USA > New York > New York City > New York city and vicinity during the war of 1812-15, being a military, civic and financial local history of that period, Vol. I > Part 5
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
These country residences were built back from the roadways and had court yards and lawns with trees and shrubs in front of them.
The Fitzroy and Southampton roads ended in Bloomingdale road, below Love Lane, now (1889) Twenty-first street, which ran from Bloomingdale road to the North River.
The roads from the city to the upper part of the island were the Bowery on the east, Broadway in the center as far as Sailors' Snug Harbor (now Tenth street), and from thence Sandy Lane or road where it joined the Bowery at about Seventeenth street and Union square, and then continued as Bloomingdale road (now Broadway). Greenwich road was a continuation of Greenwich street, and crossed Canal street by a bridge, and continued to Greenwich village (now Charlton street). There were two lines of stages; one to Greenwich village up Greenwich road, and a line up the Bowery to Harlem by the Eastern Post road, and to Manhattan- ville by the Harlem lane. The Harlem stage adver- tised in the daily papers in 1812 and 1813.
Some of the other roads then were the Old Boston road or Eastern Post road, which commenced at the Bloomingdale road at Twenty-third street and Fifth
56
OLD ROADS AND LANES.
avenue, where now (1889) is Madison square, and thence ran eastward along the Rose Hill farm and through various windings and turns to Harlem, and crossed the river at what is now (1889) Third Ave- nue Bridge.
The Middle road diverged northward from the Eastern Post road near Twenty-ninth street and Fourth avenue, and crossed Murray's Hill and con- nected with Manhattan (now Fifth) avenue at the Croton reservoir on Forty-second street, and contin- ued along that avenue to the Eastern Post road at Ninetieth street, and at Ninety-fourth street and Fifth avenue diverged easterly and crossed Harlem Creek at Fourth avenue and One Hundred and Sixth street, and thence led in a straight line to Harlem Bridge at Third avenue.
The King's Bridge road diverged westerly at the crossing of the Middle road by the Eastern Post road at Ninety-second street, and continued along the Eastern Post road through McGowan's Pass to Harlem lane near One Hundred and Eighth street and so on to Manhattanville.
There were several other roads and lanes that branched off these roads at various points above Twenty-third street.
Brooklyn village at that time covered about one mile square and was a small unincorporated village of about three hundred small houses and about 1,500 inhabitants. Its manufactories were two gin distil- leries, that sent about six hundred pipes of gin an- nually to New York; three rope walks, that annually made about one thousand tons of cordage; two paint factories and a manufactory of cotton and linen cloths and a cotton packing apparatus ;
57
SUBURBAN VILLAGES.
a weekly newspaper, The Long Island Star, and a book printing establishment.
Jersey City was then known as Powles' Hook, and was not recognized as a village. All the mail stages south from New York did not start from there. It did not have half a dozen houses in 1812. It had a tavern and a store.
Hoboken was smaller than Powles' Hook.
The first steam ferryboat between Jersey City and New York commenced to run in July, 1812. It was announced that on July 24th a corps of flying artil- lery crossed in the boat from Powles' Hook (Jersey City) at four trips. The first brought four pieces of artillery, six-pounders and limbers, four ammuni- tion wagons, twenty-seven horses and forty soldiers, besides other passengers.
The steam ferry to Hoboken was first started in the early part of October, 1811, and an entry of the fact was made on the New York city records on October 11th, 1811.
The next steam ferry was from New York to Powles' Hook in July, 1812.
Before the introduction of steam ferryboats, horse boats and barges for passengers were used. In 1810 it was required by law that the owners of ferry boats between New York and Long Island should at all times in the months of May, June, July, Au- gust and September have their boats ready for pas- sage from half an hour before sunrise until nine o'clock in the evening, and in all other months from sunrise until eight o'clock in the evening, and that no passenger should be detained more than five minutes. Passenger barges should be kept at all the ferries and no lumber or baggage should be car-
58
FERRY BOATS.
ried thereon. Four men were to be employed to row every barge, and no more than fourteen passen- gers should be carried at a time.
The law of April, 1813, required that every boat employed as a ferry between New York city and the island of Nassau (Long Island) should be not less than twenty-two feet long nor less than five and one-half feet in breadth, and that there should be not less than two men to row in every boat, and that no more than eighteen passengers should be admitted on one boat at one time, and that no passenger should be kept waiting for more than five minutes within certain hours of the day.
