History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents, Part 5

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Publication date: 1880
Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages:

USA > New York > Wyoming County > History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents > Part 5

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OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

was detained by having to wait for the completion of boats. When these were completed, he was further detained by heavy storms and other casualties, until the lateness of the season rendered it imprudent to proceed. Leaving a garrison at Oswego, under Colonel Mercer, he led the residue of his army to Albany, and returned. to Massa- chusetts.

The expedition against Crown Point was entrusted to General Johnson. The greater part of the troops were sent forward under General Lyman, of Connecticut, to the head of boat navigation on the Hudson, which, being the nearest point on the river to Lake Champlain, was called the carrying place, where they erected a fortification, which was afterward called Fort Edward. Here they were joined late in August by Johnson, who, advancing with the main body of the army to the head of Lake George, established a camp, and began to make some arrangements for an attack on Crown Point, but apparently was in no hurry to prosecute the enterprise. Meanwhile Dieskau, the French commander, was approaching by way of Lake Champlain, with the intention of surprising Fort Edward, cutting off Johnson's retreat, and capturing his army; but being misled by his guides, he found himself on the way to Johnson's camp on Lake George. Abandoning his first intention of attacking Fort Edward, he continued his advance on Lake George. Johnson, learning that the French were advancing to the Hudson, sent out Colonel Williams with a thousand troops, and Sachem Hendrick with two hundred Indians, to intercept them and aid Fort Edward. They had advanced only a few miles when they fell into an ambuscade, in which both Williams and Hendrick were slain, and the force hurriedly retreated, closely pursued by the enemy until they reached the camp, when the Canadian militia and. Indians, who were in the advance, perceiving the artillery they would have to confront, skulked into the surrounding woods, and left the regulars to begin the attack, thereby giving the English time to recover from the confusion into which they had been thrown, and undoubtedly saving them from defeat. A severe struggle ensued, in which the French at length began to give way, upon observing which the English leaped over their breastworks and dispersed them in all directions. The French leader, Dieskau, was severely wounded and taken prisoner. Johnson was wounded in the commence- ment of the action and retired from the field, and the whole battle was directed by General Lyman, who proposed and urged a vigorous continuation of efforts by following up the routed enemy, preventing their escape down Lake Champlain, and attacking Ticonderoga and Crown Point; but Johnson, through fear or some other cause, not easily explained, withheld his consent, and allowed the French to intrench themselves at Ticonderoga, while he spent the residue of the autumn erecting Fort William Henry, on the site of his camp. On the approach of winter he garrisoned it, disbanded the remainder of his army and returned to Albany.

On the 3d of September, 1755, Sir Charles Hardy arrived in New York as governor. He was an admiral, and un- acquainted with civil affairs. Being conscious of his de- ficiencies in executive ability, he soon surrendered all but nominal duties into the hands of De Lancey, and in 1757 resigned the government and returned to his former profes- sion, and De Lancey again became governor. At a meeting of the provincial governors, held at Albany in December,

the plan discussed for the campaign of 1756 consisted of movements against Fort Niagara with six thousand men, Fort Duquesne with three thousand, Crown Point with ten thousand, and two thousand were to advance on the French settlements on the Chaudiere, and onward to Quebec. At this time (1756) the population of the province of New York was 96,775. In March, De Levy, with three thousand French troops from Montreal, penetrated the forests to the Oneida portage, took and destroyed the fort at that point and returned to Canada with the garrison as prisoners. Although active hostilities had been carried on for two years in the colonies, the English ministry did not arouse from their imbecility enough to issue a formal declaration of war against France until the 17th of May, 1756. Lord Loudoun was appointed commander-in-chief and governor of Virginia and General Abercrombie was placed second in command. General Winslow, who had been intrusted with the expedition against Crown Point. finding that he had not sufficient force for the undertaking, waited for reinforcements from England. Late in June Abercrombie arrived with troops, but at the same time blighted any hopes that might have arisen regarding a vigorous prosecution of the war, by showing his contempt for the provincials in announcing that the regular officers were to be over those of the same rank in the provincial service. On this announcement all harmony for a united effort was dispelled. The men began to desert, and some of the officers declared they should throw up their commissions if the obnoxious rule was enforced. This difficulty was finally adjusted by an agree- ment that the regulars should remain to do garrison duty, while the provincials should advance under their own officers against the enemy. Then, instead of making any effort for the relief of Oswego, which was in danger, Abercrombie ordered his troops to be quartered on the citizens of Albany.

