USA > New York > Jefferson County > Our county and its people. A descriptive work on Jefferson County, New York > Part 12
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Between the middle of May and the early part of June many strong de- tachments of troops and sailors arrived at the harbor, for now the war de- partment had determined on an aggressive campaign against the British, hoping to end the war during the year. The village was the scene of many operations, and in a very short time the American navy was in fit condition to contest on equal footing with the enemy for supremacy on the lake. On June 11 the Mohawk, a 14 gun frigate, was launched. having been built by Henry Eckford in thirty three days. The British, however, were watchful of all that was being done on this side and for several days maintained a blockade out from the harbor. On the 19th Lieut. Gregory, with sailingmasters Vaugh and Dixon, captured the British ship Black Snake, one gun and IS prisoners, but in making their way back were met by one of the enemy's powerful gunboats, and were compelled to scuttle and sink the prize, but escaped to Grenadier Island
1 " Such was the industry displayed in this labor that on Thursday there remained nothing but one large cable, which it was found extremely difficult to load on any vehicle, as it could not be divided, and a sufficient number of teams could not be advantageously attached to it. In this dilemma the idea was suggested of bearing it upon the shoulders of the men, and the proposal was cheerfully adopted by the citizens, who had assembled to assist in these operations, They were accordingly arranged in the order of their stature, and at the word of command shouldered the ponderons cable, and took up their line of march for Sackets Harbor, about 20 miles distant. being as near together as they could conveniently walk. This novel procession passed by way of Ellis village and Smithville, and on the second day reached the harbor. As they approached the town the sailors came out to meet them, and with lond cheers relieved them of their burden, and marched triumphantly into the village.' (Hough).
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with the prisoners, from whence the daring Americans made a safe re- turn to the harbor. For this service the men were awarded $3,000 by congress. These minor expeditions were very annoying to the British and kept up until all the preparations for a general movement were completed. The enemy, however, succeeded in capturing the brothers Shoemaker and Mr. Graham, who were sailing a small boat from Oswego to Sackets Harbor on August 9.
On July 31 the American fleet sailed for the Niagara country to co- operate with the army assembled there. On September 16, four thou- sand troops under command of Gen. Izard arrived at Sackets Harbor, and on the 21st, 3,000 of them embarked for Niagara. This left a small defensive force in this region, consisting of Col. Mitchell's artillery, and two battalions of infantry, under Majors Malcom and Brevoort. Gen. Brown was soon appointed to command and was ordered by the governor to assemble there the entire militia of Oneida, Herkimer, Jefferson and Lewis counties, once more to assist in guarding the fron- tier. They soon began to arrive and when all were in, to the number of almost 3,000 men, there was no fit accommodations for quarters. The work of building two large ships of war was at once begun, the proposed names for which were New Orleans and Chippewa, but soon after their keels were laid there came the welcome news of peace.
Other than as furnished in this chapter, a detail of the general events of the war of 1812-15 is not needed in this plan. The results of the struggle against renewed oppression were written in the conflicts on Lake Erie, the repulse of the invaders on the Delaware, the painful and humiliating scenes on the Chesapeake, the invasion of New York and the attempt to control the Hudson and St. Lawrence rivers and Lake Champlain. The story is also told in the brilliant victories at Platts- burg and Niagara, the battles at Black Rock, Lundy's Lane, Sackets Harbor and Sandy Creek, closing with the glorious defense at New Orleans. Above all were the masterly exploits of our navy, whose victories over the British cruisers gave the enemy the most serious view of American prowess. Peace, however, came at last, and the treaty was ratified February 15, 1815.
The agreement made at Washington in April, 181;, between the sec retary of state and the British minister provided that only one armed vessel, of not more than 100 tons burden, and armed with one eighteen pound cannon, should be maintained on Lakes Ontario and Champlain ; and President Monroe's proclamation of April 28, 1815, promulgated
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the agreement. In the meantime, until the treaty went into effect, the Lady of the Lake, 3 guns, and the Jones, 18 guns, were on constant duty, while the Pike, Jefferson, Mohawk, Madison, Superior and Sylph were out of commission soon after peace was declared. They were protected for a time with roofs over the deck, but as years passed all were more or less decayed and some of them were sunk. On March 3, 1834, by order of the war department, all vessels on Lakes Erie and Ontario, except the New Orleans and Chippewa, were sold. Of these famous old vessels the New Orleans was preserved until about 1880, and then dismantled, while the Chippewa was eventually sold for the value of the iron used in her construction.
