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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
00020435379
1800
Glass
Book
COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT
-
. CLERK'S O: FICE & COURT HOUSE, BALLSTON, SARATOGA CO., N. Y.
1
1609.
4 SATAAL
HISTORY OF
SARATOGA COUNTY,
NEW YORK.
LAWITH
AIllustrations and Biographical Sketches
OF
SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS.
BY
NATHANIEL BARTLETT SYLVESTER, 1
AUTHOR OF HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF NORTHERN NEW YORK AND THE ADIRONDACK WILDERNESS,
SARATOGA, AND KAY-AD-ROS-SE-RA, ETC., ETC.
of the
to the
PHILADELPHIA:
EVERTS & ENSIGN.
-1878 .--
PRESS OF J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., PHILADELPHIA.
F127 52658 Copy 2
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878, by NATHANIEL BARTLETT SYLVESTER, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
PREFACE.
AROUND the name of Saratoga there clusters a wealth of historie lore. Since this name was first transferred from the oral language of the red man to the written page of the white man, in a word, from the favorite old hunting-ground of the river hills, first, to the little hamlet of the wilderness, and then to the town and county, it has been associated, in peace as well as in war, with the most important events which have been chronicled in our country's history. It will, therefore, readily be seen that, upon taking up the task of writing the history of Saratoga County, an almost overwhelming mass of material presented itself for consideration. In one catalogue of books alone, entirely devoted to the subject, or in which important reference is made to Saratoga, there are more than one hundred volumes. To all this must be added the vast accumulation of public records in the State and county archives. The important question then was, not what could be got, but what should be taken. A broad field lay before us, filled with mingled tares and wheat, and we must cull from it what best suited our purpose.
Yet in all this vast field of literature, so rich in many things, there was little to be found relating to the early settlement of the towns and county. In search of this pioneer history, the public records must be searched, the whole ground must be gone over afresh. But a hundred years in passing had removed three generations of men, and what could once have been so accurately learned from living lips, now that those lips are sealed forever, must be gathered by the dim light of uncertain tradition. As this is the first history of the county which has been published, it seems to us that it should be, more than anything else, a history of the pioneers. The pioneers of a country, those who brave the dangers and endure the toils of its early settlement, be their lives ever so humble, are worthy of notice, while those who come after them, be their social position ever so high, cannot expeet to receive the historian's attention, unless they mingle much in affairs, or perform historie deeds. It is to the pioneers, therefore, that we have devoted a large part of the following pages.
In making our selections from the public records and in gleaning from the literature of the subject we have doubtless often been unwise. Yet we have not attempted to put everything into the work that would interest everybody. In gathering material for the history of the carly settlements, doubtless we have sometimes, owing to the imperfections of human memory, been misinformed as to names, dates, and circumstances. There were doubtless, too, many pioneers in the different towns, whose names we have not been able to learn, and therefore we give no account of them in these pages. The reader should bear in mind that, at the time of the organization of the county, in 1791, there were upwards of seventeen thousand people living within its borders. Of how few of these, comparatively, is there now much known ? So our work, like all things human, notwithstanding our best endeavors, is doubtless to some extent scored with errors, marred by omissions, faults, and imperfections, and we beg the reader to pass them over with indulgent eye.
3
4
PREFACE.
In pursuing the subject we have selected such topies for insertion as we thought would best ilhis- trate the progress of the people of the county during the century of its growth and development, from their rude beginnings in the old wilderness to their present state of enlightened culture and refinement.
To those in different parts of the county who have kindly assisted ns,-and we would like to mention all their names here, but want of space will not permit, and to name a part would scem invidious,-to all such we return our heartfelt acknowledgment.
To the publishers of this volume it is due to say, that they have done everything in their power which they could do, to assist us in the endeavor to make it acceptable to their patrons. To do this they have spared neither pains nor expense.
To the writer it has been mostly a labor of pleasure rather than of profit. If the reader can find anything in it to approve, we are sure his generous commendation will not be withheld. What he sees in the exeention of the work-in what it contains and in what it does not contain-to disap- prove, may his condemnation come rather in sorrow than in anger. And now, whether good or evil report betide it, the task is done.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y., July 9, 1878.
N. B. S.
1
CONTENTS.
HISTORICAL.
HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
PAGE
I .- INTRODUCTION 0
HI .- Extent-Original Counties-Civil Division 10
III .- Topographical Features 12
IV .- Geological Outlines . 15 V .- The Indian Occupancy 18
VI .- Early Explorations-1535-1609 22
\'11 .- Founding of Albany, Schenectady, and Montreal- 1614-1662 26 . VIII .- Indian Wars-The Mission of Isaac Jognes-1642- 1646 29
IX .- French and Indian Wars-The Northern Invasion of 1666 32
X .- French and Iudian War of 1689-90 .
