USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 3 > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
13
,
STATE OF NEW-YORK. -
especially against troops who were defended by a strong breast- work. On the contrary, this ineffectual fire served only to raise the spirits of the latter, who having prepared their artillery dur- ing the time that the French halted, began to play it so briskly upon the enemy, that the Canadians and the Indians fled immedi- ately into the woods on each side of the camp, and there squat- ted under bushes, or skulked behind logs and trees, from whence they continued firing with very little effect. Baron Dieskau, who commanded the French, being left alone with his regular troops, at the front of the camp, finding that he could not make a close attack upon the centre, with his small number of men, moved first to the left and then to the right, at both of which places, he endeavoured to force a passage, but was repulsed. Instead of retreating, as he ought, in prudence to have done, he still continued his platoon and bush firing, till four o'clock in the afternoon, during which time his regulars suffered greatly by the fire from the camp, and were at length thrown into confusion, which was no sooner perceived by the Provincials, than they, without waiting for orders, leaped over their breast-work attacked the enemy on all sides, and after killing and taking a considerable number of them, entirely dis- persed the rest. The French, whose numbers, at the beginning of the engagement, consisted of about two thousand men, in- cluding Canadians and Indians, had between seven and eight hundred killed, and thirty taken prisoners ; among the latter, was Baron Dieskau himself, whom they found at a little dis- tance, dangerously wounded, leaning on the stump of a tree, for his support. The Provincials lost about two hundred men, and these chiefly of the detachment under Colonel Williams, for they had very few either killed or wounded in the attack upon their camp, and not any of distinction, except Colonel Titcomb killed, and the general himself, and Major Nichols wounded. Among the slain, of the detachment which would probably have been entirely cut off, had not Lieutenant Cole been sent out from the camp with three hundred men, were Colonel Williams, Major Ashley. and six captains, and several subalterns, besides privates.
.
-
-
1
1
14
.- HISTORY OF THE
,
and the Indians reckoned that they had lost forty men, besides the brave Hendrick, the Mohawk Sachem.
When Baron Dieskau set out from Ticonderoga, his design was only to surprise and cut off the intrenched camp, now called Fort Edward. But when he was within four miles of the fort, his people were informed that there were several cannon there, and none at the camp, at the head of Lake George ; upon which, they all desired to be led on to this last place, which he the more readily consented to, as he himself had been told by a prisoner, who had left this camp but a few days before, that it was quite defenceless, being, without any lines, and destitute of cannon, which, in effect was true, at that time, for the cannon did not arrive, nor was the breast-work erected till about two · days before the engagement. To this misinformation must be im- puted this step, which otherwise would be inconsistent with the character and abilities of Baron Dieskau. A less justifiable error seems to have been committed by Johnson, in not detach- ing a party to pursue the enemy, when they were defeated, and fled. Perhaps he was prevented from doing so by the ill fate of the detachment he had sent out in the morning, under Colonel Williams. However that may be, his neglect, in this respect, had like to have been fatal the next day, to a detachment sent from Fort Edward, consisting of one hundred and twenty men, of the New-Hampshire regiment, under Captain McGinnis, as a re-inforcement to the army at the camp. This party fell in with between three and four hundred of Dieskau's troops, near where Colonel Williams had been defeated the day before ; but McGinnis having timely notice, by his scouts, of the ap- proach of the enemy, made such a disposition, that he not only repulsed the assailants, but defeated and entirely routed and dispersed them, with only two killed, eleven wounded, and five missing. He himself died of the wounds h .; received, a few days after.
1
It was now judged too late in the year to proceed to the at- tack of Crown Point. They, therefore, set out upon their re- turn soon after this engagement, having first crected a little stockade at the head of Lake George, in which they left a
1
15
7
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
small garrison as a future prey for the enemy. This was all the glory, (if it can be so called) and all the advantage the Pro- vincials acquired by such an expensive expedition. But so little had they been accustomed of late to hear of victory, that they rejoiced at this advantage, as if it had been an action of the greatest consequence. The general was highly applauded, and liberally rewarded.
