1794.

CHAP. VIII, the cavalry, and lieutenant Towles of the infantry, both of whom fell in the first charge. General Wayne bestowed great and well merited praise on the courage and alacrity displayed by every part of the army.

The hostility of the Indians still continuing, their whole country was laid waste, and forts were erected in the heart of their settlements, to prevent their return..

This seasonable victory rescued the United States from a general war with all the Indians northwest of the Ohio. The Six Nations had discovered a restless uneasy temper; and the interposition of the president, to prevent a settle. ment which Pennsylvania was about to make at Presqueisle, seemed rather to suspend the commencement of hostilities, than to establish permanent pacific dispositions among those tribes. The battle of the 20th of August, however, had an immediate effect; and the clouds which had been long gathering in that quarter were instantly dissipated.

In the south too, there is reason to believe that its influence was felt. In that quarter, the inhabi tants of Georgia and the Indians seemed equally disposed to war. Scarcely was the feeble authority of the government competent to restrain the aggressions of the former, or the dread of its force sufficient to repress those of the latter. In this doubtful state of things, the effect of a victory could not be inconsiderable.

About this time, the seditious and violent resistance to the execution of the law imposing

1794.

duties on spirits distilled within the United States, CHAP. VIIL had progressed to a point in the counties of Pennsylvania lying west of the Alleghany mountains, which required the decisive interposition of gov

ernment.

in the

western

parts of

vania,

The system adopted by the executive, for counteracting the opposition which was maintained in the western counties of Pennsylvania to this act of the national legislature, was stated in a preceding chapter. Notwithstanding the multiplied Insurrection outrages committed on the persons and property of the revenue officers, and of those who seemed Pennsyl willing to submit, yet, in consequence of a steady adherence to this system, the law was visibly gaining ground, and several distillers in the disaffected country were induced to comply with its requisites. The opinion, that the strenuous efforts of the administration would ultimately prevail, derived additional support from the passage of an act by the present congress, containing those provisions, the necessity of which had been suggested by the chief of the treasury department. The progress of this bill, which became a law on the fifth of June, could not have been unknown to the malcontents, nor could its probable operation have been misunderstood. They perceived that the certain loss of a market for the article, added to the penalties to which delinquents were liable, might gradually induce a compliance on the part of distillers, unless they could, by a systematic and organized opposition, deprive the government of the means it employed for carrying the law into execution.

CHAP. VIII.

On the part of the executive, this open defiance 1794. of the laws, and of the authority of the govern ment, was believed imperiously to require, that the strength and efficacy of those laws should be tried. Against the perpetrators of some of the outrages which had been committed, bills of indictment had been found in a court of the United States, upon which process was directed to issue; and at the same time, process was also issued against a great number of non-complying distillers.

Charging himself with the service of these processes, the marshal repaired in person to the country which was the scene of these disorders. On the 15th of July, while employed in the execution of his duty, he was beset on the road by a body of armed men, who fired on him, but fortunately did him no personal injury. At day break, the ensuing morning, a party attacked the house of general Nevil, the inspector; but he defended himself resolutely, and obliged the

assailants to retreat.

Knowing well that this attack had been preconcerted, and consequently apprehending that it would be repeated, he applied to the militia officers and magistrates of the county for protection. The answer was, that "owing to the too general combination of the people to oppose the revenue system, the laws could not be executed so as to afford him protection: that should the posse comitatus be ordered out to support the civil authority, few could be gotten that were not of the party of the rioters."

On the succeeding day, the insurgents re-as- CHAP. VIII, sembled to the number of about five hundred, to 1794. renew their attack on the house of the inspector. On finding that no protection could be afforded by the civil authority, he had applied to the commanding officer at Fort Pitt, and had obtained a detachment of eleven men from that garrison, who were joined by major Kirkpatrick. Successful resistance to so great a force being obviously impracticable, a parley took place, at which the assailants, after requiring that the* inspector and all his papers should be delivered up, demanded that the party in the house should march out and ground their arms. This being refused, the parley terminated, and the assault commenced. The action lasted until the assailants set fire to several adjacent buildings, the heat from which was so intense that the house could no longer be occupied. From this cause, and from the apprehension that the fire would soon be communicated to the main building, major Kirk. patrick and his party surrendered themselves.

The marshal and colonel Pressly Nevil were seized on their way to general Nevil's house, and detained until two the next morning. The marshal, especially, was treated with extreme rudeness. His life was frequently threatened, and was probably saved by the interposition of some leading characters who possessed more humanity, or more prudence than those with whom they were

The inspector had left the house and secreted himself. The demand of the papers was acceded to.

CHAP. VIIL associated. He could only obtain his safety or 1794. liberty by entering into a solemn engagement,

which was guaranteed by colonel Nevil, to serve no more process on the western side of the Allegheny mountains.

The marshal and inspector having both retired to Pittsburg, the insurgents deputed two of their body, one of whom was a justice of the peace, to demand that the former should surrender all his process, and that the latter should resign his office; threatening in case of refusal, to attack the place, and seize their persons. These demands were not acceded to; but Pittsburg affording no security, these officers escaped from the danger which threatened them, by descending the Ohio; after which, they found their way by a circuitous route to the seat of government.

The perpetrators of these treasonable practices would, of course, be desirous to ascertain their strength, and to discover any latent enemies who might remain unsuspected in the bosom of the disaffected country. To obtain this information, the mail from Pittsburg to Philadelphia was stopped by armed men, who cut it open, and took out the letters which it contained. In some of these letters, a direct disapprobation of the violent measures which had been adopted was openly avowed; and in others, expressions were used which indicated unfriendly dispositions towards them. Upon acquiring this intelligence, delegates were deputed from the town of Washington to Pittsburg, where the writers of the offensive letters resided, to demand the banishment of the