USA > New York > Wayne County > Military history of Wayne County, N.Y. : the County in the Civil War > Part 6
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Old people living at Savannah, say that the early forest was thick and heavy upon this ground and that large trees had grown from the breastworks.
It does not appear that any very great amount of relics has been gathered either from the grounds of the fort or from the vicinity. Arrowheads have been found as they are occasionally through all this country. Mrs. May, widow of the elder Dr. May, states that when she was a little girl, sixty years ago or more, she was often on Fort Hill; that there were stumps of posts along the embankment; that pieces of guns were picked up in those days and bits of pottery. There does not appear to be any collections of these relics remaining in the vicinity.
In digging gravel for the Central Railroad, there were some Indian graves opened and the bones removed, along the
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
line of the hill forty rods or more north of the track and a mile north of Fort Hill.
It does not appear that any crosses have been picked up on Fort Hill or in the vicinity. So that it is not entirely clear that Fort Hill is the site of the Jesuit mission St. René as has been supposed by recent investigations of ancient records. Judged by the distances given in a pamphlet edited by Rev. Dr. Hawley, of Auburn, and published by the Cayuga Historical Society, St. René or the village Onontare could hardly have been so far north. They should be looked for perhaps in the vicinity of Montezuma rather than Savannah .*
On the Ramsdell farm, northeast of Savannah village, near the Seneca river, and just off of the Island is an Indian bury- ing ground.
The story of the Catholic missions is one of romantic inter- est, though it cannot be given in this volume. The Jesuit. fathers having established themselves at Onondaga in 1653, deputies from the Cayugas and Senecas, even then sought to have missionaries sent to them. Two or three years elapsed however, before this was done. Shea's history says :
" When the faith had thus acquired a footing at Onon- daga, the band of apostolic men spread themselves among the Cantons. In the latter part of August, 1656, Fathers Chaumont and Menard set out to answer the invitations of the Cayugas and Seneca. The former leaving Menard at. Cayuga, proceeded to the populous villages of the Senecas.
" After a paragraph descriptive of the work among the Senecas, the narrative goes on, meanwhile Menard was now rapidly acquiring the Cayuga dialect under the instructions of an excellent family in whose cabin he was often a guest. His mission was advancing ; his chapel was crowded with catechumens; but he baptized few adults and seldom but in case of danger. After a stay of two months he was re-called to the Onondagas.'
An outbreak of hostilities compelled a termination of these missions. The French colony at Onondaga silently departed about midnight, March 20, 1658, and succeeded in reaching Montreal.
* The fact, however, that distances anciently stated do not appear to agree with our more accurate measurements should not be considered as disproving the location of St. René at Fort Hill. Onontare is believed to have occupied several different locations, and it is very certain that Fort Hill was one.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
The mission at Onondaga, was re-established August 12, 1660, by the arrival of LeMoyne, at Onondaga, where he was welcomed by deputies from the Onondagas, the Cayugas and the Senecas.
Various interruptions, however occurred, in extending the work. In October, 1667, Father-de-Carheil left Onondaga for the west, arrived at the Castle of the Cayugas on the 6th of November, and found them devouring with sacrile- gious rites a Conestogue girl to propitiate their god. Yet they received the missionary kindly and at once raised a chapel which Father-de-Carheil dedicated to St. Joseph, pat- ron of the Jesuit missions and of Northern America.
The historian, Shea, is very brief in relation to this work among the Cayugas, nor is there a sufficient fullness of description to enable modern students to locate accurately the scenes of these missionary labors. Rev. Dr. Hawley, of Auburn, has supplemented these narratives by a translation of the actual " Relations of the Jesuits." The general theory is that there were three Cayuga stations. One in the vicinity of what is now Union Springs, Cayuga county ; a second near the foot of Cayuga lake, not far from the Railroad bridge, and a third farther North at Fort Hill, Savannah. There may have been other points where mission work was done to some extent.
Bishop McQuade, in an address at the laying of the corner stone of the Catholic church in Clyde, in 1869, advanced the theory that there was a Jesuit mission near Clyde, estab- lished about 1661 .* Local tradition as to Indian occupancy added to the statements of the Bishop, points to the Watson farm as the site of an Indian village, and the possible Cath- olic chapel. No crucifixes have ever been picked up in the vicinity so far as is known, so that that species of evidence is wanting.
