?*' ./''^^'^ ■ ■•".*'""- "°^^^^-*" ./%■ ''•-**^'-' * o V 0^ ^"^^ A ^^'^^. HISTORICAL ADDRESSES AT CARLISLE, PA. At Unveiling of Molly Pitcher Monument June 28, 1916 2. In First Presbyterian Church July 4. 1915 -By- Hon. Edward W. Biddle Published Under the Auspices of the Hamilton Library Association 1916 Pi 5^ ' CzBs JLachttf rtuil 16 HISTORICAL ADDRESS AT THE UNVEILING OF MOLLY PITCHER MONUMENT IN CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA JUNE 28, 1916 -By- Hon. Edward W. Biddle It is certainly a great honor to have been select- ed on hehalf of the people of Carlisle to voice their appreciation and grati- tude to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for the erection of this beautiful monument. With the re- ception of it into our ven- erable comnmnity grave- yard, which was a gift from the Penns, there nec- essarily comes to us a sense of high responsibil- ity that it shall be scrupu- lously cared for and main- t c. in e d throughout all time. That this responsi- bility will be discharged in the fullest measure is amply guaranteed by the patriotic spirit of our citi- zens, as shown throughout the past 105 years. According to current accounts, a Ger- MOLLY man girl named Mary Ludwig came to PITCHER Carlisle from New Jersey in the early part of 1769 as a domestic servant, and on Julv 24 of that year was married to a young barber named John Hays, whose shop was adjacent to her place of employment. On December 1, 1775, her hus- band enlisted tor one year as a gunner in Proctor's Artillery, and in January, 1777, re-enlisted as a private in an infantry regiment commanded by Colonel, after- wards General, William Irvine of Carlisle. This regi- ment was at \'alley Forge during the dreadful winter of 1777-78, and it marched from there under Washing- ton in June, 1778, to take part in the battle of Mon- mouth. Mrs. Mary Hays, now famous as Molly Pitcher, who was then unknown to fame, remained in Carlisle until some time after the beginning of the K(^volution, and then went back to her home in New Jersey and later became connected with the battalion in which her husband was sei^ving. Where and when she joined the trooi)s is not stated. The prevailing story of her par- ON FIELD OF ticipatiou in the battle of Monmouth, MONMOUTH wliich took place on June 28, 1778, ex- actly 138 years ago, is known throughout the length and breadth of the United States. It was an extremely hot Sunday, and many of the soldiers of both armies perished from exhaustion and thirst. While the battle was going on Molly car- ried water to the Continental troops from a well in or- der to relieve their thirst, and the constant passing to and fro with a pitcher in her hand is what has given her the sobriquet by which she is known in history. The underground s])ring from wliich the water was ob- tained was conspicuously marked some years ago by two wooden signs erected beside it, on each of which was painted "Mollie Pitcher's Well. " Perhaps her services as water-carrier would soon have been forgotten if she had done nothing more on that day in aid of the great cause, but an even larger service was yet to come. As the fight raged, she dis- covered that her husband had been wounded and that there was no one to serve the cannon to which he had l)een detailed. 'She at once took his place at the gun and for the lialance of the day, so long as needed, acted as cannoneer. In commemoration of her heroic be- havior, upon one of the bronze tablets on the base of the handsome monumoiit which has been placed on the balth'lichl she is represented in the act of chaigiiig a cannon . 2 In four respects the battle was a notable A NOTABLE one. l^'irst, it was of greater magnitude BATTLE than any that succeeded it during the war down to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, although the losses in killed and wounded were surprisingly small. Second, it was then and there for the first time that the Ameri- cans were prepared to fight as well-disciplined troops, for previously they had been compelled to go into con- flict with little or no training. On Fe'bruary 23, 1778 there came to the forlorn and ragged soldiers at Val- ley Forge a splendid disciplinarian, Bar- BARON on Steuben, who had sei*ved under Fred- STEUBEN erick the Great during the Seven Years' War and had sailed to America to proffer his assistance to the struggling colonists. Congress promptly recognized his talents and appointed him In- spector General of the army, and he forthwith be- gan his work at Valley Forge by instructing the officers in tactics and requiring