
John Thompson, 100 acres 126
Francis Travlet 12
Allen Torbet, 250 acres 297
John Trough i r
Andrew Wilson, 600 acres, 2 slaves 1,026
Lewis Williams, 180 acres 230
Andrew Wilson, 287 acres 241
John Wilson 18
John Williams, 200 acres 450
Joshua Williams
William Webster 14
Daniel Williams. 300 acres, i still, i slave 382
Jqhn Williams, 100 acres 113
James Wilson, i.io acres 95
John Wilson. 200 acres 374
Abraham Williams, 247 acres 345
Andrew Williams 19
Joseph Wilson 26
Amos Williams 129
Edward Williams 3
Henry Wales. 130 acres 176
Ludwig Zimmerman, 445 acres, i still 642
SINGLE MEN.
Peter Brunner. William Turner,
Jacob Brunner, Alexander Wilson,
Jacob Wagner. Robert Torbet.
John Heiser. Henry Deardorft',
Joseph Moulen, Obediah Pedan,
George Ross, Joshua Williams,
Richard Ross, Robert Ayers.
The farm of Daniel Landis was first
Iron surveyed by Roger Cook, in pursu-
Ore. ance of a warrant dated June 23,
1746, by Thomas and Richard Penn,
and after the lapse of over one hundred
years, the first ore was discovered when the
I028
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
land was in possession of Mrs. Mary
Knisel}^
An Englishman by the name of Bosworth
obtained the first lease on the property in
the year 1839, but did not develop the mine,
and sold his lease to Governor Porter,
of Harrisburg, who worked it successfully
and hauled the ore to Harrisburg on wagons
for a few years, and after that to Shiremans-
town, and the ore was shipped over the
Cumberland Valley Railroad. Mrs. Knisely
received twenty-five cents per ton royalty.
About the year 1873 the farm and ore bank
came into possession of Mr. Landis and his
first lease was given to H. O. Shelly, April
18, 1874, who mined about 1,300 tons, when
he sold out to Jackson C. Fuller of Phila-
delphia, January 10, 1875, ^or $2,500. At
this time there was only one opening and
no machinery; and about 500 tons of ore
were mined. Mr. Landis. made a lease to J.
C. Fuller January 15, 1875, who held the
property under a lease until November,
1882, and mined about 7,000 tons of
ore. In October 1883, Mr. Landis leased
the bank to H. O. Shelly. The vein
was from ten to fourteen feet in thickness.
The ore was magnetic. This bank has not
been operated since 1890.
Siddonsburg lies near the
Siddonsburg. centre of Monaghan Town-
ship and is nearly a mile in
length. The southern part is called Mount
Pleasant, which is situated on an eminence
overlooking a large extent of country.
Round Top on the borders of Monaghan
and Warrington townships is only a short
distance away, and its elevation above the
sea level is 1,110 feet. Benjamin Siddon and
William Divin conceived the idea of found-
ing a town in 1825, and it was named after
the former. James G. Frazer was the first
postmaster, being appointed in 1826, and
continued for many years. J. A. Myers has
been postmaster for a quarter of a century,
and also owns a store. Dr. Wingert prac-
ticed medicine here for a third of a century.
He was succeeded by Dr. William R.
Prowell who practiced here for ten years,
and then removed to Steelton, Pa.
A pottery existed in Siddonsburg for
many years. It was originally started on a
farm owned by Jacob Cocklin. After the
building was destroyed by fire, the business
was removed by John Elcock, its owner at
that time, to Siddonsburg. Samuel Myers
soon afterward became the owner of this
industry. Moore & Bushey began to manu-
facture coaches, buggies and sleighs on an
extensive scale at Siddonsburg. This es-
tablishment was later owned by Jacob
Moore, son of John Moore of Fairview
Township, who served as associate judge
of the courts of York County.
Andersontown is situated
Andersontown. about two miles south of
Lisburn, and two and a
half miles east of Siddonsburg. It was
named in honor of Rennox Anderson, who
built the first house. A postoffice was
established at this place about 1875, and
Jacob A. Sultzberger was the first post-
master, and also owned a general store.
Stores have since been conducted by Adam
Bell and others. Most of the inhabitants of
the village are engaged in the cultivation of
grapes, raspberries and strawberries, which
find a ready sale in the Harrisburg markets.
Peaches are grown abundantly in this re-
gion. H. Dietz conducted a coach shop at
this place.
John Eichelberger, a leading citizen of
Monaghan Township served as justice of
the peace from 1847 to the time of his death
in 1897, a period of fifty years. His father,
John Eichelberger, commanded a company
of troops that served in the War of 1812.
George Pollinger who served as register
of wills of York County from 1873 to 1876
was a resident of Siddonsburg. Levi M.
Myers, also a resident of this village was a
member of the State legislature in 1903-4.
George Dare who served as associate
judge of the courts of York County from
1841 to 1846, was born near Lewisberry in
1789. He resided in Monaghan Township
most of his life and died in 1863.
David J. Williams, a member of the York
Bar, who served as district attorney, was a
native of Monaghan Township. Charles
Williams of this township, served as a mem-
ber of the State Legislature.
The saw mills of P. Laucks, near
Mills. Bowmansdale, Levi Lantz, on the
Yellow Breeches, and L. T. Fortney
on a small stream, a short distance south-
west of Mount Pleasant, sawed a great deal
of the local timber into lumber for home
use.
One of the first grist mills within the
MONAGHAN
1029
present limits of Monaghan Township was
a small log structure, with an undershot
wheel, built by William Parks on the Yellow
Breeches. After some years, the log build-
ing was torn down and a stone one built,
with the same undershot wheel for motive
power. John Gardner, a leading member of
the York Bar, at one time owned this mill.
The undershot wheel was exchanged and a
"center discharge" was used up to 1882,
when P. Laucks put in two thirty-inch tur-
bine wheels. The capacity of this mill is
1,200 bushels per day when in operation
twenty-four hours. F. H. Godhart who suc-
ceeded in the ownership of this mill in-
creased its capacity and added modern im-
provements.
Watts' Mill is situated three-fourths of a
mile northeast of Siddonsburg. Robert
Bryson built a grist mill on the site of
Clark's saw mill but it was destroyed by
fire, after which the present mill was built
by Mr. Bryson, who also built ovens for
drying corn, and manufactured it into meal.
He furnished hundreds of barrels for the
city markets.
The common school sj'stem under act
of 1834, was accepted in Monaghan Town-
ship in the year 1836, and the subscription
schools that were in use prior to the adop-
tion of free schools, were not very well
patronized. There are five schools known
as Siddonsburg, Porter's Filey's, Anderson-
town and Myers.
Monaghan is the banner town-
Fruit ship in York County for growing
Culture, apple and peach trees, which have
been known to bear an abundant
crop since the earliest recollection of the
oldest inhabitants. Since 1870, the cultiva-
tion of small fruits such as the raspberry,
strawberry, blackberry and the grape has
been a very profitable business and has
occupied the attention of nearly all the
farmers in the township. Jacob Cocklin,
who was born in Upper Allen Township,
Cumberland County, in 1797, and lived to
the advanced age of ninety years, raised
more fruit in his time than any other person
in York County. He was also in.terested in
arbor culture on a very extensive scale.
Observing that the soil and climate of Mon-
aghan Township was well adapted for po-
mology and arbor culture, Mr. Cocklin,
planted his first apple orchard in 1827. The
next year he took up his residence in Mon-
aghan. During the succeeding forty years,
he introduced and cultivated 180 varieties
of apples, 120 varieties of peaches, eighty
varieties of pears, forty varieties of cherries,
and ten varieties of apricot trees, besides
many other kinds of fruit, timber and orna-
mental trees. He began the cultivation of
the peach about 1830, and raised his largest
crop in 1846, 1,500 bushels of peaches which
he sold for the sum of $980. He also made
at a local distillery thirty-five barrels of
peach brandy, which he disposed of at the
rate of seventy-five cents a gallon. He was
one of the pioneers in raising small fruits,
and at one time had ten acres planted in
raspberries alone. The fruit industry of
Monaghan became very profitable, and as
early as 1884, the statistics show that 73,000
quarts, or over 2,280 bushels of strawber-
ries; 39,900 quarts or over 1,246 bushels of
raspberries ; 3,000 quarts of blackberries and
about seven tons of grapes were marketed
yearly from this township.
During the past twenty years, fruit grow-
ing in Monaghan has continued to prosper.
Peaches have produced abundantly when-
ever that fruit grew elsewhere in Pennsyl-
vania. The small fruits have also been
readily sold in the local markets. Since
1890, the cultivation of the plum tree has
been quite successful. Peaches, strawber-
ries and plums have been more profitable
than any other kinds of fruit.- The insect
known as the " scale " came to this town-
ship when it appeared elsewhere in South-
ern Pennsylvania. When peach trees are
attacked by this plague, they die after they
have grown two or three crops. In order to
economize, farmers of Monaghan plant an
orchard with peach trees which last about
four years. Plum trees are planted in par-
allel rows ; these last about eight years, pro-
ducing three or four crops. About the
same time that the plum and peach trees
are set out, apple trees are planted in the
same orchard. The prudent farmer can
thus have a continuous crop of either
peaches, plums or apples, on the same land.
Eli H. Cocklin succeeded to the owner-
ship of the Cocklin homestead, near Sid-
donsburg, and continued the fruit-growing
business. John A. Cocklin, son of Eli, B.
H. Cocklin. B. F. Cocklin and John Cock-
lin, own large orchards, some of which are
I030
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
in adjoining townships. Other farmers in
Monaghan who are extensive growers of
apples, peaches, pears, plums and small
fruits, are Jacob H. Myers, John R. Myers,
Levi M. Myers, Russell Myers, Henry K.
Forry and Alfred Eichelberger.
The inost popular varieties of apples are
York Imperial, Ben Davis and Grimes'
Golden. The Kiefer pear produces abun-
dantlv. The varieties of strawberries raised
within recent years are the Gandy, Bubach
and Gregg.
The Lutheran and Reformed
Churches. Church known as "Filey's
Church" was named in honor
of the person who donated the ground. This
church was organized about 1800. The
first building was of logs, and served as a
school and church. It had two rows of
desks along the side walls, facing the centre
desks. The pulpit was a concavo-convex,
or like a goblet cut through the centre, it
being usually called the "bird cage."
In 1838, it was thought advisable to erect
a brick church building of modern architec-
ture. The members of both denominations
elected a building committee, two of each
denomination, to erect a union church. The
building committee was composed of Jacob
Hartman, David Fortney, Jacob Coover,
and Jacob Heikes. The cornerstone was
laid August 20, 1838, and the church was
dedicated the same year. Since 1838, the
two congregations have been served by the
following pastors : Revs. Kempfer, Focht,
Rightmj'er, Bricker, Dasher, Seifert, Win-
ton, Dietrich, Heilman, Day, Minter,
Stump, Ehrhard, Smith, Wiles. Helfrick
and Kale. In 1907 Rev. H. A. Althouse
was pastor of the Reformed congregation
and Rev. George Eveler of the Lutheran
congregation.
The Church of God at Andersontown was
organized about 1830. Rev. John Wine-
brenner, the founder of this denomination,
was originally a clergyman in the German
• Reformed Church. He preached on cer-
tain occasions in Andersontown and vicinty.
This denomination, according to "doctrine
and discipline, is an order of Baptists, with
no definite creed, but "acknowledges and re-
ceives the infallible teachings of the inspired
word of God, as a guide in all matters of
Christian faith and practice."
The names of the first members of the
church at Andersontown were John Hutton,
William Tate, Jacob May, John Ayers,
Samuel Arter, Henry Beck and a few others.
More members were gradually added,
among whom were John P. Wiley, Jacob
Traver and wife, George \\'iley and wife.
In 1842, a revival under the labors of Revs.
McElroy, William Miller and D. Maxwell,
resulted in the addition of many new mem-
bers, William Anderson and Mrs. Mary
Kline being among the number. In 1843,
a revival of three months' duration resulted
in the addition of more than 100 members.
Prior to 1848 the services were held in the
schoolhouse. During that year a new
frame church was built. Elder S. Fleegle
being the minister. In 1871, the building
was encased in brick. Rev. W. J. Shaner
was pastor of this circuit in 1907.
Mount Pleasant Bethel was organized in
1843, i" ^^ old building opposite the hotel
later kept by W. K. Burns in Siddonsburg,
by members, principally, of the church at
Andersontown. The first ruling elders were
George Myers and James Machlin. Thomas
Kerr donated a small tract of ground, and
in 1844, a frame meeting house was built, at
a cost of about $500. The original number
of members was twelve. In 1850, a brick
church called Mount Pleasant Bethel was
built in the upper end of Siddonsburg, at a
cost of $2,300. In 1882, during the pas-
torate of Elder H. E. Reever, the building
was remodeled at an expense of $1,100.
Andersontown and Siddonsburg are ap-
pointments on a circuit, and are supplied
by pastors appointed by the annual East
Pennsylvania Eldership of the Church of
God.
For much of the information relating
to the history of Monaghan, the author is
under obligations to James AV. Shaffer.
NEWBERRY TOWNSHIP.
In the year 1722, Sir William Keith, then
lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, laid
of¥ the first tract of land, west of the Sus-
quehanna. It was situated along the river,
above Wrightsville. He called this tract,
"Newberry" and that is the origin of the
name of this township. The Quaker meet-
ing records of Chester County state that
the first Friends to settle west of the river
located at a place called "Newberry." This
record was made in the year' 1734, and in
NEWBERRY
1031
1738 these Quakers petitioned for a meeting
for religious worship at the present site of
Newberrytown.
The settlement of the northern part of
the county by the Quakers began at the
same time that the Germans commenced
to take up the lands in the valley of the
Codorus, between the present sites of Han-
over, York and Wrightsville.
There were no township boundaries laid
out during the first eight years that white
settlers occupied the region north of the
Conewago. In 1742, about one hundred
settlers west of the river and north of the
Conewago Creek, petitioned the courts at
Lancaster for the erection of a township.
Their petition was granted and during that
year the township of Newberry was laid
out from a survey made by Thomas Cook-
son, one of the deputy surveyors for the
Province of Pennsylvania.
The original area of Newberry Township
including the present township of that name,
Fairview Township, and the northern part
of Manchester and East Manchester.
Nathan Hussey, a prominent
First Quaker, had settled near the
Settlers, mouth of Fishing Creek in 1734,
and opened a ferry there. He
became one of the commissioners to lay out
York County in 1749. John Day was ap-
pointed justice of the peace for Newberry
Township in 1742, and in 1749 was the
president judge of the first court held in the
county of York. He was also a member
of the Society of Friends and a man of in-
tellectual attainments. The tract of land
which he took up in 1735 was called Man-
chester from whence came the name of the
township. When Manchester Township
was laid out in 1745, it included the
southern part of the original township
of Newberry. Who the earliest settlers
of the Redland and Fishing Creek Valleys
and the adjoining region of Newberry
were, can be best shown by referring to
a marriage which took place at the home
of Justice John Day, on May 29, 1740. On
this occasion, Theodate Seal was married
to Robert Hodgin by the ceremony of the
Society of Friends. The persons recorded
to have been present at this ceremony were :
Anne Hussey, Nathan Hussey, John Hus-
sey, Christopher Hussey, Content Garret-
son, Ann Day, John Day, Thomas Fioland,
Peter ^^'orrall, Thomas Cox, John Noblet,
Ann Noblet, Ann Hussey, Margaret Hus-
sey, John Garretson, William Cox, Sam-
uel Cox, John Baley, James Ashton,
Charles McAhele, Patrick Carson, Rebecca
Bennett, Hannah Fincher, Mary Cox, Re-
becca Cox, Esther Davis, Anna Garretson,
Martha Garretson, Sarah McAnabley, Eliza-
beth Price, Margaret Carson, James Clem-
son, Francis Flincher, Joseph Bennett, Wil-
liam Garrettson, Joseph Garrettson, Wil-
liam Griffith, James Moore, Thomas Riley,
Jacob Youngblood, AVilliam Baley, James
Baley.
The first names in the list were the rela-
tives of the persons married.
Most of the fertile lands of Newberry and
adjoining townships were taken up soon
after the arrival of the first Quakers. There
were 2,000 followers of William Penn living-
west of the Susquehanna as early as 1760.
Before the Revolution, many of them mi-
grated to Virginia and to the central part
of North Carolina. An article in relation to
this religious body will be found in the early
chapters of this volume, to which the read-
er's attention is directed.
In 1767 Matthias Ressler, by
Newberry authority of County Commis-
in 1767. sioners, Thomas Stockton,
Joseph UpdegraiT and Hugh
Denwody, took the assessment of New-
berry Township which then included Fair-
view. A complete list of the taxable in-
habitants for that year is given below. This
is the earliest tax list in existence taken in
that township. Most of the persons named
in the list were among the first settlers in
the upper end of, York County.
Ashbridge, George Copland, David
Ashton, William Clayton, Henry
Anderson, William Crocket, William
Bare, Jacob Crone, Philip
Baxter, William Carron, Michael
Brown, John Cox, John
Brown, Henry Clemson, John
Beard, Matthias Cannon, Thomas
Bonine, James . Carrel, Christopher
Bonine, Thomas Cuvard, Abraham
Bayley, Daniel Chaffin, John
Blazer, John Chamberlain, Jonas
Beck, George Deveny, Cornelius
Boyd, George Deveny, Michael
Brooks, William Davis. David
Bennington, John Driver, James
Barnet, James Ensminger, David
Burrer, Michael Ensminger, George
Black, Michael Ensminger, Henry
Cram, Martin Elliot, Benjamin
Crone, Simon Elliot, James
Condrick, Darby Elliot, Alexander
I032
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Evans, Daniel
Ernestmyer, George
Fisher, James
Freeman. Nathaniel
Garretson, John, Sr.
Garretson, John, Jr.
Goosehorn, George
Grimes. Daniel
Glancey, Torrence
Garretson, William
Grove, Samuel
Grove, John
Good, Peter
Gorlick, John
Horse, Jacob
Hoover, Joseph
Humble, Garret
Hussey, Richard
Hussey, Jediah
Hussey, John'
Hepsa, Jacob
House, Benjamin
Hunter, Thomas
Hutton, Joseph
Hero. Peter
Harris, Samuel
Harris, George
Harris, John
Hambleton, Francis
Hambleton, Alexander
Hoffman, John
Ishbogh, Simon
Jennings, Thomas
John, Samuel
Jones, Samuel
Johnson, George
Knertzer, Baltzer
King. Christopher
Knafe, Peter
Kennieff. Barney
Landis. Henry
Love, James
Love, Robert
Loghman. Henry
Leamon. John
Lewis. Samuel
Lewis. Ellis
Lewis, Henry
Lehorn. Leonard
Lockerv. Patrick
Mills, Robert
Mansberger, Martin
Miller. Adam
McCrey. Hugh
Miller. Robert
McAdams, John
McAdams, Thomas
Miller, Samuel
Miller, Robert
JNIcCrery, Elizabeth
Martin, Jacob
JNIills, James
Moore, Samuel
Michael, William
Martin, Andrew
Myers, Jacob
Mathers, John
INIcXele, James
Mapping, James
Morgan, John
Morgan, William
Means, Isaac
Mains. David
Noblet. Ann
Nealer, James
Pike, Isaac
Pike, John
Pike, Abraham
Prunk. John
Provent, Jacob
Plough. John
Pepper, Joshua
Pugh, Thomas
Peters, Richard
Persel, Benjamin
Pumpa, George
Pots, John
Quiggel, Philip
Rodgers, Ellis
Rubel, Matthias
Rucker, John
Richey, James
Remer, Abraham
Rasler, Matthias
Richman, John
Ryon, Cornelius
Ryon. John
Rennals, William
Rankin. James
Rankin. John
Rafe, Jacob
Rankin, William
Riggle, George
Rosenberry, Henry
Shelley, Peter
Shelley, Jacob
Silver, Joseph
Shelter. Jacob
Shelter, John
Stanton. Daniel
Spade, John
Sharp, James
Sharp, Thomas
Smith. Thomas
Smith, James
Sands, John
Shultz, Felty
Spence, George
Stop, Matthias
Shafer, John
Sayler, Christian
Toland, James
Thorley, Abraham
Thorley, George
Tensil, John
Taylor, Joseph
Thompson, Lambert
Thompson, Mordecai
Thompson, Howell
Valentine, Jacob
Wire, Ludwig
Wile, Peter
Whinery, Robert
Whinery. Thomas
Wilson. William
West, Charles
Welsh, James
Webb, John
Willis, Henry
Willis, William
Wallace, Samuel
Wilkeson, John, Sr.
Wilkeson, John, Jr.
Way, William
Welch, Margaret
Way, David
West, Isaac
Wilkeson, Robert
Willeby, William
Weaver, Isaiah
Yarnel, John
Young. William
In 1783, Newberry Township
Newberry contained 33,107 acres of as-
in 1783. sessed land; had fifteen grist
and saw mills; 296 dwelling
houses — three more than the town of York
then had and more than any other township
in the county. The population at this time
was 1704, nearly all of whom were Quakers.
Since the formation of Fairview in 1803,
the area of Newberry is about one-half its
original size.
John Ashton, Cephas Atkeson, James
Bain, Jacob Burger, Andrew Donaldson,
Joseph Thatcher, Henry Krieger, Chris-
topher Heingardner, Adam Holtzapple,
^^'illiam Hanna, John McCreary, Thomas
McCaddams, Hugh McKee, George Mich-
ael, John Ross, Jacob Rife, George Spence,
Adam Shullar, Hugh Banner, Herman Up-
degraff, James Willis, William Willis, Jesse
AA'ickersham, John Wilson, Thomas Wat-
kins, Absolom Hall, and Thomas Whin-
nery, all residents of Newberry (which then
included Fairview), were weavers. There
were at this time 821 sheep owned by the
farmers of this township. Jacob Epply was
a chair-maker; AYilliam Baxter and John
Driver were wheelwrights ; Adam Collpret-
zer, William George, James Hancock,
George Kay, coopers ; Thomas Warren,
Samuel Nelson, John Mills and John Mc-
Masters, carpenters ; Samuel -Grove, gun-
smith; Joseph Taylor, wagon-maker; Jacob
Burger, James Elliott, Jacob Manly, An-
drew Miller, Ellis Rogers, George Snyder,
cordwainers (shoe-makers) ; John AVillis
and David Jenkins, masons ; Edward Jones,
saddler; Isaac Bennett, Jesse Hays,
^Matthias Rastler and AA'illiam Randalls,
tailors ; Elizabeth Chesney (widow of AA^il-
liam Chesney) owned four houses, 470 acres
of land, one distillery, seven negro slaves,
six horses, seven cows, twenty sheep, and a
ferry — entire valuation 2,620 pounds in
money, which was the highest in the town-
ship. The ferry mentioned extended across
the Susquehanna below the present site of
New Market, in Fairview Township, and
the land owned was afterward known as the
Simpson property, later as the Haldeman
estate. Eli Lewis, who afterward founded
the town of Lewisberry, owned 850 acres
of land, six dwelling houses, all valued at
1,018 pounds; John Prunk owned three
dwelling-houses, 250 acres of land, a saw-
NEWBERRY
1033
mill and a grist-mill, three horses and six
cows, all valued at 1,104 pounds. His prop-
erty and mill were located at the site of
Goldsboro. The town was not built until
sixty-five years after this date. Henry
Krieger owned seventeen acres of land, a
ferry, and the property at the Conewago
Falls, where, through individual enterprise,
considerable improvement had been made.
It was afterward the site of Conewago
Canal Company, and later the York Haven
Company. The entire valuation of Krieger's
property was 1,018 pounds. Henry Forry
owned land valued at 1,006 pounds; John
Harman a tan-yard and 200 acres of land,
valued at 863 pounds; John Nichols 250
acres of land and two dwelling houses worth
664 pounds. Saw and grist mills were
owned by Christian Fox, Godlove Fisher,
John Harman, William Love, James Mills,
William Michael, John Prunk, Martin Shet-
ter, and William Willis. The blacksmiths
of the township were Jacob Highman,
James Hancock, Samuel Keller, William
Malsby, Anthony Moore, Anthony Phillips,
Valentine Shultz, Frederick Shurger, Na-
than Thomas and John Wire. Edward
Jones was the only saddler; Dr. Robert
Kennedy was the only physician regularly
authorized to practice, who then resided in
the township. Lawrence Frost, who came
from Chester County, taught a successful
school for the Quakers, during the Revolu-
tionary War. and for twenty years before.
He was possessed of a good English educa-
tion. James Webb owned the Middletown
Ferry which was chartered in 1762. Some
of the prominent land owners and farmers,
whose descendants still reside there were
AVilliam Ashton, John Atticks, Thomas
Brinton, Adam Bower, William Bratton,
Christopher Coble, Simon Crone, Jacob
Drorbaugh, George Ensminger, Philip
Fetrow, John Fetrow, Joseph Glancey, Cor-
nelius Garretson, John Garretson, A¥illiam
Garretson, Jacob Hart, John Hursh, Joshua
Hutton, Robert Hammersly, AVilliam
Hunter, Andrew Klein, Michael Kern.
Henry Kiester, Ezekiel Kirk, Hugh Laird,
John Mills, John McCreary, Robert Aliller,
George Maish, Jonathan McCreary, George
Miller, Henry Mathias, George Mans-
berger, John Nicholas, William Nailer,
Samuel Nelson, John Plow, John Postle-
wait, Michael PoUinger, John Rankin, Sam-
uel Ritcheson, Jacob Rife, William Prowell,
John Singer, Jacob Shelley, Christian
Stoner, John Starr, James Shannon, Abra-
ham Shelley, William Thorley, George
Thorley, Joseph Taylor, Jacob Tate, Wil-
liam Thorp, Nathan Thomas, Darrick Up-
degraff, Samuel Vernon, Joseph Welsh,
William Wilson, Robert Walker, James
Welsh, Andrew Welsh.
The population of Newberry Township
in 1820 was 1,794; 1830, 1,856; 1840, 1,850;
i860, 2,182; 1870, 2,144; 1880, 2,228; 1890,
2,238; 1900, 2,101.
Quakers from Chester County,
The Ijelonging to Kennett Meeting,
Friends, began to settle in the region now
embraced in Newberry and Fair-
view townships, as early as 1734. They
met together at their cabins in this settle-
ment for religious worship soon after these
pioneer homes were built. Immediately
after the first settlers had cleared small
tracts of land and built their cabins, they
sent for their wives and families. In 1738,
a number of Quakers received a permit from
the Sadsbury Monthly Meeting in the east-
ern part of Lancaster County, to hold
preparative meetings, west of the Susque-
hanna. This occurred four years before
Newberry Township had been laid out by
authority of Lancaster County, to which the
region west of the Susquehanna belonged
until 1749.
The Preparative Meetings were success-
ful and these early Quakers obtained per-
mission from the Concord Quarterly Meet-
ing of Chester County, to erect a house of
worship in 1745. The site of Newberry-
town being a central point, for these
Quakers to meet, they decided to erect the
first meeting house west of the Susque-
hanna, along the hillside overlooking the
fertile valleys which were then occupied by
members of the Society of Friends who had
migrated here from Chester County.
In 181 1 the Society built a house of wor-
ship two miles east of Lewisberry. The
stone meeting house in Newberrytown was
sold about 1820 and has since been used as
a private residence.
A graveyard covering an area of one
acre is situated at the east end of Newberry-
town. In this sacred spot a large number
of the early settlers of Newberry and Fair-
view townships were buried.
I034
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Newberrytown was laid
Newberrytown. out by Cornelius Garret-
son, in the year 1791. It
is situated near the centre of Newberry
Township, on a ridge of trap formation
nearly two miles in width, and extending
from a point north of Lewisberry to York
Haven. On many parts of this ridge are
huge boulders of dolerite. A survey was
made and forty-three lots laid out by the
founder of Newberrytown. Soon after-
ward the following named persons pur-
chased one or more lots : James Garretson,
Henry Krieger, John Wilson, AVilliam
Kline, William Wickersham, Samuel Miller,
AA'illiam Bratton, Christopher Wilson, Her-
man Kline, William Underwood, Zephaniah
Underwood, Elisha Kirk, Cornelius Gar-
retson, John McCreary, Samuel Garretson,
Jane Willoughby and Eli Lewis. Nearly all
of these persons named were Quakers.
Some of them, or their ancestors, had set-
tled in the vicinity about fifty years before
the founding of the town. Henry Krieger
was of German origin, and for many years
served as justice of the peace. Zephaniah
Underwood and his son were teachers
among the Friends. They belonged to the
Warrington Meeting. The streets named
in the original plat were Main, on the road
to Glancey's Ferry, on which the towji is
built, Union, Mill and Front Streets. Being
located on the road leading from Lancaster
to Carlisle, crossing the Susquehanna at a
ferry, chronologically known as Galbreath's,
Lowe's, Glancey's and finally as the York
Haven Feny, Newberrytown became an
important stopping place. In 1794 about
1,000 soldiers, known as the "Whiskey
Boys," passed through the village on their
way to Carlisle, where they joined the army
that was reviewed by President Washing-
ton, and marched to the western part of
Pennsylvania, to quell the whisky insurrec-
tion. Benjamin House accompanied them
as a volunteer soldier. He lived in the im-
mediate vicinity. There were others who
did the same, but their names cannot now
be ascertained. The soldiers came from
Philadelphia and the eastern counties. It
was during the month of October. They
encamped one night in a meadow one mile
northeast of Lewisberry, and the next day
crossed the Yellow Breeches Creek at Lis"-
burn, thence to Carlisle.
Among the Revolutionary soldiers of
Newberry and vicinity were William Kline
and Frederick Bvers.
William Kline, always known as "Billy"
Kline, was one of the original lot owners of
the village. In the Continental army he
served in Colonel Anthony Wayne's regi-
ment. Captain Frazer's company, from De-
cember 1775, until March, 1777. He lived
to a good old age, and died about 1830.
He was accustomed to tell many thrilling
stories of the daring bravery of his famous
commander. In 1781 he joined General
Wayne's army at York, on its march to the
south.
Frederick Byers served in the detachment
under Colonel Almon, from 1777 to 1779,
when he enlisted in a corps of cavalry under
Captain Selinki, and under command of
Count Pulaski. He served in the corps until
nearly the whole of it was destroyed. He
lived until after 1820.
When York Haven was in its glory as a
manufacturing centre, the mail for New-
berry and vicinity was obtained at that
place. In 1826 Thomas AVickersham se-
cured the establishment of an office here.
It was on account of the postoffice that the
name then became Newberrytown. At this
time John Hays, then a youth, obtained a
contract to carry the mail from York Haven
to Newberrytown, once a week. Thomas
AA'ickersham continued postmaster for ten
3'ears or more, and was succeeded by Adam
Stevens, Jesse Hays, John Crull, Jacob
AVolf, John B. Crull, Dr. Alfred Myers, Mrs.
Crull, Servatus Hays and AA^illiam H.
Eppley.
The first store in the village was kept by
Henry Krieger in 1792 in the house, after-
ward remodeled and recently owned by
Mrs. Jane Herman. Henr}' Kister, Charles
Bishop, Mills Hays, Jesse Hays, Joseph Mc-
Creary, John Crull, Martin Crull, J. Miller,
George Beck, David Updegraff, Servatus
Hays, Ambrose Brubaker, and AA'illiam H.
Eppley have each conducted the mercantile
business in Newberrytown.
During the year 1831, Jacob B. AVolf in-
troduced the manufacture of cigars in New-
berrytown. He came from Strinestown,
and brought with him a number of work-
men, who had learned the trade. Christian
Shelley married a daughter of Jacob B.
AA'olf, and embarked in the business on
NEWBERRY
1035
an extensive scale. Abraham Brinton
and Joel Brinton did a large business, and
Alexander Frazer, at one time, employed
about fifty workmen. Some of the other
manufacturers have been as follows: Julius
Kister, Kurtz & Taylor, D. H. Kister,
David Updegraff, C. E. Bare, H. S. Byers,
A. K. Whisler, R. W. Lease and Koch &
Son; CruU Hays engaged in the manufac-
ture of cigar boxes.
A lost industry to the village is the manu-
facture of pottery ware, which was begun
by Thomas Wickersham, who for many
years employed about half a dozen men.
He began his pottery about 1830, and con-
tinued until 1 85 1, when he moved to
Keokuk, Iowa. In 1838, and one or two
years following, he became prominently
identified with the raising of silk mulberry
trees, but like the experiments of many
others in the Redland Valley, and in fact in
many other places, it did not prove a suc-
cess. Jesse May purchased the pottery and
worked it. He was followed in the same
business by Jesse and Julius Meredith. It
was discontinued before 1870.
Cornelius Garretson and Hannah, his
wife, in 1803, presented to "the inhabitants
of the town of Newberry, and for and in
behalf of those persons who may at any
time hereafter attend the meetings of the
Society of Friends, or for persons who may
pass through the town for other causes,"
a well of water lying near the meeting
house. Around this public well were three
large troughs where the Quakers watered
their horses, when they came to the weekly
or monthly meetings. This well has been
used for nearly a century.
The- earliest schools in Newberrytown
were conducted under the direction of the
Friends' Meeting. For thirty years or more
the village school house stood on the south
side of Main Street. A few years ago a
commodious school building was erected at
the forks of the roads, leading to Goldsboro
and York Haven. L. M. Herman has been
the teacher in this school for many years.
The Union Meeting House was located a
short distance northeast of Newberrytown.
In 1833 the house was built by the Metho-
dists, United Brethren in Christ, Baptists
and Church of God. It was used until 1884.
The first Sunday School of the vicinity was
organized in it, and the same building, for
a long time, was also used as a school house.
Jacob G. Kister, John S. Nichols and John
Machlin were the first trustees. Mills Hays
was secretary and treasurer. The land was
purchased from John Ort.
Bethel Church in the village was built in
1856. Rev. Carlton Price was then pastor.
The building committee were Jacob F.
Krone, Christian Shelley, Jacob B. AA'olf
and Samuel McCreary. This church is a
part of the East Circuit of the Church of
God, and is served by the same pastor as
Goldsboro Bethel.
St. Paul's Church, of the Evangelical As-
siciation, was built of an excellent quality of
native sandstone, under the auspices of the
Evangelical Association, in 1873. The
building committee were the pastor, A. W.
Kramer, H. S. Byers and H. M. Whisler.
The cost was $2,500. Rev. U. T. Swengel
preached the dedicatory sermon, in Feb-
ruary 1874. Among the early preachers
were John Irvine, E. Swengel, A. Stapelton,
Samuel Davis, and L. Dice. The church
occupies a commanding position on an emi-
nence overlooking the beautiful Fishing-
Creek Valley, to the north, the picturesque
Susquehanna and the fertile fields of Dau-
phin and Lancaster Counties on the east.
Plainfield Bethel is a church building-
situated in the lower end of Fishing Creek
Valley. It was erected in 1850 upon land
deeded to the Church of God by Michael
Burger to William Kremer, Samuel Kister
and Daniel Shelley, trustees for the congre-
gation. The church was organized by the
followers of John Winebrenner, who
founded the Church of God, and the con-
gregation has since been served by ministers
of that denomination.
Pleasant Grove United Brethren Church,
in the southeastern part of Newberry Town-
ship near the borough of York Haven, was
erected in 1872. It is a neat and com-
modious house of worship. The congrega-
tion is in a prosperous condition. The pas-
tor in 1907 was Rev. H. H. Heberle who
is also pastor of the church at York Haven.
For more than half a cen-
Yocumtown. tury, Lewisberry and New-
berrytown were the places
of meeting for the people of the Fishing
Creek Valley, which obtained its name
from the winding stream that drains it.
The earliest settlers called this the Y Creek,
1036
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
because the two branches which unite with
the main stream of the creek outline the
form of this letter. Among the first settlers
of this valley, beginning as early as 1734,
were the Healds, Halls, Barnses, Whin-
nerys, Husseys, Warrens, Millses, Mauls-
beys and other members of the Society of
Friends. The Wickershams, Prowells, Fet-
trows and Fishers came at a later period.
Edward Shippen of Philadelphia obtained
warrants for several large tracts of land in
the valley. Zachary Butcher and David
Richardson made some of the earliest sur-
veys of land in this region. Joseph Wicker-
sham, who lived for more than half a cen-
tury above Yocumtown and whose memory
dated back to the year 1810, related the
following story, told him by his ancestors :
"Having few wagons some of the pioneer
farmers sawed rings from the trunks of
gum trees for wagon wheels, threshed the
first crop of wheat with the flail, and sepa-
rated the grain from the chalT by means of
linen sheets. By placing both together, and
throwing them up in the air, a gentle bieeze
would separate the chaiT from the wheat."
Joseph Glancy, who had opened a ferry
across the Susquehanna and afterward
served as county commissioner, was largely
instrumental in having public roads laid out
through this region. As early as 1765 Wil-
liam Naylor built a fulling-mill on the Fish-
ing Creek, one mile southeast of Yocum-
town, where he carded the wool grown by
the farmers for both the Redland and Fish-
ing Creek valleys before the Revolution.
About 1800 an additional mill for making
woolen cloth and blankets was erected.
Elijah Yocum about 1815 became the owner
of this mill. He was one of the earliest
Methodists in this vicinity, and erected a
meeting house close by his mill. In this
plain house of worship many traveling
clergymen preached the doctrines of John
Wesley. About 1825 a log school house,
neatly weather-boarded, was built in
Yocumtown. It stood on the site of the
present village church, and was used for
more than half a century for school pur-
poses and religious services. Among the
first to preach here was Rev. John Wine-
brenner, who foimded the Church of God
in 1830. Many of his followers also
preached in this building, which was used
for school purposes and for religious ser-
vices for more than half a century. Minis-
ters of the Church of God and the United
Brethren have conducted services since the
time of its erection. The meeting house
along the Fishing Creek was changed into a
Clover Mill, and used for that purpose until
it was burned down. The fulling and card-
ing mill was afterward owned by the Ar-
nold Brothers, Ginder, Heathcoate and
others until the business was discontinued.
Farther down the stream the first grist mill
of the neighborhood was built as early as
1750 and still continues in operation as the
property of Samuel Fetrow. To the north-
west of Yocumtown, Jacob Bare erected
a grist mill, which during the ownership of
Joseph W. Prowell, was changed into a
roller process mill. Farther up the valley
along a small branch of the creek, Samuel
Prowell, a leading citizen of the valley, built
a grist mill in the year 1800. It was owned
for many j^ears by his son, Samuel B.
Prowell, and later by John Eichinger. For
a long time a distillery stood on the farm
of John Fetrow. The small copper-stills
were owned by few of the farmers in this
valley between the year 1780 and 1820.
Thomas Mills built the first house on the
site of Yocumtown. Elijah Yocum was the
next person to take up his abode in this
place. He built a house and blacksmith
shop in 1816. Daniel Brookhart, Lee Mont-
gomery, James Mills and Isaac Yocum were
among his first neighbors and they called
the village Yocumtown. Samuel Kister
conducted a tannery in this village for a long
period, and he was succeeded in the owner-
ship of it by his son, Clinton Kister, who
served as orderly sergeant in the 130th
Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and
afterward carried on an extensive tanning
business in Central Pennsylvania.
The earliest physician known to have
practiced the healing art in the valley was
Dr. Kennedy, who resided in this township
before the Revolution. Dr. Watson was
another physician of the valley and he was
succeeded by Dr. Gorgas, who became a
Second Adventist and preached the doctrine
of Millerism, which predicted that the world
would end in the year 1843. -Dr. AVarren
practiced medicine in this valley for twenty
years or more and then moved to the vicin-
it}' of Gettysburg, where he died at the age
of ninety years. Dr. A\'illiam E. Swiler set-
NEWBERRY
1037
tied in Yocumtown just before the Civil
War in 1857 and continued his profession
at this place until his removal to Mechanics-
burg about 1893. He was succeeded by
his son, Dr. Robert Swiler. Dr. I. H. Betz,
Dr. Andrew R. Prowell, Dr. William R.
Prowell and Dr. John Thorley grew to man-
hood in this vicinity and practiced else-
where. They were students of Dr. William
E. Swiler. Captain Cortland Prowell and
Lieutenant Samuel Prowell who served
with credit in the Civil War were residents
of the Fishing Creek Valley.
Edward W. Hammond, vice president of
the American Forestry Association, was
born at Lewisberry December 30, 1835, son
of Hervey Hammond, a prominent citizen
of that borough. In i860 he moved to
the Pacific Coast and at the opening of the
Civil War enlisted in the United States navy,
in which he served for a period of three
years. After the close of the war he at-
tended Willamette University from which
he was graduated with honors. Mr. Ham-
mond spent the remainder of his life in
scientific pursuits and in studying the for-
estry of Oregon. By his writings he in-
terested the public in the commercial value
of forests of the Cascade range in the state
of Oregon. He devoted the last ten years
of his life in directing his energies toward
the preservation of the forests and their
utilization for the benefit of mankind. His
efiforts were highly appreciated, not only by
the inhabitants of the Pacific Coast, but
also by the United States Government. He
died at Wimer, Oregon, April 29, 1900.
James G. Glessner, a prominent member
of the York County Bar, was born at
Lewisberry, and obtained his early educa-
tion in that borough, where he grew to man-
hood. After teaching school for a short
time he studied law and soon won success
in his profession. In 1904 he was elected
district attorney for York County, being the
first Republican who ever held that office.
The Middletown Ferry was
Middletown originally Hussey's Ferry,
Ferry. opened in 1738. Many of the
early Quakers crossed the
river at this place, which was an important
ferry in colonial days. Middletown was
once the site of a Shawanese Indian village.
They also had an encampment near the site
of Goldsboro. Aliddletown is midway be-
tween Lancaster and Carlisle, and was laid
out in 1755, about thirty years before Har-
risburg.
Some of the English Quakers crossed the
Susquehanna here as early as 1734. Five
years later a temporary road was opened on
the York County side. Thomas Hall, John
McFesson, Joseph Bennett, John Heald,
John Rankin, and Ellis Lewis from Chester
County, crossed the Susquehanna from the
mouth of the Swatara, and selected lands
on the west side of the river in the year
1734. It has often been related of them,
that when they arrived on the eastern bank
of the river, and there being no other kinds
of crafts than canoes to cross, they fastened
two together, and placed their horses' front
feet in one canoe and the hind feet in an-
other, then piloted the frail crafts, with
their precious burden, across the stream by
means of poles. The ferry obtained its
present name, and was licensed in 1790.
Until the opening of the Conewago Canal
in 1790, Middletown Ferry was the southern
terminus of navigation with the keel boats.
The ferr};- is still a prominent crossing place.
A steamboat is now used for conveying
passengers and freight. The ferry was
owned many years by Henry Etter.
In the southwestern portion of New-
Bald berry Township is a section long
Hills, since known as the "Ball Hills" or
"Bald Hills." Most of the land is
pure red shale. Rocks protrude to the sur-
face, making some of the hills "bald" or
devoid of vegetation. The summits of them
are the shape of a "ball." so either name
may apply. Mr. Ashenfelter, about 1875 in-
troduced the cultivation of small fruits in
this section, which has since proven to be
a productive industr3^ Besides the large
amount of strawberries raised, large quan-
tities of grapes and peaches are also grown
by many farrners.
In this section there are two churches,
one owned by the Church of God, and the
other by the Lutherans and Evangelical As-
sociation.
In the extreme southeastern part of
Falls. Newberry Township, adjoining the
borough of York Ha\'en, the interest-
ing village of Falls has recently come into
existence. The post office name is Cly.
Clymer Shelley has conducted the mercan-
tile business here for a long time. Nearby
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
was the Crull hotel and exchange stables
used for many years during the time stages
ran between York and Harrisburg.
In 1902 the Susquehanna Roofing Manu-
facturing Company established an industry
here which has since been engaged in mak-
ing coal tar products and roofing material.
In 1907 C. C. Eastlack was president, E. R.
Owen, vice president, and Franklin Spahr.
secretary and treasurer. The company has
regularl)' employed about ninety workmen.
At an adjoining mill the paper used at this
establishment is made.
The American Phosphorus Company was
established along the South Mountain, four
miles west of Mt. Holly Springs, in 1901.
In 1905 this industry was removed to Falls,
where it has been engaged in the manufac-
ture of phorphorus, employing fifteen men.
In 1907 T. Henry Asbury was president,
Charles Asbury, secretary; and Harry As-
bury, treasurer. Gilbert C. Landis is gen-
eral superintendent.
Charles H. Bear, a prominent merchant of
York, owns a cottage about one mile dis-
tant.
The names of the schools of Newberry
Township are the following: Pleasant Hill,
Redland, Rocky's, Yocumtown, Smoketown,
Burger's, River, Pleasant View, Draw-
baugh, Roxberry, Newberry, Diehl's, For-
tenbaugh, Bashore's, Cassell's, Hay Run and
Cly.
York County Rangers was the
Military, name of a military company or-
ganized in 1830, and was com-
posed of sixty men. It was commanded by
Alvin Ward with Peter Beard, first lieuten-
ant; John Ort, ensign; Ezekiel Sankey, filer;
John Funk, tenor drummer, and Emanuel
Sipe, bass drummer. Most of the men of
this company were skilled marksmen, hav-
ing long experience as hunters after game,
which was then abundant in Newberry
Township.
Captain Ward applied for government
rifles and his men looked forward with eager
interest to the arrival of their arms. On a
Saturday in March, 1831, a large box, sup-
posed to contain the rifles, arrived at Mc-
Creary's tavern in the western end of New-
berrytown. The company had assembled
on that day for drill and parade. Corporal
Thomas Ashton and Samuel McCreary
opened the box and both officers and men
of the York County Rangers were disap-
pointed when they discovered that the arms
received, were flint-lock Harper's Ferry
muskets, and not rifles. In fact, all the
guns up to that time were flint-locks. Cap-
tain Ward cheered up his men. Zeke San-
key played some lively tunes on the fife
and John Funk and Emanuel Sipe beat
their drums. The company marched
through the street to the public well, stop-
ping for a draught of fresh water, on the
movement to the parade ground. One of
the soldiers had taken too much grog, and
was saved from falling into the well by
John Funk, who injured himself in his at-
tempt to save the life of his comrade. Daniel
K. Noell, afterward mayor of York, was
then a small boy in Newberrytown. He
took Funk's place as drummer on this oc-
casion, and many times afterward.
