USA > New York > Chautauqua County > Portland > Historical sketches of the town of Portland : comprising also the pioneer history of Chautauqua County, with biographical sketches of the early settlers > Part 33
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pedagogue " are correct The honor of having tanght school in the town of Portland still remains, and is perhaps a greater honor than a little " thrust and parry " with Secretary Craw- ford. Mr. Dinsmore, after teaching school at Canadaway for one or two terms, lived for some time with his brother. John B. Dinsmore, in what is now Ripley, this county. and while there formed the project of visiting his uncle in Alabama, under a partial promise from him of employment in a survey in that . state partly under his direction. He built a small boat or skiff. light but strong enough to convey him and such effects as he wished to carry, and launched it upon Chautauqua lake. intending to reach New Orleans with it and Mobile from there as circumstances should then dictate His lading was soon taken in and in due time he passed through the lake. the outlet. the Conewango, the Alleghany and the Ohio, and found him- self floating on the bosom of the " father of waters." Each night, after reaching the Ohio at Pittsburg. he would make all fast, lay himself down in the bottom of his boat and sleep until morning, trusting his craft to the current of the river and find- ing himselt in the morning many miles advanced on his journey.
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At some point on the Mississippi, in the dead of night, his boat encountered a " sawyer "-a tree anchored at the bottom of the river with the top broken off and the body inelined down the stream. The bow, from the momentum and force of the current, was pushed up its smooth surface, the stern became correspondingly depressed and in a moment of time the frail craft, ending completely over, fell into the water bottom npward. His pleasing dreams were rudely interrupted and the cool bath suddenly revealed to him the fact that he was alone npon the surface of the water and that his boat with all his effects, and even his boots, had departed for unknown shores. Being a good swimmer, he soon reached the bank of the river. and in no very enviable plight, by other means of conveyance proceeded to his destination. [See p. 129, and Biog. Sketches.]
EARLY MILITARY MATTERS:
To ascertain the facts with reference to the formation of the first military company within the county of Chautauqua, the writer labored at intervals for three years and resorted to every conceivable source of information. So little system obtained in military matters at that date that few records were made and fewer kept, and the memory of the relics of those carly days has been found to be not always reliable. Such faets, however, as have been brought to light will be presented in brief. Previous to 1814 the acts of the legisla ture organizing the militia within the state were deemed but provisional or temporary in character. All military organiza- tions previous to that date were formed under the provisions of these several acts, and under them the first company within . the county. For six years after the first settlement of the county those liable to military duty were enrolled and attended drills at points now outside of the county, and there exists no evidence that any military parade took place within the limits of the territory now forming the county until 1808. Some of the settlers, however, had been elected to honorable positions previous to this date, as will be seen below, and the writer labored long and faithfully to assign them to their proper companies but with no satisfactory results. But of the first company formed entirely within the county the following facts seem to be pretty definitely settled : Early in the spring of 1808 an order was issued to all liable to do military duty within the territory now included within the county to meet at the house of Mrs. Sarah Perry at the ancient crossroads. one
