USA > New York > Washington County > Gazetteer of the county of Washington, N. Y. : comprising a correct statistical and miscellaneous history of the county and several towns from their organization to the present time > Part 3
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General Burgoyne was severely censured, as well for having lost so much time by crossing the wilderness of Fort Ann, as for having exposed himself to want subsistence in his camp at Fort Edward. It was alledged that instead of entangling himself in those dangerous defiles, he should, after the occupation of Skeenesborough and the total discomfiture of the enemy's army, have returned immediately down the South river to Ticonderoga, where he might again have embarked the army on Lake George, and proceeded to the fort which takes its name; this being reduced, a broad, firm road lay before him to Fort Edward. In this manner, it was added, would have been avoided delays as detrimental to the British army as propitious to the Americans. Thus, it was maintained, the army might have made itself master of Albany, before the enemy would have had time to recollect himself. But, in justification of Burgoyne, it was advanced, that a retrograde motion in the height of victory, would have dimin- ished the spirit of his troops, and revived the hopes of the enemy; that the Americans would undoubtedly have made a stand at Fort George, and in the meantime would have broken up the road leading to Fort Edward; that by passing, as he had done, through the desert of Fort Anne, besides inuring his troops to the war of the woods, a war so embarrassing and difficult, he compelled the enemy to evacu-
28
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
ate Fort George without striking a blow; that having already opened himself a road, it was to be hoped the Americans would not inter- rupt the other; that the route by land left the vessels, which would have been required for the transport of the troops, upon Lake George, at liberty to be employed in that of arms, ammunition, provisions, and baggage. Finally, it was represented, that by preferring the way upon the left to that upon the right by Lake George, he had enabled himself to detach a strong corps under the command of general Reid- esel, to agitate alarms in Connecticut and throughout the country of Vermont.
However, the truth was Schuyler profited with great dexterity by these delays. Several regiments of regular troops from Peck's Kill were already arrived at the camp, and although it was then the sea- son of harvest, the militia of New England assembled from all quar- ters, and hastened to join the principal army. These re-inforce- ments placed it in a situation, if not to resume the offensive, at least to occupy all the tenable positions, and defend them with energy and effect.
In the meantime general Burgoyne received intelligence that Col. St. Leger, whose detachment had been re-inforced by a considerable party of savages, after descending by the lake Oneida from Oswego, in the country of the Mohawks, had arrived before, and was closely besieging Fort Stanwix. He immediately conceived the hope of de- riving an important advantage from this operation. For if the Amer- ican army in his front proceeded up the Mohawk to the relief of Fort Stanwix, the English found their way open to Albany, and thus at- tained the first object of their desires. Moreover, if St. Leger suc- ceeded, the Americans would find themselves between two royal ar- mies, that of St, Leger in front, and that of Burgoyne in the rear. If, on the other hand, the republicans abandoned Fort Stanwix to its fate and withdrew towards Albany, the country on the Mohawk would fall into the hands of the English, and they might form a junction with colonel St. Leger. Their army, thus re-inforced, and victualed by the Mohawks, would be in a situation to move forward. From these operations it must result, either that the enemy would resolve to stand an action, and, in this case, Burgoyne felt assured of victo- ry ; or that he would gradually retire down the Hudson, and thus
29
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
abandon to the English the city of Albany. If the propriety of a rapid movement forward was therefore evident, the difficulty of find- ing means to execute it was not less manifest, as the want of subsis- tence still continued; and this want would of necessity increase with the distance of the army from the lakes, through which it received its provisions. To maintain such a communication with Fort George, during the whole time of so extensive a movement, as would secure the convoys from being intercepted by the enemy, was obviously im- practicable. The army was too weak to afford a chain of posts for such an extent; and continual escorts for every separate supply would be a still greater drain. Burgoyne therefore perceived distinctly that he must have recourse to some other source of supply, or total- ly relinquish the enterprise. He knew that the Americans had ac- cumulated considerable stores of live cattle, corn, and other necessa- ries, besides a large number of wheel carriages, at a village called Bennington, situated between two streams, which afterwards uniting, form the river Hosack. This place lies only twenty miles distant from the Hudson; it was the repository of all the supplies intended for the republican camp, which were expedited from New England by the upper part of Conneticut river, and thence through the country of Vermont. From Bennington they were conveyed, as occasion re- qired, to the different parts of the army. The magazines were only guarded, however, by detachments of militia, whose numbers varied continually, as they went and came at discretion. Though the dis- tance was considerable from the camp of Burgoyne to Bennington, yet, as the whole country through which the corps of Reidesel had lately passed appeared peaceable, and even well inclined to submis- sion, the English general, impelled by necessity, and allured by an ardent thirst for glory, did not despair of being able to surprise Ben- nington, and bring off the provisions of the enemy by means of his own carriages. Having taken this resolution, he intrusted the exe- cution of it to lieutenant-colonel Baum, a German officer of great bravery, as well as well versed in this sort of partisan war.
