History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 122

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920

USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 122

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In 1809, Thomas Dean married Mary Flandran, of New Rochelle, Westchester Co., N. Y., an excellent young lady of Huguenot descent, and a sister of Thomas H. Flandran, well remembered as an eloquent member of the har of Oneida County, who died in 1854.

In his peaceful, unselfish method of dealing with Indians, Thomas Denn closely followed the copy set by his Quaker sire. He sup- ported a school, in which Indian boys and girls were instrneted in ele- mentary knowledge; he settled quarrels among the Indians, directed and encouraged their plans for household industries, and for gardening and farming; he transneted their business with the whites and with each other; he neglected no opportunity to improve their religious sentiments and hahits.

Previons to the year 1820 the Brothertown Indians found themselves closely hemmed in by white settlers, who trespassed on their lands, and cansed discontent. They determined to seek a new home towards the setting sun, and besought Mr. Dean to aid them. His influence secured for them from the United States Government a tract of land at Green Bay, Wis., covering sixty-four thousand acres, between the Fox River and Lake Michigan. Upwards of twenty-four hundred Indians were to he transferred to those distant lands. Diffienlties were encountered at both ends of the line of emigration. Speculators made much trouble at the West, and the breaking up of long-established homes caused reluctance and delny at the East. Mr. Dean spent ten winters in Washington and ten summers in Green Bay, winters and summers of censeless labor, travel, anxiety, and weariness, before the

arrangements for removal could be completed. While at Green Bay Mr. Denn was busy fighting speculative land-sharks, surveying farms and roads, building bridges, saw-mills, grist-mills. In New York he procured the enactment of a law which enabled the Indians to sell their lands at their full value, under the direction of three commissioners.

Between 1830 and 1840, Mr. Dean was occupied in transferring Indian colonists to Green Bay. They went ont by installments, and each installment required his personal supervision and guidance. In 1841 there came a season of rest. As the tired laborer when his day's work is ended falls asleep beside the evening fire, 80 Thomas Denn, after he had settled the Brothertown Indians in their new home, came to a peaceful end in June, 1842, at the age of sixty-three, and was laid beside his father, mother, and wife, in the Deansville Cemetery. During his forty years of service for the Indians, Mr. Dean received a salary of only $300 a year, including the support of an Indian school, and exclusive of traveling expenses.

He kept his personal accounts with that scrupulous exactness of detail which characterized Judge William L. Marcy when traveling at the expense of the State. His sturdy conscientions honesty and passion for square dealing were fitly symbolized to the eye hy a com- manding presence. His work was done in no half-bearted perfunc- tory way. Every inch of his great herculean frame was full of sympathy. There was no regular physician in Brothertown, and often Mr. Dean and members of his family ministered with well-tried household remedies at the bedside of the sick and suffering. His hands and house were always open to charity and hospitality. His doors were locked neither day nor night. Indian guests were frequent at the table and the fireside. Often they came unbidden when the family had retired for the night, and slept by the kitchen fire. Such a long and spotless career of disinterested public duty has few parallels in our country's history.

Traditions of Thomas Dean's kindness, generosity, and unbribable integrity are familiar to the older Brothertown households, and they give something of the charm of a pastoral poem to the early name and the pleasant streets of that historic village, with its large heart still throbbing in the Dean homestead.

Thomas Dean was the father of five children, of whom only two are now living. The oldest child, Mrs. Philena Hunt Dean Catlin, now living in Clinton, Oneida Co., is the surviving widow of Professor Marcus Catlin, who died in 1849, after filling the Chair of Mathe- matics and Astronomy in Hamilton College for fifteen years with the highest ability, devotedness, and success. Mrs. Phehe Dean Redfield, wife of the Inte Colonel Alex. H. Redfield, of Detroit, Michigan, died in 1877. John Dean, the oldest son, born Ang. 16, 1813; gradnated from Hamilton College in 1832; was a member of the State Legisla- ture from Oneida County in 1846, and in 1862 was appointed Commis- sioner of Customs in the Treasury Department at Washington. While holding this office, be scoured freedom for a large number of slaves, whose masters, living outside the District of Columbia, bad hired them ont to residents of Washington. Mr. John Dean also defended many fugitive slaves whose masters sought to force them back to bondage. He was under indictment for protecting a fugitive slave, und was pre- paring his defense when he was seized with the illness of which he died, Oct. 16, 1863. He was buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington. His funeral sermon was preached by Rev. John Pier- pont. Hannah Dean, the youngest daughter, died in 1847. Dr. Elias Flandran Dean, the youngest son, is a practicing physician in Lenni, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

the occasion of a young man being drowned. At the funeral he was requested to read that sermon, and after a prayer by Captain Foot, be did so. The text upon which the sermon was founded was 1 Samuel, xx. 3: ' There is but a step botweeo ine and death.' Her grave was first dug on the green, but it being thought too wet, she was buried in the south part of the present burying-ground, which was then a part of her father's farm."

