USA > New York > The history of New York from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 17
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Previous to these alarming movements on the part of Clinton, the first legislature of the state of New York assembled, on the 9th of Septem- ber, at Kingston, a small village on the banks of the Hudson. After organizing the govern- ment, appointing delegates to the general con- gress, and making provision for the defence of the country, the assembly adjourned. On the 15th of January, 1778, the legislature met at Poughkeepsie, when an act was passed approving the articles of confederation as drawn up by the general congress, and authorizing the delegates from New York to ratify them.
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TREATY WITH FRANCE.
1778.]
It was at this period that France began to evince a disposition to assist the confederated colonies in their struggle for freedom. The American commissioners at Paris had been for many months vainly endeavouring to obtain something more than vague promises from the French ministry, when the surrender of Bur- goyne impressed Louis XIV., and Vergennes his minister, with more confidence in the final issue of the struggle.
This feeling was not weakened by the conduct of Lord North, the British minister, who, on the 14th of February, introduced into parliament a plan for conciliating the colonies, by which the whole of the original ground of dispute was em- phatically surrendered. Fearful that the Ame- ricans, already deeply embarrassed by debts, divided to some degree among themselves, and resting more upon the justice of their cause than the strength of their armies, would conclude to accept the olive branch so tardily tendered them by the British minister, Vergennes, actuated less by a love of liberty than by a desire to sever from Great Britain her noblest dependencies, expressed his willingness to enter upon treaties of friend- ship and commerce, and of defensive alliance. On the Sth of February these treaties were con- cluded. Impressed with the danger that now menaced him, General Howe, fearing lest the Delaware should be blockaded by the arrival of
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1778.
a French fleet, at once evacuated Philadelphia, and retiring across the Jerseys, closely pursued by Washington, concentrated the whole of the British army at New York. He had scarcely reached there, before Count D'Estaing, in com- mand of a French fleet consisting of twelve ships of the line and four frigates, arrived off the Dela- ware. Having on board four thousand troops, D'Estaing signified his willingness to co-operate in the reduction of Newport; but being drawn out to sea in hopes of giving battle to the Bri- tish squadron under Admiral Lord Howe, the two fleets, shattered by a storm, were sepa- rated, and D'Estaing was compelled to put into the harbour of Boston to refit. The Americans under Sullivan, being thus deprived of the ser- vices of their powerful ally, after waiting for some time in the hope that D'Estaing would re- turn, abandoned the lines they had established with so much labour, and retreated from the island. The American forces under Washington were at this period encamped at White Plains ; but the remainder of the campaign was not marked by any military operations of importance. A desultory warfare along the frontiers was still kept up, the settlers being constantly called upon to contend against roving bands of Tories and Indians. The beautiful valley of Wyoming was laid waste in July of this year by a party of eight hundred rangers and Indians, under the
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1778.] INCURSION INTO CHERRY VALLEY.
command of Colonel John Butler. Three hun- dred of the settlers were either killed or carried off into a captivity from which but few ever re- turned. The horrid barbarities practised by the Indians on this occasion excited throughout the provinces a feeling of intense indignation.
During the month of October an expedition was organized against Unadilla, a settlement of Indians and refugees near the head-waters of the Susquehannah. The enterprise was completely successful ; the settlement was destroyed utterly, and its sanguinary inhabitants driven for refuge into the neighbouring forests.
While these scenes were enacting, Captain Walter Butler, a son of that Colonel Butler who led the Tories at the massacre of Wyoming, after making his escape from the jail at Albany, ob- tained from his father at Niagara the command of two hundred rangers, and being joined by five hundred Indians under Brant, made a descent, on the 10th of November, upon the frontier set- tlement of Cherry Valley. The house of Colonel Samuel Campbell, which, by increasing the strength of its doors and windows, and by sur- rounding it with an embankment of logs and earth, had been converted into a rude fortress, was fortunately in a sufficiently defensive con- dition to enable its small garrison of Continen- tal troops to resist the attacks of the enemy ; but Colonel Alden, together with many of the 25*
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villagers, and such of his command as carelessly lodged beyond the walls of the fort, fell victims to the fury of the savages. The settlement around was completely devastated. Sixteen of the gar- rison, and thirty-two of the inhabitants, princi- pally women and children, were killed. Between thirty and forty others were led away into a harsh and almost hopeless captivity.
