The Karthaus Confederacy (Clearfield County)

A fictional flag of the Karthaus Confederacy

Even before the opening shots were fired that would ignite the Civil War, a battle over secession was already taking place right here in Central Pennsylvania.

On March 29, 1860, a new county was carved out of McKean, Elk, Potter, and Clinton counties. Named in the honor of U.S. Senator Simon Cameron, who later briefly served as Secretary of War under President Lincoln, Cameron County would be the second to last formed within the Commonwealth. 

Apparently, the citizens of Karthaus Towship in Clearfield County saw Cameron County's establishment as leverage towards getting something they had wanted. The township had petitioned the county to build a road bridge across Mosquito Creek several times, but had been rebuffed at each attempt. By January 1861, tensions had risen to the point that if the county would not build the bridge, Karthaus Township would secede from Clearfield County.

 

Article from "The Clearfield Republican" on January 23, 1861

Retrieved From: The Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive https://panewsarchive.psu.edu

Obviously inspired by the secession of  southern states from the Union, the citizens of Karthaus were adamant that if the bridge was not built, they would cast themselves from their home county and join the "new confederacy" that was Cameron County.


According to newspapers covering the situation, Cameron County was perfectly willing to accept Karthaus Township into their boundaries, even so much as to move the county seat from Shippen (now Emporium) to the Second Fork of the Sinnemahoning (Bennett's Branch) so as to be closer to the new territory. Clearfield County on the other hand declared that, if Karthaus took aggressive measures, "the coercion-ists (government/police) of this county would be employed against them, and would of course annihilate them."

Another newspaper a month later declared that "coercion" would not be resorted to unless Karthaus would "plant a battery (artillery) at Mosquito Creek for the purpose of impeding the free navigation of the Susquehanna, a right that will not be surrendered without a struggle." This statement was in relation to the southern Confederates building defenses and fortifying cities such as Vicksburg to block traffic on the Mississippi River.

Cooler heads must have prevailed and secession was averted. Other than the newspaper articles below, I could not find additional sources that covered the event. It would be interesting to know just how large a movement this was. While the papers claim a "significant majority" of citizens signed petitions to secede, an exact number is never revealed. Whatever transpired would seem frivolous in the coming months as the nation witnessed the death and carnage that southern secession had set in motion.

Article from "The Raftman's Journal "on February 13, 1861

Retrieved From: The Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive: https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/