USA > New York > Erie County > Buffalo > An authentic and comprehensive history of Buffalo : with some account of its early inhabitants, both savage and civilized ; comprising historic notices of the Six Nations or Iroquois Indians, including a sketch of the life of Sir William Johnson, and of other prominent white men, long resident among the Senecas ; arranged in chronologial order > Part 28
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hood, which would leave nothing more for the militia to do, than to protect and keep in order the inhabitants of that part of the Province, as otherwise our frontier would be liable to be invaded. This proposition, however, was not agreed to, as the General's instructions were of a dif- ferent nature.
The General left with me Col. Scott and 800 regulars, who were to re- main until I considered my force sufficient to hold the fort without them, when they were to march to Sacket's Harbor.
About the 12th of October, the British army commenced their retreat towards the head of the lake. I issued orders for my militia to pursue, which was promptly obeyed. We advanced as far as the Twelve Mile Creek, and within a short distance of the enemy's rear guard, when Col. Scott sent an express, requesting me to return, and said he would aban- don the fort the next day and march with his troops for Sacket's Harbor; and at the same time detained my provisions and ammunition wagons, which compelled me to abandon the further pursuit of the enemy, and in- duced them to make a stand on the Heights of Burlington. I was then left with about one thousand effective militia in Fort George, and two hundred and fifty Indians, a force not more than sufficient to garrison the post. On the arrival of Gen. Harrison's army, I was elated with the prospect of uniting our forces, of driving the enemy from Burlington, taking possession of that post, and giving peace to the upper province and our frontier.
We were prepared to march in twenty-four hours, when the arrival of Commodore Chauncey, with orders for that excellent officer, Gen. Har- rison, to repair immediately, with his army, to Sacket's Harbor, frus- trated it. I remonstrated against his going off, as will be seen in a cor- respondence between the General and myself; but in vain.
By this movement all my expectations were blasted, and I foresaw the consequences, unless a reinforcement was immediately sent on to supply the place of the drafted militia, whose term of service would shortly ex- pire. I considered my force, which had become ungovernable, as then insufficient to go against the enemy. The object of the last expedition to the Twenty Mile Creek is fully explained in the general order which I issued on my return.
For six weeks before the militia were discharged, I wrote, and con- tinued writing, to the Secretary at War the necessity of sending on a detachment of militia and regular troops; that I found it impossible to retain the militia in service one day beyond their term; I also stated, from the best information, the enemy's forces. I offered a bounty of two
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dollars per month, for one or two months, but without effect. Some few of Col. Bloom's regiment took the bounty and immediately disappeared, and I was compelled to grant a discharge to the militia and volunteers, which left me about sixty effective regulars of the Twenty-fourth United States Infantry, under Capt. Rodgers, to garrison Fort George. I sum- moned a council of the officers and put the question, "Is the fort tenable with the present number of men?" They unanimously gave it as their opinion that it would be madness in the extreme to attempt to hold it, and recommended its evacuation immediately, as the enemy's advance was then within eight miles. I accordingly gave orders for all the arms, ammunition and public stores of every description to be sent across the river, which was principally effected, [though the enemy advanced so rapidly that ten of my men were made prisoners, ] and ordered the town of Newark to be burnt. This act, however distressing to the inhabitants and my feelings, was by order of the Secretary at War, and, I believe at the same time, proper. The inhabitants had twelve hours notice to re_ move their effects, and such as chose to come across the river, were pro- vided with all the necessaries of life. I left Capt. Leonard in command of Fort Niagara, with about one hundred and fifty effective regulars, and pointed out verbally and particularly in a general order how he should prepare for an attack, which would certainly take place. I stationed Col. Grieve's artillerists, consisting of about twenty men, with two pieces of artillery, at Lewiston, under command of Major Bennett, and made them a present of four hundred dollars for volunteering their services three weeks; but before the place was attacked they nearly all deserted, except the officers, who bravely defended themselves and cut their way through the savages. The Canadian volunteers, about forty in number, under Major Mallory, an officer of great merit, I stationed at Schlosser, and went myself to Buffalo to provide for the safety of that place and Black Rock, which I trust are out of danger, having called out the mili- tia en masse.