The force allotted to this service, amounted to about five hun- dred men, consisting of two hundred of Reidesel's dismounted drag- oons, captain Frazer's marksmen, the Canada volunteers, a party of provincials who are perfectly acquainted with the country, and about a hundred Indians; the corps took with them two light pieces of ar-
30
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
tillery. At the same time, lieutenant-colonel Brey man, with his re- giment of Brunswick grenadiers and light infantry, marched down towards Bennington, and took post at Batten Kill, in order, if neces- sary, to support Baum. The latter had received from General Bur- goyne very suitable instructions; he was to exercise extreme caution in the choice of his posts; to have the country diligently explored by the Indians, on the part of Otter Creek, and towards Connecticut river; he was not to allow his regular troops to scatter, but to keep them always in a compact body; he was to march light troops in front and rear of his column, to guard against ambuscades; he was ordered not to hazard dubious rencounters, but if the enemy came upon him in superior force, to take a strong position and intrench himself; he was to give out that the whole army was upon the march for Con- necticut; finally, he was to rejoin the army at Albany. Burgoyne, in order to facilitate this operation, and to hold the republican army in check, moved with all his troops down the left bank of the Hudson, and established his camp nearly opposite to Saratoga, having, at the same time, thrown a bridge of rafts over, by which the advanced corps were passed to that place.
These demonstrations tended to inspire the belief that all the Brit - ish army was about to cross the river, in order to attack the enemy, who still continued to occupy his encampment at Stillwater.
According to the plan which had been traced for him, lieutenant colonel Baum set forward upon his march with equal celerity and caution. He very shortly fell in with a party of the enemy, who were escortiug some cattle and provisions, both of which he took with lit- tle difficulty, and sent back to the camp; but that evil fortune soon began to appear, which had already so fatally retarded the royal ar- my. The want of horses and carriages, and the roads now become heavy and slippery, in consequence of the bad weather, rendered the advance of Baum excessively tedious. Hence the enemy, who stood upon their guard at Bennington, were seasonably informed of his ap- proach. Colonel Stark, who had lately arrived with a corps of mili- tia he had assembled in New Hampshire, commanded in that town. He sent with all speed to request colonel Warner, who, since the de- feat of Hubbardston, had taken post at Manchester, to march to his assistance. All these troops, re-intorced with some of the neghbor-
31
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
ing militia, amounted to about two thousand men. Upon intelli- gence that the enemy approached, Stark detached colonel Gregg upon the look out; supposing at first it might be only a party of savages who were scouring the country. When he had discovered that they were regular troops, he fell back to his principal position at Benning- ton. Lieutenant-colonel Baum, on his part, having learnt that the enemy were too strong to be attacked by his present force without temerity, sent immediately to Breyman, apprising him of his situa- tion, and pressing him to hasten to his succor. In the mean time, he took an excellent post near Santcoic Mills, on the banks of Walloon Creek, about four miles from Bennington, and there intrenched him- self.
