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Show - The oThe Riflemen of the fhe Revolution Revolulion ! ! WJ o ! ' ! ! ! ! ! ! THE PENNSYLVANIACOMPANIES PENNSYLVANIACOMP PENNSYLVANIACOMPANIESBy PENNSYLVANIA COMP COMPANIES COMPANIESBy ANIES SCOTT By ELMO ELtv10 SCOTT WATSON WATSONT T WAS the summer of or 1775 On the thebenches theI thebenches ( liebenches benches outside a n tavern tn\ern tn ern \ In the httle little httlePenns littlePennsylvana littlePennsylvania I Penns Pennsylvana 1i1nIn ' ' town of Sunbury a group groupot groupof groupof ot of v \ villagers II1ngcrs Illagers 10un lounged el1 In the warm wnrm sun sunshIno sunshino sunshino shIno and nnd gocslpet11l1 gossiped gocslpeil : ( idly about nbout the news nest's nests nest'sfrom ne newsfrom " ' s sfrom from the thc north At Concord and nnl1 I Tex TexT1 IcsTngton ex exTngton T1 I Tngton ington In Massachusetts Mnscnchusetts Massnchusetts : home some ome fnrmers farmers fnrmersbad farmershad farmershad bad had "fit fit " the reg'lars reglars leg'Jars legJars ' ' and there had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen ( been blood bloodletting JettIng letting a aplenty plenty Away Aw'1 Aw1 Awgy ' up upIn UPIn upIn In Nc New " York Yorl a q ' \ leader of the Grcen Green GrcenMoun GreenMountain GreenMountain Moun Mountain taIn Bo Boys s , , nnme nnmeil named t Lthan LtlulIl Allen Allenbnd Allenhad Alienhad bnd had thundered thunderel1 at tlie the gates g'1te5 g1te5 ' of 'Old Old ' Old ' Ti 'II II " on the ther.hores theshores theshores r.hores rhores shores ; . of Like L'11.e L11.e L11e Lake ' . Champlain Ch'lmpl1ln Chlmpl1ln ' ' and 'lnel lnel demanded denl1ndcd dennnded the thesurrender thesurrender thesurrender surrender of the fort ' in III the name of the Grc'lt Grclt Grcit Grc'ltJehovah GrcitJehovah GreatJehovah ' Jehovah and 'tnd tnd end ' the Continent-il Continent il Conhnent'll Conhnentll Continental ' - ( Congress 'ong-recc 'ong ong recc 'nngrecc nngrecc ' - : : " The ThekIng Theking TheIcing kIng and hi his hL ) : ministers mmlstcrs Ind h'1l h1l had ' ( c : suit chit ( lit tIn tlnic three ( c more gen gencrals generals gcnerals crals erals , Burgo Burgoyue Burgoyne , } ne and Clinton und lI1d arid ! lIo IIovve hove " e , , to Bos Boston Boston Boston ton to help General Gencral Gage G'lge Glge ' "hint hint "h'm hm "inng inng " ' ; ' is 1S qs rebels rehels and andtraHOls andtraltors andtraltois traHOls traltors all nIl " who "ho ho continued to n-sist n sist riot.t riott H"I HI - . " " ' . ( His nlS M'ljestv's Mljestvs Majesty's Majestys M'ljestv'sGovernment Majesty'sGovernment Majesty'sGovernment MajestysGovernment ' ' ' " Government Stirring Stlrrmg events eventc : , these ' Put ID In this sleepy sleep , } lIt lIttIc littie littie tIc tie village vlll'lge vllllge ' the po poibillty pO"lblllt pOlblllt , " -ibillty ibillty 4btlity - " , of ofai \\ai ai uai \ \ \ 111 still shll seemed seemel1 far farawa faraway faraway awa away , } " and unlikely Then ssiiddcniy hudlenly soddenly ( Its C'1lm3S calm C'1lm C1lm c'tlm ctlm ' \3S 3S was wasbroken ' wasbroken \ 3Sbro1.en bro1.en bro1en broken . A hoiseman hOlhem'1n hOlhem1n houseman ? ' , , g Rillopm IlIoi'lI1 IlIoilI1 rliupus ' , . : ' , ; in Inste h'1ste h1ste h'iste histe ' and andthoutlng andshouting andshouting thoutlng shouting thoutlngpresc : 'Express Express ' \presc presc ' \ : , ho I Dc n D s r : lite i itr ndiis hI hr c < : ; from Phila PhiladcJphl'ltI Philadelplue Philadelphii dcJphl'ltI dcJphlltI dcJphl'ltIas delplue ' ' , " as he rode , die\y die y I11C\\ I11C I11C'up drevy'up drevyup ' \ \ 'up up " ' "up up in m n II a 1 > iswiil svvitl ,111 111 , of dust dustbefore dustbefore dustbefore before the Inn And AI1I1 tlilb thb this "a a " was " the news ne\\"s ne "s s \ " he hebrought hebrought hebrought brought : On June 14 the Second Continental conglesS congress conglesSbad congresshad congiessbad bad had passed pasced : a resolution recolutlon recnirition : tint Ih'll Ihll that ' ' ' "i i " ' sit ie companies