History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 100

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 100

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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41I

THE "INDIAN WAR"

ing crane in the fire-place, preparing to scald the red- skins upon their approach.

Hall, changing his course at this point, proceeded eastward down the valley toward the village, heralding the news at every house he passed, and if by chance he met a doubting Thomas he gave expression to his offended dignity by commanding such, by virtue of his office as justice of the peace of the town of Ellington, to hasten to the place of conflict, armed and equipped for battle. (It might here be added that Hall had come into office as justice just five days prior to the happening of this event.) The veteran miller, the late Henry Wheeler, decided that the place of safety for his little flock would be in the wheel-pit under the mill, while he stood picket on the outposts. The village schoolhouse then stood a little west of the "Center," as if was then called, on the road traveled by the fleet messenger. The late Lorenzo D. Fairbanks was teach- ing and school was in session; and this is what one of the pupils present on that occasion, the late Hon. Albro S. Brown, in a published article years afterward had to say about Hall's appearance there: "A man rode up to the schoolhouse door and in a stentorian voice de- manded a hearing. The teacher and several of the larger boys rushed to the door to ascertain the cause. There we were confronted with a black horse, flecked with foam and besmeared with mud, its rider apparently filled with alarm and consternation, and in a hasty, loud and tremulous manner, delivered this strange and startling message :

"Turn out! turn out! the Indians are upon us! The women and children are to be taken to the village for safety, and the men in arms ready for action are to as- semble at the house of Benjamin Ellsworth!" And away went the messenger with the speed of the wind, spreading the startling news to the right and the left. It is needless to say that the school was closed for that day and the frightened children fled to their homes for safety.

Hall, upon his arrival at the village, hastened to in- form Captains Enoch Jenkins and Ebenezer Green, of the militia, who immediately began to get together such members of their respective companies as they could readily reach, and at the same time urging the citizens who were provided with arms to join their commands.

There was a wild rush for firearms and animunition for defense or aggressive warfare. Some of the in- habitants chose to remain and guard their homes and the families of such as took the field, while others proceeded in companies and squads, cautiously toward the seat of war.

Down the valley to Clear Creek-then called "Tap- shire"-fled the rider of the black horse, already grown hoarse from incessant shouts of warning, until he ar- rived at the home of Col. Nohle G. Knapp. Knapp held a commission from Gov. William L. Marcy as colonel of the 218th Regiment of Infantry, composed of several companies scattered about in the adjoining towns. Hall lost no time in making known to the Colonel the gravity of the situation. It is said the Colonel was visibly affected and declared he would need to make some necessary preparation before starting, as it was "the custom of the red-skins to always kill the officers first." It is also related, concerning the truth of which the writer does not vouch, that the Colonel took down his sword and proceeded to grind it, but that his nervous hands bore more heavily on the back than the front of the blade, and that before his departure he bade an affectionate farewell to his wife and children, adding to the latter that "their papa was going away to fight the Indians and might never return." Finally the Col-

onel, with such of his comrades, who as the news spread, had come to his assistance, proceeded cautiously toward Olds' Corners and to the scene of the conflict. Hall who had preceded him and warned the people along the way and nearly completed a circuit of a dozen miles or more when his poor beast, overcome by the fatigue of the journey, fell to the earth and expired- the only recorded death resulting from the "Indian War."

