Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 96

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations > Part 96

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The English government was not satisfied with the issues of the revolutionary war; and was dis- posed to make encroachments upon what were

deemed national rights. Among other things it claimed the right to board and search American vessels for deserting British soldiers and sailors. This claim was exercised in a manner so obnoxious, as to call for most decided remonstrance from our Government. Continued abuses of this kind led to open war.

The public feeling in regard to the expediency of this war was far from unanimous. Indeed, those who took opposite sides in the matter were very bitter towards each other. No such bitter- ness probably has existed in regard to any other political question, unless it be that of slavery, since the days of the Revolution of 1776. The Democrats, as a party, favored the war; the Fed- eralists opposed it, mostly for commercial reasons. They were called the war party and the peace party. Both, no doubt, were influenced by honest love of country.

The Albany press was divided-Solomon South- wick conducting the Democratic paper, called the Albany Register, and Charles R. Webster, the Fed- eralist paper, called the Albany Gazette. It is stated that, as an exhibition of party feeling, the office of the Gazette was threatened with destruction by the more violent and ignorant democracy of that day. The public were notified by the Gazette that every man connected with that office was armed against any mob, and ready for resisting attack at any moment. No attack was made. But many a war of bitter words was fought at street corners and in public places, sometimes resulting in blows. The skirmish on State street, April 21, 1807, when the war controversy was raging, between those two eminent citizens, Governor John Tayler, Democrat, and General Solomon Van Rensselaer, Federalist, shows something of the spirit of parties before and during this war. The trial that followed was pub- lished in a pamphlet, and is mentioned in Munsell's edition of Worth's "Random Recollections."

We are sorry to be able to give so little explicit information concerning the military transactions in Albany County during this war. Our examination of the newspapers of the time gives little help; and the Adjutant-General's office does not con- tribute anything in regard to the formation and officering of companies and regiments for service. This explains the fragmentary condition of this article.

It is quite certain that Albany County was deeply interested in this war, and furnished many officers and men. We insert here an alphabetical list, taken from the "Index of Awards on Claims of the Soldiers of the War of 1812, as audited and allowed by the Adjutant and Inspector-Generals," pursuant to the State Laws of 1859, Chapter 176, in the hope that it may lead some of their descendants to give us reliable information in regard to their services. This is supposed to contain the names of most of the militia from Albany County who enlisted in this war.

Orrin Abbott, Albany; John Adams, Jr., Bethle- hem; Joseph Arkles, Bethlehem; Michael Artcher, Albany; Chester Atherton, Albany; Ammiel Bar-

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HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

nard, Albany; Asabel S. Beens, Albany; Orange Beeman, Berne; Michael Belle, Berne; Henry Benn, Rensselaerville; George Benn, Rensselaer- ville; Daniel J. Beyea, Jerusalem; Harmanus Bleecker, Jr., Albany; Nicholas Bleecker, Jr., Albany; Adam Blessing, Guilderland; Garritt H. Bloomingdale, Albany; Henry Bunzer, Knox; Matthew Boom, by widow, Albany; William Bunzey, Knox; Cornelius Bounds, Albany; Joseph Bradley, Berne; Adrian Bradt, Albany; Henry P. Bradt, New Scotland; John C. Bradt, Albany; Salvo Brintnall, Albany; John Bussy, Albany; Asa Brown, Jerusalem; Richard Brownell, Berne; Stewart Bull, Coeymans; Abraham Balson, Albany; Calvin Butler, Albany; Henry Cacknard, Coey- mans; Daniel Carhart, Coeymans; John Carr, Coeymans; Henry Carroll, Berne; Daniel P. Clark, Albany; William Campbell, Watervliet; Henry Chadwick, Watervliet; Elisha Cheesebro, Guilder- land; Jeremiah Clute, Albany; David Cole, Water- vliet; Peter Colburn, Albany; James Cole, Cohoes; John Cole, South Jerusalem; Peter M. Conger, Watervliet; William Crandall, Rensselaerville; Edward P. Crary, Knox; Frederick J. Crounse, Guilderland; Philip DeForest, Albany; James W. Dubois, West Troy; Martin Easterly, Albany; Ebenezer S. Edgerton, Albany; Peter V. B. El- mendorf, New Scotland; Ethel Enos, Watervliet; C. Ertzberger, Albany; Ralph Farnham, Albany; Richard Filkins, Berne; Thomas Fish, Albany; William Forby, Albany; John Fraligh, Westerlo; Christopher Frederick, Guilderland; Luther Fris- bie, Albany; William Fuhr, Albany; John J. Fulton, Albany; Joseph Gallup, Knox; Abiel Gardner, Westerlo; Thomas S. Gillet, Albany; Nathan B. Gleason, West Troy; Jonathan Gold- waite, Albany; Daniel Green, Coeymans; Isaac F. Groesbeck, Albany; Abraham Hagaman, Albany; Oliver Hastings, Watervliet; Aaron Hawley, Beth- lehem; George Hawley, Albany; Ezra Haynes, Watervliet; Charles Hazleton, Jerusalem; Jesse Helligus, Berne; Josiah Hinckley, Jr., Westerlo; Isaac Hitchcock, West Troy; William Holdridge, Rensselaerville; Elias Holmes, Coeymans; John D. Houghtaling, Albany; Reuben Hungerford, Berne; Walter Huyck, Westerlo; Elisha Ingraham, Berne; Moses Jay, Albany; James Johnson, Water- vliet; John Johnson, Albany; Daniel Joshlin, Berne, Albany County; Daniel Joslin, Berne; Sylvanus Kelley, Albany; John Lamoreux, Albany; Nicho- las I. Lampman, Albany; Henry Lasee, Water- vliet; William Latta, New Scotland; Daniel D. Lawyer, Albany; Jacob Lewis, Albany; Aaron Livingston, Albany; Jacob Loatwall, Albany; Charles Low, Albany; Jeremiah Luther, Albany; Robert McGill, New Scotland; Daniel McIntosh, Albany; John McMicken, Albany; Abraham Mar- tin, Albany; Derrick Martin, Berne; Jacob Martin, New Scotland; Henry T. Mesick, Albany; Thomas Mitchel, Albany; Moses Mowers, Jerusalem; Will- iam Muir, Albany; John Myers, Albany; John Newbury, Westerlo; Benjamin Northrop, Albany; Nicholas Osterhout, Berne; Peter Osterhout, Albany; Henry Ostrander, Jr., Guilderland; Henry Pad- dock, Albany; Aaron Palmer, Albany; David D.

Palmer, Berne; Stephenson Palmer, Berne; Anthony Pangborn, Bethlehem; John Parker, Bethlehem; Robert Patten, Albany; John Pier, 2d, Berne; Jacob Place, Albany; Jonas D. Platt, Albany; John Pruyn, Albany; Adam Relyea, Guilderland; Simon Relyea, Albany; William Rhinehart, Berne; Jesse E. Roberts, Watervliet; James Robinson, Albany; John I. Schermerhorn, Berne; Henry I. Schoon- maker, Bethlehem; Courtland Schuyler, Albany; Jacob Scott, Albany; John Scovell, Watervliet; William Scrafford, Bethlehem; Abraham Severson, Albany; John N. Severson, Guilderland; William Seymour, Albany; Israel Shadbolt, West Troy; John F. Shafer, Coeymans; Jacob Sharp, Albany; Peter Shafer, Guilderland; John Shouts, Albany; Stephen Simpson, Watervliet; John Skinkle, Al- bany; James Sloan, Berne; James Sloan, West Troy; William J. Smith, Albany; Peter H. Snyder, Albany; John Spoor, Albany; Lewis Stiman, Beth- lehem; John Stenkle, Albany; Cyrus Stone, Wes- terlo; John Stone, Albany; George W. Swartwout, Westerlo; Peter Ten Eyck, Albany; Francis E. Thompson, Albany; Thomas Tibits, Rensselaer- ville; William Truax, Berne; John Turk, Coeymans; Conrad Turner, Jerusalem; David Turner, Water- vliet; Henry Turner, Albany; Jacob Turner, West Troy; John Uran, West Troy; Cornelius Van Aiken, Rensselaerville; John Van Antwerp, Albany; Garret I. Vanderberg, Albany; Garret Vanderpool, Bethlehem; Cornelius Van Derzee, Guilderland; Peter Van Olinda, Albany; Cornelius W. Vedder, Albany; Ebenezer C. Warren, Albany; Samuel Warner, New Scotland; Joseph Werden, Water- vliet; Jacob White, Albany; John Wilda, Berne; Hezekiah Wilks, Bethlehem; Benjamin Williams, Knox; Henry Williams, Knox; Christian Willmon, Berne; George Wilson, West Troy.

