USA > New York > Herkimer County > History of Herkimer county, New York > Part 3
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The precise time when the Palatines made their first lodgment in the county is not ascertained. It was not later than 1725. Some who have speculated upon the subject suppose they came up the Mohawk valley as far as the Little Falls and to the Stone Ridge as early as the year 1720. Their agents, sent to spy out the lands, may have traversed the valley to the western bounds of the territory claimed by the Mohawk Indians as early as 1720, and perhaps before that period ; but Governor Burnet had not fixed them in the new settlement he had obtained for them of the Indians, at a very "asy purchase, as late as November, 1722, and he that year permitted some of them to purchase lands of the Indians " on a creek called Canada Creek." They secured the carrying place at the lesser falls as well as a long extent of wilderness country above,
35
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
by their Indian deed ; and the license of the colonial government to make the purchase may have been considered by both parties an authorization for them to remove before the patent was made out, as it no doubt was a solemn, irrevocable public pledge that the lands would be granted by the crown as soon as they should be surveyed. On this hypothesis it may be conjectured that settlements were made at or near the present site of the Stone Church in the town of German Flats, and at Herkimer village as early as the years 1723-24, if not before. Owning the lands at the carrying place, it is not likely that point was long neglected or unimproved.
Burnetsfield patent, so called in popular parlance, is a curious document, and well worthy of some special notice. It was granted on the 30th of April, 1725. It recites that "whereas our loving subjects, John Joost Petri and Coenradt Rickert, in behalf of themselves and other distressed Palatines, by their humble petition presented the 17th day of January, 1722, to our trusty and well beloved William Burnet, Esq., Captain General and Governor-in-chief of the province of New York, in council have set forth that in" accordance with the governor's license they had purchased "of the native Indians in the Mohawks country " the tract of land on both sides of the "Mohawks river " commencing at the " first carrying place [Little Falls], being the eastermost bounds called by the natives Astourogon, running along on both sides of the said river westerly unto a place called Gauondagaraon, or the upper end of it," being "about twenty-four English miles along on both sides of the said river.' The Indian deed is dated July 9, 1722. That the council advised the governor to "grant to each of the said persons, man, woman and child, as are desirous to settle within the limits of the said tract of land the quantity of 100 acres."
The grantees were to hold the lands of the crown "in free and common socage, that being the usual tenure named in the colonial grants at this time, as of the manor of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent, in Great Britain, subject to an annual quit-rent of two shillings and sixpence per hundred acres, and on condition that the grantees, their heirs and assigns, should within three years from the date, plant, settle and effectually cultivate at least three acres of land of every fifty acres " granted to them. This patent also contains the usual reservation of gold and silver mines,;timber fit for the royal navy, and the right to enter upon the lands and take and carry away the same.
Of the ninety-two persons named in the patent to whom lands were granted, twenty- two appear to be females, by the description, married, single or widowed. The paper does not disclose the number of families or the heads of families represented by males who settled on the tract, or how many one hundred acre lots went to any one family, husband, wife and children. There are several Pellingers, Starings, Wevers, Smiths, Edicks, Beermans, to whom grants were made. Jurgh Erghemar, Johan Jost, Mada- lana and Catharina Erghemar are separately named, but Nicholas Herkimer, afterwards the General, was not a patentee.
The following table gives the names of the original patentees, the number of the lots taken by each, and their location. Many of the names will be familiar as still belonging to their descendants in the county, while many of them have been so changed in their orthography as to be scarcely recognizable :
36
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
NAMES OF PATENTEES ARRANGED.
No. of lot.
No. of acres
in each,
On which
side of river
located.
B
r. Beerman, Mary,
2. Beerman, Johannes,".
26
3. Same, -.
26
4. Bowman, Jacob,
27
South
s. Bowman, Johan Adam,
14
30
North
Same, -.
