USA > New York > Schoharie County > History of Schoharie county, and border wars of New York > Part 28
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After the battle of Newtown, Gen. Sullivan sent back to Tioga much of his heavy baggage, and pushed forward in pursuit of the
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enemy-fully executing in the destruction of the settlements the orders of the Commander-in-chief. The country of the Cayugas and Senecas, where the Indians had many flourishing settlements and several well built villages of good painted frame-houses, were entirely destroyed-together with the fields of growing corn and beans. Fruit trees, of which the Indians had an abundance, laden with green apples, peaches, and pears, were cut down. Ears of corn were found in that country full eighteen inches long, showing the exceeding fertility of the soil. It seems indeed lamentable that stern necessity should require the destruction of fruit trees, the growth of many years-but when we consider that they afforded the enemy an important item of his annual food, we must admit that the measure as one of retaliation, was justifiable.
At the Indian village of Kanadaseago, situated a little distance west of Geneva, a white male child was found by the American army. It was not more than three or four years old, and when discovered, was naked, with a string of beads about its neck. This child, which had been abandoned by the enemy in their pre- cipitate flight, was supposed to have been among the captives made the year before, on the frontiers of New York or Pennsylva- nia. He was found before the door of a hut playing with small sticks, and when accosted could only say, sago-how do, and a few other Indian words; having been captured too young to give the least clue to his paternity .- James Williamson.
In addition to the above, I learn from the son of Capt. Machin, respecting this probable orphan child, that it found in that officer, (an engineer in the army,) a god-father, and was christened Thomas Machin-that it was nearly famished when found, and could not have been kept alive, had not the Americans providen- tially taken a fresh-milk cow which had strayed from the enemy- that the milk of this cow, which was driven with the army on the return march for that purpose, afforded its nourishment-that the little unknown was taken in the fall to the house of Maj. Logan at New Windsor, where it took the small-pox in the hard winter following and died, without any information ever being disclosed as to its birth-place or parentage.
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Major Paar commanded the rifle corps which accompanied Sul- livan in his expedition. When the army, which had met with little opposition from the enemy after the battle of Newtown, ar- rived at the inlet of Conesus Lake, a scout was sent out early in the evening, under Lieut. Thomas Boyd,* one of which was Timothy Murphy. Says Major Hoops, in a letter I find in Sulli- van's Campaign-
" I was in the General's tent when he gave his instructions to Lieut. Boyd, which were very particular-verbal, of course. The country before us was unknown. We had heard of an Indian Castle on the river Genesee, which, by our reckoning, might be a few miles ahead of us. The term Castle was taken from Chateau -the French- having long before magnified Indian villages into Chateaux, afterwards rendered literally into English. There were the Oneida Castle, perhaps at or near to Utica,-the Seneca Cas- tle, near to the present village of Geneva, as well as some others. The Castle Lieut. Boyd was detached to discover, consisted, pro- bably, of a few Indian huts, near Williamsburgh, a few miles above the present village of Geneseo.
" The evening before Lieut. Boyd was detached by Gen. Sulli- van from the inlet of the Kanaghsas Lake, a log bridge was begun and finished in the night, or early in the next morning, over the inlet. Boyd, not having returned by daylight, the General was very uneasy ; particularly from finding that, to the six riflemen he meant Boyd's party should consist of, twenty-two musketmen had been added."
The bridge alluded to was constructed by a strong covering party, sent in advance of the main army to open a road through a marshy piece of ground, and erect the bridge. The object of the scout was, to reconnoitre the ground near the Genesee river, at a place now called Williamsburgh, at a distance from the camp of nearly seven miles. The party were guided by Han Yerry- John George-a faithful Oneida warrior.
In a skirmish which took place the afternoon previous to the surprise and massacre of Boyd's command, between Sullivan's advance guard and the enemy, the latter captured two friendly Oneidas, who had, from the beginning of the war, rendered the Americans constant service, and one of whom was then acting as
*Some published account has erroneously stated the given name of this man to have been William.
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Gen. Sullivan's principal guide. This Indian had an older broth- er engaged with the enemy, who, as they met, is said (in Stone's Brant) to have addressed him as follows :
" Brother ! You have merited death. The hatchet or the war- club shall finish your career. When I begged of you to follow me in the fortunes of war, you were deaf to my entreaties.