David Krieger went to the store of Mills
Hays and bought a large quantity of pow-
der for his comrades to practice with their
new guns. The company moved, to the
parade grounds at Thomas Wickersham's
pottery, and fired platoon after platoon,
which rent the air with a thundering noise.
Daniel Hoops, a noted character in the
quaint old Quaker town, rushed out of
Hays' store, crying "Captain! Thee fright-
ens the women and children too much."
After this practice was ended, the company
drilled and marched, just as they did for
seven years, until the company was dis-
banded.
The Washington Guards was a militia
company, composed of sixty men from
Newberry Township, and was organized in
1858 and commanded by Captain John Crull.
The men all wore uniforms and became
quite skillful in military movements, and in
the manual of arms. In 1861 when the Civil
War opened. Captain Crull volunteered to
enter the army and in August of that year
went to York with forty men. The 87th
Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers was
then being organized at York. Captain
Crull and his men were mustered in as part
of Company B of this regiment, and served
during three 3'ears of the Civil War.
When the Washington Guards organized
in 1858, they purchased a fine silk flag at a
cost of $42.00. This banner was presented
to the Historical Society of York County
by Martin S. Crull, a son of Captain Crull,
NORTH CODORUS
1039
in the year 1905. It is in an excellent state
of preservation. Martin S. CruU also pre-
sented a tenor drum used by this company.
Harry Fink, the fifer, afterward became
chief musician in Company A in the 87th
Regiment. The complete roll of the Wash-
ington Guards cannot be given. The fol-
lowing is a list of men of this company
who were present at a parade in Yocumtown
December i, 1859:
Captain John Crull, First Lieutenant A.
H. Putt, Second Lieutenant Moses Shelly,
Ensign Abraham Fortenbaugh, Orderly
Sergeant Joseph A. Willis, Second Ser-
geant Reuben A. Strominger, Third Ser-
geant David H. Kister, Fourth Sergeant
Daniel Wehrly, John R. Ort, John M.
Baird, Geo. Plymer, Michael B. Myers, John
Mixel, Solomon Sipe, Wm. M. Macklin,
Wm. Groom, Henry Geise, Jacob H. Kister,
John F. Sipe, Philip H. Ziegler, Wm. Murtz,
John M. Rider, Aaron Mickley, Wm. Kirk,
Samuel K. Fisher, Abraham Westhafer,
John K. Fisher, Charles Palmer, John Fry,
Reuben Kline, Geo. Yinger, Harry Fink,
Andrew Z. Brubaker, AVm. Metzgar, Jacob
P. Strominger, AVm. Ehrhart, Henry Zor-
ger, Daniel Schindel, David Ort, Martin S.
Crull.
Newberry and . Fairview town-
Patriotic ships furnished a large number
Dead. of soldiers during the war for
the Union. Many of these men
served three years in the army. During
one of the last calls for troops, eighty-seven
men from Newberry Township volunteered
to enlist. Fairview sent nearly the same
number. It is not an easy task to record
the names of all the patriotic men of these
townships who gave up their lives to save
the Union, between 1861 and 1865. The
following is a list of those whose names can
be recalled: Gardner Bryan came home al-
most entirely emaciated, after suffering
many months in a Confederate prison, and
died soon afterward. Sanford Fisher, a
youth of seventeen, while leading the ad-
vance line of the Ninety-third Regiment
fell from a ilesh wound, in the battle of
Fair Oaks. Mortification followed and he
died in the hospital. His brother. Sergeant
John Fisher, of the same regiment was shot
by a Confederate sharpshooter while lead-
ing a squad of men in the Shenandoah Val-
ley. He had served three years almost to
the day, and had previously engaged in
about twenty battles and skirmishes. Ross
Krieger died in Andersonville prison. Har-
man Miller, William Palmer and Samuel
May were killed in the battle of Antietam,
within a month after enlistment, in the
One Hundred and Thirtieth Regiment
Pennsylvania Volunteers. William Shanly,
of Lewisberry, died of disease con-
tracted in burying the dead after battle.
Lyman Brubaker was killed in the battle
of Fredericksburg. William Walters was
wounded, and died afterward in a Philadel-
phia hospital. Lieutenant Arnold, of Cap-
tain Bailey's company, of the Seventh
Pennsylvania Reserves, fell while gallantly
leading the van in battle. His body was
carried heroically in the retreat by Henry
Gise and George H. Writer, two comrades.
Being hard pressed by the Confederate ad-
vance, they were compelled to drop the
body, and it fell into the hands of the
enemy. The names of others killed are :
John Anthony and Chester Krall, of the
130th; Thompson Nicholas, Elias Fissell
and William Grove. Hugh Machlin was ac-
cidentally killed at Fort Sumter, while firing
a salute, celebrating the close of the war.
NORTH CODORUS.
In the year 1836, a«petition was presented
to the court at York, signed by a large
number of citizens of Codorus, asking for
a division of that township. Jacob Fissel,
Jacob Laumaster and Matthias Smyser
were appointed viewers to inquire into the
advisability of making the proposed divi-
sion. In this report presented to the court
July 22, 1836, they stated that "it would
be of great public' utility to divide said
township by the following courses and dis-
tances: Beginning at a white oak on the
western boundary line of this township
above the distilling house and on land
of Matthias Meyers, thence (north sixty-
seven and one-quarter degrees east)
through lands of Lewis Bop, John Bear, Jen-
kins Carothers, Michael Miller, Conrad
Rennoll, John Galenthine, Christian Ren-
noU, Widow Werty and David Brillhart
(three miles and seventy-six perches to a
dead pine tree) on land of said David Brill-
hart, thence north seventy-two degrees
east through lands of Samuel Brillhart,
Peter Zech, Adam Baylor and John Zeig-
I040
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ler; thence south eighty-four and one-half
degrees east through the land of George
Walter, sixty-two perches to a chestnut tree
on the land of said George Walter, thence
north eighty degrees east through the lands
of Michael Klinefelter and Jacob Bowman
two hundred and twenty-six perches to a
maple tree on the eastern boundary line of
this township and on land of Jacob Bow-
man."
The report presented by the viewers was
read and approved by the court on August
3, 1836. A remonstrance was filed, Sep-
tember 15, 1836, signed by a number of
citizens opposed to the division. In order
to carry out the provisions of the law
creating new townships, a popular vote
was taken which resulted in favor of the
division. This caused a delay of two years,
and it was not until January 6, 1838, that
the court in session confirmed the original
report of the township viewers. The name
of Codorus was retained for the lower
township and the new division was called
North Codorus.
The population of Codorus in 1830 was
2,429. Owing to the division of the town-
ship the government census shows that
Codorus in 1840 had 1,131, while the popu-
lation of North Codorus in 1840 was re-
ported to be 1,540. •■ The population of
North Codorus in 1850 was 2,124; i860,
2,253; 1870, 2,476; 1880, 2,550; 1890, 2,639;
1900, 2,637.
North Codorus is one of the most fertile
townships in the southwestei-n part of York
County. The land is undulating and well
drained by different branches tributary to
the Codorus creek.
The township is bounded on the north by
Jackson and West Manchester, on the east
by York and Springfield and on the west
by Heidelberg. The southeastern section
is traversed by the Hanover Branch Rail-
road, and the Northern Central passes
along its eastern borders. A portion of the
township is covered by valuable chestnut
timber land.
Stoverstown is an interesting
Villages, hamlet near the centre of the
township. It was named in
honor of Gabriel Stover the owner of a
large tract of land in this vicinity, and who
also kept store for many years. He was
succeeded by George Henry. John P.
Bankert kept a store here for several years
and was succeeded by Charles Bear. A
postofifice was established in 1900 and given
the name of Okete because another town
in the State of Pennsylvania bore the name
of Stoverstown. The population in 1907
was 250. The people of this village are in-
dustrious, frugal and kind-hearted. The
town is said to possess some of the best
cooks in York County. A graded school
and a handsome church have been erected
within the limits of the town. Dr. J. N.
Decker practices medicine at Stoverstown.
R. B. Glatfelter, at present the owner and
publisher of the "East Berlin News," taught
school in this village for several years.
AViota is a small village in the western
end of the township. The site was long
known as Crist's Store. William Crist kept
a store here for many years and was suc-
ceeded by George E. Luckenbaugh.
Hanover Junction is situated in the
southeastern part of North Codorus, a
short distance below Seven Valley. The
place became noted for the manufacture of
ice cream which was begun by Cornelius
Glatfelter, shortly after the Civil War. He
continued the business until his death in
1885, and has been followed in the manu-
facture of ice cream by William S. Henry.
Glatfelter's Station, in the eastern part of
North Codorus Township, seven miles south
of York, is an important station along the
Northern Central Railroad. The mercan-
tile business has been carried on here in or-
der of succession by Peter Fishel, Michael
Overmiller, Mr. Reisinger, Martin Glat-
felter and Andrew Beck. The Falkenstein
mill property built during the early history
of York County, stands near this station. A
mill for the manufacture of flaxseed oil stood
on this site for more than half a century.
Casper Glatfelter, during the early part
of the eighteenth century, was one of the
first German settlers to take up some of the
valuable land of this region. He was the
ancestor of the Glatfelter family in America.
The history of this family has been carefully
written by Dr. Glatfelter, of St. Louis, Mis-
souri. In 1906 a reunion of the Glatfelter
family was held in a grove in the northern
part of Springfield Township and was at-
tended by several hundred descendants of
Casper Glatfelter. It was one of the most
interesting family reunions ever held in the
NORTH CODORUS
1041
history of York County. The falnily his-
tory was read by Dr. Glatfelter.
St. Peter's Lutheran and Re-
Churches, formed church, situated one
and one-half miles southwest of
Spring Grove, is one of the landmarks of
North Cordorus Township. This was orig-
inally a Reformed Church, organized in
1760 by Rev. Jacob Lischy, who in 1743
founded the First Reformed Church at
York. He was the pioneer clergyman of
the Reformed Church west of the Susque-
hanna and organized Emmanuel Reformed
Church at Hanover about 1750.
Owing to the fact that he was charged
with preaching the doctrines of the Mora-
vian Church and for other reasons. Rev.
Jacob Lischy was deposed from the Synod
of the Reformed Church. He then moved
into this fertile region of North Codorus
Township, where he founded an independ-
ent congregation. He bought a large farm
upon which he erected a log church, which
stood on the road between Spring Grove
and Jefiferson. The second log church was
built on the same site and stood until 1843,
when a brick church was erected. This was
used by the Reformed and Lutheran congre-
gations until the present brick church was
erected on elevated ground a short distance
north in 1896, at a cost of $10,000.
Rev. Jacob Lischy died in the year 1781,
and was buried in the historic graveyard
near the present church edifice. A biog-
raphy of Rev. Lischy will be found on page
464.
After the death of Rev. Lischy an ortho-
dox Reformed congregation was organized,
which was served by ministers of the Han-
over charge, including Albert Helfenstein,
S. Gutelius, Jacob Sechler and W. K. Zie-
ber, D. D.
After the resignation of Rev. Dr. Zieber,
Rev. Henry Hilbish, who resided at Han-
over, became pastor of a country charge
which included Lischy's church. He was
succeeded by Rev. J. H. Hartman, who
served until A. P. Frantz was appointed to
this charge and Mt. Zion Reformed Church
at Spring Grove. In 1905 Rev. J. M. Faust
became pastor of the same charge, residing
at Spring Grove.
The Reformed membership of Lischy's
church is about 400.
From 1760 until 1840 a parochial school
was connected with this church and was
conducted for many years by Jacob Lischy,
son of the founder.
The Lutheran congregation, which now
worships in Lischy's church was organized
in 1833 by Rev. A. G. Deininger, who was
pastor for many years. At this time both
congregations worshipped in the second
log building. The building committee of
the brick church in 1843 were Peter Menges,
George Hoke and John Lenhart.
Rev. John H. Menges, who became a
prominent clergyman in the Lutheran
Church, was confirmed and admitted to
membership in this congregation. The Lu-
theran pastors since the retirement of Rev.
A. G. Deininger were Jacob Albert, William
Reiley, Charles Witmer, Leonard Gearhart
and Daniel J. Hauer, D. D., under whose
pastorate the congregation was largely in-
creased in numbers.
Rev. Fred A. Geesey has been pastor of
the congregation for several years. In 1907
there were 300 members.
St. Paul's Church, situated in the south-
eastern part of North Codorus, between
Seven Valley and Stoverstown, was founded
in 1800 by the Lutherans. John Ziegler,
in whose honor the church was named, do-
nated thirty acres of land upon which a
log church was built. This church stood
for many years, and was replaced by a
large stone structure, which has since been
occupied. The building is surrounded by
a beautiful grove of native trees.
The Lutheran congregation was organ-
ized by Rev. F. V. Melsheimer, who was
the pastor of St. Matthew's Lutheran
Church at Hanover and five other Lu-
theran churches in York County.
The successive pastors of the Lutheran
congregation since the death of Rev. Mel-
sheimer, in 1814, were A. Rudisill, Jacob
Albert, A. G. Deininger, who served from
1828 to 1846 and was then succeeded by C.
J. Deininger, who served until 1850: Leon-
ard Gearhart until 1853, when C. J. Dein-
inger was recalled and served until 1866.
Rev. L. K. Sechrist was pastor for many
years and was succeeded by John Cono-
way, E. Lenhart and B. F. Kautz.
The Reformed congregation which wor-
ships in Zeigler's Church was organized
several years after the Lutheran congrega-
tion. The pastors have been J. D. Zehring,
1 042
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Rhinehart Smith, Aaron Spangler and J. J.
Stauffer.
The Lutheran and Reformed church at
Stoverstown was organized in 1880. Rev.
C. J. Deininger was the first pastor of the
Lutheran congregation and was succeeded
by Rev. Daniel J. Hauer, D. D. Rev. Fred.
A. Geesey has been pastor of this congrega-
tion for several years.
Rev. Rhinehai-t Smith, who organized the
Reformed congregation in 1880 was its pas-
tor for several years and was succeeded by
Rev. Aaron Spangler, and he was succeeded
by Rev. J. J. Staufifer. The church was re-
modeled in 1903 and now presents an at-
tractive appearance.
A German Baptist Church is situated a
short distance west of Stoverstown. It be-
longs to the Upper Codorus congregation
which also includes a church near Jefferson
and the central church at Black Rock in
Manheim Township. E. S. Miller is pastor
of the congregation and has two assistants.
The three churches have a combined mem-
bership of 200.
North Codorus Township has
Schools, fourteen schools, including two
in Stoverstown. The names of
these schools are Heindel's, Boyer's, Beck's,
Bard's, Diehl's, Pleasant Hill, Berkheimer's,
Stormy Hill, Senft No. i, Senft No. 2,
Pleasant Grove and Cherry Grove. The
school buildings are all of modern archi-
tecture and equipped with patent seats. The
school directors in 1907 were : George K.
Bentz, Henry G. Ehrhart, Byrd Hoff,
Michael Stambaugh, Israel Stambaugh and
Hamilton Stauffer.
PARADISE TOWNSHIP.
The township of Paradise was organized
during the colonial history of Pennsylvania.
It was laid out in 1747 under authority of
the Lancaster court. Paradise originally
included its present area and that of Jack-
son Township. It was settled almost ex-
clusively by Lutheran and Reformed emi-
grants from the Palatinate region of Ger-
many. A few English settlers located in the
vicinity of the borough of Spring Grove
where Peter Dicks from Chester County in
1755 erected a forge, the first of its kind
west of the Susquehanna River. The
boundaries of Paradise Township were run
by Joseph Pidgeon, a civil engineer, from
Philadelphia. The ridge of wooded hills
in the southern part of this township and
Jackson are supposed to have been named
in honor of this surveyor. Near the central
part of the township soon after the first set-
tlement, the Lutheran and Reformed peo-
ple built a house of worship locally known
as the " Holz Schwamm Church." In the
extreme western part of the township there
were a few Catholics among the earliest set-
tlers. A colony of German Baptists took
up lands in Washington Township in 1738.
Some of these people also settled in the
northwestern section of Paradise.
The word Paradise is not frequently used
as a geographical name, but there is a town-
ship by that name in Lancaster County in
the Pequea Valley. Possibly the enchanting
view afforded the surveyor in looking north
from the Pidgeon Hills was the reason why
Paradise Township was so named.
According to well-founded tradition and
the indications from the loamy soil, a part
of Paradise Township, at the time of its
first settlement was a swamp, covered with
a deep growth of trees and tall grass. After
this part had been irrigated, it became fer-
tile land, producing abundant crops. The
township since the formation of Jackson in
1857, is an irregular parallelogram, its
length more than equal to twice its breadth.
The soil of most of the township is a sandy
loam. The northern part is of red shale
formation. The York and Gettysburg
Turnpike crosses the township. There is
an excellent quality of kaoline or clay near
the center of Paradise. In 1858, Peter S.
Alwine began the burning of bricks out of
this clay. For a quarter of a century he
made annually at the kiln on his own farm
300,000 bricks. He also owned brick kilns
near New Oxford and at Spring Grove, and
at each of these places made 700,000 bricks
annually, until the time of his death. The
business was afterward conducted by his
sons.
The population of Paradise in 1820 was
1,837; in 1830, 1,819; in 1840, 2,117; 1850,
2,353; i860, 1,206; 1870, 1.300; 1880, 1,372;
1890, 1,269; 1900, 1,214.
The following tax list taken in
Paradise 1769, shows the original set-
in 1769. tiers of Paradise and Jackson
Townships :
PARADISE
1043
Land Grain
Alexander, ... 60 10
Arnold, Samuel 100 5
Ammer, Daniel 100 10
Altstat, Philip 100 6
Ammant, Conrad 200 15
Ammant, Jacob
Abbleman, John 100 S
Bressel, Valentine 50 5
Bressel, Michael 30 3
Bock, Daniel
Berkheimer, Valentine .. 100 9
Brinle, Matthias 50 S
Becker, John 50 6
Becker, Jacob
Bleyer, Adam 50 3
Bensel, Jacob 100 10
Brenner, Adam
Bensel, Jacob 50 4
Babelitz, Michael
Bahr, William
Beck, Jacob 100 10
Bahr, Thomas (i negro)
Bichsel, Thomas 50 I
Bauser, Matthias (grist
and saw mill) 150 15
Bausman, Lorentz go 4
Christ, Philip 100 8
Christ, Adam
Dellon, Nicholas 100 5
Drumb, Peter 100 10
Doll, Catherine 100 10
Dierdorf, Peter 200 20
Dressier, George 50 5
Dehler, Anthony
Dicks, Peter (2 negroes,
iron forge) 200 20
Dierdorf, Peter, Jr 150 10
Ermel, John 100 8
Erhart, Peter
Emler, William 50 3
Feyerstein, Joseph
Fe3'erstein, Nicholas .... 15 2
Fissel, John 100 8
Fissel, Michael 100 10
Fissel, Philip 100 10
Fissel, Heinrich 30 2
Freidrich, Andreas 200 15
Fissel, Wendel 100 8
Frankenberger, John . . . 200 20
Greff, Heinrich
Griffy, David 100 6
Gensler, Conrad 100 10
Greff, Teis 50 4
Graff, Michael 60 4
Heltzel, Tobias 100 10
Herring, Philip 8
Haberstock, Tobias ....
Heidler, John 50 2
Hiller, Martin 50 4
Hein, William
Howry, Jacob 100 10
Hershey, Joseph 200 15
Hershey, Andrew. 200 15
Jungman. Jacob
Jacob, Philip 100 S
Isaac, Freiderich
Justus, Bentzel 60 5
Kiel. Peter
Kerbach, Christian,
(grist mill) 50 I
Kerbach, George
Kerbach, Casper 100 10
Kreber. John So 4
Kleinpeter, Rudolph .... 50 6
Kolb, Valentine 100 10
iheep Land Grain Horses Cows Slaeep
2 Kron, Lorentz 100 311
3 Krim, Baltzer
4 Kehler, Conrad
4 Loser, George 100 10 2 2
2 Lang, Henry 100 5222
Leineweber, George .... 100 5212
2 Lehn, John i 2
2 Lehn, John, Jr 100 622
Luckenbach, Henry .... 80 4 2 2 2
Linch, Michael 2 2
6 Meyer, John
2 Marshall, Frantz 2 2 2
Michael, Nicholas
Michael, Adam 80 s 2 2 2
2 McMulIon, Enos 50 9 2 2
Mohr, Peter loo 10 2 2 4
Mummert, William .... 100 10 2 2 5
Meyer, John 50 4 2 2
Miller, Jacob 5 i i
Michael, Uhl
Miller, George
2 Noel, Peter 200 20 3 3 4
Nagel, John 50 3 i i
Nagel, Jacob 50 3 i i
8 Oderman, George 50 6 i i
Rudy, Daniel 150 15
8 Roth, Jacob 100 10 2 2 4
Ratz, Henry 100 521
3 Ratz, Peter 2 i
2 Roth, Abraham 50 4 2 2
2 Reischer, Daniel (saw &
8 grist mill) 80 6 2 2
I Schneider, Daniel 100 623
Schneider, Casper 100 622
Schneisguth, Lorentz ... 100 6222
7 Stober, Frederick 200 15 3 2 4
8 Saltzgiver, Jacob 50 9 2 2
3 Stober, Frederick 150 10
1 Strasbach, Michael .... 2 I i
Schweigert, Daniel 2 2
Stump, Matthias i i 2
Scheffer, Philip 2 2
Schneider, John 2
Scheffer, Frederick .... 100 10 2 3
3 Scherch, John 200 12 3 3 6
Steigleder, George i
o Schelhammer, George . . 50 2 I i
Sho, Merril
10 Stober, George Michael . 200 15 2 3 6
Spengler, Widow 200 15322
Spengler, Rudolph 200 15 3 3 2
4 Sontag, Jacob 50 S 2 2 2
Sontag, John 50 5 2 2 2
2 Wehler, Henry 150 15 3 3 4
4 Winckler, Ludwig 2 2
Welsch, Philip 2
Weyland, Wilhelm 100 10 2 2 2
4 Wilson, Widow 200 20 4 4 6
Wirt, Jacob 200 15 4 3 3
3 SINGLE MEN.
4 Allendorfer, Frederick Feyerstein, Matthias
4 Berk, John Geiss, Peter
Bupp, Michael Hein, Charles
2 Bauser, Samuel Klein, John
Bauser, Jacob Lang, Conrad
2 Clement, Henry Strohly, Christian
Deirdorf, John Saltzgiver, Casper
Decke, Peter Scheffer, Frederick
This historic church orig-
3 Holz Schwamm inated in 1775. Rev. Ja-
■+ Church. cob Goehring, who then
2 lived at Carlisle, was the
1044
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
first pastor. Rev. John George Schmucker
was pastor in 1809, and Rev. Conrad Rei-
man in 1817. The church was first owned
by the Lutherans, and the congregation for
many years was ministered to by the pastors
of St. Matthew's Church of Hanover. Rev.
Jacob Lischy, as early as 1750, performed
the duties of a missionary through this sec-
tion for German Reformed churches, and
Rev. William Otterbein, of the same denom-
ination, for a short time preached here.
February 15, 1826, an article of agree-
ment was formed between the Lutheran
and Reformed congregations, which gave to
both equal rights and privileges to the
church, church property and burying
ground.
The following named church officers
bound themselves and their successors to
fulfil the articles of agreement: John Tros-
tle and Ludwig Swartz, elders ; and William
Trostle, Samuel Zerfas, John Baker and
Daniel March, wardens of said congrega-
tions, Lutheran and Reformed. It was wit-
nessed by Henry King, John AVehler and
George Trostle, and acknowledged before
Jacob Ernst, February 27, 1826.
Since 1826 those who ministered to the
Reformed congregation were : William Van-
dersloot, Charles Helfelstein, Daniel Zieg-
ler, for twenty-seven years; Jacob Kehm,
Jacob Zeigler and I. S. Weisz. Rev. O. P.
Schellhamer has been pastor of the church
since 1894. Its membership is about 300.
Rev. A. G. Deininger was pastor of the
Lutheran congregation for fifty-one years
in succession, and died September 28, 1880,
aged eighty-six years. He was succeeded
by Daniel Sell and Henry J. Darmstetter.
In 1907 the congregation under the pastor-
ate of Rev. E. Lenhart had a membership of
275. This church is a fine brick structure
surrounded by a beautiful grove.
St. Mary's Catholic Church is
St. Mary's one of the oldest Catholic
Church. churches in southern Pennsyl-
vania.
The congregation was established by the
Jesuit Fathers of Conewago Chapel in the
humble dwelling of a Mr. Wise, who lived
on a farm just opposite the present church
edifice about the year 1761. The old build-
ing remained in a dilapidated condition un-
til 1906, when it was torn down and the
stone used to make the foundation for the
present rector}', the keystone of the Wise
building, with its quaint inscription carved
upon it, forming the cornerstone of the rec-
tory.
The little congregation worshipped in this
building for many years until the increasing
number of the congregation lacked the
necessary accommodations and more com-
modious apartments were secured in the old
Brandt homestead, the stone house now ad-
joining the stone church.
A beautiful chapel was made on the sec-
ond story of this building where the people
heard the Word of God preached to them
until the year 1841, when a meeting of the
congregation was called for the purpose of
suggesting and discussing ways and means
to accommodate the growing flock. After
some discussion it was decided to erect a
suitable edifice and a committee was ap-
pointed consisting of Peter Delone and
Peter Noel to look after the construction of
the new church. In the year 1842, the cor-
nerstone was laid with interesting ceremony
and the beautiful stone structure, which now
marks that hallowed spot, was completed
one year later.
The church remained under the jurisdic-
tion of the Jesuit Fathers until 1891, when a
new parish was formed at New Oxford with
Father Hemler of McSherrystown as resi-
dent pastor, and the Paradise congregation
was placed under his care.
At the removal of Father Hemler to Mc-
Sherrystown in 1899, Rev. S. Clement Bur-
ger, now rector of St. Mary's Church of
York, was made pastor at New Oxford and
Paradise where he remained until August,
1900, when he was succeeded by Rev.
Father Kennedy who remained but a few
months and was succeeded by Rev. Father
Reudter, who labored zealously for the spir-
itual welfare of his charge.
The increasing number of the congrega-
tion in and around New Oxford demanding
the greater part' of his time, he realized he
could not give the Paradise people the at-
tention they desired. He therefore laid the
matter before the Bishop of Harrisburg, re-
questing him to send some one to look aftei
the seemingly neglected portion of the flock.
The bishop acted on his suggestion, form-
ing a new parish to which he added the
growing town of Spring Grove and in the
year 1903 sent Rev. S. J. Milner as rector of
PARADISE 1045
the newly formed parish. Father Milner printed on the map, and the place has since
attended to the spiritual wants of the con- been known by that name. It is located on
gregation until August, 1904, when he was a large mount, of nearly circular shape, with
succeeded by Father Boyle, the present rec- a commanding view of the surrounding-
tor, country. The land here was taken up un-
The Brandt farm on which the church der a warrant issued by the proprietaries
property is located is now the property of of Pennsylvania in the year 1750, to Peter
the diocese having been given as a bequest Craver. It was conveyed to different per-
by the Brandt family for diocesan pur- sons from that date until 1837, when John
poses. A new rectory at a cost of $5,000 S. Trimmer alone conducted a prosperous
was built by Father Boyle last year and a business for twenty years longer. His suc-
Boys' Protectory to care for the destitute cessors were: E. C. Beck, Christian Raf-
orphan boys of the diocese and to make fensberger, Jacob Kochenour, Miller &
them useful and honored citizens of the Fickes, J. O. Goodling and Isaac Glatfelter.
country was constructed at an estimated Clement B. Trimmer was proprietor of the
cost of about $50,000. store for many years, which has since been
About three-fourths of a mile kept by A. B. Alummert and Adam Moul.
Altland's east of Bigmount, the German This interesting little hamlet is located on
Meeting Baptists or Dunkers, worship in the Canal Road extending from York Ha-
House. a neatly constrvicted brick build- ven 'to Abbottstown. The public school
ing. It was erected as a union building is a convenient brick structure,
meeting house, any orthodox denominations with a cupola and bell.
being allowed to hold religious services. Baughmansville is in the western end of
\\'ithin recent years it has been used only Paradise. J. B. Baughman began the store
by the German Baptists, an honest, unas- business at this place in 1844, and contin-
suming and industrious people. In 1853, ued until 1865. There were then no build-
they departed from their former custom of ings in the vicinity except one, a black-
conducting religious meetings in the houses smith shop. This business was conducted
and barns of members, and assisted in the by George Jacobs, and later by his son.
erection of this building, familiarly known Stores have been kept in this place since
as " Altland's Meeting House." In the 1865 by Joseph W. Kraft, J. Hantz, J. B.
year 1880, it was blown down by a high Baughman, George \V. Spangler, John O.
wind storm, but was immediately rebuilt. Baughman, N. G. Waggoner, J. C. Bower,
The preachers who conducted the services Henry Geise, H. H. Geist and Abraham
in both the English and German languages Leib.
have been Daniel Altland, William Weiley, Union Chapel was built in 1867 for Sun-
Hezekiah Cook, John RafTensberger and day School and other religious purposes.
Emanuel Gochenour. This meeting house The land upon which Baughmansville is
belongs to the Lower Conewago district, built, was in the hands of the proprietaries
composed of four places of worship, includ- until 1774, when Matthias Stump paid the
ing this one. One is located in Washing- small sum of £2, 17 shillings, 4 pence, for
ton Township, on the Bermudian Creek; forty-fave acres, adjoining lands of Andreas
another near Dillsburg, and another in Trimmer and John Frankelberger. The
Strinestown. land in this vicinity was not cultivated as
Bigmount is situated in a thickly early as some other portions of the town-
Villages, settled, highly productive region ship, and was not considered fertile until
in the northern part of the town- about 1830. In 1844 Peter AVaggoner and
ship near the border of Dover -and the Big J. B. Baughman began to place lime on the
Conewago Creek. The name originated soil. It produced good results, and by 1846
with Emanuel C. Beck, who, in i860, kept was put into general use. Before this a
the village store, when Shearer and Lake small amount of wheat or corn could be
made their map of York County. They raised on an acre. ]\Iuch of the land of
asked for a name to designate the place. Paradise, considered barren at an earlv dav,
whereupon, he gave " Bigmount," after a now grows from twentv to thirtv-five bush-
village by that name in Iowa. It was els of wheat to the acre. Rve was raised
1046
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
with success before wheat. Peaches and
apples were plentiful and cheap. An abund-
ance of cider, peach-brandy and apple-jack
was made and hauled to Baltimore. Before
large covered wagons were used, market-
men sometimes used boxes on top of the
horse in which the market products were
placed and taken to markets.
Captain George Trostle before the Civil
War, drilled a company of one hvmdred men
at different places in this district. Philip
Beck was first lieutenant. The commands
were given in English and translated into
German.
One of the landmarks of Paradise
Mills. Township is Jacob's Mills in the up-
per end of the township, near the
Adams County border. The land was orig-
inally taken up by a warrant issued to
George Jacobs in 1750. Soon after this
date a mill was erected which has since been
owned by a lineal descendant of the origi-
nal settler. For many years it was owned
by Arnos Jacobs, who had a wool carding
mill, grist mill and saw mill, run by water
and steam. The stone mansion nearby
was erected in 1780. Hollinger's Mill and
Noel's Mill on Beaver Creek have long ex-
isted. Masemer's mill, on the Beaver Creek
and Berlin Road is an old mill site. The
stone building now standing, was erected in
the year 1794 by Abraham Swigert and was
long known as the " Beaver Creek Mill."
The mason who constructed it, John Nagle,
left his name and date of erection on a large
stone tablet in the west end of the mill. The
bridge across the Conewago here was re-
moved by the flood of 1884, as well as the
bridge over the Beaver Creek. Iron bridges
have taken their places by authority of the
county commissioners.
There are now seven public school build-
ings in Paradise all of which are in an ex-
cellent condition. Their names are as fol-
lows: Harbold's, Church, Eisenhart's, Mil-
ler's, Gable's, Stoner's and Bigmount.
June 27, 1863, General Ju-
Confederate bal Early, of Virginia, com-
Invasion. manding an entire division of
Ewell's corps encamped for
the night with three of his brigades near
Bigmount in Paradise Township. Early
led the advance of Eee's army on the inva-
sion into Pennsylvania. General John B.
Gordon's brigade of Georgia troops, belong-
ing to Early's division, bivouacked on the
same night at Farmers Post Office, about
four miles to the south. The entire rank
and file of Early's division numbered about
8,000 men. A detailed account of Early at
Bigmount and his movement toward York,
is given in the chapter on the Civil War,
found on page 408 of this volume.
General Early stated in a personal letter
to the writer, that he and his staff lodged
for the night in the dwelling house of Mrs.
Zinn. This property afterwards was owned
by George W. Trimmer, brother of Clem-
ent B. Trimmer, whose wife, now residing
with her husband in York, lived at home
with her mother, when Early and his troops
bivouacked for the night in Paradise Town-
ship.
The troops began to arrive about 5 o'clock
in the evening and pitched their shelter tents
on the fields surrounding the Zinn home-
stead. They prepared supper of boiled
beef and coffee and other provisions which
they obtained from neighboring farmers.
Immediately after halting for the night,
predatory parties went out in every direc-
tion in search of hams, bread, pies and any-
thing else that they might get from the
farmers. Some of them paid for these pro-
visions in Confederate money, but most of
the soldiers took whatever they wanted,
without paying anything. These foragers
also brought in many Paradise chickens and
such other fowls as they could catch.
These, too, were cooked and relished by the
tired and hungry men who had been march-
ing continuously for more than a week, rest-
ing a few hours each night on their way into
Pennsylvania.
General Early and his brigade command-
ers, Hayes, Avery and Smith, had given
their soldiers instructions that they should
not destroy private property. When Gen-
eral Early had completed arrangements for
the night's encampment, he started about
7 o'clock in the evening and rode four miles
southward to Farmers Post Office along
the York and Gettysburg Turnpike. Gen-
eral John B. Gordon, with his brigade of
2,800 men had already bivouacked for the
night in the fields around Farmers Post Of-
fice, when Early arrived there. During this
night General Gordon occupied the house
of Jacob S. Altland on the north side of the
pike as his headquarters. Being worn out
PARADISE
1047
by the continuous marching of several days,
Gordon had retired to his room in the Alt-
land house and was resting on a feather
bed.
" So intent was he to take an early nap/'
said General Early, " that I found him un-
der a feather bed when I entered his room/'
" I have come to give you directions how
you should enter York to-morrow, and you
must waken up," said Early to Gordon.
" I am glad you have come," said the lat-
ter, " for I have been visited by a delega-
tion from York and have agreed to take
possession of the town without destroying
private property."
" I could not have given you better in-
structions," said the division commander,
and then they talked for an hour about the
march and how they would soon cross the
Susquehanna River and move on eastward.
These Confederate chieftains at this time
did not know that the Army of the Potomac
was then concentrating around Frederick,
Maryland, and that Meade on that day, had
succeeded Hooker in command of 80,000
men, most of them veterans. These Con-
federates still thought that within the next
few days they would be opposed only by
Pennsylvania militia and would likely soon
capture Harrisburg, York, Lancaster and
even reach Philadelphia.
After an hour's conference with Gordon,
Early returned to the home of Mrs. Zinn,
where a bountiful supper had been prepared
for him and then he retired to his room.
Camp-fires burned all night and sentinels
guarded the outposts just as is done at all
times when a marching army bivouacs in
an open field. For eight hours or more
these tired soldiers rested and at 5 o'clock
in the morning they were aroused from their
slumbers by the beating of drums. After
a breakfast was eaten of coffee, hardtack
and beef, at the sound of the bugle, they
again took up the march, moving over the
Canal Road to Weiglestown, and from
thence to the Harrisburg turnpike, entering
York at noon of Sunday, June 28.
About the same time that Early with his
three brigades left the vicinity of Bigmount,
Gordon with his veterans began the march
from Farmers Post Ofifice, down the turn-
pike and entered York just as the church
bells were ringing for the morning service
at 10 o'clock.
Cavalry scouts raided parts of
Borrowed Jackson and West Manchester
a Horse, townships and captured such
farm horses as they thought
would be of better use to them than their
worn out nags that they had ridden fot so
many months. A Georgia lieutenant took
from the stable of Rev. Samuel h. Roth, his
beautiful family horse, without the consent
of the owner, who pleaded that he should
leave the horse behind. But he heeded not
the earnest request of this Mennonite min-
ister, and presented the horse to General
Gordon, who rode this animal as he entered
York.
A touching little incident is the sequel to
this story. On the following day Mr. Roth
came to York. He met General Early at
the residence of the burgess of the town and
there with an earnest appeal asked for the
return of the horse which had been his faith-
ful companion for a dozen years.
" It was not I who rode your horse," re-
plied the commanding officer " I presume
it was General Gordon, who has gone on to
Wrightsville with his brigade."
Mr. Roth awaited the return of Gordon
the following day, and upon his request,
the family horse was returned to the owner,
who took it to his home.
Thirty years passed by and General Gor-
don visited York to deliver a lecture on
" The Last Days of the Confederacy."
While stopping at the Colonial Hotel, a
message was sent to his room that an aged
man wished to see him in the parlor. At
this time General Gordon was United States
Senator from Georgia. He quickly ap-
peared in the parlor and met the aged min-
ister with his flowing locks and whitened
beard.
" I came to shake hands with you Gen-
eral Gordon, and thank you for the return
of my horse thirty years ago, when you
were in York on another mission."
The two men embraced each other and
tears rolled down the cheeks of both, as they
talked briefly of the stirring events of the
Civil W^ar.
On June 30, Early's division passed
through Paradise Township and East Ber-
lin on the return to Gettysburg, where his
division took an active part in the battle
both on July 2 and 3. Gordon's command
returned over the Gettysburg Turnpike and
1 048
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
in the afternoon of June 30, a detachment of
his brigade halted at Farmers Post Office
where they planted their cannon on the
farm of Henry Ramer, in Jackson Town-
ship. At this time they heard the booming
of the guns at Hanover, where a cavalry
fight was in progress between Kilpatrick
and Stuart. On the morning of the same
day, Kilpatrick with a division of 5,000
Union cavalry came eastward as far as Ab-
bottstown where his rear guard was at-
tacked by the enemy and he fell back to
Hanover. If it had not been for this inci-
dent in the invasion of 1863 Early's divi-
sion and Kilpatrick's cavalry would have
met somewhere in Paradise Township.
PEACH BOTTOM TOWNSHIP.
Peach Bottom lies in the extreme south-
eastern section of York County and bor-
ders on Harford County, Maryland. This
township was formed by a division of Fawn.
The report of the viewers appointed by the
court to make the division, was confirmed
April 5, 1815. The petitioners requested
that the eastern part be called Peach Bot-
tom. The survey was made by Colonel
James Steele, and according to his draft, the
township contained 18,313 acres. On the
margin of the draft, representing the line
along the Susquehanna River, a house, farm
buildings, and an orchard, are drawn and
marked " John Kirk's building and peach
orchard."
Fawn Township forms the western
boundary, extending in 1815 from a stone
bridge at John Donnell's mill, to Maryland.
The land owners at the time of the divi-
sion, along Mason and Dixon's line, from
the river westward in order were Cooper
Boyd, Stephen Cooper, John Neeper, Hugh
Glasgow, James Steele, John Livingstone,
H. Ouigley, Boyd Jones, and Colonel Mat-
thew Clark.
The northern and western parts of the
township are drained by Niel's Run, Fishing
Creek, Scott's Run and other smaller
streams as tributaries to Muddy Creek,
which forms the entire northern boundary,
separating Peach Bottom from Lower
Chanceford and flowing into the Susque-
hanna. Robinson's Run, McConkey's Run
and Rock Run drain the eastern part and
flow into the river, which forms the eastern
boundary. Slate Ridge, famous for its
quarries of valuable slate, diagonally crosses
the township, extending into Maryland.
The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad
passes through the township to Delta. The
Baltimore and Delta Railroad terminates at
Delta.
Near the fourth milestone, west of the
Susquehanna, the Temporary Line between
Pennsylvania and Maryland is clearly de-
fined by reference to old deeds and maps.
It runs at this point about forty-five rods
south of Mason and Dixon's line. It seems
to run a little north of west, thus causing
the two lines to converge. Reference is
made to this line in a lease dated February
13, 1755, for a tract called "Tom's Knolls
Resurveyed," wherein " the Hon. Edward
Lloyd, Esq., agent and receiver-general for
the Right Hon. Lord Proprietary of the
Province of Maryland " lets for the term of
ninety-nine years the said tract to Asbel
Brannon. This tract was sold in 1788 to
Thomas Steele, and in all the deeds the
Temporary Line is mentioned.
The early settlers of Peach Bottom, like
other parts of the lower end of York
County, first cleared small tracts of land,
then planted potatoes and corn, and sowed
rye and a little wheat. During the first few
years, fair crops were raised. Eventually
the land became poor, and the owners
turned their attention to the cultivation of
newly cleared tracts. Much of the land be-
came known as " barrens." The raising
of wheat was not a success. The introduc-
tion of plaster as a fertilizer, caused a slight
revival in the business of farming. About
1832, lime began to be used. It was
brought down the Susquehanna in arks, and
flat-boats. When the Tide Water Canal
was opened, in 1840, the business of farming
received an impetus in this township. Lime
became cheaper. Limestone was brought
down from the vicinity of Wrightsville, and
burned by the farmers and merchants into
quick lime. Lime seemed to work like a
charm for a time, but after the second or
third use of it on the same land, its efifect
on the soil was of less value. Next came
the South American guano, which was con-
sidered well suited as a fertilizer to the slate
soil. Phosphates have been extensively
used for a number of years, and produce
abundant crops.
PEACH BOTTOM
1049
The following is the ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^_ ^^^^^^ 7;^
Taxlist of 1816. first assessment roll Ot McClery, William, farmer
Peach Bottom Township. Meyers, Michael, farmer IS6
^___ Mitchel, George 170
McCartney, Ephraim, farmer 80
Andrews, John, tanner 100
Amos, Benjamin, farmer 80
Allen, James, farmer 80
Boyd, William, farmer
Bovd. John, farmer 400
Boiler, Alexander, stage driver 25
Bennington, Jeremiah, farmer
Balden, Silas, farmer
Clark, Matthew, farmer 100
Cunningham, Hugh, farmer 120
Caskey, John, farmer
Cooper, John, farmer 120
Colvin, Robert, farmer 32°
Cunningham, Robert, farmer 200
Cunningham, Joseph, farmer no
Cunningham, William, farmer 200
Cooper, John, farmer 500
Cranson, Robert, tavern keeper
Cooper, ' Stephen, farmer 700
Caskey, Terence and son Francis
Carman, William (ten houses) 29
Cplson, William, storekeeper 73
McFadden, John, farmer.
McFadden, Hugh 50
McCoy, heirs of 26
Morrison, John, farmer 15
Milliken, Thomas, farmer
McCandless, Hannah ISO
McConkey, James, store keeper
Macomber, Doctor
Miles, Joseph
McFadden, Hugh I50
McMillen, John, farmer 9°
Michael, Edward, weaver
Nichol, John
Nickol, John 400
Nesbit, John, tailor
Neaper, John, farmer 270
Norris, Daniel
Nesbit, Robert
Nickol, George, farmer 350
Oliver, Martha 232
Oliver, John, farmer
Poole, Josiah
Ctinningham, Samuel, farmer 120 Pgrk, Samuel, Rev "3
Cunningham, Samuel, farmer 99 Quigley, Hugh '7
Donnell, John, farmer, mill 100 Q^jgiej^^ William
Davison, Benjamin, farmer 5^0 Ramsey, Robert, inn-keeper 200
Edgar, Samuel, farmer 200 j^ggfj^ Moses, weaver 80
Ebaugh. John, grist mill and saw mill 104 Robinson, James, farmer 4>0S0
Edgar. Mary, miller 15° Robinson, Walter, farmer
Edgar, Hugh, farmer I50 Ramsey. James, farmer 15°
Fulton, John, farmer 94
Foust, Baltzer, farmer
Fitzpatrick, Thomas
Gibson, George, farmer
Gibson, John ■ •
Gibson. Jacob, fulling mill, cardmg mill 3»o
Galbreath. Alexander, distillery 235
Gordon, James, wheelwright
Gordon, Robert, farmer 290
Glasgow, Hugh, Esq 3«o
Hudson, John, farmer 200
Hays, John, farmer
Harbert, Gideon, farmer °4
Hall, Johnston, farmer °o
Hamilton, Robert
Huff, John ■■ ,
Hawkins. John, sawyer, saw mill o
Hawkins, Thomas 50
Hawkins, Benjamin ^3
Irvin, Francis, farmer
Jones, Elias, blacksmith
Jones, Isaac, farmer ^35
Jones, Isaac, weaver 2
Jones, Benjamin, farmer ISO
Jones, Theopheles, farmer
Jordan. Samuel, blacksmith 100
Jonson, James, farmer 100
Johnson, Wilsey, farmer 3°
Jackson, Mordecai, miller
Kirk, John, saw mill, ferry, store 4oO
Kinvard. Thomas, farmer 10
Kilgore, Thomas, wagon maker 210
Kilgore, Soloman, wagon maker 7/2
Kunkel, Michael, farmer 44
Kellogg, Ebenezer, farmer
Lukens, Eli, hatter
Livingston, John, farmer I30
Mitchell, George, farmer 125
McLaughlin, John, farmer
Miller, Robert, farmer 250
Raddy, James 73
Ross, Joseph 100
Ramsey, William, farmer '30
Stuart, Ajahle, miller
Stuart, James, carpenter
Sivard, A. John, shoemaker
Snyder, Michael, farmer '33
Stuart, Robert, shoemaker
Scott. Patrick, farmer 2S»
Sample, John, farmer, mill, saw mill 1,000
Sample, John, Jr., farmer
Steet, Thomas, farmer 4D0
Steet, James 40
Theaker, John, farmer
Thompson, Israel, miller
Thompson, Jonathan, farmer 200
Thomas, Mordecai, stage driver
Thomas, Benjamin, stage driver
Wallace, Thomas, farmer I40
Wise, Henry, farmer ^44
Walker, William, farmer
Wiley, Andrew, blacksmith ^°7
Williamson, Peter, overseer slate quarry
Wiley, Nathaniel, wheelwright ■ • ■ •
Ziegler, Joseph, farmer 240
SINGLE MEN.