CHAPTER XI.
Sackets Harbor as a Military Station-Madison Barracks-The Naval Station and Customs District.
The history of Madison Barracks1 and Sackets Harbor have been so closely interwoven ever since the memorable war of 1812 that an at- tempt to separate one from the other for the purposes of a general narrative seems like taking away that which naturally and necessarily belongs to both. Indeed, in a great measure, the history of one has been a part of the record of the other, yet in the present chapter the writer proposes to furnish a concise narrative of events of Sackets Har- bor and Madison barracks as a military station, dating from the time the first contingent of troops were sent to the village in 1808 to enforce obedience to the provisions of the embargo laws which congress had passed December 22, 1807. While both the state and general govern- ments frequently dispatched troops for service on the frontier, occupy- ing Sackets Harbor and its immediate vicinity as headquarters for operations, it was not until 1813 that New York ceded to the United States any part of the territory for a permanent military station. In deed, it was not until about the close of the war of 1812-15 that the
1 The data for the portion of this chapter which relates to Madison barracks was obtained from the " Medical history of the post." a faithful and accurate ricord prepared by Surgeon Edward P. Vollum and preserved in the barracks' hospital : also from the manuscript of an his- torical address by Col. Walter B. Camp, of Sackets Harbor
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national government recognized the value of this special locality as a strategie point for the maintenance of an armed force. The events which preceded this time are furnished in detail in another chapter, therefore may be referred to very briefly in this connection.
After the passage of the embargo aet Oswego was for a time regarded as the principal point of operations on the northern border of the state, and in the summer of 1808 Lieut. Melanethon T. Woolsey was sent there to superintend the construction of the brig Oneida, which was launched early in the next year. She was built by Christopher Berge and Henry Eckford, and was pierced for sixteen guns. In 1808 a com. pany of infantry under Capt. Bennet, and a detachment of artillery under Lieut. Cross, were stationed at Sackets Harbor to enforce the embargo laws, and from that time the village became the scene of con- tinuous military operations, and also one of the most important points in the United States, although both federal and state authorities were slow to appreciate the fact. In May, 1812, Col. Bellinger was ordered to the Harbor for the ostensible purpose of preventing infractions of the embargo act, but in reality to protect the frontier in the event of war, which then seemed imminent.
On June 18, 1812, war was declared between the United States and Great Britain, upon which Gov. Tompkins at once ordered Brig. Gen. Jacob Brown, commanding the Lewis, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties militia, to arm his men and guard the frontier from Ogdens- burgh to St. Regis. This was done, and soon afterward Gen. Brown, as well as the officers who succeeded him, both of the army and navy, made Sackets Harbor their general rendezvous and headquarters. How- ever, a further detail of events of the period is made at the hazard of repetition, and a brief chronological list of those events must suffice as an introductory to the essential portion of the chapter.
1812, May-The Lord Nelson, a British schooner, was taken and condemned for violating the revenue laws. She was afterward named " Scourge."
" June 14-Schooner Ontario taken, and discharged.
" July 19-Attack on Sackets Harbor by five British war vessels, without injury to the Americans, but considerable loss to the enemy.
" July 30 -- Capt. Benjamin Forsyth arrived with troops from the regular army.
July 31 -- The Julia sailed for Ogdensburgh and encountered two British vessels at Morristown.
" Aug. 30 Col. Bellinger's regiment discharged without being paid.
" Sept. 20 -- Capt. Forsyth started upon an expedition against Gananoque.
" Sept. 21-Gen. Dodge arrived and ordered Gen. Brown to Ogdensburgh.
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1819, Oet .- Gov. Tompkins arrived at the harbor.
" Oct. 6 Com. Chauncey arrived to assume command of the naval force on the lake.
" Oct. 12 -- Capt. Forsyth's company ordered to Ogensburgh.
Nov. 8-14 -- Channecy eruised upon the lake and took several British vessels.
" Nov. 26-Ship Madison launched; built in 15 days. Fort Tompkins and bar- racks were completed about the same time.
1813. Feb. - Col. Pike with 400 troops ordered to the harbor.
" Feb. 22 .Capt. Forsyth driven from Ogdensburgh, returns to the harbor.
