USA > New York > Oneida County > Annals and recollections of Oneida County > Part 19
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CHAPTER XV.
MARSHALL.
IF the author had commenced a few years earlier, he could here have opened a rich mine of historical incidents. In this town was located the tribe known as the Brothertown Indians. It was composed of the remnants of the various tribes of New England and Long Island. They had melted away in their murderous wars with the pale-skins, and by adopting their vices, until, when they Here sought a refuge, these remnants were small indeed. After they had congre- gated at this place, they numbered but about 400. What a fearful accounting will have to be rendered by our New England forefathers for the mighty balance of the once powerful Naragansets, Mohegans, Pequods, Montauks, Na- ticks, and numerous smaller tribes, who welcomed them to their shores, fed them from their own scanty supplies, and not as the ancient Israelites, when by persecutions and exactions driven from the land of Egypt, with increased numbers, but by "war, pestilence, and famine," forced them to emigrate, with this little pittance of numbers, to Brother- town, given them by the ever hospitable and generous Oneidas.
The territory presented to the Brotherton Indians was much more extensive than was ever used or occupied by them, and they very early sold quite a section of it to the State. The part which they reserved to themselves lay on
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each side and contiguous to the Oriskany Creek. A portion of this reservation was within the present town of Kirkland. but their main settlements were in Marshall. in the vicinity of Deansville and Dickville. By the death of the late Thomas Dean. Esq., who for many years resided within the limits of the Indian settlement, the author has lost the most reliable and valuable source for information respecting these Indians. Asa Dick, Esq., died a few years since, and a brother of his emigrated but about two years since, who were very intelli- gent men of the Naraganset stock. Since the death of Squire Dick. and the removal of his brother, not one of the tribe has been left to tell the story of their emigration to this place. their sufferings, privations, and wrongs, and meagre indeed is the little that can be gleaned of their history.
A portion of them settled at this place prior to the Revo- lutionary War, but the year has not been ascertained. Prominent among those who settled thus early, were the names of David Fowler. Elijah Wampy, and John Tuhi, (grandfather to. the one of the same name who was executed in 1816.) A large proportion, however, of those who settled before the war. left their settlement soon after its commence- ment. fearing the ravages of the Senecas, Cayugas, and Onondagas, who had espoused the cause of the king, while they in feeling were with the colonists, although professing neutrality. A few-probably not more than two or three- of the men staid, spending a portion of their time at this place, for the purpose of seeing to and cultivating their land , to some little extent, while the remainder of their time was spent at Fort Stanwix. Wampy, who has been before no- ticed, was of this number. On one occasion, as he was going from the Fort to Brothertown, and had proceeded some two or three miles on his way, a hostile Indian sprang from behind a tree, close to his path, and was about to shoot hin
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down with his rifle, when Wampy flew at him, knocked up the muzzle of the gun, so that the ball passed harmlessly over him, and with his knife laid his brother red-skin dead at his feet. The victor, believing that other foes would soon be attracted by the report of the rifle, caught the weapon from its now passive owner, and, bearing the trophy of his prowess, in double quick time, retraced his way to the Fort.
When the great body of them left during the war, potatoes had been planted, and were left growing in the fields, and when they returned at its close, after an absence of some five or six years, they found that the tubers had continued to yield their annual crops, in diminished quantities to be sure, yet a sufficiency at least for planting.
After their return, many of them became quite skilful agriculturists, had large and productive fields in the Oris- kany valley, and quite a proportion of them managed to live very comfortably. But the "pale-faces" were on their trail, and soon had surrounded their settlement ; with one hand presenting them with the Bible,-the Word of Life,-and with the other, that "fire-water," their greatest, direst curse, and which was well known to be death, physical and moral, to the savage. After the fathers who emigrated had mostly " fallen asleep," the tribe went to decay. Intemperance, with its accompaniment, licentiousness, fast did their work, and the descendants of king Philip, Sassacus, and a host of sachems renowned in the New England wars, debased in body and soul, but greeted the eye of the spectator of their wrongs. On their petition, a little more than twenty years since, the Legislature passed a law permitting them to sell their farms to individuals, with the advice and consent of the Superintendents of the Brothertown Indians; and, in 1831, a portion of them, having sold out, emigrated to Green Bay, where they commenced a settlement, separate from the
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Oneida and Stockbridge Indians, who removed to the Bay at about the same time. They continued to sell and emi- grate until two years since, when the " last of the Brother- tons," like the " last of the Mohegans," had a second time abandoned to the pale faces, the burial-place of their fathers.
