Historical Monument at the Warrior Run Church

History about the 1929 marker:

The large monument near the old entrance from Susquehanna Trail is a memorial to the expedition of General Sullivan whose troops fought against the Six Nations Indians in 1729.  The monument was part of a Sullivan Expedition Celebration which Captain Frederic A. Godcharles of Milton, who was elected Curator of the State Commission, and State Librarian, had approval to spend up to $10,000 for the event.  The Sullivan, and Brodhead campaigns, were constituted as the second most important military operations in Pennsylvania and New York during the Revolutionary War.  The celebration in 1929 marked the Sesqui-Centennial (150th) anniversary of the campaigns.  There were 20 monuments erected between New York and Pennsylvania and 5,000 maps printed for the celebration.  Maps were distributed by local auto clubs.

In Pennsylvania, it was decided that each camp site of Sullivan’s Army would have its own marker erected on the present highway or as near to the original place as possible, with any variations being written within the inscription on the bronze plate.  John B. Harbeson made the decision to have Professor Paul Cret, architect of the University of Pennsylvania design the 9 foot in height Vermont granite slab with a 2’ x 3.5’ bronze tablet (uniform for all the monuments), bearing the Pennsylvania coat of arms at the top, followed by the  name of expedition, and below a map of the entire route with all the sites indicated by discs with a plug of larger size to mark the locality of the place there commemorated.  Below the map are the names of cooperating organizations following that of the Historical Commission.  It was also decided to include marking of principal sites for Brodhead’s Expedition from Fort Pitt to New York State that reinforced Sullivan.  Materials for the celebration were secured with local companies.  Printed matter and a map for publicity were prepared for local observances, along with an official program from the State Library.

A commemorative stamp was valiantly fought for, and the New York and Pennsylvania Legislatures passed resolutions, but the Postmaster General remained unwilling to produce the stamp. Finally, he gave in to the delegation which “sat on his door step”, and the two-center stamp was issued with a portrait of Major General John Sullivan and the anniversary of 1729-1929.  There were 200,000 stamps printed in the initial order from the Postmaster General.

Some of those 250 people in attendance to the celebration at the Warrior Run Church, beneath the wide spreading trees, were descendants of Fort Freeland, Andrew Lesher Belford and Mary Louise Watson.  Also Mrs. Jennie Montgomery Slifer spoke on behalf the Warrior Run Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  Frederic A. Godcharles delivered the address about the history of the fort from the time of its erection as a mill, thru the period when it became necessary to stockade it.  He graphically described the attack on the fort, July 28, 1779, when British Torries and Seneca Indians razed the structure and killed or captured 108 prisoners of men, women, and children.  The men were marched over the mountains to Niagara and Canada, and women and children taken to Fort Augusta.  Prior to the afternoon dedication for Fort Freeland on July 27, 1929, the Commission unveiled a tablet monument at Fort Augusta.  After the dedication, the Commission had their meeting at Manufactures Club in Milton.

This historical information was obtained through the Pennsylvania State Archives, and the Wilkes-Barre and Miltonian newspapers.