Record of the descendants of John Alexander

20 The (Descendants of
that city June 18, 1876. Hugh Alexander was one of
the deputies from Cumberland county.
This Conference of deputies issued an address to the
Associators or Patriotic Volunteers of Pennsylvania, made
a declaration in favor of Independence, passed resolu-
tions for raising 6,000 troops for the "Flying Camp" of
10,000, and made arrangements for the election of dele-
gates from the counties to a Constitutional Convention.
To show the action and influence of this Conference
in securing the vote of Pennsylvania in favor of the
Declaration of Independence, we make the following ex-
tract from a Historical Sketch of Middle Spring Presby-
terian church in Cumberland county, by the Rev. J.
Jay Pomeroy :
" On June 18, 1776, there was assembled in Carpen-
ter's Hall a Provincial Conference, composed of dele-
gates from the different counties of Pennsylvania. The
circumstances under which they assemble are impres-
sive. The events that have transpired since the Pro-
vincial Committee met in the same hall nearly two
years before, are important. The subjects for delibera-
tion are of the weightiest character. The conclusion
reached showed courage, devotion, sacrifice, faith. It
brought Pennsylvania out of a state of indecision to
positive declaration on the subject of independence.
Middle Spring church, to-day, can rightly claim a large
share of the honor that crowns the labors of that memor-
able conference assembled in Carpenter's Hall one hun-
dred years ago meeting on June 18, 1776. Look at the
events that cluster around this conference. War has
actually commenced. It is over a year since the first
blood had been shed at Lexington and Concord. As
members of the Provincial Conference came together on
June 18th, it was remarked by some of the deputies, ' a