Back to Town Characters
William Ross, born March 29, 1761, in Scotland Parish, Windham, Connecticut, was the son of Jeremiah Ross and Ann Paine.
Ross came with his father and family from Montville, New London Co., Conn., some time in the early part of the year 1774, to Wyoming. On the 1st of July, 1778, he marched with a scouting party of nearly four hundred men, under command of Col. Zebulon Butler, from Forty Fort, where the settlers had gathered for protection from Indians, to Exeter, the scene of the massacre of the Hardings, which had occurred on the 30th of June. On the 3rd, being without arms, his two elder brothers, Perrin and Jeremiah, having taken them into the battle, he remained in the fort. His brothers were both killed. On receiving news of the defeat, he and all his father's family fled (thus escaping the " Massacre of Wyoming," which occurred in the fort, July 5). He and his mother and sister, Sarah Slocum (wife of Giles Slocum), took the Nescopeck path, through Fort Allen to Stroudsburg, where they met their sisters Aleph and Polly, who had gone down the river to Harris Ferry (now Harrisburg), thence via Reading to the rendezvous, and their four other sisters. All except his mother and sister Sarah returned with Capt. Spalding to Wyoming in the following August, 1778. They settled down again in the Wilkes-Barre Fort, he being now the head of the family. He kept the fodder about half a mile from the fort and always went armed when he fed his cattle. Indians made frequent incursions into the neighborhood and would burn the hay and kill or drive off the cattle of the settlers. On the 23d of March, 1779, two hundred and fifty Indians attacked the fort, but were repulsed with the help of the only cannon the settlers possessed.
William Ross took part in the Pennamite and Yankee Wars and in July, 1784, marched with twenty-nine picked men under Capt. John Swift, to meet an armed force of Pennamites under command of Major Moore, who were reported to be at Larner's on their way to attack the Yankee settlers. On the 2d of August they met on Locust Hill, in Northampton county, near Stoddardsville, and one of the Pennamites was killed and several were wounded on each side. On the 8th of the same month, upon the arrival of Col. John Armstrong, Secretary of the Supreme Executive Council, and the Hon. John Boyd, a member of the same, Mr. Ross and the other men who had been in Swift's company at Locust Hill were arrested by Armstrong's order (although he had promised on his faith as a soldier and his honor as a gentleman that they should be protected) on the charge of murder, bound with cords, thrust into the guard house and threatened with instant death if they attempted to escape. They were handcuffed in pairs, right and left, all bound together, and each couple tied to two soldiers with ropes, and sent to Easton under a strong guard; Col. Armstrong giving the order, as they were about to start, that if any of the prisoners attempted to escape the whole number were to be put to death immediately, adding that the government would indemnify the guards for so doing. Going up the mountain, some hung back and contrived to loosen their hands and cut the cords. Two escaped at Larner's. Mr. Ross, by superior activity, took leave at Heller's. The rest reached Easton and were lodged in jail.
Later, in more peaceable times, Mr. Ross joined the militia of Pennsylvania, and in June, 1788, was captain of a company located at Wilkes-Barre. This company, with three others, including a troop of cavalry under Capt. J. P. Schott, were ordered out on the 27th of June, when Col. Pickering was abducted for the purpose of rescuing him. In the pursuit, Capt. Ross, with fifteen of his company, in ascending the east bank of the Susquehanna, near Meshoppen, encountered a party of Yankees under the head of Gidean Dudley. In the action which ensued, Capt. Ross was hit by a ball which passed through his body. He was removed to Wilkes-Barre, where he slowly recovered. In recognition of his services on this occasion, he was presented by the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth with a handsome sword. Engraved thereon was the following inscription: " The Supreme Executive Council presents this mark of their approbation acquired by your firmness in support of the laws of the commonwealth on the 4th of July, 1788. Charles Biddle, Sec'y."
In 1789-90 Mr. Ross was captain of the Third Company of the First Battalion of Luzerne county militia, commanded by Lieut. Col. Matthias Hollenbeck, and in 1790 was elected one of the first justices of the peace for the Second District of Luzerne county.
On the first of September, 1791, he was appointed for " the district of Wilkes-Barre " justice of the peace by Governor Mifflin.
In 1800 he was appointed brigade inspector of the 2d Brigade, composed of the militia of the counties of Northumberland, Lycoming, and Luzerne, to hold office for seven years from the date of his commission (Apr. 25, 1800). The same day he was appointed brigadier general of the same brigade, an office which he still held in 1812.
In 1812 he was chosen senator to represent his district in the State Legislature.
"In 1814 when the British threatened an attack on Baltimore, five companies of the militia from Luzerne and adjoining counties marched," a detachment of the 35th Penn. Regt., on the roll of which his name appears as a private. On their arrival at Danville they heard of the repulse of the British and were ordered home.
Gen. Ross was appointed postmaster at Wilkes-Barre in 1832, an office he held until 1835.
In 1839 he acted as secretary of a meeting of the Luzerne bar, and in 1842, when he died, the court adjourned to attend his funeral.
Elizabeth (Sterling) Ross d. in Wilkes-Barre May 16, 1816. Gen. William Ross d. Aug. 9, 1842. They were first buried in the Ross private family burying ground, at the corner of South Washington and Hazle streets, but their bodies were afterwards. removed to the Hollenbeck cemetery.
Children, born in Wilkes-Barre:
Sarah Sterling Ross, born August 25, 1793, married Edward M. Covel
Caroline Ann Ross, born February 24, 1797, married 1st Samuel Maffett, 2nd Elisha Atherton
Eliza Irene Ross, born August 25, 1799, married Peter P. Loop
William Sterling Ross, born August 11, 1802 married Ruth Trip Slocum, daughter of Joseph Slocum and Sarah Fell.
(Partially from The Sterling Genealogy)
