USA > New York > Franklin County > A history of St. Lawrence and Franklin counties, New York : from the earliest period to the present time > Part 72
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 72
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As might have been supposed, the alarm spread in the vicinity of the fires, and a British army was reported to have landed and taken posses- sion. Great numbers fled in terror to the thickets, snatching whatever was at hand capable of ministering to the first necessities of nature, and remained several hours until two or three of their number who had been sent to reconnoitre and had crept cautiously up to the fires without en- countering the picket guard or the line of sentinels, returned with a report of their observations. This little circunistance by showing the ridiculous consequences of false alarmns, did much good by placing the citizens on their guard against them. The sayings and doings of diverse persons who headed this retreat, were not soon forgotten.
As soon as war was declared, Gen. Brown drafted six companies in the regiments of Colonels Benedict and Stone, which were under Captains Griffin, of De Kalb, Armstrong, of Lisbon, Cook and Hovey, of Lewis county, and Bell and Weaver of Herkimer county. Oliver Bush, of Turin, was Ist Major, and - Whitman, 2d Major of Benedict's regi- ment. Col. Stone's regiment arrived soon after with several companies, among which was an independent rifle company under Capt. Noadiah Hulbard, of Champion. The militia captains on duty during a consider- able part of the summer of 1812, were as follows in the order of their commissions: Nathan Adams, Nathan Cook, Imri Case, Jost Bell, Moses A. Bunnell, - Howland, Jacob Hovey. When war was de- clared eight schooners were in Ogdensburgh harbor, which on the 29th of June, attempted to escape to the lake. Mr. D. Jones, an active parti- san residing near the present village of Maitland, on the Canada shore, seeing the movement and appreciating the advantage that would result to the British interests if this fleet could be prevented from reaching Lake Ontario, raised a company of volunteers, pursued them in boats till he overtook them near the foot of the Thousand islands above Brockville. Two of the vessels, the Sophia and the Island Packet, were taken with-
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out resistance, as they were fitted for trade only, and had on board no armament. Several emigrant families on board, with the crew and a part or the whole of their effects were set on an island, and the vessels burned. The crews of the remainder immediately steered back to Og- densburgh.
The following extract from the correspondence of Mr. Joseph Rosseel, conveys an account of the excitement produced by these measures :
" July 2, 1812. Since my last there has been much confusion through- out the town. This I intend sending by Mr. H., who is packing up to start with his family for Utica directly. This confusion commenced on Sunday morning with the setting out of a party from this place in a revenue cutter, in pursuit of 13 king's boats laden with cannon ball, swivels and ammunition ; this pursuit proved unsuccessful, the wind fail- ing the cutter. On Monday morning, Major Noon arrived here from Sacketts Harbor, in company with several merchants from Oswego, in a long boat, with men armed. His object was the arranging for barracks for 1000 troops and a hospital. The armed men came to accompany up eight vessels which lay here wind bound, when the news of the declara- tion of war reached us. These vessels with those of Ogdensburgh, holding out temptation to the enemy, sailed on that day at noon to the rejoicing of the inhabitants. We held a conference with Capt. Mayo, owner of the Genesee Packet, about sinking the Ogdensburgh vessels, but it was deemed improper. The remainder of that day was employed in keeping down the marauding spirit. The whole town met, and their proceedings were concluded with much propriety and harmony. All went on well till Tuesday, about noon, when five of the vessels which sailed the day before, returned to this port. That whichi excited a general alarm, was the circumstance of one of the returning vessels making signal of distress. The report was that two vessels had been burnt in the narrows by Indians and whites, who secreted themselves on the islands. This report which run through the country with the swift- ness of lightning, together with the general orders which were at the same time issued to march to Ogdensburgh, all the men in town pre- pared for immediate action, created such confusion las is indescribable. In less than an hour all the settlements on Black lake and St. Lawrence, from hence upwards, were entirely deserted-people every where run- ning through the woods in great dismay. At 2 P. M., we were all under arms, an immediate attack being expected from the enemy with a view, as was supposed, of burning our vessels ;- our fears were not realized."
