Zebulon Parke - Born: January 25, 1757 Died: July
4, 1845 married Jane Burris - Born:1757 Died: Oct. 18, 1826
A. Margaret Parke
born September 12, 1785 Died: May, 1866 married Jacob Grove Died: May, 1866
B. William Grove Born:
1812 Died :1896 married Hannah Withrow Born December 22, 1813 Died:
1886
C. Margaret Grove
Born: Feb. 1, 1839 Died: Feb. 4, 1904 married Henry Metzler Born: Nov.
29, 1837 Died: January, 1922
D. Hannah Jane (Metzler)
Shaffer married W. Charles Shaffer
Zebulon
Parke
Dedication of monument at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in the Ligonier Valley
in Westmoreland County, Penna. (Sally Belcher said the old stones identifies
Jane Burris as Consort)
Sunday, September 10, 1939.
Pictured to right: Hannah Shaffer beside the old monument.
Ernest O. Kooser, James O. Courtney, Attorneys at Law, Somerset, Pa.
To the descendants of Zebulon Parke, Grove Association, guests, and friends:
The tablet on this monument reads as follows:
Zebulon Parke
Born January 25, 1757
Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
Died July 4, 1845.
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
Revolutionary Soldier
Enlisted October 26, 1776.
Re-enlisted February 4, 1777 for the war,
Discharged February, 1780.
Sergeant in Third New Jersey Reg't.
Engaged in battles of Short Hills,
Brandywine, Germantown, Crosswicks Bridge, and
Monmouth;
And Chemung against six Nations in 1779.
At Valley Forge in winter of 1777-'78.
Jane Burris
Born 1757
Died 1826
Westmoreland County, Penna.
Wife of Zebulan Parke.
Erected and dedicated by their descendants
It is a beautiful stone, and a beautiful tablet; and the credit for it is
entirely due to Miss Bertha Grove and her committee, and contributors.
According to the book "Pioneers of Old Hopewell" published by Ralph Ege in
1908, Dr. Roger Parke was a Quaker, and came to America from Northhumberland
County, England. In 1682, the year that William Penn arrived in Penna.,
there was filed at Trenton a deed from Edward Bylinge to Roger Parke for
200 acres of land in West Jersey, and in 1686 Roger Parke, of Hexhan,
Northumberland County, England, now Crosswicks Creek, (a creek a few miles
of Trenton), for said tract to John Watkins. There is also a deed recorded
to Roger Parke dated May 13th, 1689 for a tract in Southern Hopewell (now
Ewing Township) on the road to Stoney Brook, which is described as an Indian
path to Wissemancy or Wissomenson. Adjoining his land was a village
of Delaware Indians, the original people of this neighborhood. He had
a number of other tracts of land. So far as known he was the first
white settler in Hopewell Township. He was very friendly and helpful
to the Indians. The sad fact is too few attempts were made like those
of Penn and Parke to civilize the red man.
He became known as "Old Doctor Parke", and the writer says he studied the
medicine practice of the Indians' old squaws and medicine men, and early
settlers came to him from miles around. His recipes were used for many
ills after his death. He brought with him many medicinal herbs then
unknown in America. They were planted in his garden, and some of them
remained on the old Hopewell Twp. farm when Ege's book was written 200 years
later. Amongst other medications used by the Indians was the sweat
bath. Hot stones were laid in the Patients tent. Cold water was
poured over them till the greatest steam possible was produced inducing copious
presperation, at which point the patient would be hurried to a nearby stream
and plunged in. The results were said to be remarkable.
Daniel Parke, the original immigrant of the Parke family in Virginia, came
from Sussex, England. He became wealthy and distinguished in his new
home. Francis Parke, his daughter, became the wife of John Curtis.
Their son Daniel Parke Curtis, was the first husband of Martha Dandridge,
afterwards her other two children, George Washington Parke Curtis and Eleanor
Parke Curtis were adopted by Washington, and remained members of his family
during all their lives. The record of kinship between the Virginia
and New Jersey Parke families is established.
Old Dr. Parke of Hopewell, New Jersey, had numerous sons and daughters, amongst
others a son William Parke, who was born in 1712, and died at Hopewell at
the age of fifty-two. His wife was Sarah Jewell. Her mother was
Penelope Stout. They had ten children amongst other Zebulon Parke.
Another son, William, Junior, was a lieutenant on the American side
in the Revolution.
As To Zebulon Parke
The office of the Adjutant General of the state of New Jersey shows the following
account of his military record:
"Residence, Hunterdon County_born about 1757_served as a Private, Captain
Thomas Patersons' Fourth Company, Colonel Elias Paytons' Third Reg't. First
Establishment, New Jersey Continental Line; enlisted October 26, 1776; promoted
Fourth corporal, November 1, 1776; mustered at Ticonderoga, New York, November
23, 1776; promoted Corporal, February 1, 1777; re-enlisted at Ticonderoga,
New York, as Corporal, Captain Paterson's Company, colonel Dayton's third
Reg't. Second Establishment, New Jersey Continental Line, February 4, 1777;
for the war; mustered at Mt. Independence, New York, February 23, 1777; on
rolls May 22, 1777, at Morristown, New Jersey; was at the battles of Brandywine,
Delaware, September 11, 1777; on rolls Jan. 1 to Feb. 1, 1778, was in engagement
at Crossweicks Bridge, New Jersey, June 24, 1778; and at battle of Monmouth,
New Jersey, June 28, 1778 (Captain Paterson resigned September 8, 1778);
promoted Sergeant, July 1, 1779; was with Major General John Sullivan's
Expedition against the Indians, May to November, 1779; was at battle of Chemung,
New York, August 29, 1779; on rolls August 1, 1780; discharged at Elizabeth,
New Jersey, Affidavit for pension taken in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania,
1832."
The Adjutant General's office in the War Department of the United States
shows the following record:
"One Zebulon Park (surname also borne as Parks and Parkes but not Parke)
served in the Revolutionary War as a private in Captain Thomas Paterson's
Company, Colonel Elias Dayton's Battalion of Forces raised in the State of
New Jersey. He enlisted October 26, 1776; was promoted to Corporal,
November 1, 1776; re-enlisted February 4, 1777, for the war, in Captain Thomas
Paterson's Company, also designated Lieutenant John Kinney's Company and
Lieutenant Colonel Elias Dayton; was promoted to sergeant July 1, 1779, and
his name last appears on the company pay roll for January and February, 1780.
The records do not show the date or place of his birth or death."
"The 3rd New Jersey Regiment was encamped at Valley Forge, Penna., in the
winter and spring of 1777 and 1778."
The Veteran's Administration in Washington shows the following record;
"Zebulon Parke was born in January, 1757, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey."
While a resident of Hopewell Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, he enlisted
in January, 1776, as private in Captain Thomas Paterson's Company in Colonel
Elias Dayton's 3rd New Jersey Reg't.
After the expiration of one year's service, he immediately enlisted in the
same company and regiment and on July 1, 1779, he was made sergeant in the
said company and regiment, the company then being commanded by Captain Barber
who was the Lieutenant colonel; Zebulon Parks was in the battle of Brandywine,
wintered at Valley Forge, was in the battles of Monmouth and Crosswicks Bridge
and during Sullivan's Indian Expedition he was in the battle of chemung,
and he was discharged May 27, 1780 by Col. Eliz Dayton.
Zebulon Parke was allowed a pension on his application executed Aug. 24,
1832, at which time he was a residence of Donegal Township, Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania, having moved there from Hopewell Township three or
four years after the Revolution. A pension certificate No. 4206 was
issued to him 14th of January 1833 at the rate of $102.41 per annum commencing
4th of March, 1831, Pittsburgh Agency.
Family records state he enlisted 4th of February, 1776. This is probably
the correct date as he re-enlisted 4th of Feb/, 1777 for the war. It
is to be recalled that the Revolutionists were in the state of rebellion
against their own government, and it was probably a matter of life and death
to them to avoid being caught and punished for treason. So it is quite
possible records of earlier enlistments in the revolutionary militia, irregular
troops at the time, were kept unofficially and for use by those that had
to have the information.
It is also a matter of family record that Zebulon Parke took part in Arnolds
Expedition in Canada against Quebec in 1777. No official record of
this could be found, and this fact is not stated on the monument.
Major General John Sullivan's Expedition against the Indians during the
Revolution followed the massacre at Wyoming in Luzerne County, Penna. by
Iroquois Indians, who had taken the British side of the fight. These
Indians were located around the finger lakes, and from Lake Ontario to Lake
Erie in west central and northern New York, and descended on the helpless
white people, obliterating the town, and massacreing its inhabitants.
Prompt punishment was necessary. The expedition was organized; it included
the Third New Jersey Reg't., with Zebulon Parke's Company. He was promoted
to Sergeant during this Indian fighting. This expedition destroyed
about forty towns of the six Nations, their corps, property, and belongings.
It was terrific punishment, from which this most warlike and vigorous
of the Indian tribes never recovered. They were completely wiped out
of fighting power. Chemung was one of the Iroquois villages; and was
on the river of that name just over the New York state line close where it
is crossed by the east branch of the Susquehanna, close where Towanda is.
I found no particular record of this battle, except that Chemung was
one of the forty villages destroyed.
Crosswicks is the name of a creek in New Jersey flowing into the Delaware
a few miles south of the city of Trenton. It is also a name of a town.
The battles of Crosswicks Bridge and Short Hills, in which Zebulon
Parke took part were not major engagements of the Revolution.
Brandywine Creek is a small stream flowing through Chester County, Penn'a.
across the state line into Delaware. The battle there was one of
importance; one of the kind of victories in defeat. The British strategy
was to separate the colonies by an invasion from Canada up Lake Champlain
and down the Hudson river to New York City cutting of New England. General
Burgoynne had the chief part of the program. The British General Howe
was to cooperate with his forces by moving north from their garrison at New
York City and join Burgoynne. In the meantime, General Howe decided
to take Philadelphia first. With 18,000 men he traveled by sea from
New York to the head of the Chesapeake Bay, and marched from Elktown, Maryland,
towards Philadelphia. Washington met him at Brandywine with 13,000
men. Washington was unable to stop the Howe invasion; but it was a
necessary battle, and no credit lost to the continental cause. The
fight occurred September 11, 1777.
Although Howe reached Philadelphia, he was pretty effectively blocked there.
Washington again attacked October 4th in the battle of Germantown,
in which Zebulon Parke participated. Again the continentals were not
able;e to defeat the enemy, who had the advantage of the fortification and
they were merely held bottled up in Philadelphia for the winter of 1777-'78,
the British having the comforts of the city, and the continentals freezing
at Valley Forge. But Howe gave no assitance to Burgoyne. The
Burgoynne Expedition was a complete failure; and his defeat at Saratoga,
New York, is treated by Greasy as one of the Fifteen decisive battles of
the world.
At Valley Forge was the crucial test of the American spirit and cause; and
Washington with his half-clothed, half-starved, half-shod, half-sheltered,
and half-frozen army kept the hope that had reached its lowest mark. The
Congress had been driven out of Philadelphia by the British, and was sitting
at the town of York. General Gates and envious citizens were plotting
the discharge of Washington from chief command. Pleading for support
and against the jealousies developing in Congress, he wrote on the April
21, 1778 to one of its delegates: 'Without aragance on the smallest
deviation from the truth it may be said that no history now extent can furnish
an instance of an army suffering such uncommon hardships as ours has done,
and bearing them with the same fortitude and patience. Then submitting
without a murmur is a proof of patience and obedience which in my opinion
can scarce be parallelled." There is every reason to assume that our
ancestor was one of those whose loyalty helped to sustain the faith and courage
of their immaculate leader. In April their desperation was relieved
by the signing of the Treaty of Alligience with France at Paris. That
was some of Benjamin Franklin's diplomatic achievement.
