USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 111
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So scattered were the settlers, that for the next two years drills were ordered to be held by squads or bat- talions after the second meeting which was held at the Cross-roads within a few days after the formation of the company. The squad meetings were held at the Cross-roads, Bemus Point and Canadaway in 1809; one at Mayville in 1810; and one or two at other points, but these drills were not satisfactory, and on consultation, in 1811, Lieutenant-Colonel John McMahan issued an order for a regimental inuster to be held within the present town of Portland, on the farm of Captain Dunn, the first settler of the town. The population had very largely increased, the number of settlers liable to do mili- tary duty had increased to about four hundred, and in- stead of a single company, four companies appeared, very nearly or quite full and fully officered. The meet- ing took place in October, in a field still pointed out, now covered with vines of the Concord and Niagara grapes. The gathering was accompanied by all the insignia and trappings of war capable of being gathered together, with the usual accompaniment. It was an epoch in the military affairs of the county, and Portland especially, as that town had the honor of the first military review of the kind in the county, though Portland as now seen was not a town until 1829.
WAR OF 1812-On June 18, 1812, war was declared with England, and from the security of the home parade the settlers were introduced to the scenes, dangers and hor- rors of actual military strife. Four military companies had thus far been formed under the provisionary laws of the State, and but a few months previous to the first general muster had been formed into a regiment under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Mc Mahan and num- bered 162 men. Early in June of 1812, Lieutenant-Colo- nel McMahan received an order from Governor Tomp- kins to detach from his regiment a full company to con- sist of one captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, four ser- geants, four corporals; one drummer, one fifer, and one hundred privates. Colonel McMahan immediately issued an order calling the officers of the regiment to- gether at Dunn's Tavern, in the town of Portland. After an address from a large stump as a rostrum, he read the order for the call, and expressed the hope that the whole number would be obtained without resort to extreme measures, the idea of a draft being extremely repulsive to freemen. War was not yet declared, but the govern- ment was desirous that an army should be ready. In calling for volunteer officers, Jehial Moore, of Forest- ville, Lieutenant David Eaton, of Portland, and Ensign Burritt, of Canadaway, now Fredonia, offered their serv- ices. An order was issued for one battalion to meet at Mayville, and one at Canadaway on a certain day, to "beat up" for volunteers. On the day of the meeting, the whole number assigned to each battalion "turned out" and within a few days the ranks were filled. Very soon news came that war was declared. Captain Moore was ordered to call out his company, march to Lewiston and join the 18th Regiment of detached militia under Colonel Hugh W. Dobbins, of Geneva. A part of this company was assembled at the Cross-roads, now Westfield, and the remainder at Canadaway, now Fredonia. After the two parts of the company were united at Fredonia and roll call was made, it was found that every man was present, 113 in all. They reached Lewiston on the 9th of July, but not until the 13th of October was a descent upon Canada deemed advisable. The battle of Queens- town Heights was fought on that date by the volunteers of the American army under General Van Rensselaer. In this action the Chautauqua men were engaged and largely to their credit, not one refusing to volunteer for the movement. The question had been raised as to the
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power of the United States to remove State troops to foreign soil, the men not yet having been mustered into the United States service, and about twelve to fifteen hundred refused to cross the river, falling back upon their supposed constitutional rights. These men re- mained idle spectators of the bloody strife. The consti- tutional question had occupied the attention of the militia for several days, especially the regiment of Colonel Dob- bin, to which the Chautauqua men belonged, and it was found that no reliance could be placed upon a consider- able portion of the regiment, many of them being out- spoken in their opposition to the movement. The outlook was decidedly unfavorable for an attack upon the enemy's works on the heights, and the 18th was liable to be placed in the same class. To test the matter, Major Morrison, of Niagara, who was then in command, Colo- nel Dobbin being away, ordered the regiment to be paraded early on the morning of the battle, in fact be- fore light, when he made a flaming address in which he sought to inspire them with enthusiasm and zeal, and expressed the hope that the whole regiment would volun- teer for the enterprise and show their devotion to their country and their willingness to defend its honor. He did not ask them to jeopardize their lives unnecessarily, but hoped they would go as far as he did, and he would ask them to go no farther. All those willing to volun- teer in the enterprise were requested to advance eight paces, and with the exception of fifty or sixty the whole regiment advanced and formed a new line. Those who refused were formed into a company under a lieutenant, one of their own number, and called the "Coward Com- pany," and became a part, as to members, of the "Stick- lers' Brigade," or those claiming immunity from duty on account of constitutional scruples. The Chautauqua company, as far as known. all volunteered, and were among the first troops to embark, and among the first to land on the west side of the river. That a portion of the Chautauqua men were the first to scale the heights is true, and Captain Moore was the first to set foot on the field. Through the day the Chautauqua men were noted for their bravery and daring, and did all that men could do under like circumstances and in the end only yielded to superior numbers! There several times were the Americans victorious, but as often were the British re- inforced, and the Americans forced to retire and finally to surrender.
