History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 2

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 922

USA > New York > Clinton County > History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 2
USA > New York > Franklin County > History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 2

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).

England, enterprising, wealthy, and adventurous, lost no time and spared no money in fitting out an expedition of discovery to the Western Continent, and no day in the his- tory of the New World was more important than the 5th of May, 1496. On that day, Henry VII., King of Great Britain, issued a commission to John Cabot, a Venetian, to make discoveries and to take possession of all islands and continents, carry the English flag, and assert the title of the King of England. After a protracted voyage, the gloomy coast of Labrador was the cheerless sight that met the anxious gaze of the brave Cabot. This was the real discovery of the American continent. He explored the country for several hundred miles, and, in accordance with the terms of his commission, hoisted the English flag and took possession in the name of the English king. An inci- dent is related in connection with this act illustrative of the love man has for his native country. Near the flag of England he planted the banner of the republic of Venice, little thinking, doubtless, that, as the centuries rolled on, not the flag of proud Albion, but that of a republic would float from ocean to occan.

Cabot returned to England, and received all the adula- tions and honors that a proud nation could bestow upon an honored subject. This expedition was succeeded by others, all of which redounded to the honor and enterprise of Eng- land, and resulted in the founding of colonies, which, under the fostering care of the mother-country, soon became pros- perous and self-reliant.

The French and Indian war, which began in 1754, re- sulted from the conflicting territorial claims between France and England. At the close of an arduous struggle, lasting nine years, a treaty of peace was made at Paris, by the terms of which all the French possessions in North America, eastward of the Mississippi from its source to the river Her-

ville, and thence through Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to the Gulf of Mexico, were surrendered to England. Spain, which had also been at war with Great Britain, ceded East and West Florida to the English crown.

Fron the close of the French and Indian war to the be- ginning of the Revolution spanned a prosperous era in the history of the English colonists. The causes which led to the American Revolution, and the history of that arduous struggle, are so well known that no mention will be made in this history, except so far as it relates to the territory em- braced within the scope of our work. Suffice it to say, that the colonists, after a weary struggle of nine years, were ac- knowledged by Great Britain free and independent States ; and proud should Albion be to-day in the recollection that her sons planted the germ of the republic whose flag is honored and respected by all nations.

CHAPTER II.

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION .*

Departure from the Sault of the Iroquois River-Description of a Great Lake-Rencontre with the Enemy-Mode and Conduct in going to attack the Iroquois-New France-Conflicting Claims to Territory.

ONLY one hundred and fifteen years ago the territory now embraced within the bounds of Clinton County com- prised a portion of the territory claimed by the French nation as New France. -

The first white man who traversed Lake Champlain was Samuel Champlain, in 1609, at that time Governor of Can- ada. He entered the lake by the Richelieu River, and pursued his course southward as far as what is now known as Ticonderoga, where he came upon a party of the hostile Iroquois, whom he vanquished. The report of Champlain's guns greatly terrificd the sons of the forest, and they fled in terror to the adjacent mountains, doubtless believing it an intervention of the Great Spirit in behalf of the enemy.

The following is a copy of Champlain's interesting letter giving an account of the expedition :

" I left the Rapid of the said River of the Iroquois on the 2d of July, 1609. All the Savages hegan carrying their canoes, arms, and traps overland about a league and a half to avoid the eurrent and force of the Rapid. This was quickly effected. They immediately launched the canoes into the water, two men with each, with their Inggage, while one of the men went by land ahout a league and a half, which was the prohable extent of said Rapid, tho' not so violent as at the fort, except at some points where rocks obstrueted the river, which is no more than three to four hundred paces wide.

" After the Rapid was passed, though not without trouhle, all the Indians who had gone land over a pretty good road and level country, though covered with timber, re-embarked in their canoes.

" My men were also on land, and I on the water in a canoe. They reviewed all their forces, and found 24 canoes and 68 men.

" After having completed their review, we continued our journey, as far as an Island three leagues long, covered with the finest pines I ever saw. They hunted and caught some wild animals there. Passing thence ahout three leagues further on, we camped, in order to rest for the night.

* Voyages de la Nouv. France, par le Sr. de Champlain. Paris, MDCXXXII.

CHAMPLAIN'S EXPEDITION.

