History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 3

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 3
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 3

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The Six Nations were constituted in 1712, by the uniting of the Tuscaroras, Dus-gv-o-weh, " the shirt-wearing peo- ple," a nation that inhabited the western part of North

Carolina. The league was originated by the Onondagas, hence they were ealled the " Fathers of the Confederacy." The Mohawks having first given their eonsent, were known as " The Eldest Brothers," and for a similar reason the Cayugas were called "The Youngest Brothers," having given their assent last. The Senecas were named "The Watehmen," from the faet, doubtless, of their location near their enemies from the west. The organization of the league was effeeted on the east bank of the Onondaga Creek, on the road to Syracuse. The chiefs and saeliems soon dis- eerned that the compact entered into was, in all respeets, advantageous, thus ereating and maintaining a fraternal spirit among themselves, and rendering them powerful upon the war-path.

With the eonseiousness of returning power, their first warlike mnove was against their old enemies, the Adiron- dacks, whom they utterly exterminated. Now becoming eonvineed of their power, they waged war upon all sur- rounding natives. Their tomahawk was brandished upon the shores of Lake Superior, their warlike measures were earried into New England, and the scalping-knife gleamed along the valley of the Father of Waters. They conquered the Hurons, the Eries, the Andastez, the Chavanons, the Illinois, the Miamis, the Algonquins, the Delawares, the Shawanese, the Susquehannocks, the Nanticokes, the Unamis, the Minsi, and even the Carnise Indians, in their sea-girt home upon Long Island, found no protection against their attaeks. The name of the Iroquois had be- come a terror to all the Indian nations. "I have been told," says Colden, "by old men in New England, who re- membered the time when the Mohawks made war upon their Indians, that as soon as a single Mohawk was diseov- ered in their country, their Indians raised a ery from hill to hill, ' A Mohawk ! A Mohawk !' upon which they fled like sheep before wolves, without attempting to make the least resistance." The thirst for military glory was their ruling passion. They evineed a remarkable spirit of ambition, not unlike Napoleon, or Cæsar of old, and but for the settlement of the New World by the Caucasian, we have no right to doubt that eventually the haughty chiefs of the dusky legion of the Six Nations would have wielded the seeptre over the Indians of North America with all the despotism of an Alexander, and, like him, would have thirsted for fresh conquests. The effects of these military operations were carried as far north as Hudson's Bay, while the Mississippi did not form their western limits. They ravished the extreme eastern and southern portions of the United States, and, without doubt, as stated in Rogers' " Ameriea," their wars were extended to the Isthmus of Darien.

That was a fatal hour when the red man quaffed the rum from the hands of Henry Hudson. That was a fatal hour when the red man was taught the power of gunpowder by Champlam. It is remarkable that the Indians were made known with these, their two greatest enemies, during the same week of the same year, 1609, by these rival ex- plorers. The manner of giving the first draught of liquor to the Indians, as related by a manuscript in the New York Historical Society, was as follows : " Hudson, ac- companied by a number of his attendants, was ascending,

HISTORY OF CLINTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

in a eanoe, the river that bears his nanie, and discovering a band of aborigines, made them a sign to halt. He went ashore, and, after friendly salutation, he beekoned to an attendant, who brought him a bockhack (gourd) and a little eup, both as elear as the new iee upon the surface of a lake. And from the bockhack Manitou, or Great Spirit, as they regarded Hudson, filled the eup with a liquid which he drank, and refilling, handed to the chief near him, who quaffed the eup to the bottom. In a few mo- ments his eyes elosed lustreless, and he fell heavily to the ground. His companions thought him dead, and the wail- ings of the women resounded through the forest.

" After a long time the chief revived, and springing to his feet, deelared that he had experieneed the most delightful sensations, seen visions, and was never more happy. He requested another draught, and, following his example, the liquor went around the cirele. They all partook of the ravishing eup, and all beeame intoxicated."

From that fatal hour to the present their thirst for the maddening poison has not abated. In vain have their couneils passed deerees against it, in vain have their teaeh- ers admonished them, and equally useless have been the eloquent and pathetie appeals of their women against it. Whenever and wherever, even at this late day, whether it be the Sioux among the Black Hills or the remnants of the Iroquois upon their reservation, they can lay their hands upon fire-water they are certain to drink it. This aeeursed liquor was among the strongest agencies used by the un- prineipled settler in his intereourse with the red man to gain his land and furs.

