USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 1 > Part 44
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
group of buildings near by stood two large commissary store houses, and the barracks master's dwelling. A short distance to the east of the storehouses stood the brick arsenal, a fire proof building, and on the summit of the hill commanding a view of the entire camp, as well as extensive range of country on either side, were the general's head- quarters, the hospital and surgeons' headquarters, three large two. story buildings each 90 feet log. Besides the buildings enumerated, there were a number of buildings of smaller size, among which were the ordinary and provost guard houses, seven large detached cooking houses and several medicine shops. There were also extensive stables and other less important buildings. The structures were all painted white and in their elevated positions were very conspicuous.
At the close of the war the necessity for keeping a large force con- venient to the northern frontier ceased, but for several years thereafter a few soldiers were stationed at the cantonment ; but upon the reduction of the army in 1822-23 this guard was withheld and the place was left in charge of a deputy quartermaster, Capt. II. A. Fay. The govern- ment sold the property May 2, 1831, to Hathorn McCulloch of Albany, who resided on the place until his death in 1859. In 1843 the original tract purchased by Mr. McCulloch was divided into two parts, one of which he conveyed to his son, Wm. A. McCulloch, who immediately erected a dwelling upon it. The other portion of the original traet is held by Wm. 11. Kirtland, a grandson of Mrs. Augusta G. Genet, wife of George C. Genet, ganddaughter of Hathorn McCulloch. George C. Genet is a son of Edward C. Genet, who was the French minister to the United States in 1783.
The following account of the execution of a deserter at this place was written by an officer of the United States army, and is contained in a history written before 1850;
In 1814 1 was stationed with a detachment of United States troops at Greenbush. in the State of New York. One morning several prisoners, confined in the provost guard house, were brought out to hear the sentence which a court-martial had an- nexed to their delinquencies read on parade. Their appearance indicated that their lot had already been sufficiently hard. Some wore marks of long confinement, and on all the severity of the prison house had enstamped its impressions. They looked dejected at this publie exposure and anxions to learn their fate. I had never seen the face of any of them before, and only knew that a single one of them had been ad- judged to death. Soon as their names were called and their sentences pronounced, I discerned by his agony and gestures the miserable man on whom that sentence was to fall, a man in the bloom of youth and the fullness of health and vigor.
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Prompted by feelings of pity, I called next morning to see him in prison. There, chained by the leg to a beam of the guard house, he was reading the Bible, trying to prepare himself, as he said, for the fatal honr. I learned from him the circum- stances of his ease. He was the father of a family, having a wife and three young children thirty or forty miles from the camp. His crime was desertion, of which he had been three times guilty. His only objeet in leaving the camp in the last instance was to visit his wife and children. Having seen that all was well with them, it was his intention to return. But whatever was his intention, he was a deserter, and as such taken and brought into the camp, manaeled and under the guard of his fellow soldiers. The time between the sentence and his execution was brief; the authority in whom alone was vested the power of reprieve or pardon distant. Thus he had no hope, and only requested the attendance of a minister of the gospel and permission to see his wife and children. The first part of his request was granted, but whether he was permitted or not to sec his family I do not now remember.
Dreading the hour of his execution, I resolved, if possible, to avoid being present at the scene. But the commander of the post, Colonel L., sent me an express order to attend, that, agreeable to the usage of the army, I might in my official capacity as surgeon see the sentence finally executed.
The poor fellow was taken from the guard house to be escorted to the fatal spot. Before him was his coffin, a box of rough pine boards, borne on the shoulders of two men. The prisoner stood with his arms pinioned between two clergymen; a white cotton gown, or winding sheet, reached to his feet. It was trimmed with black, and had attached to it over the place of the real heart the black image of a heart, the mark at which the executioners were to aim. On his head was a cap of white, also trunmed with black. llis countenance was blanched to the hue of his winding sheet and his frame trembled with agony. He seemed resolved, however, to suffer like a soldier. Behind him were a number of prisoners, confined for various offenses; next to them was a strong guard of soldiers with fixed bayonets and loaded muskets. My station was in the rear of the whole.
Our procession was formed, and with much feeling and in low voices on the part of the officers we moved forward with slow and measured steps to the tune of the . death march ( Roslyn Castle) played with muffled drums aud mourning fifes. The scene was solenin beyond the powersof description. A man in the vigor of life walk- ing to the tune of his own death march, clothed in his burial robes, surrounded by friends assembled to perform the last sad offices of affection, and to weep over him in the last sad hour; no, not by these, but by soldiers with bristling bayonets aud loaded muskets, urged by stern command to do the violence of death to a fellow sol- dier. As he surveys the multitude he beholds no look of tenderness, no tear of sensi- bility ; he hears no plaint of grief; all, all is stern as the iron rigor of the law which decrees his death.
Amid reflections like these we arrived at the place of execution, a large open field, in whose centre a heapof earth, freshly thrown up, marked the spot of the deserter's grave. On this field the whole force then at the Cantonment, amounting to many hundred men, was drawn up in the form of a hollow square, with the side beyond the grave vacant. The executioners, eight in number, had been drawn by lot. No soldier would volunteer for such a duty. Their muskets had been charged by the officers
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of the day, seven of them with ball, the eighth with powder alone. Thus prepared they were placed together and each executioner takes his choice. Thus each may believe that he has the blank cartridge, and therefore has no hand in the death of his brother soldier; striking indications of the nature of the service.
The coffin was placed parallel with the grave and about two feet distant. In the intervening space the prisoner was directed to stand. He desired permission to say a word to his fellow soldiers, and thus standing between his coffin and his grave warned them against desertion, continuing to speak until the officer on duty, with his watch in his hand, announced to him in a low voice: " Two o'clock, your last moment is at hand; you must kneel upon your coffin." This done the officer drew down the white cap so as to cover the eyes and most of the face of the prisoner, still continuing to speak in a hurried, loud and agitated voice. The kneeling was the signal for the executioners to advance. They had before, to avoid being distinguished by the prisoner, stood intermingled with the soldiers who formed the line. They now came forward, marching abreast, and took their stand a little to the left, about two rods distant from their living mark. The officer raised his sword. At this sig- nal the executioners took aim He then gave a blow on a drum which was at hand. The executioners all fired at the same instant. The miserable man, with a horrid scream, leaped from the earth and fell between his coffin and his grave. The ser- geant of the guard a moment after shot him through the head with a musket re- served for this purpose in case the executioners failed to produce instant death. The sergeant, from motives of humanity, held the muzzle of his musket near the head; so near that the cap took fire, and there the body lay upon the face, the head emitting the mingled fumes of burning cotton and burning hair. O war, dreadful even in thy tenderness; horrible in thy compassion !
I was desired to perform my part of the ceremony, and placing my hand where just before the pulse beat full and life flowed warm, and finding no symptom of either I affirmed " He is dead." The line then marched by the body, as it lay upon earth, the head still smoking, that every man might behold for himself the fate of a deserter.
. Thus far all had been dreadful indeed but solenin, as it became the sending of a spirit to its dread account ; but now the scene changes. The whole band struck up and with uncommon animation our national air, " Yankee Doodle," and to its lively Measures we were hurried back to our parade ground. Having been dismissed the commander of the post sent an invitation to all the officers to meet at his quarters, whither we repaired and were treated to a glass of gin and water. Thus this mel- ancholy tragedy ended in what seemed little better than a farce, a fair specimen -- the former of a dead severity, the latter of the moral sensibilities which prevail in camp.
Probably the only duel ever fought in Rensselaer county occurred in the town and village of Greenbush. It was fought June 7, 1813, by two soldiers of the army of the War of 1812-Captain Clark and Lieu- tenant Bloomfield. The latter was killed and buried where he fell, on the bank of Hudson river in the northeastern corner of the village.
The village of Greenbush was surveyed and mapped out in 1810 but
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TOWN OF GREENBUSIL.
was not incorporated by act of the Legislature until April 14, 1815. A new charter was granted April 5, 1828, which was amended March 22, 1854, and April 29, 1863. All aets were consolidated by the Leg- islature April 25, 1871, when the present charter of Greenbush was passed. The first section of the aet reads as follows:
All that district of country in the county of Rensselaer comprised within the fol- lowing boundaries, to wit: Beginning at a point in the Hudson river opposite the city of Albany, on the division line between the counties of Albany and Rensselaer, on a line running one hundred and fifty feet north of the northerly line of Catharine Street; thenec running easterly, parallel to, and one hundred and fifty feet north of, the northerly line of said Catherine Street, to its terminus; thence easterly in the same parallel, across the lands now owned by Dr. James McNaughton, to a point one hundred and fifty feet east of the westerly line of the lands known as the Mason farm; thenee southerly, one hundred and fifty feet east of the westerly line of the said Mason farm, to a point one hundred and fifty feet sonth of the southerly line of Par- tition street; thence westerly parallel to and one hundred and fifty feet south of the southerly line of Partition street, to a point one hundred and fifty fect east of the easterly line of Cottage Hill Street; thence southerly, parallel to and one hundred and fifty feet east of the easterly line of Cottage Hill Street, to a point one hundred and fifty feet south of the southerly line of Mill Street, to a point where said line will intersect the west bounds of the county of Rensselaer ; thence north along said west bounds to the place of beginning, shall be known and distinguished as the village of Greenbush, and the inhabitants residing in said district are hereby declared to be a body politic and corporate by the name of the village of Greenbush ; 1 and as such shall have perpetual succession, and may sue and be sued, complain and defend, in any court of law and equity ; may take, hold, purchase, and convey real estate, as the purposes of said corporation may require; may make and use a common seal, and alter the same at pleasure, and may exercise such other power as is or shall be conferred by law, or as shall be necessary under this act, to carry the powers conferred on such corporation into effect. The officers shall be a president, eight trustees, clerk, street commis- sioner, and treasurer, and three inspectors of election in each ward.
The charter of 1871 provided for the establishment of the village fire department under the direction of the board of trustees. Since that time the village has maintained an excellent fire department with two steam fire engine companies. A board of police commissioners was established by an act of the Legislature passed May 6, 1870, under which the police regulations of the village have since been main- tained.
The first newspaper in Greenbush was established in August, 1856, by A. J. Comstock, and was called the Greenbush Guardian. A post- office was also established at an early day, one of the earliest post-
1 As amended by Section 1, Chapter 180, laws of 1876. ".
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masters being Storm T. Vanderzee. During the term of Postmaster Philip Cornell Greenbush was made a sub-station of Albany, since which time the mail has been delivered in the village by carriers from the Albany post-office.
The East Albany Banking and Trust company was founded in 1873 by W. P. Irwin, and was located in a brick building erected by the founder. A few years later Mr. Irwin died and the company ceased to exist.
Greenbush contributed her full quota of soldiers upon the opening of the War of the Rebellion. Besides this the town raised large amounts of money for bounties and other expenses of the war. Those of her soldiers in the civil war who died in the service were:
George Hatch, Thomas Manny, William Schultz, Nicolas Mooseman, Joseph Schinfer, John Slocum, George Brightmeyer, John Fryer, Philip Brightmeyer, Will- iam Snyder, Jefferson Kinsley, Andrew Finlay. John Marshal, Charles Warner, Conradt P. Gester, John McElroy, Augustus Smith.
Greenbush has excellent transportation facilities. The railroads running through the town and village have been described in the his- tory of the county. They are the New York Central & Hudson River, the Boston & Albany and the Troy & Greenbush. Beside this the city of Albany is reached by two bridges, one at the lower part of the vil- lage and one at the upper part, which in recent years has been known as East Albany. Beside this steam ferry boats make regular trips to Albany
The industries of Greenbush, aside from the shops of the Boston & Al- bany railroad and one or two other good-sized concerns, are not very large nor very extensive. The old round house and machine shop of the Boston & Albany railroad were built in 1848 and replaced by the present structures in 1979. The car shops were established in 1880. In both large numbers of expert workmen are employed. The coaling dock south of the railroad was erected about 1883. T. Miles & Co. estab- lished extensive saw mills in 1863. In 1870 C. C. Lodewick estab- lished a grain, flour and feed store which has been run by his sons since his death. There are several other smaller industries in town in addition to those referred to in preceding pages.
The East Albany Congregational church had its inception in a Metho- dist Sunday school established about 1850. The Sunday school pros- pered and in 1870 a Methodist Episcopal church was organized in con- nection with the elmurch at Bath. Three or four years later it was dis-
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continued in deference to the wishes of the presiding elder of the district, who thought it inadvisable to have three Methodist churches on the east side of the river. Various attempts were made to reor- ganize as a Methodist church, but finding no encouragement from the mother church a Congregational church was organized March 19, 1879. A new church was constructed, in which the first services were held December 25, 1879. March 30, 1880, Rev. Benjamin Staunton became pastor. His successors have been: Rev. Dwight Edwards Marvin, 1881-1884; Rev. D. C. MeNair, 1884-1887; Rev. N. J. Gulick, 1888- 1892; Rev. C. W. Hardendorf, 1893 to the present time.
The First Presbyterian society of Greenbush was organized in the summer of 1823. Services had been held for some time in the upper room of the district school house, and these were continned until 1827, when a building was erected for the use of the congregation, being dedicated August 1 of that year. September 26, 1827, a church was organized by the Presbytery of Albany, with twenty two members. The first church of this society was the first erceted in what is now the town of Greenbush. A school building was erected in the rear of the church in 1850 and was used in connection with the Sunday school un - til 1885, when the present school building was erected at a cost of $3, - 300. The church edifice was enlarged and remodeled in 1894, the rededication taking place October 29 of that year. The first pastor was the Rev. Thomas S. Wickes, who began his labors about 1826. His successors were: 1830, Joseph Wilson; 1832-1837, supplied by Jared Dewey, J. H. Martyn and Leonard Johnson; 1837, James G. Cordell; 1844, Rev. Samuel Fisher (supply); 1850, J. H. Northrop; 1831, William A. Miller (supply); 1851, E. M. Rollo; 1861, Stephen Bush; 1864, William Whittaker; 1866, J. R. Young; 1868, F. S. Jewell; 1874, Edward Stratton; 1884, R. A. Davidson; 1893, Edwin F. Hal- lenbeck.
'The first religious services held by the Methodists in Greenbush were in 1828. Three years later a class was formed, which was connected with the Division Street church in Albany, and in 1833 a regular or- ganization was formed. In the same year the church, a wooden build- ing, was erected and dedicated June 11, 1834. Rev. James Walker, a local preacher in Greenbush, served the society from 1831 to 1836, and in the latter year the Rev. Joshua Poor was chosen as the first regular pastor. A new house of worship was erected in 1853 a short distance south of the site of the first one.
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The Greenbush Baptist church is the outgrowth of a mission founded by the Albany Baptist Missionary union. The organization of the church was effected in 1870 and the first pastor, the Rev. Ralph 11. Bowles, was installed February 1, 1820. From 1873 to 1874 the church was without a pastor, but in the latter year the Rev. Adoniram Water- bury accepted a call and was installed.
St. John's Roman Catholic church was founded about 1850 by the Rev. John Corry, formerly of St. Peter's church, Troy, who after- wards became the first resident priest. A temporary edifice was erected in the rear of the church built in 1857. The latter cost $12, - 000. Before his death in 1863 Father Corry erected the convent of the Sisters of Mercy in East Albany. During the pastorate of the Rev. Cornelius Fitzpatrick, who served from 1864 to 1875, the pastoral resi- dence and school house in the rear of the church were built.
