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 29
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On the night of that day, the American troops, under Brig. Gen. Mc- Clure, being about to evacuate Fort George, which they could no longer retain, by an act of inhumanity disgraceful to themselves and to the nation to which they belong, set fire to upwards of one hundred and fifty houses, composing the village of Newark, and burned them to the ground-leaving without covering or shelter those "innocent, unfortu- nate and distressed inhabitants," whom that officer, by his proclamation, engaged to protect. His excellency would have ill consulted the honor of his country and the justice due to his majesty's injured and insulted subjects, had he permitted an act of such needless cruelty to pass unpun- ished, or had he failed to visit-whenever the opportunity offered-upon the inhabitants of the neighboring American frontier the calamities in- flicted upon those of our own. The opportunity has occurred, and a full measure of retaliation has taken place-such as (it is hoped) will teach the enemy to respect, in future, the laws of war, and recall him to a sense of what is due to himself as well as us.
In the future prosecution of the contest to which so extraordinary a character has been given, his excellency must be guided by the course of conduct which the enemy shall hereafter pursue.
Lamenting, as his excellency does, the necessity imposed upon him of retaliating upon the inhabitants of America the miseries inflicted upon Newark, it is not his intention to pursue further a system of warfare so revolting to his own feelings and so little congenial to the British char- acter, unless the future measures of the enemy should compel him again to resort to it.
To those possessions of the enemy, along the whole line of the fron- tier, which have hitherto remained undisturbed, and which are now within his excellency's reach and the mercy of the troops under his com- mand, his excellency has determined to extend the same forbearance and
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the same freedom from rapine and plunder which they have hitherto ex- perienced; and from this determination the future conduct of the Ameri- can government shall alone induce his excellency to depart.
ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, HEADQUARTERS, QUEBEC, 8th January, 1814.
GENERAL ORDERS.
His excellency, the commander of the forces, has the satisfaction of announcing to the troops that he has received a dispatch from Lieut. Gen. Drummond, reporting the complete success of an attack that was made at daybreak on the morning of the 30th December, on the enemy's position at Black Rock, where he was advantageously posted with up- wards of two thousand men, and after a short but severe contest, the en- emy was repulsed in the most gallant manner, and pursued in his retreat to Buffalo, where he attempted to make a stand; but, upon receiving a few rounds from the British field-pieces, he abandoned that post also and fled with precipitation to the Eleven Mile Creek, on Lake Erie, leaving seven field-pieces and four schooners and sloops, with a considerable quantity of ordnance and other valuable stores, which have fallen into our hands.
The enemy suffered severely, but from the rapidity of his flight, seventy prisoners only were taken, among whom is Doctor or Lieut. Col. Chapin.
The corps under Maj. Gen. Riall consisted of detachments of the Royal Scots Eighth (or King's) Forty-first, and the flank companies of the Eighty-ninth and One Hundreth regiments-the whole not exceeding one thousand men.
The Lieutenant General bestows the highest praise upon the undaunt- ed courage and patient submission of the troops, in contempt of the in- clemency of the weather and hardships to which they were exposed.
No British officer has fallen on this occasion. Lieut. Col. Ogelvie, Eighth, (or King's) and Capt. Fawcett, One Hundredth Grenadiers, were wounded; and it is supposed our loss does not exceed twenty-five killed and fifty wounded.
Black Rock and Buffalo were burnt, previous to their evacuation by our troops, together with all the public buildings and the four vessels.
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A considerable quantity of stores were sent away previous to the con- flagration.
EDWARD PAYNES, Adjutant-General N. G.
TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
HEADQUARTERS, NIAGARA FRONTIER, Jan. 6th, 1814.
SIR-The confusion into which everything was thrown by the events of the 30th December, and the imperious necessity of taking precaution- ary measures against the advances of the enemy, put it out of my power to furnish at an earlier period a detailed account of the operations on this frontier during my hitherto unfortunate and embarrassing command; add to this the extreme difficulty of collecting authentic facts relative to our loss, since the forces under my command were of that multiform des- cription, which they necessarily were, being composed almost wholly of volunteers, militia and exempts, hastily and confusedly assembled in the moment of alarm, and dissipated by the events of a battle.
The storming of Niagara and the burning of Lewiston, presaging fur- ther devastation, threw this whole country into the most violent agita- tion. On the moment, and without any previous preparation, I hastened to Batavia with a view to take such measures as might be within my power to repel the enemy and protect the frontier. I hastily collected from the militia and volunteers of Genesee county, and the brigade of Gen. Wadsworth, of Ontario county, a considerable force; but generally deficient in arms and ammunition, and the necessary conveniences of a camp.
