USA > New York > Livingston County > Conesus > History of the town of Conesus, Livingston Co., N. Y. : from its first settlement in 1793, to 1887, with a brief genealogical record of the Conesus families > Part 5
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Just at night, as the army was preparing to encamp here, Paul Sanborn-for many years afterwards a resident of Conesus-then a pri- vate soldier on the right of Clinton's brigade, was moving with his detatchment, and, as it wheeled quickly around in the direction of the village, discovered the headless corpse of Thomas. The blood was yet oozing from it, so recently had the body been freed from its tormenters. Leaping over this, Mr Sanborn alighted beside that of Parker's, as it lay in the long grass. He at once made known his discovery, the remains were placed under guard of Captain Michal Simpson's riffe company, and at evening the multilated bodies and dis- figured heads of these heroic men were buried with military honors, under a wild plum tree, which grew near the junction of two streams, which was named at a great meeting in 1841, as Boyd's creek, and Parker's creek. The heads of these two men were at once recognized by their companions, to whom Thomas' features were so familiar, and Parker's was identified, beyond doubt, from a scar on his face and his broken front teeth. Major Parr, who com- manded the rifle battalion to which Thomas' company belong, was present at the burial ; and Johm Salmon, late of Groveland, N. Y., then a private in Captain Simpson's company, assisted on the occasion.
In the year of 1841, some gentlemen in Rochester, N. Y., and along the Genesee Val- ley, determined to pay a tribute of respect to
Thomas and his companions, by removing their remains to Rochester, and reintering them, in the Mount Hope cemetery.
On the 20th of August of that year, was the day appointed to give the lost braves the hon- or that was due them. On this day, a large crowd geathered at first at the head of Conesus lake, where the burial place of Thomas's com- panion was buried on the brow of Groveland hill, which was shown them by Mr Salmon, who was one of the inen that was detailed the next day after the massacre to bury the dead.
On the spot where they were buried, there had been left a small grove of trees, to mark their burial place, but the wind had nearly de- stroyed them. Mr Salmon soon pointed out the graves, which were two in number. In one of them was found the remains of twenty-one bodies, and the other but two On opening the graves, many doubted whether these were their remains, or of some other race of beings. But these doubts were soon put at rest by finding some of the buttons belonging to their uniforms.
The late Mr. B. F. Fosdic of our town, a man of portly size, and who was present at their removal, says " That these men must have been men of large stature. For their jaw-bones, I could place over mine, and their hip bones were longer." Many of the bones as soon as exposed to the air crumbled to pieces, and as soon as possible, were placed in coffins, and taken to the burial place of Boyd and Parker, and their remains exhumed from beneath a wild plum tree, and all were taken to their last resting place, at Mount Hope, Rochester, N. Y.
Mr. Salmon-tis said, as he always lived near the spot where liis comrades fell,-would ou that day, "rain or shine," visit this spot each succeeding year afterwards, as a token of remembrance of those,-his dear comrades, who slept the sleep of death, Sept. 12th, 1779.
CHAPTER IV.
Wild Animals. Etc. Etc.
ONESUS, before its first settlement by the white man, was the home of the beasts of the forest as well as the red man. Here they wandered forth from hill to hill, and valley to valley, in search of their prey ; or like the little squirrel in its frolic, leaped in and out among the forest trees. Here the fox burroughed deep into the soil, and the wolf ran and howled in his lair; the wild-cat screamed at night, and the panther lay crouched in the bushes, waiting to pounce on his prey ; while the deer came forth in early morning, into the clearings of the pioneers, to destroy their grain. Yet, beside these depredations to harrow men's souls, that would cause them to give vent to their feelings, by being disturbed at night, by their heart-rending screams and yells. How far different it is to-day. Gone ! except a few smaller animals we have of the present day.
The most destructive animal, and one that caused the early settlers the most trouble, was the Bear. Often he would steal in upon them at night, and steal their pigs, or hogs, and try to carry them off into the dense forest. Some- times they would succeed, but in most cases, were driven off by the sturdy arms of the pio-
neer's family.