The Church of the Messiah, Protestant Episcopal, was founded in 1851, and though the house of worship on the corner of Third avenue and Washington street in Greenbush was not erected until two or three years later, the Rev. Robert Lowry, the first rector, began his duties upon the organization of the society. One of the principal promoters of the early church was Dr. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, who was senior warden from the date of the organization of the church to his death.
The Church of the Epiphany of East Albany, Protestant Episcopal, is the outgrowth of a mission established in 18:1 by Bishop William Croswell Doane of Albany. The first services were held in the old Baptist church at Bath. Church organization was effected in 1873 and the society moved to East Albany. The house of worship on the cor- ner of Third and Catharine streets was erected in 1825. The Rev. Richard Temple was the first rector.
SUPERVISORS OF THE TOWN OF GREENBUSH. 1
1795-97, J. Van Alstyne; 1798-1799, L. Gansevoort; 1800, John Stevens; 1801, Daniel Brown; 1802-1806, Asa Mann; 1807, Daniel Coons; 1808-1812, C. Thompson : 1813-1814, John D. Woods; 1815-1819, Martin De Freest; 1820-1822, M. Van Alstyne; 1823-1838, James Wood; 1839-1842, HI. Goodrich; 1843, Rinier Van Alstyne; 1844, Samuel S. Fowler; 1815-1849, Abram Witbeck; 1850-1853, John I. Fonda; 1854, Abram Witbeck; 1855-1857, Henry Goodrich; 1858-1860, John L. Van Valken- burgh; 1861-1862, James II. Miller; 1863-1867, Martin Miller; 1868, James H.
I For much of the information as to the officers of the town credit is due James I .. Wiltse, town clerk of Greenbush in B596.
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TOWN OF GREENBUSIL.
Miller; 1869-1871, Charles Melius; 1872, Alfred F. Snyder; 1873, Cyrus Water- bury; 1874, Lawrence Rysedorph: 1875-1876, John J. Cassin; 1877-1878, James Murphy ; 1879, William Smith; 1880-1882, records missing; 1883, William T. Miles; 1884-1886, Thomas J. Neville; 1887-1888, Cornelius A. Ryan; 1889-1890, John B. Miller ; 1891-1892, Charles J. Quinn ; 1893-1896, John Winn.
CLERKS OF THE TOWN OF GREENBUSHI.
1843, Martin D. De Freest; 1844, Rutger Van Denburgh; 1845, Elijah Dygert ; 1846-1847, Ilarvey S. Raymond; 1848, Martin Miller; 1849, Thomas B. Simmonds; 1850-1854, John Ruyter; 1855-1856, John S. C. Goodrich; 1857, John Ruyter; 1858- 1860, James H. Miller ; 1861-1863, John S. Hamlin ; 1864, James Hickey; 1865, George T. Diamond; 1866, Frederick A. Reynolds: 1867, George H. Curreen ; 1868-1869, Wm. McGarvey; 1870, Burnham Reynolds; 1871, J. S. Callender; 1872-1873, Gilbert Van Valkenburgh; 1874, Wm. J. Miles; 1875, John Russell; 1876, Wni. Smith; 1877, Charles 11. Noyes; 1878, Wm. J. Smith; 1869, Daniel 11. Ryan; 1880-1882, records missing; 1883-1884, William II. Heffern; 1885, J. J. Sullivan ; 1886-1888, Michael J. Ryan ; 1889-1890, Philip Beresford; 1891-1892, Daniel II. Ryan; 1893-1895, James J. Riley; 1896, James 1. Wiltse.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBUSH.
