History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 39

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 39

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Among the prisoners was the well-known Sammons family. After the work of destruction was about com- pleted, and Sir John had gathered his prisoners and booty together, the elder Sammons requested to speak with the baronet. Upon his inquiring what he wanted he replied that he wished to be released, with which Sir John hesi- tated to comply. " But the old man pressed his suit, and reminded Sir John of former scenes, and of the efforts of friendship which he himself had made in his behalf. 'See what you have done, Sir John,' said the veteran Whig,- ' you have taken myself and my sons prisoners, burnt my dwelling to ashes, and left the helpless members of my family with no covering but the heavens above, and no prospect but desolation around them. Did we treat you in this manner when you were in the power of the Tryon County Committee ? Do you remember when we were consulted by General Schuyler, and you agreed to surren- der your arms? Do you not remember that you then agreed to remain neutral, and that upon that condition General Schuyler left you at liberty upon your parole ?

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Those conditions you violated. You went off to Canada ; enrolled yourself in the service of the king; raised a regi- ment of the disaffected, who abandoned their country with you ; and you have now returned to wage a cruel war against us, by burning our dwellings and robbing us of our property. I was your friend in the Committee of Safety, and exerted myself to save your person from injury. And how am I requited ? Your Indians have murdered and scalped old Mr. Fonda, at the age of eighty years,-a man who, I have heard your father say, was like a father to him when he settled in Johnstown and Kingsborough. You cannot succeed, Sir John, in such a warfare, and you will never enjoy your property more."

The baronet made no reply, but the old man was set at liberty, and a portion of his property restored to him. One of the sons, Thomas, was also given up, through the inter- cession of the widow of Captain Hare, one of the British officers killed at Oriskany. This lady was living at the Johnson Hall, where she had been since her husband's death. Through her efforts several of the prisoners were released.

This was one of the most cruel and disgraceful inroads ever made into the valley.

A small body of militia had collected under Colonel John Harper, but they were not sufficiently numerous to venture pursuit, and the marauders retired with their pris- oners and booty unmolested. Governor Clinton, upon hear- ing of the invasion, immediately collected such militia as were at hand, and made a rapid march to Lake George, and thence to Ticonderoga, where he was joined by a small force from the New Hampshire Grants. Colonel Van Schaick also followed by way of Johnstown, with 800 men ; but all was of no avail, and the forces leisurely returned to their posts.

After the retreat of Sir John Johnson the valley was quiet until the beginning of August, when the terrible Thay-en-dan-e-gea once more appeared with tomahawk and torch. On the 6th of June, Colonel Gansevoort had been ordered by General Clinton to move to Fort Plank with his regiment for the purpose of escorting a supply of pro- visions to Fort Schuyler, which were to be transported io bateaux up the Mohawk River.

Brant was aware of this movement, and cunningly circu- lated information through the valley of his intention to not only intercept and capture the supplies, but to attempt the reduction of Fort Schuyler itself. This plan produced the desired effect. The militia were called out en masse for the protection of the convoy, and when they were well out of the way the wily Mohawk made a circuit and fell npon the defenseless settlements at Canajoharie. The result of this movement was: 16 of the inhabitants killed, 50 to 60 taken prisoners; 53 dwellings, about an equal number of barns, a church, a grist-mill, and two small stockades burnt ; 300 cattle and horses killed or driven away ; and all the arms, tools, and erops totally destroyed.

Colonel Wemple was at the head of a strong force of the Albany and Schenectady militia, but he did not seem in- clined to come to close quarters, although he had at least an equal number of men, and so the invader escaped unino- lested. The people complained bitterly at being obliged to

assist in opening the road to Fort Sehuyler, and thus, when defenseless, of suffering such a terrible calamity.