In this battle 60 Americans were killed and 700 were taken prisoners. Three only of the Chautauqua men were killed-Nathaniel Owen, of Villenova, Daniel Spencer, of Charlotte, and Ira Stevens; one, a Mr. Winsor, died of his wounds. Lieutenant David Eaton, Alpheus McIn- tyre, Erastus Taylor and Alexander Kelly were wounded ; Lieutenant Eaton by a ball through his wrist, but he bound it with his handkerchief and refused to leave the field until ordered to do so by his commanding officer. The wounded, beside Lieutenant Eaton, after remaining in the hospital at Lewiston two months, were taken by friends to their homes in the central part of the State, but did not return to their own homes in this county for three years. Jared Taylor and John Ingersoll were taken prisoners, but paroled the next day. The militia were paroled, but the majority of the prisoners were taken to Montreal. The terms of the Chautauqua men having expired, they returned home. This was not a favorable showing for the first campaign on the Niagara frontier. It was not the work of trained men, it was the hurry and dash of American freemen.
The next call was made very soon after the battle of Queenstown, for the purpose of making another attempt that fall at an invasion of Canada. This effort was to be made under the command of Brigadier-General
Smythe, of the regular army. An army of forty-five hundred men were collected at Buffalo, preparations were hurried to completion, and the army was ready for em- barkation by the 30th of November. Chautauqua had sent one hundred men under Captain Jehial Moore, and it was said that the men of the whole army were highly elated at the prospect of active work, and moved with alacrity. On that day, the 30th, the boats were moored along the river and all things seemed to presage a suc- cessful forward movement, but when all was ready, an order came for the men to disembark, as the project had been given up for the season. Those that did not leave for home went into winter quarters.
No further calls were made upon Chautauqua county until early in December, 1813, when the call was for the entire regiment of four hundred men, but only two hun- dred responded. Buffalo was thought to be in danger, in fact the entire eastern shore of the Niagara from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and the southern shore of Lake Erie westward. The Chautauqua men were to meet at the Cross-roads, now Westfield, and march to Buffalo under Lieutenant-Colonel John McMahan. Wil- liam Prendergast, captain of the first company formed in the county, and Isaac Barnes, were majors in this expedition. The commanding officer at Buffalo was General Hall.
The season was very inclement and the men suffered severely. They were without blankets, except now and then one brought from their homes; were without tents, rations, camp equipage or transportation-in fact, had little for their comfort, or necessities even. Their fam- ilies were, many of them, left without a male adult, or any one but the women to cut their firewood and browse the cattle.
In the march to Buffalo they were divided into four companies, besides a company of Silver Grays in which many of the Chautauqua men were placed. On the night of December 30 they were paraded in front of Pom- eroy's Tavern, in Buffalo, where they remained the entire night, expecting every moment an order to move. The battle of Black Rock, on the 30th, and the burning of Buffalo on the 31st, left the army in a sad condition. Two hundred of the Chautauqua men were there, and a good degree of enthusiasm existed among them until the march from Buffalo to Black Rock on the day of battle. General Hall had been at the front during early morning directing the movements of the troops, but later on was returning with his staff to Buffalo as the Chan- tauqua regiment was on its way to the scene of action. The regiment was halted, and the general and Colonel McMahan in an undertone held a consultation, which was not understood by the men, but on leaving, the gen- eral said sufficiently loud to be heard by the whole regi- ment, "Colonel, do your duty, but if you must retreat, the rendezvous is at Miller's." This important speech of General Hall, with his hurried movement away, lost him the confidence of the Chautauqua men. It was evi- dent to them that the contest was hopeless, their enthusi- asm went out at once and they moved on mechanically rather than with zeal and ardor. They were posted in the rear of a battery, but as in the case of those preced- ing them, they were soon routed and fled to the woods in the rear of the battery, where some of them were killed and scalped by the Indians, who occupied the forest for a mile or two on the north and east. Of the battle of Black Rock, participants have said that there was little military knowledge or skill manifest on the part of the commanding officer, and that the Americans were marched to the conflict in squads of a few hundred and were beaten in detail. Large numbers of the Americans were killed, eighty-nine being collected and buried in
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one grave, while others lay exposed upon the ground through the winter and were buried in the spring. A good many however were exhumed in the spring and re- moved by friends. It was said that the Chautauqua troops behaved admirably until overcome by overwhelm- ing numbers, but the British advanced with little oppo- sition and the next day burned the village of Buffalo and destroyed the log quarters of the American troops, leaving most of them without shelter of any kind. A large pro- portion of the Chautauqua men returned home, some of them on furlough, but most of them without leave. Those of them without leave did not return, but those on furlough, as far as known, honored their engagement and at the specified time were on duty. A few were quartered at Miller's Tavern, two miles east of Buffalo, for several weeks. Those that did not return stand checked on the rolls today as deserters and very few stand thus checked but those of Colonel McMahan's regi- ment. This is a sorry record, but the government never made an attempt to call them to account, and no oppor- tunity was afforded them to clear themselves of the just, yet unjust, imputation. It all came about from two facts-the very easy defeat of raw and undisciplined troops by veteran soldiers, and the incompetency of the commanding officers. There were reasons, too, for the desertions that took place, if we ought to call them de- sertions. After the burning of Buffalo, the defeat, dis- organization and dispersion of the army, unorganized squads roamed at will. There was hardly an organized squad to be seen for two days. It was extremely cold, and the Chautauqua men had none of the comforts of the common soldier-not a house or tent in town for them; they could not procure food or lodging ; when night came they ate a crust, if they had one, wrapped about them a blanket, if they had that, lay down in the snow or on the frozen ground, with the keen blasts from the lake sweeping over them. If they had no blanket, as many had none, they lay down without one, but their sleep was light and their naps short. Action was necessary, or death was as certain as the bullet or the tomahawk of the enemy. There was not an enemy in sight, or on this side of the Niagara, and the Chautauqua men went home because they were obliged to do so. They went openly and boldly, with the knowledge of their officers, without their consent to be sure, and without their opposition. These men knew of the sufferings of their families in the forests of Chautauqua fifty miles away, and in many cases felt that their presence was necessary to save them from starvation.
But the Chautauqua men did not bear the odium of desertion alone. Many of the soldiers from east of Buf- falo, Ontario and other counties left as speedily for home as the Chautauqua men, but escaped the recorded odium from the fact that they came to the front late and had not been mustered into the United States service. The Chautauqua men were promptly on the ground and as promptly mustered in.
The Chautauqua men were singularly unfortunate as regards their reputation as soldiers after the battle of Queenstown Heights and the invasion of Canada under General Brown and under Generals Scott and Ripley, not only as to the charge of desertion, but as to their firmness and courage, on the field. In his report of the battle of Black Rock, General Hall complained bitterly of the Chautauqua regiment being so easily routed, and thought if they had manifested greater firmness and maintained their position as he thought they might, the issue of the day would have been different.
In June, 1814, a company from this county volunteered under the command of Captain John Silsby for one month's service in Canada. This company participated
in the taking of Fort Erie, nearly opposite Black Rock, by the Americans under Generals Brown, Scott and Rip- ley, on the 3rd of July; in the battle of Chippewa, on the morning of July 5; and the battle of Lundy's Lane on the evening of July 25. From this the Americans fell back to Fort Erie, and the Chautauqua men went home as their time had expired.