Major Barnabas Pond dng her grave, as well as every one in that burying-ground, until they numbered more than one hundred.

The above was the first death among the settlers. The second was that of Thomas Fancher, Jr., who was killed by a falling tree in 1791, and the third was that of Mrs. Merey Stebbins, wife of Judah Stebbins, Jr., aged twenty- six years.

The young people of the settlement were not exempt from the emotions which lead to the union of hearts, and, as in the history of all neighborhoods, there was of course a first wedding. In 1788, then, on the same day, Elias Dewey wedded Anna Foot, and Andrew Blanchard was made happy in the possession, as his wife, of Mary Cook. Elias Dewey built his house on the land where now stands the residence of Judge Williams. A publie wedding was also celebrated the same year,-that of Roger Leverett and Miss Elizabeth Cheesebrough. The ceremony was per- formed in a log house which stood upon a knoll oo the road to Utica, east of Slocum's bridge. Jason Parker, of Utica, afterwards widely known as a stage proprietor and mail contractor, was one of the invited guests. On the 25th of November, 1790, William Stebbins and Lydia Branch were married by the Indian minister, Rev. Samson Occum.

The first white child born in the town of Kirkland was Clinton Foot, who died before reaching manhood; the sec- ond was Fanny Kellogg, daughter of Captain Amos Kel- logg, and afterwards the wife of Orrin Gridley; the third, Julius Pond, Esq., born July 26, 1789; and the fourth, James D. Stebbins, born Sept. 11, 1789.

Among the settlers who arrived in 1789 was Jesse Cur- tiss, who, it is said, " brought on his back from the log huts in Utica a skipple (three pecks) of seed wheat." In the fall of the same year he built the third frame house in towo, the first having been erected by Colonel Timothy Tuttle, and the second by Ebenezer Butler, Jr. All were put up in this year, 1789. The circumstances of the build- ing of Mr. Curtiss' house are thins described by Judge Wil- liams, and illustrate the remarkable perseverance of the dwellers in the wilderness :

" About the 20th day of October, 1789, the snow fell to the depth of nearly two feet, upon a bed of mud not much less; the weather became cold nad inclement, and most forbidding to the wayfarer and laborer. Precisely at this timo, a settler, zealous to build a frame house before the winter should set in with its full severity, went to Captain Cassety's saw-mill, and for three days and two nights, alone, and without rest or intermission, continued to saw the lumber neces- sary for the building. When the task was ended bis hands were glazed ns if by fire, from using se constantly the cold iron bars of the saw-mill; he felt himself well repaid, however, for all his toil and fatigue, for in a few days he reared a frame dwelling sixteen feet square. That dwelling is now (1848) the kitchen of Mr. Horatio Cortiss, and that diligent settler was Jesse Curtiss, already meotioned."

This building at last descended to the nses of a slied in the rear of the barn owned by Mr. Curtiss' youngest son, and in 1874 was yet standing.

Frame barns were also erected in 1789,-one by Judah Stebbins, on the farin now owned by John Elliott, and a second on the Kellogg property east of the village.

The first horse brought into town is said to have been owned by Captain Moses Foot, and was soon stolen by the Indians. William Carpenter and Nathan Marsh, who came in 1789, each owned a " noble steed," whose speed and bottom were so remarkable that the fame of these animals has been preserved through the succeeding generations. Their o ners set out on horseback at a certain time for the city of Albany ; " Jesse Curtiss and Bartholomew Pond started on foot at the same time, and arrived at Albany some hours before them !" Nearly all the labor requiring animal power was performed by oxen in the early days of the settlement.

Besides Jesse Curtiss, the following persons settled in 1789 : Timothy Pond, Eli Bristol, Joel Bristol, Jonah San- ford, Samuel Curtiss, John Curtiss, Ebenezer Butler, Theo- dore Gridley, Bartholomew Pond, Rufus Millard, William Marsh, and William Carpenter.

