USA > New York > Lewis County > A history of Lewis County, in the state of New York, from the beginning of its settlement to the present time > Part 33
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297
Semi-centennial Fourth of July.
died they were to be decently buried, if circumstances per- mitted. The constitution and by-laws, as published in the Northern Journal, February 27, 1849, never went into effect, chiefly from the impossibility of finding any men willing to go on the terms proposed, and the utter inability of the company to raise money for sending them. Notwithstand- ing an allusion to the 1st day of April, there is no doubt but that the enterprise began and ended in good faith. Perhaps fifty men from this county went to California for gold, near- ly all of whom returned wiser but poorer.
THE NATIONAL SEMI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION was held at Lowville, July 4, 1826, and presented a feature of pecu- liar interest from the number of revolutionary veterans assembled from all parts of the county to honor it with their presence. Fifty-five of these were present at the dinner, and their names, present and former residence and age were presented as follows :
Names. Residence. Former Residence. Ages.
Levi Adams, Martinsburgh, .... Granby, Ct., 63.
Charles Allen, do Windsor, Ct., . 64.
Joseph Anderson, Denmark, ... Cummington, Vt., .. 71. Jonathan Austin, Harrisburgh, . Charleston, R. I., . 71. Jonathan Ball, Lowville, ...... Southborough, Mass. 75.
Jesse Benjamin, Martinsburgh, . Preston, Ct., 68.
Luther Bingham, Turin, Canterbury, Ct., 67.
Taylor Chapman, Lowville, .... Windsor, Ct.,. 63.
Leonard Chambers, Denmark,. . Dublin, Ire., .
Samuel Clark, do Newton, Mass. 71.
Isaac Clinton, Lowville,.
Milford, Ct., 68. 68.
Josiah Dewey, Leyden,
Benjamin Dowd, Turin, .
Lebanon Middleton, Ct., 64.
Giles Easton, Martinsburgh, . . . East Hartford, Ct.,
64.
Thomas Farr, do
Chesterfield, N. H., 67.
Samuel Garnsey, Lowville, .... Dummerston, Vt., 64.
Timothy Gorden, Martinsburgh, Freehold, N. J., . 70.
Samuel Gowdy, do Enfield, Ct., . 66.
Elijah Granger,
do
Minden, N. Y., 59.
Peter Hathery, Turin, ..
John Ives, do
Meriden, Ct., 65.
Solomon King, Lowville,.
. Amenia, N. Y,, 70.
William Kisner, Harrisburgh, . Canajoharie, N. Y. 66.
Nathaniel Lane, Lowville, . .. Peekskill, N. Y.,. 58.
Ezekiel Lyman, Turin, .. .
. . Canterbury, Ct., . 66.
Zelak Mead, Harrisburgh, . ... Salem, N. Y.,. 75.
William Miller, Martinsburgh, . Middletown, N. Y., . .. 67.
Ithamer Morgan, Turin, . West Springfield, Mass., 64.
Charles Morse, Lowville, ... .. . . Plainfield, Ct., . .... .63. Jeremiah Mott, Martinsburgh, .. Elizabethtown, N. J., .. 63.
I*
Southwick, Mass. 64.
78.
298
Revolutionary Soldiers.
Ichabod Murray, Lowville, .... New Milford, Ct.,. 70.
Jacob Nash, Denmark, ........ Braintree, Mass., 90.
Henry Mumford, Martinsburgh, . Boston, Mass., . . 86.
Silas Perkins, do . Windham, Ct.,. 62.
Isaac Perry, Lowville,. Fredericksburgh, N. Y., 66.
Salmon Root, Martinsburgh, . . . Farmington, Ct., 63.
Peter Ryal, Denmark, Fishkill, N. Y., 67.
Elijah Skeels, Martinsburgh, .. . Kent, Ct.,. 73.
Levi Smith, Leyden,.
Haddam, Ct.,. 73.
John Shull, Lowville, . ... Palatine, N. Y.,. 81.
Hendrick Schaffer, Lowville, . . Manheim, N. Y., 66.
Abiather Spaulding, Denmark, . Dover, N. Y.,.
69.
James Stevens, Lowville, ..... Glastonbury, Ct., . 69.