ot of otexpert ofexpert ofexpert expert riflemen IJ lie he ( ' Imlllt Inriuc iiiinntii iii di III ru ii < J 1) 1 ly ) raised In the theColony theColony theColony Colony of Penn Penncv Pennsyh < : \ h It mil inl uri n i , , rvyo tn t\\ t to \ n o in the Colony ot of otMaryland ofMaryland ofMaryland Maryland and nnd two t0 t\\ t \ 0 in the ( ( , olony olonj of Ylrginl'l Ylrginll Vlrginii Virginiaand ' , and that th'lt thlt ' each company comp'lnj complnj ' ' is 'lS lS 'is boon hoon soon as completed completedshall completedshall completedshall shall march to join tll tlie the ( ' ' iim\ iim 1lon iimnear u m \ near Boston , to be beUler bethere bethere Uler there ( " employed is liglit light infantly inf'lnhy inflnhy infautry ' under the com corn command cornwand cornmand mand wand of the cliief chief officm oflicei omcci of that army nrmy . " ThIs ThIschIef Thischief Thischief chIef ofllcer ofI1cer officer hid h'111 h111 hvl ' just been bppn appointed uppointed He was a aVirgInIan aVirginian aVirginian VirgInIan n'1nl\ n'1nl n1nl went n'1nlGeoq named ' \ . d Geoq George Georte , , ( > WnshIngton-the WnshIngton the Washington-the Washington Washington - the same sameWashIngton sameWashington sameWashington WashIngton who hid h'ld hld hqd ' distinguished himself at atthat atthat atthat that ' bloody bu business bucsness < : mecc : ; of Braddock " on the Mon Monongahela Monongahela Monongahela ongahela twenty ' years ( ' 'lrs lrs ' befoic before befol e and nnd " who "ho ho W3S was W3Seven waseven waseven even now riding rIdmg north to "throw throw " Tommy Tommj Gage Gageout Gageout Gageout out of Boston " "So So " So It1S It \ was \1S 1S vvas ' ' to be "arl arl "arlrarmers war " warlFarmers ! rarmers Jogging along tlie the countr country , ) roads on ontheIr ontheir ontheir theIr way to tl1 the ( IIP ( ' gilst glist gust mill , stopped to talk of It itoer Itover 0\ 0 0er o\er o er \ er st stake st1ke ike and riv 1 rivet h et fences with their neIghbors neIghborsPnckhoIe neighborsPackhorse neighborsPackhon PnckhoIe Packhorse ' : ) > e men , setting out on trading ecpedi ecpeditions e expedltlons edl edltIons tIons to tlie the west , carried carfled word of It to every everybaeI.woods everybackwoods everybackwoods baeI.woods baeIwoods backwoods . < : settlement ettlement through which they theypassed theypissed theypassed passed pissed And at once In many a cabin In the thecle'lrlng thecleering thecleiring cle'lrlng clelrlng cleering ' , , a n lanky I1n1.1 I1n11 . frontiersman flOntlersm'1n flOntlersm1n fiontiersmin ' reached re'1ched re1ched ' up to the thePE thepegs thepegs PE pegs > g-s g s - 3bo\ 3bo above 3boe \ e tlie the fireplace and took tool . do down " n his long longrIfle longrifle longrifle rIfle In his swift s"Ift sIft svvIft " , sme SUle sure hands It had b'111.ed b111.ed b111ed baked b'111.eddefiance bakeddefiance bilkeddefiance ' . defiance at Pontlac's Pontlacs PontIac's PontIacs ' warriors ; it had brought broughtm'1n broughtmany broughtman m'1n m1n many ' ; a sqt squirrel nel tumbling tumbhng down fiom flom from the highest highestbranch highestbranch highestbranch branch of a tree ; and It had stopped short the thehoundIng thehounding thehounding houndIng flight 111ght of more thin th'1n th1n than ' one buck deer But Butt1 Butti Butll t1 ti ere was bigger game afield now , game which whichoITeled whicholleted whicholleicd oITeled olleted a taiget target tint th1t that no rifleman , be he 'c\pert 'c c pert expert 'expert"or expertor ' ' \ " or not , was "as as " l1kel likely , } to miss-the miss the miss - the British Redcoats nedcoats ' So fiom flom from their cabins cabms In Buffalo Valley Ynlley and the theother theother theother other settlements along the ' " west est branch br'1nch br1nch ' of the theSucquelrenna theSusquehanna ucCueh'lnna ucCuehlnna Sucquelrenna : ) ' these backwoodsmen backoodsmen back\\ back \ oodsmen hastened hnstened to"un toSunbury to tounbury "un un Sunbury " unbury bur , } to em enioll entoll oil In the