The preparations of Governor Shirley's expedition against Fort Frontenac and Niagara, were not only deficient but shame- fully slow ; though it was well known that even the possibility of his success must, in a great measure, depend upon his setting out early in the year, as will appear to any person who con- siders the situation of the country at that time, between the set- tlements on the Mohawk and those forts.
General Shirley's force consisted of about two thousand Pro- vincials, and about one hundred and twenty Indians. He reach- ed Oswego, on Lake Ontario, about the eighteenth of August ; but the whole of his troops and artillery did not arrive till about · the last of that month ; and even then, their store of provisions was not sufficient to enable them to proceed against Nia- gara. The general now resolved to take but six hundred men with him for the attack of Niagara, and to leave the rest of his army, consisting of fourteen hundred men, at Oswego, to defend that place, in case the French should attack it in his absence. : However, he was still obliged to wait till the twenty- sixth of September, before the necessary supplies of provisions had arrived, and then the weather became so boisterous on Lake Ontario, that it was deemed unadvisable to embark, and con- sequently the expedition was relinquished till the next season. * General Shirley, with the greater part of his troops, returned
* The colonial forces made a road from the upper part of Germanflats, a' it was then called, to Fort Stanwix. (Rome). It began in Schuyler, about reven miles east of Utica, and run on the north side of the Mohawk, to the lat- . ter place, and there crossed to the south side of the river. It occupied nearly the same rout which the present road does, till it came near the Cedar Swamp. south of Rome, where it turned to the right. and left the swamp to the south- west and west.
-
16
.
HISTORY OF THE
to Albany, which they reached on the twenty-fourth day of October, leaving Colonel Mercer-with seven hundred n.en at Oswego. Thus ended this unfortunate campaign. It opened with so decided a superiority of force on the part of the English and Provincials, as to promise the most important advantages. But if we except the expulsion of the French from Nova Scotia, no single enterprise was crowned with success. Great exer- tions were made by the colonies of New-York and New-Eng- land, and large debts were incurred, but their efforts were productive of very little benefit. From the want of one general superintending authority in their councils, which could control the whole, every thing failed.
The system adopted by the British cabinet, for conducting the war in America, left it to the colonial governments respec- tively, to determine on the number of men each should bring into the field, but required them to support their own troops, and also to contribute towards the support of those sent from Great Britain and Ireland. But this system could not be en- forced. The requisitions of the British minister were adopted, rejected or modified, at the discretion of the government, on which they were made ; and as no rule of proportion had been adopted, each colony was much inclined to consider itself as having contributed more than its equal share towards the gene- ral object, and as having received less of the attention and protection of the mother country than it was entitled to. This temper produced a slow and reluctant compliance on the part of some, which enfeebled and disconcerted enterprises, for the execution of which the resources of all ought to have been com- bined.
On the return of general Shirely to Albany, after the close of the campaign, in 1755, he received there a commission from the lords justices of the kingdom, appointing him commander and chief of the forces in North America.
A meeting of all the governors was immediately called at New-York, for the purpose of holding a grand council of war, in order to concert a plan of operations for the ensuing cam- paign. In this council, which was attended by the governors
17
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
of Connecticut, New-York, Pennsylvania and Maryland, the ill success of the last campaign was attributed principally to- the insufficiency of the forces employed. Operations, not less extensive than those which had been proposed for the preced- ing year, were again contemplated ; and to ensure their suc- cess, measures of much greater vigour were resolved on. The reduction of Crown Point, Forts Frontenac and Niagara, with other posts on Lake Ontario and Fort du Quesne, were still the favourite objects of the council, and it was determined to make very great exertions to accomplish it. It was proposed to raise ten thousand men for the expedition against Crown Point, six thousand for that against Niagara and Frontenac, and three thousand against Fort du Quesne. In addition to these formidable forces, and to favour their operations, it was proposed that two thousand men should march up the river Kennebec, destroy the settlements on the Chaudiere, and de- scend to the mouth of that river, which is within a few miles of Quebec, and keep all that part of Canada in alarm.
In the mean time, it was proposed to take advantage of the scason, when Lake Champlain should be frozen over, to seize Ticonderoga, the garrison of which was understood to be very feeble. This project, however, was defeated by the unusual mildness of the winter. General Shirley, who was then governor of Massachusetts, set out for Boston, in order to hasten the preparations for the next campaign.