In the Summer of 1816, Mr. Jonathan Rich- ardson, who was living at that time, in a log house, east of the railroad, near the present res- idence of J. H. Rowland, and upon lands now owned by Hiram Boyd, had a large bear visit him, and attempt to carry off a large hog, weighing nearly 300lbs. Mr. Richardson was awakened one night about 12 o'clock by a ter- rible noise at his hog-pen, and the squealing of his hog. Arising and dressing himself, he went out doors, and to his surprise, saw a very large black bear, trying to lift his hog over the side of the pen, which stood a short distance from the house. Arousing the other members of his household, and with their united aid, they succeeded in driving him off. They found that the bear had managed to lift the hog out of the pen, and in doing so, had nearly killed it; for in a day or so, the hog lost one of his ears, which came off from the effect of its rough usage.
The next day, Mr. Richardson replaced the hog back in the pen, and resolved to watch the next night for the return of the bear. And the bear came about the same hour of night, and entered the pen and attempted to repeat his former undertaking, but by the firing of his
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rifle, and with the aid of the other members of the family, he succeeded in driving him off again ; and the bear did not return any more, to the great satisfaction of the family, as it was not every one that was able to own a hog in those days.
Bears, have been always considered harmless by the early settlers, and would run from them on approach of their steps. But, at certain times of the year, or when they were driven by hunger in search of food, or if wounded, or if accompained by their young, were not at al- times pleasant fellows to fall in company with.
In the Summer of 1816, Miss Sally Rich- ardson came near losing her life by a large bear, while passing through the piece of woods situated north of the Conesus Cemetery, on lot No. 3., now owned by Hiram Boyd ; and was as follows :
In those days their were no well laid out pub- lic highways, as of the present day ; but foot paths, marked by blazed trees to guide the weary traveler through the dense forests, which more or less of them has became extinct at the present day. One of these old roads ran from Turkey Hill to South Livonia, through the a- bove woods ; and on one summer morning Miss Sally Richardson started out upon a mission to the latter place. She walked along in a happy mood, until she had reached the center of the woods, and as she look ahead, she saw what she took to be a large black dog, sitting upon his haunches by the roadside, and looking to- ward her. She still advanced toward the ani- mal, and when within a few feet of it, she to her horror discovered it to be a bear. Her first thought was to frighten it; and having a small bundle done up in a hankerchief which she carried in her hand, she shook the same at the bear, to drive him away. He seemed to pay no attention to her, as she quietly passed
by him, still leaving him setting where she first discovered him, and hoping that she had seen the last of her unwelcome traveler.
After going a little ways, she looked back, and to her surprise, she discovered she was being hotly pursued. She at once started on a run, screaming at the top of her voice, and the fas- ter she ran, the faster the bear followed her.
A short distance from her, was a log fence on the north side of the woods, which she reached and succeeded in getting over in safety. The bear placed his paws upon the fence, and at- tempted to follow hier, when he was met by a couple of men with hoes in their hands, who was hoeing corn at that time on the hill above her, and hearing her screams, had rushed to her rescue, and made bruin take flight back into the forest for his safety, and in time to save her life.
The next day a number of the settlers with their bear dogs set out in pursuit of the bear, which they soon found a short distance from the scene the day before. They drove him over the south end of Turkey Hill, down to the swamp, at the head of the Conesus lake, where he made his escape into the same, which was then impossible to enter.
Mr. Jesse Collar, who came into the town in the year of 1796, came near losing his life a few years afterwards by a bear, in the follow- ing manner. One day, Mr. Collar and his son Jacob, and his dog, had occasion to cross the Head of the Conesus Lake swamp, and when near the center of the same, they came across a large ferocious bear, which his dog attacked and drove up a large tree. As soon as they arrived at the foot of the tree, he commenced coming down, and when within a few feet of the ground, leaped off and made a lunge for Jacob as he struck at him with an ax, which he car- ried in his hand ; but the bear dodged the blow
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in safety. Jacob now called for his father to come and help him, and they started in pursuit of the bear, which was trying to escape from them, which they followed for more than an hour, and whenever bruin would attempt to run, the dog would sieze him by the flank, causing him to turn about to fight off the dog, that would give them time to overtake him, and this they would improve by striking at him every chance they got.