The public are now in possession of some of the leading facts which have governed my conduct in the discharge of the trust assigned me, and I appeal to the candor of all dispassionate men to determine with what justice to my feelings as a citizen and pride as a soldier, have been wounded and my character aspersed. If insubordination to the orders of superiors are justifiable, then, possibly, I may have failed in my de- fense. If to have suppressed the risings of mutiny is reprehensible, then also am I not justified. If to have enforced the disciplinary laws of camp is a proceeding unwarranted, then have I been in error. But, fellow
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citizens, I do not think so meanly of you as to credit the monstrous sup- position that you deliberately advocate such a strange hypothesis. Your prejndices against me have been the result of feeling, misled by the acts of my enemies, and not the result of your own sober judgment operating upon facts and principles. Those facts are now before you. By them judge me in candor, and I will abide the decision.
GEORGE MCCLURE.
GENERAL ORDERS.
HEADQUARTERS, FORT NIAGARA, Dec. 12th.
Capt. Leonard will, as soon as possible, have a proportion of hand- grenades in the different block houses; and give directions to the officers of the infantry where they should be posted, with their men, in case of an attack. And should they not be able to maintain the out work, to repair to the block and mess houses, and have everything arranged in such a manner as though he expected an immediate attack. Much is expected of Capt. Leonard, from his long experience and knowledge of duty; and the General feels confident that he will be well supported by Capt. Loomis, of the Artillery, as well as the officers of the Infantry.
By order of, Brigadier General McCLURE.
DONALD FRASER,
Lieut. 15th U. S. Infantry, and Vol. Aid de Camp.
From the Manlius Times, Jan. 4th, 1814.
BUFFALO BURNED.
This distressing occurrence, which has been anticipated ever since Niagara was taken by the enemy, took place last Thursday forenoon. We have seen no official account of this affair, but have conversed with the express, Mr. Landon, who passed through this village on Saturday morning last; and since, with several gentlemen who have left Williams- ville since that time, from whom we have obtained the following partic- ulars: On Thursday morning, about one o'clock, it was discovered that a detachment of the enemy had landed just below the Navy Yard, about a mile from Black Rock. A skirmish immediately commenced with our Indians and a body of militia, who were stationed there as a corps of observation, which lasted several hours. Towards daylight, a body of
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regulars, from eight hundred to one thousand, with cannon, &c., landed at the mouth of Buffalo Creek, directly above the village, when, by a a signal made, the party below commenced a violent attack on the ad- vance. Our men-finding themselves attacked on both flanks-imme- diately retreated, or rather fled, through the woods on to the road near Major Miller's. Here General Hall rallied them and conducted them towards Buffalo, where they met the enemy, and considerably hard fight- ing took place. But what availed courage or numbers. Our troops were not organized-had no cannon. Their muskets could not be depended on, and but few had but four rounds of ammunition when they took the field. They were soon put to flight. It is said that Gen. Hall con- tinued upon the field until he was almost entirely deserted, when he was obliged to retire. The village was then burnt, with the exception of a few houses, which are probably destroyed before this time. The village at Black Rock is also destroyed. The enemy are said to be in the vicin- ity of Black Rock. The inhabitants are scattered in every direction- most of them have come off to Williamsville, eleven miles this side of Buffalo, where our force is assembled. No particulars of our loss in this affair have been received; but it is believed to be considerable. Amongst the slain is Col. Boughton, of Ontario Dragoons.
A gentleman in high standing in the Quartmaster's Department, in- forms that the loss the United States must have sustained in the cap- ture of Niagara, cannot be less than two million five hundred thousand dollars. There were in the fort when taken, ten thousand stand of arms and two hundred and seventy tierces of clothing.
A general order of Gen. Provost, dated December 12th, directs that all the American officers and non-commissioned officers, prisoners of war in Canada, be put in close confinement, on the principle of retaliation.
From the Ontario Repository.
