USA > New York > Warren County > History of Warren County [N.Y.] with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 17
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FROM 1770 TO 1775.
Montgomery to Carleton, the latter said he would hold no communication with " a rebel general."
Preparations were now made to assault the city. Colonel Lamb had brought six twelve-pounder guns which were mounted upon a redoubt built of ice, and from a few mortars stationed in the lower town, shells were thrown into the city, by which a few buildings were set on fire. But Lamb's ice battery was destroyed by well-directed cannonade from the citadel and he was forced to withdraw. Clearly, this course would not succeed, and Montgomery waited two weeks in vain for reinforcements. His soldiers, many of whom had left him before his departure from Montreal, upon expiration of their terms, were be- coming dissatisfied ; the small-pox broke out among them and to make mat- ters worse, Arnold, always dictatorial and obstinate, quarreled with other of- ficers and thus further alienated some of the troops.
At last and almost in desperation, Montgomery determined upon an at- tempt to carry the city by a direct assault at two points, one division to be led by himself and the other by Arnold. On the first stormy night Arnold wasto attack the lower town, set fire to the suburb of St. Roque, while the main body should make an assault from the St. Lawrence River side under Montgomery. A snow storm began on the 30th of December ; sickness, desertion and expira- tion of enlistment terms had dwindled the force to seven hundred and fifty ef- fective men, but the movement was carried forward. While Arnold led his three hundred and fifty men to the assault on the St. Charles side, Livingston made a feint upon the St. Louis gate and Major Brown menaced the Cape Dia- mond bastion. At the same time Montgomery descended to the St. Lawrence and made his way along the narrow shore at the foot of the cape. The whole plan had been revealed to Carleton by a Canadian deserter and the garrison was prepared for the assault. A battery was placed at the narrow pass on the St. Charles side and a block-house with masked cannon occupied the narrow road at the foot. of Cape Diamond. Montgomery approached this block-house, where all was still. Believing his presence was not known he shouted to the companies of Captains Mott and Cheesemen, near him, "Men of New York, you will not fear to follow where your general leads ; push on, my brave boys and Quebec is ours !" At this moment a charge of grape shot from a single gun, which, tradition says, was fired by a drunken sailor (the last of the block- house garrison, the remainder having fled at the approach of the Americans), swept through the narrow path with terrific destructiveness. Montgomery fell, pierced though the head and both legs; his dying form was caught in the arms of Burr. Cheeseman and McPherson, aids, and ten others were killed. The assault was doomed ; the fall of the brave leader overwhelmed the troops, and Montgomery's division, now in command of Colonel Campbell, hastily withdrew.
Meanwhile Arnold's band was marching through blinding snow and heavy
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drifts, in single file, up the defile that led to his point of attack. This could be raked by the guns of the battery and swept by the musketry from the garri- . son walls. Lamb had left his artillery as useless, and joined Arnold. The city bells began ringing and drums beating. Fire was opened on the narrow pass and Arnold fell wounded and was borne from the field. Morgan took com- mand and amid desperate fighting a battery was captured with a number of the guards and its barricades scaled with ladders. The commander was the second man to cross the works. With the aid of Colonel Green and Majors Bigelow and Meigs he succeeded in gathering around him two hundred of the troops, covered with snow and ice and suffering with the cold ; but as day dawned they were imbued with renewed enthusiasm and called on their brave commander to lead them against a second battery mounted beyond the angle of a street. The advance was quickly made, but turning the angle they were met by a body of troops under Captain Anderson ; the latter called on Morgan to surrender and was immediately shot by him. The Americans now rushed ahead, planted ladders against this barricade and mounted to the top. Here they saw before them two lines of British regulars, the butts of their muskets on the ground and their bayonets towards the summit of the barricade. Many of the Americans retreated into the stone houses whence they could maintain their fire, and the conflict continued. But Carleton was enabled, through the failure of the other assaults, to throw his entire force against Morgan. After several hours of resistance and waiting in vain for aid from the other detach- ments, the brave band was compelled to surrender after a loss of a hundred men. Thus ended the siege.
The entire loss of the Americans in killed wounded and prisoners, was about four hundred. The British lost about twenty killed.
