1861 Schuylkill rangers Munity in "Carnac's wood" ?
Nashville union and American. (Nashville, Tenn.), 22 Nov. 1861.
Story of the Schuylkill Rangers :
http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=298083
Nashville union and American. (Nashville, Tenn.), 22 Nov. 1861.
Story of the Schuylkill Rangers :
| [h=1]Pirates a threat along Schuylkill Canal in mid-1800s[/h] | ||
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| Berks County, PA - When one conjures up images of pirates, one does not readily associate them with places like Dauberville, Schuylkill Haven or Pottsville. But, according to historical records, a gang of canal cutthroats known as the Schuylkill Rangers threatened those places and many others along the Schuylkill Canal in the mid-1800s While scant historical documentation is on record, historians agree that the pirates - most from the seedy sections of Philadelphia - set out to rob and ravage boats and boatmen on both lonely stretches of the canal and in bustling port towns. Although he provided no dates or documentation, Dr. Lewis E. Theiss of Bucknell University wrote about a boat captain named John Hesser who was making his way on the canal south of Dauberville when he passed several boats believed to be owned by Rangers. He girded himself for a possible encounter. Indeed, a band of about 20 pirates challenged him and his crew. But Hesser pressed on. He maneuvered his boat well offshore and upstream. The annoyed attackers followed on mule-back and caught up with Hesser's boat at Dauberville. The pirates were heavily armed, but to Hesser's good fortune, armed with guns that had no firing caps. According to Theiss, the raiders attempted to find caps in Dauberville but to no avail. Still being chased by the gang, Hesser tied up his boat and found asylum in a deserted farmhouse. As the Rangers approached Hesser's boat with the intent of wrecking it, several residents of Dauberville rushed to the scene and routed the Rangers. The audacious outlaws' most ambitious and outrageous attacks were on towns much larger than Dauberville. For whatever their intent, about a dozen of the pirates set their sights on one of the busiest boatyards on the canal, in Schuylkill Haven. Word had spread to Haven residents that the Rangers were on their way. They formulated a defense and met them as they entered town. The pirates were corralled toward and then into the covered Columbia Street bridge. A furious fight ensued, with one Ranger shot and killed and others wounded. Those who managed to escape by jumping through the open siding of the bridge were later captured near the wharves and arrested by Constable William Stitzel. But, some alleged Schuylkill Rangers set their sights on a bigger target - an attack on Pottsville. Theiss said more than 200 canal pirates descended on Pottsville (then a town of only about 6,000 residents) but had a surprise in store. The citizenry and authorities had been tipped off and stood ready to repel the attack. The county sheriff had assembled an armed posse, and the local militia was mobilized. When the pirates approached the outskirts of town, they were met by stiff and successful resistance. The Rangers scattered, Pottsville was secure, and the pirates of the Schuylkill Canal faded into history |
http://www2.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=298083
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