History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 7

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 7
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 7

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Before the American flotilla had been increased by the addition of the three sloops, a party of British, under Col. Murray, made a descent upon Plattsburgh, and destroyed or took away a large amount of public and private property. Although this was in fact nothing but a predatory incursion, it was treated by the English at the time as a most glo- rious achievement, and has been so considered by their his- torians up to the present day. Mr. Alison, in his " History of Europe," a work replete with errors in relation to the military operations on this frontier during the war of 1812, refers to the expedition, and says that " the English flotilla, with nine hundred men on board, stretched across the lake, took Plattsburgh, which was evacuated by twelve hundred Americans without firing a shot, burned part of the naval stores, and brought away the rest, and also destroyed the American naval establishments at Champlain and Burling- ton."

A greater number of errors could not well be collected in so few words. Alison has overrated the number of Americans at Plattsburgh, diminished the actual strength of the British, and misstated every circumstance connected with the transaction. The force under Col. Murray was embarked on two war-sloops, three gunboats, and forty- seven long-boats, and numbered over fourteen hundred men, including infantry, sailors, and marines. With this force Murray crossed the line on the 30th of July, passed Cham- plain, where the Americans had not then, nor never had, a naval establishment, and on the afternoon of Saturday, the 31st, arrived at Plattsburgh, where he landed, without oppo- sition, and began a work of destruction which continued until ten o'clock of the next day, when he re-embarked and stood out of the bay. At the time the British landed there were no regular troops on the west side of the lake. Maj .- Gen. Hampton, it is true, was at Burlington on the oppo- site side, twenty miles distant, with between three and four thousand men under his command, but, from some unac- countable cause, he made no attempt to cross the lake or to

protect the village of Plattsburgh, although he had twenty- four hours' notice of the intended attack. While the British were at Plattsburgh, about three hundred militia were hastily collected, but they did not approach the village until the enemy had retired.

When Col. Murray first entered the village, he assured the civil authorities that private property should be re- spected, and that citizens not in arms should remain un- molested. These promises were, however, most shamefully violated ; for the British, not satisfied with destroying the block-house, arsenal, armory, and hospital in the village, and the military cantonment near Fredenburgh Falls, two miles above, wantonly burned three private store-houses, took possession of about two thousand dollars' worth of hardware belonging to merchants of the city of Boston, and plundered several private dwellings, destroying furni- ture and such articles as they could not use or carry away. The value of the private property plundered exceeded eight thousand dollars. Inventories of this property were prepared and published at the time, and include long lists of furniture, books, clothing, cooking utensils, groceries, and dry goods. Soldiers would break into private dwell- ings, and bear off back-loads of property to the boats in the presence of British officers, who, when remonstrated with by the plundercd citizens, replied that they could not prevent it, as the men did not belong to their company.} The value of the public property destroyed was estimated at twenty-five thousand dollars.

Col. Murray, having accomplished the work of destruc- tion, retired in great haste, leaving behind him a picket- guard of twenty-one men, who were made prisoners and sent to Burlington. The long-boats and two of the gun- boats then procecded to Swanton, Vt., where the men burned some old barracks and plundercd several citizens of the place. On their way they landed at Cumberland Head and Point au Roche, and pillaged the houses and farms of Henry W. Brand, Judge Treadwell, and Jeremiah Stowe. They also burned a store at Chazy Landing belonging to Judge Saxe. The two sloops and the other gunboat, after leaving Plattsburgh, stood for the south, and sailed ten or twelve miles above Burlington, when they returned towards Canada. As the vessels passed Burlington they fired a few shots at the place, but bore away as soon as the batteries on shore began to play upon them. While on the lake the British took or destroyed eight or ten long-boats engaged in the transportation business, and captured a Durham boat loaded with flour.

While Col. Murray was at Plattsburgh he dropped a letter from his hat, which was afterwards picked up, and found to contain information as to the best mode of attack on Plattsburgh, together with a map of the encampment and military works at Burlington. A few days afterwards the person who wrote the letter was arrested on a charge of high treason, and sent to Albany for safe-keeping.}

# The current belief, in the neighborhood of the action, was that the British loss exceeded two hundred, but this was probably an ex- aggeration.