The crops of the year 1788 became insufficient in 1789 to supply the wants of the settlers and those of the new - comers constantly arriving, and in the latter year famine, with all its horrors, stared them in their faces. The stock of wheat flour and the old erop of potatoes were exhausted, and to such straits were they reduced that when planting- time came the eyes of the potatoes were cut out and put in the ground, while the remainder was carefully preserved for the table. Those who were fortunate enough to secure a portion of wild game, or a supply of ground-nuts or leeks, considered themselves lucky. Finally a company of men started for Fort Plain, Montgomery County, to obtain sup- plies, if possible, on some terms. There they found a farmer and miller named Isaac Paris, who listened favorably to their appeal. He loaded a small flat-boat with flour and meal and sent it up the Mohawk to the mouth of the Oris- kany, where its cargo was transferred to a log canoe made by the settlers, a party of whom were there to meet it, and by means of paddles, ropes, and setting-poles it was worked up the creek as far as the present Clinton factory. From thence it was transported in carts to the village, where great joy was occasioned by its arrival. Mr. Paris was paid in ginseng, which abounded in the forest, and which he was willing to accept in lieu of silver and gold, which the settlers did not possess. The roots of this plant were dried in bundles and shipped from the American seaports to China, where they were supposed to be an antidote to the plagne.

It was perfectly natural that the name of Mr. Paris was held in high regard ; and in 1792, when a new town was erected, including Clinton, it was called Paris by the inhab- itants as a tribute to their generous benefactor. Scarce as food temporarily became, the settlement on the stream of nettles continued to grow.

Thomas Hart removed to Clinton in 1792, and in com- pany with Seth Roberts opened a store in the building erceted by Ebenezer Butler, and in which he had pre- viously traded. Mr. Hart was appointed one of the judges

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

of Oneida County some years previous to his death, which occurred Feb. 11, 1811.

In 1793, Judah Stebbins erected the first two-story house in town. With his own hands he " rived" or split the clap- boards upon this house from pine-trees.

The following chapter of

INCIDENTS

is from Rev. Mr. Gridley's " History of Kirkland," and was compiled from various authorities,-among them being Judge Williams' Address, Jones' " Annals," Mr. Traey's Lectures, " Memoir of Rev. Samuel Kirkland," and others.

The Indians who occupied this region were wont to come in from the chase or other expeditions with all the noise attendant upon the orgies of Tam O'Shanter's witches or the inhabitants of the infernal regions, and tramping and whooping and demoniacal howling often kept the settlers awake in fear and trembling. Mrs. Amos Kellogg used to relate that " often, when alone in her house, engaged in domestie duties, perhaps with a child in the cradle, In- dians would open the door without knocking, and steal in softly, with moecasined feet, unperceived, and, tapping her on the shoulder, say, with deep, guttural voice, 'Indian want tater; Indian hungry ; me want tater.' Trembling with fear, yet feigning unconcern, she uniformly gave them what they desired, and they soon left her without molestation. Sometimes it would be a squaw, with sad face and mouru- ful voice, drawing her blanket about her shoulders, and whining, 'Me hungry ; senape (her husband) gone, pap- poose dead ; me hungry !'"

Mrs. Eli Lucas told of bands of Indians coming to her father's house at evening, and requesting to stay over night ; when, leave being granted, if none were intoxicated, they would stretch themselves on the floor of the kitchen, with their feet towards the fire, eroon a while at each other, and fall asleep. They rose at daybreak, and silently left the house, seldom purloining anything from it.

Rev. Samnel Kirkland often fed from 70 to 100 Indians at his house during a week's time. When they came drunk he locked them up in his corn-house till they were sober.

Among those of the Stockbridge tribe who were promi- nent in this region, were John Quinney and his brother Joseph, John Metoxin, Captain Hendricks and his strong- minded but excellent wife Lydia, and Mary Doxtater and John Kunkerpot. The latter had in his boyhood spent some time at Dartmouth College, and on his return bade fair to become a prominent and useful man ; but " blood will tell,"-and it proved true in his ease,-for he became eventually indolent and vicious. " He was oftener drunk than sober," says Gains Butler, "yet he was witty and keen in repartee. When one of our citizens bantered him about the black mark put upon Cain, he replied, ' Perhaps it was a white mark !'"