The first settlement by the whites of the territory at this time included within the limits of Marshall, was on that part of the Brothertown tract sold to the state. It is believed that David Barton was the first settler : he removed to this place from Connecticut in 1793. He was, however, very soon followed by Warren Williams, who took up the farm now owned by Horace H. Eastman, Esq. Williams soon sold out to Elder Hezekiah Eastman, for Elder Eastman received his deed from the State, dated in 1795. acknowledged before Judge Hugh White, and recorded by Jonas Platt. then clerk of Herkimer County. Beside those named, Capt. Simon Hubbard and Levi Barker were very early settlers in the town. Col. Lester Barker, ex-sheriff of Oneida County, was the first white child born on the Brothertown tract.
GEOLOGY .- The geology of Marshall nearly resembles the south-western part of the county. There are extensive quarries of limestone on the higher lands in the town. The best for building purposes, and hardly surpassed in the county, is that on the farm of H. H. Eastman, Esq. There are but very few bowlders and little of the land can be termed stony. The soil is very productive. Few towns in the county equal, and none excel it, in the average quality of the land. The valley of the Oriskany here ranks with its best portions, while much of the hill land, almost. and in some instances quite, rivals it in fertility. On the plank road from Waterville to Paris Hill, a part of the distance of which passes through the south-easterly part of Marshall. the farm-
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ers have displayed much taste in ornamenting the road with rows of maples and other forest trees. Esq. Eastman has on his farm, at least a mile in length, twelve feet apart. In summer these shade trees present a very fine and picturesque appearance. The town is well watered. The west branelt of the Oriskany Creek enters it but a short distance below Oriskany Falls, while the east branch enters it in the lower part of Waterville. After each running about four miles, they get into the same valley opposite Diekville, and their proximity is but quite trifling on the plank road south, from Deansville to Waterville, forming a junction a little below Deansville, and just before it enters the town of Kirkland. Beside there are numerous rills that rise in the hills on either side of the branches, entering them as tributaries.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The Congregational Church in Marshall was organized June 14, 1797 ; this was the first church formed within the limits of the town. At the time of its formation, it was in the "old town of Paris," and early it received the distinctive name of " Hanover Society." The church was constituted with fourteen members, seven males and seven females, since which there have been added by profession 234, and by letter 86, making in all 334. Mrs. David Barton (the first settler) joined this church in the September after it was formed, and Mr. Barton in 1804, and are both yet members. Mrs. Eunice Griffin joined in 1803, and is still a member.
In 1801, the Hanorer Church and Society erected their first house for public worship, and after having used it as such forty years, it was rebuilt in 1841. The church has
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had four pastors. The Rev. John Eastman was ordained about 1809, preached to this people about thirteen years and was dismissed January 8, 1822. Rev. Ralph Robinson shortly after commenced his labors with this Society. was installed pastor May 9, 1827. Rev. Richard M. Davis was installed pastor July 2, 1833, and was dismissed in May. 1835. Rev. Pindar Field commenced his labors with this body in October, 1846, and was installed pastor February 23, 1848 ; he is the present pastor. Previous to the ordina- tion of Mr. Eastman, a Mr. Thompson, of Sangerfield. a Mr. Bell. Rev. Publius V. Bogue, and Rev. Lothrop Thompson, preached for different lengths of time. After the dismissal of Mr. Robinson, and previous to the installation of Mr. Davis. Rev. Mr. Bogue again, and Mr. Ingersoll about two years, and after the dismissal of Mr. Davis, and before the installation of Mr. Field. Rev. Rufus Pratt about eighteen months. Rev. David J. Weeks two years, Rev. E. Parmely eighteen months, Rev. Mr. Grosvenor, Rev. Seth P. M. Hastings. and Rev. S. W. Raymond, through the summer of 1842. then S. W. Raymond for three and a half years sup- plied this people with preaching, with occasional supplies from President North and Rev. Salmon Strong. The pre- sent number of members belonging to the church is fifty-five. twelve males and forty-three females.