+ It appears by the inventories of plundered property, published at the time, that Judge De Lord lost $1079.18; Peter Sailly, Esq., $887.77, besides two store-houses burned, and valued at $900; Judge Palmer, $386.50; Doctor Miller, $1200; Bostwick Buck, $150; Jacob Ferris, $700; several smaller amounts were lost by other citizens. A store-house belonging to Maj. Platt was also burned at the time. # See History of Plattsburgh.

THE WAR OF 1812.

CHAPTER VIII.

WAR OF 1812-(Continued).

Plan of the Campaign of 1813-Hampton at La Colle and Chateau- gay-Col. Clark at Missisco Bay-Skirmishes-Operations on the Lake-Dispute between the Vermont Volunteers and Gov. Chitten- den-Failure of the Campaign of 1813-Battle of La Colle Mill- British attack the Works near Otter Creek-Operations during the Summer-Death of Col. Forsythe-Izard ordered to the West- Condition of Affairs after his Departure.

IN July, 1813, Maj .- Gen. James Wilkinson assumed the command of the Northern Department. About the same time the American Secretary of War, Mr. Armstrong, re- paired to Sackett's Harbor to supervise the military opera- tions on the Ontario frontier. The plan of the Secretary contemplated " a descent upon Kingston, and a subsequent movement down the St. Lawrence." A large force was also collected at Burlington, on Lake Champlain, which was placed under the immediate command of Maj .- Gen. Hampton.

About the 1st of September, Hampton was directed to move towards the British posts on the Richelieu, in order to create a diversion in favor of the western army, and to co-operate, if necessary, with Wilkinson in an attack upon Montreal. The American troops, numbering about four thousand men, were immediately concentrated at Cumber- land Head, where they were joined by a body of New York militia, who had been called into service by Governor Tompkins. On the 19th, the infantry and light troops moved from Cumberland Head in boats, flanked on the right by Maedonough's flotilla, and at twelve o'clock at night reached Chazy Landing. The next morning they entered the Big Chazy River, and disembarked at the foot of the rapids, near the village of Champlain, where they were joined by a squadron of horse and two companies of artillery. The same day the army moved north as far as Odletown, in Canada. Hampton remained one day in Canada, when learning that the springs and streams, in the direction of the St. Lawrence, had been dried up by an unusual drought, he determined to change his route, and to approach Montreal by the way of the Chateaugay.

On the 21st the army returned to Champlain, and on the evening of the 24th reached Chateaugay Four Corners, where they remained inactive for twenty-six days. On the 16th of October, Mr. Armstrong was at Saekett's Harbor, debating whether he should attack Kingston, or make an immediate descent upon Montreal. Hampton was ordered to advance to the mouth of the Chatcaugay River, or to some other convenient point on the St. Lawrence, from which an easy and direct communication could be opened between the two armies. In pursuance of this order, he entered Canada on the 21st, and the next day encamped on the Chateaugay, at a point about twenty miles below the Four Corners. There he remained until the 20th, when he planned an expedition against a small body of British troops, who were stationed about six miles below. The expedition failed, and Hampton returned to the Four Cor- ners, with a loss of thirty-five men in killed and wounded. A few days afterwards he broke up his camp and returned to Plattsburgh, where the army was ordered into winter quarters.

While the army lay at Chateaugay, Col. Isaac Clark,* who commanded a detachment of troops stationed at Cham- plain village, was ordered to " commence a petty war near Lake Champlain." " What I am aiming at," writes Hamp- ton, " is tranquillity on the road, by kicking up a dust on the lines."f A better officer than Clark to accomplish this object could not have been selected. He had served with Herrick's Rangers in the Revolution, and was well skilled in border warfare.