The closing portion of the campaign of 1778 passed away without any military operations more memorable than the surprise and partial slaughter of Baylor's dragoons at Tappan, and of Pulaski's legion at Egg Harbour, by British detachments. At this period the numerical strength of the British and American armies was about equal; but the former were concen- trated within the lines at New York and New- port, while the latter were considerably scattered. Too weak to undertake more active military operations, Washington pressed forward to a completion the important fortifications at West Point; and after arranging all his disposable forces so as to form a line of cantonments be- tween Long Island Sound and the Delaware, re- sumed, for the winter, his old head-quarters at Middlebrook.
The campaign of 1779 was productive of no decisive results on either side. During the month of May, the river counties of Virginia were harassed and plundered by a strong force
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1779.] RECAPTURE OF STONY POINT.
of the enemy under General Matthews. After remaining in that province for a month, the ma- rauding party returned to New York with their spoils. Upon being rejoined by this detachment, Clinton ascended the Hudson in two divisions, and captured the American works at Verplanck's Point and Stony Point. Leaving a strong gar- rison to maintain the conquered posts, he fell back leisurely to New York.
A predatory excursion was soon after under- taken by Tryon. New Haven was plundered ; Fairfield, Norwalk, and Green Farms were wan- tonly burned; New London escaped the same fate only by the expedition under Tryon being suddenly recalled. The Americans had surprised Stony Point.
The command of this daring enterprise had been intrusted by Washington to General Wayne. The design was well planned and admirably exe- cuted. Two columns, led by Wayne and Stew- art, each preceded by a forlorn hope and van- guard, appeared before the works about midnight of August 16th, and assaulting them from oppo- site sides, carried them with great gallantry at the point of the bayonet. Fifty of the garrison were killed, and the remainder, one hundred and fifty in number, taken prisoners. The American loss in killed and wounded amounted to about one hundred men.
As Stony Point commanded the works at Ver-
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planck's, preparations were immediately made for an attack upon the latter; but the British appearing in force, Washington, fearing at that juncture to risk a battle, stripped Stony Point of its artillery and stores, and after dismantling its fortifications abandoned it to the enemy.
In the mean while, an expedition had been organized to penetrate the country of the Six Nations, and avenge upon the tribes in alliance with the British the barbarities which had been committed upon the frontiers. The chief com- mand in this important enterprise was intrusted to General Sullivan, whose army was composed of four thousand Continental troops and one thousand militia. The latter, mainly made up of the first and third New York regiments, were commanded by General James Clinton. So soon as the entire force was concentrated, Sullivan marched from Tioga on the 26th of August, throwing out flanking troops on each side, and a corps of rangers in advance. After laying waste, on the 28th, the settlements at Chemung, the army bivouacked for the night. On the morning of the 29th they encountered a large force of Indians and Tories under Brant and Butler. These being utterly dispersed after a sharp and well-contested battle, Sullivan continued on his route until he had traversed the whole of the fer- tile valley of the Genesee, at that time the heart of the Indian settlements. Everywhere he went,
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1780.] CHARLESTON SURRENDERED.
he cut down the orchards, destroyed the corn, and laid the villages in ruins.
The country of the Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas being thus completely laid waste, those tribes, together with the refugees they had shel- tered, were driven back upon Niagara, where they became wholly dependent upon the English for supplies. Many of them never returned to their old homes; but the spirit of revenge still animated their bosoms, and though checked for a season, they resumed, after a brief interval, their former savage inroads.
The course of the war during the campaign of 1780 rolled southward. Leaving Knyphausen to protect New York, Sir Henry Clinton, who had succeeded Howe in the chief command of the British-American forces, sailed with eight thou- sand men against Charleston, the capital of South Carolina. The city was surrendered after a brief defence, and General Lincoln, with five thousand American troops, became prisoners of war. The remainder of the province being speedily subju- gated, Clinton returned to New York, leaving Cornwallis with four thousand men to maintain his conquest.
Prompt in their endeavours to recover so im- portant a province from the hands of the enemy, the exertions of Congress speedily resulted in the formation of a new southern army, the chief command of which was given to General Gates.
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1780.
On the 16th of August he encountered Cornwallis at Camden, but his forces were routed and dis- persed with great loss.
At the north, the aspect of affairs was equally gloomy. During the month of July a powerful French flect, having on board six thousand troops commanded by Count de Rochambeau, arrived at Rhode Island; but were prevented, for some time, from co-operating with the army under Washington, owing to the rigorous blockade maintained by a superior naval force of the enemy.
It was at this gloomy period of the war that Benedict Arnold was meditating treason against his country. Desperately brave, ambitious of distinction, but vain and utterly unprincipled, Arnold, for his eminent services in the battles which preceded the surrender of Burgoyne, had been elevated to that rank in the army to which he had long aspired, and, as a further testimony to his great military merits, had been intrusted with the command at Philadelphia. Gay com- pany and an extravagant style of living scon in- volved him in debts and difficulties, which were not lessened by the means he took to extricate himself. Charged by the civil authorities of Pennsylvania with resorting to improper means for the purpose of obtaining the moneys his ne- cessities were constantly requiring, he was at length tried by court-martial, found guilty on
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1780.] TREASON OF ARNOLD.
two of the counts, and sentenced to be publicly reprimanded by the commander-in-chief. This wound to his vanity was deepened still more by the refusal of Congress to allow the entire amount of his claims against the United States, for sums alleged to have been expended by him during the expedition into Canada. Smothering his re- sentment, he opened a treasonable correspond- ence with Sir Henry Clinton through Major Andre, adjutant-general of the British army. About the same time he obtained from Washing- ton command of the fortress at West Point, with the deliberate design of betraying it into the hands of the enemy. In order to make the ne- cessary arrangements for consummating this act of treason, André was reluctantly prevailed upon to ascend the Hudson on board the sloop-of-war Vulture, and to hold an interview with Arnold within the American lines. Day beginning to dawn before the conference was terminated, Ar- nold induced Andre to go with him to the house of one Joshua H. Smith, where, after the busi- ness was concluded, the young officer remained concealed until the evening. The return to the Vulture being considered hazardous, André, dis- guised as a citizen, with a pass from Arnold, and having Smith for his guide, set off on horse- back overland for New York.
The next morning, after parting with Smith, he was intercepted, near a small brook about a
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1780.
mile north of Tarrytown, by Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart, three armed scouts, to whom, deceived by their replies, Andre avowed himself a British officer, travelling on pressing business. He was immediately seized. Rejecting indig- nantly the offers with which, on discovering his mistake, André tempted his captors to release him, they instituted a search of his person, and having found papers of a suspicious character concealed in his stockings, they conducted him a close prisoner to Lieutenant-Colonel Jamison, who was in command at the nearest American outpost. Recognising the papers to be in the handwriting of Arnold, yet unwilling to believe in the guilt of his superior officer, Jamison sent a messenger to Arnold, informing him of the ar- rest of Andre, who as yet was only known by his assumed name of Anderson; while he despatched the papers found in the boots of the prisoner by an express to Washington, then in the act of re- turning from Hartford to West Point.
Two or three hours before Washington arrived, the letter from Jamison relating to his prisoner was put into the hands of Arnold. . Instantly aroused to a sense of his danger, the guilt- stricken traitor rose hurriedly from the table, and excusing himself to his guests, hastencd to the river, where he flung himself into his barge, and passing the American forts waving a white kerchief, the usual signal of a flag-boat, took re-
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1781.] BATTLE OF THE COWPENS.
fuge on board the Vulture, which still remained at anchor in the river.
The case of Andre excited the profoundest commiseration, even in the breasts of his judges. Young, generous, accomplished, and of high rank in the British army, he had been reluctantly in- duced to remain within the American lines, and to assume that disguise and false character by which, forfeiting his right to be treated as a pri- soner of war, he subjected himself to the sum- mary and ignominious punishment that military usage accords to the common spy. In spite of the earnest entreaties of Sir Henry Clinton, he was sentenced by a court-martial to be hanged ; and his execution took place at Tappan on the 2d of October.
