house on the land for the purpose of carrying on trade with the Indians. In addition they were to defend themselves and those who might go on the land under them-as well as their possessions-"against all enemies whatsoever." As we have previously shown (see page 444) Ogden had already been established for a number of years in Wyoming as a trader. About the first of January, 1769, Governor Penn addressed to Messrs. Stewart, Ogden and Jennings, aforementioned, the following communication (see "Pennsylvania Archives," First Series, XII: 51): "There being occasion, as soon as may be, to settle the Proprietary manors at Wyoming, on both sides the East Branch of the Susquehanna-which you have signified your inclination to undertake-you may give such settlers, as you may think proper to invite there, the strongest assurances that each shall have a lease for seven years of 100 acres of bottom-land, with wood-land sufficient to support their plantation, upon paying the acknowledgment of an ear of Indian corn per annum-if the same be demanded. And at the end of the term, if the Proprietaries incline to sell the lands, the settlers shall have the refusal-in case they incline to give as much as other people; and if the Proprietaries do not incline to sell, but to rent, the said settlers shall have the preference of others-in case they will give as good a rent as others offer. "And the said settlers, on their parts, must undertake to defend their possessions against all persons as shall unlawfully and without authority intrude upon the said manors or any other of the Proprietary lands in their neighborhood; and shall do their utmost, and give their best assistance to magistrates and others, in a lawful manner to exclude and remove such unlawful intruders or settlers from off the lands of the Proprietaries, or others, on which they shall so unlawfully intrude or settle. That they shall build upon, and improve in the best manner they are capable, their said plantations; and at the end of the term shall deliver up their plantations to the said Proprietaries, their officers or agents, in good repair.” Captain Ogden, who was already on the ground in Wyoming, at his trading-house, was soon joined here by Charles Stewart and John Jennings, accompanied by a number of men from the south-eastern part of Northampton County and the Province of New Jersey whose intention it was to become lessees, or tenants, of some of the Proprietary lands at Wyoming. Stewart, Ogden and Jennings selected their 100 acres (which they were to occupy and improve under a Proprietary lease, as previously noted) at the mouth of Mill Creek-lying within the Manor of Stoke, at its north corner, and being a part of the land occupied and improved by the settlers under The Susquehanna Company in 1762 and 1763. There-on, or very near, the site of the block-house which had been erected by the New Englanders and destroyed by either the Indians or the troops under Major Clayton, as we have previously shownthese men proceeded to erect a small block-house, which was soon ready for occupancy, and to which, from the old store-house near the bend of the river (see page 445), Captain Ogden removed his goods and other belongings. Preparations were then made, as expeditiously as possible, to survey and lease, to the various persons deemed desirable and "proper," hundredacre lots on the flats, or plains (see pages 49 and 50), in what are now the townships of Wilkes-Barré, Hanover, Kingston and Plymouth; together with "wood-lots" in other localities within the bounds of "Stoke" and "Sunbury"--according to the regulations and terms laid down by Governor Penn in his letter to Stewart, Ogden and Jennings. And, in order that the business of land-lotting at Wyoming might be facilitated, Charles Stewart was soon appointed by Surveyor General Lukens a Deputy Surveyor of the Province. There were many applicants for the rich and fertile Wyoming lands, and by the end of January, 1769, a considerable number of leases had been duly executed, and the lessees had "manned their rights." Col. Timothy Pickering stated in 1798 (see Miner's "Wyoming," page 106) that he had "seen among the Proprietaries' papers a list of forty or fifty [men] who purchased on the express condition of defending, in arms, the possession of these [Wyoming] lands from the Connecticut claimants." In Chapter XI, in connection with the events of the years 1770 and 1771, will be found the names of a number of those to whom lands in "Stoke" and "Sunbury" were either leased or sold, in 1769 and the years mentioned above, by the authorized agents of the Proprietaries. CHAPTER VIII. THE SETTLEMENT AT WYOMING RENEWED BY THE SUSQUEHANNA COMPANY-MAJ. JOHN DURKEE AND THE "SONS OF LIBERTY”—FORT DURKEE ERECTED-THE FIVE "SETTLING-TOWNS"— WILKES-BARRÉ LAID OUT AND NAMED-SOME FACTS RELATIVE TO THE WRITING AND PRONUNCIA- "And who were they, our fathers? In their veins Her holiest, teaching, in her holiest fanes, The lore that led to martyrdom; and when And their toil-bells woke up our thousand hills and dales, Within a very short time after the signing of the Fort Stanwix Treaty the fact that some of the Six Nation chiefs had, concurrently, executed a deed for the Wyoming lands in favor of the Pennsylvania