Landmarks of Niagara County, New York, Part 6

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 820

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Youngstown, and then separated into raiding parties and desolated the unprotected frontier. A body of Indians crossed the river from Queens- ton, joined those from below, and Lewiston was plundred and partly burned, the inhabitants fleeing away on the Ridge road. The first alarm to the settlers at Dickersonville and beyond was given by the Tuscarora women who were hurrying along that road towards a place of safety. Reaching the brow of the Mountain Ridge the faithful Tus- caroras there obtained a view of the road below. The pursuers were mounted and were coming on in hot haste after the fugitives. Then the Indians stood their ground and so delayed the enemy that many were enabled to escape. It was in midwinter, the ground was covered with snow, and the sufferings of the flying people were intense. Many incidents of capture, massacre, and other terrible details are related of that memorable day. Thomas F. Pool, son of Achish Pool, then a lad of thirteen, heard the alarm and hastily hitched a team to their convey- ance and aided in snatching a few necessary articles from the house and loading them on. While thus engaged an acquaintance came from towards Lewiston and warned them to waste no more time in securing their valuables or they would surely be overtaken and killed. Mrs. Pool had a restless babe and the last thing secured was a bottle of milk which she determined to take along for her offspring. The road was crowded with fugitives, the larger part of whom were squaws and their children, and all were frightened beyond measure. The inhabitants were out of the way none too soon. It was only a little while before the red allies of the British came on with tomahawk and torch to wreak their vengeance for the burning of Newark. The pursuit continued a little beyond Dickersonville, one fugitive being killed a mile beyond that place. At Howell's Creek, where a well known tavern was kept many years afterwards, was a quantity of arms and ammunition and there a stand was made by some of the retreating men. This gave the fugitives safe opportunity to continue their flight to the Genesee, where the remainder of the winter was passed amid great privation.

At Lewiston a small volunteer force had been recruited a few days earlier for such protection to the frontier there as they could give ; but they were taken by surprise with the rest of the settlers. Solomon Gillet was a member of the band, and when coming up the street from

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Benjamin Barton's, where he had been after cartridges, met a party of Indians and supposed them to be friends. Farther on he met another party and entered into conversation with them. A white man with the party dressed and painted like an Indian, asked Gillet where he was going with his gun. Answering that he was going to drill, he was asked if he did not know that the fort had been taken. Gillet at this juncture saw the British soldiers near at hand and was soon captured. Meanwhile his son Miles met the first party of Indians at a different point, and promptly shot and killed a chief. Attempting then to fly he was shot through the head and instantly killed. Among the other slain were two men named Tiffany and Finch, Thomas March, Jarvis Gillet (only seven years ald who was trying to escape with his mother), and Dr. Alvord, the pioneer physician. The latter had just mounted his horse at his door and started to ride away, but was shot before he had gone far. Reuben Lewis lived at the foot of the mountain and had agreed with a neighbor that he would not be taken alive by the Indians. He was attacked and fought until wounded, when he fell down behind a log. In that position he continued to load and fire until the Indians came up and tomahawked him. The killed at Lewiston numbered about a dozen. John Robinson lived three miles east of the village on the Ridge road, heard of the invasion about nine o'clock and hurriedly gathered up some of his property and placed it on a sled, which he took to the site of Pekin village. Meanwhile his wife took their children and crossed the mountain to a place south of the Indian Reservation where she remained concealed in the woods three days. After removing his goods Robinson returned to his house and was captured, but escaped and afterwards discovered his wife and children.

Lathrop Cook had recently had his leg amputated. He was placed on a sled and accompanied by his brother, the late Hon. Bates Cook, was taken along the Ridge ; but they were overtaken a few miles on their way by some Indians. Bates Cook took up his gun and shot one of the Indians. He then ran and escaped unharmed from two shots that were fired after him. Some Tuscarora Indians, hearing the firing, hastened to the place, repulsed the enemy and took the sled and its invalid burden to a place of safety.