In the evening of the 22d December, Gen. McClure, with the regulars under command of Major Riddle, arrived in Batavia, and on the morning of the 23d signified by a letter his desire that I would take the command during this moment of general alarm. I accordingly proceeded to or- ganize, in the best manner in my power, the forces then in Batavia; and with the arms collected from different sections of the country, and what little could be procured from the arsenals at Canandaigua and Batavia, I was enabled to get under march on the 25th, for Lewiston, a body of in- fantry about 150 strong, under Lieut. Col. Lawrence, supported by one company of cavalry, under Capt. Marvin, with orders to proceed and join a corps of militia, said to be two hundred strong, under the com- mand of Lieut. Col. Atchinson, which was stationed at Forsyth's, on the ridge road, fifteen miles east of Lewiston, to collect and save all. the am-
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munition in his power, which had been removed from the arsenal at Lewiston, and was then dispersed on the road and different parts of the country, and with instructions to act as circumstances and the nature of his force would permit, against the enemy; and, if practicable, to- effect a junction with the main force at Buffalo, by the way of Manches- ter and Schlosser, and thence up the river to Black Rock; leaving, as a reserve, the corps under Col. Atchison at their station near Lewiston. I then ordered the remainder of the troops to Buffalo, with the exception of the regular forces, over whom I assumed no command.
On the morning of the 25th, I proceeded to Buffalo, leaving General McClure at Batavia, with instructions to organize such detachments of volunteers as might arrive, and direct their march for Buffalo. I arrived in Buffalo on the morning of the 26th, and there found a considerable body of irregular troops of various descriptions-disorganized and con- fused-and everything wore the appearance of consternation and dismay. On the same day, I issued an order to the several commandants of corps, for a return of the number of effective men under their command; and an order to Capt. Camp, A. D. Q. M. General, for a return of the ord- nance stores, in the Quartermaster's Department; a copy of which return I have heretofore had the honor to forward to your Excellency, and which sufficiently exhibits the destitute condition of the department. On the 27th, I ordered a review of all the troops under my command at Buffalo and Black Rock, when I found my numerical force to be as fol- lows: At Buffalo, under Lieutenant Colonel Seymour Boughton, of the cavalry and mounted volunteers, one hundred and twenty-nine ;. Lieut. Col. Blakeslie, of the Ontario exempts and volunteers, four hun- dred and thirty-three; Lieut. Col. Cyrenius Chapin, of the Buffalo mili- tia, one hundred and thirty-six; Lieut. Col. Mallory, of the Canadian volunteers, ninety-seven; Major Adams, of the Genesee militia, three hundred and eighty-two. At Black Rock were stationed, under command of Brig. Gen. Hopkins, three hundred and eighty-two effective men, composed of the corps commanded by Lieut. Col. Warren and Lieut. Col. Churchill, exclusive of a body of thirty-seven mounted infantry, inder command of Capt. Ransom; eighty-three Indians, under command of Lieut. Col. Granger, and one piece of field artillery-a six pounder- and twenty-five men, under command of Lieut. Seely; making my ag- gregate nominal force on the 27th to be one thousand seven hundred and · eleven men; add to this a regiment of Chautauqua militia, under com- mand of Lieut. Col. McMahan, which arrived at Buffalo on the 29th, about three hundred men, which swells my force to two thousand and
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eleven, which was reduced on the morning of the alarm, by desertions, to less than twelve hundred; and so deficient were my supplies of ammu- nition, that a greater part of the cartridges for Col. McMahan's regiment were made nnd distributed after they were paraded on the morning of the battle. The movements of the enemy already indicated their inten- tion of attacking the village of Buffalo or Black Rock, which left me not a moment's repose from the arduous duty of preparing the most effec- tive means in my power for mecting the enemy with the crude force under my command.
On the 27th I was so fortunate as to procure such information as to the enemy's movements-from a citizen who made his escape from Canada- as to leave me no doubt as to their intentions.
