In my judgment, the services of this regiment were of more importance than have been accorded them by the historians. I shall seek to arrange those already well known, into a comprehensive whole, to show their relation to other events, and to add some facts not hitherto brought to light.
The Wyoming community was isolated in its situation. It was seventy miles from it to the settlements on the Delaware; it was sixty miles to Fort Augusta; to the north and to the west, was a howling wilderness. This wilderness was filled with a savage Indian population. A continual fight was waged with the proprietaries of Pennsylvania.
The settlement, which became permanent, was begun in 1769. It was a self-governing community. It kept a record of its official acts. In 1772 it was voted, "That each and every settler should provide himself with a flint lock and ammunition, and continue to guard around the threatened plantations until further notice."[1] That was the first step--individual action, every man defend his own castle. This did not prove effectual. Organization was needed. That was the second step in the evolution. It took time to bring it about--perhaps a year. At a meeting of the inhabitants held March 22, 1773, it was voted: "That the Comtee of settlers be Desired to send to the several towns or to their Comtee. Requiring them to Call all the Inhabitants in Each of ye said towns to meet on Thursday Next at five a Clock in ye afternoon of sd Day in some Convenient place in sd town, and that they then Chouse one Person in Each of sd towns as an officer to muster them, & so that all are oequipt according to Law with fire arms, and ammunition, and that they Chuse two Sergants & a Clerk & that the said Chieff officer is Hereby Commanded & Directed to Call ye Inhabitants together once in 14 Days for ye future until this Company orders otherwise & that in case of an allarm or ye appearance of an Enemy he is Directed to call ye sd Inhabitants together & stand for ye Defense of ye sd towns & Settlements without further orders."[2] In speaking of these preparations Miner says: "If the splendid uniform, the glittering bayonet, the evolution rapid and precise, with the imposing band of music, did not grace their trainings, there was yet upon the ground the strong banded old French musket, the long duck shooting piece, and more efficient than either the close drawing rifle, little known in New England, but becoming familiar on the banks of the Susquehanna." Trainings once in fourteen days! They certainly believed in the strenuous life. Those trainings were not holidays. They were serious preparation for impending warfare.