Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 17

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612

USA > New York > Oneida County > Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York; > Part 17

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

roaring fire and the tents pitched,-open on one side to the fire, and closed at each end with canvas. We found an excellent substitute for feathers, laying our buffaloes on hemlock twigs; although the ground was extremely moist, we were effectually protected from any inconvenience. We enjoyed a pleasant night, with ten times more comfort than we could in the miserable log huts along the banks of the river.

September 9 .- At noon we reached Fort Stanwix, to which place, with some aid of art, the river continues adapted to inland navigation for boats of five tons burthen. Emigrants are swarming into these fertile regions in shoals, like the ancient Isra- elites, seeking the land of promise.

We transported our boats and baggages across the carrying-place, a distance of two miles, over a dead flat, and launched them into Wood Creek, running west. It is a mere brook at this place, which a man can easily jump across. In contemplating this important creek, the only water communication with the immense regions in the West, which are destined to bless millions of freemen in the approaching century, 1 am deeply impressed with the belief, considering the great resources of the State, that the improvement of our internal navigation cannot much longer escape the de- cided attention of our law-makers, and more especially as it is obviously practicable. When effected, it will open an uninterrupted water communication from the immense fertile regions in the West to the Atlantic. But more of this as I advance in my travels.

The situation of Fort Stanwix appears destined to become a great city. It lies in an open plain,-healthy, and exactly at the point where the eastern and western waters unite. There is a large clearing about the old fort, with two or three scatter- ing houses. No progress has, however, been made since I attended the treaty here in 1788, although the plan of a city is now contemplated.

September 10 .- This morning our bateaux began to descend Wood Creek, with the aid of a mill-dam which had been filled just above. Some of our party at the same time descended by land on a tolerable wagon road to Canada Creek six miles.

Although aided by the sluice, we progressed with infinite difficulty. In many places the windings are so sudden and so short, that while the bow of the boat was plowing the bank on one side, her stern was rubbing hard against the opposite shore. In some places our men were obliged to drag the boats by main strength, and in others the boughs and limbs were so closely interwoven and so low as to arch the creek completely over, and oblige all hands to lie flat. These obstacles, together with the sunken logs and trees, rendered our progress extremely difficult, often almost impracticable.

From a superficial view of this important creek, it appears to me the great difficul- ties may be surmounted,-First, by cutting away all the bushes and trees on its banks; second, by cutting across the necks, and removing all sunken logs and trees; and, lastly, by erecting substantial sluices or inclined planes at given distances, so as to continue a head of water from sluice to sluice. This creek in its present state may be considered a natural canal, from ten to twenty feet wide.

Bateaux which ascend the creek, and frequently the descending boats, at this sea- son, are dragged by horses traveling in the water. This is a work of incredible fatigue and difficulty.

The accession of Canada Creek more than doubles the size of Wood Creek.

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September 11 .- Last night and this day we were inundated by heavy rains, which our tent was unable to repel; in consequence we were all exposed in the most uncom- fortable manner. In the intervals of showers we amused ourselves by catching fish. Salmon, Oswego bass, catfish, chubs, trout, pike, are the fish common in this river. Salmon are sometimes caught at the mill-dams, near Fort Stanwix.

September 12 .- At 2 o'clock we reached the royal block-house, at the east end of the Oneida Lake. The innumerable crooks and turns in Wood Creek carried us to every point of the compass. Should the Western canals be ever attempted, I am per- suaded this creek may be shortened at least one-third. The lands on each side of Wood Creek are low, and heavily timbered with beech, maple, oak, elm, linden, and, near the lake, some white pine. Bears are plenty, and deer scarce. At two miles from the lake the river suddenly widened, and we took to our oars. Fish Creek, one mile nearer the lake, falls into Wood Creek from the north, and is about one hundred feet wide. Thence to the lake the stream is bold and spacious. We caught a catfish as large as a common-sized cod, measuring five inches between the eyes.

September 13 .- This morning we wrote home by a boat coming from the West loaded with hemp, raised at the south of Cayuga Lake. What a glorious acquisition to agriculture and commerce do these fertile and extensive regions in the West pre- sent in anticipation ! And what a pity, since the partial hand of nature has nearly completed the water communication from our utmost borders to the Atlantic Ocean, that art should not be made subservient to her to complete the work !

