USA > New York > Franklin County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 12
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 12
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This project would have been good, if they had had suitable bateaux to defend this river, which is extremely wide towards La Presentation, and defend the different passages of the rapids.
After these arrangements had been made, he descended to Montreal, where he learned that the Canadians had left their arms, to go to secure their harvest.
Against these he promulgated an ordinance, under pain of death ; but it was represented to him, that it would be impossible to enforce this ordinance, as it did not emanate from M. de Vaudreuil, and this general did not have the power of the court, and that the Canadians could only be regarded as volunteers, who served without pay. * *
M. de Lévis said, that if any one in the army wished to desert, he would cut off his head, but they boldly replied to him that if they knew that these were his sentiments, he would not find a single militia man, either at the Isle-Aux-Noix, nor at Oraconenton, and that they would take care that he should not find them. This threat intimidated him, and he said no more; he left to visit the Isle Aux Noix, and concerted with M. de· Bourlamarque, for its defense, with whom a little time after, he as- cended to Oraconenton, to the end that he might accelerate by his pre- sence, the works there in progress, and defend in person the rapids, against the army of M. de Bostwick, who was still encamped at Choua- guen, and seemed preparing to descend. James Zouch, an English offi- cer, had surprised La Presentation, having come through the woods from the army of Amherst, to La Presentation, to carry the letters of this general to Bostwick, and who had come out too low down. The five nations even sent belts to the savages of La Presentation, to invite them to withdraw.
These news which were received, one after the other, made him urge the works on the fort; and it was under these circumstances, that M. de Lévis received the tidings of the death of M. de Montcalm, and of the battle, with the order to descend as quickly as possible to Montreal, whence he continued his route to Jacques Cartier.
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M. de Lévis, having given orders to fortify Jacques Cartier, gave the command of this post to M. Dumas, and returned to Montreal. The fortification of the Isle Oraconenton, was given to M. Pouchot, who had been exchanged with many other prisoners, and they continued to labor at the Isle Aux Noix; they added to the middle of these entrenchments, a fort, en étoile, in which buildings were erected for the lodgement of the garrison and officers."
The St. Lawrence became a thoroughfare of prime importance, in the French and English war, that ended with the conquest of Canada, in 1760. From the paper from which we have previously quoted, (Memoirs sur le Canada,) we will here translate, commencing near the close of the year 1758.
" In fine, M. de Vaudreuil, had decided to construct two barks in the place of those that were burned, and consequently to recall M. Duplessis from Frontenac, and to put there a commanding officer with a garrison. He had given orders to Duplessis, to retire entirely with his detachment; this was done on the 26th of October. He found at La Presentation, the orders which he had given to descend, and sent the Sieur Chevalier Benoit, the commander, to Fort Frontenac, with a detachment of troops and Canadians. He was sent as well to protect the baggage and the mu- nitions of war, and the provisions, which were to pass by that way to the upper country, as to establish this post. Sieur Duplessis, also, had orders as well to send back those on the part of Montigni, to Niagara, who had come down, and who were to make this voyage with those sent in the canoes, in charge of the baggage and merchandise.
* Sieur the Chevalier Benoit, was of a Parisian family, and had * * absolutely nothing; he was one of those men, of nothing, who because they are such, charitably believe all others to be rogues. He was a man of chimeras, devout, with much wit, some little polish, and in addition to all, with some philosophy; and as for the rest, brave, and capable of doing honor to any service in which he was charged.
He departed therefore from La Presentation, with an inconsiderable detachment, and repaired to Frontenac, with a royal magazine guard. As the posts of the upper country were naturally wanting in articles of the greatest necessity, the instructions were issued, that as great a quan- tity should be forwarded as possible.
Officers were despatched to conduct these convoys, but theft and losses annihilated almost all of them.
