USA > New York > Fulton County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 43
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 43
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THE REVOLUTIONARY EPOCH.
When the causes which had for years been taking on a threatening shape finally culminated in a belligerent attitude between the colonies and the mother country, the people of Minden, who were now living comfort- ably, and, with schools in every little hanilet, teaching English and German, had become as intelligent as the citizens of any part of the valley, looked with favor upon the action of their Yankee cousins at Boston, and a majority of them were at once in sympathy with their rebellious movements. The love of liberty having brought their fathers to this land to endure every
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THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
peril and hardship, their descendants were not disposed willingly to bear anew the iron heel of despotism. Hence, while the minions of loyalty would enforce the oppressive acts of mother England to raise a revenue from the people without a voice in the legislation which exacted it, they raised their voices and were ready, if need be, to raise their arms against those measures. Such a course, however, could not result otherwise than in bringing collision of sentiment into every neighborhood, which, if con- tinued, must soon tend to open and active hostility ; and when the clash of arms came at lexington, the people of the whole country were at once arrayed against and for the crown, and came soon after to be desig- nated ax whigs and tories.
The several districts of Tryon county took action in the matter disturb- Ing the country, and chose Committees of Safety to co-operate with each other, and with the State Committee, in adopting and enforcing needed measures for the public welfare. The first meeting of the several district committees of the whole county convened June 2, 1775, when the Cana- joharie district was represented by Nicholas Herkimer, Ebenezer Cox. William Seeber, Thomas Henry, John Pickard, John Moore, Samuel Camp- bell and Samuel Clyde. Herkimer and Cox lived in the present town of Danube ; Seeber and Pickard in Minden, Henry in Harpersfield, Moore, Campbell and Clyde in Cherry Valley.
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As it became apparent that the whole country must become involved in a general war, preparations were everywhere made for a defence, and in no place were they so much needed as in territory bordering on hostile Indian grounds. The three forts-Plain, Herkimer and Dayton, were all erected in 1776. Early in that season, Col. Dayton was sent to repair Fort Stanwix, and it is not improbable he was consulted about the manner of getting the other three named in readiness for detence ; one of which was called after hin. Fort Plain was said by the late Lawrence Gros, who was a boy living near when it was erected, to have been so named "because, from the eminence upon which it stood, there was such a plain or prospective view ;" the area of level ground around it being compara- tively limited. The boss workman in building it, said Mr. Gros, was per- mitted to name it. Spafford, in his Gazetteer, said this fort was on the bank of the river ; whereas it was a quarter of a mile distant, and elevated more than fifty feet above the Mohawk.
Fort Plain was a square inclosure in palisades of perhaps one-third of an acre of ground, with its entrance gate upon its south-easterly side toward the road leading up a ravine to it. It had in its diagonally opposite corners two small block-houses, each so projecting as to command two sides of the inclosure, and both mounting cannon. Only two or three rods from it, on the side hill, was a living spring, where the garrison ob- tained water. This spring has lately been utilized by the employment of a hydraulic ram. Who commanded this post at first is not known, and probably it was not garrisoned until the spring of 1777. Col. Willett was its commander for several seasons, perhaps not consecutively, still he is believed to have been here constantly in the summers of 1780 and 1781 He occupied the eastern hut of three or four built on the side of the hill below the pickets, perhaps a rod or two from the spring. This was done because the inclosure was found too small to receive a sufficient number of rude tenements for all the exposed families, which resorted here nights for safety, especially when the enemy were known to be prowling about. The village of Fort Plain took its name from this military post.
After the incursions of the enemy under Brant and other savage leader- in 1780, 'which were the more numerous and vindictive on account of the destruction of their own towns by Sullivan in 1779 , rendering so many families houseless, it became necessary to increase the fort accommoda- tions for them, and there was erected the structure afterwards known as the block-house. It was constructed of heavy square timber, octagonal in form, three stories in height, each story projecting a few fect over its base, with loop-holes for musketry. Within it was constructed an im- mense oven. It had one or more cannon, to be used as signal guns, or in repelling invaders. It stood upon a small knoll, which at the end of a century the farmer's plow has nearly obliterated, perhaps twenty rods south-west from the pahsaded inclosure. French's Gazetteer errone- ously states that this block-house was erected in the French war, and by a French engineer. Had it been erected twenty years earlier, it would hardly have been done by a Frenchman, as we were at war with France. It was doubtless constructed under the namedinte surveillance of Col. Willett, but who designed it is unknown : it is, however, bcheved to have been the first of its kind on our frontiers Some writer has connected the
name of Col. Gansevoort with the construction of this unique fortification. but why is unknown. He certainly was not on duty here when it was built, and Col. Willett was, and had the supervision of all the defences in the neighborhood. Another writer has said that, although there was a sort of defence here before that period, the fort proper was not erected until 1778. Capt. Robert Mckean, a partisan officer of great mern. from the Cherry Valley settlement, who was severely wounded in the New Dorlach or Sharon battle, in 1780, was, at his request, brought to Fort Plain on a litter, where he survived his wound but a day or two. He was at first interred where other soldiers were, a little distance from the palisaded defence. A farm road has, within the past twenty years, been cut along the brow of the hill, commencing near the site of this military post. Some writer has stated that Capt. Me Kean died and was buried in Freysbush ; this is an error. The late Lawrence Gros. whose father was , Captain, also, in the Sharon battle, asserted that he saw Capt. Mckean', remain- disinterred, and reburied with military honors on the brow of the hill, in front of the block-house, on its completion ; which it is believed was in the spring of 1781.