At last bruin, not liking the treatment he was receiving, turned upon them, and sprang at Jessie, who attempted to dodge, slipped and fell as the bear pounced upon him.
Jacob now saw that the time had come for a desperate move on his part, if he wished to save the life of his father ; so he rushed up and struck the bear on the head with the ax, taking out a piece of his scalp, while the dog seized him by the flank, and drew him from the father, who immediately arose, and by their united strength, soon dispatched the bear.
There is one incident more, of a narrow es- cape from a bear, which we will give, to illus- trate the manner of treatment a person would receive from one, while floundering about in water, which they often do.
In the year of 1802, there came to the town of Conesus, a hermit by the name. of Maloy, who took up his abode upon lot No. 19, bor- dering upon the shores of the Hemlock lake, -then a vast wilderness,-where he built him a small log cabin, far from any civilization. Here he refused to mingle with any white peo- ple in these parts, who desired to visit him. His whole desire seemed to have been to ad- vance farther into the forest, so that civilization could not approach him; for as soon as the early settlers began to settle around him, he packed up what domestic utensils he had, and moved down the Ohio river, then an unsettled
country, avowing that improvements was disa- greeable to him, and here his career became lost to the early settlers of the town.
T'was while living upon the shores of the Hemlock lake, that he came near losing his life. It was on one summer's day, that he had an occasion to ramble toward the head of the lake, and when he had proceeded a short dis- tance from his house, his attention was attracted by a large bear, swimming in the lake. De- siring to secure him for meat, he resolved to attack him in the water, which by doing, bruin would easily become his prey. So entering his boat, he pushed out toward the bear, and as he arrived near him, he found to his horror, that the bear, instead of swinnning toward the shore as he had anticipated, began advancing toward the boat. Maloy now plainly saw the danger he was in; for if the bear should undertake to get into the boat, it would without doubt upset the same and tip him out in the lake, and then the bear would easily be the conqueror. He at once seized his oar, and attempted to keep the bear off; but in doing so, the boat was up- set, throwing him out into the lake, but as providence had directed, on the opposite side of the boat from the bear, while the boat turned upside down between them.
Now came a desperate struggle to see which should become the possessor of the boat. Ma- loy gathered up all of his energy, he struck out after grasping an oar in his hand, and suc- ceeded in reaching the boat first. Now holding on the boat with one hand, with the other he held his oar, and as the bear would advance toward the boat, he would poke bruin's nose under the water, and by so doing, succeeded in drowning him. He then uprighted his boat, got in, and dragged the bear to the shore, and resolved hereafter to have his bear fights on dry land.
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
One of the greatest enemies besides the bear, and that was feared the most, was the Wolf. These animals would roam through the forests in large droves, and at night they neither feared man or beasts. As a class they were the most destructive of all animals. They would break into the sheep folds, and beside killing what they wished to eat, they would bite and mangle many others, which the settlers would be obliged to kill, to get them out of their misery, and at other times would destroy whole flocks before they could be driven off.
Many times the early settlers would become belated at night in passing through the forest, and when ever they did, the sound of the wolve's howlings as they drew near, would warn them that the time had come for them to seek a place of safety. Fire was the wolf's greatest enemy. This they dare not approach; and many set- tlers when they became lost in the forest, have saved their lives, by building up a large fire, and watche it through the night, as will be shown by the following incident :
Through the summer and fall of 1806, James McNinch took up lot No. 111, in the south part of the town, and built a log house and did some clearing on the same. Before he got his house done, he built him a coal-pit shanty to stay and sleep in, while his wife re- mained with her father's family at the head of Conesus lake. As the country being full of wild animals, he would take his gun and a large dog along with him, to protect him from the danger of being attacked at night and day, by the ravinous beasts.