The war was largely fought at our own doors. Stephen Van Rensselaer, known as the "Old Pa- troon," a Federalist, but a firm patriot and of reso- lute bravery and great wealth, was appointed Major- General of the Volunteer Militia, by Governor Tompkins. He proceeded, in the autumn of 1812, as ordered, to the invasion of Canada on the Niagara frontier. A strong force of British troops was posted, under General Brock, on Queenstown Hights, opposite Lewistown. A great battle was fought here, October, 13, 1812. The first attack was made by Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, with 225 men, in the morning of that day. Bravely advancing, Colonel Van Rensselaer was severely wounded at the outset. Captain John E. Wool, afterwards General Wool, of West Troy Arsenal, pressed on as leader, and gained the Hights by a vigorous assault of the battery. The British were repulsed, and the brave General Brock was killed in attempting to retake the battery. All the efforts of General Van Rensselaer to bring reinforcements across the river were resisted by a majority of his troops, who pleaded that this was not a war of inva- sion. About a thousand, many of them raw and undisciplined, went over, and were badly cut up or taken prisoners. The General, disgusted by such cowardice, and by the inefficiency of the service

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THE WAR OF 1812.

everywhere, resigned his command October 24, 1812, and returned to Albany.

Among the discouragements of this first year of the war, was the surrender of General Hull, at Detroit, August 9th. He was tried by court mar- tial at Albany, in 1814, and convicted of cow- ardice, and sentenced to be hung; but was par- doned on account of former valiant services in the Revolution, and from a conviction that his sur- render was more the result of over-estimating the force of the enemy, and a humane desire to save his men from threatened Indian butchery, than of cowardice.

There were many battles fought along the north- ern frontier through the war, some of them over the Canada borders. It seemed to be a leading purpose of the Government then in power to sub- ject Canada, as well as to defend our northern lakes from the invaders. Much service was done, much blood shed. The full record would tell of much daring bravery and noble patriotism. We have reason to believe that Albany County soldiers were in most of these engagements. Among them, besides that of Queenstown, were the battle of Og- densburgh, February 22, 1813; the capture of York, now Toronto, April 27th; capture of Fort George, May 27th; battle at Sackett's Harbor, May 29th; battle at Stony Creek, June 6th; naval battle of Lake Erie, under Commodore Perry, Sep- tember 10th; battle on the Thames, October 5th; battle of St. Regis, October 23d; battle of Chrysler's Farm, November 11th; burning of Newark, De- cember 12th; capture of Fort Niagara, December 26th; retaliating destruction of Fort Niagara, at Lew- iston, Black Rock, Youngstown, and other frontier settlements, December 18th to 30th. In 1814, we record the capture of Oswego, May 5th; Fort Erie, July 3d; battle of Chippewa, July 5th; battle of Lundy's Lane, July 25th; battle of Fort Erie, Au- gust 15th; sortie at Fort Erie, September 17th; bat- tle of Plattsburgh, September 6th to 11th.

From old newspapers, and other sources, we gather the fragmentary items that follow, relating to the soldiers of 1812. .

