USA > New York > Schoharie County > History of Schoharie county, and border wars of New York > Part 27
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chief. Apprised of Sullivan's intended march to the Indian coun- try, he hurried back to prepare for his reception.
A party of Indians under the celebrated chief Cornplanter, ap- peared in the vicinity of Fort-Plain at this time, and after burning a small church not far from the fort, among other depredations, captured John Abeel an old inhabitant. They had traveled but a few miles before they discovered that he could talk their own language nearly as well as themselves. This discovery soon led to another of a more singular character, but truly fortunate for the captive, for on enquiring his name, Cornplanter knew at once he stood before his own father. Abeel had been a trader among the Indians some twenty-five years before in Western New York, and in one of his visits became enamored with a pretty squaw. The graceful warrior " John," called among his race Cornplanter, now before him, was the fruit of this libidinous, wayward affection. The chief had learned the history of his parentage from his mother, who called him by the christian name of her lover. A pleasing recognition followed, the father was instantly set at liberty, and conducted in safety to his own home .- P. J. Wagner, Esq.
Cornplanter visited his relatives at Fort-Plain, who were among the most repectable citizens in the Mohawk valley, several times after the war; and was treated with the civilities his dignified and manly bearing merited.
The repeated assaults along the whole frontier of New York and Pennsylvania during the preceding year by the enemy, arrest- ed the attention of Congress, which resolved to send an army into the Indian country in the summer of 1779, and retaliate their at- trocities by a destruction of their settlements. Accordingly, an ar- my was assembled under Gen. Sullivan, at Tioga Point, at which place he was met by Gen. James Clinton, who marched from Ca- najoharie, on the Mohawk, with a division of the army. As a preliminary movement to the invasion of the Indian country by Gen. Sullivan, Col. Van Schaick went from Fort Schuyler, under the instructions of Gen. James Clinton, with detachments of his own and Col. Gansevoort's regiment, and destroyed the possessions of the Onondagas.
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While Gen. Clinton was waiting at Canajoharie for his troops and supplies to assemble, and also for the construction of bateaus, two tories were there hung, and a deserter shot. The following letter from Gen. Clinton to his wife, dated July 6th, 1779, briefly narrates the death of the two former :
" I have nothing further to acquaint you of, except that we ap- prehended a certain Lieut. Henry Hare, and a Sergeant Newbury, both of Col. Butler's regiment, who confessed that they left the Seneca country with sixty-three Indians, and two white men, who divided themselves into three parties-one party was to attack Schoharie, another party Cherry-Valley and the Mohawk river, and the other party to skulk about Fort Schuyler and the upper part of the Mohawk river, to take prisoners or scalps. I had them triep by a general court martial for spies, who sentenced them both to be hanged, which was done accordingly at Canajoharie, to the sa- tisfaction of all the inhabitants of that place who were friends to their country, as they were known to be very active in almost all the murders that were committed on these frontiers. They were inhabitants of Tryon county, had each a wife and several children, who came to see them and beg their lives."
The name of Hare was one of respectability in the Mohawk valley, before the revolution. Members of the Hare family were engaged for years in sundry speculations with Maj. Jelles Fonda, who, as already observed, carried on an extensive trade with the Indians and fur traders at the western military posts ; his own re- sidence being at Caughnawaga .* Henry Hare resided before the war in the present town of Florida, a few miles from Fort Hunter. At the time he left the valley with the royalist party to go to Ca- nada, his family remained, as did that of William Newbury, who
* All the territory on the north side of the Mohawk, from The Nose to Tribe's Hill, a distance of nearly ten miles, was called Caughnawaga-an In- dian name, which signified Stone in the water. Some writers have given as its signification, " The coffin-shaped stone in the water." Tradition has haaded down from a family which early settled on the bank of the river near this stone, the interpretation first given. This Indian name, we must suppose, originated long before this state was settled by the whites : of course the abo- rigines could have known nothing about coffins-they had no tools by which they could possibly make them. When the revolution began, Maj. Fonda was erecting buildings for the prosecution of business, six miles westward of his Caughnawaga residence, on a farm since known as the Schenck place. At a later day he built the dwelling now owned by C. McVean, Esq., so pleasant- ly situated on the hill in Fonda, where he died June 23d, 1791, aged 64 years.
