USA > New York > Onondaga County > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 28
USA > New York > Onondaga County > Syracuse > Past and present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York : from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908 > Part 28
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which we pulled up in the fields, if the Indians,-who were eneamped on the opposite bank of the river. had not brought us a large pike, which they had caught in the morning with a harpoon."
At Constantia he met with the Frenchman of Frenchman's island, but this has appeared in another chapter.
In Clark's history he notes that Alexander Wilson, the celebrated ornith- ologist, passed a miserable night in the village of Manlius, in November, 1804. "There, he says, he was obliged to sing nearly the whole night, to dream the melancholy groans of his disconsolate companion, who could seareely make his way through the snow and mud. Ile spent a day here, collecting speci- mens of birds and other information.". .. . Wilson published a metrical account of this pedestrian journey, which began in Pennsylvania and included Nia- gara and Oswego. Of the latter place he gave a graphie account, reaching it from Cayuga lake by river. The prosperous farmers and pleasure seekers at Cross lake may smile at his account of that pretty sheet of water, and this part of the trip follows:
As morning dawned. our little skiff we trimmed,
And through the misty flood with vigor skimmed; Now, gliding smooth, we hail with songs the morn; Now, down white boiling breakers headlong borne. Again enclosed the gray woods ronnd us rise, We pass where Cross lake green and stagnant lies; And marked the snakes. amid the wat'ry way, With heads erect our dripping oars survey. Dead lie the lonely woods and silent shore, As Nature slept, and mankind were no more. How drear! how desolate to ear and eye! What awful solitudes around us lie ! Sad were his fate, too dreadfully severe, For life condemned to linger hopeless here ; From such lone thoughts of gloomy exiled wo, All human ties forever to forego; The heart shrinks back. dejected and dismayed, And owns that man for social joys was made.
Yet still, whate'er our doubtful hearts may say, Even Nature's self to habit will give way, And these vast solitudes, so deep and drear, As more frequented will become more dear. On yonder island, opening by degrees, Behold the blue smoke. mounting through the trees! There, by his fire. 'mid sheltering brush obscured, His bark canoe along the margin moored, With lank jet locks that half his face conceal, The Indian hunter eats his morning meal. Stakes rudely reared his little pot suspend,
JAMES STREET, SYRACUSE.
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Amid the smoke his busy partners bend,
Beyond. sly peeping, fearful to be seen ,
Two copper chubs their favorite shell-barks glean. Another night another hut supplies,
In half an hour the crazy fabries rise ; The roof with bark, the floor with spruce bespread, The stakes around with skins and venison clad; At our approach suspicion lours his eye, That searce regards us gliding swiftly by.
His life, how simple, and his wants how few:
A blanket, leggins, rifle and canoe, Knife, hatchet, moekasins-not much beside, And all beyond him is empty pride.
O'er these lone swamps the Muse impatient flies, Where inightier seenes and nobler prospects rise, Nor stops, in due rehearsal to detail
Each roaring rapid and each adverse gale, What vagrant tribes. what islands meet our view, How down Oswego's foaming Falls we flew, Now plunging in, our sinking bark to save, Now headlong hurried down, th' outrageous wave;
Now through the deep still flood, with sounding oars,
We swept, and hailed with songs the echoing shores.
These had their pleasures. and perhaps their fears;
But terrors flee where dauntless courage steers.
A thousand toils, a thousand dangers past,
The long expected lake appears at last. Seen through the trees, like Ocean's boundless blue, Huzza! huzza! Ontario is in view!
In 1794 there was quite an alarm all along the frontier, and a distinguished party came to Onondaga to see to its defense. Two of the four were Baron Steuben and General Stephen Van Rensselaer. They ordered some block- houses built. The former distinguished soldier did his last military service in this work and in reviewing some Onondaga milita, but he did something more. On the return the party stopped at John A. Shaeffer's log tavern in Manlius, neither large nor convenient and yet full of strange noises that night. The Baron wanted to sleep and was furious. His greeting to the land- lord next morning was not a blessing. He denouneed the house in unmeasured terms. The astonished landlord could not say a word, but a woman was equal to the situation. She plaeed a new born child before the Baron and said : "Here is the cause of all the trouble and noise." He recovered his good humor, and the little Baron Steuhen Shaeffer had not only a sounding name, but a deed of gift of two hundred and fifty aeres in Oneida county.
