USA > New York > Fulton County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 51
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 51
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Aside from Heinrich Frey, there is no record or tradition of the settle- ment of any person in this town until about the year 1711, at which time i large number of Palatines settled along the Schoharie flats and in the Mohawk valley, some of whom, it is reasonable to suppose, were located within the present limits of Palatine.
Elias Garlock, accompanied by several of his neighbors, removed from the Palatine settlements of the Schoharie and located in this town about 1717 He was afterward one of the proprietors of the Stone Arata patent. and subsequently settled on lot No. 29
Peter Wagner, probably from Schoharie, settled about the year 1722 en the farm now occupied by J. Harvey Smith, situated a inile south of Pala- tine Church. His son, Peter, jr., then but two years old, resided here ... the breaking out of the Revolution. He was a member of the committee of safety, and becante lieutenant-colonel of the zd battalion of I'ryon county militia, participating in the bloody battle of Oriskany. His house. the stone foundation to which is still standing, was fortified during the war and called Fort Wagner Peter J. Wagner, of Fort Plam, is a grand- son of Col. Wagner. He was born near Fort Wagner in August. 1795 In 1839 and 1840, he was a representative in Congress from this distri . George Wagner, a son of Col. Wagner and grandfather of Hon, Webster Wagner, was living in Revolutionary times where Chauncey Wagner now resides. He was also in the Oriskany battle.
William Fox immigrated with Peter Wagner, and located just south .. Palatine Church. Several of his descendants took an active part in the Revolutionary struggle, some of whom were men of rank. Captain- William Fox, jr., Christopher P. Fox and Christopher W. Fox commanded the ist, and and 3rd companies, respectively, of the ed Palatine battal. ion at the battle of Oriskany, where Capt Christopher P. Fox lost his life. At the close of the war, Capt. C. W Fox purchased from the Com mittee of Sequestration the farm, near Palatine Church, formerly owned by one of the Nellises, a loyalist, whose property had been confist ated Some of the descendants of Capt. Fox still reside on this place. H CL Fox now has in his possession the word wielded by Capt Christopher W. Fox at the Oriskany battle.
Jacob P. Fox, who now resides near Palatine Church, was born here in 1797. He is a son of Peter Fox, who was in the battle of Oriskans, where he succeeded in dispatching at least one Indian, who at that moment was sighting his gun upon a white man. Peter Fox was also in the battle at Klock's Field, near his son's residence.
Casper Koch now Cook ) was born Aug. 5th, 1700. in Switzerland, where he was married, O tober 27th, 1722. About the year 1725 he came to this country, and settled in Palatine, a mile south of Stone Arabna, where he resided until his death, January 14th, 1789. His son John, who was born and reared on this place, and who also died here, was wounded in the jaw at the battle of Oriskany, hut succeeded in making his escape, and was soon after found, and brought home on a horse, by a man in his employ, named Dolan. His buildings were all destroyed on the day of the battle
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152
THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
of Stone Arabia, the family having fled to Fort Paris for safety. Casper J., a son of John Cook, was also born here in 1791, where he resided nearly his entire life, dying in 1856. His son, Jacob C., a great-grandson of the original settler, now owns and occupies the farm, having lived here since his birth, in 1822.
Mardan Dillenbagh now Dillenbeck , also one of the Stone Arabia pat- entees, settled as early as 1725 on lot No. 10 of that patent, where John A. Dillenback, a descendant, now resides. His eldest son, Andrew, occupied these premises at the commencement of the Revolution. He became a captain of militia, and lost his life at the battle of Oriskany, where he de- fended himself against the attack of three of Johnson's Greens, who at- tempted to take him prisoner. Stone, in his " Life of Joseph Brant," says: "This officer had declared he would not be taken alive, and he was not. One of his assailants seized his gun, but he suddenly wrenched it from him and felled him with the butt. He shot the second one dead, and thrust the third through with the bayonet ; but, in the moment of his tri- umph, a ball laid him low in the dust." His widow, whose maiden name was Catharine Fink-a sister of Major Fink-afterward married Capt John Zeilley, who lived, in Revolutionary times, where Jerome Van Wie resides, near Spraker's Station. Capt. Dillenbeck had one son, Andrew, jr., born here in 1772, who was orderly sergeant under Capt. John I. Cook in the war of 1812. He was for nearly three months stationed at Sackett's Harbor. Andrew A. Dillenbeck, a son of Andrew, jr., was born at the old homestead, Sept. 18th, 1800, and has ever since resided in this town. John Dillenbeck, a brother of Capt. Dillenbeck, located as early as 1750 where his grandson, Joseph Dillenbeck, now lives. Lysander and Josiah Dillenbeck are also his grandsons.
