History of Oswego County, New York, with illustrations and Biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 15

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 15

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).

HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

acres of ground. Outside of it was a diteh, which, before the place was cleared, was eight or ten feet deep. Pine-trees, two feet in diameter, grew on the top of the embankment, undoubtedly proving its great age. It will be observed that in this, as in most cases of old fortifications in New York, the implements found are those of Indians.

There was not a church building in the county during the whole period treated of in this chapter. Fort Ontario was abandoned about the beginning of the century, even by the small squad who had held it since the British left. Vera Cruz fell into decay. The trade with the western lakes by way of the Oswego river, Lake Ontario, and the Niagara continued to increase through this period, but was still small at its close. In 1803, Matthew MeNair, a resi- dent of Oswego, bought a sloop called the "Jane," changed its name to the " Peggy," and went into the forwarding business. Considerable of the merchandise which went west was shipped by Canadian vessels, owned at Kingston or by the Northwestern Fur Company. For many years the American vessels on Lake Ontario were very few and very small, those of the British being far superior both in number and size.

In the year last named a custom-house was put in oper- ation at Oswego, with Joel Burt as the first collector. The importations, which had previously gone through free, were now obliged to pay duty,-not at all to the satisfaction of a good many of the neighboring people. The next year a man named Wilson, a government contractor, built the schooner " Fair American," of ninety tons, and Mr. Mc- Nair the "Linda," of fifty tons. The boats in which goods were brought down the Oswego were sometimes carted around the falls and re-embarked at the lower landing. More frequently, however, they were sent back and the goods re-shipped in a much larger kind of boats, which often made the journey to the Niagara.

As has been said, the payment of duties was not relished by many of the citizens, and there was a good deal of smug- gling going on. It seems it was then an object to import Canadian flour, for, in 1808, Collector Burt seized a con- siderable quantity of that article, which the owners were trying to run through the lines. Some sixty armed men, partly, if not wholly, from Jefferson county, as related in Hough's history of that county, came to Oswego in ten boats to recapture the flour. They came into the harbor in the daytime, but intended to wait till eleven o'clock at night before making the attack. They could not disguise their elation at the great feat they intended to accomplish, and were heard swearing that they would " clear out the place or burn it."

Mr. Burt, however, had heard of the attack beforehand, and had sent post-haste to the southern part of Onondaga county for the aid of a company of dragoons. These came within six miles in the daytime, and camped. About half- past nine o'clock, they saddled up and rode forward towards town. Just before eleven the marauders gathered in the streets, rifle in hand, ready to make an assault on the col- lector's warehouse. Suddenly their ears caught the sound of galloping steeds, and a moment later they saw the head of the column of dragoons emerging swiftly from the dark- ness. There was not even time to escape to their boats.

Without firing a shot, they fled at full speed to the woods, which, fortunately for them, were near at hand, leaving their boats the lawful prey of the collector. In their long, wearisome journey through the forest back to their homes, they must have frequently repented of their lawless under- taking.

The same year, the first United States armed vessel on Lake Ontario was begun, by Eckford & Bergh, at Oswego. This was the brig " Oneida," carrying sixteen twenty-four- pound carronades. She was launched the next spring. Lieutenant Melanethon T. Woolsey (afterwards the cele- brated Commodore Woolsey ) superintended the building, and commanded the " Oneida" after she was afloat. One of his midshipmen was James Fenimore Cooper, subse- quently so distinguished as a novelist, who then obtained that knowledge of the geography and history of the Oswego river which, at a later date, he reproduced in the vivid pie- tures of the " Pathfinder."

From 1810, there was a decided increase in the amount of business carried on via the Oswego river and Lake On- tario. In that year, the firm of Townsend, Bronson & Co. began the forwarding and transportation business on the lakes. For the two years before the war, as well as for several years afterwards, they controlled the major part of the business on both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario; the portage around Niagara Falls being carried on by the equally celebrated firm of Porter, Barton & Co. The member of the former firm who established himself at Oswego was Mr. Alvin Bronson, then a young man of twenty-seven, now ninety-four, and probably the most energetic mnan of his age in the county.

