USA > New York > Fulton County > The border warfare of New York, during the revolution; or, The annals of Tryon county > Part 12
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in the time of making sugar, and from thence laid his course for Cherry Valley to investigate the state of things there; and as he was pursu- ing a blind kind of Indian trail, and was ascend- ing what are now called Decatur Hills, he cast his eye forward and saw a company of men coming di- rectly toward him, who had the appearance of In- dians. He knew that if he attempted to flee from them they would shoot him down ; he resolved to ad- vance right up to them, and make the best shift for himself he could. As soon as he came near enough to discern the white of their eyes, he knew the head man and several others; the head man's name was Peter, an Indian with whom Col. Harper had often traded at Oquago, before the Revolution began. The colonel had his great-coat on, so that his regimentals were concealed, and he was not recognized ; the first word of address on Col. Harper's part was, " How do you do, brothers ?" the reply was, " Well-how do you do, brother ? which way are you bound, brother ?" " On a secret expedition-and which way are you bound, brothers ?" "Down the Susquehanna to cut off the Johnstone settlement." (Parson Johnstone, and a number of Scotch families, had settled down the Susquehanna, at what is now called Sidney Plains, and these were the people whom they were about to destroy.) Says the colonel, " Where do you lodge to-night ?" " At the mouth of Scheneva's creek," was the reply. Then shaking hands with them, he bid them good speed, and proceeded on his journey.
" He had gone but a little way from them before he took a circuit through the woods, a distance of eight or ten miles, on to the head of Charlotte River,
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where were a number of men making sugar ; ordered them to take their arms, two days' provisions, a can- teen of rum, and a rope, and meet him down the Charlotte, at a small clearing called Evans's place, at a certain hour that afternoon; then rode with all speed through the woods to Harpersfield ; collected all the men who were there making sugar, and being armed and victualled, with each man his rope, laid his course for Charlotte; when he arrived at Evans's place, he found the Charlotte men there in good spir- its ; and when he mustered his men, there were fif- teen, including himself, exactly the same number as there were of the enemy ; then the colonel made his men acquainted with his enterprise.
" They marched down the river a little distance, and then bent their course across the hill to the mouth of Schenevas Creek ; when they arrived at the brow of the hill where they could overlook the valley where the Schenevas flows, they cast their eyes down upon the flat, and discovered the fire around which the enemy lay encamped. ' There they are,' said Col. Harper. They descended with great stillness, forded the creek, which was breast-high to a man ; after advancing a few hundred yards, they took some refreshment, and then prepared for the contest-daylight was just be- ginning to appear in the east. When they came to. the enemy, they lay in a circle, with their feet toward the fire, in a deep sleep ; their arms, and all their im- plements of death, were all stacked up according to the Indian custom when they lay themselves down for the night : these the colonel secured by carrying them off a distance, and laying them down; then each
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man, taking his rope in his hand, placed himself by his fellow; the colonel rapped his man softly, and said, ' Come, it is time for men of business to be on their way ;' and then each one sprung upon his man, and after a most severe struggle they secured. the whole number of the enemy.
" After they were all safely bound, and the morn- ing had so far advanced that they could discover objects distinctly, says the Indian, Peter-' Ha ! Col. Harper ! now I know thee-why did I not know thee yesterday ?' ' Some policy in war, Peter.' ' Ah, me find em so now.' The colonel marched the men to Albany, delivered them up to the commanding officer there, and by this bold and well-executed feat of valor he saved the whole Scotch settlement from a wanton destruction."
Early in the spring of 1780, a party of Tories and Indians, under the command of Brant, destroyed Har- persfield. The inhabitants had generally left the place ; but a few of the men were at the time engaged in making maple sugar. Nineteen were taken pris- oners, and several killed. A consultation was held in the Indian language in presence of the prisoners, rela- tive to a contemplated attack upon the Upper Fort in Schoharie ; the Indians, satisfied with the booty and prisoners already obtained, were unwilling to risk any- thing in an uncertain expedition ; some of the Tories represented the plan as promising success, and advised the Indians to kill the prisoners, that they might not be encumbered with them. Brant came up to Capt. Alexander Harper, one of the prisoners, and drawing his sword, asked him if there were any troops in the
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fort ; saying his life should be taken if he did not inform him correctly. Harper knew enough of the Indian language to have learned the subject of the foregoing conversation, and immediately answered, that it was well garrisoned, believing that they would all be killed should they answer differently. Another prisoner, not knowing the determination of the Indi- ans, and fearing their vengeance should the falsehood be detected, stated truly that there were few if any troops in the fort. Harper insisted that his statement was true; he was believed, and they returned to Niagara. The last night of their journey they en- camped a short distance from the fort. In the morn- ing the prisoners were to run the gauntlet. Harper, knowing the hostility of the Indians toward him, and fearing they might take his life, requested Brant to interfere and protect him, which he promised to do. The Indians arranged themselves in two parallel lines, facing inwards, with clubs and whips in their hands.
Harper was selected first; he was a tall, athletic man, and on the first signal sprang from the mark with extraordinary swiftness. An Indian near the end of the line, fearing he might escape with little injury, stepped before him. Harper struck him a blow with his fist, and then springing over him ran toward the fort ; the Indians, enraged, broke their ranks and followed him. The garrison, who had been apprised of the movements of the Indians, were upon the walls ; when they saw Harper approaching, they threw open the gate, and he rushed in, when they immediately closed it. It was with difficulty that they could keep the Indians back. The other prisoners took different
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courses, and got into the fort without passing through this, if not fiery, yet bloody ordeal .*
* William Harper was an active member of the Provincial Con- gress, and after the war was several times a member of the State Legislature. When Otsego County was formed, he was appointed one of the assistant judges ; William Cooper, Esq., being first judge. He lived to a great age, and died a few years since at Milford, in Otsego County, retaining to the last that strong desire for information which had characterized his public life. Col. John Harper died in Harpersfield, and Alexander and Joseph, soon after the war, obtained a grant of some land in the western part of the State of Ohio, whither they removed. The quiet of the country, and the approach of civilization, was not congenial to them ; they preferred the life of a borderer, and sought it amid the boundless forests which then covered that beautiful State.
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CHAPTER IX.
1
"And Vengeance striding from his grisly den, With fell impatience grinds his iron teeth ; And Massacre, unchidden, cloys his famine, And quaffs the blood of nations."
WE will now return to the valley of the Mohawk, which we left with the retreat of St. Leger, and the close of the campaign of 1777.
During the fall and the following year, Indian scouts infested the country around Fort Schuyler and the western settlements, cutting off supplies and mas- sacreing the inhabitants and soldiers, when small par- ties of the latter happened to pass beyond the limits of the fort.
The following narrative is given by Dr. Dwight : "In the autumn, when the siege of Fort Stanwix was raised, the following occurrence took place here. Capt. Greg, one of the American officers left in the garrison, went out one afternoon with a corporal be- longing to the same corps to shoot pigeons. When the day was far advanced, Greg, knowing that the savages were at times prowling round the fort, deter- mined to return. At that moment a small flock of pigeons alighted upon a tree in that vicinity. The corporal proposed to try a shot at them ; and having
-
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approached sufficiently near, was in the act of eleva- ting his piece towards the pigeons, when the report of two muskets, discharged by unknown hands, at a small distance, was heard ; the same instant, Greg saw his companion fall, and felt himself badly wounded in the side. He tried to stand, but speedily fell, and in a moment perceived a huge Indian taking long strides toward him with a tomahawk in his hand. The savage struck him several blows on the head, drew his knife, cut a circle through the skin from his fore- head to the crown, and then drew off the scalp with his teeth.
"At the approach of the savage, Greg had counter- feited the appearance of being dead with as much address as he could use, and succeeded so far as to persuade his butcher that he was really dead ; other- wise measures still more effectual would have been employed to dispatch him. It is hardly necessary to observe, that the pain produced by these wounds was intense and dreadful ; those on the head were, how- ever, far the most excruciating, although that in his side was believed by him to be mortal. The savages having finished their bloody business, withdrew.