14
D
Dacksteder, Anna, wife of Jurgb Dacksteder,
28
100
South
7. Dacksteder, Jurgh,
18
30
North
Same,
18
70
E
8. Edich, Elizabeth
5
ION
South
10. Edich, Jacob,.
21
II. Editch, Michael,
20
12. Erghemar, Jurgh,
44
13. Erghemar, John Jost,
36
14. Erghemar, Madalana,
24
70
15. Erghemar, Catharina,
5
100
F
16. Feller Nicholas, Same, ..
7
30
North
17. Feller, Mary, wife of Nicholas Feller,
16
100
South
18. Felmore, Coenradt,
10
19. Felmore, Christiana,
18
20. Fols, Jacob,
3
2
3c
North
21. Fols, Melgert, Same,
2
70
22. Fox, Christopher
26
100
South
H.
23. Heger, Henry,
8
North 4 4
24. Helmer, Elizabeth, wife of Lendert Helmer,
14
25. Helmer, Philip,
25
26. Helmer, Johan Adam,
6
30
Same,
6
7
21
30
21
70
28. Helmer, Frederick
100
44
South
30. Herter, Apolone,
7
37
44
North
. Hoss, Johannes,
31
South
K.
4. Keslaer, Johannes,.
45
5. Keslaer, Nicholas,.
25
Kast, Johan Jurgh, jr. Same,
5
30
North
17. Kast, Johan Jurgh, Same,
22
70
1
30
,. Korsing, Rudolph,
20
100
South
40. Korsing, Belia, wife of Rudolph Korsing. 13
..
41. Koues, Lodowick,. 2
L.
Lant, Anna Catherine, widow
13
3º
North
Same, -
13
70
43. Mayor, Hendrik
30
Same,
7€
44. Mavor, Anna, -.
29
45. Miller, Johannes. 43
().
4f Orandros, Conradt,
40
44
4". Orendorf, Hendrik,
30
-
East side of West Can- ada Creek.
27. Helmer, Lendert,. Same ....
29. Helmer, Anna Margaret, wife of John Adamı Helmer
12
14
South
At the Little Falls.
2. Hess Augustines, -.
10
44
5
70
22
30
1. Koons, Mary Catharine, widow, Same,
70
M.
..
South Opposite Great Flats.
* Two lots of same number to Johannes Beerman.
REMARKS.
At the Little Falls.
All the 30 acre lots were set on what were call- ed the Great Flats, in and near the present village of Herkimer. The 70 acre lots are described in the patent as wood land.
9. Edigh, Johan Michael,
33
..
Mohawk Village.
And large island in river.
7
70
Mohawk Valley.
:
-
Near Rankin's Lock.
I Herter. Lowrens,
TOO
North
44
37
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
NAMES OF PATENTEES ARRANGED.
No, of lot.
No. of acres
in each.
On which
side of river
located.
REMARKS.
P
48. Pears, Catharine,.
23 100
North
Opposite Great Flats. And % of an island.
49. Pears, Lodowick,
27
90
50. Pell, Frederick,.
15
100
51. Pell, Anna Mary,
16
20
30
20
70
23
30
23
70
54. Pellinger, Margaret, wife of Johannes Pellinger, -.
35
South
Near Mohawk Village.
57. Petri, Johan Joost,- Same, .
8
70
86
Stone Ridge, Herkimer
59. Petri, Mark,
15
100
South
60. Pouradt, Johannes,
46
61. Poenradt, Gurtruydt, wife of Johannes Poenradt, __ 9
R.
62. Reelle, Godfrey,
15
30
North
Same,
15
70
63. Reele, Godfrey, jr.,*
IO
100
South
64. Reele, Godfrey,
10
65. Rickert, Lodowick
IQ
30
IQ
70
66. Rickert, Catharine,
3
100
67. Rickert, Conradt,.
34
68. Rickert, Mark
6
S.
69. Shoemaker, Rudolph,
17
70. Shoemaker, Thomas, Same,
12
30
12
70
..
71. Smith, Adam Michael, Same.
4
30
72. Smitlı, Johan Jurgh,-
Q
30
Same,
Q
70
South Ilion Village.
