History of Oswego County, New York, with illustrations and Biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 12

Author: Johnson, Crisfield. cn
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & co.
Number of Pages: 798

USA > New York > Oswego County > History of Oswego County, New York, with illustrations and Biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 12

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

it. A report was set afloat that the government had begun granting letters of reprisal against Great Britain for injuries to our commerce. The marauders were very ready to be- lieve it, and equally ready to waive the formality of a com- mission. They posted themselves on Oneida river, near Three Rivers point, seized on the boat as its erew nnsus- pectingly steered it down the stream, divided its contents among themselves, and quickly scattered to their respective homes.

They were condemned by a majority even of the fron- tiersmen, were it only for prudential reasons. Nothing could possibly have been more dangerous to the infant set- tlement than the seizure of goods intended for the Indians. Guy Johnson eame to Oswego. Many Indians gathered there and at Niagara, threatening revenge. It is believed that a plan was fully arranged by which, if Wayne was defeated in the west, a body of Indians under the terrible Brant should make a deseent on the Onondaga settlement. The robbers, learning too late what a storm they had raised, endeavored to keep themselves and their plunder concealed. By diligent efforts, however, on the part of the better class of citizens and the officials, a large part of the stolen goods was obtained and restored to the owners, and other means taken to placate them.

It was while matters were in this exeited condition that, on the 3d of June, 1794, the few settlers at the falls, and those seattered through Lysander, and even still farther south, distinctly heard the sounds of cannon borne on a gentle northern breeze from the direction of Oswego. Two or three shots might have been easily accounted for, but when the reverberations continued for a quarter of an hour -twenty minutes-half an hour-and still showed no signs of cessation, a feeling of dismay spread rapidly among the settlers. Not knowing what could have happened, they imagined everything. Perhaps Guy Johnson, John Butler, and the terrible Thayendanegea were even then ascending the Oswego with a horde of rangers and Senecas, though it was hard to imagine why they should be wasting so much powder. Some beeame almost distracted. Men, women, and children ran about among their neighbors, though neighbors were then a long way apart, inquiring if they had seen any Indians coming. Some began to bury their most valuable effects, and others hastily yoked up the oxen, which were their only teams, half disposed to leave the country at once.

At length, after what seemed an intolerable number of shots had been fired, the sounds ceased, and, as no enemy could be heard of, peace was gradually restored to the hearts of the dismayed people. Had they counted the number of shots they would have found that just a hundred had been fired, and the next comers from Oswego informed them that the commandant was merely celebrating the birthday of King George the Third.

General Wayne's great victory over the western Indians in the summer of 1794 had a very soothing effect on those in the east, and thenceforward they showed very little dis- position to raise the tomahawk against their white neighbors.

During this period of excitement, and not later than 1794, as narrated in Clark's "Onondaga," Mr. Oliver Stevens obtained authority from Governor Clinton to ercet

HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

a block-house, at the expense of the State, at Fort Brewer- ton, the fort itself not being in a situation for defense by any garrison which could be rallied there. Mr. S. built the block- house but a few steps south of the old fort, and exactly on the site of the present Fort Brewerton hotel.

In 1794, also, Benjamin Wright, of Rome, afterwards a celebrated surveyor and engineer, made an outline survey of the Roosevelt tract for the purpose of ascertaining the area for Mr. Scriba. He had the usual trouble about passing Fort Ontario, and was fired on by the garrison. No damage was done, but it was only by making a wide "offset" that the surveyors ran that part of the line. Pursuing their way, they completed the outline of the tract, which Wright reported to Scriba as containing five hundred and twenty- five thousand and sixty-three acres. There were a few more log houses built in New Rotterdam that year, and a road was probably opened from that point to the mouth of Salmon creek, though possibly not till the next spring. Mr. S. also spent a great deal of money in repairing his mill and dam, which occasioned him a great deal of trouble. In the mean time, genial Major Van Valkenburgh and the English officers at Fort Ontario had become excellent friends. In the fall of 1794, the prospect of the long cold winter was so disheartening, and the disposition of the Indians was still so uncertain, that the major accepted an invitation given him by Captain Schroeder, whose name American tradition has converted into "Shade," to take his family down and spend the winter there with the captain and his wife. Comfortable quarters were accordingly fitted up, and the major and his family remained at the post until spring.

