Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 71

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- [from old catalog] comp; Horton, William H., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers and binders
Number of Pages: 1384

USA > New York > Jefferson County > Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890 > Part 71

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477

TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD.

June 11, 1883, Clark & Robbins's grain warehouse, filled with grain, was discovered on fire at 3 o'clock a. m. This valuable and useful storehouse was fired by the fiend, no doubt, who delights in flames and destruction. Can it be that in quiet villages that a nihilistic spirit has found growth with mal- ice and hatred toward enterprising neighbors, such as is exhibited in popu - lous cities ?

January 3, 1886, a disastrous fire was well under way in the unoccupied annex to Gladwin's brick building, on Main street, when discovered. For- merly it faced on Main street, and here Mr. George Camp started the Sack- ets Harbor Gazette, in March, 1817. Stokes's hardware store and dwelling and Robbins's block, corner of Ogden and Main streets, with Lane's dry goods below, offices and Ontario Hall above were burned, with Gladwin's, northerly, Dennison's malt-house, and McEvoy's grocery and provision store. With the aid of the 12th Regiment command at Madison Barracks working the brake engine a wood two-story building was saved intact, though only 18 inches from the malt-house, and exposed to six window openings in its walls, from which came an intense heat.

May 29, 1886, the historic warehouse built by the United States navy dur- ing the War of 1812, as a storehouse for its fleet, was burned. It had served many purposes in civil life-a bethel house for seamen, 1828 ; " Knicker- bocker bowling alley" and sail loft ; Hooker & Hopkins, forwarding mer- chants ; steam flouring-mill ; again, warehouse and sail loft, which last was converted into a skating rink. At the date mentioned Mr. Eveleigh per- mitted an embryo band to practice in it evenings. During the night it burned, no doubt by carelessness on the part of the band. In March, 1888, Mr. Horace Payne's store and fine dwelling house on Main street were de- stroyed. Fire started in the store part, occupied by Mr. Jones, soon after closing business at night. Here was another well contested battle with the fiery element, this time aided by the 1 1th United States Infantry at the brakes. A two-story dwelling, only two feet away, was saved with no damage to it whatever.

The last and most severe fire since 1843 occurred August 11, 1889, begin- ning in the Boulton store adjoining the malt-house walls, where the fire of Jan - uary, 1886, was stopped. The building was unoccupied, and its burning is plainly considered by the inhabitants of incendiary origin. That and McEvoy's grocery and provision store north of Railroad street, north, Conlin's grocery and provision store, Hasting's saloon, Clark & Bowe's fish-house and office, railroad passenger and ticket office, telegraph and telephone offices on Main street, Ira Rowlson's clothing store and dwelling, M. Jeffrey's store, dwelling, and boat-house, A. J. Drake's feed store and dwelling, Maddigan's saloon and dwelling, Hemans's (McGuire block) saloon and dwelling, Eveleigh's stone stores,-hardware and meat market,-with extensive warehouse con- taining grain and deposited valuables ; crossing Ray street slip : Hooker & Crane's store and warehouse of 1812, custom-house, market house, and town

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TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD.

hall-all were burned. Mr. Eveleigh had been in possession of the navy warehouse, custom-house, and Hooker & Crane's building some years. They faced the market and Town Hall square. About these historic buildings are clustered associations that have found echo in many a wanderer from the parent hearth. Scenes of civic and national character enacted about them have stirred their manly hearts to deeds of devotion and love for country, in whatever clime they have taken up their abode.

An incendiary effort was made to burn Mr. Eveleigh's hotel some years since. Had it been accomplished the village would have been annihilated. Fire was seen by the Masons, on leaving their lodge, breaking out from the attic. By their activity in getting the hose into the building, and a stream directly upon the fire, the calamity was averted. The wind was blowing a gale in a direction to have soon made any efforts perfectly futile. Some one had saturated the rafters with kerosene, leaving a partly-filled bottle unused, which remained to " point a moral and adorn a tale."

The recent purchase of a steam engine may give a feeling of more security, but the fiend who delights in flames and destruction can find opportunities enough to gratify his hellish propensities.

MILITARY.