In this eonneetion it is proper to observe that the Eng- lish bestowed no attention upon the enlightenment of the race, either morally or religiously. In striking contrast with the attitude of England-a country under more last- ing obligations to the Iroquois than any other nation upon the globe-was that of France, as exhibited by the Jesuit missionaries, Franeisean priests, and Reeollet fathers.

These were the first Caucasians who lifted up their voices in the wilderness in attempting to Christianize the red -man. History has never done these fathers justice. They left their homes in sunny Franee, surrounded by every luxury that wealth and eeclesiastieal position eould afford, and sought an abode in the wilds of the New World, with no companions save the beasts of the forest and hostile Indians. They eame not as the trader, worshiping Mammon, nor the settler in search of a home. They endured all the priva- tions of the forest with the sole objeet in view of Cliris- tianizing the aborigines. Their lives were sacrifieed upon the altar of Christianity that he might be raised from darkness and brought into sweet communion with the Great Spirit.

Their motto- Ad majorem, Dei gloriam-was ever be- fore thein, and but for the constantly-recurring wars they would, without doubt, have left a spirit of Christian eivili- zation among the savages of this land. In many localities they wrought a truly wonderful work in ineuleating a tem- peranee spirit among the Indians, who suffered severely from the unprincipled trader, who took their furs and gave the poor savage liquor in return.

Several attempts were made by England and Franee to

extirpate the Confederaey of the Six Nations, but without sueeess. The first ineursion into their country was headed by M. Delabarre, the governor-general of Canada, in 1683; the second by M. Denonville, also governor-general of Canada, in 1687; the third by Count De Frontenae, in 1697.

The ineursions failed to accomplish the subjugation of the proud confederaey, and the year 1700 dawns and finds them in the zenith of their glory. They had reared a colossal Indian empire, and as far as their unsophisticated vision extended, destined to remain.

" The Father above thought fit to givo The white man corn and wine ; There are golden fields where he may live, But the forest shades are mine."

CHAPTER IV.

THE REVOLUTION.

Activity of the British and Americans on Lake Champlain-Battle of Valcour-Burgoyne-The " White House."

THE eauses which led to the American Revolution, and the history of that arduous struggle, are so well known that referenee will be made to it in this connection only so far as it is associated with the history of Clinton County. From the surrender of Fort Ticonderoga, in 1775, to the autumn of the following year, the lake was in the undisputed pos- session of the Americans. But with a well-disciplined and determined foe, it soon became evident that a mighty struggle for supremaey was imminent, as the possession of this thoroughfare, at onee the key of Canada and New York, was of vital importance to both parties.

With their eharaeteristie energy the English lost no time in fitting out a fleet for service on Lake Champlain. A war-vessel, subsequently ealled the " Inflexible," which had been sent over from England for service on Lake Cham- plain, was taken to pieces and carried over the rapids. The work was pushed with sueh vigor that in twenty-eight days from the laying of the keel the ship was ready to re- ceive her armament. Two sehooners-the " Carleton" and " Maria" -- were also taken to pieces and carried over the rapids. Several large boats and bateaux were also dragged up the rapids. The British well knew the importance of this movement, and on the 10th of October, 1776, a for- midable fleet passed out of the Richelieu into Lake Cham- plain. This fleet consisted of the " Inflexible," of eighteen guns; the two sehooners " Maria" and " Carleton," the former earrying fourteen guns and the latter twelve; the bateau "Thunderer," twelve guns and two howitzers; the gondola " Royal Convert," of seven guns; together with twenty gunboats, and four long boats each earrying one gun. The fleet consisting of twenty-nine vessels, mounting eighty- nine guns, was manned by six hundred and ninety picked seamen from the war-vessels then lying at Quebee, besides a number of artillerists, Indians, and soldiers.

During this time, however, the Americans were not idle. The construction and equipment of a fleet at the head of

THE REVOLUTION.

the lake was intrusted to Gen. Benedict Arnold, who carried forward the work with surprising rapidity, and on the 20th of August he sailed from Crown Point, his fleet consisting of nine vessels, carrying fifty-five guns and seventy-eight swivels. This fleet, which was manned by three hundred and ninety-five men, was joined on the 6th of September by two or three other vessels, and with this force Arnold cruised about the head of the lake until Sep- tember 23d, when he anchored his fleet in the narrow channel separating Valcour Island from the mainland. While here he was joined by Brig .- Gen. Waterbury with the galleys " Washington," "Trumbull," and "Congress."

