USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. > Part 68
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Jacob Osborne, in furnishing these statisties, adds, that religious services was conducted by Elder Gillette when the remains were removed from the old Broad street burial- ground to the North cemetery in 1840.
Mr. Osborne was present and saw the ground dug over carefully, and the remains of about seventy bodies removed. It is not believed that any were left.
The society have recently settled Rev. Irving C. Forte, formerly of the editorial staff of the Clyde Times, western
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HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
New York. He enters upon his new field of labor with excellent prospects of usefulness, and the venerable society of other days is renewing the vigor of its youth in the activities of Christian work.
From the records of the First Baptist church of Still- water, it appears the following members were set off some time before 1800 to form the church at Fish creek : Jonathan Kendall, Seth Crowell, Henry Knapp, Alpheus Davis, Hez- ekiah Dunham, Joseph Coon, Timothy Carrier, Jonathan Sweet, Mr. Petit, Rufus Ballard, Zaccheus Taylor, Niles Taylor, Solomon Carrier, Benjamin Taylor, Thomas Gordon, Daniel Miller, George Coon, David Cross, Hezekiah Betts, Sampson Davis.
METHODIST CHURCH.
The subscription to build the house, an old time-stained document, bears date Jan. 30, 1827. The paper has this preface, " From Lansingburg along the valley of the Hudson for fifty miles, with a breadth of from eight to ten miles, the Episcopal Methodists have not one house dedicated to the worship of God. Private dwellings, school- houses, and barns have hitherto afforded to their classes a precarious yet acceptable resort. Perhaps there is not a spot in that rich and populous district of country where so many of this denomination of Christians would meet, as at Schuylerville, if a suitable edifice could be erected."
The effort was successful, and a house costing $1600 was built in the summer of 1827, and dedicated in the fall. The same house is still standing, kept in good repair, a neat and appropriate chapel, better after fifty years' nse than if it had that modern attachment-a mortgage-resting upon it. The trustees at the time of building were John Cox, Jede- diah Beekwith, Oliver Cleveland, John Seeley, and George Strover. The class-leaders were John Cox, Asa Welch, and John Seeley. John Cox was also steward, clerk, and sexton. Of these names, John Seeley is still living in Rochester, of this State, and George Strover in this place. Earlier than the building of the house, there were many years of pioneer work by the Methodist ministers in this town.
Peter Gallett, to whose industry in gathering and keeping the old records we are indebted for these facts, in his youth heard the Rev. Mr. Campbell give an account of his early labors here, far back nearly or quite to the year 1800. In those times he traveled a circuit three hundred miles or more in extent, taking six weeks to fill the circuit appoint- ments, endured all the difficulties of pioneer work, fording streams, staying in the woods, preaching from stumps, hold- ing service in school-houses and in barus.
Milligan's hill school-house was an old-time place of Methodist preaching ; also the place known now as Ilem- lock. At Schuylerville, quarterly meetings were first held in the barn on the Schuyler place. In connection with the church a female missionary society was organized in 1832, with Mary Ross, president ; Sarah Ward, vice-president ; Sarah Cox, treasurer ; Elizabeth Cox, secretary.
The first Sabbath-school was established by an organized society, of which Rev. Robert Washburn was president ; John Seeley, secretary ; John Cox, superintendent. Philip Schuyler's name appears as a subscriber to the funds of the school. The roll of members in 1827 includes about thirty-
five. Services have always been continued without inter- ruption. The present number of members is about three hundred, and there is an attendance at the Sunday-school of nearly one hundred and fifty. Present offieers are A. F. Bailey, preacher ; Isaae Whitman, superintendent of Sunday-school; trustees, Edwin Root, Isaac Whitman, Peter Gallett, James MeAchron, David Graw, William Marshall, and John Chapman. John Cox, whose name appears so often in the early records, served the church faithfully in various positions for more than thirty years. The successive preachers appointed to this charge from 1825 to the present time have been B. Griffin, W. P. Lake, W. HI. Norris, G. Lyons, C. P. Clark, D. Ensign, J. Bea- man, J. D. Moriaty, N. Riee, S. Stevens, J. Lucky, P. Newman, D. Braylore, T. Newman, P. P. Atwell, O. Pier, E. Goss, J. Harwood, HI. Burton, C. Meeker, J. Quiulin, D. Stephens, H. Chase, S. Coleman, C. Pomeroy, J. B. Houghtaling, C. R. Norris, S. Stiles, P. M. Hitchcock, O. Emerson, J. Sage, J. Quinlin, P. S. Williams, C. L. Wager, J. W. Belknap, P. P. Harrower, R. Fox, S. Meredith, W. Bedell, W. J. Heath, L. Marshall, J. B. Sylvester, W. HI. L. Starke, S. M. Williams, A. S. Bailey.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The movement that led to the establishment of the Episcopal church in Schuylerville commenced just north, in the town of Northumberland. Rev. Reuben Hubbard, traveling through here in 1838, and stopping at the house of Mr. Jesse Finne, and becoming known as a member of the Episcopal church, to which Mr. Finne had been at- tached in his youth, was cordially invited by him to preach, and did so in his house, March 19. Services were held in this manner for several years. The first baptisms were three children of Mr. John Finne, duly recorded in the books of St. John's church, Stillwater.