The fortification called Fort Plank was situated on elevated ground. nearly four miles south-west from Fort Plain, and consisted of a small palisaded inclosure embracing a dwelling, which has for years been known as the late Chauncey House place, and is now owned by Reuben Fail- ing, and occupied by his son Joseph. When fortified it was owned by a family named Plank, on which account it was thus named. This German name is still represented by several respectable families in the town. It is supposed a sniall block-house made a part of this defence, in which a can- non was mounted, at all times ready to be used as a signal gun. A few soldiers were no doubt on duty here much of the time in the summer season, to protect so far as practicable the farming interest ; as was the case at similar defences elsewhere. The significant voice of the Fort Plank cannon many a time brought in quite a number of families, more especially their male members, in a circuit of a few miles. T'his tort is supposed to have been established in (777. and well did it answer its purpose.
The single discharge of a cannon at this and all similar defences on uur frontier indicated that the forman was abroad and the settler must flee to the fort ; hut two or three discharge> in quick succession told the fugitive quite a> plainly that the enemy was already between him and the fort, and that he must find a safe cover elsewhere, from the Indian's tomahawk ; and many had such places selected in the forest, where they found temporary refuge.
Fort Clyde was a military post situated on the farm of Henry H. Nelli -. still owned by his descendants, in Freysbush. It was on elevated ground. affording a fine prospect, and was about three miles south of east from For: Plain, as the roads then ran, but about two miles by the present highway It was named after Col. Clyde, of the Cherry Valley settlement, and wal- not unlike the original Fort Plain, being a palisaded inclosure with bloch- house corners It had one or two cannon, and is believed to have dated its existence from 1777. The timber for its palisades is said to have all been out on the Nellis farm. C'ol. Clyde, trachition says, fitted up this post. and proved a frequent visitant in looking after the welfare of his foster- child. This place of refuge is believed to have saved not a few inhabitants from death or captivity ; and near it was enacted many a thrilling scene Here is one of the number : Henry Nellis and his son George H .-- known afterwards as General Nellis, to whom the farm descended-on some occasion in the war, fled toward the fort, pursued hy Indians, where the latter was tripped by some object and fell, just as an Indian fired upon him His father called to him to know if he was hurt. Springing up with the exclamation that he thought he was not, he entered the fort behind his father, when, to his surprise, he found a bullet hole through his hit The dwelling of John P. Dunckel now stands very nearly upon the site of Fort Clyde. Mr. Dunckel's mother related the following incident of Brant - descent upon this neighborhood in 1780, which we take from a publication issued a few years since :
"Two uncles of Mrs. D., Peter and Franz, were splitting timber for ( wagon, about half a mile from the block house, when suddenly the Indian- fired upon them and rushed forward with uplifted tomahawks to complete the massacre. Peter was wounded and captured, but Franz, unharinal. started for the fort, which he reached in safety, but fell exhausted it .he entrance and was dragged in by the inmates The women of the fort. Is their energetic defence, deserved the attacking party and they withdrew l'eter D was taken to Canada, where, after at year's captivity, he was
RES. AND GROUNDS OF ALFRED CARY ESQ FORT PLAIN. MONTGOMERY CO. N. Y.
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Res of DANIEL S MORREL. Grand St. Palatine, N.Y.
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RES. OF ALFRED ARNDT. TOWN OF MINDEN, MONTGOMERY CO. N. Y.