On August, 1780, a deputation of Indians, consisting of 13 Oneidas and Tuscaroras and five Cunghnawagas, under the management of Mr. James Dean, made a visit to the headquarters of the French commander, the Count Rocham- bean, then at Newport, Rhode Island. They were received with distinguished attention by the French officers, and entertained with military pageants and parades, at which they were greatly pleased. Upon their departure presents were distributed among them, and the chiefs were presented with medals representing the coronation of the king of France. A written address was also presented them upon their departure, of which the following is a translation :

" The king of France, your father, has not forgotten his children. As a token of remembrance, I have presented gifts to your deputies in his name. He learned with concero that many oations, deceived by the English, who were his enemies, had attacked and lifted up the hatchet against his good and faithful allics, the United States. He has desired me to tell you that he is a firm and faithful friend to all the friends of America, and a decided enemy to all its foes. He hopes that all his children, whom he loves sincerely, will take part with their father in this war against the English."

This address was signed by Count Rochambeau. The design of the visit was to make a favorable impression upon the Indians, which it no doubt did so far as the visiting nations were concerned ; but these were already friendly to the American cause. Beyond this it produced very little effect, for the remaining members of the Iroquois Confed- cracy were too much under control of the British authori- ties to be sensibly affected.

The year 1780 was the most disastrous in the history of the Mohawk Valley. Not content with the destruction wrought by Sir John Johnson and Thuy-en-dun-e-gea, at Caughnawaga and Canajoharie, a still more formidable ex- pedition was set on foot early in October. The Indian portion collected at Tioga Point, on the Susquehanna, from whence they ascended the river to Unadilla, where they were joined by Sir John Johnson, with another large body composed of the Mohawks, three companies of his own regiment, one company of German Yagers, 200 of Butler's Rangers, and a company of British regular infantry, the latter under the command of Captain Richard Duncan, who had resided previous to the war near Schenectady. Sir John's troops were collected at Montreal and La Chine, from whence they reached the State of New York by way of the St. Lawrence and Lake Ontario. From Oswego they crossed over to the Susquehanna. Sir John brought along from Canada two light mortars and a brass three-pounder, which, from the circumstance of its being mounted on an iron frame instead of the regular field-carriage, was called " the grasshopper." The ordnance was transported by land, on pack-horses. Every soldier and Indian in this expedi- tion was supplied with eighty rounds of ball cartridge. The total number of combatants included in this army (according to Stone) was variously estimated at from 800 to 1550.

The invaders passed up the Charlotte River, and thence across to the upper waters of the Schoharie Kill. There were three forts in the valley, known as Upper, Middle, and Lower Forts, and the design of the enemy was to pass

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

the upper one unpereeived, if possible, and attack the mid- dle one. The inhabitants were warned in season by two Oneida Indians, who deserted from the enemy, but from gross indifferenee or an unbelief in the report, the valley was as completely taken by surprise as the invaders eould wish.

The entire body passed the upper fort early in the morn- ing of October 16, and their passage was not discovered until the van of the army was elose upon the middle fort, and the last of the stragglers in the rear just passing the upper one, when a gun was fired at the latter, and the peo- ple awakened to a sense of the situation. The destruction of everything combustible in the valley, not protected by the guns of the fortifications, was immediately begun. The middle fort was defended by about 200 men, under Major Woolsey, who appears to have been a most incompetent officer. This work was at onee surrounded, and the field- battery was put in position. A flag was then sent to de- mand its surrender, but it was fired upon by the famous Murphy, before spoken of, and obliged to retire. Fire was then opened by the battery and small arms, but without causing much damage. Three several attempts were made to summon the garrison to surrender, but the flag was fired upoo at eneh attempt; and deeming the work too strong to be taken by assault, Sir John Johnson withdrew his forces and moved down the valley, destroying everything io his course.

When approaching the old Schoharie fort Sir John di- vided his forces into two columns, and approached the fort on opposite sides. Considerable firing occurred between the parties, wlien, finding the work too strong to be taken except by a regular siege, Johnson passed on down the valley towards Fort Hunter, at the mouth of the ereek. Every house and barn belonging to the Whigs was de- stroyed, together with grain and stock, and the beautiful valley was a smoking ruin. Only two or three of the de- fenders of the forts were injured, but nearly a hundred of the people were killed or captured in their houses.

. On the evening of the 17th Sir John divided his force into two bodies, three companies of the " Greens" and some Indians being sent aeross the Mohawk, under Captain Dun- can, while the main boly, under the commander-in-chief, moved up the south bank. What remained of Canghna- waga was destroyed, and both shores of the river were one seene of desolation. Major Jelles Fonda, in the towo of Palatine, lost property to the amount of $60,000. The major was absent, and his wife escaped under cover of a thick fog.