The campaign of 1781 opened at the south. While Virginia was again suffering greatly from predatory incursions led by Phillips and the traitor Arnold, Cornwallis prepared to invade North Carolina. General Greene, who had su- perseded Gates in command of the American army in the south, was gradually collecting a force sufficient to resume active operations. Morgan, with a strong detachment, being sta- tioned in the western part of South Carolina, Cornwallis despatched the impetuous Tarleton to bring him to battle. At Tarleton's approach, Morgan fell back to the Cowpens, where, on the 17th of January, he made a determined and suc-
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1781.
cessful stand. The British, one thousand in number, were defeated with great loss. Tarleton himself was wounded, and narrowly escaped cap- ture during his subsequent flight. Foiled in his attempt upon Morgan, Cornwallis now turned in pursuit of Greene, and, after a long series of manœuvres, a battle was fought on the 8th of March at Guilford Courthouse, in which the Bri- tish were victorious. Greene retreated for safety across the Dan; but as soon as Cornwallis had retired toward Wilmington, Greene repassed the Dan, and boldly leading his forces into South Carolina, advanced upon Camden, where Lord Rawdon was in command of the British outposts. On the 25th of April the latter attacked Greene at Hobkirk's IIill, and, after a sharp contest, the Americans were compelled to give way, retiring in good order to Rugeley's Mills, where they en- camped. In the mean time, Lee and Marion had succeeded in breaking the British line of commu- nication north of the Santee by the capture of Fort Watson. They next laid siege to Fort Motte, and Rawdon, finding himself compelled to concentrate his forces, abandoned his whole line of posts, and fell back to Eutaw Springs. The battle which was fought at this place on the 8th of September determined him to retire be- hind the stronger defences at Charleston.
In the mean while, Cornwallis, finding it im- possible to overtake Greene, left the defence of
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1781.] CORNWALLIS AT YORKTOWN.
South Carolina to Rawdon, and pushed rapidly into Virginia. Lafayette was at once despatched with a corps of twelve hundred men to oppose him; but his force was too weak to offer any effectual resistance. The army of Cornwallis, swelled by reinforcements from New York, amounted at this time to eight thousand men. Retiring from Richmond as the enemy advanced, Lafayette fell back toward the Rappahannock, where he formed a junction with Wayne, who, with one thousand troops of the Pennsylvania line, had marched to meet him.
While these movements were in progress, Clin- ton, becoming apprehensive that Washington and Rochambeau would attack New York in concert with a French fleet expected to arrive in August, sent instructions to Cornwallis to select a strong position upon the seaboard, and hold himself in readiness to embark at any moment. In obe- dience to these orders, Cornwallis retired across the James' River to Yorktown, where he forti- fied himself as strongly as the situation would admit.
New York was indeed the original point se- lected for attack by Washington; but learning subsequently that De Grasse intended sailing with his fleet for the Chesapeake Bay, he altered his plan of operations, and resolved to attempt the capture of Cornwallis. Before Sir Henry
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1781.
Clinton was aware of this design, the combined French and American forces had marched with great secrecy and expedition overland to the head of Elk, and embarking in transports already collected there, formed a junction soon after with Lafayette at Williamsburg.
The retreat of Cornwallis by water having been effectually cut off by the French fleet which oc- cupied the mouth of York River, on the 6th of October the siege of Yorktown was commenced. After defending the place with great spirit and resolution, Cornwallis proposed a cessation of hostilities ; and the terms of capitulation being at length agreed upon, the garrison, to the num- ber of seven thousand men, surrendered them- selves prisoners of war.
With the capitulation at Yorktown the war of the Revolution may be said to have ended. Skirmishes between foraging parties, and occa- sional enterprises conducted by spirited partisan corps, still indeed took place ; but England had grown heartily weary of the war. Propositions for negotiation soon followed. On the 30th of November, 1782, provisional articles of peace were agreed to by commissioners respectively appointed for that purpose. From the 19th of April, 1783, hostilities ceased entirely; and on the 30th of September the independence of the colonies was formally acknowledged and ratified.
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NEW YORK EVACUATED.
1783.]
