Editing Whiskey Rebellion (section)

=== Federal response ===
President Washington was confronted with what appeared to be an armed insurrection in western Pennsylvania, and he proceeded cautiously while determined to maintain governmental authority. He did not want to alienate public opinion, so he asked his cabinet for written opinions about how to deal with the crisis. The cabinet recommended the use of force, except for Secretary of State [[Edmund Randolph]] who urged reconciliation.{{sfn |Elkins |McKitrick |1993 |p=[https://archive.org/details/ageoffederalism00elki/page/479/mode/2up 480]}} Washington did both: he sent commissioners to meet with the rebels while raising a militia army. Washington privately doubted that the commissioners could accomplish anything, and believed that a military expedition would be needed to suppress further violence.{{sfn |Slaughter |1986 |pp=197–99}} For this reason, historians have sometimes charged that the peace commission was sent only for the sake of appearances, and that the use of force was never in doubt.<ref>{{harvnb |Slaughter |1986 |p=199}}; {{harvnb |Holt |2004 |p=11}}</ref> Historians Stanley Elkins and Eric McKitrick argued that the military expedition was "itself a part of the reconciliation process", since a show of overwhelming force would make further violence less likely.{{sfn |Elkins |McKitrick |1993 |p=[https://archive.org/details/ageoffederalism00elki/page/481/mode/2up 481]}}

Meanwhile, Hamilton began publishing essays under the name of "Tully" in Philadelphia newspapers, denouncing mob violence in western Pennsylvania and advocating military action. [[Democratic-Republican Societies]] had been formed throughout the country, and Washington and Hamilton believed that they were the source of civic unrest. "Historians are not yet agreed on the exact role of the societies" in the Whiskey Rebellion, wrote historian Mark Spencer in 2003, "but there was a degree of overlap between society membership and the Whiskey Rebels".<ref>Mark G. Spencer, "Democratic-Republican Societies", in Peter Knight, ed., ''Conspiracy Theories in American History'' (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO Press, 2003), 1:221.</ref>

Before troops could be raised, the [[Militia Act of 1792]] required a justice of the [[United States Supreme Court]] to certify that law enforcement was beyond the control of local authorities. On August 4, 1794, Justice [[James Wilson (Founding Father)|James Wilson]] delivered his opinion that western Pennsylvania was in a state of rebellion.<ref>{{harvnb |Slaughter |1986 |pp=192–93, 196}}; {{harvnb |Elkins |McKitrick |1993 |p=[https://archive.org/details/ageoffederalism00elki/page/477/mode/2up 478]}}</ref> On August 7, Washington issued a presidential proclamation announcing, with "the deepest regret", that the militia would be called out to suppress the rebellion. He commanded insurgents in western Pennsylvania to disperse by September 1.{{sfn |Slaughter |1986 |p=196}}

==== Negotiations ====
In early August 1794, Washington dispatched three commissioners to the west, all of them Pennsylvanians: Attorney General [[William Bradford (Attorney General)|William Bradford]], Justice [[Jasper Yeates]] of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and Senator [[James Ross (Pennsylvania congressman)|James Ross]]. Beginning on August 21, the commissioners met with a committee of westerners that included Brackenridge and Gallatin. The government commissioners told the committee that it must unanimously agree to renounce violence and submit to U.S. laws and that a popular referendum must be held to determine if the local people supported the decision. Those who agreed to these terms would be given amnesty from further prosecution.<ref>{{harvnb |Slaughter |1986 |pp=199–200}}; {{harvnb |Hogeland |2006 |p=199}}</ref>

The committee was divided between radicals and moderates, and narrowly passed a resolution agreeing to submit to the government's terms. The popular referendum was held on September 11 and also produced mixed results. Some townships overwhelmingly supported submitting to U.S. law, but opposition to the government remained strong in areas where poor and landless people predominated.{{sfn |Slaughter |1986 |p=203}} On September 24, 1794, Washington received a recommendation from the commissioners that in their judgment, "(it was) ... necessary that the civil authority should be aided by a military force in order to secure a due execution of the laws..."<ref name="Wash1976">{{cite book|last1=Washington|first1=G.|last2=Jackson|first2=D.|last3=Twohig|first3=D.|year=1976|title=The diaries of George Washington|location=Charlottesville|publisher=University Press of Virginia|url=https://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/644873705?page=frame&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DkigTAQAAMAAJ%26checksum%3Dba5f03da41c8eb81c13f065ffff48b64&title=&linktype=digitalObject&detail=|access-date=June 30, 2018}}</ref> On September 25, Washington issued a proclamation summoning the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia militias into service and warned that anyone who aided the insurgents did so at their own peril.<ref name="Wash1976" />{{sfn |Hogeland |2006 |p=205–06}} The trend was towards submission, however, and westerners dispatched representatives William Findley and [[David Redick]] to meet with Washington and to halt the progress of the oncoming army. Washington and Hamilton declined, arguing that violence was likely to re-emerge if the army turned back.{{sfn |Slaughter |1986 |p=203}}