the soldiers to be constantly drilled. It was the incessant training instituted by the Baron that made possible the effective fighting of the Continentals on the plains of Monmouth, where for a time he personally commanded the left wing of the army. Third, In view of the recent alliance FRENCH with France and the fact that a French ALLIANCE fleet of 15 vessels was daily expected in the Delaware with 4,000 soldiers on board, it was a matter of supreme importance that the Continentals should conduct themselves in such a way as to inspire their now colleagues with confidence in ultimate victory. For over a year our people had looked with longing and hope to France for the assist- ance it was now sending, but in order to retain its friendship and active co-operation it was necessary to demonstrate the prowess of our troops. Priceless in- deed was the aid that France gave, and words cannot adequately express our obligations to that nation, which was destined to become a sister Kepublic, for the sol- diers and money she furnished to America in time of direst need. Fourth, Major General Charles Lee, GENERAL LEE next in rank to Washing-ton, was imme- DisMissED (jntely removed from the army and his baleful and exceedingly dangerous influ- ence brought to an end. It was only the timely ar- rival of Washington in the midst of the retreating troops of Lee, and his ordering their commander to the rear, that kept the British from scoring a signal vic- tory. General Lee, who was a "soldier of fortune", was court-martialed within a few weeks for his mis- conduct and suspended from command for a year, and was later dismissed. The evidence taken plainly in- dicated that he desired the battle to be lost and the blame laid on his superior officer, of whom he was jeal- ous, in order that perhaps he (Lee) might be chosen to replace him. Bancroft states that 229 Americans, RESULTS and over 400 British, were killed and OF BATTLE wouuded iu the engagement which lasted nearly all day, and more than 800 men deserted the latter's standard during their marcn through the Jerseys. The battle was a stand-off in results; yet when night came the British silently marched away, showing that they were unwilling to hazard further conflict en the morrow, and there .was great rejoicing in Congress and throughout the land. Colonel William Irvine of Carlisle, in whose house Mary Ludwig is said to have lived prior to her mar- riage, was in command of a regiment during the day and acquitted himself with his usual gallantry. After the war closed he moved elsewhere, and is not buried here. -^ It is reported that anotlier officer from THE Carlisle so distinguished liimself in the CUTLERS flght that he was thanked on the field ])y General Wa\Tie for his services, as pre- viously he had been thanked by (Jeneral Washington at l^randywine. This was Captain Tliomas Butler, one of five brothers whose father conducted a gun shop in a little stone house which is still standing on Dickinson Avenue in this town, all of whom served in tlu' Kevoluticm and were spoken of as "The fighting Butlers. " Four of them were officers in the battle of M()?niionlli. After the bovs haoth l)y land and water, and should have been evacuated without a fight when the other ))arts of the island were abandoned. How- ever, his connnanding general ordered otherwi.se, and after one of the most sanguinary battles of the war, in which more than 800 of the enemy were killed or wounded and Colonel ^Nfagaw disj)layed great bravery, he held a council with his officers and it was deter- mined to surrender. His name is inscribed on the ))illar of fame, and when the monument on the site of the fort was dedicated on November 16, 1901, one of the si)eakers said: "The most gaUant figure of the Revolution to my mind is Colonel Magaw." After being held in cai)tivity for four years, he returned to his ohl home and died here in January 1790. His funeral, as described in a contem}>orary newspaper, was probably the largest and most imjiosing that had ever taken place in Carlisle. Some time ago a ques- tion arose as to whether he was buried in this grave- yard or at Meeting House Springs, two miles away. Fn an able and carefully prepared paper on the sul)ject recently published by Dr. Charles F. Himes, it is clearly ]n-()ven th.at his remains are interred here, although by some mischance there is nothing to indi- cate tlu-ir location . ( )f the soldiers of that period who are CAPTAIN buried nearby, there is time to mention JOHN only one more, and he cannot with i)ro- STEEL pi'iety be omitted. Captain John Steel was