31
XI .- The Northern luvasion of 1693-A Battle in Sara- toga
37
XH .- French and Indian Wars --- 1709-45 38
XIII .- Last French and Indian War-1755-63
39
XIV .- The First Period of the Burgoyne Campaign of 1777
43
XV .- The Second Period of the Burgoyne Campaign 53
XVI .- The Third Period of the Burgoyne Campaign . 60
Morean
122
Greenfield
435
Day .
454
Wilton 462
Clifton Park
172
Milton
483
Providence
495
XXII .- The Press of Saratoga 100
XXIII .- Saratoga County in the Great Rebellion of 1861 106 XXIV .- Centennial Celebrations 120 XXV .- Internal Improvements-Canals, Railroads-1795-
1838
128
PATRONS' RECORD AND DIRECTORY 503
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE Clerk's Office and Court-House, Ballston (frontispiece) facing title. Map of Saratoga County, colored, by towns facing 9 Table of Geologie Time + 16
PAGE
Residence of J. II. Farrington .
facing 158
Portrait of Captain J. P. Butler
158
Views of the Geyser Spring Property
161
Vermont House
169
Portrait of Prof. Il. A. Wilson .
John V. Howard
..
180
John Van Rensselaer
..
184
66 Ilon. Thos. J. Marvin (steel) . 44
192
Residence of the late W. L. F. Warren (with portrait) 46
193
Map of Saratoga County, 1840, showing patents, allotments, etc. facing 73
Fac-Simile of Order made by Board of Supervisors, 1791 79
Gideon M. Davison
. 198
E. F. Bullard (steel)
facing 199
Portrait of llon. Reuben HI. Walworth (steel) . 137
John K. Porter (steel) . 143
SARATOGA SPRINGS VILLAGE.
Views of Congress Spring Park
facing 148
B. F. Judson .
207
Samnel J. Pearsall, M.D.
209
Henry W. Merrill .
210
Rockwell Putnam . 152, 153
Elias Lee Wakeman
211
Adirondack Villa-Residence of Chas. S. Lester facing 154
Residence of W. C. Bronson
156
16 Anson M. Boyce
212
XXVI .- Statistical Tables 131
XXVII .- Biographical Sketches 137
HISTORY OF THE VILLAGES AND TOWNS OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
Village of Saratoga Springs. 148
Town of
213
Village of Ballston Spa
228
Town of Ballston
216
Saratoga 259
Stillwater 286
Charlton 313
Waterford . 324
Half-Moon . 343
. . Galway
358
Edinburgh .
569
Malta .
380
Corinth
$91
.. Northumberland
401
Hadley .11 1
XVH .- The Northern Invasion of 1780 . 70
XVIII .- Early Land Grants-1684-1713 73
XIX .- Early Settlement-County Organization-Civil Gov- ernment and Civil List . 77
XX .- Military Rolls
90 XXI .- County Societies 95
Plan of Encampment and Position of Burgoyne's Army at Swords' House, Sept. 17 and 19, 1777 facing Plan of Encampment and position of Burgoyne's Army at Bramus' lleights, Sept. 20, and Oct. 7 and 8, 1777 facing 62 Portrait of Madame Riedesel (steel) . , between 64, 65 66 Lady Harriet Ackland (steel) . 61, 65 .
Plan of the Position of Burgoyne's Army, Oct. 10, 1777 facing 66
Portrait of Charles S. Lester (stecl) . 46 James M. Marvin (steel)
196
T. B. Reynolds (steel)
16
202
Hon. Jobu W. Crane 204
Ransom Cook .
205
Residenec of Dr. T. B. Reynolds 150
Portrait of Doanda Risley Putnam between 152, 153
Thomas Noxon 211
5
174
194
CHAPTER PAGE
CHAPTER
CONTENTS
TOWN OF SARATOGA SPRINGS.
MALTA.
1 :5
T.M
CORINTH.
NORTHUMBERLAND.
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TRATIONS.
VILLAGE OF BALLSTON SPA.
1
CONTENTS.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
PAVK
PACK
Reuben Hyde, Walworth
137
Hosea Baker
between 280, 281
Exek Cowen
138
Daniel A. Bollard
2×2
John Willard
139
Samuel Sheldon
2x3
Nicholas Hall
110
James Il. Dillingham
28 1
Samuel Young
140
William Il. Marshall .
