WATSON'S ANNALS OF PHILADELPHIA vol 2 published 1857 Mr. Jacob Miller, when aged about 82, told me of his observations in Germantown, when a youth of sixteen. He lived, while the British were in Germantown, in the house now of George W. Toland; then the house of George Miller,* a captain in the American army. *[He afterwards became a colonel, and distinguished himself with the Germantown militia at Princeton.] The first night of the arrival of the British army, upwards of a dozen of the British officers made their quarters in that house. While they were all present in one large room, they sent for him, and questioned him about his knowledge of many of the localities. In such inquiries, they always called every thing American "rebel"; and upon his saying he did not know what they meant to ask by the word rebel, some were rough, and charged him with wilful ignorance, and some others justified him, and said he was not obliged to acknowledge the term, even if he understood it. His mother was soon employed to be their baker, and daily after she received their flour, and made it into bread, pound for pound, leaving her a good supply of gain, for the use of her family. He did not dare to go much abroad among the encampments, unless with some of the retainers of the army, for fear they might arrest him; therefore did not see much of their doings. The boys and girls of the place, he believes, kept very close house; he had heard of no violence or insult to any of the inhabitants. Ming, Lightfoot, and Heath made themselves most useful to the British, and were afterwards regarded, and treated by ourselves, as tories; they were once afterwards paraded through the town to disgrace them, and were threatened with tar and feathers. The most outrageous conduct was committed on the person and property of Christopher Sower, a worthy, innocent, good man, on account of his son Christopher, who had taken the enemies' side. When the battle began, he and several others went across the steet to Lorain's old house, and secured themselves in the cellar, from the door of which they peeped out and saw the cannon balls making their streaks through the air, towards Toland's woods; they also heard the whistling of many musket balls. The British cavalry were hutted on the lots of Mehl's and Royal's present open fields. Just as the battle began, and when he was going to the cellar, before mentioned, he saw Gen. Howe ride up with several officers, from his quarters at Logan's house, (the owner, Wm. Logan, being then deceased), and stopping near Lorain's house, he heard General Howe say, quite loud, "My God, what shall we do? we are certainly surrounded !" They then rode onward up the town. After a while he left the cellar and ventured abroad; finding the firing had ceased, and seeing wounded men, on foot, coming there as to the rear, he ventured to go towards Chew's house, by the back lots, the fences being all cut down. He saw many dead, and a soldier stripping an officer who had a fine watch. When he got near there, he found himself unexpectedly near some renewed firing---one of the balls went through the porch where he was standing---he retreated rapidly homeward. When again at home, he found a gathering at his neighbour Mechlin's house, (the present Wagner's), and went in, where he found, in the large stable in the yard, a British hospital, where surgeons were beginning to arrange long tables, made of the doors, on which to lay men, (friends and foes,) for amputation.They soon pressed him to assist them, but he not liking the employ, soon managed to get off and hide himself. He knows that there was a great deal of fighting on his present lot in Danenhower's lane; and also on Armstrong's hill, by the mill. There, he and other boys have collected several hatfuls of leaden bullets; even to this day, he finds bullets and flints in his lot, whenever he ploughs the place. He supposes he gathered as many as a bushel of them, not long after the battle, getting usually a hatful at any one time of searching; and these he used to hide in post holes for the time. He used to steal to Philadelphia occasionally, to get things wanted for the family. His way was to watch occasions when parties of the British came out, then to follow closely in their rear; and afterwards to get home by by-paths and back roads, and always keeping a good look out to shun Capt. Allen M'Lane, who was always on the scout, and was often seen by him and others close upon the British outposts. He has seen him pursued several times, from near his house. Dover and Howard were officers also in the same service. He saw Gen. Agnew and Col. Bird buried, in the lower burying ground, with very little parade. There was also a British officer buried there, from Ottinger's house, where he died of sickness. He saw several dead soldiers buried in Mechlin's tanyard after the battle; they were probably from the hospital there, and at Armat's house. On Taggart's ground were a great many of the British encamped in huts, made up from the fences, and overlaid with sods. On the same ground, he afterwards saw Count Pulaski's cavalry, of four hundred men, in their whitish unifom, where they made a grand display of military evolutions, in exercising in a mock battle. They were formed mostly from the prisoners of Burgoyne's army, Germans, and others. Their exercises made a deep impression on his youthful fears; for when he beheld their frequent onsets with drawn swords, he felt quite persuaded they