Some of these officers had seen service as soldiers in the French and Indian War.[11] Captain Eliab Farnham, of the Lackaway Company, had done a tour of duty lasting twenty-five weeks in 1758 in Capt. Nathan Whiting's Company, 2d Conn. Regt. Lieut. Elisha Scovill had served 32 weeks in 1759 in Capt. Amos Hitchcock's Company in the seventh Connecticut regiment.
Lieutenant Jonathan Parker had served 34 weeks in 1761 in the third company of the First Conn. Regt. commanded by Major David Baldwin.
The citizen liable to serve in the Connecticut militia was a man, between 16 and 50 years of age, but for specified reason many were exempt from the service.[12]
There was an almost immediate call for all the skill and ability of the newly commissioned officers not only in the training field, but in the arena of actual war. The Governor of Pennsylvania had made up his mind to completely destroy the Connecticut settlement at Wyoming. Wyoming was within the Pennsylvania county of Northumberland of which William Cook was Sheriff. William Cook, under pretense of serving sundry writs at Wyoming, took with him an armed force of 700 men under the command of Colonel William Plunket. He called it a "posse."
This force left Northumberland early in December, 1775, marching up the west side of the river over the almost impassable roads. The supplies for the expedition were loaded into boats. Progress was slow, as the boats had to be propelled against the current, encumbered as it often was at that season of the year by floating ice. December 20th, Col. Plunket was at Nescopeck Creek, nineteen miles below the south eastern extremity of the valley. His progress now was closely watched by scouts. On Saturday, the 23d he arrived at Harvey's landing, one-fourth of a mile below the mouth of Harvey's Creek, where he landed, unloaded his boats, and encamped for the night.
What preparation had been made to receive the invader? On this same Saturday Col. Zebulon Butler mustered the newly formed Twenty-fourth regiment. He also collected all the old men and boys who did not belong to the ranks of the regiment and armed them the best he could. In number, his force thus made up, was about four hundred. The two armies spent the night within a half mile of each other. From this point Col. Butler sent out a flag to Col. Plunket, in charge of Lieutenant Garret, inquiring the object of the invasion. Col. Plunket's reply was that he came on a peaceful errand, simply to serve some Pennsylvania writs at Wyoming.
On Sunday morning. Col. Butler left Ensign Mason F. Alden[13] with 18 men on the ground where he had spent the night. At the same time he sent Capt. Lazarus Stewart[14] of the Hanover Company, with 20 men across the river to the east side above the Nanticoke Falls to prevent the enemy from landing, should they attempt to do so. He then, with the main body of his force, retreated about one mile up the river to a place where a natural defence existed. This consisted of a ridge of rocks projecting about one-half a mile south easterly from the Shawanese mountain to the river. Near the river it was 1 or 2 feet high, but as it ran back toward the mountain it was of great height. Wherever there were breaks in this natural rampart, Butler's men filled in the space with logs and stones. Behind this breastwork the Twenty-fourth regiment and its co-operating forces were stationed. About 11 o'clock Alden and his men became conscious that the enemy was moving, and they withdrew. They announced the approach of the enemy to Col. Butler and joined him behind the fortification. When the enemy advanced it was met with a fusilade of shots along the whole line, killing one man, wounding others and throwing the whole force into the utmost confusion. Without firing a shot Col. Plunket withdrew to the camp at Harvey's Creek.
Late in the afternoon the enemy brought two of its boats by land from Harvey's landing above the Nanticoke Falls. At night fall they were loaded with soldiers and rowed across the river. When they attempted to land they were fired upon by Captain Stewart and his men, who lay in ambush upon the bank, killing one man, and wounding others. The attempt to land was given up and the boats and their cargoes floated down through the rapids and were safely moored at Harvey's landing. Thus ended the events of the day.
On Christmas Day Col. Plunket renewed the attack on the breastwork. He divided his forces into two divisions. One division assailed the fortification in front, while the other attempted a flanking movement on Col. Butler's right. This was promptly met and repelled. The battle lasted nearly all day, but the enemy, baffled at all points, finally withdrew. The invasion known by Col. Plunket's name was at an end. Eight or ten men on each side were killed and many wounded.[15]
The battle with Plunket had made the officers and men of the regiment painfully conscious of their lack of equipment. Powder! How could they get powder? Offer a reward for it? That was what they did at a town meeting, March 10, 1776—two and a half months after the battle. "Voted that the first man that shall make fifty weight of good salt peter, in this town, shall be entitled to ten pounds lawful money, to be paid out of the town treasury."[16]