a Presl)yterian minister in this sec- tion iVom \77y2 until his death in 1779, the last 20 years h.iving been spent in Carlisle. He was a natui'al leadei- niid lighter, having come from Ireland, and he vr ;s at times referred to as The Fighting Pai'son. AVben he was oHiciating in what is now Franklin County a number of his ))arishoners were brutally mur- dered by ilie Indians, and it bwanie customary foi- him- self and his congregation to go to church with loaded mnskets, prepared for an attack. In 1755 he was coinrriii^sioned as Captain of provincial troops, and as such conducted several expeditions against the Indians and was in command of one of the companies under Armstrong which attacked and destroyed Kittanning in 175G. At the outl)reak of the Revolution he i)rom])t- ly I'aised a company, but on account of age was cora- I^elled to confine his efforts principally to organizing and equipping the men. Are there 100, 200, 500 revolutionary UNKNOWN soldiers buried here? No one can tell. DEAD Few of their graves were ever marked, and fewer still are marked today, hence there are no data on which to base an estimate in re- l^ly to said query. A large number of men who be- came eminent in civil life likewise lie at rest in this ancient burying ground, yet owing to lack of time they .annot be referred to individually. Mention, how- ever, should be made of an apparently fragile upright stone, the oldest in the graveyard, upon which is re corded the death of Thomas Robb on May 2, 1757. For 159 years it has successfully resisted the inroads of the elements, and has stood erect during that long period in the performanec of the mission for which it was de- signed; yet in the meantime several generations of humanity have come and gone, have passed into eterni- ty in an ever-flowing stream and are for the most part classed, with the unknown dead. '- But what of Mrs. Mary Hays after the AFTERTHE battle of Monmoutlif It appears by the REVOLUTION tax list tliat at the close of the Revolu- tion she and her hus'band, who was then William (not John) Hays, were domiciled in Carlisle. Up to that point the account of her rests on tradition and legend, but her subsequent career can be traced with the aid of various records in the courthouse. In 1787 the husband died and about 1792 she married John McCauley, whose surname has been spelled in several different ways, who also died in the course of ten or twelve years. Left a widow at least a second time, she earned a living by hard manual work. In an old book in the County Commissioners' office con- taining entries of the daily payments made by the 9 Courity Treasurer, the following items of credit were found several years ag"o: Under date of March 21), 1811, "Molly McCalley, for washing and scrubbing the court, house in part — $15.00." Five days later she was paid the balance of her bill, amounting to $1.03. On August 5, 1818. an order which was duly paid was drawn in favor of "Molly McCawley & others, for cleaning, washing and whitewashing the public l)uild- ings — $22.36." These items furnish autlientic infor- mation concerning her manner of obtaining a liveli- hood at that period of her life. On February 21, 1822, an act of the PENSION Legislature of Pennsylvania was ap- GRANTED proved, entitled "An act for the relief of Molly M'Kolly for her services during the Revolutionary War," granting to her out of the State treasury $40 immediately, and an annuity of $40 l)ayable in half-yearly instalments. Numerous widows of soldiers were awarded pensions of a similar amount, but Molly is the only woman who was ever jilaced on the pension rolls of Pennsylvania because of lier own services. Rhe drew the annuity from the time it was granted until January 1, 1832. Her death occurred on January 22 NEWSPAPER 1832, and a notice of it appeared in each. NOTICE of the three Carlisle newspapers, that in the American Volunteer in its issue of Ja.nuary 26, 1832, being as follows: DIED, on Sunday last in this borough, at an advanced age, Mrs. Molly M'Cauley. She lived during the days of the American revolution, shared its hardships, and witnessed many scenes of "blood and carnage." To the sick and wounded she was an efficient aid; for which, and being the widow of an American hero, she received during the latter years of her life an annuity from the government. For upwards of forty years she resided in this borough, and was during that time rec- ognized as an honest, obliging and industrious woman. She has left numerous relatives to regret her decease ; who, with many others of her acquaintance, have a