The Watson farm was, however, undoubtedly the site of
* Bishod McQuade, as reported in the Clyde Times, only said : "Two hun- dred years ago, on the borders of Cayuga Lake, stood a church, another house of God, erected by missionaries for the conversion of the Indian tribes ; that was the house of God, too, although built of the bark of trees and Mentezuma reeds. It was the house of God because in it the sacrifice of Christ was offered." Those who heard him on the occasion referred to, understood him to allude to the vicinity of Clyde much more than this newspaper report indicates.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
a large Indian village, whether it was visited by Catholic missionaries or not. It lies a little south of Clyde, or south- west. There was originally a forest of magnificent growth largely free of underbrush. A spring yielding an abundant supply of water added to the attractions of the place. It is but a short distance from the Clyde river, a stream so con- venient as an Indian highway through the forests, and it is just far enough from Lake Ontario to make it a place of safety ; the Indians preferring to locate their towns in the interior, rather than along large bodies of water. Near by, too, is a hill of considerable elevation, from which a watch could be kept over the surrounding country-northward toward Sodus Bay, eastward towards Seneca river and Cayuga lake, and southwest to Old Castle and Canandaigua. The indications of Indian encampment were very marked and clear over all the large, nearly level area, not far from the present barn. Relics have been found there from the. first settlement of the country ; and besides, there were numerous deep, black spots of earth, evidently the remains of fire-places. And so the evidence accumulates, that here was a village or encampment of considerable size; that it was doubtless a town permanently occupied and the home of a large body of Indians .*
In the recent excavations for the West Shore Railroad on the Andrew Mead hill, not far from Clyde, a valuable curi- osity was secured, and is now in the possession of Mr. Morley. It is an ancient stone pipe, the bowl square, about one and a half inches long, with a stem a little longer than that. It seems to be lettered, in one word-ATIX ; though it is not very clear just what the inscription is.
* Similar evidences of an Indian encampment were also very clear upon the farm formerly owned by Adrastus Snedaker, a half a mile more east of the Watson farm.
1
CHAPTER IV.
CONQUEST OF WESTERN NEW YORK BY THE ENGLISH IN 1759-ENCAMPMENT OF THE ARMY UPON THE SOIL OF WAYNE COUNTY.
F ROM the advent of Jaques Cartier upon the St. Law- rence in 1535, down to the " Old French War" of 1756-'60, the chain of the Great Lakes, their shores and the adjacent country remained either nominally or actually under the dominion of France. Two and a quarter centuries had passed away. England and France, rivals in the old world and the new, had repeatedly contended for the prize of Colonial Empire. The long struggle was now to end. The white lily of France and the red cross of St. George were once more waving over hostile squadrons dis- puting the title to a country rich in its natural scenery, rich in its treasures of lake and river, forest and field, but richer still in its future destiny as the seat of civilized nations.
The British opened the campaign of 1759, with three dis- tinct objects in view, viz .: the capture of the three strong- holds of French power-Niagara, Montreal and Quebec.
The attack upon the first of these is the only one that is intimately connected with the history of Western New York, and involves to some extent the pioneer history of Wayne county.
The force destined for Niagara rendezvoused at Schenec- tady early in May. It consisted of two British regiments, a detachment of Royal Artillery, a battalion of Royal Amer- icans, two battalions of New York Provincials, and a large force of Indian Allies under the command of Sir William Johnson. The Indians were mostly Mohawks, Oneidas and Onondagas ; the remainder being Cayugas and Senecas, with a few from such western nations as had been partly won over to the British interests. Brigadier-General Prideaux was the Commander-in-Chief ; next in rank was Sir William Johnson, who, previous to this, had been regu- larly commissioned in the British army.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
The force moved from Schenectady on the 20th of May, 1759, came up the Mohawk, and by the usual water route reached Oswego, where it remained for over five weeks, completing the preparation of Batteaux for navigating Lake Ontario.
On the first of July, the whole force were embarked, and coasting along the shore of the lake. Their destination was Fort Niagara, a strong fortress, the seat of French dominion, over a widely extended region; the key to the primitive commerce of the western lakes; its battlements in solitary grandeur frowning defiance to any force that would be likely to reach it through difficult avenues, in its far-off location in the wilderness. Never in all the modern periods, have the waters of Ontario borne upon their bosom a more formid- ble armament. In addition to a large force, requiring abund- ant stores and camp equipage, there was the heavy artillery, and all the requisites that British military skill had deemed necessary for the reduction of a strong fortress, by regular approaches ; such as the plan of attack contemplated.
