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 41
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Cattle and sheep had been brought to the settlements in limited numbers, contributing to the food supply of the community and giving an air of peaceful civilization to the clearings in the forest. The settlers sometimes found it no easy task to obtain their current food supply, and it was often even more diffi- cult to procure sustenance for their stock. This might have been actually im- possible but for the two large beaver meadows, one of which was on the Five- mile Run (so-called from its being about that distance from the head of Lake
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
George), which was on this account given the name of Meadow Run; and the other on the outlet of the Big Cedar swamp on the east side of the town; this stream ran through Great Lot No. 3, owned in early days by Reed Ferriss, and came to be known as Reed's Meadow Creek. Cattle were also driven to the woods to browse in winter, thus eking out the scanty supply of hay. During one winter of extreme severity, it is related that the cattle could not be driven to the swamp as usual, and the settlers were compelled to feed them with salted fish, trout and suckers, which had been caught in the fall and with which all the streams abounded. One of the early settlers brought in, with great trouble, a small flock of sheep, which he placed in a log pen near the house, for security from wolves. During the night the ravenous beasts thrust their noses between the logs and succeeded in killing all but two of the flock. Those two were killed the next day, to save them.
While the families we have mentioned were struggling in the wilderness, with peace for their handmaid, public events were rapidly approaching the crisis that could end only in war. The "Sons of Liberty," determined, watchful and alert, were organizing in every center along the seaboard, and preparations were made for the oncoming struggle that was felt by the wisest counselors of the nation to be imperative. At the same time the authorities of New York and New Hampshire engaged in the prolonged civil strife known as the New Hampshire grants controversy, which has been described ; while a plan was also laid, the details of which are not well understood, for erecting a new prov- ince comprising all of the Northern New York and the New Hampshire grants (the western part of the present State of Vermont.) Philip Skene 1 was to be the governor of the province, with the seat at Whitehall. The plan was frus- trated by the breaking out of the war two years later and the capture of the ambitious Skene; his estates were confiscated at the close of the war.
The principal events of a military character in the long and bitter struggle between Great Britain and her colonies have been described in early chapters of this work; with many of these the settlers of Queensbury were intimately associated, not as participators in the strife of battle to any great extent, on ac- count of their religious belief, which precluded such acts, but as sufferers from
1 In 1761 Philip Skene, an English major under half pay, who had been with Amherst in 1759, es- tablished a large colony near the mouth of Wood Creek. In the autumn he accompanied an expedition against Havana, and on his return, in 1763, found the settlement reduced to fifteen persons. He imme- diately set about re-establishing the colony, and in 1765 obtained patents for twenty-five thousand acres of land lying on and near the creek. Here he built a stone mansion forty feet by thirty, and two stories and a half in height. In 1770 he erected a large stone building one hundred and thirty feet long, which was used for a military garrison and depot. He also built at this place a stone forge of about the same dimensions as his house, where he commenced the manufacture of iron. This was the first forge erected on the borders of the lake. Skene owned a sloop, with which he kept up a regular communica- tion with Canada, and at his own expense he cut a road through the wilderness as far as Salem, a dis- tance of about thirty miles, from which point it was continned by others to Bennington. This road was used during the season when the navigation on the lake was closed by ice. In 1773 Skenesborough contained a population of 379. - PALMER's History of Lake Champlain, p. 95.
35I
PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
the devastation and destruction that alway follows in the track of war. Early in the struggle the fort at Ticonderoga was captured by Ethan Allen and his men, an event which was soon followed by the seizure of the partially disman- tled fortification at the head of Lake George (Fort George) by Colonel Romans, Daniel Parke1 (or Parks). With the seizure of this post it is not probable that the peacefully-inclined inhabitants of Queensbury were directly connected ex- cept as here stated.
The Revolution grew apace. The "rebels," as they were termed by the British, seemed to almost spring up out of the earth on all sides; military or- ganizations were perfected and the country was ablaze with preparations for war. The territory with which we are here concerned was directly affected by this situation of affairs. The eastern towns of Charlotte county were the very homes of the rebels who had captured Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and it was seen at once that hereabouts must, in the natural course of events, be enacted some of the stirring and bloody scenes anticipated by the people. William Duer, a gentlemen of prominence residing in this vicinity, wrote to the Committee of Safety early in 1775, that certain lawless persons, mostly debtors, were assembling at Fort Edward to break up the courts of justice. Captain Edward Motte, then on his way from Ticonderoga to Albany, reached there at this opportune time, and by his presence during a session of the court, pre- vented further disturbance.
