History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents, Part 6

Author: Beers, F.W., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: New York : F.W. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 664

USA > New York > Fulton County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 6
USA > New York > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents > Part 6

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The sounds of rejoicing which followed the repeal of the Stamp Act had hardly passed away before the ministry, by its unjust acts, again awakened the murmurs of discontent, and the declaratory act began to loom up and dlaampen all the hopes of the colonists. The partial provision of the As- wemily for supporting the troops was distasteful to the Sons of Liberty. who well knew the soldiers were sent to enforce the abridgement of American liberties, and on their arrival did not disguise their feelings. Animosities arose between them, and the soldiers believing that it was owing to the Sons of Liberty that the Assembly had not been more liberal in furnishing them with supplies, retaliated by cutting down the citizens' Bestof. The next day, while the citizens were replacing it, they were assaulted by the troops, and several of them wounded. The officers were indifferent to this conduct of their men, and other outrages were com- mitted. The Assembly met again in November, when the Governor placed before it the instructions of the ministry, requesting that immediate pro- "sion for the troops should be made ; but their outrageous conduct had " lesgusted the legislators that they refused to comply, and were severely

censured by the Crown. Parliament declared the legislative powers of the Assembly annulled, and forbade the Governor and Council to give their assent to any act passed by that body until unqualified compliance with the demands of the Government had been obtained.

In June, 1767, a bill was passed by Parliament imposing a duty on tea, glass, lead, paper, and printers' colors imported into the colonies. This act was shortly followed by another, re-organizing the colonial custoni- house system, and establishing a board of revenue commissioners. When intelligence of these acts reached the colonies the excitement was renewed, and the non-importation agreement revived. The colonists saw that Par- liament intended to tax them in some way, and declared that taxes on trade for a revenue were as much a violation of their rights as any other taxes. In 1768 the Assembly of Massachusetts addressed a circular letter to the other colonies referring to the acts of Parliament, and soliciting their co- operation in maintaining the common liberties. This so offended the ministry that a letter was sent from the Secretary of State to the several colonial governors, forbidding their Assemblies to correspond with that of Massachusetts. When the Assembly of New York was convened the Governor placed the document before it, and requested their obedience to its mandates. The Assembly unhesitatingly refused ; declared its right to correspond with any other of the legislatures ; denounced the infringe- ments upon its rights by Parliament ; and was dissolved by the Governor. The people sustained their representatives, and when a new Assembly con- vened in April, 1769, it was found that but very little change had been effected by the election.

The death of Sir Henry Moore occurred on the rith of September, 1769. His mild and prudent course, in avoiding controversy as far as possible, had endeared him to the colony, and his death was much lamented. By that event the government again devolved upon Cadwallader Colden. The English merchants, suffering from the non-importation agreement, had joined their petitions with those of the colonists for the repeal of the ob- noxious custom-house act, and a circular-letter assured the people of the colonies that at the next session of Parliament a proposition would be made to abolish the duties on all articles, except tea. This attempt at concilia- tion was far from satisfactory ; for the right of taxation was not relinquished, and the principle was the same, whether applied to one article or many. A bill was introduced in the New York Assembly, in November, for issuing colonial bills of credit to the amount of £120,000, to loan out as a means of revenue. The project at first met with favor from the popular party, but when it was followed by an appropriation to support the British troops in the colony, to be taken out of the interest arising from the loan, a revul- sion of feeling at once took place. Shortly after, handbills were circulated, charging the Assembly with betraying the inhabitants of the colony, and advising the people to meet on a certain day, and express their sentiments upon the subject. Accordingly, a large concourse of people gathered, and emphatically denounced the action of the Assembly. That body passed resolutions declaring the handbills libelous, and offering a reward for the detection of their authors. John Lamb, who had presided over the popular meeting, was arrested and brought before the House, but was soon after discharged.