In the English edition (1815) of Chateaubriand's Recollections of Amer- iea there is a note to "A Night among the Savages," implying that he had re-
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served but little more. He said: "Almost all that follows is taken from the manuscript of my Travels in America, which perished together with several other incomplete works. Among them I had begun one, Les Tableaux de la Nature, which was the history of a savage tribe in Canada, moulded into a sort of romanee ..... Of all this work only a few detached leaves remain in my possession, and among them is Night which I now insert."
This Night was among the Senecas. In another work he tells of his visit to Onondaga in 1791, when twenty-two years old. Ile was on his way from Albany to Niagara, with his Dutch interpreter, and arrived here late in the spring. The Syracuse Herald was fortunate in securing the record of his visit from a contributor, who obtained it from Mr. De Cost Smith. In a bookstore in Paris he chaneed to see the rare volumes of Chateaubriand's travels here. and being of Onondaga birth, when he saw a chapter headed "Les Onon- dagas," bought the books at once. Chateaubriand said :
"We had arrived at the edge of the lake to which the Onondagas and Iroquois nation have given their name. Our horses had need of rest. With my Hollander I chose a suitable place for our eamp. We found one in a gorge of the point where the river comes seething from the lake. This stream does not run a hundred fathoms to the north in a direct line before bending to the east where it flows parallel to the shores of the lake beyond the rocks which encircle the latter."
In the bend of the river they built a bark hut, kindled a fire, placed the saddles for pillows, put bells on the horses and turned them loose. "From our hut we enjoyed a picturesque scene. Before us spread the rather narrow lake bordered with forests and rocks, while around us the river enveloped our peninsula, with its limpid green waters sweeping its banks with impet- uosity."
As it was four o'clock on a May afternoon he took his gun and went look- ing for game and flowers, without much luek. First he tried the river, then the lake. Ile saw a beautiful azalia, and chased a little owl. In a little valley he found an Indian hut, a thin eow, which some white men chased away. re- placing her with their own fat animals. A young and widowed squaw soothed the poor ereature, and Chateaubriand tried to be friends with both. with moderate sueeess.
"On the morrow I went with my guide to visit the principal Sachem of the Onondagas, whose village was not far distant. We arrived about 10 o'clock in the morning. I was soon surrounded by a crowd of young savages. who accosted me in their own language, mixed with English phrases and a few words of French, making a great noise, and appearing pleased." They inspected his gun thoroughly.
"The Sachem of the Onondagas was an old Iroquois." He had "great mutilated ears, a bead nose-ornament, face streaked with various colors. a little tuft of hair on the crown of his head, blue tunie, mantle of skin, belt of hide with a knife and war club, arms tatooed. moceasins on the feet. belt or chaplet of porcelain (wampum) in the hand. He received me well and made me sit on his mat."
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He spoke English and understood Freuch; in fact was sorry the French had lost Canada. He had tried to help the widow, but without success, and thought Indian prospects rather poor." After partaking of a repast served by the squaws we took our departure. On the day after this visit to the Onon- daga chief I continued my journey. This old chief had been at the fall of Quebee, and was present at the death of General Wolf, and I, stepping from the hut of a savage. had but recently escaped from the palace of Versailles and had just dined with Washington."
CHAPTER XXII.
MITITARY ORGANIZATIONS.
When General Washington took command of the American army, July 4, 1775, it consisted of fourteen thousand five hundred men, assembled at Cam- brilge, Massachusetts. It came from several colonies, but he "hoped that all Distinctions of Colonies will be laid aside, so that one and the same spirit may animate the whole." In October, 1776, provision was made for a Contin- ental army proportioned to states according to their population. The levy on the different states reads curiously now. Thus Massachusetts and Virginia furnished fifteen regiments each, Pennsylvania twelve, Maryland and Connee- tieut eight each, New York four. These were designated as the New York line, Pennsylvania line, ete., as in the published muster rolls. Each state quota formed a body commanded by local officers, and cared for by Congress and its own state.
At the same time Congress provided a simple style of clothing. Each officer and soldier that year was to receive "two linen hunting shirts, two pair of overalls, a leather or woolen waistcoat with sleeves, one pair of breeches, a hat or leather cap. two shirts, two pair of hose, and two pair of shoes." March 23, 1779, Congress authorized Washington to fix and prescribe the uniform. The army was to have "woolen overalls for winter and linen for summer." Groups of states had different facings. Thus New York and New Jersey had blue faced with buff, buttons and linings white. Four states had white faeings, three red, and three blue. Artillery and artillery artificers had blue faced with searlet, scarlet linings, yellow buttons and yellow bound hats. coats edged with narrow lace or tape, and button holes bound with the same. Light dragoons had the whole suit blue, faced with white, and with white buttons and linings. Most of these were worn by Onondaga pensioners.