John Andrew,
John Patterson,
James Patterson,
Wilson Mitchell,
George Michael,
Joseph Michael,
JNIatthew Clark,
Allen Miller,
Jehu Kilgore,
John Caskey,
Archibald Harvey,
Jacob Gibson,
Thomas Gibson,
Joseph Parker,
John Davison,
John Reed,
Joseph Cunningham,
Samuel Theaker,
James Dinsmore,
William Dinsmore,
James Bullock,
Thomas OlUver,
Joshua OUiver,
Robert Gordan,
Matthew Gordan,
William Edgar,
I050
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
William Edgar,
Wilsey Jonson,
Hugh Jonson,
James Robinson,
Stephen Boyd,
John Cooper,
John Sample,
William McCoy,
Thomas Lezer,
John Wells,
Lemon Maycommer,
George Maycommer,
Joseph Webb,
Robert Nesbitt,
Robert Nesbitt, of James,
Josiah Pool,
John McClure,
William Bennington,
James Wells,
Reuben Creighton,
John Scott,
Sampson Bennington,
David Black,
Samuel Pall,
Thomas Miles,
Nathaniel McFadden,
Andrew McClure,
William Robinson.
Bryansville was named in
Bryansville. honor of Dr. J. Y. Bryan. It
was first a school house site,
and being located on a slight elevation, was
originally called " Mount Pleasant." Evans
Gregg opened the first store. J. W. Van-
sant, who was engaged in the mercantile
business, secured the establishment of a
post office here in 1850. For many years,
Dr. Bryan was postmaster, and interested in
the mail routes through the lower end of
York County. He was succeeded by his
daughter, Mrs. Belle Gallagher.
Dr. James Yeaman Bryan was born in
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1805. His
ancestors were of French Huguenot stock,
and emigrated from France to England, dur-
ing the religious persecutions in the former
country. In 1832 he moved to the present
site of Bryansville, which was named for
him. He had a large practice.
Bryansville Seminary was supported by
Dr. Bryan. Among the instructors were
J. A. Lippincott, afterward a professor at
Dickinson College; Revs. T. R. Vickroy and
J. B. Ackers.
The church of the Evangelical Associa-
tion at Bryansville, was completed in 1882,
and dedicated the same year. Rev. P. W.
Raidabaugh officiated at these services.
The church is a neat frame structure, de-
lightfully situated. Rev. H. A. Stoke was
pastor in 1907.
West Bangor is situated on
The Welsh, the summit of the slate ridge,
and its inhabitants are all of
Welsh descent. The town was started
about 1850, and a post office was established
July 31, 1861, which became a money order
office July 6, 1876.
The Welsh, who began to locate in Peach
Bottom as early as 1848, coming from the
slate region of North AVales, are an intelli-
gent and industrious people. Many of them
have become prosperous as operators of the
quarries. The Welsh are representatives of
an ancient Celtic race, of which there are
1,500,000 in Wales and 600,000 in America,
mostly in the west. Welsh children are all
taught English in their native country as
well as in America. In Peach Bottom they
attend the public schools. Most of them
are bright and intelligent pupils. They are
taught, however, to hold in great reverence
their native tongue, scarcely a word of
which is identical with the English. Most
of their religious services are conducted in
Welsh in a solemn and impressive manner.
Infants are baptized only when their par-
ents are members of church. The bodies of
the dead are placed in the tomb facing the
east. As a people they love sacred 'music,
and some are great singers.
In the Slateville churchyard among the
Welsh tombs, is one with the following in-
scription : " Er Cof am William Morris Y.
Canor, Bu farw Hydref 27, 1869. Aed 44."
William Morris who died here at the age of
forty-four years, was a noted singer. On
one occasion, with his sister, he sang the
Unbroken Covenant with great feeling and
effect to an audience of thousands of peo-
ple collected in Caernarvon Castle, the birth
place of the first Prince of Wales. Among
the noted men in American history of AA'elsh
descent are two Presidents, Thomas Jeffer-
son and James A. Garfield.
The first colony of Welsh that settled in
Peach Bottom left the north of Wales in
June and arrived in Philadelphia on the
morning of July 4, 1848. The party num-
bered thirty men, women and children. The
adults of the party were: Griffith Evans,
who died shortly after the colony had set-
tled at Delta and was buried at Penn Hill,
Lancaster County; Rev. Henry Roberts,
who in 1850 went to Mineral Point, Wis-
consin, where he had charge of a Presby-
terian church ; Rev. Griffith Davis, a local
preacher, Hill Williams, Richard Hughes,
AVilliam D. Edwards, John Loyd, Alexan-
der Williams, Thomas W. Jones, William J.
Jones, Robert Perry, Richard Roberts,
Foulk Jones, John W. Edwards, John
Thomas, Mrs. Hugh Williams, Miss Jane
J. Jones, a sister of Mrs. Hugh Williams,
who married Humphrey Loyd, Mrs. Gwinn
Williams, Betty Perry, a sister of Robert
Perry, Howell Williams, John Humphries,
PEACH BOTTOM
105 1
Evan Humphries, Humphrey Evans, Hugh
C. Roberts, Howell Williams, John E. Wil-
liams, Griffith Williams and WiUiam E.
Williams.
The first marriage in the settlement was
that of Humphrey Evans and Catherine
Williams who were married in August, 1848,
and the first Welsh child born was their
son, Evan, July, 1849. The first Welsh
Sunday School was held in July, 1848, in
a stone house in Bangor which was de-
stroyed by fire in 1867. A church which
was used by dift'erent denominations was
built in 1849 ^"d Rev. Richard J. Hughes
ofiiciated at the dedication of the building.
During the years 1848-9, Rev. Griffith
Dives, a local preacher held services in pri-
vate houses. In 1850 some of those who
had settled in and around Delta left and
went to Fulton Township, Lancaster
County, where they opened a slate quarry.
Among them were Foulk Jones, Richard
Jones, and Edward Jones. When this set-
tlement was made in Lancaster County, the
men employed had no place convenient for
religious worship and in 1854 Foulk and
Richard Jones gave a tract of land for a
church site. At the start of this church
there were only three members other than
the three trustees, Foulk, Richard and Ed-
ward Jones. These were James Philips,
John Price and Abel Jones. This small
band worked and soon had all the members
of the little colony in the fold of the church
and it was successful up to i860 when the
quarries closed and the church was used
by the Presbyterians for a Sunday School
up to 1899 when a new church was erected
by that denomination.
The Calvinistic Methodist Church at
West Bangor was erected in 1854, on land
donated by Major AVilliamson under the di-
rection of John Humphrey, Griffith Wil-
liams and Robert Davis, the first trustees.
The future history of this church will be
found on page 859.
The Welsh Congregational Church, of
West Bangor was organized November 21,
1855, at Slateville, with thirty-seven mem-
bers. Hugh AVilliams and William Morris
were first deacons. The worship was then
held in the vestry of the Presbyterian
Church, and the congregation had no regu-
lar pastor. In 1857 the Society purchased,
for a nominal sum, a lot in West Bangor, of
Thomas S. Williamson, and in the same
year erected a frame church. The trustees
then were Griffith Davies, Robert Hughes,
David C. Williams and Elias Rowlands.
The church was dedicated in 1858, by Revs.
Morris R. Remsen, of New York, and David
Price, of Utica. Rev. Thomas Williams,
later of East Bangor, was the first pastor
and served ten years.
One of the first arrangements
Slate made by the pioneer Presby-
Ridge terians west of the Susquehanna,
Church, was to establish a church. Soon
after the first settlement of Peach
Bottom an event occurred which increased
their desire for Gospel ordinances. It is
stated, "there was so great a revival in Bal-
timore County in 1746 and 1747, that it
seemed like the first planting of religion
there. It was in what is now Harford
County and extended from Deer Creek to
Slate Ridge and Chanceford." This was an
auspicious beginning for Slate Ridge
Church. The first house consecrated to the
worship of God in this part of the country,
was a log building near Muddy Creek.
Tradition indicates the site of it at the junc-
tion of Scott's Run and Muddy Creek, east
of the former and south of the latter. This
place was chosen for the site of their
sanctuary because it was central to the peo-
ple of Chanceford and Peach Bottom. When
a house of worship was built and a church
organized in Chanceford, a more central and
convenient place was chosen. Two streams
running in opposite directions, the meeting
of the waters, the wooded range rising
gradually behind where the ancient sanc-
tuary stood, all united in forming one of
nature's pleasing pictures. It reminds one
of some of the places in Scotland where the
persecuted Covenanters were wont to as-
semble and worship Jehovah. The log build-
ing at Muddy Creek was burned. A second
and temporary building was then erected
several miles further south, in the state of
Maryland, on land then owned by Michael
Whiteford. A vague tradition indicates
that this "temporary building" was erected
on property later owned by John Beattie.
This building was soon deserted, and a
third house of worship erected. In 1762 a
fourth house of worship was built and is
described as "a new, better and fourth
church, built of squared logs on the same
IOS2
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
site." About the year 1800 this house was
burned. Soon after this the fifth church
was built northwest of the site of Delta, and
stood until 1894.
One statement of the organization of
this church says : "A congregation was
formed, and church erected prior to 1750."
Another account is that it was organized
"not before 1750 and probably in 1751."
The man to whom, as is generally believed,
belongs the honor of constituting this
church, was the Rev. Eleazer Whittlesey,
who was born in Bethlehem, Conn. He
spent some time at Nottingham, Cecil
Count3% Maryland, where a Mr. Finley
taught an academy. He graduated in 1749,
at Nassau Hall, then located at Newark,
New Jersey, and was licensed to preach by
the Newcastle Presbytery soon after. Writ-
ing to Bellamy, May 8,1750, from Mr. Fin-
ley's he says he had been directed to ride
abroad in March and April to supply vacan-
cies. Finley writes, December 3, 1752, that
"Whittlesey, whom I tenderly loved for his
zeal and integrity, left my house on a Tliurs-
day morning, cheerful, and in good health,
and preached the next Sabbath at Muddy
Greek, not designing to continue there
longer. Monday, he was taken sick with
pleurisy. He continued in pain until Satur-
day, and then gave up the ghost. The last
words he was heard to utter were : 'O
Lord leave me not.' The Susquehanna was
frozen and no messenger could come to me
until all was over. He died December 21,
1752." A tradition worthy of belief, asserts
that the body of Whittlesey was buried in a
graveyard near where James Johnston, of
Peach Bottom Township resided.
The successor of Whittlesey was Evander
Morrison, of Scotland, who joined the New-
castle Presbytery in 1753. During his
ministry the second house was built. He
was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Black, but how
long these clergymen served is not known.
There was no pastor in 1759. Rev. John
Strain, who was probably born in 1728, and
was graduated at Princeton College in 1757,
licensed to preach in 1759, ordered by the
Presbytery to supply Slate Ridge and
Chanceford in July the same year, and or-
dained December 17, 1760, was next pastor.
At the meeting of the Presbytery, Octo-
ber 14, 1760, a number of members of Slate
Ridge congregation asked that their " meet-
ing house be continued where it is." At the
ensuing meeting a committee was appointed
by the Presbytery to go to the spot and de-
cide the matter, consisting of Messrs. Blair,
Bay, James Finley and S. Finley. They re-
ported they " had met the Slate Ridge con-
gregation and determined the place of
building our new meeting house. A good
spring may be had by going a little way
from that place." This was doubtless the
spring long owned by the congregation.
Mr. Strain was installed pastor of the Slate
Ridge and Chanceford congregations by
Sterling, Andrew Bay and Finley, Novem-
ber 17, 1762. Not long after his installa-
tion, he and his congregations were an-
nexed to the Donegal Presbytery, the ses-
sions of which he and his elder, James
Smith, met June 29, 1763. Some of the
ruling elders of Slate Ridge and Chance-
ford, at this time, were Hugh Whiteford,
Rowland Hughes, Joseph Watson, John
Steel, James Deeper, James Gordan, James
Clark, James Smith, Patrick Scott, J. Cowan
and Thomas Scott. The oldest grave
marked in the present Slate Ridge burying
ground is that of a child of Alexander Mc-
Candless in 1764.
Mr. Strain purchased a farm adjoining
lands of John Edmundson and James White
in 1765, within the present limits of Peach
Bottom Township. He was not a man of
great physical endurance. Hezekiah James
Balch, a graduate of Princeton, pursued the
study of theology with him about this time,
for one year. In 1768, Revs. John Strain
and George Duffield received a call to be-
come joint pastors of the Second Presby-
terian Church of Philadelphia, at a salary
of 200 pounds each.
The next session of Donegal Presbytery
assembled at Slate Ridge, when a joint ad-
dress from the congregations of Chanceford
and Slate Ridge, remonstrated against the
removal of their pastor. He yielded to
their wishes, and remained as their minister
until his death in 1774. He is traditionally
remembered as "one of the most eloquent
ministers of the Presbyterian church of his
time, and very earnest and zealous in his
work." There are a number of eulogies of
his character, delivered at the time of his
death, still in existence, and The Pennsyl-
^■ania Gazette, then the leading paper in
Philadelphia, published an extended obit-
PEACH BOTTOM
1053
uary of him. His remains were buried in
the graveyard adjoining the Slate Ridge
church. On the tombstone, neatly carved,
is the following inscription: "In memory
of Rev. Dr. John Strain, who departed this
life April 12, 1774, aged forty-three years."
During a part of the period of the Revolu-
tionary War, this and the Chanceford con-
gregation was without a regular pastor;
Rev. William Smith was for two years of
this time a supply. Other supplies were
Messrs. Sam.ple, Luckey, Finley, Tate and
Joseph Smith.
Rev. John Slemons, a graduate of Prince-
ton College in the class of 1760, became sup-
ply to Slate Ridge and Chanceford congre-
gation in 1781, and was installed in 1783. He
had been pastor of Lower Marsh Creek con-
gregation (now Gettysburg) from 1765 to
1774. He purchased a farm in Peach
Bottom, containing 238 acres for 500
pounds, and continued to serve these con-
gregations until September 1791, when he
resigned, and there was no regular pastor
until 1795, when Samuel Martin, D. D., was
chosen. He was born in Chestnut Level,
Lancaster County, January 9, 1767, of par-
ents who belonged to the Associate Church.
He was graduated at the University of
Pennsylvania in 1790, and licensed to preach
three years later by the Baltimore Presby-
tery. He at first was pastor of this church
only, but April i, 1800, the congregation of
Chanceford asked for one-half of his time
for a consideration of 100 pounds. During
this period, "the new, better, and fourth
church, built of squared logs" was burned.
Dr. Martin lived on the farm, where his
successor in the ministry, Rev. Samuel
Parke, afterward resided. For a time he
kept a classical school near the church.
August 10, 1814, Mr. Parke was ordained
pastor of this church : "For forty-three
years he continued to preach the word, ad-
minister the sacraments, visit, catechise,
comfort the mourning and bury the dead."
Rev. Joseph D. Smith succeeded Mr.
Parke in i860, and continued as the pastor
of that congregation until the year 1890.
He was born in Ireland and came to this
country with his parents in 1847. He was
educated at Washington and JefTerson Col-
lege and at Princeton Theological Seminary.
He was licensed to preach in 1859, by the
Presbytery of Philadelphia and a few
months later came to Peach Bottom Town-
ship, when he became pastor of Slate Ridge
Church, which he served for a period of
forty years. During his long pastorate Mr.
Smith was one of the leading members
of the Presbytery to which he belonged.
He was widely known and influential
throughout the lower end of York County.
After retiring from the ministry, he re-
sided in Delta until his death in 1906. Rev.
A. Lewis Hyde succeeded him as pastor in
1890.
The Slate Ridge Church, a large stone
building, was torn down during the pastor-
ate of Rev. Hyde, and a handsome brick
church built at Cardiff, Maryland. This
church was dedicated May 10, 1894. The
parsonage at CardiiT was first occupied in
1902. During the first fifteen years of Rev.
Hyde's pastorate 410 members were added
to this congregation. The ruling elders in
1907 are A. A. MafTet, D. A. Bay, W. B.
Davis, J. T. Garley, J. Andrew Wallace and
Robert A. Stewart.
Slateville Presbyterian Church
Slateville is situated near what is known
Church. as the "old slate quarry," about
one mile from the Maryland line
and one mile from the borough of Delta.
It was organized in the year 1849 by a few
members who withdrew from the Slate
Ridge Church. James Galbreath and
Robert Dinsmore were 'the first ruling
elders. Immediately upon its organization,
seventeen more members were received,
and three additional ruling elders, viz.,
David Mitchell, Joseph D. Wiley and Archi-
bald Cooper. Thus the congregation began
its history with fifty-two members and five
ruling elders.
The cornerstone of the church was laid
September 7, 1849. The building was used
for worship in January, 1850, and dedicated
June 8, of the same year. The pulpit was
for some time supplied by the Presbytery
of Donegal. Among the supplies furnished
by the Presbytery was one of its licentiates.
Rev. T. M. Crawford, who labored at in-
tervals in this field until February 17, 1751,
when the congregation unanimously elected
him as pastor of the church. Mr. Crawford
served this church for twenty-one years.
Under his ministrations it grew rapidly and
prospered. In the year 1872, Mr. Crawford
relinquished the charge, much to the re-
I054
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
gret of the members. He resided within
the bounds of this congregation until the
time of his death in 1901. Rev. D. M.
Davenport was called as pastor in May,
1873. In 1868 the congregation, finding
their church too small, built a new one at
a cost of nearly $7,000. This building was
renovated and improved in 1884. The con-
gregation owns a parsonage and five acres
of land, which is situated about two miles
from the church.
Rev. Mr. McCormick was pastor of this
congregation in 1907.
Mt. Nebo Methodist Protest-
Mt. Nebo ant Church, situated two miles
Church. east of Delta on the public road
to Peach Bottom, was one of
the earliest churches of this denomination
in southern Pennsylvania. The congrega-
tion is composed of some of the leading
citizens of Peach Bottom Township. Its
members aided in the organization of the
Methodist Protestant Church in Delta,
when it was organized soon after the in-
corporation of that borough.
The region about this ferry, on
Peach both sides of the stream, up and
Bottom, down its banks and on the allu-
vial islands in it, were favorite
resorts for the Susquehannock Indians.
The Indians of this tribe were noted
for their size, prowess and endurance,
according to the description of them
by John Smith, in the Jamestown col-
ony, who ascended the Susquehanna to
a point a few miles below Peach Bottom in
1608, while exploring the Atlantic coast.
Mortars, pestles, battle-axes, darts, spear-
points and other Indian implements have
Ijeen found in large numbers in this locality.
Indian hieroglyphics are carved on the
rocks and cliffs bordering the stream at
different points.
In the river, opposite Safe Harbor, a
distance up the stream, from Peach Bottom,
are the interesting Sculptured Rocks. The
Indian inscriptions on these rocks have
been viewed by a number of archaeologists,
and reproductions of them have been
made. They have been injured by time
and weather, and ice floes, so that the
original tracings are scarcely recognizable
now. On Mount Johnson Island the relic
hunters find traces of the Indians. Susque-
hanna itself is an Indian name and one of
its many meanings given is " River of Is-
lands." About one-half mile below the
Maryland line are rocks called the "Bald
Friars," which contain curious inscriptions
made by the aborigines. These have be-
come famous, especially those on Mile's Is-
land and Barrow's Island, where every large
boulder contains some figures, which are
considerably defaced now.
In the year 1725, Thomas Johnson,
father-in-law of Colonel Thomas Cresap,
who owned a ferry near the mouth of the
river, and was afterward noted in the his-
tory of York County as the leader of the
Maryland intruders, obtained a Maryland
title for the large island at Peach Bottom
called "Mount Johnson," there being a hill
at the head of it. On the western shore
of this island, there is a valuable shad fish-
ery. Settlers under Maryland titles used
this ferry as a crossing place as early as
1725. About this time Johnson named it
Peach Bottom on account of the abundance
of the American redwood or Judas tree
which in the springtime and early summer
made the hillsides along the stream look
as if they were covered with large peach
orchards.
June 20, 1752, Nathaniel Morgan, John
Griffith, Alexander Wallace, Hugh White-
ford and Archibald White reported to the
court at York that they had "laid out a
road as directed from Peach Bottom Ferry,
so-called, to the road leading to the town
of York."
Much of the land of this region was taken
up by John Cooper, an Episcopalian, who
came from Kendall, England, about 1720.
As early as 1725, he came to Peach Bottom.
Some of his descendants reside here, and
his remains are buried on the farm of the
late Levi Cooper. John Cooper was mar-
ried to Agnes Gill, whose father lived on
the site of Baltimore, before the city was
built. They had five sons and two daugh-
ters. The names of the sons were John,
Stephen, Alexander, Nicholas and Thomas.
The last named, the grandfather of Levi
Cooper, in 1774 built the house owned by
his grandson, which burned down in 1903.
Thomas Cooper married Mary Aber-
crombie, by whom he had four children. He
died in 1799. Stephen Thomas Cooper, his
son. was married to Kezia Bell, of Wash-
ington County, Pennsylvania. He was a
PEACH BOTTOM
1055
member of the Pennsylvania legislature in
1826, 1827, and 1828, and died in 1855. Levi
Cooper was his son.
John Kirk, an English Quaker, estab-
lished a mercantile business and conducted
a grist mill at Peach Bottom for many
years. He began in 1798, and afterward
Major McConkey became associated with
him, and eventually succeeded in the owner-
ship of the store.
A postoffice was established at Peach
Bottom in 1815 and during its prominence
as a business centre the following persons
have filled that office in order of succession:
John Kirk, James McConkey, Andrew Mc-
Conkey, James McConkey, Jerry Kirk,
Isaac Parker, A. F. Wiley, Elmira Geiger,
M. C. Geiger, Elias Fry, C. G. McGlaughlin,
S. D. Fry and John Q. A. McConkey.
Joseph Webb, an English surveyor, who
was once an employee in the government
land office, and who in 1810 started Palmyra
Forge at Castle Fin, made a plan for a town
at Peach Bottom Ferry in 181 5, which he
named "Sowego." It proved only to be
a paper city of 150 lots, a number of which
were disposed of by lottery. The old Mc-
Conkey mansion was the only house built
on the site of the proposed town. Joseph
Webb died in 1840, and willed sixty-nine
acres of his land to the Pennsylvania Colo-
nization Society.
Slate Point is an interesting geological
curiosity, located a short distance below
Peach Bottom Ferry. It is the eastern ter-
minus in York County of the valuable vein
of slate. This point is a perpendicular bluf¥,
320 feet from the Susquehanna, and is much
visited by lovers of romantic scenery. From
its summit there is a fine view up and down
the river, the waters of which seem to pass
almost underneath the observer. To the
west of it, a hill rises 150 feet higher. About
1850, a valuable slate quarry was opened
a short distance away.
Shad fishing was an important business
here half a century ago. As many as 3,000
shad were caught in a seine fifty yards long
at Slate Tavern, near Cully's Rapids in the
Susquehanna in 1845.
Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steam-
boat, was born opposite Peach Bottom in
Fulton Township, Lancaster County.
General Lafayette, with a brigade of
American soldiers, on his way to Yorktown,
Va., in 1781, with his army, crossed the
Susquehanna at Bald Friar Ferry, a few
miles below Peach Bottom.
The slate quarries of this town-
Slate ship for half a century have been
Quarries, famous. They have given popu-
larity to the name Peach Bot-
tom over a large extent of country. In-
dustrial statistics show that five-eighths of
the slate used in America is quarried from
Northampton and Lehigh counties, in this
state, and the valuable quarries of Peach
Bottom. For roofing purposes the Peach
Bottom slate is unexcelled on account of
its durability. The quarrying of the slate
of this region for use as tombstones began
at a very early period, but for roofing pur-
poses slate was quarried only in small quan-
tities before 1800.
The land on which the quarries are situ-
ated, was originally the McCandless prop-
erty and later owned by the Williamson
estate. A Baltimore company opened
some quarries and did a considerable busi-
ness as early as 1812. Peter Williamson, a
native of Scotland, became the lessee and
Major Thomas S. Williamson succeeded,
and eventually purchased the lands. He
quarried slate extensively for many years.
The slate is first blasted out, then hoisted,
by steam to the bank in large irregularly
shaped blocks. These blocks are then
broken or "scalloped" into smaller blocks,
and then split into sheets of required thick-
ness. For this purpose a chisel or knife
about eighteen inches long in used. The
slate as it lies in distinct veins, splits readily
wherever the knife is placed, if inserted
when the block is wet, or "green," as it is
called by the workmen. They call the
original moisture in the slate " sap." After
the blocks become dry, they harden and
cannot be split easily. After the blocks are
split, tlie sheets are dressed or trimmed into
shingles of the required shape, by means
of a machine worked by foot-power, which
is from 6x12 to 14x24 inches.
Slate is packed and sold in " squares,"
which contain one hundred square feet, or
sufficient to cover a space of ten by ten
feet, when laid on the roof. One square of
slate covers the same area as 1,000 shingles.
For more than half a century most of the
quarries at Peach Bottom were operated by
intelligent Welshmen. Among the leading
1056 HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
operators during that time were John Hum- Charles H. Emig, directors. This company
phreys & Company, William E. Williams & has added improvements as an equipment
Company, E. D. Davies & Company, James for the mining and manufacturing of slate.
Perry & Company, William C. Roberts, It has an office in the Builders' Exchange,
Thomas W. Jones & Company, John W. Philadelphia, in charge of Chauncey F.
Jones & Company,. Foulk Jones, Hugh E. Shellenberger.
Hughes & Company, and Kilgore & Com- R. L. Jones & Company of Delta oper-
pany. Many of them had worked in the slate ate a large quarry in this township, which
quarries of North Wales before coming to has been in existence for many years.
America. John Humphreys located here. The firm is composed of R. L. Jones, and
coming from Wales in 1849. The facilities his two sons, Arthur and John Jones.
at the disposal of miners for getting out and Foulk Jones & Son own and operate an-
dressing slate were then very limited and other large quarry. Mr. Jones is one of
chiefly confined to an ordinary crane and the oldest and most prominent operators of
derrick. At that time the mines were not slate in the State of Pennsylvania, and is
deep like now. The slate ridge which widely known as a successful business man.
crosses the township south of Delta is The members of the firm are Foulk Jones
neither high nor steep, but preserves a and his son, D. W. Jones,
rather uniform outline as far as it can be The Cardiff Peach Bottom Slate Manu-
followed by the eye from the valley below, facturing Company owns a large mine in
Some of the quarries are 200 feet deep. Harford County. The Peach Bottom Slate
Professor Louis Agassiz, the great natural- Company, owned by Richard Rees, of Delta,
ist, visited these quarries in 1870. operate a large quarry in Harford County.
The excellent quality of the Peach Bot- The Proctor Slate Company owned by the
tom slate is proven by the fact that it has Proctor brothers, is also in Harford County,
stood the test of use and wear for a hun- W. Jerry Jones recently opened a quarry
dred years and more. As early as 1805, near Delta. Edward Evans & Company
the Slate Ridge Church was covered with own a quarry in Peach Bottom Township
slate taken from an adjoining quarry. It near Delta.
remained in position on the roof of the All the above mentioned quarries do an
church for a period of ninety-six years, un- extensive business. The workmen, about
til the building was removed, and it was 500 in number, employed in these quarries,
then in good condition. Owing to the pop- are nearly all Welsh or of Welsh descent,
ularity of this product, quarries are oper- The population of Peach Bottom Town-
ated on a large scale and their annual output ship in 1820 was 928; 1830, 898; 1840, 1074;
within recent years averaged 40,000 squares. 1850, 1,652; i860, 1,874; 1870, 2,365; 1880,
The output of the leading quarries ranges 2,130; 1890, 2,198; 1900, 1888. The de-
from 2,500 to 10,000 squares. Peach Bot- crease in population during the last decade
tom slate is now in demand in many states was owing to the incorporation of Delta
of the Union. The Peach Bottom slate into a borough.
belt covers an area of nearly two miles Peach Bottom has eleven schools with the
square, and extends from Peach Bottom following names: Peach Bottom, Mt. Joy,
Township over the Pennsylvania line into Pikes Peak, Glenwood, Mt. Holly, Union,
the northern part of Harford County, Bellview, Slateville. Bryansville, Pleasant
Maryland. Valley, West Bangor.
The Peach Bottom Slate Manufacturing Hon. James Ross, one of the
Company, organized in 1901, operates one Historical most distinguished lawyers and
of the largest quarries in this township. Notes. statesmen that Pennsylvania
This quarry produces annually from 6,000 has produced, was born in
to 10,000 squares, and readily disposes of Peach Bottom Township in 1762, a few
its Droduct all over the United States. The hundred yards north of the borough of
officers and directors of this company are Delta. A" biography of him appears on
citizens of York. M. G. Collins is presi- page 472.
dent; C. C. Frick, vice president and treas- The birthplace of James Ross was owned
urer; D. F. Lafean, Jere S. Black and from 1827 to 1885 by Robert Ramsay, whose
PEACH BOTTOM
1057
wife, Jane Whiteford, was the daughter of
Elizabeth, the sister of Senator Ross. Rob-
ert Ramsay was born in Peach Bottom
Township in 1795. In 1814, he was a sol-
dier in Captain Amos's company of one
hundred men, who marched to the defence
of Baltimore when attacked by the British.
The company started from the village of
Dublin, ]\Iaryland, in the month of August ;
on the way remained one night in the Court
House at Bel Air, and the next day arrived
at Baltimore. This was two weeks before
the approach of the British. Mr. Ramsay
delighted to talk of the past, and pictured
to the writer in 1884, the bombardment of
Fort McHenry, as he saw it, amid the
booming of cannon and the explosion of
shells, on that eventful night, when Francis
Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner,
while a prisoner of war on a British vessel.
In 1805, while on his way to school, near
Ramsay's Tavern, Mr. Ramsay narrowly es-
caped being captured by a drove of wolves.
He voted sixteen times at the presidential
elections, casting his first ballot when James
Madison was elected. He was then a Fed-
eralist, and when that party ceased to exist,
he voted with the Whigs. In 1856, Mr.
Ramsay cast his ballot for John C. Free-
mont, the first candidate of the Republican
party for President. In 1884, the last Pres-
idential election which he attended, he cast
his ballot for James G. Blaine, who was de-
feated by Grover Cleveland. For more
than half a century Mr. Ramsay was a mem-
ber of Slate Ridge Church. At the time of
his death, at the age of ninety-two, he was
the last soldier of the War of 1812 in York
County.
John Flehearty, who died near Fawn
Grove Borough in 1886, at the age of nearly
one hundred years, was an interesting char-
acter in the lower end of York County. In
early days he was a teamster between Har-
risburg and Pittsburg, across the Allegheny
Mountains.
Joshua Kilgore, who died in Peach Bot-
tom Township in 1885, was a soldier of the
War of 1812, and was present at the battle
of North Point, near Baltimore, in 1814.
Dr. Whiteford, born in Peach Bottom
Township, was a surgeon in the War of
1812, and at Baltimore, and afterward a very
prominent phj^sician.
William Edgar, William Rowland, AYil-
liani Luckey, Robert Luckey, David Smith,
John Morrison and Robert Martin were ap-
pointed viewers in 1748 of " a road from the
Ashmore ferry-road to York running south
to the temporary line to David Smith's pat-
ented land." These were some of the first
settlers of the lower end of York County.
Dr. James Montgomery, one of the first
physicians of the lower end, after removing
to Baltimore, won distinction in his pro-
fession.
Rev. Dr. Martin, Hugh Glasgow, Rev. Mr.
Parke, Joseph Wiley, Nathan Beamis and
Hugh Whiteford were among the first per-
sons to introduce pleasure carriages into
this section. They were then a novelty.
Patrick Scott and others soon followed their
example. AYhen these " nabobs " ap-
proached Slate Ridge Church with their
" wheel concerns," they were the observed
of all observers.
For a period of ten years there were only
eight persons in this township who voted
the Federalist ticket. They were John
Kirk, James McConke}^ Joseph Webb, John
T. Cooper, Daniel Mitchell, AVilson Mit-
chell, Joseph Mitchell and Robert Ramsay.
This was before 1825 when the Federalist
party ceased to exist.
Colonel Matthew Clark as earl}^ as 1810,
was a commander of volunteer and militia
companies. He was a member of the Legis-
lature in 1804 and 1805, and was elected
county commissioner in 1824. Major An-
drew McConkey organized a uniformed
company during the 3'ear 1827 which served
a period of seven years.
Rev. James Ross Ramsay, son of Robert
Ramsay, was born at the homestead near
Delta. For thirty years he was a success-
ful missionary among the Seminoles, in In-
dian Territory. His daughter was a teacher
of a school of sixty Indian youths, under
the direction and management of her father.
Mrs. Coulson, an aunt of ex-Governor
Kirkwood, died in the vicinity of Delta, dur-
ing the )'ear 1884, at the advanced age of
ninety 3'ears. Her distinguished nephew
visited her while he was a member of Presi-
dent Garfield's cabinet.
Coulsontown is an interesting village oc-
cupied chiefly by AYelsh slate miners. It is
located below AYest Bangor, south of Slate
Ridge.
Hugh Glasgow conducted a store between
I058
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Delta and Peach Bottom at the beginning of
last century. Walton's store, six miles
west of Delta near Fawn Grove, did a con-
siderable business, as early as 1815.
Ramsay's Tavern in the west end of
Peach Bottom Township is one of the land-
marks of the " lower end." The voting
place before the division of Fawn Township
was one-half mile north of this place.
Eventually it was moved to the tavern,
which continued to be used for a number of
years after the formation of Peach Bottom.
This tavern on one of the main highways to
the Peach Bottom Ferry, before the time of
railroads, was a prominent stopping place
for teamsters and travelers. David Ramsay
was proprietor for many years.
In the year 1819 a duel was fought by Dr.
Brownlow and John Chauncey, members of
the Maryland Legislature, near Ramsay's
Tavern. This duel was the result of a dif-
ference of opinion on some political issue of
the day. Brownlow was slightly wounded
in the arm at the first shot, after which the
duelists and those Avho accompanied them
left for their homes.
" Cold Cabins " before i860 was a promi-
nent stopping place for boats on the Sus-
quehanna canal.
Dr. Thomas Montgomery was one of the
last persons to own slaves in Peach Bot-
tom.
Jabez Kirkwood, the father of ex-Gov-
ernor Kirkwood of Iowa, was for many
years an elder in Slate Ridge Church.
Hugh Glasgow was a leading citizen of
Peach Bottom for nearly half a century.
He was one of the early associate judges of
York County and during the War of 1812
he was a member of Congress. His biog-
raphy appears on page 565.
Patrick Scott was one of the first
Patrick settlers who attained prominence
Scott, in the local affairs of Peach Bot-
tom Township. He was an Irish
Presbyterian, and early in the history of
Slate Ridge Presbyterian church, became an
influential ruling elder. When the church
building was moved from the mouth of
Scott's Run to its position near the site of
Delta, he took an active part in the work.
He was known far and wide among the
Scotch-Irish of the lower end as " Paddy
Scott, the coffin-maker." When a new road
was to be laid out, Patrick was one of the
viewers, or else had considerable to say
about the road. One of the first large
houses among the early settlers of this sec-
tion, was built by him. When the Revolu-
tion began he was an ardent supporter of
the new government, and was chosen a rep-
resentative to the first convention that met
in York December 16, 1774. He assisted
in raising a fund of six pounds from his
township to be sent to Boston. In 1775 he
belonged to the Committee of Safety for
York County. In 1783-4 he was a member
of the House of Representatives. He was a
man of force of character. As a mark of
prominence in church affairs, he built for
himself a much larger pew than any one
else, and was a conspicuous figure in it.
Many an early settler of the lower end was
laid beneath the sod by his direction, in the
pursuit of his occupation. Characteristic of
the Irish, he never would tell the date of his
birth, but on the granite slab that marks his
tomb, at the southeast corner of the Slate
Ridge churchyard, is found the follow-
ing inscription: "In memory of Patrick
Scott, who departed this life August 8, 1825,
in the ninety-sixth year of his age." Three
wives died before him, and each was remem-
bered by a granite slab similar to his own.
The fourth wife survived him.
CHAPTER LII
TOWNSHIP HISTORY— (Continued).
Penn — Shrewsbury — Springfield — Spring-
ettsbury — Spring Garden — Warrington —
Washington — West Manchester — West
Manheim — Windsor — York.
PENN TOWNSHIP.
Penn Township surrounds the borough of
Hanover, and is bounded on the west by
Adams County. Originally much of its ter-
ritory was included in " Digges' Choice."
From 1750 to 1880, Penn was embraced in
Heidelberg except that portion which was
included in Manheim until it was annexed to
Heidelberg in 1816. Within the present
territory of Penn there were many conflict-
ing claims to land titles, during the time of
the early settlement. These difficulties are
described in the chapter on Digges' Choice,
found elsewhere in this volume. There is
some significance in the name Penn being
applied to this township, as its territory was
PENN
1059
claimed by both Lord Baltimore and the
heirs of William Penn, until the important
question was finally settled by the King of
England in council, which gave rise to the
running of Mason and Dixon's line, in 1768,
deciding this region to be within the boun-
daries of the Penn grant.
Penn Township was formed by a division
of Heidelberg, by action of the court in the
year 1880. The viewers were George W.
Hoffacker, Jeremiah Brodbeck and Jesse K.
Wentz. The survey was made by Jesse D.
Keller.
Penn is densely populated, and contains
some of the most fertile and valuable lands
in York County. Though not large in area,
its population in 1880 was 1,962; 1890, 1,501 ;
1900, 1,875. I" 1887 part of the township
was annexed to the borough of Hanover.
The suburban parts of the town of Hanover
and the villages of Pennville, New Balti-
more and Blooming Grove are within the
boundaries of Penn.
Dense forests of hickory, oak and chest-
nut existed around Hanover when this re-
gion was first settled. One of these mon-
archs stood on the farm of Samuel H. For-
ney immediately west of Hanover. In 1850
it m.easured twenty-one feet in circumfer-
ence. The tree was about the same size in
1890 when it was cut down. The farms
owned by Samuel H. Forney and David F.
Forney, adjoining Hanover, have been
owned by the descendants of Adam .and
Nicholas Forney since they were taken up
under original land warrants in 1730.
The United Evangelical Church
Churches, at Blooming Grove was built in
1882, at a cost of $800. The
dedicatory services were held in November,
1882. The building committee consisted of
the pastor of the congregation. Rev. P. F.
Jarret, E. R. Kessler and F. S. Stover. Rev.
J. AV. Bentz, the pastor of the congregation,
was succeeded in 1907 by Rev. I. M. Pines.
Wildasin's Meeting House was built
about 1840, as a place of worship for Re-
formed, Lutherans and German Baptists.
Since Dub's Church has been built in Man-
heim Township, it is used only by the last
named denomination.
Pennville lies near the banks of
Pennville. Plum Creek along the turnpike,
a few hundred j^ards west of
Hanover. It is a growing town, containing
nearly a hundred private residences, two
stores and a schoolhouse. As early as 1825,
George Metzgar resided here and owned a
blacksmith shop on the opposite side of the
road from his residence. He was a son of
Major Frederick Metzgar of Hanover. His
nearest neighbor was John Ohm. These
two persons seem to have been the first res-
idents of this village. Elijah Collins lived
here for a number of years and afterward
moved to a home at the base of the Pigeon
Hills. He was a noted fox hunter, who to-
gether with Daniel A. Barnitz of Hanover,
Henry Leib of Heidelberg and others owned
a large number of hounds. They spent
many days during the winter season in hunt-
ing foxes, which were abundant during the
first half of last century in the mountainous
parts of Penn and Heidelberg townships.
On the Westminster Road near the turnpike
three-fourths of a century or more ago was
a collection of small houses. They were oc-
cupied by negroes who had been slaves for
Marks Forney and his ancestors, who owned
the Forney farm at the western suburb of
Hanover. Slavery was discontinued in
Pennsylvania in 1781, with the exception of
those owned by their masters at that time.
These slaves were held in bondage under the
law for a certain period. The last colored
man who had been a slave died in 1840. He
was owned by Marks Forney and lived in
one of these cabms near Pennville. George
Metzgar, the blacksmith, sold his property
to Henry Siegfried who carried on wagon
making.
About 1890 the village of Pennville began
to grow, and is now an interesting and at-
tractive suburb of Hanover. Samuel Clay
conducted a store in this village for many
years.
New Baltimore is a hamlet on
New the Abbottstown Turnpike, one
Baltimore, and a half miles northeast of
Hanover. It contains about
thirty dwellings, one store, a schoolhouse
and a Lutheran Church, erected a few years
ago. Elias Becker had a blacksmith shop
in the center of the village for nearly half
a century. This village obtained its nam.e
as far back as 1844. During the presiden-
tial campaign of that year, a number of
Whigs organized a political meeting. In
the newspaper announcement, they desig-
nated the place as New Baltimore, the name
io6o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
which it has since borne. This event oc-
curred during the time that Henry Clay was
a candidate for President of the United
States. A portion of the farm of the late
Andrew Rudisill was recently laid off into
lots which were sold to ready purchasers
during the summer of 1906.
Grangeville extends from the
Grangeville. suburbs of Hanover, along
the Baltimore Turnpike, to
Mt. Olivet Cemetery. It contains seventy
residences and one store. Many new dwell-
ing houses were recently built in this village.
The land west of the turnpike was owned
by Adam Forney, father of Abner W. For-
ney and grandfather of David F. Forney,
who owns the Forney homestead southwest
of the cemetery. This land was taken up
by his ancestor in the year 1730. That part
of Grangeville east of the turnpike is built
upon the Flickinger farm. The dwelling
house and barn of Joshua Flickinger erected
about 1800, were the first buildings within
the limits of this town. John Long owned
a house on the west side of the street at an
early day. Augustus Dellone built the first
large dwelling house of brick. It was not
until many years later that other houses
were erected. The rapid growth of the vil-
lage has taken place since 1900, after the ex-
tension of the Hanover and McSlierr3^stown
Electric Railway to this town.
Milton E. Bowman opened a store here
in 1887 and continued for several years;
John Raubenstine succeeded.
Eichelberger Park, a short distance be-
yond the cemetery, was purchased by the
Street Railway Company in 1902. It was
then a big grove of native trees, which under
the present ownership will remain uncut.
The park is a popular place for excursion
parties, picnics, and other social gatherings.
This park and the adjoining Cemetery are
about sixty feet higher than the borough of
Hanover, and the observer from each place
has a commanding view of a beautiful land-
scape, densely populated by thrifty and
prosperous people. On the turnpike at the
entrance to the park another village of
twenty-five houses has sprung up and will
soon be a center of population.
Gideon Grange, of the Patrons of Hus-
bandry, was organized at Grangeville in
1886, by Gerard C. Brown, a member of the
State Senate, and Philip S. Bowman, who
served as a member of the State Legislature
from 1876 to 1880. The officers in 1907
were Rev. Daniel Eberly, D. D., Master;
Martha E. Bowman, Secretary; Philip S.
Bowman, Treasurer; and David P. Forney,
Lecturer. The membership then was
ninety-seven.
Farmers' Insurance Company of Paradise,
organized in 1854, and re-chartered in 1874,
has its central office at Grangeville. This
company in 1907 had taken risks to the
amount of fifteen million dollars. The offi-
cers and directors then were : Jesse W. Gar-
rett, President; P. S. Bowman, Secretary;
George F. Saubel, Treasurer.
Ephraim G. Ritter and W. L. Lightner
served as justices of the peace when Penn
Township belonged to Heidelberg. The
justices in order of succession since then
have been Richard M. Adams, P. S. Bow-
man and Daniel H. Wonder.
York Street, of Hanover Bor-
Mumma's ough, within recent years has
Mill. been extended out the York
Road to the site of the Mumma
Mill. This section of Penn Township con-
tains more than one hundred houses and a
population of at least 500 outside of the bor-
ough of Hanover. There is a graded school,
taught by two teachers and the building is
known as Centre School. Samuel Mumma
had a machine shop in this place and a grist
mill. Before the Civil AVar he made farm
implements and also operated a grist mill.
Jacob Mumma, a son, invented an improve-
ment to a watch and obtained a patent for
it, both in England and the United States.
He also showed considerable skill as a por-
trait painter. He once visited England and
France in the interest of his invention. Be-
ing disappointed in the failure of his patents,
Jacob Mumma lived a solitary recluse for
a period of thirty-five years, until the time
of his death about 1900.
Blooming Grove is an interesting hamlet
situated on the hillside two miles south-
east of Hanover. Daniel Grove, who
owned a small farm, opened a store here be-
fore i860. He was succeeded by Edward
Kessler and George Sterner.
There are eight school buildings in Penn
Township with the following names : Bun-
ker Hill, Pennville, Miller's, Park, Krent-
SHREWSBURY
1061
lers', Blooming Grove, Center and New Bal-
timore. The two last named are graded,
each being taught by two teachers.
The area embraced in the town-
Historic ship of Penn is historic ground.