The first record we find of any " materials of war " being necessary at Sackets Harbor was in 1808-09, when Capt. William P. Bennett, with a part of a company of artillery, and Lieutenant Cross, with a few infantry, were stationed here to enforce the embargo of 1808. On the Ist of June, 1812, President Madison sent a message to Congress on the subject of the aggres- sions of Great Britain, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Re- lations in the House of Representatives, who, on June 3, reported a mani- festo as the basis of a declaration of war. The House adopted the measure by a vote of 79 to 49, and the Senate by a vote of 19 to 13 ; and on June 18, 1812, the President signed the act declaring war.

At this time the United States possessed almost no means of defense on the frontier. Sackets Harbor was the most important point on Lake Onta- rio. It was the headquarters of the northern division of the American fleet, and here were fitted out the expeditions against Toronto (then York), Fort George, etc., and the unfortunate enterprise under General Wilkinson in the fall of 1813. It was twice attacked by the British, who were repulsed, the last time (known to history as the battle of Sackets Harbor) with a loss of 150 men. The first attack on this village, which was also the first battle of the war, was on a Sunday morning on the 19th of July, 1812. Captain Wool- sey, who had command of the brig Oneida, which was stationed here, sighted from his mast-head a British fleet of five vessels (carrying an aggregate of 80 guns) bearing towards the Harbor. Col. Christopher P. Bellinger was sta- tioned here with a body of drafted three-months' militia to enforce the em-

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TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD.

bargo. Captain Elisha Camp, the then principal personage here, foreseeing the danger of invasion from the British in Canada, had formed an artillery company and offered their services to General Brown. A thirty-two-pounder gun, which had been intended for the armament of the Oneida, but which proved too large for that vessel, and which had long been lying in the mud near by and was named the Old Sow,* had been placed in Fort Tompkins. Guns of less degree, taken from the brig, were planted here and there, and with the Oneida, stationed in the harbor with her broadside of nine guns to the approaching fleet, constituted all the organized force in readiness for the proper reception of the hostile Sunday morning callers. The British ex- pected little or no resistance, and threatened to burn the town if a shot were fired. The first shot from the thirty-two-pounder called forth shouts of derision from the British marines. William Vaughan worked the gun on this occasion, and as the government failed to provide thirty-two-pound balls, he paid his compliments with twenty-four-pound balls wrapped in strips of car- pet torn from the floors of their homes by the patriotic women of the village.

Lossing's Empire State relates the following incident of this battle :---

"The flag-ship of the attacking squadron was the Royal George [26 guns, 260 men]. When the vessels were near enough for action, the battle was begun by a shot from the big iron cannon on shore. It was harmless, and drew peals of laughter from the erew of the flag- ship, followed by two shots. Firing was kept up for about two hours, the squadron standing off and on, out of range of the smaller guns. Most of the enemy's shot had fallen against the rocks below the battery. At length a thirty-two-pound ball came over the bluff, struck the carth, and plowed a deep furrow. It was picked up by a sergeant, who ran with it to Captain Vaughan, who was in command of the Old Sow, exclaiming:

"' I've been playing ball with the red-coats, and have canght them ont. See if the British can catch back again!'

"The ball exactly fitted the old cannon, while those which had been sent did not. At that moment the Royal George was nearing to give a broadside, when the big gun sent back the captive ball with such foree and precision that it struck the flag-ship's stern, raked her completely, sent splinters high on her mizzen top-sail, killed fourteen men, and wounded eighteen.

"The flag-ship had already reecived a shot that went through her side, and another between wind and water. Two other vessels had been severely crippled, and a signal for re- treat was speedily given. The squadron sailed out on the lake while the band on the shore played 'Yankee Doodle' in the liveliest manner, and the soldiers and citizens cheered the retreating enemy in their departure."

And thus ended the first regular battle of the War of 1812, in which, it has been facetiously said, the British " broke nothing but the Sabbath."

[NOTE .- The commander of the defeated squadron was Sir James Lucas Yeo, who had the reputation of boasting and promising more than he could perform; and his actions on more than one occasion tended to the belief that he was not as brave as he should have been. He died in England in 1819 .- EDITOR. ]

* Abont 1851 the Old Sow was sold, with other government stores, to G. Lord, of Watertown. Rosselle Bingham, of New Bremen, bought it of Mr. Lord to celebrate the breaking of ground for the Sackets Harbor and Saratoga Railroad. Afterwards Bingham sold it to W. L. Babcock, of Lowville, and from that place it was taken to Turin, Lewis County, where it is now used for Fourth of July celebrations and other holidays, also by the different political parties to celebrate their victories.