Washington also had a life guard selected by himself. He wanted men of good character, good height, "elean and spruce." This was in March, 1776, and one hundred and eighty men were selected. The next year Washington gave further directions to Captain Gibbs. "If blue and buff can be had, I should prefer that uniform. as it is the one I wear myself. I shall get men from five feet nine inches to five feet ten inches for the Guard; for such sized men, there-
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fore, make your elothing. You may get a small round hat, or a cocked hat. as you please." The life guard at one time had two hundred and fifty men. all native born.
The question of uniforms was a serious one in border warfare. Thus three officers at Sorel, December 2, 1778, represented to Governor Haldimand. of Canada, "the danger to the loyalists of wearing the clothing in store (blue faced with white) as it is the same as the uniform of some of the enemy's troops, and asks to be supplied with red." It thus appears that many of the Americans wore blue before it was the regulation uniform.
A famous partisan corps, often in Onondaga in the Revolution, was the Royal Yorkers or Royal Greens. They are said to have worn green eoats at the battle of Oriskany. De Peyster conjectures that "At first it was deter- mined to uniform the Provincial corps in green, and some were originally elothed in this color, but had it changed; others, exceptions to the rule, re- tained it to the end of the war." However, this may be, a uniform of this famous company is preserved at Cornwall. Canada. "The coat is of scarlet cloth, with blue facings and gold lace, a small epaulette of gold fringe on each shoulder. The buttons are gilt, with the letters and word 'K. R. R., New York,' stamped on them. The dress waistcoat is scarlet, with gilt buttons. The undress waistcoat and breeches are of white cloth. The suit requires only the cocked hat, stockings. boots or buskled shoes, and erimson sash to be complete." The proper title was the King's Royal Regiment of New York. and six companies ascended the Oswego and Oneida rivers with St. Leger.
Joseph Brant was with this party, in his war paint, but an account of him written in 1782, described his holiday garb. "He was a likely fellow. of a fierce aspect-tall and rather spare-well spoken, and apparently about thirty years of age. He wore moccasins, elegantly trimmed with beads, leggings and brech-cloth of superfine blue, short green coat, with two silver epauletes and a small laced round hat. By his side hung an elegant silver mounted eut- lass, and his blanket of blue cloth, purposely dropped in the chair on which he sat, to display his epauletes, was gorgeously decorated with a border of red." He was too sensible to wear such a costume in the wilds of Onondaga.
Green was a favorite color with the American militia of a century ago. A rifle company organized at Manlius. September 19, 1809, by Captain Charles Mosely, wore green rifle frocks and trousers, with yellow fringe. black gaiters. round black hats with yellow buttons, black loops and short green feathers. Artillery and cavalry usually wore blue, elaborately trimmed. In the actual warfare of 1812 general rules applied to New York troops. Light infantry were to wear dark blue coats with white linings, searlet faeings, collars and cuffs, white underclothes. and buttons of white or yellow metal. Rifle com- panies had blue roundabouts or sailor coats without fringe, but with yellow buttons and laced button holes, blue trousers with yellow cord edging. boots or black gaiters, and a helmet. Some artillerists were to "uniform in long dark Blue Coats on the model of those worn by the Artillerists of the United States, with scarlet linings, facings, collars and cuffs; yellow Buttons, white
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under-clothes, and cocked hats, with the eoekade of the Artillerists of the United States."
The writer remembers well the uniform of a riffe company of Skaneateles and Marcellus, which delighted his eyes seventy years ago. Greyish blue coats with white trousers were encircled by a red sash, and the tall hat had a brass plate supporting a towering crimson plume. A little later eame an artillery company in Spattord with hunting shirts. The rank and file had these of white with red fringe and bore swords. The artillerists had black froeks and trousers trimmed with red. All wore pointed caps with red and white pompon. With the Mexican war military uniforms began to follow the army fashion, though some old organizations adhered to early traditions. In the "floodwood" companies the captain usually wore a military costume. The privates armed and dressed as they pleased. In faet they drilled much in the same way.
Seventy years ago there was an officers' drill of two consecutive days, in which they were supposed to learn enough to give all necessary instruction in the one day's company drill. Then came the great day of all the year, the general training day. Fourth of July was nowhere alongside of this. Every company of the regiment must appear for inspection, and broomsticks and shotguns would not pass muster. "Ah! then and there was hurrying to and fro" for the needful equipment. Drums beat, and fifes played, and plumes and banners waved. Ambitious youths wore unaccustomed clothes and weapons, and pranced ou nnaeenstomed steeds, happy if they could keep their seats. All the pomp and panoply of war appeared without its cruel sights. There was the expected peddler, and the wonderful gingerbread, and the sweet cider not yet deemed hurtful. There was the grand outburst of drums and fife, heard once a year when the colors were presented and returned. Curiously enough the United States flag had no place in the parade.
Without formal treatment a few incidents may be given from Onondaga's military history. In 1791, while still a part of Herkimer county, a number of Onondaga men received commissions in Major Abraham Hardenburgh's bat- talion, General Veeder's brigade. Moses De Witt, Benjamin Dey and Ros- well Franklin were captains, and Hezekiah Oleott and Josiah Buek were among the lieutenants. There was some organization even earlier. In 1789 that part of Montgomery county lying west of the old line of property, and south of Wood ereek, Oneida lake and Onondaga (Oneida) river, east of the line of eession to Massachusetts, and north of the town of Chemung and lands purchased of the Oneidas in 1785, was organized into a battalion dis- triet. Abraham Hardenburgh was major, John Hardenburgh and John Thorn- ton captains, and Moses De Witt and Benjamin Dey lieutenants.
Two regiments were formed in this district in 1791. The one under Lieu- tenant Colonel Timothy Tuttle had some Onondaga officers, as Ebenezer But- ler, Caleb Merrell and others. In 1792, in one battalion of Herkimer county, Moses De Witt and Asa Danforth were majors; Hezekiah Olcott was captain of one company; Jeremiah Gould lieutenant, Comfort Tyler ensign. In another Asa Danforth, Jr., was captain, Orris Curtis lieutenant, and James
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Clarke ensign. Josiah Buck was also a captain. In 1793 the captains were Jeremiah Gould, James Clarke and Samuel Forman; the lieutenants Comfort Tyler, Samuel Jerome, James Greene, John Lamb and Elijah Phillips.
In 1794 the battalion commanded by Danforth and De Witt was divided, and John Lineklaen was made major. Samuel S. Forman, James Greene and Samuel Persons were captains. In April, 1795, Othniel Taylor was com- mander of a brigade in the counties of Onondaga and Ontario. The same year Walter D. Niehols was appointed captain of a troop of horse, formed from the battalions of Majors Hardenburgh and Danforth. There was much war- like feeling at that time.
In 1796 Asa Danforth's regiment inelnded Hannibal, Lysander, Cicero, - Manlius, Pompey, Fabius, Solon. Cineinnatus, Tully. Homer, Virgil, Camilles, Sempronius, Locke. Dryden and the Onondaga reservation. Hezekiah Oleott and Josiah Buck were majors. In 1798 a brigade was formed of Onondaga and the north part of Chenango, with Walter D. Nichols as inspector and brigade major. In that year Jeremiah Gould became major and Nehemiah Earll captain. Among others Ephraim Webster, then first appeared as lieu- tenant, becoming captain in 1801. David Williams was also a captain, and a major later. That year Edward Paine became brigadier general and Heze- kiah Oleott commanded a regiment. He was the first town clerk of Pompey.
In 1800 Winston Day, first merchant in Skaneateles, was paymaster of Ol- cott's regiment, and Elijah Rust was captain of a new company. Thaddeus M. Wood also appeared as captain of a troop of horse. In 1801 there were four regiments in Onondaga county. Lieutenant Colonel Jeremiah Gould commanded one of six companies, with a company of light infantry. Elijah Phillips commanded the second, with six companies and one of light infantry. Robert Earll was in command of the third, with seven companies. The fourth was commanded by Moses Hopkins, with eight companies. This included the south part of the county and a portion of Cortland. . In 1802 Captain Samuel Sherwood formed a company of artillery in General Danforth's brigade.
Robert Earll was made brigadier general in 1804, and a separate batallion was formed in that year for that part of Lieutenant Colonel James Knapp's regiment which was in the town of Fabius. Captains Coleman J. Keeler, Israel Smith and Jonathan Brownell at this time had Onondaga troops of horse, belonging to the second squadron of cavalry, fifth division of militia.