Soil. An event of the greatest impor-
tance took place almost entirely
within her borders June 30, 1863. This is
what will be known to history as the battle
of Hanover, a complete account of which
will be found on page 425. Nearly all the
hard fighting between the soldiers who wore
the blue and those who wore the gray, took
place along the Littlestown Turnpike, from
the Forney farm at the southwestern sub-
urb of Hanover to Pennville and out the
Westminster Road, within the limits of this
township. While the engagement was tak-
ing place between the contesting regiments,
the greater part of the brigade, commanded
by Fitzhugh Lee was in battle line from the
Baltimore Turnpike across to the West-
minster road and beyond. Mt. Olivet Ceme-
tery and the region to the west and to the
south, were nearly covered by Confederate
horsemen, who expected that they would
soon take part in the battle. Later in the
afternoon the brigade, commanded by Gen-
eral Wade Hampton, of South Carolina,
was drawn up in line of battle to the east
of Baltimore Turnpike, in Penn Township
and remained in that position until the con-
flict ended. Nearly all the thrilling en-
counters between the soldiers under Kil-
patrick and those commanded by Stuart
took place within the present area of Penn.
Most of the dead and wounded fell within
her territory, and at least forty horses,
which were killed, lay along the roadside
after the battle. The fight began at the
point where the Westminster road reaches
Pennville and joins the Littlestown Turn-
pike.
The brigade commanded by General
George A. Custer, composed entirely of
Michigan troops, was in line of battle from
Midway northwestward nearly to the
Pigeon Hills. This brigade and that of
General Farnsworth encamped for the night
of June 30 between Hanover and New Bal-
timore.
Late in the afternoon of July i, 1863, al-
most the entire Fifth Army Corps, com-
manded by General Sykes, in all about
10,000 men, pitched their tents to bivouac
for the night in Penn west of Hanover. The
commissary department slaughtered nine-
teen cattle on the farm of Henry Sell, near
Plum Creek in this township. The corps
commander and his three major-generals,
Barnes, Ayres and Crawford, and their staff
officers, ate supper at the farm house of
Henry Sell. Before the different commands
had time to prepare their suppers, a mes-
sage from General Meade, who had his
headquarters then at Taneytown, Maryland,
ordered General Sykes to proceed to Get-
tysburg at once with his entire corps. It
will be seen from this description that the
most momentous event in the history of
York County occurred on the soil of Penn
Township, during the dark davs of the Civil
AVar.
SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP.
Shrewsbury Township, lying on the
Maryland line, was laid out by authority of
the Lancaster Court in 1742. It was there-
fore one of the early townships organized
west of the Susquehanna. Its original
boundaries included Springfield and the
three Hopewell townships. On account of
its large area Hopewell was formed out of
Shrewsbury in 1767. No further- divisions
took place until 1835, when the northern
part of Shrewsbury was organized into the
township of Springfield.
Some of the original settlers of Shrews-
bury were Scotch-Irish. The southern part
of the township was first occupied by pio-
neers who had settled there under Mary-
land grants. The Germans began to take
up the rich agricultural lands of this region
as early as 1740, and soon thereafter
founded churches and schools. Shrewsbury
is drained by the eastern branch of the Co-
dorus which passes through the entire
township. The York and Maryland Line
Turnpike and the Northern Central Railway
also traverse Shrewsbury and both have
added much to the wealth and prosperity of
the entire region.
In 1783 the counfy commissioners ordered
an assessment of all the taxable inhabitants
of York County. This was done to aid in
raising money to cover the expenses of the
Revolution which had just closed. At that
time the population of Shrewsbury was 976,
nine slaves, 189 houses, 152 barns and seven
mills. Its area was 24,229 acres. The fol-
io62
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
lowing is a complete list of the taxable in-
habitants of Shrewsbury and Springfield for
the year 1783:
Bechtol, Christian, 100 acres ii7S
Bury, Abraham, 153 acres 250
Bopp, Barnet, 211 acres 155
Baumbgartner, Henry, 100 acres 93
Brillhart, Jacob, 150 acres 182
Bauser, John, 50 acres 30
Baily, Jacob, 100 acres 122
Bosart, Jacob 39
Beck, Jacob, 80 acres 46
Bopp, Ludwig 203
Brillhart, Samuel 20
Bopp, Nicholas 34
Brillhart, Peter, 200 acres 398
Baker, Peter, 100 acres 217
Bayer, Tobias, Jr., 153 acres 156
Baily, Daniel, 100 acres 147
Brilhardt, John, 140 acres 152
Brundage, Joseph 45
Diehl, Adam 34
Diehl, Charles, 280 acres 272
Devene}', Daniel, 100 acres 4
Dittenhefer, George 20
Downs, Henry, 50 acres 53
Dagen, Henry, 125 acres 84
Dinky, John, igo acres 204
Dias, Thomas, 20 acres 29
Dugan, John 27
Ehrhardt, Thomas, 280 acres 233
Ehrhardt, Thomas, 172 acres 233
Eichelberger, Adam, 200 acres 215
Ehrman, George, 200 acres 235
Eisenhart, George, 120 acres 117
Engel, Henry, 200 acres 152
Elison, Mathew, 140 acres 103
Ehrhart, Jacob, 196 acres 167
Flower, James, 100 acres 87
Freeland. James, c;2 acres 54
Foltz, George 20
Faust, Balthaser, i grist-mill, i saw-mill, 150 acres, 240
Free, Conrad, 125 acres 177
Flower, Catharine, 200 acres 63
Ferry, Henr\', 66 acres 75
Freeland, John, 50 acres 62
Frey, John, 70 acres 81
Feigle, Martin .- 40
Fenus, Frederick, 144 acres 145
Fisher, John, 75 acres 92
Grant, Anna, 50 acres 42
Glatfelter, John, 240 acres 184
Glatfelter, Henry, 146 acres 126
Gable, John, 50 acres 119
Geisey, Christian, 80 acres 95
Geiselman, George, 170 acres 172
Gilley, Francis 20
Gramer, Lorentz, 100 acres 106
Geiselman, Michael, 300 acres 336
Geiselman, Michael, Jr 20
Gerberick, Michael, 92 acres 108
Groff, Francis, 300 acres 303
Hess, Henry , 20
Harris, Thomas 18
Hildebrand, Jacob, 100 acres 130
Hendricks. Adam, 100 acres 108
Hart, Conrad, 150 acres 179
Hendricks, Isaac, 7„ acres 88
Hamspachor, Valentine, 150 acres 118
Hildebrand, Casper, 100 acres 224
Hildebrand. Felix, 200 acres 108
Hobias. Frederick, 100 acres 95
Hedricks, Jacob, 50 acres 105
Herdt, Martin, 100 acres 104
Henry, Nicholas, 103 acres 214
Hartman, Tobias, 145 acres 135
Hess, Ulrich, 244 acres 202
Heible, Jacob, 200 acres 221
Krone, George
Kaltreider, George, 200 acres 128
Kutting, Peter, 47 acres 38
Kunkel, Michael. 227 acres 315
KoUer, Baltzer, i fulling mill, 160 acres 220
Korbman, Daniel, i grist mill, i saw mill, 214 acres 298
Kleinfelder, George, 140 acres 143
Koller, John, 265 acres 303
Kleinfelder, John, 200 acres 212
Koller, Jacob, 100 acres 124
Keller, John, 140 acres 195
Keller, Jacob, 150 acres 136
Kauffman, Henry, 60 acres 62
Kirsch, Jacob, 150 acres 164
Koffman, Jacob, 150 acres 179
Kleinfelder, Michael, i oil mill, I distillery, 380
acres 400
Klatfelter, Michael, 132 acres 120
Kenstler, Michael, 100 acres loi
Krim. Philip. 40 acres 44
Kleinfelter, Peter, 200 acres
Kleinfelter, Lorentz, 212 acres 183
Kladfelter, Casper 20
Lucas, Adam, 100 acres 86
Lau, John, 400 acres 344
Lau, Joshua, 190 acres 177
Lange, George, 150 acres 151
Lordan, Jonas, 30 acres 33
Lau, Philip, estate, 300 acres 195
Lang, Henry, 50 acres 50
Leibenstein, John 20
Leibenstein, Michael, 150 acres 147
Leib, LTlrich, 198 acres 244
Lentz, John, 52 acres 43
Lobridge, Joseph, 50 acres 43
Markle, George 18
INIiller, Andrew, 100 acres 81
!Myer, Andrew, 200 acres 187
^lyer. Christian, 1 17 acres 146
Markley, Christian, 70 acres 143
Miller, Frederick, 80 acres 98
Myer, George, 150 acres 120
Miller, Herman, 150 acres 176
Miller, John, 300 acres 166
Myer, John. 200 acres 337
Menges, John, 136 acres 118
Mver, Jacob, 50 acres ' 52
Myer, Michael 28
Miller, Martin, 200 acres 239
Myer, Martin 18
Marshall. James 182
McDonald, John 45
Mahan, John, 160 acres 128
Miller, Tobias, 134 acres 173
Miller, Henry, 80 acres 70
Moore, James, 125 acres 106
Markle, Henry, 100 acres
Neas, Michael, 240 acres 239
Nunemaker, Soloman, 150 acres 132
Olenger. Peter, 200 acres 189
Oar, John, 50 acres 40
01b, John, 200 acres 249
Patterson, William, 150 acres 160
Peterman, Daniel, 173 acres 162
Relier, Abraham, 190 acres 205
Ringman, Stoffel 20
Roser, Adam, 150 acres 149
Resh. Christian, estate 140
Ruhl. Frederick, 96 acres 196
Rierman, Jacob. 102 acres 55
SHREWSBURY
1063
Rosers, Lorentz, 56 acres 103
Rogers, Nicholas, 1 17 acres 208
Reib, Nicholas, 173 acres 20
Robert, Peter 103
Ruhl, Henry, 100 acres 20
Rothenheiser, Peter 128
Seitz, John 150
Sparks, Thomas, 131 acres 174
Spillter, Jacob, 150 acres 117
Seitz, Adam, Jr., 100 acres 129
Seitz, Joseph, 100 acres 20
Sutton, Joseph, 150 acres 20
Shaffer, Adam
Snyder, Abraham, 139 acres 98
Schwartz, Andrew, 200 acres 240
Smith, Andrew, 80 acres 108
S wartz, Conrad, 80 acres Ill
Shaffer, David 30
Shenelber's estate, i grist mill, I saw mill, 150
acres 212
Shwartz, Henry, 80 acres 212
Snyder, John, 150 acres 175
Shwartz, Jacob, 100 acres 96
Schmidt, John, 50 acres 30
Schneider, John, 122 acres 108
Schmidt, John, 150 acres 181
Schneider, Michael, 78 acres 69
Schmitt, Peter, 1 10 acres igi
Schneider, Philip, 210 acres 204
Shafer, Philip, 350 acres 438
Sweney, James, 200 acres 173
Shafer, Catherine, 200 acres 123
Sheldon, James, 100 acres 78
Smith, Adam, 1 10 acres 122
Shilling, Sebastian, 100 acres 104
Stabler, Christian, 250 acres 282
Stein, Jacob, 112 acres 125
Sterner, George, 100 acres 98
Stermer, John, 150 acres 132
Stabler, John, 100 acres 97
Taylor, George 148
Wildgoose, James 26
Waltimier, George, 100 acres 93
Wagner, Henry, 84 acres 8$
Wiley, Acquila, 1 10 acres no
Wiley, William, 100 acres 96
Wiley, Zachary, 75 acres 72
Yamal, Jesse, 100 acres loi
Yost, Nicholas, 30 acres 63
Zech, Michael, 70 acres 40
Anderson, William 40
Ehrhardt, John, 199 acres 80
Ehrhardt. William, 196 acres 98
Erstone, Peter, 260 acres 263
Faire, George 25
Fleishman, Martin, 100 acres 88
Guest, George, 85 acres 75
Hendricks, Adam, Jr., 200 acres no
Hise, Wendel, 50 acres 80
Jenians, Williams
Lawson, John, 200 acres 140
SINGLE MEN.
Bates, Elias, ii8. Kellar, Henry
Beard, John, ii8. Korfman, Conrad, ^30.
Beck, Jacob Marshal, William
Berrj', Abraham McCoy, John
Foust, John Myer, Haney
Gallaway, Hugh Pfeiffer, Melchoir, ^64.
Gerbenck, John Roser, Adam
Gordon, John Schwartz, Abraham
Hartman, John Shaffer, Henry
Hendricks, Thomas Shrolyner, John
Henry, Christian Stabler, Adam
Hildebrand, Henry Youse, Frederick, £50.
Hunter, William Zech, George
Fissel's
Church.
Hametown is an interesting village along
the turnpike. Adam T. Diehl owns and
conducts a store at this place.
Seitzland is a station on the Northern
Central Railroad between Glen Rock and
Shrewsbury. Martin K. Diehl carries on
the merchandising business here.
Shrewsbury, New Freedom and Railroad
Borough, three incorporated towns, for-
merly belonged to Shrewsbury Township.
The history of these boroughs will be found
elsewhere in this volume.
Fissel's, formerly known as Jeru-
salem Church, is one of the land
marks of Shrewsbury Township.
Religious services were held in
this vicinity by missionaries of the Luth-
eran and Reformed churches as early as
1750, soon after this region was settled by
the Germans from the Palatinate country,
along the Rhine. In 1771 Frederick Fissel
granted to the Calvinistic Presb3jterians and
to the Lutherans, a tract of land for a church
site. In early days the Reformed Church,
in some legal documents, was called the Cal-
vinistic Presbyterian Church. It was
founded by Zwingli and was Presbyterian in
its polity. Toward the close of the eigh-
teenth century, the word German Reformed
Church came into general use. This is the
same church body as the Calvinistic Pres-
byterians mentioned at the earliest date of
record for Fissel's Church. In 1796 this is
recorded as the Lutheran and Reformed
Church of Shrewsbury Township. The or-
iginal church was a small log building,
which was afterwards replaced by a larger
one of the same kind. The second church
was used as a house of worship until the
year 1851, when a handsome brick edifice
was erected.
The Reformed congregation at this date
has 150 members and is served by the pastor
of the Glen Rock charge, Rev. S. M. Roeder.
Some of the prominent clergymen who
have served the Reformed congregation,
were : Adam Ettinger, John Yost, Henry
Fries, F. Scholl, Henry N. B. Hablestein, Ja-
cob Major, John Forsch, Frederick Becker,
John Reinecke, C. W. Reinecke, D. Gring,
A. F. Driesbach and I. S. Leiby.
The Lutheran congregation, which wor-
shipped in this church in 1907, had a mem-
bership of 250, and the congregation has
been well maintained since its organization.
1064
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
This church, together with St. John's
Lutheran Church at New Freedom, form
what is known as the New Freedom charge,
the pastor residing at New Freedom. Those
who served as the early pastors were : John
Herbst, Sr. ; John Herbst, Jr. ; and Stecker
and Grobe. Among the later pastors are :
Jacob Kempfer, A. Berg, J. H. Menges, E.
Manges, E. Miller and E. E. Shantz. Rev.
David S. Martin, was chosen pastor of the
Lutheran congregation April 2, 1905, and
took up the work as pastor on the first Sun-
day of May, of that year.
In 1872 a Lutheran church was organized
in the village of Hametown. It has been
served by the pastors of the Lutheran con-
gregation in Glen Rock. Rev. J. C. Koller
was the first pastor, and he was succeeded
by Rev. J. B. Wolf. The congregation is in
a prosperous condition and is constantly in-
creasing in membership.
.The Evangelical Association
Pioneer was first introduced into York
Churches. County in 18 10 by John Erb and
Matthias Betz, who established
three preaching places, one at the house of
Jacob Klinefelter, in Shrewsbury Township,
about one mile south of Glen Rock, the sec-
ond at the house of John Seitz in Spring-
field Township and the third at the house
of Adam Ettinger in Dover Township.
The eighth conference session of the asso-
ciation was held at the house of Jacob Kline-
felter in 1815, at which there were fifteen
ministers present. In 1822 the members in
the vicinity of Shrewsbury united with the
members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in building a log meeting house.
This was the first church building used by
the association in York County, and only
the second in the association, the first hav-
ing been built at New Berlin, Union County,
Pennsylvania, in 1816. In 1827 a stone
church was built at Mount Zion in Spring-
field Township.
Klinefelter's Chapel, near Fissel's Church,
was built in i860, and was used as a house
of worship by the Evangelical Association
for many years. The congregation was
served by the ministers of the Shrewsbury
Circuit. The building was removed in 1905.
Rock Chapel in Shrewsbury Township
was one of the earliest Methodist churches
west of the Susquehanna. In 1781 Free-
born Garrettson, the noted missionary of the
Methodist Church, while passing northward
from Baltimore toward York, held religious
services -in this building. Religious serv-
ices were also conducted in this pioneer
building, in 1806, by Francis Asbury, who
was the first bishop of the Methodist Church
in America. The congregation which wor-
shipped in Rock Chapel was afterward
served by the ministers of the Shrewsbury
Circuit.
Rev. John Nichols, missionary for the
Lutheran Church at Guntur, India, was
born near Shrewsbury, October 31, 1857.
He obtained his education in- the public
schools, the State Normal School at Millers-
ville and Pennsylvania College at Gettys-
burg. Soon after graduating from the
Theological Seminary at Gettysburg he
served Lutheran congregations for a short
time at Masontown and Uniontown in Fay-
ette County, Pennsylvania, and also filled
the pulpit of the First Evangelical Lutheran
Church at AVilliamsport during the absence
of the pastor in Europe until April 20, 1885,
when he was appointed missionary to India.
He entered upon his duties in that country
with fine prospects of success. After one
year's service as a missionary, he died of
typhoid fever in Guntur, December 17, 1886.
Rev. Mr. Nichols was a young man of prom-
ise and excellent education.
Rev. Ambrose Gring, son of Rev. Daniel
Gring, pastor of a Reformed charge in
Shrewsbury Township, was born in Hame-
town and was graduated from Franklin and
Marshall College at Lancaster. He spent
several years as a successful missionary of
the Reformed Church in the Empire of Ja-
pan, and after his return took up his resi-
dence at Lancaster.
Rev. Fred C. Seitz, pastor of a Reformed
congregation at Allentown, Pennsylvania,
was born in the village of Hametown and
educated at Franklin and Marshall College
and Seminary.
Rev. B. S. Disc, a prominent Lutheran
clergyman in Centre County, Pennsylvania,
was born in Shrewsbury Township. He
obtained his education at the York County
Academy and at Pennsylvania College and
Seminary at Gettysburg.
ARTEMAS WILHELM was born in
Baltimore County, Maryland, December 29,
1822. He was the son of John S. and
Sarah Prosser AA'ilhelm. His father was a
SHREWSBURY
1065
descendant of intelligent German ancestry
who came to America early in the eigh-
teenth century and the Wilhelm family soon
became prominent and intfuential in the af-
fairs of Baltimore County. In 1814, dur-
ing the second war with England, when
the British army under General Ross landed
on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, John
S. Wilhelm enlisted in Captain Lawson
Cuddy's company of Maryland volunteers,
and took part in the battle of Bladensburg,
a short time before the British captured the
city of Washington and burned the govern-
ment buildings. He continued in the serv-
ice and aided in defending the city of Balti-
more until the British were defeated at
North Point and driven back to their ships.
After the war, he returned to his farm in
Baltimore County.
Sarah Prosser, the mother of Artemas
Wilhelm, was of Welsh descent and be-
longed to an influential family in the state
of Maryland. Her father came from Wales
and settled in Baltimore, and during the
War of 1812 enlisted as a soldier and served
in the defence of that city.
When Artemas Wilhelm was six years of
age his parents removed to Shrewsbury
Township, where his father had purchased
a farm. Artemas resided on this farm un-
til he was seventeen j-ears of age, aiding his
parents in agricultural labor and devoting
his evenings and other leisure time to stud)^
There was a poor apology for a school in
the neighborhood and his education was
largely acquired at home and by diligently
reading such books and newspapers as came
within his reach.
In 1838 when the Northern Central Rail-
way was built between Baltimore and York,
he was employed to aid in its construction.
His trade was that of a stone mason and
brick layer. John S. Wilhelm built Fur-
nace No. I for the Ashland Iron Company
in 1845. In this he was assisted by his
son Artemas, who subsequently built Fur-
nace No. 2 for the same company. John
S. and Artemas ^^'ilhelm were the builders
of the first hot blast furnaces in America.
In 1849 Artemas Wilhelm was engaged to
construct Furnace No. i on the Cornwall
estate, and beside it in 1854, he built Fur-
nace No. 2. This estate, composed of
20,000 acres in Lebanon and Lancaster
Counties, consisted of farm and mountain
lands, the latter rich in the deposit of iron
ore. In 1856 when the estate had become
insolvent, Mr. Wilhelm was urged by its
owners, the heirs of Robert W. Coleman,
to take the management of the entire estate
with general power of attorney. This he
finally consented to accept. To tide over
the serious complications, with no means of
his own, Mr. Wilhelm was able to borrow
money only in his own name, having been
refused all loans in the name of the estate.
In 1857 he purchased the Dudley, after-
wards called the Donaghmore furnace. In
1870 he built the North Cornwall furnace,
later the Bird Coleman furnace, and in 1880
the Colebrook furnaces, for all these he
made all the designs and drawings. He was
the inventor of several important improve-
ments in blast furnaces. Mr. Wilhelm con-
tinued in the position of manager until 1882,
when in broken down health he retired at
which time he turned over to the heirs all
of their original property with many acres
added to it, and millions of dollars in cash.
The heirs of Robert W. Coleman having at-
tained their majority, requested that Mr.
A\"ilhelm make a partition of the estate be-
fore his retirement ; this he did, and it is
considered the wisest, ablest and most won-
derful partition of a large estate ever made
in America.
Mr. AA^ilhelm removed to his farm, Pax-
tang, near Harrisburg, where he died Sep-
tember 19, 1887.
Andrew Jackson, the great mili-
Andrew tary hero, who won the battle of
Jackson. New Orleans in January, 181 5,
at the close of the second war
with Great Britain, was appointed the head
of the American Army soon after the end
of the war. In 1819 with a train of military
attendants, about fourteen in number. Gen-
eral Jackson determined to visit AVest Point
Militarjr Academy which had lately been
founded by authority of the United States
government. He left Washington Febru-
ary 13, and halted for the night at Baltimore.
The York and Baltimore turnpike having
been recently completed, Jackson and his
party decided to go to West Point through
York and Lancaster. They traveled in a
large carriage and an open barouche. The
weather was cold and snow began to fall
on the morning of February 14. AVhen
the distinguished party reached the Penn-
io66
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
sylvania line, they found it difficult to travel
in wheeled vehicles. When they arrived at
the public inn of Cornelius Garrettson in
Shrewsbury Township, fourteen miles south
of York, Jackson and his associates stopped
for dinner. After partaking of a good meal
General Jackson employed Cornelius Gar-
rettson to convey this party in a large sleigh
to York. The sleigh which was drawn by
four horses broke down three miles north
of the Garrettson tavern. It became neces-
sary then to get two large sleds from farm-
ers and in this way the great soldier and
his companions arrived at York on Sunday
evening, February 14. He was welcomed
by the people of the borough, all of whom
manifested an earnest desire to see one of
the greatest military heroes in American
history. The party remained in York only
a few hours and then started on their way
toward Lancaster, crossing the Susque-
hanna at AVrightsville. Cornelius Garrett-
son, who conveyed the Jackson party to
York, belonged to the Federalist party and
later became a Whig. He asked fifty dol-
lars for his services in conveying the party
to York and to cover damages caused by
the breaking down of his sleigh. Jackson
declined to pay that amount and after con-
siderable controversy the general settled
with Garrettson by paying him thirty dol-
lars. This incident in the life of Jackson
was frequently commented upon by the
Whig newspapers in 1828 when he was the
candidate of the Democratic party and was
elected President of the United States.
The turnpike to Baltimore was a popu-
lar highway of travel during the first half
of the last century before the completion of
the Northern Central Railway from Balti-
more to York. In 1839 Martin Van Buren,
who succeeded Jackson as President of the
United States, travelled over this highway
and arrived at York Friday, June 21, 1839.
He was accompanied by one of his sons and
two colored servants. President Van
Buren on this occasion was on his way from
Washington to his home at Kinderhook on
the Hudson River.
Baroness Riedesel, with three children
and a train of attendants, halted for several
hours a short distance north of Shrewsbury
in 1779. Her husband commanded the
German forces when Burgoyne's army sur-
rendered to Gates at Saratoga in the fall of
1777. The baroness had travelled with the
prisoners of war from Boston, through
York, to Charlottsville, Virginia, where she
remained with the British and German pris-
oners for nearly a year. After the release
of her husband she travelled in a carriage
to the vicinity of Baltimore, where she was
the guest of Charles Carroll, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence.
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP.
For ninety years the area of this town-
ship formed a part of Shrewsbury. The
names of its taxable inhabitants in 1783 will
be found in the history of that township.
A petition asking for a division of Shrews-
bury was presented in 1834 to the court,
presided over by Judge Walter Franklin and
his associates, George Barnitz and John L.
Hinkle, stating that " the township of
Shrewsbury is eighteen miles long, and on
this account many of the inhabitants are too
far from the place of transacting the com-
mon township business." The court ap-
pointed George Hoke, Henry Leib and John
Eyster commissioners, who selected George
M. Henry surveyor, and the division line
was run November 24, 1834. The report of
said commissioners recommending the erec-
tion of this township, which was named by
them, Springfield, was confirmed by the
court, April 9, 1835.
Springfield is traversed from north to
south, by the York and Maryland Line
Turnpike, which passes over the line of the
old Patapsco road, laid out from York to
Joppa and Patapsco (now Baltimore) in
1742, the year after York was founded.
Joppa, now a dilapidated village on the Gun-
powder River, was then the seat of justice
of Baltimore County. The turnpike passes
along the summit of the height of land that
divides the tributaries of two large branches
of the Codorus Creek, which form a conflu-
ence at the extreme northern point of
Springfield. These streams separate Spring-
field from North Hopewell on the east, York
on the north, Codorus and North Codorus
on the west. The southern boundary is an
artificial line separating it from Shrewsbury.
The surface of Springfield is very undulat-
ing. At different places along the turnpike,
the view in summer over the beautifully
SPRINGFIELD
1067
rounded hills and s^'Stematically carved lit-
tle valleys all clad in rich verdure, is de-
lightful to behold. The Northern Central
Railway passes along the western part and
crosses the Codorus five times within the
limits of the township.
In 1836, one year after Springfield Town-
ship was formed, Adam Diehl owned a grist
mill and saw mill; Jacob Falkenstine, a full-
ing mill and oil mill; George Geiselman, a
carding mill; Jacob Rinehart, a grist mill,
Adam Sherrer a grist mill and saw mill and
David Wilson a tanyard. Distilleries
were owned by Jacob Bupp, Jacob Fei-
ser, Daniel Feiser, Peter Goodling. Ja-
cob Goodling, George Geiselman, Jacob
Geiselman, Joseph Hartman, Daniel Kraut,
John Kraut, Jacob Koller, Samuel Rover,
Henry Stine and Frederick William. Dr.
Frederick Ehrman was a practicing physi-
cian in Springfield at this time.
Jacobus, originally known as
Jacobus. New Paradise, is an interesting
village along the Baltimore
Turnpike in the northern part of Springfield
Township. It is five miles from York and
two miles from Loganville. In 1S37 John
Snyder built the first house in the village.
Shortly before the Civil War he began to
sell off a portion of his farm into lots and
encouraged building. A church was built in
the town in 1862, and was dedicated by Rev.
Adam Ettinger, as Paradise Evangelical
Church. Soon afterward the people of the
vicinity began to call the village New Par-
adise. It retained this name for several
years. In 1881 when an effort was made
to secure the establishment of a post office
it was discovered that another town in
Pennsylvania bore the name of New Para-
dise. It was decided to select the word
Jacobus for the post office, and the village
has since borne that name. Dr. J. S. Miller,
now a prominent physician of York, was
chosen first postmaster. Jacob Geiselman
and Eli Krout were early merchants. H.
G. Yost was a merchant in 1907. Dr. E. P.
Rohrbach practiced medicine here for a
time. Dr. Eisenhower was the physician
of the village in 1907. The manufacture of
cigars is an important industry and nearly
one hundred workmen are employed in the
various factories, owned by D. M. Loucks,
James Smith, George Shafer, Pius Olp, Pius
Snyder, Frank Krout and Daniel Fortney.
The schools in Springfield Township have
the following names : Kreidler's, Paradise,
Shistler's, Seitz's, Krout's, Caslow's, Shus-
ter's, Bupp's, Falkenstine's and Snyder's.
The population of Springfield Township
in 1840 was 1,207; in 1850, 1,341; i860,
1,637; 1870, 1,958; 1880, 1,854; 1890, 1,912;
1900, 1,641.
William Foust, a prominent citizen of
Springfield Township, owns one of the four
distilleries in York County. This distillery
is situated in the southern part of Spring-
field, near the Shrewsbury line. Mr. Foust
began business here in i860 and has since
continued to operate his distillery. In 1907
he distilled 1,965 barrels of whiskey.
Frieden Saal Kirche, near the
Frieden east end of Springfield, is better
Saal known as " Shuster's Church."
Church. The first German settlers of this
region were organized into a
congregation in 1763, by Rev. Kirchner, a
native German. The next pastor was Rev.
Lucas Raus, who served from 1770 to 1787,
and Rev. Augustus Reutze succeeded in
1795. The first grant of church land, was
given March 30, 1774. It was an original
grant from the proprietaries of the Prov-
ince of Pennsylvania, John, Thomas and
Richard Penn, who directed a survey to be
received in the land office at Philadelphia of
" a tract of land called the church lot, con-
taining eight acres and one hundred and
ten perches of land situated in Shrewsbury
(now Springfield) Township in the County
of York, made by virtue of application No.
5270, for John Hella and Nicholas Henry,
in trust for the Lutheran congregation now
formed thereon. The said trustees to be
holden of us, our heirs and successors, pro-
prietaries of Pennsylvania as of our Manor
of Maske in the County of York, in free and
common socage b}^ fealty only, in lieu of
all other services, yielding and paying unto
us or agent at the town of York an annual
quit rent on the first day of March of one
shilling sterling, or value thereof in coin
current, according as the exchange shall be
between our said Province and the city of
London."
The consideration money for the transfer
of the deed, was eight shillings, 10 pence.
The original survey of the land was made
April 5. 1769, "by William Matthews, dep-
ute' surveyor for York County." The
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
church lot was in the shape of a right
angled triangle. The land adjoining the
base and the perpendicular of it was desig-
nated as belonging to Nicholas Shuster,
hence the origin of the name " Shuster's
Church." The land on the side, belonged
to Conrad Curfman. The following is a
copy of the receipt for money paid for the
land:
" Philadelphia, March 28, 1774.
" Received of John George Hella and
Nicholas Henry, in trust for Lutheran con-
gregation, the sum of one pound and four
pence current money of Pennsylvania, in
lieu of fourteen shillings and two pence
sterhng, in full for purchase money interest
and quit rent due on eight acres and one
hundred and ten perches of land in Shrews-
bury Township, York County, surveyed
pursuant to application, entered November
24, 1768. Received for the Honorable Pro-
prietaries.
" £1. o. 4. By Edmund Physick."
William Earhart and Jacob Ness, April
16, 1774, received from Nicholas Henry and
John George Hella, £4 13s. for expenses
paid in patenting church lot, for great seal,
for recording patent and for incidental ex-
penses.
In the year 1848 a charter was granted
under the name of the " Evangelical Luth-
eran Congregation of Frieden Saal's
Church in Springfield Township." At that
time George Leader, John Meyer, John
Crout and Henry B. Castoe were elders,
and Joseph Ness, Henry Crout, George Ehr-
hart and Samuel Castoe, church wardens.
A parochial school was kept in a building
on the church property for many years, sup-
ported by the members of the congrega-
tion.- August 9, 185 1, Jacob Schnell, Wil-
liam Swartz, Joseph Stiles and Adam Ness,
elders of the church, leased to Jacob Koller,
John Williams, John Snyder and others,
school directors of Springfield Township,
the schoolhouse erected on the church
lands. The lease was for a term of ten
years " if the common school system shall
so long be in operation."
The present church building, erected in
1868, the third one in succession, stands on
the original plot. The first building was
made of logs. The second building was a
frame structure painted white and was
called " Die Weis Kirche." The name
which the present brick church bears was
given to it by Rev. Andrew Burg, who for
many years was the pastor. The other pas-
tors of the Lutheran congregation in order
of succession have been : Charles M. Eys-
ter, H. C. Clymer, E. Lenhart and B. F.
Kautz.
The name Frieden Saal given to this
church in 1848 by Rev. Andrew Burg, trans-
lated into English means " Hall of Peace."
St. Peter's Reformed Church
St. Peter's stands on the road leading
Reformed from Seven Valley to the Bal-
Church. timore Turnpike. It is situ-
ated about one-fourth of a mile
east of Frieden Saal Church. In 1783 Ja-
cob Korfman, or KauiTman, deeded to Dan-
iel Peterman and Bernhard Bupp, one acre
of land " in trust for the use and benefit
equally in common to and for the German
Lutheran and Reformed Calvinistic congre-
gations." It seems from the deed of trans-
fer, shown the writer by Mr. Heni-y Gable,
that a house of worship already stood on
this land in 1783 when it was deeded to the
two congregations. It was probably built
in 1782. According to tradition this was a
log building and stood for several years.
About 1800 a frame church building was
erected. Sometime later this church was
painted yellow, and for nearly three-fourths
of a century was known far and wide as the
" Yellow Church " in contrast with Frieden
Saal nearby, which was painted white and
known as the " White Church."
Re\-. Adam Ettinger, of York, who died
in 1886 at the age of ninety-three, was one
of the early pastors of St. Peter's Church.
The succeeding pastors of the congrega-
tion that worshipped in the yellow church
were the following: Henry Fries, F. Scholl,
Henry B. Hablestein, John A. Foersch, F.
Bucher, John Reineka, C. W. Reineka, F.
W. Vandersloot and Daniel Gring. Al-
though the land upon which this church
stood was originally deeded to both the Re-
formed and the Lutheran people, it seems
that the church was used only by the Re-
formed congregation. In 1875, during the
pastorate of Rev. Daniel Gring, a move-
ment was set on foot to erect a Union
church, to be used by both the Reformed
and the Lutherans. An attempt was made
to raise money for that purpose, but it did
not succeed. During the following year,
SPRINGFIELD
1069
the Reformed congregation purchased
sixty-four perches adjoining the yellow
church property, and upon this site erected
a brick church at a cost of $3,300. It was
dedicated in 1876 as St. Peter's Reformed
Church, the name which it has since borne.
The yellow church stood for several years
and was finally sold to Jacob C. Deveney,
and with the material he erected a barn on
his farm two miles away. A cemetery ad-
joins the church. Since the construction
of the new church in 1876, St. Peter's con-
gregation has been served by the following
clergymen : Rev. Daniel Gring, A. F. Dries-
baugh, Guerney Weber, I. S. Leiby and S.
M. Roeder.
In 1903 Goodling school house which was
owned for more than half a century by St.
Peter's and Frieden Saal congregations, was
sold. It stood nearh^ two miles from St.
Peter's church.
Heindel's schoolhouse in Springfield
Township, situated near Brillhart's station,
was used as a house of worship by the
Lutherans as early as 1850. It was during
that year that Rev. Dr. A. H. Lochman,
pastor of Christ Lutheran Church at York,
began to hold religious services in this
building. The}' were continued at different
times by other clergymen, but no congrega-
tion was organized.
Salem Lutheran and Reformed
Salem Church, in Springfield, near Jaco-
Church. bus, was organized in 1841, by
Rev. Peter Herman, at Hart-
man's Schoolhouse. In 1842, the first
church was built of wood. Prominent in
this undertaking were John Delioff, John
Glotter, John Becker, Daniel Ness, John
Barshinger and George Hai'tman. In 1882
a large brick church was built, then one of
the finest and most commodious country
churches in the county, while the Lutheran
congregation was under the care of the Rev.
C. J. Deininger. Revs. Gotwalt of York,
and Gerhart of Lancaster, officiated at the
cornerstone laying; Rev. Enders of York,
and Rev. Hergart, at the dedication.
At the cornerstone laying of the first
church in 1842, Revs. J. G. Schmucker, A.
H. Lochman, J. Kempfer and F. W. Van-
dersloot, and at the dedication on November
20, of the same year. Revs. Lochman,
Schmucker, Cares, and Lennert (Moravian)
were present. The prominent members of
this congregation were Emanuel Ness, Sam-
uel Ness, Isaac Leader, Isaac Hovis, Levi
Bupp and Henry Harting. Rev. Deininger
preached here from 1853 to 1885. Rev. J.
H. Leeser followed him.
The Lutheran members number 400.
The Lutheran congregation forms part of
Quickel's Charge, consisting of Quickel's,
Wolf's, Salem and Mt. Zion. Rev. Adam
Stum.p, D. D., has been its pastor since 1890.
The Reformed pastors have been Revs.
John Cares, who organized the Reformed
congregation in 1842; John Reinecka, Wil-
liam Good, Bossier, Rhinehart Smith,
Aaron Spangler, C. B. Heinly and John J.
Staufifer.
The fertile region in the eastern
German part of Springfield Township,
Baptist known as Dunkard Valley, is pop-
Church, ulated almost entirely by an en-
terprising class of farmers who
belong to the German Baptist Church.
They began to settle in this locality one
hundred years ago. Near th^ center of this
beautiful valley stands a neat and com-
modious meeting house in which religious
services have been held by a large and pros-
perous congregation. Some of the mem-
bers reside in the surrounding townships
and come a long distance to attend divine
services.
This is the central house of worship for
the Codorus congregation of the German
Baptist Church. The entire congregation
composed of 300 members worships in this
church, at Bupp's Union in Springfield, a
church at Bittersville in Lovi'er Windsor,
one at Longstown in York Township and
one near New Freedom. Rev. Christian
Ness was the bishop of the Codorus congre-
gation in 1907. His five assistants were An-
drew Myers, John Keller, Jacob Myers,
Samuel Myers and David Brillhart.
In the private house of John
Evangelical Seitz, religiovis services were
Association, held by ministers of the
Evangelical Association as
early as 1810. Revs. John Erb, ■ Matthias
Betz, A. Buchman and A. Henning held
meetings here for a number of years. Serv-
ices were held in dwelling houses until 1826,
when the congregation became so strong
that a stone church was built that year. In
the annals of the Evangelical Association,
this is an historic spot, as it is the site of
1070
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the first church erected by members exclu-
sively of that denomination in York County,
and the second one in America. This land-
mark was used as a store room until 1903,
when it was torn down and a frame store
building erected on the opposite side of the
road. It was used as a house of worship
until 1855, when a large brick building
was erected. This stood until 1880,
when' another brick church was built at
a cost of $2,400, under the pastorate of
Rev. H. M. Greninger. It occupies the
same site as the second church. Near this
place, Mt. Zion camp meeting was held for
many years, under the auspices of the Evan-
gelical Association. It was one of the
largest meetings of this kind conducted by
this church body, and attended by a great
number of ministers and people.
In 1842 Revs. George Sheaffer and
Paradise Conrad Link, while traveling the
Church. Shrewsbury Circuit, began
preaching in the dwelling house of
John Sn3'der. An organization was not ef-
fected until 1861, when Rev. Adam Et-
tinger, one of the fathers of the Evangeli-
cal Association, formed a class of seven
members. Paradise Church was built in
the year 1882, under the pastorate of Rev.
Stambach. It is a frame building and cost
$1000. Rev. A. D. Gramley was pastor in
1907.
Springfield contains valuable de-
Mining posits of iron ore.
Interests. The Feigley Bank, one and a
half miles east of Loganville, has
been very productive. It was opened by
Mr. Musselman in 1867. Denny, Nes &
KaufTman, succeeded as lessees. The ore,
generally, is a limonite, finely disseminated
through a mass of clay. It occurs in irreg-
ular segregations through' the clay, and is
more than ninety per cent wash ore. A
dark blue compact and heavy argillaceous
ore occurs here. Under the proprietors
named, 70,000 tons of ore have been taken
from the mine. Several thousand tons were
taken out in 1883 and later by the Chiques
Iron Company.
The Springfield Bank, adjoining the one
described, is on the Brillhart farm. It was
opened by C. S. Kauf^man, of Columbia,
about 1870. The Chiques Iron Company
operated it after 1880 and to 1890, 17,000
tons of ore were hauled to Glatfelter's Sta-
tion, Northern Central Railway, and ship-
ped from that point by rail. An interesting
feature of these two banks described is the
occurrence of a fine bluish laminated lime-
stone, containing white crystals.
There are a number of other banks in the
township. The mining interests brought
considerable revenue to Springfield Town-
ship.
SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP.
Springettsbury Township extends north
and south across almost the entire width of
Springettsbury Manor, which was laid off
by authority of the heirs of William Penn
in 1722. This manor was named in honor
of Springett Penn, the favorite grandson
of William Penn, who had died in England
in 1718, four years before the manor was
surveyed west of the Susquehanna. The
region of territory embraced in Springetts-
bury belonged to Hellam Township from
1739 until Spring Garden was formed out
of Hellam in 1822. From 1822 to 1891
Springettsbury formed a part of Spring
Garden. Owing to the rapid growth in the
population of Spring Garden and the di-
versified interests of this fertile and pro-
ductive country, a desire was created on
the part of many citizens in the eastern part
of Spring Garden to petition for a division
of the township. Freystown, an important
suburb of York, was growing rapidly in
population and owing to the large number
of voters within its limits controlled the
politics of Spring Garden. A number of
farmers in the eastern end of the township,
led by John S. Hiestand, started a move-
ment for the division.
The plan fot the division was at first
opposed by the taxable inhabitants of
Freystown and other thickly settled por-
tions of Spring Garden which formed the
southern and eastern suburbs of York
When the question came up for decision at
the spring election held in 1891, there were
only a few dissenting votes. A petition
was presented to the county courts. Col-
onel Frank J. Magee, of Wrightsville;
Adam F. Geesey, of York, and Milton
Sultzbach, of Hellam, were appointed com-
missioners to examine into the propriety
of the division. The commissioners re-
ported in favor of the division and official
action was given to the proceeding by the
SPRINGETTSBURY
107 1
court at the session held April 20, 1891.
The population of Springettsbury in 1900
was 1,783.
Springettsbury Township contains some
of the most valuable lands in York County.
Elmwood is an attractive suburb of York,
laid off into lots during the year 1905 by
the John H. Small estate. This tract in
1800 and later was the property of John
Stewart, who in 1800 was elected to repre-
sent York County in Congress as a Jeffer-
son Democrat. The farm was owned for
many years by Jacob Brillinger, who also
conducted a large distillery on this farm
and owned a grist mill north of the turn-
pike. John H. Small owned this farm until
the time of his death in 1902. The East
York Improvement Company purchased
the large farm for many years owned by
Vincent K. Keesey. This valuable land
has been laid off into lots, many of which
already contain private residences. Among
the beautiful homes in Springettsbury are
The Maples, owned by John S. Hiestand;
Annadale, by Colonel A. C. Matthews; The
Woods, by Horace Keesey; The Cedars,
by Thomas A. Myers; Blooming Dale, by
Charles S. Weiser; Elmwood, by Mrs. John
H. Small, and the residences of Dr. K. L,.
Eisenhart, Edwin Myers and John Laing.
Springettsbury has the following
schools: Glades, Hively's, Lefever's, Pleas-
ureville, Miller's, Witmer's, Grandview,
Stony Brook and Mt. Zion.
The Hiestand Tavern or hotel
Hiestand on the Wrightsville pike, three
Tavern. and a half miles east of York, is
one of the landmarks of Spring-
ettsbury Township. Many fanciful tales
have been told in reference to this building,
whose origin dates back to the early settle-
ment of the Kreutz Creek Valley. In 1738,
a block house of limestone was built, sixteen
feet square, and contained two stories.
There were three windows and a door on
the first story, and four windows on the sec-
ond. This house was one of the pioneer
dwellings in this region. About twenty
years before the Revolution, Michael
Beard, or Bard, built an addition, which
made the house in the form of the letter
" E." From the time of the erection of
this part of the building until a hundred
years later, it was a hotel, which, if it could
speak, might relate many an interesting
incident of bygone days.
In 1812, Michael Beard sold this building
and 123 acres of land for the sum of
$29,000. The purchaser was Abraham
Hiestand, who had migrated from Lancas-
ter County and purchased a large tract of
land a short distance west of Spring Grove,
in 1792. Early in life, he married Ann
Fitch, who resided near Wrightsville.
Some time after her death, he married Mrs.
Susan Myers, of Hanover, a lady of rare
accomplishments. In 1816, Abraham Hies-
tand enlarged the stone building to its
present size, which is nearly eighty feet long
and fifty feet wide. Before the time of rail-
roads, it was one of the most noted hotels
in the county. On the second floor of the
building was a ball room, fifty feet long and
thirty feet wide. This ball room and the
bountiful suppers provided by the landlord
and his wife, were a great inducement to
sleighing parties, during the middle of last
century. Four hundred persons on one oc-
casion are said to have banqueted here and
took part in a merry dance, about 1852,
when the Hiestand hotel was still in the
hey-day of its popularity to the lovers of
amusement and the terpsichorian art.
Abraham Hiestand kept the hotel only a
few years and in 1828 built a large brick
mansion at the toll gate, later owned by
his son, John Hiestand, and grandson, John
S. Hiestand, both of whom succeeded each
other also in the conduct of the hotel, 200
yards farther down the pike. This property
has been purchased by John W. Gable, of
Hellam, whose wife is a great-granddaugh-
ter of Abraham Hiestand.
The pioneer home of nearly all
An the early settlers of York
Historic County was a log cabin. It was
House. built by the hands of the immi-
grant himself, and by the assist-
ance of his associates, who accompanied
him to the frontier of western civilization.