One of the principal articles of commerce at that tinie was salt, which the Syracusans (or " Salt Pointers," as they were then called) had begun to manufacture in large quan- tities, and which was transported by the Oswego route to all parts of the west. The river trade above the falls was then carried on largely in " Durham boats." They were decked over fore and aft, and had "running-boards" on each side. These were arranged with cleats to secure a firm footing, and on them the men (four to six besides the steersman ) walked from bow to stern, propelling the boat by means of setting- poles placed against the bottom of the stream. Sometimes, after discharging portions of their cargoes, the Durham boats were run over the falls. Generally, however, work below the falls was done by Oswego river boats, which were much smaller and managed by three men each.

Turning from water-ways to land-ways, we find that, be- sides Seriba's great road from Rotterdam to Vera Cruz, another was cut out, about 1804, from Camden to Vera Cruz, passing through the present towns of Amboy, Parish, and Mexico. Up to 1808, there were no roads passable · with a wagon in Richland, nor in any of the towns north and east of it, except Redfield and Williamstown. In 1807 a State road, six rods wide, was laid out from Onondaga Hill to the mouth of Ox creek, in the present town of Granby, and thence to Oswego. One branch went from Ox creek to Salt Point.

The same year, a mail-route was established between Onondaga and Oswego, and a post-office at the latter place. The first mail-carrier, as stated in Clark's " Onondaga," was

HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Onudiaga, a veteran Onondaga chief, who had fought against the Americans at Fort Schuyler, Oriskany, and Cherry Run, but who had now descended to being the news-bearer of his conquerors. Once a week the mail was put up in a small valise at the Onondaga office, ready to leave at four o'clock the next morning. At nine in the evening Onudiaga invariably came, received his valise, and then, without a word, laid himself down on the floor of Judge Forman's kitchen. At four in the morning he arose, took his valise, and started forth on his journey of forty miles. Rain, hail, or snow, it was all the same. No one ever knew Onudiaga to flinch from his journey, or to be delayed on the route by the weather. The worse it was, the more the chief increased his long Indian strides; so that the people of Oswego came to look for Onudiaga as regularly as they did for sundown. The next day he re- turned with equal regularity to Onondaga.

The first member of the assembly elected from what is now Oswego County was Barnet Mooney, who served in 1810, and again in 1812 and 1814. He resided in what was then Hannibal, but is now Granby, and of course rep- resented the county of Onondaga.

Thus, in clearing the forest, erecting log houses, opening roads, building vessels, carrying salt, starting new settle- ments, forming new towns, etc., the time passed peacefully on until the beginning of 1812. But here, as through- out the country, there was a constantly-increasing anger against Great Britain on account of her infringements, in her wars with France, of the neutral rights of the United States. The two chief causes of bitterness were the in- vasion of American merchantmen by British men-of-war in order to seize sailors claimed as British subjects, and the capture of American vessels trading to France, even when no actual blockade was violated. There were hundreds upon hundreds of such outrages, and it is safe to say that English statesmen would no more think now of directing such a course of conduct towards the United States as they then authorized, than they would think of cutting their own throats.

The only excuse that could possibly be made was that Napoleon pursued a similar course in relation to neutral vessels (he did not attempt to impress seamen), and that the British were obliged to do as they did in self-defense. In fact, however, Napoleon inflicted far less damage on American commerce than the English ; and he first re- pealed his obnoxious decrees. Yet, the violent hatred felt by the Federal party against Napoleon and the French revolutionary principles caused them to be willing to forgive almost any offense on the part of England, while she was fighting the man whom they designated as the tyrant of Europe.

Mingled with this feeling was the intense party spirit, which was probably stronger then than even at the present day, and which led either party to oppose whatever was done by the other. The dominant party was the one which had originally been christened Republican, but the members of which were beginning to call themselves Democrats. They were bitter enemies of Great Britain, and looked with far more lenient eyes on the trespasses of Napoleon than on those of George the Third and his ministers.

All through the winter and spring of 1812 the question of war or peace was the subject of excited discussion in Congress. In April a law was passed forbidding the ex- portation of specie and merchandise for ninety days. About the same time another law directed the calling out of a hun- dred thousand militia, of which thirteen thousand five hun- dred were from New York. Details were made from the numerous militia regiments and sent to the frontier. Cap- tain Asa Wells, with a company of militia, occupied Fort Ontario, or rather the ruins which then went by that name. The lists of officers in the militia regiments were filled up, musters were frequent, the people were full of excitement, and all waited anxiously for what a day might bring forth.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE WAR OF 1812.