74. Smith, Marte, -.
4
. 6
-
76. Speis, Elizabeth, wife of Peter Speis,
8
77. Spoon, Hendrik, _.
3ª
78. Spo in, Hendrik, jr.
7
44
80. Staring, John Adam,
28
94
24
30
82. Staring, Johannes Velden,
100
83. Staring, Nicholas, -..
South
84. Staring. Joseph,
41
85. Staring, John Velde, jr., I
T
86. Temouth, John Jost,
North At Little Falls.
87. Temouth, Fredrigh, Same, ..
I7
30
I7 70
V.
88. Veldelent, John,
3 30
Same,
3
70
8g. Veldelent, Anna, 2 100
W.
go. Wever, Jacob,
IO
30
Same ..
IO
70
91. Wever, Nicholas Same. .
16
30
16
70
92. Wever, Andries,
II
100
93. Wever, Jacob, jr.
I5
94. Welleven, Nicholas,
30
Ft. Herkimer, Stone Ch.
4
55. Pellinger, Frederick,_
56. Pellinger, Margaret, wife of Johannes Pellinger,
22
8
30
North ..
58. Petri, Gurtruydt, wife of Johan Joost Petri,
17
Village. North Capt. Peter Klock. ..
Ilion Village.
North
Same,
4
70
73- Smith, Ephraim,-
0
100
..
75. Speis, Peter,
28
North
79. Staring, Mary Eva, wife of John Adam Staring,.
..
At the Little Falls. And “{ of an island.
81. Staring, Frederick, Same,
24
70
.4
42
On east side of West Can-
Same. [ada Creek.
52. Pellinger, Johannes, Same,
53. Pellinger, Peter, Same. .
South
* Same lot to Godfrey Reele and Godfrey Reele, jr.
12
South
North
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
38
WLST
16
13
12
LITTLE
14
10
25 26 21
3.
CREPK
28
7
14
8
46
-
2
5
05
-
MOHAWK
20 19 18 12 10 15 14
RIVER
5
MIO
24
HAWK
23
:9
22
24
1-
44
30
SCALE OF MILES .
In the Burnetsfield patent there were forty-six lots on each side of the river. Those embracing the villages of Ilion and Mohawk and the inter- vening ground were of uni- form shape and size. Lots 24 south and 27 and 28 north of the Mohawk, were partly composed of islands in the
2
28
25
45 26 22
3
HIL ION
25 20 31 12/23/31/ 18/16 7/ 08/ 08/10/40/42 03
29
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 16 11 18 /19/20 21
passing from the river to the creek a little northwest of the village ; while from this line the corresponding 70-acre lots stretched away in a block
Canada Creek, back to a line
these completed their allot- ments by taking 70-acre lots (of the same number) of the higher wooded ground back of the river. The 30-acre lots covered the site of Herkimer (except one 86-acre piece) and all the vicinity in the an- gle of the river and West
the grantees a share in this choice land, it was not appor- tioned among a few in 100- acre lots, but was divided as a rule into lots of thirty acres each, and the recipients of
mer were naturally a coveted portion of the patent ; and to give as many as possible of
toms about the site of Herki-
The broad river bot-
stream.
15
CANADA
FALLS
9
7
HERKI 6
MER 7
10/ 9/ 8
28
39
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
northwestwardly for about two miles and a quarter. These large lots ran the whole length of this block, while they were only sixteen rods in width, the object being to give each of them an end toward the flats and as close communication as possible with the low lot belonging to the same proprietor. (The accompanying plan shows the divisions of these lots).
The act of confirmation, January 17, 1723, required that the names and number of all the persons to be concerned in the grant should be certified to the surveyor-general before the survey was made, and as appears by the patent issued, there were only thirty-nine families and ninety-four persons reported.
The Burnetsfield patent was dated April 30, 1725, about two years after the first Palatine settlements in this vicinity. The Burnetsfield grantees held their land subject to a quit- rent of two shillings and six- pence per hundred acres, and were bound to cultivate within three years at least three acres of every fifty given them. " For a long time after the Palatines came to this valley," said Samuel Earl in a historical address, " the heart of their settlement was where the old stone church stands [Fort Herkimer]. Here came the Schoharie Palatines, to the number of thirty families and upwards, in the spring of 1723, and then began the first settlement in this county."