hope that her reward in the world to which she has gone, will far exceed that which she received in this. 10 Almost forty years have passed since FORTY yonder tombstone, erected to Molly YEARS AGO jr^itclicr on July 4, 1876, was dedicated with elaborate ceremonies. When the pro- ceedings here were concluded, the assemblage of sev- eral hundred people marched out to the fairground to partake of a lunch which had been prepared for them. In the afternoon there were patriotic services, a part of wliil Colonel Stanwix oi" tlio British army was engai^vd in diygiijo; entrenchments in its northeastern portion near wlu'i-e the (^arlisle Shoe Factory now stands, in the course of which enteri)rise he took out STONES FOR souie large stones. Evidently tlie de- CHURCH cision had been reached to utilize these in the construction of a commodious "meeting house", as the ))lace of worshi]) for Presby- terians was called in those days, and until lcS8o it was accepted as an established fact that the stones had been hauled here and at once ])ut in the walls of a new edi- five. However, in .January of 188.') Rev. .Iosei)h A. Murray delivered an address which was iiublished in 15)05, in which he cited conclusive evidence that the ac- tual erection of the church was not begun until 1709, and that it was not undei- roof until a few years later. Although exi)lanations of this ai)i)arent discrepancy have been suggested, the true solution is still a matter of conjecture. Oi-iginally there was no excavation be- neath the building, but after the lai)se of about a cen- tury a small cellar was dug under its eastern end for the accommodation of a furnace. The closing words of the letter were POLITICAL striking and signilicant: "We will wani PURPOSES lielp to this poiitical as well as religious work." Thus it was ex])ressly stated at tlie (Mitstart that the new structure wliicii Ai-msti-ong had in mind would be needed for two ])urposes, and useful indeed has the present building been in both re- spects- using tlie word political in the broad and prop- er sense of "))ertaining to the conduct of govei'ument. " '^riie speaker recently gave the following estimate of the writer of that letter: "Unquestionably he was the most commanding figui'c in this section of the State prioi' to 177(), due to his upi'ight and forceful character and tli<' gicat sei'vices he rcn(l('i'ut he was only one of a group of prominent men who clustered around the infant meeting house, most of whom were not connected with it by the tie of mein- luMship Pati'iotic assemblages wei'e )u>ld in this room from the time it was ready for ()ccu|>ancy, which 2 shows that the Scotch-Irish pioneers did not desire that its use should be confined to conventional religious ser- vices. The first pastor, known as Cap- CAPTAiN tain John Steel, who was occasionally JOHN STEEL stvled The Fighting Parson, performed military duty as captain of a company at various times from 1755 to 1777, when old age caused his retirement. One of the meeting houses un- der his care in the western part of the county was sur- rounded with a stockade, and the pastor and parishon- ers took their arms and ammunition with them to the services, that they might be prepared for a sudden at- tack by the Indians. It has been said of the churches of that day that whilst they had rough wooden pulpits, tliey had golden ministers, and this expression is par- ticularly applicable to Captain John Steel. The first political meeting known to POLITICAL have been held here was so very import- MEETiNG ant in its consequences, direct and indi- rect, that it has become an historic land- mark . It was the outcome of the famous incident that occurred in Boston on December 16, 1773, when a party of citizens disguised as Indians went upon three Eng- lish vessels lying in the harbor, and threw the contents of a number of chests of tea into the water, because of an import duty imposed thereon to enrich the British treasury. To punish this ''outrage", as it wns called, Parliament passed what has since been known as the "Boston Port Bill", under which Bos- ton's port was closed and its custom house transferred to Salem. The enforcement of that law would have paralyzed Boston's trade, hence her citizens at once sent an appeal to the people of all the colonies to unite with them in refusing to receive any importations whatever from Great Britain or the West Indies until the act should be repealed. The day upon which the law was to go into effect, June 1, 1774, was adopted throughout the countiy as one of fasting, humiliation and prayer, and later a