USA > New York > Wayne County > Military history of Wayne County, N.Y. : Military register. Wayne County in the Civil War, 1861-1865 > Part 10
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
The report in relation to Junius was adopted by the Land Board, January 29, 1791 ; in relation to Galen, August 10, 1792 ; in relation to number 28, September 11, 1794, and the name Sterling voted January 16, 1795.
The Continental offer to a private which the State assumed, was one hundred acres, and that of the State five hundred acres -- total, six hundred. In some cases an assign- ment of the Continental bounty to the one drawing, had not been obtained, and the claimant received only five hundred acres.
In preparation for the drawing, the Board had employed Michael Connelly to make a complete roster of the soldiers from New York ; a very interesting document preserved in the office of the Secretary of State, and printed copies of which were made in 1825.
Many soldiers whose bounty land was given by these acts, had died in the service or after the close of the war prior to the distribution of the land. The patents in such cases were delivered to their heirs, or to attorneys or assignees.
Township number 27 was set apart especially for surgeons, hospital stewards and others connected with the medical staff of the army ; hence the name of Galen was exceedingly appropriate.
The balloting for the township of Galen resulted as follows :
Acres.
600 Lot No.
I to John Coventry, Hospital mate.
300 2 " Stephen McCrea, Physician and Surgeon.
600 " 3 " John Young, Surgeon's mate.
500
4 " Thomas Lyon, Lieutenant.
600
5 " Isaac Ledyard, Physician and Surgeon.
115
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Acres. 600 Lot No.
6 to William Pitt Smith, Surgeon's mate.
500
7 " Capt. Edward Lounsbury.
500
8 " Daniel McLean.
600
9 " John Cochran, Director of Hospital.
500
IO
" Samuel Woodruff, Surgeon's mate.
600
II
" Samuel Stringer, Director-General.
600 66 12
"
" Cornelius Oknoyata, Lieut. Independent. 14 " Isaac Ledyard, Physician and Surgeon.
600
16 . Dirck VanIngen, Physician and Surgeon.
500
¥
18 “ Stephen McCrea, Physician and Surgeon.
500 .. 19 " John Smedis, Surgeon's mate.
¥
" Samuel Stringer, Director-General.
500
20 21
" Matthew Potan, Ensign.
600
22 " Henry Moore, Surgeon's mate.
500
23 " Samuel Woodruff, Surgeons' mate.
600
24 Dirck VanIngen, Physician and Surgeon.
600
25
" John Ball, Lieut.
600
.€ 26 " Samuel Stringer, Director-General.
500
27 " Thomas Lyon, Lieutenant.
500
600
66 30 “ 31 “ John Smedis, Surgeon's mate. 32 " Isaac Ledyard, Physician and Surgeon.
600 ¥
33
" Reserved for Literature.
500
=
35 " Isaac Ledyard, Physician and Surgeon.
600
36 " William Saxbury.
500
600
37 " Joseph Young, Physician and Surgeon. 38 " Samuel Stringer, Director General.
600
41 42
" John VanDyck, Lieutenant.
600 $6
43 " John Coventry, Hospital mate.
500
44 " Samuel Woodruff, Surgeon's mate.
600 ¥
45 " Reserved for Gospel and schools.
600
46 Stephen McCrea, Physician and Surgeon.
600
47 48 William Pitt Smith, Surgeon's mate.
600
¥
600 ¥ 49 " John Cochran, Director-General.
600 ¥ 50 " Reserved for Gospel and schools.
500
51 " Matthew Potan, Ensign. 52 " Stephen Saddore.
600
39
" James Joyce.
600
40 " Samuel Stringer, Director-General.
600
29 " John Rice.
500
John Cochran, Director-General.
600 :
28 " Joseph Young, Physician and Surgeon.
600
17 " Perius Demmick,
600
¥ 13
500
600
15 " John Winn, (unpatented)
16
34 " Peter Blossom.
50
500
-
116
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Acres.