Aaron Childs, one of the settlers on the Ridge, was on guard at the

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Meadows the previous night. When Mrs. Childs saw the approaching fugitives she ran out and inquired for her husband. She was told that all on the river were killed and for some time she believed her husband was among the slain. He finally returned uninjured and they made their escape. Aaron Childs was father of W. H. Childs, long a well known resident of Niagara Falls.

During the progress of these events disaster of no less importance was falling upon the settlers at Black Rock and Buffalo. Other parties of the enemy burned everything along the river towards Tonawanda, at which place the guard house and the few dwellings, with one excep- tion, were destroyed. Near midnight of the 29th a detachment of British landed near Black Rock, and during the remainder of that night and the next day scenes were enacted there and at Buffalo which were a counterpart of those at Lewiston. The torch was applied indis- criminately, the inhabitants fled eastward, and many were killed, wound- ed or captured.

Such was the retaliation of the British for burning of the small vil- lage of Newark by McClure, where not a life was sacrificed. The feel- ings that inspired the British at the time are indicated by the following extract from a letter written (as believed by Lossing, the historian, by General Drummond) while the work of devastation was in progress :

A war-whoop from five hundred of the most savage Indians (which they gave just at daylight, on hearing of the success of the attack on Fort Niagara) made the enemy [at Lewiston] take to their heels, and our troops are in pursuit. We shall not stop until we have cleared the whole frontier. The Indians are retaliating the con flagration of Newark. Not a house within my sight but is in flames. This is a melancholy but just retaliation.

The succeeding winter was one of great suffering to the fugitives from the frontier. Of this period Turner, the historian of the Holland Purchase, wrote as follows :

It is impossible now to give the reader such an account of the condition of things in western New York during the ill fated winter as will enable him to realize the alarm, the panic, the aggregate calamities that prevailed. On the immediate fron- tier all was desolate; the enemy holding possession of Fort Niagara, detached marauding parties of British and Indians came cut from it, traversed the frontier where there was nothing left to destroy, and made incursions in some instances in the interior, enlarging the theater of devastation and spreading alarm among those who had been bold enough to remain in a flight. West of a north and south line

that would pass through the village of Leroy, more than one-half of the entire popu- lation had been driven from their homes by the enemy or had left them in fear of extended invasion. Entire backwoods neighborhoods were deserted, hundreds of log cabins were desolate, and the signs and sounds of life were mostly the deserted cattle and sheep, lowing and bleating, famishing for the lack of fodder there were none left to deal out for them.

In commenting upon the enormity of the acts of this invasion, Lossing says :

Fearful was the retaliation for the destruction of half-inhabited Newark where not a life was sacrificed! Six villages, many isolated country houses, and four vessels were consumed, and the butchery of innocent persons at Fort Niagara, Lewiston, Schlosser, Tuscarora village, Black Rock and Buffalo, and in farm houses, attested the fierceness of the enemy's revenge.

The winter sufferings of the fugitives from the frontier were greatly alleviated by the generosity of the State. The Legislature voted $40,000 to the devastated district, besides $5,000 to the Tuscarora Indians and a like sum to residents in Canada who had been driven out on account of their friendship for the Americans. Albany voted $1,000, New York $3,000, and other contributions came from other parts of the State.

The campaign of 1814 was conducted with more vigor and judgment by the Americans, with the conquest of Canada still the chief object in view. For these pages we are concerned principally with two con - spicuous events, the battles of Chippawa and Lundy's Lane. Lieuten- ant-General Drummond was in chief command of the British forces while General Riall remained in authority at Fort George and Queens- ton ; but when the latter heard of the arrival of the Americans at Buffalo under Scott, he established his headquarters at Chippawa, and established a fortified camp. At the close of June, Maj .- Gen. Jacob Brown arrived at Buffalo and assumed chief command. His command consisted of two brigades commanded respectively by Generals Scott and Ripley, to each of which was attached a small body of artillery ; there was also a small troop of cavalry. These regulars were well dis- ciplined and in high spirits. There were also volunteers from Pennsyl- vania and New York and about six hundred Indians, who had been awakened to action by the eloquence of Red Jacket. The volunteers and Indians were under chief command of Gen. Peter B. Porter, who

