USA > New York > Erie County > Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1) > Part 27
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Schlosser and the Tuscarora village shared the fate of Lewiston, and the insatiate enemy was ready for further deeds of devastation. Along the river as far as Tonawanda everything of value was destroyed, and at Tonawanda the guard house was burned, with the few other build- ings, excepting only one. In that was Mrs. Francis, who was ill in bed. Three times her dwelling was fired and each time she struggled from her couch and extinguished the flames. Riall and his followers returned to Lewiston, crossed over to Queenston and on the morning of the 28th appeared at Chippewa under command of Lieutenant- General Drummond.
When General Hall took the command from McClure at Batavia he promptly sent westward all the troops he could raise, proceeded in person to Buffalo on the 25th and left McClure to forward reinforce- ments. After a review of his forces on the 27th Hall reported the numbers under his command as follows: Lieutenant-Colonel Bough- ton's mounted volunteers numbering 129; 433 exempts and volunteers, under Lieutenant-Colonel Blakeslie, of Ontario; 136 Buffalo militia, under Major Adams. These were all at Buffalo, while at Black Rock were 382 effective men under Brigadier General Hopkins, composed of corps commanded by Lieutenant-Colonels Warren and Churchill, ex- clusive of a body of thirty seven mounted infantry under Captain Ran- som; eighty three Indians, under Lieutenant-Colonel Granger; twenty-
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five artillerymen with a six-pounder, under Lieutenant Seeley.1 On the 27th a body of about 300 Chautauqua troops arrived under com- mand of Lieutenant-Colonel McMahan. This makes a total of about 2,000 effective troops. Churchill's command at Black Rock was com- posed of Genesee county men, while the remainder of the main body there under Churchill were from the northern towns of Erie county, with Hill's detachment from Clarence. The Buffalo militia (properly constituting a part of Hill's command), acted under Chapin in the near- by operations. There were seven cannon at Buffalo and Black Rock, besides Seeley's field piece, but none of them was mounted. A part were in battery on the hill overlooking Black Rock, where were sta- tioned Major Dudley and a part of Warren's troops. The remainder of the guns were with Churchill's men in Black Rock village. Warren and Churchill had about 150 men each, and Dudley about 100. Capt. John G. Camp was acting as quartermaster-general of the entire force.
On the 27th General Hall received information leading him to antici- pate the immediate crossing of the river by the enemy. Excitement in Buffalo and Black Rock was intense; but the comparatively strong force at hand gave the people confidence that a successful defense would be made. Patrols and sentinels were posted and the troops. were held in readiness for prompt action. The 28th passed in ominous quiet. Noth- ing unusual occurred during the day of the 28th, excepting the arrival of the Chautauqua troops above mentioned. About midnight of that day a body of the enemy under Riall crossed and landed a little below Scajaquada Creek. The night was extremely dark and the strength of the invaders could not be determined, but was believed to be about 1,000. The horse patrol near the creek discovered the enemy, was fired at and retreated with the exciting news to Warren and Churchill and to Hall at Buffalo. The latter misapprehended the situation, be- lieving the enemy's movement was a feint to draw attention from Buffalo, while a large body could cross to that village; he, there- fore, merely sent out scouts to reconnoiter. General Hopkins was ab- sent from Black Rock on business, but Warren and Churchill ordered out their men, held a consultation and decided to endeavor to reach Scajaquada Creek ahead of the invaders and hold the position. Warren took the advance, and when half the distance had been covered, sent scouts ahead. Firing was soon heard in the direction of the creek and
1 Hall's report of January 6, 1814.
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the scouts did not return; both had been captured. At this time Cap- tain Millard (afterwards General Millard of Lockport), aid to General Hall, galloped past, reached the bridge over the creek, where he also was welcomed with a shower of bullets and captured.