How mingled and various were the different races, and of how different habits and characters, were the men of this expedition ! There was the proud titled Briton, who had seen more of the refinements and luxuries of courts, than of the hardships of camps in the wilderness; there were veteran officers and soldiers, who had fought in European wars, inured to the camp and of the field; and there were the sons of the wealthy and influential colonists in New York, and along the Hudson river counties, who had sought commissions in the army, and were going out in their first campaign. There were provincials, men and boys, trans- ferred from the stores, the counting-houses, and the mechanic shops of New York and the rural districts of Westchester, Richmond, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Albany, and the lower valley of the Mohawk bound for the camp, for the drill, and for a march that seemed then further extended, and more difficult than one over the mountains to Oregon, would at the present · time. Lastly there were the warriors of the Iroquois, fully imbued with their ancient war spirit, decked out with feath-
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
ers, chains and hoops, the spoils of the forest chase, and with new paint, broad-cloth blankets and siver ornaments, the gifts of the King.
The armament coasted along the southern shore of the lake. The first night they encamped at Sodus, invited there by the beautiful bay, in which their water-craft could be made secure from winds and waves, as their frail structure demanded.
Their other halting place for the night, were at Ironde- quoit, Braddock's bay and Johnson's creek. Arrived at the mouth of the Eighteen Mile Creek, (where is now the village of Olcott,) within eighteen miles of Fort Niagara, a halt was made to enable reconnoitering parties to go out and deter- mine whether the French had made a sortie from the Fort in anticipation of their arrival.
On the 7th of July, the British moved forward and the siege of Niagara commenced. The fort was bravely defended, but the French commander was compelled to sur- render on the 24th, and Western New York passed from the dominion of France to that of England.
During the remainder of that year and in the next cam- paign of 1760, the other strong-holds were captured and French supremacy was terminated all along the line of the St. Lawrence and the Lakes.
CHAPTER V.
NOTICES OF REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS IN WAYNE COUNTY - THEIR MILITARY SERVICE - SETTLEMENT - AGE - DEATH - BURIAL PLACE - MILITARY LANDS OF EASTERN WAYNE.
T HE only connection which Wayne county can be said to have with the War of the Revolution arises from the fact that there was among the early settlers a considerable number of soldiers who had been engaged in that struggle for Independence.
It was several years subsequent to the peace of 1783, that the first white men located within the limits of this county.
The adoption of the Constitution and the inauguration of General Washington as the first President, were the national events that were really coeval with the settlement of Wayne county, as the Stansells and Featherlys made an opening at Lyons in that year.
In these days of growing respect for the memory of the soldiers of the Republic in whatever war they may have fought, it is interesting to gather into permanent form the names of these pioneers who came to establish homes upon the soil which had been secured by their valor, and to live thereafter in peace under a government founded by their efforts.
We have first the following official list of pensioners as they were recorded upon the books of the government in 1835. To these the dates of death and place of burial have been added so far as they can now be obtained. The age given refers to the year 1835 :
James Adams-Private, Connecticut Militia, annual pension,
$30, commenced April 11, 1833; aged seventy-four ; died December 8, 1833.
James Adams-Private, New Jersey Militia, annual pension, $30, commenced August 7, 1833 ; aged seventy-three.
George Austin-Private, Rhode Island Continental Troops,
annual pension, $26.66, commenced March 4, 1831 ; seventy-eight years of age.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
George Babcock, Arcadia-Private, New York Militia, annual pension, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy. It is understood in his family that he also served in the war of 1812, at Sodus Point and elsewhere.
Thaddeus Bancroft, Sodus-Private, New York Militia, annual pension, $20, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged sixty-nine. Lived in the east part of the town ; was a public man of considerable prominence, and a Justice of the Peace for many years.
Joel Bishop, Rose-Private, Connecticut Continental Troops, annual pension, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-four. [See additional notes below.]
Phineas Bill, Palmyra-Private, Connecticut Militia, annual pension, $70, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged eighty. He was born in Groton, Connecticut, removed to Pal- myra in 1818 ; died January 25, 1839, and was buried in Palmyra Cemetery.
