USA > New York > Oneida County > Utica > Historical fallacies regarding colonial New York : an address delivered before the Oneida Historical Society, Utica, N.Y., at its second annual meeting, January 14, 1879 > Part 12
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Colonel Brown was a remarkably sagacious man; and it seems was the first person to detect and comprehend the true character of Arnold.
During the Canadian campaigns he had learned much of Arnold's profligacy, his base arts of dissimulation, his malignant disposition, bis lavish expenditures of money fraudulently obtained, and the shallowness of his patriotism. He regarded him as a second Catiline "who made money his God," and harbored treasonable designs against his country, for he could not fail to discover in the character of Catiline and Arnold many strong points of resemblance.
The historian Sallust in his "Catiline Conspiracy," speaks of the arch Roman traitor in the following terms: "He was of a disposition equally profligate and depraved." "He was expert in all the arts of simulation and dissimulation, and covetous of what belonged to others." "His disposition naturally violent was hurried to the execution of his design by the consciousness of his crime." What the Roman historian said of Catiline proved equally true of Arnold.
BROWN'S IMPORTANT SERVICES DURING THE BURGOYNE CAMPAIGN.
During the early part of the Campaign of Burgoyne, in conse- quence of the plottings of Arnold, Colonel Brown was not engaged in active service, but he could not long remain unemployed while his country was struggling to shake off the yoke of British domination.
He accordingly on his own account raised a regiment of militia, which he hoped in a short time to lead into the service.of his country. The opportunity was soon presented. Colonel Brown was ordered by General Lincoln "to proceed to Lake George and destroy the British stores collected there, and release the American prisoners for whom that port had been made the depot."
This was an enterprise that greatly suited the adventurous spirit of Brown. With a detachment of 500 men he left Pittsfield, and soon reached Pawlet, the headquarters of General Lincoln.
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ADDRESS OF REV. GARRET L. ROOF, D. D.
From Pawlet on the 13th September, 1777, with his usual promptitude, he started on his expedition, and proceeding to the north end of Lake George, from the 13th to the 18th September, he had passed up Lake George, and captured all the outworks between its Northern Landing place and the main Fort at Ticonderoga (including Mount Hope, Mount Defiance, and the old French lines), an armed brig, several gun boats, 200 bateaux, five cannon and small arms in proportion to the number of captured soldiers. He had made 298 prisoners, besides the officers and crews of the Flotilla. IIe had released 100 American soldiers, and retaken the Continental flag which General St. Clair had left behind him at Ticonderoga in his great haste to evacuate that Fortress. The guns at Mount Defiance were then turned upon the Fortress at Ticonderoga, but without a successful result; and an attack made on the 24th on Diamond Island was also unsuccessful. In this expedition with the loss of only three killed and five wounded, Brown had fallen upon the rear of Burgoyne's army, and had virtually cut off his communication with Canada and his means for supplying his troops. This brilliant exploit was regarded as an event of the highest importance by the American army, and was certainly an essential link in the chain of events that soon rendered the surrender of Burgoyne inevitable.
INVASION OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY.
We now pass over a period of about three years in the life of Colonel Brown in which but little is recorded of the nature and scenes of his activities; and find the field of his military operations transferred to the Valley of the Mohawk.
In the fall of 1780, Sir John Johnson resolved upon the destruc- tion of the settlements of the Schoharie and Mohawk valleys. Ilis force consisting of British Regulars, Loyalists, Tories and Indians, numbering one thousand persons, assembled on the Tioga; marched up along the eastern branches of the Susquehanna, and crossed thence to Schoharie, aided much in their progress by the intimate acquaintance of several of the men with the topography
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of the country. They made a desolating march through the most fertile parts of the Schoharie settlements ; and on the 17th October reached Fort Hunter in the Mohawk valley at the confluence of the Schoharie Creek and the Mohawk river. From thence they proceeded towards Caughnawaga ; and on the night of the 18th, bivouacked in the vicinity of " THE NOSE," a point well known through the Mohawk valley.
INDIAN BARBARITIES.