There was a rowboat ferry for teams, etc., from the foot of Delancey street to Williamsburgh land- ing at North Second street, which was then called Bushwick street. This was the old Woodhull ferry. The Merrill rowboat ferry from Grand street, Wil- liamsburgh, to Grand street, New York, was started some time in 1812, in opposition to the Woodhull ferry, and was called the ferry to Long Island.
There was a tavern and one house, and a small store on the Williamsburgh side, and on the New York side the Long Island farmer was near the thickly populated district about Corlear's Hook.
Horse ferryboats were run by horse power, ap- plied by a sort of horizontal treadmill wheel on which the horses were made to tread. They were twin boats with the propelling wheel in between them.
This was the kind of ferry to Brooklyn prior to August, 1814.
In 1814 there was a new horse ferryboat put in between New York and Brooklyn, and was
59
LACK OF COMFORTS.
operated by eight horses. The paddle wheel was in the middle, and it was known to carry more than five hundred persons at one time, while the fortifications were being erected in Brooklyn.
A steam ferryboat, from New York to Brooklyn, started in August, 1814, from Fly Market and Burling Slips. The names of the three Brooklyn steam ferryboats in 1814 were Sall, Decatur, Long Island Star.
The inhabitants of those days had but very few of the comforts that we now have. They had no "stove coal," no hot-air furnaces for heating rooms ; no hot or cold water always running in the house or yard ; no ice for domestic use in warm weather ; and little malaria as far as I can ascertain. No friction matches ; no gas lights ; no free letter carriers or messenger boys at call ; no omnibuses or street cars ; no railroads of any kind ; no police in the daytime, only a few watchmen in the night ; no electric telegraphs, nor electric lights ; and, practically, no steamboats ; there were then only seven in and about New York, and those were very slow and small, and charges heavy. There was one that run down to the Narrows, the fare was four shillings, equal to fifty cents, each way, and the fare to Albany was seven dollars by them.
The stage fare to Albany from New York was ten dollars, and the time was thirty-six hours, riding night and day, or if the passenger so preferred, he could lay over at night on the way.
CHAPTER IV.
The Fortifications of New York City and Harbor -- State Appropri- ations for Forts, Arsenals, etc .- Condition of Harbor Defences- British War Vessels-Means of Defence.
HE fortification of New York city and harbor has ever since the close of the Revolutionary War been an important theme.
Shortly after the adoption of the United States Constitution, among the many measures that became necessary for the gen- eral government to consider was that of fortifying the coasts and harbors of the United States. A thor- ough survey was undertaken under the direction of the War Department, and a full report made in 1794 by Gen. Henry Knox, as secretary of war.
The survey maps, plans, and locations for the defence of New York harbor were made by Charles Vincent, a French engineer. The maps and sur- veys then made were the foundation for many of the defences that were constructed up to the year 1816 at the localities then designated as important. These plans were for fortifications at Sandy Hook Point, the Highlands of Navesink, on Staten Island at the Narrows, and on Hendrick's Reef, and where Fort Hamilton now is, to cover Fort Lafayette -- then Governor's Island, Bedloe's and Ellis Islands. Powles' Hook (the southeast point of Jersey City),
1
61
FORTIFICATIONS OF
Jersey City Heights, the South Battery (Castle Garden), and the fort off Hubert street. No notice was taken or suggestion made as to defences on points in the East River or at Harlem, but Sag Harbor was to have a small battery.
The works at all these points recommended were not undertaken for several years. The State of New York wished them much more extended and formidable than the general government thought was necessary, and greater in proportion than was justified by the objects in view.
A State law was passed March 26, 1794, chap. 41, by which the sum of 40,000 pounds ($100,000) was appropriated for the purpose of repairing and erect- ing fortifications at or near the city and port of New York.
Geo. Christen, Matthew Clarkson, James Watson, Richard Varick, Nicholas Fish, Ebenezer Stevens, and Abijah Hammond, were appointed commis- sioners ; for the purpose a majority were authorized to act.
In March, 1798, the New York Chamber of Com- merce petitioned Congress to make an appropriation for the better fortification and defence of New York harbor. Col. Ebenezer Stevens laid the same be- fore Congress, and a committee reported in favor of an appropriation of $117,000 for the purpose, but nothing further was done about it.
By the laws of New York State in 1798, chap. 66, the governor is authorized and required to erect a proper building to preserve the field artillery and small arms belonging to the State in the city of New York, at a sum not exceeding $3,000.
