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A Patriot Remembered - - by
Antonie
Every 4th of July I think of the ideals my family may have held
when they arrived in Philadelphia from France on September 28,
1733. The French family records indicate the Vautrins were
Hugenots. That fact does not surprise me as the ideal of
sacrifice was courageously upheld in the Wyoming Valley of
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania on July 3, 1778. This memorial is
dedicated to one man who left his descendents a lasting legacy
of idealism which emphasized what it takes to maintain personal
freedom. He is my fifth great grandfather, John William Woodring
(Vautrin) (1738-7/3/1778).
John William’s remains lay buried for over 50 years in a common
grave holding the remains of 83 of the 164 Patriots killed in
the Battle of Wyoming. The men were buried quickly after the
battle in a farmer’s field which was plowed year after year for
over 50 years. In the early 1820’s concerned citizens and
descendents of the Wyoming Patriots formed a committee to work
on geographically locating the patriots’ remains. Plans were
made to erect a monument in their memory. In 1829 they were
located. In 1833 the remains were exhumed and placed in the
vault that would eventually lie beneath the Wyoming Monument
located at Wyoming Avenue, U.S. Route 11 in Wyoming,
Pennsylvania.
The Wyoming Patriots were farmers, young and old who had pledged
to be prepared to play any role they may be asked in order to
preserve their home, posterity, and freedom to carry on as free
men. At the end of the battle, not one stalk of corn stood. All
of the homes had been burned by the British and the Indians. My
great grandmother, Christina Kocher-Woodring fled with her five
children, one of whom was Daniel, my fourth great grandfather
(Daniel Washburn's account, 1848).
I have so little to tell me what John William was like. I know
he was born December 21, 1738 to Abraham Vautrin and Anna Mertz
in White Hall, Lehigh, Pennsylvania. He was a lifetime member of
the Egypt Reformed Church where Abraham, his father was an
elder. In 1747, Abraham represented the Egypt Reformed Church in
the Philadelphia Coetus. This tells me they maintained
unwavering loyalty to certain ideals. Clearly, John William had
a home, land, many children and was faithful in caring for his
family. That was obvious in that part of the reason he lost his
life was to protect all that he cherished. When I think of John
William and the many others who perished that day it tells me
that what they believed was so strong they were willing to die
for it. There was a collective community thought about what this
was. Do we have that ideal today?
Many Pastors from the Wilkes-Barre area attended the memorial
service for the Wyoming Patriots. Rev. Dr. James May of the
Protestant Episcopal Church gave the Eulogy in honor of the
slain men (George Peck, D.D., 1858). “When upward of fifty years
have gone, we are in quiet possession of this valley. The sun in
his daily journey looks upon a few spots on which the Creator
has combined more of the materials necessary for earthly
happiness. No object of price in general can be gained without
painstaking and sacrifice. The independence of our common
country was not secured without a long and toilsome struggle.
This valley, so rich in soil, so lovely in scenery, could not be
possessed securely till the sacrifice was made, and that, too,
of blood. The hands that more than half a century ago first
struck the axe into the forests that had for ages shadowed these
plains, lie mingled with the dust. The troubles of those times,
when the Indians descended upon this valley, were borne by heads
that are pillowed beneath the soil. See, fellow-citizens, the
sacrifice which was made by the first civilized tenants of this
valley. The grave containing their bones is uncovered before
you. You see for yourselves the marks of the tomahawk and
scalping-knife on the heads which are uncovered, after having
rested for more than fifty years. Peace be in this grave –
sacred be the memory of them that sleep here.
Freedom demands responsibility. We have freedom that came with a
price. It would behoove all of us to realize that freedom should
be afforded to all men not only in this country but everywhere
in the world. There are many countries that are not free because
they are being plundered for their resources. We have freedom by
the grace of God and acts of brave men who believed it was a
God-given right. We cannot proclaim freedom at the same time we
are usurping that freedom to gain what they have. True freedom
is teaching others to be self-sufficient.
Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put
on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death
is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15: 52-57.
Thank you grandfather for your sacrifice. Your legacy will live
on.
Antonie
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