" Forthwith some began to eut down timbor; others to pull off bark to cover lodges to sheltor them ; others to fell large trees with which to barrieade their lodges on the shore. They know so well how to construct the barricades, that five hundred of their enemies would find considerable difficulty in forcing them in less than two hours without great loss. They do not fortify the side of the river along which their eanoes are ranged, so as to be able to embark should oeeasion require.

" After they had camped they dispatched their canoes with nine good men, as is their custom at all their eneampments, to reconnoitro within two or three leagues if they see anything. After which they retiro. They depend the whole night on the exploration of the van- guard, which is a bad habit of theirs. For sometimes their enemies surprise them asleep, and kill them without having an opportunity of recovering their feet to defend themselves.

"Remarking that, I remonstrated with them against the error they committed; told them to watch as they saw us do all night, and to have outposts to spy and see if they could pereeive anything, and not to live in that style, like cattle. They told me they could not watch, and that they labored all day hunting. So that, when they go to war, they divide the foree into three, to wit : one party scattered in divers places hunting; another for the main body, which is always under arms; and another party as a vanguard, to send along the river and see whether they will not discover some trail or mark indi- cating the passage of friends or enemies. This they ascertain by certain marks the chiefs of one section give to those of another, which are not always alike; notifying each other from time to time when they alter any. By this means they recognize whether those who have passed are friends or enemies. The hunters never hunt in ad- vance of the main body or seouts, so as not to create any alarm or disorder, hut in the rear and in the direction where they don't appre- hend enemies. They thus continue until they are two or three days' journey from the foe, when they advance stealthily by night all in a body, except the scouts, and retire by day into the picket fort, where they, without wandering ahroad, making any noise, or building a fire, even for cooking, during that time, so as not to be diseovered should their enemies happen to pass. The only fire is to smoke. They eat dried Indian meal, which they stick in water like porridge. They prepare their meal for use when they are pinched, and when they are near the enemy or when retreating. After their attacks they don't amuse themselves hunting, retreating precipitately.

" We left next day, continuing our route along the river as far as the mouth of the lake (Lake Champlain). Here are a number of beautiful but low islands, filled with fine woods and prairies, a quantity of game and wild animals, such as stags, deer, fawns, roe- bucks, bears, and other sorts of animals that come from the mainland to the said islands. We caught a quantity of them. There is also quite a number of heavers, as well in the river as several other streams that fall into it. These parts though agreeable are not inhabited by any Indians, in consequence of their wars. They retire from the rivers as far as possible, deep into the country, in order not to be so soon discovered.

" Next day we entered the lake, which is of considerable extent,- somne fifty or sixty leagues,-where I saw four beautiful islands, ten, twelve, and fifteen leagues in length, formerly inhabited, as well as the Iroquois River, by Indians, but abandoned since they have been at war, the one with the other. Several rivers also discharge into the lake, surrounded by a number of fine trees similar to those we have in France, with a quantity of vines handsomer than any I ever saw, a great many chestnuts, and I had not yet seen except the margin of the lake, where there is a large abundance of fish of divers species. Among the rest there is one called by the Indians of the country Cha- onsarou, of divers lengths. The largest, I was informed by tho people, are of eight to ton feet. I saw one of five, as thick as a thigh, with a head as big as two fists, with jaws two feet and a half long, and a double set of very large and dangerous teeth. The form of the body reseinhles that of the piko, and it is armed with scales that a thrust of a poniard cannot pierco, and is of a silver gray color. Tho point of the snout is like that of a hog. This fish makes war on all in the lakes and rivers, and possesses, as theso people assure me, a wonderful instinct; which is, that when it wants to catch any birds, it goos among tho rushos and reeds bordering the lako in many places, keop- ing tho beak out of water without budging, so that when tho birds perch on tho beak, imagining it a limb of a treo, it is so subtle that, closing tho jaws which it koeps half opon, it draws tho birds under wator by tho feet. Tho Indians gave mo a head of it, which thoy

prize highly, saying, when they have a headache they let blood with the teeth of this fish at the seat of the pain, which immediately goes away.

