APPENDIX E. 349 



away the ropes. Couriers were now seen continually coming in, their 

 horses all of a foam, and people running with the greatest eagerness to ask 

 them wliere the enemy were, and what were their numbers. The answers 

 to these questions were various : sometimes they were at a distance, tlien 

 near at hand — sometimes they were a thousand strong, then five hundred, 

 then fifteen hundred ; in short, all was doubt and uncertainty. 



About eleven o'clock it was recollected tlie boat at the Sweed's ford was 

 not secured, which, in the present case, was of the utmost consequence, 

 for, as there was a considerable freshet in the Schuylkill, the securing that 

 l»oat would oblige them to march some distance up the river, and thereby 

 retard the execution of their scheme at least a day or two longer. Sev- 

 eral persons therefore set off immediately to get it performed ; but they 

 had not been gone long, before there was a general uproar — They ai-e 

 coming ! they are coming ! Where ? where ? Down Second street ! 

 down Second street ! Such of the company as had grounded their fire- 

 locks, flew to arms, and began to prime ; the airtillery-raen threw them- 

 selves into order, and the people ran to get out of the way, for a troop of 

 armed men, on horseback, appeared in reality coming down the street, 

 and one of the artillery -men was just going to apply the fatal match, when 

 a person, perceiving the mistake, clapped his hat upon the touch-hole of 

 the piece he was going to fire. Dreadful would have been the conse- 

 quence, had the cannon discharged ; for the men that appeared proved 

 to be a company of German butchers and porters, under the command 

 of Captain Hoffman. They had just collected themselves, and being 

 unsuspicious of danger, had neglected to give notice of their coming ; 

 — a lalse alarm was now called out, and all became quiet again in a few 

 minutes. . . . 



The weather being now very wet, Capt. Francis, Capt. Wood, and Capt. 

 Mifflin, drew up their men under the market-house, which, not affording 

 shelter for any more, they occupied Friends' meeting-house, and Capt. 

 Joseph Wharton marched his company up stairs, into the monthly meet- 

 ing room, as I have been told — the rest were stationed below. It hap- 

 pened to be the day appointed for holding of Youths' meeting, but never 

 did the Quaker youth assemble in such a military manner — never was 

 the sound of the drum heard before within those walls, nor ever till now 

 was the Banner of War d-splayed in that rostrum, from whence the art 

 lias been so zealously declaimed against. Strange reverse of times, 

 James — . Nothing of any consequence passed during the remainder of 

 the day, except that Captain Coultas came into town at the head of a 

 troop, which he had just raised in his own neighborhood. The Captain 

 was one of those who had been marked out as victims by these devout 

 conquerors, and word was sent to him from Lancaster to make his peace 

 with Heaven, for that he had but about ten days to live. 



In the evening our Negotiators came in from Germantown. They had 

 conferred with the Chiefs of this illustrious — , and have prevailed with 

 them to suspend all hostility till such time as they should receive an 

 answer to their petition or manifesto, which had been sent down the day 

 before. . . . 



