Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 27

Author: White, Truman C
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Boston] : Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1014

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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.1 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.

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.1 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.2

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-

1 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.

2 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.1 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

1 On this subject Turner, who personally talked with many who participated in the flight, wrote as follows: "An ox sled would come along bearing wounded soldiers, whose companions had pressed the slow team into their service; another with the family of a settler, a few house- hold goods that had been hustled upon it, and one, two or three wearied females from Buffalo, who had begged the privilege of a ride and the rest that it afforded; then a remnant of some dis- persed corps of militia, hugging as booty, as spoils of the vanquished, the arms they had neg- lected to use; then squads and families of Indians, on foot and on ponies, the squaw with her papoose upon her back, and a bevy of juvenile Senecas in her train; and all this is but a stinted programme of the scene that was presented. Bread, meats and drinks soon vanished from the log taverns on the routes, and fleeing settlers divided their scanty stores with the almost fam- ished that came from the frontiers."

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hotel, but he showed her his orders to burn everything except a house "occupied by an old woman and two girls," and the hotel was burned. The torch was also applied to the house in which the body of Mrs. Lovejoy still remained and it was soon in ashes. Among the prisoners taken was Benjamin Hodge, jr., who was kept through the war, and David Eddy, of Hamburg. Learning that valuable stores belonging to merchants and others were secreted in Hodge's tavern, on the hill, the British commander sent a squad of men to burn it. Mr. Hodge and Keep, the Cold Spring blacksmith, were there, but fled as the soldiers approached. When ordered to halt Mr. Hodge obeyed and doubtless thereby saved his life. Keep continued on the run and was shot and killed. The hotel was then ruthlessly burned.

At this juncture a detachment of mounted men was seen crossing Scajaquada Creek, and the British hurriedly mounted and rode away down the hill. The horsemen were Canadian volunteers under Adju- tant Tottman. As the latter galloped up beside the rear of the British he was instantly shot and killed. Following Tottman's troops was William Hodge, who had returned on the previous day and found his hotel untouched. He now beheld it burning to the ground. This was the last building destroyed in the village.

A day or two later citizens assembled and gathered the dead and laid them in Reese's shop; they were over forty in number. It was a ghastly sight, most of the bodies having been stripped, tomahawked and scalped. Those not soon taken away by friends were placed in a large grave in the old Franklin Square burial ground and covered tem- porarily with boards, so that they might be examined by relatives and taken away. Quiet again settled down over the village.

The remainder of that winter witnessed much distress in Erie county and near by territory, especially along the frontier. In the interior the fugitive farmers and tradesmen soon returned to their homes and generally escaped severe suffering; their homes were left to them and in most cases were provided with life's necessaries. At Buffalo it was not so. A detachment of regulars was stationed there, which gave the returning inhabitants a measure of confidence, and the task of rebuild- ing on the ruins began. William Hodge and his family returned on the 6th of January, and Mr. Pomeroy, the landlord, soon followed him. The latter erected the first building amid the ruins on the site of his former hotel, and Mr. Hodge the second. Holden Allen, father of Capt. Levi Allen, occupied Mrs. St. John's cottage and entertained the

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many who came to see the ruins. Frequent rumors reached the place of another attack by the British, and several times the inhabitants packed their goods for flight. Twice a squad of British crossed the river, but were driven back by soldiers and citizens. Those who were suffering for food were supplied from the army commissary. Harris's Hill was made a sort of meeting place for the merchants and other busi- ness men; thither the Salisbury brothers had moved the Gazette print- ing office and on the 18th of January a number of their paper was pub- lished there. Root & Boardman opened their law office, according to their advertisement, "next door east of Harris' tavern and fourteen miles from Buffalo ruins." Zenas Barker also established the county clerk's office there, while the nearest post-office was at Williamsville.

Prompt measures for relief of the sufferers on the western frontier were adopted by the public authorities and people of less unfortunate districts. The Legislature voted $40,000, besides $5,000 to the Tus- carora Indians, and $5,000 to those residents in Canada who were forced to leave on account of their fealty to the United States. Besides these appropriations, the city of Albany voted $1,000; the city of New York, $3,000; the citizens of Canandaigua appointed a relief committee who raised a considerable sum and sent solicitations for aid to points eastward, from all of which contributions came. With this aid the people on the frontier passed the cheerless winter.

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CAMPAIGN OF 1814.

CHAPTER XVII.

CAMPAIGN OF 1814.