The first colonial assemblage convened in Albany and organized on the 22d of May under the name of the Provincial Congress. The minutes of its journal show that John Williams and William Marsh, from Charlotte county, appeared with their certificates of appointment as delegates.
The campaigns of 1775 and 1776 comprised a series of military events of great importance to the American cause, with the details of which the reader has been made familiar. Notwithstanding the general uprising throughout the colonies against the tyranny of England, there was still a strong feeling in many sections of adherence to the royal cause, both with individuals and in the public
1 It is related by the descendants of the l'arke family, that Elijah Parke was the original settler in this region, locating on the south side of the river, opposite the site of Glens Falls. Daniel Parke was a son of Elijah and began a settlement where South Glens Falls is built and erected the first mills at that point. Dr. Holden copied the following inscription from the Parks family Bible some years ago :-
" I, S. Parks and Susannah my wife was married in 1789, May. I was 24 years old March 5, 1789. I was born in the town of Half-Moon now in the village of Waterford, when I was 2 months old my father moved his family to the town of Sharon in the St. of Connecticut. We lived there until 1773 and May the 10 and then my father moved his family to what was then called Wing's falls and now called Glen's falls and there built the first mills that was ever built there. And we suffered a great deal in that struggle for liberty we lost our lives and property and became poor and weak. S. PARKS."
The mills mentioned were destroyed in the Revolutionary War and rebuilt after the close of that con- test by Colonel John (Johannes) Glen, who purchased the estate of Parke and from whom the villages are named. Daniel Parks died March 3, 1818, at the age of seventy-eight years, and was buried in the family lot opposite Sandy Hill. His tombstone bears the following inscription : "One of the veterans of the Revolutionary War, he was the man who took the key from the British officer at Lake George in 1775."
352
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
councils. This feeling gave birth and strength to the bands of Tories who be- came, perhaps, the most dreaded enemies of the colonial armies. It is also further shown by the passage of the following resolution by the Congress : -
" Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Congress, that none of the people of this colony have withdrawn their allegiance from His Majesty, or desire to be- come independent of the crown of Great Britain, or to change the ancient form of government, under which this colony hath grown up from its infancy to its present state."
This proceeding occurred as late as December 13th, 1775.
The position and circumstances of the belligerents in the region with which we are here particularly interested, at the beginning of 1776, may be noted as follows: Arnold was before Quebec with a force of about two thousand, not nearly all of which was effective; the intermediate posts were all in possession of the Americans. In addition to the garrisons at Crown Point, Ticonderoga and Fort George, a small earthwork was constructed at Summer-house Point on the Sacandaga River, where part of a regiment of Continentals was sta- tioned ; this post was abandoned in the following summer.
Steps were now taken to organize the county militia, as will be seen by the following document : -
" To the Honor'l Members of the Provincial Congress :
"GENTLEMEN : Having received the Resolves relating to the Rules and Orders for Regulating the Militia in this Colony, we thought proper to carry it into Execution with all Convenient Speed, and ordered a meeting of the County Committee Immediately.
" There being a Contention of part of this County in regard to Title of Land [the New Hampshire grants], And it was thought proper by the Com- mittees on the Grants to divide the County into two Parts, as they Do no Choose to joyn the other part of the County; which was agreed to by the other Committees; And Each part of the County to form One Regiment, and Recommend their Field Officers to you, desiring you will remit their commis- sions with all Convenient Speed, so that the Regiment may be formed as soon as Possible, In Case any Incursions may be made from Canada, as we are much Exposed to that Country.
"The following Gentlemen we recommend for Commissions, they being Friends to the present Cause and have signed the General Association :
"Dr. John Williams, Colonel, Platt Smith, Esq., Lieut. Col.,
" Messrs Nathan Hawly and Mr. John Jones, Adjutant,
" Hamilton McColister, Majors, Mr. Seth Sherwood, Quarter Master.
" Likewise the names of the inferior Officers in each district.
" District of White Creek.
"Ebenezer Clark, Esq., Captain, Edward Savage, 2d Lieut.,
"Charles Hutchinson, Ist Lieut., Daniel McClary, Ensign.
353
PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
" Argyle :
" Alex" Campbell, Capt.,
"Sam1 Paine, Ist Lieut.,
Peter Gilchrist, 2d Lieut., John McDougall, Ensign.