John Hodges,

was then quartermaster-general of the New York militia. On the Ist of July Brown was ordered to cross the river, capture this fort, march on Chippawa, menace Fort George, and if he could have the co- operation of Commodore Chauncey's fleet, to seize and fortify Burling- ton Heights. Brown made his plans for General Scott and his brigade to cross the Niagara in boats a mile below the fort, while Ripley's brigade was to be landed a mile above the work. This accomplished, the boats were to return and carry over the remainder of the army, with the ordnance and stores, to the Canada shore. The order for this movement was given July 2, and was promptly carried out by Scott on the 3d ; Ripley was dilatory, and when Scott had pressed forward to invest the fort, he found that Ripley had not crossed ; but no time was lost in hurrying over the ordnance and stores Seeing these energetic preparations for action, the weak garrison surrendered. The prisoners were sent across the river, and the campaign on the Canada side con- tinued.

Early in the morning General Riall had sent forward a body of Royal Scots to reinforce the garrison at Fort Erie ; but they were too late. At Chippawa he heard of the surrender of the fort, upon which Riall determined to make an immediate attack upon the American forces. Learning that reinforcements for him were on their way from York (Toronto) he finally deferred the attack until the next morning. To meet Riall's troops General Brown sent forward Scott with his brigade, accompanied by Towson's artillery, on the morning of the 4th. Ripley was ordered in the same direction with his brigade, but was again slow and not ready to move until afternoon. Scott marched along the river skirmishing nearly all the way and driving in the enemy's advanced detachment. The main portion of Brown's army reached Scott's en- campment on the south side of Street's Creek that night and on the morning of the 5th the opposing forces were only two miles apart. At about noon Scott was joined by General Porter with his volunteers and Indians. The British had also been reinforced.

Operations began at daybreak on the morning of the 5th with petty attacks on the American pickets for the purpose of diverting the atten- tion of the American commander from his center, upon which the Brit- ish were to make an assault. This part of the plan did not succeed.

The American commander felt sure of his position and strength and gradually drew in his pickets, and the British were thus led on to gen- eral action. The Indians behaved gallantly under Porter and Red Jacket, and the British advance was forced back in flight towards Chip- pawa, with heavy slaughter. Porter's command followed, but on reach- ing the edge of the forest and there meeting the main British army, his men, unaccustomed to the battle field, were disconcerted and fled in confusion.

The American commander, apprised of these operations only by the reports of fire arms, now discovered at a distance a cloud of dust which heralded the approach of the British, and rode on to General Scott and ordered him to bring his brigade into the field for action. At the same moment he sent his adjutant- general to Ripley, who was in the rear with his brigade, and ordered him to march by the left through the wood and fall on the enemy's right flank for the purpose of cutting off his retreat ; but the promptness with which Scott obeyed the order to to advance on the enemy, prevented Ripley's forces from participating in the oncoming struggle. The American commander accompanied Scott's brigade into the field and took his position on the left in front of the enemy's right flank, from whence he posted a battery of artillery opposite the center and further directed the operations. The British came into the field and were promptly attacked by Scott's forces, which persistenly advanced, fighting desperately for every step gained. He crossed Street's Creek in face of a heavy cannonade and then the battle raged along the whole line. Several times the British line was broken and closed up again. Finally a flank movement and a furious charge was made by Major McNeill with Colonel Campbell's regiment, and a terrific fire on the British center, forced it to give way. The whole British force broke and fled to the intrenchments below Chippawa Creek. The fugitives destroyed the bridge, thus cutting off the imme- diate pursuit of the victorious Americans. The battle, though an insig- nificant one when compared with the sanguinary struggles of more modern wars, was nevertheless an important one at that time and place and exerted a large influence in the closing scenes of the war. The American loss was 355 in killed, wounded and missing ; the British loss 604, of whom 236 were killed. A gentle shower fell on that hot July

evening, mitigating the horrors of the bloody field. The succeeding few days were spent in burying the dead.