Benjamin Billings, Macedon-Ensign, Connecticut Militia. Was with the army at Cambridge and in the battles of New York and White Plains. Annual pension, $160, commenced March 4, 1831. He was born in Preston, Connecticut, September 23, 1753, and died in Macedon, January 13, 1838 ; he was buried in Palmyra Cemetery. He was in the battle of Saratoga, and was present at the surrender of Burgoyne ; served about three years. Samuel Black-Private, Massachusetts Militia, annual pen- sion, $30.88, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy. Moses Blakely, East Williamson-Private, Connecticut Con- tinental Troops, annual pension, $96, commenced April 30, 1818. Dropped from the roll under the act of May I, 1820 ; pensioned again under the act of June 7, 1832, annual pension, $60 ; aged seventy-five.
Joseph Carey, Walworth-Private, Massachusetts Continental Troops, in service seven years, annual pension, $80, . commenced March 4, 1831 ; age not given ; died in On- tario, at the house of Isaac Carey. His grave is in the Patterson burial place, Ontario.
Wessel Cornue, Arcadia-Private New Jersey Militia, annual pension, $31,07, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged sixty- nine.
Isaac Curtiss, Williamson-Private, Massachusetts Con- tinental Troops, annual pension, $46.66, commenced March 4, 1831 ; died February 10, 1849, at the age of ninety-four years and six months, and was buried in the Williamson cemetery.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
David Cowen-Private, Rhode Island Militia, annual pension, $63.33, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy.
David Dalrymple, Walworth-Private, Massachusetts Con- tinental Troops, annual pension, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged sixty-eight. He came from Coleraine, Massachusetts, resided in Walworth about ten years, but removed to Jefferson county and died there in 1859. Benjamin Billings reports him to have moved to Michi- gan, and to have previously resided in Macedon.
Beebe Denison, Sodus-Private, New York Militia, annual pension, $20, commeneed March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy- three. He died at an advanced age in East Palmyra, and was buried in the cemetery at that place.
Benjamin Deuel, Savannah-Private, New York Militia, annual pension, $43.33, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged sixty-nine.
Samuel Dunn-Private, Massachusetts Militia, annual pen- sion, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged eighty.
Josiah Dunning, Sodus-Private and Sergeant, New Hamp- shire Militia, annual pension, $41.66, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-nine .*
Beeri Foot, Galen-Private, Connecticut Continental Troops, annual pension, $21.43, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-one. He died May 1, 1841, at Lock Berlin, and was buried in Lyons Rural Cemetery.
David Glidden, Lyons-Private and Sergeant, New Hamp- shire Militia, annual pension, $61.33, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-four.
Valentine Hahn, Williamson-Private, Pennsylvania Militia, annual pension, $70, commenced March 4, 1831; aged seventy-four.
Job Harrison, Williamson-Private, New Jersey Militia, annual pension, $56.66, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged sixty-eight ; died February 19, 1833, and was buried in the cemetery at Pultneyville.
Velina Hoisington-Private, Vermont Militia, annual pension, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-one.
Shevah Houghton, Arcadia-Private and Lieutenant, Con- necticut Militia, annual pension, $113.33, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-six.
Darius Howard, Huron-Private, Connecticut Militia, annual pension, $30, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged sixty- seven.
* From the Wayne Sentinel .: "Died, in Sodus, on the 27th of February, 1842, Mr. Josiah Dunning, a soldier of the Revolution, in the eighty-seventh year of his age. He was formerly from Vermont."
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Joseph Jackson, Walworth-Private, Connecticut Militia, annual pension, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-seven. He is indistinctly remembered as resid- ing in Walworth about 1835, but it is not ascertained where he died, and it is supposed he removed from the town.
Solomon Leonard, Marion-Private, Connecticut Continental Troops, annual pension, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-four.
Solomon Lombard-Private and Sergeant, Connecticut Militia, annual pension, $55, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged eighty-one.
Michael Lusk, Arcadia-Private, New York Continental Militia, annual pension, $30, commenced May 4, 1831 ; aged sixty-four.
Daniel Matthewson, Walworth -Ensign and Lieutenant Rhode Island Militia, annual pension $63.33, commenced March 4, 1831; aged eighty-three; died September 8, 1832, and is buried in the Baker cemetery.
James McDonald-Private, New York Continental Militia- annual pension $40.26, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-four.
Simeon Merrill, Butler-Private, New York Militia, annual pension, $30, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy- three.