Very soon after, the Prince Regent, a new vessel of 10 guns, came down from Kingston, and fears were apprehended that an intention of attacking the town was entertained. On the 20th of July, Brigadier Gen. Stephen Van Rensselaer, arrived, and a rumor prevailed that two more vessels were coming down to destroy the fleet. As afterwards appeared, several plans were laid to take the vessels, but none were attempted; as a further security, they were taken above the bridge, and during an arm- istice that occurred in summer, were got up to the lake. Soon after the arrival of the Prince Regent, the Earl of Moira and Duke of Gloucester, the former of 18 and the latter of 10 guns, arrived at Prescott. A scheme was laid for destroying the Duke of Gloucester on the night of July 23, and from the original volunteer list before us, it appears that about 60 men offered themselves for the service who were to act under Colonels T. B. Benedict and Solomon Van Rensselaer. Three parties were to cooperate, but before night the vessel changed her position, and the at-
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tempt was not made. In July, Gen. Brown despatched the schooner Julia of the navy, armed with one 18 and two iron 6 pounders, and laden with military stores, under the command of Lieut. H. W. Wells, of the government brig Oneida, and accompanied by Capt. Noadiah Hubbard with a rifle company in a Durham boat. She sailed July 29, and on ar- riving at Morristown, she was met at 3 o'clock on the 31st by the Earl of Moira, which soon as they came alongside, dropped their anchors, brailed up their canvass, and commenced a cannonade, which lasted, three and a quarter hours without intermission, but; singularly enough, without loss of life and with butlittle injury to the vessels. The Earl of Moira was hulled a few times, and the Julia received a slight injury from one shot. Near dark, the enemy's vessels were warped up to Elizabeth- town (now Brockville), and the guns taken out and placed in battery on shore. The Julia weighed anchor and fell down the current, and by being towed by the Durham boat and the schooner's yawl, reached Og- densburgh before morning. She lay off in the stream between Prescott and Ogdensburgh, until the fifth of September, under the command of Capt. Wm. Vaughan, sailing master in the navy. Samuel Dixon and Abram Shoemaker, volunteers, acting master's mates. Lieut. Wells re- turned the day after the affair to Sacketts Harbor.
A scout had been sent to notify the Julia of her danger from the two armed vessels, but did not arrive seasonably. The firing being heard at Ogdensburgh, and the occasion of it being surmised, Adjutant Church was sent, by Col. Benedict, to proceed with a party of volunteers to offer any assistance that might be possible. They hastily marched to the scene of the engagement but did not arrive until after the affair was over. From Mr. Church, the foregoing account was derived.
Samuel Dixon, who was on board the Julia and participated in this affair as a volunteer, had been in the employment of David Parish, as captain of the schooner, Collector. The principal merchant vessels on the lake, were bought up by government on their reaching the lake, and fitted up with an armament. Captain Mayo's schooner the Genesee Packet, had its name changed to the Hamilton. The Experiment, one of Mr. Parish's vessels became The Growler.
An incident occurred during the summer of 1812, while the militia were on duty at Ogdensburgh which created much talk at the time, and has since been a standing subject for a story ; properly regarded it re- flects high credit upon the military courage of the individual, and was at the time so regarded by his comrades. Had he been assigned a dangerous position in an assault, he would doubtless have acquitted himself in as conscientious and efficient a manner as he acted on the mistaken orders he received on the following occasion. An alarm had required a hasty draft of recruits from the militia of the adjacent towns, who arrived in the forenoon, and were from the necessity of the occasion put upon duty the same evening, before they had had time to learn the discipline of a camp, or the duties of the soldier. The articles of war were read in their hearing, in which the penalty of death was declared the doom of every offender, who should violate the rules of order, or be found wanting in deeds of omission, as well as commission, in the rou- tine of the soldier's duty. To those who had just been called from the quiet labors of the field to participate in the events of war, and act a part in the rigid discipline of a camp, the soldier's life appeared to de- pend on more contingencies than casualties of battle, and the profession of arms to be a path beset with pitfalls and dangerous passes, so straight and narrow, that the utmost caution was required so to conduct one's
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deportment as not to incur the death penalty. Such doubtless was the sentiment of the subject of the following incident, when on the evening of his arrival, he was placed on duty as a sentinel, with the usual in- junctions to allow no one to pass without the countersign.