convention of delegates from all the counties of Pennsylvania was called to meet in Pliiladelphia on July 15, 1774, to take appropriate ac- tion in the premises. In pursuance of said call, a meeting of citizens of Cumberland County was held in this room on rJuly 12, which endorsed the action of the people of Boston and ])rof1^'er.Hi tliem financial assistance; also appointed a committee of thirteen "to co-oi)erate in COMMITTEES everv i)ro))er measure conducing to the APPOINTED welfare of British America", and at the same time named three delegates to at- tend tlie Phi]adeli)hia convention on July 15. James W'lson, a })racticing lawyer of Carlisle, was placed at the head of both of these bodies, which immediately set out earnestly to accomplish the ends for which they were selected. Seven of the committee of thirteen were particularly eminent in their day and generation, and history records the services they rendered to their country. They were: James Wilson, who will be sj)oken of in a few minutes; General John Armstrong, already mentioned; John ^Montgomery, a strong power in civil affairs, who presided at the meeting and was an elder of the congregation; Generals William Irvine and William Thompson and Colonel Robert Magaw, ♦ inguished officers in the Revolution; and P]phraim Blaine, C^ommissary General of the Continental army. Of these men, each of whom is worthy of JAMES a separate notice, there is time only to re- wiLSON for specially to James AVilson, who was launched into public life at the meeting of July 12, and who afterwards became the most illus- trious man that has ever dwelt within the limits of this town. II(» was one of the immortal Signers of the Declaration of Independence; eleven years later he liel])ed to frame and signed the Constitution of the United States: three years after that he performed the same service in conn<'ction with Pennsylvania's Con- stitution of 17110, having in the meanwiiile in 17S5) been appointed by Washington a member of the Supreme (\mrt of the TTnited States. He had the high distinc- tion of being one of only six u\ou who signed l)oth of the first named documents, and perhajis the still liigher di -:!.'nction of being the only man who signed all tiiree. The Declaration as is well known was largely the pro- duct of one mind, that of Thomas JelTerson, and it re- ceived merely some verbal changes at the hands of his colleagues; but the two constitutions, both in substance 4 and in expression, severally represented the result of the thought and debate of many delegates during the period of about four months in the one ease, and three months in the other. Of the splendid convention of men that prepared the Federal Constitution, it is be- lieved that Wilson was the best equipped for the tasK before them because of his previous profound study of the underlying principles of government, and that probably he exercised more influence than than any other over the deliberations. In the work of the k^tate convention, his was the dominating intellect. It will be appropriate in this connec- GECOND tion to mention an interesting ceremony BURIAL which the speaker attended in Philadel- phia. In November, 1906, the remains of James AVilson were brought to that city from Eden- ton, North Carolina, where pursued by creditors he was reported to have died of a broken heart in 1798. The casket containing his ashes was deposited in state for a portion of two days in Independence Hall, the scene of his greatest triumphs. It was there that as Congressman for several terms he frequently had made the walls resound with his impassioned oratory — there he had signed the Declaration of Independence — there he had debated and appended his name to the Consti- tution of the United States. In the afternoon of the second day he was conveyed to Christ Church, with the Supreme Court of the United States acting as honorary pallbearers, followed by a long procession of noted men. After the delivery of high tributes to his learn- ing and the inestimable services he had rendered to his adopted country, his body was lowered into a grave in the old churchyard by the side of his wife. Those who marched to Christ Church on that bright Novem- ber afternoon in 1906, to pay tardy homage to the mem- ory of the eminent statesman and jurist, composed one of the most distinguished bodies of men ever assembled in this country. On July 5, 1785, almost exactly 130 DOCTOR years ago, Rev. Dr. Charles Nisbet, the NisEET first President of Dickinson College, who had just arrived from Scotland, took his oath of office and oath of