History of Ontario Co., New York, Part 8

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On the settlement of his affairs, he had village property in Geneva, and on his departure left them in charge of James Reese, Esq., of that village. His death took place in 1808, and none of his descendants are left in the country to which his personal effort gave so great an impetus.

CHAPTER VII.

INDIAN RESTLESSNE88-PIONEER APPREHENSION-TREATY OF 1794-DEATH OF CHAPIN.

THE colonies had gained their independence, and the treaty of 1783 closed the war; but the lands of Western New York, occupied by Indians, and dominated by British influence, were settled by sufferance and hardihood. Forts Oswego and Niagara held British garrisons, and American commerce was excluded from Lake Ontario. Simcoe, at Niagara, was imbued with hostility to the Americans, and lost no opportunity of displaying his sentiments. Johnston, resident in Montreal, and influential among the Six Nations, was an able second to Simcoe in the work of rendering the Indians troublesome. Joseph Brandt held an ambig- uous position, at one time professing peace to Chapin, Morris, and others, at another organizing bands of Canadian Indians as allies of the Western nations; while Colonel John Butler, affluent and honored by his king for zeal in his ser- vice, living at Niagara as Superintendent of Indian Affairs, gave freely of his stores to the Iroquois, and intimated a coming time when they would be asked to. go upon the war-path to reclaim their ancient lands.

Stimulated by avarice, sense of wrong, and desire of revenge, the Senecas were moody, insolent, and threatening in behavior. Nor were the feelings of the Americans cordial or conciliative; the remembrance of horrid cruelties and un-

pitying murders caused a mingled feeling of fear, distrust, and defiance. Under these circumstances open hostilities were easy of kindling, a spark would set the train in flames once more upon the outer settlements.

Occasions would arise when some brave borderer, aroused by sight of sullen faces to remembrance of a midnight scene of terror in recent years, took sudden vengeance in a deadly rifle-shot; then all the influence of agent, State, and gov- ernment was called in action to prevent a general warfare on the settlements,-a terrible revenge.

War seemed inevitable at last when two Senecas were murdered by the whites in Pennsylvania; the tribe united to demand redress, and the war spirit burned fiercely in the hearts of the warriors.

A message dated August, 1790, was sent to the Governor of Pennsylvania, by the chiefs of the Senecas, among whom were Red Jacket and Little Beard, and therein was contained the following: " Brothers, the two men you have killed were very great men, and were of the Great Turtle tribe; one of them was a chief and the other was to be put in the great King Garoughta's place, who is dead also. Brothers, you must not think hard of us if we speak rash, as it comes from a wounded heart, as you have struck the hatchet in our head, and we cannot be reconciled until you come and pull it out. We are sorry to.tell you that you have killed eleven of us since peace. And now we take you by the hand and lead you to the painted post, as far as your canoes can come up the creek, where you will meet the whole tribe of the deceased and all the chiefs and a number of warriors of our nation, where we expect you will wash away the blood of your brothers, bury the hatchet, and put it out of memory."

Timothy Pickering was sent to Tioga Point, on November 16, 1790, to hold the proposed council, to which the chiefs of the Six Nations came in full force. Red Jacket, if no warrior, was an influential speaker, and his efforts on this occa- sion did not allay the feelings of resentment. Presents were freely and judiciously bestowed, covetously received, and hollow professions of friendship made. The constitution had been adopted, and for the first time the Six Nations met the Thirteen Fires, * now made one in council, and received assurances of prompt redress of grievances and friendly consideration of their interests.

The Indians along the Ohio were leagued under Little Turtle to break up the white settlements, and, in the event of success, would bring the contest eastward to the Genesee. Harmer's army were preparing for a march against them, while the Six Nations stood irresolute. Another treaty was thought all important, and Colonel Pickering was commissioned to hold it at Newtown, in June, 1791. Through the influence of Colonel Proctor among the Senecas at Buffalo, a fair attendance was obtained, and the result was favorable. This has been attributed to the influence of the women, who were strongly inclined to peaceful measures. Following this treaty, General Israel Chapin, resident at Canandaigua since 1790, was appointed Deputy Superintendent of the Six Nations. He received orders from General Knox to impress the Indians with the fact that a fair, kind spirit should mark the national intercourse with them. Under conduct of Horatio Jones and Joseph Smith some forty Indians, some of them Oneidas and Onon- dagas, but chiefly Senecas, were induced to visit Philadelphia. Their treatment by Washington secured their confidence, and promised efforts in behalf of peace. Joseph Brandt was officially invited, in the interests of humanity, to visit Philadelphia to assist in maturing plans in favor of his people. The note fell into British hands, and every effort was made to prevent the journey. The time arrived ; Brandt came from Grand River to Canandaigua, and was accom- panied, via Albany and New York, to Philadelphia, by Israel Chapin, Jr., and others. His position was trying. While at heart desirous of peace, his interests were bound up with the English. Conscious of his danger, his expressions were guarded, and fearful of losing influence, his promises were so conditioned as to be of little value. General Chapin now found occasion for employment of all, his ability to prevent a Seneca alliance with the Western confederacy. Councils and conferences followed in quick succession, while Red Jacket and Cornplanter were sent by him as ambassadors to influence the hostile Indians. Now ensued a period of anxiety to the settlers of Ontario. The defeat of St. Clair and Harmer had encouraged the Indian effort, and now Anthony Wayne began his march upon them. His defeat would involve all in open warfare; his success would conclude peace. News came slowly, and rumors generally preceded of a most alarming character. Men looked upon those whose position placed them where they were supposed to be informed of passing events, and held themselves ready to leave all at the note of outbreak. Around were the disturbed Senecas ; British influence was insidiously at work ; and hanging upon the events of an hour was the safety of the pioneers of whom we have made mention in previous chapters. General Chapin had no light task in hand. Frequent councils, appointed to secure feasts, met in Canandaigua, and food and liquor were anomalously the peacemakers. An

. The Indian designation of the Thirteen Colonies.

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PLATE IV.

CANANDAIGUA ACADEMY, COR. MAIN AND MECHANIC STS , CANANDAIGUA, N. Y.

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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

arbiter of all disputes, the purveyor of supplies, the superintendent had a double task to prevent indiscreet action of the whites, and to cajole the Indians to neu- trality while waiting the results upon the Ohio.

The year 1794 began in gloom and apprehension; every eye turned towards General Chapin. .. To prevent abandonment of the country, he gave assurances which he was far from feeling, and many the visit from the forest clearings to Canandaigua to learn the situation, and gladly the family heard, in their unpro- tected state, his.words of cheer. The power exercised by the superintendent at this time was all important. Bountiful supplies of food and clothing kept the Senecar from the British posta, and assumed confidence prevented the flight of the settlers. The country was unprovided with means of defense, and some arms and ammunition were sent to General Chapin. The condition of affairs in Canan- daigua is thus expressed in a reminiscence entitled, "An Indian Runner." Among the Senecas and other confederate tribes it was customary, when intelligence of importance was to be quickly communicated, to select the most vigorous and enduring of their young men to go on foot, bearing the message from one tribe to another. The runners, as they were called, wore only breech-cloth and moccasins, and carried no food unlees the journey was a long one, when some dried venison and parched corn were taken with them. Their gait, known by the whites as the "Indian lope," was a long, swinging stride. But few families then constituted the settlers. of Canandaigua; the men were alarmed, and the women especially troubled. An Indian, knowing a little English, one day approached a white woman, ran his finger in a circle upon the top of her head, and, with a demoniac look, muttered to her, " Bime by you," thus expressing his disposition to take her scalp.

Should the Indians rise, no succor could be expected nearer than Utica, and that was one hundred and twelve miles away, through an unbroken forest. Amidst great excitement and apprehension some proposed to ereet a block-house, into which, in case of necessity, the women and children might be placed. Chapin opposed this on the ground that such an not or other manifestation of fear and mistrust would precipitate violence. Among the sachems of the Senecas the superintendent had many strong friends. Some of these confided to him the secret that a council had been appointed to be held at the mouth of Buffalo. Creek, where would be determined whether or not the settlements. of the Genesee should be cut off. Cornplanter, a leading chief, had assured the general that the result of the council should be made known to him by one of his swiftest runners. To Hannah Sanborn, the leading woman in the Canandaigua settle- merit, the secret was told by the general, and she was instructed to visit the women and assure them that should the runner bear unfavorable news there would be time to reach Utica before the Indians could strike a blow. This was done, and then the determination of the council was anxiously awaited. The question was discussed at the council, and, as the decision was made, Cornplanter started his fleetest runner at sunrise of the next day to convey to Chapin the result. All was quiet in the little village that day, and Chapin at his home remained to receive any news that might arrive.

Just as the sun was sinking behind Arsenal Hill, the lithe runner was seen coming with long strides down Main Street. He was met by the superintendent. The Indian stopped, gave vent to expressive grants, and announced safety to Can- andaigua. The runner had made ninety miles upon the trail between the rising and setting sun of that day.

