One of the principal actors on the side of the Connecticut people was Captain Lazarus Stewart. He is described in the chronicles of the time as "a dangerous, turbulent Man." This, however, was the "Pennimite" estimate of him. He was a bold and enterprising spirit. His arrest was desired, and frequent attempts were made to that end. In October, 1770, Governor Penn by proclamation offered a reward of fifty pounds for his apprehension. In January following, the sheriff of Northampton county with his posse went to Wyoming to serve the "King's Writ" upon Stewart and some others; but they shut themselves up in a fort that they had built, and fired upon the sheriff's men, killing one Nathan Ogden, and wounding others. They continued a desultory fire upon the posse all day, and in the evening Stewart with about forty of his men secretly abandoned the fort and withdrew into the woods, leaving twelve men in the fort, who refused to go with them, and who surrendered themselves to the sheriff. Upon this the governor offered a reward of three hundred pounds for the apprehension of Stewart, and fifty pounds for that of certain of his associates. This affair seems to have been followed by the temporary withdrawal of the intruders, but on the 16th of the following July, the council was informed by Captain Amos Ogden that very recently about seventy armed men from Connecticut, joined by Captain Stewart and others, had arrived at Wyoming with the design of repossessing the land and prosecuting their settlements; whereupon it was determined to raise a force and proceed to Wyoming without delay, and bring to justice all who should oppose the due execution of the laws.* On the 30th of the same month, as a party under Captain Joseph Morris were on the way to Wyoming with provisions to relieve the people in the block-house there, when within a very short distance of the place they were fired on "by the Yankeys" from behind breastworks and from the woods. Two of the men were wounded, a part ran away, and the rest, twenty-two in number, got into the blockhouse, though they lost a quantity of flour. An attempt was made to raise a force of one hundred men to relieve the block-house, but with little success. The Connecticut party was one hundred and fifty strong; the others had but sixty men, and were "much disheartened." The result was that on the 15th of August following, the block-house surrendered for want of provisions. From this time forward for many months the Connecticut men seem to have held almost undisputed possession of the place. In June, 1773, their performances again come to the surface. In that *Col. Rec., Vol. ix., p. 749. Col. Rec., Vol. ix., p. 769. month it was learned that a large party was about to make a settlement on the West Branch. Colonel Plunket, of Northumberland county, on the 7th of June writes some particulars to Governor Penn, and says: "This morning we are hurrying up to the place where the enclosed mentions they intend to fortify, if possible to check them a little." This attempt seems to have been successful, though it was accomplished "not without much fatigue, expense, and great danger of bloodshed." An effort was now made, by the authorities of the two colonies, to fix upon some kind of settlement of the vexed question, and commissioners were appointed to confer on the subject; but they could effect nothing. Governor Penn proposed to refer the decision of the question to his Majesty in Council. To this the Connecticut commissioners demurred, on the plea of expense and delay. At the same time they gave it to be distinctly understood that while the settlers from Connecticut had hitherto acted simply under the Susquehanna Company, "the colony has now taken up the matter, and expressly asserted their claim." They also proposed a temporary line of jurisdiction, confining the Connecticut settlers to the eastern branch of the Susquehanna, and the Pennsylvanians to the western branch of the same;* but to this Governor Penn, sagaciously remembering that possession is nine points in law, refused to assent. The next step on the part of Connecticut was a bold one. In January, 1774, the General Assembly of that colony passed an act erecting the disputed territory into a distinct town; "which Town is hereby annexed to the county of Litchfield, and shall be called by the name of Westmoreland." In the same connection the governor of Connecticut issued a proclamation, “ forbidding any person or persons whatsoever, taking up, entering on, or settling any of the lands contained or inclosed in the charter of this colony lying westward of the province of New York, without liberty first had and obtained from the General Assembly of this colony." To this proclamation of the governor of Connecticut, Governor Penn issued a counter-proclamation, in the course of which he does "in his Majesty's name charge and command all persons whatsoever, within the said counties, as well as all other inhabitants within the limits of this province, to yield due submission and obedience to the laws of this government, as they will answer the contrary at their peril." In September, 1775, Colonel Plunket proceeded against the Connecticut settlements at Judea and Charlestown. This expedition was successful, with but slight loss on either side. In the latter part of November, Governor Penn wrote to the justices of the peace *Col. Rec., Vol. x., p. 128. Col. Rec., Vol. x., p. 151. of Northumberland county, ordering them to use their utmost diligence in enforcing the laws throughout the county, and promising them the concurrence and support of the government in their endeavors.* In pursuance of this order, Colonel Plunket set out against the settlement at Wyoming with a force of seven hundred men. On the morning of the 24th of December, 1775, he was met by a force of three hundred men and boys under Colonel Zebulon Butler, at the mouth of Harvey's creek. Butler retired behind a very strong breast work. He greeted Plunket's approach with such a sharp fire, that the latter was obliged to fall back. The contest was renewed the next morning, but with the same result. Plunket then withdrew from the field. A number of persons were killed and wounded on both sides.t At this time the Continental Congress took cognizance of the dispute, and recommended the contending parties to cease immediately all hostilities, to restore all property to the original owners, to dismiss all persons seized or detained on account of the dispute, etc., etc., and commanded the people to "behave themselves peaceably on their respective possessions" until a legal decision could be had on the dispute, "or this Congress shall take further order thereon." This notice and the pressure of the more important controversy with the mother country, put a temporary quietus to the dispute. On the 12th of March, 1781, the General Assembly of Pennsylvania called the attention of Congress again to the matter in debate. In November of the same year, Congress appointed the 4th of June, 1782, for a conference between Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The conference was held at Trenton. On the 6th of January, 1783, the decision was pronounced in favor of Pennsylvania, in these words: "We are unanimously of opinion that the State of Connecticut has no right to the lands in controversy. We are also unanimously of opinion that the jurisdiction and pre-emption of all the territory lying within the charter boundary of Pennsylvania, and now claimed by the State of Connecticut, do of right belong to the State of Pennsylvania." § Thus terminated this controversy, after a period of about thirty years. Peace, however, did not at once descend upon the troubled settlements. As was anticipated, some "animosities and resentments" lingered among those who had so long been at variance, and violence and even bloodshed marked the fierceness of their discontent and hatred. But by degrees *Col. Rec., Vol. x., p. 275. + Miner's History of Wyoming, p. 174. Col. Rec., Vol. xviii., p. 475. these passions died away, until now the story can only with difficulty be traced in the musty records of the past. "It will not be out of place here to observe," says Morse, "that although Connecticut was forced to yield her claim to the lands within the limits of her charter, which were comprised within that of Pennsylvania she did not relinquish the right her charter gave her to lands lying west of Pennsylvania, and between that State and the Mississippi. At the close of the Revolution, she ceded all her charter claims west of Pennsylvania to Congress, reserving only a tract the width of the State of Connecticut, and 120 miles in length, bounded east on the western line of Pennsylvania, and north by Lake Erie, containing nearly four millions of acres." The name of "Western Reserve" still suggests a trace of the early history of this tract. 5. J. Chapman. MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMY A century has elapsed since the American Revolution, and in the interim much has been written and published concerning it. But there is still something to be supplied. Comparatively little has ever been accessible to the public concerning the medical department of the army of patriots. The historian seems only to have considered this feature of the war in a general way, while dealing with other subjects in detail. Reasons for this possibly exist; the records may have been destroyed by the British in 1814. Whatever the cause, certain it is that there is a lamentable absence of information about an arm of the public service of no secondary VOL. XII.-No. 3.-16 |
