History of Otsego County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 52

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) cn
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 988

USA > New York > Otsego County > History of Otsego County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 52

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The first marriage in the little settlement was that of Joseph Lull and Martha Knapp, mentioned above. They settled on a farm about one mile distant from their parents. and here, in the midst of a dense forest, with strong hearts and willing hands, began the battle of life.

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MRS. EDSON WHEELER.

EDSON WHEELER.

RESIDENCE OF EDSON WHEELER, MOORIS. OTSEGO COUNTY. N. Y.

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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

The peace and quiet of their home was, however, not destined to remain. The Revolutionary war, which began the previous year at Lexington, had now penetrated the wilderness and broken the quiet of the valley homes of the settlers.

A company of British soldiers passing through without molesting their rude dwelling excited the suspicion of those who called themselves " Whigs," and Mrs. Lull soon saw her father and husband arrested on the charge of being " Tories," and conveyed to Albany for trial. Thus left a lonely occupant of her new home, she was in a few days ealled on to defend herself and property from the frequent attacks of enemies.

It was now fall, and her husband's brothers, three of whoni were fortunately left, appointed a husking-bee at her honse.

In the afternoon of that day, while sitting in her desolate home, a tap was heard at the door. . She arose, and upon opening it in stalked fourteen Oneida Indians. She wel- comed them as brothers, extending to them her hand in token of her friendship. Pleased with such a friendly reception, they scated themselves, manifesting their good- will and peace. At their request. she began to prepare sup- per. In the mean time her brother entered, and, in the same manner as she had done, gave the red men a friendly welcome to their home. After supper, which was heartily discussed by the Indians, the invited guests began to make their appearance. As may be supposed, their number was small, and the assistance of the Indians was aceeptable. The "sons of the forest" seemed disposed to assist, and soon set themselves to work, and chatted and made merry till midnight, when, weary of labor, all reclined upon the husks of corn.

Scarcely, however, were their eyes closed in sleep when a man and woman appeared and informed them that the Continentals were in the northern part of the settlement, at the same time advising them to secure their goods. These tidings quickly excited the war spirit of the savages. With a shrill whistle calling to their aid two of their number who had been stationed as sentinels, they seized the half-sleeping men and quickly disappeared over the hill. The remainder of the night was passed by the women in fear and weeping. At dawn of morning it was agreed to go to the house of Mr. Knapp, and on opening the door they met two of the same Indians, who had but an hour or two before disap- peared so suddenly, dressed in the most frightful form. The Indians demanded of them where they were going. " To my father's house," replied Mrs. Lull. " You must prepare to go to Cherry Valley," was the answer, and, seiz- ing one of them by the shoulder, who was sobbing bitterly for the loss of her husband and for the dread of her own fate, he stamped fiercely upon the ground, and commanded her to " whist." Feigning to draw a knife upon another, he terrified her into the surrender of her silk handkerchief. Then proceeding to the barn, they set it on fire, and thus destroyed the fruits of a year's patient industry. They returned to the house, gathered up some clothing and household utensils, and were about to depart, leaving the women surrounded by the smoke of the burning buildings, when Mrs. Lull inquired if she must go with them ; they

answered, " No; go long to your father's home, where you said you were going." She questioned them closely as to what they intended to do with the prisoners, and learned " that nothing serions need be apprehended. This intelli- gence, though communicated in the unfeeling manner of an Indian, somewhat relieved her aching heart. The whole company of women and children. then set out and arrived in safety at her father's house, where they found the people ignorant of what had happened.

Restless and discontented while separated from her hus- band, and fearing a repetition of the same alarming scenes through which she had just passed, she desired to go to Cherry Valley, from which place the communication with Albany was more direct, and where friends of a more thickly-settled region offered greater protection. Filled with the resolve of proceeding thither, she returned to her own house in search of a horse which they had pasturing in the field. The search was in vain. The Indians had returned, killed a hog, and taken the horse to carry off the pork. Almost despairing of being able to accomplish her object, she was cheered by the return of her brother fromn Albany with three horses, one of which she obtained, and, with her sister, set out for Cherry Valley, thirty miles dis- tant, the path leading through an unbroken forest, marked trees being their only guide. They rode alternately, car- rying three children,-one two years, one sixteen months, and one six months old,-two of whom were the children of a deceased sister.