Animosities continued between the Sons of Liberty and the soldiers. Now that their supplies were granted, the latter no longer held themselves in check from motives of policy, and on the evening of the 13th of January, 1769, renewed their attack upon the flagpole of the citizens. The citizens hastily gathered for its defence, whereupon they desisted. Their failure in this attempt, together with the derisive jeers of the citizens, so enraged them that they charged upon a group of people in front of a tavern, which was a favorite resort of the Sons of Liberty, drove them in, and destroyed the windows and furniture. On the evening of the 16th they cut down the flag- staff, sawed it in pieces, and piled the fragments before the battered hotel. On the following morning several thousands of the citizens assembled at the scene of the outrage, and passed resolutions censuring the riotous pro- ceedings of the sokthiers, and recommending that whenever found in the street after roll-call they should be dealt with as enemies to the peace of the city. The next day placards were found posted up, ridiculing the resolutions, and daring the citizens to execute them. During the day the Sons of Liberty caught two or three soldiers in the act of putting up these bills, and arrested them. While conducting them to the Mayor's office the citizens were attacked by a party of twenty of their comrades, armed with cutlasses, and a skirmish ensued-the citizens defending themselves with clubs. The soldiers were forced back to Golden Hill, as John street,

OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

between Cliff street and Burling Slip, was then called. Here they were re- enforced, and made a furious charge on the citizens, most of whom were entirely unarmed. The latter stoutly resisted until a party of officers ap- peared on the scene, and ordered the troops back to their barracks. Several of the citizens were severely wounded, some of whom had not participated in the skirmish. Several affrays occurred on the following day, in which the soldiers were generally worsted. The Mayor issued a proclamation forbidding them to leave the barracks, unless accompanied by a non-commissioned officer ; and order was restored.

Thus terminated the first conflict in which blood was shed in the cause of American Revolution. It is usually asserted that at Lexington was the first battle fought ; but the actual beginning of the combat, so doubtful in its progress, and so glorious in its results, was the battle of Golden Hill, on the 18th of January, 1770, at least five years earlier. The Sons of Liberty purchased grounds and erected another pole, which stood until the occu- pation of the city by the British forces, in 1776.

CHAPTER IX.

THE BOSTON TEA PARTY-MEETING OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS-THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON-CANADA INVADED.

In October, Lord Dunmore arrived in New York and superseded Col- den in the government of the province. Meanwhile the duties had been removed from all articles except tea, and the non-importation agreement was restricted to that article. The new governor brought the news of the royal approval of the act authorizing the emission of colonial bills of credit. Tbis strengthened the spirit of loyalty, and affairs went on more smoothly. On the 8th of July, 1771, William Tryon was commissioned as governor in place of Lord Dunmore, who was transferred to the govern- ment of Virginia. By a recent order of the Crown the governor's salary was to be paid from the revenue, thus rendering the executive independent of the people. The East India Company were suffering severely from the non-importation agreement in regard to tea, and in 1773, urgently peti- tioned the British government to abolish the duty levied upon that article in the colonies, offering to submit to double that duty as an exportation tariff. This would increase the amount of revenue two-fold, but the party in power, deluded by false views of national honor, would not in the least relinquish its declared right to tax the colonies. It preferred to favor the East India Company by a special act allowing them to ship their tea to the colonies free of export duty, which would enable them to sell it at a lower rate than in England. By this act the ministers imagined that they had outwitted the colonists and that this appeal to their pockets would end their resistance. Ships were laden with tea and consignees appointed in the colonies to receive it, with the expectation that this new act would secure its ready sale. When information of this arrangement reached the colonies their indignation was deeply aroused. The Sons of Liberty rallied and resolved that the obnoxious article should not be landed under any pretence. The tea commissioners appointed for New York resigned in view of such decided demonstrations of resistance.

Expecting a consignment of ten would soon reach the city the citizens held a mass meeting, and regardless of the efforts of Governor Tryon to secure its reception, emphatically resolved that it should not be landed. The expected vessel was delayed and did not make its appearance until April, 1774. When it arrived off Sandy Hook the pilot, acting under the instructions of the vigilance committee, refused to bring the ship any nearer the city. Captain Lockyer, the commander, under escort of the committee, was allowed to come up and consult with the consignee, but the latter refused to receive the cargo, and advised the captain to return to England immediately. Meanwhile Captain Chambers, of New York, professing to be a patriot, arrived in the harbor. His vessel was boarded by the committee, and upon being questioned he demed having any con- traband goods ; but on being informed by the committee that with the evidence they had to the contrary they should search his ship. he ad- mitted that there was tea on board which he had brought out on a private venture. The hatches were forced open and the chests brought on deck and given air and water. The next morning Captain Lockyer was con- ducted by the committee to his ship, together with Chambers, his com- panion in the tea trade, and they were sent on an outward bound voyage.