On his retreat General Riall fled down the borders of the river to Queenston, placed a part of his troops in Fort George and made his headquarters near the lake twenty miles to the westward. Drummond was deeply mortified by this defeat of his veterans by what he deemed a raw body of the despised Americans and resolved to wipe out the dis- grace. He drew most of his troops from Burlington Bay, Toronto, Kingston and Prescott, for the purpose of organizing an army that would drive the invaders out of Canada. With a force about one-third greater than that of General Brown, Drummond now pressed forward to meet the Americans. In the mean time Brown had moved forward to Queenston and menaced Fort George, expecting to bring on a battle. He anticipated the finding of Chauncey's fleet on Niagara River, ready for co-operation with the land movements, but at that time the fleet was blockaded at Sackett's Harbor and the commodore was ill in bed. When it became apparent that there was no hope of naval co-operation General Brown fell back to Chippawa for supplies, intending to then march across the country to Burlington Heights and meet the en- emy. But in the mean time the British reinforcements arrived and they occupied Queenston Heights. On the 24th Brown received intel- ligence that Drummond, with a thousand troops, many of them Well- ington's veterans, had landed at Lewiston with a view, no doubt, of seizing the American stores at Schlosser. To defeat this movement General Brown determined to attack the British at Queenston. Gen- eral Scott was given the advance, and was not forced to march to Queenston to find his enemy. The opposing forces soon came to- gether to fight the battle of Lundy's Lane.1 Waiting only to dispatch intelligence to his commander, Scott began the attack. Gen. Brown, apprised by the report of musketry and cannon of the contest that had commenced, ordered the second brigade under Ripley to follow him, and, accompanied by his personal staff, hastened to the field of battle.

1 It is proper to state that this account of the battle is largely drawn from the writings of one "Cimon," in the New York Statesman, published soon after the war. Who the writer was is not generally known but it is believed he was present in some capacity in that campaign. The general accuracy of his descriptions has never been seriously questioned, except in unimportant details. We use much of his language, without quotation marks.

Meeting on the way the messenger dispatched by General Scott, he ordered him to continue his route to camp and bring up the whole force. General Brown, perceiving that Scott's brigade was much exhausted by severe action, as soon as Ripley's brigade reached the field, interposed a new line between the enemy and Scott's brigade, thereby disengaging the latter and holding it in readiness, after recovering from its exhaus- tion, for a new conflict. The enemy now falling back took a new posi- tion and rested his right flank on a height commanding the whole sur- face of the contiguous plains on which his own and the American forces were displayed. Colonel McKee and Major Wood had, by order of General Brown, reconnoitered the enemy's position, and reported to him that this height must be carried or the engagement could not be prosecuted with any probability of success. McKee was ordered to de- tach Colonel James Miller with the 21st Regiment for the duty, and to advance the remainder of the second brigade on the Queenston road to divert the enemy's attention from his right, on which the attack was to be made. General Brown rode in person to Colonel Miller, and ordered him to assail the heights and seize the artillery.1 It was instantaneously and gallantly done. The enemy retired before the line of bayonets with which he was assailed, leaving his cannon and several prisoners in possession of the assailants. General Ripley's brigade had advanced and encountered the enemy on the right of Colonel Miller's operations, and a part of it under his own command was broken by the enemy's fire, but it was soon reformed and brought again into action.

It was at this moment that Major Jessup, who had been detached from General Scott's brigade, to act independently on the right of the American army, after capturing and sending to camp General Riall and several other British officers, had made his way toward the height as far as the Queenston road. Here he encountered a body of the enemy, which dispersed and fled after receiving a single discharge. General

1 Perceiving the key of the British position to be the battery on the hill, he turned to Col. James Miller, of the 27th regulars, and asked, " Can you storm that work and take it ?" "I'll try," was the prompt reply. With 300 men he moved steadily up the hill in the darkness, along a fence lined with thick bushes that hid his troops from the view of the gunners and their protectors who lay near by. When within short musket range of the battery, they could see the gunners with their glowing lintstocks, ready to act at the word, fire. Selecting good marksmen, Miller di- rected each to rest his rifle on the fence, select a gunner, and fire at a given signal. Very soon every gunner fell, when Miller and his men rushed forward and captured the battery .- LOSSING. Colonel Miller was given a medal by Congress for his heroism in this campaign.

