USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, Volume One > Part 28
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CHAPTER XIX
OLIVER HAZARD PERRY AND THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE.
DECLARATION OF WAR-PEOPLE TAKEN BY SURPRISE-ERIE MEN CAPTURED- NOAH BROWN ARRIVES WITH SHIP CARPENTERS-PERRY ARRIVES MARCH 27, 1813-MILITIA ARRIVE-RENDEVOUX AT WATERFORD-BUILDING THE SHIPS-FLEET SAILS-BRITISH DEFEATED-DEAD BURIED-PERRY AND BARCLAY ARRIVE AT ERIE-RECEPTION-DISPOSITION OF THE SHIPS- QUEEN CHARLOTTE BELL-FIRST THANKSGIVING DAY-DUEL.
Various controversies between the United States and Great Britain culminated by a second declaration of war against the mother country on June 18, 1812. It seemed an almost foolhardy thing to expect to accomplish anything of note or worth along the frontier of the lakes; for the British had accomplished much in the way of settlement and development on the Canadian shores; were in occupation of numerous military posts, all along the frontier as far as the Sault Ste. Marie; and above all, they were cruising the lake with their own battle fleet, having captured the sole American vessel, the Adams, leaving us without a boat to pit against their Provincial Navy. Then, too, the declaration came so unexpectedly that many well informed people were caught napping; even our own Captain Daniel Dobbins, Rufus S. Reed and W. W. Reed, who had sailed for Mackinaw in a trading vessel, were captured when the British captured the island. They were shortly released, and Captain Dobbins, on his arrival home was sent to Washington to apprise the government of the situation here, and to plead for assistance. He came back with a Sailing Master's commission, and under orders of the government to proceed to Erie and to forthwith commence the building of gunboats. He could only find one ship carpenter to assist him, and so engaged a lot of house carpenters and common laborers to help in building the ships.
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No lumber was at hand; no iron available suitable for his purpose, and only to be found in sundry pieces of many descriptions, at various places, and when brought together beaten into rods, bolts, spikes and other irons required in the work.
On March 10, 1813, Noah Brown, a distinguished master ship builder from New York, arrived with twenty-five carpenters, finding that Cap- tain Dobbins had already prepared much of the timber, and had the keels for two sloops all ready.
On March 27, 1813, Lieutenant Oliver Hazard Perry arrived at Erie, and established his headquarters on the northeast corner of Third
COMMODORE PERRY
and French streets, in the "Duncan Hotel" later "The McConkey House," with living rooms at the near-by Dickson House in the southeast corner of Second and French streets. He was but twenty-seven years of age, but was entrusted with the command of Lake Erie, upon which floated a powerful and hostile fleet. The post at Erie was under the command of General Mead, who shortly assisted Perry in gathering a thousand state militia at Erie. The old blockhouse on the Garrison Grounds was hastily put into repair and occupied as a lookout point, and harbor de- fense. Earthen redoubts were at once thrown up along the edge of the lake bank, and at several other points where they were deemed useful.
Governor Snyder had promptly organized the state militia into two divisions-one for the east and one for the west. The western division
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was under the command of Major General Adamson Tannehill, of Pitts- burg, and the brigade in which the Erie County militia found itself a part, was under the command of Brigadier General John Kelso; while the Erie County regiment was commanded by Dr. J. C. Wallace. Some of the officers of the Erie Regiment were Captains, Andrew Cockran, Zel- otus Lee, James Barr, William Dickson, Robert Davison, Warren Foote, John Morris, - - Smith, and Donaldson. Captain Barr, with his men, was sent to Sandusky where they spent the winter of 1812-13. Captain Cochran and his Springfield company kept guard along the lake for some months, and were frequently on duty later in the war. Captain Foote and his company was assigned to duty to "keep sentry at the head of the peninsula.
The rendezvous of the troops was on the flats at Waterford station, where upwards of 2,000 troops were collected from the counties of Erie, Crawford, Mercer and other counties.
The summer of 1812 brought almost unmitigated disaster to the Americans in the loss of Detroit, Niagara, and the capture of the Adams.
