The Sentinel—9
America was an indentured servant man by the name of John Howland, who “quickly discovered that the deck of a tempest-tossed ship was no place for a landsman under sail. The Mayflower lurched suddenly to leeward. Howland staggered to the ship’s rail and tumbled into the sea. But dangling over the side and trailing behind the ship was the topsail halyard, the rope used to raise and lower the upper sail. Howland ... found the halyard,
and he gripped the rope with such feral desperation ... he never let go. Several sailors took up the halyard and hauled Howland back and used a boat hook to haul him in..”[4]For most people this story is interesting, and it ends here, but not for us. “John Howland became a successful businessman, married and raised ten children, who would, in turn, produce an astounding eightyeight grandchildren.” [5] Two of John How-
land’s descendants live in Mifflin County today. John is the 17th great-grandfather of George Anderson who is a Vietnam veteran and whose father served under General George S. Patton in World War II. Jan Snedeker is a U.S. Navy veteran from 1968 to 1974, followed up by serving in the Reserves until 1979. He also recognizes John Howland as a 17th great-grandfather! That one indentured servant, who had a near death experience on a small ship in 1620,
led to two honorable United States military veterans — from Mifflin County, who both owned local businesses! Jan’s father was also a veteran of World War II. Mifflin County today has obviously been affected by The Mayflower. And Mifflin County has had a long line of people who have honorably fulfilled a commitment and served their country. We are and have been a county (or “a people”) committed to our nation.
Chapter 2: The French and Indian War The French and Indian War lasted from 1754 to 1763, followed shortly by the Revolutionary War — 17751781. Historically, excluding the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War, on the US continental soil you can count six major wars (dependent on definition of a war), and a disputed list of another 19 engagements such as native American wars and conflicts up to 2001. We will only look specifically at our early major wars. Pennsylvania was governed by William Penn and a Quaker government. Quakers are
pacifists and do not believe in fighting and this was part of the problem prior to the Revolutionary War. During the French and Indian War, we were colonies under British “protection and rule.” While under British Rule we as British citizens fought in the French and Indian War with British soldiers who looked upon us not as British citizens on an equal level, but as those who left Britain and came here to extend the realm on plantations. The French and Indian War started by an attack on a so called “French Diplomatic Mission” of armed
French soldiers, by Colonel George Washington (as a British officer) who was alerted by native American Tanacharison, to the group of French soldiers hidden in a secluded glen (present day Jumonville Glenn in Western Pennsylvania). In this fight, the French officer, Jumon de Villiers was killed. Washington was later required to surrender Fort Necessity to the French officer Louis Coulon de Villers after being attacked by French and native American forces. He was the brother of Jumon de Villiers. Louis Coulon de Villers is
the only person to ever have Washington surrender to him. In that surrender document written in French, de Villers deceptively had Washington admitting he assassinated Jumon. It stated in part: …Our Intention…” was never to disturb the peace and harmony which exist between two friends as two Prince allies, but only to avenge the assassination of one of our officers…” [6] Two years later General Braddock took a British Army to push the French out of Fort Duquesne (now Fort Pitt) in present-day Pittsburgh. Braddock