companyhlCh company \ which \\hlCh hlCh their theirneIghbor theirneighbor theirneighbor neIghbor , John Lodon Lo Low Lo\\ Lo \ don , was wns forming Lodon Low Lo\\ Lo \ don donh3d donhad donhad h3d had been beln born of Quaker QU'1ker QU1ker ' paients pnlents patents but apP'lrently apPlrently apparently apparentlyhe apP'lrentlyh ' h he vv \ is apostate to the doctiines dochlnes doctrines of the Societyof Societyor Society or of riends rlends friends I for he had h'ld hld hid ' fought as ns an ensign enlgn ' ) In Inthe Inthe Inthe the French rrench and Indian wai Wat war He was an Inn Innkeeper . keeper at Lancaster Lancactel : for a time hme , tlien then moved to toBuITalo toBuffalo toBuffalo BuITalo Buffalo Valley Yalle , } " where "here here he " was wes 1S ' a n leading le'ldlng leldlng ' member memberof memberof of the committee of correspondence correspondenceOn On June 25 23 Lodon Lovydons Low Lo\\ Lo \ don dons s commission as captain captainof of a rifle nfie company compan , } was W3S signed slgnel1 by President John JohnHancock JohnHancock JohnHancock Hancock and anel Secretary Charles Ch'lrles Chlrles ' Thomson of the theContlDental theContinental theContinental ContlDental Continental congress Four days later 13ter he be was waseadmg wasleading wasleading eadmg leading ] his company across acrose ; the river to Nor Northnmberland Northumberland Northumberland thnmberland thumberland to be S\\ S sworn Sorn \ orn Into the Continental Continentalservice Continentalservice Continentalservice service . . There they remained until unUl one dav day early earlyIn earlyin earlyIn In July \ when hen young Dick Grosvenor , the com company compnny cornpany pany pnny drummer , beat the long roll ron to summont summon summonCAPT f ' ' * t cF cFNy ' i ' /j j / jr jy j'tik Ny 9 v o 3 y + . r ? 'tik tik ' y w ' CAPT . SAM BRADYthem BRADY BRADYthem andEaston them to take up the march to n Reading ndlng and Easton journeyto and nnd from there start on the long journe journey , } to Boston BostonIn In the meantime congress had h1d hid passed another anotherresolution anotherresolution anotherresolution resolution Pennsylvaniato I'ennsylvanlato , directing the Colony of Pennsyh I'ennsylvanla Iennsylvanla ' anla anlato to raise \ two \ 0 more companies compnn1es , ' " which hlch , , " with "lth lth the thesI"t thesit thesit sI"t sIt " already authoilzed autholIzed authotized , were to be formed Into Inton intoa Intoa n a battalion and to be commanded by such of officcra offlcers flcers as the colonial colonhl coloni'tl colonitl ' assemble asstmblj assembly or convention conventionshould conventionshould conventionshould should recommend reeommend Even Byen before this " word "ord ord came cameout cameout cameout out of Philadelphia the rifle companiesere companies \ were \ere ere , being be be- being being - - Getty'stavern ing niled 11l1ed filled to the overflowing oyert1olIlg oyert1o\\ oyert1o \ " lIlg At Samuel 3muel Getty's Gettys Gett Getty'stavern Gettystavern : , 's s 'stavern ' tavern Gettysburgthe Inter ( ( later the hl historic torlc town to\\n to n \ " of Gctt Cettysburg burg ) , * tbe the York county men were vvcre rallying rnl1lng , } to the lead leadershIp leadership leadership ershIp of Capt Michael Mlchacl Doudel In Berks Ber1.s Ber1s . county they theyere countythey were \\ere ere \ ss : . swarming f\\nrmlng f nrmlng \ nrming Into Reading neadIng to enioll emoll entoll nndel under nndelCapt underCapt undeiCapt Capt . . George : - . Isagel r-.agel r.agel r .agel agel Iyagel In Northampton county countyrecruIting countyrecruiting countyrecrultins recruIting tor for Capt Abraham Abrnhnm Miller's Millers l\llller's l llller's llllers \ ' company company"as companywas companywas "as as was " going foiward forward fOl ward s swiftly " Irtly and from Bedford Bedfordcounty Bedfordcounty Bedfordcounty county in the west wcst came word that Capt Robert RobertCluggne's RobertCluggae's RobertCluggaoC's RobertCluggaoCs Cluggne's Cluggnes Cluggae's Cluggaes . ; ' men