480

TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD.

Soon after the successful descent upon York, described in the County Chapter of this work, in which the commander of the expedition, General Pike, was killed by the explosion of a magazine, the enemy, knowing that Sackets Harbor had been weakened by the withdrawal of a large portion of Chauncey's squadron with the land troops to Niagara, resolved to attempt the capture of the post. May 27, 1813, the commander of the British squad- ron, Sir James Yeo, sailed from Kingston with six armed vessels and o batteaux, carrying more than a thousand land troops, the whole armam. it under the command of Sir George Prevost, the governor-general. At this time Fort Tompkins was manned by about 200 dismounted dragoons, under Col. Backus, a detachment of 40 or 50 artillerists, under Lieutenant Ketchu.n, and a few infantry invalids and recruits. Brigadier-General Brown, who was at his home in Brownville, had been ordered by General Dearborn to assume command of the post, but out of consideration for Col. Backus he had not yet done so.

On Friday, May 28, in the morning, the schooner Lady of the Lake, that had been cruising in the vicinity, came in and reported that the enemy was approaching with a formidable fleet. Col. Backus at once dispatched an express to General Brown, who immediately repaired to the place and assumed command. Signal guns were fired and messengers sent in all direc- tions to rally the neighboring militia, and especially to hasten the arrival of Col. Tuttle, who was advancing with several hundred regulars. The militia on their arrival were sent to Horse Island, about a mile distant from the vil- lage, where it was supposed the invaders would first attempt to land. No landing was attempted on the 28th, Sir George, who was a timid man, being alarmed by the appearance of a fleet of barges from Oswego, bearing part of a regiment of infantry under Col. Aspinwall to reinforce the garrison at the Harbor. Seven of these barges got safely into port, and 12 were taken by the enemy after their crews had deserted them and fled to the woods, arriving at their destination about nine o'clock that evening.

After Sir George had slept and infused courage from the capture of the barges, on the morning of the 29th he landed a considerable force, with artillery, upon Horse Island. During the night about 40 Indians, under Lieut. Anderson, had landed on the main land in Henderson Bay, with a view of attacking the rear of the militia. The American militia were called from the island and placed behind a gravel-ridge on the main land. They were " about 600 in number, fresh from their homes, and without discipline, experience, or organization, and although not wanting in courage or patriot- ism, yet lacked that assurance which an acquaintance with military affairs alone can confer. These, with about 300 regulars and 100 of Aspinwall's party, comprised the force by which the enemy were to be opposed." *

" The night was spent by General Brown in making disposition for thie

* Hough.

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TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD.

attack. Colonel Mills, with about 400 militia, was stationed with a six- pounder near the shore opposite the island, with orders to reserve their fire until the enemy should approach within pistol shot. Colonel Greshom Tut- tle, with the remainder of the militia, was posted in the edge of the woods back of the clearing, and Colonel Backus, with his dismounted dragoons, was stationed in the skirt of the woods near the village, with orders to advance through the woods to Horse Island the moment it was known that the enemy had landed. Colonel Aspinwall, with his men, was posted to the left of Backus ; and the artillerists, under Lieutenant Ketchum, were stationed in Fort Tompkins with no other armament than a thirty-two-pounder mounted on a pivot. The militia on the shore were directed that, in case of being driven from their position, they should fall back into the woods and annoy the right flank of the enemy as he advanced towards the village. Col. Tuttle was directed, in the same event, to attack their rear and destroy their boats.

" The morning of the 29th dawned beautifully clear and calm. Not a breath of air ruffled the placid surface of the lake. * The calm pre- vented the enemy from bringing their vessels to cooperate in the attack, and was one of the causes that influenced their subsequent retreat. As soon as it was light the enemy were seen approaching in 33 large boats, under cover of gun-boats, directing their course to the outside of the island, where they landed and formed without opposition ; but in crossing the bar that connected it with the main land they encountered a galling fire, and lost several in killed and wounded, which they subsequently carried off. As the landing was being effected the heavy gun in Fort Tompkins was brought to bear with consider- able effect upon the enemy's column.