Upon the death of Montgomery Arnold took the command and retired with the remainder of the troops to Silllery, three miles up the river, where he blockaded Quebec during the remainder of the winter. His position and his prospects were not encouraging. The troops were insubordinate and the Ca- nadian people, prompted by the priests, were becoming disaffected towards the Americans, while at the same time disease was rampant among the troops. Arnold was relieved in April by General Wooster and a month later General Thomas took command. Arnold was transferred to Montreal, where " he re- vealed the cupidity and rapaciousness, which, in after years, and on another stage deformed and debauched his whole character." 1
The approach of three British ships that had forced their way up the river, conveying troops and supplies, coupled with his own almost helpless situation, impelled Thomas to begin a retreat, which was done on the 5th of May. The order was for such immediate movement that most of the sick and wounded and the stores were abandoned. The retreat itself was a long series of hard-
1 WATSON'S Essex County.
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ships, struggles with sickness and hunger and general suffering. At Sorel General Thomas fell a victim to the prevailing epidemic and was succeeded by General Sullivan. This officer's subsequent conduct of the retreat showed the highest generalship and was formally recognized by Congress. The capture of the post at the Cedars, on the St. Lawrence, by the Canadians and Mo- hawks, and the sanguinary disaster at the Three Rivers, only served to hasten Sullivan's retreat, and he arrived at Crown Point in June, with the remnant of a conquered army.
CHAPTER XIII.
CLOSE OF 1776.
The Canadian . Mission - Its Failure - Hostilities near New York - Battle of Long Island -- Small-Pox at Crown Point - Carleton's Pursuit of the Americans - Dr. Thacher's Journal - Building a British Fleet for Lake Champlain - Counter-Action by Arnold-Sailing of the British Fleet - Re- spective Positions of the American and British Vessels -The Engagement- Retirement of the Amer- icans - Rapid Pursuit - Arnold's Bravery - Burning of a Portion of the Fleet - Escape of the Re- mainder to Crown Point - The British Retire to Canada for the Winter -Campaign of 1777 - Bur- goyne's Operations -Assault upon and Evacnation of Ticonderoga -The Jane McCrea Incident - Bur- goyne's Surrender.
T HE country was now fully ablaze with the Revolution, and the remainder of the year 1776 witnessed some important occurrences. The month of March, while Arnold was yet in command at Montreal, had witnessed the fail- ure of the commission appointed by Congress, consisting of Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase and Charles Carroll, to proceed to Canada and induce the people to establish a free government and join the confederated colonies. Hostilities were for the time being transferred to New York and vicinity and the battle of Long Island, disastrous to the Americans, was fought and New York was evac- uated in September, while other occurrences of moment were taking place in the northern department, with which we are more directly interested.
When the retreating army had reached Crown Point, as detailed at the close of the preceding chapter, it mustered about five thousand men; but more than half of these were helpless in sickness, chiefly from the terrible scourge, small- pox. For ten days the troops remained there, suffering much from exposure, during which brief period three hundred deaths occurred. What would have happened had not Sullivan, in his wisdom, destroyed everything in his track that could have aided the British in their pursuit, may be imagined. When they arrived at Champlain their progress was stayed for want of shipping. The naval supremacy of the lake now became of perhaps greater moment than ever
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
before. Carleton immediately began the construction of boats in the Sorel, and six large vessels, which had been built in England, were taken apart below the Chambly Rapids and conveyed to St. Johns, where they were again rebuilt in the utmost hastc. The Ist of October found him with a fleet of thirty-one vessels all armed with from one to eighteen guns and manned by several hun- dred seamen and a corps of artillery.
Congress had not been idle. Here Arnold found a field for the exercise of his indomitable energy, and he saw the construction, directly from the forest trees, and equipment of fifteen vessels, armed in the aggregate with fifty-five guns and manned by three hundred and fifty men; men, however, with little experience in naval affairs.
A short period of repose followed, but neither antagonist was idle. Carle- ton strengthened the forts at St. Johns and Isle aux Noix and gathered a land force of seven thousand troops to march against his enemy when the lake was conquered ; and Arnold cruised the lake in defiance of the foe, perfected his plans for the expected contest, and drilled his men.
