Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 14

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1410

USA > New York > Oswego County > Landmarks of Oswego County, New York > Part 14

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

130

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

1800; Williamstown, 1804; Volney and Hannibal, 1806; Richland, 1807; Constantia, 1808 ; Scriba, 1811; and New Haven, 1813. Fort Ontario at Oswego, so far as concerned the garrison, was wholly aban- doned about the first year of the century. Several important roads were opened or improved during the first decade of the century, among which were Scriba's road from Rotterdam to Vera Cruz; and one from Camden (Oneida county) to Vera Cruz through the present towns of Amboy, Parish and Mexico. In 1806 a mail route was established be- tween Onondaga and Oswego, and a post-office opened at the latter place. Mr. Burt, the collector of the port, was made postmaster. This active pioneer was already operating a ferry across the Oswego River at about the location of Cayuga street. In 1807 a State road, six rods wide, was laid out from Onondaga Hill to the mouth of Ox Creek in the present town of Granby, and thence to Oswego. A branch from this led from Ox Creek to Salina. On the 9th of April, 1811, an act was passed by the Legislature appointing commissioners to "lay out and improve that part of the public road leading from the court-house in Onondaga county, to the village of Oswego, between Seneca River and the said village."

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 Emperor Napoleon of France, all American com- merce in neutral ships with either of these belligerent nations was sus- pended. American sailors, claimed as British subjects, were seized on American vessels , and the right to board American vessels for this pur- pose was one of the unjust claims set up by Great Britain. These and other outrages continued until " forbearance ceased to be a virtue." Late in October, 1807, Congress opposed this action 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 mercan- tile and shipping interests of the whole country. The embargo act was supported 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 it to decide whether they would act upon their

131

DECLARATION OF WAR.

right and as duty dictated, or remain passive under accumulating in- justice. It was well known that the president favored open retaliation. By one party the president was urged by ridicule as well as threats to declare war, while the other, among whom were many whose per- sonal interests were already suffering, bitterly opposed such action. Madison's message was referred to the Committee on Foreign Rela- tions, which, on June 3, made a report favoring the president's views and accompanied by a bill declaring war against Great Britain. An attempt was made to include France in the declaration, which failed. After much debate, and amid the greatest excitement throughout the country, Congress passed the bill on July 18, and Madison signed it. On the 19th the president issued a proclamation announcing the fact, and calling on the people of the country to support the government in its war policy.

At no point in the country was this event discussed with deeper in- terest and more anxiety than in Oswego. While the population was still insignificant in the little settlement at the mouth of the river, their brief experience there, combined with the evident advantage of their situation, made them most hopeful of a rapidly increasing commerce with its attendant substantial blessings. They realized that war meant the destruction of their prospects and hopes. Not only this, they could not escape the conviction that war meant possible bloodshed and deso- lation at their very doors.

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 similar action was taken on the American side, where Gen. William Wads- worth took command in person. The militia was called out and was hastened towards the rendezvous, to prepare for duty at the frontier forts. By a general order issued from the War Department on April 21, 1812, the detached militia of the State of New York had been ar- ranged in two divisions, eight brigades, and numerous regiments. In May one of these regiments, commanded by Col. C. P. Bellinger, was stationed at Sackett's Harbor, and in June the first detachment of New York's quota of militia was placed under command of General Brown, who was charged with the defense of the northern frontier from Oswego to Lake St. Francis.

132

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

Intense anxiety was felt on the American side as to the probable conduct of the Indians in the coming conflict Great Britain, as might have been foreseen; made prompt efforts to enlist the Mohawks and the other Canadian Indians in her service, and messengers were sent by those Indians to the Six Nations to urge them to join in the same service. To avert this danger, a council of the Six Nations was called at Buffalo on the 6th of July. Speeches were made by the great Seneca Chief, Red Jacket, and by the representative of the government, Mr. Granger, the latter explaining the causes of the war, and counseling the Indians to remain neutral ; but if their young warriors must fight, to let it be on the American side. Red Jacket declared in favor of neutrality, and volunteered to send to the Mohawks and urge them to abandon the war path. This effort failed. The Indians of this State remained neutral only a short time ; their natural inclinations soon carried them to the frontier, where they performed effective service for the American side. At a later date (1814) many of the Wyandottes, Delawares , Shawnees, and most of the Miamis also joined the forces of the government.

Early in the season of 1812 Matthew McNair received the appoint - ment of commissary of subsistence at Oswego, and Alvin Bronson was made military storekeeper. In spite of objections made by a local Federalist, the latter was soon afterward appointed naval storekeeper.

In July Col. George Fleming, of Cayuga county, with nine com- panies of the recently organized militia, marched down the river and occupied Fort Ontario. The works were more or less dilapidated, and the troops made some effort during their few months' stay, to repair them. When their term of service expired they were succeeded in the occupation of the fort by Colonel Cleveland, from Madison county, with a small force. As the terms of nearly all the militia expired within the year, and no provision had yet been made to supply their places, the fort was soon left almost wholly undefended.

The government early adopted measures for providing a naval squadron on Lake Ontario, in view of the facility with which the British forces could operate against us upon its waters. At each end was an important military gateway, through which the enemy could send expedi- tions, to act on the offensive by water or land. At the beginning of the conflict the only armed American vessel on the lake was the Oneida,

133

MILITARY OPERATIONS ON THE FRONTIER.

but all available craft were promptly purchased by the government and armed, among the first being Mr. McNair's schooner, Julia, aboard which was placed a long thirty-two pounder, and two long six pounders. The Oneida, to which allusion has been made, was built at Oswego in 1809, by Christian Bergh and Henry Eckford, for revenue service, and was the first American armed vessel on the lake. She had captured several British vessels which were violating the laws, in the spring of 1812, and attempts at retaliation promptly followed.

When news of the declaration of war reached Ogdensburg, eight American trading vessels were lying in or near that harbor. For their protection the Julia, manned with sixty volunteers, and escorted by a company of riflemen in an open boat, went down the river. A short distance above Ogdensburg she encountered two of the enemy's vessels and a sharp cannonade followed, in which the Julia was somewhat damaged. The trading vessels, in their attempt to escape up the river, lost two of their number which were captured by the enemy and burned. This was the inauguration of hostilities on the northern frontier.

The long prominent forwarding firm of Townsend, Bronson & Co. had already been formed, with Alvin Bronson as resident member at Oswego, and their schooner, Charles and Ann, was also purchased and armed by the government, and named the Governor Tompkins.

Lieut. Melancthon T. Woolsey, of the U. S. navy, who had superin- tended the building of the Oneida at Sackett's Harbor, was first in com- mand on the lake, but was soon placed under Commodore Isaac Chauncey, who arrived in the fall of 1812 and made his headquarters at Sackett's Harbor. Early in November he began offensive operations on the lake with his small fleet, including the Oswego vessels before named. Cruising off Kingston, he had an encounter with land batteries in that harbor, following which the two Oswego vessels, before men- tioned, and another chased the Simcoe, a British armed vessel of 12 guns, upon the rocks and riddled her with shot. A part of the fleet then blockaded the fort until the ice closed in, when they returned to Sackett's Harbor.

Late in the autumn, in anticipation of an attack upon Ogdensburg, Gen. Jacob Brown was sent thither, arriving October I. He was none too early, for on the following day a flotilla of British vessels, with about

134

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

750 men from Prescott, directly across the river, attacked the place. The defense was spirited and effective, the enemy being soon repulsed.

With the closing of this year the war was fully inaugurated. Opera- tions by land thus far had not been of a character to give much en- couragement to the people of this country, although some minor Amer- ican successes near the close of the campaign served to some extent to relieve their depression.

During the year 1813, while the march of military events was rapid, and resulted as a whole favorably to the American arms, there is little to record of a strictly local character. Sackett's Harbor was now the chief depot of military and naval supplies on Lake Ontario, and pre- sented a tempting prize for the enemy. Moreover, its proximity to ·Oswego and the probability that it would receive early attention from the British, gave it additional interest with the inhabitants of this county.

About noon of May 28, 1813, Sir James L. Yeo, commanding the British squadron, arrived off Sackett's Harbor from Kingston, with six armed vessels and forty bateaux, carrying over 1,000 troops. The harbor was feebly protected, and a prompt assault would have resulted in its capture ; but the appearance of a few American gun boats, trans- porting a regiment to its relief, frightened away the enemy for the day. An attack was made on the following day, the British landing on Horse Island, and the Americans, believing the place would be taken, burned stores worth $500,000 The British, seeing the hurrying to and fro of soldiers and citizens on the land, fled in disorder to their vessels, and the whole squadron sailed away. Sackett's Harbor was not again molested.

In the month of June several armed vessels of the British appeared off Oswego Harbor. They opened fire on Fort Ontario, then garri- soned by a small force of regulars, under Major Case. Anchored in the harbor at the time was the American vessel, Growler, of three guns. She replied vigorously, as did also the fort batteries, and after a brief cannonade the enemy retired.

In 1812 a brilliant young naval officer, twenty-seven years of age, had charge of a fleet of gun boats in New York harbor. In 1813 he was called north, served a short time on Lake Ontario under Commo-

135

COOPER'S NAVAL FAILURE.

dore Chauncey, and was then given command of a fleet of nine small armed vessels on Lake Erie, a body of water the possession of which was to the Americans second only in importance to Lake Ontario. This young officer's name was Oliver Hazard Perry. His flagship was the Lawrence. On September 10 he encountered the British squadron, and after a desperate and bloody battle the enemy was defeated with a loss of 200 killed and 600 prisoners. Perry announced his victory to General Harrison by his famous dispatch, " We have met the enemy and they are ours."

Operations were also active on the Niagara frontier during 1813, and culminated on the last day of the year in the burning of Buffalo and Black Rock, a deed which the British justified by the previous burning of Newark on the other side of the river by the Americans.

It was at this time that a man of eccentric characteristics named William Cooper, then living in Oswego, began building a war vessel on an entirely original plan. Cooper was a brother of the famous novelist, who became familiar with this locality during his six years of naval service, and located the action of his "Pathfinder " amid scenes of which this work treats. William Cooper entertained the belief that he was destined to immortalize his name as the builder of a vessel in Oswego harbor, which, armed, would prove largely instrumental in end- ing the conflict. It was to consist of a sort of floating battery, and one of the strange features of the scheme was, that he induced the govern- ment to agree to pay him $16,000 when the battery was finished and successfully floated to Sackett's Harbor. Cooper began and energetically pushed forward his work, and finally saw his creation complete. It was nearly square, fifty or sixty feet on a side, and rose four or five feet above the water line ; was made of logs partially hewed, and built up something like the side of a log house, and with a mast set up in the middle. It locally received the name of Cooper's Ark. The battery was placed in charge of Captain Gould and a few men; several prisoners were taken on board destined for Sackett's Harbor, and a large sail was set. After a few miles of struggle with the waves, and when off the coast to the eastward of Oswego, the wind having increased to some extent, the battery became unmanageable and promptly went to pieces.

As the war progressed, although peaceful commerce was almost at a

136

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

standstill, Oswego village presented a scene of constant military ac- tivity. This owing to its situation, was the inevitable result. The fort remained only feebly garrisoned by squads or companies of militia, but troops were often arriving, destined for Niagara and other points on the frontier, or to join the naval forces, coming through by the oft-traveled route down the river, or by the military road which had been opened by the State. Large quantities of military stores and munitions of war also were gathered here, and Matthew McNair and Alvin Bronson now found themselves fully occupied with their public duties.

Early in 1814 it became evident that the British intended a more vig- orous prosecution of the war. The victory of the allies over Napoleon had relieved from European service thousands of English soldiers, and early in the summer nearly 15,000 of Wellington's bronzed veterans were sent over to Canada for its defense, or for the invasion of New York. Oswego and other localities on the northern frontier heard of this and of other active movements of the enemy with deep concern. At the same time the people of this country were more than ever determined on vigorous measures against the enemy.

During the winter and spring the military authorities on both sides of the St. Lawrence and the lakes made preparations for a struggle, with Lake Ontario as the prize. Commodore Chauncey was build- ing the frigate Superior and other war vessels at Sackett's Harbor. The Superior was launched on the 2d of May, eighty days after her keel was laid. These vessels were delayed in the harbor by the non-arrival of their armament, which lay in the vicinity of Oswego Falls with a great quantity of other stores, awaiting a safe opportunity for their shipment to Sackett's Harbor. Mr. Bronson had also a large quantity of stores in charge at Oswego. With all of these valuable and very necessary supplies feebly protected, and with Commodore Chaun- cey still shut up in Sackett's Harbor,1 an auspicious opportunity was presented to the British for an attack upon Oswego. They promptly took advantage of the circumstance, but with only partial success.

No sooner had the ice left Kingston harbor, then Sir James Yeo sailed out upon the lake with a fleet of eight war vessels, several other

1 Lossing is authority for the statement that "Chauncey, not feeling strong enough to oppose Yeo, prudently remained with his squadrons at Sackett's Har or."

137

CONDITION OF FORT ONTARIO IN 1814.

fighting craft, and a force of about 3,000 men,1 with Oswego as his destination.

As soon as General Gaines (Edmund P.), then in command at Sackett's Harbor, learned that a fleet was preparing to sail from Kings- ton, he sent Colonel Mitchell with five artillery companies, about 300 strong, armed as infantry, to Oswego, with orders to protect the military stores in the vicinity at all hazards. Proceeding along the road through Sandy Creek, Pulaski and Mexico, Mitchell arrived at Fort Ontario April 30. Here he found a wretched state of things-

Attack on Oswego-(From an old print.)

five rusty guns on the ramparts, and dilapidation and ruin on all sides. The old breastwork on the west side of the river, near the site of old Fort Oswego and not far from the corner of the present West Van Buren and Water streets, was armed with four brass cannon. Mr. Bronson had in the mean time received notice from the quartermaster to stop all stores moving northward at Oswego Falls, and to forward

I This number is given by Lossing and other authorities. Johnson's History of Oswego County states the number as 1,000, which is doubtless an error.

138

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

those at Oswego to Niagara and Sackett's Harbor as far as possible, concealing the remainder as best he could. In executing these instruc- tions he secreted a large quantity of stores in the surrounding forests. The schooner Growler, under command of Captain Woolsey, with Lieutenant Pearce on board, lay in the river awaiting an opportunity to transport supplies to Sackett's Harbor.

The British fleet appeared off Oswego on the 5th of May, carrying an armament of 220 guns. The troops on board were under command of Lieut .- Gen. Sir George Gordon Drummond, who had commanded the attack on Black Rock and Buffalo in the preceding December. When the reveille sounded that morning, the line of the British vessels, their cannon menacing from gunwale and porthole, were seen standing toward the harbor under a favoring breeze. Colonel Mitchell's action was prompt and as effective as his comparatively feeble force would admit of. He dispatched horsemen at full speed into the surrounding country to call in the militia, while he prepared to defend the post. The Growler was sunk in the river, and Lieutenant Pearce with a part of the crew joined Mitchell at the fort.

When the enemy's fleet had come within about a quarter of a mile of the shore they hove to and made preparations to land. Meanwhile Colonel Mitchell sent an old twelve-pounder, with a squad under Cap- tain Boyle and Lieutenant Legate, down near to the shore, a little to the westward of the fort. Under a heavy cannonade from the fleet, fifteen boats filled with troops now rowed rapidly toward the shore. Mitchell at the same time returned the fire of the vessels with such vigor as was possible from his feeble battery. But it was the old twelve-pounder which Mitchell's foresight had stationed on the shore that proved the most effective. As soon as the boats approached within close range, it was discharged amongst them with disastrous effect, killing and wounding many. Two or three of the shattered boats were abandoned, their crews clambering into other boats, and after a few discharges from the old piece the flotilla rowed off to the vessels, which soon sailed away and disappeared in the distance.

Whatever the reasons actuating the British commander, this first at- tack was a failure. His force was inordinately large for his purpose, and it is, therefore, difficult to understand why he did not finish his under-

189

JOHNSON'S ACCOUNT OF THE CAPTURE OF OSWEGO.

taking at once, instead of waiting until the following day. He put for- ward the excuse that he intended only to test the strength of the Amer- icans.

On the morning of the 6th the British fleet returned, and the man-of- war Magnet sailed up to a point in the offing, while ten other vessels came in towards the mouth of the river, the remainder of the fleet occu- pying about the same position as on the previous day. A cannon- ade was opened by the vessels about ten o'clock ; the garrison in the fort responded with its feeble fire; while one by one its ineffective guns were disabled. They would have been more quickly silenced but for the fact that most of the enemy's shot flew high and struck in the woods in the rear. The few militia that had arrived thus far were posted in these woods, while in the execution of his orders to protect the stores in the vicinity ; Colonel Mitchell stationed most of his soldiers in the un - der brush eastward of the fort, leaving a small number to work the re- maining guns of the battery. All but one of these were disabled before I o'clock. Other militiamen in considerable numbers arrived during the day, most of them too late to be of much service.

Again the British troops left their vessels for the shore in a flotilla of small boats. According to Lossing the forces making this attack con- sisted of two companies of De Wattville's regiment of infantry under Captain De Bersey ; one company of the celebrated "Glen Gary" regiment under Captain McMillan; a battalion of marines under Lieu- tenant Colonel Malcolm ; 200 seamen armed with pikes, under Captain Mulcaster of the navy; the whole under command of Colonel Fischer. Sir George Drummond remained on his ship.

For the following account of the ensuing operations of this memo- rable day, we are indebted to Johnson's history of this county (pp. 65-7), prepared at a time when he had the opportunity of gathering its details from eye-witnesses, all of whom have now left us forever :

The boats containing the infantry and marines headed for the brush-covered shore where Mitchell was stationed, just eastward from the fort, while Mulcaster led his sail- ors directly towards the fort. Undeterred by the fire of the solitary American gun, Mulcaster's men sprang from their boats through the water to the shore, and rushed up the high bank before them. Another blast of grape from the old twelve-pounder mowed down a number of the sailors, and the few infantry in the fort did considerable damage during a brief period, but the British were in too large force to be stopped by

140

LANDMARKS OF OSWEGO COUNTY.

such feeble means of resistance, and in a moment gained the top of the bank. There they found two American sailors ramming down a charge, while two or three other men who had been helping them were just scurrying through the gate of the fort. One of the sailors, too, flung down his rammer, and made good his escape. The remaining old tir, however, was determined to have another shot. Though surrounded by foes, who, with leveled pikes, ordered him to surrender, he seized the linstock and endeav- ored to fire the cannon. The British might easily have run him through with a dozen pikes, but admiring his valor, they seized him ere he could apply the linstock, and dragged him by main force away from the gun.

There was no time to tarry, and, with Mulcaster at their head, the British sailors flooded over the feeble ramparts of the fort. The few men on the parapet who were not struck down fled across the open space of the little fortress, but, determined to fight to the last, turned at bay on the outside of the southern wall and began firing back upon the foe. In the northwestern bastion stood the flagstaff, to which the star- spangled banner had been nailed by order of Colonel Mitchell. One of the British sail- ors climbed up to take it down, when a bullet from the southern wall stretched him lifeless on the ground. Another attempted the perilous task, and he, too, fell beside his comrade. Captain Mulcaster himself then sprang on the parapet, and endeavored to tear down the defiant banner. The next instant he, too, fell severely wounded to the ground. It was not till the fourth attempt was made that the flag was removed. The few defenders of the southern wall were either slain, captured, or driven away.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Landmarks of Oswego County, New York, Part 14

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1410

Author: Churchill, John Charles, 1821-1905; Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925; Child, W. Stanley
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1410