USA > New York > Franklin County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 28
USA > New York > Jefferson County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 28
USA > New York > Lewis County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 28
USA > New York > Oswego County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 28
USA > New York > St Lawrence County > The north country; a history, embracing Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis and Franklin counties, New York, Volume 1 > Part 28
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).
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Important Hunter Lodges were located at Rochester, Buffalo, Lockport, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit and Port Huron, and the membership has been estimated anywhere from 15,000 to 200,000. Members were drawn from every class of society. There were farm- ers and artisans, lawyers and doctors, ministers, judges, legislators, army officers and merchants. Even the vice president of the United
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States was claimed as a member. The first Hunter's Lodge in North- ern New York was formed in Watertown in the spring of 1838 and, according to a charter member, soon attained a membership of 1,900. Later many lodges were organized in other Northern New York towns. Mackenzie, himself, is said to have organized the lodge in Ogdensburg.
But in the meantime the "Patriots" had launched the first expedi- tion against Canada. For some time past arms and munitions of war were being quietly gathered together at Watertown. Then in the night of February 18th, a band of armed men broke into the arsenal at Watertown and seized about 400 stands of arms. Arsenals in Batavia and Elizabethtown were also broken into and looted. At the same time men started to congregate at French Creek, now Clayton, coming from all sections of Northern New York. Gen. Rensselaer Van Rensselaer was in command and a large quantity of munitions was gathered there, including, it is said, some 4,000 stands of arms. The plans called for an attack on the little Canadian town of Ga- nanoque, followed by an assault on Kingston. Some 600 men had assembled at French Creek by February 21st and Van Rensselaer led some 300 men across the ice to Hickory Island, about six miles from the mainland. But the weather was intensely cold and the men soon lost interest in the venture. There was no discipline and many deserted. Finally the entire party returned to the mainland, aban- doning the invasion. Van Rensselaer went to Syracuse where he was arrested and one of his lieutenants, Captain Daniel D. Heustis, was arrested by federal officials at Depauville but soon released. This ended the first attempt to invade Canada.
THE SINKING OF THE SIR ROBERT PEEL
Then came that event which further strained relations between the United States and Great Britain, the sinking of the Sir Robert Peel. The Peel, a new steamer and valued at about $44,000, was under Canadian registry. On the morning of May 29th, 1838, she left Prescott, Ontario, with nineteen passengers on board. In the early evening she touched at Brockville and about midnight pulled up at McDonnel's wharf on Wells Island for the purpose of taking on wood. The boat had laid there about an hour with most of the
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officers and passengers in bed when suddenly a band of men dressed as Indians and heavily armed boarded the vessel, crying "Remember the Caroline." Officers, crew and passengers were driven ashore, many of them in their night clothing and among them ten ladies.
The raiders then proceeded to sack and plunder the boat, after which she was cut off from the wharf and floated some thirty rods down stream. A few moments later the passengers and crew huddled on shore saw flames ascend from her. The raiders dropped from her deck to row boats and soon disappeared in the darkness. The Peel was completely destroyed. Later it was learned that the raiders had originally planned to turn her into a privateer and to prey on commerce up and down the St. Lawrence, but for some reason this intention was abandoned. One passenger was found to be miss- ing, a Dr. Scott, of Brockville. Later it was found that he had been taken off with the raiders to attend to the injuries of one of their men. The next day he was released.
The outrage stunned the people of the border. Within twenty- four hours six men were under arrest at French Creek, now Clayton, charged with being members of the party which had looted and burned the steamer. A little later three more men were arrested. All of those in custody were Canadians with the exception of one Nathan Lee. The leader of the expedition, however, although well known, was still at large. He was no other than "Admiral Bill" Johnston, commander-in-chief of the "Patriot" navy, who, to make sure that there was no question about his part in the affair, promptly caused to be published in the Watertown Jeffersonian the following amazing proclamation :
"To all whom it may concern:
"I, William Johnston, a natural born citizen of Upper Canada, certify that I hold a commission in the patriot service of Upper Canada, as commander-in-chief of the naval forces and flotilla. I commanded the expedition which attacked and destroyed the steamer Sir Robert Peel. The men under my command in that expedition were nearly all natural-born English subjects; the exceptions were volunteers for the expedition.
"My headquarters were on an island in the St. Lawrence river without the jurisdiction of the United States, at a place named by me Fort Wallace. I am well acquainted with the boundary line, and
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know which of the islands do and which do not belong to the United States, and in the selection I wished to be positive and not locate within the jurisdiction of the United States, and had reference to the decision of the commissioners under the sixth article of the Treaty of Ghent, done at Utica in the state of New York, 13th of June, 1822. I know the number of islands and by that decision it was British territory.
"I yet hold possession of that station, and we also occupy a station some twenty or more miles from the boundary of the United States, in what was His Majesty's dominions until occupied by us. I act under orders. The object of my movements is the independence of the Canadas. I am not at war with the commerce or property of the citizens of the United States.
"Signed this tenth day of June, in the year of Our Lord, one thou- sand, eight hundred and thirty-eight.
"William Johnston."
In the meantime nine of Johnston's men were held in the Jeffer- son county jail at Watertown and so threatening was the attitude of members of the Hunter Lodges that it was necessary to call out the militia to guard the jail. The first man to be tried was one William Anderson. He was charged with arson, an offense then punishable by death. But Anderson had no cause to worry. He was promptly acquitted. So were such of his companions who were tried. The others were later released when it became apparent that no Northern New York jury would convict anyone concerned in the Peel incident.
The whole state was stirred by Johnston's raid. Governor Marcy hurried to Watertown and promptly offered a reward of $500 for the arrest of Johnston and $250 each for three of his lieutenants. The president ordered Major General Macomb to Sackets Harbor and congress appropriated $20,000 for the defense of the border. Both Canada and the United States started an energetic campaign to clean up the river pirates. Sir George Arthur, governor of Upper Canada, offered a reward of a thousand pounds for the apprehension of those concerned in the Peel seizure.
"ADMIRAL BILL" JOHNSTON
So many are the tales told of "Bill" Johnston that the man is now almost a legendary figure. He was either a river pirate or a patriot
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and a hero, according to one's point of view. Common report had it that he had a hundred boats in his navy and a thousand bold bucca- neers under his command. As a matter of fact he never commanded more than two or three row boats, the flagship of his "fleet" being a 16-oared boat, mounting a three-pound gun. Johnston had twenty- two men in his command when he seized the Peel and usually his force was much smaller.
With many hundreds of dollars reward on his head Johnston suc- cessfully defied his enemies for many months. It was his boast that "he was a mark to be shot at but not to be taken." His knowledge of the Thousand Islands was such that he was able to play hide and seek with the authorities of two governments for many a day, his swift boat darting in and out of the island maze to the bewilderment of his pursuers. It was known that he had a secret headquarters where he lived with his four sons and his daughter, Kate, sometimes called the "Queen of the Thousand Isles."
According to one story a Captain George C. Boyd of the British army traced him one time to his hiding place and surprised Johnston as he was getting his breakfast. Johnston is said to have invited the captain to sit down and cooly engaged him in conversation, light- ing his pipe the while. Finally, when Boyd, getting impatient, told Johnston that he would have to accompany him to Kingston, the pirate chief held his pipe over an open keg, apparently containing powder, and threatened to blow up the whole party. Boyd and his companions beat a hasty retreat. Later Johnston told his friends that the keg contained only onion seed.
William Johnston was a man about fifty years of age when the "Patriot War" was in progress. Very recently an old scrap book of Johnston has been discovered in the possession of a descendant in Carthage which clears up much of the mystery which has always heretofore surrounded his life. According to his own account, he was a native of Three Rivers, Quebec, and through careful saving was able to enter the mercantile business in Kingston. He married an American wife and this, together with the fact that he was kind to American prisoners, made him an object of suspicion when the War of 1812 broke out. Johnston insists that he was never disloyal to Britain, but he was accused of disloyalty and thrown into prison. His property was confiscated and he and his family subjected to much
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cruelty. He succeeded in escaping and made his way to Sackets Harbor in a canoe and forthwith entered the service of the Ameri- cans as a secret agent.
From then on he always hated Britain with an intense hatred. After the War of 1812 he continued on in the government service until the "Patriot" troubles broke out in Canada. Immediately he allied himself with the "Patriots" and soon appeared as commander- in-chief of the "navy."
He continued to appear at various points along the river after the Peel affair. He was always heavily armed and it was his custom to appear in Ogdensburg on occasion with six pistols, a dirk and a bowie knife in his belt, swaggering about the waterfront, boasting of his exploits. He plundered several farm houses along the Ca- nadian side of the river, stealing over $700 in cash, the British claimed. Another time he and his band, all armed to the teeth, over- hauled the steamer, Oswego, and Johnston talked with the captain but otherwise did not molest the ship.
It was not until after the Battle of the Wind Mill that Johnston was finally captured and then it was by American customs officers. He escaped at Auburn, much to the glee of the people of that place, was again taken and confined in jail at Albany for several months. Here he lived comfortably and received his friends, but one night, growing tired of even such comfortable confinement as this, walked out and never seems to have been imprisoned after that.
It is hard to give an estimate of Johnston. He was one of the frankest men that ever kept a diary. When he applied to Silas Wright, then a United States senator, to aid him in getting a pardon, Wright told him that he would rather see him hung, and Johnston without feeling noted the exact conversation in his journal. But to thousands of people along the Northern New York border, "Old Bill" Johnston was a hero. He was toasted at banquets, hundreds con- tributed to a fund to support his family and benefit performances for him were given in theatres at Auburn and Albany. Certainly he had strong political influence, and contributed in no small measure to the Whig victory in the northern counties in the election of 1840. His Whig friends never forgot his services and not long after he was appointed keeper of the Rock Island light, near the spot where he had captured and burned the Peel. Here he peacefully lived out his
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days, duly noting weather changes in his journal, and dying at a ripe old age in 1860. "Old Bill" Johnston may have been a river pirate as the British insisted, or he may have been the John Brown of a lost cause as his friends claimed, but at any rate he was one of the most colorful characters in one of the most colorful periods of Northern New York history.
THE EXPEDITION AGAINST PRESCOTT
Before the fall of 1838 was far advanced, it became apparent to everyone that the "Patriots" of Northern New York were spoiling for action. The exploits of Johnston and the activity of the Hunter Lodges had kindled feeling along the border to a fever heat. Every- one knew that an invasion of Canada was planned, but whether the attempt would be made at Kingston, Brockville or Prescott was not disclosed. One rumor had it that the "Patriots" were to gather at Cleveland and that from there a great expedition would be launched against Western Canada. It is said that the decision to strike at Prescott was made at a meeting of the Watertown Hunter Lodge and that a certain General Estes promised the lodge that at least 5,000 men would follow the two-starred banner of the "Patriots" into Canada, and that once there thousands of Canadians would rally to the revolutionary cause.
In the early part of November bodies of men assembled in Syra- cuse, Watertown and various lake ports. Arms were concentrated at Oswego, Sackets Harbor and other convenient places along the lake and river, despite all the federal authorities could do. The original plan called for the "Patriots" from Jefferson county to con- centrate at Sackets Harbor and take passage on the packet, United States, on November 5th. On that day between 500 and 600 men gathered at Sackets but something went wrong with the plans at Oswego and the men dispersed. On November 10th the schooners Charlotte of Oswego and Charlotte of Toronto were loaded at Oswego with cargoes which had arrived by way of the canal from Syracuse. The next day some 150 men took passage on the United States at Oswego, none of whom had any heavy baggage. When the steamer touched at Sackets Harbor that afternoon some twenty or thirty more men got aboard. The next stop was at French Creek (Clayton) and there a few more men got aboard.
