USA > New York > Steuben County > A history of Steuben County, New York, and its people, Vol. I > Part 49
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Gabriel Dusenbury, Cohocton. Certificate No. 3700. Applied for pension October 16, 1832. Born at Beekman, Dutchess county, New York, 1761. Entered the service as a militiaman about Octo- ber 1, 1777, under Captain Josiah Chamberlain. Company detached from Colonel Vanderberg's regiment to guard Continental stores at Beekman; discharged December, 1777; enlisted about September, 1779, as a substitute; served three months under Captain Neal; stationed at Verplanck's. Point; enlisted about September 1, 1781, as a substitute for, three months; served under Captain Andrew White; stationed at Saratoga. Married, January 19, 1786, Eliza- beth Smith, in Armenia, Dutchess county, New York. He died at Cohocton, Steuben county, New York, June 1, 1841.
Henry Southard, Cohocton. Application for pension May 13, 1818. Born 1752; age, sixty-six years. Residence, Muncy, Lycom- ing county, Pennsylvania. Enlisted in 1779 for nine months under Captain Hunter, Colonel Paulding's regiment, New York State Line; was discharged late in December the same year. In 1781 he was under Captain Dodge, Colonel Weisenfel's New York State Troops. In 1782 he served nine months under Lieutenant John- son, in Colonel Courtland's regiment, New York State Troops; was in the campaign against the Indians, under General Sullivan ; discharged at Albany November 16, 1781. He married Ruth Gors- line July 12, 1783, in Fishkill, Dutchess county, New York. About 1834 he removed from Pennsylvania to Cohocton, Steuben county, New York, to reside with his children. He died in Cohocton Feb- ruary 8, 1845.
Aaron Swartwout, Tyrone, Certificate No. 24047. Born in Orange county, New York, in 1762. At the date of application for pension, in 1832, resided in Tyrone, Steuben county, New York. In the fall of 1776, he went with the company of Capt. Abraham West- fall, of Minisink,, as a fifer, and served nine months, stationed at
-
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Minisink. Soon after he went as a fifer in Capt. Andrew Miller's com- pany ; served one month on the Delaware river ; re-enlisted soon after in Capt. Richard Bailey's company, Colonel Hathorn's regiment; served three months, and in the fall of the same year served another three months, stationed at Martin Decker's Fort. He afterwards went as a substitute; served one month at West Point, repairing Fort Putnam near there. In 1783 he served as a fifer three months, in Capt. John Menthorn's company, attached to Gen. Hathorn's brigade, stationed at Fishkill. Late in the war he was drafted in the militia, to guard the jail at Goshen, New York, in which were Tories and others as prisoners.
John Riker, Prattsburg. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Marclı 18, 1765. Enlisted at New Paltz, Ulster county, New York, in March, 1780, in Capt. Anthony Welp's company, Col. Willet's New York regiment; joined the company at Fishkill, went by boat to Albany; thence marched to Saratoga; stationed there about one month; thence marched to Fort Plain, where he took part in skir- mish with the Indians; from Fort Plain regiment marched to Ger- man Flats; stationed at Fort Herkimer about two months; after- wards the company was stationed at Johnstown, where it had a skirmish with the Indians; thence marched to Fort Hunter, where he was discharged, having served nine months. After that he re- sided at New Paltz, Ulster county, where he was married; afterward he resided in Morris county, New Jersey ; Kent, Connecticut, and Prattsburg, Steuben county.
It would be a patriotic, grateful and deserving task if the au- thorities of the several towns and cities of Steuben county if a list of the names, rank, place of birth, time of service, name of the or- ganization in which service was rendered, time of death and age of Revolutionary soldiers could be made and entered in a book, to be deposited and kept in the town or city clerk's office.
The following is a list of soldiers who died and are buried in the northwestern portion of the original Steuben county; its pau- city is discreditable :
Soldier of the Old French War: Captain Uriah Stephens, Sr.