"As soon as they were fairly gone, Greg, who had seen his companion fall, determined if possible to make his way to the spot where he lay ; from a per- suasion that if he could place his head upon the cor- poral's body, it would in some degree relieve his excessive anguish. Accordingly he made an effort to rise, and having with great difficulty succeeded, im- mediately fell. He was not only weak and distressed, but had been deprived of the power of self-command
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by the blows of the tomahawk. Strongly prompted, however, by this little hope of mitigating his suffer- ings, he made a second attempt and again fell. After several unsuccessful efforts, he finally regained pos- session of his feet, and, staggering slowly through the forest, he at length reached the spot where the corpo- ral lay. The Indian who had marked him for his prey, took a surer aim than his fellow, and killed him outright. Greg found him lifeless and scalped. With some difficulty he laid his own head upon the body of his companion, and, as he had hoped, found con- siderable relief from this position.
"While he was enjoying this little comfort, he met with trouble from a new quarter. A small dog which belonged to him, and had accompanied him in his hunting, but to which he had been hitherto inatten- tive, now came up to him in apparent agony, and leaping around him in a variety of involuntary mo- tions, yelped, whined, and cried in an unusual man- ner, to the no small molestation of his master. Greg was not in a situation to bear the disturbance even of affection. He tried in every way which he could think of to force the dog from him, but he tried in vain. At length, wearied by his cries and agitations, and not knowing how to put an end to them, he ad- dressed the animal as if he had been a rational being. " If you wish so much to help me, go and call some one to my relief.' At these words the creature instantly left him, and ran through the forest at full speed, to the great comfort of his master, who now hoped to die quietly.
"The dog made his way directly to three men be- longing to the garrison, who were fishing at the dis-
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tance of a mile from the scene of this tragedy ; as soon as he came up to them, he began to cry in the same afflicting manner, and advancing near them, turned and went slowly back toward the point where his master lay, keeping his eye continually on the men ; all this he repeated several times. At length one of the men observed to his companions, that there was something very extraordinary in the actions of the dog, and that in his opinion they ought to find out the cause ; his companions were of the same mind, and they immediately set out with an intention to fol- low the animal whither he should lead them. After they had pursued him some distance, and found nothing, they became discouraged. The sun had set, and the forest was dangerous ; they therefore deter- mined to return. The moment the dog saw them wheel about, he began to cry with increased violence, and coming up to the men, took hold of the skirts of their coats with his teeth, and attempted to pull them toward the point to which he had before directed their course. When they stopped again, he leaned his back against the back part of their legs, as if endeav- oring to push them onward to his master. Astonished at this conduct of the dog, they agreed, after a little deliberation, to follow him until he should stop. The animal directed them directly to his master. They found him still living, and, after burying the corporal as well as they could, they carried Greg to the fort ; here his wounds were dressed with the utmost care, and such assistance was rendered to him as proved the means of restoring him to perfect health. This story," says the Doctor, " I received from Captain
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Edward Buckley, who received the account from Greg a few days before."
In the spring of 1778 Lafayette was stationed at Albany ; in March he went up to Johnstown, from which place he wrote to Col. Gansevoort a letter, dated March 6th, 1778. This letter was enclosed in a letter from Col. Livingston of the same date, of which the following is an extract :
" Enclosed you have a letter from Major Gen. Mar- quis de Lafayette, relative to Col. Carleton, nephew to Gen. Carleton, who has for some time been in this part of the country as a spy. The general appre- hends he has taken his route by the way of Oswego, and begs you'll send out such parties as you may judge necessary for apprehending him."
The following is the letter of Lafayette :
" SIR,
" As the taking of Col. Carleton is of the greatest importance, I wish you would try every means in your power to have him apprehended. I have de- sired Col. Livingston, who knows him, to let you have any intelligence he can give, and to join to them those I have got by a Tory about the dress and figure of Carleton. You may send as many parties as you please, and every where you'll think proper, and do every convenient thing for discovering him. I dare say he knows that we are after him, and has nothing in view but to escape, which I beg you to prevent by all means. You may promise, in my name, fifty guineas, hard money, besides all money, &c. they can find about Carleton, to any party of soldiers or
9*
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Indians who will bring him alive. As every one knows now what we send for, there is no inconve- nience to scatter them in the country, which reward is promised in order to stimulate the Indians.
I have the honor to be, sir, Your most obedient servant, The Marquis DE LAFAYETTE."