The Americans under Better Conditions-The Situation-Erie County-Changes in Local Militia-Arrival on the Frontier of Winfield Scott-General Porter's Com- mand-A More Vigorous Military System Inaugurated-Execution of Deserters- Rebuilding of Buffalo-Beginning of Public and Private Business-Military Opera- tions in Progress-Capture of Fort Erie-The Enemy Pursued-The Battle of Chip- pewa-Failure of Co-operation of Chauncey's Fleet-General Brown's Plans to At- tack the British-Battle of Lundy's Lane-Heroism of the American Troops-Im- portant Results of the American Victory-Ripley's Flight to Black Rock-Siege of Fort Erie-A Memorable Sortie-The British Defeated-General Izard Arrives on the Frontier-Close of the Campaign-Treaty of Peace.

The campaign of 1814 was conducted with more vigor and judgment by the Americans, and the capture of Canada and supremacy on the ocean continued as the main factors of the war. Troops began to arrive on the frontier, and under the command of new officers rigid discipline and general efficiency were inaugurated. The Canadian frontier was under the immediate command of Major Riall, who had his headquarters on Queenston Heights, and the British 100th Regi- ment was stationed along the river from Chippewa to Fort Erie. The enemy under General Drummond at Kingston was prepared to move against Sackett's Harbor. The pickets had been taken from Fort George, while Fort Niagara was materially strengthened. Williams- ville continued as the rendezvous of American troops, and regulars and volunteers began to arrive at that place and at Buffalo. Many changes were made in the local militia. In Lieutenant Colonel War- ren's regiment, the 48th, Ezekiel Cook was commissioned first major, and Ezra Knott as second major; Lyman Blackmar, Peter Lewis, Frederick Richmond, Luther Colvin, Benjamin I. Clough, Timothy Fuller and James M. Stevens as captains; Thomas Holmes, Aaron Salisbury, Dennis Riley, Moses Baker, William Austin, Oliver Alger, Micah B. Crook and Elihu Rice as lieutenants; and John Holmes, Otis Wheelock, Lathrop Francis, Sumner Warren, George Hamilton, Cal- vin Doolittle, Giles Briggs and Asa Warren as ensigns.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

On the 10th of April there arrived at Chippewa a man whose deeds on the frontier were soon to give him military renown and greatly ad- vance the American cause. This was Winfield Scott, who was then thirty years old and a model soldier in every respect. A few weeks later Major-Gen. Jacob Brown, who had already shown excellent qual- ities at the foot of Lake Ontario, and had been rapidly promoted to the highest rank, arrived on the frontier and assumed the chief command. His forces consisted of two brigades, commanded respectively by Scott and Col. Eleazer W. Ripley, to each of which was attached a small body of artillery. There was also a small troop of cavalry. These commands were under excellent discipline and in high spirits. There were also about 1,100 volunteers gathered from Pennsylvania and New York, and about 600 Indians who had been inspired to action by the eloquence of Red Jacket. These volunteers and Indians were under chief command of Gen. Peter B. Porter. Towards the last of May Scott removed his headquarters to Buffalo and his troops went into camp amid the ruins. They were kept under constant drill and disci- pline was enforced to the utmost. Deserters were mercilessly pun- ished, four of them having been shot in Buffalo on the 4th of June. The execution took place at what is the corner of Maryland and Sixth streets, and was long remembered as a strikingly tragic scene. There were five deserters under sentence of death, but when the fire of the squad was made, only four of the victims fell beside their coffins, while the fifth, a young man of twenty-one years, sprang to his feet, wrenched the cords from his arms and tore the bandage from his eyes. When the soldiers advanced towards him, he supposed his last moments had come, and fell fainting to the ground. He was carried away and his life spared. The muskets of the soldiers who fired at him had been loaded with blank cartridges, the reason for which has never been made public.

Buffalo was rising from its ashes. From the early part of the year the more enterprising of the citizens began to study the situation and make preparations to return to their former vocations. The energetic Ralph M. Pomeroy, the popular landlord, whose rebuilding of his hotel is mentioned in the last chapter, made the following announcement in the Gazette of February 22:

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Our county and its people : a descriptive work on Erie County, New York, Volume I, Part 27

Author: White, Truman C Publication date: 1898 Publisher: [Boston] : Boston History Co. Number of Pages: 1014

Author: White, Truman C
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Boston] : Boston History Co.
Number of Pages: 1014