In July this year, 1814, two full companies were called for from this county. This was promptly answered, and the men marched to Black Rock under Colonel John Mc- Mahan. Occasionally, between August 4 and September 17, a company was conveyed across the river to Fort Erie to assist in preparations for the defense of that fort, but none of the Chautauqua troop were present at the attempt of the enemy to storm the fort August 15, or at the sortie from the fort September 17. The 385 prisoners taken at the sortie by the Americans, however, were placed under the care of Colonel McMahan, of the Chautauqua regiment, and by him marched to some point in the vicinity of Albany.
The only regiment in this county at the opening of the War of 1812 was the 162nd, and was composed of from four hundred to four hundred twenty men. The men answering the several calls were 716, very many enlist- ing twice, and many three times. The companies were officered and sent forward as follows :
1. From July 4 to October 4, 1812, Capt. Jehlal Moore, of Forestville; Lieut. David Eaton, of Portland.
2. From October 4 to December 31, 1812, Capt. Jehial Moore, of Forestville: Lieut. Samuel D. Wells.
These two companies were placed under the com- mand of Col. Hugh W. Dobbin, of Geneva, of the 18th Detached Regiment of New York Militia.
3. From December 20, 1813, to February 3, 1814, Capt. John Silsby; Lient. Charles Bemns.
4. From December 20, 1813, to February 3, 1814. This was a part of the company of Capt. John Silsby, and Solomon Jones was appointed captain, but declined to serve and Lieut. Forbes was in command.
5. From December 20, 1813, to February 3, 1814, Capt. Moses Adams; Lieut. David Eaton.
6. From December 20, 1813, to February 3, 1814, Capt. Martin B. Tubbs, Forestville; Lieut. Peter Inger- soll, Portland.
7. From August 1, 1814, to September 26, 1814, Capt. Martin B. Tubbs, Forestville; Lieut. Benjamin Perry, Pomfret. 8. From to Angust 1, 1814, Capt. James Mc- Mahan, Westfield; Lieut. Charles Bemus.
Besides the above there was an independent com- pany of Silver Grays under command of Capt. Ozias Hart, of Pomfret. and a portion of the Chautauqua men went forward in this company on the call for December 20, 1813. before the battle of Black Rock and the burning of Buffalo.
Men furnished on the call of June, 1812, 113; October, 1812, 100; December 20, 1813, 200; June, 1814, service in Canada, 100; July, 1814, 200; for the navy, 3; total, 716.
The settlers, especially on our own northern and east- ern borders, lived in constant alarm, and their alarms were not causeless. Previous to the battle of Lake Erie in the fall of 1813, the British had entire command of the lake, but only the poverty of the settlers, it is thought, saved them from frequent invasions and destruction of their property. The British cruisers seemed satisfied with pilfering and preying upon the small craft of Americans that ventured from their hiding places. These pilferings and the destruction of every species of small craft effec- tually broke up the trade in salt and other goods by way of the Portage road to the Ohio valley. Late in 1812 two or three small boats under the command of Captain Harmon, of Ashtabula, Ohio, laden with salt, were pass- ing up the lake and were driven into the mouth of Cat- taraugus creek by two British vessels, the "Queen Char- lotte" and the "Hunter." The salt boats lay in the creek under guard of a large body of Indians and settlers, the Indians lined up on either side of the creek. After nightfall the boats stealthily moved out, and after a hard
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night's rowing reached no farther than the mouth of Canadaway creek, where they took refuge. The creek was then deep and wide enough to float boats of several tons burden. Here they felt comparatively safe, as a few soldiers, about forty, had been stationed here at Widow Cole's house, under the command of a lieuten- ant of Captain Tubbs' company of Colonel MeMahan's regiment. In the morning they were surprised to see a British armed schooner, the "Lucy Provost," anchored in the offing, half a mile from shore. The British had not discovered that the entrance to the creek was guarded but manned a boat with thirteen men and started for the salt boats, thinking their victory would be an easy one. As they were nearing the mouth of the creek they were fired upon by the soldiers and settlers in hiding behind a sand bank. This reception was more earnest than they expected, and they immediately put back to their vessel. The Americans were not injured, and what loss the British sustained is not definitely known, but the next year the "Lucy Provost" was captured by Commodore Perry, and the crew stated that their loss in the matter at Canadaway was three wounded and none killed.