In the evening of the 29th, at twelve o'clock, I received information that our horse patrols had been fired on a short distance below Conjoka- ties Creek, and one mile below Black Rock. Lieut. Boughton, an enter- prising and brave officer, had his horse shot under him. The enemy advanced and took possession of the Sailor's Battery, near Conjokaties Creek. The troops were immediately paraded and stood by their arms. I was yet uncertain at what point the enemy would attack me; for the darkness of the night was not favorable for making observations. I was apprehensive the enemy designed to make a feigned attack below Black Rock, for the purpose of drawing off my force from the village of Buf. falo, preparatory to a landing above the village, intending thereby to take me by surprise. At the same time being anxious to anticipate the enemy's landing, and meet him at the water's edge, I gave orders to the troops at Black Rock, commanded by Cols. Warren and Churchill, (Gen. Hopkins being absent from camp, ) to attack the enemy and endeavor to dislodge them from the battery and drive them to their boats. The at- tempt failed through the confusion into which the militia were thrown, on the first fire of the enemy and the darkness of the night. They were dispersed, and not again embodied under the proper officers through the day. I then ordered the corps under Major Adams, and the corps under Col. Chapin, to make the attack. This was attended with no better suc- cess. The men were thrown into confusion by the enemy's fire, and after skirmishing a short time fled, and were not again embodied through the day. I then ordered the corps under the command of Col. Blakeslie to advance to the attack, and at the same time I put the remainder of my troops in motion for the same point, and proceeded by the hill road to Black Rock. On approaching the village at Black Rock, I discovered a
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detachment of the enemy's boats crossing to onr shore, and bending their course toward's Gen. Porter's house.
The day was now beginning to dawn. I immediately countermanded the order given to Col. Blakeslie, to attack the enemy's left, and directed them to form and attack the enemy's centre, at the water's edge.
I now became satisfied as to the disposition and object of the enemy, which I ascertained to be as follows: Their left wing was composed of about eight hundred regular troops and incorporated militia, and one hundred and fifty or two hundred Indians were disposed below Conjoka- ties Creek, and had been landed under cover of the night. With this force the enemy designed to cover their left, out-flank our right, and cnt off our retreat by the woods.
With their centre, consisting of four hundred Royal Scots, commanded by Col. Gordon, the battle was commenced. The right-which was pur- posely weak-was landed near the main battery merely to divert our forces; the whole under the immediate command of Lient. Col. Drum- mond, led on by Maj. Gen. Riall. They were attacked by four field pieces in battery at the water's edge; at the same time the battery from the other side of the river opened a heavy fire upon ns of shells, hot shot and ball. The whole force now opposed to the enemy was at most not over six hundred men, the remainder having fled, notwithstanding the exer- tions of the officers. Those few brave men disputed every inch of ground, with the steady coolness of veterans, at the expense of many valnable lives. The defection of the militia, by reason of the ground on which they must act, left the forces engaged exposed to the enemy's fire in front and flank; and after standing their ground for half an hour, opposed by an overwhelming force, and nearly surrounded, a retreat became neces- sary to their safety, and was accordingly ordered. I then made every effort to rally the troops, with a view to attack their columns as they en- tered the village of Buffalo, but all in vain. Deserted by my principal force, I fell baek that night to Eleven Mile Creek, and was forced to leave the flourishing villages of Black Rock and Buffalo a prey to the enemy, which they have pillaged and laid in ashes.
At the Eleven Mile Creek I collected between two and three hundred men who remained faithful to their country. With these I preserved the best show of defense in my power, to cover the fleeing inhabitants and the advances of the enemy. The enemy have gained but little plunder from the public stores. The loss has fallen upon individual sufferers. Eight pieces of artillery fell into the hands of the enemy, of which but one was mounted on a traveling carriage. What little remained of the
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publie stores, capable of being removed, is preserved, through the exer- tions of Capt. Camp, of the Quartermaster's Department, whose bravery is only equalled by his active zeal for the public service.
It is not in my power to give a particular account of our loss in killed aad wounded, as the wounded generally got off by the aid of their friends and taken to their homes, and our dead were mostly buried by the ene- my; but from the best information I can collect, our loss is about thirty killed and, perhaps, forty wounded. In prisoners, our loss is ascertained to be sixty-nine-twelve of whom are wounded.
The enemy's loss must be much greater, as many were killed in their boats before landing. Their loss may reasonably be presumed, in killed and wounded, at not less than two hundred.
Lieut. Col. Boughton, of the Light Dragoons, is among our slain. He was a good officer and a valuable citizen. I regret it is not in my power to do justice to all those who were engaged on this day. The veteran Blakeslie and his corps were pre-eminently distinguished. There were of the broken remains of other corps many officers and soldiers whose bravery and good conduct deserve my warmest praise; but having fought irregularly in detachments, I cannot designate to them the justice they deserve. The good conduct of Lieut. Seely and Lient. Farnum, who had charge of the artillery, was particularly noticed. The cavalry, un- der Col. Boughton, and the mounted volunteers, under Major Warren, receive my thanks for the prompt obedience of orders, and the valuable services rendered in the fatiguing duty of patroling. And it is a matter of regret that the nature of the ground deprived me of that support which I might confidently expect from their bravery. To Lieut. Fraser, of the United States Infantry, I tender my thanks for the volunteer ser- vice which he rendered me as one of my staff. To my two aids-de-camp, Majors Holmes and Norton, I cannot withhold my warmest thanks for their cool, deliberate bravery, and the alacrity with which they executed my orders from the first movement of the troops in the morning to the close of the day.