" The fire of the militia was at first well directed and deadly, and was answered by discharges of musketry, and by two small cannon loaded with grape shot ; but Colonel Mills, who was stationed a short distance towards the village, with his cannon, fell early in the engagement, and his death, with the unaccustomed whistling of balls that cut down the branches of trees around them, struck with terror the inexperienced militia, and without wait- ing to return the fire or recover from the panic they turned and fled towards the town in the greatest confusion. This retreat was not entirely general. Capt. Samuel McNitt, who had been stationed with his company on the extreme left of the flanking party of the militia, not noticing the movements of his comrades, continued his firing after some moments longer, and before he was aware he found himself and his party alone, and in danger of being cut off by the enemy. General Brown, finding himself nearly alone, with no support but his company, retired toward the village, directing those that could be rallied to annoy the advancing column of the enemy as much as possible. The enemy, having gained the beach and dispersed the militia, formed in good order and marched toward the town.

" They were soon met by the troops of Colonel Backus, who had advanced to dispute their progress, and who gallantly encountered and returned their

31*

482

TOWN OF HOUNSFIEL.D.

fire, retiring slowly before them through the half-cleared woods. General Brown had succeeded in rallying about a hundred militia, with the aid of Caleb Westcott, a citizen, and others, and had joined the detachment of Backus ; but at this juncture, happening to look towards the ship yard, he was surprised to see huge volumes of smoke issuing from the storehouses that con- tained the spoils of York. Not knowing but that the enemy might have gained his rear, he hastened to the spot and ascertained that the disastrous panic of the militia had been communicated to those in charge, and a report had reached Lieutenant Chauncey, of the navy, that all was lost, and upon the faith of this rumor he had given orders to fire the buildings, an act which the most extreme and desperate issue of affairs alone could justify. Learn- ing the cause of the conflagration, and somewhat relieved by the knowledge that the enemy were still on but one side, he returned, giving directions to Lieut. Ketchum, in Fort Tompkins, to maintain that post as long as the heat of the flames would permit. The regulars of Col. Backus felt their courage renewed upon learning the nature of the accident that had given a natural alarm, and continued steadily to oppose the advance of the enemy, who had now gained the clearing next the village. Very soon after, Col. Backus fell, mortally wounded, and was borne off the field ; his troops taking. possession of some log barracks, and continuing their resistance.

" The enemy had throughout evinced great courage and coolness, and were under the immediate command of Captain Gray, of the quartermaster-gen- eral's department, who was advancing in front of the ranks, and walking backwards, waving his sword for his troops to follow, and shouting, ' Come on, boys; the day is ours ! Remember York !' when he suddenly fell, wounded, and immediately expired.

" At this moment the signal for retreat was given from the fleet, and the enemy hastily retreated to their boats. This retreat is said to have been in part caused by hearing a report of small arms on the right, from the rallied militia, but which the enemy mistook for a reinforcement of 450 regulars, which they had learned was advancing under Colonel Tuttle, and was then within a mile of the place. Their arrival would at once put an end to the contest by giving us the advantage of numbers. The enemy on their retreat removed a part of their wounded, and, having reembarked, they, at about 10. o'clock, sent a flag demanding a surrender of the place which they had been unable to capture, and were of course refused. They, however, were prom- ised that decent attention should be paid to the dead and humane treatment to the wounded. They shortly after sent another flag requesting to send surgeons to their wounded, which was denied, as they seemed not to have abandoned the attack, and were laying by in their barges; but shortly after they put off to the fleet, which lay about five miles from the town, and made sail for Kingston. Both Sir George Prevost and Sir James Yeo are said to have landed during the engagement.

" The loss of the British was 150 killed and wounded ; 25 of their privates

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TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD.

were found dead, two captains and 20 privates were wounded, and, including the wounded, two captains, one ensign, and 32 privates were taken prisoners. Our loss was 150 killed, wounded, and missing. The enemy took a few prisoners, and one man was found in the woods killed and scalped by the Indians.

" The flames of the burning stores were subdued as quickly as possible, but not till they had consumed half a million of dollars' worth of property. The ship Pike, then on the stocks, was saved. The prize schooner, the Duke of Gloucester, was saved by Lieutenant Talman, of the army, who boarded it, extinguishing the fire, and brought her from under the flames of the storehouses. This heroic conduct will be appreciated when it is known that a large quantity of gunpowder was on board. The schooners Fair America and Pert cut their cables and retreated up the river, and several of the guns on Navy Point were spiked. Had it not been for this disastrous mistake our success would have been complete. Colonel Backus survived eight days, and hopes of his recovery were entertained, but mortification supervened."-Hough's History of Jefferson County.