Johannes Schell now Snell , also a patentee, and original proprietor of lots 3 and 36 in the Stone Arabia patent, was probably the first of that name to settle in the town. He was a native of Bavaria. On coming to the country, he first settled in Schoharie, but in 1726 removed to Palatine, and located where Jacob Snell now resides. He had several sons, all of whom were killed at the battle of Oriskany. He died at Stone Arabia, Sept. 12th, 1787, leaving numerous descendants. He had two or three brothers, who located, in 1726, at Snell's Bush, on the east line of Herki- . mer county.
Jacob I. Snell, the grandfather of David Snell, was with Col. Brown at the battle of Stone Arabia. After that officer fell, Snell attempted to escape, but was pursned by Indians, wounded in the shoulder, scalped and left to die. He soon revived, however, sufficiently to regain Fort Paris, and eventually recovered from his wounds. His oldest brother was killed in the same battle.
Johannes Krembs now Gramps , another proprietor of the Stone Arabia patent, settled, as early as 1726, and perhaps before, on lot 25, where Reu- ben Gramps, a descendant, now lives.
Andreas Feink (now Fink , also a grantee in the Stone Arabia patent, and first owner of lots Nos. 13 and 38, located on the farm now occupied by Andrew Nellis, just south of the Stone Arabia churches.
William Coppernoll, another patentee, and proprietor of lots 20 and 34 of the same patent, settled about 1730 near Stone Arabia. He was born near Schenectady, in 1688. In 1779 he gave lot Nn. 20 of the above patent for church purposes, on which the two churches of the place now stand. He was one of the leading citizens of the town in his lifetime, and died December 24th, 1787, aged 99 years and 7 months.
Andrew Nellis, a Palatine, from whom most of the families of that name in this vicinity have descended, settled in 1722 on the farm now owned and occupied by Martin I .. Nellis. It is not definitely known whether he came here immediately after his arrival from Europe, or first located in Schoharie. The latter, however, is very probable, as there were one or more of that name who came over with the first Palatine immigrants in 1710.
William Nellis, a brother of Andrew, was living in the town in 1744, and undoubtedly settled several years prior to that date. He remained here until about 1775-being then far advanced in life, and living with his de- scendants-when, on account of Revolutionary troubles, he removed, with most of his posterity, to Canada. Some of his sons or grandsons were with Sir John Johnson on his march of devastation up the Mohawk valley in October, 1780, and were the means of saving Palatine Church from de -. struction.
Philip Nellis, the grandfather of the present James and Andrew Nellis, was wounded in the shoulder at the battle of Oriskany. His buildings
were all burned by Sir John's troops on October 19th, 1780. The Nelli family are now quite numerous ; many of them are wealthy and influential citizens.
William Brower, from Schenectady, became a resident of this town alwu! 1735. The deed to his land bears the date 1738. This deed has never been placed on record, neither has the land been re-deeded, but it has been conveyed by will from father to son down to the fifth generation, being at present owned and occupied by Harmon Brower, a great-great-grandson of William.
Malachi and Michael Bauder, whose father was one of the early Pal tines, and settled in Root, about a mile south of Yatesville, located in Palatine as early as 1745 ; the former, where Conrad P. Snell now restdes. about a mile and a half northwest of Stone Arabia, and the latter a nie north, on the farm now owned by the heirs of Josiah Walrath. Malachi had six sons, named, respectively, John, Michael, Malachi, jr., Leonard, George and Ulrich, all of whom were born here previous to the Revoln. tion, in which he and his two eldest sons participated. Malachi Bauder, sen., was for a time stationed at Fort Paris, where, for better protection, he also kept his family. Going, one Sunday morning in August, to visit hi- home and farm, he was followed by two of his sons, .Malachi and Leonard. then lads of about ten and twelve years respectively. After examining hin buildings and premises, he lay down in his orchard and fell asleep, the boys, meantime, amusing themselves about the house. While thus uncon- scious of the surroundings, a small party of Indians stealthily approached the house, seeing which, the boys fled to the barn. After pillaging the house, the savages proceeded to the barn, where the boys were soon dis- covered and taken captives. On awaking and searching for his sons, the father soon found unmistakable evidence of the late visit of the enemy, and at once divined the fate of his offspring. They were carried to Canada, where, after remaining a short time with their captors, they were pmir- chased, for a few trinkets and a little "fire-water," hy a white man, who took them to Montreal, where, in the course of time, they were exchanged, and, with others, shipped for home by the way of Lake Champlain. On their way down the lake the boat made a landing, and passengers encamped on the shore. Malachi, straying off alone in search of wild plums, found on his return that the boat had left without him. He, however, kept the camp-fire burning, by which means he at length succeeded in attracting the attention of another boat, which took him to New England, where he w.f. adopted into the family of a resident. At the end of a year or more, In- father, getting trace of his long lost son, started on horseback to recover him. After no little trouble, he succeeded in convincing the New England! people of his identity, his boy was restored to him and returned to his early home.