The battle of Monmouth was one of the most important and dramatic in the
Revolution, the last great battle of the north: The British General
Howe had been succeeded in command at Philadelphia by General Clinton.
Clinton undertook to move his forces from Philadelphia to New York.
Washington followed with the troops from Valley Forge on a parrellel
line of harassment and attack. With Washington were Generals Lafayette,
Wayne, Maxwell, Laurents, and a General Charles Lee, who had been an intemperate
critic of Washington, apparently jealous of him and opposed his program.
He had been superceded, but returned to his command.
Monmouth was where the city of Freehold in Monmouth County, is now located
in teh northeastern part of New Jersey toward Sandy Hook, which was Clintons's
objective. Lee's orders were to attack, but he failed to execute. He
gave conflicting commands, creating such disorder and confusion fro several
hours that the British army was able to drive back his. Both Lafayette
and Laurents sent hasty word to Washington, but his presence was needed at
the front. When Washington arrived he angrily demanded the meaning
of the delay and Lee replied, "You knew that the attack was contrary to my
advice and opinion." Washington told him he should not undertake a
command unless he intended to complete, and denounced him "until the leaves
trembled on the trees", and ordered him to the rear. Lee was afterwards
courtmarsh alle d and discharged. The Americans line was reformed, and
the battle continued until night. Before midnight, the British army
gave up and hurried to the coast. On hearing the report of this battle, Frederick
the Great of Prussi a said, "Clinton gained no advantage, except to
reach New York with a wrec k of an army. America is probably lost for
the British."
This battle was fought 28th of June, 1778, 96 degrees in the shade. And
here Molly Ludwig Hays "Pitcher", also a native of Hunterdon County, by carrying
a pitcher of water to the wounded, won that famous nickname and after serving
her wounded husbands cannon the remainder of the days, a bronze figure of
her was put on the Monmouth monument dedicated to that battle.
The Veteran's Administration records show that Zebulon Parke removed from
Hopewell Twp. three or four years after the Revolution and became a resident
of Donegal Twp., Westmoreland County, Pa. I keenly regret that my illness
of the week prevents my locating the exact place he settled in teh county.
At any rate he died here July 4th 1845. He was the owner of some
property and his administrators disposed of the same, filed an account; and
distribution was made by the Westmoreland County, Orphan's Court at No. 63,
Aug. term 1864, amongst the seven children, and the children of four deceased
children. Those then living were: William Parke, Margaret Grove,
John Parke, Ann Simpson, Benjamin Parke, Elizabeth Horton. The deceased
were: Mary Moore, Rachel Curry, Sarah Cairns, Ellen Kooser. The
body of Ellen Kooser is buried about 30 feet from this monument. The
children of Mary Moore were: Benjamin Moore, John Moore, Zebulon Moore, George
Moore, Jane Clarke, William Moore, Rachel Moore, Elizabeth McMurry. The
children of Rachel Curry were: George Curry, John Curry, William Curry,
Jacob Curry, Jane Miller, Mary Tittle, Sarah Mencher. Sarah Cairns
children were not mentioned. The children of Ellen Kooser were:
Curtis Kooser, who removed to Somerset, and was the grandfather of
you soloist, writer, and speaker today; Benjamin Parke Kooser, and
Herman Horton Kooser, the latter two moved to California about 1849, and
left descendants there, and William Kooser, who lived and died in the
Westmoreland County leaving a number of descendants.
On the general subject of early American history this valley was the thearter
of outstanding events. I doubt whether all of New England has
any more of importance to report than old Westmoreland.