The Canadians at this time, fatigued, and dying of hunger, did not wish to proceed further, and threatened to revolt; and to add to the misfor- tune, they demanded their payment; in short, they did us more harm than good at Niagara. Douville, commandant at Toronto, had evactuated that post, and retired to Niagara. Sieur de Cresse, assistant ship master of Canada, had been sent to Frontenac, with M. Laforce, captain of the builders, to construct two new gallies, as well to secure the supremacy of the lake, as to supply Niagara more easily, and to render the defense of this frontier the more respectable; but as he was unable to find the ne- cessary timber at that point, here moved himself down towards La Pre- sentation, to a strait known by the name of Point au Baril, where the con- struction was in every respect more easy.
He thence wrote to the General, in waiting M. Benoit, who had orders to fortify himself, either at the shipyard of Frontenac, or its environs. After having carefully examined, he decided to fortify himself near the fort,
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and in consequence he cut down timber, to form four bastions, upon a prolongation fifty or sixty feet along the bank, and on the side of the fort. * * * But the General, who had received great complaints against Sieur de Lorimier, commanding officer at La Presensation, resolved to remove him, and to put in his place M. Benoit, and at the same time, in order to protect the works at Point au Baril, he gave the necessary orders to M. Benoit, who repaired there with all his garrison, and all that they had sent from Frontenac, and sent iron for the constructions at that place, and left not that which was at Frontenac.
Point au Baril is distant three leagues from La Presentation, in ascending towards Frontenac, upon the right bank of the river St. Law- rence.
Its location was less exposed to attack, than the coast at La Presenta- tion, which of itself was a post too feeble and too badly situated, to sus- tain an attack. They therefore transported thither all that was destined for Frontenac, and built entrenchments around the spot, chosen for the building of the vessels, and sent thither a magazine guard, under a young man attached to M. de Montcalm."
From a map which accompanies the work from which we have been quoting, it appears that Point au Barril, [Barell Point,] was on the north shore of the river St. Lawrence, above La Presentation, and not far from the site of the present village of Maitland. We here insert the plan of the work as there given.
This point is mentioned very frequently on maps . ralating to the St. Lawrence river, of an old date.
* * * " It was from two prisoners sent by a de- tachment of Loups, by M. de Pouchot, that we learned that the army which descended by Chouaguen, and which was commanded by M. Amherst, at the head of 1500 men, was approaching.
It from this appeared beyond doubt, that the colony was about to be attacked at the same moment by three different ways, and that the slowness of the approach of Murrray, would avail nothing, when the three armies should assemble.
M. Amherst, having made his preparations, departed from Chouaguen, and appeared before Oraconenton .* The fort of La Presentation, had been dismantled, and the plan of defense of M de Lévis, could not be entertained, in consequence of the superiority of the army of the English General.
Accordingly, M. Amherst found no difficulty. Before commencing the siege of the Fort, he caused to be planted opposite to the fort, upon the main land, some batteries, which in a short time, razed the parapets, and ruined a part of the entrenchments. M. Pouchot conducted the de- fense in a manner, that failed not to elicit the admiration of the English General. At length, finding himself no longer able to retain it, he sur- rendered the place, and the garrison was made prisoners of war. * *
The French Generals held frequent councils, but they amounted to nothing, because the junction of these armies, destroyed all plans of de-
* This fort appears to have been situated (See Smith's History, t. I. p 359,) upon Isle Royal, between La Presentation, (now Ogdensburgh,) and the beginning of the rapids. (Note in the original.)
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fense which they had formed, and they were the more embarrassed be- cause they had but a slender stock of provisions, and no hopes of draw- ing more from the country.
They did not know what lot M. Amherst would bring, nor how to treat with him in so unpleasant a place; and they could not hold out twenty- four hours. M. de Vaudreuil had, upon the departure of Amherst from Oraconenton, thought of submitting as soon as he should appear before the city.
M. Amherst, after having reduced Oraconenton, chose from among thie Canadians whom he there found, those who were best qualified to con- duct barges and canoes, and leaving the savages who had hitherto ac- companied him, he descended[to Soulauges, a small parish of the colony, and where are the last of the rapids, which were all passed hapily, at least without any considerable loss, and came and presented himself in good order, before the parish named Lachine, where his troops encamped without difficulty. The detachments which he had there, had orders to make preparations against the city."*
The following is an account given of this transaction in the Annual Register" for 1760, page 58.
" Having laid this general plan for completing the conquest of Canada, Lord Amherst, with an army of about 10,000 men, left Schenectady on the frontiers of New York, (June 21, 1760,) and passed up the Mohawks' river, and down that of the Oneidas', to Oswego. The army he had collected there, consisted of about 10,000 men, regulars and provincials, Sir William Johnson, brought about a thousand savages of the Iroquois, or Five Nations; the greatest number of that race of men which was ever seen in arms in the cause of England.
It was a matter of the greatest difficulty, to transport so numerous an army, the whole of its artillery, its ammunition, and all its provisions, over the expanse of that vast lake, in open boats, and galleys; it required the greatest caution, and the exactest order, least they should fall foul upon one another, least they should be driven out too far to gain the land, on the first threatening of a storm, or least they should come too near the shore. But all the dispositions were made with the most admirable method, and with that regularity of military arrangements which makes so considerable a part in the character of that able commander, so that the whole army embarked on the twentieth of August. A detachment had been sent some days before, to clear the passage of the river St. Law- rence of any obstructions, and to find the best passage for the vessels.
On the 27th, he had taken possession of Swegatchie, and made all dispositions for the attack of Isle Royal, a fort lower down the river, which commands the most important post, and as it were the key of Canada. The troops and boats were so disposed, that the Isle was completely invested, and the garrison was left no means of escape. The batteries were then raised, and opened, and after two days sharp firing, the fort surrendered.
This being a post of importance both to cominand Lake Ontario, and to cover our frontier, the general spent some days here in order to repair the fort, and at the same time to fit out his vessels, and to prepare all things for passing his troops down the river, the most dangerous part of which he was now to encounter, as all the rapids lie between this place and Montreal; but notwithstanding all precautions, nearly ninety men were drowned in passing these dangerous falls, and a great number of
* See note A. in the appendix of this work.
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vessels broke to pieces. This loss from so large an embarkation, in such circumstances, is to be regarded as inconsiderable.
At length, after a tedious, fatiguing and dangerous voyage of two months and seventeen days, the English saw, to their great joy, the Isle of Montreal, the object of their ardent wishes, and the period of their labors."
There exists a tradition in the country, that the pilots who guided the vessels of Lord Amherst down the rapids, were bribed to pass them down the more dangerous routes, by the offer of large rewards by the enemy. It may well be questioned, whether men could be induced by any motive less than heroic patriotism, to conduct a craft down a channel in which a probability, amounting to little less than a certainty, existed, that it would be engulphed in the angry surges of the rapids.
Those who have passed down the river St. Lawrence, in steam boats, and witnessed the tumultuous war of waters, which this mighty Scylla and Charybdis, at once so wild, so grand, and so dreadful, presents; and reflects that a large army in a great number of boats, many of which were guided by inexperienced hands, constituted the flotilla, he will agree with the opinion of the author above quoted, that the number of lives lost is small compared with the whole number of the army, and the manifold dangers to which they were exposed.
There is still said to exist, in the 'St. Lawrence, opposite the town of Massena, the wreck of one or two vessels, which are supposed to have belonged to the French or the English fleet, and to have perished about this time.
General Israel Putnam, who afterwards shone most conspicuously in the revolutionary war, was in company with Lord Amherst in this ex- pedition, and from what is well known of his energy and courage, there can be no doubt that he took an active part in the campaign, and was foremost in every enterprise that required the exercise of those traits of character, for which he was so eminent.
While the English account just quoted, (perhaps from a national prejudice, and a desire then manifested to keep in a subordinate station . the provincials,) does not mention the name of Putnam, in connection with this event. The following extract from the miscellaneous works of David Humphrey, (New York, 1804, p. 280-1,) gives in an account of the reduction of Isle Royal, quite a different version of the affair, and is perhaps equally chargable with partiality, in giving all the credit of the enterprise to an American officer.
It appears probable that Humphrey's account is mostly fabulous.
