Notes for 3 Martin Harless
Source: Judith (Harless) Hawkins
Loyalist conspiracy of 1780
[Col. William Preston to Loyalist Leaders] (Apparently contained within a compilation known as the Draper Mss. 5QQ41; reprinted in a book titled Wisconsin Historical Collection)
Thursday Morning July 20, 1780
GENTLEMEN:
Since the Troubles which began in the Country in June last, I am sorry to say that your Behaviour has been very distant. You cannot be insensible that the resentment of the well affected in this, and the Neighboring Counties runs very high against you; & that you have enjoyed every Protection, that the best Citizens enjoyed notwithstanding your Conduct. This resentment has been hitherto restrained, I may say without Vanity, by myself, though not without difficulty & Censure; which I have done, not from any love to your Political Sentiments but from a Regard for you as Neighbours.
I much expected that your own Peace and Safety would have induced you to fall on some public method to secure both, by giving, or at least proposing some farther Security to the State of your peaceable Intentions, in order to satisfy the Government as well as the Enraged Multitude. How far you have complied with that formerly given you must be able to Judge & to which I am no stranger --- In short I must tell you plainly, That your Conduct on this Occasion has been Dark Sul[len] Disgustful Suspicious and Offensive to the Government of this state, & such a[s] will draw down its highest resentment --- This I have long doubted & have laboured for Years past to convince you of your folly & Danger but to no purpose --- I now find the Storm gathering against you from every Quarter which will surely burst upon you without prudent & Speedy Measures be fallen upon to prevent it.
For which Reason I would request you all, and as many more as you Judge Proper, to come to my House next Saturday Morning, to consult in a Neighborly way, the proper steps for you to take for your own Peace, safety & security; and at the same time to to secure the Peace of the Community so far as relates to You & others in the same situation in this Company --- I hereby Pawn my Veracity, that your Persons & Property shall be safe during this Interview That only two or three unarmed friends will attend to see & hear what passes & that I have no one thing in View but your Benefit & to secure the internal Peace of the State --- Should you refuse to comply with this invitation to confer on such an important Subject, I shall then take it for Granted that you have farther Views which are destructive to the Peace of the country --- I request of Mr Price to forward this to those to whom it is directed.
I am your hbl servt,
Wm Preston
To:
Mr Michael Price, Mr. John and Howard Heavin,
Mr. James Beane, Mr. Jacob Shull, Mr. John Wall,
Mr. Harless, and [Mr.] Poopick Hoover.
The book also contains the following notes: "One of the Harless families was involved in the Loyalist Plot of 1780." Also, "The Prices and Shulls were likewise inveigled into the Loyalist conspiracy of 1780; but upon agreeing to enlist in the Continental army their temporary error was pardoned."
If Martin were the Harless involved, he must also have seen the error of his ways. According to Dr. Pritchard, Martin served in the Virginia Militia in Captain Looney's Company during the Revolution. See HFG 5 and 13.
Indians Attacks
I have read that during this period there were very mixed emotions among the people on the frontier in Virginia. The gravest danger to them was the Indians, and some felt that the British could provide them with better security against Indian attacks than the scattered colonial forces. This was reinforced by the failure of the colonial government in Virginia to send aid when attacks were threatened (probably not for want of desire but more for lack of manpower). But hoping for British protection ran counter to the political movement to oust the British from their control, and of course now we know that it was the British themselves who were encouraging and rewarding the Indians for their depravations.
Martin's concern for the safety of his family is understandable from the following excerpt from another letter :
Col. Preston's to Capt. William Robinson
Sunday about 2 o'clock in the Morning June 6, 1778
"Yesterday three young Men went from here to Palser Lybrooks on Sinking Creek, and about Sunset discovered five or six Indians at Lybrooks Plantation. They also saw signs in other Places where the Enemy were gathering Horses and seven Guns were heard about the middle of the Day by Martin Harless near his Place."
Other FAQ's
(1) Johan Philip's parents in Germany, Ferdinand and Anna Christina Harless, apparently had at least 2 other children. Anna Catharine was b 1720 and married Micajah Doss. Margaretta came to America with her brother Johan Philip on the Winter Galley.
(2) Anna Margaretha (Preiss) Harless was the daughter of David Preiss and Agnes Hoffman. There were several Hoffman men on the Winter Galley and someday I hope to find the time to see if they were Anna Margaretha's cousins.
She had several brothers:
Daniel Price b 14 Jul 1715 (I have never found anything else on this Daniel and he apparently died early);
Johan Michael Price, b 9 Oct 1718 and d 1802 at Price's Fork, Montgomery Co., VA, m Margaret Killian, also an immigrant from the Palatinate;
William Augustine Price, b 31 May 1722 and d 16 Oct 1802, m. Anna Elizabeth Sherp;
Daniel Price, b 10 Apr 1724 and m Anna Catharine ____;
Henricus (Henry) Price, b 8 Sept 1726 an m Mary Magdalene.
The 4 younger boys sailed with Anna Margaretha on the Winter Galley.
(3) Johan Philip and Anna Margaretha first settled in or near Lancaster, PA. Their first son Martin was baptized there at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on 3 Mar 1739.
Their second son Philip may also have been born there in 1743.
(4) Selah Kirk married a Martin Harless in 1818 in Giles County, but this was probably Martin, son of Patrick. See Letters (21) Nov 99.