While the impartial reader of this day will readily accord the pre- sumption that the offer by the queen of a haven to the persecuted Ger- mans was a boon of the highest importance, we cannot shut our eyes to the selfishness and injustice of the government and its unprincipled agents who, at the same time, sought to profit through the necessities of the immigrants and to set them up on the frontier as probable targets for the French insurgents.
It was not until 1724, long after Governor Burnet's arrival, that the 6,000 acres purchased of Mr. Livingston fourteen years earlier was se- cured to the Palatines by patent. This gave each of the families a liberal domain; each of the sixty-three heads of families took what he had held and improved, while the remainder of the tract was left in common.
At one time Governor Burnet contemplated removing the whole of the German population then under his government to the center of the
40
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
State, as indicated in his letter of October 16, 1721, to the Lords of Trade, wherein he says: "I did intend to settle the Palatines as far as I could in the middle of our Indians, but finding they could not be brought to that, I have granted their own request which was to have a license to purchase of the nearest Indians, which are on the Mohocks, which I have granted them with this condition, that they be not nearer than a fall in the Mohocks River, which is forty miles from Fort Hunter, and four score from Albany, by which the frontier will be so much ex- tended, and those people seem very well pleased and satisfied with what I have done." In his letter of November 21, 1722, he says: "As about sixty families desired to be in a distinct tract from the rest," he gave them leave to purchase from the Indians on the Canada Creek, where they would be more immediately a barrier against the sudden incursions of the French.
CHAPTER III.
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
T HE time came soon enough when the peaceful German settlers of the upper Mohawk valley were called upon to " stand as a frontier against the French and their Indians." After about thirty-five years of prosperous peace, during which their farms had been cleared, buildings erected, stock and crops raised and defenses established, the shock of the French and Indian war, as it is known, came upon them in Novem- ber, 1757. The English fort at Oswego and the small fortifications on Wood Creek and the upper Mohawk had been captured in the previous year ; and on the 12th of November, 1757, a force of about three hun- dred marines, Canadians and Indians, under command of M. De Belletre, traversed the wilderness by way of Black River, and attacked and destroyed the Palatine settlements on the north side of the Mohawk at or near the present village of Herkimer. The attack was a surprise and resulted in a cold-blooded massacre, which is described as follows in the bombastic style of the French narrator :
41'
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
" On the 11th of November, at three o'clock in the forenoon, M. de Belletre, pre- ceded as was his custom by scouts, crossed the river Corlaer [Mohawk] with his de- tachment, partly swimming, partly in water up to the neck. He encamped at night- fall in the woods a league and a half from the first of the five forts that covered the Palatine settlements.
"The 12th, at three o'clock in the morning, he gave his detachment the order of march and attack so as to surround the said five forts and the entire Palatine village, consisting of sixty honses.
" Though M. de Belletre knew that the English got notice the day preceding, yet that the courage of the Indians may not receive the least check, and to show them that he would not rashły expose them, he liberated an Indian of the Five Nations, whom he had until then detained under suspicion. But this savage could not injure M. de Belletre, because he commenced at the same time to attack the five forts and the Pala- tines' houses.
" At sight of the first fort he decided to take it by assault. The enemy kept up a most active fire of musketry, but the intrepidity with which M. de Belletre, and all the officers and Canadians of his detachment advanced, coupled with the war whoop of the Indians, terrified the English to the degree that the mayor of the village of the Pala- tines, who commanded the said fort, opened the doors and asked for quarters.
" M. de Belletre lost no time in repairing to the second, the third, the fourth and fifth, which were not less intimidated than the first, by his intrepidity and the cries of the Indians. They all surrendered at discretion and were entirely burnt.
" During this time a party of Canadians and Indians ravaged and burnt the said sixty houses of the Palatines, their barns and other out buildings, as well as the water mill.