" Scheensburgh District :
" Jerem1 Burroughs, Capt., Elisha Tousea, 2d Lieut.,
" Levi Stockwell, Ist Lieut., Silas Granger, Ensign.
" Black Creek Disirict :
" Alex" Webster, Capt., George McKnight, 2d Lieut.,
" John Hamilton, Ist Lieut., Samuel Crosett, Ensign.
" Kingsbury District :
" Asa Richardson, Capt., Nehemh Sealey, 2d Lieut.,
" Adiel Sherwood, Ist Lieut., Samuel Harris, Ensign.1
"Signed by order of Committee,
"SETH SHERWOOD, Chairman.
" COUNTY CHARLOTTE, DORSETT, 2 Ist Sept., 1775.
" Commissions issued Sept. 29th, 1775.
"In addition to the foregoing, warrants were issued on the 29th of June to 2
"Joseph McCracken, Capt., John Barnes, 2d Lieut.,
" Moses Martin, Ist Lieut."
On the 25th of January, 1776, at a general meeting of the county commit- tee of Charlotte county it was unanimously agreed that Dr. John Williams be recommended to the Provincial Congress of New York for the command of the First Battalion of the militia of the county ; Alexander Campbell, of Argyle, for lieutenant-colonel ; Messrs. Timothy Bewell, of Fort Miller, and Alexander Webster, of Black Creek, for adjutants, and Mr. Samuel Fuller, of Skenes- borough, quartermaster. At the same time and place it was unanimously agreed that Dr. John Williams, and Mr. Alexander Campbell should represent the county of Charlotte in Provincial. Congress till the second Tuesday in May next.
During the progress of the campaign of 1776 the inhabitants of Queensbury began to feel the blows of the hand of war; property was taken with all the ruthlessness that characterizes the progress of armies, necessary though it may be; destruction followed the track of irresponsible bands of soldiery, and in various ways which we shall indicate, the settlers were called upon for sacri- fices which they were illy prepared to make, and for which, as a rule, they could obtain no redress. From among the Wing manuscripts Dr. Holden se- cured and printed in his valuable work various statements of these losses, which possess a peculiar and important interest; quaint as many of them are,
1 Calendar of N. Y. Hist. MSS. Rev. Papers, vol. I, p. 148. Sealey and Harris are supposed to have been residents of Queensbury.
2 Idem., p. 106.
23
354
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
in character, language and orthography, they stili tell the story of devastation with simple eloquence. Following are the earliest of these documents :
Paper No. I.
Endorsed, "Capt. Lammar's Account,
and account of things his company stole."
" 1776. Stolen, taken and carried out of my house, March 1Ith, by Capt. Lammar's company.
£. s. d.
" One blue Broadcloath Jactcoat at 2. -. -.
" One blue quilted petticoat at - 14. -.
" One woolen checked shirt at -. 172. -
" One silk handkerchief. at -. 5. -.
" One pewter basin
at
4. -.
" 13 Dunghill fowls.
at -.
18. -.
"One short stag goad -. 4. -.
.at
£. 5. 2. 6.
" Capt. Lammar, Dr. 1
"To one pleasure slay steel shod, painted green outside, red inside, which he carried away with him £ 7. and never returned. ABRAHAM WING."
Paper No. 2.
Containing Capt. Lamar's receipt, and Abraham Wing's affidavit in relation thereto.
" I hereby certify that Mr. Abraham Wing's slay was hired for the use of my company from the 13th of March to the first of April, 1776, when the ice- breaking up, I was obliged to leave her in the care of Mr. Belton at Wills- borough on Lake Champlain.
MARIEN LAMAR "Capt. I, P. B."
" I do most solemnly affirm that I never received the slay mentioned within, which was taken from me by Capt. Lamar for the use of the army, nor have I ever received any compensation for the same, or any other person whatever on my account, and that the slay was worth at that time in hard cash, seven pounds.
ABRAHAM WING, "6th March, 1786.
" Washington County.
"This day the above signed Abraham Wing appeared before me and affirmed to the truth of the same. ADIEL SHERWOOD, Jus. Pe."
Paper No. 3.
Being a military order and receipt for the delivery of certain property, on a requisition.
-
355
PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
"To Mr. Wyng :
" Sir, Plese deliver that gang of saws to the bearer, to be forwarded to Chesyrs,1 and take his receipt therefor, on the back of this order.
