Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 9

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374

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Resolved, That Mr. Isaac D. Fonda be requested to attend the Quarter Master Gen- eral, or any of his Deputies, in taking all the lead out of the Cesh Windows in the houses in and about this city, and that he use all the caution in his power to prevent any damage being done to the Window Ceshes, etc.

This somewhat high-handed proceeding seems to have met with op. position, for in November Philip Van Rensselaer was "requested to replace the lead taken from the windows of the different houses."

In anticipation of Burgoyne's invasion in August, many refugee fam- ilies fled to Albany for protection. All such not provided with dwell- ing places were authorized by the committee to occupy any empty houses found in the place, and to pasture cows in certain lands belong- ing to Edward and Ebenezer Jessup; "a family of eight persons, two cows; of less than eight, one cow." Provisions were also issued to the the destitute refugees. In the month of August a resolution directed Leonard Gansevoort to proceed to Kingston and there deposit the city and county records. In the same month it was ordered that two com- panies of rangers be raised "to quell Robberies and disloyalty in dif- ferent parts of this County." James Mather and his family had been ordered to leave the city, and his house was ordered rented "to Abra- ham Bloodgood, a good and loyal citizen." In September a considera- ble list of persons were ordered "sent to the Enemy, in case General Gates should approve." In September the house of Abraham C. Cuy- ler (one of the " disaffected ") was taken for sick and wounded officers, and in the next month it was ordered that any untenanted houses should be used for hospital purposes. Under date of November 6 the following appears:

Whereas, This Committee stands indebted to many persons who are in great dis- tress for want of the money, and as the State Treasury is in a low state:

Resolved, That application be made to the Commissioners for Sequestering the Assetts of Persons gone over to the enemy in the Middle District of this County, for the said sum of £2,000.

On the 19th of November a list of "the well-affected persons in this district " was ordered made and sent to Peter R. Livingston, with a request to deliver to the order of the chairman of this district a quan- tity of salt, "not exceeding two quarts per Head."

The work of the committee for the year 1777 closed with the follow- ing resolutions, adopted on December 7 and 15 respectively :

Jeremiah Vincent having some time ago received from this Committee the sum of ten pounds to perform certain secret services, instead of doing which he went over to the Enemy;

Resolved, That one of the two Cows on the farm of the said Vincent be sold and a return made of the said ten pounds, and a return made of the overplus to the wife of the said Vincent, and that this Committee dispose of the Other cow.

Resolved, That William Gilliland be remanded to prison, as proof has this day been made before this Board of his further Inimical Conduct to the United States.

Plans were laid by the Americans and numerous efforts made during the war to again secure the alliance of the Six Nations. Among these was a great council held at Johnstown March 9, 1478. The Continental Congress was fully represented, and from this county Volkert Veeder and, probably, General Schuyler were in attendance. But the effort was unavailing and the bloody deeds of the savages continued.

To chastise the Iroquois in some measure for their atrocities against the Americans, an expedition was sent against the Onondagas in the spring of 1779, under command of Colonel Van Schaick. His force consisted of 558 men from his own and General Gansevoort's regiments, which left Fort Schuyler April 19, and penetrated to the heart of the Onondagas' country, surprised the Indians, destroyed their villages, burned their property and slaughtered their stock. The expedition was out six days and returned without the loss of a man. The conse- quences were not what was anticipated. Instead of terrorizing the Indians, it only exasperated them to further savagery and led to the destruction of Cobleskill and attacks upon Canajoharie and other points.

Another and much larger expedition, and one which, perhaps, had a more powerful effect upon the Indians, was made in the summer of the same year. Washington placed Gen. John Sullivan in command of about 3,000 troops with orders to march into the Senecas' country and leave nothing but desolation in his path. Sullivan arrived at Tioga Point August 22, and was there joined by Gen. James Clinton with 1,600 men. A battle was fought near the site of Elmira in which the Americans were victorious. The expedition pushed on and repeated in the rich Genesee valley the operations of Van Schaick in Onondaga. The destruction was complete and overwhelming; but while it tem- porarily awed the Indians, it did not crush them. Taking advantage of the desire for vengeance aroused among them by these raids, Sir John Johnson came down into the Mohawk valley from Crown Point in May, 1780, and the tomahawk and torch left many desolate homes. At Johnstown and in that vicinity he burned every house excepting those of tories, recovered his plate which he had previously buried at John-

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son Hall, took about twenty of his former slaves and escaped to Canada.