On the memorable night of the 17th and the eventful morning of the 18th October, the devastating march of the enemy pre- sented a spectacle of horror, of which it is impossible to give an adequate description. Both shores of the Mohawk were lighted up by the conflagration of houses, barns and stacks of hay and grain. The abundant crops upon which the commissariat of the illustrious head of the American army largely depended, were laid waste by the ruthless foe. No regard was had by the savages and tories for age, or sex or station, and their deeds of barbarity are written " with the scalping knife and tomahawk in characters of blood." The loud cries of terrified children; the sad moan- ings of aged and helpless men and women, as they saw their once fair homes wrapped in flames and themselves doomed to a fearful death ; the piteous pleadings of mothers for their own lives, and for the lives of their infants, as they lay in their cradles uncon- cious of the cruel fate that awaited them, were alike unheeded by the murderous savage and the unfeeling tory. These events fur- nish as dark a page in the story of human woes as that presented by the massacres at Cherry Valley and Wyoming.
It is difficult even at this day to suppress the feelings of indigna- tion, that will rise in our breasts at the thought of the inhumanity of the British Government in employing savages in the war with the colonists; and in putting into their hands the scalping knife and tomahawk to effect the work of subjugation, and we yet recoil with horror from the words of Lord Suffolk, the British Secretary of State, who declared openly in the House of Lords,
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ADDRESS OF REV. GARRET L. ROOF, D. D.
that " the measure" for the employment of savages "allowable on principle."
Soon after the news of the invasion of Schoharie reached Governor Clinton at Albany, in obedience to orders, General Robert Van Rensselaer, who commanded the Claverack, Albany and [Schenectady militia, started in the pursuit of the invading army. On the night of the 18th October, he encamped (as stated by the author of The Life of Brandt,) at "VAN Eps " now Fultonville, about nine miles, or (as stated by the author of The Frontiersmen of New York,) on a hill near "The STANTON PLACE," in the present town of Florida, about fourteen or fifteen mfiles cast of the enemy's encampment.
General Van Rensselaer now learning that Fort Paris, at Stone Arabia, was to be assaulted on the next morning by Johnson's forces, dispatched a messenger to the commander of the fort with orders for him to march out on the morning of the 19th, at nine o'clock, and attack the invaders, while at the same time he would assist him by falling upon the rear of the enemy.
BROWN COMMANDER OF FORT PARIS.
Colonel John Brown was now in the command of Fort Paris with a force of two hundred and fifty, or (as stated by the author of The History of Pittsfield,) of three hundred men consisting rostly of New England Levies. This number comprised a few militiamen and volunteers from Palatine and the adjoining towns. Colonel Brown had a few weeks previously been at Albany, and while there, was offered the command of Fort Paris, which he readily accepted. The Fort was situated about three miles north of the Mohawk river, and the present village of Palatine Bridge.
BATTLE OF STONE ARABIA.
Early on the morning of the 19th October, Sir John Johnson, with his army, forded the Mohawk at KEATOR's RIFTs, near the present village of Spraker's Basin; and then made a desolating
was
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march in the direction of Stone Arabia with the intention of attacking Fort Paris.
The hour had now nearly arrived when the little band of Colonel Brown, in pursuance of the orders of General Van Rens- selaer was to march out of the Fort to meet the enemy. It is relate l, that at about this time several of Brown's officers remon - strated with him against the ordered movement, regarding it as exceedingly injudicious ; and that one of the men, well known as as a brave soldier, addressed the commander in language of solemn warning, and recited the particulars of a remarkable dream that occurred to him on the night of the 18th, full of fearful fore- bodings. But the brave Colonel, it seems, had little faith in dreams or supernatural apparitions. No evil genius had appeared to him on the previous night, as is related to have appeared to Marcus Brutus on a certain night before the memorable battle on the plains of Philippi.
And ever prompt in obeying the orders of his superior officer, he gave no further heed to the soldier's dream, than did the first and greatest of the Cæsars to the dream of his wife, Calpur- nia, or to the vaticinations of the soothsayer forewarning him of danger on the Ides of March.
DEATH OF COLONEL BROWN.
Everything being in readiness, at nine o'clock in the morning of the 19th October, Colonel Brown and his men sallied forth from Fort Paris to meet the enemy.
