Part 2
Under this act two companies were formed in Wyoming in 1777--one on the east side of the river, of which William Hooker Smith was elected Captain, one on the west side of the river of which James Bidlack, Sr., was elected Captain. These became attached to the Twenty-fourth regiment.
In popular speech these old men and exempts were called "Reformadoes." Under this Act the Colonels of regiments were given authority "to assemble in martial array and put in warlike posture," the men under their command in case of invasion.
In the Spring of 1777 the regiment took up a new duty. It was the duty of sending out scouting parties.[26] The Indians and Tories up the river were showing activity by occasionally capturing some one, and making a prisoner of him. Lieut. Asa Stevens, of the Kingston Company, went on a scouting expedition and brought in five suspected persons. Ensign John Jenkins, Jr., of the Exeter Company, led a scouting party up as far as Wyalusing, and was himself captured and three other men. Captain Asaph Whittlesey, of the Plymouth Company, led a scouting party up as far as Standing Stone. In January, 1778, Capt. Eliab Farnham, of the Lackaway Company, captured 18 tories[27] that had been disturbing his vicinage and sent them to Hartford under the escort of Lieut. Jonathan Haskell. The legislature declared that these persons should be treated as prisoners of war. This action was necessary, because the frontiersmen held that the prisoners ought to be hanged as cattle thieves. In May, 1778, Nathan Denison memorialized the legislature to be reimbursed as Colonel of the Twenty-fourth regiment, in sending out detachments as scouts and for guards during 1776, 1777 and 1778. The prayer of his memorial was granted.[28]
I must refer in this place to a further nominal depletion of the regiment. By act of Congress March 16, 1778, it was resolved to raise another Company of Continental troops at Westmoreland. The efforts to do this was at least partially successful and Dethic Hewit was elected Captain of the new company. In the same resolution it was provided that the new organization should be under the command of the field officers of the Twenty-fourth regiment.[29]
The enlistment of this company reduced the strength of the regiment. It transferred the service of the men from the state to the service of the United States. It did not, however, withdraw them from the Wyoming Valley.
I will here explain the changes in the officers of the regiment. Under the militia laws of Connecticut there were two general muster days in the year--first Monday of May, first Monday of October. On either new officers could be elected to fill vacancies or for other reasons. Able and ambitious men coveted and strove to become officers of the regiment and of the companies. In the larger and stronger companies the rivalry was great and the officers were in a continual state of flux. In this way there were a large number of ex-officers. The ex-officers retained their titles by courtesy. Once a captain, always a captain. In the Wyoming histories, and upon the monument erected on the battlefield, confusion results, from giving the courtesy titles of ex-officers as much prominence as is given the titles of men who were in commission, and exercised actual command. In view of these and similar facts I have been to much pains to make the roster of those in actual command accurate as it was in the last formation of the regiment.[30]
I will first call attention to the changes in the regimental officers. Colonel Zebulon Butler resigned to enter the Continental service January 1, 1777. Lt. Col. Nathan Denison was promoted to be colonel. This occasioned a vacancy in the office of lieutenant-colonel, which was filled by the election of Lazarus Stewart, the famous Captain of the Paxtang Rangers, who declined to accept, and thereupon Major George Dorrance was promoted to that office in Oct., 1777. Major William Judd resigned to enter the Continental service, and his place was filled in May, 1777, by the promotion of Lieut. George Dorrance and on his elevation to the Lt. Colonelcy, Captain John Garret was elected Major in Oct., 1777.[31]
I have given a list of the Company officers as "established" at the organization of the regiment. They underwent many changes as heretofore indicated. I will give them as they existed in May, 1778, when the last changes were made of which there is a record.[32] This is a list of the Captains beginning with the first Company and thus on through to the tenth. They were as follows: James Bidlack, Jr., Aholiab Buck, Asaph Whittlesey, Jeremiah Blanchard, William McKarachan, Rezin Geer, Stephen Harding, Eliab Farnham, Robert Carr and John Franklin, Jr.
The Lieutenants were Lebbeus Tubbs, Elijah Shoemaker, Aaron Gaylord, Timothy Keyes, Roswell Franklin, Daniel Gore, Elisha Scovil, John Shaw, Nathan Kingsbury and Stoddart Bowen.
The Ensigns were: John Comstock, Asa Gore, William White, Jeremiah Bigford, Titus Hinman, John Hagerman, John Jenkins, Jr., Elijah Winters, Rudolph Fox and Nathaniel Goss. John Jenkins, Jr., of the Exeter company, probably should not be included as he had recently been elected a lieutenant in the Continental Service. This company had no Ensign in commission.