After enduring many hardships they at length reached their place of destination. But here another difficulty arose : they were without provisions. On applying to the colonel commanding they received an order on the com- missary, with which they got half rations for three weeks, when Joseph Lull returned, having been found innocent of the charge alleged and was released. Hearing that the Indians designed an attack upon the place, he immediately obtained a horse, and, with his family, started for Dutchess county, which then seemed to be a place of refuge. They had gone four miles when the report of fire-arms told that the attack had begun .* Congratulating themselves upon their timely escape from this scene of devastation aud bloodshed, they hastened onward and reached in safety their destination, a distance of one hundred and sixty miles. There the family remained until the close of the war, during which time three more were added to their number.

Now peace once more invited them to their long-deserted home. Having prepared such things as necessity might demand, they 'commenced their long wished for return. At Middlefiekl they were detained until spring by the great depth of snow. From thence, leaving their sleighs, and binding their children flat upon their horses lest they might be torn off by the overhanging branches of the trees, they traveled on foot, sometimes crossing the rapid streams on a string-piece which chaneed to be spared by the flood, while they guided the horses by the halter as they swam with their loads. Arriving at New Lisbon, they rested npon the ground until morning, and then with difficulty

$ Massacre of Cherry Valley.

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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

reached that home from which they had been five years exiles.

Joseph Lull died in March, 1840, aged eighty years, leaving eleven children and ninety-nine grandchildren. His wife died in June, 1851, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. They reared a numerous family, only three of whom survive, viz., Jacob K. Lull, now at the ad- vanced age of eighty-three years, resides in the village of Morris. Ile has been an active man in lris town and county, and besides holding the office of supervisor several terms was member of assembly in 1838. Cyrus resides in Jordan, Onondaga Co., N. Y., and Nathaniel W. in Jeffer- son Co., N. Y. Mrs. Turner Davis, a granddaughter, lives in Morris village. Ezra Lull, a son of Caleb, resides in this town, aged eighty years.

Jonathan Moore, wife, and four sons came from Salisbury, Coun., in about the year 1792, and located on adjoining farmns. Two sons with their families subsequently moved to the west. Alanson, the eldest, married Asenath Skinner, and had a family of four children. Two sons reside in town. Ansel C. Moore, a banker in Morris village, mar- ried Esther Freeman, and had a family of four daughters and one son; Mrs. Mary F. A. Pearsall resides with her father; Josephine married Everett E. Yates, and lives in New Jersey ; Albert G. married Elizabeth Beardsley, and died Feb. 10, 1876; Victorine is the wife of Hon. James E. Cooke, of Morris; Amelia married Rev. Romaine S. Mansfield, and resides in Spring Valley, N. Y. Mr. Ansel C. Moore was first vice-president and a member of the first board of directors of the bank of Cooperstown, subsequently merged into the Second National bank of Cooperstown, and was also supervisor of Butternuts for eight years.

A daughter of Jonathan Moore, named Ruth, married Nathan Lull; Charity married Uri Jackson; Charlotte married William Lull ; and Cynthia married Amos Perry.

An honored pioneer of Morris was Benajah Davis, who settled contemporaneously with Paschal Franchot in " Louis- ville," now the village of Morris. He built a tannery on the corner of the street opposite the Louisville Hotel, which he continued until his death. His family consisted of three sons and one daughter, viz. : Elizabeth married Samuel C. Gilbert, and resides in Gilbertsville; John, de- ceased, married Sarah Morris; Jonah, deceased, married Tamar Palmer, who lives in Morris village ; and James W. lived and died in Kingston, on the Hudson.

Ichabod B. Palmer, wife, and family moved from Con- necticut soon after the beginning of the War of the Revo- lution, and settled about two miles above the village on the east side of the creek, ou a farin which he carried on as long as he lived. A son, Amos, then occupied the farm, which remained in his possession. until his death, which occurred in 1862. Ichabod B. Palmer's family consisted of nine children, -- three sons and six daughters. Anni Palmer, a son, died in Cleveland, Ohio, at the advanced age of one hundred and four years. Other children are as follows, viz. : Amos Palmer married Theresa Lull, and had a family of eleven children ; Mrs. Tamar Davis is the only one living in the town : Rev. Noble Palner is the rector of the Episcopal church in Havana. N. Y .; Amos P. Palmer resides in Albany, and is a banker; Jacob K. is

a resident of Warren, Pa., and carries on the tanning business ; Ichabod B. is a farmer, and resides near Ithaca ; a daughter married Cornelius Jones, and resides with a son, Wmr. Jones, a merchant, in Exeter; one, now deceased, married Dr. Wm. Yates, and the old homestead is now occupied by a son, George Yates; one, now deceased, was the wife of Wolcott Dunning, and lived in New Lisbon ; and another daughter, also deceased, became the wife of Richard Pratt, and resided in Burlington.