In the mean time the British had taken possession of the so-called Sailor's battery near the bridge and of the bridge itself, giving them a strong position. Warren and Churchill now determined to post their forces at a small stream a little below Black Rock and there make a deter- mined stand. Marching to that point they placed their cannon in the road with their troops on either side and waited. About an hour later Colonel Chapin arrived there with a body of men from Captain Bull's company, most of whom were mounted. He delivered General Hall's order for an immediate attack on the enemy and cursed the two colonels in his usual vigorous style because they had not already driven off the British. Chapin's men then took the lead, Warren followed, with Churchill in the rear. The advance proceeded nearly to the creek, while the silence was unbroken and no enemy appeared. Suddenly a blinding flash burst almost in the faces of the undisciplined cavalry, a rattle of musketry rang through the woods, and Chapin's men broke and fled. Rushing back through Warren's ranks they, too, scattered into the forest or retreated towards Buffalo. Warren did his best to rally the panic stricken men at the main battery, but without success. Churchill and a part of his force remained below the village.
The news of this repulse was carried to General Hall, who at once ordered Major Adams and his militia, and Colonel Chapin with such troops as he could gather, to march against the enemy. It is not known that they ever got within range of the British, A little later Hall or- dered Blakeslie forward with his militia.' Upon his departure Hall as- sembled his remaining forces, of which the Chautauqua county troops constituted the larger part, and marched down what is now Niagara street on his way to the scene of conflict. Nearing Black Rock he saw, in the light of early dawn, the enemy's boats crossing the river, some towards the Porter residence and a few opposite the main battery. The boats bore the Royal Scots, 700 or 800 strong,' under Colonel Gordon, Our artillery in the battery opened on the flotilla and as the boats ap-
1 It is clear that Hall made fatal mistakes in thus sending small detachments against the en- emy, when he was in command of a sufficient force to have crushed the British, had he moved it forward in a body.
" Some estimates make this number no more than 400 or 500.
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proached the landing they were met by volleys from Blakeslie's men. The British now attempted to flank the American right, which purpose was defeated by Hall, who threw Granger and his Indians, and Mallory with his Canadians against the enemy's left. At the same time Blakes- lie continued to hold the center, while McMahan and the Chautauqua troops were posted in reserve at the battery of Fort Tompkins, where Lieutenant Seeley was in command. Blakeslie's men were pressed slowly backward, and a sharp cannonade was kept up from both sides of the river. The Indians and Canadians soon broke under the fire of the British, and the Chautauqua corps was ordered up. They, too, could not face the fire and fled. General Hall now saw his com- mand in confusion, greatly depleted in numbers and in great peril. He tried bravely to rally the distracted troops, but in vain, and to save the remainder from capture he was compelled to sound a retreat, in the hope of making a stand at Buffalo. Major Dudley had already been killed. There were not more than 500 or 600 troops to maintain a sem- blance of order in the retreat.
The hope of making a stand at Buffalo was wholly illusory. The retreat quickly degenerated into a rout. Chapin's men fell back towards Buffalo up Niagara street; others reached the Williamsville road and hurried on towards that village, while many fled directly into the forest and sought safety in hiding. There were, of course, many brave officers and men among these routed Americans; but all effort on the part of the former to control the flying squads was unavailing. Some of the more courageous fought to the last and gave up the strug- gle only to save themselves from capture.1
During the early part of this struggle there was comparative quiet in Buffalo village. Most of the adult male population had gone down towards Black Rock. Some of the more timid women had packed their most valuable possessions and all were waiting in fear and anxiety. Soon their worst anticipations were realized and the streets were filled with fleeing men. Among them were the residents of the village who had been in Hull's and Bull's companies, hurrying homeward to care for
1 The first meeting of two gentlemen, both subsequently presiding judges of the Erie County Common Pleas, was at the battle of Black Rock. Samuel Wilkeson, then in the ranks of the Chau- tauqua county regiment, was loading and discharging his musket as rapidly as possible, when he noticed a small quiet man near by, who, he said, was firing faster than he was. Presently the stranger looked around and exclaimed: " Why, we are all alone." Wilkeson also cast his eyes about him, and sure enough all but a very few were rapidly retreating. The person whose ac- quaintance he thus made was Ebenezer Walden .- Crisfield Johnson's History of Erie County.