" Fort George, July ye 18th, 1776. NATH'L BUELL, " Ast. D. Qr. Mr. Gen'l."
Endorsement.
"July the 8th. Received the full contents of the within order, being 15 saws, with their stearups on.
" Receive pr. me.
EBEN'R ASHUMN. " " 1776."
The town records of Queensbury for the year 1776 show but little change in the officers of the preceding year. Following is a transcript from the records : -
" At an annual town meeting held in Queensbury on Tuesday ye 2nd day of May, 1776, for the township of Queensbury." Then followed a list of the officers voted in as here given : -
"Abraham Wing, Moderator ; Asaph Putnam, Town Clerk ; Abraham Wing, Supervisor ; Asaph Putnam, Constable; Nehemiah Sealey, Constable; Daniel Jones, Constable; Ebenezer Fuller, Constable ; Nehemiah Sealy and Benja- min Wing, Assessors ; Abraham Wing, Path Master; Benedict Brown, Path Master ; Ichabod Merritt and Nehemiah Sealy, Overseers of the Poor; Benja- min Wing, Collector; Abraham Wing, Town Treasurer ; Abraham Wing, Keeper of the Pound; Ichabod Merritt, and Asaph Putnam, viewers of fence and prisers of damage; Abraham Wing, Asaph Putnam and Nehemiah Sealy, are appointed to enspect all persons that shall hunt the Deer in Queensbury, for the year ensuing."
"Voted that any person that shall harbor or entertain or assist any person or persons from any County to hunt or kill any fawn, buck or deer in Queens- bury, in ye year ensuing shall Forfeit and pay to the treasury the Sum of five Pounds." 2
The Daniel Jones mentioned above as having been made a constable was
1 Cheshire's mill to which these saws were removed, it is supposed was situated on Fort Edward Creek in Kingsbury. In a communication from General Gates to General Waterbury dated Ticonder- oga, July 15th, 1776, he says : " If we make our stand at the place proposed, it is essential that the road from Cheshire's to Fort Edward be immediately repaired and rendered easy for carriages. * * - FORCE'S American Archives, fifth series, vol. I, p. 358.
" You will also post three companies of a regiment, with a field officer at Cheshire's mill."
" Agreeably to your directions, I have ordered Captain Veeder and his company at the saw mill at Cheshire's."- Richard Varick to General Gates, Albany, Oct. 14, 1776 .- Idem, vol. II, p. 1037.
Dr. Holden has in his possession evidence that Cheshire's mill was situated at Kane's Falls on what is now called Half-way Brook (formerly Scoon Creek). This statement is in correction of that em- bodied in the first paragraph of this note, which was taken from Dr. Holden's History of Queensbury, and written upon the best information then obtainable by him.
2 The orthography of names in our extracts from records, ancient documents, etc., is according to the originals, though known in many instances to be either inaccurate or not according to present cus- tom.
356
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
a brother of David Jones, already spoken of as the betrothed of the hapless Jane McCrea. The brothers were, according to Dr. Holden's History of Queensbury (p. 412-13), mill-wrights and the family was quite prominent in early days among the settlers on the Kingsbury patent; their large posses- sions were afterward sequestrated by the Commission of Forfeitures. Their house was for a short time the headquarters of Burgoyne in the following year. Daniel Jones was a son-in-law of Abraham Wing, who, with others of his family, was an undoubted patriot, while the Jones family were bitter loyal- ists. This is an example of the family disunions and feuds that were prevalent in the great struggle in many localities. The family of Mr. Wing, as well as those of all the prominent settlers of " the Corners," never took arms on either side.
The campaign of 1776, as we have seen, was peculiarly disastrous to the American arms, and the cause was but little better served during the succeed- ing year. A policy of vacillation and general weakness characterized the councils of the colonies, preventing the degree of success that was warranted by the capacity of officers and bravery of soldiers. The beginning of the year found General Schuyler in charge of the northern department, and to his wise administration may be credited the first real successes of the war. In the course of the campaign the territory within and immediately surrounding the Queensbury Patent was the scene of many stirring events and felt the terrible effects of the war to a grievous extent. Ticonderoga was recaptured by the British, Fort Anne was evacuated after stubborn resistance, and other important military operations were carried on in various parts of the province. Mean- while General Schuyler gathered the resources of the country surrounding his jurisdiction. On the 10th of July he announced by dispatch to General Ten Broeck that he had already saved about forty pieces of cannon and fifteen tons of gunpowder by removing them from Fort George; and a few days later he wrote, " If the enemy will permit me to pass unmolested three days longer to Fort George, I shall be able to bring away all the stores from thence and then draw off the few troops we have there." Of this situation of affairs Burgoyne wrote to Lord George Germaine as follows: "The enemy are laboring to re- move the magazines from Forts George and Edward, and everywhere destroy- ing the roads and preparing to drive and burn the country towards Albany.".