But to return again to the affairs of the Province. The as- sembly, on the fifth of July, 1755, authorized the corporation of the city of Albany, together with some of the justices of the peace of the county, to repair the fortifications of the city. The city, at this time, was surrounded with pickets, and had a fort and several block-houses. The house voted eight thousand pounds towards defraying the expense of two thousand five hun- dred Provincials from Connecticut. As on former occasions, bills of credit were issued to meet the exigencies, and made re- deemable in 1762. The colony, about this time, was greatly burthened with taxes.
VOL. III. 3
£
18
HISTORY OF THE
Sir Charles Hardy assumed the government of the Province on the twentieth day of September, 1755."
-
The legislature, at their session in December, the same year, passed a law, empowering the governor, in case volunteers could not be had, to make detachments from the militia of the several counties of Orange, Ulster, Dutchess and Albany. Those from Orange and Ulster were to be employed in the capacity of rangers on the western frontiers of those counties ; - while those of Dutchess and Albany were to serve in garrison at Fort Edward and Fort William Henry. At the same ses- sion, the act, giving to his Majesty duties on goods, wares and merchandises, and upon slaves, was prolonged.
See Colonial Laws, Williams' History of Vermont, and Marshall's Life of Washington in respect to the principal facts contained in the preceding chap- - toto
-
19 1
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
CHAPTER II.
The assembly, in the early part of the year 1756, vote supplies of men and money to aid in the defence of the Province, and the reduction of Canada-General Winslow appointed to command the expedition against Crown Point-differences be- tween General Winslow and Abercrombie, in relation to the command-arrival of the Earl Loudoun, at Albany, as com- mander-in-chief-the Marquis de Montcalm takes Osuego- the invasion of Canada abandoned-the small pox sweeps off many of the troops-military council composed of the colonial governors and Lord Loudoun, held at Boston, in January, 1757-his lordship makes requisitions on the colonies-great preparations are made for the ensuing campaign-Lord Lou- doun sails from New- York to Halifax, leaving the Province to defend itself -- defeat of Colonel Parker, near Ticonderoga- the Marquis de Montcalm takes Fort William Henry-the Earl of Loudoun puts his troops into winter quarters-his disputes with the legislature of Massachusetts.
Preparations for the campaign of 1758-troops levied in this Province and the other Provinces-the Earl of Loudoun re- turns to Europe-Abercrombie defeated at Ticonderoga- General Amherst takes Louisburgh-Colonel Broadstreet takes Fort Frontenac-Fort du Quesne taken by the British and colonial troops.
THE legislature, in February, 1756, empowered the colonel of the militia of the county of Albany, to send out such detach- ments of men, from time to time, and in rotation, as he might deem necessary. The detachments so sent out, were to be employed as scouts and rangers, in order to guard against sur- prises, and to convey intelligence, should the enemy attempt an invasion of the county on the side of Canada, or on the side of the Agoneaseah.
.
20
HISTORY OF THE
On the first day of April, the house ordered that one thou- sand seven hundred and fifteen men should be raised in the co- lony, to co-operate with the forces to be raised in the other colonies, in the reduction of Canada, or otherwise, as might best promote the public service. In order to carry the levy into effect, and to provide for the men while in service, they directed that bills of credit, to the amount of fifty-two thou- sand pounds, should be issued on the faith of the colony, and made current to the month of November, 1766. By a law, enacted at the same session, the governor was authorized to send forces to New-Jersey and Pennsylvania, to assist in carry- ing on offensive operations with those colonies, against the In- dians, living on the frontiers of those Provinces, and in case of a defect in volunteers, the act allowed him to send detach- ments from the counties of Orange and Ulster, not exceeding one thousand men. The solicitude to accomplish the objects contemplated, was so great, that the people, not only of this colony, but of the others, strained every nerve to raise and equip the number of men required.
The command of the expedition against Crown Point, was given to Major General Winslow, whose reputation and influ- ence were very considerable.
Having made in Massachusetts, so far as depended on that government, all the necessary preparations for the next cam- paign, Shirley set out for Albany, where he was soon supersed- ed by Major General Abercrombie, who, in his turn, yielded the command to the Earl of Loudoun.
