Thomas Gaddis
Encyclopedia
Thomas Gaddis was an officer in the American Revolutionary War
. He was born December 28, 1742, in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia
and married Hannah Rice in 1764; the same year he built Fort Gaddis
, a refuge from the Indians, located on the Catawba Trail
. In fact, Pennsylvania and Virginia had conflicting claims in the area Gaddis settled. Though he maintained his loyalty to Virginia, Gaddis also protected his investment by recording his patent with Pennsylvania authorities. By 1773, both states created new geo-political boundaries in recognition of increased white settlement. Pennsylvania formed Westmoreland County out of the larger Bedford County, and Virginia established the District of West Augusta. In 1776, West Augusta was further divided into three counties: Ohio, Youghiogheny, and Monongahela, where Gaddis and his family resided.
Gaddis enlisted as a private in Captain Robert Bell’s company, in the 13th Virginia Regiment
under Lieutenant Colonel John Gibson. He was then detached to serve under Captain Uriah Springer, assisting in the construction of Fort Liberty (Monongahela County), Fort McIntosh
, and Fort Lawrence.
Thomas Gaddis was appointed captain of the militia in Monongahela on August 23, 1776. From September 1776 to January 1777, Gaddis was stationed near Beech Bottom, West Virginia
, about ten miles north of Fort Henry (West Virginia). While stationed there, he was primarily responsible for keeping communications open to Fort Henry, and for scouting the countryside for hostile Indians. On February 17, 1777, he was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel
, then to full colonel by Patrick Henry
, Governor of Virginia
. Subsequently, Gaddis took command of Fort Pickett
, Fort Scott, Fort Stradler, Fort Jackson, and Fort Lindley.
In August 1777, Gaddis and Colonel Zackquill Morgan
learned that a substantial number of settlers in the Redstone area, an area south of Pittsburgh, had taken an oath of allegiance to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom
and were plotting on Great Britain’s behalf. Gaddis informed Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Brown at Redstone Old Fort
, on the Monongahela River
, requesting him to place an extra guard on the powder magazine. In a dispatch to Brown, he wrote:
The loyalists tried to seize the arsenal at Redstone, but Brown was on guard, and a force of a hundred colonists under Gaddis and Captain Henry Enoch repelled the loyalists. A detachment of soldiers from Fort Pitt
arrested those implicated in the event and scattered the remainder of the Tories. The prisoners were escorted to Virginia's capital in Williamsburg, took an oath of allegiance, and eventually returned home.
With the hope of putting an end to Indian attacks on American settlers, Gaddis took part in General McIntosh’s incursion along the Ohio River
in September 1778, to no avail. By the spring of 1782, however, he was a resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
, his home being in that part which in 1783 became Fayette County, Pennsylvania
; about three miles south of Uniontown, Pennsylvania
.
Gaddis was elected a field major and third in command of the Sandusky Expedition, seeing as he was well known to many of the volunteers as a good citizen and brave soldier. At the time of his volunteering for the campaign, he was an officer of the militia of Westmoreland County. The other majors of the expedition, committed to destroying Indian towns along the Sandusky River
, included David Williamson
, John B. McClelland
, and James Brenton.
Regretfully, the Indians and their British allies had already learned of the expedition, and the Americans were forced to retreat. During the retreat, Colonel William Crawford and several of his men, including Major John B. McClelland
; William Harrison, Colonel Crawford’s son-in-law; and young William Crawford, the Colonel’s nephew, were captured and tortured to death. Approximately seventy Americans were killed in the 1782 campaign on the western front. Fortunately, Gaddis returned safely from the engagement.
On June 14, 1782, the officers dispersed to their various places of residence. Gaddis returned to that part of Westmoreland, soon to become Fayette. Afterward, he maintained his prominence in government affairs, filling honorable offices both civil and military. Aside from working as a cabinet maker, as well as owning a tavern
and distillery, Gaddis was actively involved in the establishment of the Fayette County court system, serving on the first Fayette County grand jury. He was Fayette County Commissioner from 1787 to 1789, and served as a delegate for Washington, Fayette, and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
during the Whisky Insurrection.
In fact, Gaddis was the principal leader of the "Whiskey Boys," a group of citizens who were enraged that Congress had imposed a tax on whiskey in order to pay government bond holders. While smaller distilleries were to pay taxes by the gallon, larger distillers could take advantage of a flat fee, clearly putting the smaller distilleries at a disadvantage. Their dissatisfaction derived, at least in part, from the very same factors that characterized their experience leading up to the Revolutionary War; a sense of isolation and alienation from government authorities who failed to represent or consider their special needs and interests.