I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's most obedient and humble servant, A. HALL, Major General.
LIST OF AMERICAN PRISONERS TAKEN AT BLACK ROCK.
Allen H. Millard, aid to Gen. Hopkins, Lient. Col. Gardiner, wound- ed in the thigh, Ensign C. Stewart, Rueben Peirce, Eli Shattuck, Jona-
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than Putnam, S. Towler, John Amsden, Jonathan Alger, Bloomfield; Capt. J. Rowley, Lieut. John Lusk, Hezekiah Parmelee, Ira Smith, Sanı- uel Perkins, Samuel Gillis, Henry Pardy, Orris Turner, Luther Hawley, Vietor; Lazarus Church, William Miller, (wounded in the cheek), -. Whiting, Abram Whitney, John Conant, Samuel Clark, Seth Chappel, Amos Jimeson, Anson Murray, Dennis Frost, (wounded in the shoulder). Avon; Dr. Jonathan Cammel, Asa Woodford, Asahel Martin. Jonathan Richardson, Socrates Swift, (wounded in the belly), Benjamin Barrett, (wounded in the body), Livonia; Capt. R. Mckay, Levi Broughton, Wm. Martin, Samuel Burgis, Stephen Peabody, (wounded in the head), Thos. Grant, (wounded in the thigh and body), Chester Noramore, Caledonia; Levi Farnham, Willis Buell, Wm. G. Hathaway, Leroy; Wm. Hutch- inson, Holden Allen, Black Rock; Friend Johnson, Oliver Stetson, Chautauqua; Ensign Wm. Martin, Ellicott; Heman Willcox, Bethel; Wm. Kiekox, Jacob C. Loomis, Canandaigua; Daniel C. Gould. Daniel S. Cole, Pomfret; James Lyon, Joel Allen, Sylvester Blodgett, Apollos Fordham, Levi Wright, David Palmer, Anson Bristol, Lemuel Chipman. Jr., Jacob Jackson, (wounded in both thighs), Sheldon; Lodowick Champion, Mathew Peck, Benjamin Russell, Henry Dorsey, Daniel Vail, Bethany; John Harris, Clarence; Jesse Warner, (wounded in the thigh), Amos Thompson, Wanton Brownell, (wounded in the arm), Phelps; Jabez Smith, (wounded in the thigh), Bristol; Wm. Lyon, Honeyoye; Col. C. Chapin, John Lay, Charles C. Wells, William Wilbur, Rufus Botsford, Joseph D. Hoyt, Robert Keane, Timothy Strong, Benjamin Hodge, Jr., Daniel Buxton, Captain R. Harmon, George Stow, Daniel Perry, Buffalo.
Killed at her house, in the village of Buffalo, by the British Indians, Mrs. Sally Lovejoy, wife of Joshua Lovejoy, Esq., aged about 35 years.
The editor of the Buffalo Gazette informs his former subscribers that the Gazette is again established at Harris' Tavern, near Williamsville. All letters, communications, &c., may be directed Williamsville, Niag- hra county, N. Y.
The following persons have been identified among those that fell on ne morning of the 30th December and the Ist inst., in the attack on .lack Rock and Buffalo: Col. Seymour Boughton, Avon; Major Wm. . Dudley, Calvin Carey, Peter Hoffman, Eden; Adjutant Joshua Tott- ian, Canadian Volunteers; Aaron Nash, Hanover; Dennis Bracket,
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Esq., Chautauqua; Mr. Smiley, near Chautauqua Lake; Job Hoysing- ton, John Roop, Samuel Holmes, N. D. Keep, John Trisket, Jas. Nesbit, Robert Franklin, (colored) and Mr. Myers, Buffalo; Robert Hill, Adam Lawfer, Black Rock; Newman Baker, Parley Moffat, Wm. Cheesman, Ham- burgh; Jacob Vantine, Jr., Moses Feno, Clarence; Mr. Reed, Willink; -. Lindsay, of Livonia; -. Wilson, of Bloomfield; Bethel Martin, a transcient person.