They cut down trees, hewed logs made
from the trunks of these trees into beams
and rafters, for the first log houses. A few
of the early settlers, however, built their
pioneer dwellings of stone right in the
midst of the virgin forest. This was the
case with John Shultz and his wife, who
settled in Hellam Township, a short dis-
10/2
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
tance east of York, in 1737. During that
year they built a two-story dwelling, which
stands in the eastern part of Springettsbury
Township. It is the oldest house in York
County.. This house is in an excellent
state of preservation, even though at the
present writing, in 1907, it is one hundred
and seventy years old.
In its early history it was one of the old
time public inns, and if it could speak might
tell many an interesting story of our
colonial days as well as of Revolutionary
times. A well authenticated tradition as-
serts that on the 30th of September, 1777,
the members of Continental Congress,
while on their way from Philadelphia to
make York the sea;t of government during
the British invasion of Pennsylvania and
occupancy of Philadelphia, stopped at this
house for rest and refreshment. They were
traveling on horseback, and the saddles
used by those distinguished patriots excited
the curiosity of the German people to
whom they were a novelty.
The house is antique in design, but a con-
venient and comfortable residence. It is
the property of Mrs. Margaret (Glatz) Mat-
thews. One of the walls contains the fol-
lowing words, carefully carved on a sand-
stone tablet:
" i7ano347 hab ich, Johann Schultz, und
Cristina, seine frau dieses haus baut."
Translation: In the year 1737, John
Schultz and his wife Christina, built this
house. The date is often taken for 1734,
though when closely examined was found
to be 1737. _
A short distance to the southwest of this
house is the site of the prison, used for the
confinement of British and Hessian sol-
diers in the years 1781 and 1782.
The Loucks Codorus Mill, upon the
Mills, site of one of the pioneer grist mills
of. York County, was owned before
and during the Revolution by James Ran-
kin, who, during the war, became a loyalist
and escaped to England. The property was
confiscated b}^ the state government. In
1780 a part of this property, 377 acres, was
patented by authority of the state of Penn-
sylvania, by Conrad Leatherman, a wealthy
merchant of York. In 1788 a portion of
the tract was purchased by Colonel Philip
Albright and after his death, in 1800, came
into the possession of his son, George Al-
bright. In 1801 George Albright sold it to
Rev. Daniel Wagner, pastor of the German
Reformed Church at York. In 1805 Rev.
Wagner sold it to John Loucks and in 1824
John Loucks conveyed it to George Loucks.
At his death this valuable estate was in-
herited by his heirs. In 1849 2. K. Loucks
and his brother, Henry, purchased the en-
tire property from the heirs.
In 1791 Philip Albright erected a stone
mill on this estate. It was enlarged in
1847 by George Loucks. Soon afterward
the mill was leased to the fiivm of P. A. &
S. Small, who operated it on an extensive
plan until 1864, when it was destroyed by
fire. The same year the proprietors, Z. K.
and Henry Loucks, erected a five-story
brick mill at the cost of $30,000. The firm
of P. A. & S. Small operated the mill from
the time of its completion until 1889. The
Loucks family operated it until it was pur-
chased by the Eastern Milling Company.
In 1907 the mill and all its interests were
bought by the Security, Title & Trust
Company, of York.
The Codorus Mills, owned by P. A. & S.
Small, are situated on the north bank of
the Codorus Creek, about two miles north-
east of York. Upon the site of these mills
George Small, the founder of this firm, dur-
ing the early part of last century erected a
mill for the manufacture of wire. In 1831
the firm of George Small & Sons erected a
large stone mill and began the manufacture
of flour. The flour of the Codorus Mills
soon reached a large sale in Cuba and South
America. Since their erection in 1831, the
business of grinding fiour has been carried
on extensively at these mills. In 1863 there
were nearly 2,000 barrels of flour in the
Codorus Mills when General Early's divis-
ion of Confederate soldiers took possession
of York. A switch passes from the North-
ern Central Railway to the mills. In the
five-story elevator, frequently 30,000 bush-
els of wheat have been stored at one time
ready to be ground into fiour with the
brand of the Codorus Mills. The capacity
of these mills in 1907 was 300 barrels a day.
The Myers Mill, a short distance down
the Codorus, has also been the property of
P. A. & S. Small for a period of more than
half a century. This mill has a capacity of
125 barrels of fiour a day.
Sinking Spring farm, situated a short
RESIDENCE OF BALTZER SPANGLER, A PIONEER SETTLER NEAR YORK
FIRST STONE HOUSE IN YORK COUNTY, BUILT IN 1737
SPRINGETTSBURY
1073
distance southeast of Emigsville, in Man-
chester Township, is the summer home of
Samuel Small, the senior member of the
firm of P. A. & S. Small.
Springett is situated on an ele-
Villages. vated spot, two and a half miles
northeast of York, in Spring-
ettsbury Township. It is familiarly known
as Pleasureville and is a collection of more
than a hundred houses, containing a popu-
lation of more than 500. The United
Brethren congregation in this village owns
a neat frame church, which was built about
1880. This region, when it contained only
two or three houses, was known as " Pos-
sumtown," because John Meyer, one of the
early residents, followed " coon and possum
hunting," as an occupation. He nailed on
the front of his house scores of opossum
skins, and from this incident the town re-
ceived its original name.
In recent years Springett has shown evi-
dences of prosperity. There are at present
several cigar factories doing a large busi-
ness. The village has a fine two-story
school building and a commodious hall for
secret societies and public meetings. E. G.
Keller has conducted a general store in the
village for forty years. Charles Frey also
owns a store.
The Glades is situated along the public
road from. Freystown to Vmegar Fe'rry,
about seven miles northeast of York. The
name was given to it about 1800 by travel-
ers going from York to the river on ac-
count of it being an open passage or space
in what was then a forest for miles around.
Within recent years, a number of houses
have been erected. Zachariah Spangler has
conducted a store here for a third of a cen-
tury. Tobacco raising is a prominent busi-
ness in this little valley.
Stony Brook is a hamlet a short distance
east of York, where the railroad crosses
the turnpike. The village obtained the
name from Stony Brook, a small stream
which flows into Kreutz Creek. The vil-
lage contains a store, postoffice, coal yard,
warehouse, and twenty dwelling houses.
Hiestand Mill, owned by William A. Hies-
tand, is one of the earliest grist mills in
York County. It was built soon after the
first settlement of this region. A black-
smith shop stood on the pike near Stony
Brook. It was started in 1734 and was the
first blacksmith shop west of the Susque-
hanna.
On the property of John Stover, adjoin-
ing this village, is a pure spring of chaly-
beate water. It was famous in early days
in the Kreutz Creek Valley and on account
of its mineral qualities the water of this
spring has been used by a large number of
people for more than a century and a half.
The fertile soil of Springettsbury is well
adapted for the growth of the tobacco
plant. Its cultivation began as early as
1840, and has since been continued with
success. A large number of farmers in this
township are engaged in raising this plant.
Horace Smyser, in 1905, had 16 acres
planted in tobacco, and from this area ob-
tained 28,000 pounds. The leaf that is
grown in Springett and adjoining town-
ships finds ready sale.
Fruit is cultivated extensively in Spring-
ett. John S. Hiestand, upon his farm at
Stony Brook, has a large apple orchard.
In 1905 he obtained from this orchard 3,200
bushels of apples. His orchard is largelv
composed of the York Imperial, the Smith
Cider and Bell Flower, three varieties of
apples which are grown successfully in this
latitude. The York Imperial was first culti-
vated by John Kline, of Hellam Township,
about 1830. He originated this variety of
apple.
Mount Zion Church is situated
Churches, in Springettsbury Township,
about three and a half miles
northeast of York, and is owned conjointly
by the Reformed and Lutheran denomina-
tions. It is a brick structure, built in 1890.
The first building (frame) was erected in
1852. The building committee represent-
ing the Reformed congregation were Z.
Spangler and Jacob Dietz; Lutheran,
Thomas Plowman and A. Sipe. The Re-
formed congregation was organized by
Rev. F. W. Vandersloot in 1852 with eigh
teen members. Its elders then were Wil-
liam Spangler and Daniel Byerts. A.
Dougherty was the first deacon. April 17,
1852, the first communion was held. Since
its organization, the following-named min-
isters of the Reformed Church have served
this congregation as pastors : F. W. Van-
dersloot, D. Bossier, R. Smith, A. Wan-
ner, D. D., G. P. Fisher, W. A. Korn,
Ph. D., and E. M. Sandoe. Dr. Wanner
1074
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
became supply to this congregation in 1870.
He served in this capacity until 1882, when
Mount Zion congregation was united with
the Kreutz Creek charge, of which Dr.
Wanner was then pastor. At the first com-
munion he held, in 1870, twenty-two per-
sons communed. A¥ithin a few years the
membership was increased to 100.
A charter was obtained for the two con-
gregations in 1867. It gives them equal
rights in the ownership and use of the
church property. The trustees then were
Jacob Miller, Christian Gingerich and John
Knaub from the Reformed, and D. Heidel-
baugh, Samuel Gingerich and John Flory
from the Lutheran congregation.
A large and flourishing Union Sunday
School has been kept in the Mount Zion
Church since 1867, and for many years it
has been the largest Sunday School in
York County outside of the villages. The
original plot of ground contained one acre,
subsequently si.x additional acres were pur-
chased, and a large cemetery laid off. In
November, 1852, Rev. C. J. Deininger or-
ganized the Lutheran congregation with
eighteen members, which, at the time of his
death, in 1885, had increased to 200 mem-
bers. Some of the prominent members of
the Lutheran congregation who have taken
an interest in the church work were Daniel
Heidelbaugh, John Fritz, Henry Kunkle,
Henry Smyser and Michael Dietz. Rev. J.
Henr}' Leeser was elected pastor in 1885.
Rev. Adam Stump, D. D., has been pastor
of the Lutheran congregation since 1890.
It forms part of Ouickel's charge, consist-
ing of Ouickel's, Wolf's, Salem's (Jacobus),
and Mt. Zion. The Lutherans number 185.
A¥itmer Mennonite Meeting House, situ-
ated on the south side of the turnpike near
Ston}^ Brook, is one of the landmarks of
the Kreutz Creek Valley. Swiss Mennon-
ites were among the first settlers of this
region and took up some of this land as
early as 1735. During the first half cen-
tury of this settlement religious services
were held in the houses and barns of mem-
bers. About 1800 a frame house of wor-
ship was erected on the farm of David Wit-
mer. It was afterwards replaced by a brick
church. The Witmer church was' the cen-
tral point of interest to all the Mennonites
in Y^ork County, and originally was con-
nected with the congregation of Mennon-
ites who settled in the vicinity of Hanover
as earh^ as 1738. Among the preachers of
note who ministered to the spiritual wants
of the Mennonites who worshiped at this
church have been Jacob Lehman, Frederick
Staufifer, David Witmer and Theodore B.
Forry.
The United Evangelical Church, north
of the turnpike near Stony Brook, was or-
ganized before 1850. Some of the early
pastors of this denomination conducted
services in the houses of original members.
In the year 185 1, a house of worship was
erected which continued to be used for
more than half a century.
SPRING GARDEN TOWNSHIP.
Spring Garden in its present form lies
immediately east and south of the city of
York. It was organized out of parts of
Hellam and York townships in the year
1822. Its original territory embraces some
of the most valuable lands in York County.
The District of Spring Garden, noted in
the history of Philadelphia, joined the
northern suburbs of that city, of which it
eventually became a part. This township
was named in honor of the Spring Garden
District of the Quaker City.
Owing to its proximity to York, the
population of Spring Garden grew rapidly.
In 1830 it was 1,603; 1840, 1,907; 1850,
2.393; i860, 2,809; 1870, 3,010; 1880, 4,176;
1890, 5,209; 1900, 879.
In 1890 Spring Garden contained the
largest population of any district in the
county of York, and in 1891, in obedience
to a petition of numerous citizens, the
township was divided and out of the east-
ern section, the new township of Spring-
ettsbury was organized. The Spring Gar-
den of today is one of the garden spots of
Pennsylvania, inhabited by thrifty and
prosperous people who occupy the fertile
lands adjoining the business and manu-
facturing city of York. The real estate
valuations have rapidly increased during
the past decade, and many rural homes
have been erected which adorn the hills
overlooking the city. The village of
Freystown for more than half a century
was a centre of interest in this township.
It now forms the eastern part of York, to
which it was annexed in 1890.
The schools in Spring Garden have the
SPRING GARDEN
1075
following names: \'\'indsor Park, Green
Hill, Plyde's, Hess and Violet Hill.
The elevated plain in Spring
Grantley. Garden Township south of
York is dotted with many hand-
some residences. John F. Spangler before
the Civil War erected the first suburban
home in this vicinity. In 1878 the Spangler
residence was purchased by George Small,
member of the firm of P. A. & S. Small,
who laid off the grounds into attractive
lawns and erected, a short distance above,
an elegant mansion. In this delightful
rural retreat Mr. and Mrs. Small spent their
summer months during the last years of
their residence in Baltimore, and here they
entertained many distinguished men and
women. The residence was named Grant-
ley, in honor of Mary Grant, the maiden
name of Mrs. Small. Grantley originally
included a farm of 120 acres. Since 1904
the summer residence erected by George
Small and 100 acres surrounding have been
owned by his nephew, Philip A. Small,
member of the present firm of P. A. & S.
Small. In this residence Mr. and Mrs.
Philip A. Small have since resided. The
Spangler residence was occupied for a num-
ber of years by W. Latimer Small. In
1905 his son, George Small, erected on this
site a beautiful residence, where he and his
family have since resided.
The grove a short distance
Brockie. northwest along the slope of
Webb's, later known as Shunk's
Hill, was a noted place for picnics, Fourth
of July celebrations and church festivities
a century or more ago. In i87'2 Jeremiah
S. Black purchased this grove and the sur-
rounding farm, and the following year com-
pleted a large and ornamental home which
he named Brockie, in honor of the beauti-
ful spring of crystal water which issues
from the earth near the centre of this grove
of native trees. Judge Black's residence
was first occupied in 1873, ^"d continued
to be the home of this distinguished jurist
until the time of his death, in 1883. Dur-
ing his residence at Brockie, he entertained
a large number of distinguished persons,
including his life long friend. President
James A. Garfield, General W. S. Han-
cock, Senator M. C. Carpenter, of Wiscon-
sin, and many jurists and statesmen promi-
nent in American history. After the death
of Judge Black, Brockie continued to be the
home of his family, and later was owned
and occupied by Chauncey F. Black, lieu-
tenant governor of Pennsylvania, and
prominent in the councils of the Democratic
party in the United States. In 1906 Brockie
was purchased by C. Elmer Smith, senior
meml3er of the S. Morgan Smith Company,
of York.
At the foot of Webb's Hill, near the
Northern Central Railway, stands Willow
Bridges, an historic mansion. It was built
before the war by Captain John J. Young,
after he retired from his long service in the
United States Navy. Here Captain Young
and his family entertained many visitors of
rank and station. About 1874 the property
was purchased by Jeremiah S. Black, and
after being enlarged for twenty years or
more was the residence of Lieutenant Gov-
ernor Black. In 1907 Willow Bridges was
owned and occupied by his son, Chauncey
F. Black.
James M. Danner, a few years ago, built
a residence a short distance away.
Springwood, the home of
Springwood. Edward Jessop, was situated
in the northern part of York
Township, near the line of Spring Garden.
Edward Jessop resided here during the
later years of his life. He came into pos-
session of this home in 1838 and for many
years occupied it as a summer residence,
while he carried on a large mercantile busi-
ness in the city of Baltimore, and was also
president of the Short Mountain Coal Com-
pany, in the anthracite region of Dauphin
County, Pennsylvania, and the Kingwood
Gas, Coal & Iron Company, at Tonnelton,
West Virginia. Edward Jessop died at
Springwood in 1878. He was the father of
Mrs. A. B. Farquhar, Mrs. S. I. Adams and
Jonathan Jessop, for eighteen years post-
master of York.
Jonathan Jessop, the father of Edward
lessop, removed from North Carolina to
York in 1781, shortly before the battle of
Guilford Court House, which was fought
during the summer of that year, on the
farm owned by the father of Mr. Jessop.
He engaged for a number of years in the
jewelry business on Market Street, west of
the Codorus Creek. One of the employees
in his jewelry store was Phineas Davis,
who became the inventor of the first loco-
1076
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
motive in America that burned anthracite
coal and was put into successful opera-
tion.
About 1800 Jonathan Jessop bought
Springwood, the home and farm afterward
owned by his son, Edward Jessop. He was
a practical engineer and in 1828 superin-
tended the construction of the canal from
York to the mouth of the Codorus. He
obtained the contract for the construction
of about fifteen miles of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad, the first line constructed be-
tween Baltimore and Washington, in 1832.
What is known as " Jessop's Cut," ten
miles southwest of Baltimore, was the re-
sult of the engineering skill of Jonathan
Jessop. Two other engineers of that day
had failed to open the railroad track
through this cut before Jonathan Jessop
received the contract from the railroad
company and successfully accomplished
this feat, which in that day was considered
a triumph of engineering skill.
The historic residence of Grier
Springdale. Hersh, near the southern ex-
tremity of George Street, is
one of the land marks of Suburban York.
This beautiful home, surrounded by shaded
lawns, was built by Charles A. Barnitz in
1828, a few years after the organization of
Spring Garden Township. He planted the
lawn and a part of the surrounding farm
with trees of many varieties and raised some
of the finest horses and cattle known to
southern Pennsylvania. In 1832 he was
elected by the Whig party to represent
York, Adams and Cuml3erland counties in
Congress. Mr. Barnitz was a trained law-
yer and an excellent public speaker. His
eloquence attracted the attention of Henry
Clay, the great American orator and states-
man from Kentucky, who came to York in
1836 as an honored guest at Springdale.
After the death of Charles A. Barnitz,
March 8, 1850, his son-in-law, James Lewis,
succeeded in the ownership of the property
which, at the death of Mr. Lewis, was in-
herited by his daughter, Mrs. Samuel Hersh
of York. Eli Lewis, president of the First
National Bank, of York, resided here for
several years.
During the last ten years it was owned
and occupied by Grier Hersh, prominent in
the financial circles of York and Baltimore.
Edgecomb, the home of A. B.
Edgecomb. Farquhar, prominent in the
business and manufacturing
interests of York, was built in 1875. It is
situated on an elevation overlooking the
city of York. The grounds surrounding
the home of Mr. Farquhar are laid off in
beautiful drives and walks and adorned
with trees, shrubbery and flowers. In 1893
the residence of his son, Francis Farquhar,
was erected on the same grounds.
Hilicroft, the residence of
Hillcroft. Henry C. Niles, a prominent
member of the York County
Bar, stands a short distance east of the
Chanceford Turnpike, within the limits of
Spring Garden. It includes a farm of 300
acres of valuable land. The lawn surround-
ing Mr. Niles' residence is artistically laid
off in walks and drives and dotted here and
there with flower beds, making it an inter-
esting and attractive home.
Henry Small, son of the late David E.
Small, of York, owns a large summer home
a short distance from Hillcroft. James H.
Schall, H. B. Beard and W. H. Miller, all
prominent in the business affairs of York,
own and occupy residences in this part of
Spring Garden.
Diehl's Hill, at the northeastern
Diehl's boundary of Spring Garden, over-
Hill, looks the city of York. In 1780,
when the Revolution was drawing
to a close, Archibald McClean, one of the
leading citizens west of the Susquehanna,
laid out a town along the base of this hill.
Lots were purchased by General Henry
Miller, Major John Clark, Colonel Thomas
Hartley, Colonel David Grier and other
representative citizens of York. The plan
of erecting a suburban village of beautiful
homes originated with Archibald McClean,
who was a noted surveyor. He laid off
several acres into lots. The depreciation
of the Continental currency and the hard
times which followed the war for Independ-
ence prevented the completion of the pro-
ject to build a town on the banks of the
Codorus, overlooking York from the north-
east.
From June 28 to June 30, 1863, this hill
was a tented field, occupied by two brigades
of General Early's Confederate division,
which held York for three days before the
SPRING GARDEN
1077
battle of Gettysburg. Ramparts were
erected and eight cannon planted near the
brow of the hill while the southern soldiers
were here. These two batteries belonged
to Hayes' brigade of Louisiana troops, some
of whom guarded the flour then stored in
Loucks' Mill and the Codorus Mill farther
down the stream.
Webb's Hill, situated in the south-
Webb's eastern part of Spring Garden
Hill. Township, two miles from York,
has an elevation of 880 feet or 495
feet higher than Centre Square, York.
From the summit of this hill the landscape
scenery in every direction forms one of the
most enchanting views in York County.
The eye of the observer takes in a large
area of some of the most fertile lands in the
state of Pennsylvania. The valleys of the
Codoj'us and Kreutz Creeks lie below in all
their beauty and loveliness, and the sym-
metrically rounded hills of the undulating
country to the south and southwest add
special interest to the landscape scenery.
This fertile region is thickly dotted with
comfortable houses and large barns, evi-
dences of the prosperity of the Pennsylvania
farmer. The horizon from Webb's Hill is
almost a perfect circle, and the view extends
across the broad Susquehanna in all its ro-
mantic beauty, and covers a large portion
of the area of Lancaster and Dauphin coun-
ties. Round Top to the northwest in War-
rington Township is 1,110 feet high. The
summit of the Conewago hills to the north
is 800 feet high; Pigeon Hills, 840; the
Maryland Line, below Hanover, 820, and
Red Lion, nine miles to the southeast is
900 feet high. These, together with
Webb's Hill, are the highest points of ele-
vation in York County.
This place is frequently called Shunk's or
Shank's Hill, in honor of a family that once
owned a portion of the land. Within re-
cent years AA^ebb's Hill and an area of terri-
tory southeast has been owned by Jere S.
Black, a prominent member of the York
County Bar. In 1904 Mr. Black erected a
large and commodious residence which
Mrs. Black, who was the daughter of Fred-
erick E. Church, the noted landscape artist
of New York, has named Rural Felicity.
In this delightful retreat, away from the
hum of the busy manufacturing cityof York,
Mr. and Mrs. Black have since resided.
Webb's Hill was named in honor of James
Webb, who owned a portion of the hill for
many years. Joseph Webb, his father, was
an English surveyor who came to this
country shortly after the Revolution and
was employed in the land office of the
United States Governm.ent. About 1800 he
settled in Peach Bottom, and in 1810 started
Palmyra Forge on the site of Castle Fin
Forge and Furnace in Lower Chanceford
Township. At the time of his death,
Joseph Webb bequeathed sixty-nine acres
for the use and benefit of the Pennsylvania
Colonization Society, intended to aid free
negroes in America and send them back to
Africa.
James Webb came to York about 1823
and for several years was the senior mem-
ber of the firm of Webb, Davis & Gardner,
owners of a furnace and foundry in the
western part of York. He resided on the
east side of North George Street, next to
Mason Alley, until the time of his death.
When General Early, with his division of
9,000 men, occupied York from June 28 to
June 30, 1863, four cannon were planted
near the summit of Webb's Hill for the
purpose of protecting that point in case the
Federal army approached toward York
while the Confederates were in town.
William H. Miller, a prominent
White farmer of Spring Garden, owns an
Oak area of 300 acres below Willow
Plains. Bridges. This tract was known
as White Oak Plains and is so named in the
original land warrants to the property.
Upon the rich alluvial soil along this part
of the Codorus groves of large white oak
trees grew luxuriantly at the time of the
first settlement of this region.
Pulpit Rock stands along the banks of
the Codorus at the base of White Oak
Plains. According to a tradition circulated
by the early residents of this vicinity. Pul-
pit Rock was once occupied by an Indian
Queen who addressed Shawanese warriors,
her own tribe, after they had been defeated
by the Susquehannocks. She urged them
to sharpen their battle axes, make spears
and Indian darts and with these implements
of war, together with bows and arrows, de-
fend their rights and liberties against the
other red men who had driven them west-
ward from the banks of the Susquehanna.
In and around these favored haunts, George
lO/S
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Miller, the ornithologist of York, and Prof.
A. Wanner, city superintendent of schools,
have spent many hours in interesting recre-
ation in gathering implem-ents of war and
the chase, manufactured by the untutored
Indians, who first occupied this region,
caught the fish that were found abundantly
in the Codorus Creek, and shot the game in
the adjoining woods.
The United Evangelical
United Church, known as Green Hill,
Evangelical is situated in the southern
Church. part of Spring Garden Town-
ship. It originated in 1868, first as a Sun-
day School and prayer meeting in a car-
penter's shop on the property of Michael
Shellenberger. The same year and the
year following, Revs. , Rearick, J. C. Smith
and J. Bowersox of York, conducted serv-
ices here. In 1869, Mr. Shellenberger died,
and his heirs deeded a tract of land to a
committee for a church and cemetery. In
1870, a building was erected at a cost of
$1,300. Rev. Farnsworth was then pastor.
The following ministers have served since:
J. Manbeck, H. W. Shenberger, J. Snyder,
J. Conrad, N. Young, E. S. Brownmiller, D.
P. Kline, A. Aurand, W. H. Gross, A.
Crouse, C. F. Kephart, S. Rearick, C. W.
Finkbinder, C. H. Goodling, H. N. Gren-
inger, M. J. Snyder and L. E. Crumbling.
A handsome brick church has recently been
erected.
JOHN LANDES, who owned the Lan-
des Mill along the old plank road for a
period of thirty years or more, was a prom-
inent citizen of Spring Garden. The mill
which he owned had been erected before
1800. Before it came into possession of
John Landes, it was owned and operated
by his father, Samuel Landes, a representa-
tive citizen of York County.
The members of the Landes family,
whose lives for nearly two centuries are in-
terwoven with the development of Lancas-
ter and York counties, first came into prom-
inence as the devout followers of Martin
Luther, at the time of the Reformation.
Their piety, as well as their bravery, earned
them enrollment in the ranks of the noted
Pietists of that time. The first individual
mention of the family is of Hans Landes, a
" pious witness of the Divine truth," who,
in the latter portion of the sixteenth cen-
tury, was first arrested and then placed in
irons, and finally, in September, 1614, be-
headed, because he refused to curb the ex-
pression of his religious convictions. He
met his martyrdom at Zurich, Switzerland,
in which country others of the family suf-
fered persecution for conscience's sake.
Hans Landes (II), minister of a Horgen-
burg church, was confined in jail at Othen-
bach and his property confiscated. Felix,
his son, died in the Othenbach jail from the
effects of the treatment he received there ; in
1643 Verena Landes, the sister of Felix, was
a victim of harsh treatment and died also
for her religion. Finally, about 1660, the
entire family was driven to the Palatinate,
Zweisburg and Alsace, and its male mem-
bers retired to its fertile lands as tenant
farmers to the German nobility.
At the commencement of the eighteenth
century the name Landes began to appear
in the annals of the Mennonite Church. In
1717 Felix, Rev. Benjamin and John Lan-
des emigrated to America from Manheim
on the Rhine, Germany, the two last named
locating in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania,
where, and in the adjoining county of
York, many of their descendants still re-
side. The lineal descendants of Rev. Ben-
jamin Landes were especially numerous and
settled within the present confines of Lan-
caster County. He and his son by the
same name purchased a tract of land from
the Conestoga Indians, and Benjamin Lan-
des (II) began farming in what is now East
Sampeter Township, five miles east of Lan-
caster city. He had four sons — Benjamin,
Abraham. Jacob and Henry. Benjamin
Landes (III) moved to Manheim Township
in 175 1. In 1749 he marreid Anna, only
daughter of John Suavely, and to them were
born three sons: John, March 15, 1755;
Benjamin (IV), 1756, and Henry, Decem-
ber 5, 1760.
(I) John Landes, the founder of the
Ephrata branch of the family, was born in
Switzerland in 1696, came to America in
1717, and settled near Ephrata, Lancaster
County. From him John Jacob Landes
traces his descent in unbroken line.
(II) Jacob Landes was born in 1751.
(III) John Landes married, in 1796, Han-
nah, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth
(Bolthouse) Fahnestock. She was born in
Lancaster County, October 8, 1769, and died
January 16, 1844.
WARRINGTON
1079
(IV) Samuel Landes was born in 1796
and died in 1869.
(V) John Landes married for his first
wife Catherine Strickler, of Hellam Town-
ship, York County, and his second wife was
Louise, daughter of John B. and Catherine
(Koller) AVilliams. The children of the
first union were Samuel, now a resident of
St. Louis, Missouri; Leander, deceased, and
Susan, Mrs. John Kauffman, of York. John
J. and Martha were the children by the sec-
ond marriage. John Landes, the father,
died in 1875, his wife susviving him until
1902. Mr. Landes was one of the organi-
zers and the first treasurer of the Farmers
Fire Insurance Company, which was
founded in 1853.
(VI) John Jacob Landes was born
April 19, 1871, in Spring Garden Township,
York County, and was educated in the pub-
lic schools and in the York Collegiate In-
stitute. After finishing his schooling he en-
gaged in farming, which has received most
of his attention since, but he is at present
interested in developing large properties
near York, available for building purposes.
He is also a director of the Guardian Trust
Company, of York, and president of the Mt.
Rose Cemetery Association of which asso-
ciation he was one of the organizers.
In 1896 Mr. Landes was married to Miss
Bella Thomas, daughter of Martin and
Mary (Yessel) Thomas. They reside on
the old Landes homestead, two miles east
of York, on the old Plank Road, the farm
having been in the possession of the Landes
family for over one hundred years.
Through successive generations the mem-
bers of the Landes family in Pennsylvania
have been devoted to milling and farming,
sometimes as separate industries and some-
times combined by an individual. They
have been uniformly modest, industrious,
straightforward, and have never failed to i"e-
spond to the call of patriotism. The family
burial ground, situated near what is now
Akron, Lancaster County, was founded by
the first John Landes, and the deceased of
five generations have been there interred.
In tracing the lineage of John J. Landes,
brief reference has been made of the mar-
riage of John Landes (III) to Miss Hannah
Fahnestock, a native of Lancaster County.
The latter was therefore a great-grand-
mother of John J. Landes and his sister
Martha, now the wife of M. D. Martin — a
full account of whose career is also given in
this volume. The Fahnestocks have shown
as decided a preference for the professions
as the Landes family for the ancient art and
industry of agriculture. The progenitor of
the American branch was Diedrick Fahne-
stock, a native of Germany who landed in
New York in 1726. Armed with an axe and
a shuttle and equipped with one dollar in
money and the family Bible, this sturdy and
honest forefather first settled on the Rari-
tan River, in New Jersey, but later removed
to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. On
June 21, 1749, he obtained a patent for 329
acres of land at a cost of $140, which was
the basis of a considerable estate which he
left at the time of his death, October 10,
1775. The executors of the estate were his
sons, Peter and Diedrick (II).
Samuel, Daniel and John Fahnestock, all
sons of Diederick, adopted the medical pro-
fession, as did W. M. Fahnestock, who was
physician to the Bonaparte family; Dr. AV.
B. Fahnestock, of Lancaster, deceased son
of Dr. Samuel Fahnestock; Dr. Thomas G.
C. Fahnestock, Cincinnati, Ohio ; Dr. C. S.
L. Fahnestock and Dr. Augustus A. Fahne-
stock, of Marjdand. Others of the family
engaged in journalism and a number in ag-
riculture, but the majority were devoted to
the professions. AVhatever their lot in life
they have been noted for their strict probity
and unconquerable spirit. They have
founded their lives, to the last generation,
upon their ancient coat-of-arms, which,
through its various symbols, presents as a
family trait not only perseverence under dif-
ficulties and enterprise in overcoming them,
but transcendent courage in facing them.
The crescent in the coat-of-arms is a tribute
to the greatness of their ancestor in the fe-
male line, who fought with much success
against the Turks, while the family motto
reads : Fortis cadere, cedere non potest; "The
brave may fall, but cannot yield."
WARRINGTON TOWNSHIP.
The earliest settlements in the region,
now embraced in Warrington Township,
were made in the year 1735, and the town-
ship was laid out by the authority of the
courts of Lancaster County, in 1744. New-
berry Township, to which this region at first
belonged, had been erected in 1742, and
io8o
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Manchester, the same year. All of these
townships, including Hellani, and two or
three others, had been erected before York
County was separated from Lancaster in
1749. Some of the early Quakers who set-
tled north of the Conewago Creek, came
from Warrington, a township along the
Mersey River of Lancashire, England.
Many actions between the royal and par-
liamentary forces took place on its soil,
during the civil wars of England. The
Quakers who came to Bucks County dur-
ing its first settlement organized a town-
ship by the name of Warrington in that
county.
Thomas Cookson, deputy surveyor for
the county of Lancaster, assisted by Wil-
liam Richardson, made a survey of War-
rington Township, which was afterward ap-
proved by the Lancaster Courts in 1744.
The original shape of this township was
that of an irregular pentagon, extending
northeast and southwest, and included the
present township of Washington, and a
small portion of what is now Adams County,
with the Conewago Creek as its southeast-
ern boundary, Newberry to the east and
Monaghan to the north.
The names of many of the first settlers of
this and adjoining townships of York
County will be found in an article on " The
Friends or Quakers," in this work.
Previous to 1770, a small section of War-
rington extended south of the Conewago
and gave rise to disputes and inconvenience.
The Conewago and Bermudian formed the
dividing line between the early settlements
of the Quakers and the Germans, conse-
quently a petition dated April 24, 1770,
asked the court to establish a definite boun-
dary, conceding the " little corner " to Do-
ver Township. The names of the petition-
ers were Peter Cook, William Griliith, Wil-
liam Garretson, William Penrose, AVilliam
Thomas, Robert Nelson, Jacob Williams,
Samuel Cook, Thomas Atherton, William
McClellan, Thomas Edmundson, Robert
McMullin, Thomas Leech, Henry Atherton,
Robert Thomson, Richard Ross, Nathan
Philips, John Clarke, Robert Madson, Jo-
seph Bentz, William Underwood, William
Gardner and Samuel Nelson. The petition
was granted. The small tract mentioned is
situated a short distance below the " stone
bridge," on the road leading from Dover to
Rossville. It included only a few farms at
the bend of the stream.
The following is a list of tax-
Warrington able inhabitants of Warring-
in 1783. ton and Washington town-
ships for the year 1783, to-
gether with the valuation of property and
number of acres owned by each person :
John Alcock, (weaver) iq
Peter Ashefelt, 100 acres 134
Michael Asher, 150 acres
PhiHp Bartmess, 100 acres 132
Peter Bentz 14
Peter Arnold, 156 acres 313
Joseph Bennet, (cooper) p
Brice Blair, 100 acres 273
Thomas Brunton
Peter Bower, 66 acres 132
Abraham Bales, 50 acres 635
Jacob Bowman, 150 acres 243
John Brinton, 100 acres 94
Charles Brouster, (wheelwright), 25 acres 42
William Butt, 100 acres 442
Thomas Black, (tailor), 186 acres 81
Henry Beam, 50 acres 45
George Boyd, 50 acres 179
Daniel Brand, 100 acres 34
Andrew Bower, 170 acres 339
Michael Bower, 150 acres 440
Martin Binder, 200 acres
John Blair, 50 acres 61
Jacob Brindle, 150 acres 651
Jacob Brough, 250 acres 543
Jacob Bream, 100 acres 171
Moses Baker, 150 acres 347
Henry Bailley, (weaver) 16
Peter Beisel 16
Joseph Beisel, 150 acres 179
Joseph Bentz, 150 acres 290
John Bentz, 100 acres 187
Felix Bensley, 200 acres 346
Jacob Bream, go acres iii
David Bew, 100 acres 89
James Barkison, inn-keeper 341
Peter Cline 9
Matthew Cooper, 200 acres 13
Nicholas Cimble, 260 acres 353
John Cough 26
William Coxen, 2 acres 450
Jacob Cox 158
Widow Covigh, 100 acres 201
Conrad Cronister, (cooper) 19
David Cadwallader 15
Samuel Cook, 150 acres 144
Martin Claud}', 12^ acres 158
William Clark 32
William Contry ; 26
John Crawford, 20 acres 9
Widow Cox, 80 acres 180
Abraham Cox, 90 acres 170
William Co.x, 200 acres 450
William Cox, Jr., 100 acres 145
Samuel Cooper, 90 acres 64
Adam Cramer, 150 acres 360
John Cramer 16
Peter Clever, 150 acres 225
Joseph Cook, (saddler), 100 acres 150
Anthony Deardorf, 150 acres 135
John Davis, 144 acres 361
Joshua Davis
Nehemiah Dean, 50 acres isi los
WARRINGTON
James Denniston, 263 acres 429
Walter Denny 9
James Driver, 60 acres 154
George Elley, 100 acres 329
Widow Edmonson, 200 acres 501
Thomas Edmonson, 200 acres 511
Henry Etherton, 100 acres 164
Richard Etherton, 150 acres 358
Widow Blackford 116
James Cadwalader, 125 acres 190
Ezekiel Frazier, 50 acres 49
Daniel Fahnastock, 100 acres 241
Boreas Fahnastock, 100 acres 208
Benjamin Fahnastock, 100 acres 237
Widow Fahnastock 350
Philip Frankleberg, 50 acres 109
James Fegan, (tailor) 24
John Fulweiler, 100 acres 186
Michael Fulweiler, 67 acres, (potter) 132
Henry Foster, 50 acres 105
Philip Fogelsong, 60 acres 182
William Fara, 100 acres 240
Moses Frazier, 200 acres 85
Joseph Green, (carpenter) 128
John Garretson, 200 acres 383
Aaron Garretson 33
William Garretson, 250 acres 407
John Garretson, (weaver) 26
Daniel Glass, 80 acres 83
Joseph Grist, 200 acres 337
Hugh Guin 36
Widow Griffith, 250 acres 329
Jacob Griffith, 68 acres 85
David Griffith, 68 acres 68
Abraham Griffith, 68 acres 68
John Gillespy 17
Peter Gardner, 350 acres 670
John Gilespy
Henry Holland, 50 acres 28
Widow Hole, 100 acres 106
Samuel Hole, 57 acres 120
John Hover, 150 acres 149
Dewald Hess, 150 acres 182
Frederick Herman, 150 acres 263
Richard Hussey, 200 acres 216
William Howe, 45 acres 63
Peter Hollow, 230 acres 706
Peter Henry . . /. 191
David Jordan, 250 acres, (blacksmith) 334
Amos Jones 9
Thomas Kirk, (carpenter) 25
Anthony Kneisly 22
Anthony Kneisly, 200 acres 361
John Kneisly 32
Michael King, (cordwainer), 200 acres 222
Frederick King 24
James Kennedy 12
Francis Lamnet, 180 acres 160
John Learner 733
Peter Latshaw, 100 acres 338
Thomas Leech, 150 acres 387
John Moody
Samuel Maughlin, 200 acres 326
Isaac Morgan 21
Philip Meinhardt, 200 acres 443
William Maughlin, 150 acres 259
John Mash, 140 acres 200
Jonathan Mash, 200 acres 350
George McMullen, 150 acres 230
John JiIclMullen, 200 acres 300
William McIMullen, 130 acres 200
Widow Holland, 85 acres 31
Hugh Maughlin, 100 acres 233
John Moody, 295 acres 176
John May, 100 acres 170
Gravener Mash, 250 acres 436
John McFadden 32
Peter Millhouse 22
Peter Mash, 150 acres 341
John Mull, (cordwainer)
John McClellan, 285 acres 502
Matthew McMullen, (weaver) 19
Robert McMullen, 100 acres lOO
Samuel McMullen, 300 acres 436
Charles McClure, 100 acres 53
James McClure, 50 acres 59
William Morrison, 200 acres 359
Joseph Morris 9
William Nevet, 100 acres 175
Christian Newcomer, no acres 618
Robert Nelson, 200 acres 236
William Nevet, Sr., 200 acres
John Nesbit, 200 acres 390
Alex. Nesbit, 100 acres 133
Jacob Nervy 22
Widow Owings 10
Nathan Philips, 50 acres 74
William Penrose, 200 acres 305
John Philips, 50 acres 74
Thomas Penrose 33
Robert Parks, 150 acres : . . . 132
Andrew Russ, 150 acres 247
Frederick Russ, 150 acres 258
Alex. Ross, 175 acres 264
Peter Smith, 150 acres 436
John Smith, 150 acres 511
Thomas Shipton 13
William Squibb, 30 acres 4:2
Thomas Shanks, 150 acres 275
William Smart, (carpenter) 26
John Stouffer, 200 acres 389
Philip Sherer, 150 acres 201
Balthaser Smith, 100 acres 248
George Stickle, 90 acres 183
Peter Stickle, 100 acres 198
Jacob Stickle, 130 acres 233
Widow Stevenson, 250 acres 352
Joseph Spangler, 6 acres 60
Christian Stickle, 50 acres 14
David Sherer 24
William Sims 60
Jacob Swigert, 50 acres 89
Widow Thomas, 50 acres 32
Jehu Thomas, 100 acres 117
Anthony Trimmer, 300 acres 432
Michael Tedrow, 150 acres 274
James Thomas, 270 acres 372f los
Joseph Taylor, 100 acres 163
John Thomas 12
Alexander Underwood, 150 acres 303
Elihu Underwood, Sr., 100 acres 246
Zephaniah Underwood, (schoolmaster) 20
Elihu Underwood, (schoolmaster)
Benjamin Underwood, 228 acres
William Underwood, 150 acres
William Updegraff 41
Dietriech Uppough, 150 acres 228
Michael Ury, 150 acres 354
Widow Ur\' : 164
Robert Vale, Sr., 150 acres 234
Robert Vale, Jr., (or Veal), 100 acres 129
Joshua Vale 20
William Vale, 100 acres 104
Jacob Vore, (cordwainer) 137
Isaac Vore, 150 acres 20
Jesse Vore, 100 acres 123
Henry Weaver, 130 acres 216
Benjamin William, 50 acres 40
Abel Walker, 150 acres 14S
Benjamin Walker, 200 acres 342
io82
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Adam Wilej-. lOO acres 129
William Witherow, 170 acres 141
John Witherow, 150 acres 250
Jacob Williams ,. 14
Abraham Williams, 100 acres 55
John Wright, 243 acres 399
Aaron Wright, 60 acres 18
Widow Wickersham, 50 acres 91
William Webb, 100 acres 64
Mordecai Williams, 128 acres 152
Widow Wissel
Peter Sprenkle, 89 acres 289
William Fell, 200 acres 100
Jacob Bales, 50 acres 25
Daniel Peterson, 15 acres 10
Isaiah McNeas 10
Peter Bissel
SINGLE MEN.
Brice Blair, Lazarus Nelson,
Jacob Brinley, Mordecai Pew,
Joseph Cox, Henry Smith,
George Cough, David Shanks,
William Enas. Jonah Thomas,
Philip Foglesong, George Uppough,
Samuel Moody, John LTnderwood,
John Mash, John Driver.
Jacob Cline, Teaghart Butt,
Christian Newcomer, Daniel Davis,
Samuel Nelson, John Arnold,
David Griffith, John Arnold,
Jonathan Mash, Morgan Jones,
John Mash, Thomas Jeannians,
James Stephanson, William Kees,
Reuben Tedrow, Joshua Kennedy,
Philip Uppach, Conrad Leamer,
Henry Cramer, John McClellan,
Jonathan Mash. George McMuUen,
Thomas Mc^NIullen, Thomas McMullen,
Thomas Nelson, Robert Maughlin,
John Penrose, Joseph Morrison,
Samuel Smith, Samuel Morrison,
John Smith, Samuel McAlwa,
Daniel Guing, James Nelson,
Christopher Bean, Thomas Popp,
Conrad Beats, Samuel Beissel,
Alexander Ross, Abraham Beissel,
Thomas Cox, Michael Pressel,
Peter Cough, Manus Smith,
Peter Cleaver, James Shanks,
Joseph Grist, John Sherer,
George Hoover, Michael Tudro,
Peter Arnold, Conrad Uppough,
Jacob Underwood, Elias Underwood.
Warrington was reduced in its limits in
1803, by the formation of Washington out
of the southwestern end of it, and as at
present formed, has for its northern bound-
ary the townships of Carroll, Monaghan and
a portion of Fairview, with Newberry to the
east, Dover to the south and AVashington
to the west. The surface is undulating and
portions of it mountainous. There is a great
variety of soil, some of which is very fertile.
The township is drained by the Conewago
and its branches. The general slope of the
land is southward.
The township of Warrington in 1783, in-
cluding Washington, had 173 houses, 11
mills, and contained a population of 1,170.
In 1820 the population of Warrington was
1,274; in 1830 it was 1,229; in 1840,1,340; in
1850, 1,570; in i860, 1,681; in 1870, 1,796; in
1880, 1,825; in 1890, 1,830; 1900, 1,660.
The decrease in population from 1890 to
1900 was owing to the incorporation of
Wellsville into a borough.
Round Top, the highest point in
Round York County, is in the extreme
Top. northern part of AVarrington, and it
gave us the following story of its
history.
"Away back in the dim mists of the past,
I was born, and being proud of my birth I
tossed my crest heavenward, 1,110 feet
above sea and 600 feet above the plains sur-
rounding me. Such was my origin. I came
into existence as the result of a mighty con-
vulsion of nature, and old mother earth
shook from centre to circumference. This
occurred before the wooded forests, the
fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, the
untutored red man, or the adventurous
Quaker settlers were present to witness the
thrilling scene. For thousands and tens of
thousands of 3'ears, I have been a silent
monitor, guarding the destiny of the sur-
rounding country.
"First to my fold came the birds and the
beasts, and then a copper-colored people
who built their wigwams around my rocky
base. Centuries passed, and to my summit
in 1735 came a few white settlers from the
east to gaze on the wooded plains below me,
and select places for their future homes.