Washington crossed these hills no less than fourteen times on foot and horseback.
He must have known the ground almost as well as many of our citizens
do today. He made his first expedition to Presque Isle, now Lake Erie,
and visited the French Commandment and investigated their intentions. His
companion was Christopher Gist, the original pioneer of this region. He
had his famous first meeting with Queen Aliquippa, and was entertained by
the French with much show of politeness. Suspection their hospitaltiy was
not loyal, he hurried home, was shot at point blank at 30 feet by an Indian
in Butler County on the way, and undertook to fire a counter-shot at the
fleeing red man, but Gist warned him he mush hold his powder for the woods
would ring with war hoops if he killed one of them. Coming to what
is now Pittsburgh, Washington Bridge site, in December, they built
a raft of logs to pole themselves across the Allegheny. One of the
poles was knocked out of Washington's hand by a floating cake of ice, Washington
with it, into nine feet of icy water. He managed to clamber back to
the raft; and get to the island in the middle. He had to remain there
with Gists soaked to the skin in bitter cold December weather till morning.
Next morning the river was frozen shut and they could walk across.
On this first exploration Washington discovered the whole country was being
systematically occupied by the French. They were placing lead plates
marked with the French coat of arms at the mouths of streams entering the
Allegheny river and down the Ohio to New Orleans, where the Louisiana Empire
was under their control. From quebec and Montreal to Detroit and also
Saint Marie, down the rivers Vincannes, and Desplaines to St. Louis and New
Orleans, Joliet, Venage and Fort Duquesne, the French flag was afloat. The
contest for the continent had begun. Washington reproted all this to
Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia, and to the British government.
Washington's second trip across these hills was to retrieve the losses of
Captain Trent in trying to take the forks ofthe Ohio before the French. He
was checked at Fort Necessity, and had to return.
His next trip was with Braddock's Expedition in 1754, a British disaster
because of their ignorance of forest and Indian warfare. It was only
modified and a remnent of the expedition saved, through Washington's efforts
and Colonial contingent, in steming the onslaught.
Washington next crossed the Laurel Hills with Forbes to recover the Braddock
loss and failure, and to drive the French from Ft. Duquense in 1758. He
had command of the Virginia forces, that came to Fort Cumberland where he
insisted that Forbes should bring his army to go through to Fort Duquense
by the old Braddock route. Neither Forbes or Col. bouquet, his first
assistant, assented; so Washington was compelled to meet them at Bedford,
and came, through this way, which is about the location of the Lincoln Highway
today, passing Forts at Dewart and Stoneycreek and Clear Fields in Somerset
Co.; Loyalhanna, Ligonier and other beyond, in Westmoreland.
And here within sight happened what I consider one of the decisive American
battles---the defeat of the Frnech at Ligonier----deliberately written down
by the British commanding officers. The garrison was an advance out-post
of about 900, mostly Penna. colonists, and was in charge of Col. James Bard
of Shippensburg, Pa., an able officer.
During the month before, Major James Grant and a detachment of 1200 Highlanders
had been practically destroyed in had been practically destroyed in an attempt
to surprise Ft. Duquesne. The French and the Indians were exultant
with success. They came out from Ft. Duquesne 1200 with 200 Indians
and attached Fort Ligonier. During parts of two days this enslaught
lasted. The colonists held their ground, and on the second day, the
French and Indians began their retreat. This was the last armed resistance
made by the French in the territory of the United States. And it enabled
the gateway at the Ohio and Mississippi Valley to be opened to British
settlement. Americans lost 62 men, 5 officers, killed, wounded
and missing. The French were employed all night carrying off their
dear and wounded. In my opinion, this battle has never had the place
in history it deserves. It was a well conducted defense, and a clean-cut
and most important victory. For reasons it was never written up, in
fact it was written down, I believe because all the credit would have had
to be given Col. Burd of Pennsylvania, and the Colonial, principally Pensylvania
garrison. Besides the petty jealousy that may have been involved, it
is the fact that the colonies were already becoming rather restless and
dissatisfied under British domination, and it could not be admitted that
their green troops were competent to match the trained soldiers of Britain.
