Above is an undated colorized post card view of a model of Fort Augusta on River Front Drive, Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Also above is a drawing of Fort Halifax, at the Susquehanna River, near present-day Halifax, Dauphin County.
Early Colonial history in the area known today as Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, is told by Joseph H. Zerbey in Volume 4 of his History of Pottsville and Schuylkill County, beginning on page 1617. The book is available as a free download from the Internet Archive.
Today, some of the terminology used by Zerbey is considered racist, e.g., the words “savage” or “red men” to describe Indians. It is very rare in the time period that this was written to find any writings sympathetic to Indians.
Note: Millersburg was a village in Bethel Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. The name was changed to Bethel Village around 1900.
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CHAPTER 5
FRONTIER FORTS BETWEEN THE SUSQUEHANNA & SCHUYLKILL RIVERS
The desertion of the habitations north of the Blue Mountain in what is now Pine Grove Township, virtually made the Blue Mountains the limit of settlement. They formed a natural barrier to the hostile Indians and the Provincial government utilized its recesses and gaps for purposes of defense.
Parties of Indians ranging from three to thirty carried their cruel and bitter warfare to the border, striking down their defenseless and unsuspecting victims without mercy, and disappearing immediately after their horrible work had been completed. This mode of warfare necessitated the erection of a chain of forts and watch-houses within easy distance from each other along the frontier.
Upon the occurrence of the first Massacres in 1755, block houses were erected by the settlers themselves or farm houses converted into places of refuge.
A volunteer militia was organized by Colonel Weiser, and detachments were assigned to the various watch houses under officers chosen for the emergency. Adam Reed, the Justice of the Peace, who resided at Harpers and Peter Heydrick, who lived near Inwood were commissioned captains and had charge of the improvised defenses at Manada and Swatara Gaps. William Parsons, who lived near Bethel was temporarily in charge of the watch-houses in Monroe Valley and at Dietrick Six‘s place on the Shamokin Road.
In 1756 a chain of forts was established by the Provincial Government along the Blue Mountains from the Susquehanna to the Delaware, at distances of from ten to fifteen miles apart, depending largely upon the trails traversed by the Indians as well as the principal gaps in the mountain.
In addition to these regular forts, farmhouses were used as auxiliary stations of defense. These subsidiary places were most numerous between the Swatara and Schuylkill. The soldiers who garrisoned the forts were Provincial troops and members of the First battalion of the Pennsylvania regiment under the command of the brave and energetic Colonel Weiser.
The chain of forts between the Susquehanna and Schuylkill comprised Fort Harris, at what is now Harrisburg; Fort Hunter, where Fishing Creek and the Susquehanna join; Manada Fort at Manada Gap, about 14 miles west from Inwood; Fort Swatara at Swatara Gap, near Inwood Station; Fort Henry on the Millersburg Road near the southerly base of the mountain, and about a mile east of Round Top; Fort Northkill at the southerly base of the mountain on the road from Strausstown to Hammond Station; Fort Dietrick Snyder on the same road but located at the top of the mountain, and Fort Lebanon (or Fort William) situated on the road between Auburn and Pine Dale.
The forts served as headquarters from which squads deployed regularly to range the country. These patrols were made daily along the Blue Mountain from the Susquehanna to the Delaware Rivers, thus keeping up constant intercourse between the forts.
The forts were mainly constructed of logs or planks. Block house of varying sizes served as quarters for the troops. The stockades were designed for the outer defense and were either made of plank or heavy split timber. Bothe the block-houses and stockades were pierced with loop-holes for musketry firing. In the larger forts a platform was built around the interior of the stockade from which the watch was kept and the firing took place.
For the garrisoning of the different forts and block houses, and also for operations against the Indians, the Provincial government organized a regiment of troops called the “Pennsylvania regiment” of which the Governor himself was colonel and commander-in-chief. It was divided into three battalions. The first battalion, commanded by Col. Weiser, comprised ten companies and about five hundred men. This battalion guarded the territory along the Blue Mountains between the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers.
In the early history of the regiment the term of enlistment did not exceed one year, but continued outrages by the Indians necessitated a longer term, so that after the first enlistment expired the term was lengthened to three years.
Soon after the regiment was organized in 1756, the various company commanders were assigned the work of erecting defenses under the supervision of Col. Weiser and Major William Parsons.