It is said the whole frontier, from Niagara as far up as Schlosser, and several miles wide from the river, is laid waste, and the inhabitants either killed, taken or fled into the interior. The number of the enemy that has effected so much in so short a time, or the name of their com- mander, is not known. From the varied opinions expresssed, there were perhaps twelve hundred, including Indians. A friend has obtained and handed us the following account of the invasion of the Niagara fron-
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tier by the British and Indians, the capture of our fort, and the atroci- ties committed on our territory. It appears to us the most probable of any that we have heard. It comes from a soldier who deserted from the British at Lewiston on Sunday evening, after the event which he relates, took place. Gen. Drummond, with between ten to eleven hundred regular troops, two hundred Canadian militia, and two hundred and fifty In- dians, landed soon after midnight at the Five Mile Meadow, from seven boats which they had brought by sleighs from Burlington Heights. The regular troops consisted of a part of the 100th regiment, part of a regi- ment of Scotch Royals, and a few of the 49th. After they had landed, orders were given and preparations made for attacking Fort Niagara, with the first appearance of daylight, and, in the meantime, Col. Mur- ray, with five or six hundred regulars, was sent toward the fort to recon- noitre. Instead of reconnoitering with intelligence, as was expected, by daylight in the morning he informed Col. Drummond that he had taken the fort; that two of the Scotch Royals had surprised our outermost sentinel and compelled him to communicate the countersign, with which he had been able to enter the gates of the fort without opposition; that after he had entered the gate he had little difficulty in possessing himself of the place; that not much American blood was spilt, and that the assailants had not a man killed. The Colonel himself was wounded in the right arm. The deserter further says, that a stone house, and two others, were saved at Lewiston; that the British army had in their possession a considerable number of men, women and children, as prisoners, who they have placed in a building near the fort, around which they had planted a guard of regular troops. He says that some of our people were murdered by the Indians, but he thinks not near so many as we supposed.
In speaking of the above distressing event, the Editor of the Geneva Gazette remarks: Fort Niagara was the grand depot of military stores for the northern and western frontiers. A great quantity of arms, am- munition and clothing, besides the cannon and other munitions of war, have fallen into the hands of the enemy. Various estimates have been made of the amount of public property in the fort. Some have estimated it at five hundred thousand dollars; others a million. At the time these events happened, Gen. McClure was at Buffalo, and the last we heard of him was at Batavia. We forbear to remark upon the military career of this commander. The times are too gloomy for subjects of a trifling nature. One circumstance we cannot omit to mention-which is, that .as often as the movements of the enemy indicated an intention to dis- tress our frontier or attack our army, our Genera Is are found absent from
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the sticking place," or surrendering-especially those of the proclamation class; witness, Hull, Smyth, &c., &c. From the spirited manner in which the militia turned out on the first news of these disasters, we are in hopes that the village of Buffalo is safe, and that the enemy will be checked in committing depredations in the country.
NEW YORK, Tuesday, Jan. 11th, 1814.
From the Niagara Frontier the accounts continue to be distressing in the extreme. Want of room compels us to give only the heads of the principal events.
A party of the enemy, on the 30th December, crossed the Niagara, near Black Rock. They were met by the militia, under Gen. Hall, who, being overpowered by numbers, was forced to give way. The enemy burnt the villages of Black Rock and Buffalo. Col. Charles and Major Chapin were taken prisoners, and Mrs. Lovejoy, whose husband was serving in the militia, was murdered by the British Indians.
After the destruction of Lewiston by the British, the bodies of William Gardiner, John E. Low, E. St. John, (whose family can not be found, ) Doctor Alvard and others, were found sealped and horribly mangled; many others, it was supposed, had been thrown into the flames. It is said that the enemy are marching towards Canandaigua, for the safety of which place great fears are entertained.
COPY OF AN ARTICLE IN A NEW YORK PAPER, JAN. 13TH, 1814.
SURPRISES .- After the surprise and capture of Winchester's army- the surprise and capture of Ogdensburgh last winter, with its valuable stores-the surprise and capture of Gens. Winder and Chandler-and numerous other surprises, so disgraceful to our arms-we had fondly hoped that common prudence and vigilance had been beat into our mili- tary officers, and that we should no more witness such disgraceful scenes. But, to our surprise and mortification, we have to confirm the melan- cholly fact that the Fort of Niagara, which was entrusted to a garrison of only three or four hundred men, has been surprised in the very mo- ment of an expected attack, and taken possession of by the enemy, with all its valuable stores, among which, we regret to say, were several thousand stand of arms belonging to this state. Whether the evident misconduct of making this exposed post a depot for military stores, clothing, &c., is to be attributed to Gov. Tompkins or the Secretary of War, we will not pretend to know, but if our military affairs are not
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conducted better in the future than they have hitherto been, we shall not be surprised to learn, before the ensuing spring, that every frontier post has fallen before the superior activity and vigilance of the enemy.