Col. Carleton, it is believed, was not apprehended.
The Indians and Tories found employment in the destruction of Wyoming and Cherry Valley ; and the valley of the Mohawk, with the exception of an in- cursion into the German Flats, was unmolested during the summer of 1778. The following letter was writ- ten by Major Robert Cochran, then commanding at Fort Schuyler, to Col. Gansevoort, dated
" Fort Schuyler, Sept. 18th, 1778.
"DEAR COLONEL,
"Since my last, the sachems and warriors of the Oneida and Tuscarora nations, with Col. Lewee, ar- rived at this fort, with a formal speech from both nations. They informed me of their great uneasiness in regard to the matter of scalping, which had so lately happened about this fort, and were sorry any suspicions should be entertained that they had the least knowledge of any thing being intended against any body here ; that they had from the beginning of the present dispute declined acting against us ; that they had been used well at first by Col. Dayton, then by Col. Elmore ; afterward Col. Gansevoort came to this fort, a native of Albany, from whom we expected
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much, as the Commissioners of Indian affairs noticed him in particular ; but we are sorry he has not noticed us much for some time past ; we are sorry you neglect us now ; when your affairs were in a worse situation, you courted us and our interest ; but now you are prosperous you don't know us ; you know we are one ; that we have made an agreement with Gen. Schuyler and the other commissioners, that we would be friend- ly, and not strike the axe at each other.
" The next morning I answered them as follows : ' That I was glad to see them here, and that I had taken particular notice of all they had said; and fur- ther, that we were inclined to give them assurance of our friendly dispositions to them, and were sorry that any uneasiness should arise in their minds ; and in regard to what some bad soldiers might say, that they would not regard it, as all societies have their bad people among them.'
To which they replied : 'They would not regard what the soldiers should say, but would apply to the head when occasion might require.' I fed them plentifully, and gave them drink also, which I thought was best at present for the public service ; and they went off greatly satisfied."
Sometime in the summer of 1778 the enemy made an incursion into the western part of the county, and destroyed the settlements of German Flats. This fine, fertile section of country was laid waste. About one hundred houses were burned, a few persons were killed and taken, but most of the inhabitants escaped.
Early in the spring of 1779, as before stated, Gen- eral Clinton, with two regiments of the New York
1
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line, moved up the Mohawk, and encamped at Cana- joharie. During this summer also, little mischief was done in the valley of the Mohawk. In the spring of 1780, the Indians again made their appearance, infuriated, rather than humbled, by the destruction of their villages and grain the previous summer.
General Clinton gave the following orders to Colo- nel Gansevoort, dated
" Albany, June 6, 1780.
" SIR,
" You will proceed with your regiment as soon as possible to Fort Plank, where you will find a quantity of provisions, destined for the use of the garrison at Fort Schuyler, which you will take into your charge and escort to that post.
" As the enemy are said to be out in force on the Mohawk River, it is absolutely necessary that you should pay the strictest attention to prevent a surprise ; and, in case of attack, to defend the stores to the last extremity ; the present situation of the garrison points out the absolute necessity of this caution.
" You will receive a supply of provisions before you march, for the use of your troops, to the end that you may not make use of that destined for the garri- son. If you should fall short, you must impress from "the inhabitants, avoiding every degree of irregularity."
Brant, sagacious, and generally successful where he directed, had caused a rumor to be circulated that he intended to capture the batteaux, in order to divert attention from other points of attack. This plan suc- ceeded in August following ; when, on account of a similar report, the militia of Canajoharie were ordered
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out to guard a number of batteaux to Fort Schuyler. Brant made a circuit through the woods, and coming in the rear of them, laid waste the whole country around Canajoharie.
The following account of this movement is given by Col. Samuel Clyde, in a letter to Gov. George Clinton, dated
" Canajoharie, August 6th, 1780. " SIR,
" I here send you an account of the fate of our dis- trict. On the second day of this inst., Joseph Brant, at the head of about four or five hundred Indians and Tories, broke in upon the settlements, and laid the best part of the district in ashes, and killed sixteen of the inhabitants that we have found ; took between fifty and sixty prisoners, mostly women and children, twelve of whom they have sent back. They have killed and drove away with them upwards of three hundred head of cattle and horses ; have burnt fifty - three dwelling-houses, beside some outhouses, and as many barns, one very elegant church, and one grist-mill, and two small forts that the women fled out of. They have burnt all the inhabitants' weapons and implements for husbandry, so that they are left in a miserable condition. They have nothing left to support themselves but what grain they have grow- ing, and that they cannot get saved for want of tools to work with, and very few to be got here.