This was not given him either through accident or design, and the omission was noticed by him at the time, and he enquired of one of the party who had previously known something of the usages of the camp, what he should do in this emergency, who replied that he must do as he had been ordered. He accordingly formed the resolution to obey orders to the letter; to know no mun in the dark, and to stop all persons passing by land or water. There are those who believe that the sentinel was thus purposely left, in order to test his fidelity by endeavoring to deprive him of his arms, and thus make him a subject of ridicule. In- deed, one of the officers who was subsequently detained by him, is said to have boasted that he had got two or three guns away from sentinels on guard that night, and intended to get as many more.
The guard had all been posted and the serjeant and his party of some six or eight men, were returning to the guard house, when on approach- ing the spot where the man had been posted, without the countersign, they were ordered to stop and one by one were commanded to advance, lay down their arms and sit down upon the ground. Here they were kept in perfect silence and stillness by the resolute orders of the sentinel who noticed every motion, and with loaded musket threatened instant death to the first one who should offer to leave his place, or make the slightest move towards recovering his arms. The answer that the ser- jeant had returned, on being first hailed, which was the remark that Colonel B- had given orders to allow a boat to pass up, had made the sentinel suspicious that something was wrong. About eleven o'clock at night, when preparing to go the grand rounds, the captain of the company on duty, made inquiries for the serjeant of the guard and his relief. No one knew what had become of them as they had not been seen since dark. The corporal of the guard was also found missing. Captain Hawkins, to whose command these belonged, Adjutant Church, and two privates, immediately started to go the rounds and ascertain the cause of the absence, and were proceeding along in single file, the two privates in advance, when they were stopped by the customary challenge, "Who comes there," to which it was replied, "Grand rounds." This was as unintelligible as Greek to the new recruit, who abruptly replied, "I'll grand rounds you," and he ordered the first one to advance and be seated. The captain was next disarmed and placed on a level with his privates, which altogether formed a group of a dozen or more, including all the missing ones, who were not only kept in their places, but kept still and silent by the resolute sentinel armed with a loaded musket. The other private was soon added to the captive party, and Adjutant Church was next ordered to advance, an order which with characteristic firmness, he promptly refused to obey. No sooner had he refused, when the sentinel instantly fired, but it being dark, the shot took no effect. Captain Hawkins, upon this sprang to his feet and endeavored to seize the musket, but he was collared and kept at arm's length by the iron grasp of the sentinel. A struggle ensued in which the bayonet was loosened from the musket, but retained by the owner, and the captain received a severe wound in the arm. The serjeant was also wounded in the leg, upon which the party ,retreated, leaving their arms on the field. In the excitement of the moment, the captain had ordered the stubborn guardsman to be shot, but a second thought dictated a more
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humane policy, and a line of sentries was posted around him to keep others from falling in his way till morning. The line beyond him was at length relieved, much wondering what strange event had kept them on duty so long. Meanwhile, our soldier, conscious of having commit- ted some error, the nature and consequence of which he knew not, resolved still to act strictly upon his orders and to trust to common jus- tice the event. He neatly stacked the weapons he had captured, hanging the swords and hats upon the bayonets, and upon the top of all he placed the military hat of his captain, and resumed his duties resolved to defend his position, at least as long as practicable. Two or three com- panies were ordered out to take him forcibly from his ground, but upon a little discussion it was thought expedient to let hini remain. A young officer hearing of these occurrences offered to go alone and get him off, and he parted with that design, but nothing more was seen of him till after sunrise the next morning, when he was found sitting very quietly under guard, not far from the stack of trophies, of the last night's adventure.
The sentinel refused to let him off, notwithstanding some of his neighbors went to intercede in his behalf, until the man who had given him the orders on leaving him the night before should grant him the authority. But the latter had been wounded, and was unable to walk, and lie was accordingly carried to within speaking distance of the sen- tinel, and succeeded in procuring his release. He still refused to leave his post, until assured by an officer with whom he was acquainted, that no harm should come from the last night's proceedings, and he appear- ed deeply affected at the niistake he had committed, and especially at the unhappy consequences that had resulted from it. The censure of public opinion, as soon as the first impulse was over, fell justly upon the officer who had placed a sentinel upon guard, with injunctions coupled with the death penalty, to stop all persons passing, and at the same time neglecting to give him the countersign. The man, who thus proved himself true to his orders, was Mr. Seth Alexander, still living in DeKalb.