During the exciting times of the war about a dozen military executions took place here for repeated desertion, with the effect of increasing the evil and gaining for the malefactors the sympathy of their comrades and of civil- ians. Many of the cases were of young men from New England, who left sisters, mothers, and sweethearts, and enlisted in the heat of political excite- ment and found themselves, after the romance of war had faded, subjected to severe hardships and severer discipline, even cruelty, ill clad, ill fed, and sometimes without shelter. Perhaps some should have suffered the penalty; but the majority of them should have been forgiven and treated with con- sideration and charity. These executions generally took place in the rear of the village, where the graves were dug. "The brutality of officers was in some cases excessive ; the most extreme cases of corporeal punishment being inflicted from the slightest causes, or from mere caprice; and such was some- times the bitterness of men towards officers that in one case it is said a capt- ain durst not lead his company in an action for fear of being shot by his own men."

The shedding of blood was not all done in battle. Public opinion was not then so pronounced against dueling as now, and the several duels that were fought here attracted little attention. On June 13, 1818, one was fought with muskets, near Madison Barracks, by two corporals of the 2d Regt. U. S. Inf., which resulted in the instant death of one of the participants.

Soon after the battle of May, 1813, a breast-work of logs and earth was built along the water-front of the village, one end touching the bay about half way between the harbor and Horse Island, and the other at the site of Madison Barracks ; but no opportunity was ever afforded for testing these defenses, as Sackets Harbor was never again attacked.

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TOWN OF HOUNSFIELD.

Madison Barracks .- After " grim visag'd war had smooth'd his wrinkled front " the government, recognizing the importance of Sackets Harbor as a military post, in 1816-19 erected Madison Barracks at a cost of about $85,000 .* Regarding the history of this interesting military reservation no better authority is desired than the Medical History of the Post, a finely exe- cuted document in the possession of the surgeon in charge (to whom the writer is indebted for favors), from which we quote :-

" Excepting a short distance in front of the parade, the land overlooks the water by a perpendicular bluff of limestone. Originally a deep valley filled · with cedars occupied a portion of the parade. This was filled, and the rough place in front was sloped off, and the boundary of the parade towards the water was secured by a stone wall, brought up as high as the plane of the parade, the surface of which was allowed to slope gently from the officers, quarters towards the water. The reservation contains 394 acres, purchased in parcels at different dates as required, from July 1, 1813, to March 28, 1817. The reservation is in the form of an irregular four-sided figure, with gates for footmen and vehicles on the southern and southwestern sides. About a third of the water-front is occupied by Fort Pike, an ordinary earth breast-work and water-battery, erected in 1812."

The principal buildings on the reservation are the officers' and men's quarters, guard-house, hospital, the quartermaster's and commissary's store- houses, which are constructed of stone, and the administraton building, ice- house, etc., which are of wood. The officers' quarters consist of two rows of buildings (one part being now in course of construction), each 217 by 33 feet. The men's quarters are also two rows of buildings, one on each side of the parade, running northwest, at right angles to the officers' quarters. Each row is 452 feet long, 23 feet wide, and two stories high. The hospital is at the northwestern limit of the reservation, about 50 feet from the water. This building, which is nearly square, with wings on the north and south, has recently been subjected to a thorough renovation and extensive repairs. The cemetery, which comprises about three acres, will be mentioned later. Con- tinuing to quote from the Medical History :-

" The plan of the buildings was drawn by William Smith. Great irregu- larity seems to have been practiced in the expenditure of public funds dur- ing the construction of this place, by the issue of due-bills for labor, which for a long time had but little value, and in consequence great fraud was put upon some of the contractors, ; which was in some measure remedied by an act of Congress, passed in 1836, ' for the relief of Jesse Smith and others.' In the fall of 1816 the men's quarters were so far completed

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Geographical gazetteer of Jefferson county, N.Y. 1684-1890, Part 71

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- [from old catalog] comp; Horton, William H., [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers and binders Number of Pages: 1384

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- [from old catalog] comp; Horton, William H., [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers and binders
Number of Pages: 1384