Immediately after breakfast we embarked, doubled a point of land, and entered the Oneida Lake with our sails filled to a light easterly breeze. The lake opened to our view, spreading before us like a sea. We glided smoothly over its surface, and were delighted with a charming day. On the south is the Oneida Reservation, at present inhabited by the Oneida nation of Indians. The country lies flat for eight or ten miles, and then swells into waving hills. On the north it is generally low, but heavily timbered.

This lake is thirty miles long, and from five to eight broad. We are now sailing parallel with the Ontario Ocean, which I hope to see, and at least enjoy in delightful anticipation the prospect of a free and open water communication from thence to the Atlantic, via Albany and New York.

Near the west end of the lake are two small islands, on one of which resides a re- spectable Frenchman, who came from France a few years since, and has voluntarily sequestered himself from the world and taken up his solitary abode upon this island, with no society but his dogs, guns, and library, yet he appeared happy and con- tent.

This lake is extremely turbulent and dangerous, a small breeze producing a short, bobbing sea, in consequence of its shoal waters.

The bateauxmen commonly hug the north shore as safest, as well as more direct from point to point. On that side these points project less into the lake than on the south shore. The wind soon rose to a brisk side gale, which occasioned such a dan- gerous agitation as obliged us to make a harbor at Twelve-Mile Point, near which we noticed two large bears walking along the shore in majestic confidence.

We trolled with our lines and caught some bass. The day concluded with heavy rains and a violent squall. In spite of our tents we were much wet and suffocated with smoke.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

The territorial divisions of Montgomery county prior to the erection of Oneida county, have been described as far as necessary for the pur- poses of this work, in former chapters. On the 15th of March, 1798, an act was passed by the Legislature dividing the county of Herkimer and erecting from its territory the new counties of Chenango and Oneida.

The new county of Oneida included all of what are now the counties of Oneida, Lewis, and Jefferson, and all that part of Oswego county lying east of Oswego River. The territory of St. Lawrence county also appears to have nominally been included, but it was provisionally annexed to Clinton county in 1801, and erected into a separate county on March 3, 1802. The town of Sangerfield was included in Chenango county, but was annexed to Oneida county April 4, 1804.

At the beginning of this century the population of New York State had reached 589,000, of which total about 60,000 dwelt in New York city. Albany was a considerable community, while at Utica, Rochester and Buffalo the foundation had been laid for the present thriving cities. At Oswego the incipient commerce of the great lake was beginning its growth, and salt from Salina was passing eastward through the Mohawk valley. Development through Central New York was carly stimulated by improvement of the old waterway so frequently mentioned in the previous chapters by the Western Inland Lock and Navigation Com- pany. This improvement consisted of the construction of a canal with locks around the rapids at Little Falls, the opening of a canal from Rome to Wood Creek, connecting thence with Oneida Lake, and the improve- ment of navigation facilities in the Oswego and the Seneca Rivers. The work was completed in 1800 and many early settlers in this county, carrying their families and household stores, traveled over this route, and until the opening of the Erie Canal it was of vast commercial im- portance to the whole State. In 1812 the firm of Eri Lasher & Co. were running during the season a weekly line of boats from Schenec- tady for Cayuga, Seneca Falls, and Oswego, which, with the use of wagons kept constantly in readiness, enabled then, as they advertised, to " transport from Albany to any part of the western country either by land or water whatever property might be directed to their care."

In the mean time the east and west turnpike were considerably im- proved, as described in Chapter IX.