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Now the real purpose of the expedition became apparent. Pistols and swords appeared and were worn openly. The two schooners were taken into tow and more men climbed over the rails of the steamer. The owners of the steamer, who were on board, conferred with the captain as to what was the best course to pursue. It was decided to stop at the next American port, Morristown, and to notify the authorities there regarding the armed passengers. The stop was made, word was sent on to the United States marshal at Ogdensburg and the steamer then proceeded. General J. Ward Birge was in com- mand of the "Patriots" and the second in command was a Col. Niles Guslaf Scholtewskii Von Schoultz, a Pole who had been an officer under Napoleon. At Ogdensburg Birge was taken sick and the com- mand devolved upon Von Schoultz with Dorpheus Abbey of Water- town, Col. Martin Woodruff of Syracuse and Capt. Daniel B. Heustis of Watertown in subordinate positions. There were but 170 men in the force which Von Schoultz led across the river to make the attack on Prescott.
THE BATTLE OF THE WIND MILL
It had been Von Schoultz's original intention to make a surprise attack on old Fort Wellington, which still stands overlooking the St. Lawrence at Prescott. But the sentry there saw the approaching schooner crammed with armed men and spread the alarm. The "Patriots" had to make a quick change in their plans. An old stone wind mill with thick walls still stands not far from Prescott on the Canadian side of the river. Col. Von Schoultz saw at once that it would make an ideal fortress. He and his men took possession of it and there mounted their artillery, a six-pounder and a four-pounder, one stolen from the village of Ogdensburg and the other from the state of New York. Ogdensburg was seething with excitement. Many "Patriots" still remained in that village and some of them crossed the river in rowboats. The steamer United States was fired upon by the Canadians at Prescott and the pilot killed. The streets of Pres- cott were filled with armed men and more were constantly arriving.
It is possible that strong reenforcements would have been sent from Ogdensburg to Von Schoultz had it not been for the presence of two companies of United States troops who arrived from Sackets Harbor for the purpose of maintaining neutrality. Ogdensburg was
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filled with "Patriot" sympathizers but most of them seemed content to watch the outcome of the impending battle from their own side of the river. The British started the attack on the wind mill by a bombardment from two steamers but the shot made little impression on the thick stone walls. Then the British regulars and Canadian militia marched out of Prescott to assault the "Patriot" position.
Von Schoultz had taken up a strong position behind stone fences some distance from the wind mill. When the attacking force, consist- ing of the 83rd regiment of the line and Canadian militiamen, were but a short distance away the word to fire was given while from the tower of the wind mill sharpshooters picked off the British officers. For three hours the conflict raged, the British finally being compelled to retreat under the hot fire of the North Country farmers. But the undisciplined Americans, elated by their first victory, surged forward in pursuit, and a quick flanking movement by the British regulars cut off a detachment of thirty-three who were taken prisoners.
Von Schoultz now determined to take up his position in the wind mill. In the retreat Captain James Philips of Ogdensburg was killed. Charles E. Brown of Brownville, a nephew of General Jacob Brown, was also killed in the retreat to the windmill. Among those wounded was Nelson Butterfield of Philadelphia, who was shot through the body and died twelve hours later. In all five of the "Patriots" were killed and thirteen wounded in the first day's fighting.
During the night snow fell and the plight of the "Patriots" in the wind mill was a serious one. There was nothing with which to build a fire and no blankets. The wounded lay on the hard floor without attention, there being no medical supplies and no way to get them. At sun rise the British again bombarded the tower from water and land but without serious effect. The sound of the big guns reached Canton, where the St. Lawrence county board of supervisors was in session. One member, Isaac Elwood of Morristown, a strong sympathizer with the "Patriot" cause, moved the following reso- lution :
"Whereas the members of the board of supervisors of St. Law- rence county, having received information and believing the same to be authentic, that the Patriots have made a noble stand at Windmill Point, near Prescott, in Upper Canada, and have had a severe engage- ment with the advocates and minions of British tyranny on the 13th
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instance, and having every reason to believe from said information, unless the said Patriots are reinforced in the perilous situation in which they are placed, they will meet with defeat and sacrifice their lives in contending against a merciless and cruel foe; and whereas, this board feels a deep interest and intense anxiety in the success of that patriotic struggle which would spread the light of liberty over our oppressed brethren in Canada, and for the preservation of the lives of those Patriots who are contending for the rights of men born free, and for the republican principles for which our venerable fore- fathers shed their blood.