On the 25th of November the British troops evacuated New York ; and from that date not a single hostile soldier remained in arms in any portion of the disenthralled American provinces.
CHAPTER XXIII.
A national convention called-Influence of New York-Action of the state in regard to the import duties-Meeting of the national convention-Adoption of the Federal Constitution --- Action of the Anti-Federalist party in New York-Popular- ity of Clinton-Fierce party feuds-Jay elected governor- Reception of his treaty with Great Britain-Hamilton insulted -Re-election of Jay-Foreign relations of the United States -Alien and Sedition laws-Clinton elected governor-Aaron Burr-His quarrel with Hamilton-Death of Hamilton- Proscription of Burr-His western journeys-His arrest, trial, and acquittal-Subsequent life-Increasing foreign dif- ficulties-British orders in council-Berlin and Milan decrees -American Embargo Act-Collision between the frigate President and British sloop-of-war Little Belt-War declared -Ill success of the American forces at the north-Important naval victories-Americans defeated at the River Raisin- Capture of York, Upper Canada-Forts George and Erie abandoned by the British-Defeat of Boerstler-Victory at Sackett's Harbour-Perry's victory on Lake Erie-Naval successes and disasters-Battle of the Thames-Defeat of the Creeks by Jackson-Battles of Chippewa and Bridge- water-Capture of the Capitol-Death of Ross-Battle of Plattsburg-McDonough's victory on Lake Champlain- Battle of New Orleans-Peace declared.
THE peace of 1783 found the United States staggering under a burden of debts from which there was no hope of a speedy relief. The abi- lity to maintain the independence which had just
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK. [1787.
been acquired at so much cost and bloodshed was also doubted by many reflecting minds, who, see- ing the inadequacy of the old articles of confede- ration to perpetuate an harmonious union, were disposed to regard as impracticable the attempt to construct a more perfect scheme of confedera- tion. Others, however, were more sanguine. Act- ing on the suggestion of certain commissioners from several states of the Union, who met at Annapolis in September, 1786, Congress, during the month of February, 1787, recommended that a convention of delegates should be held at Phi- ladelphia on the second Monday of the succeeding May, for the purpose of revising the articles of the confederacy. From the selection of delegates to this important convention emanated the Re- publican and Federal parties.
The influence of the growing power of New York was now about to be felt. Already, as early as 1781, the state legislature had. granted the import duties of New York city to the United States, giving to Congress full authority to levy and collect the same, and to appoint the necessary officers. This act was modified in 1783; the general government still received the duties as before, but the power to appoint the collectors and other officers was assumed by the state. In 1786 the act was still further altered, so as to give the state the sole power to levy and collect the duties ; but still placing the revenues
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1787.] MEETING OF NATIONAL CONVENTION. 307
thus acquired at the disposal of Congress. This law Congress refused to acknowledge, and re- quested Governor Clinton to call an extra ses- sion of the legislature, in order that the question might be reconsidered. Disclaiming all power to convene the assembly, except under extraordinary circumstances, Clinton declined, stating his rea- son for so doing to the legislature of 1787. Gene- ral Alexander Hamilton, a steady advocate of a strong national government, and subsequently to become so well known as the bold and able de- fender of the Federal Constitution, was at this period a member of the assembly. As chairman of the customary committee, he prepared an an- swer to the governor's opening speech, in which he rigidly refrained from any comment upon
Clinton's refusal to call an extra session. This roused the friends of the latter, who offered an amendment approving the course of the governor, which, after an animated debate, was carried by a large majority. Having decided to send dele- gates to the general convention at Philadelphia, Hamilton, Yates, and Lansing were appointed, but with their course of action bounded by par- ticular instructions.
The national convention met at Philadelphia at the appointed time, and on proceeding to the business before them, commenced a discussion of three separate plans, presenting marked differ- ences from each other. The first proposed an
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK.
[1788.
enlargement of the powers of the confederacy ; and it was this plan for which the delegates from New York were instructed to vote. Its rejection being determined upon by the agreement of a ma- jority of the members to adopt a new form of go- vernment, Yates and Lansing withdrew from the convention ; but Hamilton determined to risk the censure of his constituents by placing himself at the head of a second party, who strongly advo- cated the plan of a purely national government.
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