Perry and Dobbins wrought early and late in the construction and equipment of their little fleet. The "Lawrence," "the Niagara," and the pilot boat "Ariel" were built on the beach at the mouth of Cascade Run; while the "Tigress," and the "Porcupine," were laid down and built on the point of beach which jutted out from the mouth of Lee's Run, be- tween Peach and Sassafras Streets. The brig "Caledonia," the sloop "Trippe," and the three schooners "Ohio," "Amelia," and "Somers," ar- rived from Buffalo on June 17, 1813, although the crews were in con- stant fear of being sighted by the enemy fleet. Perry named his flag- ship the "Lawrence" in memory of the gallant Captain James Lawrence who was killed in the action between the Shannon and the Chesapeake, and whose last words became the slogan on the battle flag of Perry's squadron : "Don't give up the ship."
While our fleet was building, the enemy would often appear at the harbor entrance, desiring, evidently, to observe the work; and would no doubt have entered and destroyed the building vessels had there been water in the channel deep enough to enter.
When all was ready, Perry and his men attacked the work of get- ting the vessels out of the harbor and into the open lake. The chan- nel proving very shallow, lighters had to be employed, which they called "camels," and after two days and nights of the hardest labor, they were
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moved into the open lake, where they were finally fitted out and made ready for the search of the enemy vessels. On the 9th of August they were joined by Lieutenant Elliott from the Lake Ontario district, and on the 12th of August, sailed up the lakes. Before leaving the towns- people tendered Perry a farewell dinner when he avowed his purpose either to come back a victor, or in his shroud. Arriving at Sandusky, Captain Dobbins was ordered back to Erie with his ship the "Ohio," to procure provisions, etc., and he was therefore very unwillingly absent when the battle took place.
As the sun arose over the lake on the 10th of September, the enemy were discovered, and shortly before dinner time the first shots were fired, and one of the most furious, as well as most momentous naval battles of history was commenced. As we are dealing with Erie County history, and as the details of that battle have been so well told in other works, we may be excused from narrating the occurrence of that fight. But we are proud to record that Perry, who went into the fight a very sick man, acquitted himself with credit and renown, returning a hero to friend and · foe alike. When the firing had ceased Perry sat down and reported the battle to General Harrison on the back of an old letter: "Dear General: We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop. Yours with great respect and esteem, O. H. Perry." For a long time after this battle there were many new born boys christened with more or less of the name of the revered naval hero.
The dead of both forces were buried at Put-in-Bay, and the badly wounded were placed aboard the "Lawrence" and brought to Erie, where they were received by the people and given every care.
It is worthy of note that the reputation of Perry amongst the British officers and men who were taken prisoner, rose by leaps and bounds, in consequence of his civil and considerate treatment of them; and that when he died off the coast of South America, and near a British Port, the garrison, which contained some men who had taken part in the Battle of Lake Erie, vied with each other in doing honor to the chival- rous victor who had treated all with so much kindness and courtesy ; and a voluntary contribution afforded funds to pay for an exquisite mon- ument which stands today where his body lay for a time in English soil.
The following is a list of some of the officers and men from Erie County who participated in the War of 1812:
Quartermaster General, Wilson Smith; Major General, John Phil-
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lips, Sixteenth Division; Brigadier General, John Kelso, First Brigade, Sixteenth Division; Henry Hurst; Paymaster, John Phillips; Major and Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. John C. Wallace; Commissaries, Rufus S. Reed, Stephen Woolverton; Sergeant Major, Henry Colt. The members of Captain Thomas Forster's company of "Erie Light Infantry" who spent the winter of 1812 at Buffalo were: First Lieutenant, Thomas Rees ; Ensign, Thomas Stewart; First Sergeant, Thomas Wilkins; Second Ser- geant, John Hay; Drummer, Ira Glazier; Fifer, Rufus Clough; Privates- Archibald McSparren, George Kelly, John Sloan, William Murray, Jonas Duncan, John Clough, John Woodside, William Duncan, John Eakens, George S. Russell, John E. Lapsley, Peter Grawosz, Jacob Carmack, Wil- liam Henderson, Robert Irwin, Ebenezer Dwinnell, Samuel Hays, Thomas Laird, John W. Bell, Robert McDonald, Thomas Hughes, Robert Brown, John Morris, George Buehler, William Lattimore, James E. Herron, Simeon Dunn, Adam Arbuckle, Stephen Wolverton, Francis Scott, Thomas Vance.
A pathetic event occurred the following spring in the execution on board the "Niagara" lying at anchor in Misery Bay, of James Bird, John Rankin, and John Davis, who had been tried and convicted by a court- martial of the military offense of desertion. Their bodies were buried on the sand beach east of the mouth of Mill Creek.