-
That nobleman had been appointed early in the year, to the command of all his Majesty's forces in North America, and very extensive powers, both civil and military, had been conferred on him. But he did not arrive at Albany before midsummer. The appointment of a general, who had a knowledge of mili- tary affairs, was very apparent at this juncture. General Shir- ley was a person no ways qualified to conduct the operations of an army, nor indeed, could any success in war be expected from a man who had not been bred to arms, and whose capaci- ty was hardly sufficient for a governor in peaceable times :-
-
21
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
but the cabinet scem not to have made, after all, a very judicious selection.
The Provincial troops destined for the expedition against Crown Point, had before that time, been assembled at the posts held in the vicinity of Lake George ; but on being reviewed by Major General Winslow, they were found not much to excced seven thousand men. From this number was to be deducted the garrisons which necessarily must be left in the posts to be maintained in his rear ; and he declared himself unable to pro- ceed on the expedition. 'The arrival, however, of General Abercrombie, with a body of British troops, removed this diffi- culty, when another occurred, which for a time suspended the projected enterprise. The regulations of the crown, respecting rank, had given great disgust in America, and rendered it ex- tremely difficult to carry on any military operation which re- quired a junction of British and American troops. When con- sulted on this delicate subject, General Winslow assured Gen- eral Abercrombie of his apprehensions, that if the result of the juction should be the placing the Provincials under British officers, it would produce very general discontent. In this opi- nion, and to avoid so unpleasant a circumstance, it was finally agreed that the British troops should succeed the Provincials in the posts at present occupied by them, so as to enable the whole colonial force to proceed under Winslow, on the proposed expedition.
On the arrival of the Earl of Loudoun, this subject was re- vived, and the question was, by him, very seriously propound- ed, whether the troops in the several colonies of New-York and New England, armed with his Majesty's arms, would, in obedience to his commands, signified to them, act in conjunc- tion with his European troops, and under the command of his commander-in-chief. The colonial officers could only answer this very serious question, in the affirmative; but they entreat- ed it as a favour of his lordship, as the New England and New- York troops had been raised on particular terms, and had pro- ceeded thus far to act as originally organized, that he would
22
HISTORY OF THE
permit them, so far as might consist with his Majesty's service, to act separately. This request was acceded to, but before any thing was undertaken, in consequence of it, the attention, both of the Europeans and Provincials, was directed to their own defence.
M. de Montcalm, an able and experienced officer, who suc- ceeded Baron Dieskau, in the command of the French forces in Canada, seemed disposed to compensate, by his superior activity, for the inferior number of his troops .- While the Bri- tish and Americans were adjusting their difficulties, respecting rank, and deliberating whether to attack Crown Point, Niaga- ra or Fort du Quesne, Montcalm advanced, at the head of five thousand French, Canadians and Indians, against Oswego. In three days he brought up his artillery, and opened a battery, which played with considerable effect. Colonel Mercer, the commanding officer, was killed, and in a few hours, the place was declared by the engineers to be no longer tenable. To prevent an assault, the garrisons, consisting of the regiments of Shirley and Pepperel, amounting to one thousand and six hun- dred men, supplied with provisions for five months, capitulated.
The fort at Oswego had been erected in the country of the Agoneaseah, and was viewed by them not entirely without jealousy. Actuated by a wise policy, Montcalm destroyed it in their presence, declaring to them, at the same time, that the French only wished to enable them to preserve their neutrality, and, therefore, would make no other use of the rights conquest had given them, than to destroy the fortresses, which the Eng- lish had erected in their country, to overawe them.
Previous to the investment of Oswego, Major General Webb had been detached with one regiment for its relief, should it be attacked by the enemy, and had proceeded as far up the Mohawk river, as Rome, then called the Carrying Place, where he received the disagreeable news, that it was taken, and the garrison made prisoners of war. Webb, apprehending himself in danger of being attacked by the enemy, began immediately to render Wood creek impassible for boats, by felling trees across the stream ; while the enemy, ignorant of his numbers,
1
.
23
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
and apprehensive of a visitation from him, took the same method of preventing his approach.