But Stark, not choosing to wait for the junction of the two parties, determined to attack him. Accordingly, on the morning of the six- teenth of August, he issued from Bennington, and advanced with his troops divided in several corps, in order to surround the posts of Ba- um, and assault them on all sides at once. The latter, on seeing the Americans approach, persuaded himself that they were bodies of loy- alists coming up to join him. A number of refugees, who made part of his detachment, had prevailed upon an officer, more familiar with arms than with civil contentions, to adopt the absurd hopes and chimerical conceits with which they habitually deceived themselves. Having at length discovered his error, he defended himself with great valor. But such was the impetuosity, and even the superiority of the Americans, that he could not resist them long; having carried all before them, and taken his two pieces of cannon, they poured on ev- ery side into his intrenchments. The savages, Canadians and British marksmen, profiting by their activity, escaped in the woods. The German dragoons still kept together, and when their ammunition was expended, were bravely led by their commander to charge with their swords. But they were soon overwhelmed, and the survivors among whom was their wounded colonel, were made prisoners.
In the mean time, Breyman had set forward from Batten Kill, to the succor of Baum; and although he was on the march by eight in the morning of the fifteenth, had continued it without intermission, and the distance was not over twenty-four miles, yet, so many and so formidable were the impediments he encountered, from the bad- ness of the roads, rendered still more difficult by the continual rain,
32
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
and from the weakness and tiring of horses in getting forward the artil- jery, that he was unable to reach the camp of Baum, till after for- tune had already pronounced in favor of the Americans. It is as- serted that he had received no timely information of the engagement, and that his first knowledge of it was brought by the fugitives. It was four in the afternoon when he appeared before the intrench- ments of Baum, where, instead of meeting his friends, he found his detachment attacked on all sides by enemies. Though his men were excessively fatigued, they defended themselves with great spirit and resolution. As many of the provincial militia had disbanded to pillage, the action was maintained at first with an equality of ad- vantage, and there was even danger that Breyman would recover what Baum had lost.
He had already dislodged the Americans from two or three differ- ent hills on which they had posts, and he pressed them so vigorously that they began to exhibit symptoms of disorder. But the affair soon assumed a quite different aspect; colonel Warner arrived at the head of his regiment of the line, and falling upon the rear of the English and Germans, restored the battle with increase of vehemence. The militia that were dispersed in quest of plunder, on hearing the report of the cannon, immediately rallied. Victory, however, remained doubtful till the dusk of evening; on one side combated valor and discipline, on the other, number and fury.
At length the soldiers of Breyman, overpowered by numbers, hav- ing expended all their ammunition, and lost the two pieces of artillery they had been at such pains to bring with them, began to give ground, and afterwards to break. They abandoned the field of battle, and in the precipitation of their retreat, left in the power of the conqueror all their baggage, a thousand muskets and nearly as many sabres. The obscurity of night covered their retreat. The royalists lost, in these two engagements, seven hundred men, the greater part prison- ers; the number of killed was probably about two hundred. The loss of the republicans was inconsiderable. The congress addressed their public thanks to colonel Stark and the militia who took part in the actions of this day. Stark was moreover promoted to the rank of brigadier general.
(Continued in the next Number )
2
Greenwich
Schuylerville Ds o No
BATT
E
ville
Gales®
KILL
Coveville
North Easton
RIVER
Easton
South
Easton
ob pasquins
Bead le's Corners
Rensselaer Co.
MAP OF EASTON.
Uniono village
33
TOWN OF EASTON
EASTON.