In the meantime at Ellsworth's on the "Big Ridge," recruits were arriving from the country covered by Hall in his flight, and all was bustle and confusion. The vigilant eyes of the settlers there assembled scanned the outskirts of the neighboring woods, expecting every moment to see the red-skinned savages emerge from their secret hiding places and hear their blood-curdling war whoops. Ellsworth, upon reflection, not just liking the idea of having his house turned into a stockade and thus exposing his wife and six children to possible death and torture, concluded to load them into his ox cart and move on west, leaving his neighbors to give battle to the enemy. He had no sooner commenced to put this plan into operation than the rest of the party gave him to understand that if such a move were attempted they would shoot his oxen on the spot. That settled the matter and restored his heroism. About this time a lone horseman was seen leisurely approaching along the road from the direction of the supposed enemy. All eyes were intently watching his movements. Speculation was rife as to what it all meant, that any living person could exhibit such supreme indifference in the face of imminent danger. His actions were re- garded with the keenest suspicion, and upon his arrival, he was immediately the center of a questioning crowd. He expressed great ignorance and surprise at the won- derful stories related to him by the people there as- sembled, and hastened to assure them he had personally passed the "dark and bloody ground" and had seen no evidences of the presence of the arch enemy, and that it could not be possible that there was lurking in the neighboring forests the murderous foe whose appear- ance they momentarily expected-all of which fell on deafening ears. The word was passed around that this fellow was a spy sent out by the enemy to disarm the fears of the settlers and put them off their guard-he should be summarily dealt with, and a conference was held pending his detention. Earnest words were spoken and opinions clashed as to what should be done with this fellow; but at length, after a thorough questioning and cross-questioning, and owing to the man's apparent honesty, wiser counsel prevailed and he was allowed to proceed, but not without many suspicious glances following his movements as he proceeded westward down the hill.

In other parts of Ellington people were congregat- ing and providing means of defense as best they could ; women were engaged in running bullets and otherwise providing the sinews of war. It is said of one patriotic citizen, who, preferring solitary confinement to the unpleasant custom of scalp-lifting as practiced by the enemy, sought refuge in a hollow log, and there re- mained until the dusky twilight made escape more certain.

It was late in the afternoon before the struggling militia and armed citizens, who had planned to approach the enemy from the rear by way of Olds' Corners, with strategic caution, arrived at the scene of the trouble and ascertained its cause. From here the news was quickly carried to the garrison on the hill of the false alarm, who in their exuberance of joy discharged their firearms into the air, thus causing trouble and con-

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CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

sternation among the women and children in the cellar, who thought the attack commenced, but their fears were soon put at rest and they were released from their confinement. Great was the anxiety aroused at this meeting, but greater by far was the joy of the parting of this heroic band, as they turned their backs upon the invisible foe and hastened to their weeping families ; but the story kept going and the scenes here recorded were in a measure re-enacted at other points and in other localities more remote.

I cannot close this paper, however, without adding an article published in the "Fredonia Censor" of the date of January 17, 1838, concerning this affair, which, while faulty in many particulars, due no doubt to the difficulty of obtaining at that time the facts among so many conflicting rumors, yet it serves to more truly portray the extent to which the excitement prevailed among the people at that time throughout many of the eastern towns of the county. The article is head-lined :

TERRIBLE WAR IN A NEW QUARTER.

On Saturday, the 6th inst., several of the eastern towns of this county were thrown into the greatest consternation by a report that got into circulation that Three Thousand Indians from Canada had land- ed at the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek and had made their way into the region of the Conewango Valley and were pressing on, murdering and scalping every- body in their way. An express came to Sinclairville from the Colonel of the regiment there, under the greatest excitement, tears actually standing in his eyes. Immediately the rumor flew. All the old guns were instantly in requisition, many that had remained dumb for years, unless breaking silence at a squirrel hunt-the tea chests of all the stores were rifled for lead, which was immediately run into bullets-every ounce of powder in the place was bought and a team got up to send to this village for more. Directions were given to the families of those who were going to meet the enemy how to secure themselves, and in short every preparation was made for a bloody en- counter.

In the Town of Arkwright the excitement and alarm was, if possible, still greater. During the afternoon and night families were flying from house to house, in some cases half a dozen families congregating to- gether, the greatest dismay depicted on their counten-

ances-horses were kept harnessed to wagons all night, ready for Instant flight-weapons of defense of every kind were brought into requisition, the women assisting therein-one old lady, we are informed, ran a hundred bullets. We are told the reason the express did not come through from Arkwright to this village was the intervention of about a mile of woods, into which he did not dare to penetrate for fear of being waylaid. A horse on one route we are informed, was actually rode to death.