Date of election. - 1843, Abram Witbeck; 1844, Peter L. Hogeboom; 1845, Henry Frazer; 1846, Ilenry Goodrich; 1847, Elijah Dygert; 1848, Abram Miller, John E. Van Alen; 18-19, Henry Frazer; 1850, Henry Goodrich; 1851, John P. Luther; 1852, Frederick R. Rockafeller, Wm. Witbeck: 1853 Henry Frazer; 1854, Henry Good- rich; 1855. Jonas Whiting, Richard C. Hamblin, James M. Albright; 1856, R. C. Hamblin, Jonas Whiting; 1857, Isaac Binek, R. C. Hamblin ; 1858, Heury Goodrich, Sylvanus Parsons; 1859, George Clark ; 1860, Cyrus Waterbury ; 1861, Hazard Morey, John Butler; 1862, Henry Goodrich; 1863, John Butler; 1864, Cyrus Waterbury; 1865, Evert G. Lansing; 1866, Henry Goodrich; 1867, Sylvester 1. Delany; 1868, Edwin S. Norton; 1869, E. G. Lansing; 1870, Luke Slade; 1871, J. F. Gillman ; 1872, R. J. Hermance; 15GB, Duncan Mac Farland; 1574. Luke Slade, Evert G. Lansing; 1875, Jabez F. Gillman; 1876, R. J. Hermance, 1977, 1. L. Conley; ISTS, Luke Slade; 1879, Jabez. F. Gillman; 1880, Murtaugh Dempsey; 1881, Michael Vaughn ; 1882, Luke Slade; 1883, Cyrus Waterbury, sr. ; 1881, Alonzo Sliter; 1885, Michael Vaughn; 1886, Luke Slade; 1887, Cyrus Waterbury, sr .; 1888, Alouzo Sliter; 1889, Michael Vangh; 1890, Luke Slade; 1891, James Clark; 1892, Alonzo Sliter; 1893, Michael Vaughn; 1894, W. K. Waterbury; 1895, James Clark; 1896, D. Oscar Dennison.
The village records from 1850 to 1868 are missing. As far as can be ascertained the principal officers of the village have been filled as fol- lows:
PRESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE OF GREENBUSH.
1868, F. S. Fairchild, jr. ; 1869, John S. Hamlin ; 1870-1871, Duncan MacFarland ; 1872, J. N. Ring; 1873, Martin Miller; 1874-1875, Merritt II. Waterbury; 1876,
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LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.
Thomas Miles; 1877, George H. Simmons; 1878, A. J. Dings; 1879-1882, records missing; 1883, Benjamin Evans; 1884, George II. Russell; 1885, George C. Redden; 1886, William T. Miles; 1887, Daniel HI. Sheil; 1888-1895, William Smith; 1896, Charles S. Allen.
CLERKS OF THE VILLAGE OF GREENBUSH.
1828-1829, James Hallenbeck ; 1830, William II. Thomas; 1831, William Lansing; 1832-1834, Alexander Morris; 1835, William Lansing; 1836, Martin Miller; 1837, B. N. Jordan; 1838, Martin Miller; 1840, Joseph Il. Mathews; 1841-1842, Thomas Walker; 1843, R. H. Northrop; 1846-1818, Henry Goodrich; 1849, Martin Miller; 1850, Henry Goodrich; 1868, Charles Harris; 1869-1871, Alexander D Schutt; 1872, William F. Burnham; 1893-1874, C. P. Crouch; 1875, W. J. Miles; 1876. William T. Smith; 1877-1878, Thomas McAvoy ; 1879-1882, records missing; 1883, John J. Hart ; 1884-1885, Willard K. Waterbury; 1886, Thomas J. Fitzpatrick; 1887-1888, William 11. Heffern ; 1889-1891, James A. MacDonald; 1892, James D. Glenn; 1893- ---- , C. A. Ryan.
CHAPTER XX.
TOWN OF HOOSICK.
The title to the soil of the town of Hoosick comes from three origi- nal patents-the Hoosick, the Walloomsac and the Schneider.
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