USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > Gazetteer and business directory of Erie County, Pa., for 1873-4 > Part 4
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On the 30th of Oct. 1753, Gen. Washington, then but a youth, was sent by Gov. Dinwiddie of Virginia, to gain the friendship of the Indians in the Ohio Valley, and to remon- strate against the occupancy of the country by the French. Accompanying him were Gist, the pioneer, VanBraem, a retired soldier, who had a knowledge of French, and John Davison, Indian interpeter. At Logtown, an escort of friendly Indians was added to their company, when they proceeded to Venango and to Fort LaBoeuf. The French officers gave Washington little satisfaction. They entertained him at Fort LaBoeuf several days, and he had an opportunity to inspect the fort and the troops. The French, however, treated the Indians with much flattery, and supplied them well with liquor, hoping to control their friendship. In this however they were un- successful. After a sojourn of seven days, Washington left Fort LaBoeuf and returned to Franklin. From there he visited other French military posts on the Ohio. In 1757 M. Chauvignerie, Jr., aged seventeen, a French prisoner, testified before a justice of the peace, that Fort La Boeuf was com- manded by his uncle, Monsieur de Verge, an ensign of foot. There was no officer there of a higher grade. There were from eight hundred to a thousand men between that fort and Fort Presqu'ile, one hundred and fifty were regulars, and the rest were Canadian laborers who worked at the forts and at boat building. There were no settlements or improvements near the
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forts. In the summer of 1754 Fort Niagara was besieged by the English under Gen. Prideaux. Four days before the cou- quest, the general had been killed by the bursting of a cannon. and the command devolved on Sir William Johnson, who carried out the plan with such judgment and vigor that the French were completely routed. The news of this defeat spread consternation among the western forts. Sir William sent letters by some of the Indians, notifying the commanders of Forts Venango, Presque'ile and LaBoeuf, that they too must be given up. The forces at these forts hastily sent away what mov- ables they could carry, and within a week they had evacuated the forts, and by batteaux made their way to Detroit. In 1760 the Government sent out Major Rodgers to take formal possession for the English of the forts upon the lake. In Feb. 1763, a treaty of peace was signed and ratified by the two powers at Paris. It was in this same year that a wide-spread combination among the Indians, led to fearful ravages on their part. The Delawares and Shawanese, now occupying the banks of the Muskingum, Sciote and Miami, provoked by being crowded rudely by the settlers fast pouring across the Allegha- nies, and perhaps incited by the artful representation of French fur traders, made a simultaneous attack in June along the whole frontier of Pennsylvania and Virginia. The noted Pontiac, a chief of the Ottawas, and a man of superior ability, was the moving spirit of this confederation, and it tasked to the utmost the powerful influence of Sir William Johnson to keep the Six Nations from joining Pontiac against the white men. The English traders were plundered and slain, and the posts between the Ohio and Lake Erie were surprised and taken. Of the capture of Fort Presqu'ile, Miss Sanford, in her 'History of Erie County,' quotes among other versions, that of Mr. H. L. Harvey, a former editor of the Erie Observer, and as he gathered his information from Capt. D. Dobbins of the revenue service, who frequently talked with one of the survivors, and from infor- mation derived from other sources, the narrative has the appearance of truth. He says :
"The troops retired to their quarters to procure their morning repast ; some had already finished, and were sauntering about the fortress or upon the shore of the lake. All were joyous in holiday attire, and dreaming of naught but the pleasure of the occasion. A knock was heard at the gate, and three Indians were announced. in hunting garb, desiring an interview with the Commander. Their tale was soon told. They said they belonged to a hunting party, who had started for Niagara with a lot of furs; that their canoes were bad, and they would prefer disposing of them here. if they could do so to advantage, and return, rather than go farther; that their party were encamped by a small stream west of the fort about a mile, where they had landed the previous night, and where they wished the Commander to go and examine their peltries, as it was difficult to bring them. and they wished to embark where they were if they did not trade. The Commander, accompanied by a clerk, left the fort with the Indians,
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charging his Lieutenant that none should leave the fort, and none be admitted until his return. Well would it probably have been had this order been obeyed. After the lapse of sufficient time for the Captain to visit the encampment of the Indians and return, a party of the latter, variously estimated-probably one hundred and fifty-advanced towards the fort, bearing upon their backs what appeared to be large packs of furs, which they informed the Lieutenant the Captain had purchased and ordered to be deposited in the fort. The strategem succeeded; when the party were all within the fort, it was the work of an instant to throw off-their ' packs and the short cloaks which covered their weapons, the whole being fastened by one loop and button at the neck. Resistance at this time was useless, and the work of