"Resolved, that this board of supervisors adjourn, to meet again at the court house in the said county on the last Monday of the present month at 1 o'clock p. m. in order to enable the members thereof to rescue that Spartan band of patriotic friends and preserve their lives from their enemies, the tyrants and advocates of the British crown."
This remarkable resolution was tabled.
In the meantime the steamer "Paul Pry" was pressed into service in an effort to rescue the "Patriots" besieged on Windmill Point. Apparently the attempt was made with the indirect consent of both the British commander and the commander of the American troops at Ogdensburg, Colonel Worth. But the Pry returned to Ogdensburg with only six or seven men, including two or three wounded. Von Schoultz, hoping for reinforcements, had decided to maintain his position.
In the excitement of the election of 1838 which swept the Whigs in power by a landslide, the people of the northern counties outside of St. Lawrence at first did not appreciate the significance of what was going on across the river from Ogdensburg, but the Watertown North American of Nov. 14, 1838, contains a brief paragraph to the effect that "by a gentleman who arrived in the stage from Ogdens- burg this morning, we learn that a heavy cannonading was heard by him in the stage, for some time yesterday morning-result not known."
But the Ogdensburg Times gives a graphic account of the whole battle. Under date of Friday, Nov. 16th, The Times says: "This morning the military at Prescott formed below the fort and marched to the vicinity of the battle ground, and after maneuvering some time
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sent a flag of truce to the revolutionary party, and shortly after men were seen over the whole field of Tuesday's action, evidently remov- ing the dead. Several wagons and carriages then proceeded to Pres- cott, followed by a numerous procession. This terminated the morn- ing's work.
"About noon two steamboats arrived from above towing two gun- boats with heavy ordnance, and filled with regular troops. Part of the troops were landed and formed in a line and marched over the land which has been the field of military movements for the last five days. The steamboats passed down the river and explored the shore and then returned and towed down the gunboats and placed them under the shore at a convenient distance from the Wind Mill. Be- tween three or four o'clock the arrangements were completed, and a fire opened upon the Wind Mill from the gunboats, and from an- other position on the brow of the hill, while another cannon upon the hill was playing upon a stone house in the occupation of the revolu- tionary party. This fire was maintained for some twenty or thirty minutes, and the guns were evidently directed with great precision, as several balls struck the wind mill and others passed quite through the stone house.
"At this time a man appeared on the Wind Mill with a white flag but no attention was paid to this signal. The flag was then sent down to the neighborhood of the gun boat, when they opened fire upon the bearer with musquetry (sic).
"Shortly after this the revolutionary party made a sortie in squads, evidently determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible, and the whole scene of Tuesday's horrors was again covered with a flame of small arms, not, however, in the regular and terrific manner of that morning, but in detached squads and in every part of a large field.
"In the position of the two cannon on the hill a very fierce contest appeared to rage, as well as in the neighborhood of the gun boats on the shore. This firing was kept up with more or less spirit for an hour, and the revolutionary party seemed sometimes to press them with vigor, as the artillery ceased and the conflict seemed to have passed beyond the location of the guns several times, but at last, overborne by numbers, they were beaten back to their old quarters in the vicinity of the Wind Mill, and shortly after, several buildings
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standing near to them, were enveloped in flames, shedding their sickening light on the horrid work of carnage and death, which had for the previous hour and yet continued faintly and feebly.
"Most of the revolutionists seemed beaten back to the building, but they kept on resisting until 8 o'clock, when one of the buildings in which they were quartered added the light of its flames to the destruction which was thickening about Wind Mill Point, and shortly after, the other stone building which they occupied, was discovered to be on fire.
"The flash of musketry (sic) was visible in various parts of the field, at short intervals, as they evidently hunted out and shot the few stragglers, who had yet succeeded in eluding the grim messenger death.
"9 o'clock P. M.
"Wind Mill Point is illuminated by the lurid glare of the de- structive element that wastes in war, while the windows of Prescott sparkle like a jeweled dress in token of their joy at the success over the revolutionary party.
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