Some of these new officers had seen service in the old French war. Lieutenant Lebbeus Tubbs had served two enlistments--one of 26 weeks in 1755, in Capt. Nicholas Bishop's company of the first Conn, regiment--another in 1759 of 27 weeks in Capt. John Pitkin's company of the Fourth Conn. Regt.[33]
In the latter year he was in the expedition sent out for the reduction of Crown Point. Ensign William White served 35 weeks in 1756 in Capt. Samuel Champlin's Company in the First Conn, regiment. Ensign Titus Hinman in 1755 served 32 weeks in Capt. Benjamin Hinman's company in the Second Conn. regiment.
The Twenty-fourth regiment availed itself of other means of becoming efficient. Two deserters from the British army--Abraham Pike and Sergeant Boyd--were employed as drill masters, and spent much time in putting the men through their evolutions.[34]
It had need of the skill of all its officers, of the efficiency of all its men. While I have been talking about officers, important events have been hastening toward a conclusion, on the northern border. They now claim attention. Up to this time (1778) no murders had been committed by the Indians. They now became frequent. Scouting parties of the regiment were continually going out and coming in. They heralded the approach of an invading army. Premonitory signs of its coming had not been wanting.
It consisted of about 1,100 British soldiers, Indians and Tories, under the command of Major John Butler.[35] This force had been gathered at Kanadaseago and other points in Western New York. The time was the month of June, when nature puts on her best apparel. It approached Wyoming in boats. I can imagine the wild and weird flotilla, tricked out in barbaric splendor, as it rounded Tioga Point, and swept out into the broad waters of the Susquehanna, receiving welcome reinforcements to its numbers as it passed Queen Esther's flats and the meadows of Sheshequin. It landed above Wyoming in Keeler's Eddy. It marched about twenty miles by land and was ready to do its work.
What was the situation at Wyoming? What the preparation to receive it? We have detailed the building of the forts; the establishment of the regiment and its depletion from time to time to recruit the Continental service. The forts were there--and the regiment--what there was of it.
We left the enemy at the head of the valley. It signified its approach by killing six men in Exeter on the 30th of June, 1778. On the first day of July it seized Fort Wintermoot. This fort was occupied by Elisha Scovil, lieutenant of the Exeter (7th) company and a few patriotic men. The Wintermoots and other non-combatants in the fort were Tories[36] and after making the best show of resistance he could, Scovil capitulated. At Fort Jenkins, one mile above Fort Wintermoot, were eight men, including Stephen Harding, Captain of the 7th (Exeter) company. Resistance against such odds was useless and it surrendered on the second of July, although the articles of capitulation were dated on the first.[37] This disposes of one of the companies of the Twenty-fourth regiment.
To the valley below a vague knowledge of what was happening was communicated by scouts and by persons who had escaped when the Hardings and Hadsells were killed on the 30th of June. Some information was obtained by a reconnoisance in force on the first of July.
In consequence the population gathered into the several forts on the first and second days of July.
Of these, Forty Fort in Kingston was the largest and the strongest. In it Col. Nathan Denison established his headquarters. He endeavored to concentrate his regiment at this point. There were many obstacles in the way. Captain Robert Carr's (9th) Up River company could not be reached because of the proximity of the enemy. According to Hollister, this Company was at Capouse Meadows (Scranton).[38] Captain Eliab Farnham's (8th) Lackaway company was 70 miles away and could not be reached on account of the distance. This company did not learn of the invasion until it was over.[39] Thus these two companies were unavailable. So far as adding to the force of lighting men was concerned, they did not do it. Denison sent a messenger express to Captain Franklin in Huntington, who dispatched Lieutenant Stoddart Bowen with the first of his men who could be gotten together. He sent another messenger to Wilkes-Barre. Zebulon Butler, Lt. Col. of the third regiment of the Connecticut line was then at Wilkes-Barre on furlough. Denison asked him to come to Forty Fort. When there, by common consent, he assumed command of all the forces.
Early in the afternoon of Friday, July 3d, the two Wilkes-Barre, the Hanover, Plymouth, Kingston and part of the Huntington companies were at the rendezvous mustering not more than 200 men. In addition to these were Captain Hewit's company of Continental Soldiers, some old men, young boys, and refugees from all sides, who were willing to risk their lives, but did not belong to any military organization. Perhaps 400 would be a fair estimate to put on the whole number of fighting men. On the 2d and again on the 3d day of July the enemy demanded the surrender of the Forts and all the military forces in the Valley.
What shall be done? Great uncertainty existed, as to the strength and intention of the enemy. Shall the force now in hand await the coming of promised reinforcements?--the more complete concentration of the regiment, the advance of the enemy? or shall they march out and give battle? A council of war was held in which the pros and cons were warmly debated. It was decided to give battle.