Michael Bauder, the second son of Malachi, located previous to the Revolution on the farm now owned by Casper Getman. His son, George M. Bander, familiarly known among his acquaintances as " Honyerry, " wa- born here Aug. 28th, 1785. On arriving at his majority, in 1806, he pur- chased and settled on a farm adjoining his birth-place, about two miles east of Stone Arabia, formerly owned and improved by Gerret Lasher. some time prior to the Revolution. He was a member of the State militia from the age of 18 until 45, and a soldier in the war of 1812, under Capet John I. Cook, Major Frederick Getman and Col. Geo. Nellis. He wa- sent with his regiment to Sackett's Harbor, where he remained nearly three months, doing military duty, and has for several years drawn a pension for services rendered at that time. Mr. Bander still lives where he located 72 years ago, the house then standing on the place forming a part of the pres ent abode. Although in his o3d year, he is able to walk about his farm. recollects distinctly the scenes and incidents of his early days, and relate- intelligibly and with interest the stories told him by his ancestors.
Conrad Kilts was born previous to 1743, and reared on the place now occupied by his grand-son, Albert Kilts. He participated in the battles of Oriskany, Johnstown and Stone Arabia, and stood by the side of Col Brown when he fell. l'eter and Johannes Kilts were also residents of the- town previous to 1750.
Peter Suits settled previous to 174; on the farm now occupied by jerry Saltsman. Another Suits, probably a brother, was living at an early date. where John Christman resides.
Jacob .Christman was undoubtedly the first of that name who became a resident of Palatine. He settled at an early date on the farm now ow ned and occupied by Hannibal Gray, Esq. He was born, probably in Ger many, in 1706, was married in 1738, and died at Stone Arabia, April zeth.
2
1.
MIGRes., of JACOB C. COOK, Town of Palatine, Montgomery Co., N. Y. K-
HOMESTEAD of the late BENJAMIN SCHENCK, Town of Palatine, Montgomery, Co., N. Y.
153
REVOLUTIONARY HEROES OF PALATINE.
1789. Jacob, jr., his son, participated somewhat in the Revolution. He bved at that time where James Christman, his grand-son, now resides. Passing Mr. Gramps's sugar bush one evening on his way from Fort Paris to his house, he discovered several tory scouts hivouacked there, and, without being observed by them, returned to the fort with the information. . \ de- t.whment was immediately sent out, which soon returned with the tories as prisoners. It is said that while at the fort they were tortured to some ex- tent, for the purpose of making them confess to their being tories, and the nature of their visit in this vicinity, but to no purpose.
George Spraker, a native of Prussia, located in 1755 at what is now Spra- ker's Station, on the farm now owned and occupied by his grand-son, Jo- seph Spraker, whose house is the building so long famous among early travelers as the Spraker tavern. He and his four sons participated in the Revolutionary struggle. His eldest two sons, John and George, were with ('ol. Brown at the battle of Stone Arabia.
John Eisenlord emigrated from Germany on account of the cruelty of his step-father, about 1765, and became a resident of Palatine, afterward marrying a daughter or grand-daughter of Johannes Krembs now Gramps . He was a young man of considerable wealth, a fine scholar-understanding the English language perfectly-and an excellent penman. He early espoused the cause of freedom, and sacrificed his life at the battle of Oris- kany, leaving two sons.
Adam Loux now Loucks whose house, ahout three-fourths of a mile north of Stone Arabia, on the farm now occupied by J. Ervin Graff, was a meeting place of the Tryon county Committee of Safety, was born in Scho- harie, N. Y., Dec. 15th, 1715 ; was married Oct. 16th, 1739, and died Feb. 14th, 1789. His son, Peter Loucks, was first lieutenant of the 3d company of the Palatine battalion. under Capt. Christopher W. Fox, at the battle of Oriskany.
John Wohlgemuth was a soldier of the Revolution, and for a time was stationed at Fort Plain. His grandson, Leonard Wohlgemuth, who was born here in 1818, and is still a resident, has in his possession some receipts, orders, etc., given in those days to his grandfather, including the fol- lowing :
" Fort Plank, Dec. Ist, 1778.