"Continuing our route along the west side of the lake, contem- plating the country, I saw on the east side very high mountains capped with snow. I asked the Indians if those parts were in- hahited ? They answered yes, and that they were Iroquois, and that there were in those parts beautiful vallies and fields fertile in eorn as good as I had ever eaten in the country, with an infinitude of other fruits, and that the lake extended close to the mountains, which were, according to my judgment, fifteen leagues from us. I saw others to the south not less high than the former, only that they were without snow. The Indians told me it was there we were to go to meet their enemies, and that they were thickly inhabited, and that we must pass by a waterfall," which I afterwards saw, and thence enter another laket three or four leagues long, and having arrived at its head there were four leagues overland to be traveled to pass to a river,į which flows toward the coast of the Almonchiquois, tending towards that of the Almonchiquois, and that they were only two days going there in their canoes, as I understood sinee from some prisoners we took, who, by means of some Algonquin interpreters, who were acquainted with the Iroquois language, conversed freely with me about all they had notieed. Now, on coming within about two or three days' journey of the enemies' quarters, we traveled only by night and rested by day. Nevertheless, they never omitted their usual superstitions to ascertain whether their enterprise would be successful, and often asked me whether I had observed or seen their enemies, I answered no; and encouraged them and gave them good hopes. Night fell, and we con- tiuued our journey until morning, when we withdrew into the picket fort to pass the remainder of the day there. About ten or eleven o'clock I lay down after having walked some time around our quarters, and falling asleep, I thought I beheld our enemies, the Iroquois, drowning within sight of us in the lake near the mountain ; and being desirous to save them, that our savage allies told me that I must let them all perish as they were good for nothing. On awaking, they did not omit as usual to ask me if I had any dream. I did tell them, in fact, what I had dreamed. It gained such eredit among them that they no longer doubted but they should meet with success. At night- fall we embarked iu our canoes to continue our journey, and as we advaneed very softly and noiselessly, we encountered a war-party of Iroquois on the 29th of month, ahout ten o'clock at night, at the point of a eapo which juts into the lake on the west side. They and we began to shoot, each seizing his arms. We withdrew towards the water and the Iroquois repaired on shore, and arranged all their eanoes, the one beside the other, and began to hew down trees with villainous axes, which they sometimes got in war, and other of stone, and fortified themselves very seeurely.

"Our party, likewise, kept their canoes arranged, the one alongside the other, tied the poles so as not to run adrift, in order to fight alto- gether should need be. We were on the water about an arm short from their barricades. When they were armed and in order, they sent two canoes from the fleet to know if their enemies wished to fight, who answered they desired nothing else; but just then there was not much light, and that we must wait for day to distinguish cach other ; and that they would give us battle at sunrise. This was agreed to by our party. Meanwhile the whole night was spent in dancing and singing, as well on one side as on the other, mingled with an infin- itude of insults and taunts, such as the little courage they had. How powerless their resistanco against their arms, and that when day should break they would experieneo this to their ruin ! Ours, likewise, did not fail in ropartee, telling them they should witness the effects of aruis they had never seon before ! aud a multitude of other speeches as is usual at a siege of town. After the ono and the other had sung, danced, and parlimented enough, day broke. My companions and I wero always concealed for fear the enemy should seo us prepar- ing our arms tho best wo could; being, however, separated, oach in one of tho eanocs bolonging to the savage ' Montagnars.' After being oquipped with light aruis, we took cach an arquebus and went ashoro. I saw the enemy leavo their barricades ; they wero about two hundred mon, of strong and robust appearance, who were coming slowly towards us with a gravity and assurance which groatly pleased mo, lod on by threo chiefs. Ours wore marching in similar order, and told me that those who boro threo lofty plumes wero the chiefs, and

# Ticondoroga.

+ Lake George.

# Iludson River.

HISTORY OF CLINTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

that there were but these three, and they were to be recognized by those plumes, which were considerable longer than those of their com- panions, and that I must do all I could to kill them. I promised to do what I could, and that I was very sorry they could not clearly under- stand me, so as to give them the order and plan of attacking their enemies, as we should indubitably defeat them all; but there was no help for that ; that I was very glad to encourage them, and to mani- fest to them my good will when we should be engaged.