War Declared-Occupation of Fort Ontario-McNair and Bronson- Schooners turned into Gun-boats-Commodore Chauncey-Oswego Gun-boats at Work-A War of Ship-builders-Cooper's Ark -- Sup- plies at Oswego Falls-Rumored Danger-Arrival of Troops- Orders to Conceal Stores-Appearance of the Enemy-Attack and Repulse-Another Attack-Guns of the Fort Disabled-The As- sault-The Fort Taken-Mulcaster Wounded-The Battle in the Brush-Mitchell's Retreat-The Losses-Perils of Making an Attack-Sinking the " Syren"-A Close Shot-Seizure of Property -Sir James Yeo and Mr. Bronson-Five Prisoners and Three Sur- vivors --- A Plucky Boy-A Ruffianly Knight-Prisoners taken to Kingston-Released-The Militia-A Harvest of Cannon-Balls- Getting the Guns to Sackett's Harbor-The Boats Set Forth-One Captured-An Indian Escort-Out of the County-Entering Big Sandy-The British Follow-The Battle-A Complete Victory- The Guns, etc., taken through-Channcey again Ahead-Peace.

AT length, on the 18th day of June, 1812, the declara- tion of war, having passed both houses of Congress, was signed by the president. The excitement increased ten- fold. The shores of the Oswego river had so often been the scene of bloody conflicts in former wars, that men might well tremble lest the invader should again seek that convenient opening into the country, and those scenes of blood be repeated on a still wider scale.

In July, Colonel George Fleming, of Cayuga county, with nine companies of militia, marched down the river and took post at Fort Ontario. He made some attempts to repair the dilapidated works, but effected very little. The militia were called ont for only a few months' service at a time, and when their terms expired they were relieved. In the fall, Colonel Cleveland, of Madison county, took com- mand of Fort Ontario in place of Colonel Fleming. The terms of almost all the militia expired with the year, and no provision was made for supplying their places. Fort Ontario was left almost entirely undefended.

Early in the season Mr. McNair was appointed commis- sary of subsistence at Oswego, and Mr. Alvin Bronson military storekeeper. Some of the contractors, whose prop- erty would necessarily pass through his hands, objected to Mr. Bronson's appointment on the ground that he was a Federalist, who could not safely be trusted in such a posi-

HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

tion. One of the principal contractors, however, who knew Mr. Bronson's personal reputation, declared that he was just the man for the place, and warmly urged his appoint- ment, which was accordingly made. Shortly afterwards he was also appointed naval storekeeper.

Meanwhile strong efforts were made by the government to organize a naval force on Lake Ontario, where at the beginning of the war the star-spangled banner was borne by no armed ship except the brig " Oneida." All vessels that were capable of being armed were at once purchased. Mr. McNair's schooner " Julia," named for his daughter, was thus bought, and was armed with a long thirty-two-pound gun, and two long sixes. Soon afterwards she was sent to Ogdensburgh, manned with sixty volunteers under Lieuten- ant Wells, of the " Oneida," and accompanied by a company of riflemen in an open Durham boat; the object was to protect six American schooners in that vicinity. Eleven miles this side of Ogdensburgh she met two British vessels, and a three hours' cannonade ensued. The enemy withdrew, and the improvised Oswego man-of-war, only very slightly injured, proceeded to Ogdensburgh. During an armistice soon after proclaimed on the frontier, the "Julia" and the six schooners escaped to Lake Ontario.

The schooner " Charles and Ann," belonging to the firm of Townsend, Bronson & Co., was also purchased by the government and changed into a gun-boat by the name of the " Governor Tompkins," and did good service during the fore- part of the war, ere larger vessels could be constrneted. Lien- tenant Woolsey was the first commander on Lake Ontario, but in August, Captain Isaac Chauncey was appointed com- mander of the forces on all the northern lakes. He arrived on Lake Ontario in the fall, taking command of the forees on that lake in person, and fixing his headquarters at Sack- ett's Harbor, at that time the only port where large vessels could be built.

