USA > New York > Oneida County > Annals and recollections of Oneida County > Part 27
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The accounts are discrepant as to the day the siege was raised, some placing it on the 22d of August, and others on the 25th. Gen. Arnold immediately marehed his division to Fort Stanwix, and on his way he stopped on the Oriskany battle field, and buried the remains of the brave men whose corpses had been blackening in an August sun, from the 6th to the 25th of the month. Those only were buried that were lying in and contiguous to the road. On the first settlement of this seetion of the county, many skeletons were found yet bleaching and uncovered, and a number of the first set- tlers met and gathered all that could be found, and undis-
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tinguished between friend and foeman, they were interred in a common grave .*
About the time Gen. Arnold's command proceeded to the relief of Fort Stanwix, several batteaux, loaded with pro- visions for the garrison, passed up the river, with a com- petent guard on the shore. As they approached the Oriskany battle ground, the stench was almost insupportable. Near the mouth of the Oriskany Creek, a gun was found standing against a tree, upon which were hanging a pair of boots, while in the creek near by lay the remains of their supposed owner, far advanced in decomposition. In the grass near the shore lay the body of a well-dressed man, without hat or coat, who they supposed had expended his latest energies in crawling to the water to quench his thirst. His head was bound up with a black silk handkerchief, which Sergeant John Clark, of the party, loosened, but left it with its owner. He. however, took from his shoes a pair of silver buckles. A little farther on, nine dead bodies were lying across the road, arranged in regular order, as was supposed, by the Indians after they had fallen. A short distance farther, an Indian was seen dangling from the limb of a tree, suspended by the heels with the tug strap of a harness from a baggage waggon ; this, it was conjectured, had been done by some of Gen. Herkimer's men, after their tawny foe had been killed, or severely wounded, in the contest.
The failure of the expedition against Fort Stanwix was a a victory achieved in the cause of the United States. It allowed to speculate, suppose the fortress had capitulated, no stand could have been made this side of Albany ; the
* The party consisted of persons from Rome, Westmoreland, and Whitestown. Judge Hathaway was the first to move in the enter- prise, and a number of cart loads of bones were thus collected and interred.
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Mohawk Valley would have been swept by Brant and his Indians, as with the besom of destruction ; the tomahawk, the scalping knife, and the firebrand would have left it with- out a dwelling or an inhabitant. And if Burgoyne had been reinforced by such a force, surrounded as he was by forests and mountains, every foot of which was known to the sar- ages, the issue might have been widely different, and slavery, instead of freedom, been the result.
"Nothing," says the British Annual Register for 1777. " could have been more untoward in the present situation of affairs, than the unfortunate issue of this expedition. The Americans represented this and the affair at Bennington as great and glorious victories. Gansevoort and Willett, with Starke and Warner (heroes of Bennington), were ranked among those who were considered the saviours of their coun- try."
On the 19th of September and the 7th of October, two severe battles were fought at Saratoga; although not de- cisive, the advantage in each was with the Americans, and as a result, on the 16th of October Gen. Burgoyne surren- dered his army to Gen. Gates.
Gen. Sullivan was appointed to command the expedition against the Indians of Western New York in 1779, and the command of the eastern division of his army was assigned to Gen. James Clinton. The destruction of the Onondagas preceded the attack of the concentrated forces on the Seneca and other western nations. Gen. Clinton detached Col. Van Schaick, assisted by Col. Willett and Major Cochran, with a force of about 500 men, for the service of destroying the Onondaga villages, and on the 19th of April, 1779, they left Fort Stanwix. The party encountered rainy weather. swollen streams, and morasses, yet moved with such celerity as to arrive at the Onondaga settlements the third day.
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For the purpose of distracting the attention of the Indians, the party was divided into detachments, with orders to attack simultaneously as many settlements as possible. The work of destruction was soon commenced, and the Indians, taken entirely by surprise, fled so precipitately as to leave their guns, and other weapons, in their wigwams. Their villages were soon wrapt in flames, gardens spoiled, provisions de- stroyed, and cattle killed. In one day the Onondagas were reduced from a state of comfort and security to one of misery and famine, houseless, and destitute. The influence of this expedition was most salutary on those of the Oneida Nation who were wavering, for a deputation from the Oneidas and Tuscaroras was immediately dispatched to Fort Stanwix, to brighten the chain of friendship, and give renewed assurance of continuing true to the States.