After various negotiations, a treaty was appointed to be held at Canandaigua, in the early part of September, 1794. Chapin labored assiduously to disseminate the invitation, and induce a general attendance. Wayne was now marching to encounter the legions of Indians, among whom, doubtlees, a few Senecas were mingled, and the nation stood alert, ready to dig up the hatchet in the event of his defeat. William Ewing was sent to Buffalo Creek and to Canada to influence the attendance of the Indians at the treaty. The Indian, like a grown child, was susceptible of influence through gifts and food, and to make the treaty successful in its two-fold aim-to remove cause of complaint and to establish permanent good will-the most ample effort was made. Colonel Pickering was appointed commissioner, and purchased in New York a large supply of Indian goods, and sent them by water to Canandaigua, while Chapin prepared to feed, bountifully, all who might come. The commissioner arrived September 20. The Indians came in slowly. The English, at first opposed, now advised them to go and get what the Americans would give. The British, once on the verge of war, changed their intentions, but their agents still continued their pernicious influenos. Weeks before the treaty parties came into Canandaigua, and built camps upon the court- house square, in the woods, and by the lake shore, and the place seemed reclaimed to former usages. Those scenes were memorable to the inhabitants; the camp-fires lit the forem by night, and the red men were regarded with curiosity, not wholly free from fear, as they moved about by day. The warriors, defeated by Wayne, attse beck subdued, and when the Sin Nations saw that warfare was hopeless,

then only did they come in numbers to the treaty, which was not begun till about the middle of October. Beeves were slaughtered to supply meat, broadcloth and blanket, ornament and money, were dealt out, and the Indians became highly pleased. Liquor had been excluded, but a trader secretly began to sell to them, and turbulence and trouble ensued. The treaty was concluded, a carousel followed, and the Indians, in high spirits, returned to their homes. By this treaty the limits of the Seneca territory were defined. Goods to the value of $10,000 were delivered to the Six Nations, and a promise of $4500 to be expended annually in clothing given them, provided their residence was within the boundaries of the United States. As incidental to the treaty, the following is related : The treaty was held on the court-house square, and at evening a party of gentlemen sat discussing its terms in a dimly-lighted room of Moses Atwater's then small house, standing upon the north boundary of the northwest corner of the square, when a liquor-crazed, almost naked young warrior leaped with a yell through the open door into the room, knife in hand. The party stood not upou the order of their going, but scattered at once. Augustus Porter, then young, strong, and active, caught up an old-fashioned splint-bottomed kitchen chair, upon which he had been seated, by the tops of its back rounds, and jamming it against the young savage, pressed him against the wall. The Indian twisted, mquirmed, and tried to reach Porter with his knife, but in vain. He then edged towards the door, favored in the movement by Porter, and reaching the entrance sprang out upon the square, giving vent to a terrific whoop. Answering yells were heard, and the whites apprehended an attack, but the chiefs, learning the cause of the tumult, put the warrior in confinement, and ended the trouble.

We may now turn brief attention to the two parties affected by the peace the settlers and the Indians. It has been said that Brandt desired pesce. He was the one to communicate to Chapin the news of Wayne's victory, and it was glad news that the pioneers who had been to Canandaigua took home with them to their families. We may imagine the relief experienced, the congratulations ex- changed, and the fresh vigor with which they resumed their daily labors.

On the other hand the Iroquois had seen the vigor of Mad Anthony, and accounted him more than human; they had witnessed the perfidy of the British in inciting them to act and then refusing them shelter, and following the treaty resolved to live quietly in their villages in peace with the settlers. The services of General Chapin, here but dimly recorded, are believed to have prevented the alliance of the Iroquois with the forces of Little Turtle, and certainly prevented hostilities in the Genesee country. His death occurred March 7, 1795, aged fifty-four years. Appreciated among the whites, he was mourned as a public benefactor, and the Indians depended upon him as children upon a parent. In consequence of his decease, a number of chiefs held a council at Canandaigua to do honor to his memory. All the Six Nations but the Mohawks. were repre- sented, and among the leaders were Red Jacket, Farmer's Brother, and Clear Sky. The following speech of condolence is ascribed to Red Jacket, in the presence of Israel Chapin, Jr., who for several years had served as his father's deputy : " Brothers, I wish you to pay attention to what I have to say. You will recollect you forwarded a manuscript to us informing us of the loss of our good friend. The loes is not to you alone; it is to us of the Six Nations as well. One who was to us a father, who stood between the Nations and the United States, is now dead. Brothers, our minds are sorrowful in the thought that one so valu- able, who took such care to brighten the chain of friendship between the Six Nations and the United States, has been lost to us. Let us preserve unbroken the friend- ship which he has held up as our guide. Brothers, we follow the former customs of our forefathers, and gathering leaves and weeds, strew them over the grave, while we attempt as much as we ean to banish grief from our minds. Brothers of the fifteen fires, listen : the man appointed as our adviser has departed, and left no one. to whom we may communicate what we may desire. He was to us as if the United States stood by us. If we had any message, he took it with care to the great council-fire. Now that we have lost our guide, we are troubled to know how to keep up our friendship. Brothers, these are our wishes: When you have before selected a guide for us it has been good for us both. Sometimes there was more than he could do; he then sent forward his son to act for him. We have learned to know him, and find his mind good. We think he wi be like his father, and all the papers and belts of wampum are in his hands." This speech was sent forward to Philadelphia. The request was favorably received by Washington, and Captain Israel Chapin was appointed to the agency made vacant by the death of his father.