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lived about 3 miles from Hare, toward the present village of Glen. If Hare had rendered himself obnoxious to the whigs of Tryon county, Newbury had doubly so, by his inhuman cruelties at the massacre of Cherry-Valley, some of which, on his trial, were pro- ven against him. Hare and Newbury visited their friends, and were secreted for several days at their own dwellings. The form- er had left home before daylight to return to Canada, and was to call for his comrade on his route. Maj. Newkirk, who resided but a short distance from Hare, met a tory neighbor on the afternoon of the day on which Hare left home, who either wished to be con- sidered one of the knowing ones, or lull the suspicions resting upon himself, who communicated to him the fact that Hare had been home-and supposing him then out of danger, he added, “ per- haps he is about home yet." He also informed him that Newbu- ry had been seen. Hare brought home for his wife several arti- cles of clothing, such as British calicoes, dress-shawls, Indian mo- casons, &c., and on the very day he set out to return to Canada, she was so imprudent as to put them on and go visiting-the sight of which corroborated the story told Newkirk. The Major noti- fied Capt. Snooks, who collected a few armed whigs, and in the evening secreted himself with them near the residence of Hare, if possible, to give some further account of him. Providence seems to have favored the design, for the latter, on going to New- bury's, had sprained an ankle. Not being willing to undertake so long a journey with a lame foot, and little suspecting that a friend had revealed his visit, he concluded to return to his dwelling. While limping along through his own orchard, Francis Putman, one of Snook's party, then but 15 of 16 years old, stepped from behind an apple tree, presented his musket to his breast, and or- dered him to stand. At a given signal, the rest of the party came up, and he was secured. They learned from the prisoner that Newbury had not yet set out for Canada, and a party under Lieut. Newkirk went the same night and arrested him. They were ena- bled to find his house in the woods by following a tame deer which fled to it. The prisoners were next day taken to Canajoharie, where they were tried by court martial, found guilty, and execut-
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ed as previously shown. The execution took place near the pre- sent village of Canajoharie .* The influence exerted by the friends of Hare to save him would have been successful, had he declared that he visited the valley solely to see his family. He may have thought they dared not hang him ; certain it is, that when he was interrogated asto the object of his visit, he unhesitatingly said that he not only came here to see his family, but also came in the ca- pacity of a spy. A deserter, named Titus was shot at Canajoha- rie about the time the spies were hung, as I have been informed by an eye witness to all three executions .- James Williamson.
Deserters were shot for the first, second, or third offence, as cir- cumstances warranted. Newbury and Titus were buried near the place of execution, and the bones of one of them were thrown out at the time of constructing the Erie Canal, by workmen who were getting earth for its embankment.t The bo- dy of Hare was given to his relatives for interment. Previous to burial the coffin was placed in a cellar-kitchen, before a window, in which position a snake crawled over it. This circumstance gave rise to much speculation among the superstitious, who said "it was the Devil after his spirit."
The troops under Gen. Clinton opened a road from Canajoha- rie through the town of Springfield, to the head of Otsego lake, where they launched their fleet of bateaus and floated down its placid waters nine miles to its outlet-now the location of the ro- mantic and tastefully built village of Cooperstown. This passage down the lake was made on a lovely summer's day, and the sur- rounding hills being covered with living green, every dash of the oar throwing up the clear, sparkling water, a thousand delighted warblers greeting them from the shores as the response of the martial music from the boats-the whole being so entirely novel- the effect must have been truly enchanting and picturesque. On arriving at the foot of the lake, the troops landed and remained several weeks, until it was sufficiently raised by a dam constructed at the outlet, to float the boats. When a sufficient head of water
·John S. Quackenboss and Mrs. E. Gardinier.
t Daniel Spencer, a worthy pensioner, now living at Canajoharie.
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was thus obtained-the boats having been properly arranged along the outlet and filled with the troops, stores and cannon-the dam was torn away, and the numerous fleet of small fry, (two hun- dred and eight boats) floated off in fine style, and passed down the tributary into the winding Susquehanna. (This is an aboriginal word, said to signify, the crooked river.) It is said that prepara- tory to opening the outlet of the lake, a dam made by the saga- cious beavers on one of the larger inlets, which flooded considera- ble ground, was ordered to be destroyed to obtain the water. It was partially so served, but the night following it was, by the in- dustrious animals, again repaired. A more effectual destruction followed, and a guard of men was stationed all night, to prevent its being again built by its lawful owners.