On the evening of the 11th of October, Clark crossed the lake with one hundred and ten men, a part of whom belonged to the rifle corps, and early the next morning reached the village of Missiseo Bay, where a small party of British were stationed, under command of Maj. Powell. Clark placed himself at the head of the rifles, and advanced at double-quick time until he met the main body of the enemy, who had been hastily drawn up near the guard- house. Directing his men to halt, he approached the Brit- ish and ordered them to lay down their arms. Maj. Powell advanced and attempted to speak, but Clark sternly ordered him to remain silent, and march " to the rear of the Amer- ican line." The boldness of the order, and the confident tone in which it was given, indueed the major to believe that the rifles were supported by a large force, and he in- stantly obeyed. Clark ordered his men to advance against the main body, who, under command of their eaptain, was preparing to charge. A volley from the riflemen struck down the captain and several men, when the rest threw down their arms and surrendered themselves as prisoners of war. Capt. Finch was now sent forward to watch a force of two hundred British, who were advancing under Col. Loek. Finch proceeded with such promptness and secrecy as to surprise an advanee-guard of cavalry, except one man, who escaped and gave information of the approach of the Americans, when Col. Lock immediately retreated with the rest of his command. The loss of the British in these attaeks was nine killed and fourteen wounded. One hun- dred and one prisoners were taken by Clark and sent to Burlington.

During the autumn of this year a slight skirmishing war was carried on between the American and British picket-guards, which kept the frontier in a state of excite- ment and alarm, without, however, doing much injury to either party. Upon one occasion, about the 1st of October, a small party of New York militia crossed the lines and attacked a picket-guard stationed at Odletown, within the district under command of Maj. Perreault, of the Canadian detached volunteers. The audacity of this act excited the ire of the Canadian officer, who, in retaliation, discharged a gasconade at the whole town of Champlain.

" Citizens of Champlain !" exelaimed the indignant major, " I am happy that humanity should still have so much power over me as to inform you that should any of the militia of Champlain be found hovering this side of the line, I will let loose upon your village and inhabitants the Canadian and Indian force under my command. You are

# Col. Clark sorved in the Revolutionary war. He was a lienten- ant in Capt. Ebenezer Allen's company, and took part in the surprise of Mount Defiance, in September, 1777.

f Letter to Secretary of War, Oct. 1, 1813.

HISTORY OF CLINTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

probably aware that it has been with the greatest difficulty I have till now withheld them. But your cowardly attack at midnight of a small picket of ours has torn asunder the veil which hid you from them-so beware!" This message was inclosed in a note to Judge Moore, with a request that lie would acquaint the people with " the tenor of the liu- mane advertisement." Judge Moore performed his duty, but the militia were obdurate.

As soon as the army had retired into winter quarters Hampton repaired to Washington, leaving General Izard in command at Plattsburgh, and General Parker at Burling- ton. Izard was soon afterwards ordered to join Wilkinson, who, on Hampton's return to Plattsburgh, had gone into winter quarters at French Mills. On the departure of - Izard's brigade, the frontier on the western side of the lake was again left unprotected. About the middle of Decem- ber a strong detachment of British troops, under command of Capt. Barker, of the Frontier Light Infantry, crossed the lines into Vermont, and destroyed some public store-houses and barracks which had been crected at Derby. This at- tack, and the threatening movements of the British forees stationed along the Richelieu, induced the magistrates of Plattsburgh to address a letter to General Wilkinson, who was then at French Mills, in which they represented the exposed condition of the public property, and their appre- hension that another invasion might soon be expected, un- less a strong force was stationed on the west side of the lake. As soon as Wilkinson received this letter he ordered a company of dragoons to Plattsburgh from Burlington, and a detachment of infantry from Chatcaugay Four Cor- ners. The infantry reached Plattsburgh on the 8th of Jan- uary, having made a forced march of forty miles that day. Other detachments of troops soon afterwards arrived, and on the 10th, Wilkiuson repaired to Plattsburgh in person. The camp at French Mills was broken up, and all the mag- azines and provisions forwarded to Lake Champlain.

The operations on the lake during the autumn of 1813 were of little importance. The British flotilla remained in the Richelieu, while the American vessels rode quietly at anchor on the lake. About the 1st of December, Macdon- ough moved to King's Bay, and anchored under Point au Fer. A few days after his arrival at that place, Capt. Pring entered the lake with six armed galleys, landed at Rouse's Point, and burned a small shed there, which had been used as a public store-house. As soon as Macdonough received information of the approach of the British galleys he weighed anchor, and, it being calm at the time, attempted to work out of the bay with sweeps. At the same time he sent Lieut. Cassin forward, with four row-galleys, with orders to bring the enemy into action, and thus detain them until the sloops could get up. The British, however, re- fused to engage, and Lieut. Cassin returned after an un- availing pursuit of three miles .*