" Recvd of John Wohlgemuth one barrel of Powder, one box of musket halls, and one box of Cartridges.
"(Signed) JAMES MOORE."
" Fort Plank, 19th Jan., 1780.
"Sir : Please to pay Capt. Han-Yost Dygert the sum of seven hundred and twenty pounds, N. Y. Circulating Bills of Continental Credit. In so doing you will oblige, Sir.
" Your Humble Servant,
"JACOR KLOCK." "To Mr. John Wohlgemuth, ! Canajoharie District." 1
Lawrence Marcellus was born in Schenectady in 1795, and became a resident of this town in 1816. He is a justice of the peace, in which ca- pacity he has served the town of Palatine for over 40 vears He has also held the office of superintendent of the poor, and justice of the sessions, and in 1812 was a member of the Assembly. His father, John N. Marcellus, was a minuteman of the Revolution, and was at one time on duty at Fort Paris.
John Floyd, a native of Litchborough, England, came to America in the spring of 1849. and settled in this town July 9th, following He is the proprietor of the "Garoga Valley Apiary," which he established Nov. Ist, 1851. He was for 14 years a partner of Moves Quimby, of St. Johns- ville. He has at present to1 colonies of bees.
1
THE SHULL FAMILY IN AMERICA.
John Scholl and wife, of Tillaborough, or Dillaborough, in fiermany. emigrated to America in 1,69, bringing with them three sons, Johan Jost, John and George, and leaving a daughter in the Fatherland. They settled at Fort Herkimer, about two miles from the village of Herkimer, in the county of the same name. The son Johan Jost married Catharine, only daughter of Heinrich Winkell, of Ephratah, in 1773, and settled on the ! estate of his wife, on the hill north of the village of Ephratah, and on what has lately been the Murray farm. John Scholl married and settled near Lowville, Lewis county, where his sons William and Conradt also
settled. They spelled the family name as it is now written-Shull-and their descendants have followed that orthography. About the year 1834 William Shull and his son Daniel moved to Stone Arabia. The latter, who was born in 1810, and married in 1831 and again in 1850, was killed by lightning in 1869. William Shull was a lieutenant in and afterward colonel of the worst miltia regiment, receiving his appointment in April, 1818 His grandson, Mr. A. W. Shull (son of Daniel Shull), who was born in 1835, occupies the Shull homestead.
Mr. Shull has a bell hanging in a belfry on his wagon-house, which bears this inscription :
"Presented by Queen Anne to Sir William Johnson, Baronet, 1774 " This bell weighs over 100 pounds, and was used by Sir William, and after his death by his son, Sir John, as a dinner bell. Upon the confiscation ot the property of Sir John, the bell was purchased by several male members of the Caughnawaga church and placed upon that building. Here it con- tinued to perform its sacred mission for over fifty years, when, the entire church property having been purchased by Rev. Douw Van O'Linda, it was sold by him to Daniel L. Shull, who restored it to its original use, that of a dinner bell. In 1862 Mr. Shull, for some reason, had it re-cast, prior to which it bore the following inscription: "SR William Johnson, Baronet, 1774. Made hy Miller and Ross in Eliz. Town."
MEMBERS OF THE TRYON COUNTY COMMITTEE
Hon. Isaac Paris resided about a mile west of Stone Arabia. His house was burned by the tories, Oct. 19th, 1780. The place is now a part of John Gramps's farm. Mr. Paris was a zealous patriot ; he acted as colonel under General Herkimer at the battle of Oriskany, where he was taken prisoner and afterwards murdered. The following is an extract from an affidavit made by Moses Younglove, surgeon of General Herkimer's hrigade of militia, who was taken prisoner with Colonel Paris. " Isaac Paris, Esq .. was also taken the same road without receiving from them [the Indians] any remarkable insult, except stripping, until some tories came up, who kicked and clubbed him, after which the savages, thinking him a notable offender, murdered him barbarously."
George Ecker, jr., lived about a mile and a quarter north of Palatine Bridge. The place has since been divided, and is now occupied by Reuben and Hamilton Graff His father, George Ecker, who probably settled here as early as 1745, was born in Schoharie, Nov. 12th, 1716, married Out 19th, 1742, and died at Stone Arabia, Jan. 28th, 1789.
Andrew Reber occupied the premises now owned by Abram Nellis, op- posite the depot at Nelliston. His old stone residence remained until 1836, when it was razed to make way for the railroad.
