History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 8

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 8
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 8

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Lotter to Gen. Hampton.

t Lottor to Secretary of War, Nov. 12.

¿ A "glorious opportunity" indeed, for two large armies to capturo six hundred men l

¿ About one month prior to this time, Hampton attempted this very

route, and baeked out before he had penetrated four miles into Canada. Referring to tho dispatches of the two northern commanders, Mr. Niles, in his Register, exclaims, "The cacocthes scribendi again rages with singular violenco in the army, with symptoms fatal to gallons of ink and hundreds of goose-quills !"

HISTORY OF CLINTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

the mill. The woods adjacent were of small growth, but very thick. The river, at the mill, was frozen over, but below it was open to its mouth. The Richelieu was also open from the mouth of the La Colle to Isle aux Noix.

The American troops did not reach the ground until between one and two o'clock in the afternoon, when a por- tion of Bissell's brigade took a position to the south of the building and commenced the attack, which, for the first half-hour, was confined to a fire of musketry. Maj. Mc- Pherson then brought up a twelve-pounder, which he planted about two hundred and fifty yards to the south of the mill. With this gun a brisk but ineffectual fire was directed against the rear of the building, and afterwards against the side wall.

When it was ascertained that the gun was too light to break down the walls, orders were given to bring up an eighteen-pounder, but its carriage had broken down, three miles back, and could not be repaired in time to be of ser- vice during the day. The cannonade upon the mill was re- turned by a brisk discharge of musketry, which was kept up during the whole attack, but did little damage, as the American troops were posted out of range of the fire. In the course of the afternoon an unsuccessful assault was made upon a detachment of Americans who guarded the north banks of the La Colle by two companies of the 13th Regiment, sent from Isle aux Noix to reinforce the garri- son in the mill.

While thesc companies were engaged a sortie was made against the centre of the American line. The attack was executed with great gallantry, but did not succeed, although the artillery were driven from the gun, which would have been captured had not a portion of Gen. Bis- sell's brigade been sent to its rescue. A short time after- wards another attack was made upon the gun by a gren- adier company of the Canadian Fencibles and a company of voltiguers, who had followed the movement of the troops from the Odletown road. This attack was also unsuccess- ful. The two companies, however, succeeded in gaining a block-house which stood below the mill. The loss of the Americans in these attacks was one hundred and four killed and wounded, while that of the British was reported by them at ten killed and forty-six wounded. Among the wounded on the side of the Americans were Capt. McPher- son and Lieut. Larabee of the artillery, Lieuts. Green and Parker of the infantry, and Lieut. Kerr of the rifles. Lieut. Parker was struck by a random shot. He survived his wounds for several days, and expressed a most sincere regret that he had not fallen in close action. " Hard is my lot," he exclaimed, " that I should have received this wound at such a distance from the enemy, and where I was wholly inactive." Capt. McPherson, on the contrary, was wounded while fighting at the head of his men, and, at the time, was not expected to recover. As they were bcaring him from the field several officers offered their personal services to carry him to Plattsburgh. The gallant captain paused a few moments, and then, thanking them for the interest and regard they had manifested, added, " I shall be sufficiently honored when you bear me to my grave." The same spirit of firmness was shown by the other officers, and by the wounded and bleeding privates. Lieut. Larabee, when some

persons were pitying his misfortune, as he was passing to the rear of the field, exclaimed, "Have you never seen a man die?" A private, on receiving similar sympathy, cried, "Never mind it; I'll give them another fight." Another private, when struck down, cried out, " Give it to them, my boys ; never flinch !"

At the commencement of the assault a few cannon shots and several rockets were fired from a sloop, and from some gunboats lying in the river below, but the fire was not con- tinued, as it was soon ascertained that the American troops were perfectly protected by the intervening ground .* About sundown Wilkinson called in the detachments which had been sent to the north side of the river, and shortly after- wards retired with the whole army to Odletown. The next day he returned to Champlain. From this place Gen. Ma- comb was sent to Burlington, while the main army fell back upon Chazy and Plattsburgh, to protect the military stores at the latter place.}

On the 9th of May, Capt. Pring, of the British navy, ascended the Richelieu in the brig " Linnett," accompanied by five sloops and thirteen row-galleys, and the next day came to anchor under Providence Island,¿ where he re- maincd until the evening of the 13th. Macdonough was at this time at Vergennes, on Otter Creek, busily engaged in fitting out the American fleet, which lay at that place. As soon as he was informed that the British flotilla had en- tered the lake, he ordered Lieut. Cassin, with a small party of sailors, to reinforce Capt. Thornton, who had been sent from Burlington with a detachment of light artillery to man a battery which had been erected at the mouth of Otter Creek. A brigade of the Vermont militia were also ordered out, and were advantageously posted to oppose the cnemy in case he should attempt to land.