Brown, who had removed to this part of the field, joined Major Jessup, and ordered him to advance up Lundy's Lane, and form on the right of General Ripley's brigade, the left of which was resting upon the height defended by the captured cannon. General Porter had arrived with his command, and was formed on the left of General Ripley.

The enemy had now been reinforced by fresh troops from Fort George and Queenston, and advanced in strong force on the new line formed upon the ground from which he had been driven. He was re- ceived with a general discharge at a distance of about five rods, and fled in the utmost confusion. In twenty minutes he made a second attack, which he contested more obstinately, but was again driven down the height after two or three volleys. During the second attack, Gen- eral Brown rode to the left of the American line and ordered General Scott to advance with his brigade, and take a position in rear of the enemy's right flank in order to assail him in reverse. In executing it, General Scott, after passing in front of the American line, was assailed by a concealed party of the enemy while he was in open column, and his command severed in two parts, one passing to the rear and the other immediately towards the main force of the American army. Both were again in action in a few minutes with the main body and participated in the repulse on the third and last desperate assault of the enemy. General Brown at the moment of the attack on Scott's com- mand, received a severe wound from a musket ball, but still kept his seat on his horse. The enemy had now closed with the main body of the Americans and a most desperate conflict ensued. General Brown in passing up the left of his own line, received a second wound in his side, but continued to direct the movements of the battle, though so enfeebled by the loss of blood as to require occasionally to be supported on his horse. The hostile lines were several minutes at the point of the bayonet, struggling for victory, and the carnage was appalling. The enemy at length gave way in great disorder, leaving many prisoners, and reappearing no more. During this last attack from the enemy General Scott, animating his command by his own example, received a wound which utterly disabled him and was borne from the field. The British thus repulsed, the Americans fell back to Chippawa, with orders from General Brown to General Ripley (on whom the command de-

volved) to return after a brief rest and occupy the battlefield. The dilatory Ripley, however, continued to remain at Chippawa. In three days after the battle the British received large reinforcements by way of the lake, which Chauncey's illness left substantially open, raising their forces to a great superiority in numbers over the Americans. Ripley now broke his camp and fell back to the ferry opposite Black Rock, intending to cross the river and occupy Buffalo-the position held by the army before the invasion began. Learning of this meas- ure, General Brown stopped its consummation by ordering Ripley to plant his force in Fort Erie. This was done on the 28th of July. In the battle of Lundy's Lane the American loss was about eight hundred killed, wounded and missing, nearly one-third of the whole force ; the British lost 878. A part of the battlefield is now covered with the vil- lage of Drummondville.

From the 7th to the 14th of August Fort Erie was besieged by the British, subjected to a fierce cannonade, and repeatedly assaulted. But the heroic Americans bravely held the work. Finally at the end of the fifth desperate assault, a bastion which had been captured by the British was blown up, causing frightful destruction. This was followed by a fierce cannonade from the remaining American guns, and the British fled to their intrenchments, leaving 221 killed, 174 wounded and 186 prisoners ; the American loss was less than one-half these numbers.

After the explosion both sides prepared for a continuation of opera- tions; but it was more than a month before the next important event took place. Hearing that Drummond's forces were greatly weakened by sickness contracted by lying on the low grounds along the river, General Brown, now recovered and in command, resolved upon a sortie from the fort. The date set for its execution was September 17. For- tunately on that day a thick fog prevailed. The movement was begun about noon, the troops passing out of the work in three divisions-one under General Porter, one under Gen. James Miller, and the third under General Ripley. Porter reached a point near the British right about three o'clock and still unobserved. He immediately made an assault and the startled British fled. The batteries were then stormed and cap- tured within twenty minutes. This victory was quickly followed by the capture of the block house in rear of the batteries. The garrison were

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Landmarks of Niagara County, New York, Part 6

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed Publication date: 1897 Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 820

Author: Pool, William, 1825-1912, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: [Syracuse] : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 820