By another State law of August 27, 1798, it is pro-
62
CITY AND HARBOR.
vided that the sum of $150,000 be appropriated for the purpose of repairing and completing the fortifi- cations in New York city and vicinity, and for con- structing such other fortifications on New York Island, Governor's Island, Bedloe's Island, Ellis or Oyster Island, and Long Island, and for providing such other means of defence for the security of said city and port as the governor of the State shall deem necessary for the security and defence of the same, provided that said sum shall be expended under the direction of the president of the United States.
An expediency was contrived by some leading poli- ticians in New York to settle the claim of the United States against New York on account of Rev- olutionary expenses, by having a law of Congress allowing any State to discharge its debt by payment into the treasury before April, 1800, or by expend- ing a like amount within five years in the erection of fortifications within its boundaries. This law was passed on February 15, 1799.
The act of March 28, 1800, chap. 64, New York State accepted of the act of Congress of 1799, and made an appropriation accordingly. The governor of the State was authorized to procure plans, etc., and to appoint and employ such agents as he deemed proper to superintend the work and to pur- chase the requisite materials.
At that time the debt of the State to the general government was about two millions of dollars. New York was the only State that chose to extinguish its debt by erecting defences upon its own soil, and a committee of Congress reported in February, 1801, that no other States had shown any disposition to pay the balances reported against them.
63
SURVEY OF THE HARBOR.
These fortifications were erected under the super- vision and direction of the national government. The amount so expended was about $900,000, and was for works on Governor's Island, and Bedloe's and Ellis' Islands, and at the Battery parade (now Castle Garden), and a battery off Hubert street, and two magazines in the city.
The amount credited to New York, expended under the law, was $891,129.31, and the remainder of the indebtedness was subsequently released.
In 1805 Col. Jonathan Williams, of the United States Engineers, made a survey of the harbor of New York from the Narrows to in and about the city, and made his report to Congress thereon in February, 1806.
The killing of John Pierce, master of the sloop Richard, on the 25th of April, 1806, by firing into her by the British war vessel, Leander, within a quarter of a mile from Sandy Hook, created great excitement, and the city of New York gave a pub- lic funeral to the deceased; this had a tendency to call further attention to the means of the city for defence against an ocean invader.
In 1807 the general government being still back- ward about erecting forts, the State again took the matter in hand. All of the fortifications existing in 1812 for the protection of New York may prop- erly be said to have commenced in 1807.
Since the Spring of 1807, work had been done under the State laws that had been passed from time to time, making appropriations for building of fortifications in and about New York city and har- bor, on Staten Island, and at the Narrows on the Brooklyn side, and on the islands in the harbor, and
64
BOARD OF FORTIFICATIONS.
the works, excepting on east side of the Narrows, had made much progress and were nearly completed in 1812, as principally designed by Col. Jonathan Williams, and were carried into operation by Capt. Richard Whitney, of the United States Corps of Engineers.
By chapter 51, March 20th of that year, the Gov- ernor, Lieut .- Governor, the Chancellor, the Chief- justice of the Supreme court, and the Mayor of New York city or any three of them (the Governor to be one), were authorized to deed to the United States such parcels of land on Staten Island and on Long Island for fortifications, the same not to exceed two hundred acres, and State lands at Bluff's Point, Staten Island, granted to the United States for pur- poses of fortifications.
A State board of fortifications was authorized to be appointed. The board consisted of De Witt Clin- ton, James Fairlie, Jacob Morton, Peter Curtenius, and Arthur Smith, and were appointed under act of March, 1807.
In 1808, Col. Jonathan Williams, of the United States Corps of Engineers, at the request of the State board of fortifications, prepared an extensive plan for the fortification of New York city and har- bor and at points to defend its approach. These were submitted to the State commissioners of forti- fications for State appropriations for building where the general government neglected or were slow to commence the works.
By chapter 51, March 18th, 1808, the act of March 20th, 1807, was extended to lands covered with water between Long and Staten Islands and below the south bounds of the city and county of New
65
REPORT ON FORTIFICATIONS.
York, and also to lands in the city and county of New York, and also to lands covered with water therein, and were authorized to convey the same to the United States for purposes of fortifications.
Ellis Island was authorized to be purchased by , the government or taken by law.
By chapter 61, laws of 1808, the State was author- ized to take lands on Long and Staten Islands, and in the City of New York, covered with water and condemn same for uses of defence, and may convey same to United States and to revert to people if not used by United States.
