USA > New York > Erie County > Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I > Part 26
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
him before Wilkinson's forces were withdrawn. This proposition was forwarded to the secretary of war by Wilkinson, but no action was taken upon it. The beginning of mismanagement on our frontier which was to continue through the winter was at hand.
It was a part of Wilkinson's plans to destroy and abandon Fort George, but orders reached him from Washington to "put that work in a con- dition to resist assault; to leave there an efficient garrison of at least 600 troops; to remove Capt. Nathaniel Leonard, of the first regiment of artillery, from the command of Fort Niagara and give it to Capt. George Armistead, of the same regiment; to accept the services of a volunteer corps offered by Gen. Peter B. Porter and others, and to commit the command of Fort George and the Niagara frontier to Brig- adier Gen. Moses Porter." These orders were only partially executed. Leonard was left in command of Fort Niagara; no arrangement was made for accepting General Porter's volunteers, and Colonel Scott, in- stead of General (Moses) Porter, was placed in command of Fort George, instructed that if the British should abandon the frontier, as it was be- lieved they would, to leave the fort in command of Brigadier-Gen. George McClure, and with the regulars join the expedition proposed on the St. Lawrence. These dispositions made, Wilkinson embarked with his army on Chauncey's fleet October 2, and sailed eastward. Scott immediately strengthened Fort George. The before-mentioned defeat of Proctor and the consequent retrograde movement of the Brit- ish from the head of Lake Ontario, caused Scott, in accordance with his orders, to take his regulars across the river (October 13) to the American shore and proceed eastward.
On the 6th of October the ever-restless Chapin gathered another mixed body of men and went out against the British outposts near Fort George. Encounteriug the enemy he had a skirmish in which three of his men were killed and, according to his statement, eighteen of the enemy. On the 24th of that month the victorious fleet of Perry came down the lake, accompanied by General Harrison, and stopped at Buf- falo. The little village honored them as far as the citizens were able. On the following day the two commanders were given a dinner at "Pomeroy's Eagle," as the report has it, which had been reopened a little earlier. Colonel Chapin's name appears at the head of the list of the committee of arrangements, while General Porter presided at the dinner, with Chapin, Charles Townsend and Dr. Trowbridge, vice- presidents. The next day Harrison and his troops went down to Fort George and a little later proceeded to Sackett's Harbor.
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The troops left at Fort George by Wilkinson under command of Gen- eral McClure, consisted of about 1,000 militia, 60 regulars, and 250 In- dians. He made his headquarters at Fort George, and like a former commander on the frontier, soon issued several flaming proclamations. The period of enlistment of the militia was expiring and they would not stay a day after the end of their term. A draft was accordingly or- dered about the middle of November of 600 men from Hopkins's brig- ade, under Lieut .- Colonel Warren. These marched to Fort George where they remained nearly a month.
CHAPTER XVI.
CAMPAIGN OF 1813-(Continued.)
Its Importance to Erie County-Disheartening Situation of the Americans-Fort George Abandoned-Burning of Newark-The Act Condemned-British Retalia- tion-Capture of Fort Niagara by the British-McClure's Retreat to Batavia-Sack- ing and Burning of Youngstown and Lewiston-Advance of the Enemy-Battle of Black Rock-Erie County Participants-Rout of the Americans-Burning of Buf- falo and Black Rock-Flight of the Inhabitants-Scenes and Incidents-Bravery of Mrs. St. John-Murder of Mrs. Lovejoy-Return of the Enemy-Destruction of Buffalo Completed-Suffering During the Winter-Measures for Relief.
The two closing months of 1813 were pregnant with great events in Erie county and along the Niagara frontier. Through the ill-advised action of one American officer the dwellers along the Niagara River from the fort at its mouth to Buffalo village were made to feel the ruthless hand of war in the enemy's torch applied to their homes and in the fire of his guns, until they were forced to fly into a sparsely settled wilderness amid the rigors of midwinter.
McClure was now almost alone in Fort George, his garrison having been reduced to about sixty regulars, and the volunteers and militia whose terms of enlistment were rapidly expiring. These he endeav- ored to retain by offering bounties, but they refused to remain.1 Mean- while failure was attending a St. Lawrence expedition which had been
1 " I offered a bounty of two dollars a month for one or two months, but without effect. Some few of Colonel Bloom's regiment took the bounty and immediately disappeared."-McClure in Buffalo Gazette.
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undertaken, and when information came from the westward that Lieutenant-General Drummond and Major-General Riall had arrived on the peninsula with reinforcements from Kingston, and that a body of troops under Colonel Murray was moving towards Fort George, McClure determined to abandon the post and place his garrison in Fort Niagara. Had he contented himself with such a proceeding only, the consequences might have been less disastrous; but he disliked to leave the comfortable quarters in Fort George to the enemy, with the village of Newark near at hand, as a constant menace to his own position. Hence, and under sanction of what Lossing characterizes as the "itinerant war department,"1 McClure gave the inhabitants of Newark a few hours' notice, attempted to blow up Fort George while his men were crossing the icy flood of Niagara, and applied the torch to the village. Only one of the 150 houses in the place was left stand- ing, and a large number of helpless women and children were driven from their homes into the severe winter weather. This act, although in a certain sense authorized by the War Department, has been gen- erally condemned as cruel, unnecessary and impolitic. Col. Cyrenius Chapin was there and he had a bitter quarrel with McClure over the event. Intense feeling had already arisen between the two officers on account of McClure's alleged action on the occasion of a raid made by Chapin on December 7, along the south shore of Lake Ontario. The latter claimed that McClure not only left him unsupported at that time, but had expressed a desire that Chapin should be captured. Chapin soon afterward resigned.
McClure placed 150 regulars in Fort Niagara and on the 12th went to Buffalo, whither he called 200 other regulars from Canandaigua. The British were smarting under the reckless burning of Newark. "Let us retaliate by fire and sword," said Murray to Drummond, as they gazed upon the ashes of the village. "Do so, swiftly and thor- oughly," was the reply. On the night of December 18 Murray, with about 1,000 British and Indians, crossed the river at or near Five-mile Meadows (as the place is still known), and the regulars marched on
1 From Sackett's Harbor the secretary of war wrote as follows:
War Department, October 4, 1813.
Sir,-Understanding that the defense of the post committed to your charge may render it proper to destroy the town of Newark, you are hereby directed to apprise the inhabitants of this circumstance, and invite them to remove themselves and their effects to some place of greater safety.
JOHN ARMSTRONG.
Brigadier-General McClure, or officer commanding at Fort George.
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with the intention of storming the fort; but this was not necessary ; the pickets were captured without raising an alarm and the gates of the fort were found open, although it was several hours before sunrise. The garrison of 450 men was captured. Captain Leonard, who had been left in command of the fort, with orders to be vigilant and active, as an invasion might be expected, left the fort the previous evening and passed the night with his family several miles above Youngstown. For this unaccountable act he was suspected of treason, and many writers have not hesitated to condemn him in sweeping terms.
Whatever was his excuse for leaving the fort, it is not now believed by those most competent to judge that he was guilty of treachery.1
It is far more probable that he greatly desired to visit his family and did not fully appreciate the danger of an attack by the British. Leon- ard returned to the fort and was made a prisoner, and afterwards left the service. A little opposition to the British was shown by the occu- pants of the eastern blockhouse and the "red barracks," during which a lieutenant and five men of the invading forces were killed and Col- onel Murray and four others were wounded.
The bloodshed might have ended there, but the spirit of revenge was
1 The following information on this subject has been recently furnished the editor by the Hon. William Pool of Niagara Falls, who has taken the pains to thoroughly investigate the matter: "There are reasons for believing that Captain Leonard was unjustly accused. He was not at Five-mile Meadows, probably did not then own the place-not far below Lewiston-but had gone to attend his sick wife at Four-mile Creek, leaving a subordinate in command. It had been known two or three weeks that an invasion was being planned, and with this knowledge, Colonel McClure had gone to Buffalo to secure aid for defense. Full preparations had been made to defend the fort, guns placed, etc., and a battery on the brow of the mountain, overlooking Lewiston and the river below, was in charge of an officer instructed to watch for any attempted crossing and signal the fort by firing three cannon shots. The signal was given as the enemy crossed not far from Five- inile Meadows. If unheard at the fort it is evidence in support of a well authenticated report that the garrison slept under a drunken debauch, and that accounts for the easy capture. Robert Fleming, father of William Fleming (born in Lewiston in 1817, and now living in Buffalo), was stationed at the battery and related the particulars to his son years afterwards. He was subse- quently a member of the State Legislature, and was always on the most friendly terms with Cap- . tain Leonard, when he afterwards resided at Five-mile Meadows. The Bartons and other prom- inent Lewistonians were also intimate friends of Captain Leonard, and as all these were intensely patriotic, they must have known the truth in the matter. Captain Leonard was one of the first trustees of the Lewiston Academy, organized only about ten years after, and this is evidence in his favor. It was natural for the pioneer settlers to accept suggestions of disloyalty. My father and grandfather had to flee and suffer accordingly, and often repeated these common reports. Turner says Captain Leonard was tried and dismissed the service, but we can find no evidence in proof and it probably cannot be had outside the War Department. It is believed to be erroneous. The late Hon. W. H. Merritt, father of Hon. J. S. Merritt, of St. Catherines, had command of part of the British forces, but did not participate in the invasion, being sick at his home. In his me- moirs published by his son, it is stated that Captain Leonard was captured and sent to Quebec. In my youth I heard much of the bitter feeling among pioneer settlers on the frontier. Suspicion easily grew to positive statement, and of such too much history was made."
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rife among the British troops and Murray made no effort to curb it. As a result about eighty of the Americans, some of them in hospital, were slain after resistance had substantially ceased.1 The wounded numbered fourteen and about 344 were made prisoners; about twenty escaped.
Murray fired one of the large guns of the fort as a signal to General Riall, who was at Queenston with a body of regulars and about 500 In- dians awaiting the news.
McClure does not escape censure for his actions in connection with the capture of Niagara and immediately succeeding events. While not directly responsible for the initial disaster, excepting through his fool- hardy burning of Newark, he must be held to a great extent account- able for the later and still more deplorable occurrences.
As soon as he learned of the capture of Niagara, and against urgent protests of citizens, he took his regulars and retreated to Batavia. Had he remained at Buffalo, a force might have gathered around him ade- quate to defend the village.2 Before he left Buffalo he called out the militia of Genesee, Niagara and Chautauqua counties and on his arrival at Batavia turned over his command to Major General Hall.
When General Riall heard Murray's signal gun announcing the cap- ture of Fort Niagara on the 19th, he immediately crossed the Niagara at Lewiston and took possession of the village, Major Bennett, and a detachment of militia at Fort Grey, on the heights, offering little opposition. At the same time Murray's troops plundered and burned the few houses then comprising Youngstown. Riall and his Indian allies sacked and burned Lewiston and a large part of the village was soon in ashes. Several persons were killed.3 Full license was given to the In- dians and, of course, was exercised by the troops. The little son of Solomon Gillet was killed and others slain were Thomas March, Miles Gillet (another son of Solomon), Dr. Alvord, and two men named
1 This statement is asserted by some authority to be exaggerated, but it is quite fully substan- tiated.
2 Affidavits were afterwards published, showing that McClure said in his anger that he hoped Buffalo would be burned ; that he would remain and defend it provided the citizens would catch "that damned rascal, Chapin," and deliver him bound into his (McClure's) hands. Several of his staff officers, also, were proven to have indulged in similar disgraceful language in his presence, unrebuked ; expressing their entire willingness that the village should be burned.
3 A letter to the editor of Niles's Weekly Register, written from the frontier, said : "They killed at and near Lewiston eight or ten of the inhabitants, who, when found, were all scalped with the exception of one, whose head was cut off. Among the bodies was that of a boy ten or twelve years old, stripped and scalped."
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Tiffany and Finch. Reuben Lewis, another citizen, who had agreed with a neighbor that they would not be taken alive, was slain after hav- ing been wounded.
The invaders now pushed on towards Niagara Falls (then called Manchester), but were, according to McClure's report to Governor Tompkins, checked on the Lewiston Heights by Major Mallory and about forty Canadian volunteers, who went down from Schlosser and "fought the foe for two days as they pushed him steadily back towards Buffalo," The inhabitants of Lewiston fled from their homes amid the frost and snow of December, most of them following the Ridge road. At Dickersonville the people were alarmed by a number of the friendly Tuscaroras who were hurrying on eastward. A body of these Indians met the pursuers on the brow of the Mountain Ridge, and temporarily checked their progress, giving the flying fugitives time to escape. The detailed record of that flight is filled with startling in- cidents of peril and suffering.
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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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
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.1 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,2 under Colonel Gordon, Our artillery in the battery opened on the flotilla and as the boats ap-
ยท
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.
2 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
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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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