Washington county, New York; its history to the close of the nineteenth century, Part 32

Author: Stone, William Leete, 1835-1908, ed; Wait, A. Dallas 1822- joint ed
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: [New York] New York history co.
Number of Pages: 1000

USA > New York > Washington County > Washington county, New York; its history to the close of the nineteenth century > Part 32

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Indeed, so great was the devastation committed by the invaders that, in the fore-part of 1778, numerous petitions for aid were sent to the New York Legislature by the people of Charlotte county and also from Cambridge and Easton. In response to these petitions the Leg- islature directed the " Commissioners of Forfeiture " to sell two thou- sand bushels of wheat, rye and Indian corn (taken from the Tories) to those in need, to be paid for afterwards on moderate terms.

Early in the spring of 1778, another little fort was built at New Perth, (now Salem). It was a log block-house about twenty feet square, well supplied with loop-holes, and was surrounded by a stock- ade of erect logs, after the usual fashion of that day. It was named " Fort Williams" in honor of the energetic young Colonel who mani- fested such unceasing activity in the American cause." This fort was garrisoned most of the time by the Charlotte county regiment, al- though in March of this year, it appears from the Williams papers, that there was a regiment of Connecticut militia stationed here. A draft was ordered from the militia in the spring to fill up the depleted

: These farmers were too poor to take the course of Mrs. General Schuyler, who, on the ap- proach of Burgoyne, deliberately fired her wheat-fields, lest they should afford comfort to the enemy.

2 For a sketch of Colonel Williams, see appendix No. IN.

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DELINQUENTS COURT-MARTIALLED.

ranks of the Continental army; but Governor Clinton wrote to Colonel Williams, under date of the 13th of April, that the Charlotte county regiment was exempt from the draft, on the condition that it should furnish men for the defense of the frontier, designating the number of men for this purpose as seventy. But even this number, small as it was, it was almost impossible to raise. Accordingly, on the 22d of April, Williams wrote to Governor Clinton to the effect that he had called his battalion together and could obtain only seventeen volun- teers. He expected, however, he further said, to get as many more, but he could not possibly raise seventy. Enough to make three com- panies had already moved down the river from Fort Edward, and others were preparing to go. Of those who remained, he likewise stated, about half were disaffected to the American cause, and most of these he feared would join the enemy. Indeed, the county, at this time, was continually in a state of alarm. At the date of this letter, Williams's little battalion had just been called out to repel a threat- ened invasion-it having been reported that a small party of Ameri- cans who were scouting within twelve miles of Ticonderoga had been driven back by a large force of the enemy who were supposed to be advancing on a raid against the American settlements. It would appear, however, that this was a false alarm, as no invasion was made at this time.

On the 23d of March, a regimental court-martial was held at Fort Williams, by order of Colonel Williams, to punish those who, the pre- vious year, had been backward in responding to duty. This created at the time considerable excitement. The President of the court- martial was Captain (afterward Major and General) John Armstrong, who, it will be recalled, was subsequently Secretary of War during Washington's first administration. Over sixty men were arraigned; some for neglecting to turn out when called upon, some for accepting " protection " from the British, and others for failing to take their cattle and retire to a safer place when so ordered by General Schuy- ler. Fifty-eight were convicted, but their punishments were not very severe, consisting entirely of fines ranging from one dollar up to thirty pounds. Those who merely failed to appear on muster, when summoned, were generally fined in the first amount. Alexander Webster of Black Creek (Hebron) was Lieutenant-Colonel of the regi- ment at this time, and was also State Senator.

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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.

On September 8th, 1778, the first election held in Charlotte county under the laws of the State of New York took place; and even this was by special enactment, the regular election-day having passed. Ninety-six votes were cast in Salem, twenty-nine in Kingsbury, twen- ty-four in Skeensborough, twenty-one in Granville and twenty-eight in Black Brook (Hebron), a total of only one hundred and ninety- eight voters in the county, although there were doubtless more. Many of the inhabitants, however, were probably not very anxious to exer- cise the elective franchise, when such exercise might be considered hereafter evidence of rebellion against the King on one side or treason to their country on the other. Therefore, a large proportion pre- ferred to remain non-committal. Argyle, though a separate district, seems to have held no election that year. One senator was chosen from Salem and one assemblyman was re-elected, but three out of four of the latter class of officials were chosen from other parts of the county. It will be understood that at that period the work of election was much simpler than now, only town officers and members of the Legislature, besides the Governor and Lieutenant-governor, being thus chosen-the vast number of executive and judicial officers, now selected, being then appointed by the "Council of appointment." One of the legislative acts of this year, moreover, passed on February 17th, is of considerable importance. It directed the holding of county courts and courts of sessions at New Perth (Salem) which has ever been the county seat, or one of the county seats, of the county. An act of the previous, year had directed that the sheriff's mileage should be computed from the meeting-house at the same place. If there were any courts held under the act just mentioned the records have been lost or destroyed.