One day while he was at work chopping, a number of deer's came into his clearing, to browse upon the small twigs of the trees he had fallen. So taking his gun, he shot one of them and dressed it and carried it to his shanty, to supply him with venison. While at work, his
dog through the day, got away from him, and went back to his father's house at the head of Conesus lake, leaving him to enjoy his solitude all alone. So when evening came, after finish- ing a hard days work, he entered his place of refuge, built him up a rousing fire, and resolved to have a piece of roasted venison for his sup- per. So cutting a tender piece from the hind quarter of the deer, he soon had it roasting be- fore the fire. No sooner had he began to roast the meat and the scent of the same began to spread out into the forest, before it attracted the attention of a large number of wolves and brought them to his clearings, while the scent of the roasting meat made them so ravenous that they soon surrounded his shanty, as if in a combined attempt to drive him out.
Seeing that there was but one course to pur- sue, he took his trusty rifle, and as the leaders would advance toward his abode, he would shoot them, and then by keeping up a large fire, he kept them at bay until morning, when they disappeared into the forest again, leaving him a wiser man with fixed resolution, that in the future, he would cook his mneats in the day time.
In the fall of 1806, Mr. McNinch finished his house and he moved his family into it, but did not make or hang any door for some time after- ward, but used in its place a blanket hung up for a door to keep the cold out.
One night shortly after they moved into the house, Mr. McNinch was called away from home, and Mrs. McNinch and her sister-who was upon a visit to her-was left alone to look after the domestic affairs of the household. Soon after dark, the wolves began to surround the house and threatened to enter. Mrs. Mc- Ninch's sister, had rode a white horse to see her, and had hitched the same to a tree a few feet from the door. So they gathered up
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courage, ventured out, untied it, lead it up and tied it before the door. The wolves would now try their vengeance, by snapping at the horse. When ever they did, the horse would kick and many times would send one or more of them rolling and yelping back among his companions. The two ladies trembled all night with fear, as they every moment expected to see their noble sentinel overpowered, and their humble domain entered. But by keeping up a bright fire, they pasted the night in safety. And before another night, they made a door and hung it.
Wolves are sometimes known to become mad ; for in the year of 1811 or 12, Mrs. Lucy Patterson says, that the early settlers in the northern part of the town, were filled with ter- ror by a mad wolf making his appearence among them. The incident she related to me is as fol- lows :-
The wolf, was a large and voracious animal, and was first seen upon lands owned by the late Ephraim Cole, traveling toward the north. It was next seen near the residence of Flavius Coe at South Livonia, where it attacked and bit some cattle ; then it passed on near the res- idence of Jackson Backus, where it came across some sheep and served them in the same manner ; from here it took a course to Livonia Center to the residence of Esq. Blake, and bit some cattle for him; then retraced its course and came back to South Livonia, and from here it went in a northwest course toward Lake- ville, passing down what then was called " Pennymite " street.
When the wolf had reached this street, it was in the afternoon of the day ; and passing down it, by chance it overtook some children coming from school, who upon first seeing it, mistook it for a large dog, but on coming closer discov- ered their mistake, and tried to avoid it by climbing upon a fence near at hand; but as one
of the boys was about to scale it, the wolf seized him by the back, and then passed along. But as Providence had directed, the teeth of the brute only passed through the boy's cloth- ing, leaving him unharmed. The next day the excitement rose to a high pitch, as it was not known who might be the victim, to fall to the fury of the wolf.
James Henderson-who was killed at the battle of Queenstown in the war of 1812-was keeping school at South Livonia, at once raised a company of men, and in a sleigh pursued the wolf near to the present sight of Lakeville by its tracks in the snow, where they overtook and killed it. When the wolf was seen passing through the forest, it would snap and bite at everything it came in contact with, while the foam and froth ran from its mouth. It seemed to have been in search of other wolves, to weak its vengeance on.
In the year of 1815, wolves became very troublesome, in breaking in upon the settlers flocks and killing their sheep and cattle. Mr. Nathaniel Cole, a venerable old pioneer of the town says, in that year he was living upon lot No. 61, now owned by William Gray, that one night, a pack of wolves broke in upon his sheep and killed a number of them.