The first service in the village of Schuylerville was held in the old academy, Feb. 25, 1844, by Rev. Reuben Hub- bard. The first formal organization was made at the house of Mr. Finne, March 2, 1846. Rev. Renben Hubbard presided, and John Metcalf was secretary. They deter- mined upon the name of St. Stephen's church, and elected the following officers : Jesse Finne and James Pickering, wardens ; John Finne, Joseph Finne, Benjamin Losee, James Pickering, George U. Gates, James E. Stebbins, John R. Preston, and Henry W. Merrill, vestrymen.
The delegates to the diocesan convention of 1846 were Thomas Ball, James Piekering, and James G. Stebbins. At the meeting of Sept. 12, 1846, a lot gratuitously offered by the Victory Manufacturing Company was duly and gratefully accepted ; but the society did not build at that time, and services were not maintained regularly for some years after 1850.
The church was finally built and presented to the society by Dr. Payne, to whom great credit is due for this munifi- cent and graceful gift. It occupies a most beautiful and picturesque spot, and is itself a model of church architecture at onee neat and classical.
The services of the first clergyman, Rev. Reuben Hub- bard, were continued down to 1850, when the congregation, in accepting his resignation, placed upon their records a
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HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
strong expression of their love and esteem. The corner- stone of the church was laid June 2, 1868, Rev. P. B. Gibson officiating, and the church was opened for service on Christmas-day of the same year. A font, presented by Dr. Payne, was first used on Good Friday, 1869, five persons being then baptized. The rectorship of the church has subsequently been filled by Rev. George Forbes, Rev. John II. Babcock, Rev. George Walker, and the present incum- bent, Rev. Dr. Dean, who commenced his labors here Oct. 17, 1875. The present officers are Dr. C. H. Payne, John R. Preston, wardens ; George Strover, S. R. Law- rence, Peter Davison, II. P. Shaw, J. H. Smith, John Knapton, Richard Rastall, Fred. McNaughton, vestrymen. The last named is elerk, and the facts for this sketch are obtained from the carefully-written records in his office.
FRIENDS' MEETINGS.
These were established in this town very early,-from 1765 to 1770. A log meeting-house was erected before the War of the Revolution, at or near the site of the present one, south of Quaker Springs. The founders of the organization were Gabriel Leggett, Isaac Leggett, Tibbett Soule, Thomas Wilbur, Fones Wilbur, George Davis, David Shepherd, John Walker, and a number of others whose names it is difficult to obtain, as the records now in possession of the society do not extend back carlier than 1793. The deed for the site of the meeting-house bears date Oct. 16, 1793, and conveys the title from Jolin R. Bleecker to William Barker and Isaac Leggett, as trus- tees. Isaac Leggett was the first minister, and continued in that capacity for many years. Ile was a man of eminent worth, and withal possessing a decided turn for the pleasant. and even humorous side of life. Taken prisoner by the Indians in the early times, he conducted himself with such hilarity, and played such pranks with the young Indians, tripping them up and pushing them into the water, that he escaped all severe treatment, and was not long after re- leased. Meetings have been continued through all the years with unwavering regularity. After the death of Isaac Leggett, several ministers for a few years spoke in the meetings until about 1820, when Andrew Dorland was generally recognized as the minister of the society. From that time for more than fifty years he has walked before the people in that faith and love which characterize true Friends everywhere; and he yet lives in a hale and happy old age, neither his mental powers nor his eye waxed dim.
The records show that at a meeting held the 21st of 7th month, 1794, John Davis and Jemima Arnold were clerks.