LETTER OF NATHANIEL SILL TO GEN. PORTER, AT ALBANY.
LIMA, 3d January, 1814.
DEAR SIR :- Last Thursday morning the British made an attack at Black Rock. Their plan of operation was so well concerted that they could not fail of succeeding. From the best information I could get, it would seem that our officers were apprised of the design, and, in conse- quenee, took measures to repel the attack.
The enemy first landed a detachment below the Navy Yard, which caused an alarm and drew the attention of our whole force to that quar- ter, at which time their main foree was discovered to be approaching our shore near the ware-house. Our whole foree was then ordered to oppose this landing. It is said they fought well, but by the time they found themselves well engaged, the detachment of the enemy which first landed, fell upon our rear with such impetuosity as broke the line, threw the whole force (about five hundred, ) into confusion, and those who escaped, escaped by flight.
The enemy then marehed to Buffalo-a detachment taking the road to Granger's mills. Chapin, with a few volunteers, fought with a field piece till his men mostly deserted their post, when he surrendered. Our army retreated to Eleven Mile Creek, and left the enemy in full posses- sion of the whole country beyond that. We have as yet been able to ob- tain but a very imperfeet account of the affair. We suppose our loss must have been severe. What the fate of the women and children must have been who remained at Buffalo, is not yet known. We must have lost all our goods. They were deposited at Mr. Atkin's. Joseph (Sill) was with them. I have this morning heard from him, that he was try- ing to save such articles as he could, but I think he could save but few. The inhabitants were flying from Batavia. We know that the whole country, as far as this place, is in imminent danger. It is full of men who would defend it, but they are destitute of arms and ammunition. One thousand horsemen would burn Canandaigua, and return with little loss. The event rests only in the counsels of the all-wise governor of worlds.
In haste, your servant,
NATHANIEL SILL.
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APPENDIX.
P. S .- The volunteers who turned out on this occasion from this quar- ter, have been returning since the action, and we are told that Gen Hall is left with a very small force. I shall be at Albany, if I am pros- pered, in a few days.
EXTRACT OF AN ARTICLE IN A NEWSPAPER.
Dated BATAVIA, Jan. 8th, 1813.
To the want of discipline, of subordination and proper concert, is to be attributed the fate of Buffalo and Black Rock. Our forces were not only sufficient to have repelled, but to have captured the invaders. Our frontier, from Buffalo to Niagara, now presents one continued scene of ruin. The buildings that now remain in Buffalo are the jail (built of stone) and a small wooden dwelling belonging to the widow St. John, who had the address to appease the ferocity of the enemy so far as to re- main in her house uninjured.
Since our last publication, the enemy have evacuated Black Rock. Their last detachment crossed the river on Tuesday, since which time the alarm so generally spread through this section, has in a great meas- ure abated, and a degree of calmness succeeded that of bustle and con- fusion. Previous to evacuating Black Rock, the British fired every building in that place but three. Two of these-a stone dwelling-house, belonging to Peter B. Porter, and a store-house on the bank of the river, -were blown up by a quantity of powder placed in them for that pur- pose. A log house, in which some women and children had taken ref- uge, was suffered to remain. This is an act of humanity in the enemy not to be expected after the barbarous assassination of about twenty of our wounded who had been carried into a barn near that place. We have not been able to procure a list of the names of our men who have been made prisoners. Of the killed, thirty-three have been found, but being stripped of their clothing, few of them have been recognized. This number, together with the wounded said to be inhumanly butchered in a barn at the Rock, swells the list of killed to upwards of fifty.
The schooners Ariel, Little Belt, Chippewa, and sloop Trippe, lying near Buffalo Creek, fell into the enemy's hands, and are probably de- stroyed.
AN APPEAL TO BENEVOLENCE.
CANANDAIGUA, 8th Jan., 1814.