The New Hampshire grants continued a source of serious contention. The civil officers were opposed by force in their efforts to enforce the

judgments obtained in the ejectment suits, and the New York Assembly passed an act declaring resistance to be felony. A proclamation was issued by governor Tryon, offering a reward for the apprehension of Ethan Allen and other conspicuous offenders. This was followed by a burlesque proclamation from the proscribed, affirming their determination to resist and offering a reward for the governor of New York. In the spring of 1775, at the time appointed for the session of court in the disputed terri- tory, the settlers took possession of the Court House and prevented the New York officers from entering. The officers thereupon collected a force and being again refused admittance fired into the house, killing one of the occupants and wounding several others. Some of the officers were arrested by the enraged inhabitants and lodged in jail, and matters appeared to be approaching a crisis; but the battle of Lexington occurring at this juncture, active hostilities between Great Britain and the colonies began and caused a cessation of these difficulties.

A cargo of tea had arrived in Boston Harbor considerably earlier than that in New York, and the Bostonians resolved that it should not be landed. The vessels containing the obnoxious article were boarded and the chests emptied into the water. The ministry, enraged at this spirited resistance, determined to subjugate the colonies. Various measures were determined upon which were ruinous to the liberties of the American people; among them was the celebrated "Boston Port Bill," closing the harbor and destroying the trade of the city to punish the citizens for having destroyed the tea. The people everywhere were awakened to a lively sympathy with Boston, seeing by its treatment what was in store for them. A brisk correspondence was carried on between Boston and New York through the agency of committees appointed for that purpose. Public meetings were held for the consideration of their common grievances, and among the measures devised and recommended were the restoration of the non-importation agreement and the convening of a Colonial Congress. On the 5th of September, 1774, this Congress met at Philadelphia and adopted a declaration of rights, setting forth wherein those rights had been violated; agreed on a petition to the King for the removal of their grievances and also on an appeal to the people of Great Britain and Canada; and then adjourned to meet again in May of the following year. The assembly of New York was the only colonial assembly that withheld its approval of the proceedings of this Congress. It, however, addressed

a remonstrance to Parliament, which, however, was treated as all others had been, with disdain. The assembly adjourned on the 3d of April, 1775. and was never again convened. Its refusal to appoint delegates to the Continental Congress gave great dissatisfaction, and a provincial convention of county representatives was called by the people to perform that duty.

At midnight on the 18th of April, 1775, General Gage sent a detach- ment of British regular- from Boston to destroy the military stores col- lected by the Americans at Concord, Massachusetts. The expedition was conducted with great secrecy, but the troops were discovered and the people warned of their coming. On reaching Lexington the following morning they found the militia assembled on the green. The latter, dis- regarding a command to disperse, were fired upon and several of them were killed. The British troops proceeded to Concord, but the inhabitants having been apprised of their design had concealed the greater part of their stores, and the British troops on their return were severely harrassed by the militia who had gathered from the neighboring towns.

When intelligence of this event reached New York the excitement was intense. The affair was in fact the signal for a general rush to arms throughout the colonies. The Sons of Liberty took possession of the arms at the arsenal in New York city and distributed them among the people. At the suggestion of the Committee of Observation a provincial government for the city was formed, consisting of one hundred of the principal citizens, who were to control affairs until Congress shoukl other- wise order. The British troops at New York having been ordered to Boston, the provisional government allowed them to depart on condition that they should take nothing but their own arms with them. Regardless of this stipulation they attempted to carry off some military stores belong- ing to the city but were defeated in their designs by Colonel Marinus Willett with a party of the Sons of Liberty, who confronted them and suc- ceeded in retaking the property and replacing it in the fort.