"The moment we landed they began to run about,-ran about two hundred paces towards their enemies, who stood firm, and had not yet perceived my companions, who went into the bush with some savages. Ours commenced ealling me in a loud voice, and making way for me, opened in two and placed me at their head, marching about twenty paces in advance, until I was within thirty paces of the enemy. The moment they saw me they halted, gazing at me and I at them. Wben I saw them preparing to shoot at me, I raised my arquebus, and aim- ing directly at one of the chiefs, two of tbem fell to the ground by tbis shot, and one of their companions received a wound, of which he died afterwards. I had put four balls in my arquebus. Ours in witnessing a shot so favorable for them, set up such tremendous shouts tbat thunder could not have been heard; yet there was no lack of ar- rows on one side and the other. The Iroquois were astonished, secing two men killed so instantaneously, notwithstanding they were pro- vided with arrow-proof armor, woven of cotton thread and wood; this frightened them very much. Whilst I was reloading one of my companions in the bush fired a sbot, which so astonished them anew, seeing their chiefs slain, that they lost courage, took flight and aban- doned the field and their fort, hiding themselves in the depths of the forest, whither pursuing them I killed some others. Our savages also killed several of them and took ten or twelve prisoners. The rest carried off the wounded. Fifteen or sixteen of ours were wounded by arrows ; they were promptly cured.

" After having gained tbe vietory, they amused themselves plun- dering Indian-corn and meal from the enemy, also their arms wbich they had thrown away in order to run the better ; and having feasted, danced, and sung, we returned three hours afterwards with the pris- oners. The place where this battle was fought, was in forty-three degrees some minutes latitude, and I named it Lake Champlain."* '

The curtain which had been lifted for a brief period was again lowered, and we hear nothing of this region until 1665, when Sieur La Motte, an officer in the French army, built a fort, known as Fort St. Anne, situated near the northern extremity of Isle La Motte.

From 1609 until the close of the French and Indian war and final surrender of Canada, the lands in this section were mostly held by parties holding title under the French grants. April 10, 11, 12, and 13, 1733, the governor-general and intendant granted three seigniories within the present limits of the towns of Champlain and Chazy, each three leagues in length, fronting upon Lake Champlain. The first, granted to Hughes Jacques Péan Sieur de Liviandière, captain in the marines, extended from Chazy over two and a half leagues northward. The second was granted to Sieur Mignon de la Gauchitère, also a captain in the marines, and the third to Sieur de St. Vincent, Jr., an ensign in the marines ; each grant being two leagues in front. These grants were re- signed forever, in fief and seigniory, with the right of suc- cession, mesne, and inferior jurisdiction (haute, moyenne et tasse justice), with the right of hunting, fishing, and Indian trade, subject to the performance of fealty and homage at the castle of St. Lewis, in Quebec, agreeable to the custom of Paris, followed in Canada. They were conditioned to the preservation by tenants of the oak timber fit for the royal army ; the reservation of mines and highways to the

crown, and the use of the beaches to fishermen unless ac- tually occupied by its seigneur. The patentees might grant concessions to tenants, subject to the customary cens et rentes, and dues for each arpent of land in front by forty arpents in depth. If used for military purposes, materials for the erec- tion of fortifications and firewood for the use of garrisons were to be given without charge, and the grant was to be submitted for the royal approbation within one year. The grantees having failed to make improvements, on the 10th of May, 1741, all these grants were declared to have re- verted to his Majesty's domain. Nov. 1, 1752, a seigniory of two and a half leagues in front by three in depth, and in- cluding Chazy River, was granted to the Sieur Bedon, coun- cillor in the Superior Council of Quebec, under conditions like those of Péan.

At the close of the French and Indian war, which ter- minated by a treaty of peace signed at Paris in 1763, this territory passed into the possession of the English, and the seigniories which had been established along the lake were all abandoned, save that of Bedon, which was occupied by John La Frombois. La Frombois remained, and was the first permanent settler in Clinton County. By the terms of the treaty between France and England the French settlers were to be secured in their rights ; but the govern- ment of New York made conflicting grants, which occa- sioned much bitter controversy. These conflicting claims to territory greatly retarded the settlement of this region. Here were fertile lands, watered by streams well adapted for mill purposes, deer ranged the forest in abundance, and the streams were stocked with salmon, and but for this reason Clinton County doubtless would have been, at the breaking out of the Revolution, one of the prosperous sections of the Empire State. But not so. In 1775 there were but three fceble settlements, -Count Charles de Fredenburg, at Platts- burgh; John La Frombois, at Chazy, mentioned above ; and William Hay and Henry Cross, in the town of Peru.

CHAPTER III.

THE IROQUOIS.

