1786 AUTHENTIC ORIGINAL REVOLUTIONARY WAR DEPRECIATION CERTIFICATE FOR JACOB MURRAY of MAGAW'S PENNSYLVANIA REGIMENT (5TH & 6TH Regiment). Reads as follows: " IN COUNCIL - PHILADELPHIA - APRIL 10TH, 1786 - SIR - PAY TO JACOB MURRAY PRIVATE OF MAGAW'S REGIMENT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE, OR HIS ORDER, THE SUM OF ONE pound Four Shillings being Two year's interest on his depreciation certificate, due the tenth day of April 1786, agreeably to an Act of the General Assembly, passed the twenty-first day of March 1783 and one other Act, passed the twenty-fifth of March 1786 and out of the funds appropriated by the said Acts, for the purposes therein mentioned - To David Rittenhouse, Esquire, Treasurer. SIGNED by Cha. ( Charles ) BIDDLE, V. P. of Pennsylvania, Counter signed on the side M. NICHOLSON also on the reverse side by Simon FISHBAUGH. Great condition. Measures 8" x 6 1/2". Insured USPS delivery in the Continental US.
Robert Magaw (1738 – January 7, 1790) was an American politician and lawyer from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, who served as a colonel in the Continental Army during the U.S. Revolutionary War.
Early life and education
Robert was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1738.[1] His parents, William and Elizabeth Magaw, had earlier immigrated from Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland, to the eastern shore of Maryland. He later settled in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and practiced law there. His brother was the Rev. Samuel Magaw.
The 6th Pennsylvania Regiment, first known as the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion, was a unit of the United States of America (U.S.) Army, raised December 9, 1775, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the New York Campaign, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth, and Green Spring. The regiment was disbanded on January 1, 1783.
Establishment
The regiment was authorized in December 1775 as the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion. The regiment participated in the unsuccessful defense of New York City and was captured in part at Fort Washington on November 16, 1776, along with its commander, Colonel Robert Magaw. On January 1, 1777, the survivors of the 5th Battalion, along with exchanged prisoners and new recruits, were reorganized into the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment. Most of the regiment's men were recruited from Berks and Chester counties, although many came from Philadelphia and as far away as Northumberland County.
During 1777, the regiment participated in the Philadelphia Campaign and fought at the Battles of Brandywine (September 11) and Germantown (October 4). At Brandywine, the women of the 6th Pennsylvania were cited for their bravery under fire while bringing water to the men. The regiment spent the winter of 1777–78 at Valley Forge and took part in the Battle of Monmouth (June 28) the following summer.
In 1779, the light infantry company of the 6th Pennsylvania was part of the Corps of Light Infantry commanded by "Mad" Anthony Wayne that stormed the British fortifications at Stony Point, NY (July 16). The regiment spent the rest of the year in garrison at West Point and probably wintered at Morristown. The next year, the regiment took part in a number of small engagements in New Jersey and again wintered at Morristown. On New Year's Day, 1781, members of the 6th Pennsylvania joined the mutiny of the Pennsylvania regiments then quartered at Morristown. After a settlement was reached, the regiment was furloughed at Trenton on January 17. Soldiers remaining in the regiment were reassigned to other units and eventually sent south to take part in the Yorktown Campaign. The regiment was officially disbanded in January, 1783, although in reality, no regiment had existed since 1781.
However, historian Mark Boatner asserts that on 26 May 1781 Wayne went south with 1,000 men and six guns of the 2nd, 5th, and 6th Pennsylvania and the 4th Continental Artillery Regiment. They joined Gilbert Motier, marquis de La Fayette in Virginia on 10 June.[1] Colonel Richard Humpton led his troops at the Battle of Green Spring on 6 July, though on this occasion, Boatner refers to the unit as a battalion.[2]
Brief History of the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment
November 16, 1776 – Formerly known as the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion the entire unit was captured at Fort Washington, New York. The enlisted men were held by the British until December 26, 1776, when they were set free on parole.
January to June 1777 – During this period the unit was reorganized as the 6th Regiment with Colonel Henry Bicker as its commander. Many of the men who served in 1776 reenlisted and to these were added new recruits to fill out the regiment. In June the men refused to report at camp for duty as they thought they were still on parole and had not been properly exchanged. These concerns were overcome and the regiment joined the army later in the month.
June 26, 1777 – As part of Lord Stirling's Division the regiment probably joined the army in time to participate in the battle of Short Hills.