De Villiers had encamped with 800 Frenchmen at the mouth of Sandy creek, on Lake Ontario, whence he could send out detachments to infest the water passes leading to the Oswego fort,and intercept supplies or reinforcements on the way thither. Colonel Bradstreet, however, succeeded in throwing some provisions into the fort. On his return he fell in with a party of De Villiers's men in ambush, and gained a decisive victory over them. Hearing that a large force was already on its way to attack Oswego, he hastened to Albany and informed Abercrombie of the contemplated attack and the necessity of immediate reinforcements. But it was all in vain, as the general could not be induced to move before the arrival of Lord Loudoun. It was nearly August before Loudoun made his appearance, and affairs were not improved by this event. Instead of making an immediate effort to avert the threatened blow at Oswego, he began slowly to make preparations for a descent on Ticon- deroga and Crown Point. Reinforcements were sent to forts Edward and William Henry. This procrastination proved fatal, for the opportunity of relieving Oswego was now lost. The Marquis de Montcalm, successor of Dieskau, had cut off communication with Albany, and on the 12th of August opened his artillery on Fort Ontario, nearly opposite Oswego. The fire was returned by the garrison till their ammunition was exhausted, when, spiking their guns, they retreated across the river to Fort Oswego. Montcalm immediately occupied the deserted fort and turned such guns as were yet serviceable against Fort Oswego. Colonel

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MONTCALM'S SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS-FORT WILLIAM HENRY SURRENDERED.

Mercer was killed, and a formidable breach effected in the walls. Montcalm was making preparations for storming the intrenchments when, seeing that the defense was no longer practicable, the garrison surrendered themselves prisoners of war. By this affair sixteen hundred men, one hundred cannon, a large quantity of provisions and stores, and the vessels in the harbor, all fell into the hands of the victors, and were safely conveyed to Montreal. Montcalm demol- ished the forts, much to the satisfaction of the Six Nations, who afterward sent a delegation from each castle to make peace with the governor of Canada. The French sent their emissaries among them, who now succeeded in seducing them from the English interests.

The fall of Oswego did not awaken the energies of Lord Loudoun-if it can be said that he possessed any-but on the contrary he abandoned all offensive operations that had been contemplated, and contented himself with doing nothing. Having wasted the season in shameful idleness, he on his arrival in the city of New York billeted a part of his force for free winter quarters on the citizens,regardless of the remonstrance of the authorities against this invasion of their rights. Overawed by his profane threats, the colo- nists found themselves obliged to support the British soldiers, who had done nothing in their behalf. In June . of the following year he made an ineffectual effort to capture Louisburg. Before leaving New York he rendered himself still more detestable to the celonists by laying an embargo upon the seaports from Massachusetts to Virginia, and impressing four hundred men from the city of New York alone. . He went to Halifax, where he was largely reinforced, but instead of making any advance upon Louisburg con- tented himself with drilling his troops in mock battles, till the complaints of his inactivity became so numerous that he finally gave orders to embark for that place. Almost as soon as the orders were given, receiving intelligence that Louisburg had been reinforced, and that the French fleet contained one more vessel than his, he countermanded his orders and came back to New York, having accomplished nothing.

While Loudoun was thus trifling, Montcalm, watchful of his movements, proceeded with a large force of French and Indians against Fort William Henry, then in command of Colonel Monroe with about twenty-two hundred men. General Webb, the English commander in that quarter, was at Fort Edward with a force of four thousand men. Mont- calm landed with his men and artillery at a point about two miles from Fort William Henry, where he was entirely sheltered from its guns; beleagured its garrison, and sent a summons to Monroe to surrender. which he defiantly dis- regarded, confident of being relieved by Webb. The French then opened fire on the fort, which was spiritedly returned by the garrison. Expresses were sent to Webb imploring aid, but that coward remained inactive, terrified at the distant roar of artillery. Finally, after repeated solicitations, he allowed Generals Johnson and Putnam, with his rangers, to march to the aid of Monroe; but they had proceeded only a few miles when he recalled them, and sent a letter to Monroe, advising him to surrender. This letter was inter- cepted by Montcalm, who forwarded it to Monroe, requesting him to follow Webb's advice and save further loss of life. Still the intrepid colonel held out, until his ammunition was nearly exhausted, part of his guns disabled, and all hopes of