allegiance to the United States hi this room amidst an enthusiastic demonstra- tion. A larijo dologation of civilians, attpnoilini;- Springs and escorted him to town on the evening of the pre- vious day, for the peojile were in a state of exuherant excitement and joy over this final step in the establish- m:>nt of a college in their midst. On Sunday, October 4, 1794, General GENERAL AVashiugton with his staff attended di- WASHiNGTON vine service here during a week's stay in Carlisle, while on their way to Pitts hurgh to quell the Whiskey Insurrection. They list- ened to an admirable sermon by the pastor, Rev. Dr. Robert Davidson, ])rinted cojjies of whicli are still i)re- served. On tlie })revious Tiuirsday even- GovERNOR ing Governor Thomas Mifflin, who had MIFFLIN come to Carlisle to take jiart in prepar- ing for the military exi^edition to Pitts- burgh, had delivered an animated address here to a large audience, i)resumal)ly in 'l)ehalf of maintaining oi'der and sustaining the authorities in the enforcement of the law. These few references to some of the con- spicuous men and events of the 18th century can read- ily be supplemented by any diligent student who may see fit to i>ursue the subject. At tlie time of Washington's visit and JUDGE for many years afterwards one of the HAMILTON most forceful men in the community was James Hamilton, who was a ])ewholder and a .steadfast su])porter of this church tlii-ougiiout his whole adult life, in the latter i^art of which lie was President Judge of three counties, including Cumber- land. Notwithstanding that he was a stern and aris- toci'atic man, he was ))i-obal)ly also a credulous and timid one, and a tradition has been preserved in I'en- nett Bellman's History of the Bar to tlie effect that a certain criminal, having been convicted before him for murder, was executed in due form and the corjjse de- livered to relatives for burial near his home in the south mountain. A few days subsecpiently the sheriff reported to Judge Hamilton that the man had been re- vived by the jolting he received on the I'ough country I'o.'kIs, Mild that lie was lying in wait in the I'cccsscs of the nioiiiilain to attack tlic jii-lge who sentenced him, 6 when lie passed that way in traveling the circuit, "flow long was the condemned left hanging!" asked the Judge nervously. "Fifteen minutes, your Honor. " "That was too short a time entirely", exclaimed the Judge with vehemence; "In Ireland they're hung for an hour and a half — and then, to make sure, they're decapitated." It should be a matter of local pride that this church has always been available for metings in the interest of the people, and that there has been no nar- row sectarianism to bar the way. Surrounded as we are with the conveniences and luxuries UNCERTAIN of modem life, it is hard to realize the OUTLOOK troubles and uncertainties that oppress- ed the men of whom we have been speaking. They did not know, could not know, whether a Democratic government would prove last- ing — whether the structure they were rearing was founded upon a rock or upon sand. Montesquieu, who is considered by some to have been the most as- tute political thinker of all time, had affirmed that a Repu'blic could not long exist in a large country — be- cause the difficulties of intercourse were so great that the widely separated sections -would necessarily di- verge from each other in customs and in interests, and would inevitably split apart. As conditions then were, this observation was true; but happily as time went on human genius has supplied the links to bind to- gether the distant parts, and the locomotives and tele- graph lines, in conjunction with the modern printing presses, have facilitated communication to an extent that has kept us a homogeneous people and thereby doubtless saved from disaster the Great Republic, so well begun by our forefathers. It is obvious that this is a very suit- HiSTORic able spot on which to hold an Independ- SPOT ence Day celebration, because it was so closely associated with the stir- ring events which moulded the destiny of our coun- try. Let us hope that for generations to come it will remain, as it has been in the past, an open forum for poMticai discussion; for in that, after all, lies one of the principal safeguards of civil liberty. 7 3477-134 55 *^ ^^% ^^^*' /\ '^^iW.' ^^" -^^ -A ^yr O , * . . o ' »^ "^Z -^t %.^ i^\ %/ ^£^ "'^^ ^ V » • • , f o.o' ,0 'V, "' 1,r .. ^ ^^^*' ^^''^'^ '->^%^^*' '^^^'''^^,*^ ./S. ^^^'v ^ ^msr %/ ^^v^^. ^^^^^^ /^^^^ \./ ,.> V. \. /?.* / "^^ ^^^ = V//'-K O.XJ' V^ >C ■Q? »<> »:t. jp-n*..