The Town of Easton was taken from Stillwater and Saratoga in 1793. The first settlers, whose names are known were, Killian Deridder, Walter Deridder, Peter Becker, Elijah Freeman, Thomas Beadle, William Thompson, Mishal Beadle, Nathan Potter, John Swain and William Coffin. The town is bounded on the North by the Batten Kill, and the Town of Greenwich, on the East by Jack- son and Cambridge, on the South by Rensselaer Co., and on the West by Hudson River. It is well watered, the surface moderately uneven, and the soil a loam, variously combined with clay and sand of a good quallity. Lime and Cement of a superior quality abound in parts of the Petersborough ridge of mountains, which enters this town and Greenwich; and large quantities are annually manufac- tured. The highest elevation in the town is known as Willard's Peak, which is about 300 feet above the Hudson. From this point the American spies observed the movements of Burgoynes army while encamped at Fish Creek. The farms of this town are well cultivated and as a general rule the farmers are in better circum- stances than those of any other town in the county. There is but very little waste land and nearly every acre is made productive Part of Union Village and Galesville, Boadles Corners, Barker's Grove, Easton and North Easton are the villages of this town. The two first named are described in the Greenwich number of this work, and the remaining settlements will be more fully spokon of in the future pages of the present number. Easton contained according to the last Census a population of 2825 of which 1411 were males and 1414 females. Whole number of acres 28547-amount of corn raised in one year 55884 bushels, Rye 22133, Wheat 1243, Oats 68002 and potatoes 76093.
34
TOWN OF EASTON
SUPERVISORS,
Philip Smith,
1793.
do. 1822.
Stanton Tefft,
1794.
Esek Brownell,
1823.
Thomas Dennis,
1795.
James Tefft,
1824.
do. 1796.
do.
1825.
do.
1797.
do.
1826.
do.
1798.
Gideon Cornell,
1827.
Jonathan Mosher,
1799.
do.
1828.
do.
1800.
Anson Bigelow,
1829.
Daniel Beadle,
1801.
do.
1830.
do.
1802.
John Davenport,
1831.
Hendrick VanSchaick,
1803.
Peleg Thomas, 1832.
do.
1804.
do.
1833.
Daniel Beadle,
1805.
Aaron Barker,
1834.
do.
1806.
Peleg Thomas,
1835.
do.
1807.
do.
1836.
do.
1808.
Aaron Barker,
1837.
John Gale,
1809.
Peleg Thomas,
1838.
Jonathan Mosher,
1810.
do.
1839.
John Gale, do.
1811.
Anson Bigelow, 1840.
do.
1841.
Charles Starbuck, do.
1814.
Allen Gifford, 1843.
Calvin Smith,
1815.
do.
1844.
do.
1816.
Thomas D. Beadle,
1845.
James Mallory,
1817.
do.
1846.
James Tefft,
1818.
Job Eldridge,
1847.
do
1819.
Anson Bigelow, 1848.
Jonathan Mosher,
1820.
Joel Buckley,
1849.
John Davenport,
1821.
TOWN CLERKS.
Richard McOmber
1793.
do. 1794.
Gilbert Gardner, from 1795,
to 1797 inclusive.
William Woolley, from 1798, to 1800, inclusive. Charles Starbuck, from 1801. to 1809, inclusive.
1813.
do.
1842.
1812.
35
TOWN OF EASTON
Jacob Van Buren, from 1810. to 1815, inclusive.
Charles Starbuck,
1816
Philander Tobey, 1817.
Calvin Smith,
1818.
Luke Chapin,
1819.
Calvin Everest,
I820.
Stephen Jackson,
1821.
do.
1822.
Abraham Cornell, from 1823, to 1828, inclusive. Joel Potter, · from 1829, to 1840, inclusive. Russell S. Borden, from 1841. to 1844. inclusive. Alfred Worth, from 1845, to. 1849. inclusive.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Martin Mason,
1829.
William Cozzens, 1840.
Abraham Conklin,
1830.
Royal Slocum, 1841.
Derastus D. Dennis,
1831.
Horace Bigelow, 1842.
Chancellor Ensign,
1831.
Giles Benson, 1843.
James M. Skiff,
1832.
Horatio Emmons, 1843.
Royal Slocum,
1833.
William Cozzens, 1844.
Chancellor Ensign,
1834.
Royal Slocum,
1845.
Isaac Crandall,
1835.
Seneca W. Gifford,
1846.
William Cozzens,
1836.
Horatio Emmons,
1847.
Royal Slocum,
1837.
William Cozzens,
1848.
Horatio Emmons,
1838.
Royal Slocum,
1849.
David Smith,
1839.