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Pr
Res of JOHN FINEHOUT. Front SE CANAJOMARIE, N Y
RES. OF SEWARD CROUSE, MINDENVILLE, MONTGOMERY CO., N.Y
J. R. SIMMS, FORT PLAIN.
JIPTHA ROOT SIMMS, whose likeness is here givea, was born in Canterbury, Ct , Dec. 31, 1807. He was the youngest of three children (two sons and a daughter), of Capt. Joseph Simms, who was also a native of the town named, in which he successfully carried on the hatter's trade from 1798 to 1824, when he removed with his family to Plainfield, N Y., where he died in 1842, aged 68. The subject of this notice had the advantage of a good common school education, with several terms at the Plainfield, Ct., Academy, all prior to the age of 17, and before the removal of the family to New York. In the Spring of 18as, he eotered a store near his oew home, and the three succeding years he was a clerk in Canajoharie, from whence he went to a clerkship in the Spring of 1829. in Pearl street, New York. While residing in the city, he was a member of the " Young Men's Mercantile Library Association," improving his leisure time in reading or at- tending lectures before the association; hut ever refrained from the use of tobacco or alcoholic drinks, being exceedingly cautious what company he kept. In the fall of 1832 he returned to Canajohane, and went into the mercantile business with Herman I. Ehle, a former employer and long established business man of the place, who at the end of two or three years failed in his several business relations. After a clerkship for a time in Schoharie, with his hands financially tied, Mr. S. set about collecting the scattered materials for his History of Schoharie County and Border Wars of New York, published in 1845. The next year he published a Revolutionary tale entitled the American Spy, and in 1850, The Trappers of New York.
With his marked penchant for the early history of New York, he has had a fondness for geology, and. we may add, science and art have ever interested him, so much so that he collected quite a large private cabinet of curiosities, which he sold several years ago to the State of New York. In the last thirty years he has written much for newspapers, and not a little of the matter has been spired with histoncal facts.
Indeed, a great part of his time has been spent in delving into the moss-covered events of earlier gen- erations in the Mohawk Valley
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1. 1.1
RESIDENCE OF MR. JOHN A. WALRATH, FORT PLAIN, MONTGOMERY Co., N. Y.
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REVOLUTIONARY EVENTS IN MINDEN.
changed. A Mrs. Pletts was taken at the same time. Her house was near the fort, and while seated under a tree near by, she was surprised by the approach of the Indians and ran, pursued by a single savage. Being close- ly par-ited she endeavored to escape by running around a tree, but the Indian stopped and she ran into his open arms. She was taken to Canada and treated quite well ; was assigned to the duty of cook for her captors. She returned at the close of the war, and after the death of her husband, married Peter Dunckel, her fellow captive. When taken prisoner she left a baby six months old, which was overlooked by the Indians."
The following are from the same source :
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"The house of Johannes Lipe was saved from plunder and fire by the , ouiness and courage of his wife. She had been busy carrying her most vałzable articles from her house to a place of concealment, and had made several deposits there. The last time she returned, she met at the gate two Indians. Being familiar with their language, she inquired if they knew anything of her two brothers, who were among the tories that fled to Canada Fortunately the Indians had seen them, and supposing her to be a tory, they walked off and the house was saved."
"In one of Brant's incursions into the Mohawk valley. he came down through what is known as Dutch Town, in Minden, and with torch and tomahawk, laid waste the country. After an attack upon Fort Nellis, a hlock-house near St. Johnsville, they crossed over to Fort Willett, a block- house built by the Lipes, Countrymans and Windeckers, on land now owned by William Timerman. An old tree near the residence of D. T. Timerman is pointed out as the spot where the wife of Dr. Frame was killed. Their house was back of Timerman's and would probably have been passed by unseen, but Mrs. F., hearing the yells of the savages, started for the fort ; she was discovered, tomahawked and scalped. At the stone house of Henry Seeber, on Sand Hill, above Fort Plain, a boy, John A. Lipe, was doing picket duty. When the alarm was given, the women fled to the fort, fol- lowed by the men, who were at work in the field. Dinner was already pre- pared and upon the table ready for the laborers ; this the enemy disposed of and then set fire to the house. The woodwork was burned out, and the walls remained until purchased by Mr. Lipe, who rebuilt it. In 1848 it was taken down to make way for the house now occupied by Mr. Adam Live."