Meanwhile General Gates had, through intrigue, displaced General Schuyler in command of the northern army, and concentrated his forces at Ticonderoga.I
Dr. James Thacher joined the American forces that marched to Ticonder- oga from Boston. He was an intelligent man and kept a journal from 1775 to 1783, which proved of great historic value. He writes of Ticonderoga and the events about to occur in that vicinity with such clearness and evident sin- cerity and judgment, that we are fully justified in quoting as follows : -
August 20th, 1776. - "Having recovered my health and being prepared to follow my regiment, I am this day to bid adieu to the town of Boston, where I have resided very pleasantly for the last five months. I am destined to a distant part of our country, and know not what sufferings and hazards I shall be called to encounter, while in the discharge of my military duty. I shall commence my journey in company with Lieutenant Whiting and fourteen men who were left here as invalids.
" September. - We took our route through Worcester, Springfield, Charles- town, in New Hampshire, and over the Green Mountains to Skeensboro; which is the place of rendezvous for the continental troops and militia destined to Ticonderoga. Here boats are provided at the entrance of Lake Champlain, which are continually passing to and from this place. We embarked on the
1 Gates at first established his headquarters at Crown Point, but soon afterward withdrew his forces from that post and fell back upon Ticonderoga. This step was taken by the advice and concurrence of a board of general officers but contrary to the wishes of the field officers. The commander-in-chief was exceedingly dissatisfied with this movement of Gates, believing that the relinquishment of that post in its consequences would be equivalent to an abandonment of Lakes George and Champlain, and all advantages lo be derived therefrom. - STONE's Life of Brant, with reference to Washington's letter to Gates.
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CLOSE OF 1776.
6th instant, and with good oarsmen and sails we arrived the same day, and joined our regiment here, a distance of thirty miles.
" 10th. - Ticonderoga is situated on an angle of land forming the western shore of Lake Champlain, or rather what is called South Bay; being the inlet into the lake. It is about twelve miles south of the old fortress at Crown Point, and about one hundred and ten miles north of Albany. This point of land is surrounded on three sides by water, and on the northwest side it is well defended by the old French lines and several block-houses. On the east side of South Bay, directly opposite to Ticonderoga, is a high circular hill, on the summit of which our army has erected a strong fort, within which is a square of barracks. This is called Mt. Independence. A communication is maintained between the two places by a floating bridge thrown across the lake, which is about four hundred yards wide. The army stationed at this post at present is supposed to consist of about eight to ten thousand men, and Major General Gates is commander-in-chief. We have a naval armament1 on Lake Champlain, below this garrison, which is commanded by the intrepid General Arnold; General Waterbury is second in command. The British have also a naval armament 2 of superior force, at the head of which is the celebrated Sir Guy Carleton."
Carleton and Arnold's Naval Battle. - " Preparations are making on both sides for a vigorous combat to decide which power shall have dominion on the lake. Should Sir Guy Carleton be able to defeat our fleet, it is supposed that he will pursue his victorious career by an attempt to possess himself of this garrison ; and our troops are making the utmost exertion to put our works in the best possible defense. Each regiment has its alarm post assigned, and they are ordered to repair to it, and to man the lines at day light every morn- ing. Among our defensive weapons are poles, about twelve feet long, armed with sharp iron points, which each soldier is to employ against the assailants when mounting the breast works.
" 10th.3- By intelligence from our fleet, on the lake, we are in daily ex- pectation of a decisive naval action, as the British are known to have a supe- rior force ; our officers here, I understand, are full of anxiety respecting the important event. Great confidence is reposed in the judgment of General Arnold, whom General Gates has appointed to command our fleet.