About the middle of September, it was learned, that a number of bateaux were coming up the river laden with stores, and a party under Capt. Griffin, in a Durham boat, accompanied with a gun boat, having eighteen men and a brass six pounder, under D. W. Church, left Og- densburgh in the evening, and late at night landed on Toussaint island, opposite the town'of Lisbon, and near the place where the enemy lay. The only family on the island was secured, but the man managed to escape by swimming and gave the alarm, and the provincial militia were hastily rallied. The bateaux lay under the north shore behind the island. The party under Capt. Griffin, took a position near its head, while Church was directed to station his gun boat near its foot. A sharp firing soon began and was continued for some time, when the boat was abandoned with the loss of one man, (Macomb) and one wounded. It drifted down the channel, and was taken up by the enemy before it reached the foot of the island. The gun boat about sunrise came to anchor and was immediately fired upon; at the second discharge having five of the eighteen wounded, but before the third shot, the cannon was brought to bear, and very shortly after the regulars, who accompanied the enemy's boats, broke and run. Failing in its object, the party return- ed by land, and the gun boat was sent to Hamilton. Adjutant Fitz Gib- bon, was said to have charge of the British party, two of which at the tine were reported killed and several wounded. We had but one man killed.
Towards the close of the season, Capt. Benjamin Forsyth, with a com-
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pany of riflemen, arrived at Ogdensburgh. Gen. Brown was frequently in the place. On the 2d of October, about forty British boats, escorted by two gun boats, were proceeding up the river towards Prescott, when a cannonade was commenced from the enemy's batteries upon the vil- lage, to cover the boats, which was returned a short time, until it was found that long shots had but very little effect. On the 3d, the firing was renewed, but not answered. On Sunday morning, the 4th, an at- tack was made by twenty-five boats and two gun boats, which had pro- ceeded up the river nearly a mile, and were then seen to turn their course towards the village. The morning parade had just been dismissed, but the order to rally was instantly issued, and a wooden battery near the stone ware house was manned with the brass six pounder, under Adjutant Church, and an iron twelve pounder, under the orders of Joseph York, a volunteer citizen. There was but one embrasure which was occupied by the brass piece, the other being stationed at its end, and without protection. The regiment under the orders of Gen. Brown, and Forsyth's riflemen, which then lay encamped west of the Oswegatchie, was drawn up with the militia. The Americans numbered 1,200 men. Firing commenced from the enemy's batteries with the embarkation of .. the troops, and continued as they advanced, and was returned by our troops as soon as the boats arrived within musket range. The flotilla approached to within a quarter of a mile, when one of their gun boats having been disabled and two of their number killed, they returned to their own side. It was reported that one of their bateaux was sunk, but of this fact the author's informant was not certain. Not a drop of blood was lost on the side of the Americans, but some little injury was done to property and buildings by the shot of the enemy. About thirty rounds were fired from each of the two pieces at the wooden battery. The firing continued nearly two hours. The assailants in this attempt were commanded by Col. Lethbridge, and according to the accounts published by the British, they numbered 750 men. Christie, a British author, has thus described the affair: "They advanced without opposition to mid channel, when the enemy opened a tremendous discharge of artillery, which checked their progress. A confusion immediately ensued, and they were compelled to make a percipitate retreat, with the loss of three men killed and four wounded. The Americans were commanded by Brigadier General Brown, and are said to have behaved with much cool- ness and intrepidity. This enterprise, undertaken without the sanction of the commander of the forces, was censured by him, and the public opinion condemned it as rash and premature."