On the 19th, Sir John crossed to the north side, at Keder's Rifts. There was at that time a small stockade in Stone Arabia, about three miles north of Palatine, held by Colonel Brown, who made himself famous during Bur- gnyne's campaign by his exploit in the rear of that general, about Ticonderoga and Lake George. His foree in the stockade amounted to about one hundred and thirty men. . In the mean time General Robert Van Rensselaer had ral- lied the militia of Albany, Claverack, and Schenectady, and, accompanied by Governor Clinton, had pushed on to intercept Johnson. Reaching Caughnawaga on the 18th, he learned that an attack was to be made upon Fort Paris, and immediately sent an express to Colonel Brown to marel

out and check the advanee of the enemy, while at the same hour he would fall upon bis rear. Colonel Brown promptly obeyed his orders without inquiring as to the numbers of the enemy.

He attacked them near the site of an old military work, formerly known as Fort Keyser. But General Van Rens- selaer failed to co-operate in the attack, and Brown eneoun- tered the whole weight of the enemy, and fell gallantly leading his little foree into battle. His eommand was dis- persed with the loss of upwards of forty men.

After his victory over Colonel Brown, Sir John dispersed his foree in small bands over the country for five or six miles, to plunder and destroy. Late in the day they were. recalled, and the whole force marched back to the river road, below Caroga Creek. Here Captain Duncan rejoined the army, and Johnson moved about three miles towards the west, avoiding, on his way, a small work called Fox's Fort.

General Van Rensselaer had now a force estimated at fully fifteen hundred men, including a strong detachment of Oneidas, and other Indians, under the celebrated Colonel Louis Cook, or Atayataronghta .* General Van- Rensse- laer was very dilatory in his movements, and was remon- strated warmly with by Colonel William Harper and others, and it is said that Colonel Louis shook his sword at him and ealled him a Tory to his face.

Urged on by his officers, Van Rensselaer now began a spirited pursuit, and brought the enemy to battle on the afternoon of the 20th. A sharp engagement ensued, dur- ing which the enemy were forced to fly, and Brant was wounded in the foot. It is said that Johnson left the field at the first intimation of defeat, and fled up the valley. There is little doubt that had General Van Renuselaer done his duty, nearly the whole force of the enemy would have been taken prisoners.

Sir John's army retreated up the river, passing to the south of the German Flats, and going by way of Oneida to Onondaga Lake, where his boats had been left in the beginning of the campaign. The advance of the American army was ordered to follow the retreating enemy as fast as possible and annoy his rear, Van Rensselaer prom- ising to support them with the main body ; but after going a few miles the general ordered a cessation of the pursuit, and leisurely returned down the valley. One other blunder was committed by this incompetent officer. Learning the place of concealment of Sir John's boats, he ordered Cap- tain Vrooman, from Fort Schuyler, with about sixty men, to make a forced march and destroy them. At Oneida, one of his men, pretending to be sick, was left behind, and upon Sir John's arrival told him of Captain Vrooman's movements.t Brant was immediately sent to cut him off, and succeeded in coming upon him by surprise and eap- turing the whole party, who lost one lieutenant and three

# Colonel Louis, as he was generally called, was of mixed parent- age, his father being a negro, and his mother an Indian woman of the St. Francois tribe. In 1788-89 Colonel Louis enlisted a company among the Oneidue for service in the American army.

t In Jones' Annals it is stated that Captain Vrooman destroyed the boats before the arrival of Brant, and was preparing to return to Fort Schuyler.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

privates killed. Sir John reached Oswego without further molestation.