The only criticism I have ever seen of the conduct of the battle was
by Boquet in that Burd failed to pursue his victory by following the French
to Pittsburgh to complete defeat. In view of the fact that he had no
such orders, I believe he had no such right; and in view of the fact that
only a month before the French had destroyed more Highland troops than Burd
had under his command, there was abundant reason to submit the situation
to his superior officers--Boquet, who was fifteen miles away with a detachment,
and Forbes, who was at Bedford.
they brought up this main Army in short time, andfollowed the French into
Pittsburgh. The French blew up their Fort Duquense, and sailed down
the river to disappear from the scene forever. What more Burd would
done is hard to say. It does not seem that it would have been good
sense to risk his smaller outfit, when the larger general army could more
safely do the job. That Army was bound to Pitts. to take up its
headquarters, at any rate; and could more surely clear out the French. I
think the credit due to Col. and his soldiers here in this Valley was denied
them.
According to his own account near Ligonier happened one of the greatest
emergencies of Washington career. Attachments of soldiers had been
sent out when it was learned that French were in the neighborhood. It
was half light and by a mistake they began firing into each other.
Washington discovered this and ran between them, attracted their attention,
and stopped the cross-fire. It certainly was an eminant risk of his
own life.
Another incident occured in this Ligonier Valley in early times which many
of you are familiar with its History. It is rather brief. A family
living here was having supper one evening when two young Indians called and
looked for something to eat. The family gave them food, and the mother
of the household noticed that they were particularly attentive to her little
daughter, so much so that she was uneasy about this interest. But the
Indians left after their supper, and were not seen again. Sometime
later the one Indian that had been so attentive, came running along the path
to their home and told them that his tribe was on the warpath and they they
should run to the fort for their lives or hide like ground mice in one of
the ravines, till the storm was over. He explained that he was thankful
for their kindness, and that the reason he had noticed the child was because
a few weeks before their first call his sister died. and that the children
looked so much alike that he could not take his eyes off of the child for
thinking of his sister.
Years later near Cincinnati, American soldiers were fighting Indians, and
an old warrior came toward the American line waving a little white flage
on a stick, stated he was tired fighting the white man, and saw it was no
use. The officer in charge looked at the flag and found it was a white
handerchief with the name Mary Means embroidered on it. He asked where
this hanky had been gotten, and the old Indian told him all about the raid
years ago. The officer said, "Mary Means is my wife and took the Indian
home where the wife recognized him and he lived under their protection until
his death.
Washington later crossed these hills on on of several occasions to litigate
claims for his lands upon which squatters had settled in Fayette and Washington
Counties. Afterwards to take a trip down the Ohio from Pitts. Next
he crossed with Federal forces to quell the whisky rebellion. This
makes at least seven times through these parts, where he gained his reputation,
and established the gigantic character that gave him unanimous choice of
the Revolutionary Armies for their leadership.
So you see this country, county has not grown up by easy chance. It
has been the product of hard knocks and constant vigilance, and good sense
and keen thought. No country on earth has produced a government wherein
the principles of truth, justice and mercy have more respect than here; and
no state in this union has had the influence, citizens, history and foundation,
establishing these bases more than the State of Pennsylvania. Certainly
we should be very slow to sign all of it away for some experiment that may
go wrong in a decade or less years.
Before we change, we should know we are getting something better. Any
programs based on false reports and propaganda, atrocious use of force, we
should understand for what it is, the surrender of our civilization to the
brutality from which it has been slowly trying to emerge.
Prepared by Ernest Kooser, Somerset, Penn'a.
Due to illness delivered by Mr. Curtis Truxel, Somerset, Penn'a.