On the 28th of 1st month, 1795, George Davis was married to Nancy Mead, and we give the names of the witnesses, as showing many of the early settlers before 1800, and the principal membership of the meeting : Isaac Leg- gett, Jonathan Griffin, Gideon Mead, John Davis, Joshua McOmber, John Dillingham, Thomas Bennett, Gabriel Leggett, William Barker, David Dillingham, Nathan Mosher, Charles Leggett, David Mosher, John Dillingham, Thomas Shepherd, James Covil, James Cooper, Martha Mead, Ruth Dillingham, Bridget Leggett, Fanny Mead, Hannah Mosher, Mary Covil.
Another early marriage recorded is that of David Mosher to Esther Ackerman, 1st of 4th month, 1795. The present officers are David Griffen, clerk ; Andrew Dorland, minis- ter. The society constitutes the Saratoga monthly meet- ing, and is attached to the Saratoga quarterly meeting, which has its regular place of meeting at this point, but does sometimes adjourn to meet in other places, and this latter body belongs to the New York yearly meeting.
CHURCH OF THE VISITATION (CATHOLIC).
Previous to 1847 there were no regular or permanent services of the Catholic church in this town, but there were many Catholic families already settled here. John Lynch, Michael and John Kelley, Patrick, James, and Lawrence Cooney, W'm. Carroll, Charles and Andrew Far- ley, Hugh and John Quinn, Hugh T. White, Hugh Tem- ple, John Cavanaugh, James and Thomas Mulvihill, Patrick Lennon, Peter Garrihan, Patrick Airn, Patrick, James, and Mathew Gearatty, Wm. Fitzsimmons, Hugh Geary and Peter Bannon.
The only churches of their faith within a circuit of thirty miles were at Lansingburg, Whitehall, and Sandy Hill. It required much earnest self-sacrifice and a strong love for their faith to go to these distant places, oftentimes on foot, to attend service. It is said that in order to be present at early mass on Christmas morning, many would set out together on foot the previous night. The first meetings in this place were held at the houses of different members, conducted at irregular intervals by visiting priests. Sunday-school was generally held at the house of William Carroll. Catholic services were also held in the old Schuy- lerville Academy, and in the school-house east of the well- known " Mansion House." Ground was broken for a church in 1845. This was on a lot nearly opposite the present Reformed Protestant church. A plain wooden structure was erected at an expense of about $700, and consecrated in 1847 by Bishop McCloskey. This work was executed under the labors of Rev. Father Daly. Ile was succeeded by Rev. Father Cull in the missionary work, who, under the rapid increase of the congregation, was obliged to make additions to the church. The first resident priest was Rev. Father Roach, who was succeeded in a short time by the present pastor, Rev. II. B. Finne- gan.
The church was burned to the ground on Sunday morn- ing, June 22, 1871. The society then worshiped for a time in the public hall at Victory Mills. The corner- stone of the new church was laid by Bishop Conroy, of Albany. The work was pushed through with great energy to completion, and the church dedicated by Bishop MeNier- ney, Oct. 21, 1873. It is a fine structure, second to none in the valley of the upper Hudson. To build it required energy, determination, perseverance, and heavy financial sacrifices by various individuals. Its cost was $40,000. It occupies a commanding position, convenient for the two villages and overlooking the surrounding country for many miles. The Catholic population included within the parish of this church, extending somewhat beyond the borders of this town, is twelve hundred. It has a Sunday-school of two hundred pupils, superintended by Mr. John Carlin.
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HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
VIII .- BURIAL-PLACES.
The old burial-grounds in town are places of much in- terest and contain some stones of very early date. At Coveville, on the farm now owned by Charles Searles, there is an inclosure containing the remains of many of the first settlers. There are recorded " Abram Marshall, who departed this life April 30, 1811, aged eighty years and ten months ;" " His wife Susannah, died in 1822, aged eighty-eight ;" " Elizabeth, daughter of Refine and Mary Geer, died July 7, 1800;" "Stephen, son of Richard Davis, died April 3, 1801, aged eleven." Children of Her- man Van Veghten and of Walter Van Veghten are also recorded as having died in 1795, 1797, 1802, and 1806. Besides these there are the unmarked and unnamed graves of many others. Over them still blooms the annual tribute of roses planted by loving hands, surviving the neglect of years, and struggling successfully with the briers and shrubs that have in later years intruded upon the sacred place.
The old burial-ground on the Elihu Billings farm, with the old pines crowning the hill, and waving beautifully over the dead, forms a picturesque spot. Here are found several inseriptions dating earlier than 1800. " Rev. Elisha Tup- per, died Jan. 19, 1787, aged eighty." " Rebecca, wife of Christopher Perkins, died March 18, 1795." " John, son of Thomas Smith, died June 2, 1792." " Naomi, daughter of Thomas Smith, died March 11, 1796." " Nathan Davis, died Sept. 17, 1792, aged twenty-seven."