" In 1760, Gen. Amherst, a sagacious, humane and experienced com- mander, planned the termination of the war in Canada, by a bloodless conquest. For this purpose, three armies were destined to co-operate by different routes against Montreal, the only remaining place of strength
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the enemy held in that country. The corps formerly commanded by Wolf, now by General Murray, was ordered to ascend the river St. Lawrence; another, under Col. Haviland, to penetrate by the Isle Aux Noix; and the third, consisting of about ten thousand men, commanded by the General himself, after passing up the Mohawk River, and taking its course by the Lake Ontario, was to form a junction by falling down the St. Lawrence.
In this progress, more than one occasion presented itself to manifest the intrepidity and soldiership of Lieut. Col. Putnam. Two armed vessels obstructed the passage and prevented the attack on Oswegatchie Putnam, with one thousand men, in fifty batteaux, undertook to board them. This dauntless officer, ever sparing of the blood of others, as prodigal of his own, to accomplish it with the less loss, put himself, (with a chosen crew, a beetle and wedges,) in the van, with a design to wedge the rudders, so that the vessels should not be able to turn their broadsides, or to perform any other maneuvre. All the men in his little fleet were ordered to strip to their waistcoats, and advance at the same time. He promised if he lived, to join and show them the way up the side. Animated by so daring an example, they moved swiftly, in profound stillness, as to certain victory or death. The people on board the ship, beholding the good countenance with which they approached, ran one of the vessels on shore, and struck the colors of the other.
Had it not been for the dastardly conduct of the ship's company in the latter, who compelled the captain to haul down his ensign, he would have given the assailants a bloody reception; for the vessels were well provided with spars, nettings, and every customary instrument of annoy- ance, as well as defence.
It now remained to attack the fortress, which stood on an island, and seemed to have been rendered inaccessible by a high abattis of black ash, that every where projected over the water. Lieutenant Colonel Putnam, proposed a mode of attack, and offered his services to carry it into effect. The General approved the proposal. Our partizan, accord- ingly, caused a sufficient number of boats to be fitted for the enterprise. The sides of each boat were surrounded with fascines, musket proof, which covered the men completely. A wide plank, twenty feet in length was then fitted to every boat, in such a manner by having an angular piece sawed from one extremity that when fastened by ropes on both sides of the bow, it might be raised or lowered at pleasure. The design was, that the plank should be held erect, while the oarsmen forced the bow with the utmost exertion against the abattis, and that afterwards being dropped on the pointed brush, it should serve as a kind of bridge to assist the men in passing over them. Lieutenant Colonel Putnam, having made his dispositions to attempt the escalade in many places at the same moment, advanced with his boats in admirable order. The garrison perceiving these extraordinary and unexpected machines, waited not the assault, but capitulated. Putnam was particularly honored by Gen. Amherst, for his ingenuity in this invention, and promptitude in its execution. The three armies arrived in Montreal within two days of each other, and the conquest of Canada became complete, without the loss of a single drop of blood."
It has been justly remarked, that there is an air of incredibility about this statement, which of itself sufficiently impairs its value as a historical fact. That a crew of an armed ship, should have been terror stricken at the approach of a handful of unarmed men, or possessing the means
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of annihilating at a single discharge the insignificant array brought against them, should have omitted to do so, implies a degree of cowardice or treachery which can scarcely be credited or believed.
With the fall of the fortress of Isle Royal, ceased the French dominion in St. Lawrence county .*
It was subsequently occupied by a small guard of British troops, and held till surrendered in accordance with the stipulations of Jay's treaty in the summer of 1796, to Judge Ford, who received it for the pro- prietors.
The remains of a cemetery still exist on the west side of the Oswe- gatchie, and several head stones mark the place where British soldiers were buried.
The history of this station, so far as our knowledge extends, from the time of the English conquest to the surrender under the treaty, is nearly or quite lost.
Such data as have fallen under our notice, will here be given:
In the summer of 1776, the following minute was forwarded from Oswego, by Lieut. Edward McMichael. (See American Archives, fifth series, vol. i, page 815.)
" Was informed at Oswego, that three regiments of Ministerial troops had arrived at Oswegatchie, at which place they were joined by a number of Tories and Indians under the command of Colonel Johnson, and were to embark immediately on board two armed vessels, bateaux and canoes, and proceed to Oswego, at which place they were to be joined by Colonel Butler, with all the Indians under his command, and likewise by Colonel Caldwell, with hat regulars could be spared from Niagara.
They intended repairing Oswego Fort, as soon as possible, in order that they might hold a treaty with the Indians, and be able to defend themselves against any attack."
In April, 1779, Lieutenants McClellan and Hardenburgh, of the Revo- lutionary army, were despatched from Fort Schuyler, on an expedition at the head of a body of Indians, against the British garrison at Oswe" gatchie, intending to steal upon it, and take it by surprise, but falling in with some straggling Indians, several shots were imprudently exchanged, which alarmed the garrison. They then attempted to draw the enemy
* Antoine St. Martin, a Frenchman, said to have inhabited the country since its occupation by the French, in 1760, died at an extreme age, (supposed to exceed by several years, a century) on the 4th of March 1849, at Ogdensburgh. In his latter years, he attracted some attention from his being made the personage of a romance, written and published at Potsdam, by C. Boynton. His longevity appears to have been to him as much a solitude, as it was to others a wonder, and he would at times weep, and lament, that " God had forgotten him." With him perished the last survivors of the French period of our history, and it is much to be regretted that his narrative and recollections were not preserved.
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from the fort by stratagem, and partly succeeded, but could not draw them at a sufficient distance to cut off their retreat, and on approaching the fort themselves, the assailants were so warmly received, that they were compelled to retreat without unnecessary delay. The only service performed, was to send a Caughnawaga Indian into Canada, with a letter in French by a French general, probably the Marquis de Lafayette, and addressed to the Canadians, and written the preceding autumn. The expedition was despatched from Fort Schuyler, on the day before Colone Van Schaick moved upon Onondaga ; and from a letter addressed by Gen. Clinton, six weeks afterwards to General Sullivan, there is reason to be- lieve, one object was to get clear of the Oneida Indians, then in the fort, until Colonel Van Schaick should have proceeded so far upon his expe- dition, that they or their people should not be able to give the Onondagas notice of his approach. All the Indians still remaining in Fort Schuyler on the 18th, were detained expressly for that purpose. Although pro- fessedly friendly, and reliable as scouts, they could not be trusted in ex- peditions against their fellows .*
The expedition of Lieutenants Mcclellan, and Hardenbergh returned to Fort Schuyler without having effected their purpose, on the 30th of April.
An incident happened in a military expedition from Fort Schuyler to Oswegatchie, during the Revolutionary war, and probably in the one just described, which shows in an amiable light, the finer feelings of the In- dian character, and will serve as an offset for some of the darker phases of Indian warfare. The subject of the adventure afterwards for several years resided in St. Lawrence county, and often related the incident to the one from whose lips the account is written.
Belonging to a military party that was proceeding through the forest, was a little boy, about twelve years old, who served as a fifer to the com- pany. Light hearted and innocent, he tripped along, sometimes running in advance to gather flowers, and at others lingering behind to listen to the music of the birds, which made the forest vocal with their songs. Seeing the unguarded deportment of the lau, his captain cautioned him against wandering from the company, for fear that some hostile Indian who might be lurking in the thicket, should take him off. The warning was heeded for some time, but ere long forgot, and he found himself many rods in advance of the party, culling the wild flowers which were scattered in his path, and inhaling the fragrance which the morning air with its exhilarating freshness inspired him, when he was suddenly startled by a rude grasp upon the shoulder, which upon looking around he saw was that of a sturdy Indian, who had been secreted behind a
* See Stone's Life of Brant. Vol. 1. p 91.
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rock, and had darted from his concealment upon the unsuspecting victim, who had wandered from his protectors.
He attempted to scream, but fear paralyzed his tongue, and he saw the glittering tomahawk brandished over his head, which the next moment would terminate with a blow, his existence; but the savage, seeing the unarmed and terror stricken child, with no warlike implement but his fife, and doubtless touched with the innocence and terror of his trem- bling prisoner, relaxed his grasp, took the fife from under his arm, and having playfully blowed in its end he returned it to its owner, and bounded off into the forest. No further caution was needed, to keep him within the ranks, and they the next day reached their destination, which was Fort Oswegatchie.
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