" This affair happened at a very unfortunate hour, when all the militia of the county were called up to Fort Schuyler to guard nine batteaux about half laden. It was said the enemy intended to take
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them on their passing to Fort Schuyler. There was scarce a man left that was able to go. It seems that every thing conspired for our destruction in this quar- ter ; one whole district almost destroyed, and the best regiment of militia in the county rendered unable to help themselves or the public. This I refer you to Gen. Rensselaer for the truth of.
"'This spring, when we found that we were not likely to get any assistance, and knew that we were not able to withstand the enemy, we were obliged to work and build ourselves forts for our defense, which we had nearly completed, and could have had our lives and effects secure, had we got liberty to have made use of them. But that must not be, we must turn out of them ; not that we have anything against assisting the general to open the communication to Fort Schuy- ler, but still doubted what has happened while we were gone. But it was still insisted on that there was no danger when we were all out; that in my opinion there never has been such a blunder committed in the connty since the war commenced, nor the militia so much put out; and to send generals here without men, is like sending a man to the woods to chop with- out an axe. I am sensible, had the general had suffi- cient men, that he would have been able to have given satisfaction both to the public and inhabitants here."
We have already given an account of the ravages of Sir John Johnson, in the fall of 1780, along the valley of the Schoharie Creek. The day after the burning of Schoharie, that is, the 18th of October, he burned Caughnawaga. . Col. Fisher, residing near this place, after defending himself in his house, with
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two brothers, both of whom were killed, fled from it, and was pursued and overtaken by the Indians. They tomahawked and scalped him, and left him, as they supposed, dead. The next day he was found by a friend, who carried him to his house. He re- covered and lived long after the war, a useful member of society, and a monument of Indian barbarity.
From Caughnawaga, Johnson passed up on the north side of the Mohawk, ravaging and burning every thing in his course. Gen. Van Rensselaer, who had been apprised of his movements, collected the militia from Claverack and Schenectady, and pursued him. From Caughnawaga, Gen. Van Rensselaer wrote to Col. Brown, commanding at Stone Arabia, with a small force of 130 men stationed in a fort there, to turn out and check the advance of the enemy, and he would support him from the rear. , Col. Brown obeyed the orders, but owing to some delay of Gen. Van Rensselaer's, was not supported by him. He fell, fighting manfully at the head of his little band, with 30 or 40 of his followers. The rest, unable to oppose any longer a force so much superior, retreated.
Sir John Johnson settled at Fox's Mills, about eight miles above Fort Plank, (or as it is now called Fort Plain,) and two miles below the upper Mohawk castle. On the north side and on a flat, partly surrounded by a bend of the river, he posted his regiment of regulars and Tories. A small breastwork was thrown across the neck of land. The Indians occupied a tract of elevated land to the north and in the immediate vicinity, which was covered with a thick growth of shrub-oak. In this position Sir John awaited the
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approach of Gen. Van Rensselaer, who was joined by the Canajoharie militia and the Tories from Fort Plain under Col. Du Bois. After a slight skirmish the Indians were driven from their position, and fled up the river to the fording place, near the castle, where they crossed, and directed their course toward the Sus- quehanna. Sir John's troops made a more effective resistance, though they were almost exhausted by the forced marches which they had made, and the labors they had performed. The attack had been commenced late in the day. Though it was conducted with con- siderable spirit, night came on before the works of Sir John were carried. In this situation Gen. Van Rens- selaer ordered his troops to fall back a mile and en- camp. Many of the militia were enraged on account of this order, and refused to obey it. They remained during most of the night, and took several prisoners, who informed them that the enemy were on the point of offering to capitulate, when Gen. Van Rensselaer ordered his troops to fall back. A detachment of the Canajoharie militia, under Col.Clyde, took one of their field-pieces during the night.
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