" In all these expeditions about forty English perished -- killed or drowned. The number of prisoners is nearly one hundred and fifty men, women and children, among whom is the mayor of the village, the surgeon and some militia officers. We had not a man killed ; but M. de Lorimer, officer, was wounded in the right side by a ball, and three or four savages slightly.
" The damage inflicted on the enemy is estimated according to the representations of the English themselves, to wit :
" In grain, of all sorts, a much larger quantity than the island of Montreal has pro- duced in years of abundance. The same of hogs; 3,000 horned cattle; 3,000 sheep. All these articles were to be sent in a few days to Corlaer [Schenectady]; 1,500 horses, 300 of which were taken by the Indians, and the greater number consumed for the support of the detachment.
" The property in furniture, wearing apparel, merchandise and liquor might form a capital of 1,500,000 livres [$277,500]. The mayor of the village alone has lost 400, 000 [$74.000]. The French and Indians have acquired as rich a booty as they could carry off. They have in specie more than 100,000 livres [$18,500]. One Indian alone has as much at 30,000 [$6,550]. There was likewise plundered a quantity of wampum, silver bracelets, &c., scarlet cloth and other merchandise, which would form a capital of 80,000 more. All this damage could not be done short of forty-eight hours. M. de Belletre made provision to be always able to resist the enemy, who as has been ob-
6
4:
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
served were to the amber of 350 men m the cool Fort Konan | Herkimer! david a quarter of a league from the field of battle."
Although this account is greatly exaggerated, as was proved subse- quently by the narrative of Mr. Daine which was sent to the French minister, I especially in regard to destruction of property, it still tells a tale of barbarity most revolting in all its details. The responsibility for this disastrous event is in dispute. William L. Stone, the biographer of Sir William Johnson, exonerates the baronet from blame, while the late Judge Benton throws doubt upon Stone's proofs. It seems almost incredible that Sir William Johnson could have connived for this wan- ton attack, and no less incredible that he would endeavor to hide his duplicity under proofs deliberately manufactured Sir William had long before the assault urged the stationing of a force of rangers at the German Flats for scouting purposes. lle had characterized the garri- sons among the Palatines as being "not only very arrogant and self- sufficient," but " of no use in protecting the Germans." llis interest for the welfare of the Germans seems to have continued down almost to the date of the attack. He wrote to the Lords of Trade September 28, 1757, as follows :
The T scareras and Oneidas have not yet made any express declaration to me : They have promised sort to do it. The latter are divided among themselves, and the greater part under the influence of those of their nation whom the French have drawn off To live at Sweegael e of St. Lawrence river, and at whose scalping parties, which molest the German Flats, they do at least connive.
The evidence of Sir William's honor in the matter rests chiefly upon the following: Having been informed that the Indians had not notified the Palatines of the enemy's approach until the morning of the attack, he sent his deputy to make inquiry of several Oneida and Tuscarora Indians who had assembled at the German Flats why they had not given the settlers timely warning. The deputy agent, George Crogin, did not arrive at the scene of desolation until the Indians had left for home; but at his request they returned. His narrative of what then took place states :
Te mor ate F rt Haren ger, all . ] the German Flats, " says, " the less is Wracatweehasa com | thi money "a large lis rejan y from Chat given by the Test w Heikigner Con ty
43
THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
The aforesaid Indians returned, and on the 30th of November | 1757 . at Fort Harke- man, Conaghquieson, the chief Oneida sachem, n ade the following speech to Mr. Cro- ghan, having first called in one Rudolph Shmaker, Ilanjost Harkenan and several other Germans, who understood the Indian lang age, and desired then to sit down and hear what he was going to say. Conaghomoson thistid : " Brother, I can't help telling you that we were very much surprised to hear that our brethren, the English, suspect and charge us with not giving them timely notice of the designs of the French, as it is well known we have not neglected to give them every piece of intelligence that came to our knowledge.
" Brother : About fifteen days before the affair happened, we sent the Germans word that some Swegatchi Indians told us the French were determined to destroy the Ger- man Flats, and desired them to be on their gnard. About six days after that we had a further account from the Swegatchi, that the French were preparing to march.