GENTLEMEN :- Niagara county, and the greater part of Genesee
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which lies west of Batavia, are completely depopulated. All the settle- ments in a section of country forty miles square, and which contained more than twelve thousand souls, are effectually broken up. These facts you are undoubtedly acquainted with, but the distresses they have pro- duced, none but an eye witness can thoroughly appreciate. Our roads are filled with people, many of whom have been reduced from a state of competence and good prospects to the last degree of want and sorrow. So sudden was the blow by which they have been crushed, that no pro- vision could be made to elude or to meet it. The fugitives from Niagara county especially, were dispersed under circumstances of so much terror that, in some cases, mothers find themselves wandering with strange children, and children are seen accompanied by such as have no other sympathies with them than those of common suffering. Of the families thus separated, all the members can never meet again in this life; for the same violence which has made them beggars, has forever de- prived some of their heads and others of their branches. Afflictions of the mind, so deep as have been allotted to these unhappy people, we cannot cure; they can probably be subdued only by His power who can wipe away all tears. But shall we not endeavor to assuage them? To their bodily want we can certainly administer. The inhabitants of this village have made large contributions for their relief in provisions, clothing and money; and we have been appointed, among other things, to solicit further relief for them from our wealthy and liberal minded fellow-citizens. In pursuance of this appointment, may we ask of you gentlemen to interest yourselves particularly in their behalf ? We be- lieve that no occasion has occurred in our country which presented stronger claims upon individual benevolence, and we humbly trust that whoever is willing to answer these claims will always entitle himself to the precious rewards of active charity.
We are, gentlemen, with great respect,
Your very obedient servants,
Z. SEYMOUR,
WILLIAM SHEPARD,
MYRON HOLLEY.
THADDEUS CHAPIN,
THOMAS BEALS,
MOSES ATWATER,
PHINEAS P. BATES. NATHANIEL GORHAM,
Committee of Safety and Relief at Canandaigua.
To the Hon. DEWITT CLINTON, Col. ROBERT TROUP, Gen. MATHEW CLARKSON, JOHN B. COLES, Esq., THOMAS MORRIS, Esq., MOSES ROGERS, Esq., ROBERT BOWNE, and THOMAS EDDY, New York.
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NEW YORK, Jan. 22d, 1814.
The Committee to whom this communication was addressed, are per- suaded that a publication of this affecting appeal to the benevolence of the community, is alone sufficient to insure the most liberal contribu- tions; and they therefore inform their fellow-citizens that they will re- cieve subscriptions at the places annexed to their names, for the relief of our distressed brethren on the western frontiers, and that subscription papers for the same purpose will be left at the Tontine Coffee House and City Tavern.
DEWITT CLINTON, City Hall. MATHEW CLARKSON, 26 Pearl street. MOSES ROGERS, 7 State street. ROBERT BOWNE, 256 Pearl street. THOMAS MORRIS, 84 Chambers street. THOMAS EDDY, 220 William street.
N. B .- Col. Troup and Mr. Coles are absent from the city.
EXTRACT OF A PROCLAMATION OF HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GEORGE PREVOST, COMMANDER OF HIS MAJESTY'S FORCES IN NORTH AMERICA.
Dated at QUEBEC, 12th January, 1814.
The complete success which has attended his majesty's arms on the Niagara frontier having placed in our possession the whole of the ene- my's posts on that line, it becomes a matter of imperious duty to retali- ate on America the miseries which the unfortunate inhabitants of New" ark had been made to suffer upon the evacuation of Fort George. The villages of Lewiston, Black Rock and Buffalo, have accordingly been burned.
At the same time that his excellency, the commander of the forces, sincerely deprecates this mode of warfare, he trusts that it will be suffi- cient to call the attention of every candid and impartial person, both among ourselves and the enemy, to the circumstances from which it has arisen, to satisfy them that this departure from the established usages of war has originated with America herself, and that to her alone are justly chargeable all the awful and unhappy consequences which have hitherto followed and are likely to result from it. * * It will hardly be credited by those who shall hereafter read it in the page of history,
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that in the enlightened era of the nineteenth century, and in the inclem- ency of a Canadian winter, the troops of a nation calling itself Christian had wantonly, and without the shadow of a pretext, forced four hundred helpless women and children to quit their dwellings and to be the mourn- ful spectators of the conflagration and total destruction of all that be- longed to them; yet such was the fate of Newark, on the 10th of Decem- ber, a day which the inhabitants of Upper Canada can never forget, and the recollection of which cannot but nerve their arms when opposed to their vindictive foe.
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