500 Lot No. 53 to J. Cochran, Director-General of Hospital.
600 ¥ ¥ 54 " Stephen McCrea, Physician and Surgeon.
300 55 " John Young, Surgeon's mate.
500
56 " John VanHuysen .:
600
57 " Drick VanIngen, Physician and Surgeon.
600
58 " Henry Moore, Surgeon's mate.
600
59 60 " John Smedis, Surgeon's mate.
500
500 61 " Captain Edward Lounsberry.
600
62 " William Copeland.
600 66 63 " John Cochran, Director-General.
600
64 " Reserved for Gospel and Schools.
600 66
65 66
" John Young, Surgeon's mate.
500 ¥
600 60 68 " Reserved for Gospel and Schools.
600
70 " Joseph Young, Physician and Surgeon.
600
72 " John Cochran, Director General.
600 66 66 73 " Abraham Lambert.
500
66
74 " Captain Edward Lounsberry.
500
66 75 " Micajah Sherwood.
600
76 " John Cochran, Director-General.
450
600
=
¥
77 " Drick VanIngen, Physician and Surgeon. 78 " Chas. McKnight, Physician and Surgeon. 79 80 “ " Malachi Treat, Physician and Surgeon.
600 66
81 " John Ball, Lieutenant.
500
82 " Nathaniel Jervis.
600
66 83 " John VanDyck, Lieutenant.
600
84 " John Coventry, Hospital mate.
500 66
85
" Nicholas Plugh.
600
86
" Christian House.
600 87 66 " Joseph Young, Physician and Surgeon.
500
= 88
" Thaddeus Smith.
300
90 " John Cochran, Director-General, &c.
600
. 91 " Malachi Treat, Physician and Surgeon. 92 " Chas. McKnight, Physician and Surgeon. ¥ " Cornelius Oknoyata, Lieutenant Ind.
500
93 94
600 66 95 " Jacob House.
300
96 " Malachi Treat, Physician and Surgeon.
600
97 "
300
= 98 " Chas. McKnight, Physician and Surgeon.
600
99 " John Chace.
600
100 " Samuel Stringer, Director-General, &c.
600 66
67 " Michael Bason.
69 " John Cochran, Director-General.
450 600
71 " William Pitt Smith, Surgeon's mate.
600
600
600 ¥ 89 " Malachi Treat, Physician and Surgeon.
600
600
117
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
In the cases where a claimant received a Patent for less than six hundred acres, as above shown, there were left un- divided portions of lots, the title to which remained in the State of New York until subsequently sold.
The Patents for the above lands were delivered as follows, according to the record in the office of the Secretary of State :
For John Coventry, 1200 acres to himself.
Stephen McCrea, 2700 acres to himself.
John Young, 1500 acres to Joseph Young.
Thomas Lyon, 1000 acres to Gen. John Williams for L. Lyon.
Isaac Ledyard, 2400 acres to himself.
¥ Wm. Pitt Smith, 1800 acres to himself.
Capt. Edward Lounsberry, 1500 acres to Michael Connolly for said Lounsberry.
Daniel McLean, 500 acres to John McLean.
John Cochran, 5100 acres to himself.
" Samuel Woodruff 1500 acres to John M. Watson.
Samuel Stringer, 3650 acres to Hugh Boyd.
= Cornelius Oknoyata, 1000 acres to Michael Connolly for C. A. D. VanSlyck.
John Winn, 600 acres, unpatented.
..
Dirck VanIngen, 2250 acres to himself.
Perius Demmick, 500 acres to Benjamin Pelton ad- ministrator.
John Smedis, 1500 acres to Archibald Currie.
Matthew Potan, 1000 acres to himself.
Henry Moore, 1800 acres to James H. Kipp.
John Ball, 1200 acres to Flamen Ball.
Joseph Young, 2250 acres to himself.
John Rice, 500 acres to Simon Veeder.
¥ Peter Blossom, 509 acres to Daniel Pelton.