While the army were quartered at the outlet of Otsego lake, two men were tried for desertion, and both were sentenced to be shot. The youngest of the two, whose name was Snyder, was pardoned by Gen. Clinton. The other man was a foreigner, who had previously deserted from the British, and having now desert- ed from the American flag, and persuaded Snyder to desert, Clin- ton said of him-" He is good for neither king or country, let him be shot." The order was executed on the west side of the outlet, not far distant from the lake. Not a house had then been erected where Cooperstown now stands .- Williamson.
The company to which Williamson belonged, was attached in Sullivan's campaign to the second New York regiment, command- ed by Col. Rigne, a French officer. He was a large, well made, jovial fellow, of whom Mr. Williamson related the following an- ecdote. Among the men who aided in our glorious struggle for independence, was a regiment of blacks, who generally proved to be good, faithful soldiers. That they might readily be distin- guished, they wore wool hats with the brim and lower half of the crown colored black-the remainder being left drab or the native color. While waiting for Otsego lake to rise, the troops were drilled every day. As Col. Rigne was thus engaged with his own and parts of several other regiments, among whom were one or two companies of black soldiers, one of the latter men, from
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inattention, failed to execute a command in proper time. " Hal- loo !" said the colonel, "you plack son of a b-h wid a wite face !- why you no mind you beezness ?" This hasty exclama- tion in broken English so pleased the troops, that a general burst of laughter followed. Seeing the men mirthful at his expense, he good humoredly gave the command to order arms. " Now," said he, "laugh your pelly full all !" and joining in it himself, hill and dale sent back their boisterous merriment.
In the summer of 1779, Col. Wm. Butler received timely or- ders to move from Schoharie and join the forces under General Clinton at Canajoharie. Among Col. Butler's men, who had ren- dered good services in Schoharie during their sojourn, were Lieut. Thomas Boyd,* Timothy Murphy and David Elerson. Murphy was a native of Pennsylvania, of Irish parentage, and Elerson a Virginian, of Scotch descent.
While Col. Butler was in Springfield, in the month of June, as- sisting to open a wagon road for the transportation of the boats, David Elerson obtained permission of his captain to proceed about
* Lieut. Boyd was a native of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. He was about the usual height, and was a stout built, fine looking young man ; being very sociable and agreeable in his manners, which had gained him many friends in Schoharie. While there, he paid his addresses to Miss Cornelia, a daughter of Bartholomew Becker, who gave birth to a daughter after his death, of which he was the reputed father. This child, named Catharine, grew up a very respectable woman, and afterwards became the wife of Mar- tinus Vrooman. While the troops under Col. Butler were preparing to leave Schoharie, Miss Becker, in a state of mind bordering on phrensy, approached her lover, caught hold of his arm, and in tears besought him by the most earnest entreaties, to marry her before he left Schoharie. He endeavored to put her off with future promises, and to free himself from her grasp. She told him " if he went off without marrying her, she hoped he would be cut to pieces by the Indians !" In the midst of this unpleasant scene, Col. Butler rode up and reprimanded Boyd for his delay, as the troops were ready to march-and the latter, mortified at being seen by his commander, thus im- portuned by a girl, drew his sword and threatened to stab her if she did not in- stantly leave him. She did leave him, and anticipating future shame, called down the vengeance of heaven upon him. Her imprecation was answered, as will hereafter be seen, to the fullest extent : a fearful warning to those who trifle with woman's affection. Such was the last interview of Lieut. Boyd with the girl he had engaged to marry .- Josias E. Vrooman, who wit. nessed the parting scene.