EASTON CORNERS
This place is near the centre of the town, and where the town business is generally transacted. North Easton Post-office is located here; Sanford R. Potter P. M.
The following Directory includes the business men near Baker' Hotel and the Presbyterian Meeting house.
DIRECTORY.
HOTELS.
WAGON SHOP.
Lewis Taber. Solomon Baker.
David Harrington.
36
TOWN OF EASTON
SHOE MAKERS.
MERCHANTS.
Jacob Severn. Giles Weeks.
Sanford R. Potter. Alfred Worth. Elijah S. Anthony, (Hardware.)
BLACKSMITHS.
Ezra Burdick. John Hutchinson.
TANNER & CURRIER.
HARNESS MAKER.
James Barr.
TAILOR.
DRESS MAKING.
Thomas Davenport.
Miss Cornell.
BARKER'S GROVE.
Is a new settlement in the southerly part of the town, Easton Post Office is located here, Aaron Barker P. M. About one half mile north is a place known by the name of Bangall which is an old settlement; It is here where the Doctor's Mosher resided until their death, and their families still reside here.
DIRECTORY
HOTEL.
WAGON MAKER.
John C. Bartlett.
Edward Ward.
MERCHANT.
BLACKSMITH.
Ebenezer Allen.
James White.
SHOE MAKER .
Samuel Badger.
About a half mile north of the Grove, and near the residence of the late Doct. Mosher, are the following:
MERCHANTS.
WAGON MAKER.
Eugene Mosher, Jonathan Hoag.
Brice Briggs. PHYSICIAN. Doctor Cole, (Homopathy.
PHYSICIAN.
R. B. Newman.
Joseph Benson.
37
TOWN OF EASTON.
BEADLE'S CORNERS.
Is located two miles east of Barker's Grove, South-Easton Post office is located here, T. D. Beadle P. M. This place is surrounded by a rich farming territory, and contains about 100 inhabitants.
DIRECTORY.
MERCHANT,
PHYSICIAN.
Beadle & Baker.
Asahel Perry.
SHOEMAKER.
COOPER.
Thomas N. Parris.
Nathan Kennerson.
BLACKSMITH8.
CARPENTER & JOINERS.
Enoch Hill,
William P. Sewell.
Russell Davis, Edward Stanton.
At the northerly part of this town near the present residence of Luke Chapin, is a blacksmith's shop carried on by Warren Briggs, also a half mile north on the Galesville road, Messrs. Tobey & Cran- dall carry on the Mercantile business, and at or near the South end of the town on the Schaticoke road, Holder Crandall keeps a Hotel and Store, and there is also a blacksmiths shop owned by Henry Mabb, and a Shoe shop by Hiram Buel.
In describing Union Village in our first number we omitted to no- tice the Furnace of Eddy & Co. It is located in Easton, and is doing an extensive business in casting Plows, Cultivators, Horse Powers, &c. &c., which finds a ready Sale to the Farmers of this and thea adjoining Counties.
P. S. Taylor Carries on the Shoe making business at this place.
The first settlers in addition to those previously named above, on the Hudson River, were the Sheldons, Millers, Winne's, Abeels, Wen dell, Van Buren, Van Schaick, Wright, Vandenburgh, Davenport,
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The first organization of this church was at the South end of the town near Holder Crandalls. Not finding the first record we are obliged to omit it, There is a meeting-house at the above place which
38
TOWN OF EASTON
has been built many years. The first record kept by this church commenced in 1835, at which time the Meeting-house was erected about 3-4 of a mile below Easton Corners.
FIRST TRUSTEES.
PRESENT TRUSTEES.
Sanford R. Benson,
William Read,
John Robinson,
Asa Cogshall,
Ezra Burdick,
William Read,
William Bishop,
Gardner Anthony.
Henry Derby.
The following are the names of the ministers who have been at- tached to the church since 1835.
Rev. Roswell Kelly, Rev. S. S. Simmons,
Tobias Spicer,
66 Benjamin Ayres,
Reuben Wescott,
John Graves,
6. Henry Stead,
Paul P. Atwell,
William W. Pierce, 66 John Harwood.