At daybreak on the morning of the 14th eight of the British galleys and a bomb-sloop anchored off the mouth of Otter Creek and commenced a warm fire upon the battery, which was promptly returned. A brisk cannonade was kept up by both parties for one hour and a half, when the attack was abandoned.

After this repulse the galleys entered the Bouquet River, and ascended that stream for the purpose of seizing some government flour which had been deposited in the grist- mill at the falls. On their return the boats were fired into by a company of militia who had hastily collected on the south bank of the river near its mouth. This fire killed or wounded nearly all the men in the rear galley. The boat afterwards drifted into the lake, and was towed off by small boats sent to its assistance. The galleys then joined the brig and the three sloops, which, during the attack on the battery, had remained at anchor near the " Four Brothers." On the 16th, Capt. Pring returned to Isle aux Noix. A few days afterwards Macdonough brought

# Late in the day Lieut. Creswick, of the Royal navy, succeeded in landing two field-pieces and getting them to the block-house, but they were not fired during the engagement.

+ This account of the affair at La Colle is derived from the testimony of Bissell, Macomb, Clark, Totton, McPherson, and others before the court-martial, on the trial of Gen. Wilkinson, in January, 1815, and from the official report of Adjt .- Gen. Baynes, of the British army.

į This is one of the small islands lying near the south end of Grand Island, opposite Valcour.

THE WAR OF 1812.

his fleet out of Otter Creek, and on the 29th east anehor in Cumberland Bay, off Plattsburgh.

During the summer, the British and Americans were actively engaged in strengthening their positions along the Champlain frontier. Large reinforcements joined the army at Plattsburgh, while the garrisons at Chambly, St. Johns, and Isle aux Noix were inereased by detachments of troops drawn from Montreal and Quebee. Maj .- Gen. Izard, who had sueeeeded to the command on the withdrawal of Wilkinson, was directed to ereet a heavy battery at Rouse's Point, to guard the entrance from the Richelieu into the lake. Considering the oeeupation of that point hazardous, from its proximity to the enemy's posts at La Colle and Isle aux Noix, he objeeted to ereeting works there, and instead eaused a battery of four eighteen-pounders and a large redoubt to be eonstrueted on Cumberland Head .*

On the 11th of June a light brigade, under command of Gen. Smith, Forsyth's regiment of riflemen, and two companies of artillery, were eneamped near the mouth of Dead Creek, about two miles north of the village of Platts- burgh. These troops advaneed as far as Chazy on the 17th, and on the 27th oeeupied the village of Champlain. Smith's brigade was fourteen hundred strong. At the latter date, Col. Pieree, of the 13th Regiment, was at Chazy, with eight hundred men, and about twelve hun- dred men oeeupied the works on Cumberland Head, at Dead Creek, and in the village of Plattsburgh. Maedon- ough's fleet lay at anehor in King's Bay. The British then held La Colle with a foree of three thousand six hun- dred men. They also had strong garrisons at Isle aux Noix and St. Johns. Muron's regiment, one thousand strong, was at L'Aeadie, two brigades of artillery and three hundred cavalry at Chambly, and two thousand regulars at Montreal. Their fleet lay at Isle aux Têtes.

On the 24th of June, Lieut .- Col. Forsyth, with seventy of his riflemen, penetrated into Canada as far as Odletown, where he was attacked by a detachment of two hundred British light troops. Forsyth returned to Champlain, with the loss of one killed and five wounded. A few days after- wards, he was ordered again to enter Canada, for the pur- pose of drawing the British aeross the lines, into an ambus- cade. He advaneed a few men on the main road leading to Odletown, who soon met a party of the enemy, when they retreated, elosely pursued by about one hundred and fifty Canadians and Indians, under command of Capt. Mahew, until they reached a point about half a mile south of the lines, where the main body of the rifles lay eon- eealed. As the enemy approached the ambuseade, Col. Forsyth stepped upon a log to watch their movements. He had scarcely taken this exposed position when he was shot down by an Indian, the ball passing through his breast. The rifles immediately uncovered and fired upon the enemy, who retreated in great haste, leaving seventeen of their number dead upon the field.t

* The works on Cumberland Head were eommeneed in opposition to tho views of Col. Totten, who considerod they would not impedo or matorially injure a passing fleet. They proved useless, and were abandoned on the first approach of the British.