Having thus accomplished the objects of the expedition. Col. Van Schaick returned to Fort Stanwix, without the loss of a single man.
In October, 1780, Sir John Johnson and Brant collected. with great secresy, at La Chien, on the island of Montreal, a motley band of about 1,200 men, principally Canadians and Indians : a force which, from its materials, might well be supposed capable of accomplishing deeds of cruelty and blood. This body ascended the St. Lawrence in batteaux to Lake Ontario, thence to Oswego, up the Oswego and Oneida Rivers to the Chittenango Creek, and up that stream about six miles, where they landed on the east bank, at a short bend, opposite to what was afterwards known as "Lot No. 100," in the town of Cicero. This was probably as near as they dare approach Fort Stanwix, for fear of alarming the . garrison, which was at all times on the alert At the place of landing was a pallisade enclosure, which had been erected on some former occasion, and which they proceeded to put
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in a good state of repair. A sufficient guard was left to protect the boats, and such stores as were not needed for the remainder of the expedition. The party then crossed the country to Schoharie, where they were joined by the tories of that region. Ruin, desolation, and death marked their progress, and after doing immense damage, they made a precipitate retreat. The Americans mustered, under Gen. Robert Van Rensselaer, and pursued them as far as Clocksfield. Had that General fulfilled his promise to sus- tain Col. Brown and his party, that brave officer and one- third of his men would not have been sacrificed at Stone Arabia. Van Rensselaer's effective force nearly doubled that of the enemy, and nothing but the most criminal supine- ness prevented the capture of Col. Johnson and his whole party ; indeed, when he ordered his men to fall back and encamp, the enemy were on the point of capitulation. To add to this chapter of blunders, Van Rensselaer sent an express to Fort Stanwix, informing the commandant where Sir John's boats were concealed, with a statement of the movements of the hostile party. Captain Walter Vrooman was, in consequence, immediately dispatched from Fort Stan- wix, with a detachment of fifty men, to destroy the boats and stores left at the place of landing. Capt. Vrooman lost no time in the execution of his orders, and the guard left by Sir John were taken prisoners, the stores all destroyed, and the boats sunk, except two, in which the party intended to return. It seems that, by some means, Sir John had been apprised of Capt. Vrooman's movement, and he dispatched a detachment of Butler's rangers, with a party of Indians, with orders to push forward with all haste, if possible to intercept Capt. Vrooman and his little force. By forced marches, the British and Indians arrived in the vicinity of the Chittenango Creek, and unexpectedly came upon the
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Captain and his men, while taking their dinner, and as about to embark on their return, and without firing a single gun made the whole party prisoners. The Indians and Canadians were greatly exasperated on finding their boats and two pieces of cannon sunk, and their stores rifled and spoiled, and as a consequence, the prisoners were treated with the greatest severity. Three of their number fell. im- mediate victims to savage cruelty. One poor fellow was compelled, while bound hand and foot, to run the gauntlet Being placed at the head of two parallel lines of Indians, be was ordered to run between the lines for their whole length, the savages, while he was passing, giving him blows with whips, clubs, and weapons, and if he should be successful in getting through, his life was to be spared. He started with a determined resolution, and made nine extraordinary leaps, when he was struck down, beaten with clubs, and then bound to a pine tree, and there roasted alive. This tree was stand- ing but a few years since, and known in the neighborhood as " The Turtle Tree." The figure of a large turtle was cut by the Indians on the tree, indicating that it was the turtle branch of the tribe who committed the barbarity, as well as designating the particular tree. At every anniversary of this event, Indians revisited this spot to examine the tree, and renew the tracks in the sand made by the unfortunate prisoner, and after holding a sort of "pow-wow," would then disappear. This custom was continued yearly as late as 1815. Such was the distance between these tracks made by the unfortunate man while running the gauntlet, that the fleetest unbound Indian could but with great exertion equal them. The place at which this event occurred, is about two miles north from Matthews' Mills, in the town of Manlius, on land now or lately occupied by Mr. Ezra Tucker.
