USA > New York > Onondaga County > Onondaga, or, Reminiscences of earlier and later times, being a series of historical sketches relative to Onondaga, with notes on the several towns in the county, and Oswego, Vol. II > Part 30
USA > New York > Oswego County > Onondaga, or, Reminiscences of earlier and later times, being a series of historical sketches relative to Onondaga, with notes on the several towns in the county, and Oswego, Vol. II > Part 30
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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
residue Provincial regulars. General Shirley lost much valu- able time in ascertaining the strength of these posts, and at length determined first to attack Fort Niagara. His spies reported that the French were in great force at Fort Fronte- nac; and from this circumstance concluded, that it was their design to make an attack upon Oswego during his absence to Niagara. In this posture of affairs, a council of war was called, which after weighing all the circumstances, unani- mously resolved to defer the attempt upon Niagara until next year, and to employ the troops while they remained at Os- wego, in building barracks and crecting two new forts, one on the east side of the river, four hundred and fifty yards distant from the old fort which it was to command, as well as the entrance of the harbor, and to be called Ontario Fort, and the other, to be called Oswego New Fort .*
These things being agreed upon, General Shirley with the greatest part of the troops under his command, set out on his return to Albany on the 24th of October, leaving Col. Mer- cer with a garrison of about seven hundred men at Oswego. Though repeated advice had been received that the French had then at least a thousand men at Fort Frontenac ; and what was still worse, the new forts were not near completed, but left to be finished by the hard labor of Col. Mercer and his little garrison, with the addition of the melancholy circum- stance, that if besieged by the enemy in the winter, it would be impossible for his friends to afford relief.
Early in 1753, we find the garrison at Oswego in command of Licut. Hitchen Holland, who is presumed to have continued in command till succeeded by Col. Mercer, and the augmenta- tion of the garrison by Col. Bradstreet and Gen. Shirley, in the autumn of 1755.
Fort Ontario was built on the east side of the river, about one hundred yards from the lake, commanding the ground around it. Its circumference was about eight hundred feet, being built of logs from twenty to thirty inches in diameter,
* Smollett. Vol. II. p. 178.
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and the outside wall about fourteen feet high. Around it was a ditch fourteen feet broad and ten feet deep. Within it was a square log house to overlook the walls, and contained bar- racks for three hundred men, and was calculated to mount sixteen pieces of cannon.
The Oswego New Fort was a square of one hundred and seventy feet, with bastions and a rampart of earth and ma- sonry, which besides the parapet, was to be twenty feet thick, twelve feet in height, with a ditch fourteen feet broad and ten feet deep. This was to mount eight pieces of cannon, being made more defensible, as it commanded a good landing place. The barracks were to contain two hundred men. It will be readily seen, that this is the work usually denominated the Old French Fort, on the hill across which Van Buren street has since been laid near its junction with sixth street, traces of which were to be seen until recently.
Although there is no historical mention made of any other fort than Ontario on the east side of the river, yet it is almost certain that some kind of fort or redoubt had been erected on that promontory several years previous. One evidence of this is in the following fact. In the year 1818, the present court house in East Oswego was erected. The stone for that building were obtained from Fort Ontario, principally from the walls of the bomb proof, which stood in the north-west angle. One of these stone had a builder's name (Craunell) upon it, and the date 1745. This stone was placed under the sill at the north-west corner facing the north, where it may now be seen. It can hardly be possible that the date, marks any other event than the erection of some work near the site of Fort Ontario. Besides, on an old map now to be seen in pos- session of E. W. Clarke, Esq., two forts are laid down on the east side of the river, about four hundred and fifty yards dis- tant from each other.
The naval force of the French was considered respectable for the times, and the English, consisted of the Oswego, Com- modore Bradley, with only four four-pounders and one three- pounder, with forty-five scamen and soldiers. The Ontario,
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Capt. Laforoy, with four four-pounders, one three pounder, and forty-five seamen and soldiers ; a small schooner, Capt. Farmer, with six swivels and thirteen men ; and a new brig- antine and schooner nearly completed.
The garrison were almost continually annoyed by scalping parties of French and Indians, and frequently complained of the want of men to protect the works.
