Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...Godcharles, Frederic Antes
History
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...
Godcharles, Frederic Antes
Pennsylvania -- Biography; Pennsylvania -- History
The traders, after losing their caravan, went back to the fort and
complained to the commanding officer. It was then that three hundred
riflemen marched to Fort Loudoun and encamped on the hill in sight of
the fort.
James Smith, a relative of Justice Smith, and the captain who served
with Bouquet, appeared in a few days at the head of a large crowd of his
infuriated neighbors, and declared that they would suffer death to the
last man, rather than let the prisoners be put to jail at Carlisle.
Two months later another caravan of horses laden with liquors, etc., for
the troops at Fort Pitt, under a pass from the commander there, arrived
at Fort Loudoun, about May 1, and were relieved of their burden in the
fort. The drivers led their horses out to pasture, when about thirty
men, with their faces painted black, rushed upon them, flogged the
drivers, killed five horses and burned all the saddles. In the battle
which ensued one of the attacking party was wounded.
Again Captain James Smith led his neighbors to the fort. He was
accompanied by three Justices who demanded right to search the goods in
store there, but intended for transportation to Fort Pitt.
Lieutenant Charles Grant, of the Highlanders, commandant of the fort,
explained that the general had committed the goods to his care, but had
ordered an inventory to be taken before a justice of the peace, but this
inventory could not be taken in the presence of a mob.
The vigilance men threw off the restraints of decent appearance by
issuing the following:
“Advertisement. These are to give notice to all our Loyal Volunteers to
those that has not yet inlisted, you are to come to our Town and come to
our Tavern and fill your Belly’s with Liquor and your mouth with
swearing, and you will have your pass, but if not, your Back must be
whipt and mouth gagged. * * * We will have Grant, the officer of
Loudoun, whip’d or hanged. * * * The Governor will pardon our Crimes,
and the Clergy will give-us absolution, and the Country will stand by
us; so we may do what we please. * * * free toleration for drinking,
swearing, sabbath breaking, and any outrage what we have a mind to, to
let those Strangers know their place. * * * We call it Hell’s town, in
Cumberland County, the 25th May, 1765. Peter’s Township.”
The crowning deed was reserved for May 28. Lieutenant Grant, while
riding about a mile from the fort, was fired upon. His horse started
suddenly at the crack of the rifle and he was thrown off. Captain James
Smith and others seized him, carried him six miles distant and kept him
a prisoner all night in the woods. He was there threatened unless he
agreed to give up all the arms taken from the rioters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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