In November the two Oswego gun-boats, "Governor Tompkins" and " Julia," with the rest of Chauncey's fleet, were engaged in a conflict with the British land-batteries near Kingston. Afterwards these two and another chased the " Simcoe," of twelve guns, on a reef of rocks, and riddled her with shot, so that after being taken into Kingston har- bor she sank to the bottom. The " Tompkins," with three other gun-boats, then blockaded Kingston until the ice closed the port, when they all returned to Sackett's Harbor.

During the year 1813 very little of importance occurred in Oswego County In April the town of New Haven was formed from Mexico, with its present limits. A small force of militia, frequently changed, was stationed at Fort On- tario, but the principal dependence for protection was on the naval force, which Commodore Chauncey was doing his best to increase. The conflict on Lake Ontario was, as Mr. Bronson well defined it, a " war of ship-builders." At first the British had the largest vessels. Then the Americans built larger ones, and drove the enemy into his harbors. Then the British built still larger vessels, and the Ameri- cans lay back, and laid yet longer keels than ever. Several indecisive conflicts took place during 1813, but none in immediate proximity to this county.

Stores and munitions of war were constantly forwarded in large quantities from the east over the old route-so

often traversed for the same purpose during the previous century-to Oswego, whence they were sent both ways, some west to Niagara and others northeast to Sackett's Har- bor. Bodies of troops, too, were moved back and forth from one end of Ontario lake to the other, with the pur- poseless imbecility which marked almost all the proceedings of the government during the war of 1812, and which can only be accounted for by supposing that the south, which then ruled the nation, was determined that Canada should not be conquered.

In June of that year there was a small body of regulars at Fort Ontario. During the month several British armed vessels, among them the frigate "General Wolfe," ap- peared off Oswego, and opened fire. The American ship " Growler," of three guns, happened to be anchored in the harbor. She responded briskly, as did the batteries under the command of Major Case. After a brief cannonade the enemy retired. The Americans suffered no loss, and that of the British was probably slight.

The only other event of 1813 which need be narrated at any length partook somewhat of the ludicrous order. Wil- liam Cooper, a brother of Fenimore Cooper, was a rather eccentric genius, who then made his home about Oswego. He undertook to build a floating battery, which was to be taken to Saekett's Harbor, and used to defend that post from the British. Full of faith, Cooper went to work at his own expense, the government agreeing to pay him six- teen thousand dollars for the battery when it should be completed and had proved actually capable of being floated to Sackett's Harbor. It was nearly square, about sixty feet across, and rose some four or five feet out of the water. It was made of large logs hewed partially square, and Mr. E. W. Clarke describes it as looking like a big, low, half-sub- merged log house.

Whatever name the inventor might have given it, nobody else called it anything but " Cooper's Ark." There was a mast in the middle, and when the thing was done Cooper placed it in charge of a Captain Gould, who boldly spread a large sail, and with a few men started for Sackett's Harbor. There were also two or three prisoners on board, whom the government officers wished to send to the Harbor. The guns were to be put on board at the latter place. The ark had gone but a short distance (being somewhere off New Haven, as near as we can learn) when the wind rose slightly ; the log craft became unmanageable, and soon went to pieces. Fortunately, all the men escaped to shore without serions injury. Cooper had used up his means on this curious contrivance, and his loss, together with the ridicule to which he had subjected himself, soon caused him to leave this part of the country.

In the spring of 1814, Commodore Chauncey was building the frigate " Superior" and other vessels at Sackett's Harbor. The " Superior" was launched on the second day of May, eighty days after her keel was laid. Two other vessels, the " Jefferson" and the "Jones," were ready for use, with the exception of a part of their armament. A large number of heavy guns and naval stores, designed for these vessels, was brought through from Albany to Oswego Falls, where they were detained, awaiting a safe opportunity to ship them to Sackett's Harbor. There was also a large amount of stores

HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

at Oswego, in charge of Mr. Bronson. The ice in the lake broke up early, and in April, General Gaines, at Sackett's Harbor, learned that the British were fitting out an expedi- tion at Kingston, the object of which was supposed to be Oswego, or, rather, the stores and munitions believed to be gathered there. Gaines immediately dispatched Colonel Mitchell from Sackett's Harbor, with five companies of artil- lery armed as infantry, with orders to protect the cannon and naval munitions at the falls, at the hazard of everything else. Mitchell marched his little force, less than three hun- dred, all told, along the main road,-a very rude one,- through Sandy Creek, Pulaski, and Mexico, and reached Fort Ontario on the 30th of April. He could bring no artillery with him. He found the fort in a most wretched condition,-the stockade broken down, and only five rusty iron guns mounted on the ramparts. Of these, the trun- nions of two had been knocked off, and they were almost utterly worthless.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bronson had also received notice of the expected attack from the district quartermaster, who di- rected him to stop all stores on their way at the falls, to send all he could forward to Niagara and Sackett's Harbor, and to conceal the rest to the best of his ability. These instructions were faithfully carried out. Besides the pro- visions and stores dispatched by lake, a large quantity was sent out into the surrounding forest for concealment.

On the 4th of May, Sir James Lucas Yeo, commander of the British fleet on Lake Ontario, sailed out of Kings- ton harbor with eight men-of-war, besides several gun-boats and smaller craft. The fleet was armed with two hundred and twenty-two guns, and carried about a thousand soldiers, under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir George Gordon Drummond, of the British army. Commodore Chauncey did not feel himself strong enough to make an attack until his new vessels were completed, and Sir James sailed unchallenged past the American fleet in Sackett's Harbor.

At reveillé, the morning of the 6th, the sentinels at Fort Ontario saw a long line of vessels athwart the northern horizon, their sails filled by a favoring breeze and their prows pointed towards Oswego. A look through a field- glass showed their sides frowning with cannon, and their mast-heads decked with the red-cross banner of St. George. Colonel Mitchell immediately sent a number of horsemen at full speed into the country to arouse the militia, and made preparations to defend the pile of ruins which were dignified with the name of fort.

The schooner " Growler," with Captain Woolsey and Lieutenant Pearce on board, was in the river, waiting to convey the guns and stores before spoken of to Sackett's Harbor. She was at once sunk, and part of her crew, under Lieutenant Wilson, joined Mitchell at the fort. On the west side of the river, near the site of old Fort Oswego, in what is now Fortification block, No. 2, and near the corner of Water and West Van Buren streets, was a breastwork armed with four brass guns, but it seemed not to have been much used. Mitchell had his tents pitched on the west side, apparently to give the enemy as large an idea of his force as possible, but mustered all his men at and near the fort.

On came the hostile fleet, their sails swelling gracefully before the breeze, and about a quarter of a mile from the shore they rounded to and began making preparations to land. While these were going forward, Colonel Mitchell sent an old iron twelve-pounder, under Captain Boyle and Lieutenant Legate, down near the shore, a little to the westward of the fort. Ere long, fifteen large boats filled with soldiers left the sides of the enemy's vessels, and were rowed rapidly towards the shore. They were covered by the fleet, which opened a heavy cannonade on the fort, to which Mitchell responded with his half-dozen old guns as best he might.

For a short time the thunders of artillery echoed along the shore and rolled far inland, startling the people with terrible visions of coming invasion. But when the boats came within convenient range the old twelve-pounder opened on them with severe effect. Several of the boats were seriously injured, and many of their occupants killed and wounded. Two or three boats were abandoned, the sol- diers and oarsmen clambering into the others to escape drowning. After a few discharges from the twelve-pounder, the boats turned about and retired, in much confusion, to the fleet. Presently, the British ships unfurled their sails and put out on to the lake. They lessened swiftly to the view and finally disappeared, and the Americans congratu- lated themselves on the easy victory which they had won. Sir George Drummond, however, in a general order after- wards issued, declared that he did not intend to make an attack, but was merely feeling the American strength.

Possibly this was true; at all events Sir George and Sir James were not seriously discouraged by their repulse, and the next morning the fleet again appeared off Fort Ontario. The British man-of-war " Magnet" took up a position in front of the village; two other vessels stood in towards the mouth of the river. The rest of the fleet occupied nearly their former position, but a little nearer shore. About ten o'clock the fleet commenced cannonading the fort with all its guns. The fort returned the fire as well as it could with its feeble artillery. One after another the American guns were disabled, and still the cannonade was kept up. A great part of the balls aimed at the fort went over it into the woods, and others flew so high that they were appar- ently aimed at the forest to scatter any militia that might be lurking there.

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 15

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