William Saxbury, 500 acres to Michael Connolly.
James Joyce, 500 acres to Thomas Nickerson, admin- istrator.
" John VanDyck, 1200 acres to himself.
Stephen Saddore, 500 acres to Josiah Masters.
" John VanHuysen, 500 acres to Peter Christie for Hermanus VanHuysen.
William Copeland, 600 acres to Michael Connolly.
Michael Bason, 500 acres to Andrew Billings.
Abraham Lambert, 600 acres to Wm. J.Vredenburgh.
Micajah Sherwood, 500 acres to Elijah Hunter ad- ministrator.
1
118
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
For Charles McKnight, 1500 acres to his widow.
Malachi Treat, 1500 acres to Anthony Lamb.
Nathaniel Jarvis, 500 acres to his widow.
Nicholas Plugh,500 acres to John Dill, Atty. for Teu- nis Dill, administrator.
Christian House, 600 acres to Michael Connolly.
Thaddeus Smith, 500 acres to Daniel Delavan.
Jacob House, 600 acres to Michael Connolly.
John Chase, 600 acres to Zephanich Platt's order.
Of these men only a small number actually came to this section and settled here.
Hugh Boyd received the Patents for lands drawn by Samuel Stringer ; 3,650 acres on Lots No. 11, 12, 20, 26, 38, 40, 41 and 100. He is understood to have settled here.
John Van Dyck received the Patents for the lands which he drew, consisting of Lots 83 and 42, on which he is thought to have settled.
William J. Fredenburgh is also thought to have settled on the land for which he received the Patent originally granted to Abraham Lambert, Lot No. 73, and to have been about the first settler north of the creek in the present town of Savannah.
The name Stephen Saddore was undoubtedly the family name still existing in this section. Hon. H. H. Wheeler mentions Peter Mills and William Moulton as having drawn bounty lands.
The military township of Sterling was also located partly within the present county of Wayne. Its western boundary was a north and south line passing half a mile or more east of the present village of Wolcott; therefore all the territory east of that line in the towns of Wolcott and Butler belonged to the millitary township of Sterling.
For convenience of reference to those living upon that tract and along the border of Cayuga county, we give the drawing of the entire township, including, of course, con- siderable territory east of Wayne county.
In the case of this township, we give only the drawing- and do not add a list of those to whom the Patents were delivered-partly because quite a portion of the township lies beyond the line of Wayne county, and partly from the
119
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
fact that the connection between the drawing and the delivery of deeds seems to be more obscure and not as easily traced as in the case of Galen.
A copy of the balloting book is kept in the County Clerk's office at Lyons, and therefore easily accessible :
TOWNSHIP OF STERLING-Drawing.
Acres.
No. I 600 Christian Tappenwine.
No. 2 450 Samuel Coolev.
150 Elizabeth Hamilton, Southeast corner.
No.
3 450
Gershom Corwin.
No.
4 500
68 51100
Joseph Eadle.
No.
6 600
Jacob V. Egberts, Captain.
No.
7 500
John Wood.
No. 8 500
100 Thomas Mumford, Southeast corner. Lewis Dubois.
100
Thomas Macdonough, Southeast corner.
No. 9 200
Samuel Brown, West side.
No. IO 595
Thomas Mumford.
No. II 500 Lewis Dubois, Colonel.
100
Thomas Mumford, Southeast corner.
No. 12 600
John Cooper.
No. 13 500
100
Lewis Dubois, Colonel.
No. 14 500
100 Thomas Mumford.
No. 15 450
Thomas Hattes, etc.
150
Mary Southwick, (heirs of J. Wool,) South- east corner.
No. 16 200 John Pettit, West side.
200
Eli Lyon, middle.
200
William Hollett, East side.
No. 17 606
Reserved for Gospel, &c.
No. 18 500 100
Thomas Macdonough, Southeast corner. James Bynders.
No. 19 500
Thomas Macdonough, Southeast corner.
No. 20 500 Charity Wright and Anthony Barton.
100 Elizabeth Hamilton, South part.
No. 21 600 John Harper.
John Olmstead.
No.
81-4
Samuel Cooley.
68,6
Joseph Eadle.
5 200 Heirs of Jacobus Van Orsdell, West side. Thomas Macdonough, East side.
400
James Duggan.
James M'Call, Southeast corner.
Henry TenEyck, Captain.
120
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Aeres.
No. 22 600 David Hill and S. Sayre, as (trustees of E. Hill.)
No. 23 200 John Winn, North side.
200
Archibald Mckinley, middle.
200
Heirs of Henry Dubois, East side.
No. 24 200 John White and others, (heirs of Samuel White,) West side.
200 Phineas Weed, middle.
200
James Wasson, South side.
No. 25 600
Elizabeth Hamilton.
No. 26 600
Adam Coppernoll.
100
John Cooper, Northwest corner.
No. 28 450
Samuel Crawford.
No. 29 500
Lewis Dubois, Colonel
No. 30 200
Stephen Alling, West side.
200
Edward Conkling, middle.
200
Daniel Reed, East side.
No. 31 500
David Bates.
100
Giles Wolcott, Southeast corner.
No. 32 600 Appropriated for roads (sold to T. and J. White.]
No. 33 500 William Feagan.
No. 34 600
C. M'Veah and N. Conner, (heirs of J. Gil- christ.) Christian Hartwick.
No. 35 500
John Dusinberre.
No. 36 200
437% 22 78 John W. Sawyer. 100 Elizabeth Miller and Mary Dear, (heirs of Abm. Rickon) Square Northwest corner. John M'Fadden, (assignee of John Cooper) East side.
No. 37 500 William Moulton, Captain.
100 Elenora Feick, Southeast corner.
No. 38 600 Elias Willard, Surgeon's Mate.
No. 39 500 Ichabod Coe.
No. 40 500
John Welch.
873 12% Giles Woolcott,
Southeast corner.
No. 41 200
Thomas Hughes, West side.
200 Heirs of Thomas Filer, middle.
200
Heirs of Samuel Shirts, East side.
No. 42 600 Giles Woolcott.
No. 43 200 William Kincaid, West side.
200 James Dunlap, middle.
200 Henry Brewster, South side.
No. 44 500 John Dusenbury.
·
No. 27 500
Janet McFarland and others.
276
Henry Brewster,
121
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Aeres.
No. 44 100 Jacob Sammons, Southeast corner.
No. 45 500 John Wood.
100 Jacob Sammons, Southeast corner.
No. 46 500 David Bates.
100 C. J. Rumsey and G. F. Rumsey, (assignees of J. Dole) Southeast corner. Amos Hutchings" heirs.
No. 47 500
100 Thomas Macdonough, Southeast corner.
No. 48 200 Matthias DeCamp, West side.
400 Heirs of Henry Dubois, East side.
N.o. 49 600
John McLean.
No. 50 200
Elizabeth Flagler, West side.
12}
Giles Woolcott, Northeast corner.
100 200
Heirs of Andries Longyear, Sub. 2. John Longyear, Sub. 3.
No. 51 200
Robert Gillespie's heirs, West side.
200
John and Samuel Garrison, middle. Josiah Goldsmith, East side.
No. 52 600
Jacob V. Egberts; Captain.
No. 53 200
Nathan Smith, West side.
200
William Thompson, middle.
200 No. 54 500
James Ivory, East side. Cornelius Ackerson.
100
James Bradley, Southeast corner.
No. 55 500 22
Cornelius Ackerson.
No. 56 200
Philip Ketch, West side.
200
Agnes Youmans, middle.
No. 57 450 97
Jacob L. Lazelere, Square Southeast corner. Lewis Dubois, Colonel.
No. 58 500
Peter and James Miller.
No. 59 500
Peter Boise, West side. .
No. 60 200
John G. Wilson, middle.
200 200
Magdalen Rynms and John Springsteen, East side.
No. 61 500
Henry Ten Eyck, Captain.
100
Simeon Knight, Southeast corner.
No. 62 600
Appropriated for roads
No. 63 200
John Smith, West side.
William Waddle, and others, middle.
300 200
Jacob Crafts, East side. Elizabeth Hamilton.
No. 64 600 No. 65 200 200
John Hammond, West side.
David Lambert, middle.
200
Archibald Burgess, East side.
No. 66 200
James Scholifild's heirs, West side.
200
Israel Reeve. .
John Pope.
122
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Acres.
No. 66 200 James Rose, middle.
200 Phebe Luddington, East side.
No. 67 500 James Blake.
No. 68 250
100 Thomas Macdonough, Southeast corner. Moses Dean, West side.
200 James Downs, heirs, East of Dean.
No. 69 500 Peter Mills.
100 J. Wools, heirs, Southeast corner Thomas Wilson.
No. 70 500
Richard Satterlee's heirs, West side.
200
100 David Carswell, Southeast corner, Jane Ann Mancius.
No. 72 500
100
Samuel Sherwood, Southeast corner.
No. 73 600 Mary Southwick and others, (heirs of J. Wool.)
No. 74 500 William Lighthall.
Thomas Macdonough.
50 50 Sold for survey.
No. 75 500
William Lighthall.
No. 76 50 280 Samuel Sherwood, East side. 70元元 Cyrus Baldwin, Northwest corner.
No. 77 500
John Wood, Captain.
100
Francis Cole.
50 100 No. 79 200 50
Michael Francisco, Southeast corner.
Jonathan Weed's heirs, West side.
Sold for survey, Northeast corner.
No. 80 50 Sold for survey, Northwest corner. No. 81 500 William Dugban.
100
No. 82 500
100
Jesse Adams, Southeast corner.
No. 83 500
Henry TenEyck, Captain.
No. 84 200
200
John Bishop's heirs, West side. William Whitehead's heirs, middle.
150 50
Elizabeth Hamilton, East side, Sold for survey, Southwest corner. Jacob V. Egberts, Captain. Sold for survey, Southwest corner.
No. 85 600 No. 86 50
150
200
Philip Cole's heirs, West side. Robert Van Tine, middle.
50 No. 87 500
100 James Bradley, East of Van Tine. Philip Cole's heirs, Southeast corner. Elizabeth Hamilton.
No. 78 ·
Reserved Lot.
Sold for survey, Southwest corner.
Jesse Adams, Southeast corner. William Moulton, Captain.
Sold for survey, Southeast corner.
No. 71 200 Francis Van Tine's heirs, middle.
123
Acres.
No. 87 50 No. 88 Sold for survey, Northeast corner. Literature Lot.
50 Sold for survey, Northwest corner.
Thomas T. Jackson, Lieutenant.
No. 89 500 50 Sold for Survey, Southwest corner.
No. 90 500
Peter Mills.
100 Thomas Mumford, Southeast corner.
No. 91 500
Thomas T. Jackson.
No. 92 500 Reuben Smith.
50 50
Thomas Macdonough, Southeast corner. Sold for survey.
No. 93. 450 Benjamin Chatsey.
100
Elizabeth Hamilton, Southeast corner.
50 Sold for survey, Southwest corner.
No. 94 300
John M'Kinstry, West side.
200
David Hodges, East of M'Kinstry.
50
Sold for survey, Southeast corner.
No. 95 500
James Newell.
No. 96 200
John Thompson's heirs, West side.
200 50
Sold for survey, Northeast corner.
48,63 100
Benoni and Billings Burch, Southeast cor. Reserved Lot.
No. 97
50
Sold for survey, Northwest corner.
No. 98 300
James Thorne and others, (heirs of Daniel Thorne,) West side.
200
Henry Impson, East of Thorne.
50 Silas Winans, Northeast corner.
50
Sold for survey, Southeast corner.
No. 99 400
Silas Winans.
