Our Famous Cousin, David Bradford of the Whiskey Rebellion - Part Three

Home of David Bradford in the town of Washington,
Washington County, PA
http://www.whiskeyrebellion.info/bradford3/bhouse.htm 

Let's look a little more closely at one event briefly mentioned in the last post. Reminder: The "Bradford" in the following except is David Bradford, leader of the Whiskey Rebellion and our Rebecca's cousin (their father's, Samuel and James Bradford, being brothers).  


We learned that in 1794 there were a "series of meetings at Bradford's home to consider the problem of the easterners knowing what was happening almost before it happened. As a result of these meetings, the mail from Pittsburg to Philadelphia was robbed on July 26th and taken to the Blackhorse Tavern in Canonsburg to be examined."

Who attended these meetings? Why were they so desperate as to be willing to rob the US Mail? And what of the mysterious Blackhorse Tavern? Did it really exist?

From the Monongahela Valley History, Section 5, we read:

"The rebels next move was the most disastrous. They conspired to rob the
mail because they wanted to find out what the dispatches going from
Pittsburgh to Harrisburg and Philadelphia said about them. The plot was
devised at the Canonsburg Tavern of Henry Westbay, called the Black Horse
Tavern, and was carried out by William Bradford, cousin of David Bradford,
and William Mitchell, hired by David Hamilton.


"They waylaid the mail carrier about 22 miles east of Pittsburgh near the
present Route 51, took only the letters they were interested in, tied the
carrier so that they would have time to get away. The mail was taken to
Benjamin Parkison/Parkinson and then to Col. Canon and David Bradford in
Canonsburg. Although there was to be a meeting at Parkinson's Ferry in 17
days, Bradford became so incensed by the content of the letters that the
militia was commmanded to meet at the Mingo Church and proceed to Braddocks
Field to march on Pittsburgh." (For more information on the outcome, see previous post).

We see 3 names in that paragraph of interest to us genealogically speaking. First, as mentioned already, is Rebecca's cousin, David, but who is David's cousin that is mentioned, a William Bradford? He is none other than Rebecca's own brother, who was a 15-year-old teenager at this time.

They had all grown up together as children in Cecil County, Maryland. As adults, several of the families eventually headed west and settled very near to each other in Fayette County and adjoining Washington County, in southwestern Pennsylvania, living only about 45 miles apart. Rebecca and her husband, William Miller, along with her mother and siblings, lived in the Dunbar/Connellsville area of Fayette County, and David, several other siblings and his parents settled near the town of Washington in Washington County, PA. Canonsburg was only a few miles north of Washington. William must have been close to his older cousin David, who in turn must have trusted the young William to help carry out the robbery of the U.S. mail!

In fact, both of there faces are immortalized on 500 hand-made Whiskey Rebellion Commemorative plates! (see below)

Whiskey Rebellion Commemorative Plaque

Concerning Benjamin Parkinson, on November 14, 1794, his distillery was seized (History of Washington County, Crumrine,  p. 883) for non-payment of taxes. Not surprisingly, Ben took an active part in the Rebellion, because acquainted with it's leader, David Bradford and his young cousin William, and in later years, William would marry Ben's daughter, Margaret Parkinson on November 18, 1800.

And finally, the Black Horse Tavern was indeed the stuff of legend, as the rebels met there to make their plans within its walls of secrecy. Some sources identify the tavern as the birthplace of the Whiskey Rebellion. According to the newspaper, the Beaver County Times, in a May 27, 1976 article that included comments from  local historian, James "Doc" Herron, it is also where the stolen mail was read: "In a backroom of the inn, in the dead of night, Bradford and six others opened and were infuriated by five critical letters addressed by Pittsburghers" (see source #1 below).  Was David's young cousin and our Rebecca's brother, William Bradford, one of "the six?" 

I believe he was. From a previous post we read “William Bradford, a relative of the writer, had procured the pouch near Greensburg and brought it to Canonsburg for inspection. What a tale this old "Black-horse" [Tavern] could unfold if to its crumbling walls speech were possible. After my graduation at Washington College in 1850 I taught a select school in Aberdeen , Ohio , opposite Maysville , Ky. , and boarded for a time in the family of Benjamin Bradford; a son of this same William Bradford and one of the wealthy and most highly respected citizens of the town. His father, this notorious William Bradford, was a large landowner in Braden County, Ohio, and was esteemed quite rich for those times, lived in Kentucky, and loaned his money in Ohio . I occasionally saw him, an old man "leaning upon the top of his staff." At that time I had learned but little of the Whiskey Insurrection, knew nothing of the history of the Black Horse tavern, the interception of the mail, and was not aware that I was in the company of one of the men who dared to "holdup" Uncle Sam's mail coach, carry off the pouch to Canonsburg and rifle the bag. Had I known these things he would immediately have become an object of greater interest to me that he was. As old Dungee of Canonsburg seemed to be afraid even in his old age to confess that he had ever been a slave, so I suppose that William Bradford would have hesitated to make any free utterance as to what he knew of the "Black Horse" tavern, and his illegal handling of the mail. Away with the old "Black Horse" then to make room for a modern structure which shall never be the haunt of men who neither fear God nor regard men. D. G. Bradford.” (see Post entitled "Rebecca's Brother, William Bradford, And His Involvement in The Whiskey Rebellion").