Although the happy termination of the Battle of Lake Erie on Sept. 10, 1813, cleared Lake Erie of all armed opposition to the American forces, the British army which had concentrated opposite Detroit was as yet undisposed of. General Harrison, having largely increased his army by recent enlistments, moved against the British army stationed at Mal- den, opposite Detroit. The British retreated up the Detroit River, and were closely followed by General Harrison. Perry, who had been pro- moted to a naval commander when he was about to sail against Barclay's fleet, volunteered with Harrison as an aide. Closely pursuing the British a battle was forced at the Thames, followed by the defeat of Proctor and the death of the Indian, Tecumseh. This disposed of British armed power in upper Canada, which was now entirely in the power of the Americans.
Perry now prepared to return; and inviting General Harrison to accompany him, they left on the Ariel for Erie; and when passing Put-in- Bay invited Barclay to join them, which he did, all arriving at Erie on Oct. 22, 1813. As the vessel rounded the peninsula the garrison fired
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the national salute. On landing, Perry and his party proceeded to "Dun- can's Hotel," where he was given such an ovation as falls to the lot of few men. That evening the little town was ablaze with lights, bon- fires and torch-light processions ; and while Perry had requested that quiet should be maintained near the hotel where the distinguished sick British officers were being cared for, and that request had been scrupulously regarded, yet elsewhere the town was in a ferment of uproar during nearly the whole night. The Niagara arrived in the afternoon of the same day as the Ariel did.
Perry's ships were disposed of as follows:
The Ariel and Chippewa, sailing for Buffalo, were driven ashore and went to pieces; the Trippe and "Little Belt" went to Black Rock where they were burned by the British; the Lawrence and Niagara, in April, 1814, were put in commission and sent to Lake Huron, where they were repulsed when they made their attack, and returned to Lake Erie; the Detroit and Queen Charlotte were sent from Put-in-Bay to Erie, and assisted in the Lake Huron attack, and returned to Erie with the others; . the Scorpion and the Tigress were surprised and captured by the British at the lower end of Lake Huron by boarding them at night; the Somers and Ohio went to Fort Erie, where they were captured at night by the British and destroyed; the Navy Department in 1815 sent orders, and the Lawrence, the Detroit and Queen Charlotte were sunk in Misery Bay for their better preservation; the Caledonia and the Lady Prevost were sold and converted into merchant vessels; the Porcupine was transferred to the revenue service, while the Niagara was kept for a time as a receiving ship, when she was floated over into Misery Bay and sunk near its eastern shore.
When the naval station was abandoned, on June 12, 1826, an auction of government property included the Lawrence, the Detroit, the Niagara, and the Queen Charlotte, which were sold to a Mr. Brown of Rochester, who again sold them in 1830 to Captain George Miles and associates. These men tried to raise the vessels and fit them for the merchant serv- ice, but the Lawrence had been so badly shattered in the battle, that they allowed her to sink back into the water; the Detroit and Queen Char- lotte were repaired, and after serving for a few years the Detroit was sent adrift in Niagara River to go over the falls as an event; in 1857 Captain Miles disposed of his interest in the Lawrence and Niagara to Leander Dobbins, who disposed of them in 1875 to John Dunlap and
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Thomas J. Viers, who, in the spring of 1876 raised the Lawrence, cut her in two, and took her to the Philadelphia Centennial to show, but as a sensation she was a failure, the people believing she was a fraud be- cause of her insignificant size as compared with the more modern vessels. The Niagara was raised and rehabilitated for the centennial anniversary of the battle, has been one of the cherished historical relics of the county, and is still afloat on the waters of the harbor which saw her birth.
Mr. Rufus S. Reed bought the bell from the Queen Charlotte at the public auction of government property, and later presented it to the borough of Erie. It hung in the court house in the west park (the sec- ond court house building) until that building was removed; it was later used in various ways including a fire alarm. On one occasion its alarm · was so intense that it was cracked. In 1893 it came to the city, and is now hanging in the corridor of the city hall.
The first Thanksgiving Day to be observed in this county by public proclamation, was the one proclaimed by Governor Findlay, the last Thursday in November, 1819. The first Thanksgiving Day set apart by national proclamation, was that designated by President Washington, Thursday, Nov. 26, 1789, before this county had any one in it to observe it.
Captain Elliott was given command of the Niagara during the Battle of Lake Erie, and his conduct in the handling of his vessel gave rise to much heated criticism, although Commander Perry strove earnestly to suppress any adverse comments upon the matter. During the following winter the officers and men continued the controversy until Midshipman Senat, who commanded the Porcupine during that memorable fight, and Acting Master McDonald, became sufficiently involved to fight a duel over it near the corner of Third and Sassafras streets, which resulted in the killing of young Senat. He was engaged at the time to a young lady of our town.