assistance abandoned. and under these discouraging circum- stances he was forced to capitulate on the 9th of August, and the sixth day of the siege. By the terms of surrender the garrison was allowed to leave the fort with all the honors of war, and furnished with an escort to Fort Edward. On the next morning, when they began their march, the Indians, who had spent the night in debauch, began an indiscriminate massacre and robbery of the English troops. Despite the efforts of Montcalm, many of the disarmed and defenseless soldiers were slain, and only a thousand reached Fort Edward. Fort William Henry was demolished. General Webb, paralyzed with terror, prepared to retreat, although reinforced until his army was more than double that of the enemy.

CHAPTER VIII.

EXTINCTION OF FRENCH POWER IN AMERICA -- THE NEW YORK JUDICIARY-THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

Y these repeated failures the spirit of the English ministry in meeting the exigencies of the occasion was aroused, and William Pitt, a very able statesman, was intrusted with the management of affairs. His accession gave a new impulse to the national energies, and the campaign for 1758 opened under more favorable auspices. Three formidable expeditions were projected for this year, against Louisburg, Ticonderoga and Fort Duquesne, respectively. Admiral Boscawen, with twenty ships of the line and fifteen frigates, together with twelve thousand men under General Amherst, arrived before Louisburg on the 3d day of June, and entered vigorously upon the siege of that fortress, and on the 26th of July the French commander, finding farther opposition useless, surrendered at discretion. The army destined for the reduction of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, under General Abercrombie, consisting of nine thousand provincials and seven thousand regulars with a fine train of artillery, assembled at the head of Lake George, where it embarked on the 5th of July for the fortress of Ticonderoga, which was held by Montcalm with about four thousand men. The troops landed the next day and began their march, necessarily leaving their artillery behind until the bridges, which had been destroyed by the enemy, could be rebuilt. It was the purpose of Abercrombie to hasten forward and carry Ticonderoga by storm, before reinforcements which were expected could arrive. The advance party fell in with a body of the enemy, and Lord Howe, the second in com- mand and the soul of the expedition, was killed. The loss of Howe was severely felt, and the incompetent Abercrom- bie, uncertain what course to pursue, fell back to the landing place. Colonel Bradstreet advanced, rebuilt the bridges and took possession of some saw-mills destroyed by the enemy about two miles from Ticonderoga, to which place Abercrombie advanced with his army, and sent forward an enginser with a party of rangers to reconnoitre. They reported that the works could be easily taken. Stark, who led the rangers, thought differently, and so advised Aber-

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OUTLINE HISTORY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.

crombie; but he rejected his advice and ordered an attack without artillery, which, after a -desperate struggle, was repulsed with the loss of nearly two thousand men. With the great force still at his command Abercrombie, instead of bringing up his artillery to bombard the French works, sounded a retreat, and, unpursued by the enemy, returned to the head of Lake George and sent his artillery and stores to Albany.

Colonel Bradstreet, anxious to do something to retrieve the disgrace of this shameful retreat, asked to lead an expe- dition against Fort Frontenac, which, with the entire fleet on Lake Ontario, surrendered on the 26th of August.

The expedition against Fort Duquesne succeeded through the energy of George Washington. On his approach the French set fire to the fort and fled On the 25th Washington took possession of the ruins, and changed the name from Duquesne to Pittsburg.