FORT MANADA
The first defense east of the Susquehanna along the Blue Mountains was Fort Manada at Manada Gap. At this point in the Blue Mountains, there is a break in the series of ranges known as the First Mountain, the Second, Third, Fourth and Peter’s Mountain. Manada Gap is the passage in the first mountain where Manada Creek flows through. It was here that the Indian trail let through to Indian Town, thence Cold Spring, to Clarks Valley and Lykens Valley, where it converged with the more important trail that led to Shamokin.
At the entrance of the gap was the site of Robinson Mill. This was used was a place of first defense, but it was located too near the mountain to be of great value as a refuge and shelter for the protection of the settlers. Consequently when Captain Frederick Smith was assigned to relieve Captain Adam Reed on January 26, 1756, he ordered a detachment of his provincials to proceed to Manada Gap to either strengthen the old stockade erected by the settlers under the direction of Adam Reed, or erect a new one. On arriving there they found the stockade partly finished. With the aid of the settlers, trees were cut and split and the work completed. The house within the stockade was enlarged and strengthened. The fort stood about three quarters of a mile below the gap and about one-half mile southeast from the Methodist meeting house, sometimes known as “Moonshine Church.”
Capt. Smith also utilized “Brown’s Fort” to garrison a squad of men during the harvest season of 1756.
It was at Fort Manada that Andrew Lycan, and a group of several other settlers sought refuge on the 8th of March 1756, after a spirited clash with a party of Indians. Lycan, for whom Lykens and the Lykens Valley are named, lived on a clearing near the present site of Lykens.
FORT SWATARA (a. k. a. FORT SMITH)
Another important defense was Fort Swatara, which commanded the gap of the Swatara at Inwood. It was erected on the farm of Peter Heydrick, about three-quarters of a mile southwest of Inwood Station. The site had been selected several months previous by Capt. Heydrick and Squire Reed. When Capt. Frederick Smith took command in January of 1756, he not only enlarged the original fort, but improved the defense by erecting a stockade, which afforded protection to the block house. This latter building was Heydrick’s home, and was converted into a barracks for housing the company of Provincial soldiers.
FORT HENRY
Simultaneous with the erection of Fort Swatara or Fort Smith as it is sometimes called, Fort Henry was erected under the direction of Captain Christian Busse, the commandant. Capt. Busse, previous to entering the Provincial service had been a physician at Reading.
Fort Henry stood in what is now a cultivated field on what was then the farm of Dietrick Six. It was situated in Bethel Township, Berks County, in what for many years was known as “The Hollow,” about three miles north of the present village of the present village of Millersburg, and about fifty yards to the east of the old Shamokin (Millersburg) Road which leads over the mountain. The spot was elevated and commanded and unexcelled view of the Millersburg Road, both up and down the Blue Mountain, and of the beautiful valley to the west. A small stream of water, originating at the spring back of the fort ran along its edge. About one mile west of the fort, Round Top Mountain rises prominently casting its long shadow over the plain that stretched westerly from its base to the fort.
The fort was one of the largest and most formidable of the chain of defenses along the Blue Mountain.
On February 1, 1756, Gov. Morris wrote to Gov. Dinwiddie of Virginia explaining his arrangements for a chain of forts, and says of those between the Susquehanna and Delaware: “ye most considerable of them is built at an importand Pass thro’ ye Kittahteny Hills, on our Northern Frontier, and I have called it Fort Henry.”
In a letter to Col. George Washington he wrote: “on the East side of the Susquehanna the Forts are about ten or twelve miles assunder among which the most considerable is Fort Henry, at a pass through the mountains, called Tolihalo.”
He wrote a letter to general William Shirley on February 9, 1756, in which he outlined the work undertaken for the defense of the province, and mentioned the prominence of Fort Henry. He stated:
“On the east side of the Susquehanna, between that and the Delaware, are three forts at three of the most important passes through the mountains, the principal and only regular one is at a pass called Tolihido, which I have named Fort Allen and Fort Lebanon, and between these and in the same range there are small Staccados erected at the distance of about ten miles from each other, and the whole are garrisoned with companies and detachments from fifty to twenty men each according as the placed are situated, and are of more or less importance. The troops stationed here are to employ themselves in ranging the woods.”
Captain Christian Busse took command of the fort, January 25th, 1756, and promptly proceeded to build a stockade of sone and timber. The block house was enlarged so that accommodations were provided for nearly two hundred people. The fort was completed before July, about forty men being engaged in the work.