When General Stephen Van Rensselaer returned, October 31, 1812, to Albany, after the battle of Queenstown, a large concourse of private citizens and dignitaries turned out to escort him to the city. Major John Lovett was his Secretary, and Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, one of the bravest men that Albany ever produced, was his Aid. He was long disabled by four bullet wounds received in this battle. One of the balls he carried in his flesh until his death.

November 8, 1812, Commodore Perry was met by a large body of citizens between Albany and Schenectady, and escorted to Douw's Tavern. From this point he was taken to the Capitol, accompanied by a large procession. Here he was presented with the freedom of the city in a gold box, and with an elegant sword. Then the procession conducted him through the principal streets. On the way, the Hero of Lake Erie was hailed with loud accla- mations. At the close of the march, at the Eagle

Tavern he was received by the Mayor and other public officials and assigned apartments. A bril- liant ball was held in the evening; houses were illuminated; and the motto, "We have met the en- emy, and they are ours," displayed. On the next day an elegant public entertainment was given. He continued his journey to his family, residing in Newport, R. I. The news of Perry's victory was first received in Albany, September 17th, with great demonstrations of joy.

About this time, Captain R. C. Skinner, of the artillery in the Albany Volunteer Regiment, had a recruiting office at Ladd's Coffee House, corner of Green and Beaver streets, for the purpose of com- pleting five companies of infantry, two of riflemen, and one of artillery, which he reported as filling up in the city and county with wonderful success. He stated that the city had raised a fund of many thou- sand dollars for the benefit of the soldiers who should enlist.

November 28, 1812, the local papers report the return, after an absence of three months on Staten Island, of Captain Bulkley's company of Albany volunteers and Captain Walker's company of artil- lery. Their soldier-like appearance is highly com- mended.

Colonel John Mills, of this city, fell in the battle at Sackett's Harbor, May 29, 1813. He com- manded the Republican artillery in that battle, with as many militia as he.could enlist. He was given a conspicuous place in the line of battle, and fell gallantly in brave, but vain, endeavors to stop his men, who ingloriously fled after the first fire. So says General Jacob Brown, in his report. Many of the men assigned him were raw troops, unaccus- tomed to subordination. His remains were re- moved to the city and interred in Capitol Park, May 29, 1844, and finally, with military honors, put to rest, a few years ago, in the Rural Cemetery.

August 15, 1813, the arrival of two hundred British prisoners at the encampment in Greenbush is reported; also, of British deserters from Canada; and the arrival and departure of General Wilkinson on the same day (Sunday), on his way to the fron- tier.

The British flag taken by Lieutenant Wm. L. Marcy, afterward Governor Marcy, at St. Regis, October 23, 1812, was presented to the State of New York as a trophy of war, January 5, 1813. The act was accompanied with much ceremony; with processions, bands, and speeches, in which were joined the military of Troy and Albany.

At the battle of Ogdensburgh, fought October 12, 1813, under Colonel Forsyth, mention is made of the distinguished bravery of a single company of Albany artillery.

Among the honored names of men who have had homes in Albany County, and who are mentioned as having done service in this war, are found those of Stephen Van Rensselaer, Solomon Van Rensselaer, John Lovett, John E. Wool, John Mills, Colonel Forsyth, and William L. Marcy, already men- tioned; also, William J. Worth, John O. Cole, Thurlow Weed, Lieutenant Gansevoort, Lieutenant Rathbone, and Ambrose Spencer, Jr. We shall be

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HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.

very grateful to any one who may, hereafter add to this list.

On the reception of the news of peace, the whole city was illuminated.

The surviving soldiers of the campaign of 1812, about one hundred in number, residing in New York City, came to Albany by railroad, February 1, 1853, and marched through the city under Col- onel Haight, escorted by the Republican artillery. Here, on the next day, they were joined by thirty- eight of their old companions belonging to Albany, and escorted to the Capitol, where they were ad- dressed by Governor Seymour.