Another regiment was formed in 1807, and Captain Daniel Mulholland organized a battery. attached to Lieutenant Colonel Kirkland's artillery regi- ment. In 1509 Captain Silvanus Towsley had a company of horse artillery. That year a battalion was set off from the regiment in the towns of Camillus, Lysander and Hannibal. Onondaga was formed into one brigade, with Isaac ITall as brigadier general, and the regiments were newly arranged. There were then three companies in Pompey. Cortland county was set off for another brigade. In the new arrangement Onondaga had at first but two regiments, increased to three and a battalion in 1810, and to five regiments in 1811. These included artillery and some grenadier companies. Lieutenant
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Colonel Thaddeus MI. Wood commanded one regiment. He was fond of mili- tary display.
In 1812 six Onondaga regiments formed the Twenty-seventh brigade of infantry under Major Charles Moseley, succeeded by John Ellis, of Onondaga. Major D. Mulholland commanded the Twelfth regiment; Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Chandler the Sixteenth ; Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Johnson the Sixty- second; Christopher Clark the Ninety-eighth; Thaddeus M. Wood the One Hundred and Forty-seventh, and Warren Hecox the One Hundred and Fifty- ninth. The regiments had not been numbered before. In 1811 the commander- in-chief proposed to organize a battalion of riflemen in this brigade, there being many expert marksmen here. Accordingly one was formed in 1812 under Captain Charles Moseley.
Hostilities seemed certain, and it was ordered, April 2, 1812, that "The detachments from Onondaga, Madison and Cortlandt Counties will, upon their arrival at Oswego, be formed into one corps, to be commanded by a field officer whom the Commander in Chief will assign for that purpose." Follow- ing the declaration of war, a dispatch addressed to Brigadier General John Ellis, June 23, 1812, said: "Yon will therefore be vigilant and attentive to the safety of the frontier of Onondaga. You are by this letter authorized to order out Major Moseley's battalion of riflemen (two companies), Capt. Mulholland's company of artillery, or any other part of the volunteers or detached troops of your brigade, to reinforce the Oswego detachments, upon the requisition of the Commandant of that post."
During this war there came into existence many companies of Silver Greys. or exempts, organized for home defense. They were made up of elderly men and boys. The Aurelins Silver Greys were organized September 16, 1812. Some persons in Marcellus formed such a company. The governor "does hereby organize the said association as a company of Infantry, and brevets and assigns Timothy Copp to be the Captain; Levi Appleby to be the Lieu- tenant, and David Willard to be the Ensign of the said Company." Another company of exempts was formed in Fabius the next year. The Governor "brevets and assigns Nathaniel Bacon as Captain; Elisha Fox as Lieutenant, and Jeremiah Smith as Ensign." Another company was organized in Cam- illus, November 13, 1812, and the Governor made them a "company of Infantry. and brevets and assigns Squire Manro [Munro] as Captain, Moses Rogers as First Lieutenant, Isaac Lindsay as Second Lieutenant and Nichobod Lam- berson as Ensign of said Co."
Some special orders were given in 1813. August 28: The artillery com- panies of Onondaga and Cortlandt counties would not rendezvous for the present, but were to be ready to march. September 4: The militia of Onon- daga and some other counties were ordered to enter the service of the United States, for the defence of the border, September 14, at 10 A. M. The rendez- vous of the Onondaga troops was to be selected by the commander of the Twenty-seventh infantry brigade.
Regarding services at Oswego. in 1812, following the declaration of war,
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J. V. H. Clark said: "The following July. Col. George Fleming, of Cayuga, took the command, having under him nine companies of militia, and made some movements towards repairing the works, which amounted to nothing. At this time Charles B. Bristol, of Manlius, was a large army contractor, and furnished the troops at Oswego and other posts with provisions. Mr. MeNair, of Oswego, was his commissary. Major Charles Moseley, Captains C. B. Bristol and Leonard Kellogg. of the riflemen, and Captain Mulholland. of the artillery, with Lieutenants Melanethon Smith, William Gardner, Seth Gros- venor and Hezekiah Ketelaim, of the riffemen, and Lieutenants John Dela- mater and Robert Cummings, of the artillery, all of Manlins and Pompey, were ordered to Oswego, and there spent the greater part of the season till the elose of the campaign. Several companies were present from other parts of the county, viz: Captain John Sprague of Pompey, Captains Forbes and Mead from Onondaga, Captain Turner from Marcellus, who died during the summer, and Captains Davidson and Dodge from Madison County. These were mostly volunteers of independent companies, some of whom volunteered for a year, were called to Queenstown, and participated in the battle there, on the 11th of October. In the month of November, Col. Fleming left for home, and the command devolved upon Col. Cleveland, of Madison County, who had just arrived with a re-enforcement of militia. The terms of service of the militia who had spent the summer, expired the Ist of January, 1813, upon which they returned home."
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