At this time there happened to be several Indians in the town from Squakie Hill, and procuring their services, they followed the wolves into Calabogue Hollow and killed three of them. The Indians scalped the wolves by taking a piece of the skin from the nose down to the shoulder, which they took to Canandaigua to obtain a bounty of five dollars, which was then offered by the state on every wolf, and twenty dollars on every whelp (young wolf) that was killed. By some means, the Indians were cheated out except five dollars they re- ceived by some pretext or other.
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THE HISTORY OF CONESUS.
Of all animals, the Panther was the most treacherous animal that the settlers had to con- tend with; for, they would lie crouched in the bushes, or up among the branches of trees, and there wait in suspense for their victini, and when it passed by, would leap out upon the same, giving no warning until it had its victim within its folds.
It happened one summer day in the year of 1815, that Joseph McNinch had an occasion to drive some cattle through the south part of the town, then a vast wilderness. While riding along on his horse he heard a rustling in the bushes that grew along the side of the way, and at the same time a low fierce growl. Looking ahead he discovered a large full grown panther crouched to the ground and lashing his tail, ready to make a leap at him. Giving his horse a sharp cut with his whip, he was soon out of his reach, and arrived home in a short time m safety.
On the next day, while a workman was stand- ing in the door of a large tannery and currier's shop, then owned and carried on by Esquire Gilbert in the town of Springwater, was sur- prised to see a large panther come up to the side of the steps, and look him full in the face.
There happened a large dog at that time who had been trained and accustomed to kill wolves in the building, which the man called to his aid, but no sooner than the faithful animal saw the monster, then he shrunk back between his master's feet and refused to advance, at the same time uttering a fierce whining and howl- ing, and trembling like a leaf. All at once the panther turned and went away, to the glad surprise of the man, who expected every mo- ment he would make a spring at him, and that moment would be his last.
The news spread very rapidly among the set- tlers, that there had been seen in the vicinity
a panther; so the next day a large party of men assembled and resolved to hunt and kill the monster of the forest. In this party there seemed to have been an enmity against an old hunter whose name was Barber; and, who had long lived in their midst, and became known as a famous markman, and if he went with them he would carry off the trophy of the day. So after counseling among themselves, they re- solved to set forth on their hunt unknown to him ; but, in some way the news reached him, and the old hunter resolved to follow after them.
As soon as they had departed, he set out after them, following a short distance in their rear, armed with his favorite rifle.
The party passed a large tree, and when the old hunter arrived almost beneath its branchies, he heard a rustling of the leaves above him, and on looking up, to his surprise. he saw the panther lying upon a limb preparing to spring upon him. Stepping back a few feet, he lev- eled his trusty rifle, took a deliberate aim and fired. The ball speded on its deathily course and the panther came tumbling down to his feet, pierced through the heart.
The report of the gun soon brought the other hunters back, and when they saw the panther lay before them, there arose a shout of joy, for instead of surprising the old hunter as they had sought to do, he had surprised them.
The next tormentors to the early settlers in the shape of wild beasts, though not dangerous only when brought to bay, was the timid deers.
In 1816, they were numerous, and caused the settlers much trouble by eating their grain and vegetables. Often they were obliged to rise before the break of day, and take their rifle and stationing themselves in their grain fields, and by constantly firing upon them to keep them from destroying the grain. In the fields, the men were obliged to stay until 9 o'clock
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a. m., when the deers would leave for the forest until next morning.
In the early days among the settlers, it was their custom to meet once in so often, and hold a holiday in shape of a shooting match or some other game of amusement. Upon a certain day it was announced that there would be held at May's Corners (known now as Foot's Corn- ers,) a shooting match, and the chief prize to be competed for, was a deer, which at this time roamed over the town in large numbers; and it was decided that the person shooting near- est to the center of a mark at a certain distance should be the possessor of the deer.
But at this time the deers were wild in the forest, and there must be some mode adopted to capture one of them alive for the occasion. So after discussing the matter for a short time, several of the leading sportsmen got their heads together, and decided upon the following plan. First, they were to proceed to the Marrowback hills, and then with their hounds upon track, start the deers toward the head of Conesus lake,-for they well knew that the deers would take to escape the hounds by going into the water,-down what is known as Hogback, -above the residence of R. F. McMillen and brother,-then a noted runway for them to the waters of the lake.
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