were almost reedy ready re'1d re1d ' to march marchCumbelland marchCumberland marchCumbeiland Cumbelland Cumberland county.1S county ' was \.1S .1S vvas \ . providing pro\Il1Ing pro Il1Ing \ two compa comps companles compsnies companicg nles nies , commanded by Capt C'lpt Clpt ' . . James Chambers anll and anllCapt andCapt andCapt Capt . . William Hendrlcks Hendricks HendrlcksIn HendricksIn endrIcks endrIcksIn In fact , so piompt plompt prompt had been the response of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Penns Pennsylvania , } h anh b'lck blck backwoodsmen ' woodsmen to the call callthat callthat callthat that on Jul July ) 11 congress \ " was vvas as notified tliat that t\\ t t0 tao tcompanies taocompanies twocompanies \ " 0 companies Instead Instco.ld Instcold . of one had been enlisted cnllsted In Lancaster InLancaster CaptMatthew county by Capt James Ross noss and Capt . . Matthew Smith and that the lllttaUon B ittallon tttalton of Rifle RIfle- RIflemen Riflemen Riflemen - - men , 'raised raised ' nlsed tor for the defense defcnse of American AmcrIcan Ub lIb . 'II II ' . . . t , f fj It fIt f ! j , / , i91If rs ditz Iditz # I y ' ! ft n I , , r rSi1if Si1if gf- gf gfS3'a - _ S3'a S3a ' ' L i i4R'F 4R'F 4RF 4R'Fs 4R'Fv ' / s - v v W\if/ W if WifQ \ : / , Q - WifA " ' A RIFLEMAN RIFLEMANb OF 1775 1775From ( From the Paintrng Painting b by y Cbappel Chappel ) erty and for opening epe1lIng repelling i 1 any hostile InvasIon InvasIonthereof invasionthereof Invasionthereof thereof ' " would "ould ould consist of nine companies They Theywere Theywere were ere to . .be be . be commanded by Col William Thomp Thompson Thompson Tbompson son of Carlisle C3rlIs1e with Edward d\\3rd d 3rd \ Hand H'1nd H1nd ' of Lancaster Lancasteras as lieuten heuten lreuten int lilt rat colonel and Robert nobert ? Magaw ll'lgnw lllgnw Mggaw ' as asmajor asmayor asmajor major mayor , all . "men men 'men " ' whose courage COUf'lge COUflge ' we ha have , e the thehighest thehighest thehighest highest opinion of " Each company comp'1n comp1n ' : , consisted of one captain c'lptaIn clptaIn ' , three threelIeutenantc threelieutenants threelieutenants lIeutenantc lieutenants : , four sergeants , four corporals corpor1ls , , n a ndrummer adrummer adrummer drummer or trumpeter , and 68 GS prh privates atce ; The cap caphln captin captain hln tin received recelyed $20 20 $ a 1 ' month , the lieutenants lIeuten'1nts lIeuten1nts ' $13 13 $13the 13the $ % , the seigcants selg'e'lnts selgelnts sergeants ' ' SS CS S the coiporals cOlporals corporals and the drummer drummeror or tiumpetci umpetel trumpeter tl $7/ $7 7 $7and $7 7 S7 $ % / , and the pilvates pllv'ltes pllvltes privates ' $6 6 $02A 02A $02AThese $ G2/ G2 G2These ; ' , / These Thece : ; riflemen ritIemen weie WCIC were a 1 ' i miscellaneous l111Scellaneou nnscellaneous lot The Themajorlt Themajority Themajority majorlt majority , ) of them " were "ere ere Irish , German Germ'ln Germln ' or Welsh Welshthe , the second generation gener'ltIon generltIon ' of some somc of the thousands thousandsof of Immigrants Immlgr'1nts Immlgr1nts ' " who "ho ho , in the early earh earls Seers years e'lrs elrs ' of the theEighteenth theEighteenth Ighteenth Eighteenth century had settled in WIllI'lm WIllIlm 1Villiam WIllI'lmPenn's 1VilliamPenn's WilliamPcnn's WilliamPcnns ' Penn's Penns ' colony Tlien Then , too , there were many de desccndants descendants descendants sccndants scendants of the Scots cots \ who ho had been drh driven en b by byreligious bvreligious , } religIOus perbccution perhecubon persecution from their natn native e high highI highlands highlands I lands In the Seventeenth century centUl , } , . ' Ihey 'lhey lhey Tliey had hadsought hadsought hadsought sought tempol'lrrefuge tempoiarv tempol'lr\ tempol'lr tempollr tempotirv ' \ refuge In the province promce pro\ pro \ mce of ofUlster ofUlster ofUlster Ulster , Ireland Irel'lnd Irellnd ' , vv \ whence hence 'between between ' the sears ears 1720 1720and 1720and |