We give a few later ones : " Sarah, wife of Stephen Ol- ney, died Sept. 3, 1808." " Stephen Olney, Jr., died Aug. 28, 1807." "Stephen Olney, died March 20, 1833, aged seventy-six." " Thomas Smith, died March 22, 1801, aged sixty-seven." " IIezekiah Dunham, died April 27, 1810, aged sixty-five." "Captain Jesse Billings, died Feb. 12, 1820, aged eighty-three."
On the Esquire Bailey farm is a burial-ground, full, going back to Vroman's time. The only early stone is to the memory of Henry Green, died in 1809.
There are private burial-places also of the Brisbin fam- ilies and of some others. The ancient Friends' burial- ground, not far from the meeting-house, contains in its long, close rows of graves the buried dust of many an early settler. There, in the solemn silence of calm, trusting faith, the dead have for years been laid to rest, and they sleep as peacefully under the buttercups and the daisies as those who slumber beneath the monumental marble of other more showy, but not more sacred grounds.
Early burials at Schuylerville were on the corner of Broad and Burgoyne streets. From this ground the dead were all carefully removed, in 1840, to the cemetery north of the village. This is now but little used, and its successor is the beautifully-located Prospect Hill cemetery, on the heights of Saratoga, as they are described in the histories of the olden times.
IX .- SOCIETIES AND BANKS.
A Masonic lodge existed in Schuylerville in early times. It ceased to work about the time so many other lodges in the State were closed, and it is not now easy to ascertain its
charter members, first officers, or other items of history concerning it.
Sons of Temperance .- Battle Ground Division, No. 247, was organized April 19, 1847. The charter members were George Strover, Walter Mott, Joseph T. Smith, Richard S. Sheldon, John A. Clapp, James G. Stebbins, Joseph Darby, John B. Brisbin, Wm. Bement.
George Strover was the first P. W. P. ; Walter Mott, W. P .; Richard S. Sheldon, R. S .; Joseph Smith, C. It continued its work only three years, but its meetings were interesting, and the old members still recolleet them with pleasure.
Odd-Fellows .- A lodge existed here during the first growth of the order, but was finally discontinued. It has, however, been revived in later years, and has again a good membership in working condition.
Banks .- The first bank in Schuylerville was a private institution, by Wm. Wilcox, with a capital of $50,000. This enterprise was begun in 1853. In 1856 it was merged into an organized bank, under the name of the " Bank of Old Saratoga." It had a capital of $100,000, and was managed by a board of sixteen directors. Win. Wilcox was president, and Giles S. Brisbin cashier. This bank was regularly closed in 1865, and was succeeded by " The National Bank of Schuylerville." The capital of the bank is $100,000, and it has at the present time a board of seven directors,-C. W. Mayhew, president; G. F. Watson, cashier ; J. II. De Ridder, teller ; Samuel Sheldon, W. P. Ostrander, R. English, H. C. Holmes.
X .- HISTORIC EVENTS AND LOCALITIES.
No history of the town of Saratoga or the village of Schuy- lerville can be complete without giving briefly the events of the Burgoyne campaign of 1777. The British army, under Burgoyne, left Montreal in June. The American army, under General Schuyler, was then at Fort Ticonderoga. On the 4th of July, the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, General Burgoyne having seized the heights of Mount Defiance, compelled the Americans to abandon the fort and retreat. July 13, the American army was at Fort Edward, and the British army at Whitehall.
Burgoyne pressed closely upon the retreating forces of the Americans. On the 28th of July, Schuyler's army was at Moses Kill, eight miles above Schuylerville, and two days later it had reached what is now Schuylerville itself. On the 2d day of August the army of Schuyler moved yet farther down the valley, and encamped in the present town of' Stillwater. Meanwhile the British army arrived at the high grounds, less than two miles above the village of Schuylerville, on the east side of the Hudson, and north of the mouth of Batten Kill.
On the 10th of September he continued the forward movement. His army crossed to the west side of the Hudson river, north of Schuylerville, and just below the present State dam. The point where the army reached the west shore is upon the farm now owned by D. A. Bullard, and the excavation through the bank of the river is yet plainly visible. The army halted for a time on the actual site of Schuylerville, its encampment supposed to have been along a line north and south from the present Reformed church.
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BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF SCHUYLERVILLE AND VICINITY.