The whole American fleet, excepting an eight-gun galley and the schooner " Liberty," was now at this point, and con- sisted of the sloop " Enterprise," carrying ten guns and ten swivels ; the schooner " Royal Savage," twelve guns and ten swivels ; the schooner " Revenge," eight guns and ten swivels ; the galley " Lee," six guns and ten swivels; the galleys " Trumbull," " Congress," and " Washington," each eight guns and sixteen swivels ; and the gondolas " New Haven," " Providence," " Boston," " Spitfire," " Philadel- phia," " Connecticut," "Jersey," and "New York," each mounting three guns and eight swivels. These vessels, except the sloop "Enterprise," which Arnold had con- structed the year before, were all built at Skenesborough, now Whitehall. While the British had a fleet of twenty- nine vessels, the American consisted of only fifteen, and instead of a picked number of seamen from the best navy in the world, its vessels were manned by a " wretched motley crew." Under date of September 7th, Arnold writes, " We have but very indifferent men in general. Great part of those who ship for seamen know very little of the matter." In a subsequent letter he says, "The drafts from the regiments at Ticonderoga are a miserable set ; indeed, the men on board the fleet in general are not equal to half their number of good men. The marines," he says, " arc the refuse of every regiment, and the seamen -few of them ever wet with salt water."

The following account of the engagement between the two fleets, known as the " Battle of Valcour," the first naval engagement of the Revolution, is taken from Hon. Peter Sailly Palmer's excellent " History of Lake Champlain" :

"The route taken by vessels passing up the lake from Canada lies along and nearly parallel to the west shore of Grand Isle. Opposite Cumberland Head the lake is two miles wide, but as soon as that point is passed it increases in width to five miles, and does not again contract until you approach the mouth of the Bouquet. On the western side of the lake, about four miles southwest of Cumberland Head, and nearly two miles to the right of the track of ves- sels sailing directly up the lake, is the island of Valcour, which is separated from the main shore by a channel about one-half mile in width. This channel is deep enough for the largest vessels, and is hid from the view of boats sailing up the lake, until they have passed some distance south of the island. Midway of this channel, and where it is most contracted, Arnold anchored his vessels in a line extending from shore to shore. 'We are moorcd,' hic writes to Gen. Gates, 'in a small bay on the west side of the island, as near together as possible, and in such form that few vessels

can attack us at the same time, and those will be exposed to the fire of the whole fleet.'

"At eight o'clock on Friday morning, October 11th, the English were discovered passing Cumberland Head with a strong north or northwest wind, and bearing in the direc tion of Crown Point, towards which it was supposed Arnold had retired. The fleet at this time was under the com- mand of Capt. Thomas Pringle, of the ' Lord Howe,' who made the schooner ' Maria' his flag-ship. Gen. Carleton was also on board the ' Maria,' but took no command of the fleet. As the English appeared in sight, off Cumberland Head, Gen. Waterbury went on board the 'Congress' galley, and urged that they should immediately set sail and fight the enemy on the retreat in the broad lake ; but Arnold de- clined, at that late hour, to change his plan of defense.

" Capt. Pringle was some distance ahead of Valcour when he first discovered the American vessels. He immediately changed his course towards the island, with a view to en- gage, but found great difficulty in bringing any of his ves- sels into action. About eleven o'clock, however, the gun- boats were enabled to sweep to windward and take a posi- tion to the south of the American fleet, when they opened a fire upon the ' Royal Savage,' which, with the galleys, had advanced a short distance in front of the line. The British schooner ' Carleton' soon after came to the assistance of the gunboats. The 'Royal Savage' sustained the fire of the British vessels for some time, during which her mast was crippled and much of her rigging shot away. She then attempted to return to the line, but, running too far to the leeward, grounded ncar the southwest point of the island, and was abandoned by her men, who succeeded in reaching the other boats in safety. At night the British boarded the schooner, and set fire to her .*

