USA > New York > Essex County > Elizabethtown > Pleasant Valley : a history of Elizabethtown, Essex County, New York > Part 16
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The "Mountain, called the Giant of the Valley, about one mile S. W. of the Court House" was our Cobble of to-day, the singular precipice, distance and direction from the village leaving no doubt as to the identity of the eminence. The real "Giant of the Valley," so famous to-day, was not known to the public generally in 1813, hence Spafford's error. The little errors are excusable in view of the primitive surroundings pre- vailing in 1813.
"Gen. Wright's staff at the beginning of the war," says Mrs. Caroline Halstead Royce in Bessboro, "consisted of Major Joseph Skinner, Brigade Major and Inspector, and Capt. John Warford, Brigade Quarter Master, both Clinton county men, with Captain John Gould of Essex as Aid-de- Camp. The 2nd of March, 1814, the two Clinton county men were replaced by David B. McNeil of Essex as Brigade Major, and William D. Ross (also of Essex) as Quarter Master, while Capt. Gould was retained as Aid. At the same time Capt. Luman Wadhams of Lewis was commissioned 2nd Major of the 37th regiment, and Diadorus Holcomb Surgeon's Mate, he
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having been paymaster of the regiment since Mar. 22, 1809."
With the opening of spring MacDonough was eagerly at work again upon the building and fitting of his fleet. Says Robinson : "The sap had scarcely begun to swell the forest buds when Vergennes, eight miles up stream, where the first fall bars navigation, was astir with the building of other craft for the Champlain navy. Forty days after the great oak which formed the keel of the Saratoga had fallen from its stump, the vessel was afloat and ready for its guns. Several gunboats were also built there, and early in May, their sappy timbers yet reeking with woodsy odors, the new craft dropped down the river to join the fleet at the Buttonwoods. The right bank of Otter Creek at its mouth is a rock-ribbed promontory, con- nected with the mainland except at high water by a narrow neck of low, alluvial soil. On the lake side of the point earth- works were thrown up, and mounted with several pieces of ar- tillery for the defense of the entrance against an expected attempt of the enemy to destroy the American fleet."
On the afternoon of May 13, 1814, there appeared off the village of Essex, as General Wright says in his official report, a "British Flotilla consisting of One Brig of twenty guns, six Sloops and Schooners and ten Row-gallies." General Wright was at least six miles away from the hostile boats, presumably putting in his crops, when the alarm sounded. "I residing some distance from this village," he writes "and not being promptly informed of the appearance of the enemy, Lt. Col. Nobles anticipated my wish by ordering out the Militia from a number of adjacent towns." And so the alarm once more spread through Willsboro, Essex, Lewis and Elizabethtown and once more the men responded with alacrity to the call.
General Wright rode down to Essex, where the militia kept streaming in all night. On the morning of the 14th the British
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boats moved away to the south, confirming what had been conjectured, that the real object of the invasion was an attempt upon MacDonough's fleet in Otter Creek. The works at the mouth of Otter Creek were defended by Captain Thornton of the artillery and Lieutenant Cassin of the navy. The British made an attack, which was repelled with much spirit.
All this was in sight of Northwest Bay, and only six miles away, across Lake Champlain.
The British were glad to back off and go north. As they did so watchers upon every headland of the lake sent the gladsome news inland that there would be no great battle be- tween the fleets that day. At noon King George's ships came off the village of Essex and "the Commodore," according to the report of Gen. Wright, "despatched an officer with a flag de- manding the surrender of a small sloop belonging to Mr. Wm. D. Ross which had been launched two days previous, but which had fortunately been conveyed to the southward of the Fort at Otter Creek."
The militia, drawn up a mile back from the village, was in a position to command every movement of the enemy. "About three o'clock," says Gen. Wright's report, "three of the Ene- my's Row gallies passed up the river Boquett and landed at the falls, where after demanding the public property (which had been timely conveyed to a distance) and learning that the militia were in force a few miles distant and were on the march to intercept their retreat, they precipitately embarked in their boats and made for the Lake. On ascertaining that the enemy were shaping their course towards the mouth of the river Lt. Col. Nobles directed his march towards that point and I approving of his plan of operation, I directed him to cross the wood and post his men on the bank of the River, which was done with the greatest promptness in time to arrest the progress of the enemy's gallies, the crew of which were so
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disabled as to oblige them to hoist a flag of distress, when a sloop came to their assistance and towed her off." Two Americans were slightly wounded. The position of the Ameri- cans during the fight was favorable, firing as they were from the top of the river bank which is quite high and steep near the mouth of the Boquet. The guns in the galley evidently could not be pointed high enough to reach the Americans, as most of the cannon ball struck the bank. The report con- cludes : "I hope and expect Commodore MacDonough will in the course of a few days be able to assume the command of the lake, which will relieve the anxiety of the inhabitants resid- ing on its borders."