But our readers are probably anxious by this time to know what gave rise to all this hubbub, and we think it is time to inform them. Well, a drunken coot in the Village of Rutlege, which is situate on the eastern line of this county, having taken his usual deep potations, retired to the edge of a piece of woods and stretched himself out upon a log to sleep it off. A short time afterward one of his children, a little girl, discovering him in this situation, and at the same time perceiving a little further on in the woods a couple of squaws, who were, however, peaceably employed in making brooms or baskets, ran home in great terror and told her mother the Indians had killed her father. The mother spread the alarm in the village with the usual accompaniments-the couriers were sent off and by the time they reached the next town the number of Indians were multiplied into three thousand! and from this simple circumstance arose all this foment that for twenty-four hours kept the inhabitants in three or four towns in fear of instant death by merciless savages. And for the time being we suppose that neither ancient or modern history furnishes a parallel to it.

The marvelous exploits of Sancho Panza upon the Island of Barrataria, the battle of the Kegs, the memorable outbreak of the Windham frogs, when the sable African ran in terror to his master exclaiming,

'Old Lucifer's come and called for his crew, And you must go massa and Elderkin too,'

was not a priming to this Indian War. The next day, however, brought a little sober reflection, and with it a feeling not much more agreeable than that caused by their fears. Like the good people of Windham, we understand those infected do not wish to say a word upon the subject. We will, therefore, spare their feelings by stopping where we are.

So this historic incident has ever since come to be spoken of by the few survivors of those days, as "The Indian War," but to the present generation it is largely an unknown chapter in the county's history.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. By Albert S. Price.

Slavery was an institution which, we would think, must always have been far removed from the life of Chautauqua county ; a matter for those distant Southern States whose prosperity depended on slave labor; or at least for those "Border" States which were of necessity more or less controlled by the institutions of their near southern neighbors. In general this is quite true. Yet even this distant community had some con- nections with that great national problem. And these connections, constituting picturesque exceptions to the ordinary course of life here, stood out by bold contrast.

Many of these incidents resulted from the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, one of the legislative compromises demanded by a powerful and aggressive South, resisted by an anti-slavery North, and found to be not easily enforceable. The quiet but stubborn resistance of the English Puritans to the tyranny of James I. and Charles I. found itself repeated in the resistance of their American descendants in the North to this law, regarded by them as unjust and tyrannical.

captures invariably aroused intense excitement and op- position in the communities concerned, with the result that North and South became more and more estranged and antagonistic by this irritating friction.

This law did not, however, prevent the slaves from attempting in considerable numbers to reach Canada and freedom. The northern people, smarting under what they chose to regard as the insult heaped upon them by the enforcement of the odious law, cooperated for a deliberate evasion of the law and for a determined opposition to its enforcement. They worked secretly and quietly, without any disturbance of the ordinary course of community life. This secret cooperation be- came known in the expressive phrase of the day as the "Under Ground Railroad," some times referred to by the initials U. G. R. R. The shortest routes from the South to Canada became known as the several "lines" of this railroad; and, in carrying out the technical terminology, those who assisted the fleeing slaves were dubbed conductors, engineers, and trainmen.

Upon its enactment, numbers of escaped slaves who Several of these well-established routes led through this county. A "trunk line" ran along the Lake Erie shore from Cleveland to Buffalo. Another began at the Ohio river near Marietta, Ohio; ran thence along the had lived unmolested in the North fled in terror to Canada. Others stayed and took the risks of being captured. Under the operation of the law many were captured and returned to slavery in the South. These eastern border of Ohio through several counties to the

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413

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

village of Jefferson, the county seat of Ashtabula coun- ty. This county was the home of Joshua R. Giddings, Benjamin F. Wade, and several other strong anti- slavery leaders. From this point the "hill division" of the line passed through Monroe township, Ohio; across the State line and through the townships of Conneaut, Elk Creek, Franklin, McKean, Summit, Greene and Greenfield in Erie county, Pennsylvania ; thence through the townships of Mina, Sherman, Chautauqua, Stock- ton, Pomfret, Sheridan, and Hanover in this county ; and on to Buffalo and Canada.