must turn it all to earnest. One of them got killed in the onset. At one time, it was said that the British were intending to take into their service all the half grown boys they could find in the place; to avoid which, he and others, got off to a public house near Flourtown. He supposes that it was a false report. He was present, with the brother and sister of Major Witherspoon, (aid to Gen. Nash) when he was disinterred, in Philip Weaver's front lot. They had brought a coffin, and outer case, intending to take him home to Princeton, but his body was too decayed and offensive to bear such removal. He was in the same pit with six other bodies; but he was known from the rest, by the loss of part of his skull, and by being the only one wrapped in a blanket. The sister cut off a lock of his hair. What an affecting scene for relatives! The English cavalry pursued the Americans eight miles, on the Skippack road, fifteen and a half miles from Philadelphia, into Whitpaine township, as far as the Blue Bell. We have heard from an old friend, a witness now at that place, that our militia was already there when the British cavalry arrived, and wheeled about to make good their retreat and return. He describes the confusion that existed among the Americans as past the power of description; sadness, and consternation was expressed in every countenance. While the dead and dying, (which had preceded this halt at the Blue Bell), were before seen moving onward for refuge, there could be seen many anxious women and children rushing to the scene to learn the fate of their friends, and to meet, if they could, the fathers, brothers, or other relatives, who had been before sent forward for the engagement. Again and again, the American officers were seen riding or running to the front of the militia with their drawn swords, threatening, or persuading them to face about and meet the foe. But all efforts seemed to fail; and officers and men were still seen every where borne along on the retreat. They broke down fences and rushed away in confusion, as if determined no longer to hazard the chances of war in another onset. Some few, however, still held on to the moving mass of dead and wounded-- for some had died, while still in the course of their removal. Gen Nash, of North Carolina, Col. Boyd, Major White, of Philadelphia, aid to Sullivan, and another officer, who were among the wounded, were carried onward, so far, so that when they died they were all buried side by side, at the Mennonist burying ground and church in Towamensing township, a place beautifully shaded with forest trees. Their graves* there I have visited, twenty-six miles from Philadelphia. *[We have since given them a monument there.] I have learned from the sons of one De Haven, that their father assisted in carrying Gen. Nash, who was brought into his house, and then taken two miles further to his brother's house, where he died. A Mr. Godshalk, who is alive at Kulpsville, saw his internment. Major White was deemed the finest looking officer in the service---his beauty and dress had conferred on him the soubriquet of "beau White". He was an Irishman by birth, married to a London lady, and the father of the present Judge John M. White, of Woodbury, New Jersey. He had gone on, after the battle, wounded, but riding his own horse. He had reached the house of Abram Wentz, on Skippack road, where he had before been quartered. As the alarm of the pursuing army came onward, he undertook to ride six miles further, when he took a fever from his exertions, of which he died. A lady who saw him at Wentz's house, and who is still alive, has told me he came there with Gen. Furman, and that the major was gay and cheerful, and declined any bed or assistance. In the same company there was a very young officer from Virginia, (supposed to be Lieut. Smith), wounded in the shoulder, who also went onward. An old German, a soldier, has informed that four of our officers were buried side by side at Whitemarsh, (most probably non-commissioned ones.) In that neighbourhood there are still some remains of the former entrenchments. A large portion of the American army lay encamped on the Skippack road, twenty and a half miles from Philadelphia, and while there, Gen. Washington, and several of the officers, were quartered in the house of Mr. Morris---since known as the large country house and residence of the late Dr. James, of Philadelphia. Gen. Washington had also his quarters at Jacob Wampole's farm house (the father of the late Isaac Wampole, the eminent city scrivener), located near a woods, and three quarters of a mile from the aforesaid Mennonist burying ground. That family had known that the general was in the practice of retiring to pray. It occurs to me here to say a little of the state and class of people settled in this section of country. Such as are known to me of Towamensing and Franconia. They were generally German Mennonists and Tunkards. The latter have a meeting-house and a well dressed congregation, by the Indian creek; all the farms are well cultivated, and evince prosperity,--far different from what their fore-fathers could have enjoyed in their own country. Such a country as this is now, so little distant from Philadelphia, was only first settled in 1719---at the cost of but L10 [10 Pounds] for fifty acres. When first settled, several small remains of Indians still lingered about; and the name of Indian creek, given by the settlers when the first surveys were made