In the spring the stay of the visitors was cut short by an explosion at the fort,-but not of gunpowder. In April, 1795, Captain Schroeder and one of his lieutenants went hunting wild fowl at Sodus bay. Lieutenant Holland, the good-looking young officer so cordially mentioned by Pharonx and Desjardines, remained in command of the fort. Mrs. Schroeder was also young and handsome, while her husband was somewhat older. While at Sodus the captain was notified of the misconduct of his wife and Lieutenant Holland. He came back raving with fury. Lieutenant Holland was secreted to save his life, while the other officers and the soldiers restrained and guarded the captain. At night Lieutenant H. came and tapped at Major Van Valkenburgh's window, begging him to protect Mrs. Schroeder from her husband's wrath. He then embarked in an open boat and made his way to Kingston, Canada.

The next day the captain contracted with Major Van Valkenburgh to take his wife to Schenectady, on the way to her father, who was a Georgian, and had been a Tory in the Revolution. Schroeder threw a handful of money in his wife's lap, but she flung it on the floor, saying, " I don't thank him for it. I can draw for what I want." That afternoon young Abram Van Valkenburgh, with a boat- man, took her and her woman servant in a boat, and started for Schenectady. Not long afterwards Schroeder went to Montreal and challenged Holland. A duel ensued, in which both were wounded, Holland mortally. So it seems there were some bad people in the " good old times," eighty years ago.

In the spring of 1795, Mr. Scriba, having now a complete

title to his domain, began operations on a larger scale. He had some buildings erected at the mouth of Salmon creck, where he contemplated the founding of a city to be called Vera Cruz. He employed Mr. Wright to survey out the tract into townships,-a task of no slight magnitude. A base-line was established running southeast from Fort On- tario to Fort Stanwix (Rome), and nearly all the township lines were made parallel to, or at right angles with, that base. The townships averaged about forty square miles each, but there was no definite size established. Those in Oswego County were named by Scriba as follows :

Township No. 5 was called Franklin (now the town of Williamstown); No. 6 was Middleburgh (now Amboy) ; No. 11, Rotterdam (now Constantia) ; No. 12, Delft (now West Monroe); No. 13, Breda (now Hastings) ; No. 14 was Brugen (comprising all of Palermo except about a fifth on the west side) ; No. 15 was Mentz (now embracing the west part of Palermo and the northeast part of Volney) ; No. 16 was named Georgia (comprising the west third of Schroeppel and the south part of Volney). The east two- thirds of Schroeppel was then township 24, and was named Erlang. No. 17 was called Fredericksburg, after Mr. Scriba's son, Frederick, and comprised the northwest part of Volney, the south part of Scriba, and a portion of Oswego city ; No. 18 was called Oswego, but only a very little of it has gone into the city of that name ; the rest forms the north part of the present town of Scriba ; No. 19 was Vera Cruz; it em- braced the present town of New Haven, and a narrow strip on the lake-shore now belonging to Mexico; No. 20 was called Mexico, and corresponded to the present Mexico, except that the strip just mentioned has been taken off from Vera Cruz, and a small triangle, in which Union Square is situated, which has been taken from Richland; No. 21 was Rich- land, and comprised about three-fifths of the town of that name south of Salmon river; No. 22 was Alkmaer, now the town of Albion ; No. 23 was Strasburg, which corre- sponded exactly with the present town of Parish.

These townships were laid out with lines mostly parallel, and perpendicular to the base-line running from Fort Stanwix to Fort Ontario. None of them lay on both sides of that line. Soon after receiving his patent, Mr. Scriba conveyed many large tracts to other parties. Several town- ships went to the Roosevelts, in payment for their original contract for the land. A large part of their interest was soon sold under a decree in chancery, and the town of Richland, a large part of Volney, and half of Scriba (as well as Vienna, Oneida county), were bought by General Alexander Hamilton, John Lawrence, and John B. Church, and is still known as Hamilton's Gore. The township of Vera Cruz (now New Haven) was transferred to William Henderson, who in the next year resold it to Scriba. In fact, there was in those days a constant trafficking back and forth, between adventurous men, in great tracts of land in northern and central New York, very much as there is between sporting men in horses at the present time. They traded, apparently, as much for the sake of trading as for anything else. For two or three years after Mr. Scriba bought the tract it was still described in deeds as the Roosevelt purchase, but afterwards it was termed Scriba's patent.

HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

The most definite information that we have of the con- dition of the county this year is from the published travels of the Duke de la Rochefoucauld-Lianeourt, a French nobleman, who made extensive journeys and elaborate ob- servations in the United States in 1795-97, and who passed down the Oneida and Oswego rivers in June of the first-named year. He found about a dozen poor log houses at Rotterdam (for the prefix " New" appears to have been dropped about this time), mostly erected at Mr. Scriba's expense. Besides these there were only Mr. Van- derkemp's farm and one other clearing, with a log house upon it, along the whole north shore of Oneida lake. But the road to Vera Cruz was already opened, and Mr. Seriba was then building a fine frame house, which he proposed to occupy as a store. If this store was opened that year it was the first in the county intended for the custom of white men.

The duke also gives an account of the hero and heroine of Frenchman's island. The Desvatines were still residing at Rotterdam, and the duke deseribes him as a man of thirty, gay and active, always laughing, aeeustomed to labor, com- plaining of nothing, and on good terms with all his neigh- bors. He exchanged work with them, and sold them the products of his well-cultivated garden. 'He was delighted at seeing a countryman, and, generous as ever, insisted on supplying the duke with vegetables without price. After baving sold his jewelry and his fine clothing he had finally been obliged to dispose of his library to Mr. Vanderkemp, though he still retained several standard French works. The three children before mentioned were all living. Madame Desvatives is portrayed by the gallant duke as then only twenty-four years of age, though her oldest ehild was nearly ten. He says,-

" She appears bright and intelligent ; makes hay, bread, and soap, and does the kitchen-work ; yet her hands are quite delieate. She is lively, good, and has eyes of pecu- liarly sweet and agreeable expression."

La Rochefoucauld evidently considered Desvatines' troubles as largely owing to his unstable disposition, and suggests that his Gallie devotion to other ladies had aroused some jealousy on the part of his wife, who was warmly attached to him.

This is the last definite reeord that we have regarding the celebrated, though half mythical, occupants of Freneh- man's island. They certainly left Constantia at an early period ; but. whether to return to their beloved France, or to seek a subsistence in some other part of America, we are unable to say.

The same faneiful story which transforms Desvatines into the Count St. Hilary states that the exiles were reseued from the island by Chancellor Livingston, and were aided to return to France after the Reign of Terror was over. But they certainly left their island in 1793, and if there was any truth whatever in the Livingston story it must have referred to some other persons and locality.

La Rochefoucauld-Lianeourt found at Oswego falls, in 1795, a tavern kept by one William Shorter, who also drew boats around the falls with a yoke of oxen.

It was about this time that Oliver Stevens, the pioneer of Fort Brewerton, had an exciting adventure in the central

part of the county, our account of which is principally de- rived from Clark's "Onondaga." He had some business in the north part of the county, perhaps at Mr. Scriba's new city of Vera Cruz, and accordingly set forth at dawn, on foot, with his rifle on his shoulder and a haversack well stored with provisions at his side. There was not even a foot-path to guide him, but he boldly selected the course he thought he ought to take and plunged into the forest. Holding his course, as he supposed, steadily in the same direction, he strode on over hill and dale. Noon came, and he transferred a part of the load in his haversack to where it could be more conveniently carried. On he went again, and by the middle of the afternoon he began to be seriously alarmed because no signs of settlement nor of the lake had been seen.

He soon became convinced that he had lost his way, a fact that was not made any more pleasant by hearing the howls of a pack of wolves resounding through the forest. He hurried on, hoping to strike some clearing, but none was to be seen. The howls of the wolves came nearer and · nearer. They had evidently seented their prey, and soon their shaggy forms were seen among the trees. It is sel- dom that the ordinary gray wolf will attaek a man in the daytime ; but these were not only spurred on by hunger but were led by a large blaek wolf, a member of the fiereest species of the lupine genus. With open jaws and flaming eyes, he came boldly on within a few paces of the weary traveler. Stevens fired his rifle, and the monster fell dead in his tracks. The gray wolves halted, and though the scent of blood made them howl more fiercely than ever, yet the loss of their leader materially diminished their courage. Stevens faced them, and after a few moments they retired some distance, though not out of sight, and seated themselves on their haunebes in a group, as if holding a council of war.