" Orrin Pier. Parmenas Watts, (assistant.)
Divine service is held once in two weeks at the old church near Crandalls, at the south end of the town.
Present number of Communicants 102.
A new church edifice is now in progress of erection at Easton Corners, which will cost about $1500.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
This Church was organized in the year 1803, and called the Prot- estant Reformed Dutch Church of Easton, under the charge of Rev. Philip Duryea of Saratoga, who occasionally preached until 1817, when he was dismissed. From 1817, to 1820, there was no settled Pastor; though public worship was kept up. In 1820 Rev. Jacob D. Fonda was ordained, and served until 1830, preaching alternately at Union Village, and Easton, he residing at Union Village. In 1832 Rev. John B. Kendall was employed to preach one year. In 1833 Rev. John H. Pitcher was called and installed as Pastor, and preach- ed alternately at this place, and at Buskirks Bridge until 1835, when he was dismissed.
Sanford R. Benson,
-
TOWN OF EASTON
39
In 1838, Rev. Asahel Bronson was called and installed as Pastor, and served until 1840. In 1843, Rev. Ephraim H. Newton was em- ployed to preach one year.
In 1844 Rev. David A. Jones was called and installed as pastor, and served three years and three months, and was dismissed; since which time there has not been a settled minister.
Rev. Philip Duryea now resides in New Jersey, Rev. Jacob D Fonda, in Old Schaticoke, Rev. John B. Kendall, residence unknown, Rev. John H. Pitcher now resides in the town of Jackson near Bat- tenville. Asahel Bronson in Essex Co, E. H. Newton in Cambridge, D. A. Jones in New Scotland, Albany Co.
FIRST ELDERS.
PRESENT ELDERS.
Garret Van Buren, Walter Deridder.
Cornelius Van Buren, Garret G. Vandenburgh. Phineas K. Wells.
FIRST DEACONS.
PRESENT DEACONS.
John Norton, Reuben Wilson.
Daniel W. Abeel,
James Van Buren.
PRESIDENT OF THE CONSISTORY,
Phineas K. Wells.
The first church edifice was built in 1804. Within a few years past it has been repaired and the estimated value is $1000. Number now in Communion 57, The Church building is located a few rods North of Bakers Hotel, North Easton.
QUAKER MEETING.
It appears from the record of this society that it was organized in 1778.
The first, member, Rufus Hall, settled in this town in 1775. Soon after several Friends emigrated from Nantucket, in all, numbering seven Families, and located in this vicinity. The first meeting was held by them soon after, at the house of Zebulon Hoxie, the present residence of Gideon Hoxie. Soon after a log meeting house was built on the site of the present one; Friends moving from other parts increased the society to a very considerable number.
40
TOWN OF EASTON
The present old meeting house was erected in 1787. It is located about two miles east from Barker's corners, and about one mile North ot Beadle & Bakers Store;
The following are the names of the recommended Ministers, and clerks elected, from the organization to the present time.
Rufus Hall,
Robert Nesbitt, Abial Gifford, Joseph Wilbur; all of whom
are dead. The present ones are
Humphra Wilbur,
and John Wilbur 2nd.
CLERKS
Daniel Folger,
Stephen Baker,
Benjamin Starbuck,
Elisha Baker,
Gideon Hoxie,
Allen Wilbur,
Reuben Baker,
George Green,
Samuel Wilbur.
Present number of members 92.
NORTH EASTON BRANCH.
This meeting was organized in 1838.
Among the adult members at that time, were
John Wilbur, Humphra Wilbur,
Andrew Ferguson,
Doras Delevergne ,
Jared Thomas,
Job Wilbur;
Allen Wilbur,
John Wilbur 2nd,
Benjamin Coffin,
Job Wilbur 2nd,
Orrin Buel,
Peleg Wilbur,
Charles G. Haviland
John Wilbur Jr, Jacob Fryer,
Present number of members, including children whose parents have both a right of membership 108,
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