Andrew Fink, a member of the committee first appointed, was a son ul grandson of Andreas Fink, previously mentioned, and resided on the same place, where he was born Feb. 10th, 1751 He entered the service of his country early in the campaign of 1775, as first lieutenant of the company commanded by Capt. Christopher P. Yates, which belonged to the 2nd N Y. Regiment, under Colonel Goove Van Schaick. On the 16th of Feb., 1776, he was promoted to a captaincy in the same regiment, at which time it was styled the ist Regiment in the New York line. In this capacity he served until 1781, when he was promoted to the rank of major and served under Colonel Marinus Willett on the frontiers of the Mohawk val- ley and elsewhere. He was at the taking of St. John's, Fort Chambly and Montreal. In the campaign of 1778, he was with the army under the im- mediate command of General Washington, and was in the battle of Mor mouth, N J .. June 28th, 1778 ; also at the battle of Johnstown, Aug 22d, 1781. He received his discharge at Schenectady. at the close of the war. and subsequently removed to Manheim, Herkimer county, where he was living in 1818.
FORTS PARIS AND KEYSER.
Fort Paris, so called after Colonel Isaar Paris, was situated on a rise of ground about a quarter of a mile north of the Stone Arabia churches, on the farm now owned by Alfred W. Shull. It was built in the early part of the Revolutionary struggle, of solid hewn timber, and was two stories high, with the upper story projecting over the first on all sides. It was never surrendered to the enemy, and remained standing until the early part of the present century, when it was taken down and removed. Some of the timbers are still in existence in other building- in the vicinity.
154
THE HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
. Fort Keyser was located about a mile south of Stone Arabia, on the farm now occupied by Aurora Failing. It was a small stone dwelling, which had been stockaded and named after the family who formerly owned the place.
COL. JOHN BROWN, THE HERO OF STONE ARABIA
The Stone Arabia engagement, described in Chap. XIII of Montgomery county, took place between Fort Keyser and the river, principally on the farm at present occupied by Josephus Nellis, formerly known as the Shults farm. Fort Keyser might easily have fallen into the hands of the enemy had they made an attack after the battle, as there were but six or seven men, under charge of Captain John Zielley, left to protect it, among whom were George Spraker and his youngest two sons, Conrad and Jost. After the enemy had left, the two young Spraker-, with a couple of other young men, repaired to the spot where Colonel Brown had fallen. His scalp had been taken off so as completely to remove all the hair on his head, and he had been stripped of all his clothing except his ruffled shirt. These four young militiamen bore his body in their arms to Fort Keyser. He was afterward properly buried in a cemetery near the Stone Arabia churches. where his ashes still repose.
Col. Brown was born in Sandersfield, Berkshire county, M . ... October 19th, 1744. He graduated at Yale College in 1771, and studied law with Oliver Arnold a cousin of the traitor at Providence, R. I. He com- menced practice at Caughnawaga, N. Y., and was appointed King's Attorney He soon went to Pittsfield, Mass., where he became active in the patriot cause. He was appointed by the State Committee of Correspondence, in 1775, to go to Canada to excite rebellion, in which perilous duty he had many adventures. He was elected to Congress in 1775. but before the meeting of that body he had joined the expedition under Allen and Arnold against Ticonderoga. He assisted in the capture of Fort Chambly in the autumn of that year, and planned the attack on Montreal, which resulted so disastrously to Col. Ethan Allen. He was at the storming of Quebec, at the close of the year. The following year, Congress gave him the commission of a lieutenant-colonel. In 1777. he conducted the expe- dition that attacked Ticonderoga, and other posts in that vicinity, released one hundred American prisoners at Lake George, and captured quite a large quantity of provisions and stores belonging to the enemy. Soon after this he retired from the service on account of his detestation of Arnold. Three years before the latter became a traitor, Brown published a hand-bill in which he denounced him as an avaricious and unprincipled man, charged him with "selling many a life for gain," and predicted that he would prove a traitor, in the memorable words with which the hand- bill closed: "Money is this man's god, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country " This was published at Albany in the winter of 1776-7. while Arnold was quartered there. Arnold was greatly excited when told of it, called Brown a scoundrel, and declared that he would kick him whensoever and wheresoever they might meet. This declaration was communicated to Brown. The next day, he, by invitation, went to a dinner where he would meet Arnold. The latter was standing with his back to the fire when Brown cotered the door. and they thus met each other face to face. Brown walked boldly up to Arnold, and, looking him sternly in the face, said: "I understand, sir, that you have said you would kick me; I now present myself to give you an opportunity to put your threat into execution." Arnold made no reply. Brown then said: "Sir, you are a dirty soundrel." Arnold was silent, and Brown left the room, after apologizing to the gentlemen present for his intrusion.
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