Soldiers of the Revolution: Captain James Abbott, Captain Samuel Baker, Jeremiah Baker, Sr., William Baker, Benjamin Ben- nett, Solomon Bennett, David Bennett, Sergeant Ephraim Bennett, Sr., Jacob Bennett, Walter Patchen, Elisha Brown, Nathan Carey, Nehemiah Closson, Adam Conderman, Lieutenant John Conderman, Joseph Corey, Joseph Creesy, Captain Richard Crosby, Quartermas- ter Reuben Crosby, Levi Doty, Silas Daley, Andrew Gray, James Hadley, Nathan Hallett, Alexander Hamilton, Oliver Harding, Amos Holliday, Christopher Hurlbut, Captain John Jamison, James Jones, Isaac Jones, Major Jones, Colonel John Kennedy, Richard Krusen, Abraham Lacey, Nathan Armstrong, David Cook, Elias Van Auker, Major William S. Lemon, Captain Henry McHenry, Nathaniel Mallory, Peter Miller, Luke Maxson, Robert Harrison, Enos Mead, David Hawkins, Lieutenant-Master Andrew Morris, Enoch Ordway, Samuel Rice, Samuel Gillett, Andrew Simpson, Daniel Spike, Uriah Stephens, Lieutenant Jedediah Stephens, John Stephens, Elijah Stephens, John Sterns, Amos Stone, Bennett Tay- lor, Peter Tyler,- Tilson, Mathew Halsey, Amos Towsley, Ben- jamin Wilbor, Jesse Wright, Benjamin Watrous, Colonel Eleazar
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Lindsley, Captain Silas Wheeler, John Riker, Henry Southard, An- thony Swartwout, Gabriel Dusenbury, Allin Butler and Lambert Burget.
Soldiers of the War of 1812 who were residents of Hornells- ville at the time of their death and burial: Truman Bostwiek, William Carey, Samuel Doughty, Captain James Dyke, Adolphus Eaton, Henry Foster, Lieutenant James Hurlbut, Samuel Jones, Colonel James McBurney, John Moore, Oliver Pettibone, David Quigley, Philo Reynolds, Samuel Rose, Stephen Sayles, Nathaniel Sweet and James Williams.
CHAPTER XIX.
MILITARY HISTORY CONTINUED.
STEUBEN'S NATIONAL MILITIA-THE COUNTY'S FIRST REGIMENT- PARTICIPATION IN THE MEXICAN WAR-CANACADEA RIFLES- COMPANIES C AND D, SIXTEENTH REGIMENT-BATTERY E, FIRST NEW YORK ARTILLERY-THIRTY-FOURTH REGIMENT NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS-EIGIITY-SIXTH NEW YORK VOL- UNTEERS (STEUBEN RANGERS )-THIRD CORPS AT CHAN- CELLORSVILLE-HEAVIEST LOSS OF TIIE EIGHTY-SIXTH-ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS-ONE HUN- DRED AND FORTY-FIRST-ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIRST- ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-NINTH-ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-NINTH-THE JOHNSON GREYS-THE FORTY-SEVENTH SEPARATE COMPANY, NEW YORK NATIONAL GUARD-TIIREE SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE.
Although Steuben county was not formed from Ontario county until March 18, 1796, the military history of the county was in the making as carly at April 4, 1782, when the legislature passed an act entitled, "An act to regulate the militia"; for by this act, which was amended from time to time, the militia of any district of the state at that time, or any district which might thereafter be created by reason of settlement and consequent increased population, was regulated by the legislature. The very name of the county be- speaks the soldier, the call of the fife and the roll of drums; for Steu- ben county is an enduring monument to the memory of that dis- tinguished and illustrious soldier, Baron Frederick William Augus- tus Steuben, who, casting aside a title, a commission in the army of his fatherland and the friends of his boyhood, came to America and rendered such valiant service to the American people in the War of 1812.
STEUBEN'S NATIONAL MILITIA.
In 1784 Baron Steuben submitted to General Washington a plan for the establishment of a Continental legion and for the training of the militia of the United States. After being thorough- ly investigated by General Washington, the plans of Steuben were accepted, and on May 8, 1792, the congress of the United States passed an act entitled "An act more effectually to provide for the national defense by establishing a uniform militia throughout the
Soldiers' Monument and Soldiers' Home, Bath.
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY
United States," in which the provision was made "that the said militia, by the representative states, shall be commanded as follows: To each regiment, one lieutenant colonel, commandant." This act was re-enacted and put in force in New York state by Chapter 45 of the laws passed on March 9, 1793. Thus, the moment of the crea- tion of Steuben county her male citizens, between the ages of eigh- teen and forty-five years, with the exceptions provided in the Militia act of May 8, 1792, constituted the militia of the country, and as such were looked to for the defense of the inhabitants. On April 2, 1796, or fifteen days after the formation of Steuben county, the following was enacted: "On the report and recommendation of the adjutant general, His Excellency, the commander-in-chief, has thought proper to divide the regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Wells, in the brigade of General (Othniel) Taylor, comprehending the counties of Ontario, Onondaga and Steuben, into two regiments; the first of the said regiments to be bounded by No. 8 to No. 13, in the second range of the Gorham and Phelps purchase, and from No. 7 to No. 13, in the third range, and from No. 7 to No. 13, in the fourth range of the said purchase." Of this regiment Lieutenant Colonel Wells, together with all such of - the officers as reside within the said bounds, are to retain their re- spective commands.