While the patriots were flocking toward Boston the Connecticut assem- bly was in session, and several of its members agreed upon a plan to seize the cannon and military stores at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, for the use of the patriot army. They appointed a committee to repair to the -

GEORGE WASHINGTON IN COMMAND -- EXPEDITION INTO CANADA, AND ITS RESULTS

frontier and raise an expedition, under Colonel Ethan Allen, to surprise and capture the posts named. A force of two hundred and seventy men was soon collected and marehed by night under Colonels Allen and Benedict Arnold, to a point on Lake Champlain, opposite Ticonderoga. They had but few boats, and when day began to dawn only the officers and eighty- three men had crossed. Fearful that delay would be hazardous, Allen resolved to make an attack before the rear division had crossed, and marched at the head of his men directly to the sally port. The sentinel snapped his musket at him and retreated to the parade with the patriots elose at his heels. The garrison were aroused and taken prisoners. Col- onel Allen went directly to the appartments of the commander and demanded and obtained a surrender of the fort " in the name of the Great Jehovah, and the Continental Congress." Crown Point was taken without resistance two days afterwards, and the command of Lake Champlain was thus secured.

The Continental Congress reassembled and organized on the roth of May, the same day that Colonel Allen captured Ticonderoga, and pro- ceeded at once to raise and equip an army for the defence of the colonies. New York was ordered to raise three thousand men as her proportion. The population of the province during the preceding year had increased to 182,251. George Washington was commissioned as commander-in- chief of the American forces. A provincial Congress of New York, con- vened on the 22d of May, authorized the raising of troops, encouraged the manufacture of gunpowder and muskets in the province and projected fortifications at King's Bridge and the Hudson passes in the Highlands. Captain Lamb was ordered to remove the cannon from the battery at the foot of the city, to a place of greater security. On the evening of August 23d, he proceeded to the execution of the order. The Captain of the British war-ship Asia, being informed of the intended movement, sent a barge filled with men to watch it. A shot was fired from the barge into the American force, which was immediately answered by a volley, killing one of the crew and wounding several others. The Asia then opened a can- nonade upon the city, doing considerable damage to the buildings in the vicinity of the battery, but the patriots were undismayed, and in the face of the cannonade, deliberately removed every gun. Governor 'Tryon returned from England in June and strenuously exerted himself to promote the royal cause. Finding that his position was growing more and more unsatisfactory, and having fears for his personal safety, he abandoned the city and took refuge on a British sloop of war.

The Continental Congress directed General Schuyler to collect an armament at Ticonderoga, and put that post in a state of defence, pre- paratory to an expedition against Canada. The forces under Generals Schuyler and Montgomery appeared before Saint John's in September. General Schuyler was compelled by ill health to relinquish the command to General Montgomery and return to Ticonderoga. The fort at Cham- bly, twelve miles below, was captured on the 19th of October, by a detachment of the American force, aided by friendly Canadians. They passed the fort at Saint John's during a dark night in boats with their artillery and appeared before Chambly, which was feebly garrisoned, and soon surrendered. The spoils taken at Chambly materially aided in carry- ing on with vigor the siege of St John's, which after several unsuccess- ful assaults and numerous mishaps was on the 3d of November compelled to surrender. While this siege was in progress, Colonel Ethan Allen, acting without authority from the Commander-in-chief, in a rash attempt to take Montreal with a small advance forre, was taken prisoner and sent to England. General Carlton, when informed of the capture of Chambly, made an attempt to re-inforce the garrison at St. John's, but being de- feated by Colonel Seth Warner, only hastened its fall. General Mont- gomery moved forward to Montreal, which was taken without resistance.