After this unsuccessful attempt of the enemy, nothing further of con- sequence occurred till the close of the year. The winter set in early, and was very severe. The drafted regiment returned home, and left the place under the protection of Captain Forsyth, with his rifle com- pany, and a small detachment of Captain Kellog's artillery company of Albany volunteers. The remainder of that company had been detached to Sackett's Harbor. On the 6th of February, 1813, about a fortnight be- fore the attack upon Ogdensburgh, Captain Forsyth, being told by spies and friends in Elizabethtown, (Brockville), that a large number of Ameri- cans were confined there in jail, and pressing news being repeatedly re- ceived that they were treated with severity, that some were claimed as British deserters, although they had become citizens of the United States, and that some of these would be executed by the authority of the British courts martial, it was resolved to attempt their rescue. A party con- sisting of Captain. Forsyth's company, and citizen volunteers to the num-
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ber of about two hundred, was organized, and ready to start about nine o'clock in the evening, and leaving the town in the care of Captain Kel- log, of the Albany volunteers, and a few citizens, they proceeded on foot and in two or three sleighs (the latter in the rear), to Morristown. Hav- ing halted here a few moments, and procured a guide,* they crossed in two divisions, marching in open order on account of the weakness of the ice, Captain Forsyth leading one division, and Colonel Benedict the other. Flank guards were dispatched to each side of the town, to ar- rest such as might attempt to escape, while the main body marched into the village, and stationed themselves in the square in front of the jail, which then occupied the same site as at present. Adjutant Church was ordered to detach platoons from the main body, and station them at the corners of the streets, and those points best calculated to prevent re- sistance or a combination of forces. Lieut. Wells commanded the right flank guard, and Lieut. Johnson the left. Sergeant Foster, of the main guard, who had been stationed with a few men on one of the corners, on hearing the approach of a company of men, hailed them with the challenge, " who comes there?" He was answered by the reply, " not friends of King George." Not hearing the first word in the reply, he fired and wounded one man. The party proved to be the left flank of the Americans, and an understanding was soon regained. Meanwhile Captain Forsyth, with a few men, entered the jail, and demanded the keys, which were surrendered without resistance, and every prisoner, with the exception of one confined for murder, was removed. He na- turally begged hard to share the fortune of the others, but was left. Some of the more prominent citizens were taken prisoners, and (with the ex- ception of one physician who was paroled at Morristown), taken to Og- densburgh, at which place the party arrived before daylight. The res- cued prisoners and citizens brought back, numbered about fifty-two, of whom six or seven were officers. One man was wounded by a shot from a window, with which exception no resistance was offered. The counter- sign of the party on this affair was Americans. Among the prison- ers was Major Carley, three captains, and two lieutenants.
The following is a list of those taken, except officers: Stephen Chip- man, David Wheeler, Charles French, Benjamin Gould, Wm. Graves, Winthrop Tufts, Zea Castle, Ichabod Wing, George Allen, Henry Staats, Timothy Buel, Abram McCue, 'Thomas Daehnham, Alex. Campbell, John Davis, Dan'l McMullen, Richard McBane, Joseph Trader, Isaac C-, (name illegible), Uri Stone, Archibald Ladd, David Wheeler, John W. Easton, Peter Whitman, Joseph Howard, Levi Stone, Thomas Thorn- ton, Isaac Mather, Samuel Elliot, Joseph Woolley, James Smith, Horatio Bradshaw, Gamaliel Tuttle, John Green, Joseph Ryon, Norris Loverin, David Stevenson, Jehiel Smith, Thomas Rambley, Wm. Robinson, Rich- ardson Cameron, Henry Smith, Cleveland Safford, John Joy, John Whitlesy. Total 45, besides officers.
(From the original list.)
They also seized and brought away one hundred and twenty muskets, twenty rifles, two casks of fixed ammunition, and some other public stores, but no private property was either taken or destroyed. A writer from Ogdensburgh, giving an account of this affair, says: "Captain Forsyth was led to this enterprise by the repeated aggressions of the British guards, who had been in the habit of crossing the river a few miles
* Arnold Smith, who kept a public house in the place.
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above this place, and taking deserters, sixteen of whom they had in the jail at Elizabethtown, threatened with being shot. Capt. F. being in- formed of this, determined to effect their liberation, in which he suc- ceeded. One prisoner confined in the jail for murder, he declined taking. Capt. F. speaks of the conduct of the officers and men in the highest terms of approbation. Two British officers, from Prescott, came over a few hours after the return of our troops with the prisoners, to effect their release. I understand they are all paroled, and are to return again to Canada this evening. The movement of the troops on the other side indicating an attack on this place, Col. Benedict was induced to call out his regiment of militia, so that we have now in Ogdensburgh about 800 men; and should an attack be made from Prescott, I have the fullest con- fidence in our success. Indeed, from the high tone of our troops, it is difficult to restrain their ardor; and should they not be attacked from the other side within a few days, I should not be surprised were they to go over there."
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