" I then came down to the German Flats, and in a meeting with the Germans, told what we had heard, and desired them to collect themselves together in a body at their fort, and secure their women, children and effects, and make the best defense they could ; and at the same time told them to write what I had said to our brother War- raghiyagey [Meaning Sir William Johnson The Palatines never sent this intelligence ]. But they paid not the least regard to what I told them, and laughed at me, saying they did not value the enemy. Upon this I returned home and sent one of our people to the lake [meaning the Oneida lake] to lind ont whether the enemy were coming or not ; and after he had stayed there two days, the enemy arrived at the carrying place, and sent word to the castle at the lake, that they were there, and told them what they were going to do; but charged them not to let us at the upper castle know anything of their design. As soon as the man I sent there heard this, le came on to us with the account that night, and as soon as we received it we sent a belt of wampum to confirm the truth thereof, to the Flats, which came here the day before the enemy made their attack ; but the people would not give credit to the account even then, or they might have saved their lives. This is the truth and those Germans here present know it to be so."
The aforesaid Germans did acknowledge it to be so, and that they had such intelli- GEORGE CROGIAN. gence.
The authenticity of this document is doubted by Judge Benton, while Mr. Stone gave it credence and at the same time claims to have other evidence that the Palatines were promptly and properly warned of the impending attack. Other writers believe that the warning was sent, but that it was delivered in such a manner as to weaken its import in the minds of the settlers. It is a subject that must be left for the histor- ical student to investigate for himself and form his own conclusions.
Judge Benton sums up the consequences of the deplorable event as follows : "These people were then seated on as fertile a spot as any in the State, had good buildings on their farms, and. were generally rich.
44
HISTORY OF HERKIMER COUNTY.
Their buildings and crops were destroyed by fire, and their horses, cat- tle, sheep and hogs were many of them killed. Some of the people were slain by the marauders and nearly one hundred carried into cap- tivity. The German minister and a majority of the inhabitants who followed him, saved themselves by going to the fort on the south side of the river, on the morning of the attack. The enemy burned a grist- mill, probably on what is now called Staring's Creek, and a saw mill within a few miles of the settlement. There were about twenty houses between Fort Kouari (Herkimer) and Fall Hill or Little Falls, on the south side of the river at this time, and eight on the north side, which were abandoned for a time when the settlement at Herkimer was de- stroyed."
On the 30th of April, 1758, the Palatines were again attacked by a large party of Indians and a few French, the assault being directed against the settlement on the south side of the river, near the fort. Lieu- tenant Blair, of the Rangers, was wounded and about thirty of the in- habitants were killed. It will be of interest to copy the following ac- count of this event from the New York Mercury of May 22, 1758:
About 12 o'clock on Monday, the 30th of April last, an Oneida Indian acquainted Captain Herkimer that a party of eighty Indians and four Frenchmen were nigh his fort, and would certainly come down and attack the settlements that day, and advised Cap- tain Herkimer to go into the fort and take as many of the inhabitants with him as he could collect. About 3 o'clock, most part of the inhabitants, having notice from Cap- tain Herkimer, left their houses and assembled at the fort. Four families that fled from Henderson's purchase in the spring for fear of the enemy, could not get in, and had in their houses two Indian traders of the name of Clock, and six wagoners that were carrying Captain Gage's baggage to the fort. At 4 o'clock, all of a sudden, the houses were attacked, and the wagoners, being surprised, ran up stairs, the better to defend themselves. The Indians immediately rushed into the house, and killed and scalped all that were below. Some of the Indians attempted the stairs, but they were knocked ‹lown by the wagoners. They then fired up through the loft, and soon were joined by more Indians, who fired many shots quite through the house, and proposed to set it on fire; which intimidated John Ehel, a wagoner, to such a degree that he leaped out of a window, thinking to make his escape, but was soon killed. The other five defended themselves with great intrepidity, having killed one Indian, until they were relieved by a party of Rangers who came to their assistance, and after exchanging a few shots the Indians fled, seeing our people had the advantage of a log fence.
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