Col. Samuel Clyde was a brave, cautious and prudent officer during the whole war, giving most of his valuable services to this part of the Mohawk valley, which should ever gratefully cherish his memory. We have else- where stated that Gen. Washington, on a tour of observation in the sum- mer of 1782 to the frontier posts of New York, visited Fort Plain, from whence he went to Cherry Valley-no doubt looking in upon Fort Clyde on his way thither. At this time Col. Clyde was in command at Fort Plain The party came up on the south side of the Mohawk ; and it is believed that Gov. George Clinton, and others in the suite, proceeded di- rectly to Fort Plain, while Washington, attended only by a servant, crossed the river at Van Alstine's ferry, below Canajoharie, to proceed to Palatine, and become the welcome guest of Peter W. Wormuth, whose son Martinus, a patriotic young lieutenant, was killed by Brant in 1778, near Cherry Valley. Thus was Washington ever seeking to honor by his presence those who had suffered in the war. Lient. Wormuth had married Gertrude, daughter of Rudolf Shoemaker, whose wife was a sister of Gen. Herkimer After Lient. Wormuth's death the widow married Major John Frey.
While Gen. Washington was at Fort l'lain the following incident trans- pired, as related by the late Judge George C. Clyde, of Cherry Valley, who was a grandson of the Colonel. As Washington-who, on his arrival, was handsomely saluted by the garrison-dismounted. Gov. Clinton introduced · ommandant Clyde to the generalissimo, observing, as he did so : " This is Col. Clyde, who has devoted most of his time to the service of his country ·luring the war, neglecting his own pecuniary interest for his country's good. He deserves to be rewarded in some manner for his valuable ser- vices." "Then," quickly responded the Father of his Country, "you should remember him in your appointments." As the war was then near- Ing its close, civil positions began to be looked after. The governor did afterwards adopt Washington's hint, by appointing Col. Clyde sheriff of Montgomery county, an office whose duties he honorably discharged for several years : and more than once, in the absence of a favorable i rossing. his home swam the Mohawk with him to attend court at Johnstown.
In the extreme northwest corner of this town dwelt, at the beginning of the way, Johannes Windecker, an honest Germain, whose house was pali- sided at an early period of the struggle, and called Fort Winderker. In his neighborhood dwelt several other patriotic families, who shared in the
benefit of this defence. The inclosure was quite a small one, as learned from a soldier who performed some duty there during the war. It was situated between Fort Herkimer and Fort Plain, nearly eight miles west of north from the latter, upon the river road as now called, and had, with its kindred military posts, its signal gun, probably contained in a small block -hon- This place, like similar institutions, in the time of danger had at least one sentinel on duty in " the stilly night." who at this place was theally posted outside of the pickets. Interesting scenes transpired here, as at all our frontier posts. When Sir John Johnson and Brant-whose trail of carnage and plunder in October, 1780, extended through the Schoharie and Mohawk valleys-fled before the militia under Van Rensselaer, they . rossed the river not far from this fort, seven nien and a boy sallying from which. killed an Indian and took nine prisoners, several of whom were so worn out with fatigue as to be willingly captured. They told the inmates of the fort that the whole army was in such a state of lassitude that it was on the point of surrender, when Van Rensselaer fell back to encamp, and gave them a chance to get away.
Fort Willett was a palisaded inclosure on the highest ground in Dutch- town, and was situated over four miles from Fort Plain, on land now ou ned by William Zimmerman. The incursions of the enemy in 1780 news- sitated the erection of this stockade, which is understood to have been completed that fall, under the direction of Col. Willett. Quite a number of families, too distant from the other forts named to be benefited by them. found a safe retreat here. This inclosure, which had ample room for huts for all the exposed families, had the usual block-house corners and an alarm gun. As it was isolated from any dwelling, it had a good-sized oven, the ruins of which were visible not many years ago. The timber for its pic kets was cut on several adjoining farms, and was drawn together by the owner- of them, as was learned over a quarter of a century ago from the late George Countryman. of Fordsbush, who, a lad at the time, drove his fa- ther's team to draw part of the material together. The pickets were the trunks of straight trees of different kinds, about a foot through at the butt, and cut long enough to be sunk three or four feet in the ground, and fist above it a dozen or more feet. "On the return of peace," said Country - man, "each family drew home its share of the pickets, to be converted into fences or out-buildings." On the completion of this opportune castle, Col Willett, with a squad of his men, rode out to see it. He was much pleased with the condition of things, and remarked to the citizens assembled to meet him : "You have a nice little fort here ; what do you call it ?" " It has no name yet," was the reply ; "won't you give it one ?" "Well," and the Colonel, " this is one of the nicest little forts on the frontier, and von may call it after me, if you please." The name was greeted with a cheer. and thus was the name of Willett localized in the town of Minden forever Some years ago David T. Timmerman, with the patriotic motive of fasten. ing the name more definitely upon the locality, endeavored, though unsur - cessfully, to get a post-office established in its neighborhood ; and more recently the name has been given to a cheese-factory near by.