death was as rapid as savage strength and weapons could make it. The shortened ritles, which had been sawed off for the purpose of concealing them under their cloaks and in the packs of furs, were at once discharged and the tomahawk and knife completed their work. The history of savage warfare presents not a scene of more heartless and blood-thirsty vengeance than was exhibited on this occasion. The few who were taken prisoners in the fort were doomed to the various tortures devised by savage ingenuity, and all but two, who awoke to celebrate that day, had passed to the eternal world. Of these, one was a soldier who had gone into the woods near the fort and on his return observing a party of Indians dragging away some prisoners, escaped, and immediately pro- ceeded to Niagara : the other was a soldier's wife who had taken shelter in a small stone house, at the mouth of the creek, used as a wash house. Here she remained unobserved until near night of the fatal day, when she was made their prisoner, but was ultimately ransomed and restored to civilized life. She was afterward married and settled in Canada, where she resided at the commencement of the present century."
It was she who narrated the circumstances to Capt. Dobbins. Fort Le Boeuf was about the same time attacked in the night by a large body of Indians who fired the block house. Instead of being burned, as the Indians supposed, the Ensign and his seven remaining men effected their escape through a secret underground passage, having its outlet in the direction of the swamp adjoining LaBoeuf Lake. According to tradition, only one of those who thus escaped, reached a civilized settlement.
In 1764, General Gage, the new Commander-in-Chief in America, called for troops to aid in putting an end to this war with the Indians. Two expeditions were sent out, one by way of Pittsburg, and the other along the lakes. The Indians finding themselves thus vigorously pressed, deemed it expedient soon after, to consent to terms of peace.
During the Revolution, the British held possession of the lake regions, and after the treaty of peace had been signed and ratified, they did not immediately evacuate the forts along that frontier, for in Dec. 1785, John Adams, Minister to London, writes to Lord Carmathan, English Secretary of State : "Although a period of three years has elapsed since the signature of the preliminary treaty, and more than two years since the definitive treaty, the posts of Oswegatchy, Oswego. Niagara, Presqu'ile, Sandusky, Detroit, Mackmaw, with others not necessary particularly to enumerate, and a considerable territory around each of them, all within the incontestable
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limits of the United States, are still held by British garrisons, to the loss and injury of the United States." And he further, in the name and on behalf of the United States, required "that all His Majesty's armies and garrisons be forthwith withdrawn from the said United States, from all and every of the posts and fortresses before enumerated, and from every port, place and harbor, within the territory of the said United States, according to the true intention of the treaties." Owing however to failure on our part to carry out all the articles of the treaty, the British did not give up possession of the frontier until several years afterwards.
In the war of 1812-14. the American army were entirely unsuccessful during the first year. In the attempt to conquer Upper Canada, Hull had suffered defeat at Detroit, and so did Van Rensselaer at Niagara, thus leaving the British in full possession of Lake Erie. The only armed vessel on the lake possessed by the Americans was the Adams, a brig of 150 tons, which was also captured by the British, who had a squadron of five vessels. These reverses urged the necessity of an armed force upon the lake to co-operate with General Harrison, who was in command of the North-western Army. How this force was brought into action, and its glorious results, is graphically described by J. Fennimore Cooper, (who, by the way, was a midshipman on the Adams, captured, as before mentioned, by the British,) in his "History of the Navy of the United States," as follows :
"In the course of the winter of 1812-13, Captain O. H. Perry, then a young master and commander at the head of the flotilla of guu-boats, at Newport, Rhode Island, finding no immediate prospect of getting to sea in a sloop of war, volunteered for the lake service. Captain Perry brought on with him a number of officers, and a few men, and Commodore Chauncey gladly availed himself of the presence of an officer of his rank, known spirit, and zeal, to send him on the upper lakes, in command, where he arrived in the course of the winter. From this time, until the navigation opened, Cap- tain Perry was actively employed, under all the embarrassments of his frontier position, in organizing and creating a force, with which he might contend with the enemy for the mastery of those important waters. Two large brigs, to mount 20 guns each, were laid down at Presque Isle. Erie, and a few gun-vessels, or schooners, were also commenced. The spring passed in procuring guns, shot, and other supplies; and, as circumstances allowed, a draft of men would arrive from below, to aid in equipping the different vessels. As soon as the squadron of Commodore Chauncey appeared off the mouth of Niagara, Captain Perry, with some of his officers, went to join it. and the former was efficiently employed in superintending the disembarkation of the troops, as has already been related. The fall of Fort George produced that of Fort Erie, when the whole of the Niagara frontier came under the control of the American army.