The year 1756 is truly memorable in the history of Oswego. A convoy of provisions and stores for the garrison had been dis- patched early in summer from Albany, under command of Col. Bradstreet. The French being apprised of it, detached a par- ty of soldiers and Indians to intercept it as it should pass down the Oswego river, with directions to lay an ambuscade at some convenient point. The party consisted of about 300 boatmen, wholly unused to war, and their vessels consisted of a large number of bateaux suitable for the navigation of the streams through which they were to pass. The French designated for this attack got lost and did not reach the river in time to in- tercept Col Bradstreet, and thereupon resolved to retire a short distance into the woods and await his return. On the 3d of July, Col. Bradstreet left Oswego on his way back. He divi- ded his boats into three divisions with directions to keep a lit- tle distance apart, so as to be better able to support each other in case of an attack. As he was slowly stemming the current, himself in the foremost division, at a point some seven miles above Oswego, at a place known as the Mann farm, he was suddenly saluted by the war whoop of the savages and a heavy discharge of musketry from the west side of the river. Rec- ollecting that there was a small island just above him where the enemy might ford the river and attack his rear, he instant- ly rowed to it, and effected a landing with only six men, com- manding the residue to land on the east side. He had scarcely reached it when he was attacked by a party of the enemy who had forded the river for that purpose ; but these were soon repulsed .* Another body having passed a mile higher, he ad-
* Smollett, vol 2, p. 221.
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vanced to them, at the head of two hundred men, and fell up- on them with such vigor, that many were killed on the spot and the rest driven into the river with such precipitation that a considerable number of them were drowned. Having re- ceived information that a third body of the enemy had passed at a ford still higher, he marched thither without hesitation and pursued them to the other side, where they were entirely routed and dispersed. In this action, which lasted near three hours, about seventy of the bateau men were killed or wound- ed; but the enemy lost more than double that number, many of whom were killed in the river whose bodies floated down- ward. In all probability the whole detachment of the French amounting to seven hundred men would have been cut off, had not a heavy rain interposed and disabled Col. Bradstreet from following up his success, for that same night he was joined by Captain Patten with a company of grenadiers, on his march from Oneida to Oswego, and next morning he was re-enforced by the arrival of two hundred men, detached to his assistance from the garrison at Oswego. On the 29th of May the French landed on the south-eastern side of Lake Ontario, about fifty miles from Oswego, were joined by about three hundred Indi- ans and set out the day following with the intention of cutting off the convoy of provisions on the way from Albany to Os- wego. But the Indians refusing to join in an expedition to intercept them at Oswego falls, Capt. Vieliere consented to go to Fort Ontario, where they surprised a sergeant's guard and took a corporal prisoner. After firing at the fort and town, they retired to the River La Planche, and next day to their camp fifteen leagues from Oswego, when all the Indians except fifteen left them. After a respite of eight days, being joined by about one hundred Indians, proceeded with a force of three hundred Canadians, ninety Marines and one hundred Indians, to intercept Col. Bradstreet-with the results before stated.
The following letter, under date of June 28, 1756, from Oswego, appears in the New York Mercury :
" On the morning of the 16th inst., about four o'clock, a party of three or four hundred French and Indians made an
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attack upon forts Oswego and Ontario, and killed and scalped five of the bateau guard sent from fort Ontario on that side of the river. They took one prisoner, mortally wounded an- other and slightly wounded a third ; were repulsed, but not without considerable loss, as the cannon played upon them for an hour and a half, and they went off about eleven o'clock."
Two whale boats were sent to make discoveries on the French shore the same day, and after rowing about eleven miles, a large French and Indian force was discovered in the woods, on the lake shore cast of Oswego, which was fired upon from the fleet, and afterwards retreated.
From the prisoners taken by Col. Bradstreet, he learned Montcalm's design upon Oswego, and that he was already on this side of the lake, prepared to make an attack upon that place, with a large army.
The island upon which the hottest of this battle was fought, is now called Braddock's Island, (properly Bradstreet's,) and at low water the boys frequently pick up bullets among the stones, at the bottom of the river. The woods in the vicini- ty, long bore the marks of the deadly strife, and it has not been uncommon, until recently, to find bullets embedded in the trees. A single French soldier was left upon a small island, near the western shore, in the rapids called Braddock's (Bradstreet's) Rifts, who lay concealed for some weeks, until his friends had all left the country. He afterwards made it his abode for years, leading a solitary life. It still bears the name of " The Frenchman's Island."
