History of Oneida County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 40

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 40

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The loss of Colonel Willett's force was five killed and nine wounded; among the latter the brave Captain McKcan, fatally. He was struck by two balls in the early part of the action, but remained at his post until the enemy retreated.

The Indians had taken nine persons prisoners the day before at Currietown, and when the attack began they were all tomahawked and scalped. Their bodies were buried by Willett's men, but so hastily that one of them, Jacob Die- fendorff, who was only stunned, succceded in digging from his living tomb, aud when a party of militia under Colonel Veeder visited the field, after Willett's return to Fort Rens- selaer, they found him sitting on his own grave. He re- covered, and lived many years.

The following letter, from Colonel Willett to General Clinton, was written soon after the colonel's return :

"SIR,-I bave just sent some of the wounded levies to Schenectady, there being no surgeon bere. Doctor Petrie, the surgeon of the levies, is at German Flatts; where he bas several sick and wounded to attend, and the intercourse between here and there is too dangerons to allow traveling withont a guard. I could wish, therefore, to have a surgeon from the hospital posted in this quarter.

"This place does not afford a gill of rum to bathe a single wound. Two barrels designed for this quarter a few days ago met with a regu- lar regiment passing down the country, who very irregularly took away from the person that had them in charge these two barrels of rnm.

"I need not mention to you, Sir, that the severe duty and large por- tion of fatigue that falls to the lot of the troops in this quarter makes rum an article of importance here, and that I should be glad to see some in the County of Tryon.

" This toorning Captain MeKean died of the wound he received yesterday. Iu him we have lost an excellent officer. I feel his loss and unch regret it."

Shortly after Doxtader's invasion another small party of Tories and Indians made a descent upon Palatine, but being betrayed by one Philip Helmer, they were pursued by a party under Lieutenant Sammons and driven off with con- siderable loss, and without having caused any damage to the inhabitants.

In a letter to General Washington, dated July 6, 1781, Colonel Willett gives a vivid description of the country and of its present condition, from which it would appear that at the commencement of the war the number of enrolled militia in Tryon County amounted to 2500, which at the date of the letter had been reduced to about 1200 assessed for taxation, of whom only 800 were capable of bearing arnis. To account for this great reduction the colonel esti- mated that one-third had been killed or made prisoners; one-third had joined the enemy, and one-third had for the time being abandoned the country. The situation of the people who remained was described as distressing in the extreme. Those who were able had erected block-houses for the protection of their families, and each neighborhood hud joined together and built some kind of a fortification answering to the name of fort. At that date the colonel enumerates twenty-four works of the kind between Sche- nectady and Fort Schuyler.

The number of men under Willett's command, exclusive

For military portrait of Colonol Willett, see biographical sketch. t Narrative.

# Willett's Letter to Washington.

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of militia, did not exceed 250. But he was not the man to give up under any circumstances, and he kept up a brave heart. In one part of his letter to Washington he says,-

" Nor shall I exceed my hopes if, in the course of less than twelve months, I shall be able to convince the enemy that they are not with- out vulnerable quartere in these parts."

The wisdom and ability with which he placed and man- aged his small force are set forth in the following cxtracts :

" My intention is to manage business so ns to have an opportunity of acquninting myself, as well as possible, with every officer and soldier I may have in charge. In order the better to do this, I pro- pose, as far as I enn make it any way convenient, to guard the dif- ferent posts by detachments, to be relieved as the nature of the case will admit. As the relieved troops will always return to Fort Rens- selacr, where my quarters will be, I shall have an opportunity of seeing them all in turn. Having troops constantly marching baek- ward and forward through the country, and frequently ehanging their route, will answer several purposes, such as will ensily be per- ceived by you, sir, without mentioning them.

" This is not the only way by which I expect to become partieu- Inrly nequainted with the troops and their situation. I intend occa- sionnlly to visit every part of the country, as well to rectify sueb mistakes ns are common among the kind of troops I have nt present in charge, ns to enable me to observe the condition of the militia, upon whose aid I shall be under the necessity of placing considerable reliance."