Nicholas Streeter, Mart'sburgh, Stone Arabia, N. Y., . 74.
Joseph Talmadge, do
East Hampton, N. Y.,. 71.
Edward Thompson, Lowville, . . Granby, Ct., 66.
Jesse Thrall, do . . Windsor, Ct., . 72.
Daniel Topping, Turin, . .. . . Southampton, N. Y., . 84.
Willard Warriner, Mart'sburgh, Wilbraham, Mass., . 70.
Joseph Van Ingen, Denmark, . . Schenectady, N. Y.,. 63.
Jeremiah Wilcox, Mart'sburgh, Middletown, Ct., 81.
Josiah Woolworth, Leyden, ... Ellington. . 73.
Levi Woolworth, Turin, ....... Suffield, Ct.,. 69.
Samuel Weyman, Martinsburgh, Brethren, Mass., 67.
Mathias Wormwood, Lowville, . Johnstown, N. Y. 75.
Gen. Ruggles acted as marshal of the day, and the fol- lowing military companies participated in the celebration, viz : Artillery from Turin, Capt. Homer Collins; Light Infantry from Martinsburgh, Capt. Conkey ; Rifles from Lowville, Capt. Dodge ; and Rifles from Martinsburgh, Capt. Coates. The Union band of Lowville Academy under Capt. G. De Feriet, discoursed patriotic music and the Rev. Isaac Clinton delivered an oration at the Methodist church.
The census of 1840, returned the names of thirty-eight revolutionary pensioners, of whom fourteen were widows. Their names and ages were as follows :
Denmark, Elizabeth Graves, 77; John S. Clark, 78; Louisa Munger, 79; Hannah Mores, 88; Elias Sage, 83; Joseph Van Ingen ; Peter Royal, 80.
Greig, John Slaughter, 86.
Harrisburgh, Elias Jones, 81; William Risner, 81; Garret Marcellus, 80.
Lowville, John Buck, 76 ; Elisha Buck; William Chadwick, 79; Arthur Gordon, 80.
Leyden, Lydia Dewey, 79 ; Elizabeth Cone, 76; Ada Mil- ler, 86 ; Lewis Smith, 87; William Topping, 75; Hezekiah Johnson, 79.
Martinsburgh, Ruth Adams; Jesse Benjamin, 81; Anna
299
Militia Organizations.
Easton, 69; Lydia Green, 80 ; Edward Johnson, 81 ; Salmon Root, 77; Peter Vandriessen, 75; Bartholomew Williams, 76. Pinckney, Catharine Forbes, 84.
Turin, Benjamin Dowd, 79; Giles Foster, 83.
Watson, Sarah Puffer, 75; Jacob Shutz, 78; Elizabeth Webb, 81; Lewis Day, 73; Sarah Farr, 73.
West Turin, Jonathan Collins, 84; Simeon Strickland, 54. THE MILITIA of Lewis, Jefferson and St. Lawrence co's. were formed into the 26th Brigade, April 11, 1805, and Walter Martin was appointed brigadier general. The 46th regiment, formed on the same date, had for its officers, Jonathan Collins lieut. col., Leonard Sage pay master, Wm. Holladay gr. master, and Wm. Darrow surgeon. The follow- ing were appointed captains : Jonathan Edwards, Morris S. Miller, Solomon Buck, Jabez Wright, Oliver Bush, Ephraim Luce, Enos Scott, and Richard Coxe. Upon the appoint- ment of Collins to the office of judge, Richard Coxe suc- ceeded as lt. col. com., Feb. 11, 1811, and this officer held this rank when war was declared.
The 101st regiment was formed June 15, 1808, compris- ing the towns of Lowville, Denmark, Harrisburgh, and Pinckney, its first officers being Luke Winchell, lt. col. com., Solomon Buck Ist major, Zeboam Carter, 2d major, Wm. Card adjutant, Andrew Mills gr. master, and Wm. Darrow surgeon. Its first captains were John Bush, Nathan Cook, David Cobb, Wm. Clark, Robert Clafton, Jesse Wilcox and Ezra King. Zeboam Carter was colonel of this regiment when war was declared and these two regiments comprised the whole county through that period.