A corps of about fifty veterans of the War of 1812 joined in the celebration of American Independence, July 4, 1854, under General John S. Van Rensse- laer. After the procession was dismissed, they met in convention at the Capitol and passed a series of resolutions.

THE WAR WITH MEXICO.

Texas was a part of the domain of Ancient Mex- ico. When Mexico became a republic, in 1824, it was made one of its united states. It had been claimed by our Government as a part of the Loui- siana purchase in 1803; but this claim was not pressed. Texas began to be settled by Americans as early as 1821. It rebelled against the govern- ment of Santa Anna, and declared itself an inde- pendent state, March 2, 1836. This independence was not admitted by Mexico. On the 4th of July, 1845, it was, with its own consent, admitted as one of the States of our Union. This act caused an immediate rupture between the United States and Mexico. Added to this, our Government had a series of complaints against Mexico for aggressions upon our vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, confisca- tions, in its own territory, of the property of Amer- ican merchants, violations of treaty, and other acts of injustice, extending back for a period of nearly forty years. General Taylor was sent at once, with an army of occupation, to Texas to hold and defend it. On the 24th of April, 1846, the first blood was shed in the War with Mexico. The contest, under Taylor, Scott, Wool, Worth, and others, was short and sharp. The treaty of peace was signed Febru- ary 2, 1848, which gave to the United States, Upper California, New Mexico and adjacent territory, and conceded Texas. The distance of the field of strife was so great, that Albany County had only a small part in the contest, but that part belongs to our history.

An Act of Congress was passed providing that 50 regiments of volunteers should be raised in the

United States for this war. Under the enactment, seven regiments were allotted to the State of New York, but only two were furnished.

The first regiment was raised by Colonel Stevenson in 1846. In this, one company of about 80 members was recruited in Albany, com- manded by Captain John B. Frisbie and Lieutenant Edward Gilbert. This regiment, soon after it was formed, proceeded to Governor's Island and re- mained there about one month, when it was sent to Mexico, by way of Cape Horn, in sailing vessels.

Arriving at its destination, it joined General Scott's division of the army, and participated in all of his marches and battles till the close of the war.

November, 1846, the second regiment of New York volunteers was raised, commanded by Col- onel Ward B. Burnett. In this regiment was a company of Albanians, commanded by Captain Abraham Van O'Linda and Lieutenant Adison Farnsworth.

In December of this year, this regiment went to Fort Hamilton, and there remained until the follow- ing January, when it proceeded to Mexico by way of the gulf. Landing at Vera Cruz it was joined to General Scott's command, and participated in all his engagements, from the battles of Vera Cruz to the capture of the City of Mexico.

By an Act of Congress in 1847, ten regiments of regular troops were called for from the State of New York.

Under this call the Tenth Regiment of Infantry was formed of ten companies. This regiment was credited to Albany, and contained many soldiers from this city and county, although the greater number were recruited from outside of the county. It was commanded by Colonel Robert E. Temple and Lieutenant-Colonel James McGown. This regiment was joined to General Taylor's division of the army, and remained with him until the close of the War.

The Third Regiment of Dragoons contained a number of soldiers recruited in this section, but no distinct company of Albany men. Such was the case with a number of regiments which served in the Mexican War.

The soldiers from this county, so far as we are able to learn, did good service. A few of them still remain to tell the story of entering the Halls of the Montezumas. Among them is Mr. Will- iam L. Burgess, to whom we are under obliga- tions for most of the facts here presented.

The brave Generals John E. Wool and William J. Worth, who were among the most prominent and successful leaders in the Mexican service, were formerly residents of this county.

423

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

T THIS was a war between citizens of the same

country, and has, hence, been sometimes called The Great Civil War. But our heading best expresses its character. It came after a long and exciting controversy between the slave-holding and non-slave-holding States, involving the questions of the moral right or wrong of slavery; the political policy of its extension and perpetuation; and of State rights generally. There was also a bitter jealousy between the Southern and Northern States as to the balance of power between those States, shown in a constant struggle to secure the public offices and patronage. The South was not improving by slave labor; the North was rapidly increasing in wealth and power by free labor.