.. March-Gen. Dearborn arrived to command American army on frontier.
" April 7 Brig Jefferson launched.
April 10-Brig Jones launched.
April 19 The Growler sailed out to reconnoiter.
.. April 22 -- Gen. Pike's force embark for York (Toronto).
" April 25 -- Expedition sailed.
" May 13 -- Expedition returned laden with spoils of vietory, and the remains of Gen. Pike and Capt. Nicholson, who were buried at the harbor.
" May 29 -Sackets Harbor attacked by the British, who were repulsed with the loss of 150 men. The Americans lost a large quantity of military stores, including the spoils of York, through the burning of the store- house.
June 1-Com. Chauncey returned with the fleet.
June 12-Ship Pike launched, 31 guns.
June 11 Lieut. Walcott Chauncey went on a cruise and captured a schooner laden with provisions and arms.
" July 2- Maj .- Gen. Morgan Lewis arrived and took command.
July 3-A secret expedition of the British to burn the Pike was defeated.
" July 8-Maj -Gen. James Wilkinson succeeded Gen. Dearborn.
" July 11- - The Neptune and Fox sailed down the river on a privateering cruise, and captured the gunboat Spitfire, 15 bateaux loaded with provisions and 69 prisoners.
" Ang. 20 -- Com. Channevy, with the Pike, sailed for Niagara: the Sylph, built in 33 days, accompanied him.
" Aug. 26 .- Gen. Wilkinson and other officers hold a council of war to decide upon a plan of action.
" Sept. 5 .- Gen. Armstrong, secretary of war, arrives at Sackets Harbor.
" Oct. 26 .- Gen. Wilkinson sailed on an expedition down the St. Lawrence, with disastrous results.
" Nov. 25 .- The Pike and other armed vessels sailed on a cruise among the Thousand islands
" Nov. 25 .- Com. Chauncey sailed for the head of lake Ontario and returned to the harbor with Gen. Harrison and his army.
" December, and January 1814 -The winter was spent in ship building and strengthening the fortifications.
1814. April 21. - The Lady of the Lake sails out for a cruise.
" May 1. - The frigate Superior, 66 guns, launched in So days from the time her keel was laid.
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1×14, June 15 .- The crew of the ship Congress begin to arrive at the harbor.
" June 15 .- Expedition under Lieut. Gregory sailed down the St. Lawrence, and on the 10th captured the gunboat Blacksnake; for which service Con- gress awarded Gregory $3,000.
" June 26 .- Another expedition under Gregory sailed and in a few days burned a British vessel on the stocks, and a quantity of stores, near Prescott.
.. July 31 .- The American fleet sailed for Niagara.
" Sept. 16 .- Gen. Izard, with 1,000 troops, arrived at the harbor.
" Sept. 30 .- A gig of the Superior captured several boats laden with supplies for Kingston.
" Oct. 5 .- Col. Washington Irving, of the governor's military staff, visited the harbor.
Oct. 5 .- Great alarm felt for the safety of Sackets Harbor, and orders issued for the immediate assembling of Gen. Brown's militia.
" Oct. 5 .- Work begun on the New Orleans, at Navy Point, and the Chippewa at Storrs' Harbor.
In April, 1817. Richard Rush, secretary of state, and Charles Bagot, British envoy, concluded an agreement to the effect that but one armed vessel of not more than 100 tons burden, and armed with one 18-pound cannon, should be maintained on Lakes Ontario and Champlain. Until this treaty was ratified (April 28, 181>) the Lady of the Lake and the brig Jones was kept in service at the harbor, while the Pike, Jefferson, Mohawk, Madison, Superior and Sylph were dismantled soon after peace was restored. Work on the New Orleans was continued for a time and finally abandoned. She was to have been 181 feet on the keel, 56 feet of beam, and 30 feet depth of hold. Her builder was Henry Eckford, who, under orders from the gevernment, discontinued work about March, 1815. Early in the thirties the government caused a house to be erected over the hull,' and in that condition this noble old relic of the war period was preserved until February, 1884, when the work of demolition was begun. During this operation the vessel parted in the middle and fell to the ground, instantly killing James Oates and seriously injuring three other workmen. The timber from which the New Orleans was to be constructed was cut in the forests surrounding the village, and the nails, spikes and bolts were forged at the shipyard on Navy Point. The Chippewa was to have been built on the same lines and model as the New Orleans, and was pierced for 110 guns. Work on this vessel was not so far advanced as on the New Orleans when the peace negotiations ended the war. The vessel was subsequently sold, and was burned for the iron used in its construction.