The proceedings of the Albany Committee during the few months of its existence in 1778 can be briefly disposed of here. The new com- mittee was elected January 2, and the following officers chosen: John Barclay, chairman; John M. Beeckman, deputy chairman; Matthew Visscher, secretary; Jacob Kidney, waiter. On the 7th of January, a resolution was adopted that "a subscription be set on foot for the use of our Ruined Settlers of our Frontiers." On the 15th a committee which had been appointed to collect money for the poor of the second ward, turned over £97 14s. 6d.

In March Moses R. Van Vranken confessed that he had bought but- ter at one shilling per pound in specie, and sold it for 6s. Sd. per pound in Continental currency, for which he was deemed "dangerous to the State, and put in confinement till further orders."

The last entry in that part of the journal of the committee that has been preserved is under date of June 10, 1778, and is unimportant.

In April, 1778, the seat of government was temporarily removed to Poughkeepsie. Although the war was then in progress, Albany city and the county as far as its present limits are concerned, did not suffer from it through invasion or battles, nor did it during the remainder of the struggle. But the vicinity was frequently threatened and alarm and anxiety were continuous. The city was filled with Continental troops much of the time; these were sometimes very disorderly and the administration of the city government was an onerous task. Petty disturbances were promptly suppressed, while greater ones were vig- orously dealt with. In the month of May the citizens were greatly alarmed by the removal of a large part of the soldiers, leaving the city almost unprotected from rioters and law-breakers. There were then ten prisoners under sentence of death confined in the city, and threats of rescue were heard. Mayor Barclay and the council com- municated with General Stark on the subject as follows:

The Common Council would beg leave to observe, that the many robberies, mur- ders and other dreadful crimes committed on the inhabitants of this City and County by deserters and prisoners from Burgoyne's Army, and by the disaffected of our own country, who are drove to desperation, and some of them almost to starva- tion, renders. it indispensably necessary to have a large body of regular troops to keep the villains in subjection, or go in quest of them; for, unless the militia can remain at home this year, and properly manage their summer crops, little or no sup- port of flour and other things can the Continent derive from these parts. Last year,

more than one-half of the crops were destroyed by the Army-marauders, and not more than half the usual quantity sold. If the British prisoners could be moved to another place, it would break up the alarming connection kept up between them and the Tories and the negroes.

At about the same time the British prisoners, tories and negroes in the city organized a plot to rise, murder the guards, and rob and burn the city; it was fortunately discovered in time to avert the calamity. Seven of the leaders were seized and executed on Gallows Hill.

On May 30 of that year a regiment of militia and a body of Conti- nentals were attacked by tories and Indians at Cobleskill. They were defeated, many of them killed and the place burned. Albany was in a fever of excitement, for the British freely threatened to serve the city in the same manner. These dangers were, however, happily averted.

The Common Council and citizens were greatly agitated in the fall of 1778 by reports that the commander of the Northern Department was to quarter 2,000 soldiers on the city during the ensuing winter. On September 12 the authorities united in a letter of protest to Gov- ernor Clinton against this injustice. Their reasons were, in substance, the grievous privations and sacrifices already made by the city; the constant struggle of the inhabitants and authorities against the tories. all of which had so impoverished the people that many were in very reduced circumstances; that their fences had all been used for fuel by the soldiers, opening their lands to common use and the destruction of crops; that there was a great scarcity of fire wood, through the billet- ing of a large force of soldiery upon the city in the previous winter, · etc. Their letter concluded as follows:

However willing we have been, and still are, to risk our all in supporting the free- dom and independence of our blessed country, we feel compelled to ask that in the distribution of the troops for winter quarters, due respect may be had for the former distresses and present sufferings of the inhabitants of Albany and its suburbs; and that, at any rate, no more troops may be allotted to us than the hospital and the barracks may contain; that the strictest orders may be issued regarding stealing, pilfering, and insulting the inhabitants; and that the officers be enjoined in punish- ing the refractory and disobedient.

The whole letter bears the impress of earnest truth and it had the desired effect. While it is true that during the remainder of the Rev- olutionary struggle the county was free from actual invasion and bloodshed, the privations of the people, the responsibilities of the mayor and council and the sacrifices demanded, constantly increased

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to near the close of the contest. In September, 1781, the alarming news reached the inhabitants that the British were about to attack the city and burn it to the ground. Prompt measures for protection were adopted, but the tide of military events turned away the threatened invasion. It was in that year, also, that General Gates wrote Governor Clinton as follows:

I am fully confident that George III of Great Britain, has many subjects in this city who would willingly lay down half, even the whole, of their estates in his serv- ice, and trust in his royal clemency for the repayment of the money so profitably laid out. Albany is a very dangerous place to put men into. I have no hopes of any assistance from Albany; it is not their inclination to fight away from their own castle.

The war of the Revolution continued with its succession of memor- able events, all slowly but inevitably tending towards the establish- ment of American freedom, and by the year 1782 the patriot cause was approaching its final triumph. On June 28 of this year, Washington visited Albany, where he was welcomed by the mayor and council with an address and with demonstrations of confidence and affection by the inhabitants. He was presented with the freedom of the city in gold box. His arrival was announced by the ringing of bells and the roar of artillery, while in the evening the city was brilliantly illum- inated.

A preliminary treaty of peace between Great Britain and America was signed at Paris on the 30th of November, 1782, and on September 3, 1783, peace was fully established, a formal proclamation having meanwhile been made on April 19 of the cessation of hostilities. Al- bany county joined with every other community in properly celebrat- ing the event. On the 18th of July, 1783, information was received that Washington would again visit Albany in company with Governor Clinton on the following day. Immediate preparations were made to give them a proper welcome. An address of welcome was prepared and a public dinner ordered, to which the distinguished visitors were invited. Washington delivered a brief reply to the address of wel- come, closing as follows;

While I contemplate with the inexpressible pleasure the future tranquillity and glory of our common country, I cannot but take a particular interest in the anticipa- tion of the increase in prosperity and greatness of this ancient and respectable city of Albany, from whose citizens I have received such distinguished tokens of their approbation and affection,

Governor Clinton also delivered an appropriate reply to the address.

The story of the New Hampshire Grants is familiar to all, and is re- ferred to here only to mention an incident which created some alarm at Albany. In the latter part of 1784, after peace was fully estab- lished with Great Britain, regiments of soldiers from General Ganse- voort's brigade were stationed between the Battenkill and the Hoosick. An insurrection broke out in the regiments of Cols. John and Henry K. Van Rensselaer and Peter Yates. It was a practical expression of the feeling of the militia in favor of the people of the Grants and against the authority of New York over the disputed territory. On the 5th of December General Gansevoort ordered Colonels Yates, Van Vechten and Van Rensselaer to march to St. Coych and quell the dis- turbance. Governor Clinton ordered Gen. Robert Van Rensselaer's brigade to assist Gansevoort, while General Stark, stationed at Sara- toga, refused to interfere when requested, unless under orders from his superiors. Advancing to St. Coych Gansevoort found about five hun- dred men ready to aid the insurgent militia. Gansevoort had only

eighty men with him at the time and he retired five miles and opened written correspondence with the leaders of the band; this did not serve the purpose of inducing the rebels to lay down their arms. The mat- ter was finally settled without bloodshed by a conciliatory letter from Washington to Governor Chittenden. Ten years later Vermont be- came an independent State.