"At half-past twelve o'clock the ' Carleton' and the gun- boats had approached within musket-shot of the American line, when the action became general, and continued with- out cessation until about five in the afternoon. During the engagement Arnold was on board the 'Congress,' Water- bury on the ' Washington,' and Col. Wigglesworth on the 'Trumbull.' The 'Congress' and 'Washington' suffered severely. The latter was hulled in several places, her main- mast shot through, and her sails torn to pieces. Waterbury fought bravely on the quarter-deck of his vessel, and to- wards the close of the action was the only active officer on board ; the captain and master being severely wounded and the first lieutenant killed. The gondola ' New York' lost all her officers except Capt. Lee, and the gondola ' Phila- delphia,' Capt. Grant, was so badly injured that she sank about one hour after the engagement. Arnold fought the ' Congress' like a lion at bay, pointing almost every gun with his own hands, and cheering his men with voice and gesture. His vessel was hulled twelve times, and received seven shot between wind and water; the main-mast was injured in two places, the rigging cut to pieces, and many of the men were killed and wounded.

" On the side of the English, the battle was sustained by

# " Arnold's account of the engagement. The hull of the schooner lies on the spot where she was sunk, and her upper timbers can yet be soen at low water in the lake. Arnold's papers were on board the schooner and were lest."

HISTORY OF CLINTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

the gunboats and the schooner ' Carleton,' and by a party of Indians who were landed on the island and main shore, and kept up an incessant fire of musketry during the en- gagement. The English vessels suffered considerably. On board the ' Carleton' eight men were killed and six wounded Two of the gunboats were sunk, and one was blown up with a number of men on board .* About five o'clock in the afternoon Capt. Pringle, who had made several unsuccessful attempts to bring his larger vessels into action, called off those engaged, and anchored his whole fleet just out of reach of the American guns. The ' Thunderer' lay at the right of the line, a little south of Garden Island,; the schooner ' Maria' on the left near the main shore, while the 'Royal Convert' and the 'Inflexible' occupied inter- mediate positions. The 'Carleton' and gunboats were anchored near and among the other vessels. By this arrangement Capt. Pringle hoped to prevent the escape of the American fleet during the night.

MAP OF THE BATTLE OF VALCOUR ISLAND.

A, American fleet drawn across the channel; B, British gun-boats and schooner Carleton ; C, anchorage of British vessels after the battle ; D, Point where the Royal Savage was lost; E, Cumberland Ilead; F, Saranac River; G, Grand Island ; H, Island of North Hero.

".Arnold was well satisficd that he could not successfully resist the superior force with which the English were pre- pared to attack him on the following morning. His men had fought with the most daring bravery and resolution, but he had only succeeded in retaining his position by the direction of the wind, which had prevented the larger ves- sels of the British fleet from joining in the action. Even under equally favorable circumstances, he could not resist a renewed attack, for his boats were already badly crip- pled, sixty of his men, including several officers, killed or wounded, and nearly three-fourths of each vessel's ammuni- tion spent. A council of war was immediately called, when it was determined that the fleet should retire during the night towards Crown Point.

# " Arnold states the loss sustained by the blowing up of this gun- boat as sixty .- Letter to General Schuyler, Oct. 15."

+ "This is a small island about 600 yards south of Valcour."

" At seven o'clock in the eveningt Col. Wigglesworth got the 'Trumbull' under way, and, bcaring around the north end of Valcour, directed his course towards the upper end of the lake, passing outside of the British line. The 'Trumbull' was soon followed by the ' Enterprise' and ' Lee,' with the gondolas; and about ten o'clock Waterbury started in the ' Washington' galley, followed closely by Arnold in the ' Congress.' In this order, with a light at the stern of each vessel, the fleet passed to Schuyler Island, about nine miles distant, where they arrived carly the next morning. On examination Arnold found two of the gondolas too badly injured to repair. Thesc he sank near the island, and, having fitted up the other vessels as well as his lim- ited time and means would permit, again set sail for Crown Point.