The loss of Oswego was considered a national misfortune .- Besides the garrison, the fort contained one hundred and twen- ty-one pieces of artillery, fourteen mortars, with a great quantity of ammunition, warlike stores and provisions. Two sloops, and two hundred batteaux, likewise, fell into their hands. Such an important magazine, deposited in a place altogether indefensible, and without the reach of immediate succor, was a flagrant proof of egregious folly, temerity and misconduct.
Apparently discouraged and disconcerted at this untoward event, every plan of offensive operation was immediately relin- quished, and the whole attention of Lord Loudoun was direct- ed to his security from still further loss. General Winslow was ordered not to proceed on his intended expedition against Ti- conderoga, but to fortify his camp so as to guard against any attack which might be made on it, and to endeavour to prevent the enemy from penetrating into the country, by the way of South bay or Wood creek, of Lake Champlain. Meanwhile the Forts Edward and William Henry were put in a proper posture of defence, and secured with numerous garrisons. Major Gen- eral Webb, with fourteen hundred men, was posted at the great Carrying Place ; while Sir William Johnson, with about one thousand militia belonging to the colony of New-York, was stationed at the Germanflats, at the union of West Canada creek with the Mohawk. The rest of the forces were put into winter quarters at Albany.
Fort Granville, on the confines of Pennsylvania, was surpris- ed by a party of French and Indians, who made the garrison, consisting of twenty-two soldiers, prisoners.
This disposition being made for the protection of the fron- tiers, now invaded by the French, the colonies were strenuously urged to reinforce the army. It was represented to them that if any disaster befel Winslow, who still remained at the head of Lake George, the enemy might be enabled to overrun the country, unless opposed by a much superior force to that in the field.
-
24
HISTORY OF THE
During this state of apprehension and inactivity, the small pox, a more formidable enemy than Montcalm, broke out in the army, and committed great ravages. The recruits from New England, wbo were on their way to the camp, were so alarmed, that application was made to countermand their march. The army encamped at Lake George, was equally afflicted with this dreadful malady. It was found necessary to garrison the posts in that quarter, entirely with British troops, and discharge all the Provincials, except a regiment raised by New-York.
Thus terminated, for a second time, in defeat and disappoint- ment, the sanguine hopes formed by the colonists, of a brilliant campaign. Large sums of money had been expended, and powerful forces levied and assembled, but after all, nothing had been done to drive the enemy even from their outpost at Ti- conderoga.
The expedition to Lake Ontario had not been commenced, and, as for that against Fort du Quesne, no preparations were made. The colonies of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia were not able to protect themselves ; and their frontiers were exposed to all the horrors of Indian warfare.
The expedition up the river Kennebec, for the purpose of destroying the settlements on the Chaudiere, and alarming Que- bec, was also abandoned.
About the middle of January, 1757, a military council, com- posed of Lord Loudoun, and the governors of the New England colonies, and of Nova Scotia, was held at Boston. His Lord- ship opened his propositions to this council, with a speech, in . which he attributed to the colonies all the disasters of the pre- ceding campaign. No notice, he said, of the proposed expedi- tion against Crown Point, had been received by his Majesty's ministers, when he sailed from England, on the 17th of May, though that expedition had been resolved on by the assem- : bly of Massachusetts, so early as the sixteenth of February. The Provincial troops were, in no respect, equal to the expec- tations he had been authorized to entertain of them. The stipulated number had not been brought into the field, and in quality, they were so inferior to those of former years, that he
25
STATE OF NEW-YORK.
was obliged to unite them to the regulars ; a connexion in the way of which they interposed so many difficulties, that Oswego and the posts belonging to the English were taken, before the delays thus produced could be surmounted. Ile complained too, that the real state of the forts and garrisons had not been represented to him by his predecessors, and that his requisition on the colonies, had only produced the votes of the several assemblies which effected nothing ; nor was he relieved from this situation until the arrival of the Highlanders, enabled him so to reinforce the Provincials, as probably to have saved him from being defeated and the country from being entirely over- run by the enemy. He then proposed that New England should raise four thousand men for the ensuing campaign ; a contribution, of which he said they ought not to complain, when they reflected on the expense incurred by the crown in supporting such a number of troops, as were employed by it in their defence. Requisitious. proportionably large, were also made on the provinces of New-York and New Jersey.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.