Mr. Stevens reloaded his rifle, and then, being, like all good frontiersmen, provided with flint and tinder-box, he proceeded to kindle a fire, to which he dragged the body of his slain enemy. The wolves howled and raged and dashed to and fro among the trees like so many demons. Satisfied that they were afraid of him, the traveler flung a burning brand among them, when they immediately dispersed. Feel- ing safe by the side of his blazing fire, and determined to gain something by his adventure, Mr. Stevens coolly pro- ceeded to skin his prey. By the time he had finished it was dark. Gathering more fuel, he kept up a big fire all night, and remained awake by the side of it. All night long his cowardly enemies howled in the distance, but just before morning they finally retreated.

Having made a breakfast from the contents of his haver- sack, Mr. Stevens strapped his wolf-skin on his back, shoul- dered his rifle, and, laying his course by the appearance of light in the east, endeavored to make his way back to Fort Brewerton. But the sun did not shine, and he soon found himself wandering aimlessly through the forest. All day he tramped wearily on, and at night was as hopelessly lost as ever. Again he built a fire; but this time he did not attempt to keep awake. If the wolves wanted to seize him by his own fireside they could do so. Utterly exhausted, he flung himself down on the damp ground and slept soundly and safely till morning.

HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Again the dispirited traveler set forth on his journey, still carrying his black wolf-skin. About ten o'clock his eyes were gladdened with the view of a clearing. Hurrying forward, he saw what, doubtless, had often made his heart swell with bitterness before, but which now appeared like the very star of hope itself,-the banner of St. George float- ing over the ramparts of Fort Ontario. There the wan- . derer was hospitably welcomed, and there he remained through the rest of the day and the succeeding night. Two more days were occupied in returning home, for the traveler felt no inclination to go "across lots," but consci- entiously followed all the windings of the Oswego and the Oneida.

All the while he stuck to his black wolf-skin, and in due time received from the proper authorities a bounty of forty dollars for destroying that foe of the sheepfold.

On the 26th day of February, 1796, the town of Mexico was reorganized by law. There were then but a very few settlers in what was left of the old town, the eastern bound- ary of which, it will be remembered, was a line running north from the mouth of Chittenango creek, in Madison . county. Two or three families at Fulton, one or two at Fort Brewerton, and perhaps a few along Scriba's new road, comprised the whole number. There were some, however, around Rotterdam, who were a long distance from the principal settlements in Steuben, the town to which they then belonged. A large portion of that town was therefore annexed to Mexico, which was made to run as far east as Scriba's patent, and also included nearly all of the present counties of Lewis and Jefferson this side of Black river. The first town-meeting was directed to be held at the house of John Meyer, in the survey-township of Rotter- dam (Constantia). There is no record, however, to show that any was held. Mr. Meyer was the agent of Seriba, and was naturally the most important man in town.

That year the British flag ceased to arouse the anger of Americans as it waved over the dilapidated fortress at the mouth of the Oswego. Ever' since the Revolution nego- tiations had been going on between the United States and Great Britain on the subject, but for a long time without success. Knowing but too well the weakness of America, Washington resisted with patriotic firmness the clamors of the more reckless classes for the redress of our injuries by war. At length, after years of fruitless diplomacy, John Jay was sent as minister to England, and succeeded in negotiating a treaty by which all difficulties were settled, and the frontier forts were agreed to be given up by the British on or before the 1st day of June, 1796.

The stipulations on the part of the United States were such that the bitterest feeling against the treaty was aroused on the part of the friends of revolutionary France, who were rapidly showing their opposition to the conservative policy of Washington, Adams, and Jay. In the south, especially, Jay was denounced with unbounded fury. Washington, however, sustained him, the senate confirmed the treaty, and New York sanctioned the course of her honored son by electing him her governor for two successive terms of three years each.

Still, Virginia managed to make trouble by refusing to pay debts due to British subjects, and difficulties ensued on

account of which Forts Ontario and Niagara were not sur- rendered till July. In fact, the western forts were not yielded until two years later. So quickly do historic facts become involved in uncertainty, that Clark's " Onondaga," issued thirty years ago, stated that Fort Ontario was one of the posts which were not surrendered until 1798, and some other writers have adopted the same view. To fix the date beyond question, we publish a copy, furnished by B. B. Burt, Esq., of a letter written to George Scriba by the officer who received the surrender. It was originally pub- lished in Greenleaf's New York Journal and Patriotic Advertiser, on the 2d of August, 1796, and reads as fol- lows :

"FORT ONTARIO, July 15, 1796.