+ Forsyth was the best partisan offieer in tho army. His men do- clared that they would avenge his death, and a few days aftor crossod the lines and shot Capt. Mahow, who commanded tho Canadians and 5

A few days afterwards, Capt. Nelson, of the 10th In- fantry, erossed into Canada with a small detachment, sur- prised a British pieket in Odletown, took some of them prisoners, and put the rest to flight. Skirmishes were very frequent along the borders during the months of July and August, although seldom attended with any considerable loss to either side.

On the 31st of July, Macomb's brigade, consisting of the 6th, 13th, 15th, 16th, and 29th Regiments, set out in boats from Cumberland Head for Chazy Landing. The same day Bissell's brigade, of the 5th, 14th, 30th, 31st, 33d, 34th, and 45th Regiments, started for Chazy by land. This movement placed three brigades, in all four thousand five hundred strong, at and in rear of the village of Cham- plain. The invalids and two hundred effeetives of Ma- eomb's brigade were left behind to finish the works at Cumberland Head, and a working party of about four hun- dred strong, of Bissell's brigade, was left at Plattsburgh, under Col. Fenwiek, to complete three redoubts which had been eommeneed near that village.

In the month of August, Sir George Provost repaired to the Isle aux Noix, where he had eoneentrated a large body of men, including several veteran regiments who had lately distinguished themselves on the banks of the Adour and the Garonne. Everything now indicated that a battle was soon to be fought on the Champlain frontier, which would decide the fate of the campaign and the control of the whole eountry bordering on the lake. It was at this moment that the government determined to remove the troops from Lake Champlain, and to abandon the large amount of military stores and provisions collected at Platts- burgh, the lives and property of its citizens, and the great military key of the Northern and Eastern States, to the protection of a few raw, worn-out, siek, or disabled men. This strange movement evineed a reekless indifference on the part of the government as to the result of the war in this quarter.

Gen. Izard strongly protested against the removal of the troops, and repeatedly represented to the War Department the fatal results that might be expected from sueh a move- ment. As late as the 20th of August, he writes the See- retary of War as follows: " I must not be responsible for the consequences of abandoning my present strong position. I will obey orders and execute them as well as I know how. Maj .- Gen. Brisbane commands at Odletown ; he is said to have between five and six thousand men with him. Those

Indians at the time of Forsyth's death. Capt. Mahew was taken to the residenee of Judge Moore in Champlain, where he lingered about a week and died.

į It has been asserted in certain quartors that the authoritios at Washington nevor intended a real invasion of Canada, for fear that tho reduction of Montreal and the othor important points upon the St. Lawrence might ultimately lead to annexation, and to a conse- quent inerease of political power north of Mason and Dixon's line. While old and superannnated gonerals commanded on this frontier, they were nllowod, ad libitum, to lead their armies to and fro along the outskirts of Canada, but the moment a fighting man, with the rogular sup of war in him, was found to be in command, tho army was broken up and its bost fragments sent to aid in some distant oper- ations, where tho most triumphant snecess could not endangor the eities of Montreal and Quebee, which were justly considered ns the keys of the British provinees.

HISTORY OF CLINTON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES, NEW YORK.

at Chambly are stated to be about four thousand." On the 23d, he again writes that he has decided to move west, by way of Lake George and Schenectady, with four thou- sand men, leaving the sick and convalescents, and about twelve hundred men, to garrison Plattsburgh and Cumber- land Head, under command of Brig .- Gen. Macomb.

Receiving no counter-orders, Izard, on the 29th of August, left Champlain and Chazy with the 4th, 5th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 45th Infantry, the light artillery armed as infantry, and the dragoons, and slowly and reluctantly moved towards the west. On the 3d of September his corps reached Lake George, where they re- maincd two days, anxiously expecting orders to return to Plattsburgh. No such orders arrived, and Izard again put his column in motion. On the 7th he reached Schenec- tady, from which place he urged on more rapidly towards the west.