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HISTORY OF ONTARIO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE PIONEER; HIS JOURNEYS-EARLY MILLS-A PIONEER COURT-ONTARIO PRIOR TO 1800-TRIAL OF " STIFF-ARMED GEORGE," AND HIS DEFENSE BY RED JACKET.

THE lands of Ontario were purchased in 1788, and the county formed January, 1789. As rivulets, and then a steady stream, the tide of settlement came flood- ing the centres of occupation, and then moved away in divergent lines, cutting roads and losing itself in the surrounding forest .. Both proprietors and popula- tion were well fitted for the work before them. The abode of the settler was rude, the public buildings first erected by the county were of a pioneer descrip- tion, but the mind was intelligent and far-seeing. The same axe used in cutting the logs for the cabin was swung to fell the trees to be used in building school- house, church, and mill; and, excluded from intercourse with former homes, a local society was organized whose fame is co-extensive with that of the Genesee country. It is well to revert to the founders of these,-our schools, our churches, our societies, our general prosperity. The war of the Revolution was a grand school for the sturdy youth of New England. Fearless, energetic, and inde- pendent, there were few dangers they did not surmount, no obstacles they did not remove, and distance was no bar to finding a rich and healthful home. He who traversed the forests of Ontario in 1796 found three-fourths of the heads of families had been soldiers in the Revolution. They toiled in hope, and lived to realize. Inheriting the manly firmness of their forefathers, they felled the original forest, opened roads for communication, and surrounded themselves with comforts and advantages with a rapidity hitherto unknown and akin to the marvelous. No age supplied men more intelligent, better versed in useful acquirements, or more skilled in the practical concerns of life. From fragments of old newspapers we find jottings of library associations, medical societies, agricultural fairs, relig- ious organizations, and school formations. Influences then set in motion have continued uninterruptedly to the present; the remembrance of past honors stimu- lates the present to like effort. An academy famous for its students, its system, and its thoroughness began in an act of incorporation as early as 1795. A news- paper started at Geneva in 1797 has come down active and potential to the present; churches founded with a half-dozen families have been the nucleus of societies numbering hundreds; while, in the halls of justice, eloquence and legal skill from a Thompson, a Kent, & Spencer, a Van Ness, and a Platt honored the bench, to which tribunal a Howell, a Greig, a younger Spencer, a Wilson, & Hub- bell, a Sibley, and a Marvin, with other honored names, submitted many a mas- terly dissertation of the law.

Eighty-eight years have passed away and a wonderful transformation has been effected. Cornplanter, Red Jacket, and Farmer's Brother have departed, and left no Seneca orator to sustain their reputation and rehearse their triumphs. The pioneers of the earliest day have laid them down to rest, their sons have reached a goodly age and followed after, and the grandson tills the lands and occupies the dwelling where his ancestor toiled in what to us, in its manners and customs but not in time, is an ancient and finished period. He who looks upon the portraits in the court-house of Ontario questions: " What of these men, and how do they lay claim to this distinguished honor? while the labors of a Turner, possessed by few, give glimpses here and there of men deserving honorable mention, while scores are passed unnoted." How slight the recollections of Wilder, Adams, and Pitt; of Comstock, Robinson, and Boughton ! Who knows of Bates and Atwater, Oaks and Powell ; of Samuel Gardner, John R. Green, and Samuel Colt; of Myron Holley, Herman H. Bogart, and Nathaniel W. Howell ? Who can recall in honor of the leaders in settlement, as pioneer landlords, as prominent attorneys, as first merchants and prime movers in works of improvement, development, and perma- nence, the names of scores deserving of a record in the history of Ontario ? The present owes a great debt to the past. Not in vain must be their efforts to found here a community which for education, religion, and progress shall be inferior to none. The foundation was ably laid by the pioneers; to those who come after them falls the building of a fit superstructure. Their toil reduced the forests to fruitful fields, their entries of lands are the heritage of those who receive them in trust and pledge themselves to their proper use. It is well, in this connection, to place on record the narratives of some few, as types of the journeys made to this section by them in seeking homes, and of their exodus to the rich lands of the Holland purchase. In accordance with precedent, Roswell Turner, of Ver- mont, had located at the outlet of Hemlock Lake, erected a log house, and cleared a small tract during the summer and fall of 1796, and, to have the advantage of firm footing, chose to bring out his family during the winter. The journey was long and wearisome, but Cayuga lake was finally reached, and Turner set out to cross upon the ice. The attempt was made on horseback, and he narrowly escaped the loss of his mother and two children by the breaking of the ice. Within the