The excise tax, passed in July 1791, placed a burden on western farmers who converted excess grain into whiskey, which was easier to transport and much more marketable. Despite continued petitions from western counties, the United States Congress
refused to repeal the excise act and westerners responded by ignoring the tax, harassing tax collectors, destroying property, and raising liberty pole
s. In July 1794, 7,000 local militia men organized to march on the town of Pittsburgh whose citizens they believed supported the tax. The mob was appeased with the banishment of several of the most offensive townspeople, but news of the uprising prompted George Washington
to call up a 15,000-man force to march on Western Pennsylvania
. By the time the troops finally approached Pittsburgh, in October, the rebel army had already dispersed. Federal officers arrested 150 men they identified as being involved in the rebellion. Of these, twenty-four were taken to Philadelphia for trial, but only two were convicted and were then given presidential pardons.
In the summer of 1794, Thomas Gaddis' home
was the site of a liberty pole
raising, a public protest event usually attended by a crowd of insurgents who raised a pole carrying a banner inscribed with a slogan such as "Liberty and No Excise!" Liberty poles were raised each night, along the route followed by federal troops toward Pittsburgh. Gaddis was accused of a misdemeanor, in raising a liberty pole on his farm. Most likely, his offense was covered in the general pardon by President Washington and Pennsylvania Governor, Thomas Mifflin
issued to those implicated in the insurrection and who had not subsequently been indicted or convicted. The excise tax remained virtually impossible to collect in Western Pennsylvania. It was repealed by Thomas Jefferson
in 1800.
Thomas Gaddis lived in Fayette County for twenty years after the Rebellion. He and his wife, Hannah, joined the Great Bethel Baptist Church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania
and contributed to the building of its first church, although Gaddis was excommunicated for differing with church doctrine before the building was completed. In 1814, Gaddis sold his farm
, and relocated to Union Township, Clinton County, Ohio
, where he died, June 10, 1834. The original Gaddis homestead
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He was born December 28, 1742, in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
and married Hannah Rice in 1764; the same year he built Fort Gaddis
Fort Gaddis
Fort Gaddis is the oldest known building in Fayette County, Pennsylvania and the second oldest log cabin in Western Pennsylvania. It is located 300 yards east of old U.S. Route 119, near the Route 857 intersection; South Union Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania...
, a refuge from the Indians, located on the Catawba Trail
Catawba Trail
The Catawba Trail is a trail developed and used by Native Americans that leads from the Carolinas northerly into Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Its several branches passed through West Virginia, Kentucky, western Virginia and eastern Tennessee. It is a part of the Great Indian Warpath...
. In fact, Pennsylvania and Virginia had conflicting claims in the area Gaddis settled. Though he maintained his loyalty to Virginia, Gaddis also protected his investment by recording his patent with Pennsylvania authorities. By 1773, both states created new geo-political boundaries in recognition of increased white settlement. Pennsylvania formed Westmoreland County out of the larger Bedford County, and Virginia established the District of West Augusta. In 1776, West Augusta was further divided into three counties: Ohio, Youghiogheny, and Monongahela, where Gaddis and his family resided.
Gaddis enlisted as a private in Captain Robert Bell’s company, in the 13th Virginia Regiment
13th Virginia Regiment
The 13th Virginia Regiment was a United States infantry regiment during the American Revolutionary War.-Summary:The 13th Virginia Regiment was authorized on 16 September 1776 by the Continental Congress for service with the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
under Lieutenant Colonel John Gibson. He was then detached to serve under Captain Uriah Springer, assisting in the construction of Fort Liberty (Monongahela County), Fort McIntosh
Fort McIntosh
Fort McIntosh is the name of several former military installations in the United States:* Fort McIntosh * Fort McIntosh, Texas* Fort McIntosh...
, and Fort Lawrence.