They marched towards Fort Keyser, a little stockade situated a mile and a half from the Mohawk river, which stockade they soon passed. After they had proceeded a short distance further one of Colonel Brown's volunteers discovered an Indian (who was less wary than others of his tribe) pursuing two women as they were fleeing from their homes. The Indian discharged his musket at one of the women. The woman fell, and as he ran to scalp her the fire of the brave volunteer brought the savage to the earth.
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ADDRESS OF REV. GARRET L. ROOF, D. D.
A destructive fire was then opened upon the soldiers of Brown, which though returned by them with great spirit, was on account of their exposed condition less effective than that of the enemy. Brown maintained his position for a time with his characteristic bravery; but finding eventually, that he was attacked by over- whelming numbers, who were gaining upon his flank, and that the army of Van Rensselaer did not come up as promised to assist. him in the battle, he ordered a retreat, when he was shot through the heart by a musket ball from the enemy and fell lifeless to the earth.
Colonel Brown, according to tradition, was mounted during the engagement on a black horse and fell about one hour after he had left the Fort. With his fine person, his official uniform, and his superior military bearing, he was a conspicuous mark for the muskets of the British Regulars and Indians. He fell in battle on the very day he attained the age of thirty-six years, so that the anniversary of his birth was also the day of his death. The sav- ages, while his life blood was yet oozing warm from his heart, gathered around his body making the place hideous with their exultant yells. They tore off his scalp. They stripped his body of every article of clothing except his ruffled shirt, and then left his body where it had fallen in this bloody encounter.
About forty-five of Colonel Brown's men were slain and scalped. The remainder of his troops, overpowered by numbers, dispersed and sought safety in flight. A few of his men fled towards Fort Rensselaer, a pallisaded stone house, on the south side of the Mo- hawk river, yet standing in Canajoharie. village. Others found place of concealment in the adjoining woods. It is related that six of the men took shelter behind a large rock from which they continued to discharge their muskets at the enemy until all of the men were slain.
We have not sufficient data on which we can form a reliable estimate of the number of Johnson's men that fell during the engagement. We have traditions however, that of the British Regulars a few then fought their last battle ; that of the savages a
B
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much larger number then for the last time sounded the hideous war-whoop, and that of the Tories not a few were then doomed to " Go down To the vile earth from whence they sprung, Unwept, unhonored and unsung."
After the battle, the army of Johnson was divided into small bands which marched through Stone Arabia during the afternoon engaged in the further destruction of the settlements. Several of them were composed mostly of Tories and Indians, incarnate devils, who delighted in deeds of murder and laughed at the shrieks of the victims of their cruelty. These bands continued their work of devastation and death until they were reunited by Johnson, who then marched them to the river road east of the Garoga Creek.
The enemy were hardly out of sight when four young militia- men, who had escaped the scalping knives and tomahawks of the savages, came out of their lurking-places, took up the body of their fallen commander, and bore it in their arms to Fort Keyser, which had not been assaulted by the enemy. On the next day the bodies of Colonel Brown and the soldiers killed in the engage- ment, mostly of the New England Levies, were buried in a pit near Fort Paris. Two or three days afterwards the pit was opened, and the body of Colonel Brown was removed to a place of interment about three hundred yards west of the Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia ; and there now repose the remains of one of the noblest and bravest defenders of the Mohawk valley.
"New England's dead! New England's dead! On every hill they lie; * * * % *
Each valley where the battle pour'd Its red and awful tide,
Beheld the brave New England sword With slaughter deeply dyed.
Their bones are on the northern hill And on the southern plain;
By brook and river, lake and rill - And by the roaring main."
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ADDRESS OF REV. GARRET L. ROOF, D. D.
It may be supposed here that Colonel Brown did not exercise a proper degree of caution while marching down towards the Mohawk river to attack the enemy, and was therefore ambuscaded by the Indians, as was the imperious Braddock near the Fords of the Monongahela, or as was the brave and heroic Herkimer at the Battle of Oriskany. The wily Indians, who thought nothing prop- erly done, unless done by stratagem; whose art of war consisted chiefly of the "art of surprise," whose crafty spirits forbade them from engaging in open warfare with an opposing force, and who regarded the scalp as their most valuable trophy, in great wariness had lain in ambush for the detachment of Colonel Brown. It would hardly be proper at this late day, with the somewhat con- flieting statements of the survivors of this engagement, and when we have to rely so much on tradition, to employ words of censure against Colonel Brown for his conduct on the morning of the 19th October. His movements hitherto had been characterized by good judgment and a commendable degree of circumspectness. His march after sallying forth from Fort Paris was through a sec- tion of country yet densely covered with woods, passing through which he would be greatly exposed to the perils of ambuscade.