July to August 1777 – With the rest of Washington's army the 6th Regiment marched back and forth across New Jersey and into New York and Pennsylvania while trying to ascertain the destination of General Howe's army, which had embarked on the British fleet. During this time the brigade under General Thomas Conway, to which the 6th Regiment belonged, was reputed to be "the best instructed and disciplined" in the army. This was in spite of the fact that he "is detested by the officers of his brigade... because he makes his brigade work and personally drills and instructs it, instead of leaving it idle in camp.
September 11, 1777 – Stirling's Division takes part in the action on the right of Washington's army during the Battle of Brandywine. During the afternoon the forces under General John Sullivan fought with the enemy for almost two hours near Birmingham Meeting House. In this contest "Lord Sterling's Division & particularly Conway's Brigade" were seen to have "remarkably distinguished themselves." It was during this action that the "wives of several of the soldiers belonging to the 6th Pennsylvania Regiment.. took the empty canteens of their husbands and friends and returned them filled with water...during the hottest part of the engagement, although frequently cautioned as to the danger of coming into the line of fire."
October 4, 1777 – Brigadier General Thomas Conway's 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade, consisting of the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th Pennsylvania Regiments, was chosen to lead the main column of Washington's army in the attack on the British at the Battle of Germantown. Leading the assault column, Captain Jacob Bower's company of the 6th Pennsylvania attacked the British pickets at Mount Airy.[3] Conway's Brigade continued to attack and eventually drove "the enemy a mile and a half below Chew's house" before being forced to retire. At least one company of the regiment joined in the assaults on the Chew House and lost a number of men.
December 19, 1777 – After an encampment of almost six weeks at Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania, the army moved into its winter quarters at Valley Forge where they would remain for the next six months. It was here that they received a new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Josiah Harmar, on January 1, 1778. Harmar would remain in this position until 1780. After the war he became the Commander of the First American Regiment, for a time they only infantry unit in the fledgling army of the independent United States.
Career
Magaw served several years in the militia, and when the war broke out he was made a colonel in command of the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion.
During the New York campaign he was in command of the U.S. garrison at Fort Washington. He was forced to surrender it, and became a prisoner on November 16, 1776. Based on his parole he was set at liberty in New York City, but could not leave the city until he was exchanged. This did not happen until October 1780.
Personal life
While a prisoner on parole, Magaw met and courted Marritje Van Brunt (1762–1803) of Kings County, New York. They married in April 1779, and would later have two children.
Later life and death
After he was exchanged, he returned home to New Carlisle and continued his law practice. He served two years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1781–1782) and was for many years a trustee of Dickinson College. He died at home in Carlisle on January 7, 1790. After his death, Marritje returned to New York to live with their son, Robert Van Brunt Magaw, at Gravesend.
Depreciation Lands is the historical term used for a tract of land in Western Pennsylvania, which was purchased by the Pennsylvania's state government from Native Americans in 1784. The Depreciation Lands, which were split by surveyors, encompassed land from the Ohio River to the south, all the way north the mouth of Mahoning Creek (then known as Mogulbughtiton Creek), bounded by the east by the Allegheny River, and stretching to the state border in the west. The borders of many boroughs and townships are still to this day Depreciation lines, drawn by the original surveyors.
History
The Depreciation Lands were a tract of land within a part of western Pennsylvania that was purchased by the Commonwealth from Native Americans in 1784. The area was located west of the Allegheny River, north of the Ohio River, and was bordered to the north by the east–west line that stretched from the mouth of Mahoning Creek (then known as Mogulbughtiton Creek) to the western border of Pennsylvania.[1]
Before the time of the purchase, The Six Nations used the area for hunting, though the area was mostly uninhabited, save for a small village of ~50 cabins north of what is now Ambridge.[2] The purchased land was subdivided into two sections: the Donation Lands and the Depreciation lands. The Donation Lands were farther north than the Depreciation Lands, and were given to each Pennsylvania Line soldier and officer who served in the Continental Army to the end of the Revolutionary War. The remaining Depreciation Lands were given for redemption of depreciation certificates, which were given to soldiers in exchange for their received military pay in depreciated currency.[3]
The Depreciation Lands were divided into five districts from west to east, and eight surveyors were appointed to lay out the land in lots of 200 to 350 acres. From east to west, the surveyors were A. McClean, Major Daniel Leet, Nathaniel Breading, William Alexander, Samuel Nicholson, Samuel Jones, Colonel James Cunningham, and Colonel Joshua Elder.[4][5][6] Despite the effort of the Pennsylvania Legislature, the Depreciation Lands were not all sold to deserving veterans. Many sold their depreciation certificates to speculators, and some of the surveyors themselves used their inside information to acquire valuable land.[2]