In September Colonel Benedict Arnold was dispatched by Washington with a force of eleven hundred men agaist Canada, by way of the Ken- nebee river, to aid Montgomery, who was invading that province by way of Lake Champlain. After surmounting incredible obstacles and suffering terrible privations and hardships, Arnold at last arrived at Point Levi, opposite the city of Quebec. He was for several days prevented from crossing the St. Lawrence by tempestuous winds. On the night of the 13th of November he crossed the river and scaled the heights to the Plains of Abraham. Failing to draw out the garrison he demanded a surrender, which was contemptuously refused. Finding all of his attempts useless he retreated up the river about twenty miles and awaited the arrival of Montgomery, who joined him on the ist of December, and the

combined forees then moved toward Quebec. A bombardment of the city proved unavailing and it was resolved to storm the town, although the whole assailing force was considerably less than the garrison. The lower town was to be attacked by Montgomery and Arnold, and at the same time feigned attacks were to be made upon the upper town. Montgomery descended from the Plains of Abraham to Wolfe's Cove, and marched through the drifting snow toward the lower town, while Arnold with another division moved around to the north on the St. Charles, in order to form a junction with Montgomery and storm Prescott Gate. Mont- gomery in his advance encountered a block-house defended by a battery. Pushing forward in a charge at the head of his men he was instantly killed, together with his aids, by a discharge of grape-shot from the battery. Appalled at this disaster, his division fell back in confusion and made no further attempt to force a junction with Arnold. Meanwhile the latter had pressed on through the snow-drifts, and like Montgomery charged at the head of his men upon a battery, and received a wound which com- pelled him to leave the field. Captain Morgan took the command, carried the first battery and rushed on to a second, which was also carried, after a severe contest of three hours' duration. Carlton sent a detachment from the garrison to attack them in the rear, and while Morgan was pressing on into the town he heard of the death of Montgomery, and finding himself unsupported and surrounded, was compelled to surrender. The rest of the division in the rear retreated. Colonel Arnold took command of the remainder of the army, consisting of about eight hundred men, and in- trenched himself a few miles from the city, where he remained until reinforced by General Wooster, in April, who took command and renewed the siege. Large reinforcements having arrived at Quebec, the American force was obliged to retreat, and by the superior forces of the enemy was soon after driven out of Canada.

CHAPTER X.

HOSTILITIES TRANSFERRED TO NEW YORK-THE BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND- BURGOYNE'S INVASION OF CANADA.

In March, Washington having compelled General Howe to evacuate Boston, and apprehensive that New York would be the next point of at- tack, made immediate preparations for putting that city in a posture of de- fence. General Lee, with twelve hundred men, was ordered forward from Connecticut. The captain of the British man of war Asia had threatened to cannonade the city if " rebel troops " were permitted to enter it. It was the stronghold of loyalty to the crown and disaffection to the patriot eanse, and the committee of safety in their timidity protested against Lee's entrance, but threats and protests were unavailing. Lee came, and the Tories either fled or ceased to oppose the cause of the patriots. Sir Henry Clinton, who had been sent over on a secret expedition, appeared off Sandy Hook at nearly the same time that General Lee entered the city, but finding it in possession of the American troops, proceeded south to attack Charleston. Washington hastened forward from Boston, and on the 14th of April arrived at New York and established his head- quarters in the city. General Howe went to Halifax, on leaving Boston, - but about the first of July appeared off Sandy Hook, and shortly after landed on Staten Island. He was soon after joined by his brother Ad- miral Howe, with a force of British regulars and Hessian hirelings, and also by Clinton and Parker on their return from an unsuccessful attack on Charleston, making altogether a combined force of nearly thirty thousand men. Ilowe was here visited by Governor Tryon, who had contrived a plot to capture Washington, blow up the magazine, and secure the passes to the city. The mayor also was in the conspiracy, and was receiving money from Tryon to bribe the Americans. Two of Washington's guards vielded to the temptations of the enemy, but the third, who could not be bribed, exposed the plot. The Provincial Congress of New York, seeing the hostile demonstrations toward the city, adjourned to White Plains, where it convened on the 9th of July, and passed resolutions heartily en- dorsing the action of the Colonial Congress and approving of the Declar- ation of Independence.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Montgomery and Fulton counties, N.Y. : with illustrations and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents, Part 6

Author: Beers, F.W., & co., New York, pub Publication date: 1878 Publisher: New York : F.W. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 664

Author: Beers, F.W., & co., New York, pub
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: New York : F.W. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 664