Of the forts along the Blue Mountain Fort Henry was mostly associated with the early settlers of the township sought a haven during the troublesome years of the French and Indian War.
Interesting accounts of the old structure have come down to us from the recollections of the late Samuel Filbert. He recalled seeing the remains of the old structure in his youth. The stockade, he observed, was built of heavy timber on four sides. On the inside, it was fortified with a stone wall of loose masonry that rose several feet above the ground. The top of the wall was covered with earth and afforded a path for the watch. Port holes were provided on all four sides. Some of the old settlers remembered the block house, which stood, inside. This was made of rough hewn logs.
With the approach of the harvest season in July of 1756, Col. Weiser anticipated serious difficulty with the enemy. In order to forestall great damage to the ripening crops, measures were taken by him to afford protection to the farmers during the harvest.
A conference of Provincial officers was held at Fort Henry on July 9th. In a report of it to the Governor, Col. Weiser wrote:
“Immediately after my return from Philadelphia, I sent orders to the Captains Busse, Morgan and Smith, to meet me at Fort Henry on the 9th of this instant, to consult together over certain measures, how to oppose the enemy of killing the people in reaping and gathering in their harvest. The evening before, to wit; on the 8th of this instant, Mr. Young arrived with your Honours orders to me, I therefore set out next morning about five o’clock for Fort Henry, in company with Mr. Young, as far as Benjamin Spyckers. I arrived at Fort Henry by ten o’clock. Capt. Busse met me with an escort of eight men on horse back, about six miles on this side of Fort Henry; about twelve o’clock the Captains Morgan and Smith arrived. I immediately made your Honours orders known to them, and the following disposition was made; that eight men of Capt. Smith’s company shall assist the people in the Hole (the place where twice murder was committed) to gather in their harvest, and stay over night in the Moravian house; eight of his men to range westward of his Fort under the Hill, and if occasion require to be stationed in two parties to guard the reapers; sixteen men are to be in and about the Fort to help and protect the neighbors, but constantly ten out of the sixteen are to stay in the Fort; nine men are to stay constantly in Manity Fort, and six men to range eastward from Manity towards Swatare, and six men to range westward toward Susquehanna; each party so far that they may reach their Fort again before night. Capt. Busse’s company stationed as follows: ten men at Bernhard Tridels, next to the Moravians, eight men at Casper Snebelies, six men at Daniel Shue‘s or Peter Klop‘s. All these are westward of Fort Henry. Eastwards Capt. Busse is to post four men at Jacob Stein‘s, three men at Ulrich Spies, six men at the widow Kendal, the rest, consisting of nineteen men, to remain in the Fort. Capt. Morgan’s company, as follows: six men to range from the little Fort on the Northkill, westward to the Emericks, and stay there if the people unite to work together in their harvest, six men to range eastward on the same footing, eight men to stay in that Fort, fifteen men are to stay in Fort Lebanon, eight men to protect the people over the hill in harvest time, ten men to range constantly eastward or westward, and if the people return to their plantations thereabouts to protect those first that join together to do their work.
“All the aforesaid men are posted as much in a range as was possible, and would suite the settlement best.
“Your Honour will observe that there is not men enough left in the Forts to change or relieve the men on duty, but scarce sufficient to keep the Forts, and send provisions to the several posts.
“I did propose the Captains to make a draft of about twenty-five men out of the three companies, and sent them over the hills to a certain place on Kind Creek, to lie in ambush there for the enemy, for about ten days, but the large frontier which they have to guard with their men, would not admit of it at this time, so I was therefore obliged to give over that point.
“A great number of the back inhabitants came to the Fort that day, and cried out for guards. Their situation is indeed desperate. About forty men from Tulpehocken have been out for their protection, but they got soon tired, and rose disputes and quarrels in order to get home again.”
In June of 1757, Fort Henry was honored by a visit from Governor Denny, the successor of Governor Morris. Previous to the visit of the governor the Provincial Government had been advised of a threatened attack on Fort Augusta and possible attacks on the frontier forts along the Blue Mountain. It was just at a time when the terms of enlistment of the garrison at Fort Augusta were expiring and the officers were experiencing considerable difficulty in persuading more that 4 men to re-enlist. Meanwhile Col. Weiser was ordered to send three companies of Provincial troops to Fort Augusta at Shamokin to re-enforce the garrison at that fort. This threatened to leave the frontier forts along the Blue Mountain without a sufficient force of soldiers to provide protection to the settlers south of the Blue Mountain.