John Adams, Esq., who first surveyed much of the land
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in that vicinity, and the late Judge. John Knowles, who settled there in 1805 or 1806, saw the pickets then standing near the landing place, and occasionally found guns, hatchets, knives, bullets, etc. ; and at high-water many persons have seen whole boats and fragments of others driven up among the flood-wood, with timbers very little decayed. These cir- . cumstances, corroborative of the testimony of Mrs. Storms. who was a prisoner taken in this expedition of Johnson, and that of Foster, a tory, who was one of Johnson's party, are strong evidence to show that Col. Stone, in his Life of Brant, was mistaken in locating this transaction on the Onondaga River.
Capt. Vrooman, who was a powerful man, had a large pack placed on his shoulders by the Indian who claimed him as his prisoner. This pack was made of a striped "lin- sey woolsey" petticoat, stolen from some good "rrow" in Stone Arabia, and was sufficiently capacious-if, indeed, somewhat deficient in length-to hold enough of plunder to tax Capt. Vrooman's muscular powers to their utmost. He had not, however, borne it far before he was recognized by Col. Johnson, who inquired why he carried it ? Replying that it had been placed upon him by an Indian, the Colonel cut its fastenings with his sword, letting the pack fall to the ground. In a short time the owner of the pack, who was in the rear when it was cut from Capt. Vrooman's shoulders, came up, and in anger replaced it, threatening him with death if he did not continue to carry it It had been re- placed but a short time when Sir John again, seeing the American captain (who was a fine specimen of the early Dutch) under the unseemly load, once more severed its fastenings, placing a guard around him to prevent any insult or injury from the red warrior. In a few minutes the latter re appeared, with uplifted tomahawk, threatening
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vengeance ; but finding the prisoner guarded by bristling bayonets, he sullenly again fell to the rear. He, however, watched during all the way to Canada for a favorable oppor- tunity to execute his threat. Shortly afterwards, while crossing a stream upon a log, this Indian with his pack fell into the water, and would have been drowned had it not have been for assistance rendered by his comrades. On arriving at Montreal, Capt. Vrooman was incarcerated in prison, and did not again see the sun for two long years.
On the 2d of March, 1781, Sergeant James Williamson was ordered, with Corporal Samuel Betts, and six soldiers, to proceed from Fort Stanwix to guard a small party of wood-choppers, who were at work about half a mile from the fort. While thus engaged, Brant, with a strong force of Indians and tories, made a sudden onset upon them, and made the whole prisoners, excepting Sergeant Williamson, who made his escape to the post amid a shower of balls. . Only two Americans were wounded, Timothy Reynolds and William Moffatt, and the latter, having fired upon the ene- my, was tomahawked and scalped. The enemy immediately left the vicinity of the fort, with their prisoners, and forded the Mohawk some distance below. Upon the arrival of Williamson at the fort, the alarm gun was fired, and a strong body sallied out in pursuit, which continued till night-fall.
On arriving near the river, at the path leading from the fort to Fort Dayton (now Herkimer), Brant halted his force, and cutting the buckle-straps from his prisoners' shoes, carefully placed them along the path upon the snow crust, that the Americans might know the fate of their friends, and, quite probably with the intent of luring them into his power, with the hope of rescuing the captives. Brant then proceeded to the Oneida Castle, and from
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thence, after procuring a supply of corn, made his way to Fort Niagara. These incidents were often related by Wil- liamson to his friends after the war. Before arriving at Niagara, an incident occurred illustrative of the singular caprice of the savage chieftain. Brant ordered Corporal Betts to exercise his men and fellow-prisoners, to see if they understood the tactics of Baron Steuben. Betts, either doubting the ability of his men to do justice to the Baron's system, or feeling disinclined to such an exhibition in his unpleasant and disheartening condition, wished to avoid the performance, but Brant peremptorily commanded obedience. Betts drew out his men, fifteen in number, dressed them into line, and then went through the manual exercise, a la Steu- ben, much to the satisfaction of Brant. Some of the tories. however, were disposed to ridicule the manner in which the Yankees had done the thing; but Brant put a stop to their fun by a terrible frown, saying at the same time, that "the Yankees went through with it a d-d sight better than they could, and that he liked to see the thing done well, although it were done by an enemy."