General Jacob Morris, from whom the town derived its name, who during the Revolution was on the staff of Major- General Charles Lee, settled in the south part of the town, near the site of the " Morris Memorial Chapel." He was born in 1755. During the Revolution he was in the battle of Monmouth and other engagements. At the close of the war he engaged in business in New York, and soon after re- moved to his new home in what was then considered the western wilderness. The following highly interesting letter, giving an account of his journey from New York to the present town of Morris, was written by him to John Rutherford, of New York :

BUTTERNUT CREEK, 12 MILES FROM THE UNADILLA, MONTGOMERY Co., June 21, 1787.

The friendly solicitude yon discovered for the success of my present undertaking merits a letter from me to acquaint you of my operations since I left you, how I am now situated, and of my future inten- tions, prospects, expectations, ete. As far as Albany and Sehenee- tady I came on very handsomely, having had a fine short passage to the former place. I embarked all my movables, and dispatched four wagons for Schenectady, in less than two hours after my arrival, and proceeded immediately for that place, where I came that evening. I was not, however, quite as expeditious in getting my stores up the Mohawk, owing to the laziness of the bateau-men, who were uearly four days getting from Schenectady to the carrying-place for Lake Otsego (eighteeu miles). Here I was at some additional expense, on account of my falling in with the commissioners for running tho boundary line between us and Pennsylvania, who were going the same route, and had occasion for fifteen or twenty wagons, and the inhabitants were extravagant in their demands for team hire. It took ns three days, hy reason of the excessively bad roads to get over, and when there I was at much loss which way to procced. However, as I had written to a man last winter to come over and look at this part of the country, and report to mue respecting it, I coneluded it was hest to leave all my things in store at Staats', the north end of the lake, and emhark with the commissioners, who were going down the Susquehanna in bateaux, and go with thetu as far as the residenco of this man, about twenty miles below Otsego, ou the above-mentioned river. When I came there, I found the man bad heen to see my tract of land, and he gave me a tolerable account of it, and was of the opinion that I could transport wy stores by water to wy intended spot of residence, though he could not speak with certainty, having never viewed this creek. This was enough for me, as I knew full well the great difficulty of land transportation iu this country at this time. I therefore immediately set about to procure a batenu and hands. The former I could not hire. and therefore applied to a man who had a great respect for rum, to bar- ter that article with him for one of which he was possessed. We soon struck the bargain for eight gallons of rum, which I could con . reniently spare, having more along with me than I believe I shall consume before winter. Thus I became master of a bateau. my own property, obtained two good hands, and sent them off for a load, with orders to stay at Cullig's, on the Susquehanna, if they should return before me. I then set out, with one of the Culligs, to look at the place myself, it being about twenty miles from his house. as the path now runs in the Butterunts, across the Otego creek. 1 left Monsieur De Villers' house (a Frenchman, who is making a very respectable setth ment at the Butternuts, six miles from where I shall build), came down in the morning, andt did not hesitate long to de- termine on this spot as the place of my future residence. My silva-

RESIDENCE OF ELLIS GROSS, NEW LISBON OTSEGO CO.N.Y

THE RESIDENCE OF THE LATE Nowawhen

GENERAL JACOB MORRIS.

HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

205

tion is at the north end of my father's and uncle Richard's patent, near the confluence of the great Mill and Butternut ereeks, two as bandsome runs of water as were ever seen in the world. Upon the former I am preparing to build a saw-mill immediately, within one hundred yards of where I shall put my house, which will be th.it distance from the erech, having a fine spring near and a fine tract of land in front. As healthy a country us any in the world. I lay out in the woods one night, and returned to De Villers' the next day; frem thence up to one Tunnicliff's, near Lake Conedenaga, which ride satisfied me that as fiue a road will by-and-by be made to the north end of Lake Otsego that way-about forty miles from henee -as was ever made the same distance in any back country. From thenee I returned to Cullig's the next day, and found my bateau- load of things. The heavy rains had swollen the river so much that it was not thought advisable to go down directly. This induced me to ge up to Staats', as the stupidity of the bateau-man induced him to leave behind several things I particularly requested him to bring, among which were some that were indispensably necessary for me to have directly. Ou my return, we judged the water had fallen suf- ficiently for us to proceed. This being an enterprise of some diffi- culty aud danger, and the eargo of too much consequence to me to hazard out of my view any longer, I thought proper to go on this expedition in person. We accordingly embarked on Thursday, the 14th inst., at Cullig's, reaching that evening the mouth of the Una- dilla (thirty-five miles). The next day we proceeded up the Una- dilla about eight miles, and came up the Butternut ereek about two miles that evening, being the first white man that ever attempted i's navigation. After meeting with several obstructions from falleu trees and logs, which are ever to be found in small rivers which have never been eleared, and often in those constantly used, we arrived in front of my building spot with a full-loaded bateau on Sunday, the 17th inst., being about twelve miles up the Butternut creek, from where it falls into the Unadilla river. I do solemnly declare it is the handsomest navigable ercek I ever lay my eyes upon. . I am now in my tent, having been obliged to elear a spot to pitch it, as there were never before ten trees cut down by the hand of man within four miles of me. I have as yet had only two hands chopping for me since Sunday ; indeed, one of them I was obliged to send yes- terday to Otsego for flour, and the other is employed cutting down trees for a squall hut I mean to ereet and cover with bark for the aecom- modation of my work-people. I find it will cost me a very small trifle more to build a frame house than a log one. The latter will only last a few years, and is eternally out of order, sinking upon the door and window frames, and is always a dirty house. I shall therefore this year build a frame one,-24 by 16 feet,-that will by- and-by do to convert to the use of a kitchen, and next year, with my saw-mill, will build an addition. I wish you would come and see me. You would probably find me cither chopping or cooking or doing work of that kind (there is uo female within six miles of me). Upon reading what goes before, I find I have been a most unpardon- able egotist. A brother will, I hope, exeuse it.

General Morris married for his first wife a Miss Cox, of Philadelphia, and for his second wife a Miss Pringle, of Rielifield. Ilis family was as follows, viz. : Lewis Lee, born in 1778, and came to Butternuts when about sixteen years of age. Ile married for his first wife a Miss Gilbert, and for his second wife a Miss Winter. Seven children are living, viz., Lewis, in Binghamton ; William, in New York ; John, in Friendville, Pa. ; Charles Lee, in Aus- tralia ; Mrs. John A. Collier, in Rochester ; Mrs. John A. Davis, in New York, and James R., who resides on his father's homestead.

John Cox, the second son, was born in Philadelphia, in 1781; was educated at Dartmouth college, subsequently studied law, and practiced in New York. He afterwards removed to this town, where he continued his practice and was judge of the county. Richard, the third son, was born in Philadelphia, in 1782, and emme here with his parents. He married a Miss Upton, and settled at " Upton Park."

Mary Ann, born in 1784, married Isaac Cooper, of

Cooperstown. George died in infancy. Sarah Sabina, born in 1788, married for her first husband Peter Kean, aud for her second husband Looe Baker. She is still living in New York with a daughter, Mrs. Hamilton Fish.

Jacob Walton was born in Butternuts, in 1792. A son, Charles Morris, occupies the old homestead.

Catherine Cox, boru iu Butternuts, in 1794, and mar- ried John II. Prentiss, of Cooperstown. William Augustus, born in 1796, was accidentally killed in about 1818. James Elliott died in infancy.

Charles Valentine, born in 1802, entered the navy as a midshipman when fourteen years of age, and has since remained in the service. He was .in command of the Washington navy-yard during the late Rebellion, and is now on the retired list, and resides at Sacket's Harbor, N. Y. William Pringle, born in 1832, is a practicing attorney in Madison, Wis. General Jacob Morris died Jan. 10, 1844, aged eighty-eight years.

The Morris patent embraced 30,000 aeres, and was granted to Lewis and Richard Morris to indemnify thewu for the loss of their property on the Hudson, which was destroyed by the British during the Revolution. Lewis was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The first store was kept by Louis and Paschal Franehot, and the first inn by Sturgis Bradley, at Morris village.

The first grist-mill was erceted by Louis de Villers, at Elu Grove.

The first death was that of Elizabeth, wife of Benjamin Lull, Jr., and daughter of Ebenezer Knapp.

Au honored pioneer in what is now the town of Morris was Stephen Walker, who moved from Johnstown, Saratoga Co., N. Y., and settled in 1811. He was some fifteen days on his journey, and first lived in a house on the premises of Judge Van Rensselaer, and after a few years bought and built a house of his own, where he lived till old age. His wife, Lydia Gardner, of Nantucket, was a birth-right Qua- ker, and he always attended the "Friends' meeting" in the meeting-house still standing at Morris, and most of his life was favored with the preaching of Joseph Bowne, of fra- grant memory. He was a native of Providence, R. I. Ile was a good eitizen, an honest, true man, and a kind and loving father of a family. He died in 1845, aged eighty years.