The year 1779 passed away with comparatively little excitement on the northern frontier of Washington County. Elsewhere the tide of conflict rolled to and fro, the American's cause suffering great de- pression, notwithstanding the aid furnished by France-an aid which was slight compared with the expectations which had been raised regarding it. From the western part of New York, too, came news of terrible massacres and of the retribution inflicted by Sullivan, but on the banks of the Battenkill, of White Creek and of Black Creek the scattered inhabitants of Charlotte county planted, sowed and har- vested in temporary safety.

We say " temporary safety," for soon after the farmers had planted

283

THREATENED INVASIONS FROM CANADA.

their seeds in expectation of fine crops, on April 29th, 1780, an Amer- ican, who had been a prisoner at Montreal and had escaped, reached Skeensborough with the information that extensive preparations were making in Canada for an invasion of the Colonies by way of Lake Champlain. Some other facts received by General Schuyler seemed to corroborate his statement and a shock of alarm was quickly rolled through all of Northern New York. The Charlotte county militia were now commanded by Colonel Alexander Webster with Brinton Paine as Lieutenant-Colonel and Joseph McCracken as Major. They were ordered to be ready for instant action and Governor Clinton ordered four regiments, under Colonels Yates, Van Schoonhoven, Van Wart and McCrea, (a brother of the massacred Jane McCrea) to assemble at Saratoga. Clinton, himself, with all the men he could rally in Albany and Charlotte counties, hastened to Fort Edward, which he reached in eight days after leaving Kingston. Thence, he proceeded to Fort George, Ticonderoga1 and Crown Point; when, having satisfied himself that no invasion was contemplated by the British at that time, he returned home. Meanwhile, the summer passed away with only the usual number of small alarms. Several corps of state troops, intermediate between militia and regulars, were raised this summer to defend the frontiers. A company of these troops, numbering between fifty and seventy-five men, under Captain Adiel Sherwood," of Kingsbury was stationed, meanwhile, at Fort Anne.

These rumors, however, of an attack from Canada were not 1In- founded. In the early part of October, 1780, Major Christopher Carleton, of the 29th British regiment, and a nephew of Sir Guy Carleton, with a force numbering twelve hundred men, composed of regulars, royalists and a few Indians, and with eight vessels and twenty-six boats, sailed up Lake Champlain with the avowed object of attacking Ballston, now the county seat of Saratoga county. Ar- riving at Bulwagga Bay, which forms the western shore of Crown Point, they landed the two hundred men which formed the Ballston party. This detachment was made up in part of Sir John Johnson's corps of rangers (among whom were some refugees from the Ballston

1 The abandonment of Ticonderoga by the British caused a feeling of more security to pre- vail in Charlotte County, though the thought of the Indian tomahawk still caused many a mother and many a child to shudder at every sound.

2 The dean of the St. Louis Law School. M. A. L. Sherwood, is a descendant of this officer.

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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.

settlement) and partly of a few Mohawk Indians, under the command of their war chief, "Captain John." This motley company was under the command of Captain Monroe, who had, before the war, been an Indian trader at Schenectady, and had had much to do with the early settlement of Saratoga county. The object of this part of the expe- dition was to attack Schenectady; but, if that was not found to be feasible, (on account of its being considered too hazardous) then the orders were to make a descent upon the Ballston settlement. The orders to Monroe were to plunder, destroy property and take prison- ers, but not to kill unless attacked or resisted, or to prevent escapes. 1