284
John W. Taylor .
112
William B. Marshall .
265
Harmanus Schuyler
J43
William P. Finch
285
John K. Porter .
113
Ilon. Geo. W. Neilson
311
William Augustus Beach
115
Thomas C. Morgan
facing 332
Augustus Bockes
146
Rev. Stephen Bash
236
Gideon Putnam .
between 152, 153
Joshua Bailey
337
Rockwell Putnam
152, 153
Hon. Hugh White
938
Capt. J. P. Butler
facing
158
Canvass White .
339
Prof. HI. A. Wilson
171
John Crater
340
John V. Howard
Famuel Cheever .
311
John Van Rensselaer
181
Isaac ('. Orinaby
312
Hon. Thomas J. Marvin
192
Chesselden Ellis .
312
William Hay
193-
Lewis E. Smith .
between 314, 345
Ilon. W. L. F. Warren
193
Col. E. B. Ellsworth
354
Charles §. Lester
191
Capt. Ephraim D. Ells worth
356
James B. MeKean
195
Rev. F. S. P'arke
356
Jlenry Walton
196
Judge Lewis Stone
367
llon. James M. Marvin
196
Augustus L. Stone
367
Gideon M. Davison
197
Thomas Mairs .
36%
John C. Hulbert
198
James Partridge
377
Gen. Edward Fitch Bullard
199
Joseph Hillman
facing 386
Franeis Wayland
201
N. M. Houghton
400
Miles Beach
201
E. W. Town
409
Dr. John 11. Steel
201
Abraham Marshall
410
Tabor B. Reynolds, M.D. .
202
Daniel J1. Deyoe
411
John W. Eddy .
202
Isaac Van Dewerker
411
Oliver L. Barbour
202
Asa F. Thompson
412
John A. Corey
203
A. B. Baucus
412
Joshua Porter
203
John llarris
412
Jlon. John W. Crane .
203
Stephen O. Burt
413
Ransom Cook
204
J. J. Wait .
facing
418
Robert C. MeEwen, M.D. .
206
Austin L. Reynolds
425
Benjamin F. Judson .
207
llon. Howell Gardiner
between 412, 443
Peter V. Wiggins
207
Simcon Sehoutein
412, 443
Lewis Putnam
208
Benjamin W. Dyer
facing 441
Samuel Searing .
208
Thomas II. Tompkins
451
Joshua T. Blanchard .
208
William C. Darrow
451
Samuel J. Pearsall, M.D. .
209
Benjamin S. Robinson
452
llenry W. Merrill
209
I. G. Johnson, M.D. .
453
Elias Lee Wakeman .
211
Nelson D. Morehouse
453
Thomas Noxon .
211
Elihu Wing
453
Anson M. Boyee
212
Enos Murphy
461
Lucretia and Margaret Davidson
212
John Ham .
facing
468
George G. Scott .
facing 230
John J. Brill
470
Leverett Moore, M.D.
234
Warren B. Collamer
471
llon. George West
242
Adam Mott
facing 1,8
John W. Thompson
243
Barney R. Caldwell
4-1
James W. Ilorton
241
Nicholas J. Clote
4-1
Dr. Samuel Davis
215
Lewis R. Garnsey
482
Elisha Curtiss
facing 245
l'eter Arnold
442
James Manu
257
Harlow Van Ostrand
493
George G. Ostrander .
258
Isaiah Blood
494
Joseph Wilbor
between 268, 269
Stephen Rockwell
facing 496
Andrew Dorland
280, 281
COUNTY
WARREN
A
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-
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32/93/340
MAP OF SARATOGA COUNTY
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South Gley's Fills
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Rock-Cit
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County Payer House
Patrol
Allotment
Corners
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BALLSTON/SP.A.
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Mechanicsville
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Bottstan!
12
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SARATOGA
Harling Flats
Clifton
Middletown
imittent
2
Hall' Moon
Schenectady
whoisMirry
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Hudson River
Imwrite
111
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1
HAMILTON COUNTY
to
HISTORY
OF
SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION.
I .- SINGULAR GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION.
SARATOGA County, it may of a truth be said. owes its historical importance to the striking peculiarity of its geo- graphical position.
From the Island of Montreal, in the River St. Lawrence, a narrow depression, or valley, in the earth's surface ex- tends due south, on a line almost as straight as the crow flies, for the distance of nearly four hundred miles, to the Island of Manhattan, at the mouth of the Hudson river, on the shore of the Atlantic ocean.