Still another branch came into the county from the south by way of Sugar Grove, passed through James- town, Ellington and Sinclairville; and thence appar- ently on to the north to join the other route.

In every centre there were brave men and intrepid women who at a large risk assisted the dusky fugitives, and so struck, as they believed, an effective blow for freedom. The runaways were hidden from sight dur- ing the day, fed, and often clothed. Under the cover of night they were silently and secretly carried forward to the next "station," where word of their coming had preceded them. The new hosts often indicated their readiness to receive the fugitives by previously ar- ranged signals of lights in the windows, and other readily discernible signs. The transfer from wagon or sleigh, to house or other hiding place, was accomplished as quickly and as quietly as possible to avoid the unde- sirable attention of any unsympathetic or even hostile neighbor. Authorities have estimated that by these secret operations not less than thirty thousand slaves were helped to reach Canada. The determined efforts of the slaveholders to follow and recapture their valua- ble slaves (a perfectly natural desire) served by ag- gravation to further the growing sentiment against sla- very in the North, and to develop rapidly the activities of the Under Ground Rail Road.

In Jamestown there was a settlement of free colored people in the district on North Main street and West Seventh street which was familiarly known as Africa. In this settlement one of the well-known and respected women was Mrs. Catherine Harris. Her house was one of the stations, where she harbored many escaping slaves during the troubled years, at one time seereting

as many as seventeen. Many of the county's well known men received, harbored and then forwarded these fu- gitives. Silas Sherman of Jamestown was certainly one of the most active. In Jamestown Dr. Hedges and Phineas Crossman, too were leaders, in the work. Others who assisted in this vicinity were Addison A. Price and his brother Wilson A. Price, of Jamestown ; Frank Van Dusen, of Jamestown ; Dr. Brown, of Busti ; Dr. Catlin, of Sugar Grove ; Mr. Page and Mr. Nessel, of Ellington, Benjamin Miller, of Stockton; Joseph Sackett, near Cassadaga; Levi Jones of Busti; and Henry H. Jones of Kiantone. Many other helpers whose names have never been recorded took an active part in this dangerous work. Money was freely given by many anti-slavery people. Among those in Jamestown whose purses were always open, are remembered Alon-

zo Kent, Orsell Cook, Lewis Hall, Albert Partridge, and Madison Burnell. We should all like to pay equal tribute to those many conscientious patriots who with quiet consecration helped with money, time and steady effort, this great cause of freedom, whose names most unfortunately, have not been preserved in any written record. In all of these there survived the spirit which has made the Anglo-Saxon, at any cost, always stand against what he regarded as tyranny and injustice.

Among the runaway slaves was Harrison Williams, who escaped from Virginia, arriving foot-sore and ex- hausted at the farm of William Storum, a free colored man, in Busti, in February or March of 1851. Storum kept him several months, supplying his wants and help- ing him back to health. He was a mere boy of seven- teen. Early one morning in September he was kid- napped by his former master, who had learned his hiding-place. This man and some others, dressed as women, drove to the farm, went around to the rear of the house where Williams was milking, seized and bound him, and put him in the bottom of their wagon. They drove rapidly north through Jamestown by way of Forest avenue, Roosevelt Square and North Main street, to Fredonia, and thence to Buffalo. The alarm quickly spread, and a man on horseback, outspeeding the captors, arrived before them in Jamestown. A crowd quickly gathered in the Square, but there was no time to organize any effort, and the captors dashed through the crowd and up Main street without being stopped. "Guinea" Carpenter addressed the excited crowd, urging action, and a pursuing party was quickly made up. But valuable time had been lost, and the captors, with relays of fresh horses, got safely to Buf- falo. Here the owner established a legal claim. In the crowded court room a lane was opened through the crowd, and an effort was made to induce Williams to make a dash for liberty. The crowd intended to close behind him until he should reach the carriage which was waiting at the door to take him to a place of safety. Either he failed to understand. or lacked the necessary courage, for he didn't make the effort, and was taken back to Virginia.