After leaving this detachment of two hundred men under Captain Monroe to proceed to the lower settlements by way of " Crane Moun- tain " and Schroon river in Warren County, the main body, under Major Carleton, and consisting of some eight hundred men, proceeded up Lake Champlain, and landing at Skeensborough at the head of South Bay, marched rapidly to Fort Anne where they arrived on the roth of October and demanded its surrender. The fort was a rude log block house with a stockade of pointed pickets around it,2 and gar- risoned by a company of state troops and a few Continentals. Though ill supplied with men, and almost out of ammunition, Captain Sher- wood, the officer in command, at first refused to surrender on the de- mand of Carleton; but on seeing that he was greatly outnumbered by the enemy and that resistance accordingly would be hopeless, he vielded himself and his men prisoners-first stipulating, however, that the women and children who were in the fort should have a safe escort to their homes. Upon its evacuation by the Americans Carle- ton burned the fort or block house and swept down the Hudson as far as Stillwater plundering and burning as he went, the villages of Sandy Hill and Fort Edward. Kingsbury was thus again utterly desolated. "It was during this raid," says Dr. Holden in his history of Queensbury, "that Mrs. Abraham Wing lay all night on the edge

1 It does not come within the province of this history to give an account of this raid upon Ballston. The curious reader, however, if he wishes to pursue this investigation further and learn of all the facts in detail- and they are most interesting-is referred to the following works: N. B. Sylvester's History of Saratoga County, Judge George G. Scott's Centennial Historical Ad- dress, July 4th, 1876, and my own Reminiscences of Saratoga and Ballston. Perhaps, in the last men- tioned work, there will be found a more fuller description of this raid than in the other two.

2 For an excellent representation of this block house, drawn on the spot by Lieutenant Aubury of Burgoyne's army, see the latter's Travels. Aubury, although an officer, was what would be called at present a newspaper correspondent.

285

CARLETON'S INVASION.

of the big cedar swamp with her youngest child-the late Daniel W. Wing-and the following night by the spring at the foot of Sandy Hill." This last ruthless act of the Revolution in this county was long handed down by tradition as "the year of the burning." By it, the settlers were mostly driven away, and the town was abandoned.

" On the 9th of October, Captain Sherwood was dining with Colonel Henry Livingston, the commander at Fort Edward, being on his way to White Creek, and not imagining any foe to be near. While he was at Fort Edward, however, an order arrived from Governor Clinton requiring Livingston and Sherwood to endeavor to re-inlist their men for two months more. Sherwood returned to Fort Anne for that pur- pose ; but that night he sent word to Livingston that the enemy were close by. The next morning he was captured as before stated. The same morning two of Livingston's officers came hurrying in from Kingsbury with the news that the enemy was burning and laying waste that district. Livingston sent to Colonel McCrea at Saratoga and Colonel Webster at Black Creek for their regiments of militia.

"Immediately afterwards some of the frightened inhabitants of Kingsbury came rushing down the hill north of Fort Edward, with such household goods as they could bring with them, seeking the pro- tection of the post. They reported the enemy only four miles away, and the smoke of burning houses could plainly be seen from the fort. Livingston had but sixty-five men, of whom he sent twenty to menace the foe; but though they remained out through the day, they found the marauders too strong to attack. After dark four scouts were sent out, who found some of the enemy three miles distant. Colonel Liv- ingston then ordered a lieutenant and twenty men to assail the camp in question; but as he was about to march, a terrible outery was heard on the west side of the Hudson, where the Indians were yell- ing. burning and killing cattle, and the detachment was therefore ordered back. Two of the enemy came so close that they were fired on from the fort, but without effect. The next day another scout was sent out, who discovered that the main body of the enemy had taken the route to Fort George 1 with a view, undoubtedly, of attacking that post. This news was correct; and after a sharp skirmish outside of that fort between Gage's Hill" and "Bloody pond," in which the

1 Johnson.

2 " Fort Gage" was a small redoubt on the hill south of Fort William Henry. Its remains can still ( 1900) plainly be seen.

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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.

British were successful, and after a brief investment of the fort, the garrison surrendered themselves as prisoners of war, and the fort was entirely destroyed.

Meanwhile, on the eleventh and twelfth Livingston was reinforced by three hundred militia, but that officer, even with this additional force, did not think himself sufficiently strong to warrant an attack, and the following day Carleton made good his retreat down Lake Champlain. A few days afterward, more militia came to the relief of Fort Edward; but General Van Rensselaer declared them "to have been more interested on plundering the public stores left at Fort George than on any other service." They were, therefore, very quickly sent to their homes, while all but thirty of Livingston's men also left at the same time declaring that their time had expired.1 " On the 16th and 17th Colonel Livingston learned from his scouting par- ties that small parties of the enemy had been seen hovering around Skeensborough, and on the latter day (17th) General Schuyler sent a messenger to Livingston advising the evacuation of Fort Edward. Accordingly, Livingston straightway fell back with his men to Sara- toga, but, on the 24th, having received some additional reinforce- ments, he returned to Fort Edward."2

The year following these invasions (1781) brought with it no relax- ation of Governor Clinton's vigilance. The air continued to be filled with Indian alarms, and rumors of projected movements of the Brit- ish were rife; on the northern frontier, especially, another storm seemed about to break. "The enemy's morning and evening guns at Ticonderoga," wrote Schuyler to General James Clinton, under date of May 21st, 1781, "have been distinctly heard near Fort Anne for three or four days past." At the same time came equally alarm- ing intelligence that an expedition, under Sir John Johnson, was meditated against Pittsburg, while to render affairs still more com- plicated, the troubles between New York State and the Green Moun- tain Boys, on account of the New Hampshire Grants-which has been discussed in full-and which, during the common peril had smoul- dered, burst out afresh.

Nevertheless, with this raid of Carleton (just narrated) it may be

1 There is, however, much to be said on the side of these volunteer militia. For a full discus- sion of this subject see a few chapters back.

2 The above account of Carleton's raid, says Johnson, is largely taken from an autograph statement of Colonel Livingston preserved among the family papers in Columbia County, N. Y.

287

NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

said that the alarms and dreadful suffering's of the people of Wash- ington County came to an end, and after the treaty of Peace between Great Britain and the United States three years afterward-thus en- suring full security-those farmers who had been driven from their hearths and firesides gradually returned and re-occupied their vacant lands. Henceforth, left in peace and quietness to till their farms, the county finally became one of the richest agricultural counties of New York State.

A history of Washington (Charlotte) County would be incomplete without a brief sketch of the circumstances under which it was set off as a separate county. The present county of Washington, as I have stated in my introductory chapter, was originally known as Char- lotte, which, together with that part of Albany County now included in Washington, was chiefly settled by New Englanders and by Scotch and others of foreign birth. The former, as a matter of course had almost all adhered to the American cause, while many of the lat- ter (though by no means all) were friendly to the King; and, as the Americans were most of the time in possession of the territory in question, the New Englanders were largely in the majority among the dominant class. When afterwards Charlotte was claimed by the New Hampshire governor as a part of the "New Hampshire grants" (patents for which had been given previously by Governor Went- worth) that county became at once in dispute. In order, however, that the reader may have a clear understanding of the events which finally led up to the county becoming a part of New York State, an account of the long and acrimonious discussion between the New York and Vermont authorities which preceded it, is in place, and not at all irrelevant.

Although the Vermonters had formed themselves into an indepen- dent state government, the Legislature of New York still attempted to assert its right of jurisdiction, although it made most liberal prof- fers of compromise in regard to titles of lands-offering, indeed, even to recognize those which had previously been in dispute. A procla- mation to this effect, conceived in the most liberal spirit, had been issued by Governor Clinton in February, 1778, avowing, however, in regard to the contumacious, " the rightful supremacy of New York over their persons and property, as disaffected subjects." But like every preceding effort, either of force or conciliation the present was

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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.

of no avail. Ethan Allen issued a counter proclamation to the people of the Grants, and the work of their own independent organization proceeded without serious interruption. They were the more en- couraged to persevere in this course, from an impression that although Congress could not then sanction proceedings in regard to New York that were clearly illegal, the New England members and some of the Southern also, would nevertheless not be very deep mourners at their success.