"About three o'clock in the afternoon they marched from the fort, in martial array, with the stars and stripes at their head, to the tune of Saint Patrick's Day in the Morning, played on the fife by a true son of Erin, and with drums beating."[40] They proceeded about three miles in column when they formed a line of battle of about 500 yards front. Capt. Dethic Hewit with his so-called regulars, was on the extreme right, with Captain Bidlack next to him, and he joined by Captain Geer. On the extreme left was Capt. Whittlesey and the Salem detachment under Lieut. Bowen. Next to them was the Hanover company under Captain Stewart (McKaracan having that day resigned), and he was joined by Captain Buck, of Kingston. This was the order in which the advance was made. It was made over a plain that was grown up with brush--yellow pines, pitch pines and scrub oak. These bushes could be seen over by a man, but were high enough to conceal a skulking foe. The right rested on a rise of ground near the river, and was led by Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler, aided by Major John Garret. The left was commanded by Col. Nathan Denison, assisted by Lieut. Col. George Dorrance.
The enemy in front had the Tories in the center under Captains Pawling and Hopkins and the British regulars on their extreme left under Captain William Caldwell and Lieutenant Turney. On the enemy's right were the Indians, under cover of the alders in a swamp led by a Seneca Chief named Sayenqueraghta.[41]
The Americans advanced with spirit, the enemy purposely falling back under fire for the distance of about a mile, until they came to a cleared field. On the opposite side of this field was a log fence which the British used as a breastwork, and from it poured in such a severe fire that it checked the advance. Just at this point the Indians with brandishing spears and demoniac yells, rushed out of the swamp on the left, in which most of them lay concealed, enveloped the left wing by superior numbers, and turned it in upon the right. In the melee that ensued an effort was made to re-form it, so that it would present a front to the enemy, but in the confusion occasioned by the fierce onset of the enemy the orders were misunderstood and the day was lost.
The men retreated in squads at first, firing as they gave ground, but borne down by overwhelming numbers, the retreat became a rout, and every man did the best he could to save himself. It was four miles back to the fort. On the way some of the squads were captured, some in pairs, some singly. The slaughter of captured men by the Indians constitutes what is known in history as the Wyoming Massacre. Some of the fugitives reached Forty Fort; some Wilkes-Barre. Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler escaped with his life. He and the remnant of Hewit's regulars left the valley. They did not surrender.
What of the Twenty-fourth Regiment? Col. Denison reached Forty Fort alive. Lieut. Col. George Dorrance was mortally wounded. Major John Garret was killed. The Captain of every company fell upon the field, as also did three Lieutenants and three Ensigns. How many men the regiment lost it is impossible to say, but from 200 to 300 of those engaged on the American side were slain. The loss of the enemy was from 40 to 80 men.
Early the next day, July 4, the British commander sent a detachment across the river and demanded the surrender of Fort Brown, in which the Pittston people assembled, under the command of Captain Jeremiah Blanchard. The demand was complied with.[42] It is said that this company failed to report at Forty Fort because the enemy captured all the water craft along the river in its vicinity. This disposes of one more of the companies of the Twenty-fourth Regiment.
The same day the surrender of Forty Fort was demanded on terms deemed reasonable under the circumstances. No means for further resistance were at hand. After some negotiation articles of capitulation were drawn up and signed.[43] Protection was promised to persons and property. The fort was surrendered. Captain Franklin had come up from Huntington, while the battle was in progress on Abraham's Plains, with the remainder of his company and they were included in the surrender[44], thus making six complete companies. I have now accounted for the ten original companies of the regiment. Captain William Hooker Smith's company of the "Alarm List" was in the fort with the women and children at Wilkes-Barre, and Capt. James Bidlack, Sr.'s company was in the fort on Garrison Hill in Plymouth. These "Reformadoes" belonged to Col. Denison's command.
The victors planned a spectacular entrance into Forty Fort. Massed in columns of four upon the left, approached Major John Butler at the head of his Rangers and Royal Greens; on the right came the Seneca Chiefs, leading their warriors, streaked with paint, adorned with feathers, and other picturesque barbaric ornaments. They were preceded with waving banners, the screech of fife, and the roll of drums. At a signal the gates were opened: in at the north gate entered the Tories and British Provincials; at the south gate the savages.[45]
This scene as it came down to me when a child, from the reported words of a great grandmother who witnessed it, most profoundly impressed my youthful imagination.
What occurred after the capitulation? By the terms of the surrender protection was promised to persons and property. Regardless of the terms, the Indians plundered individuals of the clothing on their persons, pillaged the farm steads of everything movable, drove away the live stock, destroyed the growing crops and burned the buildings of the distressed inhabitants to the ground. Their commander could not, or would not restrain them.
The result was that on the night following the battle, and on the two or three succeeding days and nights, the 3,000 inhabitants of the Wyoming Valley fled, some by boats and rafts down the river, but by far the greater number through the wilderness, and over the mountains to the settlements beyond. It was not a planned and orderly hegira, in which provision was made for necessary wants, but a hurried, hasty, precipitate flight, urged on to desperation by every element of real and imaginary danger. Their houses, furniture, household utensils, crops, flocks, farming implements, provisions, papers, clothing, horses, wagons,--all left behind. And it was all utterly destroyed or carried off. Of the delicate women and tender children, not less than 200 perished by the way. In the battle, the massacre, and the flight it is probable that 500 persons lost their lives. In a memorial to the Connecticut legislature, the survivors stated that their property losses amounted to 38,308 pounds, 13s.[46]
In the Articles of Capitulation signed at Forty Fort was this: "Art. 7. That the inhabitants Col. Denison capitulates for, together with himself, do not take up arms during the present contest." Some undoubtedly considered themselves bound by this article. Colonel Denison for one is no longer heard of in our military annals, although Westmoreland remained more than four years longer under the jurisdiction of Connecticut. The Twenty-fourth regiment was never reorganized. It was overwhelmed on the field of battle; it was surrendered in sections, by the terms of four military conventions.[47] Of this sort of glory it had a monopoly. As a regiment its story is told.
On the other hand many of the men considered themselves absolved from the terms above recited. The party that imposed the conditions, did not themselves observe them. Lieut. Col. Zebulon Butler, one month from the day of surrender, returned to the valley at the head of some Continental soldiers and 40 militiamen and went into garrison at Wilkes-Barrie. A muster roll of these men is extant. Many of them were men who had been surrendered. Captain John Franklin, with a company of Wyoming militia, went out in Hartley's expedition the same year, and in Sullivan's expedition the next year, and on other occasions.
In an upper chamber of this building is an original pay roll of one of these companies. Many of its names are identical with those who served in the Twenty-fourth regiment.
After the flight of the people from the valley the dead lay unburied on the plain where they fell for nearly four months. On the twenty second day of October a detail of thirty men was sent from the garrison at Wilkes-Barre as a guard to protect those of the inhabitants that had returned, in performing that solemn duty.[48]
A granite monument suitably inscribed now marks the place of sepulchre. Engraved upon it is a very inaccurate list of those "slain in battle" and of "survivors."
In this temple, dedicated to the Muse of the backward look, it may be appropriate to inquire, What relation, if any, had these events to the history of the times? The drama of the American Revolution held the center of the stage. Did our regiment enact a part? An important part. It triumphed mightily in its death. The tales of the butchery of these captured citizen soldiers, the cries of those mothers and little children, driven from their burning homes to the wilds of the forest, were heard all over the civilized world. The execration of mankind was visited upon a King, and a country, that employed savage allies and paid them ten dollars apiece, in gold, for the scalps of human beings.
It produced another effect. It called the attention of Washington and the Congress to the imperative necessity of dealing a death blow, to the Six Nation Confederacy of Indian barbarians. A year passed by. The avengers of Wyoming darkened the waters that wash the shores of your beautiful peninsula-they swarmed over the lands where we are assembled to-night, they went forward, they did the work assigned them; Wyoming was avenged.
Permit me a word of review.
The Connecticut controversy! with all its bitterness and contention, it is sunk in oblivion.
The town of Westmoreland! it is sponged from the map.
The Twenty-fourth regiment! it served three years--one for the colony, two for the state. It builded forts, it fought battles, it went down to defeat and death, amidst a wild saturnalia of blood, rapine, and murder. It is forgotten.
"Time rolls its ceaseless course; the race of yore. Who danced our infancy upon their knee. And told our marvelling boyhood legends store Of their strange ventures happ'd by land or sea, How are they blotted from the things that be!"
Appendix A.
ROSTER OF THE OFFICERS OF THE TWENTY-FOURTH REGIMENT CONNECTICUT MILITIA
From Date of Its Organization to Day of Its Destruction. Date of Commission Follows Each Name.
+---------------------------- Colonel. | Zebulon Butler May, 1775 " | Nathan Denison May, 1777 -----------------+---------------------------- Lieut.-Colonel. | Nathan Denison May, 1775 " " | Lazarus Stewart May, 1777 " " | George Dorrance Oct., 1777 -----------------+---------------------------- Major. | William Judd May, 1775 " | George Dorrance May, 1777 " | John Garret Oct., 1777 -----------------+----------------------------