For several months succeeding the defeat of Doxtader the lower valley of the Mohawk remained quiet. The enemy had evidently a high respect for Colonel Willett, and for a time gave him a wide berth. In the upper por- tion of the valley they were more active.

In the spring of 1781, Solomon Woodworth had been commissioned as captain, and instructed to raise a company of rangers, for the purpose of patroling the wooded country lying north of Fort Dayton and the German Flatts .* He raised a company of 40 men, and, well armed and provided, marched from Fort Dayton in the direction of the Royal Grant,f on a sconting expedition. After a few hours' inarch he came suddenly upon a large band of savages, and a most desperate battle took place, in which Woodworth and all bnt fifteen of his brave followers were killed or taken. The loss of the Indians was also severe.

Another spirited affair occurred at a neighborhood known as " Shell's Bush," situated about four miles north of Herkimer village, in the valley of West Canada Creek. Among the settlers was John Christian Shell, who had six sons. Shell, like many others, had built a block-house for protection against the savages. On the 6th of Angust a band of 66 Indians and Tories, under Donald McDonald, one of the Scotch refugees from Johnstown, attacked Shell's Bush. Most of the people had taken refuge at Fort Day- ton, but Shell, believing literally that every man's house was his castle, chose to remain in his own dwelling. When the attack was made, Shell and his sons were at work in the field, and in attempting to escape the two youngest boys (twins) were captured. Shell and four of his sons succeeded in reaching the block-house.

In an attempt of the enemy to capture the building McDonald was severely wounded, and being left near the house, was dragged in by Shell when the enemy fell back,

and thus made a prisoner. His capture was fortunate in more ways than one, for his cartridge-box was full of am- munition, which served to replenish that of the garrison, already nearly exhausted. The enemy made several des- perate attempts to carry the place by assault, but were each time repulsed by the sharp fire of the garrison, which killed and wounded a number of them.

In one of these assaults five of the enemy thrust their guns through the loop-holes, when the brave wife of Shell immediately seized an axe, and by quick, well-directed blows ruined every one of them by bending the barrels.

When the baffled enemy again fell back Shell went into the loft and cried loudly to his wife that succors were ap- proaching from Fort Dayton, and pretending to give orders to the reinforcement, he so effectually deceived the enemy that they precipitately fled. In this remarkable affair the enemy lost eleven killed and six wounded. McDonald died afterwards from the result of an amputation. The twin boys were carried prisoners to Canada.

Subsequently the gallant Shell was fired upon when at work in the field and mortally wounded. One of his brave boys was also killed while defending his father until a guard could reach them from Fort Dayton. This was one of the most remarkable episodes in the history of the valley, and the story is still fresh among the people of Herkimer County.

In October of this year occurred the last formidable in- vasion of the Mohawk Valley during the war. The expe- dition was organized at Buck Island, in the St. Lawrence River, three miles below Cape Vincent, and was composed of four companies of Johnson's regiment of " Royal Greens," Colonel John Butler's Rangers, under command of Major Walter N. Butler, his son, and 200 Indians, estimated by some at a total of 1000 men.} The whole force was under command of Major Ross. Their route was by Oswego and Oneida Lake, and thence through the forests to Warrens- bush, near the junction of the Mohawk and Schoharie Kill, which place they reached on the 24th of October, and fell upon it like a clap of thunder from a clear sky.

They destroyed the settlements on the south side of the river and then crossed over and moved to Johnstown. As soon as the news reached Colonel Willett at Canajoharic, he sent orders for all the militia and levies in the various posts and settlements to join him without a moment's delay. With his garrison he marched to Fort Hunter, but found that the enemy were already at Johnstown. Willett had with him 416 men, and the river being too deep to ford they were obliged to ferry across, which, on account of the lack of necessary boats, it required balf the day to accomplish.

The enemy moved slowly, destroying property, killing and capturing the inhabitants, and leaving a desolate waste behind them. On their way to Johnstown they encoun- tered a scouting-party under a Lieutenant Saulkill, which

# This name is written indiscriminately Flatte and Flats.

t From the king to Sir William Johnson.