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their families, and carrying thither appalling reports of defeat and the oncoming of the infuriated British and blood-thirsty Indians. Univer- sal panic seized the whole community. Flight, immediate and swift, was the ruling object of every individual and self-preservation the motive. Every conveyance in the place was at once employed, into which were hastily tumbled household goods as well as living freight, and driven off at top speed. Those who could not obtain a vehicle of any description took their lighter valuables, if they possessed any such, and perforce hastened away on foot. Some were on horseback, fre- quently a man with a child in front and a woman behind on the same horse. In the mad scramble to escape the expected bloody onslaught of the Indians, members of families were separated, to be reunited only after the lapse of weeks. The ever present human selfishness ruled in many instances, causing great suffering to deserted ones; but, on the other hand, there were many noble and unselfish deeds per- formed, the record of which dispels much of the gloom of the story.' Some of the fugitives took the old Batavia road; some the Cayuga Creek road; a few fled to the Indian village, but a larger number crossed the Buffalo Creek ferry and fled up the lake shore into Ham- burg. When Dr. Chapin left the village in the morning, he told his two daughters, eleven and nine years old respectively, to go to his farm in Hamburg, ten miles distant, with Hiram Pratt, then thirteen years old, as their only escort. Starting out in the snow they came to the Pratt homestead where the lad persuaded his sister Mary, eleven years old, to accompany them. At Smoke's Creek a wagon containing other members of the Pratt family overtook them and Mary was taken into the vehicle. The other three would not accept a ride, and they trudged along the whole distance on foot.
All the time the panic was increasing. While a crowd of teams and people were flying up Main street ahead of the oft-repeated cry, " The Indians are coming," suddenly the head of the procession halted and fell back in confusion upon their followers. They had met the same alarming cry in advance-"The Indians were coming up the Guide-
1 It is true there were many examples of self-abnegation and sacrifice for the benefit of others; one well authenticated instance deserves to be recorded. On the morning of the flight of the in- habitants from their burning dwellings, a farmer from one of the south towns, on his way to Buffalo with a load of cheese for market, met the retreating mass of women and children on the beach of the lake, a short distance out of town. He immediately threw his cheese out upon the ground, abandoned it, and loaded his wagon with the most helpless of the women and children, and helped them on their flight. Ketcham's Buffalo and the Senecas, Vol. II, p. 303.
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board road " (North street); or, "they were out at Hodge's." Back down Main street rolled the hapless tide, turned into Seneca street, and onward, some to the Indian village or to Willink ; some to Pratt's ferry, where James Johnson carried across nineteen loads and then himself joined the fugitives.
It was well that the people turned back down Main street, for the Indians were indeed on the Guide-board road. It was there that Job Hoysington, a Buffalo pioneer of 1810, a celebrated hunter and marks- man, who had already done good service in the war, exclaimed to his fleeing comrades that he would have one more shot at the oncoming redskins. He halted to accomplish his heroic purpose, emptied his rifle at least once, received a bullet in his brain and was scalped. His body was found when the snow disappeared in the spring. In his ab- sence his wife awaited his return in their home, corner of Main and Utica streets, but at last started away on foot with her two children. She was soon overtaken by two cavalrymen, who each took a little one on their horses. Long afterwards she found one of her children in Clarence and the other in Genesee county. Near where North street now crosses Delaware avenue, Alfred Hodge made a narrow escape by hiding behind a log, while a few of the Indians passed by almost with- in reach of his hand. These and other Indians fired several shots at the fugitives on Main street, wounding one or two and causing the sudden change of course before described.
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William Hodge, sr., did not believe Buffalo would be attacked, but was finally forced to a change of mind. When, from his " brick tavern on the hill," he saw the militia hurrying past, he told his hired man to yoke his oxen while he made preparations inside of the house for de- parture. No oxen appearing, he made an investigation only to find that the hired man's anxiety to get away was greater than his own and he had fled. Mr. Hodge induced the driver of an army wagon to take aboard his family with some bedding and provisions, and they were carried away. He then yoked his oxen, loaded his cart with other goods and followed.
It was at about this time in the rapid sequence of events that Colonel Chapin made a futile attempt at negotiations with the enemy on his retreat towards Buffalo. When Chapin arrived at the junction of Main and Niagara streets he found a squad of men with a small cannon mounted on wagon wheels. After firing it at the enemy a few times, it was disabled and Chapin tied a handkerchief on a stick and advanced
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to meet the enemy, hoping to negotiate a capitulation. Chapin claimed in his report that he only sought to delay the foe, while the people could escape. In any event little attention was paid to his effort and after a brief delay the British swept on to the village.