Several important personal incidents in which residents of Queensbury were chief participants, occurred during this campaign, to which we must allude. In one of these William Robards was a conspicuous figure. He was a brother of the Ezekiel Robards1 and has already been mentioned herein. Dr. Holden
1 The following paper is on file in the archives of the State : " Ezekiel Roberts of Saratoga district, states that in August, 1776, he engaged as sergeant in Capt. Baldwin's Company of Rangers ; was taken prisoner 19th May, 1777, and remained until December (when he was paroled and sent home with other prisoners by Governor Carleton). In May, 1780, was informed by Gov. Clinton that he was ex- changed and discharged from his parole. Went over ,Lake George by order of his excellency in pur-
357
PATENT AND TOWN OF QUEENSBURY.
gives the following account of his capture (History of Queensbury, p. 421) : "He with Andrew Fuller, his wife's brother, and James Higson, an uncom- promising Whig and son-in-law of Abraham Wing, were captured while pre- paring to go fishing on Lake George.
"They were carried to Canada and imprisoned. While in jail Robards was visited by some gentlemen, who wished him to give his parole that he would not escape and they would give him the jail liberties. He refused, say- ing that his family needed his services, and if there was any chance of his get- ting home he should make the attempt. In consequence of this declaration he had a strict guard placed over him, being confined in a room with another, a British deserter, and through the day an armed sentry was stationed in the room to watch their movements. The gentlemen who visited Robards were so well pleased with his spirit and nice sense of honor, that they frequently sent him wine and delicacies from their tables. While the sentry was out to his meals, the prisoners being in some way cognizant or suspicious that a window was boarded up in the room, amused themselves by throwing sticks of firewood against the walls until the locality of the window was determined, and it was shortly ascertained also that there was no intervening bars or bolts to prevent their escape. Taking turns night after night in cutting away the boards cau- tiously and carefully, with which the window was ceiled, secreting and dispos- ing of the chips and shavings thus made, they at length achieved their purpose, and one day, while the guard was at dinner, the boarding was removed and the deserter first clambered out. Robards being lithe, supple, and active, jumped from the window, clearing the stockade which surrounded the build- ing, and alighted in one of the streets of the French city of Montreal, where they had been imprisoned. They were fired at by the guards on duty as they ran, the Canadians on the street cheering and swearing to encourage the fugi- tives. The guards had to go around on the opposite side of the building, and open the gates before they could follow in pursuit.
" In the mean time, guided by some sympathizing spectators, Robards and his companion ran along through the suburbs, gaining the city wall, which they scaled at a favoring point, and made their escape to the woods. The de- serter soon gave out, grew sick and tired of the adventure, and concluded to return and surrender himself, leaving Robards to make his way alone. He traveled by night, guiding his course by the stars, and lay secreted by day. At length he came to a place by the shore of the lake where a rock jutted out above the water, having a cave or recess beneath. Here he took refuge and rested a day or two. During this interval, he was suddenly aroused from a
suit of Sir John Johnson, and soon after appointed lieutenant in the State Levies, and again taken pris - oner when under the command of Capt. Sherwood at Fort Ann, roth Oct., 1780; remained two years in confinement, and then made his escape. Has a wife and two children for whose support he was obliged to contract debts. Is now destitute of every thing. Prays for relief in a petition to the Legis- lature, January 20th, 1783."
358
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
deep sleep by an Indian yell, and, apprehending pursuit, he sprang out from his place of concealment, and looking up, saw an Indian standing on the cliff above him, making signals to a companion standing on a point of land in the distance on the other side of the lake. Fortunately the savages did not dis- cover him. At length, after many nights' wandering, he was fortunate enough to come across a canoe and a pair of paddles, which he unhesitatingly ap- propriated, and from that time forth his progress was more rapid and satisfac- tory.
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