In the history of Hamilton College, in another part of this volume, it is mentioned that Rev. Mr. Kirkland brought some Indian boys to his house at Clinton to pre- pare them for entering the academy when it should open. They were taught in a log school-house on the knoll in front of the Lucas place. One was named David Cusick, and afterwards became somewhat distinguished. Mr. Kirk-

land, while teaching him the catechism, propounded one day the usual question, " Who made man ?" " God," was the reply. " And who made woman ?" "God." " And how did he make woman ?" "Out of old husks, I guess !"

The following story of the " fine, fat steer" is told by Hon. Pomroy Jones in his " Annals," and also by Judge Williams, as follows :

" In 1787, Theodore Manross, who bad commenced a clearing on the farm for many years occupied by Jesse Wood, about n mile south of Clinton, missed from his herd a fine, fat steer. Suspicion soon fell upon a party of Oneidas, who, led by a chief called Beechtree, bad for some days encamped on the hill south of him, and were dig- ging ginseng in the vicinity. Search was inade; their enenmpment was deserted, nnd the fresh offals of the animal were found near by, secreted. A party of ten or twelve active and resolute young men was soon formed. Moses Foot wns their captain, and among the com- pany were Jesse Curtiss, Levi Bnrker, and several other familiar names. The Indian trail was fresh, and their path through the net- tles and undergrowth was as plain to the sharp eyes of the enger pursuers as a beaten track to the traveler. They followed them to Paris Hill, then to the Snuquoit Creek, a little north of the present village, and thence down the stream. As they came near New Hart- ford, the track was so fresh that it was manifest they were close upon the Indians. Soon they spied them marching single file ; and taking a little circuit they enme into the path before them, and turning towards thein met them face to face. 'Stop !' said Captain Foot to Beechirce, their leader ; 'you have stolen and killed the white mnnn's steer.' 'Indian has not killed the white man's steer,' replied Beechtree, lenping forward and drawing from his belt his long hunting-knife. Quick as thought Captain Foot raised n heavy cane, and brought it down with convincing force upon the naked head of Beechtree. . Ile wineed, and settled down beneath the powerful blow. It was enough ; the party surrendered, and on search being made the hide and bell of the missing animal was found in the pack of one of the Indians, who bore the expressive cognomen of Snucy Nick. This was pretty good proof. As the modern and fashionable defenses of sleep- walking, insanity, and the like were not known to these untutored wild ones, they frankly confessed the deed. The prisoners were marched back in a body, and forthwith were confined and guarded in the house of Colonel Timothy Tuttle, standing on the site of the present Royce mansion. Mr. Kirkland was immediately sent for, and by permission of the gunrd they sent a swift messenger to Oncida to summon their friends and chiefs to their assistance, sending n message to them, nt the same time, to drive over a certain cow as a means of settlement for the wrong committed.

" Before the morning sun bad risen high their friends appeared, led by the wise nnd venerable Skenandoa. The negotiation was enr- ried on in the house of Mr. Tuttle, mainly between Captain Foot and Skenandoa, Mr. Kirkland acting as interpreter, and finally it was agreed that the Indinns should give the cow, which had been driven from Oncida, to Mr. Manross to make him good, and the ginseng which they had dug to the party of young men who had pursued them to pay them for their time and trouble. The whole matter was concluded before noon, and this resolute conduct of the settlers en- tirely prevented the recurrence of similar aggressions.

"Saucy Nick was nlone sullen and revengeful. The theft was more especially charged to and proved upon him ; nnd on the march from New Hartford to Clinton be had hnd n bitter wrangle with one Lemuel Cook, who, if all accounts are true, was as much entitled to tho appellation of ' saucy' as Nick himself. ITis abusive speech bad sunk deep into the Indian's memory, and his ardent longing was for revenge and blond. Soon after be unsnecessfully attempted to kill Cook nt Fort Schuyler, and the next season, as Cook was plowing on his farm (now owned by Mrs. Luther Comstock), an Indian arrow whistled swiftly past his car. The band that sent it, though unseen, could not be mistaken, and Cook, warned of his danger, soon sold his farm, and returned to Connecticut."#

Mr. Cook finally died at the house of his son, in Claren- don, N. Y., May 21, 1869, aged one hundred and four

# This account varies somewhat from Mr. Jones'. See Chapter III.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

years. Five generations of his descendants were present at his funcral. He was always fond of telling stories, one of his favorites being that of " the fine, fat steer and Saucy Nick."