Į A memorandum found in Mujer Butler's pocket after his death gave his force as follows : Eighth Regiment, 25 men ; Thirty-Fourth Regiment, 100; Eighty-Fourth Regiment ( Highlandere), 36 ; Sir John's, 120; Lake's Independents, 40; Butler's Rangers, 150; Ya- gers, 12; Indiaue, 130; total, 670 [Letter of Colonel Willett] .- Steno.

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was fired upon and the lieutenant killed, but the party cs- caped.

Crossing the river with all possible dispatch, Colonel Willett pushed on in pursuit. When within a short dis- tance of the enemy, deeming it unsafe to risk an engage- ment with their whole force in front, he detached Major Rowley, of Massachusetts, with a small body of the militia and about sixty levies from his own State, to make a circuitous march and fall upon the rear of the enemy simultaneously with his attack in front. Boldly ad- vancing he deployed into line of battle, and attacked with great spirit. Major Ross was driven from his position into the neighboring wood, and everything was promising for the Americans, when one of those sudden panics to which militia are always liable, and which have so many times in the history of this country rendered them worse than use- less,* spread among them like a prairie-fire, and they fled pell-mell from the field in spite of every effort of Colonel Willett and his officers to check them. They did not stop. until they reached the stone church in the village. The only field-piece was abandoned to the enemy, and the am- munition-wagon blown up.

In the mean time Major Rowley emerged from the woods in the rear of the enemy and came upon the field just at the moment when Willett's militia broke and fled. He pressed his attack with the utmost vigor, but was unfor- tunately wounded in the ankle and taken from the field. Colonel Willett, seeing that Rowley's small force alone was holding the enemy in check, finally succeeded in rallying a portion of the broken troops, with which he renewed the battle. About dark the enemy broke and retreated a dis- tanee of six miles, taking refuge for the night on the top of a mountain. After the retreat of the enemy, Colonel Willett caused lights to be procured, and had the wounded -friends and enemies alike-collected and attended to. The loss of Colonel Willett's force in this affair was about 40, including wounded and prisoners. The loss of the encmy was about 40 killed and about 50 taken prisoners. Among the gallant officers who distinguished themselves was Captain Gardenier, who fought so desperately and was terribly wounded at Oriskany, four years before. The Tyron County militia, to their great credit, behaved well under Major Rowley. Knowing by prisoners taken that Ross had left his bateaux at Oneida Lake, Willett sent a detachment of troops to make a forced march and destroy them. On the morning following the battle Colonel Wil- lett marched his force to Stone Arabia, in order to inter- cept Ross, but the latter avoided him by a march through the woods to the north, when Willett again pushed forward on the 28th to German Flatts, where he learned that the party who were sent to destroy the boats had returned with- out performing their duty.

A scouting-party sent forward to observe the enemy re- ported that they had taken the wilderness route to Buck Island, and Colouel Willett made immediate preparations for a rapid pursuit, determined to strike them another blow before he left them. On the route about 60 Oneida war-

riors had joined him, and he now pushed rapidly forward with a choice body of about 400 of his best troops, who were supplied with provisions for five days.

On the 29th the army took the route up the West Canada Creek, marching the whole day in a snow-storm, and halt- ing at night in a thick wood on the Royal Grant. Think- ing the army could not be far distant, Jacob Sammons was sent forward with two Oneida Indians to recounoitre. After proceeding a short distance tracks were discovered in the snow which the Indians pronounced fresh, and refused to proceed farther ; but the intrepid Sammons kept on alone, and soon came upon the encampment of the enemy. The troops had been kept under arms awaiting the return of Sammons, with a view to a night attack ; but learning that the enemy were well provided with bayonets; of which his own force were quite destitute, Colonel Willett abandoned the project and bivouacked where he then was.

He commenced the pursuit early in the morning, but the enemy had moved at the same time, and it was not until one o'clock in the afternoon that they were overtaken. It proved to be a detachment of about forty men sent out for provisions. A sharp skirmish ensued, and the enemy were dispersed with the loss of several killed and a number taken prisoners. Among the latter was a Tory lieutenant named Rykeman.