"Captain Perry now repaired to his own command, and with infinite labor he succeeded in getting the vessels that bad so long been detained iu the Niagara, by the enemy's batteries, ont of the river. This important service was effected by the 12th of June, and preparations were immedi- ately commenced for appearing on the lake. These vessels consisted of the brig, Caledonia, (a prize,) and the schooners Catharine, Ohio, and Amelia ;
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with the sloop Contractor. The Catharine was named the Somers, the Amelia the Tigress, and the Contractor the Trippe. At this time the enemy had a cruising force under the orders of Captain Finnis, which consisted of the Queen Charlotte, a ship of between three and four hun- dred tons, and mounting 17 guns ; the Lady Prevost, a fine warlike schooner, of about two hundred tons, that mounted 13 guns; the brig Hunter, a vessel a little smaller. of 10 guns, and three or four lighter cruisers. He was also building at Malden, a ship of near five hundred tons measurement, that was to mount 19 guns, and which was subsequently called the Detroit.
"It was near the middle of June before captain Perry was ready to sail from the outlet of Lake Erie, for Presque Isle. There being no intention to engage the enemy, and little dread of meeting him in so short a run, as she came in sight of her port each vessel made the best of her way. The enemy had chosen this moment to look into Presque Isle, and both squad- rons were in view from the shore, at the same time, though, fortunately for the Americans, the English did not get a sight of them, until they were too near the land to be intercepted. As the last vessel got in, the enemy hove in sight, in the offing.
"The two brigs laid down in the winter, under the directions of Commo- dore Chauncey, had been launched towards the close of May, and were now in a state of forwardness. They were called the Lawrence and the Niagara. The schooners also were in the water, and Captain Perry, having all his vessels in one port, employed himself in getting them ready for service, as fast as possible. Still various stores were wanting. There was a great deficiency of men, particularly of seamen, and Captain Perry, and Mr. D. Turner, were, as yer, the only commissioned sea-officers on the lake. The latter, moreover, was quite young in years as well as in rank.
" Presque Isle, or as the place is now called, Erie, was a good and spacious harbor; but it had a bar on which there was less than seven feet of water. This bar, which had hitherto answered the purposes of a fortification, now offered a serious obstruction to getting the brigs on the lake. It lay abont half a mile outside, and offered great advantages to the enemy for attack- ing the Americans while employed in passing it. So sensible was Captain Perry of this disadvantage, that he adopted the utmost secresy in order to conceal his intentions, for it was known that the enemy had spies closely watching his movements.
"Captain Barclay had lately superceded Captain Finnis in the command of the English force, and for near a week he had been blockading the American vessels, evidently with an intention to prevent their getting out. it being known that this bar could be crossed only in smooth water. On Friday, the 2d of August, he suddenly disappeared in the northern board.