Speaking of the conduct of the militia engaged at the mouth of the Boquet River, General Wright says : "It would be in- vidious to distinguish particular officers and soldiers who acted in this encounter. With pleasure I can assure you that every man engaged conducted himself with the cool delibera- tion of a veteran."
Just after the repulse of the British galleys at the mouth of the Boquet River the late Abraham Chase of Willsboro, father of the late Dr. E. R. Chase of Essex, and Jo Call, the modern Hercules, who were members of the same company, went into the tavern at Willsboro to get a drink. Under the influence of the "good cheer" of which they partook while in the tavern Abraham Chase, who was quite an athletic man and consider- able of a wrestler, said "Jo, I feel good enough to throw you," whereupon they took hold in front of the tavern and by some hook or crook he (Chase) did throw Jo Call. At least this is the substance of a report given by the late Dr. E. R. Chase of Essex to Henry Harmon Noble and the writer gets the statement from a letter written by Mr. Noble March 20, 1901.
Abraham Chase was a member of Captain John Richard- son's and Captain Abraham Aiken, Jr's company and served
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all through the War of 1812. After the War of 1812 he was commissioned Captain in the 37th Regiment and was generally known as Captain Chase. The mortal remains of the man who is said to have thrown Jo Call in front of the old Willsboro tavern were buried in the Lynde Cemetery at Willsboro.
Shortly after the repulse of the British galleys at the mouth of the Boquet River MacDonough's squadron sailed out of Otter Creek into Lake Champlain and away to the north. All that summer (1814) soldiers and supplies were observed pass- ing down Lake Champlain toward the frontier.
The latter part of August, 1814, General Izard with the army of 4,000 troops came marching along the State Road which had then been in use just a quarter of a century. General Izard and his army had been ordered from Plattsburgh to the Niagara frontier. A portion of General Izard's army camped on the Steele farm in Lewis and some of the dare devils as- cended the mountain since called Mt. Discovery, hiding can- non balls in the crotches of trees, to be found many years af- terwards by wondering men. One of these cannon balls found on Mt. Discovery 30 years ago and brought to Elizabethtown village by the late Harvey Brownson was shown to the writer at "Al." Fuller's blacksmith-shop. While the soldiers were on Mt. Discovery a fire was lighted which was observed from the village of Elizabethtown.
The main portion of General Izard's army, however, camped for the night where the Methodist Church and the High School building now stand in the village of Elizabethtown, but a few rods distant from the State Arsenal. The sol- diers were quiet and orderly while in the village. They were astir early in the morning and as they passed up the Boquet Valley stole a fine young horse from the late Oliver Abel, Sr., then a man 25 years of age. Mr. Abel
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did not like the idea of losing his favorite horse and followed the soldiers till they camped near what is now the line be- tween the towns of Elizabethtown and North Hudson. While the soldiers slept and the sentinel was off his guard, young Abel mounted his steed and rode away. His departure was discov- ered at once and shots were fired in his direction but he es- caped unharmed and rode his horse home with a feeling of supreme satisfaction. A few hours afterwards he went to fight at Plattsburgh, going in Captain John Lobdell's company of mounted men, riding the identical horse he had thus re- covered from General Izard's soldiers. Of this incident he proudly boasted · to the day of his death more than 65 years afterwards.
Scarcely had the tramp and music of General Izard's troops died away in the distance when mounted men came riding into Elizabethtown from the north warning out the militia to repel a British invasion from Canada. General Wright, at home on his hillside farm, received his division orders by the hand of a horseman, one of his own staff, from Essex, to whom they had been brought from Plattsburgh. The paper was endorsed on the outside "Express, Will Major McNeil or John Gould, Aide, at Essex, see that this order is delivered immediately." The paper read as follows on the inside :
"Division Orders, Plattsburgh, August 31, 1814.
Brig. Gen. Daniel Wright will assemble immediately the whole of the Militia under his command in the county of Essex and march directly to Plattsburgh to repel an invasion of the State of New York.
Companies as fast as they assemble will march to this place or to some place of rendezvous in the vicinity thereof, without waiting for others, those near the arsenal will supply them- selves with arms from thence which the commissary is here
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directed to issue. Others will be furnished when they arrive here.