England submitted to defeat with bad grace. Boundary technical- ities, questions of trade and commerce, unsettled claims of various kinds, were all brought forward as pretexts for delay in evacuating American territory. It must be conceded that the American govern- ment treated its recent enemy with either distinguished consideration, or foolish favor. In any case the astounding fact remains that it was not until July 15, 1796, thirteen years after peace was declared, that English troops marched away from the last bit of American soil occu- pied by them-Fort Ontario at Oswego, the centennial of which event has recently been celebrated in that historic city.

The year 1790, only a few years after the close of the war, found Albany county with three incorporated towns and a total population of 13,950; of these 3,506 were in Albany; 2,727 in Rensselaerville, and 7,667 in Watervliet. These figures as relating to Albany were in- creased by the beginning of the present century to 5,289, indicating a considerable growth. As to the remainder of the county, no census is

available until 1810, which is noted in the succeeding chapter. The towns in existence at the beginning of the century were Albany, Berne, Bethlehem, Coeymans, Rensselaerville, and Watervleit; the remaining six have been erected since 1800.

The subject of public improvements had begun to be discussed, par- ticularly in respect to securing easier and more rapid communication with the western part of the State towards which settlers were migrat- ing in large numbers. The first practical result of this agitation was the incorporation, March 30, 1792, of the Western Inland Lock Navi- gation Company. This company established navigation from Hudson River to the Seneca Lake and Lake Ontario by building a short canal around Little Falls, another between the Mohawk at Rome and Wood Creek, and the improvement of Oneida, Seneca, and Oswego Rivers. The influence of this water communication upon the prosperity of the State was widespread and traffic east and west increased rapidly. As many as three hundred boats passed Rome in a single year. As a financial investment the canal lost money and its property and rights finally passed to the State at the time of the construction of the Erie Canal.

Other avenues of communication were opened and former ones im- proved. In 1785 the Legislature granted to Isaac Van Wyck, Talmage Hall and John Kinney the exclusive right to drive stage wagons on the east side of Hudson River to New York for ten years. The fare was four pence a mile. A year later communication was opened with Spring- field, Mass., and in 1789 a stage began running from Albany to Lan- singburgh. About 1790 public roads were opened eastward and to Whitestown on the west, to be soon extended to the rich Genesee country. Over these highways ran the old stages of which our fathers tell us. Among the first were those running westward by way of Schenectady, Johnstown, Canajoharie, Fort Plain and Warren's Bush. In 1790 the Legislature granted to Ananias Platt the exclusive right to run a stage between Albany and Lansingburgh, and in the following year a route was authorized to Bennington. In 1792 a line was established from Albany to Whitestown, the trip heing made once in two weeks. In the spring of 1793 Moses Beal carried passengers by stage to Cana- joharie once a week; fare three cents a mile. About this time John Hudson established an opposition line to Schenectady; fare four shil- lings. Soon afterward a line was opened to the Connecticut valley. In 1794 Mr. Platt was running stages twice a day to Lansingburgh, and

travel over this line so increased that in the next year six daily trips were made. In 1796 twenty stages made daily trips from Albany to Lan- singburgh, Waterford and Troy, carrying sometimes one hundred and fifty passengers daily. In that year there were five post routes termi- nating in Albany. In the same year $40,000 in furs and peltries were received by one Albany house from western agencies. In the winter of 1795-6 twelve hundred sleighs passed westward through Al- bany for the Genesee valley. Ere long rich products came eastward to market in heavy wagons and sleighs, all leaving their toll in Albany. The close of the last century saw this county in the full enjoyment of the blessings attending the peace it had aided in consummating, and the prosperity due to it for its peculiar situation with reference to the rapidly growing traffic of the west with the seaboard.

CHAPTER IX.

During the reign of peace, which lasted from the beginning of the present century until 1812, there was a marked progress in Albany county; there was a large increase in the number of settlers in many of the already occupied localities and the beginning of settlements at other points; the clearing of many acres of forest and the commence. ment of cultivation on many farms; the building of additional mills; the founding of schools and churches. But when war with Great Britain was renewed in 1812 industry was paralyzed for two years and advancement was retarded.

At the beginning of the century the population of this State had reached 589,000, of which total about 60,000 were in New York city. The foundations of the present thriving cities were laid at Utica, Roch- ester, Buffalo, and Oswego, at which latter place a rapidly increasing commerce on the lakes was just springing into existence. The pop. ulation of Albany county was, in 1790, 13,950, of which number 3,506 were in Albany city, and the remainder in Rensselaerville and Water- vleit, which were the only towns then in existence in this county. We cannot give the population of the county in 1800, but that of the city had advanced to 5,269, while in 1810 the number of inhabitants in the county reached 34,669, indicating a very active growth.

Early in the century began the acts on the part of England and France which resulted in another war. Through orders issued by Great Britain and decrees made by Napoleon, all American commerce in neutral ships with either of these belligerent nations was suspended. American sailors, claimed as British subjects, were seized on American vessels, the right to board American vessels for this purpose being one of the unjust claims set up by Great Britain. Late in October, 1807, Congress opposed the persistent outrages of the British government by laying an embargo on all vessels in United States harbors. This measure, necessary as it may have appeared as a general policy, was disastrous to the mercantile and shipping interests of this whole coun- try, and was largely the means of an irreconcilable division of the people upon the question of war later on. The embargo act was sup- ported by a large part of the Democratic party, but was strenuously opposed by the Federalists.

On June 1, 1812, President Madison sent a confidential message to Congress in which he reviewed the causes of complaint against Great Britain and called upon the representatives to decide whether they would act upon their rights and as duty dictated, or remain passive under accumulating injustice. It was well known that the president favored open retaliation. By one party he was urged by ridicule as well as threats to declare war, while the other, among whom were many whose personal interests were already suffering, bitterly opposed such action. Madison's message was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, which, on June 3 made a report favoring the presi- dent's views and accompanied by a bill favoring war, an attempt being made to include France in the declaration, which failed. After much debate and amid the greatest excitement throughout the country, Con- gress passed the bill on July 18, and the president signed it. On the following day he issued a proclamation announcing the fact and call . ing on the people to support the administration.

In Albany excitement ran high. The two parties and the local press were quite evenly divided for and against the war and party hostility was very bitter. The Albany Register, Democratic, was then pub- lished by Solomon Southwick, and the Albany Gazette, Federalist, by Charles E. Webster. It is stated that the Gazette office was threatened with destruction by a mob, and that such a demonstration was pre- vented only by a published notice that every man in the establishment was fully armed and would defend the place against an attack. The

Democrats were led by Gov. John Tayler, and the Federalists by Gen. Solomon Van Rensselaer, both excellent men, but determined and ex- treme in their attitudes on the all-absorbing question. They even had a hostile meeting on State street on April 21, 1802, which was fol- lowed by a legal trial.

Immediately upon the public declaration of war Gen. Isaac Brock, commander in chief of the British forces in Upper Canada, took com- mand of the Niagara frontier and strengthened its defenses, while Gen. William Wadsworth was given command on the American side. By a general order of the War Department April 21, 1812, the de- tached militia of the State was arranged in two divisions, eight brigades and numerous regiments. Preparations for war went on actively, and Albany, by virtue of its situation and as the State capital, was a center of great military importance. Intense anxiety was felt on the Amer- ican side as to the probable conduct of the Indians in the approaching crisis. Great Britain, as might have been expected, made prompt efforts to enlist the Mohawks and the Indians in Canada in her service, while messengers were sent among the Six Nations to urge them to join the English. To counteract this influence a council of the Six Nations was held at Buffalo on the 6th of July, where the great Seneca chief, Red Jacket, made speeches in response to those of Mr. Granger, who explained the causes of the war and counseled the Indians to remain neutral, but if the young warriors must fight, to let it be on the Amer- ican side. Red Jacket favored neutrality, but this condition did not long exist, the natural inclination of the Indians soon carrying them to the frontier, where they were an important adjunct to the American armies. With the close of 1812 the war was well under way on the lakes and along the Canadian frontier.

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 9

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1374

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374