Nothing farther of moment is known to have occurred at Fort Stanwix during the war which closed in 1783, when Britain acknowledged the independence of the United States. In that treaty Great Britain made no provision for her In- dian allies, but ungratefully left them to take care of them- selves as best they could. The Indians were much offended when they found they were unremunerated for all their losses and sacrifices during the war. A large portion of them had the good sense to perceive that if, when united with Britain, they were unequal to a contest with the States, their chance single-handed would be but poor indeed. An- other portion, at the head of whom was the far-famed Red Jacket, and no doubt encouraged by British traders and
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agenta, were for continuing the war ; but the peace party, headed by Corn Planter, prevailed. Accordingly, a treaty was made at Fort Stanwix, in October, 1784, between the chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations, on the one part, and Oliver Wolcott, Richard Butler, and Arthur Lee, commis- sioners on the part of the United States. At this treaty La Fayette was present. The Six Nations agreed to sur- render all the captives taken in the war, and relinquish their claim to a portion of the western part of this State, and a large section north-west of the Ohio. Red Jacket * was present, and did all in his power to prevent the cession of the territory, or the conclusion of a treaty of peace.
Forty years afterwards, when La Fayette had become the " Nation's guest," and when at Buffalo he was introduced to Red Jacket. Their conversation was carried on through an interpreter. During the interview La Fayette alluded to the treaty of Fort Stanwix, and not recognizing Red Jacket. inquired, "And what has become of the young Seneca, who , on that occasion so eloquently opposed the burying of the tomahawk?" " He is now before you," replied the haughty chieftain.
On his way to Fort Stanwix to attend the treaty, La Fayette called at the log cabin of Judge White, in Whites- boro: In 1824, in passing through Oneida County, he re- collected the occurrence, and inquired for Judge White and family. On being informed that the Judge's widow yet resided near where he had seen her, he manifested the wish, and called upon her.
The attendance of La Fayette at this treaty was one of his last acts as a public officer when in the service of the United States.
+ 80 named from a vest of that color presented to him by bbc British, and which was worn by him on all great occasions.
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A reminiscence of Gen. Stanwix, who erected, and from whom the fort of which we have been speaking was named, -a name to which after-events in relation to its defence have attached so much importance, that "Stanwix Hall" has been affixed to first class public houses both in Albany and Rome,-it is thought will be interesting to the reader. Gen. Stanwix was an Irishman, and in 1766, in crossing the Irish channel from Ireland to England, with his family, the vessel on which they had embarked foundered, and every soul on board perished. The General left property, and there was an attempt to have its descent to collateral branches governed by the principles of the Roman law ; that is, that those in the meridian of life would prima facie survive those of less powers of endurance, either from the tender years of youth, or the infirmities of age. The Court of King's Bench, however, waived the decision, on account of the nicety of applying the rule to the case, and recom- mended a compromise, which was acceded to.
FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
The precise time when the first settlers after the Revolu- tion came to Rome, can not be precisely ascertained. Jede- diah Phelps, Esq., came into the county with Judge Dean, in 1784, and erected a shop for carrying on his trade, that of brass founder and silversmith, at Wood Creek, and after being "drowned out" from that location in the spring of 1785, settled at Fort Stanwix. A few other settlers pro- bably came there at about the same time. In the years 1785 and 1786 five log houses were erected in the vicinity of the fort. The author has frequently heard it stated by his father, that when he arrived, in January, 1787, there
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were three log houses at old Fort Schuyler, seven at Whites- boro, three at Oriskany, five at Fort Stanwix, and three in Westmoreland, and that these twenty-one houses, a portion of which were little more than huts, then sheltered the whole white population in what is now Oneida County, and indeed in the whole of the State of New York west of Utica, a few traders with the Indians excepted.
During the administration of the elder Adams, a company of " the standing army," commanded by Capt. Cherry, was quartered in the octagon block-house in Fort Stanwix. This block-house was built subsequently to the Revolution, and previous to Jay's treaty. It is believed it was built in 1795 or 1796, when much alarm was felt through the country from the hostile attitude of the western Indians.
Among the early settlers of Rome, and prominent men prior to 1800, were John Barnard, George Huntington, Joshua Hathaway, Dr. Stephen White, Henry Huntington, Rozel Fellows, Matthew Brown, Bill Smith, Seth Ranney, Matthew Brown. jun., David Brown, Ebenezer, Daniel W., and Thomas Wright, Thomas Selden, Solomon and John Williams, Peter Colt, Col. William Colbrath, Abijah and. Clark Putnam, Caleb Reynolds, Rufus Easton, Thomas Gilbert, Moses Fish, Stephen Lampman, Jeremiah Steves and John Niles, all of whom, with one or two exceptions, are now deceased.
