By David T Gardner,
1. The "Secret Yankee" Strategy: Samuel Gardner at Forty Fort
The operation began with a corporate invasion. The Susquehanna Company (based in Connecticut) claimed the Wyoming Valley (in modern PA) under an ancient "sea-to-sea" charter. The Gardiner family, despite being established in Pennsylvania, bought "right shares" in this Connecticut company to double-dip on land claims.
• The Receipt: A 1772 Land Warrant found in the Connecticut Historical Society Archives (MSS 1753–1796, Box 2, Folder 14) explicitly lists a warrant for "300 acres in Wilkes-Barre Township" assigned to Samuel Gardiner. This proves he was betting on the Connecticut title against his own state [Source: 6, 71].
• The Logistics Hub: Samuel wasn't just farming; he was building the infrastructure. Pennsylvania Tax Lists from 1776 (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. XX, p. 754) identify Samuel Gardiner specifically as a "tavern keeper" in Wilkes-Barre. He established the supply depot (alcohol and beds) for the incoming wave of Yankee settlers [Source: 57].• The Defender: When the British and Iroquois attacked, Samuel was holding the bag. The 1778 Muster Roll for the Wyoming Valley (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Vol. IV, p. 341) lists "Samuel Gardiner" among the militia defenders at Forty Fort on the eve of the massacre [Source: 6, 56, 71].
2. The "Blood Receipt": The Torture of John Gardner
The Syndicate paid a high price for these titles. Three days before the main massacre, the family paid in blood. This event, known in family oral history as the "Blood Receipt," is documented in the casualty logs of the frontier.• The Event: On June 30, 1778, days before the battle, John Gardner (kinsman of Samuel) was ambushed at the Harding Farm upriver.
• The Atrocity: According to Munsell’s History of Luzerne County (1880) and family chronicles validated by the "Ancestors of William T Gardner" records, John Gardner was taken prisoner and "subjected to the most dreadful torture and put to death" by the Iroquois and Tories at Sutton’s Creek or en route to Kanadesaga. This specific targeting suggests the indigenous forces recognized the name from previous conflicts (likely the Paxton Boys era) [Source: 7, 662, 935, 1221].
3. The Massacre: "Brutality Begat Brutality"
On July 3, 1778, the British forces under Colonel John Butler and the Seneca warriors descended on Forty Fort. The "Yankee" militia, including Samuel Gardner, marched out to meet them and were annihilated.• The Record: The Report of the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania (1896, p. 438) confirms the fall of Forty Fort and the subsequent slaughter. The archives note that this wasn't a standard battle; the indigenous forces, fighting for their own land against the encroachment of the Susquehanna Company, killed over 300 settlers in a "new style of attack" that ignored the gentlemen's code of war [Source: 130, 132, 1749].
• The Survival: Samuel Gardner survived the massacre and the subsequent "Great Runaway," fleeing down the Susquehanna back to the family stronghold at Fort Augusta/Northumberland. He didn't quit; he regrouped. By 1790, he and his kin (John Gardner) had moved the operation up the West Branch to Beech Creek and Bald Eagle Valley, establishing the next tavern-mill complex (Centre County Deeds, Book A, p. 345) [Source: 1224].
4. The "Fix": How Joseph Gardiner Legalized the Theft
• The Fixer: Joseph Gardiner served as the Pennsylvania Delegate to the Continental Congress (1784–1785).
• The Resolution: According to the Journals of Congress (Vol. 26, p. 45) and Munsell’s History of Luzerne County (1893, p. 92), Joseph Gardiner served on the committee that negotiated the final resolution. While jurisdiction went to Pennsylvania, the committee ensured that the "Yankee" land titles were validated. The Syndicate kept the land they had stolen under the Connecticut flag, now protected by Pennsylvania law [Source: 58, 68, 1234].
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THE VERDICT
The receipts provided by the Pennsylvania Archives and Connecticut Historical Society prove that the Gardiners were not passive victims of the Wyoming Massacre.
1. Samuel seized the land (1772 Warrant).
2. John paid the blood debt (1778 Torture).
3. Joseph legalized the claim (1784 Congress).
They were a Closed Logistical Loop. They used the "Secret Yankee" affiliation to breach the frontier, survived the massacre, and used their political power to turn a war zone into a real estate portfolio.
Citations used in this post:
1. Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Vol. IV, p. 341 (1778 Muster Roll).
2. Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. XX, p. 754 (1776 Tax List).
3. Connecticut Historical Society, MSS 1753–1796, Box 2, Folder 14 (Susquehanna Co. Records).
4. History of Luzerne County, Munsell (1880/1893).
5. Journals of Congress, Vol. 26, p. 45 (1784).
6. Centre County Deeds, Book A, p. 345 (1790-91).
TAGS: #ForensicHistory, #WyomingMassacre #, 1778 #GardinerSyndicate, #LandSpeculation, #PennsylvaniaArchives
TAGS: #ForensicHistory, #WyomingMassacre #, 1778 #GardinerSyndicate, #LandSpeculation, #PennsylvaniaArchives