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Early in the century began the acts on the part of England and France which resulted in another war. Through orders issued by Great Britain and decrees made by Napoleon, all American commerce in neu- tral ships with either of those nations was suspended. American sailors were claimed as British subjects and seized on American vessels, the right to board such vessels for this purpose being one of the unjust claims set up by Great Britain. These and other outrages continued until forbearance was exhausted. Late in October, 1807, Congress opposed this action by laying an embargo on all vessels in United States harbors. This measure, necessary as it may have appeared as a gen- eral policy, was disastrous to the mercantile and shipping interests of the whole country. The embargo act was supported by a large part of the Democratic party, and as strongly opposed by the Federalists. On June 1, 1812, President Madison sent a confidential message to Congress in which he reviewed the causes of complaint against Great Britain and called upon that body to decide whether they would act upon their rights and as duty dictated, or remain passive under accumu- lating injustice. It was well known that the president favored prompt retaliation. By one party he was urged by ridicule as well as threats to declare war, while the other bitterly opposed such a policy. Mad- ison's message was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, which, on June 3. made a report favoring the president's views and ac- companied by a bill declaring war with Great Britain. An attempt was made to include France in the declaration, which failed. After much debate and amid great excitement throughout the country, Con- gress passed the bill on July 18, and the president signed it. On the 19th the president issued a proclamation announcing the fact and call- ing on the people of the country to support the government in its war policy. Although, of course, the settlers in Oneida county felt a deep interest in the approaching conflict, their inland situation relieved them to a great extent from the special anxiety that existed on the seaboard and at lake ports. At Oswego and Sackett's Harbor, for example, excitement ran high and was reflected to the people of this county. All along the northern frontier the inhabitants realized that war meant the destruction of their developing lake commerce and its many attend- ant blessings, while they could not escape the conviction that the ap-

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

proaching struggle meant bloodshed and desolation at their very doors. Oswego was still directly and closely connected with Oneida county and the whole valley by the old waterway so frequently mentioned, and memories of the Revolution and the bloody scenes witnessed along its line were still comparatively fresh.

Full details of the Oneida county men who took part in this war can- not be obtained. It is known that after the close of the Revolution the militia force of Montgomery county comprised five regiments, consti- tuting one brigade, of which Frederick Fisher was commander. Be- tween this time and 1812, reorganizations and changes were fre- quent. In one of these, made about 1791, a troop of horse was formed of which Jonas Platt was commander, while John Franks commanded a company of artillery. At the breaking out of the war, or very soon thereafter, there was a general reorganization and exten- sion of the militia, in which many Oneida county men joined. Great Britain again sought to enlist the services of the Six Nations and the Canadian Indians, but failed in the attempt. A council was held in Buffalo on the 6th of July, 1812, where speeches were made by the great Seneca chief, Red Jacket, and by representatives of the govern- ment, and a policy of neutrality decided upon by the Senecas, who promised also to influence the Mohawks to adopt the same course. The Indians evidently soon foresaw where their interests lay and by the year 1814 the American forces were augmented by large bodies of the Iro- quois and other nations.

Military preparations were made and minor events occurred on the northern frontier in 1812. Provisions were early made for a naval squadron on Lake Ontario, in view of the facility with which the British could occupy its waters for offensive demonstrations. At each end of the lake was an important military gateway through which the enemy could send expeditions to act upon water or land. At the beginning of the conflict the only armed vessel on the lake was the Oneida, but all available craft were soon purchased by the government and armed. Commodore Chauncey made his headquarters at Sackett's Harbor in the fall of 1812, and with several vessels blockaded Kingston, Canada, until the ice closed it in. Late in the autumn, in anticipation of an at . tack upon Ogdensburg, Gen. Jacob Brown was sent thither, where he

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arrived October Ist. He was none too early, for on the next day a flotilla of British vessels with about 750 men from Prescott attacked the place. They were soon repulsed. Some time in 1812, the first de - tachment from Oneida county went to Sackett's Harbor under com - mand of Colonel Bellinger. This detachment was accompanied by Major Samuel Dill, of Rome. Joshua Hathaway, of Rome, was appointed quartermaster-general of the State and ordered to the same post. On the 22d of June, 1812, four days after war was declared, two expresses passed through Utica and Rome, with news of the war declaration, and on the 13th of August a company of flying artillery, 139 strong, from Lancaster, Pa., passed through Utica and Rome, on their way to the frontier. In the fall of 1812 the militia of Oneida county were called out and ordered to Sackett's Harbor, and the 157th regi- ment, known as the Rome regiment, commanded by Col. John West- cott, of Rome, marched to that post. Among the officers were Lieut .- Col. Joshua G. Green, Captains Rudd, Fillmore, Church, Grannis, Hinckley and Peck, and Adjutant Samuel Beardsley, Paymaster Jay Hathaway, a Roman, and Surgeon Henry H. Smith. 1