In the vicinity of this affair, within the distance of two or three miles, on both sides of the river are found remains of ancient fortifications, the history of which is unknown. They generally consist of embankments with ditches, and many of them were overgrown with large timber.
About eighteen years since, Mr. Jacob Raynor dug up on his farm, at the west end of the Free Bridge, an exquisitely wrought ornament of gold, worth twenty dollars.
About forty years since, a large tree was cut near the white house, on the east side of the river, in which were found
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& large number of musket balls, and an old blaze which had evidently been the mark at which they were fired. There was no external appearance of a wound on the tree, and the blaze was overgrown by one hundred and twelve cor- tical layers. The party who made this their target, must have done so previous to the expedition of Count Frontenac against the Onondagas, in 1696. Perhaps Dupuys encamped here for a night, in 1656, or may be the original lords of the soil, at a period still earlier, here tested the respective merits of fire-arms, and bows and arrows.
Some eight or ten rods below the Oswego Falls, on the grounds of Mr. Timothy Pratt, on the east bank of the Oswego River, are the ruins of an old fort, which was probably erect- ed by order of Col. Bradstreet or Gen. Amherst, at the time Forts Stanwix and Brewerton were built, in 1758, for in a let- ter from Albany, dated 20th August, 1758, after describing Col. Bradstreet's force, and his meditated attack upon Fort Frontenac, he says, " The remaining troops at the great carry- ing place are employed in building a fort there." (See cut.)
BONE HILL.
PHILLIPSVILLE.
DAM, MILLS.
FALLS.
OSWEGO RIVER.
MILLS.
CANAL .
OLD FORTIFIC
ICATION . -
In 1759, a garrison of one hundred men was kept there. It was certainly a place of no ordinary importance, as all mil- itary stores had to pass that way ; were unloaded, and again re-shipped, after "running" the boats light over the falls.
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The necessity for a fort here was no doubt experienced long before one was built. The confusion usually attending these operations made it a point easily assailable, and frequent in- stances of attack and delay arc known to have occurred. Al- though there are no historical records of battles fought, and victories won upon this ground, yet the relics of arms, bullets and hatchets, often found in the vicinity, plainly show that the din of war and the clash of arms have been nounfrequent occurrence or school-boy's play, around the "Fort at the Falls." During the war of 1812, this point was made a de- pot for munitions of war and naval stores, for the forts at Oswego and Sackett's Harbor, and the fleet upon Lake On- tario. It was also frequently used as a ground for the encamp- ment of troops passing down to Oswego. The lower part or section of this fort nearest the river, has been cut off by the Oswego Canal. (See figure.) But the upper portion, although it has the appearance of having been plowed over, is in a tol- erable state of preservation. The bottom of the ditch is about four feet below the top of the embankment. In its construc- tion, the earth was probably thrown out on both sides alike, forming a high breast-work within the fort. The whole was probably surrounded by palisades. It was a regular octangu- lar work, of which both the exterior and interior angles were very acute. Some fifty rods below the fort was formerly a semi-circular enclosure, on the high bank of the river, about ten rods across, and the embankment three feet high, within the recollection of the carly settlers. This, without doubt, was a work of aboriginal origin, and has probably been the look-out ground for the red warrior in by-gone years, as his dingy foes crossed this fording place, or shot their light ca- noes over the rushing cascade. This locality was pointed out and explained to the author by Mr. Peter Skenck. Directly opposite to this semi-circular enclosure, is a place known as " Bone Hill." This is on the west bank of the river, between it and the highway. It was formerly some six rods in diame- ter at the base, and about forty feet high from the surface. By frequent plowings its height has been materially diminish-
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ed. On this hill there formerly stood two large chesnut trees about twenty feet apart. These were cut down at an early day, by Mr. Van Valkenburgh, one of the earliest settlers in that region. Mr. Skenek assisted in the digging up of one of these stumps, and beneath it were found multitudes of hu- man bones, some of which were perfect, others in an advanced stage of decay, showing that it had long been the resting place of the remains of the dead, and probably of those who had been slain in battle. Pieces and fragments of bones were formerly so plenty as to be seen in vast numbers from the road, covering the whole surface of the hill, and are frequent even at this late day, for we found scattered fragments of them strewed over the surface, in the fall of 1848, though crumbling and fast dissolving into their original elements. Mr. Skenek, who visited the place with the author, remarked, that in an arm bone of one that was disinterred, was found stick- ing a flint arrow-head, firm and immoveable. Arrow-heads of flint are still found in considerable numbers, about Fish Lake, a mile and a half west of Fulton. Six miles south of the