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mile west of the center of the present village of Westfeld. on a day named, some time carly in May. In obedience to the order there was a general attendance ; hardly a man was absent. Major -. a competent officer from Buffalo, was present to direct the proceedings. After the enrollment of names an election for company officers was had. but of the names of those chosen, with the exception of two, there is nothing recorded or remembered. In regard to the time of the formation there seems to be little doubt. David Eaton, so long a citizen of Portland and who was elected as one of the first officers of the company, was of the opinion that it was formed at the time named. He was quite sanguine from various facts he called to mind, and among them his own promotions, which were by regular grade to that of lieutenant in the fall of 1809 or spring of 1810. Mrs. Waterman Tinekom of Mayville, who is still living, stated to the writer that when her father's family arrived in this county, by way of the lake to Portland harbor. now Barcelona, on some day carly in May, in 1808, there was a military gathering of some kind at the old crossroads, and she more distinctly remembers it from the fact that her brother, Joseph Thayer, was there and on the ground as a fifer. It is certain that the organization took place at the crossroads, and this statement in regard to time corrob- orates the statements of Mr. Eaton. Previous to this there is no evidence that any drill of any military organization was had within the limits of this county. As stated with reference to first officers, but two are known : David Eaton was elected a sergeant, and often stated that in the organization of that company James McMahan outranked him one grade and was elected captain when he (Eaton) was elected heutenant. The statement often made and by many believed, that John MeMa- han was the first captain of the company, is incorrect, for he was made a major as early as 1897 in the Niagara militia, and lient .- colonel about the time James MeMahan was made a captain. He was made a colonel in the fall of 1812 or some time in the spring of 1813. He was a lient -- colonel command- ing as late as Sept., 1812 James was made a colonel and John a brigadier-general soon after the close of the war of 1812. Those three officers were through the war, John as colonel in command of a regiment, James a captain and Eaton as licu- tenant and regimental paymaster. The late Col. Wm Bell of Westfield, was of the opinion that the first lieutenant of the company was James Atkins, who had carly in the spring of that year opened a store at the crossroads. This may or may not have been true-there is nothing to confirm or oppose the
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opinion. The captain may have been and probably was Wmn. Prendergast, already a captain, who was made a major when John McMahan was made a lient .- colonel The names of the musicians of this first company are not on record, and but one. Joseph Thayer, a fifer, remembered ; but some of those serving from two to four years later were David B. Granger and Jabez lulburt as fifers and George Hall as a drummer A few years since a monumental stone was placed npon the ground where this company was formed, through the influence of Hon. E. T. Foote, who was for many years a resident of the county and one of the most indefatigable antiquarians of our country The names of the officers of the battallions existing in Niagara county, of which this county was then a part, on March 10. 1808, are here given, but it has not been possible to assign them to their proper companies. They were furnished by Maj. Alfred H. Taylor, of the adjutant-general's office, to whom the author is indebted for valuable services in searching early records: Major, John McMahan of the crossroads, now West- field ; Adjutant, Joel Lee of Sheridan ; Quartermaster, Abner Holmes; Captains, William Prendergast of Chantangna, John E. Howard of Silver Creek, Abiram Orton of Aikwright, Samuel Taylor, Silas Hopkins, Daniel Reese, John Morrison ; Lieutenants. Johial Moore of Forestville, Alanson Weed of Dewittville, Isaac Barnes, Asa Baldwin, John Dunn 2d, Stephen Perkins. william Holmes: Ensigns, Nathan Cass of Hanover, Philo Orton of Pomfret, James Montgomery. of Westfield. Sparrow Sage. William Chambers, Stephen Bugbce There must have been others to make the munber of each grade complete, but the names are not now to be found. Amos Hall of Ontario, was brigadier-general and Alexander Rea colonel.