In September, 1812, a body of 800 drafted men from Albany camped in Utica for a week, and during their stay the number was increased to 1,600, with drafted men and volunteers. They were from the eastern and southern counties of the State, were under command of General Dodge, and were wholly undisciplined and committed many petty depredations. About the 20th of September the 5th United States Regiment, recruited in Maryland, under command of Colonel Milton, passed north They were insolent to their officers and clamorous for their long overdue pay. On the 22d of September two companies of light artillery from Baltimore and Philadelphia, marched through Utica and Rome, north, and on the 30th ninety sailors passed through on their way to Sackett's Harbor. On the 5th of October, 150 men, including the crew of the John Adams, under command of Lieutenant Pettigrew, with fifty wagons, camped in Utica twenty-four hours, and then left for Buffalo. They are credited with thefts and other depredations. On the day of their departure, 130 more men with twenty wagons passed through. On the 10th of October, 130 United States marines passed

1 Jones's Annals of Oneida County.

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

through Utica, their neat uniforms and soldierly bearing in marked con - trast to the looks and acts of the militia volunteers. On the 13th and 14th other bodies of troops passed through the county. On the 24th of that month the 23d United States Regiment arrived at Utica from Al- bany. They started out 300 strong, but had lost some by desertion. They also were demanding their back pay and $2 was given to each man with a double allowance of liquor. On the 27th they resumed their march for Buffalo. At about the same time 130 artillerymen passed through Utica, and with the coming on of winter several de- tachments were quartered in and around Utica and New Hartford.

On the 16th of February, 1813, Baltimore volunteers to the number of 190, under Captain Moore, broke in the door of the hotel and took possession. On the 6th of April a detachment of 150 light horse came to Utica from Sackett's Harbor, having left that post on account of scarcity of provisions; and on the 13th of the same month 150 more arrived. On the 24th and 25th about 500 soldiers were in Utica, and 100 sailors belonging to the famous frigate, Constitution, halted at Deer- field Corners. The latter departed for Sackett's Harbor, having come from Boston to Utica in wagons. Following them came 500 horse and foot soldiers who passed on towards Buffalo. During April and May movements of other bodies of troops through the country were numer- ous and frequent. On the 14th of May the high grounds above the village of Utica were covered with tents. On the 15th and 16th not less than 900 men are reported as passing through from Massachusetts, and four days later left, accompanied on their march by a body of dis- mounted cavalry. All were dissatisfied with their rations, their pay and their duties. On the 23d of May about 500 men, mostly from the 21st United States Regiment, slept in Deerfield barns, grumbling like the rest and dissatisfied with the war. On the 26th a column of from 500 to 1,000 men passed Utica, and about the 15th of June 300 of the 14th United States Regiment arrived at the village, with a rifle company. In the latter part of this month and the forepart of July the town was thronged with sailors on their way to Sackett's Harbor, and on the 19th of July 270 men from the 3d and the 25th U. S. Regiments were in Utica. On the 22d a salute was fired there in honor of the arrival of Gen. Henry Dearborn.

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THROUGH THE WAR OF 1812.

These many military movements need not be followed further. They continued through the year, and as the war progressed were varied by the passage of British prisoners On the 3d of November Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was in Utica and was given a public dinner. These brief chronicles are derived from the diary of Dr. Alexander Coventry, of Utica, and are sufficient to indicate the fact that the inhabitants of Oneida county were kept on the alert as to the progress of the war and its bearing upon their own locality.

During the year 1813 Sackett's Harbor was the chief depot of military and naval supplies on Lake Ontario and presented a tempting prize for the enemy. About noon of May 28, 1813, Sir James L. Yeo, com- manding the British squadron, arrived off Sackett's Harbor from Kings- ton, with six armed vessels and forty bateaux carrying more than 1,000 troops. The harbor was feebly protected and a prompt assault would have resulted in its capture ; but the appearance of a few American gun boats transporting a regiment to its relief, frightened away the enemy. An attack was, however, made on the following day, and fearing cap- ture, the Americans burned stores worth $500,000. The British, see- ing the hurrying to and fro of the people on the land, fled in disorder to their vessels and the whole squadron sailed away. Sackett's Harbor was not again molested.

In the month of June several armed vessels of the British appeared off Oswego harbor. They opened fire on Fort Ontario, then occupied by a small garrison. Anchored in the harbor was the American vessel, Growler, of three guns. She replied vigorously, as did also the fort batteries, and after a brief cannonade the enemy retired.

In 1812 a brilliant young naval officer, twenty-seven years old, had charge of a fleet of gun boats in New York harbor. In 1813 he was called northward, served a short time on Lake Ontario under Commo- dore Chauncey, and was then given command of an armed fleet of nine small vessels on Lake Erie. This young officer's name was Oliver Hazard Perry. His flag ship was the Lawrence. On September 10 he encountered the British squadron and after a desperate and bloody battle the enemy was defeated with a loss of 200 killed and 600 pris- oners. Perry announced his victory to General Harrison by sending his famous message " We have met the enemy and they are ours."

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

Operations were also active on the Niagara frontier during 1813 and culminated on the last day of the year in the burning of Buffalo and Black Rock, a deed which the British justified by the previous burning of Newark, on the other side of the river, by the Americans.

It was during the year 1816 that the United States government com- pleted the arsenal in Rome, commenced in 1814, to which reference has already been made. A State arsenal had been built prior to 1810, on the site of St. Peter's church in Rome, and which was burned May 22, 1822. The United States arsenal, with its officers' quarters, magazines, and workshops, was quite a pretentious establishment and was erected under superintendence of Major James Dalliba, of the ordnance depart- ment. The arsenal property was sold in 1873 to Mudge & Ames and converted into a knitting factory.

Early in 1814 it was evident that the British intended a more vig- orous prosecution of the war. The victory of the allies over Napoleon had relieved from European service thousands of English soldiers, and early in the summer nearly 15,000 of Wellington's bronzed veterans were sent over to Canada. The inhabitants of this State received this news with deep concern. During the winter and spring the military author- ities on both sides of the St. Lawrence and the lakes made preparations for a determined struggle, with Lake Ontario as the prize. Commander Chauncey was adding largely to his fleet at Sackett's Harbor, which was finally armed with guns and provided with stores sent from Albany by way of Mohawk, Rome, Wood Creek, Oneida Lake and down the Oswego River to Oswego, whither they were transported by water. This armament was delayed at Oswego Falls, and there were also large quantities of military stores accumulated at Oswego With all these valuable and much needed supplies feebly protected and with Commodore Chauncey practically tied up at Sackett's Harbor awaiting their arrival, an auspicious opportunity was presented to the British for an attack on the important post of Oswego. They promptly availed themselves of the opportunity. No sooner had the ice left Kingston harbor than Sir James Yeo sailed out with a fleet of eight war vessels, several other fighting craft, and a force of about 3,000 men, with Oswego as his destination. As soon as General Gaines (Edmund P.), then in command on the land at Sackett's Harbor, learned that a fleet was pre-

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paring to sail from Kingston, he sent Colonel Mitchell with five artillery companies, about 300 strong, armed as infantry, to Oswego with orders to protect the threatened stores at all hazards. Mitchell arrived at Fort Ontario on April 30, 1814, and found a wretched state of things -only five rusty guns on the ramparts and dilapidation and ruin on all sides. The assault of the British was made on the 5th and 6th of May. Their fleet anchored half a mile from the fort on the 5th and a force attempted to make a landing; but the prompt and effective defense of Colonel Mitchell and his troops sent the enemy back to his vessels in shattered boats, and the fleet sailed away. Not so on the 6th. Under similar circumstances the fleet returned and the British, outnumbering the Americans two to one, effected a landing, and in spite of a deter- mined and heroic defense, drove the garrison to retreat. The enemy fortunately did not pursue, and it is doubtful if they knew of the val- uable stores, large quantities of which had been secreted in the vicinity. The British loss was somewhat larger than the American. Five promi- nent citizens of Oswego were captured and taken to Kingston, but were soon after released. Strange as it seems under the then existing cir- cumstances, the British did not occupy Fort Ontario, and it remained without another garrison until 1838. The sound of the cannonading of the battle was heard for miles around, causing intense anxiety. There were Oneida county men present at Oswego and the inhabitants of the county shared in the general apprehension. The stores and munitions were finally safely delivered at Sackett's Harbor.

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Our county and its people; a descriptive work on Oneida county, New York;, Part 17

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896 Publication date: 1896 Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co. Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Wager, Daniel Elbridge, 1823-1896
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: [Boston] : The Boston history co.
Number of Pages: 1612