Proprietaries, became known to the Executive Committee of The Susquehanna Company. A majority of the committee got together as soon as it was convenient for them to do so, and, after discussing the situation, prepared the following "advertisement," which was published in The New London Gazette December 2, 1768, in the Connecticut Courant (Hartford) some days later, and in the Pennsylvania Chronicle and Universal Advertiser (Philadelphia) December 19, 1768. "WHEREAS, the lands formerly purchased by the New England people and others (commonly called THE SUSQUEHANNA COMPANY) of the Six Nations of Indians, and lying on Susquehanna River, are within the grant made to the Governor and Company of the Colony of Connecticut, in the most plain and legal construction thereof; and His Majesty's prohibition as to the settling of those lands pointing out the dissatisfaction and disturbance that such settlement might occasion to those Indians as the only reason of such prohibition; and, as in consequence of His Majesty's order at the late congress at Fort Stanwix, such precautions have been taken as to obviate any fresh troubles with the Indians; and the Indians being now quieted and satisfied-it appears that nothing reasonable lies in the way against the Susquehanna purchasers going on and settling those lands, purchased by them (lying within the line settled with the Indians at said congress), as soon as conveniently may be. These are therefore to give notice to the said SUSQUEHANNA COMPANY to meet at Hartford, in the Colony of Connecticut, on the 28th day of December next, then and there to consult and act what they see fit and convenient as to carrying on such settlement-and any other business that may be thought proper to be done at said meeting. "Windham, November 28, 1768. [Signed] "ELIPHALET DYER, "JEDIDIAH ELDERKIN,* Committee." *JEDIDIAH ELDERKIN was born at Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, in 1717, the second child and eldest son of John and Susanna (Baker) Elderkin. John Elderkin-the third of the name-was the grandson of John Elderkin the first, who was born in 1616 (presumably in England) and became the progenitor of all who bear that surname in this country. John Elderkin, 1st, was settled at Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1637; but before 1650 he had removed to New London, Connecticut, He ultimately settled in Norwich, where a grant of land was made to him in 1667. He was a carpenter and mill-wright, and built the first meeting-house at New London and the first grist-mill at Norwich. He was twice married-his second wife, to whom he was married about 1660, being Elizabeth, widow of William Gaylord of Windsor, Connecticut. John Elderkin, 1st, died at Norwich June 23, 1687. Jedidiah Elderkin became a lawyer about 1740, and August 31, 1741, was married to Anne Wood of Norwich. In 1744 they removed to the town of Windham (mentioned on page 249), taking up their residence at the "Green," where they were next-door neighbors to Eliphalet Dyer. There Mr. Elderkin continued to practise law, and in the course of a few years had acquired, for that period, an extensive clientage. "Elderkin and Dyer were unquestionably the leading lawyers of eastern Connecticut, and their fame was not confined to their own section. Elderkin was about four years the senior of Dyer." In May, 1751, Jedidiah Elderkin first sat in the General Assembly of Connecticut as one of the two. Deputies from the town of Windham. He was also in attendance at the October session of that year, and thereafter he represented his town in the Assembly for sixteen years-although not continuously. In May, 1755, he was appointed and commissioned by the General Assembly a Justice of the Peace in and for the County of Windham, and in that office he was continued, by successive appointments, for a period of thirty years. He was, as previously noted, one of the organizers of The Susquehanna Company in 1754. In 1774, and perhaps earlier, he was King's Attorney in and for Windham County. In October, 1754, he was "established" and commissioned Ensign of the 1st Company, or Train-band, in the 5th Regiment, Connecticut Militia, and in October, 1759, was promoted Major of the regiment. In October, 1774, he was commissioned by the General Assembly Lieutenant Colonel of the 5th Regiment, "to succeed Eliphalet Dyer, promoted," and in the following March was promoted Colonel of the regiment "in room of Eliph alet Dyer, resigned." The 5th Regiment, at that time, was composed of companies located in the towns of Windham, Mansfield and Ashford. In January, 1776, Colonel Elderkin was appointed by the General Assembly to go to Salisbury to procure the casting of cannon for the State; and in May, 1776, as previously noted (on page 283), he was appointed a member of the Connecticut "Council of Safety." Of that body he remained a member during the continuance of the war, rendering important services to his country and his State in their hours of greatest need and peril. He was an ardent patriot. At a special session of the General Assembly of Connecticut in December, 1775, it was enacted that a bounty of £30 should be paid by the Colony to the person who would erect the first powder-mill in the Colony and manufacture 