year of his settlement at the outlet two of the family died, and sickness added to his misfortune. His after-record as a settler in the Holland purchase is full of interest in his efforts to maintain his family and supply his stock with the twigs from felled trees to prevent their starvation.

Another winter journey was made by Peleg Redfield, of Connecticut. He had obtained two hundred acres of land west of Clifton Springs and made some im- provements, and returning East, set out in February of 1800, with a sleigh and span of horses. In the sleigh were beds, bedding, and furniture, his wife and six children. West of Utica the journey was memorable. The horses became exhausted traveling through the deep snow, and all who were able were compelled to walk. Their cabin had not been roofed and could not be inhabited till spring, and a settler shared his dwelling with the family. The cabin was roofed, doors cut, and logs split for a floor, and in these quarters the summer was passed, and fall saw the family in a double log house. The journey of the Wadsworths through to their lands on the Genesee river portrays a pioneer experience in all its plain hardships. Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth purchased a tract of land at Genesee from Mr. Phelps, and offered advantageous terms for its occupation to James and William Wadsworth, relatives. They accepted, and in June, 1790, having completed preparation, began their journey. William, the older brother, Bet out with a yoke of oxen and cart, several hired men, and a slave belonging to the family. The cart progressed slowly. The men advanced and cut logs and corduroyed the streams and sloughs, so as to supply a roadway. Reaching Cayuga lake, two canoes were obtained, fastened together, and a platform of poles built upon them, and on this a crossing was effected. Progress, prior to the arrival at Canandaigua, was but twelve miles a day. James Wadsworth took the water route to the head of navigation on Canandaigua Outlet with provision and furniture, and reached the village of Canandaigua three days later than his brother. Hav- ing arranged for a new journey, the brothers left Canandaigua upon an Indian trail, and, clearing a way for their cart, made their first camp at " Pitt's Flats." Having rested the next night at Conesus lake, James set out on horseback to precede the party, and took what was called the " Big Tree" trail, and, reaching Big Tree, with a companion passed the night there and in the morning returned on his track to meet the party. William had got upon a branch trail, which be- came obscure and was lost, so that night found him in a swamp, where the cattle were hitched to a tree and all encamped. James, following on the cart track, found the bewildered party and guided them to their location, where for a short time the cart and ground were their bed, but soon a cabin furnished shelter. They found here a man named Lemuel Jennings, engaged in herding cattle for Oliver Phelps. It is recollected that this land of the Wadsworths had been selected by Phelps' guide and by Horatio Jones, and was undoubtedly well chosen. James, having seen the lost party safely located, returned the same day to Canandaigua, and on his return became bewildered. A light attracted his attention, and was found to be in the hands of Jenny, the slave woman, who was holding it while his brother hewed plank for a floor. The cabin being built, a few acres of land were put in crop. William was a genuine pioneer, handy at a "raising" and fond of a muster; James was more at ease in cultivated society, and passed much of his time at Canandaigua. In September, 1790, all but black Jenny had the fever and ague, and she and William were left to cure for the stock while the rest re- turned East. James returned in June, 1791, and noted an increase of settlers, the raising of barns, and the prospects of a great crop of wheat. " In 1791, Oliver Phelps, first judge of Ontario County, admits James Wadsworth to practice as attorney and counsellor, to enable persons to sue out writs and bring actions, which at the present, for want of attorneys, it is impossible to do." The brothers rapidly extended the sphere of their operations, and were prominent in the development of the Genesee valley. Their history, fully written, would be no unimportant portion of the early record of that locality.

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History of Ontario Co., New York, Part 8

Author: Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages: 391

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 391