GENERAL VAN RENSSELAER'S DILATORY MOVEMENTS.
He had every reason to believe that General Van Rensselaer would be present, as promised, with his forces and fall upon the rear of the enemy. But General Van Rensselaer, for some cause that has never yet been explained, failed to come up to the support of Colonel B own, and it is quite obvious that he was not like the gallant Hotspur, impatient for the fight. Early in the evening of the 18th October, he was probably not more than aine, and certainly not more than fifteen miles from the enemy's encamp- ment. He had a force about double that of the enemy, and as the enemy's force did not move during the night of the 18th, General Van Rensselaer could easily have overtaken the invaders before they reached the battle-field. A competent, a prompt and an intrepid
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commander would have done so, and thus averted the fall of Brown and the loss of a part of his heroic band. This was the concurrent opinion, so far as known, of the survivors of the battle. But this commander, instead of advancing with all due promptness to the relief of Colonel Brown, moved along tardily in the direction of the enemy's forces and arrived at Canajoharie, nearly opposite to, and about two miles distant from the battle-ground, while the shrill war ery of the savages engaged in deeds of blood could yet be heard, and while the hills of Palatine were yet reverberating with the roar of musketry. It does not appear that General Van Rensselaer made any effort during the morning of the 19th to cross over to the north side of the Mohawk with his troops, but he suc- ceeded, according to several accounts, in reaching Fort Plain, three miles west of Canajoharie, in time to accept an invitation to dine with a military friend. If we may charitably suppose that he pur- posed, on the morning of the engagement, to move with all due speed to the support of Colonel Brown, yet it is certain he "made haste slowly." It is due, however, to the memory of General Van Rensselaer to state that at a court of inquiry, held at Albany on the 12th March, 1781, he was exonerated from all blame for his con- duct on the 19th day of October, 1780. But that court, like all other earthly tribunals, was by no means infallible, and its decis- ion was not only non-concurred in by a majority of his cotempora- ries, but has since been completely reversed by the judgment of posterity.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS.
Colonel Brown had a noble person, was an accomplished scholar, fond of elegant literature, and gifted with talents of a high order. He was pure in his morals, winning in his address, and greatly respected and beloved by the officers of the American army. One of his most attached friends was the lamented Montgomery. Hay- ing engaged early in life in the service of his country, at his coun- try's call he was ready to march to battle and to death. He was as true a patriot as ever raised his voice, and as intrepid a soldier
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ADDRESS OF REV. GARRET L. ROOF, D. D.
as ever drew his sword in the defense of liberty. IIe did not live to see the united colonies enrolled among the free and independent nations of the earth, but he knew much of American prowess, for he had been in the storm and tempest of battle, and never doubted the final triumph of the American arms. He had an active mind, a chivalric nature, and a passionate fondness for adventurous enter- prises. His remarkable geniality of disposition often led him to indulge in pleasantries, and he was inclined to be very observant of whatever in this world was rare and peculiar.
Lossing in his Field Book of the Revolution relates the follow- ing occurrence: "While on his way to the Mohawk river, Colonel Brown called on Ann Lee, the founder of the sect of American Shakers, and told her by way of pleasantry that on his return he would join her society. A fortnight after he fell in battle two members of the society waited on his widow, and told her that her husband in spirit had joined mother Ann; and that he had given express directions for her to become a member of the society. But his widow was not to be duped by their representations, and bade them begone." If Colonel Brown really had the interview referred to with mother Ann, how little was he then aware that he was so soon to be numbered with the martyr-heroes of the Mohawk Valley.
MONUMENT TO COLONEL BROWN.