==== Militia expedition ====
Under the authority of the recently passed federal militia law, the state militias were called up by the governors of New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The federalized militia force of 12,950 men was a large army by American standards of the time, comparable to Washington's armies during the Revolution.<ref>{{harvnb|Chernow |2004 |pp=475–76}}; Hogeland, 189.</ref> Relatively few men volunteered for militia service, so a draft was used to fill out the ranks.  Draft evasion was widespread, and conscription efforts resulted in protests and riots, even in eastern areas. Three counties in eastern Virginia were the scenes of armed draft resistance. In Maryland, Governor [[Thomas Sim Lee]] sent 800 men to quash an anti-draft riot in [[Hagerstown, Maryland|Hagerstown]]; about 150 people were arrested.{{sfn |Slaughter |1986 |pp=210–14}}

[[File:AlbertGallatin.jpeg|thumb|Photo of [[Albert Gallatin]], who spoke publicly to rebel groups about the need for moderation]]

[[Liberty pole]]s were raised in various places as the militia was recruited, worrying federal officials. A liberty pole was raised in [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania]] on September 11, 1794.{{sfn |Slaughter |1986 |p=208}} The federalized militia arrived in that town later that month and rounded up suspected pole-raisers. Two civilians were killed in these operations. On September 29, an unarmed boy was shot by an officer whose pistol accidentally fired. Two days later, an "Itinerant Person" was "Bayoneted" to death by a soldier while resisting arrest (the man had tried to wrest the rifle from the soldier he confronted; it is possible he had been a member of a 500-strong Irish work crew nearby who were "digging, a [[Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company#Washington's 1794 militia expedition to Pittsburgh|canal]] into the Sculkill" {{sic}}; at least one of that work gang's members protested the killing so vigorously that he was "put under guard").<ref name="forman">{{cite web|last=Forman|first=Jonathan| title= Journal of Jonathan Forman (7 pgs.), September 21, 1794 – October 25, 1794: Box 1, Folder 1 Jonathan Forman Papers, September 21, 1794 – October 25, 1794, DAR.1982.01, Darlington Collection, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh|url=http://digital.library.pitt.edu/u/ulsmanuscripts/pdf/31735051656100.pdf|access-date=August 2, 2017}}</ref> President Washington ordered the arrest of the two soldiers and had them turned over to civilian authorities. A state judge determined that the deaths had been accidental, and the soldiers were released.<ref>{{harvnb |Slaughter |1986 |pp=205–06}}; Hogeland, 213.</ref>

Washington left Philadelphia (which at that time was the capital of the United States) on September 30 to review the progress of the military expedition.<ref name="Wash1976" /> According to historian [[Joseph Ellis]], this was "the first and only time a sitting American president led troops in the field".<ref>Ellis, ''His Excellency, George Washington'', 225.</ref>

Along the way he traveled to [[Reading, Pennsylvania]] on his way to meet up with the rest of the militia he ordered mobilized at [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]].<ref name="Wash1976" /> On the second of October, Washington left [[Reading, Pennsylvania]] heading west to [[Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania|Womelsdorf]] in order to "view the ([[Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company#Washington's 1794 militia expedition to Pittsburgh|Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company]]) canal...".<ref name="Wash1976" />  Revolutionary war and [[Siege of Yorktown]] veteran, Colonel Jonathan Forman (1755–1809) led the Third Infantry Regiment of New Jersey troops against the Whiskey Rebellion and wrote about his encounter with Washington:<ref>{{cite web|last=Manella|first=Angela|title=Jonathan Forman Papers Finding Aid|url=http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=ascead;cc=ascead;q1=jonathan%20forman;rgn=main;view=text;didno=US-PPiU-dar198201|publisher=Archive Service Center, University of Pittsburgh|access-date=April 4, 2013}}</ref>

{{blockquote|quote=October 3d Marched early in the morning for Harrisburgh {{sic}}, where we arrived about 12 O'clock. About 1 O'Clock recd. information of the Presidents approach on which, I had the regiment paraded, timely for his reception, & considerably to my satisfaction. Being afterwards invited to his quarters he made enquiry into the circumstances of the man [an incident between an "Itinerant Person" and "an Old Soldier" mentioned earlier in the journal (p. 3)] & seemed satisfied with the information.<ref name="forman" />}}

Washington met with the western representatives in [[Bedford, Pennsylvania]] on October 9 before going to [[Fort Cumberland (Maryland)|Fort Cumberland]] in Maryland to review the southern wing of the army.{{sfn |Slaughter |1986 |pp=215–16}} He was convinced that the federalized militia would meet little resistance, and he placed the army under the command of the Virginia Governor [[Henry Lee III|Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee]], a hero of the Revolutionary War. Washington returned to Philadelphia; Hamilton remained with the army as civilian adviser.{{sfn |Slaughter |1986 |p=216}}

[[Daniel Morgan]], the victor of the [[Battle of Cowpens]] during the American Revolution, was called up to lead a force to suppress the protest. It was at this time (1794) that Morgan was promoted to Major General.  Serving under General [[Henry Lee III|"Light-Horse Harry" Lee]], Morgan led one wing of the militia army into [[Western Pennsylvania]].<ref>Higginbotham, pp. 189–91.</ref> The massive show of force brought an end to the protests without a shot being fired. After the uprising had been suppressed, Morgan commanded the remnant of the army that remained until 1795 in Pennsylvania, some 1,200 militiamen, one of whom was [[Meriwether Lewis]].<ref>Higginbotham, pp. 193–98.</ref>