Governor Denny was at Lancaster when he was informed of the situation at Fort Augusts and immediately proceeded to go into Berks County to induce enlistments into the Provincial service. When the governor arrived at Fort Henry he found a large gathering of men, who voiced their grievances. With the support of the magistrates, they refused to serve under the Provincial officers, insisting upon choosing their own. This, it was later discovered, had been suggested to them at Lancaster by some of the Commissioners and Assemblymen, who led them to believe that it was a very valuable privilege.
In recording his experiences, the governor wrote”
“Intending to go to Fort Henry, the only garrison my time would allow me to visit, I desired Col. Weiser to acquaint the leaders of these infatuated people, that I should ne glad they would come and speak with me at the Fort. Accordingly about fifty substantial free-holders, well mounted and armed, joined the escort and attended me to Fort Henry, where I had an opportunity of undeceiving them. Convinced of their error, they presented me a very respectful address, assuring me of their desire to have a proper militia law, and that they were determined under such a law to serve and do their duty to their King and Country. Forty instantly were enlisted by Col. Weiser out of this neighborhood, and a magistrate about twenty miles off wrote me he had enlisted forty more.”
Col. Weiser recognized that the withdrawal of troops from the frontier forts for the protection of Fort Augusta, would leave the country below the Blue Mountain without protection. Intrusions by hostile Indians at that time caused him to write Governor Denny on October 1, 1757 urging him to order the three companies, previously withdrawn for the defense of Fort Augusta, to return to their former stations. He mentions that “The enemy is numerous on the frontiers and that the people in the neighborhood of the forts were deserting their habitations.”
In a letter to Secretary Peters three days later he stated that conditions had become so disturbing along the frontier that murders were being committed almost daily. He also spoke of the demoralized condition of the people, who were leaving their farms, with barns full of grain gathered during the recent harvest season.
The reports that came daily to the governor convinced him of the need of proper enforcements for the frontier along the Blue Mountain and early in November of that year Capt. Busse, who had been seriously ill at Fort Harris was ordered to rejoin his command at Fort Augusta and return to Fort Henry. While Capt. Busse was ill at Fort Harris, Col. Weiser took time from his strenuous labors to pay him a visit. While he was there he was informed of the capture of a French deserter at Fort Henry. He immediately dispatched word to his sone, Samuel Weiser, who was in command at Fort Swatara to take a detachment of men and proceed to Fort Henry and then escort the prisoner to Col. Weiser’s home in Heidelberg, where he was examined. The prisoner was Michael Chauviguerie Jr., an eighteen-years old youth, who had been given command of a party of thirty-three Indians. They had been sent out on a marauding expedition. He became separated from them and after wandering around for several days went to Fort Henry and surrendered himself.
In February of 1758, James Burd made a tour of inspection of the various forts for the Provincial Government. In his journal under date of February 21st, he stated that he left Fort Swatara at one o’clock in the afternoon and started for Fort Henry. He reached the fort in the late afternoon after traveling over almost impassable roads. He immediately ordered a review of the garrison for the next morning at 9 o’clock. Capt. Samuel Weiser was in command of the fort when he arrived. The other officers were Adjutant Kern and the Ensigns Biddle and Craighead. The garrison comprised about 90 men. The review and inspection showed an amply supply of provisions for the garrison, but the rest of the supplies were alarmingly low. There was no powder; only 224 pounds of lead and no flints. The rifles were pronounced good for nothing.
The apparent shortage of arms and powder continued into the summer and was made the subject of a letter from Capt. Busse to Col. Weiser complaining that he could not conduct a proper defense against the Indians, who were ravaging the neighborhood constantly.
The year 1758 practically brings to a close the recorded history of Fort Henry. This is coincident with the withdrawal of the Indians and their French allies from the eastern part of the state, and comparative quiet reigned along the frontier until 1763 when the new outbreak under Pontiac occurred. During the intervening years, the fort was maintained by a small garrison of Provincial troops.
In 1763, a detachment of militia was stationed at Fort Henry to protect the region against a recurrence of the outrages that were associated with the region from 1755 to 1759. With the withdrawal of the troops in 1763, the fort was no longer occupied and gradually went to ruin.
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.