Bedford Countians in the Revolution

The year was 1764. The colonists were getting tired of the British Parliment dictating what they could not do. They resented the Sugar Act which was passed to raise money for the Crown from all the colonies. Parliament also passed a law denying them the act of issuing paper money. These were but a few of the laws set down for all to follow.

One young colonist, James Otis took it upon himself to start a movement objecting to these acts. He publicized his ideas in pamphlets. His cry was 'taxation without representation’.

Next came the British Stamp act which was a direct tax levy on the colonies. Then came further decrees that Parliament had the right to legislate, not the colonies. Feelings ran high in Massachusetts. The flame finally burst in Boston when the two sides finally faced each other. When smoke cleared, several colonists were dead. We all know this event as the Boston Massacre. We remember from our school histories the Boston Tea Party of 1773 when a group of men, dressed as Indians, boarded an English ship in the Boston harbor and fed the English tea to the fishes.

The next step for the colonists was to call representatives from the colonies to Philadelphia. This was the first Continental Congress. In May 1775, Congress decided to raise an army from all colonies. Pennsylvania's quota was 4,300 men.

To carry out these steps, a Committee of Safety was established on June 30, 1775. This committee was made up prominent men from ten counties of Pennsylvania Bedford County was one of the ten. Bernard Daughterty was chosen from this county. Benjamin Franklin was elected president William Garret clerk and Michael Hillegass treasurer. (Michael Hillegass lived in Philadelphia at this time, however many of his descendants reside in Bedford County today).

The Commission also assigned the responsibility of providing most of the 4500 muskets to the various counties. Bedford County's quota was 100. They were to be provided, completed and delivered to the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania between October 1775 and April 1776. We have no way of knowing if the gunmakers fulfilled this assignment. We are certain two gunmakers, Jacob Saylor of Bedford Borough (1776) and William Jones (1777) and possibly a third made guns in Bedford County for this committee.

The guns were muzzle-loading flintlocks, fitted with bayonets. They were amazingly accurate over the old .72 or .80 caliber muskets of the British.

Robert Cluggage of Shirleysburg received a commission as Captain to recruit and form a company of men from Bedford County. We have to remember that Bedford County at that time consisted of what is now Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset Counties.

(Readers who are interested in the names of those who were in Cluggage's Company from Bedford County can find them listed on page 19-22 and 635-657 in the Pennsylvania Archives, fifth series, volume II, Volume IV pages 559-616 and Volume V pages 47-119, as well as in the Waterman's history of Bedford-Fulton-Somerset Counties.)

Among the names who answered the call were prominent men such as Colonels George Woods, Hugh Barclay, John and James Piper, David Espy, Robert Galbreaith, Thomas Smith and Charles Cessna; Majors John Cessna and Edward Coombs; Captains Thomas Paxton, Andrew Mann, Robert Cluggage, J.F. Moore, Samuel Davidson and many others of lesser military rank.

Colonel William Thompson was in command of the first unit to leave Bedford County. Thompson was the person who helped James Smith and his Black Boys in capturing Fort Bedford temporarily from the British in 1765 and releasing a number of prisoners who were suspected of destroying goods being sent from Philadelphia to the Indians in the west. Another important person in this unit was Robert Magaw of Carlisle. This man was the first attorney to practice law in Bedford County.

Cluggage's men arrived in Boston in time to take part in the fight there. On the way to Boston they were joined by another company of men at Reading. These Companies joined General Washington on August 8. The men assigned to Col. Thompson's Battalion Riflemen first engaged the British on November 9. They were posted upon Prospect Hill near Boston where they took their share of duty.

Two additional units were recruited from this county. They were under the command of Col. George Wood and Col. John Piper. The latter's brother Lieutenant James Piper, served with Gen. Washington. He was captured by the British in the Battle of Long Island. He died while in captivity.

Serving with Col. John Piper was Captain Richard Brown. He, too, was taken prisoner at Long Island. Even though this company suffered heavy losses at Princeton, they helped to capture the Hessians at Trenton. The company under Captain Richard Brown included many men from Somerset County area. Still another unit was recruited under Captain Mann. They came mostly from what is now Fulton County. They were with Washington at Valley Forge. Some of these men died there through the lack of medicinal supplies and extreme cold. The survivors of this terrible experience later took part in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown.

Captain Samuel Davidson's muster roll was dated March 22, 1776 and Captain Thomas Paxton's September 12, 1776. He was under the command of Col. George Woods in the Second Battalion.

Some of the men who were in the Second Regiment under Gen. Washington were later transferred to Col. Edward Hand's unit.

In one of Col. Hand's reports, written for September 23, he stated-" day before yesterday. Lieutenant McKenzie of the Bedford Company had his hat blown off by the wind of a cannon ball and a splinter hit a doctor and over-turned him. " Pennsylvania Archives, fifth series, volume II page 19 shows that Lt. McKenzie died February 12, 1776. We found two other notes made about the men from Bedford County. One soldier was killed when a musket was accidentally discharged. The owner of the weapon claimed he did not know it was loaded. In the second report, one of Col. Cluggage's men shot a soldier from another unit through the head for stabbing him.

Captain Cluggage was recommended for promotion to Major by Col. Hand. Even though his name was first on the list, Congress rejected the recommendation and appointed another man. Because of this rejection, Captain Cluggage resigned his commission.

On February 17, 1777 General Israel Putnam reported to the Council of Safety that "fifty of the Bedford County riflemen what I detatched from this place were with Col. Neilson- the whole officers and men belonging to that County and Militia of that state behaved with grand bravery, such as would do honor to veteran soldiers. "

Also, a military journal, issued at that time noted that "the men from Pennsylvania and Maryland were in remarkable condition for having traveled over 500 miles". Noted, too, was the fact that these men were excellent marksmen. Even at an advanced pace they could place their rifle balls in a seven inch target at 200 yards. These men were placed on front lines. Their accuracy accounted for the death of a number of British officers who exposed themselves to view.

Apparently some of the soldiers did not like military life too well and resented the authority of their officers. At one time 33 of Col. Thompson's men were courtmartialed for disobedience and mutinous behavior. Each man was sentenced to a fine of 20 shillings. The men must have had a close bond between them. On one or two occasions soldiers who were confined to a guardhouse were rescued by their friends.

The uniform worn by the Bedford County's company consisted of a white frock or shirt made of buckskin, embroidered with beads, a round hat, breeches leggins, boots, and a musket with bayonet. Each man had his leather bullet pouch, powderhorn, a wooden canteen, blanket, extra clothes and a ration of dried corn, maple sugar, meal cakes and jerked venison. Horses, when available, were used to carry the baggage, food and ammunition.

The battalion's banner is said to have been a deep green color which showed a tiger, a hunter with a spear and 'Domari Nolo' as its motto.

The history of the state and county indicated the majority of people were in favor of the idea of freedom and independence from King George III's rule. Those who wanted to remain under the King were called 'Tories.' Their decisions resulted in separation of relatives and close friends.

The men who entered into this war came from all walks of life. The rich, the poor, the educated and the ignorant men enlisted. However, these men who did not go, had their problems. The Indians of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio were now allies of the British. The savages, tories and renegades were burning homes and murdering those who remained.

The War Department, for the years of 1775 to 1783, estimated there were between 200,000 and 250,000 men in services, with more than 10,000 killed and wounded in the Army and about the same number of navy men were casualties, but only about 120 Marines were wounded and or killed.

At the close of the Revolutionary War, Colonels David Espy, Samuel Davidson and John Piper represented Bedford County at the Philadelphia Conference to form a new form of Government and end the British Control in this state.