The nine-month uprising began when a wagon train loaded with illegal "warlike goods" was discovered at Pawling's Tavern (south of Greencastle, Pennsylvania).

Alarmed by the train's contents, citizens led by James Smith intercepted and destroyed the goods (valued at over $1 million in today's currency) at a mountain pass near Sideling Hill.

The numerous clashes afterwards involved more destruction, firefights, arrests, a kidnapping, legal maneuvers, a court trial, a two-day siege, and one casualty.

In an effort recover this influence, the Odawa war chief Pontiac united various Indigenous tribes in the Ohio Country and the Great Lakes region to prevent British encroachment on their territory.

This land had been inexpensively offered by the Quaker government in Philadelphia, but the settlers were unaware that they served as a buffer between Indigenous territory and the more affluent settlements to the east.

When Pontiac's warriors attacked frontier homesteads, killing their inhabitants, fear gripped the region much like in the early days of the Seven Years' War.

Colonel Henry Bouquet was negotiating with the Indigenous peoples of the Ohio Country and it appeared that Europeans taken captive during the French and Indian War would soon be returning to their homes.

On June 26, 1764, four Lenape warriors entered a log schoolhouse near present-day Greencastle and massacred ten children and their schoolmaster, Enoch Brown.

[3] As an expert on Indigenous ways, notably survival and combat, Smith was an obvious choice to lead the company in the defense of the Conococheague in 1763.

Furthermore, British Indian Department agents such as George Croghan were forbidden to trade goods with Native Americans for profit or to receive land from them.

These citizens requested that the drivers store the goods at Fort Loudoun until it could be confirmed that the Native Americans had signed a peace agreement and that the governor had opened trade.

Sergeant McGlashan and twelve soldiers arrived at Sideling Hill and discovered a pile of scorched goods and seven men who quickly ran off.

[11] Due to the massive financial losses incurred by businessmen who had funded the trading party, and the participation of the King's troops, word spread far beyond the borders of Pennsylvania.

In a letter to Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of the British Indian Department, Major General Thomas Gage, Commander-in-Chief, North America, placed the blame on Croghan for "troubling his Head more about Trade than the Business he was employed in ... taking upon himself to enter into Leagues with Traders to carry up Goods in a Clandestine Manner.".

Examples of these letters, such as the one below, may be found at the Pennsylvania State Archives: By William Smith, Esq, One of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace of said County Permit the Bearer, Thos.

SMITH As the Sidling Hill Volunteers have already inspected these goods, and as they are all private property, it is Expected that none of these brave fellows will molest them upon the Road, as there is no Indian Supplies amongst them.

[16] Early that evening, Lieutenant Grant discovered panicked men arriving at the fort gate claiming that highwaymen abused them and destroyed the King's goods.

Confused as to which direction the highwaymen went, but wishing to pursue, McGlashan employed Rouland Harris to serve as scout to track down the Black Boys.

The opportunity had arrived for Justice Smith to exercise his powers as magistrate and take legal action against the British Government by filing a warrant for the arrest of McGlashan for the wounding of James Brown.

On May 28, 1765, while out patrolling a few miles north of Fort Loudoun, a small group of Black Boys led by James Smith spotted a British Highlander officer on horseback.

In June 1765, Governor John Penn announced the reopening of trade, however, the guns captured in early March remained an unresolved issue.

According to his autobiography, James Smith felt obliged to free them, so he gathered some of his followers, surprised the garrison, captured the fort, and freed the prisoners.

[21] A year before Sideling Hill, a vigilante group called the Paxton Boys had massacred 20 peaceful Conestoga in Lancaster County, and had later marched on Philadelphia with the intent of murdering the Moravian Lenape and Mohican who had been moved there for their protection.

[24] A fictionalized version of the Black Boys Rebellion was depicted in the 1939 Hollywood film Allegheny Uprising, starring John Wayne as James Smith.

The film was based on the 1937 historical novel The First Rebel: Being a Lost Chapter of our History and a True Narrative of America's First Uprising against English Military Authority, by Neil H.

A song about the Black Boys Rebellion was written by George Campbell, an Irish gentleman educated in Dublin, who was a prolific songwriter in the 18th century.

The song was meant to be sung to the tune of The Black Joke:Ye patriot souls who love to sing, What serves your country and your king, In wealth, peace, any royal estates, Attention give whilst I rehearse, A modern fact, in jingling verse, How party interest strove what it cou’d, To profit itself by public blood, But, justly met its merited fate.

To Pollins, in the spring they sent, Much warlike stores, with an intent To carry them to our barbarous foes, Expecting that no-body dare oppose, A present to their Indian friends.

On March the fifth, in sixty-five, Their Indian presents did arrive, In long pomp and cavalcade, Near Sidelong Hill, where in disguise, Some patriots did their train surprise, And quick as lightning tumbled their loads, And kindled them bonfires in the woods, And mostly burnt their whole brigade.

But men of resolution thought, Too much to see their neighbors caught, For no crime but false surmise; Forthwith they join’d a warlike band, And march’d to Loudon out of hand, And kept the jailors pris’ners there, Until our friends enlarged were, Without fraud or any disguise.