The red man was still here, and for a time
the scattered few of both races lived in har-
mony. The Indian existed by hunting and
fishing, and the white man by felling trees,
clearing the land and tilling the soil. There
was a clash of arms between the red man
and his neighbor, and in 1755, Benjamin
Franklin with four noted men met the chiefs
of different Indian tribes over to the north,
within my field of vision, to make a treaty
of peace, but soon our own people passed
by my side armed for a conflict with the
tawny race. Twenty-one years passed by
and my neighbors determined to govern
themselves. They no longer wished to pay
tribute to the British crown, and declared
themselves to be free and independent. One
year later and the noblest patriots the world
WARRINGTON
has ever seen, came on horseback toward
the town of York to make it the capital of
the United States, and escape the imminent
perils of an invading foreign foe. I gazed
on them with intense interest, and welcomed
them to my dominions, within which they
remained for nine months. The Fates were
propitious, victory had been won by the
American armies and these patriots returned
to Philadelphia.
"Thirty-seven years rolled by; our coun-
try had prospered, but there was a clash of
arms again between my own people and the
mother country. In 1814 I saw 8,000 sol-
diers belonging to the militia ranks of Penn-
sylvania, assemble at York, to prepare to
meet a foreign foe who had already de-
stroyed the government buildings at AVash-
ington. The British arm}^, under General
Ross, was marching in triumph toward
Baltimore. These soldiers had been ordered
to York by authority of the Governor of
Pennsylvania and the President of the
United States. Fortunately the British
were defeated at Baltimore and were driven
back to their ships. The second war with
England had resulted in favor of the
United States and the citizen soldiers at
York returned to their farms and their
homes.
"Forty-nine years of peace and prosperity
followed. Our country grew and developed
and our population had increased to 35,000,-
000. The surrounding country had been
changed from wooded forests to fertile fields
of waving grain and golden corn. The val-
leys smiled in vernal beauty and the hillsides
teemed with a busy people. My joy was un-
bounded and I thought that peace had come
to stay. But a storm had been brewing be-
tween the different sections of the country,
and during the summer of 1863 I saw 80,-
000 men wearing the grey cross the moun-
tains to the southwest, entering this valley
of peace and plenty with hostile intent. A
distance southward, moving with determina-
tion, was an army of soldiers in blue, carry-
ing the banner of our country, the emblem
of its destiny. On the level plain down yon-
der, nearly 10,000 of these men rested for
the night, then moved in triumph to York
and attempted to cross the Susquehanna.
A day or two later I heard a rattle of mus-
ketry and a booming of cannon, such as
never before had been equalled in this
country or in the history of the civilized
world. This was a family quarrel, but it
involved the preservation of the Union
which had been created by the patriots of
1776, when a new nation was brought forth
on this continent. The world looked on in
wonder. Victory came to the Union arms
on the fields around Gettysburg. This great
battle did not end the war, but it saved the
Union from dismemberment. Nearly half
a century has passed since these stirring
events occurred. An unrivalled era of pros-
perity has followed. Our country is now at
peace. About 90,000,000 people now live
and prosper in this Government of ours, the
greatest and most powerful in the galaxy of
nations. This is the end of my stor3^"
Then we retraced our steps down the
mountain side as the golden orb of day was
setting behind the western hills, the canopy
above was clothed in roseate hues, the val-
ley's below and all around were bathed in
liquid light, the trees were covered with the
changing foliage of autumnal tints and all
nature smiled in radiant beauty.
The summit of Round Top which covers
an area of several acres was purchased in
1904 b}' William Hunter Barrett and
Thomas Leonard Hoover.
Flat Mountain is a wooded peak a short
distance northwest from Round Top. The
timberland has recently been cut down for
railroad ties and other purposes.
Nell's Hill, a short distance away, took
its name from one of its owners, nearly a
century ago. The base of this hill was in-
fested with rattlesnakes. Part of it was
covered with a dense growth of hickory and
white oak, much of which has recently been
cut down.
William Ross owned a large
Villages, tract of land and conducted the
tanning business at Rossville as
early as 1800. A hotel was started near the
Ross homestead about 1812, and was kept
for many years by Alexander Underwood.
This hotel was a prominent stopping place
for travelers between York and Carlisle.
Samuel Smith, as early as 1812. began the
mercantile business here, and became the
first postmaster in 1815. It was then that
Rossville received its name, in honor of Wil-
liam Ross, one of the leading citizens of
AVarrington. Michael WoUet became post-
master in 1830. AV. L. Gardner conducted
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the mercantile business here, and was suc-
ceeded in 1884 by George Smith. Both
these merchants served as postmaster.
A. H. Hamme, S. L. Seiffert and A. E.
Spangler have been successive owners of the
general store. A. B. Elicker engaged in the
manufacture of carriages at Rossville for
many years. His son, Charles G. Elicker,
and William J. McClellan, under the firm
name of McClellan & Elicker, have carried
on an extensive business in this line during
the past twenty-five years. They sell a
large number of buggies which are made in
the west, and also carry on the undertaking
business.
Alpine in the northwestern section of
Warrington is situated on an elevated spot
midway in a direct line between Harrisburg
and York. It is thirteen miles from either
city and is surrounded by a romantic region.
Joseph Updegraf? began the store businesa
at this place about 1840. He was succeeded
by Eli Fissel, G. Darrone, Isaac Walker,
William Ramsey, W. W. Ramsey and Mar-
tin Laird. For many years the place was
known as Ramsey's store which was well
patronized by the people in this region of
Warrington. In 1876 when the postoffice
was established, this elevated spot with its
picturesque surroundings, was given the
name of Alpine, by which this village has
since been known.
Maytown is a collection of houses in the
extreme northeastern section of Warrington
Township, near the Newberry Township
line. A family by the name of May were the
original settlers in this region. During the
early history of the United Brethren Church
in Christ religious services were held
in private houses and the adjoining school
building. As a result of these meetings in
1871, this denomination erected a house of
worship and a congregation was organized.
Mount Top, an elevated point, located in
the extreme western part of the township,
near the border of Washington, is a business
centre for the surrounding country. In the
year 1849, Jacob Gensler began store-keep-
ing, which he continued for several years,
and then moved to the state of Michigan.
He was succeeded by Michael Sheafifer, J.
Myers and Hezekiah Lau. In 1861, while
J. C. Bower was conducting a store here,
he applied for and secured a postofifice. It
was then that the locality received the name
of "Mount Top." In 1864, Michael Anthony
became the postmaster and proprietor of
the store. He was succeeded by his son, C.
C. Anthony.
A short distance west of
Warrington Wellsville, near the centre of
Meeting Warrington Township, stands
House. the Friends' Meeting House,
one of the landmarks of York
County. The earliest Quakers settled in the
township in 1735. For the first few years,
they worshipped with the Friends at New-
berry, who were permitted to hold indulged
meetings as early as 1738. In 1745, a
preparative meeting was organized at War-
rington and the same year a log building
for a house of worship was erected on a
tract, containing twenty-nine acres and 156
perches. The tract was surveyed by
Thomas Cookson, deputy surveyor of the
Province of Pennsylvania. The land war-
rant cost the founders of the meeting, 2
pounds, 12 shillings and 6 pence, paid to
Thomas Cookson. The tract of land sur-
rounding the meeting house cost 9 pounds,
12 shillings and 9 pence. Some of the mem-
bers who contributed toward the survey and
the land were John Earl, Alexander Under-
wood, Thomas Cox, Joseph Garretson, Wil-
liam Garretson, Christopher Hussey, Hall
Cox, Samuel Underwood, Thomas Cook,
Richard AVickersham, William Underwood
and Peter Cook. The log meeting house
was replaced by a stone building in 1769,
about 100 yards to the northwest. The
Warrington Meeting before 1800, had a
large membership. In order to accommo-
date the Quarterly Meeting in 1782, it was
found necessary to enlarge the building to
twice its original size. It was in that year
that the building now standing was com-
pleted.
After 1782, there were two apartments to
the meeting house. One of these was used
for the men's meetings, and the other for
the women's meetings, in accordance with
the custom in all the meetings in the eastern
part of Pennsylvania.
For a century the care of this meeting
house and the land surrounding, were in
charge of members of the Walker family.
Benjamin Walker, a prominent Quaker,
whose diary is still in existence, came to
AVarrington from Chester County in 1762.
He purchased a large tract of land adjoining
WARRINGTON
io8;
the meeting house ground. He superin-
tended the erection of the addition to the
meeting house in 1782. He was succeeded
by his son John Walker, who had charge of
the meeting house and graveyard until 1854,
when John Walker, son of John, continued
the work until 1885. He died in 1904, at the
age of 89 years. Benjamin F. Walker late
of York, was his son, and to him the meet-
ing house and the beautiful grove surround-
ing, had many hallowed associations.
Among the early preachers at the War-
rington Meeting was Zephaniah Under-
wood, who also taught the school in the
adjoining building. Jesse Kersey, a biog-
raphy of whom will be found on page 120,
was one of the most noted preachers of the
Quaker faith in America. He was born in
York in 1768, and for many years was the
preacher for the Warrington Monthly and
Quarterly Meetings. Another preacher of
great ability, during the early part of the
nineteenth century, was Marian Gover, who
resided in Loudon County, Virginia. She
frequently preached at the Warrington
Meeting to immense audiences, when hun-
dreds of persons could not gain admission to
the meeting house.
William Steer of Virginia, an eloquent
speaker, was frequently present at the
Monthly and Quarterly Meetings. He was
also a popular preacher. Cyrus Griest and
his brother were regular speakers at the
meeting for many years. Edith Griest,
about 1830 and later, was one of the regular
speakers and was succeeded by Lydia Marsh
Walker, wife of John Walker, the son of
Benjamin.
The adjoining cemetery was a burying
ground for Quakers and other people from
Warrington as early as 1760. It is now one
of the largest cemeteries in York County,
and by successive enlargements, covers an
area of nearly eight acres.
About three hundred yards to the north-
west of the meeting house, for nearly a cen-
tury stood a log schoolhouse. It was sub-
stantially built and was a place where the
boys and girls for miles around obtained
their education. Many persons who after-
ward gained prominence, including James
S. Mitchell of Warrington, who represented
York County in Congress, attended this
school. About 1855, the old log school
building was replaced by another. In 1885,
this building was purchased by a citizen of
Wellsville and, after being weathei--boarded,
was used as a dwelling house in that bor-
ough.
The Union Church of the Lu-
Churches. theran and Reformed, and other
denominations near Rossville,
was built in 1819. It was dedicated June
II, 1820. The ofificiating clergymen were
J. G. Schmucker, D. D., J. McKnight, D. D.,
and Rev. Ebaugh. The old building was
removed about 1880.
The Lutherans numbering about 200,
thought it would be to their advantage to
have a building of their own. A meeting
was called by the Rev. James Harkey, in
1848, when it was agreed to build a church.
A building committee was chosen which
was composed of D. Hobaugh, T. T. Gard-
ner, W. Bushy, J. Bushy and J. Drawbaugh.
Mr. Gardner donated the Lutheran congre-
gation one acre of ground to build the
church. The work of building began in the
summer of 1849. The cornerstone was
laid September 29, 1849, by Rev. James
Harkey, assisted by Revs. Keller and S.
Harkey, and was dedicated in the winter of
the same year. The following ministers
have served as regular pastors : Revs.
James Harkey, J. P. Focht, A. Finfrock,
Daniel Sell, J. K. Bricker, S. Dasher, H.
Seifert, J. F. Dietrich, E. Minter, A. Stump,
A. B. Erhard, H. P. Wiles and Smith. Rev.
George H. Eveler is the present pastor.
The Reformed church near Rossville was
built in 1869, at a cost of $1,600. James
Comfort and John Spangler were the build-
ing committee. The preachers who offici-
ated here since 1869 have been Aaron
Spangler, Aaron Leisse, A. Wanner, D. D.,
G. H. Derr. Rev. H. A. Althouse was the
pastor in 1907.
Salem United Evangelical Church. — As
early as 1820, religious services of this de-
nomination wefe held in Warrington in
private houses and in a schoolhouse. This
church was built in 1849. The building
committee were H. Bierbower, J. M. Et-
tinger, E. Boring, George Glatfelter and M.
Lentz. The congregation was then in the
Gettysburg Circuit. In 1861 the circuit was
divided and the Conewago Circuit formed.
In 1872 the name was changed to Lewis-
berr)' Circuit and later to Wellsville Circuit.
Rev. Ralph Smith was pastor in 1907.
io86
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA
Blue Ridge Bethel at Alpine was built in
1856 by the Evangelical Association. Serv-
ices were first held in a schoolhouse for
twenty years before the church was built.
The church lot was surveyed by " Sammy
Fetrow, the doctor, lawyer and surveyor,"
as he was called. The building cost $1,000,
and was dedicated by Rev. Adam Ettinger.
The building committee were William Ram-
sey, Daniel Shetter, and Ezekiel Boring.
The church belongs to the Wellsville Cir-
cuit.
Mt. Airy United Evangelical Church was
built in 1883. About 1868 a class was
formed in the vicinity, a schoolhouse pur-
chased and first used as a place of worship.
T^e building committee of this church were
Rev. L. Dise, pastor, C. Bushey, John Fer-
rence, John Miller and Morris Smith. The
church stands on elevated ground. Fort-
ney postoffice was established here in 1882.
A store was kept at this place by Daniel
Bierbower for many years.
Religious services were held under the
auspices of the Church of God in Warring-
ton its early as 1855, and conducted at stated
times by ministers who served as supplies
until April i, 1884, when Frank L. Bardeens
became the regular pastor. The church
owned by the congregation was built
through the energies of Elder R. E. Reever,
at a cost of $1,000, and dedicated May 21,
1883. Elder G. AA'. Seilhamer preached
the dedicatory sermon.
Mt. Zion Church of the United Brethren
in Christ was built about 1850. It is now
in York Springs Circuit, and the pastor re-
sides at Franklintown.
Rehoboth Meeting House was a
Lorenzo place for religious worship and
Dow. for school purposes, situated in
the eastern part of AVarrington.
It accidentally caught fire in 1835, ^nd
burned, and was never after rebuilt. It
was used by the Methodists. During the
winter of 1829-30, Daniel M. Ettinger, the
well-known surveyor and citizen of York,
was teaching school in this building when
the erratic yet world-renowned evangelist,
Lorenzo Dow, visited AA^arrington and
preached to a large audience. His text was
" The end of all things is at hand." This
visit of Dow's was made soon after his re-
turn from England, when five shillings were
paid in that country to hear him preach or
lecture. The next evening, he preached at
Lewisberry.
Warrington was one of the early
Schools, townships to accept the common
school system, established by act
of legislature in 1834. The township had
always fostered and encouraged a healthy
educational spirit. There are in all ten
schools in this district, with the following
names : Big Rock, Ziegler's, Wellsville, Mt.
Zion, Elcock's, Alpine, Mt. Pleasant, Mt.
Airy, Rossville and Maj^town.
Three brigades of Confeder-
Confederate ate cavalry, commanded by
Invasion. General J. E. B. Stuart, en-
tered AVarrington Township
on the morning of July i, 1863. Stuart had
with him six thousand men in three bri-
gades, commanded respectively by Wade
Hampton of South Carolina, Fitzhugh Lee
and John R. Chamblis of Virginia. On the
day before, these Confederates had engaged
in a hard fought contest with Kilpatrick's
Division of Union cavalry at Hanover. Af-
ter Stuart was defeated in that town, he
went through Codorus Township to Jeffer-
son, from thence to Hanover Junction,
northward through Manchester and Dover
townships, moving all night and stopping
at Dover for breakfast. A complete ac-
count of the local incidents of this famous
march appears in the history of the bor-
oughs and townships named above, and
found in this volume. After Stuart left
Dover he moved northward to the point
where the State Road branches off to the
left toward Emig's Mill. The brigades
under General Fitzhugh Lee and General
John R. Chamblis took this road in the
movement toward Dillsburg and Carlisle.
Stuart proceeded with the brigade of Gen-
eral AVade Hampton, who was guarding the
train of 125 wagons, which had been cap-
tured along the Potomac river near AVash-
ington several days before. He proceeded
across the Conewago at the stone bridge
and passed through Rossville where some
of his men stopped and obtained provisions
from the citizens. The long train of wag-
ons moved slowl}^ and halted at the farm of
the late Jacob Moore to feed their horses
and mules and eat their dinners of hard tack
and roast beef. They unhitched the horses
and mules from the wagons and let them
eat the grain which was poured out on the
WARRINGTON
1087
ground. These mounted men, as well as
the teamsters, and the two batteries of ar-
tillery, had marched all night and were very
tired. As soon as they had eaten their din-
ners most of them threw themselves on the
ground and fell asleep. After an hour's
rest, the bugle sounded for them to take up
the march. The tired men mounted their
horses, the teamsters hitched the horses to
their wagons and the whole column and
wagon train moved on toward Dillsburg.
The brigades under Lee and Chamblis
entered ^\'arrington over the State Road at
Emig's Mill, and marched toward Wells-
ville. When they reached the forks of the
road, the brigade under Chamblis continued
on the State Road and Lee's brigade passed
on through Wellsville. It was about noon
when Lee reached that village. His troops
were nearly all Virginia soldiers. Although
they were tired and worn out from the long
march, these veterans of many battles, were
in a cheerful mood. They started up a war
song, and sang it as they rode through the
town. A few of the men dismounted and
entered the store then conducted by Abra-
ham and John E. Wells, owners of the whip
factory. They took a few articles, paid for
them in Confederate paper money, and then
joined the moving column of mounted men.
It required two hours or more for the entire
brigade to pass through the town. The
three brigades came together near Dills-
burg and halted for the night of July i, on
a level plain, between Dillsburg and Beaver-
town.
There were several incidents of
Exciting the movement through AVar-
Incidents. rington Township of special in-
terest. Soon after Chamblis had
passed the bridge at Emig's Mill, a Confed-
erate soldier rode to the rear of his brigade.
He had caught sight of a fine horse, owned
by Solomon Bushey, a farmer of Warring-
ton Township. His comrades were a mile
or more ahead of him, when he captured
this horse. Three mounted soldiers, be-
longing to Kilpatrick's command, were on
the opposite side of the Conewago. They
had been sent out from East Berlin, to
watch the movement of the Confederate
cavalry and report to their commander.
They caught sight of the Confederate sol-
dier, and determined to recapture the
Bushey horse. Dashing rapidly through
the bridge, one of these men ascended the
hill on a gallop. He came within fifty
yards of the Confederate, just as the latter
was crossing Doe Run, at the farm of Rich-
ard Young. Pointing his carbine, " Sur-
render," he said. But the Virginia cavalry-
man decided to gallop away, and the Union
soldier levelled his carbine and fired two or
three shots at his enemy. The Southern
soldier placed his finger upon the trigger of
his carbine, but after looking around to see
how far away his antagonist was, put the
spurs to his horse and escaped uninjured
and soon joined his brigade.
A few of the soldiers of Hampton's bri-
gade lingered behind at Rossville. They
demanded from the citizens the best provi-
sions their larder afforded. Before they
had eaten their bountiful dinners, one of the
men on the street, saw half a dozen Federal
soldiers riding up toward the village. These
men belonged to Kilpatrick's cavalry and
had been sent out by their commanding
officer on a scouting expedition, to see in
what direction the enemy was going. Soon
as the Confederate soldiers saw the ap-
proach of the Union men, they mounted
their horses to join their brigade. The
Union soldiers followed them and shots
were exchanged, just as the Southerners
were leaving the village. None of these
shots took effect.
Just as the Confederate advance had
reached Rossville, Sergeant John M.. Grif-
fith was returning to his home in that vil-
lage. He was a member of Company H,
Eighty-seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania
Volunteers, and had been slightl)' wounded
near Winchester about two weeks before.
He was not dressed in military uniform, but
the Southern soldiers believed that he had
been in the Union army and demanded that
he should accompany them. They made
him go with them to Dillsburg, to Carlisle
and even to Gettj'sburg, which they reached
in the evening of the next day.
Many fine horses were captured in
Warrington Township by these Confed-
erate raiders. Most of the farmers had
taken their horses across the Susquehanna,
but some had concealed them in the dense
thickets at the base of Round Top. When
Stuart and his men halted at the noon hour
at the Moore farm in Warrington, a squad
of mounted men were sent over to Round
io88
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Top. In the language of an old citizen,
they made a big " haul," for they captured
a large number of fine animals which they
took with them on their march to Gettys-
burg, where some of these Warrington
horses fell with their riders on the third day
of the great battle.
The incidents of this Confederate raid for
the next day will be found in the history of
Dillsburg, in this volume.
Among the first immigrants to
Interesting AVarrington was William Grif-
Facts. fith, who took up land now
owned by his descendants
above Rossville. Another immigrant at the
same time in 1736, obtained a warrant for
the adjoining farm, formerly owned by
Frank Elcock; a third immigrant located
on land near the Conewago. They came
from New Castle, Delaware.
James Lenox, the first surveyor of this
section, was an Englishman, and owned
large tracts of land which he disposed of to
new settlers as they arrived.
Tradition says, the first Quaker settlers
of this township crossed the Susquehanna at
Wright's Ferry, obtained permits for the
land, passed across the county, here and
there meeting an occasional settler. They
came either on foot or on pack-horses,
camped Out, had with them rifles, and a few
agricultural implements. They built cabins,
cleared small tracts of land, sowed grain,
went back to their former homes to relate
their adventures and prepare to return the
next summer, to reap the first harvest, some
of them bringing with them young wives to
share their experiences of backwoods life
among the Indians who were their neigh-
bors.
William Griffith, great-grandfather of the
late James Griffith of Warrington, died in
the township at the age of one hundred and
five years, and his remains were interred in
the Friends' burying ground. He came to
America with William Penn. He often re-
lated the following interesting incident to
his descendants:
In 1736 and later, a party of Indians were
neighbors to the early settlers about the site
of Rossville. Among those who had their
wigwams near the Ross tannery was an
old Indian. One day Griffith and his com-
rades saw the young Indians build a large
fire and they went to inquire for what pur-
pose, as they were on friendly terms with
them. They were horrified with the re-
sponse, saying, " Burn old man, no hunt, no
fish, only eat, no longer good Indian." The
kindly intervention of the friendly whites
caused them to desist from their cruel cus-
tom of burning the aged and infirm, which
was not uncommon among our aborigines.
Many Indian darts and spears made of
native blue stone or quartz have been found
in this locality.
A number of Indian arrow heads, spear
points and hatchets, all of stone, have been
found on the farm of the late Levi Spangler,
along the Warrington side of the Conewago,
below the stone bridge. On both sides of
the stream here, from Emig's Mill to Kun-
kel's Mill, is the fertile Conewago valley,
containing many beautiful and level tracts
on which the Indians frequently encamped,
and pursued their vocation of hunting and
fishing.
William Griffith, son of the immigrant,
was once lost in a dense woods surrounding
Round Top Mountain, remained out over
night, and died from the results of exposure
and excitement. His son, Abraham Grif-
fith, could read and shoot squirrels at the
age of ninety-five years, and died aged
ninety-six.
The property near the foot of Round Top
was once in the possession of General Henry
Miller, of Revolutionary fame, whose biog-
raphy appears on page 205. For half a cen-
tury or more it was the site of one of the
old-time taverns, in which was introduced
a " Franklin " stove, built in the fireplace,
one of the first in this section. Frederick
Watt, father of the late Judge Watt, of Car-
lisle, once owned it.
James Mitchell, one of the early congress-
men who represented York County, lived in
Warrington on the State road, six miles
southeast of Dillsburg. He interested his
neighbors by bringing home souvenirs from
Washington. David Cadwallader, of War-
rington, his nephew, received the cane used
by him when a representative in Congress.
By an act of the General Assembly of
Pennsylvania in 1784, 'the Conewago Creek
was made a public highway as far up the
stream as Emig's Mills.
Street Hill is a singular geological forma-
tion of dolerite, extending northeast and
southwest in Warrington, a short distance
WARRINGTON
1089
north of the Conewago. The name was
used as early as 1748 by a surveyor, who
located a road across it toward York. It is
now locally known as "Straight Hill."
A level course of two miles in length in
the east end of Warrington, on the road
leading from the Newberry Friends' Meet-
ing House to the Warrington Meeting
House, for a century or more has been called
the "Quaker Race ground." The young
members of the Societ}^ on the way back
and forth from attending their monthly
meetings used this inviting place to try the
speed of their horses.
On the Hobaugh farm in Warrington,
exists a singular geological feature of great
interest, familiarly known in the vicinity as
"Ship Rocks." They are dolerite rocks,
about twelve in number, some of them of
immense proportions. The largest ones
bear a striking resemblance to a sailing ves-
sel, from which characteristic the name
originated. One of them, forty feet long,
ten feet high and eight feet thick, lies beside
a near neighbor of similar dimensions, from
which it was evidently separated by a con-
vulsion of nature during a remote period of
the world's history. This cluster of surface
rocks covers an area of half an acre.
Portions of the wooded tracts in the east-
ern part of Warrington are nearly covered
with boulders.
Fine specimens of copper ore have been
found in Warrington, but not as yet in suf-
ficient quantities to be mined.
The cultivation of strawberries has be-
come a profitable business in the eastern
part of Warrington. In 1884 F. S. Myers
raised 4,000 boxes on two acres, and 2,000
boxes of raspberries on the same number of
acres. Frederick Myers raised 6,500 boxes
of strawberries the same year, and Benja-
min Bailetts, 5000. Jeremiah Boring, a
short distance east in Newberry Township
raised 8,000 boxes of strawberries in 1884.
The number of 4,000 boxes of berries to the
acre can be raised in a good season. In re-
cent years, the berry industrj' has declined
in this district. Tempest Seififert, Elwood
Myers and Emanuel Myers have continued
the business with success.
A court record ordered the building of a
wooden bridge over the Conewago Creek on
the road from York to Carlisle in 175. The
old stone bridge there was built between
181 1 and 1814. It cost $4,000. The con-
tractor, tradition says, found he was going
to lose money, hence he secured all the labor
and material he could on credit. When the
bridge was completed, he disappeared with
the money received from the county au-
thorities and did not pay his employees or
creditors.
A roof on the house of Levi Spangler near
this bridge was in good condition after
eighty years of use. It was placed on the
house in 1822. The shingles then cost $5
per 1,000, and boards $7 per 1,000 feet. The
same year occurred the great drought, when
the Conewago was without water, and tur-
nips were raised in its bed near the bridge.
The wooden bridge over the Conewago
Creek at Kunkle's Mill, at the northeast end
of the township, did not yield its position in
the flood of 1884. It rested on two stone
abutments, one at either end, and at a height
of thirty feet above the water, crossed the
stream at a breadth of 100 yards.
A short distance east of the base of Round
Top, at a spot affording a most enchanting
landscape view far to the south and west, on
one quiet evening of June, 1866, immedi-
atel}' after a thunder shower, was committed
the foulest murder known to the annals of
York County. The Squibb family, grand-
father, grandmother and grandchild, each
and all were the victims. There was no one
left to tell the sad tale of that dreadful homi-
cide. The remains of the victims were
buried in one common grave in the south-
west corner adjoining the Friends' Meeting
House. A neat but unpretentious headstone
marks the spot.
According to the religious principles of
the Society of Friends, they were opposed
to an)' kind of military display. John Black-
burn and John Pope, and many other early
settlers of Warrington, were temporarily
suspended from meeting in 1758 for " ap-
pearing in warlike manner, and going to
fight the Indians," during the French and
Indian War. The militia law which com-
pelled every voter between the ages of
twenty-one and forty-five to muster regu-
larly or pay a fine, was a cause of great an-
noyance to the ardent followers of the re-
ligion of the great founder of Pennsylvania.
The militia muster grounds were at Ross-
^•ille. Joseph Wright and John Koch were
captains of two of these companies.
logo
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The " Warrington Rangers " was a vol-
unteer company, started in 1829, com-
manded at diiierent times by Captains
Black, Baily, James Griiifith, Lesley Porter
and Martin. It existed for many years.
Hugh Morthland of Warrington, a sol-
dier of the One Hundred and Fifty-second
Pennsylvania Regiment, was accidentally
killed at Fortress Monroe in 1865, while
firing a salute in honor of the fall of Rich-
mond.
John C. Nesbit, who resided near Ross-
ville, was widely known as a mathematician.
H. C. Brenneman, who was born at Wells-
ville, served for a period of six years as
county superintendent of schools. David
H. Gardner, who was born at Rossville,
filled the same office for a period of twelve
years.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
The area now embraced in the township
of Washington was included in Warrington
for a period of sixty years. In 1803, a pe-
tition signed by more than a hundred citi-
zens in the western part of Warrington,
asked the courts of York County to grant
the authority for the erection of a new
township. The petition was granted, a sur-
vey made, and the new township was given
the name of Washington, in honor of the
first President of the United States, who
died less than four years previously. It
may be interesting to mention that the cap-
ital of the nation, one of the leading states
of the northwest, thirty-two counties,
twenty-one towns and post-villages, and
one hundred and forty townships in the
United States bear the historic name of
Washington.
Washington Township in its present form
is a bent rectangular figure. Its length ex-
tends northwest and southeast, with War-
rington on the northeast, bordering on Do-
ver and Paradise on the south, Adams
County on the west and Franklin on the
north. It is drained by the Bermudian and
Conewago creeks and their tributaries.
The section of it northeast of the Bermu-
dian was settled by the Quakers, and the
portion southeast of the same stream by
the German Baptists as early as 1738.
Washington has a variety of soil. A vein
of black dolerite crosses it, and also a small
vein of copper. Iron was taken out at two
or three places in large quantities before
1880. Most of the land is now fertile and
productive, yielding abundant crops. Im-
proved modes of cultivation and increased
fertilization, have changed the agricultural
conditions of this township materially with-
in the past third of a century. There are
a number of grist mills along the streams.
The " Barrens " is an area covering about
3,000 acres of pure red shale soil, lying in
the northern part of Washington, near the
village of Franklintown. The name origi-
nated with the early settlers, owing to a
lack of fertility of the soil. Much of it was
found by the first white settlers to be a bar-
ren waste, destitute of trees, and only here
and there covered with scrub oak, and a sort
of prairie grass. This land by improved
methods of cultivation and proper fertiliza-
tion is now productive. Land which in
1835 was nearly valueless, can now be made
to grow twenty-fiv^ bushels of wheat to the
acre.
Mulberry was known for more
Mulberry, than half a century as " Raf-
fensberger's Store." In 1824
Christian T. RafTensberger began the mer-
cantile business and continued it until 1854
when his son Amos succeeded him until
1864, when another son, Jacob, followed him
for five years, then Amos returned. He
was succeeded by J. C. Bower and John C.
Harlacher. M. L. Strayer, who succeeded
John C. Harlacher, continued the mercan-
tile business here. In 1893 both the store
and the dwelling house were destroyed by
fire, while owned by M. L. Strayer, who
immediately rebuilt them. Soon afterward
he was succeeded by Samuel Eberly, who
has continued the business with success. L.
A\'. Lighty began the store business in
1881.
In 1864 when application was made for a
postoffice at this place, a difficulty arose
as to its name. A large mulberry tree
stood in front of the store, and the vener-
able Christian RafTensberger, who lived to
the age of eighty-six years, asked " Uncle
Sam " to call the new postoffice " Mul-
berry," in honor of his tree. The old tree
passed away before its original owner, but
a new one was planted on the same spot.
The large bridge over the Conewago at this
place was taken away by the flood of 1884,
after having served the public for fifty
WASHINGTON
109 1
years, and an iron bridge placed there in
1886.
In 1863, when Amos Raffensberger was
store-keeper at this place, he loaded his
goods on two large wagons and concealed
them in a dense growth of trees and bushes
along the Conewago, on the approach of
the Confederate army toward York.
They escaped capture from Early's divi-
sion of soldiers on their way eastward, but
on July I, when Stuart's cavalry passed
northward through Warrington Township,
a squad of horsemen who were foraging
through this region, discovered Mr. Raffens-
berger's wagons. They took possession of
all the goods and wearing apparel to the
amount of $900, for which Mr. Raffens-
berger never received any payment either
from the Confederates or the United States
government. What was known as the
" Border Raid Claim " never became a law,
neither through Pennsylvania statute nor
by an act of Congress, and Mr. Raffensber-
ger, like many other citizens of southern
Penns3dvania, failed to recover what right-
fully seems to be a just and equitable claim.
Near the center of Washing-
Hall ton Township, in a fertile re-
Post Office, gion, lies the interesting vil-
lage of Kralltown. The geo-
graphical name is Hall Post Office. Jesse
Krall engaged in the mercantile business
at this place in 1853. One end of the store
building was used for many years as a pub-
lic inn, but during the last third of a cen-
tury no hotel has been kept in any part of
A¥arrington Township. Jesse Krall was
succeeded in the store business at this place
by John I\rall, Samuel Reed, Henry B.
Smith, John Straley, T. F. Givler, Andrew
K. Straley, M. L. Strayer, J. C. Strayer,
M. E. Spahr and Myers & Mumper.
The postoffice was opened near Bower's
church, and named Hall. Michael S.
Bower, who had a store there, was the first
postmaster. It was removed to Kralltown,
and Samuel Reed became postmaster. He
was succeeded in order by A. K. Straley,
Theodore F. Givler and M. h. Strayer.
A Union Meeting House was built near
Hall about 1850. 'It was , originally used by
the Lutherans, Mennonites and Evangeli-
cal Association. During the winter season
a school was kept in the building for many
years. The old building was removed and
in 1890, a brick church was erected, which
has since been jointly used by the Menno-
nites and United Evangelical Church. Some
of the early Mennonite preachers were Ja-
cob Hershey, Samuel Roth and Isaac Kauff-
man. Rev. J. M. Price, of the United Evan-
gelical Church, pastor of the Wellsville Cir-
cuit in 1906, was succeeded by Rev. Ralph
Smith.
Jesse Krall's mill, on the Bermudian, one
mile and a half from the village, was built
by William Butt in 1782. Michael Myers
operated it for twenty-six years. In 1904 it
burned down and was never rebuilt. One
mile south from the Krall mill is the Abso-
lom Trimmer Mill, later owned by Jacob
Eisenhart. Cornelius Strayer operated a
tannery for a long time and Lewis Strayer
a wool carding mill, along the Bermudian.
Diehl's mill and Eisenhart's mill are sit-
uated along the Conewago.
David Newcomer, once associate judge of
York County, was born near Kralltown.
When a young man he drilled a militia com-
pany, and afterward a volunteer company,
in his native township. He died in Han-
over in 1874.
The population of Washington Township
in 1820 was 1,061; in 1830, 1,037; 1840,
1,226; 1850, 1,339; i860, 1,386; 1870, 1,444;
1880, 1,450; 1890, 1,464; 1900, 1,388.
The German Baptists, or Dun-
Churches, kers, were among the first per-
sons who settled in Washington
Township. In the history of that denomi-
nation, found in another chapter in this
work, it will be noticed that an organization
was effected near the Bermudian as early
as 1738. Religious worship was conducted
for nearly a century in the houses of mem-
bers. In 1857 the present brick meeting
house was built one-half mile from Mulberry
Post Office at a cost of $1,500. This de-
nomination does not have dedicatory serv-
ices. Some of the preachers were Daniel
z\ltland, John Raffensberger, Peter Trim-
mer and William Wile}'.
This is the central house of the Lower
Conewago congregation, where most of the
special meetings and love feasts are held.
Lower Conewago congregation includes
the Bermudian Church, the church three
miles from Dillsburg, known as Wolgamuth,
and the church called Holtzschwamm, near
Bia: Mount, and about five miles from East
1092
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Berlin. Emanuel Gochenouer is the bishop
with three assistant ministers who take
their turns at the different churches.
There are about 225 communicants in this
congregation. There are also appointments
at Strinestown, Aughenbaugh's and Man-
chester, with Israel Emrich as minister.
St. Paul's Lutheran and Reformed
Church is familiarly known as " Red Run,"
or " Sower's " Church. The first name was
given to it from the small stream by that
name in the vicinity, which flows through
the red shale formation of this section.
The congregations that now worship in the
building were formed in the year 1844; the
Lutheran by Rev. Peter Sheurer, and the
Reformed by Rev. John E. Albert. The
cornerstone was laid April 21, 1844, and the
building consecrated October 5 and 6 of
the same year. The building committee
were George Sower and John Shive from
the Lutheran, and John H. Smith from the
Reformed congregation. The first church
council was composed of the following
named members: Lutherans, John Leib,
elder ; Jacob Emig and Solomon Cross, dea-
cons ; Reformed, Christian Gerber, elder ;
George Spangler and Peter River, dea-
cons. Rev. Sheurer who organized the Lu-
theran congregation, was succeeded by
Rev. A. G. Deininger, who continued until
his death in 1879, when the Rev. Daniel Sell
was elected. He was succeeded by Revs.
J. C. Mumma, J. M. Deitzler and A. G.
Fastnacht, D. D.
Rev. Daniel Reigle, who resided at Dills-
burg, was pastor of the Reformed congre-
gation from 1845 to the time of his death in
1889. He was succeeded by Rev. A. H.
Leas, O. F. SheafTer, P. M. Spangler and
H. A. Althouse.
Emanuel's United Evangelical Church,
locally known as "Bower's Church," or
"Red Mount" was built in the northern part
of the township about 1855. The building
committee who superintended the construc-
tion of the church were Abraham Byers,
Daniel Shelley and M. S. Bower. The
pastor of this congregation, in 1907, was
Rev. Ralph Smith.
Salem Lutheran and Reformed Church,
one of the landmarks of Washington, is
what is known as the "Barren's Church."
The date of its origin was about 1800. It is
situated near the upper end of the township.
The Lutheran pastors who officiated here,
as far as can be ascertained, were Revs.
Conrad Reiman, in 1807, John AVeible, J.
Garman, Samuel Henry, Joseph R. Focht,
Aaron Finfrock, Peter Warner, Jacob
Bricker, Emanuel Studebecker, Henry Seif-
fert. Rev. I. W. Croftel was pastor in
1907.
Of the Reformed pastors Rev. Jacob
Lischy conducted services in the com-
munity as early as 1750. Rev. Edward Van-
dersloot officiated for a time, and was suc-
ceeded, in 1839, by Rev. Daniel Reigle, who
ministered to the Reformed people here for
a long period of fifty years. He was suc-
ceeded by Rev. A. H. Leas. Rev. H. A.
Althouse was pastor in 1907.
The original church was torn down in
1863, and a brick building erected.
There are eleven schools in
Schools. AVashington Township with the
following names : Mulberry, Big
Dam, Darr's, Mine Bank, Gochenauer's
Asper's, Weaver's, Kralltown, Kimmel's,
Danner's.
JOHN KRALL a prominent citizen of
AVashington Township was born at the
Krall homestead in 1807, son of Joseph
Krall. His grandfather came from Ger-
man}^ and settled in Lebanon County, Pa.,
where Joseph Krall was born, and from
whence he came to AA'ashington Township,
York County. Joseph Krall was born in
June, 1761, and died April 10, 1839. His
wife, Anna Deardorff, was born Nov. 4,
1773, and died February 24, 1849.
AVhen Joseph Krall came to AVashington
Township he built the mill and dwelling-
house later owned by M. R. Deardorff, and
also owned about thirty acres of land. He
erected all of the buildings on his property
on the Bermudian, and with his milling he
also carried on distilling. He had twelve
children. George the eldest son died in
AVashington Township. Polly and Nancy,
were twins, the latter dying at the age of
sixty-five years, and the former attaining
the age of ninety-six years. Isaac followed
the occupation of a teamster for about
thirty years, driving through the States of
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio.
He had a son Joseph who was a soldier
in the 130th P. V. I., and took part in the
battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg and
Chancellors\'ille. He re-enlisted in the 200th
^<S^^U^
>ey^
WASHINGTON
1093
P. V. I., became first sergeant and was in
the battles at Weldon Raih-oad and Fort
Steadman, being killed in the last named en-
gagement. John, the fifth child, is the sub-
ject of this biography. Jesse commenced
working at the millwright's trade at the age
of 18, and became an expert mechanic, fol-
lowing that trade for fifty years. He built
new^ and repaired old mills in York and ad-
joining counties, among the new mills being
the large one erected for John Fitz in Han-
over about 1863. He died on his farm in
Washington Township aged seventy-eight
years, and is buried with his parents in the
Red Mount church3'ard. His son George
served in the Civil AVar and saw hard ser-
vice. Elizabeth, born in 1790, is buried in
Ohio. Sarah was born in 1795. Joseph,
born in 1797, died in infancy. Christian,
born in 1805, died at twenty- four years of
age. Joseph died at Mechanicsburg, Cum-
berland Co., Pa., aged eighty years. He
had a son John who was a soldier in active
service in the Civil War. Susan Deardorff
died in Dover Township at Diehl's Mill.
'The sons of Joseph Krall were all noted for
their herculean strength, and they weighed
considerably over two hundred pounds each.
John Krall became a prominent man in
his community. He remained with his
father, and for a long period was engaged in
wagoning to Baltimore, Pittsburg, and
Wheeling, and on some occasions went as
far as Zanesville, OhiOj taking six months to
make the trip. He followed distilling part
of his life and then bought his father's farm
of 200 acres, known now as the Kinter farm,
in Washington Township. On this property
he remained a number of years, when he
removed to Ivralltown, which bears his
name. He assisted in building up the vil-
lage, and engaged seven years in the mer-
cantile business, but subsequently returned
to farming, buying the old Peter Smith place
of 207 acres of land, on Bermudian creek,
in 1856. He made many improvements on
this property and lived on it until his death,
which occurred February 12, 1894, at the
age of eighty-six years. He married Anna
Roller, who died April 8, 1900, at the age of
eighty years, and both are buried at Red
Mount church.
Among the many useful men who have
taken part in the development of Washing-
ton Township John Krall is a prominent
figure. He was an active member of the
Republican party, and on many occasions
was prevailed upon to accept offices of re-
sponsibility. He was deeply interested in
the public schools, and served as school di-
rector for many terms. In the United Evan-
gelical Church he was prominent, and was
a member of the building committee and
a liberal contributor when the church was
erected. During militia days he was a lieu-
tenant in a local company.
John and Anna Roller Krall had eleven
children. Isaac, who married Eliza Bushey,
is chief engineer of an electric light station
in the city of New York, and resides in
Jersey City. He served in the 200th P. V. I.
during the Civil War, and participated in
the engagements at Weldon Railroad, Fort
Steadman, Petersburg, capture of Rich-
mond, and took part in the Grand Review
at Washington. Caroline is unmarried.
C. B. Krall lives in Washington Township.
Sarah A. is the wife of D. C. Bushey,
of Reading Township, Adams County.
Charles, a mechanic at Harrisburg, who has
been with one company for twenty-seven
years, married Mary Hoover. John, a car-
penter and farmer in Washington township,
married Amelia Baker. Jane, who married
Edwin Sheets, died in York. Harriet is un-
married. Jesse L. Krall lives in Washing-
ton Township on the home farm. Frank G.,
a machinist living at Altoona, has been
working for the Pennsylvania Railroad for
about twenty-five years. He married
Josephine Woods. J. H. Krall resides with
his sisters and brother in AVashington
Township. He and his brother Jesse L. own
the paternal homestead.
The Roller family, to which Mrs. John
Krall belonged, settled in Shanandoah Val-
ley, A^irginia, together with the Sevier and
other prominent families of Huguenot an-
cestry. Valentine Sevier, father of John
Sevier, the famous Commonwealth builder,
came from a family that had fled to Eng-
land at the time of the Revocation. About
1769 he accompanied his son and other Vir-
ginians to Tennessee, where they built Fort
Watauga, and founded a new Common-
wealth.' John Sevier was the first gov-
ernor of Tennessee and became a United
States Senator from that state.
John Peter Roller and Jean Bonneauvent
had both resided some years in Lancaster
I094
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
County, Pennsylvania, before their settle-
ment in Virginia. The latter located on
Mill creek, where he built the first mill in
that region. From these families comes
General John E. Roller, Harrisonburg,
Virginia.
WEST MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP.
The township of West Manchester is in
the form of an irregular triangle, with the
northeast border as a base, resting on Man-
chester Township. The western boundary
is nearly a perpendicular line resting against
Dover and Jackson townships. The south-
eastern boundary line follows the sinuous
course of the Codorus. The land of this
township has long been noted for its fer-
tility, and is part of the limestone belt which
diagonally crosses York County. Nearly
every acre of this township is under the
highest state of cultivation, and all kinds of
cereals grow luxuriantly. Large barns and
brick houses, which indicate the prosperity
of the Pennsylvania German farmer, are
found in every part of the township.
The York and Gettysburg Turnpike
crosses AVest Manchester. The Frederick
Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad and
the Eastern Extension of the Western
Maryland extend through the township in
parallel lines. Since the annexation to York
of Smysertown, with a population of 998,
Bottstown with 401, and the incorporation
of Eberton into West York Borough, there
are no large villages in the township.
The York County Traction Company
constructed a trolley line from York
through West Manchester, Jackson, Heid-
elberg and Penn townships to Hanover dur-
ing the fall of 1907.
The area now embraced in AVest Man-
chester, for a period of iifty-seven years, be-
longed to Manchester Township, which
was laid out in 1742, by authority of the
Lancaster County Court, seven years before
York County was erected. A petition of
many inhabitants of Manchester Township
was presented to the York County Court,
asking for a division of the township, in
1799. John Joseph Henry was then presi-
dent judge of the court and at the request
of the petitioners, ordered the division to
be made, and a new township laid out. In
their petition, the signers stated that Man-
chester Township "is fifteen miles in length.
which is three times its breadth; that there
would be 350 taxable inhabitants in the re-
maining part of the township after the pro-
posed division; with such extended limits, it
is difficult for road supervisors, tax col-
lectors and other officers to perform their
necessary duties." In answer to this peti-
tion the court appointed Martin Kreber,
Jacob Spangler, John Sharp, John Rudisill,
John Rothrock and John Henise, viewers.
They made a report. The draft of the sur-
vey is described as follows; "A line begin-
ning" at a post on the banks of the Codorus,
on Jacob Gardner's land, thence through the
lands of Joseph Updegraff and AVilliam
A\'illis, across the great road leading to
Prunk's mill, across P.eter Sank's milldam
and lands of Daniel AA'orley and James AA^or-
ley, along Green Brier Road to the Little
Conewago Creek, crossing lands of Jacob
Hahn, John Dobbins, Peter Lindt and
Philip Kreber ; thence up the creek to Philip
AA^olf's plantation to the corners of Dover
and Paradise (now Jackson) townships;
thence nearly due south to the west branch
of the Codorus Creek, down this stream to
its union with the south branch of the Co-
dorus and down the Codorus to York Bor-
ough line to place of beginning."
The following letter concerning the early
settlement of this township will be of in-
terest ;
Yorktown, April 23, 1746.
To Richard Peters,
Secretary of the Province of Pennsylvania :
The bearer. Paul Dittenhaver, has purchased an im-
provement about three miles west from York, and paid
150 pounds for it. The land was settled by Adam Dick-
inson, who, it is said, has an entry on your books by
the proprietaries' order for settling the same on his ob-
taining license from the Indians, who lived thereabout.
He applies for a warrant or order of surve}'. You may
suppose, from the price, thqt it is a valuable improve-
ment and has been long settled. If there is any such
entry, I doubt not that the proprietaries will grant it.
The land adjoins Casper Springer, Adam Fiel, Jacob
Hiestand and Nicholas Baghn. As these people have
the proprietor's grants, they are encroaching upon this
plantation on every side and destroying the timber so
that if he does not get an order of survey, the place
will be much injured. Thy Friend,
THOMAS COOKSON,
Deputy Surveyor for Lancaster County.
The original settlers were largely Lu-
theran, Reformed, German Baptist and
Mennonites, many of whose descendants
now occupy the lands taken up by their
worthy ancestors, a century and a half ago.
There were, however, some English set-
tlers, as the above letter indicates.
WEST MANCHESTER
1095
The first assessment roll of
West West Manchester, in 1800,
Manchester contains 150 taxable in-
in 1800. habitants, who were land-
owners, and 27 single men
who paid a poll tax of $1. The entire prop-
erty valuation then was $97,500. The larg-
est landowner was Frederick Eichelberger,
who was assessed with 1,025 acres, valued at
$7,925. Frederick Eichelberger was elected
to the state senate in 1819. Martin Ebert
owned a distillery, tannery and 500 acres of
land. Weirick Bentz, George Eyster, Val-
entine Emigh, Philip Ebert, Peter Hoke,
Jacob Hoke, Michael Lau, Matthias Smy-
ser, Adam Wolf, and George Philip Zeigler
owned distilleries. Much of the grain then
raised in the township was manufactured
into spirits and sold in Baltimore. Henry
Wolf and Thomas Eichelberger owned tan-
neries. Henry Bare, a fulling-mill and
hemp-mill, Jacob King, Alexander Under-
wood and Jacob Steiner owned grist-mills.
There was but one colored slave assessed,
"Tom," tradition says, a good fellow, and
outlived his master. Col. Michael Smyser, of
Revolutionary fame, who was several times
elected to the House of Representatives and
once to the Senate of Pennsylvania.
Colonel Smyser was one of the committee of
twelve men from York County who col-
lected money to send to Boston in 1775,
obtaining 6 pounds, 2 shillings and i pence
from his township. The last year of his
life he spent quietly and died in 1810 on a
farm, on what is now the Berlin Road, about
three miles from York.
One hundred and ninety horses were as-
sessed and 270 cows in 1801. In 1820 the
population of West Manchester was 1,073;
in 1830,1,269; 1840, 1,290; 1850, 1,352; i860,
1,524; 1870, 1,834; 1880, 2,476; 1890, 1,743;
1900, 1,820. The decline in the population
in the last two census reports was owing to
the annexation of Bottstown and Smyser-
town to York.
Martin Miller was the first supervisor of
the roads of Manchester Township, in 1749.
Upon his resignation Henry Bott was ap-
pointed by the court to succeed him.
The mill on the road from York
A Pioneer to Dover is a very old struc-
Mill. ture. To the right of the road,
on the Little Conewago, and
400 yards northeast from the present old
building Martin Weigle about 1738, erected
one of the earliest mills in York County.
He had tried first to build a mill on the
Codorus, near York, but found that stream
too large for his pioneer venture. His
Indian neighbors came to view this en-
croachment upon their territory with aston-
ishment, but tradition says they helped him
construct the mill.
The stone mill which rendered such im-
portant service was built before the Revolu-
tion. The owner of this mill during that
period, was not very patriotic toward the
new government. The mill was later
owned by Michael Beltzhoover, and in 1802
bought by Dr. J. G. Schmucker, pastor of
Christ Lutheran Church at York. Daniel
Gross and his son, Samuel, were subse-
quent owners and in 1847, George Neiman
purchased it. John Neiman purchased it
in 1856.
St. Paul's Lutheran and Re-
Churches, formed Church is locally known
in this township as Wolf's
Church, in honor of Peter Wolf, an early
settler.
In 1762 two and one-half acres were pur-
chased from Adam Zeigler for 5 pounds, six
shillings, 5 pence, for church property. In
1763 a congregation was organized by Rev.
Nicholas Hornell, then pastor of the Christ
Lutheran Church at York, and a frame
church was built. About twenty-five years
later this building was enlarged and re-
modeled. In 1855 the present large and
commodious church was built while the Lu-
theran congregation was under the pastoral
care of Rev. C. J. Deininger, and the Re-
formed under Rev. Daniel Zeigler.
The ministers present at the cornerstone
laying of the present church were Revs. A.
G. Deininger and J. Bossier. The succes-
sive pastors of the Lutheran congregation
were Revs. Hornell, Bager, N. Kurtz, Jacob
Goering, J. G. Schmucker, J. Oswald, A. G.
Deininger, C. J. Deininger, and J. H. Leeser.
Rev. Adam Stump D. D., has been pastor
since 1890. The congregation had a mem-
bership, in 1907, of 400. The Reformed
congregation was first served by the pastors
from York, including Revs. Jacob Lischy,
George Geistweite and others. Revs.
Daniel Zeigler, W. Kehm. Jacob Zeigler and
I. S. AVeisz succeeded each other in the
order named. Rev. O. P. Schellhamer has
1096
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
been pastor since 1894. The congregation
in 1907 had a membership of 200. The
church is located in a rich agricultural re-
gion, about five miles west of York, one-
third of a mile south of the "old five mile
house" originally owned by Peter Wolf, on
the York and Gettysburg Turnpike.
The attendance at AYolf's Church is very
large, and it has for 144 years been a central
point of interest in this township.
Shiloh Church, locally known as Nei-
man's, is owned and used by both Lutheran
and Reformed congregations. The building
was erected in 1883, at a cost of $4,600. It
is situated on the road leading from York to
Dover. The clergymen present at the
dedicatory services were. Rev. J. O. Miller,
I. S. Weisz, G. W. Enders and Peter An-
stadt. The building committee were Jona-
than Wilt, George Leckrone and Jesse
Heilman. Rev. AY. S. Porr, the first pastor
of the Lutheran denomination has been suc-
ceeded by Rev. H. C. Bixler and Rev. E.
Lenhart.
Rev. I. S. Weisz, the first pastor of the
Reformed congregation was succeeded by
Rev. O. P. Schellhamer, who was pastor in
1907. A Union Sunday School is held in
this church.
The schools in West Manchester
Notes, have the following names : Louck's,
Neiman's, Eyster's, Bott's, Bear's,
Sprenkle's, Hoke's, Smyser's, Eberton Pri-
mary, Secondary and Grammar. Reigel-
bach, the paternal home of the Smyser fam-
ily, is a large farm on the road leading from
the Gettysburg turnpike to East Berlin, a
few miles west of York. Upon this land,
Matthias Smyser, the ancestor of the Smy-
ser family in America, settled in 1745. A
family reunion was held on the farm on the
looth anniversary, in 1845. Several hundred
descendants of Matthias Smyser were pres-
ent at this meeting, when the family history
was read by Rev. Charles A. Hay, one of the
descendants. The farm was owned for
many years by Samuel Smyser, and at his
death in 1899, he bequeathed the property to
the Orphans' Home at York, retaining the
privilege for the descendants of Matthias
Smyser to hold family reunions on the farm
at any succeeding anniversary.
Bear's Station is an interesting hamlet
along the Northern Central Railroad, near
the western limits of the township. John H.
Bear carried on the mercantile business here
for many years, when he was succeeded by
his son, J. L. Bear.
At Drury, a station on the Western Mary-
land Railroad, a large brickyard has re-
cently been established by George W.
Drury, an enterprising citizen, who was
elected to the Pennsylvania legislature in
1906.
Highland Park, in the southeastern part
of West Manchester, is owned by the York
County Traction Company. It is visited
annually by thousands of people.
WEST MANHEIM TOWNSHIP.
West Manheim Township was formed
out of Manheim in the year 1858. It lies
in the extreme southwestern part of York
County, bordering Maryland on the south
and Adams County on the west. Most of
the land of West Manheim is fertile, though
for a century, a large section of the town-
ship was known as " the Barrens." Im-
proved methods of agriculture, and a care-
ful use of fertilizers, have greatly increased
the value of the land and made it more pro-
ductive, so that it now yields abundant
crops. Iron ore has been taken out in a
few places. The Hanover and Maryland
Line Turnpike diagonally crosses West
Manheim and divides it into two equal parts.
This road follows a height of land which
separates the headwaters of the Codorus
from the headwaters of the south branch
of the Conewago. The township is there-
fore drained by these two streams.
In i860 the population of West Manheim
was 1,265; iri 1870, 1,197; 1880, 1,202; 1890,
1,269; 1900, 1,418.
Pleasant Hill, the voting place
Pleasant for West Manheim Township, is
Hill. an interesting village of forty
houses along the turnpike, five
miles south of Hanover. Bandanna is the
name of the post office. John Kopp kept
the store at this place for several years and
was succeeded in the store business by Oli-
ver W. Garrett, who was postmaster in
1907. Cigar factories have been conducted
in this village by Sterner Brothers, Francis
Markel and Oliver W. Garrett. Pleasant
Hill Cornet Band erected a hall which is
also used as a voting place. One mile far-
ther south on the turnpike, Conrad Sher-
man, a prominent citizen of the township.
WEST MANHEIM
1097
resided during the Revolution. Loyd Gar-
rett conducts a store in the northern part
of the village. Trinity Evangelical congre-
gation first held services in the Band Hall
and then erected a house of worship in 1866.
Some of the recent pastors have been Revs.
J. H. Furner, J. M. Price and J. W. Bentz.
The pastor in 1907 was Rev. I. M. Pines,
who also preaches at Blooming Grove, St.
John's Church in Manheim Township and
Porters in Heidelberg Township.
St. David's Lutheran and Re-
St. David's formed Church, in the extreme
Church. southern part of West Man-
heim, near Mason and Dixon's
line, is locally known as " Sherman's
Church." Since the time of its origin in
1750, it has been known by its ecclesiastical
name, and has been a Union church and
generally ministered to by clergymen who
resided in Hanover.
Rev. J. A. Metzgar, who has been pastor
of the Lutheran congregation since 1882,
furnished the following concerning the
Lutheran congregation and church building,
inost of which was obtained from docu-
ments in German:
In the latter part of 1750, or early in 1751,
a meeting of the Lutherans of this com-
munity was called, having for its object the
organization of an Evangelical Lutheran
congregation. Their efforts at organizing
were successful. The Rev. John George
Eager (Baugher) who was a pioneer
Lutheran clergyman west of the Susque-
hanna, and who was then pastor of the
Lutheran congregation at Hanover, organ-
ized the Lutheran congregation here. The
ground upon which the first building was
erected was donated by David Lauer and
Peter Zapp. The first church was small,
rude in construction and in every way har-
monized with its primitive surroundings.
Services are reported as having been regu-
larly held in this building until 1781, when
a larger house of worship w^as erected. In
the second building the congregation wor-
shipped a number of years without stoves or
fire, and the interior of the church was not
plastered until 1832.
The introduction of night services in
country churches always formed an im-
portant epoch in their history. St. David's
congregation first permitted services by
" candle-light " under the pastorate of Rev.
Frederick Ruthrauf in 1843. I" 1867 the
thixd church was erected on the original
site, during the pastorate of Rev. Samuel
Yingling, who was also pastor of St. Mat-
thew's Church at Hanover. The building
committee of the second church were
George Motter, Philip Wolfard, Conrad
Sherman and John Wampler. The com-
mittee to whom was entrusted the third and
present church building were John W.
Hoffacker, Henry W. Craumer and David
Garrett.
The following is the list of Lutheran pas-
tors from its organization to the present:
Revs. Carl Frederick Wildbahn, 1751-52;
John George Bager, 1753; John Daniel
Schroeder, 1790; Frederick Valentine Mels-
heimer, 1 790-1814; John Frederick Mels-
heimer, 1814-29; Jacob Albert, 1829-39;
Jeremiah Harpel, 1839-42; P. Williard,
1842-43; Frederick Ruthrauf, 1843-45; Eli
Swartz, 1845-48; Jacob Kempfer, 1848-53;
D. P. Rosenmiller, 1853-57; M. J. Alleman,
1857-63; P- Warner, 1863-65; M. J. Alle-
man, 1865-68; S. Yingling, 1868-72; D. J.
Hauer, 1873-82; J. A. Metzgar, 1882 to date.
The Reformed congregation for a long
time was served by the pastors of Emman-.
uel Reformed Chuch of Hanover. Among
those of later date were Revs. J. C. Kurtz,
Samuel Gutelius, J. D. Zehring, W. K.
Zieber, Jacob Sechler, Henry Hilbish, E. D.
Miller and J. H. Hartman. The combined
membership of the two congregations in
1907 was nearly 700. A union Sunday
school is held in this church.
Surrounding St. David's Church is a
large cemetery in which the first burials
were made about 1752.
St. Bartholomew's is a
St. union church, owned con-
Bartholomew's jointly by Lutheran and
Church. Reformed congregations,
and is situated in the
southwestern part of West Manheim, near
the Maryland line. The first building,
erected about 1840, was constructed of logs
and weather-boarded. It burned down in
1879, having caught fire from an adjoining
mill which was in flames. The early church
records were destroyed by this fire. The
Lutheran pastors whose names can be re-
called were Peter Sheuer, J. Lane, M. J.
Alleman, and D. J. Hauer, D. D. Rev. J.
A. Metzgar has been the pastor since 1882.
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Some of the Reformed pastors have been
J. C. Kurtz, Samuel Gutelius, Jacob Sechler,
W. K. Zieber, D. D., H. Hilbish, Edward D.
Miller and J. H. Hartman. A union Sun-
day school is held in this church which was
erected in 1881, at a cost of $3,000.
Mt. Zion United Brethren Church is
Mt. situated in West Manheim. Rev.
Zion. Samuel Enterline first preached the
doctrines of the church of the United
Brethren in Christ in the present limits of
West Manheim Township, and on January
29, 1847, efilected an organization. For
many years revival services and other re-
ligious worship had been conducted in the
private house of John Wentz. During the
year 1861, a building committee was ap-
pointed, composed of John Wentz, Philip
Wentz and Benjamin Wentz, and during
the summer of the same year a church was
built at a cost of $1,000. Since the organ-
ization the following named ministers have
had charge of this congregation, in connec-
tion with others belonging to the same cir-
cuit: Samuel Enterline, W. B. Raber, T.
T. Hallowell, F. Grim, Jacob S. Wentz,
Tobias Crider, Peter Corl, J. G. Clair, W.
_H. Craumer, J. B. Jones, Abraham Rudisill,
"Lewis Kohr, L. R. Kramer, J. L. Nicholas,
Walter J. Beamer, John E." Cleffman, A.
Kirakofe, Lewis Kohr and J. P. Koontz.
There are six schools in West Manheim
as follows : Centre, Matthias, Nace's, Ban-
danna, Hoffacker's, Myers'.
In June, 1750, John Hunsicker, a
Mary German immigrant, obtained
Ann from the proprietaries of Penn-
Furnace. sylvania a grant of land within
the present limits of West Man-
heim Township, four miles south of the site
of Hanover. William Matthews, the Quaker
surveyor, named this tract " Friendship."
A level meadow four acres in area of this
land \yas crossed by the headwaters of what
has since been known as Furnace Creek.
George Ross, a lawyer of Lancaster, and
Mark Bird of Philadelphia, in 1762 leased
the four acres mentioned and on it in the
same year began the erection of Mary Ann
Furnace. In 1763 they petitioned the York
Court for a public road from their " furnace
lately built at a great expense " to the road
from the Conewago settlement to Balti-
more. This was one year before the found-
ing of Hanover, and the Conewago settle-
ment mentioned was on that portion of
" Digges' Choice " in and around the pres-
ent site of Hanover. The same company in
1766 petitioned for a road from their fur-
nace to the Monocacy Road at Frederick
Eichelberger's tavern, which was on the
present road from Hanover to York, about
four miles southeast of the former. This
petition was granted and the road opened
by Richard McAllister, Marks Forney,
Michael Banner, Adam Eichelberger and
Jacob Bollinger. According to facts fur-
nished the writer by James M. Swank, sec-
retary of the American Iron and Steel Asso-
ciation, this was the first furnace erected in
Pennsylvania, west of the Susquehanna
River. Peter Dicks started his bloomary at
Spring Forge in 1755 and opened ore mines
along the southeast slope of the Pigeon
Hills. The Mary Ann Furnace Company
obtained much valuable ore on the south
slope of these hills, about four miles east
of Hanover, and also a short distance south
of Hanover. The cause of the erection of
Mary Ann Furnace in West Manheim
Township was on account of the abundance
of chestnut timber in the vicinity, which
was burned into charcoal and used in smelt-
ing the ore. In 1780 the company was as-
sessed with 5000 acres of woodland, sixteen
horses, eight cows, one slave, all valued at
£666 13s. 4d. and an additional rent of
£600. The land was all located in Man-
heim Township which then extended north
to the Pigeon Hills. How much business
was done by the original firm cannot be
stated. In 1790 the land and furnace were
purchased by John Steinmetz, a prominent
merchant of Philadelphia, and John Brinton,
a lawyer of the same city.
In 1801 John Steinmetz was assessed with
3,150 acres of land in Manheim and Pigeon
Hills and a furnace all valued at $14,260.
The former soon after became the sole pro-
prietor, who in 1806 transferred the prop-
erty to David Mej^er, a farmer. It was a
few years before this that the furnace ceased
operation. There are now no traces of the
furnace but the pits where the charcoal was
burned are indicated by the black soil along
the hillside, and the race through which
passed the water used as a motive power, is
still observable.
At the foot of this race some years ago,
nearl)^ a cartload of balls was found while
WEST MANHEIM
1099
excavating: the soil that had accumulated.
During the war of the Revolution while the
Continental Congress was in session at
York in the winter of 1777-8, this furnace
and the Hellam Iron Works at the mouth of
the Codorus, were put to use in manufactur-
ing cannon balls and grape shot for the
American army and navy. Some of these
balls are yet found scattered over the farm
on which this furnace was located, which
farm was owned for many years by William
Dusman. They vary from, the size of a
minie ball to the four inch cannon ball.
Years ago school boys amused themselves
searching for them and in innocent play car-
ried them away which explains why they
are found scattered over the surrounding
country.
Mary Ann Furnace was operated for a
period of fifty years. A great many stoves
were made here. In 1903 Robert C. Bair of
York, found the plate of one of these stoves.
It bears the following inscription : " Mary
Ann Furnace, 1763." This plate Mr. Bair
presented to the York County Historical
Society.
George Ross, the projector, was a resident
of Lancaster and a member of Continental
Congress. In 1776 he became one of the
signers of the Declaration of Independence.
After the Revolution he was appointed
judge of the court of admiralty at Phila-
delphia and died a few months later. In
1895 the furnace property was sold to the
Consumers' Water Company of Hanover
and upon the site of the furnace is a large
reservoir.
On the morning of June 30,
Confederate 1863, the Confederate cavalry
Invasion. force, commanded by Gen. J.
E. B. Stuart, entered West
Manheim Township, coming through West-
minster and Union Mills from Maryland.
In the afternoon of this day Stuart engaged
in a hard fight with Kilpatrick's division of
Union cavalry at Hanover. During the
greater part of the time that the engage-
ment was in progress, Stuart's battle line
extended along the northern part of West
Manheim, overlooking Hanover. About 3
o'clock in the afternoon of June 30, an im-
mense train of 125 wagons left the West-
minster road leading to Hanover and began
to cross through West Manheim Township
toward Jefferson. When this train entered
AVest Manheim, it was guarded by a Bri-
gade of Confederate cavalry under General
Fitzhugh Lee. Almost the entire wagon
train had been captured by these Confeder-
ate raiders, two days before, shortly after
they had crossed the Potomac River below
Poolesville, Maryland. AVhile the fight was
going on at Hanover, the wagon train
moved eastward. After the battle had
ended, Stuart's force marched southward,
and most of it crossed the turnpike at Cen-
tre School House, near the Brockley farm,
and moved toward Jefferson.
A few hundred yards east of
A Skirmish, this school house a small
squad of Union Cavalry was
concealed in the' woods watching the move-
ments of the enemy. They had dashed
down the pike from Hanover, after the fight
was over. A farmer in the vicinity knew
that the Union troops were in the woods.
AVhen the rear guard of Stuart's cavalry
passed his house, an officer asked if there
were any "Yankees" in the vicinity. The
farmer could speak but little English. He
thought he would not betray a trust and an-
swered in the negative, but his little son, an
innocent boy of twelve years, corrected his
father, and pointing in the direction of the
woods, told the enemy the Federal soldiers
were stationed there. About 100 Confeder-
ates dashed after the scouts, who fell back
because of their inferiority of numbers.
Several shots were exchanged. One soldier
was wounded and two or three horses killed,
in this little skirmish in West Manheim
Township. The southern soldiers then
joined their comrades and moved on to Jef-
ferson.
On the following day, July i, a vast body
of Union soldiers crossed the southwestern
corner of AA'est Manheim Township. This
was the Sixth Corps of the Army of the Po-
tomac, in all about 16,000 men, commanded
by the famous General Sedgwick, who one
year later was killed in the battle of Spott-
sylvania. Sedgwick commanded the extreme
right of the Potomac army and had been
sent to Manchester, Maryland, to prevent
the enemy from moving toward Baltimore
or AA^ashington. A despatch bearer from
General Meade's headquarters at Taney-
town, Md., delivered orders for Sedgwick at
Manchester, commanding him to move to-
ward Gettysburg, with all possible speed for
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
a battle had opened around that town. The
Sixth Corps under Sedgwick in its move-
ment from Manchester to Gettysburg was
one of the marvels of the campaign. He
followed the Hanover Turnpike for a con-
siderable distance northward through West
Manheim and then moved in a direct line to-
ward Gettysburg, arriving there at an event-
ful time in the history of the battle, in which
the Sixth Corps took a conspicuous part.
Military critics have commended Sedgwick
in the highest degree for the rapidity with
which he made this famous march from
Manchester to Gettysburg.
WINDSOR TOWNSHIP.
The township of Windsor formed a part
of Hellam .which was laid out by authority
of the Provincial court at Lancaster, in 1739.
Windsor remained within the boundaries of
Hellam until 1753, when York Township,
embracing a large area and extending to the
Susquehanna River, was organized into a
new township out of Hellam. Five years
after this, or in 1758, Windsor Township,
which then included the present area of
Lower Windsor, was formed out of York
Township. The origin of the name may be
attributed to Thomas Armor, one of the
early agents of the Penns at York, and pres-
ident judge of the county courts, when
Windsor Township was laid out. Thomas
Armor was born at AVindsor. England, and
this township, although at first settled by
Germans, like nearly all the other townships
of York County, was given an English
name. A petition was presented to the
court at York in 1757, signed by John
AVright, Jr., and others, asking that " Hel-
lam Township be divided by a line on Stony
Ridge, running across the valley to the next
ridge of hills on the south side of Grist
(Kreutz) Creek Valley, and also eastward
along the last named ridge to the Susque-
hanna River." The above mentioned line
formed the northern and eastern boundary
of the new township of York, which then in-
cluded what is now AVindsor, Lower AA^ind-
sor, York and a portion of Spring Garden.
York Township, thus formed, was very
large; consequently in 1758 the following-
petition was presented at the April session
of court:
" We, your humble petitioners, hereby
state that when the townships of York and
Hellam were in one, a division line was ob-
tained which did not prove convenient or
satisfactory; therefore we request that com-
missioners be appointed by your worship-
fuls to lay off the new township."
The presiding justice, Thomas Armor,
then apointed John Shultz, John Schyrack,
Christian Shank and Michael Bart, to view
and run the boundary lines, which, accord-
ing to their confirmed report at the next ses-
sion of court, was as follows :
" Beginning at the plantation of Peter
Peterman, thence with the road to David
Hunter's, thence with the same to Shrews-
bury Township (now Springfield and Hope-
well), thence with the same township and
the township of Chanceford to the Susque-
hanna, and up the same to Hellam Town-
ship, thence along the middle ridge of hills
to Peter Peterman's plantation and place of
beginning; which last described township
is to be called by the name of AVindsor."
The township thus described constituted
what is now AVindsor and Lower AVindsor,
which formed one township for nearly one
hundred years. Upon the erection of
Lower AVindsor in 1838, AVindsor was re-
duced to its present area.
The population of Windsor
Windsor Township in 1783 was 1,118;
in 1783. number of barns that year 190;
number of houses 184; number
of mills ID; number of acres of assessable
lands, 22,054.
The following is a list of the taxable in-
habitants for 1783:
George Addick, still, 200 acres £278
George Able, 88 acres 117
Michael Albright, ground rents, 50 acres 69
William Allison, 100 acres 129
Christian Althous 13
John Arndt, 175 acres 194
George Anstein, 300 acres 343
Philip Byer, 2 stills, 1 12 acres 356
John Barr, i mill, 212 acres 570
Widow Bengel, 90 acres 88
Michael Baymiller, 10 acres 45
Henry Barr, 141 acres 631
Conrad Beverson, 5 acres 14
Nicholas Baker 30
Conrad Brubaker, i saw mill, 136 acres 558
Tert Bonher, i6g acres 251
George Bonher, £1 6 ground rent 23
Henry Busser, £1 g ground rent
Jacob Berckle, 175 acres 173
Widow Cross, 50 acres lOO
John Dellinger, 100 acres 100
Jacob Dellinger, 100 acres 120
George Deisson, 100 acres 122
Abraham Demuth
Henry Dohm, 150 acres 136
WINDSOR
Thomas Diaon, 60 acres 68
Ulrich Elleberger, 150 acres
Sebastian Edie 34
Jacob Erb, 149 acres 851
John Eby. 120 acres 199
Jacob Erb, 59 acres
Jacob Erhert, 100 acres 117
Nathan Forsythe, 100 acres 394
PhiHp Fry 36
Frederick Felty, 120 acres 145
Conrad Fry, 83 acres loi
Peter Fry, 53 acres 74
Barnet Fry, no acres 144
Freddila Foster, 160 acres 133
Jacob Fister, 187 acres 262
Jacob Fry, 2 stills, 80 acres 112
Frederick Fr\', 4 stills, 52 acres 65
Widow Grove, 100 acres 394
Andrew Galbreath, 124 acres 208
George Gardner, 84 acres .. .■ 104
Rudolph Goldset 16
Jacob Gipe 10
Abraham Gallagher, 144 acres 138
Philip Gohn 43
Jacob Geiger, 160 acres 290
Adam Gohn 200
Widow Gohn, 250 acres 281
David Good, 50 acres 100
David Good, Jr., 200 acres 316
Frederick Glosbrenner, 150 acres 136
Widow Geiger, 172 acres 103
James Heines, loi acres loi
James Herrington, 140 acres 280
John Holder, 160 acres 318
Jacob Heltzel. 200 acres 340
Widow Hershinger, 200 acres 369
Adam Heindel, 210 acres 311
Stoffel Heindel, 130 acres 180
John Heckendorn, 175 acres 349
John Jones, 20 acres 62
Peter Inisweiler, 126 acres 130
Anthony Keller, 100 acres 169
Michael Kauffelt, 275 acres 381
Kegeritz, no acres 54
Kaltreiter, 1 10 acres 140
Jacob Kauffelt, 285 acres 469
Jacob Kimmerly, 97 acres 119
Frederick Liebenknect, 40 acres 68
John Liphart, 200 acres 269
Jacob Leber, 1 16 acres 129
John Landis, 200 acres 285
Conrad Leber, 10 acres 83
Samuel Landis, 200 acres 299
Philip Lantz, 113 acres 170
Andrew Lautz, 200 acres 233
William Liggett, 50 acres 72
Jacob JNIyers, 1 12 acres 700
Henry Michael, 100 acres 170
John Mann, 200 acres 350
John McKesson, 300 acres 280
Philip Milhoe, 173 acres 195
Abraham Mosser, 142 acres 186
John McCoy, 150 acres 153
Jacob Neas, 200 acres 208
Frederick Oleweiler, =;o acres 125
Jacob Oleweiler, 116 acres 107
George Oberdorf, 100 acres 96
Benjamin Tyson, Esq., 120 acres 200
John Schmuck, 100 acres 170
Baltzer Shenberger, 150 acres 200
Moses Scott, 300 acres 310
Michael Tush, 390 acres 300
Jacob Dritt, 146 acres 200
Philip Thomas, 90 acres 139
Abraham Dem, 100 acres 129
Jacob Weltzhoffer, 170 acres 672
Wendal Golf ,0
Michael Welland ',] 20
Samuel Wright, 400 acres 1,850
Jacob Witmer 73
John Wright, 500 acres, 2 slaves 2 05';
William Willis 20
Solomon Williams 78
John Wyland, 99 acres 235
John Steiner, weaver
William Holtzinger 20
Simon Holtzinger 20
Michael Fonkennen 43
Widow Morgan, 200 acres 450
Tikabat Stater .' 20
Solomon Williams 20
James Williams 20
Abraham Bruckhardt, 300 acres 394
SINGLE MEN.
Christian Reist, weaver. Casper Wolf.
Michael Derstein. Jacob Longenecker,
Joseph Reed. blacksmith.
Nicholas Hertzly. George Druck.
Godlieb Rupp. John Armend.
Jacob Shultz, blacksmith. John Auhle.
Martin Huber. Jacob Grieglebaum.
Henry Bannise, weaver. Michael Glessner.
Henry Geip. Randall Cross.
John Fritz, weaver. James Cross.
John Peterman. John Cross.
John Ewing. Jacob Keyser.
John Strickler, Jr. John Robinson.
The population of Windsor Township in
1820, was 2,096; ini830, 2,760; 1840, 1,110;
1850, 1,250; i860, 1,627; 1870, 2,024; 1880,
2,155; 1890, 2,372; 1900, 2,516.
There are fourteen schools in AVindsor
bearing the following names : Snell's,
Small's, Grim's, Cross, Diehl's, Miller's,
East End, Brillhart's, Cedar Hill, Locust
Grove. AVindsor, Freysville, Fairview,
Gehley's.
Erysville is an interesting ham-
Frysville. let surroundiiig the Ltttheran
and Reformed Church, whose
historjr dates back to the time of the Revo-
lution. The village is situated on a tract
of fertile land on Springettsbury Manor.
The region round about was first occupied
b)^ white settlers in 1735. Among the
earliest to take up lands here was Conrad
Fry. in honor of whom the village and
church were named. There are several
beautiful homes in the vicinity and the cigar
industry is carried on extensively. Among
the manufacturers of cigars are M. F. Zieg-
ler, Daniel Anstine and David Ziegler.
Adjoining the Erysville Church is a large
burying ground. The first headstones
placed here were sandstone. Succeeding
these, slate tablets were placed at the heads
of the graves. Although it was originally
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
a German settlement, the inscriptions on all
the stones are in the English language. The
earliest graves that are marked in this bury-
ing ground are those of Anna Frey and
Mary Nichols, both of whom died in 1748.
Emanuel Lutheran and Re-
Churches, formed Church, familiarly
known as "Frysville Church,"
is located in the southern part of Windsor
and according to the deed and records, was
founded March 28,1771. The surrounding
land was owned by Conrad Fry, an early
settler, who on the date mentioned deeded
a church lot containing one and a half acres,
for five shillings, to Jacob Segner, Adam
Heindel, Jacob Ruby, and Stephen Slifer, in
trust for the " Lutheran and Presbyterian
congregations." (At an early date the Ger-
man Reformed Church was thought to be
the same as the Presbyterian, except that
the worship of the former was conducted in
the German language.) A log church was
first built. The spaces between the logs
were " chucked " and had no outside plas-
tering, according to the custom of those
times. The gable end and window frames
were painted red. The front door and walls
inside were painted white. The church was
heated by a heavy plated stove, long enough
to receive cordwood full length. From the
boxed door-sill to the floor inside was a step
of unusual height, over which full grown
persons could walk without much difficulty,
while the children delighted to jump from
the door-sill down on the floor inside.
About 1830 the building was much im-
proved. It was made higher, weather-
boarded, an end gallery added, and used un-
til 1852, when a brick church was built,
about three hundred yards from the site of
the first building. A part of the land sur-
rounding the present church was used as a
burying ground as early as 1745. It was
deeded by M. Deis to Simon Anstine, Peter
Steffy, Peter Lefever, Peter Schmuck and
Conrad Fox, in trust for the two congrega-
tions. In 1884 two and one-fourth acres
adjoining were purchased from Henry Stein.
The church was remodeled in 1884 and was
rededicated. The names of all Reformed
ministers who have served here cannot be
given. Adam Ettinger, C. Becker, Jacob
Scholl, Jacob Moyer, H. Hablestein, J.
Forscht, John Reineka, AVilliam F. Vander-
slot, William A. Good, David Bossier, R.
Smith, E. G. Williams, A. Wanner, D. D.;
William Loose, C. B. Kehl and John Mc-
Kee. Rev. R. F. Edress was pastor in 1907.
The Lutheran congregation for many
years was served by pastors of the Hellani
and Red Lion charges. Rev. Ulysses Appel
was pastor in 1907.
Zion United Brethren Church is located
near Springvale. As early as 1820 Rev.
John Neidig, Christian Newcomer, John
Schneider, Samuel Huber, William Brown,
John Krocli and other fathers of the United
Brethren Church, preached in houses and
barns of the neighborhood of this house of
worship. A quarterly conference held in
1843, appointed Adam Stabley, Adam
Strayer and Frederick Grove a board of
trustees, under whose administration that
year was built the first church of the United
Brethren in Christ in York County on the
lands of Adam Stabley. Rev. John Russell,
then presiding elder, dedicated this church,
assisted by Rev. Christian Crider, then
preacher in charge of this circuit including
the church at York. The second church
was built in 1881 under the pastorate of
Rev. George W. Lightner. Jonathan
Smiech, Jacob Stabley, John Stabley, John
Seitz and John Nefif were trustees. Rev.
J. C. Smith, of York, officiated when the
cornerstone was laid. Rev. Ezekiel Light,
of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, dedicated the
church. Some of the pastors have been
Christian S. Crider, Henry Greenblade, J.
S. Wentz, Tobias Crider, W. H. Craumer,
J. H. Young, Peter Corl, A. H. Rice, Samuel
Enterline, Isaac Coomes, W. B. Raber, Jesse
Cline and L. Kohr.
In 1899, this congregation erected a hand-
some new church at a cost of $9,000. This
building is especially noted for its architect-
ural beauty and its convenience and adapt-
ability for church purposes. It was de-
signed by Joseph Dise, of Glen Rock. The
membership of the congregation in 1905,
under the pastorate of Rev. S. M. Moyer,
was 190.
Union Church is situated near W^indsor-
ville. Rev. Charles Stabley, of the United
Brethren in Christ, organized the first class.
For many years the preaching was held in
the house of Michael Heindel. In 1853 a
brick church was built, the first trustees be-
ing Michael Heindel, Michael Anstine and
Jacob Allison. Rev. J. C. Smith, of York,
WINDSOR
1 103
was the pastor in 1885. The previous pas-
tors were the same as at Zion Church. This
congregation now worships in Windsor
Borough.
Bethlehem United Evangelical Church
was founded about the year 1835. Services
were held in private houses of the members,
frequently in the dwelling of Daniel Ober-
dorf. The organization was called " Ober-
dorf's Class." Bishop Seymour and Rev.
G. Dunlap were among the clergymen who
ministered to the spiritual wants of the first
members.
A church long known as the " stone pile,"
was built in 1853, near Springvale Station on
the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad,
and dedicated by Rev. Philip Wagner, the
presiding elder, March 16, 1854. Rev.
George Dellinger was the preacher. The
title given was " The New Bethlehem
Evangelical Church of AVindsor Township."
John Landis, who subsequently moved to
Ohio, gave the land. The trustees then
were Daniel Oberdorf, Joseph Strayer and
Aaron Snyder. Revs. Bennington, Wilson,
Zulauf, H. A. Stoke, M. J. Carrothers, Z.
Hornberger, A. Longsdorf and A. Krause
preached in the first building. In 1871, the
second church was built, and was dedicated
by Rev. Swengel of York. The trustees
then were Barnitz Knisley, Samuel Barsh-
inger and Joseph Strayer. Early pastors
who have officiated in this building were
Revs. Manbeck, H. Conrad, S. Aurand, A.
Yearick, H. N. Greninger, A. W. Shenber-
ger, Lilly, Brownmiller, D. Kline, G. Car-
rothers, H. W. Gross, C. AV. Finkbinder, C.
H. Goodling, M. J. Snyder, L. E. Crumb-
ling. Some of the recent pastors have been
Revs. Foss, Hoke and G. L. Maice.
'Windsor Bethel is situated about a mile
north of Windsor Borough. The congre-
gation that worships here is a part of the
" Lower York Circuit," of the Church of
God. It is the only building of this de-
nomination in the lower end of York
County. This church was organized in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1830, under the
leadership of Rev. John Winebrenner. For
about twenty years, preaching in Windsor
was held in the house of Daniel Holtzinger
and Gottlieb Barley. The first visiting
clergyman. Rev. Keller, preached several
times and baptized members. During the
early history of this denomination in Wind-
sor, preaching was supplied by ministers of
the West York Circuit from Goldsboro.
The church was built in 1876, at a cost of
$1,400, and was dedicated by Rev. John
Weishampel of Lancaster the same year.
Locust Grove, a Reformed church, was
built in 1866, at a cost of $1,500. Much of
the material and work were voluntarily con-
tributed. The building committee were
Daniel Kaltreider, J. W. Landis and D. Ar-
mold. The congregation was organized in
1874 with thirteen members by Rev. R.
Rahauser. He was succeeded by Rev. E. G.
Williams. In the spring of 1884, by order
of Classis, Rev. A. Wanner, D. D., became
the supply. The Sunday School in the
church was organized in 1866 with 125
pupils.
Windsor and adjoining townships
Iron contain deposits of iron ore, which
Ore. were taken out in large quantities
from 1820 to 1890. As early as 1820,
the York Furnace Company opened a bank
on the Moser farm and conveyed this val-
uable ore to their furnace on the Susque-
hanna in Lower Chanceford Township.
This company operated the bank for a long
time. John A. Wright & Co., were the
next to operate the bank and they were
succeeded in 1850 by Schoenberger, Mussel-
man & Watts, and Musselman & Sons.
From 1850 to 1883, there were 42,090 tons
of lump and wash ore obtained from this
bank and reduced at the Musselman furnace
at Marietta. The bank is -nearly 300 yards
long and the excavation of great size. The
best ore taken from this bank contained
forty per cent metallic ore. Mr. Myers of
Marietta opened another bank near Longs-
town on the same farm in 1866. It was
found to contain deposits of buff limonite,
which was removed in considerable quanti-
ties. Samuel Hengst's bank was opened in
1873. In succeeding years, 3,050 tons of
brown hematite were taken out. Ore Val-
ley, extending from the borders of Windsor
to the northeastern part of York Township,
has large deposits of hematite and limonite
ores.
Before the division of Windsor,
Facts of the voting place for the general
Interest, election was at David Leber's
tannery, and the spring election
at George Overdorf's mill, later owned by
William Fishel.
II04
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Windsor was a great hunting ground for
deer many years ago, especially the lower
part of it.
Leber's tannery was located in the extreme
lower end of the town along the " head of
Kreutz Creek." Henry Leber, father of
Nathaniel Leber, purchased the property in
1824, from John Kauffelt, who far many
years before carried on the same business
Charles A. Leber succeeded as proprietor.
There are two- other tanneries in this town-
ship, one owned by Daniel Stine and the
other by D. AV. Gehley. Amos Hengst for
a number of years conducted a store of gen-
eral merchandise near the centre of AVind-
sor.
Spring Vale Postoffice was established in
1877. Noah Goodling was the first post-
master and was succeeded by John Seitz.
Daniel L. Gehly, a leading citizen of
AA^indsor Township, operated a woolen mill
on an extensive scale for nearly half a cen-
tury. This establishment is one of the old-
est mills of its kind in York County. It
was founded as a fulling mill in 1780, and
used continuously 120 years. It has been
one of the most important factories of its
kind in the entire area of York County.
Under the management of Daniel L. Gehly
and later by John AA^ Gehly, large quanti-
ties of stocking yarn, flannels, blankets,
cloths, satinets and carpets were made.
Before 1850, large quantities of linsey-
woolsey, composed of half linen and half
wool, were made at this factory.
Jacob AA^allick of AVindsor Township, who
lived to the advanced age of eighty-nine
years, was one of the last survivors of the
AVar of 1812. He belonged to Captain
Llare's Company of York County Militia,
which encamped at York, and when Balti-
more was threatened in 1814, marched to
the defence of that city. Mr. Wallick died
in 1886. In his early manhood he shot
twenty-six deer in AVindsor Township.
Holtz is the name of a postoffice and a
small village in AVindsor Township. It
was named in honor of George AA^ Holtz-
inger, who engaged in farming, cigar mak-
ing and the mercantile business at this
place for many years. In 1905, he was
elected one of the commissioners of York
County by the Republican party.
Harvey AA'. Haines, a prominent citizen
of AA^indsor, represented York County two
terms in the Senate of Pennsylvania, a
period of eight years.
At the extreme northwest-
Revolutionary ern corner of AVindsor
Prison. Township, is the site of the
British and Hessian prison
built here during the Revolution. It was sit-
uated near the village of Longstown and on
the north side of the road leading to AA/'ind-
sor and East Prospect. The prison was
built in 1781 on lands belonging to Daniel
Brubaker. The farm upon which it was sit-
uated was owned for half a century by Jacob
Holtzinger, and later by Isaac Kaufman.
This historic spot, though very rugged, has
been farmed over, so that unless it is
marked, its exact site will be known to fu-
ture generations only by tradition.
The prison which was a stockade, made
of long chestnut poles, was erected by au-
thority of Pennsylvania. A description of
this prison will be found on page 233 in this
volume.
During the winter of 1782, the camp
fever broke out among the prisoners and a
large number of them died. They were
buried in a small valley to the east. The
resting place of these unfortunate soldiers
has been described in a beautiful and pa-
thetic poem, entitled " Hessian Thai,"
meaning " The Hessian Valley," written by
Henry L. Fisher, a prominent member of
the York County Bar.
YORK XOAA^NSHIP.
In 1753, four years after the erection of
York County, a new township was laid out
to the south and east of the county seat. It
was separated from Hellam Township and
embraced a large area, extending eastward
to the Susquehanna River. This was named
the township of York. It was reduced in
its limits by the formation of AVindsor, in-
cluding Lower Windsor, in 1759, and of
Spring Garden in 1824; portions of each
were taken from York Township. The
township as at present formed, is undulat-
ing, but contains much valuable farming
land. It is drained by branches of the Co-
dorus, on which are a number of mills.
There are extensive deposits of ore in the
east end of the township, much of which was
used in the charcoal furnaces, and later
larger amounts were shipped to blast fur-
naces in different parts of this state.
YORK
1 105
A complete assessment of the tax-
Tax able inhabitants of York Township
List for the year 1769, is given below.
1769. It contains many of the original
settlers, who first began to cross
tlie Susquehanna and occupy the fertile
lands west of the river, beginning in 1733.
It should be remembered that York Town-
ship in 1769 embraced most of the a;'ea of
Springettsbury and Spring Garden town-
ships.
Acres.
Albrecht, Michael 50
Albrecht, Felix 50
Bushong, Jacob
Bitner, Michael 50
Bleymeyer, Christian 40
Bleymeyer, Jacob 23
Bleymeyer, Martin 50
Borch-Beck, John 50
Biisch, John 50
Bard, Michael 300
Barthold, Peter
Blaser, Abraham lOO
Batterson, James
Beltzner, Michael
Bentz, George 80
Beckel, Francis 100
Boley, Lawrence
Dillblem, John 100
Deis, Michael 25
Diehl, Nicholas 200
Erlewein, Charles 50
Eners, John ' 100
Flinchbaugh, Melchoir 2S
Frey, Godfried 200
Flinchbaugh, Philip 25
Fisher, Frederick 100
Fishel, Adam 100
Feiser, Peter 20
Fishel, Michael 125
Fried, Peter 147
Geesey, Conrad 100
Gantzhorn, Matthias 50
Gossler, Adam 100
Gardner, Adatji 6
Heiger, John 100
Heim, George SO
Hennecke, Michael
Hennecke, Adam 100
Harnisch, John 50
Hengst, Michael 100
Hay, John 67
Holtzinger, Barnet II
Hoffman, Henry 100
Hornel, Nicholas 200
Hentz, Marx 150
Johnson, Joseph
Immel, Leonard 200
Krim, Philip 100
Kerckhart, Anton So
Korrel, Jacob 100
Kurtz, Conrad So
Koch, Jacob SO
Kantzelman, George
Kissinger, Conrad
Kuhn, Frederick 6
Leib, Ulrich lOO
Ledig, Benedict 50
Lenhard, Christian 3°
Lang, Michael 100
Acres.