As soon as Izard left, Gen. Macomb concentrated his whole force at Plattsburgh, where he commenced imme- diate preparations to resist an attack. From the returns of the 28th of August, it appears that on that day he had the following troops within the limits of his command :

Detachments of the regiments and corps that marched. 77 Capt. Leonard's company of light artillery. 100

Capt. MeGlassin's company, 15th Regiment .. 50

The 6th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 33d, and 34th Regiments, reported from the aggregate present on the 31st July. 1771 Capt. Sproul's detachment of 13th Regiment. 200

Sick and invalids of the regiments and corps that left ... 803

Aggregate .. 3001

There were two veteran companies of artillery under Capt. Alexander Brooks, which were omitted in the return. Two hundred and fifty infantry were also on board the fleet, doing duty as marines. This brought the whole force to about three thousand four hundred men, of whom over fourteen hundred were invalids or non-combatants .* With this force Macomb prepared to resist the advance of fourteen thousand veteran British soldiers.

CHAPTER IX.

WAR OF 1812-(Continued).

Sir George Provost invades the United States-Preparations at Platts- burgh to resist his Advance-Description of the American Forts, etc. -The British encamp at Chazy-Battle of Beekmantown-Pro- vost's Position on the North Banks of the Saranac-Capt. McClassin attacks a British Battery-American and British Force on the Lake -Naval Engagement off Plattsburgh-Battle of Plattsburgh- Provost retreats to Canada-The Peace.

GEN. IZARD abandoned the camp at Champlain on the 29th of August, and the next day Maj .- Gen. Brisbane ad- vanced his division from Odletown to that place. On the 3d of September fourteen thousand British troops were col- lected at Champlain. This force was composed of four troops of the 19th Light Dragoons, three hundred men ;

two companies Royal Artillery, four hundred men ; one brigade of rockcteers, twenty-five men ; one brigade Royal Sappers and Miners, seventy-five men ; the first brigade of infantry, consisting of the first battalion of the 27th Regi- ment, the 58th, and 5th, and the 3d, or Buffs, in all three thousand seven hundred men, under command of Maj .- Gen. Robinson ; the second brigade, formed by the 88th and 39th, and the third battalions of the 27th and 76th, in all three thousand six hundred men, under Maj .- Gen. Powers ; the third brigade, composed of the second battalion of the 8th, or King's, and the 18th, 49th, and 6th, three thousand one hundred men, under Maj .- Gen. Brisbane. There was also a light brigade, two thousand eight hundred strong, composed of Muron's Swiss Regiment, the Canadian Chasseurs, the voltigeurs, and the frontier light infantry. The whole was under Sir George Provost, Governor-General of Canada, Lieut .- Gen. De Rottenburgh being second in command.

On the 4th the main body reached Chazy village, and the next night encamped near Sampson's, about eight miles from the village of Plattsburgh. At the same time Capt. Pring, with a number of gunboats, moved up the lake as far as Isle La Motte, and crected a battery of three long eighteen-pounders on the west side of that island, to cover the landing of the supplies for the troops.

Brig .- Gen. Macomb was now at Plattsburgh, actively engaged in preparations to resist the expected attack. On the 2d of September he issued a general order detailing his plan of defense.

"The troops (says this order) will line the parapet in two ranks, leaving intervals for the artillery. A reserve of one-fifth of the whole force in infantry will be detailed and paraded fronting the several angles, which it will be their particular duty to sustain. To each bastion are to be assigned, by the several commanders of forts, a suf- ficient number of infantry to line all the faces (in single rank) of each tier. Should the enemy gain the ditch, the front rank of the part assailed will mount the parapet and repel him with its fire and bayonet. If the men of this rank are determined, no human force can dispossess them of that position."

The American works were built upon an elevated plain, lying between the banks of the river Saranac and Lake Champlain. The river descends from the west until it approaches within one hundred and sixty rods of the lake, and then turns towards the north and runs about one mile, in a northeasterly direction, to the lake. The land between the river and lake, at this point, is nearly in the shape of a right-angled triangle, the perpendicular being formed by the lake-shore. About eighty rods above the mouth of the river, and near the centre of the village, is the "lower bridge," and about one mile higher up, following the course of the stream, was another bridge, on the road leading south to Salmon River, called the " upper bridge." One mile and a half above this bridge is a ford of the river.t The stream can also be forded at the bridges, and at a point about midway between them. The south bank of the river, above the village, is from fifty to sixty feet high, and steep. About sixty rods above the " lower bridge" is a deep ravine, running back from the river and extending nearly to the lake-shore. The principal work, called Fort Moreau, stood

# Gen. Macomb, in his detailed report of the battle of Plattsburgh, says, " Except the four companies of the 6th Regiment, I had not an organized battalion among those remaining ; the garrison was com- posed of convalescents and the recruits of the new regiments,-all in the greatest confusion, as well as the ordnance and stores, and the works in no state of defense."