Although Louisburg and Fort Duquesne had been re- taken, still there could be no security for the frontier so long as Fort Niagara and the posts on Lake Champlain were held by the French, nor even while Canada remained unsubjugated. Accordingly, adequate preparations were made for the campaign of 1759. Abercrombie was super- seded in the command of the expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point by General Amherst. General Wolfe was directed to ascend the St. Lawrence to Quebec, and General Prideaux was to take Fort Niagara and proceed to Montreal. He was joined by General Johnson at Oswego, from which point he sailed for Fort Niagara, leaving Haldimand with a force at Oswego. The latter was soon after attacked by a body of French and Indians, but succeeded in repulsing them. On the 7th of July Prideaux appeared before Niagara, but soon after the siege began he was killed by the premature bursting of a shell. Johnson succeeded to the command, and the siege continued without cessation. On the 24th a force of nearly three thousand French and Indian troops made an effort to raise the siege. A sharp conflict ensued, in which the relieving force was defeated, and the next day the garrison surrendered.

General Amherst, with a force of nearly twelve thousand men, arrived at Ticonderoga on the 22nd of July, and in four days thereafter the garrison abandoned the post and withdrew to Crown Point, which also was abandoned on the approach of Amherst.

The strength of Quebec was well known, and General Wolfe left Louisburg under convoy of a large fleet with eight thousand regulars to capture it. A fierce battle oc- curred before the city, which was held by the Marquis de Montcalm. Both Wolfe and Montcalm were slain; the French army was defeated, and on the 18th of September five days after, Quebec was surrendered to the English.

General Amherst appeared before Montreal on the 6th of September, 1760. De Vaudreuil, the Canadian governor- general, despairing of a successful defense, capitulated on the 8th. As the result of this campaign, Canada, with all her dependencies, fell into the hands of the English, and hos- tilities between the colonies of the two nationalities ceased. Peace, however, was not concluded between England and France until February 10th, 1763, when France ceded to England all her possessions in Canada.

On the 30th of July, 1760, Governor De Lancey suddenly died, and Cadwallader Colden took charge of the govern-

ment, being president of the council. In August, 1761, he received his commission as lieutenant-governor. The death of De Lancey left the seat of chief-justice vacant, and the remaining judges, having doubted their ability to issue processes since the death of King George II., under whom they had held their old commissions, urged Colden to appoint a successor. Colden requested the Colonial Secre- tary of State to nominate a chief-justice, and he not only nominated but appointed Benjamin Pratt, a lawyer from Boston, to hold the position at the pleasure of the King, instead of during good behavior, as formerly. The people, regarding this as an encroachinent on their rights and liberties, vigorously protested, and the remaining judges even refused to act longer unless they could hold their commissions during good behavior. When the Assembly met, Colden requested that the salary of the chief-justice should be increased, but that body not only refused to increase it, but refused to provide for it unless the judges' commissions secured them their seats during good behavior. The chief- justice having served some time without a salary, the income of the royal quit-rents of the province was appropriated to his compensation.

General Robert Monkton was appointed governor of New York, and assumed the reins of government in October, 1761, but left on the 13th of the following month to command an expedition against Martinique, leaving the administration of affairs again in the hands of Colden. In 1763 the boundary line between New York and New Hampshire became a subject of much controversy. The disputed territory was the tract of land between the Connecticut river and Lake Champlain, comprising what is now known as the State of Vermont. The patent granted to the Duke of York in 1664 included all the land west of the Connecticut river to the Delaware Bay. Controversies had arisen, growing out of the indefinite character of their respective charters, between the province of New York and those of Connecticut and Massachusetts relative to their boundaries, which had been adjusted by negotiation and compromise. The line agreed upon was to extend north and south twenty miles east of the Hudson river. New Hampshire, regardless of justice or title, insisted upon having the same western boundary. Against this claim New York vigorously protested, but the protests were unheeded, and the governor of New Hamp- shire continued to issue grants until, in 1763, one hundred and thirty-eight townships had been granted. Alarmed at this. encroachment, and in order to stop these proceedings, Gover- nor Colden, in December, 1763, issued a proclamation claim- ing jurisdiction to the Connecticut river under the patent granted to the Duke of York, and commanded the sheriff of Albany county to return the names of all persons who by vir- tue of the New Hampshire grants had taken possession of lands west of the Connecticut river. This was followed by a counter proclamation from the governor of New Hampshire, declaring that the grant to the Duke of York was obsolete, and that his own grantees should be protected in the possession of their lands. Through the Board of Trade the disputed question was referred to the crown, and in 1764 a decision was obtained pronouncing the Connecticut river the boundary between the provinces of New York and New Hampshire. Upon this decision the government of New York declared the grants from the governor of New Hampshire illegal, and insisted that the grantees should surrender or re-purchase

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THE STAMP ACT.

the lands upon which they had settled. . To this unjust demand the greater part refused to accede, and the governor of New York thereupon granted their lands to others, who brought ejectment suits against the former occupants and obtained judgment at the courts of Albany. All attempts, however, of the executive officers to enforce these judgments met with a spirited resistance, and led to continual hostilities between the settlers and the government of New York.