" While Arnold was repairing his vessels, the British fleet weighed anchor and commenced beating up the lake in pursuit; the wind blowing gently from the south. Early on the morning of the 13th the American fleet was off the Bouquet, and the English lay a little above Schuyler Island. Arnold now had the wind in the south, while a fresh northcast wind, blowing in the broader part of the lake, favored the English commander, who brought up his leading vessels soon after the former had passed Split Rock. On this occasion Capt. Pringle led in person in the ' Maria,' closely followed by the 'Inflexible' and 'Carleton.' The ' Maria' and ' Inflexible' at first attacked the ' Washington' galley, which was too much shattered to keep up with the rest. The galley struck after receiving a few shots. The two vessels then joined the 'Carleton,' and, for several hours,§ poured an incessant fire into the ' Congress' galley, which was briskly returned. Arnold kept up a running fight until he arrived within ten miles of Crown Point, when he ran the ' Congress' and four gondolas into a small creek in Panton, on the east side of the lake, and, having removed the small arms, burned the vessels to the water's edge. In this action the 'Congress' lost her first lieutenant and three men.

" As soon as the boats were consumed, Arnold led his party through the woods to Crown Point, where he arrived at four o'clock the next morning. The sloop ' Enterprise,' the schooner 'Revenge,' and the galley 'Trumbull,' with one gondola, had reached that place the day before in safety. The galley ' Lee,' Capt. Davis, was run into a bay on the east side of the lake above Split Rock, where she was blown up. The only vessels taken by the encmy were the ' Washington' galley and the gondola ' Jersey.' The loss of the Americans in both engagements was between eighty and ninety, including the wounded. The English stated their loss in killed and wounded at forty, but, accord- ing to the American accounts, it must have exceeded one hundred, as at least sixty men were on board the gunboat which was blown up on the 11th.

į " Arnold's account of the battle. Mr. Cooper, in his Naval His- tory, erroneously states that Arnold got under way at two o'clock P.M. He also states that the American fleet, on the morning of the 11th, ' was lying off Cumberland Head,' and includes in the fleet the schooner ' Liberty,' which was then at Crown Point."

¿ " Capt. Pringle says the action commenced at twelve and lasted two hours. Arnold says it continued ' for about five glasses.'"

THE REVOLUTION.

" Immediately after the action of the 13th, Sir Guy Car- leton gave orders for his surgeons to treat the wounded prisoners with the same care they did his own men. He then directed all the other prisoners to be brought on board his ship, where he treated them to a drink of grog, praised the bravery of their conduct, regretted that it had not been displayed in the service of their lawful sovereign, and offered to send them home to their friends on their giving their parole that they would not again bear arms against Great Britain until they should be exchanged. On the 14th, Captain, afterwards Sir James Craig, accompanied the prisoners to Ticonderoga, where he dismissed them on parole. The generous manner in which they had been treated filled the prisoners with the highest emotions of gratitude, and they returned proclaiming the praise of the British general. The feelings and sentiments expressed by these men were such that it was not considered safe to allow them to land or to converse with the American troops. They were therefore sent forward to Skenesborough the same night .*

"The humanity of Governor Carleton's course was somewhat tinctured with policy. He well knew the great dissatisfaction which had prevailed among the American troops, and with a profound sagacity that distinguished his whole administration, took advantage of every opportunity to direet this feeling into a channel favorable to the British cause, and to impress upon the minds of the half-elothed and destitute troops a high opinion of the generosity, kind- ness, and liberality of their opponents.

" Although the results of the two naval engagements of the 11th and 13th had been so disastrous, yet the Ameri- cans gained great credit for the obstinacy of their resist- ance. Even the English acknowledged that no man ever manœuvred with more dexterity, fought with more bravery, or retreated with more firmness than Arnold did on both of these occasions. Such gallantry converted the disasters of defeat into a species of triumph. Several American officers, however, were found ready to censure Arnold, whom they called ' our evil genius to the north,'f but Gen. Gates, who understood perfectly all the details of the affair, always speaks of him in the highest terms of praise. 'It would have been happy for the United States,' he writes to Governor Trumbull, ' had the gallant behavior and steady good conduct of that excellent officer been supported by a fleet in any way equal to the enemy's. As the case stands, though they boast a victory, they must respect the van- quished.'"

Judge Palmer justly adds: "The battle of Valcour has not occupied the place in the history of the Revolution which it deserves. Arnold, it is true, was defeated, but he escaped when almost every other commander would have surrendered. His gallantry and the courage of his officers and men inspired increased confidence among the American troops at that gloomy and important crisis in the history of the war. His men were raw and undisciplined, but good fighters, and followed where he 'darcd to lead,' while his fame rose higher in the estimation of his compatriots than ever before. 'It has pleased Providence to preserve Gen.

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History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 3

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