The Southern States began to secede from the Union and form a Southern Confederacy when they found Abraham Lincoln elected Presi- dent of the United States. South Carolina was the first in the secession, December 20, 1860. Ten other of the slave States followed. Their artful leaders had accumulated in the forts and arsenals on their borders, a large quantity of the public munitions of war-seized those forts, and put them in the hands of fellow-conspirators.

The attack of the rebels upon Fort Sumter took place April 11, 1861. This overt act was the actual beginning of the war.

Its record is a story of fratricidal strife unparalleled in the world's history, whether we consider the malignity of the seceders, or the determined self- sacrificing patriotism and bravery of the friends of the Union of all the States; or whether we attempt to count the suffering and loss of human life, or estimate the devastation made and the treasure expended. But its results showed the superior value of grand free labor, when con- ducted by heads educated in free schools and hands addicted to habits of productive industry.

The war practically closed with the surrender of the rebels under General Lee to General Grant, April 9, 1865. What follows is only the merest outline of the part borne by Albany County in this war.

The ladies and citizens of all classes, under. dif- ferent voluntary organizations, did a vast amount of labor, and expended great sums of money for the comfort, encouragement, and relief of the sol- diers and their families during the whole time of the war.

The Citizens' Military Relief Fund contributed $20,479.

The Ladies' Army Relief Association was organ- ized in Albany, to co-operate with the U. S. San- itary Commission, as early as November, 1861, to aid sick and wounded soldiers. Similar societies existed in Coeymans, Rensselaerville, Knox, and other towns in the county. Useful articles were

made or purchased, and forwarded in barrels and boxes continually. At one time 287 were sent; at another about 600. Fruit, vegetables, and cor- dials, and delicacies of every sort were gathered from farm-houses, grocers, and families, and in- cluded in the benefactions. This local association of ladies raised also $19, 212.30 in money during the four years ending January 1, 1866, for disabled soldiers and their families.

The Army Relief Bazaar was erected in the Academy Park, and kept open as a great Sanitary Fair of Albany, Troy, Schenectady, and other places in the State, during the months of February and March, 1864. It was a building remarkable for size and fitness. It was filled with articles of utility and beauty on sale. Everything was con- ducted with order, zeal, and energy. It was a grand success. The net proceeds, amounting to $81,908. 50 were paid into the treasury of the U. S. Sanitary Commission.

The Albany Auxiliary to the U. S. Christian Commission, between April 1, 1864, and January 1, 1866, received $23,740. 20 in money, besides a great amount of books, papers, provisions, delica- cies, and minor articles of convenience made in sewing circles, which were contributed for the spir- itual, social, and physical needs of the soldiers.

A Refreshment Committee fed 16,709 soldiers as they passed through Albany in coming or going. Their expenses were over $7,600.

Besides these, much time was spent and thou- sands of dollars in money were given by private citizens. And the deeds of heroic patriotism and Christian charity done by gentlewomen, never can be fully expressed in words.

The War Expenses of the County of Albany are stated as follows :

For County Bounties. $3, 100,700.00 For Recruiting and Enlistments. 225, 125-39

Total $3,325,825.39

Raised by County Taxes $641,441.47

Raised by County Loans 2,889,552.00

Total $3,930,963.47

We now give a brief record of military service organized in the county. We would be glad if we could give the names and services of every soldier.

On April 16, 1861, the day following President Lincoln's call for 75,000 men to suppress the re- bellion, the Legislature of New York State passed an Act to authorize the embodying and equip- ment of a volunteer militia, and to provide for the public defense. One week later, 155 companies were recruited in this State, and ready for accept- ance into service. The number of men furnished by the State under each call was as follows : Call for

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Bi-centennial history of Albany. History of the county of Albany, N. Y., from 1609 to 1886. With portraits, biographies and illustrations, Part 96

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Howell, George Rogers, 1833-1899; Tenney, Jonathan, 1817-1888
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452