This long and narrow valley, which seems to be a deep, downward fold in the mountain ranges, separates the high- lands of New England from the highlands of New York. The summit level of this long northern valley being less than one hundred and sixty feet above the level of the sea, and lakes and streams of navigable water stretching through it either way, it forms a natural highway and route of travel between the great valley of the St. Law- rence on the north and the Atlantic seaboard on the south.
From the " sprouts" or mouths* of the Mohawk river, nearly in the centre of this great northern valley, another long and narrow valley, also caused by a downward fold in the mountain ranges, extends nearly due west, and reach- ing to the basin of the great lakes, opens the way to the valley of the Mississippi beyond. This great intersecting western valley separates the highlands of northern from the highlands of southern New York, and, like the great northern valley, is also a natural highway and thoroughfare, with low summit level, and teeming with the travel of a continent.
Between the northern or Champlain valley, and the western or Mohawk valley, and the valley of the St. Law- rence to the southwestward, rises the rugged Laurentian
mountain chain of the Adirondack wilderness. Forming the backbone of the Atlantic slope of the continent, the Apalachian mountain range extends from Nova Scotia on the north to Florida on the south.
These vast mountain ranges thus present, through the whole distance from the northern to the southern gulf, a most formidable barrier between the Atlantic seaboard and the great central valleys of the continent. And these two deep narrow valleys thus stretching around the Adirondacks, and one running north and south and the other trending east and west through the State of New York, are the only mountain passes that lead through or over the Apalachian mountain range. Everywhere else, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico, except through these two narrow valleys, the traveler must pass over high mountain barriers in going to and fro between the Atlantic seaboard and the basin of the great lakes and the valleys of the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence.
Over the great natural highways and routes of travel leading through these mountain passes ran the most im- portant of the old Indian trails ; through them marched the armies of the long colonial period ; and through these valleys now passes the world's commerce in ceaseless flow from the teeming west into the lap of our State's great metropolis, the city of New York, which sits by the sea at the foot of the great northern valley, still holding her proud position, rendered possible by her great natural advantages as the queen city of the New World.
In the angle formed by the junetion of these two long deep valleys or passes through the mountain ranges, in the angle between the old Indian war-trails, in the angle between the pathways of armies, in the angle between the great modern routes of travel, in the angle formed by the junction of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, lies the territory now known and distinguished on the map of the State of New York as the county of Saratoga.
II .- ITS PLACE IN HISTORY.
It will thus easily be seen that its singular geographical position like that of the county of Albany, which lies in the opposite southern angle of the two rivers, gives to the county of Saratoga its important strategical position iu
* The Mohawk, just before it flows into the Iludson, separates into four spreading branches, which the early Dutch settler signifi- cantly called Spruytes, which is from the Danish Spruiten, or Saxon Spryttau, from which comes nur English word Sprouts,-Vide " An- nals of Albany," vol. ii. page 226, and " Saratoga and Kay-ad-ros- se-ra," by the author, page 19.
2
9
10
HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
time of war, places it along the great centres of traffic and travel in times of peace, and has already given it a long and eventful history.
And it will quite as readily also be seen that, in order to give an intelligible history of the county of Saratoga, so often the theatre of stirring events during the long colonial period, some account must be given, more or less in detail, of all the numerous expeditions and excursions which, both in peace and in war, traversed the great northern and west- ern valleys.
During the indefinite period of the Indian occupancy terminating with its discovery by white men, that part of the State now called Northern New York was disputed ground. The Algonquin races of the valley of the St. Lawrence contended for its possession with the fierce Iro- quois nations of the valley of the Mohawk and of central New York. After its discovery by white men, the French allies of the Algonquins and the English allies of the Iroquois took up and continued the long quarrel for its mastery. Thus for two hundred and seventy years, during which its authentic history runs back before the close of the War of the Revolution, there was seareely an hour of peaceful rest unbroken by the fear of the savage invader in these great war-worn valleys' in the angle of which lies the county of Saratoga.
During this whole period it was the midnight war-whoop. the uplifted tomahawk, the cruel scalping-knife, the burn- ing dwelling, the ruined home, that made the whole country a wide scene of desolation and blood. At length this long wilderness warfare culminated in the surrender of General Burgoyne, on the 17th of October, 1777, at Saratoga.
From that day, with Lexington and Bunker Hill, with Trenton, Monmouth, and Ticonderoga, with Germantown and Yorktown, Saratoga will remain one of our country's high historic names.