John Myers-Private, New Jersey Militia-annual pension $50, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-four ; died in Michigan. He was the grandfather of Jchn W. Myers, now residing at Sodus village.
Noles Negus, Marion-Private, Rhode Island Continental Troops, annual pension $96, commenced April 13, 1818, dropped from the roll under act of May 1, 1820; pen- sioned again March 4, 1831, $80 a year ; aged seventy-five. Buried in the Negus family cemetery in the orchard on the farm now owned by Wm. Vandusen.
Seba Norton, Sodus-Private, New York Militia, annual pen- sion $80, commenced March 4, 1831, aged seventy-three. [See notice under the head, Sodus.]
Roger Olmstead, Butler-Private, Connecticut Militia, annual pension $26.66, commenced March 4, 1831, aged sixty- nine.
Jacob Patrick, Lyons-Private, New York Militia, annual pension $56.66, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged sixty- nine.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Noah Palmer, born in Tiverton, Rhode Island, Aug. 25, 1759, settled in Macedon in 1810, Private and Corporal, Rhode Island Militia, annual pension $84.90, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-four ; died March 6, 1875, and is buried in the Palmyra cemetery .*
Jonathan Pendell, Sodus-Private, New York Continental Troops, annual pension $55.09, commenced March 4, 1831; aged eighty-four. He resided east of South Sodus, in a log-house on the right of the road before reaching the Robinson hill. He was born in 1749, and died at South Sodus in 1839, aged about ninety years.
Christopher Pope, Galen -Private Massachusetts Militia, annual pension $80, commenced March 4, 1831, aged seventy-nine. Buried at Ferguson's Corners.+
William Rice, Marion-Private Massachusetts Militia, annual pension $30.00 ; commenced March 4, 1851 ; aged sixty- eight. He was the father of Josiah Rice, of Sodus, and is buried in the Corey cemetery, west part of the town of Marion.
Joseph Roby, Macedon-Captain Massachusetts Militia, annual pension $160, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged eighty. He was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Feb. 22, 1753. Settled for a time in Macedon, but removed to Brock- port, where he died April 13, 1836. He was at one time a merchant in Boston, Mass., and helped throw the tea overboard in the harbor.
Elijah Root-Private, Connecticut Militia, annual pension $66.66; commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-six.
Israel Sabin, Wolcott-Private, Connecticut Militia, annual pension, $23.33, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-nine.
Ezekiel Scott, Butler-Private, Connecticut Continental troops, annual pension $96, commenced May 6, 1818. Dropped from rolls under act of May 1, 1820. Pensioned again commencing March 4, 1831, $80 ; age not given Matthias Shear-Private, New York Militia, annual pension, $30.66, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-five.
Gabriel Smith-Private in Infantry and Cavalry Connecticut Continental Troops, annual pension, $90, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy-two.
Nathan Smith, Lyons-Sergeant, Vermont Militia, annual pension, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy- two.
* Noah Palmer served in the Revolution five years, and was a deacon in the Baptist church 40 years.
+ Another informant says "buried in Spier's cemetery, Lyons.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Ebenezer Still, Walworth-Private, Massachusetts Conti- nental Troops, annual pension, $96, commencing April 4, 1818. Dropped from the rolls under act of May I, 1820 ; pensioned again May 4, 1831, $80. He died Feb- ruary 8, 1848, and was buried at West Walworth ; age not given.
Jonas Stevens-Private, Massachusetts State Troops, annual pension, $80, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy- eight.
Alexander Stewart, Williamson-Private and Corporal, Mas- sachusetts Continental Troops, annual pension, $49.33, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged eighty-three; died May 26, 1833 .*
Charles Sweet-Private, Rhode Island Militia, annual pen- sion, $22.31, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy- four.
Garner Wait-Father of Mrs. Rufus Sweezey, formerly of Marion, was a soldier of the Revolution. He died in Walworth, and is buried in the cemetery at that place.
Seth Watkins, Galen-Private, Massachusetts Militia, annual pension, $94.92, commenced March 4, 1831 ; aged seventy- eight.
In 1840, the Marshals taking the United States Census, made what appears to have been a careful enumeration of the pensioners then living ; and the following names appear. Twelve of them are the same as in the list of 1835. The others had either moved into the county or had established their claims subsequent to 1835. The ages refer to the summer of 1840, when the Marshals collected the data :
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