150
T. Mumford, Southeast corner.
50
Sold for survey, southwest corner.
No. 100 500
Peter Mills.
50
Sold for survey, Southwest corner. T. Mumford.
363
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Benjamin Gillett, middle.
CHAPTER VI.
BRITISH INVASION OF WAYNE COUNTY IN 1794-GOVERNOR SIMCOE HAUGHTY AND THREATENING - HIS MESSENGER RECEIVED BY CAPTAIN WILLIAMSON AT SODUS POINT -DEMAND THAT SETTLEMENT STOP ON THIS TERRITORY- WILLIAMSON'S BOLD REPLY - GENERAL WASHINGTON'S LETTER RELATING TO THIS AFFAIR.
T THE " Invasion of the Genesee County " is the decidedly warlike name given by previous writers, and particu- larly by Turner, in his History of the Pultney Estate to certain transactions which occurred in the year 1794, at Sodus Point. Actual fighting in the Revolutionary war closed with the battle of Yorktown in the fall of 1781, though it was not until the spring of 1783, that the treaty of peace was proclaimed and the Independence of the United Colonies acknowledged. Many sources of irritation existed for several years subsequent to that date,
Great Britain and the United States, each complained that the other had violated the stipulations contained in the treaty. Great Britain was accused of having carried away negroes at the close of the war, of having retained in her possession certain military posts which interfered with the Americans in securing their share of the fur trade, and of inciting the Indians to make incursions upon the border settlements. The United States were accused of preventing loyalists from regaining possession of their estates, and British subjects from recovering debts contracted before the beginning of hostilities.
Western New York was within the field of this disturb- ance. The British Government had held this territory from the time it was wrested from France, in 1760, to the close of the Revolution, about twenty-four years. It seems scarcely possible now to understand that they continued to put for- ward a claim to it for ten years longer.
That the British were allowed to hold the important forts of Oswego and Niagara, for ten years following the date of
125
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
the treaty by which they had agreed to surrender them, can only be explained on the ground that this now fair and beautiful country was almost an unknown land. It was only when the first pioneers began to make their way into this wilderness, in 1788-'89, that the jealousy of the British authorities in Canada, began to develop into overt acts. The treaties between the State of New York and Massachusetts ; the purchase of the Genesee country by Philips and Gor- ham, and their associates; the sale of the territory west of the Genesee river, to the Holland Land Company ; the sale of the territory between Seneca lake and the Genesee river, bounded north by Lake Ontario, and south by Pennsylvania, constituting afterwards the Pultney Estate ; all followed in rapid succession. The appointment of Captain Williamson as agent for the sale of these lands ; his arrival here with a large force of surveyors and workmen ; his energetic move- ments at Bath, at Geneva, at Lyons, and at Sodus, occurring during the period 1790 to 1794, were all critically observed by the Governor of Canada. He saw that thorough and systematic plans for the settlement of these lands were being executed. The American authorities at this time had con- siderable reason to suspect that a British and Indian alliance was being perfected, having in view the actual repossession of all of Western New York, and threatening with fire and slaughter the families of the scattered settlers. All these dangers were finally terminated by the Jay Treaty, negotiated with the English Government in 1794. This treaty con- tained several provisions that were violently opposed by many Americans, both in Congress and out. President Wash- ington was, himself, severely blamed for favoring it. The treaty was not ratified by the American Government, until 1796, and there was only a majority of three in Congress, in favor of the appropriation, necessary to carry it into effect.
The forts were surrendered and a substantial peace fol- lowed favorable to settlement until the difficulties occurred prior to the opening of the war of 1812. It was during that troublous period that the so-called "Invasion of the Genesee county occurred." The following account is from the papers left by Thomas Morris, and is found in the " History of the Pultney Estate :"
126
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
"Gov. Simcoe had, from his first assuming the govern- ment of Upper Canada, evinced the greatest jealousy of the progress of the settlement of our western country ; he was even said to have threatened to send Captain Williamson to England in irons, if he ever ventured to come into Canada. In 1794, Captain Williamson had commenced a settlement at Sodus Bay.
" In the month of August of that year, Lieutenant Sheaffe, of the British army, (now Major-General Sir Roger, Hale Sheaffe, who during the last war, commanded at the battle of Queenstown, after the death of Gen. Brock,) was sent by Governor Simcoe, with a protest to be delivered to Captain Williamson, protesting against the prosecution of the settle- ment of Sodus, and all other American settlements beyond the old French line, during the unexecution of the treaty that terminated the Revolutionary War. Finding there only an agent of Mr. Williamson's (a Mr. Moffat,) Lieutenant Sheaffe informed him of the nature of his mission, and requested him to make it known to Captain Williamson, and to inform him that he would return in ten days, when he hoped to meet Captain Williamson there. Mr. Moffat came to me at Canandaigua to acquaint me with what had taken place, and induce me to accompany him to Bath to confer with Captain Williamson in relation to this very extraor- dinary protest. I accordingly went to Bath, and it was agreed between Captain Williamson and myself, that we would both meet Lieutenant Sheaffe at Sodus, at the time he had appointed to be there. Accordingly, on the day named by Lieut. Sheaffe, we were at Sodus; and shortly after our arrival there, we perceived on the lake, a boat rowed by about a dozen British soldiers, who after landing their officer, were directed by him to pull off some distance in the bay, and remain there until he made a signal to return for him.
" Capt. Williamson, in consequence of the threats imputed to Gov. Simcoe, in relation to himself, did not think proper to expose himself unnecessarily to any act of violence, if any such should have been meditated against him. He therefore requested me to receive Lieut. Sheaffe on the beach, and to accompany him to the log cabin where Capt. Williamson was, with a brace of loaded pistols on his table.
" The ordering his men to remain at a distance from the shore, shows that the precaution that had been taken, though proper at the time, was unnecessary, and that no resort to force was intended.
" The meeting between the Lieutenant and Mr. William- son, was friendly ; they had known each other before ; and
127
MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
while in the same service, had marched through some part of England together. The Lieutenant handed to Capt. Williamson the protest, and was desired by the Captain to inform Gov. Simcoe that he would pay no attention to it, but prosecute his settlement, the same as if no such paper had been delivered to him; that if any attempt should be made forcibly to prevent him from doing so, that attempt would be repelled by force. Lieut. Sheaffe having, during the interview between them, made some allusion to Capt. Williamson having once held a commissison in the British army, he replied, that while in the service of the Crown, he had faithfully performed his duty; that having since renounced his allegiance to that Crown, and become a citizen of the United States, his adopted country, having both the ability and inclination, would protect him in his rights and the possession of his property.
" I asked Lieut. Sheaffe if he would be so good as to explain what was meant by the old French line, where it ran, and what portion of our country we were forbidden in Gov. Sim- coe's protest, to occupy. He replied, that he was merely the bearer of the paper ; that by the orders of his superior officer, he had handed it to Capt. Williamson ; that no ex- planation had been given to him of its purport, nor was he authorized to give any. After about half an hour, I accom- panied him to the beach, where he had landed ; and on a signal having been made by him, his boat returned for him, and he departed.
" This is what my father, in his letter of the 10th of Sep- tember, 1794, alludes to, and terms a treaty, and for which he hopes that Simcoe will get a rap over the knuckles from his master. So many years have elapsed since the complaints made both by the British and our own Government, were adjusted by negotiation that an explanation is necessary as to what Governor Simcoe meant when he spoke of the inexe- cution of the treaty that terminated our Revolutionary strug- gle. The complaint on the part of Great Britain, was, that certain laws in several States by which British subjects were prevented from recovering debts due to them prior to the Revolution, had not been repealed,-as by the treaty they ought to have been ;- and also that British property had been confiscated since the period limited in the treaty for such confiscations, and no compensation had been made to the injured parties.
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.