"Resolved, That John Swift be, and he is hereby appointed first major of the said regiment, vice Amos Hall, who is proposed to be made lieutenant colonel, commandant of the other of the said regi- ments, and that John Clark be paymaster; Peter Porter, adjutant ; Luther Cole, quartermaster, and Moses Atwater, surgeon of the said regiment.
"The other of the said regiments to be bounded by No. 7 to No. 12, in the fifth range, and from No. 7 to No. 10, in the sixth range, and from No. 7 to No. 13, in the seventh range of the said purchase. --
"Resolved, That the following officers be, and they are hereby appointed for the said last-mentioned regiment, to-wit: Amos Hall, lieutenant colonel, commandant; William Wadsworth, first major; Nathan Perry, second major ; Jasper Marvin, adjutant ; Friend Hall, quartermaster; Stephen Benton, paymaster; Daniel Chapin, surgeon ; Joel Brace, surgeon's mate."
Thus it will be seen that within fifteen days after the formation of Steuben county it boasted of a portion of a regiment of militia, who were armed, uniformed and equipped for the field, and who were to be ordered to Bath, Corning, or Canisteo for drill and in- struction on "training days." Under the above orders Charles Williamson was made captain of a new company, which was then being formed in the county.
THE COUNTY'S FIRST REGIMENT.
On March 23, 1797, it was deemed advisable to form the bat- talion in Steuben county into a regiment, commanded by Major Samuel Lindsley, and it was "Resolved, That Charles Williamson be lieutenant colonel, commandant; John Cowdrey, first major; John Cooper, second major ; Daniel Faulkner, captain of grenadiers, and David Jones, captain of a company of said regiment." On March 28, 1798, His Excellency, the commander-in-chief, on the re-
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port and recommendation of the adjutant general, having thought proper to form the militia of the counties of Ontario and Steuben into a brigade, it was therefore "Resolved, That Benjamin Wells be, and he is hereby appointed brigadier general thereof, vice, O. Taylor." Under the same date the following changes were made in the militia of Steuben county. In the regiment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Williamson, Alexander Fullerton was made a lieu- tenant of grenadiers; George McLure was chosen a captain, and Gustavus Gillespie a lieutenant of light infantry. Benjamin Eaton was made a lieutenant of a company of infantry at Painted Post ; Samuel Baker, a lieutenant of a company near Crooked Lake; John Plum, lieutenant of a new company at Frederick Town; Henry Mc- Henry, lieutenant of a company of riflemen on the west side of Canisteo Town, and Stephen Ross, adjutant of the regiment. From the frequency with which new companies were organized throughout the county, it would seem that grave apprehensions were felt that at some time in the near future England would make an attempt to regain her lost possessions in America. On March 31, 1806, the militia was formed into a brigade under command of the governor. George McClure was appointed brigadier general. John Stephens was made the commandant of one of the regiments, and George Me- Cullock commanded the other. Thomas Bennett, of Hornellsville, was appointed ensign of the Seventeenth Regiment. On April 4, 1808, Nathaniel Porter was commissioned lieutenant colonel com- manding, vice John Stephens, resigned.
On February 16, 1809, James McBurney, of Painted Post, was made commander of the Seventeenth Regiment, and Thomas Ben- ~ nett, of Hornellsville, a lieutenant of a company of riflemen. On the sanie date a new battalion was formed in the county, and Joshua Smith placed in command. On March 7, 1809, Reuben Royce was appointed second major; Cyrus Bronson, ensign; Charles Battles, adjutant ; John Warner, surgeon, and Thomas Bennett, captain. Several changes were also made in the officers of Lieutenant Colonel Haight's regiment, the Ninety-Sixth, under the provisions of this order. On March 12, 1810, the militia of Allegany and Steuben counties were formed into a hrigade, commanded by Brigadier Gen- eral George McClure, of Bath, and consisting of the Seventeenth Regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel James McBurney, of Painted Post ; the Eighty-First Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Smith, and the Ninety-Sixth Regiment, by Lieutenant Col- onel Samuel S. Haight, of Bath; the One Hundred and Twenty- Sixth Regiment, of Allegany county, by Lieutenant Colonel Luke Goodspeed. On February 11, 1811, Asa A. Gaylord, of Urbana, was made the major commandant of a battalion of riflemen. Thomas Bennett, of Hornellsville, was promoted to be the second major of the Seventeenth Regiment on April 15, 1811. On February 4, 1812, Reuben Royce was made lieutenant colonel of the Eighty-First Regi- ment, vice Joshua Smith, resigned. On February 29, 1812, the fol- lowing officers were appointed to the First Squadron, Ninth Regi- ment of Cavalry, which had just been organized in the county: William Helm, captain; William B. Rochester, first lieutenant; Ar- thur Erwin, second lieutenant ; James Tygart, cornetist. On June 18, 1812, congress declared war against Great Britain.