The Baptist Church of Paris, afterwards known as the First Baptist Church in Paris, was organized within the present limits of Marshall, July 6, 1797. It will be per- ceived that it was but twenty-two days the junior of the Congregational Church just noticed. It was constituted and fellowshipped by a council from the Baptist Churches in Whitestown, Litchfield, Fairfield and Palatine, Peterboro, and 2d Burlington. Composing in part the delegation from
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these churches, we notice the names of Stephen Parsons, Joel Butler, Peter P. Roots, and Ashbel Hosmer, those veteran pioneers of the denomination in Central New York. The church when formed consisted of twenty-seven members, fifteen males and twelve females, probably a larger number than were organized into a church, thus early, in the county. The council convened at the house of David Wood, and this house was their place of meeting for public worship for a number of years. The church received accessions from time to time, until about one hundred and sixty persons had been members. Elder Hezekiah Eastman commeneed preaching to this people as early as 1796, probably earlier. After the church was constituted, he became its pastor, and continued his labors with it until 1809, when he asked and received a dismission to the Sangerfield Church. Soon after this he went on a missionary tour into the western part of the State, as is shown by the following extract from his journal :- " September 22, 1809, I set out on a missionary tour to the Holland Purchase .??
After the dismissal of Elder Eastman, John Beebe, a member of the church, commenced preaching to the people, and on the 26th of October, 1811, the church called him to ordination. A council was called, and met on the 13th of November following, and after an examination and approval of the candidate, proceeded next day to his ordination. Eld. Beebe continued as pastor for a number of years, but his health failing in 1823, Eld. John G. Stearns was called, and assumed the pastoral duties. Eld. Stearns continued with the church about five years. The records of this body close January 16th, 1832. At this time it seems to have lost its visibility. The anti-masonic excitement had much to do with its dissolution. A part of its members united with the church in Clinton, which had then been but recently formed.
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Methodist Episcopal. - This denomination had a class in this town as early as 1803, which was supplied with preach- ing once in two weeks by the preachers appointed to the Westmoreland Cirenit. In 1828, a society was organized preparatory to building a house for public worship, but nothing was accomplished, in consequence of a disagreement as to its site. Nothing further was done as to building a house until 1837, when an effort was made to raise funds for the building of one at Deansville, which was so far successful that a respectable house for public worship was erected at that place in 1832, the site of which was presented to the society by the late Thomas Dean, Esq. In 1839, Deansville was set off as a station, and has so remained to the present time. The church now numbers about ninety members.
The Universalists have a small society, and a house for worship in the locality known as " Forge Hollow." It has preaching one-half the time.
In this town was enacted one of those daring feats and escapes, of which the Revolutionary contest was so fruitful. The story of Heinrich Staring's escape from the Indians at Brothertown, has been often told, varying in minutiæe, but agreeing in all the important particulars.
Mr. Traey's relation of it in his lectures, is probably the most correct account now within the reach of the author, and has therefore been followed, with but slight alterations in this work.
As this individual, when Herkimer County was first or- ganized, and when it comprehended within its limits the present county of Oneida, received, and for many years held the office of first judge, and also his birthplace so near the present eastern line of the county, it seems to warrant in this
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place, a somewhat extended notice of him. Heinrich Staring was a native of the Mohawk Valley, and was born about eleven miles below the city of Utica, and soon after the set- tlement of the German Flats. Little is known of his early history.