Commencing westerly, Fort Winderker, Fort Willett, Fort Plank und Fort Clyde were only two or three miles apart, the first three being nearh on a north and south line, curving easterly to embrace the last fort nanied. and being in something like a half circle around Fort Plain. Thus, in the latter part of the war, the town of Minden had five well established places of defence, which, with the assistance of a few rangers from Fort Plain, enabled the surviving inhabitants to furnish most of the bread for the district.
We can only summarize the experiences of the following participants in the events of the Revolution among the people of this region, or sunph mention their names, though the incidents suggest volumes, beside whn h the average dime novel would be tame and insipid: Jobn Brookman, who was carried captive to Canada by the Indians, and made to run the gaunt let: C'astina Bellinger, who was taken by the Indians to Canada when op! three years old. where she afterward married and refused to return when found by her father; Frederwe k Bellinger; Christian, Jacob and Peter Bell- inger, who were captured by the Indians, the last two tomahawked and scalped, and Christian hekel tor three years as a slave; Nicholas Casher: John Casler, a baker for the army, who is said to have kneaded dough with his feet; Jacob Conkting, mate on the brig Middletown: John Chi -- ky : George Clock; Abram Copeman, a Revolutionary major ; Gisors Devendorft, a capt.un; John Thevendortt, who escaped from captivity two years after he had been taken by the Inchans; Henry Diesendorff, who was shot at Oriskany by an Indian, who was immediately killed by William
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THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
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Cox; Jacob Dievendorff, a captain, who passed safely through the Revolu- tion; George Davis, who was in the battles with Burgoyne, and at one time, with two other patriots, captured three tories, whom Davis escorted to Albany; John Dillenbeck, a captain; John Peter Dunckel; George, brother of the last named, who lost an eye by an Indian bullet, and there- after drew a pension; Maj. John Eisenlord, killed at Oriskany; Cornelius Flint; Mrs. Dr. Frame, murdered by the Indians near the present farm of D. T. Timmerman while trying to escape to Fort Nellis; Peter Flagg, a soldier under Col. Willett; Henry J. Failing; John Gremps, a fifteen-year- old victim of Oriskany; Peter, his brother, who put out, with a barrel of swill, a fire that had been kindled in his house by the Indians and tories when they made their raid through Stone Arabia ; Christian Hufnail; Peter H. House; Samuel Howe; Rudolph Keller, who was taken to Can- ada by the Indians, and returned after six months with consumption, from which he died; Peter Lambert, a spy; John Lambert, captured by the Indians at twelve years old, and who on his return two years after was only known to his mother by a scar on one arm, and could not eat food as usually cooked, but would go into the woods and cook for himself; Adam Lipe, wounded during the war; John Lipe; George Lambert, a butcher in the army; Moses Lowell, a patriot soldier; Francis Lighthall; Isaac Miller, who was taken by the Indians, scalped and left for dead, but revived, reached friends and recovered; John Miller, one of the pursuers of Brant; Jacob Mathews; Solomon, John Henry, Jacob and Henry Moyer, soldiers, the last wounded in the shoulder; Nicholas Pace; John Roof, who took part at Oriskany, and another of the same name at Johnstown; Henry and Peter Sitts, the latter of whom while on a scout had his horse shot down, and, falling under the animal, was captured and kept in Canada during the war; Barbara Schenck, captured by the Indians while pulling fax and taken, thinly dressed and barefoot, to Canada, with her baby and a girl of eleven, where they were cared for by a tory who recognized them, and whence they returned to the States, except the daughter, who married and removed to New England; Peter Snell; Henry Sanders, whose head was grazed by a bullet at the battle of Oriskany; Peter and John Snyder; Henry Seeber, a paymaster-general in the American army; Henry Tim- merman, grandfather of I). T. Timmerman, who was in the block-house at St. Johnsville when it was attacked by Brant, being then but sixteen; Giles Van Vost; Nicholas Van Slyke, a boatman on the Mohawk, who boasted of having killed forty-seven Indians, but was finally killed by them and his body mutilated; Jacob Wagner; Jos. H. Wiles; - Wilkes, grandfather of Matthew Wilkes, a scout, who contracted a fatal disease in the service; - Wermuth, shot dead when Sitts was taken; Henry Waffle; G. Wal- rath, who was captured by the Indians, but killed his guard and escaped into a swamp, where he covered himself with mud and eluded search; Jacob Walrath; George Yoncker; Adam, John and Nancy Yordon, the latter of whom was taken prisoner to Canada and there married; Christian Young; and Henry Galler, who was killed during the war.
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