CHAPTER IX.

APPROACH OF THE REVOLUTION-NEW YORK'S PATRIOTIC ATTITUDE-THE FIRST BATTLE FOUGHT IN 1770.

HE representative assemblies of the provinces had occasionally remonstrated against the various acts of Parliament which tended to abridge their liberties, and the regulation of the Board of Trade by which their manufactures and commerce were injuriously affected; yet their at- tachment to the mother country and regard for her institutions had not to any considerable extent been weak- ened. But now the borders of the Revolutionary struggle were reached; the time had arrived when unquestioned submission to the exactions of an arbitrary power had ceased to be considered a virtue, and knowing the value of their liberties, the colonies firmly asserted their rights. They were heavily burdened by the expenses of the late war, for which they had liberally contributed, materially aiding in procuring for the English government a vast and valuable accession of territory; yet their generous support of the power and dignity of the realm the British ministry regarded as only the exercise of a duty, and before the smoke had fairly drifted away from the battle grounds began to devise plans for taxing them to raise a revenue without their consent. The first measure which aroused the colo- nists to a lively sense of their danger was the issuing of writs of assistance, which the English ministry had deter- mined to force upon them. These were, in effect, search warrants, whereby custom-house officers were enabled the better to collect the revenues by breaking open houses or stores that were suspected of containing contraband goods. This exercise of arbitrary power created indignation and alarm, and the colonists resolved to resist it. Public meet- ings were held, and remonstrances sent to Parliament, but without effect. The ministry were determined to derive a revenue from the colonies, either by import duties or direct taxes, vigorously levied and collected, and the writs were granted; but the feelings of the people were such that the custom-house officers never attempted to carry their new powers into execution.

In 1764 George Grenville, then at the head of the English ministry, submitted to the House of Commonsa proposition for raising a revenue by the sale of stamps to the colonists, at the same time assuring the colonial agents that he would not press its immediate adoption, but leave the plan open for consideration. When intelligence reached the colonists

that such an act was meditated by the ministry, discontent was everywhere visible. The provincial assemblies strenu- ously refused to recognize the right of Parliament to tax them without their consent, and asserted the sole right to tax themselves. They passed resolutions of remonstrance, and clearly demonstrated that taxation without representa- tion in Parliament was unjust and tyrannical; but, in con- temptuous disregard of all respectful remonstrances and petitions, the Stamp Act was passed in March, 1765. By its provisions no legal or commercial documents were valid unless written or printed on stamped paper, upon which a price was set, according to the nature of the instrument, payable to officers appointed by the crown. The passage of this act created feelings of resentment throughout the colonies, accompanied by a determination to resist or evade its enforcement. The people of New York were among the most bitter in their opposition to the measure. An associa- tion styling itself the Sons of Liberty held meetings to dis- cuss plans for resistance. The obnoxious act was reprinted and paraded about the streets of New York city, bearing the inscription, "The Folly of England and Ruin of America." A committee was appointed by the New York Assembly in October, 1764, to correspond with the several colonial as- semblies, with a view to resisting the oppressive measures of Parliament. They suggested to the several colonies the holding of a convention, to remonstrate against the violation of their liberties. This suggestion was heartily responded · to, and delegates were appointed, who convened in the city of New York on the 7th of October, 1765. This body con- tinued in session two weeks, and adopted a declaration of rights, a petition to the King, and a memorial to Parliament, in which the principles by which the colonies were governed through the Revolution were clearly foreshadowed.

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History of Wyoming County, N.Y., with Illustrations, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Some Pioneers and Prominent Residents, Part 5

Author: Publication date: 1880 Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co. Number of Pages:

Author:
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: F.W. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: