USA > New York > Franklin County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 44
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 44
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Col. Ogden, Newark.
NEWARK, IN UPPER CANADA, Sept. 10, 1795.
Dear Sir :- I wrote you from Kingston, the 20th of August, which 1 hope you have received. In that I mentioned my ill luck in not arriving at Kingston a few hours sooner, which would have made me in time to have taken passage in the packet, by which misfortune I was detained at Kingston, from the 19th of August to the 1st September, and after another gun-boat voyage of six days arrived at this place, where I am now detained by the governor's not having returned from Long Point, from whence he is daily expected. I shall transact my business with him as soon after his return as possible, and return to Oswegatchie im- mediately, when I hope to settle that business. Should I not be so for- tunate as to obtain leave of the governor to repair the houses, that will not prevent my negotiating with Lorimier. Mr. Farrand will have taken the necessary measures for bringing about a negotiation. I have this day written him, to meet me at Oswegatchie on my return. I take it for granted you have received all my former letters, which contain all the
* Mr. Ford was commissioned by Col. Ogden, and Nicholas Low, to make inquires into the titles and terms of these islands, and purchase them of Sir John Johnson, in the name of Alex'r Wallace an Englishman, (as they say in Canada), on speculation. He was authorized to offer £2000 sterling for the isle of Tante. Eleven families had been settled three years upon it. Grand isle had been purchased at Montreal from Mr. Curot, a Frenchman (who held it under a grant from the king of France) for £500 with a further sum of quarter dollar per acre, when the titie was established These purchases were not made by Mr. Ford He ex- amined them and made very full reports upon soil, umber &c., which are preserved with his papers." P. H. H.
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information I have. I will write you thence by way of Montreal, and inform you of my success with his excellency. Unless something very unforseen takes place I shall undoubtedly leave my baggage at Oswe- gatchie, and go through the woods to the Mohawk river. I am of opinion that it will be best to strike the river as low down as the Little falls, which is said to be 120 miles from Oswegatchie. I am sorry to tell you, it is a very sickly season in this province ; never was it more so, but I am very happy to add that it is less so about Oswegatchie. That part is looked upon to be the most healthy of any in Upper Canada. Should I pass through this country without a touch, I shall be peculiarly fortunate. It is said here that strangers are scarce ever exempt. I hope to reach the Fort in a state to be able to undertake the proposed march. I should recommend to you, not to sell before I return. I think there can be no doubt of those lands settling very fast. I hope to give you a very satisfactory account of them on my return. I have this mo- ment heard that the governor is at Fort Erie, on his return. Believe me to be your very humble servant.
N. FORD.
Mr. Ford, in a letter dated Kingston, Sept. 23, 1795, mentioned that the governor had returned sick, and that his business could only be set- tled in council. He again states his intention of traversing the woods to the Mohawk, but it is not known whether this design was carried into effect. Jay's treaty, which was finally ratified in February, 1796, pro- vided in its second articles, that his majesty's troops should be with- drawn from all posts within the states, on or before the 1st of June; the property of British subjects being secured to them by the pledge of the government, and they were to be free to remain or go as they saw fit.
The signature of the treaty having at length rendered it certain, that the surrender of Fort Oswegatchie would remove the last obstacle which had for several years hindered the settlement of Northern New York, Mr. Ford at length started with a company of men, a few goods, and articles of prime necessity, for a new settlement, with the design to re- pair or rebuild the dam and mills on the Oswegatchie, and survey and settle the country. As a guide for his operations, the proprietor drew up the following memorandum of instructions, which embody the designs and wishes of Col. Ogden, in relation to the new settlement:
" On your arrival at Oswegatchie, endeavor in as amicable a manner as possible, to gain immediate possession of the works, mills, and town. If difficulties do arise, you will of course exercise the best of your judg- ment and discretion, in order to remove them. This, perhaps, may be done best by soothing measures; perhaps by threats and perhaps by bribes, as to which, it must be entirely submitted to your judgment, as circumstances may turn up. It seems certain that you will have no diffi- culty in obtaining possession of the fort and works. These, therefore, I presume you will immediately possess. The mills seem the great dif- ficulty, for which you will make every exertion after you have possession of the fort. After you have obtained possession of the mills, you will immediately commence the repairs thereof, so as to have the saw mill at work this autumn before you leave it. As to the manner of repairing the dam, it must be left to your own judgment. I must however recom- mend it to your particular attention, to have it solidly placed and well filled in with stone, and graveled, so as to render it permanent and se- cure. Perhaps it may be best for this fall's operation, to place the whole of the saw mill on the same site as it formerly stood, observing, how- ever, that in our next summer's operations we shall place many other
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works on the same dam, and that those works must be carried so far down the river as to be placed on the navigable water, so that vessels may come to them to load and unload. If the old mill is destroyed, and you find that a new one must be constructed, I would recommend that you con- struct it so as to saw plank or timber of forty feet long. You will ex- ercise your own judgment as to what repairs it may be proper for you to put on any of the buildings at the old fort. It strikes me that it will be best to repair the old stone houses, and as many of the frame as may be found sound and free from decay. Of this, however, you will be able to judge after a careful inspection thereof. Should you meet with any difficulty with the Indians who live below, send a letter to Mr. F * * * and enclosing one to - Grey, (the interpreter), who lives at St. Regis; de- sire Grey to come up to you, and with him fall on such measures as may be proper for an accommodation.
If on experiment you find that a further supply of goods will be ad- vantageous this autumn, write me so, and send me a memorandum thereof, so that I may forward them to you. If on experiment you find that any particular article of commerce will answer a good and speedy remittance, you will be very early in your communications to me thereof, and it is probable that you may point out the best and most expeditious manner of transporting the same.
It may be, that certain articles of remittance may offer, which it may be proper to send to Montreal for sale, in which case you will forward them to the care and direction of Thomas Forsyth, of that place, taking care to give him written instructions how to dispose thereof, and always re- member in your letter book to keep regular copies of all your letters. Your sett of books must be regularly kept, so as to shew a very exact account of all expenditures and disbursements, so that every shilling may be ex- plained and accounted for. Write me from Schenectady the result of your conversation with Tibbets, so that I may endeavor to fall on some measures for the completing that object. If on examination you find any tract of land without my purchase, and which you believe to be an object worth our attention, write me a full account thereof, and enable me to take it if it should be found an object. Mr. Grey gave me some rea son to believe he could find a mine of iron ore, within our ten town- ships. Pray extend your researches thereafter as early as possible, as it is very important that we should at as early a period as possible com- mence our iron work operation, and nothing can be done until the ore be found. The letters I forward you from hence, I shall forward to the care of D. Hale, Albany; any which you may write to me, (not by the post), you will also direct to his care. July 12th, 1796. S. OGDEN."
Mr. Ford left New York in July, 1796, and on the 18th arrived at Al- bany, and crossed with teams to Schenectady, where he met Mr. Day and John Lyon,* men whom he had employed to come with him, together with Thomas Lee, carpenter, and Dick, a negro slave who was owned by Mr. Ford. These were considered sufficient to man one boat. To hire another would cost £85 to Oswegatchie, besides porterage and lock fees, which would amount to £5 more. Of the boatmen, Mr. Ford re- inarked: "So abandoned a set of rascals as the boatmen at this place are, I never saw." Instead of complying with their demand he bought a four handed boat, and tried to hire men by the day, but here he was again met with a coalition, and was obliged to pay high wages to his hands.
* Mr. Lyon died in February, 1834, at the age of 81.
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So impressed was he with the impositions and exactions that thus ob- structed the gateway to the great west, that he predicted that at no distant day, if a change for the better did not soon occur, " the western country would seek a market in Montreal, rather than submit to the exactions of these men." Could a prophetic vision but have carried him forward through but half a century, and placed him on that very spot, where he could have seen the throbs of those mighty arteries which transmit the wealth of millions along their channels, and on their iron tracks, in obe- dience to the electric message, and the beautiful Mohawk reduced to an insignificant stream, from the withdrawal of its waters, by the canals; the senses must have failed to impart to the understanding the vastness of the change, and the bewildered eye would have gazed without com- prehension upon the scene, as belonging to a dream!
Is an equal change reserved for the coming half century ?
Mr. Ford having purchased a boat for £16, prepared to leave the town, and the journal of his voyage will give the incidents which occurred, - with much vividness, and will here be quoted :
" Left Schenectada on Friday, 22d July, 1796, at 2 o'clock, with two boats, for Oswegatchie; proceeded up the river as far as Maby's tavern, where he lodged, distance, 6 miles. 23d Set out early in the morning, and got as far as Mill's tavern, where we lodged, distance 10 miles; had a very heavy shower this afternoon. 24th. Left Mill's tavern, and got to Connoly's, where we lodged, distance 17 miles. Our passage up the river is rendered very slow, owing to the lowness of the water, and our boats being full loaded. I have been under the necessity of loading them full for two reasons: 1st, because I could not make up three full loads; and 2d, because of the infamous price I was asked for taking a load. It will scarcely be believed, when I say that I was asked £85 for one boat load to be taken to Oswegatchie, besides locks and portage fees, which would make it amount, in the whole, to £90. This I thought so enormous, I could not think of submitting to it. I purchased a boat, and hired another with three batteauxmen, and with my own people, I set out, and thus far we have come on tolerably well. 25th. Left Con- noly's this morning, and came on to what is called Caty's rift, distance 3 miles. At this unfortunate place commenced my ill fortune. I at first hired only two batteauxmen, but previous to my leaving Schenectada, I hired a third, hoping, by this, I had put it out of the power of any acci- dent to happen. The boat being manned by three professed batteauxmen, and one good hand (though not a boatman), ascended this rift to within a boat's length of being over, when she took a shear and fell back, and soon acquired such velocity, that the resistance of the boatmen became quite inadequate to stopping her. The consequence was, she fell cross- wise of the current, and when she had descended the rapids about half way, she brought up broadside upon a rock (which lays in the middle of the stream), and sunk almost instantly, about four or five inches under. In this situation she lay about two hours, before I could procure assist- ance to get her unloaded, the delay of getting to her, together with the difficulty of coming at her cargo, made us three hours before we could relieve the boat, during which time we expected to see her go to pieces, which would undoubtedly have happened, had she not been a new boat, and well built. It was particularly unfortunate, that it was on board this boat that I had almost all my dry goods, which got most thoroughly wet. Upon getting the boat off, I found she had two of her knees broke, and one of her planks split, and leaky in several places. I immediately had one-half the cargo reloaded, and set forward up the rapid, at the
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head of which lives Mr. Spraker. Here I unloaded, and sent the boat back for the residue. Upon their arrival, I set about opening the goods, all of which were soaking wet. The casks I had the goods in, would have turned water for a short time, but the length of time the boat was under, gave an opportunity for all the casks to fill. The three boxes of tea were all soaked through. The difficulty of getting this article dry, was heightened by the very showery weather we had Tuesday and Wednesday; but by paying the greatest attention, we were enabled to get it all dry by Wednesday evening. The goods I had all dried and repacked; the boat I had taken out of the water, and repaired; almost every thing was now ready for setting out in the morning. Upon drying the tea, I found it was too much damaged to take on; I concluded it would be better to send it back to New York, and have it disposed of at auction, for what it would bring, rather than have the reputation of bringing forward damaged tea, and disposing of it for good; and that in a country where my future success very much depends upon the repu- tation I establish. 28th. I finished packing up, and at 10 o'clock we got on board, and proceeded upon our voyage again ; got as far as Neller's tavern, distance about 12 miles; rained very sharp this afternoon. 29th. Got to the Little falls this afternoon, about three o'clock. The tea I left boxed up, in the care of Mr. Spraker, to be forwarded to Mr. Murdock, Schenectada. I have written him to forward it to Mr. McKie, you will be so good as to give him directions about it. It was fortunate that two chests of tea were left at Schenectada, as was also a barrel of snuff, &c., which I have ordered to be forwarded to Kingston. The two casks of powder I have also sent back to Mr. McKie; that article was totally spoiled (except to work over again). The best of the muslins was in Richard's trunk, and did not get wet. I hope the dry goods are not so damaged as to prevent a sale of them. The cutlery is very much injured, notwithstanding the greatest attention. This is not only a heavy loss, but is attended with vast fatigue and perplexity. I could not procure oil cloths for the boats (the one you had was sold with the boat). I have only tow cloths, which I fear will not be sufficient to protect the goods against the very heavy rains we have had, and still have. It has been raining about twelve hours very heavy, and should it continue, I appre- hend the casks will not fully shed the water. No industry or persever- ance shall be wanting on my part, to make the best of the voyage."
On the 1st of August, the voyagers arrived at Fort Stanwix (Rome), on which date Mr. Ford wrote to Col. Ogden, that although the voyage had thus far been disastrous and extremely unpleasant, yet he anticipated arriving at Oswegatchie in a week, and hoped to go on pleasantly down hill.
A copy of the letters of Judge Ford, from 1796 till 1807, is before us, which describe the events of that period with minuteness, and are ex- pressed in language remarkable for that force and originality so peculiar to that singular man. They would of themselves form a volume of considerable size, and we shall be under the necessity of gleaning from them the succession of events, although we confess our utter inability to approach that conciseness, and that striking peculiarity which indicate the talents and genius of their writer.
He arrived August 11, 1796, and was accompanied by Richard Fitz Randolph, a clerk, Thomas Lee, a carpenter, John Lyon and family, and
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a few boatmen from Schenectady. His goods he set up in the serjeant's room, which he used as a store; the family of Tuttle, whom he had sent on to stay in the fort and keep things in order, he placed in the bar- racks adjoining the store; Mr. Lyon, he placed in the mill house, and immediately crossed to Canada, and obtained three yoke of oxen, four milch cows, peas, wheat, &c., hired about forty men, and set about build- ing a dam and saw mill. He found many persons the other side anxious to settle, but was not at the time authorized to sell lands, and could only defer their applications, by telling them that settlements could not be made, till the lands were surveyed. In a few days, Joseph Edsall ar- rived, and began to survey the town. He brought with him a small bag of orchard grass seed, half for Ford, and half for Mr. Farrand, on the north shore. On the 7th of September, he wrote to Mr. Ogden as follows:
" When I wrote you last, I mentioned Major Watson and several other persons, who had settled upon the lands up the river. These people have relinquished their pretentions, and find that they had better become purchasers. Watson, and several others of them, are at work for me. From what I had heard before, it was Watson I was expecting that would be the person who meant to give us trouble, but I am glad to find it is not like to be the case. But I am well informed that John Smith, or Joseph Smith (who goes by the name of Yankee Smith), is the man who says he will try the title with you. He lives upon the other side himself, and keeps a tavern. I believe he is a man of but little force to set about establishing title to such a tract. I have been told that he was on his way to warn me about my business, but was taken sick and returned. I have not seen him. It would be well to make an example of him, if we could get him over this side. Those fellows only want to be treated with promptness, to bring them to terms. I dare say, Smith's object is, to make a fuss, hoping that to get clear of him, you will give him a deed for a tract, which he is not able to purchase. This I would never in- dulge him in. It is through such fellows that so much trespass has been committed, and [by] this Smith particularly.
I have had all the chiefs of the St. Regis village to see and welcome me to this country, excepting Gray and two others, who are gone to the river Chazy, to receive the money from the state.
They gave me a hearty welcome, and pressed me very much to pay them a visit. I treated them with the utmost civility, and sent them all away drunk. As to the Oswegatchie Indians, I have never heard a word from them upon the possession of their lands,-many of them have been here to trade, &c. As to Lorimier's claim, I never heard any thing from them, until I had been here several days. I had been asked what I in- tended doing with the widow, &c., by people who were not interested, (and who, I suppose, informed her what I said upon the subject); my re- ply was that we had been very illy treated about the business heretofore, but I had understood that the widow was in indigent circumstances, and it was not your or my intention to distress the widow and fatherless; what was right we intended to do. Were Mr. Lorimier alive, we should hold a very differt language. This was my uniform reply to those who said anything to me upon the subject. Upon the 17th, Mr. Sherwood (a young lawyer), came over and presented me a letter from Mrs. Lorimier,
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(a copy of which ia annexed) which after I had read, he began to apolo- gize for being under the necessity of formally forbidding me to proceed in my building upon the premises, and begged I would not be offended if he called in two witnesses, that he might do it in form. He went on to say that he thought Mrs. Lorimier's right would hold good under the 2nd article of the treaty, &c. &c., to all which I made no other reply, but that I should not have any objection to his being as formal as he wished, and as to her coming within the 2nd article, I did not conceive it could be made to bear such a construction, and concluded by observing that if Mrs. Lorimier meant to set up title, it must be the hardest kind of one, and that all idea of charity must be at an end. He insinuated that the cause would be tried in their courts, it being a matter that the treaty was to decide. This idea I treated with levity, as did also Farrand, when I mentioned the thing to him. A few days after this transaction, I was over the river, where I saw Capt. Anderson, (who lives at Kingston,) to whom the estate is indebted. He told me he was going to administer on the es- tate, and wished to know if we intended to make the widow any com- pensation. I told him the widow had sent me a I tter and a lawyer, to forbid my proceeding ; that I supposed she meant to press her title if she had any, in which case charity would be entirely out of the question. That we had ever been disposed to do what was right, he, himself, very well knew. Who had advised her to the step she had taken, I did not know, neither did I care. If they thought the widow would do better by a law suit than relying upon our justice and generosity, she was at per- fect liberty to try it; that I should give myself no further trouble about it. He told me he thought it a very unwise step she had taken, and could not imagine who had advised her to it, that the thing was given up, and I should never hear any more of it. Notwithstanding all his protestations to the contrary, I did believe then, and ever shall, that he himself was the man-I took care not to insinuate such a belief. I then interrogated him as to her title, this he evaded, upon which I told him that he must be well enough acquainted with law to know that a widow could not dis- pose of real estate, and if they had any title to the land, I should not do any thing until the heir at law gave me a release and quit claim. That if I went into the business at all, I did not mean to do it by halves. Tbis brought forward an elucidation of their title, as he has it from the widow, and as he says the lease which he has seen is :--- He states that in the year 1785, they built a saw mill and lived upon this side; that the dam and mill went away, and they removed over the river. That in the year 1793, the Indians gave Lorimier a verbal lease (for the land, as stated in her letter to me). That after Lorimier's death, the Indians came forward and confirmed to her in her own name (in writing), a lease for the same lands (the widow states) they gave Lorimier a verbal lease for. This last act was done this spring or last fall.
This he assures me on his honor, is all the title they have. After much conversation upon the subject, I told him that if their conduct towards me was such as it ought to be, I would take the business into considera- tion, and make an equitable valuation of the mill and house, and pay the widow therefor, provided they gave up all idea of title. This he assured me they would do, and rely upon our generosity. I am to write to him upon the subject, which when I do, he will come down, and we shall have an end to the business. I do not wish to be in too great a hurry, for fear that something may be behind, which I may find out. I shall be attentive to the business, and not lose too much time.
As to business in the mercantile way, it equals my expectation. I am confident much business may be done here in that way. I am sorry that
,
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I have not a further supply of coarse goods here for the season. Provi- sions of every kind can be taken in here in abundance. It was impossi- ble for me to know soon enough what would answer this country for you to forward them this autumn. I shall make the best and most of what I have,-it will go some way in making provision for our next summer's operations. I would suggest to you the propriety of sending to England this fall, to have the burr stones shipped to Montreal; they will come easier and much cheaper that way than coming up the Mohawk. It is astonishing what a mill may do here,- Boulton's mill, which is at the Garlows, is now resorted to for fifty miles, and a worse mill I am sure, never was. I have not yet been able to get information relative to iron ore. If I can get the dam done soon enough, I intend to take a ramble back of the lake. If we get the saw mill under way this fall, which I hope will be the case, it will be absolutely necessary to have a bill of such timber as will be wanted for the grist mill, so that every preparation for that may be going on this winter. This you will be so good as not to fail sending me.
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