In the spring of 1793 John Barnard kept a tavern a few rods north-east from the present site of the Court House. In the latter part of April, or fore part of May, Mr. George Huntington arrived with a small assortment of goods, and for the want of better accommodations, he put them up for the benefit of customers in Barnard's bar room. This was the first store in Rome. The building thus occupied as a tavern and store was the first two-story building erected in
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Rome, and was built by Seth Ranney. In the course of the season Mr. Huntington put up a small one-story framed building, into which he removed his goods. Henry Hun- tington, his brother and partner, resided in New York until 1798, when he removed to Rome. The first store built by Mr. G. Huntington stood on James street, just north of the Merrill's Bloek.
About the first of August, 1799, Thomas Walker started the first printing press in Rome, in this same first store. He printed a weekly paper, entitled the Columbian Gazette, for Eaton and Walker, proprietors.
The oldest buildings now standing in Rome, are the early residences of Messrs. H. and G. Huntington, on Dominick, east of James street, and the plow factory (formerly Me- Carthy's store) on the corner of Dominick and Washington streets.
The first grist mill in Rome was erected in 1795, and stood on Wood Creek, a few rods northerly from the United States' Arsenal. Its location for "custom work" must have been excellent, for in 1796 or 1797 a batteau loaded with corn arrived at this mill, having threaded its way from Ontario County, down the Seneea River to Three River Point, thenee up the Oneida River and the Oneida Lake to Wood Creek, up that stream through all its windings and turnings twenty-five miles to the mill. After getting their "grist ground," the same devious track had to be followed on their return ; but as perseverance accomplishes all things. in due time, and without aeeident, they arrived at their homes, much to the joy of their families and friends, who were famishing for "laek of bread."
Dr. Stephen White kept a tavern, in 1797, at the lower landing on the Mohawk, and near where the old eanal was locked into the river. His house was opposite the pre-
f
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sent residence of Matthew Huntington, then the residence of Col. William Colbrath. Cicero Gould and brother kept a tavern in the building (since mostly rebuilt) now occupied by Col. Henry A. Foster. Thomas Gilbert kept a tavern at the lower landing on Wood Creek, at its confluence with Canada Creek.
Previous to 1800 a man by the name of Logan kept, as a hotel, the large three-story wooden building on the north- west corner of James and Dominick streets. This building was burnt at the "great fire," and is succeeded by the four- story brick building known as the " American."
By an act passed March 30, 1792, it was enacted. - " That there shall be established two companies of stockholders, one for the purpose of opening a lock navigation from the now navigable part of Hudson's River, to be extended to Lake Ontario and to the Seneca Lake, and to be called and known by the name of 'The President, Directors, and Company of the Western Inland Lock Navigation, in the State of New York,' and the other for like purpose with respect to north- ern parts of the Hudson, &c., &c. The Commissioners for distributing stock were, Samuel Jones, David Gelston, Com- fort Sands, Melancton Smith, and Nicholas Hoffman, of New York ; and Abraham Ten Broeck, John Taylor. Philip S. Van Rensselaer, Cornelius Glen, and John Ten Broeck.
"The first Directors were, Philip Schuyler, Leonard Gansevoort, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, Elkanalı Watson, John Taylor, Jellis A. Fonda, William North, Goldsbrow Banyar, Danicl Hale, John Watts, Walter Livingston. Dominick Lynch, James Watson, Matthew Clarkson, Ezra L'Hommedieu, Melancton Smith, David Gelston, Stephen Lush, Cornelius Glen, Silas Talbot, John Frey, Douw Fonda. John Sanders, Nicholas J. Rossevelt, Daniel McCor-
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mick, Marinus Willett, Jonathan Lawrence, Philip Van Cortlandt, and James Clinton.
" The waters between Schenectady and Wood Creek were to be made navigable within five years after January Ist, 1793, and to be completed down Wood Creek to Lake On- tario and Seneca Lake, within fifteen years from the same "late. The State paid to each company, as a 'free gift,' 812.500 when each had expended 825,000.
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