Sir George Provost gives a different and erroneous ac- count of this trifliug affair. In a letter to Earl Bathurst, under date of December 12th, he says, " A division of gun- boats, with a detachment of troops, which I had ordered on the 1st of the month to advance into Lake Champlain, for the purpose of molesting Gen. Hampton's division, suc-

ceeded in burning an extensive building lately erected at Plattsburgh as a depot magazine; some bateaux, together with the ammunition, provisions, and stores found in it, were either brought away or destroyed. The severity of the weather obliged Capt. Pring, of the Royal navy, under whose command I had placed the expedition, to return to Isle aux Noix on the 5th." Sir George was evidently misinformed as to the facts by the officer in command of the expedition.

The " extensive building lately erected at Plattsburgh as a depot magazine" was a small shed near the lake-shore at Champlain Landing, which had formerly been in public use, and the smoke from which gave the first information to Macdonough of the enemy's approach. A few days after this affair, the ice blocked up the narrow channel below Rouse's Point, when Macdonough withdrew his vessels and laid them up for the winter in Otter Creek.

In November of this year a dispute arose between Gov- ernor Chittenden, of Vermont, and some of the citizens of that State, involving the right of the militia, in certain cases, to pass without the territorial limits of their own State. The Governor, in his annual message, had taken strong grounds against the war, which he considered " doubtful as to its necessity, expediency, or justice." He also declared that the militia were exclusively assigned for the service and protection of the respective States, except in the cases provided for by the National Constitution. That it was never intended that they should, " by any kind of magic," be at once transformed into a regular army for the purpose of foreign conquest, and he regretted that a construction should have been given to the Constitution " so peculiarly burdensome and oppressive to that important class of our fellow-citizens."

In opposition to these friendly suggestions, a portion of the militia, under Lieut .- Col. Luther Dixon, crossed the lake and placed themselves under the orders of Gen. Hamp- ton. This movement called forth a proclamation from the Governor, in which he ordered the militia to return and hold themselves in readiness to act under the orders of Brig .- Geu. Davis, who had been appointed to the command of their brigade. "The military strength and resources of the State," says the Governor, " must be reserved for its own defense and protection exclusively, except in cases pro- vided for by the Constitution of the United States, and then under orders derived only from the commander-in-chief."

This proclamation was distributed among thie volunteers, who were then stationed at Plattsburgh, and created great excitement with both the officers and men. The agent by whom it had been circulated was arrested and held to bail, in a large amount, for his appearance before the United States District Court. The officers also published a reply to the proclamation, in which, in very plain terms, they in- formed the Governor that they should not obey his orders, but should remain in service until regularly discharged. In this reply they say, " If it is true, as your Excellency states, that we are out of the jurisdiction or control of the execu- tive of Vermont, we would ask from whence your Excel- lency derives the right, or presumes to exercise the power of ordering us to return from the service in which we are engaged ? If we are legally ordered into the service of the

# Macdonough to Secretary of Navy, Dec. 5, 1813.

THE WAR OF 1812.

United States, your Exeelleney must be sensible that you have no authority to order us out of that service. If we are illegally ordered into the serviee, our continuanee in it is either voluntary or compulsory. If voluntary, it gives no one a right to remonstrate or complain; if compulsory, we ean appeal to the laws of our country for redress against those who illegally restrain us of our liberty. In either ease we cannot pereeive the right your Exeelleney has to interfere in the business."

This was pretty sharp firing, and effectually sileneed the Governor's batteries. The brigade remained at Plattsburgh until it became known that the contemplated invasion of Canada had been abandoned for the winter, when the vol- unteers returned to Vermont, and probably put themselves " under the command of Brigadier-General Davis."