"Brother! You have merited death, and shall have your deserts. When the rebels raised their hatchets to fight against their good master, you sharpened your knife, you brightened your rifle, and led on our foes to the fields of our fathers.
" Brother ! You have merited death, and shall die by our hands. When those rebels had driven us from the fields of our fathers to seek out new houses, it was you who could dare to step forth as their pilot, and conduct them even to the doors of our wigwams, to butcher our children and put us to death. No crime can be greater. But though you have merited death, and shall die on this spot, my hands shall not be stained with the blood of a bro- ther. Who will strike?"
In an instant the tomahawk of Little Beard was twirled with lightning rapidity over his head, and in another the brave Oneida, the friend of America and of humanity, lay dead at the feet of the infuriated chief.
When we contrast the conduct of this Indian, who declared that his hands should not be stained with the blood of a brother; with that of the fratricide, who sought out his brother among the fleeing inhabitants of Wyoming, and shot him while in the act of begging for his life; with that of William Newbury, at the mas- sacre of Cherry-Valley, who, finding a little girl by the name of Mitchell among the fallen, in whom the spark of life was re- viving, with the blow of his hatchet, in the presence of her con- cealed father, laid her dead at his feet ; with that of a tory named Beacraft, who was with the desolaters of Vrooman's Land; and other instances of no less savage spirit-we shall find that of the unlettered Indian to rise in the scale of our just estimation, as that of his more savage allies, sinks them to abhorrence and contempt.
One mile and a half from Sullivan's camp, the Indian path di- vided, one branch leading to Canasaraga, in the direction of Wil- liamsburg, and the other to Beard's Town. Boyd advanced cau- tiously and took the Canasaraga path. On arriving at the latter
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place, he found it deserted, although the fires of the enemy were still burning. As the night was far advanced, he encamped near the village, intending to seek out on the morrow, the location of the enemy. This was a most hazardous enterprise. Twenty- eight men, seven miles from their camp-a dense forest interven- ing-and a thousand foes besetting their path to cut off their re- treat. But danger was what the party courted. Before day break, Boyd dispatched two of his men to Sullivan's camp-in- tending to push forward still farther into the wilderness-but as they never reached it, it is quite probable they were intercepted by the enemy and slain .- S. Treat's Oration, in Sullivan's Campaign. Before they were put to death, the enemy no doubt learned from them the exact situation of Boyd's command. Just after day- light, Lieut. B., accompanied by Murphy cautiously crept from his place of concealment. Near the village of Canasaraga, they dis- covered two Indians coming out of a hut, fired at them, and a ball from Murphy's rifle scaled the fate of one. The other in- stantly fled. Murphy, as was his usual custom when he killed an Indian, took off his scalp, and as he had on a good pair of moca- sons, he transferred them to his own feet. After the escape of the Indian fired upon by Boyd, he rightly supposed his visit would soon be made known, and he resolved to return immediately to the American camp. Boyd was advised by Han-Yerry to pursue a different route back, which commendable advice he did not choose to follow .- James Williamson.
About the time Murphy shot the Indian in the morning, an in- cident of interest occurred near the main army, which is thus re- lated by Maj. Hoops.
" Early in the morning, Mr. Lodge, the surveyor, proceeded to chain from the west side of the inlet, where there was a picquet posted, and ascended a little way from the foot of the hill, outside the sentinels, in advance from the picquet, and was noting his work, when he was fired on by a single Indian who had crept up near him. Leaving his Jacob-staff standing, he made the best of his way toward a sentinel-the Indian almost at his heels, toma- hawk in hand. It is probable the Indian had not seen the senti- nel till he raised his piece and (when Mr. Lodge had passed him) fired, bringing him down, perhaps not mortally wounded. The
21
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whole picquet immediately advanced, strongly supported ; and as- cending the hill, found a line of packs."