On the 19th day of October, 1836, fifty-six years after the death of Colonel Brown a monument was erected by filial piety over his remains, which, (as already stated), were deposited a few days after the battle in a place of interment a little west of the Reformed Dutch Church of Stone Arabia. A son of Colonel Brown, (Henry Brown), then sheriff of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, a gentleman of dignified presence, and said to bear a strong personal resemblance to his father, was present on the occasion, but died soon afterwards, leaving to a large circle of relatives and friends an honorable record and an unsullied name.
- Ak
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The monument bears the following inscription :
" IN MEMORY OF COL. JOHN BROWN,
WHO WAS KILLED IN BATTLE ON THE 19TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 1780,
AT PALATINE, IN THE COUNTY OF MONTGOMERY. AGED 36."
After the ceremony of raising the monument, a sermon was preached by the Reverend Abraham N. Van Horne, of Caughna- waga. And very appropriately was this aged and respected clergymau called at this time to officiate, for he had conducted the religious services (from 1795 to 1832), in the Stone Church at that place, the same venerable structure in which Colonel Brown was a worshipper when a practicing lawyer in this valley. The sermon was followed by an address from him, who then spoke (as he this evening, after the elapse of so many years, again speaks) of the memorable events that occurred in the Mohawk valley in the fall of 1780; and your speaker yet well remembers how deep were the emotions of the dutiful son as he stood by the grave of his honored father, and in the exercise of filial love and piety paid to his memory the tributary tear.
The presence of the son of Colonel Brown, and also of a few of the brave volunteers, survivors of the battle of Stone Arabia, added much to the interest of the occasion. These volunteers were then octogenarians, or what is more probable, each of them had then attained an age exceeding that of four score years.
They never spoke of their former commander, but with feelings of deep emotion. Ilis manly and soldierly bearing; his uniform kindness to his men, and his words of patriotic cheer as they were about to march against the invaders, were to them ever welcome themes in their declining years, and seemed to be ever fresh in their memories.
I trust it will be pardonable in me in this connection to present a few passages from the address (already referred to) delivered on the occasion of the erection of the monument to Colonel Brown. "I now see before me a little remnant of those intrepid spirits who
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ADDRESS OF REV. GARRET L. ROOF, D. D.
fought in the memorable engagement of October 19th, 1780. Fifty-six years ago this day, led on by your gallant commander, you battled with greatly superior numbers, consisting of British Regulars, loyalists and savages.
" Venerable patriots ! We bid you welcome here this day. In the name of our country, we thank you for the services you rend- ered her in the darkest days of the Revolution. Be assured they will be held in grateful remembrance while the Mohawk shall continue to wind its course through yonder rich and fertile valley. They will be the theme of praise, long after the marble erected this day to the memory of your brave commander, shall have crumbled to dust. Look! look around you ! The field ! the field is before us on which the heroic Brown poured out his life blood in the defense of his country's liberties. You fought by his side. You saw him as he fell in battle with his face to the foe. You bore his bleeding and lifeless body from the battle field. With gentle hands, and sorrowing hearts you committed his remains to the earth and
"Carved not a line and raised not a stone, But left him alone in his glory."
At the Berkshire jubilee, held at Pittsfield, August 23, 1844, Governor Briggs, of Massachusetts, in referring to Colonel Brown, said : "You know the history of John Brown. IIe sleeps at Stone Arabia where he fell in that murderous attack of the Indians upon the Mohawk. And he sleeps not there alone. Many a Berkshire boy fell with him. From our little sister town of Lanesborough three of her sons perished in that bloody conflict. Many a Berk- shire mother's heart sunk within her at the news of that day's work."
CONCLUSION.
In bringing this imperfect account of the civil and military career of Colonel Brown to a close, I may add very briefly :
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The beautiful and magnificent valley of the Mohawk is well known historic ground, for its battle fields have been signalized by martial achievements, that have conferred lasting renown upon the country. Its soil has been baptized with the blood, and consecrated by the ashes of Revolutionary patriots, among whom, Colonel Brown deserves conspicuous mention. The citizens of this valley will ever delight to do honor to his memory, and the sad story of his death on the battle field of Stone Arabia, will never be told without awakening in their bosoms greater love for their native land, and for the institutions of their fathers. They will ever speak gratefully of him who at the time of our country's tribulation left his home in New England, to engage in deadly strife with savages along the Mohawk, and fell while nobly battling in the cause of liberty.
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