The first troop of horse was formed in this county in 1809, having Levi Collins capt., Abner Clapp 1st lieut., Ado- niran Foot 2d lieut., Johnson Talcott cornet, and Leonard House, Levi Hart and David Waters, sergeants.1
The troubles with England occasioned an act of congress passed March 30, 1808, detaching 100,000 men from the militia and placing them under the orders of the general government. Of these 14,389 were drawn from this state and 350 from Martin's brigade. None of the militia of this region were called out under this act. On the 10th of April, 1812, in anticipation of a war, the president was authorized to require the several states to organize, arm
1 The first roll comprised besides the above, Warren Church, Oliver Allis, Comfort Parsons, James Henry, John Waters, Elisha and Richard Arthur, Elijah Halladay, James Coates, Selah Hills, Joshua Loomis, Joseph Bradford, James Miller, Ithamer Ward, Aaron Parks, Johnson Foster, Benj. Baker, Gurdon Lord, Winthrop Allen, Levi Hunt, Eber Hubbard and John Clo- bridge.
300
The War. Militia Drafts.
and equip their proportions of 100,000 men to be officered from the militia then existing, or others at the option of the states and to receive the same pay, rations and emoluments as in the regular army when in actual service. The whole or a part of this draft might be called out as occasion required, and the levies were to be drawn for a term of six months. Under this authority, 13,500 men were detached in this state, and 230 from the 26th brigade. A company was drafted for three months, under Captain Lyman Dem- ing of Denmark, in the regiment of Col. Christopher P. Bellinger of German Flats. They served at Sackets Harbor from May 12 to August 21, 1812, when they were discharged.
War was declared June 12, while these men were in service, and upon the receipt of the news the governor by general orders, dated June 23, authorized Gen. Brown to call upon the militia of Lewis, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties, and equip them at the state arsenals at Watertown and Russell. Under this authority one company of 72 men besides officers was called into service from this county for a term of six months, under Capt. Nathan Cook of Low- ville, and placed under Col. Thomas B. Benedict of DeKalb. This company drew their arms at Watertown, escorted two heavy loads of arms to the arsenal at Russell, and repaired to Ogdensburgh where they remained in the presence of the enemy through the season, and assisted in repelling the attack in October.1 Rowland Nimocks of Turin, was lieut., and Ebenezer Newton of Pinckney, ensign of this company. Major Oliver Bush was on duty in this draft.
During the winter following some arms and ammunition were deposited in Martinsburgh in the care of Gen. Martin, and 200 muskets and some ammunition in Turin, Leyden and Lowville upon the bond of Richard Coxe, Daniel Kelley, James H. Leonard, Jesse Wilcox, Levi Hart and Levi Col- lins.2 An alarm for the safety of Sackets Harbor, occasioned by the arrival of Sir George Prevost in Kingston, and a threatened attack by crossing on the ice, led Gen. Dearborn to call out the militia en masse in this and other counties on the 1st of March, 1813, and they remained at the harbor and at Brownville till the 20th3 under Brig. Gen. Oliver
1 Capt. Cook was arrested by order of Gen. Brown upon a charge of cowardice on the occasion of this attack, but was honorably acquitted, and the affair did him no injury where the facts were known. He was afterwards colonel of the regiment in which he belonged.
2 Governor Tompkins's message of April 1, 1813.
3 Col. Coxe's (46th) regiment consisted of companies under captains Truman Stephens and Adam Conkey of Martinsburgh, Winthrop Shepard and Hezekiah Scovil of Turin, Ethemer Wetmore and John Felshaw of Leyden,
301
The War. Militia Drafts.
Collins of Oneida county. The fear of an attack ceased with the melting of the ice, and a project for an aggressive movement was postponed until the fleet could cooperate. A third draft for three months was made in Sept., 1813, consisting of 60 men under Capt. Winthrop Shepard of Turin, and a company under Capt. Wm. Root of Denmark. They served under Gen. Collins in the regiment of Col. Geo. H. Nellis from Sept. 14 to Nov. 4, 1813, at Sackets Harbor and Brownville, during the costly preparations for the mi- serable failure of Wilkinson in his boasted descent upon
Montreal.1 An inspection return dated Sept., 1813, showed that the 26th brigade contained in the 46th and 101st regi- ments (Coxe's and Carter's), seven companies each, and a total of 301 and 367 rank and file.