James W. Broadhead, of Busti, whose farm was next to the Storum farm, and who knew all the circum- stances of the capture, enlisted in the 112th N. Y. Regiment in the Civil War. On Christmas Day in 1863 at Culpeper, Virginia, Mr. Broadhead saw Harrison Williams in camp. After being taken back to Virginia he had been sold to Georgia, and went as servant to his new master in the Confederate army. With his master he was captured by the Union army near the Rappa- hannock station in the fall of 1863, and became hostler for Gen. Slocum. Mr. Broadhead talked with him and verified his identity. This capture deeply stirred the county and is said to have stimulated the activities of the Under Ground Rail Road.

Authorities: Contributed articles and news items published in the "Jamestown Evening Journal" on the following dates: July 21, July 22, 1896: Sept. 27, 1901; May 10, May 17, May 24, 1902; December 26, 1905; April 21, July 14, 1910.

OLD INNS AND TAVERNS.

Many of the early day taverns were due to the liber- ality of the Holland Land Company, which sold the pro- spective landlords a tract of land on long-time payments, without interest, at the very lowest price afforded to cash purchasers. This was an attractive proposition, to which was to be added the income arising from con-

ducting a tavern. No extra expense need be incurred in most cases, as not more than one-tenth of all those public houses was more than a log house such as the owner would have built for his own personal use, but perhaps a little larger. Along the lake road, a public house marked about every mile. Among the most

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CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE

noted of the early taverns was James McMahan's, at the Cross Roads, and D. Royce's, at Ripley. The tavern keepers of those days were usually men of strong char- acter, and considerable political influence. Not all the inns sold liquor, as no tavern keeper was licensed who had not a securely enclosed yard large enough to contain all sleighs, wagons, carts or carriages of guests. The early tavern passed gradually away after the coming of the stage coach, and by 1850 hardly one was left. In their place came the Village Inn, thus described by Charles Dickens.

"The great room with its low ceiled and neatly sanded floor: its bright pewter dishes, and stout backed slat-bottomed chairs ranged along the walls, its long table, its huge fireplace with the benches on either side where the dogs slept at night and where the guests sat, when the dipped candles were lighted to drink mull and flip, possessed some attractions for every one. The place was at once the town hall and assembly room, the court house and the show tent, the tavern and the exchange.

On its doors were fastened the list of names drawn for the jury, notices of vendues, offers of reward for stray cattle, the names of tavern haunters and adver- tisements of the farmers who had the best seed pota- toes and the best seed corn for sale. It was there that wandering showmen exhibited their automatons and musical clocks, that dancing masters gave thelr lessons, that singing school was held, that the caucus met, that the Colonel stopped during general train - ing. Hither came the farmers from the back coun- try bringing their food in boxes and their horses food in bags, to save paying the landlord more than lodg- ing rates. Hither many a clear night in winter came sleighloads of young men and women to dance and romp and go home by the light of the moon. Hither too on Saturdays came the male population of the village. They wrangled over politics, made bets, play- ed tricks, and fell into disputes which were sure to lead to jumping matches or wrestling matches or trials of strength on the village green. As the shad- ows lengthened the loungers dispersed, the tavern was closed and quiet settled upon the town."

This was a good description of the Village Inn of the decade 1840-50, and for half a century later it would apply to many a rural tavern with a fair degree of accuracy.

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History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 100

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc. Number of Pages: 649

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649