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY
WAR OF 1812.
At that time the militia of Steuben county consisted of a bri- gade of infantry under the command of Brigadier General George McClure, of Bath, consisting of the Seventeenth Regiment of infan- try, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James McBurney, of Painted Post; the Eighty-First Regiment, by Lieutenant Colonel Reuben Boyce; the Ninety-Sixth Regiment, by Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Haight, of Bath, and the First Squadron of the Ninth Cavalry. Immediately following the declaration of war, three companies of Steuben county militia were ordered out for three months' service on the line. Two of these commands were independent companies of riflemen, and as such were liable to be called at the pleasure of the government. The third company was made up of a draft from the three regiments, one man in every eight being drawn for service. The company thus drafted was commanded by Captain Jonas Cle- land, of Cohocton. Samuel D. Wells, of Cohocton, was first lieuten- ant; John Gillett, second lieutenant, and John Kennedy, ensign. One of the independent rifle companies, which belonged chiefly to the town of Wayne, was commanded by Captain James Sanford, of Wayne, and the other, which mustered about fifty men, belonged to the town of Urbana, and was commanded by Captain Abraham Brundage. William White, of Pulteney, was first lieutenant, and Stephen Garner, ensign. Two rifle companies from Allegany county were formed and attached to these, and the battalion thus formed was placed under the command of Major Asa Gaylord, of Urbana. Major Gaylord died on the line, and the command of the battalion fell upon Colonel Dobbins. The battalion reached the frontier just at the time when Colonel Van Rensselaer, with an army of militia, was about to make an attack on the works and forces of the British at Queenstown Heights. Captain ('leland and a number of his men volunteered to cross the boundary.
There are many versions of the movements of the Steuben county militia on that eventful day, and the following account, given by Ensign Kennedy, afterwards major and later sheriff of Steuben county. a reliable man and a brave soldier, is given as it was related by him: "The men of the company, being ranged on the shore of the Niagara river, at the foot of the precipitous bank, were fired upon by the British batteries posted on the opposite side. The grape shot rattled furiously against the rocks overhead. The captain advised his men to seek a less exposed position and disappeared with a detail of soldiers. He appeared again on the field of battle, over the river, in the course of the morning, and complaining of illness returned to the American side. Lieutenants Gillett and Kennedy remained under the fire of the British batteries with most of their men, but later crossed the river and engaged in battle. Lieutenant Gillett was known throughout the country as 'Chief Justice Gillett,' an eccentric and oratorical man, who at some time had been a justice of the peace and a practitioner in the popular courts. The command of the company devolved upon him. There were doubts in the minds of some of the members of the company whether he would stand the strain of battle, and whether his chivalrous flourishes and heroic fury would not suddenly fail him at the smell of gunpowder. What was the surprise of the men when Gillett rushed into the fight as if he had just found his native element, whirled his sword, urged on his
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men and dashed at the British like a lion. The soldiers were aston- ished to find themselves led by such a man. Even after receiving a dangerous wound Gillett did not falter, but brandished his sword and continued to urge his men until he fell exhausted."