! The ship house was blown down about 12, which fact lett to the side of the vessel.
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FORTIFICATIONS OF SACKETS HARBOR
The latter was ordered sold by an act of Congress in 1882, and was purchased at anetion for $100, by Alfred Wilkinson of Syracuse.
At the beginning of the war the vicinity of Sackets Harbor was wholly without defenses, but soon after the attack of June 19, 1812, a breastwork of logs was built around the village, one end touching the bay about half way between the harbor and Horse island, and the other at the site of Madison barracks, as afterward erected. Fort Tompkins was built during the summer of 1st, while a little to the westward stood the barracks (Smith's cantonment), strongly built of logs, in the form of a square, with a block house at each corner. The site of the battle ground, which to this day bears the name of Tomp- kins park,' was on the lake, in the square now bounded by Washing- ton, Hill and Main streets. The fort itself stood about on the site of the officers' quarters of the naval station.
A little to the east of the village stood Fort Volunteer, a fortification of no great strength, which had been erected chiefly by a company of exempts. To the westward of Fort Tompkins was another fort or carthwork, strongly palisaded, having in its center a block house one story high. "By the side of the road leading to Henderson Harbor, stood old Fort Virginia, a square work, with bastions at the angles," and covered with a strong line of palisades. On the road leading from the village to Camp's Mills stood Fort Chauncey, a small circular tower, covered with plank and loop-holed for the use of musketry, being intended for small arm defense only. At a point eastward from the harbor and within the Fort PiKER limits of the government tract whereon is Madison barracks, stood and still stands, old Fort Pike, yet preserved much in accord with its original lines.
After the war was ended, and after the advantages of the situation from a military standpoint had become fully recognized in the determi-
1 On July 6. I'm, at an independence day celebration the old fatte gre and at Sachets HarHor, Col Walter R. Camp. excenter f the state of Cod Elisha Camp, in behalf of the heirs ut the estate, formally presented to the Jefferson county besterical se ety and the village of Sa k- et- Harbor, deeds of conveyance of the fract of land deser bed as follows "\' that certain pece or parcel of and lesignated as the latt'e and cat ping- ground of isis, ying if the vil'age of Sackets Harbor, to have and to led by deed and trust, according to the provisions of sard papers, and to be known as Fort Ton ; kins Park."
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nation to establish the station, Smith's cantonment, adjoining the present navy yard, which was built to accommodate 2,000 troops, was found undesirable for permanent occupancy. Therefore, for the erec. tion of suitable barracks to quarter a regiment of regular troops, ground was purchased and on it was built the officers' and soldiers' quarters which are still standing. The reservation of 3944 acres, before the re- cent considerable enlargement, comprised several purchases, the first of which was made July 1, 1813,1 and thence continued as required until May, 1814. The land was enclosed on three sides with a pali- saded picket fence, the northcast and southwest sides of which ex- tended to the shores of the lake, with angles at convenient points to permit enfilading fire of musketry in case of attack.
The plans for the barracks were made by William Smith of Water- town, and the credit was given to him for presenting the best among the many drawings submitted by professional architects for the build- ing to cover the hull of the New Orleans. In the barracks plans the officers' quarters were separated by a sallyport. Each row of buildings was 216 x 33 feet in size. A double row of soldiers' quarters was erected, running parallel with the parade ground, and were each 453 x 23 feet in size. Work on the buildings was begun August 1, 1816, and they were finished in October, 1819.
All the buildings (except the administration building and ice honse) were of stone and were substantially constructed under the personal supervision of A. A. Q. M. Thomas Tupper," and cost $150,000. (Other authorities place the entire cost at $85,000). The mason work was done under contract by Oren Ives, and the carpenter work by Joseph Kimball, Philo Johnson and Chauncey Calhoun, and all with such vigor
! The original act to cede the jurisdiction of certain lands in this state to the United States was passed by the legislature, March 20, 1507, but was linnted in its extent and operation. On March 31, 1815, the legislature passed another act authorizing the cession of lands in the northern and western counties of the state to the United States, and therem provided that " the person administering the government of this state, the lieutenant-governor, the chancellor, the chief mistice of the Supreme court, the secretary of state, the attorney-general and the surveyor-gen- rral, for the time being, be and they are hereby appointed commissioners, with full power to them, or any four of them, to declare the consent of the legislature " to the acquisition of such parcels of land as shall be purchased by the government of the I'mited States for the erection of totts, magaz nes, arsenals, duck yards and other needful buildings; with the proviso that in . se the ceded lands shall cease to be occupied for their intended purpose they shall revert to tins state.