Lehme, Peter 100
Lauman, Barnet 100
Martin, Meyer
Meyer, Henry 100
Michael, Jacob 50
Miller, William 100
Moser, Michael 100
Moser, Samuel, Jr 25
Moser, Samuel, Sr 100
Miller, John 50
Meyer, Jacob 50
Miller, Frederick, Jr
Miller, Herman ISO
Messersmith, Henry 20
McCracken, James
McCinny, Thomas 200
Neff, Jacob So
Nonnemacher, Abraham 70
Obermiller, Martin 60
Peter, Peter 100
Pliger, Jacob 100
Pliger, Frederick 100
Riger, Conrad SO
Ranck, Philip 60
Rendinger, Stephen ISO
Rein, Valentine 30
Rote, John 20
Richman, Jacob 100
Sprenkle, William 100
Scherer, Jacob 100
Stedler, Henry 50
Spidler, Jacob 50
Stebler, Christian So
Schugart, Zacharias 50
Sechrist, Francis 50
Shehn, Jacob So
Steller, Frederick 100
Shefer, John So
Shelly, George 50
Schedker, Christian 100
Sommer, Michael lOO
Sheibele, Christian I°4
Spengler, Philip Casper 300
Spengler, Barnet 300
Shefer, Jacob
Sechrist, Jacob
Spengler, Baltzer 120
Spengler, George °o
Spengler, Henry 100
Sitler, Matthias 1°
Swope, Michael 50
Schanck, Joseph 40
Somwalt, Baltzer
Treichler, John 15°
Trent, John
Teubele, Jacob
Trorbach, Nicholas ."^o
Trohrbach, William So
Wolfart, Christopher 100
Waltemeyer, George
Williart, Casper ISO
Wute, James (negro)
Weller, George 200
Zeigle, Gotlieb °
Zeigle, Gottlieb So
In 1783, this township had 128
Inhabitants houses, 94 barns, 456 male and
in 1783. 437 female inhabitants; nine
mills, and contained an esti-
mated area of 30,309 acres of land. In or-
der to show who occupied these fertile lands,
70
iio6
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
immediately after the close of the Revolu-
tion, the assessment roll of 1783 is given:
Thomas Armor,
George Anstein,
Widow Albright,
Henry Alt,
Jacob Brand,
James Brady,
Patrick Burke,
William Barr,
Weirick Bentz,
Adam Becker,
George Bentz,
John Brooks,
Henry Berninger,
George Bart,
Jacob Blj'myer,
Widow Brown,
John Collins,
Peter Diehl,
Nicholas Diehl,
Abraham Danner,
Michael Deis,
William Dreher,
William Decker,
Benedict Dome,
George Diehl,
Henry Dahlraan,
John Eppley
Peter Ford,
Widow Fry,
Adam Fry,
Henry Fisher,
Frederick Fisher,
Martin Flinchbaugh,
Aaron Flowers,
Peter Feiser,
George Fry,
Michael Fissel,
Casper Fisher,
Jacob Freed,
George Fry,
Jacob Geesey,
John Geesey,
John Gerhart,
Mathias Gardner,
Conrad Geesey,
John Hamsher,
Anthony Hill,
John Harnish,
Jacob Hell,
Michael Heindel,
Peter Hose,
John Hartlein,
John Herbach,
Michael Heinigo,
Michael Hengst,
George Hoffman,
John Immel,
David Jamison,
Peter Grim,
Philip Grim,
Sebastian Irish,
John Innerst,
Henry Kauffman,
Jacob Koch.
Michael Klingman,
Michael Kurtz,
Jacob Keller,
Jacob Koch, Jr.,
Henry Korbman,
Daniel Keller,
John Keffer,
Henry Klein,
Soloman Kauffman,
John Kauffman,
Jacob LeFever,
Philip Lehr,
Peter Lentz,
Michael Long,
George Lotman,
Jacot) Leaman,
Jacob Leedy,
Jacob Lepold,
John Long,
Stephen Landis,
William Miller,
James Murray,
Michael Mosser,
Jacob Michael,
Felix Miller,
Wendel Michael,
Samuel Matson,
Samuel Mosser,
Jacob Miller,
Jacob Mark,
Joshua McQueen,
John Nace,
Michael Peter,
Peter Peter,
Jacob Pflieger,
Frederick Pflieger,
George Rees,
William Reichard,
John Ritz,
John Reichard,
James Shaw,
Michael Seitz,
Samuel Smith,
Widow Shetter,
Henry Shetter,
Daniel Shuey,
Mathias Stewart,
Martin Stuck,
Jacob Streevig,
Henry Swartz,
Peter Sprenkle,
Barnet Spangler,
Widow Spangler,
John Stewart,
John Shumaker,
Conrad Shindler,
George Spangler,
James Smith, Esq.,
John Spangler,
Peter Wolf,
Ludwig Waltman,
Henry Waltman,
Martin Weller,
Abraham Welchans,
Martin Weiser,
Stoffel Wolford,
Philip Wagner,
Peter Weiderright,
Philip Weil,
Jacob Winter,
Jasper Yates (judge),
Henrj' Yessler,
Abraham Yost,
Nicholas Yost,
Jacob Zeller.
SINGLE MEN.
Jacob Sheffer,
Jacob Shearer,
Jacob Smith,
Charles Spangler,
George Spangler,
George Striebig,
George Swartz.
Jacob Bidner,
John Bush,
Michael Grim,
James Hamilton,
Nicholas Lentz,
Jacob Pflieger,
John Roth,
Jacob Shedler,
In 1820 York Township had a population
of 2,107; ii^ 1830, 1,181; in 1840, 1,294;
1850, 1,950; i860, 2,390; 1870, 2,307; 1880,
2,370; 1890, 2,489; 1900, 2,793.
St. John's Lutheran and Re-
Churches, formed Church is situated south
of Dallastown, and is familiarly
known as " Blimyer's Church." Among
the original German settlers of this locality,
an organization was effected as early as
1758, and a small log house for church and
school purposes was built. The pastor
served as a teacher. It was then the only
church in a large extent of territory. Tra-
dition says some of the members who wor-
shipped here before 1800 came a distance
of twelve miles. The religious services for
more than a hundred years were conducted
in the German language and many of the
pastors -were native Germans. The fol-
lowing named Lutheran clergymen offici--
ated before 1812: Rev. John Reyman (Rai-
man), George Berger, Conrad Raiman, son
of the first clergyman. There have been
others whose names cannot now be obtained
from the records. Rev. John Herbst, who
organized Lebanon Church became pastor
in 1813; George Stecher, 1820; A. Gearnal,
1830; J. Harman, 1848; Jacob Kempfer,
1852; John Conowav, 1867; P. Warner,
1873; E. Lenhart, 1882; C. W. Baker, M. B.
Shatto, A. M. Heilman, I. J. Crist, William
S. Bear, J. A. Lau and Samuel Greenhoe.
Among the first Reformed clergymen of
this church was Rev. AVilliam Otterbein.
In the pastorate of the German Reformed
congregation at Blymyer's Church, he was
succeeded by Revs. Rudisill, Jacob Friesz,
F. A. Scholl, 1813; G. Hoblestein, 1823; Ja-
cob Myers, F. Hurst, who preached the doc-
trines of the Universalists, and afterward
joined that denomination ; F. W. Vander-
sloot, 1830; Daniel Gring, 1862; Rhinehart
Smith, Aaron Suangler, C. B. Heinley, John
J. Stauft'er and Joseph W. Bell. The pres-
ent building of brick is the third one erected
there.
YORK
1 107
York Township has sixteen schools with
the following names : Raab's, Ness',
Hengst's, Shaeffer's, Keener's, Spry, Ad-
amsville, Neff's, Brenneman's, Ore Valley,
Blymer's, Kohler's, Sprenkle's, Marks', Jes-
sop's, Glatfelters.
Dr. John Rouse, one of the leading
Mills, physicians of York, owned large
tracts of land in York and Spring
Garden townships. About 1800 he erected
a grist mill and fulling mill at Violet Hill.
He operated these industries with success
for many years and during that time manu-
factured a large amount of flour and made
linen, woolen and cotton goods which found
a ready sale in York and elsewhere. After
the death of Dr. Rouse, the property came
into the possession of his son-in-law, John
Reiman, who was elected associate judge of
York County. Judge Reiman resided at his
mill property for many years and operated
both the grist mill and the fulling mill. The
property later came mto the possession of
Daniel Hartman and the fulling mill was
discontinued.
The York Paper Mills were situated on
a branch of the Codorus, about three miles
southeast of York. More than a century
ago, the manufacture of paper was begun
at this place. Later the mills were owned
by W. Irving Clark, of New York City, and
superintended by F. P. Marshall. The last
owners manufactured different varieties of
tissue paper out of jute and hemp. The
jute was obtained from the East Indies;
only the lower part of the jute stock was
used for paper; the upper was valuable for
bagging and ropes. The thread of this pa-
per was formed by water combining with
the pulp of the material used. The paper
mills ceased to be operated after 1892. At
the same place a factory was started for
making fertilizers, largely phosphates.
Yost's Mill, on the east branch of the Co-
dorus, occupies the site of a mill which was
built in 1752. Henry Sence owned this mill
for many years. Some of the later owners
in order of succession were : Jacob Keiser,
Jr., Jacob Keiser, Sr., Daniel Leather,
Michael Hartman, John Glessick and Sam-
uel Flinchbaugh. Jacob Yost owned the
mill for about thirty years and at his death
it became the property of his son-in-law, Mr.
Burgart. The original mill had but one
pair of ston'es ; the one now standing is
the third that has been built on the same
site.
Henry's Mill up the same stream a few
miles, is also an old one, as well as Kreid-
ler's, down the stream. Near Dietz's Mill
stands a dwelling house, formerly occupied
by Abraham Yost. It was built in 1762.
Arnold's Mill was built about 1780. In
1820, a pious Quaker, named John Thomas,
successfully taught an English school
among the Germans, near Yost's Mill.
George Musser, in his day, was familiarly
known as " Pan-smith Musser " in York,
and over the entire county. He was a
lively, good-natured individual, who owned
a saw-mill and forge for the manufacture of
iron implements, on his farm along the
Peach Bottom road, afterward owned by
Harry Strickler, and situated a few miles
southeast of York. He made iron pans
and ladles in large quantities, and sold them
by wholesale.
The York Powder Mill in this township
was once an important industry. It was
owned for many years by the Johnson fam-
ily.
Jacob Neft owns a roller process mill at
Relay, a station on the Maryland and Penn-
sylvania Railroad. Frank Dietz and Clin-
ton Day own similar mills in the western
end of the township.
The interesting village of Spry is
Spry, situated near the centre of York
Township. It contains fifty houses
many of them new and attractively built,
two churches, two school houses, three
stores and several cigar factories. An im-
petus to the growth of the town was given
when the York and Dallastown Electric
Railway was completed in 1902. This vil-
lage was originally known as Innersville,
and was named in honor of Jacob Inners,
whose widow, Susannah Inners, kept a hotel
here between 1830 and 1850. The land up-
on which the town has been built was owned
before 1800 by Captain John McDonald, a
soldier of the Revolution, a man of influence
in the county. After his death the prop-
erty descended to his daughters. One of
them married Jacob Inners and the other
Conrad Geesey. The McDonald tract was
divided into two parts for the benefit of his
daughters. A man by the name of Seitz, in
early days owned the adjoining land. For
nearly a third of a century the hamlet was
iio8
HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
known as Innersville. When it was de-
cided to ask the government to establish a
postoffice, the people of the community met
to select a name. After some discussion,
the name " Spry " was chosen. This was
during President Cleveland's second admin-
istration. William H. Conway, who also
kept a store, was appointed postmaster in
1886, and held the office seven years. When
William McKinley became President,
George A. Snyder was appointed postmas-
ter and held the position during the two suc-
ceeding administrations.
John S. Keech, a prominent citizen, set-
tled here in 1843. He taught school eleven
years, was for ten years steward at the
county almshouse, and from 1852 to 1907
served continuously as a justice of the peace.
Susannah Inners sold her hotel property to
Abraham Stacks. Henry Grothe suc-
ceeded in the ownership of this property,
which afterward was owned by his daugh-
ter, married to W. H. Wolf, who conducted
the hotel. The voting place in the town-
ship for many years was held at this public
house. Fairmount Hotel, which later be-
came the voting place, is situated in the east
end of the village along the Chanceford
Turnpike. It was built by Ezekiel Morri-
son in 1855. He kept the hotel until i860
and then erected another public house far-
ther down the turnpike. It was here that
Jesse Workinger lived when he was elected
sheriff of York County in 1883. This hotel
in 1907 was owned by Henry Wegman.
Henry Miller and Henry G. Glatfelter
kept the first store. John T. Inners was an
early merchant. F. R. Sprenkle and Ed-
ward Ness have since opened stores. Wil-
liam Freed has a green house. H. G. Sta-
bley and Samuel Kreidler owned cigar fac-
tories, and Eli Henry owns a cigar and box
factory. Herman Weitkamp owns a saw
mill, cider mill and chopping mill.
Otterbein United Brethren Church in
Spry was founded in 1868. It was in that
year that Rev. J. C. Smith, one of the prom-
inent clergymen of this denomination, be-
gan to hold religious services. It soon be-
came an appointment on the York Circuit
of the United Brethren Church, and in 1872,
under the pastorate of Rev. A. H. Rice, a
house of worship was built. In 1897, the
first church was replaced by a handsome
new building. This Avas done under the
pastorate of Rev. J. P. Koontz. The con-
gregation is in a flourishing condition and
in 1907 was served by Rev. Harry Boyer,
who resides in the village in the parsonage
built during his pastorate.
The Lutherans of this vicinity attended
religious services at different churches some
distance away. In 1896, a congregation
was organized and a comfortable and at-
tractive frame church building was erected.
Longstown, situated on an
Longstown. elevation of 800 feet above
sea level, with a commanding
view of the York Valley, is a hamlet in the
extreme western end of York Township.
It was here that John Long kept a store for
many years. He was the brother of Henry
Long, of Hanover, the father of John
Luther Long, the noted novelist and dra-
matic writer, whose literary work has won
for him a national reputation. A short dis-
tance to the northeast of Longstown is the
site of the place where about 1500 British
and Hessian prisoners were kept during the
last two years of the Revolution. A com-
plete account of this prison will be found
on page 233.
The United Brethren Church at Longs-
town was built about 1869. Rev. Harry
Boyer was the pastor of the congregation
that worshipped here in 1907. Mount
Union Chapel, on the road from Longstown
to Red Lion, was built in 1882, and is used
by the United Brethren and Evangelical
Association.
Adamsville is a small collection of
Notes, houses in the extreme southern
portion of the township. In this
vicinity is a house of worship used by the
Hofferites, a people of peculiar religious be-
lief, who claim that an educated ministry
is not in accordance with the original idea
of Christianity. They have no creed,
claiming that all they need is the Bible, as
the guide in religious worship.
Pine Grove Church of the Evangelical
Association, is situated about three miles
south of York, east of the Baltimore Turn-
pike, in York Township. Reis H. Althouse
and Benjamin Hengst were the first minis-
ters of this church to preach in the vicinity.
The religious services which they conducted
were held in the schoolhouse. A comfort-
able and convenient church was built about
1880.
YORK
1 109
Brillhart's is a station along the Northern roller process mill near the station owned
Central Railway five miles south of York, by the York Water Company. An exten-
Jacob Aldinger, William H. Beck and Mr. sive business is done at this mill.
Ellicker succeeded each other in the store The history of Dallastown, Red Lion and
business at this place. Frank Kochenour Yoe, originally a part of York Township,
was the merchant in 1907. There is a large will be found elsewhere in this volume.
General Index
Page
Aboriginal occupation, A. Wanner lo
Academy, York County 727
Adams, John 303, 741
Adams, Samuel, Speech of 294
Agreement of 1760 83
Agricultural implements 763
Ahl, Dr. John 527
Airville 1003
Albright, Captain Philip 173
AUeman, Dr. Horace 528
Alliance with France 313
Allison, Captain William 348
Almshouse ' 578
Amateur dramatic performances 737
Andersontown 1028
Annexations to York 640
Antietam, Battle of 375
Appropriations of Congress 302
Armand's Legion at York 221
Armstrong, Dr. James A 533
Articles of Confederation adopted 300
Associate Judges 494
Associators 243
Atlee, William Augustus 486
Attorneys, List of 513
Auditors 575
Bailey, Daniel D 868
Bailey, Colonel S. N 867
Bailey, Dr. William D 531
Baer's Bank 753
Bair, Robert C, Newberry Tract 19
Bair's Meeting House 982
Baker, Dr. P. D 533
Baltimore and Harrisburg Railroad 615
Baltimore Scare ■ 998
Baltimore Turnpike 600
Banks of York 749
Banquet to Lafayette 334, 657
Baptisms, Early German 144
Baptist churches of York 720
Bar Association 514
Bar, Members of 496
Barber, William 500
Barnitz, Charles A 501, 566
Barnitz, George 494
Barnitz, George Augustus 806
Barnitz, Jacdb 186
Barracks at York 305
Barton, Rev. Thomas 457
Batwell, Rev. Daniel 305
Beavertown 939
Bench and Bar 477
Benevolent Association 775
Betz, Dr. Israel H 592
Bigmount 1045
Bishop, Dr. Charles 526
Bittenger, John W 492
Bittinger. Captain Nicholas 187
Black, Chauncey Forward 459
Black, Jeremiah Sullivan 455
Blackford, John 510
Blair, Dr. Artdrew R 529
Page
Blimyer's Church 1106
Blunston's Licenses 32
Board of Trade 776
Bonham, Horace 458
Bonham, John Milton 458
Bonham. Samuel Coxe 495
Border Troubles 35
Borough Centennial ^]^^
Bottstown 638
Boundary Line 68
Bowie, Ralph 499
Boyd, Stephen G 511
Brackenridge, Hugh Henry 457
Brandywine, Battle of 192
Brickley, Dr. George 535
Brickley, Dr. 'Obadiah C 535
Brickmakers at York 768
Bridges 106
Brinkman, Dr. W. F 528
British prisoners at York 227
Brogueville 943
Brownstone quarries 883
Bryan, Dr. James Yeaman 527
Bryansville 1050
Buchanan, James, at York 747
Burgesses of York 645
Burgoyne's Surrender, News of 297
Butler, Colonel Richard 219
Campbell, John Gardner 502
Campbell, Captain Thomas 220, 460
Camp Lafayette 783
Camp Patterson 785
Camp Security 233
Camp Scott 355
Canadochly Church 1009
Canal road 104
Canals 602
Car building at York 761
Carlisle Avenue Market 797
Carlisle Road 102
Carriage building at York 764
Carroll Township 939
Carrothers, Jenkins 885
Carter's Woods, Battle of 364
Cartridge Box 422
Cassat, David 499
Cassat Library 735
Castle Fin Forge 1006
Casualties at battle of Hanover 439
Cathcart, Rev. Robert 460
Catholic churches of York 707
Cedar Creek, Battle of 366
Census Reports 5^7
Centennial celebrations "JTl
Central Market 796
Centre Presbyterian Church 974
Chamblis, Colonel John R 447
Chanceford Presbyterian Church 1000
Chanceford Township 940
Chanceford United Presbyterian Church 1000
Channel, Dr. James Clark 534
Chapin, Edward SOi
(nil)
GENERAL INDEX
Chapman, William C
Chemical Works
Chester County Plot
Chief Ranger
Children's Home
Church of God at York
Cigar industry at York
Citizen, The Hanover
City Bank
Citv Market
City of York
City Superintendent of Schools
Civil List of the Revolution
Civil War
Clark, Major John 202,
Clay, Henry, at York
Classical Schools
Clear Spring
Clerks of the Court
Clockmakers, Early, at York
Cochran, Thomas E
Codorus Forge
Codorus Mills
Codorus Township ,
Cold Harbor, Battle of
Collegiate Institute
Colonial Court House 291,
Colonial Hotel
Commercial Schools
Commisisoned officers of the Civil War
Committee of Safety at York, 1776
Committee of Safety at York, 1863
Conestoga Conference of 1721
Conestoga Conference of 1722
Conewago Falls
Conewago Township
Confederate Invasion. .392, 397, 424, 868, 873, 881,
898, go6, 932, 938, 954, 965, 998, 1046, 1061, 1086,
Confederate Reports of Battle of Hanover
Congressmen
Connolly, Dr. John
Constitutional Conventions
Continental Congress at York
Conway Cabal
Conway, Thomas
Cookes House
Cookson's Plan of York
Coroners
County Auditors
County Commissioners
County Institute
County offices
County Superintendent of Schools
County Surveyors .'
County Treasurers
Court Houses
Court Records
Crawford. Dr. William
Cresap, Colonel Thomas
Cross Roads Borough
Cruise, Corporal Walter
Culbertson, Dr. John
Custer, General George A ■
Page
506
766
55
573
732
721
768
558
754
795
633
"27
560
353
499
748
539
980
574
756
507
98s
1072
951
36s
730
650
802
731
448
242
407
17
23
603
956
886,
1099
432
563
240
562
288
331
337
663
633
575
575
576
546
573
543
575
574
577
479
565
58
85s
160
526
443
Daily, York .- 554
Dallastown, Borough of 855
Dare, George : 494
Daughters of American Revolution 785
Davidsburg 963
Davis. Phineas 461, 611
Dehuff, Abraham 462
Deisinger, Dr. Jonas 531
Delegates to Continental Congress 338
Delta, Borough of 857
Page
Democratic Press 55 1
Dentistry at York 537
Diehl's Hill 1076
Digges' Choice 70
Digges, Shooting of Dudley 76
Dill, Colonel Matthew 254, 866
Dillsburg, Borough of 860
Directors of the Poor 579
Dispatch, York 556
Distilling industry 628
District Attorneys 575
Donaldson, Major Joseph 252
Dover, Borough of 870
Dover Township 959
Dow, Lorenzo 892, 1086
Drama 737
Dritt, Captain Jacob 187
Drovers and Mechanics Bank 1 . . . 754
Dubs' Mill 1024
Duncan, Johnson K 947
Durkee, Daniel 488
Early ferries 105
Early highways 98
Early's division at York 406
Early's requisition on York 410
Eastern Extension, B. & H. R. R 615
Eastern Market 796
East Hopewell Township 990
East Manchester Township 1013
East Prospect, Borough of 874
Ebaugh, Adam 496
Eckert, Dr. Henry C 529
Edgar, James 463
Edgecomb 1076
Edison Electric Light Company 772
Educational 53^
Eib's Landing 1017
Eichelberger, Captain A. W 853
Eichelberger, Jacob 811
Eichelberger, Martin S 509
Eighty-seventh Regiment 363
Elevations 3
Elgar, John 609
Emergency Troops 403
Emig's Mill 964
Emigsville 1018
England, Overtures from 310
Episcopal churches at York 697
Erection of Adams County 2
Ettinger, Rev. Adam 463
Evacuation of Philadelphia. 319
Evangelical Association 718, 1064, 1069 .
Evans, John 503 -
Everhart. Dr. Oliver T 536
Ewing, General James 183
Execution at York during the Revolution 217
Fahs, John 365
Fairmount 805
Fairs 663
Fairview Township 966
Falls, The 1037
Farmers Market 795
Farmers National Bank 753
Farnsworth, General Elon J 444
Farquhar Park 780
Farragut, Admiral, at York 748
Fawn Grove Borough 875
Fawn Grove Railroad 617
Fawn Quaker Meeting 113
Fawn Township 973
Felton Borough 876
Ferries, Early 105
GENERAL INDEX
JI13
Page
Filey's Church 1030
Finley, Andrew 925
Finley, Dr. S. J 530
Fire Department of York 787
First Expedition to Canada 163
First Iron Steamboat 608
First National Bank of York 751
First National Thanksgiving 299
First Pennsylvania Regiment in the Revolution. . . . 174
Fischer, Dr. John , 523
Fischer, Dr. John Frey 523
Fisher, Henry L S12
Fisher, Robert J 489
Fissel's Church , . 1063
Floods 621
Flying Camp 177
Forney, Matthias Nace 852
Forry, Silas Herr S09
Fort Sumter 354
Fort Washington, Battle of 181
Forty-first Regiment 3S9
Forty-third Regiment 360
Fourth of July celebration 665
France, jNIoney from 312
Franklin, Benjamin 149, 738
Franklin Church 979
Franklin, Samuel Rhodes 389
Franklin Township 978
Franklin, Walter 487
Franklin, Walter Simonds 390
Franklin, William Buel 388
Franklintown, Borough of 877
Freidericksburg, Battle of 375
Free, Dr. John L 528
French Alliance 313
French and Indian War 147
French, Colonel John 30
Frey, Dr. Levi D 528
Freystown 638
Frieden Saal Church 1067
Friends or Quakers 107
Fruit culture 1029
Frysinger, Captain George 347
Frysville Church 1102
Furnaces 943, 985, 1004, 1006, loii
Furniture, Manufacture of 765
Garfield, President, at York 748
Garretson, Freeborn 890
Gatchelville 976
Gates at York 332
Gates-Wilkinson duel 335
Gazette, The York SS2
Geiger, Jacob 535
Geise, Frank 510
Geology 4
German Baptist Church 721
German Baptists 135
Germans 128
Germans, Revolt of 48
Germantown, Battle of 195
Gerrj', Dr. James, or ■. 524, 567
Gerrj', Dr. James 532
Gettysburg, Battle of 399
Gettysburg Turnpike 600
Gibson, John 490
Gitt, J. W 854
Glasgow, Hugh 565
Glatfelter, P. H 912
Glen Rock, Borough of 878
Glenville 953
Globe Inn 797
Glossbrenner, Adam J 567
Goldsboro, Borough of 882
Page
Goldsborough, Dr. Leander W 526
Goodridge, William C 595
Goodwill Fire Company 791
Gordon at Wrightsville 415
Gordon at York 408
Grand Army of the Republic 786
Grangeville 1060
Grant, President, at York 748
Grantley 1075
Grasses introduced into York County 95
Green, Arthur N 512
Gregg's Cavalry 437
Grier, Colonel David 170, 195, 498
Griest, John 31
Grove, Dr. Archibald P. T 533
Grove, Dr. D. Brainerd 536
Grumbine, William 854
Guardian Trust Company 755
Guinston United Presbyterian Church 944
Hahn, Captain Michael 654
Hall Post Office 1091
Haller, Granville 0 392
Haller, Dr. Theodore N 524
Hambly, Thomas Carson 506
Hamilton, Colonel Hance 156
Hammond, Hervey 890
Hammond's Report of the Battle of Hanover 431
Hampton, General Wade 445
Hancock's resignation 294
Hand-in-Hand Fire Company 788
Hanover Agricultural Society 838
Hanover and York Railroad 613
Hanover, Battle of 425
Hanover, Borough of 807
Hanover Gazette 557
Hanover Journalism 557
Hanover Record-Herald 559
Harrison, General William H., at York 744
Hartley, Colonel Thomas 212, 498, 563
Hartley's Regiment 207
Hartlev's Residence 653
Hartley's story of the Battle of Three Rivers 165
Hat factories at York 757
Hay, Colonel George 367
Hay, Dr. Jacob 530
Hay, Dr. Jacob, Sr 525
Hay, Lieutenant-Colonel John 253
Hay, William Sio
Hays, Mills 495
Hayward, Dr. Joseph Johnson 519
Hebrew churches at York 722
Heidelberg Township 980
Heiges, George W .Sio
Helb, Frederick 90l
Hellam, Town of 980
Hellam Township 983
Hendricks, James 31
Hendricks, John 31
Henry, John Joseph 487
Hessian prisoners at York 227
Hetrick, Dr. Jeremiah S 532
Hiestand Tavern 1071
Hillcroft 1070
Hillegas, Michael 32i
Hinkle, Dr. George W 525
Hinkle, John L 494
Historical Society 733
Hoffheins, Reuben 872
Holz Schwamm Church 1043
Home Guards < 395
Homoeopathy S34
Hopewell Centre 992
Hopewell Presbyterian Church : 992
1 1 14
GENERAL INDEX
Hopewell Township ppo
Hopewell United Presbyterian Church 994
Hoover's Church 1015
Hospital and dispensary at York 775
Hospital, U. S., at Hanover 438
Hospital, U. S., at York 419
Hostetter, Jacob 566
Hotels at York 797
Houston, Henry H 463
Houston, Dr. John 519
Huguenots I3p
Huntingdon Friends' Meeting 113
Hursh, Dr. George R 530
Indians n
Indian implements
Indian traders
Influence of the Battle of Hanover
Inns and hotels
Iron industries
Iron ore 939, 981, 986, 1012, 1027, 1070,
Jackson, Andrew, Visit of.
Jackson Township
Jacobus
Jail, The County
Jameson, Dr. David
Jameson, Horatio Gates. . . .
Jefferson, Borough of
Jeffries, Joseph
Jenkins, Captain Joseph S..
Johnson, Andrew, at York.
Johnston, Samuel
Johnston, Dr. William F...
Jones, Dr. Henry Z
Judges of the courts
Justices, Early
10
14
447
797
757
1 103
742
996
1067
577
518
5-2 1
884
464
376
748
497
530
533
Kain, William H ju
Keesey, Vincent K cny
Keith, Sir William '..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.]'. 17
Keith's Newberry Tract ip
Kell, James 509
Kelley, James " 555
Kennedy, Dr. Robert cjo
Kerr, Dr. James W '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 527
Kersey, Jesse j2o
Kilgore, Dr. William 527
Kilpatrick, General Hugh Judson ". 441
Kilpatrick's report of the Battle of Hanover 431
Kimmel, Dr. John 520
King, Dr. Adam .. 566
King, George , 753
Kirk, Jacob. ..!..'.'..'!...!.'.'.'.' 495
Knitting Mills
Koch, Dr. Francis A. H 530
Koller, Isaac
Krall, John
Kreutz Creek Church
Kurtz, William H., congressman 567
Kurtz, William H., manufacturer 769
766
495
1092
987
Lafayette at York
Lafean, Charles
Lafean, Daniel F ..........].
Lamb's story of British and Hessian prisoners'
Lancastrian School
Landes, John
Lanius, William H
Latimer, James W "
Latimer, Dr. Thomas Sargent.
Lauman, Jacob Gardner
Laurel Fire Company
Laurens chosen president of Congress ........'
, 743
766
569
234
729
1078
366
492
534
392
Page
Law Library 514
Lawson, Dr. Lemuel ' ' ' ' e^^i
Lawyers, List of [ 513
Lee, General Fitzhugh [ [ . ^Q
Lenhart, William ^gg
Letort, James ^o
Letter to John Adams , [[ 665
Lewis, Major Eli ...'.[ .'254, 889
Lewis, Ellis 455
Lewis, James ro2
Lewis, Robert J 569
Lewis, Dr. Robert Nebinger 524
Lewis, Dr. Webster 524
Lewisberry, Borough of 888
Liberty Fire Company 793
Libraries 734
Lichtenberger, Samuel 1021
Lischy, Rev. Jacob 464
Lischy's Church 1041
Livingston, Philip, Death of 322
Lochman, Dr. Luther M 529
Logan, Henry 567
Loganville, Borough of 894
Long, John Luther 467
Longstown ,. . 1108
Losses at the Battle of Hanover 439
Loucks' Codorus Mill 1072
Lower Chanceford Township 999
Lower Windsor Township 1008
Lutheran churches of York 676
Magee, Captain Frank J 363
Maish, Colonel Levi 510, 568
Manchester, Borough of 896
Manchester Township 1013
Manheim Township 1021
Manor Furnace 943
Manor of Springettsbury 25
Manor of Maske 78
Manufacturers' Association 769
Manufacturing interests of York 756
Marburg 1023
Margaretta Furnace ion
Markets 794
Market Sheds, Removal of 794
Marsh Creek Settlement 126
Martin, Dr. Joseph R 531
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad 616
Mason and Di.xon's line 83
Mayer, John L 504
Mayer, Rev. Lewis 467
Medical library 517
Medical profession 515
Medical Society of York County 517
Melsheimer, Dr. Frederick Ernst 522
Melsheimer, Frederick Valentine 469, 522
Members of Congress 563
Menallen Friends' Meeting 1 14
Mennonite Church at York 722
Mennonites 134
Merchants' Association 777
Merchants' Light, Heat and Power Company 773
Meteoric showers 623
Methodist churches of York 710
Metzgar, Captain Frederick 346
Mexican War 349
Middletown Ferry 1037
Mifflin, Thomas, at York 248
Miles' Regiment 171
Military companies of York 780
Militia officers 279
Militia organized in the Revolution 249
Miller, General Henrv 205
Miller, Lewis .' 668
GENERAL INDEX
1115
Page
Miller's Company 202
Mine Run 365
Minute Men 245
Mitchell, James 30
Mitchell, James S 566
Monaghan Presbj'terian Church 861
Monaghan Township 1026
Monmouth, York troops at 200
Monocacy, Battle of 366
Monocacy road g8
Monument at Hanover 448
Moore, John 496
Moravian diary 179
Morgan house 989
Mt. Wolf 1019
Muddy Creek Forks 1004
Mueller, Dr. Peter 523
Mulberry 1090
Mumma's Mill 1060
Municipal government 643
Municipal League ^^^
Music 73S
McAllister, Colonel Richard 185, 807
McAllister's Regiment 180
McCall's Ferry 1006
McCandless, Jimmie 977
McClean, Archibald 470
McClean's Company 170
McClellan, Dr. Henry Miller 525
McDonald, Dr. D. Morgan S33
Mcllvaine, Dr. William 523
Mclntyre, Peter 496
McKinley's ancestry 948
McKinnon. Dr. Matthew J 534
McLean, James 803
McNair, Hiram S S12
McPherson, Colonel Robert 253
McPherson, Lieutenant William 174
McPherson's cavalrj' 259
Nace, George 811
Nashville 997
National Hotel 801
Nebinger, Dr. George ., S^i
Nebinger, Dr. Robert S2I
Negro conspiracy of 1803 788
Nes, Dr. Charles M S29
Nes, Dr. Henry 525, 567
Newberry Friends' Meeting 109
Newberry road 100
Newberrytown 1034
Newberry Township 1030
Newberry Tract I9
Newcomer, David 495
New Baltimore 1059
New Freedom, Borough of 8g8
New Holland 1016
New Market 969
New Parke 976
New Parke and Fawn Grove Railroad 617
Niles, Rev. Henry E 704
Ninet^'-second Regiment 371
Ninety-third Regiment 371
North Codorus Township 1039
Northern Central Railroad 612
North Hopewell Township 990
North Point, Battle of 344
North York, Borough of 805
Noted Men of York County 455
Notes of interest during Civil War 423
Notes of the Revolution 255
Officers from York County in the Civil War 448
Oil pipe lines 6ig
Page
One Hundred and Eighth Regiment 373
One Hundred and Eighty-second Regiment 381
One Hundred and Eighty-seventh Regiment 382
One Hundred and Ninety-second Regiment 383
One Hundred and Seventh Regiment 372
One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Regiment 378
One Hundred and Third Regiment 371
One Hundred and Thirtieth Regiment 374
Opera House 738
Organization of courts 477
Orphean Society 736
Osteopathy 536
Overtures from England 310
Paine, Thomas 663
Palatines 128
Paoli, Battle of I94
Paper-making at York 762
Paradise Township 1042
Parochial schools 539
Payne, Colonel William H 447
Peach Bottom ferry. 1054
Peach Bottom road 103
Peach Bottom Township 1048
Peacock Hall 662
Penn Grove 983
Penn Hotel 801
Penn Park 780
Penn Township 1058
Pennsylvania Line at York 214
Pennville , 1059
Pensioners of the Revolution 283
Pentz, Dr. Edward H S29
Perkins, Dr. J. Turner 533
Phvsicians, Biographies of 5i8
Phvsicians registered at York since 1881 537
Pio'neer life 90
Political history 559
Political notes 579
Porter, Dr. B. F 528
Post office at York 773
Post offices in York County 589
Potter's Field 643
Potts, Thomas P 503
Presbyterian churches of York 701
Princeton, Battle of I9l
Printing at Hanover 557
Printing at York 549
Printing Press at York during the Revolution 301
Proceedings of Congress in 1778 306
Prospect Hill Cemetery 776
Prothonotaries 573
Prowell, Dr. Andrew R 533
Prowell, Major Joseph 213
Prowell, Captain William • 972
Public Common 641
Public enterprises 7T^
Public librarv 734
Public parks 779
Public school system 542, 725
Pulaski at York 660
Pulaski's Legion at York 220
Quaker marriages I "5
Quaker records ^ "^
Quakers i°7
Quartermaster's posts in York County 223
Quav, IMatthew Stanley 470
Quickel's Church 956
Railroad Borough 900
Railroads 610
Rankin, Colonel William 254
Raus, Rev. Lucas 473. 520
Rebman, Dr. George A 930, 533
iii6
GENERAL INDEX
Page
Record-Herald, Hanover 559
Recoriders 573
Red Lion, Borough of 902
Reed, Captain Joseph 947
Reformed churches of York ^ 688
Reformed Theological Seminary 729
Registers 573
Reid, Major James R 561
Reliance Fire Company 793
Religious history of York 676
Reports of the Battle of Hanover, Confederate. . . . 432
Reports of the Battle of Hanover, Union 430
Requisition on York, 1863 410
Representatives in Congress 563
Representatives in State Legislature 570
Representatives in State Senate 570
Rescue Fire Company 792
Revolutionary muster rolls 262
Revolutionary War 157
Rewalt, Dr. Luther L 532
Rex Hook and Ladder Company 793
Riedesel, Baron 236
Riedesel, Baroness 238
Rieman, John 495
Riot in 1750 579
Riot in 1786 664
River Brethren 143
Roland, Dr. WiUiam S 531
Roosevelt at York 749
Ross, James 472
Rossville 1083
Round Hill Church 992
Round Top 1082
Round Town 1019
Rouse, Dr. John 520
Rouse, Dr. Luke 520
Rowan, John 474
Royal Fire Company 792
Royal Order of George H 68
Rudisill, Jacob 494
Russel, Ensign William 193
Saddler's Church, Hopewell 995
Salem Church, Dover 960
Sarah Ann Furnace 943
Schall, Colonel John W 367
Schmahl, Killian 669
Schmahl, Lorentz 669
Schools at York 724
Schriver, Edmund 391
Scotch-Irish 121
Scott, Patrick 1058
Scott, Colonel William 494
Second Pennsylvania Regiment in the Revolution . . 180
Second Regiment, P. V^ 1 357
Security Trust Company 755
Sedgwick Post, G. A. R 786
Servants and redemptioners 598
Sesqui-Centennial of York County 778
Seven Valley, Borough of 905
Seventy-sixth Regiment 361
Shad fisheries 1018
Sherman's Church 1097
Shearer, Dr. George L 526
Sheriffs 574
Shrewsbury, Borough of 907
Shrewsbury Township 1061
Shriver, Captain Thomas, in War of 1812 347
Shultz house 1071
Siddonsburg 1028
Silk industry at York 768
Simpson. General Michael 971
Sixteenth Regiment 357
Sixth Pennsylvania Battalion 164
Page
Slagle, Colonel Henry 252
Slate quarries 1055
Slate Ridge Church 1051
Slateville Church 1053
Slavery in York County 590
Small, Dr. Alexander 525
Small, David 554
Small, George, Sr 670
Small, George 674
Small, Michael P 391
Small, Philip Albright 671
Small, Samuel, Sr 673
Small, Samuel 675
Small, William Latimer 675
Smith, Edgar Fahs , 475
Smith, James 339, 498
Smith, Dr. J. P 527
Smith, S. Morgan 759
Smith, Dr. William F 530
Smyser, Dr. Henry L 529
Smyser, Colonel Michael 186
Smysertown 639
Snively, Dr. Andrew J 532
Societies 732
Sons of Veterans 787
Spangler, Baltzer, house 663
Spangler, Jacob 565
Spangler, Dr. John 521
Spangler, John F 509
Spangler, Captain M. H 346
Spanish-American War 451
Spectator, Hanover 558
Springett 1073
Springettsbury Manor 25
Springettsbury Township 1070
Spring'dale 1076
Springfield Township 1066
Spring Garden Township 1074
Spring Grove, Borough of 909
Springwood 1075
Spry 1 107
St. Matthew's Lutheran Church of Hanover 814
Stable, Henry J 5SS
Stable, Colonel James A 568
Stable's Church 945
Stallman, Charles H 365
Stapleton, Rev. A 139
Star Spangled Banner 348
State Canal system 60S
State Representatives 570
State Senators 570
Steel, James 474
Steltz Church 953
Steuben, Baron 324
Stevens, Thaddeus 474
Stevenson, George 496
Stevenson, Dr. George 519
Stevenson's Survey of York 635
Stewart, Dr. Ashael 532
Stewart, John 565
Stewart, W. F. Bay 493
Stewartstown, Borough of 9^5
Stewartstown Railroad 617
Stick's Tavern , 955
Stone Church 952
Storms, floods and meteors 621
Street railway at York 772
Strine, E. Z 5"
Strinestown 957
Stuart, General J. E. B 444
Stuck, Oliver SSi
Suburban homes 662
Sunday Schools 547
Sun Fire Company 7^7
GENERAL INDEX
Page
Superintendent of City Schools 727
Susquehanna bridges 931
Swiler, Dr. William E 531
Swope, Colonel Michael 184
Tanneries at York 757
" Tape-worm " Railroad 616
Taverns, Early 797
Tax-list of YoHv in 1783 647
Taylor, Jacob 29
Taylor, Zachary, Visit of 746
Teachers' Institute 546
Telegraph at York 618
Telephone at York 619
Temporary Line 79
Thanksgiving, First National 299
Thirtieth Regiment 359
Thomasville 998
Thompson, Charles 322
Thompson, Colonel James 252
Thompson, Dr. John A 528
Thompson's Battalion 159
Three Rivers, Battle of * 165
Tide Water Canal 606
Tobacco culture 631
Tome, Jacob 475
Toryism 261
Treasurers, County 574
Trenton, York troops at 189
Troops at Philadelphia 784
Trout, Valentine 496
True Democrat 555
Twenty-sixth Emergency Regiment 403
Two Hundred and Ninth Regiment 387
Two Hundred and Seventh Regiment 386
Two Hundredth Regiment 384
Turnpikes 599
Underground Railroad in York County 592
Union Fire Company 791
Union Reports of the Battle of Hanover 430
United Brethren churches of York 715
United Evangelical churches of York 717
United States Hospital at Hanover ■. 438
United States Hospital at York 419
United States Treasury at York 659
Van Buren, Visit of 746
Vigilant Fire Company 789
Visits of famous men 738
Von Belen, Baron 662
Wagner, William 477
Wallace, Charles B 508
Wampler, Dr. Henry C 523
Wanner, A 4, 10
Wanner, Nevin ^M 493
War, Civil 353
War, French and Indian 147
War of the Revolution 157
War of 1812 341
War with Mexico 349
War with Spain 451
Wards, Division of York into 640
Wareheim, Dr. Edward C 536
Warren, Dr. James 525
Warrington Friends' Meeting Ill, 1084
Warrington Township 1079
Washington Guards 1038
Washington Township logo
Washington, Visit of . . ; 738
Wayne at York 215, 656, 741
Weather observations 626
Weaver Organ and Piano Compam* 764
Webb's Hill
Webster, Daniel, at York '
Weiglestown
Weiser, Conrad
Weiser, Erastus H
Weiser, Son & Carl . ,
Wells, Abraham
Wellsville, Borough of . . .
Welsh, The
_ Welsh, George P , ,[[
Welsh, Henry
Welsh, Henry D
West Bangor
West End Improvement Companv
West Manchester Township ." . . .
West Manheim Township
West York Borough
Western Maryland Railroad
Western National Bank
Whiskey Insurrection
White Oak Plains [
White's Raid into Hanover
Wickes, Pere L
Wiest, Dr. John
Wiest, Peter '
Wilhelm, Artemas
Wilkinson before Congress
Windsor, Borough of
Windsor Township
Winebrenner, Peter
Winterstown, Borough of
Wirt, Christian
Wirt, Henry, Sr
Wirt, Henry
Wirt, Jacob
Woodbine
Wood Library
Wood workers
Worley, Francis
Worth Infantry
Wright's Ferry as the national capital . . .
Wrightsville and Gettysburg Railroad. . .
Wrightsville, Borough of
Wrightsville, Confederate occupation of.
Wrightsville Turnpike
III7
Page
• 1077
■ 748
• 964
■ 132
. S08
• 753
. 921
. 918
■ 1050
■ 476
• 553
• 476
■ 1050
. 80s
. 1094
Yocumtown
Yoe, Borough of
York and Maryland Railroad
York as the seat of national government
York Bank
York before and after 1800
York Collegiate Institute
York County Academy
York County National Bank
York County Rangers
York County Traction Company
York Daily
York Dispatch ,
York, Early history of
York Friends' Meeting House 114,
York Furnace
York Gas Company
York Gazette . ;
York Haven, Borough of
York Haven Water and Power Company
York National Bank '
York Navigation
York New Salem
York Republican
York Riflemen
York Rifles
York Township
York Trust Company
614
754
340
1077
405
490
532
802
1064
298
923
1 100
811
924
851
1004
735
765
30
783
666
616
92s
415
599
1035
933
611
666
750
646
730
727
752
1038
772
554
556
633
697
1004
771
552
934
937
751
608
937
549
782
782
1 104
755
iii8
GENERAL INDEX
York Volunteers ; 783
York Water Company 770
Yorkana loio
Yorktown Chapter, D. A. R 785
Young, Hiram 555
Young, John S 834
Young Men's Christian Association 723
Page
Young Women's Christian Association 723
Ziegle, Colonel Thomas A 373
Ziegler, Rev. Daniel 477
Ziegler, Edward D 569
Ziegler, James B 512
Ziegler's Church 1041
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