" At the commencement of the Revolutionary War. we find him a militia officer, and regarded by the royal party as a most important and influential personage in his neighbor- hood. He was present at the battle of Oriskany, and from that period held the office of colonel of the Tryon county militia during the remainder of the war. Possessing great shrewdness, strong common sense, and unflinching intrepidity, he enjoyed the unlimited confidence of the German and Dutch settlers on the Mohawk, and became a prominent object for seizure by the enemy. A great number of aneedotes illus- trative of the extraordinary means that were used by the enemy he had to deal with to proeure his person or destroy him, might be related. The story was from the lips of the old man several years after the war. The event took place some time late in November, and about the year 1778 or 1779. He had, for some purpose, gone into the woods at some distance from his home, and while there, by chance, came suddenly upon a party of hostile Indians, who, during those years, were frequently prowling about the settlements on the Mohawk, and occasionally making murderous incur- sions among the inhabitants .. Before he became fully aware of their presence he had got so completely in their power that flight or resistance were out of the question. He was seized with every demonstration of hellish delight, and rapidly hur- ried away in a contrary direction from his home and south- ward of the Mohawk, until his captors supposed themselves out of the reach of pursuit, when they directed their mareh westward, and at night reached a small uninhabited wigwam
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at a little more than a quarter of a mile from the right bank of the Oriskany Creek, above Clinton, in what is now called Brothertown. The wigwam consisted of two rooms, separated from each other by a partition of logs. Into the larger of these there opened an outside door which furnished the only entrance to the house. Another door communicated from the larger to the smaller room. The latter had one window, a small square hole of less than a foot high by about two feet wide, placed nearly six feet above the floor. The whole structure was of logs, substantially built. The Indians ex- amined the smaller room, and concluded that by securely fastening their prisoner hand and foot, they could safely keep him there until morning. They, therefore, bound his hands behind him with withes, and then fastened his ancles together in the same manner, and laid him thus bound in the small room, while they built a fire in the larger one, and commenced a consultation concerning the disposition of him. Staring, though unable to speak the Indian language, was sufficiently acquainted with it to understand their delibera- tions, and he lay listening intently to their conversation. The whole party were unanimous in the decision that he must be put to death, but the manner of doing this in the way best calculated to make the white warrior cry like a cowardly squaw, was a question of high importance, and.one which it required a good deal of deliberation to settle satis- factorily to all his captors. At length, however, it was agreed that he should be burned alive on the following morn- ing, and preparations were accordingly made for the diabol- ical sports of a savage auto da fe. During the deliberation, the horrible fate that awaited him suggested to Colonel Staring the question of the possibility of an escape. As he lay on the ground in the wigwam, he could see the window I have spoken of, and he determined to make an effort to
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release himself from the withes which bound him, and on- deavor to effect a passage through it without alarming his savage keepers. Before they had sunk to rest, he had so far succeeded as to release one of his hands from its fasten- ings, sufficiently to enable him to slip his wrist from it. On finding that he could do this, he feigned sleep, and when the Indians came in to examine and see if all was safe, they re- tired, exulting with a fiend-like sneer, that their victim was sleeping his last sleep. They then all laid down on the ground in the larger room, to go to sleep. Staring waited until all had for a long time become quiet, when, slipping his hand from the withes, he was enabled silently to release his aneles, and by climbing up the side of the house by the aid of the logs, to escape from the window without creating an alarm. In the attempt, and while releasing his ancles from the withes, he had necessarily taken off his shoes, and had forgotten to secure them with him. He was now outside of the wigwam, barefoot, at a distance of five and twenty miles from his home, without a guide or a path, hungry, and in a frosty night in November, and with a band of enemies seeking his heart's blood, lying ready to spring upon him. But he was once more free from their clench, and this one thought was nerve, and strength, and food, -was all he needed to call into action his every power. He stole with cautious silence from the wigwam, directing his course towards the creek, and increasing his gait as he left his cap- tors, and got beyond the danger of alarming them. He had got about half way to the creek. and had begun to flatter himself that his whole escape was accomplished, when he heard a shout from the wigwam, and immediately the bark of the Indian dogs in pursuit. He then plunged on at the top of his speed, and knowing that, while on the land, the dogs would follow on his track, in order to baffle their pur-