Hle had thirteen children, all of whom lived to be mar- ried and have childreu of their own. William died in Wisconsin, in 1873, aged eighty-two years. Stephen died at Buffalo, in 1864, aged seventy-two. Polly ( Mrs. George Andrews), still living at Syracuse, N. Y., mother of Edward Andrews, bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church of Des Moines, Iowa, and of Hon. Charles Andrews, of Syra- euse, judge of the court of appeals of New York. Samuel G., who died at Buffalo, in 1857, aged fifty-seven years. Phebe A. ( Mrs. S. S. Monson), now of Fowlerville, Mich- igan. Sarah (Mrs. E. Walter), who died at Litchfield, Mich., in 1867, aged sixty-three years, the mother of Prof. E. S. Walter, of Michigan university. Ferdinand. now of Brooklyn, N. Y. Caroline (Mrs. Isaac Caskey,, now of Detroit, Mich. Matilda ( Mrs. Sylvester Granger. now of Detroit. Benjamin G., who died at Teenmsch. Mi: h .. in 1851, aged thirty eight years. Charles L., now of Detroit,

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HISTORY OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Mich., a distinguished lawyer, judge, and fifteen years pro- fessor of law in the University of Michigan. Susannah (Mrs. A. C. MeGraw), who died at Detroit, in 1842, aged twenty-four years, leaving two sons, E. M. McGraw, a law- yer of San Francisco, and Dr. T. A. McGraw, an eminent surgeon and professor in medical college at Detroit. Edward C., also a lawyer of Detroit, and for fifteen years regent of Michigan university.

The following interesting reminiseences of Morris were written by A. S. Avery, Esq., in 1874 :

" When I was a boy." How often do we hear this remark, and how it calls up in our minds the scenes and incidents of by-gone days! How it strikes on the cars of the young to tell what happened, and how places looked when we were young ! P'ast history lived over again. We will start from the old cherry-tree at the east end of Main street and walk over the village of Morris, and tell how it used to look fifty years ago. There were two cherry-trees here then in which " we boys" have often climbed and more often stoned. From the top of this high bluff on the north " Old Sayles" and Eli Cole used to make a large sled, pile on fifteen or twenty cords of wood, and slide it down the hill into and across the road. Near by on the right hand is the new residence of Colonel V. P. Van Rensselaer. The trees in the door-yard have just been set out and are growing finely. The residence is one of the finest west of Albany. The window-glass is the largest, for but few persons had seen in that day anything but 7 by 9 glass in a dwelling-house.

Going down the road we first come to the mill-road. This road ran down the hill through the woods on the east side of that oak-tree, and the factory-store and shed stand right in the old highway. The next building on Main street is Joshua Weaver's harness-shop. The next near by is his dwelling-house, now owned by Peleg Weeden. The next house was a little one-story building, end to the road, occupied by one Mills, and afterwards by Edward Wing, who built the second-story part of the present house in 1830, now occupied by S. G. Weeden. The next was a small two-story house, built by one Bentley, and owned by Allen Holcomb, in the rear of which he manufactured windsor chairs. Across the road in front of these houses was a elearing full of stumps and log heaps. The next was a long one and a half story house, with two front doors, owned by Ashael Avery, one end of it being used as a cab- inet-shop. Across the road opposite was a one-story brick house, built by General Jacob Morris for his son, John C., for a law-office; but John not taking a fancy to living there it was used as a dwelling-house, and at this time occupied by Ebenezer Dewey.

The next house was owned by Colonel Van Rensselaer and rented to Elijah Hitchcock ; afterwards occupied by Rev. Russell Wheeler. John Roberts, Sauil. Somers, and others; finally sold to Rich. Garratt, and now owned by Mrs. Mathews. Across the road, in ISIS, was built the Epis- copal church, with a half-circle feuce in front. The church cost $5500. The next house was owned by Elakim Howe, a tailor by trade. It was a small one-story house. The site of J. K. Lull's house was a hog-yard. The next house was owned by C. June, a shoemaker. This house was al- tered over recently. Across the road, on the site of the

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History of Otsego County, New York : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 52

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) cn Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss Number of Pages: 988

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) cn
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Fariss
Number of Pages: 988