CHAPTER XX
ERIE EXTENSION CANAL.
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PROJECTS DISCUSSED-TERMINUS ADVOCATED-APPROPRIATIONS FOR IT-STATE BEGINS THE WORK-TERMINAL ACCOMMODATIONS-LOCKS-ABANDONED.
Very early in the commercial development of this county, projects were discussed from time to time for the connection of the Ohio River at Pittsburgh with Lake Erie at Presque Isle. In 1762 it was even sug- · gested that it would be practicable to connect the Delaware River with Lake Erie, but it was not until 1823, the year our court house burned, that any of these proposals took on anything like definite shape. In that year the legislature passed an act providing for a commission to examine the feasibility of such a project, and members from forty-six counties, with Giles Sanford from this county, reported favorably a route from the Susquehanna River to the Allegheny, and thence to Lake Erie. The state promptly embarked in the enterprise, but the primitive methods of canal construction involved the state so deeply for the progress of the work, that it was October of 1834 before the first boat cargo from the east arrived in Pittsburg.
By this time other interests, and other engineers, became convinced of a much better route for the great ditch by way of the Ohio, the Beaver and the Shenango Rivers. This became known as "The Western Route," while the one formerly contemplated up the Allegheny, French Creek, and thence to Erie, was distinguished as "The Eastern Route." The "Western Route" was shortly afterwards determined upon by prac- tical engineers, as affording the best engineering and construction features. Then the lake terminus became a heated controversy, some interests advocating the mouth of Elk Creek, and others the harbor at
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
Erie. The latter was determined upon, largely through the sagacity and efforts of Elijah Babbit, who was then a member of the legislature. The state was persuaded, through the influence and labors of John H. Walker, an Erie resident, to cede the Third Section of the Erie Reservation lands, consisting of some 2,000 acres, to the Borough of Erie, for the purpose of constructing a canal basin at the Erie water front for the harborage of the canal boats, and where they could be conveniently loaded and unloaded.
On July 4, 1838, work was commenced with considerable ceremony and a civic program, Captain Daniel Dobbins being given the honor of throwing the first shovelful of soil from the route. By 1843 the state had expended over $4,000,000 on the work, and but $211,000 more was estimated as necessary to complete it.
During the session of the legislature of 1842-3 an act was passed incorporating the Erie Canal Company, and ceding to the company the entire project which had cost the state so much good money, providing that the company would undertake to finish and operate the undertaking. Rufus S. Reed of Erie was at the head of the new company, and Charles M. Reed, also of Erie was its treasurer. The company speedily com- pleted the canal and had the boats running, the first ones to arrive in Erie being the "Queen of the West," a passenger packet which was loaded with passengers, and the R. S. Reed, a freighter loaded with Mer- cer County coal, on Dec. 5, 1844.
This canal came through Erie County very nearly on the line of the Bessemer Railroad to Elkcreek, thence practically where the N. Y., C., & St. L. R. R. now runs, to about the present Chemical Works on West Eighteenth Street, and thence diagonally down through Erie to the foot of Sassafras Street through the valley of Lee's Run. Numerous locks were placed in it in Erie to let the boats down from the upper levels to the level of the harbor waters. The canal boats were of an average capacity of about sixty-five tons, and were drawn along by one or more teams of horses, usually walking along a path at the side of the canal called the tow-path, drawing the boat with a long, stout rope known as the tow-rope. A number of packet boats operated on it, for the convey- ance of passengers and package freight. The greater part of its busi- ness, however, was in transporting coal, iron ore, and merchandise. This canal was the great avenue for traffic and travel in western Pennsylvania and for the immigrants seeking the Ohio Valley regions, who would
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come by way of Buffalo, and thence to Erie by steamer. It had no com- petitor, and its trade was extensive, until the construction of the Erie and Pittsburg Railroad, which created opposition and competition suffi- cient to put the canal out of business. General C. M. Reed, who controlled the largest block of its stock, was urged to join in a project to enlarge the canal, but while negotiations for this were being conducted, he dis- posed of his holding to the Erie & Pittsburg Railroad Company, which operated the canal for a time in a very unsatisfactory manner, until the great aqueduct which carried it across Elk Creek gorge, south of Girard, collapsed in 1871, which offered a sufficient cause for the abandonment of the whole enterprise. Its bridges, locks and other equipment were, from time to time, disposed of, and its ditches gradually became refilled, until its very site has been mostly forgotten.