We had collected materials to give a short narrative of the battle of Black Rock, but on reflecting that a month has already elapsed since that event; that several accounts coming from officers in the action have been published; that all the statements disagree in essential particulars, and that any statement we might make would be liable to inaccuracies, we have determined to omit any publication at present. The official account may soon be expected.
FROM THE ONTARIO REPOSITORY, MARCH 13TH, 1814.
The Committee of Supplies and Relief at Canandaigua, have received for distribution among the inhabitants of the Niagara Frontier, who suf- fered by the late invasion, one thousand three hundred and forty-seven dollars and ten cents.
THADDEUS CHAPIN, MYRON HOLLEY.
The Legislature appropriated fifty thousand dollars for the same pur- pose.
ANTHONY LAMB TO GOV. TOMPKINS.
ALBANY, Jan. 20th, 1814.
SIR :- Agreeably to your excellency's orders, I left this city on the 4th instant, and proceeded with all possible dispatch to the Niagara frontier. On my arrival at Bloomfield, in the county of Ontario, I met Gen. Hall, who was on the point of returning to Batavia, to collect the troops who had been detached under your excellency's order of the 26th November, which amounted to one thousand, which he had ordered out on authori- ty subsequently given him.
On my arrival at Batavia, I found that the inhabitants of that place and the country west as far as Buffalo, on the main road, had, on receiv_
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ing information of the landing of the enemy, fled and left their homes, but were generally returning. I proceeded to Buffalo and found that flourishing village totally destroyed. The only buildings remaining in it are the goal, which is built of stone, a small frame-house and an ar- morer's shop. All the houses east of Buffalo on the Batavia road, for two miles, excepting log houses, are also destroyed, and almost every build- ing between Buffalo and Niagara, along the river, had, I was informed, shared the same fate.
The enemy had with him at Black Rock and Buffalo a number of In- dians, (the general opinion in that country is about two hundred, ) who pursued their accustomed mode of horrid warfare by tomahawking, scalping and otherwise mutilating those who fell into their hands. Among the victims of their savage barbarity was a Mrs. Lovejoy, of Buffalo, who was tomahawked and afterwards burnt in her own house. The conduet of these savages has struck the minds of the people on the Niagara frontier with such horror as to make it absolutely necessary that a more efficient force than ordinary militia of the country be employed for its protection, to prevent its becoming entirely depopulated.
There was, when I left Batavia, between five and six hundred militia at Williamsville and in its vicinity, under the command of Gen. IIop- kins, and about the same number on the Ridge Road, near the arsenal, under the command of Col. Hopkins. It was the intention of Geu. Hall, who was at Batavia, to make up a number at each of these stations to one thousand men. There was also at Batavia about one hundred regu- lars, under the command of Major Riddle, who had received orders to march to Williamsville.
As the enemy had re-crossed into Canada, leaving no part of his force on our territory, except the garrison of Fort Niagara, I did not think it necessary for me to remain in the country, or to exercise the plenary powers with which you were pleased to invest me, especially as the au- thority given to Gen. Hall appeared to me to be amply sufficient to en- able him to give a temporary protection to that frontier. I am decided- ly of opinion, however, that it is absolutely necessary that a force of a more permanent, substantial nature should be provided, with as little delay as possible,
Sir, I have the honor to be, With the greatest respect, Your most obedient servant, ANTHONY LAMB.
His Excellency Gov. TOMPKINS.
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HISTORY OF BUFFALO.
MAJOR LEE TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
FORT GEORGE, Sept. 18th, 1813.
SIR :-- I am ordered by Gen. Wilkinson to forward the enclosed papers -- one a letter from a committee of three, of which P. B. Porter is the first, and the other a letter from Daniel Rodman, the organ of an associ- ation of residents in and near Canandaigua.
I have the honor to be Your most obedient servant,
H. LEE, JR., Major of Infantry and Aide-de-Camp to Maj. Gen. Wilkinson.
Gen. ARMSTRONG, Secretary of War.
LETTER TO GEN. WILKINSON, AT FORT GEORGE.
BLACK ROCK, Sept. 17th, 1813.
SIR :- In consequence of encouragements from Gen. Boyd that a gen- eral and decisive movement was about to be made by the army, and that an additional force was desirable, we repaired to Fort George, about five weeks ago, with five hundred men, consisting of volunteers, militia and Indians. Most of us remained there twelve or fourteen days, but our hopes not being realized, the men continually dispersed and went home, not, however, without expectations again encouraged by Gens. Boyd and Williams, that we should be shortly called on again to aid in operations which the people in this part of the country, so long harrassed by the calamities of war, feel so strong an interest in forwarding.
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