Heinrich Staring, afterwards first judge of Herkimer County, was captured by a strolling party of Oneida Indians late in the month of November, 1778. He was carried past the site of Clinton, and kept for the night where the village of Deansville now stands, in a deserted log wigwam on the east bank of the Oriskany .. He managed to loosen one of the withes from his arm, and free himself by climbing from a small window six feet from the floor. He had taken off his shoes, and in his hurry to escape forgot to put them on. He followed the Oriskany several miles, running in the channel of the stream for some distance to throw the Indian dogs off the scent, and crossing to the other shore. On reaching the trail from Oneida to Fort Schuyler, he crossed the creek about half a mile northwest of the present village of Clinton, and pursned the trail to the fort, at which place he found a canoe which had floated down the Mohawk and lodged in some willow bushes near the landing. He took possession of it, and by a vigorous use of the paddles, aided by the current, soon reached home.

Barnabas Pond kept a tavern in Clinton. A young Oneida chief called with his wife one day and drank between them a dram of rum. They returned in the afternoon with five others, and wanted more rum. Mr. Pond, who made a practice of never giving an Indian drink if he appeared intoxicated, refused the demand for half a pint of liquor. The Indian showed a piece of coin, and said he wanted to treat his friends, promising not to drink a drop himself. Major Pond then gave him the rum, and he, true to his word, handed it over to his friends. They then turned to leave, when the major reminded the chief that he had not paid for his liquor. " Haven't got no money, and can't pay for it." " Not so," said Pond ; " you showed me the money before you had the rum, and now you have lied about it." " What you say ?- I lie !" shouted the savage, at the same instant springing forward with his drawn knife. The major, a strong and courageous man, " struck the uplifted arm of the Indian between the elbow and shoulder, causing the kuife to fly out of his hand, then gave him a blow across the throat, and at the same time tripped up his feet and brought him to the floor." The major, in relating it, said the Indian " fell like an ox knocked down in a slaughter- house." Shortly he recovered his breath, and arose to his feet, when he threw his handkerchief to the major, who took out his pay, and returned the balance and the knife. The chief and his wife both refused to take them, and the whole party went away. The chief came afterwards and apologized, and Major Pond forgave him, provided he be- haved well in the future, and then went and brought the handkerchief and knife to their owner. He again refused them, bowever, and here the matter ended .*

Among the Brothertown Indians were several noted char- acters, including David Fowler, Elijah Wampe, John Tuhi, and Dalphus Fowler, who came with others to the region of Deansville before the Revolutionary war. Most of them, through fear of the Iroquois, returned to New Eng-

land during the war, although a few, among whom was Elijah Wampe, remained. The latter was one day return- ing from Fort Stanwix to Brothertown, when he was met in the path by a hostile Indian, who pointed a rifle at him. Wampe sprang forward, struck up the muzzle of the gun, so that the bullet passed over his head, then quickly dis- patched his adversary with his knife. Wampe then borc the Indian's gun in triumph to the fort, and afterwards returned to his land in Brothertown. He finally, however, for protection, took up his abode under the guns of Fort Stanwix.

Skenandoa, the famous Oneida chieftain, who died May 11, 1816, was brought to Clinton and interred by the side of Rev. Samuel Kirkland, with imposing ceremony. Platt- kopf, another chief of the Oneidas, was noted for his elo- quence. In September, 1799, Dr. Timothy Dwight, President of Yale College, accompanied by Tutor Jeremiah Day, started on a tour of observation through the State of New York, intending to visit Niagara Falls and Buffalo. At Lairdsville, in the town of Westmoreland, he turned aside to visit Rev. Samuel Kirkland, at Clinton, and from the latter place he wrote as follows :

"In the morning of September 26 we made an excursion to Brother- town, an Indian settlement in the town of Paris. I had a strong in- clination to see Indian life in the most advanced state of civilization found in this country, and was informed that it might probably be found here.

" Brothertowo is a tract of land about six miles square, which was given to these Indians by the Oneidas. . . . Ilcro forty familics of these people have fixod themselves in the business of agriculture. They have cleared the land on both sides of the road, abont o quarter of a mile in breadth ond about four miles in length. Three of them have framed honses; the rest are of logs. Their husbandry is gener- ally much inferior to that of the white people.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 122

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 920

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 920