After the fall of Lieutenant. Gillett, Ensign Kennedy took eom- mand of that portion of Captain Cleland's company which crossed the river and of a few soldiers hastily formed into a company. At one time they were opposed by the Indians, whom they drove before them into the woods. While exchanging an irregular fire with these enemies among the trees, Benjamin Welles, a young man from Bath, who stood beside Kennedy looking over the fence, was shot through the head and mortally wounded. At the final engagement in this random, but often gallantly fought battle, Kennedy and his men were ranged in the line formed to meet the British reinforce- ments, which were just coming up. "Bill" Wadsworth, as their. general was known to the militia (upon whom the command de- volved after the fall of Van Rensselaer), went through their lines, in a rough and ready style, with his hat and coat off, explaining to the inexperienced officers his plan. To avoid the fire of the British, the men were ordered to retire below the brow of the hill upon which they were ranged, and up which the enemy would march. When the British appeared on the top of the hill, the militia were to fire from below. The slaughter would be great; they were then to charge bayonets, and in the confusion might be successful, though the decisiveness of a bayonet charge up a hill against veterans, by militia who had before that day never been under fire, might well have been doubted. The first part of the plan was successful. Ay the British appeared above the hill a fire was delivered which was very destructive, but a misapprehension of the word of command by part of the line caused disorder. The fire was returned by the enemy. The militia suffered a considerable loss, and fell back over- powered to the river, where the most of them were made prisoners. Of the Steuben county men in the engagement, two were killed and three wounded. In the second year of the war two companies were drafted from the Steuben county militia and sent to the Niagara . frontier, under the command of Captains James Read, of Urbana, and Jonathan Rowley, of Dansville. Captain Read refused to go as a drafted officer, but reported himself to the general of the division, at the commencement of the war, ready to march as a volunteer at the head of a company, whenever he should be called upon. Both the companies were levied principally from the northern part of the county. The officers of Captain Rowley's company were: John Short and John F. Mulholland, lieutenants, and George Knouse and Timothy Goodrich, ensigns. The officers of Captain Read's company were: George Teeples and Anthony Swarthout, lieutenants, and Ja- bez Hopkins and O. Cook, ensigns. From muster to discharge these companies served about four months. All of the officers and most of the men volunteered to cross the boundaries of the republic, and were stationed at Fort George.
Nothing ean be learned about the draft for the last year of the war, if any was made, nor concerning the niilitia of this eountv who were engaged at Fort Erie. One of the Steuben county militia, who was engaged in one of the battles on the line as a sergeant of a company, relates the following incident: His company was ordered
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY
into action and before long found itself confronted by a detachment of Old Peninsulars, arrayed in all the terrors of scarlet coats and cartridge boxes. When about ten rods distant from the enemy the . militia halted and were ordered to fire. Muskets came instantly to . the shoulder, and were pointed at the enemy with the deadly aim of .. rifles at a wolf hunt, but to to the dismay of the soldiers there was a universal flash in the pan-not a gun went off. The sergeant knew in an instant what was the cause of the misfire. The muskets had been stacked out of doors during the night, and a little shower which fell towards morning had thoroughly soaked the powder in them. It was his duty to have seen to it that the muskets were cared for, and upon him afterwards fell the blame for the disaster. Nothing could be done until the charges were withdrawn, and there were but two ball screws in the company. The captain took one and the sergeant the other, and beginning their labors in the mid- dle of the rank, worked toward the ends. A more uncomfortable position for untried militia can hardly be imagined. The men, as described by the sergeant, "looked strangely and as never seen be- fore." The British brought their muskets with disagreeable pre- cision into position and fired. The bullets whistled over the heads of the militia. The British again loaded their guns; again the frightful line of muzzles looked the militiamen in the face; again they heard the alarming command "Fire," and again the bullets whistled over their heads. A third time the enemy brought their muskets to the ground and went through the terrible ceremonies of biting cartridges, drawing ramrods, and priming, in full view of the uneasy militiamen. The moistened charges were by this time almost drawn, and when the enemy was about to fire the sergeant stood behind the last man. They could hear the British officers saying to the men, "You fire over their heads," and instructing the men to aim lower. The muzzles of the enemy's guns were lowered a little below the former range, the smoke burst from the muzzles, and seven militiamen fell dead and wounded. The sergeant had just finished his ill-timed job, and was handing the musket to the private behind him, when a bullet struck the unfortunate man between the eyes and killed him. The fire of the British was now returned with effect. Reinforcements came on the field, and the engagement became hot. An officer on horseback was very active in reforming the British lines -riding to and fro, giving loud orders, and making himself ex- tremely useful. "Mark that fellow," said the sergeant to his right- hand man. Both fired at the same instant, and the officer fell from his horse and was carried off the field by his men. It was afterward learned that he was a colonel and that one of his legs was broken.
PARTICIPATION IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
With the close of the War of 1812 the volunteer companies of Steuben county returned to their homes, as did the militia of the regiment. On April 15, 1815, Thomas Bennett, of Hornellsville, was promoted to be first major of the Seventeenth Regiment. The militia met and drilled on training days at their appointed drill stations. but their services were not again required by the government until the early summer of 1846, when President Polk decided to send a force of volunteers by the sea to the Pacific coast to engage in the Mexican war. Colonel Jonathan D. Stevenson, then of New
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