1. Surrender of Burgoyne's Sword.
2. Gen .. Gates' Army.
7. Old Fort Saratoga, erected 1709.
8. Batten Kil.
14. Hudson River.
4, Marshall Ilouse
5. Burgoyne's Army Crossed.
10. Fish Creek.
12. Site of Gen. Schuyler's Mills, now owned by D. A. Bullard. 13. Champlain Canal.
15. The Kayadrossera Range.
18. Green Mountains. 19. Monument. 20. Schuylerville Hotel. 21. Site of old Fort Hardy.
6. American Batteries.
3. British Army.
9. Tree where Capitulation was signed.
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HISTORY OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Meanwhile, before the stirring news from Bennington had aroused the whole people, in fact five days before the battle of Bennington was fought, General Schuyler left Stillwater, and by the 18th, two days after the battle of Bennington, had intrenched his army on an island at the mouth of the Mohawk river.
Iu the mean time Schuyler was removed and General Gates assigned to the command while as yet the result at Bennington was unknown, for General Gates reached the army Aug. 19, only three days later than the battle of Ben- nington. Ile eame at an auspicious hour for his own fame as well as for the safety of the army.
Soon the American army returned northward, selected Bemus Heights, fortified them, and awaited events. Bur- goyne, though feeling seriously the defeat at Bennington, was nevertheless obliged to attempt the execution of the original plan. Like the brave general he was, at the head of brave men, he faced the danger, led his forces into action, and gave the American army ample opportunity for exert- ing all their skill and bravery. The decisive battles of Sept. 19 and Oct. 7 left the British army with no resource but retreat or surrender. The former was attempted, though after considerable delay. They reached Schuylerville Oct. 10, and for a short time were on the south side of Fish creek, and General Burgoyne occupied the Schuyler man- sion as his headquarters. The American army, following, compelled them to eross Fish creek and enter old Fort Ilardy. They threw up a breastwork, inclosing the fort and an encampment about fifty rods square in the angle be- tween the river and the creek. They also held the range of hills to the west, along the heights of the present new cemetery, and northward to the house of the late Wm. B. Marshall. General Gates was soon encamped on the range of hills south of Fish creek, and anticipating the course of events, he had some days before sent a foree northward on the east side of the river. The positions occupied were at Fort Edwards, also on the north side of the Batten Kill, and on the present Simon Sheldon farm, nearly opposite Schuylerville. This last is elearly seen at the present time as a projecting spur of the hill north of Sheldon's house, and leveled at the top.
Burgoyne was hopelessly surrounded : artillery to the north, guarding the fords; the main army of General Gates on the southern hills over the creek, and riflemen in the woods to the west, rendering Burgoyne's outer lines scarcely tenable. The environment was completed by the 13th. A brief armistice took place, and the absolute sur- render of the entire army quickly followed. The main features of the surrender are well settled by the numerous histories of the campaign. They are substantially affirmed by the tradition of the older inhabitants of Schuylerville. The British soldiers piled their arms (not stacked them) in a diagonal line from the mouth of Fish creek northwest towards the Wm. B. Marshall house. General Gates' tent was pitched " on level ground, one hundred and thirty-nine to one hundred and fifty rods" south of Fish ereek, accord- ing to General Mattoon, an eye-witness, then lieutenant in an artillery company. About noon of the 17th, General Burgoyne, with his staff, approached the tent and was in- troduced to General Gates. The American army were
drawn up along the heights to the south and west, and after the British officers were received and seated at dinner, the unarmed prisoners filed past, the Americans receiving them to the music of " Yankee Doodle," and the new flag just adopted-the stars and stripes-waving above the general's tent.
If the exact position of the headquarters may not be positively decided, yet the site of the Dutch church (well known), the ground required to be level, and the distance south of Fish creek given at " one hundred and thirty-nine to one hundred and fifty rods," together settle the location very nearly. General Mattoon's recently republished letter, in describing the road, speaks of it as near the bank of the river above Fish ereek. If this was the case south of the creek, then the measurement for the "one hundred and thirty-nine to one hundred and fifty rods" should begin near the mouth of the ereek, or near what is considered an old fording-place, rather than at the present erossing of the main road.
Albert Clemons, ninety-six years of age, says Abram Marshall, who was present at the surrender, told him often that it was " near the old Dutch church." Several other citizens of Schuylerville report the same statement from other eye-witnesses.
There has been a tradition in Schuylerville that the sur- render took place on the north side of the creek, and near an elm-tree on the east of Broad street. If this tradition related to the formal delivery of the sword, it cannot be correct from the statements already given. But the agree- ment to surrender, and the conference for drawing up the necessary papers, may have occurred at that place.
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