By order of Major-Gen.
BENJAMIN MOOERS.
R. H. WALWORTH, Aid-de-Camp."
At the time Major General Mooers was writing the Division Order at Plattsburgh August 31, 1814, the soldiers of King George III had actually invaded the State of New York by way of Canada. These soldiers, 14,000 strong, many of whom had served under Wellington in the Peninsula Campaign against Napoleon, were attempting to carry into execution one of the boldest schemes which ever originated in the mind of man. The British administration, knowing that the New Eng- land States were averse to war and that they would much pre- fer peace, contemplated a dismemberment of the Union by securing possession of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River from the north and New York City from the south, believing that the consequent division of our glorious republic would re- sult in the establishment of a separate peace with the Eastern States. At the head of this proud invading army, "with bands of music and flying banners," was Sir George Provost, who was cherishing the idea that he was going to win a hero's name on the banks of the Saranac River.
As the news of this invasion was carried along up the west- ern shore of Lake Champlain and into the country contiguous to it the greatest excitement prevailed. Neighbors went from house to house discussing the situation and all able bodied men rallied to aid in turning back the tide of British invasion which threatened to destroy their beloved homes in what was then little short of a wilderness. In our day of telegraph and telephone how strange it seems that the main body of our own
JUDGE BYRON POND.
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army under General Izard was marching away to the south at the moment Sir George Provost and his proud army were approaching Plattsburgh. It seems almost incredible that such should have been the fact, even without the telegraph and telephone.
General Wright's brigade, in Major General Benjamin Mooers' division, consisted at this time of three regiments, the 9th, Lieutenant Colonel Martin Joiner, the 37th, Lieutenant Colonel Ransom Noble, and Major Reuben Sanford's inde- pendent battalion. In the 37th were most of our militia men, also those from the town of Lewis who went to Plattsburgh and fought under Deacon Levi Brown as Ensign-Commandant, Luman Wadhams having been Captain of the Company be- fore he was commissioned 2d Major of the 37th regiment.
Following is a list of the men who fought under Deacon Levi Brown, grandfather of the author of Pleasant Valley, at the Battle of Plattsburgh:
Levi Brown, Ensign.
Noah Lee, Serg't.
Oliver Holcomb,
Cheeny Burpee,
Isaac Bristoll,
Thomas Carr, Corp.
Jno. Nicholson,
Timothy Lee,
Isaac Wells, Musician.
Samuel Bishop, 66
Ede Alder, Private.
Shadrack Burpee,
Jeremiah Bennett, 66
Reuben Bristoll, 66
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Elijah Dennison,
Elijah Evans,
Asa Farnsworth, 66
Levi Francis,
John Gibbs,
Wilson Hogg, 66 wounded 6th.
Thomas P. Jones,
Cyrus Nicholson,
Samuel Nelson,
Henry Parker,
Asabel Randall,
Thomas Steele, 66
Reuben Spaulding, 66
Phinehas 66
John Tyler, 66
Joseph Tippetts, 66
Thomas Wood, 66
Roger H. Woodruff, "
David Westcott, " slightly wounded 6th.
On Friday, September 2d, the first detachment of Elizabeth- town soldiers marched away towards Plattsburgh, only a day or two after General Izard and his troops had gone up the Boquet Valley 4,000 strong. Captain Levi Frisbee and Cap- tain Jesse Braman went with men from Northwest Bay and the "Falls" sections.
And right here the author takes great pleasure in placing the names of the men of two Elizabethtown Companies-Cap- tain John Lobdell's cavalry and Captain John Calkin's in- fantry-on the printed pages of local history for the first time. It has long been known that oblivion could never shroud the splendor of the achievements of the militia at the Battle of Plattsburgh and henceforth the individual names of our own
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Elizabethtown participants in that sanguinary conflict shall shine in the limelight of publicity.1
Following is a list of the cavalrymen who went from Eliz- abethtown to serve at Plattsburgh in September, 1814 :
John Lobdell, Captain.
Samuel Lee, 1st Lieutenant.
Sampson Smith, 2d
Selah Westcott,
Cornet.
John Blake, Serg't.
Mahlan Darlin,
Lucius Lobdell,
Oliver Abel,
Corporal.
Robert Thompson, Jr., Corporal.
Ralph Phelps,
Benjamin Baxter,
Azor Squire, Trumpeter.
Samuel Brunson, Private.
Abiel Beach.
Barret Bishop.
Offin Barret, on express to Albany on order of Gen. Mooers. John Burt.
James Cutler, Jonathan Cutler.