Oswego Falls, on lots twenty-four and thirty-two, of the township of Lysander, now in the town of Granby, are two circular enclosures. One of these is not far from the Oswego and Syracuse Rail Road, on the State's hundred, of lot twenty- four. These were partially surveyed by Mr. Skenek several years ago, and were found to contain about two aeres each. They were nearly exaet eireles, a little elongated, and laid out with great regularity. The earth had been thrown inward to form an embankment, leaving a diteh some five feet below the top of the bank. A gateway was apparent on the east side of each. On both of these were found growing, heavy timber, oak, maple, pine, and other forest trees. One of these an- cient works has been eleared off, and the occupant has graced the embankment with a row of apple trees. These works, ae- cording to the opinions of our most experienced ethnologists and antiquarians, are of a race who occupied here prior to those who were in possession of the soil when the first white people came to inhabit this land. It is the simplest form of
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military architecture in use among the most ancient and rude inhabitants of our country.
We return to the interesting events of 1756. In this year, the Marquis Montcalm succeeded Baron Dieskau, in the com- mand of the military force of the French in Canada. Hc was an experienced and energetic officer, no way inferior to his distinguished but unfortunate predecessor. The first thing which attracted his observing and experienced mind, was the important English post at Oswego. He at once resolved upon its reduction, before the English should have time to consum- ate their designs upon Niagara.
In the month of June, M. Montcalm with an army of five thousand men, crossed the lake from Fort Frontenac. The party which attacked Col. Bradstreet, on the 3d of July, was a detatchment from the army of Montcalm, which was already upon this side of the lake. The Colonial authorities at Alba- ny, upon being informed of the approach of this formidable force towards Oswego, ordered Gen. Webb to re-enforce the garrison with one regiment, but the difficulties attending the collection of necessaries, and the transporting of troops in an uninhabited wilderness, delayed the detachment until the post had fallen, the tidings of which met Gen. Webb at Wood Creek. After obstructing the navigation of that stream, by felling trees into it, to prevent the French from advancing by that route with their boats, should they conclude to follow up the success and make a descent upon the inhabitants at Schen- ectady and Albany, he retraced his steps to the place of his departure.
M. Montcalm landed his artillery and stores, at the Bay of Nixouri, (probably Henderson,) and his first important step, was to block up the river with two large armed vessels, and post a strong body of Canadians on the road leading from Al- bany to Oswego, within half a league of Oswego. He erected a battery for the protection of his vessels ; and on the 12th of August, at midnight, after his dispositions had been made, he opened his trenches before Fort Ontario.
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The following account of the seige and surrender of Os- wego, is from the London Magazine, for 1757 :
" The works at Oswego, consisted at this time of three forts, viz : The old fort on the west side of the river, and two forts on the east side, situated on two eminences, which latter were commenced the year previous, and were in an unfinished state. These works were very weak, and the walls of in- sufficient strength to resist heavy artillery. The English relied for defense, upon having a superior naval force upon the lake. Unfortunately, the naval armament, at that time fitting out, was incomplete. On the 6th of August, Col. Mercer, commanding officer of the garrison, which consisted of about one thousand six hundred men, having received in- telligence of a large encampment of French and Indians about twelve miles distant, dispatched a schooner with an ac- count of it to Capt. Broadley, who was then on a cruise with a large Brigantine and two sloops, at the same time desiring him to sail as far eastward as he could, and to endeavor to prevent the approach of the French on the lake. The next day, a violent gale of wind, drove the brigantine ashore, while attempting to get into harbor. The French seized this oppor- tunity to transport their heavy cannon within a mile and a half of the fort, which they would not have been enabled to do, had it not been for this disaster. On the morning of the eleventh, some eanoes were seen to the eastward, and the schooner was sent out to make a discovery of what they were. She was scarce half a mile distant, before she hoisted a jaek at mast head, fired a gun to leeward, and stood in again for the harbor, and brought intelligence that they had discovered a very large encampment elose around the opposite point, on which the two sloops (the large brigantine being still on shore) were sent out with orders, if possible, to annoy the enemy. They proceeded to within gun shot of the enemy's camp, when they were fired upon from a battery of four twelve pounders. This fire was briskly returned from both vessels, but to no purpose, as their shot fell short of the shore, and the enemy's cannon being large and well managed, hulled the vessels at
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almost every shot. After firing several broadsides, the ves- sels returned.