Thomas Gaddis was appointed captain of the militia in Monongahela on August 23, 1776. From September 1776 to January 1777, Gaddis was stationed near Beech Bottom, West Virginia
Beech Bottom, West Virginia
Beech Bottom is a village in Brooke County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, about ten miles north of Fort Henry (West Virginia). While stationed there, he was primarily responsible for keeping communications open to Fort Henry, and for scouting the countryside for hostile Indians. On February 17, 1777, he was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, then to full colonel by Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
, Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
. Subsequently, Gaddis took command of Fort Pickett
Fort Pickett
Fort Pickett, Virginia, is a Virginia Army National Guard installation, located near the town of Blackstone, Virginia. It is named for the United States Army officer and Confederate General George Pickett.- Beginnings :...
, Fort Scott, Fort Stradler, Fort Jackson, and Fort Lindley.
In August 1777, Gaddis and Colonel Zackquill Morgan
Zackquill Morgan
Colonel Zackquill Morgan was a son of Welsh-born Colonel Morgan Morgan, the first known white settler in what would become the U.S. state of West Virginia, and his wife, Catherine Garretson. Zackquill Morgan's very unusual Christian name is spelled many different ways in old records...
learned that a substantial number of settlers in the Redstone area, an area south of Pittsburgh, had taken an oath of allegiance to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom
Monarchy of the United Kingdom
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
and were plotting on Great Britain’s behalf. Gaddis informed Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Brown at Redstone Old Fort
Redstone Old Fort
Redstone Old Fort or Redstone Fort or Fort Burd on The Nemacolin Trail was the name of the French and Indian War era wooden fort built in 1759 by Pennsylvania Militia Colonel James Burd to guard the ancient Indian trail's river ford on a mound overlooking the eastern shore of the Monongahela River...
, on the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
, requesting him to place an extra guard on the powder magazine. In a dispatch to Brown, he wrote:
The loyalists tried to seize the arsenal at Redstone, but Brown was on guard, and a force of a hundred colonists under Gaddis and Captain Henry Enoch repelled the loyalists. A detachment of soldiers from Fort Pitt
Fort Pitt (Pennsylvania)
Fort Pitt was a fort built at the location of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.-French and Indian War:The fort was built from 1759 to 1761 during the French and Indian War , next to the site of former Fort Duquesne, at the confluence the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River...
arrested those implicated in the event and scattered the remainder of the Tories. The prisoners were escorted to Virginia's capital in Williamsburg, took an oath of allegiance, and eventually returned home.
With the hope of putting an end to Indian attacks on American settlers, Gaddis took part in General McIntosh’s incursion along the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
in September 1778, to no avail. By the spring of 1782, however, he was a resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
, his home being in that part which in 1783 became Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
; about three miles south of Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
.
Gaddis was elected a field major and third in command of the Sandusky Expedition, seeing as he was well known to many of the volunteers as a good citizen and brave soldier. At the time of his volunteering for the campaign, he was an officer of the militia of Westmoreland County. The other majors of the expedition, committed to destroying Indian towns along the Sandusky River
Sandusky River
The Sandusky River is a tributary to Lake Erie in north-central Ohio in the United States. It is about long and flows into Lake Erie at Sandusky Bay.-Course:...
, included David Williamson
David Williamson
David Keith Williamson AO is one of Australia's best-known playwrights. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.-Biography:...
, John B. McClelland
John B. McClelland
John B. McClelland was an officer in the American Revolutionary War. He was captured by American Indians during the Crawford Expedition and tortured to death at the Shawnee town of Wakatomika, which is currently located in Logan County, Ohio, about halfway between West Liberty, Ohio and...
, and James Brenton.
Regretfully, the Indians and their British allies had already learned of the expedition, and the Americans were forced to retreat. During the retreat, Colonel William Crawford and several of his men, including Major John B. McClelland
John B. McClelland
John B. McClelland was an officer in the American Revolutionary War. He was captured by American Indians during the Crawford Expedition and tortured to death at the Shawnee town of Wakatomika, which is currently located in Logan County, Ohio, about halfway between West Liberty, Ohio and...
; William Harrison, Colonel Crawford’s son-in-law; and young William Crawford, the Colonel’s nephew, were captured and tortured to death. Approximately seventy Americans were killed in the 1782 campaign on the western front. Fortunately, Gaddis returned safely from the engagement.
On June 14, 1782, the officers dispersed to their various places of residence. Gaddis returned to that part of Westmoreland, soon to become Fayette. Afterward, he maintained his prominence in government affairs, filling honorable offices both civil and military. Aside from working as a cabinet maker, as well as owning a tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
and distillery, Gaddis was actively involved in the establishment of the Fayette County court system, serving on the first Fayette County grand jury. He was Fayette County Commissioner from 1787 to 1789, and served as a delegate for Washington, Fayette, and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Allegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,223,348; making it the second most populous county in Pennsylvania, following Philadelphia County. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
during the Whisky Insurrection.