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suit, as soon as he reached the creek, he jumped. in, and ran down stream in the channel. For some time he heard the shouts of his late masters, and the baying of their hounds in the pursuit ; and now that he had reached the water, where their dogs could not track him, he laughed out-right as he ran, in thinking of the disappointment they would feel when they arrived at the bank. The fear of the faggot, and all its accompanying tortures, furnished a stimulus to every muscle, and he urged on his flight until he heard no more of his enemies, and became satisfied that they had given up their pursuit. He deemed it prudent, however, to continue his course in the bed of the creek, until he should reach a path which led from Oncida. to Old Fort Schuyler .- a mud fort, built on the present site of Utica during the French war. and which was situated between Main street and the banks of the River, a little castward of Second street. The path crossed the Oriskany about half a mile westward of where the village of Clinton now stands. He then took this path and pursued his course. I have mentioned that, in his haste to escape, he forgot his shoes. He had on a pair of wool stockings, but in running on the gravel in the creek, they soon became worn out, and the sharp pebbles eut his feet. In this difficulty, he bethought him of a substitute for shoes, in the coat he wore, which. fortunately, was made of a thick heavy serge. He cut off the sleeves of this at his elbows, and drew them upon his feet, and thus protected them from injury. But he used to say he soon found this was robbing Peter to pay Paul, for in the severity of the night, his arms became chilled, and almost frozen. He reached the landing at Fort Schuyler just in the gray dawn of the morning, and cautiously reconnoitering, in order to ascertain whether any one was in the fort, which was frequently used as a camp ground, he satisfied himself that no one was in the neighbor-
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hood. In doing this, he fortunately discovered a eanoe which had floated down the stream, and lodged in the wil- lows which grew on the edge of the bank. He instantly took possession of it, and by a vigorous use of the paddles, with the aid of the current, succeeded in reaching his home with his little bark in the middle of the forenoon.""
" As has been noticed, in organizing the Court of Common Pleas for Herkimer County, Colonel Staring was appointed its first Judge. It is not to be supposed, or pretended, that any peculiar qualifications or fitness for the office recom- mended him for the appointment. His honest and strong, but uncultivated mind, had never been schooled to threading the mazes of legal science ; and indeed, he had enjoyed few even of the most common advantages of education. But he possessed the confidence of his fellow-citizens for his sterling integrity, strong common sense, and tried and approved patriotism ; qualifications which were regarded by the vene- rable George Clinton, then Governor of the State, as sufficient to warrant his appointment to the office. Indeed, at that period in the history of the State, few Courts of Common Pleas could be found with a lawyer on its list of judges ; and it is no disparagement to these courts at that time, to assert, that the court in which Judge Staring presided was in no respect inferior to its sister tribunals. Many anec- dotes illustrative of his simplicity of character, and lack of education, are related."
In the early settlement of the county, the story of Judge Staring's " Yankee Pass" was as familiar with the people as "household words."
By virtue of his office, which carried with it the powers of a magistrate, it became his duty to see that the laws were properly enforced and obeyed. Then, as now, our statutes forbid "all unnecessary labor and travelling on the first day
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of the week, commonly called Sunday." Soon after his appointment as first dignitary of the bench, a shrewd Yan- kee, who had been visiting that unlocated and fast-receding region, the "far west," that then hardly extended as far towards the setting sun as Onondaga Hollow and Salt Point, was passing, on horseback, the residence of the Judge, on his his way "down east," on the first day of the week. Judge Staring, who, like many of the good Dutch settlers in the Mohawk Valley, was quite strict in his observance of the day, at once went to the highway, and arrested the law- breaking traveller. At first the traveller stoutly demurred, stating that his business was urgent, and required haste. The Judge was, however, immovable, and the traveller, mak- ing a virtue of necessity, soon proposed to pay his fine of six " York shillings." This was accepted by the law enforcer. "Now," says the traveller, "I suppose I can proceed ?" to which he received an affirmative answer. The traveller then said to the Judge, that as he had satisfied the broken law, by paying his fine, he wished a pass, that he might not be again molested in his journey. The judge deelared his willingness to give the desired paper, but stated his inability to write it, and further, if the traveller would do it, he would affix his signature. To this the Yankee assented, and pro- ceeded to pen the wished-for document, to which the Judge signed his name, and forthwith the traveller proceeded on his way. A few months afterwards, Judge Staring went to Kane's store, at Canajoharie, and was there presented for payment with an order for twenty-five dollars. At first he strenuously denied having given such an order, but having more particularly examined the signature, and finding it genuine, he revolved the matter over in his mind, and at last caught an inkling of the puss at the bottom of the meal-tub. He asked for a description of the person who
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