"The next day but one was Sunday, and the officers were ashore seeking the customary relaxation. Without any appearances of unusual prepara- tion, Captain Perry privately gave the order to repair on board the respective vessels and to drop down to the bar. This command was immediately obeyed ; and at about 2 P. M., the Lawrence had been towed to the point where the deepest water was to be found. Her guus were whipped out, loaded and shotted as they were, and landed ou the beach ; two large scows, prepared for the purpose, were hauled alongside, and the work of lifting the brig proceeded as fast as possible Pieces of massive timber had been run through the forward and after ports, and when the stows were sunk to the water's edge, the ends of the timbers were blocked np, supported by these floating foundations. The plugs were now put in the cows, and the water was pumped out of them. By this process, the brig was lifted quite two feet, though, when she got on the bar, it was found that she still drew too nich water. It became necessary. in const- quence, to come-up every thing, to sink the scows anew, and to block up the timbers afresh. This duty occupied the night.
"The schooners had crossed the bar, and were moored outside, and preparations were hurriedly made to receive an attack. About $ A. M1 .. the enemy re-appeared. At this time, the Lawrence was just passing the bar. A distant, short, and harmless cannonado ensued, though it had the effect to keep the enemy from running in. As soon as the Lawrence was in loop water, her guns were hoisted in, manned as fast as mounted, and C
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the brig's broadside was sprung to bear on the English squadron. Fortu- nately, the Niagara crossed ou the first trial; and before night, all the vessels were as ready for service, as circumstances would then allow. The enemy remained with his topsails to the mast half an hour, sullenly reconnoitering; he then filled, and went up the lake under a press of canvass.
" This occurred on the 4th of August, and on the 5th, Captain Perry sailed in quest of the enemy, having received on board a number of soldiers and volunteers. He ran off Long Point, and sweeping the Canada shore for some distance, returned to Erie on the 8th. Taking in some supplies, he was about to proceed up the lake again, when intelligence arrived that a party sent from below, under Lieutenant Elliott, was at Cattaraugus, on its way to join the squadron. A vessel was immediately sent for this acceptable reinforcement. Shortly after its arrival, the commissions that had been made out some time previously, were received from below. By these changes, Mr. Elliott became a master and commander, and Messrs. Holdnp, Packett, Yarnall, Edwards, and Couklin, were raised to the rank of lieutenants. Most of these gentlemen, however, had been acting for some months.
"The American squadron now consisted of the Lawrence 20, Captain Perry; Niagara 20, Captain Elliott ; Caledonia 3, Mr. M'Grath, a purser; Ariel 1. Lieutenant Packett; Trippe 1, Lieutenant Smith; Tigress 1, Lieutenant Conklin; Somers 2, Mr. Alney; Scorpion 2, Mr. Champlin ; Ohio 1, Mr. Dobbins; and Porcupine 1, Mr. Senatt. On the 18th of August, this force sailed from Erie, and off Sandusky, a few days later, it chased, and was near capturing one of the enemy's schooners.
"The squadron cruised for several days, near the entrance of the strait, when Captain Perry was taken ill with the fever peculiar to these waters, and shortly after the vessels went into Put-in Bay, a harbor, among some islands that lay at no great distance.
" Here a few changes occurred, Mr. Smith going to the Niagara, and Mr. Holdup to the Trippe; Mr. M'Grath went also to the Niagara, and Mr. Turner took command of the Caledonia. The Ohio was sent down the lake on duty.
" Wbile in port, on this occasion, Captain Perry contemplated an attack on the enemy's vessels, by means of boats ; and orders were issued, accord- ingly, to drill the people with muffled oars.