Meanwhile important occurrences were taking place at other points. About the time Chapin's cannon was dismounted a party of retreating American soldiers reached Pomeroy's hotel, corner of Main and Seneca streets. They were hungry and when they begged for food of the landlord, he told them to go into the kitchen and help themselves from his store of bread. The street was soon filled with soldiers bearing a gun in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other. At this juncture they were badly frightened at seeing a long file of Indians running down Washington street; but the alarm was needless, for the Indians kept straight on to the Little Buffalo, probably acting under orders.
Gamaliel St. John, whose sad drowning has been noticed, had built a new hotel on Main street about opposite the site of the present Tifft House. His widow had leased the house, though it was not yet occu- pied by the lessee, and moved into a small dwelling just north of it, which was part of her late husband's estate. Directly opposite was the dwelling of Asaph S. Bemis, who had married one of Mrs. St. John's daughters. Near by was the house of Joshua Lovejoy, who was absent. As the enemy approached, Mrs. Lovejoy sent her little son (the late Henry Lovejoy) into the woods for safety, she remaining in the house. Mrs. St. John, who was one of those who had doubted that the British would attack the village, also remained at home. Mr. Bemis, who had been ill, hitched up his team for the purpose of taking his wife out of danger. Mrs. St. John requested him to take her six younger children with him, while she and two older daughters would remain and pack her goods. Mr. Bemis did so, intending to take his first load a mile or two out, and then return for the other three women and their trunks. Before this arrangement could be effected the ene- my was in the town. The Indians reached Main street first, while the troops were drawn up near the corner of Mohawk and Main streets, where Samuel Edsall had his tannery. A dozen Indians came on yell- ing towards Mrs. St. John's house. Although she held aloft a white flag, they burst in and began plundering the trunks which were packed for removal. One of the Indians took no part in this vandalism, and the women noticed that he spoke English. In reply to their inquiries as to what would be done with them, he said they would not be hurt,
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but would be taken by the squaws to the colonel in command. They were pleased with this prospect and were taken down Mohawk street to the corner of Niagara, where troops were stationed. Mrs. St. John explained her circumstances to the officer and begged his protection. He asked her if she wished to be sent to Canada, and she replied in the negative, but implored him to save her house. After momentary hesi- tation he assented and detailed two soldiers to accompany the women home and protect them and the hotel from harm.' At the same time Mrs. Lovejoy had become involved in an altercation with an Indian over a shawl. Mrs. St. John besought her to give it to him and come into her cottage for safety, but she declined to do so. Only a little later other Indians came to plunder and burn Mrs. Love- joy's dwelling, but she placed herself in the doorway and resisted them. Suddenly a savage drew a knife and plunged it into her breast. Her body was dragged into the yard where it lay for hours on the snow.'
While these incidents were taking place the torch was applied to the buildings on Main and Seneca streets, and the flames were lurid in the heavens. Among the structures early fired was Dr. Johnson's dwell- ing, from which he was absent. His wife waited until it was in flames before she fled. Hitching their horse to a sled, into which she placed a bed and some other articles, she started away with her infant daugh- ter (who subsequently became the wife of Dr. John C. Lord) for Wil- liamsville.
At about this time, and in the middle of the forenoon, Lieutenant Riddle, of the United States army, marched down Main street with forty convalescents from the hospital at Williamsville, and a six- pounder cannon ; his purpose was to drive the British out of Buffalo! He was met by Ebenezer Walden, who soon convinced him of the hopelessness of his undertaking, and he retired.
The hungry flames rapidly devoured the wooden buildings of the village and most of them were soon in ashes. The houses of Judge Walden and Dr. Chapin were spared that day, as also was the little home before which lay the corpse of Mrs. Lovejoy. Chapin and Wal-
' One of the daughters of Mrs. St. John married Samuel Wilkeson ; another Dr. Foote ; another, Jonathan Sidway, and another, Asaph S. Bemis, father of E. S. and A. S. Bemis, of Buffalo.
? The British officer excused this piece of barbarity on the ground that she resisted those who entered her house, where she remained after her family and friends had fled, and that the responsi- bility for her death rested upon herself, owing to her indiscretion and desperation. Mr. Lovejoy died in New York in 1824. Henry Lovejoy, the well known surveyor of Buffalo, was his son .- Ketcham's Buffalo and the Senecas, Vol. II. p. 226.