A characteristic anecdote is related of Brant in connec- tion with this expedition. Among the plundered and dis- tressed people of the Schoharie settlements, who were crowding around Fort Hunter, was a woman who had lost her husband and infant child, which latter had been taken from its cradle. " Early the next morning, while the offi- cers of Van Rensselaer's headquarters were at breakfast, a young Indian warrior came bounding into the room like a stag, bearing an infant in his arms, and also a letter from Brant, addressed to the ' commanding officer of the rebel army.' The general not being present, a staff-officer opened the letter and read as follows : 'Sir,-I send by one of my runners the child, which he will deliver, that you may know that, whatever others may do; I do not make war upon women and children. I am sorry to say that I have those engaged with me in the service who are more savage than the savages themselves.' "*

.. The Mohawk Valley above Schenectady was now com- pletely desolated, and the suffering people, together with those of the Schoharie Valley, were crowded upon the in- habitants of the lower Mohawk Valley and the Hudson. It was with extreme dificulty that they could be fed and housed, and next to impossible to obtain supplies for the forts in the upper valley. Scouting-parties of In- dians appeared about the German Flats, and there was a strong feeling among the hostiles of the Six Nations that the Oneidas should be pursued to their new homes and de- stroyed. Every convoy of provisions and supplies for Forts Plain, Dayton, and Schuyler was pounced upon and cut off unless strongly guarded, and the privations of the garrisons of these works were such that the utmost difficulty was encountered in holding thein together.

Colonel Van Cortlandt's regiment was stationed at Fort Schnyler at this time, and Major Nicholas Fish wrote Gen- eral Clinton from Schenectady that on the 6th of March, 1781, a party of fifteen of that regiment had been taken prisoners by Brant's Indians; and again, on April 2, that chieftain had captured another party of sixteen men.

Early in 1781 a plan was arranged for cutting off the Oneidas, and Colonel Dan Claus wrote Captain Brant from Montreal, on the 3d of March, upon the subject; but for some reason the plan was never carried into effect.

Iu addition to these difficulties, another now threatened which rendered the situation still more alarming. In the beginning of May the works of Fort Schuyler, which were getting sadly out of repair, were greatly injured by an un- precedented flood in the Mohawk, caused probably by a gorge in the river below the fort. It does not seem possi- ble that the fort could have been damaged except by this cause, for it stood high and dry above all ordinary overflows.

A council of officers, convened by Colonel Cochran on the 12th of May, reported nearly two-thirds of the work ruined by the waters, and that the remainder would un- doubtedly share the same fate.t They reported that the

only remaining strength of the work was in the outside pickets on the glacis, and that the number of the garrison was inadequate to the task of rebuilding or repairing, which would require the labor of five or six hundred men under the direction of a competent engineer.

To render the works more completely untenable, the bar- racks and buildings were totally destroyed by fire on the 13th.

Colonel Cochran wrote General Clinton a full account of these disasters on the 13th and 14th of May. The follow- ing extract from the general's reply shows that suspicions existed that the conflagration was not altogether acci- dental :

"I have just received your favors of the the 13th and 14th instants, with the disagreeuble intelligence contained in them. I cannot find words to express my surprise at the unexpected accident, or how a fire should break out at noonday in a garrison where the troops could not possibly be absent, after a most violent and incessant rain of several days, and be permitted to do so much dainage. I am sorry to say that the several circumstances which accompanied this melancholy affair afford plausible ground for suspicion that it was not the effect of mere accident. I hope, when it comes to be examined in a closer point of view, such light may be thrown upon it as will remove the suspicion, for which there appears too much reason. I have written to bis Ex- eellency on the subject, and requested his further orders, which I expect in a few days; in the mean time I would request that you keep pos- session of the works, and endeavor to shelter the troops in the best manner possible."

The general soon after addressed the following letter to the Governor :

" ALBANY, May 17, 1781.

" DEAN SIn,-Since my last to you of yesterday another letter, by express, has been received from Fort Schuyler. Copies of the contents I enclose for your information, under cover, which I wish you to seal and forward to the Commander-in-chief. I informed you yesterday of the general prevailing opinion among the better part of the people in this quarter respecting Fort Schuyler. The recent loss of the bar- racks and the ruinous situation of the works have confirmed them in the propriety and even necessity of removing it to the German Flatts, near Fort Herkimer, where they are disposed to afford every assistance in their power to build a formidable work, confident that it will be able to afford more protection, not only in that particular quarter, but also to the whole western frontier in general. I must confess that I have long since been of this opinion. I have not mentioned this eireum- stance to the General (Washington), as I conceive it will come better from yourself, as you are acquainted with every particular circum- stance respecting it, and the numberless difficulties which we shall labor under in putting it in any considerable state of defense. As I have directed the troops to remain in possession of the works until I shall receive instructions from headquarters, I wish that you might have it in your power to have a conference with the General on the subject, and transmit to me the result of it without delay.