In fact, Gaddis was the principal leader of the "Whiskey Boys," a group of citizens who were enraged that Congress had imposed a tax on whiskey in order to pay government bond holders. While smaller distilleries were to pay taxes by the gallon, larger distillers could take advantage of a flat fee, clearly putting the smaller distilleries at a disadvantage. Their dissatisfaction derived, at least in part, from the very same factors that characterized their experience leading up to the Revolutionary War; a sense of isolation and alienation from government authorities who failed to represent or consider their special needs and interests.
The excise tax, passed in July 1791, placed a burden on western farmers who converted excess grain into whiskey, which was easier to transport and much more marketable. Despite continued petitions from western counties, the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
refused to repeal the excise act and westerners responded by ignoring the tax, harassing tax collectors, destroying property, and raising liberty pole
Liberty pole
A liberty pole is a tall wooden pole, often used as a type of flagstaff, planted in the ground, which may be surmounted by an ensign or a liberty cap. They are associated with the Atlantic Revolutions of the late 18th century.-American Revolution:...
s. In July 1794, 7,000 local militia men organized to march on the town of Pittsburgh whose citizens they believed supported the tax. The mob was appeased with the banishment of several of the most offensive townspeople, but news of the uprising prompted George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
to call up a 15,000-man force to march on Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
. By the time the troops finally approached Pittsburgh, in October, the rebel army had already dispersed. Federal officers arrested 150 men they identified as being involved in the rebellion. Of these, twenty-four were taken to Philadelphia for trial, but only two were convicted and were then given presidential pardons.
In the summer of 1794, Thomas Gaddis' home
Fort Gaddis
Fort Gaddis is the oldest known building in Fayette County, Pennsylvania and the second oldest log cabin in Western Pennsylvania. It is located 300 yards east of old U.S. Route 119, near the Route 857 intersection; South Union Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania...
was the site of a liberty pole
Liberty pole
A liberty pole is a tall wooden pole, often used as a type of flagstaff, planted in the ground, which may be surmounted by an ensign or a liberty cap. They are associated with the Atlantic Revolutions of the late 18th century.-American Revolution:...
raising, a public protest event usually attended by a crowd of insurgents who raised a pole carrying a banner inscribed with a slogan such as "Liberty and No Excise!" Liberty poles were raised each night, along the route followed by federal troops toward Pittsburgh. Gaddis was accused of a misdemeanor, in raising a liberty pole on his farm. Most likely, his offense was covered in the general pardon by President Washington and Pennsylvania Governor, Thomas Mifflin
Thomas Mifflin
Thomas Mifflin was an American merchant and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, a member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly, a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania, President of the Continental...
issued to those implicated in the insurrection and who had not subsequently been indicted or convicted. The excise tax remained virtually impossible to collect in Western Pennsylvania. It was repealed by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
in 1800.
Thomas Gaddis lived in Fayette County for twenty years after the Rebellion. He and his wife, Hannah, joined the Great Bethel Baptist Church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
and contributed to the building of its first church, although Gaddis was excommunicated for differing with church doctrine before the building was completed. In 1814, Gaddis sold his farm
Fort Gaddis
Fort Gaddis is the oldest known building in Fayette County, Pennsylvania and the second oldest log cabin in Western Pennsylvania. It is located 300 yards east of old U.S. Route 119, near the Route 857 intersection; South Union Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania...
, and relocated to Union Township, Clinton County, Ohio
Clinton County, Ohio
Clinton County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,040. The 2008 Census Population Estimate places the figure at 43,200. It is named for former U.S. Vice-President George Clinton...
, where he died, June 10, 1834. The original Gaddis homestead
Fort Gaddis
Fort Gaddis is the oldest known building in Fayette County, Pennsylvania and the second oldest log cabin in Western Pennsylvania. It is located 300 yards east of old U.S. Route 119, near the Route 857 intersection; South Union Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania...
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.
Externl links
- Fort Gaddis - Pennsylvania Historical Markers on Waymarking.com
- Excavations at Fort Gaddis, from the California University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in California, Pennsylvania, USA. Founded in 1852, it is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Cal U's enrollment is approximately 9,400.The main campus consists of about 38 buildings situated on 92 acres...