" The squadron was still lying at Put-in Bay on the morning of the 10th of September, when, at daylight, the enemy's ships were discovered in the N. W. from the mast-head of the Lawrence. A signal was immediately made for all the vessels to get under way. The wind was light at S. W., and there was no mode of obtaining the weather-gage of the enemy, a very important measure with the peculiar armament of the largest of the Amer- ican vessels, but by beating around some small islands that lav in the way. It being thought there was not sufficient time for this, though the boats were got ahead to tow, a signal was about to be made for the vessels to ware, and to pass to leeward of the islands, with an intention of giving the enemy this great advantage, when the wind shifted to S. E. By this change the American squadron was enabled to pass in the desired direction, and to gain the wind. When he perceived the American vessels clearing the land, or about 10 A. M., the enemy hove-to, in a line, with his ships' heads to the southward and westward. Atthis tinie the two squadrons were about three leagues asunder, the breeze being still at S. R., and sufficient to work with. After standing down, until about a league from the English, where a better view was got of the manner in which the enemy had formed his line. the leading vessels of his own squadron being within hail. Captain Perry communicated a nie w order of attack. It had been expected that the Queen Charlotte, the second of the English vessels, in regard to force, would be at the head of their line, and the Niagara had been destined to lead in, and to Hie against ber, Captain Perry having reserved for himself a commander's privilege of engaging the principal vessel of the opposing squadron : but it now appear- ing that the anticipated arrangement had not been made, the plan was promptly altered. Captain Barclay bad formed his line with the Chippeway,
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Mr Campbell, armed with one gun on a pivot, in the van; the Detroit, his own vessel, next; and the Hunter, Lieutenant Bignall; Queen Charlotte, Captain Finnis; Lady Prevost, Lieutenant Commandant Buchan; and Little Belt astern, in the order named. To oppose this line, the Ariel, of four long twelves, was stationed in the van, and the Scorpion, of one long and one short gun on circles, next her. The Lawrence, Captain Perry, came next ; the two schooners just mentioned keeping on her weather bow, having no quarters. The Caledonia, Lieutenant Turner, was the next astern, and the Niagara, Captain Elliott, was placed next to the Caledonia. These vessels were all up at the time, but the other light craft were more or less distant, each endeavoring to get into her berth. The order of bat- tle for the remaining vessels, directed the Tigress to fall in aste:n of the Niagara, the Somers next, and then the Porupine and Trippe, in the order named.
" By this time the wind had got to be very light, but the leading vessels were all in their stations, and the remainder were endeavoring to get in as fist as possible. The English vessels presented a very gallant array, and their appearance was beautiful and imposing. Their line was compact, with the heads of the vessels still to the southward and westward ; their ensigns were just opening to the air; the vessels were freshly painted, and their canvass was new and perfect. The American line was more straggling. The order of battle required them to form within half a cable's length of each other, but the schooners astern could not close with the vessels ahead, which sailed faster, and had more light canvass, until some considerable time had elapsed
"A few minutes before twelve, the Detroit threw a twenty-four-pound shot at the Lawrence, then on her weather quarter, distant between one and two miles. Captain Perry now passed an order by trumpet, through the vessels astern, for the line to close to the prescribed order; and soon after, the Scorpion was hailed, and directed to begin with her long gun. At this moment, the American vessels in line were edging down upon the English, those in front being necessarily nearer to the enemy than those more astern, with the exception of the Ariel and Scorpion, which two schooners had been ordered to keep wellto windward of the Lawrence. As the Detroit had an armament of long guns, Captain Barclay manifested lus judgment in commencing the action in this manner; and in a short time, the firing between that ship, the Lawrence, and the two schooners at the head of the American line, got to be very animated. The Lawrence now showed a signal for the squadron to close, each vessel in her station, as previously designated. A few minutes later the vessels astern began to fire, and the action became general but distant. The Lawrence, however, appeared to be the principal aim of the enemy, and before the firing had lasted any material time, the Detroit, Hunter, and Queen Charlotte, were directing most of their efforts against her. The American brig endeavored to close, and did not succeed in getting within reach of canister, though not without suffering materially, as she fanned down upon the enemy. At this time, the support of the two schooners ahead, which were well com- manded and fought, was of the greatest moment to her; for the vessels astern, though in a line, could be of little use in diverting the fire. on account of their positions and the distance. After the firing had lasted some time, the Niagara hailed the Caledonia, and directed the latter to make room for the former to pass ahead. Mr. Turner put his helm up in the most dashing manner, and continued to near the enemy, until he was closer to his line, perhaps, than the commanding vessel; keeping up as warm a fire as his small armament would allow. The Niagara now became the vessel next astern of the Lawrence.
"The cannonade had the usual effect of deadening the wind, and fortwo hours there was very little air. During all this time, the weight of the enemy's fire was directed against the Lawrence; the Queen Charlotte having filled, passed the Hunter, and closed with the Detroit, where she kept up a destructive cannonading on this devoted vessel. These united attacks dismantled the American brig, besides producing great slaughter on board her. At the end of two hours and a half, agreeably to the report of Captain Perry, the enemy having filled, and the wind increasing, the
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