Laws of 1808, chapter 131, appropriates $100,000 to expedite the defence of the city of New York, with full confidence that the United States will re- imburse the same.
The report to New York State Assembly in 1808 showed that the plans of Col. Williams were for the following number of guns and mortars :
Fort Columbus, 104 guns.
Castle Williams,
100
Ellis Island,
32 66
Bedloe's Island,
10
Staten Island, Southeast point,
80
North point,
15
66 66 West beach, 1st tier, 27
60
66 2d tier, 27
66
Wings on beach, each tier, 15
By chap. 17, February 9th, 1809, the Governor was authorized to purchase not exceeding twenty- five acres, adjacent to public lands at the Narrows, on Staten Island. This was for the purpose of erecting fortifications.
66
STATE APPROPRIATIONS.
In Col. Williams' report to Congress in December, 1809, he stated : "The works for the defence of New York city are calculated for three hundred guns and ten mortars exclusive of those mounted on travelling carriages, and of the works on Staten Island erected by the State of New York, calculated for eighty guns."
In April, 1807, a State appropriation of $3,000 was made to build a powder house in New York city. By Laws 1808, chap. 9, part of the ground on Bridge street, in vicinity of government house, was ceded to the United States for arsenal.
By chap. 48, Laws 1808, the Governor is authorized to build a powder house and to purchase one and one-half acres of land for same, and $1,000 besides that appropriated in April, 1807, which was $3,000.
Chap. 61, Laws 1808, authorizes the erection of an arsenal in the city of New York, between Elm and Collect streets, not to exceed the sum of $13,000, an arsenal, laboratory and workshops and ordnance yard, together with the necessary appurtenant buildings for use of the State.
By chap. 164, Laws 1809, the action of the Gover- nor in purchasing ten-acre lot for wagon yard and powder house is approved and affirmed, and balance of expenses to be paid out of proceeds of sale of two gores of land near government house, belong- ing to the city.
By chap. 139, June 12, 1812, sec. 10, Governor's guard was authorized to guard fortifications, etc., at Narrows; and sec. 11 authorized the establishment of a telegraph observatory and signal poles on the public ground. By sec. 13, the sum of $25,000 was appropriated for completing fortifications on Staten
67
ARSENALS AND MAGAZINES.
Island and $20,000 more out of the sum appropri- ated April 6th, 1808.
In June, 1812, there were four arsenals in the city of New York.
The State arsenal, a three-story brick building, was erected in 1808, on the corner of Elm and Franklin streets, and with its yard and outbuildings occupied the plot between Centre and Elm and Franklin and Walker streets.
In the center of the front, facing on Franklin street, was a three-story brick dwelling used as a residence and office of the State commissary general who had charge of the arsenal.
The United States arsenal on Bridge street, back of the government house, near the South Battery, was of brick and was considered a good work for the locality. There was also a three-story brick magazine near it.
The United States held a plot of two acres on the. Hudson River at foot of West Twelfth street, on which was a magazine, arsenal and laboratory, and. was surrounded by a heavy wall nine feet high (where Fort Gansevoort was soon afterwards erected).
The United States arsenal was at the junction of the old Boston road and the Middle road, where is. now (1889) Madison Square, opposite Fifth Avenue Hotel, on the east side of Broadway, and was within the grounds laid out for "The Parade" in 1811. It was built by State appropriations which it was ex- pected the United States would repay .*
* The Parade was a public square laid out by the Commissioners on their map, laying out the streets and roads in New York City as reported by them on the 22d March, 1811, containing 238 and 7-10
68
FORTS IN THE CITY.
The United States magazine at Madison Square was capable of holding 500 barrels of powder for supplying the fortifications in the harbor and a labor- atory for making ammunition and repairing arms, and doing everything necessary for aiding the field and garrison service.
These arsenals were constructed of stone and brick and the ground enclosed with a high and sub- stantial wall.
A powder house belonging to the State was located between Sixty-fourth, and Sixty-fifth streets, near Fifth avenue. It is now the arsenal in Central Park, built about 1848.