Willett came up with the main body of the enemy at a place called Jersey Field, on the left bank of the creek. A running fight ensued, but the enemy made a very feeble resistance, and attempted to retreat after the Indian fashion, in single files at a trot. Late in the day, when crossing the creek to the right bank, Major Walter Butler attempted to rally his men and make a stand. A brisk engagement cn- sued between the parties upon opposite sides of the stream, during which about twenty of the enemy were killed and wounded, among whom was Major Butler, who is said to have been wounded by an Oneida Indian. The warrior then sprang across the creek and dispatched the wounded. Tory, and snatched his scalp from his head.t The Oneidas, who knew Butler, seeing he was dead, set up the scalp hal- loo, and stripping the body of its uniform, pressed hotly after the flying fugitives. The army rapidly followed, but. darkness setting in the colonel gave up the pursuit and en- camped until morning. The enemy, however, by this time thoroughly beaten and humiliated, kept on steadily through the night, and though they had been four days in the wil- derness, with only a half pound of horseflesh per man, yet such was their fear of Willett that they traveled thirty miles before they dared to encamp. There was still an unbroken wilderness of eighty miles before them, and this they were compelled to traverse without provisions or blankets in a cold and stormy season of the year.

When the morning came it was deemed inexpedient to make further pursuit, and the army leisurely returned to their cantonments after one of the most successful campaigns in the valley.

" The loss of the Americans in this pursuit was only one man. That of the enemy was never known. In the lan-

# Vide the battles of Camden and Guilford Court-Hense in the Rev- olution, Harmer's and St. Clair's defeats in 1790-91, and Sucket's Harbor and Niagara in the War of 1812 -15.

t There are so many different accounts given concerning the death of Major Butler, that the facts are scarcely to be arrived at. There' is no doubt, however, that he was killed in this affair.

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guage of Colonel Willett's official dispatches, ' the fields of Johnstowa, the brooks and rivers, the hills and mountains, the deep and gloomy marshes through which they had to pass, these only could tell ; and perhaps the officers who detached them on the expedition.' "*

This disastrous campaign closed the military operations in the northern frontiers for the year. The British aud Tory leaders had drawn the long bow once too often, and the shattered weapon had fallen from their hands never again to be lifted by them against the plundered and dis- tressed inhabitants of the Mohawk Valley. The Tory leaders in particular experienced the just results of their inhuman and bloody treatment of their former neighbors and friends. Walter N. Butler fell a victim to that barba- rous mode of warfare which he had so often led and en- couraged, and the prominent leaders-the two Johnsons, Colonel Dan. Claus, and Colonel John Butler-saw their estates confiscated and disposed of to other and better men, and they realized the truth of the poet's saying, that " time at last sets all things even."

The surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, in Oc- tober, 1781, to the combined American and French armies, in effeet ended the war; but the British fleets and armies were not withdrawn, and, although there were no military operations of any magnitude attempted during the year 1782, yet Washington had maintained his army under thorough discipline, prepared for any emergency,-hoping for peace, but fully prepared for war.

Negotiations with a view to a treaty of peace had been commenced in the autumn of 1782, and a basis of agree- ment, established at Paris on the 30th of November, had been signed by the commissioners of the United States and Great Britain ; but these facts were not known to the Amer- icans until late in the spring of 1783.

In view of a possible resumption of hostilities, it had been deemed advisable to attempt the capture of the British works at Oswego. It was the central point from which the various Indian nations were issued their supplies, and in time of active military operations had been, since the days of Frontenac, an important base of operations against the frontiers of New York and Pennsylvania. With this point in possession of the American army, Washington felt that the desolating invasions of the Mohawk and Schoharie valleys would be put a stop to, and he determined to gain possession of it, if possible, before the opening of spring.

In looking over the field for a suitable officer to take the command of so important an expedition, Washington hon- ored his own judgment in conferring it upon the man perhaps of all others the best fitted by character and ex- perience to carry it to a successful termination,-Colonel MARINUS WILLETT.

Upon receiving his orders, Colonel Willett with the utmost secrecy mustered his command at Fort Herkimer, on the 8th of February, 1783, and immediately began his march. Oo the night of the 9th the army crossed Oneida Lake upon the ice, and arrived at the Oswego Falls at two P.M. on the following day. Halting long enough at the falls to construct the necessary ladders for scaling the para-

pet, Colonel Willett resumed his march, and at ten o'clock - P.M. was within four miles of the fort.