" 15th. - I have now to recount an account of a naval engagement be- tween the two fleets on Lake Champlain.4 The British under command of Sir Guy Carleton, advanced on the 11th instant, and found our fleet in a line of
1 Built and equipped by Arnold at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, as already described.
2 Built at St. Johns and navigated by seven hundred veteran seamen.
3 Without doubt, October Ioth.
4 This engagement occurred in the strait between Valcour Island and the western shore, just north of the mouth of the Ausable. Its history cannot be omitted in the sketch of Fort Ticonderoga, be- cause the American vessels were built and manned there.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
battle prepared for the attack. A warm action soon ensued, and became ex- tremely close and severe, with round and grape shot, which continued about four hours. Brigadier-General Waterbury, in the Washington Galley, fought with undaunted bravery, till nearly all his officers were killed and wounded, and his vessel greatly injured; when General Arnold ordered the remaining shattered vessels to retire up the lake, towards Crown Point, in order to refit. On the 13th they were overtaken by the enemy, and the action was renewed, in which was displayed the greatest intrepidity on both sides. The Washing- ton Galley being crippled in the first action, was soon obliged to strike and surrender. General Arnold conducted during the action with great judgment, firmness, and gallantry, obstinately defending himself against a superior force, both in numbers or weight of metal. At length, however, he was so closely pressed that his situation became desperate and he run his own vessel, the Congress Galley, on shore, which with five gondolas were abandoned and blown up. Out of sixteen of our vessels, eleven were taken or destroyed, five only arrived safely at this place. Two of the enemy's gondolas were sunk by our fleet, and one blown up with sixty men. Their loss in men is supposed to be equal to our own, which is estimated at about one hundred."
Preparations to Receive an Attack. -- " A large number of troops were on board the British fleet, consisting of regulars, Canadians and savages, which have been landed on each side of the lake, and it is now expected that Sir Guy Carleton, at the head of his army, reported to be about ten thousand strong, will soon invest this post. By order of General Gates, our commander, the greatest exertions are constantly making, by strengthening our works, to en- able us to give them a warm reception ; and our soldiery express a strong de- sire to have an opportunity of displaying their courage and prowess ; both officers and men are full of activity and vigilance.
" 18th. - It is now ascertained that the British army and fleet have estab- lished themselves at Crown Point, and are strengthening the old fortifications at that place. Some of their vessels have approached within a few miles of our garrison, and one boat came within cannon shot distance of our lower bat- tery, in order to reconnoitre and sound the channel; but a few shot having killed two men, and wounded another, soon obliged her to retire. All of our troops are to repair to their alarm posts, and man the lines and works; every morning our continental troops are advantageously displayed on the ramparts, and our cannon and spears are in readiness for action.
" 20th. - Ever since the defeat of our fleet we have been providentially favored with a strong southerly wind, which has prevented the enemy's ad- vancing to attack our lines, and afforded us time to receive some reinforce- ments of militia, and to prepare for a more vigorous defense. It seems now to be the opinion of many of our most judicious officers, that had Sir Guy Carleton approached with his army immediately after his victory on the lake,
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the struggle must have been most desperate, and the result precarious; but we now feel more confidence in our strength."
Carleton Retires to Canada. - "November Ist. - The enemy remain at Crown Point, and evince no disposition to molest our garrison, having proba- bly discovered that our means of defense are too formidable for them to en- counter. General Gates has now ordered a detachment of troops to march towards Crown Point, to reconnoitre their position, or to attack them. A re- port was soon returned that the whole fleet and army have abandoned Crown Point, and retired into Canada, where they will probably occupy their winter quarters in peace, and it is not probable that Sir Guy Carleton intends to in- vest our garrison, at this advanced season, unless, however, he should attempt it by marching his army over the ice when the lake is frozen, which will prob- ably be very practicable."
Winter Life in the Barracks. - " 15th. - Ticonderoga is in about latitude forty-four degrees. I have no means in possession of ascertaining the precise degrees of cold ; but we all agree that it is colder here than in Massachusetts at the same season. The earth has not yet been covered with snow, but the frost is so considerable that the water of the lake is congealed, and the earth is frozen. We are comfortably situated in our barracks; our provisions are now good, and having no enemy near enough to alarm and disturb us, we have nothing of importance to engage our attention. Our troops are quite healthy, a few cases of rheumatism and pleurisy comprise our sick list, and it is seldom that any fatal cases occur."
Such was the sagacious physician's description of the most important naval engagement on Lake Champlain and other contemporaneous events. General Carleton was harshly and unjustly censured for his retirement to Canada. He realized the strength of the garrison at that time and properly estimated the hazards of an approaching winter which would cut him off from rapid trans- portation to Canada.