The same day the French invested the place with about thirty-two pieces of cannon, from twelve to eighteen pounders, besides several brass mortars and hoyets, (among which ar- tillery was included that taken from General Braddock) and about five thousand men. About noon they began the attack of Fort Ontario with small arms, which was briskly returned with small arms and eight cannon from the fort, and shell from the opposite side of the river. The garrison on the west side of the river was this day employed in repairing the bat- tery on the south side of the old fort. That night the enemy were engaged in approaching Fort Ontario and bringing up their cannon against it. On the 12th, the enemy renewed their fire of small arms on Fort Ontario, which was briskly returned. The garrison on the west side were employed as on the day previous.
The French on the east side continued their approaches to Fort Ontario, notwithstanding the continued fire upon the enemy and the death of their chief engineer ; by ten o'clock next morning they opened a battery of cannon within sixty yards of the fort.
At twelve o'clock, Col. Mercer sent the garrison word to destroy their cannon, ammunition and provisions, and to evacuate the fort. About three P. M., the garrison consist- ing of about three hundred and seventy men, effected their retreat to the west side of the river without the loss of a man, and were employed on the night of the 12th in completing the works at the fort on the west hill. About four miles and a half up the river was Fort George, the defense of which had been committed to Col. Schuyler on the abandonment of the first fort by Col. Mercer. About three hundred and seventy of his men had joined Col. Schuyler, with the intention of hav- ing an intercourse between his fort and that to which their own commander retreated ; but a body of two thousand five hundred Canadians and Indians, crossed the river in the night of the 13th and 14th, and cut off that communica-
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tion On this night as well as on the night before, par- ties of the enemy's regulars made several attempts to sur- prise the advanced guards and sentries on the west side of the river. On the night of the 13th the enemy were em- ployed on the east side in bringing up their cannon and rais- ing a battery against the old fort. A constant fire was kept upon them from the west side. The cannon which most annoyed the enemy, were pieces which were reversed on the platform of an earthen work which surrounded the old fort, and which was entirely enfiladed by the enemy's bat- tery on the opposite shore. In this situation, without the least cover, the train assisted by a detachment of fifty of Shir- ley's regiment behaved remarkably well. At daybreak the 14th, the English renewed the fire of their cannon on that part of the shore where they had the evening previous ob- served the enemy crecting a battery. This was returned from a battery of ten twelve pounders. About nine A. M., twenty- five hundred of the enemy crossed the river in three columns. Col. Mercer who had been very careful to observe the move- ments of the French, ordered Col. Schuyler with five hundred men to dispute the passage of the river, but had scarcely de- livered these orders, when going into the fort to give some others equally necessary, he was killed by a cannon shot. Upon this, Col. Scuyler was ordered back.
About ten o'clock the enemy had in readiness a battery of mortars. All the places of defense were either enfiladed or ruined by the constant fire of the enemy's cannon. Twenty- five hundred French and Indians were in rear of the works ready to storm, and two thousand regulars were ready to land in front under cover of their cannon. At this juncture, Col. Littlehales upon whom the command now devolved, called a council of war, who were, with the engineers, unanimously of opinion, that the works were no longer tenable, and that it was by no means prudent to risk a storm with such unequal numbers. The " Chamade" was accordingly ordered to be beat. The soldiers throughout the seige showed great bra- very, and it was with difficulty that they could now be re-
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