It must be confessed that the action of Congress was such as to give rise to unpleasant suspicions. "So long ago as the month of August last," wrote Clinton to President Jay on the 7th of June, 1779, "I remonstrated to Congress, through General Washington, on the con- duet of Brigadier-General Starke, then commanding at Albany, for receiving from the revolted subjects of this state several of whom were among the most prominent citizens of Charlotte (Washington County) who had been apprehended and destined to banishment by Colonel Allen and his associates, and for detaining them under mili- tary confinement. To this atrocious insult on the civil authority of this state, Congress, though acquainted with it, has not to this day thought proper to pay the least attention. Nor can I forbear observ- ing that the present inattention of Congress on this point strikes me with additional surprise, when I consider this is not the first instance in which their officers of high rank have aimed a bold stab at the honor and authority of this state." And, notwithstanding the contin- ual remonstrances of Clinton Congress was in no haste, apparently, to right New York. Finally Congress passed a resolution appointing a committee to visit the Grants, and confer with the Vermonters-in short, what, at she present day would be called an "Investigating Committee." This, however, was extremely distasteful to the New York Legislature, and Clinton, more sensible than some of our states- men (!) of the present day, protested strongly against it, on the ground that "action and not talk," was what was needed. "However pure," he added, "the intention of Congress may have been in this resolution for appointing a committee to confer with the revolted citizens of this state [ and be it remembered that a large portion of the people of Charlotte County, was included in this] I am apprehensive it will by no means produce the salutary effects for which I suppose it was calculated." Still, although Clinton so wrote, it is evident that fears of a combination against his own state gave the writer consider-

289

ANXIETY CONCERNING THE GRANTS.

able uneasiness. "I presume," the governor wrote again to the dele- gates in Congress, "it is unnecessary to inform you that the Vermont business is now arrived at a crisis, or to urge any arguments to induce your utmost exertions in obtaining the sense of Congress without delay. The Legislature will meet on Tuesday next and in the mean- time I shall order the one thousand men, destined for the defence of Fort Anne, Skeensborough and the frontiers in general, and also, to complete the Continental battalions, to march to Brattleborough for the protection of that and the adjacent towns, unless the interposition of Congress shall render this measure unnecessary." And, on the 29th of October of the same year (1779) in a letter to James Duane from Poughkeepsie, he intimated that " in the event of a certain con- tingency, the New York delegates would be withdrawn from Con- gress, and the resources of the state, which have been so lavishly afforded to the continent, be withheld for the defence of New York." He also, in an earnest letter, called the attention of Washington to the subject, saying very plainly that in view of the danger which threatened New York, he " must request that your Excellency will be pleased to give the necessary directions for returning within the state the six brass 6 pounders, together with their apparatus, which the state lent for the use of the army in 1776, as soon as possible." He also, in the same letter severely commented upon the conduct of Ethan Allen in seizing and imprisoning the civil and military officers of New York State in the county of Cumberland and the Commander- in-chief issued orders to General Schuyler to arrest him in the event of certain contingencies. "The latter, " says Mr. Lossing in his Life of Schuyler, "shared in Clinton's apprehensions, and, on the 31st of October he wrote to the governor as follows:

" The conduct of some people to the eastward is alarmingly mys- terious. A flag, under the pretext of settling a cartel with Vermont, has been on the Grants. Allen has disbanded his militia and the enemy in number of sixteen hundred are rapidly advancing toward 11S.

* * Entreat General Washington for more Continental troops, and let me beg of your Excellency to hasten up here."

Meanwhile, the causes of irritation became more and more frequent and exasperating, until in the year 1781 the parties were again on the verge of open hostilities. The people of the Grants, as they had grown in strength had increased in arrogance, until they had extended

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WASHINGTON COUNTY: ITS HISTORY.

their claims to the Hudson river and it was no diminution of the per- plexities of New York that strong indications appeared in several of the northern towns to which the people of the Grants had previously interposed not even a shadow of a claim. of a disposition to go over to Vermont. Among these wavering people were some of those of Charlotte county-but they, for the present, were rather neutral- until, as will hereafter be seen-they were forced to take a deter- mined stand.

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Washington county, New York; its history to the close of the nineteenth century, Part 32

Author: Stone, William Leete, 1835-1908, ed; Wait, A. Dallas 1822- joint ed Publication date: 1901 Publisher: [New York] New York history co. Number of Pages: 1000

Author: Stone, William Leete, 1835-1908, ed; Wait, A. Dallas 1822- joint ed
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: [New York] New York history co.
Number of Pages: 1000