Of carly military matters within the territory comprised within the present town of Portland very little can be said. No separate organization for the town or territory existed or has since existed, but the settlers associated with those of other sections and the drills for the most part were held at the cross roads, now Westfield. The first diill of the first company was held but a few days after the formation, and it was said that the men acquitted themselves well considering the difficulties under which they labored For some time, however, they were somewhat Fulstaffian in character. Although the officers were usually dressed in uniform the rank and file appeared in the homespan of the early settler, with hats and boots that served their owners in the toils of their every day life, or perhaps with such boots only as nature provided : and a gun such as served them best in securing game, or perhaps with
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none at all. Notwithstanding the singular display, there was a kind of martial spirit among the people that long since ceased to exist A large degree of pride existed among the officers-a desire for promotion and to excel, each in his partic- ular position. A settler elected to some military position by the votes of his neighbors and friends was a subject of envy, in a sense, and actually enjoyed a degree of note and confidence in advance, in most cases, of civil position within the same ' territory. In 1810, for the convenience of settlers, drills were ordered to be held in " squads," which were of more real benefit to the soldier than company or battallion drills. They were held at various points, and in the present town of Port land at Ingersoll's tavern. At the breaking out of the war of 1812 they were discontinued. So scattered were the settlers at first that a regimental drill or general training was deemed impracticable, and parades by battallions were ordered for the first two years and were held at the crossroads, Bemus Point . and Canadaway in 1809; one at Mayville in 1810, and one or two other points not remembered. In 1811 John McMahan. then lieut .- colonel commanding the regiment, after consulting with the officers of the regiment, issued an order for a regi- mental muster, to be held within the present town of Portland on the farm of Capt. James Dunn, onep't of lot 30, T. 5. The parade ground was the large field cast of the house of Mr. Dunn and east of the barns of Mr John Dudley, the present
owner of the farm. The field extended from the present south road to the old Erie road. nearly. The regiment was composed of between four hundred and five hundred men, one regiment only existing in the county. Thus Portland has the honor of being the place of the first regimental parade in the county. The parade was accompanied by all the insignia and trappings of war capable of being collected together: the usual accompaniment also of peddlers' carts and stalls, gingerbread venders, retailers of cherry brandy and that "forty rod whisky" so forcibly alluded to by correspondents, and a large sprinkling of " young America." It was an epoch in the military affairs of the county. Lieut. Eaton in his letter spoke in high praise of the efficiency of the officers during the drill and the good discipline of the men in forming and displaying columns, but thought there was a great failure in the manual exercise, characterizing it as "rather rough." The next year (1812) war was declared with Great Britain, and from the security of home parade the settlers were introduced to the scenes, dangers and horrors of actual military strife. After the war for some years nearly all company parades for the town of Portland were held at West-
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field, no full companies existing in the town as now organized. After the organization of the present town of Portland, in 1829, very little of interest, comparatively, occurred in military affairs. Those liable to do military dnty belonged to organiza- tions centering a' Fredonia or Westfield. An occasional company parade was ordered in town, however, but it was an exception to the general rule. The martial spirit of the country, with a love of military display, died out. and so utterly inefficient were the exercises and so little productive of good in preparing men for the duties of actual service that a law was passed a few years since discontinuing the old military regime and for reorganizing the forces of the state, which is still nominally in force.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY.
That part of the "Note" on page 68 referring to Amos Sottle and the first settlement of this county may not have been written with dne caution, as some errors seem to have found a place there which need correction, and the note should be read in connection with the statements here made. Hon. E. T. Foote is there given as a reference, but the writer, it now seems, misapprehended some of the facts given by him and the correction is most willingly made. Since the publication of the note considerable discussion has been had with reference to the question of " Who was the first settler of the county ?" H. H. Hawkins. Esq., of Silver Creek, endeavoring to maintain the priority of settlement on the part of Sottle, as against James McMahan at the ancient crossroads in 1802, which was replied to by Judge Foote at considerable length. It is not lenied that Sottle might have been a resident of the county earlier than McMahan's settlement, but it is claimed that his associations, habits of life and living were such that in no sense could he be called a settler until some years later. Upon reading the arguments and facts addneed, and bearing in mind the definition of the word settler, the unprejudiced mind at once reaches that conclusion. Sottle was a native of Ver- mont and emigrated to Chenango county, this state, in early life, where he became disappointed in some "affair of the heart," left his home and friends and found his way to Buffalo. then an inconsiderable village of but a few log houses. His first introduction to the Cattarangus bottoms he claimed to have been in the fall of 1796 in charge of a small herd of cattle belonging to some party in Buffalo, sent there to winter upon the rushes and browse along the rich alluvial lands on