Daniel Fish.
William Heaton. Alden Hull. Erastus Joiner. Elisha Leonard. Bouton Lobdell.
1 The author of Pleasant Valley worked, first and last, over 20 years getting the names of the members of the Lewis Company and these two Elizabethtown Companies. Finally the "missing links" were supplied by that indefatigable student of local history-Henry Harmon Noble of Essex, grandson of the late General Ransom Noble of the same place.
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Amos Perry. James O. Partridge. Levi Rice. Truman Rice.
Jeremah Jericho.
Thomas Squire. Oliver Westcott.
Abijah Show, wagoner.
It will be noted that there were three Lobdells in Elizabeth- town's Company of horse. It may be added here that they were brothers and that Captain John Lobdell who led our cavalry at Plattsburgh was one of the "bravest and best" the town ever knew. According to his commission papers, which have been in the writer's possession since the latter 80s, John Lobdell was in 1808 cornet in the cavalry troop of Theodorus Ross, in 1811 1st Lieutenant and Captain in 1812. He re- signed in 1817. He was an expert rider, being one of the finest appearing men on horseback ever seen in Pleasant Valley.
Following is a list of Captain John Calkin's Company of foot soldiers, infantry as we say to-day :
John Calkin, Captain.
Norman Nicholson, Serg't.
Asahel Root,
Orson Kellogg,
Lewis Pierson,
Roman Brownson, Corporal.
Chauncey Alford,
Charles B. Prindle, 66
Valentine Kellogg, 66
Charles Miller, Drummer.
Erastus Simonds, Fifer.
Ariel Abel, Jr., Private.
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Joshua Blake. William Brown. Jonathan Betts. Calvin Calkin. Elijah Calkin. Isaac Calkin.
Benjamin Calkin.
Nathan Betts. Andrew Goodrich. James Howles. Freeman Holcomb. Ansel Holcomb, wounded Sept. 11th, died Sept. 13th. Odle Hoose. Alanson Hanmer. Ebenezer Hanchett. Samuel Jenkins. David Judd. John Knox. William Kellogg. Ezra Nichols.
Owen Oaks. Richard Phelps. Nathan Perry. Jonathan Post. Gardner Simonds.
George Tuesdal.
Elijah Thayre, Jr. Daniel Thayre.
Isaac Toms, killed in action Sunday, Sept. 11th. David Van Guilder. Luther Waite. John Waite.
Murray Waterman.
·
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There were five Calkin brothers in this company. Moreover, there were three brothers-in-law of the Calkin brothers in the company. Quite a record of family patriotism for one company raised in a little mountainous township. To our knowledge the record has never been surpassed in this north- ern region.
It will readily be seen that a large number of new family names appear in the lists of soldiers given. At this period there were also new settlers at the "Falls" and in the North- west Bay section.
Tuesday, Sept. 6th, General Mooers took our militia men across the Saranac River to meet a column of British troops which was moving upon Plattsburgh. There was some sharp fighting as the militia retired to the river and General Mooers says : "Some part of the militia behaved on this occasion, as well as since, with the greatest gallantry, and were not sur- passed in courage and usefulness by the regulars on that day." And it may be added here that he was obliged to say that some of the militia went home. None of our Elizabethtown troops, however, were scared enough to run home that day.
Sunday, September 11, 1814, the great and decisive Battle of Plattsburgh was fought. The fighting on land was along the Saranac River. On the south bank of the river our local militia did some great fighting, resisting the advance of the veterans who had served under Wellington with a vigor and determination worthy of praise. The British attempted to cross the Saranac at three points, one at the village bridge where they were repulsed by the artillery and guards under Captains Brooks, Richards and Smith, one at the upper bridge where they were foiled by the pickets and Riflemen under Captain Grovener and Lieutenants Hamilton and Smith, supported by a detachment of militia, and the third at the ford near "Pike's cantonment," where they were resisted by the militia under
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Major General Benjamin Mooers and Brigadier General Daniel Wright of Elizabethtown. This is in accordance with the report given in Palmer's History of Lake Champlain.
As the British vessels rounded Cumberland Head at 8 o'clock that beautiful Sunday morning, September 11, 1814, they found MacDonough at anchor waiting for them.
According to Palmer's History of Lake Champlain the Brit- ish fleet consisted of the Confiance, 37 guns, over 300 men, commanded by Commodore Downie in person, the Linnet, 16 guns and 120 men, under Captain Pring, the Chub, Lieutenant McGhee, and the Finch, Lieutenant Hicks, each of the latter boats carrying 11 guns and about 45 men. To these ves- sels were added 13 gun boats with about 45 men each. Five of the gun boats carried two guns and eight one gun each.