Lieut. Boyd and his followers pursued their back track with the most zealous caution, with Han-Yerry in front and Murphy in the rear, to guard against surprise. It is not improbable that the two messengers sent forward by Boyd a few hours before, had fallen into the hands of the enemy contiguous to the American camp, and that they had left their packs to intercept the returning scout, which were found soon after Mr. Lodge was fired upon. Not the rustling of a leaf or spear of grass escaped the observa- tion of the returning scout. Nearly two-thirds of the distance was overcome-less than two miles intervened between them and the camp-and the party were beginning to breathe freely, when they were surprised by 500 Indians under Brant, and 500 Royal- ists under Butler. The enemy were secreted in a ravine through which they rightly conjectured Boyd would approach .- Statement of John Salmon, in Sullivan's Campaign. What could 28 men do, when opposed by 1000, or nearly forty to one. Discovering the enemy to be concealed in great numbers, Boyd resolved on at- tempting his escape by cutting through his thickly opposing ranks. In the first onset, not one of his men fell, although their fire told fearfully upon the enemy. A second and third attempt was made, and seventeen of the Americans had fallen .- Salmon. At the third onset of the brave scout, the ranks of the enemy were broken, and Murphy, tumbling a huge warrior in the dust who ob- structed his passage-even to the merriment of his dusky com- panions-led his thus liberated comrades .- Treat's Oration. Boyd, supposing if any one escaped with life it would be Mur- phy, determined to follow him, but not being as fast a runner, he was soon taken, and with him one of his men named Parker. Murphy, as he found the path unobstructed, exclaimed of himself, in hearing of the enemy, "Clean Tim. by G-d!" shaking his fist at the same time at his pursuers .- Treat's Oration. After Murphy had been pursued for some time, he observed that he had distanced all his blood-thirsty followers except two, a tall and a short Indian. Several times as they neared him, Murphy would
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raise his rifle, which was unloaded, and they would fall back. He found as he ran, that his mocasons began to prove too tight, ow- ing to the swelling of his feet .* He opened a pocket knife, and while running (at the hazard of cutting his shins) he slit the tops of his mocasons, which afforded relief. Shortly after, he entered a piece of swale, and his feet becoming entangled in long grass and rank weeds, he fell. The place proved a favorable one for concealment, and he did not immediately rise. As his pursuers broke over a knoll so as to gain a view of the grass plot, not dis- covering him, although he did them, they altered their course. Murphy then loaded his rifle, and cautiously proceeded on his way to the camp. He knew from the beginning of the melee, should he be taken prisoner, what his fate would be, having the scalp of an Indian in his pocket, and his mocasons on his feet. Shortly af- ter Murphy again set forward, he discovered himself to be head- ed by an Indian in the woods : which discovery was mutual and both took trees. After dogging each other for some time, Mur- phy'drew his ramrod, placed his hat upon it and gently moved it aside the trec ; when the Indian, supposing it contained a head, fired a ball through it. The hat was thereupon dropped, and run- ning up to scalp his man, the Indian received the bullet of Mur- phy's rifle through his breast ; exclaiming, as he fell backwards, " O-wah !"
Murphy, Garret Putinan of Fort Hunter (afterwards a captain,) and a French Canadian, were all of Lieut. Boyd's command who regained the American camp. The two latter secreted them- selves early in their flight under a fallen tree, around which was growing a quantity of thrifty nettles, and escaped observation ; although several Indians passed over the log in pursuit of Mur- phy. John Putman, a cousin of Garret, also from the vicinity of Fort Hunter, was killed in Groveland. At his burial it was supposed he had been shot in the act of firing, as a ball and
. It has been stated, and is now believed by many, that Murphy skinned the feet of this Indian and put the green hides on. It was not so ; and had he been disposed to have done it, which I cannot possibly admit, he could not have had time on that morning.
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several buck-shot had entered the right arm-pit, without injuring the arm .- Peter, a brother of John Putman, corroborated by James Williamson.
A soldier named Benjamin Custom, who joined Gen. Sullivan with the troops from Schoharie, attempted to follow Murphy, but was overtaken and slain in Groveland .- Geo. Richtmyer. When Murphy reached the camp, and told the sad fate of his companions, Gen. Sullivan declared it was good enough for them, as they had disobeyed his orders ; possibly in advancing farther than he intended they should .- J. Williamson.
When Boyd found himself a prisoner, he obtained an inter- view with Brant, who was a freemason. After the magic signs of a brotherhood were exchanged, the dusky warrior assured the captain he should not be injured. Soon after their capture, Boyd and Parker were hurried off to the vicinity of Beard's Town, now in the town of Leicester, ten or fifteen miles distant from the bat- tle-field. Brant was called off on some enterprise not long af- ter, and the prisoners were kept in charge of one of the Butlers, probably Walter, the destroyer of Cherry-Valley; who began to interrogate them about the future instructions of Gen. Sullivan, threatening them, if true and ready answers were not given, with savage tortures. Boyd, believing the assurance of Brant ample for his safety, too high minded to betray his country on the ap- pearance of danger, refused, as did Parker, to answer Butler's questions ; and the latter, executing his threat, gave them over to a party of Seneca Indians. Little Beard and his warriors, seized the helpless victims, and having stripped, bound them to trees. They then practised their favorite pastime for such occa- sions, of throwing their hatchets into the tree just over the heads of their victims. Becoming wearied of this amusement, a single blow severed Parker's head from his body. The attention of the tormentors being undivided, they began to tax their ingenuity for tortures to inflict on his surviving comrade. Making an in- cission into the abdomen, they fastened his intestines to a tree, and compelled him to move round it, until they were thus all drawn out. He was again pinioned to a tree, his mouth enlarged-his
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nails dug out-his tongue cut out-his ears cut off-his nose cut off and thrust into his mouth-his eyes dug out, and when sinking in death, he was also decapitated, and his disfigured head raised upon a sharpened pole. To those Indian cruelties we must sup- pose Butler was not only a witness, but that they were rendered the more inhuman, in the hope of gratifying his revengeful dis- position. Thus fell the brave Lieutenant Thomas Boyd, at the age of twenty-two years.
On the arrival of Murphy, Gen. Sullivan ordered Gen. Hand forward to relieve Boyd and party. At the spot where the en- gagement had taken place, he discovered several Indian blankets, and an Indian's corpse, which had been accidently left among the fallen Americans; but returned to the main army, ignorant of the fate of Boyd .- Oration of Treat.
Poor Han-Yerry, who had performed prodigies of valor in the conflict of Oriskany, and who had rendered the American cause much real service, fell literally hacked in pieces. The army, as it moved on towards the Genesee river, buried the bodies of those who fell in the present town of Groveland. On the following day, Generals Clinton and Hand, with about two thousand troops, were sent across the Genesee river to Beard's Town, to destroy the dwellings, crops, &c. of the Senecas .- Treat's Oration and Letter of Van Campen.
Mr. Sanborn, a soldier who was on the extreme right wing of Clinton's army, discovered the headless bodies of Boyd and Par- ker. The rifle company of Captain Simpson, of which Boyd had been lieutenant, performed the melancholy duty of burying the mutilated remains of their comrades, which was done under a wild plum tree, and near a stream of water .- James Williamson.
Beard's Town, one of the largest Indian villages in the Gene- see valley, was effectually destroyed, as were several other Indian towns on the west side of the Genesee, by the troops under Gen. Clinton, together with every growing substance found, that the enemy would eat. While this destruction was in progress, offi- cers Poor and Maxwell proceeded along the east side of the river and destroyed the villages of Canawagus and Big Tree. Three
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days being thus occupied in this vicinity, in the work of devasta- tion, Sullivan commenced his return march to Tioga Point. As the American troops approached the western Indian villages, the women and children fled from them to Niagara, while the Indians and their tory allies prowled about the forest, watching the move- ments of their foes, and seeking a favorable opportunity to strike an effective blow. During the winter following, the Indians be- came a tax upon the British government, and as the weather was intensely cold, and they were fed on salt provisions, to which they were unaccustomed, they died in fearful numbers by the scurvy .- Treat's Oration.
It is gratifying to know, that justice has now been done to the memory of Boyd and his companions. In the autumn of 1841, sixty-two years after their massacre, their remains were taken up, through the commendable zeal of the citizens of Rochester, re- moved to that city and deposited at Mount-Hope cemetery. On the delivery, by the citizens of Livingston county, of the bones of Boyd and Parker, which were found near the junction of two creeks, hereafter to be known as Boyd's creek and Parker's creek, and those of that unfortunate lieutenant's command who fell in Groveland, to the receiving committee of Monroe county, an appropriate oration was delivered at Geneseo, by S. Treat, Esq. of that place, to an audience, estimated at five thousand persons. When the procession arrived at Mount-Hope, near Rochester, and had deposited the sarcophagus and urn in their final resting place, a patriotic address was delivered by his Excellency William H. Seward. Several old soldiers took part in the ceremonies, among whom were Maj. Moses Van Campen, who had, in early life, been a near neighbor of Boyd, and Mr. Sanborn, who discovered the remains of Boyd and Parker the day after they were killed. The proceedings were highly creditable to the enterprise and patriotism of Monroe and Livingston counties, and will forever be hailed as a bright page in the history of Western New York. The place of their burial at Mount-Hope, is set apart not only to receive the remains of those brave men, but of any other soldiers of the revo- lution that may desire a burial there.
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To a State Convention, called to devise measures "for appre- ciating the currency, restraining extortion, regulating prices, and other similar purposes," Frederick Fisher, John Frey, Christopher W. Fox, Crowneage Kincade, John Petrie, and Werner Deygert were elected by the people of the Mohawk valley, as certified to by Jacob G. Klock, chairman of Tryon county committec. Da- ted, Committee Chamber, August 16, 1779.
In October of this year, the enemy, about two hundred strong, under Major Monroc, consisting of British regulars, tories, and In- dians, entered the Ballston settlement. Most of the early settlers of Saratoga county were from New England, and were good li- vers. An invasion had been anticipated, and two hundred Schen- ectada militia were sent to aid in protecting the settlement. A church, called afterwards the red meeting-house, was being erected at the time, and opposite and near it, a dwelling owned by a Mr. Weed was inclosed in pickets, at which place the Schenectada troops were stationed. About the same time, the Ballston mili- tia, thinking the troops sent to aid them were not sufficiently cou- rageous, erected a small defence on Pearson's Hill, afterwards called Court House Hill, nearly two miles in advance of the stock- ade named, and where the invaders were expected to enter. The little fortress on the hill was guarded for several nights, but as the enemy did not appear, it was abandoned.
The second night (Sunday night) after the Ballston troops dis- persed, the enemy broke into the settlement. They made their first appearance at Gordon's Mills, situated on a stream called the Morning kill, entering the public road at the foot of the hill no- ticed. Col. James Gordon, who commanded the Ballston militia, and Capt. Collins, an active partizan officer, living near him, were both surprised at their dwellings, and borne into captivity, with nearly thirty of their neighbors. On the arrival of the enemy at the house of Capt. Collins, Mann Collins, his son, escaped from it, and gave the alarm to John and Stephen Ball, his brothers-in- law. The latter mounted a horse, and rode to the house of Maj. Andrew Mitchell, (Major under Col. Gordon,) who, with his fa- mily, fled into the fields, and escaped. The Balls also communi-
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cated intelligence of the enemy's proximity to the Schenectada troops at the Fort.
At Gordon's Mills, one Stowe, his miller, was captured on the arrival of Monroe's party, and, for some reason, soon after libera- ted. Feeling himself obligated to Col. Gordon, he thought it his duty to inform him of his danger, and afford him a chance of es- cape. Crossing a field with that laudable intent, he met an In- dian, who, seeing a fugitive, as he supposed, attempting to escape, thrust a spontoon through his body, and instantly killed him.
Great numbers of cattle and hogs were driven away at this time, or killed, several dwellings and out-buildings burned, and the whole settlement greatly alarmed by the invaders, who pro- ceeded directly back to Canada by the eastern route. Among the dwellings burned were those of one Waters, one Pearson, several Spragues, and several Patchins. Two dwellings, a little north of the present residence of Judge Thompson, owned at the time by Kennedys, escaped the torch, as they had a friend among the in- vaders.
The troops assembled in the neighborhood were on their trail by daylight on Monday morning, and followed some distance ; but meeting a liberated captive, who bore a message from Col. Gor- don advising the Americans to abandon the pursuit, it was given over. Why the message was sent, I am not informed, but pre- sume he either thought the enemy too strong to warrant it, or the prisoners in danger of assassination if a hasty retreat was neces- sary. Col. Gordon was an Irishman by birth, and a firm patriot. He was confined in a Canadian prison for several years, and was one of a party of six or eight prisoners, who effected their escape in the latter part of the war, and after much suffering succeeded in reaching home. Henry and Christian Banta, Epenetus White, an ensign of militia, and several others, neighbors of Col. G., and captured subsequently, also escaped with him. Procuring a boat, the fugitives crossed the St. Lawrence, and from its southern shore directed their steps through the forest, coming out at Passama- quoddy Bay, in Maine, where they found friends. Before reach- ing a dwelling the party were all in a starving condition, and Col.
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