Seth Cole came into the county in 1805, and settled near the mouth of the creek. His widow still lived on the homestead and proved herself a heroine on this occa- sion. As soon as the vessel was discovered in the offing she at once ran to the barn, led out a horse, mounted and with the speed of the wind rode to Canadaway, now Fredonia, and in an incredibly short space of time a company of settlers had collected to the support of the soldiers, and among them Judge Zattu Cushing, but the enemy by this time had left for their vessel. Not until the vessel had lifted its anchor, well along in the after- noon, did they relax their vigilance. Mrs. Cole was very nearly omnipresent - she was everywhere furnishing food and water to the men. At this moment she had a son in the army at Lewiston, under Colonel John McMahan. For many years, older citizens were pleased to call this incident "the first naval fight after the declaration of war."
The boats of Captain Harmon reached their destina- tion, the mouth of Chautauqua creek, now Barcelona, in safety. Here another squad of men were stationed under the command of Lieutenant James McMahan for the protection of the settlers and the merchandise passing over the Portage road for the valley of the Allegheny and the Ohio.
Another instance, though not so flagrant, occurred and served well to keep up the state of alarm. Lay's Tavern, west of Buffalo, near the lake, had been pillaged by the British and everything of value carried away, but on a remonstrance of the American commander, the goods and valuables were ordered to be restored. They were placed in boxes and on an armed vessel, the "British Queen," carrying a flag of truce, and sent to Chadwick's Bay, now Dunkirk. They were sent on shore in a boat with thirteen men and an officer. After depositing the
goods upon the beach twelve of the men raised their caps and politely bade the commander adieu. Judge Cushing was there with a yoke of oxen to remove goods from a small log warehouse he had built for his own and the accommodation of others, and earnestly entered into a parley with the officer of the hoat and detained him until the arrival of a company of men, that he felt sure were on the way. The men very soon came, and not noticing the flag of truce, fired upon the captain and his party of one, wounding the man, breaking a leg. The man with the broken leg proved of little use to his cap- tain in getting on board and leaving the bay. The cap- tain politely invited the judge to assist him in removing his man to the vessel, but the judge declined, saying that he had no need of an outing of that sort. The next year
after the battle of Lake Erie, and while the prisoners were being sent east, these men again met, the judge and the captain, and the captain asked the judge if he re- membered the circumstances and on being assured that he did, the captain said it was well for him that he did not comply, as it would have been a long time before he would have seen home again. This was not a hostile in- vasion, but rather to return stolen goods.
The battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, under Commodore O. H. Perry, was of course fought in con- nection with the War of 1812. Chautauqua county fur- nished men for Perry's fleet, just how many cannot now be told. Portland furnished one, Samuel Perry, a cousin of the Commodore, and as daring as the commodore himself. lle was desperately wounded near the close of the battle. The next day, with four others, hopeless cases like himself, he was landed at the mouth of Chau- tauyna creek at the now village of Barcelona. He lin- gered until 1814, cared for by friends and a generous public, and died, and his remains are now resting some- where near the lake with those of three of his com- panions, one only recovering, who wandered away to his home in some section of Western Pennsylvania. Pom- fret furnished one, Abner Williams, eldest son of Rich- ard Williams, an early settler ; he was killed on the Law- rence early in the battle, and his body, with others, thrown into the lake. Charlotte furnished one, a young man by the name of Gooderich, then in the employ of Major Sinclear. It is said that he greatly distinguished himself in the engagement and in due time returned.
The number of men from this county killed in the war was large in proportion to the number sent forward and considering the length of the conflict-two years, six months and five days.
In the battle of Queenstown, the following Chautauqua men were killed : Daniel Spencer, of Charlotte, Nathan Borden, of Villenova, and Ira Stevens. A Mr. Wind- sor died of his wounds. Those wounded were: Lieutenant Eaton, by a ball through his wrist; Erastus Taylor, by a ball striking him in the knee, shattering the bone. He was in the hospital at Lewistown for two months, when he was removed by friends ; but did not return to his own home in Portland for two years. Alpheus Mcintyre and Alexander Kelly were also wounded. Jared Taylor, John Ongersol and Hiram Burch, with the wounded and a few of the Chautauqua men not wounded, were taken prisoners. The prisoners of the militia were paroled the next day. The regulars were taken to Montreal.
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