The Black Horse Tavern, Canonsburg, PA

It is most interesting to note that our ancestors took such a prominent role in a little known, but very influential part of American history. "Although the Whiskey Rebellion did mark the supremacy of the federal government, it also made the citizens of the states wary of this power. The question of states rights versus the powers of the federal government was not to be fully resolved until after the Civil War" (see source #2 below).  I'm not sure this question has altogether been settled even to this day! 

Your comments are most welcome!



Source #1:  http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19760527&id=dV0vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FdsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2591,5860390

Source #2:  http://www.essortment.com/causes-effects-whiskey-rebellion-20880.html

The Bradford Cousins and the Whiskey Rebellion - Part 3

It is 1794. At the Black Horse Tavern in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, David Bradford, his cousin, William, and others meet to discuss the rebellion. A plot to steal the mail is devised, and it is decided that William and John Mitchell will do the deed.

On July 26, 1794, they intercept the mail near Greensburg, about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh. William and John tie up the carrier and grab the mailbag but only snatch letters that look pertinent to the rebellion. They race away, taking the mail to Benjamin Parkinson, and then to David Bradford. They meet at the Black Horse and the dispatches are opened. They find several letters denouncing their actions. David Bradford is incensed and decides that it is time to take action.

Word reaches the President and within days Washington orders a militia 13,000 strong to to quell the rebellion. However, by the time they arrive, the rebellion has collapsed. Many are arrested, but David Bradford flees to Spanish-held western Florida (present-day Louisiana), living there for the rest of his life, with only one brief visit back to his home in Pennsylvania. Eventually all are pardoned, including William Bradford, and an interesting period in American history comes to a close.

How did the rest of the family feel about all this? In particular, what about William and Rebecca? Did they support the rebellion? Was Rebecca proud of her brother and cousin? Or was she ashamed of the whole affair?

Long ago a descendant, Rev. D. G. Bradford, wrote: "...the historic Black Horse tavern, the scene of many an orgie [sic], the seclusion of many a culprit, and the place of planning 'ways that are dark and tricks that are vain' is to be razed to the foundation. When I last saw it three years ago, it had even a repulsive appearance, as if clad in sackcloth and ashes for what had transpired beneath its then dilapidated covering. Within its wall in Whiskey Insurrection days the intercepted mailed was opened and searched not for sordid gold, but to learn what report it carried to the government at Philadelphia concerning those engaged in the insurrection. William Bradford, a relative of the writer, had procured the pouch near Greensburg and brought it to Canonsburg for inspection. What a tale this old 'Black Horse' could unfold if to its crumbling walls speech were possible.

"[I] boarded for a time in the family of Benjamin Bradford, a son of this same William Bradford, and one of the wealthy and most highly respected citizens of the town. His father, the notorious William Bradford, was a large landowner in Braden County, Ohio, was esteemed quite rich for those times, lived in Kentucky, and loaned his money in Ohio. I occasionally saw him, an old man 'leaning upon the top of his staff.' At that time I had learned but little of the Whiskey Insurrection, knew nothing of the history of the Black Horse tavern, the interception of the mail, and was not aware that I was in the company of one of the men who dared to 'hold up' Uncle Sam's mail coach, carry off the pouch to Canonsburg, and rifle the bag. Had I known these things he would immediately have become an object of greater interest to me than he was...I suppose that William Bradford would have hesitated to make any free utterance as to what he knew of the Black Horse tavern, and his illegal handling of the mail. Away with the old "Black Horse" then to make room for a modern structure which shall never be the haunt of men who neither fear God nor regard men."

The Rev. Bradford's reaction was a mix of fascination and reproach. We will probably never know which William and Rebecca felt, but perhaps there is a clue in this: In my branch of the family (I descend through William and Rebecca's son, Samuel Miller), no word of our ancestors' participation in the Rebellion was ever passed down. It wasn't until my brother, Bill, and I began doing genealogy that this connection was discovered. I have to admit that "distance lends romance," and I tend toward the fascination reaction. I am enthralled with all my ancestors, and realize that they were just like us--their lives were filled with bad and good, failures, triumphs and adventures. And so they become more real to me, and even more beloved.