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the west side of the creek. He lived in a small hut built of poles, in company with a " very dark squaw" whom he had induced to share his cot, until the next season or perhaps longer. On the organization of the surveying parties by Mr. Ellicott he enlisted as an axman and assisted in running the range lines of this part of the Purchase. He continued in this capacity during 1798-99, and in all his intercourse with the party claimed to be a citizen of Chenango county. [See Note.] In 1800 he went west. Mr. Hawkins says as far as Sandusky, Ohio, but to other parties he claimed to have visited Cincin- nati and traveled largely in the northwest territory and along the Mississippi river. When he returned it is not definitely known-Mr. Hawkins says in 1801, but Sottle on one or two occasions at least placed it somewhat later. The statement that lot No. 6! of the village plot was booked to him on the field notes by the surveyors " on the spot " is probably errone- ous. as it was owned up to 1835 by various parties, Sottle not purchasing it until that date. In 1806 lots 55 and 59 of Cattaraugus village were booked to him, and about this time he may be considered as becoming a settler, but not before. Some time after his return from the west he became acquainted in Buffalo with a negress and it is said married her. but those best acquainted with the circumstances doubt the statement with reference to the marriage, though they lived as man and wife to the time of her death. .. Old Chloe." as she was called. although an excellent housekeeper, like Sottle was not above reproach in a moral sense. and the progeny were considered of a mixed parentage. Thus it seems that although Sottle may have come to this county as early as 1796. or at any earlier period. such were the conditions of his surroundings that in uo rational sense can he be considered as becoming a settler until about the time named-1806. From the discussion that has taken place, the conviction of the correctness of the position of Judge Foote has come to be settled in the public mind. and the board of supervisors of the county at their session in October of the present year (1873). after having the matter brought to their official notice, and after reference and due consideration. passed the following resolution by aves and nays, twenty-four of the twenty-six members voting in the affirmative. two being excused for sufficient reasons given :
WHEREAS, There have been many conflicting views as to who was the first settler of Chautauqua county ; therefore,
Resolved. That we. the board of supervisors of Chautauqua county, are of the opinion that the early history and records
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of the county establish the fact that James McMahan was the first resident settler of Chantauqua county.
Although some may hold to an opposite view, the question may be considered by this act of the board as officially settled. This action is placed on record.
As Turner's History of the Holland Purchase is referred to in the note on page 68, it is but just to say that the impression then given that the author of that work was mistaken in his statement, is incorrect, and was an error from the pencilings of the writer of this, unintentionally allowed to go to press. Mr Turner expressly says on page 511 that James McMahan was the "pioneer settler of Chautauqua ;" and on page 512 that Amos Sottle was the "first white resident of Chautauqua," this very properly distinguishing between resident and settler. It will be seen that the note, the publication of which was the occasion of so full and free a discussion of the question. with the exception of the particulars named. is substantially correct.
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NOTES AND CORRECTIONS.
A few errors have been detected in the course of tho work that need correction, and a few others that the reader will readily correct without their being specially noticed :
1. On page 20, for ' John C. Marshall " read John E. Marshall.
2. On page 31. for " Connell's Creek " read Correll's Creek.
3. On page 31, bottom line, for . lot 60" read lot 59.
4. On page 34, line 5th from top. for + Cashagua " read Coshaqua.
5. On page 36, line 14th from top, for "Charles O. Warner " read Charles II. Warner.
6. On page 47, line 19th from top, for "lot 42 " read lot 41.
7. On page 60, line 18th from bottom, for " Genesee " read Geneseo.
8. On page 68 the " Note " should be read in connection with the third article of the APPENDIX.
9. On page 69, line 11th from bottom, for "at Jamestown " read four miles below Jamestown.
10. On page 75 for " Win, Dogan " read Wm. Duggan.
11. On page 75, line 3d from bottom, for "lot 36 " read lo/ 40; also on page 76, line 5th from top.
12. On page 98, line 10th from bottom, for " Reuben J. Meigs, jun.," read Return J. Meigs, jun.
13. On page 129, line 12th from top for ' part of house " read front of house.
14. On page 129, the notice of " Silas Dinsmore " should be read in connection with the first article of the APPENDIX.
15. On page 210, line 8th from bottom, for " ten acres " read three acres.
16. On page 221, for " T. S. Moss and Moss & Haight " read Moss & Haight. .
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