DEPOSITION OF LEONARD McGLASHAN, &c., 1765
Cumberland County, ss.
Personally appeared before me, One of His Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said County, the Following Persons, Vizt.
Leonard McGlashan, Serjeant, Duncan Cameron, Corpl, John McGill, George Sutherland, John McDonald, Senior, John McDonald, younder, Angus McKay, Donald McKay, John Corbitt, John Dure, John Cruckshanks, and Lachlin McKinon, Soldiers of the 42d Regt.,
Whome being all Sworn on the Holy Evangelisht of Almighty God, Disposeth, that on the 6th of March, 1765, that the above mention’d Serjt. McGlashan, with the aforesaid party, was Orderd by Lieut. Charles Grant, Commanding Fort Loudoun, about 9 o’Clock that Night to proceed on to Sidling Hill, where the Goods were Destroy’d, to protect and Bring back to this Fort any part of said Goods that Could be found, and an party that I should meet that seemed Likely to have been at the Distroying of said Goods, I was to make prisoners of them, or as man of them as I Could, and bring them to this Fort.
I proceeded with my party, and at the Entrance of the Gap which leads over the Mountain to the Great Coave, about 12 o’Clock at Night I mett with a party of Men, to the Number of Seven, who Run off upon their Perceiving us; I Called to them severall times to Stop but to no purpose’ Some of them had new Blanketts about them, it being moonlight we could Plainly Discern them, which Blanketts we Lookd upon to be part of the Goods that we were sent to protect’ they Running away in the Confused Manner that they did, together with the Blanketts which they had about them, Gave me Great Reason to believe that these People had a hand in Destroying the Goods, Consequently I gave order to persue them, which was Done, and about half way up the Mountain made one prisoner, which I myself took with two Rifles in his hand, & one other prisoner taken by some off the party.
These two prisoners I Committed to the Care of the Corporall and four Men in the Rear of my Party, while I Proceeded in the front, and at the Top of the Mountain, the Corporal in the Rear, perceiving some people Creeping thro the Woods Called to the front, upon which Turned Back and Gave Chace to them thro the Woods, upon which there were two Shots fired by some of the party Contrary to my Orders, I then proceeded to the Great Coave to the House of Willm McConnel, it Being the place where the Rioters Rendesvouzed at the Day they Burnt the Goods, as we was Inform’d, I thought in all probability I might find some of them there, consequently on my arrival at the said House I made strict Enquiry, and Esamined Every Body in the House, but finding no Reason to suspect any of the, it being a publick Inn. I Left the Corporal and four Men there to take Cae of the prisoners, while I, with the Rest of my party Proceeded to the Ground where the Goods were destroyd, at which place we arrived about Six o’Clock in the Morning of the seventh Instant, and found a few Horse Loads of Rum untouched, but the dry Goods in Ashes, the former I brought Back with me to the Coave, from whence I sett out with my party (and two prisoners made the Night before) to Fort Loudoun, when at or near the place that the prisoner, taken by Serjt. McGlashan, was found a Scalping Knife supposed to be part of the Goods, and on this side of the Mountain, much about the same place where I mett the people in Blanketts the Night before, I was met by four Country Men under Arms, one of whome asked me where I had been, I told them in the Coave; he asked me what Business brought me there, I ansered, on the King’s Service. Ask’d me if I did not make some prisoners, I told them I had made two; ask’d me what they were made prisoners for, I answered, for Destroying the King’s Goods; asked me where I was Determined to bring them to, I answered to Fort Loudoun; he say’d they should not be Brought to Loudoun untill he would know for what, to which I make answerd, that as he seemed Determined to Resuce them I would make him prisoner as well as them, which I did accordingly, (Corporal Cameron and two off the party being Left in the Rear had not opportunity of hearing the said Conversation Between the Serjeant and the Country People) and upon my making him a prisoner, there then appeared a party off about Fifty Men, (as Near as we could gues) all Armed, with their thumbs upon the locks of their Guns and Presented at me and my party, one of wich swore Blodily that he would Shoot me through the Heart, in Consequence of which I Cloas’d with him and Disarmed him, and made him fall in with the Rest of the Prisoners, and at the same time Gave Orders to the paty under my Command, to Disarm and make prisoners of as many of them as they Could, which was Done, making four prisoners out of this party, that appeared to Rescue the two prisoners the Night before–they Rendesvoused again, and mett me on the Road as I marched Towards the Fort; I asked them where they were going, they answerd that they were going a hunting; I told them that if they were hunting us that they should find us better Game, and Commanded them to Clear the Road for the Kings Troops which they would not do, untill I was Obliged to Order my party to fix their Bayonetts, the sight of which procured me & my party a clear passage to Fort Loudoun.