A call en musse was made, and the militia of the county served in one regiment, under Col. Carter, from July 30 to August 22, 1814, at Sackets Harbor.2 Gen. Martin was on duty upon this occasion. The last call en masse was made October 7, 1814, and the militia of Lewis county were com- prised in four consolidated companies under Col. Carter.3 They served at Sackets Harbor till November 11, 1814. Two companies of cavalry under Capt. Sanford Safford, Abner Clapp and Calvin McKnight, served at Brownville in Maj. Levi Collins's regiment, and a company of Silver Grays under Capt. Jonathan Collins, volunteered for the service and were on duty from October 28, to November 9, 1814, in Lieut. Col. Calvin Britain's regiment.4
The above comprises the military service of the citizens
and Luke Winchell of Lowville. Col. Carter's (101st) regiment included the companies of captains Moses Waters, Joel Murray and Cyrus Trowbridge of Lowville, Israel Kellogg and Francis Saunders of Denmark, and Capt. Hart Humphrey of Harrisburgh. Winchell's company consisted of "Silver Greys" or exempts, Bradford Arthur served as lieutenant.
1 This draft included Montgomery, Madison, Otsego, Herkimer, Oneida, Onondaga, Jefferson and Lewis counties. In the general orders of Oct. 4, the general rendezvous was ordered to be at Martinsburgh, Lowville or Champion as Gen. Collins might direct. The 26th brigade (Martin's) was directed to furnish 2 captains, 4 lieutenants, 4 ensigns, 10 sergeants, 12 corporals, 2 drummers and 180 privates. While encamped near the harbor the snow fell a foot deep, and the weather was severe.
2 Captains Waters, Root, Conkey, Tallmadge, Kellogg, Knapp, Trow bridge, Murray, Scovil, Shepard, Wetmore and Felshaw, served with their compan- ies at this call.
3 Under Captains Kellogg, Root, Tallmadge and Waters. The general orders making this call were dated Oct. 3, and state that Sackets Harbor is in imme- diate danger of invasion. Oneida, Herkimer and Lewis counties were com- prised in the call, the whole to be under the command of Gen. Collins.
4 This company of exempts numbered 56 men, officers and privates. A few citizens of Pinckney joined a company of exempts in Lorraine, under Capt. Joseph Wilcox.
302
Notes upon the Seasons.
of Lewis county during the war.1 The settlements were frequently alarmed by rumors of Indian invasions from Canada. The route through the county became a thorough- fare of armies, and every resource of the valley was called into use to supply the troops passing through, or the garri- sons on the frontier. The first body of regulars that passed was Forsyth's rifle company.2 Armies under Gens. Dear- born, Izard,3 Covington and Dodge,4 besides many small parties of regulars, marines, militia and sailors, trains of artillery and arms under escort, went through at various times.
In the winter of 1813-4, some ten or fifteen teamsters were hired from the north part of this county, and many more from Jefferson, to remove flour from Sackets Harbor to French Mills, and from thence to Plattsburgh. They had returned as far as Chateaugay, where 32 teamsters had stopped at an inn for the night, and were carousing to wear away the tedious hours, as sleep in such a crowd was out of the question. Their gayety was suddenly arrested by the en- trance of a British officer, who informed them that the house was surrounded by his men, and that they were all prisoners. Their sleighs were loaded with plunder and they set out for Cornwall, where, after four days' detention, they were paid and dismissed. .
NOTES UPON THE SEASONS, 1799 .- The summer pleasant, and cooled by frequent showers. A slight frost occurred early in September, which was not followed by hard frost till Dec. Heavy rains occurred in Sept. and Oct., followed by a mild and pleasant Autumn. The winter following was open, with snow of moderate depth.
1800 .- Snows disappeared on the last of March ; the crops good and the autumn more pleasant than the former. The winter of 1801-2 was memorable as warm and open. Many families, intending to remove from New England by the first sleighing, were detained till Feb. 24, when a deep snow fell but soon wasted.
1802 .- Plowing in March. Warm and wet in the early part of the season, giving a great amount of vegetable growth, but towards harvest the wheat fields were struck with rust, destroying the crop.