MacDonough's fieet consisted of his flag-ship Saratoga, 26 guns, the brig Eagle, 20 guns, Captain Henly, the schooner Ticonderoga, 17 guns, Lieutenant Budd. Then there were six galleys, the Allen, Burrows, Borer, Nettle, Viper and Centi- 'pede, each with 2 guns, and four galleys, the Ludlow, Wilmer, Alwyn and Ballard with one gun each. Some of these boats had been built at Essex and taken to Otter Creek to be fitted with their armaments.
Palmer states that the naval force of the Americans amounted to only 882 men, while the British force amounted to 1,000 men.
The following words from the late Hon. Julius C. Hubbell of Chazy who witnessed the naval battle from Cumberland Head, are taken from the Plattsburgh Republican of Feb. 1, 1879 :
"MacDonough's fleet was anchored between Cumberland Head and Crab Island, a little inside, and the British fleet bore down upon them, under a good northerly breeze. The British guns had much the longest range, but strangely enough they came down within easy range of our guns, instead of keeping
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off farther out of reach and using their advantage. This was perhaps owing to a miscalculation on the wind, but anyhow it seemed providential.
Soon the firing commenced. I cannot begin to describe that scene. I was near the point of the Head, on the west shore and had a perfect view of the whole battle. The firing was terrific, fairly shaking the ground, and so rapid that it seemed to be one continuous roar, intermingled with spiteful flashing from the mouths of the guns, and dense clouds of smoke soon hung over the two fleets. It appeared to me that our guns were discharged three times to the enemy's once, and a British officer afterwards told me that it took twelve men to manage each of them."
It is recorded that the brave Downie, a large, fair looking man, was one of the first killed. The surgeons could find no mark upon him and concluded that he must have been killed by a spent shot.
Speaking of the incident which contributed so materially in deciding one of the greatest naval battles of history the late Hon. Julius C. Hubbell said :
"I saw the two midshipmen [Platt and Bailey ?] go out in their small boat, as it was necessary for somebody to do in or- der to swing the Saratoga around so as to bring her fresh broadside to bear upon her enemy-the Confiance. It seemed as if that little boat must be struck, the shot were flying so thick all about it, and I believe it was struck several times, but the Saratoga was warped about, and when that fresh broadside opened it seemed as if she was all on fire. The bat- tle was soon decided after that, and the British flags came down one after another."
One of the British marines who was at Trafalgar with Lord Nelson said it was a mere flea bite in comparison with the
WILLIAM WALL,
Fifer Under Wellington at Waterloo, and His wife Nancy.
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Battle of Plattsburgh. Certainly the opinion of a man who had been in both battles ought to carry weight.
It will be recalled that the fighting was in progress both on land and water at the same time that Sunday morning, Sept. 11, 1814, at Plattsburgh. Sir George Provost had 13,000 vet- erans at Plattsburgh, one regiment having remained at Chazy, while the American forces under General Alexander Macomb did not exceed 1,500 regulars and General Daniel Wright's brigade, 700 strong, plus 2500 Vermont volunteers commanded by General Strong who arrived just in time to aid materially in turning back the British veterans. Under General Strong served at least one volunteer-John James-who afterwards settled in Elizabethtown. He lived to be over 90 years of age and drew a pension on account of the service rendered at the Battle of Plattsburgh. He was the father of John James of Elizabethtown and died at the latter's home in the Boquet Valley in the spring of 1885.
Major Reuben Sanford personally took an axe and cut a stringer over the Saranac River while the British bullets were flying thick and fast about him, his only remark being "It's too bad to spoil such a good axe."
Concerning the part taken by the militia under the immedi- ate command of Majors Sanford and Wadhams, General Mooers says in his report to the Commander-in-chief :
"On the morning of the 11th the action began with the fleet, the enemy at the same time opening all his batteries upon our forts. About an hour afterwards the enemy presented them- selves in considerable force to effect a passage of the Sara- nac at a fordable place, one of my cantonment, where the Essex militia and some few detached volunteers were posted. In disputing the passage of the river a sharp contest ensued. The militia under the command of Majors Sanford and Wad- hams, two excellent officers, stood their ground during a num-
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ber of well-directed fires, and until the enemy had effected the passage of the river and ascended the bank, when a retreat was ordered and effected in good order before a force evidently far superior, carefully improving every good position to con- tinue our fire upon them."
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