" One authority says: " During the summer of 1815, Maj .- Gen, Jacob frown issued orders for the building of Madison barracks, and placed his brother, Mai Samuel Brown, A. O. M., U. S. A., in general charge of the work, with Capt. Thomas Tupper, A. Q. M., U. S. A., as his assistant The above orders seemed to have been issued by Gen. Brown on hisown responsibility, but they were afterward approved by the authorities at Washington."
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that on the 6th of October, 1816, five companies of the Second infantry abandoned Navy Point cantonment and took up quarters in the new and then unfinished barracks. No sanitary regulations appear to have been followed in designing or constructing the barracks, and in later years many deaths resulted from this careless neglect. There was also much scandal connected with the construction work, and Dr. Hough says that " considerable irregularity occurred in the issue of due bills for labor done on these works, which was in part remedied by an act passed in 1836, 'for the relief of Jesse Smith and others,"" and further adds that it would "be inexpedient to partienlarize intances of corruption and fraud in the expenditure of funds at this place, during the war, of which the government never had cognizance," etc.
Whatever foundation in truth these rumors may have had, it is un- questionably a fact that the greater share of the work both on building and roads was performed by members of the companies of the Second infantry. Details of men were made daily and were placed under charge of officers who forced their labors with a degree of severity not prac- ticed in later years. However, discipline not even tempered with mod- eration was a part of soldier life for many years after the close of the the second war with Great Britain, yet it is believed that the harshly drawn picture of severities practiced at the barracks during the early history of the post was in a measure exaggerated. Gen. Hugh Brady, the first commandant, stood among the foremost officers of his time, and at Madison barracks was associated with a superior class of sub- ordinates, many of whom were accompanied with wives of high birth and Christian training. Indeed, from the regular and strict attendance at service each Sunday, the Second was sometimes referred to as " Brady's saints," but the commander himself was something of a martinet, and while hospitality reigned at his board, he rigidly enforced discipline among his soldiers. With the lapse of years and the con- stantly increasing efficiency of the army, many of the old time customs and observances passed out of existence, and to day it is a question whether the every day life of the common soldier is not more pleasant and accompanied with less responsibility and hardship than that of his commanding officers.
When the Madison barracks were completed they were considered the most complete, and the post the most desirable, of any in the land, hence were much sought among army officers as a command. The buildings comprised the officers' and soldiers' quarters, a commissary
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and ordnance building, guard house, magazine at Fort Pike, and a blacksmith shop. The Second infantry was reorganized in 1815, and the ranks were filled with all classes and conditions of men, such as citizen soldiers, volunteers, quartermasters, employees, teamsters and others, who had been mustered out of service at the elose of the war. This regiment formed the garrison at the post from 1816 to 1828, and again by two companies of that command from April. 1829, to the early part of 1832, when the Black Hawk war demanded the presence of the troops at the scene of conflict.
During Col. Brady's command at the post, several notable events took place, important among which was the duel fought by Dr. Burr, of the regular army and Lieut. Smith, of the Second infantry, in which both were slightly wounded. Another event worthy of record was the visit of President Monroe in August, isit, which was made the occa- sion of a public reception1 and celebration with a combination of mili- tary and civic festivities. There were still other incidents of impor- tance, but, unfortunately, no record of the post between the years 1816 and 1833 appears to have been preserved; and all data of the period are drawn from Dr. Hough's history, he undoubtedly having had re- course to the national record at Washington. "While Col. Brady had command of this station," says Hough, "the remains of most of the officers who had fallen in the field, or died of sickness on the frontier, were collected and buried together, within the pickets of Madison bar- racks, doubtless with the intention that at a future time they should be honored with a monument worthy of the memory of American citi zens, who fell in the defense of American rights, and the vindication of our national sovereignty and honor."
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