The campaign of 1813 was directed towards the impor- tant military posts on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. It eommeneed with bright prospeets of sueeess, but failed through the imbeeility of our offieers who had been ealled to the head of the army. The people were deeply disappointed at the result. They had placed great eonfi- denee in their commanding generals, whose numerous dis- patches were written in lofty style, and were filled with pre- dietions of most brilliant vietories. " I am destined to and determined on the attack of Montreal, if not prevented by some aet of God," eries Wilkinson, on the 6th of Novem- ber, from the head of an army of eight thousand men .* " The Rubicon is now passed, and all that remains is to push forward to the Capitol," is the bold declaration of Hamp- ton .; Vain and empty boasting. Two weeks later, the one was quietly settled at Plattsburgh, and the other was building winter quarters at French Mills and Chateaugay.

The campaign of 1813 is elosed. General Wilkinson attributed its failure to the refusal of Hampton to join him at St. Regis, on the St. Lawrence. He declared that by a junetion of the two armies he could have seeured Mon- treal in eight or ten days. "It is a faet," he writes the Secretary of War, " for which I am authorized to pledge my- self on the most confidential authority, that on the 4th of the present month (November) the British garrison of Montreal consisted solely of four hundred marines and two hundred sailors, which have been sent up from Quebee. What a golden, glorious opportunity has been lost by the eaprice of Maj .- General Hampton !"}

General Hampton, on the contrary, eensured Wilkinson for desiring a junetion of the two armies, with the seanty supply of provisions within reach of St. Regis. He eon- tended that to have moved forward, with the four thousand troops under his eommand, would have seriously weakened, if it did not destroy both armies. That his true course was to throw himself upon his main depots at Plattsburgh, and from that point to open a communication dircet to Caughnawaga, which would relieve the western army, and at the same time retain all the benefits to be expected from a junetion at St. Regis.§

In December, Gen. Hampton was withdrawn from the frontier, but Gen. Wilkinson retained his eommand until after the unsueeessful attack upon a grist-mill in La Colle, when he too was ordered to headquarters. The assault on the La Colle mill was made on the 30th of March, 1814. About the first of that month Major Forsyth had been sent to the lines, near Champlain, with three hundred riflemen and sixty dragoons to protect the frontier, and to break up any illicit intercourse which had been carried on with the enemy during the winter. Detachments had also been sent to the Vermont frontier, under command of Gen. Ma- eomb and Col. Clark, for a similar purpose. About the same time Gen. Wilkinson examined the country around Rouse's Point, with a view to the ereetion of batteries there, which should command the outlet of the lake, and bloekade the British flotilla within the Richelieu.

These movements alarmed the British, who hastened to strengthen their military posts in the vieinity of Rouse's Point. Maj. Haneoek, of the 13th, oeeupied La Colle with six hundred men, and the forts of St. Johns and Iste aux Noix were garrisoned by about two thousand men, under command of Lieut .- Col. Williams of the same regi- ment. When Wilkinson learned that the British foree near the lines had been inereased, he ordered the troops stationed at Plattsburgh to be advaneed to Champlain, where he also directed Maeomb and Clark to eoneentrate their respective commands. On the 29th of March four thousand men were collected at Champlain, of whom one hundred were cavalry and three hundred and four artiller- ists. The latter had with them eleven pieces of eannon of small ealibre. Wilkinson now planned an attaek against Maj. Haneoek, who oeeupied a grist-mill on the banks of the La Colle River, about five miles north of the lines.

On the morning of the 30th the American army marched out of Champlain upon the Odletown road. The advanee- guard was composed of the rifles under Maj. Forsyth, and the 30th and 31st and part of the 11th Infantry, under Col. Clark, in all about six hundred men. They were fol- lowed by two eorps of infantry, under Brig .- Gens. Bissell and Smith. A reserve of eight hundred men, under Gen. Macomb, brought up the rear. The roads at this time were obstrueted by fallen trees and by heavy drifts of snow, and were nearly impassable for artillery. The guides, too, were ignorant of the country, and led the army off from the main road into a very narrow and erooked winter path, leading from Odletown to La Colle. On the way to La Colle, Bissell's eorps was attacked by, and after a short skirmish repulsed, a party of Canadian militia, who had been stationed as a pieket on the main road at Odletown.

The La Colle mill, against which the Americans were now advaneing, was a strong stone building. The walls had been braced on the inside with heavy timbers, the win- dows elosed up, and port-holes made, in every direction, for the fire of musketry. A small clearing, of from one to two hundred yards in width on each side of the river, surrounded

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History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 7

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