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a mile from the camp to a deserted house, and gather some mus- tard for greens. While thus engaged early in the day, he heard a rustling in some rank weeds near, and on looking in that direc- tion, discovered to his surprise, nearly a dozen Indians cautiously advancing to capture him. He sprang and seized his rifle, which stood against the house, at which instant several tomahawks were hurled at him, one of them nearly severing a finger from his left hand. He dropped his haversack of greens and fled. In starting from the house, his foes ran so as to cut off his flight to his friends. He had to pass over a small clearing between the house and the woods, and on arriving at the farther edge of the former, he found his progress obstructed by fallen trees. He plunged in among them, when his pursuers, fearing he might escape, dis- charged their rifles at him. The volley rattled the old timber harmlessly about his head. Driven from the direction of the American camp, he fled, not knowing whither. After running for several hours, and when he began to think he had eluded the vigilance of his pursuers, an Indian appeared before him. As he raised his rifle the savage sprang behind a tree. At that instant, a ball fired from an opposite direction entered his body just above the hip-making a bad flesh wound. He then changed his di- rection, and renewed his flight. Descending a steep hill into a valley, through which coursed a small stream of water, he reached the level ground much exhausted; but the moment his feet struck the cool water his strength revived, and scooping some up in his hand, which he drank, so invigorated him, that he gained the summit of the opposite hill with comparative ease. He had pro- ceeded but a little way further, however, when he found himself again growing faint ; and stepped behind a fallen tree just as an Indian appeared in pursuit. Not doubting but his hours were numbered, he resolved not to die unrevenged, and instantly raised his rifle to shoot him. Too weak and excited to hold his gun, he sat down upon the ground, rested it upon his knees, fired, and the Indian fell. He had barely time to reload his faithful piece, be- fore several other foes came in sight. His first thought was to bring down another, but as they gathered around their fallen
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chief, and began their death yell, the hope of escape again re- vived. While they were lingering around their comrade, Elerson darted off into the forest. He followed the windings of a creek for some distance, and finding in a thicket of hemlocks a large hollow tree, crawled into it, and heard no more of the Indians. It was near night, and being greatly exhausted, he soon fell into a sound sleep. On the following morning he backed out, found it rained, was lost, and again entered his gloomy shelter. As it continued to rain, he tarried in the log three nights and two days, without food or having his wounds dressed. He then crept from his concealment, cold, stiff and hungry, unable at first to stand upright. He was enabled, by the sun's welcome rays to direct his course, and came out at a place in Cobelskill, known in former days as Brown's Mills, distant about three miles from where he had been concealed, and at least 25 from the place where he had first been surprised. Capt. Christian Brown, the owner of the mills, was acquainted with Elerson, treated him kindly, and sent him to the Middle Fort, ten miles distant, where his wounds were properly dressed, and he recovered. The writer saw, at his interview with this old soldier in 1837, when he ob- tained these facts, the scars from the wounds above noticed, and also other similar marks of honor.
Captain Brown, (a brother of Judge Brown,) is the officer mentioned as having been engaged under Captain Patrick the summer before, in the Cobelskill battle. His mills-a grist-mill and saw-mill, were among the first erected in that part of Scho- harie county, and were not burned during the war, because a tory named Sommer, who owned lands not far distant, expected if Brown's place was confiscated to the British government, to obtain it. To gratify him the buildings were spared. Brown's house, a small one story dwelling, now covered with moss, is still standing. At the time the lower part of Cobelskill was burnt, a party of Indians plundered it. Captain Brown, learning that the enemy were in his vicinity, hurried his family into the woods, and then returned to secure some of his effects. While thus engaged, he saw from a window a party of Indians approaching,
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and as he could not leave the house so as to avoid being seen by them, he secreted himself in some part of it. The enemy enter- ed and supposing it entirely deserted, plundered and left it, after which Capt. Brown sought his family, and with them fled to a place of greater safety .- James Becker. At the house of Capt. Brown, (said George Warner,) during the absence of the former, and in the time of the Revolution, a wedding was consummated. The groom and bride were Brown's hired man and servant girl. The Cobelskill soldiers were invited guests, and of course attend- ed-for who does not attend a wedding when they can? After the lovers were united, the party as abundantly served with good pork and sour-crout ; and being the best the bride could provide, they were received with as much gratification as would have been the rich dainties of a modern festival of the same cha- racter. The parties were poor, and the friends knew it, and made themselves merry. The wedding was in truth a good one, for certainly " All's well that ends well."
Brown's mills were situated on a road now leading from Barnerville to the village of Cobelskill, about two miles from the latter place. They were erected on a stream of water a few rods from a deep pool, whence it issued. It was unknown for many years where the water came from, until a saw-mill was erected at Abraham Kneiskern's in Carlisle, on a stream of water, which, near the mill, sank into the earth and disappeared. After this mill began to operate, saw-dust made its appearance in the pool near Brown's mills, three miles distant. This mill-stream runs into the Cobelskill at Barnerville. Several mill-streams in Car- lisle and Sharon, sink into the earth, and re-appear at considerable distances from the place of entrance.