Early Tradition-Organization of the League-Aboriginal Nomen- clature of the Various Tribes-Wars and Conquests-Military Prowess-Tbeir Introduction to Gunpowder and Liquor-" Ma- nitto," or " Great Spirit" -- " Fire-Water" and its Baneful Effects- The Ineursions of M. Delabarre, M. Denonville, and Count De Frontenas-The Jesuits-1700.

TRADITION informs us that about the year 1600 this nation resided in the vicinity of Montreal, and were in subjection to the Adirondacks. How long the latter tribe had exercised this power, and whether the Iroquois had previously been a powerful nation, are questions that natu- rally suggest themselves to the searcher in history, but have not, by even the most indefatigable workers in aboriginal lore, been answered ; and the pen of the present historian is unable to lift the veil of obscurity that enshrouds the remote origin of this nation, the most powerful and intel- ligent that ever dwelt within the boundaries of this republic. From the Adirondacks they acquired the art of husbandry, and became proficient in the chase and upon the war-path.

* The reference in Champlain's map locates this engagement be- tween Lake George and Crown Point; probably in what is now the town of Ticonderoga, Essex Co.

THE IROQUOIS.

As they inereased in numbers and influence a passion seized them to become the possessors of the country they oeeupied, and, raising the tomahawk at the Adirondacks, they waged a fieree eontest against them, which resulted in the defeat of the Iroquois, and the remnants of the tribe were compelled to fly the country to eseape extermination. They traeed their steps into the lake country, and, gath- ering their seattered warriors, effeeted a settlement on Seneea River.

No authority gives us the date of the organization of the celebrated league ; but it was probably in about the year 1600, as it was a powerful organization at the date of Duteh oeeupation, in 1609. The league originally eon- sisted of five nations, viz., the Onondagas, Oneidas, Mo- hawks, Cayugas, and Senecas.

O-non-dä'-ga, the origin of the name they gave them- selves, O-non-da'-ga-o-no as rendered, " the people of the hills " The Oncidas were ealled the " people of the stone," or " the granite people," as indicated by their national name, O-na-gote'-kö-o-no.

Gä-ne-ä'-ga-o-no was the name applied to the Mohawks, which signified " the possessor of the flint ;" and they had for the deviee of the village a " steel and a flint."

The Cayugas were known by the appellation of Gne'-o- gweh-o-no, " the people of the mueky land." It doubtless referred to the marsh at the foot of Cayuga Lake, where they first settled.

Nun-da-wa'-o-no was the national name of the Scnecas, meaning " the great hill people." This was the name also of the oldest village on Canandaigua Lake, where, accord- ing to their Seneca myth, the tribe sprang out of the ground. The following aeeount of their origin is given from a native souree.

" While the tribe had its seat and couneil-fire on the hill, a woman and son were living near it, when the boy one day eaught a small two-headed serpent, ealled Kaistowanea, in the bushes. He brought it home as a pet to amuse himself, and put it in a box, where he fed it on bird's flesh and other dainties. After some time it had beeome so large that it rested on the beams of the lodge, and the hunters were obliged to feed it with deer ; but it soon went out and made its abode on a neighboring hill, where it maintained itself. It often went out and sported in the lake, and in time beeame so large and misehievous that the tribe were put in dread of it. They consulted on tho subjeet one evening, and determined to fly next morning ; but with the light of next morning the monster had eneireled the hill, and lay with its double jaws extended before the gate. Some attempted to pass out, but were driven baek ; others tried to climb over its body, but wero unable. Hunger at last drove them to desperation, and they made a rush to pass, but only rushed into the monster's double jaws. All were devoured but a warrior and his sister, who waited in vain ex- peetaney of relief. At length the warrior had a dream, in which he was shown that if he would fledge his arrows with the hair of his sis- ter the eharm would prevail over the enemy. He was warned not to heed the frightful heads and hissing tongue, but to shoot at the heart. Accordingly, tho next morning ho armed himself with his keenest weapons, eharmed as directed, and boldly shot at the serpent's heart. The instantaneous reeoiling of the monstor proved that the wound was mortal. Ho bogan in great agony to roll down tho hill, breaking down frees and uttering horrid noises, until ho rolled into the lake. Here he slaked his thirst, and tried by water to mitigate his agony, dashing about in fury. At length he vomited up all the people whom ho had caton, and immediately oxpired and sank to the bottom."

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History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 2

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 922

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) 1n; Lewis, J.W., & Co., Philadelphia
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 922