500 pounds of good, merchantable gunpowder. At the same session liberty was given Colonel Elderkin and Nathaniel Wales, Jr. (herein before mentioned), to erect a powder-mill in the town of Windham. The mill was built without delay, at what is now the city of Willimantic, then a hamlet of some half-dozen houses, and before May, 1776, Messrs. Elderkin and Wales had manufactured 1,000 pounds of powder-for which they were paid the promised bounty. This mill was totally destroyed by an explosion, December 13, 1777. November 2, 1775, Colonel Elderkin was directed by Governor Trumbull and the Council of the Colony to proceed to New London, accompanied by Major Dawes, of Norwich, and such engineers of General Washington's army as the Governor would be able to engage, "in order to view the circumstances of the harbor and port of New London and neighboring places, and consider of the most proper places and manner of fortifying the same against the enemy-according to the Act of Assembly." The harbor of New London was then (as it is now) not only one of the finest on the Atlantic coast of this country, but, next to New York and Philadelphia, was the most important. Major Dawes declined to perform the service desired of him, and no engineers could be procured; consequently Colonel Elderkin went to New London alone to do the work. Accompanied by some of the principal gentlemen of the town he visited Mammicock Island, Winthrop's Point, Groton and other places, and viewed the old-time works of defense standing there. November 15, 1775, he made a lengthy and interesting report to the Governor, which is printed in full in "American Archives," Fourth Series, III: 1560-2. The closing paragraph reads as follows: "So far as I can judge it is of the utmost importance to secure the port and harbor of New London from falling into the hands of our enemies-which will be an asylum for ships, vessels of force, floating batteries, &c., that may be by the Continent, or any particular Government, built for the protection of our sea-coasts or country. If left destitute of protection, and should fall into the hands of our enemies, it would let them into the bowels of our country and give them great advantage against us." Just one year later Colonel Elderkin and Nathaniel Wales, Jr., were directed by the Council of Safety to go to New London and do everything in their power "to send out the ship Oliver Cromwell on a cruise." December 9, 1776, the Council of Safety resolved that, "Colonel Elderkin not being in suitable circumstances to march with the 5th Regiment in the present emergency, the command be given, for the emergency, to Major Brown." The last important public service performed by Colonel Elderkin was as a member of the Connecticut convention which met at Hartford in January, 1788, to ratify the Constitution of the United States. He died at Windham March 3, 1793, and his wife died there June 14, 1804, aged eighty-three years. Col. Jedidiah and Anne (Wood) Elderkin were the parents of nine children, the eldest of whom, Judith Elderkin (born March 2, 1743), became the wife of Jabez Huntington, at one time Sheriff of Windham County. Another daughter, Anne Elderkin, was married to Jabez Clark (born November 2, 1753), son of Dr. John and Jerusha (Huntington) Clark, and grandson of Col. Jabez Huntington (mentioned on page 280) and his first wife, Elizabeth Edwards. Charlotte, a daughter of Jabez and Anne (Elderkin) Clark, became the wife of the Hon. Samuel Huntington Perkins of Philadelphia. Charlotte Elderkin (born October 23, 1764), eighth child of Colonel Elderkin, became the wife of Samuel Gray, Jr., as mentioned on page 293. Vine Elderkin, the second child and eldest son of Colonel Elderkin, was born at Windham September 11, 1745. At the age of eighteen he was graduated at Yale College as a Bachelor of Arts, in the same class (1763) with Ebenezer Gray, mentioned on page 292. In 1766 he received the degree of Master of Arts from his Alma Mater. He studied law with his father and located as a lawyer in his native town, where he was married November 23, 1767, to Lydia, third daughter of the Rev. Stephen and Mary (Dyer) White and niece of Col. Eliphalet Dyer. (See page 393.) The Rev. Stephen White was a graduate of Yale College, and in 1767 had been for some years pastor of the Congregational Church at Windham. In 1769 Vine Elderkin was here in Wyoming Valley, taking an active part in attempting to establish The Susquehanna Company's settlements. At the breaking out of the Revolutionary War he was engaged in mercantile business in New York, but returning to Connecticut he was, in June, 1776, commissioned Captain of the 7th Company of the 1st Battalion of Connecticut Militia, sent to the relief of the army in and near New York City. In October, 1776 (see "Records of the State of Connecticut," I: 13), he was appointed by the General Assembly of Connecticut "Captain in one of the eight battalions now ordered to be raised." Returning with his company from New York (their term of service having expired) in November or December, 1776, he accepted his new appointment and was commissioned Captain of a company in the 7th Regiment of the Connecticut Line. With this organization he served from January to November, 