+ This ford is near the spot where Gen. Pike encamped in 1812. The buildings were burned by Col. Murray in 1813.

THE WAR OF 1812.

opposite the bend of the river, and about half-way between it and the lake. It was three-fourths of a mile south of the lower bridge. A redoubt, called Fort Brown, stood on the bank of the river, directly opposite the bend, and about fifty rods west of Fort Moreau. There was another redoubt to the east of Fort Moreau, near the bank of the lake, called Fort Scott .* On the point, near the mouth of the river, was a block-house and battery. Another block-house stood on the south side of the ravine, about half-way be- tween the river and the lake. The defense of Fort Moreau was intrusted to Col. Melancton Smith, who had for its garrison the 29th and 6th Regiments. Lieut .- Col. Storrs was stationed in Fort Brown, with detachments of the 30th and 31st, and Maj. Vinson in Fort Scott, with the 33d and 34th. The block-house, near the ravine, was intrusted to Capt. Smith, of the rifles, and had for its defense a part of his company and of the convaleseents of one of the absent regiments. The block-house on the point was gar- risoned by a detachment of artillery, under Lieut. Fowler. The light artillery were ordered to take such position as would best annoy the enemy. When not employed they were to take post in the ravine with the light troops.

As soon as the British had advanced to Chazy village, Capt. Sproul was ordered by Gen. Macomb, with two hun- dred men of the 13th, and two field-pieces, to take position near the Dead Creek bridge, and to abattis the road beyond, . while Lieut .- Col. Appling was stationed in advance, with one hundred and ten riflemen, and a troop of New York State cavalry, under Capt. Safford and Lieut. M. M. Stand- ish, to watch the movements of the enemy. Macomb also made arrangements with Maj .- Gen. Mooers for calling out the New York militia, and addressed a letter to Governor Chittenden, of Vermont, requesting aid from that State. On the 4th, seven hundred of the Clinton and Essex militia had collected at Plattsburgh .; They were ad- vanced the next day about five miles on the north road, and lay during the night in the vicinity of the present Stone Church in Beekmantown. The militia were directed to watch the enemy, skirmish with him as he advanced, break up the bridges, and obstruct the road with fallen trees.

On the 5th, as we have already stated, the British occu- pied a position near Sampson's, on the lake road. The troops were there divided into two columns, aud moved to- wards the village of Plattsburgh on the morning of the 6th, before daylight, the right column crossing over to the Beekmantown road, the left following the lake road leading to the Dead Creek bridge. The right column was composed of Maj .- Gen. Powers' brigade, supported by four companies of light infantry and a demi-brigade under Maj .- Gen. Rob- inson. The left was led by Maj .- Gen. Brisbane's brigade. Information of this contemplated movement having reached Gen. Macomb on the evening of the 5th, he ordered Maj. Wool, with a detachment of two hundred and fifty men, to advance on the Beekmantown road to the support of the militia. Capt. Leonard, of the light artillery, was also directed to be on the ground before daylight with two field-picccs.

1136111

# Remains of these fortifications may still be seen.

t These belonged to Col. Thomas Miller's and Col. Joiner's regi- ments, Maj. Sanford's battalion, and the 37th Regiment.

The right column of the British advanced more rapidly than the left, and, at an early hour, met Maj. Wool's de- tachment and the militia, who had taken a position near the residence of Ira Howe, in Beekmantown. Wool's party opened a brisk fire of musketry upon the head of the British column as it approached, severely wounding Lieut. West, of the 3d Buffs, and about twenty privates. Near this place Goodspeed and Jay, two men of Capt. Atwood's company of militia, were wounded and taken prisoners. Wool, with his men, now fell back as far as Culver's Hill, four and a half miles from the village, where he awaited the approach of the British. He was supported by a few of the militia who had been rallied by their offieers, but the greater portion had retreated precipitately after the first fire near Howe's. The resistance at Culver's Hill was intrepid, but momentary, for the British troops pressed firmly forward, occupying the whole road, and only return- ing the fire by their flanks and leading platoons, the latter of whom were once driven to the base of the hill, after having reached its summit. At this point Lieut .- Col. Willington, of the 3d Buffs, fell, as he was aseending the hill, at the head of his regiment. Ensign Chapman, of the same regiment, was also killed there, and Capt. West- ropp, of the 58th, severely wounded. Several of the Ameri- cans were killed, including Patridge, of the Essex militia.

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History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 8

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