10
COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES
the W est B ran ch; Bosley’s M ills, on the Chillisquaque, now the site o f Washingtonvilie, Montour county; F o rt Freeland, on W arrior run, four miles above its m outh; Fort Meninger, at the mouth o f W arrior ru n; Boone's M ill, seven miles from Fort Freeland, at the mouth o f M uddy ru n; and Fort Sw artz, about one mile above Milton. These old forts were mainly designed to afford temporary shelter to the settlers from the raids of the Indians. In time of war they were regularly garrisoned by rangers. One o f Uie methods o f defense, which had been brought to Am erica by natives o f Europe, and form erly one of the weapons of the Romans, w as the use of the "caltrop” or "crow sfoot,” an iron instrument having four barbed points, which projected in all directions, so that when thrown on the ground at least one point stood upright. These implements were a great deterrent to the barefooted or moccasin-clad savage, and the unfortunate who stepped on one of them soon gave evidence o f his pres ence. A fte r the cessation o f hostilities the settlers frequently complained of the presence of these barbs in their pastures, where cattle would get them fastened in their feet, the rusty iron oBcn causing inflammation and death. It is unnecessar)' to describe the forts out side o f Columbia and Montour counties, as they have little bearing on local history, so w c will simply detail the origin, history and ultimate fate of the forts which were erected within tl)c present limits of the two counties. In relating the history of these forts the nar rative would be in co i^ leie without a brief sketch o f Moses V an Ounpen, the builder o f two of them. H e grew to manhood and first came into prominence as a member of Col. John K elly s contmand on B ig Isle, on the W est Branch of the Susquelmnna, in 1 7 7 7 . In 1 7 7 8 he had been promoted from orderly'ser geant to lieutenant, and in that year built Fort W hcclcr. In 1 7 7 9 he did scouting duty for Sullivan’s army near Tioga. In 1 7 8 0 he was captured by Indians, his father, brother and uncle killed, and he. I'cter Pence and Abram Pike carried into captivity. One night they rose, and after killing nine of their captors and wounding the remaining one made their escape. In 1 7 8 1 V an Campcn spent the sum mer in scouting and the winter in guarding British prisoners. In J 7 8 2 he marched with Robinson's rangers, of which he was a lieu tenant, back to Northumberland, and after a few days’ rest wa.s ordered to build Fort Muncy. I.ater he w as sent to B ig Isle, where he was attacked by a large body o f Indians
and captured. H e w as sold to the English and remained in captivity for some time, but at last exchanged, returned home to recuper ate. and then was sent to W ilkes-Barre, where he remained until the close of the w ar. He removed to N ew Y o rk State in 1795, and there, after an active life as surveyor and engineer, he died at the advanced age o f ninetytwo. FOKT JE N K IN S
T his fort was erected in the fall o f 177 7, or during the winter and the early spring o f 1778, and w as simply a stockade around the home o f a M r. Jenkins, one of the first settlers. Its size w as 60 by 80 feet and it stood on the North Branch of the Susquehanna in Centre township, midway between Berwick and Bloomsburg. T h e old canal passes between its site and the river. A heavily wooded island .stood in the river directly opposite, but re peated floods have long ago destroyed it. Soon a fte r the building of the stockade the fort was garrisoned by thirty men, under Colonel H artley. Col. Adam Hublcy, who succeeded him. marched the garrison away, and County Lieutenant Colonel Hunter fu r nished sufficient men to hold the fort tmtil the arrival o f Col. Ludw ig W cltner and the G er man battalion. T he latter held the post until 1 7 ^, when they departed to assist m the de fense o f Forts Rice and .Augusta. Soon after wards a party o f T ories and Indians came by w ay o f Knob mountain, and finding the fort deserted set fire to it and the surrounding buildings. A fte r peace had been declared M r. Jenkins sold the land on which the fort had stood to Jam es Wilson, one of the signers of the Decla ration o f Independence, who sold il lo Capt. Frederick H ill. The latter moved onto it, built a dwelling on the site of the fort and kept a tavern there, calling it the "F o rt Jenkins Inn.” His son Jacob succeeded him and conducted the tavern for a time, but was converted at a Methodist revival and aban doned the sale o f liquor to take up farming. Charles F . H ill, the son. followed as owner. Charles S . Y o rk s is the owner o f Fort Jenkins in 1 9 1 4 . PORT WHEFXER
In A pril. 1 7 7 8, Lieut. M oses V an Campen began the building o f Fort Tieeler, on the farm o f Isaiah Wheeler, on the banks o f F ish ing creek, about three miles above the present