1 The author is indebted to Leonard C. Davenport of Lowville, for many facts concerning drafts and calls upon the militia.
2 Shadrack Snell of Martinsburgh, a lad, ran away, joined this company, was taken prisoner on the lines, and died in Dartmoor prison.
3 Izard's army passed in September, 1812.
4 Gen. D. was from Johnstown, and married Washington Irving's sister. His brigade of about 1000 men was quartered a few days at the old Academy.
303
Notes upon the Seasons.
1803 .- Long memorable as the dry summer. The streams were, it is said, lower than ever since known. This region of country suffered from the drouth much less than por- tions of Jefferson co.
1807 .- A snow storm from the north east, set in on the 31st of March, and continued till April 5. It fell on a level five feet deep, did not drift, and went off almost as soon as it came, producing a flood which has never since been equalled upon Black river. The grist mill at Martinsburgh was swept off on this occasion. The season which followed was good for crops.
1806 to 1812 .- A series of cold summers, although in 1806 the corn crop in Lowville was excellent.
1811 .- Spring rye sowed in Leyden March 21.
1813 .- Oct. 12, snow two feet deep in Denmark. In the winter following the snow fell deep and was much drifted.
1815 .- Crops good, wheat and potatoes excellent, corn light.
1816 .- Long memorable as the cold season. The spring was mild and a few days of April oppressively warm. This was followed by cold, and frost occurred in every month of the year. On Pinckney it snowed and drifted like winter. June 6th, 7th, 8th, the snow lay ancle deep in the fields and many newly shorn sheep perished. In Denmark the snow lay an inch deep on the 9th of June, and ice formed a quar- ter of an inch thick, corn and garden vegetables generally were killed, but grass was an average crop, and in Lowville the wheat was not cut off. A frost on the 26th of August, killed down what remained of the corn. The autumn was mild, and the winter late. On the 26th of December, there was no snow, but the ground was frozen.
1817 .- The potatoe crop was exceedingly fine, in one instance 700 bushels to the acre. Other crops were excel- lent.
1820 .- May 25, snow an inch deep in Denmark.
1824 .- May 14, snow four inches deep in Denmark. On the 26th the ground was frozen hard, and on the 28th of October, snow lay a foot and a half deep. The winter fol- lowing was open, and there was not two weeks of sleighing. The snow was gone March 1st.
1828 .-- Hot sunshine and copious showers produced a sickly season. Root crops were excellent, but winter wheat blasted and yielded more straw than grain.
1829 .- An unusually bountiful year, wheat, rye, corn and almost every fruit of the earth good. Apples yielded abundantly, but there were no plums. December was like
304
Notes upon the Seasons. Epidemics.
April, warm and spring like. Six weeks before there had been snow enough for sleighing.
1830 .- A more abundant yield than on any previous year. Barn room was every where insufficient, and most grains (especially wheat) superior. Corn was not as good as usual, owing to spring frosts. Rains frequent in harvest. Apples and plums plenty. A terrific hail storm crossed Leyden June 14. The track was half a mile wide and from four to five long, and the storm was preceded 15 to 20 minutes by roaring of thunder.
1832 .- Drouth very severe.
1833 .- A rainy season and heavy freshets.
1834 .- May 14, snow three feet deep in drifts in Denmark, and on the 18th nearly as great, plum and cherry trees in blossom were broken down with snow, and many trees were killed by frost.
1835 .- A remarkable yield of wheat, averaging in some fields 35 to 40 bushels to the acre.
1841 .- May 6, great freshet, and much damage done at and below Carthage.
1849 .- Memorable for drouth and running fires in the woods east of the river.
1853 .- Summer dry and grasshoppers abundant. About the middle of September rains revived vegetation, and in some places fruit trees put forth blossoms in the fall.
1856 .- Sept. 15, destructive hail storm crossed Turin attended with wind and rain. About 3000 panes of glass broken.
1857 .- May. Flood from melting snows.
EPIDEMICS .- A fever of a typhoid type appeared in the county in the winter of 1812-13 in common with a large district of country in the northern and eastern states, and in Canada. It was especially prevalent in March and April, and was more fatal to men of strong constitutions than to those naturally feeble. It was attended with great pain in the stomach and chest, burning fever, and in the last moments with delirium.
A malignant erysipelas prevailed extensively throughout the county in the spring of 1843 and in 1845, proving especially fatal to parturient women. The slightest wound or abrasion would sometimes become the seat of extensive ulceration, and sloughing, and the loss of parts thus oc- casioned was extremely slow in replacing. Other less marked periods of mortality have occurred, but only as portions of wide spread epidemics, and few sections of the
305
Tornadoes.
union present fewer instances of sickness from local causes than this. Intermittent and other fevers from miasma, are altogether unknown, unless contracted in other places.
TORNADOES .- Of these, several have swept over the county since its settlement, and traces of others, as shown by fallen timber and young trees, indicate that these fearful tempests had traversed this region before its settlement. The first and greatest one ever witnessed in the county, occurred on Sunday evening, June 3, 1810, and forms an epoch in the memories of early settlers. It passed nearly a due east course from West Martinsburgh across the river near the Watson bridge, and far beyond into the wilderness, leaving a track of broken and prostrate trees over a space a mile and a quarter wide and of unknown length. It was attended by torrents of rain and vivid and incessant lightning. Its approach was announced by a fearful roaring in the woods, and the crash of falling timber was lost in terrific peals of thunder. The affrighted inhabitants fled to their cellars or sought in the open air an asylum from the dangers which their own dwellings threatened. The clouds which had been gathering in dense black masses, having poured an immense volume of water along the track of the storm, cleared up as soon as it had passed, and the remainder of the evening was beautifully serene and quiet. Although many buildings were unroofed or prostrated, it is wonder- ful to relate that no lives were lost.
In 1823, a tornado passed over the unsettled country near the S. W. corner of the county, leaving a track two miles long and half a mile wide, on which no trees were left standing. This occurred about a mile south of the deep valley of Salmon river, and nearly parallel with it, in the present town of Osceola.
A tornado from the north west passed over Harrisburgh, Sept. 9, 1845, tearing down trees over a track in some places forty or fifty rods wide. It struck the saw-mill of Jacob Windecker and the house of Richard Livingston in Lowville, where it prostrated a building attached, and did other damage to buildings but destroyed no lives. Eleven days later, the great northern tornado swept the forest from Antwerp to lake Champlain, mostly through an uninhabited region and likewise without the loss of human life.
At half past five o'clock on the afternoon of July 5, 1850, a tornado cloud was seen, like an immense cloud of smoke, rapidly whirling and advancing down the hill about a mile south of Turin village. It passed eastward to the river, demolishing two or three barns, unroofing several houses, M*
306
Earthquakes. Notes on Natural History.
and prostrating everything that lay in its track. It is reported that plank were torn up from the road, grass twisted out by the roots, and solid objects on the ground removed. No lives were lost.
EARTHQUAKES have been felt several times since the settle- ment of the county, but seldom sufficient to create a sen- sible motion of the earth. They were indicated by a deep rolling noise like distant thunder, or like wagons driven over frozen ground. Such an instance occurred in the county late in the evening of Jan. 22, 1832, and in Martins- burgh April 8, 1836. On the first of March 1838, a slight shock was felt at Lowville, at nine o'clock in the evening, and another in December 1839. At half past two o'clock on the morning of March 12, 1853, an earthquake was felt throughout the county, windows, stoves and crockery were rattled, in Lowville one chimney was thrown down, and even the bells in the stone church and academy were rung by the movement. The effect was more sensible in brick and stone, than in framed houses, and some persons awakened by the noise and frightened by the motion, ran into the open air, lest they should be buried in their own houses. The phenomenon was attended by a distant deep rumbling sound, gradually approaching and then dying away in the opposite direction. As it approached it was interrupted by a series of explosions like bursts of thunder, and the noise is described as peculiarly grand, appalling and un- earthly. It continued from one to three minutes, and was heavy in Turin, Lowville, Copenhagen and Adams, and light in Watertown.
NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY .- Beaver were known in the more remote sections of the forest in this county until after settlement. Their dams, and the meadows formed by decay of timber thus flowed, were common on the high plateau region west of the valley, and rarely on the limestone ter- races. It is probable that a few scattered beaver still live in the east woods.
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