The Depreciation Lands still have their mark on modern boroughs and townships, whose borders are still based on the Depreciation lines drawn by the original surveyors.[2]
Depreciation Certificates
During the Revolutionary War, the soldiers of the Continental Army were paid by the Continental Congress with paper money known as Continental Currency. At first, it was backed by gold, but as the war continued more and more paper money was printed with no gold to back it, and this caused the money to depreciate in value. By the end of the war, Continental Currency was virtually worthless, which inspired the expression "Not worth a Continental."[7] The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania helped their poorly paid soldiers by issuing Certificates of Depreciation that could be used for the purchase of land. An Act of the Pennsylvania Legislature passed March 12, 1783, provided for the purchase of the lands still owned by the "Indians" in western Pennsylvania and their sale or donation to veterans.[8]
Early life
Biddle was born to a wealthy old Quaker family on December 24, 1745, in Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania in what was then British America. He was the son of William Biddle, 3rd (1698–1756) and Mary (née Scull) Biddle (1709–1789). His siblings included: Lydia Biddle, who married William Macfunn; John ”Jacky” Biddle, who married Sophia Boone; Edward Biddle, a lawyer, soldier, delegate to the Continental Congress,[1] who married Elizabeth Ross, sister of George Ross; Charles Biddle, and Nicholas Biddle, Revolutionary War Navy captain.[2]
As a youth, Biddle was a schoolmate and close friend of Mathias Aspden and Founding Father Benjamin Rush.[3]
Career
American Revolutionary War
During the American Revolutionary War, Biddle was a captain in the merchant service and participated in the work around of the British fleet's blockade of American ports. He volunteered in the Quaker Light Infantry and, in 1778, he served under his brother, Commodore Nicholas Biddle, aboard the USS Randolph.[4]
Political career
Biddle served as Vice President of Pennsylvania, also known as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, from October 10, 1785, until October 31, 1787.[5] He served under John Dickinson and Benjamin Franklin and hosted George Washington.[6]
During his term, he was an ex officio trustee of the University of the State of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pennsylvania). He was a member of the Pennsylvania Senate from 1810 to 1814.[7] He also was an associate of Aaron Burr, having introduced Burr to his wife Theodosia shortly after the death of her first husband, Jacques Marcus Prevost.[8]
Although Biddle vacated his seat at Council on October 13, 1787, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania records that his Vice-Presidential term extended to October 31, the date of the next Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections. Biddle was elected Secretary of the Council on October 23.
SIMON FISHBAUGH
During his meeting with Krauland and Snyder, McKelvey recalled a phone call he received a few years ago from a man, Neal Bronder, who had been conducting research about the Boy Scouts and their summer retreats.
“He is originally from western Pennsylvania, and he asked me if I knew anything about a Boy Scout camp there,” said McKelvey, adding that Bronder paid a visit to the grounds with him before showing up at his office with various newspaper archives.
In his research, Bronder called attention to receipt of the property in 1904 by Allegheny River Mining Co. (ARMC).
The original patent for the land was given to Simon Fishbaugh in 1786, according to Bronder’s research.
“The tract of land was part of certain lands set aside for the purpose of redeeming and paying off the Certificates of Depreciation given to the officers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line in the Revolutionary War and was designated Depreciation Lot No. 87,” Bronder wrote in the research he gathered from newspaper archives.
“The original patent was named Liberty Hall,” he also wrote.
Camp dons name with Native American roots
The camp was reportedly dubbed Camp Koo-Wa-Ho- Ke by the Boy Scouts of Kittanning and Ford City, as they felt the need to select a name that would not only have historical roots, but was also adapted to the camp’s environment.
In the language of the Lenape, the area’s earliest inhabitants, Koo-Wa-Ho- Ke translates to “among the pines.”
Concerning scouting, McKelvey said, the activity didn’t seem to gain traction at the site until after World War I.
“A lot of people were concerned at that time that young boys weren’t around men very much in terms of learning vital outdoor skills,” he said.
Company agrees to construct camp
Some of the founding fathers of Armstrong County, in support of scouting, McKelvey said, brainstormed the idea of establishing one of these camps on the land they owned.
“There was a 210-acre property that was untouched,” McKelvey said. “Dwight C. Morgan and some of the others decided that’s what they would do, so Allegheny River Mining agreed to build a camp on what is now Glade Run.”
Morgan, who was president of ARMC, served on the camp’s executive committee with several influential people in the area.
According to local newspaper records, the executive committee also consisted of men such as Judge J. W. King, Prof. W. W. Irwin and the Rev. J. E. Dunning, among others.
Summer stays for Scouts become a tradition
After the camp was founded, between 30 and 40 Scouts would spend up to two weeks there in the summer, McKelvey said.