While the garrison was "comfortably situated " in the barracks as chron- icled by Thacher, Washington was retreating in gloom across the Jerseys, closely pursued by Cornwalis; Forts Washington and Lee had fallen into the hands of the enemy ; the militia had shown little of that heroism that was ex- pected of them, and the tory spirit was rife in New York and New Jersey ; the American cause seemed in desperate straits. But the spirits of Washington rose to the emergency and before the close of the year he won the battle of Trenton (December 26), which, with Carleton's departure from Lake Cham- plain, revived the depressed spirits of the colonists.
For the campaign of 1777 the English made the most thorough prepara- tion in the north, where General Burgoyne had succeeded Carleton. A large and fully equipped army was gathered in Canada and placed under his com- mand, with which it was intended to crush the insurgent colonies. The force
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
designed for the enterprise numbered more than seven thousand men, besides about two hundred and fifty Canadians, to which were added some four hun- dred Indians and a large park of artillery. The forces, with the exception of the Indians, assembled at St. Johns and Isle aux Noix. Its command, under Burgoyne, was entrusted to such brave and skillful officers as Generals Phillips, Frazer, Powell and Hamilton, of the British troops, and Riedesel and Specht of the hired Germans. Early in June this splendid army left St. Johns in boats and reached the banks of the Boquet, where it halted ten days, to ena- ble the commander to make a reconaissance of Ticonderoga, drill his boatmen and hold his notorious conference with the Iudians, in which they were deliber- ately employed to glut their savage passions upon the Americans. This con- ference was held on the 21st. Burgoyne made a stirring speech to the Indians who pledged themselves to carry out his behests against the colonists. There will always, doubtless, be differences of opinion as to how far Burgoyne went in this bargain and to what extent he inflamed the savages; but the fact must remain that he knew the character of the Indians and their mode of warfare ; he knew also, that the Americans had not sought their alliance, desiring only their neutrality ; hence the bloody scenes that followed directly upon this bar- gain between him and the six nations must, in a measure, be accredited to him.1
The plans of the English for the campaign embraced the cutting off of New England from the Middle States by the opening of communication between New York and Canada. This was to be accomplished by Burgoyne, in co-op- eration with General Clinton, whose operations were to be carried on down the Hudson. At the same time Sir Wm. Howe, with an army of 16,000 men, was to withdraw from New Jersey and move simultaneously around to the Chesapeake and take possession of the Middle States.
Unfortunately for the Americans, these plans were hidden and mystified to such an extent that the commanding officers were in great perplexity in devis- ing measures of opposition. It was the general impression that Burgoyne contemplated a movement against Boston and that Sir Wm. Howe was to co- operate in the subjugation of the hot-bed of rebellion, New England. Even after Burgoyne descended from the north, General Howe's movements were misunderstood by Washington, his uncertainty being strengthened by a feigned dispatch sent by Howe to Burgoyne upon the subject of ascending the Hud- son ; this dispatch was purposely allowed to fall into the hands of the Ameri-
1 " It is but just to this gallant but unfortunate officer, however, to state, that he did all in his power to restrain the excesses and barbarities of the Indians. At the council and war feast, which he gave them near Crown Point, he endeavored to explain to them the laws of civilized war ; and charged them that they must only kill those opposing them in arms; that old men, women and children, and prisoners, must be held sacred from the knife or hatchet, even in the heat of battle. But it did no good." - STONE'S Life of Brant. The question will, doubtless, be asked whether Burgoyne should not have known, or did not know, at the time that it would " do no good."
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can commander, who was thereby impelled to remain inactive and to withhold reinforcements from the northern department. As late as July 2d, Washing- ton wrote the Congress, " If we were certain General Burgoyne were approach- ing Ticonderoga with his whole army, I should not hesitate a moment in con- cluding that it is in consequence of a preconcerted plan with General Howe, and that the latter is to co-operate with him by pushing his whole force up the North River." And July 22d he wrote, "I cannot give you any certain ac- count of General Howe's operations. His conduct is puzzling and embarrass- ing beyond measure ; so are the informations I get. At one time the ships are standing up toward the North River; in a little while they are going up the sound ; and in one hour after they are going out of the hook." This to General Schuyler. In reality the fleet sailed for the Virginia capes on the 23d of July.
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