Sworn & Subscribd, this 20th day of August, Before me,
JNO. ALLISON
LEONALD McGLASHAN, Serjt.
DUN’N CAMERON, Corpll.
JOHN McGILL
DONALD McCOY
GEORGE SUTHERLAND
JOHN CORBITT
JOHN McDONALD, Senr
JOHN DURE
JOHN McDONALD, your
JOHN CROOKSHANKS
ANGUS McCOY
LAUGLAN McKENNON
PENNSYLVANIA ARCHIVES VOLUME IV pages 234-236
DEPOSITION OF LEONARD McGLASHAN, &c., 1765
Cumberland County, ss.
Personally appeared before me, One of His Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said County, the Following Persons, Vist.
Leonard McGlashan, Serjeant, John McGill, George Sutherland, Daniel Steward, John Corbitt, Daniel McRay, John McDonald, junr., John McDonald, Senior, Angus McKay, John McDonald, younger, David McKenzie, Hugh Monro, and ArchdMcMillon, Soldiers in ye 42d Regt., whome being all Sworn on the Holy Evangelisht of Almight God, Disposeth, that on the 6th of May last, with the the above mention’d Number of Men to the House of Roluland Harris, to Relieve the Pack Horse Men that were taken by a party of Men Disguised, with their faces Blacken’d, but upon my arrival at 8cl Harrises House this party of Rioters was gone, not knowing which way they went I Press’d the afore mentioned Harris to Pilot me the way; when upon our arrival at the Widow Barr’s House they fired one Shot, supposed to be upon us; we not thinking that were so Near them, and Looking from whence the Shott was fired we saw the party, I Call’d out to Stop, buy they not Stopping one Shott was fired upon them by some of my party, in Return of which several Shotts were fired, supposed on us, on our Retreat to the Widow Barrs; I then gave orders to fire, and my party being on Clear Ground, and they in the Woods, obliged us to take possession of the Widow Barrs House, where we were fired upon Warmly for some time, the Black Boys being between Seventy and Eighty in Number, as Near as I can Gues, Before we went into the House; we made one Man Prisoner, he being under Arms, and appeared as if he had been Black’d in the face, but had attempted to Rub it off but did not do it Effectually, which Prisoner we kept about one hour, and then Released him, being perswaded by a Country Man that happened to Come there, (as he sayd by Chance) and told us that if I did not Release the afore mentioned prisoner, Neither me nor any of my party would Ever Gitt back to the Fort, upon which I Released him, and Proceeded back to Fort Loudoun.
Sworn & Subscribd, this 20th day of August, 1765, Before me,
JNO. ALLISON
LEONARD McGLASHAN, Serjt.
JOHN McGILL
GEORGE SUTHERLAND
JOHN McDONALD, Senr
ANGUS McCOY
DANIEL STEWART
JOHN McDONALD YOUNGr
JOHN CORBITT
DAVID McKENZIE
DANIEL McCOY
HUGH MONROE
JOHN McDONALD, Junr
ARCHIBALD McMULLON
PENNSYLVANIA ARCHIVES VOLUME IV pages 233-234