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den were both taken prisoners and the former was detained more than a year; Judge Walden escaped before leaving the village. By the middle of the afternoon all of Buffalo, save six or eight buildings, was a smouldering ruin. The few houses that had been left at Black Rock, with the exception of one log cabin, were then burned and the enemy retired across the river, taking with them about ninety prisoners, forty of whom were from Blakeslie's troops. More than forty were killed, stripped of their clothing, and their mutilated bodies left stark upon the snow. Most of them had been scalped. The Ariel, Little Belt, Chippewa and Trippe, vessels lying at Black Rock, were burned. Among the slain Americans the highest officer was Lieutenant-Colonel Boughton, of Avon. Others were Job Hoysington, John Roop, Sam- uel Holmes, John Trisket, James Nesbit, Robert Franklin (colored), and a.Mr. Myers, of Buffalo, were killed; Robert Hilland, Adam Law- fer, of Black Rock; Jacob Vantine, jr., of Clarence; Moses Fenno, of Alden; Israel Reed, of Aurora; Newman Baker, Parley Moffat and William Cheeseman, of Hamburg and East Hamburg; Maj. William C. Dudley, and probably Peter Hoffman, of Evans, and Calvin Cary, of Boston. This is according to the present division of the towns. Moses Fenno we have already noticed as the first pioneer of Alden. Calvin Cary was the oldest son of Deacon Richard Cary, the pioneer of Boston ; he was a man of gigantic stature and sold his life dearly, after killing two out of three Indians by whom he was attacked.
The enemy lost about thirty killed and sixty wounded; not an officer was among their killed and only two were wounded. The enemy's forces numbered, according to official reports, about 1,000 men and nearly 200 Indians. Had the 2,000 Americans been under good disci- pline and commanded by thoroughly efficient officers in all cases, there is little doubt that the foe might have been driven back across the river and held at bay, at least for a time, and much loss and suffering averted. When General Hall reached Williamsville he rallied a few hundred fugitives and called in reinforcements, but there was no more fighting.
No pen can picture the scenes and incidents of that memorable 30th of December along the Williamsville, the Hamburg and the Big Tree roads; much of the details must be left to the imagination. On through Clarence and Williamsville hurried and crowded and jostled a motley and indiscriminate mob of militia, citizens, sleighs, ox sleds, wagons, carts, horsemen and horsewomen, children and infants, every one of
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the human individuals apparently inspired with but one purpose-to get as far as possible from Buffalo and Black Rock and in the briefest time.' The news of the disaster flew faster than the body of the fugitives, though just how no one can tell. Every repetition of the story of the attack increased its picturesque exaggeration. Militia, citizens and Indians all seemed to desire to magnify the tale, possibly that their own flight might seem justifiable. The fleeing fugitives found dwellings as far away as Aurora, Wales and Newstead fully furnished but deserted; there was no hesitation in entering them and setting up housekeeping until the return of those who had prior rights. Humorous scenes and incidents were intermingled with the tragic and pathetic; it is always thus when panic seizes a body of men and women. One of these incidents is related of a Clarence family in which were several small children. When they were ready for flight all were loaded into a sleigh with goods and provisions. The dis- tracted father then took the reins and drove away at top speed. After going several miles the astonishing discovery was made that one of the children had been lost out of the rear of the sleigh. It was afterwards found uninjured.
Quiet reigned over the ruins of Buffalo and Black Rock on the bleak 31st of December; nothing occurred to disturb the wintry silence of the dreary scene. Eager curiosity took many citizens from surround- ing towns who mingled with the few remaining at Buffalo to gaze upon the dismal ruins and talk of the events of the preceding day and the future prospect. On the 1st of January, when the hearts of the settlers should have been cheered with gladness at the opening of the new year, a body of the enemy suddenly appeared amid the ashes of Buffalo, captured a number of prisoners and fired the remaining build- ings, with the exception of the jail, which withstood their efforts, Reese's blacksmith shop and Mrs. St. John's cottage. That persistent woman made another appeal to the British officer to spare the large
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