in 1718 to J. Steel, shows their then understood vicinage and home. There I have been shown their grave ground, &c. When Heny Funk settled there in 1719, in Franconia, he was six miles northward of any neighbour, and although his place is now a mill, he then had no mill nearer than the present Mather's mill at Flourtown, (so called most probably as the earliest known place of supply), to which place the family used to send a single bag of grain on horseback. The late Gen. Cobb, who was long a member of Gen. Washington's military family during the war, has informed us of some of the habits of the chieftain. Everything was to be precise and punctual there---at the breakfast hour, the general was sure to be punctual, and then he expected to find his aids, Cobb, Hamilton, Humphreys, awaiting him. He came then dressed for the day, bringing with him the letters and despatches of the preceding day, with short memoranda of the answers to be made; also the substance of orders to be issued. After breakfast, these papers were distributed among the aids, to be put in form. Soon after, he mounted his horse to visit the troops, and expected to find on his return, before noon, all the papers prepared for his inspection and signature. There was no familiarity in his presence; it was all sobriety and business. Throughout the war it was understood in his military family that he GAVE A PART OF EVERY DAY TO PRIVATE PRAYER AND DEVOTION. Gen. Cobb, though so long closely connected with so grave a leader, was himself a man strongly disposed to enjoy a laugh; and yet he says, that in his long intercourse with him, he had only met with one officer---Col. Scammel, who had the power of affecting the risibilities of the general. Scammel was full of ludicrous anecdotes, and when dining at the general's table, was allowed to TAKE THE COMMAND, and to excite, beyond any other man, the general himself. It may afford interest to some, to learn some of the local facts incident to the management and retreat of La Fayette, at Barren Hill, where he was intended to be surprised and broken up by Gen. Gray, such as I learned them to be, from Samuel Maulmsby, a respectable Friend, dwelling then and since at Plymouth meeting house. He was at the time an active and observing boy. The whole British force arrived early in the morning at the meeting-house, in the REAR of La Fayette, and halted in the public road, remaining there about an hour and a half, seemingly perplexed and disappointed; and, as it is believed, debating between the choice of going either to Spring mill, or Madson's ford. The men seemed unwearied, but chagrined and angry. He had then an uncle---a Capt. Davis, of the Pennsylvania militia, who being then with the American army, and familiar with all the localities of the country, was much consulted and often used as a guide, &c. From him Mr. Maulmsby learned many facts concerning the retreat of La Fayette across the Schuylkill at Madson's ford. Such as that the British made their approach with all possible quiet- ness and secrecy, in the night (as before mentioned, through Germantown, &c.). They turned at Mather's mill to go on to Plymouth. At that mill lived a Capt. Stoy, who having occasion to get out of bed, chanced to see the army passing his door. He immediately ran across the fields and nigh cuts, to give La Fayette the alarm; but his breath failing him, he called up one Rudolph Bartle, who ran on to Barren hill and gave the intelligence. La Fayette immediately sent off his artillery to the other side of Schuylkill, at Madson's ford, and going himself to the same place by the way of Spring mill. There were Oneida Indians attached to his command, who took their own course, and had to swim the river. In doing this, they left behind a young prince of twelve years of age, whom they there lamented in strong cries and yells of distress, as being captured or drowned. He soon after appeared, when they all kneeled down in solemn praise and thanksgiving, to the Great Spirit, for his safety. The force of La Fayette moved on to Valley Forge to join Washington's army, then there. Mr Maulmsby told me a fact, which should be remembered, as it helps to illustrate many cases, I presume, of alleged cruelty and plunder. A party, from the force in the road, came into his mother's house under pretext of getting water. They seemed to be highlanders; these immediately ran over the house and upstairs, forcing open chests and drawers with their bayonets, and taking off what they liked. Had the matter rested there, the whole might have been deemed a common violence; but an accident showed another system. An officer came in to ask if they could spare a pair of swingle-trees, which when young Maulmsby had found, the price was asked, and none being required the officer gave him a guinea. At this time, a soldier was observed running to the house for his musket which he had forgotten, and out of this fact grew an explanation of the previous plunder. The officer forthwith entreated the widow to come out to the men to designate the depradators, assuring her the property should be restored, and the men punished before her face; he saying, they had already been threatened with death, if they attempted to plunder. Just then firing was heard at a distance, when they all hastily marched off. TO BE CONTINUED... Note: all words in capital letters are in italics in the book. Note: swingle-tree: a rod used in beating flax. Note: nigh cuts = near cuts = short cuts?