1777. In 1778 he was on duty in Massachusetts as an officer of the Commissary Department. About 1794 he again removed to the State of New York, and, in the vicinity of West Point, on the Hudson, had charge of an iron-foundry. He died at the residence of one of his daughters in Greenbush (East Albany), New York, August 5, 1800. He was the father of five daughters and two sons. His daughter Mary Ann Elderkin became the wife of Henry Clark (born May 4, 1766), a younger brother of her father's sister's husband, Jabez Clark, previously mentioned. There is said to have occurred in the town of Windham, nearly 150 years ago, an amusing incident which has often been celebrated in song and in story. With this "old Colony tale"-entitled "The Frogs of Windham"-the names of Colonels Jedidiah Elderkin and Eliphalet Dyer are inseparably connected. One dark and dismal night in July, 1758, the peaceful inhabitants of Windham were aroused from sleep about midnight by what seemed to be the yells and whoops of Indians in the distance. Many swore that. at intervals, they heard called out these words: "Colonel Dyer, and Elderkin, too!" "Colonel Dyer, and Elderkin, too! But, we will let Samuel Peters tell the story, as he gives it in his "History of Connecticut," published in 1781. It runs, in part, as follows: "The town of Windham * * has plenty of brooks, ponds and marshes in its neighborhood. Strangers are very much terrified at the hideous noise made on Summer evenings by the vast number of frogs in the brooks and stagnant ponds. There are about thirty different voices, commonly, some of which resemble the bellowing of a bull. The owls and whip-poor-wills complete the rough concert, which may be heard several miles. Persons accustomed to such serenades are not disturbed by them, but one night in July, 1758, the frogs of an artificial pond about five miles from Windham [Green], finding the waters dried up, left the place in a body and marched, or rather hopped, towards Winnomantic River. They were under the necessity of taking the road and going through the town, which they entered about midnight. The bull-frogs were the leaders, and the pipers followed without number. They filled the road forty yards wide for four miles in length, and were, for several hours in passing through the town, unusually clamorous. "The inhabitants were equally perplexed and frightened-some expected to find an army of French and Indians; others feared an earthquake, and dissolution of nature. The consternation was universal. Old and young, male and female, fled naked from their beds with, if possible, worse shriekings than those of the frogs. The event was fatal to several women. The men-after a flight of half a mile, in which they met with many broken shins-finding no enemies in pursuit of them, made a halt and summoned resolution enough to venture back to their wives and children; when they distinctly heard from the enemy's camp these words: 'Wight, Helderken, Dier, Tètè!' This last, they thought, meant treaty; and, plucking up courage, they sent a triumvirate to capitulate with the supposed French and Indians. These three men approached in their shirts, and begged to speak with the General; but it being dark, and no answer given, they were sorely agitated for some time betwixt hope and fear. At length, however, they discovered that the dreaded inimical army was an army of thirsty frogs, going to the river for a little water." Miss Ellen Larned, in her "History of Windham County," says: "Nor was the report of the Windham panic confined to its own county. Even without the aid of newspapers and pictorial illustrations it was borne to every part of the land. It was sung in song and ballad; it was related in histories; it served as a standing joke in all circles and seasons. * * The Windham bull-frogs have achieved a world-wide reputation, and with Rome's goose, Putnam's wolf, and a few other favored animals, will ever hold a place in popular memory and favor." The following poetical account of the Windham frog-scare was published in The Providence Gazette (Rhode Island) a good many years ago. "When these free States were Colonies Unto the mother Nation, And in Connecticut the good Old 'Blue Laws' were in fashion, "A circumstance which there occurred "You all have seen, as I presume, Those strange amphibious quadrupeds "Well, in Connecticut, 'tis said, By those who make pretensions To truth, those creatures often grow To marvellous dimensions. "One night, in July, '58, They left their home behind 'em- "The cause was this: The Summer's sun "All in a regiment they hopped, "When they in sight of Windham came, They held their course straight tow`rds the same "You know such kind of creatures are Thus they, impelled by hunger, were "Up flew the windows, one and all, "The children cried, the women screamed: "A few, upon the first alarm, Had armed themselves-to go forth "Away they went, across the lots Hats, caps and wigs were scattered, And heads were broke and shoes were lost, "Thus, having gained a mile or two- "They thought upon their hapless wives, "Among the property which they Had brought with them to save it, "Such as were armed, in order ranged, "There might have been among them all How many pitchforks, scythes and flails, |