In the following pages an attempt will be made to trace the history of Saratoga County, from its rude beginnings in the old howling wilderness of more than two hundred years ago, up to times within the ready memory of many men and women now living.
But this attempt is not without many and serious diffi- culties. A hundred years even in passing have taken one by one all the old settlers from us, and much that could once have accurately been learned from living lips now that those lips are sealed forever must be sought in the all-too- meagre records left us, or we must grope our way for it among the conflicting stories of the fragmentary lore of uncertain tradition.
CHAPTER II.
EXTENT-ORIGINAL COUNTIES-CIVIL DIVISIONS.
I .- BOUNDARIES.
THE county of Saratoga is centrally distant thirty-one miles from the capitol at Albany. It is bounded on the north by Warren county ; on the cast by the counties of Warren, Washington, and Rensselaer; on the south by the counties of Albany and Schenectady, and on the west by
the counties of Schenectady, Montgomery, Fulton, and Ilamilton.
The county of Saratoga is situated between latitude 42º 47' and 43º 22' north, and longitude 2º 47' and 3º 20' east from Washington. Its extreme length from north to south is about 43 miles, and its greatest width from east to west is about 28 miles. It contains 862 square miles or 551,680 acres.
Of this, according to the State census of 1875, 317,201 acres are improved land, and 148,218 aeres unimproved ; there being of the latter 89,192 acres of woodland. This enumeration by the census-takers leaves a remainder of 96,261 acres to be accounted for, doubtless mostly repre- sented by the waste, non-resident lands of the northern part of the county lying within the boundaries of the Adiron- dack wilderness. The total population of the county in 1875 was 55,137.
In the " Revised Statutes of the State" this county is described and its boundary lines defined as follows, to wit :
" The county of Saratoga" shall contain all that part of this State bounded, northerly, by the county of Warren; casterly, by the coun- ties of Rensselaer, Washington, and Warren : soutberly, by a line beginning at a point in the middle of Hudson's river opposite to the middle of the most northerly branch of the Mohawk river, and run- ning thenco through the middle of said northerly branch and of the Mohawk river, westerly to the east bounds of the county of Sehenec- tady ; then along the easterly and northerly bounds of the said eounty of Schenectady to the northwest corner of said county ; then north one degree and twenty-five minutes west along a line heretofore estab- lished, drawn from a point on the Mohawk river at the northeast corner of the tract, granted to George Ingolsby and others, to the southwest corner of the county of Warren."
The line above described as " a line heretofore established, drawn from a point on the Mohawk river," and as running " north one degree and twenty-five minutes west," is inter- esting to the student of history as being what is known as the " old Tryon county line."
11 .- THE FORMATION OF ORIGINAL COUNTIES.
From the time of the first division of the State into counties, under Charles II., on the 1st day of November, in the year 1683, until the 24th day of March, 1772, all the territory lying northerly and westerly of what was then the county of Ulster was included in the county of Albany. On the 24th day of March, 1772, the vast county of Albany was divided, and two new counties set off, namely, the counties of Tryon and Charlotte.
The county of Tryon included all that part of the State lying westerly of the aforesaid " established line," which ran from the Mohawk, as above set forth, to the Canada line, at a point near the present Indian village of St. Regis. Tryon county was thus nearly two hundred miles wide on its eastern border, and stretched ont westward two hundred and seventy miles to the shores of Lake Erie. The shire- town of Tryon county was Johnstown, near the Mohawk, the residence of Sir William Johnson, Bart. It was named in honor of William Tryon, the last colonial governor of the State.
The county of Charlotte, scarcely less in size than Tryon
* See Sec. 2, Title 1., Chap. 11., Part I., N. Y. Rev. Stat.
11
HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
county, ineluded within its boundaries all the northern part of the State that lay easterly of the " Tryon county line," and northerly of the present county of Saratoga and the Batterskill in Washington county. Charlotte county also included the westerly half of what is now the State of Vermont, and was then the disputed territory known as the New Hampshire grants. The easterly half of Ver- mont, lying west of the Connecticut river, also claimed by New York, and since forming part of Albany county, was set off into two counties,-Cumberland, in 1766, and Gloucester, 1770.
Charlotte county was so named in honor of the Princess Charlotte, daughter of George III., or, as some say, of the Queen Consort Charlotte, of Mecklenburg Strelitz.
The county-seat of Charlotte county was Fort Edward. The first court was held in that village on the 19th of October, 1773, by Judge William Duer. The first clerk of the court was Daniel McCrea, a brother of Jeanie McCrea, whose tragie death soon after occurred near where the court sat.
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