While Gen. Sullivan, with his army, was at Tioga Point, he was much annoyed by small parties of Indians, who crept up in the long grass on the opposite side of the river, and fired upon his men, killing or wounding them in repeated instances; and he devised a plan to intercept them : the execution of which was committed to Lieut. Moses Van Campen. The following is Van
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Campen's own account of his manner of proceeding, as publish- ed in a small volume entitled, Sullivan's Campaign.
" MAJOR ADAM HOOPS --
" An aid-de-camp to Gen. Sullivan, presented to me my instructions, with a sheet of white paper folded up, a leaden weight within, and a twine-cord about twenty feet long fastened to it. I was to get as near the enemy's camp as was prudent, and to select one of the shady oaks, conceal my men in the bush, and place my sentinel in the top of the oak, with the paper and twine- cord-to give the signal if he discovered a party of Indians-to sink the paper down the tree as many feet as they were in num- bers-if passing to the right or left to give the signal accordingly.
"It was one of the warm days in the latter part of August, I marched as near to the enemy's camp as I was directed. I se- lected my tree-my sentinel ascended twenty or twenty-five feet, and my men were concealed. We laid in watch about an hour. Every eye was fixed on the sentinel. At length the paper drop- ped down about four feet. I spoke to my men, saying, 'My good fellows, we shall soon have sport.' The paper continued to drop to ten feet. I observed again, 'We shall have something more to do.' The paper continued to drop to fifteen feet. 'Now, my good fellows, we shall have enough to do-fifteen to twenty of us. Let every shot make their number less." Behold ! the fel- low had fallen asleep-let the twine-cord slip through his fingers- lost his balance-and came down like a shot head foremost. He was much bruised by the fall. I make my report to the general, &c., &c.
Gen. Clinton joined Gen. Sullivan at Tioga, August 22d, and four days after, the army, then five thousand strong, moved for- ward. All the Indian huts discovered on the route from Tioga westward, with the fields of growing corn, beans, &c., were de- stroyed by the American troops. At Newtown, now Elmira, the enemy under Cols. Butler and Johnson, and the chieftain Brant, collected a force, threw up a breastwork, and prepared to dispute the further progress of the invaders of their soil. On the 29th of August the troops under Sullivan reached the fortifications of the enemy, and a spirited action followed. The enemy evinced great bravery, but being overpowered by numbers, they abandoned their works with considerable loss.
Gen. Sullivan had a morning and evening gun fired daily while proceeding to and from the Indian country, for which he has been much censured by some chroniclers. His object in doing it was,
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to notify the numerous scouting parties which were daily kept out, of his position.
Several pleasing incidents owed their origin to the signal guns. In one instance a large party of Indians were in ambush to sur- prise an advanced guard when the signal gun was fired from ele- vated ground not far distant. The Indians-who ever dread the sound of cannon, supposing the gun fired at them, scampered off like frightened sheep. Upon the firing of a signal gun after the battle of Newtown, a white woman came into the American camp. Knowing Col. John Butler, whom she supposed could give her some account of her red husband, she enquired for Col. Butler, and was immediately introduced to Col. William Butler. On coming into his presence and finding him a stranger-the truth flashed upon her mind-she was in the American camp, and in the presence of those who would protect her. She stated that she was a native of Danbury, Connecticut ; had been married several years, and was living at Wyoming the year before, when that delightful country was devastated by the enemy-at which time she was made a prisoner. Her husband had been killed among the numerous victims of savage cruelty. She further stated that at the time she was captured she had three children- two small boys and an infant child at the breast. The boys were given to different Indians, and the brains of the infant were dash- ed out against a tree ; after which she was compelled to live with an Indian as his wife. When she thus providentially entered the American camp, she had an infant child-the fruit of her late un- happy connection. This child died not long after, and it was suspected that an American soldier, from sympathy to the woman, had given it poison. As the Indian country had been invaded, this woman had been obliged to follow the fortunes of her master, and having been separated from him by the discomfiture of the enemy, Sullivan's cannon, which she supposed fired in the British camp, directed her course. On the return of the army, she went back to her friends in Connecticut .- James Williamson.
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