" DEAR SIR,-I have the pleasure of informing you that the American flag, under a federal salute, was for the first time displayed from the citadel of this fort at the hour of ten this morning. A Captain Clark and Colonel Fother- gill were his majesty's officers, left with a detachment of thirty men for the protection of the works. From these gentlemen the greatest politeness and civility was displayed to us in adjusting the transfer. The buildings and gardens were left in the neatest order; the latter, being considerably extensive and in high culture, will be no small addition to the comfort of the American officers who succeed this sum- mer.

" I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect, etc., "F. ELMER."

A small detachment of American troops, under a lieu- tenant, now occupied Fort Ontario, and the eyes of their passing countrymen were greeted by the joyful sight of the star-spangled banner, their ears saluted by the beloved if not melodious strains of Yankee Doodle.

How tenaciousły the English held their grip as long as they possibly could, is shown by the fact that only a very short time before the final surrender, Joshua Stow, on his way with several boats to survey the "Western Reserve" in Ohio, was refused permission to pass by the red-coated autocrat of Oswego. In vain he pleaded that he had sup- plies and surveying tools on board, and that the whole work in Ohio would be disarranged if he was detained. It was " no go." Stow apparently acquiesced, and started back up the river. A few miles up he stopped, and waited for night. When it came and was at its darkest he ran down again, glided quietly past the sleepy sentinels, gained the lake, and proceeded on his way. Arriving at Niagara, he found that post already in the hands of the Americans.

The same year that England surrendered her hold on the position at the mouth of one of the principal rivers of Oswego County, a distinguished British subject acquired an interest at the mouth of the other principal stream. On the 16th of November, 1796, a tract of three miles square at the mouth of Salmon river, on the north side, was con- veyed to a Mrs. Colden, in trust for Thomas Douglas, Earl of Selkirk, a Scotch nobleman, who doubtless had an idea of making a great commercial emporium at the mouth of Salmon river.

Either John Love and Ziba Phillips established them- selves as traders at Oswego immediately after the British left, or else, which is quite probable, they had been there

HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

before. The same year Neil MeMullin, a merchant of Kingston, New York, moved to Oswego with his family, bringing with him a house framed at that place. Ile found Love and Phillips there, but the latter left not long afterwards.

Captain Edward O'Connor, one of the gallant band who had followed Colonel Millett in the weary march through the snow, at the time of the futile attempt to surprise Fort Ontario, located himself at Oswego the same year as Mr. McMullin. He, with his family, however, went to " Salt Point" to stay during the winter, and such was the custom with several of the new-comers for two or three years.

Considerable business at once began to flow through the embryo city as soon as the restraint of a foreign power was withdrawn, for there was absolutely no other way to reach the west, with heavy freight, save by this route. Although the fort was on the east side of the river, all the new- comers located on the other shore.

In what year the first settlement was made in the present town of Mexico is not certain. It may have been in 1795, when Scriba's great road from Rotterdam to Vera Cruz was first opened, and it was certainly as early as 1796. In that year the city of Vera Cruz, at the mouth of Salmon creek, just below the present hamlet of Texas, was laid out and mapped by Benjamin Wright, and that gentlemen then re- sided there as the agent of Mr. Scriba. A store was built there that year, and although Seriba was a very adventurous person, it is reasonable to presume that he did not build a store unless there was somebody lived in the vicinity besides his agent. In November, 1796, Mr. Wright wrote to Scriba from Vera Cruz that the new store at that point was almost ready to hold goods. The original letter is in the possession of Mr. Cross, at Pulaski. The fact that there was a handsome settlement in township 20, now Mexico, early in 1798, is strong proof that it was begun as soon as 1796, perhaps in 1795.

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

History of Oswego County, New York, with illustrations and Biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 12

Author: Johnson, Crisfield. cn Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & co. Number of Pages: 798

Author: Johnson, Crisfield. cn
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & co.
Number of Pages: 798