![]() ![]() Keachline speculated that Gibson killed Doan to avoid implication in gang crimes. He described how his brave grandmother, Eve Piper, single-handedly assaulted Gibson and Geddis, called “Doan friends and companions.” She broke Geddis’ arm he sued, but widespread public wrath forced him to drop the lawsuit. In 1875, William Keachline wrote about Revolutionary days at the Piper Tavern in Bedminster. Shockingly, Gibson was transformed from Patriot captain into Tory outlaw, not then but 92 years later, after a family story was published in Bucks County history books.* The Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council authorized lethal force and tripled rewards for apprehension. The Pennsylvania Gazette reported Doan was resisting arrest when shot. A shootout ensued, and Robert Gibson fatally shot Moses Doan. 28, 1783, a 14-man militia hunted down three Doan outlaws. The Bucks community was petrified as the outlaws continued to elude capture.įive weeks later, on Aug. On that terror-filled night, the gang invaded six homes, including Gibson’s. An infamous raid on the Bucks Treasury in Newtown was followed by many more robberies, culminating in a series of assaults on the evening of July 21, 1783. The Revolution ended in 1781, but the Doan Gang’s crime sprees continued. ![]() In 1775, their paths diverged-Patriot volunteer Gibson captained the Plumstead Militia, while “attainted traytor” Doan led a gang of 32 outlaws. Next-door neighbors Robert Gibson and Moses Doan, similarly aged eldest sons in large Quaker families in Pennsylvania, were both born leaders. The American Revolution was tumultuous and polarizing, turning friends into mortal enemies. So it was for Patriot Captain Robert Gibson. Mere rumors can shatter them, even rumors first espoused a century later. This fanciful woodcut, published long after the incident, tries to capture the scene in which the outlaw Doan and a member of the militia posse are killed in a cabin near Tohickon Creek. Collection of the Houghton Library, Harvard University (APA.P664A.1846). From the Piratical and Tragical Almanac for 1846. Picture: THE DEATH OF MAJOR KENNEDY AND MOSES DOAN. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |