USA > New York > Livingston County > A history of Livingston County, New York: > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51
* Suspended after the Presidential election of 1840.
i
.
CHAPTER XVII.
ยท THE DECADE FROM 1840 TO 1850.
The ambuscade by which a brave scouting party sent out from Sullivan's army of invasion in 1779, was ruthlessly destroyed by the savages, has been described in a previous chapter. The ambuscade occurred on the farm now owned by James Boyd, situated just below the graveyard near John Gray's residence in Groveland, and a few rods south of the public road. The spot where the remains were inter- red may still be identified, though the field is under cultivation. Until recently the deeply worn trail. traversed by Boyd's scouting party and over which the army passed, might easily be traced through the wood lot near by ; and even now, for quite a distance between this spot and the lake, the Indian path is used as a private roadway.
The fallen soldiers were buried in two graves near together, the larger of which was located between three huge oaks whose stumps were standing thirty years ago. Captain Salmon, who now sleeps in the grave-yard close at hand, lived for many years but a mile distant and frequently visited the spot in com- pany with men yet living. He never was weary of pointing out the place of conflict, nor of identifying with soldierly reverence the burial place. The earth over the graves, while yet the virgin soil thereabouts
-
i
419
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
lay undisturbed, had settled about two feet, and bushes has been thrown into the depression. Thus it remained for some years until the brush was removed by a tenant, who plowed over the spot and gradu- ally levelled it up even with the surrounding surface.
While the country was yet new and farmers allowed their cattle and horses to roam at large, John Harri- son, of Groveland, one morning in crossing Deacon Carpenter's farm, just north of the site of this ambus- cade, in search of his stock, stumbled upon a human skull which lay beside a decaying log. This doubt- less belonged to one who had been wounded in the fight and had crawled off in that direction to die. A
scalping knife also, possibly the property of the Indian killed by Murphy while effecting his escape, was found a little way eastward of the graves. A number of other relics have been picked up from time to time, though few are preserved .* For many years
* The engraving on this page shows the scalping-knife alluded to above; an axe dug up about forty rods east of the spot where the military bridge was built across the inlet; and a pair of huge bullet moulds, now greatly rust-eaten, capable of running a dozen balls at once, found near Sullivan's Camping-ground at Conesus.
The knife is the property of Mr. James Boyd, on the farm; the ate was presented to the author by Mr. Granger Griswold of Conesus-the notch near the eye-hole was made by taking ont a piece of steel for ornamenting a
Hauss .
.
420
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
it was the practice of Groveland boys, on their way to the lake for fishing, when their route lay by this spot, to seek among) the soldier bones, then quite freely scattered over the surface, for such pieces as they best liked"for cane tops. Military buttons, too, were now and then picked up and applied to the same fanciful purpose until the hand of the curious and the corrosion of time together had removed the more open evidences of the burial-place, so that when in 1841, the general exhumation occurred, it was only after digging over a considerable space that the exact location of the two graves was ascertained. Mingled with the bones and dust thrown up on that occasion were found four pewter buttons of a particular pat- tern, bearing on the face in large letters, the initials "U. S. A." These were at once recognized by Paul Sanborn and Lemuel Richardson, and one or two . other Revolutionary soldiers present, as the kind worn by the Riflemen, to which corps Boyd's party belonged. The identity of the remains, consisting of bones more or less decayed, of teeth, and we believe, some portions of military clothing, was thus fully established.
At a county celebration held in Geneseo on the 4th of July, 1841, it was decided that on the next national anniversary day the work of erecting a monument in honor of Boyd and Parker, and those who fell in Groveland, should be commenced ; but further action did not take place. The citizens of Rochester in lay- ing out the beautiful cemetery grounds of Mount
cane made from the wood of Big Tree for Thurlow Weed; the bullet- moulds were presented by the late James T. Norton of Geneseo.
There was found on Mr. Richardson's farm, on the spot where the army lay encamped for the night, a gun-barrel ; and Mr. Richardson some years ago plowed up two horse-shoes, of great size, much eaten by the rust, which doubtless belonged to the army horses.
421
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Hope a short time previous to this date, had assigned an elevated spot therein, called by them Revolutionary Hill, for the interment of all soldiers who had died or should die in Western New York. A request was accordingly made to the citizens of Livingston County to deliver up the remains of their heroic dead for that purpose. By a portion of our people this request was favorably entertained, while others preferred that the venerated relics should remain where they had been placed by their soldier companions.
To decide the question a county meeting was con- vened at the Court House in Geneseo on the 14th of August. A committee here selected reported through Allen Ayrault, favoring the removal, and advising that the remains be delivered to the Rochester author- ities at Cuylerville ; and thirteen leading citizens were designated to carry out this conclusion .* * Two days afterward several of these gentlemen proceeded to Groveland where they obtained the bones there buried. A delegation also visited the grave of Boyd and Par- ker near Cuylerville. This was found to be partly overgrown with the roots of wild plum trees. The bones were disinterred in the presence of a score of well-known citizens. A physician presentt carefully examined and pronounced them human remains, and from the position in which they were found, no reas- onable doubt could be entertained that these were the relics of our ill-fated scouts, the victims of savage torture.
This preliminary action aroused enthusiasm and touched the popular heart ; and the spirit in which
* These were Calvin H. Bryan, Wm. T. Cuyler, Daniel H. Bissel, Reuben Sleeper, John Henderson, Horatio Jones, John R. Murray, Jr., Allen Ayrault, Samuel Treat, Jr., Edward R. Hammatt, William W. Weed, William H. Stan- ley and Daniel P. Bissell.
+ Dr. Garlock.
.
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
the after ceremonies were conducted redounds to the lasting credit of the counties of Livingston and Mon- roe. Scottsville, Geneseo and other corporations took formal action on the subject. Mount Morris provided a breakfast for the military and civic delegations from Rochester. Official bodies also took action. The State Senate, then in session at Buffalo as a court of correction of errors, were invited to participate. In reply they "resolved, that the Senate duly appreciate and fully approve of this patriotic movement of their fellow citizens, but that public duties now resting upon them forbid their joining therein."
The municipal authorities and military companies of Rochester left that city in a flotilla of five canal boats on the evening of the 19th of August .* Bon- fires were kindled at the principal villages along the ronte, and crowds of people at each stopping place testified the public reverence for the memory of those whose deeds were about to be so conspicuously hon- ored, At Scottsville Captain Elnathan Perry, of Rush, one of Sullivan's men and a fellow soldier of Boyd, joined the party.
On reaching Cuylerville a procession was formed and proceeded to Boyd and Parker's grave. The bones of these men had been already placed in an urn, and the relics from Groveland had just arrived in a sarcophagus under escort of a procession of citizens of the county, formed at Geneseo, nearly a mile in length. While the two cavalcades halted a few rods from each
* Three of these boats were gratuitously furnished by Col. John Allen, of the old Clinton Line of canal boats; a fourth was provided in an equally liberal spirit by Sidney Allen, of Rochester; the fifth boat was the regular packet.
The military corps of Rochester which on this occasion responded, con- sisted of Williams' Light Infantry ; Union Grays; City Cadets; Rochester Artillery ; and German Grenadiers. Their movements were directed by Col. Amos Sawyer, who had been selected commandant for the occasion.
-
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON OQUEIT.
other, and the Rochester military companies were drawn up on two sides of the passage-way, the com- mittee of arrangements and the survivors present of Sullivan's army ascended to the summit of the mound raised over the grave of Boyd and Parker, the band, meantime playing a dirge. The urn was next raised, borne to the hearse, and placed in the sarcophagus by Major Van Campen. The two processions then united, and, to the sound of mafiled drums, moved slowly toward a beautiful grove on Cuyler's farm near by, where a platform had been ereeted for the ceremonies. An audience of 5,000 persons had here gathered from the surrounding country, and everything evinced the deep feeling which the occasion excited, The veper- able Major Moses Van Campen of Dansville, now about eighty years old, an officer of the Revolution, a schoolmate and companion-in-arms of Boyd, pre- sided. Paul Sanborn, who discovered the headless remains of two of the martyrs, (almost four-score) oc- onpied a seat on the platform ; as likewise did Lemuel Richardson and Captain Perry. Other Revolutionary soldiers took part. An eloquent oration, replete with special historic interest, was delivered by Judge Sam- uel Treat, and at its close the president of the day formally surrendered the relics to the Rochester au- thorities, and an hour before sunset the military corps, charged with their custody, started northward. The arrival of the remains at Rochester the next morning was announced by the firing of cannon, and a great multitude of spectators lined the banks and landings.
At ten o'clock, amid the tolling of bells and the echo of minute guns, the cavalcade moved toward Mt. Hope, In the escort were Governor Seward and mil- itary staff, several noted army officers, the Vice Chan- cellor and other prominent men, the city officials, committees, and civic and fire companies. Arrived
424
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
at Revolutionary Hill, Governor Seward made a short address. Referring to those whose ashes were about to be deposited, he said : " God forgive the man who does not feel his blood grow warmer at the recollec- tion of the daring, the devotion, the patriotism, of those who thus acted and thus fell." After formally dedicating the grounds to their peculiar use, the Rev. Elisha Tucker read the funeral service of the Episco- pal church. The last solemn acts of sepulture were thus performed in the presence of high officers of the State, and other honored functionaries and a great concourse of the people.
Though these rites evince the reverence in which the patriot dead were held, yet a just feeling would dictate that their remains should' have been allowed to sleep, uncoffined, in the rude graves beneath the sod moistened by their life-blood, where they had been placed two-thirds of a century before. And re- spect to their remains demands that they should yet be brought back and re-interred in the spot made doubly interesting from being the extremest point westward at which fighting took place in New York during the Revolutionary war, a spot which marks an event that has greatly influenced the personal fortunes of all who claim nativity in this county. Let then these rapidly wasting ashes, now suffering from neglect, be brought back and be replaced in the mar- tial grave which they found in the bosom of our noble forest, thereby consecrating the broad acres to free- dom, and making the whole county a grand mauso- leum of her patriots. 1
Let us raise a fitting memorial to "mark the spot which must forever be dear to us and to our posterity, that whosoever in all coming time shall turn his eye hither, may. behold that the place is not undistin- guished."
425
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
James Boyd, who owns the farm where the fighting occurred, and who worthily wears the name though he shares not the blood of the principal martyr of the ambuscade, generously offers to devote the ground whence these bones were removed, for their re-burial. The place in which Boyd and Parker found a grave, already marked by a rude mound near what was Beardstown Indian village, might easily be beautified. This generation has nobly preserved from successful rebellion the nation to which the Revolution gave being. What more appropriate then, than to fulfill the obligations which we imposed upon ourselves, on the anniversary of Independence in 1841, by conse- crating some future Fourth of July to the re-burial of these Revolutionary dead whose graves were the first patriotic landmarks of Livingston county .*
The' Livingston County Agricultural Society was formed in 1841, at a meeting held for that purpose in Geneseo on the 1st of July. Representatives were present from all parts of the county, and considerable interest was manifested. A constitution was adopted, and the following officers chosen : President, William A. Mills ; Vice Presidents, Holloway Long, James S. Wadsworth, Daniel H. Fitzhugh ; Recording Secre- tary, C. H. Bryan ; Corresponding Secretary, C. R. Bond; Treasurer, Allen Ayrault; Managers, M. Brooks, Mount Morris ; S. W. Smith, Sparta ; C. H. Carroll, Groveland ; W. H. Spencer, York ; W. W. Wadsworth, Geneseo ; W. W. Wooster, Leicester ; Hector Hitchcock, Conesus ; Edward A. Leroy, Cale-
* It is proper to state that for this account of the ceremonies attendant upon the removal of these soldier remains to Rochester, I am indebted to Col. L. L. Doty's MSS., and the suggestion there made as to their re-burial in Livingston county comes from his patriotic pen. Why not adopt it ? and what more fitting time for this sacred and patriotic duty than this, the cen- tennial year of our national existence ?- The Editor.
426
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
donia ; Asahel Warner, Lima ; H. S. Tyler, Spring- water ; Leman Gibbs, Livonia ; John E. Tompkins, Avon.
This society has continued in existence to the present day, and its annual fairs have become noted for their fine exhibition of choice blooded cattle and sheep. As a stock-raising county, Livingston ranks among the first in the State, and her blooded stock, thanks to the efforts of the Carrolls, Wadsworths, Fitzhughs, Spencers, Ayrault, Brooks, Barber, Sherman, Peck and others, have acquired a national reputation.
In 1841 Gardner Arnold and Chester Bradley were elected to the Assembly, and were succeeded in 1842 by Daniel H. Fitzhugh and Daniel D. Spencer. James Faulkner was at the same time (1841) chosen Senator, who served during the years 1842 to 1845 inclusive. In the same year (1842) Charles H. Carroll was elected Member of Congress. At the fall election of 1843 the Whig party was again triumphant. The county officers chosen were William H. Whiting, County Clerk ; William H. Scott, Sheriff; Gardner Arnold and Daniel D. Spencer, Assemblymen.
On the 3d of March, 1844, the State government having in the meantime again passed into Democratic hands, Benjamin F. Angel was appointed Surrogate, to succeed William H. Kelsey, who had, in 1840, superseded Mr. Angel in this office. In this position Mr. Angel remained until 1847, discharging its duties with great ability and perfect satisfaction to his con- stituents, when by the adoption of the new constitu- tion, the office was united with that of County Judge. The same year Mr. Angel received the appointment of Supreme Court Commissioner, an important office under the old constitution having concurrent juris- diction with that of a judge of the Supreme Court of the State, at chambers. Calvin H. Bryan, who set-
427
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
tled in Geneseo the year the county was erected, and who had always occupied a leading position as a law- yer and politician, was appointed by the Governor and Senate a Canal Appraiser for the State, and Daniel H. Bissell of the town of Leicester, was elected Canal Commissioner. These responsible places of trust were worthily filled, and reflected honor upon these respected citizens and upon the county.
But little less exciting than the "Log Cabin " con- flict of 1840, was the presidential campaign of 1844. The leading and absorbing question of this contest was the annexation of Texas, a measure which the Democratic party North and South earnestly advoca- ted, while the Whigs as vigorously opposed it. It involved the slavery question, which added to the warmth and bitterness of the canvass. The South was unanimously in favor of annexation because the new territory offered a rich field for the extension of her peculiar institution ; the anti-slavery men of the North, for the same reason, gave the measure their unqualified disapproval. To add to the intensity of the feeling a new element, the Anti-Slavery party, made its appearance, -for the first time in a presiden- tial election-nominating James G. Birney as its can- didate for the presidency. The candidates of the Democratic party were James K. Polk for President and George M. Dallas for Vice President. The Whigs supported Henry Clay and Theodore Frelinghuysen. In this county the Whigs supported John Young and Harlow Wells for the Assembly.
As the canvass progressed it became an exceedingly warm one, especially in this county, which possessed more than the usual number of leaders prominent in State and national politics. On the Whig side we recognize the names of Young, Carroll, Wood, Colt, Kelsey and others equally prominent, while among
1
428
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Democratic leaders were James S. Wadsworth, Ben- jamin F. Angel, Calvin H. Bryan, Daniel H. Bissell, George Hastings and others. All were firm partisans, energetic workers, and men of wide-felt influence. . Thus the local canvass was given an interest it would not otherwise have possessed, since these leaders had reputations as well as views and principles to sustain ; while the nearly equally balanced power of the two parties in the nation rendered the issue doubtful, and furnished an incentive for each to put forth its great- est strength. But the victory was not for the Whigs. A variety of causes combined to weaken their strength, and the election resulted in the triumph of Mr. Polk by an overwhelming popular vote, and also the suc- cess of the Democratic State ticket. "Never had the Democratic party achieved a greater triumph than in the election of 1844. Both of the great parties of the country had put forth their entire strength in the con- test ; the interest excited was intense and universal, and the result decisive. The Whig party was entirely prostrated, and apparently discouraged. The Demo- cratic party of the State never held so strong a posi- tion. The severity of the contest with the Whigs had restored its ancient discipline," * * "and the utmost enthusiasm animated its masses." Not so in Livingston county, however. "Its firm adhesion to the Whig cause has in times past been proverbial," and on this occasion it firmly stood by its Whig prin- ciples. The candidates of that party were elected by the usual majorities, but it was a hard-earned victory, and the opposition had the satisfaction of knowing that every inch of the ground had been contested with unflinching courage and indomitable will.
At the election of 1845 John Young and William S. Fullerton were the Whig candidates for the Assem- bly. Speaking of these nominations a Whig organ
i
!
-
429
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
said : "This unflinching, unwavering Whig strong- hold has prepared herself for the battle, and Locofo- coism always feels her blows when they fall." The opposing candidates were David McDonald of York and Ira Merrill of Avon, both worthy citizens. The Whig candidate for Senator was Lorenzo Dana ; his opponent, Thomas J. Wheeler of Cattaraugus. At this election, also, the question of a convention to revise the constitution was voted upon. The cam- paign was a closely contested one, but the Whig party was triumphant in the county. The Senate district was largely Democratic, however, and Thomas J. Wheeler was chosen Senator.
The people having declared in favor of a constitu- tional convention, an election was held April 28th, 1846, to choose delegates. The nominees of the Whig party in this county were Allen Ayrault and William H. Spencer. The opposing candidates were Willard H. Smith and Hector Hitchcock. Probably no local canvass was ever more vigorously prosecuted, or the occasion of more bitterness of feeling. There was but little opposition to Mr. Spencer, but with Mr. Ayrault the case was different. His position as the President of the Livingston County Bank had made for him enemies as well as friends; the former class including not only those whom the bank had refused to accom- modate, but a large number who entertained a preju- dice against all banking institutions. Taking advan- tage of this, a desperate effort was made to elect the Democratic nominees. The Whigs were well organ- ized and disciplined, however, and their strength was too great to be overcome. The Whig candidates were elected by a majority of about 970, only two towns, Caledonia and North Dansville, giving Democratic majorities. The Whig organ at the county seat * was
* Livingston Republican, May 5, 1846.
430
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
pleased to say of the result : "It gives us sincere gratification to announce the result of the election in this county. Under all circumstances it is the most overwhelming defeat our opponents have ever encoun- tered, and one which, if repeated, would almost annihilate them as a party in Old Livingston."
The town of Nunda and that part of Portage lying east of the Genesee river, forming a part of Allegany county, were annexed to Livingston county, by an act of the Legislature passed in April, 1846. The town of Sparta was also divided, and the towns of North Dansville, Sparta and West Sparta formed from it. This gave the county sixteen towns. The annex- ation of Nunda and Portage added a rich and flour- ishing territory. "The two new towns were the best part of Allegany county, and will make a rich addi- tion to Livingston. Besides their fame for raising excellent wheat, they are equally distinguished for rolling up plump Whig majorities."*
The gubernatorial election of 1846 possesses more than ordinary interest to the resident of this county, since it elevated to the highest office in the State one of the leading citizens of Livingston. This was John Young, of Geneseo, an able member of the bar, and a prominent politician. Mr. Young, as a member of the legislature, as well as by his congressional servi- ces, had acquired & brilliant reputation, and was looked upon as one of the ablest and most trustworthy leaders of the Whig party. His prominent position in the Assembly of 1845, where he strenuously advo- cated the holding of a convention to revise the consti- tution, added to his already favorable record, attracted to him the attention of the whole State. Mr. Young had early avowed himself in favor of this measure,
* Livingston Republican,
:
431
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
but many of the leading Whigs then in the legislature viewed it with indifference, or were openly opposed to it. By his arguments and persuasive powers he brought nearly all of them to the adoption of his views, and under his leadership they gave the meas- ure a warm support. The Democracy were divided on this question, and no honorable means were lost by Mr. Young and his friends to widen the breach. During the progress of the convention bill he made a number of speeches in reply to Horatio Seymour, then the Speaker of the Assembly and the leader of the conservative. Democrats, which won him high praise from his party, and made him its leader in the Assembly.
It was while the recollection of this brilliant success was still fresh in the minds of the people, that the Whig State convention was held at Utica Sept. 23d, 1846. "It was well understood that Mr. Filmore did not desire to be again a candidate for Governor, and the name of Mr. Young was often mentioned in con- nection with that office, long before the assembling of the Whig State convention."* On the meeting of the convention, Mr. Fillmore was warmly supported by his friends, notwithstanding his reluctance to appear as a candidate, and two of the three informal ballots that were taken gave him a large majority over Mr. Young. On the third ballot Mr. Young received 76 votes to 45 for Mr. Fillmore. After this ballot the convention adjourned to the court-house, where, after effecting a permanent organization, Mr. Babcock, of Erie, arose and in a very commendable speech with- drew Mr. Fillmore's name as a candidate, and moved that the nomination of John Young as the Whig can- didate for Governor be made unanimous. The motion
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.