" I am, Sir, etc.,

" JAMES CLINTON.

" GOVERNON CLINTON."

The suggestion to abandon Fort Schuyler was soon after adopted, and the garrison removed from the work which had seen such a variety of experience and had been the objective point of so many military expeditions.t

Stone's Life of Brant.

t It seems probable that the damage was caused by the hack water, which loosened the parapet and caused it to settle away into the mont, and also injured the stockade by softening the ground.

# According to Hon. P. Jones a strong oetngon block-house was built at Fort Stanwix subsequent to the war, and garrisoned by a company of regular soldiers. This was supposed to have been erected about 1794-96, when the country was alarme.l nt the att tude of the Western Indians. Colonel Stone states that the entire fort was rebuilt during John Adams' a'lministration, andI re-christened Fort Stanwix. It is most probable that Mr. Jones is nearer the truth. IIc states that the company of regulars was comm inded by a Captain Cherry.

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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Early in the season of 1781, the five New York regi- ments, which had been reduced by battle and disease to mere skeletons, were consolidated into two; and Colonel Willett, at the urgent solicitation of Governor Clinton, took command of all the State troops and militia levies raised for the protection of the frontiers .* The colonel was then connected with the main army and left it with great relue- tance; but the Governor appealed so strongly, urging the high confidence which the people of Tryon County placed in him, that finally he was induced to assume the com- mand. He established his headquarters at Fort Rensselaer (Canajoharie), where he arrived in the latter part of June.

The region assigned him to defend embraced all the country west of Albany County, including the Catskills and the middle region of the Hudson River.

He immediately examined into the condition of his forces, and found them scattered in various detachments, about as follows : Captain Moody's artillery, 20 men, and 130 levies, including officers, at the German Flats; at Schoharie, a guard of 20 men ; at Catskill, about the same number ; and at Ballston 30 men. The levies at that time under arms in the whole district amounted to only 96 men ; total, 316. The following passage occurs in a letter written to the Governor shortly after his arrival :

" I confess myself oot a little disappointed in having such a trifling force for such extensive business as I have ou my hands; and also that nothing is done to enable me to avail myself of the militia. The prospect of a suffering country hurts me. Upon my own account I am nut uneasy. Everything I can do shall be done; and more cannot be looked for. If it is, the reflection that I have done my duty must fix my own tranquillity."+

But notwithstanding these depressing circumstances it was soon apparent that the people only asked for a compe- tent commander ; and when that object was gained they were ready to rally around him upon the first emergency. The colonel very soon had an opportunity to test thein, when he found them, to use his own expression, " a people who, having experienced no inconsiderable portion of British barbarism, were become keen for revenge, and properly de- termined."}

On the 30th of June, John Doxtader, a Tory, and an Indian chief named Quackyack, at the head of about 250 Indians and Tories, attacked and burned Currietown, a small village near the mouth of the Schoharie Kill. The light of the conflagration gave the first intimation at Fort Rens- selaer of the presence of an enemy in the valley. Colonel Willett immediately put his force, consisting altogether of about 150 men, in motion to cut them off. Captain Gross, with a scouting-party of 30 men, discovered the enemy's camp, and Colonel Willett determined, if possible, to sur- prise them.

The encampment was in a thick cedar swamp a few miles to the northeast of Cherry Valley, and to reach it required a night march through the woods, without any better road than a bridle-path. But the colonel pushed on and reached the neighborhood of the enemy about six o'clock in the morning. Instead of surprising him, however, he found him advantageously posted, and offering battle.

Willett immediately attacked him, and partly by stratagem and partly by superior tactics and determined bravery put him to a complete rout, with the loss of all his baggage and plunder, and nearly 40 of his warriors left dead on the field. The enemy retreated down the Susquehanna, and were pursued a considerable distance.

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History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 39

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