An Oneida Indian acted as guide, and after marching for two hours in the dense forest and seeing nothing of the fort, it was discovered that in diverging from the river he had lost his course. The snow was very deep, and when they found out their situation it was too late to attempt a surprise that night; and as they could not remain so near the works through the day without being discovered, and, moreover, as Washington's express orders were not to at- tempt the works unless they could be surprised, it was found necessary to order a retreat. The march had been most severe ; many of the men had become disabled, and one had been frozen to death, so intense was the cold. Colonel Willett returned to Fort Rensselaer deeply cha- grined at the result of the movement, and soon after pro- ceeded to Albany, where he learned, to his great joy, of the conclusion of peace and the establishment of American independence.

In reply to Colonel Willett's official report of the expe- dition Washington wrote him a highly complimentary letter, exoncrating him from all blame, and closing with these words :

" I cannot omit expressing to you the high sense I entertain of your persevering exertions and zeal on this expedition, and beg you to accept my warmest thanks on the occasion, and that you will he pleased to communicate my gratitude to the officers and men who acted nader your command for the share they had in that service."

Thus ended the military operations of the Revolution in New York ; and now, after eight years of unparalleled dis- asters, the dwellers in the Mohawk Valley saw the last of barbarous war.

With the return of peace there was a disposition mani- fosted, at least by a part of the Tory clement, tn return to their former homes in the State. This fact becoming known, called forth from the Whig inhabitants most em- phatic expressions, which made it apparent that such a movement would meet with determined opposition, and that their presence would not be endured. The following copies of the proceedings of meetings held by the people of the Mohawk and Canajoharic districts show the determi- nation which existed to tolerate none of the Tory element in their midst in the most emphatic and unmistakable manner :

At a meeting of the principal inhabitants of the Mohawk District, in Tryon County, Colonel Josiah Throop in the chair,

" TAKING into consideration the peculiar circumstances of this country relating to its situation, and the numbers that joined the enemy from among us, whose brutal barbarities in their frequent visita to their old neighhors are shocking to humanity to relate :

" They have murdered the peaceful hushandman and his lovely boys about him, unarmed and defenseless in the field. They have, with a malicions pleasure, butchered the aged and infirm ; they have wantonly sported with the lives of helpless women and children ; numbers they have scalped alive, shut them up in their houses and hurnt them to death. Several children, hy the vigilance of their friends, have heen snatched from flaming buildings, and, though tomahawked and scalped, are still living among ns; they have made more than three hundred widows, and above two thousand orphans, in this county; they have killed thousands of cattle and horses, that rotted in the field; they have burnt more than two million bushels of grain, inany hundreds of buildings, and vast stores of forage; and now these merciless fiends are creeping in among us again, to claim the privilege of fellow-citizens and demand a restitution of their former estates; but can they leave

# Stone.

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their infernal tempers behind them, and be safe or peaceable neighbors ? Or can the disconsolate widow and bereaved mother reconcile her tender feelings to a free and cheerful neighborhood with those who inbnmanly made her such ?. Impossible ! It is contrary to nature, the first principle of which is self-preservation ; it is contrary to the law of nations, especially that nation which, for numberless reasons, we should be thought to pattern after. Since the accession of the House of Hanover to the British throne five hundred and twenty peerages in Scotland have been sunk, the Peers executed or fled, and their estates confiscated to the Crown, for adhering to their former adminis- tration after a new one was established by law. It is contrary to the eternal rule of reason and rectitude. If Britain employed them, let Britain pay them !; We will not.

" Therefore, Resolved unanimously, That all those who have gone off to the onemy, or have been banished by any law of this State, or those who we shall find tarried as spies and tools of the enemy, and encouraged and harbored those who went away, shall not live in this district noder any pretence whatever ; and as for those who have washed their faces from Indian paint, and their hands from the innocent blood of our dear ones, and have returned either openly or covertly, we hereby warn them to leave this district before the 20th of June next, or they may expect to feel the just resentment of an injured and determined 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 40

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