This canal had extensive slack-water feeders up-country, which were wonderful spawning grounds for fish of several varieties, which found their way in large numbers into the channel of the canal proper, and made fine sport for the young people. This sport was extensively carried on in the City of Erie, and nearly every fine day would find num- bers of men and boys fishing in the canal where it crossed Eighth Street close west of Chestnut Street, where a high bridge carried traffic on Eighth Street over the canal. A big lock just north of Seventh Street formed an extensive slack-water up to the next lock some distance above Eighth Street. Built across the canal at this Seventh Street lock was a great frame building of some three stories, under and through which the canal traffic passed to the lock. This was known as the weigh-lock. Just east of it on Seventh Street was the big gas works which had a slip of its own, into which canal boats loaded with coal were floated, and the coal used in making the gas which supplied the city.
Bridges across the canal were those at Eighth Street, Sixth Street, and at Fourth Street. The crossings at the canal in Third, Fifth and Seventh Streets were not provided with bridges. Another slip was pro- vided to Burton's Coal-yard, which was located just east of where the Burton undertaking establishment is now; and the slip from the canal brought in the coal-loaded boats for this yard. North of the coal yard and on the south side of Seventh Street was Alfred King's malt-house, which was burned in the early summer of 1865.
That old section of the canal between Ninth Street and Seventh Street, known as the "Weigh-lock Basin" was several times as wide as
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the regular channel of the canal, and was the end of the trip for most of the boats. This basin was at times terribly congested with boats wait- ing their turn at the scales, or to pass to their slips, or wharves, or on down through the locks to the harbor basin. The passenger packets landed their passengers at this basin, and went no further down.
An old warehouse of the canal days still stands as the double frame dwelling on the east side of Chestnut north of Eighth. At sixth Street was a cooperage shop, just east of it on Sixth Street was a coal yard, on the north side of Sixth, between the canal and Myrtle Street, was the coal yard of E. W. Reed; a lock between Fifth and Sixth Street formed a fine water-power with its waste water for the Canal Mills which were for many years operated by Oliver & Bacon on the east side of Myrtle Street nearly mid-way of the block; the Constable Planing Mill was estab- lished on the Canal farther north, and is still in operation by the Con- stable Brothers Company; below this the grade necessitated very short locks, and along them were yards and shops for the building and repair of canal boats, the most important one being that of Messrs Bates & Foster.
Near Ninth Street was a lock where stood a grocery store known as "Glover's Grocery," which was a sort of community center to which resorted the canal-boatmen of that day, and by certain classes of Erie people. It formed a great place for loungers, for canal bargaining, and other matters, sayings and doings appropriate to water-front usages. The canal extended south from Eighth and Chestnut to Ninth at about Walnut; it crossed Tenth Street at Cherry, and thence to Twelfth and Poplar, on the northwest corner of which stood, until a few years since, another old canal house. Thence it passed more to the westward, and under where the railroad tracks are now just beyond Liberty, and on through the old forge properties to where the Bessemer Railroad joins the Nickel Plate.
CHAPTER XXI
THE RAILROADS.
IMPROVED TRAVEL FACILITIES REQUIRED-FIRST RAILROAD COMPANY INCOR- PORATED-NEW YORK STATE COMPANIES-DIFFERENCES IN THE GAUGE- PEOPLE RESENT CHANGE OF GAUGE-RIOTING-CIVIL WAR DIVERTED PEOPLE-ERIE & NORTH EAST RAILROAD COMPANY-DUNKIRK & STATE LINE RAILROAD-THE FRANKLIN CANAL COMPANY-ERIE & PITTSBURG RAILROAD-SUNBURY & ERIE RAILROAD-PHILADELPHIA & ERIE RAILROAD -LAKE SHORE & MICHIGAN SOUTHERN RAILROAD-NEW YORK CENTRAL . RAILROAD-NICKEL PLATE RAILROAD-THE BESSEMER RAILROAD.
The increasing traffic from Buffalo westward along the lake shore, stimulated the popular desire for a better means of transportation than that of the stage-coach, or even the steamboats of the day. Accordingly in 1831 a gathering of interested citizens at Fredonia, New York, dis- cussed the matter, with General C. M. Reed, P. S. V. Hamot and Thomas H. Sill from Erie in attendance.
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