There were two forts or batteries in the city. About one hundred yards in front of the parade at the Battery and connected with it by a draw bridge at the southwest extremity of the city at the point of junction of East and Hudson rivers, a founda- tion was prepared by encompassing with a polygon of block, a space of 200 feet in diameter in a south- west direction from the land. The blocks form seven sides of an octagon, two sides towards the city being made into one. The castle is of New- ark red sandstone and was erected similar to that of Castle Williams, on Governor's Island, and capable of mounting twenty-eight heavy cannon. These were thirty-two-pounders mounted. It had two capa- cious magazines and cisterns and barracks for offi- cers and men. It was then officially known as
acres, extending from Twenty-third street north to Thirty-fourth street, and from Seventh avenue to Third avenue. It was set apart " for military exercise and also to assemble, in case of need, the forces destined to defend the city." In April, 1814, it was reduced to 89 1-10 acres, and by a later statute to less than seven acres, and now called Madison Square.
69
FORTS IN THE CITY.
Southwest battery, but after the war as Castle Clinton. It was planned by Lieut. Joseph G. Tot- ten, of the United States Engineers, and was built about 1811.
The Southwest Battery (now Castle Garden) was the headquarters of the military commanders of this district from the time of its completion as a fort. The site of it was ceded to the United States government by the city corporation about 1807, and the fort built upon it as a battery.
Immediately after the war of 1812 it was called Castle Clinton and was continued in use as a na- tional fortress. In 1817 Major-Gen. Winfield Scott, then in command of this military district, attempted to erect some temporary wood buildings near the fortress on Battery park ; it was objected to on the part of the city as being more than the city had ceded. The President interceded on behalf of the city's claim.
In November, 1822, Castle Clinton was ceded by United States to the corporation and the military headquarters removed to Governor's Island where it still remains. In 1823 Castle Clinton was altered to be used as a place of amusement and the name changed to Castle Garden, which it still retains.
Up the Hudson river, off Hubert street, about 200 yards from the shore, to which was a draw-bridge thirty feet wide, was the North Battery. It was an enclosed semi-circular work of Newark red sand- stone, hammered, capable of holding twenty heavy guns in one tier, and had a stone magazine and fur- nace for heating cannon balls. It would cross fire with the Southwest Battery above described, so as to render it impossible for an enemy's ship to lie off
70
GOVERNOR'S ISLAND.
the city in the North river, in like manner as the other batteries would make it impossible for an attack to be made on the East river.
This was afterwards known as the "Red fort." The foundation was laid in thirty-five feet of water.
There were several forts outside the city. The principal works were on Governor's Island. At a point of the island projecting westward to the edge of the channel stood Castle Williams, Its founda- tion of solid masonry was placed on a bed of rocks which, before this was built, had much endangered the navigation at the entrance of the East river, as this point was totally submerged except at very low water, between Governor's Island and the south- ern point of New York city. The fortress on this foundation of rocks was three-fifths of a circle of two hundred feet in diameter, casemated with bomb- proof arches and covered two tiers of heavy cannon. The lower tier was for twenty-seven French 35- pounders (about equal to English 42-pounders). The second tier was for thirty-nine 20-pounders, and the terrace over the bombproof formed a barbette bat- tery upon which forty-five columbiads, carrying 50- pound balls, could be placed. This castle could work 111 guns. The walls were about forty feet high, of Newark red sandstone, hammered, and con- sisted of thirteen arches of thirty feet span, two feet thick and twenty-four feet in length.
The cross walls, which were pierced to the arches, were seven feet thick between the arches and twelve feet at the termination of the segment. The guns were mounted in such a manner that the center of motion would be immediately under the muzzle of the gun, so that, although the angle of fire is 54 degrees,
71
FORT COLUMBUS,
the mouth of the gun occupies always the same place, which permits the throat of the embrasure to be so small that a shot could not pass between the gun and its side, and the line of fire cross at twenty feet distance. The interior of the castle was open to the sky and the apertures for smoke to escape amounted to 144 square feet in the rear, besides fa- cility for the smoke spreading along the gallery or occupying the superior space-the height between the platform being twelve feet. The walls were eight feet thick on the ground tier and seven feet on the next tier, and in the mass of the wall arches were turned over each pair of embrasures, so that if it were possible to batter a breach into the lower tier the upper one would rest upon these arches and exhibit the appearance of a bridge composed of very solid piers. The outside cut work of the wall was laid in what is called Flemish bond, and each stone dovetailed in such a manner that no one could be dislocated without being first broken to pieces. Over each embrasure was a flat arch of remarkable strength. It also contained two stone magazines for 200 barrels of powder and within its walls was an inexhaustible well of the finest water, from which all the shipping might be watered with ease.
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.